It is always surprising to get to the last few days of any crowdfunding campaign – it both seems like it’s been going on for a long time, and that it just started yesterday! Nevertheless, we are in fact finishing up the Alchemicals crowdfunding campaign on BackerKit in just a couple of days!
Less than 72 hours, in fact!
We’re headed towards 500% funded and 1700 backers, as of this writing, and we’ve achieved eight sections of the Alchemicals Companion via Stretch Goals, a Backer T-Shirt, VTT overlays, and a Screen add-on! maybe even more, but I’ve lost count.
Not bad for those Exalted in disguise, they really are more than meets the eye! Which is not really about Alchemicals and more about that specific piece of art up there at the start of this blog!
It’s really wild to also consider that this is our last campaign in 2024, although, as you probably imagine, we’ll have a fresh slate of projects coming in 2025 that will cry out for crowdfunding campaigns!
But for now, this wraps up a very busy year on the campaign trail. As always, a huge round of thanks to our Crowdfunding Concierge, James Bell. The host with the most!
PAXu
Wrapping up the year in a different way, we have our last convention of the year: PAX Unplugged! We did a different thing with our booth at PAXu this last week, we set it up solely to provide a venue for demoing Curseborne. At first we were worried that being tucked back in a corner would make it hard for folks to find us…but we shouldn’t have worried. At all.
Starting on Friday we had a constant river of attendees flowing past the booth, and almost all of our demo time slots were totally filled! Things got less filled only at the end of the days, and on Sunday, but we adapted by doing shorter demos that enabled folks to hop in and play for 15 minutes to a half hour with the demo characters. Which filled them back up!
So many more people now know about Curseborne as we handed out a ton of promo material!
Meanwhile, for those folks who wanted to buy our stuff, we directed them to the Studio2 booth aways down the aisle, where they were set up like this:
We hear sales were brisk, especially with Exalted: Essence making its retail debut, but we’ll have to wait until those folks get back home after the con and compile a sales report.
One of the promo items we gave away that folks were really taken by, were the five tarot card designs – one for each Lineage – with art by Priscilla Kim featured on the front! We lost track of the compliments the folks who stopped by gave that art, and there were quite a few people slightly disappointed that we weren’t selling tarot decks with more of the same beautiful work on it.
Could be, maybe, in the future…
Right now they are designs specifically for these promo cards, but who knows? Next, we’ll get these up on DriveThru for folks to order, and then we’ll find a place somewhere in the core book!
And to wrap up our PAXu coverage, here’s our reporter on the street, Dixie, with her thoughts about attending this year:
I rolled into PAXU Saturday evening ahead of spending Sunday at the convention itself. It was good to see so many friends I hadn’t seen in ages, as I’ve only been (briefly) to PAXU 2022 since the canceled 2020 show. In addition to spelling Matt for a bit at the Onyx Path booth, where people were playing demos of Curseborne all weekend and getting their hands on some cool promo tarot cards, I stopped by Studio 2 where our books were being sold. They had a couple of bookshelves full of our stuff, and I saw lots of people looking over everything from Scion Second Edition to the various They Came From! books to the brand-new Exalted: Essence that was just released at the show! I managed to see a couple of folks who work with Onyx Path, like Ian, Jacqueline Bryk, and Zak Naldrett, but spent a lot of my time chatting with folks from other companies I know, like 9th Level Games, and R. Talsorian. All in all, though I only spent about 24 hours in Philadelphia, I feel like I got a lot of face time with people I haven’t seen in awhile, and plan to go back next year for all three days!
I’m glad so many folks got to check out Curseborne, and a bunch more got to hear about it for the first time! These conventions were a big part of my experience in the games industry before 2020, and jumping back into them has really lifted my spirits, which was sorely needed at the end of this year. Hope to see some more of you at events in the future!
DARKBORNE
Dunno who coined it, but that was the “title” of our Monday Meeting group chat today.
If you listened to last Friday’s Onyx Pathcast, the gang announced that we are changing from a weekly format to one where they will get together and talk about gaming things on more of a “special broadcast” schedule.
I’ve honestly been amazed that Dixie, Eddy, Matthew, and Danielle have been able to keep up that kind of pace until now, so when the discussions about cutting back began, I was glad to hear them concerned about both the show, but even more importantly, their own energy levels and wellness.
After years of hitting that weekly deadline, this shift to special broadcasts makes total sense, and let’s all salute them for an amazing, informative, and fun run in the old format!
