Palladium Books® Weekly Update – Oct. 16, 2014

By Kevin Siembieda

As always, there is a lot going on. Christmas Surprise Packages have been shipping out as well as Robotech® RPG Tactics™. Secret projects are moving forward as are products for year’s end. Interest in the CS Polo Shirt is strong enough for me to green-light printing it. But people seem disinterested in the Property of the Coalition States black T-shirt with white and red printing. At this point, it looks like we will NOT be making this T-shirt, but we’ll wait and see what the weekend brings. Otherwise, we continue to work on numerous different projects.

UPDATE: Dead Reign™ Sourcebook: Graveyard Earth™

This is in final typesetting and layout. It should go to the printer on Friday. It is a great book that spans the world and offers a wealth of adventure ideas and settings around the world. A must-have item for any player and G.M. of Dead Reign™. The Zombie Apocalypse has never been scarier.

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

Artwork is coming in and looking great. A Fall 2014 release.

UPDATE: The Rifter^® #68 – Autumn Issue

Do not underestimate The Rifter® as a source of ideas, villains and adventure for any game setting. This is a great resource, take advantage of it. The cover is done and looks amazing. That John Zeleznik can really paint.

UPDATE: Robotech^®: Expeditionary Force Marines Sourcebook One

– Formerly titled ‘UEEF Marines’

This book is NOT forgotten. Still shooting for a 2014 release.

UPDATE: Palladium Christmas Surprise Packages have started shipping

Other than three that require special attention and a few that came in this morning, ALL of the Christmas Surprise Packages received so far have been shipped! We hope you enjoy them, and thanks for the nice comments and positive vibes.

What is a Palladium Christmas Surprise Package? Available now

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 realize. That’s why Santa Kevin personally handpicks each and every item for every Grab Bag, and reads every comment (returning a short comment whenever he can).

Christmas Surprise Packages are not just for Christmas. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or the Winter Solstice, or you’re looking for a gift for a birthday, anniversary, Valentine’s Day, or any special occasion that falls between now and February, a Surprise Package may be the ideal way to go. You get a ton of stuff on the cheap, you can get a bunch of autographs, and you look like you spent a fortune.

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

Autographed books. For those of you who want them (which are most people), the available members of the Palladium staff, and any freelancers we can lasso at the time, are happy to autograph each and every book in your Surprise Package. This is the only way many fans, especially those in other countries, can EVER get signed books.

Send us your brief comments. There is a special form and format to fill out for Christmas Surprise Packages, including a place where you can offer your brief comments, suggestions, greetings and salutations.

It only costs $42 plus shipping & handling to get $84-$90+ worth of Palladium products! First-timers are always nervous until they see the great value in their first Surprise Package. A typical Grab Bag has $85-$90 worth of product, sometimes more! Yes, sometimes more. Many people order 2-3. Some order 4-6, and some maniacs order even more! It makes sense, because it is a great way to fill holes in your own collection, treat yourself, get autographs, try new games and settings, and get your gaming pals gifts.

Click here to see the entire Surprise Package description.

Happy Holidays from the Palladium crew. May they be filled with laughter, joy and gaming.

NEW! Coalition States Polo Shirt with Embroidered Emblem – available soon

We are soliciting “pre-orders” to gauge the interest in these new shirts and to get an idea of what sizes to make. Good news, the Coalition States Polo Shirt with Embroidered Emblem is showing enough interest that we will go ahead and make some of this shirt.

With the Coalition States™: Heroes of Humanity™ World Book in development and the Rifts® 25th Anniversary just around the corner, we thought we’d release the first of a few ideas for CS/Rifts® shirts you might enjoy. The Coalition States Polo shirt is a high quality, 50/50 cotton/poly blend, hemmed sleeve, black polo shirt with an embroidered Coalition symbol of the Death’s Head with red lightning bolts and the words “Coalition States” underneath it. This is a shirt we could imagine being worn by CS officers and even Joseph Prosek II when working in his office or relaxing.

Please PRE-ORDER the Embroidered CS Polo Shirt as soon as possible. Especially the big sizes. This is an expensive shirt to make so we are only going to produce enough to cover initial pre-orders received over the next week, plus a small additional amount for later sales. We want to send it to the printer in the next week or so. Once the order is placed, the shirts should be ready to ship two weeks later (end of October). Available in sizes Small to 5XL.

