Palladium Books® Weekly Update – July 12, 2012

By Kevin Siembieda

This has been an action-packed week in which we are getting a lot done on all fronts. Everything is moving forward and looking fantastic. I’ve been meeting with artists and writers, coordinating production on several books, made final Gen Con® Indy arrangements, and the rest of my time has been spent writing and editing.

Here’s the plan: I want Rifts® Black Market to the printer by the end of next week. I want Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook to follow as quickly as possible. Rifts® Northern™ Gun One will follow sometime after it. Yes, we’re behind deadline, but books are about to come out quickly and they are awesome.

UPDATE: The Rifter® #59

The Rifter® #59 is at the printer. I approved the digital proofs yesterday and it is scheduled to arrive and ship next Thursday, July 19. As I have been saying, this is one of those especially amazing issues jam-packed with source material gamers are going to want. There is source material for the Xiticix™ Hivelands with new monsters and danger, Splicers® Gorehounds and Packmasters, Techno-Wizard™ items galore, Palladium Fantasy RPG® adventure, and more. If you don’t usually get The Rifter®, trust me on this, you will want The Rifter® #59.

UPDATE: Rifts® Black Market – 192 pages

Rifts® Black Market is better than anything I had originally imagined. In my opinion, it is nothing short of “great.” I’ve been writing and editing Rifts® Black Market like a madman. The art coming in is excellent, and it is another book just packed with weapons, equipment, new characters, source material and information that will make Rifts® North America come to life like never before. If I sound excited about this book, I am.

Shooting to get it to the printer by next week Friday. After which, I dive into finishing Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook. See the new, updated Rifts® Black Market description elsewhere in this update.

UPDATE: Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook

Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook is also coming along. During a meeting Tuesday evening, Mark Dudley saw some of the new artwork by Nick Bradshaw and went wild over it. I expect to get this book to the printer by the end of July.

UPDATE: Rifts® Northern Gun One and Two

Chuck Walton continues to finish his artwork on both books and his designs are gorgeous. He also managed to squeeze in some impressive art for Rifts® Black Market (and The Rifter® #59). I’m meeting with him later today. Ultimately, Rifts® Northern Gun™ Two will contain all the good stuff we couldn’t fit into One.

Northern Gun TWO Megaverse® Insider Offer STARTS Today

The Rifts® Northern Gun TWO Megaverse® Insider offer starts now and runs till July 30. The items offered are only available during this crowdfunding period. Palladium’s Megaverse® Insider offers, in effect, sell you an array of special items that are NOT generally available to the public.

Insider exclusive products include your name listed in that book as one of the “Insiders” who made it possible, a very limited edition hardcover, a more limited edition collector’s hardcover (foil edition), a PDF version of the book, and special combination packages that may include limited edition prints, original artwork and a call from me, Kevin Siembieda, for a friendly chat. More details are described elsewhere in this Update, or click here.

Crowdfunding helps Palladium to fund new product releases, maintain high production values and grow the company. Such crowdfunding will be reserved for major releases like Northern Gun One and Two and new ventures into new markets and mediums. Money made above and beyond our projected goals for the specific project are applied to paying off debt, increase promotion and advertising, fund other new products, reprint out of stock titles and grow Palladium Books.

UPDATE: Books Coming Back in Print

Rifts® World Book 23: Xiticix Invasion™ has been sent in for a short, special printing and will be back in print next week and ready to ship July 19, 2012. Described toward the end of this Update.

Rifts® Triax™ 2 was down to its last six copies so I sent it in for a full reprint on Monday. It should not go out of stock, but if it does, it will be back in stock by July 25, 2012. Described toward the end of this Update.

UPDATE: Online Sales

Sales have remained steady the past week and we continue see more “new customers” as well as our regulars. Excellent. Keep the orders coming, don’t miss out on the Northern Gun TWO crowdfunding products, and don’t overlook the Rifts® dice bag coming back into stock along with other good stuff like Rifts® baseball hats, bookmarks, Chi-Town Library pencils, T-shirts and mugs. Robotech®, Rifts® Lemuria and Endless Dead™, along with Rifts® titles, Heroes Unlimited™ and Palladium Fantasy® in general, are seeing a lot of interest.

