Two Times The Fun! [Monday Meeting Notes]

With the Creature Collection for Scarred Lands 5e Kickstarter funded and scuttling along, and the Deviant: The Renegades Kickstarter starting this Thursday, we will actually have two KSs running at once for most of their duration.

To be fair, the Creature Collection KS is being run by our friends at Handiworks Games (who also created this gorgeous book of monsters), but it is on our new KS site. Deviant will be run on our long-time KS site with my name on it, and ably run by our own Kickstarter Concierge, James Bell.

As to the whys and wherefores, well, for a while we’ve struggled with a limitation that we can’t run more than one campaign at a time on a single KS site. There’ve been times that we had two very different sorts of projects that we didn’t think would overlap much audience-wise, but one had to wait for the other. So I started looking for options.

Aeon Aexpansion art by Grzegorz Pedrycz

One direction – that we’re still looking at – is to go with a different crowd-funding site. The biggest drawback? They aren’t Kickstarter, so our established audience would need to jump to the new platform. Additionally, we too would have to adapt and adopt a new platform’s processes and quirks.

So we keep looking.

(Another option is to move to pre-orders, which we as a company have not dabbled in, but which I am all too aware of since the many years of White Wolf pre-orders and other traditional sales methods. They work, but I sure feel like we’d be losing a lot of the fun that a KS brings to our interactions with our community. Might give one a try, though).

Meanwhile, I set up a new KS account specifically designed as Onyx Path‘s account, not mine. I gotta tell you, with all the internet harassment out there, I’ve gotten a fair bit just by having my name and picture and bio on that site. Plus, with our delightful KS Concierge James Bell running them now, it can get a tad confusing as to who folks are talking to.

We’re still expecting that it’ll be a longer road to get folks used to the Rich Thomas KS account over to the Onyx Path one – but I think it’s a shorter road than trying to get folks to jump to another whole platform. Plus, the original Scarred Lands Players Guides KS wasn’t run by us anyway, it was run by the late Stewart Wieck as his company and Onyx Path co-owned Scarred Lands at that time.

My thinking was that we were going to have to ask that earlier group of backers to find a new site anyway, why not have them go to our new one and give it a try?

Dark Eras2 art by Brian LeBlanc

Like I mentioned above, we’re also looking at two very different projects. Creature Collection is a great monster book overall, but very much geared to the fantasy genre, Scarred Lands, and 5e with all the twenty-sided rolls to hit and all.

Deviant: The Renegades is the very latest Chronicles of Darkness game line, a gritty world where you seek revenge on those who made you into something… else. It uses the 10-sided dice pool system all of the Chronicles of Darkness lines do, and is a complete game unto itself.

Of course, we’d love it if our audience would completely overlap both these and pledge for them both – that’d be great! But our expectation is that there won’t be much of a mix and one part of our Many Worlds, One Path community will back one KS, and another will back the other.

Creature Collection is also set up to have a different KS experience, with the biggest chunk of the book already finished – I mean laid out and everything – but one of the fun parts of the KS is to have backers pledge for rewards that allow them to add monsters, and for monsters to be added after Stretch Goals are achieved. So more pledges, bigger book!

Deviant is set up as most of our recent KSs have been, and backers can expect to have the full text released to them as the weeks go by. Art and layout are still mostly in the future, but everyone can see exactly what this new game is all about by the end of the KS. Stretch Goals will be mostly for new projects to add to the fun of playing Deviant!

So c’mon and check them out – in their own ways, each is a really excellent book, with a fun KS to get it started!

VtR2 Spilled Blood art by Michele Giorgi

In the Monday Meeting today, we also talked about a new project that is being offered for free on DTRPG. No, it’s not one of ours, it’s Consent in Gaming from Monte Cook Games, written by Shanna Germain and Sean K. Reynolds. https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/288535 Basically, it’s a book of advice on how to make sure that scary, disturbing, or freaky events during TTRPG sessions don’t actually mess up the players.

That’s it.

Part of the advice is a handy worksheet that has lists of possible things that might cause issues with the players that each player can go through and check off, with blank spaces to fill in things that you might have a hard time dealing with personally that aren’t on the pre-printed lists. The sheets are tools to be used, like several others like the X-Card that are now available for groups to use for their sessions if they choose to use them.

Judging by the commentary where this product is being discussed, Monte Cook is going to personally come to your group’s gaming session and put a gun the the heads of your gaming friends, and force everyone to fill out these forms. Nope. That’s obviously not going to happen, nor is anyone being forced to implement this tool, or any of the others, around their group’s table.

At the end of the day, these sorts of tools are designed to help players have better gaming experiences, and can be really helpful in assisting players who have previously had bad experiences to come back and give our hobby another chance. We want more people enjoying our hobby, contributing to it, and from my perspective, buying more books and games and stuff so that our creators can make more books and games and stuff.

