Some New Stuff BESIDES Mage 20th…

Monday Meeting

As this picture shows, we just this week launched our T-shirt store on RedBubble. http://theonyxpath.redbubble.com Right now we have the retro classic VtM Clan Shirts, a set of three Scion cover art shirts, and an Anarchs shirt for V20. We figure on slowly adding shirts as we have spare time, and as impelled by our Kickstarters, so expect to see the range of possible shirts grow. And as with everything, we’d love to hear your ideas as to what kind of shirts you’d like to see up there. And by “love” I mean we’d really like to know but would prefer you don’t start by telling us the ones up there already suck.

With Eddy away wrestling Pythons, I didn’t have my Monday dose of his unbridled optimism. Which really does help put some, repeat: some, comments from our community into perspective. Because if you think right now I’m talking about you, then you have enough reflexive empathy to not be who I’m talking about. Frex- our incredibly awesome 108 post discussion in the comments of last week’s blog about Stretch Goals was pretty sweet. A lot of good points were made, and a lot of clarifications and other info was exchanged. Not a problem.

Maybe I’m just peeved in general. Certainly sitting down with the tax man on Monday is high on my list of “not fun” moments. Good news, despite the obscure and arcane methods used by accountants, is that Onyx Path showed a bit of a profit last year. “But Rich”, I think I can hear you faintly say, “surely you’re being coy?” or even “You’re lying, you lying liar who lies! You live the dream and we saw what you made in Kickstarters alone last year- you dick!” Nope. It’s true- just a bit of profit. First of all, those eldritch arcane accounting practices only count your income and costs for projects shipped that year. And we, uh, well you know that we had some slippage.

Then, just in terms of KSs- we have percentages to pay to KS, Amazon Payments, and CCP right off of those posted KS funds, and then marketing expenses right after that. After those deductions, figure the biggest bulk of costs will come from the manufacturing and shipping, and then because we care, all those Stretch Goals we all have fun with have costs that get pulled from the total. So not a lot left: deliberately as we want to build the lines and have fun with the Stretch Goals, like we said last week.

But here’s something- to return to being peevish: I know why people post them, but that Fry pic with the “Shut up and take my money” tagline really irks me. I’m peeved. Maybe even vexed. You know why? It’s rude to say that to somebody working their ass off to make something cool. It dehumanizes us. I know that in most cases nobody posting that, or just the tagline, is actually telling us to shut up. But the end effect is that it seems like you’re saying that who we are, why we made this thing, the struggles to do so- none of that matters so much as the dollars in your fist and your almighty hunger to consume. Which I truly hope is not how our community sees this relationship- certainly it’s not how Onyx has positioned ourselves in regards to ya’ll.

Oh, and also, the Deluxe Mage 20th Kickstarter campaign is doing really amazingly well. Which doesn’t irk me. At all. Thanks to all of you for all the action in the comments section and for your support! 600% of the Funding Goal met, 2640 backers, an Ultra-Deluxe Edition added, and a ton of Stretch Goals passed. And with almost two weeks left to go.

And this irksome thing I have to fill out every week-grrr! :P:

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

– Exalted 3rd Edition: From Holden: Starting up the Craft Charms revealed some final tweaks that needed to be made to the core Craft rules. While those are being implemented, John has switched over to Occult Charms, and is over halfway done with them. Craft systems are undergoing final refinements. Valuable feedback is rolling in from the Phase 2 playtest and some time has been dedicated to sorting through that; so far the new social mechanics seem very popular, though we may need to mess with the Essence prerequisites for a few Charms, and several Keyword errors were caught. Final or near-final (depending on how Occult shakes out) revisions to the sorcerous project system were also covered in the last week, along with some design work on Evocations to prepare for Arms of the Chosen.

Zub’s EX3 Comic is more than halfway finished being illustrated and both EX3 novels are being worked on. Starting to get one of the EX3 Music Suites to a finished state, the Dragon Blooded theme.