UPDATE: Gen Con Indy – Palladium Books Booth #1125

Gen Con Indy is coming up fast – August 15-19 – and we hope to see many of you there. The Palladium booth will be filled with all of our books (new and old releases), special editions, some out of print items, original artwork by a few artists, limited edition prints, miniatures, dice bags, T-shirts and more. If you are attending, please come on over to chat, buy stuff, hear the latest news, and get books signed by me and other Palladium creators. We love to chit chat and sign books. It will be fun. We’ve made all our final arrangements and are raring to go.

This year’s line-up of Palladium creators at the booth includes:

UPDATE: Available on DriveThruRPG.com

As soon as we can do one, we’ll be making a FREE Sneak Preview of Rifts® Black Market available. That might be as soon as the end of next week. Many back issues of The Rifter® are available on DriveThruRPG.com (issues #1-52), as are more than 90 out of print titles such as Rifts®, BTS™ and Palladium Fantasy® first edition rule books and sourcebooks. A sneak preview of Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook and should also be coming soon. We plan to add a few more items in the coming months that should please Palladium gamers. We are also planning to move forward with PDF only editions of The Rifter® #0.1 and The Rifter® #0.2 – both are big, juicy digital editions of new, fan created material for the Palladium Megaverse® of games.

Don’t forget, DriveThruRPG.com also offers the Rifts® and Palladium Fantasy® Game Master Kits (both written by Carl Gleba and complete with maps, combat matrix, character sheets, spell list, and 20 pre-rolled characters created by Julius Rosenstein; $5 each). Of course, there are FREE Sneak Previews of Endless Dead™, Rifts® Lemuria, Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms™, and Thundercloud Galaxy™, as well as 90+ out of print titles, including back issues of The Rifter®, and first edition rule books for Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Heroes Unlimited™, The Mechanoid Invasion® Trilogy, and lots of other good things. ALL available as PDF downloads at reasonable prices. And there is MORE to come.

UPDATE: Calls to Ultimate Insiders & Benefactors

Another assurance that you are NOT forgotten. Just let me get a new book or two finished and to the printer, and start calling the remaining Lemuria Insiders and the new Northern Gun™ One Ultimate Insiders and Benefactors. Thank you for your understanding and wonderful support. I truly look forward to chatting with you.

UPDATE: Kevin’s Online Toy & Collectibles Store

Whew, even with book production in high gear, Alex and I continue to add Palladium collectibles as well as a large number of collectible toys and action figures to my online store. More will be added all weekend long as well as more new items every few days for the next several weeks. Right now they include proofreader copies of books, Palladium gold editions, some artwork, some art prints, and other good stuff. Most Palladium items are signed by me, Alex and other Palladium creators. We’ll keep them coming if you keep buying them. http://stores.ebay.com/kevinstoys-artandcollectibles

Don’t forget to read the new Black Market description, below, order the items you desire from the new Megaverse® Insider offer, and have a wonderful weekend. Know that we’ll be working away to get the next two books to the printer.

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Writer and Insider

Megaverse Insider

Northern Gun TWO – Megaverse® Insider Offers

Summary of Rifts® Northern Gun™ TWO Megaverse® Insider items: The Megaverse® Insider crowdfunding offer for Rifts® Northern Gun™ Two enables you to purchase special, collectible and fun items and opportunities not available to the general public and help fund Palladium projects at the same time. The items offered are only available during this crowdfunding period. This is the LAST crowdfunding offer of the year. Now through July 30, 2012.

Cat. No. 12021 – Inside Help (your name listed in the book): $5.

Cat. No. 12022 – In Memoriam (name of a departed loved one listed in the book as a tribute to their memory): $5.

Cat. No. 12023 – A “Real” Character Tribute (your character’s name listed in the book): $10.

Cat. No. 12024 – Cyber-Insider PDF (a digital file of the book): $15.

Cat. No. 12025 – Palladium Insider (Hardcover with color cover): $50.

Cat. No. 12026 – Steel Insider 2 (Collectors’ “Steel Blue” foil Hardcover): $75.

Cat. No. 12027 – Steel-Plus Insider 2 (Collectors’ Steel Blue Hardcover & PDF): $90.

Cat. No. 12028 – Top Insider (PDF, Hardcover with color cover, Steel Blue Hardcover, & 17x11 print of the wraparound cover): $145.

Cat. No. 12029 – Ultimate Insider (PDF, Hardcover with color cover, Steel Blue Collectors’ Hardcover, small dragon sketch in book, 4 b/w prints [different from those in Lemuria & NG-1 offers], 17x11 color print of wraparound cover + brief telephone call from Kevin): $250.

