Palladium Books® Weekly Update – January 9, 2014

By Kevin Siembieda

It’s the New Year and Palladium has hit the ground running with reprints, a special Heroes Unlimited™ 30th Anniversary Hardcover Edition and plans for a wide range of new sourcebooks. Not to mention the hotly anticipated Robotech® RPG Tactics™. Many of these are already works-in-progress.

In short, 2014 is going to be an exciting year for all of us, starting right now. There is much to talk about, including the fact that the 2013 Surprise Package offer ENDS THIS WEEKEND, so we are presenting the Weekly Update as early as we can to give people more time to see it, read it, digest everything and spread the word.

The emphasis of 2014 will be on product releases, fun and excitement all year long. In fact, if all goes well, we should have a number of surprise releases and hopefully exceed expectations. Read on and enjoy.

LAST WEEKEND to get a Christmas Surprise Package – Offer Ends Midnight, January 12, 2014

This is your very LAST CHANCE to get the bargain of the holidays! Order now or you’ll have to wait till next Christmas. This offer will not be extended.

What a great way to start the New Year by picking up new games and sourcebooks you've been wanting to try. Think about games and settings like Rifts® Chaos Earth®, Beyond the Supernatural™ and Splicers®, all of which will be seeing two or more sourcebooks this year. As well as perennial fan faves like Heroes Unlimited™, Palladium Fantasy®, Rifts® and Dead Reign™.

• $85-$95 worth of product for only about $48 or so in every Palladium Christmas Surprise Package! These days, that’s the price of a core rule book or two supplements. And sometimes the crazy Publisher includes even more value than that!
• Autographs in every book in your Surprise Package, upon request if you want them. For many gamers, this is the only way for them to get signed books.
• Get original artwork. The inclusion of art is considered only for those who request it, and depending on the size, subject and quality of the art, you may only get the art and one or two other items. (The typical piece of original art is 8½ x 11 and has a value of $30-$60.)
• Get other goodies like limited edition prints, posters, back issues of The Rifter®, game settings you’ve been meaning to try, T-shirts, coffee mugs, bookmarks, magnets, Chi-Town Library pencils, Palladium greeting cards, and other Palladium goodies.
• A great gift for ALL gift-giving occasions – Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, birthdays, anniversaries, and so on.
• It’s a surprise, like a real present, because you never know exactly what you are going to get and it is packed with love!
• FREE Erick Wujcik Keepsake for Christmas Surprise Packages. A paperback novel or a magazine read and owned by Erick. This is a bonus item. Include it in your Wish List or in the Comments section by saying, “Please include an Erick Wujcik Keepsake,” and we’ll do so; running low, but still have a few dozen items; while supplies last.

Placing your Surprise Package order involves you sending Santa Kevin a “Wish List” of 12-14 different in-stock products and a flat payment (plus shipping and handling). I then hand-pick items from that Wish List and I may include product you didn’t ask for (hence the nickname, “X-Mas Grab Bag”), but all things I think you’ll enjoy, and we ship it all off to you. Gamers have been loving this special offer for 15 or 16 years now. Order one or several for yourself and for your gaming buddies. For the holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, or just to get cool stuff and signatures. Get all the information from the description in the online store.

Christmas Surprise Packages or Grab Bags are a long-running holiday tradition in which you can get several RPG titles at a substantial discount. It is our way to say thank you to our many fans for being so kind and patient, and for your years of support. You are appreciated more than you may know.

A great way to try that game setting you’ve wondered about (Splicers®, Dead Reign™, Chaos Earth®, Palladium Fantasy®, Nightbane®, etc.), or to get something for your favorite Game Master, or perhaps to get your player group to consider a new game or setting.

Click here to get more details and to place your order.

Check your Wish List twice. Make sure you give us 12-14 items on your Wish List that are in print (and NOT all Gold Editions, which are very limited), or you might get items you already have or don’t want. It is a Grab Bag, after all, and if we don’t know what you’d like to get, we just grab items randomly.

BACK IN PRINT – Heroes Unlimited^™ RPG, Revised Second Edition

Wow, talk about good timing. We sent HU2 in for reprint last week and the next day we ran out of stock. HU2 should be back in print around January 17. With 2014 being the 30th Anniversary of Heroes Unlimited™, we wanted to make sure we had plenty of copies available. Heroes Unlimited first debuted in June 1984 and has remained in print, without lapse, for 30 years. Why? Because it is a thinking man’s game that enables you to create every type of comic book-style hero imaginable. If you enjoy comic books and superheroes, Heroes Unlimited™ is a blast to play. With any luck, you’ll be seeing a sourcebook or two for it this year, as well. See the complete description elsewhere in this Weekly Update.

NEW! Heroes Unlimited™ Special 30th Anniversary Hardcover Edition – only $40 while supplies last – taking pre-orders now

The original HU2 hardcover originally sold for $50 and has since become a collector’s item that sells for $200-$350 on the secondary market. (In fact, Erick Wujcik’s personal HU2 hardcover #14 is available in my online store right now. I do believe it is the lowest number of this highly collectible edition ever offered and comes with a letter of authenticity that it once belonged to Erick Wujcik. It is being sold on behalf of the Wujcik estate.)

To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Heroes Unlimited™, I decided to release a new, special “Gold” edition hardcover to commemorate the event. To keep the value of the “original” Heroes Unlimited™ Hardcover Edition, we have made the HU2 30th Anniversary Hardcover as visibly different (and cool) looking on the outside as possible. The material used for the cover is different (not leatherette), the blue is a different, more vibrant shade of blue, the cover is imprinted in gold foil but features artwork depicting a superhero and the words “Special 30th Anniversary Edition.” Even the spine is different looking, and the end sheets are red and without art. To our thinking, the red end sheets, the white interior pages (with black printing, of course) and the blue cover represent the red, white and blue of the United States of America, the birthplace of superhero comic books, and the colors of many costumed heroes.

