Let’s get caught up.
On Saturday, in a castle in Germany, Martin and Tobias (the White Wolf Publishing guys), let folks know some of their plans for the WW properties: https://youtu.be/waHQeOrKxK8
Here’s how those plans affect us here at Onyx Path Publishing:
First, we are changing the overall title of New World of Darkness (nWoD), to Chronicles of Darkness (CofD) in order to differentiate the game lines under that brand from the classic World of Darkness lines. For more details, check out my blog from Saturday: https://theonyxpath.com/announcing-chronicles-of-darkness/
For Onyx Path, this is delightful. The biggest threat to us doing more Chronicles of Darkness games was the potential of issues surrounding the branding. And that problem is gone. We are able now to move ahead with several books that were awaiting the new branding, and to keep going with our announced and scheduled but not announced projects.
In addition, the process of solving this problem was very collaborative between our two companies, which was quite refreshing.
Second, we are continuing to move forward with Exalted 3rd Edition. Once the errata is input and a new backer PDF is uploaded, we can keep going with our announced and scheduled but unannounced projects.
Last, but by no means least, Onyx Path is continuing to publish the cWoD 20th Anniversary game lines. We will not be publishing the 4th Edition of the WoD game lines as we planned as that effort is being superseded by WWP‘s own efforts in the creation of their One World of Darkness. Here is a teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wewNseVo24 They may in fact call the next editions of the WoD game books 4th Editions, or they might not, but they absolutely need to be the ones pulling together the threads of WoD and creating a coherent single entity that can then be the cornerstone of the many licensing efforts they are working towards.
For Onyx Path, while we would have enjoyed the creation of the next edition as we were previously set to do it, we are consoled by two things:
- The kinds of synergy that the new White Wolf is talking about and capable of pulling together is something that as a licenser we just couldn’t do. We had rights to tabletop RPGs only, and had to fight hard for anything else like t-shirts. Triple A computer games or Netflix series were not something we could arrange or even consult on with CCP. But as the owners, who want the World of Darkness to spread its dark stories over the world, WWP can. Which is pretty freaking exciting!
- We at Onyx Path wanted to create the next edition of the WoD games because we saw a need for an edition that shook things up, that was relevant to today’s players and ways of playing, while still steeped in the dark drama of decades of storytelling majesty. Everything we’ve discussed with Martin and Tobias indicates that their vision for the One World of Darkness is coming from looking at most things the same way, and while no one knows yet how that vision will be executed, we are looking forward to helping their efforts however they need it as things come together.
As an example of this, last year the Onyx Path crew attending MidWinter Convention charted out how we would ramp up our presence in stores leading up to a traditionally printed version of V4 as the first of the WW core rulebooks to return to retail stores. I’ve spent several years plotting a course that allows that but doesn’t bog us down into broken sales models that might hurt Onyx Path, and after a few test projects, V4 would have led the way. In the video, WWP also talks about getting One WoD into stores. Great minds, and all that.
You’ll see the first two of those tests next month, actually, as both the Scarred Lands Kickstarter and the Pugmire Kickstarter are set up specifically to enable us to print traditionally and get those books into stores. We’ll be making another announcement soon that takes this thinking a bit further, but the ink is barely dry on that contract.
So, with exception of V4, we are going ahead with our announced and scheduled but unannounced projects.
Speaking of one of the announced Twentieth Anniversary projects, the Deluxe Changeling: the Dreaming Twentieth Anniversary Kickstarter got off to a huge start last Thursday and was funded in 67 minutes, which strangely seems like a very Changeling kind of number to me. Dunno why. More details below in the Blurbs! section, but it is well past being 350% funded after 4 days. We still have lots of Stretch Goals to achieve, and a few surprises to share, so check it out! Don’t be it, dream it…
Last week, I mentioned a contest we’d be doing, and here it is: The 12 Days of Onyx Contest! Basically, as a celebration of the Chronicles of Darkness, we’re asking for holiday themed Condition Card submissions from all of you. We’ll pick our favorite 12 and pull the PDF together and give out to everyone on Christmas. You can see more details here: https://theonyxpath.com/announcing-the-12-days-of-onyx-contest/ I’m looking forward to some crazy holiday magic from everyone, so submit today!
So, thanks to everyone who asked how we were doing with the changes! We are doing great, we have fantastic projects slated for several years, and we have an evolving relationship with our primary license holder that has been pretty wonderful so far.
Could be worse, we could be in Philadelphia…
BLURBS!
KICKSTARTER!
As mentioned above, the Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Kickstarter is going Boggan-busters right now! We hit the funding goal in 67 minutes, and have rolled through some pretty sweet Stretch Goals as well as a whole bunch of Achievements! And we haven’t even announced the dice yet!
ON SALE!
