Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – December 14, 2023

Update Opening Graphic

One game system – every genre – countless worlds – endless adventure

By Kevin Siembieda and Sean Owen Roberson

Happy Holidays! With Christmas and Kwanzaa just around the corner, the focus of this Update is shipping in time for Christmas, final days of the Stocking Stuffer Sale, and the Christmas Surprise Package Offer. Get ‘em while you can! Time is running out.

Shipping for Christmas Delivery – 6 Shipping Days to Christmas

You must place orders by Sunday night – December 17 – for delivery by Christmas via UPS Ground. Whether you are buying a Surprise Package or a regular order, if you need it in time for Christmas, please order as soon as possible. UPS is the most reliable. Priority Mail is next. We are not Amazon and cannot ship on the weekend. [Truth. – Sean]

Christmas SHIPPING Details: These recommendations come from the shipping companies themselves.

- United States Postal Service: Media Mail – Will not arrive in time for Christmas. At this point you are NOT likely to receive any package shipped via Media Mail in time for Christmas. In fact, you might not get it until after the first of the year. Please do not select Media Mail if you need the package in time for Christmas. Thank you. Reminder: YOU assume ALL risk when you ship via Media Mail and an order that goes missing or is damaged in transit will NOT be replaced by Palladium Books.

- United States Postal Service (in USA): Priority Mail – We need that order placed today or tonight, December 14, to ship on December 15 to guarantee delivery in time for Christmas. Orders placed over the weekend and shipped on Monday, December 18, may arrive in time for Christmas but we cannot guarantee it.

- UPS Ground (anywhere in the contiguous USA) – Orders PLACED by Sunday night, December 17, and shipped on Monday, December 18, should arrive before Christmas with near certainty. Last year, UPS was astonishing in its speed and accuracy of shipping. Note: Most UPS Ground packages arrive anywhere in the contiguous USA within 3-5 business days. Destinations east of the Mississippi River should arrive in 2 or 3 days!

Expedited Shipping:

  • UPS 3-Day Select – December 19.
  • UPS 2nd Day Air – December 20.
  • UPS Next Day Air (to arrive December 23) – December 21, remember, we need time to process and pack your order!

- Any orders placed after these dates may arrive in time for Christmas but we cannot guarantee it AND you should assume they will NOT arrive in time for Christmas. Please spread the word and place those orders as soon as you can. Ho, ho, ho and happy holidays.

- 2023 Shipping Note: As always, at Palladium we will be working overtime and do everything we can to process orders as fast as possible to get them to you for the holidays. However, after the package leaves the Palladium warehouse, delivery is out of our hands. As we get closer to Christmas, UPS Ground and Priority Mail will be your most reliable and timely methods of shipping. Thank you for your understanding.

- To our friends in Canada and overseas – December 6 was the last day to ship with anything like a guarantee that the package will arrive by Christmas. At this point in time, we cannot guarantee delivery in time for Christmas. Especially if there are delays at Customs, work strikes, bad weather, etc., it might miss. Order sooner rather than later. Note: Right now, we are finding overseas orders are taking 18-34 days to arrive, sometimes longer! Cost Saver: A Surprise Package mitigates overseas shipping costs – take advantage of this while you can. It is, in effect, the equivalent of getting the books you want at retail, plus autographs, and paying the equivalent of only $10-$30 for overseas shipping! MANY overseas customers take advantage of the Surprise Packages for this reason! And it is likely the ONLY way for you to get autographs. Give it a try, we don’t think you will be disappointed.

Palladium Christmas Surprise Package

Stocking Stuffer Sale

FINAL DAYS – Palladium Books – Stocking Stuffer Sale – Most items 30-50% off – sale ends Monday, December 18

The name of the sale says it all. Enjoy and happy holidays.

Rifts® 25mm Metal Miniatures – 50% off

Rifts® Heroic 28mm Resin Miniatures – Sale

FINAL Weekend to order and ship Christmas Surprise Package via UPS Ground in time for Christmas – offer ENDS December 24

The best deal in gaming – $100+ worth of goodies (often more) for $60 (plus shipping). Books are signed if you want them to be. It is just 10 shipping days till Christmas and Kwanzaa! The Surprise Package Offer ends December 24, 2023. Don’t miss out!

