#trainsformers story idea

[virovac]

Plot idea:   Astrotrain has had one of his rare moments of brilliance, using a combination of a rage virus and other stolen tech to corrupt the powered up “red mode” of Sixtrain, turning the most powerful train combiner into part of his Astro-Force!

Not only that, he succeeded in capturing the micromaster combiner space-shuttle Raker, giving the brainwashed Sixtrain a backup member in case of one of his arms are damaged...and also infected more than half of the Autobot attendants of various train stations! Furthermore, he has mode-locked Omega Supreme into his Alternate mode!

The Autobot combiner team from Japan, the Trainbots have been called into help. But they can’t be everywhere at once!  And Raiden pales before the fury of the berserk Sixtrain!

But is Astrotrain playing with fire? Can he keep control of an army brainwashed using volatile emotions in line?

The combiner Sixliner is on their way, but can Sixliner efficiently aid the Train combiner Raiden against his own brother?

Can the cowardly Autobot Electric train Caboose regain control over the stations and tracks entrusted to them?

Will this end well for anyone?!!

[funky-boat-zone]

had an admittedly kinda really dumb idea:

ttte as transformers, but it’s framed as a typical transformers story (no real relation to trainsformers besides the premise, i’m sure it’s great but i haven’t watched it). their faces aren’t exposed in vehicle mode, they appear as (brightly colored and long-obsolete) regular steam engines.

[[MORE]]

the steam team are still the protagonists, and it’s initially framed as a “steamies vs. diesels” conflict. later on they (temporarily or otherwise) put their grudges aside to deal with a bigger threat, idk i haven’t fully fleshed this out

the idea that thomas is the leader is kind of deconstructed in that while yeah, he’s eager and has good intentions, he’s still (mentally) young and isn’t quite cut out for saving the world. not only that, but a lot of his team members (especially gordon) aren’t happy with taking orders from someone who they feel is unsuitable to lead. as such, edward (thomas’ mentor and the usual bearer of the team’s shared brain cell) often acts as the leader instead.

on the diesels’ side (diesepticons if you will), diesel 10 is the resident megatron stand-in: he’s large, scary, holds some form of authority over the other diesels, and has a scary-looking weapon with which he destroys things. diesel can be the starscream expy, since i feel that’d be more interesting than him just going along with whatever diesel 10 wants: as soon as diesel 10’s goals stop aligning with his own, he’s out of there.

of course, all of these notes are just basic archetypes, and i don’t plan for everyone to just be 1-1 ripoffs of existing transformers characters. anyway that’s it that’s the post

[theonyxpath]

Aye, right now we’re becalmed on the Acid Sea! But we know that if we can get closer to Waterdog Port, we can catch the great winds that blow and sail right in! We just need yer help to get there!

In other words: our Pirates of Pugmire has a little more than a week to go and we are 81% funded. So anything you can do to spread the word about this excellent supplement to both Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau would be just the push we need to set us sailing to “funded” and beyond! Just click here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/200664283/pirates-of-pugmire-a-realms-of-pugmire-tabletop-rpg

While we were at UK Games Expo, we must have handed out hundreds of cards with the Pirates of Pugmire Kickstarter info and url, and we had the great pleasure of talking to folks about it, and Pugmire and Mau, too! And then we directed them to our sales allies at Leisure Games on the other side of the hall. They actually brought more Mau up from London on Saturday because interest was so high.

Which is always great to hear!

There was also a lot of interest in Scion 2e, with a nice number of satisfied KS backers letting us know they loved their books – including one backer who came over pretty much to give us hugs just because she didn’t want us thinking all the backers were as mean as the ones posting in the Kickstarter comments. Most appreciated!

But I think there were more folks there interested in getting the two Scion books than there were backers, which at the time wasn’t possible although we directed them to all the places they could order them. (We later found out that one of our Retailer backers from the kickstarter did have the books there, but I think they were gone almost immediately). So that was fantastic in that it bodes well for the in-store sales for the books that started last Wednesday.

We just never know if a successful Kickstarter has hit most of the potential audience for a project, or if there are enough folks wanting to buy out there to justify the extra print run. It’s certainly looking good for both Scion books so far, both in stores and on DTRPG where the books are #1 and #2 sellers as I write this!

