 | |
| Industry | Role-playing games |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2011 [1] |
| Website | theonyxpath.com |
Onyx Path Publishing is a publisher of tabletop role-playing games that produces company-owned and creator-owned games as well as licensed products.
| | |
| Industry | Role-playing games |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2011 [1] |
| Website | theonyxpath.com |
Onyx Path Publishing is a publisher of tabletop role-playing games that produces company-owned and creator-owned games as well as licensed products.
The name "The Onyx Path" and the company's logo appeared on White Wolf products and their message board in early 2012. There was some speculation about their meaning before the company went public with their plans during GenCon in August 2012. [1] [2] [3]
The company was founded in January 2012 [1] by White Wolf Creative Director Richard Thomas, [4] and is licensee for Paradox Interactive's World of Darkness , Chronicles of Darkness, [4] and Exalted . [4] The company also bought the Trinity Universe and Scion gamelines from White Wolf/CCP Games. [4] As such, Onyx Path Publishing released the titles that were previously announced by White Wolf for the 2012/2013 schedule.
Onyx Path make books available through DriveThruRPG electronically (as PDF files) and physically via DriveThruRPG's print on demand service, [4] with selected products available via traditional print in game and book stores. [5] [6] [7] In addition, Onyx Path Publishing has used the crowd funding service Kickstarter to raise money for deluxe editions of some of their new products. [4]
The homepage of Onyx Path Publishing provides guidelines to send in material, in case one would want to have their own game published by them. [8] They also provide contact links on their website for people who wish to submit writing, editing, and art samples, and get hired to work for Onyx Path.
Onyx Path Publishing have since their founding published a wide variety of tabletop role-playing games [9] [10] [11] and card games, [12] some owned by themselves, others under license to the listed third parties.
Following a teaser advertising campaign via YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok, Onyx Path announced the urban horror/fantasy roleplaying game Curseborne at Onyx Path Con 2024. [13] The game promises the ability to play as Hungry (vampire protagonists), Primal (shapeshifters), Sorcerers, the Dead (phantoms that can possess people), and Outcasts (demons banished from their home realm). Each playable Lineage is divided into multiple families with different themes of play. The game has been heavily featured on the Onyx Path website blog and in videos from several YouTube RPG creators. It is due to have its crowdfunding campaign in October 2024.
The Scarred Lands setting received an update for 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder with Onyx Path's Scarred Land's Player's Guide, [14] Creature Collection, [15] and Dead Man's Rust [16] mega campaign, and is supported via the Slarecian Vault [17] community content hosted by DriveThruRPG. The Scarred Lands setting puts players in the roles of characters in the world of Scarn, recently following an epic war between gods and titans leaving the world damaged magically and environmentally as a result of the divine conflict.
Onyx Path published a 2nd edition of the Scion roleplaying game, in which players take on the roles of gods' children from across multiple global pantheons, such as the Theoi, Aesir, and Kami. The game takes characters from Origin [18] level, where they start as blessed but mostly mundane humans, through to Hero, [19] Demigod, [20] and God [21] levels of power. Onyx Path have taken Scion away from its traditional material with ventures into playing the children of Lovecraftian Great Old Ones in Masks of the Mythos, [22] and dragons in Scion: Dragon. [23] Scion is supported by the Storypath Nexus community content program. [24]
The They Came From...! series of cinematic roleplaying games are each based on different media genres, parodying cult classics via tabletop roleplay. Players take on the roles of characters in cult favorite movies such as Plan 9 from Outer Space and Manos: The Hands of Fate , and can use cinema logic to have their protagonists break through cheap sets, insert missing reels to escape impending danger, and use deleted scenes to justify the presence of unlikely items. They Came From...! has so far produced the 1950s sci-fi influenced They Came from Beneath the Sea!, [25] the 1960s and 1970s horror influenced They Came from Beyond the Grave!, [26] the espionage genre influenced They Came from [CLASSIFIED]!, the fantasy feature influenced They Came from the Cyclops's Cave!, and the slasher movie influenced They Came from Camp Murder Lake!. [27] They Came From...! is supported by the Storypath Nexus community content program. [24]
The Trinity Continuum games take place at different points in the past, present, and future, and place the protagonists as Talents, Psiads, Novas, Daredevils, and Aethernauts. In these roles, they fight against conspiracies, alien invasions, and supervillains (among other threats) across a slew of genres as the characters demonstrate superheroic abilities and must weigh the benefits of developing power with the responsibility of wielding it. The Trinity Continuum Core was followed by Trinity Continuum: Aberrant, [28] in which the protagonists are mutated superheroes in the near future; Trinity Continuum: Aeon, in which the protagonists exist in a far future sci-fi era of psychics and aliens; [29] Trinity Continuum: Assassins, [30] in which the protagonists are trained killers; Trinity Continuum: Adventure!, [31] in which the protagonists take on the pulp heroic roles of the 1930s; Trinity Continuum: Anima, [32] in which protagonists live in an oppressive cyberpunk city while finding escape in a realistic MMO accessed via neural implants; and Trinity Continuum: Aether , [33] in which the protagonists bend the laws of reality in a Victorian age where all the characters and events of 19th century fiction are real. The Trinity Continuum is supported by the Storypath Nexus community content program. [24]
The World Below TTRPG was announced in 2021 [34] and crowdfunded in November 2023. It is described as a fantasy roleplaying game in which the protagonists are descendants of people who survived a great cataclysm on their world's surface, and are forced to survive, explore, and build lives in their new subterranean homes. The game's creator, Matthew Dawkins, cited influences such as J.G. Ballard, The Platform, and Hollow Knight .
