Palladium Books® Weekly Update – Nov. 8, 2013

By Kevin Siembieda

Somehow this was a strange and rather wild, up and down week. Good stuff happened, not so good stuff happened. One exciting opportunity crumbled, a new one appeared. I got a flat tire and had to get a new tire thanks to the metal spike plunged into it. At least a friend had a can of Fix a Flat to get me to the local tire repair place. Wayne, Jeff and Matt all got sick one after another (hope I am not next), while I missed friends and family who have passed away and reveled in cherished memories with other friends. Grab Bags got pulled and shipped early, while deadlines on books continue to stretch. We lost heat in the warehouse, but our imaginations and creative energies have never burned hotter. We are working like maniacs all the darn time, but there never seems to be enough hours in the day to get it all done. Whew. Details follow.

Plague at Palladium

Basically, this.

A plague . . . of sorts

Some kind of head cold or bug has been plaguing the office staff. First Wayne caught it, then Jeff, and most recently, Matt. It involves fever, sore throat, and sinus issues. Hoping I manage to escape it.

A fond farewell

My own energy levels have been up and down. Not because I've been sick, but because I've been thinking about the passing of my dear friend Kathyrn Kozora. This, of course, brought about memories and emotions about Erick Wujcik, who died in 2008 (Kate and Erick were sweethearts for as long as I've known them), as well as my father, who passed away in October of 2010. It also reminded me of all the loved ones I've lost to cancer. Besides the above, there has been my beautiful mother, grandmother, Keith Parkinson and too many others. Some of those memories were bittersweet and made me melancholy, and interfered with my focus and writing. Some of that made me feel warm and fuzzy and inspired me to write. I met with friends Paul Deckert and Sarah Yurich (Kay’s granddaughter in town for the week) and we spent the evening together laughing, crying and romping down memory lane. We’ll miss you Kay, Erick, Dad, Mom and all the rest, but you made our lives fuller and richer for having been in them, even if it was all too short.

Christmas Surprise Packages are shipped

We LOVE doing the Christmas Surprise Package offer for you guys and gals. It’s our way of showing our appreciation. You are crazy not to take advantage of it and buy at least one. It is so worthwhile.

But man oh man, are they a ton of work. We did a bunch of prep-work for it. We made dozens and dozens of boxes for shipping, rearranged table space, and the staff signed 600 or 700 books.

- Chuck Walton came by on Tuesday to drop off his gorgeous Rifter® #64 cover and signed a few hundred books for Surprise Packages.

- Mark Dudley came by on Wednesday to sign a couple hundred books and promised to return soon to sign more.

- Carmen Bellaire dropped by too, but for reasons that we do not understand, he hates to sign books, so he snuck out of the office without signing a single one. Coward. :)

Though we said we probably wouldn't ship the first Surprise Packages out until Monday, November 11, I was so excited to send them off that I had the first 50 Surprise Packages packed up and shipped out by Thursday. They are on their way to many of you right now! Enjoy. The rest of you, get your orders in!

Christmas Surprise Package Sentimental Offer

Erick Wujcik was a game designing genius and one of my closest friends. You know his work from such titles as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles®, Ninjas and Superspies™, Mystic China™, After the Bomb®, Rifts® China One and Two, his contributions to Palladium Fantasy®, Rifts®, Dragons and Gods™ and the original Beyond the Supernatural, as well as his own Amber Diceless RPG, Ambercon and other achievements. With the passing of his beloved Kate, we’ve all been thinking and talking about her and Erick. I know many of you knew and loved Erick personally, and many more via his body of RPG works.

