Onyx Path: Foul Cankering Rust the Hidden Treasure…[Monday Meeting Notes]

[Matt]

Yep, we’re killin’ it with the Dead Man’s Rust Kickstarter!

Get the point?

Half-way through, we’re funded and have passed several Stretch Goals. Starting to get a nice collection of Virtual Tabletop Tokens and Maps for the encounters in the book!

This is pretty exciting for us as it really opens up the options for play – you’ve got the handiness of having these adventures, maps, and tokens that are easy to add to on-line gaming, to electronic player hand-outs, and even playing around the table can be made a bit more tactile by printing these out.

With all that going for it, with the many interviews and actual plays like those linked below in the Media section, we’re seeing a very slow, steady growth in pledges. Which is fantastic!

Dead Man’s Rust art by Michele Giorgi

But like with any Kickstarter, we’d like to see more people get involved. At this point, the project is funded. The book is going to get made, and we’ll overprint a percentage of books so they can go into game stores.

So, serious question time. If you haven’t backed it already, can you comment in this blog’s Comments section as to why? Certainly, there are lots of reasonable reasons including: it’s Scarred Lands, it’s an adventure – a MEGA adventure, it uses D&D 5e compatible rules. Maybe you’re holding off to get it in stores, or maybe here at the end of 2020 you’ve KS’d all the KS you can KS.

I’d love to hear if you have a second to comment. Thanks!

Creatures of the Deep art by Brian LeBlanc

Our Meeting Today

Was weird and unusual. I know because I myself am weird and unusual.

Specifically, in this case, it was unusual because SO MUCH of it was discussions that we can’t share. I mean, on any given Monday I elide maybe 25% of the meeting because we talk about all sorts of topics that aren’t ready for public consumption.

But this time, probably 85%-90% of the meeting was secret. Top secret. Classified, even.

I even reiterated that the whole team is on NDAs and that anybody who might burst if they didn’t tell somebody should bow out.

We’re talking just that secret.

We talked about the status of the [REDACTED] project that is already going forward.

Then, [REDACTED].

We reviewed the idea of offering small, easy sales for the rest of the month, and set up what we expect will be our Weds sales roster for the rest of the year, ending with the 6th and final Vigil Watch PDF for Scarred Lands.

We spent almost an hour discussing the new [CLASSIFIED] project that we might commit to doing after [REDACTED]. Which is not to be confused with a different sort of licensing project featuring [CLASSIFIED] that we didn’t touch on but briefly in Eddy’s status report.

Which is not They Came From [CLASSIFIED]!, which we have already announced we’re working on even if we didn’t reveal that it is focused on [REDACTED].

We had a bit of a communication hiccup with our friends at IPR and so the sale I mentioned last week is actually running now. The Farewell 2020 and Save 20% on Storypath Sale is going on now at IPR:

https://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Deals-and-Specials/

We discussed some strategies to help our creators get further back on track this month so that we can start 2021 strong and already rolling. Our internal crew sounds good and hungry and sounding a lot more like our old selves and we want to share that with our folks as best we can.

A lot of people are still struggling, and we don’t want to minimize how tough things this whole last year have been for our creators – we want to help and encourage as we have been through 2020. If that is possible and wanted.

Under Alien Skies art by Pat McEvoy

We ran through some specific plans for [REDACTED] and [REDACTED], so it’s not just emotional support we’re talking about, but actual getting projects finished support. Feet on the ground kind of stuff.

Finally, I let the gang know that I talked with [CLASSIFIED] and [REDACTED] and we’ve got some excellent possibilities for doing projects with them.

[CLASSIFIED] [REDACTED] and:

Many Worlds, One Path!

---

Blurbs!

---

Kickstarter!

Dead Man’s Rust for Scarred Lands’s Kickstarter is two weeks in (with two weeks to go!) and we’ve already funded several Stretch Goals in addition to the main goal!

If you haven’t heard, though, Dead Man’s Rust is the most blood-spraying, face-melting, ass-kicking, heart-wrenching, undead-filled, heavy-metal pile of awesomeness ever conceived of for the fifth edition of the world’s most popular role-playing game!

