Palladium Books® Weekly Update – May 29, 2014

By Kevin Siembieda

Welcome to another wonderful spring day and a new Spring Cleaning Sale. This one is Sale Number Four of six, so we are more than halfway through our Spring Cleaning Sales. This week’s sale is Rifts® Dimension Books and Journeys across the Megaverse®. I hope you enjoy this sale as much as the previous three. And please make sure to spread the word, these Spring Cleaning Sales are only being advertised here in the Weekly Updates and via word of mouth. And each sale only lasts ONE week, before another starts. There are six sales total.

What a great way to fill in the holes in your own collection or try a new setting you've been thinking about. The sale is also a good way to purchase a gift for someone’s birthday, graduation, anniversary, or just to be nice. Continue to enjoy and game on!

Spring Cleaning Sale #4 of 6: Rifts® Dimension Books and Journeys across the Megaverse® — Ends June 5 (and a new one begins that evening)

We are going to need to rearrange the Palladium warehouse to make space for Robotech® RPG Tactics™ coming in a couple of months. And by space we mean what we estimate to be 3-4 semi-trailers worth of space, plus a staging area. And with several new books being released, we want to create excitement about the entire Palladium Megaverse®. We thought we could kill two birds with one stone to create buzz and clear space in the warehouse with a series of six Spring Cleaning Sales! Each sale of select items is limited to just ONE week.

Every new Weekly Update (for two more times after this) will announce a new week long sale running from Thursday (the date of the initial announcement) to the following Thursday afternoon. The new Weekly Update will announce the new, week long sale (starting that evening) and marks the end of the previous sale.

For one week only, you can get the following titles for half price:

Getting back up to speed

We all took a much needed two days off break over the Memorial Day Weekend. It was nice not coming into work for two days. A guy could get used to that. Fear not, we all dived back into work on Tuesday and continue to work our hearts out every single day on multiple projects and business matters. Jeff and Wayne spend most of their time on Robotech® RPG Tactics™, while I’m happy to say that I've been catching up on contracts and business matters, handling art direction and managing to put 6-8 hours of writing in on Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames™. At the moment, it feels like everything is moving along at a good pace, even though the days seem to continue to zoom by. Can not believe it is June in a few days and Gen Con Indy happens in only two and a half months. Whew.

UPDATE: Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames

I spent a lot of time on the opening section and Hell Pits as they are pivotal to the set up for Megaverse® in Flames™ and many subsequent adventures. I also worked on a couple of Soulmancy spells (I’m jumping around a little bit), I just finished Hell Plagues and I’m moving on to Calgary, Kingdom of Monsters. Some of the additional artwork has begun coming in and it is looking fantastic. This is another book that is just jam-packed with settings and ideas for adventures and conflict. I’m really enjoying everything I’m working on in this manuscript. A June release is still looking good.

UPDATE: Robotech® RPG Tactics

The Ninjas and Palladium are working away at final tweaks, approvals, fine tuning and finishes so that Wave One of this hotly anticipated product line can go into manufacturing. It’s funny what falls through the cracks sometimes, but thankfully, I think we (Palladium and the Ninjas) are catching and fixing everything that needs to be done to make this product everything you want and need it to be. For example, thanks to Tom Roache and Mike Arnold, we realized the Robotech® RPG Tactics™ rule book needed a comprehensive index, which I hammered out just this past Saturday. Spent hours on it to make sure it gives you all the key points and references needed to run a smooth game. Several other people have reviewed it and I think we nailed it.

Meanwhile, the final box dimensions have been determined and the art and designs for packaging are coming in. Here’s the design for the lid/top of the game box for Robotech® RPG Tactics™.

I know Wayne plans on revealing more sprues and construction of game pieces, but we are absolutely slammed with work and deadlines.

UPDATE: Rifts® Northern Gun Two

People are loving Rifts® Northern Gun™ Two. The NG-2 PDF has been emailed to ALL the Megaverse Insiders who were supposed to get one. If you haven’t received yours, please contact the Palladium office. So far, we know of only one person whose email has bounced.

Rifts® Northern Gun™ Two HARDCOVER Editions – two limited editions exclusive to select Megaverse Insiders – are still on track to arrive at the Palladium warehouse around June 10th. We will process them as quickly as possible and ship them out.

