By Kevin Siembieda

One game system – every genre – countless worlds – endless adventure

This has been a wildly creative week. I did some writing on the Rifts® Bestiary, some work on Garden of the Gods (a Palladium Fantasy RPG® sourcebook), a little on a Heroes Unlimited project, and even a little writing on Beyond the Supernatural. It is a bit unusual for me to work on four different books as I prefer to sit down and work on one, sometimes two, books at a time. But the ideas and inspiration have been coming from all directions and I went where the energy took me. It’s fun and exciting when you are hot writing, and I’ve been on fire. I just wish I could divide myself into four people to work on the four books all at once. I’m back to work on the Bestiary books and jotting down ideas as they come along.

Our thanks to everyone who made the two Rifts® Bundles of Holding a success, with 10% of every sale going to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

People are enjoying the opportunity to get original artwork by Charles Walton II. There is a nice selection available in my ebay store. All proceeds go to the artist. Folks are also enjoying picking up one-of-a-kind Rifts® and TMNT® negatives from old books. More details below or at http://stores.ebay.com/kevinstoys-artandcollectibles. Alex and I will be posting new negatives from time to time. Otherwise, I’m just happy to give Chuck a place to sell some of his fabulous original artwork.

Speaking of art, we are expanding the number of art prints available in the Palladium store. Four new classic covers we thought people might enjoy. I feel like there is more to talk about, but we are so immersed in getting books finished and in your hands that I can’t think of anything other than getting back to writing. Read on for more news and updates.

New Rifts^® Savage Worlds books for 2019

Did I mention we have been approving art, text and ideas for new Rifts® Savage Worlds sourcebooks? Well, we have, and they are looking good.

New artists

You will be seeing some new faces with a small number of new artists appearing in the pages of Palladium sourcebooks in the months ahead. Along with our many regulars, of course. Some new writers, too. Especially as we gear up for the many book releases we want to put into your hands.

Four new prints – Available now

These four classic Rifts® covers debuted at Gen Con and are available now. Three are offered for the first time ever. The Chaos Earth® cover has never been offered in the smaller, 8½ x 11 inch size. All are in vivid color. $10.00 each and suitable for framing. Sized to fit perfectly in an 8x10 inch matt.

• Robot Legion – original Rifts® Sourcebook One cover. Art by Kevin Long. Cat. No.: PR822. Total Size: 8½ x 11 inches. Image Area: 8x10 inches, perfect for framing or matting. Retail: $10.00 and available only from Palladium Books.
• Crimes Against the Coalition – Rifts® Mercenaries sourcebook cover. Art by Kevin Long. Cat. No.: PR823. Total Size: 8½ x 11 inches. Image Area: 8x10 inches, perfect for framing or matting. Retail: $10.00 and available only from Palladium Books.
• Stand Strong – Rifts® Chaos Earth® Glitter Boy cover. Art by Scott Johnson. Cat. No.: PR820. Total Size: 8½ x 11 inches. Image Area: 8x10 inches, perfect for framing or matting. Retail: $10.00 and available only from Palladium Books.
• Traveling the Rifts® – Rifts® Ultimate cover. Art by Scott Johnson. Cat. No.: PR821. Total Size: 8½ x 11 inches. Image Area: 8x10 inches, perfect for framing or matting. Retail: $10.00 and available only from Palladium Books.

UPDATE: The Rifter^® #82 – Erick Wujcik remembered

The remembrances of Erick have been coming in at a nice pace and range from funny to touching. I think you’ll enjoy them and all the little insights to Palladium history. Of course, The Rifter® #82 will have a bunch o’ good source material too. Including some darn good stuff for Rifts®, Chaos Earth®, Nightbane® and other game settings.

UPDATE: Rifts^® Bestiary, Volume One and Volume Two

Chuck has been drawing away while I work on the writing of new monsters and updating of known creatures. It is all good stuff. The Rifts® Bestiary Volume One is tentatively slated for an end of September release. Volume Two end of October or November. In addition to existing creatures collected from various Rifts® World Books and sourcebooks, it has new beasties created by me, Chuck and a few other freelance writers. This includes creatures that are not just predators or monsters but beasts that player characters can use as war mounts, attack animals, familiars, companions and pets. A little something for everyone. A few fun surprises, too. The two Bestiary books are developing into something truly fun and special.

What are the Rifts® Bestiary™, Volume One and Two?