All the elements noted above should make the 30th Anniversary edition impossible to mistake for the original HU2 signed and numbered hardcover. I have given it an unprecedented low price of $40 for a hardcover Gold Edition of this size, to give more Heroes Unlimited™ fans a crack at getting one before the price skyrockets on the secondary collectors’ market. As you can see, we put a lot of thought and planning into this item. Enjoy. See the complete description later in this Update. Pre-Order Note: Though you may place a pre-order (or backorder) weeks before the product is actually released, your credit card is NOT charged until a week or so before the item is ready to ship.

BACK IN PRINT – Dragons and Gods^™ – for Rifts^® & Palladium Fantasy^® – Available now

We sold out during the Christmas season, but this fun book, suitable for use in Rifts® (complete with M.D.C. stat notes) as well as the Palladium Fantasy RPG®, is so popular that we did a full reprint of it. This is the 3rd printing of a dynamic sourcebook with big ideas and rules for creating gods and their followers as well as presenting an array of deities and dragons. Great artwork, too. This title also has fond memories for me, because I wrote it with my pal, the late, great game designer, Erick Wujcik.

If you have never taken a look at Dragons and Gods™, I highly recommend you do so. In fact, with the Minion War™ soon to erupt on Rifts Earth via Megaverse® in Flames™, you may find a book about dragons and gods to be a very useful sourcebook. See the complete description later in this Weekly Update.

BACK IN PRINT – Rifts^® Mystic Russia^™ – Available now

We sold out of this title during the Christmas season too, but this popular, fan favorite World Book is back in stock and now available. See the complete description later in this Weekly Update, but it is chock full of Russian demons, spirits, magic, Gypsies and much more.

BACK IN PRINT – The Rifter^® #50 – Special Anniversary Issue – Available now

The Rifter® #50 is another title we sold out during the Christmas season, that is now back in print. We don’t usually reprint issues of The Rifter®, but this 128 page issue is exceptional with “official” source material for Heroes Unlimited™, Nightbane®, Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, Splicers®, Palladium Fantasy RPG®, The Three Galaxies™, the final Chapter of Hammer of the Forge, and more! As a result, it remains popular enough to do special, small printings to keep it available for those of you who want it. See the complete description later in this Weekly Update.

UPDATE: The Rifter^® #65 – Ships end of January

We are working full speed on it right now. Chuck just dropped off his cover today, Alex and Wayne are busy editing articles, artists are arting, and I’m writing my contributions to this issue. Should ship around January 27, 2014. See the full description later in this Update.

Writers and G.M.s: Palladium wants Rifter® articles and adventures for Heroes Unlimited™. Please send submissions as short as 6 pages and no larger than 26 pages for possible publication in The Rifter®. We are always in need of source material (adventures, characters, villains, monsters, powers, magic, gear, and setting info) for HU2, Palladium Fantasy®, Beyond the Supernatural™, Nightbane®, Splicers®, Chaos Earth® and Rifts®, too. Gaming material is most sought after. Short stories are less desirable and should be kept ‘short’ – 4-10 pages. Come on, write something and send it in.

UPDATE: Rifts^® Northern Gun^™ Two

I’ll be assigning the last of the artwork for this title very soon. Chuck is wrapping up his contributions. Another great book. Now I just need to block out the time to finish the rewrites and edits. February release.

UPDATE: Phone Call from Kevin Siembieda to Top NG-1 Insiders

I owe the top 16 NG-1 Megaverse® Insiders a 20 minute telephone call. You are NOT forgotten. I was unable to start calls last weekend, but they will be coming.

UPDATE: Fear the Reaper^™ – Available now – and what’s creeping down the pipeline

Fear the Reaper™ has been well received. Matthew Clements is already working on his next Dead Reign™ sourcebook, Graveyard Earth. And I have zombie artist supreme E.M. Gist working on the new cover painting for it. If you haven’t tried the Dead Reign™ RPG, you really should think about it. This is a dynamic gaming setting. If you enjoy zombie-based TV shows, movies, comic books and novels, the Dead Reign™ RPG series is for you.

Palladium Collectibles Available in Kevin’s Online Toy & Collectibles Store

Alex will be adding some new collectibles and out of print titles over the next week or two, including a couple of rare copies of The Rifter #4 we recently uncovered. We’ll keep adding items as supplies allow and as I scrounge items up. As usual, there are out of print titles, redlined proofreader photocopies signed by me and the staff, signed manuscripts with editors’ corrections, some original art, hardcover books (including Rifts® Northern Gun™ One) and other items you’ll enjoy. There are also hundreds of toys and action figures, all from my personal collection. All items in the store are from my own personal archives and collection. Take a look every few days as new items are added. There may be some items that are perfect for upcoming birthdays and anniversaries.

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

Dragons and Gods^™ Sneak Preview – available now on DriveThruRPG.com

A FREE Sneak Preview of Dragons and Gods™ is now available on DriveThruRPG.com. There are also previews available for Rifts® Northern Gun™ One, Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook, Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms™ (Revised Edition), Rifts® Black Market, Rifts® Lemuria, Dead Reign™ RPG, Endless Dead™ sourcebook and others. Plus we plan to add other sneak previews. The original Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms World Book is also available as a PDF on DriveThruRPG, for those of you who may be interested.

