Palladium Books® Weekly Update – Nov. 17, 2011

By Kevin Siembieda

Exciting news this week.

UPDATE: Robotech® The New Generation™ Sourcebook is at the printer! The book was sent to the printer on Tuesday and should be on track for a November 28 release. I say “should” only because with the Thanksgiving Day holiday, you never know for sure. It could get bumped a day or two.

Robotech® The New Generation™ Sourcebook is awesome. It offers the ability use mecha and O.C.C.s from ALL eras of Robotech® in one setting against the Invid. Play mecha pilots of Veritech Fighters, Destroids, Battloids, Hover Tanks, Cyclones, and something called “Frankenmecha” – giant robots combined with the limbs, weapons and body parts of two or more mecha. There are rules for creating Frankenmecha, vehicle combat and crash damage as well as stats and descriptions for new weapons, new vehicles, seven new O.C.C.s (including Invid Genetics and Cyborg Experiments, Invid Princes and Princesses and Resistance Fighter O.C.C.s), Invid Hives, key characters from the TV show, world overview, great art and more. And, due to popular demand, it is in our usual 8½ x 11 book format. Ships November 28.

UPDATE: Rifts® Path of the Storm™ – One writer’s vision for the Rifts® Movie. It should go to the printer Friday afternoon. You can finally see it in this Weekly Update. Chuck finished up the cover Wednesday evening. We love it. I had a blast working with Chuck. He takes art direction very well and is one heck of a an artist. Wayne is typesetting and laying out the book right now. Rifts® Path of the Storm™ is Matthew Clements’ full screenplay (a fun read), plus an introduction about Rifts® and Hollywood by me, and stats for three new demons, key villains and several heroes from the script. Fun to read and provides useful NPCs, villains and characters to drop into your game, not to mention giving the reader a peak behind the scenes. Cat. No. 305, 96 pages. Ships November 28 (or close to it).

UPDATE: Rifts® Lemuria. I am making some good headway on Rifts® Lemuria and hope it will go to the printer shortly after Thanksgiving.  This book is packed with cool ideas, many new Biomancy magic spells, Ocean Magic, Millennium Tree items, aquatic riding animals, sea monsters, sea dragons, living armor and weapons, symbiotic organisms, information about the Lemurian people, their floating cities, and more. There is a lot of great stuff in this hotly anticipated World Book. Getting it to the printer is our top priority.

UPDATE: Dead Reign™ Sourcebook 3: Endless Dead™. The cover and the last of the interior artwork are finished and looks bone chilling amazing. It is depicted elsewhere in this Update with the description. Endless Dead™ goes to the printer after Rifts® Lemuria and will ship before Christmas. The 96 page sourcebook presents Zombies like you have never seen them, 7 new types of them, 5 new survivor O.C.C.s including the Wheelman and Zombie Hunter, vehicle armor rules, many encounter tables, adventure tables, what the military is doing and more. A December release.

Can’t get your zombie fix fast enough? Order the 11x8½ inch or 17x11 inch Endless Dead zombie print by artist Mike Mumah. The frightful zombie horde depicts the Palladium staff and notable freelance artists and writers; 36 of us in all. Scary and fun. All zombie prints are signed by me and the rest of the Palladium staff. The prints may be requested in Christmas Surprise Packages but only some requests will be honored and you are most likely to get the small, 11x8½ inch version. You can also request a staff photo with us as zombies. (Our drawn heads from the print superimposed on our photographed bodies. Silly fun.)

BEST DEAL in gaming. It’s that time of year when you start thinking about Christmas and buying loved ones holiday presents. Stores everywhere are advertising like crazy and offering amazing sales. Black Friday is next week. But one of the best deals anywhere is right here: The Christmas Surprise Package – $80-$90+ worth of merchandise (often more) for only $38 plus shipping and handling. And you also get autographs if you want them and the element of surprise with your wish list. Heck, the Palladium Christmas Surprise Package may be “the very best deal” of the holiday season, period! Don’t miss out.

