Palladium Books® Weekly Update – July 26, 2014

By Kevin Siembieda

It is total madness here. Everyone is working on something every minute of the day. Carmen Bellaire dropped by and so did Chuck Walton, but there was no time to visit. Things are getting done and looking good. Gonna try to keep this one a bit short if you don’t mind.

UPDATE: Robotech® RPG Tactics

The first container is on its way.

My deep and heartfelt thank you to our Kickstarter backers for voting to let us take Robotech® RPG Tactics™ to sell at Gen Con. The overwhelming majority (78% who actually voted) voted yes. Thank you for your understanding and kindness. You and your support are very appreciated.

I have been showing around the ONE box of Robotech® RPG Tactics™ we have received from China and everyone goes wild over it. The game looks big, beefy and beautiful. We have the one game box, a couple of the expansion packs and a half dozen sprue samples of each mecha. Some of the sprue samples have been sent out to be painted, both as display pieces and for tabletop demos at Gen Con. The bulk of them have been sent out to Blue Table Painting. They are doing most of the painting and we appreciate their efforts. We’re working them like dogs, too, because we did not get the production samples until last week. Thanks guys, the paint jobs are looking great! Their comment about the sprues: “You can tell somebody put a lot of love into these models.” Yes indeed, a lot of people put a lot of love into them. We’re glad to hear that it shows in the final pieces.

I can’t express how rewarding it is that people go wild over this game and think the pieces look so good. Our China broker and factories are doing an excellent job on the final phase. Carmen Bellaire (co-author of the rules) just got to see it all the other day. He too was impressed. “Kev, I know it has been hell to get this game made, but the end product is really something. You should be really proud.” I think everyone involved can be proud of this finished product. I cannot wait until we can start shipping out product to our Kickstarter backers.

A NEW Robotech® RPG Tactics game piece may be made available via the Robotech® Academy Kickstarter!

Yes, you are reading that correctly. There could be one (or two?) NEW Robotech® mecha game pieces for Robotech® RPG Tactics™ made available in the Robotech® Academy Kickstarter! Harmony Gold contacted Palladium Books to see if we would mind if they released one (maybe two) 1/285 scale (6 mm) NEW MECHA from the anticipated Robotech® Academy animated pilot, as game pieces for Robotech® RPG Tactics™. We gave our blessing because we thought you guys and gals would dig it. This would be an official game piece (we would do up the stats and everything). I do not know if HG is planning to do this for certain or not.

Harmony Gold may announce at Comic Con International in San Diego this weekend, if they are going to add the new piece(s) or not, and if so, which new mecha they will manufacture and offer. They’ll also make the announcement on their Kickstarter page and via other means, as well as post images online.

What is Robotech® Academy? It’s Harmony Gold USA, Inc.’s proposed new venture to expand the Robotech® universe. And they are using Kickstarter to finish the pilot with the hopes of launching it as a new Robotech animated series. It is my understanding that concept work, a script, model sheets, new mecha designs and more are already done. Now they are looking to get the production of the pilot financed, at least in part, by Kickstarter. As a licensee of Harmony Gold, I like what I’m hearing about this new series, so check out this Kickstarter and get some cool, collectible swag in the process.

UPDATE: Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames – Ships August 7

DONE! 192 pages of awesomeness is at the printer. I already approved the digital proofs a couple days ago. This book is truly epic in scope and cool as can be. See the description later in this Update. The softcover edition will be finished and ship around August 7, before Gen Con. Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames™ Gold Edition will be numbered and signed by the Palladium staff. Limited to 300 signed and numbered copies. Gold limited editions should be ready to ship early September.

Kathy will start processing pre-orders and charging your credit cards next week. PLEASE NOTE: If you have moved or need to update your credit card information, please call the office (734-721-2903). DO NOT just place a new order, as you MAY be charged for and sent multiple copies of a book you only want one of. Kathy is very diligent at keeping back orders. Please just contact us with your new address or card information. We have pre-orders going back to 2012! Thank you.

