Electron Beam Directed Vapor Deposition (EB-DVD) is a new physical vapor deposition (PVD) method for the synthesis of materials from the vapor phase. EB-DVD departs from conventional electron beam (e-beam) material synthesis technology by employing a specially designed e-beam gun in combination with a carrier gas jet to transport vapor to a substrate not necessarily in the line-of-sight of the vapor source in a chamber pressure between 0.001 and 10 Torr (~0.1 - 1000 Pa). Use of the gas jet to effect vapor transport allows important characteristics of the vapor stream to be modified, including the spatial distribution, temperature, and composition. Here the underlying principles of EB-DVD are described. Monte Carlo-based modeling of vapor transport is used to provide additional insight into DVD's vapor deposition characteristics. Representative results are presented for the coating of flat substrates with copper, titanium, and silicon, for the coating of fibers for metal matrix composites, and for the synthesis of yttria-stabilized zirconia thermal barriers for protective coatings on turbine engine components.