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Month: January 2025

Sales, News & More – Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – January 30, 2025

Written by pb_addy on . Posted in Weekly Updates.

Weekly Update

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

BY KEVIN SIEMBIEDA

Sales, News & More – Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – January 30, 2025

Get in on the ground floor of RPG (and Palladium) history by purchasing Palladium’s first RPG audiobook. That’s right, you’ll have the bragging rights of saying you bought the very first Palladium RPG audiobook and that it was Nightbane®: Dark Designs. That you were there at the onset of the RPG audiobook revolution with Palladium Books and Audio RPG, because this is just the beginning. I am still amazed at how the professional narration makes Nightbane: Dark Designs feel brand new. It’s fun and exciting.


The Nightbane®: Dark Designs Audiobook crowdfunder is only a short 2 week campaign that ENDs next week, February 6, so please spread the word and make your pledge. If the Nightbane® audiobook series does well, we will do audiobooks for Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy, Dead Reign®, BTS, Heroes Unlimited, and all of our games. Say yes to RPG audiobooks! One week left to get yours. Oh, and don’t miss the Nightbane SALE of physical books (including the hardcover RPG) in the Palladium Books online store and PDFs via DriveThruRPG.com. Spread the word about it all. Thank you for your support.

Nightbane RPG Sale

Nightbane®: Dark Designs Audiobook

An RPG audiobook may sound crazy, but it won’t after you listen to the sample presented in this Nightbane: Dark Designs Audiobook crowdfunder taking place on Backerkit by one of Palladium’s new licensing partners. It sounds amazing! We were all blown away by the quality.

  • Fun to listen to.

  • Relaxing game prep.

  • Professional narration.

  • Convenient for the busy G.M.

  • Hearing the words spoken by a professional narrator makes the book come to life in a whole new way and feel brand new.

  • Hearing it also makes you notice game and adventure details you may have missed reading it yourself.

  • EVERYONE at Palladium endorses this product 100%. Go to the page and listen for yourself. You’ll be as pleased as we are.

  • Dive into the thrilling Urban Fantasy world of Nightbane® with Nightbane: Dark Designs.

  • Your Next RPG Adventure starts here when you experience the Nightbane: Dark Designs sourcebook in a whole new way with a professionally narrated audiobook. Packed with new Morphus tables, Talents, and tools for players and GMs.

  • Perfect for enhancing your Nightbane campaign or exploring its lore on the go.

  • Nightbane: Dark Designs audiobook takes you through new Morphus tables, Talents, and insights into Nightbane. Perfect for GMs and players, this audiobook transforms your rulebook into a listening experience you’ll love.

  • The project is crowdfunding on Backerkit now!

Nightbane RPG Sale

Nightbane® SALE – Save 20-30% on physical books – limited time offer

– Nightbane® RPG Softcover – Cat. No. 730 – $20.29 (normally $28.99 retail) – 240 pages. Urban Fantasy! Nightbane creation rules, Talents, and powers, but to use their powers, the young Nightbane must turn into monsters themselves. Includes inhuman factions, magic, psychic abilities, sorcery, dozens of monsters, world info, and a gallery of enemies and monsters. Nightlords, Vampires, Lightbringers, Hunters, Hounds, and Hollow Men are just some of the bizarre beings your tragic heroes will encounter on their journey of self-discovery and heroism. Join the secret war against a demonic invasion most people do not even know has taken place. The shapeshifting Nightlords, their evil Dopplegangers and other demonic minions are quietly taking over the world, starting with the most powerful nations. You know it is happening because you are the Nightbane. And only you can stop it.


– Nightbane® RPG “Bonus” Edition Hardcover – Cat. No. 730HC – $ 31.99 (normally $44.99 retail) – 304 pages – 60 extra pages of bonus material. Urban Fantasy! Your teenage or young adult Nightbane characters face dark magic, vampires, demons, monsters and conspiracy, but that won’t stop them! Join the secret war against a demonic invasion most people do not even know has taken place. You see the truth and know what is happening because that is one of the many Nightbane gifts. You can see the true demonic forms of these invaders and you can destroy them. The only wrinkle is you must reveal your monstrous supernatural form – your Morphus – to call upon your superhuman and magical powers. Oh, and the government is controlled by the Nightlords and their shape-changing demonic minions who fear and hunt all Nightbane. Available while supplies last.


– Nightbane®: Between the Shadows™ – Cat. No. 731 – $17.49 (normally $24.99 retail) – 144 pages. Psychic agents, more monsters, navigating the Dreamscape and the Astral Plane, the vampire conspiracy, and more.


– Nightbane®: Nightlands™ – Cat. No. 732 – $17.49 (normally $24.99 retail) – 144 pages. 12+ monsters, 12+ demonic and mystical villains, the twisted mirror-dimension of Earth that is the Nightlands described, and more.


– Nightbane®: Through the Glass Darkly™ – Cat. No. 733 – $17.49 (normally $24.99 retail) – 152 pages. New types of magic including Fleshsculptor, Cybermage, Mirrormage, Nemesis, Living Pathways, and 50 magic spells, plus talismans, magic artifacts, three new full adventures, dozens of adventure hooks, and other source material to make you cringe with delight.


– Nightbane® Shadows of Light – Cat. No. 734 – $17.49 (normally $24.99 retail) – 160 pages. new insights to the world of the Nightbane, new dangers and strange beings, Fallen Guardians, a vampire conspiracy, the city of Pittsburgh outlined, and more.


– Nightbane® Survival Guide – Cat. No. 735 – $17.49 (normally $24.99 retail) – 160 pages. Everything you want to know about Nightbane but were afraid to ask. How to unleash your potential as a Nightbane®, many new Morphus tables, many new powers, new magic and new dangers. A complete adventure plus adventure ideas, Nightbane creation guidelines, Nightbane history, psychology and more.


– Nightbane®: Dark Designs™ – Cat. No. 736 – $17.49 (normally $24.99 retail) – 160 pages. The ultimate guide to creating the Nightbane and a sourcebook for players and Game Masters alike. 18 new and comprehensive Morphus Tables. 60 new Common Talents, 38 new Elite Talents, Transformation Transition Table, Talent creation and conversion rules, Appendix of 23 Morphus Tables, Appendix of 53 Talents gathered from the Nightbane® RPG and Sourcebooks, Ancient Nightbane R.C.C. and more. Available while supplies last.


– The Rifter® #82 – Cat. No. 182 – $10.49 (normally $14.99 retail) – 96 pages. Chaos Earth® Nebraska Conclusion, the Pyromancer O.C.C., 50+ new Pyromancy spells; Nightbane® age tables, and more.


– The Rifter® #84 – Cat. No. 184 – $10.49 (normally $14.99 retail) – 96 pages. BTS: Monster and adventure, NIghtbane® Spellbound O.C.C., Golems, an Elven Kingdom, HU2: City of Cascade, and more.


– The Rifter® #85 – Cat. No. 185 – $18.89 (normally $24.99 retail) – 224 pages. The largest printed issue of The Rifter® ever. Filled with fun across the Megaverse®. Glitter Boy upgrades, weapons, and variants; a Rifts® Story with Skelebots, dinosaurs, and innocent people in the way; the Rifts State of Rapid City; Fantasy Elven Empire, Fantasy Colony of Gonarn and adventure; 3 Heroes Unlimited Hardware O.C.C.s, an HU tribute by Freddie E. Williams; Phase World®; 25 Dead Reign® vehicle encounter tables and adventure; BTS story and adventure plot hooks; the Nightbane® Redeemer, and more.

Nightbane® PDF SALE on DriveThruRPG.com – limited time offer

The PDFs of the Nightbane® titles listed above are on sale at DriveThruRPG.com for a limited time. Both sales end with the two week crowdfunding campaign for the Nightbane® audiobook.

History of Palladium Books on YouTube

Palladium Books® YouTube Channel

I am currently doing a comprehensive ongoing series hosted by the affable J-M DeFoggi on the Official History of Palladium Books. A new episode posts every other week, plus the occasional bonus episode. It is being presented in rough chronological order and includes Secret Stories of the Defilers. The Defilers are my legendary, first campaign at the Detroit Gaming Center (DGC) where I ran 26 regular players for 12 hours every Saturday night for three and a half years. The DGC is also where I met folks like Erick Wujcik, Matthew Balent, Julius Rosenstein, and my first wife Maryann, and developed concepts and play-tested many Palladium rules and RPGs. We will also be sliding into topics about running games, writing, game design, character and monster creation, and lots of other themes as well as interviewing other people such as Matthew Balent, Ramon K. Perez, Freddie E. Williams II, etc., and a host of Palladium staff and creators. Please don’t hesitate to offer topic suggestions to any of the social media outlets listed here.


Here are some of the episodes currently available:


Coming YouTube Videos: Stories behind the creation of Heroes Unlimited, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness, Robotech®, Robotech® VHS tapes, Ninjas & Superspies, Beyond the Supernatural, Rifts® (a few episodes), Dead Reign®, and more, including Games that Almost Happened (but didn’t), and Close Encounters (with Hollywood and videogames).