Cat. No. 12030 – Benefactor (PDF, Hardcover with color cover, Collectors’ Steel Blue Foil Hardcover, black and white KS dragon sketch on a separate sheet of paper, signed [by Kevin Siembieda] and numbered color print of the wraparound cover, 8 prints [different from those in Lemuria & NG-1 offers], Chuck Walton “original art” from Northern Gun™ 2 or Northern Gun™ 1, and a long telephone call with Siembieda): $500.

Cat. No. NG-UB-2 – Ultimate Benefactor – Limited to One. All the above plus the watercolor cover concept painting by John Zeleznik and other exclusive goodies: $1,200.

NOTE: All special items and prints are new and different from the previous Rifts® Lemuria and Northern Gun™ One Insider offers. Each new offer contains its own unique set of collectibles and keepsakes. Get ‘em while you can. Available NOW through Monday, July 30, 2012.

Click here for the complete descriptions and to place orders.

Palladium’s Megaverse® Insider offers, in effect, sell you an array of special items that are NOT generally available to the public. Product available only to Megaverse® Insiders and only for the limited two week period of that specific Megaverse® Insider offer.

We try to make these Megaverse® Insider products and opportunities special and worthwhile. This is not a charity, it’s the sale of unique items and opportunities that we hope have sentimental and financial value to you, as well as a means to help fund the production of the specific book/project. We hope that in a few years, those limited edition hardcovers, for example, are worth 2, 3 or 10 times what you paid for them. After all, they are printed to your exact orders plus a few dozen extra. (Both of the Rifts® Lemuria hardcovers were under 200 copies. That’s a very limited press run!)

The value of crowdfunding. Crowdfunding gives Palladium Books a boost and the ability to release books with superior production value. It also helps us develop other new titles, do more reprints, advertise, pay down debt, and engage in other efforts to make Palladium strong.

Your participation is welcomed and appreciated, but please, do NOT overextend yourselves. Purchase only the Megaverse Insider items you want and what you can afford. NOTE: The special items like art prints that the higher levels of participation receive are NOT the same as those in the Lemuria Megaverse® Insider offer; they are completely new and different. How else would they be special? Each new offer will always be something new and special, unless stated otherwise.

This is the last crowdfunding project of the year. We had originally planned to do the Rifts® Northern Gun crowdfunding as one offer. However, after we made that announcement, many gamers asked us to split the one offer in two, a month apart. The reason was, many people could not afford to order “both” PDFs and hardcover books if they were offered together at the same time. And they did want both. A large number of gamers asked that we make two separate offers to enable them to save the money to get both. Otherwise, many would have to miss out on one or the other. We aim to please so two books, two separate crowdfunding offers a month apart. As a result, we will NOT be doing another crowdfunding offer until next year, 2013. As announced in the past, Palladium plans to do only 3-4 Megaverse® Insider crowdfunding offers a year, spread out 3-4 months apart. Northern Gun™ One and Two are a special case.

The Rifter #59

NEW! The Rifter® #59 – Ships in July

The Rifter® is an idea factory that helps players and Game Masters to generate new ideas and keep their games fresh. It provides useful, ready to go, source material gamers can just drop into their ongoing games. A doorway to new possibilities and numerous Palladium role-playing worlds. It offers new monsters, villains, characters, O.C.C.s, powers, magic, weapons, adventure and ideas for your games. It presents new villains, monsters and dangers to battle, and new ideas to consider. Every issue has material for Rifts® and at least two or three other Palladium game lines.

The Rifter® Number 59 examines the deadly, the weird and the magical. Much of the material is suitable for use in multiple settings or easy to adapt. Enjoy.

The Rifter® #59 includes:

Rifts Black Market

Rifts® Black Market – A Rifts® Sourcebook

Rifts® Black Market™ is an epic, 192 page sourcebook that contains a wealth of information about the inner workings of the Black Market, the Five Factions, new Bandito Arms/Black Market weapons and gear, how to make any O.C.C. a Black Marketeer, special abilities of the Black Marketeer, criminal enterprises, Black Market loans, merc and crime jobs, and much more. This book has it all. AND best of all, a lot of it can be easily adapted to just about any world setting, not just Rifts Earth.

