If you haven’t noticed that They Came From [CLASSIFIED]! went on sale last week, you will be super-aware of it by the end of this blog!
Like I mentioned last week, I’m a huge fan of the spy and super-spy genre. So in terms of connection and enjoyment, [CLASSIFIED]! is really a treat for me and a super lot of fun to stretch my designer muscles on, in that we’re really specifically aiming at the 50s, 60s, 70s spy movies. I really enjoyed Daniel Craig’s Bond, but not a lot of wacky double-entendres there. (I won’t say none, but nothing like Connery and Moore).
Plus, while I’m a Bond fan, and enjoy the Matt Helm and Derek Flint movies, I am actually more of a TV spy fan. I just missed the Man From Uncle and I Spy era, but because of reruns I utterly adored Mission: Impossible and The Wild Wild West, which was one of the last shows made during that craze. Get Smart was that era’s comedic version of the straight spy dramas, decades before Austin Powers, and I caught Max and 99’s adventures regularly.
“Sorry about that, Chief.”
But most of all, in terms of the kind of spy shows I loved, that’s all about how UK programming drifted into the US when I was a kid. The Avengers blew my mind because it was just not like anything that said “spy show” to me, and then my all-time favorite, The Prisoner, kicked my rest of my young brain across the street and replaced it with: “Be seeing you!”
“I am not a number – I am a free man!”
So, part of the reason for my doing the layout of [CLASSIFIED]! was getting to play games with the visuals to provide a 60s-ish graphic look inspired by those shows and to a lesser extent the movies. Beyond the fonts, colors, and graphic design – all put together to evoke that spread of decades – there were places in the book where I needed an extra piece of art or graphics, and it was in those places that I also got to push a bit harder into the 60s visuals.
Thankfully, we had the cover piece from Durwin Talon that I could riff off of in a variety of ways while still giving it the much-deserved cover spot, and which was amazingly flexible in terms of what else I could do with it. Like the piece up above, and this one – which is a section of a larger one that has all the names of the antagonists in the book behind our daring duo!
So, besides my thoughts on the book, how about Matthew’s? After all, our joint interests in the genre certainly informed how we approached it via our respective creative disciplines – and made for a lot of fun calls discussing it!
And like that, appearing through the secret escape hatch, here he is:
Rich asked me to wax lyrical about why I think [CLASSIFIED]! is such a good game. I could make a list of the highlights, but instead I thought I’d write it out in long form.
In my younger years I was absolutely in love with the Bond movies, The Avengers, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Jason King and Department S, and The Prisoner. They were all repeated on ITV (a channel in the UK) on Saturdays, so they became regular viewing. I loved the aesthetics, I loved the action, I loved the humour, I loved the satire. Patrick McGoohan, Patrick Macnee, and Peter Wyngarde were some of my favourite actors some decades after the spotlights had long since dimmed (McGoohan appeared from time to time in the 1990s, such as in Braveheart, but their heydays were over). I even wrote Wyngarde some fanmail during his wilderness years and got a letter inviting me to come meet him which my dad told me I was under no circumstances allowed to do.
Wyngarde had a bit of a reputation.
Anyway, my first exposure to spy-fi RPGs was via Top Secret, and later Spycraft. They were both fun games (though one of my worst gaming experiences was a game of Top Secret, unrelated to the game itself so much as it was the GM) but neither had the feel of fun I experienced when watching those old spy and adventure shows of years gone by.
Fast forward twenty something years (dear God) and I have the opportunity to develop They Came from [CLASSIFIED]! For the longest time I hadn’t engaged with the aforementioned spy media, and now I had a work reason to do so. And when I did, all the nostalgia came flooding back. I hadn’t realised how much I enjoyed the spirit of these shows, the sexiness, the innuendos, the charm on a lead’s face, the quips when delivering a coup de grace, or indeed how much all of that connected to the various They Came Froms I’d already developed.
