Palladium Books® Weekly Update – June 27, 2019
By Kevin Siembieda
One game system – every genre – countless worlds – endless adventure
I’m glad so many of you enjoyed our Summer Madness Super-Sale. Mugs, baseball caps and T-shirts were flying out the door, but books and everything offered were selling at a good pace too.
Rifts® Bestiary™ Volume One to ship in July. Wayne and I are deep into the final layout of the Rifts® Bestiary Volume One, and the book is looking fabulous. I tweaked stat blocks, over and over again in an effort to make them very consistent and clear, right up till Wayne started typesetting. We want this book to be so good for you. I think you will love what we have done and how the creatures are presented with details that provide numerous resources and types of encounters. We expect to wrap up final layout and proofreading over the weekend. Julius has a lot of pages to proofread as this book just kept growing in page count. We are all very happy with the end results for this big book of beasts.
I have been bouncing around a bit on various projects. I did some writing on Garden of the Gods™, also slated for a July release, continue to assign work for several projects, and I’m about to sit down and write the news and coming attractions section for The Rifter® #83 so it can go to the printer by the end of next week. It is also a July release. In the Face of Death™ now seems almost certain to be an August release.
The Rifter® #84, Rifts® Chaos Earth®: Psychic Scream™, and Rifts® Titan Robotics™ to follow. We cannot wait to get all of these books into your hands over the weeks and months to come. We have so much great stuff in the pipeline and we expect to be able to grind books out on a regular basis.
Our focus is on finishing and releasing books, and prepping for Gen Con, of course. So many great ideas, art and fun coming your way.
A new sale of sorts, I’ve put all the Negatives available in my Ebay store on sale for HALF price. Other odds and ends are on sale too. There is a description about negatives and my store elsewhere in this update. http://stores.ebay.com/kevinstoys-artandcollectibles
NEWS: Podcast Interview – Long Thoughts with Baloo interviews Kevin Siembieda
Friday afternoon, I will be interviewed by J. Kennedy for his podcast, Long Thoughts with Baloo. It’s a podcast that explores entertainment and the creative process, be it movies, TV, comic books, writing, art, etc., with a pop culture lean. The interview will be posted sometime Friday evening. It’s a good interview show, so I’m looking forward to becoming part of it. It should be fun, so check it out over the weekend at:
https://www.patreon.com/LongThoughtswithBaloo
UPDATE: Rifts® Bestiary™, Volume One – In final production
We are in the final phase of typesetting and layout. We expect to be done with layout in a day or two. Julius will be proofreading as we finish hunks of layout, but he’ll need the whole weekend to finish this big book of monsters. Goes to the printer on Monday. We haven’t gotten an exact release date from the printer yet, but we are expecting Rifts® Bestiary™, Volume One to ship around July 22, maybe sooner. Hardcovers a few weeks after. We will keep you posted!
Each and every creature is updated and expanded. Our goal is to make every creature feel new and comprehensive, offering many new options for adventure. Sure there’s the adult creature, but what about the less powerful baby and juvenile version of the creature? Um, unless momma is nearby or the young gather in pairs or packs. Monsters and animals that can be domesticated and used as watchdogs, hunting animals, exotic warhorses, pack animals, and some offer even more value to the player than that. Game Masters, the range of possible adventures and surprises is sprawling. Plus Erin Tarn talking about the Savage Wilderness of North America. Goes to the printer next week. July 15 release.
UPDATE: The Rifter® #83 – July release
The artwork is in. The source material is wonderful. Another book soon to go into final layout.
- Treasures of the Megaverse® by Carl Gleba.
- Operation Minotaur for Beyond the Supernatural™ by Hendrik Härterich.
- Half-Ogre race for Palladium Fantasy RPG® by Ian Herbert.
- Prophet O.C.C. for Palladium Fantasy RPG® by Ian Herbert.
- Hunter/Vigilante for Heroes Unlimited™ by Matt Reed.
- The Superspy/Secret Operative for Heroes Unlimited™ by Matt Reed.
- News and Coming Attractions.
- 96 pages – $14.99 retail – Cat. No. 183 – July release.
UPDATE: Garden of the Gods™ – July release
I am working on finishing this book right now! Most of the artwork is in and we are expecting the book to ship at the end of July! This Palladium Fantasy sourcebook is fuel for countless adventures and will be followed by more Palladium Fantasy RPG titles that offer more mind-blowing adventure.
Garden of the Gods™ is a unique adventure engine that should give players and Game Masters plenty of fuel for their characters and games. The Raw Preview Edition (on sale at half price now thru June 26) gives you a great idea of what you can expect when the finished book is released later this next month. The other cool thing about the Raw Preview Editions, especially for those of you with aspirations to write, design, or publish, RPG books, is that you can compare the Raw Edition with the finished book to see what changes and additions were made. Helpful for creators, fun for fans and collectors. Raw Editions are always limited in the number of copies printed. Often 150 or less.
UPDATE: Dead Reign®: In the Face of Death™ – July or August release
In the Face of Death™ is looking more like an August release.
UPDATE: The Rifter® #84 – August release
Wayne has made his selections and I will be assigning artwork soon. Another great issue full of fun and ideas.
- Source material for Rifts®, Heroes Unlimited™, Beyond the Supernatural™, and more!? John Zeleznik cover.
- 96 pages – $14.99 retail – Cat. No. 184 – August release.
