M20 Technocracy Reloaded & Uploaded to Kickstarter! [Monday Meeting Notes]

The M20 Technocracy Reloaded Kickstarter starts at 2pm Eastern US time tomorrow, Tuesday, April 28th!

We’re looking to create a Deluxe-style book to match the M20 Deluxe on the shelf, so the Kickstarter is to add all the Deluxe bells and whistles. The inside will, of course, feature the full-color design and beautiful art our Deluxe books are known for, and includes these features:

  • An Operative’s Handbook that provides a detailed overview of life in the Technocratic Union, describing the organization of the Union, the Conventions, and the roles that sympathizers, extraordinary citizens, and Enlightened Operatives play in the overall structure of the Technocracy.
  • An examination of Technocratic initiatives on a global scale.
  • Devices, procedures, and hypertech used by the Technocratic Union that explores the Enlightened Science, allowing operatives to apply similar effects in the field, if they have sufficient understanding of the principles that allow these gadgets to function.
  • A comprehensive list of citizens, cyborgs, operatives, progenitor creations, and allies to use as NPCs.
  • Storyteller support that explores story seeds and metaplot to shape a chronicle for their needs.

More than a year ago, I polled our original M20 KS backers to see if they even wanted a KS for this project, as well as Victorian M20, and WOOO! did they! Original backers know that we never reached the final Stretch Goal that would have been used to finish and create this book – it was a big one – so I think they’ve been revved up for it for quite some time!

So, we’ve planned the project in order to bring this forward and we hope both those M20 backers and the many folks who discovered M20 since the original KS get a chance to check this out tomorrow!


What Else Are We Doing During Our Shut-In Time?

Titanomachy art by Shen Fei

We’re adding some sales and project options to our current schedule in order to make it easier to buy and play our games during this time when our community has both shut-in and with financial challenges:

The IPR Bundle sale featuring our extra KSed books and Screens bundled together is still ongoing, and you can find the info below in the Blurbs! section featuring our sales partners!

Then, starting Wednesday, all of our Jumpstart PDFs will be free on DTRPG with a new sale we’re doing to give folks a chance to try out our many game lines! If you’ve ever wondered about a line, wanted to try it out, then this is a great chance to get a starting adventure and some pre-generated characters to give it a try with!

Dark Eras 2 art by Alex Sheikman

We’ve also been looking at ways we can provide lower price-point projects beyond the sales, and we have started a few initiatives with that in mind.

For example, in addition to their larger, planned, PDFs, we’ll be offering some of our current projects broken into separate, smaller, PDFs. We’ll be starting with Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras 2, and when the single-volume PDF and PoD goes on sale in a couple of weeks, we’ll also offer individual chapter PDFs.

We’re hoping that will allow folks to pick up the chapters relevant to their current gaming for a much reduced cost. We’re also looking at other projects we can offer in the same way, that I’ll announce as we move on them.

For our community that has discovered the wonders of gaming with their friends virtually, through streaming or through Virtual Table Top venues like Roll20 or Astral, we’re building token and adventure/map packs to make that experience easier. I’ve already seen and OK’d packs for Scion, Scarred Lands, and the Trinity Continuum which we’ll have up and available very soon.

(Maybe even this Wednesday?)

Vigil Watch art by Alex Honore

As always, we also continue to look to ways to help the many creators who we rely on for all their phenomenal work on our projects. Especially during this time of uncertainty. So we’re doing another Developer Town Hall Day next week where our Onyx Path crew will be available for our developers to check in with in a couple of designated time blocks since our devs live around the world and some are still doing their full-time jobs.

Our Dev Town Hall last month went great, so we’re hoping this one will be helpful for all our devs as well. This time though, I’m opening up the discussions just a bit to all of you folks.

Please pass on to me any questions you want us to discuss with the devs, and I’ll make sure we bring them up during the chat.

We hope you are all doing as well as can be hoped, and we’re hoping that this time is made a little bit better for you because you have access to our:


Many Worlds, One Path!


