Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – November 30, 2023

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

By Kevin Siembieda and Sean Owen Roberson

Hello, everyone. Have you survived the Thanksgiving Trifecta – Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, and Cyber-Monday – with your bank account intact? We hope so. We didn’t mean to add to the busy holiday weekend with the TMNT and Other Strangeness RPG Kickstarter coming to an end shortly thereafter, but that’s how things turned out.

The TMNT and Other Strangeness RPG Kickstarter closed at 8,383 backers and over a million dollars in pledges – truly exciting. Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who backed the Kickstarter and placed any kind of order with Palladium. We also thank the multitude of people who helped to spread the word, interview us, and sent us congratulations and warm wishes. Thank you, thank you, thank you. All of you have helped to make the Kickstarter a success that will provide Backers with awesome products and help Palladium to grow.

As stated, Sean will continue to post updates and images of Kickstarter book covers, artwork, interior pages, miniatures, print sets, etc., on the Kickstarter Update page (and here) in the weeks ahead.

I’m keeping this Weekly Update short. Take advantage of the sale extended thru Friday afternoon, snag a Surprise Package or two for yourself and the other gamers in your life, and take it easy this weekend if you can. Nah, most of you will probably be making Christmas present purchases for your loved ones; very cool.

Again, thank you for the love and support you have shown Palladium by backing the Kickstarter, buying product, and ordering Christmas Surprise Packages, etc., but also for your encouraging words and passion for what Palladium is doing. Sean and I have been getting texts, emails, and kind words in the Surprise Package’s comment sections, and seeing supportive posts everywhere for weeks. We appreciate it all very much. You inspire us to do more and strive to give you our best, while keeping us humble and grounded. We are the luckiest people in the world to have wonderful fans like you. Speaking of fans, see the Comments from Fans Like You section, after Closing Thoughts by Sean, for just a sampling of what fans around the world have said in Surprise Packages.

We are so grateful for your support on so many fronts, that we are extending the Cyber-Monday/Tuesday Sale to Friday afternoon to show our appreciation. Enjoy.

Temporarily Out of Stock – After the Bomb® RPG and Rifts® Coalition War Campaign! Both will be back in print sometime in January, 2024. Thankfully, the After the Bomb® RPG Hardcover (with bonus material) is still available while supplies last. The many After the Bomb® sourcebooks remain available and in excellent supply with no fear of them running out during the Christmas season. Game on!

SALE EXTENDED – Palladium’s Black Friday & Cyber-Monday SALE – EXTENDED thru Friday afternoon – December 1

The majority of the following game lines are on sale at big savings, while supplies last. Sorry, other than RUE and BTS, most hardcovers are not part of the sale but most everything else is! Get bigger savings but less certainty with the Surprise Package offer.

Rifts® Notepad & Pencil Set – one notepad and 5 different pencils – Cat. No. 2603 (set)
Palladium Pens (3 different, all cool)
Rifts® Ultimate Edition Softcover – Cat. No. 800SE
Rifts® Ultimate Edition Hardcover – Cat. No. 800HC
Rifts® 30th Anniversary Commemorative Hardcover (with behind the scenes)
All in-stock Rifts® titles, except foil hardcovers.
All Phase World® titles, except Skraypers (almost sold out).
All Rifts® Chaos Earth® titles, except the hardcover.
The Rifter® #83, #84 and #85.
All Palladium Fantasy RPG® titles, except the two hardcovers.
All Nightbane® titles, except the hardcover.
All Heroes Unlimited™ titles, except the hardcover.
Ninjas & Superspies RPG and Mystic China sourcebook, except the hardcover.
All After the Bomb® titles, except hardcover. Create mutant animal super-heroes using the After the Bomb® RPG and sourcebooks for the standalone post-apocalyptic setting or combine it with Ninjas & Superspies (TMNT style or with the redux TMNT & Other Strangeness RPG – see the current Kickstarter which ends November 28), or add them to your Heroes Unlimited™ campaign and use them to create animalistic Nightbane® or D-Bees in Rifts®, or Frankenstein lab creations for Beyond the Supernatural, or as aliens from other worlds and dimensions for Phase World® or any appropriate setting. Unleash your imagination.
Beyond the Supernatural 1st Edition Rules Hardcover and Boxed Nightmares sourcebook (1st edition rules).
Beyond the Supernatural RPG, 2nd Edition, softcover AND hardcover, and Creature Feature sourcebook.
Sale Extended thru Friday afternoon – December 1. Please spread the word.

