Palladium Books® Weekly Update – February 2, 2012

By Kevin Siembieda

Yeow. Just when I thought things could not get wilder at Palladium Books, they do.

Tidbits from behind the scenes: All kinds of stuff is going on behind the scenes at Palladium. I have been so busy that I feel like I have been teleported from Monday to Thursday.

New licenses and opportunities. It is all very exciting stuff, though I cannot discuss much of it at this stage. I can tell you that two of them are potential licensing deals, one of which has incredible potential and will be something that will surprise and thrill everyone. “If” it pans out. The other would be cool, fun and nice, but after spending a lot of time on it, I’m not sure it’s going to pan out.

Palladium’s plans to create comic books are also slowly moving along and there have been rumblings from the West Coast.

Could Rifts® Miniatures be returning? Thanks to some behind the scenes activity by Carmen Bellaire, the answer may be yes. Palladium might be in a position to bring back select “out of print” miniatures like the Glitter Boy, Coalition Soldiers and Juicers. Feasibility and details are still being hammered out. There has even been some talk about possibly doing a miniatures game for Rifts®, but if it happens at all, it is quite a ways off.

Looking at the current miniatures market has revealed that Rifts® miniatures are currently priced at about 60-70% below current market (i.e. an entire blister pack of figures from Palladium costs what other companies charge for just ONE figure). Fair warning: Palladium will be doubling, perhaps even tripling, the current retail price of its Rifts® miniatures very soon. You probably have one, maybe two weeks before we make our prices “market competitive.” So if you’ve been meaning to build an army of Rifts® characters on the cheap, buy them this weekend. Re-released figures will probably be sold as individual figures for around $6-$7, while large figs like the Glitter Boy (as well as SAMAS and Coalition Sky Cycle) will be in the $16-$20 range. The cost of pewter is just that expensive.

Cash flow has been holding up many of these projects. We’re toying with a couple of ideas to raise money.

WARNING: The Rifter® Subscription Special ENDS SOON – February 20, 2012 – that’s less than three weeks. Now is the time to order, because you get a great price, a free gift and it helps Palladium immensely. Furthermore, The Rifter® is a wonderful source for gaming ideas, adventures, new villains, new monsters, new magic, powers, etc., as well as finding new ideas and new avenues to explore. It’s a win-win, because you get something of value – four issues of The Rifter® (plus the free gift; heck, you can even give it away as a gift) and the knowledge that you gave Palladium a shot in the arm when we needed it. As always, we appreciate your support.

UPDATE: Online Sales – What the...? Online sales dropped sharply after I gave you guys and gals props for doing a great job in the last Weekly Update. I didn’t mean to suggest you should stop buying because all was well. This time of year is our slow period, so cash flow and sales are all over the place. Weekend sales were good. Then sales fell flat, but we saw a big bounce when the Palladium Open House V.I.P. Night tickets became available yesterday.

UPDATE: The last available VIP Open House Tickets are available NOW. There are fewer than 15 left (we limit VIP afternoon and evening to under 90 gamers). Enjoy an afternoon and evening with Palladium staff and creators, a catered dinner, a talk by Kevin Siembieda, get the first chance to purchase art and collectibles and enjoy panel talks or gaming for the rest of the evening. VIP tickets are available only while supplies last. Sold on a first come, first served basis. We sold 13 overnight, and a few more today so far. VIP Night is May 3, 2012, starts around 3:00 in the afternoon, includes a catered dinner (as part of the ticket cost), a night of gaming, and first crack at purchases.

Click here to place your order.

Giving Palladium a hand. We’ve been fielding an ever increasing number of requests from fans about how they can help or support Palladium. Thank you.

The quick, easy answer is buy stuff. And not just RPG books, but art prints, bookmarks, greeting cards, magnets, coffee mugs, baseball caps, dice bags, back issues of The Rifter®, a Rifter® subscription, and, well, anything that might strike your fancy. It all helps. I’m kicking around some other ideas too, and will share them with you in the future.