We are collecting the hundreds of monsters and beasts of Rifts Earth into easy to use reference books, similar to what we did with D-Bees of North America. Only there are so many wondrous and fierce creatures that we cannot squeeze them into one book – plus we are adding a bunch of new creatures to add more fun and menace to your Rifts® campaigns. Some will be a nuisance, others pets and companions, some are suitable M.D.C. riding animals, and some are slobbering monsters.

The first two Rifts® Bestiary™ sourcebooks are being created simultaneously, right now! Between them, these two volumes compile all the beasts of Rifts North America (unintelligent monsters, predators, notable animals and intelligent beings that are monstrous or animal-like in appearance or behavior) from all current World Books and Sourcebooks. In addition to a growing number of brand new critters and monsters by Kevin Siembieda, Chuck Walton, Carl Gleba, Greg Diaczyk and others! All adding new life to the savage wilderness of Rifts Earth (particularly the USA, Canada, and Mexico). Presented in alphabetical order, with maps showing their range and location, in two big books.

• Monsters and animals of Rifts North America organized in two big, easy to use sourcebooks. Predators, exotic riding animals, beasts of burden, alien horrors, giant insects and more.
• Updated descriptions and information where applicable.
• Updated and uniform stat blocks.
• A good number of brand new creatures are being added too.
• A map for every creature showing where it is found.
• Fully illustrated, much of the art by Charles Walton II, along with Siembieda and many others.
• 192-224 pages each volume – $26.99 retail – Cat. No. 896 (Volume One) and Cat. No. 897 (Volume Two). In production. Release date: Summer – i.e., as fast as we can kick these bad boys out!

UPDATE: Garden of the Gods

Just wanted to let you know that I spent some time on this book when ideas came out of nowhere and invaded my head. Good stuff you are going to enjoy.

UPDATE: Dead Reign^® In the Face of Death Sourcebook

This book is on my mind and planned for release this fall. There is a lot of creative energy flying around the office right now. Looking to use it to produce a lot of books.

New on DriveThruRPG.com – The Baalgor Wastelands sourcebook for the Palladium Fantasy RPG^®

New: The 216 page Baalgor Wastelands sourcebook presents info about the region, 17 monstrous beings and creatures, notable places mapped and described, survival in harsh environments, and the many monstrous beings and creatures.

Recent PDF additions include The Western Empire, a 224 page sourcebook for the Palladium Fantasy RPG® that maps and describes key locations, notable people, Western society, city generation rules, The Slayer of Mountains, vampires, 20 new herbs/poisons, adventures and more. Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG, 2nd Edition: The complete revised, core game, 14 character classes and 42 occupations for “ordinary people,” 100+ psychic abilities, 16 monsters, the Lazlo Agency, world setting and rules. Nightbane® RPG, the core rules for this modern horror setting with elements of the monstrous, demonic and tormented superheroes (the Nightbane). Nightbane® Survival Guide: Everything to know about the Nightbane, their Morphus, Talents, magic, skills, contacts, new dangers, history, a complete adventure and more. Nightbane® Between the Shadows™ Sourcebook, the Dreamstream™, the Astral Plane, the sinister Spook Squad, world info, and more. Nightlands™ Nightbane® Sourcebook, secrets of the Nightlords™, the Nightlands, 41 wicked NPC villains, 12 monsters, 12 demons, and more. Nightbane®: Through the Glass Darkly™ presents Fleshsculptor magic, the Mirrormage, Cybermage, the Shadowleague, dangerous brotherhoods, magic artifacts, 50 spells, 3 full adventures, adventure ideas; The Rifter® #77, and FREE Sneak Previews for The Rifter® #80 AND The Rifter® #81, and more.

Read more: Palladium Books® Weekly Update – Aug. 23, 2018

By Kevin Siembieda

One game system – every genre – countless worlds – endless adventure

The most pressing news/update is that there are only a few days left to order the 2 Rifts® Bundles of Holding – a Rifts® Essentials Bundle and a Rifts® World Books Bundle that covers much of Rifts North America. They provide enough source material to game for years. Both help support a charity, and both are a great deal, especially for gamers outside the USA, as well as Rifts® Savage Worlds players looking for more setting and adventure ideas. This weekend is your last chance as the offer for the two Rifts® Bundles of Holdings ends at 10:00 PM Eastern Time Monday evening, August 20 – and 10% goes to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Details below.

I have been busy this week lining up artists and writers for upcoming books, working out my schedule and clearing my plate so I can write, write, and write the next several books. First up are The Rifts® Bestiary Volume One and Two, In the Face of Death for Dead Reign®, and my contributions to The Rifter® #82. By the way, The Rifter® #82 shall include a fond remembrance of Erick Wujcik 10 years after his passing in 2008. Otherwise, Chuck has been drawing away and enjoying my creature notes and write-ups for the Rifts® Bestiary based on his artwork, Wayne and Alex have been working on book prep and PDF posting, editing and advertising, and Julius has been shipping product from the warehouse as fast as Kathy provides him with orders.

