Palladium Books® Weekly Update – June 27, 2013

By Kevin Siembieda

I can’t believe it is Thursday already. We are so busy, time is just rocketing by. Yikes.

As I said in my Monday Murmur from the Megaverse®, I’m sorry I have not been more available with Murmurs and posts on Facebook. I will try to remedy that with more frequent appearances and comments. (Speaking of which, I need to answer my private messages.) But we are slammed with work as we try to belt out several major products.

Last Weekend of Palladium Fantasy® Month

Throughout the month of June, all in-stock Palladium Fantasy products have been marked down by 30% to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Palladium Fantasy RPG®, but it all ends Monday! This weekend is your last chance to get in on this great sale.

Making Strides

I have brought in long-time Robotech® enthusiast, Jack-of-All-Trades, and one-time Palladium employee, Jeff Burke to Palladium as a full-time employee. Jeff has already been a huge help. He had already been helping as a consultant on Robotech®, but he dove right into the deep end of the pool on Robotech® RPG Tactics. A typical day for Jeff these past few weeks is him drawing concept and correction art for sculptors and artists, discussions with me and Wayne, and talking with the gents at Harmony Gold and Ninja Division several times a day about all things Robotech® and RPG Tactics. When not on the phone, he’s at the computer pulling up Robotech® references for artists and sculptors, or actually rendering the details that need to be adjusted or addressing other issues. Jeff has also been running point on the Kickstarter communications with pledges, answering questions and disseminating information. Not to mention helping out wherever else he can.

This has helped to free me and Wayne Smith up to refocus our attention on getting Rifts® Northern Gun 1 & 2, and several other books finished and to the printer. I want you to know we are on it. Even the new guy is putting in 10-12 hour days and working weekends! I’m looking to bring Matthew Clements in on a much more regular schedule to help us get out the many books in the pipeline. Matthew is working on something right now, in fact.

We have all been on a “work till you drop” schedule and we’ve been dealing with a heck of a lot of stuff. I'm feeling fired up and energized today. Not sure why, I was pooped a few days ago. Rockin’ today.

Palladium is definitely on the move. While our time has been chewed up in unexpected ways in recent weeks, almost all of it has been dealing with wonderful opportunities. Things that will make the company stronger in the long run. After years of struggling since the Crisis of Treachery, it is fantastic to have so many things seeming to be going our way.

Like what, you ask? Several different advertising and marketing opportunities and making contact with several influential and cool people, to name a few. There have been a few other things, but it is too soon to talk about them.

A BIG gaming and marketing opportunity

A BIG gaming and marketing opportunity is the Detroit Fanfare (in Dearborn, Michigan, October 25-27, 2013). If we can get enough volunteer Game Masters (and gamers to attend), we can, a) have a huge presence at one of Michigan’s fastest growing comics and games conventions (they had 7,000+ people last year, expecting 9,000 in 2013), and b) may be able to turn Detroit Fanfare into a new, ANNUAL home for the Palladium Open House. You heard right. If we make a good showing running games and bringing in more gamers, we might be able to make the Palladium Open House part of Detroit Fanfare and hold it EVERY flippin’ year! And why not? The convention site is only 20 minutes from the Palladium office.

Game Masters, if YOU are interested in running Palladium gaming events at Detroit Fanfare (October 25-27, 2013) PLEASE contact the Megaversal Ambassadors or contact Palladium Books directly via telephone (734-721-2903), Private Message, email, etc. but please contact us. This could be the start of something big and fun for us all.

The rest of you, spread the word and start making plans to attend! Help us make this happen.

Here are just some of the Palladium highlights for Detroit Fanfare:

Harmony Gold’s Robotech® tour. Meet Steve Yun, enjoy Robotech® panels, and get autographs. I’ll probably even participate in a few.

Palladium Books will be there with many of our artists and writers. Meet the following Palladium creators:

● Games run by Palladium creators, including Kevin Siembieda (me), Julius Rosenstein, Carmen Bellaire, Chuck Walton and others. I’ll try to get Mark Dudley to run, too. Plus there will be many other Palladium gaming events, demos, and more.

● Palladium Booth in the dealers’ hall plus some surprises if we can swing it.

● If timing works out, Robotech® RPG Tactics™ may debut there.

● Many comic book guests.

● Dealers’ room.

● Artists’ alley and more!

