We’ve had a legendary start to our second Kickstarter for Legendlore!

Legendary like any saga where the heroes have false-starts and other challenges before winning their way to glory!

If you recall, earlier in our saga, we attempted the first Kickstarter right when the world first realized that Covid-19 was as dangerous as it is. We realized that any announcements or follow-ups were just not going to be heard as we all concentrated on trying to find out what was happening. No one knew what was coming next, and in the face of all that it seemed like our divided attentions had bigger concerns to deal with than our little KS.

Then, we were going to start our second attempt last Tuesday – on the very day that needed to be set aside in support of Black Lives Matter. As this was very much a call that went out in the midst of extraordinary circumstances across both the US and throughout the world, we delayed the KS launch for a couple of days with only hours to spare before it would have started. Again, much bigger real-life matters took precedence.

But fear not, third try is the charm, as Professor Tolkien once wrote.

We’ve already passed the number of backers and the amount of pledges that were achieved during the first KS attempt, and for those of you who have backed, both returned backers and first-time supporters, please accept our profound thanks for helping us make a version of Legendlore we can get into stores.

But, if you haven’t yet backed it, we have some fantastic Actual Play sessions linked below in Onyx Path Media, and here is the link to the Legendlore Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/339646881/legendlore-rpg-setting-for-5th-edition-fantasy-roleplaying-0

Last week, in the midst of so much of importance happening in the US, I only took the time to announce that we were, in fact, going to have the Onyx Path Virtual Gaming Convention on June 12th – 14th, which is next weekend, now.

So here’s a bit more about this brand new thing for us.

I mentioned several weeks (or is it months? time is all wibbly-wobbly) ago that the Monday Meeting crew were discussing ways that we could help out our community during the Covid-19 sequestering. During that very brainstorming session, coming after a bunch of our gang had attended and enjoyed Gehenna Gaming‘s Virtual Horror Con, the question was floated as to whether we should do one too.

Certainly, that was a big question, with far bigger implications than “let’s put on a show!”. Could we port over the sorts of physical con activities we have been doing at conventions these past years to a virtual space? Would we be able to handle the logistics of running such a con? Would you, our community, be into such a thing?

Well, we set out to see if we could answer those questions, and a few more in fact.

First, yes, since we have been concentrating on using conventions to demonstrate the play experience with a dash of letting folks know who we are and what games we create, a virtual con is actually a pretty direct port if we can do panels and have demos and game playing sessions. More and more people are getting comfortable playing virtual tabletop RPGs, and with the pandemic forcing companies to hold meetings virtually, the process has reached a lot more people.

Plus, us running the virtual con might mean that some of our community would be more willing to give the virtual experience a chance, and then continue to play virtually afterwards. Which would open up a lot of possibilities for the good.

For the second question, we realized the answer was an emphatic “No, no we can not!”. We just have little experience in it, and we have a lot of game creating we need to keep doing.

Buuuut, we knew some folks who actually did know how to run it, since they just ran one. So we asked Gehenna Gaming if they’d like to handle making our lil convention run. Thankfully, they did. Which changes our answer to that question into an emphatic “Yes, yes we can! (or at least Gehenna can!)”

Seriously, the amount of work that the Gehena Gaming folks and our own Matthew Dawkins, Matt McElroy, and Travis Legge on our side have put in has been intense, as well as Ian Watson and Meredith Gerber on the setting up and making our social media sing! Meredith also designed and pulled together the Onyx Path Virtual Gaming Convention graphics and website and they look phenomenal! Poor Mere, I put her through hell to get the visuals to tie into our company look and logo-type!

Finally, we started reaching out to our community, like I did here on the blog, just to see if you would be interested. The answers were all pretty positive, and we also got a lot of great interest from our creators, but the most thought-provoking response I read in the blog comments was from someone unable to get to conventions outside their country but who could now, for the first time, sit in on all those con events I write about throughout the year.

That really hit home for me.

A virtual convention could also be something that all of our community, regardless of country, or economic situation, could attend. No travel and associated costs, no hotel costs, no lines, no sweltering heat, nor blistering cold, no getting hit by swinging backpacks. There are a lot of advantages.

(To be fair, there are all sorts of good aspects to real-world conventions, too. But I’m pushing the virtual one happening next weekend, so I’m not going to list them!)

So, I give you the Onyx Path Virtual Gaming Con, powered by Gehenna Gaming! We have actual plays, panels, giveaways, and games you can sign up for to play all from the comfort of your own home!

All donations go to The Bodhana Group & Thurgood Marshall College Fund!

