Yes, we are actually closing in on the Kickstarter for Justin Achilli’s casual vampire card game, Prince’s Gambit. This is the first time Onyx Path will be offering a card game on Kickstarter, so it is a very new thing for us. And as we have heard it said: Anything done for the first time unleashes a demon!

Hopefully, in this case, we’re unleashing a demonic whirlwind of fun. But, I guess we’ll see. Certainly the playtesters who have had several iterations of the game to play through have seemed to really like it – especially this latest version!

As I always am before a Kickstarter, I’m nervous as to whether we’ve presented the game right and enough backers will get engaged with the project. So, I’m still fine-tuning the writing and presentation. It’s not a particularly complicated Kickstarter set-up, in fact, it’s our simplest. And the project is not at all expensive to back. In fact, a single deck of cards provides endless gameplay for you and 5-7 friends.

But still, I fret.

It’s funny, Prince’s Gambit is actually an example of serendipity. I had been at Nashville By Night along with our friends at By Night Studios, and noticed how the live action roleplayers sat in the lobby of the hotel, or out on the patio, and played non-World of Darkness card games between LARP sessions.

Which made me wonder if we could create a Vampire; the Masquerade card game that would be simpler than the Vampire: the Eternal Struggle collectable card game (or even Magic: the Gathering) so that players could jump in and play relatively quickly. I threw some thoughts around with the gang at the con, and then filed the idea away under “things we should try”.

Fast forward to almost a year later, and during one of our usual conversations, Justin Achilli mentions that he has been working on a rough idea, really a prototype at that point, of a casual vampire card game. And would Onyx Path be interested in publishing it for Vampire: the Masquerade?

Ding, ding, ding, ding!

A “casual” card game. The very word to describe the sort of game I was thinking about in Nashville. And designed by my old friend and long, long-time Vampire developer Justin Achilli.

Yes, please!

So, hopefully, you’ll be able to see it yourself on Kickstarter next week. Not only do we have a great opening Kickstarter video featuring Justin describing the project, but we have an example of play video that is a compelling Prince’s Gambit session featuring representatives of the Clans (some of whom you might know from the Atlanta gaming crowd).

We’ll have the link to that, and the rules, in the Kickstarter, and also on our YouTube channel for ya’ll to check out.

Finally, I used to post a lot more about the conversations Eddy and I have in the first meeting of the day, the actual 12 noon Monday Lunch Meeting that is truly descended from the Monday lunch meetings we had at White Wolf from the time I started.

Subba-Wubba? Yummmmm!

Mostly, that’s because most of what Eddy and I have been talking about for months are Pugmire, Mau, or other projects that we really can’t reveal, or the intricacies of the care and management of licensing partners.

But today, we actually sat back and talked a little more of the working theories based on media that we’ve enjoyed putting forth over the years. Today, I just happened to mention conspiracy theorists, like you do, and Eddy was off on a theory of how our human brain is so built for pattern recognition that we have no choice but to look for patterns in everything.

Which means that we have no choice but to detect conspiracy theories, because we have to try and make disparate items fit together. Which, led us to wondering if Science, or at least scientific proofs, came about as a deep need to prove or debunk the general human impulse to jam things together crazily.

Naturally, this led to a discussion of Edition Wars, and whether they happen because our brains link the pattern (the gameplay, rules, art, well everything) of our preferred edition to our view of what is “correct” in the patterns of reality, and that gives us pleasure. Change, then, breaks that pattern and ruins our pleasure.

If any of that makes sense, or is interesting, to you, then you clearly suffer from the same issues as Eddy and myself. Welcome to the party, pal!

As a reward for sitting through our meandering, here’s a cute knitted doll of Princess Yosha from Pugmire, and a link to the site where you can get yourself a copy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/513539317/officaly-licenced-chibi-pugmire-yosha

BLURBS!

KICKSTARTER!

I’m finishing up the KS pages for the Prince’s Gambit casual card game this week. Things look good, and we are all for starting the KS in March so long as the process of pulling the KS together cooperates. If so, then Monarchies of Mau KS would be next, after Gambit.

ON SALE!

DTRPG’s GM’s Day Sale starts March 2nd and runs for about a week! Check out all sorts of sales and bargains on Onyx Path and White Wolf PDFs at DriveThruRPG.com!

Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? 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!

The Secrets of the Covenants for Vampire: the Requiem 2nd REVEALED this Wednesday on DTRPG! Physical copy PoD version coming to DTRPG: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/199280/Secrets-of-the-Covenants

Continuing our individual Dark Eras chapters, we offer you Dark Eras: Fallen Blossoms on in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG! http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/205483/Dark-Eras-Fallen-Blossoms-Hunter-the-Vigil

From the massive Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras main book, we have pulled this single chapter, Dark Eras: Doubting Souls (Hunter 1690-1695 Salem). Immigrants and tribes struggled to co-exist on the Eastern Seaboard in the ever-expanding Colonies. Violent clashes, supernatural beliefs, and demonic influences spelled disaster for Salem Village and its surrounding towns, while others fought werewolves and vampires on the frontier. With so much at risk, only god-fearing men and women were deemed innocent — and those were few indeed.

Available in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/204372/Dark-Eras-Doubting-Souls-Hunter-the-Vigil

From the massive Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras main book, we have pulled this single chapter, Dark Eras: The Bowery Dogs (Werewolf 1969-1979 NYC). New York City in the 1970s. Crime. Drugs. Gang violence. Vast economic disparity. And werewolves. It’s a lean, ugly time to be alive, and the lone wolf doesn’t stand a chance out there. In the end, all you really have is family.

