Warning! Violence and the Supernatural The fictional worlds of ® are violent, deadly and filled with supernatural monsters. Other-dimensional beings, often referred to as “demons,” torment, stalk and prey on humans. Other alien life forms, monsters, gods and demigods, as well as magic, insanity, and war are all elements in these books. Some parents may find the violence, magic and supernatural elements of the games inappropriate for young readers/players. We suggest parental discretion. Please note that none of us at Palladium Books® condone or encourage the occult, the practice of magic, the use of drugs, or violence.

Sample file

The Rifter® Number 56 Your guide to the Palladium Megaverse®!

1 First Printing – October 2011

Copyright 2011 Palladium Books® Inc.

All rights reserved, world wide, under the Universal Copyright Convention. No part of this book may be reproduced in part or whole, in any form or by any means, without permission from the publisher, except for brief quotes for use in reviews. All incidents, situations, institutions, governments and people are fictional and any similarity, without satiric intent, of characters or persons living or dead, is strictly coincidental. Robotech® and Robotech® The Shadow Chronicles®Sample are Registered Trademarksfile of Harmony Gold USA, Inc. Palladium Books®, Rifts®, ®, Coalition Wars®, After the Bomb®, RECON®, ®, Phase World®, Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, The Mechanoids®, ®, ®, and Megaverse® are registered trademarks owned and licensed by and Palladium Books Inc. The slogan “A Megaverse of adventure – limited only by your imagination,” and titles and names such as Arkhon, Armageddon Unlimited, , CAN Republic, Chaos Earth, , Dyval, Elf-Dwarf War, Heroes of the Megaverse, Dimensional Outbreak, Wormwood, Minion War, Mysteries of Magic, Thundercloud Galaxy, Warpath: Urban Jungle, BTS-2, HU2, NEMA, MercTown, Merc Ops, Tome Grotesque, Beyond Arcanum, Naruni, Mechanoid Space, Dinosaur Swamp, Arzno, Lazlo, Vam- pire Kingdoms, Victor Lazlo, Lazlo Agency, Lazlo Society, , Powers Unlimited, Ninjas & Superspies, Aliens Unlim- ited, Mutant Underground, The Nursery, Hardware Unlimited, Gadgets Unlimited, The Three Galaxies, Void Runners, Gramercy Island, Kithian, Skraypers, Atorian Empire, Land of the Damned, The Citadel, The Palladium of Desires, Wolfen Wars, Wolfen, Wulfen, Cos- mo-Knight, Cyber-Knight, Dark Day, Doc Reid, Gargoyle Empire, Free Quebec, Xiticix, Xiticix Invasion, Fadetown, Siege on Tolkeen, Psyscape, Dweomer, ARCHIE-3, Morphus, NGR, Northern Gun, Coalition States, Erin Tarn, Emperor Prosek, Splugorth, Splynncryth, Splynn, Mega-Damage, Mega-Hero, Megaversal, Skelebot, SAMAS, Glitter Boy, Dog Boy, Dog Pack, Tainted Martyr, Techno-Wizard, Temporal Magic, Temporal Wizard, Triax, Ley Line Walker, Shifter, Bio-Wizardry, Psi-Stalker, Brodkil, Juicer, Crazy, ‘Burbs, ‘Borg, ‘Bot, D-Bee, Chi-Town, and other names, titles, slogans, and the likenesses of characters are trademarks owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc.

Palladium Online www.palladiumbooks.com Also visit us at facebook.com/PalladiumBooks

The Rifter® #56 RPG sourcebook series is published by Palladium Books Inc., 39074 Webb Court, Westland, MI 48185. Printed in the USA.

