Palladium Books® Weekly Update – March 28, 2013

By Kevin Siembieda

As I write this Update we are immersed in the final layout of the Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook. That’s right, the writing and editing is done and the book is two-thirds of the way through final layout. Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook will be completely laid out and the digital files sent shortly. Oh, and if you haven’t placed an order for this book yet, you should. It is epic and you’ll love it. (Hmmm, is that mind control working yet?)

UPDATE: Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook

Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook will be in the printer’s hands first thing Friday morning – digital files will be sent soon. Since everyone has waited so long for this sourcebook, I decided to increase the page count to 176 pages at no additional cost to you. And here is more good news, the printer has agreed to put a rush order in for it. The book will ship April 12, 2012.

UPDATE: Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook Sneak Preview to be made available on DriveThruRPG.com any day now

We’ll try to get the FREE Sneak Preview of Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook posted this weekend, but with Easter being this weekend and us all rather blurry-eyed, it might not be made available till early next week. Watch for it, because it will be fun. There are Sneak Previews available for a growing number of popular Palladium titles, including Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms™ Revised, Rifts® Black Market, Rifts® Lemuria, Dead Reign™ RPG, Endless Dead™ sourcebook and others.

For those of you who may be interested in the original Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms World Book, we have recently made the original book available as a PDF on DriveThruRPG.com.

DriveThruRPG.com is also your place to get PDFs of older product and sneak previews of upcoming books. 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® Northern Gun™ One should also be coming in a few weeks. We have not forgotten about the 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.

DriveThruRPG.com also offers the Rifts® and Palladium Fantasy® Game Master Kits ($5 each; both written by Carl Gleba and complete with maps, combat matrix, character sheets, spell list, and 20 pre-rolled characters created by Julius Rosenstein). Of course, there are FREE Sneak Previews of Endless Dead™, Rifts® Black Market, Rifts® Lemuria, Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms™ Revised, 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.

What’s next?

Wayne will be diving into The Rifter® #62 and I’ll be working on Northern Gun™ One. After that, Northern Gun™ Two, Megaverse® in Flames and Robotech® UEEF Marines, setting up spring and summer 2013 to be the most exciting in years.

UPDATE: The Rifter® #62

The Rifter® #62 is being put together right now. It will be released the end of April, rather than early or mid-April this time around. Watch for additional Rifts® Vampires source material and other good stuff.

UPDATE: Northern Gun One and Two

I’ve never really stopped working on Northern Gun One and Two. I’ve been coordinating with artists and developing ideas and written material for the two books since we announced them. Ben Rodriguez has turned in his robot art and has taken on a bit more. Mark Dudley’s robot designs rock and he’ll be finished next week. So will Brian and Allen Manning. A few pieces have to be redone, but other than that, I believe 90% of the art is finished and I will be working on the final writing and edits.

These two books are going to knock your socks off. Palladium continues to be on a creative hot streak with everyone working on Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook, Northern Gun™, Megaverse® in Flames and, well, everything, and knocking their contributions out of the ballpark. Be they artists, writers or folks offering up ideas, we are seeing imaginative and powerful work. You will be very pleased.

UPDATE: Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames

Nick Bradshaw and Amy L. Ashbaugh are already fast at work on Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames and I need to assign out more, soon. This is another book that is going to wow, surprise and please Rifts® fans. If Vampires Sourcebook and Northern Gun™ One and Two are going to expand your view of the world, Megaverse® in Flames is going to blow it away. ‘Nuff said for now.

Robotech RPG Tactics

UPDATE: Robotech® RPG Tactics

This has been a massive undertaking, but all the pieces are falling into place and looking great. Retailers and distributors at the GAMA Trade Show went wild over the expanding Robotech® RPG universe with the Robotech® RPG Tactics™ line of game pieces and new rules sets. They loved everything they saw and heard and can hardly wait for them to go to press. Us too. I’m happy to report that every sculpture for a new game piece continues to seem better than the last. The sculpts for the Zentraedi game pieces are starting to come in now and all are gorgeous. The Officer Pod, in particular, impressed me. Rules are getting tightened up and perfected as well. Like I said, EVERYONE involved with producing Palladium products is on a creative tear and producing fabulous work.

The Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Kickstarter has been rescheduled to start mid-April. Oh, and save up your money. I was talking to an old pal who is a Robotech® fan and RPGer. Though he hasn’t gamed much in a number of years, he’s very interested in Robotech® RPG Tactics™ and the game pieces. He had put aside $200 for the Kickstarter, but after hearing what all was going to be offered, he said he would be spending double or triple that amount. Yikes, but that’s how many exciting levels of participation there will be and items Robotech® fans will want. Fair warning. :)

Here is a link to a video interview with Ninja Division at GAMA. It was posted by an attendee. The sound quality is terrible, but discernible, and the visuals are exciting. Enjoy.

Robotech® RPGs available in Europe

Remember, Robotech® RPG products are now available throughout Europe as well as Canada and the United States.

