Lore of the Traditions for the Mage 20th Anniversary TTRPG
Created by Onyx Path - Lore of the Traditions
Pledge to help us create a beautiful deluxe edition of M20 Lore of the Traditions providing in-depth details for all Tradition Mages.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
January 2024 Update
3 months ago
– Thu, Jan 18, 2024 at 07:44:30 AM
Hello Mages,
Welcome to the first update of 2024. I'll continue to post monthly as we track the progress of our rewards. Right now, our main reward, the Lore of the Traditions hardcover book, is beginning the print process. There's a lot of back and forth with printer proofs, reviews and approvals, updates and re-proofing. Once everyone agrees the tests are working properly, the printing process can begin. It'll still take a bit of time, and then a longer time while the books are in transit from the printer to Onyx Path's fulfillment partner Studio 2, but I'll update each month as we move forward.
Next month I'll start to talk about the order lockdown process, where we confirm final orders and process outstanding payments and confirm shipping information. But that's next month's topic, let's get to our progress tracking for January.
REWARDS STILL PENDING
Not surprisingly, no updates from December. The year end is usually a bit of a pause on this work as other things are sorted and planned and the team focuses on the printer proofing. We had some fun previews of our two Stretch Goals over the past few months, and we'll keep on top of those as they move forward.
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://lore-of-the-traditions.backerkit.com/
You can read Onyx Path's most recent monthly summary, covering all projects and their status up to that point here: <December 2023 Project Status Summary>
You can find the weekly Monday Meeting blog updates <here>, which note any projects with status changes since the previous Month End summary. The project statuses listed are current as of last Monday, so do check it out each Monday night to see if anything may have progressed!
I will continue to post updates every month until we have our final reward has gone out.
ONYX PATH DISCUSSION CHANNELS
If you've got questions about the rules or setting, or just want to discuss this game with other fans (as well as the Onyx Path writers and developers!), you can check out these Onyx Path discussion zones:
If you've got a question about your pledge or BackerKit page or any part of that process, you can contact me with any of these methods
Via E-Mail: Onyx.Kickstarter [at] gmail.com
Via Kickstarter: Click OnyxPath under the "Created By" heading on the main page, and then press the "Contact Me" button - the message will come to me!
Via BackerKit: Click "Need Help?" from your page, and then fill in the Contact Us form. BackerKit will pass your message along to me.
JUST LAUNCHED
Reprint Repro-a-GoGo
As Scion Second Edition and the Trinity Continuum grew and expanded over the years, many new players were able to join in and explore The World and new eras within the Continuum. Now it's time to get those early core books back into print!
Dec '23 Update
4 months ago
– Wed, Dec 20, 2023 at 08:32:38 AM
Hello Mages,
Over the past few months I've shared previews from our upcoming Stretch Goal books (Forbidden Crafts & Forgotten Orders here and Faces of Magick here) but this month I've got a quick update on our main reward, the Lore of the Traditions book!
We're still some time away, but I can officially say today that the Lore of the Traditions hardcover book has started the print process. There will be some test prints and proofing - and some back and forth work - but Onyx Path's print partner has officially begun the project.
The challenge throughout 2023 for Onyx Path was finding a printer with time available in their schedule to fit in the projects that the team had lined up. All of Onyx Path's usual printing partners were backlogged at least 12-18 months, so Onyx Path has spent the past three months building a new relationship with an overseas printer. The good news is that many books will be printed over the upcoming months - the flip side of that, though, is things will take some time to arrive at the fulfillment warehouse.
We'll keep tracking, though, and watch as our book continues through production and our Stretch Goals come into existence. When we get closer to knowing our timeline I'll begin the order lockdown process, confirming everyone's information in BackerKit and double-checking shipping information before any books go out.
As I said, still a long way from that stage, but the book is now in process and will eventually be in our hands!
REWARDS STILL PENDING
With all prep on the hardcover done, the back-and-forth proofing phase and then the final print run will begin in the next few months.
