2nd Chance for the “Game of Second Chances”[Monday Meeting Notes]

Monday Meeting, News

Just today, Monday, we launched the Kickstarter campaign for Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition!

We’re really thrilled to be able to do this, as Geist has been a bit of a sore spot for us, and some of our community too, for years. First edition was the last of the new World of Darkness game settings to be created by the original White Wolf, during my time as WW creative director. It never got the releases and support it could have, mostly by the sheer unfortunate timing of when it arrived.

So gather ’round, kiddos, and Unca Rich will tell you a Geist story.

Despite the stellar sales of Changeling: The Lost, and excellent sales of Hunter: The Vigil, not to mention the Scion and Exalted lines, we received just absolutely abysmal pre-orders from the distribution chain for GtSE 1st Edition. We even had word that one buyer for the book trade hated it and wouldn’t order any supplements. Which was a significant percentage of our usual pre-orders. The entire company was transitioning in the years after the CCP merger, and developer Ethan Skemp, a rock of reliability, attention to detail, and excellent game design, got sick midway through finishing the book.

Basically, Geist was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

So the first edition was a fair bit jumbled, and hard to find. The only supplement we did was made a “blue book” nWoD release rather than a Geist one (we tricked you, book trade buyer!) and events rushed forward and everything game studio-wise was eased back as the WoD MMO became priority #1.

Geist first edition went up on DriveThru, and those who found it seemed to love the feeling of it, and have issues with the rules. As time went by, I read those messages, and felt pretty bad about the wounded thing we had published. It was, after all, a project I had greenlit, one of my babies, and while I was trying to keep an eye on things in WW‘s remaining game studio, I was also nostrils deep in the MMO.

When Eddy and I created the CCP Transmedia group after V20, one of the first projects on our very limited slate was a revised version of Geist first edition. Not a new edition, but a fixed-up one. I think it was Eddy who first called it Geist 1.1, and in April 2012 it was put up on DTRPG.

And a funny thing happened.

Sales happened.

Continuing healthy sales. Somebody was out there, and they sure seemed devoted to Geist. What a wonderful thing to discover about a game and setting that seemed like it was stillborn. But actually, once folks could get a cleaned up version, people kept buying it.

This realization coincided with the timing of creating the first Dark Eras book, and when backers were voting for which lines to appear in which Dark Eras there was pretty intense lobbying for Geist. Huh. More confirmation. If you haven’t yet, you can check out the Geist sections in both Dark Eras and the Dark Eras Companion volume here on DTRPG: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/4261/Onyx-Path-Publishing/subcategory/27199/Dark-Eras

The Dark Eras books were, in fact, the method we had to deliver new material, albeit historical, for all of the new World of Darkness lines as they transitioned into the Chronicles of Darkness and we moved forward with creating their second editions. (Which is a very, very, cleaned-up and simplified version of the tortuous transition, indeed. And a story for another times, kiddos.)

Which, basically, brings us to this Kickstarter for Geist 2nd Edition. Spearheaded by the titanically talented Travis Stout and a fantastic team of writers, nurtured by Rose Bailey and Dixie Cochran, with stunning art that you can see represented on the KS page…this is truly the second chance for the “game of second chances”!

Now, we still don’t know what size audience we’ll have for this KS, nor how fast we’ll fund, or how many Stretch Goals we’ll achieve. (I was thinking about stopping mid-sentence and going into the next line, like I was caught off-guard by some sort of alarm, but honestly, I stopped with “achieve” and went and checked the KS hoping I could say the next paragraph right now).

And BOOM! as I was writing this little tale, the Geist 2e Kickstarter has funded in 9.75 hours! Thanks to everyone who contributed so far, and to all of you who will help us bring forth a new 2nd Edition version of this awesome game by pledging this next month! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/200664283/geist-the-sin-eaters-2nd-edition

Phew!

Meanwhile last Friday, our Onyx Pathcast featured Dixie, Eddy, and Matthew telling tales of the freelancer lifestyle and just what that means. Lots of creativity, lots of communication with the clients depending on you, lots of making sure you have another gig in the works. You can hear them on your preferred podcast service, or right here on PodBean: https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/

This coming Friday, the Terrible Trio of Terror will be interviewing the terrific Danielle Lauzon, who has been just tearing up the place developing Vampire: The Requiem 2nd, a lot of brilliant work on Storypath generally, and the Trinity Continuum specifically, and she’s been a mover and shaker on the new releases for 7th Sea for John Wick Presents.

Finally, in other news, it’s the 4th of July holiday Wednesday here in the US, so a lot of us will be out of the office that day, although we will have our usual Wednesday “on sale alert”. Some of our shipping services also have a day or two off, so that’s throwing some pre-Gen Con plans off a tad, but we’re adjusting. Make sure you watch the musical 1776 (an inspiration for “Hamilton“), and keep your pets inside away from the loud noises for the holiday.

And with that, I’ve leave you with these fours words of wisdom muttered by John Adams on his deathbed:

Many Worlds, One Path!

BLURBS!

