Palladium Books® Weekly Update – Sept. 29, 2011

By Kevin Siembieda

It is time to put up or shut our doors.

And I have no intention of seeing Palladium shut its doors. I am motivated like never before, and that has things rockin’ at Palladium Books – House of Ideas.

We have our new staff super-writer, Matthew Clements, on board to crank out books. He has been helping out on all fronts and is a team player who is quick to do whatever is needed. And he writes pretty darn well, too. ;)

Ideas for current and new titles are flying through my head like crazy.

We have creators – old and new – breaking down our door to do new work with Palladium Books, which is awesome. On the creative end, we are rockin’ like never before. And gamers are going to benefit from one awesome new book after another.

So where are we right now? Driven to create and release one great new product after another throughout the rest of 2011 and into 2012. We’ll make them so you can buy them and have a blast.

UPDATE: The Rifter #56. As I write this, Wayne is half-finished with the issue and it should go to the printer tomorrow or Monday. It’s another fun combination of source material that should provoke and delight your imaginations for several different world settings. It will see release in October.

UPDATE: Rifts® World Book 32: Lemuria. This book is coming along nicely. I think people are going to go crazy for it. Lemuria is just the first of three titles Greg Diazyck has been working on. Rifts® New Navy is next (it’s mostly written) with more to follow.

UPDATE: Robotech® New Generation™ Sourcebook. The text and the initial batches of artwork are in Harmony Gold’s hands. Art should be finished next week. It will see release in October.

UPDATE: Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook™ is two-thirds finished. It will see release in November.

UPDATE: Dead Reign™ Sourcebook Three: Endless Dead is half done. It will see release in November. It is written by me, Kevin Siembieda, and Matthew Clements.

UPDATE: Rifts®/Minion War™: Megaverse® in Flames™. This is Carl Gleba’s latest chapter in the Minion War™ series. It is waiting to be scheduled for final edit and rewrites. I’ve talked to a few artists about it and will begin to assign the art for it in a week or two. It should see release this December!

UPDATE: Robotech®: Genesis Pits™ is in the process of being written by Irvin Jackson. It should see release in December or January (we’re shooting for December). Two more Robotech® books to follow.

2012 Releases in the Pipeline

Rifts® Black Market™, written by Matthew Clements, is in the can and waiting to be scheduled for final edit and rewrites.

Rifts® Antarctica, written by Matthew Clements, is in the can and waiting to be scheduled for final edit and rewrites.

Rifts® Northern Gun™ One and Two are in the process of being written by Matthew Clements, plus he and I have plans for several other titles.

Two Chaos Earth™ Sourcebooks are done and waiting to be scheduled for final edit and rewrites. One is guaranteed to blow your mind.

Plus we have several other sourcebooks in the process of being written by a number of freelancer writers for 2012 release, including at least one Heroes Unlimited™ sourcebook, one Nightbane® sourcebook, and two more Robotech® sourcebooks, among others.

My personal goal for 2012 is to see the following long-awaited books released in 2012: Land of the Damned Three for Palladium Fantasy®, Mysteries of MagicTwo for Palladium Fantasy, and Tome Grotesque™ and Beyond Arcanum™ for Beyond the Supernatural™. There has also been some discussion about Mechanoid Space™ and Warpath™, but no promises.

We are pumped up about the future of Palladium Books. I’m bringing new people on board to insure we continue to pump out high-quality product that will thrill and excite.

What’s your role in this?

Be part of the excitement. Spread the word and buy these dang books. Palladium continues to struggle in the aftermath of the Crisis of Treachery (yes, still). A number of setbacks in recent years hurt our maintaining a sustained recovery, including the illness of key people and the loss of friends and family very close to us, like Erick Wujcik, Henry Siembieda, and others. The uncertain global economy has not helped one bit.

“Never give up! Never surrender!”

Yes, I’m quoting Galaxy Quest. I want you to know we haven’t given up. We press forward with high hopes and renewed energy. We have a million ideas for new books and are itching to produce them. We are creating and about to release a string of RPG sourcebooks that we think will rock your role-playing world. Please buy them. Hype them. Have a blast playing them. And be a very vocal and positive part of the Palladium community. Spread the excitement by telling other gamers and talk about them online. Don’t worry, we’ll be giving you plenty to crow about.

This is our big push, and we need your help to make it a success and put Palladium back on solid ground once and for all. To guarantee our success, we’re asking you to be part of the push and to enjoy the fruits of our unchecked imaginations. That includes taking advantage of our annual Christmas Surprise Package – also known as the “Palladium Grab Bag.”

2011 Palladium Christmas Surprise Package

You save a ton of money, enjoy the anticipation of the Surprise Package’s arrival, and you have the “surprise” of not knowing what is inside. That’s why we ask for a list of 8-12 items and often add an item or two not on your list. That way, you don’t know what’s inside. It makes your order just like a Christmas present! When a Christmas present is handed to you, you don’t know what it contains and that’s part of the fun. The Christmas Surprise Packages offer that same thrill.

