A comment in the comments section, of all things, basically asked why every time they look here lately there’s dogs all over the place. The art samples have dogs in them, the Kickstarter news is about the dog card game. Dogs, dogs, dogs!
Part of that is, of course, coincidence or a coming together of multiple projects for a line with three Kickstarters and a bunch of projects which came out of those KS Stretch Goals. And it helps that Eddy Webb is the kind of developer who pushes to get projects finished as close to estimate, and sometimes earlier, as possible.
So, woof, woof, woof go the dogs.
In a week or so, maybe it’ll seem like only WoD books are mentioned, or CofD, or Exalted. And so on. It’s all pretty much coincidence as to how books of a particular setting come out together, as we have projects from all of our “worlds” going at all times at different stages of creation, and a lot depends on which projects you’re waiting for.
This also applies to Kickstarter news when you don’t back Kickstarters, or Onyx Pathcast news when you don’t listen to podcasts, or convention info and our plans for FangCon 2019 when you can’t get to the convention.
So for this blog, I try to mix the things I mention and art I put up to give a bit of a taste of as many game worlds and activities we’re doing as I can so that I’m touching on something, I hope, that is relevant to YOU. But, if coincidence gives me mostly Exalted stuff that week, I’m mostly going to be relaying that, with a mix of other things if I have other things on my radar to share.
No Marketing department, no professional writer here – just your dear old Uncle Rich and whatever we’ve discussed during the Monday Meeting.
(Which reminds me, not only is last week’s Onyx Pathcast a great inside look at the way we conceive, create, and publish our projects, but this Friday yours truly is grilled by Dixie and Matthew for a very special episode. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry. You’ll learn secrets of the early days of White Wolf right into Onyx Path.)
Which means, it’s time for some quick topic hits:
In a similar conversation to the one above, there was a poster that remarked how the first mention of Pugmire made him wonder just what Onyx Path was turning into. Then, he dug into the background of Pugmire and realized there was a lot more to it than a funny animal TTRPG.
My response must be that we aren’t turning into anything different than we’ve always been on track to be: a publisher who creates amazing and engaging worlds for folks to explore. And that the poster was dead-on right to identify that one of the threads that combine all of our projects is that there are depths built into our worlds that reward players who look into them.
Some of that is a heritage from old White Wolf we’ve been fortunate to bring to the fore, and use as models for what works and what doesn’t, and part of the depth is built in by our amazing creative teams who know they can do that kind of game and world building with us.
We’ve been having other great conversations on our Onyx Path Publishing Discussion Group on Facebook, which you might be able to get to through this link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/419273928504341/ I haven’t had a chance to join in to the discussions yet, but hope to very soon.
I haven’t been able to jump in because these last couple of months have been a combination of working up and with contracts for new projects and licenses, putting in pitches for projects, and getting Changing 20th, Prince’s Gambit, and soon, V20 Beckett’s Jyhad Diary Kickstarter rewards out to backers. It’s a bit of an endurance challenge, so I’m lucky to have maxed out Fortitude.
Plus, I’m trying to keep up the communication with backers for the Scarred Lands Kickstarter that the late Stewart Wieck had started for our two companies, while representatives for his company, Nocturnal Media, work to get the KS fulfilled and shipped. So, four KSs shipping around a month from each other.
The flip-side is…we’re getting out four KSs’ rewards to our backers!
Finally, I think I might have mentioned this before, but one of my working methods when creating a new setting, or establishing an overall art “look” for a project, is to take what Allen Moore calls a “high altitude pass” and gather all sorts of reference material and sift through it without trying to force any sort of viewpoint over it.
For visuals, this is very often seeing what registers as “right”. What feels like the sort of feeling we want the setting to give players. Although we can pull huge amounts of story from an illustration (picture=1K words), very often a far more lasting impression comes from the viewer’s emotional reaction. I’ve been doing this pass for Aberrant for about 3 months now, and we’re getting to the decision point on creating an artist list, and actually further back for when I did the initial designs for all four Trinity Continuum main books.
