Palladium Books® Weekly Update – June 19, 2014

By Kevin Siembieda

Whew, another week has flown by in what feels like a matter of hours. I don’t know how that can be. Things are moving forward nicely, though time for everything seems all too short. Let’s jump right into the details.

Final Spring Cleaning Sale #6 of 6 — ENDS Sunday, June 22, 2014

You have THREE days left to take advantage of this last 50% off sale. Don’t miss out. I want to thank all of you for your participation. These Spring Cleaning Sales really did help clear out the warehouse of inventory and put a smile on a lot faces. Perfect. I’m glad so many of you have enjoyed the sales so much. It was fun putting them all together. Please spread the word so everyone gets a shot at these great deals.

We are doing the sales because we need to rearrange the Palladium warehouse to make space for Robotech® RPG Tactics™, coming at the end of July. And by space, we mean what we now estimate to be 5 semi-trailers worth of space, plus a staging area. And with several new books being released, we want to create excitement about the entire Palladium Megaverse®. We thought we could kill two birds with one stone to create buzz and clear space in the warehouse with a series of six Spring Cleaning Sales! This is the last one and you only have 3 days left to make your purchases. Enjoy and have fun.

You can get the following Palladium game titles and products for half price until June 22, 2014, when the sale ENDS:

UPDATE: Robotech® RPG Tactics goes into manufacturing!

Wayne and Jeff have been reviewing and approving the final manufacturer’s e-proofs of the 50+ stat cards and packaging, amongst other details for the Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Wave One. This is the final step before they go to press. Looks great. Very exciting. Already reviewing elements for Wave Two.

UPDATE: Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames

I have been pounding away with writing, tweaks and editing all week for Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames™. Work is not going as fast as I had hoped, but it is coming along very nicely and I seem to be picking up speed the last couple of days. As for the content, it is packed with what I call “Wow Factor” material, spells, villains, magic, and adventure ideas.

I had commissioned a few last minute additions to the artwork and holy moley, is this stuff amazing! Amy L. Ashbaugh, Tanya J. Ramsey, Chuck Walton, Allen and Brian Manning, Ben Rodriguez, newcomer Jared Trulock and Nick Bradshaw have all outdone themselves. Some of their best work ever! And you know how good all of these people are in the first place. I think Megaverse® in Flames™ has more settings, characters, political intrigue and hooks for adventure than any book we have done over the last 15 years. I can’t wait to get this book to the printer in the next week or two, I hope.

UPDATE: Rifts® Northern Gun Two Hardcovers are Shipping

The Rifts® Northern Gun™ Two HARDCOVER Editions – exclusive to select Megaverse® Insider backers – have been signed and all but the top 14 have bundles have been shipped over the last couple of days. Heck, a few of you may have already received your copy. They look beautiful. I don’t know what it is about a hardcover edition that looks so good. As usual, the top Megaverse® Insiders are shipped last because we have so many extra items (original artwork, art prints and other good stuff) to create, sign and package together. We want to take our time and do them right, but I think they will all ship tomorrow (Friday) or Monday at the latest. Final Print Run on Hardcovers: There were only 176 copies of EACH hardcover made, so both are extremely limited run collector’s editions. Enjoy.

My thanks to EVERY ONE of our Megaverse® Insider crowdfunding backers. Your support enabled us to go hog-wild with artwork and expand the page count to make NG-1 and NG-2 everything they needed to be. That’s the additional “reward” everyone gets to enjoy thanks not just to us at Palladium Books, but thanks to your support. I hope you also enjoy seeing your names woven into the story and background material to become part of the official Rifts® saga. If they ever make a Rifts® Movie, who knows, you might appear in the darn film. Crazy, eh? Thanks again for your patience and support. Note: Those of you waiting for a call from me as part of your Insider Package, you are not forgotten. I will call. I’ve just been swamped beyond human comprehension.

UPDATE: Dead Reign: Graveyard Earth

Art has been assigned. I've given the book a quick review and it looks pretty darn awesome. Still shooting for a July release.

UPDATE: Robotech®: Expeditionary Force Marines Sourcebook One

– Formerly titled ‘UEEF Marines’

I was unable to assign more artwork last weekend, but it will be assigned this weekend. Allen, Brian, Apollo, Jeff, get ready. Oh, and this is another epic sourcebook. A summer release (Gen Con!?).

The Rifter® #67

Wayne is making his selections right now. Art will be assigned shortly. End of July release!