As of this writing we have achieved two VTT Token packs and the exclusive Backer TShirt discount, and are aiming at more VTT Tokens as well as electronic wallpaper and then a biggie:
Gazetteer: Dier Drendal – A supplemental PDF focused on the underground city of Dier Drendal, providing hooks and guidance on how to incorporate it into the Dead Man’s Rust mega-adventure. 

You can check it out here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/339646881/dead-mans-rust-a-mega-adventure-for-scarred-lands-5e

---

Onyx Path Media!

This week: Dixie, Matthew, and Eddy look at a very timely topic: Tips and Tricks for Running Games Remotely!

As always, this Friday’s Onyx Pathcast will be on Podbean or your favorite podcast venue! https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/

Some lovely new media for all of you, starting once more with Scarred Lands content!

Over on Red Moon Roleplaying, Matthew Dawkins and Klara Herbøl continue their Dead Man’s Rust campaign with Craig and Hjalmar of RMR! Check out episode one right here and give them a subscribe: https://youtu.be/F7YQ72WVLT0

The Wisdom Check interviewed Travis Legge in an exciting dive into Dead Man’s Rust:https://youtu.be/nBJ4AUgc6Wc

Wanderer’s Haven Productions continues their series of deep dives into Scarred Lands with these excellent videos:

Shelzar Part 1: https://youtu.be/6tP5AHU3Md4

Shelzar Part 2: https://youtu.be/KvJDKAk9Y7Q

Around Shelzar: https://youtu.be/gzCp1Ga6akQ

The Iron Court: https://youtu.be/-ix6ARpnxmE

History of the Asaatthi: https://youtu.be/BJ1EgSCP0tA

And many, many more: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpK1DZP4y9yt3h4HAhLtGunwcvzkZtoUx

For anyone new to our media section, you can find us running and playing games over on twitch.tv/theonyxpath pretty much every day of the week! Plus, if you’d like your games hosted there, just get in touch with Matthew Dawkins using the contact link on matthewdawkins.com. 

This week on Twitch, expect to see these games and streams running:

• Scarred Lands – A Family Affair
• Scarred Lands – Dead Man’s Rust – Nerdsmith
• Frostlands of Fenrilik – Behind the Screen
• Scarred Lands – Dead Man’s Rust – Fight in the Shade
  
• Contagion Chronicle – Vorpal Tales
• Pugmire – How the Pirates Stole Yuletyme
• Hunter: The Vigil – The Devil’s Deal
• Changeling: The Dreaming – The Last Faerie Tale
• Mage: The Awakening – Occultists Anonymous
  
• Scion – Heroes for the Holidays – Dork Tales
• Scarred Lands – Purge of the Serpentholds
• V5 – Cults of the Blood Gods – Thy Kindred Come
• Hunter: Unbound Anomalies – Devil’s Luck Gaming

Get watching for some fantastic insight into how to run these wonderful games and subscribe to us on Twitch, over at twitch.tv/theonyxpath

Come take a look at our YouTube channel, youtube.com/user/theonyxpath, where you can find a whole load of videos of actual plays, dissections of our games, and more, including:

Changeling: The Dreaming – The Last Faerie Tale – E24 – https://youtu.be/rDqNpC69VI8

Vampire: The Masquerade – Boston by Night – Game 8 – https://youtu.be/Yu_rQwtBBVc

Ghost Hunters – Chiumera House – Episode 1 – https://youtu.be/NKwsvFgFyNE

Scarred Lands – Vigil Watch – One-Shot – https://youtu.be/ntyROfFzXzQ

Scarred Lands – Dead Man’s Rust – The Onyx Pathcast Players – https://youtu.be/GJHAhscysBk

Scarred Lands – Purge of the Serpentholds – S2E1 – https://youtu.be/0bgAzlMwnCU

Hunter: The Vigil – Cold Cases, Forsaken Spaces – Ep. 4 – https://youtu.be/ly2gZGnqQ5w

Subscribe to our channel and click the bell icon if you want to be notified whenever new news videos and uploads come online!

