Episodes
Friday Sep 06, 2019
Episode 68: Gen Con Panel: What's Up With Onyx Path?
Friday Sep 06, 2019
Friday Sep 06, 2019
In which we present our Gen Con 2019 version of the What Up With Onyx Path panel (but with intros and outros!). The sound quality for the panel isn't amazing, as it's recorded in a panel room, but bear with us!
* Matthew is a Malkavian
* A soundboard!
* Gen Con Panel!! We talk about ALL THE THINGS!
* Convention talk
* Matthew (CW) worked in an abattoir
* Bring Michelle to Midwinter! She can talk about coffin liquor!
* We try to sign off, but get derailed by the Followers of Senpai
Links:
Onyx Path Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theonyxpath
Ian's Twitter: https://twitter.com/VonAether
Friday Aug 30, 2019
Friday Aug 30, 2019
In which we talk to Meredith Gerber about her work on social media, layout, and writing for Onyx Path and also her work with OneBookShelf/DriveThruRPG!
* An immediate derailment
* How Meredith got involved with the LARP community and then White Wolf, Onyx Path etc.
* A bit on book signings.
* Meredith's work on our social media!
* How we work together!
* Check the Monday Meeting Notes!
* Social-media negativity and wanting immediate answers.
* Some stuff about turning things off when you're done working.
* Onyx Path as a company is dating R. Talsorian Games.
* Freelancers in the RPG industry know each other!
* Meredith's graphic-design work.
* Kickstarter video voiceovers.
* Meredith wrote on the Geist anthology!
* OneBookShelf: What is it?
* Some stuff about getting jobs you didn't expect.
* Mere is a good photographer, too!
* LARPin'
* Matthew is menacing and also maybe we stole a boat?
Friday Aug 23, 2019
Episode 66: Anecdotes and Upcoming Games
Friday Aug 23, 2019
Friday Aug 23, 2019
In which Eddy, Matthew, and Dixie catch up after a few weeks away from recording to share anecdotes and talk about upcoming games they're excited about.
Note: The Onyx Pathcast has never shied from profanity, but this one takes it up a notch. But it's all in good fun!
- We abandoned Dixie
- Games that excite us!
- Matthew can talk off the top of his head, but he doesn't blink
- Catchphrases. We might make some shirts!
- V5 Cults of the Blood Gods
- Aberrant and Scion: Demigod
- LegendLore and They Came From Beneath The Sea!
- Game tonality
- Path of Waves for Legend of the Five Rings
- Eclipse Phase Second Edition
- What to do with games that seem too big to use
- "It is I who is the asshole!"
- Cyberpunk Red Jumpstart
- Dixie (correctly) calls Eddy out on his bad terminology
- Deviant Kickstarter coming soon!
- Art considerations for Chronicles of Darkness games
Links:
- Aberrant: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/200664283/trinity-continuum-aberrant
- They Came From Beneath The Sea!: https://they-came-from-beneath-the-sea.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders
- Paths of Waves: https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/legend-of-the-five-rings-roleplaying-game/products/path-waves/
- Eclipse Phase Second Edition: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/284022/Eclipse-Phase-Second-Edition
- After the Fall: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/166451/Eclipse-Phase-After-the-Fall
- Cyberpunk Red Jumpstart Kit: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/279014/Cyberpunk-Red-Jumpstart-Kit
- Me1 vs Me2 Snooker with Richard Herring: https://www.comedy.co.uk/podcasts/richard_herring_snooker/
Friday Aug 16, 2019
Episode 65: Interview with "Terrific" Travis Legge
Friday Aug 16, 2019
Friday Aug 16, 2019
Episode 65: Interview with "Terrific" Travis Legge
In which Matthew, Dixie, and Eddy interview Travis Legge, the mastermind behind our Twitch channel and our current forays into Scarred Lands!
* The Onyx Path theme, a capella
* An introduction to Travis' work with us
* The Onyx Pathcast journey
* Matthew's ego interferes with the signal when we're not talking about the freedom this podcast gives us
* Travis' massive impact and his introduction into the roleplaying hobby and industry
* Anxiety when roleplaying
* The Aberrant livestream
* Shout-outs to Matt McElroy and Ian A. A. Watson
* The appeal of burnout
* The trials of providing art notes
* Community content and the Slarecian Vault
* Vengeance of the Shunned Campaign for Scarred Lands
* Community content is an excellent way of getting noticed as a writer
* Upcoming (actually historic) Twitch content
* The difficulty of running games for the experts
* Travis' GMing style
* Matthew likes his characters to die during convention games
* Hitting people with chairs
* Where to find us and Kockstarter
Links:
Vengeance of the Shunned: http://theonyxpath.com/vengeance-of-the-shunned/
The Scarred Lands Player's Guide: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/197803/Scarred-Lands-Players-Guide-OGL-5e
The Onyx Path Twitch Channel: https://www.twitch.tv/theonyxpath
Collateral Damage Actual Play: https://youtu.be/UHXorUAXVd8
Slarecian Vault: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/cc/19/Slarecian-Vault
Friday Aug 09, 2019
Episode 64: Best and Worst Gaming Experiences
Friday Aug 09, 2019
Friday Aug 09, 2019
In which Eddy, Dixie, and Matthew talk about their best and worst gaming experiences, and what we can learn from them.
