Hi! Black Chantry Productions is delighted to tell you that not one but TWO new sets for Vampire: The Eternal Struggle will be released on October 31. They will appear in stores before this, but this is the first date that you are allowed to use cards from these sets in VEKN-sanctioned tournaments.
Noites Brasileiras (“Brazilian Nights”) is a Brazil-themed set with 32 new crypt cards (18 different) and 22 new library cards (13 different). All three major vampire sects are included in this one.
Secrets of New York is a New York-themed set that includes 29 new crypt cards (19 different) and 25 new library cards (13 different). The focus here is on Camarilla and Anarch vampires.
Not one but two new expansions for Vampire: The Eternal Struggle hits store shelves in October; Noites Brasileiras and Secrets of New York. One of the artists that illustrates the new cards is Francisco Tébar, so for the preview of these, we also had a little talk with him – enjoy the read!
How are you today, and what are you working on right now? – Feeling great, actually. Looking forward to autumn’s relief of the Spanish heat. But right now I’m currently tackling some concepts and covers for an upcoming historical miniature wargame and for a heavy metal-styled board game. Oh, and some personal secret projects that I’d later tell you about, haha.
What is your background as an artist – are you educated or self-taught? – I had a long and extensive classical artistic education: fine arts degree, and all that. But my passion for dark themes, heavy metal aesthetics and counterculture usually gets me bouncing between very different kinds of projects, works and hobbies, often mixing them up together as it goes. What starts as a hobby or a personal project could later develop into actual work!
What have you mostly been working with, so far? – Well, I’m a multidisciplinary artist, a jack of all trades. I’ve been working as a game designer and graphic designer for board games, books, etc., and as escape room developer, editorial illustrator, comic book writer, art teacher and so on. My time in the illustration profession is going great, with many interesting projects, and more to go!
What are your main inspirations and influences? – I think that when making art, inspirations are like a private tool collection that you kind of gather through your experiences and resignify for yourself. Then you choose some for a project, but others actually permeate without noticing: could be themes, values, color palettes, etc. But broadly speaking, I’m a big classic art enthusiast: Goya, Franz Marc, Gustave Doré. Also more modern ones, like Kentaro Miura, Brom or Adrian Smith. For Vampire: The Masquerade – my fondest TTRPG love – I think Christopher Shy, Tim Bradstreet and Lawrence Snelly really etched the aesthetics that I love about the setting and had a profound impact in how I understand and conceive urban fantasy/horror. But inspiration comes in many ways, and for me music is paramount. I think that my taste in music is very eclectic, but for VTM I love particularly instrumental atmospheric music, like Bohren & Der Club of Gore or The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation, depending on the themes that I’m seeking. I think inspiration has to be something that you harmonize with, like finding a mood, in order to be able to create by yourself.
What kind of assignments do you prefer? – Oh! Dark and horror, for sure. Monsters have been my thing since childhood. In a way I think it’s for their diversity and strangeness that make them alluring. At least, to me. But also I think that an artist’s work is, somehow, to highlight whatever they seem to be worth noticing. For me, that’s exploring the terrible and the horrible, as well as its counterparts in the fragile and the kind. Also I’m a strong lover of worldbuilding. To make details that speak of stories and to be able to loquaciously express a complex situation, feeling or atmosphere.
What artistic techniques do you prefer? – I have explored a lot of techniques, and still do. I do love to work on values with a pencil or pen approach at first. I’m a big fan of etching and engraving, so I tend to go with some dry lines to make texturing. I choose the path to the particular piece depending on its needs. In VTES, I like to explore a mixing of digital and traditional techniques in various steps.
I think I can show you an example case: Hafthor Thornsteinson. First, when I got the specifics for the card it’s time to think about colors, and a general idea of shapes. The frame of each clan or card type is key in knowing how it’s going to affect the overall card in various terms. I have in mind that the card has to be easily recognisable from the distance, so thumbnailing is key.
Then I make a pencil sketch that synthesizes the concept of a card, key elements, key details, pose, background and a general light idea in a good composition. For vampires I think it is very important to have in mind the particular oval frame, one of the most distinctive design aspects of the game. When I’m happy enough with some thumbnails, I then look for reference material, usually grabbing some friend who is conveniently bribed into collaborating: modelling, finding backgrounds, props or whatever, and taking some pictures.