UPDATE: Rifts® Chaos Earth® – Psychic Scream™ – September or October release
The interior artwork is being worked on even as you read this. Another epic sourcebook by Taylor White with additional material by Kevin Siembieda. Rescheduled for a September or October release. Shooting for September.
UPDATE: Rifts® Titan Robotics™ – Fall release
Finished artwork and concept sketches for Titan Robotics™ are already starting to come in and looking fabulous. Half the art has been assigned and I will be assigning the rest very soon. As those of you who have purchased the Titan Robotics™ Raw Edition already know, there is a lot of new tech, power armor, robots, etc., in this book that needs to be illustrated. I now have a trio of artists working on the book, and will be assigning others. Want to do this book right with powerful artwork, awesome tech and tons of adventure ideas.
UPDATE: Rifts® Antarctica™ – Fall or Winter release
Nothing new to report. I think Rifts® Antarctica™ is going to surprise and delight a lot of people. It is also a great example of the fun you can have with the Raw Editions. The sold out Rifts® Antarctica Raw Edition is a far cry from what the finished book is going to be. Those of you who bought the Raw Edition get a glimpse at Palladium’s creative process. When you compare the two, you’ll see what we kept, what we eliminated, what we added, and how we embellished the material to reach the creative finale of the finished book coming this fall or winter. Fun and educational for those of you who aspire to be writers yourself or just like to have the inside track at Palladium. And true of all Raw Editions vs the finished book. Probably a fall or winter release.
UPDATE: Rifts® Bestiary™, Volume Two – Winter release
Nothing new on this front, but we all want it to be released as quickly as possible. Looking at a winter release.
UPDATE: The Disavowed™, Living Nowhere™, Beyond the Supernatural™ sourcebooks, and other titles
These titles and several others are NOT forgotten and are in various stages of active production or waiting for production. As always, just because a book is not specifically listed in every Weekly Update, it does not mean it is discontinued or in limbo, it means there are more immediate things to talk about or there’s no substantive news to report. We are anxious to put as many of the books you’ve been waiting for into your hands as possible over the next 18 months. That includes Chaos Earth® First Responders™, Rifts® Antarctica, Rifts® CS Arsenal™, Rifts® Living Nowhere™, Beyond the Supernatural™ sourcebooks, more Fantasy sourcebooks and other titles. So if a book you are waiting for is not mentioned in an Update, it means there is nothing new to report, but it should still be in the pipeline and news for it will be coming in the weeks or months ahead. Right now, we are focused on releases for the next six months, which by our count is 6-7 titles. And many of them are in various stages of production or development.
More to come on DriveThruRPG.com
We are lining up a number items to be added on DriveThru – Rifts® Dimension Book: Secrets of the Atlanteans™, The Rifter® #81 and #82, the 3 Rifts® novels, as well as a few other things.
Recent PDF additions include The Rifter® #80: A big 112 page issue filled with “official” source material for Palladium Fantasy RPG® Rifts® Chaos Earth® (setting and monsters), Splicers® (desert setting), Heroes Unlimited™ (villains), and more. 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. The Rifter® #79 (Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™, Gaming through History, G.M., and more), The Rifter® #78 (the Modern Necromancer, Palladium Fantasy®, Rifts®, Splicers®, more); Rifts® Heroes of Humanity™, the Coalition’s response to the escalating Minion War™ crisis, Psi-Battalion, CS Demon Hunter, special training and more).
Dead Reign® Paper Miniatures Volume Three: Zombies, Dead Reign® Paper Miniatures Volume Two: Civilians and Dead Reign® Paper Miniatures Volume One: Survivors. There are also paper miniatures for Heroes Unlimited™, Palladium Fantasy® and Rifts®. A new, up-to-date, PDF Palladium Books Catalog. Nightbane® Dark Designs™ sourcebook with 60 new Common Talents, 38 new Elite Talents, 18 new Morphus Tables, all other Morphus Tables collected and more. Systems Failure™ RPG, a 160 page RPG that deals with alien invasion and a post-apocalypse setting that is fun and dynamic. Civilization is on the verge of collapse when the so-called "bugs" invade and turn humans into zombie-like slaves. Monsters, heroes and fun. A complete RPG and setting. Rifts® World Book 34: Northern Gun™ Two: 256 pages of technology and fun. 30+ power armors, 30+ body armors, 15 combat vehicles, 45 vehicles (hovercycles, etc.), 10 robot haulers, the Robodome and more. Bizantium and the Northern Islands™: the northernmost part of the Known World, the Cold Born, Necromancy ships made from dead sea serpents, 15 creatures, Random Sea Monster Generator, and more. Rifts® Northern Gun™ One. This fan favorite might be thought of as the big book of giant robots – an in-depth look at Northern Gun, 70+ weapons, 27 robots, NG O.C.C.s, key people and places, and much more. Mysteries of Magic™ Book One: The Heart of Magic™ with Wizards, their Apprentices, nearly 60 new magic spells and remember, magic and monsters in the Fantasy RPG are easily adapted to Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, HU2 and other settings. Wolfen Empire™ Fantasy sourcebook, the Great Northern Wilderness and Killer Winters, 12 Wolfen Tribes, Wolfen military and society, 15+ creatures, 5 full adventures, 101 adventure ideas, random encounter tables, notable people, places, plus FREE Sneak Previews of The Rifter® #80, The Rifter® #81, The Rifter® #82, and more on DriveThruRPG.com.