We’re at the stage with the Exalted Infernals crowdfunder where things are traditionally a bit slow – so if you’ve backed, could you please make some noise about it and let your friends, folks you meet online, and even complete strangers on the street, know that we’re doing the whole crowd-funding thing?
Send them a link like the one below in the Crowdfunding section of The Blurbs, even!
Every little bit could be the bit that makes a new group of fans aware that this thing is happening! We’ve noticed for about a decade now how many backers come to the campaign after the actual campaign – no matter how hard we here at Onyx Path push the message. So here’s a chance to get them aboard right now!
With that bit of urgent urging, here are some data points you might be interested in whether or not you share them like I’m pushing above:
We’re just a hair away from 600% funded!
We have over 1700 backers!
We’ve achieved 13 Stretch Goals and are headed towards #14!
There’s still more than a week to go for the BackerKit campaign!
Backers get the entire manuscript by the time it’s over, and have already received the entire Charms chapter! So, back now and you too will be able to absorb all the hellish nasty Charm power!
Seriously, though, we really appreciate everyone who has backed so far, and there’s no onus on just backing and walking away – we don’t expect or need y’all to evangelize: it’s just another avenue towards getting the word out. And like ratings and reviews for published projects – you spreading the word really does help a lot! If you’re on the Comments section of the BackerKit campaign, or on social media, you’ve probably already noticed that there’s been a lot of great posts and analysis already. Which is another thing we notice and appreciate: the Exalted community has really come out for this, and seem to be really into how the team has upgraded Infernals from 2e to 3e!
Thanks!
SPU Core art by Andrew Hepworth
Pencils? Like cave folk?!?
Talking about how we fill out character sheets led to the above excited question. Sometimes I really don’t know what to do with our Monday Meeting crew!
But I do know that our crew would like me to remind everybody here about the stages our projects go through, as it’s not exactly what other companies do with their games.
First off, if a project is crowdfunded, backers get to see the text in an almost finished state during the campaign and send us comments based on that text. Sometimes the text is edited already, sometimes not. (We usually note which is which.) Very rarely, the text is being handled in a “Workshopping” kind of methodology, like I went into about Curseborne a few weeks ago on this very blog! So commentary at this phase may be rolled into whatever process we’re using.
Then comes the first PDF with layout graphics and illustrations, and everything. For crowdfunders, we call this the Backer PDF. For projects that go straight to DTRPG, we called this the Advance PDF. In either case, there are a few things that are not finished in the first PDF – most importantly, the PG XXs. We don’t add in the reference numbers to replace the XXs until getting any errata from our community because sometimes changes to that first PDF version can change where something is in the book. Which means the page number reference will be wrong, and nobody wants that. Since it’s a lot harder to find each page number reference than to find all instances of XX, we add in the actual numbers only once we finalize the PDF.
Now that means that you may have the first PDF, unfixed by our implementing the errata. Fortunately, your DTRPG Library allows you to download the final version at no cost if you previously downloaded the first PDF! The odds are, if the PDF version you are looking at still has PgXXs in it, it’s the first PDF and you need to grab the latest instead!
Once we have a final PDF file, we use that to create the PoD physical version and then the traditionally printed files for the printer. While there are plenty of things that need to be tweaked to take that PDF to the two printed versions, by-and-large the layout stays the same from PDF to PoD to Trad printed book.
Hope that helps!
SPU Core art by Navella
Happy to share with you all that Curseborne remains #1 on DTRPG! Who knows, that could change at any time, but so far: YAY!
If you or someone you know is still unsure about this new Curseborne thinger, here are a couple of the many vids out there that provide some areas of accessibility. (And also note that the Gentleman Gamer went through every darn Family, the game’s splats, giving them in-depth descriptions and suggestions for play that you can find on both his and the official Onyx Path YouTube channels):
Matthew has also been looking into how different kinds of horror writing can be reflected in Curseborne, with this week then delving into how to use elements from the work of British horror author, fabulist, and dreamweaver James Herbert into Curseborne: https://youtu.be/3RD7EYC4PfM
And in terms of looking at the game itself, Awkward GM Corbin delivers a fantastic rundown of Curseborne, what it contains and what to expect: https://youtu.be/HFhMYnKeUIE
In the last few weeks’ blogs, I mentioned that we are closing down our license for Dystopia Rising: Evolution at the end of the year. But before that, we’re putting all of our DR:E projects on sale! Here’s some official words all about it:
Traveling across the wasteland means adapting to new surroundings and looking back on past adventures. Onyx Path Publishing evolved the Dystopia Rising game with a new edition more than five years ago. We rolled through the wasteland with our friends at Eschaton Media and had many adventures with our Storypath System in the post-apocalyptic genre for tabletop gaming. Now, it is time for that story to come to a close. Until the end of the year you can save big on the Dystopia Rising: Evolution PDFs and PoDs at DriveThruRPG:
(These links may not hook you up with the savings until Tues/Weds depending on where you are in the world).
