Yep, we’re killin’ it with the Dead Man’s Rust Kickstarter!
Get the point?
Half-way through, we’re funded and have passed several Stretch Goals. Starting to get a nice collection of Virtual Tabletop Tokens and Maps for the encounters in the book!
This is pretty exciting for us as it really opens up the options for play – you’ve got the handiness of having these adventures, maps, and tokens that are easy to add to on-line gaming, to electronic player hand-outs, and even playing around the table can be made a bit more tactile by printing these out.
With all that going for it, with the many interviews and actual plays like those linked below in the Media section, we’re seeing a very slow, steady growth in pledges. Which is fantastic!
But like with any Kickstarter, we’d like to see more people get involved. At this point, the project is funded. The book is going to get made, and we’ll overprint a percentage of books so they can go into game stores.
So, serious question time. If you haven’t backed it already, can you comment in this blog’s Comments section as to why? Certainly, there are lots of reasonable reasons including: it’s Scarred Lands, it’s an adventure – a MEGA adventure, it uses D&D 5e compatible rules. Maybe you’re holding off to get it in stores, or maybe here at the end of 2020 you’ve KS’d all the KS you can KS.
I’d love to hear if you have a second to comment. Thanks!
Our Meeting Today
Was weird and unusual. I know because I myself am weird and unusual.
Specifically, in this case, it was unusual because SO MUCH of it was discussions that we can’t share. I mean, on any given Monday I elide maybe 25% of the meeting because we talk about all sorts of topics that aren’t ready for public consumption.
But this time, probably 85%-90% of the meeting was secret. Top secret. Classified, even.
I even reiterated that the whole team is on NDAs and that anybody who might burst if they didn’t tell somebody should bow out.
We’re talking just that secret.
We talked about the status of the [REDACTED] project that is already going forward.
Then, [REDACTED].
We reviewed the idea of offering small, easy sales for the rest of the month, and set up what we expect will be our Weds sales roster for the rest of the year, ending with the 6th and final Vigil Watch PDF for Scarred Lands.
We spent almost an hour discussing the new [CLASSIFIED] project that we might commit to doing after [REDACTED]. Which is not to be confused with a different sort of licensing project featuring [CLASSIFIED] that we didn’t touch on but briefly in Eddy’s status report.
Which is not They Came From [CLASSIFIED]!, which we have already announced we’re working on even if we didn’t reveal that it is focused on [REDACTED].
We had a bit of a communication hiccup with our friends at IPR and so the sale I mentioned last week is actually running now. The Farewell 2020 and Save 20% on Storypath Sale is going on now at IPR:
https://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Deals-and-Specials/
We discussed some strategies to help our creators get further back on track this month so that we can start 2021 strong and already rolling. Our internal crew sounds good and hungry and sounding a lot more like our old selves and we want to share that with our folks as best we can.
A lot of people are still struggling, and we don’t want to minimize how tough things this whole last year have been for our creators – we want to help and encourage as we have been through 2020. If that is possible and wanted.
We ran through some specific plans for [REDACTED] and [REDACTED], so it’s not just emotional support we’re talking about, but actual getting projects finished support. Feet on the ground kind of stuff.
Finally, I let the gang know that I talked with [CLASSIFIED] and [REDACTED] and we’ve got some excellent possibilities for doing projects with them.
[CLASSIFIED] [REDACTED] and:
Many Worlds, One Path!
Blurbs!
Kickstarter!
Dead Man’s Rust for Scarred Lands’s Kickstarter is two weeks in (with two weeks to go!) and we’ve already funded several Stretch Goals in addition to the main goal!
If you haven’t heard, though, Dead Man’s Rust is the most blood-spraying, face-melting, ass-kicking, heart-wrenching, undead-filled, heavy-metal pile of awesomeness ever conceived of for the fifth edition of the world’s most popular role-playing game!
As of this writing we have achieved two VTT Token packs and the exclusive Backer TShirt discount, and are aiming at more VTT Tokens as well as electronic wallpaper and then a biggie:
Gazetteer: Dier Drendal – A supplemental PDF focused on the underground city of Dier Drendal, providing hooks and guidance on how to incorporate it into the Dead Man’s Rust mega-adventure.
You can check it out here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/339646881/dead-mans-rust-a-mega-adventure-for-scarred-lands-5e
Onyx Path Media!
This week: Dixie, Matthew, and Eddy look at a very timely topic: Tips and Tricks for Running Games Remotely!
As always, this Friday’s Onyx Pathcast will be on Podbean or your favorite podcast venue! https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/
Some lovely new media for all of you, starting once more with Scarred Lands content!
