Be Excited – Weekly Update – August 20, 2026

CELEBRATING 45 YEARS OF RPG FUN

A LEGACY OF INNOVATION – ONE GAME SYSTEM – ENDLESS ADVENTURE

By Kevin Siembieda and Daniel Lansdown

I’m excited, you’re excited, we’re all excited about upcoming releases, the future of Palladium Books, and current events! We’re glad so many of you enjoyed the product updates in the August 14th Weekly Update. All of us here are working hard to get these new books into your hands.

The TMNT Game Night – Weekend Adventure Sale, offering Ninja Turtles products at 40% off, sure garnered a lot of hype, this past weekend. So much so that we may start doing Game Night Sales a couple times a month. Check out this week’s Rifts Game Night – Weekend Adventure Sale toward the end of this Update.

It was certainly an exciting weekend for me …

Legion of Myth Gamer Talk

On last Sunday’s Gamer Talk with Legion of Myth, Sean and I joined the crew for some high-energy fun. We talked about using the ‘Burbs as a setting for character based camps, adventures, and intrigue. We also talked about how the Ninja Turtles Redux RPG and especially the Transdimensional Adventures sourcebook had a zillion uses and applications within Rifts. I think people forget about the simple and fun time travel and dimensional travel rules and adventure tables in the TMNT sourcebook. So easy to apply to Rifts, Chaos Earth, Phase World, After the Bomb, and Heroes Unlimited. And of course the mutant animals creation rules can be used as mutants, D-Bees, and aliens in Rifts.

Our thanks to all the gamers who join these chats and ask interesting questions and make smart and silly comments. Our appreciation to Max and Heathendog for hosting these chats. The next Legion of Myth gamer talk with me (Kevin) and Sean should be September 27th.

New Weekly Videos coming to our YouTube Channel!

J-M and I have more new videos and reels coming your way on the Palladium Books YouTube channel. In fact, we’ll soon be posting a new game conversation once a week, so visit our YouTube channel often. We hope each one is insightful, but we know they’re all fun. All are timeless, so you can listen to them today, months or even years from now. Enjoy.

A Chance Meeting

I went to a special comic book talk last Saturday at the Detroit Historical Museum. I really enjoyed the presentation by Arvell Jones and Mike Kucharski about the early days of comic book fandom. It brought back a lot of fond memories. I also enjoyed the talk by Bill Morrison (Futurama) that followed. After which, I met a gentleman (hey, Brian Townsend) who was a regular at the Detroit Gaming Center for years. He had come to the guest lectures and to see the Worlds of Palladium Exhibit. Meeting me was a surprise bonus (or so he said). We enjoyed a nice chat.

Come on down to see the Palladium Books and comic book exhibits at the Detroit Historical Museum before both exhibits END September 13th. While you’re in town, give us a call and swing by the Palladium office to get a tour, books signed, and enjoy a brief chat with me (Kevin) and whoever else is available.

Rifts® Bestiary Volume Two – Coming This Fall

Rifts® Bestiary Volume Two is racing toward completion, and we think you are going to love what you see.

Sean is back in Asia wrapping up the layout and final editing pass, while the last pieces continue to fall into place. The book looks great, and it is packed with strange, dangerous, beautiful, terrifying, and sometimes downright bizarre creatures ready to challenge players across Rifts Earth and beyond.

One of the things that makes this book especially fun is the involvement of Rifts fans themselves. Several creatures originated with fan submissions and special crowdfunding rewards connected to Rifts Bestiary Volume One and Two, including Ultimate Benefactor rewards and other Palladium crowdfunding efforts.

One standout is the fan-created Five-Headed Chimera – exactly the sort of wild monster that feels right at home in the Megaverse®. We’ll be showing off artwork and other fan-inspired creations as we get closer to release.

The Bestiary is also loaded with artwork from Mike Majestic and Chuck Walton, bringing these creatures to life in all their monstrous glory. There is a LOT packed into this book, and we’ll reveal more creatures, artwork, and surprises in the weeks ahead.

Rifts® Bestiary Volume Two is coming this fall. Stay tuned.

Join the Rifts® Glitter Boy Codex

Crowdfunder Pre-Launch Page

The Glitter Boy Codex is a brand new sourcebook for Rifts. It reveals more background and history about the Glitter Boy and its heroic legacy since the Great Cataclysm. The book offers new Glitter Boy weapons and gear, armor features, heroes of legend, adventure ideas, and more.

And we are doing something very special with this release.

The Glitter Boy Codex will be available as a traditional black-and-white softcover sourcebook and as a full-color hardcover edition.

