Palladium Books® Weekly Update – March 21, 2013

By Kevin Siembieda

It has been wonderful to be able to devote the week almost entirely to writing, the weekend too. And because I’m so hot writing I’m going to keep this Update short and to the point so I can get back to it. ;)

UPDATE: Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook

Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook is rapidly approaching completion. Finally. Wayne has started typesetting and plotting initial layout. I’m working as fast as I can to finish the back part of the book.

I’m loving Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook and I think you will too. It is filled with so much useful material that even I can barely believe it. There are new weapons and magic, new O.C.C.s and R.C.C.s, new werebeasts, old friends like Doc Reid and the Original Eight Rangers (all brought up to date) and tons of new information about them, Fort Reid, Tampico, the Yucatan, and other people, places and monsters. I have really been enjoying writing the updates and adding so much new material to what is some of my favorite Rifts® material ever.

And the ideas — whew – everybody who has worked on this book, from Matthew Clements and Braden Campbell to Chris Kluge and myself, has been on fire. Even folks like T.G. Moore, Chuck Walton and Mark Dudley who offered a few bits of text or some cool suggestions have made some excellent contributions. I could go on like this for paragraphs, but you’ll be seeing the Sneak Preview on DriveThruRPG.com and the actual book soon enough. For more of my personal thoughts and ramblings of joy about Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook, read my Murmur from the Megaverse® entitled, Mini-Update March 19, 2013. See the new, revised description.

UPDATE: Northern Gun One and Two

As you know, the last several months I have been working on many projects, including nursing these two books along in the background. I’ve been working on concepts, working with artists, and doing some editing, organizing and writing tweaks. Final art is starting to come in and is looking fantastic. Art for Northern Gun™ One weapons, robots, drones, O.C.C.s, and so on should be pouring in over the next week. In addition to the work of Chuck Walton, we are seeing art by Mark Dudley, Allen Manning, Brian Manning, Ben Rodriguez, Kent Burles, and Tanya Ramsey. It should all come in just in time for me to dive into the final edit/writing of this book. With so much already done, I anticipate final editing and tweaks to go very quickly.

Shortly after the artists are done with this art assignment, I’ll be assigning them the art for Northern Gun™ Two. Both books are going to continue to expand your view of Rifts® North America.

UPDATE: Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames

Nick Bradshaw and Amy L. Ashbaugh are already fast at work on Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames. This is another book that is going to wow, surprise and please Rifts® fans. If Vampires Sourcebook and Northern Gun™ One and Two are going to expand your view of the world, Megaverse® in Flames is going to blow it away. ‘Nuff said for now.

Robotech RPG Tactics

UPDATE: Robotech® RPG Tactics

The prototypes on display at the GAMA Trade Show (Ninja Division booth) should be blowing people away even as you read this. Meanwhile, work continues to move at a rapid pace on all other fronts for this exciting and expanding game line. Every sculpture for a new game piece that is coming in seems better than the last. All are gorgeous. The box cover is being painted, and interior art and writing is underway as play-testers submit their comments on the latest version of the fast, fun tactical rules.

Robotech® RPG and Sourcebooks – Now Available in Europe

Reminder that Robotech® RPG products are now available throughout Europe as well as Canada and the United States. To welcome our gaming friends overseas, Palladium is making a special, limited time offer.

Robotech® European Promotional Special – Ends March 22, 2013

To welcome gamers in Europe to the Robotech® RPG universe, Palladium Books will pay half the shipping cost of overseas Robotech® orders. All Robotech® titles are part of this promotion. For example, if the shipping is $50 US dollars you will only pay $25. Palladium Books will pay the other half of the shipping, but only during this limited time offer. Restrictions and Conditions: Applies only to all Robotech® titles and only to orders shipped via First Class International (available for packages weighing 4 pounds/1.8 kg or less) or Priority International. Any faster or special method of shipping is ENTIRELY the customer’s full cost. Non-Robotech® titles will be shipped separately at full cost. Note: Your email invoice will show the FULL Priority International shipping cost, but you will really only be charged half. Purchasers must pay any and all customs fees, taxes, etc. that may be charged. Enjoy the shipping discount and game on! Offer ends March 22, 2013.

UPDATE: The Rifter® #62

We’ll soon be kicking the production of Rifter® #62 into high gear as well. It will be another great issue.

UPDATE: Vampires Sourcebook Sneak Preview to be made available on DriveThruRPG.com sometime next week

As soon as it is possible, we’ll be posting the FREE Sneak Preview of Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook in the next week or so. There are already a number of Sneak Previews of other popular books including Rifts® Black Market and Rifts® Lemuria, among others.

And for those of you who may be interested, the original Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms World Book is now one of the titles available as a PDF on DriveThruRPG.

