Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – March 16, 2023

Update Opening Graphic

One game system – every genre – countless worlds – endless adventure

By Kevin Siembieda & Sean Owen Roberson

There is a lot going on so let me get right to it.

 

Our thanks to those of you who participated in the two G.M.’s Days Sales that just ended. We heard nothing but positive things about these sales opportunities. Enjoy your purchases.

 

This Weekend – Meet Kevin Siembieda and Sean Owen Roberson, in person, at the AADL Game Designer Expo, 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM, this Saturday, March 18. The event takes place at the Ann Arbor District Library in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The event is FREE to the public, so come on over to chat with us and other Michigan game designers of all kinds from RPGs and board games to video games. This is the first time we are attending the event, so we don’t know what to expect ourselves. Sean and I will be manning a table with a very small selection of our books on display and for sale. We are happy to sign any books you bring and chat about game design and gaming. Located at 343 South 5th Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

 

NEW! Palladium Fantasy RPG® 40th Anniversary – Palladium Fantasy turns 40 years old this year, and has never been out of print the entire time. That’s a huge accomplishment few other game companies can claim.

To celebrate, we are updating and expanding the last two books in the current line-up, Yin-Sloth Jungles and Island at the Edge of the World sourcebooks, to Second Edition rules. Long-time fan turned freelance writer, John Klinkel, has already turned in both books with his preliminary updates and suggested additions. I am reviewing Yin-Sloth Jungles rewrites and making my own tweaks. I have also had artist Phil Stone redo all the maps to make them cleaner and more attractive (they are looking great!), and Will Erwin is finishing a deluxe color map of the region. Final page count and price is yet to be determined, but it will probably be around 192 pages, up from 160.

We anticipate the updated and expanded Yin-Sloth Jungles to see release in April and Island at the Edge of the World later in the year. We also hope to please you later in the year with the release of one or two of the Fantasy titles you have been waiting for as well, but no promises. Will there be other things done to celebrate Palladium Fantasy’s landmark birthday? You’ll have to wait and see. We are open to suggestions.

 

UPDATE: Titan Robotics™ Kickstarter. Sean is practically dancing on air as he nears completion of the Rifts® Titan Robotics™ Sourcebook, written by him and Matthew Clements. Final proofreading and layout are in progress as you read this. Then we will be releasing the PDF to Backers for a short review period, and after that, the book is off to the printer.

Wayne is nearly finished with the “remastering” of the PDF for Rifts® Sourcebook One, Revised and it should be made available to backers soon. Sourcebook 2: The Mechanoids, and Shemarrian Nation Sourcebook to follow. The Rifts® for Savage Worlds conversion documents, exclusive to our backers, are also coming along nicely as is the Cyberworks™ Collection.

Reminder, the Backerkit Survey went out and the Pledge Manager and Pre-Order Store all went live weeks ago to great excitement from our Titan Robotics backers. If you have not gotten your survey or are experiencing any issues, please let us know via direct message on Kickstarter or the Help Desk at PalladiumBooks.com, as we will be locking down Backerkit in a few weeks. See more details and links below.

Titan Robotics Kickstarter

Titan Robotics BackerKit Pre-Order Store

 

UPDATE: Cyberworks™ Collection – This is a dynamic collection of Rifts® Sourcebook One, Sourcebook 2: The Mechanoids®, Shemarrian Nation™, and the Archie-3 related material from Rifts® Aftermath, all presented as a deluxe hardcover. This is one of Wayne’s other projects. It was first announced in the Titan Robotics™ Kickstarter. Please note that the coveted, Gold Foil hardcover is a signed, limited edition available exclusively to Titan Robotics Kickstarter Backers only, along with the color hardcover and gold foil editions of the Titan Robotics™ Sourcebook, so Kickstarter Backers, if you want a copy (or one for your friend) make sure you upgrade your pledge while you still can! Ah, but the Cyberworks Collection will also have a color cover hardcover edition, available for order now via the Pre-Order Store and to the public after the Kickstarter has been fulfilled and shipped. You will love whichever edition of these two books you may purchase now or later. Of course, we recommend you get them both.

Titan Robotics BackerKit Pre-Order Store

 

NEW! A new Rifts® Live Play Podcast is available for your viewing enjoyment – Rifts®: Ghost in the Machine. It is produced and Game Mastered by none other than long-time Palladium freelance artist, Mark Dudley. You can find the first six episodes on Imaginos TV. Click on the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9OKt2SBYwybo_sV8zmdOBSQ1eaJP3rj9

 

UPDATE: My eBay Store for collectibles. As promised, Alex and I have continued to add more Robotech® RPG books and negatives, other out of print Palladium titles, first printings, toys, and a couple dozen one-of-a-kind negatives to my eBay store (a bunch of Zentraedi negatives) (http://stores.ebay.com/kevinstoys-artandcollectibles). However, many of these items sell shortly after they get posted, so keep your eyes peeled. We continue to add Palladium collectibles and negatives at least once a week.

