Onyx Path: Extra-Essence-ory Reception! [Monday Meeting Notes]

Matt · June 1, 2021

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

That’s just me, still over-awed by the great reception to the Exalted: Essence Kickstarter! We went live on Thursday and funded in 13 minutes! I’m told by our Master of the Records, Impish Ian Warson, that this was in fact our fastest funding EVAH- beating the original EX3 KS by five minutes!

We’ve also already blown through a dozen Stretch Goals in all of five days, including the start of an epic adventure book, a Jumpstart and Ready-Made Characters to get started playing with Essence‘s new rules, unlocked the Screen, and built six sections of the Exalted: Essence Companion book, including:

Pillars of Creation containing more Universal Charms, Evocations, Hearthstones, and the ever-popular warstriders.
Scattered Lotus Petals containing more martial arts.
Enemies of the Chosen containing antagonist and NPC write-ups with special attention on demons and Fair Folk.
Eight Direction Atlas containing more locations.
Creation’s Chosen containing more Solar, Lunar, Exigent, Sidereal, and Dragon-Blooded goodies.
Storytelling the Chosen containing material and advice for running games.

People really seem to love having all of the Exalted types be available, and we’ve also received lots of appreciation for the setting location inspiration sidebars that give real-world and media reference for the many unique locations in Creation. Some backers are saying that these sidebars have enabled them to visualize areas that they previously couldn’t get a handle on – which is really gratifying for the team to hear!

This is truly a streamlined and clarified version of EX3, and just wait until the Charms are previewed!

*M20 Rich Bastards’ Guide* art by Ken Meyer, Jr

During the last few phenomenal days of the Exalted: Essence KS, we’ve heard from a lot of folks, and our KS Concierge and all-around amazing guy James Bell is answering most of these on the KS and its Updates, like here where he explains the regular/standard traditionally printed hardcover pledge reward, and the Deluxe:

The Exalted: Essence “standard” book will be an 8.5” x 11” hardcover book, approximately 250+ pages, with full-color interior artwork.

The Deluxe will be a limited, premium version, with foil-stamped leatherette cover and metallic-edged pages and a silk-ribbon bookmark. The Deluxe edition will also list the names of backers who supported this campaign. It will be designed to sit along-side the deluxe editions of Exalted Third Edition core rulebook, Dragon-blooded: What Fire has Wrought, and Lunars: Fangs at the Gate.

But also, we’ve been asked a few times whether Exalted: Essence will replace Exalted 3rd as the main ongoing Exalted game line and so no more Ex3 books will come out. It will not, and we aren’t going to stop creating EX3 books for as far ahead as we can see. This can not be said enough, because all of Exalted: Essence‘s design was built on the idea that it would run along with EX3.

And as a reminder: check out the ongoing Exalted: Essence game hosted by
Vorpal Tales on Twitch on Tuesday nights!

*They Came From Beyond the Grave!* art by Durwin Talon

Very Much Energized Meeting Style:

As you can imagine, most of our talk today was about the Exalted: Essence Kickstarter and how we’re going to support it.

One of the things all this attention to a KS’d projects brings though, is the idea that all of our projects are crowd-funded. They are not. Our KS’d projects do tend to generate further Stretch Goal reward projects, which further obfuscate the issue, though. Especially since some folks expect us to KS them, too.

So far, no, we haven’t actually crowd-funded a project that actually came out of a crowd-funding campaign. We basically see crowd-funding for core books, since by-and-large we want to do a print run from the KS that gets those cores into stores, books that we decide need a Deluxe version, and special projects where a crowd-funding campaign would give us a chance to reach a wider audience.

It’s not hard and fast, by any stretch of the imagination, so if you aren’t sure, please do ask and we’ll tell you if we know. I ultimately make that call, and even I’m sometimes on the fence until the last minute as to whether a particular project gets KS’d!

There a DTRPG sale coming up starting this Friday for Post-Apocalyptic games and Dystopia Rising: Evolution and Pugmire projects will be included!

