At the Monday Meeting today, we were kidding around about today being the ooooo-scary! Monday the 13th. Which, it’s really not, so it’s like Friday the 13th’s little sibling. It tries, but no. I mean, 13 is one of our cool, probably scary numbers, but it needs to be given a context. I made a bit of a thing out of last year being Onyx Path‘s 13th year in business, but that really only had a truly scary connection because we were launching Curseborne.

Otherwise, not that scary by itself.

Now this year, 2025, there’s some scary, strange, stuff potentially going on that could impact things all year. We’re looking at things here in the US, where we’re based, but there’s a lot going on around the world, too. Things that could affect shipping, printing, taxes, tariffs, and just generally how we make and deliver our projects to all of you. As always, I and the courageous crew of the SS Onyx Path are going to keep an eye out for icebergs, tidal waves, the Flying Dutchman, and getting trapped in the Sargasso Sea.

We’ve done it before, after all.

One area, or arena, that looks to be changing this coming year is social media. As social media evolves (or mutates), we have expanded our presence into a variety of venues. We have our own website forums, and our blogs (like this) also on our website. We’re on Facebook (META) as a company, but also with gameline-specific pages. Which I know a lot of our long-time fans have been, as well. So if y’all aren’t there any longer, we too will look for where our community is comfortable. (We’re on Instagram (META), as well.)

And then there’s Tiktok, which we posted on to great effect during the buildup to Curseborne, in particular, but nobody knows what new laws might do to our connections to it. So, maybe look for us there?

Fortunately, we’re also posting on: YouTube, Discord, Twitch, Pinterest, Tumblr, Linktree, and Bluesky! You can get links here, in fact: https://linktr.ee/theonyxpath

In fact, with a lot of folks moving out of the META social media, Facebook and Instagram, here’s our info on Bluesky, which includes a fun and useful feature they have over there. Dixie explains:

For those who aren’t aware, Onyx Path is now on Bluesky (https://bsky.app/)! Bluesky is a microblogging app similar to the old days of Twitter. One of the features on Bluesky is Starter Packs, which allow you to follow multiple accounts at once, so we’ve made one for our freelancers you can follow here: https://bsky.app/starter-pack/theonyxpath.bsky.social/3laz43eiw3u22

We’re continuing to update it as freelancers let us know their Bluesky handles, so never miss a skeet (that’s what they’re called) from the Onyx Path team! You can also just follow us for company updates at @theonyxpath.bsky.social

Hope to see you all in bluer skies!

So, despite these potential icebergs, now let’s look at some good things coming up. Travis let’s us in on a great community-driven event – the return of the Storypath Nexus Game Jam!:

Our friend Awkward GM Corbin is putting together another Storypath Nexus Game Jam and we wanted to let you know to get ready! 

The Storypath Nexus Game Jam will take place between noon February 1st to 22nd, 2025. Judge and Popularity votes will take place between February 23rd and 28th, 2025. Judges are allowed to score submitted entries early to speed up the process. During the course of the contest, judges and contestants will be encouraged to stream their design process and content.

The winners will be announced on Onyx Path Publishing’s Twitch Stream at 8pm ET on February 28th, 2024.

Themes, metrics and prizes will be announced soon! Watch this space and the Storypath Nexus channel on our Discord for more information!

Today we reviewed where we are on gathering what we (and James) will need for the Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars crowdfunding campaign, as we want to get that ready and we need to be sure the text, the crowdfunding page graphics, the lists of rewards and stretch goals, and the art, are all ready to build the page. We’re going to be featuring a lot of Larry Blamire’s art for this, as he has been creating all sorts of visuals and even sounds for this, his world.

To fill you in, if you’re not familiar, Larry Blamire is a multi-talented, multi-media, creator, who writes, paints, acts, directs – I’ve heard he even sings! (Maybe we can get him to compose and sing the Ballad of the Rigs for Steam Wars!) you can look him up, or if you’ve followed our They Came From games, Larry has done art and writing in Beneath the Sea, including the cover; Cyclops Cave, including the cover; and the funded but still upcoming They Came From the RPG Anthology! book. And the cover.

And also three pieces of art in this blog today.

As you might imagine, looking at those gamebooks, Larry has a great sense of humor, but Steam Wars is more about his love of adventure and exciting storylines against a gritty background. In this case, the adventures and tribulations of the crews of the “Rigs” – steam-powered, fighting, giant, human-shaped, war machines. With Larry’s permission, we’ve taken this as an opportunity to demonstrate how the “multiverse” of the Trinity Continuum can have very divergent worlds. The setting for Steam Wars is one of these, lightly parallel to our real world around the World Wars, but not directly connected to, say, TC: Aegis.

Unless you and your table want it to be.

Plus, we’re using this as a chance to explore how the Storypath Ultra rules can power a Trinity Continuum game, since it’s already as I described above.