Right now though, I’m reading through a collection of 1950’s EC Weird Science comics in preparation for establishing the art for They Came From Beneath the Sea!. Developer Matthew Dawkins and I already have a strong idea overall based on the films of the time and some TV, but in a lot of ways looking at illustration when thinking about kinds of illustrations is actually more directly what I need.
Not going to go too far into the history of EC right now, although I could and it is a fascinating tale of the rise and fall of a publisher, but suffice to say that their comics were a gigantic influence on both the comics that came after, and on the generation of creators who wrote science fiction in all media (including TTRPGs) for decades to come.
So I get to read comics collections as part of my job. It is tough. But it’s what ya gotta do in order to explore:
Many Worlds, One Path!
BLURBS!
KICKSTARTER:
Fetch Quest, the adventure card game set in the Realms of Pugmire went live last Tuesday, May 22 and funded in under a day, and now we’re over 250% funded and have added a group of six cats from the Monarchies of Mau to the game as alternative adventurers via Stretch Goals!
This is definitely a game that needs to be spread by word of mouth, so please let your friends and family know about this game of good dogs (and cats!) out to fetch what Man has left behind!
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 are the links for the Apple and Android versions:
http://theappstore.site/app/1296692067/onyx-dice
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.onyxpathpublishing.onyxdice&hl=en
Three different screenshots, above.
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:
- Vampire: The Masquerade: The Endless Ages Anthology (Kindle, Nook)
- Werewolf: The Apocalypse: Rites of Renown: When Will You Rage II (Kindle, Nook)
- Mage: The Ascension: Truth Beyond Paradox (Kindle, Nook)
- Chronicles of Darkness: The God-Machine Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)
- Mummy: The Curse: Curse of the Blue Nile (Kindle, Nook)
- Beast: The Primordial: The Primordial Feast Anthology (Kindle, Nook)
- Vampire: The Masquerade: Of Predators and Prey: The Hunters Hunted II Anthology (Kindle, Nook)
- Werewolf: The Apocalypse: The Poison Tree (Kindle, Nook)
- Werewolf: The Apocalypse: Songs of the Sun and Moon: Tales of the Changing Breeds (Kindle, Nook)
- Vampire: The Requiem: The Strix Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)
- Werewolf: The Forsaken: The Idigam Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)
- Mage: The Awakening: The Fallen World Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)
- Vampire: The Masquerade: The Beast Within Anthology (Kindle, Nook)
- Werewolf: The Apocalypse: W20 Cookbook (Kindle, Nook)
- Exalted: Tales from the Age of Sorrows (Kindle, Nook)
- Chronicles of Darkness: Tales of the Dark Eras (Kindle, Nook)
- Promethean: The Created: The Firestorm Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)
- Demon: The Descent: Demon: Interface (Kindle, Nook)
- Scarred Lands: Death in the Walled Warren (Kindle, Nook)
- V20 Dark Ages: Cainite Conspiracies (Kindle, Nook)
- Chronicles of Darkness: Strangeness in the Proportion (Kindle, Nook)
- Vampire: The Requiem: Silent Knife (Kindle, Nook)
- Mummy: The Curse: Dawn of Heresies (Kindle, Nook)
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
Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Try this link! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Onyx-Path-Publishing/
Here’s the link to the press release we put out about how Onyx Path is now selling through Indie Press Revolution: https://theonyxpath.com/press-release-onyx-path-limited-editions-now-available-through-indie-press-revolution/
And you can now order Pugmire: the book, the screen, and the dice! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/manufacturers.php?manufacturerid=296
DRIVETHRURPG.COM:
This week, we’ll be releasing a cornucopia of merchandise and other items on Wednesday!
This is our monthly release week for our ongoing series of PDF releases for Exalted 3rd Edition, and we have the Barrow Hound and Devilstone for Hundred Devil’s Night Parade www.drivethrurpg.com/product/242687, and Iron Siaka for Adversaries of the Righteous http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/242686 on DTRPG.com!
CONVENTIONS!
Prep is also underway for Gen Con 2018 in the first week of August, which takes place in Indianapolis. In addition to our booth presence, be sure to check out the games and panels in the Gen Con Event Schedule.
From Fast Eddy Webb, we have these:
If you are going and want to meet up, let us know!
