Pan’s Guide to What? [Monday Meeting Notes]

Actually, it’s Pan’s Guide FOR New Pioneers, it’s a starter guide for Pugmire, and it is going on sale on DTRPG this Wednesday.

I’m highlighting this not just because it goes on sale to the public this week, after all that’s what we have the Blurbs! section for below, but because there’s a very specific thought process that got us here.

We knew Pugmire was a fun new take on fantasy gaming, with a great chance to appeal to dog-lovers. It took Pugmire‘s Kickstarter campaign to demonstrate that there was an interesting demographic drawn to the game – folks who had never or only minimally played TTRPGs before.

We heard so many anecdotes, and still do, about how Pugmire is the first game that non-gaming relatives were willing to try out, that spouses who didn’t gather round the table on game night expressed interest in trying, and that folks wanted their kids to have as their first TTRPG experience.

So Eddy and I hit on a “quickstart” that was set more into the Pugmire setting; something that was set up as a guide with our friend from the setting and Kickstarter, Pan Dachshund, explaining in detail how this gaming thing works. At the same time, we wanted to provide enough game material so that a new or semi-experienced group would also have what they needed to play – a clear and well explained adventure.

Finally, because so many new gamers are coming into our venerable hobby via on-line feeds and videos, we wanted to include videos covering the help info from the book on our Onyx Path YouTube channel that could be linked to in the book. (The PDF should have actual working links, the print book, obviously, would require typing the link into a browser).

Naturally, Eddy reached out to our most experienced YouTuber, the Gentleman Gamer himself, Matthew Dawkins, and the two of them developed the project. This is before I hired Matthew on as one of our full-time in-house devs, but his work and assistance with this project certainly set the stage for our developing relationship.

(Heh, heh, Little pun there. Drive safely, enjoy the veal.)

What we got, once all the creative work was done, is actually so much more than we originally imagined. Like much of Pugmire, there is a lot beneath the surface. In this case, we started with all of the above as concepts we needed to include, and wound up creating an excellent adventure for experienced players as well. In fact, I have a quote from Matthew about Pan’s Guide right here:

I’m bloody proud of this book. With Pan’s Guide, we wanted to create the best kind of adventure sourcebook. We pursued several lofty aims: it had to be accessible to new players and enthralling for established ones; we wanted an accompanying video series; there had to be an even layout for each chapter of the scenario comprising two pages of adventure, one of accompanying rules, and one of fiction that can be used for hints and clues regarding that part of the adventure; and it needed beautiful, full-colour art. I believe we delivered on all our ambitions. I truly hope you all check it out, as I think the whole team pulled out the stops on this one.

I asked Eddy for a quote too, but he just howled and scratched his ear with his foot.

 

 

 

Scion: Origin illustration by Pat McEvoy

 

 

 

Speaking of the two of them, I might as well bring Dixie Cochran (no e) into things here by reminding everyone that all three of them (Dixie, Eddy, and Matthew) appear in their 3rd episode of the Onyx Pathcast now live on PodBean and other podcast sources : https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/

This episode they talk a lot about their early and formative gaming experiences, reveal tidbits about upcoming Onyx Path projects that they are overseeing and developing – in fact Matthew continues to just spill all the beans about the Contagion Chronicle – and share some thoughts about BackerKit and how it works with our Kickstarters.

I believe that they have a surprise message for listeners that they’ll be putting up later this week, but don’t quote me on that.

And as I mentioned last week, we’re going to be doing my interview with Dixie and Matthew for the Pathcast this week, so there’s still time to submit questions that you want them to ask me. Just pop them into the comments here, and thanks to all of you who did that last week.

Enough about those three!

 

 

Boggans illustration by Brian LeBlanc

 

 

 

I’m very happy to share the news that our developer and marketing guru Monica Valentinelli has been picked to present at the Nebula Awards seminars this coming weekend from Thursday to Sunday. In addition to a few panels and SFWA volunteering, she’ll also be available to answer questions. Attendees should definitely check out the great program: https://nebulas.sfwa.org/

We’ll be starting a sale next Monday at our sales partner Indie Press Revolution (IPR) on our Chronicles of Darkness Prestige Editions from Kickstarter. Mummy: The Curse, Demon: The Descent, Beast: The Primordial, and the first Chronicles of Darkness Dark Eras will all be on sale at around 40%. Now’s the time to give them a try with these very beautiful traditionally printed versions while we still have a few on hand!

