Yep, this Wednesday we’ll be releasing my old friend Bill Bridges’ Werewolf novel, The Song of Unmaking! As a stretch goal from the W20 Kickstarter it took a long time to get here, but we think you’ll love what Bill has delivered. Nobody knows the Garou like their long-time developer and writer, and Bill’s familiarity with, and attention to, their mythic and epic sagas pays off big time with this novel.
Plus, this is the first time we’re going to try and release a project for sale on both DriveThruRPG and Amazon at the same time, so no doubt hilarity will ensue! (Of course, this ties into our news from last week that we were opening a site on Amazon to sell Kindle versions of our fiction.)
We spent a lot of time in the meeting today discussing this year’s upcoming Onyx Path brochure, which promises to be the largest we’ve yet put out. I figure that since this is Gen Con‘s 50th Anniversary this year, and we’ll be sharing our booth with Nocturnal Media and the new White Wolf, that maybe a bigger, more packed brochure might be just the thing to hand out as we should see quite a lot of very different folks come by.
There’s a lot of logistics to working out just what to highlight, even in a bigger brochure, and just how to arrange the sections for all the gamelines we create projects for. Like, if the WoD section has more pages than the Chronicles of Darkness section, we hear that we hate CofD, or that it is dying finally. Or vice versa. And who has time for damage control like that, really?
Speaking of cons, though: here’s a huge shout-out to all our friends and community going the the World of Darkness: Berlin con in Germany this week!
I had really hoped to be able to go, but the amount of things I have to personally monitor and work on right now just kept growing and made it impossible to get away. Never fear, though, as two of our many Matts, Mighty Matt McElroy and Matthew “Gentleman Gamer” Dawkins, will be representing Onyx Path in Berlin.
Both Matts are really looking forward to having a fun time at the con, hanging with White Wolf, Justin Achilli, By Night Studios, Mark Rein Hagen, and our translator friends, and talking to any of you who are attending, so make sure you say hi!
We actually switched up the order of our meetings today, so after we finished talking about the brochure, other Gen Con planning, and ran through our Production progress lists like every week, I had a second meeting just with Eddy Webb to discuss the Monarchies of Mau Kickstarter.
We keep describing Monarchies of Mau as the companion game to Pugmire, rather than a supplement to it, and I think once you see the Mau Early Access PDF as a Kickstarter backer, you’ll understand why. The Cats have a rich, vibrant, and complex culture that is very different than that of the Pugmire dogs, but is just as compelling to play.
The Monarchies are more of a number of loosely confederated noble houses that were convinced of the idea of working together as a result of the war with Pugmire, so players can explore intrigue and political maneuvering, as well as adventuring, if they want.
And the Cats have Necromancers as one of their playable classes. Because cats like to play with dead things.
If all goes well, we expect to launch the Monarchies of Mau Kickstarter at 12 noon Eastern US time next Tuesday the 16th!
Finally: here’s a special visual treat that I want to share because it is indicative of the ongoing interest in the World of Pugmire as folks are playing the game and being inspired by the world so much that they are creating articles, fiction, and art. I just happened to catch this excellent piece of character art being created over a stream last week and had to post it here for all of you. In particular, please note that while it is not in the art style we’ve been using in the RPGs, this is totally awesome as it goes a different way:
BLURBS!
KICKSTARTER!
Thanks for all your suggestions about the Monarchies of Mau Kickstarter! If everything goes as expected, we plan on going live at 12 noon Eastern US time next Tuesday, the 16th! I’ll confirm this in next week’s blog, or give you the new date!
ON SALE!
ON AMAZON:
We’re delighted to announce the opening of our ebook store on Amazon! You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle. Our initial selection includes these fiction anthologies: Vampire: the Masquerade‘s Endless Ages, Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition‘s Rites of Renown: When Will You Rage 2, Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition‘s Truth Beyond Paradox, Chronicles of Darkness‘ God Machine Chronicle, Mummy: The Curse‘s Curse of the Blue Nile, and Beast: The Primordial‘s The Primordial Feast!