Details: https://theonyxpath.com/announcing-the-onyx-path-virtual-ga…/

Sign up for games: http://www.onyxpathcon.com

Check out the schedule on the site for all the panels and gaming sessions, and as a handy cheat sheet (plus as a way I can try and keep track myself), here’s what I’ll be doing there:

Friday, I’m starting out giving the Keynote opening speech (I’ll keep it short, promise) at 5pm – all times being Eastern Daylight Savings US time – and then I’m playing in our first public Actual Play demo of Exalted Essence at 9pm.

Saturday, I’m in the first of the What’s Up With the Onyx Path? panels at 9am, and then playing in a Scion game at 1pm. That evening, at 8:30, Matt McElroy and I will be on a panel about our various Community Content sites. Although I bet our conversation will hit quite a few other subjects besides!

Sunday, there’s the second What’s Up With the Onyx Path? panel at 9am again, gagh so early, and the Art of Onyx Path panel at 12 noon. I wrap up the convention with a demo of the new They Came From game line, They Came From Beyond the Grave! at 4pm.

For me, that’s a pretty nice spread of topics, and even better, I get to play! Plus, dunno yet if this will work out, but I’m hoping to add at least one panel, or group conversation, or what have you, with some old friends. We’ll see if we can pull that off.

Finally today, just wanted to mention that another one of the ideas to come out of that “Covid-19 is slamming our world!” discussion also goes on sale this Wednesday. We’ve taken all the Changeling: The Lost Dark Eras and combined just them into one PDF so that folks with limited funds right now can get a lower cost option specifically for that game line. Later, we’ll look at creating the PoD versions, and depending on the reaction to this collection we could do other game line specific Dark Eras collections.

Really looking forward to this weekend and having an opportunity to virtually walk the path with you to our:

Many Worlds, One Path!

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Blurbs!

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Kickstarter!

Started last Thursday, June 4nd the Legendlore Kickstarter has already passed the amount and number of backers from our first KS and is over 75% funded!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/339646881/legendlore-rpg-setting-for-5th-edition-fantasy-roleplaying-0

Grab your friends and escape to another world!

You’ve found an enchanted portal — a transition point — between worlds. The portal, called a Crossing, takes you to a world you thought only existed in novels and films: a magical land where dragons roam the skies, orcs and hobgoblins terrorize weary travelers, and unicorns prance through the forest. It is a world where humans join other peoples such as elves, trolls, dwarves, changelings, and the dreaded creatures who steal the night. It is a world of fantasy — of imagination.

It is the Realm.

It is Legendlore.

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Onyx Path Media!

More secrets are unearthed as Eddie and Dixie’s Scion characters reveal more of the machinations of the gods (and Matthew) in this next Scion Actual Play!

As always, this Friday’s Onyx Pathcast will be on Podbean or your favorite podcast venue! https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/

The big news this week is of course the Onyx Path Virtual Gaming Convention! Please join in for some games and panels, and spread the word with the hashtag #OnyxPathCon.

Red Moon Roleplaying have released their fantastic Legendlore actual play on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zK9GnAavdLU

But that’s not all! Legendlore: Lost in the Crossing has started on Twitch and you can catch the first episode right here: https://youtu.be/qGFKUqTmXUU

Come tune in to our Twitch channel for a schedule including:

• Technocracy Reloaded – The Cyst
• Behind the Screen – Chronicles of Darkness
• Pugmire – Paws & Claws  
• Legendlore – The Metal Scourge
• Dystopia Rising: Thieves of Old York
• They Came from Beneath the Sea! – They Came from Devil’s Reef!
• Changeling: The Dreaming – The Last Faerie Tale
• Legendlore with Steffie de Vaan!
• Onyx Path Virtual Gaming Convention – Opening Ceremony #OnyxPathCon
• Legendlore – Lost in the Crossing
• Onyx Path Virtual Gaming Convention- Saturday Open
• Scarred Lands – Purge of the Serpentholds
• Onyx Path Virtual Gaming Convention – Sunday Open  
  

You can subscribe to our channel over on twitch.tv/theonyxpath to catch up with any episodes you missed! And remember, if you have Amazon Prime, you can subscribe for free!