Finally, once you scroll down you might notice that this blog has been a tad bit pruned and neatened, and I’m just getting started. For a while now, I’ve felt like I needed to keep projects on sale and with our burgeoning list of venues and partners as part of the blog for a bunch of weeks in order to be sure that ya’ll had a chance to see them.

But, not only have we started to establish other ways for you to get that info, like with more blog posts on different days and the Onyx Pathcast, but as we have kept on growing, this blog has become unwieldy and just stuffed with too much info for folks to absorb.

So, like you can see below, I’ve made the first steps – but now it comes to a point where I’d love to hear from you as to what info bits you want to see here. As always, please post your suggestions and preferences in the comments. With your help, I hope to give you a focused look here each week into our:

Many Worlds, One Path!

 

 

BLURBS!

KICKSTARTER:

Fetch Quest, the adventure card game set in the Realms of Pugmire will be going live Tuesday, May 22 at 2pm Eastern US time! That’s 2pm, not noon like most of our other Kickstarters!

 

 

 

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 are the links for the Apple and Android versions:

http://theappstore.site/app/1296692067/onyx-dice

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.onyxpathpublishing.onyxdice&hl=en

Three different screenshots, above.

(The Solar Anima special Dice above)

Hunter: The Reckoning and Mage: The Awakening dice on a Mage: The Awakening tabletop

 

 

 

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).

Our latest offering is the Mage 20 Cookbook, now in a convenient Kindle ebook version! https://www.amazon.com/Mage-Cookbook-World-Darkness-Enlightened-ebook/dp/B07C71BRDC/

Nook version is coming soon!

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:

  • Vampire: The Masquerade: The Endless Ages Anthology (Kindle, Nook)
  • Werewolf: The Apocalypse: Rites of Renown: When Will You Rage II (Kindle, Nook)
  • Mage: The Ascension: Truth Beyond Paradox (Kindle, Nook)
  • Chronicles of Darkness: The God-Machine Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)
  • Mummy: The Curse: Curse of the Blue Nile (Kindle, Nook)
  • Beast: The Primordial: The Primordial Feast Anthology (Kindle, Nook)
  • Vampire: The Masquerade: Of Predators and Prey: The Hunters Hunted II Anthology (Kindle, Nook)
  • Werewolf: The Apocalypse: The Poison Tree (Kindle, Nook)
  • Werewolf: The Apocalypse: Songs of the Sun and Moon: Tales of the Changing Breeds (Kindle, Nook)
  • Vampire: The Requiem: The Strix Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)
  • Werewolf: The Forsaken: The Idigam Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)
  • Mage: The Awakening: The Fallen World Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)
  • Vampire: The Masquerade: The Beast Within Anthology (Kindle, Nook)
  • Werewolf: The Apocalypse: W20 Cookbook (Kindle, Nook)
  • Exalted: Tales from the Age of Sorrows (Kindle, Nook)
  • Chronicles of Darkness: Tales of the Dark Eras (Kindle, Nook)
  • Promethean: The Created: The Firestorm Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)
  • Demon: The Descent: Demon: Interface (Kindle, Nook)
  • Scarred Lands: Death in the Walled Warren (KindleNook)
  • V20 Dark Ages: Cainite Conspiracies (Kindle, Nook)
  • Chronicles of Darkness: Strangeness in the Proportion (KindleNook)
  • Vampire: The Requiem: Silent Knife (Kindle, Nook)
  • Mummy: The Curse: Dawn of Heresies (KindleNook)

And here are the Champions of the Scarred Lands fiction anthology and the Huntsmen Chronicles anthology for Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition!

 

 

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

 

 

iprlogo

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

Here’s the link to the press release we put out about how Onyx Path is now selling through Indie Press Revolution: https://theonyxpath.com/press-release-onyx-path-limited-editions-now-available-through-indie-press-revolution/

You can now order wave 2 of our Deluxe and Prestige print overrun books, including Deluxe Mage 20th Anniversary, and Deluxe V20 Dark Ages! And Screens…so many Screens!

