Dead. And Loving It! [Monday Meeting Notes]

Sorta felt last week like that guy up there in one of the fantastic full-page illustrations for Geist 2e by Sam Araya. More news about Geist 2e‘s ongoing Kickstarter in the BLURBS! below, but suffice to say that the Kickstarter’s awesome progress was not one of the issues we needed to deal with last week!

But you will note that there aren’t any visible changes in our Product Status report below, as productivity tends to take a hit during times when social media uproars occur. Fortunately, we at Onyx Path weathered the storm just fine other than to have a bit of a slow down, so no worries on our account. Although, thanks to everyone who sent in messages of concern and support! They are incredibly appreciated!

We’ve been told by our license partners at White Wolf that changes are a’ comin’ to how they’ve been doing things, and the first thing they announced today is a new focus on effective community relations with V5 Producer Jason Carl enlarging his duties to cover community issues, and the hiring of our own Gentleman Gamer Matthew Dawkins as Senior Community Director. Good luck to both of these urbane gentlemen!

But, never fear folks! Matthew is not leaving Onyx Path nor our Onyx Pathcast, but is continuing his role here AND intending to bring a fresh and responsive focus to WW‘s community relations. You’ll continue to hear Matthew interrupt Eddy and Dixie, and continue his development and writing with us as planned – and we’ve planned stuff pretty far in advance.

Certainly beyond this year’s brochure. Which we’ll be revealing the Wednesday before Gen Con as a download, so folks can jump right into our TWO What’s Up With The Onyx Path? panels at the con with questions pulled from reading the brochure. In fact, here’s the cover of this year’s brochure now:

Before I got distracted with showing you the cool cover (a collage of our fantastic art as always by Mirthful Mike Chaney) I meant to tell you about the Onyx Pathcast. Last week’s broadcast was a “Deep Dive into Pan’s Guide and Monarchies of Mau” for Pugmire, and this coming Friday the Terrific Trio of Terror interview with one of our dedicated Exalted 3rd developers: Eric Minton! As always, you can listen to it via your favorite podcast service or direct from PodBean here: https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/

 

 

Monarchies of Mau illustration by Pat McEvoy

 

And here’s a rare treat: back-to-back gorgeous illustrations in one Monday Meeting Notes blog:

Hundred Devil’s Night Parade illustration by Mel Uran

 

Just a note from Mighty Matt McElroy, our Operations Director, to let everybody know that DTRPG‘s Christmas in July Sale starts this Thursday and you’ll find so many bargains on our PDFs that we can’t even list them all – so go check them out on Thursday. It’s a great opportunity to try out some of our game lines you might be curious about!

 

 

Scion: Hero 2e art by Steve Ellis

 

 

Yep! Another piece of art in the blog this week! In case you’re interested (and why wouldn’t you be?), Mirthful Mike sends me the art pieces each week after our Monday Meeting and as I’m writing the blog and I rarely “order” any of the pieces he picks. I just ask for whatever new art he thinks is cool and sometimes I work the art into the text of the blog and other times use the illustrations as extra fun elements that let folks reading enjoy some beautiful work unconnected to the text surrounding them.

This makes the most sense to me, since there are so many projects we’re working on and such a wide selection of beautiful art each and every week. The range of the styles of illustration we use continues to grow as we create more projects set in:

Many Worlds, One Path!

 

Aw hell, here’s another one, just because you’re great and Mirthful Mike just kept sending me art this week!

Scion: Hero 2e art by Michel Giorgi

 

BLURBS!

KICKSTARTER:

We are midway through the Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition Kickstarter and have achieved seven Stretch Goals so far, even though this period traditionally is a very slow time during our Kickstarters. Thanks to all of our backers out there spreading the word! We are in good shape to be able to make a great looking hardcover edition, and get that into stores, even while we’re giving backers first look at the complete text and other fun benefits: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/200664283/geist-the-sin-eaters-2nd-edition

Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition includes all the rules you need to play as one of the Bound: Five Burdens reflecting the cause that pulled you back from the grave, five krewe Archetypes for building your own mystery religion, and the Haunts, Keys, and Ceremonies that provide the Bound with their macabre powers.

It also includes the Chronicle of the Dead, featuring the Sin-Eaters’ struggle against the all-consuming Underworld and a variety of terrifying threats. In addition, for the first time in the Chronicles of Darkness line, ghosts are presented as playable characters.

