That illo, by Andrew Trabbold for Shunned By the Moon, the Werewolf: The Forsaken Night Horrors book, btw, is how my brain is right now.
It’s high pollen time right now here in the Spring on Macungie Mountain, and every thought I need seems to require being pulled out of a cotton candy wadding around my brain.
I am a zombie, koo koo kachew!
So, bear with me on this MMN blog. I’m going to keep it a tad shorter than usual – hey, stop cheering – and there might be more mis-typing. Don’t worry, I’ll leave corrections on Pg XX.
That’s the Fuzzy in our blog Title today, now here’s some of the Social part: the last couple three weeks, you may have noticed that we were doing some damage control on the missing errata for our Scion books.
I wrote updates here on where things had progressed each week so there’d be a source of info and a curated space for that info to be processed. A fair number of backers wanted more info, or wanted what they wanted right away, and we really we not in a position to answer anyone’s questions until the team could try and figure out what happened.
I asked for patience, and explained why with what info we had upfront, and there were a lot of people who stood up and let everyone know that how we were handling things made sense to them.
Giant thanks to all of you!
Now, what I wanted to explain is really for the benefit of the people who tried to post their thoughts/questions in the blog comments section during this time but didn’t see them come up. There were a few nasty comments, and a few inquiring comments, and I had reasons for blocking both.
For those of you who were asking questions, who just wanted more answers than I had to give, I’m sorry you were shut down. I posted the comment in the first blog’s comment section and reiterated that I wasn’t going to engage on further questions in order to spend our time finding out what happened, so I hope you understand what predicated that decision, but still, I hope you’ll try and comment further in the future.
For those who wanted to post angry, nasty, comments…that’s not going to fly here. It’s not about your emotions, it’s about how they are expressed and whether it’s fair to allow one person’s feelings to upset and drive off other posters. Nasty posts might feel good to the poster, but they are awful to read, particularly if the reader isn’t here for Scion, but for the Contagion Chronicle, for example.
And I know that nastiness has this effect because after almost every time we ban someone from the forums because of a nasty series of posts, I get private messages from forumites whose forum names I’ve never read before to thank me, and usually explaining that they were afraid to post to that forum because of the virulence of that banned poster.
So there’s that. We want our community to feel good interacting with us and the rest of the community, and will curate our social media spaces to try and enable that.
From the serious to the ridiculous: this week I’ll be sitting down for an interview with Dixie and Eddy, I think, as Matthew is visiting the Queen for their monthly pow-wow. It’s in celebration of the One Year Anniversary of the Onyx Pathcast!
Why, it’s hard to believe that just a year ago, three bright-eyed and eager young podcasters came to me with a crazy idea – why couldn’t they do an Onyx Path focused one?
Why not indeed? In fact, they could! And it’s really, really good!
We’re so glad that folks have kept listening and supporting it, so I’m sure we’ll talk about that. If any of you have questions you’d like them to ask me – or you’d like me to ask them! – please pop the questions into the comments section below.
With that, I’m talking my pollen-addled brain and shuffling away. Somewhere in there, I’ll be musing all about our:
Many Worlds, One Path!
BLURBS!
KICKSTARTER:
Our next Kickstarter starting in a couple of weeks will be for Pirates of Pugmire!
ONYX PATH MEDIA
On this Friday’s Onyx Pathcast the gang interviews John Burke, a man with a huge accent and writing talent to match: https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/
And Here’s More Media About Our Worlds:
The Onyx Path News last week was broadcast live (which seemed to go down well with the viewers!) and can be found here: https://youtu.be/Qny9awhqVzc
Here’s episode six of our Contagion Chronicle actual play, as the protagonists stumble upon a Beshilu nest: https://youtu.be/ozp5TO3h5Lw
In case you missed it, the Story Told Podcast reached episode four of their Dragon-Blooded actual play: https://thestorytold.libsyn.com/
The ever-wonderful Devil’s Luck Gaming have moved on to a Chronicles of Darkness story! Please do check them out: https://www.twitch.tv/DevilsLuckGaming
Red Moon Roleplaying continue their Scarred Lands campaign, the Great Vilhaim Heist, run by Matthew Dawkins: https://www.redmoonroleplaying.com/podcast
Occultists Anonymous’ Mage: The Awakening chronicle continues apace and can be found right here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLh4mWsf86RuXzrrY_oHyjU4DdtE4MNsv2
And here’s the Dramatic Failure Podcast‘s Geist: The Sin-Eaters chronicle for your dark enjoyment: https://dramaticfailure.podbean.com/
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:
We’ve been having trouble fixing the android bug that messes up the resolution for newer phones. I think we have a fix for that. It was also brought up that the store display is wrong on most tablet devices, so that is getting fixed too. That should all be soon!