A new episode goes up every other week with the occasional bonus episode in between. Many more chats are coming. Each one a friendly and candid conversation that gamers are enjoying. J-M Defoggi and I, Kevin Siembieda, reveal the origin stories behind your favorite Palladium role-playing games and sourcebooks. We will eventually switch to topics about running RPGs, designing adventures, Game Master and player tips, alignments, magic, writing RPGs, and others.

Legion of Myth chats with Kevin and Sean

Last week’s live chat on Legion of Myth was fun. It is now available for your listening enjoyment anytime. More will follow as we try to do a new RPG discussion at least once a month. The next one (tentatively) is February 16, 2025, at 2:00 PM Eastern Time. Sean will still be out of the country on business, so you’ll have to put up with just me, again. Please spread the word and join the fun.

Glitterbois and RealPlayGames Podcasts

I will be returning to do more interviews with the ever popular Glitterbois in February. Meanwhile, there are numerous discussions about role-playing and Palladium’s many game settings and book titles by the hosts, as well as an ongoing series of chats about the history of Palladium Books with me (Kevin Siembieda, the guy who started the company and has written or co-written 200+ RPG books). These are a blast and sometimes digress to include our views on various aspects of role-playing and Game Mastering. Lots of fun and stories.

– RealPlayGames Podcast – These talented fans have been creating radio-play style podcasts based on various Palladium RPG worlds for years. Their audience is growing. They are currently at the tail end of their Season One Palladium Fantasy series: Surviving Love. It sees a bunch of sexy dating show singles from the real world flung into the Palladium Fantasy world. The reception to it has been reported as nothing short of fantastic; their biggest and, by a large margin, best-performing podcast release to date! Check it out. They also plan to release their second season of Cozy Caverns Mysteries, based on Beyond the Supernatural 2E, in February, and have plans for other projects in development. Meanwhile, previous podcasts based on After the Bomb, Heroes Unlimited, and BTS remain available for your listening enjoyment.

Valley of the Pharaohs RPG Expanded 40th Anniversary Edition – available for a limited time

Waaaay back when, Palladium Books published the Valley of Pharaohs RPG as a box game. Well, 40 years later, I gave the author, my pal, Matthew Balent (best known for Weapons & Armour, Weapons & Castles, Weapons & Castles of the Orient, etc.), permission to reuse my artwork in a new, vastly expanded redux edition of the original game. It is a big 200+ page RPG. (The original was only 64 or 96 pages plus a dozen maps and diagrams.) The game rules are Matthew’s own creation with some unique ideas and mechanics you may find interesting, Meanwhile, the spells, characters, and ideas can be adapted to the Palladium game system with a little work. The lore, history, and writing is outstanding, so if you love Egyptian mythology, this is a must have item. Likewise, Palladium collectors may want one because the original 1985 box game is super-rare and expensive, but this authorized expanded 40th Anniversary edition is affordable and a good read. Available from Palladium Books for a limited time. Thank you for supporting the hard work of my friend, Matthew Balent, who played an important role in the early days of Palladium Books.

254 page softcover – $40 retail – Cat. No. 2621

274 page hardcover with bonus material – $60 retail – Cat. No. 2621HC

NEW! Nightbane® Automated Character Sheet


Now available on DriveThruRPG.com – The Nightbane Automated Character Sheet follows a similar format as the popular Rifts® Automated Character Sheet designed by Greg Diaczyk.

  • Microsoft Excel-based system for creating, updating, and tracking your Nightbane RPG characters quickly and easily. Once you know the system, you can have characters up and ready in 10-15 minutes!

  • Create your human Facade and Nightbane Morphus in minutes.

  • Offers a vast range of Morphus choices.

  • Select from scores of Common and Elite Nightbane Talents.

  • Spells, psionics, and more.

  • $5.00 – Available now on DriveThruRPG.com and coming soon on PalladiumBooks.com – Created by Greg Diaczyk.

300+ RPG products on DriveThru – a dozen unique world settings – one game system – endless possibilities. No other game company offers game worlds for so many different genres. Best of all, learn to play one Palladium RPG and you can play them all, because each uses the same basic core rules and combat. There are differences, but the fundamentals are the same. This also means you can bring characters, villains, monsters, powers, magic, weapons, gear, and adventure ideas from one setting into another or mash them together!


In addition to PDF titles for entire game lines like Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™, Ninjas & Superspies™, After the Bomb®, Beyond the Supernatural™, Dead Reign® (zombies), Nightbane® (Urban Fantasy), Rifts Chaos Earth®, Systems Failure™, Splicers®, RECON®, The Rifter® #1-85, and others, there are Game Master and player aids, character generators, paper minis, map packs, and FREE Previews of books like Creature Feature™, Dead Reign, Coalition Manhunters, Titan Robotics™, Rifts Bestiary Volume One, World Books, Dimension Books, and more to give you a glimpse of what’s in the book. Enjoy endless adventures across the Megaverse®.

Palladium Collectibles – at Kevin’s Online Toy & Collectibles eBay Store

I am adding new collectibles of all kinds to my Ebay store in time for the holiday season. Some are Palladium negatives, rare and out of print books, original Palladium artwork, prints, posters, as well as other collectible toys, action figures, Nightmare Before Christmas items, one-of-a-kind proofreader copies, books, and other good stuff – including Erick Wujcik’s rare and sought after Amberzine #12-15. Check in every week or so to see what’s new. All items come from Kevin Siembieda’s personal collection.


One-of-a-kind Palladium Books negatives (special and rare collectibles). Negatives are always very popular items at the Palladium Open House, Gen Con, and conventions, and are catching on as rare collectibles, unique in and of themselves. Before digital printing, pages of a book were laid out by hand on a board, and each page was photographed.

  • Each negative is truly unique, attractive, and fun to have.

  • Own a piece of Palladium Books and RPG history you will treasure.

  • Each was used to print the very book you may have in your collection (1981-2004).

  • Each is signed in silver ink by Kevin Siembieda and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.

  • Each negative is a one-of-a-kind work of art (on rare occasions, two-of-a-kind if a page or section of pages were replaced or a second edition was made).

  • Looks great matted or framed! Fits an 8×10 inch matt opening. Each neg is roughly 8 ½ x 11 inches.

  • Prices vary depending on the title, the art, and quality of the negative. Note: Many have scratches, or blemishes, and/or an opaque medium on the negative. Still, they look great and are a piece of RPG history. We recommend you carefully examine the photographs of each item to avoid disappointment. The negatives of many books are sold out or were never available.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

News Briefs


– Enjoy the last batch of Surprise Package comments from fans like you at the end of this Weekly Update. Our thanks to all our fans for your support and kind words. Keep your imaginations burning bright and game on.


– TMNT & Other Strangeness RPG Redux is magnificent. Even though Sean has been working remotely in a faraway land and battling a bug, he has made tremendous progress on the TMNT Redux books as they near completion. I’ve seen the finished layout for the Redux RPG and Transdimensional Adventures hardcovers and … wow, they look amazing. Gorgeous. Inspired. Sean outdid himself with layout and design. Gamers and TMNT fans of every stripe will love these attractive tomes filled with beautiful, full color artwork and bonus material galore. There will be a Kickstarter update coming soon, but I can tell you that the RPG Redux has topped out at 272 pages – that’s 16 bonus pages. Plus there are extra mutants, tables, bonus rules, written remembrances, and tribute art (30+ full page illustrations between the two books) that are sure to delight. In fact, we just added Eric Talbot to the list of notable comic book and gaming artists doing these splash page tributes. More details to come soon.


– TMNT & Other Strangeness RPG Redux editions are one of the featured games in the February Game Trade Magazine, issue #300. There is an article in it by Sean, and a special TMNT giveaway in the back. Awesome.


– GAMA Trade Show – February 23-27, 2025 – Retailers and store personnel, please visit the Palladium Books Booth #1176 near Monte Cook Games and Wet Ink Games toward the back of the exhibitor’s hall. We will have some TMNT & Other Strangeness RPG Redux samples to show you, can provide more information about it, Rifts, and other Palladium game lines, provide autographs, and help you to discover the growing Megaverse® of Palladium products. We might even have some fun giveaways (while supplies last).


– Palladium YouTube channel. J-M DeFoggi and Molly’s visit to the Palladium Studio was a blast, and we even had Rick Meints from Chaosium join us for dinner. J-M and I outlined the next year’s worth of videos (in addition to the 30 already recorded), so you can expect plenty more fun and insightful videos as we continue the Palladium history followed by RPG tips for Game Masters and players, discussions on campaign design, writing games, and more.


– Join the RPG audiobook revolution! I really believe this is the beginning of something fun and big. We’re glad to be part of it and you can too! Snag Palladium’s first audio RPG title, Nightbane®: Dark Designs Audiobook, being crowdfunded right now on Backerkit by the Audio RPG company, under license. The quality is excellent and the new medium brings games to life like I never imagined. You are going to love these audiobooks, especially if you already listen to novels as audiobooks. This is just the first of many. Please check it out!


– Nightbane® Book SALE. Save 30% on most Nightbane® titles. The Nightbane® RPG, its sourcebooks and a few select issues of The Rifter® are on sale till February 6 at the Palladium online store, and Nightbane PDF titles are on sale on DriveThruRPG.com – enjoy.


