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ONE GAME SYSTEM – EVERY GENRE – COUNTLESS WORLDS – ENDLESS ADVENTURE
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Halloween PDF Sale – Surprise Packages – News – Palladium Books® Weekly Update –
October 24, 2024
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The DriveThruRPG.com Halloween Horror Sale offers all kinds of horror RPGs and sourcebooks as PDF books from Palladium and many other companies. Palladium’s Halloween Sale may be over (Or is it? Use the Surprise Package to get all the spooky books you want!) but the DriveThruRPG Halloween Sale has only just begun. And it’s not just haunting Palladium PDF titles on sale, but those of Chaosium, Pinnacle, and dozens of other RPG companies. Thousands of titles to get your scare on. Check it out.
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Now available on DriveThruRPG.com – The Nightbane® Automated Character Sheet follows a similar format to the popular Rifts® Automated Character Sheet designed by Greg Diaczyk. See more details below or on DriveThruRPG.
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Folks are loving the annual Christmas Surprise Package offer as usual. Please keep those orders pouring in. I always say this, but it bears repeating: If you have never gotten a Surprise Package before, try one early because you will probably want to get another for yourself or a friend or two. Not only is it a great gift (on the cheap) for the holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, etc., but this is a way to try new RPG settings, sourcebooks, miniatures, poker decks, art prints, and other products at a steep discount. To get the books signed by Kevin and the available staff, all you need to do is ask. See more details below or click on the link to the store. This 26 year fan fave tradition only comes around once a year.
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News! The How to Run a Halloween One-Shot on the Legion of Myth YouTube channel was amazing and should become available over the next week or two. Watch for it/them (the 3+ hour chat may be split into two segments), because it really is that good. Excellent questions and sound advice from everyone on the panel. While the focus is horror, much of the advice is suitable for creating and running any one-shot adventure, not just horror, as well as applicable to RPG campaigns. My hat is off to the two gents on the discussion with me, they were great. Remember, all of Sean’s and my chats on Legion of Myth are available for your viewing enjoyment whenever you want to take a peek. I think our chat about Traveling the Rifts Wilderness is available now.
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News! A NEW episode of the Official History of Palladium Books went live today, Thursday, October 24. Each of the first 30 or so video chats recounting the history of Palladium Books features me, Kevin Siembieda, the company’s founder and long-time game designer, and videographer J-M DeFoggi. The first one has been well received and the insiders who have seen several are loving them. In my opinion, they only get better and better as we delve into all of the game lines. We already have 20+ such chats done and continue to shoot more every week. Most are 30-60 minutes long and cover everything from The Mechanoid Invasion® and Valley of the Pharaohs to Palladium Fantasy, Rifts®, and beyond. You can find them on Palladium Books’ YouTube channel. Please spread the word. I hope you continue to enjoy every new episode in the weeks ahead.
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News! Palladium Books® YouTube Channel – We are happy to see so many of you excited about the Palladium Books® YouTube Channel and enjoying the Official History of Palladium Books chats. These comfy and casual conversations are just the beginning. Watch for more fun in the months ahead and please offer suggestions about topics you might want to see discussed. It will be a few months before they get posted but one of the two videos I shot this week covered some of our cult-favorite games like Macross II, Systems Failure, RECON, and Splicers®, and the other chat is about the Rifts® CCG by Precedence Entertainment and Rifts® Promise of Power videogame for the N-Gage by Nokia. Topics coming up include Dead Reign®, Games that Almost Happened (like Alien vs Predator, Marvel Superheroes, etc.), Tales of the Defilers, and more.
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News! The Glitterbois’ additional history of Palladium Books also continues with much fanfare. We recently taped the history of Rifts® which I thought was epic. And there is more to come! It amazes me how different interviewers bring out different memories and information. So yes, the podcasts reveal different details than Palladium’s video chats. Of course, there’s some overlap, but there’s also a wealth of information and entertainment in each.
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Please Help if you can. The BRIC crowdfunder to save lives. We know times are tough and money is tight for some of you, but this charity is very important for me and Sean. Even a $5 or $10 contribution helps to protect and save the lives of children and families in the Congo. See complete details below or click here.