Speaking of sales, this Weds we’ve got three different releases for the Contagion Chronicle as a sort of Start Playing Pack. That’s the Contagion Chronicle Jumpstart: Time Is Come Round, the PDF for a Contagion Chronicles Screen (not part of a Kickstarter), and the CC electronic wallpaper.

We kind of feel like Contagion Chronicle came out at the worst time for a contagion-themed game and maybe folks didn’t check it out due to that, so if you haven’t yet, these releases could get you started playing!

This upcoming Friday’s Onyx Pathcast features a fun and fascinating interview with Jack Birkenstock, founding member and public face for the Bodhana Group, ie: the charity for the Onyx Path Virtual Con II coming up on June 11th. Bodhana is a non-profit therapeutic organization dedicated to using TTRPGs to assist in therapy, and a long-time charity for Onyx Path.

Once you listen, you’ll understand why Bodhana has continued to grow and make inroads into the therapeutic community – Jack is extremely funny, articulate, and enthusiastic, and a pop-culture sponge! He loves games and gaming, and is really, really good at simply expressing the group’s mission to folks who may not understand TTRPGs at all. Well worth the listen!

*They Came From Beyond the Grave!* art by Brian Leblanc

Speaking of the Onyx Path Online Convention the 2, you can see our panel listing in the Conventions section below, and I’ll be doing three of them. The Opening Ceremonies, and a What’s Up With Onyx Path? one, both of which I’d love to answer your questions during. Expect us to announce a few previously unannounced projects and stuff, and even have some surprise guests.

I’ll also be sitting in on an art panel with Mirthful Mike, our always happy Art Director and Layout Artist, and Priscilla Kim, who Mike and I have worked with for years – both creating illustrations for our projects and on the late, lamented, WoD MMO – so expect some good chats running the gamut of the “old days” to our current crop of projects. I expect another artist or two may join us, but you’ll have to check it out and see.

And to help out more, here are some links to a whole bunch of the streaming content for our 2nd Onyx Path Virtual Con:

Panels:
https://www.twitch.tv/theonyxpath/

World of Darkness and Exalted Games:
https://www.twitch.tv/dorktales

Storypath Games:
https://www.twitch.tv/vorpaltales

5E OGL Games:
https://www.twitch.tv/plasticageplays

Chronicles of Darkness Games:
https://www.twitch.tv/occultistsanonymous

When it comes to these sorts of massive company projects like an online convention, I leave the logistics to our crew and go where they tell me! I’m just one guy after all, and most of my time is spent on keeping the spinning going for our:

Many Worlds, One Path!

BLURBS!

Kickstarter!

The Exalted: Essence KS exploded last Thursday, funding in 13 minutes and is currently at 613% funded! We have over 2500 backers and there are 23 days to go!

Twelve Stretch Goal rewards have been achieved so far, including unlocking the Exalted: Essence Screen, the start of an epic scenario Adventure Book, a Jumpstart and Ready-Made Characters to get started with Essence, and the Exalted: Essence Companion already has six sections (see above) that will be combined into one PDF free for backers, and more great Stretch goal rewards to come!

Onyx Path Media!

This week: The Trio talk to Jack Berkenstock from the Bodhana Group about how they are bringing acceptance of TTRPGs into the professional therapy community!

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

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.

Please check out our attached media schedule for the impressive number of videos on our Twitch channel this week!

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:

Chronicles of Darkness – The Wyrd West – Ep. 1 – https://youtu.be/obEAczzDSzk

Scarred Lands – Dead Man’s Rust – Red Scar Players – Episode 9 Part 1 – https://youtu.be/MPhBYvToTCQ

Scarred Lands – Dead Man’s Rust – Red Scar Players – Episode 9 Part 2 – https://youtu.be/tcTQScwgnPA

Trinity Continuum: Aeon – Quantum Entanglement Jumpstart – One-Shot – https://youtu.be/cIdCVn7K5sE

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant – Jumpstart – Ep. 1/2 – https://youtu.be/fUJ43QO7VX4

