Palladium Books® Weekly Update – August 7, 2014

By Kevin Siembieda

We have business meetings and service people coming in to upgrade our shipping system the next couple of days (new postage meter, new computers, new software and programming), so we thought it would be smart to post the Weekly Update as early as possible today, rather than wait till this evening or Friday.

UPDATE: Robotech^® RPG Tactics^™ Wave One

We can’t seem to catch a break with Robotech® RPG Tactics™.

The ship carrying the first container of Robotech® RPG Tactics™ arrived right on time. Under normal circumstances, Palladium would have received it this Friday and begun shipping it out. One problem: US Customs. Though we were told there is only a 15% chance of our container being tagged by Customs for random inspection, as Fate would have it, we have been tagged. It usually takes Customs 7-14 business days to get to a container, inspect it and clear it.

We were devastated by the news. That means it is extremely unlikely that we will have the Robotech® RPG Tactics™ products in time for Gen Con. It also means we cannot start shipping until the darn thing clears Customs and that could be 2-3 weeks from now (you have to factor in shipping time from Los Angeles to Westland, Michigan on top of the two weeks Customs could hold the container). I was out of the office when the news came. When I got back, Wayne and Jeff looked sad and dejected when they gave me the news. We were all crushed. We went through so much effort to get the container to the USA as fast as possible to start shipping to our backers and to have it in time for Gen Con Indy. Now this.

We need a small miracle to have it in time for Gen Con Indy. That miracle being the container is one of the first to be inspected, cleared and released by Monday or Tuesday of next week. Not likely. Our Customs broker has provided all the necessary paperwork, pled our case, and we have made arrangements for expedited shipping.

If the miracle does happen, Jeff Burke and Matthew Clements are great guys, so they are willing to wait back home and miss the first two days of Gen Con to accept delivery while the rest of the Gen Con team are in Indiana. Jeff and Matt will then truck a few hundred boxes to Gen Con so we can have some for Saturday and Sunday. We have even reserved a rental truck just in case that miracle happens. HOWEVER, that is NOT likely to happen. Sorry. I meant it when I said we would need a small miracle. According to our broker, a fast turnaround would put the container arriving a day or two AFTER Gen Con. A slow turnaround, would put it arriving sometime between August 20 and August 29. Sucks, I know.

We are trying to make the best of the situation. It’s only another two weeks or so delay (arrrgh) and the game looks fantastic. We had China express mail us a couple more box games for display at Gen Con, plus there will be more than 100 painted and unpainted game pieces on display, and demos running all weekend. We think once gamers see this game it will blow out of stores fast. To guarantee people get the product they want, we will take pre-order sales for Wave One retail items (NOT Kickstarter exclusive game pieces) at Gen Con. Of course, you can order from the Palladium online store, too. All pre-orders, whether placed at Gen Con or on the Palladium online store, will be shipped immediately after the Kickstarter backers, and are likely to arrive shortly before the product begins to hit store shelves. Note: In the USA, most Wave One items will be shipped via UPS.

UPDATE: Robotech^® RPG Tactics^™ Wave One on Display at Gen Con

Like I said, we will have more than 100 painted Robotech® RPG Tactics™ game pieces on display and in the demos. We will be running demos non-stop throughout the convention weekend. You will also be able to see the boxed game, rule book, four expansion packs, ask questions and place pre-orders.

Robotech® RPG titles, new releases, and all of Palladium’s other game products, plus select speciality items, collectibles, convention specials, original artwork, art prints, writers, artists and staff will be available for your enjoyment. Please come on over to visit and get autographs. And as I said in past Updates, we look forward to shaking the hands of some of our many Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Kickstarter backers and thanking them in person. So come on down.

UPDATE: Robotech^® RPG Tactics^™ Wave Two

Considering how we are jumped on and ridiculed every time a projected release date is offered and then pushed back, or we face a delay, we are not committing to any specific release date for Wave Two until we have a fairly solid and realistic one from the manufacturing end of things.

That said, Wayne and Jeff had a conference call with our development partners, Ninja Division, to discuss Wave Two just Tuesday. We have, of course, never stopped making plans for the release of Wave Two items, as well as discussing ideas for future releases of Robotech® RPG Tactics™ products. The possibilities for the future of this game line are nothing short of fantastic and exciting as all get out.

