Palladium Books® Weekly Update – Nov. 14, 2014

By Kevin Siembieda

Weather has put us in the deep freeze here in Michigan, with overnight temps in the 20s Fahrenheit and just barely above freezing during the day. However, we are burning hot at Palladium Books. Work on The Rifter® #68 and Bizantium and the Northern Islands™ (for Palladium Fantasy®) is coming along nicely. Both are excellent books! And the artwork, wow. Another gazillion copies of Robotech® RPG Tactics™ shipped out this week. Okay, it was more like 1,200 packages to Kickstarter backers, but that’s a lot. We will finish packing USA packages over the weekend and start shipping to Canada on Monday! Then we start prepping the overseas packages! Meanwhile, we are shipping Christmas Surprise Packages like crazy, too. Awesome. Keep those orders coming.

UPDATE: NEW! Coalition States Polo Shirt with Embroidered Emblem – ships in a couple of weeks

The shirt is at the printer and I have approved the sample with the embroidered CS logo. (I can hardly wait to get mine!) Looks great. It was my impression that the shirts should be finished in another week or two.

The Coalition States Polo shirt is an awesome gift for Christmas, holidays, birthdays, anniversaries and just because you gotta have one. 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: The Rifter^® #68 – Autumn Issue – in final production – ships in a few weeks

Another great issue that is in final production. The cover is done and looks awesome, artwork is being completed and articles and source material have been edited. This issue includes 17 pages of “official” Minion War/Megaverse® in Flames material that you are going to love. Meaty stuff that really rocks and sets up all kinds of adventures. Plus other great stuff for Dead Reign™, Beyond the Supernatural, Rifts® and Heroes Unlimited™. I think The Rifter® is sometimes overlooked as a player and G.M. resource, so remember, everything in an issue of The Rifter® can be adapted to almost any game setting. Our printer has told us we may not get it to ship until the first week of December.

UPDATE: Palladium Fantasy RPG^®: Bizantium and the Northern Islands^™ – in production – beginning of December

The final edit is well underway and artwork has been coming in like crazy. In fact, one of the surprises is what Chuck Walton keeps calling “the return of Kevin Siembieda art.” As many of you know, Palladium Fantasy is my personal, all-time favorite game line. I love it. The early books featured a lot of my art. Not so much in the last couple of decades. And for good reason, I have plenty of great artists. I don’t need to do artwork, I need to be writing and designing games. However, as an artist, sometimes the muse grabs you and demands you do some artwork, and that’s what has happened with Bizantium and the Northern Islands™. So I’ve knocked out a handful of illustrations and some that may be used as borders. I hope you enjoy them. I was surprised to see that my own art has inspired some of the other artists, which is pretty cool. Anyway, I think you’ll really enjoy Bizantium and the Northern Islands™ – coming very soon. We’ll get this book finished in the next week or two, but the printer will not be able to get it to us until the first or second week of December. Will keep you posted. Might be earlier.

UPDATE: Robotech^®: Expeditionary Force Marines^™ Sourcebook One – Formerly titled ‘UEEF Marines’

Been thinking a lot about this title and others for Robotech®. As soon I’m done with the above titles, I’m on to finishing this book! It will be the most impressive yet, with a great deal of new mecha and aliens. Fun, fun, fun. Likely to be a January or February, 2015 release.

90+ Palladium PDF titles available on DriveThruRPG.com

We’ll make sure to get some sneak previews of upcoming books into the available selection over the next few weeks. Meanwhile, spread the word that there are 90+ Palladium Books titles available as PDFs on DriveThruRPG.com with more to be made available in the coming weeks. They currently 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.

WARNING: Only “4” Shipping Weeks till Christmas! Order your Palladium Christmas Surprise Packages soon!

Time is running out faster than you might think to get this great gift for yourself or other gamers! To guarantee delivery to most places in the USA and Canada, in time for Christmas Day and other holidays around the same time, we NEED to have received your Surprise Package order by December 15 – that’s ONLY FOUR weeks away. Order your Holiday Surprise Package sooner than later. FYI: This date applies to shipments going out at the less expensive methods of shipping. UPS and Priority Mail will give you some extra days. If ordering “books” by Media Mail, you’d better get us that order by December 7, seriously.

