Palladium Books® Weekly Update – October 24, 2019
By Kevin Siembieda
One game system – every genre – countless worlds – endless adventure
Halloween is a big deal for us. That’s one reason I always have the Christmas Surprise Package offer start toward the end of October, because it’s a way to combine my two favorite holidays.
Speaking of which, people have seemed to take my Halloween Surprise Package idea to heart, as we have seen a number of horror themed Surprise Package requests this past week. In the last Weekly Update, I suggested people use the Surprise Package to snap up horror titles like Dead Reign® (zombie apocalypse), Nightbane®, Beyond the Supernatural™, horror issues of The Rifter®, Rifts® Bestiary™, the Rifts® Vampire titles, Wormwood™, and Splicers® is pretty scary and monstrous too, etc., in time for Halloween. After all, the Surprise Package is a great way to try new settings on the cheap, fill holes in your collection, replace ragtag books, or provide a gift or a treat for yourself, or others, for Halloween, Christmas, or any occasion.
Of course, there have also been regular Christmas Surprise Package orders too, with a little bit of everything being requested. It is smart to order early because it gives you an opportunity to order several Grab Bags spread out over the next few months. For newcomers to the Surprise Package offer, you can try one now to see if you want to order one or a few more as Christmas gets closer. By the way, you probably will, because as one purchaser cheerfully reminded me, these Grab Bags are truly the “best deal in gaming.” And first-timers are usually blown away by what they get. Glad to see the excitement. Keep the orders coming.
Last 7 days to participate in DriveThruRPG’s Annual HALLOWEEN SALE. Doesn’t time fly? This massive sale is already winding down. It offers all kinds of horror games and sourcebooks by many game companies, including 86 Palladium RPG titles at a scary discount. Check it out before it is over!
In Palladium Open House news, artist John Zeleznik has confirmed he will attend the 2021 Open House! That’s exciting news to me because I haven’t seen John in a number of years and he is just plain awesome. As are all of the Palladium creators, more than 40 of them already confirmed to attend. This is a bigger deal than you might think, because he dislikes flying. He’ll be coming with an armful of prints to sell and maybe some original art.
Wayne is about to enter into the typesetting and layout phase for The Rifter® #84, so it should go to the printer next week. Likewise, I am cruising on wrapping up the Garden of the Gods™ as well as having done a bit of work on In the Face of Death™ and Titan Robotics™. Both of which I want out in time for Christmas, so I have been burning the midnight oil writing.
Please note that the handful of Printer Proofs of the very limited Rifts® Bestiary Crimson Edition sold out in just a couple of weeks, so I had Wayne add two more to the store. There are also 3-4 of the Color Cover Hardcover Printer Proofs currently available in the store. ALL Printer Proofs contain one of my large dragon head sketches. In addition, I have a few very slightly damaged copies of both hardcovers (scratch, scuff, small blemish) at lower prices in my Ebay store, along with other Palladium titles, artwork, and collectibles on sale. Check it out at: http://stores.ebay.com/kevinstoys-artandcollectibles
What is the Christmas Surprise Package?
It’s a way to get physical books (and autographs if you want them) for the price of PDF books! $95-$100+ worth of Palladium products for only $50 (plus shipping and handling)! That can nab you four or more items when one core rule book can cost you that alone. What a deal!
These Surprise Packages are our way of saying thank you for your support and showing you our love and appreciation. It’s a surprise because you never know exactly what you’re going to get or who will sign your books, because we pick from your Wish List and may surprise you with stuff you are not expecting. Extra items may include other RPG books, The Rifter®, posters, prints, art books, greeting cards, T-shirts, and other items. Some may be slightly damaged so we can send you more.
Please spread the word. The Christmas Surprise Package is only publicized by word of mouth, to readers of The Rifter® and on Palladium's website – so tell everyone you know. Buy one for every gamer you know. They make astonishing gifts for Christmas, Hanukkah, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. (Sorry, no, you cannot ask for POH or VIP Day admissions in your Christmas Grab Bag.)
