Yes, the Contagion Chronicle Kickstarter starts tomorrow, Tuesday the 26th, at 2pm Eastern US time!

We’re very excited to finally be giving folks a chance to peruse this complete Chronicle that brings together all of the Chronicles of Darkness game lines, as I noted last week.

Today, I have a few words about the Contagion Chronicle from developer and all-around swell guy, Matthew “The Gentleman Gamer” Dawkins, that I’d like to share with you.

Make sure you read this in Matthew’s posh accent familiar from our Onyx Pathcast and videos

Firstly, I want to say I’m so very, very pleased with the content the authors of this book turned in. To work on this book, each author was tasked with reading and learning at least two new CofD game lines before writing even began. I was keen to ensure this book (being all about crossover) handled subjects as complex and deep as those in Mage and Changeling, as examples, with authenticity.

Therefore, the writers had to do the research about the games appearing in their chapters before words could be set down. They all achieved this task, and I’m so proud of them for that.

Secondly, I want to give a special shout out to Meghan Fitzgerald, who came up with the different playable Sworn and False factions in the Contagion Chronicle. I gave her minimal direction on the kinds of groups available in this game, and she turned in top quality work full of innovative ideas

Thirdly, I’m incredibly excited to see your thoughts on our vectors (the protagonists’ powers in this game), history of Contagion, and settings in this book. There’s a healthy mix of system and setting in this book, and we really have a lot of fun with Conditions, Tilts, and Dread Powers, making them even more interesting as character features than before

I’ll be honest: I’m one part thrilled, three parts terrified of this Kickstarter. Having responsibility over a book containing every CofD game line is a heavy weight. I hope you enjoy the heck out of this plague-ridden game though, and look forward to joining you in the Kickstarter comments! 

As with all of latest Kickstarters, backers will be able to download parts of the complete Contagion Chronicle text throughout the course of the KS, so everyone will be able to see how their favorite lines are handled, and how it all holds together, before the end.

While there are a lot of reasons why you at home may want a coherent crossover Chronicle, and we’ve heard you over the years, there’s actually a few reasons that we want to create one, too.

In the specific case I want to let you know about, having a crossover Chronicle set up allows us to do a linked storyline that we’re able to use as a basis for convention-based fun!

Or, as it was sent over to me just today:

Onyx Path Publishing are running the inaugural Chronicles of Darkness tournament at UK Games Expo 2019!

A host of Storytellers, fielded from their writers, developers, and fans alike, will be running games such as Vampire: The Requiem, Werewolf: The Forsaken, and Changeling: The Lost for several groups of players in the Saturday afternoon session.

At the conclusion of these sessions, players around the table will vote for the player they deemed “most entertaining” and not only does that player win a prize, they go on to the Saturday evening game of The Contagion Chronicle, the new game by Onyx Path in which vampires, werewolves, changelings, mages, and more crossover into a cohesive game.

This game will be run by Onyx Path developer, Matthew Dawkins, and you will play the characters you played in the afternoon sessions. As this game wraps, players will once again vote for each other, with the winner being awarded a copy of an Onyx Path Publishing game. Come join us, as we crossover the Chronicles of Darkness game lines!

That’s just not a type of official tournament we’ve been able to do with Chronicles of Darkness before – although I think our convention demo friends, the Wrecking Crew, may have been able to weld something together by relying on their vast knowledge of the games and their boundless enthusiasm.

So this is something we’re looking forward to seeing happen – no wait, let me say that this is something that I’m looking forward to seeing happen, because not only will Matthew and a great crew of more local Onyx Path creators be there, but Eddy, Matt McElroy, and myself are also flying over to UK Games Expo 2019!

We’ve wanted to attend a few more non US-based conventions, and this year we’re checking out the UK Games Expo. Not only do we have a massively supportive fan community around those parts, but a whole section of our freelance creators who we just don’t get to see face to face with US-based conventions.

And there’s probably some business stuff we could do there, too. I hear.

Finally, I gotta go wrap up a few things with the set-up of the Contagion Chronicles Kickstarter – did I mention that it starts tomorrow, Tuesday March 26th at 2pm Eastern US time?

And I’m also wrapping up the pre-shipping arrangements for our Scion 2e Kickstarter BackerKit, as those finished books are rolling off the presses and hopefully into cartons for shipping to our fulfillment shipper.

I mean, we don’t want our books rolling off the presses and onto the floor. It’s a lot of books (the single biggest print run we’ve done since Onyx Path started), and we want them nice for the backers and then into stores!