That makes this a historic moment for Palladium Books, because the Glitter Boy Codex will be the first full-color Rifts® sourcebook ever!

Best of all, as a crowdfunder, we are able to offer a host of unique rewards and addons like a special Rifts dice set, customizable Rifts Game Master screen, and more surprises we’ll reveal as we get closer to launch.

Sign up to the Pre-Launch page now to get a preview of the book and to be notified the moment the BackerKit crowdfunder goes live. And please, please, please spread the word to Rifts fans everywhere. We want to make this something special.

Books in the Works

• Rifts Bestiary Volume 2 – Coming this fall

• Glitter Boy Codex (all new) – Coming soon to Backerkit

• Yin-Sloth Expeditions™ (epic Fantasy) – Coming this fall on Backerkit

• Rifts Chaos Earth®: First Responders

• Rifts® Antarctica

• The Rifter #86

• And more! (Including a number of secret projects)
  

Please note that each crowdfunding campaign will offer additional RPG products such as new dice sets, Game Master screens, print sets, poker decks, and more, as well as discounts on selections of existing titles.

RIFTS® GAME NIGHT!

Weekend Adventure Sale – 40% Off!

Grab your dice. Call your crew. Bring the soda and munchies. It’s game night!

This weekend only, save 40% on select Rifts and TMNT titles. Since there has been so much excitement over the Chi-Town ‘Burbs, the focus of this sale is the ‘Burbs. AND because the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles® & Other Strangeness RPG and especially Transdimensional Adventures are great for dimensional travel as well as creating mutants and D-Bees for RIFTS (see the August 16th Legion of Myth gamer talk),  we’ve included these two TMNT & Other Strangeness Redux Editions for another weekend of fun. All available at PalladiumBooks.com!

Whether you’re returning to an old favorite, exploring new adventure opportunities, introducing a new group to the game, or building your next Rifts hero (human, mutant, or D-Bee), this is the perfect weekend to dive into the astonishing, science fiction and magical world of Rifts. There is nothing else quite like it.

SAVE 40% –  FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY!

Products on Sale at 40% off:

• Rifts Ultimate Edition RPG “Softcover” – Cat. No. 800SE

• Rifts Coalition War Campaign – Cat. No. 821

• Rifts Bionics Sourcebook – City Rats & Cyber-Snatchers – Cat. No. 850

• Rifts Sourcebook Chi-Town ‘Burbs Forbidden Knowledge – Cat. No. 853

• Rifts Sourcebook Chi-Town ‘Burbs Firetown & the Tolkeen Crisis – Cat. No. 854

• Rifts Sourcebook Chi-Town ‘Burbs The Black Vault – Cat. No. 855

• Rifts Sourcebook Chi-Town ‘Burbs The Vanguard – Cat. No. 856

• The Rifter #85 – Cat. No. 185

• TMNT &  Other Strangeness RPG REDUX – Cat. No. 502HC

• TMNT Transdimensional Adventures REDUX – Cat. No. 508HC

Worlds of Palladium Museum Exhibit Final Days

Closes September 13, 2026

Time is running out to see the Palladium Books gaming exhibit (Worlds of Palladium) and the Comic Book exhibit at the Detroit Historical Museum – both end September 13. If you are planning to see either one, or both (we recommend both!), you need to do so soon.

And when you’re in town, swing by the Palladium office to say hello, get a brief tour of our idea factory, and get some books signed. We are only 30 minutes from the Detroit Historical Museum.

Detroit Historical Museum – 5401 Woodward Ave, Detroit, Michigan, 48202 – telephone: 313-833-1805 – Admission: $15 for adults, Children 6-12 $8. Closed Monday and Tuesday. Open Wednesday thru Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM, Sunday 1-5 PM. September 13th is the final day of both exhibits.

Granite State Comic Con is something special

September 18, 19, 20

It is the unofficial Ninja Turtles Convention because Kevin Eastman is a frequent guest and so are many of the Mirage Studios and IDW artists. Where else are you gonna meet Simon Bisley, Lawson, Lavigne, Berger, Talbot, Dooney, Doyle, Farley, Pe, Delgado, Williams II, Bishop, the Escorza Brothers, Rooth, Smith, Waltz, and dozens of other Ninja Turtles, comic book, and Hollywood icons like Lou Diamond Phillips, Khary Payton, voice actor James Saito (Shredder), and more.