And you can now order Pugmire: the book, the screen, and the dice! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/manufacturers.php?manufacturerid=296

Here are the direct links for the Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras Prestige Edition: http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Chronicles-of-Darkness-Dark-Eras-Prestige-Edition.html

Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras Storytellers’ Screen: http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Chronicles-of-Darkness-Dark-Eras-Storytellers-Screen.html

Deluxe Exalted 3rd Edition: http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Exalted-3rd-Edition-Deluxe-Edition.html

Ultra-Deluxe (Orichalcum) Exalted 3rd Edition: http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Exalted-3rd-Edition-Ultra-Deluxe.html

Exalted 3rd Edition Storytellers’ Screen: http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Exalted-3rd-Edition-Storytellers-Screen.html

EX3 Chibi Bookmarks: http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Exalted-3rd-Edition-Chibi-Bookmarks.html

Deluxe W20 Shattered Dreams: http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/W20-Shattered-Dreams-Deluxe-Edition.html

W20 Shattered Dreams Storytellers’ Screen: http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/W20-Shattered-Dreams-Storytellers-Screen.html

Plus price adjustments on M20, Book of the Wyrm, Anarchs Unbound and a
few other projects!

 

 

DRIVETHRURPG.COM:

 

Pan’s Guide to New Pioneers has found its way through the wilderness to arrive in PDF and physical book PoD versions on DTRPG this Weds!

(see notes above)

 

 

Book of Freeholds for Changeling 20th Anniversary Edition has arrived in PDF and physical book PoD versions at DTRPG.com! http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/239407/C20-Book-of-Freeholds

They are the center of Kithain culture, the havens and shelters required when times get grim. They are dreams made manifest, and hopes kept burning. From the Mythic Ages to the present day, freeholds have been the linchpin around which the changeling world turns. Learn the history of freeholds as they wind throughout Kithain history. Discover the lost Treasures that bind the fae and their homes together, soul-to-balefire. Study the dangers, the threats, understand the duties and responsibilities, and then gather your motley to claim your birthright.

The Book of Freeholds contains:

• Two new freehold Archetypes

• Four new Glade Archetypes

• Full rules for the creation of freeholds and Glades

• 11 fully developed freeholds and Glades

• New chimera, Treasures and Oaths, and more

 

 

 

 

To celebrate the opening of the Slarecian Vault for Scarred Lands, we’ve put four Scarred Lands posters on sale via DTRPG.com. These 12? x 18? posters feature both classic SL covers with Hollowfaust and the Blood Sea, and new images from the new book, like the SL PG cover wrack-dragon, and a hearty band of adventures well met and ready to divvy up their magical treasure.

 

 

 

CONVENTIONS!

Matthew Dawkins, Steffie de Vaan, and Mighty Matt McElroy will be at the UK Games Expo in a very few weeks in early June running games and talking shop with fans and retailers.

Prep is also underway for Gen Con 2018 in August, which takes place in Indianapolis, IN. In addition to our booth presence, be sure to check out the games and panels in the Gen Con Event Schedule.

From Fast Eddy Webb, we have these:

Eddy will be speaking at Broadleaf Writers Conference (September 22-23) in Decatur, GA. He’ll be there to talk about writing for interactive fiction, and hanging out with other writers who have far more illustrious careers. http://broadleafwriters.com/3rd-annual-broadleaf-writers-conference/3rd-annual-broadleaf-writers-conference-speakers/
Eddy will also be a featured guest at Save Against Fear (October 12-14) in Harrisburg, PA. He’ll be running some Pugmire games, be available for autographs, and will sometimes accept free drinks. http://www.thebodhanagroup.org/about-the-convention

If you are going and want to meet up, let us know!