To make the Christmas Surprise Packages even more special, the Palladium staff and I, as well as any freelance artists or writers who happen to step into the Palladium offices, are happy to autograph each and every book. For many gamers, especially in other countries, this is the only way they can get autographs from Palladium creators.

And speaking of Christmas presents, use the Palladium Christmas Surprise Package to wow a friend with $80-$100 worth of role-playing goodies, for only $38 plus shipping! Or use the Palladium Christmas Surprise Package to get a present for two or more of your friends. Or even as a treat for yourself. Make sure you let your wives, husbands, parents, and friends know if you’d like a Christmas Surprise Package – and make sure they have a good idea of what you want. Please let the members of your gaming group, game store buddies and other friends and gamers know about the Surprise Packages, so they can enjoy them too. We only advertise the Christmas Grab Bags on the Palladium website and in The Rifter®. We count on word of mouth to do the rest.

Is it worth getting the Christmas Surprise Package? Those of you who have been buying them for years know it most certainly is. For those of you who have not tried one yet, read the many testimonials and reports from happy recipients of the Surprise Packages on the Palladium website. Or maybe it’s time to take the plunge and see what all the excitement is about. Take my word for it, this is fun and well worth the money. Buy one or ten, you won’t be disappointed.

The Christmas Surprise Packages are a lot of work for us. I hand pick EVERY item that goes into EVERY Grab Bag to make sure each Surprise Package is special and will put a smile on the person’s face. Next, we all sign every single book (unless you don’t want signatures). Then, Julius and Alex package them all up and ship them out. Ah, but it is a labor of love. Each Christmas Surprise Package is our way of saying thank you to all of you. Our way of showing you that you matter to us, that you are special and very appreciated. We take pride in our work and joy in knowing the Grab Bags put smiles on the faces of gamers around the world. Making you happy, makes us happy.

Get all the details about the Palladium Christmas Surprise Package in this Weekly Update and in Palladium’s Online Store.

I didn’t intend to make this Weekly Update all about the Christmas Surprise Packages, but it seems to have turned into that. I just don’t want people to miss out. Every year, as loved ones get ill or die, it seems more important to reach out to other people while we still can. This is our way of reaching out to you. Please take our hands and enjoy the Grab Bags. You can start placing orders now, but we won’t start shipping them until October 11. That works well for us, because we have time to make the first week or two orders special.

Other news briefs:

I had a blast at Detroit FanFare. It was great to see Kevin Eastman as well as a many other pals I hadn’t seen in years, including Tim Bradstreet, Dave Dorman (who wants to do more covers for us), William Messner-Loebs, Tom Orzechowski, Mike Kucharski, Arvell Jones, Gary Reed, and others. Unfortunately, the event was not a financial success and I hope the organizers can survive the poor showing, because the event was fun, fun, fun.

Alex’s health is much improved. His blood condition is well under control and should be manageable from this point forward.

Kevin’s Online Toys & Collectibles Store. I continue to put Palladium collectibles and toys out of my personal collection up for sale at my Ebay store. Palladium collectibles such as proofreader copies of books, original artwork, out of print books, posters, and other rare items have been selling lightning fast, so if these are things you may be interested in, you might want to check the store a couple times a week. Alex has been putting up new Palladium items every 2-3 days. Thank you for your interest and purchases. I’m always flattered when my artwork or old Palladium stuff sells. FYI: We’re trying to keep prices low, but as I begin to run out of many old books and prints (and art!), prices have to go up. The store address is: http://stores.ebay.com/kevinstoys-artandcollectibles

Kathy Simmons is creating one Halloween masterpiece after another. Go to QueenofGhouls.com to see for yourself.

Robotech Sale Fantastic Fantasy Sale Art and Adventure Sale

Today is the last day for the 30th Anniversary Sales on the Robotech® RPG and two sourcebooks, the 3 Palladium RPG books, and the super-sale on 3 Rifts® art books. These three sales end at midnight tonight, so TODAY is your last chance to get them.

Your well wishes may help

This Weekly Update is so fun and positive I hate to bring up some sad news, but I must. Erick Wujcik’s love of his life, Kathryn Kozora, has cancer and is doing very poorly. I’m hoping a few hundred of you will be kind enough to send her “get well” cards or “thank you” cards, or “thinking of you” cards, or warm and positive letters to cheer her up and buoy her spirits. I’m told her daughter reads her every card and letter she receives. I think getting a bunch from us gamers who she secretly adored from behind the shadow of Erick Wujcik would make her happy.

Though you may never have heard her name, Kay Kozora is important to role-playing games. In addition to being the love of Erick Wujick’s life, and sticking with him through thick and thin for 30+ years, she encouraged his creativity. Without Kay, there might not have been an Amber Role-Playing Game or Amber Con.

To Erick, she was his “Beautiful Kate.” No matter who or how many people might be in the room, when Kay would call him, Erick would pick up his cell phone and say with a smile, “Hello, My Beautiful Kate.” She encouraged all his creative ventures, helped Erick through his bouts of depression (Erick suffered from manic-depression), and they traveled all over the world together.

