Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – January 4, 2024

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

By Kevin Siembieda and Sean Owen Roberson

“I began playing Rifts® in the early 1990s with a group of friends. Enjoyed it back then. We all lost touch and, fast forward 30 years to today, we all get back together to play our same characters in the same campaign, aged 30 years in the future.

“Thank you. Your games are proof that lifelong bonds over these games are stronger than time. Now that we are all a little wiser and have a little more pocket change, I’m gladly supporting Palladium and the future of gaming.

“Looking forward to 2024 and what you have in store for us.”

– A.P. in Nassau, New York

Happy New Year, everyone. I thought it would be nice to open the first Weekly Update of the new year with this lovely missive from the comment section of a Surprise Package.

I think it is incredible that the same players have reunited 30 years later to play their original characters aged 30 years. It’s a clever and fun idea. Kudos to this player group.

I also love that the bonds of friendship made in role-playing games can stand the test of time. Awesome.

A glimpse into what’s coming in 2024

As for what 2024 may have in store for Palladium fans, we are looking forward to seeing what it may bring as much as you. We have our plans and expectations, of course, but how much we can actually pull off is yet to be seen. We have high hopes for a nice amount of new product releases, starting with Yin-Sloth Expeditions, Rifts® Bestiary Volume 2, and Rifts® Antarctica – in addition to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Other Strangeness Redux editions and Kickstarter fulfilment.

We listen to you and know what you would like to see, and we know what we’d like to accomplish this year. Palladium’s recent policy of not discussing plans until they are rock solid and releases are ready to go to the printer, prevents me from going into great detail, but Yin-Sloth Expeditions, Rifts® Bestiary Volume 2, and Rifts® Antarctica are must releases in the first half of 2024. That’s in addition to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Other Strangeness Redux Kickstarter products later this year. We have a number of titles we hope to surprise you with, but no hints or announcements just yet. Most (all?) will be titles you have been looking forward to seeing released.

The excitement of the TMNT Kickstarter and the impending release of those products later this year, makes 2024 feel special and new, even magical. It feels like a fresh and exciting new beginning; which it is. As Sean and I keep saying, this is just the beginning of our future plans for Palladium Books. The success of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Other Strangeness Redux Kickstarter is a nice glimpse of what’s to come across the board. These are products we all know and love, but also new and expanded in ways that should thrill and delight. Products that harken to both the past and the future, which also hints at what you can expect from Palladium Books as we move forward.

I can tell you our immediate next step is to bring in our new warehouse/shipping person this March. Crystal left us at the end of September, so Alex, Wayne, and all of us have been filling in during the busy holiday season. Finding an Operations Manager to free me and Sean up to write and handle the big picture affairs is next. We have a short list of candidates we are considering and hope to bring that individual in as soon as possible. We’ve been meeting and talking with people in December. Fingers crossed! We have been getting some general help from my old friend Richard Cook and we are looking to secure much more of Matthew Clements’ time as a writer and editor.

The above are just a few of the goings-on behind the scenes as Sean and I work to create a rock solid foundation for Palladium’s future. Over the next year or two, we look forward to bringing on more staff and freelancers, as well as exploring other business opportunities, but TMNT and new book releases are front and foremost at the moment.

See my Closing Thoughts and Comments from Fans Like You sections for more hints and tidbits about things to come. And be advised there are only 11 days left to snag a 2023 Surprise Package. After that, you’ll have to wait till next Christmas. Our thanks to everyone who has placed orders of all kinds to end the year on a high note and start the new year off on the right foot.

**Time is running out – 11 days left to get a Palladium Surprise Package – offer ends January 15, 2024**

Is this a Christmas miracle? A mistake? Utter lunacy?

None of the above. (Well, maybe that last one.) It has become tradition that I extend the Christmas Surprise Package Offer through the end of December and into the New Year! Yes, this means you can still snag one or two if you act quickly. The sale now ends January 15, 2024, and will NOT be extended further. Oh, and you can ship via the less expensive method of Media Mail because you do not need it for a deadline.

A Surprise Package is a nice way to start the New Year, and is a great gift for birthdays, anniversaries, graduation, and any gift-giving occasion. Or start the New Year with a stack of RPGs or sourcebooks you have been meaning to try, or the titles you need to fill holes in your collection, or replace battered well-loved books.

We extend the Surprise Package offer for those of you who have been so busy spending your time and money on your family and friends, that you have not had the opportunity or funds to treat yourself to a well-deserved Christmas Surprise Package.