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://lore-of-the-traditions.backerkit.com/
You can read Onyx Path's most recent monthly summary, covering all projects and their status up to that point here: <November 2023 Project Status Summary>
You can find the weekly Monday Meeting blog updates <here>, which note any projects with status changes since the previous Month End summary. The project statuses listed are current as of last Monday, so do check it out each Monday night to see if anything may have progressed!
I will continue to post regular updates every month until the final reward has gone out.
ONYX PATH DISCUSSION CHANNELS
If you've got questions about the rules or setting, or just want to discuss this game with other fans (as well as the Onyx Path writers and developers!), you can check out these Onyx Path discussion zones:
If you've got a question about your pledge or BackerKit page or any part of that process, you can contact me with any of these methods
Via E-Mail: Onyx.Kickstarter [at] gmail.com
Via Kickstarter: Click OnyxPath under the "Created By" heading on the main page, and then press the "Contact Me" button - the message will come to me!
Via BackerKit: Click "Need Help?" from your page, and then fill in the Contact Us form. BackerKit will pass your message along to me.
Nov '23 Update - Knights of the Temple of Solomon preview
5 months ago
– Thu, Nov 23, 2023 at 05:42:28 AM
Hello Mages,
I don't have any major news yet on scheduling the print run for the hardcover - the Onyx Path team is working on it. I do have some fun info from one of our Stretch Goal rewards that I can share with you today. So, before our regular monthly update, let's learn about the Knights of the Temple of Solomon!
Forbidden Crafts & Forgotten Orders sends players to the fringe of Mage: The Ascension, outside the ranks of the Traditions and the Technocracy, examining life and order for those existing on the outside, looking in, or focusing entirely on their own agendas. The introduction explains the content within as follows:
Forbidden Crafts & Forgotten Orders explores the metaphysical societies that make up the paradoxically named Disparate Alliance: who they are, how they function, the ways in which they approach their Awakened Arts, and more. We’ll deal also with the metaplot options surrounding the Crafts and their relationships to the more famous factions of Mage’s Ascension War. Most importantly, we’ll also clean up some old errors of language and culture that occurred in the days before worldwide media made it easier to catch such errors. Rather than a compilation of previous material, this book reveals the Crafts as they stand today, three decades into the 21st century.
We’ve ordered them in three broad chapters — broad being the operative word for Crafts so internally diverse and conflicted — based on their commitment to the Alliance. For an alliance as young — and, make no mistake, small — as the Disparates, how (or if) it manages to hold on to its partners and individual identities in the near future is crucial to its long-term survival.
Chapter 1: Forerunners. They want (or need) this Alliance to work — for good or ill, their eggs are in the Disparate basket. If the Disparate Alliance ever risks taking a stance in the Ascension War, this is where that push comes from. The forerunners count the Ngoma, Knights of the Temple of Solomon, Taftâni, and Hollow Ones.
Chapter 2: Middlers: They’re here, it’s cool, and they’ll give the alliance a fair shake, but it’s not everything to them. Eventually they’ll have to come off the fence — are they in or out — but for now they’re comfortable right where they are. The Middlers count the Ahl-i-Batin, Kahu (formerly known as the Kopa Loei), Sisters of Hippolyta, and Wu Lung.
Chapter 3: Outsiders: They were invited to the party, and they did come, but now they’re standing awkwardly by the punchbowl and wondering how long it will even last. They’re not necessarily wrong — the Crafts carry a lot of old mistrust and bad history between them. The outsiders count the Bata’a, Solificati, and orphans.
Here’s a preview of the Knights of the Temple of Solomon, found within the collection:
Knights of the Temple of Solomon
Knighthood lies above eternity; it doesn’t live off fame, but rather deeds.
― Dejan Stojanovic, The Sun Watches the Sun
Of Grails and Grand Masters
1827
“I had a dream about you.”
Aspirant Charlotte’s eyes rose at the words. Grand Master Roland III often offered reassurance measured in discipline, an austere support. So when the non sequitur landed, shaded with a thoughtful tone very unlike her instructor of the past two years, it warranted special attention.
“Master?”
He turned from the tower window of Montsalvat’s highest room, the commanding view of the Pyrenees glowing with moonlit snow and surrounding him like a nimbus. “It is nothing untoward, Aspirant. Merely provenance, assuming God does not speak through what we perceive as coincidence.”