To me, Kay Kozora has been one of Palladium’s investors and one of our staunchest supporters. She has never bailed on Palladium no matter how bad things got, has never pressured me about money, forgave debts, and is always more concerned about me and my physical health and state of mind than anything else. She is my dear friend and I love her. We all do.

Now she needs our love and support through a difficult period. So I ask of you, please find the time to send this very special lady a card or a note. Anything just to say, “You are special and appreciated.” I’m sure well wishes will improve her spirits. You can also tell her about how special Erick Wujcik was to you. She loves hearing stories about Erick and how he touched people’s lives. It is my understanding she’s too weak to read emails or respond on the computer, which is why I recommend a card or short letter. Send them to:

Kathryn Kozora
310 First Street #10 Apt.
San Rafael, CA 94901-3711

Can my beautiful friend win her battle with cancer? We don’t know. I sure hope so. The planet is a better place with caring and kind people like her and Erick in the world. Our prayers are with you, Kay. Hang tough.

– Kevin Siembieda, September 2011

Christmas Surprise Package

2011 Christmas Surprise Package

– Available now thru December 23, 2011

Every year for the last 13 or 14 years now, Palladium offers a Christmas Surprise Package – our way of saying thank you to our fans and helping to make your Christmas a little more fun and special.

We left fans thrilled with what they received last year and we plan to make this year’s Surprise Packages as thrilling and fun as ever.

What is a Palladium Christmas Surprise Package?

$80-$90 (or more!) worth of Palladium Books product for only $38 plus shipping and handling. A minimum of eighty dollars ($80) retail. Sometimes much more! Santa Kevin wants to make gamers squeal with delight and often packs in $90-$100 worth of goodies.

It’s a surprise package because you never know exactly what you’re going to get or who will sign your books. We try to include many of the items on your “wish list,” but we’ll surprise you with stuff you are not expecting. Things like a special print(s), or issues of The Rifter®, or a Palladium RPG or sourcebook(s) or other items that we think you might enjoy. Plus you can ask for unusual items like a signed photograph of Kevin Siembieda, or Kevin and the staff (it’s a new photo this year), or out of print books (as suggested here), or special gold editions (as suggested here), art prints, and maybe even some original art. All items are “handpicked” by Kevin Siembieda from YOUR “wish list.” ALL with autographs if you want them. For many of you, this is the only way to get autographs!

Yep, it’s our way of saying thank you to our loyal fans, delivering a little Christmas cheer, and putting a smile on the faces of some big kids.

When can you order? Right now!

Now till December 23, 2011. HOWEVER, we are NOT likely to ship the first batch before October 11, 2010. But ordering now will give us ample time to put the first rush of orders together and make them truly special.

Note: Orders received by Palladium after December 14th can NOT be guaranteed to arrive before Christmas. Likewise, Palladium makes no promise that orders sent to countries outside the USA or to military bases will be received before December 25th regardless of when they are placed. The first orders WILL NOT be filled before October 11, 2011.

Spread the word

The Christmas Surprise Package is only publicized by word of mouth, to readers of The Rifter® and on Palladium's website – www.palladiumbooks.com – so tell everyone you know. Buy one for every gamer you know and have a very Merry Christmas.

The Cost

$38.00 plus shipping and handling (usually another $10-$15), approximately $48-$53 total for most purchasers in the USA, about $15-$20 more to Canada. Shipping overseas is about twice the cost to Canada. Our apologies to our friends outside the USA. We are only passing along the postal rates of Priority International Mail (typically 4-8 days delivery; anything weighing more than 4 pounds must ship Priority Mail). But for most of you, this is the only way you’ll ever be able to get autographed books, limited edition prints, artwork or unique items. Plus, we always try to make the orders going to countries outside of North America extra special.

Credit card orders are welcomed. Visa and MasterCard are preferred, but we accept most cards. Place orders online, by mail, or by telephone at 734-721-2903; this is an order line only.

Send Mail Orders to: Palladium Books – Dept. X – 39074
Webb Court – Westland, MI 48185-7606.

Multiple orders WILL result in some duplication.

What you get

$80-$90 or MORE worth of Palladium goodies. A minimum of eighty dollars ($80) retail in Palladium product, probably more! Sometimes much more! Santa Kevin wants to make this year’s Christmas Surprise Packages as spectacular as the last couple of years in which we’ve blown people’s minds. With the lingering uncertain economy and gloominess of the times, we want to lift your spirits and help you have fun gaming.

Autographs from Kevin Siembieda, available staff and freelance artists and writers. If you “request” autographs we’ll sign every book in your box! For many, especially those across the country and overseas, this is the only way they are likely to get autographs from Kevin Siembieda and crew. Take advantage of it. Many people find autographs make the item that much more special and valuable, and we are happy to oblige. Get ‘em while you can.
     If you do NOT want autographs, please state – “No autographs.”
     If you do NOT want T-shirts, please write – “No T-shirts.”