Available in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/203762/Dark-Eras-The-Bowery-Dogs-Werewolf-the-Forsaken

The Locker is open; the Chronicles of Darkness: Hurt Locker, that is! PDF and physical copy PoDs are now available on DTRPG! http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/199275/Chronicles-of-Darkness-Hurt-Locker

Hurt Locker features:

• Treatment of violence in the Chronicles of Darkness. Lasting trauma, scene framing, and other tools for making your stories hurt.
• Many new player options, including Merits, supernatural knacks, and even new character types like psychic vampires and sleeper cell soldiers.
• Expanded equipment and equipment rules.

Hurt Locker requires the Chronicles of Darkness Rulebook or any other standalone Chronicles of Darkness rulebook such as Vampire: The Requiem, Werewolf: The Forsaken, or Beast: The Primordial to use.

Both the Beast: the Primordial http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/198773/Beast-The-Primordial-Condition-Cards & Promethean: the Created 2nd Edition Condition Cards http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/202619/Promethean-the-Created-2nd-Edition-Condition-Cards are now on sale on DTRPG in PDF and physical card PoD versions! Great for keeping track of the Conditions that are on your characters!

From the massive Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras main book, we have pulled this single chapter, Dark Eras: Ruins of Empire (Mummy 1893-1924). Perhaps the quintessential era of the mummy in the minds of Westerners, this period saw the decline of the two greatest empires of the age: British and Ottoman. Walk with the Arisen as they bear witness to the death of the Victorian age, to pivotal mortal discoveries in Egypt, and to the horrors of the Great War.

Available in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG. http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/178801/Dark-Eras-Ruins-of-Empire-Mummy-the-Curse

From the massive Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras main book, we have pulled this single chapter, Dark Eras: The Sundered World (Werewolf and Mage 5500-5000 BCE). At the birth of civilization, in the shadow of the Fall, the Awakened stand as champions and protectors of the agricultural villages spread across the Balkans. In a world without a Gauntlet, where Shadow and flesh mingle, the steady taming of the world by humanity conflicts with the half-spirit children of Father Wolf.

Available in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG. http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/202272/Dark-Eras-The-Sundered-World-Werewolf-the-Forsaken-Mage-the-Awakening

Night Horrors: Conquering Heroes for Beast: the Primordial is available now as an Advance PDF: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/202615/Night-Horrors-Conquering-Heroes

This book includes: 

• An in-depth look at how Heroes hunt and what makes a Hero, with eleven new Heroes to drop into any chronicle.
• A brief look at why Beasts may antagonize one another, with seven new Beasts to drop into any chronicle.
• Rules for Insatiables, ancient creatures born of the Primordial Dream intent on hunting down Beasts to fill a hunger without end, featuring six examples ready to use in any chronicle.

The PDF and physical book PoD versions of Reap the Whirlwind, the Vampire: the Requiem 2nd Edition Jumpstart swirls into being on DTRPG! http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/201127/Reap-the-Whirlwind-Revised-VtR-2e

You are a vampire, a junkie. Every night, you beg and you borrow and you steal just a little more life, just a few more sweet moments. But there’s a guy at the top. The Prince. He’s got everything. The money, the secrets, the blood.

Tonight, you’re going to take it from him. Tomorrow, there’ll be hell to pay.

This updated edition of Reap the Whirlwind features revisions to match the core rulebook for Vampire: the Requiem 2nd Edition. Text edits and rules clarifications have also been updated.

Reap the Whirlwind Revised includes:

• Rules for creating and playing vampires in the Chronicles of Darkness
• The first two levels of every clan Discipline, the dark powers of the dead
• A complete adventure by noted horror author Chuck Wendig

This new revised Reap the Whirlwind Revised includes an updated booklet, 7 condition cards, and the interactive Vampire: the Requiem 2nd Edition character sheet.

Open the V20 Dark Ages: Tome of Secrets now on DTRPG! Both PDF and physical book PoD versions are now available! http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/197358/V20-Dark-Ages-Tome-of-Secrets

The Tome of Secrets is a treatment of numerous topics about Cainites and stranger things in the Dark Medieval World. It’s about peeling back the curtain, and digging a little deeper. Inside, you’ll find:

• Expanded treatment of Assamite Sorcery, Koldunic Sorcery, Necromancy, and Setite Sorcery

• A look at Cainite knightly orders, faith movements, and even human witchcraft

• Letters and diaries from all over the Dark Medieval World

CONVENTIONS!

Impish Ian Watson will be on a Q&A panel at CAiNE http://www.caine2017.ca/ being hosted in Hamilton Ontario March 16 to 19th 2017!

Discussing GenCon plans. August 17th – 20th, Indianapolis. Every chance the booth will actually be 20? x 30? this year that we’ll be sharing with friends. We’re looking at new displays this year, like a back drop and magazine racks for the brochure(s).

In November, we’ll be at Game Hole Con in Madison, WI. More news as we have it, and here’s their website: https://www.gameholecon.com/

And now, the new project status updates!

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

• Exalted 3rd Novel by Matt Forbeck (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Trinity Continuum: Aeon Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)
• M20 Gods and Monsters (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
• M20 Book of the Fallen (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
• M20 Cookbook (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
• Ex Novel 2 (Aaron Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• C20 Novel (Jackie Cassada) (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)
• Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)
• Monarchies of Mau Early Access (Pugmire)
• Hunter: the Vigil 2e core (Hunter: the Vigil 2nd Edition)

Redlines