One game system – every genre – countless worlds – endless adventure
By Kevin Siembieda and Sean Owen Roberson
Hi everyone, happy new year. 2023 ended with wild excitement and 2024 is starting out with a bang.
Starting the new year strong
Oh my gosh, have we been busy. Days have been long and action-packed. We have been so busy I still have a dozen friends I need to send Christmas presents out to. (Sorry, folks; soon, very soon. They are sitting, waiting to be wrapped and sent out. You are not forgotten!)
Some of that busyness has involved our continuing efforts on the TMNT and other Strangeness RPG Kickstarter, coordinating artists and colorists, contracts and approvals, working on setting up the Backerkit pledge manager, and a whole lot more. By the way, the color art is fabulous; the Black, White and Red art is mind-blowing, the tribute art is fun, and the miniature sculpts are dynamic and fun! I think my personal favorites have been the four Ninja Turtles, the four Terror Bears, the TCRI Aliens inside their robot bodies, and Doctor Feral and his assistants, but they all look great.
There have been a bajillian emails to answer, scores of meetings, work being done to move books forward like Yin-Sloth Expeditions, Rifts® Bestiary Volume 2, and Rifts® Antarctica, sold out titles be to sent in for reprint, and business matters to deal with, not to mention the demands of the holidays themselves. Not to sound like Scrooge, but most of us worked through the holidays. Ah, but the moments we managed to squeeze in here and there with family and friends were wonderful.
Christmas Surprise Package frenzy – final days
A great deal of our time has been spent selecting, pulling, and signing books, and then packing and shipping vast numbers of Christmas Surprise Packages (offer ends Monday) as well as numerous regular orders. We are seeing a record number of Surprise Packages and mail orders for the months of December and January. We are all thrilled so many of you are enjoying the Surprise Package, and that you are spreading the word about them. We are seeing hundreds of new people snagging a Surprise Package for the first time and a lot of returning fans. Nice.
NOTE: This is the last weekend to get the Surprise Package. The offer ends Monday, January 15, and will not be extended further. If you have not ordered yours (or one more), there are only a few days left to do so.
What made all of this work challenging is we have been short-handed. Sometime in the middle of the Kickstarter, Sean’s long-haul Covid symptoms returned with a vengeance. He and I were pushing too hard and putting in too many long hours, seven days a week. It just tuckered me out, but Sean was clobbered and knocked off his feet. Still he has continued to push through, working as much as he can manage. And though Wayne is back on site, he has been hobbled and not 100% either. Moreover, after all that physical therapy to get mobile again, the poor guy is to undergo knee surgery in February. Bringing in part-time help could only offer so much assistance.
Ah, but this is all fantastic! As exhausting and crazy as things have been, it has also been exciting and exhilarating. For one, we love making our fans happy with the Surprise Packages. Second, there has been so much positivity. We have been getting a zillion congratulations regarding the return of the TMNT & Other Strangeness RPG, friends and long-time fans reaching out, and a ton of heartwarming and sweet Surprise Package comments from many of you telling us how happy you are for the return of the TMNT RPG and hopes for Palladium’s future. Thank you everyone! We appreciate your support and excitement.
We’re excited too. Sean and I have been interviewing people, bringing in more freelance creators, and putting all kinds of things in motion for the future. We expect to launch another round of YouTube interviews in February and March too. We all continue to be wonderfully busy and loving it. Thank you. Keep those orders and missives coming.
A new TMNT and Other Strangeness Kickstarter update was posted on Monday, January 8, but there are more to come. I’ll talk a bit more about the Kickstarter below, but first we want to make sure everyone knows that the hugely popular Palladium Surprise Package offer ENDS after midnight on Monday, January 15, and will NOT be extended. This is your last chance to get one (or another one) until next Christmas Season.
Last Weekend to order a Palladium Surprise Package – offer ends Monday, January 15, 2024
Time is running out. Order over the next few days or wait till Christmas season to get this deal (and signed books if you want them). Also see lovely Comments from Fans Like You at the end of this Update.
What is a Christmas Surprise Package?
A smile and a hug that comes in a box filled with signed game books from available Palladium staff and freelancers. It is 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. This all makes it the best deal in gaming – $100+ worth of books for $60 plus shipping – all books signed if you request autographs. Physical books and other product (art prints, miniatures, bookmarks, T-shirts, pens, notepads, mouse pads, mugs, and more) at PDF prices for ALL Palladium RPG settings. What a fun way to start the New Year and stock up for gaming all winter long.
No other game company in the world offers a deal like this! No one. The Surprise Package offer has been extended to January 15, 2023. It will not be extended further. Please spread the word and enjoy.
