Welcome to the Release Roundup! Remember, this is where to go to find not just the month’s releases, but also the compiled project status updates for the last month.
This month’s Onyx Path releases include:
- Scarred Lands: Dead Man’s Rust (PDF/print)
- Scion: Tales of Heroes: A Scion Anthology (B&N Nook)
- Scion: Scion Player’s Guide: Saints & Monsters (advance PDF)
- They Came from Beneath the Sea!: Storypath Tasty Bit: They Came from the Bikini Beach Party! (PDF)
- Trinity Continuum: Aberrant: Panopticon (B&N Nook)
- Trinity Continuum: Aberrant: Terat (ebook/print)
- Trinity Continuum: Æon: Dawn (B&N Nook)
- Trinity Continuum: Æon: Meridian (B&N Nook)
- Chronicles of Darkness: Contagion Chronicle VTT tokens (digital)
- Mummy: The Curse: Mummy 2nd Edition VTT tokens (digital)
This month’s Community Content, from the Storypath Nexus, Slarecian Vault, and Canis Minor includes:
- Scarred Lands: 100 Knick-knacks for Ghelspad
- Scarred Lands: Gavel Squad
- Scion: Vini, Vidi, Vici, Part 1: Roman Setting for Scion
- Trinity Continuum: Aberrant: House Rules: Quantum
- Trinity Continuum: Aberrant: Terat Character Sheets
Crowdfunding Update
Our Kickstarter campaign for Trinity Continuum: Aether launched last week, and hit 100% funding within the first four hours! We’re currently at $42,298, or 211% of our initial $20,000 goal, thanks to our 829 backers! So far we’ve hit the following stretch goals:
- Aether Reference Screen
- Aether Ready-Made Characters
- Aether Jumpstart
- The Aethernaut Collection
Current Production Status
Items in bold have changed in status since last month. Early stages, such as proposal, outlines, and approvals, are not shown here.
Development: These stages typically happen first in a project, and concern the words you’re going to be reading.
- First Draft: Writers turn in their initial drafts
- Scion: Storypath Tasty Bit: Scion High
- They Came from [CLASSIFIED]!: Quip, Cinematic, Twist, and Fiendish Plot Cards
- They Came from the Cyclops’s Cave: Quip, Cinematic, Fantastic Settings, and Fiendish Plot Cards
- Trinity Continuum: Brave New Worlds
- Trinity Continuum: Aether: Six-Part Serial
- Trinity Continuum: Assassins: Jumpstart VTT Adventure
- The World Below (Storypath Fantasy)
- Exalted Essence: Novella 1: What Lies Forgotten
- Exalted Essence: Novella 2: Damned Lies
- Exalted Essence: Novella 3: (Cole)
- Exalted: Exalted Essay Collection
- Branch Riders
- Redlines: Developers make notes and desired changes to writers
- Trinity Continuum: Aegis
- Exalted: Dragon-Blooded Novella #2 (Lauren Roy)
- Exalted Essence: Pillars of Creation (was Essence Companion)
- Second/Final Draft: Writers turn in second drafts based on developer redlines
- Scion: Demigod Companion
- Trinity Continuum: Aberrant: Best At What I Do
- Trinity Continuum: Aberrant: From the Shadows
- Development: Developers tie everything together and make any desired final changes.
- Scion: Path to Apotheosis
- They Came from [Classified]: They Came from the Danger Zone!
- They Came from Beyond the Grave!: They Came from Camp Murder Lake! VTT Adventure
- Changeling: The Lost: The Hedge
- Manuscript Approval: The developed manuscript goes to Content Leads, In-House Developers, and the Creative Director for final approval.
- Trinity Continuum: Talent Player’s Guide
- Trinity Continuum: Adventure!: Danger Skies! (was Thrilling Tales)
- Mage: The Ascension: Melody through the Mirrorshades (Technocracy Novellas)
- Exalted: Sidereals
- Mage: The Awakening: Tome of the Pentacle
- Hunter: The Vigil: Hunter Jumpstart
- Hunter: The Vigil: Tending the Flame
- Post-Approval Development: If changes are requested from the previous stage, or additional miscellaneous development needs to be done.
- Exalted: Exigents
- Editing: Editors check for typos, nomenclature, and formatting errors.