Palladium Christmas Surprise Package offer

Huge savings, surprises, and autographs (if you request them) that thrill the purchaser. No other game company offers anything like it. This is the 25th year we are offering this fan favorite Christmas bargain because we love doing it as much as you love getting them.

What is a Christmas Surprise Package?

A smile and a hug that comes in a box filled with signed game books from available Palladium staff and freelancers. It’s a way for you to get physical books (and autographs if you want them) at PDF prices! $100+ worth of Palladium products for only $60 (plus shipping)! That can nab you four or more items when these days one core rule book can cost you that alone.

These Christmas Surprise Packages are our way of saying thank you for your support and showing you our love and appreciation. It’s a surprise because you never know exactly what you’re going to get or who will sign your books, because we pick from your Wish List and may surprise you with stuff you are not expecting. Extra items may include other RPGs, sourcebooks, issues of the Rifter®, novels, miniatures, prints, art books, greeting cards, T-shirts, negatives, and other items. Some books may be slightly damaged (scuffs, scratches, dings, a bent or crunched corner, etc.) so we can send you more.

No other RPG company on the planet has an offer like this. Truly the best deal in gaming to get unique and special holiday gifts for the gamers in your life, or for yourself.

Christmas Surprise Packages are not just for Christmas. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or the Winter Solstice, or you are looking for that special gift for a birthday, anniversary, graduation, or any special occasion that falls between now and the end of the year, a Surprise Package may be the ideal way to go. You get a ton of stuff on the cheap, you can get a bunch of autographs (if you want ‘em), and you look like you spent a fortune.

This is also a great way to try that game setting you’ve wondered about – Splicers®, Dead Reign®, Chaos Earth®, Palladium Fantasy®, Nightbane®, Beyond the Supernatural, Rifts®, RECON, After the Bomb®, etc. – or to get something for your favorite Game Master. Or perhaps, to get your player group to consider a new game or setting.

Your “Wish List” is vital – the Palladium Surprise Packages are designed to simulate the joy and surprise of the Christmas Season of Giving. To do this, you submit a list of 10-15 Palladium products (or more) FOR EACH Surprise Package you order. This list of 10-15 items for EACH Grab Bag is critical, because you will not know which items we will select to send you. That makes it just like a Christmas gift because it’s a surprise. Plus, Santa Kevin, who personally hand-picks every item for every Grab Bag, may toss in something extra like a limited edition print, or a negative or similar collector’s item, or an issue of The Rifter®, or something else he thinks you’ll enjoy.

Autographed books. For those of you who want them (which are most people), available members of the Palladium staff, and any freelancers we can lasso at the time, are happy to autograph each and every book in your Surprise Package. This is the only way many fans across the country and overseas can ever get signed books.

Send us your brief comments. There is a special form and format to fill out for Christmas Surprise Packages, including a place where you can offer your brief comments, suggestions, greetings and salutations.

First-timers are always nervous until they see the great value in their first Surprise Package. A typical Grab Bag has $100+ worth of product. Yes, often more for only $60 plus shipping. Many people order 2-3. Some order 4-6, and some maniacs order even more! It makes sense, because it is a great way to fill holes in your own collection, treat yourself, get autographs, try new games and settings, rebuild your collection, replace worn out books, and get your gaming pals gifts. Only from PalladiumBooks.com – happy holidays. PLEASE spread the word about this great offer.

To those of you outside the USA, the X-Mas Surprise Package is a way to get books and circumvent the damn high cost of shipping from the United States, since you are getting $110 (often more) worth of product and only paying $60 plus shipping. Shipping via Priority Mail International (required for packages weighing more than four pounds) to most locations in Europe, Canada and many other countries is around $70-80 US dollars. HOWEVER, because the cost of the product is so low, that’s the equivalent of paying retail for the products and only $20-$40 for shipping. A very good deal. Plus you get autographs if you want them! X-Mas Surprise Packages are the way to go for those of you outside the USA. Please take advantage of it to get all those products you’ve wished you could get except the shipping was too prohibitive. We feel your pain. Game on!

Please spread the word. The Christmas Surprise Package is only publicized by word of mouth, on Palladium's website, and social media, so please tell everyone you know. Buy one for every gamer you know. They make astonishing gifts for every occasion. Only from PalladiumBooks.com – happy holidays.

