Pow, Pow, Pow, Ow! The Sequel! [Monday Meeting Notes]

Monday Meeting, News

This week is indeed a sequel of sorts, as I follow up on a variety of topics I mentioned last week. Sometimes as clarification, sometimes to give you more info, and sometimes because I just want to mention it again.

Like the Trinity Continuum: Aberrant Kickstarter that is kicking butt and taking names and is over 200% funded as we approach the end of week two. Like I said last week, it is just so great that our existing long-time fans are as excited about bringing back this legendary game as we are!

Of course, I do want to mention this week a couple of things about the KS, and maybe more the KS process that I think backers and potential backers might find it worth considering.

First, this is a reboot or re-imagining of the Aberrant setting as well as using the Storypath rules. It’s not a sequel or just a port of the old stuff onto Storypath. The designers had several goals they needed to hit, like making the system actually work this time, advancing the setting in both time and relevancy to where we are now (not the 90s), and to make sure it fit into the Trinity Continuum concept.

As more and more of the text is released to backers, you’ll be able to judge yourself how well they hit those marks – but I think they accomplished all that and a lot more!

But please, bear in mind that excerpts and previews are still just sections of the greater whole, and so you are reading something that isn’t connected to the remaining sections of the book in ways that may illuminate aspects hard to see with what is available right then.

We provide the text as we do to enable conversation and fun speculation. If you find yourself gnashing your teeth and swearing eternal vengeance over an excerpt, then the method we’re revealing things might not work for you. You’re not a jerk because of that, and we’re not jerks because we’ve found a method we use in our KSs that works really well for us. (We’re jerks for other reasons, though.)

Dystopia Rising: Evolution art by Mark Kelly

Another thing to consider about the KS preview process is that it’s not the Errata phase. We do have one of those for pretty much all of our projects, and it grew out of our Kickstarter process, funnily enough, so we definitely will give backers a chance to let us know what mistakes they find.

In fact, depending on the KS, the text may or may not have made it through editing when it is previewed. So, while the previews are great for seeing and discussing the overall concepts and details, it’s during the errata phase that we need feedback on things that don’t make sense, add up, or contradict themselves.

In much the same way, just to get this out there, we don’t do PageXXs re-errata. We do them after all the tweaks have been made, in case the text referenced in the XX moves off the page due to a change we found we needed to do because of the errata.

Eddy has a post describing why it is really important for us to keep these feedback opportunities tied to the moments in the process we need them connected to in our Pugmire Forums on this website. The gist is: it ain’t arbitrary on our parts.

Coincidentally, (?), the Onyx Pathcast crew just posted an episode devoted to this very topic: the errata/playtest/editing process and the care and feeding of the creators involved. They have a great time breaking the process down into very clear segments here: https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/

M20 Book of the Fallen art by Oliver Specht

Following up on the Storypath Nexus Community Content site for Scion 2nd Edition, and I just want to say how thrilled we have been with the response so far. There’s already a handful of Scion products up there, with a surprisingly wide range of subject matter, size, and pricing. Good for all of you who have put together your projects and posted and let’s cheer on the creators working on their Scion projects even as I type this!

Bravo folks! It’s a great way to share your ideas, make a little money if you price it that way, let us here at Onyx Path see what you can do, and help jump-start an awesome community with awesome content.

And, of course, here’s some clarification items.

First, Storypath Nexus is the community content site for all the games powered by the Storypath rules set. So while we have started with Scion, the Trinity Continuum, Dystopia Rising: Evolution, and They Came From Beneath the Sea! game lines will also appear as they are released. Each of these will have different allowable content guidelines, and any of them may add or subtract from those guidelines as we see what works for that line.

For example, one Storypath gameline may allow fiction books to be posted, another may not. Then, some time later, fiction may be added to where it was previously not part of the allowable content. So, the Nexus is for Storypath game lines, not for Storypath as a system.