The other cool things about the Palladium Christmas Surprise Package? You can buy one (or several) for yourself to fill in holes in your gaming collection, try new RPGs and game settings, get back issues of The Rifter®, get original art, art prints, autographs, and surprise your fellow gamer with one or a pile of books for Christmas. Can you imagine the look on your friend or loved one’s face when you hand him or her a pile of role-playing books/products worth $90 . . . with autographs? And you only paid $38 (plus shipping and handling). Or get a Surprise Package that may have enough items to give to two or three friends. Nobody offers an opportunity like this. And for a lot of people, this is the only way to get their books signed by some of the creators and Palladium staff.

Click here to order yours today.

Christmas Surprise Package Reminder. We need a wish list of 8-12 items that are not pre-orders or we can not process your order. That’s how the Surprise Package works. I need a comprehensive list of items you want from which I pick to create your Christmas Surprise Package. And not out of print or pre-order items, available items (as best you can), or we’ll have to refund your money and you will not get your Grab Bag. We’ve been calling people when the list is short, but as we get busier and busier as Christmas approaches, we won’t be able to do that. ALSO PLEASE make sure you send us your correct and complete address. That includes apartment number.

NEW! Palladium Bookmarks are available now. Sales and requests in Christmas Surprise Packages are picking up as word spreads. A set of four is only $5.00, and they are fun and useful. You get a bookmark each for Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy®, Dead Reign™, and Heroes Unlimited™.

UPDATE: Back in print – soon. There are several books we hope to get back into print before Christmas.

UPDATE: The Palladium Fantasy RPG® Game Master Support Kit has been delayed (the Rifts® one is available from DriveThruRPG.comDriveThruRPG.com for $5 right now). Wayne has just been too busy editing and laying out new releases to finish the Palladium Fantasy® Game Master Support Kit, our apologies. We will try to get it out before Christmas. Meanwhile, Carl Gleba is already working on a Phase World®/Three Galaxies Game Master Support Kit with more planned.

Folks love the Rifts® Game Master Support Kit, available only from DriveThruRPG.com. It is 50 pages of material that includes G.M. reference sheets, Rifts® Combat Matrix, Rifts® Skill List, Alphabetized Spell Sheet, ‘Borg Worksheet, Rifts® Character Sheets, 20 complete, pre-rolled characters for players, and other material that should give Game Masters a nice, solid resource to draw upon to run games on the fly and help in the running of demos and pickup games, as well as personal campaigns.

DriveThruRPG.com offers 90+ Palladium titles as PDFs including The Rifter® #1-48, first edition printings of Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™, BTS, and other game lines, as well as books such as Nightbane® Book Four: Shadows of Light™ and both versions of the The Mechanoids® RPG (1985) and The Collected Mechanoid Invasion® Trilogy (1981-1983), plus the new G.M. Support Kit and sneak previews of various books. The sneak peeks for Rifts® Lemuria, Vampires Sourcebook, and Endless Dead™ will be appearing soon.

UPDATE: Palladium Open House, May 4-6, 2012. We want to see you there, so please start making your plans. If Christmas is only 44 days away, then the POH is coming up fast. Order your tickets now and start saving to come on over and be part of this truly unique and special gaming event. I mean, you get to meet dozens of Palladium creators, chat, get autographs and game with the very people who made the RPGs you love! And it’s all role-playing games all weekend. I want to make this the biggest POH blowout ever and see a record number of gamers in attendance. See the description of the event toward the end of this Weekly Update. Join the fun.

UPDATE: Kevin’s Online Toy & Collectibles Store. Alex and I continue to put a lot more toys and action figures into my online store. All items are from my personal collection and are generally in very good to mint condition – and priced to sell. Many may make nice holiday presents. Once a week we also try to add a few Palladium collectibles, art prints, original artwork and out of print books (signed) for our gaming fans. We’ll keep adding toys every day or two and putting up a bunch of Palladium Collectibles before Thanksgiving next week.

http://stores.ebay.com/kevinstoys-artandcollectibles

Halloween Store – QueenofGhouls.com – Kathy Simmons sells life-sized Halloween props all year long, as well as a few delightful Christmas figures. All are realistic, durable, suitable for all weather conditions, fun and funny. As good as they look in the photos, they are so much better in person. Kathy’s life-sized Halloween props are unlike anything you have ever seen (unless you’ve been to the Palladium Open House). If you are looking for a standout Halloween or Christmas item for your front lawn, one of these will do the trick. Stands are also available for use on the porch and indoors. Easy to set up, wet weather is no problem. Folds up for storage. QueenofGhouls.com

I hope everyone is as excited about new books coming out as we are. Have a nice weekend and game on.