Each order is “handpicked” by Kevin Siembieda from a “wish list” you provide! Please list at least 8-12 items that you know are in stock. PLEASE do not list books you know are out of print; you will not get them.

Sketches by Palladium artists. Kevin Siembieda, Mark Dudley, Kent Burles and possibly other artists have created some quick sketches or original art from printed books to drop into some of the Surprise Packages, but you MUST ASK FOR ONE to even be considered.

Special items may include out of print books (only use titles suggested here), gold editions, art prints, posters, greeting cards, art books, T-shirts, coffee mugs, and other items.

The Grab Bag makes a wonderful gift for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, birthdays, or anniversaries for the gamers in your life. Since there will be so much in every Surprise Package, ordering just one might enable you to give books to two or more pals. Of course, you never know what we might select from your list, so that might be a little risky.

Impress your friends with a gift worth $80 or more for a cost of only $38 (plus shipping and handling).

Fill holes in your own collection or get books and product you’ve been meaning to get or have been eyeballing longingly.

Fun and surprise. As a “grab bag/surprise package” you never know exactly what you will receive, but that’s the fun “surprise” part of this offer, and we always try to send as many of your “special wants” as we can (at least three, almost always more). Extra items may include other RPG books, The Rifter®, posters, prints, art books, T-shirts, greeting cards, back stock items, uncut covers, original finished art or sketches, and other items or a surprise or two.

Multiple orders WILL result in some duplication.

If you ask for signatures, every book will be signed by Kevin Siembieda and available staff members and freelancers. Note: If you do NOT want autographs, please state – “No autographs.” If you do not want to be considered for a T-shirt, write – “No T-shirts.” If you get duplicate items, give them away to your friends.

Your “Wish List”

Important! To insure your X-Mas Surprise Package is everything you want it to be, send us a wish list of your “wants.” The more items listed, the more likely you are to get items you want. List them in order of preference – at least 8 items, but 10 or more is better. That way, you don’t know what you’re getting and we have a large selection to choose from, making it fun for you and easier on us. Thanks.

PLEASE do not ask for books you know are not yet available or out of print like Palladium Fantasy® Crimson Hardcover, Tome Grotesque™, UEEF Marines™, or Mechanoid Space®.

Note: Santa Kev and his elves are NOT mind readers. If you do not give us a clear idea of your wants, you may be disappointed by what comes in your Surprise Package.

You do NOT make our job easier when you say something like “I own everything, surprise me,” or “I don’t care, anything special.” It makes our job much, much more difficult. We want to make each Grab Bag special, but because we don’t know you or what books you own, like or want, we do not have a clue as to what to send you unless you give us a variety of items on your list.

Please say something like this: “I own it all, but would love any duplicate Fantasy books signed by the Palladium crew.” Or “I have most of it, surprise me with T-shirts or unique items like signed prints, T-Shirts or a coffee mug, if available,” and so on. BETTER YET, list 8-12 books or specific items on your wish list.

Ideas for “Special Wants” in your X-Mas Surprise Package

Here are some ideas for your “wish list.” Make sure your “wish list” is filled in on the X-Mas Surprise Package order form. Thank you.

Rifts® Ultimate Edition hardcover rule book.

Rifts® core books like Rifts® G.M. Guide, Rifts® Book of Magic, and Rifts® Adventure Guide.

For Rifts®: Rifts® Vampire Kindgoms™ Expanded (new), Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook (a November release), Rifts® Lemuria (new), Triax 2™, D-Bees of North America (86 D-Bees), Shemarrian Nation™, Dimensional Outbreak™, Thundercloud Galaxy™, Fleets of the Three Galaxies™, Heroes of the Megaverse®, Three Galaxies™, Tales of the Chi-Town ‘Burbs™ (short stories), Rifts® Machinations of Doom™ (graphic novel and sourcebook), Rifts® & the Megaverse® – the Art of John Zeleznik (soft cover art book or the $50 hardcover), the Zeleznik Coloring Book, Rifts® Sourcebook One Revised, Juicer Uprising™, Rifts® South America, Rifts® Australia, Rifts® Mercenaries, Rifts® MercTown™, Rifts® Merc Ops™, Rifts® Merc Adventures, Rifts® WB 28: Arzno™, Rifts® WB 29: Madhaven™, Siege on Tolkeen/Coalition Wars® series, Chaos Earth™ RPG, sourcebooks and more!

Looking for Rifts® high-tech source material? Consider Rifts® Game Master Guide, Naruni Wave 2™, Rifts® Sourcebook One, Coalition War Campaign™, Coalition Navy™, Free Quebec, Triax & the NGR™, Triax™ 2, Rifts® Mercenaries, Rifts® New West™, Rifts® Atlantis, among others.

Looking for Rifts® magic and monsters? Consider Rifts® Book of Magic, Federation of Magic™, Rifts® Atlantis, Rifts® South America Two, Rifts® Spirit West™, Rifts® China 1 & 2. Emphasis on monsters and D-Bees: Rifts® Conversion Books 1, 2 & 3, D-Bees of North America™, Psyscape™, New West™, Rifts® Dinosaur Swamp™, Adventures in Dinosaur Swamp™, Rifts® Atlantis, Splynn Dimensional Market™, Phase World®, Hades, and Dyval™, among others.