Chapters include:

  • The Quick and the Dead: the five Burdens (the reason a Sin-Eater comes back from the dead and what draws a particular geist to them) and krewe Archetypes (the common cause that draws a krewe of Sin-Eaters together).
  • The Road Back: On death and coming back, and why Bound make the Bargain, including possible consequences.
  • One Foot in the Grave: Character creation, with sections on both geist and krewe creation, Anchors, Merits, Synergy, Plasm, Abilities, Haunts, Keys, Ceremonies, and Mementos.
  • Old Laws: the core Chronicles of Darkness rules, with special rules for playing Sin-Eaters, as well as information on subsystems for krewes, ghosts, and the Underworld, including Avernian Gates.
  • Antagonists: villains for your Geist chronicle, including Reapers, Eaters of the Dead, necromancers, enemy Bound, and Kerberoi.
  • The Quiet Places: Setting information and story hooks for playing your Geist chronicle in specific times and places in history., from 16th-century Brazil to modern-day Edinburgh, Scotland to Mobile, Alabama in 1910, as well as information on Dominions.
  • Ghost Stories: Storyteller advice and information for running a Geist chronicle, including designing Remembrances, how to set theme and mood, story seeds, and various ways to play out the end of a game.
  • Appendix: The Absent: This Appendix details the Absent, playable ghosts, including Memories, new Merits, and a collection of possible ghost characters to expand on and use in your chronicle.
  • Appendix: Conditions and Tilts: Geist-specific Conditions and Tilts, including ephemeral Influence Conditions and Manifestation Conditions for ghosts, as well as Haunt Conditions and Tilts.

 

 

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 are the links for the Apple and Android versions:

http://theappstore.site/app/1296692067/onyx-dice

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.onyxpathpublishing.onyxdice&hl=en

Three different screenshots, above.

 

 

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:

  • Vampire: The Masquerade: The Endless Ages Anthology (Kindle, Nook)
  • Werewolf: The Apocalypse: Rites of Renown: When Will You Rage II (Kindle, Nook)
  • Mage: The Ascension: Truth Beyond Paradox (Kindle, Nook)
  • Chronicles of Darkness: The God-Machine Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)
  • Mummy: The Curse: Curse of the Blue Nile (Kindle, Nook)
  • Beast: The Primordial: The Primordial Feast Anthology (Kindle, Nook)
  • Vampire: The Masquerade: Of Predators and Prey: The Hunters Hunted II Anthology (Kindle, Nook)
  • Werewolf: The Apocalypse: The Poison Tree (Kindle, Nook)
  • Werewolf: The Apocalypse: Songs of the Sun and Moon: Tales of the Changing Breeds (Kindle, Nook)
  • Vampire: The Requiem: The Strix Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)
  • Werewolf: The Forsaken: The Idigam Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)
  • Mage: The Awakening: The Fallen World Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)
  • Vampire: The Masquerade: The Beast Within Anthology (Kindle, Nook)
  • Werewolf: The Apocalypse: W20 Cookbook (Kindle, Nook)
  • Exalted: Tales from the Age of Sorrows (Kindle, Nook)
  • Chronicles of Darkness: Tales of the Dark Eras (Kindle, Nook)
  • Promethean: The Created: The Firestorm Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)
  • Demon: The Descent: Demon: Interface (Kindle, Nook)
  • Scarred Lands: Death in the Walled Warren (KindleNook)
  • V20 Dark Ages: Cainite Conspiracies (Kindle, Nook)
  • Chronicles of Darkness: Strangeness in the Proportion (KindleNook)
  • Vampire: The Requiem: Silent Knife (Kindle, Nook)
  • Mummy: The Curse: Dawn of Heresies (KindleNook)

 

 

 

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

 

 

iprlogo

Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Try this link! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Onyx-Path-Publishing/

Here’s the link to the press release we put out about how Onyx Path is now selling through Indie Press Revolution: https://theonyxpath.com/press-release-onyx-path-limited-editions-now-available-through-indie-press-revolution/

And you can now order Pugmire: the book, the screen, and the dice! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/manufacturers.php?manufacturerid=296

 

 

 

DRIVETHRURPG.COM:

 

This Wednesday, we will release a set of Tradition Journals on our RedBubble store so that you can write your own arcane musings within these volumes with covers featuring the full page art from Mage 20th Anniversary Edition!

 

 

 

CONVENTIONS!

Prep is seriously underway for Gen Con 2018 in two weeks during the first week of August, in Indianapolis. In addition to our booth presence, be sure to check out the games and panels in the Gen Con Event Schedule.