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 Book of the Fallen (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
- C20 Novel (Jackie Cassada) (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)
- M20 The Technocracy Reloaded (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
- M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
- CofD Dark Eras 2 (Chronicles of Darkness)
- Aeon Aexpansion (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
- Trinity Continuum: Aberrant core (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
- Lunars: Fangs at the Gate (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- Tales of Excellent Cats (Monarchies of Mau)
- Dog and Cat Ready Made Characters (Monarchies of Mau)
- Adventures for Curious Cats (Monarchies of Mau)
- Scion Companion: Mysteries of the World (Scion 2nd Edition)
Redlines
- Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)
- Spilled Blood (Vampire: The Requiem 2nd Edition)
- Night Horrors: Shunned by the Moon (Werewolf: The Forsaken 2nd Edition)
- In Media Res (Trinity Continuum: Core)
- Wr20 Book of Oblivion (Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition)
- C20 Players’ Guide (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)
Second Draft
- WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)
- Tales of Good Dogs – Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)
- CofD Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)
Development
- Signs of Sorcery (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)
- Hunter: the Vigil 2e core (Hunter: the Vigil 2nd Edition)
- Fetch Quest (Pugmire)
- They Came From Beneath the Sea! Rulebook (TCFBtS!)
- Dystopia Rising: Evolution (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)
WW Manuscript Approval:
- Guide to the Night (Vampire: The Requiem 2nd Edition)
Editing:
- Night Horrors: The Tormented (Promethean: The Created 2nd Edition)
Post-Editing Development:
- Scion: Hero (Scion 2nd Edition)
- Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)
- Trinity Continuum: Aeon Rulebook (The Trinity Continuum)
- Ex Novel 2 (Aaron Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- Exalted 3rd Novel by Matt Forbeck (Exalted 3rd Edition)
- GtS Geist 2e core (Geist: the Sin-Eaters Second Edition)
- M20 Gods and Monsters (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
Indexing:
- Wraith 20
- Cavaliers of Mars
ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE:
In Art Direction
- Ex3 Monthly Stuff
- Scion Hero – Last art notes and contracts sent.
- Trinity Continuum
- Geist 2e
- The Realm
- M20 Gods and Monsters
- Ex3 Dragon Blooded – Wave 2 art in progress
- Promethean Night Horrors: The Tormented – Sending out Artnotes and Contracts.
Marketing Stuff
- Storyteller System Brochure
- Posters and Displays
- Gen Con Cards
In Layout
- Wraith 20 Screen – I’ll pull this together this week.
- Fetch Quest – Putting together the Mau Pioneer card previews.
- EX3 Dragon Blooded – Firming up layout and tweaking some backgrounds.
Proofing
- Scion Origin – PDF almost ready for in-Onyx review.
- Changeling: the Lost 2 – Meghan has the proof.
At Press
- V20 Beckett’s Jyhad Diary & Beckett Screen & V20 Dice – At fulfillment shipper, prepping for KS ship-out. Shipping addresses to be locked down on Wednesday.
- Scarred Land PGs & Wise and the Wicked PF & 5e – Shipping from fulfillment shipper. PDF and PoD physical book versions on sale at DTRPG.
- Prince’s Gambit – Shipping from fulfillment shipper.
- Scion Dice – At fulfillment shipper.
- Cavaliers of Mars – Errata input on Backer PDF, now to Indexing.
- Boggans – PoD files uploading.
- Monarchies of Mau – Errata gathering on Backer PDF.
- Wr20 Guide for Newly Departed – Backer PDF should go out to backers this week.
TODAY’S REASON TO CELEBRATE: In 1783 the Montgolfier brothers publicly demonstrate their montgolfière (hot air balloon). A year later in 1784, Élisabeth Thible becomes the first woman to fly in an untethered hot air balloon. Her flight covers four kilometres in 45 minutes, and reached 1,500 metres altitude (estimated). In the future, people of all genders are able to fly in balloons and zeppelins to work and to visit friends, at least if any pulp setting ever can be believed!
3 weeks of Origins getting ready for the in-Onyx review! Do you see us shiver with antici…
You and me both.
…pation!