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Writer & Surrogate Santa

Fan Comments from Christmas Grab Bags

During the holiday season, we like to let you see some of the many comments we get with the Christmas Surprise Packages. It’s a nice way to acknowledge some of our fans and to share with you the kinds of words we hear from gamers throughout the season. We show only initials as some people would rather keep their identity private. Our thanks for your kind words of appreciation and encouragement.

We are happy to do the Christmas Surprise Packages and spread a little joy and fun around the globe. It is a privilege and an honor to touch so many people with our games. The Surprise Packages are our way of giving back and saying thank you to our legion of amazing fans. In this selection of comments everyone seems to be looking forward to new product. – Kevin Siembieda

A.H. in Fort Wayne, Indiana, writes: I love your products, and recently introduced three of my friends to Rifts®. We are having a good time playing a merc campaign . . .

M.B. in Las Vegas, Nevada, writes: . . . great work! Rifts® is the best tabletop RPG I’ve ever played. :D

S.C. in Rochester, Minnesota, writes: Looking forward to the New Year and more releases for Robotech®, Chaos Earth™ and Splicers®.

D.D. in Amesbury, Massachusetts, writes: Happy Halloween and Merry Christmas. . . I’m doing three orders this year, two for some friends and one for myself, so feel free to do them at the same time if you get the chance. I’m hoping to get both of my friends into Rifts® since they are interested, but like everyone else, they are tight on money.

D.K. in Racine, Wisconsin, writes: I am really looking forward to the New Navy™, Northern Gun™, Rifts® Antarctica, and Megaverse in Flames™ books, and hope they are coming soon. It would be great if there were more books about Europe . . . An early Merry Christmas to you, and keep up the great work. I’m looking forward to some more great product in the future.

T.R. in Eugene, Oregon, writes: Thanks for being there for gamers this whole time, guys, stick to your guns! Palladium is important to the fans because you have been there for us so long without selling out. We love Palladium and always will.

Robotech New Generation Sourcebook

NEW! Robotech® The New Generation Sourcebook

At the printer – ships November 28, 2011

This sourcebook is epic in scope and opens up an entirely new range of game play by allowing mecha and O.C.C.s from all eras of Robotech® in one setting.

For the first time ever, Veritech Fighters, Destroids, Battloids, Hover Tanks, Cyclones, and something called “Frankenmecha” – giant mecha amalgamations that combine the limbs, weapons and body parts of two or more mecha. There are also rules for creating Frankenmecha, new weapons and vehicles, seven new resistance fighter character classes, Invid Hives, key characters from the TV show, world overview and more. 8½ x 11 book format (not manga size), 96 pages.

The battle for the liberation of Earth starts here. For the first time in its history, the Earth has been invaded and occupied by alien invaders – the Invid. The Invid think they have won, but Freedom Fighters, UEEF soldiers and other heroes continue to fight until they win.

Rifts: Path of the Storm

NEW! Rifts® Path of the Storm

– One writer’s vision for the Rifts® Movie

Everyone wants to know what’s going on with the Rifts® movie. Well, this book presents an insight and behind the scenes info on that front by Kevin Siembieda, plus an entire screenplay written on speculation by Matthew Clements as well as game stats and artwork for major characters in the script. Kevin was so impressed with the writer’s screenplay that he had Matthew make changes and improvements and sent the second draft to Jerry Bruckheimer Films for their consideration. Meanwhile, Matthew and Kevin hit it off and the next thing he knew he became Palladium’s new staff writer.