A great gift for any holiday, birthdays, anniversaries, or a nice treat for yourself (you deserve it), or a way to try new settings, and fill your collection. After these past four crazy years, you deserve to do something nice for yourself and your gaming pals. The Surprise Package Offer gets you physical game books at PDF prices, and we will sign them if you would like us to.

What is a Christmas Surprise Package? A smile and a hug that comes in a box filled with signed game books from available Palladium staff and freelancers. And God knows this year continues to be so crazy, we need something fun like the Christmas Surprise Package to bring a little joy and laughter into our lives. With so many people suffering from the fallout of the pandemic and related doldrums, frustration, and in some cases, money issues, they need to escape to realms of role-playing adventures. Not to mention the huge savings and autographs available via a Palladium Christmas Surprise Package.

A Surprise Package is your way to get physical books (and autographs if you want them) for PDF prices! $100+ worth of Palladium products for only $60 (plus shipping)! That can nab you four or more items when these days one core rule book can cost you that alone.

These Surprise Packages are our way of saying thank you for your support and showing you our love and appreciation. It’s a surprise because you never know exactly what you’re going to get or who will sign your books, because we pick from your Wish List and may surprise you with stuff you are not expecting. Extra items may include other RPGs, sourcebooks, issues of the Rifter®, novels, miniatures, prints, art books, greeting cards, T-shirts, negatives, and other items. Some books may be slightly damaged (scuffs, scratches, dings, a crunched corner, etc.) so we can send you more.

You get a ton of stuff on the cheap, you can get a bunch of autographs (if you want ‘em), and you look like you spent a fortune. This is also a great way to try that game setting you’ve wondered about – Splicers®, Dead Reign®, Chaos Earth®, Palladium Fantasy®, Nightbane®, Systems Failure, Mechanoid Invasion®, Rifts®, After the Bomb®, etc. – or to get something for your favorite Game Master. Or perhaps, to get your player group to consider a new game or setting.

Palladium Christmas Surprise Package

Rifts Automated Character Sheet on PalladiumBooks.com

NEW on DriveThruRPG.com – Newly UPDATED Rifts® Automated Character Sheet AND Creature Feature™ sourcebook for Beyond the Supernatural™ are now available

UPDATED Rifts® Automated Character Sheet now available. Three updates, in fact. This EXCEL template provides automation to your Rifts® character creation process. Done in Microsoft Excel, this character template will allow you to build your character with substantial ease and speed. Ideal for the new gamer who doesn’t know all of the Palladium Books® rules just yet, it’s also a highly effective tool for Game Masters and advanced players alike who make multiple characters, NPCs, or just like to min/max or theory craft characters between games. Note: If you already purchased this item, you can download the updated version for free. Enjoy.

Rifts Automated Character Sheet at PalladiumBooks.com Rifts Automated Interactive Character Sheet at DriveThruRPG

NEW! Creature Feature™ PDF book on DriveThruRPG.com – due to popular request, this epic Beyond the Supernatural(BTS) sourcebook is now available on DriveThru for your digital enjoyment.

Creature Feature is for players and Game Masters alike and a fun read for anyone.

  • 15 detailed and expansive supernatural horrors unlike any you see in most other horror games.
  • Creature encounter tables.
  • Tips on making (and playing) better creatures.
  • Rules clarifications (lots of them).
  • Player and G.M. tips.
  • BTS world information.
  • One full adventure and numerous adventure hooks.
  • Dynamic art by Steven Cummings, Phil Stone, and Siembieda.

Also available on DriveThru: The 1st and 2nd Edition Beyond the Supernatural RPG, and Boxed Nightmares sourcebook; not to mention Dead Reign® (zombies) and Nightbane® (Urban Fantasy/superhero horror). All these books, including BTS 2nd Edition (softcover and hardcover), BTS RPG 1st Edition hardcover, and the Boxed Nightmares™ (1st edition rules) are available as physical books from PalladiumBooks.com offering a Megaverse® of adventure.