IMPORTANT! Please make sure Palladium has your current and correct mailing address. If you have moved during the last year or so, PLEASE call the Palladium office (734-721-2903 order line) to make certain we have your current and correct address. REMEMBER, we only printed enough copies to fulfill the actual order printed, plus a few dozen extra to cover lost or damaged books. There are very few to spare. If you do NOT make sure we have your correct address, your super-limited edition book may not be able to be replaced. Thank you.

FREE Sneak Previews and PDF products are available on DriveThruRPG.com

Wayne has added a couple issues of The Rifter® to the PDFs available on DriveThruRPG.com and he’ll be adding another two every week or two for several weeks. You can also get PDFs of more than 90 Palladium RPG books including the Splicers® RPG, The Rifts® Coalition Wars®/Siege on Tolkeen series, the original Rifts® RPG, the Rifts® Game Shield, the original Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms™ World Book, the original Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG, first edition Palladium Fantasy RPG® titles and Heroes Unlimited™, The Rifter® issues 1-54 (with new ones being added starting this week) and many others. There are also FREE previews on DriveThruRPG.com for Rifts® Northern Gun™ One and Two, Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook, Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms (Revised Edition), Rifts® Black Market, Rifts® Lemuria, Dragons and Gods™, Dead Reign™ RPG, Endless Dead™ sourcebook and others, too. Plus we plan to add other sneak previews and special G.M. material. Plus, we’ll soon be adding paper miniatures designed and created by “Madman” Mike Leonard, so check out all the goodies on DriveThruRPG.com.

Palladium Collectibles Available in Kevin’s Online Toy & Collectibles Store

We have added some new collectibles and out of print titles to my online store, including a couple of printer proofs of Palladium Fantasy RPG® and Heroes Unlimited™ 30th Anniversary Hardcovers, and some other odds and ends. I might even have Alex add a couple of Chuck Walton original pencil illustrations over the weekend. We’ll keep adding items as supplies allow and as I find other odds and ends as we do more spring cleaning and reorganization. As usual, there are out of print titles, redlined proofreader photocopies signed by me and the staff, signed manuscripts with editors’ corrections, some original art, hardcover books (including Rifts® Northern Gun™ One) and other items you’ll enjoy. There are also hundreds of toys and action figures, all from my personal collection. All items in the store are from my own personal archives and collection. Take a look every few days as new items are added. There may be some items that are perfect for upcoming birthdays and anniversaries.

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

UPDATE: The Rifter® #66 – Available Now!

The Rifter® #66 is already almost sold out! It’s funny how some issues sell better than others. We printed the same amount as the last couple issues, but we are already down to the last couple hundred copies. Wild. I think this issue is, indeed, destined to become a collector’s item. I guess I can see why. It is packed with fun and useful game material, starting with Amy L. Ashbaugh's cover and the Rifts® Black Market Town and some Techno-Wizard weapons, plus Splicers® creatures, a Heroes Unlimited™ adventure and more. See the description elsewhere in this Update. Please note that the price of The Rifter® is now $13.95 – still a darn good price for a 96 page sourcebook. Of course, subscribers are locked into the old price until their subscription ends.

UPDATE: The Rifter® #67

Wayne will start making selections for the summer issue very soon. Can hardly wait to see the finished cover.

UPDATE: Robotech®: Expeditionary Force Marines Sourcebook One

– Formerly titled ‘UEEF Marines’

Yes, we are still planning this as a summer release. I look forward to working on it.

UPDATE: Dead Reign: Graveyard Earth

Have not had a chance to work on it yet. Probably an end of June or early July release.

Closing Thoughts

Excitement is running at a fever pitch. I had a great meeting with Chuck Walton on Saturday and another one with Matthew Clements a few days earlier. Everyone is pumped about coming releases. I’m sure there must be other things to talk about but I’m going to wrap things up for this Weekly Update. We all need to get back to work on our many projects.