See the complete Christmas Surprise Package description here.
2021 Palladium Open House Highlights
- Game at the Palladium Books warehouse with the people who create the games you enjoy! There is nothing really quite like the Palladium Open House (POH). An intimate setting and unprecedented access to 40+ Palladium creators – writers, artists, editors, freelancers, staff – available to you for almost the entire event. Many of them – Kevin Siembieda, Julius Rosenstein, Carl Gleba, Greg Diaczyk, Carmen Bellaire, Brandon Aten, Steve Dawes, Paul “Herbie” Herbert, Ian Herbert, Hendrik Härterich, James Brown and many others – running games or participating in events.
- The POH is not a convention. It is a gathering of friends and gamers in a celebratory family reunion atmosphere. Three days (four with VIP Day) of gaming, fun, and laughter. We are told on a regular basis how the Palladium Open House is unlike any event they have ever attended. That’s probably why we get gamers from across the globe. Not just the USA and Canada, but from England, Germany, Spain, South America and as far away as Australia!
- Celebrate Palladium’s landmark 40th Anniversary with us!
- Intimate setting, unlike big conventions.
- Family reunion and party atmosphere for the entire event.
- Join the fun and make memories to last a lifetime.
- Price of admission covers all RPG events.
- Limited to only 300 attendees! May sell out.
- Inexpensive hotels minutes away ($50-$100). 15 minutes from Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Near major highways.
- Three days of gaming (4 for those attending VIP night), plus panel talks and more.
- Many events run by the writers, artists, and creators who make the games!
- Saturday Live Hosted Auction (original art, out of print items and oddities).
- Held at the Palladium warehouse and office where your favorite games are made. 39074 Webb Court, Westland, Michigan 48185.
- Typically 30+ Palladium creators are present to chat, sign books, sell prints and original art, and for our 40th Anniversary we’re expecting even more.
- Get original artwork, character sketches, books, T-shirts, and more.
- A POH only happens every 2-4 years, and our 40th Anniversary only happens once in a lifetime. So please spread the word and start planning to join the fun, April 22-25, 2021, for an incredible experience.
POH Admissions – April 23-25,2021 (April 22 for VIP Day)
- Weekend Pass: $60 (Friday, Saturday & Sunday)
- Friday (only): $30
- Saturday (only): $30
- Sunday (only): $10
- VIP Thursday Cost: $117 (Thursday only)– April 22, 2019 (special): 1:00 PM doors open and you get first crack at limited editions, original art, new products, specialty items, and to meet Palladium staff and creators – 6:00 PM dinner – 7:00 PM Opening Ceremonies – 8:00 PM the evening’s games begin. Limited to about 100-120 people. Note: VIP Thursday always sells out fast, so we offer around 50% of the tickets now, and the remainder at a later date.
All major credit cards accepted. Order online (www.palladiumbooks.com) or by phone (734-721-2903 order line), or by mail. Send check or money order to: Palladium Open House – 39074 Webb Court – Westland, MI 48185-7606
Space is limited. We can only safely accommodate 300 or so people at the Palladium warehouse, so admission tickets are LIMITED. Once we fill up we will have to turn people away. We don’t anticipate that ... but it might happen based on initial excitement levels. We highly recommend ordering your admission tickets as soon as possible.
NEW! Land of the Damned™ Three: The Bleakness™ – Raw Preview Limited Edition – Available now
The “Raw Preview Edition” of LotD-3: The Bleakness™, for Palladium Fantasy RPG® arrived early last week. All pre-orders have shipped and new orders ship as they come in. Get ‘em while you can because it is limited to only 200 copies! The LotD-3: The Bleakness™ Raw Preview is an advance copy of the unedited, unillustrated, working manuscript for this upcoming, new Fantasy World Book. You get to see the unfinished book months before the final title is released to put you in the know ahead of most people, and to start playing now. A rare look at the raw manuscript before final edit, rewrites, and publication that give you a glimpse of Palladium’s work and development process. Limited to a total of 200 copies.