We thought it would be fun to let Rifts® gamers and Palladium fans see the type of Rifts® movie we at Palladium Books would like to see made. So we are presenting Matthew’s screenplay as a proposed Rifts® movie script and Rifts® sourcebook. The screenplay is a fast, fun adventure story that is sure to please Rifts fans. To make it more fun, the author has statted out the key characters in the script and gamers can use the heroes, villains and story ideas in their own campaign should they choose to do so.

This is a unique product and a fun read that should appeal to all Palladium fans. After all, it lets the reader step behind the veil and see what goes on behind the scenes.

Rifts World Book: Lemuria

NEW! Rifts® World Book: Lemuria

Ships December

The power, secrets and magic of the underwater realm of Lemuria revealed. Player characters can use symbiotes, magic and technology to breathe underwater and spend time below the waves.

Lemuria is more than an underwater civilization of aquatic beings. They can trace their lineage as far back as the Atlanteans and can survive on dry land as well as underwater. In fact, their greatest secret is that there is no one resting place for the Lemurians, their great cities are always moving. Learn about the people of Lemuria, new Biomancy magic and weapons, Biomancy engineered riding animals, sea herbs, new powers of healing, sea monsters, and more. Epic adventure awaits.

Dead Reign Sourcebook 3: Endless Dead

NEW! Dead Reign Sourcebook 3: Endless Dead

Ships December

As time goes on, the zombie hordes only grow in number and strangeness. This book contains horrifying new zombies to haunt your player characters along with new O.C.C.s and tons of tables for detailing Survivors’ Hideouts, Safe Haven Communities, Death Cults and more. Survival is not enough. Now is the time for the war against the Endless Dead™. This book is going to be epic. Kevin and all the Palladium creators are pushing the envelope with each and every book they work on.

Dead Reign RPG

Dead Reign RPG

– Available Now

With zombies and horror all the rage in film and books, this RPG captures all the best aspects of the zombie genre. The setting is as much about survival in a post-apocalyptic world as it is about battling legions of walking dead. If tales of human survival, horror and zombies are of interest, you will love this fast paced game and its sourcebooks.

Endless Dead Zombie Print

NEW! Endless Dead Zombie Print

– Available now

A zombie horde stumbles toward you, but these aren't ordinary zombies, they are the Palladium staff and freelancers! That’s right, this horrifying mash of zombies includes Kevin, Wayne, Alex, Kathy, Julius and Matthew, as well as Kevin Long, Ramon Perez, Freddie Williams, Mike Mumah (the artist), Mark Dudley, Chuck Walton, Nick Bradshaw, Carl Gleba, Jason Richards, Brandon Aten, Greg Diaczyk and many, many others (36 monstrous faces total). Available in two sizes, both signed by the Palladium staff.

Dead Reign T-Shirt

Dead Reign T-Shirt

– The Zombie Apocalypse – Available now

The ultimate Zombie Apocalypse T-shirt: The front depicts a woman armed with a shovel standing on the roof of her car as a massive horde of zombies swarm around her. The front of the shirt reads: "Ever have one of those days?" Below the art is the Dead Reign™ logo and the words “The Zombie Apocalypse.” Printed white on a black T-shirt. Art by Amy Ashbaugh.

The back of the shirt is red on black and says, "Relax, it's not like it's the end of the world or anything." - but most of that statement has lines crossing it out, leaving only the words “it's the end of the world.” Under it is a Nick Bradshaw zombie silhouette and a small version of the Dead Reign™ logo. Funny, poignant, awesome!

Coalition Christmas T-Shirt

NEW! A Coalition Christmas T-Shirt

– At special holiday prices – Available now

The shirt is here and looks even better than the original version printed on a white shirt back in the 1990s. We tweaked and darkened some of the artwork to make it even more dynamic. We have made this shirt affordable so as many people as possible can get one if they want it.

The T-Shirt depicts a Coalition Dog Pack man-handling Santa. (He is a magic user, after all.) Scattered on the floor from Santa’s bag of presents are action figures of a Skelebot, Glitter Boy, Erin Tarn, Emperor Prosek, Victor Lazlo, Mechanoids, a Dog Boy plush toy, Spider-Skull Walker, RPG books and other items. The words: “Merry Christmas from the Coalition States.”

