It was a very talky meeting today. Some Monday Meetings are like that – everybody has something to add, thoughts to exchange, and debates to have. Other times, it’s a series of pre-human grunts and terse (or exhausted) muttered reports.

It’s all fine so long as we all get caught up to date on the latest info about our projects and the folks and company that create them.

But today it was just lots of words. So I’ll share them here in as organized a fashion as I can, as they cover a bunch of topics.

As usual, I started out with anything “big picture” that I dealt with last week, or expect to deal with in the coming week. Things were actually pretty quiet, but I did want to confirm with the team our panels for the Save Against Fear convention for the Bodhana Group in October.

The convention is virtual again this year, and we’ll be sponsoring it again, so a What’s Up With Onyx Path? panel certainly makes sense. Also, because I ran an adventure (my first for adults in like 20 years) in my Crossroads Continent setting at one of the last Save cons before Covid, I think a CRC World Building panel could be fun.

For the third panel, we thought maybe some sort of “making new editions” panel that looks at taking an older game and updating it for today’s audiences might make sense, as Onyx has done that alot. Something like “Making Old Favorites Into New Favorites”!

I mentioned in a previous blog that my going back to doing layout helped reveal that our text to layout setup wasn’t always working right, and this week we reviewed the results of a few tests towards determining what combination of how the text was saved, and from what programs, seemed to solve that. I won’t bore you with that process, but Eddy does think we’ve found the combo that will work.

Nowhere near as cool as figuring out a new power a player can have, or a hitherto unrealized spin on a setting secret, but still an important part of making sure all that texty goodness gets to you the way it was intended to.

You’ll note that Deviant: The Renegades for the Chronicles of Darkness is going live with its PDF and PoD versions this Wednesday on DTRPG!

The pitching and honing and development process for this book is a story in and of itself, but kudos to both Dave Brookshaw’s painstaking work taking that original concept and creating the basis for one of the most flexible horror games out there, and Eric Zawadzki’s focus in bringing all of the team’s work together and home! Deviant is fresh and new, and even as intensely focused as it can be, there are still almost limitless horror, urban fantasy, and dark sci-fi stories that can be told with it.

The other part of the saga of Deviant is what I went into these last few weeks here on the blog: it was caught in the current struggles that publishers have been having with printing and shipping. I realized after I sent out last week’s blog that I have been explaining all of this to you through an Onyx Path lens, but I’ve been getting far more reports than just from our own experiences.

So, here’s a bunch of links to the articles I, and other Onyx Path folks, have been reading and referring to:
http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archive/August_10_2021/Freight_An_Extinction_Level_Event

https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/48965/atlas-games-raises-prices-gloom-games

https://www.facebook.com/mike.selinker/posts/10158537808172309

https://icv2.com/articles/columns/view/49117/rolling-initiative-extinction-level-event

https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/49157/dc-hits-supply-chain-wall

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/connoralexander/coyote-and-crow/posts/3262965

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/newagendapubs/orun/posts/3262199

There are more out there, but I think if you read through these you’ll get an idea of what’s going on.

For a total change of pace, we also reviewed what sales initiatives we are or are going to be a part of, and there’s a new one starting up on DTRPG, appropriately named the Starter Set Sale that should start tomorrow and which will include all of our Jumpstarts and Pan’s Guide for New Pioneers.

We made the decision at the meeting to continue the monthly Tasty Bits PDFs through 2022! They have been received by the community exactly as we hoped, and we’ve had a lot of fun doing them, so why the heck not?!

We have our Quarterly Production Review meeting this week, where we look at all the lines as lines and adjust the levers and dials if they need them. It’s where we might look at a line and decide we need more adventures, or a Players Guide, or whatever. We might look at whether it is represented in VTT venues and whether it should be at all, or whether it needs to be pushed for a specific one.