Christmas SHIPPING Update:

4 weeks till Christmas, but less time in order to ship and receive it in time for Christmas – ONLY about 10 days left to order and get delivery by Christmas via Media Mail.

Those of you buying books and Christmas Surprise Packages as holiday gifts NEED to place your orders no later than the dates below to guarantee delivery in time for Christmas (by December 24) without incurring additional costs for expedited shipping. These recommendations come from the shipping companies themselves.

United States Postal Service: Media Mail – December 10 and even then there is no guarantee. That said, you should receive packages shipped via Media Mail as late as December 14. Last year mail delivery was very good, but the US Mail seems a bit less reliable this year and we cannot guarantee delivery in time for Christmas when you use Media Mail. YOU assume ALL risk when you ship via Media Mail.
United States Postal Service (in USA): Priority Mail – December 15.
UPS Ground (anywhere in the contiguous USA) – December 15. Last year, UPS was astonishing in its speed and accuracy of shipping. Most UPS Ground packages arrive anywhere in the contiguous USA within 5 business days, often a day or two sooner.
UPS 3-Day Select – December 19.
UPS 2nd Day Air – December 20.
UPS Next Day Air (to arrive December 23) – December 21, remember, we need time to process and pack your order!
To our friends in Canada and overseas – December 6 with no guarantee that the package will arrive by Christmas. We suggest ordering no later than December 6, but SOONER is better. At this point in time, we cannot guarantee delivery in time for Christmas. Your package should arrive in time, but if there are delays at Customs, work strikes, bad weather, etc., it might miss. Order sooner rather than later. Note: Right now, we are finding overseas orders are taking 18-34 days to arrive, sometimes longer! Cost Saver: A Surprise Package mitigates overseas shipping costs – take advantage of this while you can. It is, in effect, the equivalent of getting the books you want at retail, plus autographs, and paying the equivalent of only $10-$30 for overseas shipping! MANY overseas customers take advantage of the Surprise Packages for this reason! And it is likely the ONLY way for you to get autographs. Give it a try, we don’t think you will be disappointed.
Any orders placed after these dates may arrive in time for Christmas but we cannot guarantee it AND you should assume they will NOT arrive in time for Christmas. Please spread the word and place those orders as soon as you can. Ho, ho, ho and happy holidays.
2023 Shipping Note: As always, at Palladium, we will be working overtime and do everything we can to process orders as fast as possible to get them to you for the holidays. However, after the package leaves the Palladium warehouse, delivery is out of our hands. As we get closer to Christmas, UPS Ground and Priority Mail will be your most reliable and timely methods of shipping. Thank you for your understanding.

SALE – Kevin’s Toys, Art and Collectibles SALE – now through December 11, 2023

Negatives at half price, plus toys (Star Wars, Marvel and DC superheroes, etc.), Palladium collectibles, and a variety of proofreader copies, hardcover Printer Proofs, and more, all on sale now through December 11. And we are adding new collectibles, negatives, and items through the weekend. Check it out at: http://stores.ebay.com/kevinstoys-artandcollectibles

NEW on DriveThruRPG.com – Creature Feature^™ sourcebook for Beyond the Supernatural^™

NEW! Creature Feature™ PDF book on DriveThruRPG.com – due to popular request, this epic Beyond the Supernatural(BTS) sourcebook is now available on DriveThru for you digital enjoyment.

Creature Feature is for players and Game Masters alike and a fun read for anyone.

15 detailed and expansive supernatural horrors unlike any you see in most other horror games.
Creature encounter tables.
Tips on making (and playing) better creatures.
Rules clarifications (lots of them).
Player and G.M. tips.
BTS world information.
One full adventure and numerous adventure hooks.
Dynamic art by Steven Cummings, Phil Stone, and Siembieda.

Also available on DriveThru: The 1st and 2nd Edition Beyond the Supernatural RPG, and Boxed Nightmares sourcebook; not to mention Dead Reign® (zombies) and Nightbane® (Urban Fantasy/superhero horror). All these books, including BTS 2nd Edition (softcover and hardcover), BTS RPG 1st Edition hardcover, and the Boxed Nightmares™ (1st edition rules) are available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com offering a Megaverse® of adventure.

NEW! FREE Nightbane® RPG digital Sneak Preview on DriveThruRPG.com – Have you been wondering what the buzz is all about for Nightbane® and Urban Fantasy? Well, now you can see for yourself with this fun Preview of the core rule book. There are also free Sneak Previews of Creature Feature™, Dead Reign®, BTS, and numerous Rifts® books and other titles, including Rifts® Manhunters™, Titan Robotics™, Northern Gun™ One and Two, Lemuria, and more.

