Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – December 7, 2023

Palladium Books^® – Weekly Update – December 7, 2023

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

By Kevin Siembieda and Sean Owen Roberson

Hello, everyone. Are you doing okay? Are you not letting the impending holiday season and gift-buying drive you crazy? I mean, Christmas is only 18 days away! Heck, for our Jewish friends, Hanukkah is already here! In fact it starts this evening (Happy Hanukkah). Well, hang in there and focus on the positive and fun aspects of the holidays.

Personally, I love the Christmas season. Even though we were below the poverty-level poor, growing up, my Mom and Dad always made the holiday – and my brother and me – feel special. After the gift-giving on Christmas morning, my Mom and Dad would give us each a big hug and kiss on the cheek. My smiling mother would then remind us that, “We may not be rich in money and possessions, but we are very rich in love. That’s the most precious gift anyone can ever have.” So true. So if your parents are pretty awesome and still with you, you are blessed. Make sure you let them know how much you love them – your friends and other loved ones, too.

This tradition of making people feel loved and special at Christmas time is why we do the Palladium Christmas Surprise Package and why we spend what sometimes feels like entire days signing books. [Entire days is quite literal. – Sean] But we are thrilled to do it. Though my orientation and fondness for Christmas is born from Christian tradition, we embrace everyone of every faith and belief. The holiday season – Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, or just because – are all good reasons to do nice things for nice people. Do you really need an excuse to do something nice that puts a smile on another person’s face? I think not, especially during these uncertain and rather tumultuous times. The Surprise Packages are our way of saying thank you for your support, suggestions, and friendship. Though many of us have never met, Sean and I feel like we know you through your Surprise Package comments, voices online, and brief encounters at conventions. We truly think of you as our extended family and friends, so we are delighted to do the Surprise Packages for you.

Besides, many of you buy Surprise Packages as gifts for others, whether it’s for the holiday, a birthday, or anniversary, which makes our efforts doubly important. It’s just as awesome if you are buying them for yourself, because you get to enjoy a little gaming hug and a good read to keep your spirits up. And if you are the Game Master, you are giving the gift of your time and imagination to your players every time you run a game, so bravo, let us give you more fuel for your imagination via the Christmas Surprise Packages.

I know this may sound corny or sappy to some of you, but I think we’ve established that I’m a goof-ball and sentimental. I’m feeling especially sentimental this Christmas season due to the TMNT redux work which has generated fond memories of my dear friend Erick Wujcik, the early days of Palladium, and reconnected me with old friends and creators like Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, Freddie E. Williams, Ramon, Scott, Ryan, Richard, Mike, Mike, and Mike, and a bunch of talented pals from the past. Just as awesome has been meeting and making new friends, with a host of amazing people like Sophie Campbell, Jeremy Colwell, Nick Kay, and, well, way too many to list here.

Okay, enough sentimentality, let’s get down to some business and updates.

Temporarily Out of Stock – After the Bomb® RPG and Rifts® Coalition War Campaign! And we are running low on several other titles and may run out. We have an ample supply of most titles, but those that run out will be sent to the printer and back in stock sometime in January, 2024. Please Note: The After the Bomb® RPG “Hardcover” (with bonus material) is still available while supplies last. The many After the Bomb® sourcebooks are also available and in excellent supply.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Other Strangeness Kickstarter reminder

The Kickstarter is over but progress continues on all fronts. Wait til you see more color interior pages, the Black, White and Red interior pages, the finished miniature sculpts, and more.

* TMNT & Other Strangeness RPG Kickstarter Backers, thank you for supporting this project and congratulations! You are eligible to upgrade your pledge and/or add any number of additional add-ons including Kickstarter Exclusives to your want list. Remember, Kickstarter Exclusives are available only to you, which means you may want to plan ahead and add Exclusives as gifts to give to gaming friends for their birthday or an upcoming holiday. Likewise, you might want to get an extra one or two of those exclusives you think might go up in value as a collector’s item (like the Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird variant covers). Of course, any such speculation is entirely your risk, but Palladium’s limited editions have a long history of rising in value over time, as do TMNT titles.

* New Updates, Progress Reports, and images will appear in the Kickstarter Updates page in the weeks ahead and until product ships. Backers will receive notices when a new Update is posted.