- Scion: No Gods, No Masters
- Scion: God
- Scion: Storypath Tasty Bit: Making History Modern
- Scion: Dragon Jumpstart
- Scion: Dragon Companion
- Scion: Whispers from Darkness
- Trinity Continuum: Storypath Tasty Bit: Phoebe Trust
- Trinity Continuum: Adventure!: Adventure! Addendum
- Trinity Continuum: Aberrant: Hated and Feared
- Trinity Continuum: Aberrant: With Great Power
- Trinity Continuum: Anima: DLC
- Trinity Continuum: Anima Jumpstart: alt-AR (Cascade)
- Trinity Continuum: Anima Jumpstart: Shattered Seals (Terra Surge)
- Werewolf: The Apocalypse: Howls of Apocalypse Scenario Book
- Werewolf: The Apocalypse: Apocalyptic Record
- Mage: The Ascension: Lore of the Traditions
- Mage: The Ascension: Faces of Magick
- M20 Victorian Age: Weird Wonders and Revolutionary Magick
- M20 Victorian Age: Bizarre Tales and Unusual Characters
- Exalted: Lunars Novella (Rosenberg)
- Exalted: Essence
- Chronicles of Darkness: Contagion Chronicle: Global Outbreaks
- Post-Editing Development: Additional approval and minor fixes from developers.
- Scion: Wild Hunt
- Exalted: Many-Faced Strangers: The Lunars Companion
- Exalted: Adversaries of the Righteous
- Changeling: The Lost: Hollow Courts novella collection
- Indexing: Larger rulebooks have a comprehensive index created.
- None
Art Direction: These stages happen concurrently with the final stages of Development, and concern the visual appearance of the final product. Accordingly, some items may appear in both the Development and Art Direction lists.
- Art Direction: Art notes are collected from developers, and artists are hired according to the needs of the line and book.
- Scarred Lands: Vigil Watch: Kelder Mountains
- Scion: God 2nd Edition
- Scion: Dragon Jumpstart
- Scion: Realms of Magic and Mystery
- Scion: Once and Future
- They Came from the Cyclops’s Cave!
- They Came from the Cyclops’s Cave!: Jumpstart
- They Came from Beyond the Grave!: Monsters from the Crypt
- They Came from [Classified]!
- They Came from [Classified]!: Jumpstart
- Trinity Continuum: Aether
- Trinity Continuum: Adventure!: Jumpstart
- Trinity Continuum: Adventure!: Adventure! Addendum
- Trinity Continuum: Aberrant: Proteus Nova Compendium
- Trinity Continuum: Anima
- Werewolf: The Apocalypse: Apocalyptic Record
- Werewolf: The Apocalypse: Icons of Rage
- Werewolf: The Apocalypse: Howls of Apocalypse Scenario Book
- Mage: The Ascension: Lore of the Traditions
- Mage: The Ascension: Faces of Magick
- Mage: The Ascension: Forgotten and Forbidden Orders
- M20 Victorian Age: M20VA Jumpstart
- M20 Victorian Age: Weird Wonders and Revolutionary Magick
- M20 Victorian Age: Bizarre Tales and Unusual Characters
- Exalted: Crucible of Legends
- Exalted: Essence
- Exalted: Exigents
- Exalted: Across the Eight Directions
- Exalted: Adversaries of the Righteous
- Chronicles of Darkness: Contagion Chronicle Ready-Made Characters
- Deviant: The Renegades: The Clades Companion
- Deviant: The Renegades: The Devoted Companion
- Legendlore: Legacies of the Earth
- Realms of Pugmire: Squeaks in the Deep Companion
- In Layout: Typeface, coloration, and art are chosen, added to the manuscript text, and laid out for visual appeal.
- Scion: Masks of the Mythos
- Changeling: The Lost: Kith and Kin
- Mummy: The Curse: Book of Lasting Death
- Realms of Pugmire: Squeaks in the Deep Jumpstart
- Proofing: The final book layout is checked over by the art director, creative director, and sometimes the developer to make sure everything appears as it should.
- Scarred Lands: Dead Man’s Rust VTT
- Scarred Lands: Spiragos Collected Adventures
- Scion: Dragon
- Trinity Continuum: Adventure!