More issues of The Rifter® available on DriveThruRPG.com

Wayne will continue to add a couple issues of The Rifter® to the 90+ PDF products available on DriveThruRPG.com every week or two for your enjoyment. Amongst the 90+ Palladium RPG books already available are Splicers® RPG, the original Rifts® RPG, The Rifts® Coalition Wars®/Siege on Tolkeen series, the Rifts® Game Shield, the original Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms™ World Book, the original Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG, first edition rules and sourcebooks for the Palladium Fantasy RPG® and Heroes Unlimited™, The Rifter® issues 1-54 (with new ones being added starting this week) and many others. There are also FREE previews on DriveThruRPG.com for Rifts® Northern Gun™ One and Two, Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook, Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms™ (Revised Edition), Rifts® Black Market, Rifts® Lemuria, Dragons and Gods™, Dead Reign™ RPG, Endless Dead™ sourcebook and others, too. Plus there is special Game Master supplemental material by Carl Gleba and Julius Rosenstein (character sheets, tables, tips and more) and we plan to add more G.M. material and other sneak previews. COMING SOON: Fantasy paper miniatures designed and created by “Madman” Mike Leonard, so check out all the goodies on DriveThruRPG.com.

Palladium Collectibles Available in Kevin’s Online Toy & Collectibles Store

We have added some new collectibles and out of print titles to my online store, including a couple of printer proofs of Palladium Fantasy RPG® and Heroes Unlimited™ 30th Anniversary Hardcovers, and some other odds and ends. I still haven’t had time to dig out and select a few Chuck Walton original pencil illustrations and sketches to post in the store. Oh, and we have a new, unique item coming in a few weeks that we think collectors will enjoy. Meanwhile, we’ll keep adding items as supplies allow, and as I find other odds and ends as we do more spring cleaning and reorganization. As usual, there are out of print titles, redlined proofreader photocopies signed by me and the staff, signed manuscripts with editors’ corrections, some original art, hardcover books (including Rifts® Northern Gun™ One) and other items you’ll enjoy. There are also hundreds of toys and action figures. All items in the store are from my own personal archives and collection. Take a look every few days as new items are added. There may be some items that are perfect for upcoming birthdays and anniversaries.

http://stores.ebay.com/kevinstoys-artandcollectibles

UPDATE: Palladium Books at Gen Con Indy – Booth 1223

Gosh, Gen Con 2014 is coming up too fast. Crazy busy. I think it is really going to be something this year. Approximately 50 official Palladium role-playing game events scheduled, a big booth, new releases, Robotech® RPG TacticsWave One, back stock items, original art, one-of-a-kind items, Palladium creators such as me (Kevin Siembieda), Wayne Smith, Carmen Bellaire, Matthew Clements, Carl Gleba, Brandon Aten, Nick Bradshaw, “Madman” Mike Leonard and Chuck Walton, and others! Come to meet us, get your books signed, enjoy demonstrations and some free RPG game events, and all kinds of fun at the Palladium Booth #1223.

We are fired up!

The energy is electric at Palladium Books. And not just at the office, but amongst our freelancers, too. Artwork coming in is some of the best I have ever seen, manuscript submissions too. And the enthusiasm — the excitement — sky high from everyone. We are working on getting several book titles done and Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Wave One is in manufacturing. Fantastic. There are still many demands on our time. There are four book titles we want out before Gen Con, plus we are designing the Gen Con booth (something special and fresh), we are reorganizing the warehouse, and we have to learn and make new contacts with brokers for importing goods from China, trucking companies and more. On top of all that, we are shipping a lot of orders, connecting with customers, solving problems and taking care of the day-to-day business. I think all of us are working in overdrive and dividing our time between many fronts. Things are fast paced and wild, but very exciting.

You might think that would have a negative impact on creativity, but it has been just the opposite. We are burning with new ideas and new products. Yesterday I had to stop what I was doing to make notes about monsters for the BTS Sourcebook: Tome Grotesque. The ideas for that title have been percolating for so long they want to burst right out of my noggin. Talks with Chuck Walton and Matthew Clements while we were all signing NG-2 hardcovers (we’re constantly multi-tasking and juggling projects) were nothing short of electric. Ideas and enthusiasm were flying. And that’s been true of all our freelancers. Artist, Mike Mumah sent me an email last week telling me I’m taking it too easy on him and to load him up with work. And the art that has been coming out of Amy, Tanya, Ben, Chuck, Nick, . . . everyone . . . holy cow! Be excited. We are. Great stuff is coming.

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Writer and Game Designer

The Rifter #66

NEW! The Rifter® #66 – Available now

The Rifter® #66 is about people and exotic places. There are the space pirates of Phase World® and the Three Galaxies™; notable Rifts® Black Marketeers, some contraband goods and a Black Market trade town in Rifts® Black Market, Part Two; the Splicers Ranger O.C.C. and a host of genetically manipulated creatures in The Splicers® Bestiary; the villainous Snake Men gang in a Heroes Unlimited™ adventure; and travel from Lazlo to Atlantis in the Rifts® short story. Plus news, coming attractions, and more.

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 66 includes:

Rifts Northern Gun Two

NEW! Rifts® World Book 34: Northern Gun Two – Available now

Shipping right now. Order yours today. Rifts® Northern Gun™ Two is the biggest book of vehicles and equipment Palladium has ever produced. You get power armor galore, plus hovercycles, body armor, robot drones, amphibious vehicles, combat vehicles, ground vehicles, and other gear, plus gladiators of the Robodome and hints about things to come and NG’s relationship with the Coalition States. EXPANDED from 160 pages to 256 pages. Epic adventure. Available now.