That sort of thinking. Strategery…

Last week’s Pathcast had a great overview of licensed games and how best to deal with them, including an in-depth talk on approval processes. Well worth anyone’s attention to better understand some of the nuances of how all your favorite licensed games get made, but also really valuable if you are pitching or being pitched for licenses.

Plus, they talk a lot about how many times I approve things here at Onyx Path, and it sounds like I do tons of work reviewing and approving! That can’t be right!

Finally, thanks to everyone who commented last week letting us know how much you were good with the idea of a pre-Kickstarter page for the KS of W20 The Apocalyptic Record. You have been heard! James will be putting one of those up once we have the Apoc Rec KS page in for approvals!

So remember, it takes Many Words to make:

Many Worlds, One Path!

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Blurbs!

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Kickstarter!

Our next Kickstarter is slated to be The Apocalyptic Record for Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition!

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Onyx Path Media!

This week: Story Hooks! The crew talk about how to write and use those compelling snippets of text that draw you in as a reader and make you want to play, Play, PLAY!

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

For anyone new to our media section, you can find us running and playing games over on twitch.tv/theonyxpath every day of the week! Plus, if you’d like your games hosted there, just get in touch with Matthew Dawkins using the contact link on matthewdawkins.com. 

Please check out our attached media schedule for the impressive number of videos on our Twitch channel this week! In particular, keep those eyes open for our Storypath Showcase, where we give an excellent profile of our various Storypath games and how to play them!

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. This week, we focused on our OnyxPathCon videos!:

Vampire: The Dark Ages 20th Anniversary Edition – A Bloody Revolt – One-Shot: https://youtu.be/YhJ63P1ixds

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant – Storypath Showcase – Episode 1: https://youtu.be/NDI_32oBjlw

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant – Storypath Showcase – Episode 2: https://youtu.be/iNQrXMu67q8

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant – Storypath Showcase – Episode 3: https://youtu.be/AYu3_Hc4UbA

Chronicles of Darkness – Dark Eras 2 – The Wyrd West – Episode 7: https://youtu.be/mmrtcGrPLiQ

Squeaks in the Deep – Curse of the Tomb of Wags – Finale: https://youtu.be/_2iIA_sAwoI

Trinity Continuum Core – Storypath Showcase – Session Zero: https://youtu.be/C9-8uKgctew

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

The highlight of the week on our YouTube channel is the start of our new Trinity Continuum Core chronicle being run by “Terrific” Travis Legge. It the first part of our new Storypath Showcase chapter. Check out the first episode right here: https://youtu.be/C9-8uKgctew

On Werewolf: The Podcast, Josh has reviewed one of our favorite Breedbooks: Ananasi! Do check them out and give them a follow: https://keepontheheathlands.podbean.com/e/ananasi-content-warning-spiders/

Simulacra TV have started a new arc of their fantastic Aberrant actual play, named Atomic Youth! Please check them out and give them some support. This is episode two of the new chapter, so please get involved. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJAFl_F6EFg

Aberrant: Atomic Youth episodes premiere Wednesdays at 5pm EDT on https://www.twitch.tv/SimulacraTV

ExalTwitch: Academy Season Two follows three young Dragon-Bloods in the aftermath of their school’s destruction. The House of Bells’ fall was blamed on Anathema corrupting the student body, but Oresta, Pyres, and Gale Whispered must clear their names and seek out those actually responsible before the Realm collapses.
Watch ExalTwitch: Academy live every Sunday at 18:00 ET on https://www.twitch.tv/rpgclinic.

And here are the first episodes of the new season for you! 

S02E01: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zx-YTKL3lPQ&pp=sAQA

S02E02: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggLrSDdddZE&pp=sAQA

S02E03: https://youtu.be/Uwb2ZGjv8XI

S02E04: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R30uK0manCk

S02E05: https://youtu.be/VIOQkx8XMI8

S02E06: https://youtu.be/pJThYEGvSeo

Did you miss OneBookShelf’s Learn2Play series? Earlier this year, they hosted an excellent learning session for They Came from Beneath the Sea!, which you can find right here: https://youtu.be/tqz02wdyZI0

One of our favorite actual plays is the Scion: Origin actual play from Onyx Path Con earlier this year! Please give it a watch right here: https://youtu.be/vnrkZV3FZss

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Electronic Gaming!

