Palladium Books® Weekly Update – Oct. 31, 2014

By Kevin Siembieda

Books are shipping! Orders for Christmas Surprise Packages are starting to pick up in number already. (Cool.) Graveyard Earth™ ships on Monday; the printer suffered a brief delay when the laminating machine went down, so instead of shipping today it will ship on Monday. (This is an awesome resource with tons of ideas.) Bizantium and the Northern Islands™ is in final production! (Very cool. Ships end of November.) The Rifter® #68 is in production. And something in the neighborhood of 1,500 packages of Robotech® RPG Tactics™ have shipped out so far this week. (Fantastic!) And all kinds of exciting and positive things are going on behind the scenes. I can hardly wait till we can share them with you!

Happy Halloween!

And it is Halloween! As I mentioned in the last Weekly Update, Halloween is as big as Christmas for Kathy and me. Our display has been up since October 1, and more than a thousand people have visited over the last four weeks. We get 400-500 people every weekend to enjoy it! With beautiful weather we must have had 700-800 people come by last weekend alone. It is difficult to tell exactly how many “unique” individuals visit, because many people visit over and over again, especially the local families in the neighborhood. Kids love it, and make their parents bring them over many times. I think teenagers and adults enjoy it just as much. We also see many familiar faces, as people tell friends and family and bring many first-timers to share in the fun. Delightful. We’ll be keeping the display up over the weekend, but it all comes down on Monday and Tuesday before the next rain. It takes about two and a half weeks to put up, but only 2-3 days to take it all down (thank goodness). I have gotten a number of requests from you guys and gals to show the display online, so here are a few photos of this year’s display with a link to many, many more on the Palladium Facebook page. Enjoy and Happy Halloween.

UPDATE: Dead Reign^™ Sourcebook 5: Graveyard Earth^™ – Ships Monday

Graveyard Earth™ would have shipped today, but the printer’s lamination machine went down and had to be repaired, so everything got delayed by a business day. It will ship on Monday, November 3. This sourcebook is jam-packed with overviews of the entire world which provide adventure ideas by the truckload. Graveyard Earth™ really is one of those “must have” titles for players and G.M.s alike. Everyone who has seen it has been wowed by its content. If you are looking for adventure ideas and inspiration for zombie-filled adventures, Graveyard Earth™ is the book for you.

UPDATE: Palladium Fantasy RPG^®: Bizantium and the Northern Islands^™ – in production – ships end of November

The final edit is well underway, as is the artwork. Bizantium and the Northern Islands™ is another title that should provide hours of adventure and intrigue. Shooting to ship by the end of November.

UPDATE: The Rifter^® #68 – Autumn Issue – in production

Another great issue is coming your way. ‘Nuff said. This is a great resource, take advantage of it. The cover is another masterpiece by John Zeleznik. November release.

UPDATE: Robotech^®: Expeditionary Force Marines^™ Sourcebook One

– Formerly titled ‘UEEF Marines’

This book is NOT forgotten. Still shooting for a 2014 release, but it seems likely to slide into a January, 2015 release.

90+ Palladium PDF titles available on DriveThruRPG.com

Remember 90+ Palladium Books titles available as PDFs on DriveThruRPG.com include the Coalition Wars®/Siege on Tolkeen™ series, Splicers® RPG, The Rifter® issues #1-56 (with more being added soon), and first edition rules of the Rifts® RPG, Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG, Heroes Unlimited™ RPG, The Palladium Fantasy RPG®, and related 1st edition sourcebooks for each. And more! Like what? Like Fantasy Paper Miniatures and Game Master Kits for digital download. They are available only as PDF files and were designed special to help you run your games and build campaigns. There are also sneak previews of books and other good stuff. Check it out! And let other gamers know they are available too. We’ll be making more available on DriveThru in the weeks and months to come, so take a look on a regular basis.

UPDATE: Palladium Christmas Surprise Packages – Only 8 weeks till Christmas! Order yours today!