Detroit Fanfare is estimating 8,000-9,000 people in attendance this October! And growing. It’s held at the Adoba Hotel (formerly the Hyatt Regency and only 20 minutes from the Palladium offices), in Dearborn, Michigan, October 25, 26 & 27, 2013. Join the fun.

Palladium Books needs Game Masters to run events! Like the Open House, volunteer G.M.s will get a discount on Palladium products. We’ll also see if we can get you into the convention for free if you run three or more games, but no promises. Let’s make this a fun Palladium event within an already fun convention.

Palladium is looking for a dozen or more Game Masters to run events and demos. Interested? Contact us. I’ll be running a few games. So will Julius Rosenstein, Carmen Bellaire, and Chuck Walton, but that’s just the start. Megaversal Ambassadors, we need your help to make this a reality. G.M.s, give the office a call or contact us via Private Message and such. Need to be lining up Game Masters willing and able to make a commitment by July 15. Let’s kick some . . . um, you know what! :)

UPDATE: Rifts® Ultimate Edition at printer for a new press run

We had to send the Rifts® Ultimate Edition hardcover in for a new printing. Fear not, we still have the last printing in stock and we’ve timed the reprint to arrive shortly after the current stock runs out. We shouldn’t be out of stock for more than a week or so, if at all. Same price. Same quality. 376 pages – $39.95 retail – Cat. No. 800HC – July release and everything you need to start your Rifts® campaign.

UPDATE: Robotech® The Macross Saga Sourcebook – 8½ x 11 size

We’ll soon be re-releasing the Robotech® The Macross Saga™ Sourcebook as an 8½ x 11 sourcebook. We thought about adding some additional material, but we don’t want those of you who bought the manga-size edition to feel like you need to buy a copy. So we’ll probably come out with another Macross era sourcebook in the near future as well as the Zentraedi Sourcebook I know I mentioned someplace. $16.95 retail – Cat. No. 551, and probably 96-128 pages. Available by August.

UPDATE: The Rifter® #63 – July release

We’re working on it right now! Another fine issue is shaping up with a bunch o’ Palladium Fantasy RPG® material, some Beyond the Supernatural™ goodness, a Rifts® short story and more.

UPDATE: Rifts® Northern Gun One

Chuck Walton is in the office working on art as I write this. I've spent the entire day (and half a day yesterday) working on Rifts® Northern Gun™ One. From this point forward, it is my top priority! I want Rifts® Northern Gun™ One finished and to the printer pronto.

UPDATE: Northern Gun Two

I dive directly into Rifts® Northern Gun™ Two next. Been orchestrating artwork for it and other touches. After that, we hope to release one rockin’ book after another.

Please don’t think you are forgotten for a second. Far from it. Our customers and getting new books out are just about all I can think about right now. It is so frustrating to have had books so delayed, especially when we know how incredible they are. Keep the faith, they are coming soon. I expect to be able to devote 90% of my creative time to working on the two Rifts® Northern Gun™ titles and other books in the weeks leading up to Gen Con.

UPDATE: Robotech® RPG Tactics

Whew, almost done. Wayne Smith and Jeff Burke have been working like madmen on it all week. So have the Ninja Division guys. We’re very close to having Robotech® RPG Tactics™ ready to be sent to manufacturing.

As I said in my Murmur, the Kickstarter was a big success and we are thrilled about it. But our work didn’t end with getting all those pledges. Now we need to deliver on the product, and that’s a lot of work. That has meant an endless stream of emails, telephone calls, notes and discussion within Palladium Books and with the gents at Ninja Division and Harmony Gold to get everything done. And done right. Let me tell you – wow – the sculpts are amazing. Wayne is wrapping up the final changes and editing for the rule book tonight and tomorrow. 99% of the artwork is finished and approved. The game book, packaging and all the many other design elements for the boxed game and expansion kits go into final layout next week.

UPDATE: Kickstarter Pledge Manager

We hope to get the Kickstarter survey into your hands soon. Our freelance dynamo, Rex Barkdoll, is busy setting up the Kickstarter Pledge Manager where those of you who participated in the Kickstarter can finalize everything you want. Jeff Burke has been reaching out to those of you with questions. If you fear you have been skipped or your pledge didn’t go through, please contact us at 734-721-2903 or send us a message through Kickstarter. We don’t want anyone who tried to be part of the Kickstarter to get left behind. We greatly appreciate the tremendous support you’ve all given us and want everyone to be satisfied. If you got left out and want in, contact the Palladium offices (734-721-2903 order line).