A Surprise Package is a nice way to start the New Year, and is a great gift for birthdays, anniversaries, graduation, and any gift-giving occasion. Or start the New Year with a stack of RPGs or sourcebooks you have been meaning to try, or the titles you need to fill holes in your collection, or replace battered well-loved books.
We extend the Surprise Package offer for those of you who have been so busy spending your time and money on your family and friends, that you have not had the opportunity or funds to treat yourself to a well-deserved Christmas Surprise Package.
We also extend it for those of you who cannot get enough of Palladium’s games and want to start the New Year off with a setting or source material to launch a new campaign. It’s also for those of you who can use a Surprise Package as the perfect gift for a birthday, anniversary, or special occasion coming up in January or February (Valentine’s Day?). So take advantage of this sale to gift the special gamer(s) in your life.
The extension is also for you Johnny Come-Latelies who were meaning to get one, but how time flies during the holidays. It’s also a way for those of you struggling through financial issues to carry some gaming fun into the New Year to stay busy and distracted through the winter months. So please, spread the word about the extended Surprise Package sale period, and travel the Megaverse® from the warmth and safety of your home.
UPDATE: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness RPG Kickstarter
For those of you new to Kickstarters, they are a limited time offer that includes lower pricing, special exclusives available only during the Kickstarter, and special shipping rates. By getting in on the ground floor during the Kickstarter, you are able to order exclusives that are NOT available to the general public. Kickstarter exclusives are only available during the Kickstarter.
Backers are able to pledge at various levels to, in effect, pre-order these exclusives and Kickstarter-only add-ons like miniatures and dice sets.
After the Kickstarter has ended, we need time to set up the pledge manager. We use the popular and efficient Backerkit pledge manager. When the Backerkit goes live, Backers can change and upgrade their original pledge and order as many add-ons, in any quantity (with some restrictions), as they desire. It is in Backerkit that Backers provide their shipping information and can see the estimated shipping costs.
Shipping is usually much cheaper for those of you outside the USA than it would normally be, because Palladium uses a third party shipper/fulfilment company that has special arrangements and superior shipping prices. For example, a six pound (2.7 kg) package to Canada, the UK, or EU usually costs around $80-$90 US dollars for us to ship, but it should be half that via our fulfilment company. The Backerkit pledge manager should go live in early February.
If you did not back the Kickstarter
If you did not back the TMNT and Other Strangeness Kickstarter, you will be able to pre-order the following products via the Backerkit Pre-Order Store at the lower Kickstarter prices. The Pre-Order Store will open in February around the same time as the Backerkit pledge manager opens for Backers. The available items are limited to the following, all of which will be available through retailers, distributors, and the Palladium online store later this year. They include:
- TMNT & Other Strangeness RPG hardcover – full color.
- Transdimensional Adventures hardcover – full color.
Note: Both hardcovers feature gorgeous homage covers by Freddie E. Williams II and Mike Majestic, and beautiful color for the first time ever throughout the books. Color work is by Michael Majestic and Luis Antonio Delgado (Last Ronin), with tribute art colors by the various contributing artists and Jeremy Colwell. These are beautiful books.
- Black, White & Red Edition: TMNT & Other Strangeness RPG hardcover
- Black, White & Red Edition: Transdimensional Adventures hardcover
Note: The Black, White & Red Edition hardcovers toned by Jeremy Colwell look phenomenal.
- TMNT RPG Game Master Screen
- Mutagen Green Liquid Filled Dice Set
Kickstarter Exclusives
Only Kickstarter Backers can get the Kickstarter Exclusives, including the variant covers, miniatures, FanRoll dice sets, prints, etc. When we say Kickstarter Exclusive, we mean it. That’s the perk of being a Backer during the Kickstarter campaign. It also makes the Exclusives truly special and limited collector items. We hope you understand.
If you are not a Backer and really want to get Kickstarter Exclusives, we can only think of two other ways that will be possible.
One, buy them on the secondary collector’s mark at a higher price when they become available. Those of you who sell stuff online may want to speculate and upgrade and get add-ons to sell later yourselves. Of course, there is no guarantee the value will increase so such speculation comes with plenty of risk.
Two, reach out to a friend or acquaintance who is a Backer and see if they may be willing to add some of the exclusives to their order. HOWEVER, all items will be sent to that Backer only, so your pal will need to rebox, repackage, and ship YOUR items (at additional cost) to you. That’s a big ask, so don’t be angry if your buddy declines to do so. Moreover, Palladium Books cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage that may occur when a third party friend receives the exclusives and ships them to you/others.
