Last 2 Weekends of Sale – Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – January 3, 2025

ONE GAME SYSTEM – EVERY GENRE – COUNTLESS WORLDS – ENDLESS ADVENTURE

BY KEVIN SIEMBIEDA

Last 2 Weekends of Sale – Palladium Books^® – Weekly Update – January 3, 2025

Happy New Year. We hope it will be a great one for us all. This is another mini-update so you don’t miss getting a Surprise Package (time is running out!) and to share more fun, fan comments at the end of this email.

Last 2 Weekends to get yourself a Surprise Package – Offer ENDS January 15, 2025

Besides being the best deal in gaming – $100+ worth of goodies (often more) for $60 (plus shipping) – it’s a smile and a hug that comes in a box filled with signed game books from available Palladium staff and freelancers at PDF prices. That can nab you four or more items when these days one core rule book can cost you that alone.

Surprise Packages are a great way to build your collection, try new settings, and replace battered old favorite titles as well as make the perfect gamer gift for birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, or any gift-giving occasion. And remember, if you request autographs from available staff we happily sign each book!

These 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 crunched corner, etc.) so we can send you more. We can only extend the holiday season for so long. Get one while you still can – the Surprise Package offer ENDS January 15, 2025.

NEW! Valley of the Pharaohs RPG – 40th Anniversary Edition

Valley of the Pharaohs is back with 200 additional pages of material as a softcover and hardcover RPG. It is written by the original author Matthew Balent (Palladium Weapon series), and includes the original artwork and map by Kevin Siembieda, but this is NOT the Palladium game system. It’s an original game system designed by Matt.

The original Valley of the Pharaohs RPG is a rare, expensive collectible if you can even find it. But now you can get the super-expanded, 254 page, 40th Anniversary Edition softcover – or – the 274 page hardcover with bonus material, from Palladium Books. The new, 40th Anniversary Valley of Pharaohs is written and published by the original author, Matthew Balent (Weapons and Armor, Weapons & Castles, etc.). Like the original game, it uses its own, unique game rules – not the Palladium game system – but they, like the game world and text, are unique and fun.

This game is authorized by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books and includes many of Kevin’s original VotP RPG illustrations and maps.

If you are a Palladium Books collector or you love Egyptian mythology and historical fiction, this game is a must. It is likely as close as you’ll come to owning the original Valley of the Pharaohs. Besides, this is a vastly expanded and improved edition that includes all those original ideas and much of the artwork vastly expanded and improved. The original rule book was only 64 or 96 pages, plus maps; this is a 250+ page tome by the scholarly Matthew Balent and is an alternative reality, ancient Egypt that is epic and well written. It’s a fun read filled with ideas, magic, monsters, and characters you can, with a little work, convert to Palladium Fantasy, Rifts, or any RPG world.

• Play humans or Bird People, Crocodilian People, Dog People, Snake People, and more!

• Character Classes include: Priest, Thief, Military, Scholar, and more.

• 300+ magic spells inspired by Egyptian myth and classic fantasy.

• Many magic items, magic pictures and more.

• Dozens of monsters and supernatural beings like the mummy, sphinx, sand slug, and others drawn from or inspired by Egyptian mythology.

• Learn about Ka (magic), Maat (alignment and order), and Kismet.

• Clear and concise Egyptian lore, its society, and history.

• Game rules and writing by Matthew Balent.

• A complete RPG with unique rules. Note: Does not use the Palladium game rules.

• $40.00 retail – 254 page softcover – Cat. No. 2621 – complete RPG.

• $60.00 retail – 274 page hardcover with bonus material – Cat. No. 2621HC – complete RPG.

Surprise Package Comments from fans like you

Every year we like to post a selection of the comments we get from Surprise Package customers. It’s a nice acknowledgement and thank you to them (you know who you are) and you enjoy reading them. I read each and every comment that comes in the Surprise Packages, and they always brighten our day. We all appreciate your kind words, suggestions, and insights. In fact, the idea to do hardcover editions of core rule books came from fan comments in the Grab Bags. We get a lot so we can only 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 and beyond.

Your comments and support mean the world to all of us. 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.

– Kevin Siembieda (and the Palladium Crew)

S.M. in Shabbona, Illinois, writes: I never knew this [Surprise Package deal] existed. Wish I had found out sooner and I hope some good things are left. I’ve loved your games since the 1990s.

[I hope you enjoyed the Surprise Package S.M., I tried to “surprise” you. – Kevin]

B.W. in Grover Beach, California, writes: The Surprise Package is the best deal in gaming. I have always been pleasantly surprised. Introducing three new players to Palladium’s games in a campaign that will start in Beyond the Supernatural and break out into Chaos Earth®.

[I must say, B.W., the Surprise Package really is the best deal in gaming. No other company does anything like it and never has. We’re happy to put a smile on your face every single year. Your game sounds fun and I’m happy to hear you are introducing Palladium’s worlds to new players. Awesome. Thanks and keep up the good work. Btw, I was tempted to send you a lump of coal as a joke, followed by your real order a day or two later, but thought better of it. Happy New Year and keep the RPG magic alive. – Kevin]

T.D. in Deep River, Connecticut, writes: Best Game system out there!

