Ultramodern5, A 5E Universal Sci-Fi Sourcebook + Campaigns & Adventures

Hey everyone:

Just a quick update that we’ll be closing the pledge manager this month, and with 23 of you still not having closed your pledges, you run the risk of not getting any physical rewards.

For many, you are waiting for the print-on-demand (POD) coupon from DTRPG. 

I’m happy to say that the prototypes showed up today, and both the standard and premiums have been approved. I will admit, having examined them both, the differences between them are minimal, so despite the temptation to pay for the premium, take my suggestion and order the standard version.

Obviously, both POD editions will pale in comparison to the offset print, given we are maximizing page quality. Still, for those not wanting to wait or who didn’t back for offset, you can certainly get your hands on a physical version of the book now.

Like every time I offer print-on-demand, I send out coupons for previous purchasers of the PDF to acquire the POD at a reduced price. This is basically at the cost price set down by One Book Shelf. I will send out coupons for both the standard and premium editions of the game today, and you’ll find those in a separate email sent out from DTRPG.  

NOTE: If you do NOT receive an email from DTRPG with these coupons, it is either because you do not wish to receive emails from publishers OR it is in your spam folder. Check the latter first, and if you still require the coupon, email me at [email protected], and I will confirm your pledge and send the coupons via email.

To reiterate, and yes, I do need to, these print-on-demand books are NOT the physical rewards backers have paid for. Those are offset books that are being printed now. As mentioned, there are four different versions of this book—the standard and alternative covers, the deluxe, and the new leather edition. If anyone is interested in changing their pledge to secure one of the higher-quality books, best to do that now because we are only printing 100 leather books. 

Have a great month, everyone!

CHRIS

A couple of quick updates as I am sick with the flu this week.

POD UPDATE

I received a Print-On-Demand Prototype from DTRPG last week, and I decided to make a video comparing the new revised version with the original 2018 edition. 

 

I also decided to offer a STANDARD edition because the PREMIUM print is simply too damned expensive, like 90$ for a basic book. I ordered another round of prototypes, so that should be coming down soon. Once that occurs, I’ll be activating both versions for those wishing to purchase a POD edition. 

Remember, the POD is NOT  the offset print edition. That is being certified now.

FOUNDRY UPDATE

Another round of updates for Foundry are going up today. As before, they will be uploaded to the REDUX files on DTRPG. 

This may be the last set before the product goes officially live for sale. 

CHRIS

 

HEY EVERYONE!

I finally got my issues with Fantasy Grounds sorted, centered around my company possessing both a personal account and a business account. Once they deleted the incorrect account, I was able to create discount keys for backers.

                As stated in the campaign, while Roll20 and Foundry modules are being developed internally, the FG modules were created by SmiteWorks, so I cannot offer them for free. The highest discount I can offer is 50%. Alas, keys are unique for each purchase, so unlike DTRPG, I cannot make just one coupon everyone can use. 

                I bounded around potential solutions to make this work outside of emailing each of you individually. I thought of having backers email me who wanted them, but while Kickstarter operates an internal messaging system, Backerkit does not.

                I figured the best route would be to offer an online spreadsheet to which ALL backers have access. That’s right, I am going with the honor system. Refer to Backer Only Content

POD ULTRAMODERN5

Oh, I completely forgot to add with last time. I have a prototype for the new Ultramodern5 coming. Once approved, I’ll activate the new edition if anyone wants to order one of those physical books. IMPORTANT reminder: These are not the offset books promised by the crowdfunding campaign. These are just PODs from DTRPG.

Chris

 

 

The biggest drawback of one of the few positives regarding ADHD is that once you are laser-focused, it is damn near impossible to break away to do something else, even if that something is essential…like, you know, doing a crowdfunding update.

For the past three months, I have been deep in writing the third Amethyst novel, now called "Hallowed Kingdoms" (I added an 's'). 

I'm not going to lie; while I had about 10,000 words of notes, I did not officially start writing it until September of 2023. By January 20th, 2024, it has crossed 114,000 words. I planned on having it about the same length as the others, but that's in the past. Thankfully, right after my tasteful, PG-13 love scene (spoilers), I am nearing the end of this book, with the imagined ending likely hanging around 130,000 words. Thankfully, I'm not the only one who works.

Obviously, production tends to slow down around Christmas, further dampened by the Chinese New Year, which occurs in February. But I am happy to say that five books are currently getting certified by Round Color, our printing partner. This includes Ultramodern5, Amethyst Quintessence, Amethyst Factions, and two of three novels. Because it will take time to print what will be about 4,000 books, the plan is that Amethyst Revelations and the last novel will be finished by the time the others have finished.

For those aware, we are finally making progress with the VTT module. Late last year, the ALPHA version of these files, dubbed 1.0.0 was uploaded. Today, it will be 1.1.0, with the expected final release being 2.0.0 (according to its creator—I shall not question). 

After a lot of back and forth with Fantasy Grounds, I hope that by next week, I can finally have coupons made for all backers for all appropriate modules. This is on me. I was so focused I forgot I hadn't made these coupons. 

ROLL20

I am also happy to report that the ROLL20 modules are ALSO back on track. We'll have another update on those soon.

ADVENTURES
We hit a few snags last year regarding the modules. The first was a sudden death in the family with my artist, and I allowed them a few months to handle personal affairs. They are back, and illustrations have begun. Medical issues with my writer also suffered a few delays. As a result, the first two adventures, Echoes of Noa 94 and Madness at the Megalomart, will likely be released almost atop one another.

 

 

 

HEY EVERYONE!

I hope everyone has a fantastic holiday season.

We here at Dias Ex Machina are happy to announce two significant updates to Ultramodern5.

ULTRAMODERN5 REDUX 1.2

We recently went about updating Ultramodern5-REDUX before its upcoming epic offset print run. The fans supported unanimously, and I hope we have delivered.

As everyone who backed Ultramodern5 as a direct or supplementary reward received the PDF, all we did was add the revised 1.2 file to the UM5-REDUX entry on DriveThruRPG. All you need to do is head over to your account and download the updated file.

This new revised UM5 is over 20 pages longer and features more changes than I can count or even mention. All the fixes from the errata have been added, along with a bunch of new tweaks based on what we have learned in the past few years. We added rules for multiclassing, Hereditary, and Trained ability bonuses introduced in the revised Amethyst and even a few feats. We played with class balance and tried to make the book easier to read overall. 

This is not a HUGE revision. The book still looks the same. A few new illustrations were inserted, but everything else should be recognizable.

Currently, the POD option for UM5-REDUX has been deactivated as we work on securing a new prototype with the revised 1.2 edition. After that, a coupon will be sent out, allowing interested customers to purchase a revised POD. If you backed UM5 for an offset book, DON’T order the POD; offset books are coming (I mean, you still can; I won't stop you). That was the whole point of this.

ULTRAMODERN5 FOUNDRY ALPHA FILES

We finally have progress. A wonderful, steely-eyed missile man, Bryan Alexander Krejci, came on board a few months ago to finally convert UM5 to Foundry Virtual Tabletop. 

This will eventually be a purchasable title on DTRPG, but FOR NOW, we are releasing the alpha files on DTRPG under the Ultramodern5 REDUX entry. This means that, like the revised 1.2 edition mentioned above, you only need to check out your downloads on your DTRPG account. Feedback is much appreciated, and we’ll be updating these files over the next few months until we finally reach an official retail release.

IF YOU BACKED the newest campaign and have the VTT modules listed as a reward, no worries, you’re getting these as part of your perks, so hold tight. Until then, enjoy these alpha files. 

I hope everyone has a great XMAS!!

CHRIS