 

 


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 Book of the Fallen (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
  • C20 Novel (Jackie Cassada) (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)
  • M20 The Technocracy Reloaded (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
  • M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
  • Spilled Blood (Vampire: The Requiem 2nd Edition)
  • CofD Dark Eras 2 (Chronicles of Darkness)
  • Night Horrors: Shunned by the Moon (Werewolf: The Forsaken 2nd Edition)
  • C20 Players’ Guide (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)
  • Wr20 Book of Oblivion (Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition)
  • Aeon Aexpansion (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
  • In Media Res (Trinity Continuum: Core)
  • Trinity Continuum: Aberrant core (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
  • Lunars: Fangs at the Gate (Exalted 3rd Edition)
  • Tales of Excellent Cats (Monarchies of Mau)
  • Dog and Cat Ready Made Characters (Monarchies of Mau)

 

Redlines

  • Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)

 

Second Draft

  • WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)
  • Tales of Good Dogs – Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)
  • Guide to the Night (Vampire: The Requiem 2nd Edition)
  • CofD Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)
  • Dystopia Rising: Evolution (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)

 

Development

  • Signs of Sorcery (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)
  • Hunter: the Vigil 2e core (Hunter: the Vigil 2nd Edition)
  • Fetch Quest (Pugmire)
  • They Came From Beneath the Sea! Rulebook (TCFBtS!)

 

WW Manuscript Approval:

 

Editing:

  • M20 Gods and Monsters (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
  • Night Horrors: The Tormented (Promethean: The Created 2nd Edition)

 

Post-Editing Development:

  • Scion: Hero (Scion 2nd Edition)
  • Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)
  • Trinity Continuum: Aeon Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)
  • Ex Novel 2 (Aaron Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)
  • Exalted 3rd Novel by Matt Forbeck (Exalted 3rd Edition)
  • GtS Geist 2e core (Geist: the Sin-Eaters Second Edition)

 

Indexing:

 

 

ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE:

In Art Direction

  • Ex3 Monthly Stuff
  • Scion Hero Art notes and contracts being sent.
  • Trinity Continuum Got notes and text for both Aeon and the Core. Also… workin on it.
  • Wr20 Guide for Newly Departed – Everything with Gaydos.
  • Geist 2e We have a nice window to get KS art – fulls and splats assigned.
  • The Realm
  • M20 Gods and Monsters
  • Ex3 Dragon Blooded – Wave 2 art in progress
  • Monarchies of Mau– First finish coming in.

 

Marketing Stuff

 

In Layout

  • Wraith 20 Screen I’ll pull this together while doing errata. I got the list from Dansky of what tables to pull… just want to make sure they are right.
  • Fetch Quest KS stuff ready, ad banners to do.
  • EX3 Dragon Blooded firming up layout and backgrounds while waiting for new art.
  • Changeling: the Lost 2 With Josh.

 

Proofing

  • Cavaliers of Mars If everything panned out over the weekend, we are in final proof.
  • Scion Origin Sheet stuff with Mr. Gone. Adding in cover text for cover.
  • Boggans – Waiting for WW approval.
  • Monarchies of Mau – Second proof with Eddy for page XX’s.

 

At Press

  • Beckett Screen – At shipper.
  • Scarred Land PGs & Wise and the Wicked PF & 5e – At fulfillment shipper. PDF and PoD physical book versions on sale at DTRPG.
  • Prince’s Gambit – Being sent to the US, expected at fulfillment shipper this this week.
  • V20 Beckett’s Jyhad Diary– Deluxe edition finishing printing now.
  • Scion Dice – At fulfillment shipper.
  • Wraith 20 – Errata being input.
  • SL Champions of the Scarred Lands Anthology PoD – PoD proof coming.
  • Pugmire – Pan’s Explorer’s Guide (or whatever) On sale this Wednesday in PDF and PoD versions!

 


TODAY’S REASON TO CELEBRATE: Mark Zuckerberg’s birthday is today. Yay, Facebook?


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Comments

24 responses to “Pan’s Guide to What? [Monday Meeting Notes]”

  1. Ekorren Avatar
    Ekorren

    Rich, some months ago you promised me a refund for the MoM KS. You said that you’d take care of it and that I didn’t have to do anything. What happened to that?

    1. richt Avatar
      richt

      Like I said at the time, I used the KS refund set-up that day. “Refund (03/08/2018)” is the note on your KS file.

      1. Ekorren Avatar
        Ekorren

        Apologies. I can confirm it now.

