Onyx Pathcast

Episode 28: Scion Origin Character Creation

In which Dixie and Eddy make characters for Matthew's Scion: Origin chronicle.

* Dixie found some first edition Aberrant stuff
* Awkward silence song!
* But first, some banter (if you want to jump to character creation, it starts around 19:30)
* We talk about… clothing?
* Matthew is a Watchmen hipster
* How cosplay can make you feel powerful
* A brief history of Scion
* Matthew is the Storyguide, Dixie and Eddy are playing
* We'll be posting the first game session somewhere
* Setting: Miami, Florida
* Character concepts
* Deeds: short, long, and Band
* Storyguide advice: How to make sure characters work together
* Choosing divine parents and pantheons
* Oh, and character names
* Origin, Role, and Pantheon Paths
* Skills and what Skills actually mean
* How Storypath makes competant characters
* Attributes and Approaches
* Callings and Knacks
* Eddy missed a step
* Tweaks and Connections
* Future pantheons

Links:
* Work from Home Article: https://guacamoley.com/the-scoop/2018/11/25/wall-street-journal-article-about-what-to-wear-if-you-work-from-home-has-people-rolling-their-eyes/ 
* Scion Preorder: https://scion-2nd-edition-tabletop-rpg.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders 

Episode 27: Trauma and Safety (and cats)

In which Dixie interviews Jacqueline Bryk about her work, as well as safety rules and methods in RPGs and LARPs, via several rude interruptions by Dixie's roommate's cat.

* Matthew's weird voice
* We realize we've all worked on Kult
* Throwing Neall into the sea
* Meet Jax!
* Her early involvement with safety rules
* "Fun" versus "enjoyment"
* Bad cat interruption #1
* "My Jam"
* More on safety rules
* Ways of checking in
* "Session Zero"
* Jacob gets called out
* Bluebeard's Bride
* Bad cat interruption #2
* More Bluebeard's Bride
* "Making players cry"
* Changeling: The Lost
* A bit of Jax' history
* Bad cat interruption #3 + a peek behind the curtain
* More Jax history!
* A bit about Jenna Moran and Forest Witches in Exalted
* Jax' current projects
* "Sanity" in games and...CthulhuTech?
* On problematic language
* Personal experience and growth
* You're allowed to mess up
* You're allowed to leave the table
* Honobono games
* Bad cat interruption #4 as we wrap up
* Outro: We continue talking about Bebop
* Kult: Taroticum and Other Tales
* Freelancer day jobs
* More "Bluebeard's Bride"
* Chicago by Night Kickstarter is almost over!
* YouTube need an audio-only app
* Eddy touches on the "entertainment vs fun" thread
* Sidebar about Word documents vs layout
* Content coming on YouTube and Twitch!
* Fun technological problems after the outro

Links:
After the War Kickstarter: http://kck.st/2QDCM1Y 
Jacqueline Bryk on DriveThruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/13033/Jacqueline-Bryk 
My Jam on Kickstarter: http://kck.st/2P7k5GX 
The Panalysts: https://youtu.be/jz8JeFz7e5w 
Bluebeard's Bride: http://www.magpiegames.com/bluebeards-bride/ 
Changeling: The Lost: https://changeling-the-lost-2nd-edition.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders 
KULT: Divinity Lost: https://www.modiphius.net/collections/kult 
Taroticum and Other Tales: https://www.modiphius.net/products/scenario-collection-taroticum-book 
Golden Sky Stories: http://starlinepublishing.com/our-games/golden-sky-stories/ 
Stardew Valley: https://stardewvalley.net/ 
Jax on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RuffleJax 
Chicago by Night Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/200664283/chicago-by-night-for-vampire-the-masquerade-5th-ed 
Chicago by Night Q&A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8YbbzEPuiI 
VtM25 Podcast Interview: https://www.podbean.com/media/share/dir-tfp5n-501f1b6 
Onyx Path YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheOnyxPath/videos 
Onyx Path Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theonyxpath/ 

Episode 26: Listen to our Story(path)!

In which Dixie, Eddy, and Matthew do a deep dive into the Storypath system that Onyx Path uses for Scion, Trinity, They Came from Beneath the Sea!, and Dytopia Rising: Evolution.