Vampire: The Masquerade – Styx and Bones – Table Goth – Ep. 2 – https://youtu.be/Vxai4EoJQu0

Chronicles of Darkness – The Wyrd West – Ep. 2 – https://youtu.be/1Ubs7LCM_zw

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

Come enjoy a character creation session for They Came from Beneath the Sea!, run by our very own Matthew Dawkins! https://youtu.be/_M1QrCHCyaw

The Story Told Podcast are back with the new season of The Fall of Jiara for Exalted! This episode is outtakes from episode 43! https://thestorytold.libsyn.com/fall-of-jiara-43-outtakes

A Bunch of Gamers continue their Werewolf: The Apocalypse chronicle here. The packs begin their investigation into the strange behavior and possible possession of Howling-King, the Silver Fang who helped raise Cora and Kyle after their first change. Suspicions flair that it is the mad ancestor spirit of Carson Faces-the-Storm while Zeb Speaks-in-Sweet-Whispers remains convinced that it is a Wraith from beyond the veil of death. The groups split up as Zeb and Mark pursue avenues of information with the spirits while the rest of the group head to the Sept of the Five Mirrors to ask the Theurges there about possession without revealing who they’re talking about or that it is happening in their Caern: https://abunchofgamers.podbean.com/e/werewolf-the-apocalypse-episode-71-crumbling-peace/ This is episode 71!

The Exaltcast continues its fantastic show introducing you to the wonders and horrors of the Realm and its various inhabitants. The next episode is Where Fire Marches to the Sea – the Southwest – https://www.exaltcast.com/2021/05/18/where-fire-marches-to-the-sea-the-southwest/ – Between punishing seas and also punishing deserts sits a string of kingdoms and peoples balanced between natural and supernatural threats in Creation’s Southwest. Monica and Chazz talk the Caul, pirates, and Exalted beach episodes.

Over on ExalTwitch they’ve been running some amazing games of Exalted, and even have a show wiki for viewers to follow along! ExalTwitch: Academy is set in The House of Bells, a prestigious school for Dragon-Blooded Exalted of the Realm to train in the ways of war. The chronicle follows three young Dragon-Bloods as they try to prove their worth to their fellow students, their Houses, and themselves.
Their most recent VOD, Episode 19 (“Everlong”), is here: https://youtu.be/VcR5dImNqiE

The playlist for the series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Zb3M2x8PJk&list=PLsZP95-GZNa0ynoCIVyliNF5rypCHvh0M

The show wiki, with synopses, character descriptions, etc: RPGClinic Wiki | Fandom

Wards & Witchcraft reach Session 23 of their amazing Mage: The Awakening chronicle right here: https://youtu.be/SrNvaZb9REc
Down the throat and through the neck we plunge. Deeper down towards the heart. The witches once again find themselves challenged. Can they defy fate and forge a new destiny?

Vorpal Tales have a whole raft of Onyx Path content coming soon, as they say here!

On Fridays at 5pm EDT experience our Contagion Chronicle: No Time for Reality season 2. Chicago is still flooded with the reality warping Contagion from strange spaces beyond the Supernal realms. The original team is still lost in Arcadia, but Macintosh alerted a new team to be ready to step in should he and his team disappear. It’s up to this new group now to leverage their vectors and contain this threat.

On Tuesdays at 5pm EDT experience our new overarching Chronicle of Darkness, Insurgence. We weave an ambitious tale connecting 7 Chronicles of Darkness game lines in one overarching story of rebellion and the cost of self-awareness. Book 1: Defiance begins our tale with Mage: The Awakening 2e.

Beginning on June 14th, immediately after Onyx Path Con, join us every Monday at 9pm EDT for They Came from Beyond the Grave! Enjoy our tale of derring do against the minions of evil in a 6 part summer tale!