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
Scarred Lands (Pathfinder) books are also on sale at Studio 2:
https://studio2publishing.com/collections/scarred-lands
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
DRIVETHRURPG.COM:
On Sale This Week!
This Wednesday, we’ll be dealing out the Scarred Lands 5e Spell Cards!
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.
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)
- Geist2e Fiction Anthology (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)
- Exalted Essay Collection (Exalted)
- Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)
- Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)
- Trinity Continuum Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum Core)
- Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)
- Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)
- Wraith20 Fiction Anthology (Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition)
- One Foot in the Grave Jumpstart (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2e)
- Dragon-Blooded Novella #2 (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- Exigents (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- Terra Firma (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
Redlines
- Legendlore core book (Legendlore)
- Monsters of the Deep (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)
- DR:E Threat Guide (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)
- TC: Aeon Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
- Tales of Aquatic Terror (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)
- DR:E Jumpstart (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)
Second Draft
- Tales of Good Dogs – Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)
- 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)
- Cults of the Blood Gods (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
- Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- Blood Sea: Crimson Abyss for 5e (Scarred Lands)
- TC: Aeon Ready Made Characters (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
- Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition core rulebook (Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition)
- City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)
- Heroic Land Dwellers (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)
Development
- Hunter: the Vigil 2e core (Hunter: the Vigil 2nd 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)
- 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)
- Scion Companion: Mysteries of the World (Scion 2nd Edition)
- Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)
Manuscript Approval:
- Trinity Continuum: Aberrant core (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
- Pirates of Pugmire (Realms of Pugmire)
Editing:
- Spilled Blood (Vampire: The Requiem 2nd Edition)
- CofD Dark Eras 2 (Chronicles of Darkness)
- Distant Worlds (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
- Scion Ready Made Characters (Scion 2nd Edition)
- Lunars: Fangs at the Gate (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Post-Editing Development:
- M20 Book of the Fallen (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
- V5 Chicago By Night (Vampire: The Masquerade)
- V5 Chicago By Night Screen (Vampire: The Masquerade)
- CofD Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)
- Witch-Queen of the Shadowed Citadel (Cavaliers of Mars)
Indexing:
- Trinity Core
- Trinity Aeon
ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE:
In Art Direction
- Ex3 Monthly Stuff
- Chicago By Night
- They Came From Beneath the Sea!
- EX3 Lunars
- Hunter: The Vigil 2
- Contagion Chronicle
- VtR Spilled Blood – Contracted.
- M20 Book of the Fallen
- Dark Eras 2 – All sorted, I think.
- CoM – Witch Queen of the Shadowed Citadel – Mr Pride working on these right now.
- Pirates of Pugmire – KS art contracted, sketches and finals coming in.
- Trinity Continuum: Aberrant – KS art started contracting.
- Scion Ready Made Characters – getting artist on these.
Marketing Stuff
In Layout
- Dystopia Rising: Evolution – With Josh.
- Shunned By the Moon
- Scion Jumpstart
- Trinity Continuum Core – Index is in.
Proofing
- The Realm
- Book of Oblivion – Inputting last corrections.
- Signs of Sorcery – Dev comments back to layout.
- Aeon Aexpansion
- C20 Cup of Dreams Novel
At Press
- Scion Hero – Shipping to backers, PoD proof ordered.
- Scion Origin – Shipping to backers, PoD proof ordered.
- Scion Dice – Shipping to backers.
- Scion Screen – Shipping to backers.
- Fetch Quest – Waiting for PoD proofs.
- In Media Res – PDF out to backers, gathering errata with new sheet.
- Geist 2e – PDF out to backers, gathering errata with new sheet.
- Scarred Lands Spell Cards – On Sale this Wednesday.
- Adventures for Curious Cats – PoD files uploaded.
- Tales of Excellent Cats – PoD files uploaded.
- Dragon-Blooded – Deluxe at printer. Signed off of Press Proofs.
- Dragon-Blooded Screen – At printer.
- Trinity Core and Aeon Screens – Files at printer.
TODAY’S REASON TO CELEBRATE:
Yesterday was Cinco De Mayo. And the day before was May the Fourth be With You Day, and May 1st was May Day… so today, maybe we celebrate not celebrating.
Hi richt! Here my question
Will onyx path announce something really really big in this or the next year?
Dixie and Eddy are monitoring these comments, so hopefully they’ll ask your question when we sit down for the interview- thanks!
What’s your favourite Dark Era in Chronicles?
Oh, one of those questions…:) Let’s see if the gang wind up asking me that- thanks!
Hey, any updates on the Scion core books? They’ve been in pre-shipment for two weeks so I was just wondering if anyone at Onyx Path could give us an update.
Thanks!