Wujcik keepsake upon request. I have been able to make special arrangements to give those of you who request it, a memento/keepsake of Erick Wujcik in the 2013 Christmas Surprise Package. I have something like 100 paperback books and 100 issues of various magazines from the 1990s like Locus, Analog and Asimov, that belonged to Erick, were read by Erick and were part of his personal collection. Some of the magazines even have the address sticker with Erick’s name and address. Erick was a voracious reader and loved books, especially science fiction. You can request an Erick Wujcik keepsake in your Wish List or Comments section. Everyone who asks will get one. I have about 200 items. Available while supplies last. When I run out, I will try to see if I can get more. I can’t promise whether the Erick Wujcik keepsake you get will be a paperback novel or a magazine. EACH will either be stamped as the “Property of Erick Wujcik” or come with a super-simple statement of origin. NOTE: This is a sentimental memento. The items sent have little to no value other than being a fun read and having been owned and read by legendary game designer Erick Wujcik. Just a little something from Erick, Kay and the Palladium family during a season of joy and kinship. Only people who request a Wujcik keepsake will get one.

UPDATE: Rifts® Northern Gun One – Available now!

Rifts® Northern Gun™ One is selling like crazy and people are loving it. No word from the printer on when the NG-1 Hardcover editions will arrive, but it should be soon.

Rifts® Northern Gun One Sneak Preview – available now on DriveThruRPG.com

Wayne has posted a FREE Sneak Preview of Rifts® Northern Gun™ One available on DriveThruRPG.com right now for your enjoyment. There are also previews available for the Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook, Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms (Revised Edition), Rifts® Black Market, Rifts® Lemuria, Dead Reign™ RPG, Endless Dead™ sourcebook and others. The original Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms World Book is also available as a PDF on DriveThruRPG, for those of you who may be interested.

More than 90 other Palladium titles can be found on DriveThruRPG.com as PDFs, including Splicers®, Rifts® RPG (the edition before RUE), The Rifter® #1-52, and first edition rule books and sourcebooks for Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Heroes Unlimited™, The Mechanoid Invasion® Trilogy, Beyond the Supernatural™ and lots of other good titles. 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). Check it all out.

UPDATE: The Rifter® #64 – November Release

This is another fine issue of The Rifter®, but it has not yet gone to the printer due to illness. Sorry, should be sent to the printer next week. It has material for Rifts®, Dead Reign™, Nightbane®, Palladium Fantasy® and other good stuff. Including official stats and background for the characters on the cover: A new type of dragon known as the Winter Serpent, plus the more savage cousins of the Bearmen of the North, the Ice Bearmen. Both conceived by Chuck Walton, developed by me (Kevin Siembieda) and written by Matthew Clements. See the cover and the whole description elsewhere in this Update.

UPDATE: Dead Reign Sourcebook 4: Fear the Reaper – November Release

Same story. With half the office sick, progress on books this week has been sloooow. As I've said before, this book is fun and exciting. Matthew Clements has outdone himself on this sourcebook. Fear the Reaper™ will present in-depth background, info and character material on the zombie hunters known as the Road Reapers. See the complete description for it elsewhere in this Update.

UPDATE: Rifts® Northern Gun Two – December Release

Nothing got done on NG-2 this week, but that will change very soon. Chuck is working away on art. See the full description for it later in this Update.

UPDATE: Robotech® UEEF Marines Sourcebook One

How about that cover (see below)? Nice, eh? More to come. This will be a hot, early 2014 release.

Back to work

It has been an exhausting week. I’ll be working over the weekend. If Wayne is up to it, he’ll be working part of it, too. Our top priority is books. Enjoy the Christmas Surprise Package and keep those imaginations burning bright.

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Writer and Game Designer

X-Mas Grab Bags

Christmas Surprise Packages – Available NOW!

Christmas Surprise Packages or Grab Bags are a long running holiday tradition in which you can get several RPG titles at a substantial discount. It is our way to say thank you to our many fans for being so kind and patient, and for your years of support. You are appreciated more than you may know.

Christmas Surprise Packages are not just for Christmas. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or the Winter Solstice, or you’re looking for a gift for a birthday, anniversary, Valentine’s Day, or other special occasion that falls between now and February, a Surprise Package may be the ideal way to go. You get a ton of stuff on the cheap, you can get a bunch of autographs, and you look like you spent a fortune.

This is also a great way to try that game setting you’ve wondered about (Splicers®, Dead Reign™, Chaos Earth®, Palladium Fantasy®, Nightbane®, etc.), or to get something for your favorite Game Master, or perhaps to get your player group to consider a new game or setting.