Much in the same way as White Wolf‘s Storytellers Vault is for all the White Wolf game lines.

Second, Storypath Nexus is not an Open Game License, but a community content site. Just like every other community content site, there are guidelines like I mentioned above and limits to what can be posted on the site. Maybe at some time in the future we’ll look at ways to license the system, but right now the community content site that is Storypath Nexus is what we are experimenting with.

Trinity Continuum: Aeon – Distant Worlds art by Sam Denmark

Speaking of community content, we also have a lot of projects available (and what seems like several new ones every week) on Canis Minor for the Realms of Pugmire, and the Slarecian Vault for Scarred Lands – including the epic campaign Vengeance of the Shunned (5e) starting with Part 1 – A Mishap of Ill Portent and Part 2 – A Scholarly Schism. All on DriveThruRPG!

And keep your eyes out for the annual Xmas in July Sale blowout on DTRPG, too, where you can get wild discounts on the PDFs of our:

Many Worlds, One Path!

BLURBS!

Kickstarter!

The Trinity Continuum: Aberrant Kickstarter funded in less than a day and is now over 200% funded! We’ve already passed Stretch Goals that are enabling us to recreate missing first edition books, a compilation of the web comic, three sections of a book statting out the characters, digital wallpaper and dice, a backer-only T-Shirt, and:

N!WE N!TERNATIONAL WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT – A new PDF product discussing the N!WE, the performers and industry personnel, and various elements of professional wrestling in the world of Aberrant!

At $88,000 and climbing, we’ve got many more fantastic Stretch Goal rewards to come, so come check it out! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/200664283/trinity-continuum-aberrant

ONYX PATH MEDIA

Onyx Pathcast art by Michael Gaydos

This Friday’s Onyx Pathcast features an interview with Onyx Path Operations Manager and DTRPG guru Matt McElroy who will be mercilessly grilled by our corespondents as to the inner workings and secrets of Onyx Path: https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/

And Here’s More Media About Our Worlds:

We broadcast a live edition of the Onyx Path News today! Check out https://www.youtube.com/user/TheOnyxPath for the footage!

Matthew started up his Wraith: The Oblivion chronicle with prologues for each of the characters while they’re still alive. Here’s video one https://youtu.be/TaMIrvGDZPM and here’s video two https://youtu.be/0qCc183IF9U

The Story Told Podcast is publishing a review of The Realm for Exalted 3rd: http://thestorytold.libsyn.com/episode-32-exalted-the-realm-book-review

Caffeinated Conquests continue with their fumbling, bumbling, hilarious playthrough of The Gauntlet of Spiragos for Scarred Lands: https://youtu.be/BKb3fLWFlKE

A challenger appears! New on our blog is http://307rpg.com/, a fantastic podcast which has covered all kinds of games, including (but not limited to) Vampire, Scarred Lands, and Pathfinder!

Twin Cities by Night have just started a new Chronicles of Darkness series, named “The Ultimate Evil”. Please check it out! https://twincitiebynight.podbean.com/

Devil’s Luck Gaming continue with their absolutely superb Scarred Lands campaign. We can’t recommend this one enough: https://www.twitch.tv/DEVILSLUCKGAMING

Just to show you that V20 is still going strong, The Cult of Tea and Dice has started up a new V20 campaign for all your Vampire needs: https://thecultofteaanddice.net/

If written chronicle reports are your jam, check out GMorts Chaotica as they play a V5 chronicle and utilize elements from the upcoming V5 Chicago by Night: https://gmortschaotica.blogspot.com/

Occultists Anonymous continue their superb Mage: The Awakening chronicle here! Episode 28: A Spot of Bad Luck – Atratus, Mammon, and Wyrd the Seer investigate the large suburban home where the Spider had wanted to first meet. This is just as the cabal remembers that Web of Life only reveals the living. Songbird continues to fall… https://youtu.be/sHjba91g73I

Drop Matthew a message via the contact button on matthewdawkins.com if you have actual plays, reviews, or game overviews you want us to profile on the blog!