Right now, the manufacturer and Palladium Books are very much focused on finishing the manufacturing of Wave One products and getting them shipped to the USA. Then we will be focused on the massive shipping operation to get product shipped to our 5,000+ Kickstarter backers (we estimate that will be something like 7,000-10,000 packages!) and then to our distributors.

I’m dying for the Monster, myself (it is gorgeous and one of my all-time favorite mecha). And the Zentraedi foot soldiers. And the YF-4. And the Jotun, and . . . well, everything! It’s all coming.

UPDATE: Rifts^® Megaverse^® in Flames^™ – Ships Friday, August 8

I confirmed with the printer that both Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames™ and Future Visions™ – The Artistry of Charles Walton II will arrive at the Palladium warehouse on Friday, August 8, 2014. Pre-orders will ship on Friday. Distributor orders on Monday. Get those orders in today!

For those of you coming to Gen Con, make sure you get your Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames™ signed by SEVEN of the key contributors, including author Carl Gleba, publisher and writer Kevin Siembieda, artist Nick Bradshaw, artist Chuck Walton, artist Amy Ashbaugh, writer/editor Matthew Clements and editor Wayne Smith.

UPDATE: Future Visions^™ – The Artistry of Charles Walton II – August 8

The Chuck Walton art book, Future Visions™, ships on Friday, August 8. As someone who appreciates artwork, I think this is a dynamic book. I’d purchase this book in a heartbeat. If you enjoy Charles Walton’s art, the book is a must. And the wild images for the upcoming Splicers® titles — wow. They will knock your socks off. Spliceheads should be seated while flipping through this book in case they pass out from excitement. See the complete description elsewhere in this Update.

UPDATE: The Rifter^® #67 – Ships Mid-August

We’re putting the final wraps on it right now. Ships August. Another great issue with material for Heroes Unlimited™, Splicers® and more!

UPDATE: Palladium Fantasy^®: Bizantium and the Northern Islands^™

I think everyone is excited about this surprise release. Matthew Clements should be finished with the initial edits and tweaks to the Bizantium world book by the end of this week. I may even try to start assigning artwork for it before we leave for Gen Con.

NEW! Palladium Fantasy RPG^® “Paper Miniatures” – available now on DriveThruRPG.com

Palladium Fantasy RPG® “Paper Miniatures” is an all new, digital product line created by artist and writer “Madman” Mike Leonard. They are designed as full color paper game pieces that you print on a card stock, cut out and slide into a paper stand (all part of the pack you purchase). A FREE Sample and the first two sets of Palladium Fantasy RPG® Paper Miniatures are available NOW on DriveThruRPG.

In a week or two, a Great Horned Dragon will be added, and two more Volumes are coming in the next month or two. And don’t forget, first edition rules of the Palladium Fantasy RPG® and several sourcebooks (and 90+ other titles including the Rifts® and Splicers® RPGs) are also available as PDFs. Have fun. SEE THE COMPLETE DESCRIPTION later in this Update.

• FREE Sample – check ‘em out. They’re free!
• Volume One: O.C.C.s – 24 O.C.C.s representing each of the primary character classes – Men-at-Arms, Men of Magic, Clergy and Psychics.
• Volume Two: Monster Races – 28 R.C.C.s representing 4 Trolls, 4 Ogres, 8 Orcs, 8 Goblins and 4 Hob-Goblins. More nonhuman races to come.
• All are 28mm scale figures and designed in full color.
• Coming in 2 weeks – Great Horned Dragon
• Coming – Volume Three: Additional O.C.C.s
• Coming – Volume Four: Skeletons and Undead
• Much support will follow, provided there is a demand for this product.

UPDATE: Robotech^®: Expeditionary Force Marines Sourcebook One

– Formerly titled ‘UEEF Marines’

Diving into this title full-bore after Gen Con, for release later this year.

UPDATE Gen Con Indy is Next Week – Palladium Books^® is Booth #1223

Please drop by the Palladium booth #1223 to pick up the latest releases, back stock items, a number of speciality products, art prints, original artwork, con sketches and a number of Convention Specials. Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames™, Future Visions™ (the Chuck Walton art book) and other goodies.