 

Rifts Titan Robotics Kickstarter

Titan Robotics Backerkit Survey & Pledge Manager

In case you haven’t heard, the Backerkit Survey was mailed out in February, the Pledge Manager is open, and so is the Pre-Order Store. We know most of you have heard, because we have been getting a lot of surveys turned in and people upgrading their pledge and selecting add-ons. Thank you for your support and enthusiasm.

If you have not yet done so, please fill out the survey and start managing your pledge at your earliest convenience. Backers can purchase add-ons and even additional copies of exclusive items that were part of their pledge level like foil hardcovers. A few of you have inquired about upgrading your pledge level; for that, just contact us via Kickstarter direct message and we’ll be happy to help you out on a case-by-case basis. Non-backers can also pre-order select products via the Pre-Order Store.

The Pre-Order Store enables everyone who wants to do so to pre-order a large selection of products. That includes non-exclusive Titan Robotics and Cyberworks products, but anything purchased in the Pre-Order Store will not ship until ALL the Kickstarter items do and that will take a few months. And please note that shipping will not be charged until a later date, when we know the exact cost to ship your order. If you are in the USA and want available products right now, order from the Palladium Books online store as usual.

The Pre-Order Store is huge for gamers in Canada and overseas, because products selected via the Kickstarter or in the Pre-Order Store will ship to them at substantially lower prices than Palladium can normally offer through our web store. This is made possible through the magic of bulk shipping negotiated through our partners at Spiral Galaxy Games (for the UK and EU) and Quartermaster Logistics (for the rest of the world). Please spread the word and take advantage of this shipping opportunity. US backers may see a small savings, as well. Shipping will not be charged until a later date when product is ready to ship and we know the exact cost to ship your rewards.

 

Original Beyond the Supernatural RPG 1st Edition Foil Hardcover

NEW! “Original” Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG “Bonus” Edition Commemorative Hardcover, 1st Edition Rules – available now

Fans are loving the “Original” Beyond the Supernatural RPG (1988) re-release as a commemorative bonus edition hardcover with its 28 iconic monsters, information about ley lines and magic, and more. Made available due to popular demand, the deluxe, commemorative, crimson foil hardcover of the Original Beyond the Supernatural RPG (1988) is back in print for the first time in 25 years. The book is simply entitled “Beyond the Supernatural,” it is gorgeous, and a must for BTS fans.

  • Modern horror and adventure.
  • The original, 1st Edition BTS rule book exactly as first published, except now as a deluxe hardcover.
  • 32 pages of “bonus” material.
  • 28 monsters, most of which can be converted to BTS-2 with some work.
  • Quick roll villain tables. Weapons and equipment section.
  • Random Encounter Tables. Random Creature Creation Tables.
  • 4 adventures, 2 adventure outlines, and countless adventure ideas.
  • Erick Wujcik’s “Victim Characters” alternative rules for playing classic movie horror and splatter film horror.
  • Erick Wujcik’s Game Master Guide to running horror adventures.
  • Can be adapted to BTS 2nd edition rules. Though magic and psionics work differently in BTS-2, this is a valuable resource and gaming tool. We recommend you only use O.C.C.s and characters from the BTS Second Edition rule book when playing in the Second Edition setting.
  • Probably limited to fewer than 1,000 copies.
  • 288 pages of terrifying fun – $55.00 retail – Cat. No. 699HC – Available now.

1st Edition Beyond the Supernatural Foil Hardcover at palladium-store.com

 

Creature Feature

Creature Feature™ – A Beyond the Supernatural™ sourcebook – available now

Creature Feature is epic and much more than a monster book. It is filled with adventure, G.M. and player tips, anecdotes, rules clarifications, and more.

  • 15 supernatural creatures described in depth. Each creature offers adventure hooks and ideas for more.
  • The art of making and running monsters.
  • Creature encounter table and tips on making unique creatures.
  • Player paranormal investigator background table.
  • Game Master source material and tips for running modern horror.
  • More world setting and monster hunting lore.
  • Rules clarifications and errata.
  • A full adventure and numerous adventure suggestions.
  • Paranormal encounter ideas, tips, advice, NPCs, and more.
  • Written by Steven Dawes, Kevin Siembieda, and others.
  • Art by Steven Cummings, Nick Bradshaw, and others.
  • 192 pages – $26.99 retail – Cat. No. 704 – Available now.

