Palladium Books® Weekly Update – May 19, 2011

By Kevin Siembieda

UPDATE: The NEW Palladium website is live! Our new website went live Tuesday night and people are loving it. We've gotten a flood of emails and posts using words like “great,” “love it” and “worth the wait.” What a relief. I mean, we knew it was good and we liked it. We put a lot of thought, time and work into it, especially Rex Barkdoll, Thomas Bartold and Wayne Smith, BUT you never know if other people will like it. Whew, we're so glad you do.

If you haven't seen it for yourself, we cheerfully invite you to take a look and enjoy. The new website is much more visually dynamic and fun, as well as better organized, updated and easy to use.

The online store is also much improved, more attractive, intuitive and fun. Plus we updated many descriptions and images, and all the usual shipping options were available. Note: You do not have to create a new user account in the store; the same login and password you used in the old store will work just fine. Please let us know if you encounter any difficulties placing your order. Please buy Palladium. ;)

Palladium's new website was definitely a labor of love and we have Rex, Thom and Wayne to thank for that. Thank you guys. I also want to thank the volunteers who helped us test the store and the site. Your comments, observations and input was invaluable.

UPDATE: Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms™ is looking awesome. The book is really coming along. I've actually surprised myself with how much new material is in this book, along with more detailed descriptions and clarifications, much better organization, and updates throughout. There is a wealth of new information about vampires, the vampire kingdoms and travel that I think will please Rifts® fans and delight gamers looking to adventure in the Vampire Kingdoms. I am very happy with this book. I'm putting in everything I think needs to be in it, plus a lot of the suggestions gamers have made. By the way, thank you for your input and suggestions, they are always thought-provoking and helpful. I think there is going to be more new artwork than I originally imagined too. Take a look at the updated description for more details.

Folks are clamoring for the two Rifts® Vampire titles, as well as Rifts® Lemuria, Robotech® New Generation Sourcebook and Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames, so now it is simply a matter of getting them finished and to press.

UPDATE: Rifts® Lemuria. I have assigned a big chunk of the artwork for Lemuria as well as reviewed a good portion of the manuscript. Lemuria is a sweet book, with a lot of wild, new ideas, monsters, magic, and characters. I think this is another title that takes an approach that will surprise and delight gamers. For one thing, much of the material is suitable for games that take place on dry land as well as below the waves. Chuck Walton is one of the main artists on this book and I still need to assign Lemuria art to Amy Ashbaugh and Nick Bradshaw, both of whom have requested to work on this book. Will probably tap Burles and Mumah too. Meanwhile, the writer, Greg Diaczyk, is making some additions and a few rewrites. The description elsewhere in this Weekly Update has been updated a bit too.

UPDATE: Robotech® New Generation Sourcebook. Man oh man, Robotech® fans are getting hungry for more books. It seems like I see at least one or two inquiries about this book and others every single day. I guess I'd better get this book moving in the pipeline faster, especially if we want it out before Gen Con Indy.

UPDATE: Rifts® Book of Magic to ship May 26 – sooner than expected. My printer could not give me an exact date yet, but it looks like Rifts® Book of Magic will be back in print and ready to ship by May 26. It was scheduled to ship on the 25th, but in the last Weekly Update we announced the book looked to be delayed till May 31st in order to have it Smythe sewn. (We sew and glue core books so the pages can never fall out.) Palladium's printer, McNaughton & Gunn in Saline, Michigan, being the Palladium supporters and wizards that they are, now believe the book should be ship on May 26 and they are actually shooting for the original May 25th date. I love the people at Gunn, they are the best.

The following Rifts® titles are also recently back in print and ready to ship:
- Rifts® World Book 8: Rifts® Japan
- Rifts® World Book 13: Lone Star
- Rifts® Dimension Book™ 6: Three Galaxies
- Rifts® Black Vault
- Rifts® Mercenaries
- Aliens Unlimited™ – A Heroes Unlimited™ sourcebook
- Rifts® Baseball Caps

DriveThruRPG.com offers more than 90 out of print titles (and a few that are not) as PDF downloads. It is a good resource for getting The Rifter® #1-48 and to fill in your RPG library with first edition copies of Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™, and other game lines as well as books such as Nightbane® Book Four: Shadows of Light™ and both versions of the The Mechanoids® RPG (1985) and The Collected Mechanoid Invasion® Trilogy (1981-1983). We're planning on adding The Rifter® #0, the Hades Map package and a few other things to the available products list in the next month or two. We've got some other ideas as well, so keep your eyes peeled.

