(Read down to the subhead to finish the quote and get an explanation…)

We’re in a mid-zone between crowdfunding campaigns, between chaos and law, good and evil. A Liminal Space, you might say.

Well, you might say that if you’ve been following our Curseborne blogs these last five weeks, as Liminal Spaces are one of the aspects of CB that we’re highlighting with these twice-weekly blogs. We’re also revealing the Lineages and three of their Families, each. These are the supernatural beings that are playable at the start using the core rulebook.

There is a lot of potential for further Families, for sure, and even Lineages, but we want to suggest the possibilities with the core, not try and delineate every one in existence. One, that’s damn intimidating for folks coming to a horror game, and two, these are the ones we think folks can focus on and which comprise the big “beats” of the setting. And if you’ve been reading the blogs, we’re sure you can already see the possibilities with the range and variety of the Families.

That also applies to the antagonists of the world of Curseborne that we’re highlighting with the blogs – these are just the tip of the bad-guy iceberg, with more in the core, and even more coming as the game line grows. And, of course, I’m calling them baddies from the point of view of the players, the antagonists rarely see themselves as in the wrong!

(And from the point of view of society, some antagonists are doing the right thing, or at least the normal thing…after all the PCs are the monsters.)

Which reminds that I saw a couple of folks wonder if Curseborne is some sort of “They Came From” kind of thing in terms of tone. Kinda light and campy and all that. Hmmm, only if that’s how you force it to be around your table, I’d say. Curseborne does have a lot of range as it can encompass all sorts of modern horror to urban horror to dark fantasy, but by-and-large, it’s about the horrific things that are just outside our perception – until you realize that they are you!

Now, while we’re running all these written blog posts, we’re also presenting short videos that give a much moodier and impactful versions of the blog subjects that we hope will intrigue viewers enough that they’ll read deeper into the material by checking out the blogs. If you see one you like, please do Like, Share, and/or ReTweet, or whatever “pass it on” mechanism the venue has.

Plus, if you’ve been following along from the beginning of our mentioning Curseborne, you can start to see where those early vids actually fit into the setting.

We’ve been thrilled with everyone’s response so far, and today I asked some of our prime Curseborne creators to jot down what they are feeling and thinking about in terms of CB right now:

Eddy Webb:

I’m really excited about the prospect of cross-Lineage play. I’ve been a fan of these kinds of horror games for decades, and I’ve always wanted a game where one person’s a werewolf, one’s a vampire, one’s a ghost, or whatever, and they can hang out. Other games can kind of do it, but it’s never been an experience that works right away, out of the box. So it’s been really nice to be able to work on something that builds that together in a logical and cohesive way.

Danielle Lauzon:

I honestly can’t wait for players to get a chance to interact with this world and start telling their own stories. While I’ve seen a lot of people comparing Curseborne to other horror genre games, I do think it’s really something unique and new. I’m so excited for folks to explore it and fall in love with it the way I have.

Matthew Dawkins:

I’m looking forward to seeing players delve into the world of the Accursed, with its population of tragic figures, grisly monsters, unsettling spaces, and Machiavellian families. There’s a lot of setting material for use in the Curseborne core, and we’ve made sure to put as many story seeds and hooks in as possible to allow you to get a game running with some strong sparks of inspiration.

Dixie Cochran:

I am stoked to see players really dive into the various families and Lineages and start telling all sorts of urban horror and fantasy stories in this setting. It’s been so hard to keep a lid on things for so long, and now people finally get to see it! (Heck, I’m excited to sit down and read through the whole final thing, because it’s been polished even more since I last read it!) Overall, though, there are just so many great options for playing this. I want to play an all-Hungry game at some point to really lean into that old-school feeling, but I’m mostly excited for people to make their wonderful little found families of monsters.

And little-ol me:

I’m loving the reactions so far to this little slice of hell we’ve been working on and discussing in-house for what seems like decades. Which may not be off-base from my perspective after having been there at the start for so many games, and, at least in terms of the horror genre, Curseborne is the culmination and payoff for all that.

The joy we have is in being able to finally present to you all a gameline that we have been able to create and evolve and grow using our best instincts for what we think is compelling and scary and meaningful and fun – and how to present that all to you, our audience, so that you too can find those underlying themes and common (and uncommon) horrors that got all of us into horror gaming to begin with.

But that’s just us. We’re just the creators (some of them, at least). One of the best parts of game creation is seeing how your creation is altered around the gaming table. How the “white space” is filled in by players and readers. Who gets inspired by what section of the book or piece of art. So what are your favorite parts so far?

What are you hoping for/interested in so far with Curseborne? Let us know in the Comments section below!

If you want to have a more immediate back and forth, real-time, conversation about Curseborne and our other games, we’re doing an AMA (Ask Me Anything) session this coming Friday the 23rd on the White Wolf subReddit at 12 noon Eastern US time. We had a fantastic session about a week and a half ago in the general RPG Reddit that I missed, but I’ll be at this one, so here’s hoping to see you there on Friday to join in!