I know some people are waiting till December so they can request a copy of Bizantium and the Northern Islands™, The Rifter® #68 and Graveyard Earth™, but while you may include some or all in your Wish List of 10-12 items, you may not get them – or you may want to order two or more Grab Bags – so don’t delay, order today!

The best deal in gaming. I have been putting $90-100 worth of product in 99% of the Surprise Packages that have shipped so far and will continue to do so (you are guaranteed $86-$90+ worth of gaming products). People are loving them, as usual. And why not? For only $42 plus shipping and handling you usually get $90-100 worth of stuff. That’s why we ask for a long list of goodies that we can make selections from. And if you want autographs, we’ll sign every book. We typically sign something in the neighborhood of 8,000 books every season! That’s a lot of work, but worth it to make our fans grin like little kids for the holidays.

Palladium staff signs 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, so take advantage of it. We are happy to do so. It’s our way of saying thank you and Happy Holidays.

Surprise Packages are great gifts for Christmas, Hanukkah, birthdays, anniversaries, housewarmings, and any occasion. They are also an excellent 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, Chuck Walton’s Lemuria prints, heck, any print we offer, plus Rifts® Christmas cards, bookmarks, back issues of The Rifter® and other goodies. Buy one Surprise Package or six.

Please spread the word. We only advertise this offer via our website, The Rifter® and word of mouth. That means you, so please tell your fellow gamers about this great holiday offer. And please, feel free to leave a short comment when you place your order. We enjoy reading brief comments and suggestions. In fact, I’ve posted a handful in this Weekly Update. Our way of giving a nod of thanks to them, and sharing their comments with other gamers.

PRE-ORDER your Robotech^® RPG Tactics^™ to GUARANTEE you get everything you want

Your order will ship as soon as the Robotech® RPG Tactics™ rewards to our faithful Kickstarter backers have left the warehouse. Still making you one of the early recipients of this product. This game makes an awesome gift. Note: Your credit card will NOT be charged until your RRT order is getting ready to ship. Note: We only have 50 Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Battle Foam bags available. Once they are sold out it will be months before we manufacture more, if ever.

• Battle Foam Robotech bag/carrying case – Cat. No. 55107 – $120 retail (limited supply – only 50 available).
• Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Box Set (Main Box Game) – Cat. No. 55100 – $99.95 retail price.

The First Six Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Expansion Packs will be available to retail at the same time as the main box game. Here are the SKUs and retail prices.

• UEDF Valkyrie Wing – Cat. No. 55201 – $36.95 retail.
• UEDF Tomahawk/Defender Destroids – Cat. No. 55202 – $32.95 retail.
• UEDF Spartan/Phalanx Destroids – Cat. No. 55203 – $32.95 retail.
• Zentraedi Regult Battlepods – Cat. No. 55401 – $36.95 retail.
• Zentraedi Artillery Battlepods – Cat. No. 55402 – $36.95 retail.
• Zentraedi Glaug Command – Cat. No. 55403 – $36.95 retail.

UPDATE: Robotech^® RPG Tactics^™ – shipping like crazy

As I write this Friday morning, Containers #6 and #7 from China are scheduled for delivery to the Palladium warehouse today. We don’t have an exact time, but we spoke to the trucking company on Thursday and they said today.

ALL USA backers will be shipped by Monday. Canada is next. We’ll be working Saturday and Sunday to get the USA rewards finished off and jump right into processing the Canadian backers’ rewards. By next Monday, Robotech® RPG Tactics™ should have shipped to ALL of our US Kickstarter backers and have started to ship to our Canadian backers. We hope to have all Canadian rewards on their way by the end of next week. There is an additional amount of paperwork in order to ship to Canada, so that may slow the process down a bit. As soon as they are done, we will start prepping and packaging overseas rewards.

Shipping Overseas Robotech^® RPG Tactics^™ Rewards

We will need to package them all, making sure each package satisfies the country’s shipping requirements (the maximum size in the EU is smaller than what is allowed in the USA, making things a little trickier), palletize them all by type, then put them on a ship and send them overseas to a central location for mailing throughout the European Union. A similar process will follow for Australia, which has a surprisingly large Robotech® fan base. It is our understanding that this method of shipping should reduce the end cost to the recipient. That said, the recipient will, of course, be responsible for any and all fees, taxes and duties their government may charge. What taxes, duties and fees MAY be applied is completely out of Palladium’s hands. Again, it is our understanding that this method of shipping will mitigate the cost to the recipient.