Want Rifts® space adventure? See Phase World® and most of the other Dimension Books™ like Skraypers™, Three Galaxies™, Megaverse® Builder, and Thundercloud Galaxy™ as well as Mutants in Orbit™.

Minion War titles. With Megaverse® in Flames coming out in December, you may want to get all the books in the series:

Hades, Dyval™, Dimensional Outbreak™, Heroes of the Megaverse® and  Armageddon Unlimited™. Thundercloud Galaxy™ is set in the Three Galaxies™ and has references to the Minion War™.

Rifts® Dimension Books™ are always fun: Thundercloud Galaxy™, Naruni Wave 2™, Wormwood™, Skraypers™, Phase World®, Phase World® Sourcebook, Three Galaxies™, The Anvil Galaxy™, Megaverse® Builder™, Heroes of the Megaverse® and others.

Rifts® Conversion Books include Rifts® Conversion Book One, Conversion Book 2: Pantheons of the Megaverse® and Rifts® Dark Conversions™.

Rifts® Miniatures. Many are already completely sold out, others are running low and we don’t have plans to recast them anytime soon, if ever. Get ‘em while you can. They have a value of 4-6 dollars per pack.

Robotech® Gold Edition. A couple dozen are available for Grab Bags. It has a value of $70 so you are likely to get only one other item in your X-Mas Surprise Package. Note: The Rifts® Ultimate Gold and Beyond the Supernatural Gold are almost sold out and will not be available for the Christmas Surprise Package. Sorry.

Robotech® RPG – Manga Edition (and a few of the 8½ x 11 inch Hardcover edition) is available. So are the Robotech® Sourcebooks: Macross Saga™, The Masters Saga™ and New Generation™, though the latter will probably not be made available for Grab Bags until after Thanksgiving.

Heroes Unlimited™. Any of the following make for great superhero gaming! Armageddon Unlimited™, Heroes Unlimited™ G.M.’s Guide, Powers Unlimited™ 1, 2 & 3, Villains Unlimited™ Revised, Century Station™, Gramercy Island™, Aliens Unlimited Galaxy Guide™, Compendium of Contemporary Weapons, Ninjas & Superspies™ RPG, and Mystic China™, among others. Heroes of the Megaverse® and Skraypers™, with alien superheroes and villains, though designed as Rifts® Dimension Books, are easy to adapt to HU2.

Mutants for Heroes Unlimited™ and suitable for Nightbane®, Beyond the Supernatural™, Ninjas & Superspies™ and even Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy® and Dead Reign™, are found in the After the Bomb® RPG and each of the many After the Bomb® sourcebooks: Road Hogs™, Mutants Down Under™, Mutants of the Yucatan™, Mutants in Avalon™ and Mutants in Orbit™. All of which are directly compatible with Heroes Unlimited™ and easy to drop in or adapt to any Palladium game setting. Plus some of these sourcebooks include cool weapons, vehicles, equipment and monstrous mutants, like giant insects, animal psionics, and more.

Palladium Fantasy RPG® and sourcebooks. A unique fantasy world with human and non-human races that go well beyond the Elf, Dwarf, and Gnome of other games. Mysteries of Magic™ Book One, the Palladium Fantasy RPG® itself, plus epic sourcebooks like Western Empire™, Eastern Territory™, Mount Nimro™, Northern Hinterlands™, Land of the Damned™ One and Two, Monsters & Animals™ (epic), Dragons & Gods™, and others.

Dead Reign™ RPG is Palladium’s zombie apocalypse game. This game is about more than killing zombies. Check it out! Civilization Gone, Dark Places and Endless Dead (not available till November) are the current sourcebooks.

Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG: Modern day horror and weirdness reminiscent of the TV show, Fringe and Supernatural. Can be used with Dead Reign™ and Nightbane®.

Nightbane® RPG and sourcebooks including the popular Nightbane® Survival Guide. All Nightbane® titles are in stock except the discontinued Shadows of Light. Suitable for use with Nightbane®, Heroes Unlimited™, Ninjas & Superspies™, & Beyond the Supernatural™.

Back stock: This is the time to get RPGs, sourcebooks, world books, and supplements you’ve been wanting. Fill those holes in your collection, get hard to find back stock items or try a new game like Robotech®, Dead Reign®, Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy®, Nightbane®, Heroes Unlimited™, Ninjas & Superspies™, Beyond the Supernatural™, Chaos Earth™, After the Bomb®, RECON® or Splicers®.

Rifter® back issues are available (issues 1-13 only in the X-Mas Surprise Package and Open House). Many issues are sold out including issues #4, #8, #22-26, #28-35, #40, #47 & others.

Rifts® and the Megaverse® – The Art of John Zeleznik, softcover has a $22.95 value. The hardcover art book is gorgeous, has a $50 value and is limited to 500 copies. Sorry, the Masterwork Edition is NOT available as a Grab Bag item.