As one game license comes to an end, another is just beginning! We’re hoping to have Branch Riders on sale on our site before Xmas, with backers getting their coupons for their Rewards before that. Meanwhile, Doug and Jack from the Branch Riders design team will be appearing tonight at 5pm EST on NotDnD – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@enworldlive and Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/enpublishing to discuss Branch Riders with @tabletopjess! Find out more about the game, how it works, and how you can find out more about riding the branches! Eight realms… One mission!
The rest of what we covered in the Monday Meeting today was looking at how we’ll be ending the year…and starting the next one. Our last Monday Meeting, for example, looks like Monday the 22nd, and depending on the projects they are juggling, I’d really like the team to get almost two weeks off until we reconvene on Jan 5th. So the MMN blog on the 29th will be a special holiday one with our crew giving me (and you) their New Year’s resolutions!
On the blog on the 22nd, the crew here will be asking Santa for gifts, and I’ll be explaining to all of you what a Jólabókaflóðið is and what we’ll be putting on sale on Weds, Dec 24th: Christmas Eve!
So really, this week and next are the last “regular” weeks of this year for us – whatever that means in our wacky biz! After that we’re into 2026, our 15th year of doing business! You know we’re going to be celebrating THAT!
Here’s hoping all your preparations are going really well, whether for the holiday season or for the end of the year! If not, remember that a new year of possibilities is right around the corner. For us, we’re still setting up a whole bunch of projects, with an eye towards keeping our rhythm of releases puffing along strong, so we roll right through December and into January popping out cool releases, thanks to all of your helping hands that are really what creates our:
Many Worlds, One Path!
Blurbs!
Crowdfunding!
Funded in 11 Minutes!Allllmost 600% Funded So Far!
13 Stretch Goals achieved and we’re headed hard towards #14! Join us in the green fires!
Check out our attached media schedule for the videos on our Twitch channel this week!
In this week’s Onyx Path News, Matthew talks about the Scion: Dragon Tasty Bit Compilation, Exalted: Infernals – Crowned by Hellfire, and Curseborne’s Seattle: City of Curses!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qImOb5mdl9Y
Matthew then delves into how to use elements from the work of British horror author, fabulist, and dreamweaver James Herbert into Curseborne: https://youtu.be/3RD7EYC4PfM
Awkward GM Corbin delivers a fantastic rundown of Curseborne, what it contains and what to expect: https://youtu.be/HFhMYnKeUIE
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!
As always, you can find Onyx Path’s titles in PDF and PoD versions at DriveThruRPG.com!
LAST DAY! Get great deals on all of our PDFs!
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!
It’s time to take the plan and make it happen! The They Came From Classified! Jumpstart, Operation: Lost Reverie, will be available in both PDF and PoD versions this Wednesday on DTRPG!
On Sale Last Week!
The collected Scion: Dragon Tasty Bits Advance PDF is NOW on DTRPG!
Conventions!
Here’s where you can find out more info on physical and virtual conventions we’re going to be involved with!
In 2026, we’ll be at the GAMA Expo in March and then the ACD Expo in May (we’ll have a booth at this one).
Game Night With Onyx Path Publishing at StartPlaying is the last Friday of every month and through that weekend! Come play some Curseborne that night! (But any of our game lines are welcome all weekend long!)
Here’s a link to give anyone $10 credit to play games on Start.Playing:
Here are the projects that moved to the next stage of production:
First Draft
Monster Kingdoms – Jumpstart
Let’s take a thrilling journey to the vampiric kingdom of Creuore to delve into the Wombs of the Withered Moon!
Storypath – SPU Tasty Bit (March 2026) – Parallel Lives
Another Tasty Bit for 2026, exploring parallel lives. What’s that all about? All will be revealed in future (at least in this timeline).
Development
They Came From! – Archetype All Star Special!
Coming to a movie theatre near you in 2026: every damn Archetype ever created for They Came From!, all in one place!
Manuscript Approval
Storypath – SPU Tasty Bit (January 2026) – Titanic-Scale Monsters
The first Tasty Bit for 2026, this one covers two kinds of large monsters: giants (i.e., monsters a human can meaningfully engage with) and titanic-scale monsters (i.e., monsters that humans can’t meaningfully engage with without powers, vehicles, large weapons, etc.) A lot of monster goodness packed in a small space!
ART DIRECTION FROM MIKE CHANEY!
In Art Direction
Ex3 Infernals (BK) – Backer Kit ongoing…
TCF the Danger Zone – Signing off on fulls sketches.
