Nyambe -- D20 Fantasy Africa -- When?
- Thread starter Heroditis
- Start date
Hit, this is Chris Dolunt, Nyambe's main author.
Right now the editing is half-way through the first draft. Michelle Brown-Nephew (the editor) is on vacation until late February while I frantically write up wilderness encounter tables. She'll probably be done editing by early March. Hopefully it won't go through too many revisions, and will be in final draft form by the end of March. Then it needs time for layout, printing, and shipping. That could put it on shelves as early as May, but Atlas already has a major book scheduled for May, so it could get pushed back a few months.
These are just wild guesses though. When a release date is determined they'll post it on their web site.
Bonus info:
Some monsters dropped from the manuscript due to space considerations will be appearing in issue 2 of Gaming Frontiers magazine.
Also, a short African adventure will appear in an upcoming issue of Game Trade magazine (provided I get around to writing it!)
CWD
Right now the editing is half-way through the first draft. Michelle Brown-Nephew (the editor) is on vacation until late February while I frantically write up wilderness encounter tables. She'll probably be done editing by early March. Hopefully it won't go through too many revisions, and will be in final draft form by the end of March. Then it needs time for layout, printing, and shipping. That could put it on shelves as early as May, but Atlas already has a major book scheduled for May, so it could get pushed back a few months.
These are just wild guesses though. When a release date is determined they'll post it on their web site.
Bonus info:
Some monsters dropped from the manuscript due to space considerations will be appearing in issue 2 of Gaming Frontiers magazine.
Also, a short African adventure will appear in an upcoming issue of Game Trade magazine (provided I get around to writing it!)
CWD
Heroditis
First Post
Thanks Chris
I love the work on your web site. It is clear you put a great deal of care into crafting the setting. I guess, however, that I should stop holding my breath waiting for the published version
. But with the fairly extensive work you have done on the Players guide download, I should be able to wing it for a while.
Thanks again,
Michael
I love the work on your web site. It is clear you put a great deal of care into crafting the setting. I guess, however, that I should stop holding my breath waiting for the published version
. But with the fairly extensive work you have done on the Players guide download, I should be able to wing it for a while.Thanks again,
Michael
CWD-
I'm really looking forward to this product! I've gotten so many ideas and so much inspiration from the cultures and mythology of Africa I was surprised that this wasn't done sooner. Places like Zanzibar and Timbuktu are begging for emulation in a fantasy setting, and it will be great to see lesser known places (like Aksum and Kush) presented to a wider audience. Well done!
*bump*
--- John
I'm really looking forward to this product! I've gotten so many ideas and so much inspiration from the cultures and mythology of Africa I was surprised that this wasn't done sooner. Places like Zanzibar and Timbuktu are begging for emulation in a fantasy setting, and it will be great to see lesser known places (like Aksum and Kush) presented to a wider audience. Well done!
*bump*
--- John
Re: Thanks Chris
Believe me, I wish it was out already too!
In all fairness though, its giving me time to do more research and correct inconsistencies and problems in the original manuscript.
The final version will have:
Revised cultures and races
Revised core class variants
Revised skill and feat descriptions (unthlatu can breathe fire!)
Revised region and nation info
Revised religion info, including more detail on the mysterious orisha
Prestige classes (right now there are around 10)
Magic items like the blade of scarring and the greater domain staff
Artwork!
A few variant magic rules (sorcerers summon dragons!)
Variant rules for magic items including potions, rings, and rods.
New classes of magic items like trinkets and nkisi
New diseases and variant disease rules
New poisons appropriate to the setting
Wilderness encounter tables for over a dozen different regions
New monsters like the mokele m'bembe and the mngwa
New animals including hippos, vultures, and more
New vermin such as the mulilo and the incubus beetle
New templates such as animal shapechangers and true zombis
Adventure ideas (and no meta-plot)
Anyhow, thanks for the interest!
Heroditis said:I love the work on your web site. It is clear you put a great deal of care into crafting the setting. I guess, however, that I should stop holding my breath waiting for the published version
Believe me, I wish it was out already too!
In all fairness though, its giving me time to do more research and correct inconsistencies and problems in the original manuscript.
The final version will have:
Revised cultures and races
Revised core class variants
Revised skill and feat descriptions (unthlatu can breathe fire!)
