Silent Snow, Not So Secret Snow

Monday Meeting

First off, the featured image this week has nothing to do with the title of this week’s blog, and I feel I must apologize for not linking them thematically. But I put that shot of me there in order to ask you folks: should I change my standard “sparkler in mouth” icon that I use just about everywhere to that purple vested guy? I think I look a bit scary or angry, but what do you think?

Towards the stuff most of you come here for, here is the revised rest of WW 2014 Schedule through to 2015 that we have made a tradition of revealing at the beginning of the year. As I have noted before, the Schedule is something we use to estimate when we’d like the projects to release, it isn’t used to force any of our teams into a delivery date but to provide a framework and structure. We show it to you folks in the interest of transparency and so you can see that we are in fact working on these magical projects. Also, bear in mind that this is just the schedule for our WoD White Wolf IPs. We’re not posting Exalted 3rd books until the core book is at a point that we can far more accurately judge it’s time to completion, but at the point we know then the already announced books will be added starting with Arms of the Chosen. And we’re playing it closer to the vest on Scion and the Trinity Continuum as their re-imaginings are more complex.

Aug: DtD: STG was earlier originally in the year, but the added Demon Stretch Goal projects allowed us to push it a bit further so that each project gets the love it deserves.

DtD: Demon Storyteller’s Guide – Deeper looks at the ongoing struggle to survive on the run from the God Machine, as well as several suggested new Chronicle examples and variants.130,000 words/ 220 pages. PDF/PoD.

nWoD: Dark Eras– For 2014 we don’t present a new game line- instead we present each of the previous nine game lines with an evocative and appropriate historical period. Each Dark Era shall be helmed by a Developer/writer who is fully excited by the potential of that Era- for example, Ethan Skemp would love to shepherd his award-winning Changeling the Lost in France during the Era of powdered wigs, treachery, and flashing blades. The key to this project is that the base nine time period/supernatural pairings are rife for expansion using the Stretch Goals built into Kickstarter. For the first time we can construct this book using direct feedback from the fans during the process and increase some Eras’ word-count or add entirely new Eras as the community pushes for their favorites. Initially 220,000 words/ 320 pages. PDF/PoD Hardcover/ limited edition print run.

Sep:

Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition –. A letter of love to our Oblivion fans. In style and philosophy a matching volume to V20. Developed by Rich “Dead Guy” Dansky. 300,000 words/ 500 pages. PDF/PoD Hardcover/ limited edition print run.

Oct: W20 Umbra was originally earlier in 2014, but made more sense later in the year as Stew Wilson needs at least a little break after helming the Idigam Chronicle.

W20- The Umbra– The Umbra is the one part of the World of Darkness that really needs every word possible—it’s the one place that doesn’t have an analogue in the real world. It is covered in W20, but it really needs more detail, hence this book. The focus is on the Middle Umbra and the Penumbra as a setting and a storytelling tool, using the detail that we couldn’t go into in W20. 96,000 words/ 160 pages. PDF/PoD. Hardcover/ possible limited edition print run.

Nov:

nMtA- The Fallen World Chronicle- This book combines both setting and rules info to create a default Chronicle for Mage: The Awakening that still allows the sandbox play that nWoD is known for. The Chronicle focuses on the legends of the earliest human civilizations that first captivated readers’ interest in the nMtA core rulebook and presents a world where Mages still are discovering what secrets those ancients knew, and what dark mysteries destroyed them. 160,000 words/ 264 pages. PDF/PoD

VtR: A Thousand Years of Night– The fledglings think of elders as antiquated relics at best and childer-devouring beasts at worst. They’re wrong. Elders are vital and dangerous, canny monsters who have survived the rise and fall of countless lesser vampires. This book explores vampires who transcend history, who see the rise and fall of leaders and even nations. Elders are strange and mysterious enough to be conspiracies in and of themselves… or they’re dangerous outsiders who know where the bodies are buried. Playing an elder lets players immerse themselves in the history of their cities and the larger World of Darkness. An elder might have endured frenzy in the burning of Atlanta, or have strangled Jack the Ripper with his own two hands. This book provides guidance on playing Requiem in a whole new way, with new powers and hooks into mortal society out of reach for ordinary characters. Blood and Smoke compatible. 72,000 words/ 120 pages. PDF/PoD.