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Writer and Game Designer

The Rifter #66

NEW! The Rifter® #66 – Available now

The Rifter® #66 is about people and exotic places. There are the space pirates of Phase World® and the Three Galaxies™; notable Rifts® Black Marketeers, some contraband goods and a Black Market trade town in Rifts® Black Market Part Two; the Splicers Ranger O.C.C. and a host of genetically manipulated creatures in The Splicers® Bestiary; the villainous Snake Men gang in a Heroes Unlimited™ adventure; and travel from Lazlo to Atlantis in the Rifts® short story. Plus news, coming attractions, and more.

Every issue of The Rifter® is an idea factory for players and Game Masters to generate new ideas, and find new avenues of adventure. It provides useful, ready to go, source material you can just drop into your ongoing games. A doorway to new possibilities and numerous Palladium role-playing worlds. And the many new characters, O.C.C.s, powers, magic, weapons, villains, monsters, adventures and ideas for one setting can be easily adapted to any Palladium setting. Every issue has material for Rifts® and at least 2-3 other Palladium game lines. And don’t forget, most of the material can be easily adapted for use in ANY Palladium game setting.

The Rifter® Number 66 includes:

Rifts Northern Gun Two

NEW! Rifts® World Book 34: Northern Gun Two – Available now

Shipping right now. Order yours today. Rifts® Northern Gun™ Two is the biggest book of vehicles and equipment Palladium has ever produced. You get power armor galore, plus hovercycles, body armor, robot drones, amphibious vehicles, combat vehicles, ground vehicles, and other gear, plus gladiators of the Robodome and hints about things to come and NG’s relationship with the Coalition States. EXPANDED from 160 pages to 256 pages. Epic adventure. Available now.

Rifts Northern Gun One

HOT! Rifts® World Book 33: Northern Gun One – Available Now!

If you are getting NG-2 you’ll want NG-1, even though both titles stand alone. Rifts® Northern Gun™ One is the most tech-filled World Book Palladium has ever produced, and gamers are loving every page of new weapons, robots, power armor, vehicles and NG background.

Rifts Megaverse in Flames

NEW! Rifts® World Book 35: Megaverse® in Flames – Ships June

The Minion War spills across Rifts Earth, where demons and infernals hope to recruit allies and use the Rifts as gateways of destruction across the Megaverse. Their influence shakes things up all over the planet, especially at locations where demons and Deevils already have a strong presence. Demonic supernatural beings run rampant and wreak havoc across the world. Megaverse® in Flames™ is in final production and on schedule to ship in June.

Dead Reign Graveyard Earth

NEW! Dead Reign Sourcebook 5: Graveyard Earth – Ships June

When the dead rise and communications and power grids collapse, nothing matters except your own survival. But what about the rest of the world? What’s happening in other places? Has any government survived? Is anyplace safe? Dead Reign™ Graveyard Earth™ tries to answer those questions and others. And in doing so, provides gamers and G.M.s with more fuel for adventure.

Heroes Unlimited 30th Anniversary Hardcover

Heroes Unlimited 30th Anniversary Hardcover Edition – only $40 while supplies last

Half of the Heroes Unlimited™ RPG Hardcovers are already sold. ONLY 200 copies remain. This HU2 30th Anniversary Edition is visibly different (and cool) than the original hardcover and cannot be confused with the earlier printing. We have kept the price an unprecedented, low $40 for a hardcover Gold Edition of this size. We want to give Heroes Unlimited™ fans a crack at purchasing one before the price skyrockets on the secondary collectors’ market. The original HU2 hardcover sold for $50 and has since become a collector’s item that sells for $200-$350 on the secondary market. Enjoy and game on!

Just a few notable Heroes Unlimited Sourcebooks:

Instantly expand your playing experience with these and other HU2 sourcebooks.

Palladium Fantasy RPG 30th Anniversary Hardcover

NEW! Palladium Fantasy RPG® 30th Anniversary Hardcover Edition – only $40 while supplies last

The Palladium Fantasy® Special 30th Anniversary Hardcover is selling even faster than the Heroes Unlimited hardcover. We sold 200 copies in half the time! Only 250 copies remain! This Palladium Fantasy® 30th Anniversary Edition is visibly different than the original hardcover and cannot be confused with the earlier printing. We have kept the price an unprecedented, low $40 for a hardcover Gold Edition of this size. We want to give Palladium Fantasy® fans a crack at purchasing one before the price skyrockets on the secondary collectors’ market. The original Crimson Edition sold for $50 and has since become a collector’s item that sells for $250-$400 on the secondary market.

