Palladium Weekly Update – September 27, 2024

ONE GAME SYSTEM – EVERY GENRE – COUNTLESS WORLDS – ENDLESS ADVENTURE

There is a lot to talk about in this update so please let other Palladium fans know they should check it out. I’m gonna dive right into it.

Palladium’s Big Scary Horror Sale – 20-70% savings while supplies last

Palladium Books is a master of horror with several horror game lines – Beyond the Supernatural modern horror, Dead Reign the Zombie Apocalypse with several fun twists and unique zombies, Nightbane RPG Urban Fantasy (you must become a monster to fight the monsters in this truly dark game), but many of our games have elements of horror and the supernatural, so we are also including select sourcebooks for other game settings. All at steep discounts. Most are 30-50% off, a few at a 70% discount, and a few at 20% off. These steep discounts mean this sale is very limited. Perfect for bringing a touch of horror and suspense into your games. I have tried to make this sale fun by offering a number of nonbook horror products in the mix. Get your fright on and enjoy.

• Rifts® Xiticix Miniature Pack – Cat. No. MI8002 – $9.00 – 50% discount

• Rifts® Simvan & Ostrosaurus Miniature Pack – Cat. No. MI8007 – $9.00 – 50% discount

• Rifts® Coalition Skelebots #1 Miniature Pack (fear the Coalition) – Cat. No. MI8008 – $9.00 – 50% discount

• PRINT: Death and Ice (Bizantium cover) – Size: 8 ½ x 11 inches – Cat. No. PR812 – artist: Charles Walton – $5.00 – 50% discount

• PRINT: Glitter Boy vs Zombies (Chaos Earth Resurrection cover) – Size: 8 ½ x 11 inches – Cat. No. PR814 – artist Charles Walton – $5.00 – 50% discount

• PRINT: The Mechanoids® (Rifts Sourcebook 2 cover) – Size: 8 ½ x 11 inches – Cat. No. PR837 – artist Kevin Long – $5.00 – 50% discount

• PRINT: Rifts® Nuclear Glitter Boy with Rifts Flag Poster – Size: 11 x 17 inches – Cat. No. PR844 – artist Freddie E. Williams II and Mike Majestic – $7.50 – 50% discount

• PRINT: Rifts® Coalition Strike Force (Dead Boys & Skelebots) – Size: 17 x 11 inches (horizontal) – Cat. No. PR819 – artist Kevin Long – $7.50 – 50% discount

• PRINT: Dead Reign® Endless Dead (Palladium staff and freelancers as zombies - signed by staff; historical and fun) – Size: 17 x 11 inches (horizontal) – Cat. No. PR809-17 – artist Michael Mumah – $5.00 – 50% discount – one of Kevin’s personal favorites.

• Dead Reign® Mouse Pad (zombie rising from the grave) – Cat. No. 2568 – $4.98 – 50% discount

• Fantasy Old Ones Mouse Pad (Minatour and Old One) – Cat. No. 2567 – $4.98 – 50% discount

• Systems Failure RPG (because alien invasion is scary) – Cat. No. 650 – $12.50 – 50% discount

• Beyond the Supernatural 1st Edition RPG Red Foil Hardcover – Cat. No. 699HC – $38.50 – 30% discount

• Beyond the Supernatural 2nd Edition RPG Softcover – Cat. No. 700 – $20.29 – 30% discount

• Boxed Nightmares BTS adventure sourcebook (fun) – Cat. No. 701 – $14.69 – 30% discount

• Creature Feature BTS sourcebook (monsters & adventures) – Cat. No. 704 – $18.89 – 30% discount

• Dead Reign® RPG Hardcover – Cat. No. 230HC – $25.89 – 30% discount

• Dead Reign® RPG Softcover – Cat. No. 230 – $18.89 – 30% discount

• Dead Reign® Civilization Gone sourcebook – Cat. No. 231 – $11.89 – 30% discount

• Dead Reign® Dark Places sourcebook – Cat. No. 232 – $11.89 – 30% discount

• Dead Reign® Endless Dead sourcebook – Cat. No. 233 – $10.50 – 50% discount

• Dead Reign® Fear the Reaper sourcebook – Cat. No. 234 – $4.20 – 70% discount

• Dead Reign® Graveyard Earth sourcebook – Cat. No. 235 – $5.10 – 70% discount

• Future Visions the Art of Chuck Walton – Cat. No. 2562 – $4.19 – 70% discount

• Nightbane® RPG Hardcover – Cat. No. 730HC – $27.99 – 30% discount

• Nightbane® Between the Shadows Sourcebook – Cat. No. 731 – $19.99 – 20% discount.

