One game system – every genre – countless worlds – endless adventure

A holiday message from Kevin Siembieda and Friends

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, followed by Christmas Day and Kwanzaa (and Boxing Day for our friends in Canada). As a result, we are sending out this Weekly Update filled with love and warm holiday wishes to you a day earlier than usual.

I see Christmas as a time of kindness and appreciation regardless of faith. I like that and I have embraced this sentiment for decades now. Hence our Christmas Surprise Package offer and the time we take to try to make each and every one of them special just for you. This is the case whether that Surprise Package is a gift for Christmas or comes after we extend the offer into the first 12 days of the New Year. It is our way of showing you our appreciation and saying thank you. After all, we could not do any of this without you, and you are truly our extended family and important to us.

So the main news this week:

1. Sale extended – the Palladium Surprise Package offer is extended thru January 12, 2021. Explore new worlds of adventure. See details below.

2. Sale on DriveThruRPG for many PDF Palladium titles (Fantasy, Heroes Unlimited, After the Bomb, etc.) – ends after midnight, December 29, 2020. PDFs, nice to have as a portable reference. See details below.

3. Sale Ending – 6 days left to get iconic Palladium Books artwork on 24 x 14 neoprene playmats from the Red Duke Games Kickstarter. They are beautiful. See details below.

4. Sale Ending – 5 days remaining to get your Savage Rifts® Bundle of Holding. Something different. See details below.

5. It is Christmas Weekend – try to enjoy it! Focus on the people you care about and the things that bring you joy. Please take the time to do that for yourselves and your loved ones. Merry Christmas.

To help put you into the holiday spirit, below are a selection of some of the longer and more personal comments we have gotten with the Surprise Packages. They come from gamers and Palladium fans just like you. We appreciate every word, and we wish them and you our best this holiday season and all through the New Year. I hope you enjoy reading them. We see them as another little gift to lift our spirits. A few product descriptions and updates about sales ending follow them.

With love and appreciation – Kevin Siembieda & the Crew

Surprise Package Comments from fans just like you

O.B. in Adelaide, Southern Australia, writes (in part): I am ordering this Grab Bag for my dad who introduced me to Rifts® and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles® RPG when I was only ten years old ... Thank you so much for inspiring an extra generation’s worth of imagination!

[How cool is that? I am humbled and delighted, O.B. I hope Dad enjoys the Surprise Package I put together. Btw, I thought that was a very sweet gesture and I know he will love it. Merry Christmas to you and yours, and may the New Year be filled with good health, laughter, and good times at the gaming table. Oh, and do not stop with two generations of Palladium games! Here’s to future generations. Have fun. Ho, ho, ho. – KS]

K.T. in Liberty Lake, Washington, writes (in part): I have been playing Rifts® set in the US/Mexico region for the last year and Indians and vampires are no joke!

I was introduced to Rifts® last Christmas when my friend got a Surprise Package for me and I have fallen in love with the game. It has quickly become my favorite table top to play. In the last year I have gotten to know some really great people and I want to introduce this game to them. I’m looking to get a beginner’s starter package for Rifts®.

[First, thank you for making me laugh out loud. You are correct, Native American characters and vampires are no joke. They are tough hombres. My player group learned how dangerous and cunning Palladium vampires are in my early years of gaming with me. Glad you are enjoying that part of Rifts Earth. It is one of my personal favorites. Second, meeting great fellow gamers is all part of the magic of role-playing. And lastly, I hope you and your crew enjoyed the material in the Surprise Package. I thought the Traveling Shows, various tables, and info in the Rifts® Adventure Guide and the material in the Rifts® Primer and Adventures would provide plenty of ideas. Keep exploring the endless possibilities and have fun. – KS]

T.A. in Nebraska, writes: Thanks for coming out with this Surprise Package and thank you for creating Rifts®. I started playing with my childhood best friend in his basement during highschool. Years later I found myself depressed due to this pandemic. When my childhood friend reached out to play another game of Rifts® over Zoom, I never knew it would end up helping me through the pandemic so much. I look forward to playing the game this week, and I can say this game has saved me during this time. Thank you so much Kevin and everyone else who makes this world possible.

[Ironically, you and gamers like you, T.A., have helped save me and Palladium during hard times as well, in more ways than one. So I would say we are even on that front. I am sincerely glad that playing Rifts® has helped you and a lot of people through hard times in their lives, the pandemic just being one recent example. I never imagined when I started to create RPGs that they would have such a profound and positive effect on people. Just one more reason I am one of the luckiest guys in the whole world, and why I love my job and the people who play our games. Stay positive, T.A., keep that beautiful friendship and your sparkling imagination burning bright. We will get through this together. Hope is on the horizon. Merry Christmas and may the New Year be one of good health and returning normalcy for us all. – KS]

C.T. in Carlisle, PA, writes (in part): Just a quick note to say thank you again for having the Christmas sale! It is really something I look forward to. This year has been particularly rough ... so I really appreciate you all for being there for us ... The books ... I love the writing and the artwork in them all.

[Happy to please, C.T. Merry Christmas and let us hope 2021 is better for us all. – KS]

R.S. in Moody, Alabama, writes (in part): Favorites Heroes Unlimited™, Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy® and Nightbane® ... I’m so glad y’all are still kicking butt after all these years. A friend got me into Palladium’s games back when I was in college ... Your games always inspire me to dream big ... I hope you all have a Merry Christmas.

[Game on and keep dreaming big, R.S. Thank you for your warm wishes. We expect to enjoy a nice, quiet, Christmas. Oh, and we plan to continue to kick butt into the New Year and beyond. You do the same, R.S. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. – KS]

T.F. in Ocala, Florida, writes: I have a wide set of favorite games. I love Chaos Earth® for the despair and uncertainty. I love Rifts® for the rise of heroism. I love Nightbane® for the dark resistance, and finally Robotech®, the giant mecha and the small book designs were a really great idea. I am a person who believes you cannot have enough books. I love this [game] system for the flexibility it gives us – just could use a little more flexibility in multi-classing. I am setting up a Christmas game to run with my family on Christmas day. For two of the children it will be their first game.

I will devour a book for all of its nuggets of info and suggestions. I am finally starting to get into the inspiration of telling my own story and not being bound to the rules of the books. These books provide hours of inspiration and planning for me.

[Thanks, T.F. It sounds like fun and games for Christmas. Awesome. I love books too, and I’m glad ours provide the inspiration to fuel your imagination. Don’t over-think your own stories. Trust your instincts and have fun running. I’m sure it will go well. Merry Christmas. – KS]

R.K. in Virginia Beach, Virginia, writes (in part): Favorites: Rifts®. I tried all the others in the past but Rifts® is the only world that keeps pulling me back in. I don’t get to pull out the books as often as I’d like these days, but when I do, it is always Rifts®. This year has seen a bit of an up-tick, though, as friends are looking for more small group gatherings.

[I’m glad that Rifts® stimulates your creativity over and over again, R.K. With any luck you will be able to continue to game more into the New Year. Keep traversing the Rifts for adventure and fun. – KS]

S.A. in Lombard, Illinois, writes (in part): ... I am starting to rebuild my library and this [Surprise Package] will be a great start. Thank you for all the hard work that all of you do in bringing these worlds to life!

[You are very welcome, S.A. We all love to push the envelope and make our game worlds fun and exciting. Good luck rebuilding your Rifts® library. There is still time to order another Surprise Package before the offer ends in January. Game on! – KS]

B.S. in Massillon, Ohio, writes: My uncle introduced me to Rifts® when I was 11. Sixteen years later, we still play and have a great time! Now I have kids of my own and I’m excited for the day I can introduce them to this awesome game. I’ve never been a G.M. but my uncle and cousins want me to run a game. I love the Hades book and nobody in my group has played a Minion War campaign, so I’ve been writing ideas. Next year my cousin and I are coming to our first Palladium Open House. We even bought VIP night! I can’t wait to thank you all for the memories and bonds I’ve made through this game.

[I appreciate the very kind words and warm regard, B.S. I love our excitement too, so I hope you will not be too disappointed to learn the 2021 Palladium Open House has been rescheduled for April 2022. We thought it would be best for everyone to delay the event to the following year. I talk about it in my Closing Thoughts in the December 3, 2020 Weekly Update. But if you should find yourselves in Westland, Michigan before then, please stop by the Palladium office to say hello and to get a pre-Open House tour. I mean that. Mask required. – KS]

J.M. in Elliot Lake, Ontario, Canada, writes (in part): Favorites: Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Rifts® and the ENTIRE Megaverse®! Thank you so much for doing this [the Christmas Surprise Package] every year. It really is a tradition in my household. I love sharing the Megaverse with my 15 and 16 year old daughters. They LOVE Palladium Fantasy and Heroes Unlimited! This is my second order. In a way, I consider it my third because I also ordered all the Savage Rifts® books [from Pinnacle Entertainment] in their new book set. GREAT MAPS! ... Just thank you for all of your hard work and brilliant imaginations. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, best game ever!

[Well, thank you for the high praise, J.M. I’m glad Palladium’s annual Surprise Package offer has become a tradition in your home. It is also tradition for us to extend the offer briefly into the New Year, so if you are hankering for a second Surprise Package, there is still time. Please note that Rifts® CS Manhunters (January?), BTS Creature Feature (February?), Titan Robotics (March?), Rifts® Antarctica (May?) and Rifts® Bestiary Volume 2 (summer?) have slid into the New Year thanks to the craziness related to the pandemic. Like most of you, 2020 has been a wild ride for us, but we are shooting to make 2021 a banner year for Palladium with new releases. You and the girls should plan on joining us for the Palladium Open House rescheduled for April 2022. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. – KS]

A.F. in Corbin, Kentucky, writes (in part): I am looking forward to the release of the Psychic Scream sourcebook for Chaos Earth®. Any chance that there might be untamed versions of the Psi-Mechanic or Psi-Tech?

[There will be now, A.F. What a great suggestion! Thank you for it. When you see these untamed versions of the characters you will know they are present because of your suggestion, A.F. Keep that imagination burning bright. – KS]

J.C. in Lebanon, Indiana, writes (in part): Favorites: Rifts®, Splicers®, and Heroes Unlimited™. I am super looking forward to Rifts® Antarctica and I’m glad you guys included an ancient city. Looking forward to CS Manhunters and the next Bestiary too. I hope you consider doing a Bestiary for Dragons. It would be really nice to have all the rules in one place and get some updates for the different hatchlings together. Along those lines, it would be cool to see some sourcebooks dedicated to different O.C.C.s ... and always thanks for keeping up the good work. I would have never gotten into RPGs as hard as I have without Rifts® to suck me in.

[Hah! You are very welcome, J.C. And while I make no promises, we have been kicking around the idea of doing a Dragon Bestiary for a few years now as well as sourcebooks dedicated to specific O.C.C.s. Do you have listening devices hidden in our offices, J.C.? Or maybe one of the Palladium freelancers or staff members have been replaced by an Archie-3 android and is feeding you inside information! Or are you reading my thoughts ... or ... or ... whatever the case, happy holidays and game on. Did someone say I was a goof ball recently? – KS]

L.H. in Fountain, Colorado, writes (in part): As a long time fan since the first edition of Palladium Fantasy came out and Robotech®, I have collected everything that I could. Sadly, over the past 19 years I slowed down on the hard copies of books. I have enjoyed Rifts® the most, but all the games are great to me. Please try to complete the CS Manhunters and Disavowed books. I am looking forward to them.

It has been years since I ordered a Christmas Package. Thank you for still doing them. For 17 years, Palladium Books has been a staple in my personal arsenal [when things got rough] ... Thank you for going to PDFs for the books, they helped ... I felt it was time to get caught back up with my personal collection ... Keep the books coming out.

[Hi L.H., I am so glad our books and worlds are there to help you through challenging times. Thank you for sharing that with me. Please stay positive and keep your beautiful heart and imagination burning bright. You can count on me finishing Rifts® CS Manhunters very soon. The Disavowed should also see release in 2021 along with other good stuff throughout the new year. Stand strong and game on! – KS]

J.J. in Basehor, Kansas, writes: Favorites: After the Bomb®, Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, Dead Reign® and pretty much everything, though not the biggest fan of Robotech® RPG Tactics, but not much of a strategist.

I love Palladium and hope someday people will come to their senses and realize there are many, many other RPG companies as well as independent publishers aside from Wizards of the Coast. Hopefully, I will be able to make it to the Palladium Open House if it still takes place, ‘cause it would be brilliant to actually meet others who play due to not knowing many who do.

[Hi J.J. In the past, Palladium was listed as one of the Top 5 games publishers for something like 20 years before a series of unexpected circumstances hit us hard. There are plenty of people who play Palladium’s games with more discovering us every day. If you can make it to the Palladium Open House, rescheduled for April 2022, you will indeed meet a few hundred of them from across the country and around the world. Hope to see you there. As for WotC, their success with Dungeons & Dragons only spreads the word about RPGs of all kinds. But I know what you are saying. Many stores only offer the hottest and/or newest games and ignore us smaller companies. That’s why we need our fans to spread the word about our RPGs to their fellow gamers, talk about their favorite games and adventures online, etc. Thanks for the support J.J and game on. – KS]

R.K. in Bellingham, Washington, writes (in part): I have been a huge fan of Palladium Books ever since I first picked up a copy of Rifts® and made a Glitter Boy pilot. That was in 1994. I have played lots of different games and systems over the years but I always come back to Palladium. The true soul of fantasy RPGs is that you can be anything you want to be. In the Palladium system that is the most true. I have had rough times ... but Palladium was there helping me through. Thank you for your tireless work.

[Glad to be there for you, R.K., just like you are for us. It is good to hear how about how many gamers find fun and escape in our games through these difficult times. Stay strong, remain hopeful and please continue to find joy in the little things like gaming. Because, really, finding joy and peace in anything is not such a little thing at all. Btw, I completely agree that RPGing should allow you to be and play anything you can imagine and lets the players (and G.M.) explore the infinite possibilities. Take care and continue to enjoy the depths of the role-playing game experience. – KS]

A.P. in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, writes: I have been playing your RPGs since 1995. I quit gaming for about 10 years because of work and raising kids, but my son (15) found my old Rifts® books and wanted to learn. So my old gaming crew got their teenage sons and we’ve started gaming again. It’s been awesome teaching a new generation the greatness of Rifts®. Thanks for all the years of great games and books.

[What a funny and awesome story, A.P., I am delighted by it. Thanks for sharing and game on! – KS]

M.M. in Cross Plains, Tennessee, writes (in part): I love what you did with Beyond the Supernatural, Second Edition, especially the Psychic Medium player character. I like that it is a little bit of a utility game that can drop in different eras and settings.

Rifts® will always be my first love, though, because it introduced me to RPGs. Throwing everything together was a great idea. Who doesn’t love giant robots fighting dragons? To be honest though, I got old one day and decided Rogue Scholars driving Behemoth Explorers were my favorite characters to play. Something about breaking into secret libraries and stealing books from my robot RV became appealing.

I’m also a long time Nightbane® [player]. It’s just a really unique flavorful world that really scratches my itch for espionage games. It is almost like a metaphor for the Cold War, but with monsters and Earth is the third world country ...

[M.M. there is nothing wrong with enjoying characters that are not fighters or powerhouses. They can be a blast to play. That is why Rogue Scholars and other diverse characters are in our games. Looking to play a more cerebral or cunning and sneaky character, we’ve got them for you. It sounds like you are having a blast with our RPGs, cool. Keep your imagination burning and game on! – KS]

B.M.H.B in Arizona City, Arizona, writes: Merry Christmas and thank you for such an awesome offer for such a great system and range of genres.