As noted earlier, the container of Robotech® RPG Tactics™ products has been randomly selected for inspection by US Customs. We are praying that the inspection goes super-fast and we will be able to get them in time for Gen Con and shipping to our backers. HOWEVER, the odds of that are slim to none.

On Display! We will have samples of the Robotech® RPG Tactics™ game on display, more than 100 painted and unpainted game pieces on display, and demos running all weekend! We think once gamers see this game it will blow out of stores fast. To guarantee people get the product they want, we will take pre-order sales for Wave One retail items (NOT Kickstarter exclusive game pieces) at Gen Con. (Of course, you can order from the Palladium online store, too.) All pre-orders, whether placed at Gen Con or on the Palladium online store, will be shipped immediately after the Kickstarter backers, and are likely to arrive shortly before the product begins to hit store shelves.

Meet, chat with and get autographs from a dozen Palladium creators (writers, artists, and staff). Enjoy demos of Robotech® RPG Tactics™, play in FREE role-playing game events at the booth (Gary Miller, NMI and others are running RPG games at the booth; sign up at the booth — this is in addition to the 50+ sold out events on the Gen Con schedule!), preview Carmen Bellaire’s latest game, and join the fun!

Palladium Books Gen Con Highlights:

• Get autographs from a dozen Palladium creators.
• Meet and game with Carmen Bellaire, co-author of the Robotech® RPG Tactics™ rules. Carmen will be running demos of Robotech® RPG Tactics™ at the Palladium booth all Gen Con. Carmen will also have his crew demonstrating his new miniatures board game Deus Machina, a gladiatorial robot game set in a Roman-like future. “Robots smashing the crap out of each other,” said Carmen with a grin. It features cards and miniatures. Deus Machina is not a Palladium product. Carmen is also the author of the Splicers® RPG and many other Palladium titles.
• Enjoy other Robotech® RPG Tactics™ demos at the booth with Jeff Burke and Thomas Roache. See painted display pieces.
• 50+ “official” Palladium gaming events in a dedicated area. Coordinated by Gary Miller. More games and demos at the Palladium booth #1223 – all four days.
• Role-playing game products galore: Rifts®, Robotech®, Splicers®, Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™, Nightbane®, Dead Reign™, Beyond the Supernatural™, Ninjas and Superspies™, After the Bomb® and all the rest. Plus special edition books, gold editions, prints and original artwork. Note: We can only bring a limited number of any product to sell. ALL items are sold on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last!
• Meet writer Carl Gleba, author of Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames™ and the entire Rifts® Minion War™ series, and many other Palladium titles.
• Meet writer Matthew Clements, author of Rifts® Northern Gun™ One and Two, Dead Reign™ sourcebooks, and other Palladium titles.
• Meet writer Brandon Aten, author of Rifts® Triax™ Two, Rifts® Madhaven™ and the upcoming Rifts® Sovietski and some Splicers® sourcebooks.
• Artists at the booth include Nick Bradshaw, Mike Leonard and Chuck Walton, who will be selling original artwork and prints.
• Meet me (Kevin Siembieda, publisher, game designer, writer, artist), and other Palladium staff and notable personalities, such as Wayne Smith, Jeff Burke, NMI, and others. ALL OF US are available to chat and sign autographs the entire weekend.
• Join the fun, get autographs, chat and have a blast.

UPDATE: Available Now! 2015 Palladium Open House (POH) – May 15-17, 2015

You can now start purchasing your admissions for the weekend or individual days, as well as VIP Thursday (May 14, 2015). Limited to around 350 people. The full description is in the Palladium online store. My apologies for not getting this all posted sooner. We've just been buried in work. Remember, VIP Thursday is limited to around 120 gamers (plus Palladium staff and creators) and usually sells out in a matter of days. 70 VIP admissions for that one day only (with dinner) are available now. Another batch will be offered in February 2015. The description at the end of this Update is a very short version. The one in the online store is complete. Hope to see many of you there next year.

Thinking Positive

Whether we get that small miracle and have Robotech® RPG Tactics™ products for sale or not, we hope many of you will drop by the Palladium Booth #1223 to chat, get autographs and buy other stuff. We’re in total Gen Con mode, so that’s it for this Update. Oh, we’ll send out an Update before Gen Con to let you know if we are going to have RRT products available. See some of you next week. To the rest of you, I hope you are excited about the upcoming products. Game on!