This T-Shirt has been a fan fave requested for years, but the art for the shirt was lost. The T-shirt place had gone out of business, artist Scott Johnson had sold the original art at a convention and did not have a photocopy, and Palladium’s original design and photocopies had vanished. It was only recently that Publisher Kevin Siembieda found a photocopy tucked away where it didn’t belong in the Palladium archives. The rediscovery of the photostat has allowed us to reissue this beloved T-shirt in all sizes for the first time in a decade.

As noted earlier, Kevin thought this fun and playful shirt should be made available for the holidays at prices affordable for everyone. These lower than usual prices are good from now through New Year’s Eve. Order yours today.

Property of the Coalition T-Shirt

Coming Soon – Property of the Coalition States T-Shirt

We plan to reprint this T-shirt as soon as our cash-flow improves, probably in a couple weeks. It has the symbol of the Coalition Army and the words, “Property of the Coalition States” emblazoned on it.

Don’t forget there is also a fabulous Property of the Coalition States™ coffee mug; white image on black cup. Perfect for that hot cup of cocoa on a cold winter’s night, or soda when you game. Looks very official. Everyone at Palladium has one. Holds 15.5 ounces. Mircrowave safe. Cat. No. 2543. Other coffee mugs include Rifts®, Dead Reign™ and Gamer mugs. See the Palladium Books online store for complete details.

Palladium Bookmarks Set One

NEW! Palladium Bookmarks, Set One

– Available now

A set of four, 2 x 6 inch bookmarks, each depicting a different Palladium game line: Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™ and Dead Reign™. They are attractive, useful and make a fun collectible.

Rifts Vampires Sourcebook

NEW! Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook

Ships December

Unknown to most humans, deep within Mexico the vampires have established entire kingdoms. There they live like tyrants and gods, dominating an underclass of cattle people used as slaves and foodstock. Learn more about the vampires, their rivals, allies and the humans who willingly serve their supernatural masters for a chance to join the undead. A must-have guide for those who wish to travel deeper into the Vampire Kingdoms or play as vampires and their human minions.

NEW! Robotech® Genesis Pits™ Sourcebook

Ships February 2012

The Genesis Pits™ Sourcebook takes a deep look at one of the most awesome and terrifying powers wielded by the Invid: the ability to alter genetic structures and evolve their own species as well as other beings. To that end, the Invid have built massive evolutionary laboratories across the Earth and numerous worlds in an effort to find the perfect form to dominate the universe forever. The sourcebook includes a wide range of mutations, different types of Genesis Pits, new Robotech O.C.C.s and new "Frankenmechs" – hybrid mecha made from the leftovers of Earth's fallen defenders.

The Genesis Pits™ Sourcebook goes beyond the cartoon and deep into the machinations of the Invid and their deadly consequences for all who happen into their path.

NEW! Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames™

Ships February 2012

We wanted this truly epic title out in December or January, but February is just a more realistic release date. We sure don’t want to rush a book so many people have been waiting for. We hope you understand.

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. More details to follow, but for now, ‘nuff said.

NEW! Rifts® Chaos Earth™ Sourcebook: First Responders

Data about the chaos and madness of the early days of the Great Cataclysm, and the brave men and women who tried to stem the tide of destruction and save lives, the First Responders.

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:

4th Quarter 2011 Releases

October 2011 Releases

November 2011 Releases

December 2011 Releases

2012 Schedule of Releases (tentative and subject to change)

January 2012 Releases

February 2012 Releases

All of Palladium’s Core Game Lines to be Supported in 2012

All of the following (and more) are being written right now. A few are already finished. Most will be 2012 releases. And this does not include projects I would like to do for Palladium Fantasy®, Dead Reign™, Warpath™: Urban Jungle and new mediums.

New Books in Development (listed in alphabetical order):

Beyond the Supernatural™: Arcanum
Beyond the Supernatural™: Tome Grotesque
Beyond the Supernatural™ Sourcebook

Chaos Earth™ First Responders
Chaos Earth™ – Zombie Apocalypse Rifts-style during the Great Cataclysm.