Creature Feature in the Palladium Online Store

 

Original Palladium Fantasy 1st Edition Foil Hardcover

BACK in STOCK! “Original” Palladium Fantasy RPG® “Bonus” Edition Commemorative Hardcover, 1st Edition – Available now

The ever popular Original Palladium Fantasy RPG® Commemorative Bonus Hardcover (first edition rules) is back in print. It is a deluxe, foil stamped edition that presents the original, First Edition Fantasy rules, expanded with the inclusion of the long out-of-print Arms of Nargash-Tor adventure sourcebook and Tombs of Gersidi.

  • The complete, original RPG – the game that started Palladium Books.
  • First Edition rules are easily adaptable to current Fantasy titles.
  • Includes The Tombs of Gersidi adventure and setting.
  • The Arms of Nargash-Tor adventure sourcebook is included as “bonus” material back in print for the first time in 35 years.
  • Easily adapted to all 2nd Edition rules and sourcebooks.
  • Deluxe hardcover edition. Probably limited to fewer than 1,000 copies.
  • 320 pages total with “bonus” material – $55 retail – Cat. No. 449HC – available now!

Original Palladium Fantasy 1st Edition Foil Hardcover

 

List of Palladium Books® RPG Hardcovers Available Now

 

Notable Palladium Releases – a Megaverse® of adventure awaits you

  • NEW! Palladium Fantasy RPG® Interactive NPC Sheet to help you create monsters and villains quickly. This Excel spreadsheet is available on DriveThruRPG.com and PalladiumBooks.com.
  • NEW! “Original” Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG Commemorative “Bonus” Foil Hardcover (1st Edition rules) – described above.
  • Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG, 2nd Edition – A plausible modern horror setting unlike any other. One that makes sense and will challenge your role-playing skills. 14 Psychic Character Classes. 42 occupations for “ordinary” people, 100+ psychic abilities, including Fire Walker abilities, creatures of darkness, the Lazlo Agency, and more. All of these unlikely heroes stand against supernatural evil in a world of disbelievers who brand them as practitioners of fringe science and lunatics. Only your characters know the truth: supernatural evil is real and dangerous. Are you ready to join the battle? 256 pages – Cat. No. 700. Also available as a hardcover edition.
  • Creature Feature™, a Beyond the Supernatural™, 2nd Edition Sourcebook – 15 new creatures, rules clarifications, player and Game Master tips, adventure and more – 192 pages – $26.99 retail – Cat. No. 704 – available now.
  • Rifts® Coalition Manhunters™ Sourcebook – 224 pages of Coalition data to blow your mind. 80+ new psionic abilities, 9 Manhunter psychic assassins, Psi-Ops thought police, Dog Boys, Kill Hounds, Coalition secrets, and more – 224 pages – Cat. No. 894.
  • The Rifter® #85 Annual – Rifts®, Fantasy, and many RPG settings – Cat. No. 185 – Also available as a bookmarked PDF book on DriveThruRPG where it has made the Top 10 Best Sellers List.
  • European Castles – 40+ real world castles from across Europe and their actual floor plans whenever available – for use with ANY game system – 48 pages – $10.99 – Cat. No. 410 – available now.
  • Exotic Weapons – 100+ strange and exotic weapons from around the globe – for use with ANY game system – 48 pages – $10.99 – Cat. No. 409 – available now.
  • The Compendium of Modern Weapons – 450+ real world weapons from around the globe – for use with ANY game system – 176 pages – Cat. No. 415.
  • Palladium Fantasy RPG®, 2nd Edition – A fantasy setting like no other, rich in history and inviting adventure. Not only are you able to play iconic fantasy heroes, but also characters such as the Mind Mage, Druid, Diabolist, Summoner and an array of nonhuman characters from Elves and Dwarves to Wolfen, Changelings, Kobolds, Orcs, Ogres, and many others. 25+ Occupational Character Classes (O.C.C.s), 14+ inhuman player races (more in sourcebooks), 300+ magic spells, 60 magical wards, 50 magic circles, 70+ psychic powers, dozens of magic items and potions, and so much more. 336 pages – Cat. No. 450. Also available as a hardcover edition. More than a dozen sourcebooks support this game line.
  • Lopan™ (Fantasy) Raw Preview – Cat. No. 476-RAW.
  • Land of the South Winds™ (Fantasy) Raw Preview – Cat. No. 477-RAW.
  • Heroes Unlimited™ RPG, 2nd Edition – A hit super-hero RPG for 30+ years. Why? Because it enables you to create any type of comic book hero you can imagine. 101 super abilities plus a multitude of sub-powers within them, bonuses and special combat capabilities. 72 psychic powers and 100+ magic spells, plus enchanted weapons and objects that turn a person into a superhuman. Psychics, super-powered aliens, mutants, super soldiers, Mega-Heroes, mages, immortals, cyborgs, robots, power armor, weapon masters, and more. Plus a dozen sourcebooks provide you with hundreds of additional super abilities, hero categories, bad guys, and adventures. 352 pages for a complete RPG – Cat. No. 500. Also available as a hardcover edition.
  • After the Bomb® RPG – Erick Wujcik’s mutant magnum opus. Create any mutant animal from a turtle to an elephant, animal psionics, animal powers, chimeras, and more. Use the mutants as modern world heroes, or play within the AtB post-apocalypse setting, Rifts®, or just about any setting. 224 pages – Cat. No. 503. Also available as a hardcover edition.
  • Ninjas & Superspies™ RPG – 40+ styles of martial arts, mystic abilities, spies, gadgets, and creating secret organizations. 176 pages – Cat. No. 525. Also available as a hardcover edition.
  • Dead Reign® RPG – The Zombie Apocalypse unleashed! Can you survive? Play Post-Apocalyptic heroes or ordinary people. Part zombie game, part survival manual. All fun. A great beginner’s game. If you are looking for a zombie game that truly captures the feel of survival after the apocalypse and the nightmare of being stalked by zombies, Dead Reign® is it. Game mechanics are designed to create a real sense of escalating terror and dread when the zombies swarm. 224 pages – Cat. No. 230. Also available as a hardcover edition. Sourcebooks expand the world, player options, and adventure ideas as well as present new zombies and dangers.
  • Nightbane® RPG – Join the secret war against a demonic invasion most people do not even know has taken place. The demonic Nightlords, their evil Dopplegangers and other demon minions are quietly taking over the world, starting with the most powerful nations. You know it is happening because you are the Nightbane. You can see the true demonic form of these invaders, and you can stop them. The only wrinkle is you must turn into your monstrous supernatural form – your Morphus – to call upon your superhuman and magical powers. Oh, and the government is controlled by the Nightlords and their shape-changing demonic minions hunt the Nightbane. 224 pages – Cat. No. 730. Also available as a hardcover edition.
  • And more, like the Rifts® Ultimate Edition (and 90+ Rifts® sourcebooks), Rifts® Chaos Earth®, The Mechanoid Trilogy®, Systems Failure, Splicers®, RECON®, Phase World®, etc.