– Valley of the Pharaohs 40th Anniversary Edition is a unique collectible being made available for a very limited time. Get yours while you still can. Available as both a softcover and bonus hardcover edition. A fun collectable with fun new characters, spells and magic items.


– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Game Designer, Writer and Friend

Surprise Package Comments from fans like you

Yes, Christmas has come and gone, the 2024 Surprise Package deal has come to an end, and the New Year is upon us. Yet, I still like to share with you some of the fun and interesting fan comments we receive in the Christmas Surprise Packages till the end of January. Our thanks for all the kind words, great suggestions, and love that you all send our way. Enjoy and let us try to keep the spirit and joy of Christmas in our hearts every day throughout the year. A tall order, but let’s try.


– Kevin Siembieda (and the Palladium Crew)

J.O. in Niagara Falls, New York, writes (in part): I played Rifts® back in the 1990s, want to get back into it. I also pre-ordered the new TMNT books … D&D is cool, but I enjoyed the world of Rifts and would love to share that with new players.


[Welcome back, J.O.! Sounds like a plan. You’re going to love the TMNT & Other Strangeness RPG books, they are beautiful and fun. You’re smart to pre-order at the lower Kickstarter prices. Game on. – Kevin]

D.S. in Webster, New York, writes (in part): Continuing collecting just about anything I can from Palladium …


[Glad to hear it, D.S., we appreciate your years of fierce support. I hope you enjoyed the Surprise Package. Didn’t know what else to send. – Kevin]



E.A. in Olympia, Washington, writes (in part): Hello Kevin, Sean, and Everyone at Palladium Books. Thank you for doing the YouTube videos. The Palladium ones have been educational and emotional. I have not been able to meet either of you in person yet, so the videos, for me, are a means to hear your stories, and learn your insights. I have learned so much from you, Kevin. The interview that dealt with the Palladium Weapon Series blew my mind … Blessings to each of you and yours …


[Hi E.A., I’m sure we’ll meet some day, but until then, please continue to enjoy the videos. A new Palladium one is posted every other week on our YouTube channel, and I think they only get better and better. I hope folks enjoy the Secret Stories of the Defilers too. That’s my original game group at the Detroit Gaming Center; talk about crazy adventures. We’ll also start to talk about creating and running game campaigns, GMing, and more. Also check out the Glitterbois podcasts and Legion of Myth for more historical insight and game chats. – Kevin]



Q.J. in Evansville, Indiana, writes (in part): I would like to thank everyone at Palladium for not giving up and sacrificing so much, working hard and diligently to provide me and millions of others with such rich and delicious worlds to play in.


Kevin, thank you for … showing some of us that no matter what you are going through, even if the world is falling apart around you, that as long as you keep at it, your dreams are invincible …


[Wow, Q.J., you are an inspirational writer. Thank you for your heartfelt comments, they mean the world to me. We appreciate you recognizing our dedication to our audience and our dreams. It would be wonderful if the handling of our own trials and tribulations manages to help others get through theirs as well. Life is hard and challenging. Sometimes it’s full of pain and grief. Sometimes you feel like you can’t go on and should just give up, but that’s never the answer. Life is also filled with kindness, beauty, with sweet surprises like your touching comments. Thank you. We should never give up, no matter what, because the bad and the sorrowful will be replaced with beauty and joy, friends and love. Tears and sorrow get replaced with laughter and fun. I always try to see the good and the beautiful. And over the years, I’ve learned to never underestimate the human spirit. We need to count our blessings and be thankful for what we have while we can. I’m thankful for you and all our fans. Take care and stay awesome, all of you. – Kevin]



G.W. in Salem, Oregon, writes (in part): … the last couple of years when I have done a Surprise Package it has been wonderful. Thank you for all that the Palladium team does and has done. Everyone there is awesome!


[G.W., I don’t know about everyone here being awesome – just kidding! I work with some of the most wonderful and generous people in the world. I am very blessed, G.W., to have such great individuals and such wonderful fans at my side. Thank you. – Kevin]



D.T. in San Antonio, Texas, writes (in part): Looking forward to the TMNT & Other Strangeness Redux books coming soon and hope for Island at the Edge of the World Second Edition … you’re very much in people’s prayers … Merry Christmas and happy New Year to you all.


[Thank you for your personal message, D.T., it was very appreciated. I hope your Christmas was a joyful one and we appreciate every prayer and well wish sent our way. You know the TMNT books are coming this year and with a little luck, that other title too. Ho, ho, ho and happy New Year. – Kevin]



D.R. in Germantown, Maryland, writes (in part): … I’m doing a Mercenary Campaign set back East around Washington D.C. and the Shemarrians …


[Any game involving Archie-3 should be a blast, D.R. Keep your imagination burning bright. – Kevin]



S.S. in Atascocita, Texas, writes (in part): … I have used the Surprise Package over the last 5 years to rebuild my collection and I’m thrilled to say I’m starting up a Rifts® group for several people that have never played …


[I’m glad we could help, S.S., and I hope your Rifts® campaign with the newbies goes well. It sounds fun. – Kevin]



J.T. in Harlingen, Texas, writes (in part): … See you all again next holiday season. Nothing but love for all of you.


[Ditto J.T., the Surprise Package deal will return next holiday season. All those books in the five Grab Bags you ordered should keep you busy till then. Ho, ho, ho and happy New Year to all. – Kevin]

Nightbane® Sales & More – Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – January 23, 2025

Written by pb_addy on . Posted in Weekly Updates.

Weekly Update

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

BY KEVIN SIEMBIEDA

Nightbane® Sales & More – Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – January 23, 2025

This week Nightbane® is the center of attention! The Nightbane: Dark Designs audiobook crowdfunding campaign starts today, January 23, 2025. Plus there are two related Nightbane® sales. Be part of this historic event: Palladium’s first audiobook. Of course, if the Nightbane® audiobook series does well, we will do audiobooks for Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy, Dead Reign®, BTS, Heroes Unlimited, and all of our games. Thank you for your support. Say yes to RPG audiobooks! The crowdfunder lasts only two weeks.

Nightbane RPG Sale

Nightbane®: Dark Designs Audiobook

An RPG audiobook may sound crazy, but it won’t after you listen to the sample presented in this Nightbane: Dark Designs Audiobook crowdfunder taking place on Backerkit by one of Palladium’s new licensing partners. It sounds amazing! We were all blown away by the quality.

  • Fun to listen to.

  • Relaxing game prep.

  • Professional narration.

  • Convenient for the busy G.M.

  • Hearing the words spoken by a professional narrator makes the book come to life in a whole new way and feel brand new.

  • Hearing it also makes you notice game and adventure details you may have missed reading it yourself.

  • EVERYONE at Palladium endorses this product 100%. Go to the page and listen for yourself. You’ll be as pleased as we are.

  • Dive into the thrilling Urban Fantasy world of Nightbane® with Nightbane: Dark Designs.

  • Your Next RPG Adventure starts here when you experience the Nightbane: Dark Designs sourcebook in a whole new way with a professionally narrated audiobook. Packed with new Morphus tables, Talents, and tools for players and GMs.

  • Perfect for enhancing your Nightbane campaign or exploring its lore on the go.

  • Nightbane: Dark Designs audiobook takes you through new Morphus tables, Talents, and insights into Nightbane. Perfect for GMs and players, this audiobook transforms your rulebook into a listening experience you’ll love.

  • The project is crowdfunding on Backerkit now!

Nightbane RPG Sale

Nightbane® SALE – Save 20-30% on physical books – limited time offer

– Nightbane® RPG Softcover – Cat. No. 730 – $20.29 (normally $28.99 retail) – 240 pages. Urban Fantasy! Nightbane creation rules, Talents, and powers, but to use their powers, the young Nightbane must turn into monsters themselves. Includes inhuman factions, magic, psychic abilities, sorcery, dozens of monsters, world info, and a gallery of enemies and monsters. Nightlords, Vampires, Lightbringers, Hunters, Hounds, and Hollow Men are just some of the bizarre beings your tragic heroes will encounter on their journey of self-discovery and heroism. Join the secret war against a demonic invasion most people do not even know has taken place. The shapeshifting Nightlords, their evil Dopplegangers and other demonic minions are quietly taking over the world, starting with the most powerful nations. You know it is happening because you are the Nightbane. And only you can stop it.


– Nightbane® RPG “Bonus” Edition Hardcover – Cat. No. 730HC – $ 31.99 (normally $44.99 retail) – 304 pages – 60 extra pages of bonus material. Urban Fantasy! Your teenage or young adult Nightbane characters face dark magic, vampires, demons, monsters and conspiracy, but that won’t stop them! Join the secret war against a demonic invasion most people do not even know has taken place. You see the truth and know what is happening because that is one of the many Nightbane gifts. You can see the true demonic forms of these invaders and you can destroy them. The only wrinkle is you must reveal your monstrous supernatural form – your Morphus – to call upon your superhuman and magical powers. Oh, and the government is controlled by the Nightlords and their shape-changing demonic minions who fear and hunt all Nightbane. Available while supplies last.