More than 90 other Palladium titles can be found on DriveThruRPG.com as PDFs, including Splicers®, Rifts® RPG (the edition before RUE), The Rifter® #1-52, and first edition rule books and sourcebooks for Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Heroes Unlimited™, The Mechanoid Invasion® Trilogy, Beyond the Supernatural™ and lots of other good titles. DriveThruRPG.com also offers the Rifts® and Palladium Fantasy® Game Master Kits ($5 each; both written by Carl Gleba and complete with maps, combat matrix, character sheets, spell list, and 20 pre-rolled characters created by Julius Rosenstein). Check it all out.

Will there be a Fear the Reaper™ or The Rifter® #64 preview? We’ll see.

Kickstarters you might want to support

It seems everybody is doing Kickstarters these days. Here are a couple of Kickstarters that Palladium’s friends are currently involved in, and represent people or products you may wish to support.

Palladium Artist Mike Wilson’s comic book – Curse of the Vessel Kickstarter – ONLY One Day left!

This is a Michael Wilson project. Mike is one of Palladium’s long-time artists and a fan favorite. His work graces many Rifts® titles, Robotech®, issues of The Rifter®, Century Station, Mutant Underground and many other books. Plus Mike is a selfless, cool dude and all-around great guy. (Mike has donated more than 150 pieces of original art, over the years, for Christmas Surprise Packages and for us to sell when Palladium was in trouble!) And he’s an artist who, in my opinion, was born to draw comic books.

Curse of the Vessel is an independent comic book project where Mike Wilson is doing the pencil art. The rest of the crew on this project also sound like good guys and the comic looks interesting.

This is another situation where we can give back to a Palladium pal and creator for a small amount of money ($5 to $20 for example). I was supposed to post something to help Mike out on this project two weeks ago, and I’m afraid I forgot. So please take a look right away as this Kickstarter ends on Friday. Thank you. I feel like such a twink for not posting this sooner. Sorry, Mike. Best of luck.

Note: Yes, they have already reached their minimum Kickstarter goal, but more money is ALWAYS helpful to make a project bigger and better. And it’s a way to help out a guy who has always been there for Palladium Books®. Btw, Palladium artist Michael Dubisch is also involved (doing at least one pin-up poster). In fact, Palladium just took one of the AD MAN pledges. Good luck, Mike and crew. Can’t wait to see the finished product.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/michaelleal/curse-of-the-vessel-1-pre-order

Jolly Blackburn – Knights of the Dinner Table LIVE Action Movie Kickstarter – 25 days to go

Depending on how much this Kickstarter brings in, you could see a live action web-series to a theatrical-style movie on DVD. Read all about it on the KODT Kickstarter Page.

Jolly Blackburn and the guys at Kenzer & Company are pals from way back and another group of all-around great guys. Like Mike Wilson and so many other wonderful friends, when Palladium Books® was in trouble, Jolly helped spread the word in the KODT comic book and online. Plus, a KODT comic appeared in the first dozen or so issues of The Rifter®. Jolly is like family. If this product sounds like something you’d enjoy – and I’ll bet it will be hilarious – show your support. Love ya, Jolly, Palladium has your back. Good luck.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/d20e/kodt-live-action-series

UPDATE: Robotech^® RPG Tactics^™

I have come to realize that some Robotech® fans are so excited about Robotech® RPG Tactics™ that the unexpected delays and slow progress toward manufacturing have made some people nervous and worried that Robotech® RPG Tactics™ will not see release at all.

First, and I mean no disrespect, that’s crazy. Please be assured Robotech® RPG Tactics™ is important to us and will be released in 2014 as SOON as we can make that possible. Like you, we want Robotech® RPG Tactics™ out as quick as we can without sacrificing quality. Like you, we were honestly expecting a November or December, 2013 release.

Were Palladium Books and Ninja Division much too optimistic about how quickly we could get Robotech® RPG Tactics™ into manufacturing? The obvious answer is, yes. And yes by a large margin. But please do NOT for one second wonder if we are ignoring this product or letting it languish. And especially don’t think it is never coming out. Palladium has put its every resource into bringing Robotech® RPG Tactics™ to the marketplace and making it something fans can delight in.

I apologize for the delays. They have been unavoidable. Nobody is more frustrated with how long it is taking to get this wonderful product into manufacturing than ALL of us at Palladium Books. Robotech® RPG Tactics™ is Palladium’s top priority.

Please remember that this is a massive undertaking with dozens and dozens of game pieces and other components (stat cards, rule book, decal sheets, markers, carrying case, box packaging, etc.). There are nearly 200 individual components (130+ stat cards alone and 30+ game pieces) that have needed to be designed, created, checked, rechecked and then produced. And I’m not even talking just about the creative end of art, rules and sculpts, but design considerations, sprue layout, mold engineering, manufacturing considerations, manufacturing modifications to the game pieces, tooling, packaging, collation of the MANY components and pieces, marketing, shipping, and quality checks, double checks, and triple checks. And once it goes into the tooling and manufacturing stage, there are other issues. That is a lot to keep track of and handled. Even though Ninja Division is the lead on this project, Palladium finds itself working on some aspect of Robotech® RPG Tactics™ every single day. We’re fine with that and taking on more. Anything to get this game into your hands.

MUCH of this is out of Palladium Books’ hands. We are reliant upon Ninja Division and the engineers and manufacturers in China. As newbies to this type of product, Palladium has no choice but to trust the people handling design, layout, sculpting/model making, engineering, mold making, manufacturing and all the rest. As a result, we don’t know why some of this is taking so long either, but a lot has to do with the scope of this ambitious and exciting Kickstarter-funded project. If we could do anything to send Robotech® RPG Tactics™ into manufacturing tomorrow, we would do so. But we can’t. All of us at Palladium Books, Ninja Division, and in China are working to get the product line into manufacturing as fast as we can, without sacrificing quality. Every time we speak with the guys at Ninja Division they sound like they have their hands full and are working to get this game into manufacturing. But again, there are so many different aspects of this very comprehensive product line – each with its own array of elements and aspects to be addressed – it is taking much longer than any of us anticipated. Still, we’re staying positive and we are as pumped up about Robotech® RPG Tactics™ as we were from the beginning.