Closing thoughts

Our heartfelt appreciation for your patience waiting for new RPG releases from Palladium Books. I know the wait seems like forever, but new titles should be coming at a good pace now, and we think you’ll be very pleased with the end results.

For those of you who celebrate Easter, enjoy your weekend with friends and family. We’re finally getting out of the deep freeze with temperatures hitting the 50 degrees Fahrenheit mark, so we are all looking forward to that. Take care and keep those beautiful imaginations burning bright.

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Writer and Gamer

Rifts Vampires Sourcebook

Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook – At the printer

By the time most of you read this, Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook™ will be at the printer. Expanded to 176 pages and overflowing with expansive and wide-ranging source material.

New secrets, new monsters and danger, new places to explore, new magic to wield, dark magic and forces to fear, new trouble and adventure in Mexico and the Yucatan. New conflicts between rival forces are brewing as Doc Reid prepares to take his private war with the vampires to a whole new level. Meanwhile, the vampires live like smug tyrants and gods, dominating an underclass of slaves and people used as cattle to feed upon. Learn more about the vampires, their rivals, allies and the humans who willingly serve them. 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

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.

The Rifter® #62

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.

Rifts Northern Gun Two

Rifts® World Book 34: Northern Gun Two

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

Rifts Megaverse in Flames

Rifts® World Book 35: Megaverse® in Flames

The Minion War spills across Rifts Earth, where demons and infernals hope to recruit allies and use the Rifts as gateways of destruction. Their influence shakes things up across the planet, especially at locations where demons and Deevils already have a strong presence. Demons, Deevils and supernatural beings run rampant and wreak havoc across the world.

Robotech RPG Tactics

Robotech® RPG Tactics

Prepare for invasion! Robotech® RPG Tactics™ is a fast-paced, strategy battle game that expands on the popular Palladium role-playing system to enter new realms of adventure.

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.

Collect your favorites from an expanding range of world-class game pieces and relive the massive battles on your tabletop at home to enhance your Robotech® RPG adventures or as a stand-alone tactical game.

1/285th scale game pieces with detail and power.

Robotech® RPG Tactics™ is designed in partnership with Ninja Division. Ninja Division brings together the design talents of Soda Pop Miniatures and Cipher Studios, makers of Super Dungeon™ Explore, Relic Knights™, Helldorado™ and Anima Tactics™, to bring you the best quality game pieces, design and rules for Robotech® RPG Tactics™ and all of your Robotech® adventures.

● Stay tuned for news about the Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Kickstarter Campaign! Support our goals to bring you this exciting product and an expansive range of quality game pieces.

● Palladium Books and Ninja Division will showcase the game pieces and reveal all with the upcoming Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Kickstarter Campaign. This is a product line Robotech® fans have wanted for decades! And we aim to deliver. If you are one of those people, please spread the word and support this upcoming Kickstarter.

● The final details and cost of the Robotech® RPG Tactics™ box set and expansion kits are still morphing and changing at this time. They will conform to industry standards for pricing and packaging.

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:

Back in Print

Adventures on the High Seas

Palladium Fantasy RPG® Book 3: High Seas – Second Edition

– Back in print and available now

Adventures on the High Seas is one of those books packed with material that makes players and G.M.s salivate. It has something for everyone: Magic and monsters, pirates and jungles, exotic ports and ship combat rules, and lots and lots of people and places for adventure.

Rifts China 2

Rifts® World Book 25: Rifts® China 2 – Available now

Back in print and available now. This book has it all! Martial arts, wondrous mystic martial art powers, Chi channeling, Chi powers, Chi weapons, magic items, and a lot of special abilities and powers that will blow your mind! Plus, great warriors, demon hunters and their tricks of the trade, blind mystics, fortune tellers, Spirit Hosts (half-man and half-animal spirit), Enlightened Demons (as player characters!), and heroes, powers and special abilities galore.

And for you high-tech junkies, there are wonders from Geofront with things like Demon Skin body armor, the Gun Dragon, Black Tiger power armor, high-powered weapons, select vehicles, the Demon Eater and Assault Geo-Borgs, and the incomparable Gun Master. Rifts® China One set the stage and presented the nefarious Yama Kings and their demonic henchmen. Rifts® China Two presents the heroes out to stop them.

Rifts Aftermath

Rifts® Aftermath – Back in Print – Available now

This world-spanning sourcebook examines the changing landscape of North America and the rest of the planet in the aftermath of the Coalition’s Siege on Tolkeen. Somehow, North America seems to be more dangerous than ever before, and things are about to get worse.

The Coalition Army continues its occupation of Tolkeen, the fallen Kingdom of Magic, bulldozing the cities, flushing out resistance fighters and capturing its secrets. The CS intends to wipe the Kingdom of Tolkeen from existence, and use its secrets of magic as bait to lure out other enemy forces and destroy other enemies of the CS. However, the Coalition’s war has stretched the nation thin, and the CS must worry about other rivals and adversaries.