Ship Date – September 2024
You notice that we use the word “pre-order” a lot. The books, the miniatures, the dice, are all in final development or done and awaiting final approval (and any changes) by our licensor Paramount and Nickelodeon. As soon as everything is completed, the files are sent to the manufacturer. The actual manufacturing in China and Europe takes a few months and another 4-6 weeks to ship the product to our fulfilment partner who picks, packs, and ships the products to you. As stated in the Kickstarter, September 2024 is the estimated ship date. If everything goes smoothly, we hope that we can get these items to you sooner, but you never know what might unfold, so we cannot promise an earlier delivery date. We will keep you informed of our progress and show you many more images every step of the way. Also see Sean’s January 8, 2024, Kickstarter Update on the TMNT Kickstarter page.
Thank you for your support. These are wonderful, redux editions of the TMNT & Other Strangeness RPG and sourcebooks, and a tribute to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and their creators, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, just in time for the TMNT’s year long 40th Anniversary celebration.
NEW on DriveThruRPG.com – Newly UPDATED Rifts® Automated Character Sheet AND Creature Feature™ sourcebook for Beyond the Supernatural™ are now available
UPDATED Rifts® Automated Character Sheet now available. Three updates, in fact. This EXCEL template provides automation to your Rifts® character creation process. Done in Microsoft Excel, this character template will allow you to build your character with substantial ease and speed. Ideal for the new gamer who doesn’t know all of the Palladium Books® rules just yet, it’s also a highly effective tool for Game Masters and advanced players alike who make multiple characters, NPCs, or just like to min/max or theory craft characters between games. Note: If you already purchased this item, you can download the updated version for free. Enjoy.
NEW! Creature Feature™ PDF book on DriveThruRPG.com – due to popular request, this epic Beyond the Supernatural(BTS) sourcebook is now available on DriveThru for your digital enjoyment.
Creature Feature is for players and Game Masters alike and a fun read for anyone.
- 15 detailed and expansive supernatural horrors unlike any you see in most other horror games.
- Creature encounter tables.
- Tips on making (and playing) better creatures.
- Rules clarifications (lots of them).
- Player and G.M. tips.
- BTS world information.
- One full adventure and numerous adventure hooks.
- Dynamic art by Steven Cummings, Phil Stone, and Siembieda.
Also available on DriveThru: The 1st and 2nd Edition Beyond the Supernatural RPG, and Boxed Nightmares sourcebook; not to mention Dead Reign® (zombies) and Nightbane® (Urban Fantasy/superhero horror). All these books, including BTS 2nd Edition (softcover and hardcover), BTS RPG 1st Edition hardcover, and the Boxed Nightmares™ (1st edition rules) are available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com offering a Megaverse® of adventure.
NEW! FREE Nightbane® RPG digital Sneak Preview on DriveThruRPG.com – Have you been wondering what the buzz is all about for Nightbane® and Urban Fantasy? Well, now you can see for yourself with this fun Preview of the core rule book. There are also free Sneak Previews of Creature Feature™, Dead Reign®, BTS, and numerous Rifts® books and other titles, including Rifts® Manhunters™, Titan Robotics™, Northern Gun™ One and Two, Lemuria, and more.
300+ RPG titles from Palladium Books
No other game company offers game worlds for so many different genres. Best of all, learn to play one Palladium RPG and you can play them all, because each uses the same basic core rules and combat. There are differences, but the fundamentals are the same. This also means you can bring characters, villains, monsters, powers, magic, weapons, gear, and adventure ideas from one setting into another or mash them together!
- Rifts® titles. Rifts® is the ultimate setting in which you can combine any number of genres and play any style of gaming you may desire: science fiction, fantasy, supernatural horror, heroic adventure, dimensional travel, modern knights, cyborgs, giant robots, dinosaur taming, sleuthing, magic, monsters, heroes and legends. Or combine them all. There has never been a game quite like Rifts®.
- Rifts® Chaos Earth® titles. Live through the Great Cataclysm and the Coming of the Rifts. Rifts® Chaos Earth® RPG, Creatures of Chaos™, Rise of Magic™, and Chaos Earth® Resurrection™ are all available.
- The Rifter® #1-85. Each issue is a wealth of source material for Rifts® and 3-5 other Palladium game settings. More than 8,600 pages of source material and counting. Most issues are only available in digital form.
- Palladium Fantasy RPG® titles. A rich, original setting in which you can play humans or any number of nonhuman species of people in a world of magic, heroes and wonder. All of it epic.
- Dead Reign® RPG and sourcebooks. The Zombie Apocalypse unleashed. A great introductory RPG that is surprisingly uplifting, fun, fast, and easy to learn.