Rifts Vampires Sourcebook

Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook

In final production right now. Unknown to most humans, deep within Mexico the vampires have established entire kingdoms. There they live like tyrants and gods, dominating an underclass of cattle people used as slaves and food stock. Learn more about the vampires, their rivals, allies and the humans who willingly serve their supernatural masters for a chance to join the undead. A must-have guide for those who wish to travel deeper into the Vampire Kingdoms or play as vampires and their human minions.

Rifts Northern Gun One

Rifts® World Book 33: Northern Gun One – New

Northern Gun™ is the largest independent manufacturer of high-tech weapons, robots and vehicles in North America. Outside of the Coalition States, one could argue, no other kingdom is as powerful or influential, at least when it comes to technology and weapons. The manufacture and sale of Northern Gun weapons and vehicles has given virtually every kingdom, town, colony of settlers and adventurer group a chance to survive and prosper. Located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, NG has been the premier outfitter of mercenaries, adventurers and upstart kingdoms for generations. Now, for the first time ever, learn Northern Gun’s history, goals and plans for the future. Of course, that means new weapons, robots, power armor, vehicles and gear.

Rifts Northern Gun Two

Rifts® World Book 34: Northern Gun Two – New

More information about the weapons, vehicles and practices of Northern Gun, including the new rage of Robot Gladiatorial combat.

Robotech® Genesis Pits Sourcebook

An in-depth look at the Invid Genesis Pits, their purpose, function and the creatures they create.

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.

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.

What’s next?

The following are in development:

Recent Product Releases – available now

Rifts Xiticix Invasion

Rifts® World Book 23: Xiticix Invasion

– Back in print – Available to Ship July 19, 2012

Earth is home to thousands of alien species from beyond the Rifts. One of the strangest and most dangerous is the Xiticix. A danger nobody seemed to realize until the sprawling Hivelands began to encroach on the territories of other people. Armed with new breeds of aggressive warriors, new weapons and legions of insectoids willing to fight to the death, people are beginning to wonder if they are the next threat to humanity.

Rifts Triax Two

Rifts® World Book 31: Triax Two

– Back in print – Available to Ship July 25, 2012

The war between the people of the New German Republic and the Gargoyle Empire rages on, but only the heroes of the NGR seem to be getting the upper hand. See where things stand in the year 109 P.A. and get a closer look at the NGR Army, government, society and people. This World Book also presents the latest weapons, combat vehicles, power armor and robots of the NGR as well as commercial vehicles, robot helpers, and more.

Rifts Sourcebook 2: The Mechanoids

Rifts® Sourcebook Two: The Mechanoids®

– Back in Print – Available now

Archie 3 and Hagan Lonovich are two of the most beloved villains (anti-heroes?) in the Rifts Earth setting. This sourcebook highlights their strange relationship, plots and blunders. One of which is inadvertently unleashing The Mechanoids® into the world!

The Mechanoids have one driving goal: To destroy all humanoid life! This book has it all. Source material, the Mechanoids, new equipment, monsters, adventure and cryptic prophecies.

Rifts Coalition Wars 4: Cyber-Knights

Cyber-Knights: A Rifts® Coalition Wars® Sourcebook:

– Back in Print – Available now

The Coalition’s siege on Tolkeen has had a devastating impact on people across North America. None have been more affected than the Cyber-Knights. This sourcebook reveals not only the history and secrets of the Cyber-Knights, but the schism the war has created among the fabled warriors.

Dead Reign Sourcebook 3: Endless Dead

Dead Reign Sourcebook 3: Endless Dead – Available now

Endless Dead™ is a new 96 page sourcebook that will send your Dead Reign™ campaign in new directions or add depth (and zombies). What are you waiting for? Order your copy today. And if you haven’t taken a look at the Dead Reign™ RPG yet, but love zombies, you need to give this dynamic game a try.

Other Recent Releases

New! Rifts® PencilCat. No. 2561 – 50 cents per each pencil. People love this item and often buy them in sets of 10. Enjoy.

New! Palladium Fantasy RPG® Coffee Mug – red on a black, 15.5 ounce mug – Cat. No. 2560 – $10.00.

