Halloween is my second favorite holiday, with Christmas being Numero Uno (in case you couldn’t tell). I’ll be working hard to finish up Dead Reign™: Dark Places™, which seems somehow appropriate, don’t you think?
I wish we could have gotten Dead Reign™ Sourcebook Two: Dark Places™ out before Halloween like I had promised, but personal and health issues with both my Dad and his friend and apartment-mate Arlene, placed demands on my time that made that impossible. I hope folks understand.
Dead Reign™ Sourcebook Two: Dark Places™ is almost finished and will go to the printer (early?) next week. I think it is pretty fun and hope you like it. It was one of those fun books (in between the madness going on here) that took on a life of its own. You know, one of those books that seems to practically write itself and I, the writer, feel like I’m just along for the ride.
Rifts® Dimensional Outbreak is the next book I dive into. My goal is to get it to the printer as soon as possible and in your hands before Christmas. Then, I think, I’m shooting to do Heroes of the Megaverse® with the crazy intention of getting it done before Christmas too. The Rifter® #49 will follow in January. I think we may wait on Robotech® UEEF Marines and Robotech® New Generation sourcebooks till early 2010, but fear not, they are coming, and very soon. We also have the rest of the Minion War™ series with Armageddon Unlimited™ and Megaverse® in Flames to release as SOON as possible, the Thundercloud Galaxy™, Triax™ 2, Lemuria 2, maybe even Iron Heart™ and some other Rifts® titles along with a couple Mysteries of Magic™ volumes coming out in the first half of 2010. Yeah, we’re already plotting out 2010. There are other titles we’re foolin’ around with, but it’s too soon to discuss them now. And while Warpath™: Urban Jungle™ has, regrettably, been put on the back burner, it is NOT forgotten nor cancelled.
I apologize for the delays in releases. It seems like Palladium and I cannot catch a break these past few years. The health and welfare of my father, Henry Siembieda, has stolen away a lot of my time and energy these past couple of months. But I hope you understand, my Dad must come first. We’re very close. He’s a great guy and he needs me. Not just with his fight against bladder cancer, but on a couple of other fronts as well.
The good news with my Dad is that he has had very few complications or side effects from the chemotherapy and his doctor thinks he’s responding well. Dad’s last chemo treatment (for now) is next week. Then it’s wait three months and see if the cancer stays gone or comes back. Time will tell. I’ve promised my Dad that I will continue to take him to breakfast every Wednesday morning, which he seemed delighted to hear.
Meanwhile, my Dad’s roommate, friend and co-caretaker, Arlene, is waging her own battle against ITP (idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura), a rare autoimmune bleeding disorder complicated by Lupus and low blood pressure issues. In short, it is serious, life threatening and scary. To what extent this will all impact my Dad and me is yet to be seen. We are all trying to stay positive and hopeful.
Online sales slumped this last week and distributor sales have been soft for the past couple of months, despite new product releases. Hoping to see an uptick as the Christmas season arrives.
I hope everyone has a fun, safe Halloween weekend.
– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher & Writer
Don’t get too excited yet, but a small independent film producer/writer has taken an interest in Nightbane®. So has Palladium’s agent, Mark Freedman of Surge Comic Properties Licensing and Ninja Turtles® marketing fame. They love how the series mirrors the current dark times and the public’s lack of trust in big business, banking and government. (Well, yeah, they are all Nightlords and Dopplegangers, right?) As well as the tortured nature and dual identity of the Nightbane all wrapped in the supernatural, horror, and dark conspiracy.
Will this go anywhere? Heck if we know, but we’re doing all we can on this end. Kevin has been on the phone talking about Nightbane®, its storyline and potential with one person or another all week long. It is nice to see Hollywood and people in other mediums taking a hard look at Palladium’s other intellectual properties. After all, we have one proven I.P. after another that fans have loved for decades.