[Merry Christmas to you as well, B.M.H.B., your kind words are appreciated. – KS]

J.M. in New Market, MD, writes: I primarily play Rifts® and get books from everything else to expand the Rifts Megaverse. Mostly obsessed with magic and psionics and high tech. Have a Merry Christmas and happy New Year.

[Same to you, J.M. Oh, we will be giving you plenty to satisfy your obsessions in the New Year with titles like CS Manhunters, Titan Robotics, Chaos Earth Psychic Scream and a whole lot more. – KS]

Merry Christmas and happy holidays, everyone. I hope you get to enjoy a long weekend even if it is relaxing or talking with loved ones via some device or another. – Kevin Siembieda

Christmas Surprise Package offer EXTENDED thru January 12, 2021

Yes, you still have time to nab a Surprise Package for yourself or as a gift for an upcoming birthday, anniversary, graduation, or any gift-giving occasion; or to replace battered old books, or to try new world settings. But time is running out. The Surprise Package offer ends January 12, 2021, and will not be extended further. Enjoy.

The extension of the Surprise Packages into the New Year has become something of a welcomed tradition we are happy to provide. We do this 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 time 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. And 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?)

And we extend the Surprise Packages for you Johnny Come-Latelies who were meaning to get one, but how time flies during the holidays even during a pandemic. Speaking of which, after this crazy year, we thought extending the holiday joy of gaming into the New Year was more essential than ever. So please, enjoy the extended Surprise Package sale.

Meanwhile, try to spend some time this Christmas weekend with friends and family, even if by long-distance via Zoom, Skype, Discord, Facebook, email, phone, or text. Then, during the weeks afterward, run games for friends and family to escape into the Palladium Megaverse® and find relief and laughter as often as you can.

What is a Christmas Surprise Package? Extended to January 12, 2021

A smile and a hug that comes in a box filled with signed game books from available Palladium staff and freelancers. And God knows this year has been so crazy, we need something fun like the Christmas Surprise Package to bring a little joy and laughter into our lives. With so many people suffering from Covid-19 related doldrums, frustration, and in some cases, money issues, they need to escape to realms of role-playing adventures. Not to mention the huge savings and autographs, if you want them, available via a Palladium Christmas Surprise Package.

A Surprise Package is your way to get physical books (and autographs if you want them) for PDF prices! $95-$100+ worth of Palladium products for only $50 (plus shipping and handling)! That can nab you four or more items when these days one core rule book can cost you that alone.

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 RPGs, sourcebooks, issues of the Rifter®, novels, miniatures, prints, art books, greeting cards, T-shirts, negatives, original art, and other items. Some books may be slightly damaged (scuffs, scratches, dings, a crunched corner, etc.) so we can send you more.

Truly the best deal in gaming, Palladium's 23rd Annual Christmas Surprise Package gets you $95-$105, sometimes MORE, worth of product for ONLY $50 (plus shipping and handling), as gifts for others or for yourself. That’s physical books at PDF prices. And if you want them signed we will sign each and every one of them. Plus we have some original art by Chuck Walton and maybe a few others you may request. But don’t count on it, still provide us with a juicy Wish List. Art is donated by the artists and very limited.

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®, Mechanoid Invasion®, Rifts®, 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 10-15 Palladium products (or more) FOR EACH Surprise Package you order. This list of 10-15 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, 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 $95-$105 worth of product, sometimes more! Yes, sometimes more, for only $50 plus shipping and handling. 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. PLEASE spread the word about this great offer.

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 $95-$100 (often more) worth of product and only paying $50 plus a small handling charge. 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 $50-$60 US dollars. HOWEVER, because the cost of the product is so low, that’s the equivalent of paying retail for the products and only $0-$30 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.

SALE! DriveThruRPG.com Palladium Christmas Sale – Now through Christmas Weekend – Ends after Midnight, Tuesday, December 29

ALL Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™, After the Bomb®, Nightbane®, Dead Reign®, and Beyond the Supernatural titles are on sale for the holiday – now thru December 29 on DriveThruRPG.com.

Need that last minute gift for the holidays but don’t want to pay for expedited shipping? Or want to start the New Year off with gaming fun? Take advantage of the Palladium Christmas Sale on DriveThruRPG.com to get a wide range of PDF titles that are on sale. No need to worry about delivery in time for Christmas. Snag yourself or a pal some PDF books now through the holiday weekend and take a look at the Savage Rifts® Bundle of Holding also taking place. Enjoy.

SALE! Savage Rifts^® Bundle of Holding and Savage Worlds^® Explorer Bundle of Holding – Ends December 28

Rifts® for Savage Worlds Bundle of Holding is running now. It is Pinnacle Entertainment’s adaptation of Rifts Earth for the fast-furious-fun Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE) rules. Btw, Savage Rifts® maps are awesome and their adventures can be easily adapted to your Palladium-based Rifts® campaigns, and vice versa. Likewise, Savage Rifts® players can easily adapt Palladium’s 90+ Rifts titles to their campaigns to provide additional monsters, magic, villains, weapons, locations, and adventure in their games. So take a look at the Savage Rifts® Bundle of Holding and maybe get some fun PDFs on the cheap to keep you warm during the winter. I enjoy reading their condensed histories and summaries of Rifts Earth, people and places as well as their new twists.

Pinnacle’s Savage Rifts® enlists your adventurer group for a campaign of rail gun-shredding, mega-powered, magic-flinging adventure across Rifts Earth. And ALL of these Savage Rifts® titles are newly revised for the 2019 Savage Worlds Adventure Edition core rule book, which is not included in this offer.

For just $12.95 US Dollars you get all five Rifts® SWADE supplements and sourcebooks in this offer's Starter Collection (retail value $43) as DRM-free PDF ebooks, including the Tomorrow Legion Player's Guide, Game Master's Handbook, Tomorrow Legion Field Manual, Mega Power List, and the six pre-generated player characters in Savage Rifts® Archetypes Set 1.

And if you pay more than this offer's threshold price, you will level up and also get this offer's entire Bonus Collection with nine more titles worth an additional $44, including Rifts® Savage Foes of North America, the full-length adventure Garnet Town Gambit, six full-color Combat Maps, and the Savage Rifts® GM Screen Inserts. Used with permission under license.

The Savage Worlds Bundle of Holding offers are also highlighting the storied past of Savage Worlds with a new companion offer, Savage Explorer Essentials. It is a big retrospective of Pinnacle’s Explorer's Edition rule book and its many Companions, plus campaign settings like 50 Fathoms and Necessary Evil. (Caution: The Essentials offer presents the 2007 Explorer's Edition rules, which are not fully compatible with the SWADE titles in this offer.)

The Good Fight: Ten percent of each payment (after gateway fees) for the two current Savage Worlds offers goes to the charity chosen by Pinnacle Entertainment's Shane Hensley and Palladium's Kevin Siembieda, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

To learn more about these Bundles of Holding, go to bundleofholding.com/presents/SavageRifts

LAST DAYS to get Palladium Playmats – Red Duke Games Playmats Kickstarter ENDS Monday, December 28

The Red Duke Games Playmats Kickstarter is fully funded and guaranteed, so if you want any Rifts® playmats (Dead Reign®, Nightbane®, and others), now is the time to place your orders. Many of these iconic Palladium Books images were special requests from backers who are fans like you, and there are new additions that include the famous Ley Line scene (one of my favorites by Kevin Long), Coalition Forces on the move (Spider Skull Walkers, Skelebots, CS troops; also by Long), Psyscape (Zeleznik) and the powerful Rifts® CCG cover (Zeleznik) along with the Red ‘Borg and others. Time is starting to run out as this Kickstarter winds down. ENDS December 28, 2020.

This is your chance to get Palladium Books’ iconic artwork on 24x14 inch playmats, because we do not know if they will ever be offered again. They are being made available via a special arrangement with Red Duke Games, the people who brought you the Necronomnomnom Cookbook. Palladium selections include full color art from Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, Nightbane®, Dead Reign®, and Palladium Fantasy® covers along with many other Red Duke Games Playmats. This is a limited time Kickstarter offer, so you need to act before the Kickstarter ends and before you get caught up in the holiday frenzy.

This is the first time ever that Palladium’s artwork has been made available on playmats and they are available only via this holiday Kickstarter. Btw, if the response is strong enough, Red Duke Games may ask us to include MORE, so go check out the Playmats by Red Duke Games Kickstarter and spread the word.

A great way to start the New Year. I believe they said the playmats will be printed and shipped sometime in February. See the Playmats by Red Duke Games Kickstarter for complete details.

BACK IN STOCK for the Holidays only – Systems Failure^™ RPG – BTS Boxed Nightmares – Nightbane^®: Shadows of Light sourcebook

Whew, these titles are flying off the shelf, so I guess we were right to do a limited run for the holidays like we did a few years ago. Get ‘em while you can. Available on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last. Also available as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.

Systems Failure™ RPG: It is time to fight back, kill some bugs, and take our world back! In this invasion setting you battle a plague of bugs – alien bugs – that drink electrical energy and have plunged the world into crisis. This fun, standalone post-apocalypse game was designed at the start of the New Millennium and poked fun at the Y2K fears about the end of the world in 2000. The game is a blast whether you play it deadly serious or with a touch of humor. Kill the bugs! $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 650 – Shipping now.

Boxed Nightmares, a Beyond the Supernatural sourcebook: Six adventures, monsters, and many adventure ideas. Scary fun. $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 701 – Shipping now.

Shadows of Light, a Nightbane® Sourcebook: The angel-like Athanatos, Fallen Guardians, the Reapers, info about various factions, a vampire conspiracy, a Pittsburgh adventure, and more. $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 734 – Shipping now.

Rifts^® Lazlo Raw Preview – available now and is our fastest selling Raw Preview Edition ever

The Lazlo Raw Preview (and Hammer of the Forge Novel) continues to blow out the door faster than we expected. Awesome. If you have not ordered one, what are you waiting for? Remember, the Raw Preview is a limited edition collector’s item with only 350 copies available to you on a first come, first served basis while supplies last.

Get your first glimpse of Lazlo with the Rifts® Lazlo Raw Preview. A noble experiment and idealistic utopia where all manner of people are accepted. A place where learning and education are embraced, and its people strive to be better, braver, bolder, and kinder. An oasis of comparative peace and goodness in a world that is still climbing out of the smoldering ruins and chaos of the Great Cataclysm and the Coming of the Rifts.

Here mages and visitors from across the Megaverse safely rub shoulders with adventurers, mages, mercs, D-Bees, dragons, and creatures of all sorts. Many of these outsiders are bristling with rumors and tales of their exploits, treasures to be won, monsters and villains to be slain or opposed, and wonders to be experienced by those up to the challenge. Author Mark Oberle did a great job setting the stage and leaving all kinds of little enticements and hints about Lazlo and things to come like the Expeditionary Corp, the Lazlo Defense Force, and a whole lot more.

Rifts® Lazlo Raw Preview – Collector’s Edition – limited to 350 copies

• An overview of the Free State of Lazlo.
• Its government, business districts, Schools of Magic, and more.
• New magic O.C.C.s.
• New Techno-Wizard items and armor.
• New spells.
• Erin Tarn, notable characters, notable places.
• Adventure ideas and more.
• Only 350 copies of this limited collector’s item are available.
• Sold on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last.
• Written by Mark Oberle.
• 160 pages – $25.99 retail – Cat. No. 882-RAW.
• Available now while supplies last. Don’t delay, order today.
• What is a Raw Preview Edition? It is the unfinished, unedited, advance manuscript subject to rewrites and expansion. It gets a limited print run of around 200-350 copies and is fun for collectors to have something rare and unique. Game Masters and players get a glimpse into the future and may be able to get a jump on visiting Lazlo and plotting adventures. It is especially handy for writers and game designers who get to see the development process at Palladium when they compare what is in the Raw Preview and what sees print in the final book; i.e. what gets expanded, developed further, added, dropped out, etc. And remember, Rifts® Lazlo is likely to be the first of 3 or more related, but standalone titles. That is how comprehensive we want to make Lazlo. Heck, fans have waited 30 years for Lazlo to be defined, and we do not want to disappoint. The Raw Preview is 160 pages all by itself. Note: Yes, you may request it in your Surprise Package Wish List but this is a limited edition collector’s item so only a certain amount are being put aside for the Surprise Package.

Rifts^® Hammer of the Forge^™ Novel, Volume One – available now

Becoming a Cosmo-Knight™ is something children across the Three Galaxies dream about. But for Caleb Vulcan of Earth, the stories of the Cosmic Forge are unknown. As he teeters at a crossroads, he has no idea what is speaking to him nor the power of the choice he is about to make.

Join Caleb on his adventures across the Megaverse®, visit Phase World and meet an eclectic range of people from True Atlanteans and Space Wulfen to the Kreeghor and Cosmo-Knights.

The Cosmo-Knight™ is the first of two Hammer of the Forge™ novels that collect the epic, fan fave stories serialized in The Rifter®. It is a roller coaster ride that brings Rifts Earth, Phase World® and the Three Galaxies to action-packed life. Very fun. It is available as a physical novel from Palladium Books AND as a PDF from DriveThruRPG.com – so are the Rifts® Trilogy of novels by Adam Chilson and the Rifts® Anthology book (11 authors) set in the Chi-Town ‘Burbs. Note: The further adventures of Cosmo-Knight Caleb Vulcan and friends are found Rifts® Hammer of the Forge™ Novel, Volume Two: The Reckoning, shipping now.

• Great cover. A fun read.
• 5 x 8 inch paperback.
• Written by James M.G. Cannon.
• Re-edited and compiled into two novels.
• 288 pages – $13.99 – Cat. No. 306 – available now.
• Note: Hammer of the Forge and ALL Rifts® novels are available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.com – epic adventure that spans the Megaverse®.

NEW! Rifts^® Hammer of the Forge^™ Novel, Volume Two – now shipping!

The continuing adventures of Cosmo-Knight Caleb Vulcan take our hero across space and time to be pitted against one enemy after another. The first is the wicked Royal Kreeghor, Geryon, commander of the Shadowstar, a dreadnaught rumored to carry a star-slaying weapon capable of snuffing out entire solar systems.

Then Caleb must once again face the mad Elf, Elias Harkonnen. A soulless psychopath who quit the Invincible Guardsmen because they did not offer him enough opportunities to kill people. A mad dog who relishes the thought of adding a Cosmo-Knight to his list of illustrious victims.

As each chapter unfolds, our hero faces new challenges and encounters friends and foes, and twists and turns too shocking to reveal here. Such is the power and legacy of a Cosmo-Knight.

• The Reckoning is the second of two Hammer of the Forge™ novels that collect the epic, fan fave stories serialized in The Rifter®. Available as a PDF on DriveThru and as a physical book from PalladiumBooks.com.
• Great cover. A fun read.
• 5 x 8 inch paperback.
• Written by James M.G. Cannon.
• Re-edited and compiled into two novels.
• 304 pages – $14.99 – Cat. No. 307 – now shipping!
• Note: The Hammer of the Forge novels, the Rifts® Trilogy of novels by Adam Chilson, the Rifts® Anthology: Tales of the Chi-Town ‘Burbs (11 authors), Machinations of Doom graphic novel by Ramon K. Perez, and Path of the Storm, a proposed Rifts® movie script, are all available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.com – epic adventure that spans the Megaverse®.

