I’d say O Canada!, like the anthem, but when you’re from Philly…it’s a Yo!

Besides that, it is indeed Canada Day as I write this blog, and I’ve had many a fine Canadian friend over the years (not just our own Impish Ian Watson), so I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for our hockey-loving, poutine-eating, ultra-polite neighbors to the north.

At one point, at a White Wolf party oh-so-many years ago, a band of doughty Canadian folks totally rescued me from a very fighty attendee. I just fell backward away from a punch and my new friends caught me and carried me out the door still horizontal.

Rage Across London, Ontario – indeed!

From that night forward, I always get a bit misty when I hear the first notes of O Canada!

Thanks Dixie, for covering this blog last week! The ratcheting up of concentration and effort for Onyx Path Virtual Con isn’t as extreme as when we would do in-person conventions, but it’s still a lot of effort on all of our parts, so a bunch of us have been taking various sorts of wellness breaks these last couple of weeks. Actually, I guess we can loop it all into “Summer Con Season” starting with Eddy, Matthew, Danielle and a couple of our freelance creators playing and paneling at UK Games Expo, and rolling right through Origins and soon GenCon for a few folks on our team.

FYI- If you are attending GenCon and other conventions through the rest of the year, we are putting into place ramping up a lot of additional sessions of our games. More concrete news on that as we have it!

One of those cons will be Save Against Fear, the convention Dixie wrote about last week, run by and for our pals at The Bodhana Group whose Kickstarter for their new game Branch Riders passed 200% funding over the weekend!

Over the past few weeks, I’ve shared a bit from “Bodhana Jack” about Branch Riders, and here are just a couple more elements of the game that he loves:

Exposure Tracker – Another element that has a firm place on the table is the exposure tracker, which is how we measure mission success, how aware the Blight is of you and it also impacts your die pool. It also acts to drive the story as some of your actions, like using a Gift at the World level automatically increase your Exposure, regardless of whether you succeed or fail.  Actions like drawing too much attention to yourself, or reckless or careless actions also can increase it, as well as positive actions and success can reduce it.  But if the Exposure goes too high – you risk tearing the curtain between realms. The Tracker really increases the tension at the table as it shows in real time the impact of your actions and choices.

Purpose – Your purpose is one of my favorite mixes of goals and great gameplay. Your character has a question that they seek an answer to.  It can be something personal about their past, or it could be something about the nature of their mission as a Branch Rider.  Whenever in the game you are doing something and it relates to your purpose – you activate it as an automatic Yes And resolve.  The trick is that you then have to update your purpose.  This creates a log of sorts about the journey of your character as they adventure. A neat little way to keep track of your progress and your journey and it adds a little more about why you do what you do, which can also inform your actions and your approach.

Hope that all sounds interesting to folks reading, and if you can, please do head over to Kickstarter and lend your support to the project. While it’s not a literal fund-raising campaign, your contribution will be used to create a book that will be on sale on DTRPG and those proceeds will go towards helping Bodhana‘s overall mission of using TTRPGs for therapeutic purposes!

Meanwhile, in crowdfunding land for Onyx Path, we have Scion‘s Mythic Shards coming up mid-July, so keep an eye out for that!

Now that a bunch of us are back, we’re reviewing the responses we’ve seen for the Curseborne Ashcan – which just keeps selling on DTRPG, so thank you all for your interest! We’re knocking together the PoD version of it and hoping to be able to offer that to the public very soon. Like I mentioned a few weeks back, please do bear in mind that this is only an Ashcan, a slice of the whole game. There is A LOT of Curseborne material that we haven’t shown yet!

In fact, we’re currently fine-tuning just what we want to preview and how in the next months leading up to the Kickstarter campaign in October. We actually have to be careful not to flood everybody with too much fantastic material too soon. Let us know what you’re looking for more info on and we’ll see if we can prioritize with you in mind!

In related news, we’re thinking about putting out some quick surveys devoted to some of our other game lines like Scion, the Trinity Continuum, and Scarred Lands – game lines we own that are really important to us that we don’t want to get lost (perception-wise, at least) while we’re working on all this great new stuff we announced at the virtual con. You know, questions like what works for you about the game line, what doesn’t. Favorite non-core book in general, and specific questions pertaining to the individual game line, too. If we did X, would you be into that direction, even.

That sort of stuff. Again, it’s an ongoing conversation, so feel free to chime in!

So, yeah: looking at the next half of 2024, looking at all of 2025’s releases, and looking at doing some prepping for the years to come.

For now, have a happy safe July 4th, look out for pets scared and startled by the firecrackers going off, heck, keep an eye out for startled people, and take a Canadian to lunch if you can on one of our:

Many Worlds, One Path!

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Blurbs!

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Crowdfunding!

BRANCH RIDERS – Funded in less than one day!

Now more than 200% Funded, and looking towards a new rack of Stretch Goals! From our friends at The Bodhana Group:

COMING NEXT: Scion: Mythic Shards

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Onyx Path Media!

This week: Here’s the 2024 Curseborne panel from Onyx Path Virtual Con in audio format!

As always, this Friday’s Onyx Pathcast will be on Podbean or your favorite podcast venue!

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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!