• Nightbane® Nightlands Sourcebook – Cat. No. 732 – $17.49 – 30% discount.

• Nightbane® Through the Glass Darkly Sourcebook (horrific magic) – Cat. No. 733 – $17.49 – 30% discount.

• Nightbane® Survival Guide Sourcebook – Cat. No. 735 – $17.49 – 30% discount.

• Palladium Fantasy RPG® 1st Ed. “Bonus” Red Foil Hardcover – Cat. No. 449HC – $44.00 – 20% discount

• Land of the Damned 1: Chaos Lands (Fantasy) – Cat. No. 468 – $13.50 – 50% discount

• Land of the Damned 2: Eternal Torment (Fantasy) – Cat. No. 469 – $13.50 – 50% discount

• Rifts® Chaos Earth® Hardcover – Cat. No. 660HC – $25.89 – 30% discount

• Rifts® Chaos Earth® Resurrection – Cat. No. 666 – $17.49 – 30% discount

• Rifts® Ultimate Edition Hardcover – Cat. No. 800HC – $37.59 – 20% discount

• Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms World Book – Cat. No. 802-E – $18.89 – 30% discount

• Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook – Cat. No. 884 – $18.89 – 30% discount

• Rifts® Arzno World Book – Cat. No. 868 – $17.49 – 30% discount

• Rifts® Dark Conversions – Cat. No. 852 – $18.89 – 30% discount

• Rifts® South America One – Cat. No. 814 – $12.50 – 50% discount

• Rifts® Atlantis World Book – Cat. No. 804 – $17.49 – 30% discount

• Rifts® Splynn Dimensional Market – Cat. No. 836 – $18.89 – 30% discount

• Rifts® Shadows of Evil – Cat. No. 843 – $10.50 – 50% discount

• Rifts® Tolkeen Final Siege – Cat. No. 844 – $13.50 – 50% discount

• Rifts® Bestiary Volume One – Cat. No. 896 – $20.29 – 30% discount

• Rifts® Titan Robotics (Archie and more) – Cat. No. 899 – $13.50 – 50% discount

• Rifts® Wormwood Dimension Book – Cat. No. 809 – $17.49 – 30% discount

• The Rifter® #85 Annual – Cat. No. 185 – $18.89 – 30% discount

What’s hot at Palladium this week – all things Rifts® plus with Halloween around the corner we’re seeing interest in Dead Reign®, BTS, and Nightbane® books, which is why we are offering the Big Scary Horror Sale to make your Halloween joyfully terrifying. But don’t be afraid to delve into the darkness for fun and escape.

COMING SOON – Kevin Siembieda and Sean Owen Roberson live chat on the Legion of Myth – Sunday, October 6. We’ll be talking about running games in wilderness settings from Rifts to Palladium Fantasy. A fun time for all. Oh, and we take fan questions so tune in at 2:00 PM Eastern Time next Sunday and submit your questions in advance.

ENJOY! Two recent Glitterbois podcasts – The Beyond the Supernatural and Robotech® podcasts are now available! Both are part of an ongoing History of Palladium Books podcast series with the Glitterbois.

COMING SOON – Rifts® Glitterbois podcasts starting around mid-October. There will probably be at least a couple podcasts about Rifts®. WARNING: We sometimes digress into fun topics about game mechanics, Game Mastering, personal RPG experiences, and the many talented people who helped me create these iconic games. Always a fun, casual conversion amongst gamers.

COMING SOON – Palladium Books Channel on YouTube! The Palladium YouTube channel already exists, but we’ll be adding to it soon. One of the many things we have been working on behind the scenes is a series of “official” chats/interviews between me and JM Defoggi regarding the history of Palladium Books. We start by touching upon my career as an artist in comic books and gaming for such companies as Judges Guild (D&D), GDW (Traveller) and others. For those of you who don’t know, my original plan was to be a comic book creator/artist/writer. Palladium Books and game design was supposed to be temporary until I broke into comics. The next thing I knew, I had a successful company on my hands and a new career that I loved.

These Palladium Books Channel YouTube videos should start getting posted sometime in October. I hope you like ‘em. The focus of the first 20 videos has been a chronological presentation by game line with a focus on the books and their creation; all subjects we think you would like to hear about most. But we are considering going back to cover more personal moments, people, and events after we finish that initial book release chronology. Doing these chats with the energetic and knowledgeable JM has made us both realize what a wonderful life I have lived, all the things I have done, and all the amazing people I have met and worked with. So we may go back to talk about my experiences during the early days of Gen Con, the early Palladium crew (Maryann, Alex, Erick, Matt Balent, Bill Loebs, Kevin Long, Ramon Perez, Keith Parkinson, etc.), and moments like our first small warehouse flooding on Christmas Eve, storing and shipping books from my little house on Casper street that was constantly getting broken into and robbed, Detroit’s comic book convention history and my meeting people like Gene Roddenberry, George Romero, Stan Lee, Neal Adams, and countless others. Watch for it.