NEW on DriveThruRPG.com – Palladium Christmas Sale – Rifts^® Savage Worlds Bundle of Holding – Hammer of the Forge Novel, Volume Two

SALE! All Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™, After the Bomb®, Nightbane®, Dead Reign®, and Beyond the Supernatural titles are on sale for the holiday – now thru December 29. Need that last minute gift for the holidays but don’t want to pay for expedited shipping? Or want to start the New Year off with gaming fun? Take advantage of the Palladium Christmas Sale on DriveThruRPG.com to get a wide range of PDF titles that are on sale in time for Christmas and even a little after. On sale now through the holiday weekend. Enjoy.

NEW! Rifts® for Savage Worlds Bundle of Holding is happening right now! This is Pinnacle Entertainment’s adaptation of Rifts® for the fast-furious-fun Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE) rules. Btw, Savage Rifts® maps are awesome and their adventures can be easily adapted to your Palladium-based Rifts® campaigns, and vice versa. The source material in Palladium’s books – a vast array of additional characters, monsters, magic, weapons, locations, adventures, etc., are easily adapted to provide more depth and history and adventure options for your Savage Worlds campaigns.

This is an opportunity for you to check out Savage Rifts® and maybe get some fun PDFs on the cheap to keep you warm during the winter. I enjoy reading their condensed histories and summaries of Rifts Earth, people and places.

NEW! Rifts® Hammer of the Forge, Volume Two: The Reckoning is now available as a PDF novel. It completes the original story of Cosmo-Knight Caleb Vulcan with dramatic and fun flair as it reveals his continuing adventures. Adventures and challenges that carry our hero across space and time to be pitted against one enemy after another. As each chapter unfolds, our hero faces new challenges and encounters friends and foes, and twists and turns too shocking to reveal here. Such is the power and legacy of a Cosmo-Knight. Now available as a PDF on DriveThru. Note: The Hammer of the Forge novels, the Rifts® Trilogy of novels by Adam Chilson, the Rifts® Anthology: Tales of the Chi-Town ‘Burbs (11 authors), Machinations of Doom graphic novel by Ramon K. Perez, and Path of the Storm, a proposed Rifts® movie script, are all available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.com – epic adventure that spans the Megaverse®.

NEW! Rifts® Hammer of the Forge, Volume One: The Cosmo-Knight is available as a PDF novel on DriveThruRPG and as a physical book from PalladiumBooks.com. See the full description for The Cosmo-Knight earlier in this Update.

Also Coming: Sneak previews of upcoming books, more novels and fun.

Available now! In the Face of Death™, the latest in Palladium’s Zombie Apocalypse series. It deals with survival in the big city and the suburbs where it is said survival is impossible, and yet communities thrive. New survivor O.C.C.s, human urban predators, cults, heroes, city resources, new villains, bold survivor children as player characters, superhuman survivors, 101 adventure ideas, and much more.

Reminder: Rifts® Index One and Two, as well as Rifts® Novel 3: Treacherous Awakenings are available as PDF titles along with the first two novels and 300+ other Palladium Books RPG Titles. Gen Con Online talked about Rifts®, Rifts® Bestiary, Rifts® Dimension Books, Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Beyond the Supernatural™, Nightbane®, Dead Reign®, Heroes Unlimited™, and other Palladium game lines, ALL of which are available as PDFs from DriveThru and most of which are available as physical books from Palladium directly.

Recent Release – Rifts® Novel 3: Treacherous Awakenings™, the pulse-pounding and satisfying conclusion to the Rifts® trilogy by Adam Chilson. It is available as a PDF on DriveThruRPG.com right now! $9.99 – Cat. No. 303. The other two novels, Rifts® Sonic Boom and Rifts® Deception’s Web, are also available as PDFs from DriveThru for your reading pleasure along with more than 300 RPG titles with more stuff coming your way. Note: We also plan to make it available as our first Print On Demand title from DriveThruRPG in the near future. Watch for it.

In the works for DriveThru in the weeks ahead: In no particular order, Duty’s Edge™, a new Rifts® novel in the pipeline from Will Erwin, the collected The Hammer of the Forge™ (cosmic adventure across Phase World® and the Three Galaxies), and more.

Recent on DriveThruRPG – Rifts® Sonic Boom™. Follow the exploits of a CS platoon sworn to protect humankind from all threats, be they aliens, dragons, masters of magic or fellow humans out for themselves; the second novel in this trilogy, Deception’s Web™, reveals a conspiracy within the Coalition military that could spell disaster for our protagonists. All of it building up to the pulse-pounding events of the 3rd novel: Rifts® Treacherous Awakenings™. The Rifter® #84 offers adventure source material for Rifts® (Golems in the Myst), Heroes Unlimited™ (the City of Cascade by Wujcik and Reed), Palladium Fantasy RPG® (an Elven Kingdom), Beyond the Supernatural™ (an epic adventure, a short story, and a monster), Nightbane® (Spellbound O.C.C.), why The Rifter® is on hiatus, and more.

Also available: Free Garden of the Gods™ (Fantasy) and Rifts® Bestiary™ Volume One Sneak Previews, and the 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.

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.

• Rifts® is a genre-bending setting that combines science fiction, fantasy, horror, post-apocalypse survival, magic, and endless possibilities for adventure. Imagine a near perfect world of advanced technology 100 years in the future. Then imagine that world crashing down overnight in an apocalyptic upheaval not seen since the formation of the planet. A Great Cataclysm caused by the explosive return of magic. Now fast forward 300 years into the future where magic, dragons, and mythic gods coexist with cyborgs, giant robots and super-science rediscovered from humanity's Golden Age as humans rise from a lengthy Dark Age. But they must contend with countless alien life forms, monsters, and supernatural horrors from beyond the Rifts.
• Rifts® core titles we would suggest: Rifts® Ultimate Edition, Rifts® Game Master Guide, Rifts® Book of Magic, Rifts® Adventure Guide, D-Bees of North America™, Rifts® World Book 11: Coalition War Campaign and Rifts® Sourcebook One. Note: The Rifts® RPG, 1st Edition and Rifts® Ultimate, 2nd Edition are both available.
• 80+ Rifts® supplements, most of them available as PDFs with more coming. Where to start? Wherever sounds fun.
• Rifts® Dimension Books™: Travel to alien worlds and dimensions via the Rifts for off-world adventure and intrigue.
• Rifts® Chaos Earth® RPG and sourcebook series (all). 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.
• FREE Sneak Previews for Nightbane® Dark Designs™, Rifts® Secrets of the Atlanteans™, Rifts® CS Heroes of Humanity, and many other previews as well as free and low cost items that we make available. All of it adds to the growing list of Rifts and other Palladium RPG game titles available as PDF books, cards and support. A new title should be added every week or two, so keep watching for them.
• The Rifter® #1-84, ALL issues of The Rifter®. Each issue is a wealth of source material and ideas for 3-6 different Palladium game lines. Most are easily adapted to ANY Palladium game setting. Each issue a gem. 8,500 pages of source material and ideas for heroes, villains, monsters, magic, gear, and adventure.
• Splicers® RPG is like Iron Man meets Game of Thrones with elements of Terminator – except this army of Iron Men are clad in living body armor and wield living, organic weapons and devices. Created in 2004 by writer and game designer Carmen Bellaire, Splicers® was nominated for an Inquest Gamer Magazine Fan Awards Game of the Year, and has since developed a rabid fan base. Science fiction and horror where humans are forced to use genetically engineered, living weapons and organic war machines to battle an insane Artificial Intelligence and her robot legions. Unlike anything you have ever played before!
• Splicers®: I Am Legion™ Adventure Sourcebook: 6 new Great Houses, 4 new Host Armors, 6 new War Mounts, 19 new Bio-Weapons, 15 new killer machines, new Bio-Enhancements, Amalgam creation tables, Legion and a series of adventures that build into a small campaign, and more.
• Palladium Fantasy RPG®, 1st Edition Rules and sourcebooks. A unique world of magic, monsters and heroes. Dozens of nonhuman player characters including Wolfen, Bearmen, Ogres, Orcs and more. 100,000 years of history.
• Palladium Fantasy RPG®, 2nd Edition Rules and many sourcebooks. The expanded world of high fantasy, magic, mystery and heroes of every variety. Includes the Mind Mage and psychic abilities, mages and spells, magic circles and symbols, men-at-arms, scoundrels and a wide range of inhuman player characters including Wolfen, Bearmen, Ogres, Orcs and many more. 100,000 years of history.
• Heroes Unlimited™ RPG first edition rule book and sourcebooks.
• Heroes Unlimited™ RPG Second Edition rule book and sourcebooks. Create any type of superhuman you can desire and bring comic book adventures to life.
• Dead Reign® RPG (Zombie Apocalypse). The dead have risen. It is the battle for survival in the zombie apocalypse, but this setting is much more than your typical zombie game. Play ordinary people or special characters better equipped to survive and hunt zombies. Many unusual types of zombies.
• Dead Reign® Sourcebooks: 6 sourcebooks from Civilization Gone™ to Hell Followed™ (the latter features stats for 23 disasters, masked lunatics, 11 new zombies, 7 apocalyptic character classes, and more) are available.
• Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG, 1st Edition Rules. Supernatural horror in the modern world. Play ordinary people, psychics, paranormal investigators or for something different: Victim Characters!
• Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG, 2nd Edition: The complete, revised core game, 14 character classes and 42 occupations for "ordinary people," 100+ psychic abilities, 16 monsters, the Lazlo Agency, world setting and rules.
• Nightbane® RPG and sourcebooks. An RPG setting we call superhero horror. Dark conspiracy, a secret, demon invasion starting with world leaders and law enforcement, and it is spreading. The player characters are the Nightbane®, reluctant superhumans who must turn into monsters themselves to unleash their powers and battle the evil that is clear only to them. A dark, sinister and challenging world of horror.
• After the Bomb® RPG and sourcebooks. Planet of the Apes meets the X-Men! Animal creations, powers and more. Create any type of intelligent mutant animal you can imagine as friend or foe.
• Ninjas & Superspies™ RPG and the Mystic China™ sourcebook. James Bond meets Enter the Dragon. 41 types of martial arts, ninjas, and super-spies with gadgets, gizmos and advanced weapons.
• The Mechanoid Invasion® Trilogy RPG is a long time, cult favorite with a fatalistic world-view of humans vs aliens with superior technology.
• The Palladium Weapon Series of real world weapons, armor and castles throughout history. Designed for use with ANY game system.
• 200+ Palladium titles in all, plus G.M. kits, paper miniatures and more.
• Heroes Unlimited™ Paper Miniatures – Two sets are now available!
• Palladium Fantasy RPG® Paper Miniatures – Volumes #1-6 are available now. More are coming in the weeks ahead.
• Rifts® Paper Miniatures: Men at Arms – $2.99
• Rifts® Paper Miniatures: Coalition Dead Boys – $2.99
• Rifts® Paper Miniatures: Adventurers – $2.99
• Rifts® Paper Miniatures: Practitioners of Magic (new) – $2.99
• Rifts® Paper Miniatures: Extras (new) – $2.99
• And more to come in the weeks ahead.

Palladium Collectibles, Negatives, Artwork, other Collectibles and Toys are always available in Kevin’s Online Toy & Collectibles eBay Store along with other good things

My eBay store is one of the few places where you can find original artwork by Charles "Chuck" Walton, Kevin Long, and others, as well as one-of-a-kind negatives from classic Rifts® and other Palladium RPG books (they look awesome framed!), rare Palladium collector hardcovers, signed books, other Palladium memorabilia, toys from my personal collection and other collectibles. Check every couple of weeks because we often post new stuff or offer a new sale. There is a sale on negatives starting today, in fact.

Other one-of-a-kind original artwork available by me (Kevin Siembieda), Kevin Long, Charles Walton II (money goes to the artist), other artists, as well as collectible negatives, prints, limited edition hardcovers, proofreader copies, out of print items, Star Wars toys, Marvel toys and many other toys and collectibles from my personal collection. Alex and I will keep adding items as our busy schedules allow, but we have a lot of fun collectibles available now and coming soon. Hundreds of items. Take a look every weekend for new additions.

Available now: One-of-a-kind book negatives. Negatives were very popular items at the Palladium Open House and people went crazy over them at Gen Con – including actor Joe Manganiello who scooped up a pile of TMNT negatives, while Palladium's own Mark Oberle, Carmen Bellaire, Brandon Aten and a whole lot of Palladium gamers went for negatives from Rifts® New West, Lone Star and Free Quebec. Fun.

Negatives are unique and attractive, one-of-a-kind (on rare occasions two-of-a-kind if a page was replaced or a second edition was made) works of art that resemble woodcut art and are very dynamic conversation pieces. Before digital printing, pages of a book were laid out by hand on a board, and each page was photographed. The plastic film negatives were then "ganged" on a massive sheet of Mylar 16 pages per big sheet, and the printing plates were made from the negatives – everything white, printing black.

When our printer, McNaughton and Gunn, went completely digital, they asked if Palladium Books wanted the negs, otherwise they would be destroyed. Regrettably, I let a few dozen be destroyed, but the negatives of many books were sent to Palladium. They have sat in our warehouse for years until I started to offer them for sale. I have also started signing the negatives in silver and each comes with a Certificate of Authenticity. Each negative comes on a white board inside a plastic magazine bag and looks fabulous framed! Fits in an 8x10 inch matt opening in a frame (each neg is roughly 8½ x 11 inches).

http://stores.ebay.com/kevinstoys-artandcollectibles

Closing Thoughts – Happy Holidays

Happy holidays everyone. Do yourself a favor and try to put the pandemic, politics, and work aside and spend your weekend reaching out to those you love. If this year has taught us anything it is that nothing is certain or predictable anymore, and life is more precious than we may have ever realized.

I hope Santa is nice to you this Christmas and that you find peace and joy in who and what you have. Give the wonderful people you are with a hug, and please stay safe and hang tough. Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas.

– Kevin Siembieda, Surrogate Santa and Friend

Copyright 2020 Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved.

Rifts®, The Rifter®, RECON®, Splicers®, Powers Unlimited®, Palladium Books®, The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, Phase World®, Nightbane®, Megaverse®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, Coalition Wars®, Chaos Earth®, Dead Reign®, and After the Bomb® are Registered Trademarks of Palladium Books Inc.; Beyond the Supernatural, Coalition States, Garden of the Gods, Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas & Superspies, Minion War, Mysteries of Magic, Psychic Scream, 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.

This press release may be reprinted, reposted, linked and shared for the sole purpose of advertising, promotion and sales solicitation.

One game system – every genre – countless worlds – endless adventure

By Kevin Siembieda

Christmas is next week! On one hand I cannot believe it is here already. On the other hand, the usual traditional festivity of the season is dulled this year and we have a new empty seat at the table. (See my Closing Thoughts for the details.) But overall, we at Palladium have been feeling very blessed and lucky. Though I cannot be with all the ones I love in person or host a party or two for friends, I have had the luxury of doing the Christmas Surprise Packages for you, my huge extended family, and that means a lot. It really does.

I love Christmas, which is why I launched the Palladium Christmas Surprise Package idea more than two decades ago as a way to show our thanks and appreciation to you. With all that has been going on this year, they feel more important than they ever have. I sincerely hope each and every Surprise Package brings a little bit (or maybe even a lot) of laughter and joy to you that lasts long after you open the Package. I hope the books they contain give you ideas for new adventures and fun that carries you into the new year and safely through the pandemic. That single notion has, for me, kept the sense of isolation and sadness at bay, and has enabled me to keep the magic of the season very much alive in my heart.

I can tell you that your orders have certainly kept me, Kathy, and the guys at the office busy as all get out. Yep, you have given me and the Palladium crew, a taste of what it must be like to be Santa Claus and his Elves! And it is exciting and joyful, if a little exhausting. Ho, ho, ho.