Many game lines equals:

Many Worlds, One Path!

BLURBS!

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KICKSTARTER:

THIS week on Tuesday March 26th, we will be starting the Contagion Chronicle Kickstarter at 2pm Eastern US time!

Matthew Dawkins has also started running the Contagion Chronicle for some of the members of his Discord, via Google Hangouts! Follow along to get some sneak peeks of the content coming up in the Contagion Chronicle Kickstarter: https://youtu.be/dFMjit-YTwQ

ONYX PATH MEDIA

This Friday’s Onyx Pathcast is a look at the role research plays in the creation of our games! Eddy, Dixie, and Matthew, engage in their usual verbal hi-jinks while interrupting each other and sharing the complex relationship of the search for facts and the spinning of that info into fantasy (and science-fiction and horror)! https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/

And Here’s More Media About Our Worlds:

This week in Onyx Path News with the ever-present Gentleman Gamer, Matthew Dawkins!
https://youtu.be/AdIYS_eeIvM

If YOU have a podcast, YouTube or Twitch channel, or talk about games on a blog or other website, and want to perform actual plays or make reviews of our games, please reach out to the Gentleman Gamer on the Onyx Path forum. From there we’ll share emails and get you started, so when you do start producing content we’ll be able to promote it on our blog and YouTube channel!

Episode Two of our Contagion Chronicle actual play has been uploaded to the Onyx Path YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/U5yQteoL4VA

The Beanduck team have started their Exalted chronicle off strong and you can find them here: https://twitch.tv/beanduck/profile

The Occultists Anonymous Mage: The Awakening chronicle continues over here, with Episode One: https://youtu.be/QubrvXohrNs

The Devil’s Luck Gaming crew continue with their superb Scarred Lands campaign: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/400370095?collection=y7LeCRaYgxVNQQ

Just as Travis Legge’s Myths & Matchmakers Scarred Lands continues over here: https://youtu.be/lJiPkawWYco

https://youtu.be/lJiPkawWYco

Red Moon Roleplaying are nearing the conclusion of their They Came from Beneath the Sea! story: https://www.redmoonroleplaying.com/podcast

Please check any of these out and let us know if you find or produce any actual plays of our games!

ELECTRONIC GAMING:

As we find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is now live! Our dev team has been doing updates since we launched based on the excellent use-case comments by our community, and this thing is both rolling and rocking!

Here’s an update from the App devs:

Onyx Dice!  We’ve recently released the Changeling: The Lost, Trinity Continuum: Aeon dice, and now the Geist dice.  Next up on our radar is: Demon: The Fallen,  Mummy: The Resurrection,  Kindred of the East, Vampire Dark Ages, and Mummy: The Curse.

We have a serious issue on the Pixel and Motorola phones that prevent the user from using the app correctly.  A fix is coming shortly.  A temporary workaround is to minimize the app without shutting it down, and then restore it.

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 you bought it from. Reviews really, really help us with getting folks interested in our amazing fiction!

Our selection includes these fiction books:

OUR SALES PARTNERS:

We’re working with Studio2 to get Pugmire out into stores, as well as to individuals through their online store. You can pick up the traditionally printed main book, the Screen, and the official Pugmire dice through our friends there! https://studio2publishing.com/search?q=pugmire

We’ve added Prince’s Gambit to our Studio2 catalog: https://studio2publishing.com/products/prince-s-gambit-card-game

Now, we’ve added Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition products to Studio2‘s store! See them here: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/all-products/changeling-the-lost

Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Try this link! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Onyx-Path-Publishing/

And you can now order Pugmire, Monarchies of Mau, Cavaliers of Mars, and Changeling: The Lost 2e! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/manufacturers.php?manufacturerid=296

And available this week! Deluxe Changeling: The Dreaming and Deluxe Beckett’s Jyhad Diary! The additional books we have after the Kickstarter ship-outs are done are now at IPR!

DRIVETHRURPG.COM:

On Sale This Week!

This Wednesday, it’s an EX 3 EXtravaganza as we present our monthly Exalted 3rd PDF offerings as well as Dragon-Blooded: What Fire Has Wrought, in PDF and physical book PoD versions on DTRPG!

CONVENTIONS

UK Games Expo: May 31st – June 2nd From the US comes Eddy Webb, Matt McElroy, and Rich Thomas to join with Matthew Dawkins, Steffie de Vann, John Burke, Chris Allen, and Klara Herbol!
Gen Con: August 1st – August 4th
Save Against Fear: Oct 12-14
GameHoleCon: October 31st – November 3rd
We’ll also be back at PAX Unplugged later this year.

