BECAUSE THE EXALTED: ESSENCE KICKSTARTER IS THIS WEEK!

Ahem. Sorry for shouting.

I’m just so thrilled to finally be able to give everyone the time for the Exalted: Essence KS: May 27th at 2pm Eastern US time!

We’ll get into more detail on what’s in EX:Essence in the weeks to come, and, as usual with our KSs, we’ll be releasing the finished text during the course of the campaign so that backers will have the whole darn thing after the KS is over.

Or, at least, the ESSENCE of it!

Hoo ha!

But today, I just want to mention that the need to create this project isn’t a need to replace Exalted 3rd‘s core. It’s not even a 3.5 edition. Over the years, we considered and rejected both options.

Either of those two options aren’t really what we want EX:Essence to be. What it was designed to do is to give new players a chance at an easier and less intimidating on-ramp to the Exalted 3rd play experience. Because let’s face it: that is one honkin’-big core rulebook. And it was never designed to be somebody’s first TTRPG. EX3 was designed to open up the setting and fix a bunch of the systems problems inherited from previous editions.

Which resulted in a really big book that built a lot of interlocking system “stuff” in order to cover a lot of concerns the original team had based on their years of experience. And the thing is, that “stuff” is not insurmountable, or even un-fun, particularly for experienced Exalted fans – but even if you are new to the game, it’s not necessarily a deal-breaker.

We have a healthy audience for Exalted 3rd who are well-served by the game as it was designed, and we’re not at all interested in taking that away from them.

But it does look like an awful lot to get into when you look at that 650+ page core.

So, Exalted: Essence is here to provide a lighter experience and an easier entry point to the epic panoply of Exalted 3rd. Not a “rules-lite” experience, which is pretty subjective anyway, but lighter in terms of the rules in the core.

Plus, with the Kickstarter campaign, we’ll be offering both a Deluxe version as we have with the EX3 core, and the Dragon-Blooded and Lunars “fat splats”, for those who want to keep their collections in sync, but also a traditionally printed hardcover that we are hoping the KS will help us to get into stores.

And of course, there will be PDF and PoD versions, too. Basically, a lot of ways to enjoy it – without breaking your back as you haul the rulebook around now that gaming in person may be a thing again!

I also hear that all of the named Exalted types will be presented in the book as playable EX: Essence character types, and have been created with their later appearances in Exalted 3rd in mind. So, there’s that, too!

If you don’t want to wait until Thursday for a real example of Exalted: Essence play, our friends at Vorpal Tales are running an Essence game that should run each Tuesday throughout the KS campaign and starts on Tuesday night, the 25th, at 9pm EDT on Twitch:
twitch.tv/theonyxpath

Exalted: Essence team leader Dixie Cochran will be playing in that game, and I hear that the group is extremely varied in terms of which kinds of Exalted will be featured! Like He-Man meets the Groovy-Ghoulies varied.

There’s a reference to Google, if ever there was one!

With the second Onyx Path Virtual Gaming Convention coming up in just a few weeks now, we have nicely done up lists for both our Onyx Path Panels, as well as our awesome Actual Play games. Check those out below in the Conventions section.

And we still have a whole bunch of regular online games that folks can sign up for:
https://startplaying.games/search?convention=6098297a57626800073595b4

Now, you’ll notice that those games have all different prices set for joining. This time around, we left that up to the individual game runner, which is why they vary. The thing to bear in mind is that your fee not only handles the payments to your game runner and the set-up costs, but benefits our friends at the Bodhana Group, one of our favorite charities!

We’ve done pretty well with raising funds for charities during previous online conventions, and we’re really hoping to send the Bodhana team a little something to help them out in their efforts to use tabletop games as therapeutic tools.

Another Essential Monday Meeting:

Speaking of KS’s: M20 Victorian‘s extended BackerKit pledging period is coming down to the last day to pledge as a “Backer” because we extended that into BK. After this Tuesday evening you can “pre-order” but you won’t be able to receive Stretch Goal rewards and other backer-only perks.

