Palladium Books® Weekly Update – August 1, 2013

By Kevin Siembieda

Gahhh . . . it’s the first day of August already. Gen Con is two weeks away, and we continue to work our tails off on all fronts. We continue to work non-stop on trying to finish up Rifts® Northern Gun™ One before Gen Con. It’s definitely a marathon effort, but worth it.

UPDATE: The Rifter® #63 – Available now

The Rifter® #63 shipped last Friday to subscribers and mail order customers and on Monday to distributors. This is another outstanding issue that I recommend highly. Check out the free Sneak Preview on DriveThruRPG.com or just order your copy today. I think you’ll be glad you did, especially if you’re a Palladium Fantasy® fan. This issue is epic, with fun and inspiring material for Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Beyond the Supernatural™, Rifts® and a massive photo spread of 90+ images of the sculpts for Robotech® RPG Tactics™. By the way, The Rifter® #62 and #61 were pretty darn excellent, too. We’re on a roll.

UPDATE: Rifts® Northern Gun One

Bigger. Better. Special. These are just a few of the words I’d use to describe Rifts® Northern Gun™ One. To make NG-1 everything it needs to be, especially after you've waited so long for it, I have increased the page size from 160 to 192. Megaverse Insider crowdfunding backers will get the book at the price they locked in when they pledged. Plus, I think many of you will be tickled with the special surprise (applicable to most people who supported us at the Palladium Insider level and up to Benefactor. It’s been some work and extra effort to implement, but definitely worth it if it makes a couple hundred Rifts® fans happy.

Writing continues to go well and I think I’m about 60-65% done. Alex has been going gah-gah over every hunk of writing I hand him to edit, and I think you will too. There is just so much color, character and detail to Ishpeming and the surrounding areas, as well as the Northern Gun corporation. And the robots and gear, the hovertrain and weapons, delicious. Still working at an insane pace to get this bad boy done and to the printer. Getting close now, and I’m pulling out all the stops to get it to the printer before Gen Con.

UPDATE: Northern Gun Two

As soon as I’m done with NG-1 and back from Gen Con, I dive into this book to get it to you pronto. You’ll want and need them both to get the full picture on Northern Gun and all the power armor, vehicles and Robodome of Northern Gun.

UPDATE: Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames

I've been assigning art and plotting other aspects for this title. Between the two Northern Gun™ titles and this book, Rifts® fans will be in a euphoric daze. Coming this Fall.

UPDATE: Books Back in Print

Wayne and I have sent several titles in for reprint so that there are no holes in our line as the holiday season approaches. More titles will get sent in soon as well. Rifts® Ultimate Edition was one of them. Rifts® Game Master Guide, Mindwerks™ and Rifts® Black Vault™ are three others, along with Mutant Underground™, Century Station™ and Villains Unlimited™ for the Heroes Unlimited™ RPG line. All should be back in stock next week. Like I’ve said, we have been busy on many fronts.

UPDATE: Robotech® The Macross® Saga Sourcebook – New 8½ x 11 size – Ships August 8, 2013

The printer has confirmed that Robotech® The Macross® Saga Sourcebook in its new 8½ x 11 inch size will ship next Thursday, August 8, 2013. The manga-size book has been discontinued and Robotech® The Macross® Saga Sourcebook is being re-released as an 8½ x 11 inch sourcebook. 128 pages – $16.95 retail – Cat. No. 551 – ships August 8, 2013. Get your orders in.

UPDATE: Robotech® UEEF Marines Sourcebook One

Coming this Fall. And it is going to be another fantastic sourcebook. More about it in future Updates.

UPDATE: Robotech® RPG Tactics Pledge Manager Available Now – Closing Date: August 31, 2013

Thousands of Kickstarter backers continue to define their pledge levels and add-on purchases in the Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Pledge Manager. It is in this step that backers are able to select all the Add-Ons they wanted as well as purchase additional Add-Ons! That’s right, you can purchase as many additional Add-Ons as your heart desires, in any quantity. You can also increase your pledge level. Closing Date: August 31, 2013.