As we find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is live! The 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.)

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Virtual Tabletop!

NEW on Astral TableTop is the Secret of Vinsen’s Tomb for Realms of Pugmire!

Play Now on Astral TableTop!

The Secret of Vinsen’s Tomb module comes with all the maps and encounters, ready to play, along with pre-generated characters and character sheets wired up for automated rolling. It also offers the GameMaster some guidance on playing the scenario on Astral for those GMs new to the platform or entirely new to virtual tabletops (VTT).

Create a free account first, then the Quickstarts will be available on the Home page. If you are getting this via DTRPG, after checkout, look for the link to unlock your adventure on Astral.

Also on Astral TableTop, we have two free projects: Scion 2E: A Light Extinguished and Scarred Lands: Gauntlet of Spiragos and this Dagger of Spiragos module for sale: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/336406/Dagger-of-Spiragos-5e–Astral-VTT

Astral TableTop is the easiest way to play any tabletop RPG online, free. Astral already supports popular systems like D&D and Pathfinder, and Astral can support virtually any tabletop roleplaying game. Get started quickly with built-in support for most popular game systems. Whether you’re brand new to TTRPGs or a veteran tabletop gamer, Astral‘s ease-of-use and built in automation is designed to streamline gameplay.

https://www.astraltabletop.com/

How to guides and FAQ: https://help.astraltabletop.com/

Here is the main filter for all of our current VTT content on DTRPG:

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/4261/Onyx-Path-Publishing?filters=0_0_0_45317_0

A few highlights of our platform agnostic content:

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/309127/Scarred-Lands-Creature-Collection-VTT-Token-Pack
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/317690/Trinity-Continuum-Hunt-for-the-Red-Widow-VTT
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/340327/Trinity-Continuum-Aeon-VTT-Tokens
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/311578/Scarred-Lands-VTT-Separation-Anxiety
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/311580/Scion-2e-VTT-Origin-Signature-Tokens
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/311579/Scion-2e-VTT-Hero-Signature-Tokens

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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:

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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!

You can pick up the traditionally printed Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau main books, screens, and the official dice through our friends there! https://studio2publishing.com/search?q=pugmire

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

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!

In celebration of Changeling the Dreaming’s 24th anniversary, select Onyx Path Publishing books, screens and dice are 40% off through August 29 8pm PDT! https://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Deals-and-Specials

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

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On Sale This Week!

The PDF and PoD for Deviant: The Renegades is back for revenge on DTRPG this Wednesday!

Remade

You woke up…different. Someone changed you; on a slab, an operating table, an altar. By luck or by fate, you escaped. Now you’re hunted by the ones who made you, and they hold all the cards but one: they don’t know that a fire burns within you because of what they did. They don’t know that you’re hunting them.

Broken

The Divergence stripped you of your humanity, cracked open your soul. Its wounds will never heal. You are Broken — not like a toy lying in a limp pile on the floor but like a glass bottle, all sharp edges and jagged, cutting shards. Anyone who comes close to you bleeds — your enemies, but also your few friends.

Renegades

Though alienated from humanity, you are not alone. Other Deviants have suffered as you have suffered. They hate the conspiracies that made you as much as you do. Together, you will stand against them. Together, you will make them pay!

This book contains:

• The complete guide to playing a Deviant in the Chronicles of Darkness — from psychics to cyborgs, from freaks of nature to abominations of science.
• Customizable powers and drawbacks to accommodate a breathtakingly diverse range of character concepts.
• Rules for portraying the many faceless conspiracies that make up the Web of Pain.
• Four example settings across the world, from Ankara to Delaware, each with its own unique conspiracies entangled in the Web of Pain.