So, if you want to be counted as a KS backer in those ways, please head over now: https://victorian-mage-ttrpg.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders

The first part of our weekly Monday Lunch Meeting is devoted to “big picture items”, the sort of topics that aren’t just about a single book or game line, but which involve company-wide issues, concerns, or triumphs.

This week we reviewed our current special efforts that fall into that category, like the Scion TV show is one of those, and spent a lot of our time making sure everyone was up to speed on those.

As I may have mentioned in previous weeks, the lack of in-person conventions left us with some extra wherewithal to move forward on a couple of different fronts that will hopefully allow us to connect with even more folks interested in our game worlds than ever before!

Just a brief note that we have a trio of sales running across DTRPG right now: Yugman’s Guide for Scarred Lands is in the D&D Settings Sale, there’s more Scarred Lands discounts in their own sale on the site, and we’ve got fiction titles in the Dark Fiction Sale.

Links to all of these are in the DTRPG section below! Whew!

Finally, speaking of things that are going to be sold, this Wednesday is our latest Tasty Bit PDF. As you might recall, the Tasty Bits are smaller projects that we think folks would like, but which aren’t enough to fill up a whole book by themselves.

This week, we have Zeus! We Just Wanna Talk! This is a starter scenario, an adventure, a bit that could be added into your regular Scion games. It addresses one of the tough parts of using ancient mythology in a modern game – some of the gods as presented in the myths were real a-holes, and Zeus is really out there in the lead in that regard.

What we want to do with this is to allow your gaming group the room to deal with Zeus’ prior actions as you see fit. Do you want to confront him verbally? Physically? If you need something from him, how do you get it? Can you even shame Zeus? Or does your group have a different approach based on your reactions to his misdeeds.

There’s opportunity for a lot of “characterful” roleplaying with this sort of situation, as well as a chance to consider how to deal with what sort of stories were tied to these mythic figures, and how we would tell those stories today.

So really, a very focused-in aspect of Scion for your group to explore.

And if you want to, just before you clock Zeus with a haymaker, lean in and whisper in his ear:

Many Worlds, One Path!

---

BLURBS!

---

Kickstarter!

The Exalted: Essence KS starts this Thursday, May 27th, at 2pm Eastern US time!

---

Onyx Path Media!

This week: The Trio talk crowdfunding: Kickstarter and Indiegogo and others all get a look! Plus, their personal experiences using crowdfunding and how that all worked out!

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

Find our latest “What’s up with Onyx Path?” panel over from TryItCon on our YouTube channel, right here: https://youtu.be/1-Vhw3tkDKM

All badge proceeds went to the Helen Keller Foundation and the first $1,500 in ticket sales were matched and donated as well! Please donate to the Helen Keller Foundation right here: https://helenkellerfoundation.org/

For anyone new to our media section, you can find us running and playing games over on twitch.tv/theonyxpath pretty much every day of the week! Plus, if you’d like your games hosted there, just get in touch with Matthew Dawkins using the contact link on matthewdawkins.com. 

Please check out our attached media schedule for the impressive number of videos on our Twitch channel this week!

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:

Chronicles of Darkness – The Wyrd West – Ep. 1 – https://youtu.be/obEAczzDSzk

Scarred Lands – Dead Man’s Rust – Red Scar Players – Episode 8 – https://youtu.be/CEGCtVJSqjc

Exalted – Tomb of Dreams Jumpstart – Episode 2/2 – https://youtu.be/D4IEhLZW7_U

They Came from Beneath the Sea! – Party Beach Creature Feature Jumpstart – Episode 2/2 – https://youtu.be/2BKwwZUl6A4

Realms of Pugmire – The Secret of Vinsen’s Tomb – Episode 2/2 – https://youtu.be/WUZrrztgJ2Q