There is a Gen Con video interview with me on Through Gamer Goggles and a video review of Splicers® I Am Legion on Questwise. Details for both can be found below. Oh, and in case you haven’t noticed, we are back to posting a new PDF title to DriveThruRPG.com every week. The Western Empire for Palladium Fantasy RPG® is new this week, Nightbane® Survival Guide last week, The Rifter® #77 the week before, BTS and other Nightbane® sourcebooks prior to that. And for you art collectors, two dozen pieces of Charles Walton II artwork are available on my Ebay store – kevinstoys-artandcollectibles. He said he will offer up more art if people want them. There is also a selection of TMNT® and Rifts® one-of-a-kind negatives which are becoming hot collectibles. For complete details about all of this, keep on reading.

Last days to get the 2 Rifts^® Bundles of Holding – Offer Ends on Monday

Don’t miss out on these two Rifts® Bundles of Holding: Rifts® Essentials (and the Bonus Collection) and Rifts® World Books Bundle (and its Bonus Collection). Offer ends at 10:00 PM Eastern on Monday, August 20, 2018, so these are your last few days to order!

1) The Rifts^® Essentials Bundle of Holding – Sunday last full day to order

http://bundleofholding.com/presents/RiftsEssentials2018

The Rifts® Essentials gets you the core rule book and a few key supplements for the science-fantasy Rifts® setting. This bargain-priced revival of the popular 2017 offer is your starting point for a campaign of mind-blowing adventure across a future Earth shattered by countless otherworldly invaders, demons and monsters. And after you get this Essentials collection, check out the all-NEW Rifts® World Books offer with supplements and sourcebooks for an epic campaign stretching across North America; described below). And 10% of every purchase goes to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to protect and help children.

Rifts® “Essentials” Starter Collection (US $8.95 – total value $33.50).

It is called the Rifts® “Essentials” Bundle because it contains everything you need to play or start a campaign:

• Rifts® Ultimate Edition™ (376 page core rule book).
• Rifts® Sourcebook One™ (160 page adventure sourcebook).
• Rifts® Primer (tips on running games and creating adventures).

Total PDF retail value of $33.50, all for only $8.95!

BONUS Essentials Collection (currently US $21.00):

If you pay more than this offer’s threshold (average) price ($21.00 when we post this, but the longer you wait, the higher it will go), you will level up and also get this offer’s entire Bonus Collection.

• Rifts® Game Master Guide (352 pages of stats, robots, vehicles, gear and maps).
• Rifts® Book of Magic (352 pages, 900+ spells, plus magic items, herbs, symbiotes and more).
• Rifts® Game Master Kit (character sheets, G.M. tools).

http://bundleofholding.com/presents/RiftsEssentials2018

Note: 10% of every purchase goes to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

2) New! Rifts^® “World Books Bundle” of Holding – Sunday, August 19, is your last full day to order – don’t miss out

http://bundleofholding.com/presents/RiftsWorldbooks

The Rifts® “World Books” STARTER Collection (US $14.95 – total value $58.50).

For just US $14.95 you get five World Books, below, in this offer’s Starter Collection. Pay more and you also get the Bonus Collection of 6 additional books. ALL set in America, Canada and Mexico. Perfect for those of you looking for more world and setting information or anxiously waiting for the upcoming Rifts® Bestiary books. Also ideal for Rifts® Savage Worlds® players looking for a wealth of additional setting information, villains and monsters.

• World Book 1: Vampire Kingdoms, Revised (224 pages, vampires and much more).
• World Book 13: Lone Star (176 pages, CS secrets, Dog Boys, mutants, the bandit Pecos Empire, villains and more).
• World Book 16: Federation of Magic (160 pages, 8 mages, Techno-Wizard devices, magic powers, automatons and more).
• World Book 20: Canada (192 pages, notable places, 20+ monsters, cyborg Headhunters, Tundra Rangers, and more).
• World Book 30: D-Bees of North America (224 pages, nearly 100 non-humans usable as player characters, NPCs or villains).

Rifts® “World Books” BONUS Collection (threshold currently $27.21 – retail value $61.50). Total retail value: $120

When you pay more than this offer’s threshold (average) price ($27.21 when we post this, but the longer you wait, the higher it will go), you will level up and also get this offer’s entire Bonus Collection with six more supplements and sourcebooks worth an additional $61.50.