300+ RPG titles from Palladium 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!

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 – Urban Fantasy. 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.

Closing Thoughts - Turtle Power! – By Sean Owen Roberson

Howdy folks, this is Sean here. I just wanted to let you know that we're grateful for your overwhelming support of our TMNT & Other Strangeness Kickstarter that ended Tuesday night.

The results? The project closed with 8383 backers who pledged $1,277,496 – wow, that is pretty fantastic. As a token of our appreciation for everyone who backed the project, we unlocked all the remaining Stretch Goals! As we move into the BackerKit pledge manager phase we will continue to update you with images of miniatures, dice, cards, and more so that you can make an informed decision on what add-ons or upgrades you want before we finalize your orders and send everything off to the printers.

For those of you who missed our countdown livestream that night, we had a blast chatting with many of the artists involved with the new color art, various art tributes, and miniature sculpts and talked about some cool behind the scenes stuff. Sophie Campbell, Michael Majestic, Steven Cummings, and Nicholas Kay were all in attendance - check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3nhfdgNuAQ

This last month and a half has been a whirlwind experience, and I've just been shocked by your excitement as well as the enthusiasm from the many artists who have gone out of their way to contribute. I think my favorite experience has been to meet and interact with Kevin Eastman, co-creator of the TMNT. He has been great to work with, and it was very fulfilling to see him and Kevin Siembieda reconnect - they are obviously old friends and get along famously. Sophie Campbell, who currently works on the TMNT comic for IDW, has also been great to meet and collaborate with. Adding all of that on top of great Palladium artists like Freddie E Williams II and Michael Majestic, this is shaping up to be a legendary project for everyone involved.

As someone who personally found this hobby and Palladium Books through the 1985 TMNT RPG, I'm ecstatic with the success of this project and humbled by your support as we bring this classic back in redux style - remastered in full color with all the bells and whistles like custom dice, playing cards, a new GM screen, and miniatures.

Thank you from me and the rest of the Palladium Books team, with your support we have been able to resurrect one of the most beloved and pivotal role-playing games of the 1980s.

Cheers!

– Sean Owen Roberson, Palladium Books

Surprise Package comments from fans like you

Every year there is a section where our Surprise Package customers can offer comments and suggestions with their order. We do that because we want to know what you think, and what you want, and we appreciate your suggestions and insights. In fact, the idea to do hardcover editions of core books came from fan comments in the Grab Bags.

Every year, in acknowledgment of our fans, and because they are fun to read, we offer a sampling of these comments in the Weekly Updates. Our heartfelt thanks to all of you who have stuck with Palladium through thick and thin and now these new strange times. Please use our games to find escape from your day-to-day grind and worries. Use them to bring a little joy, laughter, and adventure to the holiday season.

I want you to know that your comments and support mean the world to all of us. Everyone at Palladium enjoys reading your brief comments, especially me and Sean, and they always brighten our day. Thank you for making us smile and feel useful. As always, I have tried to write a short response [in brackets] to each comment. Happy holidays.

S.B. in Lynnwood, Washington, writes: Fantasy and horror is my jam, but the TMNT is my absolute favorite. Thanks for bringing it back!

[We are thrilled to beyond measure to be bringing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Other Strangeness RPG back and in deluxe color. The Kickstarter may be over, but the core two books and Black, White and Red editions will be available to the general public. Game screen too. – Kevin]

J.S. in Millbrook, Alabama, writes: Thank you for all you do! Stay healthy and much, much success with the TMNT Redux Kickstarter.

[From your mouth to God’s ears, J.S. The TMNT Redux is just the beginning. Sean and I have so many great things in store for our growing fan base. Inspiration runs rampant here at the Palladium offices, so this is just the beginning. – Kevin]

B.W. in Chandler, Arizona, writes (in part): First, thank you for the copy of Road Hogs in my first Surprise Package box. It was a lot of fun to see that, especially right as the TMNT Kickstarter launched. Second, Thank you for your appearance on Gaming with ADHD. It was a blast to talk to you guys ... Finally, while this won’t be my last Surprise Package I order, I hope you guys have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year. Palladium has brought a lot of joy to me over the years, and I’m glad you’re still here contributing to it.