This epic sourcebook presents more of the forbidden Land of the Damned in all its brutal glory. Includes information about the ancient and forgotten eldritch races, the Minotaur legions, dark magic, the Citadel, the Bleakness, countless adventure hooks and ideas, and much, much more. The long awaited final book in the Land of the Damned series will have connections to the Garden of the Gods™ and the upcoming Lopan Fantasy World Book.
Note: The finished book is anticipated to ship next summer, but you can see what it’s all about right now and even start playing with this special Preview Edition!
- Limited collector’s edition – only 200 collector copies.
- Sold on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last.
- A rare glimpse at the virgin manuscript and a work in progress.
- Written by Matthew Clements, based on ideas by Kevin Siembieda.
- 96 pages – Limited Edition – $20.99 – Cat. No. 470-RAW – available now! Do not miss out.
UPDATE: The Rifter® #84 – in final production
Wayne is working fast and furious on The Rifter® #84, our last issue before it goes on hiatus. And a special issue it is, with source material for Rifts®, Fantasy RPG®, Heroes Unlimited™, Nightbane® and more! John Zeleznik cover depicting a True Atlantean. This issue focuses on dark places, monsters, magic, and the supernatural just in time for the Halloween season. After this issue, The Rifter® goes on hiatus for at least two years so we can focus our full attention on releasing new books.
UPDATE: Garden of the Gods™ (Fantasy) – in final production
Epic! Expansive. 40+ Forgotten Gods, 50+ Curses. 80+ Blessings, plus Holy Weapons, magic artifacts, an overview of the Garden of the Gods, visions, miracles, Knightly protectors, Champions of the Gods, Faerie Folk, the Black Pit, five Greatest Rune Weapons of the Old Ones, mystery, secrets, and more! If this book doesn’t get players and Game Masters excited, nothing will. Garden of the Gods™ also helps to set up several other Palladium Fantasy titles in the works or done and waiting for final edit and tweaking.
UPDATE: Dead Reign®: In the Face of Death™
I can’t wait to finish writing this book, but need to get The Rifter® #84 and Garden of the Gods done first. Soon! Probably a November release.
UPDATE: Rifts® Titan Robotics™ – Fall release
Every time I look at the artwork for this book I just think, wow. One of many titles that will excite and tantalize your imaginations. A ton of toys for players and ideas for Game Masters. Robots and power armor galore, but also the inner workings of Titan Robotics and Archie Three’s schemes. I think 80% of the artwork is done. I continue to make notes and we are all pumped up about this power armor, robot, and weapon filled sourcebook.
Rifts® Titan Robotics™ is another high-tech toy box presenting new types of armor, sleek power armor, giant robots, vehicles, and weapons sold by Titan Robotics. Ah, but Titan Robotics is much more than just another weapons manufacturer, it is the secret operation of ARCHIE-3 and all part of his plan to monitor and manipulate the outside world. Learn about Archie’s androids that run Titan Robotics, his current schemes and plans for the future. Probably a 160 page World Book around $22.99 retail, but may expand into 192 pages.
- New Giant Robots.
- New Power Armor, equipment and accessories.
- 30+ power armors and robots, plus other equipment.
- New weapons, gear and vehicles.
- Titan Robotics Corporation and structure.
- Archie’s secret kingdom and plans for the future.
- New O.C.C.s and key Non-Player Characters (NPCs).
- Android executives, security and much more.
- Wellington Industries, Campaign prompts and more.
- Art by Zeleznik, Walton, Cummings, Atkins, and others.
- Written by Matthew Clements and Kevin Siembieda. Cover by Zeleznik.
- 160-192 pages (tentative) – $22.99 retail (or $26.99) – Cat. No. 899. Fall 2019 or winter (tentative).
A Fall surprise or two
If things go well, I may slip in a Raw Edition and a surprise release before Christmas. The surprise is a little something that has been eating away at me and that I’ve been working on here and there. No more details until I know it’s coming out.