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News! What’s hot at Palladium this week – Palladium Fantasy® has been crazy hot this week and we don’t know why. Everything from the Fantasy RPG to sourcebooks to hardcover editions have been in high demand. Live the Fantasy! Rifts®, Heroes Unlimited, Dead Reign® and other horror games have also been hot. With Halloween on the horizon we can see why horror titles are in demand. The beloved Christmas Surprise Package is, of course, the hottest sale category because it puts EVERY Palladium product on sale and makes it even more affordable to try new game settings and sourcebooks. Spread the word about the Surprise Package offer and don’t miss out on this spectacular opportunity.
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- FINAL DAYS for the Starbreaker Kickstarter. Sean and I know these guys, so this product should be excellent or we would not endorse it. Starbreaker is an expansive space opera setting for Savage Worlds rules BUT easily adaptable to Rifts® Phase World® and the Three Galaxies as well as Aliens Unlimited®.
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Christmas Surprise Package – Now Shipping
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Huge savings, surprises, and autographs (if you request them) that thrill the purchaser. This is the 26th year we are offering this fan favorite Christmas season bargain because we love doing it as much as you love getting them.
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 a way for you to get physical books (and autographs if you want them) at PDF prices! $100+ worth of Palladium products for only $60 (plus shipping)! That can nab you four or more items when these days one core rule book can cost you that alone.
These Christmas 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 RPGs, sourcebooks, issues of the Rifter®, novels, miniatures, prints, art books, greeting cards, T-shirts, negatives, and other items. Some books may be slightly damaged (scuffs, scratches, dings, a bent or crunched corner, etc.) so we can send you more.
No other RPG company on the planet has an offer like this. Truly the best deal in gaming to get unique and special holiday gifts for the gamers in your life, or for yourself.
Christmas Surprise Packages are not just for Christmas. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or the Winter Solstice, or you are looking for that special gift for a birthday, anniversary, graduation, or any special occasion that falls between now and the end of the year, 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 (if you want ‘em), 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®, Beyond the Supernatural, Rifts®, RECON, After the Bomb®, etc. – or to get something for your favorite Game Master. Or perhaps, to get your player group to consider a new game or setting.
Your “Wish List” is vital – the Palladium Surprise Packages are designed to simulate the joy and surprise of the Christmas Season of Giving. To do this, you submit a list of 12-15 Palladium products (or more) FOR EACH Surprise Package you order. This list of 12-15 items for EACH Grab Bag is critical, because you will not know which items we will select to send you. That makes it just like a Christmas gift because it’s a surprise. Plus, Surrogate Santa Kevin, who personally hand-picks every item for every Grab Bag, may toss in something extra like a limited edition print, or a negative or similar collector’s item, or an issue of The Rifter®, or something else he thinks you’ll enjoy.
Autographed books. For those of you who want them (which are most people), 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 across the country and overseas 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.
First-timers are always nervous until they see the great value in their first Surprise Package. A typical Grab Bag has $100+ worth of product. Yes, often more, for only $60 plus shipping. 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, rebuild your collection, replace worn out books, and get your gaming pals gifts. Only from PalladiumBooks.com – happy holidays. PLEASE spread the word about this great offer. Note: Search online for Palladium Surprise Package box opening videos to get an idea of what you can expect to receive. I know the Legion of Myth, among others, has such videos.
To those of you outside the USA, the X-Mas Surprise Package is a way to get books and circumvent the damn high cost of shipping from the United States, since you are getting $110 (often more) worth of product and only paying $60 plus shipping. Shipping via Priority Mail International (required for packages weighing more than four pounds) to most locations in Europe, Canada and many other countries is around $70-80 US dollars. HOWEVER, because the cost of the product is so low, that’s the equivalent of paying retail for the products and only $20-$40 for shipping. A very good deal. Plus you get autographs if you want them! X-Mas Surprise Packages are the way to go for those of you outside the USA. Please take advantage of it to get all those products you’ve wished you could get except the shipping was too prohibitive. We feel your pain. Game on!
Please spread the word. The Christmas Surprise Package is only publicized by word of mouth, on Palladium's website, and social media, so please tell everyone you know. Buy one for every gamer you know. They make astonishing gifts for every occasion. Only from PalladiumBooks.com – happy holidays.