Heroes Unlimited™ – Had two people who were supposed to be working on a pair of books, but they disappeared on me, so we are looking for folks to write a couple of HU2 sourcebooks.

Nightbane® – An as of yet untitled project, and looking for more.

Palladium Fantasy® – Mysteries of Magic 2 & 3
Palladium Fantasy® – Tombs of Gersidi expanded and new. Plus I have a few ideas on this front myself to revitalize this line, including writing Land of the Damned 3 for 2012 release.

Phase World®: United Worlds of Warlock™
Phase World®: Pirates of the Three Galaxies™

Rifts® Antarctica
Rifts® Black Market
Rifts® China Three
Rifts® Deep South
Rifts® New Navy™
Rifts® Northern Gun™ Books One & Two.
Rifts® Sovietski™
Rifts® Titan Industries™

Robotech® Genesis Pits™ adventure sourcebook.
Robotech® UEEF Marines™

Splicers® Sourcebook One – concepts and art by Charles Walton.
Splicers® Sourcebook Two – concepts and art by Charles Walton.

Recently Back in Print

Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®

Aliens Unlimited™ – For Heroes Unlimited™

Rifts® Dark Conversions™

Rifts® Game Master Guide

Rifts® Book of Magic™

Rifts® Bionics Sourcebook™

Rifts® Adventure Sourcebook: The Black Vault™

Rifts® World Book Five: Triax & the NGR™

Rifts® World Book 8: Rifts® Japan™

Rifts® World Book 13: Lone Star™

Rifts® World Book 24: Rifts® China One

Rifts® Dimension Book™ 7: Megaverse® Builder

Rifts® Dimension Book™ 6: Three Galaxies™

Rifts® Mercenaries™

Rifts® World Book 20: Rifts® Canada™

Rifts® World Book 22: Rifts® Free Quebec™

Rifts® World Book 23: Xiticix Invasion™

Coalition Wars® One: Sedition

Coalition Wars® Two: Coalition Overkill

2011 Christmas Surprise Package

– Available now thru December 23, 2011

The Christmas Surprise Package is our way of saying thank you to our fans and putting smiles on the faces of gamers around the world.

What is a Palladium Christmas Surprise Package? $80-$90 (or more!) worth of Palladium Books product for only $38 plus shipping and handling. A minimum of eighty dollars ($80) retail. Sometimes much more! Santa Kevin often packs in $90-$100 worth of goodies.

It’s a surprise package because you never know exactly what you’re going to get or who will sign your books. We try to include many of the items on your “wish list,” but we’ll surprise you with stuff you are not expecting. All Surprise Packages are “handpicked” by Kevin Siembieda from YOUR “wish list.” All books will be autographed if you want us to sign them. For many of you, this is the only way to get autographs!

We are taking orders right now. Buy one or ten, but get at least one. Buy them as gifts or to try a new game line, or fill holes your collection. Just don’t miss out. The Surprise Packages will be available till December 23, 2011.

Spread the word. Tell all your gaming pals, because the Christmas Surprise Package is only publicized by word of mouth, to readers of The Rifter® and on Palladium's website, so tell everyone you know. Buy one for every gamer you know and have a very Merry Christmas.

Click here for more information and to place an order.

The Palladium Open House

Palladium Open House

– May 4, 5 & 6, 2012 (May 3 is VIP Night)

The Palladium Open House (POH) is, plain and simply, a blast for everyone.

Think family reunion with people you like from around the world that involves laughs, fun and three days of role-playing games. (Four for those who attend VIP Thursday.) We invite you into our home – the Palladium warehouse and office – where we make the games you love and treat you like family and welcomed guests.

40+ Palladium creators are there for you. The Palladium staff and as many of the freelance writers, artists, Game Masters and Megaversal Ambassadors as possible (typically 30-45) are present the entire event. Many run games you can play in. All are there to sign autographs and talk with you.