 

DriveThruRPG.com – Discover the Palladium Megaverse® – 300+ titles – one game system – nearly every genre – endless adventure

The new Palladium Fantasy RPG® Interactive NPC Sheet is a Microsoft Excel-based system for creating Non-Player Characters quickly and easily. Once you know the system, you can have NPCs up and ready in minutes! Great for making a quick NPC at the last moment, or saving time when designing the big bad of an adventure.

  • Design compatible with the Palladium Fantasy RPG® Interactive Character Sheet.
  • 20,000+ preset NPC combinations ready to go in less than a minute.
  • 15 nonhuman Palladium Fantasy races and 23 O.C.C.s.
  • 300+ Wizard and Warlock spells programmed with quick stats.
  • 70+ psionics, options for Minor Psionics, and more.
  • $4.00 – Available on DriveThruRPG.com and PalladiumBooks.com – Created by Travis Guerrero.

 

Also Available – FREE Creature Feature™ Preview provides you a glimpse of what you will find in this epic book. There also FREE Sneak Previews of Rifts® Coalition Manhunters, Northern Gun 1 & 2, Hell Followed, and select other titles. Those are just some of the 300+ Palladium RPG titles available as PDF books.

No other game company offers game worlds for so many different genres. Best of all, learn to play one Palladium RPG and you can play them all, because each uses the same basic core rules and combat. There are differences, but the fundamentals are the same. This also means you can bring characters, villains, monsters, powers, magic, weapons, gear, and adventure ideas from one setting into another or mash them together!

300+ titles and nearly every game genre available now – and more is coming. Discover the Palladium Megaverse® right now.

- Rifts® titles. Rifts® is the ultimate setting in which you can combine any number of genres and play any style of gaming you may desire: science fiction, fantasy, supernatural horror, heroic adventure, dimensional travel, modern knights, cyborgs, giant robots, dinosaur taming, sleuthing, magic, monsters, heroes and legends. Or combine them all. There has never been a game quite like Rifts®.

- Rifts® Chaos Earth® titles. Live through the Great Cataclysm and the Coming of the Rifts. Rifts® Chaos Earth® RPG, Creatures of Chaos™, Rise of Magic™, and Chaos Earth® Resurrection™ are all available.