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Writer and Game Designer

NEW! Future Visions^™

– The Artistry of Charles Walton II – Ships August 8

We call it Future Visions because it very much gives you a glimpse into the future of what is coming from Palladium Books. It is jam-packed with black and white artwork and concept art for several of the upcoming Splicers® sourcebooks and a couple other Palladium projects. Things we are excited about and want you to be, too. People can’t seem to get enough of Chuck Walton artwork, so here is an entire 96 page book filled with it. Some of the art is finished pieces, many others are concept art that may be tweaked and altered, or not used at all. Much of it is material you would never ordinarily see. If you like this book and it sells well, it can be the first of several Charles Walton II art books (and other artists?). We hope you enjoy it. It was a fun, quick and easy project to throw together. It didn't impact our schedule more than a few days.

• A 96 page trip into the future.
• All artwork is by Charles Walton II.
• All interior art is black and white.
• Splicers® art galore.
• Color cover by Charles Walton.
• Introduction by Kevin Siembieda.
• Behind the scenes insight by Siembieda and Walton.
• 96 pages – $13.95 retail – Cat. No. 2562 – Ships August 8.

NEW! Rifts^® World Book 35: Megaverse^® in Flames^™ – Ships August 8

At the printer. The Minion War is here and the demons seek to conquer Rifts Earth. They are bringing demonic armies by the tens of thousands across the dimensional divide, unleashing plagues, seeking out magic artifacts, recruiting monsters and mortal allies, and testing their strength against Earth’s military powers. Worse, they are building Hell Pits so that they can unleash Hell on Earth! Not to be outdone, the Minions of Dyval are doing all the same things. Clashes between demons and Deevils are increasing every day and turn into titanic free-for-alls when Earth forces join the battle. As demonic supernatural forces ramp up, enslave people and wreak havoc across the globe, the question becomes: Is this the beginning of a new Dark Age?

• Seven Hell Plagues.
• Soulmancer and Blood Warrior O.C.C.s as NPC villains.
• 50+ Soulmancy spells.
• Lord Kreelo and Megaverse Armaments.
• 40+ new weapons, armor and vehicles including the Walking Death, Meat Grinder, Carnage Tank, Flesh Armor, Bone Armor, Chaos Warrior Armor, charms, talismans, guns and more.
• Demonic armies, strongholds and places of evil.
• Calgary, the Kingdom of Monsters.
• Rifts® Cuba/Ciudad de Diablo, Harpies’ Island and other notable Hell holes on Earth.
• Seven Demon Lords, their Hell Pits and armies.
• Seven Deevil Lords, their Hell Pits and plans.
• Lord Doom, Pain and other forces in the Minion War.
• It is battleground Earth! Ideas for adventures galore.
• Written by Carl Gleba. A part of the Minion War™ “Crossover” series.
• 192 pages – $24.95 retail – Cat. No. 876. Ships August 8, 2014.

NEW! Megaverse^® in Flames^™ “Gold Edition” – Ships Early September

This book has so much cool stuff in it, we thought it deserved the Gold Hardcover treatment. Imprinted gold foil on black leatherette, signed by the Palladium staff, Matthew Clements and Chuck Walton. (You can get Carl Gleba’s signature at the Palladium Open House next May.)

• Limited to 300 signed and numbered copies.
• Signed and numbered on the credits page by Kevin Siembieda and the Palladium staff. We’ll get Matthew Clements and Chuck Walton to sign as well.
• Black leatherette cover with gold foil imprinting.
• Interior pages are exactly the same as the softcover edition.
• Written by Carl Gleba. Additional text by Kevin Siembieda.
• Gold Edition cover art by Nick Bradshaw.
• 192 pages – $50 while supplies last – Cat. No. 876HC – only available directly from Palladium Books. Sorry, this product is not available in stores.
• Ships early September.