– Nightbane®: Between the Shadows™ – Cat. No. 731 – $17.49 (normally $24.99 retail) – 144 pages. Psychic agents, more monsters, navigating the Dreamscape and the Astral Plane, the vampire conspiracy, and more.


– Nightbane®: Nightlands™ – Cat. No. 732 – $17.49 (normally $24.99 retail) – 144 pages. 12+ monsters, 12+ demonic and mystical villains, the twisted mirror-dimension of Earth that is the Nightlands described, and more.


– Nightbane®: Through the Glass Darkly™ – Cat. No. 733 – $17.49 (normally $24.99 retail) – 152 pages. New types of magic including Fleshsculptor, Cybermage, Mirrormage, Nemesis, Living Pathways, and 50 magic spells, plus talismans, magic artifacts, three new full adventures, dozens of adventure hooks, and other source material to make you cringe with delight.


– Nightbane® Shadows of Light – Cat. No. 734 – $17.49 (normally $24.99 retail) – 160 pages. new insights to the world of the Nightbane, new dangers and strange beings, Fallen Guardians, a vampire conspiracy, the city of Pittsburgh outlined, and more.


– Nightbane® Survival Guide – Cat. No. 735 – $17.49 (normally $24.99 retail) – 160 pages. Everything you want to know about Nightbane but were afraid to ask. How to unleash your potential as a Nightbane®, many new Morphus tables, many new powers, new magic and new dangers. A complete adventure plus adventure ideas, Nightbane creation guidelines, Nightbane history, psychology and more.


– Nightbane®: Dark Designs™ – Cat. No. 736 – $17.49 (normally $24.99 retail) – 160 pages. The ultimate guide to creating the Nightbane and a sourcebook for players and Game Masters alike. 18 new and comprehensive Morphus Tables. 60 new Common Talents, 38 new Elite Talents, Transformation Transition Table, Talent creation and conversion rules, Appendix of 23 Morphus Tables, Appendix of 53 Talents gathered from the Nightbane® RPG and Sourcebooks, Ancient Nightbane R.C.C. and more. Available while supplies last.


– The Rifter® #82 – Cat. No. 182 – $10.49 (normally $14.99 retail) – 96 pages. Chaos Earth® Nebraska Conclusion, the Pyromancer O.C.C., 50+ new Pyromancy spells; Nightbane® age tables, and more.


– The Rifter® #84 – Cat. No. 184 – $10.49 (normally $14.99 retail) – 96 pages. BTS: Monster and adventure, NIghtbane® Spellbound O.C.C., Golems, an Elven Kingdom, HU2: City of Cascade, and more.


– The Rifter® #85 – Cat. No. 185 – $18.89 (normally $24.99 retail) – 224 pages. The largest printed issue of The Rifter® ever. Filled with fun across the Megaverse®. Glitter Boy upgrades, weapons, and variants; a Rifts® Story with Skelebots, dinosaurs, and innocent people in the way; the Rifts State of Rapid City; Fantasy Elven Empire, Fantasy Colony of Gonarn and adventure; 3 Heroes Unlimited Hardware O.C.C.s, an HU tribute by Freddie E. Williams; Phase World®; 25 Dead Reign® vehicle encounter tables and adventure; BTS story and adventure plot hooks; the Nightbane® Redeemer, and more.

Nightbane® PDF SALE on DriveThruRPG.com – limited time offer

The PDFs of the Nightbane® titles listed above are on sale at DriveThruRPG.com for a limited time. Both sales end with the two week crowdfunding campaign for the Nightbane® audiobook.

History of Palladium Books on YouTube

Palladium Books® YouTube Channel

I am currently doing a comprehensive ongoing series hosted by the affable J-M DeFoggi on the Official History of Palladium Books. A new episode posts every other week, plus the occasional bonus episode. It is being presented in rough chronological order and includes Secret Stories of the Defilers. The Defilers are my legendary, first campaign at the Detroit Gaming Center (DGC) where I ran 26 regular players for 12 hours every Saturday night for three and a half years. The DGC is also where I met folks like Erick Wujcik, Matthew Balent, Julius Rosenstein, and my first wife Maryann, and developed concepts and play-tested many Palladium rules and RPGs. We will also be sliding into topics about running games, writing, game design, character and monster creation, and lots of other themes as well as interviewing other people such as Matthew Balent, Ramon K. Perez, Freddie E. Williams II, etc., and a host of Palladium staff and creators. Please don’t hesitate to offer topic suggestions to any of the social media outlets listed here.


Here are some of the episodes currently available:


Coming YouTube Videos: Stories behind the creation of Heroes Unlimited, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness, Robotech®, Robotech® VHS tapes, Ninjas & Superspies, Beyond the Supernatural, Rifts® (a few episodes), Dead Reign®, and more, including Games that Almost Happened (but didn’t), and Close Encounters (with Hollywood and videogames).


A new episode goes up every other week with the occasional bonus episode in between. Many more chats are coming. Each one a friendly and candid conversation that gamers are enjoying. J-M Defoggi and I, Kevin Siembieda, reveal the origin stories behind your favorite Palladium role-playing games and sourcebooks. We will eventually switch to topics about running RPGs, designing adventures, Game Master and player tips, alignments, magic, writing RPGs, and others.

Legion of Myth live chat with Kevin Siembieda – Sunday, January 26, 2025

Sean is out of the country on business, so you’ll have to put up with just me, MaxLiao, and Heathdog. Silliness, fun, and information are almost a guarantee. The chat with me starts at 2:00 PM till about 4:00 PM but the show will be recorded and made available after the live broadcast. We’ll touch on what’s happening at Palladium a bit and then engage in some role-playing game topics like risk/reward in combat and more. Please spread the word and join the fun.

Glitterbois and RealPlayGames Podcasts

I will be returning to do more interviews with the ever popular Glitterbois in February. Meanwhile, there are numerous discussions about role-playing and Palladium’s many game settings and book titles by the hosts, as well as an ongoing series of chats about the history of Palladium Books with me (Kevin Siembieda, the guy who started the company and has written or co-written 200+ RPG books). These are a blast and sometimes digress to include our views on various aspects of role-playing and Game Mastering. Lots of fun and stories.

– RealPlayGames Podcast – These talented fans have been creating radio-play style podcasts based on various Palladium RPG worlds for years. Their audience is growing. They are currently at the tail end of their Season One Palladium Fantasy series: Surviving Love. It sees a bunch of sexy dating show singles from the real world flung into the Palladium Fantasy world. The reception to it has been reported as nothing short of fantastic; their biggest and, by a large margin, best-performing podcast release to date! Check it out. They also plan to release their second season of Cozy Caverns Mysteries, based on Beyond the Supernatural 2E, in February, and have plans for other projects in development. Meanwhile, previous podcasts based on After the Bomb, Heroes Unlimited, and BTS remain available for your listening enjoyment.

Valley of the Pharaohs RPG Expanded 40th Anniversary Edition – available for a limited time

Waaaay back when, Palladium Books published the Valley of Pharaohs RPG as a box game. Well, 40 years later, I gave the author, my pal, Matthew Balent (best known for Weapons & Armour, Weapons & Castles, Weapons & Castles of the Orient, etc.), permission to reuse my artwork in a new, vastly expanded redux edition of the original game. It is a big 200+ page RPG. (The original was only 64 or 96 pages plus a dozen maps and diagrams.) The game rules are Matthew’s own creation with some unique ideas and mechanics you may find interesting, Meanwhile, the spells, characters, and ideas can be adapted to the Palladium game system with a little work. The lore, history, and writing is outstanding, so if you love Egyptian mythology, this is a must have item. Likewise, Palladium collectors may want one because the original 1985 box game is super-rare and expensive, but this authorized expanded 40th Anniversary edition is affordable and a good read. Available from Palladium Books for a limited time. Thank you for supporting the hard work of my friend, Matthew Balent, who played an important role in the early days of Palladium Books.

254 page softcover – $40 retail – Cat. No. 2621

274 page hardcover with bonus material – $60 retail – Cat. No. 2621HC

NEW! Nightbane® Automated Character Sheet


Now available on DriveThruRPG.com – The Nightbane Automated Character Sheet follows a similar format as the popular Rifts® Automated Character Sheet designed by Greg Diaczyk.

  • Microsoft Excel-based system for creating, updating, and tracking your Nightbane RPG characters quickly and easily. Once you know the system, you can have characters up and ready in 10-15 minutes!

  • Create your human Facade and Nightbane Morphus in minutes.

  • Offers a vast range of Morphus choices.

  • Select from scores of Common and Elite Nightbane Talents.

  • Spells, psionics, and more.

  • $5.00 – Available now on DriveThruRPG.com and coming soon on PalladiumBooks.com – Created by Greg Diaczyk.

300+ RPG products on DriveThru – a dozen unique world settings – one game system – endless possibilities. No other game company offers game worlds for so many different genres. Best of all, learn to play one Palladium RPG and you can play them all, because each uses the same basic core rules and combat. There are differences, but the fundamentals are the same. This also means you can bring characters, villains, monsters, powers, magic, weapons, gear, and adventure ideas from one setting into another or mash them together!