Our very own Kevin Siembieda is scheduled to visit Blizzard Entertainment – the company behind World of Warcraft and countless popular videogames. We wish we could tell you it was to negotiate a videogame or MMOG deal, but it is not.
Blizzard has a program where they bring well known writers and game designers in to talk about the craft of writing and world building.
As it turns out, there are a lot of Rifts® and Palladium Books fans at Blizzard, so Kevin was invited to come and speak at their Irvine, California, campus in November. He was flattered by the recognition and accepted the offer. It should be a fun experience for all parties involved. Anyone who knows Kevin can attest, he loves to talk about writing and game design, so there will be long hours of questions and answers.
Santa Kevin has been going a little crazy with stuffing the Christmas Surprise Packages. That’s okay, during these tough economic times it is our goal to put a smile on as many faces as possible this Christmas season.
The Special 2009 Surprise Package Print Set: There are only 530 printed. The set has a value of $40.00 – $10.00 per each limited edition print plus a fifth bonus print. Each print is signed by the artist and suitable for framing. Note: Only people who ask for the 2009 Special Print Set will be considered for getting one.
1. Mike Mumah – A super (and sexy) Christmas.
2. Mark Dudley – Dimensional Outbreak in Hangar Five.
3. Nick Bradshaw – Rumble Time.
4. Kevin Siembieda – Santa Clause (traditional and cheery).
5. Bonus print: Kevin Siembieda – Santa Zombie (post Zombie Apocalypse).
Select original art and sketches are available now too. Just remember, if you ask for art, you’ll be considered, but there is no guarantee you’ll get art. Include other wants to make sure you get something you desire.
Don’t forget to take advantage of the Christmas Surprise Package for birthdays and anniversaries, Christmas gifts for friends or as a way to fill holes in your collection (especially when it comes to The Rifter) or try new game settings.
The Christmas Surprise Package is ideal for Canada and Overseas Palladium fans, because even with shipping they are paying around the cover price for books, plus getting autographs and other goodies. We highly recommend folks overseas try to take advantage of this opportunity.
For more information and to order, click here.
K.R. in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, writes: I live on a cattle farm smack dead in the middle of red dirt Australia. The nearest city to my location is just over 2000 kms away. Myself and a lot of the boys role-play when where not sheering, branding or herding cattle and sheep. We have been fans about 5 years now. Your books have provided us with hundreds of hours worth of amusement, hysterics, and laughter.
J.F. in Alpharetta, Georgia, writes: Keep on doing that voodoo that you do so well.
S.N. in Rome, New York, writes: Love your books. Keep up the great work and thanks for the wonderful Christmas packages!
C.A. in Applegate, California, writes: Year in and year out this (Christmas Surprise Package) is one of the greatest things ever created in the RPG world. Keep up the outstanding work!
R.S. in Marietta, Georgia, writes: I’ve not gotten an X-Mas bag in a year or so due to financial hardship, but this year I’m treating myself for my birthday/X-mas all at once no matter what happens with my soon to be no job. Gaming is keeping me sane and positive, and I’m all for helping Palladium live long and prosper.
J.C. in Fort Collins, Colorado, writes: I have been running and recommending Palladium Books since the summer of ‘93. I am a huge fan and supporter. Rifts is certainly my favorite system. I play/run other systems but I always come back to Rifts. Thank you for all that you do, for your imagination and perseverance.
C.V. in Santa Rosa, California, writes: You guys are great! I’m glad Palladium is still plodding along. With these tough times, I’ve had gaming friends relocate because of work or cost of living. I’m rarely able to play Palladium games anymore, but I still love reading the material and incorporating ideas into other games that I am able to play. Keep up the good work.
M.McL. in Parma, Ohio, writes: Hi. Thanks for everything you guys do up there. You have kept the boys and I busy and out of trouble since I was 10. This game turned into a friendship maker for us.
A new chapter in the Zombie Apocalypse with additional resources, hiding places, modes of travel away from zombies, adventure ideas, new zombies, other dangers and random tables.