McStabber Studios got in touch with us about some of their excellent content, so let’s give them a spotlight here:

McStabber Studios are currently streaming Season 1 of Windy City After Dark, which is a Chicago by Night + Chicago FoliosV5 chronicle.

They stream every Sunday at 5pm Eastern, and try to keep each Episode from 2 to 3 hours to make it easy for new viewers to catch up.

Episode 6 will air December 6th, and Season 1 is expected to be around 10 Episodes (Season 2 is already scheduled to begin Mid-February). They completed Season 1 of their Wraith: The Oblivion chronicle titled Wraith: Life Derailed in July and Season 2 is scheduled to return mid January on Wednesdays at 8pm Eastern.

Twitch – https://www.twitch.tv/mcstabberstudios
YouTube (back episodes) – https://www.youtube.com/mcstabberstudios
Main Twitter – https://twitter.com/McStabberStudio
Mistress of Promotions – https://twitter.com/RelynnDare

And that’s not all for Vampire: The Masquerade! Vancouver by Night is running over on their excellent Twitch channel, and we think you should check it out: twitch.tv/vancouverbynight

Systematic Understanding of Everything is a fantastic Exalted Explainer Podcast by Exalted Dev Monica Speca and Exalted Writer Chazz Kellner. You should check it out, because frankly, it’s brilliant.

Their most recent episodes are available over on https://www.exaltcast.com/, with their newest the following:
Airships! Crossbows! Dungeon treasure! Representative democracy! There are many reasons to run a game in the North and Monica and Chazz run through the where, what, and who of doing so as well as how to befriend the mousexalted or a glacier with tusks. Curious? Listen! Books about the North! 
https://www.exaltcast.com/2020/11/30/domain-of-melas-breath-the-north/

Occultists Anonymous continue their wonderful Mage: The Awakening chronicle right here:

Episode 149: Dark Passenger 
The cabal stands in a Tetrarch’s vault, surrounded by Grimoires and standing atop an Iron Seal of the Eye. One wrong move could lead to their death or worse.
https://youtu.be/txFgTgfZCdw

Episode 150: No Bones About It
Returned home, the Atratus, Songbird, and Wyrd discuss their next steps. To bring the 5 grimoires together may be unpleasant for their friend, Jud, who has one inscribed upon his bones.
https://youtu.be/mzqzX5VXS_A

Before we leave the Mage: The Awakening train, let’s delve into Wards and Witchcraft, and episode four right here:

Session 4: The Covenant
The PCs are arrested by the Guardians of The Veil! They are offered a gift horse and make some political enemies in the Boston Consilium. By the end of the session the cabal has united in defiance and the spirit of butts. https://youtu.be/CmTRRE4in9k

Please check these out and let us know if you find or produce any actual plays of our games! We’d love to feature you!

---

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.)

We’re told that the App Dev is currently creating an updated version for the latest devices, so keep an eye open for those! The App was also pulled down from the Apple store in order to make some required updates – it’ll be back there soon!

---

Virtual TableTop!

Two Virtual Tabletop adventures: the Gauntlet of Spiragos and the Dagger of Spiragos for Scarred Lands on Astral TableTop and DriveThruRPG!

Scars of the Divine War, which ended less than 200 years ago, have still not healed. One such scar is the Chasm of Flies, a rent in the earth created when the titan Spiragos the Ambusher was smote down by one of the young gods, Vangal the Ravager. Now, the Chasm is inhabited by spider-eye goblins and their spider allies, but it is also thought to be the resting place of powerful artifacts from that elder age.

Astral TableTop is the easiest way to play any tabletop RPG online, free. Astral already supports popular systems like D&D and Pathfinder, and Astral can support virtually any tabletop roleplaying game. Get started quickly with built-in support for most popular game systems. Whether you’re brand new to TTRPGs or a veteran tabletop gamer, Astral‘s ease-of-use and built in automation is designed to streamline gameplay.

Astral is browser-based and uses the latest technology to streamline your storytelling experience. Connect with your party online and run your campaigns however you like. Astral offers tools optimized for phone, tablet, and desktop devices, no installation required.