Beginning June 19th, join us for a story of a pack’s Rite of Passage as we tell a terrifying tale of Werewolf: The Apocalypse every Saturday at 9pm EDT

Beginning on June 14th, immediately after Onyx Path Con, join us every Monday at 9pm EDT for They Came from Beyond the Grave! Enjoy our tale of derring do against the minions of evil in a 6 part summer tale!
Beginning June 19th, join us for a story of a pack’s Rite of Passage as we tell a terrifying tale of Werewolf: The Apocalypse every Saturday at 9pm EDT

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! The 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.)

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.

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!

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

On Sale This Week!

It’s a Contagion Chronicles for Chronicles of Darkness start-up playing party this Wednesday, with the Contagion Chronicle Jumpstart: Time Is Come Round in PDF and PoD versions, the Contagion Chronicles Wallpaper PDF and the Contagion Chronicles Screen PDF all available on DTRPG!

Time is Come Round includes:

Rules for playing mortals caught in the supernatural webs of the Chronicles of Darkness.
A complete adventure for you to play right out of the book, with four full, pre-generated characters.
A preview of rules from the Chronicles of Darkness Second Edition core rulebook.

Conventions!

Because dates for physical conventions are subject to change due to the current COVID-19 outbreak, we don’t yet have a list of upcoming physical conventions. Instead, keep an eye out here for more virtual conventions we’re going to be involved with!

As announced, the 2nd Onyx Path Virtual Gaming Convention will be coming to you live starting Friday, June 11th and running until Sunday, June 13th (including a special post-con Jackbox gamefest Sunday night hosted by Dixie)!

The GM Sign-up Page & Code of Conduct for OPP Con are now live:

Code of Conduct:https://intercom.help/startplayinggames/en/articles/5208570-onyx-path-code-of-conduct

GM Sign-up:https://intercom.help/startplayinggames/en/articles/5217651-onyx-path-virtual-gaming-convention-2021-faq

Here are some listings for our planned panels and Actual Play sessions:

60a84d13c268188da876ee20_OPP_Con_Schedul

60a84cea7140a53d8fc9dc91_OPP_Con_Schedul

And to help out more, here are some links to a whole bunch of the streaming content for our 2nd Onyx Path Virtual Con:

Panels:
https://www.twitch.tv/theonyxpath/

World of Darkness and Exalted Games:
https://www.twitch.tv/dorktales

Storypath Games:
https://www.twitch.tv/vorpaltales

5E OGL Games:
https://www.twitch.tv/plasticageplays

Chronicles of Darkness Games:
https://www.twitch.tv/occultistsanonymous

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)
Tasty Bit: Car Lifting Competition (Scion 2nd Edition)
Panopticon Novella (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
Scion: God (Scion 2e)
With Great Power (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Redlines

Dragon-Blooded Novella #2 (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Tome of the Pentacle (Mage: the Awakening 2e)
The Hedge (Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition)

Second Draft

No Gods, No Masters (Scion 2nd Edition)
TC: Adventure! Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Adventure!)
M20 Lore of the Traditions (Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
Apocalyptic Record (Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition)

Development

Contagion Chronicle: Global Outbreaks (Chronicles of Darkness)
Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)
Adversaries of the Righteous (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Wild Hunt (Scion 2nd Edition)

Manuscript Approval

Post-Approval Development

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

Editing

Lunars Novella (Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)
The Book of Lasting Death (Mummy: The Curse 2e)
Dead Man’s Rust (Scarred Lands)
M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
Mission Statements (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
The Clades Companion (Deviant: The Renegades)
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)
Prometheus Unbound (was Psi Orders) (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
Legacies of Earth (Legendlore)
Scion Fiction Anthology (Scion 2nd Edition)
They Came From Beyond the Grave! Jumpstart (They Came From…!)
Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Monsters From the Crypt! (They Came From…!)
TC: Aeon Novella: Meridian (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
Exalted Essence Edition (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Crucible of Legends (Exalted 3rd Edition)
The Devoted Companion (Deviant: The Renegades)
Proteus Nova Compendium (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
TC: Aeon Novella: Dawn (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
Tasty Bit: Pets (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
Trinity Continuum: Assassins (Trinity Continuum Core)
Saints and Monsters (Scion 2nd Edition)
They Came From Camp Murder Lake! (They Came From…!)
Contagion Chronicle Ready-Made Characters (Chronicles of Darkness)
Trinity Continuum: Anima
Tales of Depravity! (They Came From…!)
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)
Trinity Continuum: Adventure! core (Trinity Continuum: Adventure!)
Vigil Watch: The Kelder Mountains (Scarred Lands)
Ghost Hunters Jumpstart w/RMCs (WoD 20th)
The Paranormal Investigator’s Handbook (WoD 20th)
Once and Future (Scion 2nd Edition)