Blurbs!


Kickstarter!

The M20 Technocracy Reloaded Kickstarter will start at 2pm Eastern US time on Tuesday, April the 28!

Highlights of M20 Technocracy Reloaded include:

  • An Operative’s Handbook that provides a detailed overview of life in the Technocratic Union, describing the organization of the Union, the Conventions, and the roles that sympathizers, extraordinary citizens, and Enlightened Operatives play in the overall structure of the Technocracy.
  • An examination of Technocratic initiatives on a global scale.
  • Devices, procedures, and hypertech used by the Technocratic Union that explores the Enlightened Science, allowing operatives to apply similar effects in the field, if they have sufficient understanding of the principles that allow these gadgets to function.
  • A comprehensive list of citizens, cyborgs, operatives, progenitor creations, and allies to use as NPCs.
  • Storyteller support that explores story seeds and metaplot to shape a chronicle for their needs.

Onyx Path Media!

This week features part four of the Trio’s Scion Actual Play sessions!

As always, this Friday’s Onyx Pathcast will be on Podbean or your favorite podcast venue! https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/

In advance of the Kickstarter launch this week, the popular and high quality Mage: The Podcast spoke with Danielle Lauzon and Travis Legge about M20 Technocracy Reloaded:http://magethepodcast.com/index.php/2020/04/25/technocracy-reloaded-kickstarter-preview-with-danielle-lauzon-and-travis-legge/

Back to our regularly scheduled broadcasts, on as ever, we’ve got a lot on Twitch. Matthew was in the audience for the fantastic Scarred Lands: Purge of the Serpentholds last week, and really recommends you check them out!

If Scarred Lands isn’t your thing, that’s okay! We’ve got lots more, including two sessions of V5, Behind the Screen – Chronicles of Darkness, Pugmire – Paws & Claws, Changeling: The Lost – Littlebrook ReunionChangeling: The Dreaming – The Last Faerie TaleMage: The Awakening – Occultists AnonymousDark ErasWerewolf: The Forsaken, and Chronicles of Darkness – Tooth and Claw!

You can subscribe to our channel over on twitch.tv/theonyxpath to catch up with any episodes you missed!

Come take a look at our YouTube channel, youtube.com/user/theonyxpath, where you can find a whole load of videos of actual plays, dissections of our games, and more, including:

Trinity Continuum – Aberrant: Community Service: https://youtu.be/oY9gGocsTtU

Changeling: The Lost – Littlebrook Reunion: https://youtu.be/rrGUattOO_o1OiLEtvunkM

Vampire: The Masquerade: Blood City – Chicago by Night: https://youtu.be/FEYdTKI-NgI

And MORE Trinity Continuum – Aberrant: Community Service: https://youtu.be/o_mcjV0uEAs

Do subscribe to our channel and click the bell icon if you want to be notified whenever new news videos and uploads come online!

Occultists Anonymous are here with a new special Mage: The Awakening series:

Richmond Mini-Series 01: Hubris in Richmond
Meet the new Mages for this special short story arc. Drifter the manipulative Mastigos, Amanita the assassin Thyrsus, and Vicar the haunted Obrimos. Something is going on in Richmond, Virginia, and these Mages are barreling right towards it. 
https://youtu.be/0x_0K-SqIaQ

Richmond Mini-Series 02: Tele-Commute
Vicar duels with an Angel sent to kill him in a church. Drifter speaks with the Arrow Sentinel, Guan Yu, about working together. Amanita begins to research the Seer agent’s plans.
https://youtu.be/SyrLzMRY-rI

Here’s the Story Told Podcast first episode in their new actual play series of Demon: The Descent
The Aggregate Choir
Welcome to Berlin, 1971. The Unchained hide themselves in the surveillance state of the GDR in a city under greater scrutiny by mortal eyes than almost any other city in the world. When Demons hear a radio station from the West, long thought silenced by the God-Machine, they gather and begin to investigate…  
http://thestorytold.libsyn.com/the-aggregate-choir-file-1

Additionally, Monica Speca joined the Story Told Podcast to dive deep on the Great Houses of the Realm for Exalted 3rd Editionhttp://thestorytold.libsyn.com/exalted-great-houses-of-the-realm-part-2-with-monica-speca

One of Matthew’s personal favourites, Devil’s Luck Gaming, continues their Werewolf: The Forsaken chronicle over here: https://www.twitch.tv/DevilsLuckGaming 

Please do give them a follow!