There will be more Sneak Previews of upcoming books on DriveThuRPG. We are glad people have been enjoying the free sneak previews of Armageddon Unlimited™ and Thundercloud Galaxy™. A sneak peek at Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms™ is next.

Palladium Presence at A-Kon – June 10-12, Dallas, Texas. Reminder to fans in the Dallas-Houston area that Megaversal Ambassador Kenneth Haun is running Palladium gaming events at A-Kon. Join the fun. Sorry, none of us can make the event.

Palladium to attend Gen Con Indy – August 4-7. I mention this every week because we want to make sure everyone knows and swings by our booth. Spread the word. Even though there are no “official” Palladium gaming events there are always a bunch of “unofficial” games. Please stop by the Palladium booth to chat and get autographs, pick up new books and back stock titles, and have some fun. Palladium people you'll get to meet include:
- Kevin Siembieda
- Wayne Smith
- Nick Bradshaw (artist)
- Michael Mumah (artist)
- Brandon Aten (writer)
- Matthew Clements (writer; tentative)
- And others to be announced.

UPDATE: Palladium's Facebook numbers continue to climb. We surpassed the mark of 2,700 people who like the page and are closing in on 3,000. I've been making sure to pop in and post things and comment on other people's posts every day or two. I'm enjoying the interaction with friends and fans, and reading what people have to say. We can hardly wait until we have links to video interviews and book reviews on YouTube. Carmen Bellaire is especially pumped up about this and has kept on me to keep our plans moving along in the area of videos. Thanks, Carmen.

UPDATE: Online sales were a roller coaster this week. Sales were up and down without any apparent rhyme or reason. Depending on how sales are Friday morning, we may have a good week or a so-so one. I am happy to report that sales remain strong for Rifts® Thundercloud Galaxy, Armageddon Unlimited™, Dimensional Outbreak™, Heroes of the Megaverse®, Rifts® Japan, Rifts® Lone Star™ and The Rifter® #54, along with other titles. Rifts® Lone Star is another one that is selling like crazy.

QueenofGhouls.com – Kathy Simmons continues to whip up new ghoulish creations. She has a crazed butcher in the works and I think she's doing a zombie pirate next.

UPDATE: Alex and his house. It's all coming together fast now. The house has a new roof and electrical and heating should be well underway, if not finished, by next Tuesday! There have been a few suprises and unexpected problems, but it still looks like the house repairs should be finished by the end of May. (For those who might not remember, Alex and his family suffered a house fire earlier this year.)

Behind the Scenes: There is more going on behind the scenes as we make plans for new product and ventures into new media. We are also entertaining business offers from more than one interested party. I'm telling you there is excitement in the air. I'm talking to artists and writers every day. I'm trying to stay focused on writing, but it's been difficult at times. Fear not, I'm writing away, and so are a lot of other guys. Palladium is definitely on the move.

Keep those imaginations burning bright and game on.

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher

Rifts Book of Magic

Rifts® Book of Magic – Back in Print

– Ships Next Week – May 26, 2011

This is the ultimate guide to magic on Rifts Earth. All the magic spells, magic tattoos, Techno-Wizard items, magic weapons, equipment, body armor, restraints, parasites, symbiotes, magic items, Automatons, Iron Juggernauts, and more from Rifts® World Books 1-23, Sourcebooks 1-4, and Siege on Tolkeen 1-6, collected into one big reference. This is a great reference book. Kevin and all of us at Palladium use it and the Rifts® Game Master Guide constantly.

Rifts World Book 1 Vampire Kingdoms Expanded and Updated

NEW! Rifts® World Book One:
Vampire Kingdoms, Expanded & Updated – ships June 17

Kevin Siembieda is rewriting, reorganizing, updating and expanding one of the most popular Rifts® World Books ever published: Vampire Kingdoms™. It will include rewrites throughout, much new material, some new artwork, and an expanded page count. The book will be updated and expanded in a more dramatic fashion that what Kevin did with Rifts® Sourcebook One a few years ago. Best of all, it will be quickly followed by the Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook™.