• World Book 11: Coalition War Campaign (224 pages of info about the Coalition States and their weapons, gear, power armor, robots, and vehicles).
• World Book 15: Spirit West (208 pages, Shaman powers, spells, spirits, monsters and more).
• World Book 22: Free Quebec (192 pages, your Rifts® Canada companion, Glitter Boys, weapons, gear, notable places and more).
• Sourcebook 4: Coalition Navy (112 pages; the name says it all, plus monsters and pirates).
• Vampires Sourcebook (176 pages, more about vampires, werebeasts, Soulcraft magic, vampire hunting, monsters, and much more).
• Adventure Sourcebook 3: The Black Vault (48 pages, the Coalition’s hidden vault of magic artifacts and 101 magic items).

http://bundleofholding.com/presents/RiftsWorldbooks

Note: And 10% of every purchase goes to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to protect and help children.

Questwise Splicers^® I Am Legion video review

Jodie at Questwise posted his video review of Splicers® I Am Legion on YouTube earlier this week. Check it out for yourself at:

https://youtu.be/7tuOsAPpeEo

Through Gamer Goggles Interview with Kevin Siembieda

Our friend, Matt Lemke from Through Gamer Goggles caught me (Kevin Siembieda) at Gen Con for an interview. He came to my hotel room Saturday night and asked all kinds of questions – everything from what's new to the potential of a Rifts® 2nd Edition. We were both a bit punchy, which I hope made for a fun, loose interview. (I haven’t watched it myself yet. Been swamped.) You can find it here at:

https://youtu.be/wENYQC0RTWU

Note: Matt is still busy grinding away at posting his many other Gen Con interviews. He expects to be done with them sometime on Sunday, August 19th. You can follow all the action on his Gen Con 2018 page, at the link below:

http://gamer-goggles.com/blog/category/conventions/gen-con-2018/

Other Fun Sites

The Guides to the Megaverse® podcast consists of a Palladium group with a collective total of over 100 years of gaming! The crew’s Actual Play format consists of long term campaigns in Heroes Unlimited™, Robotech®, Palladium Fantasy®, and Beyond the Supernatural™, with occasional games in other settings. There are more than 90 episodes available for download. Check them out at:

https://guidesmegaverse.podbean.com/

HippoTV on Twitch.tv. The good folks at HippoTV (https://www.twitch.tv/HippoTV/) host a wide variety of games most days of the week. For fans of Palladium Books® they feature a Heroes Unlimited™ and an After the Bomb® space game. The gamers playing these games come from all over the world, are very enthusiastic, and represent a wide variety of experience with Palladium's games.

UPDATE: The Rifter^® #82 – Erick Wujcik remembered

The Rifter® #82 is shaping up to include some darn good stuff for Chaos Earth®, Nightbane® and other game settings. However, what may make this a truly special and memorable issue is the tribute to Erick Wujcik. 2018 marks the 10 year anniversary of Erick’s passing. I have reached out to a number of Palladium creators, freelancers, friends and people who were touched by his work and his larger than life personality to submit a short, fond remembrance of this awesome human being and how the man or his work affected them. I miss Erick still.

UPDATE: Rifts^® Bestiary, Volume One and Volume Two

Chuck has been drawing away. I’ve been making notes and expect to dive full force into the writing as of tomorrow. The Rifts® Bestiary Volume One is tentatively slated for an end of September release. Volume Two end of October or November. In addition to existing creatures collected from various Rifts® World Books and sourcebooks, it has new beasties created by me, and Chuck, and a few other freelance writers. This includes creatures that are not just predators or monsters but beasts that player characters can use as war mounts, attack animals, familiars, companions and pets. A little something for everyone. A few fun surprises, too. The two Bestiary books are developing into something truly fun and special.

What are the Rifts® Bestiary™, Volume One and Two?

We are collecting the hundreds of monsters and beasts of Rifts Earth into easy to use reference books, similar to what we did with D-Bees of North America. Only there are so many wondrous and fierce creatures that we cannot squeeze them into one book – plus we are adding a bunch of new creatures to add more fun and menace to your Rifts® campaigns. Some will be a nuisance, others pets and companions, some are suitable M.D.C. riding animals, and some are slobbering monsters.

The first two Rifts® Bestiary™ sourcebooks are being created simultaneously, right now! Between them, these two volumes compile all the beasts of Rifts North America (unintelligent monsters, predators, notable animals and intelligent beings that are monstrous or animal-like in appearance or behavior) from all current World Books and Sourcebooks. In addition to a growing number of brand new critters and monsters by Kevin Siembieda, Chuck Walton, Carl Gleba, Greg Diaczyk and others! All adding new life to the savage wilderness of Rifts Earth (particularly the USA, Canada, and Mexico). Presented in alphabetical order, with maps showing their range and location, in two big books.

