Although it’s April 1st as I write this, we’re not joking around about The Contagion Chronicle‘s Kickstarter. (As for other jokes, check out the Reason To Celebrate at the end of this blog for our thoughts on this here Fool’s Day).

As Matthew Dawkins, developer of the project and the in-famous Gentleman Gamer, said in our Monday Meeting today, he’s thrilled and proud of the response The Contagion Chronicle is getting, and I think he’s speaking for all of us.

I know it sounds strange after having done something like 35 Kickstarters, but I’m always uncertain that a project will fund – at least until the pledges start coming in at a pace I can start to judge.

So when you have an unusual project that is about all of the Chronicles of Darkness gamelines (even ones not out yet), but isn’t solely about any of them, it’s hard to guess which way folks will react.

What we’re seeing with this Contagion Chronicle Kickstarter is that a lot of folks are cautious. The sections of the text are coming out through the entirety of the KS, and so nobody has the full picture in their heads yet as to the whole project – well, except Matthew, I guess. So that’s a reason to be a bit cautious.

Another reason is that some of our audience aren’t sure that the approach we decided to go with is the way they want a crossover project to deliver the info they are looking for.

As I’ve mentioned in the last two MMN blogs, we have gone with the Chronicle format of providing a whole setting that holds together as a demonstration of how a total CofD crossover could work, and is there for folks to pick and choose from as they “look under the hood” at what Matthew and his awesome writing team have accomplished.

Which leads to some prospective backers holding off or just backing for the PDF, or whatever, as they see exactly what kind of “crunch” is getting delivered.

Now what is cool is that we’re seeing a lot of conversations about these aspects of the text as it is being delivered, and how this is a month-long process that’s gonna give folks, the hesitant and early adopters alike, a chance to read through everything and modify their pledges as they see fit.

Of course, we’d prefer that folks like what they see so much that they up their pledges to at least the physical book level – remember: the more physical books pledged for, the more we print for the backers and thus, the more we print additional for stores to sell.

But, if the unfortunate occurs and folks minimize or drop their pledges..that’s OK too! Part of releasing the full text is the ongoing conversations that develop when we release the text over the course of the KS (as opposed to one big file), but the other part is that we want folks to have the info so that they can pledge in a way that makes them glad that they did.

Fewer pledged books being printed might mean fewer available to go into stores, but DTRPG is always there so the project will definitely be available in PDF and PoD versions, at least.

So please, come check out the Contagion Chronicle KS! Whatever amount you pledge for, you’ll be able to read the text as it is delivered and judge for yourself. Over 1,000 backers are already able to, and there’s a lot of great commentary up already.

Another thing came up in the meeting today, which was telling the whole crew why we held off on putting the Exalted 3rd‘s Dragon-Blooded PDF and PoDs up for sale last Wednesday.

(For those of you disappointed when we did that, my sincere apologies. As you’ll see, there was a reason).

We discovered early last week that a section of the book had dropped its text formatting, so that section did not have a header and had stacked info instead of the format the rest of the sections were in.

Was it something that would have made the book unusable? No, but it was an error that happened at the last stage of the process that slipped through and we knew about it before releasing the final PDF and the PoD versions.

I thought it better to fix it, and to delay putting things on sale (and making them available to backers), than to leave an error we knew was in there. There are plenty of errors that we frustratingly just can’t fix after a certain stage – a printed book is printed that way forever, after all – but this was not one of those.

Hopefully, not a call that will be necessary to make very often.

While nobody is perfect, nor any piece of art, as Bernie Harmon used to say, we do try and give our community as tight a final project as possible. It doesn’t always work, but we keep trying anyway. That way you know that we’re looking out for you, as you travel to our:

Many Worlds, One Path!

BLURBS!

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KICKSTARTER:

The Contagion Chronicle Kickstarter has funded, and rolls forward infecting all in its path with more and more Stretch Goals!