Unlike game conventions, at the Palladium Open House you have unprecedented access to Kevin Siembieda and other Palladium creators, because they are there, on the floor with you all day long. They are happy to talk about Palladium Books, artwork, writing, movies, comic books and exchange stories about their own gaming experiences as well as listen to yours. Some artists are willing to do sketches of your characters, others bring prints and original artwork to sell. All are friendly and goofy gamers just like you. It seems like we laugh and have fun all weekend long, stopping only to catch a little sleep.

Gaming events are run all day and into the night. Many are run by the very people who create the games, like Kevin Siembieda, Julius Rosenstein, Carmen Bellaire, Carl Gleba, Brandon Aten, Mark Oberle, Irvin Jackson and many others. There is also an open gaming area for pick up games. When gaming ends for the day at Palladium, there are two meeting rooms at the hotel where you can continue to play games, chat and have fun into the wee hours of the night.

Panel talks (every day). I and others host several panel talks and question and answer sessions that reveal secrets, offer G.M. tips, player tips and lots of laughs.

Costume contest (Saturday). YOU should make a costume based on one of Palladium’s RPG settings and enter the costume contest. It is always a ton of fun and winners who take 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place all get Palladium gift certificates and a plaque worthy of hanging on the wall. Best of show gets a $100 gift certificate (actually, it’s Palladium Bucks redeemable wherever you find Palladium, at the POH, conventions, or via mail order). Costume contest categories are: Rifts/Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror/Modern/Superhero, and Best of Show.

Live auction (Saturday). Get rare, out of print books, proofreader copies, artwork, prints, posters, collectibles, and strange things put up for rapid-fire auctioning by Kevin Siembieda.

Meet fans from around the world. This year we already have gamers coming from Japan, Australia, Germany, England, Canada and across the country. Note: Our capacity is limited to about 350 people, so if there is a bigger than usual turnout, you may not be able to attend. Order your admissions tickets and reserve your hotel room now. The hotel will not be charged to your credit card till the day before the event.

The POH is inexpensive compared to most game and comic conventions. You get more bang for your buck, total access to Palladium creators and enjoy everything for the price of admission.

The cost of admission covers everything. The games, the panel talks, the auction, entry in the costume contest . . . EVERYTHING.

The hotel is only $69.95 a night for a room with two double beds or one king-size bed. Suites are under $140. Free hot breakfasts. Note: you MUST tell them you want a room in the Block Reserved for Palladium Books to get the special rate. Your credit card is not charged until a day before the event, so reserve early. Call 734-455-8100, Comfort Inn Plymouth Clock Tower Hotel.

Food and stores all around. There are fast food places and inexpensive restaurants to eat all around Palladium Books. A Bennigans is across from the hotel. Denny’s, Dunkin Donuts and McDonald’s are down the street one direction, Burger King, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Lee’s Chicken, Baskin & Robbins, and more are down the other way. Westland Mall is a half mile away, so is Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Target, Kohls, Macy’s, Sears, JC Penny, Lowes, Meijer, Sam’s Club, Ikea and Dollar Tree, among many others. A large movie theater is around the block, almost walking distance, and another is near Westland Mall. We’ve got it all. ;)

Price of Admission

Palladium Open House – May 4, 5 & 6, 2012

$40 for the Three Day Weekend (Friday, Saturday & Sunday) when ordered in advance per each individual. $50 at the door and after March 31, 2012, if space is available. Cost of emission covers all events. Note: VIP Night, May 3, 2012, is an additional cost. A new batch of tickets will be made available in February, 2012.

$20 for Friday 9:00 AM till Closing.
$20 for Saturday 9:00 AM till Closing.
$10 for Sunday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
$75 per person for VIP Night – Thursday – May 3, 2012. VIP night is a catered event limited to around 70-80 gamers plus Palladium creators. It is an additional cost, so if you plan to attend the entire weekend you must get a weekend ticket as well. NOTE: Since VIP tickets sell out so fast, we offer them in two batches. The first is sold out. The second offering will be in February 2012. VIP Thursday, May 3, 2012: 3:00 P.M. till 11:00 P.M.