- Heroes Unlimited™ RPG Second Edition titles. Create any type of superhuman you can imagine to build your own super-hero universe.
- After the Bomb® RPG and sourcebooks. Play anthropomorphic, intelligent, mutant animals as crime-fighting mutants and super-heroes or survivors of a crumbling post-apocalyptic Earth.
- Ninjas & Superspies™ RPG and the Mystic China™ sourcebook. 41 types of martial arts, ninjas, super-spies, gizmos, mystic powers, and magic in the main book, plus even more in Mystic China.
- Nightbane® RPG and sourcebooks – Urban Fantasy. Only you know the truth. Only you can see the Nightlords and their demonic minions, and you have the power to stop them. But you must transform into a monster yourself in order to use your powers. Trust no one.
- Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG and sourcebooks. Modern horror; 14 character classes, 42 occupations for “ordinary people,” 100+ psychic abilities, 16 monsters, and more.
- 300+ Palladium titles in all, plus G.M. kits, paper miniatures and more. Palladium Books has settings for every genre: Fantasy RPG, science fiction (Rifts®, Splicers®, and The Mechanoids®), super-heroes (Heroes Unlimited and After the Bomb), superhero horror (Nightbane®), modern horror (Beyond the Supernatural), zombies (Dead Reign®), The Rifter® sourcebook series, novels, paper minis, and more.
Closing Thoughts from a Grateful Friend
I feel like I’ve already said plenty, so let me simply say thank you for your support and generosity. Thank you for the support of the Surprise Packages. Thank you for your product orders all year long. Thank you for your support of the TMNT and Other Strangeness RPG Kickstarter. Thank you for your positivity and kind words toward the company, our products, me, Sean, Wayne, and all the rest.
You are the best fans on the planet and we appreciate you. It is why we are going all out on the TMNT redux edition and exclusives and put our heart and soul into all new product releases. We hope the new year is everything you could hope for and that it is filled with joy, love, prosperity, and good health. Keep those imaginations burning bright and game on.
– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Game Designer, Friend
Surprise Package comments from fans like you
Every year there is a section where our Surprise Package customers can offer comments and suggestions with their order. We do that because we want to know what you think, and what you want, and we appreciate your suggestions and insights. In fact, the idea to do hardcover editions of core books came from fan comments in the Grab Bags.
Every year, in acknowledgment of our fans, and because they are fun to read, we offer a sampling of these comments in the Weekly Updates. Our heartfelt thanks to all of you who have stuck with Palladium through thick and thin and now these new strange times. Please use our games to find escape from your day-to-day grind and worries. Use them to bring a little joy, laughter, and adventure to the holiday season.
I want you to know that your comments and support mean the world to all of us. Everyone at Palladium enjoys reading your brief comments, especially me and Sean, and they always brighten our day. Thank you for making us smile and feel valued. As always, I have tried to write a short response [in brackets] to each comment. Happy holidays.
J.N. in Dowagiac, Michigan, writes: Second Surprise Package! Happy new year.
[Glad you enjoyed your first Grab Bag so much that you ordered a second, J.N. We aim to please. Happy new year to you and yours. May it be a good year for us all. – Kevin]
B.G. in La Mesa, California, writes: Kevin and Company, happy new year! Keep up the good work.
[Happy new year to you, as well, B.G. We’ll keep up the good work, for sure. – Kevin]
B.S. in San Antonio, Texas, writes: I played Rifts® way back in the 1990s but left for other systems. I recently found Palladium Fantasy RPG and Beyond the Supernatural and have to wonder what I was thinking when I left. My biggest problem now is rebuilding my Rifts collection along with my new loves.
[We’re glad you came to your senses, B.S., and returned to the Megaverse. Enjoy and game on. – Kevin]
D.H. in Walla Walla, Washington, writes: I have really been enjoying Nightbane® for the past year. Looking to expand into Beyond the Supernatural with the occasional slip back into Rifts®. Spent about three months playing Chaos Earth®. That was a blast! Thank you for all the new memories that have yet to be experienced.
[Sounds like a ton of fun, D.H. Game on and make new lasting memories. – Kevin]
T.L. in Newville, Pennsylvania, writes (in part): I will certainly buy any and all of TMNT & Other Strangeness. Your guys are doing fantastic! I’m looking forward to the new books currently in development. And of course, the Kickstarter had me jumping for joy when announced.
[Hey T.L., we’re excited about TMNT & Other Strangeness and the many other game titles we have in development too! Sean and I have big plans for the future. TMNT is just the first step. Stay tuned. – Kevin]
D.D.F. in Raymond, New Hampshire, writes: Always great to see the Palladium Christmas deal still going on. In fact, this year I plan on getting two! Thanks for offering such a great deal each year.