Let’s not protest things designed to bring more people to our:

Many Worlds, One Path!


BLURBS!


Kickstarter!

Our Creature Collection Kickstarter for Scarred Lands 5e went live last week, funded, and is advancing on creepy-crawly legs towards the first Stretch Goal to add more monsters – that the backers vote on – to the book! This book was designed with amazing art by our friends at Handiwork Games, and they’ll be running the Kickstarter for us on our brand-new Onyx Path Kickstarter page!

And, of course, our next Kickstarter is:

The Deviant: The Renegades Kickstarter launches this Thursday the 19th at 12 noon US Eastern time!


Onyx Path Media!

This Friday’s Onyx Pathcast features a recording of our What’s Up With Onyx Path Community Content panel from Gen Con, as well as the usual banter and tomfoolery with the Trio!
Go to https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/ or to your favorite podcast venue!

The Onyx Path News had another live broadcast today, where Matthew spoke about the Creature Collection, Deviant: The Renegades, Canis Minor, the Slarecian Vault, the Storypath Nexus, You are not Alone, V5 Cults of the Blood Gods, and more, right here: https://youtu.be/98UQKnD_lSY

Please follow our Twitch channel if you haven’t already done so! Our schedule is filled with games including Vampire, Scarred Lands, TC: Aberrant, Pugmire, Scion, Mage: The Awakening, and Hunter: The Vigil! Visit www.twitch.tv/theonyxpath and give us a follow, and if you have an Amazon Prime membership and haven’t already subscribed to a Twitch channel for free using it, just type Amazon Prime Twitch into Google and please use it on our channel!

Remember, if you miss any content on our Twitch channel, some of it finds its way to our YouTube channel here: www.youtube.com/user/theonyxpath Don’t forget though, that some of that content is Twitch exclusive or belongs to the Storytellers running their games, so don’t miss out and remember to follow us!

The Botch Pit continue their actual play of Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2E, with their chronicle “Twice Shy” listenable right here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQfcGvYILEV1vznP5__bOWg

Occultists Anonymous appears on our Twitch channel with their Mage: The Awakening 2E chronicle, but if you’re after a breakdown of episodes, here’s 43 and 44:
Episode 43: At the Round Table With Lynnewood Hall scoped out, the cabal rallies with their allies. Seers in Philadelphia must be confronted and the question of … booty is broached.https://youtu.be/r7OdSvwQvE4

Episode 44: Scooby-Doo Routine The cabal infiltrates the lair of the Seers, Lynnewood Hall, and come up against various magical and mundane defenses in search of their stolen Grimoire.https://youtu.be/RqBYdJzZTjQ

The Story Told Podcast have made an episode devoted to how they go about preparing for and running Exalted right here: http://thestorytold.libsyn.com/fall-of-jiara-episode-14-planning-a-campaign-with-terry-robinson

Plus, the ENnie award winning Red Moon Roleplaying continue their actual play of The Sacrifice, from V5 Chicago by Night, with Klara Herbol as the Storyteller and Matthew Dawkins as a player! Please check them out on www.redmoonroleplaying.com

Drop Matthew a message via the contact button on matthewdawkins.com if you have actual plays, reviews, or game overviews you want us to profile on the blog!

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 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.)


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 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 2nd 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 are available to order!

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


On Sale This Week!

This Wednesday, we’re offering Pugmire character journals and stickers on our RedBubble store!


Conventions!

Save Against Fear: October 12th – 14th
GameHoleCon: October 31st – November 3rd
PAX Unplugged: December 6th – 8th

2020: Midwinter: January 9th – 12th


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)

  • M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
  • Exalted Essay Collection (Exalted)
  • Dragon-Blooded Novella #2 (Exalted 3rd Edition)
  • Exigents (Exalted 3rd Edition)
  • Many-Faced Strangers – Lunars Companion (Exalted 3rd Edition)
  • Contagion Chronicle: Global Outbreaks (Chronicles of Darkness)
  • Player’s Guide to the Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)
  • Contagion Chronicle Jumpstart (Chronicles of Darkness)
  • N!ternational Wrestling Entertainment (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
  • Creating in the Realms of Pugmire (Realms of Pugmire)

Redlines

  • Tales of Aquatic Terror (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)
  • Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)
  • Crucible of Legends (Exalted 3rd Edition)
  • Lunars Novella (Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Second Draft

  • Tales of Good Dogs – Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)
  • Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)
  • One Foot in the Grave Jumpstart (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2e)
  • Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)
  • Trinity Continuum Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum Core)
  • Terra Firma (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
  • Monsters of the Deep (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)
  • Wraith20 Fiction Anthology (Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition)
  • Yugman’s Guide to Ghelspad (Scarred Lands)
  • Vigil Watch (Scarred Lands)
  • Pirates of Pugmire KS-Added Adventure (Realms of Pugmire)