Rifts Vampires Sourcebook

NEW! Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook™

All new source material

Trouble is stirring in the Vampire Kingdoms as ambitious vampire lords, ladies and misanthropes seek to expand their power to dominate more mortal life forms.

Written by Kevin Siembieda and a handpicked selection of other writers, this sourcebook explores the vampires of Mexico and their kingdoms in ways you never imagined. Tons of new data, adventure ideas and revelations.

NEW! The Rifter® #55

– Ships July 8

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® #55:
Is under construction. Wayne Smith is busy selecting material for this issue even as you read this.

NEW! Rifts® World Book: Lemuria

At last, the underwater realm of Lemuria. The people and history of Lemuria, new Biomancy magic and weapons, sea herbs and healing, sea monsters, and more. 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 there is no one resting place for the Lemurians, their great cities are always moving. Epic adventure awaits.

NEW! Robotech® New Generation Sourcebook

This Robotech® sourcebook will be a Summer 2011 release.

NEW! Rifts® 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. More details to follow, but for now, 'nuff said.

NEW! Rifts® Chaos Earth Sourcebook: First Responders

Data about the chaos and madness of the early days of the Great Cataclysm, and the brave men and women who tried to stem the tide of destruction and save lives, the First Responders.

Rifts Dimension Book 14 Thundercloud Galaxy

Rifts® Dimension Book 14: Thundercloud Galaxy

– Available Now

The book is sitting in our warehouse waiting for your orders. It is packed with great ideas, great art, unique, new alien races available as player characters, weird creatures and monsters, secrets of the Gene-Tech, weapons of the Dominators, ancient ruins, colony creation rules, adventure galore and much, much more.

The Scramble is the mad dash to claim and colonize the thousands of worlds of the Thundercloud Galaxy. Colonists flock to the Thundercloud filled with dreams. Space Pirates and an array of cutthroats also flock to the galaxy, guns in hand, ready to rob and fleece the colonists. Lawmen and heroes are in great demand, and the opportunities for clever adventurers are said to be without limit. As the civilizations of the Anvil and Corkscrew Galaxies scramble to colonize the Thundercloud, they are beginning to realize the galaxy holds more riches, beauty, horrors and secrets than anyone has ever imagined, making it a place of discovery, adventure and treachery like no other.

Thundercloud Galaxy™ is a perfect companion to the rest of the Phase World®/Three Galaxies™ based Dimension Books as well as the Minion War™ series. Players can be pirates, raiders, brigands or hired guns, or they may be explorers, adventurers, Spacers, or any number of heroes trying to protect the colonists or the indigenous peoples of countless worlds and colonies. The possibilities are truly limited only by your imagination.

Rifts World Book 8 Japan

Rifts® World Book 8: Rifts® Japan

– Back in Print – Available now

This fan-favorite sourcebook is filled with high-tech wonders, magic and monsters. There are 20 O.C.C.s (Occupational Character Classes) that range from the traditional ninja and samurai to power armor, giant robots and cyborgs.

Rifts World Book 13 Lone Star

Rifts® World Book 13: Lone Star

– Back in Print – Available now

The Coalition State of Lone Star is a wild and woolly place of contrast and conflict. The Coalition States claims the entire State of Texas as their own, but they only control a small corner of it. It is here, at the Lone Star Complex, that the CS engages in genetic engineering and creates the famous Dog Boys and a host of other mutants. The rest of the state is held by the Pecos Empire – an empire of bandits, outlaws and rebels. The perfect companion to Rifts® New West™, Rifts® Spirit West™ and Rifts® Machinations of Doom™.

Heroes Unlimited Armageddon Unlimited

Armageddon Unlimited

for Heroes Unlimited and the Minion War – Available now

Armageddon Unlimited™ is the ultimate good vs evil setting and adventure. The fate of the world hangs in the balance and only you can stop its destruction as demons and Deevils fight for control of the Earth and bringing about the end of life as we know it.

Armageddon Unlimited™ is more than an epic world-saving adventure, it is also a sourcebook jam-packed with new powers, magic, weapons and Power Categories that can be incorporated into any Heroes Unlimited™ campaign. This book can be used as a standalone adventure sourcebook for Heroes Unlimited™ or as a pivotal plot in an expansive Minion War™ campaign. Get a free sneak preview of the book from DriveThruRPG.com.