She dared a step closer. “Do you… mean God has spoken to you?”
“I would not claim limit to what God can do or accomplish, but I would not pronounce myself a prophet, either.” He let the statement hang in the air, inviting her response with silence. He knew her well enough to entice curiosity, as the question answered held more weight than the lesson given.
“What did you dream?”
“I dreamt of your future, and what you must accomplish, both for yourself and the Order.”
“And what did you see?”
Roland merely smiled, turning to the view of the mountains. “Focus your will, child. You have much yet to learn, and only so much time to learn it in.”
1837
“Come with me!”
The metallic sounds of military preparation faded behind the closing wood panel that hid under Roland’s office tapestry, leading down torch-lit steps to a secret vault Charlotte had never seen before. Everywhere, Templars gathered ancient treasures into traveling cases, though one stood by a pedestal, clearly a position he guarded as Roland awaited the chance to take the solitary object upon it: a chalice.
“Master…”
“No time.” He opened another case, shattering a pane of glass within and withdrawing a simple ovoid stone. “This is perhaps the more fortunate treasure.” He moved to the cup, holding the stone over its rim before pressing his thumbs into it with a crack. “A gift from an old friend among the Ahl-i-Batin. He promised it would unite all humanity in its belief in virtue.” He tilted the stone, pouring a crimson fluid into the cup before lifting it, and presented it to her.
“It falls to you to fulfill that promise.”
“I… Master, I cannot—”
“Charlotte, there is no time. Time, logic, fate, God Himself have led us here. Montsalvat will fall today, but you must survive. I’ve taught you; I hope well. I hope for the Order’s future, and in that hope, I invest in you our greatest treasure.”
“Is this… the Grail?”
He pressed it to her lips. “All cups are God’s.”
Today
Charlotte smiled as Schafa pulled back from the kiss. “You’re smoking those cigars again, aren’t you?”
Charlotte looked out over the view of the Pyrenees. “I never could fool you, my love.”
“All is well. There should be no secrets between us, if they can be helped.”
A knock at the door. Oliver Lyons opened it. “Grand Master, the one you have requested is here.”
Shafa brushed at her hijab. “Then it is my cue to leave.”
“I wish you might stay.”
The Ahl-i-Batin smiled. “No, hubibi. You have your business and I have mine. The promised future is in those who inherit, yes?”
Charlotte turned back to the mountains, recalling her own Master standing in that very place. She regarded her hands and noted, for the first time in almost two centuries, a wrinkle. She smiled.
“It certainly is.”
Born in the Blood of Pilgrim
The Knights of the Temple of Solomon wield the sword with the right hand of God. But we were not always known for our Orichalcum blades and crimson cloth. Once, we were the Poor Soldiers of Christ, led by our first Grand Master, Hugh de Payen. Founded in blood in 1119 AD, we swore a holy vow to protect those that could not protect themselves. Never would there be a raid again, like that of the Saracen, killing over 300 pilgrims of God and taking the remaining poor souls as prisoners. Our orders were that of poverty, obedience, and the art of being humble, forever bowing our heads, ready to sacrifice and receive our thorny end. We lived and breathed by the 600 articles of the Order of the Knights Templar bestowed upon us by St. Bernard of Clairvaux. We would stand up for the followers of the Holy Word and spread Truth, aiming our strategic forces towards the Apocalypse, ever preparing for the end of days, protecting the devotees of our Savior from the sin-blackened fingers of Hell itself.
By 1130, our fellowship had grown to over 300 members. The Pope himself gave us his blessing to build our own chapels, entrusting us with what methods we saw fit for the betterment of the Templars, down to confiscating and storing any riches we gained from our enemies. We were idolized and envied by the less fortunate; townspeople ushered their able-bodied young to our holy doorsteps. But like Babylon, the small cracks are what reduced us to inglorious rubble. And what sin is subtler than Pride?