If you want a far less hectic way to get more Curseborne info, Danielle, Matthew, and Dixie talk about possible Curseborne campaign ideas on Friday’s Onyx Pathcast, which you can listen to at your convenience at our host PodBean or anywhere you get yer podcasts!

…My Magic Hands.

The two titles today are a phrase that Mirthful Mike repeated several times while describing how he is putting the finishing touches on several projects now that he’s back from vacay. We’re not sure where he got these magic hands of his – maybe at the same place that sells the mighty Belt of Tightening – but we’re all glad he uses them for good instead of evil!

Last week, we finished the BackerKit crowdfunding campaign for Mythic Shards with a bang! We added two new Shards to the book, and surpassed our estimates and came very close to a couple of milestones I really didn’t think we’d get near even 72 hours before the end – so bravo, everyone who contributed! And thanks!

Meanwhile, we’re getting close to pulling everything together for the next BackerKit campaign, that’s for the Storypath Ultra Core Manual! This is a pretty different book for us as it is focused on presenting the Storypath Ultra System and the ways folks can use it not just for the games we’re making or have made with SPU, but how you can use the system for your own home-brew games! We’ll have some backer participation parts, and some Stretch Goals that involve us reaching out to a larger audience, he says mysteriously.

With all that, we’re really looking for a nice crowdfunder that gives us the wherewithal to get copies of the book printed and in stores so it can sit with our games that are using the system. It’s the last lingering initiative we wanted accomplished before we got pedal to the dark metal on October 1 with the Curseborne KS, which then leaves two months to finish off the year with Exalted Alchemicals, if we can.

Anyway, back to the book itself! Here’s dev Eddy Webb with a note before we really start trying to get the crowdfunding frenzy started:

Wow, there’s so much coming up in the near future! I’m super excited about Curseborne (see above), but also I’ve been working on pulling all the great work we’ve been doing on the various Storypath Ultra games to put together the Storypath Ultra Core Manual. From there, I’ve been working hard to write out all of the hidden assumptions and design ideas, so people can more easily see how the system is intended to work so folks can adapt it to use at their own tables. Plus, I’ve been having fun making a whole new setting, but I’ll talk about that in future….

DTRPG is having a Cosmic Horror Sale right now on DTRPG and Roll20!

Masks of the Mythos featured bundle deal:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/featured_promotions?promotion_id=CosmicHorror_RPG_24

Roll20:
https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/search?tag=Unique%20Status:CosmicHorrorSale&author=Onyx%20Path%20Publishing

We’re starting to gather questions for our Surveys about three of our “older” game lines, (older as in having a bigger body of projects published, especially if you count their first editions and all): Scion, Scarred Lands, and the Trinity Continuum.

We know that folks have been playing, and kicking the tires, and doing variations as they play, and we’d like to know, essentially, what the “state of play” is for y’all out there who love the lines. This is another thing we’d like to get done before we’re all wrapped up in the Curseborne KS in October, so expect we’ll be launching these questionnaires , probably one at a time, between now and the end of September.

So, yeah, that’s what we talked about today, and with only one more official vacay from our Monday group happening next week, we think that we’ll be firing on all cylinders as we depart the balmy temperatures of Summer for the balmy temperatures of September. Stupid global warming.

Until next week, when I’ll have even more to tell you about our progress through our:

Many Worlds, One Path!

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Blurbs!

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Crowdfunding!

Coming Next To BackerKit Crowdfunding!

Storypath Ultra Core Manual!

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Onyx Path Media!

This week: Danielle, Matthew, and Dixie talk about possible Curseborne campaign ideas!

As always, this Friday’s Onyx Pathcast will be on Podbean or your favorite podcast venue!

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Also check out our attached media schedule for the videos on our Twitch channel this week!

In this week’s Onyx Path News, you’ll find Matthew talking about the Scion: Mythic Shards campaign, Exalted: Exigents, Storypath Ultra, and yes, Curseborne! Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0lv-wix7pg

Awkward GM Corbin concluded his coverage of Scion: Mythic Shards with a video all about After the End, our post-apocalyptic Scion setting! Check out his video right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_pnFcx7CZY

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Virtual Tabletop!

Cosmic Horror Sale is live on DTRPG and Roll20

Masks of the Mythos featured bundle deal:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/featured_promotions?promotion_id=CosmicHorror_RPG_24

Roll20:
https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/search?tag=Unique%20Status:CosmicHorrorSale&author=Onyx%20Path%20Publishing

They Came From Beneath the Sea! on Roll20 VTT!
https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/bundle/22308/they-came-from-beneath-the-sea

The Scion: Origin and Scion Hero Compendiums are now available on Roll20!
https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/publisher/1716/onyx-path-publishing

Scion is just the start! They Came From Beneath the Sea! and other
Onyx Path RPGs are in development for Roll20 virtual tabletop!