Development

  • M20 The Technocracy Reloaded (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
  • Creatures of the World Bestiary (Scion 2nd Edition)
  • Heirs to the Shogunate (Exalted 3rd Edition)
  • City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)
  • TC: Aeon Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
  • Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition core rulebook (Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition)
  • Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)
  • TC: Aberrant Reference Screen (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
  • Titanomachy (Scion 2nd Edition)

Manuscript Approval

  • Creatures of the World Bestiary (Scion 2nd Edition)
  • Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)
  • Scion Companion: Mysteries of the World (Scion 2nd Edition)
  • Legendlore core book (Legendlore)

Post-Approval Development

  • Trinity Continuum: Aberrant (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
  • V5 Chicago Screen (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
  • Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)
  • WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)
  • Scion LARP Rules (Scion)
  • Cults of the Blood Gods (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Editing

  • Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)
  • Lunars: Fangs at the Gate (Exalted 3rd Edition)
  • Hunter: The Vigil 2e core (Hunter: The Vigil 2nd Edition)
  • City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)
  • Let the Streets Run Red (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
  • W20 Shattered Dreams Gift Cards (Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th)
  • Geist 2e Fiction Anthology (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)
  • Oak, Ash, and Thorn: Changeling: The Lost 2nd Companion (Changeling: The Lost 2nd)
  • Dragon-Blooded Novella #1 (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Post-Editing Development

  • Chicago Folio/Dossier (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
  • TC: Aeon Ready-Made Characters (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
  • W20 Art Book (Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th)

Indexing

  • Geist 2e (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)
  • Dystopia Rising: Evolution core (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)

ART DIRECTION FROM MIKE CHANEY!

In Art Direction

  • Contagion Chronicle
  • Trinity Continuum: Aberrant
  • Hunter: The Vigil 2e – Sam on the fulls.
  • Ex3 Lunars – Contracted. More sketches coming in.
  • TCfBtS!: Heroic Land Dwellers – LeBlanc on this.
  • Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed
  • Ex3 Monthly Stuff
  • Trinity RMCs – Contracted.
  • Cults of the Blood God (KS) – Contracted.
  • Chicago Folio – Getting some art notes out.
  • Mummy 2 (KS) – Characters being worked on, fulls next.
  • Memento Mori – Contracted.
  • City of the Towered Tombs – Contracted.

In Layout

  • They Came from Beneath the Sea!
  • Dark Eras 2 – Files with Aileen
  • Trinity Continuum Aeon: Distant Worlds
  • VtR Spilled Blood – In progress.
  • DR:E Threat Guide – Helnau’s Guide to Wasteland Beasties

Proofing

  • C20 Cup of Dreams
  • Signs of Sorcery – Prepping PoD files.
  • M20 Book of the Fallen – Josh inputting first round of corrections.
  • DR:E Jumpstart – Sent to Eschaton for approval.
  • CoM – Witch Queen of the Shadowed Citadel – With Rose for final approval.

At Press

  • Trinity Core Screen – At Studio2.
  • TC Aeon Screen – At Studio2.
  • Trinity: In Media Res – PoD proofs coming.
  • Trinity Core – Printing. PoD proofs ordered.
  • Trinity Aeon – Printing. PoD proofs ordered.
  • V5: Chicago – Files sent to printer.
  • Aeon Aexpansion – Backer PDFs out, errata.

Today’s Reason to Celebrate!

Eight years ago today, Vampire 20th Anniversary Edition was released at the Grand Masquerade in New Orleans! Wow, a lot of stuff has happened since then with Vampire! Not to mention the rest of the White Wolf game lines, as well as this little not-so-old company of ours. Why it seems simultaneously both yesterday and a million years ago since I sat in the auditorium signing copies of V20 as the line stretched around the room and out of the door.


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Comments

29 responses to “Two Times The Fun! [Monday Meeting Notes]”

  1. Nicolas Avatar
    Nicolas

    Thursday the 19th at 12 noon US Eastern time!

    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    1. richt Avatar
      richt

      Yes. Deviant. Be there. Aloha.

  2. anon Avatar
    anon

    How many stages are there for the proofing stage?

    1. richt Avatar
      richt

      Depends on the project. We like there to be at least two, but sometimes the things that need changing will require more review.

  3. RobertD Avatar
    RobertD

    SO EXCITED FOR THURSDAY!!!

    1. Eric Zawadzki Avatar
      Eric Zawadzki

      Me too!

  4. Second Chances Avatar
    Second Chances

    And… I have a new favourite piece of CofD art. Those Strix are awesome!