Your keeping us so busy has helped make us forget our worries and make the days fly by. The warm and sweet or funny sentiments you share with us in many of the comment sections have also been keeping us all humble and feeling warm and fuzzy for the holidays. The most touching comments are too personal to share in these Weekly Updates, but they and all of your brief comments and suggestions are appreciated and welcomed. Thank you for making us feel like we are a special part of your lives. Your families. Your holidays.

I have been so busy, in fact, that I will be shipping many of my own Christmas presents to friends, family, and freelancers late this year. That’s okay, they are all big boys and girls who understand that you must come first. I just hope all of you can find some similarly warm and joyful moments this holiday. Please know that you are not alone. You are part of the Palladium family and we are thinking of you and yours, and sending you our warmest wishes throughout these holidays and into the New Year.

I probably should be saving these sentiments for the Christmas Weekly Update, but the loss of a very dear friend to Covid-19 here in Michigan has made me sentimental and appreciative for what I have. And that most definitely includes all of you wonderful people. Please stay safe and hug and kiss the loved ones nearby. Reach out to all the rest of the folks important to you via social media, the phone, letters, and cards to let them know you cherish them. It makes a difference. You make a difference. Love ya. – Kevin

NEW! Just arrived, right on schedule – Hammer of the Forge^™, Volume 2: The Reckoning

The pulse-pounding Hammer of the Forge™, Volume 2: The Reckoning arrived today along with a number of short run reprints so we do not run out of any titles for the holidays. Hammer of the Forge 2 looks great and those of you who enjoyed Volume One will love Volume 2. Perhaps even more, because there are all kinds of unexpected twists and turns as the adventures of the Cosmo-Knight Caleb Vulcan come to a close (at least for the moment). Both Hammer of the Forge™, Volume One and Two are available now as physical books from Palladium and as PDF novels on DriveThruRPG.com. More details below.

Christmas Surprise Packages and orders in time for Christmas

UPS and Priority Mail orders to a USA address placed by December 15 and even December 16 SHOULD get to you in time for Christmas. HOWEVER, it is becoming painfully clear that this varies widely from city to city. For example, a couple of things sent out via First Class Mail two weeks ago to my printer still have yet to arrive. And they are only a 45 minute drive from the Palladium office. Crazy, right? Sheesh. Meanwhile, we are getting reports of other packages and mail arriving on time or just a day or two later than usual.

Only two orders are sitting on our warehouse tables at the moment, each is waiting for a few extra signatures. (Hey Federico, if you read this, I have shipped the book portion of your Surprise Package today. The art will ship when I get the special piece Chuck wants to do for you.)

From this point on, ordinary UPS Ground and Priority Mail delivery, even to locations east of the Mississippi River, may or may not arrive in time for Christmas and you should assume it will NOT. Successful delivery in time for Christmas will depend on the volume of packages, weather, the available workforce, and individual city postal services (which vary). Note: It has been my experience that ALL shipping services try their best to get packages delivered in time for the holidays, but they are only human and these are extraordinary times. Be patient and good luck. That goes double for those of you in the path of that Nor’easter storm.

Palladium Books will continue to work through the weekends to process, pick, and pack your orders. Weekend orders (those placed on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) ship on Monday. However, unless you pay for expedited shipping your package is not likely to arrive by Christmas Eve. You help us with fast turnaround by providing a large, clear Wish List of 15 or more items you know are in stock with your Surprise Package orders.

Expedited Shipping Services:

• UPS 3-Day Select – Orders placed by December 20 should arrive by Christmas Eve.
• UPS 2nd Day Air – Orders placed by December 21 should arrive by Christmas Eve.
• UPS Next Day Air (to arrive December 24) – Orders placed by December 22 should arrive by Christmas Eve. Remember, we need time to process and pack your order!
• If you do NOT need your order or Surprise Package for Christmas, you are golden. Ship via Media Mail, Priority Mail or UPS Ground and get it after Christmas or the first of the year. Remember, the Surprise Package is a great gift for birthdays, anniversaries, or special events that may be coming up in January and even for Valentine’s Day/February. Or as a treat for yourself (you deserve it). It is also a great way to start the New Year or try new settings or fill out your collection. If you have not tried one, you still have time. You will not regret it.

Get your Surprise Package now – offer ends December 24, 2020

Give the gamers in your life a gift for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day (for you in Canada and elsewhere), birthdays, anniversaries, graduation and any gift-giving occasion. Or treat yourself. After this crazy year, you deserve to do something nice for yourself. Physical game books at PDF prices, and we will sign them if you would like us to.

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. And God knows this year has been so crazy, we need something fun like the Christmas Surprise Package to bring a little joy and laughter into our lives. With so many people suffering from Covid-19 related doldrums, frustration, and in some cases, money issues, they need to escape to realms of role-playing adventures. Not to mention the huge savings and autographs, if you want them, available via a Palladium Christmas Surprise Package.

A Surprise Package is your way to get physical books (and autographs if you want them) for PDF prices! $95-$100+ worth of Palladium products for only $50 (plus shipping and handling)! That can nab you four or more items when these days one core rule book can cost you that alone.

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 RPGs, sourcebooks, issues of the Rifter®, novels, miniatures, prints, art books, greeting cards, T-shirts, negatives, original art, and other items. Some books may be slightly damaged (scuffs, scratches, dings, a crunched corner, etc.) so we can send you more.

Truly the best deal in gaming, Palladium's 23rd Annual Christmas Surprise Package gets you $95-$105, sometimes MORE, worth of product for ONLY $50 (plus shipping and handling), as gifts for others or for yourself. That’s physical books at PDF prices. And if you want them signed we will sign each and every one of them. Plus we have some original art by Chuck Walton and maybe a few others you may request. But don’t count on it, still provide us with a juicy Wish List. Art is donated by the artists and very limited.

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®, Mechanoid Invasion®, Rifts®, 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 10-15 Palladium products (or more) FOR EACH Surprise Package you order. This list of 10-15 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, 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 $95-$105 worth of product, sometimes more! Yes, sometimes more, for only $50 plus shipping and handling. 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. PLEASE spread the word about this great offer.

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 $95-$100 (often more) worth of product and only paying $50 plus a small handling charge. 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 $50-$60 US dollars. HOWEVER, because the cost of the product is so low, that’s the equivalent of paying retail for the products and only $0-$30 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.

NEW! DriveThruRPG.com Palladium Christmas Sale – Now through Christmas Weekend

ALL Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™, After the Bomb®, Nightbane®, Dead Reign®, and Beyond the Supernatural titles are on sale for the holiday – now thru December 29 on DriveThruRPG.com.

Need that last minute gift for the holidays but don’t want to pay for expedited shipping? Or want to start the New Year off with gaming fun? Take advantage of the Palladium Christmas Sale on DriveThruRPG.com to get a wide range of PDF titles that are on sale. No need to worry about delivery in time for Christmas. Snag yourself or a pal some PDF books now through the holiday weekend and take a look at the Savage Rifts® Bundle of Holding also taking place. Enjoy.

NEW! Pinnacle Entertainment – Savage Rifts^® Bundle of Holding and Savage Worlds^® Explorer’s Bundle of Holding – available now

Rifts® for Savage Worlds Bundle of Holding launched this past Monday. It is Pinnacle Entertainment’s adaptation of Rifts Earth for the fast-furious-fun Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE) rules. Btw, Savage Rifts® maps are awesome and their adventures can be easily adapted to your Palladium-based Rifts® campaigns, and vice versa. Likewise, Savage Rifts® players can easily adapt Palladium’s 90+ Rifts titles to their campaigns to provide additional monsters, magic, villains, weapons, locations, and adventure in their games. So take a look at the Savage Rifts® Bundle of Holding and maybe get some fun PDFs on the cheap to keep you warm during the winter. I enjoy reading their condensed histories and summaries of Rifts Earth, people and places as well as their new twists.

Pinnacle’s Savage Rifts® enlists your adventurer group for a campaign of rail gun-shredding, mega-powered, magic-flinging adventure across Rifts Earth. And ALL of these Savage Rifts® titles are newly revised for the 2019 Savage Worlds Adventure Edition core rule book, which is not included in this offer.

For just $12.95 US Dollars you get all five Rifts® SWADE supplements and sourcebooks in this offer's Starter Collection (retail value $43) as DRM-free PDF ebooks, including the Tomorrow Legion Player's Guide, Game Master's Handbook, Tomorrow Legion Field Manual, Mega Power List, and the six pre-generated player characters in Savage Rifts® Archetypes Set 1.

And if you pay more than this offer's threshold price, you will level up and also get this offer's entire Bonus Collection with nine more titles worth an additional $44, including Rifts® Savage Foes of North America, the full-length adventure Garnet Town Gambit, six full-color Combat Maps, and the Savage Rifts® GM Screen Inserts. Used with permission under license.

The Savage Worlds Bundle of Holding offers are also highlighting the storied past of Savage Worlds with a new companion offer, Savage Explorer Essentials. It is a big retrospective of Pinnacle’s Explorer's Edition rule book and its many Companions, plus campaign settings like 50 Fathoms and Necessary Evil. (Caution: The Essentials offer presents the 2007 Explorer's Edition rules, which are not fully compatible with the SWADE titles in this offer.)

The Good Fight: Ten percent of each payment (after gateway fees) for the two current Savage Worlds offers goes to the charity chosen by Pinnacle Entertainment's Shane Hensley and Palladium's Kevin Siembieda, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

To learn more about these Bundles of Holding, go to bundleofholding.com/presents/SavageRifts

UPDATE: Red Duke Games Playmats Kickstarter has funded – 10 Days remaining

The Red Duke Games Playmats Kickstarter is fully funded and guaranteed, so if you want any Rifts® playmats (Dead Reign®, Nightbane®, and others), now is the time to place your orders. Many of these iconic Palladium Books images were special requests from backers who are fans like you, and there are new additions that include the famous Ley Line scene (one of my favorites by Kevin Long), Coalition Forces on the move (Spider Skull Walkers, Skelebots, CS troops; also by Long), Psyscape (Zeleznik) and the powerful Rifts® CCG cover (Zeleznik) along with the Red ‘Borg and others. Time is starting to run out as this Kickstarter winds down. ENDS December 28, 2020.

This is your chance to get Palladium Books’ iconic artwork on 24x14 inch playmats, because we do not know if they will ever be offered again. They are being made available via a special arrangement with Red Duke Games, the people who brought you the Necronomnomnom Cookbook. Palladium selections include full color art from Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, Nightbane®, Dead Reign®, and Palladium Fantasy® covers along with many other Red Duke Games Playmats. This is a limited time Kickstarter offer, so you need to act before the Kickstarter ends and before you get caught up in the holiday frenzy.

This is the first time ever that Palladium’s artwork has been made available on playmats and they are available only via this holiday Kickstarter. Btw, if the response is strong enough, Red Duke Games may ask us to include MORE, so go check out the Playmats by Red Duke Games Kickstarter and spread the word.

A great way to start the New Year. I believe they said the playmats will be printed and shipped sometime in February. See the Playmats by Red Duke Games Kickstarter for complete details.

BACK IN STOCK for the Holidays only – Systems Failure^™ RPG – BTS Boxed Nightmares – Nightbane^®: Shadows of Light sourcebook

Whew, these titles are flying off the shelf, so I guess we were right to do a limited run for the holidays like we did a few years ago. Get ‘em while you can. Available on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last. Also available as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.

Systems Failure™ RPG: It is time to fight back, kill some bugs, and take our world back! In this invasion setting you battle a plague of bugs – alien bugs – that drink electrical energy and have plunged the world into crisis. This fun, standalone post-apocalypse game was designed at the start of the New Millennium and poked fun at the Y2K fears about the end of the world in 2000. The game is a blast whether you play it deadly serious or with a touch of humor. Kill the bugs! $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 650 – Shipping now.

Boxed Nightmares, a Beyond the Supernatural sourcebook: Six adventures, monsters, and many adventure ideas. Scary fun. $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 701 – Shipping now.

Shadows of Light, a Nightbane® Sourcebook: The angel-like Athanatos, Fallen Guardians, the Reapers, info about various factions, a vampire conspiracy, a Pittsburgh adventure, and more. $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 734 – Shipping now.

Rifts® Lazlo Raw Preview – available now

The Lazlo Raw Preview (and Hammer of the Forge Novel) continues to blow out the door faster than we expected. Awesome. If you have not ordered one, what are you waiting for? Remember, the Raw Preview is a limited edition collector’s item with only 350 copies available to you on a first come, first served basis while supplies last.

Get your first glimpse of Lazlo with the Rifts® Lazlo Raw Preview. A noble experiment and idealistic utopia where all manner of people are accepted. A place where learning and education are embraced, and its people strive to be better, braver, bolder, and kinder. An oasis of comparative peace and goodness in a world that is still climbing out of the smoldering ruins and chaos of the Great Cataclysm and the Coming of the Rifts.

Here mages and visitors from across the Megaverse safely rub shoulders with adventurers, mages, mercs, D-Bees, dragons, and creatures of all sorts. Many of these outsiders are bristling with rumors and tales of their exploits, treasures to be won, monsters and villains to be slain or opposed, and wonders to be experienced by those up to the challenge. Author Mark Oberle did a great job setting the stage and leaving all kinds of little enticements and hints about Lazlo and things to come like the Expeditionary Corp, the Lazlo Defense Force, and a whole lot more.

Rifts® Lazlo Raw Preview – Collector’s Edition – limited to 350 copies

• An overview of the Free State of Lazlo.
• Its government, business districts, Schools of Magic, and more.
• New magic O.C.C.s.
• New Techno-Wizard items and armor.
• New spells.
• Erin Tarn, notable characters, notable places.
• Adventure ideas and more.
• Only 350 copies of this limited collector’s item are available.
• Sold on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last.
• Written by Mark Oberle.
• 160 pages – $25.99 retail – Cat. No. 882-RAW.
• Available now while supplies last. Don’t delay, order today.
• What is a Raw Preview Edition? It is the unfinished, unedited, advance manuscript subject to rewrites and expansion. It gets a limited print run of around 200-350 copies and is fun for collectors to have something rare and unique. Game Masters and players get a glimpse into the future and may be able to get a jump on visiting Lazlo and plotting adventures. It is especially handy for writers and game designers who get to see the development process at Palladium when they compare what is in the Raw Preview and what sees print in the final book; i.e. what gets expanded, developed further, added, dropped out, etc. And remember, Rifts® Lazlo is likely to be the first of 3 or more related, but standalone titles. That is how comprehensive we want to make Lazlo. Heck, fans have waited 30 years for Lazlo to be defined, and we do not want to disappoint. The Raw Preview is 160 pages all by itself. Note: Yes, you may request it in your Surprise Package Wish List but this is a limited edition collector’s item so only a certain amount are being put aside for the Surprise Package.

Rifts^® Hammer of the Forge^™ Novel, Volume One – available now

Becoming a Cosmo-Knight™ is something children across the Three Galaxies dream about. But for Caleb Vulcan of Earth, the stories of the Cosmic Forge are unknown. As he teeters at a crossroads, he has no idea what is speaking to him nor the power of the choice he is about to make.

Join Caleb on his adventures across the Megaverse®, visit Phase World and meet an eclectic range of people from True Atlanteans and Space Wulfen to the Kreeghor and Cosmo-Knights.