NEW! The Rifter^® #67 – Summer issue ships mid-August

Every issue of The Rifter® is an idea factory for players and Game Masters to generate new ideas and find new avenues of adventure. It provides useful, ready to go source material you can just drop into your ongoing games. A doorway to new possibilities and numerous Palladium role-playing worlds. And the many new characters, O.C.C.s, powers, magic, weapons, villains, monsters, adventures and ideas for one setting can be easily adapted to any Palladium setting. Every issue has material for Rifts® and at least 2-3 other Palladium game lines. And don’t forget, most of the material can be easily adapted for use in ANY Palladium game setting.

The Rifter® Number 67 includes:

• Heroes Unlimited™ – Power Behind the Throne – by Alex Tullock. Get a glimpse at some of the true powers pulling the strings of governments and their superhumans. Spice up your Heroes Unlimited™ campaign with some political, spy and espionage elements along with supermen. Plenty of ideas for adventures, and includes NPCs and Hook, Line & Sinker adventure ideas.
• Splicers® – House Pandorum: The Chaos Spreads – by Kris Tipping. House Pandorum is back, with new Gardener Biotic enhancements, unique plant creations, Template Biotics and more. Illustrated by Charles “Splicers” Walton.
• Rifts® – Monsters of Africa – by Jeff Duncan. 14 new monsters to add to your Rifts® campaign. Art by Tanya J. Ramsey.
• Rifts® – Outpost F279™: An Adventure – by Anthony Uyl. Looking for a fun adventure to throw at your Rifts® players? Well, here you go. Enjoy.
• News, coming attractions, product descriptions and more.
• Heroes Unlimited™ cover by Michael Wilson.
• Art by Allen Manning, Brian Manning, Mike Mumah, Ben Rodriguez, Tanya J. Ramsey and Charles Walton.
• 96 pages – $13.95 retail – Cat. No. 167. Ships mid-August.

NEW! Palladium Fantasy RPG^® “Paper Miniatures” – available now on DriveThruRPG.com

Palladium Fantasy RPG® “Paper Miniatures” is a new digital product line created by artist and writer “Madman” Mike Leonard. They are designed as full color paper game pieces that you print on a card stock, cut out and slide into a paper stand (all part of the package you purchase). A FREE Sample and the first two sets of Palladium Fantasy RPG® Paper Miniatures are available NOW on DriveThruRPG.

In a week or two a Great Horned Dragon will be added, and two more Volumes are coming in the next month or two. And don’t forget, first edition rules of the Palladium Fantasy RPG® and several sourcebooks (and 90+ other titles including the Rifts® and Splicers® RPGs) are also available as PDFs. Have fun.

● Palladium Fantasy RPG® “Paper Miniatures” FREE Sample

● Volume One: O.C.C.s – 24 O.C.C.s representing each of the primary character classes – Men-at-Arms, Men of Magic, Clergy and Psychics.

• 28mm figures with a one inch base.
• All figures are designed in full color and look great.
• $5.99 for the PDF download.

● Volume Two: Monster Races – 28 R.C.C.s representing 4 Trolls, 4 Ogres, 8 Orcs, 8 Goblins and 4 Hob-Goblins. More nonhuman races to come.

• 28mm scale figures.
• All figures are designed in full color and look great.
• $5.99 for the PDF download.

● Coming Soon – Great Horned Dragon

• 28mm scale figure with a 10 inch wingspan.
• Designed in full color and look great.
• $3.99 for the PDF download.

● Coming – Volume Three: Additional O.C.C.s

● Coming – Volume Four: Skeletons and Undead

NEW! Dead Reign^™ Sourcebook 5: Graveyard Earth^™ – Ships Fall

When the dead rise and communications and power grids collapse, nothing matters except your own survival. But what about the rest of the world? What’s happening in other places? Has any government survived? Is anyplace safe? Dead Reign™ Graveyard Earth™ tries to answer those questions and others. And in doing so, provides gamers and G.M.s with more fuel for adventure.

• Zombie World Tour – How the Wave and the Zombie Apocalypse have played out across the globe.
• A Thousand Miles of Dead – Getting home from abroad in a world of zombies.
• American military forces overseas and their journey home.
• Alternative campaign settings and Random Campaign Setting tables.
• Random Encounters by Region and Random Survivor Leaders.
• Level of Zombie Threat table. Zombies and exposure to the elements.
• Walled cities and other Alternative Safe Havens.
• Car problems, aircraft landing conditions and encounters on the road and by sea.
• Written by Matthew Clements. Cover by E.M. Gist.
• 48-64 pages – $12.95 retail (tentative) – Cat. No. 235. Ships Fall (shooting for September, 2014). In final development; page count and date of release yet to be determined.