Curseborne Accursed Adventures – Re-contracted.
TWB Ed Greenwood Book – Configuring art buy.
Layout Queue
Ex3 Alchemicals
SPU Core Manual– Getting the layout rolling along for this.
TC Anima AR – Everything is in and ready to roll over to Travis.
Proofing Queue
SCION War Games – Ron Thompson working on second proof this week.
Scarred Lands Dead Gods Trilogy Omnibus
At Press
TC Aeon Fiction Compilation – PoD proofs ordered.
SCION God Player’s Guide – PoD files uploaded.
Branch Riders – Pulling files together to get coupons to backers.
Ex 3 Exigents – File prep, almost everything over to an approved by printer.
Heroes of Action and Wonder – PoD files uploaded.
RoP fiction Omnibus – Getting it out to KS backers….
Scion Dragon Tasty Bit Compilation – errata.
Curseborne December Tasty Bit – Ready to roll for next month.
TCfC! Jumpstart – Operation: Lost in Reverie goes belatedly on sale in PDF and PoD versions on DTRPG this Weds!
Today’s Reason to Celebrate!
Not something to celebrate, but more to memorialize: in 1980 – John Lennon is murdered in front of The Dakota in New York City. Lennon’s place in music history is among the greats, as was his impact on social issues awareness, but his sudden assassination also had a massive impact on those people who had been part of the music/cultural scene during that time; whether fans of the Beatles or of John himself. I was just starting art school when it happened, and cars were pulling over so that their occupants could stumble out crying and collapsing onto the sidewalk, as they were too shocked by the news to drive. That day and the next week, more than half of my fellow students wore black armbands in mourning.
4 thoughts on “Can You Lend Us a Hand? [Monday Meeting Notes]”
Good news all around. Especially glad to hear Curseborne is doing so well. Kudos all around.
The link in the notes for the Infernal Backerkit page appears to be the call to arms one and returns and error that just takes you to the Backerkit homepage, just so you know about that.
Thanks! And yeah, that link was OK originally, and it’s supposed to just take folks to the crowdfunder once it starts…but obviously something on BK’s end went south. No worries, I put the direct link up – thanks for letting us know!
Got my Curseborne Premium hardbacks from DrivethruRPG. SO HAPPY!
As part of some future project, are you going to have Danielle write up guidelines for using SPU and Curseborne to spec out custom powers and advancements? Maybe as part of the Tier 2 KS for Curseborne or even better a Tasty Bit?
Do you have any more hints for the City guide? Believe Seattle was mentioned as the use case.
Is SPU and Curseborne covered yet by the Nexus on Drivethru?
Do you guys know of any VTT projects for Curseborne?
Glad you got the PoDs- and that you’re happy!
Can’t say for sure which of our cunning Curseborne creators would work on a project like that, or what book it could show up in, but if the team likes how it would fit into Curseborne, or even the core SPU rules, then expect to see it in there somewhere! If the devs want to share Seattle work in progress or excerpts, I’m always glad to share content. Both SPU and CB are going to be part of the Nexus, and we’re currently ironing out the details to get them up there really soon. On our end, nothing we can announce when it comes to CB VTT, but keep an eye out on our social media when it’s possible- thanks!
Good news all around. Especially glad to hear Curseborne is doing so well. Kudos all around.
The link in the notes for the Infernal Backerkit page appears to be the call to arms one and returns and error that just takes you to the Backerkit homepage, just so you know about that.
Thanks! And yeah, that link was OK originally, and it’s supposed to just take folks to the crowdfunder once it starts…but obviously something on BK’s end went south. No worries, I put the direct link up – thanks for letting us know!
Got my Curseborne Premium hardbacks from DrivethruRPG. SO HAPPY!
As part of some future project, are you going to have Danielle write up guidelines for using SPU and Curseborne to spec out custom powers and advancements? Maybe as part of the Tier 2 KS for Curseborne or even better a Tasty Bit?
Do you have any more hints for the City guide? Believe Seattle was mentioned as the use case.
Is SPU and Curseborne covered yet by the Nexus on Drivethru?
Do you guys know of any VTT projects for Curseborne?
Glad you got the PoDs- and that you’re happy!
Can’t say for sure which of our cunning Curseborne creators would work on a project like that, or what book it could show up in, but if the team likes how it would fit into Curseborne, or even the core SPU rules, then expect to see it in there somewhere! If the devs want to share Seattle work in progress or excerpts, I’m always glad to share content. Both SPU and CB are going to be part of the Nexus, and we’re currently ironing out the details to get them up there really soon. On our end, nothing we can announce when it comes to CB VTT, but keep an eye out on our social media when it’s possible- thanks!