When Jerusalem fell the Templars were viewed as heretics, unfairly accused of alliance to the Hashashin, painted of the very crimes we had sworn and suffered to stop. We tried to take back our honor, to take back Jerusalem. We failed. We did not understand at the time that going back to the life and practices of the “good old days” was not God’s plan. And the refusal to stray away from our vanity for the sake of a self-described “purity” meant we would forever be on the lam, instead of openly among God's flock. Away from the accusations of heresy, sodomy, and devil worship we hid our members and our riches like thieves in the night. Those who were intercepted saw their treasures confiscated and their bodies tortured to the point of false confession and madness. We tried a different approach, attempting to be more studious and worldly. We adopted foreign customs practices, even learning Arabic, a considerable risk, seeing as that was the language of our supposed enemies. We were still willing to open our minds, as much as a “boys only society” could at the time.
Death by Fire
The more revealed and wealthy we became, the larger the target on our backs grew. Perhaps the sharpest marksman was Philip the Fair, King of France. He owed many debts to the Templars and, rather than settle his obligations, instead chose to conspire with Pope Clement V to plunder all of our riches, the better to feed his lust for power and gold. Sadly, our Grand Master, Jacques de Molay, was Phillip’s prize captive. God’s strength did not prevail that day, as Molay confessed after being tortured for an excruciating length of time to all accusations against him and his knightly followers. But in 1314, as the dark clouds of defeat rained upon Paris, as Molay’s wrist were bound to the heretic pyre, he rescinded his confession, claiming that his only transgression was speaking untruths. And without a scream, a solemn pillar of fortitude and terrible faith, Molay proclaimed with his dying breath that he would see King Phillip and Clement judged at the gates of St. Peter. By seeming coincidence, King Phillip and Clement met their death the very same year they sentenced Molay to burn. But then, believing in God precludes coincidence, in my experience. Privately, Molay was warned by the Order of Pure Thought of his imminent passing and selected his successor before he was seized by Philip’s men. The new Grand Master, Henri de Marquet, fled with a meager company of carefully chosen knights and what was left of the treasury to an obscure citadel, Montsalvat, in the Pyrenees. There, they took an oath to forever serve the Gabrielites, though whether for protection or guidance, no one can say.
Over a decade of silence later, we arose from the ashes of shame and fear and forced ourselves back into the view of the mystical community once again, whilst keeping our fortress undisclosed. We strengthened our numbers, drafting new soldiers to continue our mission. Granted, religion did continue to cause a divide, but with definitions of orthodoxy so malleable, we could no longer fight heresy. Instead, we armed ourselves with the practice of the ancient arts of alchemy learned from the Artificers and expanded our understanding of the Divine Fire, what our erstwhile peers call “Magick,” steering our focus to the applications of force, life, mind and prime. Through our mage-craft and knowledge of the Spheres — or, rather, the Earthly metaphysical emanations of God — we brought ourselves closer to our messiah.
The Order of Pure Thought
During the Reformation, our Order was forced to abandon the idea of a universal church, moving instead towards a somewhat grudging acceptance of members from all Christian denominations, so long as they held Christ in their hearts. Eventually we became a part of the Venetores and fought at the frontlines of the War of Ascension against the Traditions, soldiers leading the charge against horrific abuses of arcane power. The wizards and mystics believed in the manipulation of magick for their own personal gain. This is all during the time that mundanes, worldwide, believed us to be dead, while we continued to prosper underground. Or so we thought.
It was not long before a great wedge of pride and purity began to form within, a shard which would divide us. A good number of Templars found a way to transcend the “weakness'' of the Christian faith, while the rest of the Order of Pure Thought started to view religion as a hindrance, preventing them from forming a unity with humanity, choosing instead the path of atheism. And I’m afraid, my dear, eager child, that it was only the beginning. We still had so much to learn of our faith and our belief system and where our understanding of God was incomplete.
In 1837 the Templars learned that the Order of Reason had decided to abandon religion completely. The Templars were to become brute enforcers, a scourge against faith wherever it was to be found. Our dependence upon the Gabrielites had, in their opinion, made us little more than tools, and our voices held no weight any longer, subsumed in the atheistic zeal of the Order’s new vision for humanity. Their intentions would have made us into a mockery of everything the Templars were founded for, an unholy inversion of our divine purpose.