When there is no place to hide and the dead are everywhere, where do you go? Who can you turn to? What happens next? What lurks in dark places?
Author Carl Gleba has created another masterpiece brimming with ideas, new demons, new Deevils, new whacked out spaceships, new magic spells, more about Phase World, Center, the escalating Minion War and much more. Dimensional Outbreak™ is another exciting and surprise filled book in the Minion War™ series as war spills into Phase World®, the city of Center and the Three Galaxies™. The epic scale of the Minion War just got bigger and even the Worlds of Warlock, the Splugorth and Naruni are involved.
Most agree the Book of Heroes is one of the greatest magic artifacts in the Megaverse. Only one copy is known to exist, and everyone wants to get their hands on it – Demons, Deevils, the Splugorth, the Dominators, the Kreeghor, the United Worlds of Warlock and everyone in between. For it is said that he who wields the “Power of the 2000” can rule the universe.
Once protected by the Cosmo-Knights, the book has gone missing. No one knows its fate or the true power contained within its List of Heroes. No one except YOU – the new keepers of this legendary Rune book.
The core rule book you need to play. Second printing. This is the game that has restarted it all.
Jason Marker is done writing this exciting new Robotech® sourcebook. Next step is a quick edit and sending it off to Harmony Gold for their approval. This is another sourcebook jam-packed with new O.C.C.s, mecha, weapons, gear, and ideas to send your characters on amazing new adventures.
The horror issue arrived at Palladium last week and has shipped. Pre-orders were a bit higher than usual, so this might be one of those issues that sells out faster than most. It is certainly packed with adventure, monsters and fun role-playing source material.
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 Heart of Magic™ is packed with new information, details and new insight about magic, P.P.E., the Palladium World, Men of Magic, Wizards, Warlocks, Priests, Familiars, true names, apprenticeship, scroll conversion, learning magic, new and different magic O.C.C.s, new Wizard and Warlock spells, and data that expands, defines and clarifies a number of aspects about the practice of magic in the Palladium Fantasy setting. Easy to adapt to Rifts® (just change S.D.C. damage to M.D. and you are ready to go).
Old Ones™ is back in print as a special printing available exclusively via Palladium’s online store.
Old Ones™ is an epic sourcebook packed full of information, people, places and ideas. Details about the Old Ones, the Minotaur R.C.C. (an ancient minion of the Old Ones), the Monk Scholar and Illusionist, 50 cities and towns mapped and described, adventure ideas and the epic Place of Magic adventure.
Don’t forget, there are 90+ Palladium titles available as PDF digital downloads from DriveThruRPG.com.
Many are out of print Palladium book titles including the 1981 The Mechanoid Invasion® Trilogy, the 1985 The Mechanoids® RPG, the infamous Valley of the Pharaohs RPG, the original Rifts® RPG, Rifts® Coalition Wars®: Siege on Tolkeen™ series (also available as pen and paper books), Nightbane® Book Four: Shadows of Light™, the original Beyond the Supernatural RPG (with Erick Wujcik’s victims rules), Boxed Nightmares™ for BTS First Edition, the Palladium Fantasy RPG® 1st Edition and sourcebooks, the Palladium Weapon series, The Rifter® #1-40 (many still available from Palladium), Deluxe Revised RECON® RPG and Advanced RECON® Sourcebook and other titles.
Check them out and get those books you’ve always heard about.
© Copyright 2009 Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved.
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.
Rifts®, The Rifter®, RECON®, Splicers®, Palladium Books®, Phase World®, The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, Megaverse®, Nightbane®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, Coalition Wars® and After the Bomb® are Registered Trademarks of Palladium Books Inc. Beyond the Supernatural, Dead Reign, Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas & Superspies, Minion War, Mysteries of Magic, The Three Galaxies, Warpath, and other published book titles, names, slogans and likenesses are trademarks of Palladium Books Inc., and Kevin Siembieda.