2 Palladium Books® Presents: #56

Sourcebook and Guide to the Palladium Megaverse®

Coordinator & Editor in Chief: Wayne Smith

Editors: Alex Marciniszyn Matthew Clements

Contributing Writers: Interior Artists: Steven Dawes bradshaw Jeremy Hutchins Kent Burles O.J. Pinckert Mark Dudley Kevin Siembieda Kevin Long Jason Smith Michael Mumah Greg Spivey Chuck Walton Sample file Proofreader: Julius Rosenstein

Cover Illustration: Irvin Jackson

Cover Logo Design: Steve Edwards

Credits Page Logo: Niklas Brandt

Typesetting & Layout: Wayne Smith

Art Direction: Kevin Siembieda

Based on the RPG rules, characters, concepts and Megaverse® created by Kevin Siembieda.

Special Thanks to all our contributors, writers and artists – and a special welcome on board to the artists and writers making their debut this issue. Our apologies to anybody who may have gotten accidentally left out or their name misspelled.

– Kevin Siembieda, 2011

3 Contents – The Rifter® #56 – October, 2011 Page 6 – Art Page 19 – The Plan (of the Kithians) Page 20 – The Arkhons and Mars The illustration is just one of the many impressive pieces of Page 22 – The CAN Republic and the Moon artwork created by Chuck Walton for Rifts® Lemuria (coming Page 23 – Freedom Station out end of October). Amy Ashbaugh, Mike Mumah, Nick Brad- Page 24 – Laika Station shaw and Allen and Brian Manning also did great work for this Page 25 – Yuro Station book. Then again, we have one exciting book after another com- Page 26 – Outcast Station ing out in the months ahead – Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook™, Page 27 – Belt Way Station Robotech® New Generation Sourcebook, Dead Reign™ Page 28 – The Invaders Sourcebook 3: Endless Dead™ and Rifts® Megaverse® in Page 28 – Kithians Flames. Read all about them in the Coming Attractions. Page 29 – Kithian Technology Page 6 – From the Desk of Kevin Siembieda Page 30 – Kithian Spaceships Page 35 – Arkhons We are fired up about Palladium’s future and new books in the Artwork by Mike Mumah. pipeline. In addition to the books slated for the rest of the year, Kevin gives you a sneak peek at what we have in store for you Page 37 – Time Travel at the outset of 2012. So spread the word and make yours Palla- – Optional source material for all game settings, dium. And if that’s not enough to get you excited, as the holidays ® ® approach, it is time for the fan favorite Christmas Surprise Pack- with specific notes for Rifts , Phase World & age. Order yours today. Heroes Unlimited™ Greg Spivey and Jason Smith present a new look at time travel Page 7 – News and the associated dangers that come with it. There is a building momentum as new releases are prepared to Page 38 – The Danger is Just Beginning hit store shelves starting in October. Read about our time at Gen Page 39 – Breaking the Time Barrier Con and Detroit FanFare conventions, and other bits of news. Page 41 – Choose Your Laws of Time Page 44 – Getting Lost in Time Page 8 – Coming Attractions Page 45 – Absconder O.C.C. Page 49 – Obrkah R.C.C. Palladium is about to unleash a half-dozen new titles from Page 52 – The Shar Katarr NPC Villians now to the end of the year, starting with The Rifter® #56 you Page 54 – Section Two: Alternate Reality are holding in your hands. It will be quickly followed by Rifts® Page 60 – New Temporal Magic Spells Lemuria, Robotech® New Generation™ Sourcebook, Rifts® Page 64 – Transcendent Psionics Vampires Sourcebook, Dead Reign™ Sourcebook 3: Endless Page 65 – Strange Temporal Creatures/Gods Dead, Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames™, and Robotech®Sample Gen- file Page 68 – Soulseteck esis Pits™ Sourcebook as well as bringing some out-of-print Page 70 – Temporal NPCs titles back in print. And they are all pretty awesome. Artwork by Bradshaw, Kent Burles and Mark Dudley.