Please check these out and let us know if you find or produce any actual plays of our games! We’d love to feature you!


Electronic Gaming!

As we find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is live! Our dev team has been doing updates since we launched based on the excellent use-case comments by our community, and this thing is awesome! (Seriously, you need to roll 100 dice for Exalted? This app has you covered.)

Update: the devs are working on the updates for the roller in both Android and iOS; here is the rundown from them:

1) Redo the UI for system for Android. It will look the same as the current design. My goal is to have something ready by Saturday to send out to the Facebook users, asking them if this fixes the issues. This will be a beta type thing. This will break several of the fancy dice.

2) If the above worked out and the android users give all the clear, we’ll redo the graphics system to fix the fancy dice that got broken. We’ll do another Android beta through Facebook. This might take up to two weeks, as my schedule allows.

3) If everything worked well, we’ll release to Android for real at that point.

4) Port all of the existing stuff to iOS and release on that.


On 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).

If you enjoy these or any other of our books, please help us by writing reviews on the site of the sales venue from which you bought it. Reviews really, really help us get folks interested in our amazing fiction!

Our selection includes these latest fiction books:


Our Sales Partners!

We’re working with Studio2 to get Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau out into stores, as well as to individuals through their online store. You can pick up the traditionally printed main book, the screen, and the official Pugmire dice through our friends there! https://studio2publishing.com/search?q=pugmire

We’ve added Prince’s Gambit to our Studio2 catalog: https://studio2publishing.com/products/prince-s-gambit-card-game

Now, we’ve added Changeling: The Lost Second Edition products to Studio2‘s store! See them here: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/all-products/changeling-the-lost

Scarred Lands (Pathfinder) books are also on sale at Studio2, and they have the 5e version, supplements, and dice as well!:
https://studio2publishing.com/collections/scarred-lands

Scion 2e books and other products are available now at Studio2: https://studio2publishing.com/blogs/new-releases/scion-second-edition-book-one-origin-now-available-at-your-local-retailer-or-online

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

And you can order Pugmire, Monarchies of Mau, Cavaliers of Mars, and Changeling: The Lost 2e at the same link! And now Scion Origin and Scion Hero and Trinity Continuum Core and Trinity Continuum: Aeon are available to order!

Deluxe Exalted 3rd Edition continues its fantastic sale at IPR, soon to be joined by Game-Line Bundles! Check them out!

As always, you can find Onyx Path’s titles at DriveThruRPG.com!


On Sale This Week!

This week we present the Vigil Watch 2: The Yorling of Mansk PDF for Scarred Lands available in PDF versions on DriveThruRPG on Wednesday!

This Wednesday, we’re also adding two new Art Packs to our Community Content sites! A new Scion Art Pack on the Storypath Nexus, and a new Scarred Lands Art Pack on the Slarecian Vault!

Plus, we might have a few extra surprises for our online gaming friends we’ll announce on Weds!


Conventions!

Though dates are subject to change due to the current COVID-19 outbreak, here’s our current list of upcoming conventions:

UKGames Expo: https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/

GenCon: https://www.gencon.com/

Tabletop Scotland: https://tabletopscotland.co.uk/

Gamehole Con: https://www.gameholecon.com/

PAX Unplugged: https://unplugged.paxsite.com/


And now, the new project status updates!

Development Status from Eddy Webb! (Projects in bold have changed status since last week.):

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep.)

