Hunting Prep 101 [Monday Meeting Notes]

Monday Meeting, News

Oh yes, the time has come. We are getting prepped for the Hunter: The Vigil 2nd Edition for Chronicles of Darkness Kickstarter on Thursday, the 6th at 2pm EST. Flashlights, arcane knowledge, talismans, Desert Eagles, stakes, silver bullets, all that kind of thing!

HtV 2e will be the last of the first edition core books needing to be updated to 2nd Edition, and we are really excited to be able to essentially add in the final piece of the Chronicles of Darkness 2e puzzle for first edition fans.

And beyond that, I’m excited because first edition was one of the two Chronicles of Darkness (back when the line was called the New World of Darkness) game lines that I green-lit as WW Creative Director and worked on from start to finish with the developers.

Not that I was involved with every day to day decision – no siree! The genius parts of Changeling: The Lost and Hunter: The Vigil were all brought to you by the incredible creative teams that put their awesome hard work into those books. No, my efforts then, and a large part my efforts still, were to set the course, determine the tone we were going for, hire the right main dev, and make sure they were onboard – and then help them bring it to fruition with that overall feeling intact.

Nameless and Accursed art by Tilen Javornik

Why, I remember it as if it were yesterday. I was sitting at my computer desk in my studio on the fringes of Philadelphia talking to newly signed-on Hunter developer Chuck Wendig…

…waaaaavvvvy liiiiinnnneeesssss…

“Chuck”, I said, because that’s his name, “You good with all the pitch notes and idea files I sent you?” He replied that he had a couple of ideas to run past me, actually. One, he was thinking of ways to give the Hunters something special. Not supernatural, but a boost in what they could do in combat with foes that will usually outmatch, or completely outmatch them.

The other was a meta way to look at the Hunter: The Vigil experience so you could comfortably, and be supported by the game if you wanted to, use HtV to play the lone hunter type, the plucky band of investigators, and the world-spanning hunters that are part of huge or wealthy or ancient organizations.

So we talked about different ways both those elements could work in the basically working-class joe sort of Hunter he was envisioning.

…waaaaavvvvvyyyy lllliiiinnnneeeesssss…

From that conversation were planted the seeds that grew into the Tactics system and the Three Tier system that Chuck did such a fantastic job of bringing to the game, and were both such an important part of what made first edition HtV stand out.

Side note: Although not involved with HtV 2e in any way, Chuck Wendig has, of course, gone onto a stellar writing career after his stint writing and developing for White Wolf over a decade ago, and has written both for brands like Star Wars, and has written his own novels, including the absolutely superb and terrifying Wanderers, which I truly can not recommend strongly enough. I read it almost non-stop for three days last summer; it is just that compelling!

Distant Worlds art by Pat McEvoy

During the time we were working on the core book, I remember doing a PowerPoint presentation during a CCP North America retreat – in fact this might have been the first one since White Wolf and CCP had merged – about the Tabletop RPGs we were making in our little division of the now-merged company.

Up until I began to explain Hunter – the new game – I got the impression that of the audience consisting of the WW crew, plus those CCPers who had moved to the US, plus new employees, that only the WW crew were responding with any real enthusiasm. There were some chuckles at the right spots, but not enough of the kind of response I was used to.

Then, I started to explain the ideas behind Hunter, and one after another, you could almost see them like flowers opening one by one as the sun hits them at dawn, the audience began to really listen. And react to the amazing Hunter art we were showing them. And laugh. And finally, at the end, it was the Icelanders from CCP that cheered the loudest when I practically yelled out that we should “Take Back The Night!”.

Helluva moment.

Now, that was the past, which sets us up for the present, which is this new, second, edition. Here’s a run-down of the book pulled from the Kickstarter page:

Hunter: The Vigil Second Edition includes all the rules you need to play a hunter in a tier-one, -two, or -three chronicle.

Chapter One: Provides an overview of a hunter’s world; the history of the hunt; the types of hunters you can play; and three, separate types of gameplay included in this book: tiers one, two, and three.