• Monsters and animals of Rifts North America organized in two big, easy to use sourcebooks. Predators, exotic riding animals, beasts of burden, alien horrors, giant insects and more.
• Updated descriptions and information where applicable.
• Updated and uniform stat blocks.
• A good number of brand new creatures are being added too.
• A map for every creature showing where it is found.
• Fully illustrated, much of the art by Charles Walton II, along with Siembieda and many others.
• 192-224 pages each volume – $26.99 retail – Cat. No. 896 (Volume One) and Cat. No. 897 (Volume Two). In production. Release date: Summer – i.e., as fast as we can kick these bad boys out!

New on DriveThruRPG.com – The Western Empire^™ sourcebook for Palladium Fantasy. And check out the FREE Rifter^® #81 and #80 Sneak Previews

New: The Western Empire for the Palladium Fantasy RPG® is a 224 page sourcebook that maps and describes key locations, notable people, Western society, city generation rules, The Slayer of Mountains, vampires, 20 new herbs/poisons, adventures and more. It joins Nightbane® Survival Guide which provides everything to know about the Nightbane: How to unleash your potential, new Morphus tables, Talents, magic, skills, contacts, new dangers, a complete adventure plus adventure ideas, Nightbane creation guidelines, Nightbane history, psychology and more. Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG, 2nd Edition: The completely revised core game with 14 character classes and 42 occupations for “ordinary people,” 100+ psychic abilities, 16 monsters, the Lazlo Agency, world setting and rules. Epic fun. Nightbane®: Through the Glass Darkly™ offers truly weird and gruesome Fleshsculptor magic, the Mirrormage, Cybermage, the Shadowleague, dangerous brotherhoods, magic artifacts, 50 spells, three full adventures, ideas for additional adventures and more. It joins the Palladium library of more than 200 PDF game titles available. The Rifter® #77: The City of Nowhere for Rifts®, with new mutants, new HU2 stats for the fabled Doctor Feral and adventure hooks for Heroes Unlimited, the City of Khemennu adventure for Palladium Fantasy, Splicers and more. The Rifter® #80 AND Rifter® #81 FREE Sneak Previews offer you a glimpse at the two new Rifters® available now.

Recently made available: The Splicers®: I Am Legion™ Adventure Sourcebook contains 6 new Great Houses, 4 new Host Armors, 6 new War Mounts, 19 new Bio-Weapons, 15 new killer machines, new Bio-Enhancements, Amalgam creation tables, Legion and a series of adventures that build into a small campaign, and more. Nightbane® RPG, the core rules for this modern horror setting with elements of the monstrous, demonic and tormented superheroes (the Nightbane). Nightbane® Between the Shadows™ Sourcebook, the Dreamstream™, the Astral Plane, the sinister Spook Squad, world info, and more. Nightlands™ Sourcebook for the Nightbane® RPG, containing secrets of the Nightlords™, their minions and their home dimension: the Nightlands, a twisted mockery of our own Earth. Plus 41 wicked NPC villains, 12 monsters, 12 demons, notable Nightlands™ locations, and more! Library of Bletherad™, an epic Palladium Fantasy sourcebook containing 21 Rune Weapons, 50+ new spells, Shadowcasting™ Magic, Fulmination Magic, forgotten history, secrets and more! The Rifter® #76 offers Rifts®/Phase World® Elemental Primorda™, the Rifts® Pecos Badlands town of Gohjjunk™, Doc Feral™ and some Mutants for Heroes Unlimited™, a Ninjas & Superspies™ adventure, a Savage Rifts® preview, and Splicers®: I Am Legion™: Part 5.

Adventures on the High Seas™ (Fantasy, 2nd Edition) with 13 O.C.C.s, 20+ character sheets, 30 ships, 12 ports, cities and towns, the Island of the Cyclops, Floenry Islands, ship combat rules, and adventures. Old Ones™ (Fantasy 2nd Edition), has 50 different cities, towns and forts (all mapped!), Illusionist and Monk O.C.C.s, 7 adventures (and ideas for many more), plus the Old Ones! Hell Followed™ for Dead Reign® features masked lunatics, 11 new zombies, 7 apocalyptic character classes, stats for 23 disasters, and more.

Read more: Palladium Books® Weekly Update – Aug. 16, 2018