  • Exalted Essay Collection (Exalted)
  • Under Alien Suns (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
  • Mission Statements (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
  • Adversaries of the Righteous (Exalted 3rd Edition)
  • The Clades Companion (Deviant: The Renegades)
  • The Devoted Companion (Deviant: The Renegades)
  • Saints and Monsters (Scion 2nd Edition)
  • M20 Rich Bastard’s Guide To Magick (Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary)
  • Wild Hunt (Scion 2nd Edition)
  • Dead Man’s Rust (Scarred Lands)
  • V5 The Faithful Undead (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
  • V5 Trails of Ash and Bone (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
  • V5 Forbidden Religions (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Redlines

  • Dragon-Blooded Novella #2 (Exalted 3rd Edition)
  • Hundred Devil’s Night Parade (Exalted 3rd Edition)
  • Trinity Continuum: Adventure! core (Trinity Continuum: Adventure!)
  • Contagion Chronicle Ready-Made Characters (Chronicles of Darkness)
  • Novas Worldwide (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
  • Exalted Essence Edition (Exalted 3rd Edition)
  • Dearly Bleak – Novella (Deviant: The Renegades)

Second Draft

  • Exigents (Exalted 3rd Edition)
  • Many-Faced Strangers – Lunars Companion (Exalted 3rd Edition)
  • Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)
  • Assassins (Trinity Continuum Core)
  • N!ternational Wrestling Entertainment (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Development

  • TC: Aberrant Reference Screen (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
  • Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)
  • Contagion Chronicle: Global Outbreaks (Chronicles of Darkness)
  • M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
  • They Came From Beyond the Grave! (They Came From!)
  • Crucible of Legends (Exalted 3rd Edition)
  • The Book of Endless Death (Mummy: The Curse 2e)

Manuscript Approval

Post-Approval Development

  • Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)
  • Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)

Editing

  • Terra Firma (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
  • Lunars Novella (Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)
  • Buried Bones: Creating in the Realms of Pugmire (Realms of Pugmire)
  • Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition core rulebook (Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition)
  • Player’s Guide to the Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)
  • Contagion Chronicle Jumpstart (Chronicles of Darkness)
  • TC: Aberrant Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
  • Trinity Continuum Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum)
  • Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)
  • LARP Rules (Scion 2nd Edition)
  • One Foot in the Grave Jumpstart (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2e)
  • Heirs to the Shogunate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Post-Editing Development

  • City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)
  • W20 Shattered Dreams Gift Cards (Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th)
  • Cults of the Blood Gods (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
  • Hunter: The Vigil 2e core (Hunter: The Vigil 2nd Edition)
  • Trinity Continuum: Aberrant core (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
  • Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)
  • Monsters of the Deep (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)
  • Legendlore core book (Legendlore)
  • Titanomachy (Scion 2nd Edition)
  • Pirates of Pugmire KS-Added Adventure (Realms of Pugmire)
  • Tales of Aquatic Terror (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Indexing


Art Direction from Mike Chaney!

In Art Direction

  • Scion Titanomachy
  • Tales of Aquatic Terror
  • TC Aeon Terra Firma – Getting ready for Josh.
  • V5 Let the Streets Run Red
  • WoD Ghost Hunters – KS art being worked on.
  • Aberrant – Contacting and contracting. On the homestretch.
  • Pugmire Adventure 
  • Hunter: The Vigil 2e – Backer TShirt going out.
  • Mummy 2
  • Deviant – Rolling along.
  • Legendlore – Kickstarter on hiatus.
  • Technocracy Reloaded (KS) – Tuesday.
  • Cults of the Blood God – Rolling along.

In Layout

  • Yugman’s Guide to Ghelspad
  • Vigil Watch – Part 2 out Wednesday!
  • Duke Rollo Book – Yep… laying that one out.