We also extend it for those of you who cannot get enough of Palladium’s games and want to start the New Year off with a setting or source material to launch a new campaign. It’s also for those of you who can use a Surprise Package as the perfect gift for a birthday, anniversary, or special occasion coming up in January or February. (Valentine’s Day?), so take advantage of this sale to gift the special gamer(s) in your life.

The extension is also for you Johnny Come-Latelies who were meaning to get one, but how time flies during the holidays. It’s also a way for those of you struggling through financial issues to carry some gaming fun into the New Year to stay busy and distracted through the winter months. So please, spread the word about the extended Surprise Package sale period, and travel the Megaverse® from the warmth and safety of your home.

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 is 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. This all makes it the best deal in gaming – $100+ worth of books for $60 plus shipping – all books signed if you request autographs. Physical books and other product (art prints, miniatures, bookmarks, T-shirts, pens, notepads, mouse pads, mugs, and more) at PDF prices for ALL Palladium RPG settings. What a fun way to start the New Year and stock up for gaming all winter long.

No other game company in the world offers a deal like this! No one. The Surprise Package offer has been extended to January 15, 2023. It will not be extended further. Please spread the word and enjoy.

NEW on DriveThruRPG.com – Newly UPDATED Rifts^® Automated Character Sheet AND Creature Feature^™ sourcebook for Beyond the Supernatural^™ are now available

UPDATED Rifts® Automated Character Sheet now available. 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. Note: If you already purchased this item, you can download the updated version for free. Enjoy.

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 – Welcome to the Megaverse^®

And that includes those of you who have never left. Welcome all! New and returning role-players, and stalwart supporters who have been with Palladium Books for years, even decades. We love having you in our gaming universe and extended family.

Over the past five years Palladium has seen a steadily increasing number of new and returning gamers to the Palladium Megaverse. That number made a steep rise during the pandemic years and it took a meteoric leap in 2023, thanks in part to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Other Strangeness Redux Kickstarter and the many video interviews Sean and I made for it. We know this because many of you have told us so, especially the viewing audiences of Legion of Myth and the Glitterbois YouTube channels. A lot of you have also told us how much you enjoy seeing the dynamics between me and Sean, and our passion for Palladium Books and our many game worlds.

Sean and I intend to do an increasing number of interviews on these channels and others, including Palladium’s own YouTube channel. We love interacting with our fellow gamers and talking about role-playing games and the creative process, so if you want us on your channel, all you need to do is reach out to us and we’ll try to squeeze you into our crazy schedule.

The next five years should be exciting for new and long-time fans alike. We intend to expand upon your favorite existing world settings, release titles you’ve been waiting for, and maybe even add a new world or genre or two. We can’t get into the specifics right now, but you’ll see where we’re heading soon enough. Yin-Sloth Expeditions, Rifts® Bestiary Volume 2, and Rifts® Antarctica are at the top of our release list, along with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Other Strangeness Redux editions and Kickstarter exclusives, but there is so much more in the works. More is yet to come.

Final Days of the Surprise Package. Reminder, the next 11 days are all that’s left to order your 2023 Surprise Package – offer ends January 15 and will not be extended further. We’re glad so many of you are enjoying this offer. We are pleased with the number of first time participants and returning gamers joining the army of regular purchasers. It is a great deal and a surprise because you don’t know which of the books or items we will be selecting to send you from your list of 12-15 items per Surprise Package. This is a great way to start the new year with reading material, fodder for new campaigns, and lighting up your imagination. They also make great January and February birthday and anniversary presents (Valentine’s Day) for the gamers in your life; or just a nice treat for yourself. Enjoy them before the offer ends and you have to wait till next Christmas season to snag yourself one or a few.

– Kevin Siembieda, Game Designer, Friend and Surrogate Santa (for just a little longer)

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

S.P. in Cantley, Quebec, Canada, writes: Keep up the great work. The world needs more of playing together, imagination, and fun. Thank you very much!

[It is our honor and privilege to do so, S.P., game on. – Kevin]

T.F. in Ocala, Florida, writes (in part): Palladium is like Pokemon. I gotta have them all.

[I can’t argue with that T.F., and good luck with your YouTube plans. They sound good to me. – Kevin]

M.J. in California, Maryland, writes: I just found out [about the Surprise Package] and I love that I can support it.

[Hey M.J., we appreciate your support. Please provide a bigger list next time so we can provide more of what you might want. Enjoy and game on! – Kevin]

K.S. in West Fargo, North Dakota, writes: Thank you guys. Love me some Palladium. I’ve grabbed all the core rules for the game lines. Now I’m just building out the settings and my collection.