BUNDLE OF HOLDING:
The Vampire 20th Anniversary Edition Bundle of Holding has two weeks to go, and what a fantastic deal they have on our V20 line of PDFs! Plus, a percentage of every sale goes to charity! Here’s the link, check it out: https://bundleofholding.com/presents/Vampire20th
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!
Bill Bridge’s new W20 novel, The Song of Unmaking, will go on sale this Wednesday in PDF/ePub/PoD versions on DriveThruRPG.com, and in ebook form on Amazon!
The Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras Companion has arrived in PDF and PoD physical book versions at DriveThruRPG.com! http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/207879/Chronicles-of-Darkness-Dark-Eras-Companion
The Dark Eras Companion presents eleven new Eras for the Chronicles of Darkness. Stretching from Ancient Rome and Egypt through the Black Death, the Thirty Years War, the Reconstruction, and the Russian Revolution, the Companion showcases even more of the secret history of this eldritch world. Included in each era are “snapshots” of the various supernatural creatures, including vampires, changelings, mummies, and demons. Also included are lists of inspirational media to help you put these Eras in context for your troupe.
Open the Dark Eras Companion and take another look back in time.
V20 Lore of the Bloodlines awaits in PDF and physical book PoD versions on DriveThruRPG.com!
http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/207392/V20-Lore-of-the-Bloodlines
Lore of the Bloodlines is a single volume (created via Kickstarter) that revisits some of the bloodlines in Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition, providing story hooks, character concepts, history, and bloodline-specific rules. The secrets of the Baali, Daughters of Cacophony, Gargoyles, Harbingers of Skulls, Kiasyd, Salubri, Samedi, and True Brujah are now yours.
Lore of the Bloodlines includes:
• The history, lore, and nightly practices of nine bloodlines, told from the perspective of the Kindred themselves.
• New combo Disciplines, powers, Merits, Flaws, and other rules specific to each bloodline.
• Revisions and updates of more classic Vampire: The Masquerade material to V20.
Night Horrors: Conquering Heroes for Beast: the Primordial, PoD and PDF versions is now on sale on DTRPG.com!
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.
From the massive Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras main book, we have pulled this single chapter, Dark Eras: Beneath the Skin (Demon and Skinchangers 1486-1502 Aztec Empire). Ahuitzotl sits on the throne at the height of the Aztec Empire, overseeing his sorcerer-priests’ sacrifices and the endless flower wars his jaguar and eagle warriors carry out in his name to keep the altars well-supplied with victims. The gears of the Aztec Empire turn smoothly and inexorably, but not everything is what it pretends to be. Skinchangers take the shapes of animals to run the wilds or bring down human prey, the Unchained cobble together identities from stolen lives, and stranger things still lurk in the deserts and jungles beyond the walls of Tenochtitlan.
On sale in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG! http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/206028/Dark-Eras-Beneath-the-Skin-Skinchangers-and-Demon-the-Descent
From the massive Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras main book, we have pulled this single chapter, Dark Eras: Into the Cold (Demon: the Descent 1961 Berlin). East Germany erects a wall against its Western counterpart, turning West Berlin into an island within its own country. As the Cold War heats up, demons find themselves the targets of increasing human scrutiny, and begin to realize that the God-Machine’s plans didn’t end with the War.
On sale now in PDF and physical copy PoD versions on DTRPG! http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/206081/Dark-Eras-Into-the-Cold-Demon-the-Descent
Beasts are added to Hunter: the Vigil with Hunter: Tooth and Nail, coming atcha in PDF and physical book Pod versions on DriveThruRPG.com! http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/204066/Hunter-Tooth-and-Nail
Tooth and Nail is a bonus chapter/companion book to the previous released Hunter: Mortal Remains that explores antagonists inspired by the Beast: the Primordial RPG.
Hunter: Tooth and Nail includes:
- Fiction and story hooks to bring these beasts of legend to your Hunter: The Vigil chronicle.
- New bestial Dread Powers.