Please keep the pre-orders coming. We do NOT charge your card until a week or two prior to the actual shipping of the book, and pre-orders help us to gauge demand and how many we should print, as well as provide us an instant surge of cash when the book is getting ready to ship.

Hype, hype, hype. Let other gamers know about our games and upcoming releases. Let people know how much fun it is to play in the Palladium Megaverse®. Let them know about our one game system and the infinite possibilities. Run games at stores and conventions. We want fans to run as many games as possible at Gen Con, as well as other conventions. The Gen Con final deadline to submit your gaming event is March 19, but the Early Submission deadline (to receive top priority as far as scheduling and location) is this Monday, February 6, 2012! We need G.M.s at the Palladium Open House too.

Let’s give Palladium’s games a presence at Gen Con Indy this summer! Let’s rock the convention center and show gamers what Palladium is all about. Find everything you need to submit your Gen Con Gaming Event here: http://gencon.com/2012/indy/pm/eo-gm/default.aspx

They’ve also put up an instructional video to walk you through the whole process: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuF11j7X-Vk

Game Masters unite at the Palladium Open House, May 3-6, 2012. We are in desperate need of Game Masters to submit their gaming info for the 2012 Palladium Open House! We need your commitment for gaming events and their descriptions, ideally, by MARCH lst, so we can post the tentative POH Event Schedule online to encourage people to come to the POH. They need to see what an awesome extravaganza of games and fun there is to be had at the event. Carl, Brandon, James, Zach, Irvin, and ALL INTERESTED GAME MASTERS, please contact Wayne (preferably by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or call the office on the help line – 734-721-2903). G.M. Rewards: Remember, run three or more events and you’ll get a special reward (in the past it has been a T-Shirt, so include your T-shirt size) and a discount on Palladium product (excludes original art and auction items). Take Julius’s lead, he’s running 7 events, and I’m running some too. We always have a ton of great events, but G.M.s wait to the last minute to let us know. WE NEED to have that info as soon as possible.

WE NEED YOU, please. Help us make this the greatest Palladium Open House ever! ;)

UPDATE: The Rifter® #57. Great issue. Available now.

UPDATE: Rifts® World Book 32: Lemuria – Bigger and Better. When not wheeling and dealing behind the scenes, I’ve been working away on Rifts® Lemuria – now expanded to 192 pages. It is the only way to keep EVERYTHING that belongs in this book.

UPDATE: Dead Reign™ Sourcebook 3: Endless Dead™. It’s next and it’s awesome.

UPDATE: Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook. It will follow as quick as I can get it finished. You will love it. A March release.

UPDATE: Rifts® World Book: The Black Market. I can hardly wait to dive into the final edit. March release.

UPDATE: Rifts® World Book: Northern Gun™ One. Is there anyone not anxiously awaiting this book? It’s slated for a March release.

UPDATE: Robotech® Genesis Pits™ Sourcebook. Spoke with Irvin Jackson and he says he’s putting the finishing touches on it. I also spoke to Tommy Yune at Harmony Gold and he’s excited about this book and promised a quick turnaround on approvals. March or April release.

UPDATE: Rifts®/Minion War™: Megaverse® in Flames™. I have a powwow with Carl this weekend. This book will blow your mind.

UPDATE: Splicers® Sourcebooks. Haven’t had a chance to look at these two manuscripts yet but can hardly wait.

UPDATE: VisionCon – Springfield, Missouri, February 16-19 – Kevin Siembieda, Gaming Guest of Honor. Only two weeks away. Hope to see a lot of you. What product should I bring to sell? Can only bring a few dozen. Go to http://www.visioncon.net for more information about VisionCon.

UPDATE: Palladium Open House (POH), May 4, 5 & 6, 2012. It’s coming up fast. I want to see 300 plus fans! Are you coming? I hope so. Note: See the POH description at the end of this Weekly Update for more info. POH V.I.P. Thursday tickets AVAILABLE NOW while supplies last.