NEW! FREE Nightbane® RPG digital Sneak Preview on DriveThruRPG.com – Have you been wondering what the buzz is all about for Nightbane® and Urban Fantasy? Well, now you can see for yourself with this fun Preview of the core rule book. There are also free Sneak Previews of Creature Feature™, Dead Reign®, BTS, and numerous Rifts® books and other titles, including Rifts® Manhunters™, Titan Robotics™, Northern Gun™ One and Two, Lemuria, and more.

Palladium PDFs at DriveThruRPG.com

300+ RPG titles from Palladium Books

No other game company offers game worlds for so many different genres. Best of all, learn to play one Palladium RPG and you can play them all, because each uses the same basic core rules and combat. There are differences, but the fundamentals are the same. This also means you can bring characters, villains, monsters, powers, magic, weapons, gear, and adventure ideas from one setting into another or mash them together!

  • Rifts® titles. Rifts® is the ultimate setting in which you can combine any number of genres and play any style of gaming you may desire: science fiction, fantasy, supernatural horror, heroic adventure, dimensional travel, modern knights, cyborgs, giant robots, dinosaur taming, sleuthing, magic, monsters, heroes and legends. Or combine them all. There has never been a game quite like Rifts®.
  • Rifts® Chaos Earth® titles. Live through the Great Cataclysm and the Coming of the Rifts. Rifts® Chaos Earth® RPG, Creatures of Chaos™, Rise of Magic™, and Chaos Earth® Resurrection™ are all available.
  • The Rifter® #1-85. Each issue is a wealth of source material for Rifts® and 3-5 other Palladium game settings. More than 8,600 pages of source material and counting. Most issues are only available in digital form.
  • Palladium Fantasy RPG® titles. A rich, original setting in which you can play humans or any number of nonhuman species of people in a world of magic, heroes and wonder. All of it epic.
  • Dead Reign® RPG and sourcebooks. The Zombie Apocalypse unleashed. A great introductory RPG that is surprisingly uplifting, fun, fast, and easy to learn.
  • Heroes Unlimited™ RPG Second Edition titles. Create any type of superhuman you can imagine to build your own super-hero universe.
  • After the Bomb® RPG and sourcebooks. Play anthropomorphic, intelligent, mutant animals as crime-fighting mutants and super-heroes or survivors of a crumbling post-apocalyptic Earth.
  • Ninjas & Superspies™ RPG and the Mystic China™ sourcebook. 41 types of martial arts, ninjas, super-spies, gizmos, mystic powers, and magic in the main book, plus even more in Mystic China.
  • Nightbane® RPG and sourcebooks – Urban Fantasy. Only you know the truth. Only you can see the Nightlords and their demonic minions, and you have the power to stop them. But you must transform into a monster yourself in order to use your powers. Trust no one.
  • Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG and sourcebooks. Modern horror; 14 character classes, 42 occupations for “ordinary people,” 100+ psychic abilities, 16 monsters, and more.
  • 300+ Palladium titles in all, plus G.M. kits, paper miniatures and more. Palladium Books has settings for every genre: Fantasy RPG, science fiction (Rifts®, Splicers®, and The Mechanoids®), super-heroes (Heroes Unlimited and After the Bomb), superhero horror (Nightbane®), modern horror (Beyond the Supernatural), zombies (Dead Reign®), The Rifter® sourcebook series, novels, paper minis, and more.

Palladium PDFs at DriveThruRPG.com

Closing Thoughts - Stay Frosty for the Holidays

I know times are tough for some, and there is war and political discord, and rampant fear and negativity, especially in the media, but please stay positive. My experience is that we human beings can be pretty awesome, and I know a lot of people.

Please never forget that we all share more in common than we have differences. This time of year we care about gathering and exchanging gifts with friends and family, and that can be a beautiful thing. I know, I see it with the many Christmas Surprise Packages that are clearly designated as gifts for others. Reminder, if you put your Surprise Package Wish List together just right, you can get an RPG book or two for two or more friends/players or G.M. on the cheap or for your future games that bring everyone joy and laughter.