In addition to PDF titles for entire game lines like Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™, Ninjas & Superspies™, After the Bomb®, Beyond the Supernatural™, Dead Reign® (zombies), Nightbane® (Urban Fantasy), Rifts Chaos Earth®, Systems Failure™, Splicers®, RECON®, The Rifter® #1-85, and others, there are Game Master and player aids, character generators, paper minis, map packs, and FREE Previews of books like Creature Feature™, Dead Reign, Coalition Manhunters, Titan Robotics™, Rifts Bestiary Volume One, World Books, Dimension Books, and more to give you a glimpse of what’s in the book. Enjoy endless adventures across the Megaverse®.

Palladium Collectibles – at Kevin’s Online Toy & Collectibles eBay Store

I am adding new collectibles of all kinds to my Ebay store in time for the holiday season. Some are Palladium negatives, rare and out of print books, original Palladium artwork, prints, posters, as well as other collectible toys, action figures, Nightmare Before Christmas items, one-of-a-kind proofreader copies, books, and other good stuff – including Erick Wujcik’s rare and sought after Amberzine #12-15. Check in every week or so to see what’s new. All items come from Kevin Siembieda’s personal collection.


One-of-a-kind Palladium Books negatives (special and rare collectibles). Negatives are always very popular items at the Palladium Open House, Gen Con, and conventions, and are catching on as rare collectibles, unique in and of themselves. Before digital printing, pages of a book were laid out by hand on a board, and each page was photographed.

  • Each negative is truly unique, attractive, and fun to have.

  • Own a piece of Palladium Books and RPG history you will treasure.

  • Each was used to print the very book you may have in your collection (1981-2004).

  • Each is signed in silver ink by Kevin Siembieda and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.

  • Each negative is a one-of-a-kind work of art (on rare occasions, two-of-a-kind if a page or section of pages were replaced or a second edition was made).

  • Looks great matted or framed! Fits an 8×10 inch matt opening. Each neg is roughly 8 ½ x 11 inches.

  • Prices vary depending on the title, the art, and quality of the negative. Note: Many have scratches, or blemishes, and/or an opaque medium on the negative. Still, they look great and are a piece of RPG history. We recommend you carefully examine the photographs of each item to avoid disappointment. The negatives of many books are sold out or were never available.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Back among the living


Gah. I have a killer head cold or bug of some kind, but it’s the fever that I hate. It has had me out of commission all week and part of last. I think I might have had it beaten because I was feeling great Saturday and Sunday until I overdid it working and staying up late. Monday morning the bug had returned with a vengeance. I’m finally feeling better, but now I’m coughing and look and feel worn out, so my apologies in advance if I’m not in top form on Legion of Myth this Sunday afternoon (2:00 PM Eastern Time, please join us) or in a DeFoggi interview or two. Sheesh. Still it’s good to be back among the living (mostly), after a very zombie-like Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.


Despite my being ill, we actually made a lot of headway on several fronts. TMNT & Other Strangeness being one of them (everything looks so good) and GAMA Trade Show (February 23-27) preparations being another that I’m at liberty to talk about.


The infamous J-M DeFoggi (and Molly) will be braving the Plague Zone here at the

office with a highly anticipated visit to the Palladium Books studio. Though we met in person at last year’s Chaosium Con in 2024, J-M and his pal Molly have never been onsite at Palladium and they are looking forward to it. By the way, Sean thinks we should refer to the offices/warehouse/Palladium HQ as the Palladium Books Studio, because we really are more of a “studio” than an office. I mean, this is where the books are conceived, designed, and laid out, there is original art and prints, games, and life-sized statues (Leonardo, Storm Trooper, Stan Winston Alien, and numerous Halloween props) all over the place, so definitely NOT your typical office environment. It very much has a playful studio vibe. I also like the “studio” designation, so that’s what we’ll be transitioning over to calling Palladium H.Q. – the Palladium Books Studio. Sean and I just need to remember to do so consistently.


Say yes to RPG audiobooks! It may sound crazy, but you MUST check out the Nightbane: Dark Designs audiobook being crowdfunded right now on Backerkit. It sounds amazing. I always thought making RPG audiobooks was a good idea, but we were all blown away by the quality. You are going to love these, especially if you already listen to novels as audiobooks. It makes the books come alive in a different way. The publisher has chosen to start with the sourcebooks to lead into the grand finale of the core rule book to build excitement and anticipation for the RPG. Please check it out!


Nightbane SALE. We thought we’d offer the Nightbane RPG and sourcebooks on sale while the crowdfunder was going to help spur excitement. You can find books on sale at the Palladium online store and PDF titles on sale on DriveThruRPG.com – enjoy.


– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Game Designer, Writer and Friend

Surprise Package Comments from fans like you

Yes, Christmas has come and gone, the 2024 Surprise Package deal has come to an end, and the New Year is upon us. Yet, I still like to share with you some of the fun and interesting fan comments we receive in the Christmas Surprise Packages till the end of January. Our thanks for all the kind words, great suggestions, and love that you all send our way. Enjoy and let us try to keep the spirit and joy of Christmas in our hearts every day throughout the year. A tall order, but let’s try.


– Kevin Siembieda (and the Palladium Crew)

T.C. in Corvallis, Oregon, writes (in part): … I just want to give you folks money. Love your stuff. What a lovely list of great memories with my best friends you folks have given me.


[Glad to hear it T.C., the important things in life are the great memories and friendships. Here’s to many more years of RPG fun. Oh, and please feel free to give us money any time. Ha, ha, ha. – Kevin]



M.G. in Old Bridge, New Jersey, writes (in part): Thank you guys for everything and keep at it. Been loving the podcasts on Glitterbois and getting all the history and mind set of the development of this vast world. Thank you for not selling out and [for] working so hard to keep it in house and so pure …


[The Glitterbois podcasts, Legion of Myth, and Palladium Books YouTube channel chats have been a blast to do, M.G., with much more to come. Rest assured there are no plans to “sell out.” We’ve had plenty of offers, but we love keeping it real and pure. Sean and other people joining our ranks understand what Palladium is all about. So you should expect more of the same for years to come. – Kevin]



J.O.L. in East Moline, Illinois, writes (in part): I have always enjoyed the Palladium game system. I just wish there were more new books coming out …


[With any luck, J.O.L., you’ll begin to see a lot more new releases, starting this year. Game on! – Kevin]



L.M. in Christchurch, New Zealand, writes: Rifts® has been really fun to G.M. and the lore is still keeping me interested.


[Glad to hear it, L.M., thanks for the years of support. Game on! – Kevin]



J.F. in Reston, Virginia, writes (in part): … this is for my husband. He loves your material. You should see his bookshelf. In fact, you should listen to his one-man game, Dying Psi podcast.


[I hope he enjoyed the Surprise Package J.F. I’m so busy I don’t have much time to listen to many new podcasts, but I’ll try to remember. Meanwhile, maybe others will discover his podcast with this mention. – Kevin]



D.C. Jr., in Oxford, Georgia, writes (in part): … Thanks for all of y’all’s amazing hard work. I really enjoy the shows you do with the Legion of Myth, and Kevin, I’m deeply saddened for the loss of your life partner. Let her loving memory be your inspiration.


[Thank you, D.C., we enjoy doing the shows with the Legion of Myth, the Glitterbois, and others. In fact, I will be on the Legion of Myth, Sunday, January 26, and back on Glitterbois in February I think. Sean and I are so happy so many thousands of fans enjoy them so much. My memories of Kathy warm my heart and are, indeed, my inspiration to keep going and to be the best person I can be. – Kevin]



S.D. in Omaha, Nebraska, writes (in part): I’ve recently realized that come this month (January, 2025), I’ve been playing various Palladium Books games for 35 years! Here’s hoping that I get to for 35 more!


[Amen, S.D., good health and a long, happy life to you. I’ve brought in Sean and others to help ensure that Palladium Books grows and gets stronger so it keeps on going for generations to come. Game on, my friend. – Kevin]



J.D. in Odessa, Texas, writes: Just like to say thank you for years of enjoyment. I purchased my first Palladium RPG back in the late 1980s and you guys have always been my favorite. I’m looking forward to the TMNT & Other Strangeness RPG Redux books and everything else you offer. All the best in the future. Take care.


[Thank you J.D., same to you. You’ll love those books. And folks can still pre-order them at the lower Kickstarter price, but not for very much longer. – Kevin]

J.N. in Martinez, California, writes (in part): I’ve been playing Rifts® since 1991, when I was in 6th grade … I started an online game during the pandemic … and been playing the same characters ever since … Thank you for keeping Rifts® going. It’s given me over 30 years of joy and friendships.


[I love stories like these J.N., and it’s what I love about RPGs. It’s not just about cooperative gaming and weaving of epic stories, but the friendships that are formed. Game on! – Kevin]



C.A. in Crystal Lake, Illinois, writes: Love this company and the game system.


[Thanks, C.A., and we love and appreciate you. – Kevin]

Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – January 16, 2025

Written by pb_addy on . Posted in Weekly Updates.