From Fast Eddy Webb, we have these:

Eddy will be speaking at Broadleaf Writers Conference (September 22-23) in Decatur, GA. He’ll be there to talk about writing for interactive fiction, and hanging out with other writers who have far more illustrious careers. http://broadleafwriters.com/3rd-annual-broadleaf-writers-conference/3rd-annual-broadleaf-writers-conference-speakers/
Eddy will also be a featured guest at Save Against Fear (October 12-14) in Harrisburg, PA. He’ll be running some Pugmire games, be available for autographs, and will sometimes accept free drinks. http://www.thebodhanagroup.org/about-the-convention

If you are going and want to meet up, let us know!

 

 


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 Book of the Fallen (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
  • C20 Novel (Jackie Cassada) (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)
  • M20 The Technocracy Reloaded (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
  • M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
  • Trinity Continuum: Aberrant core (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
  • Tales of Excellent Cats (Monarchies of Mau)
  • Scion Companion: Mysteries of the World (Scion 2nd Edition)
  • City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)
  • Changeling: The Lost 2nd Companion (Changeling: The Lost 2nd)
  • Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)
  • Heirs to the Shogunate (Exalted 3rd Edition)
  • Witch-Queen of the Shadowed Citadel (Cavaliers of Mars)

 

Redlines

  • Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)
  • Spilled Blood (Vampire: The Requiem 2nd Edition)
  • Wr20 Book of Oblivion (Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition)
  • Changeling: The Lost 2nd Jumpstart (Changeling: The Lost 2nd)
  • Lunars: Fangs at the Gate (Exalted 3rd Edition)
  • Adventures for Curious Cats (Monarchies of Mau)
  • CofD Dark Eras 2 (Chronicles of Darkness)

 

Second Draft

  • WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)
  • Tales of Good Dogs – Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)
  • Night Horrors: Shunned by the Moon (Werewolf: The Forsaken 2nd Edition)
  • Aeon Aexpansion (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
  • C20 Players’ Guide (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)
  • In Media Res (Trinity Continuum: Core)

 

Development

  • Signs of Sorcery (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)
  • Hunter: the Vigil 2e core (Hunter: the Vigil 2nd Edition)
  • Fetch Quest (Pugmire)
  • CofD Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)
  • Dystopia Rising: Evolution (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)
  • Dog and Cat Ready Made Characters (Monarchies of Mau)

 

Manuscript Approval:

 

Editing:

  • They Came From Beneath the Sea! Rulebook (TCFBtS!)

 

Post-Editing Development:

  • Scion: Hero (Scion 2nd Edition)
  • Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)
  • Trinity Continuum: Aeon Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)
  • Ex Novel 2 (Aaron Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)
  • Exalted 3rd Novel by Matt Forbeck (Exalted 3rd Edition)
  • GtS Geist 2e core (Geist: the Sin-Eaters Second Edition)
  • M20 Gods and Monsters (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
  • Night Horrors: The Tormented (Promethean: The Created 2nd Edition)
  • Guide to the Night (Vampire: The Requiem 2nd Edition)

 

Indexing:

  • Monarchies of Mau (Monarchies of Mau)

 

 

ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE:

In Art Direction

  • Ex3 Monthly Stuff
  • Trinity Continuum 
  • Geist 2e
  • The Realm
  • M20 Gods and Monsters
  • Ex3 Dragon Blooded
  • VtR – Guide to the Night 
  • Dystopia Rising: EvolutionGetting KS art contracted.

 

Marketing Stuff

  • Gen Con Signage

 

In Layout

  • Fetch Quest Art meeting with Eddy this week.
  • Scion Hero
  • Scarred Lands Trilogy Novels – Converting to PDF and PoD.
  • Promethean Night Horrors: The Tormented – Files with KT.

 

Proofing

  • Changeling: the Lost 2 Sending off to WW for approval (might take longer than usual as they are trying to cover a lot of things before GenCon and the V5 release).

 

At Press

  • Scion Dice – At fulfillment shipper.
  • Monarchies of Mau In Indexing.
  • Monarchies of Mau Screen Printing.
  • Cavaliers of Mars Screen Printing.
  • Gen Con Buttons Should ship at the end of the week.
  • WoD and CofD reroll cards At press.
  • Wraith 20 Screen Printing.
  • GenCon Brochure En route to Matt.
  • Gen Con Posters and Displays – Approved and should ship out shortly.
  • Storypath Brochure Printing.
  • Wraith 20th Awaiting PoD proofs.
  • Scion Origin Backer PDF out, gathering errata.
  • Cavaliers of Mars Sent to press.

