Palladium Books® Weekly Update – November 3, 2011

By Kevin Siembieda

Another week that seems to be zooming by like lightning. Things continue to go well on the creative front, not so well on the financial front.

UPDATE: Online Sales. Online sales picked up a bit, but remain soft and a little scary. Compared to most past years, sales remain down by about 30%, including Christmas Surprise Packages. Between Halloween celebrations and the East Coast snowstorm, weekend sales were poor, though not as bad as we feared they might be. The same held true of Monday, Halloween itself. On Wednesday morning, however, we saw a large surge that helped make up for the low weekend, but today’s sales were disappointing. The question is, will sales improve? In this economy, who knows? We remain worried about this, but pressing forward with new releases and high hopes, especially as new products continue to roll out.

On to more fun topics.

UPDATE: Christmas Surprise Package. This is the deal of the holiday season. Nobody can touch the Palladium “Christmas” Surprise Package – $80-$90 worth of product, sometimes more for only $38 plus shipping and handling. (I have been loading up many Surprise Packages with $90-$100 worth of product!) All items are handpicked from your “wish list” and if you want them, all books are autographed by available Palladium staff and any freelancers who walk through our door. Get signed books, prints, original artwork, T-shirts and other Palladium goodies.

This is a great way to get collectibles and unusual keepsakes like the bookmarks, staff photo, zombie staff photo, prints, etc., as well as holiday gifts for your gaming buddies. A great way to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions, or fill holes in your own collection, get back issues of The Rifter®, or to try new game settings. Ask for autographs and we’ll sign every book in your Surprise Package. We ship every couple of days (every day as we get closer to the holidays). Take advantage of this wonderful offer and see some of the new products available below.

NEW! Palladium Bookmarks are available now. As reported last week, an attractive set of four bookmarks are available now. A set of four is only five bucks, and they are fun and useful. You get a bookmark for Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy®, Dead Reign™, and Heroes Unlimited™.

Zombies, zombies everywhere!

NEW! Zombie print is available now. Artist Mike Mumah outdid himself when he created a black and white illustration of a zombie horde for Dead Reign™ Sourcebook 3: Endless Dead™. What makes this zombie illustration unique is that ALL of the 36 zombies are Palladium staff and freelancers (writers and artists). The likenesses are excellent even with ripped up faces and the print is fun and frightening at the same time. I liked it so much I turned it into two, black and white prints to share with you, one large, one small, both signed by me and the Palladium staff.

The Endless Dead™ Zombie Print is available in two sizes, as a small, 11x8½ inch print (signed by the Palladium staff) for $6.00 and as a large, 17x11 inch print (signed by the Palladium staff) for $10.00. It is especially impressive at the larger size as it provides more terrifying detail of the Palladium zombies. We love it. Note: A gray toned version will appear in the Endless Dead™ Sourcebook, complete with a code key to identify everyone. 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.

NEW! 2011 Palladium staff photograph, signed by the six of us, is available by request in Palladium Christmas Surprise Packages. It has a value of $10.00; included only when people request one. HOWEVER, you can also (or alternately) request the Zombie Staff Photo. Both available now. Only available in the Grab Bag.

NEW! Zombie Staff Photo, now available for request in Christmas Surprise Packages. Just for fun, Wayne Smith grabbed the zombie head shots of us from the Mike Mumah black and white art and replaced our real heads in the photo with the line art. The resulting zombie-bobble head appearance was hilarious and we thought some of you might get a kick out of it too, so we are making it available in Christmas Surprise Packages. Only people who request the “Zombie Staff Photo” will be considered to receive one; $10.00 value. Only available in the Grab Bag.

BACK IN STOCK! Dead Reign™ T-shirts are available now. As announced last week, this fan favorite T-shirt is available now and selling well. They look great. Most sizes are available. The price is the usual $18.95 for Small to X-Large, more for the larger shirts. This shirt is scary, ironic and funny all at the same time. Order yours today. And a set of bookmarks too. ;)

NEW! Coalition Christmas™ T-shirt is available now. The shirt arrived Friday, October 28, as announced. This is a fan favorite back for the first time in 10 years at a special, low holiday price. We all snagged our shirts immediately. As far as I’m concerned, EVERY Rifts® gamer needs this shirt. Order yours today.

COMING SOON back in print, the Property of the Coalition States™ T-shirt. This is another popular T-shirt that’s coming back in print in a few weeks. Black print on a grey T-shirt. Nice. Sizes Small to 5XL.

UPDATE: Robotech® New Generation™ Sourcebook in final production! We received a batch of approvals for artwork last week and continue to wait for the rest. We were assured by one gentleman at Harmony Gold that they’d try to get all the approvals and changes to us by Friday of this week. Text approvals started coming in yesterday, so we’re hopeful. As soon as we have them all the book gets laid out and sent to the printer! If we get them soon the book will be out this month as fast as we can make it happen. Keep those pre-orders rolling in.