UPDATE: Future Visions – The Artistry of Charles Walton II – August 13

This book looks pretty sweet, and it went to the printer yesterday. Future Visions is a 96 page extravaganza of black and white art for the upcoming Splicers® titles and maybe a couple other Palladium projects. I wrote an introduction and talk a bit about the creative process at Palladium. Chuck wrote about his love for Splicers® and why he is compelled to draw mountains of material for it.

People love Chuck Walton’s artwork so much, we thought it would be fun to release a book that, a) showcases his artwork, and b) presents you a “visual showcase” for upcoming Palladium titles. Some is finished art. Some is concept art. All of it rocks. This is the kind of stuff that transpires behind the scenes. The price for this 96 page book is a deal at $13.95, and you’ll be able to get Chuck to sign it for you at Gen Con Indy. August release. See the description later in this Update. More and even cooler surprises to follow. Note: We expect to have this title at Gen Con.

UPDATE: The Rifter® #67 – Ships August 13

We are putting the finishing touches on it even as you read this Update. Should ship just before we leave for Gen Con. More Rifts®, Splicers® and HU2 material. See the description later in this Update. The Rifter® #66 is almost sold out. Get ‘em while you can.

Gen Con Indy – Palladium Books is Booth #1223 – August 14-17, 2014

We hope to see many of you at Gen Con Indy this year. As I wrote last Update, Gen Con Indy is promising to be pretty awesome for Palladium fans. We won’t have as many new book releases as we had anticipated, but we will have Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames™, The Rifter® #67, Future Visions™, Northern Gun™ 1 & 2, and most of our back stock titles, plus original artwork for sale, some specialty items, some out of print titles, and we should have a few hundred copies of the Robotech® RPG Tactics box game, four of the expansion packs (Tomahawk/Defender Destroids, Regult Battlepods, Artillery Battlepods, and Glaug Command), and the rule book (comes in the box game but we’ll have loose copies as well).

First come, first served. As always, we can only bring a limited number of products to sell. ALL items are sold on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last! Robotech® RPG Tactics™ in particular. We always try to bring enough of everything to last the entire weekend, but it is impossible to predict. Inevitably, we run out of a handful of titles every Gen Con. And we have no idea what the demand will be like for Robotech® RPG Tactics™ (we’re only bringing a few hundred copies). There will only be enough Robotech® RPG Tactics™ products to preview and give a few hundred lucky Gen Con attendees a taste of what everyone can expect in the Fall when the game and Wave One products hit store shelves. Our thanks and appreciation to our Kickstarter backers for giving us permission to bring the items I’ve listed above to this important event. We appreciate it more than you know.

Palladium Books Gen Con Highlights:

UPDATE: 2015 Palladium Open House (POH) – May 14-17, 2015

I wanted to repeat this from last week. A number of you have reached out asking that we at least list prices so you can start planning the expenses for your trip to the Open House next year. My apologies for not getting up the full description and pricing long ago. We are buried. For now, here are some details and info. This is just for your information. You can not yet place your orders. But soon.

Price of admission covers ALL EVENTS, except VIP Thursday. There are no extra fees for gaming events, panel talks or autographs.

30+ Palladium creators. In the past, the POH usually has 30+ creators (writers, artists, editors, staff, Rifter contributors, etc.) attending. More than at any other convention or gathering anywhere, ever! And most are available to you almost the ENTIRE event to chat with you and sign autographs. Some will even run gaming events!

90+ gaming events. Game Masters/Megaversal Ambassadors NEEDED!

Many games run by the people who make them, including Kevin Siembieda, Julius Rosenstein, Carmen Bellaire, Brandon Aten, Taylor White and many others!

More panel talks than ever!

Auction and more.

A family reunion atmosphere.

And it all happens at the Palladium warehouse and offices, where the magic happens! Okay, not quite “all.” When the gaming stops around 1:00 AM every night, the hotel has a large conference room where you maniacs can continue to game till you drop. There is room for at least 8 games in the room.

