Ultramyth Design - The Immortal: Vampires

[Ultramyth]

Though it's been a whole years since "Dice and Dramatics" was released, and it's been quiet here at Ultramyth Design, at last we've gotten together a second product that we believe will be just as successful as the first.

The topic we're breeching is not a new one. In fact, numerous d20 products have been released already covering our subject matter - vampires.

"Another vampire book?" You're thinking? "What's this book got that the others don't?"

Good question. And the answer is this. The Immortal: Vampires has been designed to put YOUR idea of the vampire into your d20 fantasy campaign.

Section one covers new optional and varient rules pertaining to vampire templates in your game. It's over twenty-five pages long, and introduces the idea of age categories, vampiric salient powers, and the trump of the book, a guideline to constructing your own vampire template.

Section two introduces 25 new entries, most of them templates that brings to life the vampires of folklore, mythology and popular fiction. There's vampires in here inspired by the works of Stoker, LeFanu and Rice, and others drawn from modern cult tv series, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dusk till Dawn.

Section three introduces famous 19th century literary vampires in game terms, and four original vampiric deities (with divine stats), as well as a single prestige class presenting a vampiric alternative to the jack-of-all-trades we know as the bard, the Walker Through Time.

Here's a preview of the front cover. You can click on the cover to a link off to the full product ad.



We feel the trump card of this product is allowing you the freedom to create the vampire according to your own ideas and rules. After all, everyone has their own ideas on what a vampire should or shouldn't be.

 

[Crothian]

Cool, after your first book I've been quietly waiting for another book by you guys. While Vampires are a topic that has seen a lot of coverage, I like the completeness that you all seem to be covering it.

 

[Ultramyth]

Thanks. Actually, the 'we' is more or less a bit of a farce. I'm judge, jury and executioner on it all, and my wife edits it all. I write, and do all the artwork also.

But vampire seem to be an interesting topic that no one can get enough of. Some people don't readily admit to the intererst, but I think deep down, that whole immortality thing is appealing, not to mention the super powers and all that. It was interesting doing research for the book, and seeing just how embeded in history and mythlogy the vampire is. Many people date the vampire back to Lilith, but in truth, a far older legend exists. It goes all the way back to ancient egypt.

I'm not talking about Anne Rice here either mind you, this is factual mythology/pseudo history. The legend of Isis and Osiris has so many vampiric overtones. Osiris was murdered by the treachery of his brother Seth, but his sister/wife Isis was the most powerful magic user of the egyptian pantheon, and managed to find his corpse and return it to Egypt, but Seth found out, and severed the body into fourteen pieces and scattered them about Egypt. Isis and her syster scoured the land looking for the pieces, and eventally found all but one. With magic Isis revived Osiris' corpse and concieved Horus the Younger, Osiris was mumified (more from necessity than anything), and became lord of the underworld. He was vulnerable to sunlight, and the priests sacrificed the blood of redheaded boys to the god (Seth had red hair coincidently), to quench his thirst.

The vampire has also developed independently around the world, and is the only 'monster' aside from ghosts and apparitions to do so...

 

[Ultramyth]

Sorry to say the website is down due to technical difficulties. Hopefully it will be up and running in a day or two.

 

[Ultramyth]

Progress

The website is back up, and the manuscript is over with the editor. If there's nothing due for change, this book could be out in a week or two.

Working furiously on the artwork now. Lots to do, to ensure there's a picture for each creature included.

A sample of the artwork?

Certainly.

Lilith

The Romantic Vampire Template

Chapter Header Artwork (Vampire Rules)

 

[trancejeremy]

Wow, nice artwork.

While it would be nice if there was support for d20 Modern, especially as you are including literary vampires, which are mostly useful for Earth (and thus d20 Modern/d20 Past), not D&D.

 

[Ultramyth]

Funny you should mention that. I was thinking of converting the templates all to d20 modern depending on the success of the d20 fantasy version.

 

[beverson]

Funny you should mention that. I was thinking of converting the templates all to d20 modern depending on the success of the d20 fantasy version.

I think that would be a great idea. If you have the time and it's feasible, I hope you do.

 

[Ultramyth]

I think that would be a great idea. If you have the time and it's feasible, I hope you do.

I think I will. It's not too far a stretch to convert templates. The only pain in the arse is drawing up sample characters. It's possible it would be implemented as a template (without samples) only book, basically an updated version of hte original with the modern world in mind.

 

[Ultramyth]

Limited Print Run

Vampires: The Immortal will see a limited print run, laser printed and hard bound with a colour cover and greyscale interior. It will be at least 128 pages. POD is also a possiblilty we're looking into, but will be of lesser quality than the hardbound run.

A special edition of Dice and Dramatics, titled, Revised Dice and Dramatics will also see a limited print run, which is an updated, reformated and re-edited version that should dramatically improve spelling mistakes and gramatical errors, as well as introduce a variety of new tips, suggestions and hints that were thought of after publishing time.

The book will also be available in e-book form, and previous owners of Dice and Dramatics should be able to buy a copy at a heavily discounted price (just $2-$3 instead of full price).

Both will be available, at least initially, by mail order on the Ultramyth Website in the near future, and in selected bookstores in Sweden (not helpful to many people, but hey, postage is cheap in europe).