Wahoo! BOOM! Our Curseborne Kickstarter funded in about a half an hour!

What an amazing show of support from all of our backers out there! You wanted horror, well you’re going to get some from us…as well as our sincere thanks for showing us the kind of support that means we can get Curseborne into your homes, gaming groups, and stores!

We are so grateful that we’re at more than 1750 backers, over 400% funded, and over $125k raised – and we’re not even one full week into the campaign yet! Let’s goooooo! There’s so much more on the way!

In fact, I think we just achieved the Accursed Adventure Supplement Stretch Goal. This is an adventure book that has premade Curseborne characters, their ties to one another, and an adventure to get them started. It’ll be automatically added as a bonus reward to all backers receiving the Curseborne PDF as one of their rewards.

So excited about where Curseborne is going, but that doesn’t mean that we’re unaware of all the new backers (well, totally new to us and also folks who haven’t backed our non-horror stuff), here are some notes for all of them, and really anybody else who has these questions. I’m starting by pulling these from the CB KS FAQ:

What system does this game use?

Curseborne uses Onyx Path’s Storypath Ultra system. The Storypath Ultra system is designed so every action drives the story forward, as well as creating a reaction or new story element. You can read a quick summary on our Kickstarter page (under “Storypath Ultra”) and check out a free outline of the Storypath Ultra system on DriveThruRPG.com.

Do you need the Storypath Ultra Core Manual to play? Does this require another book to play?

Everything you need to play the Curseborne RPG is contained in the book we’re Kickstarting with this project. Curseborne contains instructions on how to use this book to play a game. You’ll find the chapters on how to play the game using the Storypath Ultra system, how to create a character, all the cool powers those characters have, and information on how to run a game of Curseborne.

You may be thinking of the old blue nWoD book that was necessary to play games in that line (though second edition pretty much were all self-contained), or looking at Scion: Origin or the Trinity Conintuum Core Rulebook and thinking that Curseborne is built on top of a “starter book” for building a normal person and then Curseborne applies a template on top. This is not the case. The Curseborne book has all the rules you need to play the game.

What can Sorcerers do with their spells? What forms can a Primal take? Are Outcasts strictly demons or angels?

I appreciate your enthusiasm, excitement, and eagerness! Here’s what I’ll say – we are now past the first thrilling day of the Kickstarter campaign, where longtime backers rush in to grab some low backer numbers (I was number 4!) and people want to be part of the initial discourse and lock down premium rewards as early as possible.

Now that we’re past that first stage… we’ve got a whole month for this campaign. Some of the answers to the questions I’ve just posted are taken directly from the Kickstarter campaign page. Many of the answers to other questions will come with the manuscript previews available to backers as we progress through the campaign. We’ll need some patience as answers come to us over the days of October. By Hallwe’en, we’ll all know exactly what is in this book and have the answers to most of our questions.

And if I may, let me add: What do you do in Curseborne? What is the main gameplay loop?

First, here’s the link to an entire blog post from Danielle on exactly that topic: https://theonyxpath.com/curseborne-what-do-characters-do/

Then, let me say that Curseborne is designed to enable you to have the gameplay you want, depending on the needs of the table. The themes of hope in the face of darkness, of family – found or born – and how that works or doesn’t, and the backdrop of a world where an intertwined web of curses affects everyone, gives anyone entering the game a common thread, but how you and your fellow players face that is entirely part of how you choose to deal with it. Each family has some built-in aspects and behaviors (and powers), but again, how your character reacts and deals with those aspects is what your personal gameplay loop is all about.

I’m sure we’ll have other common questions as we run through the next three weeks of the campaign, and I’ll try and grab them and get them FAQ’d up, too. But speaking of questions…

During the build-up to the CB Kickstarter, we did a bunch of AMAs in different venues which were a lot of fun and enabled us to answer the very preliminary questions people had about Curseborne and also any and all of our game lines and publishing efforts. Well, we’re not going to leave you high and dry now that you’re actually getting solid sections of the book to ask us about! Oh no, in fact we have AMAs set up all through October, with the first happening this coming Friday!

Expect time and venue info coming at you later this week!

Check out the many Curseborne programs on our Twitch this week, the APs being put up on Twitch and YouTube, and Matthew’s Gentleman Gamer vids on YouTube as well for more examples of what you do, how you do it, and how the world reacts! All of these are linked down below in the Media section of The Blurbs!

Also, this coming Friday on the Onyx Pathcast, Eddy and Matthew talk about the kinds of characters you can play in Curseborne! For all your podcast audio listening pleasures!

Boom! Bang! Pow! Farty horns!

And then there’s our Monday Meeting where we worked hard to recover from the last week of the Kickstarter, as we were all all-in as the excitement (and numbers) kept rising! But, we do, in fact, have a lot of other projects from other game lines to make sure are still rolling along, and so we spent most of today’s Monday Meeting reorganizing those efforts in the wake of the CurseBOOM.