M20 How Do You DO That? is coming to DTRPG in PDF and PoD versions hopefully this week!
Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition PDF & Standard and Premium PoD physical book editions are NOW AVAILABLE on DTRPG! http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/149562/Mage-the-Ascension-20th-Anniversary-Edition
The Pugmire Pamphlet we had available at Gen Con is now ready for PDF download. Read about the world of Pugmire from the enthusiastic and optimistic pen of Princess Yosha Pug, as well as notes from the gruff and worldly hunter Pan Daschund: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/153518/Pugmire-Gen-Con-Brochure
There are also six Pugmire posters available as free PDFs or $.99 physical posters, suitable for framing:
- Spike Mutt: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/150845/Spike-Mutt-Pugmire-Poster-6
- Pan Dachshund: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/150844/Pan-Dachshund-Pugmire-Poster-5
- Jack Rat-Terrier: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/150944/Jack-RatTerrier-Pugmire-Poster-4
- Sgt. Leo Bulldog: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/150843/Sgt-Leo-Bulldog-Pugmire-Poster-3
- Princess Yosha Pug: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/149750/Princess-Yosha-Pug-Pugmire-Poster-2
- Sister Picassa Collie: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/148516/Sister-Picassa-Collie-Pugmire-Poster-1
Start spreading the Code of Man!
CONVENTIONS!
ONE MONTH TO GO! We’re one of the Contributing Sponsors at Midwinter Con this year this January in Milwaukee! RichT, Fast Eddy Webb, and Newlywed Neall Raemonn Price will be there at our booth as well as running demo games of Scion and Pugmire. Right now we are planning panels for What’s Up With Onyx Path?, WoD 20th Anniversary Games and a Pugmire/Scion/StoryPath System one. In the meantime, check out the show here: http://www.midwintergamingconvention.com/
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)
- M20 Book of Secrets (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
- Exalted 3rd Novel by Matt Forbeck (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- CtL anthology (Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition)
- Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition
- Night Horrors: Conquering Heroes (Beast: the Primordial)
- Scion: Alpha (Scion 2nd Edition Playtest Alpha Slice)
- Dagger of Spiragos (Scarred Lands)
- EX3 Quickstart (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- Shattered Dreams in-book stretch goals (Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition)
- Ring of Spiragos (Scarred Lands)
Redlines
- Mummy Fiction Anthology (Mummy: the Curse)
- Wraith: the Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition
- Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition, featuring the Huntsmen Chronicle (Changeling: the Lost 2nd Edition)
- V20 Ready Made Characters (Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition)
- Cavaliers of Mars
- Signs of Sorcery (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)
Second Draft
- Arms of the Chosen (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- The Realm (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- Dragon-Blooded (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- WtF The Pack (Werewolf: the Forsaken 2nd Edition)
- Beckett’s Jyhad Diary (Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition)
- WtA Kinfolk (Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition)
Development
- StoryPath System Rules (Base rules set for Scion and the Trinity Continuum)
- W20 Changing Ways (Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition)
- nWoD Hurt Locker (Chronicles of Darkness)
- VtM Lore of the Bloodlines (Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition)
- W20 Shattered Dreams (Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition)
- Beast Ready Made Characters (Beast: the Primordial)
Editing
- W20 Pentex Employee Indoctrination Handbook (Werewolf: the Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition)
- Dark Eras Expansions (Chronicles of Darkness Dark Eras)
- Secrets of the Covenants (Vampire: The Requiem 2nd Edition)
- Scarred Lands Player’s Guide: Ghelspad (Scarred Lands 2nd Edition)
- Beast Fiction Anthology (Beast: the Primordial)
- Dark Eras Companion (Chronicles of Darkness Dark Eras)
Post-Editing Development:
- Cursed Necropolis: Rio (Mummy: the Curse)
- V20 Ghouls (Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition)
- V20 Black Hand: Guide to the Tal’Mahe’Ra (Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition)
- M20 Anthology (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE:
In Art Direction
- V20 Ghouls – Awaiting text.
- W20 Shattered Dreams – Awaiting artnotes for Ch. 5.
- Mage: the Awakening Second – Art approved…need CofD swapped in.
- Promethean: the Created Second – Pinging Ron to see where the splats are…
- Scarred Lands PG – more sketches and finals rolling in.
-
Dark Eras – Working on that as well as troubleshooting several potential snags in the text.
- Pugmire Early Access – sketches rolling in.
In Layout
- Dreams of Avarice – in proofing.
- Guide to the Black Hand – Working on it.
- Chronicles of Darkness Condition Cards – After the errata pass is done on CofD core.
- Clan Novel Assamite (PoD and epub update) – PoD proof not good, need new one.
- Clan Novel Ventrue (PoD and epub update) – Proofing.
- Ex 3 Anthology – Awaiting reformatted file.