Robotech® RPG Tactics™ is a passion project for all of us at Palladium Books. We are all huge fans of Robotech®. Have been for decades. We are thrilled to be making this product line a reality. It is a dream come true. We are doing everything in our power to create and release a fun, fast-playing game that Robotech® fans will adore! We are working diligently to make the game pieces, accessories and packaging everything a Robotech® fan could want. That means beautiful, accurate and consistently scaled game pieces that will make your mouth water.

Robotech^® RPG Tactics^™ Progress Report

● Prelude to manufacturing. I’m pleased to report that progress continues to be made on Robotech® RPG Tactics™. We are starting to see final pre-production models and many of the sprue layouts have been hammered out.

● Robotech® prototype game pieces. Palladium only just received the first batch of prototypes on the afternoon of Friday, December 27, 2013, and promptly began to build and photograph them to post images on the Robotech® Kickstarter page at the beginning of the very next week.

It is thrilling to finally be receiving these items. After building and examining what we received, Wayne and Jeff have caught some discrepancies with a few. Some changes from the sculpts are no doubt due to manufacturing requirements, and the pieces still look amazing. A couple seem like mistakes we will make sure to address. Likewise, Wayne and Jeff have notified Ninja Division that a couple of the figures were out of scale, and the Ninjas immediately set forth correcting them.

● Sprue Layout is in progress, but is yet to be finalized and approved. Some tweaks and changes are still necessary. Looking good on this front.

● The Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Battle Foam Carrying Case. Wayne Smith has been in communication with the Battle Foam people, and the Robotech® RPG Tactics™ carrying case should go into manufacturing soon. Again, this is just one piece of the Kickstarter products that requires our attention, input and development from a manufacturer. We’re on it.

● Color guide for the game pieces. Palladium’s Robotech® authority and artist, Jeff Burke, is working on creating an accurate color guide reference for painting the Robotech® RPG Tactics™ game pieces. He is creating front, back and side views with flat colors for every Macross mecha in the game, plus some squad variations. This color guide will be printed and included in the box game as well as presented online for your easy access and reference.

● Packaging. Palladium is reviewing packaging right now. Again, until everything is finalized and approved, we must resist the urge to show it to you. But that doesn’t mean all kinds of work isn’t being done.

● Release Date: I’m sorry, but we still do not have a hard release date for the game. I know it is frustrating to say we are working on it and it will be released as soon as possible. When we know more, you will know it too. We are as frustrated and disappointed with the slow progress and sliding release date as anyone, but things are moving forward on all fronts. Hang tight. We are getting there. I’m sorry we can’t give you anything more substantive at this time. We are sharing information, photos and progress as we get them ourselves! Things are shaping up to be a Spring release.

● Dissemination of Information: Palladium would love to give you hard facts and a solid release date, but we cannot because we don’t have them yet ourselves. We share what we know as we know it. We release images and info as we can. We only received the first batch of pre-production prototypes on Friday, December 27, 2013, and began posting them the following Monday. We may not show you pieces that might have a problem, because we’re going to fix them and don’t want to alarm you. We give you “target dates” because you want them, but they are estimates and thus subject to change, and they have been changing.

Please know that we are working hard to make Robotech® RPG Tactics™ the best product we can. A game and game pieces that will please Robotech® fans and gamers alike. Every delay and problem drives us nuts, so we understand your frustration, but it’s all part of the process. We are working to get this game out pronto. Unfortunately, the complexity and scale of this project (which is kinda cool, when you think about it) has everyone from Palladium Books to Ninja Division to China working to make it great, all the time. Palladium has been nothing but honest with you about our expectations and what has been going on. We appreciate your patience and understanding.

● Being a Kickstarter backer. Your Kickstarter pledge goes toward funding a special project, to make that goal a reality. The product you are to receive as a Kickstarter backer is your reward for that pledge. Palladium Books is working diligently to finish the project you have so graciously helped to fund. And you WILL get the rewards promised. Believe that, because it is absolutely true.

Yes, there are delays. No, we cannot give you an exact release date yet – at this time – but we will as soon as we can make that happen.

In the end, you, our Kickstarter supporters, will be the first to receive a wonderful product that we hope will make you grin and provide endless hours of enjoyment. Thank you for sharing our dream. You, your pledges of support and unbridled enthusiasm are very much appreciated.

Keep the faith and we’ll continue to keep you informed along the way.

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher

BACK IN PRINT! Heroes Unlimited^™ RPG, 2nd Edition

If you love playing smart games with heroic super beings in possession of strange and wondrous powers or technology, then Heroes Unlimited™ is the role-playing game for you. This RPG has unleashed the superheroes inside gamers for three decades and counting.

Heroes Unlimited™ RPG is probably most famous for rules and abilities that enable you to play ALL types of heroes while capturing the feel of comic books, and for being a thinking-gamer’s setting. All of this adds up to super-fun and epic comic book-style adventure.