* Newscaster voices!
* Storypath system primer/basics of the mechanics
* Various systems Storypath does well
* Skill + Attribute
* Arena + Approach
* Storypath is structured like media!
* A bit about failures being interesting
* Dramatic editing and Trinity's structure
* Momentum and Scion
* Integrating mechanics into setting
* More about failing before you succeed
* Dixie makes a WoW connection!
* Wading deeper in the Momentum pool
* The "Paths" of Storypath
* On...Trademarks? Props? in TCfBtS!
* More on Momentum, Conditions. and Flaws
* Dice rolling in Storypath, Enhancements, and Complications
* System flexibility
* Scale in Storypath
* A tangent!
* You don't have to memorize the rules to run a game
* Power levels in Storypath
* Getting meta with TCfBtS!
* Trinity's...continuum
* Our personal favorite Storypath games
* Another stinger brought to you by us goofing off before recording!

Links:
Trinity Continuum: http://theonyxpath.com/category/worlds/trinitycontinuum/ 
Trinity Preorders: https://trinity-continuum-aeon-rpg.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders 
Scion: http://theonyxpath.com/category/worlds/scion/ 
Scion Preorders: https://scion-2nd-edition-tabletop-rpg.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders 
Dystopia Rising: Evolution: http://theonyxpath.com/category/worlds/dystopiarising/ 
Dystopia Rising: Evolution Preorders: https://dystopia-rising-evolution.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders 
They Came from Beneath the Sea!: http://theonyxpath.com/category/worlds/tcfbts/ 
Chicago by Night Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/200664283/chicago-by-night-for-vampire-the-masquerade-5th-ed?ref=577145&token=5538fbe5# 

Episode 25: A Magical Interview with Dave Brookshaw

In which Dixie and Matthew interview Dave Brookshaw about all things Mage the Awakening.

* We can hear each other! Hooray!
* A little talk about the Chicago by Night Kickstarter
* Shout-out to "Mirthful" Mike Chaney
* Mage: The Awakening is Adamantine level on DriveThruRPG!
* Dave got into RPGs through choose-your-own-adventure books
* His relationship with Mage the Ascension
* Generations of freelancers
* Dave has worked on (just about) every Chronicles of Darkness game
* Taking over Mage the Awakening
* Why Mage?
* References, both real and fictional
* Talking Signs of Sorcery and Night Horrors
* #jerkassacanthus
* What gets left out of the books
* A bit about Tome of the Pentacle
* A bit about Fallen World
* A bit about Deviant: The Renegades
* Dave's nicknames
* Matthew had to drop out, so that's why he's a bit quiet
* Sticking to one line
* Accents
* Eddy takes a moment to talk about audio quality for convention episodes
* PAX Unplugged! Dragonmeet! Midwinter!

Episode 24: Dream Games

In which Matthew, Dixie, and Eddy discuss what games they'd love to work on, and the struggles of making such games.

* Starting off with awkward silence!
* We're all Rich's children, according to Matthew
* Eddy talks about genre for a while, and Dixie zones out
* The struggle of making a Sherlock Holmes game
* Dixie talks about Saga, Charlotte Bronte, and Kushiel's Dart
* The Blue Rose RPG!
* Matthew talks about Dickens, Fatale, and Transmetropolitan
* Musing on Scion: God, Dies the Fire, and Broken Runes
* Dixie talks about ElfQuest, She-Ra, and Battle Royale
* Eddy talks about Killer, John Wick, and Space Rat (although he forgot the name at the time)
* "Downton Abbey" LARPs
* Dixie is looking for more to read
* Video games: Ace Attorney, Fallout, Borderlands, BioShock, Metroid, and Legend of Zelda
* Quick Fire: What are the biggest dream projects we DID get to work on?
* Matthew is scary!

Some Links:
* Boyfriend Dungeon: http://www.boyfrienddungeon.com/ 
* Hatoful Boyfriend: http://clione.halfmoon.jp/hatoful-boyfriend/english.html 
* James Bond 007 RPG: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Bond_007_(role-playing_game) 
* Doctor Who RPG: https://cubicle7.co.uk/our-games/doctor-who-aitas/ 
* Saga: https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/saga 
* Jane Austen MMO: http://everjane.com/ 
* Kushiel's Dart: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kushiel%27s_Dart 
* Blue Rose: https://blueroserpg.com/ 
* Dickensian: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dickensian_(TV_series) 
* Fatale: https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/fatale 
* Transmetropolitan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmetropolitan 
* Dies the Fire: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dies_the_Fire 
* ElfQuest: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elfquest_(role-playing_game) 
* She-Ra and the Princesses of Power: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/She-Ra_and_the_Princesses_of_Power 
* Battle Royale: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Royale_(novel) 
* Killer: http://www.sjgames.com/killer/ 
* John Wick (movie series): http://www.johnwick.movie/ 
* Space Rat: https://index.rpg.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=13520 
* Ace Attorney series: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ace_Attorney 
* Fallout series: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallout_(series) 
* Borderlands series: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borderlands_(series) 
* BioShock series: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BioShock_(series) 
* Metroid series: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metroid 