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GiveSendGo Fundraising for BRIC needs our help
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Some of you have supported this good cause before. It is a charity close to the heart of me and Sean, and every dollar goes direct to the people who need it, which makes a HUGE difference in saving lives in the Congo. Even a small donation is greatly appreciated, so please give if you can. Thank you so very much for your past financial support of RIGHT’s efforts to feed and protect the people rescued and sustained by the lifesaving BRIC project.
Through your donations, BRIC has been able to install an armored security gate, build enclosure walls, construct a building for offices and classrooms, and an enlarge a stage where students perform the creative, self-help exercises learned through BRIC seminars, as well as music and dance performances that inform and uplift the community. Most recently, they have built a small structure with a toilet and shower, as well as installed basic electricity to the compound. All of this is in addition to rescuing and rehabilitating those once forced into service as child soldiers and worse by rogue warlords and bandits.
These life sustaining improvements could not happen without your prayers and financial assistance since 2022, but our crusade to save and improve the lives of the people in the region is far from complete.
Feuding rebel warlords dangerously close to the homes of the people of Goma continue to control many roads, disrupt and block food supply lines, and harass the people. This has forced many citizens of Goma to turn to BRIC for help. Without that help, they must resort to foraging for food in the rebel-filled forest where they risk their lives or capture. Children left alone while parents forage for food are at great risk of being kidnapped and trafficked. BRIC allows fathers and mothers to drop their children at the enclosure. At this safe haven the children are fed with limited supplies of food, given school lessons, and provided other help as needed.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is currently facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. People are displaced, starving, and homeless. Making safe havens like BRIC necessary for survival. Please join me (Kevin Siembieda) and Sean Owen Roberson by helping in any way you can. Your donations, small or large, will save lives. Thank you.
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A Kickstarter we recommend –
Starbreaker Role-Playing – Space Opera Setting & Adventure Book for use with Savage Worlds
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Palladium’s Sean Owen Roberson has worked with both of the main creators and both of us are fired up about this rapidly growing, new tabletop game company. We like their imagination, concepts, artwork, and products.
Are you looking for epic space opera and galactic intrigue? Then you will want to look at the Starbreaker: SAINTs and Synners Kickstarter from Star Anvil Studios. Designed for use with the Savage Worlds rules, with approval of Pinnacle the publisher of Savage Words under their official Ace Licensing program.
Adventure starts at the edge of known space in a galaxy rife with danger, corruption, and crime lords. You don’t know who you can trust and there is always someone looking for hired guns like you and your crew. The question is, are you working for the good guys (SAINTs) or one of the many criminal syndicates (Synnners).
As SAINTs, you may find yourself on a mission of mercy or working undercover to take down one of the space-spanning Syndicates. You may fight for justice and free trade, or you might be a cosmic Robinhood who steals from criminal Syndicates and gives to the poor – after lining your own pockets to fund such noble operations. Whatever the case, you are up against powerful, self-serving scum who prey upon those who can’t fight back.
What’s that? You’re tired of playing the good guys? That’s just fine, because you can choose to play as a Synner out to make a big score or even to build your own criminal empire from the ground up.
Which will you be? Savior and SAINT or Synner and destroyer?
To be either, you need to back this dynamic, science fiction setting and adventure sourcebook. Complete with monsters, aliens, vehicles, gear, new edges and rules for Savage Worlds, great art and more! Please spread the word to other Savage Worlds gamers and sf fans who love settings with backstabbing space empires and noble underdogs.
Click here to see more and to back it today!
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BACK IN STOCK!
Yin-Sloth Jungles, 2nd Edition, Revised and Expanded!
The Yin-Sloth Jungles™ is a savage and unexplored wilderness filled with exotic people, strange creatures, ancient ruins, dark gods, and ancient secrets waiting to be unearthed.
- 15 O.C.C.s, all updated and expanded, making them seem brand new: Beastmaster, Holy Crusader, Jungle Fighter, Man-Catcher, the unique Tezcat and Pygmy Shamans, Spy, Undead Hunter, and Witch Hunter, among others.
- 18 Jungle People and monsters updated and expanded to feel like new, plus a few additions.