- The Rifter® #1-85. Each issue is a wealth of source material for Rifts® and 3-5 other Palladium game settings. More than 8,600 pages of source material and counting. Most issues are only available in digital form.

- Palladium Fantasy RPG® titles. A rich, original setting in which you can play humans or any number of nonhuman species of people in a world of magic, heroes and wonder. All of it epic.

- Dead Reign® RPG and sourcebooks. The Zombie Apocalypse unleashed. A great introductory RPG that is surprisingly uplifting, fun, fast, and easy to learn.

- Heroes Unlimited™ RPG Second Edition titles. Create any type of superhuman you can imagine to build your own super-hero universe.

- After the Bomb® RPG and sourcebooks. Play anthropomorphic, intelligent, mutant animals as crime-fighting mutants and super-heroes or survivors of a crumbling post-apocalyptic Earth.

- Ninjas & Superspies™ RPG and the Mystic China™ sourcebook. 41 types of martial arts, ninjas, super-spies, gizmos, mystic powers, and magic in the main book, plus even more in Mystic China.

- Nightbane® RPG and sourcebooks. Only you know the truth. Only you can see the Nightlords and their demonic minions, and you have the power to stop them. But you must transform into a monster yourself in order to use your powers. Trust no one.

- Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG and sourcebooks. Modern horror; 14 character classes, 42 occupations for “ordinary people,” 100+ psychic abilities, 16 monsters, and more.

- 300+ Palladium titles in all, plus G.M. kits, paper miniatures and more. Palladium Books has settings for every genre: Fantasy RPG, science fiction (Rifts®, Splicers®, and The Mechanoids®), super-heroes (Heroes Unlimited and After the Bomb), superhero horror (Nightbane®), modern horror (Beyond the Supernatural), zombies (Dead Reign®), The Rifter® sourcebook series, novels, paper minis, and more.

Palladium PDFs at DriveThruRPG.com

 

FUN Podcast Adventures

Heroes Unlimited Christmas Special and the recent Cozy Caverns Beyond the Supernatural RPG adventure podcasts from the creative minds at www.realplaygamespod.com. These fun podcasts are created by Palladium fans like you.

 

Palladium Collectibles – at Kevin’s Online Toy & Collectibles eBay Store

I am adding new collectibles and Palladium negatives over the next several weeks, so check ‘em out. Alex and I will try to post new items on a regular basis, so check in every week or so to see what’s new.

One-of-a-kind Palladium Books negatives (special and rare collectibles). Negatives are always very popular items at the Palladium Open House, Gen Con, and conventions, and are catching on as rare collectibles, unique in and of themselves. Before digital printing, pages of a book were laid out by hand on a board, and each page was photographed. The plastic film negatives were then “ganged” on a massive sheet of Mylar, 16 pages per big sheet, and the printing plates were made from the negatives – everything white, printing black. We have been cutting them loose and making them available to you. I am only keeping a few dozen pages of negatives and a few complete books for myself, the rest are all being slowly offered to you, in no particular order.

  • Each is truly unique, attractive, and fun to have.
  • Own a piece of Palladium Books and RPG history you will treasure.
  • Each was used to print the very book you may have in your collection (1981-2004).
  • Each signed in silver ink by Kevin Siembieda, the founder and owner of Palladium Books. He is also the game designer and often the author or co-author of the book from which the negative originates. And some negatives bear his artwork.
  • Each signed negative comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.
  • Each signed negative is a one-of-a-kind work of art (on rare occasions, two-of-a-kind if a page or section of pages were replaced or a second edition was made) that resembles woodcut art, and a very dynamic conversation piece.
  • Each signed negative is on a white board inside a clear plastic bag.
  • Negatives looks fabulous matted or framed! Fits in an 8x10 inch matt opening. Each neg is roughly 8½ x 11 inches.
  • Prices vary depending on the title, the art, and quality of the negative. Note: Many have scratches, or blemishes, and/or an opaque medium on the negative. Still, they look great and are a piece of RPG history. We recommend you carefully examine the photographs of each item to avoid disappointment.
  • We have been making the negatives available, in no particular order, for a number of years, and will continue to do so. However, cutting them loose, signing and bagging is a time consuming process.
  • Note: The negatives from the TMNT RPG, TMNT Adventures, and some Rifts® titles are already sold out. Moreover, the negatives from many titles were destroyed, so when you see one you like, get it when you can. Enjoy.

Original art – My Ebay store is one of the few places where you can find original artwork by me (Kevin Siembieda), Kevin Long, Charles Walton, and others, as well as one-of-a-kind negatives from classic Palladium books (they look awesome framed), and other Palladium memorabilia. Some are concept sketches, others are finished works of art, as well as a selection of prints and posters.