* By early January we will open up the BackerKit Pledge Manager. That’s when you can begin to change your pledge level (if you want to) and indicate which of the add-ons you may want.

* Even if you did not back the Kickstarter, you will be able to preorder select books and products like the two full-color Redux Edition books, the two Black, White & Red Editions, the Game Master Screen, and the Mutagen Green Dice set.

* Kickstarter Exclusives, however, are available ONLY to our Kickstarter Backers and include the limited edition books with variant covers, the two epic miniature sets, the five Fan Roll dice sets, dice tray, dice tower, dice scroll mat, print sets, and playing cards. Note: That means if you want such items you will need to make arrangements with a friend who backed the TMNT & Other Strangeness Kickstarter and ask them if they would kindly add an item or three to their pledge items. Expect to pay them in advance of shipping, and do not be angry if they decline to do you this favor.

The Rifts^® Automated Character Sheet has enjoyed an Update

Three updates, in fact. 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.

Shipping in time for Christmas – 18 days to Christmas – but only 7-10 when you account for shipping

Whether you are buying a Surprise Package or a regular order, if you need it in time for Christmas, please order sooner than later. This week and next week are your best windows to get items in time for Christmas, guaranteed and without paying for express service.

Christmas SHIPPING Update: 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 as late as December 14th via Media Mail. Last year, mail delivery was very good, but we cannot guarantee delivery in time for Christmas when you use Media Mail. YOU assume ALL risk when you ship via Media Mail and an order that goes missing or is damaged in transit will NOT be replaced by Palladium Books.
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. Note: Most UPS Ground packages arrive anywhere in the contiguous USA within 5 business days, often a day or two sooner. Destinations east of the Mississippi River should arrive in 2 or 3 days!
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.

Palladium Christmas Surprise Package offer – only 18 Days to Christmas

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.

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^™ AND the newly Updated Rifts^® Automated Character Sheet

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 your 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 - Feeling Warm and Fuzzy Inside

As you might guess from the opening of this Update, we are all feeling warm and fuzzy with the holiday spirit. Or are we just delirious with exhaustion? I’d like to think it’s the former, but we are certainly insanely busy as work and communications continue on the TMNT and Other Strangeness project (looking fabulous!) and we are shipping out tons of orders and Christmas Surprise Packages (wonderful).

Please keep those orders coming and we are happy to sign the books that go into your Surprise Packages. A number of you have expressed your concern over our having to sign so many books, but we love doing that for you, so don’t worry. [It’s true, all of it. – Sean]

As always, we will make our best effort to ship all orders out as quickly as we can, knowing that many of these are holiday presents.

I think the previous part of the Weekly Update covered most everything we needed to say, so I’m going to stop here and let you enjoy the many comments from fans like you, below.

– Kevin Siembieda, Game Designer, Friend and Surrogate Santa

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, 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 valued. As always, I have tried to write a short response [in brackets] to each comment. Happy holidays.

D.B. in Colorado Springs, Colorado, writes: This is my first Grab Bag, but I have been a Rifts® fan since the first book released! Thanks for all the excellent work over the years.

[Hey D.B., glad you’ve enjoyed our Rifts® and After the Bomb® settings all these years. We hope you enjoy your first Surprise Package. – Kevin]

C.C. in Lucasville, Ohio, writes (in part): I’m back for more. I bought a Grab Bag earlier in the season when my kids were interested in playing a fantasy RPG. I got a couple things to begin a [Palladium] fantasy game. I put together a little scenario for them while everyone was here for Thanksgiving break. It went well enough (my first GM experience) that they want to keep going into a bigger campaign, so I’m going to put together something bigger for Christmas break. I’m hoping to get deeper into the Palladium Fantasy World and get some adventure ideas. They’re also big fans of the superhero genre. When I told them about Heroes Unlimited they said, “That’d be sick!”

[Sounds like you have your hands full, C.C., with a budding, new generation of gamers. Awesome! I hope the Surprise Package provides the adventure ideas you are looking for. Good luck as Game Master. It sounds like you are doing fine. – Kevin]

J.F. in Kingsport, Tennessee, writes: Rifts, Rifts, and some more RIFTS!!! Have a very, merry Christmas and happy New Year!