Over on Red Moon Roleplaying, Matthew Dawkins and Klara Herbøl continue their Dead Man’s Rust campaign with Craig and Hjalmar of RMR! Check out episode one right here and give them a subscribe: https://youtu.be/F7YQ72WVLT0
The Wisdom Check interviewed Travis Legge in an exciting dive into Dead Man’s Rust:https://youtu.be/nBJ4AUgc6Wc
Wanderer’s Haven Productions continues their series of deep dives into Scarred Lands with these excellent videos:
Shelzar Part 1: https://youtu.be/6tP5AHU3Md4
Shelzar Part 2: https://youtu.be/KvJDKAk9Y7Q
Around Shelzar: https://youtu.be/gzCp1Ga6akQ
The Iron Court: https://youtu.be/-ix6ARpnxmE
History of the Asaatthi: https://youtu.be/BJ1EgSCP0tA
And many, many more: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpK1DZP4y9yt3h4HAhLtGunwcvzkZtoUx
For anyone new to our media section, you can find us running and playing games over on twitch.tv/theonyxpath pretty much every day of the week! Plus, if you’d like your games hosted there, just get in touch with Matthew Dawkins using the contact link on matthewdawkins.com.
This week on Twitch, expect to see these games and streams running:
- Scarred Lands – A Family Affair
- Scarred Lands – Dead Man’s Rust – Nerdsmith
- Frostlands of Fenrilik – Behind the Screen
- Scarred Lands – Dead Man’s Rust – Fight in the Shade
- Contagion Chronicle – Vorpal Tales
- Pugmire – How the Pirates Stole Yuletyme
- Hunter: The Vigil – The Devil’s Deal
- Changeling: The Dreaming – The Last Faerie Tale
- Mage: The Awakening – Occultists Anonymous
- Scion – Heroes for the Holidays – Dork Tales
- Scarred Lands – Purge of the Serpentholds
- V5 – Cults of the Blood Gods – Thy Kindred Come
- Hunter: Unbound Anomalies – Devil’s Luck Gaming
Get watching for some fantastic insight into how to run these wonderful games and subscribe to us on Twitch, over at twitch.tv/theonyxpath
Come take a look at our YouTube channel, youtube.com/user/theonyxpath, where you can find a whole load of videos of actual plays, dissections of our games, and more, including:
Changeling: The Dreaming – The Last Faerie Tale – E24 – https://youtu.be/rDqNpC69VI8
Vampire: The Masquerade – Boston by Night – Game 8 – https://youtu.be/Yu_rQwtBBVc
Ghost Hunters – Chiumera House – Episode 1 – https://youtu.be/NKwsvFgFyNE
Scarred Lands – Vigil Watch – One-Shot – https://youtu.be/ntyROfFzXzQ
Scarred Lands – Dead Man’s Rust – The Onyx Pathcast Players – https://youtu.be/GJHAhscysBk
Scarred Lands – Purge of the Serpentholds – S2E1 – https://youtu.be/0bgAzlMwnCU
Hunter: The Vigil – Cold Cases, Forsaken Spaces – Ep. 4 – https://youtu.be/ly2gZGnqQ5w
Subscribe to our channel and click the bell icon if you want to be notified whenever new news videos and uploads come online!
McStabber Studios got in touch with us about some of their excellent content, so let’s give them a spotlight here:
McStabber Studios are currently streaming Season 1 of Windy City After Dark, which is a Chicago by Night + Chicago FoliosV5 chronicle.
They stream every Sunday at 5pm Eastern, and try to keep each Episode from 2 to 3 hours to make it easy for new viewers to catch up.
Episode 6 will air December 6th, and Season 1 is expected to be around 10 Episodes (Season 2 is already scheduled to begin Mid-February). They completed Season 1 of their Wraith: The Oblivion chronicle titled Wraith: Life Derailed in July and Season 2 is scheduled to return mid January on Wednesdays at 8pm Eastern.
Twitch – https://www.twitch.tv/mcstabberstudios
YouTube (back episodes) – https://www.youtube.com/mcstabberstudios
Main Twitter – https://twitter.com/McStabberStudio
Mistress of Promotions – https://twitter.com/RelynnDare
And that’s not all for Vampire: The Masquerade! Vancouver by Night is running over on their excellent Twitch channel, and we think you should check it out: twitch.tv/vancouverbynight
Systematic Understanding of Everything is a fantastic Exalted Explainer Podcast by Exalted Dev Monica Speca and Exalted Writer Chazz Kellner. You should check it out, because frankly, it’s brilliant.
Their most recent episodes are available over on https://www.exaltcast.com/, with their newest the following:
Airships! Crossbows! Dungeon treasure! Representative democracy! There are many reasons to run a game in the North and Monica and Chazz run through the where, what, and who of doing so as well as how to befriend the mousexalted or a glacier with tusks. Curious? Listen! Books about the North!
https://www.exaltcast.com/2020/11/30/domain-of-melas-breath-the-north/
Occultists Anonymous continue their wonderful Mage: The Awakening chronicle right here:
Episode 149: Dark Passenger
The cabal stands in a Tetrarch’s vault, surrounded by Grimoires and standing atop an Iron Seal of the Eye. One wrong move could lead to their death or worse.
https://youtu.be/txFgTgfZCdw
Episode 150: No Bones About It
Returned home, the Atratus, Songbird, and Wyrd discuss their next steps. To bring the 5 grimoires together may be unpleasant for their friend, Jud, who has one inscribed upon his bones.
https://youtu.be/mzqzX5VXS_A
Before we leave the Mage: The Awakening train, let’s delve into Wards and Witchcraft, and episode four right here:
Session 4: The Covenant
The PCs are arrested by the Guardians of The Veil! They are offered a gift horse and make some political enemies in the Boston Consilium. By the end of the session the cabal has united in defiance and the spirit of butts. https://youtu.be/CmTRRE4in9k
Please check these out and let us know if you find or produce any actual plays of our games! We’d love to feature you!