Proofing

  • Trinity Aeon Jumpstart 
  • Pirates of Pugmire – Backer PDF out to backers this week, I think.
  • TCFBTS Heroic Land Dwellers – 2nd Proof.
  • Lunars: Fangs at the Gate – At WW/Paradox for approval.
  • Scion Companion – Just waiting for two tweaked pieces.
  • Contagion Chronicle
  • Cavaliers of Mars: City of the Towered Tombs

At Press

  • Night Horrors : Nameless and Accursed – PoD proof ordered.
  • Dark Eras 2 – PoD proof shipping.
  • VtR Spilled Blood – PoD proof shipping.
  • TCFBTS Screen and Booklet
  • They Came from Beneath the Sea!
  • Geist 2e Anthology – PoD proof shipping.
  • C:tL 2e Oak, Ash, & Thorn – PoD proof ordered.

Today’s Reason to Celebrate!

On this date in 1948 was born Frank Abagnale Jr., CEO of Abagnale & Associates and criminal. Check out the film “Catch Me If You Can” for the quick version of his life. Definitely took roleplaying way too far.


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Comments

29 responses to “M20 Technocracy Reloaded & Uploaded to Kickstarter! [Monday Meeting Notes]”

  1. Gammelbraxen Avatar
    Gammelbraxen

    Wow!

    That hechatonkeire pic is awesome!

    More stuff from Shen Fei please.

    1. richt Avatar
      richt

      That’s what I keep saying to Mirthful Mike, and so far it’s worked!

  2. Nicolas Avatar
    Nicolas

    May I ask about what is Scion:Wild Hunt about?

    1. richt Avatar
      richt

      Here’s a brief overview: This book presents six World-spanning groups and organizations that characters from across different pantheons can join, lead, or oppose… or who may themselves target the Scions in their plans. It provides for stories and interactions that fit in the space between one’s Band (on an individual level) and the Gods (on a pantheon level), bringing characters from different pantheons together for purposes beyond the immediate concerns of their Bands and their divine parents.

      1. Nicolas Avatar
        Nicolas

        Thank you!

  3. Carl Soderberg Avatar
    Carl Soderberg

    I missed the original kickstarter for mage20. Based on the comments on drive through rpg I am reluctant to get the pod version because of binding issues. Living outside of the US the shipping kills me when ordering things from the US.

    Have you thought about making another print run? Or splitting it into two volumes? Or making a smaller version like Exalted Essence?

    I feel that the need for the large core rule book is a barrier to entry.

    1. Yodo Avatar
      Yodo

      I have the PoD next to me as I type this. Have owned it for about four years now, and the binding’s barely even creased.

      As someone with absolutely no publishing experience who also isn’t near America my theory is, the extra travel time let the glue set into an even more solid state. 😛

      1. Samuraimujuru Avatar
        Samuraimujuru

        Piggybacking on this, I have both POD M20 and the even bigger Exalted 3E, both of which have held up well with consistent use for multiple years now.
        DTRPG’s quality also consistently improves over time. I’ve gotten PoD books now that are significantly nicer than earlier PoD of the same “quality”
        And it you’re REALLY concerned and don’t mind the extra scratch, the Premium printing is even nicer and thinner, too.

    2. Yiodan Avatar
      Yiodan

      I got so lucky on this one. I had originally skipped M20 due to money reasons and regretted it ever since. I would never be able to finish my kickstarter editions of the 20th editions…

      But a friend of mine saw this coming and planned around it. He pledged at the level to get five books and gave me one. Madmanquill, if you ever read this, you’re just the best.

      1. richt Avatar
        richt

        Awww. That’s really nice!

  4. C.T Phipps Avatar
    C.T Phipps

    Any updates on Let the Streets Run Red?

    So excited for Technocracy!

  5. Brian Goubeaux Avatar
    Brian Goubeaux

    That cover for the Art Pack 2 for Scion reminds me of the Motaur commercials for Progressive, i think.

  6. neil Avatar
    neil

    Where masks of mythos

    1. Eddy Webb Avatar

      Check above — it’s in editing!