The Cosmo-Knight™ is the first of two Hammer of the Forge™ novels that collect the epic, fan fave stories serialized in The Rifter®. It is a roller coaster ride that brings Rifts Earth, Phase World® and the Three Galaxies to action-packed life. Very fun. It is available as a physical novel from Palladium Books AND as a PDF from DriveThruRPG.com – so are the Rifts® Trilogy of novels by Adam Chilson and the Rifts® Anthology book (11 authors) set in the Chi-Town ‘Burbs. Note: The further adventures of Cosmo-Knight Caleb Vulcan and friends are found Rifts® Hammer of the Forge™ Novel, Volume Two: The Reckoning, shipping now.

• Great cover. A fun read.
• 5 x 8 inch paperback.
• Written by James M.G. Cannon.
• Re-edited and compiled into two novels.
• 288 pages – $13.99 – Cat. No. 306 – available now.
• Note: Hammer of the Forge and ALL Rifts® novels are available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.com – epic adventure that spans the Megaverse®.

NEW! Rifts^® Hammer of the Forge^™ Novel, Volume Two – now shipping!

The continuing adventures of Cosmo-Knight Caleb Vulcan take our hero across space and time to be pitted against one enemy after another. The first is the wicked Royal Kreeghor, Geryon, commander of the Shadowstar, a dreadnaught rumored to carry a star-slaying weapon capable of snuffing out entire solar systems.

Then Caleb must once again face the mad Elf, Elias Harkonnen. A soulless psychopath who quit the Invincible Guardsmen because they did not offer him enough opportunities to kill people. A mad dog who relishes the thought of adding a Cosmo-Knight to his list of illustrious victims.

As each chapter unfolds, our hero faces new challenges and encounters friends and foes, and twists and turns too shocking to reveal here. Such is the power and legacy of a Cosmo-Knight.

• The Reckoning is the second of two Hammer of the Forge™ novels that collect the epic, fan fave stories serialized in The Rifter®. Available as a PDF on DriveThru and as a physical book from PalladiumBooks.com.
• Great cover. A fun read.
• 5 x 8 inch paperback.
• Written by James M.G. Cannon.
• Re-edited and compiled into two novels.
• 304 pages – $14.99 – Cat. No. 307 – now shipping!
• Note: The Hammer of the Forge novels, the Rifts® Trilogy of novels by Adam Chilson, the Rifts® Anthology: Tales of the Chi-Town ‘Burbs (11 authors), Machinations of Doom graphic novel by Ramon K. Perez, and Path of the Storm, a proposed Rifts® movie script, are all available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.com – epic adventure that spans the Megaverse®.

BACK IN STOCK: Rifts^® Novel: Sonic Boom – New size – Re-edited – Available now

Experience Rifts North America through the eyes of soldiers of the Coalition States. Follow the exploits of a CS platoon led by the courageous and well-intentioned Lieutenant Greg Merrick and Military Specialist Lieutenant Michael Sorenson, sworn to protect humankind from all threats be they aliens, dragons, or masters of magic.

Rifts® Sonic Boom™ is your introduction to the multi-genre setting of the popular, post-post-apocalypse science-fantasy Rifts® Role-Playing Game. Where high-technology, magic and the supernatural coexist on a transformed Earth that is both familiar and alien.

Read all three novels in this epic journey of discovery and adventure.

• 5 x 8 inch paperback.
• Written by Adam Chilson.
• Book One in a fast paced trilogy.
• 294 pages – $13.99 – Cat. No. 301 – available now.
• Rifts® Sonic Boom™ has been re-edited, slightly expanded, and cleaned up for your enjoyment.
• Note: All three novels are available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books from DriveThruRPG.com – the three novels make a great read.

Rifts^® Novel: Deception’s Web – available now

Lt. Merrick’s mission: To hunt down and destroy the so-called Army of the New Order. A terrorist group composed of mercenaries and practitioners of magic. They have been a thorn in the side of the Coalition States for long enough, it’s time to put a stop to them.

When their seek and destroy mission suddenly goes sideways, the soldiers find one of their own accused of treason and arrested for court-martial. The lives they had known and the people they trust collide with events and realizations that strain friendships and test their loyalty to the Coalition States and each other.

Hard choices, strange bedfellows, a living enigma, and the hand of evil each play a role in Rifts® Deception’s Web™.

• 4 x 7 inch paperback.
• Written by Adam Chilson.
• Book Two in the trilogy.
• 409 pages – $9.95 – Cat. No. 302 – available now.
• Note: All three novels are available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books from DriveThruRPG.com – the three novels make a great read.

Rifts^® Novel 3: Treacherous Awakenings

It seems clear to Lieutenants Merrick and Sorenson and the elite team under their command that they are being used as pawns in a larger conspiracy. A secret agenda that may lead straight to the top of the Coalition’s High Command.

But who? And how do they ferret out that person and find the evidence they need to bring an end to it without destroying themselves in the process?

Rifts® Treacherous Awakenings™ is the pulse-pounding conclusion to a trilogy of books based on the popular Rifts® Role-Playing Game.

The epic conclusion is satisfying and fun.

• 5 x 8 inch paperback.
• Written by Adam Chilson.
• 426 pages – $15.99 – Cat. No. 303 – Available now!
• Note: All three novels are available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books from DriveThruRPG.com – enjoy.

NEW! 4 different Palladium Coffee Mugs – available now

With so many people working from home, Palladium’s fun and attractive coffee mugs have been in high demand. The Rifts® logo mug sold out a couple of weeks ago, and the Palladium Fantasy® mug sold out last week. As a result, we sent them in for another printing as well as two new mugs: A new, dynamic Dead Reign® zombie mug with an illustration by Steven Cummings done specifically for use on this coffee mug, and a Rifts® Titan Robotics™ mug, also featuring artwork by Steven Cummings. All four are in stock and ready to ship now! See details below.

NEW! Dead Reign® (Zombie attack) Coffee Mug – now shipping

A nice, large, 16 ounce coffee mug with artwork that appears on both sides of the mug, and the mug has a color interior, adding a nice splash of color to your morning or game time beverage. Everyone loves these mugs.

• The “Dead Reign®” logo with three hungry zombies ready to attack. Art designed specifically for this mug by artist Steven Cummings of comic book renown (Wayward® and various Marvel Comics). White on a black mug. Very dynamic.
• Art is located on the front and back of the mug.
• Glossy black exterior with a blood red interior.
• 16 ounce ceramic mug.
• Dishwasher and microwave safe.
• $10.99 retail – Cat. No. 2594.

NEW! Rifts^® Titan Robotics^™ Coffee Mug – now shipping

A nice, large, 16 ounce coffee mug with artwork that appears on both sides of the mug, and the mug has a color interior, adding a nice splash of color to your morning or game time beverage. Everyone loves these mugs.

• The “Rifts® Titan Robotics™” mug features the Rifts logo with the words Titan Robotics below it. Above the logo is one of the new Titan robots from the upcoming book release, standing in a dynamic pose. Art by Steven Cummings.
• Art is located on the front and back of the mug.
• Glossy black exterior with a blue interior.
• 16 ounce ceramic mug.
• Dishwasher and microwave safe.
• $10.99 retail – Cat. No. 2595.

Fan Favorite: Rifts^® LOGO Coffee Mug – now shipping

Back due to popular demand! A nice, large, 16 ounce coffee mug with large artwork that appears on both sides of the mug, and the mug has a color interior, adding a nice splash of color to your morning or game time beverage. Fans have been loving these mugs.

• The famous Rifts® logo in white on a black mug.
• Art is located on the front and back of the mug.
• Glossy black exterior with a bright blue interior.
• 16 ounce ceramic mug.
• Dishwasher and microwave safe.
• $10.99 retail – Cat. No. 2587.

Fan Favorite: Palladium Fantasy RPG^® “Dragon” Coffee Mug – now shipping

Back due to popular demand. A nice, large, 16 ounce coffee mug with large artwork that appears on both sides of the mug, and the mug has a color interior, adding a nice splash of color to your morning or game time beverage. Fans have been loving these mugs.

• The fan favorite “3-Headed Hydra” battling a knight from the iconic, original Palladium Fantasy RPG® cover. Red art on a black mug harkens back to the original RPG red and black cover.
• Art appears on the front and back of the mug.
• Glossy black exterior with an attractive orange interior.
• 16 ounce ceramic mug.
• Dishwasher and microwave safe.
• $10.99 retail – Cat. No. 2589.

COMING (tentative): Re-releases of fan favorite sold out Rifts^® miniatures

As I believe I mentioned in a previous Weekly Update, I am looking into re-releasing some old favorite Rifts® miniature sets. I’m waiting on quotes right now. That would include the Coalition soldiers and the original Glitter Boy. The G.B. is not quite as large and dynamic as the new Glitter Boy miniature, but we know collectors still want it, so we are considering offering it again. More details when I know more.

And we may be releasing other new miniatures created by Carmen Bellaire. Keep your eyes peeled.

Retailers can order direct from Palladium Books at discount terms

Retailers, are you having trouble getting Palladium products from your distributors? Join the growing number of stores to whom Palladium sells direct. 95-99% of all our game lines are ALWAYS IN STOCK and ready to ship. Palladium has your back!

Until we put into place something more formal, retailers can call the office at 734-721-2903 and leave a message and phone number on the answering machine, or send an inquiry via the Help Desk, and Palladium will respond pronto. Glad to help. As long as you are a brick and mortar store, we are happy to do business with you.

We added another store to our direct sales roster just yesterday, and others have inquired. Retailers and gamers alike, please spread the word to let game stores and comic book shops know if they are having difficulty getting Palladium Books products from distributors, they should contact Palladium Books to buy from us direct! Spread the fun and game on!

In the Face of Death^™ – Available now

A Dead Reign® Sourcebook that reimagines the Zombie Apocalypse while remaining true to the genre

In the Face of Death™ is part survival guide, part cityscape, and part heroic adventure the likes of which you have never quite seen before in a zombie RPG. Adventure is built upon human ingenuity, courage, hope, and insanity. Characters include children and teenagers, and heroes driven by madness. Human predators and other villains stalk the ruins of human civilization. Ruins inhabited by the omnipresent hungry dead.

This is a book that pushes the genre and challenges the imagination. It brings to focus a setting of heroic adventure that combines elements of horror, zombies, survival, and madness in a post-apocalyptic world with classic dungeon exploring and epic adventure. In the Face of Death™ helps make Dead Reign® into A Quiet Place meets Mad Max in the world of Dawn of the Dead.

“Pure fun, action, and excitement. A sourcebook packed with new ideas unlike any I have ever seen. This is what role-playing games and imagination are all about.” – Alex Marciniszyn, Editor

• Rethinking the Zombie Apocalypse.
• It is time to fight back and do more than survive.
• Life on the rooftops and in the heart of the city.
• Resources, defenses, traps, urban homesteads, and more.
• City survival tactics, traps, resources, and Rat Runs.
• Parkour, Zombie Survival Training, and other skills.
• New O.C.C.s like the Rat Runner and Urban Explorer.
• Kids and teenagers as player characters and kid O.C.C.s.
• Heroic Masked Lunatics – a new type of hero as player characters.
• Predators and villains like Gutter Rats, Flesh Peddlers, Skinners, and more.
• Dungeon crawl-style exploration through the ruins of human civilization.
• 100+ adventure hooks and dozens of additional ideas.
• Death Cults, their orientation and practices.
• Adaptable to other settings like Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, Heroes Unlimited™, Nightbane®, and more.
• Cover by E.M. Gist. Interior art by Bradshaw, Cummings, Mumah, and Ashbaugh.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda and Mark Oberle.
• 160 pages – $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 237 – Available now.

Rifts^® Ultimate Edition – Cat. No. 800HC – Available now

This big, 376 page role-playing game is everything you need to start playing Rifts®. Just add some dice, some players, and a heaping helping of imagination and you are ready to go.

If you have never played the rich, unpredictable, genre-melding Rifts® setting, you are missing epic adventure that never grows old, because anything is possible. No other RPG blends science fiction, fantasy, horror, and post-apocalyptic adventure with demons and aliens, robots and cyborgs, magic and the supernatural in such a plausible and dynamic way. A setting that lets you play any type and style of game you can imagine. With characters like Dragon Hatchlings, Cyber-Knights, Glitter Boys, Ley Line Walkers, Techno-Wizards, and Juicers that challenge the imagination. And those are just a tiny handful of the O.C.C.s you can play in Rifts®. Not to mention hundreds of different alien, supernatural, magical, and other beings available as player characters. All of it set on an Earth that is both familiar and as alien as a thousand different planets. So check it out, build your character, start a campaign, and watch your characters become legends.

• 30+ player characters to choose from; tech, magic, or psychic.
• Cyborgs, robot and power armor pilots, Scout, Assassin, and more.
• 140+ magic spells, plus Techno-Wizards, Shifters, and more.
• 90 psionic powers and psychic characters.
• Sourcebooks offer hundreds of different alien, supernatural beings, creatures of magic, and other beings, many available as player characters.
• There has never been another RPG quite like Rifts®.
• 376 page hardcover, some color – $41.99 retail – Cat. No. 800HC – available now.

COMING SOON! Rifts^® CS Manhunters^™ – A Secrets of the Coalition States^™ Sourcebook

Hey, I’m as frustrated as you are that this awesome book (BTS Creature Feature, too) is not done yet, but it will be soon. It has been rough being short-handed and juggling so much, but it will be worth the wait. Rifts® CS Manhunters™ is packed with good stuff. I will try to offer a few snippets in my Murmurs from the Megaverse® and social media.

Coalition Manhunters™ reveals more Coalition States secrets about the super-secret CS Manhunters. So secret that most people have never heard of them, and those who have do not believe they really exist. But that’s not all – there are new psionic abilities, new CS characters available as player characters and NPC villains, more insight about the CS and Psi-Battalion, and more. All of it building toward something epic.

Who watches the watchmen? CS Manhunters. A secret division within the Coalition’s Psi-Battalion who hunt not only the most dangerous spies and fugitives, but also traitors within the Coalition States. This elite force of psychics, Kill Hounds, Dog Boys, and CS soldiers are trained hunters of men and cold-blooded killing machines. They follow orders without question and kill without hesitation.

• New Coalition Psychic O.C.C.s.
• New psionic abilities and revisits of some favorites.
• CS Manhunter Divner and Precog.
• CS Manhunter Psi-Interrogator and Psi-Enforcer.
• CS Manhunter Bursters and Zappers.
• CS Manhunter Psi-Healers and CS Slayers.
• CS Manhunter Killhound and Dog Boy O.C.C.s.
• CS Manhunter Mind Melters, the deadliest of them all.
• CS Manhunter squads and special operations.
• Insight on the Coalition’s infamous Psi-Battalion.
• The impact of the demon plagues from the Minion War.
• Non-Player Characters, background info, adventure ideas, and more.
• 96-128 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 894 – In production and nearing completion.

COMING! Creature Feature^™, a Beyond the Supernatural^™ sourcebook

The manuscript is in. Artwork is being created. And the world of Beyond the Supernatural™ is about to be expanded. This sourcebook builds on material that has appeared in various issues of The Rifter® but there is a ton of new material and information useful to both Game Masters and players.

• A gallery of supernatural creatures. Some new. Some familiar, updated and expanded. All terrifying.
• Rules clarifications and errata.
• Game Master source material and advice on rules, psychic abilities, proximity and threat levels, I.S.P. multipliers, and more.
• Advice about running modern horror RPGs and using supernatural creatures in your games.
• Lots of adventure ideas, including an updated and expanded full adventure, “The Squatter.”
• New background and setting information for the BTS setting and a few surprises.
• Written by Steven Dawes, Kevin Siembieda, and others.
• Art by Steven Cummings, Nick Bradshaw and others.
• 160-192 pages – $22.99 or $26.99 depending on final size – Cat. No. 704.