Provides an overview of a hunter’s world; the history of the hunt; the types of hunters you can play; and three, separate types of gameplay included in this book: tiers one, two, and three. Chapter Two: Compacts and Conspiracies are specialized hunter organizations that may be used for tier-two or -three games. In this chapter, you’ll read more about Hunter lore and the history of the compacts and conspiracies, find write-ups for six compacts and six conspiracies, along with rules for tier-three Endowments and how to make them.

Compacts and Conspiracies are specialized hunter organizations that may be used for tier-two or -three games. In this chapter, you’ll read more about Hunter lore and the history of the compacts and conspiracies, find write-ups for six compacts and six conspiracies, along with rules for tier-three Endowments and how to make them. Chapter Three: Allows you to build and customize a character. You’ll learn how hunters retain one foot in an unsuspecting world and another in the Vigil. Plus, you’ll discover more about the Code and how it shapes hunters’ core identities and beliefs.

Allows you to build and customize a character. You’ll learn how hunters retain one foot in an unsuspecting world and another in the Vigil. Plus, you’ll discover more about the Code and how it shapes hunters’ core identities and beliefs. Chapter Four: Dives into the rules for gameplay. It also offers rules for specific aspects of Hunter that includes investigation and socializing along with teamwork and Tactics.

Dives into the rules for gameplay. It also offers rules for specific aspects of Hunter that includes investigation and socializing along with teamwork and Tactics. Chapter Five: Offers a taste of the strange and unusual monsters hunters may come across during the hunt. Sample monsters are presented according to the type of terrain from which they originate along with notes for how these creatures may be modified. Additionally, monster-creation rules, ephemeral-entity rules, and Dread Powers are found in this chapter.

Offers a taste of the strange and unusual monsters hunters may come across during the hunt. Sample monsters are presented according to the type of terrain from which they originate along with notes for how these creatures may be modified. Additionally, monster-creation rules, ephemeral-entity rules, and Dread Powers are found in this chapter. Chapter Six: Takes another look at the Hunter setting by introducing where monsters live, locations the supernatural has tainted, and which places are actually monsters themselves. It offers new rules to handle each type of location, along with several examples.

Takes another look at the Hunter setting by introducing where monsters live, locations the supernatural has tainted, and which places are actually monsters themselves. It offers new rules to handle each type of location, along with several examples. Chapter Seven: Is a sample chronicle setting. Yanked from the slasher-movie genre, the Slasher Chronicle is a horror-movie-themed setting that includes a new slasher-specific compact and conspiracy, rules for building slashers, customized approaches for tier-one, -two, and -three gameplay, new Storyteller characters, and more!

Is a sample chronicle setting. Yanked from the slasher-movie genre, the Slasher Chronicle is a horror-movie-themed setting that includes a new slasher-specific compact and conspiracy, rules for building slashers, customized approaches for tier-one, -two, and -three gameplay, new Storyteller characters, and more! Chapter Eight: Offers advice for Storytellers to help build and manage a chronicle while fleshing out rules for Storyteller characters. Additional content includes advice for creating player-facing compacts and conspiracies.

Offers advice for Storytellers to help build and manage a chronicle while fleshing out rules for Storyteller characters. Additional content includes advice for creating player-facing compacts and conspiracies. The Appendices: Provide Equipment, Conditions, and Tilts likely to come into play in Hunter.

Heroic Land Dwellers art by Brian LeBlanc

So with that lead-in, I hope you’ll check out the HtV 2e Kickstarter when it goes live Thursday. Like most of our recent KSs, we’re doing this to finish off a great hardcover traditionally printed book and then print extras to get them into stores.

And also like most of our recent KSs, backers will receive sections of the finished text throughout the KS so they can decide if what they are reading works for them. If so, that’s what we want, and if not, backers can drop their pledges before the KS campaign is over.

Basically, unlike for the Hunters, it’s a no-lose scenario for backers, so I hope we’ll see you all there!

Or if not, then in others of our:

Many Worlds, One Path!

BLURBS!

Kickstarter!

Next on Kickstarter is Hunter: The Vigil 2nd Edition for Chronicles of Darkness starting THIS WEEK at 2pm EST on February 6th!

Onyx Path Media!