You’ll see the results of all that next week, while things may look a little slow for non-CB projects this week. But that doesn’t mean that things are at a stand-still, as proved by Travis Legge, the hardest working man in the TTRPG-biz, with this account of his activities last week and weekend:

This weekend at Maze Books in Rockford, Illinois, I was their featured artist for Rockford Fall Art Scene! Art scene is a downtown art festival that brings people from the region to downtown Rockford to peruse art and shop. My focus for the event was storytelling as art. On Friday night, I ran several demonstrations of Curseborne. Each group had a great time and were stoked to find a new horror game right as we head into spooky season! We sold a stack of Ashcans and hopefully welcomed in several new Curseborne fans!

On Saturday, I ran a Scion Live-Action event! As time was limited, I devised some simplified quick-play rules and focused the players on helping Evander, a Scion of Hermes, locate his lost keys! In this scavenger hunt, we posted NPCs at a nearby mural and the local library to distribute the treasures to our successful Scions. The session ran for about three hours, and everyone seemed to genuinely enjoy themselves. Who knows? Maybe this will be the first of many Scion Live-Action games I run!

All told it was a great weekend, and I want to thank Maze Books for hosting, the Rockford Area Arts Council for putting Art Scene together, and most of all, the players who came down and told stories with me!

Here’s some pics from the event(s):

I’ll see if Travis was able to get some pics of the Scion LARP event as well for next time, as I’d love to see some of that!

We also have some sales either running – the Half-O-Ween sale at IPR, or going to start mid-month- the Halloween Sale at DTRPG!

Thanks to everybody who sent in their thoughts with the Scion Survey over the last weeks! We’re compiling and discussing your responses – we did some of that at a very basic level today – and let me say that we’re thrilled and touched that so many of you love Scion 2e and want to see more, more, more!

Next, all you Trinity Continuum fans will get your chance to inform us as to your likes and dislikes, what you use and what you abuse (system and setting-wise), and what you’d like to see next! Coming soon, a Survey all your very own!

Finally, it’s October, and for me, that means it’s Inktober as well, the month where I try and do an ink drawing a day…yay. But seriously, it’s an amazing and always ill-timed marathon of art, and this year I’ve themed the illustrations around the current campaign that I’ve been DMing for my Crossroads Continent world. Hopefully, y’all will be able to see them someday in a CRC product we publish, but until then, I’m posting them on my Facebook page, which should be open for anybody to check out!

Until then, wish me luck and the fortitude to fire these pieces off every day – which will happen first, the end of the Curseborne KS or my art hand falling off?

I guess we’ll see, as we make many sacrifices and do lots of dumb things in order to create our:

Many Worlds, One Path!

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Blurbs!

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Crowdfunding!

CURSEBORNE

All right! Look above for all sorts of hoopla about Curseborne – funded in just over a half-hour and right now rocketing past 400% funded and 1700 backers – and we’re not one week in yet!

Click on this link to start your dark journey into the highly-anticipated world of CURSEBORNE: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/200664283/curseborne-tabletop-roleplaying-game

On Kickstarter NOW!

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Onyx Path Media!

This week: Matthew and Eddy talk about the kinds of characters you can play in Curseborne!

As always, this Friday’s Onyx Pathcast will be on Podbean or your favorite podcast venue!

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Also check out our attached media schedule for the videos on our Twitch channel this week!

The Onyx Path News is here and Matthew is talking about Curseborne (if you can’t tell from the title) and Pugmire: Threats and Curs! Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/live/ESYWxMdoH8I

Wow! There’s been a lot of Curseborne related media in this past week. Let’s see if we can capture it all. And if we can’t? Post your Curseborne videos in the comments below!

Curseborne Launch Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p-uXNLR91I

Matthew Dawkins’ Curseborne Actual Play “Curtain Call” 1/2:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao2Ozj84suw&t

Matthew Dawkins’ “What is Curseborne?”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHrpjU4TuaY

Matthew Dawkins’ “How to Play Curseborne”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WLQop7HA3o

Matthew Dawkins’ “What Do I Play in Curseborne?”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIb8iOtYZl8

Corbin’s “Is Curseborne the Next Big RPG?” Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poRt27FAfUQ

Corbin’s Curseborne Beginner’s Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RsFbeLGhkU

Red Moon Roleplaying’s Curseborne Actual Play Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX8QyiKhENY

Queen’s Court Games Curseborne Actual Play Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TagNUXz2XGQ

And watch out for the Old Ways Podcast who go live with their Curseborne actual play tonight!: https://www.twitch.tv/theoldwaystwitch

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Virtual Tabletop!

They Came From Beneath the Sea! on Roll20 VTT!
https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/bundle/22308/they-came-from-beneath-the-sea

The Scion: Origin and Scion Hero Compendiums are now available on Roll20!
https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/publisher/1716/onyx-path-publishing

Scion is just the start! They Came From Beneath the Sea! and other
Onyx Path RPGs are in development for Roll20 virtual tabletop!