With that I usually make a general digital composition and draw a pencil sketch about putting on the correct values, which I then send for review.
After that, it’s the moment to tackle the project with pen, ink, markers, gouache or whatever other media to get a grey scale drawing with the details, the textures, and the general rendering of the piece. I find in my taste that vampires need a strong black and white composition over other considerations. I don’t usually paint on grey scale and apply color later, but I think the night and darkness need to be handled in those terms.
Scanning the result, adding color in digital and light effects that traditional techniques render hard to, is the final step. Colors in many ways are the conduit of emotions, so that’s maybe the most playful moment of a piece, when it finally becomes alive. Or unalive, depending.
Many who read this will have seen your work for Vampire: The Eternal Struggle. How did you come into contact with the game? – I’m indeed a long-time VTES player! I started early, 16 years old, with the Nosferatu Camarilla deck way back – that fondness for monstrosities! I fell in love with the aesthetics of the game, the way it portrays the perversion and darkness of the Vampire: The Masquerade setting. I entered the VTES game first and then stepped into the TTRPG. It had a profound impact on my perception of horror and opened a lot of different fascinating real-life topics that enriched me a lot. In my day I drew a lot of vampires, imitating the illustrations of the mythical artists of this game, and here I am now. I´m still marvelling that this opportunity did occur.
Have there been specific creative challenges in illustrating for Vampire: The Eternal Struggle? – I know the game’s lore and mechanics, so I think that helps engage wonderfully when designing characters or defining situations for each piece. Every project and piece has its own specifics to take care of. I think illustrations for card games need to have strong compositions and some “personality” in order to pop out from the table and to be easily identifiable at a quick glance. This is especially true of library cards, whose concepts are usually broader actions rather than specific characters and the card space is smaller. Besides that, I think the game has a strong visual identity that must be addressed to work with: night, blood, fangs, horror and masquerade. Blended differently, it may become an almost infinite palette to imagine from.
What else are you working on currently – is there something special that you have upcoming that you want to mention? – Well, now that you mention it, I’m currently developing an old personal project: a Lovecraftian comic book adaptation I’ve been trying to get on with for a while. Let’s see how far it goes. And some TTRPG stuff I’m working on. Maybe some new cards, who knows!
Now we will leave you to do more fantastic illustrations. Anything else you’d like to add? – Just to say that it’s a pleasure to be part of the blood that is the VTES community and how glad I am that we are keeping this darkness alive! Long live, children of Caine!
Thanks for this talk Francisco, and thanks for your contributions to the game. The new cards, both from Secrets of New York:
Hi! More Vampire: The Eternal Struggle promo cards! This time we are happy to introduce the official promotional cards for distribution to players of all National Championships 2026-2027.
Blood Bond has not been reprinted since the Tenth Anniversary box back in 2004. The new art is by Krzysztof Bieniawski.
Praxis Seizure: Paris has not seen print since the original in the Dark Sovereigns set in 1995. New art by Ginés Quiñonero.
Any VEKN National Coordinator can order these on print-on-demand at Gamepod.es, and they will also be available on Drivethrucards later this year.
Hi! Black Chantry Productions are delighted to announce this new card version for Vampire: The Eternal Struggle. The new art version of Rexton “Savage” Abernathy is now available for print-on-demand at Gamepod.es. The card will appear on Drivethrucards a bit later.
One of the two upcoming sets for Vampire: The Eternal Struggle is called Noites Brasileiras – “Brazilian Nights”. Not only is this an opportunity for us to put the spotlight on the enormous popularity of the game in Brazil and say thanks to the active players, but it is also a way to honour the fallen.
Several of the new crypt cards in Noites Brasileiras have artwork that pays tribute to Brazilian players that passed away recently. Individual cards will be revealed later, but we would like to mention one person in particular. Fernando Cesar, known as “Sydnelson”, has meant a lot to VTES and VTES players in Brazil and the world. Thank you. Rest in peace.