• 11 Archetypes or Categories of Heroes, and another dozen subcategories including Crazy Heroes, those empowered by magical artifacts, Immortals, geniuses, and heroes without any super abilities whatsoever.
• 100+ super abilities, plus scores of sub-powers.
• 100+ magic spells plus Enchanted (Magical) Weapons and Objects.
• 40+ Psionic abilities.
• Super-Vehicles, high-tech hardware, in-depth characters and more.
• Create any type of hero and superhuman – aliens and mutants to super-soldiers, martial artists, mages and Mega-Heroes.
• Cover by comic book legendary artist, Jim Steranko.
• Interior Artwork by Ramon Perez, Scott Johnson, Mark Dudley, Paulo Parente, Kevin Long, Mike Gustovich and others.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda.
• A complete role-playing game with many sourcebooks.
• Heroes Unlimited™ – celebrating 30 years of heroic adventure.
• 352 pages – $26.95 retail – Cat. No. 500 – ships next week, January 17, 2014. At the printer.

Just a few notable Heroes Unlimited^™ Sourcebooks:

Instantly expand your playing experience with these and other HU2 sourcebooks.

• Villains Unlimited™ – 80+ villains, rules for creating secret organizations, gadgets, adventure ideas and more.
• Heroes Unlimited™ G.M.’s Guide – with 10 complete adventures, additional and optional rules, many random tables, 70 more magic spells, new vehicles and equipment, the law, G.M. tips and more.
• Powers Unlimited™ One – New powers galore! 120+ Minor Super Abilities, 45+ Major Abilities, 20 more psionic powers and more.
• Powers Unlimited™ Two – 11 new power categories and many sub-set types of heroes, symbiotes, weaknesses, and more.
• Powers Unlimited™ Three – 130 more new powers. ‘Nuff said.
• Heroes of the Megaverse® – A sourcebook that enables you to bring your heroes and supermen (and any of the HU2 sourcebook characters, powers and material) into the Rifts® and/or Phase World®/Three Galaxies™ settings, plus new powers, heroes, superhuman creation tables, and more.
• And other sourcebooks.

NEW! Heroes Unlimited^™ Special 30th Anniversary Hardcover Edition – only $40 while supplies last – At the printer & taking pre-orders now!

Palladium Books is 33 years old and the Heroes Unlimited™ RPG turns 30 this year. To celebrate, Palladium is releasing a special, commemorative, Gold Heroes Unlimited™ 30th Anniversary Hardcover in February, for only $40. The original HU2 hardcover sold for $50 and has since become a collector’s item that sells for $200-$350 on the secondary market.

To preserve the value of the “original” Heroes Unlimited™ Hardcover Edition, we have made the HU2 30th Anniversary Edition as visibly different (and cool) looking on the outside, as possible. The material used for the cover is different (not leatherette), the blue is a different, more vibrant shade of blue, and the cover is imprinted in gold foil but features artwork depicting a superhero and the words “Special 30th Anniversary Edition.” Even the spine is different looking and the end sheets are red and without art. The red, white and blue cover represents the United States of America, the birthplace of superhero comic books, and the colors of costumed heroes.

All the elements described above should make the Heroes Unlimited™ 30th Anniversary Hardcover impossible to mistake for the original HU2 signed and numbered HC edition. We have kept the price an unprecedented, low $40 for a hardcover Gold Edition of this size. We want to give Heroes Unlimited™ fans a crack at purchasing one before the price skyrockets on the secondary collectors’ market. Enjoy and game on!

• Limited to 400 signed and numbered copies.
• Signed and numbered on the credits page by Kevin Siembieda and the Palladium staff. We’ll try to get an artist or two to sign as well.
• Blue fabric cover with gold foil imprinting. A completely new and different cover than the original HU2 Gold Edition.
• Interior pages are exactly the same as the original HU2 HC and the current softcover edition.
• Create any type of hero and superhuman – aliens and mutants to super-soldiers, martial artists, mages and Mega-Heroes.
• 100+ super abilities, plus scores of sub-powers.
• 100+ magic spells plus Enchanted (Magical) Weapons and Objects.
• 40+ Psionic abilities.
• Super-Vehicles, high-tech hardware, in-depth characters and more.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda. Cover art, Michael Wilson.
• 352 pages – ONLY $40 retail from Palladium Books only – Cat. No. 5000HC – available for pre-order – ships February. At the printer! (Pre-Orders: Though you may place a pre-order weeks before the product is actually released, your credit card is NOT charged until a week or so before the item is ready to ship.) Sorry, this product is not available in stores. Note: The prices is only $40 to celebrate the proud event of HU2's 30th Anniversary and make sure the hardcover is accessible to our core fan base. Enjoy.
• A complete role-playing game with many sourcebooks.
• Heroes Unlimited™ – celebrating 30 years of heroic adventure.

BACK IN PRINT – Dragons & Gods^™ – for Rifts^® & Palladium Fantasy^® – Available now

We sold out during the Christmas season, but this fun book, suitable for use in Rifts® (complete with M.D.C. stat notes) as well as the Palladium Fantasy RPG®, is so popular that we did a full reprint of it.

This is the 3rd printing of a dynamic sourcebook filled with big ideas and insightful rules for creating gods and their followers as well as presenting an array of deities and dragons. The dragon section provides insight to how Palladium Dragons think and function. Great artwork, too. Co-written with Erick Wujcik. With the Minion War™ soon to erupt on Rifts® Earth via Megaverse® in Flames™, you may find a book about dragons and gods to be a very useful sourcebook.

This expansive sourcebook presents detailed information about the mythical dragons and gods common to the Palladium Fantasy® world, but contains notes for use in Rifts® and is easily adapted to the Rifts® setting. It includes sections about Dragonwright, the Gods of Taut, Elementals, Demon Lords, dragons, and the forces of light and dark. Suitable for use with the Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Rifts®, Heroes Unlimited™, and Beyond the Supernatural™, or any fantasy game.