Answers to commonly asked questions about the Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Pledge Manager:

● When we ship to our Kickstarter supporters – ALL Kickstarter items and Add-Ons will be shipped at the same time, but depending on how much you ordered, they may come in more than one box.

● Kickstarter Backers will get these items as soon as they hit the Palladium warehouse this Fall. They will be shipped BEFORE they are shipped to distributors and retailers.

● Only the Box Game and initial wave of retail releases (see the full description elsewhere) will arrive in the actual retail packaging. MANY of the items made available to Kickstarter Backers – like the Monster, Ghost and others – will not be made available on the retail market until a few months down the road. Expansion Packs will be released in waves over time. Our Kickstarter supporters, however, get them right away! That means many of these “advance” Kickstarter items will not come in the retail packaging, but simple bags.

● Sorry, no details about the Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Battle Foam carrying case other than it will be cool. It is still under development.

Remember to check the Updates page for all the latest: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rrpgt/robotech-rpg-tacticstm/posts

Northern Gun One Preview is coming soon. The Rifter® #63 Sneak Preview is available now on DriveThruRPG.com

The FREE Sneak Preview of The Rifter® #63 – including the spread revealing more than 90 images of sculpts for Robotech® RPG Tactics™ – is up and available for your enjoyment. WARNING: Reading this sneak preview is likely to get your heart pounding and imagination whirling. We’ll try to get a new Rifts® Northern Gun™ One Sneak Preview up before we leave for Gen Con.

There are Sneak Previews available for a growing number of popular Palladium titles including Rifts® Northern Gun One, Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook, Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms (Revised Edition), Rifts® Black Market, Rifts® Lemuria, Thundercloud Galaxy™, Dead Reign™ RPG, Endless Dead™ sourcebook and others. A NEW sneak preview of Rifts® Northern Gun™ One should also available in a few weeks.

DriveThruRPG.com is your place to get PDFs of older Palladium Books product, special G.M. Kits and sneak previews of past and upcoming book titles. Many back issues of The Rifter® are available on DriveThruRPG.com (issues #1-52), as are more than 90 out of print titles such as Rifts®, Beyond the Supernatural™, Heroes Unlimited™, Palladium Fantasy® first edition rule books and sourcebooks, including the original Rifts® RPG, Rifts® Vampires Kingdoms, The Mechanoid Invasion® Trilogy, and lots of other good things. ALL available as PDF downloads at reasonable prices. And there is MORE to come. (We have not forgotten about the PDF only editions of The Rifter® #0.1 and The Rifter® #0.2 – our hands have been full and both are big, juicy digital editions of new, fan created material for the Palladium Megaverse® of games.)

DriveThruRPG.com also offers the Rifts® and Palladium Fantasy® Game Master Kits ($5 each; both written by Carl Gleba and complete with maps, combat matrix, character sheets, spell list, and 20 pre-rolled characters created by Julius Rosenstein).

Gen Con® Indy – Palladium Booth #1025 – August 14-18, 2013

I have a bunch of meetings with bloggers, podcasters, interviewers and distributors lining up to steal my time at Gen Con Indy. I’m looking forward to each and every one of them. I have a feeling that this Gen Con is going to be a wild ride, and I can hardly wait.

If you are attending, make sure you swing by Booth #1025 to get the latest releases and books you’ve missed, purchase original art and art prints, experience Robotech® RPG Tactics™ demonstrations, chat and get autographs. Oh, and you’ll be able to see many of the final sculpts for Robotech® RPG Tactics™ on display for the first time anywhere.

Gen Con will be a star-studded event for Palladium fans with the following Palladium creators present at Booth #1025:

Palladium is about to explode back on the scene with game products that will thrill and beguile your imaginations. Join the fun and game on.

Something Special for Megaversal Ambassadors

In a few weeks we should have a couple of things we’ll be sending to our Megaversal Ambassadors for their supportive efforts in running gaming events and demos for Palladium Books at conventions and game stores. A little something to say thank you.