– V20 Hunters Hunted 2: US/Canadian missing packages being gone through case by case- at this point I should have messaged all of you back. Hearing every day from International backers who are getting their packages, so it does seem that all International packages have been sent.



– V20 Anarchs Unbound : Backers had their chance to get the discounted AU shirt, and now the extra text on the added Free State is being worked on- plus an added Free State that Justin was so passionate about that we’re including as a bonus.

– Deluxe Werewolf 20th Anniversary Edition: As with HH2, US/Canadian missing packages being gone through case by case- at this point I should have messaged all of you back. Hearing every day from International backers who are getting their packages, so it does seem that all International packages have been sent. The Heavy Metal Deluxe W20 is slowly being assembled- the current delay being a glitch on the W20 disc on the spine that’s being fixed by the printer. Mike Lee has a new batch of chapters of the W20 “Houses of the Moon” novel for Bill to review. Jess Hartley has the White Howlers Tribe Book in red-lining and is jumping back into inputting changes. W20 Wyld West patch writing is in editing and is being art directed.

– Mage the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition- the Deluxe M20 Kickstarter KS went live just about two weeks ago and we have (as of this writing) 2640 backers, and $429,689 in pledges! We’ve passed 15 Stretch Goals including 3 early t-shirt designs, a Character Pack PDF Parts 1&2&3, a Quickstart PDF, a PDF on the way the Spheres work, an increase in the art budget, Book of Secrets PDF Parts 1&2, two more silk bookmarks, a Mage20 Fiction Anthology,a pay bump for the creative team and unlocked the Ultra-Deluxe M20 Quintessence Edition. Come check it out, the fun is just starting! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/200664283/deluxe-mage-the-ascension-20th-anniversary-edition

– W20 Changing Breeds PDF and PoD versions are on sale at DTRPG! Deluxe files are with the printer- proofs were shown to backers and are back with the printer. The cover emboss needed a tweak and has been. The Changing Breeds Fiction Anthology in editing.

– W20 Book of the Wyrm is in layout. This will be the next Kickstarter project if everything times out as expected. We think this book should appeal to W20 and W20 Changing Breeds fans alike.

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

– Dark Ages: Darkening Sky (classic Dark Ages): PDF and Physical book PoD are available on DTRPG.

– Trinity Continuum: New System ideas continue being hammered out. Most of the Aeon setting material is in. Logo discussion has started. We’re looking at starting some preliminary blog posts. We’re looking at posting the New System for community review before we roll it into either Scion or the TC, so getting that ready.

– Scion: New Systems discussion continue. Both Scion and the TC above are now moving into active mode for 2014. Contracts and art notes out for the Scion: Origins cover.

– Demon: The Descent: We delivered the Demon PDF to KS backers before the end of December, and I’ll be sending PoD and other links to backers in the next day or so. Traditional printing files at the printer. The Demon: Ready Made Characters is one of the other links I’ll be sending to backers. Demon Seed Collection is in first drafts. DtD Seattle is in first redlines. Heirs to Hell is in second drafts. Demon Translation Guide is being written.

– Hunter: Mortal Remains: Art coming in and going in for approval to CCP, and is in layout.

– Book of the Deceived (MtC): Redlines. The loss of a writer means their section has to be given to a new writer, CAS is on top of it.

– nWoD: Dark Eras: Writers are following up on redlines except for one chapter which is having writer issues.

– V20 Dark Ages: Scribes are scribing 2nd Drafts. David Hill has recently moved to a new country and is still acclimating, more info once he is settled in.

– DtD Players Guide: Flowers Of Hell?: In layout and being art directed.

– V20: Ghouls: First drafts coming into to the developer for redlines.

– 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.

– W20: The Umbra: In redlines.

– WtF: The Idigam Chronicle: First drafts being written.

– GtSE: Geist Ready Made Characters: Being written. Just thought we’d throw this in.

Reason to Drink: Actually don’t need a drink after venting here. Thanks!