  7. karpomatic Avatar
    karpomatic

    Technocracy Assemble!

  8. Paul A Avatar
    Paul A

    Did I miss something? Why are the Monday meeting notes talking about the pod of dark ears two when there’s been nothing about to prestige book shipping? Is the pod coming out first?

    1. tasti man LH Avatar
      tasti man LH

      There shouldn’t be anything weird happening with the Deluxe edition. The stuff with the PoD proof is them making sure the PoD printed out ok with no weird issues. If there isn’t, THEN they can push forward with printing the Prestige editions.

      1. richt Avatar
        richt

        Egg-zactly! We also had to deal with printers who had closed up plants because of the virus. It’s a strange time out there, folks.

  9. Bluegrass Geek Avatar
    Bluegrass Geek

    > Pirates of Pugmire – Backer PDF out to backers this week, I think.

    Aw yes, been looking forward to this. I adore the Pugmire setting, just wish I could get a game group together for it.

  10. Colin Avatar
    Colin

    Man, I can’t wait to get my hands on Lunars! I also noticed that you don’t have any Mage: The Awakening books in development. Any idea on what the next book in that game line will be?

  11. Ryan P. Avatar
    Ryan P.

    I can almost taste Scion Companion. Tastes like…fresh paper and ink. VICTORY!

  12. The_Bob Avatar
    The_Bob

    In regards to giving people cheaper points of entry: I’d love to see some cheaper PoD options for some of the books. For example, M20 is a giant (understandably) expensive book. And the full color version is awesome. But I’d love to see a cheaper, grayscale, version made available. And a soft cover option would be great as well (if the binding can handle it).

  13. Samir Avatar
    Samir

    Will Technocracy Reloaded have anything on the Panopticon Convention?

  14. Victor J Kinzer Avatar
    Victor J Kinzer

    *Slides on Mirrored Sunglasses with the mirrors on the inside*

    Let’s do this thing.

  15. AwooooOooO Avatar
    AwooooOooO

    Are we ever gonna see any more Werewolf the Forsaken material or is that dead now? 🙁

    1. richt Avatar
      richt

      None of our lines are “dead” even if we have no new projects currently being worked on. Check out Storytellers Vault for some great unofficial projects that delve into those niches we couldn’t!

  16. perverseness Avatar
    perverseness

    “Please pass on to me any questions you want us to discuss with the devs, and I’ll make sure we bring them up during the chat.”
    What line are you truly passionate about?
    making sure that freelancers make their preferences known is probably something you already do informally, but do you do it in any kind of reference-able form? So the devs can just look at a spread sheet sort by first second and third choice and go, “his first choice was Vampire the Requiem and I have a spot open. let me give him a call”

    Do you have any aspirations towards development (and living off of aspirin)?

    Do you feel good with the word count you handle at the moment?

    Are there any groups that we could set up for slack outside of work that would help you? — you may have noticed that gaming attracts folks of every stripe. there maybe some commonalities that your unaware of in your freelancer pool where they could use some time to just kvetch to each other about their Thing

    What are some areas we should be looking into for training resources? every company I have been at needed to have better resources for adapting to the corporate culture. also several companies I have been at have had folks who’s side gig was digging up free training for folks at the company. It sounds like you guys have a fairly strong pool of classicaly trained academics, but maybe the guy who’s day job is accounting wants to know more about the art gig?

    Whats your party trick?

    Are you OK? even if it’s not corona, it’s ok to have some shit going in your life. everyone does

    Would you like to be an inerviewee for the terribly awesome trio? and if so, what question would you ask you

    Theres so much more but my fingers are tired and I am a wuss

    1. richt Avatar
      richt

      Thanks for throwing out all of these questions- I’ll parse through and see what sort of answers I can get. It’ll probably be kind of scattershot, but I’ll post when I’ve got them.

  17. Adam Avatar
    Adam

    I was wondering, what all will be in the Scion Companion book? I’ve tried to look up a description, but I can’t find anything.