- Beast Screen – Doing it up.
Proofing
- Beast: The Primordial – Going to indexing and Paradox for approval. CofDs added in.
- Demon STG – Going to Paradox for Approval
- Ex 3 core book – From RichT: Same here. Devs working on notating changes to a clean PDF to send to me and Maria for review. Art corrections finishing up.
At Press
- M20 – Deluxes printing (Screen is finished and awaiting book).
- M20 How Do You Do That ?!? – Maybe this week.
- V20 Lore of the Clans – PoD uploaded and awaiting proofs.
- Chronicles of Darkness – Available in PDF format and errata phase hath begun.
Special- projects on hold in the art and production area until an external factor is resolved
- Wraith 20 – Can’t go further until art notes come in, still being developed by Rich Dansky.
- Pentex Employee Indoctrination Manual – Some added and amended text needs to come in.
TODAY’S REASON TO DRINK: Chronicles of Darkness! WoD 20th Anniversary Games! EX3! Scion 2! Trinity Continuum! Pugmire! Cavaliers of Mars! Scarred Lands! So much good stuff!
Hey I was wondering how you will send EX3 books is in alphabetic order or highest tier first going down ^^ Just curious?
The Deluxe books? That’s up to the shipper.
Yes but i meant is do you send them out in alphabetic order by first or last name, or the highest tier payed or just random order is all was always wondering about that?
As Rich said, that’s up to the shipper. Once they have all the books and all the place the books are supposed to go, it’s up to them how they decide to ship them out.
K ^^ I’ll figure it out when the time come than
Is WWP interested in looking at whatever you came up with so far for 4th Edition, or are they wanting to start off completely fresh and without anyone else’s ideas?
I’m not at liberty to say.
So with this new change, I’m curious, if I remember correctly I believe the intention was to complete V20 before moving on to V4. With the new editions being handled by White Wolf does that mean the 20th anniversary lines will remain in production or are they still finite projects?
We have no end date currently, so we’ll keep on keepin’ on.
Could you speak a little bit about how much of the 20th anniversary lines past the kickstarter stretch goals you are likely to be able to deliver. There has been a lot of discussion in online Mage groups about how many books past the Mage stretch goals are viable. People seem most concerned about Technocracy Reloaded, Rich Bastard’s Guide to Magick, and Victorian Mage, but I also saw Digital Web 3.0 mentioned as something people really wanted. I know your answer is likely to be vague at this point, but any sense of what the future of the 20th anniversary lines looks like would be really welcome. I know I’m looking forward to some of the V20 stuff that’s in the pipe, and really hope that will all be delivered before V 4th takes over.
Also, some text leaks on the Changeling KS would be awesome. I’m planning on pledging for the dice if they aren’t too expensive, and honestly if the text leaks grab me enough I might just back for the double books and give one as a gift.
Text excerpts for C20 are coming this week. We’re still reviewing the schedule for the next year or so- in fact we’re meeting Thursday so Impish Ian can get our info up to date.
Hope that helps.
Definitely. I knew details would be vague at this point. It doesn’t hurt to ask though. I’m stoked about th he text excerpts.
So, just to Clarify;
If, say some years down the road, Onyx Path wanted to develop and publish more material for the Vampire 20th anniversary or Mage 20th BEYOND what has already been announced or currently scheduled, there is nothing stopping them from doing so?
My primary concern being that once the currently announced supplements have been developed and published for the 20th anniversary lines there would be nothing further.
From the looks of things though I’m very excited that onyx path can continue to do it’s thing! 🙂
Depends on whether we still have the license. Just like it always has. Right now, we’ve heard nothing about stopping.
Super excited to see Chronicles of Darkness continuing! Any idea when a Dark Eras backers will get a look at the new corebook?
Should be this week. Thanks.
I totally misread this as “When will Dark Eras backers get a look at the Dark Eras book?” and your answer, Rich, got me all excited.
Had to step back and realize how silly that was, but for a glorious moment I was super excited.
Sorry for the false start! 🙂
I wish! But it’s steadily ticking away there. I’m sure it will be done soon. On that note though, Rich, if I need to change by shipping info, should I message you on Kickstarter?
No, follow the instructions on changing your Survey address on the official Kickstarter main FAQ.
Deal, thanks!
I’m happy and stoked, the prospects for Chronicles of Darkness and the notion that you’ll be making a comeback to physical stores are very good signs.
As for CofD, I’m also please that the name change will lay to rest the silly “edition wars” we still have around here, and help further promote the lines (such as with the event we held).
Thanks for never letting us down, Rich, PO
I’m quite uneasy about CWoD being developed by individuals with no connection to its past; is there anyone in this new WW that were part of the old WW? Ultimately, that feeling is less about questioning whether they have the vision/passion for it as it is knowing that you lot did. Time will tell and all that.