We’ve still got sales on select CofD Screens and Pugmire/Mau books, screens, and dice 50% off at Studio 2:
https://studio2publishing.com/collections/onx-onyx-path-publishing
And I hear there’s another sale coming up at DTRPG, et al, this week!
So to wrap things up this week, being at PAXu, after having attended so many conventions over the years, got me thinking about how we’re getting to the end of our 13th year in the TTRPG biz as Onyx Path! It has been a busy one, particularly as we used the whole dark energy of the 13 to return to our horror roots with Curseborne! Which will be culminating on Jan 1 where we’ll move to our 14th year!
Wooo!
Hard to believe, yet the time has flown by not unlike what I noted with our crowdfunding campaigns – both fast and slow in retrospect – but always FUN as we’ve created and shared with y’all our:
Many Worlds, One Path!
Blurbs!
Crowdfunding!
NOW ON BACKERKIT!
Exalted: Alchemicals! Over 1600 backers so far! Over 400% Funded!
Plus, we’ve achieved eight sections of the Alchemicals Companion via Stretch Goals, a Backer T-Shirt, VTT overlays, and a Screen add-on!
Onyx Path Media!
This week: As they talked about last Friday, the Pathcast crew are taking a break this week.
As always, the Onyx Pathcast is on Podbean or your favorite podcast venue!
Also check out our attached media schedule for the videos on our Twitch channel this week!
On this week’s Onyx Path News Matthew discusses Operation: Lost in Reverie and Exalted: Alchemicals! Check it out right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhjmnRQk2CE
On The Gentleman Gamer’s YouTube channel, we have a new Gentleman’s Guide to the Accursed with his guide to the Premiere family of Sorcerers! Check out this official lore drop about the sunk cost fallacy spellcasters here: https://youtu.be/J-PXilx1k9I
The Gentleman Gamer also delves into The World Below with this fun video on tales and voices from the Vast Underneath: https://youtu.be/2ot3fGRLASg
And for those of you who don’t watch actual plays, here’s a recap video for you of Curseborne game, Virgin Territory: https://youtu.be/hlxoXOb1X4o
Red Moon Roleplaying conclude their Curseborne actual play of SUFFER MY SINS: https://youtu.be/Kq2Kg-MnI9I?si=oSdb-h2h8ltt2hBO
Virtual Tabletop!
They Came From Beneath the Sea! on Roll20 VTT!
https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/bundle/22308/they-came-from-beneath-the-sea
The Scion: Origin and Scion Hero Compendiums are now available on Roll20!
https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/publisher/1716/onyx-path-publishing
Scion is just the start! They Came From Beneath the Sea! and other
Onyx Path RPGs are in development for Roll20 virtual tabletop!
The first of our official Scion sheets designed for Foundry VTT are
now available! https://foundryvtt.co
Looking for more virtual tabletop resources? We have a selection of
Tokens, Encounters, and more available now at DriveThruRPG! https://bit.ly/3SnrNJ7
Our Sales Partners!
We’re working with Studio2 to provide our traditionally printed books out into your local game stores. Game stores can order via their usual distributors, and can also contact Studio2 directly. And individuals can check out our projects via the links below!
CofD Screens and Pugmire/Mau books, screens, and dice 50% off at Studio 2:
https://studio2publishing.com/collections/onx-onyx-path-publishing
Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books, dice, and screens? Try this link! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Onyx-Path-Publishing/
As always, you can find Onyx Path’s titles in PDF and PoD versions at DriveThruRPG.com!
The Haunted Holiday Sale at DTRPG/STV will start soon. All of our Wraith and Geist PDFs will be on sale.
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).
On Sale This Week!
Who wants a new game!? Who wants a new game!? You do? You do? Here it is – go fetch! You can now fetch home the newest edition of the Realms of Pugmire core rulebook in PDF and PoD versions available Weds at DTRPG! Good pupper!
Conventions!
Here’s where you can find out more info on physical and virtual conventions we’re going to be involved with!
Game Night With Onyx Path Publishing at StartPlaying is the last Friday of every month! Come play some Curseborne that night! (But any of our game lines are welcome all day long!)
Here’s a link to give anyone $10 credit to play games on Start.Playing:
https://startplaying.games/referral/clog9y0v10006ju0968iev95m
Please spread the word about GMing games as much as possible! Details on how list a game are at the bottom of the page in the FAQ:
https://startplaying.games/event/game-night-onyx-path
Project Status Updates!
Our full list of projects will be available monthly on our blog! Check out November’s full list report here: https://theonyxpath.com/release-roundup-november-2024/
DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM EDDY!