(Hey everybody, how about a tip of our hats to Travis Legge, who creates these Twitch schedules every week, and had to try and find a graphic way to show the onslaught of the Onyx Path Virtual Gaming Convention into our regular schedule! – RichT)

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:

Blood City: Chicago by Night: https://youtu.be/u9C5Upb1eDE

Changeling: The Dreaming – The Last Faerie Tale: https://youtu.be/piEGp8cF1RI

Scarred Lands: Purge of the Serpentholds: https://youtu.be/OYeBvWGzYZ0

Onyx Path News: https://youtu.be/GiErBr7lDyc

More Blood City: Chicago by Night: https://youtu.be/yFnHfy2lvbc

Legendlore: Lost in the Crossing: https://youtu.be/qGFKUqTmXUU

Changeling: The Lost – Littlebrook Reunion: https://youtu.be/HszhgXgnXPk

Chronicles of Darkness – Seattle by Streetlight: https://youtu.be/egGODY_kl6I

Subscribe to our channel and click the bell icon if you want to be notified whenever new news videos and uploads come online!

Ekorren has released a glowing review of Dystopia Rising: Evolution, which really goes deep into the game. Please give them a like and a subscribe!: https://youtu.be/p7vaTQ9KBW8

The Botch Pit have released a fantastic new introduction to Mage: The Awakening: https://youtu.be/SEIjgyU3RAc

Vorpal Tales continue their actual play of They Came from Beneath the Sea! Here’s their YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/sq82wXVqzNg

The Story Told Podcast conclude their Demon: The Descent series right here: https://thestorytold.libsyn.com/the-aggregate-choir-file-4

Occultists Anonymous are back with their amazing Mage: The Awakening series:

Episode 102: Witching Hour 
The cabal takes a late night trip to the now-empty cemeteries to investigate who might be behind this and why, then prepare an old-fashioned stakeout… with some magical assistance.
https://youtu.be/qJmFpBvGQa8

Episode 103: Lives On The Line 
Facing off against antagonist Mages, the cabal try to talk with them first, but are quickly drawn into a Duel Arcane with their lives at stake. Red Dread is called in to officiate outside of the bounds of the New York Consilium.
https://youtu.be/vcO_wtfh5co

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!

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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.)

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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:

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Our Sales Partners!

We’re working with Studio2 to get Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau 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

We’ve added Prince’s Gambit to our Studio2 catalog: https://studio2publishing.com/products/prince-s-gambit-card-game

Now, we’ve added 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

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!

As always, you can find Onyx Path’s titles at DriveThruRPG.com!

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On Sale This Week!

This week our minds are confronted with the Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed PDF and PoD versions for Mage: The Awakening 2e! On sale on DriveThruRPG on Wednesday!

Awakening is knowing you can do whatever you want, and then doing it. Damn the consequences if you like, but your damnation doesn’t erase them. Bending reality to your will intoxicates you, but you’re not the only one who can. Staring into the Abyss frightens you, but if you can just learn enough and work hard enough, you can conquer even that – can’t you?

Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed includes:

• Full entries for Awakened antagonists that you can pick up and use in your chronicle, with traits, story hooks, and more.
• Second Edition rules for Banishers, the Rapt, Scelesti, and the Tremere.
• A guide for Storytellers to help run scenes of conflict between mages.

Also available this Wednesday on DTRPG: the Advance PDF for the Changeling: The Lost 2e Dark Eras Compilation!

Chronicles of Darkness stories stretch back to the beginning of human civilization — and perhaps further. The Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras collections reveal the world throughout its long and storied past.

Now you can get all of the Changeling: The Lost Dark Eras originally published in Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras, the Dark Eras Companion, and Dark Eras 2 in a single Changeling: The Lost compilation. Featured in this compilation are:
• The Seven Wonders
• Three Kingdoms of Darkness
• Arthur’s Britannia
• Requiem for Regina
• Lily, Sabre, and Thorn
• A Grimm Dark Era
• Mysterious Frontiers

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Conventions!

We are holding the first-ever Onyx Path Virtual Gaming Convention on June 12th – June 14th!

This coming weekend is the Onyx Path Virtual Gaming Con, powered by Gehenna Gaming! We have actual plays, panels, giveaways, and games you can sign up for to play all from the comfort of your own home!

All donations go to The Bodhana Group & Thurgood Marshall College Fund!

Come walk the Onyx Path with Us.

Details: https://theonyxpath.com/announcing-the-onyx-path-virtual-ga…/

Sign up for games: http://www.onyxpathcon.com

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:

PAX Unplugged: https://unplugged.paxsite.com/

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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)
• Adversaries of the Righteous (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• The Clades Companion (Deviant: The Renegades)
• The Devoted Companion (Deviant: The Renegades)
• Saints and Monsters (Scion 2nd Edition)
• Dead Man’s Rust (Scarred Lands)
• Trinity Continuum: Anima
• CtL 2e Novella Collection: Hollow Courts (Changeling: The Lost 2e)

Redlines

• Dragon-Blooded Novella #2 (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Hundred Devil’s Night Parade (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Novas Worldwide (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
• Exalted Essence Edition (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• M20 Rich Bastard’s Guide To Magick (Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary)
• V5 Children of the Blood (was The Faithful Undead) (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
• V5 Forbidden Religions (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
• Wild Hunt (Scion 2nd Edition)

Second Draft

• Many-Faced Strangers – Lunars Companion (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)
• Dearly Bleak – Novella (Deviant: The Renegades)
• Mission Statements (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
• Contagion Chronicle Ready-Made Characters (Chronicles of Darkness)
• Under Alien Suns (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
• V5 Trails of Ash and Bone (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
• Trinity Continuum: Adventure! core (Trinity Continuum: Adventure!)