Click here for more information.

Open House Challenge: I want to repeat my challenge that some of you should enter the POH costume contest as a Nightbane® or Nightlord, or other characters from the Nightbane® RPG . . . if you dare. And let’s see a lot of people entering the Costume Contest Saturday evening.

Don’t forget to check out Carmen Bellaire’s YouTube video reviews of Palladium product. Carmen Bellaire and William “Big Will” Johnson have started to post video reviews about Palladium role-playing games and sourcebooks. Check them out by going to: http://youtube.com/user/Maloquinn

Sneak Previews on DriveThruRPG.com are coming soon, starting with Rifts® Lemuria. There are 90+ backstock titles, including back issues of The Rifter®, first edition rule books, other sneak previews and the Rifts® Game Master Kit, all available as PDF downloads at reasonable prices.

There is more to talk about, but I don’t have time. I’m already late for my Diabetes Education class. Till next week (or my next Murmur from the Megaverse) – keep those imaginations burning bright, and game on!

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Writer and Game Designer

Palladium Books 2012 Product Release Schedule

January 2012 Releases

February 2012 Releases

March 2012 Releases

April 2012 Releases

May 2012 Releases

All of Palladium’s Core Game Lines to be Supported in 2012

The following are in development.

  • Robotech® sourcebooks
  • Rifts® Antarctica and other sourcebooks
  • Splicers® Sourcebooks
  • Heroes Unlimited™ Sourcebooks
  • Chaos Earth™ Sourcebooks
  • Palladium Fantasy®: Mysteries of Magic™ Two & Three
  • Palladium Fantasy®: Land of the Damned™ Three
  • Nightbane® Sourcebook
  • Beyond the Supernatural™ Sourcebooks
  • And other good stuff.

The Rifter #57

The Rifter® #57

– Available now

Looking for new ideas and material for your campaign? Then you want The Rifter®. The greatest value of The Rifter® is that every issue offers new and different ideas, and gets your imagination running in directions you might not have considered. It’s an idea factory that will help you generate new ideas of your own, and it also presents valuable source material you can drop right into your games.

The Rifter® is your doorway to unlimited imagination and numerous Palladium role-playing worlds. It offers new monsters, villains, characters, O.C.C.s, powers, magic, weapons, adventure and ideas for your games. It presents new villains, monsters and dangers to battle, and new ideas to consider. Every issue has material for Rifts® and at least two or three other Palladium game lines.

The Rifter® #57 is an extravaganza of monsters and mayhem to surprise your players and spice up your games.

  • Rifts® Lemuria – sneak preview.
  • Rifts® – new weapons and vehicles of the Coalition States.
  • Beyond the Supernatural™ – 5 new monsters and supernatural threats.
  • Palladium Fantasy® – 20 monsters and dangerous animals galore.
  • For all game settings – Genie bottles and dimensional pockets.
  • Rifts® – The Brodkil War Machinist O.C.C.
  • Rifts® – NGR Anthropological Field Operative O.C.C.
  • News, coming attractions, and more.
  • Cover by Charles Walton II.
  • 96 pages – still only $11.95 retail – Cat. No. 157. Available now.

