Here we go! The last few tail-end days of the Lair of the Rat Kings crowdfunder on BackerKit!
We’re reaaally close to 300% funding – you might say only a whisker away! That would be really super and would mean we’ve passed another Stretch Goal achievement and have even nicer maps of the underground!
Here’s Eddy to give you one more heartfelt message of encouragement, and one more preview!
We’re so close to 300% funded! It’s the last few days of the crowdfunding campaign, so if you’ve been on the fence, now’s the time! In the spirit of last-minute decisions, here’s a bit from one of the more light-hearted encounters in the book: Drodomo Racing!
Drodomo Racing
You begin to hear what sounds like a low roar in the distance, rising and falling irregularly. At first, it sounds like it could maybe just be the wind whipping through the underground caverns, but as you draw closer, the singular sound fractures into individual voices, cheering and groaning in turn. As you round a corner, you see a large entrance to a well-lit cavern, and through the gaps in the crowd you see flashes of something colorful — and fast.
The characters have stumbled upon a drodomo-racing arena, where the flightless, crystalline birds have been trained to run on command. Beyond the crowd is a large, ovoid track, and after observing for a few minutes, it’s clear that the drodomos’ training is spotty at best, with some turning and running the opposite direction, some occasionally dashing toward the crowd, and harried drodomo trainers waving bright flags between two drodomos who look like they might try to merge into a drododo (p. XX). All visible drodos are of the single-headed drodomo variety, though there’s a rainbow of colors present from brightest red to deepest violet.
Though the track takes up the bulk of the massive cavern, with ramshackle stands lining one side, along the wall behind the crowds is an array of stalls and tents selling food and drink and taking bets. At the far end, the drodomo pens are partially full, with each one in its own stall to avoid merging. The characters might rest for a while here, watching the races and eating hot mushroom stew out of crusty bread bowls. If they would like to place bets, they can go to the betting stall, at which point you may read the following:
As you approach the wooden stall with its patched green awning, you see a large rat inside wearing a tall hat and glasses. He’s making scratch marks in a worn leather journal as he counts plastic coins into a lockbox with a slot on top. He looks up when you stop, a wide grin spreading over his face.
“Hello friends! Always nice to see new faces! Would you like to place a bet? Number 7’s been getting good returns today.” He points at a crude chart hung up on the wall inside his stall, with numbers next to small drawing of the drodomo racers, showing each one’s color.
If the players want to place bets on one of the ten drodomos, they can. There are enough drodomos to challenge the characters in your party in a fight, all in different shades of various colors. Roll on the table below to see if their drodomo wins a certain race, and races happen at intervals of 30 minutes, with a pawful of drodomos racing in each. If a character wins their bet, they may move their plastic track up by one rank (to a maximum of “many coins”). If they lose, they move it down by one rank. Characters with no coins cannot bet, or else must put up something they value as a wager.Drodomo Racing Outcomes (d20)
Roll Result 1 Chosen drodo runs in the opposite direction 2-10 Chosen drodo loses 11-19 Chosen drodo wins 20 Chosen drodo wins and then breaks into the crowd
There’s really a lot of great stuff in this book, and with all the possible adventures in the realms of Pugmire above ground added to the underground passages, caverns, and dungeons detailed in this book, you’ve got an entire world to explore!
Hope you get a chance to pledge before Thursday!
I had to send one of your Curseborne books to its room until it behaved.
Yes, that was actually a note today during our meeting, as Matthew rejoined the meeting after taking some vacay. He was disturbed to discover that one of our Onyx Pathcast vids on YouTube had seemingly been tampered with, but Travis, who reported it, couldn’t say how!
Is that the fluttering of moths I hear?
There’s a Vampire the Requiem Sale on DTRPG right now, I’m told, for any of you interested:
Here’s some news from Travis about our Twitch offerings this week:
This week on Twitch we are starting things off with a bang as ComradeBubbles returns to the channel for a new season of Behind the Screen on Tuesday at 9 AM EDT! This season they will be preparing a pitch for the forthcoming Storypath Ultra Third Party License! Watch as they take their idea from concept to pitch and beyond, broadcasting biweekly!
On Wednesday night at 7 PM EDT AwkwardGM Corbin returns with a new installment of Curseborne: Accursed in Boston!
Thursday brings us a new episode of Guiding the Path with Tom Murr at 4 PM EDT!
Our programming week wraps up on Monday at 9 PM EDT with a new episode of Mike Athey’s Trinity Continuum: Adventure! Air Circus!
And here’s another blurb by Travis about his Scarred Lands projects:
The Scarred Lands Player’s Guide for Savage Worlds proofs have been ordered, and late pledges are closed! With luck, I’ll receive proofs this week! If everything looks good, I will be sending coupons out to the backers, and putting the book out for public release! I look forward to sharing this book with you and making the Scarred Lands fully available for the Savage Worlds system!
Gonna take the opportunity to read through the Jadestorm text Matthew sent my way (in preparation for its crowdfunder coming up really soon in August), and keeping rolling on more Curseborne Covenant symbols! You folks have a great week, and I’ll talk to y’all next week!
Always love talking about all our:
Many Worlds… One Path!
Blurbs!
Crowdfunding!
Meep! Meep! Enter, if you dare, the Lair of the Rat Kings! Headed to 300% funded so far!
You can check it out with this link – so you don’t miss the tail end of the campaign!