- New and expanded Shaman Chant magic.
- New and unique Pygmy Shaman Chant magic.
- New and expanded history of the Yin-Sloth Jungles.
- Expanded and clarified weapons, jungle armor, poisons, & more.
- The Orcish Empire and a few notable cities.
- Filled with great artwork by Peterson (ROG) and Mike Mumah.
- Written by Kevin Siembieda, John Klinkel, and Patrick Nowak.
- 160 pages – $24.99 retail – Cat. No. 459 – available now.
- COMING SOON! Yin-Sloth Expeditions setting and adventure book.
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Now on DriveThruRPG!
NEW! Yin-Sloth Jungles, 2nd Edition Revised and Expanded PDF on DriveThruRPG.com
Yin-Sloth Jungles, 2nd Edition is now available as a PDF book on DriveThruRPG.com – and so is the original 1st Edition book. Get one or both to compare or have in your PDF reference library.
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DriveThruRPG.com Halloween Horror Sale offers all kinds of horror RPGs and sourcebooks as PDF books from Palladium and many other companies. Palladium’s Halloween Sale may be over (Or is it? Use the Surprise Package to get all the spooky books you want!) but the DriveThruRPG Halloween Sale has only just begun. And it’s not just haunting Palladium PDF titles on sale but those of Chaosium, Pinnacle, and dozens of other RPG companies. Thousands of titles to get your scare on. Check it out.
NEW! Nightbane® Automated Character Sheet
Now available on DriveThruRPG.com – The Nightbane Automated Character Sheet follows a similar format as the popular Rifts® Automated Character Sheet designed by Greg Diaczyk.
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Microsoft Excel-based system for creating, updating, and tracking your Nightbane RPG characters quickly and easily. Once you know the system, you can have characters up and ready in 10-15 minutes!
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Create your human Facade and Nightbane Morphus in minutes.
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Offers a vast range of Morphus choices.
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Select from scores of Common and Elite Nightbane Talents.
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Spells, psionics, and more.
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$5.00 – Available now on DriveThruRPG.com and coming soon on PalladiumBooks.com – Created by Greg Diaczyk.
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300+ RPG products on DriveThru – a dozen unique world settings – one game system – endless possibilities. 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!
In addition to PDF titles for entire game lines like Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™, Ninjas & Superspies™, After the Bomb®, Beyond the Supernatural™, Dead Reign® (zombies), Nightbane® (Urban Fantasy), Rifts Chaos Earth®, Systems Failure™, Splicers®, RECON®, The Rifter® #1-85, and others, there are Game Master and player aids, character generators, paper minis, map packs, and FREE Previews of books like Creature Feature™, Dead Reign, Coalition Manhunters, Titan Robotics™, Rifts Bestiary Volume One, World Books, Dimension Books, and more to give you a glimpse of what’s in the book. Enjoy endless adventures across the Megaverse®.
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Palladium Collectibles – at Kevin’s Online Toy & Collectibles eBay Store
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I am adding new collectibles of all kinds to my Ebay store in time for the holiday season. Some are Palladium negatives, rare and out of print books, original Palladium artwork, prints, posters, as well as other collectible toys, action figures, Nightmare Before Christmas items, one-of-a-kind proofreader copies, books, and other good stuff – including Erick Wujcik’s rare and sought after Amberzine #12-15. Check in every week or so to see what’s new. All items come from Kevin Siembieda’s personal collection.
One-of-a-kind Palladium Books negatives (special and rare collectibles). Negatives are always very popular items at the Palladium Open House, Gen Con, and conventions, and are catching on as rare collectibles, unique in and of themselves. Before digital printing, pages of a book were laid out by hand on a board, and each page was photographed.
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Each negative is truly unique, attractive, and fun to have.
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Own a piece of Palladium Books and RPG history you will treasure.
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Each was used to print the very book you may have in your collection (1981-2004).
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Each is signed in silver ink by Kevin Siembieda and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.
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Each negative is a one-of-a-kind work of art (on rare occasions, two-of-a-kind if a page or section of pages were replaced or a second edition was made).
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Looks great matted or framed! Fits an 8x10 inch matt opening. Each neg is roughly 8½ x 11 inches.