NEED Correct Overseas and Canada Addresses!

Notify us of any change of address immediately! If your rewards go to the wrong address they might be lost and unreplaceable! Rewards to Canada start shipping on MONDAY! 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. 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.

FYI: We have 5-6 US packages that have been returned to Palladium Books due to incorrect addresses. If you are in the USA and have moved without telling us, please call the Palladium office at 734-721-2903 with your new information. ORDERS ARE SHIPPING EVERY DAY.

Having CORRECT and UPDATED addresses are absolutely critical for backers in CANADA, EUROPE and other countries. Contact us immediately! Please save yourself time and money and make sure your address is correct right NOW. Thank you.

HELP Wanted: Volunteers wanted the weekend of November 15 & 16 and maybe November 22 & 23.

We are continuing to ship like crazy for the next few weeks. 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.

A special thank you to the many people who helped us ship last weekend. Jimmy B. Hill and Kyle Slayton from Ohio, Christopher Ings who has been amazing, helping us every weekend we’ve been shipping; so have Nathan Hanish, Mark Dudley and Chuck Walton. Of course, the entire staff (Wayne, Jeff, Julius, Alex, Matt and myself) were here working away and Kathy Simmons made us her delicious Sloppy Joe recipe for lunch. Yum. There was a palpable excitement and joy to be FINALLY able to ship out Robotech® RPG Tactics™ nonstop. With containers #4 and #5 in the warehouse, we were able to ship like crazy, and that’s exactly what we have been doing. It feels good.

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

Keep spreading the word! The 2015 Palladium Open House is going to be the best ever.

Closing thoughts ...

Yow, we are unbelievably busy. I’m trying to post more Murmurs and Updates, but the days just vanish in the blink of an eye. The other day, Jeff Burke and I started working on some stuff in the warehouse and the next thing we knew, it was 6:00 PM. A true whirlwind of a day. Since the crew has been working every weekend for some time now, I gave them a surprise day off on Tuesday. It was a much welcomed relief and the day I did a lot of artwork at home, so I guess I was still working. But doing art is so much fun, it didn’t really feel like “real” work. Wish I had more time to do art, but it was nice getting back into the saddle. Anyway, right now we are hellbent on getting the next few books to the printer and all of the Wave One Robotech® RPG Tactics™ products on their way to our Kickstarter backers. Have a wonderful weekend and game on.

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Game Designer & Surrogate Santa

NEW! Dead Reign^™ Sourcebook 5: Graveyard Earth^™ – Available now

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

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
• 64 pages – $12.95 retail – Cat. No. 235. Available now!

NEW! The Rifter^® #68 – November/December

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:

• Heroes Unlimited™ – Band of Bothers, a light-hearted adventure by Branden Loizides.
• Rifts® – Megaverse® in Flames/Minion War™ “official” source material by Carl Gleba and Kevin Siembieda.
• Rifts® – The Crusaders and the Black Crusade, Part 4: Arcadia, by Andrew Landers. More about Rifts® Atlantis and new magic tattoos.
• “Brulyx?” – An Adventure for Beyond the Supernatural™ (not Dead Reign™) by Steven Dawes.
• News, coming attractions, product descriptions and more.
• Heroes Unlimited™ cover by John Zeleznik.
• 96 pages – $13.95 retail – Cat. No. 168. Ships end of November/early December.

NEW! Palladium Fantasy RPG^® Sourcebook: Bizantium and the Northern Islands^™ – Ships December 5

In final production – Ships December 5 (tentative). This is the first sourcebook for the 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 lurk in the shadows.

• New Waterchanter O.C.C. and 20+ magic spells new to the Fantasy setting.
• New Sea Serpents and the warrior sailors who hunt them.
• Sea Serpent generation table to create your own sea monsters.
• New animals of the North Sea and Sea of Despair.
• Sea Serpent ships! Dead serpents turned into deadly, massive attack ships (as depicted on the cover). Plus the forgotten race who creates these ships and threatens sailors in the northern seas.
• 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.
• 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 from 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 – December 5 release (tentative; sooner if we can swing it).

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! 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 November. It has been sent to the printer, and should be ready to ship in about two weeks (end 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. Your credit card will NOT be charged until this item is made available in the online store. 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.