Rifts Northern Gun One

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

If you are getting NG-2 you’ll want NG-1, even though both titles stand alone. Rifts® Northern Gun™ One is the most tech-filled World Book Palladium has ever produced, and gamers are loving every page of new weapons, robots, power armor, vehicles and NG background.

Rifts Megaverse in Flames

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

The Minion War spills across Rifts Earth, where demons and infernals hope to recruit allies and use the Rifts as gateways of destruction across the Megaverse. Their influence shakes things up all over the planet, especially at locations where demons and Deevils already have a strong presence. Demonic supernatural beings run rampant and wreak havoc across the world. Megaverse® in Flames™ is in final production and ships in July.

The Rifter #66

NEW! The Rifter® #67 – Ships July

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

The Rifter® #67 – July, 2014:

Dead Reign Graveyard Earth

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

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.

Heroes Unlimited 30th Anniversary Hardcover

Heroes Unlimited 30th Anniversary Hardcover Edition – only $40 while supplies last

Half of the Heroes Unlimited™ RPG Hardcovers are already sold. ONLY 200 copies remain. This HU2 30th Anniversary Edition is visibly different (and cool) than the original hardcover and cannot be confused with the earlier printing. We have kept the price an unprecedented, low $40 for a hardcover Gold Edition of this size. We want to give Heroes Unlimited™ fans a crack at purchasing one before the price skyrockets on the secondary collectors’ market. The original HU2 hardcover sold for $50 and has since become a collector’s item that sells for $200-$350 on the secondary market. Enjoy and game on!

Just a few notable Heroes Unlimited Sourcebooks:

Instantly expand your playing experience with these and other HU2 sourcebooks.

Palladium Fantasy RPG 30th Anniversary Hardcover

NEW! Palladium Fantasy RPG® 30th Anniversary Hardcover Edition – only $40 while supplies last

The Palladium Fantasy® Special 30th Anniversary Hardcover is selling even faster than the Heroes Unlimited hardcover. We sold 200 copies in half the time! Only 250 copies remain! This Palladium Fantasy® 30th Anniversary Edition is visibly different than the original hardcover and cannot be confused with the earlier printing. We have kept the price an unprecedented, low $40 for a hardcover Gold Edition of this size. We want to give Palladium Fantasy® fans a crack at purchasing one before the price skyrockets on the secondary collectors’ market. The original Crimson Edition sold for $50 and has since become a collector’s item that sells for $250-$400 on the secondary market.

To preserve the value of the “original” Palladium Fantasy RPG® Crimson Edition Hardcover, we have made the 30th Anniversary Edition as visibly different looking on the outside as possible. The material used for the cover is a brown leatherette imprinted with “Elemental Green” foil, different art on the cover, and the words “Special 30th Anniversary Edition.” Even the spine is different looking and the end sheets are without artwork. All the elements described above should make the Palladium Fantasy RPG® 30th Anniversary Hardcover impossible to mistake for the original signed and numbered HC edition.

Second Edition rules. Please note that this hardcover edition is the SECOND Edition rules, exactly the same as the current material in the softcover book. Enjoy and unleash those imaginations.

Robotech RPG Tactics

Robotech® RPG Tactics – Coming Summer 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 – Coming Summer 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:

Gen Con Indy – August 14-17, 2014

Gen Con Indy is going to be the premier convention event for Palladium Books this year. A large booth, special display, a ton of product including Robotech® RPG Tactics™, and all our role-playing games and sourcebooks, art prints, original art, and all kinds of good stuff. There will also be many Palladium creators available at the booth throughout the convention to chat and sign autographs, including writers Brandon Aten, Matthew Clements, Carl Gleba, Carmen Bellaire, Mark Oberle (tentative), me (Kevin Siembieda), Palladium staffers like Wayne Smith and Jeff Burke, and artists including Nick Bradshaw, Mike Leonard, Chuck Walton, and others. And it looks like there will be 50+ Palladium Books RPG events in the official Gen Con program. My heartfelt thanks to the Megaversal Ambassadors spearheading this project, as well as the Game Masters volunteering to run so many events for our many game lines. Awesome.

Palladium Books Gen Con Highlights:

2015 Palladium Open House – May 14-17, 2015

The 2015 Palladium Open House is officially on! This is an event unlike any you have ever experienced. It is more like a family reunion than a gaming convention, with incredible access to Palladium creators (artists, writers, editors, etc.). We hope to see many of you next May in 2015! More information will be posted soon, but start planning for it now and reserve your hotel rooms as soon as possible.

$109.00 (plus tax) per room at the Comfort Inn, aka “Plymouth Clock Tower Hotel.” This is the hotel everyone knows and wants. You can start placing hotel reservations for the 2015 Palladium Open House right now, but make sure you tell them the Group Code “Palladium Books.” This is a must to get the superior group rate.

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. 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.

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.

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. 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. More information about the 2015 Palladium Open House is coming soon. Game on!

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.