    1. Oscar Avatar
      Oscar

      I have to agree that piece of art is exceptional… and woot two times for Deviant on Thursday!

  5. perverseness Avatar
    perverseness

    THANK YOU. THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!
    Been waiting on this one since it was just a weird blurb in a gencon release.
    “Vengeance is MINE, sayeth this Lord.”, the Count of Fried Sandwiches
    BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Thank you, THANK you, Thank YOU!!

  6. qweo Avatar
    qweo

    City of the Towered Tombs is listed both under Editing and Development, what is its stage then? 🙂

    I rather want to shout in caps for a Nicky Rea novel, but, restraining myself, I will ask when one can buy it.
    Also whether the Immortal Eyes trilogy will be reprinted (a question I asked of richt via e-mail once)…

    1. richt Avatar
      richt

      Neither actually, it’s in post-editing development and art direction right now. It’s like the book ghosted back to two previous spots. Immortal Eyes 4 is still being worked on as we had to go pretty deep into the archives even to find the old graphics files for the cover. Not up to us about the old trilogy, that up to WW/Paradox. Thanks!

  7. Yackronin Avatar
    Yackronin

    that’s 16:00 for GMT for the Deviant KS, for my fellow GMTs.

  8. Elf Avatar
    Elf

    Really excited for Deviant!

    As someone who does a lot of KS I feel like changing websites wouldn’t be a great solution

  9. Mateus Luz Avatar
    Mateus Luz

    As I commented de several weeks waiting for it, I have to come here and thank the team for Aexpansion, it’s a beautiful and amazing book.
    I was afraid of expecting too much, but I got really surprised with the quality, the fluffs, the rules and the art are amazing.
    Thanks!

    1. richt Avatar
      richt

      Very glad to hear it!

  10. Troy Avatar
    Troy

    I could go search Kickstarter, but did you want to give us a link to the Creature Collection campaign?

    Also, count me among the excited for Thursday!

    1. richt Avatar
      richt

      It _was_ on there, but I’ve added it again. But in case _that_ one doesn’t work: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/339646881/scarred-lands-creature-collection-for-5th-edition-rpg

      Thanks!

  11. Alexander Rodriguez Avatar
    Alexander Rodriguez

    Woohoo! Deviant! Thanks OPP. 🙂 Just in time for Stephen King’s new book “The Institute” to give me more ideas.

    1. richt Avatar
      richt

      I’m thinking that King’s huge volume of work will have tons of examples of Deviants through it- enjoy!

  12. Apromor Avatar
    Apromor

    It’s a bit premature to be making statements and taking actions, but are you aware of and keeping an eye on the alleged union busting activities of Kickstarter? https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49692983

    1. richt Avatar
      richt

      We are aware, and also aware that so far the union organizers have requested that everyone not change how they are relating to Kickstarter. They are the folks on the ground there, after all.

      1. Apromor Avatar
        Apromor

        Thanks, your reply fills me with confidence and relieves a bit of anxiety.

  13. Jordan Avatar
    Jordan

    I’m jonesing so hard for Nameless & Accursed. Haven’t been this excited for a release since Geist 2e

  14. JetstreamGW Avatar
    JetstreamGW

    Huh, don’t y’all usually launch on Tuesdays? How come you decided to go with Thursday for Deviant? Or was it just arbitrary?

    1. richt Avatar
      richt

      One thing our release dates and times aren’t is arbitrary, although it might seem like it from outside. There are specific days and times that we have info on that confirm that they are the best starts for a KS overall. Then, we have to juggle approvals (from KS and our licensing partners), any changes based on approvals, and then ultimately, whether the creator of the KS page (me) can by available for that day and time to push the launch button (Frank). In this case. we wanted at least a week between our friends at Handiworks launching the Creature Collection for Scarred Lands 5e KS, and Deviant’s KS – and so when the earliest slot opened, we took it, as we’re just as excited as you guys to get Deviant out in front of the public!

  15. Dacar Arunsone Avatar
    Dacar Arunsone

    Oh, MC’s book about consent. Read. Good work, not exactly necessary in my circle (because it’s preaching to believers). But I’m not surprised with a reaction, believe me, here in Eastern Europe the outrage is similar, mostly form “it spoils all fun” camp…

    1. richt Avatar
      richt

      Well, as I’m sure you know, if having a tool available that groups (like yours) can choose to use or not ruins all their fun…makes you wonder how tenuous their hold on their fun was to begin with. Thanks!

  16. Troy Avatar
    Troy

    Is there an eta on the hunter kickstarter? I’ve asked before and never saw a response, 3rd times the charm I suppose. Curious to know if it will get released before 2020 for my club

    1. richt Avatar
      richt

      No ETA, sorry.