Holiday gifts don’t have to cost you money, just some of your time running an extra game, calling/texting/messaging friends and family members, or making them a drawing or sending out a greeting card (physical or email). It all means more to that person than you might realize. It makes the recipients smile and feel appreciated and loved. And don’t we all like that? Of course we do. So please make the time to make someone’s holiday (many someones’) a bit more special and joyful. I know I love it. Heck, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t.

Happy holidays from us to you.

– Kevin Siembieda, Game Designer, Friend and Surrogate Santa

Surprise Package comments from fans like you

Every year there is a section where our Surprise Package customers can offer comments and suggestions with their order. We do that because we want to know what you think, and what you want, and we appreciate your suggestions and insights. In fact, the idea to do hardcover editions of core books came from fan comments in the Grab Bags.

Every year, in acknowledgment of our fans, and because they are fun to read, we offer a sampling of these comments in the Weekly Updates. Our heartfelt thanks to all of you who have stuck with Palladium through thick and thin and now these new strange times. Please use our games to find escape from your day-to-day grind and worries. Use them to bring a little joy, laughter, and adventure to the holiday season.

I want you to know that your comments and support mean the world to all of us. Everyone at Palladium enjoys reading your brief comments, especially me and Sean, and they always brighten our day. Thank you for making us smile and feel valued. As always, I have tried to write a short response [in brackets] to each comment. Happy holidays.

Palladium Christmas Surprise Package

N.G. in Hertford, North Carolina, writes: Love these Surprise Packages and the autographs. Happy Holidays.

[Ditto, N.G., happy holidays. – Kevin]

D.F., in Acworth, Georgia, writes: Thanks for doing this every year. It’s an amazing way to round out my library of Palladium Books, get presents, and convince my friends and family to give Rifts® a try. I’ll definitely be buying mor Christmas packs as my paychecks hit.

[You are very welcome, D.F., keep those Surprise Package orders coming and enjoy. – Kevin]

V.C. in Westlake, Ohio, writes: This is my first time purchasing a Palladium Christmas Surprise Package.

[Welcome V.C., we made your first Surprise Package extra special, so it will not be your last. Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas. – Kevin]

N.A. in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, writes: Palladium’s games (Fantasy) have been a part of my life since the late 80s. I took a break for a while but now that my kids are getting older we started playing and they took to it very quickly. My son loves to play a Minotaur Gladiator and my daughter plays an Elf Palladin with gusto. I love that this has become a part of my life again, and that I get to share it with them. Great family times! Thank you all of you for all you do.

[N.A., great family times, indeed. That’s awesome and sounds like great fun. I hope the Surprise Package helps to provide many new adventures! Happy holidays. – Kevin]

T.L. in Fort Worth, Texas, writes: Thanks so much for all the fun you folks provide.

[It’s our pleasure, T.L., game on. – Kevin]

J.S. in Burlington, North Carolina, writes (in part): ... TMNT and Other Strangeness, then Heroes Unlimited and further on, the whole Megaverse became one of my fixations ... I cannot truly relate how much the game system has helped me throughout my life ... I barely missed the TMNT Kickstarter event. Is there still a way to get these books?

[Yes! J.S., the two full color editions of TMNT & Other Strangeness and Transdimensional Adventures and the Black, White & Red editions – both gorgeous – will be available for sale from Palladium Books and retailers AFTER the Kickstarter is shipped and fulfilled. We expect that to be September 2024. Moreover, when the BackerKit Pledge Manager opens up to Backers in January, those of you who missed the Kickstarter will be able to pre-order those books and a few other select items that weren’t Kickstarter Exclusives. Thank you, J.S., for your heartfelt story. Stay strong and keep that beautiful imagination burning bright. – Kevin]

D.T. in San Antonio, Texas, writes (in part): I’m happy to be able to get new stuff. I honestly own 99% of everything you have ever published ... Thank you for being able to continue to offer an amazing Christmas deal for us. I know you don’t have to do it, but still you do. Hope you all have an amazing holiday season, you bring life to our imaginations.