[The Surprise Package is a great way to do that, K.S., enjoy. – Kevin]

R.D. in Redmond, Washington, writes: I’m biased, but I would love to see more Heroes Unlimited content and I enjoy The Rifter®.

[Hmm, let me see what we can do about your Heroes Unlimited request, R.D., and you can count on more issues of The Rifter®. – Kevin]

C.J. in Ojai, California, writes: Shout out to Legion of Myth for getting me to see just how far this rabbit hole goes and thank you guys for all your hard work on these fantastic books.

[We and they appreciate it, C.J., welcome down this magical rabbit hole. – Kevin]

D.F. in Acworth, Georgia, writes: Favorites are Rifts® and After the Bomb®. I greatly appreciate you doing the Surprise Package every year. I’m looking forward to introducing a new group to Palladium in the New Year.

[Thank you, D.F., for spreading the word about Palladium’s games. Keep that imagination burning bright. – Kevin]

L.R. in Burley, Idaho, writes: Just getting into the games, but loving everything so far!

[Well, L.R., it looks like you got into several fun settings with Dead Reign®, Nightbane®, and Heroes Unlimited, so game on and keep your imagination burning bright. – Kevin]

N.C. in Clarkson, Washington, writes (in part): Extending your Christmas Surprise Package sale beyond Christmas is genius. All my money was spent on Christmas presents and the TMNT Kickstarter. However, with it going past Christmas, I got some Christmas money and I can order one, so I’m very happy... Thank you guys. I hope it is a great New Year for you.

[This is exactly why we extend the Surprise Package offer till after Christmas, N.C., there are a lot of people in your situation, and those extra few weeks allow good folks to snag a package for themselves. Thank you for supporting the TMNT & Other Strangeness Kickstarter. You will love the books and other products. – Kevin]

D.J. in Layton, Utah, writes: This is my third Surprise Package ordered this year! I am planning a long-running campaign for a fantasy-themed game that will be run after I finish the After the Bomb® campaign we are starting next month.

[Both campaigns sound fun, D.J., good luck. – Kevin]

A.S. in Brooklyn, New York, writes: I love the autographs. I use the notepad and I wear the classic Rifts hat all the time. Always look forward to my Surprise Package every year.

[Continue to enjoy, A.S., and now you have a new shirt to add to your collection. Game on. – Kevin]

G.B. in Forest Lake, Queensland, Australia, writes: I used to be an avid player back in the 90s. I remember first seeing ads for Palladium products in Dragon Magazine and became hooked. Congratulations on still going strong. Your material has always been so captivating.

[Thank you G.B., we try to make every book fun and compelling. Yeah, I enjoyed doing those Dragon Magazine ads and working with Mary Parkinson in the TSR advertising department. What a great resource it was. Fond memories. – Kevin]

M.H. in Crystal Lake, Illinois, writes: Games, tastes, and the world all change over the years. Through it all, I know Palladium will be there putting out awesome games about heroes and their adventures!

[Count on it, M.H., count on it! Thanks for your years of positivity and support. – Kevin]

S.C. in Gooderham, Ontario, Canada, writes (in part): Palladium has always been with me through high school, university, and temporary moves from one home to another. They have even been there for the loss of one of my friends ... I just wanted to say thank you for creating something that has helped shape and determine who I have become. Cheers and many more years of RPGs.

[You’re welcome, S.C., but I think you give us too much credit and not enough to yourself. Life can be crazy and difficult at times and I’m thrilled that our humble creations helped you through them and brought you pleasure and fun in times good and bad. Please keep your wonderful imagination and kind heart burning with passion and kindness. Happy New Year. – Kevin]

E.D. in Rochester, New York, writes: Saw Sean on the Legion of Myth Veterans Day charity stream and it reminded me about the Surprise Package deal ... I have also enjoyed the streams when Sean and Kevin come to chat.

[Thanks, E.D., we enjoy chatting with the guys and their many Palladium gaming fans like you. In fact, we expect to do many more with them and other YouTube programs and podcasts. We did several different chats for the TMNT Kickstarter and hope to keep that streak going. All the showrunners have to do is reach out to us blabbermouths and we’re probably there. Our apologies for those we were unable to get back to during the Kickstarter, but we were so busy. Try us again. Thanks! – Kevin]

G.G. in Meridian, Mississippi, writes (in part): Favorites: Heroes Unlimited and Rifts. I am ordering this as a collective gift for myself, and my parents since we all play ...

[That’s awesome, G.G. I know many families that game together and it always makes me smile. I tried to make your Surprise Package a little extra special. Enjoy. – Kevin]

© 2024 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.