DriveThruRPG.com – FREE Rifter® #62 Sneak Preview is available now; your place for PDFs of more than 90 Palladium titles

The FREE Sneak Preview of The Rifter® #62 is available now (includes the missing Experience Tables for Rifts® Black Market and Vampire Kingdoms™), as well as Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook and an early one for Rifts® Northern Gun One (with a newer one coming in a few weeks), on DriveThruRPG.com for your enjoyment. There are also previews available for Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms™ (Revised Edition), Rifts® Black Market, Rifts® Lemuria, Dead Reign™ RPG, Endless Dead™ sourcebook and others. The original Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms World Book is also available as a PDF on DriveThruRPG, for those of you who may be interested.

More than 90 other Palladium titles can be found on DriveThruRPG.com as PDFs, including Splicers®, Rifts® RPG (the edition before RUE), The Rifter® #1-52, and first edition rule books and sourcebooks for Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Heroes Unlimited™, The Mechanoid Invasion® Trilogy, Beyond the Supernatural™ and lots of other good titles. 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).

Gen Con® Indy – Palladium Booth #1025 – August 14-18, 2013

We are pumped about Gen Con this year. If you are attending, make sure you swing by Booth #1025 to get the latest releases and books you’ve missed, purchase art prints and original art, demo Robotech® RPG Tactics™, chat and get autographs. Oh, and you’ll be able to see many of the final sculpts for Robotech® RPG Tactics™ on display for the first time anywhere.

Gen Con will be a star-studded event for Palladium fans with the following Palladium creators present at Booth #1025:

Palladium is about to explode back on the scene with game products that will thrill and beguile your imaginations. Join the fun and game on.

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Writer and Game Designer

The Rifter #62

The Rifter® #62 – Available now

The Rifter® #62 is truly special, with page after page of “official” source material and one great idea after another. Do not miss out on this issue.

Each and 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.

The Rifter® Number 62 includes:

The Rifter #63

The Rifter® #63 – Ships July

Each and 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.

Rifts Northern Gun One

Rifts® World Book 33: Northern Gun One – ships July

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

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.

Palladium Fantasy Sale

Palladium Fantasy RPG® Anniversary Sale – 30% price reduction

Love Game of Thrones? Use Palladium Fantasy® to create your own epic fantasy adventures in the frozen north dominated by the Wolfen. Explore the decadent wonders of the Western Empire. Help build and defend the burgeoning kingdoms of the Eastern Territory, or explore the monster-filled lands of the Baalgor Wastelands. Or perhaps fight pirates or explore the Floenry Island chain or the foreboding Mount Nimro region, land of giants. And those are just a few of the places that await you.

Have you wondered what the Palladium Fantasy RPG® is like? Now’s the perfect time to give it a try and find out. Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, 2nd Edition, is a world steeped in tens of thousands of years of history, magic and dark, dark secrets. At the moment, it is humans who dominate the land, as the times of Titans, Dwarves, Elves and others are long past. Still, the future of humanity is uncertain, as the Wolfen and the other canine races in the north challenge their dominance, and monsters gather in the fabled lands of the Old Kingdom.

Non-human races provide a host of unusual beings as player characters, including Changelings (who can assume the shape and appearance of any humanoid), Wolfen, Trolls, Ogres, Goblins, Kobolds, Gnomes, Elves, Dwarves, humans, and dozens of “optional” creatures found in both the Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Monsters & Animals and other titles.

Do you already love Palladium Fantasy® like we do, and have you been thinking about getting more sourcebooks for it? This is the time to expand your collection.

Fantasy Sale! Palladium Fantasy turns 30 years old this month, and to celebrate, we have reduced the price of every title in the game line by 30%. So give it a try or expand your collection. It will also give you a leg up for when Palladium Books releases several new and expanded Fantasy titles next year. We have exciting plans for Palladium Fantasy.

Robotech RPG Tactics

Robotech® RPG Tactics – Coming Fall 2013

If you’re a Robotech® fan, this is the game you’ve wanted for decades, with beautifully sculpted, in scale, game pieces and the fast action of Robotech®.

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

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 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.