Onyx Path are one of the licensees for Paradox Interactive's World of Darkness game, once owned by White Wolf/CCP. Onyx Path produced seven books (Chicago by Night, Let the Streets Run Red, The Chicago Folios, Cults of the Blood Gods, Trails of Ash and Bones, Forbidden Religions, and Children of the Blood) for Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition before they were repackaged as games by industry peer, Renegade Games, and otherwise focus on creating content for Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition and Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition.
Onyx Path are the sole licensee for Paradox Interactive's Chronicles of Darkness [35] game, once owned by White Wolf/CCP. Onyx Path have released 2nd editions of Vampire: The Requiem , [36] Werewolf: The Forsaken , [37] Mage: The Awakening , [38] Promethean: The Created , [39] Changeling: The Lost , [40] Geist: The Sin-Eaters , [41] Hunter: The Vigil , and Mummy: The Curse , [42] as well as the games Beast: The Primordial , Demon: The Descent , [43] and Deviant: The Renegades , [44] along with sourcebooks for each game line.
The epic fantasy roleplaying game of Exalted, in which players take on the role of Solar champions with devastating powers, has received a 3rd edition from Onyx Path, [45] along with additional player character options in the form of Dragon-Blooded: What Fire Has Wrought, [46] Lunars: Fangs at the Gate, [47] Sidereals: Charting Fate's Course, and the upcoming Abyssals. [48]
Game designer Rose Bailey [3] worked alongside Onyx Path to create her RPG about playing in a romantic Mars of flashing sword, choking sands, winking courtesans, and lantern-lit canal cities. [49] Cavaliers of Mars has gone on to spawn sourcebooks such as the location and adventure book, Witch-Queen of the Shadowed Citadel, [50] and Esoterica of Mars, [51] covering characters plots, factions, and new rules for the game.
Michael Pucci licensed his game of zombies, apocalypse, mutation, and survivalist mentality to Onyx Path to produce as a tabletop roleplaying game following many years as a Live Action Roleplaying Game (LARP). Dystopia Rising: Evolution was funded through Kickstarter, and has subsequently been made available through DriveThruRPG [52] and in traditional print, [53] along with sourcebooks including Helnau's Guide to Wasteland Beasties [54] and the Trouble on Steel Pier adventure. [55]
The Legendlore comic by Caliber Comics [56] led to a collaboration between Caliber and Onyx Path and their publication of the Legendlore role-playing game, using the system from 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons to convert the plots and principles of The Realm - as presented in the comic - into game form. [57] Megan Mackie is a contributing writer.
Game designer Eddy Webb and his company, Pugsteady [58] [59] collaborated with Onyx Path to create the tabletop role-playing games, Pugmire, [60] Monarchies of Mau, [61] and Squeaks in the Deep, [62] in which you play anthropomorphized animals (primarily dogs, cats, rats, and mice) in a far future setting where humans have disappeared and the uplifted animal protagonists are tasked with exploring the mysteries of their unusual world. A 2nd edition of Pugmire, named Realms of Pugmire, was funded on Kickstarter in 2023.
White Wolf Entertainment AB, formerly White Wolf Publishing, was an American roleplaying game and book publisher. The company was founded in 1991 as a merger between Lion Rampant and White Wolf Magazine, and was initially led by Mark Rein-Hagen of the former and Steve Wieck and Stewart Wieck of the latter. White Wolf Publishing, Inc. merged with CCP Games in 2006. White Wolf Publishing operated as an imprint of CCP hf, but ceased in-house production of any material, instead licensing their properties to other publishers. It was announced in October 2015 that White Wolf had been acquired from CCP by Paradox Interactive. In November 2018, after most of its staff were dismissed for making controversial statements, it was announced that White Wolf would no longer function as an entity separate from Paradox Interactive.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse is a role-playing game of the Classic World of Darkness game series by White Wolf Publishing. Other related products include the collectible card games named Rage and several novels. In the game, players take the role of werewolves known as "Garou". These werewolves are locked in a two-front war against both the spiritual desolation of urban civilization and supernatural forces of corruption that seek to bring the Apocalypse. Game supplements detail the other shape-shifters.