Other collectibles include art prints, posters, comic books, Palladium limited edition hardcovers, out of print items, signed books, one-of-a-kind proofreader copies, Star Wars toys, superhero action figures, and many other toys and items from my personal collection. Yeah, I used to be a crazy toy and art collector. Alex and I will keep adding items as our busy schedules allow, but we have a lot of fun collectibles available now and coming soon. Hundreds of items. Take a look every weekend for new additions.

http://stores.ebay.com/kevinstoys-artandcollectibles

 

Closing Thoughts – 40 Years of living the fantasy

The Palladium Fantasy RPG® turns 40 years old this year. I can scarcely believe it. The fact that it has remained in print the entire time is astonishing to me. I published the First Edition rule book in 1983, the slightly modified Second Edition in 1996, and it has never been out of print. It goes to show you just how popular our game system and settings really are. I am humbled.

The Palladium Fantasy RPG® started it all. Though The Mechanoid Invasion® Trilogy predates it in publication, those books incorporated the mechanics I developed for Palladium Fantasy. The Fantasy RPG was supposed to be my first RPG release to see print, but I couldn’t afford to publish it the way I knew it had to be released, as a big, beautifully illustrated, softcover book. So I came up with the Mechanoid Invasion Trilogy in a format this poor kid in Detroit could afford, and grew my company from there.

 

Original Palladium Fantasy 1st Edition Foil Hardcover

I named the game and the company after my epic three and a half year Palladium of Desires campaign with the fabled Defilers. I was introduced to Dungeons & Dragons (the little box game) through Julius Rosenstein in the fall of 1978. [Hey, I was born in 1978. – Sean] When I got hooked by the incredible possibilities role-playing games had to offer, I was hooked bad. By 1979 I had met Erick Wujcik and that whole crew of gamers, I was running games myself, creating D&D artwork for Judges Guild, called TSR to tell them they needed an art director and I was their guy (they politely declined my offer), and was brainstorming the creation of the Detroit Gaming Center with Erick Wujcik, Matthew Balent, Rene Vega, Robin Corona, and a few other college age gaming maniacs. Erick and I always saw the big picture, and we saw big things for RPGs.

My D&D game quickly changed as I put my own house rules and style of play on it. That style was an emphasis on storytelling and setting. I created my own unique fantasy world with its own history and original monsters. In part, because I couldn’t afford to buy the D&D books, and in part, because I had a zillion ideas of my own. My house rules were all things to help flesh out characters and make them less generic and more unique and customized.

I redefined alignments and how they work. I engineered an experience system that focused on role-playing and not just killing things. I created a psionics system that was actually fun and playable. I made a melee combat system that I felt was more realistic and interactive, and an armor class system that was more intuitive. I created new magic items, new spells, and even a new way that magic worked – I always hated the D&D game mechanic that a mage forgets the spell after it is cast. It made no sense. Let me rephrase that. It made sense for a game rules mechanic, but it made no logical sense as a storytelling mechanic. I’m not a big board game guy, but I love storytelling and world building, and to me, that was the true magic and potential of RPGs. To create worlds and stories as a sort of improvisational group. Vivid, magnificent, heroic stories that had the same power as reading a great book or seeing a dynamic movie. There was nothing like it. There still isn’t.

Most of my rules and game mechanics were to make combat and action more fluid and the characters and story more compelling. For me, it was all about the characters and story. And world building was a big part of that. I wanted dungeons and settings, and stories that made sense and were more than an endless slaughter of monsters and villains, and greedy grabs for gold, weapons, and magic items. I started to mechanize the elements of characters and stories I loved in movies, novels, history, and comic books. Villains with a history and purpose and goals, and dreams, even if those things were based on tropes like hate, revenge, a lust for power or wealth, or fame or world conquest. I loved to play on human vices and virtues, especially when they are misguided or extreme. I didn’t want cookie cutter characters, I wanted characters that could grow into true, epic heroes like those of myths and legends. Heroes like Hercules and King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Like Merlin, Gandalf and Frodo, and Conan, and Superman, and Spider-Man and ... well, you get the idea.

Before long I was running a very different game with player characters and depth the likes of which had never been seen before. Heroes who faced villains that were as memorable as any Greek myth, Saruman, Moriarty, Lex Luthor, Doctor Doom, or the Green Goblin. Erick Wujcik often said that I wrote some of the greatest villains he’d ever seen. It’s why my Saturday game attracted gamer after gamer, and I finally had to cap the group at 26 regular players. Wild men who dared to drive through a freaking blizzard to make one game. Of course, who am I to call them wild men when I was there to run them through a marathon 17 hour game! It was an epic night of gaming that actually started at 3:00 PM with half the group, joined by the rest at 7:00 PM, and ran till 9 or 10 Sunday morning. God, I love role-playing games! And I love those guys and women and the memories we created together, the lasting friendships we made, the fun we shared.