Tomfoolery aside, I just wanted to say – these updates seem to have grown a lot more cheerful in the last month or two than they were when I first started paying attention, shortly after the Scion kickstarter. I’m glad that whatever’s been stressing you guys out isn’t so much of an issue any more, and we can all properly focus on the excellent publications at hand!
Thanks! I’m glad that our generally positive feelings here are coming through now. It’s a tough call though, as I try to be transparent and to accurately reflect the weekly situation of Onyx, and particularly of our Monday Meeting team. No lie, 2017 was tough on morale. We had to make some very tough decisions at the beginning of the year, or earlier decisions that bled into the beginning of the year, and the political situation in the US weighed heavily on quite a few of our creative folks. Social media was pretty rough across the board.
People often ask creative folks where they get their ideas, and the basis of those flights of fancy is the external input received transmogrified through whatever individual internal systems produce art, or “art”, or Art. Depending on your point of view. If your input from all media, and friends, and the fan community, and social media, is greatly negative, that is going to affect people the more you depend on that outside input. So creative folks are hit hard. At least, that’s my theory.
This did lead, though, to a resolution during our Summit at MidWinter in January to try and avoid internet angst in our meetings and in our communications with each other. Not always 100% successful, but we recognized that we were too focused on that stuff and feeling bad about it reduced our effectiveness in getting our work done the way we wanted and needed to. Not everybody and not all the time, but enough that we could all recognize that it was an issue. Glad that you’re able to see the difference, and sorry you had to read some of the fallout in our posts and specifically in my weekly blog.
Nothing to be sorry for! As one of the planning staff (read “doomsayers”) in my own workplace, I would hope most people recognise the value of a painful truth over a cheerful lie.
The political situation’s been of concern to more than just American creatives, but somehow we’ve managed to make it through the first third of the Dark Times without him following through on too many crazy promises. And if he keeps on, who knows? Someone could take this pressure and squeeze it into a pitch for the next Paranoia.
As for the tough decisions, those are never a good experience, even the rare occasion when you’re sure you made the right choice. But everything’s still up and running, and multiple new game lines are coming out – you’ve definitely landed on your feet if nothing else!
You guys have been doing a good job, regardless of tone, and I hope to hear more about it on future Mondays. The effort y’all go to is clear, and as long as we can still tell that, you’ve got nothing to be sorry for.
Good to hear! It’s true the team seems on fire these days. Hope the future has more of that in store. Thanks for all that effort guys.
Who let the dogs out?
At this point, with James Bell trading dog puns all over the Fetch Quest Kickstarter, I’m trying to resist lines like that. Very hard to do, though!
It does sound pretty rough.
*slow claps*
Nicely done, Mr. Yodo.
Don’t encourage him. 😉
Will scion backers see a character sheet anytime soon?
With the Backer PDF, as usual.
Wow, Guide to the Night is coasting along pretty quick it seems. Good job guys!
Is there any chance that people who included a copy of The Realm in their kickstarter pledge might get a preview of the text, in the same way the Dragon-Blooded text was provided? It would be a great help for a game I’m starting soon 🙂
I expect we’ll have further text previews, but I wouldn’t think a full text download is likely. We only do things like that for books we’re Kickstarting as it is quite a monkey-wrench to our usual book creation process.
When will Ex3 DB backers receive the “Records of the Before” PDF bundle?
Seems like this should be pretty speedy as all of these PDFs already exist?
That’s something you should check with James Bell via the KS to see if he has the bundle from DTRPG yet. While we usually have the individual PDFs available for bundles like that, there is some tech work involved it taking them all and turning them into a bundle we can make a single link to for backers. We also get to do a check on those PDFs, some of which are quite old, to see if they are still viable.
So how is “Signs of sorcery” coming along? Any closer to moving past development?
You’ll see it move on the progress list when it does!
When this week for the handbook for recently deceased? I thought you guys released new stuff on Wednesdays?
The Wraith20 Handbook for the Recently Deceased is a Backer PDF and so we have a few things to do, like setting up the files in BackerKit and putting up an errata thread in our forums, before sending out the links. Wednesday is the day we put projects on sale to the general public.
Just got my PDF of the handbook for recently deceased. Can’t wait to dig in.