Episode 23: Interview With A(nother) Vampire: Jason Carl!

In which Eddy and Dixie talk with Jason Carl about Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition, L.A. by Night, and what got him here.
(Note: Jason's audio wasn't amazing for this episode, and there are a couple of gaps in the audio. We tried to normalize it; our apologies.)

* Predictive text converstations
* Jason's history with RPGs
* His work with Wizards of the Coast
* Magic: The Gathering organized play
* WotC and TSR
* How Jason got involved with White Wolf
* Advice for writing RPGs
* Streaming and Geek & Sundry
* On players surprising you
* The nature of fun
* We love Matthew
* Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition
* Connecting with Vampire fans
* L.A. by Night
* Chicago by Night, Camarilla, and Anarchs
* Obligatory Bloodlines references!
* Jason's plans for the future
* Mission statements
* L.A. by day
* Another love fest!
* We talk about getting known for A Thing
* Dixie ruins everything
* Halloween!
* Stay tuned after the credits

Jason Carl: https://twitter.com/vampiresnvino 
Vampire: The Masquerade Fifth Edition: https://www.modiphius.net/collections/vampire-the-masquerade 
L.A. by Night: https://geekandsundry.com/shows/la-by-night/ 

Special Episode Four: Save Against Fear

In which Eddy, Dixie, and Matthew throw together an emergency extra-long episode using listener questions and a game design panel from Save Against Fear!

* EMERGENCY EPISODE
* Introductions from the panel
* What's the process when you start to design a game?
* When do you reinvent the wheel or reskin something else?
* The X-Card and other safety mechanisms
* How do you merge theme and mechanics?
* Handling feedback
* Favorite mechanics
* How would you design a game for players new to tabletop RPGs?
* One thing that starting game designers should know
* Imposter syndrome: "Shut up Stamford!"
* Designing for disability and impairment
* Instead of outro banter, we do an ad-hoc Q&A!
* Questions from iceblade44: Sothic turns, relationship with vampires, and the Spilled Blood book
* Apollo is unhelpful
* Question from George Lemke: Can we get a Storypath deep dive?
* Eddy has seen a lot of pictures of birds with arms
* Question from Yoidan: What are our dream games?
* Leave us your questions on the blog at theonyxpath.com!

Links:
* Save Against Fear: https://www.thebodhanagroup.org/about-the-convention 
* Retrostar: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/168254/Retrostar-Rulebook 
* Kids on Bikes: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/231938/Kids-on-Bikes-Core-Rulebook 
* Pugmire: https://realmsofpugmire.com 
* Project Biomodus: http://www.projectbiomodus.com/ 
* Onyx Pathcast blog: http://theonyxpath.com/category/projects/onyxpathcast/ 

Episode 22: What You Can Get From RPGs

In which we discuss what we as individuals have gotten out of RPGs, and what other people can get from them.

* We now have a lost episode!
* Dixie was an awkward child/teen/adult
* RPGs helped her find "her people," her aesthetic, and confidence
* Eddy was a similarly awkward kid, and RPGs helped him, too
* On being "not enough" for certain subcultures/communities
* Surprise, Matthew was also awkward!
* Another surprise, RPGs helped his confidence, too!
* Speech therapy for all (three of us)
* Vampire/character voices
* Two digressions in quick succession
* RPGs as therapy tools
* The Wraith: The Oblivion curse
* How RPGs can affect players and GMs
* RPGs and trauma rules/The X-Card
* Which Onyx Path games are the most emotionally heavy?
* What does "fun" mean?
* Learning real-world things via RPGs
* We all love Britain
* Eddy and Dixie are going to conventions
* Stay tuned after the music for your new favorite ringtone