[Our pleasure, D.D.F., happy to do it, but time is running out. This is the last weekend to place your order so if you haven’t done so yet, do it soon! Enjoy. – Kevin]
Z.A. in San Francisco, California, writes: Thanks so much for the time extension! ... I have only started coming back to Rifts® ... After getting the Revised Archie Three sourcebook, I wonder what else I have to get caught up on after the Coalition War Campaign.
[Welcome back, Z.A., there is a lot that has come out since War Campaign. No rush, have fun rediscovering the entire Palladium Megaverse®. Keep your imagination burning bright. – Kevin]
S.B. in Harker Heights, Texas, writes (in part): Words cannot tell you how much I appreciate you all. You’ve brought happiness, laughter, joy and friendship into my life that would never have happened without you ... you’re all among my favorite people in the world ... Thanks for another great year and best wishes and hopes for the coming year!
[Aww, shucks, S.B., thank you for the high praise, we like you a lot too. May the new year shine upon us all with good health, prosperity, joy, and a lot of new books from Palladium! – Kevin]
M.T. in Poughkeepsie, New York, writes (in part): Thank you so much for the Surprise Package deal ... Starting up a Rifts® campaign soon so this is helpful. Belated Merry Christmas and have a happy New Year.
[Glad the Surprise Package is helpful to you M.T., and happy New Year to you, as well. Game on! – Kevin]
B.W. in Chandler, Arizona, writes (in part): Well, I’ve finally made it to Surprise Package #3. Honestly it has been a great Christmas season. Thank you so much for all the fun and generosity, not just toward me, but to everyone that’s been posting their surprise boxes ... I couldn’t be happier and am excited to see 2024 with Palladium Books ...
[It has been a great Christmas season, B.W. We are happy to bring Surprise Packages and spread a little joy to gamers around the world. We also share your joy and excitement for 2024. We have already been plotting our tentative release schedule – Yin-Sloth Expeditions, Bestiary Volume 2, Rifts® Antarctica, TMNT – and more. With some good planning, hard work, and a little luck, 2024 should be a banner year for Palladium Books. – Kevin]
L.C. in Winnemucca, Nevada, writes: I just want to say that I am glad that you were able to blow the roof off the TMNT and Other Strangeness Kickstarter ... I am looking forward to the books when they come out ... Any word on Rifts® Bestiary Volume 2.
[Thank you L.C., for the positivity. We can’t wait to put the Redux editions in everyone’s hands. Yin-Sloth Expeditions (Fantasy), Rifts® Bestiary, and Rifts® Antarctica, are at the top of the list of new 2024 releases. Keep your eyes peeled. – Kevin
D.L. in Killeen, Texas, writes (in part): Heard about you guys through Legion of Myth. Thanks Kevin for decades of superior gaming products, and thank you Sean for coming on board and adding your talents to the Megaverse! If my math is correct, this is my 12th Christmas Surprise Package – I will seek help for my addiction to Palladium, I promise ... All joking aside, I love you guys and if I was rich I would buy a thousand of everything to support you guys!
[Hey D.L., your addiction to Palladium sounds like a good thing to us. Ha, ha, ha. And it sounds like you should buy a lotto ticket every now and again to make that dream of buying a thousand of everything come true – just kidding. Thank you for your years of military service. It was nice to see you buying Surprise Packages for a few of your gaming buddies. We love that Christmas spirit. We’re glad to have you back gaming across the Megaverse. Keep your imagination burning bright. – Kevin]
W.S. in Lubbock, Texas, writes: Rifts® is by far my favorite game, but I also enjoy Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas & Superspies, and I am excited about the TMNT & Other Strangeness, I backed the Kickstarter ... Rifts® fed my creative passions ... These Surprise Packages are great fun, and I really enjoy the autographs and brief messages jotted on the books I have received in the past.
[We’re excited to have TMNT back too, W.S., and we have fun plans for Rifts® and other Palladium settings.]
© 2024 Palladium Books Inc. All Rights Reserved. Palladium Books®, Rifts®, The Rifter®, RECON®, Dead Reign®, Chaos Earth®, The Mechanoids®, Megaverse®, Nightbane®, Powers Unlimited®, Splicers®, Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas & Superspies, After the Bomb®, and all related titles, names and slogans are trademarks of Palladium Books.
TMNT © 2024 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. Nickelodeon, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and all related titles, logos, and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.
This Update may be reprinted, reposted, linked and shared for the sole purpose of advertising, promotion and sales solicitation.