Weekly Update

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

BY KEVIN SIEMBIEDA

Palladium Books® – Weekly Update
January 16, 2025

The New Year is off with a bang here at Palladium Books. To get a glimpse of what’s happening behind the scenes, please check out last Friday’s: The Future of Palladium Books Special Report. There’s a lot and it’s all good. 2025 is going to be quite the ride and we hope you’ll be there for every minute of it. Not only that, but help spread the word about Palladium Books’ games, new releases, and other fun happenings.


Our thanks to everyone tuning into the Palladium Books YouTube channel to enjoy our ongoing history of Palladium Books with me (Kevin Siembieda, the founder and lead game designer) and J-M DeFoggi. We’re having a blast with these candid chats. Please continue to watch and spread the word, because we talk about TMNT, Robotech, Rifts and all the rest. You can also catch Palladium RPG fun on the Glitterbois podcast and monthly YouTube chats on the Legion of Myth.


We hope the multitude who purchased one or more Christmas Surprise Packages enjoyed each and every one. They’ll be back next Christmas season, but we don’t know for how many years longer, as they are a ton of work. I will continue to include fan comments at the end of these Weekly Updates for the next few weeks for your enjoyment.


Please keep the orders coming. We’ll help with a number of re-releases such as more of The Rifter® Archival Editions, TMNT & Other Strangeness RPG Redux editions (so completely remastered and in full, breathtaking color, that they feel new), along with brand new products like Yin-Sloth Expeditions, Rifts® Bestiary Volume 2, Rifts® Antarctica, and more. Hopefully, much more.


News! TMNT & Other Strangeness Mini-Update. Everything is moving along on all fronts regarding final layout, and approvals and looking GREAT. There is still time to get the mainstream Redux editions and Black, White and Red editions (look amazing), and Game Screen at the lower Kickstarter prices, but you need to do so soon. I think the Pre-Order Store will be closed by the end of February or March.

TMNT & Other Strangeness Redux Pre-Order Store

TMNT & Other Strangeness Pre-Order Store. There is a link on the front page of the Palladium website to the TMNT & Other Strangeness Pre-Order Store (as well as below). Please note that these products will not ship until this spring. The advantage to placing your pre-order before March 2025 is that you will get the items at the lower Kickstarter price. For example, you save $10 on each of the two color cover volumes of the two main books, because the final retail price will be higher than the current Kickstarter price. Moreover, Sean Owen Roberson has outdone himself on the Redux editions. Clear and concise rules clarifications, new and helpful tables and charts, sweet layout, gorgeous color art, and so much more.

News! Congratulations to Palladium author Carl Gleba (Minion War, Secrets of the Atlanteans) on the arrival of his first child! We are all so happy for you, Big Daddy.

Valley of the Pharoahs RPG! Waaaay back when, Palladium Books published the Valley of Pharaohs RPG as a box game. Well, 40 years later, I gave the author, my pal, Matthew Balent (best known for Weapons & Armour, Weapons & Castles, Weapons & Castles of the Orient, etc.), permission to reuse my artwork in a new, vastly expanded redux edition of the original game. It is a big 200+ page RPG. (The original was only 64 or 96 pages plus a dozen maps and diagrams.) The game rules are Matthew’s own creation with some unique ideas and mechanics you may find interesting, Meanwhile, the spells, characters, and ideas can be adapted to the Palladium game system with a little work. The lore, history, and writing is outstanding, so if you love Egyptian mythology, this is a must have item. Likewise, Palladium collectors may want one because the original 1985 box game is super-rare and expensive, but this authorized expanded 40th Anniversary edition is affordable and a good read. Available from Palladium Books for a limited time. Thank you for supporting the hard work of my friend, Matthew Balent, who played an important role in the early days of Palladium Books.

254 page softcover – $40 retail – Cat. No. 2621

274 page hardcover with bonus material – $60 retail – Cat. No. 2621HC

History of Palladium Books on YouTube

News! Palladium Books® YouTube Channel – The Official History of Palladium Books is an ongoing video series presented in rough, Chronological order. Here are some of the episodes currently available:


Coming YouTube Videos: Stories behind the creation of Heroes Unlimited, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness, Robotech®, Robotech® VHS tapes, Ninjas & Superspies, Beyond the Supernatural, Rifts® (a few episodes), Dead Reign®, and more, including Games that Almost Happened (but didn’t), and Close Encounters (with Hollywood and videogames).


A new episode goes up every other week with the occasional bonus episode in between. Many more chats are coming. Each one a friendly and candid conversation that gamers are enjoying. J-M Defoggi and I, Kevin Siembieda, reveal the origin stories behind your favorite Palladium role-playing games and sourcebooks. We will eventually switch to topics about running RPGs, designing adventures, Game Master and player tips, alignments, magic, writing RPGs, and others.

News! Kevin Siembieda on Legion of Myth live chat – 2:00 PM Sunday, January 26, 2025. Sean is overseas on business so the time difference makes it difficult for him to join us, but I’ll be there to chat about a variety of subjects. Please join the fun.

News! The Glitterbois podcasts – We talk about all things Palladium Books and include chats with me (Kevin Siembieda) about the origins and history of Palladium Books, my thought process behind Palladium’s many game lines and specific book titles, and other fun topics. These podcasts always cover additional details and memories about Palladium’s history and iconic games not found in Palladium’s official YouTube material. And who doesn’t love the Glitterbois hosts? Tune into the fun. New episodes with me are coming throughout the year.

News! What’s hot at Palladium this week – With the end of the Surprise Package offer, we saw everything blowing out the door, but we did notice some interesting trends: Rifts® and Palladium Fantasy remain hot, but we’re seeing Phase World® and Rifts® Dimension Books along with Heroes Unlimited/After the Bomb® heating up. The surprise has been the magnitude of renewed interest in Dead Reign® RPG, it has been super-hot this past week in both regular orders and Surprise Package requests.

Dead Reign® is red hot – I think people are discovering that Dead Reign® is an intuitive, fast, fun, introductory game ideal for inexperienced, new role-players and fun for seasoned veteran gamers. The Dead Reign® setting and prime enemy (zombies) is instantly familiar and easy to understand, combat is straightforward with no magic or psionics, and the zombies are both familiar yet different, and uniquely Palladium. How zombies function and behave (the Zombie Moan, converging to get a piece of P.P.E. at the moment of a victim’s death, etc.) makes total sense and I think people like to understand how (our) zombies function and why. It answers questions about zombies that no other game offers.


Sales are up with distributors, retailers, and across the board. Just last week we had two different people visit the office. One was a business meeting unrelated to RPGs and the other was a visit by a Rifts® fan. Both were looking to try a new RPG, something beginner gamers could pick up easily. I told them about a few of our games, but both gravitated toward Dead Reign®. Both bought the RPG and love it. In fact, the business person (a big board gamer) loves the setting and is starting a Dead Reign® campaign with his wife and some friends this week! If you haven’t tried it, you might want to take a look at Dead Reign® in the future.

News! 3 Notebook & Pen Sets – These have proven to be quite popular. I think Game Masters and players both enjoy having a notebook and pen clearly marked for the game they are playing in. I must admit, everyone here scooped up one of each.

  • Pen and matching 80 page, ruled paper notepad with matching color ribbon bookmark.

  • Pocket-size 3 ½ by 5 ½ inches to slip nicely into a back pocket or purse.


Rifts® Unleash Your Imagination Blue Notebook & Pen Set – $9.99 per set – Cat. No. 2618 – available now.

Palladium Books® Live the Fantasy Black Notebook & Pen Set – $9.99 per set – Cat. No. 2619 – available now.

Heroes Unlimited™ Unleash Your Power Red Notebook & Pen Set – $9.99 per set – Cat. No. 2620 – available now.

NEW! Nightbane® Automated Character Sheet


Now available on DriveThruRPG.com – The Nightbane Automated Character Sheet follows a similar format as the popular Rifts® Automated Character Sheet designed by Greg Diaczyk.

  • Microsoft Excel-based system for creating, updating, and tracking your Nightbane RPG characters quickly and easily. Once you know the system, you can have characters up and ready in 10-15 minutes!

  • Create your human Facade and Nightbane Morphus in minutes.

  • Offers a vast range of Morphus choices.

  • Select from scores of Common and Elite Nightbane Talents.

  • Spells, psionics, and more.

  • $5.00 – Available now on DriveThruRPG.com and coming soon on PalladiumBooks.com – Created by Greg Diaczyk.

300+ RPG products on DriveThru – a dozen unique world settings – one game system – endless possibilities. No other game company offers game worlds for so many different genres. Best of all, learn to play one Palladium RPG and you can play them all, because each uses the same basic core rules and combat. There are differences, but the fundamentals are the same. This also means you can bring characters, villains, monsters, powers, magic, weapons, gear, and adventure ideas from one setting into another or mash them together!


In addition to PDF titles for entire game lines like Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy®, Heroes Unlimited™, Ninjas & Superspies™, After the Bomb®, Beyond the Supernatural™, Dead Reign® (zombies), Nightbane® (Urban Fantasy), Rifts Chaos Earth®, Systems Failure™, Splicers®, RECON®, The Rifter® #1-85, and others, there are Game Master and player aids, character generators, paper minis, map packs, and FREE Previews of books like Creature Feature™, Dead Reign, Coalition Manhunters, Titan Robotics™, Rifts Bestiary Volume One, World Books, Dimension Books, and more to give you a glimpse of what’s in the book. Enjoy endless adventures across the Megaverse®.