Electronic Gaming!
As we find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is 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 awesome! (Seriously, you need to roll 100 dice for Exalted? This app has you covered.)
We’re told that the App Dev is currently creating an updated version for the latest devices, so keep an eye open for those! The App was also pulled down from the Apple store in order to make some required updates – it’ll be back there soon!
Virtual TableTop!
Two Virtual Tabletop adventures: the Gauntlet of Spiragos and the Dagger of Spiragos for Scarred Lands on Astral TableTop and DriveThruRPG!
Scars of the Divine War, which ended less than 200 years ago, have still not healed. One such scar is the Chasm of Flies, a rent in the earth created when the titan Spiragos the Ambusher was smote down by one of the young gods, Vangal the Ravager. Now, the Chasm is inhabited by spider-eye goblins and their spider allies, but it is also thought to be the resting place of powerful artifacts from that elder age.
Astral TableTop is the easiest way to play any tabletop RPG online, free. Astral already supports popular systems like D&D and Pathfinder, and Astral can support virtually any tabletop roleplaying game. Get started quickly with built-in support for most popular game systems. Whether you’re brand new to TTRPGs or a veteran tabletop gamer, Astral‘s ease-of-use and built in automation is designed to streamline gameplay.
Astral is browser-based and uses the latest technology to streamline your storytelling experience. Connect with your party online and run your campaigns however you like. Astral offers tools optimized for phone, tablet, and desktop devices, no installation required.
Build epic battlemaps using Astral‘s enormous collection of scenery, props, and tokens or upload your own. Pro users gain access to over 12,000+ assets and fresh new packs every month. Add weather, visual effects, triggers, and so much more with easy-to-use tools
Build your own adventure, or choose from pre-generated game kits like Gauntlet of Spiragos and Dagger of Spiragos. Create character sheets, craft maps, or just jump right in to connect with your friends and start your adventures!
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 from which you bought it. Reviews really, really help us get folks interested in our amazing fiction!
Our selection includes these latest fiction books:
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!
You can pick up the traditionally printed Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau main books, screens, and the official dice through our friends there! https://studio2publishing.com/search?q=pugmire
Now, we’ve added Chronicles of Darkness books such as Changeling: The Lost Second Edition products to Studio2‘s store! See them here: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/all-products/changeling-the-lost
Scion 2e books and other products are available now at Studio2: https://studio2publishing.com/blogs/new-releases/scion-second-edition-book-one-origin-now-available-at-your-local-retailer-or-online
Our Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition books are also available from Studio2 in the US: https://studio2publishing.com/products/vampire-the-masquerade-chicago-by-night-sourcebook
Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Try this link! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Onyx-Path-Publishing/
And you can order Pugmire, Monarchies of Mau, Cavaliers of Mars, and Changeling: The Lost 2e at the same link! And now Scion Origin and Scion Hero and Trinity Continuum Core and Trinity Continuum: Aeon are available to order
Farewell 2020 and Save 20% on Storypath Sale is going on now at IPR:
https://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Deals-and-Specials/
As always, you can find Onyx Path’s titles at DriveThruRPG.com!
The next big sale at DTRPG will be the New Year, New Game sale next month (year)! All of our core books and Jumpstarts will be on sale!
On Sale This Week!
This Wednesday the Dystopia Rising: Evolution and They Came From Beneath the Sea! electronic wallpapers will be available on DTRPG! And we’ll be offering a bunch of new game journals over at our RedBubble store!
Conventions!
Though dates for physical conventions are subject to change due to the current COVID-19 outbreak, here’s what’s left of our current list of upcoming conventions (and really, we’re just waiting for this last one to be cancelled even though it’s Nov/Dec). Instead, keep an eye out here for more virtual conventions we’re going to be involved with!
And now, the new project status updates!
Development Status from 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.)
- Exalted Essay Collection (Exalted)
- No Gods, No Masters (Scion 2nd Edition)
- TC: Aeon Novella: Dawn (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
- Once and Future (Scion 2nd Edition)
- They Came From Beneath the Sea! Jumpstart (They Came From…!)
- Tome of the Pentacle (Mage: the Awakening 2e)
- They Came From [Classified]! (They Came From…!)
- They Came From [Classified]! Jumpstart (They Came From…!)
- Realms of Magic and Mystery (was Terra Incognita) (Scion 2nd Edition)
- The Hedge (Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition)
- Proteus Nova Compendium (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
Redlines
- Dragon-Blooded Novella #2 (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- Tales of Depravity! (They Came From…!)