Hey Nick, Not from OP but I have a shipping label and I’ll give you the details of mine.
E mail came from Onyx Path (Look out for that). Label was created 04/18 (It said shipped at that date but it’s likely erroneous based on it still being in the city/state it’s shipping from Knixville TN). Shipped Via Fedex.
According to my e mail, it should be here 05/10.
Update going out to backers today.
Hi Rich. Prefacing this with my awareness that you can’t always say anything about project statuses beyond what’s listed here, I’m just curious about WoD: Ghost Hunters. It seems like it’s been stuck in Development for a while now.
Other than that I’m super looking forward to the Pirates of Pugmire KS, and hopefully we’ll eventually see rules for playing Badger characters (as a ferret owner I’m really excited for this prospect).
If Pirates of Pugmire does well, maybe we’ll have playable badgers down the road!
That’d be delightful!
Bear in mind that WoD: Ghost Hunters has had to ride the waves, as it were, of the Paradox purchase of WW and then the plans for the 5th Editions and how that might impact what is a rare WoD WoD supplement, as opposed to a game line. It’s coming, but the road got weird for a while.
Badgers? We don’t need no stinkin’ badgers! (Seriously, that’s up to Eddy and what he wants to emphasize about the possible uplifted creatures in Pugmire).
One YEAR!? Holy crap! That one flew right past me in no time. Well congratz to the trio. I am consistently entertained by your content and can’t wait to hear what you’ve got in store for us next year.
Thanks! I think we’re all a little surprised ourselves!
Great to hear! If at any point you, or any of our audience, have specific topics you’d like to hear the Trio talk about, or specific people you’d like to hear interviewed, just let us know!
Hi, eddy. Hi, richt! I think you have done an amazing work covering a lot of ground on anything OP is involved in and beyond.
So much that it’s hard to think of something else to cover. But, now that you mention it, yes. I do have a topic or two i’d like the team to explore. I don’t know that it makes much sense to talk about that now, with few projects currently tied to it, but I would love it if you could touch a bit on Werewolf: the Apocalypse.
The work you’ve done with W20 has been extraordinary and an interview with either Stew Wilson or Ethan Skemp would be utterly amazing.
Otherwise, if it would be interesting to talk to the artists about some of the more iconic pieces. I am certain there are interesting stories behind a lot of them. Alternatively, may be an episode in which you discuss some of the most evocative/favorites pieces of art in a role playing game?
For example, in my gaming group, we often talk about one particular piece of art from Werewolf which embodies “Kinfolk” perfectly. It depicts a Chrinos who is clearly just starting to calm down from a frenzy while a peaceful kinfolk is soothing him. One can sense that she has all the patience and all the love in the world with this wonderful creature many would see as monstrous fluff ball of death. The state of the apartment alone tells a story too, including some chinese food and sticks which most likely were the trigger for the loss of control. It is simple at first glance, but it is, in fact, complex and layered. A perfect embodyment of the relationship between Garou and Kin.
What WtA book was that art in?
In the original Kinfolk Unsung Heroes on page 16. Funny, looking back at it now, I don’t see the sticks. Seems the art has continued to evolve in our collective brains over the years. But that Garou’s expression is still every bit as intense as I remember it.
Don’t forget to look at great piece on page 4 too. Same artist I believe, because no one does the Chrinos quite like he/she does.
The artist is our good buddy Ron Spencer. One of the best!
Agreed! I have to remember the name because he drew most of my favorite Werewolf art. I should really look up what else he’s done.
Why stress over a few mistakes? Some of the most inventive and interesting homebrews I’ve seen have come from folks fixing errata.
It’s slightly bittersweet timing on my part due to my RPG krewe broke up last month, but I’m like 92% sure you didn’t plan it that way!
Hopefully my questions are a little easier to understand this time around:
Outside of Onyx Path, are there any RPG books/games/companies you feel are making really interesting additions to the hobby right now?
Do you still intend to propose more OWoD products going forwards, after their recent shakeups?
What advice would you give to new players who are daunted by the years and years of products OPP and their predecessors have made, who would like to get into the thing but don’t know where to start?
Goood questions! Let’s see if Dixie and Eddy fire them off at me when we do the interview. Thanks!
Rich, I love what Onyx Path is doing with getting pod-casters and such out there. It really is great for awareness that, hey, the stuff is still being made!
I also totally know that pollen feeling. I live in the Panhandle of Florida, where your car is yellow-green every morning, regardless of colour, from all the pine pollen.
I am sad to see that you have narrowed down from people doing reviews and discussion to only actual plays of Onyx Path/White Wolf games. I run a small YouTube channel right now where I talk about various games, and I just finished a series on the Tribes of the Garou Nation a couple weeks ago.