Post-Editing Development

Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)
They Came From Beyond the Grave! (They Came From!)
Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)
Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)
N!ternational Wrestling Entertainment (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
Dearly Bleak – Novella (Deviant: The Renegades)
V5 Trails of Ash and Bone (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
Squeaks In The Deep (Realms of Pugmire)
Novas Worldwide (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
They Came From Beneath the Sea! Jumpstart (They Came From…!)

Indexing

Art Direction from Mike Chaney!

In Art Direction

Scion: Dragon – Gonna get Gong or Hive to do the Pantheons.
Masks of the Mythos – artist lined up for the big ass Pantheon piece.
Scion: Demigod – Got Maria helping me finish out the pantheons and we are all good.
TC: Adventure! (KS)
M20 Victorian (KS)
Dead Man’s Rust
M20 Technocracy Jumpstart
Exalted Essence (KS) – On KS.
V5 Forbidden Religions – AD’d.
TC Mission Statements
TC Aberrant N!WE
M20 Technocracy Dossier/Companion
Hundred Devils Night Parade
Squeaks In The Deep (KS) – Prepping KS.
TC Prometheus Unbound – Maria ADing.
They Came From Camp Murder Lake!
Realms of Magic and Mystery
Saints and Monsters
TC: Anima (KS) – Art progressing.
TC: Assassin

In Layout

Spiragos Collected Adventures
21-22 Onyx Brochure – Working on it for the OP Con.
WoD Ghost Hunters (KS)
Legendlore
M20 Rich Bastards Guide – Over to Charles, art is all in.
They Came From Beneath the Sea! Jumpstart – Over to Andrea.
V5 Trail of Ash and Bone – Almost ready for Proofing.
They Came From Beyond the Grave! – Final art coming in.
June Tasty Bit – Les Fantômes
Technocracy Reloaded Screen

Proofing

Mummy 2 – Inputting Index.
TC: Under Alien Skies – Wrapping this up.
Heirs to the Shogunate – Backer PDF with backers.
TC Aberrant Jumpstart
Hunter: The Vigil 2e – First proof to dev.
Players Guide to the Contagion Chronicle

At Press

TC: Aberrant – KS fulfillment finished.
TC: Aberrant Screen – KS fulfillment finished.
M20 Technocracy Reloaded – PoD proofs shipping from DTRPG.
Contagion Chronicle Jumpstart (Chronicles of Darkness) – PDF and PoD versions on sale this Weds on DTRPG.
Vigil Watch Compiled – PoD proofs arrived.
Mummy 2e Screen – Getting ready for press.
Deviant – Waiting on printer specs.
Deviant Screen – Getting ready for press.

Today’s Reason to Celebrate!

Let’s change today to a Reason to Commemorate, since we’re looking at things today that start as something hard to celebrate. First, today in the US we celebrate Memorial Day, which is dedicated to those service-people who made the ultimate sacrifice and died for our country. While that is a somber reminder it is also usually a day of picnics and parades and traditionally is the first days that pools are open and Summer starts (sorta).

However, an even more serious reminder is also marked today, as it is the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Massacre. Over two days starting on Memorial Day, 35 square blocks of the wealthiest Black community of any city in the US were burned to the ground by whites – 39 people were killed, and thousands of Black citizens were left homeless. This horrible event was swept under the rug and untaught in US schools until very recently, and ironically, many of the people attacked had served in the US armed forces during WWI.

Sign In