Palladium Collectibles – at Kevin’s Online Toy & Collectibles eBay Store

I am adding new collectibles of all kinds to my Ebay store in time for the holiday season. Some are Palladium negatives, rare and out of print books, original Palladium artwork, prints, posters, as well as other collectible toys, action figures, Nightmare Before Christmas items, one-of-a-kind proofreader copies, books, and other good stuff – including Erick Wujcik’s rare and sought after Amberzine #12-15. Check in every week or so to see what’s new. All items come from Kevin Siembieda’s personal collection.


One-of-a-kind Palladium Books negatives (special and rare collectibles). Negatives are always very popular items at the Palladium Open House, Gen Con, and conventions, and are catching on as rare collectibles, unique in and of themselves. Before digital printing, pages of a book were laid out by hand on a board, and each page was photographed.

  • Each negative is truly unique, attractive, and fun to have.

  • Own a piece of Palladium Books and RPG history you will treasure.

  • Each was used to print the very book you may have in your collection (1981-2004).

  • Each is signed in silver ink by Kevin Siembieda and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.

  • Each negative is a one-of-a-kind work of art (on rare occasions, two-of-a-kind if a page or section of pages were replaced or a second edition was made).

  • Looks great matted or framed! Fits an 8×10 inch matt opening. Each neg is roughly 8 ½ x 11 inches.

  • Prices vary depending on the title, the art, and quality of the negative. Note: Many have scratches, or blemishes, and/or an opaque medium on the negative. Still, they look great and are a piece of RPG history. We recommend you carefully examine the photographs of each item to avoid disappointment. The negatives of many books are sold out or were never available.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

A few last words


Thank you for your support of Palladium Books with the Surprise Package offer and purchases all year long. We can’t do this without you. To get info about what’s going on behind the scenes, see the Future of Palladium Books Special Report (January 10, 2025). Otherwise, take a glance at the Weekly Updates for sales, new releases, YouTube and podcast appearances, and other news.


I’m sure there’s more to talk about, but a head cold has just hit me like a ton of bricks and I’m gonna end this here. Stay positive, enjoy the Comments from Fans like you, below, and game on.


– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Game Designer, Writer and Friend

Surprise Package Comments from fans like you

Yes, Christmas has come and gone, the 2024 Surprise Package deal has come to an end, and the New Year is upon us. Yet, I still like to share with you some of the fun and interesting fan comments we receive in the Christmas Surprise Packages till the end of January. Our thanks for all the kind words, great suggestions, and love that you all send our way. Enjoy and let us try to keep the spirit and joy of Christmas in our hearts every day throughout the year. A tall order, but let’s try.


– Kevin Siembieda (and the Palladium Crew)

J.H. in Katy, Texas, writes (in part): Thank you for giving us all a few extra weeks to order one of these. I haven’t done one in years because I tend to buy things as they come out, but I finally have enough for a want list to order one.


[You’re very welcome, J.H., this is exactly why I extend the offer a couple weeks into January. We appreciate you buying books as they come out and there should be quite a few new releases this year. Thanks and game on. – Kevin]



C.H.K. in Casselberry, Florida, writes (in part): I just saw my own written words and your reply to them in my Palladium email … Wow. It’s not the first time, but it floors me with a smile every time! … Dead Reign® is a real crazy trip in a good way.


[I’m so glad you enjoyed seeing your comment shared in the last Update, C.H.K. That’s why I do a selection of fan comments (and why we do the Surprise Package deal); to make fans smile and know they are special and appreciated. Thank you for your personal message to me as well, C.H.K. Stay awesome and game on. – Kevin]



J.O. in Niagara Falls, New York, writes (in part): I played Rifts® back in the 1990s and want to get back into it. I also pre-ordered the new TMNT books … D&D is cool, but I enjoyed the world of Rifts and would love to share that with new players.


[Welcome back, J.O.! Sounds like a plan. You’re going to love the TMNT & Other Strangeness RPG books, they are beautiful and fun. You’re smart to pre-order at the lower Kickstarter prices. Game on. – Kevin]

J.T. in Athens, Alabama, writes: Thank you for all the wonderful memories and keep up the amazing work.


[You are very welcome, J.T., and we will. We have so many amazing new books we want to put into your hands. – Kevin]



M.M.C. in Prairie Grove, Arizona, writes (in part): I have just recently started playing Rifts® with my Uncle, and I’m hooked. I love the adventure and the world of Rifts®.


[Welcome to Rifts®, M.M.C., it’s a dimension of endless imagination. – Kevin]



R.B. in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, writes (in part): Palladium Fantasy and Rifts® are favorites … want to try Chaos Earth®. Just wanted to say thank you for creating some of the fond memories of my younger days enjoying these games with friends.


[The pleasure is all ours, R.B. That’s what makes RPGs so special, there is nothing like them and the memories are so rich and vibrant. Game on. – Kevin]



M.H. in Benton, Arizona, writes (in part): Thank you for everything you guys do … I spent the last few months trying to improve my self-care and I realized that some of my happiest times have been playing RPGs with friends … your efforts have been a blessing to my life more than once over the years … sometimes we don’t know the ways we affect the world.


[I hear you, M.H., and you are not alone. RPGs are a wonderful and cheerful experience shared with friends or family. They most definitely help alleviate stress and stimulate the imagination in the most positive ways. I regularly suggest role-playing to find escape from our everyday worries. The fact that our games and our words have helped our fellow gamers is, indeed, an unexpected blessing that is both miraculous and humbling to us. Stay frosty and game on! – Kevin]



B.C. in St. Cloud, Minnesota, writes (in part): … Please keep up the great work. I look forward to seeing more YouTube videos and podcast interviews with Kevin and Sean. You guys are great. I’m super-excited for the TMNT Redux! Kevin, your work and commitment to your vision, your team, and the fans is nothing short of remarkable.


[Thank you, B.C., for your kind words and excitement. It’s nice when someone recognizes that commitment. It helps that I love what I do, the people I work with, and the fans. There are many more videos and podcasts coming. In fact, I will be on a live chat with Legion of Myth Sunday, January 26, 2:00 PM Eastern Time. – Kevin]



D.L. in Killeen, Texas, writes (in part): Hi Guys, this is for my friend. I got him hooked on Rifts® (playing weekly now) and just hooked him on Palladium Fantasy, too. Love everything you guys do and I’m still out there doing my part to share the good news of Palladium Books.


[Much appreciated, D.L., you’re like Johnny Appleseed, only you’re planting the seeds of Palladium role-playing wherever you go. Awesome. Thank you and keep on keeping on. With appreciation. – Kevin]



W.L. in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, writes (in part): I just want to say, thank you, Kevin, for creating the Megaversal gaming system! It’s been a favorite of my gaming group … probably played Palladium Fantasy the most … Robotech® was also a favorite of mine.


[You’re welcome, W.L., our pleasure. Glad you enjoy our core rules and games so much. Keep your imagination burning bright. – Kevin]

Last 2 Weekends of Sale – Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – January 3, 2025

Written by pb_addy on . Posted in Weekly Updates.

Weekly Update

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

BY KEVIN SIEMBIEDA

Last 2 Weekends of Sale – Palladium Books® – Weekly Update – January 3, 2025

Happy New Year. We hope it will be a great one for us all. This is another mini-update so you don’t miss getting a Surprise Package (time is running out!) and to share more fun, fan comments at the end of this email.


Last 2 Weekends to get yourself a Surprise Package – Offer ENDS January 15, 2025


Besides being the best deal in gaming – $100+ worth of goodies (often more) for $60 (plus shipping) – it’s a smile and a hug that comes in a box filled with signed game books from available Palladium staff and freelancers at PDF prices. That can nab you four or more items when these days one core rule book can cost you that alone.


Surprise Packages are a great way to build your collection, try new settings, and replace battered old favorite titles as well as make the perfect gamer gift for birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, or any gift-giving occasion. And remember, if you request autographs from available staff we happily sign each book!


These Surprise Packages are our way of saying thank you for your support and showing you our love and appreciation. It’s a surprise because you never know exactly what you’re going to get or who will sign your books, because we pick from your Wish List and may surprise you with stuff you are not expecting. Extra items may include other RPGs, sourcebooks, issues of the Rifter®, novels, miniatures, prints, art books, greeting cards, T-shirts, negatives, and other items. Some books may be slightly damaged (scuffs, scratches, dings, a crunched corner, etc.) so we can send you more. We can only extend the holiday season for so long. Get one while you still can – the Surprise Package offer ENDS January 15, 2025.

Valley of the Pharaohs 40th Anniversary

NEW! Valley of the Pharaohs RPG – 40th Anniversary Edition

Valley of the Pharaohs is back with 200 additional pages of material as a softcover and hardcover RPG. It is written by the original author Matthew Balent (Palladium Weapon series), and includes the original artwork and map by Kevin Siembieda, but this is NOT the Palladium game system. It’s an original game system designed by Matt.