Development

• TC: Aberrant Reference Screen (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
• Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Contagion Chronicle: Global Outbreaks (Chronicles of Darkness)
• M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
• Exigents (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• N!ternational Wrestling Entertainment (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
• Assassins (Trinity Continuum Core)

Manuscript Approval

• Crucible of Legends (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Post-Approval Development

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)
• Contagion Chronicle Jumpstart (Chronicles of Darkness)
• TC: Aberrant Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
• Trinity Continuum Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum)
• Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)
• LARP Rules (Scion 2nd Edition)
• Heirs to the Shogunate (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• The Book of Lasting Death (Mummy: The Curse 2e)
• They Came From Beyond the Grave! (They Came From!)
• Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)
• Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)

Post-Editing Development

• City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)
• W20 Shattered Dreams Gift Cards (Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th)
• Cults of the Blood Gods (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
• Hunter: The Vigil 2e core (Hunter: The Vigil 2nd Edition)
• Trinity Continuum: Aberrant core (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
• Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)
• Monsters of the Deep (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)
• Legendlore core book (Legendlore)
• Pirates of Pugmire KS-Added Adventure (Realms of Pugmire)
• Tales of Aquatic Terror (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)
• Terra Firma (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
• One Foot in the Grave Jumpstart (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2e)

Indexing

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Art Direction from Mike Chaney!

In Art Direction

• Scion Titanomachy
• Tales of Aquatic Terror
• WoD Ghost Hunters (KS) – KS final art: One more piece coming in still.
• Aberrant – AD’d. Comics in progress.
• Hunter: The Vigil 2e
• Mummy 2
• Deviant – Dividing up among current artists.
• Legendlore – KS running.
• Technocracy Reloaded (KS)
• Cults of the Blood God – Rolling along.
• Scion: Dragon (KS) – Waiting on art notes.
• Masks of the Mythos (KS) – Some tweaking to art notes and hiring artists.
• Scion: Demigod (KS) – Tweaking art notes, hiring artists.
• They Came From Beyond the Grave! (KS) – Art is arting. Gonna check in with artists to see how things are rolling along.
• TC: Adventure! (KS) – Cover art finishing.

In Layout

• Yugman’s Guide to Ghelspad
• Vigil Watch
• TC Aeon Terra Firma
• V5 Let the Streets Run Red
• Pugmire Adventure

Proofing

• Trinity Aeon Jumpstart – New artist taking care of finishing missing art.
• Lunars: Fangs at the Gate – Finishing Backer PDF errata.
• Contagion Chronicle – Getting ready for 2nd Proof.
• Cavaliers of Mars: City of the Towered Tombs
• Magic Item Decks (Scarred Lands)
• Yugman’s Guide Support Decks (Scarred Lands)
• Dark Eras 2 Screen and booklet at Paradox/WW for approval.

At Press

• Night Horrors : Nameless and Accursed – PDF and PoD versions on sale at DTRPG this Wednesday!
• Scion Companion – Backer PDF out to backers for errata.
• TCFBTS Heroic Land Dwellers – Prepping PoD files.
• TCFBTS Screen and Booklet – Files at press.
• They Came from Beneath the Sea! – Files at press.
• Creature Collection 5e – PoD files uploaded. Traditional files sent to printer.
• Pirates of Pugmire – Files at press. Prepping files for PoD.
• Pirates of Pugmire Screen – Files at press.
• Duke Rollo Aberrant Book: Swine & Cheese Party – Pod proof on the way.
• Pugmire Buried Bones – Gathering errata.
• Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition Dark Eras Compilation – Advance PDF on sale this Wednesday on DTRPG!

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Today’s Reason to Celebrate!

Today and the rest of the week are prepping for the first evah Onyx Path Virtual Gaming Convention, and a little celebration now for laying the groundwork, to be followed next week with celebrating both the con and surviving it, for those who do, seems in order! Salute to everyone behind the scenes who have been putting in long and complex hours to make this happen!