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Prices vary depending on the title, the art, and quality of the negative. Note: Many have scratches, or blemishes, and/or an opaque medium on the negative. Still, they look great and are a piece of RPG history. We recommend you carefully examine the photographs of each item to avoid disappointment. The negatives of many books are sold out or were never available.
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Find your Happiness
For me, personally, October and Halloween are the start of the holidays and my happy time. This year, without my Kathy, the season is bittersweet, but I still find it (or make it) a happy time. Just yesterday morning before work I walked around my neighborhood to enjoy the Halloween decorations. Some were impressive, all were nice and made me smile. It brought back delightful memories of our exploits with the massive display Kathy and I had created; much of it handmade. How big was it? We had people drive a hundred miles to see it and one lady told us she flew in from California – though I think seeing our display was more of an excuse to visit friends and family in Michigan. M-Live, the online news magazine, did a massive piece on us and our next door neighbor complete with daytime and nighttime videos, and listed our Halloween display as #3 of the Top 13 Must See Halloween sites in Michigan. It was awesome! I have always loved Halloween and the friendly scares that come with it. My years with Kathy and the creation of our super-Halloween display made me love the holiday all the more.
Then comes Christmas and gift giving, my favorite time of the year. (Halloween is a very close second). As you might guess from the Christmas Surprise Package offer, I love making Christmas-time special by offering an awesome deal, writing little notes, doing small drawings, and making people happy with what they get in their packages. I love it.
When I was young, my family’s income was below the poverty line. Money was tight. That limited gift giving to either practical items or handmade artwork or arts and crafts creations. When you’re a little kid, you don’t realize how precious that handmade gift truly is. Instead, you wish you could buy your friends and family members nice things for “real gifts.” Once I grew up and had the ability to buy real gifts, I became a crazed, surrogate Santa Claus giving gifts and doing little special things for as many people as I could. I still do. It brings me great joy to put smiles on your faces with the Surprise Packages as well as with gifts for those close to me.
I know many of you are feeling stressed out by the economy, high prices, political negativity surrounding the upcoming presidential election, and probably a lot of other things, not to mention the pressure and stress that comes with the holiday season. It is easy to feel sad, frustrated, angry, overwhelmed, or all of the above. Try not to let that happen. Don’t lose sight of the good things, the beautiful things, or the people you love and who love you back. They, after all, are where true joy and love and happiness come from.
As someone dealing with Type-2 diabetes, I walk 30 minutes every morning or afternoon. Mid-day Monday I was taking a late walk along a nature trail when I saw this amazing scene of trees with their mirror image reflected in the water. It looked like something out of a painting or a movie. Beautiful reds, golds, and yellows with a perfect mirror image in the water. I was so awestruck that I stopped to drink in the splendor for a few minutes. I looked up into the azure sky and thanked God for this wonderful vision and for all the good and beauty in my life – my entire life.
When you think about it, this was a pretty insignificant event, but it made me smile and feel good – happy – and grateful. Happy and thankful to be alive and for being able to recognize that moment as something special. Something that touched my soul. It made me happy and grateful for the diverse and wondrous range of people I know and have known throughout my life.
There is beauty and goodness all around us if we stop – even for just a moment – to look around and let it fill us up. I don’t know about you, but I need moments like that to recharge my battery and inspire me.
As gamers we can do something many other people cannot: we can escape into fantastic worlds where we share the camaraderie of our friends and fellow gamers. We are able to transform into our imagined alter egos – heroes that battle injustice and evil and protect the innocent. And we do it in the most amazing worlds. Remember to use RPGs not just to escape, but to find laughter, friendship, and joy in heroic adventure. Please don’t let hate and negativity or worry get the best of you. Find happiness in the games you love and the people you love gaming with. Find joy in a book or poem or any lovely moment that comes your way. Find it and hold on to it until you smile and it warms your heart. Seek refuge in the smiles of others and in the arms of your loved ones, children, friends, and family. Fight the good fight and be happy. You deserve it.
At the risk of sounding like someone who grew up in the 1960s and 70s (I did), love, not hate. Find the things that we have in common and embrace the things that make us each different and special. Cling to hope and be the light that inspires others.
– I am Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Game Designer, Friend,
and I endorse this message.
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