When we weren’t talking to attendees, the booth was a hub for meetings, both planned and unexpected (Hi, DaveB!), and where Eddy and Matthew were recording the Onyx Pathcast UKGE Edition. If you listen to last Friday’s edition, you can hear our latest incredible idea for an RPG: Thomas the Tank Engine and the Trainsformers.

Although completely impossible due to licenses and the basically goofy idea that it is, we left it in because despite the premise, the whole conversation demonstrates the sort of free-form brainstorming we do when examining new ideas for projects. I won’t say it is well-worth the listen, but its good to have that process recorded somewhere!

When not at the booth, most of our crew were GMing/SGing various games, and in particular the debut of our first Onyx Path convention tournament set of games. Throughout Saturday our gang ran Chronicles of Darkness sessions for a handful of the game lines under that umbrella brand, and the players of all of those sessions voted for which player in their game they thought should advance to the final.

You probably read about that last week, but what was particularly gratifying to me was how the players leaving the rooms were excited talking about their games afterwards, which is great, and then when we sat down together to compare notes how the Storytellers were raving about the players and how excellent the sessions were, which is fantastic!

All-in-all, a superlative trip. Hip hip, and all that.

While we were exploring Merrie Olde Englande, it seems that a few projects were teased here as well. For example, I noted that Dixie posted this on the blog when she filled in so very well for me last week (Thanks, Dixie!):

Time to reveal just what this is, and I’m gonna do it! It is the logo for the community content brand for all of our game lines that use the Storypath System. We’ll be releasing the formats, templates, and rules, for each line as it get released, so naturally we’re starting with Scion 2e. Then, as the Trinity Continuum, Dytopia Rising: Evolution, and They Came From Beneath the Sea!, etc, are released we’ll open up that line in the Storypath Nexus.

Expect the Scion Storypath Nexus to be opened once we are done with this month and into July. You’ll be able to post your Scion ideas on DTRPG: characters, adventures, sourcebooks, tips, etc, and set a price and get paid for it by adoring Scion fans everywhere!

Also in July, and at a different Community Content site – this one being the Slarecian Vault for Scarred Lands – is the dramatic start of a mega-adventure series!

Vengeance of the Shunned is a collaboration between nearly two dozen creators which includes:

A 10-part adventure path that takes the characters from levels 1-15

8 side quests to allow additional advancement, flesh out the campaign, and show the impact of these terrible events on the Scarred Lands

A collection of creatures, new and old, optimized for 5e

A gazetteer detailing important locations featured in the campaign

An overview of the Scarred Planes with guidelines for how they function in the 5e rules

We’ll be passing on more news about this project from the creators in the weeks to come!

Finally, I teased something something about keeping your eyes open on June 13th, and I just want to underline that once again. Not going to tell you where to look, but keep an eye on our social media. We’re trying something very different for us as a way to lead into something in July that a lot of you have been asking about, so we hope you get a kick out of it.

The kick part was not a clue, really, just a figure of speech. Although, I guess you could apply it to…

Many Worlds, One Path!

BLURBS!

Kickstarter!

Our Pirates of Pugmire Kickstarter is nearly 81% funded, and we’re going for the last week Big Push!, so swing over to our ship and check it out!

Pirates of Pugmire is a chronicle sourcebook for both Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau. It’s usable in either game, or as part of a joint experience. Some highlights include: * Two new species for players to enjoy: lizards and birds * Six new callings, including two for dogs and two for cats * Rules for building, sailing, and sinking ships * A trove of new allies, enemies, and treasures * Information on Waterdog Port and Port Matthew * “Going on the Account,” a chronicle of three new adventures, taking characters from 1st through 6th level

You can also hear Eddy discuss the writing and design of Pirates of Pugmire on the Onyx Pathcast on your favorite podcatcher, or here on : https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/)

ONYX PATH MEDIA

Onyx Pathcast art by Michael Gaydos

This Friday’s Onyx Pathcast is the second Scion 2e Actual Play with Matthew, Eddy, and Dixie!: https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/

And Here’s More Media About Our Worlds:

This week’s Onyx Path News was a bumper live edition, as Matthew talked about new releases, Kickstarter, and the UK Games Expo in some depth: https://youtu.be/9te69TM7pP0

For all your Satyros Phil Brucato and Mage: The Ascension needs, our roving Mage developer has been interviewed by both the Symposium Podcast and Mage: The Podcast crews in recent months. Check his content out at the following links: https://symposium.podbean.com/e/the-symposium-podcast-episode-4-the-evolution-of-ascension/ https://symposium.podbean.com/e/the-symposium-podcast-episode-5-how-to-become-a-writer/ https://magethepodcast.com/index.php/2019/04/13/gods-and-monsters-with-satyros-phil-brucato-hiromi-cota-james-sambrano-and-isabella-price/

Gods and Monsters with Satyros Phil Brucato, Hiromi Cota, James Sambrano and Isabella Price

Red Moon Roleplaying recently concluded their Scarred Lands actual play but have recently started up a new V5 one here: https://www.redmoonroleplaying.com

The Story Told Podcast published a superb overview of Changeling: The Lost, as well as an interview with Meghan Fitzgerald, AND the next part of their Dragon-Blooded actual play for Exalted: https://thestorytold.libsyn.com/

Occultists Anonymous haven’t stopped with their Mage: The Awakening actual play, which you can find here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list… but if you’re just after the latest episodes, these links will also work: Episode 19: Blood on the Windhttps://youtu.be/4R33Ar-Abe4 The cabal takes on the werewolf pack leader! Episode 20: Take a Breathhttps://youtu.be/kNJ-Efu3FIc The cabal deals with the fallout of their fight

Fandible‘s excellent They Came from Beneath the Sea! actual play concluded after two stunning parts we really recommend you check out: http://www.fandible.com/they-came-fro…

Caffeinated Conquests are still going with their amazingly fun Gauntlet of Spiragos campaign for Scarred Lands: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list…

And of course, the ever-fantastic Devil’s Luck Gaming continue to run one of the best Scarred Lands actual plays around today on their Twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/DEVILSLUCKGAMING

Please check any of these out and let us know if you find or produce any actual plays of our games!

ELECTRONIC GAMING

As we find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is now live! Our dev team has been doing updates since we launched based on the excellent use-case comments by our community, and this thing is awesome! (Seriously, you need to roll 100 dice for Exalted? This app has you covered.)

ON AMAZON AND BARNES & NOBLE:

You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle (from Amazon) and Nook (from Barnes & Noble).

If you enjoy these or any other of our books, please help us by writing reviews on the site of the sales venue from which you bought it. Reviews really, really help us get folks interested in our amazing fiction!

Our selection includes these fiction books:

OUR SALES PARTNERS:

We’re working with Studio2 to get Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau out into stores, as well as to individuals through their online store. You can pick up the traditionally printed main book, the screen, and the official Pugmire dice through our friends there! https://studio2publishing.com/search?q=pugmire

We’ve added Prince’s Gambit to our Studio2 catalog: https://studio2publishing.com/products/prince-s-gambit-card-game

Now, we’ve added Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition products to Studio2‘s store! See them here: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/all-products/changeling-the-lost

Scarred Lands (Pathfinder) books are also on sale at Studio2, and they have the 5e version, supplements, and dice as well!: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/scarred-lands

Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Try this link! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Onyx-Path-Publishing/

And you can now order Pugmire, Monarchies of Mau, Cavaliers of Mars, and Changeling: The Lost 2e at the same link!

On Sale This Week!

This Wednesday, we’re releasing PDF and PoD versions of both the Tales of Excellent Cats fiction anthology and Adventures For Curious Cats for Monarchies of Mau on DriveThruRPG, and Tales will be available on the Amazon and Nook epub stores!

CONVENTIONS!

Gen Con: August 1st – 4th Save Against Fear: October 12th – 14th GameHoleCon: October 31st – November 3rd We’ll also be back at PAX Unplugged later this year!

And now, the new project status updates!

DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM EDDY WEBB (projects in bold have changed status since last week):

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep)

M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Geist 2e Fiction Anthology (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)

Exalted Essay Collection (Exalted)

Trinity Continuum Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum Core)

Wraith20 Fiction Anthology (Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition)

One Foot in the Grave Jumpstart (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2e)

Dragon-Blooded Novella #2 (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Exigents (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Terra Firma (Trinity Continuum: Aeon) Titanomachy (Scion 2nd Edition)

Crucible of Legends (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Many-Faced Strangers – Lunars Companion (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Redlines

Monsters of the Deep (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Tales of Aquatic Terror (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)

Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)

Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)

Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)

Second Draft

Tales of Good Dogs – Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)

Dragon-Blooded Novella #1 (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition core rulebook (Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition)

City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)

TC: Aeon Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Legendlore core book (Legendlore)

Development

WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)

Oak, Ash, and Thorn: Changeling: The Lost 2nd Companion (Changeling: The Lost 2nd)

M20 The Technocracy Reloaded (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Creatures of the World Bestiary (Scion 2nd Edition)

Heirs to the Shogunate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Scion Companion: Mysteries of the World (Scion 2nd Edition)

Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)

Chicago Folio/Dossier (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Let the Streets Run Red (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Cults of the Blood Gods (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Heroic Land Dwellers (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

TC: Aeon Ready-Made Characters (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Manuscript Approval

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant core (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Pirates of Pugmire (Realms of Pugmire)

Hunter: The Vigil 2e core (Hunter: The Vigil 2nd Edition)

DR:E Threat Guide (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)

DR:E Jumpstart (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)

Editing

Memento Mori: the GtSE 2e Companion (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)

Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

Spilled Blood (Vampire: The Requiem 2nd Edition)

Lunars: Fangs at the Gate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Post-Editing Development

M20 Book of the Fallen (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

V5 Chicago By Night (Vampire: The Masquerade)V5 Chicago By Night Screen (Vampire: The Masquerade)

CofD Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)

Witch-Queen of the Shadowed Citadel (Cavaliers of Mars)

Distant Worlds (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Scion Ready-Made Characters (Scion 2nd Edition)

Dark Eras 2 (Chronicles of Darkness)

Indexing

ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE!

In Art Direction

Contagion Chronicle

Dark Eras 2

M20 Book of the Fallen

VtR Spilled Blood – in the worx.

Trinity Continuum Aeon: Distant Worlds – AD’d.

Trinity Continuum Aberrant – Sketches coming in.

Hunter: The Vigil 2e

Ex3 Lunars

They Came From Beneath the Sea – final art notes in.

Ex3 Monthly Stuff

In Layout

V5: Chicago

Trinity Core

Trinity Aeon

CoM – Witch Queen of the Shadowed Citadel 

Proofing

WtF Shunned by the Moon

Signs of Sorcery – At WW for approval

DR: E

Scion Jumpstart

Aeon Aexpansion

C20 Cup of Dreams – This week.

Ex 3 Monthlies – At WW for approval

Scion Ready-Made Characters – 2nd proof.

At Press

Dragon Blooded – Deluxe Printing

Dragon-Blooded Cloth Map – printed and being shipped to Studio2

Dragon-Blooded Wallpapers – Going out to backers

Dragon-Blooded Screen – Printing

The Realm – Reviewing errata

Trinity Core Screen – Printing

TC Aeon Screen – Printing

Trinity Core Digital Screen and Reference – Going out to backers

Trinity Core Wallpapers – Going out to backers

TC Aeon Digital Screen and Reference – Going out to backers

TC Aeon Wallpapers – Going out to backers

Tales of Excellent Cats – PDF and PoD versions available Wednesday on DTRPG!

C20 Player’s Guide – PoD files uploaded

Adventures for Curious Cats – PDF and PoD versions available Wednesday on DTRPG!

Geist 2e – Gathering Errata

Book of Oblivion – Putting in errata

Trinity: In Media Res – PoD files uploaded

Blood Sea: The Crimson Abyss (Scarred Lands) – Advance PDF files getting uploaded

Today’s Reason to Celebrate!

It’s still Pride Month so this gets a double week listing! This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, so let’s remember Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Brenda Howard, and all the other activists throughout the years who made Pride possible. Happy Pride to all our LGBTQIA+ fans and freelancers, and I hope any celebrations you attend are amazing!