Build epic battlemaps using Astral‘s enormous collection of scenery, props, and tokens or upload your own. Pro users gain access to over 12,000+ assets and fresh new packs every month. Add weather, visual effects, triggers, and so much more with easy-to-use tools

Build your own adventure, or choose from pre-generated game kits like Gauntlet of Spiragos and Dagger of Spiragos. Create character sheets, craft maps, or just jump right in to connect with your friends and start your adventures!

---

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 provide our traditionally printed books out into your local game stores. Game stores can order via their usual distributors, and can also contact Studio2 directly. And individuals can check out our projects via the links below!

You can pick up the traditionally printed Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau main books, screens, and the official dice through our friends there! https://studio2publishing.com/search?q=pugmire

Now, we’ve added Chronicles of Darkness books such as Changeling: The Lost Second Edition products to Studio2‘s store! See them here: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/all-products/changeling-the-lost

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

Our Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition books are also available from Studio2 in the US: https://studio2publishing.com/products/vampire-the-masquerade-chicago-by-night-sourcebook

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

Farewell 2020 and Save 20% on Storypath Sale is going on now at IPR:

https://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Deals-and-Specials/

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

The next big sale at DTRPG will be the New Year, New Game sale next month (year)! All of our core books and Jumpstarts will be on sale!

---

On Sale This Week!

This Wednesday the Dystopia Rising: Evolution and They Came From Beneath the Sea! electronic wallpapers will be available on DTRPG! And we’ll be offering a bunch of new game journals over at our RedBubble store!

---

Conventions!

Though dates for physical conventions are subject to change due to the current COVID-19 outbreak, here’s what’s left of our current list of upcoming conventions (and really, we’re just waiting for this last one to be cancelled even though it’s Nov/Dec). Instead, keep an eye out here for more virtual conventions we’re going to be involved with!

---

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)
• No Gods, No Masters (Scion 2nd Edition)
• TC: Aeon Novella: Dawn (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
• Once and Future (Scion 2nd Edition)
• They Came From Beneath the Sea! Jumpstart (They Came From…!)
• Tome of the Pentacle (Mage: the Awakening 2e)
• They Came From [Classified]! (They Came From…!)
• They Came From [Classified]! Jumpstart (They Came From…!)
• Realms of Magic and Mystery (was Terra Incognita) (Scion 2nd Edition)
• The Hedge (Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition)
• Proteus Nova Compendium (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Redlines

• Dragon-Blooded Novella #2 (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Tales of Depravity! (They Came From…!)
• They Came From Camp Murder Lake! (They Came From…!)

Second Draft

• Many-Faced Strangers – Lunars Companion (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Wild Hunt (Scion 2nd Edition)
• Monsters From the Crypt! (They Came From…!)
• They Came From Beyond the Grave! Jumpstart (They Came From…!)
• TC: Aeon Novella: Meridian (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Development

• TC: Aberrant Reference Screen (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
• Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Contagion Chronicle: Global Outbreaks (Chronicles of Darkness)
• Exigents (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)
• Adversaries of the Righteous (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Exalted Essence Edition (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Saints and Monsters (Scion 2nd Edition)
• Trinity Continuum: Anima

Manuscript Approval

• Crucible of Legends (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Legacies of Earth (Legendlore)
• Trinity Continuum: Adventure! core (Trinity Continuum: Adventure!)
• Assassins (Trinity Continuum Core)
• Scion Fiction Anthology (Scion 2nd Edition)
• M20 Rich Bastard’s Guide To Magick (Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary)
• The Devoted Companion (Deviant: The Renegades)

Post-Approval Development

• Contagion Chronicle Ready-Made Characters (Chronicles of Darkness)
• Hundred Devil’s Night Parade (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Novas Worldwide (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Editing