[Shucks, T.D., you’re making us blush. We’d like to think we’re one of the best of the best. Game on. – Kevin]

R.L. in Mobile, Alabama writes (in part): Another year, another Surprise Package. Thank you for providing joy and entertainment through the years. Here’s to 2025, may it be a fruitful and productive year for you and Palladium.

[Amen to that, R.L. Sean and I have some ambitious plans for the New Year, but you’ll just have to wait and see if we can pull it off. Yin-Sloth Expeditions (Fantasy), Rifts® Bestiary Vol. 2, Rifts® Antarctica and, of course, TMNT & Other Strangeness RPG Redux products are all on deck. Stay tuned to see what else we can pull off this year. – Kevin]

L.L. in Salem, Oregon, writes: I’ve been getting the Christmas Surprise Package for over 20 years. It’s a great way to get new books. Thank you!

[Wow, L.L., sounds like you’ve been getting these Grab Bags since their inception. Awesome. Game on, my friend, game on. And thanks for your decades of patronage. Happy New Year. – Kevin]

S.M. in Xenia, Ohio, writes (in part): Back in the late 1980s I picked up a copy of the Robotech® RPG. I totally fell in love with the system. Then I noticed the TMNT RPG and loved that as well – I am a Backer of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness Redux Edition Kickstarter. Then I got the Rifts® RPG for Christmas 1990 and I have never looked back. I have spent thousands of hours playing Rifts®, and am currently running a Rifts® campaign right now.

[Awesome, S.M., keep that imagination burning and that Rifts® game going. I love it. – Kevin]

C.O. in Chicago, Illinois, writes: Thank you for sending Rifts® Arzno in my first Christmas package this year. I’ve read it cover to cover and it immediately became one of my favorite books alongside New West. Your game is amazing and will be sure to bring decades more fun, especially as I introduce it to my kids. Thanks.

[We love hearing things like this C.O., so happy you enjoy our games so much. Happy New Year. – Kevin]

W.D. in McClure, Pennsylvania, writes: I’ve really enjoyed the Surprise Packages that I’ve received so far, and I want to thank Kevin for the Dragon Sketch. Palladium is the best and no other company comes close. Rifts® will always be my favorite, but I want to try Palladium Fantasy. It’s been on my radar and I’ve got my chance to run it.

[Thank you, W.D., for the high praise. You are very welcome, I’m glad you enjoyed the sketch and I think you’ll like Palladium Fantasy. It’s my go-to game. – Kevin]

M.C. in Forney, Texas, writes (in part): What can I say about Palladium’s games? Awesome! Light-years ahead of any other system. I’ve played table top RPGs since the 1990s and nothing I have ever found compares to Palladium’s rich Megaverse® of capability, customization, and wonder! Looking forward to more books in the New Year.

[Wow. Thank you for the dizzying praise, M.C. I think you’ll like the new books coming out in 2025 and beyond. Many big and fun things are coming from Palladium. Happy New Year and game on! – Kevin]

D.H. in Walla Walla, Washington, writes: Currently trying to build up core books for hosting game nights. Been trying them all. Currently on Palladium Fantasy and Dead Reign.

[Hi D.H., back for more, I see. Awesome, because that means you’ve been enjoying what you’ve gotten. Cool. Game on and Happy New Year! – Kevin]

D.D.F. in Raymond, New Hampshire, writes (in part): Always love the X-Mas Surprise Package. Been doing it off and on for a number of years now and it never disappoints. As you can tell I’m a Rifts® fan and always love your work ... I have most of the products for Rifts, but always find there is still more ... looking forward to getting the Bestiary Volume 2 special cover and Rifts® Antarctica.

[Thanks for the kind words, D.D.F., and your understanding. If you’re getting a special cover then you backed our Megaversal Insider crowdfunder before the Pandemic. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Getting Bestiary 2 out in 2025 is a top priority, so is Rifts® Antarctica, Yin-Sloth Expeditions and a few other long-awaited books. If all goes well, 2025 will be an epic year for Palladium and its fans. – Kevin]

B.C. in Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada, writes (in part): Been playing Rifts® and Heroes Unlimited since 1988 and love how the whole Megaverse® can be converted to Rifts® like TMNT®, Robotech®, Nightbane®, and others. My collection is nearing completion ... It’s exciting to think I’ve been collecting and playing Palladium RPGs for 36 years and wouldn’t change a thing. Nothing else needed than a great story, some friends, some dice, and time to create lots of fun and memorable moments over the years. Super-excited to see what comes this year ... wish you all the best in 2025.

[Awesome, B.C., I love your positivity and love for role-playing. I couldn’t agree more about great stories, friends, dice, and time. Thanks for your kind words. We have a lot of great products in the pipeline and big plans for the future. You’ll be seeing some of them soon. Cowabunga, Dude! Um ... I can say that, right? I am an official licensee. Game on! – Kevin]

A.P. in Rowlett, Texas, writes: Favorites are Rifts® and Palladium Fantasy. Love watching the interviews with Kevin and Sean on Legion of Myth.

[Glad to hear it, A.P., we love doing those interviews. You should also check out Palladium’s YouTube channel for interviews with me about the history of Palladium Books and other subjects and the Glitterbois podcast too. More news about 2025 plans in the next Weekly Update. Ho, ho, ho – Kevin]