Links:
* Windows 10 bug: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonevangelho/2018/10/06/microsoft-confirms-windows-10-update-mistake-was-your-data-lost/#472b15a9665b
* Anthrax & Public Enemy - Bring the Noise: https://youtu.be/kl1hgXfX5-U
* Nicholas Briggs Interview: https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/doctor-who-voice-of-the-daleks-nicholas-briggs-interview/
* iThrive: http://ithrivegames.org/
* Bodhana Group: https://www.thebodhanagroup.org/
* A Theory of Fun for Game Design by Raph Koster: https://www.theoryoffun.com/
* Save Against Fear: https://www.thebodhanagroup.org/about-the-convention
* High Level Games Con: https://hlgcon.com/

Episode 21: Interview with A God(ish): Neall Raemonn Price

In which Dixie and Eddy interview Neall Raemonn Price about Exalted, Scion, and working for free.

* We talk about... Scooby-Doo?
* A little about Scion
* A little about Kieron Gillen
* A little about Scarred Lands
* How Neall got started
* Why you shouldn't work for free
* Neall lists everything he's worked on (mostly)
* Writing on different lines
* Neall's wry sense of humor
* Eddy still hasn't seen "What We Do in the Shadows"
* Joking and the blending of professional or personal
* Neall's half of working on Beckett's Jyhad Diary
* Using metaplot
* Explaining mode of play
* Why Neall didn't write the Salubri in Beckett's Jyhad Diary
* Neall is a Redemption apologist
* How Neall became Scion line developer
* Respecting faith
* The delays on Scion
* Harlem Unbound and representation
* A little about system evolution
* A little about playing games as a game professional
* Matthew pledges to run a game for Dixie
* A little about our convention schedule

Links:
* Scion Pre-Order: https://scion-2nd-edition-tabletop-rpg.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders 
* Ask Neall forum thread: http://forum.theonyxpath.com/forum/main-category/main-forum/scion/518351-ask-neall 
* V20 Beckett's Jyhad Diary: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/225322/V20-Becketts-Jyhad-Diary 
* Harlem Unbound: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/218062/Harlem-Unbound 

Episode 20: Popular Culture

In which Eddy, Dixie, and Matthew talk about horror and vampires in popular culture, and forget some obvious examples.

* Eddy goes right into an apology for the sound issues in last week's episode.

* (Like with our video game episode, we're only going to list references that are relevant to the discussion.)

* Buffy the Vampire Slayer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffy_the_Vampire_Slayer

* War for the Oaks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_for_the_Oaks

* The X-Files: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_X-Files

* The Lone Gunmen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lone_Gunmen_(TV_series)

* "Mythology" vs "monster of the week" episodes and how it inspired roleplaying games

* Forever Knight: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forever_Knight

* Dark Shadows: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Shadows

* Kindred the Embraced: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindred:_The_Embraced

* The soap opera formula of the 90s

* Twin Peaks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_Peaks

* Reading horror as a child

* Point Horror books: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_Horror

* Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scary_Stories_to_Tell_in_the_Dark

* Goosebumps: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goosebumps

* Fear Street: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear_Street

* Coraline: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coraline

* It: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_(novel)

* Psychological horror and serial killers

* Sharp Objects: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharp_Objects

* Liane Moriarty (author): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liane_Moriarty

* Silence of the Lambs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Silence_of_the_Lambs_(film)

* The Blacklist: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blacklist_(TV_series)

* Profiler: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Profiler_(TV_series)

* American vs British season/series structure

* Jekyll: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jekyll_%28TV_series%29

* Ultraviolet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraviolet_(TV_serial)

* Ripper Street: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ripper_Street

* Edge of Darkness: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edge_of_Darkness

* Breaking Bad: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaking_Bad

* Games with a built-in ending

* True Blood: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_Blood

* Southern Vampire Mysteries: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Southern_Vampire_Mysteries

* The Walking Dead: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Walking_Dead_(TV_series)

* Do the problems of the Walking Dead impact Dystopia Rising?

* A Paradise Made In Hell: https://www.amazon.com/Paradise-Built-Hell-Extraordinary-Communities/dp/0143118072

* Drama-driven vs character-driven stories

* How Buffy has aged well

* Underworld series: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underworld_(film_series)

* Yes, we talk about the Underworld lawsuit

* What We Do in the Shadows: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_We_Do_in_the_Shadows

* Matthew quotes the movie, and we end on that note

* What do you want to hear from the Pathcast?