UPDATE: Rifts® Chaos Earth® – Psychic Scream™ – Winter release
You will love Psychic Scream™, though I think I’m going to slot in Rifts® Titan Robotics™ ahead of it since so much more of that book is finished, art and all. If the description for Psychic Scream™ doesn’t get your heart pumping, I don’t know what will! Making notes and adding ideas that will blow your minds.
UPDATE: Rifts® Antarctica™ – Winter release
I am bursting with ideas and had to stop and make all kinds of notes. I think Rifts® Antarctica™ is going to surprise and delight a lot of people. It is also a great example of the fun you can have with the Raw Editions. The sold out Rifts® Antarctica Raw Edition is a far cry from what the finished book is going to be. Those of you who bought the Raw Edition get a glimpse at Palladium’s creative process. When you compare the two, you’ll see what we kept, what we eliminated, what we added, and how we embellished the material to reach the creative finale of the finished book coming this fall or winter. Fun and educational for those of you who aspire to be writers yourself or just like to have the inside track at Palladium. And true of all Raw Editions vs the finished book. Probably a fall or winter release.
Rifts® Antarctica is a truly compelling and exotic land beyond what anyone expects. A frozen continent transformed by the power of magic and alien wildlife. Long isolated from the rest of the world, Rifts, D-Shifting events and the threat of war have now brought the distant South Pole within reach. Probably a 160 page World Book around $22.99 retail.
- New alien monsters and D-Bees.
- Strange new weapons and vehicles. Some left over from the Golden Age of Humanity, others completely alien.
- The Splugorth’s secret outpost. More than it would seem.
- A Splugorth zoo and place of secret Bio-Wizard experiments.
- Snow and Ice Golems created specifically for the cold environment.
- An ancient city of stone that predates human history and which even the Splugorth fear, let alone their minions! Ask yourself, what could possibly scare the Splugorth? Find out.
- Danger from Elements, Ice Witches, Icecraft, and other horrors.
- Vostok City, a city of magic carved from the ice itself.
- Cold-weather skills, technology and survival techniques.
- Ancient danger and dark secrets.
- Written by Matthew Clements, Carmen Bellaire, and Kevin Siembieda.
- 160 pages (tentative) – $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 898. Winter or spring release.
UPDATE: Rifts® Bestiary™, Volume Two – Winter release
Nothing new on this front, but we all want it to be released as quickly as possible. Looking at a winter release.
UPDATE: The Disavowed™, Living Nowhere™, Beyond the Supernatural™ sourcebooks, and other titles
These titles and several others are NOT forgotten and are in various stages of active production or waiting for production. As always, just because a book is not specifically listed in every Weekly Update, it does not mean it is discontinued or in limbo, it means there are more immediate things to talk about or there’s no substantive news to report. We are anxious to put as many of the books you’ve been waiting for into your hands as possible over the next 18 months. That includes Rifts® Disavowed™, Chaos Earth® First Responders™, Rifts® Antarctica, Rifts® CS Arsenal™, Rifts® Living Nowhere™, Beyond the Supernatural™ sourcebooks, more Fantasy sourcebooks and other titles. So if a book you are waiting for is not mentioned in an Update, it means there is nothing new to report, but it should still be in the pipeline and news for it will be coming in the weeks or months ahead. Right now, we are focused on releases for the next six months, which by our count is 6-7 titles. And many of them are in various stages of production or development.
LAST 7 Days of Annual Halloween Sale on DriveThruRPG.com – 86 Palladium Horror titles on sale – now through October 31
This sale carries you into realms of horror and is a great time to try new settings. Remember, all Palladium characters, monsters, villains and ideas can be easily ported from one setting to another. Sale ends October 31 and includes the following Palladium game lines:
- Beyond the Supernatural RPG, 2nd Ed.
- Dead Reign® RPG
- Nightbane® RPG
- Select Rifts® titles (Vampire Kingdoms, Africa, and others).