The Palladium Surprise Packages are designed to simulate the fun, joy and surprise of the Christmas Season of Giving. In this case, Santa Kevin (yeah, that’s me) has you submit a list of 10-12 Palladium products (or more) that you would like to receive in your Christmas Surprise Package. This list of 8-12 (or more) items is critical, because you will not know which items you’ll be getting. That makes it just like a Christmas gift because it’s a surprise! Plus, Santa Kevin, who personally handpicks every item for every Grab Bag, may toss in something extra like a limited edition print or T-shirt, or issue of The Rifter®, or something else he thinks you’ll enjoy.

Autographed books. For those of you who want them (which are most people), the available members of the Palladium staff, and any freelancers we can lasso at the time, are happy to autograph each and every book in your Surprise Package. This is the only way many fans, especially those in other countries, can EVER get signed books.

Send us your brief comments. There is a special form and format to fill out for Christmas Surprise Packages, including a place where you can offer your brief comments, suggestions, greetings and salutations.

It only costs $40 plus shipping to get $80-$90 worth of Palladium product! First-timers are always nervous until they see the great value in their first Surprise Package. A typical Grab Bag has $85-$90 worth of product, sometimes more. Many people order 2-3. Some order 4-6, and some maniacs order even more! It makes sense, because it is a great way to fill holes in your own collection, treat yourself, get autographs, try new games and settings, and get your gaming pals gifts.

Click here to get the entire Surprise Package description.

Happy Holidays from the Palladium crew. May they be filled with laughter, joy and gaming.

Surprise Package comments from fans like you

Every year there is a section where the customer can offer comments and suggestions with his or her Surprise Package order. Every year, in acknowledgment of our fans, and because they are fun to read, we offer a sampling in the Weekly Updates. Our heartfelt thanks to all of you who have stuck with Palladium through thick and thin. Keep those imaginations burning bright, have a joyous holiday season and game on.

You have no idea how much your comments and support mean to all of us. Everyone at Palladium enjoys reading your brief comments. They always brighten our day. Thank you.

A.C. in Mesa, Arizona, writes: Thank you for providing this fine service. My nephew (and many others, of course) looks forward to it every year!

J.W. in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, writes: Thank you for producing such enjoyable titles for us all year long, and offering this Surprise Package every year. I faithfully remain your customer for life.

T.R. in Mustang, Oregon, writes: Thanks guys. This is a great way to finish off my Rifts® collection.

M.M. in Round Rock, Texas, writes: I look forward to the next Robotech® Kickstarter! Thank ya’ll for good books.

D.A. in Spokane, Washington, writes: I’m such a huge fan of Rifts®. I love to get lost reading the books and enjoying an occasional Friday night campaign. Keep up the great work.

S.S. in Clearfield, Utah, writes (in part): I am so looking forward to Beyond the Supernatural books next year.

D.L. in San Francisco, California, writes: Thanks for all the amazing work you put into your products.

C.L. in White Sulphur Springs, Montana, writes: Hope you all have a very happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas! Keep up the fantastic work!

Much more next Weekly Update.

Rifts Northern Gun One

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

Rifts® Northern Gun™ One is the most tech-filled World Book Palladium has ever produced. In addition to world information, background and O.C.C.s for the Northern Gun corporation and Ishpeming, there are 27 robots, 70+ weapons and all kinds of dynamic information and gaming resources. Courtesy of the largest arms dealer and independent manufacturer on the continent: Northern Gun™.

Northern Gun™ is the most famous arms manufacture 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 #64

The Rifter® #64 – Ships November

The Rifter® #64 presents optional source material for Rifts®, Dead Reign™ (zombies), Nightbane®, Palladium Fantasy RPG® and more. Each and every issue of The Rifter® is an idea factory that provides useful, ready to use, source material gamers can just drop into their ongoing games.

The Rifter® Number 64 includes:

Fear the Reaper

NEW! Dead Reign Sourcebook 4: Fear the Reaper – Ships November

Join the legendary Road Reapers as the struggle for survival pits bikers against zombies out on the highways and streets of a world stalked by the walking dead. Like knights mounted on motorcycles, they travel the wasteland that Earth has become, searching for survivors, fighting zombies and waging war against the Death Cults that threaten all mankind.