COMING! Rifts^® Titan Robotics^™

Rifts® Titan Robotics™ is a high-tech toy box presenting new types of armor, sleek power armor, giant robots, vehicles, and weapons sold by Titan Robotics that will make gamers salivate. 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.

COMING: Rifts^® Bestiary^™ Volume Two

The second big, “monster book” reference for Rifts® of what we anticipate to be three volumes in the series, more if we decide to make ghosts, spirits and Entities and/or Creatures of Magic part of the Bestiary series. Much like Volume One, Rifts® Bestiary™ Volume Two collects 70-100 monsters and animals plus 12-24 new beasts found across Rifts North America. The anticipated page count is 224-256 pages.

All volumes of the Rifts® Bestiary™ series are a great resource for players and Game Masters alike. Each description is updated, expanded, and highly detailed to present players with exotic and alien creatures as pets, guardians and riding animals, as well as slobbering monsters to battle and fierce beasts for Game Masters to throw at their players. Designed to offer adventure ideas, offers notes on young, adult, male and female creatures, and all provide plenty of ways to enhance your characters and spice up adventures. Each is accompanied by a map that shows at a glance where the beast can be encountered. Ah, but in the presence of Rifts and magic means any of the creatures may appear anywhere in the world, so be on your toes.

• Monsters and animals of Rifts North America organized into big, easy to use sourcebooks.
• Updated and expanded descriptions and information for each existing monster.
• Updated and uniform stat blocks.
• New exotic creatures – predators, exotic riding animals, beasts of burden, alien horrors, giant insects, and more.
• A map for every creature showing where it is found.
• Easily adapted to any Palladium setting – Palladium Fantasy®, Chaos Earth®, Splicers®, Phase World®, the Three Galaxies™, The Mechanoids®, Heroes Unlimited™/Aliens Unlimited™, and others.
• Basic S.D.C. stats included with each creature description.
• Fully illustrated, with art by Charles Walton II, Ramon Perez, Robert Atkins, and many others. Written by Kevin Siembieda.
• 256 pages each volume – $26.99 – Cat. No. 897 (Volume Two) – shooting for a winter or spring release.

UPDATE: Rifts^® Chaos Earth^® Psychic Scream^™

This is another book that is going to surprise and wow. New and insane psionics, some taken to the level of super abilities due to the massive amount of P.P.E. energy surging across the planet and boosting survivors with ambient and alien energy. Some become heroes and defenders of fellow survivors. Some become power-mongers and killers. And still others become just one more monster or madman threatening to destroy humanity. I’m assigning some additional artwork for it this week.

UPDATE: Forgotten People – A Fantasy RPG Sourcebook

I spoke with one of the contributing writers last week and his ideas for Bug Bears sounded fabulous. Because some of this material has appeared in past issues of The Rifter® you may think you know what to expect. You don’t. There is a lot of new and exciting material in this bad boy. Things you never knew and may have been afraid to ask.

MORE Material for Fantasy

Several different freelance writers have submitted additional and unexpected Fantasy material for sourcebooks. Though I have not had a chance to review any of them – too much on my plate at the moment as I stay focused on finishing books already in the pipeline – I am very excited by this turn of events. Palladium Fantasy is on the move! Heck, several game lines are.

UPDATE: Other titles – like CS Arsenal^™ and Beyond the Supernatural^™ sourcebooks

Please remember, just because I do not mention or list a specific title in an Update, does not mean it has been removed from the production schedule. All it means is that we are focused and talking about more immediate, upcoming releases, or projects we are excited about that week, or there’s no substantive news to report. We are anxious to put as many books you’ve been waiting for into your hands as possible over the next 18 months, as well as new projects being worked on by freelance writers. That includes Rifts® Antarctica, The Disavowed™, Rifts® CS Arsenal™, Chaos Earth® First Responders™, Land of the Damned™ 3, 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 final production or development. We are shooting for one or two new physical book releases every month as well as a couple new PDF products on DriveThruRPG.

NEW on DriveThruRPG.com – Palladium Christmas Sale – Rifts^® Savage Worlds Bundle of Holding – Hammer of the Forge Novel, Volume Two

SALE! All Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™, After the Bomb®, Nightbane®, Dead Reign®, and Beyond the Supernatural titles are on sale for the holiday – now thru December 29. Need that last minute gift for the holidays but don’t want to pay for expedited shipping? Or want to start the New Year off with gaming fun? Take advantage of the Palladium Christmas Sale on DriveThruRPG.com to get a wide range of PDF titles that are on sale in time for Christmas and even a little after. On sale now through the holiday weekend. Enjoy.

NEW! Rifts® for Savage Worlds Bundle of Holding is happening right now! This is Pinnacle Entertainment’s adaptation of Rifts® for the fast-furious-fun Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE) rules. Btw, Savage Rifts® maps are awesome and their adventures can be easily adapted to your Palladium-based Rifts® campaigns, and vice versa. The source material in Palladium’s books – a vast array of additional characters, monsters, magic, weapons, locations, adventures, etc., are easily adapted to provide more depth and history and adventure options for your Savage Worlds campaigns.

This is an opportunity for you to check out Savage Rifts® and maybe get some fun PDFs on the cheap to keep you warm during the winter. I enjoy reading their condensed histories and summaries of Rifts Earth, people and places.

NEW! Rifts® Hammer of the Forge, Volume Two: The Reckoning is now available as a PDF novel. It completes the original story of Cosmo-Knight Caleb Vulcan with dramatic and fun flair as it reveals his continuing adventures. Adventures and challenges that carry our hero across space and time to be pitted against one enemy after another. As each chapter unfolds, our hero faces new challenges and encounters friends and foes, and twists and turns too shocking to reveal here. Such is the power and legacy of a Cosmo-Knight. Now available as a PDF on DriveThru. Note: The Hammer of the Forge novels, the Rifts® Trilogy of novels by Adam Chilson, the Rifts® Anthology: Tales of the Chi-Town ‘Burbs (11 authors), Machinations of Doom graphic novel by Ramon K. Perez, and Path of the Storm, a proposed Rifts® movie script, are all available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com as well as PDF books on DriveThruRPG.com – epic adventure that spans the Megaverse®.

NEW! Rifts® Hammer of the Forge, Volume One: The Cosmo-Knight is available as a PDF novel on DriveThruRPG and as a physical book from PalladiumBooks.com. See the full description for The Cosmo-Knight earlier in this Update.

Also Coming: Sneak previews of upcoming books, more novels and fun.

Available now! In the Face of Death™, the latest in Palladium’s Zombie Apocalypse series. It deals with survival in the big city and the suburbs where it is said survival is impossible, and yet communities thrive. New survivor O.C.C.s, human urban predators, cults, heroes, city resources, new villains, bold survivor children as player characters, superhuman survivors, 101 adventure ideas, and much more.

Reminder: Rifts® Index One and Two, as well as Rifts® Novel 3: Treacherous Awakenings are available as PDF titles along with the first two novels and 300+ other Palladium Books RPG Titles. Gen Con Online talked about Rifts®, Rifts® Bestiary, Rifts® Dimension Books, Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Beyond the Supernatural™, Nightbane®, Dead Reign®, Heroes Unlimited™, and other Palladium game lines, ALL of which are available as PDFs from DriveThru and most of which are available as physical books from Palladium directly.

Recent Release – Rifts® Novel 3: Treacherous Awakenings™, the pulse-pounding and satisfying conclusion to the Rifts® trilogy by Adam Chilson. It is available as a PDF on DriveThruRPG.com right now! $9.99 – Cat. No. 303. The other two novels, Rifts® Sonic Boom and Rifts® Deception’s Web, are also available as PDFs from DriveThru for your reading pleasure along with more than 300 RPG titles with more stuff coming your way. Note: We also plan to make it available as our first Print On Demand title from DriveThruRPG in the near future. Watch for it.

In the works for DriveThru in the weeks ahead: In no particular order, Duty’s Edge™, a new Rifts® novel in the pipeline from Will Erwin, the collected The Hammer of the Forge™ (cosmic adventure across Phase World® and the Three Galaxies), and more.

Recent on DriveThruRPG – Rifts® Sonic Boom™. Follow the exploits of a CS platoon sworn to protect humankind from all threats, be they aliens, dragons, masters of magic or fellow humans out for themselves; the second novel in this trilogy, Deception’s Web™, reveals a conspiracy within the Coalition military that could spell disaster for our protagonists. All of it building up to the pulse-pounding events of the 3rd novel: Rifts® Treacherous Awakenings™. The Rifter® #84 offers adventure source material for Rifts® (Golems in the Myst), Heroes Unlimited™ (the City of Cascade by Wujcik and Reed), Palladium Fantasy RPG® (an Elven Kingdom), Beyond the Supernatural™ (an epic adventure, a short story, and a monster), Nightbane® (Spellbound O.C.C.), why The Rifter® is on hiatus, and more.

Also available: Free Garden of the Gods™ (Fantasy) and Rifts® Bestiary™ Volume One Sneak Previews, and the 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.

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.

• Rifts® is a genre-bending setting that combines science fiction, fantasy, horror, post-apocalypse survival, magic, and endless possibilities for adventure. Imagine a near perfect world of advanced technology 100 years in the future. Then imagine that world crashing down overnight in an apocalyptic upheaval not seen since the formation of the planet. A Great Cataclysm caused by the explosive return of magic. Now fast forward 300 years into the future where magic, dragons, and mythic gods coexist with cyborgs, giant robots and super-science rediscovered from humanity's Golden Age as humans rise from a lengthy Dark Age. But they must contend with countless alien life forms, monsters, and supernatural horrors from beyond the Rifts.
• Rifts® core titles we would suggest: Rifts® Ultimate Edition, Rifts® Game Master Guide, Rifts® Book of Magic, Rifts® Adventure Guide, D-Bees of North America™, Rifts® World Book 11: Coalition War Campaign and Rifts® Sourcebook One. Note: The Rifts® RPG, 1st Edition and Rifts® Ultimate, 2nd Edition are both available.
• 80+ Rifts® supplements, most of them available as PDFs with more coming. Where to start? Wherever sounds fun.
• Rifts® Dimension Books™: Travel to alien worlds and dimensions via the Rifts for off-world adventure and intrigue.
• Rifts® Chaos Earth® RPG and sourcebook series (all). 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.
• FREE Sneak Previews for Nightbane® Dark Designs™, Rifts® Secrets of the Atlanteans™, Rifts® CS Heroes of Humanity, and many other previews as well as free and low cost items that we make available. All of it adds to the growing list of Rifts and other Palladium RPG game titles available as PDF books, cards and support. A new title should be added every week or two, so keep watching for them.
• The Rifter® #1-84, ALL issues of The Rifter®. Each issue is a wealth of source material and ideas for 3-6 different Palladium game lines. Most are easily adapted to ANY Palladium game setting. Each issue a gem. 8,500 pages of source material and ideas for heroes, villains, monsters, magic, gear, and adventure.
• Splicers® RPG is like Iron Man meets Game of Thrones with elements of Terminator – except this army of Iron Men are clad in living body armor and wield living, organic weapons and devices. Created in 2004 by writer and game designer Carmen Bellaire, Splicers® was nominated for an Inquest Gamer Magazine Fan Awards Game of the Year, and has since developed a rabid fan base. Science fiction and horror where humans are forced to use genetically engineered, living weapons and organic war machines to battle an insane Artificial Intelligence and her robot legions. Unlike anything you have ever played before!
• Splicers®: I Am Legion™ Adventure Sourcebook: 6 new Great Houses, 4 new Host Armors, 6 new War Mounts, 19 new Bio-Weapons, 15 new killer machines, new Bio-Enhancements, Amalgam creation tables, Legion and a series of adventures that build into a small campaign, and more.
• Palladium Fantasy RPG®, 1st Edition Rules and sourcebooks. A unique world of magic, monsters and heroes. Dozens of nonhuman player characters including Wolfen, Bearmen, Ogres, Orcs and more. 100,000 years of history.
• Palladium Fantasy RPG®, 2nd Edition Rules and many sourcebooks. The expanded world of high fantasy, magic, mystery and heroes of every variety. Includes the Mind Mage and psychic abilities, mages and spells, magic circles and symbols, men-at-arms, scoundrels and a wide range of inhuman player characters including Wolfen, Bearmen, Ogres, Orcs and many more. 100,000 years of history.
• Heroes Unlimited™ RPG first edition rule book and sourcebooks.
• Heroes Unlimited™ RPG Second Edition rule book and sourcebooks. Create any type of superhuman you can desire and bring comic book adventures to life.
• Dead Reign® RPG (Zombie Apocalypse). The dead have risen. It is the battle for survival in the zombie apocalypse, but this setting is much more than your typical zombie game. Play ordinary people or special characters better equipped to survive and hunt zombies. Many unusual types of zombies.
• Dead Reign® Sourcebooks: 6 sourcebooks from Civilization Gone™ to Hell Followed™ (the latter features stats for 23 disasters, masked lunatics, 11 new zombies, 7 apocalyptic character classes, and more) are available.
• Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG, 1st Edition Rules. Supernatural horror in the modern world. Play ordinary people, psychics, paranormal investigators or for something different: Victim Characters!
• Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG, 2nd Edition: The complete, revised core game, 14 character classes and 42 occupations for "ordinary people," 100+ psychic abilities, 16 monsters, the Lazlo Agency, world setting and rules.
• Nightbane® RPG and sourcebooks. An RPG setting we call superhero horror. Dark conspiracy, a secret, demon invasion starting with world leaders and law enforcement, and it is spreading. The player characters are the Nightbane®, reluctant superhumans who must turn into monsters themselves to unleash their powers and battle the evil that is clear only to them. A dark, sinister and challenging world of horror.
• After the Bomb® RPG and sourcebooks. Planet of the Apes meets the X-Men! Animal creations, powers and more. Create any type of intelligent mutant animal you can imagine as friend or foe.
• Ninjas & Superspies™ RPG and the Mystic China™ sourcebook. James Bond meets Enter the Dragon. 41 types of martial arts, ninjas, and super-spies with gadgets, gizmos and advanced weapons.
• The Mechanoid Invasion® Trilogy RPG is a long time, cult favorite with a fatalistic world-view of humans vs aliens with superior technology.
• The Palladium Weapon Series of real world weapons, armor and castles throughout history. Designed for use with ANY game system.
• 200+ Palladium titles in all, plus G.M. kits, paper miniatures and more.
• Heroes Unlimited™ Paper Miniatures – Two sets are now available!
• Palladium Fantasy RPG® Paper Miniatures – Volumes #1-6 are available now. More are coming in the weeks ahead.
• Rifts® Paper Miniatures: Men at Arms – $2.99
• Rifts® Paper Miniatures: Coalition Dead Boys – $2.99
• Rifts® Paper Miniatures: Adventurers – $2.99
• Rifts® Paper Miniatures: Practitioners of Magic (new) – $2.99
• Rifts® Paper Miniatures: Extras (new) – $2.99
• And more to come in the weeks ahead.

Palladium Collectibles, Negatives, Artwork, other Collectibles and Toys are always available in Kevin’s Online Toy & Collectibles eBay Store along with other good things

My eBay store is one of the few places where you can find original artwork by Charles "Chuck" Walton, Kevin Long, and others, as well as one-of-a-kind negatives from classic Rifts® and other Palladium RPG books (they look awesome framed!), rare Palladium collector hardcovers, signed books, other Palladium memorabilia, toys from my personal collection and other collectibles. Check every couple of weeks because we often post new stuff or offer a new sale. There is a sale on negatives starting today, in fact.