- Select Rifts® Dimension Books (Hades, Dyval, others).
- Select issues of The Rifter® and others.
86 Palladium titles in all, as well as scary fun by numerous other companies. Check out the DriveThruRPG Halloween Sale and scare up some fun.
Recent releases: Free Rifts® Bestiary™ Volume One Sneak Preview; The Rifter® #81: A big 112 page issue filled with “official” source material and Wolfen Vampire adventure for Palladium Fantasy RPG® (20+ NPCs), Gnomes of the Ophid’s Grasslands), Rifts® Chaos Earth® Nebraska Part 2, Heroes Unlimited™ (Super Sleuth), and more. Palladium Fantasy RPG® Interactive Character Sheet: A Microsoft Excel-based character management system. Packed with features and data collected from every official Palladium Fantasy sourcebook to enable you to create Fantasy characters quickly (25 minutes!) and help you to update and manage them for years to come. Rifts® Dimension Book™ 15: Secrets of the Atlanteans™ (True Atlanteans, their tribes, goals, and history, more about the Sunaj, new Magic Tattoos, new Shadow Magic™, new Shadow monsters, maps and descriptions of Atlantean Stone Pyramids, and more about the wicked Sunaj’s secret agenda. An awesome resource and fun read). The Rifter® #80: A big 112 page issue filled with “official” source material for Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Rifts®, Chaos Earth® (setting and monsters), Splicers® (desert setting), Heroes Unlimited™ (villains), and more. The Rifter® #79 (Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™, Gaming through History, G.M., and more), The Rifter® #78 (the Modern Necromancer, Palladium Fantasy®, Rifts®, Splicers®, more); Rifts® Heroes of Humanity™, the Coalition’s response to the escalating Minion War™ crisis, Psi-Battalion, CS Demon Hunter, special training and more).
Dead Reign® Paper Miniatures Volume Three: Zombies, Dead Reign® Paper Miniatures Volume Two: Civilians and Dead Reign® Paper Miniatures Volume One: Survivors. There are also paper miniatures for Heroes Unlimited™, Palladium Fantasy® and Rifts®. A new, up-to-date, PDF Palladium Books Catalog. Nightbane® Dark Designs™ sourcebook with 60 new Common Talents, 38 new Elite Talents, 18 new Morphus Tables, all other Morphus Tables collected and more. Systems Failure™ RPG, a 160 page RPG that deals with alien invasion and a post-apocalypse setting that is fun and dynamic. Civilization is on the verge of collapse when the so-called "bugs" invade and turn humans into zombie-like slaves. Monsters, heroes and fun. A complete RPG and setting. Rifts® World Book 34: Northern Gun™ Two: 256 pages of technology and fun. 30+ power armors, 30+ body armors, 15 combat vehicles, 45 vehicles (hovercycles, etc.), 10 robot haulers, the Robodome and more. Bizantium and the Northern Islands™: the northernmost part of the Known World, the Cold Born, Necromancy ships made from dead sea serpents, 15 creatures, Random Sea Monster Generator, and more. Rifts® Northern Gun™ One. This fan favorite might be thought of as the big book of giant robots – an in-depth look at Northern Gun, 70+ weapons, 27 robots, NG O.C.C.s, key people and places, and much more. Mysteries of Magic™ Book One: The Heart of Magic™ with Wizards, their Apprentices, nearly 60 new magic spells and remember, magic and monsters in the Fantasy RPG are easily adapted to Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, HU2 and other settings. Wolfen Empire™ Fantasy sourcebook, the Great Northern Wilderness and Killer Winters, 12 Wolfen Tribes, Wolfen military and society, 15+ creatures, 5 full adventures, 101 adventure ideas, random encounter tables, notable people, places, plus FREE Sneak Previews of The Rifter® #80, The Rifter® #81, The Rifter® #82, and more on DriveThruRPG.com.
Read more: Palladium Books® Weekly Update – October 24, 2019