This Friday’s Onyx Pathcast features the Terrible Trio of Terrific-ness playing around with setting mashups and crossovers! Check it out direct on Podbean, or your favorite podcast venue! https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/

A heaving schedule on Twitch this week with Vampire: The Masquerade, Chronicles of Darkness, Scion, Pugmire, Hunter: The Vigil 2nd Edition, even more Vampire: The Masquerade, Changeling: The Lost, Changeling: The Dreaming, Mage: The Awakening, Scion, two lots of Scarred Lands, and yet another Vampire: The Masquerade game! What a bloody week.

As ever, subscribe to our channel over on twitch.tv/theonyxpath

Our YouTube channel continues filling up with content, including the Onyx Path News! This week will also see uploads of Pugmire, Changeling: The Lost, Vampire: The Masquerade, and an interview concerning Mummy: The Curse! Do stay subscribed to youtube.com/user/theonyxpath to catch the news when it comes out live!

Some new Occultists Anonymous for all you Mage: The Awakening lovers out there:

Episode 76: Fault Lines

Arriving home in NYC, the cabal check to see what has happened to their shared Sanctum, then share some of what they’d found in Mexico, reaping both reward and consequences of their actions. The Consilium might make a power grab based on what the cabal has discovered…

https://youtu.be/5b8gZ-Z1X14

Episode 77: Hold My Beer

Wyrd the Seer and Atratus dig into the Athanaeum to find out more of this creature Wyrd has made a deal with, while Songbird speaks to Hadramiel about his future. Then the cabal meet with a vampire…

https://youtu.be/hFH_p5N_sQA

The Botch Pit release their Beginner’s Guide to Promethean: The Created video regarding Flux Pandorans right here: https://youtu.be/cAc75iTtA68

Red Moon Roleplaying continue their actual play of V5 Cults of the Blood Gods, on their YouTube channel, Spotify, their website redmoonroleplaying.com and everywhere else good podcasts might be found! https://youtu.be/S58N1EZlU5s

The Story Told Podcast have commenced a new Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition actual play right here: http://thestorytold.libsyn.com/the-78-laments-1

And in case you missed them last week, the Keeper of the Archive has assembled a triple bill for Trinity fans:

The Trinity Core: https://youtu.be/3-MkRv7z37s

ÆON: https://youtu.be/CMRBAEGnHfE

The Storypath System: https://youtu.be/RJgN6sGr0CQ

Finally, if irreverent interviews are your thing, Matthew Dawkins was interviewed by Utility Muffin Labs for the 25 Years of Vampire: The Masquerade podcast right here. It’s a bit sweary: https://utilitymuffinlabs.com/25-years-of-vampire-the-masquerade/2020/1/30/cults-of-the-blood-gods-interview-episode-153

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 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 awesome! (Seriously, you need to roll 100 dice for Exalted? This app has you covered.)

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 get Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau 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

Scarred Lands (Pathfinder) books are also on sale at Studio2, and they have the 5e version, supplements, and dice as well!:

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

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

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!

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

On Sale This Week!

This Wednesday, we will be releasing five different Storyteller Screen PDFs on DTRPG! Exalted 3rd Edition! Dark Eras 1! Beast! Changeling 20th! Wraith 20th!Collect them all!

Conventions!

More conventions will be listed for 2020 in the weeks to come-

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)

N!ternational Wrestling Entertainment (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Contagion Chronicle Ready-Made Characters (Chronicles of Darkness)

Trinity Continuum: Adventure! core (Trinity Continuum: Adventure!)

