Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – December 29, 2023

One game system – every genre – countless worlds – endless adventure – Mega Bundles & More

By Kevin Siembieda and Sean Owen Roberson

Holy Moley, the New Year is only a few days away. This year has flown by for us, and our heads are deep into plans for 2024. We hope you enjoy another long weekend while we slave away doing inventory. Please party wisely, drive safely, and keep those imaginations burning bright into the New Year!

The BIG news is the Christmas Surprise Package offer is Extended till January 15, 2024. See details below and enjoy.

Much like with Christmas, I try to avoid a lot of promotion and sales hype in this Weekly Update, so we present a few key items and a whole bunch of fun, fan comments we’ve received via the Christmas Surprise Packages. Enjoy and Happy New Year!

Palladium’s Christmas Surprise Package Offer Extended till January 15, 2024

Is this a Christmas miracle? A mistake? Utter lunacy?

None of the above. (Well, maybe that last one.) It has become tradition that I extend the Christmas Surprise Package Offer through the end of December and into the New Year! Yes, this means you can still snag one or two if you act quickly. The sale now ends January 15, 2024, and will NOT be extended further. Oh, and you can ship via the less expensive method of Media Mail because you do not need it for a deadline.

A Surprise Package is a nice way to start the New Year, and is a great gift for birthdays, anniversaries, graduation, and any gift-giving occasion. Or start the New Year with a stack of RPGs or sourcebooks you have been meaning to try, or the titles you need to fill holes in your collection, or replace battered well-loved books.

We extend the Surprise Package offer for those of you who have been so busy spending your time and money on your family and friends, that you have not had the opportunity or funds to treat yourself to a well-deserved Christmas Surprise Package.

We also extend it for those of you who cannot get enough of Palladium’s games and want to start the New Year off with a setting or source material to launch a new campaign. It’s also for those of you who can use a Surprise Package as the perfect gift for a birthday, anniversary, or special occasion coming up in January or February. (Valentine’s Day?), so take advantage of this sale to gift the special gamer(s) in your life.

The extension is also for you Johnny Come-Latelies who were meaning to get one, but how time flies during the holidays. It’s also a way for those of you struggling through financial issues to carry some gaming fun into the New Year to stay busy and distracted through the winter months. So please, spread the word about the extended Surprise Package sale period, and travel the Megaverse® from the warmth and safety of your home.

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. It is 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. This all makes it the best deal in gaming – $100+ worth of books for $60 plus shipping – all books signed if you request autographs. Physical books and other product (art prints, miniatures, bookmarks, T-shirts, pens, notepads, mouse pads, mugs, and more) at PDF prices for ALL Palladium RPG settings. What a fun way to start the New Year and stock up for gaming all winter long.

No other game company in the world offers a deal like this! No one. The Surprise Package offer has been extended to January 15, 2023. It will not be extended further. Please spread the word and enjoy.

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.

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.

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.

Closing Thoughts - Happy New Year!

We appreciate the optimism and excitement you are sending our way for the New Year. We’re excited too. If all goes well, 2024 should be incredible and sprinkled with new releases – many of which you’ve been patiently waiting for. In addition to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Other Strangeness products (all continue to move forward), Yin-Sloth Expeditions, Rifts® Bestiary Volume 2, and Rifts® Antarctica are all at the top of our list. I will get into more of our plans for 2024 in the next Weekly Update. Right now we have our hands full with piles of Surprise Package orders pouring in before that special offer ends January 15, 2024, and year end business stuff, including inventory.

In fact, today has been a long day with many hours ahead of us, so I’m going to wish you a fun New Year’s weekend. Don’t party too hardy, be safe and stay positive about Palladium Books and life in general. Appreciate all you have and watch each other’s backs. Oh, and enjoy the Fan Comments below.

From all of us to all of you, thank you for your support and Happy New Year. May it be filled with good health, prosperity and joy all year long.

– 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.

S.P. in Eugene, Oregon, writes: Love these Surprise Packages and your guys’ work. Have been a great fan of yours for over 20 years. Please keep up the good work.

[We will, S.P., I promise. We have so many great ideas and surprises for new books coming, but first, many of the ones you’ve all been waiting for. Thank you for your two-plus decades of support. Happy New Year, may it be a great one for us all. – Kevin]

J.H. in Mankato, Minnesota, writes: For half of my life you have given me cues and a safe space to explore what my imagination could create. Thank you for it all.

[Wow, J.H., thank you for that incredible compliment. It has been our pleasure. Keep that imagination burning bright, my friend, because there are no limits to what you can imagine. Game on and happy New Year. – Kevin]

K.M. in Fort Wayne, Indiana, writes: From the Viking at Gen Con, nice talking to Kevin and Sean. You have too many books, lol.