[Me too, B.W., me too! I love what I do. So does Sean. Happy to appear on Gaming with ADHD again. Heck, we’re happy to appear on most YouTube shows and podcasts, time permitting. All the show-runners have to do is ask. Hint, hint. Merry Christmas to you as well, B.W., and everyone! – Kevin]

J.M. in Glenns Ferry, Idaho, writes (in part): I’m so excited about the TMNT announcement. I’ll never forget the day in 1989 when I was invited to play TMNT for the first time. It was my first experience with role-playing. It came at a difficult time in my life and quickly role-playing became my favorite thing. When things go hard at home or school, it was great to step into Robotech or Rifts or Heroes Unlimited. To become a larger than life character who did amazing things and was in complete control of their destiny.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness was the first role-playing game I played, and Robotech was the first game I owned, but they were quickly followed by RECON, Heroes Unlimited, Palladium Fantasy, and my favorite, Rifts.

Palladium Books has always been my favorite gaming company because it has the best writing, the most imaginative settings, and the greatest emphasis on being a “hero,” something I think a lot of companies have forgotten. So never doubt Kevin, Sean, and everyone else that your work makes a difference. I’m very excited to see what the future holds.

[J.M., I’m glad our games were there to help you through rough times. They and our fans have been there for me when I needed them too. Funny how karma works. Thank you for your kind words. The future is currently looking very exciting and full of wonder and heroes to keep your imagination burning. Game on. – Kevin]

D.R. in Tifton, Georgia, writes: I enjoy them all. The best games I’ve run were Rifts® and Heroes Unlimited. I think your products are an inspirational wellspring of creativity. Keep up the good work!

[Hi praise, thank you, D.R. Just as I have been inspired by other creators, I’m delighted and humbled to have inspired so many with my work. Keep your imagination burning bright. – Kevin]

J.H. in Mankato, MN, writes: Thank you for the years and years of excellence!

[Our pleasure, J.H. We love what we do and the people we do it for. – Kevin]

A.N. in Muncie, Indiana, writes: I picked up Rifts® and Splicers® at Gen Con 2023 and now decided to collect all the materials. Thank you so much for creating these awesome worlds. Happy holiday season.

[Glad to hear you are delving into the Megaverse and loving it. Happy holidays to you and yours. – Kevin]

J.R. in Portage, Michigan, writes: New player. Just got Rifts® Ultimate Edition ... I live in Michigan so Northern Gun is rad.

[Welcome to the Palladium Megaverse, J.R. I think you’ll find plenty of fun and exciting aspects of this expansive and alien, yet familiar, world. Game on. – Kevin]

B.C. in Spring, Texas, writes (in part): Thank you for making such creative and engaging games. I love that the common experience system driving all Palladium games emphasizes and incentivizes roleplaying, thinking, collaboration, and problem solving over combat and “taking stuff” ... That facet of the Palladium system is not often given the praise it deserves. I also am excited about the direction the company is heading as a result of the Siembieda and Roberson collaboration. I’m eager to see what’s coming next ... Thanks again!

[Thank you, B.C., for the high praise and recognition of our experience system. You are going to love the direction Sean and I are taking the company. The TMNT redux and its full color presentation is just the tip of the iceberg. Thanks for the support and keep watching. The best is yet to come. – Kevin]

E.C. in Wausau, Wisconsin, writes: Thank you, Kevin and Crew, for games, cherished memories, and — holy crap — 25 years(!) of the Christmas Surprise Package/holiday Grab Bag. I’ve participated nearly every year and find it a genuine thrill; such a fun annual experience. I hope to see Mechanoid Space someday. Perhaps it could be a poetic way to introduce a Palladium “third” edition refined rules set, or could make for a pretty great Rifts® Dimension Book.

[Yep, E.C., 25 years of doing Christmas Surprise Packages! And yes, I think you’ve participated in at least 20 of those years. Awesome, right? Who knows what might be coming in future? Um, actually, Sean and I know, but we’re not telling. At least not yet. Bwahahaha ... er ... I mean ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you and yours. Game on, my friend, game on and enjoy new adventures. – Kevin]

© 2023 Palladium Books Inc. All Rights Reserved. Palladium Books®, Rifts®, The Rifter®, RECON®, Dead Reign®, Chaos Earth®, The Mechanoids®, Megaverse®, Nightbane®, Megaverse®, Palladium Books®, Powers Unlimited®, Splicers®, Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas & Superspies, After the Bomb®, and all related titles, names and slogans are trademarks of Palladium Books.

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