Don’t miss out on the best deal in gaming. I have been putting $90-100 worth of product in most of the Surprise Packages that have arrived so far (you are guaranteed $84-$90+ worth of gaming products). And for only $42 plus shipping and handling it is a steal. I always try to make every Surprise Package special and fun with closer to $90-95 worth of stuff. That’s why we ask for a long list of goodies you may want. Happy Holidays!

We’ll sign EVERY book, if you request autographs. You always get my signature (Kevin Siembieda) and those of available staff and freelancers; usually 5-7 signatures per book, but sometimes more. For many of you, this is the only way to get autographs. In fact, author Carl Gleba made a special effort to sign more than 100 copies of Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames (so did Chuck Walton, Nick Bradshaw and others). And guys like Chuck Walton, Mark Dudley, and Ben Rodriguez will sign many books all season long, as will the caring Palladium staff. Like I said, we like to make the holidays special for everyone.

Surprise packages are great for holiday gifts and gifts for any occasion – birthdays, anniversaries, etc. – as well as a way to try a new game setting or fill in holes in your collection. You can also request prints like the two Northern Gun prints, Dog Boys Playing Poker print, heck, any print we offer, plus Rifts® greeting cards, bookmarks, back issues of The Rifter® and other goodies. Buy one Surprise Package or buy many, but make sure you spread the word. We only advertise this offer via our website, The Rifter® and word of mouth. Thank you for the nice comments and positive vibes coming in the comments section. I’ll start posting some of them in upcoming Weekly Updates.

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

The shirt has been sent to the printer. We are soliciting “pre-orders” right now. All pre-orders will ship as soon as we receive the shirts. 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 and other goodies we know you will enjoy.

The Coalition States Polo shirt is an awesome holiday gift! Think Christmas, holidays, birthdays, anniversaries and just because you gotta have it. It 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. See the full description elsewhere. Available in sizes Medium to 5XL. Sorry, this item will NOT be available in Christmas Surprise Packages and is only available from Palladium Books.

UPDATE: Robotech^® RPG Tactics^™ – 1,500 shipped this week

As we announced in the last Weekly Update, we worked all weekend to have 1,000 packages ready to ship on Monday. With the help of a half dozen volunteers including NMI/Jeff Ruiz, Chris King, Nathan Hanish, Christopher Ings, Dave Chapman, Mark Dudley and the ENTIRE Palladium staff, we succeeded in shipping approximately 1,000 Robotech® RPG Tactics™ to Kickstarter backers on Monday. Woo hoo! Several hundred more have followed since, and something like 2,400 main games have been shipped so far. We hope you are enjoying them.

My sincere thanks to our volunteers who worked their tails off for us, and to the Palladium staff who worked another weekend without complaint. We could not have done it without you. As those working over the weekend can attest, it takes a 2-4 man team a solid 6-8 hours just to make the darn boxes to ship the product in! We had a nice, smooth assembly line going with work divided between making boxes, packing and shipping. Gotta tell ya, we were all feeling worn out by Sunday night, especially since we have all been working weekends for the last couple of months. Whew.

Shipping delays continue. I don’t know if you’ve seen them yet, but reports of long delays at the Port of Los Angeles and ports all across the US have started to hit the news media. I saw a report on Fox News this past Monday morning about cargo waiting on ships for 6-10 days. Add to that another 6-14 days to get the container placed on a truck or the rails, and then the transit time. It is maddening, and there is no end in sight. This is affecting countless companies, big and small, and likely to affect the availability of all kinds of products for the Christmas season. Arrrrgh. Robotech® RPG Tactics™ may be one of those products! We had originally wanted product to ship to distributors so RRT product could hit store shelves in November by Black Friday, but that is looking very unlikely. More likely early December. Time will tell.

HELP Wanted: Volunteers wanted the weekend of November 14-16

Until we get the next container with more Robotech® RPG Tactics™ main box games, we are relatively stalled. That means we will not need volunteers until after November 11 and the weekend of November 14-16. If you are interested in helping, even if it’s only for a few hours, please give the office a call (734-721-2903). Thanks. We are happy to trade some Palladium RPG products for your help. That involves making boxes, packing boxes, taping boxes and placing them on skids. Please call first. Do NOT just show up. Thank you.