- They Came From Camp Murder Lake! (They Came From…!)
Second Draft
- Many-Faced Strangers – Lunars Companion (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- Wild Hunt (Scion 2nd Edition)
- Monsters From the Crypt! (They Came From…!)
- They Came From Beyond the Grave! Jumpstart (They Came From…!)
- TC: Aeon Novella: Meridian (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
Development
- TC: Aberrant Reference Screen (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
- Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- Contagion Chronicle: Global Outbreaks (Chronicles of Darkness)
- Exigents (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)
- Adversaries of the Righteous (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- Exalted Essence Edition (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- Saints and Monsters (Scion 2nd Edition)
- Trinity Continuum: Anima
Manuscript Approval
- Crucible of Legends (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- Legacies of Earth (Legendlore)
- Trinity Continuum: Adventure! core (Trinity Continuum: Adventure!)
- Assassins (Trinity Continuum Core)
- Scion Fiction Anthology (Scion 2nd Edition)
- M20 Rich Bastard’s Guide To Magick (Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary)
- The Devoted Companion (Deviant: The Renegades)
Post-Approval Development
- Contagion Chronicle Ready-Made Characters (Chronicles of Darkness)
- Hundred Devil’s Night Parade (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- Novas Worldwide (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
Editing
- Lunars Novella (Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition core rulebook (Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition)
- Player’s Guide to the Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)
- The Book of Lasting Death (Mummy: The Curse 2e)
- Dearly Bleak – Novella (Deviant: The Renegades)
- N!ternational Wrestling Entertainment (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
- Under Alien Skies (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
- Dead Man’s Rust (Scarred Lands)
- V5 Trails of Ash and Bone (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
- M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
- Mission Statements (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
- The Clades Companion (Deviant: The Renegades)
- V5 Children of the Blood (was The Faithful Undead) (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
- Peoples of the Crossroads Continent
- M20 Technocracy Operative’s Dossier (Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary)
- Yugman’s Appendix: People of Ghelspad (Scarred Lands)
- V5 Forbidden Religions (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
- CtL2e Novella Collection: Hollow Courts (Changeling: The Lost 2e)
- Heroes in a World of Horror! (They Came From…!)
- Dystopia Rising: Evolution Fiction Anthology (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)
- Squeaks In The Deep (Realms of Pugmire)
- Prometheus Unbound (was Psi Orders) (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
Post-Editing Development
- Cults of the Blood Gods (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
- Hunter: The Vigil 2e core (Hunter: The Vigil 2nd Edition)
- Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)
- Legendlore core book (Legendlore)
- Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)
- They Came From Beyond the Grave! (They Came From!)
- Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)
- TC: Aberrant Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
- LARP Rules (Scion 2nd Edition)
- Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)
Indexing
- TC: Aberrant (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
Art Direction from Mike Chaney!
In Art Direction
- WoD Ghost Hunters (KS)
- Hunter: The Vigil 2e – Art buy in progress.
- Mummy 2 – AD’d. LeBlanc’s finals in.
- Legendlore – Art buy figured out.
- Scion: Dragon (KS) – Art for KS in progress, getting 8 halfs. Fulls are in. Cover coming along.
- Masks of the Mythos (KS) – Ready for the KS.
- Scion: Demigod – Art buy in progress.
- They Came From Beyond the Grave! – Art buy figured out.
- TC: Adventure! (KS)
- Contagion Chronicle Jumpstart (Chronicles of Darkness)
- M20 Victorian (KS) – Splats in. Fulls and scenes in progress.
- TC: Under Alien Skies – Most final art in.
- Heirs to the Shogunate – Sketches coming in.
- Dead Man’s Rust (SL KS) – KS rolling.
- Children of the Blood – Art over at Paradox approvals.
- M20 Technocracy Jumpstart – Art in progress.
- Exalted Essence – Getting Dixie and Maria talking about visuals.
- V5 Trail of Ash and Bone – Art buy figured out.
- V5 Forbidden Religions – Art buy figured out.
- TC Mission Statements – Art buy figured out.
- TC Aberrant N!We – Art buy in progress.
- TC Aberrant Jumpstart – Art buy figured out.
In Layout
- Yugman’s Guide to Ghelspad Compiled
- Vigil Watch
- M20 Technocracy Reloaded – Josh getting some assets.
- Monsters of the Deep – Fiction art still in progress, pinging Meredith.
- TC: Aberrant Screen
Proofing
- Yugman’s Guide Support Decks (Scarred Lands)
- Aberrant – Indexing.
- Geist: One Foot In the Grave – First proof dev notes back to Travis.
- Tales of Aquatic Terror – Got maps in and prepping for KS backers.
- Deviant – 2nd Proof to Dev.
At Press
- TCFBTS Screen and Booklet – KS shipping.
- They Came from Beneath the Sea! – KS shipping.
- Pirates of Pugmire – KS shipping.
- Pirates of Pugmire Screen – KS shipping.