Rifts World Book: Lemuria

NEW! BIGGER! Rifts® World Book: Lemuria™

Ships February

“I think this book is going to amaze people.” – Kevin Siembieda

  • The Lemurians, their race, history and society.
  • 12 new O.C.C.s including the Serpent Hunter, Shriekers, Spouters, Oceanic Guardsman, Biomancer Gene-Mage, Birdmen and others.
  • 20+ exotic animals sea serpents, Sea Dragons and riding animals.
  • 50+ new Biomancy spells.
  • Biomancer Gardens, herbs and magic.
  • Nearly a dozen types of living Bio-Armor (Lemurian power armor).
  • The Stone Guardians of Easter Island and other mysteries.
  • Stone vehicles and weird weapons and devices.
  • Symbiotic creatures and Biomancy constructs; some that enable air-breathers to survive underwater indefinitely.
  • New dangers, new challenges, adventure ideas and more.
  • Written by Greg Diaczyk with additional material by Matthew Clements and Kevin Siembieda.
  • Cover by John Zeleznik.
  • Interior art by Chuck Walton, Mike Mumah, Brian and Allen Manning, Kent Burles, Nick Bradshaw and Amy Ashbaugh.
  • 192 pages – $24.95 retail – Cat. No. 885. February release.

The Rifter Super-Subscription Offer

The Rifter® Super-Subscription

– Limited Time Offer

Free gift

Free shipping of each issue in the USA

Each issue delivered to your doorstep

A Megaverse® of source material, adventure & fun

The cover price of The Rifter® is only $11.95 – a steal for 96 pages of RPG source material and adventures – but a subscription gets you The Rifter® for only $9.95 an issue (in the USA) delivered to your doorstep, and you can select a free gift worth $12.95-$16.95 (available only during this special offer, for the cost of shipping and handling). All prices are in U.S. dollars.

$39.80 – USA. That’s only $9.95 each, a savings of $8.00, and Palladium pays the shipping! Plus you get to select a FREE subscriber’s gift worth $12.95-$16.95 (please include $5.00 to cover shipping and handling). That’s $44.80 total including shipping and handling for the free gift. Note: This rate is limited to subscribers in the USA only. Sorry.

$61.80 – Canada. That’s $15.45 for each issue of The Rifter®, plus you get to select the FREE subscriber’s gift (please include $7.00 to cover shipping and handling). That’s $68.80 including the gift item. That’s still not a bad price for a 96 page sourcebook. Our apologies for the higher cost, but Palladium Books can not cover the cost of postage to other countries. We hope you understand.

$75.80 – Overseas. That’s $18.95 for each 96 page issue, plus you get to select a FREE subscriber’s gift (please include $13.00 to cover shipping and handling). That’s $88.80 including the gift item. We are only passing along the additional postage cost, but it is hefty. Our apologies. Postal rates are out of our hands. Likewise, the purchaser is responsible for any duty or customs fees.

Note: Please indicate if the gift item is NOT wanted. You may decline the gift and get your subscription for the regular price of $39.80 (USA), $61.80 (Canada) or $75.80 (other countries).

FREE GIFT with your subscription

Subscribe now and get a FREE gift worth $12.95-$16.95: You pay only the cost of shipping and handling ($5.00 in the USA, $7.00 Canada, and $13.00 overseas).

  • Gift choice #1: Best of The Rifter® ($12.95 value).
  • Gift choice #2: The Rifts® Anthology: Tales of the Chi-Town ‘Burbs™; short stories by Campbell, Gleba, Siembieda, and others ($12.95 value).
  • Gift choice #3: Robotech® The Shadow Chronicles® RPG (manga size); core rule book ($16.95 value) – U.S. & Canada ONLY.
  • Gift choice #4: Robotech® The Masters Saga (manga size); sourcebook ($16.95 value) – U.S. & Canada ONLY.
  • Gift choice #5: Rifts® Path of the Storm™; sourcebook & movie screenplay ($12.95 value).
  • Gift choice #6: Rifts® Naruni Wave Two; sourcebook ($16.95 value).

Click here to order yours today.

Dead Reign Sourcebook 3: Endless Dead

NEW! Dead Reign™ Sourcebook 3: Endless Dead™

Ships February

Endless Dead says it all. The zombie hordes grow in number and strangeness. Can humankind survive? Where is the military? What’s next for the survivors of the zombie apocalypse?

This book contains horrifying new zombies to haunt your player characters along with new O.C.C.s and tons of tables for detailing Survivors’ Hideouts, Safe Haven Communities, Death Cults and more. Survival is not enough. Now is the time for the war against the Endless Dead™. This book is epic.