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Conventions!

Because dates for physical conventions are subject to change due to the current COVID-19 outbreak, we don’t yet have a list of upcoming physical conventions. Instead, keep an eye out here for more virtual conventions we’re going to be involved with!

Gen Con Online!

Friday, September 17th, 11am EDT: Storypath Q&A! Join the Onyx Path crew for a Q&A about their in-house system and the games powered by it, including Trinity Continuum, Scion Second Edition, They Came From!, and Dystopia Rising: Evolution. https://www.gencon.com/events/198118

Friday, September 17th, 1pm EDT: Trinity Continuum: Anima Playtest! Eddy will run a three-hour playtest of the Anima rules! https://www.gencon.com/events/197482

Saturday, September 18th, 11am EDT: What’s Up with Onyx Path? Join some of the Onyx Path developers and employees while they talk about what they’ve been working on recently! https://www.gencon.com/events/198116

Saturday, September 18th, 4pm EDT: They Came From Beyond the Grave! Matthew will run a three-hour introductory scenario to a game of 1970s Hammer Horror-esque chills and thrills, and not a little ham and comedy with it. https://www.gencon.com/events/199400

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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)
• Scion: Dragon Companion (Scion 2nd Edition)
• Terat Novella (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
• Tasty Bit: New Team (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
• Squeaks in the Deep Companion (Realms of Pugmire)
• Squeaks in the Deep Jumpstart (Realms of Pugmire)

Redlines

• Dragon-Blooded Novella #2 (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Tome of the Pentacle (Mage: the Awakening 2e)
• The Hedge (Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition)
• Scion: God (Scion 2e)
• With Great Power (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
• Trinity Continuum: Aether core book (Trinity Continuum: Aether)
• Weird Wonders and Revolutionary Magick (M20 Victorian)
• Bizarre Tales and Unusual Characters (M20 Victorian)
• Scion: Dragon Jumpstart (Scion 2nd Edition)

Second Draft

• No Gods, No Masters (Scion 2nd Edition)

Development

• Contagion Chronicle: Global Outbreaks (Chronicles of Darkness)
• Adversaries of the Righteous (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Wild Hunt (Scion 2nd Edition)

Manuscript Approval

• TC: Adventure! Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Adventure!)

Post-Approval Development

• Exigents (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)
• They Came From the Cyclops’s Cave! core book (They Came From…!)

Editing

• Lunars Novella (Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• The Book of Lasting Death (Mummy: The Curse 2e)
• Dead Man’s Rust (Scarred Lands)
• M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
• Mission Statements (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
• The Clades Companion (Deviant: The Renegades)
• CtL2e Novella Collection: Hollow Courts (Changeling: The Lost 2e)
• Heroes in a World of Horror! (They Came From…!)
• Dystopia Rising: Evolution Fiction Anthology (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)
• Legacies of Earth (Legendlore)
• Scion Fiction Anthology (Scion 2nd Edition)
• They Came From Beyond the Grave! Jumpstart (They Came From…!)
• TC: Aeon Novella: Meridian (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
• Exalted Essence Edition (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Crucible of Legends (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Proteus Nova Compendium (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
• TC: Aeon Novella: Dawn (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
• Trinity Continuum: Anima
• Tales of Depravity! (They Came From…!)
• They Came From [Classified]! (They Came From…!)
• They Came From [Classified]! Jumpstart (They Came From…!)
• Realms of Magic and Mystery (was Terra Incognita) (Scion 2nd Edition)
• Trinity Continuum: Adventure! core (Trinity Continuum: Adventure!)
• Vigil Watch: The Kelder Mountains (Scarred Lands)
• The Paranormal Investigator’s Handbook (WoD 20th)
• Once and Future (Scion 2nd Edition)
• Apocalyptic Record (Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition)
• M20 Lore of the Traditions (Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
• Many-Faced Strangers – Lunars Companion (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Panopticon Novella (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Post-Editing Development

• Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)
• Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)
• Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)
• N!ternational Wrestling Entertainment (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
• Squeaks In The Deep (Realms of Pugmire)
• Novas Worldwide (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
• They Came From Beneath the Sea! Jumpstart (They Came From…!)
• Saints and Monsters (Scion 2nd Edition)
• Trinity Continuum: Assassins (Trinity Continuum Core)
• They Came From Camp Murder Lake! (They Came From…!)
• Prometheus Unbound (was Psi Orders) (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
• Ghost Hunters Jumpstart w/RMCs (WoD 20th)
• The Devoted Companion (Deviant: The Renegades)
• Contagion Chronicle Ready-Made Characters (Chronicles of Darkness)
• Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Tasty Bit: The Autocracy (Scion 2nd Edition)

Indexing

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Art Direction from Mike Chaney!

In Art Direction

• Scion: Dragon – Getting Gong on board for the Flights.
• Masks of the Mythos – Maria has some artists that might fit this.
• TC: Adventure! (KS)
• M20 Victorian (KS)
• Dead Man’s Rust
• Exalted Essence (KS)
• TC Mission Statements
• TC Aberrant N!WE – Maria ADing Digital Chefs.
• M20 Technocracy Dossier/Companion – Artists working.
• Squeaks In The Deep (KS)
• TC Prometheus Unbound – Finals keep coming in gorgeous.
• They Came From Camp Murder Lake! – Art is in.
• Realms of Magic and Mystery
• Saints and Monsters – Getting this rolling.
• TC: Anima (KS)
• TC: Assassin – Getting interior art rolling.
• Legendlore: Legacies of the Earth
• Novas Worldwide – Getting art notes out to artists.
• W20 Apocalyptic Record (KS) – Getting KS started.
• They Came From Beyond the Grave! Jumpstart

In Layout

• V5 Forbidden Religions – With Josh.
• They Came From Beneath the Sea! Jumpstart – Travis handling layout.
• They Came From Beyond the Grave! – First proof going this week to devs.
• M20 Technocracy Jumpstart
• Hundred Devils Night Parade – Mine again – and progressing!
• Aberrant VTT
• Scion: Demigod
• Squeaks in the Deep Screen
• WoD Ghost Hunters Screen – Text is in for this.
• Legendlore Screen – Text is in for this.
• Squeaks in the Deep

Proofing

• Hunter: The Vigil 2e – Sent to Paradox for approval.
• Spiragos Collected Adventures
• M20 Rich Bastards Guide – Corrections going in.
• Dearly Bleak – Deviant: The Renegades Novella – Ending backer errata.
• Legendlore – 2nd proof.
• WoD Ghost Hunters – Out to backers for errata.

At Press

• M20 Technocracy Reloaded – Deluxe getting ready for press.
• Mummy 2 – Getting ready for press. PoD proof ordered.
• Mummy 2e Screen – Files sent to printer.
• Deviant – Getting ready for press. PDF and PoD versions for sale Weds on DTRPG!
• Deviant Screen – Files sent to printer.
• Technocracy Reloaded Screen – Files sent to printer.
• Heirs to the Shogunate – Prepping PoD files for printer.
• Players Guide to the Contagion Chronicle – PoD proof ordered.

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Today’s Reason to Celebrate!

Speaking about “gods” of gaming and “dogs” of gaming, all in the same day! Today is the 4th anniversary of Pugmire, that fantastic game and setting by Eddy Webb and Onyx Path! We’re very proud that Pugmire was the entry point for so many people into TTRPGs. Today is also the birthday of the legendary Mark Rein*Hagen, co-founder of White Wolf Game Studio and the originator of so much of the World of Darkness – especially his baby Vampire: The Masquerade! Without Mark, we ain’t got any of this- so salut!