That made [CLASSIFIED]! the perfect distillation (for me) of my love of a genre. It became the perfect way of conveying the humour and adventurousness I craved from an RPG but also my media. Each of the Archetypes were more or less formed instantly, the Quips were natural, the Cinematics ideally placed, the Masterminds and Henchpeople chapter a beautiful rogues gallery of everything from serious Cold War menaces to wacky clown assassins as appearing in the much maligned Avengers episode “Look – (Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One) But There Were These Two Fellers…” and so on.
When I read [CLASSIFIED]!, I smile. The writers did such a fantastic job channelling the desired tone. When I look at the art in the book, I smile. Those fulls by Durwin Talon in particular are just wonderful. When I run They Came from [CLASSIFIED]!, I smile and crucially, the players laugh. It’s a game I find enormously easy to run. I would of course recommend any They Came From to any of you, but if you want a glimpse into my tortured psyche and sense of humour, They Came from [CLASSIFIED]! is a pretty good introduction, and you’ll have a lot of fun reading it, running it, and playing it.
And as a follow-up week to Cyclops’s Cave and [CLASSIFIED] coming out these last two Wednesdays on DTRPG, this Wednesday we have both the various card play-aids for Cyclops’s and [CLASSIFIED]! Quip and Cinematic decks allow for easy and dynamic play of your characters’ special abilities. Fiendish Plots add to a Director’s arsenal of ready-to-play stories, twists, and stings in the cinematic tail. Come equipped with both decks to fully stock your They Came From games!
Plus, this month’s Tasty Bit is a Villain-themed PDF called the Ministry of Disorder for [CLASSIFIED] primarily, although it certainly could be used with a different game.
It’s all about the villains when you’re looking at spy movies and shows, isn’t it?
Then on Friday, our regular Onyx Pathcast villains, Matthew and Eddy, will be looking at [CLASSIFIED] on the show, and other games as well that could support the super-spy play-style, and on our Twitch channel, we have The Beginners’ Guide to They Came From the Cyclops’s Cave! at 8pm Tuesday, They Came From [CLASSIFIED]!: Operation Fabric Spy on Wednesday at 9pm, and back to Cyclops’s Cave on Friday at 12 noon with Warriors of Legend!
So if you want to know more about these two game lines, just pop over to our Twitch channel and enjoy!
Not Exactly [CLASSIFIED]!
But would you really want it to be at this point?
No, we actually did talk about a bunch of other things at the Monday Meeting today, and a large part of that was the upcoming BackerKit crowdfunding campaign for At The Gates!
Have I mentioned that you can register on the pre-campaign page by hitting this link?
https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/4bee2599-c6a8-4b43-957f-556265b83e37/landing
Remember, the At The Gates Ashcan PDF is available over on DTRPG, and I’m expecting the PoD proofs any day now in case you’d like to have a physical copy!
Wow! With everything coming together for this, our latest fantasy game in the Earthbane Cycle, here’s creator and developer Danielle Lauzon with some thoughts:
Everyone purchasing, sharing, and commenting on the At the Gates Ashcan Edition has been so amazing. We’re almost at Electrum Best Seller on DriveThruRPG (like 10 copies away, so if you haven’t bought it…) and that is wild to me. I’ve shared quite a bit of lore stuff on the weekly blog, but I ran out of cool things to show off without just showing the whole book. Today Rich asked me to write some stuff up for the Monday Meeting blog. Instead of sharing direct text, I’m going to talk about the start of this project and how amazing the creatives have been.
When I pitched this project, I was pretty confident that there’s a market for it. I was also confident that I had a fun and interesting setting concept that people would love. When I reached out to authors, I wasn’t quite expecting the absolute outpouring of enthusiasm and excitement I got in response. Everyone flooded me with tales about how they played a specific game when they were younger that influenced how they think about all games forever, and how that game was unanimously some JRPG or another. It was so affirming seeing that all my authors not only instantly got the vibe and feel I was going for, but that I was right on the feeling that folks are interested in this kind of product.