Rifts Northern Gun Two

Rifts® World Book 34: Northern Gun Two

In production! Expanded to 192-224 pages and filled with all kinds of adventuring gear: New environmental body armor, power armor, hovercycles, robot drones, robot haulers, combat vehicles, other vehicles, robot gladiators and much more. More information about the weapons, vehicles and practices of Northern Gun, including the new rage of robot gladiatorial combat. Expanded page count. Epic adventure.

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 UEEF Marines Sourcebook One

Robotech® UEEF Marines Sourcebook One

This is another book that is guaranteed to wow and please Robotech® fans.

Robotech RPG Tactics

UPDATE: Robotech® RPG Tactics

The only product people are more excited about than the two Rifts® Northern Gun releases is Robotech® RPG Tactics™. Momentum is building to a fever pitch. Fans will not be disappointed. Demos at the Alliance Trade Show got nothing but big, toothy smiles and positive reviews. Here’s are some details.

Flexible Date of Release: An exact release date is yet to be determined, but it is looking like some time in February, 2014. Ninja Division’s original projections had product delivery at October or November, but we were all a bit too optimistic. In order to make this game line everything it can be, there have been delays. As a result, the game has yet to be sent into manufacturing. That said, 98% of the work is completed, the game pieces look incredible, and Ninja Division is wrapping up on final packaging, layout and tweaks. We expect to get final approval from licensor Harmony Gold in two or three weeks. At which point, Robotech® RPG Tactics™ goes into manufacturing. Factoring in manufacturing time, shipping from China and other factors, it is looking more and like a February 2014 release. We’ll see. Note: As stated in the past, we will ship product to the Kickstarter supporters before we ship to distributors.

Plastic game pieces. All of the 1/285th game pieces in the box set and expansion packs are plastic. (Special editions and limited releases for conventions and the Kickstarter may be in resin and/or metal.)

Expansions released in waves. Palladium plans to release Robotech® RPG Tactics™ products in waves. The core box game and first six expansion packs will be the initial release. 4-6 additional expansion packs of mecha game pieces will ship approximately every three months thereafter.

Robotech® RPG products – available now. Don’t forget that Robotech® RPG products are available now. They include the Robotech® Shadow Chronicles® core rule book available as a $30.95 hardcover (Cat. No. 550HC) and as a $16.95 manga-sized RPG paperback (Cat. No. 550), and the Macross® Saga Sourcebook (Cat. No. 551) which is the same setting as the Robotech® RPG Tactics™ game. Each book is a wealth of background information about Robotech® and fun to read and play. With excitement growing for Robotech® RPG Tactics™, there is renewed interest in the Robotech® role-playing game line.

New Robotech® RPG products coming in 2014. Palladium has three new Robotech® sourcebooks in development. UEEF Marines Sourcebook One, UEEF Marines Sourcebook Two and The Zentraedi Protectorate Sourcebook are all slated for release before Summer 2014. Additional Robotech® sourcebooks are on the drawing board.

● Palladium is working with Harmony Gold to expand the scope of its license to provide you with an even greater range of Robotech® products.

Robotech® RPG Tactics – Game Description

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

The First Six Robotech® Expansion Packs

The initial expansion packs will also ship at the same time as the main box game. All prices listed are likely, but still tentative. We want most packs to fall in the $25-$35 price range.

Robotech Macross Saga Sourcebook

Robotech® Macross® Saga Sourcebook – New Size

Available now – 8½ x 11 size

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

A Robotech® Role-Playing Game Sourcebook:

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, others 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.

Chi-Town Library Pencil

BACK IN PRINT: Chi-Town Pencil

Do Not Remove — Property of the Chi-Town Library

They’re fun and silly, and Rifts® gamers love them, so we pressed a new batch of Chi-Town Library pencils. They look great on the gaming table.

Villains Unlimited

BACK IN PRINT: Villains Unlimited

More than 80 villains with complete stats, background and motives for trouble. And lots of other epic source material.

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. RPG Tactics™, 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.