Granite State Comic Con was amazing! Sean and I had the best time there. The love and positivity from Turtles fans and gamers was palpable. The gaming coordinator, Doug Shute, was sharp and helpful, and became a life saver when neither we nor the hotel could find a taxi, shuttle, or Uber at 4:00 AM Monday morning to take us to the airport for our 5:40 red-eye flight home. I wish I’d had the presence of mind to take a photo of Doug in his pajamas for blackmail purposes. What a great guy, that Doug. Granite State Comic Con is a convention Sean and I highly recommend. And their RPG area is growing by leaps and bounds. We’re already talking about coming back as guests next year in a much bigger way.

Kevin Eastman gave me a big hug, signed a few books, let us grab a few photos, and chatted awhile. I love that guy … but who doesn’t, right?. It was also wonderful to reconnect with my dear friend and artist extraordinaire Freddie E. Williams. It had been years. I had the privilege of finally meeting his delightful and lovely wife Kiki, in person, and more hugs, laughter, and chatting ensued. Luis Antonio Delgado also leapt up from behind his table all smiles to hug and chat with me and Sean, as did Jim Lawson, Mike Rooth, and others. There were dozens of TMNT comic book artists and writers present and we had the pleasure of meeting a host of them including Ben Bishop, Fero Pe, Erick Talbot, Steve Lavigne, Danny Harrell, Hugh Rookwood, Erik Burnham, and Michael Dialynas to name but a few.

The gaming area was right next to the TMNT artist alley which was super-convenient, but we still didn’t have the time to meet and chat with everyone. I very much wanted to talk with Tom Waltz and others but we just didn’t have time. Why? Because we were thrilled with the number of gamers who came by our booth to say hello. I signed more TMNT & Other Strangeness RPGs and early editions of Rifts® RPGs than I have in 20 years. Awesome! I was so busy prior to the convention that I had forgotten to send in my bio and photo to the convention until a week or two before the event, so I was not listed in the program book and a lot of people didn’t know I was attending. Sorry, that’s all my fault and will NOT happen again. Sean and I are 90% certain we will be back next year with the Redux Editions and a much larger selection of our books. So start planning now you East Coast gamers, we’ll see you next year.

It was a delight to catch up with my old pal Steve Jackson and we enjoyed meeting and talking with SJG’s CEO Meredith Placko and SJG game designer Irene Zielinski, both awesome human beings like Steve. We had a rollicking fun time with Chaosium cartographer and writer Matt Ryan and his wife Casey. They are very nice and fun people. In fact, Matt has threatened to swing by the Palladium studio the next time he’s in town.

Our thanks to the convention organizers, workers/Red Shirts, guests, and the multitude of gamers and TMNT fans who paid us a visit at our table. It all adds up to a great time and fond memories I will cherish my entire life. Yes, it was that good. See my Closing Thoughts for a bit more about the convention and William Shatner.

GiveSendGo Fundraising for BRIC needs our help

Some of you have supported this good cause before. It is a charity close to the heart of me and Sean, and every dollar goes direct to the people who need it, which makes a HUGE difference in saving lives in the Congo. Even a small donation is greatly appreciated, so please give if you can. Thank you so very much for your past financial support of RIGHT’s efforts to feed and protect the people rescued and sustained by the lifesaving BRIC project.

Through your donations, BRIC has been able to install an armored security gate, build enclosure walls, construct a building for offices and classrooms, and an enlarge a stage where students perform the creative, self-help exercises learned through BRIC seminars, as well as music and dance performances that inform and uplift the community. Most recently, they have built a small structure with a toilet and shower, as well as installed basic electricity to the compound. All of this is in addition to rescuing and rehabilitating those once forced into service as child soldiers and worse by rogue warlords and bandits.

These life sustaining improvements could not happen without your prayers and financial assistance since 2022, but our crusade to save and improve the lives of the people in the region is far from complete.

Feuding rebel warlords dangerously close to the homes of the people of Goma continue to control many roads, disrupt and block food supply lines, and harass the people. This has forced many citizens of Goma to turn to BRIC for help. Without that help, they must resort to foraging for food in the rebel-filled forest where they risk their lives or capture. Children left alone while parents forage for food are at great risk of being kidnapped and trafficked. BRIC allows fathers and mothers to drop their children at the enclosure. At this safe haven the children are fed with limited supplies of food, given school lessons, and provided other help as needed.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is currently facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. People are displaced, starving, and homeless. Making safe havens like BRIC necessary for survival. Please join me (Kevin Siembieda) and Sean Owen Roberson by helping in any way you can. Your donations, small or large, will save lives. Thank you.