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 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 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 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 are available to order!

On Sale This Week!

This Wednesday, we are offering The Realm in PDF and physical book PoD versions on DTRPG!

CONVENTIONS!

Gen Con: August 1st – 4th

Save Against Fear: October 12th – 14th

GameHoleCon: October 31st – November 3rd

We’ll also be back at PAX Unplugged later this year!

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)

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

Exalted Essay Collection (Exalted)

Trinity Continuum Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum Core)

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



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

Exigents (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Terra Firma (Trinity Continuum: Aeon) Titanomachy (Scion 2nd Edition)

Crucible of Legends (Exalted 3rd Edition)

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

Contagion Chronicle: Global Outbreaks (Chronicles of Darkness)

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

W20 Art Book (Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th)

Yugman’s Guide to Ghelspad (Scarred Lands)

Vigil Watch (Scarred Lands)

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

Redlines

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

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

Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)

Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)

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

Second Draft

Tales of Good Dogs – Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)

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

Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)

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

Development



Oak, Ash, and Thorn: Changeling: The Lost 2nd Companion (Changeling: The Lost 2nd)

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

Creatures of the World Bestiary (Scion 2nd Edition)

Heirs to the Shogunate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

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

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

Legendlore core book (Legendlore)

City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)

TC: Aeon Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

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

Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)

Manuscript Approval

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant core (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

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

Chicago Folio/Dossier (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)



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

WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)

Editing

Memento Mori: the GtSE 2e Companion (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)

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

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

Heroic Land Dwellers (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

DR:E Threat Guide – Helnau’s Guide to Wasteland Beasties (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)

DR:E Jumpstart (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)

Pirates of Pugmire (Realms of Pugmire)

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

Post-Editing Development

M20 Book of the Fallen (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

V5 Chicago By Night (Vampire: The Masquerade)

V5 Chicago By Night Screen (Vampire: The Masquerade)

CofD Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)

Distant Worlds (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Dark Eras 2 (Chronicles of Darkness)

Spilled Blood (Vampire: The Requiem 2nd Edition)

Indexing

ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE!

In Art Direction

Contagion Chronicle

VtR Spilled Blood

Trinity Continuum Aeon: Distant Worlds – Sketches coming in.

Trinity Continuum Aberrant

Hunter: The Vigil 2e

Ex3 Lunars

They Came From Beneath the Sea

TCFBtS!: Heroic Land Dwellers

Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed

Ex3 Monthly Stuff

In Layout

M20 Book of the Fallen

Trinity Core – Getting cover specs from printer.

Trinity Aeon – Getting cover specs from printer.

CoM – Witch Queen of the Shadowed Citadel

Dark Eras 2

Proofing

DR: E – final PDF off for approval

Aeon Aexpansion

C20 Cup of Dreams – This week.

V5: Chicago – Inputting 2nd proof comments.

Geist 2e – Inputting Page XXs, then Indexing.

Signs of Sorcery – Implementing Errata.

At Press

Dragon Blooded – Deluxe at Studio2.

Dragon-Blooded Cloth Map – At Studio2.

Dragon-Blooded Screen – Shipped to Studio2.

The Realm – PDF and PoD versions on Sale Weds at DTRPG!

Trinity Core Screen – Shipping to Studio2.

TC Aeon Screen – Shipping to Studio2.

Book of Oblivion – PoD proofs ordered.



Trinity: In Media Res – PoD proofs ordered.

Scion Jumpstart – PoD proofs ordered.

Scion Ready-Made Characters – Waiting to order PoD proofs.

Blood Sea – PoD file uploaded, waiting to order proof.

Today’s Reason to Celebrate!

Today in 1834 – The Spanish Inquisition is officially disbanded after nearly 356 years. Or were they?…