The CS polo shirt is an awesome holiday gift! Think Christmas, holidays, birthdays, anniversaries and just because you gotta have it. :) Sorry, this item will NOT be available in Christmas Surprise Packages and is only available from Palladium Books.

The new version of the Property of the Coalition States on a black T-shirt – not likely to happen

We are soliciting “pre-orders” to gauge the interest in these new shirts and to get an idea of what sizes to make. So far there seems to be very little interest in the black Property of the Coalition States T-Shirt. Unless that changes we will NOT be making this T-shirt. I’m surprised because the Palladium staff all really liked it and pretty much everyone at Palladium wanted one, but I guess you don’t feel the same. That’s cool, and good to know. We’ll give it another week to see if interest changes, but right now, this T-shirt is probably a NO.

This is a black T-shirt with white letters that say “Property of the Coalition States” with the white Death’s Head and red lightning bolts insignia. This is a dynamic, screen printed T-shirt. Available in sizes Small to 5XL. Please pre-order as soon as possible, so we can decide whether or not to make this design. Once the order is placed, the shirt should be ready to ship two weeks later (end of October, beginning of November). Sorry, this item will NOT be available in Christmas Surprise Packages and is only available from Palladium Books.

UPDATE: Robotech^® RPG Tactics^™

Volunteers and paid helpers were plentiful last weekend. Christopher, who helped on both Saturday and Sunday, Jennifer, Nathan and maniac Todd were all awesome and a big help. In addition, we’ve had freelancers Mark Dudley, Ben Rodriguez, Charles Walton and Carmen Bellaire lending a hand, as well as paid helpers Diane, Jesse and Michelle, and the Palladium staff. Thank you, one and all. Several hundred Kickstarters were shipped out and close to 1,000 shipping boxes were constructed in anticipation of receiving containers #3 and #4, both of which were expected this week.

I also want to thank the couple dozen local Kickstarter backers who swung by the office to pick up their order. It was nice putting a face to some of our backers, chatting for a few minutes and being able to shake their hands to thank them personally for their support. Oh, and those of you who want to drive in to pick up your pledge AFTER we get Container #3 next week, you are welcome to do so – just call first so we know when to expect you. One of us will usually try to chat for a few minutes and show you what the pieces look like built and painted.

Remember that old Warner Brothers cartoon where Bugs Bunny kept tricking Daffy Duck into saying, “Shoot me now,” and he’d get shot over and over again? We are starting to understand how Daffy must have felt. Yes, I know he was a cartoon character. But aren’t we all? :)

Shipment of Robotech® RPG Tactics™ is stalled until we receive Container #3 or #4. I had originally written, “and we do not know when that might be. Whah.” But we just got the happy news that Container #3 is finally getting put onto a truck for delivery to Palladium Books. Barring anything else unforeseen, we should get it sometime NEXT week! Thank the lucky stars! It had been delayed due to a shortage of available trailer chassis, apparently resulting from the continuing congestion and backlog caused by the dock fire a few weeks ago.

Container #4 is on its way to Detroit (it is coming by rail), but has been selected for review by Customs in Detroit once it gets here, which suggests its delivery may be delayed another week. Hey, we’re just happy to be getting Container #3 so we can start shipping faster and in much larger quantities. We had been facing an impending shortage of main box games, but that all changes with the arrival of Container #3 next week. Woo hoo!

PLEASE NOTE: As a result, we do NOT need help this weekend, October 17-19, but can use plenty of help the following weekend, October 24-26. Once the product arrives, we are prepared to ship at a lightning pace – several hundred packages every day until they are shipped out to our Kickstarter backers!

Container #5 arrived in port this week and should go on a train any day now. Containers #6 and #7 are at sea. Containers #8 and #9 should leave China in a week or so. And that’s it for Wave One!

FYI: In order to speed up our shipping processes and get as many orders out as quickly as we can, we are shipping in groups of like combinations (one or two items, prints only, etc.), with the largest batches of identical orders first. So we are currently shipping Battle Cry rewards. Next will be Showdown, followed by Reckless and so on. We are shipping domestic orders/USA first because they are much faster to process (no Customs documentation to fill out for each package), and then Canada and overseas. We are hoping to have all Wave One Kickstarter rewards to have left the Palladium warehouse by the end of October or beginning of November. Robotech® RPG Tactics™ products should appear in stores around Thanksgiving in the USA.