Other one-of-a-kind original artwork available by me (Kevin Siembieda), Kevin Long, Charles Walton II (money goes to the artist), other artists, as well as collectible negatives, prints, limited edition hardcovers, proofreader copies, out of print items, Star Wars toys, Marvel toys and many other toys and collectibles from my personal collection. Alex and I will keep adding items as our busy schedules allow, but we have a lot of fun collectibles available now and coming soon. Hundreds of items. Take a look every weekend for new additions.

Available now: One-of-a-kind book negatives. Negatives were very popular items at the Palladium Open House and people went crazy over them at Gen Con – including actor Joe Manganiello who scooped up a pile of TMNT negatives, while Palladium's own Mark Oberle, Carmen Bellaire, Brandon Aten and a whole lot of Palladium gamers went for negatives from Rifts® New West, Lone Star and Free Quebec. Fun.

Negatives are unique and attractive, one-of-a-kind (on rare occasions two-of-a-kind if a page was replaced or a second edition was made) works of art that resemble woodcut art and are very dynamic conversation pieces. Before digital printing, pages of a book were laid out by hand on a board, and each page was photographed. The plastic film negatives were then "ganged" on a massive sheet of Mylar 16 pages per big sheet, and the printing plates were made from the negatives – everything white, printing black.

When our printer, McNaughton and Gunn, went completely digital, they asked if Palladium Books wanted the negs, otherwise they would be destroyed. Regrettably, I let a few dozen be destroyed, but the negatives of many books were sent to Palladium. They have sat in our warehouse for years until I started to offer them for sale. I have also started signing the negatives in silver and each comes with a Certificate of Authenticity. Each negative comes on a white board inside a plastic magazine bag and looks fabulous framed! Fits in an 8x10 inch matt opening in a frame (each neg is roughly 8½ x 11 inches).

http://stores.ebay.com/kevinstoys-artandcollectibles

Closing Thoughts – Covid-19 finally strikes us at home

I thought we might escape losing anyone in our immediate circle of close friends and family, but those hopes have been shattered. We got the news Sunday morning that our dear friend here in Michigan, Rita Martin, had just passed away from Covid-19. It was a shock. Rita was one of those crazy and gregarious “life of the party” types who could light up a room by just walking into it. She was 72 years old and one of Kathy Simmons’ best friends for 35+ years. Rita was like an aunt to Kathy’s daughter and a friend to us all. All of us at Palladium knew and loved Rita, and Kathy and I used to spend many Sundays and holidays together with her for years.

Rita had tested Covid positive two weeks earlier but neither she or anyone was worried about it, because she had no symptoms other than a case of the sniffles. She was feeling perfectly fine and doing great. The second week, she took a sudden and steep downward spiral and was hospitalized. Two days later she was gone. It was a shock. Kathy and Rita had just chatted and shared photos a week earlier on Facebook, and Kathy sent her a Christmas card saying we needed to get together in June after we had all been vaccinated and Covid-19 was on its way out. How sad. We still can’t believe it. She will be missed.

The grandfather of a dear friend also passed away from Covid-19 recently. He and his family are hurting but powering through.

My friend and comic book legend, Richard Corben also passed away last week due to heart related issues. So last week sucked. Richard Corben did the cover to the original Beyond the Supernatural RPG as well as a ton of seminal comic book work. He was also one of the core movers and shakers behind the first, and then cutting edge, Heavy Metal Movie. Honestly, I should not call Richard a friend, as we had not spoken in years. Ah, but we had some nice moments back when he did the BTS cover. The early works of Richard Corben were original, cutting edge, and unlike anything else on the market. Rolf and Bloodstar will always be two of my favorites. He was an inspiration to me as a budding young storyteller and entrepreneur.

Richard Corben was a maverick whose independent and entrepreneurial spirit inspired me to dare to follow my own dreams as an artist, writer, and publisher. As you can imagine, it was a treat and a pleasure to get him to do that BTS cover for Palladium. My experience with Rich was that he was a sweet and generous man who went above and beyond for people. He took art direction well and gave me the exact cover I had wanted. He was nice enough to sell me that BTS cover for a fraction of what his paintings were selling for at the time. Why? Because he knew I was such a huge fan and how much I loved it. Two weeks later, the two original watercolor concept sketches arrived in the mail. No letter, just the artwork between two pieces of cardboard. I was confused. When I called Rich to tell him I could not possibly afford them too, he chuckled and said, “I want you to have them. They are a gift.” I treasure all three pieces to this day. Richard, your art and daring and generosity inspired me and a whole generation of artists/storytellers. Rest in peace.

I only recently learned that in September, artist Martin McKenna also passed away (not Covid related). He was another salt of the earth creative dynamo who I liked very much and actually got to meet in person once at a large science fiction convention. He did the covers to the Palladium Fantasy RPG, Old Ones, and High Seas Second Editions and a bunch of great art in those books before moving on to work for Industrial Light & Magic and other big companies. I love his work and it was a genuine pleasure to work with him.

I do not mean to be a downer. I have nothing but fond memories of all these fine people and I am honored to have known them. I just wanted to give a call out to these people because they were special to me and many other others, and deserve to be remembered.

It is also a reminder for us all that Covid-19 is all too real and deadly, so please, I implore you, be smart, be safe, and take care this holiday season and every day. I do not want to lose any of you to this damn disease too. As I stated in my opening to this Update, you are what helps to keep me going even when I am feeling blue. You and your kind words and support bring us joy and keep our holiday spirits kindled and burning strong. Thank you, again for that. I am so glad you are part of our big, wonderful, extended family.

Let me end with a reminder that the very fun Hammer of the Forge™, Volume Two has arrived and is shipping, enjoy the Palladium Christmas Surprise Package offer, grab yourself some Palladium PDFs on DriveThruRPG or the Rifts® Savage Worlds Bundle of Holding, and take a look at those Palladium Playmats from Red Duke Games’ Kickstarter ending in something like 10 days. I’m such a geek for our artwork and fun game stuff that I want each one even though I have never used a playmat in my life. I bet they soften the sound of dice rolling which could be a good thing if there are non-gamers trying to relax in another part of the house. I also keep wondering if they would make good, wipe-able place mats at the kitchen table; they’re probably too big for that, right? I’ll probably get one of each and keep them in a box as a collectible just to have. I love my Palladium archives. Lots of great memories. Anyway, please enjoy your weekend and last minute shopping. And may every Palladium product old and new bring you fun and adventure, now and always. Ho, ho, ho.

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Writer, Game Designer, Friend

Surprise Package comments from fans like you

Every year there is a section where the customer can offer comments and suggestions with his or her Surprise Package order. Every year, in acknowledgment of our fans, and because they are fun to read, we offer a sampling 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 days. Please help use our games to find escape from the pandemic and 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 and they always brighten our day. Thank you for making us smile and feel useful. As always, I have tried to write a short response [in brackets] to each.

I.H. in Northants, Great Britain, writes: No Open House next year, so I will have to get my Palladium Books Fix from a Christmas Surprise Package! Hope to see you all in 2022!

[Thanks for making me smile, I.H. If everything goes well with the vaccines and such, we will definitely see you at the 2022 Palladium Open House. Looking forward to it. – KS]

C.A. in Colorado, writes (in part): I was gaming with Rifts® back in the 90s, but our group dissolved after high school. I had a group in college, but I never managed to get any traction on starting them on Rifts®. Now with Savage Rifts®, I have a thriving group again, but I realized that I missed a lot of story. I want to catch up with the original sourcebooks. I have a pretty large digital collection through DriveThruRPG, but you can’t replicate the feel of an original printed book.

[Good to hear C.A., and welcome back to the place where it all originates. You may want to take advantage of the Savage Rifts® Bundle of Holding going on right now! Game on in the ever expanding Megaverse® of Palladium Books. – KS]

E.W. in Franklin, New Hampshire, writes: Favorites: Palladium Fantasy®, Rifts®, Heroes Unlimited™. Thank you for doing this each year. It means so much to people. It is even more appreciated given all the mess that Covid made out of game nights this year. I found my core players elected to try Discord, and although not the same, we have been able to escape our own problems for a little while.

[I am happy our games give you and your players some escape, E.W. Game on! – KS]

M.M. in Clarke’s Beach, Newfoundland, Canada, writes: This is awesome! I missed it last year. Been buying and playing your games for 25 years now!

[Glad you have been enjoying our games, M.M., for so many years. And I’m glad you snuck in a Surprise Package this year. – KS]

D.T. in San Antonio, Texas, writes: Favorites: Nightbane® and Rifts®. Thank you for making the end of 2020 something to look forward to. We have all had a challenging year, but you and your hardworking writers and artists always give me something to look forward to. Happy Holidays to you and all your loved ones. And best thoughts for all of us to have a better new year.

[Amen to that last sentiment, D.T. I’m glad and humbled my words and musings have helped. It sounds like it will be another few months before we can start truly winning the battle against Covid-19 and return to some level of normalcy, so hang in there. Merry Christmas and happy New Year. – KS]

S.H. in Pacatello, Idaho, writes: Favorites: All of them. They all open up an unlimited universe to explore.

[Music to my ears, S.H. That is the whole idea behind our games and the one game system. Keep on exploring the depth of your imagination and have fun doing it. – KS]

E.B. in Lancaster, California, writes (in part): I have never stopped loving the Palladium line of games but I am truly champing at the bit for more in the Fantasy World ... I will also say that I continue to thoroughly enjoy the Rifts® books.

[Me too, E.B., me too. We have books in development for Land of the Damned Three: The Bleakness, Lopan™, the Old Kingdom, Timiro™ AND Land of the South Winds™. LOTD-3 will be the next book for Fantasy, and then I think Forgotten People and Lopan, but the others are coming too, along with titles for Rifts® and BTS. – KS]

M.M. in Orem, Utah, writes: Favorites: Fantasy, Dead Reign®, Nightbane®, and Splicers. You guys are awesome. Wish I could do more.

[Those kind words and your years of support are plenty, M.M. Thank you. Keep on keeping on. – KS]

J.E. in Arlington, Texas, writes (in part): Favorites: Rifts®, been collecting and playing for 20 years, and Dead Reign®. Huge Coalition fan. It was awesome getting to meet Kevin at Gen Con 50 ... thanks for a lifetime of gaming greatness.

[It was nice meeting you too, J.E. I am humbled by your high praise. Maybe you can come over to the Palladium Open House, rescheduled for April 2022, and we’ll show you a really great time. Stay safe. – KS]

B.P in Ogden, Utah, writes: The very first role-playing game I played was TMNT and Other Strangeness in 1988, followed by Rifts® in 1990. I have been playing Rifts® ever since. Thank you for so many years of adventure. You guys kick ass.

[Thank you for sharing, B.P. We plan to do some serious butt kicking in 2021 and for the next several years to come, so keep your eyes peeled on Rifts®, Beyond the Supernatural™, Palladium Fantasy RPG® and Heroes Unlimited™. May the New Year bring you only awesomeness. – KS]

S.K. writes: I have always loved Rifts®, right from the initial release when I was a kid. I also really like Beyond the Supernatural™ and the Palladium Fantasy RPG®. I have a few Fantasy sourcebooks and they are great. The art of that era is what I default to when I think of Fantasy, particularly the cover of Adventures in the Northern Wilderness™.

I just wanted to say that I received one of these Surprise Packages two years ago, and it was one of the best experiences I have had at Christmas since I was a kid. I would love any kind of cool item you think I might enjoy, such as an out-of-print book, art print, or piece of original art. Thank you and Merry Christmas!

[Merry Christmas to you as well, S.K. Thank you for your generous words and sending my thoughts down Memory Lane. That Keith Parkinson cover of the Wolfen mage raising the dead from a frozen pond was one of Keith Parkinson’s, Erick Wujcik’s, and my all-time favorite covers. An inside secret: The Runes on the strips of cloth are the ones I published in the first edition rule book and actually say something funny, but you will need the original Palladium Fantasy RPG® to translate them.

Putting out-of-print books in Surprise Packages is getting near impossible to do as they have been unavailable for years, even decades, not to mention worth much more than their original cover price. From time to time I put some out-of-print, hardcover printer proofs, original art, proofreader photocopies, and other collectibles in my Ebay store – Kevin’s Toys, Art and Collectibles – but for most requests I do not have any out of print items to spare. I feel bad when someone sends me a lengthy list of out-of-print Rifters®, Robotech® or TMNT® books and other products that sold out years ago or are licenses we no longer hold, because I cannot accommodate their requests. I hope you understand. Enjoy and happy holidays. – KS]

D.T. in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, writes (in part): Third time’s the charm! My crew sends a big hello back to you, although they are not too happy with all the new resource material I now have [thanks to these Surprise Packages] <chuckle> I am so glad that things worked out the way they did for you this Thanksgiving ... Anyway, all of our thoughts and prayers go out to you and your crew from all of us here. I’m still looking forward to the Open House in 2022, and the time all of you take to put these packages together means a lot to all of us. Life is fleeting, so stay positive, stay healthy, and of course, “Game On!”

[D.T., I completely agree with your last sentence. Wise words. Thank you for sharing your experience with me. I am delighted you and your family are healthy and happy despite the threat of the pandemic hanging all around us. You stay positive and awesome, and my crew and I will try our best to do the same. See you in 2022! Here’s to a rockin’ and better 2021 for everyone! – KS]

Rifts^® Bestiary^™ Vol. Two – Coming

More monsters and exotic animals of Rifts® North America as part of an ongoing series of Rifts® Bestiary sourcebooks. The first two or three Rifts® Bestiary™ books will focus on monsters and animals of North America. They collect creatures from all current World Books and Sourcebooks, plus some new creatures by Kevin Siembieda, Charles Walton, and others. Presented in alphabetical order, with maps showing their range and location at a glance.

Note: The Rifts® Bestiary™ series is more than a few big books of monsters, they are deliberately designed to provide players with a useful, living resource (pet, guard animal, riding animal, food source, etc.) as well as present many and varied opportunities for adventure and fun. Some creatures are helpful, some are inadvertently a threat or danger, while others are slobbering predators or wicked beasts that kill and eat you, or capture you, or sabotage you, or worse.

• Monsters and animals of Rifts North America in a second easy to use sourcebook.
• Predators, exotic riding animals, beasts of burden, alien horrors, giant insects and more.
• Notable Splugorth hunting animals.
• Some new creatures, but most are existing creatures.
• Updated information where applicable.
• Updated and uniform stat blocks.
• A map for every creature showing where it is found.
• Fully illustrated.
• Art by Chuck Walton, Siembieda, Cummings, Bradshaw, Atkins, Ashbaugh, and many others.
• 192-224 pages – $26.99 retail – Cat. No. 897. In production.

In the Face of Death^™ – Now Shipping!

A Dead Reign® Sourcebook that re-imagines the Zombie Apocalypse while remaining true to classic tropes

In the Face of Death™ is part survival guide, part cityscape, and part heroic adventure the likes of which you have never quite seen before in a zombie RPG. Adventure is built upon human ingenuity, courage, hope, and insanity. Characters include children and teenagers, and heroes driven by madness. Human predators and other villains stalk the ruins of human civilization. Ruins inhabited by the omnipresent hungry dead.

This is a book that pushes the genre and challenges the imagination. It brings to focus a setting of heroic adventure that combines elements of horror, zombies, survival, and madness in a post-apocalyptic world with classic dungeon exploring and epic adventure. In the Face of Death™ helps make Dead Reign® into A Quiet Place meets Mad Max in the world of Dawn of the Dead.