TMNT Film Kickstarter – an epic TMNT documentary – get yours now

We want to let you know about this very unique Kickstarter because it sounds amazing to us. A 4 hour DVD packed with history and interviews with Eastman, Laird, Mirage Studios creators, Freedman, Siembieda, and others. Plus lots of inside reveals regarding never released art, toys and other prototypes and experimentation. It’s a must-have item for me and I think it should be for most TMNT fans. I know I’m going to get the DVD. Check it out and spread the word!

The Kickstarter is called TMNT: Evolution, Mutation, and Reboot – a new documentary from Definitive Film that says it delves into the complete history of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles — one of pop culture’s most beloved franchises. This Kickstarter campaign offers a 4 hour, feature-length film packed with interviews, behind-the-scenes stories, art, and images, and personal stories from creators Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, and many others (including Palladium’s very own Kevin Siembieda). We don’t want Turtles fans to miss out on what sounds like a fun and comprehensive documentary about the TMNT from its origins till today. Don’t miss out and tell ‘em Palladium sent you.

AVAILABLE NOW!

The Rifter #48 Archival Edition – Available now!

We have gotten so many requests to reprint select, out of print Rifters that we have decided to give it a try. Other than the Archival Edition in a gold box on the spine and the front and back covers, these are exactly the same book printed years ago, including old news and ads. Enjoy.

- Rifts® Return to N.O.R.A.D., expansive material & adventure.

- Palladium Fantasy RPG look at variant clergy

- Nightbane® Questions and Answers.

- Scared Spitless - expanded Horror Factor rules.

- Dead Reign® impersonator Zombie.

- Old news, announcements and ads.

- 96 pages - $20.99 retail – Cat. No 148

The Rifter #58 Archival Edition – Available now!

- Rifts® Lenuria “official” source material, O.C.C.s, monsters and animals; expansive.

- Rifts® Lazlo – Unofficial, fun and expansive.

- Rifts® and Phase World – The Kezel super-powered mutants.

- Nightbane® short story.

- Old news, announcements and ads.

- 96 pages - $20.99 retail – Cat. No 158

The Rifter #65 Archival Edition – Available now!

- Rifts® Black Market source material.

- Rifts®, Fantasy, & Others – 60 new Necromancy spells + magic items.

- Rifts® Chaos Earth short story.

- Heroes Unlimited – Bionics, robots, and more.

- Heroes Unlimited – A super-hero team and adventure ideas.

- Beyond the Supernatural Hollow Road adventure, part one.

- Old news, announcements and ads.

- 96 pages - $20.99 retail – Cat. No 165

BACK IN STOCK!  

Yin-Sloth Jungles, 2nd Edition, Revised and Expanded!

The Yin-Sloth Jungles™ is a savage and unexplored wilderness filled with exotic people, strange creatures, ancient ruins, dark gods, and ancient secrets waiting to be unearthed.

- 15 O.C.C.s, all updated and expanded, making them seem brand new: Beastmaster, Holy Crusader, Jungle Fighter, Man-Catcher, the unique Tezcat and Pygmy Shamans, Spy, Undead Hunter, and Witch Hunter, among others.

- 18 Jungle People and monsters updated and expanded to feel like new, plus a few additions.

- New and expanded Shaman Chant magic.

- New and unique Pygmy Shaman Chant magic.

- New and expanded history of the Yin-Sloth Jungles.

- Expanded and clarified weapons, jungle armor, poisons, & more.

- The Orcish Empire and a few notable cities.

- Filled with great artwork by Peterson (ROG) and Mike Mumah.

- Written by Kevin Siembieda, John Klinkel, and Patrick Nowak.

- 160 pages – $24.99 retail – Cat. No. 459 – available now.

- COMING SOON! Yin-Sloth Expeditions setting and adventure book.

BACK IN STOCK!

After the Bomb® RPG “Bonus” Edition Hardcover – Available now

Create any type of intelligent, mutant animal from a turtle or raccoon to a lion or an elephant. The RPG presents stats for 100+ mutant animals, plus rules for creating any mutant animal you can imagine. Suitable for use with Heroes Unlimited™, Ninjas & Superspies™, Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, Phase World® and Palladium Fantasy®. Whatever the setting, playing anthropomorphic animal characters is a blast.