With regards to Scion..You know what? You guys did the right thing by keeping transparency up about the errors. Not many Game Companies would do that(“It’s not a bug! It’s a feature!”), and I think more could take your example to heart. I look forward to getting the box in my hands to do an unboxing video!
We haven’t narrowed down to actual plays only, it’s just we need people to tell us about these reviews in order to review them. Please drop The Gentleman Gamer a message on the Onyx Path Forum for your content to receive a spotlight.
I had not heard back on the previous message I had sent. 🙁 I figured I had done something wrong with that, and saw the post in the meeting notes this week mentioning only live-plays for the spotlight, thought there might have been a change of focus.
Thanks! And yeah, a decade, and then another 2 years, in Atlanta and the yellow-green blanket that heralds Springtime is extremely familiar to me, too. First year there, I had no idea what was even happening. Pollen dust everywhere. But at least, it serves as a warning – up north, the pollen strikes invisibly!
I haven’t received any information on shipping details for Scion – Backerkit doesn’t yet have a tick with ‘Your order has shipped’. Should I be concerned, or is this being done in waves?
My shipping address is in Ireland, if that makes a difference.
I’d be really interested in some info regarding that too. I’ll be on vacation for nearly two weeks beginning of June and am a bit worried that the books might arrive in that time frame…
The last boxes – which are International – will all be out by the end of the week, I’m told. US ones are all going to be shipped out this afternoon.
Thank you for the info! According to the update though the label should have been created already and backerkit should say it’s been shipped, right? Just trying to be sure, as that isn’t the case so far.
So, I’d say you are one of those International backers being finished and sent out by the end of the week.
The last batch of International shipments will all be out by the end of the week, I’m told, so yours is either on the way or will be. No worries!
Thanks for the updates here and on the Kickstarter page!
So my Scion 2 order had a label created on the 23rd of April and there has been no change since. Should I be worried?
Having a similar issue as well.
No. The shipper created all the labels and then started boxing the rewards. All the US ones except a few went out yesterday, and the rest of the US ones will be out this afternoon. Internationals are also mostly all out, with the rest out by the end of the week.
Thank you!! Can’t wait to have the books!
My Scion books are in transit and due to deliver tomorrow! Go on backerkit and look for the tracking number.
Great to hear!
I wish I could say the same, my order still says pending shipping. Sad panda.
Congrats on one years!
I got two questions if that is OK.
With Scion Hero close to release and Demigod currently being worked on is there any specific pantheons yall are hoping to see in the next book or in other books? Sumerian, American Folk, etc.
Second question, with Scion and Trinity on their ways to being rejuvenated for a new generation is there any other older products you’d like to see revived or brought up to date with a new edition?
Thanks- here’s hoping Dixie and Eddy get a chance to lay those questions on me!
Here’s another potential question for the Pathcast: With actual plays being so popular these days, what do you think makes for a good AP?
so I recently bought Geist 2nd edition and I noticed that there is nothing to do with the God Machine and the underworld. Is this something that is eventually going to get added perhaps as a supliment, or does the god machine just have no interaction with the underworld and ghosts?
Not that you guys need another fire to put out, but is this anything concerning, branding- or IP-wise?
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/948927035/the-orpheus-protocol
Not our fire, it’s a WW IP owned by Paradox that may be infringed on. We’ll pass it on.
Looks very and harmlessly different enough to me, and the name just happens to include the mythological word.
And they’ve been working on it for four years; I’d hate to see that spoiled if Paradox got oversensitive about their IP.
If y’all haven’t closed up the questions section, I’d love to ask Rich about his personal art process. Just something basic, favorite medium, that kind of thing.
For the Pathcast in general, but feel free to ask Rich: Matt McElroy recently posted a wishlist of items he gets asked about and would like to see himself in the Storyteller’s Vault. What types of products would you like to see more of in the Storyteller’s Vault? What kinds of products are not financially viable for OPP to do but might be good for lone authors to do?
So here is a question Rich might be able to answer right now(or any other plucky forum goers out there.) If someone was looking to get into Scion which books are essential for a newbie?
Scion: Origin 2nd edition. 🙂 May want to pick up Hero as well, but make sure it’s 2nd edition.
Scion: Origin is only for 2nd edition, so that makes that one easier. I kind of would have liked it if they had changed the cover art for Hero, because, even though it is awesome, it makes it easy to confuse 1st and 2nd. But, yeah..pay attention when odering from Drive Thru when they get the updated PODs up.
The Origin and Hero books for Scion 2nd Edition aren’t out yet, but should be soon. When they are, they’ll be the first books you’ll want to pick up.
Do you think we might get charm cards for dragonbloods and Lunars at all? My group has found great use with the Solar ones.
Signs of Sorcery in proooooofs!
*insert IT’S HAPPENING gif*