• Lunars Novella (Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)
• Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition core rulebook (Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition)
• Player’s Guide to the Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)
• The Book of Lasting Death (Mummy: The Curse 2e)
• Dearly Bleak – Novella (Deviant: The Renegades)
• N!ternational Wrestling Entertainment (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
• Under Alien Skies (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
• Dead Man’s Rust (Scarred Lands)
• V5 Trails of Ash and Bone (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
• M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
• Mission Statements (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
• The Clades Companion (Deviant: The Renegades)
• V5 Children of the Blood (was The Faithful Undead) (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
• Peoples of the Crossroads Continent
• M20 Technocracy Operative’s Dossier (Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary)
• Yugman’s Appendix: People of Ghelspad (Scarred Lands)
• V5 Forbidden Religions (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
• CtL2e Novella Collection: Hollow Courts (Changeling: The Lost 2e)
• Heroes in a World of Horror! (They Came From…!)
• Dystopia Rising: Evolution Fiction Anthology (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)
• Squeaks In The Deep (Realms of Pugmire)
• Prometheus Unbound (was Psi Orders) (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Post-Editing Development

• Cults of the Blood Gods (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
• Hunter: The Vigil 2e core (Hunter: The Vigil 2nd Edition)
• Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)
• Legendlore core book (Legendlore)
• Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)
• They Came From Beyond the Grave! (They Came From!)
• Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)
• TC: Aberrant Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
• LARP Rules (Scion 2nd Edition)
• Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)

Indexing

• TC: Aberrant (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

---

Art Direction from Mike Chaney!

In Art Direction

• WoD Ghost Hunters (KS)
• Hunter: The Vigil 2e – Art buy in progress.
• Mummy 2 – AD’d. LeBlanc’s finals in.
• Legendlore – Art buy figured out.
• Scion: Dragon (KS) – Art for KS in progress, getting 8 halfs. Fulls are in. Cover coming along.
• Masks of the Mythos (KS) – Ready for the KS.
• Scion: Demigod – Art buy in progress.
• They Came From Beyond the Grave! – Art buy figured out.
• TC: Adventure! (KS)
• Contagion Chronicle Jumpstart (Chronicles of Darkness)
• M20 Victorian (KS) – Splats in. Fulls and scenes in progress.
• TC: Under Alien Skies – Most final art in.
• Heirs to the Shogunate – Sketches coming in.
• Dead Man’s Rust (SL KS) – KS rolling.
• Children of the Blood – Art over at Paradox approvals.
• M20 Technocracy Jumpstart – Art in progress.
• Exalted Essence – Getting Dixie and Maria talking about visuals.
• V5 Trail of Ash and Bone – Art buy figured out.
• V5 Forbidden Religions – Art buy figured out.
• TC Mission Statements – Art buy figured out.
• TC Aberrant N!We – Art buy in progress.
• TC Aberrant Jumpstart – Art buy figured out.

In Layout

• Yugman’s Guide to Ghelspad Compiled
• Vigil Watch
• M20 Technocracy Reloaded – Josh getting some assets.
• Monsters of the Deep – Fiction art still in progress, pinging Meredith.
• TC: Aberrant Screen

Proofing

• Yugman’s Guide Support Decks (Scarred Lands)
• Aberrant – Indexing.
• Geist: One Foot In the Grave – First proof dev notes back to Travis.
• Tales of Aquatic Terror – Got maps in and prepping for KS backers.
• Deviant – 2nd Proof to Dev.

At Press

• TCFBTS Screen and Booklet – KS shipping.
• They Came from Beneath the Sea! – KS shipping.
• Pirates of Pugmire – KS shipping.
• Pirates of Pugmire Screen – KS shipping.
• Dark Eras 2 – KS shipping.
• Dark Eras 2 Screen and booklet – KS shipping.
• Contagion Chronicle – Shipping to KS fulfiller.
• Lunars Wall Scroll Map – At KS fulfiller.
• Lunars Screen and Booklet – At KS fulfiller.
• Lunars: Fangs at the Gate – Deluxe printing. PDF and PoD on sale at DTRPG.
• V5 Cults of the Blood Gods – Inputting errata notes and prepping for press.
• Cavaliers of Mars: City of the Towered Tombs – Prepping PoD files.

---

Today’s Reason to Celebrate!

While the God Machine Chronicle was April 2013, still under CCP; the CofD rulebook was Dec 12, 2015, FIVE YEARS AGO next Saturday, about six weeks after the transfer to Paradox. As our unofficial historian Ian Watson says: “I remember it was kind of a scramble to get everything rebranded in time”. Woot, how time has flown!