I feel like there is more to reveal, but I need to get back to work on Rifts® Northern Gun™ One.

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Writer and Game Designer

The Rifter #63

The Rifter® #63 – Available Now

I thought it was just me, but Julius and Alex agree, this issue feels especially fun and exciting. It is filled with all kinds of useful background and source material for Beyond the Supernatural, Palladium Fantasy® and Rifts®. Nice artwork, too.

Each and every issue of The Rifter® is an idea factory that helps players and Game Masters to generate new ideas and keep their games fresh. It provides useful, ready to go, source material gamers can just drop into their ongoing games. A doorway to new possibilities and numerous Palladium role-playing worlds.

The Rifter® Number 63 includes:

Rifts Northern Gun One

Rifts® World Book 33: Northern Gun One – in final production

Bigger. Better. And more jam-packed with background information, combat robots, weapons, and adventure hooks galore.

Northern Gun™ is the largest independent manufacturer of high-tech weapons, robots and vehicles in North America. Outside of the Coalition States, one could argue, no other kingdom is as powerful or influential, at least when it comes to technology and weapons. The manufacture and sale of Northern Gun weapons and vehicles has given virtually every kingdom, town, colony of settlers and adventurer group a chance to survive and prosper. Located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, NG has been the premier outfitter of mercenaries, adventurers and upstart kingdoms for generations. Now, for the first time ever, learn Northern Gun’s history, goals and plans for the future. Of course, that means new weapons, robots, power armor, vehicles and gear.

Rifts Northern Gun Two

Rifts® World Book 34: Northern Gun Two

More information about the weapons, vehicles and practices of Northern Gun, including the new rage of robot gladiatorial combat.

Rifts Megaverse in Flames

Rifts® World Book 35: 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. Demons, Deevils and supernatural beings run rampant and wreak havoc across the world.

Rifts Ultimate Edition

BACK IN PRINT: Rifts® Ultimate Edition

Imagine a world setting that is Earth 300 years after an apocalypse that results in the return of magic. Now imagine a world where magic and super-science collide. Where cyborgs and men clad in power armor and giant robots clash with demons, dragons and sorcerers.

Now imagine lines of blue, magic energy rippling across the land. Where two or more of those lines cross, there is a tear in the fabric of space and time. A Rift to infinite worlds and realities that have unleashed an endless cavalcade of aliens, mutants and monsters into our world. Some are adventurers like you, other are invaders, some are slaves or prisoners, and still others are demonic nightmares and gods from ancient myths. All now make Earth their home or hunting ground. Welcome to Rifts®.

Rifts® combines the genres of science fiction, fantasy, horror and post-apocalypse (among others) in a plausible setting where adventure is limited only by your imagination and the possibilities are truly infinite.

Robotech Macross Saga Sourcebook

BACK IN PRINT: Robotech® Macross® Saga Sourcebook – New size – 8½ x 11 – same great book – Ships August 9, 2013

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 will soon be 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 the Macross Saga setting, this is the book for you. Epic adventure awaits.

A Robotech® Role-Playing Game Sourcebook:

Robotech The Shadow Chronicles RPG

Robotech® The Shadow Chronicles® Role-Playing Game

All the data and details you need to role-play Robotech® are found in the Robotech® The Shadow Chronicles® RPG – core rule book. Available in two affordable formats, an 8½ x 11 inch hardcover edition ($30.95) and a pocket-sized “manga” edition (16.95).

Robotech RPG Tactics

Robotech® RPG Tactics – Coming Fall 2013

Robotech® fans, this is the game you’ve wanted for decades, with beautifully sculpted, in scale, game pieces and the fast action of Robotech®.

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

The First Six Robotech® Expansion Packs

The initial expansion packs will also ship in the Fall. All prices listed are likely, but still tentative. We want most packs to fall in the $25-$35 price range.

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 2013 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, 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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