I do rather like the Chronicles of Darkness rebranding though. It feels very appropriate for the NWoD. Pity it wasn’t the original plan. 🙂
The Lead Storyteller Martin Ericsson is the model for Dracula in the front of V20. That’s his grim face over to the left in the webpage background. He’s been a LARPer for many years, and IIRC he was one of the story writers for CCP on the WoD MMO.
Well and they may well engage with some of the developers and writers who currently work with OPP, but coordinated through a process that centers on their unified meta.
Honestly rebranding is nothing to be afraid of. It can clarify ambiguities (like the whole old vs. new WoD) and help folks quickly ascertain what a game is about. For instance when I tell people that I’m looking for players to play Promethean: the Created they’re often like, “what?” But if I tell them I have this game Monster: the Created, they ask, “like Frankenstein?” (This is because most folks have seen at least one of the movies but relatively few people have read the original novel.) So you can get a lot of mileage out of a name change.
The only thing I wanted from the Paradox deal was for Onyx Path to keep curating Exalted and the New World of Darkness properties, so now that that’s settled, I’m really excited about the whole thing.
I’m also curious about your plans for traditional printing. I committed to getting Exalted in print after I pledged for the orichalcum edition because that’s just how my compulsions roll, and while I was willing to bite the bullet and pay extra for the worthless Canadian dollar, plus shipping, plus customs to get the PoD books, it would probably help me out a bit if you could get the books for sale on Amazon.ca eventually.
No news about Dark Ages “Tome of Secrets”?
I’m really looking foward to it.
Thanks!
it took me all day to register that they added the ‘One’ in front of the title so that they could retain the ‘oWoD’ acronym. do we know yet if oWoD is going to be a profound reboot of ooWoD, or more in the style of a fourth edition, maintaining much of the established settings? I bet if we do know that it’s in the panel, which I should watch straight away.
hopefully losing the fourth editions didn’t fuck you guys over in terms of anticipated sales.
I’m experiencing a transition right now, just like some of the old White Wolf game lines. I’m leaving my town and all the people I know, and it makes me consider the past. I remember the Christmas of 1997, when I was introduced to tabletop roleplaying, with Vampire the Masquerade (lucky me!). Suburbia can be boring when you’re a teenager with no driver’s license, and I only had music and fiction to get by. After Masquerade, nighttime acquired a new meaning, with rolling dice, cold soda, and tales of excess (yes, our characters were all out Anarchs!). Damn, I miss those nights, and I can still remember their smell and sounds. After some years I moved to my own place, an apartment, but my folk’s house have a balcony and garden, and our game sessions were perfumed by those night blooming flowers (can’t remember their name) and stolen smokes. Crickets and fresh winds created all the atmosphered we needed.
But things change, and we can’t stop change. I’m glad we’ll have all the 20th anniversary edition releases, and that Paradox can (I hope) renew Vampire. It’s not without a bit of nostalgia of course and, however, as in most transitions, I’m still not sure what to think or how to react. One thing is fore sure… if they want to breath new life into the setting they need new players. The old fans have ingrained memories (like my own), and they’ll always remember how things were. Veterans will always compare old and new and say old was better, not because it was indeed better, or essentially better, but because the Second, Revised, or even that softcover dinosaur were part of their biographies. One of my old tabletop friends killed himself two years ago. Never had the chance to tabletop V20 with him, but we had all time running against the Primogen, and those stories are part of who I am. A new isntallment can’t replace how all that green marble affected our trajectories.
Now, I sincerely hope them Swedes succeed, and Onyx Path’s vote of confidence allows my optimism. To do that, however, they need kids.
I cannot watch an hour and a half video at this time, my family are going to bed and it’s late here.
Can somebody please give me the summary?
Are the 20th Anniversary editions cancelled?
Are they taking the license away from Onyx Path?
Are the 4th editions going to be post-Gehenna/post-Apocalypse/post-Ascension or will they take place in the same setting cWoD was in?
Are Paradox going to allow the continued production of PDF and POD books via DTRPG?
Is the metaplot going to be optional or rebooted or “continuation” from the 2004 Time of Judgement?
Are they really merging the separate cosmologies and histories of the 10 incompatible gamelines together to make a “unified” WoD?
Why don’t you just read the blog, it answers more than half your questions.
I don’t understand what you mean, Rich. I already read the Announcing Chronicles of Darkness blog that you linked to. It doesn’t say anything about Classic WoD. I read the whole Monday Meeting Notes for today and it doesn’t answer my questions either.
You said 20th Anniversary Editions still exist but then say that WW is taking over writing and publication of the cWoD with totally new editions, which looks contradictory to me. None of my other questions have answers that I understand.
I am really really worried.