UPDATE: Robotech® Genesis Pits™ Sourcebook. The writing continues to move along nicely and we’re shooting for a January release (pending approval from the Licensor). 8½ x 11 size. 96 pages. See the complete description elsewhere in this Weekly Update.

UPDATE: Rifts® Lemuria. At this point, this is all I am working on until it is finished. There is a lot of great stuff in this hotly anticipated sourcebook and I will do my best to get it finished pronto.

UPDATE: Dead Reign™ Sourcebook 3: Endless Dead™. I am waiting for the last of the artwork which should arrive in the next week or so. The cover artist, for one, needed another week to make the cover another macabre masterpiece. As soon as it comes in, then it’s a few tweaks and additions and off to the printer. This book is on track for a November release.

UPDATE Rifts® Path of the Storm™ – One writer’s vision for the Rifts® Movie. I am delighted to see so many gamers excited about this book. It think it is excellent and fun. As soon as we get the final cover and art from Chuck Walton, it gets laid out and sent to the printer. I approved the interior and cover art over the weekend and Chuck is busy working away on the movie poster style cover. This book will give you a glimpse into the process of making the Rifts® Movie and provide NPC characters, villains and ideas for your own games. Those of you who keep asking for new novels will love this book. See the description elsewhere for complete details. A November release. (Yes, this is one of the things we’ve been working on behind the scenes.)

UPDATE: Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook. I am still planning to get this book out in 2011. And our goal remains to put things in place to release a new book every month starting now.

UPDATE: Back in print – soon. There are several books that need to be reprinted, but these are coming soon.

UPDATE: The Rifts® Game Master Support Kit will be available tomorrow (Friday, November 4, 2011). At last, the first Game Master Support Kit will be available for free to Megaversal Ambassadors and to the rest of you from DriveThruRPG.com for $5. Includes character sheets, combat log, hit location charts, 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, not to mention personal campaigns. The Palladium Fantasy Game Master Support Kit will be available next week. Meanwhile, Carl Gleba is already working on a Phase World®/Three Galaxies Game Master Support Kit.

UPDATE: DriveThruRPG.com. We’ll be posting more G.M. Support Kits as well as sneak previews for Rifts® Lemuria, Vampires Sourcebook, and Endless Dead™ on DriveThruRPG.com as soon as we can.

Don’t forget, DriveThruRPG offers more than 90 out of print titles (and a few that are not) as PDF downloads. It is a good resource for getting The Rifter® #1-48 and to fill in your RPG library with first edition copies of Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™, 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).

UPDATE: Palladium Open House, May 4-6, 2012. If Christmas is only 51 days away, then the POH is coming up fast too. 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. They might make nice holiday presents. Once a week we also try to add a few Palladium collectibles, art prints, artwork and out of print books (signed) for our gaming fans. We’ll keep adding toys every day or two and Palladium Collectibles at least once a week.

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

Halloween Store – QueenofGhouls.com – Halloween is over, but 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.

Kathy’s Halloween was amazing. She estimates at least 250-300 children came to her home trick-or-treating on Halloween night. Add in parents, grandparents, teenagers and other adults coming to just see her massive display, and it’s likely 500-700 people visited that one night alone. This is in addition to the estimated 1,200 or more over the weekend. Kathy enjoyed raves of praise about her Halloween display from parents and children alike. People came from neighboring communities as far away as Ann Arbor and Brighton, Michigan (about 40 miles away). To top things off, Halloween night, a couple showed up in an actual hearse to see her display.

The highlight of Kathy’s day, however, was when a bus (yes, an actual school bus) pulled up to unleash 30-40 special education children to walk through her front yard to enjoy the Halloween vignettes. I’m told the kids were delighted beyond measure. How nice for Kathy to have so many people from so many places come to enjoy her labor of love. I’m glad many of her visitors took the time to tell her how much they appreciate her erecting a display the likes of which most have never seen in their lives. Let me tell you, as good as some of the videos and photos look, they do not do her Halloween display justice. Several dozen visitors commented that Kathy’s front yard (about 3000 square feet) was better than any commercial “Haunted House” they have ever seen. Great job, Kathy. We’re all proud of you.

I need to get back to work and get books to the printer. You enjoy the new zombie prints, bookmarks, Coalition Christmas T-shirt, Rifts G.M. Support Kit and other new products coming out and count on seeing new books very, very soon. Keep those imaginations burning bright 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. This week’s selection were so kind they made me blush.