[Nice talking with you K.M., and I must correct you, we don’t have too many books, we have too many books that you want, lol. Game on! – Kevin]

C.S. in Snohomish, Washington, writes: Currently game mastering a Chaos Earth® game and working on a custom Rifts/TMNT setting. I love you guys. I started playing Amber Diceless and TMNT & Other Strangeness in the Boy Scouts, when the games were released in the 1990s. You can play Amber in the woods while hiking on the trail. Haha.

[That sounds very fun, C.S. We agree that TMNT/After the Bomb RPG are perfect for creating D-Bees, mutants, and aliens for the Rifts® and Phase World® settings. Smart. Amber Diceless is another brilliant game from the mind of the late, great, Erick Wujcik; a true game design genius. – Kevin]

M.J. in Charleston, South Carolina, writes (in part): Bought my first Grab Bag a few weeks ago after the successful TMNT & Other Strangeness Kickstarter. (CONGRATS!) I had no idea what to expect. Not only did you exceed expectations, but I am now ordering another! Palladium Books were my first PnP experiences and I am happy to be able to introduce them to my own kids for some exciting adventures. Thank you all.

[We always try to exceed expectations, M.J., glad we succeeded with your experience. I hope you enjoy this second one just as much. I love hearing about gamers introducing RPG fun to a new generation. Game on! – Kevin]

R.S. in Groton, Connecticut, writes: Started back in high school playing Palladium Fantasy as my first role-playing game, been hooked ever since. During Covid I got my kid to start playing and it got us through some tough times. Even have given some books to my kid so he could start playing with his friends. Glad you are all still at it.

[We love hearing about a new generation of gamers discovering our RPG worlds, R.S., good work. Glad you all made it through the Covid tough times. Hang tough and game on! May this new year be a good one for us all. – Kevin]

G.L.C. in Post Falls, Idaho, writes: I’m a huge Rifts® nerd! We’re getting into After the Bomb® and TMNT from the Kickstarter. I’ve really enjoyed listening to the interviews you’ve done around the Kickstarter. Keep up the awesome work.

[Thank you, G.L.C., for the kind words and support. We’ve enjoyed doing the interviews and plan on doing many more in the New Year on many subjects. Happy holidays and may the New Year be good to you and yours. – Kevin]

T.W. in Milnor, North Dakota, writes: Hello again, Palladium Staff. I’m ordering [a Surprise Package] for the 5th year in a row. This year I’m just trying to gather some books my girlfriend would enjoy a lot; which considering we have many of the Rifts® books, would be Palladium Fantasy this time. Thank you for everything you do!

[Sounds like a plan, T.W., I think you’ll both enjoy the Palladium Fantasy setting. Happy New Year and game on! – Kevin]

K.O. in Framington, Oregon, writes: Favorites: Nightbane®, Rifts®, of course, and Dead Reign® is growing on me. The more I dig into Palladium Fantasy RPG, the more intrigued I get. [Palladium Books] is the best company in gaming, with the most love for their fans. You guys are amazing! Here’s to another 42 years of Palladium awesomeness!

[Gosh, K.O., you are very kind. Dead Reign® is a great introductory RPG for new players as well as having legs as a campaign game. That love for the fans goes both ways, as is clear from your note – which is what makes all of our fans part of our extended family. Rest assured we are working now to make sure the next 42 years of products continue to inspire and blow the minds of gamers worldwide. Game on! – Kevin]

A.L. in Silver Creek, Georgia, writes: A gift for my uncle who has been playing for 30 years.

[I love it, A.L., we hope your uncle enjoyed the gifts. – Kevin]

R.D. in Bryan, Texas, writes: It has been awesome to revisit the Rifts® world of my teenage years with my gaming group. We are having a blast with the setting so far.

[Sounds like good times, R.D. There’s nothing better than gaming with friends and revisiting favorite settings. Game on! – Kevin]

B.C. in Pahrump, Nevada, writes: Favorites: Rifts® and Dead Reign®. Keep making great games. Your concepts and artwork are top notch. Thanks again for all you guys do.

[You are very welcome, B.C., glad you enjoy them so much. – Kevin]

E.L. in North Arlington, New Jersey, writes (in part): I love your hardcover books best. My copy of After the Bomb® feels super-premium and it’s a hardcover with bonus content that really sells it for me. Thank you for keeping these gems alive ... and for bringing back TMNT and Other Strangeness. We have gladly kicked it and I can’t wait to get my hands on the redux books.