Page 14 – 2011 Christmas Surprise Package Page 73 – The Tainted Martyr Here are all the details on Palladium Books’ annual Christmas – Optional source material Surprise Packages made with autographs and love. Read all about for Beyond the Supernatural™ it and place your order today! Oh, and tell your friends. Steven Dawes presents a truly unique and tortured hero for Page 16 – Palladium Open House – May 3-6, 2012 the world of Beyond the Supernatural. Suitable for use in Night- bane® (could be confused as a Nightbane) and adaptable to He- There is nothing quite like the Palladium Open House. Those roes Unlimited™ and most Palladium settings. who have attended in the past rave about it. Consider this your Page 76 – Tainted Martyr P.C.C. invitation to join the fun. Order soon. Order them as Christmas Page 81 – Background and Information presents, and come on over to Palladium Books right at our ware- Page 83 – The Shrouded Origins of the Tainted Martyr house and office to game, game and game. Page 84 – Tainted Martyr Introduction Adventure Page 17 – The Solar System Artwork by Nick Bradshaw. – Optional source material for Rifts® RPG Page 86 – Dark Day Chronicles™, Volume IV Ovid “O.J.” Pinckert enjoys all aspects of Rifts® and has – A Short Story for Nightbane® expanded upon the orbital community around Rifts® Earth and Jeremy M. Hutchins presents more tales of the Nightbane after beyond, first touched upon inMutants in Orbit. And not just the Dark Day as they learn about their powers and the supernatu- orbital community, but alien invaders and a few key places within ral world of demons, monsters and evil that has leached into our the Earth’s solar system. Adventure ideas galore. world. Page 18 – How the Flash Affected the Galaxy

4 Includes character stats for a couple of characters. Optional and Unofficial Rules & Source Material Artwork by Kent Burles. Please note that most of the material presented in The Rifter® Page 95 – Coalition Christmas T-Shirt is “unofficial” or “optional” rules and source material. They are alternative ideas, homespun adventures and material This popular T-shirt is back for the first time in over a decade. mostly created by fellow gamers and fans like you, the reader. It depicts Santa Claus captured by a Coalition Dog Pack (he is Things one can elect to include in one’s own campaign or simply magical, after all). It is fun and funny for gamers of all ages. enjoy reading about. They are not “official” to the main games or world settings. Page 96 – The Rifter® Subscription As for optional tables and adventures, if they sound cool or fun, use them. If they sound funky, too high-powered or inap- The Theme for Issue 56 propriate for your game, modify them or ignore them completely. All the material in The Rifter® has been included for two This issue of The Rifter® emphasizes travel beyond the reasons: One, because we thought it was imaginative and fun, realm, whether it is into outer space or through time. Since our and two, we thought it would stimulate your imagination with October issue is released so close to Halloween, we always like to fun ideas and concepts that you can use (if you want to), or which sprinkle in a certain amount of horror. This issue has its share of might inspire you to create your own wonders. monsters and aliens, plus something for Beyond the Supernatu- ral™ and Nightbane®. The articles present plenty of bold ideas www.palladiumbooks.com – Palladium Online that should present you with compelling source material to fill your campaigns with adventure, unique settings, menaces, mon- sters, and weirdness. We hope you enjoy these contributions from The Rifter® #57 fans like you, and that they inspire new avenues of adventure. The Rifter® #57 in January is sure to contain more thrills and The Rifter® Needs You adventure to help you ring in the New Year. ! Source material for Rifts®. We need new writers and artists to fill the next 14 years ofThe ! Source material for Nightbane®. Rifter®. You do not need to be a professional writer to contribute ! Source material for Palladium Fantasy®. to The Rifter®. This publication is like a “fanzine” written by ! Source material for numerous settings. fans for fans. A forum in which gamers just like you can submit ! News, coming attractions and much more. articles, G.M. advice, player tips, house rules, adventures, new ! And maybe YOUR submission. Send us something and see magic, new psionics, new super abilities, monsters, villains, high- if you get published. tech weapons, vehicles, power armor, short works of fiction and more. So think about writing up something short (even something as small as 4-6 pages). Newcomers and regular contributors are always welcomed. Palladium Books® – 30 years of The Rifter® needs new material, especially when it Samplecomes to file adventures and source material, for all of our game lines, espe- role-playing – infinite possibilities. cially Rifts®, Chaos Earth™, Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Heroes Unlimited™, Ninjas and Superspies™, Beyond the Supernatu- Limited only by your imagination™ ral™, Dead Reign™, Splicers® and Nightbane®. Pay is lousy, fame is dubious, but you get to share your ideas and adventures with fellow gamers and get four free copies to show to your friends and family.