To preserve the value of the “original” Palladium Fantasy RPG® Crimson Edition Hardcover, we have made the 30th Anniversary Edition as visibly different looking on the outside as possible. The material used for the cover is a brown leatherette imprinted with “Elemental Green” foil, different art on the cover, and the words “Special 30th Anniversary Edition.” Even the spine is different looking and the end sheets are without artwork. All the elements described above should make the Palladium Fantasy RPG® 30th Anniversary Hardcover impossible to mistake for the original signed and numbered HC edition.

Second Edition rules. Please note that this hardcover edition is the SECOND Edition rules, exactly the same as the current material in the softcover book. Enjoy and unleash those imaginations.

Mechanoid Invasion Trilogy

The “Collected” Mechanoid Invasion® Trilogy – available now

This is the original three Mechanoid Invasion® books published in 1981 and 1982 and first collected in one volume in 1998. The collection is back due to popular demand from YOU. It contains all the material that appeared in the original three Mechanoid Invasion® books plus some background history. This is the game and sourcebooks that launched Palladium Books.

The story of the Mechanoid Invasion® is a tragic one that spans the galaxy and generations of people. The Mechanoid Invasion® starts on a distant planet being colonized by humans, until the Mechanoids arrive. The seemingly alien mechanized monsters intend to strip the planet of all its resources and literally carve it up into pieces and haul it away. The loss of human lives means nothing to them. Indeed, the Mechanoids seem to delight in capturing, torturing and slaughtering what humans they can find. Can nothing stop the destruction?

The Journey follows the story of human colonists from the doomed planet surviving by living between the walls and tunnels like rats on a ship.

Homeworld carries our story to the Mechnoids’ homeworld in search of answers, but only more mystery, carnage and alien menaces await.

All of the above are contained in this one, 208 page volume. Back in print because YOU demanded it. But this volume is also unique as it gives you a glimpse of Palladium Books from its very beginning. Enjoy.

Robotech UEEF Marines Sourcebook One

NEW! Robotech®: Expeditionary Force Marines Sourcebook One

– Formerly titled ‘UEEF Marines’

Robotech®: Expeditionary Force Marines is a sourcebook that we know will wow and please Robotech® fans.

Robotech RPG Tactics

Robotech® RPG Tactics – Coming Summer 2014

This is the game Robotech® fans have wanted for decades.

Robotech® RPG Tactics™ is a fast-paced, tabletop combat game that captures the action and adventure of the Robotech® anime. Two or more players can engage in small squad skirmishes or scale up to massive battles. Relive the clashes of the First Robotech War, engage in stand-alone tactical games, or use the dynamic game pieces to enhance your Robotech® RPG experience. Or simply collect your favorite mecha from an expanding range of top-notch game pieces.

Mecha vs Mecha. Take command of the fighting forces of the United Earth Defense Force (UEDF) valiantly defending Earth from alien annihilation. Or lead the massive clone armies of the Zentraedi Armada to recover an alien artifact of immense power and enslave humankind.

Robotech RPG Tactics

Robotech® RPG Tactics Box Set – Cat. No. 55100

The First Six Robotech® RPG Tactics Expansion Packs

The first six expansion packs will be available to retail at the same time as the main box game. Here are the “official” SKUs and retail prices.

UEDF Valkyrie Wing

UEDF Valkyrie Wing

Build your fleet of Earth defenders with the Valkyrie Veritech Fighter; six figures total.

UEDF Tomahawk/Defender Destroids

UEDF Tomahawk/Defender Destroids

Expand your Destroid squad with these formidable walking tanks; four figures total.

UEDF Spartan/Phalanx Destroids

UEDF Spartan/Phalanx Destroids

Add some long range power and up-close punch to your army with these valuable Destroids; four figures total.

Zentraedi Regult Battlepods

Zentraedi Regult Battlepods

Expand your Zentraedi forces with their main infantry battle mecha; six figures total.