• 14 dragons, including the Hydra, Lo-Dox and others.
• 40+ Gods complete with minions, magic weapons & worshipers.
• 20 Demonic Lords, their goals, enemies and powers.
• Elementals and Creatures of Light.
• Deific powers of the gods and how they use them.
• Rune and Holy Weapons. Magic items made from dragons.
• Information on Alien Intelligences and other god-like beings.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda and Erick Wujcik.
• $24.95 retail – 232 pages – Cat. No. 451. Available now.

BACK IN PRINT – Rifts^® World Book 18: Mystic Russia^™ – Available now

This book is rich in monsters and magic based on Russian mythology and superstition. Rifts Russia is a land unlike anywhere else. The wilderness abounds with mischievous spirits, shape-changers and demons unique to Russia (including a comprehensive look at Necromancy).

• 28 Russian demons & spirits.
• Nature and Spoiling Magic. Over 100 new spells.
• Living Fire Magic, Bone Magic & Necromancy.
• Russian Gypsies, their secrets and magic weapon maker.
• Sovietski tanks, war machines and more world info.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda. Cover by Zeleznik.
• $20.95 – 176 pages – Cat. No. 833. Available now.

BACK IN PRINT – The Rifter^® #50 – Special Anniversary Issue – Available now

The Rifter® #50 remains in high demand because it contains all kinds of official source material from many of Palladium’s most popular writers. Back in print because you demand it.

• Official Phase World/Three Galaxies source material – The Free World Council by Braden Campbell.
• Official Rifts® Comic Strip by Madman Mike Leonard. It is a short, but memorable four page comic.
• Official Heroes Unlimited™ source material by Mark Oberle. A look at fame, glory and heroic legacies.
• Official Nightbane® source material by Irvin Jackson. The Mortificants O.C.C., also known as the Death Caller. A sort of modern-day Necromancer.
• Official Chaos Earth® source material – Psychics by Jason Richards. Includes three new Chaos Earth® psychic O.C.C.s.
• Official Splicers® source material by Brandon Aten and Matthew Orr. Includes three new Splicer O.C.C.s (the Gardener, the Tormentor and the Geneticist) and their Bio-Armor and Bio-Enhancments. Art by Chuck Walton.
• Official Palladium Fantasy RPG® – Zodiac rules and a type of Elven magic for it, by Carl Gleba.
• Rifts® Treasure Trove Logic Problem by Julius Rosenstein.
• Rifts® – Optional Construction and Vehicle Rules by Greg Diaczyk.
• Ninja & Superspies™ – Expanded Combat Rules by Taylor White.
• FINAL CHAPTER of the Hammer of the Forge! By M.G. Cannon.
• News, coming attractions, product descriptions and more.
• Cover by Charles Walton.
• 128 pages – $14.95 retail – Cat. No. 150 – Available now!

RECENT RELEASE: The Rifter^® #64 – Available now

The Rifter® #64 is our annual horror issue and includes:

• Rifts® – The Black-Malice Legacy, Part II – by Matt Olfson and Will Hunter. Source material about the Coalition States’ psionic operatives and technology, including squad formation and new psychic martial art classes for special operatives in CS Psi-Battalion.
• Rifts® Short Story – A Cold Night, Dead Past by Brett Caron.
• Dead Reign™ source material by Jeff Duncan. New Survivor Occupations and related skills set in the Zombie Apocalypse.
• Nightbane® source material by Bryant Telfer. A new class of mystical wanderer and Nightbane.
• Palladium Fantasy® Adventure by Michael Osborne. Play Giant characters or pint-sized humans who invade the lairs of Trolls and evil beings in control of dark magic.
• Palladium Fantasy RPG® – New creatures: Ice Bearmen and the Winterserpent by Matthew Clements, Chuck Walton and Kevin Siembieda. “Official” Fantasy source material.
• Rifts® NG/Minion War™ story (and hint of things to come) by Matthew Clements.
• Heroes Unlimited™ Short Story by Glen Evans.
• News, coming attractions, product descriptions and more.
• 96 pages – $11.95 retail – Cat. No. 164. Available now!

NEW! The Rifter^® #65 – End of January Release

In production, The Rifter® #65 presents a wealth of fun and dynamic material designed to give you ideas and source material for your own games.

Every issue of The Rifter® is an idea factory that helps players and Game Masters to generate new ideas and keep their games fresh. It provides useful, ready to go, source material gamers can just drop into their ongoing games. A doorway to new possibilities and numerous Palladium role-playing worlds. It offers new characters, O.C.C.s, powers, magic, weapons, adventure and ideas for your games. It presents new villains, monsters and dangers to battle, and new ideas to consider. Every issue has material for Rifts® and at least two or three other Palladium game lines.

The Rifter® Number 65 includes:

• Heroes Unlimited™ – Contemporary High-Tech Robotics and Gadgets – by David F. Smith. Bionics, robots and more.
• Heroes Unlimited™ – Once More unto the Breach – by Alex Tulloch. A band of super beings and their motives.
• Beyond the Supernatural™ – Hollow Road – by Anthony Uyl. An adventure in which the players will discover that the local townsfolk can be just as evil as the Supernatural in their pursuit of power.
• Rifts® – Black Market – Rise to Power, Part One – by Max Kautsch. Source material about the Black Market and one Faction’s plans for expansion.
• Rifts® – New Necromancy Spells by Eric Siems. Many new, cool spells suitable for Rifts®, Fantasy and other settings.
• Rifts® Chaos Earth® Short Story – Chaos Eve – by Shawn Merrow.
• News, coming attractions, product descriptions and more.
• 96 pages – $11.95 retail – Cat. No. 165. Ships around January 27, 2014.

RECENT RELEASE: Dead Reign^™ Sourcebook 4: Fear the Reaper^™ – Available now!