  • New types of zombies include the Fused Zombie, Multi-Zombie, Parasite Juggernaut and Walking Mass Grave.
  • New O.C.C.s include the Wheelman, Zombie Hunter, Zombie Researcher, Survivalist and Watcher.
  • Information on vehicles and tables for adding custom armor, weapons and anti-zombie defenses.
  • Vehicle combat rules and zombie-fighting in vehicles.
  • Random encounter tables for military bases, police stations, gun stores, buildings, suburbs, industrial parks, small towns, farmland and wilderness.
  • Tables for creating Survivor caravans, hideouts, hermits, Safe Haven Communities and Death Cults.
  • Timetable for setting campaigns during the Wave, the beginning of the Zombie Apocalypse or months into the reign of the dead.
  • Stats for some of North America’s dangerous wildlife, a threat to survivors and zombies alike.
  • Written by Kevin Siembieda and Matthew Clements.
  • Cover by E.M. Gist. Interior art by Mumah, Bradshaw and others.
  • 96 pages $16.95 retail – Cat. No. 233. February release.

Rifts Vampires Sourcebook

Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook™

Unknown to most humans, deep within Mexico the vampires have established entire kingdoms. There they live like tyrants and gods, dominating an underclass of cattle people used as slaves and food stock. Learn more about the vampires, their rivals, allies and the humans who willingly serve their supernatural masters for a chance to join the undead. A must-have guide for those who wish to travel deeper into the Vampire Kingdoms or play as vampires and their human minions.

  • More human kingdoms within Mexico like the Tampico Military Protectorate and Durango, the Silver City.
  • Firefighting robots, hover firetrucks and more anti-vampire gear.
  • Magic based Vampire Hunters and human strongholds.
  • Techno-Wizard anti-vampire weapons and magical devices.
  • Profiles for Doc Reid and Reid’s Rangers, the world’s most famous Vampire Hunters.
  • Fort Reid, an entire city devoted to hunting the undead.
  • The Bloodwatch, a secret vampire intelligence agency that tracks down and exterminates Vampire Hunters.
  • The Yucatan Peninsula, a mysterious dimensional pocket overrun by strange demons known as Xibalbans.
  • The return of the Mayan god Camazotz, Lord of Bats and Darkness.
  • The werebeasts of Mexico and Central America; those who assist the vampires and those who fight against them.
  • New O.C.C.s like the Bloodwatch Vampire Operative, Silver Swords Militia, Werejaguar Vampire Hunter and the Vampire ‘Borg.
  • Cover by Michael C. Hayes. Interior art by various artists.
  • Written by Kevin Siembieda, Matthew Clements and Braden Campbell.
  • $16.95 – 128 pages. Cat. No. 884. March release.

Rifts® Black Market™ – A Rifts® Sourcebook

On Rifts® Earth, the Black Market is the most prevalent trader in weapons, contraband and magic items outlawed by the Coalition. Explore the day to day business of the market along with its smuggling routes, practices, policies and nefarious products. Encounter the five major Black Market factions in North America and foreign groups like the Yakuza, Green Scarf Sect and the Underground Railroads of Atlantis and the Vampire Kingdoms.

  • New O.C.C.s like the Con Man, Coyote and Venture Criminal.
  • Black Market services, products, practices and customers.
  • Criminal jobs like the Enforcer, Hit Man and Defense Attorney.
  • Major smuggling corridors and routes through Coalition territory.
  • Smuggling methods, both magical and conventional.
  • The Five Factions of North America and other Black Market groups.
  • More equipment from Bandito Arms and specialized smuggling gear.
  • Tables for creating Traveling Merchants, Caravans, Market Outlets, Market Towns, Clubs and Bars, Body-Chop-Shops and more!
  • Information on the Coalition prison system and border security.
  • Written by Matthew Clements and Taylor White, with additional material by Kevin Siembieda and Alex Marciniszyn.
  • 160 pages – $20.95 retail – Cat. No. 886. March release.