The Cover The cover is by Irvin Jackson. While many of you know Irvin as a writer (he co-authored Nightbane® Survival Guide and is writing the next few Robotech® sourcebooks), he is also an excellent digital artist with a growing body of work. He im- pressed us with his work at the Palladium Creators Conference this Spring, so we had him work up a cover for this issue of The Rifter®. It fits both the Rifts® Solar System article and the Time Travel article. We love it, so you can expect to see Irvin’s artwork gracing the covers and interior pages of other books in the future. From Halloween to Christmas and New Years Eve – Happy Holidays from all of us at Palladium Books.

5 From the Desk of Kevin Siembieda It is time to put up or shut our doors. And I have no intention 2012 Releases of seeing Palladium shut it’s doors. Rifts® Black Market™, written by Matthew Clements, is in We have our new staff super-writer, Matthew Clements, on the can and waiting to be scheduled for final edit and rewrites. board to crank out books. He has been helping out on all fronts Rifts® Antarctica, written by Matthew Clements, is in the and is a team player who is quick to do whatever is needed. And can and waiting to be scheduled for final edit and rewrites. he writes pretty darn well, too. Sample file Ideas for current and new titles are flying through my head like Rifts® Northern Gun™ One and Two are in the process of crazy. We have creators (old and new) breaking down our door to being written by Matthew Clements, plus he and I have plans for do new work with Palladium Books, which is awesome. On the several other titles. creative end, we are rockin’ like never before. And gamers are Two Chaos Earth™ Sourcebooks are done and waiting to be going to benefit with one awesome new book after another. scheduled for final edit and rewrites. One is guaranteed to blow As I write this, Wayne is half-finished with this issue of The your mind. Rifter®. It must have come together, because you’re holding it Plus we have several other sourcebooks being produced by a in your hands. number of freelancer writers for 2012 release, including at least one Heroes Unlimited™ sourcebook, one Nightbane® source- Rifts® World Book 32: Lemuria is almost done. It will see book, and two more Robotech® sourcebooks, among others. release later this month, October, 2011. Furthermore, I am personally determined to see the follow- Robotech® New Generation™ Sourcebook text and art- ing long-awaited books released in 2012: Land of the Damned work is sitting in Harmony Gold’s hands. It will see release later Three for Palladium Fantasy®, Mysteries of Magic™ Two for this month, October 2011. Palladium Fantasy, and Tome Grotesque™ and Beyond Arca- Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook™ is almost finished. It will num™ for Beyond the Supernatural™. see release in November. Dead Reign™ Sourcebook Three: Endless Dead is half What can you do? done. It will see release in November. Be part of the excitement. Spread the word and buy these dang Rifts®/Minion War™: Megaverse® in Flames™ by Carl books. Palladium continues to struggle in the aftermath of the Gleba is waiting to be scheduled for final edit and rewrites. It Crisis of Treachery (yes, still). A number of setbacks in recent should see release this December. years hurt our maintaining a sustained recovery, including the Robotech®: Genesis Pits™ is in the process of being written illness of key people and the loss of friends and family very close by Irvin Jackson. It should see release in December or January to us, like Erick Wujcik, Henry Siembieda, and others. The uncer- (we’re shooting for December). tain global economy has not helped one bit either.

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