- Dark Eras 2 – KS shipping.
- Dark Eras 2 Screen and booklet – KS shipping.
- Contagion Chronicle – Shipping to KS fulfiller.
- Lunars Wall Scroll Map – At KS fulfiller.
- Lunars Screen and Booklet – At KS fulfiller.
- Lunars: Fangs at the Gate – Deluxe printing. PDF and PoD on sale at DTRPG.
- V5 Cults of the Blood Gods – Inputting errata notes and prepping for press.
- Cavaliers of Mars: City of the Towered Tombs – Prepping PoD files.
Today’s Reason to Celebrate!
While the God Machine Chronicle was April 2013, still under CCP; the CofD rulebook was Dec 12, 2015, FIVE YEARS AGO next Saturday, about six weeks after the transfer to Paradox. As our unofficial historian Ian Watson says: “I remember it was kind of a scramble to get everything rebranded in time”. Woot, how time has flown!
And still no substantial movement on anything Exalted. 🙁
My feeling the same. =/
Also, though I have and do play D&D, it is mostly because people I play with want to. I find the system rather uninteresting. So, I see little reason to spend money on it.
If you are a fellow Exalted fan I STRONGLY recommend checking out Scarred Lands, they draw from a lot of the same inspirations. It and Exalted are like Romulus and Remus. Scarred Lands was raised by the wolves of F20, Exalted was raised by Wuxia.
The Pathcast deep dive episode had me immediately hooked.
Why didn’t I back scarred lands?
It’s a d20 game. I like the d10 systems. Simple as that.
Fair enough. Legit.
My typical group and I aren’t really “published adventure” kind of people. Further, we’re not really invested in 5e or D&D in general; we just don’t passively come up with ideas or stories for those games the way we do for Chronicles of Darkness, and when we do feel like a dungeon crawler, we’re more familiar and interested in Pathfinder 2e.
Unrelated note, I appreciate knowing y’all are working on secret stuff, and maybe this is just me, but maybe bigger fanfare when secret stuff becomes not secret? I just personally feel that I see a lot of secret stuff, but then nothing comes of it? It just feels hard to believe there’s *that* much left on the cutting room floor, especially these days with the ST Vault. Maybe take a page from the video game industry and give the secret projects code names? Then later we (the audience) can link the codename to the final project.
When I’m talking about the secret stuff from this Monday Meeting, I’m talking about entire projects and other opportunities. So, these mentions aren’t pieces of books that are cut and left on the cutting room floor. We also don’t reveal that sort of material, but that’s a hard-won lesson learned these past 9 years. Code names have bit us in the butt more often than they’ve helped once the public hears of them in terms of confusing our audience as to what they are actually looking for. Which is totally fair considering things like the name change to Chronicles of Darkness and the WW IP ownership changes. It is confusing. But we did just put out They Came From [CLASSIFIED]! as a title work in progress, so…
I haven’t backed the Dead Man’a Rust Kickstarter as I don’t really have a background at all with Scarred Lands. I could potentially be convinced, but it’s also an extra tight time of the year to begin with.
Second coolest D&D setting. (After Dark Sun)
I’ll take it @Samurai!
One thing I would put out there @Charlotte, is that you can back at the manuscript access level (like $5) and play right away with the materials currently available.
That also lets you weather the budget storm, as you can add on/upgrade later, if you like, through the pledge manager.
Dislodged Ravenloft as my second favorite setting after something like 25 years. The order now goes Dark Sun, Scarred Lands, Ravenloft, Eberron.
Ours are pretty close. I’d say Scarred Lands, Planescape, Dark Sun, and Ravenoft & Eberron are pretty close to tied for me.
Scarred Lands in a nutshell:
– It burst onto the scene in 2000 when D&D 3e was entering the market. The Creature Collection actually beat the official Monster Manual to market.
– It’s D&D meets Greek mythology meets Heavy Metal magazine. The big war between the Gods and the Titans was only 150 years ago, still in living memory for many races.
– The land still bears the scars (hence the name) of the Titanswar. For example:
– the Titan Kadum was chained to the bottom of the ocean and his heart torn out, so the Blood Sea is literally filled with titan blood, and you better believe titan blood affects the life that lives there.
– Mormo was torn apart near the Broadreach Forest, and her influence has corrupted it, giving us the vicious “hornsaw” unicorn (seen in the top picture), and the new name for the forest: the Hornsaw Forest.
– Our own Matthew Dawkins on the “Gentleman Gamer” YouTube channel and the “Wanderer’s Haven Publications” channel (above) have been doing videos describing the world.
– If this sounds interesting, you can add the Scarred Lands Players Guide PDF on to your Kickstarter pledge for only $15!
Nice overview!
Okay, this is a really good summary. I’m going to tentatively back it and check out the manuscript preview!
I haven’t backed Dead Man’s Rust for the following reasons in order of importance
– I funded way too much KD in the past 3 years and was only able to use or read 15-20 percent of the material received to date. I’m now trying to only back material I have a high level of confidence I will be using in the coming year.