Yes the blog does answer some of your questions. Onyx Path will continue to publish the 20th Anniversary Editions, Chronicles of Darkness, and Ex3. The only change is that we aren’t going to do our version of V4.
So they really will let you keep the cWoD license at the same time they are publishing a different edition?
I really really hope so.
I’m sorry I’m so confused and don’t understand anything but thank you for trying to explain.
Looks like the second video isn’t 45 mins. I still can’t watch 45 mins at this hour.
Is Paradox really taking over publication of the cWoD away from Onyx Path?
Read the blog.
I did read it! If it answers the question I am asking, I can not comprehend in any way at all the answer or even see where on the page it is. The only thing I can see about the fate of WoD20 and the new edition appear to contradict each other, so I am totally confused.
I believe Rich is simply trying to be ethical here. The relationship with Paradox is new, and I’m sure that in working together they have things that are certain and can be announced, things that are certain and can’t be announced yet, and things that are fluid, either between them or internally within Paradox.
This is all new, and Rich is being as transparent and as honest here as he can. He has said that they do have the license to continue doing the 20th Anniversary line, and that includes unreleased and additional volumes. He has specifically noted that there has been no talk of ending that, which is exactly where they were with CCP (simply with a much shorter licensing history with Paradox).
Paradox has a strong vision for One World of Darkness (what used to be the classic World of Darkness), and the details of that vision is theirs to release as they see fit. It is not Rich’s place to speak to that, and if he’s heard internal details about another company’s business plans for a product they just bought it would be highly unethical for him to tell us. If he did such an unprofessional move, he and OPP would certainly not be in a good position for any licenses from or partnerships with any companies in the future.
It may be frustrating, but both companies seem to be releasing details as fast as is reasonable. I’m shocked at how fast things have come together and been made public; I suspect that they have similar management philosophies and that keeping the existing fan base up to date was a priority for both sides.
I had thought the long video was an announcement about One World of Darkness but I don’t know what is in it, I can’t watch it.
cWoD, as you put it, and the 20th Anniversary editions are not the same thing.
The new White Wolf will be making new editions for the oWoD and allowing OPP to continue what they were doing with the 20th Anniversary books for now.
The failure to distinguish between those things seems to be a big part of your confusion.
I don’t fail to distinguish. But if One World of Darkness is a completely different setting, then it is not the Classic WoD at all. Neither is Chronicles of Darkness, or Exalted.
Trying again to post, don’t know what happened.
I do distinguish.
If One World of Darkness is a completely new setting then it isn’t cWoD. Neither is Chronicles of Darkness or Exalted.
> Are the 20th Anniversary editions cancelled?
They aren’t cancelled.
20th Anniversary editions are seen as a pure Nostalgic product line and will be continued as such.
From what I understood that means that OPP might publish Hunter 20th or V20 Havens but can’t do an entirely new product that isn’t a nostalgic thing.
As a small consolation from what I understood there might be small hints about the new World of Darkness setting in e.g. Becketts Jiyahd Diary.
> Are they taking the license away from Onyx Path?
No, not at whole.
The only thing that got taken away is V4.
> Are the 4th editions going to be post-Gehenna/post-Apocalypse/post-Ascension or will they take place in the same setting cWoD was in?
There is no 4th editions as announced by OPP anymore.
White Wolf will develop their on take on the setting / metaplot. They haven’t yet named it.
It is mentioned, specially with the video, that basically the world is admist the various apocalypses.
Climate change, temperature rising?
Gaia dying.
Destruction of historical sites in the middle east?
Better not hope a Antedeluvian was down there.
Surveillance, CCTP, NSA scandal etc?
Technocracy on the roll.
Past events could be seen as a fifth scenario in the Ghenna book.
> Are Paradox going to allow the continued production of PDF and POD books via DTRPG?
Yes. But they are planning to move back to brick & mortar stores.
> Is the metaplot going to be optional or rebooted or “continuation” from the 2004 Time of Judgement?
Time of Judgement won’t have happened as this. Metaplot isn’t as optional. It will be a continuation. Like through all media products.
> Are they really merging the separate cosmologies and histories of the 10 incompatible gamelines together to make a “unified” WoD?
Yes. Though I assume they don’t see them as incompatible.
There will be profound changes to rules and certain setting aspects like e.g. a different explanation for Generation in V:tM.
Mage will have a game system instead of basically being more a philosophical book.
Thanks.
Mashing all the separate cosmologies together into FrankenMetaphysics does NOT look good to me, but at least if X20 are allowed to continue there’ll be some cWoD material available.
As I think I’ll be saying a lot for a while here: it’s all theory and intentions right now until Martin and WWP produce something substantive for 1WoD. My guess is that it will be good, but not everyone will agree.
The cosmologies were mashed together before.
They did address that they will be careful to stay within certain boundaries.