The first of our official Scion sheets designed for Foundry VTT are
now available! https://foundryvtt.co

Looking for more virtual tabletop resources? We have a selection of
Tokens, Encounters, and more available now at DriveThruRPG! https://bit.ly/3SnrNJ7

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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!

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

Select CofD, Exalted, and Legendlore books and screens on sale at IPR:

https://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Deals-and-Specials/

As always, you can find Onyx Path’s titles in PDF and PoD versions at DriveThruRPG.com!

Cosmic Horror Sale is live on DTRPG and Roll20

Masks of the Mythos featured bundle deal:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/featured_promotions?promotion_id=CosmicHorror_RPG_24

Roll20:
https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/search?tag=Unique%20Status:CosmicHorrorSale&author=Onyx%20Path%20Publishing

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).

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On Sale This Week!

On DTRPG this Weds, we have some Weird Wonders and Revolutionary Magick for Mage20 Victorian! Available in both PDF and physical book PoD versions…Egad!

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Conventions!

Here’s where you can find out more info on physical and virtual conventions we’re going to be involved with!

GameHoleCon – Oct 17th – 19th

https://www.gameholecon.com/

PAX Unplugged – December 6th – 8th

https://unplugged.paxsite.com/

Game Night With Onyx Path Publishing at StartPlaying is the last Friday of every month! Come play some of our games that night! (But any of our game lines are welcome all day long!)

Here’s a link to give anyone $10 credit to play games on Start.Playing:

https://startplaying.games/referral/clog9y0v10006ju0968iev95m

Please spread the word about GMing games as much as possible! Details on how list a game are at the bottom of the page in the FAQ:

https://startplaying.games/event/game-night-onyx-path

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Project Status Updates!

Our full list of projects will be available monthly on our blog! Check out July’s full list report here: https://theonyxpath.com/release-roundup-july-2024/

DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM EDDY!

Here are the projects that moved to the next stage of production:

Redlines

Tasty Bit – Scion Dragon Lair #4 (December)

• Danielle: The last of our lair tasty bits has arrived, and I’m excited to read through it.

Final Draft

Tasty Bit – Scion Dragon Lair #3 (September)

• Danielle: This tasty bit covers the Lair of Raina, which is the source of the Nile river. It’s full of cool creatures out of myth and legend thought to be dead, but instead stolen away to this Terra Incognita.

Realms of Pugmire – Rumble in Riverwall

• Eddy: The second of our pulse-pounding puppy adventures has received redlines and is off to final drafts!

Development:

Exalted – The Exalted Essence Player’s Guide

• Danielle: All final drafts have been submitted, and Monica is now powering through development!

Editing

Exalted – Exigents Jumpstart

• Danielle: I’ve sent this to Dixie for editing. It’s a great little adventure, and I’m excited for everyone to get a chance to play through it.

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ART DIRECTION FROM MIKE CHANEY!

In Art Direction

• Ex Essence Pillars of Creation – bunch of art fixes back to DAC.
• Ex3 Abyssals – Getting notes over to Maria.
• The World Below – Sketches and finals…
• TC Aegis – Notes with Maria.
• SPU Rulebook KS art – All the finals should be in on Monday.

Layout

• Trinity Continuum CC – Assets with Dixie.
• Sidereals Novella – Assets with Dixie.

Proofing

• TC Player’s Guide
• They Came From Classified Jumpstart 

Indexing

• Ex3 Sidereals 

At Press

• Reprints:
• Scion Origin – At port, then to Studio2.
• TC Core – At port, then to Studio2.

• Ex 3 Exigents – Getting quotes.
• Ex 3 Exigents Screen – Looking at proofs.
• TC Aether – Getting quotes.
• TC Anima – Printing.
• TC Anima Terra Surge Screen – Looking at proofs.
• Ex3 Sidereals – Indexing.
• Ex Essence Jumpstart – With Travis for fixing.
• Ex Essence Charm Cards – Got about half of the PoD’s set up…
• Realms of Pugmire – Backer errata input.
• Scion: God – Making a few tweaks from the Ultimate Proof and prepping PoD.
• SCION Path to Apotheosis – Awaiting errata.
• They Came From the Cyclops’s Cave – Printing.
• They Came From the Cyclops’s Cave Screen – Looking at proofs.
• They Came From CLASSIFIED – Printing.
• They Came From CLASSIFIED Screen – Looking at proofs.
• M20 Victorian Weird Wonders and Revolutionary Magic – PDF and PoD versions on sale this Weds on DTRPG!

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Today’s Reason to Celebrate!

Here we go again with some fun anniversaries! These are all first publication from the WW days: Aug 19 is the 22nd anniversary of the EverQuest RPG in 2002 (I remember pulling that book together and adding in (our guild) the Wolves of Freeport’s characters as example characters and art). Aug 20 is the 23rd anniversary of Adventure! in 2001 (another book I laid out, art directed, and posed as the characters for). And Aug 21 is the 20th anniversary of the Chronicles of Darkness & Vampire: The Requiem in 2004 (such a busy and wacky period at WW as we delivered those first two cores!)