Onyx Path Publishing
| File:Logo of "The Onyx Path" aka Onyx Path Publishing.jpg | |
| Industry | Role-playing games |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2011 |
| Website | theonyxpath.com |
Onyx Path Publishing specializes in publishing tabletop role-playing games, offering a mix of company-owned, creator-owned, and licensed titles.
History
The "Onyx Path" brand and emblem initially appeared on White Wolf products and their forums in early 2012. The organization unveiled its business approach at GenCon in August 2012.
Established in January 2012 by Richard Thomas, formerly Creative Director at White Wolf, the company holds licenses from Paradox Interactive for World of Darkness, Chronicles of Darkness, and Exalted. Additionally, Onyx Path took over the Trinity Universe and Scion lines from White Wolf/CCP Games. It continued to publish titles that White Wolf had planned for release during 2012 and 2013.
Onyx Path distributes its offerings primarily as PDFs through DriveThruRPG and utilizes print-on-demand options. Some products are also available in brick-and-mortar stores. The company frequently uses crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter to fund premium editions of new games.
Their website provides detailed submission instructions for creators interested in publishing games or contributing writing, editing, or artwork, fostering growth through collaboration and talent recruitment.
Game Lines
Onyx Path Publishing has delivered a broad selection of tabletop RPGs and card games, including both original creations and licensed franchises.
Curseborne
Revealed at Onyx Path Con 2024 following a teaser campaign across YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok, Curseborne is an urban horror/fantasy RPG featuring playable Lineages such as Hungry (vampires), Primal (shapeshifters), Sorcerers, the Dead (possessing phantoms), and Outcasts (banished demons). Each Lineage comprises several families with unique playstyles. The title has been heavily promoted on the company’s blog and via YouTube content creators, with a crowdfunding initiative planned for October 2024.
Scarred Lands
Onyx Path refreshed the Scarred Lands universe for the 5th edition of Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder, releasing supplements like the Scarred Lands Player's Guide, Creature Collection, and the expansive Dead Man's Rust campaign. Set on Scarn following a devastating conflict between gods and titans, the setting is further supported by community-generated content hosted on the Slarecian Vault via DriveThruRPG, enhancing its reach and engagement within the gaming community.
Scion
Onyx Path released the second edition of the Scion roleplaying game, where participants take on the roles of divine offspring drawn from worldwide mythologies such as the Theoi, Aesir, and Kami. Characters evolve through stages starting at Origin—humans touched by divine favor—advancing to Hero, Demigod, and ultimately God levels of power. Moving beyond classical mythos, Onyx Path expanded the setting with titles like Masks of the Mythos, featuring Lovecraftian Great Old Ones, and Scion: Dragon, which centers on dragons. The game continues to receive active support through the Storypath Nexus community content initiative, bolstering its visibility and player engagement.
They Came From...!
The They Came From...! collection consists of cinematic tabletop RPGs that parody cult film genres. Players portray characters inspired by cult classics such as Plan 9 from Outer Space and Manos: The Hands of Fate, utilizing distinctive mechanics like "cinema logic" to creatively resolve challenges. This series includes titles such as the 1950s sci-fi-themed They Came from Beneath the Sea!, the horror-driven They Came from Beyond the Grave! set in the 1960s-70s, espionage-centered They Came from [CLASSIFIED]!, fantasy adventures in They Came from the Cyclops's Cave!, and slasher horror in They Came from Camp Murder Lake!. Supported by Storypath Nexus, this line enhances Onyx Path’s diverse offerings and strengthens its presence within niche markets.
Trinity Continuum
The Trinity Continuum franchise covers multiple time periods—past, present, and future—with players assuming roles such as Talents, Psiads, Novas, Daredevils, and Aethernauts who face conspiracies, alien threats, and supervillains. Following the core game, several editions were released addressing various genres and audiences: Trinity Continuum: Aberrant features near-future mutants with superpowers; Trinity Continuum: Aeon explores a distant future filled with psychics and extraterrestrials; Trinity Continuum: Assassins spotlights professional killers; Trinity Continuum: Adventure! evokes 1930s pulp-style heroics; Trinity Continuum: Anima portrays a cyberpunk metropolis with neural-implant-based MMOs; and Trinity Continuum: Aether reimagines a Victorian era where fictional characters exist in reality. This product line benefits from integration with the Storypath Nexus community content program to increase engagement and market penetration.
The World Below
Announced in 2021 and successfully crowdfunded in November 2023, The World Below is a fantasy tabletop RPG where players take on the roles of descendants from survivors of a catastrophic event living underground. Designed by Matthew Dawkins, this title draws creative inspiration from sources like J.G. Ballard’s work, the film The Platform, and the video game Hollow Knight, representing a distinctive addition to Onyx Path’s catalog.
World of Darkness
Onyx Path holds licensing agreements with Paradox Interactive for the World of Darkness series, originally developed by White Wolf/CCP. The company produced seven major titles for Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition, which were later republished by Renegade Game Studios. Meanwhile, Onyx Path has focused on expanding content for both Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition and Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition. This collaboration highlights Onyx Path’s strategic role within the roleplaying game industry.
Chronicles of Darkness
Holding exclusive licensing rights from Paradox Interactive for Chronicles of Darkness, Onyx Path has issued second editions of key titles such as Vampire: The Requiem, Werewolf: The Forsaken, Mage: The Awakening, Promethean: The Created, Changeling: The Lost, Geist: The Sin-Eaters, Hunter: The Vigil, and Mummy: The Curse. Beyond these, the company broadened the series by introducing games like Beast: The Primordial, Demon: The Descent, and Deviant: The Renegades, all supported with extensive source materials. This extensive lineup underscores Onyx Path’s expanding presence and influence in the role-playing game marketplace.
Exalted
Onyx Path has advanced the renowned fantasy RPG Exalted, centered on Solar champions endowed with formidable powers, to its third edition. The product range has grown to include supplements such as Dragon-Blooded: What Fire Has Wrought, Lunars: Fangs at the Gate, Sidereals: Charting Fate's Course, along with the anticipated release of Abyssals.
Cavaliers of Mars
Designer Rose Bailey partnered with Onyx Path to create Cavaliers of Mars, a role-playing game set on an idealized version of Mars filled with dueling and political intrigue. This title has been enriched by sourcebooks like Witch-Queen of the Shadowed Citadel and Esoterica of Mars, which introduce new characters, factions, and gameplay mechanics.
Dystopia Rising: Evolution
Michael Pucci licensed his tabletop adaptation of a post-apocalyptic zombie survival setting to Onyx Path. Funded through Kickstarter, Dystopia Rising: Evolution is available in both digital format via DriveThruRPG and physical print editions. The franchise includes expansions such as Helnau's Guide to Wasteland Beasties and the adventure module titled Trouble on Steel Pier.
Legendlore
The comic series Legendlore from Caliber Comics inspired a collaboration with Onyx Path that resulted in the creation of the Legendlore RPG. This game adapts 5th edition mechanics from Dungeons & Dragons to bring the comic’s storylines into interactive play. Megan Mackie contributed as a writer for this project.
Realms of Pugmire
Game designer Eddy Webb and his company Pugsteady teamed up with Onyx Path to develop tabletop RPGs including Pugmire, Monarchies of Mau, and Squeaks in the Deep. These titles feature anthropomorphic animals inhabiting a future world after humanity’s decline. In 2023, a successful Kickstarter campaign funded the release of a second edition titled Realms of Pugmire.