Like there are people who work to scrub of stuff from oil stations at great personal cost as its toxic, lifethreatning stuff, who have some other deep connection to the sea or so. In this part of the world, setting were-sharks may make perfect sense. Yet it doesn’t mean that a were-shark will be casually strolling into a Anarch pub in Stockholm.
In the classic WoD, every supernatural group has their own separate beliefs about the creation of the world, higher powers, cosmology, etc. Gaia, God, Caine, the Metaphysic Trinity, the Messengers, the August Personage of Jade, Tuatha de Danaan, Ahu, Maat, the Triat, Sea, the Neverborn, Grandmother, etc. And within each gameline some of those are objectively true (in W:tA the Triat clearly exists, for example) while other beliefs are never confirmed nor denied. Just like in the real world, where no human religion is the unambiguous One Truth.
You can’t make a merged, objectively true cosmology without throwing out a lot of that. I have tried — it’s a fun thought experiment, but it destroys the settings of every gameline.
Is Gaia going to be an Antediluvian or Earthbound demon in the new merged WoD? Is Mage going to lose its consensual reality, or will cosnensus be imposed on the other gamelines where it makes no sense? Is God or Maat going to be explained away as Gaia? Are the Messengers who want to kill all supernaturals going to be canonically the servants of a genocidal God? Is the Dreaming going to be merged with/replaced by the Umbra? Will Banality be replaced by the Weaver?
It would be a totally new setting. A New New WoD. It might be good, but it won’t be the Werewolf setting I love and want to buy and play, just like I have no interest in Forsaken.
Erinys I think you’re reading into this whole thing a LOT. They want a core meta. They never said that everyone’s beliefs were going to be redone, only that there was going to be a single story.
The fact is you really can create a single truth for the Classic World of Darkness. In my games if you asked me definitively how my world of darkness works cosmologically I could answer that question. Absolutely no one’s beliefs are different in my world. Most of them are just unreliable narrators. You know . . . wrong.
I have no idea how you read into White Wolf’s statements that they are going to completely sterilize the setting. Just that they are going to tell a single story that involves all denizens of the world. I don’t think you need to be too paranoid about anything until we see some of what they are going to deliver.
Just to keep things clear, we have:
Classic World of Darkness (Masquerade, Apocalypse, etc)
New World of Darkness (Requiem, Forsaken, etc. 1st Editions)
Classic World of Darkness 20th Anniversary Editions (which, as I understand, are compiled and “cleaned up” versions of Classic listed above)
Chronicles of Darkness, which will be 2nd Editions of New World of Darkness
One World of Darkness which will be the next (4th?) editions of Classic
From the title and some of the details above, One World of Darkness sounds like it’s trying to solidify the game engine much like New World of Darkness did only using the Classic settings.
As time progresses, this leaves us with X20, Chronicles, and One World as “active” game systems (meaning new material being developed and published).
Since Onyx Path will be dealing with New/Chronicles, I’ll try to keep the rest of the post to those lines.
New World of Darkness had a solid decade of material (most of it coming out in the first 4 years). How much of that is planned to be “updated” with either new books and/or more Translation Guides (going from New to Chronicles instead of Classic to New)?
Will the new Promethean, Changeling, etc lines be “limited runs” like the 1st editions were or are they going to be developed according to player demand? While “the big three” are great games, I also enjoy Promethean and one of my fellow players/Storytellers is a huge Changeling fan.
On a similar note, is the trend of one new game a year going to continue or will development shift to existing lines?
We are dealing with X20 and Chronicles of Darkness, how 1WoD will ultimately be worked on is in the future. No plans for “translation guides”, no plans to update early nWoD material. We’ll get out the game line second editions and see how they sell, and we already have tweaked the new line every year release approach with Dark Eras.
Will we get more early nWoD books as POD?
We are continuing to create PoDs for earlier WW books. We’ve reached the point where the books are missing files or they are corrupted, so a lot more work is involved so it takes longer.
“We can keep going with our announced and scheduled but unannounced projects.” Is this saying that scheduling new projects has changed? I know you’re saying all you can… not sure if clarification is possible.
Everything we have planned continues as we intended except for V4.
OK, I think my nerves caused me to read something else into that. Thank you! Sorry you’re not doing V4 but please keep making all the other games forever.
So you can’t do v4 but you can continue with cofd? A chance we can get sin-eater 2nd because seriously it’s like Christmas came early.