- New Compacts and Conspiracies which hunt the monsters, but also sometimes hunt the zealous heroes that hunt as well.
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
CONVENTIONS!
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/
Mighty Matt McElroy and Matt “Gentleman” Dawkins are attending the World of Darkness: Berlin convention this week from the 11th to the 14th in, uh, Berlin. They’ll be representing for Onyx Path and wandering the halls dispensing wisdom. If you are there, they’d love to talk with you, hand out a brochure, and talk WoD.
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)
- Ex Novel 2 (Aaron Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- C20 Novel (Jackie Cassada) (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)
- Monarchies of Mau Early Access (Pugmire)
- Hunter: the Vigil 2e core (Hunter: the Vigil 2nd Edition)
- DtD Night Horrors: Enemy Action (Demon: the Descent)
- The Realm (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- Dragon-Blooded (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Redlines
- Kithbook Boggans (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)
Second Draft
- V20 Dark Ages Jumpstart (Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition)
- GtS Geist 2e core (Geist: the Sin-Eaters Second Edition)
- Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)
- Scion: Origins (Scion 2nd Edition)
- Scion: Hero (Scion 2nd Edition)
- WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)
- Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)
Development
- W20 Changing Ways (Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition)
- Signs of Sorcery (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)
- SL Ring of Spiragos (Pathfinder – Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)
- Ring of Spiragos (5e – Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)
- SL Dagger of Spiragos (Pathfinder – Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)
- Dagger of Spiragos (5e– Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)
- Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition, featuring the Huntsmen Chronicle (Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition)
- Book of Freeholds (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)
- BtP Beast Player’s Guide (Beast: the Primordial)
- M20 Cookbook (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
- VtR Half-Damned (Vampire: the Requiem 2nd Edition)
- Pugmire Pan’s Guide for New Pioneers (Pugmire)
- Arms of the Chosen (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Editing:
- Wraith: the Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition
Post-Editing Development:
Indexing:
ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE:
In Art Direction
- Beckett’s Jyhad Diary – Sending all the art over to WW this week.
- W20 Pentex Employee Indoctrination Handbook – AD’d
- Cavaliers of Mars – AD’d(ish) and some finals for monsters coming in…
- Wraith 20 – AD’d
- W20 Changing Ways
- Ex3 Monthly Stuff – Sketches and finals incoming…
- Storypath Brochure
- VDA Jumpstart – Splats AD’d
- Scion Origins – AD’d the fulls … working on getting the rest going.
- C20 Jumpstart – Figuring out the buy…
- Ring of Spiragos – Sending notes out to Leblanc
In Layout
- M20 Art Book – In progress…
- Monarchies of Mau EA – Working on interior layout and chasing down late art.
Proofing
- CtL Huntsmen Chronicle Anthology
- M20 Book of Secrets
- BtP Building a Legend – Yeah… that just happened
- VTR: Thousand Years of Night – Whaaaa…
At Press
- Beckett Screen – Shipped to shipper.
- Dark Eras: To the Strongest – PoD proof on the way.
- W20 Song of Unmaking – Goes on sale this Wednesday.
- EX3 Tomb of Dreams Jumpstart – PoD proof on the way.
- C20 Anthology – Inputting errata and prepping final print files.
- C20 – Out to backers, gathering errata.
- Pugmire – At Press
- Pugmire Screen – At Press
- Pugmire Cards & Dice – At Press
- Wise and the Wicked PF & 5e – At Press
- Dark Eras: The Wolf & Raven– PoD proof on the way.
- Dark Eras: Three Kingdoms of Darkness – Uploading files.
- Dagger of Spiragos (5e) – Out to backers.
- Dagger of Spiragos (PF) – Out to backers.
- V20 Dark Ages Companion – Backer PDF out to backers this week.
TODAY’S REASON TO CELEBRATE: 1429 – Joan of Arc lifts the Siege of Orléans, turning the tide of the Hundred Years’ War.
Looks good! Monarchies of Mau suddenly has my interest, too.