Zentraedi Artillery Battlepods

Zentraedi Artillery Battlepods

Give your Zentraedi legion greater firepower with these artillery and support Battlepods; four figures total.

Zentraedi Glaug Command Pack

Zentraedi Glaug Command Pack

This diverse pack provides your Zentraedi forces with greater tactical capabilities; three figures total.

Robotech Macross Saga Sourcebook

Robotech® Macross® Saga Sourcebook – New 8½ x 11 size – Available now

All the famous mecha and action of Robotech® starts here with the Macross® Saga when an alien armada enters Earth orbit. They have come to reclaim a lost spacecraft that crash-landed on Earth 10 years earlier. A space fortress that Earth’s protectors have rebuilt into their own flagship against alien invasion. The resulting conflict gives birth to heroes and becomes the stuff of legend, but the Earth will never be the same. Robotech® The Macross® Saga Sourcebook is now available as an 8½ x 11 inch sourcebook.

Note: This is the setting for Robotech® RPG Tactics™, so if you’re looking for more information about the mecha, Earth’s defenders, the Zentraedi invaders, and Macross Saga setting, this is the book for you. Epic adventure awaits.

A Robotech® Role-Playing Game Sourcebook:

Gen Con Indy – August 14-17, 2014

Gen Con Indy is going to be the premier convention event for Palladium Books this year. A large booth, special display, a ton of product including Robotech® RPG Tactics™, and all our role-playing games and sourcebooks, art prints, original art, and all kinds of good stuff. There will also be many Palladium creators available at the booth throughout the convention to chat and sign autographs, including writers Brandon Aten, Matthew Clements, Carl Gleba, Carmen Bellaire, Mark Oberle (tentative), me (Kevin Siembieda), Palladium staffers like Wayne Smith and Jeff Burke, and artists including Nick Bradshaw, Mike Leonard, Chuck Walton, and others. And it looks like there will be 50+ Palladium Books RPG events in the official Gen Con program. My heartfelt thanks to the Megaversal Ambassadors spearheading this project, as well as the Game Masters volunteering to run so many events for our many game lines. Awesome.

Palladium Books Gen Con Highlights:

2015 Palladium Open House – May 14-17, 2015

The 2015 Palladium Open House is officially on! This is an event unlike any you have ever experienced. It is more like a family reunion than a gaming convention, with incredible access to Palladium creators (artists, writers, editors, etc.). We hope to see many of you next May in 2015! More information will be posted soon, but start planning for it now and reserve your hotel rooms as soon as possible.

$109.00 (plus tax) per room at the Comfort Inn, aka “Plymouth Clock Tower Hotel.” This is the hotel everyone knows and wants. You can start placing hotel reservations for the 2015 Palladium Open House right now, but make sure you tell them the Group Code “Palladium Books.” This is a must to get the superior group rate.

That’s $109 (plus tax) for a room with two queen beds or one king with a sofa that has a pull-out sleeper. ALL rooms have a micro-fridge, FREE high-speed wired/wireless Internet and there is a FREE hot breakfast from 6 A.M. to 10 A.M. near the lobby. The hotel also offers a heated indoor swimming pool, a fitness center (24 hours), and a coin operated laundry. And the large conference room is ours to use, around the clock for open gaming.

Comfort Inn

40455 Ann Arbor Road
Plymouth, MI 48170
Phone: 734-455-8100

Group Code: Palladium Books – you MUST request the Group Code “Palladium Books” at the time of booking to ensure the correct rate will be quoted and billed to you.

Dates of the 2015 Palladium Open House (POH): May 15-17 (May 14 is VIP Thursday), 2015.

If you know you are coming to the 2015 Palladium Open House, we recommend you reserve your room as soon as possible to get this superior rate. Call 734-455-8100 to make your reservation. The hotel does NOT charge your credit card until a few days before the event (next year!) and you can cancel up until May 10, 2015. So there is no reason to wait. Get your room(s) reserved right away. More information about the 2015 Palladium Open House is coming soon. Game on!

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 2014 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®, Chaos Earth®, and After the Bomb® are Registered Trademarks of Palladium Books Inc. RPG Tactics™, Beyond the Supernatural, Coalition States, Dead Reign, 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.

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

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