Duke Rollo fiction (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

TC: Aberrant Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

RUST (Working Title) (Scarred Lands)

Under Alien Suns (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Mission Statements (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Adversaries of the Righteous (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Hundred Devil’s Night Parade (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Novas Worldwide (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Exalted Essence Edition (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Redlines

Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)

Dragon-Blooded Novella #2 (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Second Draft

M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Exigents (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Crucible of Legends (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Many-Faced Strangers – Lunars Companion (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Development

Heirs to the Shogunate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

TC: Aberrant Reference Screen (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)

Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Contagion Chronicle: Global Outbreaks (Chronicles of Darkness)

Contagion Chronicle Jumpstart (Chronicles of Darkness)

Manuscript Approval

Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)

Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)

Trinity Continuum Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum Core)

Post-Approval Development

Scion LARP Rules (Scion)

Titanomachy (Scion 2nd Edition)

One Foot in the Grave Jumpstart (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2e)

Player’s Guide to the Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)

Editing

Lunars: Fangs at the Gate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Geist 2e Fiction Anthology (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)

Dragon-Blooded Novella #1 (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Legendlore core book (Legendlore)

Mythical Denizens (Creatures of the World Bestiary) (Scion 2nd Edition)

Pirates of Pugmire KS-Added Adventure (Realms of Pugmire)

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant core (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Terra Firma (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)

Lunars Novella (Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Buried Bones: Creating in the Realms of Pugmire (Realms of Pugmire)

Monsters of the Deep (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Tales of Aquatic Terror (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition core rulebook (Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition)

Post-Editing Development

TC: Aeon Ready-Made Characters (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)

W20 Shattered Dreams Gift Cards (Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th)

TC: Aeon Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Vigil Watch (Scarred Lands)

Scion Companion: Mysteries of the World (Scion 2nd Edition)

Cults of the Blood Gods (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Wraith20 Fiction Anthology (Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition)

Hunter: The Vigil 2e core (Hunter: The Vigil 2nd Edition)

Let the Streets Run Red (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

M20 The Technocracy Reloaded (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)

Yugman’s Guide to Ghelspad (Scarred Lands)

Indexing

ART DIRECTION FROM MIKE CHANEY!

In Art Direction

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant – Rolling on this.

Hunter: The Vigil 2e

Ex3 Lunars – Art is in.

Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed – Just waiting for cover art.

Cults of the Blood God (KS)

Mummy 2

City of the Towered Tombs – Recontracted.

Let the Streets Run Red – Contracted.

CtL Oak Ash and Thorn – Contracted.

Deviant

Legendlore (KS) – Pulling assets for KS.

Technocracy Reloaded (KS) – KS finals coming in.

Scion Companion – Working on art notes for that with Meredith.

TC: Aeon Terra Firma – Getting that rolling out.

WoD: Ghost Stories – Cover contracted.

Tales of Aquatic Terror

In Layout

Trinity Continuum Aeon: Distant Worlds – With Travis.

Pirates of Pugmire – With Aileen.

Yugman’s Guide to Ghelspad – Ongoing.

Scion Mythical Denizens – In proofing but need some full page art to come in.

Contagion Chronicle – With Josh.

Vigil Watch – Getting first release ready for this month.

TCfBtS!: Heroic Land Dwellers

Proofing

Dark Eras 2 – Backer PDF out to backers, errata ending.

Trinity Continuum Aeon Jumpstart

They Came from Beneath the Sea! – Backer PDF out to backers, errata wrapping up.

VtR Spilled Blood – At WW.

Chicago Folio – Sending for WW approval.

Wraith20 Anthology – Sending Backer PDF out to KS backers this week.

At Press

V5: Chicago – Shipping to stores, scheduled to go on sale this month.

Geist 2e (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition) – At fulfillment shippers.

Geist 2e Screen – At fulfillment shippers.

DR:E – At fulfillment shippers.

DRE Screen – At fulfillment shippers.

DR:E Threat Guide – Helnau’s Guide to Wasteland Beasties

Memento Mori – Awaiting errata for input.

Trinity Continuum: Aeon RMCs – Wrapping up errata.

Today’s Reason to Celebrate!

Today is The Day The Music Died, when in 1959 a plane carrying The Big Bopper, Buddy Holly, and Ritchie Valens crashed, killing all aboard. This was an event that gutted American Rock ‘n’ Roll and created a domino effect on US culture far beyond the music industry that I can expound on for hours, and have. So, to take my mind off of that, here are some folks that I like that were born today: Norman Rockwell, painter (1894), Shelley Berman, comedian (1925), Victor Buono, actor (1938), Blythe Danner, ethereal actress (1943), and Warwick Davis, actor in many legendary nerd films (1970).