NEW! Palladium Fantasy RPG^®: Bizantium and the Northern Islands^™ – Fall/Winter 2014

Journey to the Island Kingdom of Bizantium, situated at the far northern peak of the Palladium World. Its vast fleets of merchant vessels and warships travel the high seas and bring untold wealth back to the kingdom, as well as exotic goods, people, customs, weapons and foreign magic. With rich, ambitious Merchant-Princes all around him, Bizantium’s colonies on the Shadow Coast in a state of near-revolt, and powers from the Western Empire to the Eastern Territory trying to exert their influence on the throne, the oblivious King Raedaen IV is in troubled waters – and the sharks are starting to gather.

• Full timeline of the history of Bizantium, from its mythical founding to the kings, queens and high priests of the Northern Islands.
• Bizantian society, culture, religion and attitudes towards non-humans and magic.
• The Eoten, the traditional inhabitants of the Northern Islands, their mythology and influence on modern-day Bizantium.
• The Northern Islands described in full, cities, geography and well as threats to sailors in the North Sea and Sea of Despair.
• Bizantium’s many shipyards, possibly the kingdom’s greatest asset.
• Key figures of Bizantium, from King Raedaen IV to the long list of people eager to replace him.
• New O.C.C.s including the Serpent Chaser and Bizantium Marine.
• New weapons and equipment for sailors, mariners, soldiers and adventurers at large.
• New Bizantium ships including the Bireme, Ice Breaker and Battleship.
• The Iceborn, a forgotten race who worships death, uses undead sea serpents as ships, and threatens Bizantium from the North.
• New animals and sea serpents of the North Sea and Sea of Despair.
• Sea serpent generation table for creating your own sea monsters.
• Political intrigue as Noble Houses, Warlocks and foreign powers all try to subvert the king and claim the throne of Bizantium for themselves!
• Written by Glen Evans with additional text by Kevin Siembieda and Matthew Clements.
• 160 pages – $20.95 retail (page count and price are subject to change) – Cat. No. 474 – Fall/Winter release.

NEW! Robotech^®: Expeditionary Force Marines Sourcebook One

– Formerly titled ‘UEEF Marines’

Robotech®: Expeditionary Force Marines sourcebook is set in space with the UEEF (United Earth Expeditionary Force) led by Admiral Rick Hunter. This valiant force of mecha clad heroes travel across the galaxy liberating planets from the bondage of the Invid Regent, the Robotech Masters and other tyrants and monsters.

• New mecha and weapons of the UEEF Marines.
• New UEEF Marine character classes and background.
• Alien species and allies.
• Planet hopping, adventure and much more.
• Epic battles and adventure ideas galore.
• Written by Irvin Jackson. Additional text by Kevin Siembieda.
• 160 pages – $20.95 retail – Cat. No. 553. Fall release (shooting for October).

Coming BACK IN PRINT – Rise of Magic^™

A Rifts^® Chaos Earth^® Sourcebook – Fall

Rescheduled for a Fall release.

The return of magic has empowered humans with strange and wondrous powers, unlike anything quite yet seen (and different from most conventional types of magic). This only complicates things for Earth’s defenders as the line of distinction between “good guys” and “bad guys” begins to blur.

• Chaos Magic, new magic specific to the Chaos Earth® setting.
• More than 100 unique Chaos Magic spells.
• New magic O.C.C.s like the Blue Zone Wizard and Chaos Wizard.
• New evil magic users like the Chaos Witch and Demon Caller.
• More on NEMA and the Demon Plagues.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda.
• 64 pages – $14.95 – Cat. No. 662. Ships Fall.

Robotech^® RPG Tactics^™ – Coming to Stores Fall, 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 – Cat. No. 55100

• Brought to you by Palladium Books®, created with Ninja Division (the creative minds behind Soda Pop Miniatures and Cipher Studios).
• 112 page, full color, softcover rule book. Includes an index and a comprehensive color guide for all Macross mecha in the series.
• 24 Battle Dice, 12 UEDF and 12 Zentraedi.
• 53 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.
• Retail Release Date: In stores September, 2014.
• $99.95 retail price – Cat. No. 55100 (Main Box Game).