Dec: We moved DW3.0 later in 2014 to compensate for M20 moving into 2014, and for the expected projects that will come out of M20‘s Kickstarter campaign.

M20- Digital Web 3.0– The fans are already yelling for this- the classic magic infused internet sourcebook updated for M20. 96,000 words/160 pages. PDF/PoD. Possible deluxe edition.

Jan: Here’s a book that slipped to 2015, but one that lots of folks are asking about and so before anyone gets worried…

V20- Blood Diaries of the Clans- This volume will revisit the Clans as so many fans have requested, effectively functioning like a collection of mini-clanbooks, with each clan’s subsection arranged in the same format. This title would give many new story hooks, character concepts, history, and clan-specific crunch that pairs rules with setting. In particular, the combo Disciplines, which were not covered in V20 but have been requested again and again. Using the Open Dev feedback and Kickstarter process, we’ll be incorporating fan submissions: YOUR vampire made this combo power, or one of the prominent figures in clan history is YOUR vampire. 150,000 words/ 240 pages. PDF/PoD/ Deluxe Edition.

The 2014 Schedule is something Eddy and I discussed today at lunch- the move of Blood Diaries being one of the topics. We also reviewed WW’s social media sites and approaches. It might surprise you to know that Onyx Path does not “own” every WoD or Exalted Facebook page or other social media outlet. CCP still has some under their aegis that we do still post to, but while we at Onyx always try and connect with our community through all the venues we have, there are some places harder for us to sync up with. Which brought up a larger picture discussion as to just how we at Onyx Path perceive the social media community.

Well, obviously,we have a fair number of different venues we regularly post to including this blog and our attached Onyx Path Forums. Having the forums has been a huge boon for us, as it has pulled together the community from the old WW website. This was huge in our steps towards having a more focused way of communicating to all you wonderful folks. We have the Onyx Path Facebook page as well as a number of line-specific FB pages, and both Onyx Path and myself post more than daily on Twitter. And all those posts and tweets get reposted to our other aforementioned social media. With such a diverse community consuming it’s news and info in different ways, we need to be all over these sites, but social media is only one kind of fan outreach and we also make sure we are communicating through other venues- we’re always looking for more ways to reach out to both past members of our community and potential new fans as well.

For us, it’s not a competition for numbers, despite how much that tends to drive some social media, but of community engagement. Our community is there because they want to be, and this is the same with all the writers and developers and art directors who carve time out of their days as volunteers to talk with you folks. They love our games and worlds, and want to share that with you. At Onyx Path, we want folks spending the time on our social media because they are really into what we’re trying to do, which is why we’re not spending time, energy, or money on inflating our numbers of followers, or likes, or whatever. And considering how some social media venues tend to change their processes and ranking systems seemingly at random, I think we’re better off. That’s why we are spending time making sure this Onyx Path site right here (that we can make sure is running the way we want it to) is the place that has the latest news, blogs, and the forums.

Speaking of the latest news- the weekly updates:

– Blood and Smoke: The Strix Chronicle (VtR) Both the PoD and the PDF are available on sale on DTRPG! B&S Screen PDF is in for approval and the B&S Condition Cards are on sale at DTRPG, too.

– Mummy the Curse – Cursed Necropolis DC is in editing.

– Exalted 3rd Edition: While John hunkers down to rewrite the Charms chapter he is also changing some of the ways he’s been doing these to enable more to get finished, the rest of the team is working on a couple of EX3 chapters that continue to be finalized for Editing. On the Charms, Integrity is finished and Linguistics is up next. On book progress, chapter two (the setting chapter) is finished, sorcery rules are being revised. Playtest is ongoing and continues to generate excellent feedback that has substantially tightened up the combat engine and combat Charms thus far.