Renewed Faith
Outraged, we commenced preparations to battle the Order of Reason. We had intelligence that they intended to lay siege to Montsalvat, so once again we evacuated what relics and wealth we might, preserved by trusted Knight-Brothers who would survive to carry our membership forward should the castle fall. Prayers and provisions were laid in, and those brave Knights prepared for battle… only to be betrayed from within. The Order arrived earlier than estimated with a never-before-seen army of nightmarish proportions. A band of what are known today as Hyper Intelligent Technologies: hideous technomantic war machines sprung from twisted imaginations. We did not sway in the face of this development but charged on. Alas, ill-prepared for the alien machinery, and though the skill and faith of the Templars never wavered, traitors allowed the Order to gain entrance. Grand Master Roland III met his end in this Judas Edict, a staggering blow from which we would not recover for a long time.
Following our tradition of planning for the End of Days, Grand Master Roland had taken preventative measures and appointed a new Grand Master in advance: Christopher the Just. Once appointed, Christopher led the remaining survivors deep into hiding, but our struggles were far from over. Our beliefs were tested and altered, and the scars of persecution and betrayal eventually imposed on us a more apocalyptic, survivalist mentality. Through pain and fear we grappled with our religious roots. But the more we held onto our old ways, the stronger and more corrupt the Order of Reason grew, spreading atheism and doubt in its wake, enabling indifference to Hell and all its darkest threats. To carry on the path of Unity for Humanity, the Knights Templar swore all of its members to secrecy and initiated the building of a new Christendom, merging all of Humanity into an undivided force. Finally realizing that we could not bind our forces to one church, we sought to unify around one Faith: Faith in the innocent, Faith in goodness, Faith in ourselves and the power we could, through God’s grace, forward our mission.
In the 2000s a fresh divide split the Temple. One side envisioned a far better future with the Disparate Alliance, strengthening our own cause by broadening our beliefs to more progressive ideals, such as the acceptance of women, among other genders and denominations. Which is how I came to be here, standing in front of you now. We forced the once exclusively male order to become one that embraced all of God’s children. It only took a bloody century or three...but I digress. Unfortunately, there are a few remaining members still firmly aligned with the old ways committed to their own path of righteousness. Some have chosen exile, while others merely grumble and politic among our ranks. We wish them well and pray for them daily. However, we must continue to stay vigilant in our methods of secrecy. This is to not to say that we have a motto of distrust, but our fellowship holds many divisive philosophies, and we have learned nothing if not caution with our courage. So keep a wary ear out for their misguided teachings, as they are waiting in the wings, looking for a chink in our armor. Perhaps they do not realize how much they risk our safety and success in their pursuit of outmoded orthodoxy, but we cannot spare them from our battlements, metaphorical as they may be. With time, we may yet see the next generation of Templars rise, as colorful as Joseph’s coat, a cloak of brotherhood and safety in God’s light, ready to lead the charge against the end of the world itself.
Speaking of the new generation, your guide is right on time. Brother Lyons, would you be so good as to show our newest recruit to their quarters, and perhaps enlighten them as to recent events? I’m afraid I have far too many appointments to keep, and God waits for no woman.
Welcome to the Knights Templar, child. We’re going to save the world.
Days of Fire and Prophecy
Come along now. Where did she leave off? Ah, yes, the modern age.
The Order did not tear itself apart with political debate; we had survived annihilation far too many times to turn on each other. Instead, we came together, gathering our numbers and resources, presenting and debating our cases and perspectives. It was, likely, the most democratic era the Order has ever known. Regional Preceptors held open forums among Knight-Magi and Aspirants, alike, and though many of the surviving Marshalls were put forth as successors, none were seen as appropriate leadership material.