Vampire: The Masquerade – Styx and Bones – Table Goth – Ep. 1 – https://youtu.be/rSqidHTd91I

https://youtu.be/rSqidHTd91I

Trinity Continuum – A Quantum Leap – Ep. 2 – https://youtu.be/MeDVP_Gh61c

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

Come enjoy a character creation session for They Came from Beneath the Sea!, run by our very own Matthew Dawkins! https://youtu.be/_M1QrCHCyaw

The Story Told Podcast are back with the new season of The Fall of Jiara for Exalted!  United in purpose, the Dragon-Blooded confront the Lunar wearing the face of the Prince of Jiara: https://thestorytold.libsyn.com/fall-of-jiara-43

A Bunch of Gamers continue their Werewolf: The Apocalypse chronicle here. After some relaxation the packs have once again thrown themselves into the political struggles of the Sept of the Sacred Stone. The tensions between the Children of Gaia and Older Brother are as high as ever and a new, or possibly old, player has started to insert themselves into the grand game. The possible identity of this mysterious player sends shivers down the spines of the packs as they struggle to keep peace within their own home: https://abunchofgamers.podbean.com/e/werewolf-the-apocalypse-episode-69-rest-and-recovery/ This is episode 70!

McStabber Studios ran a fantastic, short Werewolf: The Apocalypse chronicle, which you can find in full right here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNJbJLVC_ivyey8o7JigAo-FNG9C66vNN

The Exaltcast continues its fantastic show introducing you to the wonders and horrors of the Realm and its various inhabitants. The next episode is Where Fire Marches to the Sea – the Southwest – https://www.exaltcast.com/2021/05/18/where-fire-marches-to-the-sea-the-southwest/ – Between punishing seas and also punishing deserts sits a string of kingdoms and peoples balanced between natural and supernatural threats in Creation’s Southwest. Monica and Chazz talk the Caul, pirates, and Exalted beach episodes.        

Over on ExalTwitch they’ve been running some amazing games of Exalted, and even have a show wiki for viewers to follow along! ExalTwitch: Academy is set in The House of Bells, a prestigious school for Dragon-Blooded Exalted of the Realm to train in the ways of war. The chronicle follows three young Dragon-Bloods as they try to prove their worth to their fellow students, their Houses, and themselves.

Their most recent VOD, Episode 18 (“Battleflag”), is here: https://youtu.be/EwCcE-6eevo

The playlist for the series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Zb3M2x8PJk&list=PLsZP95-GZNa0ynoCIVyliNF5rypCHvh0M

The show wiki, with synopses, character descriptions, etc: RPGClinic Wiki | Fandom

Wards & Witchcraft reach Session 22 of their amazing Mage: The Awakening chronicle right here: https://youtu.be/eY_s_hujqMY
The cabal has brought a supernal powerhouse to the Thyrsus councilor’s parlor. The witches must fight for their lives against the Black Knight yet again. Can they save Parallax’s new in laws and also a cake?

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!

---

Electronic Gaming!

As we find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is live! The 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.)

---

Virtual TableTop!

Two Virtual Tabletop adventures: the Gauntlet of Spiragos and the Dagger of Spiragos for Scarred Lands on Astral TableTop and DriveThruRPG!

Scars of the Divine War, which ended less than 200 years ago, have still not healed. One such scar is the Chasm of Flies, a rent in the earth created when the titan Spiragos the Ambusher was smote down by one of the young gods, Vangal the Ravager. Now, the Chasm is inhabited by spider-eye goblins and their spider allies, but it is also thought to be the resting place of powerful artifacts from that elder age.

Astral TableTop is the easiest way to play any tabletop RPG online, free. Astral already supports popular systems like D&D and Pathfinder, and Astral can support virtually any tabletop roleplaying game. Get started quickly with built-in support for most popular game systems. Whether you’re brand new to TTRPGs or a veteran tabletop gamer, Astral‘s ease-of-use and built in automation is designed to streamline gameplay.

Build your own adventure, or choose from pre-generated game kits like Gauntlet of Spiragos and Dagger of Spiragos. Create character sheets, craft maps, or just jump right in to connect with your friends and start your adventures!