Mage 2e, Promethean 2e, Changeling 2e, and Hunter 2e are all in various stages of production. Give us some time to put some of those out before we decide on Geist. 😉
Oh trust me. I know what’s currently on the table. I already have the money for those pods waiting. I’m 140 into my separate savings for deviant. I know you guys have a lot on your plate. And the work your doing now is getting me into games over never been involved with before. I’ve read more changeling with the dev blogs than I’ve read of the 1e core. And I don’t mean to ask for Geist to sound ungrateful, it’s not what you’re doing isn’t great. It’s all great things. But the moment Geist is announced that would be the corner stone of my collection. I own 7 copies of the original sin-eater it was the first game I was a storyteller for. And with the 2nd rule set I want to be able to run it again. So that’s why I ask for Geist among all the other stuff I’m looking forward to. Because Geist is the dark spark that exited my nightmares and allowed me to walk in shadow that led me down the onyx path.
Dreams of Avarice is In Layout: in proofing. Which is it?
When we do layout, the layout gets proofed by the developer. That’s where it is. Layout is not over because the developer usually notates the PDF for changes they need and more layout is done to make those changes.
I do really hope that WWP will choose to employ some of our favorite classic wod writers who have been working for OP in a freelance capacity.
While it’s great that WWP will be able to spread its dark stories over the world, is OPP still going to have to fight hard for things like t-shirts for CofD? And that we can basically forget any idea of Netflix series’ or computer games for any of the CofD lines?
Also, is it known how they’re going to fill the ranks of writers, specifically is it likely we’ll see some of the Onyx Path freelancers we’ve come to appreciate become full-time WWP workers?
I’ll try this agaib, as my last comment seemed to have gone up in vapors.
As Martin is an acquaintance of mine of sorts I have had the opportunity in the past to talk to him regarding cWoD vs nWoD (sorry… WoD vs CofD)and he was quite clear on the fact that he absolutely adored the synergy in the nWoD rules, but that he by far loved the metaplot and world of the previous World of Darkness more.
So taking that into account, combined with everything he said at the Tenebrae event this weekend and marketing common sense, I think that the possibilities for a CofD tv-show is bleak in any foreseeable future. WW want to put focus on marketing this rehashed 1WoD and it’s new grand scale metaplot with computer games, tv-shows and what not. Wouldn’t make sense to try focusing on trying to sell in a second product for tv-shows if that’s not what lies at heart. CofD seems like it will be regarded the ultimate toolset for storytellers to do their own thing, while 1WoD will be the product WW writes and markets widely.
“absolutely adored the synergy in the nWoD rules, but that he by far loved the metaplot and world of the previous World of Darkness more.”
Pretty much my EXACT feelings as well.
And I think it is worth saying: for now. These are the plans for now, and the intentions for now. Putting focus on one “world” is not a slap at the other. We’ve been running ourselves ragged to bring all three of WW’s settings forward with the anniversary editions and new editions, and we weren’t trying to completely reimagine as a whole either WoD or Chronicles of Darkness. Closest thing might be Exalted 3rd, and we all know how long that has taken and what a bumpy ride it’s been. I think it is smart for WWP to concentrate on the property they best understand, for now.
Yeah, and it feels really promising to us fans that they have that focus and dedocation to just one major IP. It feels professional and respectful to the properties considering their ambitious and exciting plans.
They already announced they’ll try to synch the release of a new edition with a triple A game, so, depending how these things go with the public, a TV series would be more likely to occur in some years. I don’t deny that it is probable we will be seeing more tabletop and video games before that happens, though.
Yeah the tv-show was more of an ambition than a promise. But a good ambition. [insert cosmic being of choice] knows the IP deserves one.
Latest news say it’s not just an ambition, it’s something they want to accomplish at some point, because WoD belongs up there with all the great IPs. So, I’m loving this project, it’s what I wanted for WoD a long time ago.
Anyways suggestions:
1. Changeling V20, yah overhaul the magic system that was one of the major faults of the old edition, also deatil thalain and Shadow court, since they are the major players of the changeling world, like the Sabbat is in Vampire.
2. Hunter the reckoning, geez, this is probably the weakest line in OWOD, I found the HTR to be appalling. I also think that it could be brought back and if you do, overhaul it …MAJOR…like do it like Hunter the Vigil which is one of hte best lines in NWOD.
3. Demon OWOD, love it, one of the excellent lines of OWOD.
4. KOTE, same with this too, however while I love the original, I have no problem bringing KOTE closer to Vampire since lets face it the Cathayans are the kindred of the east and are the closest relationship with the Kindred of the west. I suggest keep the flavour and background of the original, a system overhaul to bring it closer to Vampire may have to be done.
5. V4, OK you guys have to be careful on how you do this, the way OWOD ended was just shit, the end games were laughable. so be very careful on how you do and approach this.
My 2 cents.
@Terence:
Onyx Path Publishing is not doing V4.
I highly doubt that it is possible for them to utilize the x20 nostalgic lines to basically do “backdoor new editions”.
You should forward these concerns to WW, not Onyx Path, as they have little say in anything new regarding WoD-products. But I agree on some of your points.