“Pure fun, action, and excitement. A sourcebook packed with new ideas unlike any I have ever seen. This is what role-playing games and imagination are all about.” – Alex Marciniszyn, Editor

• Rethinking the Zombie Apocalypse.
• It is time to fight back and do more than survive.
• Life on the rooftops and in the heart of the city.
• Resources, defenses, traps, urban homesteads, and more.
• City survival tactics, traps, resources, and Rat Runs.
• Parkour, Zombie Survival Training, and other skills.
• New O.C.C.s like the Rat Runner and Urban Explorer.
• Kids and teenagers as player characters and kid O.C.C.s.
• Heroic Masked Lunatics – a new type of hero as player characters.
• Predators and villains like Gutter Rats, Flesh Peddlers, Skinners, and more.
• Dungeon crawl-style exploration through the ruins of human civilization.
• 100+ adventure hooks and dozens of additional ideas.
• Death Cults, their orientation and practices.
• Adaptable to other settings like Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, Heroes Unlimited™, Nightbane®, and more.
• Cover by E.M. Gist. Interior art by Bradshaw, Cummings, Mumah, and Ashbaugh.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda and Mark Oberle.
• 160 pages – $22.99 retail – Cat. No. 237 – shipping now.

COMING! Rifts^® Coalition Manhunters^™ – A Secrets of the Coalition States^™ Sourcebook

A secret division within the Coalition’s Psi-Battalion, the CS Manhunters hunt not only the most dangerous spies and fugitives, but also their own. Coalition soldiers, brass, government leaders, and anyone who becomes designated as having gone rogue, AWOL, or turned traitor (including the Disavowed), become targets of CS Manhunters to be tracked down and brought to justice. This elite force of psychics, Kill Hounds, and manhunters are trained killing machines who follow orders without question and kill without hesitation.

More often than not, the assignment is straight-up find and terminate. If your name has been given to a Manhunter squad, your fate is sealed, and no one is untouchable. The CS Manhunters operate in secret, find their target, terminate, and vanish as if they were never there at all. They don’t seek credit or limelight. They serve their country from the blood-soaked shadows.

• CS Manhunter squads and special operatives.
• Manhunter Killhound and Dog Boy O.C.C.s.
• CS Manhunter Psi-Healer.
• CS Manhunter Psi-Interrogator (Mind Melter).
• CS Manhunter Psi-Enforcer (Mind Melter).
• CS Manhunter Bursters and Zappers.
• CS Manhunter Slayer (a variation of the Psi-Slayer or Psi-Warrior).
• CS Manhunter Mind Melter, the most insidious and deadliest of them all.
• Weapons, gear, and tactics.
• Some notable Non-Player Characters, adventure ideas, and more.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda. Art by Nick Bradshaw.
• 96 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 894.

NEW! Garden of the Gods^™, Palladium Fantasy^® Sourcebook – Shipping now!

The Garden of the Gods™ sourcebook is a toy box of gods, magical blessings, ancient artifacts, and hundreds of opportunities and adventure ideas for players and Game Masters alike.

The Garden of the Gods is a place of miracles and wisdom where people of all occupations and races, nobility and the poor, come to find inspiration, blessings and adventure. Many insist the gods themselves are present and may visit heroes and followers in dreams, visions, or in person as an avatar. The gods also look for champions and assign heroic quests and gifts of knowledge and magic. Here, all gods are equal and many a forgotten god seeks to be rediscovered and worshiped by offering blessings, vision quests, and magical artifacts to potential heroes to champion their name.

There is also an dangerous evil on the island of Lopan. An open wound in the earth known as the Black Pit, as well as dark gods within the Garden itself.

• 212 Blessings.
• 101 Magic Artifacts.
• 45 Forgotten gods.
• 50+ Curses and dark magic.
• 100+ Random quests and encounters, and each god offers adventure hooks.
• Restore forgotten gods to power. Become a Champion of the Gods.
• 5 Weapons of destruction created by the Old Ones.
• Godly insight, visitations, knowledge and purpose.
• The Garden of the Gods and its protectors.
• Ghosts, Faeries, mysteries, and ancient secrets.
• Rumors of a secret way to the Land of the Damned.
• The Black Pit, a place of legend and dark secrets. Is it a counterbalance to the good of the Garden or something more sinister?
• Easily adapted to Rifts®, Phase World® and any game system. One game system – a Megaverse® of adventure!™
• Written by Kevin Siembieda and Matthew Clements.
• 224 pages – $26.99 retail – Cat. No. 475.

Land of the Damned^™ Three: The Bleakness^™ Raw Preview – available now

Available now! The “Raw Preview Edition” of LotD-3: The Bleakness™, for Palladium Fantasy RPG®, is an advance copy of the unedited, unillustrated, working manuscript for this new Fantasy World Book. You get to see the unfinished book months before the final title is released. A rare look at the raw manuscript before final edit, rewrites and publication. Limited to a total of 200 copies.

This epic sourcebook presents 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, countless adventure hooks and ideas, and much, much more. The long awaited final book in the Land of the Damned series, with connections to the Garden of the Gods™ and the upcoming Lopan Fantasy World Book.

• 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. Note: The finished book with artwork and more is anticipated to ship in a few months, but you can see what it’s all about right now and even start playing with this special Preview Edition!

Palladium Fantasy RPG^® Interactive Character Sheet

The Palladium Fantasy RPG® Interactive Character Sheet is a Microsoft Excel-based character management system. Packed with features and data collected from every official Palladium Fantasy sourcebook, this sheet saves you time and hassle with each character you create. Available now, directly from Palladium Books AND DriveThruRPG.com – this is a digital, online product only.

Features & Benefits:

• The Main Character Sheet Page collects the important data from across multiple tabs and puts it in one place for quick and easy reference.
• Separate sheets examine character construction (worktable), Skills, Magic, Psionics, and Combat in greater detail.
• Built-in leveling system that calculates skill advancement for you! Experience Tables for over 80 O.C.C.s already programmed.
• Recognizes the percentages for nearly 150 skills, plus combat bonuses for over 20 Weapon Proficiencies and 7 Hand to Hand styles.
• Calculates the speed and distance a character can run and jump based on character Attributes.
• Also calculates how much a character can lift, carry, and throw for humanoids, Giants, and Supernatural Beings.
• Add in your own Hand to Hand style, custom Skills, unique Weapon Proficiencies, and Experience Tables.
• Estimated time to build a character reduced by 20% or more.
• Instructions on how to use the sheet included, as well as a video walkthrough below.
• Important Note: This character sheet is built to be used with Microsoft Excel 2010+ and it comes in .XLSX format. Opening this file in other spreadsheet programs is NOT guaranteed to work as intended.
• Watch the Overview video here: https://vimeo.com/322271758

Psychic Scream^™ – Rifts^® Chaos Earth^® Sourcebook

A storm has rolled in. A psychic storm. With the Coming of the Rifts, survivors are bombarded by terrifying visions and overwhelmed with powers and abilities they never asked for, and often cannot control.

Where do you hide from the madness boiling inside of you?

What would you do when you know evil lurks hidden among your fellow survivors?

Why do the voices of alien creatures speak to you?

How do you cope when the power you unleashed to destroy a monster and save the innocent, destroys everyone but you?

Have you become a hero or another monster born in chaos?

Are these powers your family’s salvation or their damnation?

Find out in Psychic Scream!

In the wake of the Coming of the Rifts, people begin to see ghosts and demons, they unleash lightning from their fingertips, command fire and water, hurl boulders and girders with their minds, and manifest a wide range of mental powers. Psionic abilities fueled by the explosive return of magic and the unchecked flow of dimensional energy that is off the charts.

Psychic abilities more powerful than anything known after the Two Hundred Years Dark Age. Wondrous and lifesaving. But also seething and out of control. The psychics’ own minds bombarded by feelings of dread, visions of horror, and the thoughts and emotions of everyone around them. For many, it is too much, sending them careening into madness. For others, it creates heroes forged from chaos.

• Untamed psychic abilities. More powerful than anything known later on Rifts Earth.
• New psychic powers and character classes.
• New psionic monsters and invaders.
• Insanity, side-effects and horror.
• Adventure ideas and more. All people, powers and monsters that become myths and legends told about the events during the Two Hundred Years Dark Age.
• Written by Taylor White and Kevin Siembieda.
• 96-128 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 667.

COMING: Rifts^® Titan Robotics^™

Rifts® Titan Robotics™ is 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.

COMING: The Island of Lopan Sourcebook, a fantasy sourcebook

The island kingdom described and mapped, rare and ancient magic, trade with the Old Kingdom, Centaurs, Western intrigue, and more.

• History and overview.
• Key cities and locations.
• Lopan O.C.C.s and people of note.
• And Old Kingdom City that is a trade partner.
• The mysterious and nearly forgotten Mosaic Magic.
• New monsters and magic, weapons and gear.
• Written by Glen Evans.
• 192 pages – $26.99 – Cat. No. 476.

COMING: Rifts^® Antarctica

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. And unearthed something ancient and so dangerous that even the Splugorth fear it and dare not go there.

• 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.
• Danger from the 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.

COMING! Rifts^® The Disavowed^™ – Secrets of the Coalition States^™

The Disavowed are so Top Secret that their existence is known only to a handful of the Coalition States’ most elite, top echelon, with Joseph Prosek II the mastermind behind the Disavowed operation, and Colonel Lyboc its shadowy face. Find out who these men and women are. How the Disavowed get away with using magic, traveling to other parts of Rifts Earth and even to other dimensions in pursuit of enemies and strategic information that cannot be had through conventional means. Learn about the secret parameters in which these hard-boiled warriors, secretly hand-picked by Joseph Prosek II, operate, why almost every mission is considered a suicide mission, and why they must forever be the Disavowed.

• CS operatives so secret that even the top military and political leaders right up to Emperor Prosek know nothing about them. And if they did know, would they condone their activity or condemn it?
• Are the Disavowed heroes or renegades? Assassins or soldiers? Madmen or super-patriots? Or a little of them all?
• Unsung heroes who keep the CS safe, or thugs and pawns of a shadow agency within the Coalition government?
• What role does the Vanguard play in this group?
• How do they reward their D-Bee “teammates” when the mission is over?
• What happens to the Disavowed when they have seen or learned too much? Adventure ideas galore and so much more.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda and Matthew Clements.
• 96 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 892.

COMING! Heroes of Humanity^™ Arsenal – Rifts^® Secrets of the Coalition States^™ Sourcebook

Rifts® Heroes of Humanity gave you updated Coalition Army O.C.C.s, ways to upgrade men-at-arms, new O.C.C.s, battle plans and strategies and tactics. CS Heroes of Humanity™ Arsenal provides an array of new Coalition hardware: weapons, armor, additional SAMAS, other power armor, robots, combat vehicles, gear and info.

• New CS weapons and gear.
• New CS SAMAS and power armor.
• New CS robots and combat vehicles.
• More secrets and information about the Coalition States.
• Wild adventure opportunities, fun and more.
• Part of the Minion War™ “Crossover” series.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda, Clements, Gleba and others.
• 96-128 pages – $17.99 retail – Cat. No. 893.

Rifts^® Bestiary^™, Volume One – Shipping Now!

Could the monsters known as Caterpillar Things be the larval form of the Mothman Monster? Is the Corrival Battler as aggressive and dangerous as adventurers claim? Are Darkhounds really magically mutated Dog Boys? Is that why they see Coalition soldiers as friends and allies? Ee-Bee Gee-Bees are kinda cute, how dangerous can they be? Is it true the animals and people slain by the Death Springer rise as zombies?! What on Rifts Earth is a Field Reaper?

This book reveals it all.

Designed with both Players and Game Masters in mind, with creatures that can be used as pets, companions, riding animals, attack animals, and even unlikely allies, as well as slobbering monsters and catalysts for adventure. Adult, juvenile, and young stages of life give every creature three different levels of power and danger. Presented as a complete ecosystem, with maps and details to bring each animal to life. All provide plenty of spice to add to your characters and adventures.

• Monsters and animals of Rifts North America.
• 80+ creatures described in detail, updated and expanded.
• New predators, exotic riding animals, alien horrors, giant insects, and more.
• A map for every creature showing where it is found at a glance.
• Easily adapted to any Palladium setting. Powerful art.
• Includes basic S.D.C. stats for each creature description.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda, Charles Walton and others.
• 256 pages – $26.99 retail – Cat. No. 896 – Shipping Now!

Rifts^® Bestiary^™ Vol. One – “Gold Edition” Hardcover – Signed and Numbered – Now Shipping!

A deluxe, limited, Gold Edition hardcover, signed and numbered by Palladium staff and maybe a few freelancers. It is the same content of unique creatures that can be used as familiars, pets, riding animals, guard animals, and slobbering monsters as the softcover edition in a durable hardcover. Very limited run of only 300 copies, numbered and signed by Kevin Siembieda, Palladium staff members and possibly available contributing artists and writers. Note: Historically, Palladium Books’ Gold Editions have doubled, tripled or increased in value many times over. Valued as cherished collectibles. Sold on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last. Please note the slight increase in price to $55.

• Gold foil on a black faux leather hardcover.
• Sewn and glued for long-lasting durability.
• Only 300 signed and numbered copies.
• Available only from Palladium Books.
• Sold on a first come, first served basis while supplies last.
• Signed by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium staff.
• Monsters and animals of Rifts North America.
• 80+ creatures described in detail.
• Same contents as the softcover edition.
• New predators, exotic riding animals, alien horrors, giant insects and more.
• Easily adapted to any Palladium setting; basic S.D.C. stats included for each creature description.
• 256 pages – $55.00 retail – Cat. No. 896HC (Volume One). Shipping Now!

UPDATE: The Rifter^® #84 – available and shipping now

The Rifter® #84 focuses on adventure in dark corners of various world settings. Places where danger threatens, monsters and evildoers lurk in the shadows, and people are in need of heroes. Adventure source material for The Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Heroes Unlimited™, Beyond the Supernatural™, Nightbane®, and Rifts®. And remember, adventures and source material for one game setting can also be adapted to other world settings with some easy and obvious modifications. Most of all, have fun.

Rifter® #84 Highlights:

• The City of Cascade™ by Erick Wujcik and Matt Reed, A modern city in desperate need of heroes.
• The Kingdom of Raf-Chalon™ for Palladium Fantasy RPG® by Glen Evans. An Elven Kingdom in the Eastern Territory™.
• Golems in the Myst™ for Rifts® by Greg Diaczyk. Techno-Wizard experiments go wrong and Golems run amok.
• Spellbound O.C.C. for Nightbane® RPG by Ian Herbert.
• An Adventure for Beyond the Supernatural™ by Kyle Osterberg.
• The Dimma, a short story and a scary new monster for Beyond the Supernatural™ by Steven Dawes.
• 2021 Palladium Open House and other news.
• Coming attractions, product descriptions and more.
• 96 pages – $14.99 retail – Cat. No. 184 – Shipping now!

Copyright 2020 Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved.

Rifts®, The Rifter®, RECON®, Splicers®, Powers Unlimited®, Palladium Books®, The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, Phase World®, Nightbane®, Megaverse®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, Coalition Wars®, Chaos Earth®, Dead Reign®, and After the Bomb® are Registered Trademarks of Palladium Books Inc.; Beyond the Supernatural, Coalition States, Garden of the Gods, Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas & Superspies, Minion War, Mysteries of Magic, Psychic Scream, 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.

This press release may be reprinted, reposted, linked and shared for the sole purpose of advertising, promotion and sales solicitation.