Wraith: The Oblivion is a tabletop role-playing game designed by Mark Rein·Hagen. It is set in the afterlife of White Wolf Publishing's classic World of Darkness setting, in which the players take on characters who are recently dead and are now ghosts.
Trinity Continuum: Æon is a science fiction role-playing game previously published by White Wolf Game Studio in 1997 under the name Trinity. The current game is owned and published by Onyx Path Publishing.
Dream Pod 9 (DP9), formerly Ianus Games, is a Montreal-based Canadian game publisher. Its most notable products are Heavy Gear, Jovian Chronicles, Tribe 8, and Gear Krieg, as well as the Silhouette role-playing game system.
An indie role-playing game is a role-playing game published by individuals or small press publishers, in contrast to games published by large corporations. Indie tabletop role-playing game designers participate in various game distribution networks, development communities, and gaming conventions, both in person and online. Indie game designer committees grant annual awards for excellence.
EN World, also known as Morrus' Unofficial Tabletop RPG News, is a British-owned tabletop role-playing game news and reviews website. The website is run and owned by Russ Morrissey ("Morrus"). It reports current news and provides insight into major product releases before they are officially unveiled. EN World was the original host of the ENNIE Awards.
Scarred Lands is a post-apocalyptic fantasy campaign setting in which characters live in a world recovering from a devastating war between gods and titans. Initially published by White Wolf Publishing under its Sword & Sorcery brand using the d20 System, Scarred Lands is now owned by Onyx Path Publishing. In 2017 Onyx Path Publishing released an updated version of the setting using the 5th Edition Open Game License system along with a version of the core setting book using the first edition of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game rules. Scarred Lands draws inspiration from Greek mythology.
Hunter: The Vigil is a tabletop role-playing game originally published by White Wolf Publishing on August 14, 2008, and is the sixth game in their game series Chronicles of Darkness – a reboot of the World of Darkness series. Led by a storyteller, players take the roles of people who have learned of the existence of the supernatural, and fight back against monsters as groups of hunters.
Eclipse Phase is a science fiction horror role-playing game with transhumanist themes. It was originally published by Catalyst Game Labs, and is now published by the game's creators, Posthuman Studios, and is released under a Creative Commons license.
Jason Carl is a game designer who has worked on a number of roleplaying games for companies such as White Wolf, TSR and Wizards of the Coast, Kenzer & Company, and Exile Game Studio. He is currently the Brand Marketing Manager of Paradox Interactive's World of Darkness property.
A tabletop role-playing game, also known as a pen-and-paper role-playing game, is a classification for a role-playing game (RPG) in which the participants describe their characters' actions through speech and sometimes movements. Participants determine the actions of their characters based on their characterization, and the actions succeed or fail according to a set formal system of rules and guidelines, usually involving randomization. Within the rules, players have the freedom to improvise, and their choices shape the direction and outcome of the game.
David Vincent Baker is a designer and theorist of tabletop role-playing games and the owner of indie role-playing games publisher Lumpley Games, which also hosts the archives of The Forge. He and his wife Meguey Baker designed Apocalypse World, the first game in the Powered by the Apocalypse system. Apocalypse World won Game of the Year, Best Support, and Most Innovative game at the 2010 Indie RPG Awards, and was 2011 RPG of the Year at both the Golden Geek Awards and Lucca Comics & Games. Baker also designed Dogs in the Vineyard, which won the 2004 Indie RPG Game of the Year and Innovation Award and was one of three games shortlisted for the 2004 Diana Jones Award.
Powered by the Apocalypse (PbtA) is a tabletop role-playing game design framework developed by Meguey Baker and Vincent Baker for the 2010 game Apocalypse World and later adapted for hundreds of other indie role-playing games.
Sean Patrick Fannon is an American role-playing game designer and writer. He has been working in the gaming industry since 1988, and is best known for his work with the Savage Worlds game system, including his epic fantasy setting, Shaintar, and his conversion of the classic game Rifts. He has also worked as a designer in the video game industry and a consultant in the film industry.
Banana Chan is a Chinese Canadian game designer and writer for tabletop role-playing games and board games. Chan and Sen-Foong Lim created Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet Hall (2021). Chan has written for over twenty tabletop games, including the official Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft (2021), Dune: Adventures in the Imperium, and the third edition of Betrayal at House on the Hill (2022).
The Indie Game Developer Network (IGDN) is a trade association for developers of indie role-playing games, board games, card games, and LARPs. They present the annual Indie Groundbreaker Awards at Gen Con. Their other programs include a scholarship to attend the game designer convention Metatopia, a mentorship program, and a peer coaching program.