Rifts Baseball Cap

“Rifts® Logo” Baseball Cap – Back in Print

Back by popular demand. A black Rifts® Logo on a khaki baseball cap with black trim. Looks great and fans love it! Makes a great gift.

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 fromDriveThruRPG.com. This is a great way to try Palladium products and get access to out of print RPG source material. Some notable titles include. 
Splicers® RPG
Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG, First Edition Rules. 
Boxed Nightmares™ for BTS, First Edition Rules. 
Nightbane® Book Four: Shadows of Light™.
The Mechanoids® RPG and The Mechanoid Invasion® RPG Trilogy.
Palladium Fantasy RPG®, First Edition Rules and select 1st Edition sourcebooks. 
After the Bomb® RPG and sourcebooks
The Rifter® issues 1-48.
The Best of The Rifter®
Deluxe Revised RECON® RPG and Advanced RECON® Sourcebook.
- And more – go to DriveThruRPG.com and check ‘em out.

2011 Palladium Releases

2011 New Releases & Back in Print

Rifts® Dimension Book™ 14: Thundercloud Galaxy™ – New – Available now!
Armageddon Unlimited™ – New – Available now!
The Rifter® #53 – New – Available now!
The Rifter® #54 – New – Available now!
Aliens Unlimited™ – A Heroes Unlimited™ sourcebook – Back in print – Available now
Rifts® World Book 20: Canada – Back in print – Available now
Rifts® Dark Conversions™ – Back in print – Available now
Palladium Fantasy RPG® – Back in print – Available now
Rifts® Game Master Guide – Back in print – Available now
Rifts® World Book 5: Triax & The NGR™ – Back in print – Available now
Rifts® Bionics Sourcebook – Back in print – Available now
Rifts® China One – Back in print – Available now
Rifts® Megaverse® Builder – Back in print – Available now
Rifts® Baseball Cap – Back in stock – Available now
Rifts® Dimension Book™ 6: Three Galaxies™ – Back in print – Available now
Rifts® Black Vault™ – Back in print – Available now
Rifts® Mercenaries™ – Back in print – Available now
Rifts® World Book 8: Rifts® Japan™ – Back in print – Available now
Rifts® World Book 13: Lone Star™ – Back in print – Available now

May 2011 Releases

Rifts® Book of Magic – BACK IN PRINT

June 2011 Releases

Rifts® WB One: Vampire Kingdoms™, Expanded & Updated
- Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook – New (end of June; tentative)

July 2011 Releases

- The Rifter® #55 – New
- Rifts® World Book™: Lemuria – New
- Robotech® New Generation™ Sourcebook – New (tentative)

August 2011 Releases

- Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames (Minion War™ crossover) – New

New Releases Coming Soon (tentative)

- Rifts® Chaos Earth™ Sourcebook: First Responders (as soon as we can slot it in)
- Dead Reign™ Sourcebook Three

In the Pipeline

- Robotech® UEEF Marines and other Robotech® sourcebooks.
- Rifts® sourcebooks
- Rifts® Chaos Earth™ sourcebooks
- Palladium Fantasy®: Mysteries of Magic™ Two & Three
- Palladium Fantasy® other sourcebooks
- Warpath™ Urban Jungle RPG
- And other good stuff. Lots of other good stuff!

Recently Back in Print


HU Aliens Unlimited Rifts Phase World The Three Galaxies Rifts Adventure Sourcebook Three The Black Vault Rifts Mercenaries

Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®

Rifts® World Book 20: Rifts® Canada

Rifts® Dark Conversions

Rifts® Game Master Guide

Rifts® Bionics Sourcebook

Rifts® World Book Five: Triax & the NGR

Rifts® World Book 8: Rifts® Japan

Rifts® World Book 13: Lone Star

Rifts® World Book 24: Rifts® China One

Rifts® Dimension Book 7: Megaverse® Builder

Aliens Unlimited – For Heroes Unlmited

Rifts® Dimension Book™ 6: Three Galaxies

Rifts® Adventure Sourcebook: The Black Vault

Rifts® Mercenaries

The Queen of Ghouls: Life-Sized Halloween Props

Check out the new creations by Palladium's very own Kathy Simmons. See her new zombie, Jack Skellington and Sally, with more new creations on the drawing board. Each Halloween prop is truly life-sized (most are 6 feet or taller – Jack is almost 8 feet) and seem 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.

© 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.