 


TODAY’S REASON TO CELEBRATE: Today in 1967 Will Ferrell, American actor and comedian, was born. Strategery. More cowbell. Scotchy, scotch, scotch. Here it goes down, down into my belly. So many laughs for a world that really needs them.

35 thoughts on “Dead. And Loving It! [Monday Meeting Notes]”

  1. Rich,I’ve wanted to ask you something. Y’know how when Scion was taking a little too long to get to backers,you decided to send the text to the backers? Could I ask for you to consider doing the same for Dark Eras 2

    Reply
    • Not impossible, but in general I don’t want us to get into a habit of releasing unformated text just because a project has run later than estimated. There are a lot of other factors in deciding to do that for Scion, and we’ll take each book on a case by case basis.

      Reply
  2. Rich, how popular, in general, are the kickstarter tiers that include 1st edition PDF bundles? I’m just curious as I know that when a 2nd edition comes out, I tend not to use first edition books so much anymore and or I have already purchased the ones that Im interested in. It could be that I’m in the complete minority and, if so, by all means keep on keeping on. I’m all for whatever is going to prompt more people to back a project. Just figured I’d offer that (potentially useless) feedback.

    Reply
    • It’s not a set thing. Every KS is different. In general, the purpose of all of our Kickstarters is for a physical thing, but the electronic rewards are there to give folks a chance to back and support the project even if they no longer purchase physical things or can’t afford this one, so even one pledge to an earlier edition PDF is worth it.

      Reply
  3. I said it once, I say it again; I can only imagine how frequently Matthew Dawkins must grin with his rapid evolution from fan to heavily involved in the works of white wolf and onyx path.

    Reply
  4. Glad you all made it out relatively unscathed. It is a difficult climate we live in now. You are, however, an amazing team. One that has weathered storms before and will continue to do so again with gusto.

    In short, y’all are awesome and keep on rockin’.

    Reply
  5. Excellent name for the Meeting Notes. I love the movie :). When I think of the movie the first scene that springs to mind is the daymare.

    Reply
    • Exactly! I really wanted to come up with a title that showed how much fun we’re having with the Geist and Wraith projects that are rolling forward right now, instead of scary or a “downer”. Even if the subject matter runs the gamut from the Geist themes to Wraith’s motifs and can get pretty sad and dark, the response and the progress has been great and makes the whole creation process the thing that keeps us going.

      Reply
      • It is great that Onyx Path has all these amazing projects and that you have fun making it.

        I am very much looking forward to receiving the the massive deluxe edition of Wraith the Oblivion. But it will arrive when it arrives. All great things take time to create.

        Reply
  6. Will there be a Geist fiction anthology? couldn’t find any mention of it here or on kickstarter. They’ve always been good at selling me on games I’m not sure about.

    Reply
  7. Hey Rich,

    First off, congratulations to you and your team for navigating a difficult situation in a professional, competent, grounded fashion. Thank you for doing that.

    Second, has anyone ever thought about going back and redoing the Mage Legacies from 1st edition to bring them into line with 2nd edition? Just curious; I don’t know what the appetite for that would be.

    Reply
    • I would be interested in beting that.

      In fact I kind of wish mage 2nd ed had gotten the Kickstarter treatment to fund a companion volume and other goodies.

      Reply
      • We’ve only been able to include the 2e cores since Changeling: The Lost 2e, so we’re moving forward and giving further cores like the currently running Geist 2e core a chance for a KS that leads to getting traditionally printed books into distribution into Friendly Local Game Stores. Previously, we didn’t have all the pieces we needed in place to try that – most importantly, we didn’t have a relationship with Studio2 for handling those steps of getting the books into distribution without Onyx Path needing some sort of warehouse space and sales staff. Which we are not at all set up to have.

        Reply
  8. So the last 20th Anniversary book from the Big Five is on its way to the printers. As someone whose group isn’t into the CoD, I have to ask – this isn’t the end of our oWoD relationship, right?
    I really hope we’re not just gonna start trading awkward looks and avoiding each other except for occasional Scion-based dalliances.

    Reply
    • I second that sentiment. I mean, we still have Kindred of the East,Hunter: the Reckoning, Demon: the Fallen, and the mortal related books that would be awesome to get the modern day treatment(Gypsies without the stereotypes and a bit more real research into it on the Roma would be awesome to see, for example).

      Reply
    • To answer your question of whether this is the end of Onyx and you and the WoD: not by a long shot. The license we have is for WoD, not any specific edition of WoD. So it comes down to us pitching ideas and WW giving us the go-ahead to do them. More on all this after we announce a few things at Gen Con!

      Reply

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