[Hmm, J.F., I sense you are a Rifts® fan. Continue to enjoy your travels across the Megaverse® and keep that imagination burning bright. – Kevin] {Hey Kev, I think he likes Rifts® almost as much as I do. – Sean}

J.H. in Las Vegas, Nevada, writes: I love the Christmas Surprise Package. Thanks for everything Palladium has done through the years. May there be many more!

[Thank you for the kind sentiment, J.H. We are happy to have created quality RPG worlds for decades. Fear not, Sean and I intend to keep Palladium going for generations to come. Ho, ho, ho. – Kevin]

M.B. in Stafford, Washington, writes: I really enjoy the deep Fantasy world and look forward to more world content.

[Thank you M.B., the Palladium Fantasy RPG is one of my favorite world settings, too. – Kevin]

M.H. in Redondo Beach, California, writes (in part): I’ve been game-mastering Palladium Fantasy since its release, then 2nd edition after its release, with the same crew of buddies the entire time! ... you guys are amazing. Looking forward to the future.

[That is impressive, M.H. We are delighted you and your crew of players have enjoyed our Fantasy setting for all these years. I think you’ll enjoy the Surprise Package and the Fantasy titles on the drawing board. Game on! – Kevin]

P.F. in Clarksville, Tennessee, writes: Favorites are Rifts® and Palladium Fantasy. I have been a fan since I was a young boy, now 37 years old. Thanks for the memories.

[Thank you for sticking with us, P.F., and continue to make lasting memories with our games. – Kevin]

C.B., in Marysville, Pennsylvania, writes: I like all the games, but if forced onto a desert island, I would choose Rifts®. With the recent TMNT Kickstarter, seeing Kevin and Sean in interviews, and actually getting a chance to meet Sean on a stream, I am really excited for the future of Palladium Books.

[Thank you for the compliments, C.B. Let me see, if I were forced onto a desert island, I think I’d take Palladium Fantasy. Hmm, but if it’s a “desert” island with nobody to game with, I might take Rifts® too because there are so many books to reread (90+ and counting). I hope I have a few cases of paper and some writing implements too, because I would spend time writing new ideas in between trying to survive on that dang, deserted island. lol. Sean is a great guy, right? We are all excited for Palladium’s future and glad you and many others are too, because you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Even bigger things are coming. – Kevin]

A.M. in Crossville, Tennessee, writes: I have never played any (Palladium RPGs), but I am sure the TMNT RPG will become my favorite. After the Bomb® and Palladium Fantasy RPG® sound the most interesting to me. I just discovered Palladium’s games via the TMNT RPG Kickstarter. I have been researching your products since then and am excited to try out more of your RPGs!

[Welcome to the Palladium Megaverse, A.M., we’re glad to have you with us! It is a realm of infinite worlds and possibilities fueled by imagination and fun. Enjoy. – Kevin]

T.L. in Newville, Pennsylvania, writes (in part): Favorites: TMNT/After the Bomb®, but the whole universe is great ... I will certainly buy any and all TMNT. You guys are doing fantastic! I’m looking forward to the new books currently in development. And of course, the Kickstarter had me jumping for joy when announced.

[Hi T.L., we appreciate your heartfelt endorsement of the Palladium Megaverse. We’re excited about the return of TMNT as well and appreciate everyone’s support. – Kevin]

B.S. in San Antonio, Texas, writes (in part): I only have very few Rifts® books so far ... I last played in the mid-90s and am having to rebuild my library so I have more material to work with. RECON – I remember this game. The only other Palladium game I played. It was sooo good.

[Welcome back to the Palladium Megaverse, B.S.! I hope you enjoy the first and second Surprise Package and go on many epic adventures. – Kevin] {Howdy, fellow Texan. Glad to have you aboard. – Sean}

C.J. in Ojai, California, writes: Shout out to Legion of Myth for getting me back into Palladium and thank you guys for all your hard work!

[Welcome back C.J., hope you enjoyed the Surprise Package. – Kevin]

© 2023 Palladium Books Inc. All Rights Reserved. Palladium Books®, Rifts®, The Rifter®, RECON®, Dead Reign®, Chaos Earth®, The Mechanoids®, Megaverse®, Nightbane®, 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.

Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – December 7, 2023