New! Dead Reign™: “Survive or Die Trying” T-Shirt – Cat. No. 2556 – price varies with size: Medium: $18.95, Large: $18.95, XL: $18.95, 2XL: $20.95, 3XL: $22.95, 4XL: $24.95, 5XL: $26.95

New! Rifts® Wilk’s Laser Technologies™ Logo T-Shirt – Cat. No. 2557 – price varies with size: Medium: $18.95, Large: $18.95, XL: $18.95, 2XL: $20.95, 3XL: $22.95, 4XL: $24.95, 5XL: $26.95

New! Imagination Unleashed T-Shirt – black image on a red T-shirt – No. 2558 – price varies with size: Medium: $18.95, Large: $18.95, XL: $18.95, 2XL: $20.95, 3XL: $22.95, 4XL: $24.95, 5XL: $26.95

New! Rifts® Northern Gun™ Logo T-Shirt – Cat. No. 2559 – price varies with size: Medium: $18.95, Large: $18.95, XL: $18.95, 2XL: $20.95, 3XL: $22.95, 4XL: $24.95, 5XL: $26.95

Property of the Coalition™ T-Shirt – Cat. No. 2528 – price varies with size: Medium: $18.95, Large: $18.95, XL: $18.95, 2XL: $20.95, 3XL: $22.95, 4XL: $24.95, 5XL: $26.95

Books Back in Print – Available Now

- Old Ones™ for Palladium Fantasy® – Cat. No. 453

- Wolfen Empire for Palladium Fantasy® – Cat. No. 471

- Mutant Underground™ for Heroes Unlimited™ – Cat. No. 520

- Rifts® Mercenaries – Cat. No. 813

- Rifts® Splynn Dimensional Market™ – Cat. No. 836

- Rifts® Free Quebec™ – Cat. No. 837

- Rifts® Three Galaxies™ – Cat. No. 851

- Rifts® Black Vault™ – Cat. No. 855

- Rifts® Triax™ 2 – Cat. No. 881

- Rifts® Sourcebook 2: The Mechanoids® – Cat. No. 805

- Rifts® Coalition Wars® 4: Cyber-Knights™ – Cat. No. 842

New Rifts® Miniatures

The following new Rifts® miniatures have never before been released by Palladium Books.

MI8021 – Rifts® Shadow Beast – $12.00

MI8022 – Rifts® Mystic Knight – $6.00

MI8023 – Rifts® Lord Magus – $6.00

MI8024 – Rifts® High Magus – $6.00

MI8025 – Rifts® Coalition Psi-Stalker (new-style Dead Boy armor) – $6.00

MI8026 – Rifts® Coalition Dog Boy in DPM-D1 Armor – $6.00

MI8027 – Rifts® Coalition Dog Boy #2 (with energy rifle) – $6.00

MI8028 – Rifts® Coalition Dog Boy #3 (with rifle and Vibro-Knife) – $6.00

MI8029 – Rifts® Coalition Dog Boy #4 (German Shepherd with rifle and Vibro-Claws) – $6.00

MI8030 – Rifts® Coalition Dog Boy #5 (Bulldog with energy rifle and Vibro-Claws) – $6.00

Classic Rifts® Miniatures – Back in stock

The following favorite Rifts® miniatures are back in stock. Some, like the Glitter Boy, have sold on the collector’s market for as much as $50-$120. They are being re-released for the first time in a decade.

MI8031 – Rifts® Glitter Boy Power Armor – $20.00; this is a large, heavy figure.

MI8032 – Rifts® Glitter Boy Pilot – $6.00

MI8033 – Rifts® Kydian Overlord (Atlantis) – $20.00; this is a large, heavy figure.

MI8034 – Rifts® Dragonsaurus (Atlantis) – $10.00

MI8035 – Rifts® Slaver and Slave (Atlantis); 2 figs, no plastic bases – $10.00

MI8036 – Rifts® Crazy – $6.00

MI8037 – Rifts® Juicer #1 (with laser pistol) – $6.00

MI8038 – Rifts® Juicer #2 (with Vibro-Sword) – $6.00

MI8039 – Rifts® Cyborg #1 (with Rail Gun) – $12.00

MI8040 – Rifts® Cyborg #2 (with gun hands) – $12.00

MI8041 – Rifts® Cyborg #3 – $6.00

MI8042 – Rifts® Coalition Officer (old armor) – $6.00

MI8043 – Rifts® Coalition Grunt #1 (old armor) – $6.00

MI8044 – Rifts® Coalition Grunt #2 (old armor) – $6.00

MI8045 – Rifts® Coalition Grunt #3 (old armor) – $6.00

© Copyright 2012 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.