– I play D&D 5e as a DM in my homebrew world so I feel I would not be able to use the full value of the product in a reasonable timeframe.
– Budget constraints. Dead Man’s Rust really look amazing\gorgeous and I might have had decided to indulge myself if things would have been better on that front
– I love physical books and never back PDF only levels. Shipping costs to Canada increases over the past 2 years have made me hesitate on a few project (not only Onyx Path) Really need for this pandemic to stop to start shipping some products to my US based friends to avoid these charges (I’m thinking of you, the next Exalted Exigent Kickstarter!!!). I can live with the PDF in the meantime even if it take some time before I see said US based friend.
Hope this help and can’t wait to learn more about that CLASSIFIED project(s) !
Thanks for your well thought out response to my question! Finances and shipping alone are totally legit reasons here at the end of a long year to step away from any sort of crowdfunding, not just ours. 🙂
I did not back Scarred Lands as my group (and I) stick to 3.5 D&D if we do a quick Fantasy Campaign and then are using the Forgotten Realms setting.
It looks promising, but I do not think we will ever have the time to play it.
But I will look at the older books for the 3.x Edition
The earlier version of SL is out there on DTRPG, for sure, and if that has material you can work into your FR game then very cool! If your up for the kitbashing, you might find that our new edition’s setting material could lay right in over the first edition material. Depends on how you roll with pulling ideas from other projects – hope you enjoy SL first edition!
I did not backed Scarred Lands mainly because:
1.My d20 part of RPG heart is stolen for Realms of Pugmire – it’s my get go game for chill, light heart adventures and cute animals! ? And much more Mau than Pugmire itself.
2.I supported Legendlore already, as it could work great as ‘one-shot D&D world’ – and loved D&D 80s cartoon.
3.Generally run mainly Storypath games of Scion and They Came – and Chronicles of Darkness. It’s really enough to support on Kickstarters.
Bonus: When I want to do ‘mythology fantasy’ I run Scion, simple as that.
Fair enough and it sounds like you have your bases covered. Always appreciate your support!
The main reason I didn’t back the Scarred Lands Kickstarter is because it is an adventure, and my interest in canned adventures for D&D is almost zero. Had the Kickstarter been a setting book, or a canned adventure for the Chronicles of Darkness, I might have been more interested.
In the Pathcasts talking about it they bring up that there is a ton of setting material as well as the module. Comparisons were made to supplements like Chicago by Night and such. Might be worth dropping a couple bucks just to check out the manuscript.
samuraimujuru’s reply is another thing to consider as there really is a ton of setting material in the book.
Just popping in to echo the sentiment that Dead Man’s Rust is a massive sandbox that contains an adventure. You could use the material in this book for years and never touch the “main plot” if sandbox/setting material interests you, I’d encourage you to check out the manuscript at the $5 level and see if it is something that you can get mileage out of. I suspect you would not be disappointed.
I didn’t back Rust because I’m primarily here for CoD games and Scion games. D&D stuff is not really worth my investment at the moment.
Thanks for commenting and for your support of CofD and Scion!
I have to say i dont care much for [REDACTED], but [CLASSIFIED] is turning out to be everything i was hoping for.
Good to hear! Just waiting until we do [REDACTED] 2nd edition!
I may back Dead Man’s Rust depending on my finances after holiday donations / gifts are made. My local game store can get it for me later so I sometimes skip a KS knowing I can bolster their sales later on.
Sounds fair, we’re certainly doing this KS in part to support our FLGSs, so cool if you wind up going that route!
Hi !
As a German D&D was never in focus for me (as it was very small in Germany in the 80ies and 90ies). So I’m not interested in D&D products in general. In addition I have enough Fantasy RPGs – the unique selling point of Onyx Path for me is their contemporary supernatural horror games. That was what I love from you.
And we’re certainly still rolling with them – thanks!
Oh my god, the military went through your post and censured it all! To the point I barely know what was the subject of your meeting…
Everyday I am more and more convinced that TCF Classified is the real name and its all about spy movies and series.
The arts for UAS are sweet, I am getting convinced that it is going to be my favorite Aeon supplement, but its hard to tell so far.
Rereading my post, it seams as 3 different posts welded together, 4 with this one…
Subject of the meeting: secret stuff. Seriously, if I hadn’t put in the silly REDACTED stuff, this was going to be a really short MMN notes this week. Glad you are enjoying the art- I agree, it’s consistently sweet.
I will not back Dead Man’s rust because while I have played various versions of D&D, I have no interest in a D&D 5.0 setting or adventure book. However, I have 1000% interest in one or multiple books containing 1 or more adventures I could use to run Exalted (->DB<-, Solar, Lunar, etc). I love the game but wish to reduce the storytellers prepwork as much as possible so I can more easily run the game for others. I get that Onyx Path wants to develop it's own IP, however I don't understand why Exalted is ignored so much compared to so may other games Onyx Path is producing content for. Previous Exalted KS have done great and I think there is a lot more demand for more content than what is being supplied. Try doing a fan survey.