And this year, you also get to meet the Palladium Crew: Me (Kevin Siembieda), Daniel Lansdown, and Caleb Nelson. We’ll be in the game room connected to Artists Alley with a slew of TMNT & Other Strangeness books and After the Bomb books to get signed by us, Eastman and the many other contributing artists at Comic Con. And we’ll be bringing a smattering of Rifts, Fantasy, Heroes Unlimited, and other books for your enjoyment. Oh yeah, and with some incredible convention special deals you won’t want to miss, so be sure to swing by our booth. Come on over and join the fun.

Philadelphia Area Gaming Expo (PAGE)

will be here before you know it – January 14-17, 2027

This is another fun and rapidly growing convention. A must for gamers in the northeastern US, especially old school gamers!

Last year it had nearly 100 guests – many are legends in the role-playing game industry. Including little ol’ me, Kevin Siembieda, Matthew Balent, Matt Forbeck, Frank Mentzer, Zeb Cook, Ed Stark, Jeff Dee, Darlene, Harold Johnson, Professor Dungeon Master, Kelsey Dionne (Shadow Dark), Chris Arneson, and dozens more.

I will be back as a guest, and I’m in two panel talks with J-M DeFoggi. I believe Jim Zub (writer of Conan for Titan Comics) is one of the new guests. The Saturday Night auction is amazing too. Join the fun.

Closing Thoughts – Role-Playing Games:

Inexpensive Fun That Make Lasting Memories

More and more I hear from people struggling to make ends meet and worried about the economy. I understand completely. These are strange times and the cost of … well, everything always seems to be climbing higher. Which is why Palladlium has started doing these 3 day long Game Night – Weekend Adventure Sales at steep discounts. (Daniel Lansdown’s idea.) It provides you some excitement and RPG fun at budget prices and big savings.

Remember, role-playing games and sourcebooks provide more bang for the buck than any other form of entertainment to begin with. Not only can you reread the books on your shelf and enjoy the artwork over and over again, but they provide inspiration for new characters, stories, and gaming sessions every time you read one.

Looking for something new to get the ideas burning? Buying even one new sourcebook can often provide ideas for a favorite game setting that can last weeks, months, and even years. That’s why I say things like “explore the possibilities” and “unleash your imagination.” RPGs provide endless ideas and fun. Recently, I’ve been talking a lot about Rifts Mercenaries and the ‘Burbs. Check out our September 16, 2026, gamer’s talk with Legion of Myth. We also have interviews with the Glitterbois as well as Palladium’s growing number of videos on the Palladium Books YouTube channel. Each should provide new insight and ideas for RPG books you may already have on your shelf.

Palladium role-playing games are a rich resource for endless ideas that challenge your imagination and provide hours of fun and laughs with your fellow gamers, friends, and family. Play a short game session for an hour or two or game half the day away, but use RPG fun to put aside your worries for a little while and catch your breath. What’s that, your gaming group isn’t available? That’s okay, spend time creating characters or writing down adventure ideas, doodling or writing a short story.

Can’t afford to buy even one new RPG sourcebook? Then pull out one on your shelf and start rereading it. I guarantee you’ll find things you don’t remember. Things that spawn new and different fun ideas. Heck, I’m surprised by what feels fresh, new and exciting in books that I wrote. Creating characters or new monsters or magic spells or spinning up gaming adventures is another avenue of fun and creativity that doesn’t cost a dime. All of it helps you to put away your worries, find some relief, and have fun. Heck, that’s priceless! So dust off some old favorite RPGs or sourcebooks, or snag a book on sale, and spend some time in a fantasy or science fiction world of wonder and heroes. It’s surprising how one new sourcebook often breathes life into an entire setting.

And try not to worry about things you can’t change. Focus on what you have control over and the simple things that bring you joy. I regularly escape into games, books, movies, and walks in the park to momentarily escape from my worries and recharge my brain.

I mentioned I went to the Detroit Historical Museum last weekend to hear a presentation about the early days of comic book fandom. I didn’t know what to expect, but I thought I should get out of the office and do something that might be fun. It was great! It brought up fond memories, I learned some new things, and it made me smile and feel warm and fuzzy. What was a pleasant surprise was seeing a number of old friends, meeting an interesting new person, and running into a Palladium fan who was happy to spend some time with me. It was a beautiful afternoon that recharged my batteries. I’m so glad I did it.

Please take care of yourselves. Find escape and joy in gaming and whatever recharges your batteries. And I bet it doesn’t even have to cost you much if any money. Enjoy the sale, game on, and stay frosty. It’s all good.

– Kevin Siembieda, Game Designer, Writer, Friend

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