Pick up your Robotech^® RPG Tactics^™ at Palladium’s Warehouse

Those of you living in Michigan, Ohio and Windsor (or anywhere, really), can come on over to pick up your Robotech® RPG Tactics™ rewards of any size (Battle Cry, Showdown, Reckless). But please CALL FIRST (734-721-2903) so we can have your rewards pulled, packed and waiting for you to arrive. Thanks. If you live in the area and want to see a glimpse of the madness or get a peek at what the game pieces look like built and painted – call us and come on over to pick up your order. You are welcome to do so 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. over the weekend and anytime during business hours, 9:00-6:00 P.M. on weekdays. Important Note: PLEASE call first so we can pull your rewards, pack ‘em and make sure they are ready and waiting for you when you arrive.

We had two people come by yesterday, one the day before and several dozen over the last few weekends. Heck, we even had a couple of Robotech® gamers drop by to ask if they could just “see” the game and the built game pieces. Of course we said yes. They loved it and said they’d be placing pre-orders. It has been fun for us to see the excitement of backers and visitors when they get to see Robotech® RPG Tactics™. Folks are loving it.

Pre-order your Robotech^® RPG Tactics^™ to guarantee you get EVERYTHING you want

Palladium is taking pre-orders right now via our online store. And as soon as Robotech® RPG Tactics™ rewards to our faithful Kickstarter backers leave the warehouse, we will ship out pre-orders (and to distributors). Your credit card will NOT be charged until your RRT order is getting ready to ship.

Where are we now with Robotech^® RPG Tactics^™ deliveries?

Container #4 is at Customs in Detroit. They decided to examine it, so we hope to get it by the end of next week. Container #5 has been put on a train and we should get it early the following week. When we get either one, we can ship like crazy again, but especially #5.

Containers #6 and #7 have arrived at port. God only knows when they’ll be sent our way. Container #8 should hit LA next week and Container #9 should be a week behind it.

FYI: In order to speed up our shipping processes and get as many orders out as quickly as we can, we’ve mostly been shipping in groups of like combinations (one or two items, prints only, etc.), with the largest batches of identical orders first. We’re basically done shipping domestic Battle Cry and we’ve started Showdown, to be followed by Reckless and so on. We are shipping domestic/USA rewards 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 middle of November and Robotech® RPG Tactics™ products in stores around Thanksgiving in the USA and Canada, but it might be more like early December.

Get us any change of address immediately!! 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 cutoff 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.

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

I spoke with artist Ramon Perez, whose work can be seen in many Rifts® titles and comic books, including Rifts® Machinations of Doom, Spider-Man: Learning to Crawl, A Tale of Sand, etc. Ramon said he will try hard to be at the Open House for at least a day or two. Nice. Meanwhile, Jolly Blackburn hopes to be able to attend for the entire weekend. Both need time to make sure their schedules are clear.

Remember, attendance to the Palladium Open House is limited to about 300 people. Meanwhile, spread the word to other gamers. We are all surprised by how many people do NOT know anything about the Palladium Open House or that the next one will be held onsite 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!

Other fronts ...

As you read this, we’ll be in the freezing rain and possible snow showers passing out candy to a few hundred trick-or-treaters. We’ll also have a house full of friends over to share the experience. I hope your Halloween is just as fun.

On other fronts, we’ll be working away through another weekend. This time we’ll be working on finishing books like Bizantium and The Rifter® #68 while we wait for the next container of Robotech® product to arrive. Meanwhile, we’re already plotting 2015 releases and have a number of surprises that will make the Rifts® 25th Anniversary next year (and 2015 in general) something truly special. A few are almost certain to blow some people’s minds. Keep those imaginations burning bright and game on!