The original Valley of the Pharaohs RPG is a rare, expensive collectible if you can even find it. But now you can get the super-expanded, 254 page, 40th Anniversary Edition softcover – or – the 274 page hardcover with bonus material, from Palladium Books. The new, 40th Anniversary Valley of Pharaohs is written and published by the original author, Matthew Balent (Weapons and Armor, Weapons & Castles, etc.). Like the original game, it uses its own, unique game rules – not the Palladium game system – but they, like the game world and text, are unique and fun.


This game is authorized by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books and includes many of Kevin’s original VotP RPG illustrations and maps.


If you are a Palladium Books collector or you love Egyptian mythology and historical fiction, this game is a must. It is likely as close as you’ll come to owning the original Valley of the Pharaohs. Besides, this is a vastly expanded and improved edition that includes all those original ideas and much of the artwork vastly expanded and improved. The original rule book was only 64 or 96 pages, plus maps; this is a 250+ page tome by the scholarly Matthew Balent and is an alternative reality, ancient Egypt that is epic and well written. It’s a fun read filled with ideas, magic, monsters, and characters you can, with a little work, convert to Palladium Fantasy, Rifts, or any RPG world.

  • Play humans or Bird People, Crocodilian People, Dog People, Snake People, and more!

  • Character Classes include: Priest, Thief, Military, Scholar, and more.

  • 300+ magic spells inspired by Egyptian myth and classic fantasy.

  • Many magic items, magic pictures and more.

  • Dozens of monsters and supernatural beings like the mummy, sphinx, sand slug, and others drawn from or inspired by Egyptian mythology.

  • Learn about Ka (magic), Maat (alignment and order), and Kismet.

  • Clear and concise Egyptian lore, its society, and history.

  • Game rules and writing by Matthew Balent.

  • A complete RPG with unique rules. Note: Does not use the Palladium game rules.

  • $40.00 retail – 254 page softcover – Cat. No. 2621 – complete RPG.

  • $60.00 retail – 274 page hardcover with bonus material – Cat. No. 2621HC – complete RPG.

Christmas Surprise Packages

Surprise Package Comments from fans like you

Every year we like to post a selection of the comments we get from Surprise Package customers. It’s a nice acknowledgement and thank you to them (you know who you are) and you enjoy reading them. I read each and every comment that comes in the Surprise Packages, and they always brighten our day. We all appreciate your kind words, suggestions, and insights. In fact, the idea to do hardcover editions of core rule books came from fan comments in the Grab Bags. We get a lot so we can only offer a sampling of these comments in the Weekly Updates.


Our heartfelt thanks to all of you who have stuck with Palladium through thick and thin and now these new strange times. Please use our games to find escape from your day to day grind and worries. Use them to bring a little joy, laughter, and adventure to the holiday season and beyond.


Your comments and support mean the world to all of us. Thank you for making us smile and feel valued. As always, I have tried to write a short response [in brackets] to each comment. Happy holidays.


– Kevin Siembieda (and the Palladium Crew)

S.M. in Shabbona, Illinois, writes: I never knew this [Surprise Package deal] existed. Wish I had found out sooner and I hope some good things are left. I’ve loved your games since the 1990s.


[I hope you enjoyed the Surprise Package S.M., I tried to “surprise” you. – Kevin]



B.W. in Grover Beach, California, writes: The Surprise Package is the best deal in gaming. I have always been pleasantly surprised. Introducing three new players to Palladium’s games in a campaign that will start in Beyond the Supernatural and break out into Chaos Earth®.


[I must say, B.W., the Surprise Package really is the best deal in gaming. No other company does anything like it and never has. We’re happy to put a smile on your face every single year. Your game sounds fun and I’m happy to hear you are introducing Palladium’s worlds to new players. Awesome. Thanks and keep up the good work. Btw, I was tempted to send you a lump of coal as a joke, followed by your real order a day or two later, but thought better of it. Happy New Year and keep the RPG magic alive. – Kevin]



T.D. in Deep River, Connecticut, writes: Best Game system out there!


[Shucks, T.D., you’re making us blush. We’d like to think we’re one of the best of the best. Game on. – Kevin]



R.L. in Mobile, Alabama writes (in part): Another year, another Surprise Package. Thank you for providing joy and entertainment through the years. Here’s to 2025, may it be a fruitful and productive year for you and Palladium.


[Amen to that, R.L. Sean and I have some ambitious plans for the New Year, but you’ll just have to wait and see if we can pull it off. Yin-Sloth Expeditions (Fantasy), Rifts® Bestiary Vol. 2, Rifts® Antarctica and, of course, TMNT & Other Strangeness RPG Redux products are all on deck. Stay tuned to see what else we can pull off this year. – Kevin]



L.L. in Salem, Oregon, writes: I’ve been getting the Christmas Surprise Package for over 20 years. It’s a great way to get new books. Thank you!


[Wow, L.L., sounds like you’ve been getting these Grab Bags since their inception. Awesome. Game on, my friend, game on. And thanks for your decades of patronage. Happy New Year. – Kevin]



S.M. in Xenia, Ohio, writes (in part): Back in the late 1980s I picked up a copy of the Robotech® RPG. I totally fell in love with the system. Then I noticed the TMNT RPG and loved that as well – I am a Backer of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness Redux Edition Kickstarter. Then I got the Rifts® RPG for Christmas 1990 and I have never looked back. I have spent thousands of hours playing Rifts®, and am currently running a Rifts® campaign right now.


[Awesome, S.M., keep that imagination burning and that Rifts® game going. I love it. – Kevin]



C.O. in Chicago, Illinois, writes: Thank you for sending Rifts® Arzno in my first Christmas package this year. I’ve read it cover to cover and it immediately became one of my favorite books alongside New West. Your game is amazing and will be sure to bring decades more fun, especially as I introduce it to my kids. Thanks.


[We love hearing things like this C.O., so happy you enjoy our games so much. Happy New Year. – Kevin]



W.D. in McClure, Pennsylvania, writes: I’ve really enjoyed the Surprise Packages that I’ve received so far, and I want to thank Kevin for the Dragon Sketch. Palladium is the best and no other company comes close. Rifts® will always be my favorite, but I want to try Palladium Fantasy. It’s been on my radar and I’ve got my chance to run it.


[Thank you, W.D., for the high praise. You are very welcome, I’m glad you enjoyed the sketch and I think you’ll like Palladium Fantasy. It’s my go-to game. – Kevin]



M.C. in Forney, Texas, writes (in part): What can I say about Palladium’s games? Awesome! Light-years ahead of any other system. I’ve played table top RPGs since the 1990s and nothing I have ever found compares to Palladium’s rich Megaverse® of capability, customization, and wonder! Looking forward to more books in the New Year.


[Wow. Thank you for the dizzying praise, M.C. I think you’ll like the new books coming out in 2025 and beyond. Many big and fun things are coming from Palladium. Happy New Year and game on! – Kevin]



D.H. in Walla Walla, Washington, writes: Currently trying to build up core books for hosting game nights. Been trying them all. Currently on Palladium Fantasy and Dead Reign.


[Hi D.H., back for more, I see. Awesome, because that means you’ve been enjoying what you’ve gotten. Cool. Game on and Happy New Year! – Kevin]



D.D.F. in Raymond, New Hampshire, writes (in part): Always love the X-Mas Surprise Package. Been doing it off and on for a number of years now and it never disappoints. As you can tell I’m a Rifts® fan and always love your work … I have most of the products for Rifts, but always find there is still more … looking forward to getting the Bestiary Volume 2 special cover and Rifts® Antarctica.


[Thanks for the kind words, D.D.F., and your understanding. If you’re getting a special cover then you backed our Megaversal Insider crowdfunder before the Pandemic. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Getting Bestiary 2 out in 2025 is a top priority, so is Rifts® Antarctica, Yin-Sloth Expeditions and a few other long-awaited books. If all goes well, 2025 will be an epic year for Palladium and its fans. – Kevin]



B.C. in Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada, writes (in part): Been playing Rifts® and Heroes Unlimited since 1988 and love how the whole Megaverse® can be converted to Rifts® like TMNT®, Robotech®, Nightbane®, and others. My collection is nearing completion … It’s exciting to think I’ve been collecting and playing Palladium RPGs for 36 years and wouldn’t change a thing. Nothing else needed than a great story, some friends, some dice, and time to create lots of fun and memorable moments over the years. Super-excited to see what comes this year … wish you all the best in 2025.


[Awesome, B.C., I love your positivity and love for role-playing. I couldn’t agree more about great stories, friends, dice, and time. Thanks for your kind words. We have a lot of great products in the pipeline and big plans for the future. You’ll be seeing some of them soon. Cowabunga, Dude! Um … I can say that, right? I am an official licensee. Game on! – Kevin]



A.P. in Rowlett, Texas, writes: Favorites are Rifts® and Palladium Fantasy. Love watching the interviews with Kevin and Sean on Legion of Myth.


[Glad to hear it, A.P., we love doing those interviews. You should also check out Palladium’s YouTube channel for interviews with me about the history of Palladium Books and other subjects and the Glitterbois podcast too. More news about 2025 plans in the next Weekly Update. Ho, ho, ho – Kevin]