- Sneezing
- We talk about our game experiences
- Playing "adult" games when you're younger
- Community can make games more fun
- Jumping into a game with a deep history
- Games that imply you can play it a certain way, but you can't
- Using social skills in combat-oriented chronicles
- How consequences shift the tone of combat and death
- Heather Poe in VtM: Bloodlines
- Wrapping up character arcs
- Sometimes, fun can be the primary goal
- The role of humor in horror games
- The weirdness of Bayou Billy
- Dixie recommends a new podcast
- Games that are not to our tastes
LINKS
- Resident Evil (1996): https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resident_Evil_(1996_video_game)
- World of Warcraft: https://worldofwarcraft.com
- Assassin's Creed Odyssey: https://store.steampowered.com/app/812140/Assassins_Creed_Odyssey/
- Mass Effect Andromeda: https://www.ea.com/games/mass-effect/mass-effect-andromeda
- Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (video game): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy_(video_game)
- Kingdom Hearts 3: https://www.kingdomhearts.com/3/us/home/
- Deus Ex (2000): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deus_Ex_(video_game)
- Heather Poe in Bloodlines: https://vtmb.fandom.com/wiki/Heather_Poe
- Anima RPG: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anima:_Beyond_Fantasy
- Pugmire: https://www.realmsofpugmire.com
- Marvel Super Heroes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_Super_Heroes_(role-playing_game)
- Betrayal Legacy: https://avalonhill.wizards.com/avalon-hill-betrayal-legacy
- The Adventures of Bayou Billy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Bayou_Billy
- How Did This Get Played?: https://www.earwolf.com/show/how-did-this-get-played/
Friday Aug 02, 2019
Episode 63: Interview with "Marvelous" Mike Tomasek
Friday Aug 02, 2019
Friday Aug 02, 2019
Episode 63: Interview with "Marvelous" Mike Tomasek
In which Matthew, Dixie, and Eddy interview Mike Tomasek, one of our newest writers and developers, about his RPG experiences and current projects!
* Dramatic introductions
* Friday the 13th sound effects
* Why do they call Mike "Hollywood"?
* Slowed down reversed babies crying as ghost sound effects
* Bears are dangerous, so Spartan kick them
* Mike's favorite bear is not a bear
* Dinosaurs are a myth! (some of them)
* How did Mike get into roleplaying?
* Transitioning from playing games to writing games - getting over the hump of fear
* Mike's improvement as a writer
* Good advice for new writers
* Geist: The Sin-Eaters is fantastic and here's a wonderful synopsis of it
* You can't say "you can't play"
* Consequences for dark actions in RPGs
* Mike's work on Chicago by Night
* The Church of Caine / The Cainite Heresy
* Mike's favorite ghost dinosaur
* The moon is haunted
* A rapid wind-up!
Links:
Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition: https://geist2e.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders
Mummy: The Curse: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/111598/Mummy-The-Curse
V5 Chicago by Night: https://www.backerkit.com/projects/200664283/chicago-by-night-for-vampire-the-masquerade-5th-ed
You can't say "you can't play": https://www.amazon.co.uk/You-Cant-Say-Play/dp/0674965906
Mike's website: https://www.mftomasek.com
Friday the 13th (franchise): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_the_13th_(franchise)
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Zelda:_Majora%27s_Mask
Friday Jul 26, 2019
Episode 62: Scion Deep Dive!
Friday Jul 26, 2019
Friday Jul 26, 2019
In which the trio talks with special guest Neall Raemonn Price about the intricacies of Scion Second Edition!
* Off to a great start
* A bit on the system
* On Scale
* On Enhancements and Complications
* A lot about the setting
* What it means to be a Scion
* Some notes on accuracy versus playability
* Scion: Demigod power preview
* Scion Companion
* Masks of the Mythos
* Titanomachy
* Scion Bestiary
* Scion: Dragon
* A bit on process and Beckett's Jyhad Diary
Links!
Scion Second Edition: http://theonyxpath.com/category/worlds/scion/
Wicked + the Divine: https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/the-wicked-the-divine
Scion Discord: https://discord.gg/BN466d9
Onyx Path Discord: https://discord.gg/UhFmSyj
Friday Jul 19, 2019
Episode 61: Operating at Top Capacity with Matt McElroy
Friday Jul 19, 2019
Friday Jul 19, 2019
In which Eddy and Dixie interview Matt McElroy, Onyx Path's Operations Manager and long-time employee of DriveThruRPG and DriveThruComics.