I don’t know if you hear it a lot, from our point of view when you come into things it’s mostly in response to complaints and stuff. But we all really appreciate the work you’ve done keeping our favorite game together and getting it through tough times and bringing great new writers and developers on board, organizing all these Kickstarters (even with Rose) and rekindling interest in games. Thank you!
Glad to hear it, and thanks – that means a lot to me!
Thousand Years of Night is nigh! Woo!
Hi Rick, a short question: i’m not complaining at all, I liked Poison Tree and I’m happy for th new Werewolf novel (I’m always happy for more WoD fiction), but what’s the reason that the other lines didn’t get novels? again, I’m not complaining, just curious, honestly. Aren1t they had kickstarter goals like that, or didn’t reach them through the campaign?
Also the pictures from the upcoming M20 books in the last few blog posts are cool!
I really hope Matt and Matt will have a good time in Berlin. since this will be the first time when we probably get a real picture of what the WW folks want to do with the game in terms of the game itself and I’m waiting anxiously for the upcoming news.
Any fiction is a very iffy proposition for us, as game fiction by-and-large doesn’t have a sufficient audience for sales to cover costs in our normal venues. Kickstarter has been a huge boon in that area, because as stretch goals we can use enough of the “extra money” from the KS to cover those costs. But a novel, as a single book by a single writer, is harder to make work that way in terms of the large amount that needs to be covered. Anthologies, though, can be broken into single or multi-chapter stretch goals, and that works a lot better. So you see a lot of anthologies and fewer novels. Now with us opening up Amazon for our books, we’re hoping that even a small foothold there will justify further extended fiction releases including more novels. Fingers crossed!
Ok, thanks for the info, it made the situation clearer!
I’m crossing fingers for the success of your new endeavors too, I like fiction and really hope it’ll work!
Also, if it is possible, could you shed some light unto how profitable was the fiction line back in the old WW days? I’m just curious how those things changed, if they did.
Really kinda bummed I am missing Gencon this year, but the face of my bulldog required a lift. Literally.
Priorities, bruh. You got them right.
Agreed!
Now that you guys are publishing on Amazon, have you considered websites like bookbub.com and bargainbooksy.com to promote your Kindle books? They are supposed to be very good websites for Kindle promotion. The way I understand it is that they both have a very large amount of email subscribers (in the hundreds of thousands) and when you purchase a promotion through them they email these subscribers and promote your book to them. They might be well worth looking into as they might give you guys decent sales ranking boosts on Amazon and help you find new customers.
Yes, those sorts of sites are one of the things we are looking at next. We’ve had a couple of folks reach out for similar services. Thanks!
What book did we have to back to get a backer PDF of V20 Dark Ages Companion? I don’t remember it being a part of the Dark Ages package.
You are correct, sir! And the notes, they are wrong. We’ll be prepping an Advance PDF for release as soon as possible. thanks!
Ah, good to hear… I was confused and excited and confused.
Looking forward to this, regardless!
Rich, just so we understand re: V20 DA Companion, you’re preparing an advance copy for sale? For V20 DA Kickstarter backers? For people who know the secret handshake? Thanks.
I guess we need to develop a secret Onyx Path handshake, but since that’s still being worked on, we’ll be offering the Advance PDF for sale to everyone, as per our non-KS based projects, sinve in fact it is not connected to the V20 Dark Ages KS.
Fantastic, thanks. Will keep an eye out for it on DTRPG or the like.
Rich,
When you say the notes are wrong, did you mean to say that they wrong because V20 DA Comp. is not a KS backer reward book, or because the PDF is not going to be available this week? Or both?
Keep up the great work!
Well, one leads into the other. The notes are wrong about it being a backer pdf reward from a Stretch Goal, so that means we actually have to set it up for sale, not just get a file ready to send a link for. So next week at the earliest, on Wednesday.
Wait. Thousand Years of Night is coming soon?? :O
… well… “soonish”
Is Dagger of Spiragos, in either version, really still in development as well as being out to backers?
Can you make Infinite Macabre and Bleeding Edge in PoD please ? Perhaps in one book. Great sourcebooks!