DriveThruRPG.com is also your place to get PDFs of older product and sneak previews of upcoming books. 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®, BTS™ and Palladium Fantasy® first edition rule books and sourcebooks. A sneak preview of Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook should also be coming soon. We have not forgotten about the PDF only editions of The Rifter® #0.1 and The Rifter® #0.2 – 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). Of course, there are FREE Sneak Previews of Endless Dead™, Rifts® Black Market, Rifts® Lemuria, Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms™ Revised, and Thundercloud Galaxy™, as well as 90+ out of print titles, including back issues of The Rifter®, and first edition rule books for Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Heroes Unlimited™, The Mechanoid Invasion® Trilogy, and lots of other good things. ALL available as PDF downloads at reasonable prices. And there is MORE to come.

UPDATE: Mike Mumah

It’s our understanding that Mike Mumah is in good spirits, popping in online and working hard at physical therapy. Go get ‘em, Mike. We’re all rooting for you and sending all the I.S.P. and P.P.E. we can muster for a speedy recovery. We miss you, buddy.

That’s all for now. Keep the faith and game on!

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Writer and Gamer

Rifts Vampires Sourcebook

Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook – In final production

Typesetting has started. Preliminary layout too. We are in the final stretch of production. The darn book will go to the printer next week.

New secrets, new locations, new magic and monsters, new trouble and excitement in Mexico and the Yucatan. New conflicts between rival forces are brewing as Doc Reid prepares to take his private war on vampires to a whole new level. Meanwhile, the vampires live like smug tyrants and gods, dominating an underclass of slaves and people used as cattle to feed upon. Learn more about the vampires, their rivals, allies and the humans who willingly serve them. A must-have guide for those who wish to travel deeper into the Vampire Kingdoms or play as vampires and their human minions. Final editing and writing in progress.

Rifts Northern Gun One

Rifts® World Book 33: Northern Gun One

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.

The Rifter® #62

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. 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.

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.

Robotech RPG Tactics

Robotech® RPG Tactics

Prepare for invasion! Robotech® RPG Tactics™ is a fast-paced, strategy battle game that expands on the popular Palladium role-playing system to enter new realms of adventure.

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.

Collect your favorites from an expanding range of world-class game pieces and relive the massive battles on your tabletop at home to enhance your Robotech® RPG adventures or as a stand-alone tactical game.

1/285th scale game pieces with detail and power.

Robotech® RPG Tactics™ is designed in partnership with Ninja Division. Ninja Division brings together the design talents of Soda Pop Miniatures and Cipher Studios, makers of Super Dungeon™ Explore, Relic Knights™, Helldorado™ and Anima Tactics™, to bring you the best quality game pieces, design and rules for Robotech® RPG Tactics™ and all of your Robotech® adventures.

● Stay tuned for news about the Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Kickstarter Campaign! Support our goals to bring you this exciting product and an expansive range of quality game pieces.

● Palladium Books and Ninja Division will showcase the game pieces and reveal all with the upcoming Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Kickstarter Campaign. This is a product line Robotech® fans have wanted for decades! And we aim to deliver. If you are one of those people, please spread the word and support this upcoming Kickstarter.

● The final details and cost of the Robotech® RPG Tactics™ box set and expansion kits are still morphing and changing at this time. They will conform to industry standards for pricing and packaging.

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:

Back in Print

Adventures on the High Seas

Palladium Fantasy RPG® Book 3: High Seas – Second Edition

– Back in print and available now

Adventures on the High Seas is one of those books packed with material that makes players and G.M.s salivate. It has something for everyone: Magic and monsters, pirates and jungles, exotic ports and ship combat rules, and lots and lots of people and places for adventure.

Rifts China 2

Rifts® World Book 25: Rifts® China 2 – Available now

Back in print and available now. This book has it all! Martial arts, wondrous mystic martial art powers, Chi channeling, Chi powers, Chi weapons, magic items, and a lot of special abilities and powers that will blow your mind! Plus, great warriors, demon hunters and their tricks of the trade, blind mystics, fortune tellers, Spirit Hosts (half-man and half-animal spirit), Enlightened Demons (as player characters!), and heroes, powers and special abilities galore.

And for you high-tech junkies, there are wonders from Geofront with things like Demon Skin body armor, the Gun Dragon, Black Tiger power armor, high-powered weapons, select vehicles, the Demon Eater and Assault Geo-Borgs, and the incomparable Gun Master. Rifts® China One set the stage and presented the nefarious Yama Kings and their demonic henchmen. Rifts® China Two presents the heroes out to stop them.

Rifts Aftermath

Rifts® Aftermath – Back in Print – Available now

This world-spanning sourcebook examines the changing landscape of North America and the rest of the planet in the aftermath of the Coalition’s Siege on Tolkeen. Somehow, North America seems to be more dangerous than ever before, and things are about to get worse.