Some people have asked a couple of times “What if I’m not super into JRPGs?” or “I’ve only played X JRPG, will I still have fun with At the Gates?” And the answer to all those questions is a resounding yes. At the Gates isn’t a JRPG simulator. Nor is it so immersed in the genre that you must understand it to understand the game. If you’re familiar with any kind of high fantasy genre stories, from The Hobbit to the Chronicles of Narnia, you’ll find yourself right at home with At the Gates. This game is set in a fantasy world, and we use fantasy tropes to help ground you, but the game itself is unique and vivid. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the previews we’ve already posted, you can find them on the blog with the At the Gates tag. Or you can check out the Ashcan edition on DTRPG.
Exciting times, indeed, but we’re not done yet!
How about the super and unique Fetch Quest Sale happening right now of both the physical cards as well as the Roll20 VTT version of this fun and frankly adorable card game designed by Eddy Webb for the Realms of Pugmire?
Check it all out here, at the Fetch Quest & Tales of Good Dogs Sale at DriveThruCards:
https://www.drivethrucards.com/featured.php?promotion_id=FQ_Sale_24
Also, over the weekend, Kim Godwin sat down in a Meet Your Makers interview on our Twitch channel, and talked about a lot of her work…including some info about Scion‘s mysterious Mythic Shards book.
Finally, just wanted to share that I have actually put up a second forum post on our Onyx Path Crossroads Continent forums! I know, two in one year! This one is all about how the players got their characters figured out and how we used their interests and expectations for the game to get them situated in the world and on the road to adventure!
I touch on the challenges of bringing together two different generations of gamers and some of how I handled those rules and tonal differences. Totally just how it is at our table, YMMV, but I figured that in this era of super-increased interest in TTRPG gaming, some of y’all might be dealing with the same challenges of integrating players who are coming at your game from different directions.
So far, my folks tell me they are all having fun and they keep asking when the next session’s going to be. Which is really the core of our hobby, and also the raison d’etre of our:
Many Worlds, One Path!
Blurbs!
Crowdfunding!:
Coming May 7th on BackerKit: At The Gates!
Follow this link to sign up to be notified when it goes live! https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/4bee2599-c6a8-4b43-957f-556265b83e37/landing
And let’s not forget this awesome Ashcan:
Check it out on DTRPG! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/475586
Onyx Path Media!
This week: Matthew and Eddy talk about espionage gaming in They Came From [CLASSIFIED]! and Trinity Continuum!
As always, this Friday’s Onyx Pathcast will be on Podbean or your favorite podcast venue!
Please check out our attached media schedule for the videos on our Twitch channel this week! In particular, keep those eyes open for our Storypath Showcase, where we give an excellent profile of our various Storypath games and how to play them!
MEDIA HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK:
To celebrate last week’s release of They Came from [CLASSIFIED]!, enjoy this excellent actual play from Red Moon Roleplaying: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDWVdxAc0N0
The Onyx Path News discusses recent and upcoming releases! You can find it on our YouTube channel (click the bell to be informed when we go live!) but if you missed the last episode, here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT-FyU1BjdM
Virtual Tabletop!
The Monsters of the Deep Compendium with all of the monsters added to the They Came From Beneath the Sea! Compendium core, including Tokens for VTT play, will be on Roll20 and DTRPG this Weds!
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
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!
Fetch Quest & Tales of Good Dogs Sale at DriveThruCards:
https://www.drivethrucards.com/featured.php?promotion_id=FQ_Sale_24
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).
Check out Melody Through the Mirrorshade Lens and Facets of Truth, as well as Trinity Continuum: Terat and The Hollow Courts on Kindle in the Kindle store!
On Sale This Week!
This Weds we’re releasing the various card sets for both They Came From [CLASSIFIED]! and They Came From the Cyclops’s Cave! These card sets will simplify your They Came From fun, and are easy to use at the table – nothing beats slapping down your Quip card and causing mass hilarity! PDF and PoD versions of the Cyclops’s Cave! Quip, Cinematic, Fantastic Settings, and Fiendish Plot Cards, and the [CLASSIFIED]! Quip, Cinematic, Twist, and Fiendish Plot Cards – all on sale this Weds on DTRPG!
Also this week, your monthly Tasty Bit PDF, also set in the They Came From [CLASSIFIED]! setting: The Ministry of Disorder, on DTRPG!
Conventions!