● The Magic of Palladium Books® Collection, a reprint of the original tabloids, only available upon request. Almost out of stock.

Art: Original artwork from books is available again, on a very limited basis. We have original art that has appeared in published books by Michael Wilson and some by Kent Burles. Other artists may be available too. VERY LIMITED.
     Only people who request art will be considered.

Art: Sketch (or preliminary drawing). We also have some “simple sketches” by select artists including Kevin Siembieda, Nick Bradshaw, and possibly other artists. Simple sketches may be done in pencil, ink or marker as “convention style” drawings. Nothing elaborate and NO special requests, but always fun and worth having. Each is an original, signed, one-of-a-kind sketch with an estimated $20-$30 value (sometimes more). Other artists may be added later. Note: ALL artwork has been donated by the various artists special for the X-Mas Surprise Packages to make your Christmas special. VERY LIMITED.
     Only people who request a sketch will be considered.

Art print: Rifts® “Dog Boys Playing Poker” – Unsigned, Edition Print – by Mark Evans. This print is NOT signed and NOT numbered. About 150 copies are available by special request in the X-Mas Grab Bag! Available only while supplies last. 13x10 inch image, heavy paper stock, full color – suitable for framing. $10 value (signed and numbered editions are available for $15 only from the Palladium Online Store).
     Only people who request art prints will be considered.

Art print: Rifts® 20th Anniversary – Signed Limited Edition Print – by Mike Mumah. This print IS signed by the artist, Mike Mumah and Kevin Siembieda. About 50 copies are available by special request in the X-Mas Grab Bag! Available only while supplies last. 13x10 inch image, heavy paper stock, full color – suitable for framing. $15 value (signed and numbered). We may have John Zeleznik prints available too.
     Only people who request art prints will be considered.

Art Print: 2009 Special X-Mas Print Package – We have about 30 copies of the special set of prints by Kevin Siembieda, Mike Mumah, Mark Dudley, and Nick Bradshaw. Each signed by the artist. Numbered and limited. Value for this package is $40.
     Only people who request the Print Package will be considered.

8x10 autographed, color photo of Publisher, Kevin Siembieda at his desk or Kevin and the key Palladium staff. Hey, we offer this item because we get a surprising number of people asking for them every year (like 100 last year!). Estimated Value: Priceless. Okay, how about six bucks?
     Only people who request such a photo will be considered.

Non-Book Palladium Products and Novelty items. Don’t forget about the various coffee mugs, Rifts® black dice bag (gold imprint), art prints (many), A+Plus comic books (out of print for decades, $12+ value each), Rifts® Christmas cards, a “Secret” Limited Edition Print and other items. Most of these are limited collector items.

Palladium T-Shirts available while supplies last; some sizes are already gone; first come, first served. All have a $20+ value.

  • Coalition Christmas – back by popular demand – Medium to 4XL.
  • Dyval: “Hell was full so I came back” (color!) – Small to XL.
  • Minion War: “Going through Hell” – Small to 3XL.
  • Game Master Power Incarnate – Small to 2XL only.
  • Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms “Death is for the Weak” - Small to 2XL, as well as a few 5XL, are available.
  • 25th Anniversary (2006; gold on black) – XL only.
  • I Survived the 2006 Open House – Large & XL only.
  • Open House Checklist (2010; humorous) – Small to XL.
  • Lazlo Society – XL only.
  • Rifts® Dog Pack – XL only.
  • Rifts® SAMAS “20 Years” – Small to XL.
  • Rifts® F’in Brilliant - XL to 4XL (only a few of the big sizes).
  • Gamer – Small to XL only.
  • Gamer “Zombie” – Small to 3XL.

Note: If you do NOT want a T-shirt – write “No T-shirt.” If you do want to be considered for a T-shirt make sure you give us your size.

REMEMBER, this is a “Surprise Package.” While Kevin Siembieda and the Palladium staff personally TRY to make each and every Surprise Package something special, we cannot guarantee satisfaction. It is a “Grab Bag.” Buyers may not always be satisfied (although we seem to succeed with most) and duplication will occur with multiple orders.

Note: Some book titles may be slightly damaged (bent corner, scuffed, nicked, etc.) so we can send you MORE. Of course, we cannot control damage that may occur in the mail/shipping (Media Mail being the worst in that regard), but we do ship everything in a cardboard box or tube.

Method of Shipping. Ordering online allows you to select the desired method of shipping, and we recommend UPS because it is fast, reliable and has tracking capabilities. It also has the lowest loss and damage statistics.

Media Mail is the least expensive, but it is also the least dependable. Media Mail can take anywhere from 5-21 days, sometimes 1-2 weeks longer, and it and most other U.S. Post Office methods of mail can NOT be tracked. If you want your 2011 Surprise Package quickly, DO NOT ship via Media Mail, use UPS or Priority Mail. Note: Rare books and one-of-a-kind items, like art prints or gold editions, can NOT be replaced if lost or damaged in the mail.