---

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:

---

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!

You can pick up the traditionally printed Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau main books, screens, and the official dice through our friends there! https://studio2publishing.com/search?q=pugmire

Now, we’ve added Chronicles of Darkness books such as 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

Our Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition books are also available from Studio2 in the US: https://studio2publishing.com/products/vampire-the-masquerade-chicago-by-night-sourcebook

Here’s the link to Studio2‘s part of the Scarred Lands Sale!

Studio 2:https://studio2publishing.com/collections/scarred-lands

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!

Here’s the link for IPR‘s part of the Scarred Lands Sale!

IPR: https://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Deals-and-Specials/

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

D&D Settings Sale at DTRPG (spotlight on Yugman’s Guide):
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/featured.php?promotion_id=May2021-DnD-DTRPG

Other Scarred Lands titles discounted:https://www.drivethrurpg.com/promo.php?manufacturers_id=4261&filters=0_0_0_0_0_100086

The Dark Fiction Sale at DriveThruFiction:
https://www.drivethrufiction.com/special.php?manufacturers_id=4261

---

On Sale This Week!

On Wednesday you can walk into a bar and say “Zeus! We Just Wanna Talk!” as the new Scion Tasty Bit elbows up with a PDF version available on DTRPG!

---

Conventions!

Because dates for physical conventions are subject to change due to the current COVID-19 outbreak, we don’t yet have a list of upcoming physical conventions. Instead, keep an eye out here for more virtual conventions we’re going to be involved with!

As announced, the 2nd Onyx Path Virtual Gaming Convention will be coming to you live starting Friday, June 11th and running until Sunday, June 13th (including a special post-con Jackbox gamefest Sunday night hosted by Dixie)!

The GM Sign-up Page & Code of Conduct for OPP Con are now live:

Code of Conduct:https://intercom.help/startplayinggames/en/articles/5208570-onyx-path-code-of-conduct

GM Sign-up:https://intercom.help/startplayinggames/en/articles/5217651-onyx-path-virtual-gaming-convention-2021-faq

Here are some listings for our planned panels and Actual Play sessions:

---

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)
• Tasty Bit: Car Lifting Competition (Scion 2nd Edition)
• Panopticon Novella (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
• Scion: God (Scion 2e)
• With Great Power (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Redlines

• Dragon-Blooded Novella #2 (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Tome of the Pentacle (Mage: the Awakening 2e)
• The Hedge (Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition)
• M20 Lore of the Traditions (Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
• Apocalyptic Record (Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition)

Second Draft

• No Gods, No Masters (Scion 2nd Edition)
• TC: Adventure! Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Adventure!)

Development

• Contagion Chronicle: Global Outbreaks (Chronicles of Darkness)
• Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)
• Adversaries of the Righteous (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Wild Hunt (Scion 2nd Edition)

Manuscript Approval

Post-Approval Development

• Many-Faced Strangers – Lunars Companion (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Exigents (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Once and Future (Scion 2nd Edition)

Editing

• Lunars Novella (Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• The Book of Lasting Death (Mummy: The Curse 2e)
• Dead Man’s Rust (Scarred Lands)
• M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
• Mission Statements (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
• The Clades Companion (Deviant: The Renegades)
• CtL2e Novella Collection: Hollow Courts (Changeling: The Lost 2e)
• Heroes in a World of Horror! (They Came From…!)
• Dystopia Rising: Evolution Fiction Anthology (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)
• Prometheus Unbound (was Psi Orders) (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
• Legacies of Earth (Legendlore)
• Scion Fiction Anthology (Scion 2nd Edition)
• They Came From Beyond the Grave! Jumpstart (They Came From…!)
• Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Monsters From the Crypt! (They Came From…!)
• TC: Aeon Novella: Meridian (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
• Exalted Essence Edition (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Crucible of Legends (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• The Devoted Companion (Deviant: The Renegades)
• Proteus Nova Compendium (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
• TC: Aeon Novella: Dawn (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
• Tasty Bit: Pets (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
• Trinity Continuum: Assassins (Trinity Continuum Core)
• Saints and Monsters (Scion 2nd Edition)
• They Came From Camp Murder Lake! (They Came From…!)
• Contagion Chronicle Ready-Made Characters (Chronicles of Darkness)
• Trinity Continuum: Anima
• Tales of Depravity! (They Came From…!)
• They Came From [Classified]! (They Came From…!)
• They Came From [Classified]! Jumpstart (They Came From…!)
• Realms of Magic and Mystery (was Terra Incognita) (Scion 2nd Edition)
• Trinity Continuum: Adventure! core (Trinity Continuum: Adventure!)
• Vigil Watch: The Kelder Mountains (Scarred Lands)
• Ghost Hunters Jumpstart w/RMCs (WoD 20th)
• The Paranormal Investigator’s Handbook (WoD 20th)