Zub’s EX3 Comic and both EX3 novels are being worked on. Exploration of a theme continues for the EX3 Music Suites– so far we’ve heard sketches for Dragon Blooded, Exigent, and Infernal. Heard another pass at the DB, but with more of an Asian set of instruments.

– V20 Hunters Hunted 2: Shipping services still continue to deliver these, although I have messages into both the US and European shippers trying to find out if we have gotten back shipments yet. Of Predators and Prey: The HH2 Fiction Anthology PDF/electronic is on sale at DTRPG: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/124845/Of-Predators-and-Prey-The-Hunters-Hunted-II-Anthology We’re looking at putting the PoD version to proofing this week.

– V20 Anarchs Unbound Kickstarter is live and is almost funded!

– Deluxe Werewolf 20th Anniversary Edition: As with HH2, shipping services still continue to deliver these, although I have messages into both the US and European shippers trying to find out if we have gotten back shipments yet. The Heavy Metal Deluxe W20 is slowly being assembled after several bad starts with the ink density on the metal covers- bad density= flaking, scratching, peeling. Mike Lee has a new batch of chapters of the W20 “Houses of the Moon” novel for Bill to review. W20 Anthology PDF is on sale at DTRPG now, and we are looking to get the PoD files on sale this week. Jess Hartley has submitted the White Howlers Tribe Book is in red-lining, and the W20 Cookbook PDF was delivered to backers before last year ended- I’m waiting for a proof of the PoD version. W20 Wyld West patch writing is going into editing.

– Deluxe Mage the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition has Phil on the very last sections of the book. Reviewing full pages in b&w first from Mike Kaluta. Five pieces of the Traditions two-page spread art have been approved by CCP. Going to do its Kickstarter after Anarchs Unbound‘s, and had a really fun conversation with Phil about how we can do the KS and how involved he wants to be. He said something about a fire and video.

– W20 Changing Breeds PDF and PoD versions are on sale at DTRPG! Deluxe files are with the printer. The Changing Breeds Fiction Anthology is in progress with second drafts.

– W20 Rage Across the World: The PDF went to Deluxe W20 backers first as an appreciative gift for their patience, and is now on sale at DTRPG. Waiting for the proofs of the PoD.

– W20 Book of the Wyrm is in layout. A couple of additional art pieces still coming in.

– V20 Rites of the Blood: is ready for layout, but layout is not yet ready for it, art finals rolling in.

– Under the Darkening Sky (classic Dark Ages): PDF is available on DTRPG. This was one of those books that was in progress right as the Dark Ages line ended, so show your support for that bygone and beloved setting and let us know you want more!

– Trinity Continuum: New System ideas continue being hammered out. Most of the Aeon setting material is in. Logo discussion has started.

– Scion: New Systems discussion continue. Both Scion and the TU above are now moving into active mode for 2014.

– Demon: The Descent: In a surprise move, we delivered the Demon PDF to KS backers before the end of December, and we’ve compiled changes and tweaks for an updated PDF before creating PoD and traditional printing files.

– Hunter: Mortal Remains: Art coming in and is in layout.

– Book of the Deceived (MtC): Second drafts being worked on.

– nWoD: Dark Eras: Writers are writing.

– V20 Dark Ages: Scribes are scribing. Some on 2nd Drafts. Check out the discussion on the WW Forums and these very blogs.

– DtD Players Guide: Flowers Of Hell?: In editing.

– V20: Ghouls: Writing continues very well.

– V20 Red List: In final draft stage.

– The Making of the Art of Children of the Revolution: Out to backers who pledged for it. Creating PoD files to go with PDF for sale on DTRPG.

Reason to Drink: Snoooooooooooow.