Rifts Lone Star

Rifts® Lone Star – Back in Print – Available now

Rifts® Lone Star is part of the Coalition State’s dark underbelly. Though the entire state of Texas is claimed by the CS, it mainly controls one small corner. That corner includes the pre-Rifts Lone Star Genetics Complex. The birthplace of the Psi-Hounds better known as Dog Boys. The rest of Texas is a wild badland claimed by bandits and D-Bees known as the Pecos Empire.

Dead Reign RPG

Dead Reign RPG – Back in print, and hot, hot, hot

Can you survive the zombie apocalypse?

Yes, you may think so. But there is only one way to find out for sure: Play the Dead Reign™ RPG. The core rule book is all you need to start playing. Rules are easy. Character creation is fast and fun. Combat, quick and deadly. Survival? Harder than you might think. Good luck.

Dead Reign™ RPG is the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse. Civilization is gone, the dead reign, and the living fight to survive against impossible odds. Battle zombies, mad men and death cultists in a post-apocalyptic world where the last of humanity struggles to survive. Think you know zombies? Think again.

Civilization Gone Dark Places Endless Dead

Dead Reign Sourcebooks

Civilization Gone™: Dead Reign™ Sourcebook One. There is no army, no government, no help coming. You are on your own and things are only getting worse. Villains include madmen and pychopaths, bandits and raiders. Many random tables for encounters, houses, and survivor camp creation, and more. $12.95 – 64 pages. Cat. No. 231.

Dark Places™: Dead Reign™ Sourcebook Two. Using railroad tracks and subways, sewer tunnels, steam tunnels and other dark places to travel undetected by zombies. Many tables for random encounters, boxcar contents, zombies and more. Survival tips, new zombies like the Bug Boy, Sewer Crawler and Impersonator. $12.95 – 64 pages. Cat. No. 232.

Endless Dead™: Dead Reign™ Sourcebook Three. Zombie hordes grow in number and strangeness. Where is the military? What’s next for the living survivors? Many new types of zombies, new O.C.C.s like the Wheelman and Zombie Hunter, the military and random tables for military bases, police and other places. Plus weaponizing vehicles, vehicle combat, Survivor caravans, and more. $16.95 – 96 pages. Cat. No. 233.

The Rifter #50

The Rifter® #50, Anniversary Special – back in print due to popular demand

You might think of The Rifter® #50 as a special “all-star” anniversary issue with official source material for Rifts®, Heroes Unlimited™, Nightbane® and many other Palladium RPG settings.

The Rifter® #50 includes:

Rifts Logo T-Shirt

BACK IN PRINT: Rifts® Logo T-Shirts in most sizes

We’ve been asked over and over again to re-issue the popular Rifts® Logo T-shirt in sizes other than XL. We heard your requests, and here you go. Order yours today.

● The full Rifts® logo as created by artist Kevin Long, printed in white on a black T-shirt.

● Sizes Small to 5XL.

● 100% cotton – our usual quality T-shirt.

● Prices vary according to size:
Small: $18.95
Medium: $18.95
Large: $18.95
X-Large: $18.95
2XL: $20.95
3XL: $22.95
4XL: $24.95
5XL: $26.95

● Cat. No. TS804

● And don’t forget other fun T-shirt designs like . . .

Upcoming Appearances

Anime North – May 24-26, 2013 – Toronto, Canada – www.animenorth.com

I am one of the guests at Anime North in Toronto, Canada. The event takes place Memorial Day weekend, May 24-26, 2013. Wayne Smith and one or two other Palladium creators will also be present to chat and sign autographs. We also hope to bring a pile of books, prints and other goodies to sell in the dealers’ room. www.animenorth.com

Gen Con® Indy – August 15-18, 2013 – Indianapolis, Indiana

We can hardly wait for Gen Con this year as we hope to have advance copies of Robotech® RPG Tactics™: Defense of Macross Island™ there. Not to mention a stock of new releases from throughout the year. We may even need to expand the size of our booth. Hope to see many of you there.

Game Masters, submit your events by tomorrow, March 15 to get into the Gen Con program book! See http://www.gencon.com/host/eo-gm for more details.

Note: There will be no Palladium Open House in 2013 or 2014.

© Copyright 2013 Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved.

Rifts®, The Rifter®, RECON®, Splicers®, Palladium Books®, The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, Phase World®, Nightbane®, Megaverse®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, Coalition Wars® and After the Bomb® are Registered Trademarks of Palladium Books Inc. Beyond the Supernatural™, Chaos Earth, Coalition States, Dead Reign, Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas & Superspies, Minion War, Mysteries of Magic, SAMAS, Thundercloud Galaxy, Three Galaxies, Vampire Kingdoms, and other published book titles, names, slogans and likenesses are trademarks of Palladium Books Inc., and Kevin Siembieda.

Robotech® and Robotech® The Shadow Chronicles® are Registered Trademarks of Harmony Gold USA, Inc.

This press release may be reprinted, reposted, linked and shared for the sole purpose of advertising, promotion and sales solicitation.