Exalted is absolutely not being ignored, just look at the raft of books we are working on. Exalted’s creative team was just getting back to being able to handle the schedule with timely releases when the pandemic hit and the team was hit harder than a bunch of our other teams by the impact, as I’ve alluded to in previous MMN blogs. Both Exalted Essence and Exigents are projects we intended to try and KS in 2020, and now are 2021 KSs. We don’t need to ask Exalted fans if they want more Exalted, we already know they do and that they’re frustrated by the delays in announced projects. We are too, particularly since the rebuilt team was so very excited to show what they could do at the beginning of this year.
I didn’t back it because I’m still waiting for Heirs to the Shogunate which was announced in your March 2018 KS. I’m also waiting on content that I paid for from the Lunars KS. Every week, I see new products showing up on your project status, but no changes for the Exalted work. I actually play 5e, but I want physical books. The Dragon Blooded KS is going on three years. I thought that you had learned your lesson when the original Exalted KS fulfillment took so long? I’m not going to pay you in advance for new material when you haven’t delivered the product that I backed in the past.
Totally fair not to back if you feel you haven’t received your previously KS’d material yet. Please do bear in mind that we don’t assign delivery dates when we do Stretch Goals, which I’m guessing you’re referring to in terms of the Dragon Blooded KS since that deluxe book shipped out a while ago. We add a project to our release schedule based on the Stretch Goal, and it gets worked on as fast and as well as any other supplement. For Lunars, the delivery estimate for the deluxe book itself is this month, December 2020 (the PDF was already delivered) – which is later than it would have been except for a worldwide pandemic that has slowed every aspect of book production from our creators to the printers and shippers. Thanks!
I did not back Scarred Lands for the same reason I didn’t back Pugmire:
I don’t like the 5E system and my group does not play it at all.
Not to mention, the settings do not sound intriguing enough for me to want to read them.
I do invest in every single non-5E line, though so if I skip Scarred Lands and Pugmire, forgive me.
Certainly nothing to forgive! Thanks for responding and for your support with our other projects!
Thanks for understanding. I mean, I tend to drop the maximum on the Trinity stuff and try to get all add-ons that are electronic for Scion. As for the other ones, I will go for the pdf since space is at a premium at my place right now.
My wife hates 5e, so no backing projects based on it.
I sure wouldn’t want our KS to cause marital friction! No worries! Just a question, and don’t worry if you don’t want to answer it: does your wife hate all D&D versions but like other tabletop RPGs, or is it 5e specifically? Thanks!
I back the majority of your Kickstarters, and indeed backed the Scarred Land Players Guide, but haven’t been in on your other SL kickstarters.
Basically I’m PDF only for gaming material (and indeed most media) at this stage of my life. I love physical books but, between the convenience of PDF on a tablet and the pain of moving home with box after box of books, I’ve learned digital is easier to handle.
Due to that I’ve never gotten onto the 5E ride because that would involve three books I’d need to add to my shelves. I backed the SLPG on the Pathfinder version but obviously you guys are no longer currently supporting Pathfinder in the line. That all makes this one a no go for me unfortunately.
I know my reasons won’t exactly be a majority issue but you asked, so I’m answering.
True enough, but they are your issues, and my thanks for posting them. My take, and something that Travis has been talking about in interviews, is that the adventure (which is the part where you’d need access to those core 5e books the most) runs through all sorts of cool setting material that is very well written. So, good stuff even if you aren’t playing 5e. Maybe even particularly if you aren’t planning on playing it as the system just isn’t in your equation. Or not, just a thought.
One thing I would like to point out is that some enterprising fellow has put together the Serpent Amphora 5e quickstart over at the Slarecian Vault, which not only brings that classic adventure into the 5th edition, but also contains all the basic rules you need to play 5e.
And it is available in .pdf. If that is your greatest blocker, there’s a wonderful workaround (I too, greatly rely on pdfs)
There is also free access to the basic 5e rules through D&D beyond. You do not even need to subscribe for that – only a free account.
Hope this helps!
I backed both previous Scarred Lands KS and I love the setting but the initial description for Rust really turned me off the idea of this book.
“ most blood-spraying, face-melting, ass-kicking, heart-wrenching, undead-filled, heavy-metal pile “
This sounds horrible to me and not how I would run Scarred lands at all or how it felt in the older books.
I’m also pretty cold on published adventures at this point from all companies. I never run them as written, and by the time I modify them to my group, I might as well have just started from scratch.
So a very unappealing description and it being an adventure book means my interest in this is very low.
Fair enough. I will, though, leave you with samuraimujuru’s response here in the comments as to how the adventure is a path through a whole lot of setting material. If that gives some impetus to check out the excerpts and updates on the KS page vs the wahoo marketing text, then we’d love to see you there, and if not – no worries!
My group just finished a year long D&D campaign, and our next game will likely not be D&D. I enjoy most of your other product lines and need a chance to run those systems someday!