Like knights mounted on motorcycles, the Road Reapers travel the wasteland that Earth has become, searching for survivors, fighting zombies and waging war against the Death Cults that threaten all mankind.

This epic sourcebook explores the nature of heroes and heroism in the Zombie Apocalypse. It contains the secrets of the fabled Road Reapers, their structure, leadership, missions and purpose, as well as gear and combat notes. Plus a horrifying new zombie known as the Terror Zombie, plus Floaters (zombies in water) and which zombies can swim. Survival is one thing. Can you keep your humanity and be a hero?

• Comprehensive background on the legendary Road Reapers™ – zombie hunters and heroes of the Zombie Apocalypse.
• The Road Reaper Way of Life: Living and fighting on the road.
• Road Reaper missions, strategies and tactics.
• The Road Reapers’ Code – a guide to being a Road Reaper and hero.
• Structure and organization of Road Reaper units.
• Road Reaper areas of specialty and bonus skills.
• Road Reaper Specializations like the Ex-Con, Road Captain, Scout and Fix-It Man.
• More zombie-killing advice from Brad Ashley, the notorious leader of the Road Reapers and author of the Road Reapers’ Survival Guide.
• Notable weapons and gear used by the Road Reapers.
• Stats for snowmobiles and boats.
• Combat notes and optional character tables.
• Terror Zombie, an amalgamation of horror fused to a Mock Zombie.
• Zombies in water and which ones can swim!
• Many adventure ideas and random tables.
• Written by Matthew Clements.
• 48 pages – $12.95 retail – Cat. No. 234. Available now!

HOT! Rifts^® World Book 33: Northern Gun^™ One – Available Now!

Rifts® Northern Gun™ One is the most tech-filled World Book Palladium has ever produced and gamers are loving every page of new weapons, robots, power armor, vehicles and NG background.

• In-depth look at Northern Gun, its robots, stores, politics and operations.
• 70+ NG weapons; old and new.
• 27 NG giant combat and exploration robots. Described in detail.
• Many new robot weapon systems and features.
• Notable cities and people of the Ishpeming Republic/Northern Gun and much, much more.
• Wraparound cover by Chuck Walton.
• Written by Matthew Clements, Kevin Siembieda and others.
• 224 pages – $24.95 retail – Cat. No. 887 – Available NOW!
• Check out the new FREE Sneak Preview on DriveThruRPG.com!

NEW! Rifts^® World Book 34: Northern Gun^™ Two – February 2014

In production! Expanded to 192-224 pages and filled with all kinds of adventuring gear: New environmental body armor, power armor, hovercycles, robot drones, robot haulers, combat vehicles, other vehicles, robot gladiators and much more. More information about the weapons, vehicles and practices of Northern Gun, including the new rage of robot gladiatorial combat. Expanded page count. Epic adventure.

• NG robot haulers and drones.
• NG power armor suits; an expansive range.
• NG M.D.C. body armor, and combat gear.
• NG bionics, cybernetic services and other equipment.
• NG hovercycles, land vehicles and combat vehicles.
• NG jet packs and aircraft.
• NG boats, ships and submarines.
• NG Robot Gladiatorial Arena.
• Robot Gladiator O.C.C. and robot gladiators.
• Pirates and more.
• Written by Matthew Clements and Kevin Siembieda.
• Interior Artwork by Chuck Walton, Nick Bradshaw, and others.
• Wraparound cover by John Zeleznik.
• 192-224 pages – $24.95 retail – Cat. No. 888. February, 2014.

NEW! Rifts^® World Book 35: Megaverse^® in Flames^™ – March, 2014

The Minion War spills across Rifts Earth, where demons and infernals hope to recruit allies and use the Rifts as gateways of destruction. Their influence shakes things up across the planet, especially at locations where demons and Deevils already have a strong presence. Demons, Deevils and supernatural beings run rampant and wreak havoc across the world.

• Demon plagues and mystic blights.
• Soulmancy and Blood Magic revealed.
• Magical and demonic weapons and war machines.
• Demonic armies, strongholds and places of evil.
• Hell Pits and Rune Forges.
• Many Demon Lords, their minions and plans.
• Calgary, the Kingdom of Monsters; in detail.
• Ciudad de Diablo, Harpies’ Island and other notable Hell holes on Earth.
• Lord Doom, Pain and other demonic leaders.
• Horune treachery, Dimension Stormers and other villains.
• Notable demonic generals, mercenaries, people and places.
• Battleground: Earth – as demons and infernals amass their legions.
• Global chaos and the places most dramatically affected by the Demon Plagues.
• Epic battles and adventure ideas galore.
• Written by Carl Gleba. Part of the Minion War “Crossover” series.
• 192 pages – $24.95 retail – Cat. No. 876. March, 2014.

NEW! Robotech^®: Expeditionary Force Marines Sourcebook One

– Name changed from UEEF Marines

Robotech®: Expeditionary Force Marines is a sourcebook that we know will wow and please Robotech® fans.

• New mecha and weapons.
• Aliens and space adventure.
• Written by Irvin Jackson.
• 160 pages – Cat. No. 553 – $20.95 – April release (tentative).

Robotech^® RPG Tactics^™ – Game Description – Coming Spring 2014

This is the game Robotech® fans have wanted for decades.

Robotech® RPG Tactics™ is a fast-paced, tabletop combat game that captures the action and adventure of the Robotech® anime. Two or more players can engage in small squad skirmishes or scale up to massive battles. Relive the clashes of the First Robotech War, engage in stand-alone tactical games, or use the dynamic game pieces to enhance your Robotech® RPG experience. Or simply collect your favorite mecha from an expanding range of top-notch game pieces.