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And now, the new project status updates!

DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM FAST 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)

• M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
• City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)
• Geist2e Fiction Anthology (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)
• Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Exalted Essay Collection (Exalted)
• Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)
• Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)
• Trinity Continuum Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum Core)
• TC: Aeon Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
• Heroic Land Dwellers (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)
• Monsters of the Deep (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)
• Tales of Aquatic Terror (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)
• Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)
• Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)
• Wraith20 Fiction Anthology (Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition)
• Blood Sea Guides for 5e (Scarred Lands)
• DR:E Jumpstart (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)
• DR:E Threat Guide (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)

Redlines

• Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition core rulebook (Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition)
• Chicago Folio/Dossier (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
• Cults of the Blood Gods (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
• Legendlore core book (Legendlore)
• TC: Aeon Ready Made Characters (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Second Draft

• Tales of Good Dogs – Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)
• Heirs to the Shogunate (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Scion Ready Made Characters (Scion 2nd Edition)
• Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)
• Scion Companion: Mysteries of the World (Scion 2nd Edition)
• M20 The Technocracy Reloaded (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
• Creatures of the World Bestiary (Scion 2nd Edition)
• Let The Streets Run Red (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
• Dragon-Blooded Novella #1 (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Development

• Hunter: the Vigil 2e core (Hunter: the Vigil 2nd Edition)
• Lunars: Fangs at the Gate (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)
• Oak, Ash, and Thorn: Changeling: The Lost 2nd Companion (Changeling: The Lost 2nd)
• Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)
• Memento Mori: the GtSE 2e Companion (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)
• Pirates of Pugmire (Realms of Pugmire)
• Distant Worlds (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Manuscript Approval:

• Trinity Continuum: Aberrant core (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Editing:

• V5 Chicago By Night (Vampire: The Masquerade)
• V5 Chicago By Night Screen (Vampire: The Masquerade)
• Spilled Blood (Vampire: The Requiem 2nd Edition)
• Scion Jumpstart (Scion 2nd Edition)
• CofD Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)
• Witch-Queen of the Shadowed Citadel (Cavaliers of Mars)
• CofD Dark Eras 2 (Chronicles of Darkness)

Post-Editing Development:

• Signs of Sorcery (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)
• Tales of Excellent Cats (Monarchies of Mau)
• C20 Novel: Cup of Dreams (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)
• M20 Book of the Fallen (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Indexing:

ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE:

In Art Direction

• Ex3 Monthly Stuff  
• Chicago By Night
• Aeon Aexpansion – Getting reference together.
• They Came From Beneath the Sea! – Starting postKS art buy.
• EX3 Lunars
• Hunter: The Vigil 2
• Shunned By the Moon – Final final finals coming in.
• Contagion Chronicle – AD’d for KS- starting this week.
• Scion Jumpstart
• VtR Spilled Blood – Hiring artists.

Marketing Stuff

In Layout

• Dystopia Rising: Evolution
• Book of Oblivion – almost ready for proofing.
• Signs of Sorcery

Proofing

• M20: Gods and Monsters – PoD proof on the way.
• Adventures for Curious Cats – Waiting on maps.
• Trinity Core – Page XXing.
• Trinity Aeon – Putting in Mind Meld changes.
• Geist 2e – 2nd Proof.
• C20 Player’s Guide – 2nd Proof
• In Media Res – Corrections in.
• The Realm – Art is arting, book is proofing.

At Press

• Scion Hero – Printing wrapping up this week.
• Scion Origin – Printing wrapping up this week.
• Scion Dice – At Studio2.
• Scion Screen – At Studio2.
• Fetch Quest – At Studio2 prepping for shipping.
• Ex3 Dragon Blooded – PDF and PoD versions on sale Wednesday on DTRPG. Backer PoD coupons before that and the Deluxe files are going to press.

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TODAY’S REASON TO CELEBRATE: 

Last week, we had two Reasons To Celebrate! First: Spring has sprung! Finally, let’s hope that nature isn’t too pissed off at us to get these seasons changin’! And then, you may not have heard of this, but Paradox announced that a Bloodlines2 computer game is being worked on for V5 and will be out next year. I hear there will be mod support, and the story is based in Seattle. So tip back a very deep red glass of wine and here’s to a new version of that legendary game!