2015 Open House Hotel – reserve your rooms NOW!

You should reserve your hotel room now. Your card will not be charged until next May.

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.

$109.00 (plus tax) per night at the Comfort Inn, a.k.a. “Plymouth Clock Tower Hotel.” 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.

Reserve using Group Code Palladium Books sooner than later. The hotel has been remodeled, resulting in a smaller number of rooms. 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. Important Note: You MUST give them the Group Code: Palladium Books to get this 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. Besides, I suspect POH attendees could take EVERY room in the hotel next year, so the sooner they know that, the sooner they can put MORE rooms aside for us. They don’t believe we’ll sell out the hotel. Silly, new management. :)

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.

This is the hotel everyone knows and wants. You can start placing hotel reservations for the 2015 Palladium Open House now. Make sure you tell them the Group Code “Palladium Books.” This is a must to get the superior group rate.

Crazy busy. Keep those imaginations burning bright and game on!

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Writer and Game Designer

Rifts Megaverse in Flames

NEW! Rifts® World Book 35: Megaverse® in Flames – Ships August 7

At the printer. The Minion War is here and the demons seek to conquer Rifts Earth. They are bringing demonic armies by the tens of thousands across the dimensional divide, unleashing plagues, seeking out magic artifacts, recruiting monsters and mortal allies, and testing their strength against Earth’s military powers. Worse, they are building Hell Pits so that they can unleash Hell on Earth! Not to be outdone, the Minions of Dyval are doing all the same things. Clashes between demons and Deevils are increasing every day and turn into titanic free-for-alls when Earth forces join the battle. As demonic supernatural forces ramp up, enslave people and wreak havoc across the globe, the question becomes: Is this the beginning of a new Dark Age?

Rifts Megaverse in Flames gold Edition

NEW! Megaverse® in Flames “Gold Edition” – Ships Early September

This book has so much cool stuff in it, we thought it deserved the Gold Hardcover treatment. Imprinted gold foil on black leatherette, signed by the Palladium staff, Matthew Clements and Chuck Walton. (You can get Carl Gleba’s signature at the Palladium Open House next May.)

The Rifter #67

NEW! The Rifter® #67 – Summer issue ships August 13

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 67 includes:

Future Visions

NEW! Future Visions

– The Artistry of Charles Walton II – Ships August 7

We call it Future Visions because it very much gives you a glimpse into the future of what is coming from Palladium Books. It is jam-packed with black and white artwork and concept art for several of the upcoming Splicers® sourcebooks and a couple other Palladium projects. Things we are excited about and want you to be, too. People can’t seem to get enough of Chuck Walton artwork, so here is an entire 96 page book filled with it. Some of the art is finished pieces, many others are concept art that may be tweaked and altered, or not used at all. Much of it is material you would never ordinarily see. If you like this book and it sells well, it can be the first of several Charles Walton II art books (and other artists?). We hope you enjoy it. It was a fun, quick and easy project to throw together. It didn’t impact our schedule more than a few days.

Dead Reign Graveyard Earth

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

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.

Robotech UEEF Marines Sourcebook One

NEW! Robotech®: Expeditionary Force Marines Sourcebook One

– Formerly titled ‘UEEF Marines’

Robotech®: Expeditionary Force Marines sourcebook is set in space with the UEEF (United Earth Expeditionary Force) led by Admiral Rick Hunter. This valiant force of mecha clad heroes travel across the galaxy liberating planets from the bondage of the Invid Regent, the Robotech Masters and other tyrants and monsters.

Chaos Earth Rise of Magic

Coming BACK IN PRINT – Rise of Magic

A Rifts® Chaos Earth® Sourcebook – Summer

Rescheduled for a summer release.

The return of magic has empowered humans with strange and wondrous powers, unlike anything quite yet seen (and different from most conventional types of magic). This only complicates things for Earth’s defenders as the line of distinction between “good guys” and “bad guys” begins to blur.

Robotech RPG Tactics

Robotech® RPG Tactics – Coming to Stores Fall, 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 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:

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.