It was the presentation of Charlotte de la Roux as a worthy successor by Shafa Fakhoury, an Ahl-i-Batin who had assisted in the sheltering of many of our surviving members, which gave pause to all those convened. Yes, the same you were just speaking to. Charlotte was clearly favored by the Lord, possessing a mastery of the Divine Flame and known as a skilled leader, organizer, and warrior. She had never favored the title of Dove Knight, but many among their ranks looked to her as an example of what any woman could aspire to in any division or duty to the Order. Those who had been pushing for a departure from the Templars’ patriarchal rules pressed for it, while others simply saw an excellent leader with a pedigree stretching back to the fall of Montsalvat. While a minority suspected she was involved in the Judas Edict, Charlotte insisted a strongbox in one of the Solomon vaults be opened, locked by Roland himself to only unseal when a secret word was spoken. Charlotte provided the word, and while only the Preceptors know exactly what was found within, whatever it was convinced them she was the rightful inheritor of the title Grand Master, dictated by Roland the Third for when there was no heir to take the mantle.
I know, there’s a whiff of secrecy to it all. Some like to whisper of blackmail or some other deep-seated plot. Charlotte had not aged a day since the Technocracy’s betrayal, and only now have we seen some small signs of her many years on earth. Those who support her say God preserved her for the right time to take the reins of leadership. Others say she is a puppet of the Conventions, or even some long-awaited traitor held for the killing blow by the Ahl-i-Batin, but that’s a long shot, at best. Frankly, we’ve seen far too much support from our Muslim allies to think this is a worthwhile effort, and the Technocracy has tried to exterminate us too many times not to have played this card earlier.
Our mandate is as it ever was, yet has grown in both responsibility and scope: to promote a True Christendom, to triumph against the infernal and the wicked, to safeguard pilgrims and the innocent whatever their beliefs, and to stamp out evil where we find it. The difference is that we believe God is immanent within the ethic, and while our own membership does require sharing the faith, the concept of judgement is left to the Lord. “There are many rooms in my Father’s house,” and is it not arrogance to presume the Word, ourselves? Aquinas’ City on the Hill is not one of colonization, but cooperation with its neighbors, for the vantage is not one of superiority, but to provide security for all. We must be good neighbors, lest we become tyrants who wield the Word rather than follow it.
As a consequence, we don’t go it alone anymore. The crucible of fire has burned away impurities and shown the real value of faith and friendship. Our allies in the Disparate Alliance are not who we might have sided with in the past, and we certainly keep our own secrets, as do they, but they have proven reliable, and there are, perhaps, some aspects of God’s creation we may yet learn of through their eyes.
Our methodology has not changed, either: Where once we were the stalwart knights on the battlefield, we have become experts in espionage and sabotage, working behind the scenes with money and discretion more than overt force. Still, I find that only makes the battles we engage in all the more worthy. We choose the field and make sure situations are in our favor before moving in for the kill. We fight with honor but redefine retreat. It is not necessary to lay one’s life down to make a statement when victory is by far the greater glory to Christendom, and where we may have once stood our ground reviling the thought of cowardice, we now see that a tactical repositioning can turn martyrdom into triumph.
That same survival mindset prevails among all Templars, and well it should after centuries of betrayals and evasion. Knights operate in cells, with only the leader holding the means to contact their superiors. Decentralized operations maintain the security of our Order and guard our secrets from capture. While our more… zealous rogue elements treat this much as a terrorist would, we have a structure akin to a city built for siege. We all answer to the Grand Master, but the chain of command has corridors and chokepoints, the capacity for self-sufficiency if cut off, and the means to root out spies. In this fashion, the Templars have survived over and over where others have fallen.
The world cannot any longer stand the luxury of prideful champions. We have retaken Montsalvat, and there are many other places of power yet to return to us. The Second Coming could be any day, and we must present a strong foundation for the Church to be rebuilt on. The foes against us are manifold: the Conventions, the Nephandi, the wicked among the nightkin, even mundane human corruption. We are the warriors of Christ, and through faith, courage, humility, and will, we will see the world saved for us all, no matter the form it takes.
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://lore-of-the-traditions.backerkit.com/
You can read Onyx Path's most recent monthly summary, covering all projects and their status up to that point here: <October 2023 Project Status Summary>
You can find the weekly Monday Meeting blog updates <here>, which note any projects with status changes since the previous Month End summary. The project statuses listed are current as of last Monday, so do check it out each Monday night to see if anything may have progressed!