Matthew Dawkins has also started running the Contagion Chronicle for some of the members of his Discord, via Google Hangouts! Follow along to get some sneak peeks of the content coming up in the Contagion Chronicle Kickstarter: https://youtu.be/dFMjit-YTwQ

He also asks for your Contagion Chronicle-related questions here: https://youtu.be/axvrFeQOvEg

ONYX PATH MEDIA

On this Friday’s Onyx Pathcast, our team interviews Chris Spivey, award winning author, game designer, and developer of Harlem Unbound, and our own upcoming Masks of the Mythos for Scion! https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/

And Here’s More Media About Our Worlds:

Matthew Dawkins returns with the Onyx Path News to discuss the Contagion Chronicle and new releases here: https://youtu.be/_GBzk0pR-D4

And he’s not done, because he asks for your Contagion Chronicle-related questions here: https://youtu.be/axvrFeQOvEg

If YOU have a podcast, YouTube or Twitch channel, or talk about games on a blog or other website, and want to perform actual plays or make reviews of our games, please reach out to the Gentleman Gamer on the Onyx Path forum. From there we’ll share emails and get you started, so when you do start producing content we’ll be able to promote it on our blog and YouTube channel!

We’ve just uploaded the finale to Red Moon Roleplaying‘s long actual play of They Came from Beneath the Sea!, so if you want to watch every part of this ten-part series, please check it out on our channel or via Red Moon Roleplaying: https://youtu.be/EdJYtTEhymE

The Story Told Podcast just commenced their Dragon-Blooded actual play, which by the sounds of it is great fun! This is just part one, with more episodes to follow: http://thestorytold.libsyn.com/

Devil’s Luck Gaming continue with their fantastic Scarred Lands actual play, which continues to blow the competition out of the water: https://www.twitch.tv/DEVILSLUCKGAMING

Caffeinated Conquests recently uploaded their review of Scion and we’d love for you to check it out: https://youtu.be/gC-RSdGLC_A

And here’s a different one! If you’re on the lookout for White Wolf and Onyx Path actual plays and reviews and are a Facebook user, give this group a look: https://www.facebook.com/groups/862703457198327/

Please check any of these out and let us know if you find or produce any actual plays of our games!

ELECTRONIC GAMING:

As we find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is now 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 both rolling and rocking!

Here’s an update from the App devs:

Onyx Dice!  We’ve recently released the Changeling: The Lost, Trinity Continuum: Aeon dice, and now the Geist dice.  Next up on our radar is: Demon: The Fallen,  Mummy: The Resurrection,  Kindred of the East, Vampire Dark Ages, and Mummy: The Curse.

We have a serious issue on the Pixel and Motorola phones that prevent the user from using the app correctly.  A fix is coming shortly.  A temporary workaround is to minimize the app without shutting it down, and then restore it.

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 you bought it from. Reviews really, really help us with getting folks interested in our amazing fiction!

Our selection includes these fiction books:

OUR SALES PARTNERS:

We’re working with Studio2 to get Pugmire 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 2nd Edition products to Studio2‘s store! See them here: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/all-products/changeling-the-lost

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

And you can now order Pugmire, Monarchies of Mau, Cavaliers of Mars, and Changeling: The Lost 2e! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/manufacturers.php?manufacturerid=296

And available this week! Deluxe Changeling: The Dreaming and Deluxe Beckett’s Jyhad Diary! The additional books we have after the Kickstarter ship-outs are done are now at IPR!

DRIVETHRURPG.COM:

On Sale This Week!

This Wednesday, we’re really going to put up Dragon-Blooded: What Fire Has Wrought, in PDF and physical book PoD versions on DTRPG!

CONVENTIONS

UK Games Expo: May 31st – June 2nd From the US comes Eddy Webb, Matt McElroy, and Rich Thomas to join with Matthew Dawkins, Steffie de Vann, John Burke, Chris Allen, and Klara Herbol!
Gen Con: August 1st – August 4th
Save Against Fear: Oct 12-14
GameHoleCon: October 31st – November 3rd
We’ll also be back at PAX Unplugged later this year.

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And now, the new project status updates!

DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM FAST 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)

• M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
• City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)
• Geist2e Fiction Anthology (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)
• Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Exalted Essay Collection (Exalted)
• Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)
• Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)
• Trinity Continuum Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum Core)
• TC: Aeon Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
• Tales of Aquatic Terror (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)
• Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)
• Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)
• Wraith20 Fiction Anthology (Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition)
• Blood Sea Guides for 5e (Scarred Lands)
• DR:E Jumpstart (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)
• DR:E Threat Guide (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)

Redlines

• Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition core rulebook (Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition)
• Cults of the Blood Gods (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
• Legendlore core book (Legendlore)
• TC: Aeon Ready Made Characters (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
• Heroic Land Dwellers (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)
• Monsters of the Deep (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Second Draft

• Tales of Good Dogs – Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)
• Heirs to the Shogunate (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)
• Scion Companion: Mysteries of the World (Scion 2nd Edition)
• Creatures of the World Bestiary (Scion 2nd Edition)
• Let The Streets Run Red (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
• Dragon-Blooded Novella #1 (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Chicago Folio/Dossier (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Development

• Hunter: the Vigil 2e core (Hunter: the Vigil 2nd Edition)
• Lunars: Fangs at the Gate (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)
• Oak, Ash, and Thorn: Changeling: The Lost 2nd Companion (Changeling: The Lost 2nd)
• Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)
• Memento Mori: the GtSE 2e Companion (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)
• Pirates of Pugmire (Realms of Pugmire)
• Distant Worlds (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
• M20 The Technocracy Reloaded (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
• Scion Ready Made Characters (Scion 2nd Edition)

Manuscript Approval:

• Trinity Continuum: Aberrant core (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Editing:

• V5 Chicago By Night (Vampire: The Masquerade)
• V5 Chicago By Night Screen (Vampire: The Masquerade)
• Spilled Blood (Vampire: The Requiem 2nd Edition)
• CofD Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)
• Witch-Queen of the Shadowed Citadel (Cavaliers of Mars)
• CofD Dark Eras 2 (Chronicles of Darkness)

Post-Editing Development:

• Signs of Sorcery (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)
• Tales of Excellent Cats (Monarchies of Mau)
• C20 Novel: Cup of Dreams (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)
• M20 Book of the Fallen (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
• Scion Jumpstart (Scion 2nd Edition)

Indexing:

• Trinity Core

ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE:

In Art Direction

• Ex3 Monthly Stuff  
• Chicago By Night – Gaydos getting finals in.
• Aeon Aexpansion
• They Came From Beneath the Sea! – Art coming in.
• EX3 Lunars
• Hunter: The Vigil 2
• Contagion Chronicle – AD’d for KS- starting this week.
• Scion Jumpstart
• VtR Spilled Blood – Hiring artists.
• M20 Book of the Fallen – Pinging artists.
• Dark Eras 2 – Getting artnotes in from devs.

Marketing Stuff

In Layout

• Dystopia Rising: Evolution
• Signs of Sorcery
• Shunned By the Moon

Proofing

• M20: Gods and Monsters – PoD proof on the way.
• Adventures for Curious Cats – Waiting on maps.
• Trinity Aeon – Page XXing.
• Geist 2e – To WW for approval.
• C20 Player’s Guide – Almost ready for WW approval.
• In Media Res – Page XXing.
• The Realm – Proof comments in, need inputting.
• Book of Oblivion

At Press

• Scion Hero – Shipping from printer to fulfillment shipper this week.
• Scion Origin – Shipping from printer to fulfillment shipper this week.
• Scion Dice – At Studio2.
• Scion Screen – At Studio2.
• Fetch Quest – Shipping to backers.
• Ex3 Dragon Blooded – PDF and PoD versions on sale Wednesday on DTRPG. Backer PoD coupons before that and the Deluxe files are going to press. No seriously, it’s happening this week!

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TODAY’S REASON TO CELEBRATE: 

We’re being bought by a fundamentalist church! We’re combining Scion and the Trinity Continuum! DUDES OF LEGEND! We have Paths of Storytelling Vampire you can follow but not achieve the good ending! We’re a happy, happy, Path! SeXXXalted! Frost Giant Butt Warriors! Bax Masterson! Shadows Over Iceland! We didn’t do an April 1st thing this year, as we just didn’t want to blind-side anybody considering the tumultuous last couple years…but let’s hear it for the “wacky” gags from years past!