IMHO, Hunter: the Reckoning was one of the strongest game lines, due to the fact that they, besides Masquerade, was the only other game line in the World of Darkness who had their own video game line (Reckoning, Wayward, and Redeemer). Sad to say, the weakest link had to be Changeling, because while the other lines were pumping out new sourcebooks every few months, Changeling the Dreaming faded into “cult-classic” territory until the Time of Judgement.
Speaking of the Big Five, I saw the One World of Darkness teaser, and I saw quotes for their Vampire, Werewolf, and Mage lines, but nothing for Wraith and Changeling. Did White Wolf publishing leave those two out for time restraints?
I’m glad to see the partnership seems to be going well with Paradox Interactive. I was worried at first but sharing a vision (even if you have different paths to the same vision) is good to hear.
Greedy part now, is there an estimate on when the Beast books will be released? I wanted to use the one I got from the Kickstarter as a Christmas gift but that opportunity is coming up quickly.
Soon, but I don’t think that before Christmas will happen. Sorry, the Paradox purchase and rebranding did effect some schedules.
Hi,
I know there is a proposed VTR book entitled A Thousand Years of Night but it rarely features on the Monday Meeting Notes. Has this book been pushed back, renamed or development is just super-slow?
Rose has been crazy busy and VtR2 books have bogged down because of that. We’re reconfiguring a few things to help her, and hope to have things rolling along better entering the new year. Thanks!
Thanks, Rich. I assumed that was the case but wanted to make sure. It’s the one VtR book I’m quite looking forward to.
I’m really excited about this. This is great time to be a World of Darkness fan.
It’s going to be interesting to see what WWP will do the 4th edtion of 1WoD. I just really, reeeally hope they do something with the Time of Judgment. I would love to see a World of Darkness post-Gehenna. Maybe some of the clans died off, maybe the sects were completly destroyed and now these new vampires have to piece together a completely diffrent sect. I don’t know, but I will roll my eyes if the just push ToJ forward in time and say, “Oh it will happen, someday”. That would be boring.
And as Terence CO said above, I hope they fix Hunter the Reckoning. I have every single book in the Reckoning line, I love the idea of the Imbued but ultimatly the game doesn’t really work.
So to understand it correctly.
Is 4th now completely out of the window for op?
Or is it so that WW is finishing its plans and then a possibilityis that op gets to do owod?
Sry with english not my first language not sure there
Our involvement on a project that has just gotten started has yet to be determined.
So its still undecided yet. At least something (so that you got not a “nope”). Thus I wish you good luck there that all goes well and when WW is ready to get something toegehter that you guys get the possibility to do this.
So Mage: the Awakening 2e is just waiting on an update to swap in “Chronicles of Darkness”? That can’t take more than an hour.
Any chance we’ll see it on DTRPG this week?
Nope. Once we go through and make the swap, which takes much longer than you’re thinking, it still needs WWP approval. Then the Advance PDF.
I see that the three Exalted books Dragon blooded, Arms of the Chosen and the Realm haven’t moved. I realize that my sense of the passage of time in this subject may be skewed by my perspective, but we haven’t heard of anything moving for approximately three million years. Is there any new info you can throw us or has the available work of the exalted team been entirely consumed with effort to get the core book out?
I don’t think your perspective is that skewed. Work started and continued on those books and then the EX3 layout proofing became incredibly demanding. We also have the Quick Start/Adventure and the Unique Charms project going on in some capacity as well. All of them tend to go in sops and starts around the manpower needs of EX3 proofing and now errata inputting.
So does the Chronicles of Darkness brand have free reign to continue on into the future? I really love the 2E storytelling system rules (and it sounds like the boys from WWP do too), but I don’t want to see great lines like Demon: the Descent go away!
Nothing has changed with our plans except the name.
The times are good on the Throne! I’m sure this has been stressful for you all, and I’m glad you get to continue with the Chronicles of Darkness! I’m happy that Paradox/WWP will have the ability to do cross-platform efforts, and I hope they continue in Onyx Path’s tradition of making very tight mechanics (VTR 2nd’s Disciplines and Touchstones comes to mind) and transparency with fans.
reload of the One World of Darkness with repaired audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX7SLlR2CkM
Nice! Thanks!
Sorry, I’ve read this twice and may well have missed this due to lack of caffeine, but what happens to the LARP books, such as the hopefully still upcoming Werewolf book? (And personally for me, the much hoped for Mage LARP rules).
Onyx Path does not do the LARP books, that’s our cousins in blood: By Night Studios. I wouldn’t presume to talk about their schedule, but they are on Facebook and you can check them out over there.
Hah, told you I was low on caffeine… Thanks for the answer.
I noticed that Scion :Alpha is being written for Playtesting. Will this playtesting be set so some of the fans can participate? Scion is one of my favorite games by WW and love the fact that it is making a comeback