Rifts® World Book: Northern Gun™ One

The largest independent manufacturer of weapons, robots and adventure gear in North America is Northern Gun™. Located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, they have been the premier outfitter of mercenaries and adventurers for decades, and are a major hub for hiring military contractors. With a whole new product line to offer their customers, the future looks bright for Northern Gun™.

  • The arms giant Northern Gun profiled for the first time!
  • The Kingdom of Ishpeming, a puppet-state propped up by NG.
  • Full 109 P.A. catalog of Northern Gun products!
  • New weapons, power armor, vehicles, robots and adventure gear.
  • The Ishpeming military, essentially a framework for hiring mercenaries and privateers.
  • The NG Bounty Board, the largest collection of bounties and mercenary contracts anywhere on Rifts® Earth.
  • Hover trains, supply ships and sales outlets.
  • Northern Gun’s relationship with the Coalition States, Triax Industries, the Black Market and others.
  • Written by Matthew Clements.
  • Interior Artwork by Nick Bradshaw, Chuck Walton and others.
  • 160 pages – $20.95 retail – Cat. No. 887. March release.

Robotech® Genesis Pits™ Sourcebook

An in-depth look at the Invid Genesis Pits, their purpose, function and the creatures they create.

  • Secrets of the Invid.
  • Different types of Genesis Pits.
  • Written by Irvin Jackson. Additional text by Kevin Siembieda.
  • An 8½ x 11 inch sourcebook (not manga size).
  • 96 pages – $16.95 retail – Cat. No. 555. March release.
  • Available in the U.S. and Canada only.

Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames™

The Minion War spills across Rifts Earth, where demons and infernals hope to recruit allies and use the Rifts as gateways of destruction. Their influence shakes things up across the planet, especially at locations where demons and Deevils already have a strong presence. More details to follow, but for now, ‘nuff said.

  • Soulmancer and Blood Magic.
  • The Seven Deadly Plagues.
  • The Demon Plagues across the globe.
  • Battleground: Earth – as demons and infernals amass their legions.
  • Rifts Calgary – also known as Hell’s Pit; the kingdom described.
  • Ciudad de Diablo, Harpies’ Island and other notable Hell holes on Earth.
  • Lord Doom, Pain and other demonic leaders.
  • Horune treachery, Dimension Stormers and other villains.
  • Global chaos and the places most dramatically affected by the Demon Plagues.
  • Notable demonic generals, mercenaries, people and places.
  • Many adventure ideas.
  • Written by Carl Gleba.
  • 192 pages – $24.95 retail – Cat. No. 876. April release.

DriveThruRPG

PDF downloads from DriveThruRPG.com

This is a great resource for getting out of print Palladium titles and other select books. We’ve made 90 titles available as PDF digital downloads from DriveThruRPG.com. This is a great way to try Palladium products and get access to out of print RPG source material. Some notable titles include:

© Copyright 2012 Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved.

Rifts®, The Rifter®, RECON®, Splicers®, Palladium Books®, The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, Phase World®, Nightbane®, Megaverse®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, Coalition Wars® and After the Bomb® are Registered Trademarks of Palladium Books Inc. Beyond the Supernatural™, Chaos Earth, Coalition States, Dead Reign, Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas & Superspies, Minion War, Mysteries of Magic, SAMAS, Thundercloud Galaxy, Three Galaxies, Vampire Kingdoms, Warpath, and other published book titles, names, slogans and likenesses are trademarks of Palladium Books Inc., and Kevin Siembieda.

Robotech® and Robotech® The Shadow Chronicles® are Registered Trademarks of Harmony Gold USA, Inc.

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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. RPG Tactics™, Beyond the Supernatural, Coalition States, Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas & Superspies, Minion War, Mysteries of Magic, 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.

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