[Wow, what an impressive collection you have, D.T., and thank you for your kind words. Sean says I’m crazy doing the Christmas Surprise Packages every year, because they are so much work, and yet he is right there signing books and making suggestions on ways to make certain packages special. We do the offer because we know so many of you love them and we love you, plus we are thrilled to make Christmas special for as many gamers around the world as possible! Merry Christmas to you all. – Kevin] {The packages are a ton of work, but you are worth it! – Sean}

B.W. in Chandler, Arizona, writes (in part): First, thanks for doing this (the Christmas Surprise Package). It’s awesome to know that you’ve been offering it for 25 years. I made the mistake of getting rid of most of my Palladium collection years ago, but because of Legion of Myth on YouTube and the interviews you have done, I’ve been putting my collection back together physically and digitally!

[Welcome back to the Palladium Megaverse, B.W. The Surprise Package offer is a great way to catch up on missing titles on the cheap, try new settings, and get autographs too. Enjoy and game on. – Kevin]

D.N. in Northwood, North Dakota, writes (in part): ... Been with Palladium a long time, through its ups and downs, I’m glad to see it seems to be on a good upswing at the moment. Congrats on the Kickstarter. Can’t wait to get the books! All I ask is that Bestiary 2 is finished soon ... Have a Merry Christmas to you all. A great New Year!

[Hi D.N., we appreciate your support through thick and thin. The TMNT & Other Strangeness Kickstarter was amazing, and so are the final products. We can’t wait to see them either! Rifts® Bestiary 2 is heavily on our minds and coming in 2024. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours as well. – Kevin] {2024 is the year of beasts & mutant animals. Thanks for your support. – Sean}

M.S. in Sandviken, Gavleborg, Sweden, writes: I’m still using my Coalition coffee mug daily! Very happy for it. Also got like 20ish books from the Titan Robotics Kickstarter, so I’m in a good place now with a lot of reading.

[Happy to hear it, M.S., there’s another handful of books in your Surprise Package. Enjoy and Game on. – Kevin] {Hey M.S., I’m glad you were able to take advantage of the low price overseas shipping available via the Kickstarter. Smart move. – Sean}

T.F. in Ocala, Florida, writes: I appreciate the Surprise Package offer. This is the best game system and it has taken some time for me to realize that we, as players and G.M.s, have to disconnect our thoughts from the setting to make it our own.

[T.F., thanks for the high praise. And yes, the material in the RPGs and sourcebooks should be the launch point from which you build you own worlds and adventures! Glad you figured that out and are having fun taking your games to new heights. Enjoy and keep your imagination burning bright. – Kevin]

J.T. in Athens, Alabama, writes: Keep up the amazing work building fantastic worlds and I’ll keep rebuilding my collection.

[It’s a deal, J.T. – Kevin]

V.F. in Denton, Texas, writes: I have a lot of your books and would really love a giant stack of The Rifters.

[You’ve got it, V.F., enjoy. – Kevin]

J.B. in Los Alamos, New Mexico, writes: Really enjoyed previous Surprise Packages. I am usually the Game Master, but my son plays and is learning to GM.

[Very cool, J.B., both of you keep those imaginations burning and game on. – Kevin]

M.M.C. in Cross Plains, Tennessee, writes (in part): Beyond the Supernatural, 2nd edition has been a ton of fun, I got my start with Rifts® and Nightbane®, so I always have a soft spot for them... Keep on creating your imaginative and inventive worlds.

[Will do, M.M.C., we have an endless array of them boiling in our minds and a ton of sourcebooks for existing settings. – Kevin]

© 2023 Palladium Books Inc. All Rights Reserved. Palladium Books®, Rifts®, The Rifter®, RECON®, Dead Reign®, Chaos Earth®, The Mechanoids®, Megaverse®, Nightbane®, Powers Unlimited®, Splicers®, Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas & Superspies, After the Bomb®, and all related titles, names and slogans are trademarks of Palladium Books.

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Rifts®, The Rifter®, RECON®, Splicers®, Powers Unlimited®, Palladium Books®, The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, Phase World®, Nightbane®, Megaverse®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, Coalition Wars®, Chaos Earth®, Dead Reign®, and After the Bomb® are Registered Trademarks of Palladium Books Inc. RPG Tactics™, Beyond the Supernatural, Coalition States, 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.

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