The first of our official Scion sheets designed for Foundry VTT are
now available! https://foundryvtt.co

Looking for more virtual tabletop resources? We have a selection of
Tokens, Encounters, and more available now at DriveThruRPG! https://bit.ly/3SnrNJ7

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Our Sales Partners!

We’re working with Studio2 to provide our traditionally printed books out into your local game stores. Game stores can order via their usual distributors, and can also contact Studio2 directly. And individuals can check out our projects via the links below!

Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books, dice, and screens? Try this link! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Onyx-Path-Publishing/

Half-o-Ween sale on IPR is running now!:

https://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Deals-and-Specials/

As always, you can find Onyx Path’s titles in PDF and PoD versions at DriveThruRPG.com!

Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle (from Amazon) and Nook (from Barnes & Noble).

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On Sale This Week!

Check out the Curseborne Brochure #3 PDF this Weds on DTRPG! But wait, that’s not all!

We’re also offering the Scion: Demigod Storyguide Screen PDF this Weds on DTRPG! But wait, wait, there’s even more!

We’re putting up the Scion: Demigod Community Content package on the Storypath Nexus! And then, also!

Over on Redbubble, we’re offering Scion: Demigod Pantheon Shirts and Journals!

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Conventions!

Here’s where you can find out more info on physical and virtual conventions we’re going to be involved with!

GameHoleCon – Oct 17th – 19th

https://www.gameholecon.com/

PAX Unplugged – December 6th – 8th

https://unplugged.paxsite.com/

Game Night With Onyx Path Publishing at StartPlaying is the last Friday of every month! Come play some of our games that night! (But any of our game lines are welcome all day long!)

Here’s a link to give anyone $10 credit to play games on Start.Playing:

https://startplaying.games/referral/clog9y0v10006ju0968iev95m

Please spread the word about GMing games as much as possible! Details on how list a game are at the bottom of the page in the FAQ:

https://startplaying.games/event/game-night-onyx-path

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Project Status Updates!

Our full list of projects will be available monthly on our blog! Check out September’s full list report here: https://theonyxpath.com/release-roundup-september-2024/

DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM EDDY!

Here are the projects that moved to the next stage of production:

First Draft

Storypath Ultra – SPU additional settings

• Eddy: The votes are in for the two additional settings for the Storypath Ultra Core Manual! I’ve expanded on the initial ideas, hired two fantastic writers to go even further, and they’ve been given the go ahead to start designing and writing. I can’t wait to see what they come up with!

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ART DIRECTION FROM MIKE CHANEY!

In Art Direction

• Ex3 Alchemicals – I believe all of the sketches have been turned in and feedback sent to Gong… so moving right along.
• M20 Faces of Magick – Notes are with Gaydos and KMJ
• Curseborne (KS) – Running! Looking at new art.

Layout

• Trinity Continuum CC 
• Scion Tasty Bit Combo
• The World Below – First four or five sections done… I think maybe 6 or 7 more to go… but the gnarlier ones are done at least.
• Ex Essence Pillars of Creation
• Ex Essence Deeds Yet Undone (Dirt Cheap) – Awaiting feedback (if any) from the dev team.
• SCION God Storyguide Screen – Got text stuff in last weekend… AND haven’t had time to touch it yet.
• TC With Great Power 
• M20 Victorian Bizarre Tales and Unusual Characters

Proofing

• They Came From Classified Jumpstart 

Indexing

• Realms of Pugmire

At Press

• Reprints:
• Scion Origin – Should be arriving at Studio2.
• TC Core – Should be arriving at Studio2.

• Ex 3 Exigents – Reviewing quotes.
• Ex 3 Exigents Screen – Looking at proofs.
• TC Aether – Reviewing quotes.
• TC Anima – Advances in and signed off on.
• TC Anima Terra Surge Screen – Printer sending to Studio2.
• Ex3 Sidereals – Index in. Awaiting Page XXs.
• Ex Essence Jumpstart – Errata input.
• Ex Essence Charm Cards
• Realms of Pugmire – Indexing.
• Sidereals Novella – Awaiting errata so I can do the PoD.
• Scion: God – Reviewing quotes for trad printing.
• They Came From the Cyclops’s Cave – Advances in and signed off on.
• They Came From the Cyclops’s Cave Screen – Printer sending to Studio2.
• They Came From CLASSIFIED – Advances in and signed off on.
• They Came From CLASSIFIED Screen – Printer sending to Studio2.
• TC Player’s Guide – Working XXs Monday morning…
• Curseborne Gamehole Con Card – Printer sent them out.
• Curseborne Brochure #3 – PDF available this Weds on DTRPG!

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Today’s Reason to Celebrate!

So I tried to find on Wikipedia something cool on this date to celebrate – and this is just an awful date! A lot of tragic and terrible things happened in the real world – I mean, it’s Putin’s birthday, for crying out loud! Instead, I’m defaulting to what we’re all celebrating at Onyx Path Central: the success noted above of our Curseborne KS. Please join us in being glad about our made-up horror game, as opposed to the real horrors out there.