Make sure you give us your entire, correct street address and APARTMENT NUMBER!

UPS cannot ship to a P.O. Box; provide a street address.

Warning: Palladium is NOT responsible for loss if you give us an incorrect or incomplete address, or if you move before the grab bag arrives.

Place your orders now – we start shipping October 11, 2011

This Weekly Update is long enough so here’s a short reminder of what’s coming.

October 2011 Releases

November 2011 Releases

December 2011 Releases

The Rifter #56

The Rifter® #56

– Ships October 17, 2011

The Rifter® is your doorway to unlimited imagination and numerous Palladium role-playing worlds. It offers new heroes, powers, weapons, magic and adventure for your games. It presents new villains, monsters and dangers to battle, and new ideas to consider.

The Rifter® #56: The articles are expansive and fun.

  • Rifts® in space. The orbital community and a new threat, by O.J. Pinckert.
  • Beyond the Supernatural: Tainted Martyr P.C.C. by Steven Dawes.
  • Nightbane®: Dark Days Chronicles Four – short story by Jeremy M.  Hutchins.
  • For all game settings – Time Travel rules by Greg Spivey and Jason Smith.
  • News and coming attractions.
  • Fiction and more.
  • Cover by Irvin Jackson.
  • $11.95 retail – 96 pages – Cat. No. 156. October release.

NEW! Robotech® New Generation™ Sourcebook

– Ships October, 2011

The battle for the liberation of Earth starts here. For the first time in its history, the Earth has been invaded and occupied by alien invaders – the Invid. The Invid think they have won, but Freedom Fighters, UEEF soldiers and other heroes continue to fight. This is the first sourcebook to combine ALL generations of Robotech® into one epic setting.

  • A setting in which Battloids, Veritechs, power armor and technology from all eras of Robotech come together.
  • Kit-bashed mecha and rules for jury-rigging and combining parts from different generations of Robotech® mecha.
  • O.C.C.s include the Freedom Fighter, Patcher, Urchin, Pathfinder and Invid Protoculture Experiments; seven in all.
  • The resistance and how it operates in the New Generation setting.
  • New weapons, vehicles and mecha.
  • Guidelines for survival and rules for exposure.
  • Stats for notable New Generation characters such as Corg, Sera, Lunk, Annie, Rook and others.
  • World overview and adventure ideas galore.
  • Written by Irvin Jackson. Additional text by Kevin Siembieda.
  • Cover by Apollo Okamura.
  • A standard 8½ x 11 inch sourcebook.
  • 96 pages – $16.95 retail – Cat. No. 554. October 2011 release.

Rifts World Book: Lemuria

NEW! Rifts® World Book: Lemuria™

– Ships October, 2011

The power, secrets and magic of the underwater realm of Lemuria revealed. Player characters can use symbiotes, magic and technology to breathe underwater and spend time below the waves.

Lemuria is more than an underwater civilization of aquatic beings. They can trace their lineage as far back as the Atlanteans and can survive on dry land as well as underwater. In fact, their greatest secret is that there is no one resting place for the Lemurians, their great cities are always moving. Learn about the people of Lemuria, new Biomancy magic and weapons, Biomancy engineered riding animals, sea herbs, new powers of healing, sea monsters, and more. Epic adventure awaits.

  • The Lemurians, their race, history and society.
  • New O.C.C.s including the Serpent Hunter, Shriekers, Oceanic Guardsman, Aquatic Biomancer and others.
  • The Stone Guardians of Easter Island and other mysteries.
  • Biomancer Gardens and Aquatic Biomancy.
  • Biomancy armor, weapons and equipment.
  • Symbiotic creatures and constructs; some that enable air-breathers to survive underwater indefinitely.
  • New psionic abilities.
  • Sea Serpents, Sea Dragons, monsters, and riding animals.
  • New dangers, new challenges, adventure ideas and more.
  • Written by Greg Diaczyk.
  • Cover by John Zeleznik.
  • 160 pages – $20.95 retail – Cat. No. 885. Final page count and price may be subject to expansion and increase. October release.

The Queen of Ghouls: Life-Sized Halloween Props

The Queen of Ghouls – Palladium’s very own Kathy Simmons – is locked in her dungeon, devising new ghouls for the coming Halloween season. Go to queenofghouls.com to see her current selection of life-sized Halloween props. See her zombie doctor and other new zombies, Jack Skellington and Sally, and more. New creations are on the drawing board. Each Halloween prop is truly life-sized (most are 6 feet or taller – Jack is almost 8 feet) and seems almost alive.

Each is an all-weather, life-sized Halloween prop that can handle rain and snow, and is a one-of-a-kind work of art (no two are exactly the same). Each looks frighteningly “real.” All come apart and fold down to slightly larger than a king-size pillow for easy storage. Comes with easy instructions, a plastic storage bag, and the lawn stake to stand it up in your front yard. Indoor stand sold separately.