Here are the projects that moved to the next stage of production:
FIRST DRAFT
Earthbane – Monster Kingdoms
Matthew: Don your crown and wield your sceptre: there are monsters out there, and you’re one of them! This new game in the Earthbane Cycle is truly exciting for all of us at Onyx Path. If you like your combat and adventuring explosive and dramatic, and your world grisly and filled with colourful creatures, this is the game for you.
FINAL DRAFT
Scion – Additional Mythic Shard: Lost Time
- Matthew: The drafts for Lost Time look superb, and now they’re in finals! Not long now before development.
Scion – Additional Mythic Shard: Journey to the Wild West
- Matthew: And the same goes for Journey to the Wild West, my most anticipated chapter for Mythic Shards!
EDITING
Curseborne – Curseborne Antagonist #1 (Jan 2025 Tasty Bit)
- Matthew: I am not who you think I am.
ART DIRECTION FROM MIKE CHANEY!
In Art Direction
- Ex3 Alchemicals (BK) – Wraps up this week.
- Ex3 Abyssals – Sketches in and sent to dev team.
- SCION Titans Rising – Still sending out artnotes.
- SCION Mythic Shards – Got these over to Maria.
- TC Danger Skies – Sending interior halfs over to Leblanc.
- TC Anima Jumpstart (Terra Surge) – Art is in.
Layout
- Trinity Continuum CC
- Scion Tasty Bit Combo
- Ex Essence Pillars of Creation
- SCION God Storyguide Screen – Once I get RPG Antho into proofing, I’m wrapping this up.
- TC With Great Power – Signed off on Cover Sketch
- TCF RPG Anthology – Halfway point hit.
- TC Aether Screen
- SCION God Storyguide Screen
- World Below Screen
- M20 Faces of Magick – With Ron Thompson.
- M20 Forbidden and Forgotten Orders – Travis is rolling on it…
Proofing
- M20 Faces of Magick
- TC Aegis
Indexing
At Press
- Reprints:
- Scion Origin – At Studio2.
- TC Core – At Studio2.
- Ex 3 Exigents – Prepping press files.
- Ex 3 Exigents Screen – At Studio 2
- TC Aether – Prepping press files.
- TC Anima – Shipping to backers.
- TC Anima Terra Surge Screen – Shipping to backers.
- The World Below – Almost done. I got some SPU corrections that need to be added in. Also doing some general tweakage.
- Ex 3 Sidereals – Quoting and press files.
- Scion: God – Prepping press files.
- They Came From the Cyclops’s Cave – Shipping to backers.
- They Came From the Cyclops’s Cave Screen – Shipping to backers.
- They Came From CLASSIFIED – Shipping to backers.
- They Came From CLASSIFIED Screen – Shipping to backers.
- They Came From Classified Jumpstart – Errata shutdown on Wednesday.
- TC Aether Audio Drama
- Ex Essence Deeds Yet Undone – Waiting on errata.
- M20 Victorian Bizarre Tales and Unusual Characters – PoD uploaded. PDF updated.
- Realms of Pugmire – PDF and PoD versions on sale Weds on DTRPG!
Today’s Reason to Celebrate!
Happy birthday to Michael Dorn (born December 9, 1952), an American actor best known for his role as Worf in the Star Trek franchise, appearing in all seven seasons of the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, and later reprising the role in Seasons 4 through 7 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1995–1999) and season three of Star Trek: Picard (2023). Dorn has appeared more times as a regular cast member than any other Star Trek actor in the franchise’s history, spanning five films and 284 television episodes. qoSlIj DatIvjaj!
I’m a little sad that I missed you, Lisa, Dixie, & Neall this year. We did chat with Matt for a few. It was a very busy con thus year. The biggest ever. We were not able to demo Curseborn but I did grab the free materials. Glad to hear you did well.
Sorry we missed you, too. And that you didn’t get a chance to play – the folks who did really seemed to be into it. And they loved the pregens, which was cool to see, too.
It must be far too late to correct a typo in the Sidereals book, but I found one on the top of page 378. The text of an evocation description talks about the welder of the artifact rather than the wielder. There isn’t a way to get it fixed at this late date before the deluxe editions are printed is there?
Doubtful, but we’ll see what we can do. The fact is that there are always going to be typos in printed books – what we try and do is catch as many as possible with most of our efforts going towards those mess-ups that most effect how people can play the game. Spelling errors, or a comma instead of a semi-colon, or other typos which are clearly typos, are all examples of things we try and catch via editing and errata stages with our PDFs, but if they squeeze through uncaught they are unlikely to make the game impossible to play. Thanks!