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

The first six expansion packs will be available to retail at the same time as the main box game. Here are the “official” SKUs and retail prices.

UEDF Valkyrie Wing

Build your fleet of Earth defenders with the Valkyrie Veritech Fighter; six figures total.

• 2 Valkyries in Fighter mode.
• 2 Valkyries in Guardian mode.
• 2 Valkyries in Battloid mode.
• Multiple heads for making the VF-1A and VF-1J.
• Plastic game pieces require assembly and painting.
• Not a toy. Small parts, not suitable for children under the age of 13.
• Cat. No. 55201 – $36.95 retail.

UEDF Tomahawk/Defender Destroids

Expand your Destroid squad with these formidable walking tanks; four figures total.

• 2 Tomahawk Destroids – the main battle tank of Destroids, brimming with powerful particle beam cannons for arms, and wielding a battery of missiles and an array of other weapons.
• 2 Defender Destroids – a long-range, anti-aircraft juggernaut capable of shooting down incoming Zentraedi Battlepods and Gnerl Fighters.
• Plastic game pieces require assembly and painting.
• Not a toy. Small parts, choking hazard. Not recommended for children under the age of 13. Adult supervision advised.
• Cat. No. 55202 – $32.95 retail.

UEDF Spartan/Phalanx Destroids

Add some long range power and up-close punch to your army with these valuable Destroids; four figures total.

• 2 Spartan Destroids – civil defense, riot control and deadly in hand to hand combat.
• 2 Phalanx Destroids – a walking, long-range missile artillery unit.
• Plastic game pieces require assembly and painting.
• Not a toy. Small parts, choking hazard. Not recommended for children under the age of 13. Adult supervision advised.
• Cat. No. 55203 – $32.95 retail.

Zentraedi Regult Battlepods

Expand your Zentraedi forces with their main infantry battle mecha; six figures total.

• 6 Regult Tactical Battlepods – the lightning quick Regults, armed with a pair of particle cannons and auto-cannons, attack in wave after wave.
• Plastic game pieces require assembly and painting.
• Not a toy. Small parts, choking hazard. Not recommended for children under the age of 13. Adult supervision advised.
• Cat. No. 55401 – $36.95 retail.

Zentraedi Artillery Battlepods

Give your Zentraedi legion greater firepower with these artillery and support Battlepods; four figures total.

• 4 Zentraedi Support Battlepods, each of which can be made into any of the following:
              Gluuhaug-Regult – Light Artillery Battlepod
              Serauhaug-Regult – Heavy Artillery Battlepod
              Telnesta-Regult – Experimental Particle Beam Battlepod
              Four figures total.
• Plastic game pieces require assembly and painting.
• Not a toy. Small parts, choking hazard. Not recommended for children under the age of 13. Adult supervision advised.
• Cat. No. 55402 – $36.95 retail.

Zentraedi Glaug Command Pack

This diverse pack provides your Zentraedi forces with greater tactical capabilities; three figures total.

• 1 Glaug Officer’s Battlepod – the fast and deadly mecha of Zentraedi field leaders.
• 1 Quel-Regult Scout Battlepod – the stealthy eyes and ears of your Zentraedi battle force; electronic warfare capabilities.
• 1 Quel-Gulnau Recovery Pod – enhances the Glaug’s ability to bring in Battlepod reinforcements. Note: This figure has NEVER before been offered by any company.
• Plastic game pieces require assembly and painting.
• Not a toy. Small parts, choking hazard. Not suitable for children under the age of 13. Adult supervision advised.
• Cat. No. 55403 – $36.95 retail.

Robotech^® Macross^® Saga Sourcebook – New 8½ x 11 size – Available now

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® #53-54 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 1-54.
• The Best of The Rifter®.
• Deluxe Revised RECON® RPG and Advanced RECON® Sourcebook.
• And more – go to DriveThruRPG.com and check ‘em out.

2015 Palladium Open House (POH) – May 14-17, 2015

The full description is in the online store and you can start purchasing your admission for the weekend or individual days as well as VIP Thursday (May 14, 2015). This write-up is just the highlights, please read the full description in the store.