Keep those imaginations burning bright, game on and find joy this holiday season. – Kevin Siembieda

A.A. in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, writes: Hi again Palladium Books. I am excited for the Splicers® franchise to take off. Hopefully it will attract new and old fans. The reason I order anything from this company, besides the amazing books, is because Palladium is too wonderful to be gone. It was Rifts® that opened my mind to the Megaverse® concept. These people stand out not just as authors and artists, they are hope. So thank you. Here’s to a fruitful last few months [of the year].

Z.K. in Grand Junction, Colorado, writes: I love your works and there are a lot more books I would like to get. However, most of them are either pre-ordered, back-order or coming soon. I’ll be making another order before the end of the year. You are all awesome. Just seeing a Palladium product makes my day.

R.M. in Waupaca, Wisconsin, writes: Great job keeping me entertained for about 25 years. GO PACK GO! Couldn’t resist. You guys are most likely Lions fans.

K.K. in Littleton, Colorado, writes: Keep up the good work! Hope sales improve.

T.W. in Oakdale, California, writes: We have a group out here in the central valley of California called, Imaginations Unleashed; there are about 12 of us. We are the only group in our area that strictly plays and buys Palladium books. Every other group around our area is a mix of RPGs. We believe your system is the best, and your games are the most fun. We have all bought Grab Bags. This is my second of the year. I bought three last year. I have only been playing two years but have over 30 books. I look forward to playing and buying books from you for a long time. Thanks for all your effort and hard work. I hope that Palladium stays strong for years to come!

C.B. in Mountain View, California, writes: Keep it up guys, love your games! I’ll support you as much as I can!

J.H. in Richmond, Texas, writes: I have purchased a Grab Bag every year since you started offering them and I have never been disappointed. At first, it was a great way to fill in my collection and now it is an even better way to share Palladium with my friends.

Endless Dead Zombie Print

NEW! Endless Dead™ Zombie Print

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.

Coalition Christmas T-Shirt

NEW! A Coalition Christmas T-Shirt

– At special holiday prices – Available now

The shirt arrived last Friday and looks better than the original version printed on a white shirt back in the 1990s. We tweaked and darkened some 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.

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!

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 Statescoffee 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.

The Rifter #56

The Rifter® #56 – Available now

The Rifter® is your doorway to unlimited imagination and numerous Palladium role-playing worlds. It offers new heroes, powers, weapons, magic and adventure for your games. It presents new villains, monsters and dangers to battle, and new ideas to consider.

The Rifter® #56: The articles are expansive and fun.

NEW! Robotech® New Generation™ Sourcebook

– Ships November, 2011

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. This is the first sourcebook to combine ALL generations of Robotech® into one epic setting.

NEW! Robotech® Genesis Pits™ Sourcebook

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.

Rifts World Book: Lemuria

NEW! Rifts® World Book: Lemuria™

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.

Rifts Vampires Sourcebook

NEW! Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook™

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! Dead Reign™ Sourcebook 3: Endless Dead™

As time goes on, the zombie hordes only grow in size 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.

NEW! Rifts® Path of the Storm

– One writer’s vision for the Rifts® Movie

This is a unique, fun product that presents an entire screenplay written on speculation by Matthew Clements. That’s how Kevin met Matthew, he showed up at the Palladium office with a Rifts® screenplay in hand and said, “Hi, I’m a screenwriter and I’ve written a Rifts® screenplay, would you like to read it?” Kevin read it, was impressed, and met with Matthew afterward several times to discuss changes and improvements. Matthew did a second draft and it was sent 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.

Kevin and company thought it would be fun to let Rifts® players 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, and worth the read. To make it more fun, Matthew has statted out the key characters in the script and you can use the heroes, villains and story ideas in your own campaign should you want to do so.

This was all Kevin Siembieda’s idea. He thought fans might like to see one of the attempts to get the Rifts® movie made. “Matthew’s Rifts movie script, written entirely on spec,” said the Publisher, “is one of the best I have seen. That’s why I had him do a second draft and try to get JB Films to take a look at it.” This screenplay is not likely to ever be turned into a movie, but now that it has been published, it is part of Palladium canon and can be drawn upon as a resource if Hollywood should choose to do so.

In addition to Matthew’s Rifts® movie script and RPG character stats, there is some text by Kevin Siembieda about his adventures in Hollywood as well as some artwork. This is a unique product and a fun read that lets you step behind the veil at Palladium Books. A bit of insight on just one of the many projects that have gone on behind the scenes this year at Palladium.

NEW! Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames™

The Minion War spills across Rifts Earth, where demons and infernals hope to recruit allies and use the Rifts as gateways of destruction. Their influence shakes things up across the planet, especially at locations where demons and Deevils already have a strong presence. 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

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.