Kevin Siembieda and everyone involved in Rifts Ultimate Edition are pulling out all the stops.Scott Johnson is painting the eye-popping cover even as you read this. John Zeleznik is painting two spectacular double-page end sheets; one of the fortress city of Chi-Town and the surrounding 'Burbs, and one of Emperor Prosek in his throne room. They are amazing. Interior Art - A host of Palladium's best artists are fast at work creating powerful new art to complement the best of the original illustrations. Artwork will be a blend of old favorites and impressive new additions, including additional color.Kevin Siembieda will be completely rewriting and updating the text and rules for Rifts Ultimate Edition. Character classes will be expanded, a few new ones added, and the nuances and uniqueness of each explored in greater depth.History and world information will be more detailed, and there will also be more about the Coalition States, their history, their goals and how to play them as both villains and heroes.The rules will be tweaked, clarified and improved, but nothing so dramatic as to make the 40+ available sourcebooks obsolete. In fact, it will be shown how the World Books fit together like the pieces of a well designed puzzle and how they should be applied to creating adventures and campaigns. The wonder and infinite possibilities of the Rifts Megaverse all brought to pulse-pounding life like never before.Collectors looking to snag a copy of Rifts Ultimate Edition's "first printing" should do so quickly, as we expect the demand to be heavy, and the first printing to sell out quickly.Highlights include . . .* Favorite Rifts character classes re-examined and defined. Approximately 30 unique Occupational and Racial Character Classes in all, including the expanded Cyber-Knight, Glitter Boy, Dog Boy, Coalition Soldier, Juicer, Crazies, Techno-Wizard, Mystic, Shifter, Ley Line Walker, Rifter, Elemental Fusionist, Mind Melter, Burster and many others.* Dragons redefined as player characters.* New psychic abilities for the Burster, Mind Melter and Mystic.* The Ley Line Walker, Shifter, and Techno-Wizard expanded and clarified. New mages include the Elemental Fusionist and Rifter.* Equipment section with Mega-DamageT body armor, energy weapons, rail guns, power armor, and human augmentation.* The Coalition States: Humankind's salvation, or its own worst nightmare?* Character sheets.* Cover by Scott Johnson.* Color end sheets by John Zeleznik.* New artwork and color pages throughout.* Written and created by Kevin Siembieda.* 376 pages, color sections, hardcover. (Note: This hardcover edition will replace the original softbound edition currently in print).