Mecha vs Mecha. Take command of the fighting forces of the United Earth Defense Force (UEDF) valiantly defending Earth from alien annihilation. Or lead the massive clone armies of the Zentraedi Armada to recover an alien artifact of immense power and enslave humankind.

Robotech^® RPG Tactics^™ Box Set

• Brought to you by Palladium Books®, created with Ninja Division (the creative minds behind Soda Pop Miniatures and Cipher Studios).
• Rules by Alessio Cavatore, David Freeman and Carmen Bellaire.
• Full color, softcover rule book; wraparound cover and lots of new, color artwork.
• 24 Battle Dice, 12 UEDF and 12 Zentraedi.
• 40 color game cards (unit cards, etc.).
• 4x VF-1A Valkyries (in Fighter, Guardian, and Battloid modes).
• 1x VF-1J "Officer" in all three modes.
• 4x Destroids: 2 Tomahawks and 2 Defenders.
• 12x Regult Zentraedi Battlepods.
• 1x Glaug Officer's Battlepod.
• 1x Quel-Regult Recon Battlepod.
• 1x Quel-Gulnau Recovery Pod.
• 1/285th scale, high quality, multi-pose plastic game pieces (40mm to 70mm tall). World-class sculpts from sculptors around the world.
• Game rules use D6.
• Turn-based system of play.
• Scalable from small squad skirmishes to mass battles. Can accommodate two to several players.
• Combat is fast and designed to emulate the anime action.
• Measuring tape required to determine targets and distance.
• Small parts and some assembly required. Game pieces come unpainted.
• Release Date: Yet to be determined; Spring 2014.
• $90 retail price (tentative). The price of the final box set is not yet determined, but we want to hold it around $90.
• Cat. No. 55100 (Main Boxed Game).

The First Six Robotech^® RPG Tactics^™ Expansion Packs

The initial expansion packs will also ship at the same time as the main box game. All prices listed are likely, but still tentative. We want most packs to fall in the $25-$35 price range.

• UEDF Valkyrie Wing (2x each, Fighter, Guardian, Battloid) – Cat. No. 55201 – $30.00 retail (tentative).
• UEDF Destroid Pack (2x Tomahawks, 2x Defenders) – Cat. No. 55202 – $30.00 (tentative).
• UEDF Spartan Pack (2x Spartans, 2x Phalanxes), Cat. No. 55203 – $30.00 (tentative).
• Zentraedi Regult Battlepod Squadron (6x Regults) – Cat. No. 55401 – $30.00 (tentative).
• Zentraedi Support Battlepods (4x Artillery Battlepods) – Cat. No. 55402 – $30.00 (tentative).
• Zentraedi Command Pack (1x Glaug, 1x Quel-Regult, 1x Quel-Gulnau) – Cat. No. 55403 – $35.00 (tentative).
• Additional expansion packs to be released in waves every few months, 4-8 at a time, throughout 2014. More will follow.
• Palladium plans to release the mecha and settings for ALL eras of Robotech®. Many other details are still in development.
• Tournament play support is planned. Ninja Division will help Palladium to develop and launch the program.

Robotech^® Macross^® Saga Sourcebook – New Size

Available now – 8½ x 11 size

All the famous mecha and action of Robotech® starts here with the Macross® Saga when an alien armada enters Earth orbit. They have come to reclaim a lost spacecraft that crash-landed on Earth 10 years earlier. A space fortress that Earth’s protectors have rebuilt into their own flagship against alien invasion. The resulting conflict gives birth to heroes and becomes the stuff of legend, but the Earth will never be the same. Robotech® The Macross® Saga Sourcebook is now available as an 8½ x 11 inch sourcebook.

Note: This is the setting for Robotech® RPG Tactics™, so if you’re looking for more information about the mecha, Earth’s defenders, the Zentraedi invaders, and Macross Saga setting, this is the book for you. Epic adventure awaits.

A Robotech® Role-Playing Game Sourcebook:

• Transformable Veritech Fighters known as Valkyries take to the sky to defend the Earth.
• Destroids, giant walking tanks, are among Earth’s front-line defenders.
• The SDF-1 and Earth air, ground and space combat vehicles.
• Zentraedi mecha, powered armor suits, and select spacecraft.
• The Zentraedi warriors, their war machines and culture.
• Notable characters from the TV series statted out.
• Quick Character Creation Tables enable you to make Macross characters in 15 minutes or less.
• New skills and M.O.S. skill bundles.
• The Robotech® The Shadow Chronicles® RPG “rule book” is needed to play (Cat. No. 550 or 550HC).
• 128 pages – $16.95 – Cat. No. 551 – standard 8½ x 11 size – Available now.

PDF downloads from DriveThruRPG.com

This is a great resource for getting out of print Palladium titles and other select books. We’ve made 90 titles available as PDF digital downloads from DriveThruRPG.com. This is a great way to try Palladium products and get access to out of print RPG source material. Some notable titles include:

• The Rifter® #49-52 recently added – available now.
• Splicers® RPG.
• Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG, First Edition Rules.
• Boxed Nightmares™ for BTS, First Edition Rules.
• Nightbane® Book Four: Shadows of Light™.
• The Mechanoids® RPG and The Mechanoid Invasion® RPG Trilogy.
• Palladium Fantasy RPG®, First Edition Rules and select 1st Edition sourcebooks.
• After the Bomb® RPG and sourcebooks.
• The Rifter® issues 1-52.
• The Best of The Rifter®.
• Deluxe Revised RECON® RPG and Advanced RECON® Sourcebook.
• And more – go to DriveThruRPG.com and check ‘em out.

© Copyright 2014 Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved.

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

Robotech® and Robotech® The Shadow Chronicles® are Registered Trademarks of Harmony Gold USA, Inc.

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