The Coalition Army continues its occupation of Tolkeen, the fallen Kingdom of Magic, bulldozing the cities, flushing out resistance fighters and capturing its secrets. The CS intends to wipe the Kingdom of Tolkeen from existence, and use its secrets of magic as bait to lure out other enemy forces and destroy other enemies of the CS. However, the Coalition’s war has stretched the nation thin, and the CS must worry about other rivals and adversaries.

Rifts Lone Star

Rifts® Lone Star – Back in Print – Available now

Rifts® Lone Star is part of the Coalition State’s dark underbelly. Though the entire state of Texas is claimed by the CS, it mainly controls one small corner. That corner includes the pre-Rifts Lone Star Genetics Complex. The birthplace of the Psi-Hounds better known as Dog Boys. The rest of Texas is a wild badland claimed by bandits and D-Bees known as the Pecos Empire.

Dead Reign RPG

Dead Reign RPG – Back in print, and hot, hot, hot

Can you survive the zombie apocalypse?

Yes, you may think so. But there is only one way to find out for sure: Play the Dead Reign™ RPG. The core rule book is all you need to start playing. Rules are easy. Character creation is fast and fun. Combat, quick and deadly. Survival? Harder than you might think. Good luck.

Dead Reign™ RPG is the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse. Civilization is gone, the dead reign, and the living fight to survive against impossible odds. Battle zombies, mad men and death cultists in a post-apocalyptic world where the last of humanity struggles to survive. Think you know zombies? Think again.

Civilization Gone Dark Places Endless Dead

Dead Reign Sourcebooks

Civilization Gone™: Dead Reign™ Sourcebook One. There is no army, no government, no help coming. You are on your own and things are only getting worse. Villains include madmen and pychopaths, bandits and raiders. Many random tables for encounters, houses, and survivor camp creation, and more. $12.95 – 64 pages. Cat. No. 231.

Dark Places™: Dead Reign™ Sourcebook Two. Using railroad tracks and subways, sewer tunnels, steam tunnels and other dark places to travel undetected by zombies. Many tables for random encounters, boxcar contents, zombies and more. Survival tips, new zombies like the Bug Boy, Sewer Crawler and Impersonator. $12.95 – 64 pages. Cat. No. 232.

Endless Dead™: Dead Reign™ Sourcebook Three. Zombie hordes grow in number and strangeness. Where is the military? What’s next for the living survivors? Many new types of zombies, new O.C.C.s like the Wheelman and Zombie Hunter, the military and random tables for military bases, police and other places. Plus weaponizing vehicles, vehicle combat, Survivor caravans, and more. $16.95 – 96 pages. Cat. No. 233.

The Rifter #50

The Rifter® #50, Anniversary Special – back in print due to popular demand

You might think of The Rifter® #50 as a special “all-star” anniversary issue with official source material for Rifts®, Heroes Unlimited™, Nightbane® and many other Palladium RPG settings.

The Rifter® #50 includes:

Rifts Logo T-Shirt

BACK IN PRINT: Rifts® Logo T-Shirts in most sizes

We’ve been asked over and over again to re-issue the popular Rifts® Logo T-shirt in sizes other than XL. We heard your requests, and here you go. Order yours today.

● The full Rifts® logo as created by artist Kevin Long, printed in white on a black T-shirt.

● Sizes Small to 5XL.

● 100% cotton – our usual quality T-shirt.

● Prices vary according to size:
Small: $18.95
Medium: $18.95
Large: $18.95
X-Large: $18.95
2XL: $20.95
3XL: $22.95
4XL: $24.95
5XL: $26.95

● Cat. No. TS804

● And don’t forget other fun T-shirt designs like . . .

Upcoming Appearances

Anime North – May 24-26, 2013 – Toronto, Canada – www.animenorth.com

I am one of the guests at Anime North in Toronto, Canada. The event takes place Memorial Day weekend, May 24-26, 2013. Wayne Smith and one or two other Palladium creators will also be present to chat and sign autographs. We also hope to bring a pile of books, prints and other goodies to sell in the dealers’ room. www.animenorth.com

Gen Con® Indy – August 15-18, 2013 – Indianapolis, Indiana

We can hardly wait for Gen Con this year as we hope to have advance copies of Robotech® RPG Tactics™: Defense of Macross Island™ there. Not to mention a stock of new releases from throughout the year. We may even need to expand the size of our booth. Hope to see many of you there.

Game Masters, submit your events by tomorrow, March 15 to get into the Gen Con program book! See http://www.gencon.com/host/eo-gm for more details.

Note: There will be no Palladium Open House in 2013 or 2014.

© 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.

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