Types of “Ghouls” include: Zombies (all kinds!), killer clowns, wizards, witches, devils, grave ghouls, scarecrows, executioners, mad doctors, deadly nurses, vampires, werewolves, and more. Kathy’s also now offering an array of hand-painted Halloween signs, signs with heads and bodies hanging from them, witch’s brewing pots, Halloween centerpieces and more. Best of all, her high quality creations are much more affordable and imaginative than most competitors or mass produced items in a store, making them affordable Halloween fun.

If you think the photos online look good, you should see them in person. A typical “ghoul,” as she calls her creations, costs $129-$259. You can see some of her work at her Queen of Ghouls™ Ebay store – queenofghouls.com.

The Palladium Open House

2012 Palladium Open House – May 4-6, 2012

The Palladium Open House is three days (four with VIP night) of non-stop role-playing gaming, a chance to meet and hang with the Palladium staff, artists and writers, participate in panel talks, get autographs, and have a blast. Game with the people who make the games at the very place they are designed. YOU are part of Palladium’s extended family, and we invite YOU into our home to join us for gaming, fun and more. The Palladium Open House has a fun, family feel and is three days (four with VIP night) of games, fun and opportunity for making wonderful memories that will last a lifetime.

90+ Gaming Events:

  • Rifts®
  • Robotech®
  • Chaos Earth™
  • Nightbane®
  • Heroes Unlimited™
  • Ninjas & Superspies™
  • Phase World®/Three Galaxies™
  • Dead Reign™
  • After the Bomb®
  • Palladium Fantasy RPG®
  • Beyond the Supernatural™
  • and more . . .

● 40+ Palladium creators under one roof.

● Game with the people who make the games you love, like Kevin Siembieda, Julius Rosenstein, Carl Gleba, and other Palladium creators.

● Enter the Costume Contest and you might win a cool award and prize.

● Enjoy panel talks that are fun and insightful.

● Get autographs and chat with creators.

● Have the time of your life.

● What other game company invites you to game with them at their place?

● We are hosting this event because YOU demanded it. So come on over and join the fun.

Place your order today.

We recommend you RESERVE your hotel now. Your credit card is not charged until the event, but reserving your room early gives you peace of mind and helps Palladium so we can block more rooms if we need them. If necessary, you can cancel your room up to a few weeks before the event.

This may be our last Open House. Having sufficient parking is becoming an issue. While we should be okay for the 2012 POH, the parking situation is likely to prevent future events. So don’t miss out.

V.I.P. Thursday (May 3, 2012). Available now. YOU are the VIP. You get in an afternoon early (doors open at 3:00 PM – catered dinner at 5:30 PM) and are the first to play in special game events, participate in special panel talks, purchase items, and enjoy a dinner catered by Kathy Simmons (and those who have been to past VIP nights know how awesome that is). Reserve your place today.

Weekend Admission is Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Reserve your place today. Placing your order early helps us on many levels, and tells us how many people to expect and how many hotel rooms to reserve.

Individual Day Admission might work better for you. If you can only make it one day, that’s okay with us. Come on down.

Hotel is the location you love at the same 2009 rates ($69.95 a night). The hotel does not charge your card until a day before the event, so reserve NOW. We are concerned they might run out of rooms at our special price, so reserve your room as soon as possible. Based on the economy, the hotel has not reserved the entire hotel for us as they have in the past. Book your room fast so you know you have a place to stay. The hotel now offers free hot breakfasts and we will have two conference rooms for late night gaming and additional open gaming.

Plan to enter the Costume Contest. Winners get a nice plaque and real prizes. Rifts/sci-fi, fantasy, modern (includes horror) and best of show are the categories.

Click here for more details and to reserve your tickets.

Game Masters wanted for 2012 Palladium Open House (POH). The sooner you notify us that you are running “official” POH games and how many games/time slots, the better. We want to get our gaming schedule up and posted online early this time. We typically need 90+ gaming events. That means we need you. FYI: You can run the same game more than once, I do.

Palladium is in need of Game Masters to run events at the 2012 Palladium Open House. G.M.s who run three or more events get a special discount on product and a gift (typically a T-shirt, but maybe something different this year). Palladium NEEDS your commitment to run and a description of the games no later than January 29, 2012 – SOONER IS BETTER. Our thanks to those of you who have already committed to run. Please let us know what you want to run. Julius Rosenstein already has 7 events scheduled. Be like Julius and let us know as soon as possible. Thank you.

© Copyright 2011 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, Warpath, 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.

Palladium Books is located at 39074 Webb Court, Westland, MI 48185. For questions, please use our Help Desk (https://www.palladiumbooks.com/helpdesk), or call us, Monday thru Friday, 9AM to 6PM, at 734-721-2900.

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Rifts®, The Rifter®, RECON®, Splicers®, Powers Unlimited®, Palladium Books®, The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, Phase World®, Nightbane®, Megaverse®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, Coalition Wars®, Chaos Earth®, Dead Reign®, and After the Bomb® are Registered Trademarks of Palladium Books Inc. RPG Tactics™, Beyond the Supernatural, Coalition States, 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.

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