I will continue to post regular updates every month until the final reward has gone out.
ONYX PATH DISCUSSION CHANNELS
If you've got questions about the rules or setting, or just want to discuss this game with other fans (as well as the Onyx Path writers and developers!), you can check out these Onyx Path discussion zones:
Never before has Creation known the perils of the Abyssal Exalted. They have emerged from the gloom of the Underworld as champions of death, sworn to the service of the Deathlords and the Neverborn. Each was offered the gift of the Bleak Exaltation at the moment of their own demise, and each chose to willingly become an agent of the apocalypse. Their motivations are as manifold as any others — they may seek destruction or domination, malice or justice, ancient secrets hidden and forbidden or sheer iron-willed survival.
In service to their lieges, these deathknights will grind the Underworld to heel and scour life from the face of Creation. Or…they might break from those oaths and set themselves up as death’s own Lawgivers, ruling empires of the dead as sages, arbiters, and reapers. All that can be known for sure is that with the Abyssal Exalted loosed upon the world, it will never be the same again.
DISCOUNTED PRINT-ON-DEMAND ORDER LINKS
6 months ago
– Wed, Oct 25, 2023 at 06:15:03 AM
Hello Mages,
It's my own way of bending reality. If I post a monthly update a bit early, I can count something happening a few days later that'll require another update! Despite my numerous updates, I do like to be efficient, but I'm not going to wait another month to share this reward with you.
DISCOUNTED PRINT-ON-DEMAND ORDER LINKS
If you pledged to the Celestial Chorus reward tier, or have the hardcover version as one of the items in your pledge list, one of your rewards is an option to order a discounted print-on-demand version of M20:Loreof the Traditions. Now that the print files have been finalized, Onyx Path can make a PoD version of the PDF available for purchase.
There were a few technical glitches last time when Onyx Path planned to release the PoD version of the PDF. If you've downloaded your backer PDF, you'll likely get an email from DriveThruRPG as well distributing these PoD codes, just to ensure all bases are covered.
REWARD DISTRIBUTION
Your link to claim your M20:Loreof the TraditionsPrint-on-Demand Discount will be sent out by our BackerKit pledge manager later today, once the PoD goes live. Since we are using our partners at DriveThruRPG as the host for this, you will need to set up a DriveThru account if you don't have one already. If you encounter any problems with downloading your rewards, please contact DTRPG's customer service to resolve the matter, they've always been top-rated for customer service. http://www.drivethrurpg.com/contact_us.php
THIS IS NOT THE KICKSTARTER HARDCOVER REWARD!
Again, just to ensure it's understood - THIS IS NOT YOUR KICKSTARTER HARDCOVER REWARD! This is a discount link for a one-off printed version of the PDF that will soon be released for purchase on DriveThruRPG.com (but YOU can order it at a discounted cost if you wish!) As noted, the hardcovers are currently being scheduled with the printer and will hopefully begin test prints soon so that Onyx Path can greenlight the official print run.
DIFFERENCES IN PoD FORMATS
So, for those backers who pledged at the PDF reward tier, or those backers who will later be receiving the hardcover book but might be looking for a second copy for the table, there are two different versions of Print-On-Demand options available.
Standard Color uses a thick 70# white paper which has better page opacity. (that's "70 pound" for reference, but does not mean each page weighs 70 lbs!). Standard Heavyweight Color uses inkjet technology. (These are not the same inkjet printers you have at home - these are often as big or bigger than a car!) This option offers lower cost but the colors won't be as sharp or bright as a Premium Color book.
Premium Color uses the same 70# paper, but uses "Digital Color Print Engine Technology," which sounds super fancy and certainly costs a lot more, but I'll admit to not knowing the exact difference. This option offers superior color quality but is more expensive to produce, and has gotten even more expensive over the past year.
(Remember to login to DriveThruRPG prior to clicking or pasting the discount link in your BackerKit digital rewards locker, if you that was part of your rewards list! That link is your coupon and must be usedfor your PoD order.)