Post-Editing Development

• Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)
• They Came From Beyond the Grave! (They Came From!)
• Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)
• Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)
• Player’s Guide to the Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)
• N!ternational Wrestling Entertainment (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
• Dearly Bleak – Novella (Deviant: The Renegades)
• V5 Trails of Ash and Bone (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
• V5 Forbidden Religions (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
• Squeaks In The Deep (Realms of Pugmire)
• Novas Worldwide (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
• They Came From Beneath the Sea! Jumpstart (They Came From…!)
• Tasty Bit: Les Fantomes (Trinity Continuum)
• M20 Rich Bastard’s Guide To Magick (Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary)

Indexing

• Mummy: The Curse 2e

---

Art Direction from Mike Chaney!

In Art Direction

• Scion: Dragon (KS)
• Masks of the Mythos (KS)
• Scion: Demigod
• TC: Adventure! (KS)
• M20 Victorian (KS)
• Dead Man’s Rust
• M20 Technocracy Jumpstart
• Exalted Essence (KS) – Wrapping up last KS graphics tweaks.
• V5 Forbidden Religions
• TC Mission Statements
• TC Aberrant N!WE
• M20 Technocracy Dossier/Companion
• Hundred Devils Night Parade
• Squeaks In The Deep (KS) – Wrapping up KS graphics.
• TC Prometheus Unbound
• They Came From Camp Murder Lake!
• Realms of Magic and Mystery
• Saints and Monsters
• TC: Anima (KS) – Art progressing.
• TC: Assassin

In Layout

• Spiragos Collected Adventures
• Hunter: The Vigil 2e – Josh fighting his computer woes while working on it as art trickles in.
• 21-22 Onyx Brochure – looking good so far.
• WoD Ghost Hunters (KS) – putting together the layout.
• Legendlore
• M20 Rich Bastards Guide – Over to Charles, art is all in.
• They Came From Beneath the Sea! Jumpstart – Over to Andrea.
• V5 Trail of Ash and Bone
• They Came From Beyond the Grave! – Final art coming in.
• Players Guide to the Contagion Chronicle

Proofing

• Mummy 2 – In Indexing.
• TC: Under Alien Skies – Wrapping this up.
• Heirs to the Shogunate – At Paradox for approval.
• TC Aberrant Jumpstart
• Deviant Screen – To Paradox for approval.

At Press

• Aberrant – KS fulfillment finishing up.
• TC: Aberrant Screen – KS fulfillment finishing up.
• M20 Technocracy Reloaded – PoD proofs ordered from DTRPG.
• Contagion Chronicle Jumpstart (Chronicles of Darkness) – PoD proofs arrived.
• Vigil Watch Compiled – PoD proofs on the way.
• Mummy 2e Screen
• Deviant – Waiting on printer specs.

---

Today’s Reason to Celebrate!

Today is the birthday of Queen Victoria! You know, of the Era. And really, since so many ideas came out of her era, that’s really what we’re celebrating. Steampunk and Ripper conspiracies, magical societies – the list of elements we use in TTRPGs that grew out of the period of her rule is pretty long and seminal in our creative spaces. We are most definitely amused!