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Game Designer & Surrogate Santa

NEW! Dead Reign^™ Sourcebook 5: Graveyard Earth^™ – Ships Monday, November 3

The Walking Dead TV show and zombies in many mediums are hotter than ever. The Dead Reign™ core rule book and sourcebooks capture the Zombie Apocalypse in a fast-playing, action-packed RPG of survival and terror. If you love zombies and haven’t tried this game, it is time to do so, along with this compelling new sourcebook.

The Graveyard Earth™ sourcebook expands the Zombie Apocalypse around the world, providing a wide range of ideas and settings for adventure. Every continent is given an overview with key locations noted across the globe. This includes likely and rumored Safe Haven communities, military outposts and data about what happened during the zombie outbreak and what’s going on NOW. Has any government survived? Is anyplace safe?

• The state of the world. Adventure ideas galore.
• Survival tips and many random generation tables for travel, survival, and Safe Havens around the world.
• 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, Safe Havens and more.
• Random Survivor Leaders, Zombie Threat Level Table and more.
• Trapped abroad? How do you get home in a zombie-filled world? Data and tables for aircraft landing conditions and travel by road and by sea.
• A must-have book for players and Game Masters alike.
• Adventure ideas for every corner of the world.
• Written by Matthew Clements. Additional text by Kevin Siembieda.
• Shipping date of November 3 has been confirmed by the printer.
• 64 pages – $12.95 retail – Cat. No. 235. Ships Monday!

NEW! Palladium Fantasy RPG^® Sourcebook: Bizantium and the Northern Islands^™ – Ships November 24

In final production – Ships November 24, 2014. This is the first sourcebook for Palladium Fantasy® RPG line in a few years and fans are excited about its release. Get those pre-orders coming in.

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. As foreign powers exert their influence on the throne, treachery and potential power grabs lurks in the shadows.

• Sea Serpents and serpent whaling.
• Sea serpent generation table to create your own sea monsters.
• 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.
• New animals of the North Sea and Sea of Despair.
• Sea serpents turned into massive attack ships and the forgotten race who creates these ships and threatens sailors in the North.
• Full time-line of the history of Bizantium.
• Bizantian society, culture, religion and magic.
• The Eoten of the Northern Islands, their mythology and influence.
• 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 and political intrigue.
• The Noble Houses, Warlocks and foreign powers all trying to capture the throne of Bizantium for themselves!
• Written by Glen Evans. Additional text Matthew Clements and Kevin Siembieda.
• Cover by Chuck Walton and Eduardo Dominguez S.
• Interior art by Chuck Walton, Kevin Siembieda, Tanya Ramsey, Jeff Burke and others.
• 160 pages – $20.95 retail – Cat. No. 474 – November 24 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! 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! Coalition States Embroidered Polo Shirt – Ships soon

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 Medium 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 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.
  - 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 for – Property of the Coalition States – Black “T-Shirt” with white and red colors (tentative)

Though we are taking pre-orders, the release of this T-shirt is tentative. If interest and pre-orders pick up over the next few months, we’ll add it to our release schedule. The fate of this cool CS shirt is in your hands.

We 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, plus a small number of additional shirts.
• Available only if pre-orders and interest pick up.

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). No other company does anything quite like it.

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.

* 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®, Robotech® RPG titles, etc.

* Fill holes in your collection.

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

* Treat yourself.

* Be surprised.

Only $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.

IMPORTANT! The Palladium Surprise Packages are designed to simulate the fun, joy and surprise of the Christmas Season of Giving. In this case, Santa Kevin needs you to submit a list of 10-12 Palladium products (or more) for EACH Surprise Package you request. That way you don’t know what you’re getting, just like when you receive a Christmas present. It is a surprise! Plus, Santa Kevin, who personally handpicks every item for every Grab Bag, may toss in something extra like a limited edition print, comic book, T-shirt, an issue of The Rifter®, or something else he thinks you’ll enjoy.

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! 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 – Probably a January, 2015 release.

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. Probably a January, 2015 release.

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 November/December, 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.
• Small parts and some assembly required. Game pieces come unpainted.
• Retail Release Date: In stores November or December, 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.