REMINDER: Please get us any change of address immediately. With these stinking delays at port and Customs, there are a few days left for many of you to get us your address changes! Please do it right NOW! Seriously. Please check BackerKit ( http://robotech-rpg-tacticstm.backerkit.com ) and make sure your address is correct. If anything doesn’t look right, please send us your address in a Kickstarter message or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call the Palladium office at 734-721-2903 with your new information. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!!! Do not risk your reward going to the wrong address because YOU failed to update your address.

If your rewards go to the wrong address they might be lost and unreplaceable. NOTE: Palladium Books will NOT be liable for lost goods if you have moved and did not tell us in time (and the cut off date was weeks ago. MOREOVER, you will be required to pay the additional shipping to redirect the package to the correct address. Please save yourself time and money and make sure your address is correct right NOW. Thank you. This applies only to those of you who have moved (which has been several hundred people). If you have not moved and you submitted your correct address long ago, we have it and you are good to go. FYI: There are a couple dozen of you who still have NOT yet sent us your address at all. What are you waiting for? Product is shipping. Get us your address.

HELP Wanted: Volunteers wanted October 24-26 and probably thru November 2nd

We are looking for volunteers to help make boxes, pack boxes, tape boxes and ship Robotech® RPG Tactics™. If you live in the area and are willing and able to help, please contact us at the Palladium office (734-721-2903 tel.). Please do so even if you’ve already let us know you are willing to help. We are happy to trade some Palladium products for your help. Thank you.

UPDATE: 2015 Open House – May 14-17, 2015

Spread the word to other gamers. I am shocked at how many people do NOT know anything about the Palladium Open House or that the next one will be held on site at Palladium Books, May 14-17, 2015. I suspect it’s because we only host the POH every two or three years. (The last one was in 2012.) So please spread the word and think about coming yourself. We hope to make the 2015 POH the biggest and best Open House ever!

Car Apocalypse at Palladium Books^®

Wayne was involved in a car accident last week. He’s fine, but his vehicle is in the shop. Chuck’s car just conked out on him and needs expensive repairs, and Alex’s vehicle died on him on this past Monday. Meanwhile, Matthew’s car just went through recent repairs, and Jeff is getting new brakes today. All of this in just the last week as if it were some kind of crazy Car Apocalypse or Carmageddon! Hope I’m not next. Funny how things seem to happen in clusters sometimes.

Where have I been? I mean, where are all of my usual Murmurs from the Megaverse® and presence on Facebook? We have all been so busy that none of us have had time. But I’m going to try to change that in the coming weeks. In fact, those online changes I have mentioned from time to time over the last year, I hope to be putting them into place and getting myself and many of Palladium’s freelance creators, friends and fans much more involved with a strong online presence.

Meanwhile, a number of big plans are in the works and some exciting wheeling and dealing is going on. Well, “big” to us, at any rate. I don’t think we’ll make any formal announcements till the end of this year or the beginning of next year, but I think three of them will absolutely blow some people’s minds. I have started to leak some of them to a few trusted insiders and fan friends and, sure enough, minds were blown. The excitement level is rising to a fever pitch. Of course, we still need to come to a final agreement on two of the deals, but they are looking very promising. All good stuff to be revealed in the months to come. 2015 is promising to be spectacular, indeed. Keep those imaginations burning bright.

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Writer, Wheeler and Dealer

NEW! Taking PRE-ORDERS now – Coalition States Embroidered Polo Shirt

This is a shirt we could imagine being worn by CS officers and even Joseph Prosek II when working in his office or relaxing. Available in sizes Small to 5XL. With the Rifts® 25th Anniversary just around the corner and the Coalition’s big role in defending Rifts® Earth in the Minion War, the CS embroidered polo shirt just feels right.

Coalition States “Polo” Shirt:

• Quality 50/50 blend cotton and polyester blend.
• Hemmed sleeves for a loose, comfortable fit.
• Black polo shirt with an embroidered Coalition symbol of the Death’s Head with red lightning bolts and the words “Coalition States” underneath it in white. Very striking, yet subdued. Screams Coalition elite.
• This is a classy holiday gift that should make any Rifts® fan smile.
• Price varies with size (see below). Each size has its own Catalog Number. We tried to keep prices reasonable.
  - Small CS Polo – $22.95 retail – Cat. No. 2563S
  - Medium CS Polo – $22.95 retail – Cat. No. 2563M
  - Large CS Polo – $22.95 retail – Cat. No. 2563L
  - XL CS Polo – $22.95 retail – Cat. No. 2563XL
  - 2XL CS Polo – $25.95 retail – Cat. No. 2563XXL
  - 3XL CS Polo – $26.95 retail – Cat. No. 2563XXXL
  - 4XL CS Polo – $28.95 retail – Cat. No. 2563XXXXL
  - 5XL CS Polo – $29.95 retail – Cat. No. 2563XXXXXL
• Please PRE-ORDER the Embroidered CS Polo Shirt as soon as possible. Especially the big sizes and small or you might miss out. This is an expensive shirt to make, so we are only going to produce enough to cover initial pre-orders over the next week, plus a small number of additional shirts.
• Available end of October. We want to send it to the printer in the next week or so. Once the order is placed, the shirt should be ready to ship about two weeks later (end of October or beginning of November). Think Christmas, holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and how much fun this is. Note: Available only from Palladium Books. Sorry, this item will NOT be available in Christmas Surprise Packages.

NEW! Taking PRE-ORDERS now – Property of the Coalition States – Black “T-Shirt” with white and red colors (tentative)

This project may be cancelled as there seems to be little interest in it. Unless that changes over the next week, this item will not be made.

We love the design for this shirt and can imagine this T-shirt being worn by CS soldiers, government personnel and proud citizens. Available in sizes Small to 5XL. With the Rifts® 25th Anniversary just around the corner and the Coalition’s big role in defending Rifts® Earth in the Minion War and the upcoming CS Heroes of Humanity, the new rendition of the Property of the Coalition T-shirt just feels right. (Also check out the new black Polo shirt with the same Death’s head emblem. Both shirts are very striking.)

Black, White and Red, “Property of the Coalition States” T-Shirt:

• 100% cotton, good quality.
• Black T-shirt, screen printed in white with the words “Property of the Coalition States and the white Death’s Head symbol with red lightning bolts. Very striking. Screams Coalition Army.
• This is an eye-catching and fun holiday gift that should make any Rifts® fan smile. The old black on grey Property of the Coalition States T-shirt was one of Palladium’s best selling shirts, and this one is even more striking.
• Price varies with size (see below). Each size has its own Catalog Number.
  - Small Property of the CS T-shirt – $18.95 retail – Cat. No. 2564S
  - Medium Property of the CS T-shirt – $18.95 retail – Cat. No. 2564M
  - Large Property of the CS T-shirt – $18.95 retail – Cat. No. 2564L
  - XL Property of the CS T-shirt – $18.95 retail – Cat. No. 2564XL
  - 2XL Property of the CS T-shirt – $20.95 retail – Cat. No. 2564XXL
  - 3XL Property of the CS T-shirt – $22.95 retail – Cat. No. 2564XXXL
  - 4XL Property of the CS T-shirt – $24.95 retail – Cat. No. 2564XXXXL
  - 5XL Property of the CS T-shirt – $26.95 retail – Cat. No. 2564XXXXXL
• Please PRE-ORDER the CS T-Shirt as soon as possible. Especially the big sizes and small or you might miss out. We are only going to produce enough to cover initial pre-orders over the next week, plus a small number of additional shirts.
• Available end of October. We want to send it to the printer in the next week or so. Once the order is placed, the shirt should be ready to ship about two weeks later (end of October or beginning of November). Think Christmas, holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and how much fun this is. Note: Available only from Palladium Books. Sorry, this item will NOT be available in Christmas Surprise Packages.

2015 Palladium Christmas Surprise Packages – available NOW and shipping

Christmas Surprise Packages, or “Grab Bags,” are a long-running Palladium tradition in which YOU can get $84-$90 worth of Palladium RPG product (oftentimes more!) for ONLY $42 plus shipping and handling! It is our way of saying thank you to our many fans for being so kind and patient, and for your years of support. You are appreciated much more than you may realize.

● Request autographs and Kevin Siembieda and all available Palladium staff members and freelancers will sign each of your books.

● Get rare collectibles, art prints, select gold editions and special items.

● Try that game setting you’ve wondered about – Splicers®, Dead Reign™, Nightbane®, Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, Palladium Fantasy®, Nightbane®, Robotech® RPG titles, etc.

● Fill holes in your collection.

● Get gifts for your G.M. and gaming pals.

● Treat yourself.

● Be surprised.

● $84-$90 or more worth of Palladium product for $42 plus shipping and handling.