- Trinity Continuum: Aberrant: TCAberrant VTT
- Trinity Continuum: Æon: Mission Statements
- Mage: The Ascension: M20 Sorcerer
- Mage: The Ascension: Victorian Age
- At Press: The final product is being sent to printers or being prepped for digital release.
- Crossroads Continent: Down in the Hole: PoD proofs on the way.
- Scarred Lands: Dead Man’s Rust: Trad press files at printer.
- Scion: Scion Player’s Guide: Saints & Monsters: Errata-ing.
- Scion: Demigod: Trad press files at printer.
- Scion: Demigod Screen: Press files at printer.
- Trinity Continuum: Assassins: Need to put in PGXXs.
- Trinity Continuum: Aberrant: Novas Worldwide: Errata-ing
- Hunter: The Vigil: Hunter: The Vigil 2nd Edition: Trad press files at printer.
- Hunter: The Vigil: Hunter 2e ST Screen: Press files at printer.
- Realms of Pugmire: Squeaks in the Deep: Trad press files at printer.
- Realms of Pugmire: Squeaks in the Deep GM screen: Press files at printer.
- Realms of Pugmire: Squeaks in the Deep Bookmarks: At KS shipper.
I wish there was some kind of news or word on wta 5e. This long absolute silence is heartbreaking. Honestly im shocked htr got a 5e before wta. Makes me wonder who decides what gets worked on and whats get put on the backburner/left out in the cold. Its very fustrating. I know im not the only person wanting more of my faves around and that the ones i dont like or care for are someother peoples faves. But i cant help but feel like some kind of favortisum is happening when scion gets turn out like hotcakes but there radio silence on wta, ctl is struggling to get anything out, gts is all but dead and no one is saying anything. Id understand if they at least say “hey we arnt feeling gts and want to move onto something else.” Or “wta 5e is turning out to be more complcated than antisipated and will need much more time to get right.” A little communication would go a long way.
And yet, we have been communicating exactly these things. I personally have talked about how Onyx Path has nothing to do with Werewolf 5e, and how we don’t get to decide if CofD projects are created and released. Both of those things are decided on by the owners of the game lines, Paradox, and we at Onyx Path are only licensees. I understand your frustration and share it to some extent, but please don’t be frustrated at us – we have talked about these things all over our social media, the MMN blog each week, and during panels during our online convention appearances.
I feel your pain. There’s no good, central place for information on W5 development. My suggestion is (do what I do): get Notifications for Justin Achilli (@jachilli) on twitter. He’s the best source I’ve found for updates. Nice guy, too.
Also the World of Darkness News on Youtube will rarely mention it.
Hopefully W5 will get more coverage via Paradox social media like WoDNews once it is in a state that they can say actual things about it. Different companies handle the creation info process differently – we tend towards transparency – but a lot of companies have been burnt and hold back until the project hits a certain point. Justin is great to follow for itty bitty tidbits of info as he works on things, but those are all work-in-progress and certainly not official press release-style info. Just putting that out there so that folks don’t think he’s a PR rep or anything like that.
To make it as clear as possible:
Obviously we’re not going to talk a lot about projects that we’re not involved in creating. If you have questions about those game lines, I’m afraid there’s not much we can do to help other than point you to the World of Darkness team’s social media.
Changeling: The Lost has a couple of books in production, as do some other lines, but as Rich says, it’s not up to us whether or not new books get greenlit. That’s up to Paradox. We’re creating the books we’ve been approved to create.
That means we don’t have to check in with anyone else when producing Scion projects, we get to make what we want, when we want it. We love the WoD and CofD games, but we don’t own them and we’re simply not at liberty to make any and every books we want to make for those lines we don’t control. This may seem like we’re showing favouritism — and I guess we are, in a way — but it’s not based on how much we like the properties, just the practicalities of producing material under license vs. material that we own and control.
As I understand it WtA is being developed by another house under Paradox and OPP isn’t involved. You might be able to find more information from Paradox directly.
Also – it’s important to remember that each OPP product is worked on by different teams under different conditions. I’m sure they love all their babies equally, but things each move at their own pace and the properties (like Scion) they own naturally move more quickly through approvals and development than those they work on under license.
Branch Riders sounds very interesting. My first thought was a product about travelling between the different realities of the Trinity Continuum, but apparently not. Still, any game about multiversal travel gets my attention.