- Our middle names
- Matt's start with DriveThruComics
- The history of print-on-demand
- All sorts of interesting experiments
- How we package RPGs, and the iPad
- The move to Onyx Path
- Kickstarters
- Distribution and shipping
- What Operations covers
- Convention strategy and Gen Con
- Community content
- Bringing old games back
- Matthew trains zombies
- But seriously, shipping is awful
- Some chatting about art notes
LINKS
- Flames Rising: flamesrising.com
- DriveThruComics: drivethrucomics.com
- DriveThruFiction: drivethrufiction.com
- Onyx Path at DriveThruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/4261/Onyx-Path-Publishing
- EXXXalted: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/61015/ExXxalted-Scroll-of-Swallowed-Darkness-Censored
Slices of Fate: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product_info.php?products_id=97917&affiliate_id=4451 - Indie Press Revolution: https://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/home.php
- Studio 2: https://studio2publishing.com/
Friday Jul 12, 2019
Episode 60: Errata and Playtesting
Friday Jul 12, 2019
Friday Jul 12, 2019
Episode 60: Errata and Playtesting
In which Matthew, Dixie, and Eddy discuss the importance of good errata and playtesting! (this episode is a lot more interesting than it looks on paper!)
* Dramatic introductions!
* How errata was treated in the past (supplementary PDFs, inclusion in subsequent books, etc.)
* How we handle errata now, with wonderful forms and spreadsheets!
* How the change in errata processes has affected us as developers
* Foreign languages and font set issues
* Smart punctuation
* The best way to write errata you want to submit (don't assume designer intent!)
* The value of having dedicated fans submitting detailed errata
* Disney via errata?
* How to spell "cemetery"
* Please don't tell us to "die"
* Errata can be thought-provoking and make us reevaluate content
* How easy should it be to kill zombies in Dystopia Rising: Evolution?
* The importance of playtest data
* How to assemble strong playtest data
* How Cinematic cards emerged from playtesting of They Came from Beneath the Sea!
* Stunts in AGE and Storypath
* Building a spellbook in Mage: The Ascension
* A rapid wind-up!
Links:
Dark Ages British Isles: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/1484/Dark-Ages-British-Isles
Giovanni Chronicles: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/2288/Giovanni-Chronicles-I-The-Last-Supper
Pugmire: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/204313/Pugmire-Core-Rulebook
Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/94815/Vampire-The-Masquerade-20th-Anniversary-Edition
Pet Sematary: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pet_Sematary
All Flesh Must be Eaten: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/627/All-Flesh-Must-be-Eaten-Revised
Dystopia Rising Evolution: Backerkit: https://dystopia-rising-evolution.backerkit.com/
They Came from Beneath the Sea! Backerkit: https://www.backerkit.com/projects/200664283/they-came-from-beneath-the-sea-a-tabletop-roleplay
Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/149562/Mage-The-Ascension-20th-Anniversary-Edition
Friday Jul 05, 2019
Episode 59: A Super Interview with Steve Kenson
Friday Jul 05, 2019
Friday Jul 05, 2019
In which Eddy and Dixie interview Steve Kenson about his career and his work on Trinity Continuum: Aberrant!
- Dixie decides not to abandon Eddy
- Back to being comfortable with completely blowing the intro
- Eddy introduces Steve flawlessly. FLAWLESSY.
- Steve started with Shadowrun 2nd Ed on the GEnie Network
- Working with FASA and quitting his day job
- Accidentally becoming "the super hero guy"
- Hero Games was somewhat responsible for Mutants & Masterminds
- More chat about Blue Rose
- Aberrant's queer content and "Divis Mal has arms?!"
- Trying a new development process
- Rebooting Aberrant and updating its original late 90s cynicism
- The role of media in Aberrant
- Storypath design challenges
- Sidestepping the "preserve the status quo" problem of other superhero games
- Matthew gets obsessed with Kalamazoo
- Writing for another creator's favorite character
- We guess on how well the Aberrant Kickstarter is doing
LINKS
- Aberrant Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/200664283/trinity-continuum-aberrant/
- Steve's website: https://www.stevekenson.com
- Blue Rose: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/203007/Blue-Rose-The-AGE-RPG-of-Romantic-Fantasy
- Icons Rogues: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/279116/ICONS-Rogues
- The Expanse: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/268471/The-Expanse-Roleplaying-Game
- Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/202186/The-Extraordinary-Adventures-of-Baron-Munchausen
- Extra Credits - Bleed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=sELpk0khx74