It all started with Palladium Fantasy. The game that would launch my company and stand the test of time. Wow. I hope that doesn’t sound like bragging. I’m am sincerely and humbly astonished that I made my dreams come true. More importantly, that I have been able to share my dreams, my worlds, my imagination and love for role-playing with millions of you over the years all over the world. Some of you have been inspired to follow your own dreams or have met life-long friends and mates and spun countless hours of fun powered by nothing more than my books and your own imaginations. That’s just ... wow. I am humbled and amazed and blessed in ways I never imagined when I conceived my fantasy game and started Palladium Books. And maybe that’s why our RPGs and sourcebooks, new and old, still sing. Because I’m still that kid in a toy store excited to try new things and play around with old favorites. And so are Sean and the rest of Palladium’s creators.

Thank you, Julius, for twisting my arm to play in your fantasy game. You introduced me to one of the greatest loves of my life, role-playing, and gave me an avenue upon which to unleash my fertile imagination and creative energy. What a wonderful life you gave me. Rest in peace, my dear friend. And to you, Erick, and Mom and Dad, and Keith, and all the others who encouraged my mad pursuits and are no longer with us.

Thank you to all the amazing people I have met, and who have encouraged me all these years and still do. Of course, that includes you, our wonderful patrons and fans of Palladium’s games. I continue to create, in part, because of you. You are on my mind as I write every word. I imagine your reactions to the heroes, villains, and challenges as I write them, and that energizes and pushes me to outdo myself. I also continue, in part, because I must. Because I still have thousands of worlds and characters and stories to share. Stories I must tell, because they insist on being told. I thank My Maker for the many gifts kindly bestowed upon me and I try to make good on them all. Thank you each and every one of you for everything that makes my life filled with beauty and excitement and glorious purpose. I am forever blessed and in your debt.

With love and appreciation,

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Writer, & Your Humble Friend

 

Palladium Fantasy Interactive NPC Sheet

NEW! The Palladium Fantasy RPG® Interactive NPC Sheet

The new Palladium Fantasy RPG® Interactive NPC Sheet is a welcomed and helpful companion to the Palladium Fantasy Interactive Character Sheet by Travis Guerrero offering hundreds of magic spells, psionic powers, 15 inhuman character species, 23 O.C.C.s, 300 magic spells, 20,000 character combinations, and more. It is a Microsoft Excel-based system for creating Non-Player Characters quickly and easily. Once you know the system, you can have NPCs up and ready in minutes! Great for making a quick NPC at the last moment, or saving time when designing the big bad of an adventure.

Features & Benefits:

  • Designed to be compatible with the Palladium Fantasy RPG® Interactive Character Sheet.
  • 20,000+ preset NPC combinations ready to go in less than a minute when you consider species, attribute, O.C.C., and level options! Many more with additional features and easy customization.
  • 15 inhuman Palladium Fantasy races.
  • 23 O.C.C.s, plus a few variations for certain O.C.C.s such as single and dual element Warlocks.
  • NPCs can be made from Level 1 through Level 15.
  • 300+ Wizard and Warlock spells programmed with quick stats.
  • 70+ psionics programmed with quick stats, plus options for Minor Psionics.
  • Skills, armor, weapons, spells, and psionics are programmed with predetermined selections, and more.
  • NPCs can be further customized by changing their standard selections with additional options from Drop Down Lists, and keeping it book legal based on your selections.
  • $4.00 – Available at DriveThruRPG.com and at PalladiumBooks.com – Created by Travis Guerrero.
  • Instructions on how to use the NPC sheet:
  • Tutorial Video (Part 1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z53WS3n3O6A
  • Tutorial Video (Part 2): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GRs7gPVN90

Palladium Fantasy Interactive NPC Sheet at PalladiumBooks.com Palladium Fantasy Interactive NPC Sheet at DriveThruRPG

 

Original Palladium Fantasy RPG® Interactive Character Sheet

The Palladium Fantasy RPG® Interactive Character Sheet is a Microsoft Excel-based character management system. Packed with features and data collected from every official Palladium Fantasy sourcebook, this sheet saves you time and hassle with each character you create. Available now, directly from Palladium Books AND DriveThruRPG.com – this is a digital, online product only.