It should be lots of fun – and more news as the crowdfunding campaign approaches!

Now here’s a bit of news that wasn’t discussed or even mentioned at the meeting, so you’re finding out about it as our Onyx Path crew does, since I only talked to Rose about setting a time for it this evening: On Weds morning, currently 10am EST, I’ll be sitting in on an AMA on RPG.net hosted by Rose Bailey all about “supers” gaming.

While there are plenty of overt superhero games, like our own TC: Aberrant, I believe that Rose is also interested in games where you’re playing characters that can be connected to supers but maybe aren’t overt about it. So both Exalted and Scion would fall into that category, as Rose casts her net outside the obvious. Having worked on and greenlit both the White Wolf and Onyx Path versions of these sorts of games, Rose asked me to pop on and share some stories and answers questions about how we did or didn’t deal with superheroes. What decisions were made why, that sort of stuff.

I don’t know who else will also drop by, but please do drop by yourself if the subject matter sounds interesting to you!

And that, as they say is that, for this week. Hope you all have great ones until next week when I’ll be here with more info about our:

Many Worlds, One Path!

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Blurbs!

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Crowdfunding!

Trinity Continuum: Steam Wars

Coming Early in ’25!

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Onyx Path Media!

Check out our attached abbreviated media schedule for the videos on our Twitch channel this week!

On this week’s Onyx Path News Matthew discusses upcoming The World Below merch and Curseborne! Check it out right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDVz9CDwcEc

On The Gentleman Gamer’s YouTube channel, we have a new Gentleman’s Guide to the Accursed with his guide to the Hyde family of the Primal! Check out this official lore drop about the scientists here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ4tMa8NxEI

And if you’re a fan of Curseborne, here’s a fun video on taking a character from mortal to Accursed: https://youtu.be/nL79S_WIkn4

If you’d like to keep up with a They Came from [CLASSIFIED]! actual play, here’s part three of Operation: Rayne Fall! https://youtu.be/rthDtuN6qkQ

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Virtual Tabletop!

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/

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

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!

We’re putting up the Trinity Continuum Community Content Style Guide on StoryPath Nexus…and…the Trinity Continuum Core Streamkit and Deviant: The Renegades Tokens for all your VTT needs (or at least for those specific games) on DTRPG this Wednesday!

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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!

Game Night With Onyx Path Publishing at StartPlaying is the last Friday of each month! Come play some Curseborne 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 December’s full list report here: https://theonyxpath.com/release-roundup-december-2024/

DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM EDDY!

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

FINAL DRAFT

At the Gates – Jumpstart

• Woohoo! Onto finals with this very exciting adventure. It’s angling to be the perfect gateway into the setting.

EDITING

Exalted – Champions of the Divine Flame

• The Divine Flame continues to burn! After setting the approvals world on fire, it’s now off to editing!

POST-EDITING DEVELOPMENT

Curseborne – Curseborne Antagonist #2 (Feb 2025 Tasty Bit)

• The Nexus is really going to ruin someone’s day. Week. Life.

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ART DIRECTION FROM MIKE CHANEY!

In Art Direction

• Ex3 Miracles of the Divine Flame – Full page sketch approvals sent, half-page sketches coming in.
• SCION Titans Rising – Contracted
• SCION Mythic Shards – Contracted
• Pugmire 2e Jumpstart. – Sending over to Gong
• Branch Riders – Getting notes over to Gong
• TC: SteamWars – Prepping crowdfunding stuff.

Layout

• Scion Tasty Bit Combo
• Ex Essence Pillars of Creation
• TC With Great Power – Comic sketches approved.
• TCF RPG Anthology 
• TC Aether Screen
• SCION God Storyguide Screen
• World Below Screen
• Pugmire 2e Screen
• SCION God Storyguide Screen
• TC Anima Jumpstart (Terra Surge) – with Ron Thompson, first proof this week.

Proofing

• TCF RPG Anthology – Prepping character sheet and rest of book for backer release.
• TC Aegis – Second proof.

Indexing

At Press

• Reprints:
• Scion Origin – At Studio2.
• TC Core – At Studio2.

• Ex 3 Exigents – Quoting and press files.
• Ex 3 Exigents Screen – At Studio 2
• TC Aether – Quoting and press files.
• Ex 3 Sidereals – Quoting and press files.
• Scion: God – Quoting and press files.
• The World Below – Filling in xxs. 
• Ex Essence Deeds Yet Undone – PoD uploaded.
• M20 Faces of Magick – Gathering backer errata.
• M20 Forbidden and Forgotten Orders – Gathering backer errata.
• Trinity Continuum CC – Going live on Storypath Nexus on Weds.!

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Today’s Reason to Celebrate!

Today we celebrate the courage and spirit of all of our friends in California who are surviving the freakish paths of destruction from the wildfires.