Price of admission covers ALL EVENTS, except VIP Thursday. There are no extra fees for gaming events, panel talks or autographs.

$45 per person for the Three Day Weekend (Friday, Saturday & Sunday; May 15, 16 & 17) when ordered in advance per each individual. ($60 at the door and after April 12, 2015, if space is available.)

$25 for Friday, 9:00 AM till Closing (about midnight). Same price at the door, if space is available.

$25 for Saturday, 9:00 AM till Closing (about midnight). Same price at the door, if space is available.

$12 for Sunday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Same price at the door, if space is available.

$87 additional for VIP Night – Thursday – May 14, 2014. The VIP Night always sells out within weeks, so make your reservation as soon as possible. First-come, first-served. VIP Night is a special, one-evening event limited to around 120 gamers – 70 are available right now. VIP Thursday, May 14, 2014: 3:00 P.M. till 12:00 P.M. This event sells out every year in week or two (sometimes in a day or two). NOTE: As has become tradition, we hold a number of VIP slots to be offered at a later date – typically February – so that gamers who decide to attend at a later date have a chance at getting into the coveted VIP Night too. You get the delicious meal catered by Palladium’s very own Kathy Simmons (people rave about her meal), plus you get an extra afternoon and evening of gaming (opens late afternoon), a more intimate chance to talk with Palladium staff, artists and writers, and first crack at rare collectibles, prints and original art.

● 40+ Palladium creators. See the store description for details. In the past, the POH usually has 35-50 creators (writers, artists, editors, staff, Rifter contributors, etc.) attending. More than at any other convention or gathering anywhere, ever! And most are available to you almost the ENTIRE event to chat with you and sign autographs. Some will even run gaming events!

● 100+ gaming events. Game Masters/Megaversal Ambassadors NEEDED!

● Many games run by the people who make them, including Kevin Siembieda, Julius Rosenstein, Carmen Bellaire, Brandon Aten, Taylor White and many others!

● More panel talks than ever!

● Auction and more.

● A family reunion atmosphere.

● And it all happens at the Palladium warehouse and offices, where the magic happens! Okay, not quite “all.” When the gaming stops around 1:00 AM every night, the hotel has a large conference room where you maniacs can continue to game till you drop. There is room for at least 8 games in the room.

2015 Open House Hotel – reserve your rooms NOW!

You should reserve your hotel room now. Your card will not be charged until next May.

Comfort Inn

40455 Ann Arbor Road
Plymouth, MI 48170
Phone: 734-455-8100

Group Code: Palladium Books – you MUST request the Group Code “Palladium Books” at the time of booking to ensure the correct rate will be quoted and billed to you.

Dates of the 2015 Palladium Open House (POH): May 15-17 (May 14 is VIP Thursday), 2015.

$109.00 (plus tax) per night at the Comfort Inn, a.k.a. “Plymouth Clock Tower Hotel.” That’s $109 (plus tax) for a room with two queen beds or one king with a sofa that has a pull-out sleeper. ALL rooms have a micro-fridge, FREE high-speed wired/wireless Internet and there is a FREE hot breakfast from 6 A.M. to 10 A.M. near the lobby.

Reserve using Group Code Palladium Books sooner than later. The hotel has been remodeled, resulting in a smaller number of rooms. If you know you are coming to the 2015 Palladium Open House, we recommend you reserve your room as soon as possible to get this superior rate. Important Note: You MUST give them the Group Code: Palladium Books to get this rate. Call 734-455-8100 to make your reservation. The hotel does NOT charge your credit card until a few days before the event (next year!) and you can cancel up until May 10, 2015. So there is no reason to wait. Get your room(s) reserved right away. Besides, I suspect POH attendees could take EVERY room in the hotel next year, so the sooner they know that, the sooner they can put MORE rooms aside for us. They don’t believe we’ll sell out the hotel. Silly, new management. :)

The hotel also offers a heated indoor swimming pool, a fitness center (24 hours), and a coin operated laundry. And the large conference room is ours to use, around the clock, for open gaming.

This is the hotel everyone knows and wants. You can start placing hotel reservations for the 2015 Palladium Open House now. Make sure you tell them the Group Code “Palladium Books.” This is a must to get the superior group rate.

© 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.