Revised region and nation info
Revised religion info, including more detail on the mysterious orisha
Prestige classes (right now there are around 10)
Magic items like the blade of scarring and the greater domain staff
Artwork!
A few variant magic rules (sorcerers summon dragons!)
Variant rules for magic items including potions, rings, and rods.
New classes of magic items like trinkets and nkisi
New diseases and variant disease rules
New poisons appropriate to the setting
Wilderness encounter tables for over a dozen different regions
New monsters like the mokele m'bembe and the mngwa
New animals including hippos, vultures, and more
New vermin such as the mulilo and the incubus beetle
New templates such as animal shapechangers and true zombis
Adventure ideas (and no meta-plot)
Anyhow, thanks for the interest!
Last edited:
It's true. We've got a handful of Nyambe monsters in Gaming Frontiers Volume 2 that were just too darn big and cantankerous to make it into the sourcebook. They've been beautifully illustrated by Andy Hoppe, and we think you'll like 'em.
Jeffrey S. Carter
Head Writer / Assistant Editor
Gaming Frontiers
www.gamingfrontiers.com
Jeffrey S. Carter
Head Writer / Assistant Editor
Gaming Frontiers
www.gamingfrontiers.com
JohnNephew
First Post
estimated pub date
Chris has already provided lots of crunchy details, but I'll chime in with the publisher's perspective, now that I have both returned from vacation and gotten messageboard access again (Morrus finally helped me manually -- I just couldn't get registered for some reason since the changeover).
My estimate right now is that we'll release Nyambe in July, perhaps at the Origins game convention in Columbus, OH. That's our optimistic target -- the book may wind up taking longer than that. As Chris noted, we have another big D20 hardcover in May (Occult Lore); and we don't want to rush Nyambe, since this is a book that we expect will have a long and prosperous life. We're also putting a lot into exploring some nice production options (good chance that we'll have a 16-page glossy, full-color section at the start of the book), and getting some advertising and promotions together to build excitement for the book (including things like those magazine appearances).
As a rule, we formally announce releases (by e-mailing/faxing a "sales sheet" to distributors and our retail e-mail list) about 3-4 months in advance, to give distributors adequate time to promote a title and collect advance orders from their retailer customers. Hence we've announced Occult Lore already, and in the next few weeks we'll announce our June schedule. If we think we can make July for Nyambe (we try REALLY hard not to announce dates unless we have a high level of confidence in meeting them...although I've heard speculation that sales can actually increase if you are a few months late, as lateness gets the product talked up and generates more interest...), we should announce it formally in about 4-6 weeks.
-John Nephew
President, Atlas Games
Chris has already provided lots of crunchy details, but I'll chime in with the publisher's perspective, now that I have both returned from vacation and gotten messageboard access again (Morrus finally helped me manually -- I just couldn't get registered for some reason since the changeover).
My estimate right now is that we'll release Nyambe in July, perhaps at the Origins game convention in Columbus, OH. That's our optimistic target -- the book may wind up taking longer than that. As Chris noted, we have another big D20 hardcover in May (Occult Lore); and we don't want to rush Nyambe, since this is a book that we expect will have a long and prosperous life. We're also putting a lot into exploring some nice production options (good chance that we'll have a 16-page glossy, full-color section at the start of the book), and getting some advertising and promotions together to build excitement for the book (including things like those magazine appearances).
As a rule, we formally announce releases (by e-mailing/faxing a "sales sheet" to distributors and our retail e-mail list) about 3-4 months in advance, to give distributors adequate time to promote a title and collect advance orders from their retailer customers. Hence we've announced Occult Lore already, and in the next few weeks we'll announce our June schedule. If we think we can make July for Nyambe (we try REALLY hard not to announce dates unless we have a high level of confidence in meeting them...although I've heard speculation that sales can actually increase if you are a few months late, as lateness gets the product talked up and generates more interest...), we should announce it formally in about 4-6 weeks.
-John Nephew
President, Atlas Games
I have a copy of one of the early drafts (from when it was a download), the hard copy from Atlas should be real good. Ye author is truly interested in the subject, and the Atlas edition should add a lot to most any d20 campaign. When Nyambe is released I'm going to have to get a copy to use with my Tales of the Wolf Folk Seaproject.
That was Cyrptic