- 100+ mutant animal stats included.

- Mutant animal creation rules to mutate ANY animal.

- 52 Mutant Animal Powers.

- 33 Mutant Animal Psionic Powers.

- New Animal Chimeras and their abilities.

- New back story to the After the Bomb® world of mutants.

- The post-apocalyptic Earth setting of “After the Bomb” is just one use for your mutant animal heroes.

- A complete RPG written by Erick Wujcik.

- 72 pages of “bonus” material includes the original After the Bomb® sourcebook and Yucatan Adventures from the old Game Shield.

- 296 pages (72 bonus pages) – $44.99 retail – Cat. No. 503HC – now shipping. Also available as a 224 page softcover book ($26.99 retail – Cat. No. 503). Note: After the Bomb sourcebooks provide additional mutant animal stats and settings.

BACK IN STOCK!

Rifts® Book of Magic Hardcover

A compendium of magic from across Rifts Earth. Hundreds of magic spells plus magic weapons and devices from across the Megaverse.

- 900+ magic spells, Elemental Magic, Ley Line Magic.

- Necromancy, Nature Magic, Cloud Magic, Ocean Magic, Biomancy.

- Tattoo magic, Temporal magic, Whalesongs, Conjuring, Nazca Lines.

- Techno-Wizard devices, Rune Weapons, Holy Weapons, fetishes.

- Bio-Wizard Weapons, the Bio-Borg, symbiotes, and herbs.

- Magic stones, talismans, staves, wands, and more.

- $39.99 – 352 pages of pure magic – Cat. No. 848HC – available now. Also available in softcover ($31.99 retail, Cat. No. 848).

Palladium offers more than 300 of our books, every issue of The Rifter, sneak previews, and more in PDF format via DriveThruRPG

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Fond memories and William Shatner

I’ve said it before and I will say it till the day I die, Palladium fans are the greatest in the world, bar none. Though TMNT fans come darn close, and we have a lot of them in our corner too. We met a lot of nice fans from both camps at Granite State Comic Con, and folks loved seeing color preview pages of the Redux Edition and the Mutagen Green dice. As people talked with Sean about the layout and rules clarifications, and other elements of the book, you could just see the excitement building inside of them. Many were pleased to learn they could still pre-order the main Redux editions, the Black White and Red editions, the Game Master Screen, and the Mutagen Green Dice Set via the Pre-Order Store at the lower Kickstarter prices – saving around $10 per book. Speaking of TMNT stuff, you should take a look at the TMNT: Evolution, Mutation, and Reboot Kickstarter for what sounds like a comprehensive new TMNT documentary from Definitive Film.

Sean and I want to give a special shout out to long time Palladium fan, supporter, and friend Peter Porcaro who drove in to help man the booth all day Saturday. This enabled Sean and me to participate in a number of panel talks and chat with other guests. We enjoyed a nice dinner Saturday night with Peter and on Sunday night with Nicholas Kay from TransPerfect Gaming [they did the beautiful TMNT miniature sculpts, and hopefully even more interesting things in the future. ~Sean]. Like I said, we had a great time visiting with great friends and wonderful fans. Sean and I love and appreciate our fans and enjoy talking with you and signing your books. That includes Adam and Jennifer from Pinckney, Michigan, who dropped by the Palladium offices for a tour and some signatures.

Sean and I took a break Wednesday evening to experience the William Shatner Live on Stage event at the Fisher Theater in Detroit. First we watched a special screening of the movie Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan, followed by Shanter coming out to do an hour and a half chat with the audience. The man is 93 years old, yet full of life and vitality. He was sharp, fun, and absolutely hilarious! I don’t know the last time I laughed that much at any event. At the end, Sean turned to me and asked, “Is it just me, or is William Shatner the funniest man alive?” You know, he might just be. Seriously. I have seen many comedy legends in my lifetime and I must say, Shatner stands right up there with the best of them. It was a complete surprise that left us astonished. Worth every penny. If you’re a William Shatner fan and this show comes to your town, you must see it. It was so much fun.

Palladium’s Big Scary Horror Sale is epic – spread the word and don’t miss it. With Halloween on the horizon you may find yourselves in the mood to run a horror and/or the supernatural campaign. Or perhaps you’d like to plan a special Halloween game. Palladium is making it easy for you with its Big Scary Horror Sale starting right now. Many physical Palladium RPGs and select sourcebooks are on sale now at a 20-70% discount. That includes some horror themed sourcebooks for Rifts, Fantasy, and other settings as well other select items. Save some money and have a blast, my friends. See complete details above.

That’s enough chit chat for now. Live long and prosper.

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Game Designer, and Friend