Sounds fair to me. It’s great that your group is willing to try new and other games – just bad timing for us, I guess!
Thank you for the spotlight!
I was really impressed with the sheer amount of info you managed to pack into the V5 version of Chicago by Night.
Once I finally had that book in my hand, I knew I would be running a McStabber Style Windy City Chronicle!
Thanks! Glad it was inspirational – here’s hoping your Chronicle further inspires folks to start playing their own games!
While I started as a 4/5e D&D player, Onyx Path ‘s work in CoD/Scion/Trinity/TCF… has really left D&D feeling dry and uninteresting as a system for me. I’m much more invested in Storypath/Storyteller and the related worlds and I’d rather have money to help push Masks of the Mythos, Dragon, and Adventure for their KS stretch goals. Plus! With Kith & Kin, Prometheus Unbound, and Mission Statements all being in the pipeline, those also have priority status for purchase. While I’d normally consider backing if I could thought I could use it as a gift, my D&D-playing friends don’t really venture towards material outside of WOTC publications, even when presented to them.
Thanks – I’m certainly not going to complain if you prefer to back our other KSs! Funny, my D&D friends can not stop mining other 5e books for elements to use in their “regular” D&D games. Different strokes and all that!
Like many others here, I’m not backing dead man’s rust because I don’t play D&D. I have played D&D a lot over the years, but if I have other options I’ll go for something that doesn’t have a traditional class and level system. If the Scarred Lands ever gets ported over to Storypath, or something like it, I’d back that for sure.
Well, we’ve certainly considered a Storypath version of SL. Hard to know how well that would be received – maybe I should ask about that for next week’s blog!
Reasons not backed the Rust
1) Reached budget cap at present
2) Not a setting I’ve followed
Two excellent reasons! In terms of the setting info – there is plenty of it out there if you just want to check it out to see if there’s anything that catches your eye. Any of the SL explanation vids that we have links to in the Media section below, or the SL adventure Gauntlet of Spiragos is still for free in PDF, I believe, on DTRPG. Or, there might be enough just on the Rust KS page to give you some ideas – and nothing will cost anything so its more like free entertainment! Thanks!
I know this is likely just an echo of everyone else at this point, but didn’t back Dead Man’s Rust for a few reasons. One, the setting just doesn’t catch my eye compared to my D&D go-to’s of Eberron or homebrew, or instead just going for Pathfinder 2e. Second, I really do prefer your storyteller/storypath games for something with narrative power, in particular CoD and Scion (still hoping for more Werewolf and Promethean to show up in the CoD pipeline). And third, saving for other KS’s, such as Masks of The Mythos.
Really not just an echo if it’s where you are on backing Rust. We value all the responses we’re getting. I seriously can’t get too uptight when somebody is saving up for one of our other game line’s KSs!
Reasons for not backing Dead Man’s Rust:
– I care little for D&D in general – I have not tried 5e outside a one-off, but no matter what they change between editions, it is still a system which I don’t care for because of the underlying design assumptions
– Part of a continuation of the above – I care little for combat in games. They are rarely interesting enough that I would rather spend hours on that, when I could instead interact with the world, investigate, charm or outsmart my opposition in other ways. I am sure Dead Man’s Rust has plenty of this, but also the tagline makes it seem like running the adventure will have plenty of (opportunities for, or mandatory) fights.
– I would rather like a game to play, rather than another to run – I am, or was, running a GMC game that is now a Contagion Chronicle game, where I was hoping to also employ Dark Ages. This because of a philosophy of actually using the books I have – not just hoard RPG books because they may be neat. Once that game is done, I have plans for a Legend of the Five Rings campaign, and when that is over I’ll presumably have Technocracy Reloaded in the flesh, as it were, for the next planned campaign.
So, to sum up, I don’t care for the system, and am trying to avoid hoarding.
Not going to lie, I would be intrigued by reading more about the setting – I have no SL books so far. I was considering getting one as a gift for a friend, but I don’t know if anyone would care for such a setting/adventure book and actually use it.
(Frankly, I do love how you questioned design assumptions and weren’t afraid to rip most of it apart and put together something new for Chronicles of Darkness, compared to nWoD. A more impressive transformation between editions I haven’t really seen, and something I wish D&D and Shadowrun developers also did.)
SL also has questioned a fair number of base D&D assumptions, as has Pugmire with both setting and system. We seem to have trouble not playing around with game systems! 🙂 Big thanks for your note on the transition to CofD!
I don’t doubt that Scarred Lands is a setting I would find lots of interesting things in, which I could even run using FATE, but in this case trying to stifle my hoarding tendencies wins out.
Otherwise I am not against campaign books as such, having run both GMC and Contagion Chronicles based on those two books.
Backing this!
I don’t run or 5e at all, but I use Scarred Lands as the core setting for both my groups using Cypher System and Fantasy AGE respectively.
Every SL book released – regardless of system – is a source for seeting and adventure for us.
Great to hear- thanks! Love that your table can match system and setting so the combo is your kind of game.