Coming to Crowdfunding Next in August! Jadestorm for the Earthbane Cycle!
Onyx Path Media!
Check out our attached media schedule for the videos on our Twitch channel this week!
On this week’s Onyx Path News, Matthew discusses Alchemicals, Scarred Lands, and Lair of the Rat Kings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPNOcfZ78Ww
On The Gentleman Gamer YouTube channel, Matthew explains the Defense and Integrity systems in Storypath Ultra: https://youtu.be/PjTJxqXYL0c
Virtual Tabletop!
Check it out now! The Scion Demiplane Nexus! Click here for Early Access:
Campaigns for Scion Nexus went live last week as well. This blog post explains how Campaigns work on Demiplane:
https://www.demiplane.com/blog/campaigns-have-arrived
Scion Demigod Available on Roll20 NOW!
The Scion: Origin and Scion Hero Compendiums are now available on Roll20!
https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/publisher/1716/onyx-path-publishing
The first of our official Scion sheets designed for Foundry VTT are now available! https://foundryvtt.co
They Came From Beneath the Sea! on Roll20 VTT!
https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/bundle/22308/they-came-from-beneath-the-sea
Looking for more virtual tabletop resources? We have a selection of tokens, encounters, and more available now at DriveThruRPG! https://bit.ly/3SnrNJ7
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!
Select Chronicles of Darkness Screens and Monarchies of Mau books, screens, and dice 50% off at Studio 2:
https://studio2publishing.com/collections/onx-onyx-path-publishing
Some more deluxe books have popped up on Studio 2, with more on the way.
https://studio2publishing.com/collections/onx-onyx-path-publishing
As always, you can find Onyx Path’s titles in PDF and PoD versions at DriveThruRPG.com!
The Vampire: The Requiem Sale is live now:
https://www.storytellersvault.com/en/browse?promo=1000774
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).
On Sale This Week!
Examples and terrifying details on all the kinds of liminal spaces in Curseborne – Tattered Webs PDF and PoD versions are available this Weds on DTRPG!
On Sale Last Week!
Forged by the machine god, the Exalted: Alchemicals PDF and PoD versions are available now on DTRPG!
Conventions!
Here’s where you can find out more info on physical and virtual conventions we’re going to be involved with!
Fan Expo Chicago – This coming weekend: August 14th – 16th (handing out some swag and maybe some pick-up demos in the game room).
Twin Cities Con – November 20th – 22nd (Game Room demos).
PAX Unplugged – December 4th – 6th (Studio 2 will have our books and more).
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-2026/
DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM EDDY!
Here are the projects that moved to the next stage of production:
First Draft
SPU Tasty Bit – Support Cast (November 2026)
- Our year of Storypath Ultra Tasty Bits is coming to a close. The one for November will center around expanding on Bonds and contacts!
Editing
Exalted Essence Storyteller’s Guide
- The Storyteller’s Guide for Exalted Essence got some great feedback, which has been incorporated into the manuscript. Now it’s off to editing!
Post-Editing Development
Alchemicals Companion: Avatars of Brass and Shadow (Exalted)
- Speaking of Exalted, another stretch goal book came back from editing, so Avatars of Brass and Shadow is now back in developer hands to review the edits!
Blood on the Dance Floor (Curseborne Jumpstart from Player’s Guide KS)
- Our editors have been kicking ass recently, as the second Curseborne Jumpstart is also back from editing and in developer hands!
ART DIRECTION FROM MIKE CHANEY!
In Art Direction
- Ex3 Abyssals Companion – Sending to Navella.
- Ex3 Sidereals Companion – OK… since Gong is done with crowdfunder art and Monster Kingdoms, planning on sending this to them.
- Curseborne Covenant – Artwork still coming in.
- TC Steam Wars – Digging up samples for potential splat artists.
- Jadestorm (BK) – Gong’s finals are in… Navella should have them in the next few days. Meanwhile I continue to work on the logo and prep the crowdfunder assets.
- Curseborne PG – More stuff incoming.
- Lair of the Rat King (BK) – Crowdfunder finishing Thursday.
Layout Queue
- Curseborne Compact Edition
- Ex Essence PG – Still working on it…
- TC Danger Skies – With Ron Thompson.
- Curseborne Screen – Still working on it.
Proofing Queue
- Curseborne Community Content Stuff
- Essence PG Novella 1 – Murder on the Divine Carriage – Awaiting Paradox approval.
- Essence PG Novella 2 – Even the Heavens Will Burn – Awaiting Paradox approval.
At Press
- They Came From the RPG Antho – Rewards shipping to backers.
- Curseborne – Interior press files ready.
- Curseborne Jumpstart – PoD proofs ordered. Interior Press files ready.
- Making of Curseborne – Interior press files ready.
- At The Gates – Errata form in so I’m busy on that for a day or two.
- TCF Cyclops Cave Jumpstart – PoD proofs ordered.
- Curseborne Tangled Webs – PDF and PoD versions available on DTRPG this Weds!
Today’s Reason to Celebrate!
I’m pointing out that today is the birthday of Hieronymus Praetorius the Elder (10 August 1560 – 27 January 1629) because he has such a cool name and everybody should use it in their games. Other than that, he was a Northern German composer and organist of the late Renaissance and early Baroque whose polychoral motets in 8 to 20 voices are intricate and vividly expressive.