Please note: This discounted Print-on-Demand ordering link will be valid for the next six months - it expires on April1, 2024 - so please, if you choose to order a Print-on-Demand copy, use the provided link prior to April2024.
Again, you will receive an e-mail from BackerKit with alink for this reward over the next 24hours if it is on your expected list of rewards.
I will be sending out the Standard PoD version first, and the Premium PoD version code later today.
I'll be back at the end of November with our next month end summary! Unless a reward becomes available before then, of course!
October '23 Monthly Update - and Reward Distribution
6 months ago
– Thu, Oct 19, 2023 at 10:43:59 AM
Hello Mages!
This month's update won't be as long as last month - that one was a monster! But I do have another Stretch Goal reward to go out!
Remember this one?
Well, we hit that one so now it's time to STREAM in STYLE! I'm lucky enough to game online with a few techie and creative people that can put together nice overlays and make it all work. I don't have that ability, so any time I can get a solution to help me out, I'm very happy for it. And this set comes with a variety of options for number of plays and backgrounds, so it's a great quick solution for some online games.
Reward Distribution: STREAMING OVERLAY SET
REWARD DISTRIBUTION
If this Stretch Goal reward was on your list of rewards, your link to claim your Loreof the Traditions Streaming Overlay Set will be sent out by our BackerKit pledge manager over the next day. Since we are using our partners at DriveThruRPG as the host for these, you will need to set up a DriveThru account if you don't have one already. If you encounter any problems with downloading your rewards, please contact DTRPG's customer service to resolve the matter, they've always been top-rated for customer service. http://www.drivethrurpg.com/contact_us.php
Again, you will receive an e-mail from BackerKit with links for theserewards over the next 24hours if they are on your expected list of rewards.
The easiest way to see if you've got digital downloads available is to login to your backerkit account.
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://lore-of-the-traditions.backerkit.com/
While the Onyx Path team works on locking in a print slot for our hardcover edition of the book and the artwork is finalized for our Stretch Goals, I'm happy to get these smaller rewards off our list bit by bit. Eventually we'll have this tracking sheet all filled in, but until then every dot counts.
Next month I'll have a preview from Forgotten Crafts & Forbidden Orders, one of our Stretch Goal supplements. Stay tuned!
You can find the weekly Monday Meeting blog updates <here>, which note any projects with status changes since the previous Month End summary. The project statuses listed are current as of last Monday, so do check it out each Monday night to see if anything may have progressed!
I will continue to post regular updates every month until the final Stretch Goal reward has gone out.
ONYX PATH DISCUSSION CHANNELS
If you've got questions about the rules or setting, or just want to discuss this game with other fans (as well as the Onyx Path writers and developers!), you can check out these Onyx Path discussion zones:
If you've got a question about your pledge or BackerKit page or any part of that process, you can contact me with any of these methods
Via E-Mail: Onyx.Kickstarter [at] gmail.com
Via Kickstarter: Click OnyxPath under the "Created By" heading on the main page, and then press the "Contact Me" button - the message will come to me!
Via BackerKit: Click "Need Help?" from your page, and then fill in the Contact Us form. BackerKit will pass your message along to me.
CURRENTLY CROWDFUNDING
The World Below is a game of adversity, heroism, terror, and awe. Your characters will overcome or be defeated by terrible beasts, environmental calamities, and Kaos storms ravaging their surroundings and the souls around them. They will chart their journeys, chronicle their tales, and pass their stories down to their descendants, who will in turn become your characters when your old ones perish or retire.
The World Below provides. But you must dig. You must explore. You must map. You must build. You must defend.
The World Below provides, but only to the worthy.
The unworthy fall, consumed by bugs, lava, acidic fog, the vagaries of Kaos, and the World Below’s convulsing tunnels.
The World Below is your home, your prison, and your alien world containing terrible threats and wondrous discoveries.
The World Below is a complete tabletop roleplaying game, and includes:
Numerous playable options, some from the traditional fantasy mold, others unique to the World Below.
The complete Storypath Ultra System, allowing you to play this game straight from the book.
A myriad of settings, monsters, powers, and abilities for use in your stories, which you can play as minimalist dungeon crawls or World Below-spanning expeditions.