Placing Your Order: Please include your FULL address and apartment number. Also include the complete NAME of EACH person you are ordering a ticket for, as well as your telephone number in case there is a problem and we need to contact you.

Credit Cards: Visa, MasterCard and most credit cards are accepted. All Credit Card orders must include: Credit Card No. – Name on the card – Address of the Credit Cardholder – Expiration Date – Telephone Number of the cardholder. If you are buying tickets for several people, please make sure we have the full NAME of each person.

By Telephone: Call (734) 721-2903 – have your credit card information ready. You may place your reservation online in a similar way as placing a book order or you may use Palladium’s order line (734) 721-2903.

Check or Money Order by Mail: Sent via the USPS or other delivery service. Send check or money order to:

Palladium Books
Dept. POH
39074 Webb Court
Westland, MI 48185-7606

Please include your FULL address and apartment number. Also include the complete NAME of EACH person you are ordering a ticket for, as well as your telephone number in case there is a problem and we need to contact you.

All tickets are sold on a first come, first served basis, so get your reservations in as soon as possible! Due to space and parking limitations and safety concerns, attendance will be limited to approximately 350 admission tickets.

Click here for more details and to reserve your tickets.

Queen of Ghouls

The Queen of Ghouls: Life-Sized Halloween Props

The Queen of Ghouls – Palladium’s very own Kathy Simmons – is locked in her dungeon, devising new ghouls. Go to queenofghouls.com to see her current selection of life-sized Halloween props. See her zombie doctor and other new zombies, Jack Skellington and Sally, and more. New creations are on the drawing board, and so is a new website. Each Halloween prop is truly life-sized (most are 6 feet or taller – Jack is almost 8 feet) and seems almost alive.

Each is an all-weather, life-sized Halloween prop that can handle rain and snow, and is a one-of-a-kind work of art (no two are exactly the same). Each looks frighteningly “real.” All come apart and fold down to slightly larger than a king-size pillow for easy storage. Comes with easy instructions, a plastic storage bag, and the lawn stake to stand it up in your front yard. Indoor stand sold separately.

Types of “Ghouls” include: Zombies (all kinds!), killer clowns, wizards, witches, devils, grave ghouls, scarecrows, executioners, mad doctors, deadly nurses, vampires, werewolves, and more. Kathy’s also now offering an array of hand-painted Halloween signs, signs with heads and bodies hanging from them, witch’s brewing pots, Halloween centerpieces and more. Best of all, her high quality creations are much more affordable and imaginative than most competitors or mass produced items in a store, making them affordable Halloween fun.

If you think the photos online look good, you should see them in person. A typical “ghoul,” as she calls her creations, costs $129-$259. You can see some of her work at her Queen of Ghouls™ Ebay store – queenofghouls.com.

Conventions & Events

2012 Gen Con Indy

Palladium Books has already reserved its booth at Gen Con Indy 2012.

We need Game Masters!

We want to have a bigger presence at Gen Con Indy 2012 and that means more Palladium gaming events. We want Palladium Books to be a much bigger part of the gaming experience at Gen Con Indy 2012. Toward that end, we’re hoping a number of Game Masters will step forward and run “official” gaming events at Gen Con. To do that we need your help.

Please let us know if you are planning to run at Gen Con Indy 2012, but most importantly, YOU NEED to contact Gen Con directly and fill out the Event Submission form/application and send it in to them BEFORE THE JANUARY DEADLINE. This can all be done online.

Note: Though there are different “rounds” and deadlines for submitting events, it is our experience that submitting in time for the very first deadline is the only way to sure-fire guarantee the event will be included. So please, let’s plan now and get our events entered in the first round, mid-January 2012. Megaversal Ambassadors, please be a vocal and visible part of getting people to run Palladium gaming events for Gen Con Indy 2012. Any and all game settings (Rifts®, Heroes Unlimited, Palladium Fantasy®, Robotech®, Dead Reign™, Nightbane®, Splicers®, BTS, and all the rest) are welcomed. Let’s make the halls of Gen Con Indy 2012 ring with Palladium gaming.

© Copyright 2011 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, Warpath, 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.