The Onyx Path News covers our recent Scion releases and some announcements! Check it out now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egsCE7_a8S8

Rolling Nomads has released their Curseborne Sorcerer character creation video right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S46fewoKJs

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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 FOUR MORE DAYS!

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

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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!

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).

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On Sale This Week!

On Wednesday on DTRPG you can pick up your very own physical copy PoD version of the Contagion Chronicle Ready-Made Characters (and the PDF, too, if you haven’t already) for Chronicles of Darkness and jump right into a crossover game!

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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!

Keep an eye out for our books at:

GameHoleCon – Oct 17th – 19th

https://www.gameholecon.com/



PAX Unplugged – December 6th – 8th

https://unplugged.paxsite.com/

Game Night With Onyx Path Publishing at StartPlaying is the last Friday of every month! 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

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Project Status Updates!

Our full list of projects will be available monthly on our blog! Check out June’s full list report here: https://theonyxpath.com/release-roundup-june-2024/

DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM EDDY

Here are the projects that moved to the next stage of production:

Development

Exalted – Alchemicals

• Danielle: Are you ready for me to talk about a ton of Exalted projects? I sure hope so! Alchemicals has moved at cruising speed out of final drafts and into the developers’ hands. Now they just need to polish the gears and double check the Charm installs.

Exalted – Sidereals Companion

• Danielle: Oh ho, but what is this? The Sidereals Companion is also in development? Yes, that’s right. Unfortunately, Chazz is only one person and can only develop so much at once. We’ve prioritized Alchemicals, but never fear, the Sids Companion is getting the love it deserves.

Manuscript Approval

Exalted – Exigents Jumpstart

• Danielle: Are you ready to check out a cool adventure with your favorite Exigent baes? Great, so am I. This book will hopefully sail through approval and drop into editing rather quickly.

Post-Approval Development

Exalted – Sidereals Novella

• Danielle: Weren’t we just talking about Sidereals? Okay, so if I can’t get you the companion in record time, I hope you’ll accept this novella moving forward. We had no notes, so I’m sure you’ll be happy to hear next week how this is going off to editing.

Editing

Earthbane – At the Gates

• Danielle: Exalted: At the Gates… wait… no… that’s wrong. Earthbane. I got so wrapped up in all that Exalted stuff I got confused. I went through all the errata folks submitted during the Backerkit campaign and made a few tweaks and adjustments. Lots of clarifying words and all that. Now it’s off to an editor for that final upgrade to its ultimate form.

Post-Editing Development

Scion – Rock Gods and Side Quests

• Matthew: And back to Hiromi and Michele it goes! You’ll be seeing previews from this one on the blog very soon.

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ART DIRECTION FROM MIKE CHANEY!

In Art Direction

• Ex Essence Pillars of Creation – Sketches in and feedback sent.
• Ex3 Abyssals – Got the artnotes in… giving them a once over.
• The World Below – Bulk of it has been contracted… got a couple of stragglers I’m getting stuff together for.
• TCF RPG Anthology – Sending out notes… running a bit behind on those due to stuff.
• SCION Mythic Shards (BK) – Getting all the finals in by end of the week.
• SCION God Player’s Guide – Art Notes in.
• TC With Great Power – Lee is on the comic.
• SPU Rulebook (BK) – With Maria…
• Branch Riders – Rolling

In Layout

• TC Player’s Guide – with Pauline.
• Pugmire 2e – Me.
• SCION Path to Apotheosis – With Dixie.
• M20 Victorian Weird Wonders and Revolutionary Magic – in the Magickal hands of Ron Thompson, headed to first proof.

They Came From Classified Jumpstart – Ready for layout.

Proofing

• Ex 3 Exigents Screen – At Paradox for approval.
• Ex Essence Charm Cards – At Paradox for approval.

Indexing

• Scion God

At Press

• Reprints:
• Scion Origin – Printing.
• TC Core – Printing.

• Exalted Essence Retail and LtD – Backer books at Studio2, shipping starting soon.
• Ex Essence Screen – Shipping starting soon.
• M20 Lore of the Traditions – Backer books at Studio2, shipping starting soon.
• Ex 3 Exigents – Getting quotes.
• TC Aether – Getting quotes.
• TC Anima – Awaiting the proofs.
• Ex3 Sidereals – Inputting errata correx.
• Ex Essence Jumpstart – Inputting errata correx.
• Squeaks in the Deep Companion – PoD proofs ordered.
• Curseborne Ash Can – PoD proofs ordered
• Scion – No Gods No Masters – Inputting errata.
• TC Aether – PoD proofs ordered.
• They Came From the Cyclops’s Cave – Proofs reviewed… two corrections made.
• They Came From the Cyclops’s Cave Screen 
• They Came From CLASSIFIED – Proof signed off on, all good to go.
• They Came From CLASSIFIED Screen
• CofD Contagion Chronicles RMCs – PoD and PDF versions available this Weds on DTRPG! 

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Today’s Reason to Celebrate!

Lots of celebrations this week! Starting today, it’s Canada Day! Hooray to all of our friends north of the border, eh?! Then Thursday, the good ol’ USA steps up for the noisiest holiday with The Fourth of July! BA-BOOM, BABY! Also on the 4th, Vampire the Masquerade turns 33! Fangs for the memories! And finally, the 7th is our friend and colleague Rose Bailey’s birthday – hope it’s a great one Rose!