        1. richt Avatar
          richt

          No problem, thanks for confirming.

  2. Burritomage Avatar
    Burritomage

    Mannnnnnnnn……..signs of sorcery is still in dev?

  3. Acopiltaczet Avatar
    Acopiltaczet

    Richt,i don’t suppose you could reveal why Deviant and Signs of Sorcery seem to be taking longer than usual to be developed? Is the developer a little busier than usual?

    1. richt Avatar
      richt

      We make it a policy not to go into detail on those sorts of personal things concerning our creative teams. I think DaveB has mentioned several times, though, the the last several years were extremely challenging for him personally. Both books are coming together now, though, and DaveB knows that he can look to Dixie and our crew for help moving forward should he need it to wrap up either project.

      1. Acopiltaczet Avatar
        Acopiltaczet

        Ah,okay then. Thanks for answering so fast too

  4. Bill Braskey Avatar
    Bill Braskey

    The Onyx Path team are a bunch of work horses, given the size of the company. There is a lot of hard work going into these projects, and we all really appreciate it. Oh and thanks for keeping the V20 dream alive.

    1. richt Avatar
      richt

      Well, thank you very much. We are all very lucky and honored as a group to be able to work together on these amazing games/settings/projects with such creative talents.

    2. Ian A. A. Watson Avatar
      Ian A. A. Watson

  5. Yodo Avatar
    Yodo

    Is the sheet stuff and the cover text the last set of stuff that needs proofing for Origins? I know I’m not the only one who’s excited for the illustrated edition!

    Also, I’m excited to hear you folks will be doing introductory videos for some of the new works you’re putting out! It would also be fascinating if, when making quickstarts, you had videos of yourselves playing the first scene or two, to give those of us only partly-fledged storytellers a chance to absorb the game’s tone and style as its creators intended.

  6. Troy Avatar
    Troy

    Question for the podcast for Rich: If you could create a product for ANY property, which property would it be? What product would it be? And why?

    1. richt Avatar
      richt

      Oh, that’s a good one. Hope they ask it.

  7. Charles Kellner Avatar
    Charles Kellner

    Hi Rich,

    I honestly scroll by the blurbs each week without a second glance because there’s too much information there that’s the same week after week. For that section to be valuable, it needs to be kept fresh and kept light. For example, on ebooks, the latest release is useful, and their existence make sense to announce, but the links to probably be limited to the latest and maybe a single point that lists all the others. We don’t need to see the same list every week. Same thing goes for other areas, like IPR KS exclusives on sale and the dice app.

    1. richt Avatar
      richt

      You’ve pretty much encapsulated my thinking about it as well.

    2. zilaenor Avatar
      zilaenor

      May I suggest adding a tab to the website along the lines of “where to buy our stuff”, organized by type rather than line? Then people could still easily find everything when the Monday notes get pared down

      1. Ian A. A. Watson Avatar
        Ian A. A. Watson

        Not a bad idea.

  8. Coby M Avatar
    Coby M

    Hi Rich! This may be something you’ve been asked before but I’m not up on my publishing jargon – what do “sheet stuff” and “art notes and contracts being sent” mean for the layman?

    1. richt Avatar
      richt

      Working on the character sheet is the first. The second is a part of art direction where the artists who have been selected and agreed to our terms and the extent of their assignments are sent the art notes – descriptions of the pieces we have commissioned from them – and their contracts detailing their due date, number of illustrations, and their pay for doing them. Hope that helps!

      1. Coby M Avatar
        Coby M

        It does, thanks!

  9. Brendan Townsend Avatar
    Brendan Townsend

    Hello – who should I contact for an issue with the Scarred Lands books I received? The core book itself arrived (and I’m enjoying it!), but only two books of the Spiragos trilogy arrived and one of them is Pathfinder even (I’m a 5E backer). I received 5E Ring and Pathfinder Gauntlet.

    1. richt Avatar
      richt

      I will pass the word over to the folks running the Kickstarter fulfillment. You might want to try the “Contact Creator” link on KS, or the BackerKit customer service messaging as well.

  10. zeroninja Avatar
    zeroninja

    Thanks very much to all the Onyx Path regulars and freelancers for all their amazing works.