KICKSTARTER:

The Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition Kickstarter began today (Monday) and already has funded as I write this. We want to be able to make a great looking hardcover edition, and get that into stores while giving backers first look at the complete text and other fun benefits: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/200664283/geist-the-sin-eaters-2nd-edition

Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition includes all the rules you need to play as one of the Bound: Five Burdens reflecting the cause that pulled you back from the grave, five krewe Archetypes for building your own mystery religion, and the Haunts, Keys, and Ceremonies that provide the Bound with their macabre powers.

It also includes the Chronicle of the Dead, featuring the Sin-Eaters’ struggle against the all-consuming Underworld and a variety of terrifying threats. In addition, for the first time in the Chronicles of Darkness line, ghosts are presented as playable characters.

Chapters include:

The Quick and the Dead: the five Burdens (the reason a Sin-Eater comes back from the dead and what draws a particular geist to them) and krewe Archetypes (the common cause that draws a krewe of Sin-Eaters together).

The Road Back: On death and coming back, and why Bound make the Bargain, including possible consequences.

One Foot in the Grave: Character creation, with sections on both geist and krewe creation, Anchors, Merits, Synergy, Plasm, Abilities, Haunts, Keys, Ceremonies, and Mementos.

Old Laws: the core Chronicles of Darkness rules, with special rules for playing Sin-Eaters, as well as information on subsystems for krewes, ghosts, and the Underworld, including Avernian Gates.

rules, with special rules for playing Sin-Eaters, as well as information on subsystems for krewes, ghosts, and the Underworld, including Avernian Gates. Antagonists: villains for your Geist chronicle, including Reapers, Eaters of the Dead, necromancers, enemy Bound, and Kerberoi.

chronicle, including Reapers, Eaters of the Dead, necromancers, enemy Bound, and Kerberoi. The Quiet Places: Setting information and story hooks for playing your Geist chronicle in specific times and places in history., from 16th-century Brazil to modern-day Edinburgh, Scotland to Mobile, Alabama in 1910, as well as information on Dominions.

chronicle in specific times and places in history., from 16th-century Brazil to modern-day Edinburgh, Scotland to Mobile, Alabama in 1910, as well as information on Dominions. Ghost Stories: Storyteller advice and information for running a Geist chronicle, including designing Remembrances, how to set theme and mood, story seeds, and various ways to play out the end of a game.

chronicle, including designing Remembrances, how to set theme and mood, story seeds, and various ways to play out the end of a game. Appendix: The Absent: This Appendix details the Absent, playable ghosts, including Memories, new Merits, and a collection of possible ghost characters to expand on and use in your chronicle.

Appendix: Conditions and Tilts: Geist-specific Conditions and Tilts, including ephemeral Influence Conditions and Manifestation Conditions for ghosts, as well as Haunt Conditions and Tilts.

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)

(Kindle, Nook) Werewolf: The Apocalypse: Rites of Renown: When Will You Rage II (Kindle, Nook)

(Kindle, Nook) Mage: The Ascension: Truth Beyond Paradox (Kindle, Nook)

(Kindle, Nook) Chronicles of Darkness: The God-Machine Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

(Kindle, Nook) Mummy: The Curse: Curse of the Blue Nile (Kindle, Nook)

(Kindle, Nook) Beast: The Primordial: The Primordial Feast Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

(Kindle, Nook) Vampire: The Masquerade: Of Predators and Prey: The Hunters Hunted II Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

(Kindle, Nook) Werewolf: The Apocalypse: The Poison Tree (Kindle, Nook)

(Kindle, Nook) Werewolf: The Apocalypse: Songs of the Sun and Moon: Tales of the Changing Breeds (Kindle, Nook)

(Kindle, Nook) Vampire: The Requiem: The Strix Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

(Kindle, Nook) Werewolf: The Forsaken: The Idigam Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

(Kindle, Nook) Mage: The Awakening: The Fallen World Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

(Kindle, Nook) Vampire: The Masquerade: The Beast Within Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

(Kindle, Nook) Werewolf: The Apocalypse: W20 Cookbook (Kindle, Nook)

(Kindle, Nook) Exalted: Tales from the Age of Sorrows (Kindle, Nook)

(Kindle, Nook) Chronicles of Darkness: Tales of the Dark Eras (Kindle, Nook)

(Kindle, Nook) Promethean: The Created: The Firestorm Chronicle Anthology (Kindle, Nook)

(Kindle, Nook) Demon: The Descent: Demon: Interface (Kindle, Nook)

(Kindle, Nook) Scarred Lands: Death in the Walled Warren (Kindle, Nook)

(Kindle, Nook) V20 Dark Ages: Cainite Conspiracies (Kindle, Nook)

(Kindle, Nook) Chronicles of Darkness: Strangeness in the Proportion (Kindle, Nook)

(Kindle, Nook) Vampire: The Requiem: Silent Knife (Kindle, Nook)

(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: http://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:

Following up last week’s Sword and Sorcery Day, with the first-ever Amazon and Nook store releases of the epubs for the first edition Scarred Lands fiction Dead God Trilogy: Forsaken: Book One, Forsworn: Book Two, and Forbidden: Book Three!