The Palladium Surprise Packages are designed to simulate the fun, joy and surprise of the Christmas Season of Giving. In this case, Santa Kevin has you submit a list of 10-12 Palladium products (or more, for each Grab Bag) that you would like to receive in your Christmas Surprise Package. This list of 10-12 (or more) items per Grab Bag is critical, because you will not know which items you’ll be getting. That makes it just like a Christmas gift because it’s a surprise! Plus, Santa Kevin, who personally handpicks every item for every Grab Bag, may toss in something extra like a limited edition print or T-shirt, or issue of The Rifter®, or something else he thinks you’ll enjoy.

Surprise Packages are not just for Christmas. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or the Winter Solstice, or you’re looking for a gift for a birthday, anniversary, Valentine’s Day, or any special occasion that falls between now and February, a Surprise Package may be the ideal way to go. You get a ton of stuff on the cheap, you can get a bunch of autographs, and you look like you spent a fortune. Note: Multiple orders will result in some duplication. Some items will be slightly damaged (a scuff or ding or bent corner here and there), so we can send you more good stuff.

Click here to see the entire Surprise Package description.

Happy Holidays from the Palladium crew. May they be filled with laughter, joy and gaming.

NEW! Dead Reign^™ Sourcebook 5: Graveyard Earth^™ – Ships October 31

Expand the Zombie Apocalypse around the world. Learn what’s happening in other countries worldwide, and see what threats might be coming from neighboring lands. What’s happening in other places? Has any government survived? Is anyplace safe?

Also read about the best locations for establishing Safe Haven communities and what regions and countries have the best odds for long-term survival. Plus survival tips and many random generation tables for travel and survival around the world.

• The state of the world. Adventure ideas galore.
• A must-have book for players and Game Masters alike.
• The Zombie World Tour presents how the Wave and the Zombie Apocalypse have played out across the globe. Every country in the world has been touched and changed by the rise of the dead.
• Random Safe Havens by region.
• Many Random Tables for Settings, Locations, Safe Havens and more.
• Random Survivor Leaders, Zombie Threat Level Table and more.
• Trapped abroad? How do you get home in a world of zombies? Data and tables for aircraft landing conditions and travel by road and by sea.
• Adventure ideas for every corner of the world.
• Written by Matthew Clements. Cover by E.M. Gist.
• Interior art Nick Bradshaw, Mike Mumah, and others.
• 64 pages – $12.95 retail – Cat. No. 235. Ships October 31, 2014.

NEW! The Rifter^® #68 – November

This is traditionally the horror themed issue, but 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 68 includes:

• Rifts® – Megaverse in Flames/Minion War source material.
• Dead Reign™ and other spooky stuff.
• Heroes Unlimited™ and more.
• News, coming attractions, product descriptions and more.
• Heroes Unlimited™ cover by John Zeleznik.
• 96 pages – $13.95 retail – Cat. No. 168. Ships November, 2015.

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 and geography, as 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 release.

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.

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 looks great.
• $3.99 for the PDF download.

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

● Coming – Volume Four: Skeletons and Undead

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 November).

Coming BACK IN PRINT – Rise of Magic^™

A Rifts^® Chaos Earth^® Sourcebook – Fall/Winter

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/Winter.

Megaverse^® in Flames^™ “Gold Edition” – Available now

It is a beauty. Signed and numbered. Limited to only 300 copies. Printed 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.) Makes a great gift for birthdays and holidays. All the Gold Editions do.

• 300 signed and numbered copies.
• Signed and numbered on the credits page by Kevin Siembieda and the Palladium staff and some contributors, including Matthew Clements, Chuck Walton and Ben Rodriguez.
• 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.
• Hardcover art by Nick Bradshaw.
• 192 pages – $50 while supplies last – Cat. No. 876HC. Available now, only from Palladium Books.

NEW! Rifts^® World Book 35: Megaverse^® in Flames^™ – Available now

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. Available now.

NEW! Rifts^® Northern Gun^™ Two – signed & numbered print

The first batch of prints went to a select number of the Megaverse Insiders, but starting with Number 102, you too can get a signed and numbered Northern Gun™ Two Print. It is the striking John Zeleznik wrap-around cover without any text or logo to obscure the artwork. Limited to a total of 290 copies. Suitable for framing.