As we are slowly returning to attending conventions in person after avoiding them during the COVID-19 outbreak, keep an eye out here for more physical and virtual conventions we’re going to be involved with!
Matthew and Eddy and a few of our other Onyx Path creators will be attending and even running games at UK Games Expo in May.
We will be repped by Studio 2 (and maybe IPR) at Origins Game Fair in June.
Onyx Path Virtual Con will be June 14-16.
Game Night With Onyx Path Publishing at StartPlaying will be this Friday the 26th! 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
Project Status Updates!
Our full list of projects will be available monthly on our blog! Check out March’s full list report here:
DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM EDDY
Here are the projects that moved to the next stage of production:
FINAL DRAFTS
Exalted – Sidereals Novella
- Danielle: Lauren Roy has gone through this and sent it along to Elliott for revisions. I’m sure it is an excellent read already, but she mentioned tightening up some plot points. Glad to have Lauren’s expertise on this.
The World Below – Underworld Adventures
- Matthew: Chris Jones has assembled four fantastic adventures for The World Below, ranging from saving a settlement from a fungal plague to actually facing down (and maybe destroying!) one of the infamous Well Liches. This book’s going to be amazing.
ART DIRECTION FROM MIKE CHANEY!
In Art Direction
- The World Below – Actually sending out artnotes.
- TC With Great Power – Reviewing sketches.
- Pugmire 2e – Sent more sketch feedback to Navela.
- At The Gates (BK) – James is assembling the list for me… I’m knocking out the basic assets Monday morning before the meeting.
- Branch Riders – First three color pieces in and over to the fellas for approval.
In Layout
- Ex3 Sidereals – Charms chapter done.. working on the Merits chapter (the one with the splats).
- Ex Essence Charm Cards – Progressing.
- Ex 3 Exigents Screen – Since the page xxs and all that jazz are in, time to do the screen.
- CofD Contagion Chronicles RMCs
- Squeaks in the Deep Companion
- Ex Essence Jumpstart – Still getting Travis the paragraph styles for Essence stats.
Proofing
- M20 Victorian Jumpstart – Gonna try and wrap up this thing this week.
- DTR Clade Companion – sent corrections back to Pauline.
- April Tasty Bit – inputting corrections from Matthew. On sale Weds.
Indexing
- TC Aether
- Scion God
At Press
- Reprints:
- Scion Origin – Looking at proofs.
- TC Core – Looking at proofs.
- TC Aeon – Printer files uploaded.
- Exalted Essence – Printing.
- Ex Essence Screen – At Studio 2.
- TC Anima Terra Surge Screen – Sending info to screen printer for quotes.
- TC Anima – Pinging printer about cover specs again.
- M20 Lore of the Traditions – Printing.
- They Came From the Cyclops Cave! – Pinging printer about cover specs again.
- They Came From CLASSIFIED! – Pinging printer about cover specs again.
- They Came From the Cyclops’s Cave Screen – Sending info to screen printer for quotes.
- They Came From CLASSIFIED Screen – Sending info to screen printer for quotes.
- Ex 3 Exigents – PoD proofs ordered.
- CtL 2e The Hedge – PoD proofs ordered.
- At The Gates Ashcan – PoD proofs ordered.
- Tasty Bit – They Came From [CLASSIFIED]! – Villain #2 The Ministry of Disorder – PDF available this Weds on DTRPG!
- TCF Classified and Cyclops Cards – PDF and PoD versions on sale this Weds!
Today’s Reason to Celebrate!
Three excellent Reasons to Celebrate today! First, it’s Earth Day, which was started in 1970 via a proclamation from President Richard Nixon. Yep, ol’ Tricky Dick, himself! Nevertheless, a day to be ecologically aware seems the very least we can do for Gaia. Next, today is the birthday of our good friend and once writer and developer, Chuck Wendig! I worked with Chuck on many projects back in the day, and he is one of the most professional writing craftsmen working today. Check out how fantastically his work has grown since Hunter: The Vigil first edition at your local bookstores or on Amazon! Third but not least, LisaT and I will be celebrating big-time at the end of the week with the wedding (and reception) of our youngest daughter – congrats, Elizabeth and Josh!
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