Features & Benefits:

  • The Main Character Sheet Page collects the important data from across multiple tabs and puts it in one place for quick and easy reference.
  • Separate sheets examine character construction (worktable), Skills, Magic, Psionics, and Combat in greater detail.
  • Built-in leveling system that calculates skill advancement for you!
  • Experience Tables for over 80 O.C.C.s already programmed.
  • Recognizes the percentages for nearly 150 skills, plus combat bonuses for over 20 Weapon Proficiencies and 7 Hand to Hand styles.
  • Calculates the speed and distance a character can run and jump, lift, carry and throw based on character Attributes.
  • Add in your own Hand to Hand style, custom Skills, unique Weapon Proficiencies, and Experience Tables.
  • Instructions on how to use the sheet included, as well as a video walkthrough below.
  • Important Note: This character sheet is built to be used with Microsoft Excel 2010+ and it comes in .XLSX format. Opening this file in other spreadsheet programs is NOT guaranteed to work as intended.
  • Watch the Overview video here: https://vimeo.com/322271758

Palladium Fantasy Interactive Character Sheet at PalladiumBooks.com Palladium Fantasy Interactive Character Sheet at DriveThruRPG

 

Rifts Automated Character Sheet on PalladiumBooks.com

Still Hot! Rifts® Automated Character Sheet for EXCEL

The next step in character data collection! This EXCEL template provides automation to your Rifts® character creation process. Done in Microsoft Excel, this character template will allow you to build your character with substantial ease and speed. Ideal for the new gamer who doesn’t know all of the Palladium Books® rules just yet, it’s also a highly effective tool for Game Masters and advanced players alike who make multiple characters, NPCs or just like to min/max or theory craft characters between games.

  • Dice Roller.
  • Automated Attributes and Stat Block: All the bonuses and features from attributes are presented in a large stat block allowing you to easily see your bonuses.
  • Automated Combat Stats: The main page holds a section where you can pull up data for your various combat stats, from hand to hand abilities such as Strike, Parry, Dodge and Disarm, to W.P. bonuses including those of the W.P. Sharpshooting variety.
  • Automated Psionics: All psionics from Rifts® Ultimate Edition, Rifts® World Book 12: Psyscape™ and Rifts® World Book 32: Lemuria can be selected from a dropdown menu.
  • Automated Spells: All Common Invocations, Necromancy, Ocean Magic and Biomancy spells, and yes, all the Lemurian Biomancer spells too!
  • Automated Skills: All skills from the Rifts® Ultimate Edition, Rifts® World Book 25: China 2 – Heroes of the Celestial Court™ and Rifts® World Book 32: Lemuria can be selected and then automatically add bonuses from prerequisites and related skills.
  • And much, much more.
  • Note: The file is best used in Microsoft Excel 2016 or above. Some data may be lost if not using Microsoft Excel, such as when using similar products like Open Office.
  • Available from PalladiumBooks.com AND DriveThruRPG.com – make those characters!

Rifts Automated Character Sheet at PalladiumBooks.com Rifts Automated Interactive Character Sheet at DriveThruRPG

 

© 2023 Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved.

Rifts®, The Rifter®, RECON®, Splicers®, Powers Unlimited®, Palladium Books®, The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, Phase World®, Nightbane®, Megaverse®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, Coalition Wars®, Chaos Earth®, Dead Reign®, and After the Bomb® are Registered Trademarks of Palladium Books Inc.; Beyond the Supernatural, Coalition States, Garden of the Gods, Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas & Superspies, Minion War, Mysteries of Magic, Psychic Scream, SAMAS, Thundercloud Galaxy, Three Galaxies, Vampire Kingdoms, and other published book titles, names, slogans and likenesses are trademarks of Palladium Books Inc., and Kevin Siembieda.

This press release may be reprinted, reposted, linked and shared for the sole purpose of advertising, promotion and sales solicitation.

Palladium Books is located at 39074 Webb Court, Westland, MI 48185. For questions, please use our Help Desk (https://www.palladiumbooks.com/helpdesk), or call us, Monday thru Friday, 9AM to 6PM, at 734-721-2900.

© Copyright 2024 Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved.| Site -Developed by Rex Barkdoll

Rifts®, The Rifter®, RECON®, Splicers®, Powers Unlimited®, Palladium Books®, The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, Phase World®, Nightbane®, Megaverse®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, Coalition Wars®, Chaos Earth®, Dead Reign®, and After the Bomb® are Registered Trademarks of Palladium Books Inc. RPG Tactics™, Beyond the Supernatural, Coalition States, Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas & Superspies, Minion War, Mysteries of Magic, SAMAS, Thundercloud Galaxy, Three Galaxies, Vampire Kingdoms, and other published book titles, names, slogans and likenesses are trademarks of Palladium Books Inc., and Kevin Siembieda.

Palladium Books Logo