[You are not alone, E.L., many people love the hardcover editions. Thanks for backing the Kickstarter, you will love these books. Game on. – Kevin]

T.S. in Ann Arbor, Michigan, writes: I know nothing about Palladium’s games, but was dared to buy a Surprise Package by my stupid online friends. Send me the wildest things in your warehouse. Just send me something weird: Got dinosaurs? Or evil sexy cyborgs? Something with robots? I’m game for whatever. I like miniatures. Have fun with this one. Make me regret it.

[Hey T.S., we’re a little out of the loop because we don’t know the context of the dare by your online buddies, but I hope you enjoyed what we sent you. You see, Palladium’s games cover most genres and we have everything you listed. Yes, we have dinosaurs in Dinosaur Swamp, Adventures in Dinosaur Swamp, and Rifts® New West, among other titles. And though I didn’t send it, we also have evil, sexy cyborgs in Rifts® Mindwerks (the Angel of Death and Angel of Vengeance, but they ain’t no angels), because I thought you might prefer the big robots in Northern Gun One. That chainsaw wielding miniature is a Glitter Boy and a fan favorite. Palladium’s many games also offer vampires, demons, a vast array of mages and magic, Cosmo-Knights, Cyber-Knights, dragons, cyborgs, deities, zombies, superheroes, ninjas, mutant animals, and a whole lot more. We are here in Westland, Michigan if you ever want to drop by and see all we have to offer. Let us know who (you or your friends) regretted this dare and what you thought. – Kevin]

B.P. in Las Vegas, Nevada, writes: I know that The Disavowed is still on pre-order and may or may not be released, but I was hoping for some type of sneak peek of what’s going to be in it. I personally love the Vanguard and I am really excited about this book.

[Hey B.P., the Rifts® Disavowed and CS Arsenal sourcebooks are both very much on my mind and will come out at some point in the future (and the Vanguard will be part of Arsenal). However, it is our policy to no longer discuss the content of books in progress or their potential release date. I hope you understand. – Kevin]

F.B. in Prince George, B.C., Canada, writes (in part): I’d like to congratulate everyone on the success and delivery of Titan Robotics. It is a great product. And secondly, the resounding success of the TMNT and Other Strangeness Kickstarter. It was overwhelming to see the number of people speaking up about how the game had affected them and their introduction to the Turtles or RPGs. I’m very excited to add the special release to my collection. Given the amazing work done over the last year, it seems there is a new zeal in the company and the Fans can see it. Merry Christmas to all of you and wishing you a wonderful year to come.

[Thank you, F.B., for your kind words and optimism. It was beautiful to learn how much the TMNT RPG meant to so many people. We are pumped up about 2024 and Palladium’s future. There is indeed a new zeal and momentum at Palladium Books, and we’re glad you and others can see it. Thanks for being along for the ride. This is just the beginning. – Kevin]

W.W. in Fort Wright, Kentucky, writes (in part): Hi. I used to play all of your games back in the day, but sadly, haven’t played any table top games in a long time. I lost most of my RPG books back in a fire and never really picked back up any table top games. But when I saw your TMNT Kickstarter, I had to join! Just thinking about playing TMNT again brings back a lot of memories and I’m really excited to start rolling dice again. I remember that you guys also made a game called After the Bomb®, so please load me up on After the Bomb® books ... This is my first time doing a Christmas Surprise Package, so I’m excited to see what I get.

I missed out on being able to buy dice and the TMNT miniatures from the Kickstarter. Since I’m in the Kickstarter is there a way for me to buy them or will you be selling them ad hoc.

[Welcome back, W.W., I hope you enjoyed the Surprise Package and that the After the Bomb® and Palladium Fantasy RPG® holds you over until the TMNT Kickstarter items ship later in 2024. As a Kickstarter Backer, W.W., you can upgrade your pledge AND/or buy add-ons, like the dice and minis, during the Backerkit pledge management phase, so you can get all the Kickstarter items your heart desires. Moreover, some basic product, like the hardcover editions with the Williams/Majestic color covers, the Black, White, and Red edition hardcovers, Game Screen and Mutagen Green dice, will all be made available to the stores and customers AFTER the Kickstarter Backers’ products have shipped. – Kevin]

W.H. in Jacksonville, Alabama, writes: A buddy recently reminded me about the Palladium Megaverse® and I just want to say thank you all for what you do and for making our holidays and game that much more exciting and fun! God Bless each and every one of you!

[Aww, thank you so much, W.H. Happy New Year to you and yours. May it be a grand one for us all. – Kevin]

B.F. in Annadale, Virginia, writes: Keep up the fantastic work and have a wonderful new year.

[Thank you, B.F., you as well. – 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.

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