• Limited to 290 signed and numbered prints; 101 of which have already gone to Megaverse Insider crowdfunders. The remaining 189 prints are available while supplies last.
• The artwork is by the dynamic John Zeleznik.
• Each is signed by Charles Walton (artist), Matthew Clements (author) and Kevin Siembieda (author and publisher) in silver.
• Size: Printed on 17.5 x 11.5 inch glossy paper. 16x10 image area. Suitable for framing.
• Mailed rolled in a sturdy tube.
• $10.00 – Cat. No. PR811 – Available now.
• NG-1 Print by Chuck Walton – Cat. No. PR810 – is also still available – $10.00

NEW! Future Visions^™

– The Artistry of Charles Walton II – Available now

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 – Available now.

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 November, 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 15-17, 2015

The 2015 Open House is going to be awesome. Take a look at the growing list of Palladium Creators who have already confirmed they will be attending.

• Ramon Perez – artist – Ramon has been working in the comic book industry at Marvel Comics, DC, Boom and other publishers. He is currently illustrating Marvel Comics’ Spider-Man: Learning to Crawl. Ramon remains “tentative,” but he hopes to clear his schedule to join the fun and hopes to be able to make it in 2015. I will update you when he confirms. Note: Everyone else in this list has confirmed.
• Amy L. Ashbaugh – artist
• Mark Dudley – artist and Game Master
• “Madman” Michael Leonard – artist, writer & Game Master
• Apollo Okamura – artist
• Benjamin Rodriguez – artist
• Charles Walton – artist
• Brandon Aten – writer & Game Master
• Matthew Clements – Palladium Staff – Head writer
• Greg Diaczyk – writer & Game Master
• Glen Evans – writer & Game Master
• Taylor White – writer, musician & Game Master
• Matthew Balent – writer (the Weapons & Armor series, Monsters & Animals, etc.)
• Thomas Bartold – writer and one of the original Defilers
• James Brown – Megaversal Ambassador & Game Master
• Jeffery Burke – Palladium Staff – Robotech® coordinator & artist
• Steven Dawes – freelance writer & Game Masters
• Alex Marciniszyn – Palladium Staff – editor, research, more
• Victor Peterson – Megaversal Ambassador Coordinator & Game Master
• Julius Rosenstein – Palladium Staff – proofreader, writer, Game Master
• Jeff Ruiz – Megaversal Ambassador Coordinator & Game Master
• Kevin Siembieda – Palladium Staff – writer, artist, game designer
• Kathy Simmons – Palladium Staff – Customer Service & POH Coordinator
• Wayne Smith – Palladium Staff – Editor, The Rifter®, Projects Manager & more.
• MANY more writers, artists and creators are expected to join this list.
• And we may have a surprise guest or two.

I think we may max out our attendance numbers for 2015, so make sure you order your tickets sooner than later to make sure you are not turned away. Palladium can only accommodate around 300 gamers total (plus staff and Palladium creators). Once we reach that number, the POH will be sold out. Order in the coming months or risk not being able to attend. If you wait till March or April, 2015 it may be too late!

A more complete description of the 2015 POH 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. Remember, 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.)

$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. 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 meals), 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.

Other POH Highlights:

• 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!
• 3 days of Palladium gaming.
• 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, Greg Diaczyk, Taylor White and many others!
• 8-10 panel talks each day, Friday, Saturday & Sunday. Subjects run from player and G.M. tips, to writing and game design, to meeting various artists and more.
• Auction of art and collectibles.
• A family reunion atmosphere. Meet gamers from around the world
• 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 room now

You should reserve your hotel room today. Your card will not be charged until next May. Other hotels are booked due to a sporting event the same weekend, so other area hotels will be filled. RESERVE YOUR ROOM TODAY or the next available hotel may be 20+ miles away.

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 and FREE high-speed wired/wireless Internet. The hotel also offers a FREE hot breakfast from 6 A.M. to 10 A.M. near the lobby, heated indoor swimming pool, a fitness center (24 hours), and a coin operated laundry. The large conference room is ours to use for around the clock open gaming. Reserve using Group Code: Palladium Books. And do it as soon as possible. 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 today. 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 and you can cancel up to May 10, 2015. So there is no reason to wait.

2015 POH Game Masters needed

Palladium Megaversal Ambassadors, Palladium creators, and any experienced Game Master planning to come to the 2015 Palladium Open House – please let us know if you are planning to run one or more gaming events. Those who run three or more get special discounts, free T-shirt and more. We need plenty of games to satisfy 300 gamers. Your help is appreciated. Contact us by telephone (734-721-2903) or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

© 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.