May 2026 Update - Storyteller's Guide Crowdfunding, Onyx Path Virtual Conventin, Progress Updates
15 days ago
– Fri, May 22, 2026 at 11:00:48 AM
Hello Essence Players,
I've got a bunch of information to share with you today, so let's get to it!
I'll start with progress on the projects that came out of our Crowdfunding campaign, information about our current Crowdfunding campaign, and then stuff about the upcoming Onyx Path virtual convention!
Exalted: Essence Player's Guide - currently in active Art Direction. The artists working on the interior illustrations have submitted their sketches and the Art Director has provided feedback. Anything that doesn't need to be revised is moving towards final versions. Anything that needed revisions will have new sketches submitted for review and approval.
Sounds like thins are moving forward. I look forward to sharing artwork sneak peeks in the future!
And now, info about the two novellas we unlocked as stretch goals. They've both had manuscripts reviewed and approved and are now in editing. And with that, I have summaries!
Exalted – Essence Player’s Guide Novella: Even the Heavens Will Burn
I've got a bunch of information to share with you today, so let's get to it!
I'll start with progress on the projects that came out of our Crowdfunding campaign, information about our current Crowdfunding campaign, and then stuff about the upcoming Onyx Path virtual convention!
Exalted: Essence Player's Guide - currently in active Art Direction. The artists working on the interior illustrations have submitted their sketches and the Art Director has provided feedback. Anything that doesn't need to be revised is moving towards final versions. Anything that needed revisions will have new sketches submitted for review and approval.
Sounds like thins are moving forward. I look forward to sharing artwork sneak peeks in the future!
And now, info about the two novellas we unlocked as stretch goals. They've both had manuscripts reviewed and approved and are now in editing. And with that, I have summaries!
Exalted – Essence Player’s Guide Novella: Even the Heavens Will Burn
- In this one, Twilight Caste Exalt Djau Brazenreins and the Lunar Anthar Mirthless team up to save lifetimes’ worth of work while fending off ancient enemies. Together, they fight dangerous beasts, infiltrate an Immaculate monastery, and brave the revels of demon-run Dajaz.
Exalted – Essence Player’s Guide Novella: Murder on the Divine Carriage
- In this murder mystery, a crew of Exalts travels across Creation in a goddess’ carriage in what should be a simple trip, until their leader is murdered. Can March Lord Exigent Lyra Compassrose figure out which of her fellows was the culprit in time? Read and find out!
JUST LAUNCHED - EXALTED: ESSENCE STORYTELLER'S GUIDE
Check out the latest Exalted: Essence crowdfunding campaign!
The Exalted: Essence Storyteller’s Guide is a resource for storytellers and play groups to expand, refine, and customize their games of Exalted: Essence. This book is a reexamination and expansion of Storyteller-facing rules, system, and advice, offering guidance and options for Storytellers and groups of all levels of experience.
With powerful player characters, a wide world to explore, and incredible danger to defy, Exalted is a rewarding game to run, but it can also seem overwhelming. Exalted: Essence offers mechanical tools and storytelling advice to bring Creation to life, which the Exalted: Essence Storyteller’s Guide builds on to make running an epic campaign even easier.
In the Exalted: Essence Storyteller’s Guide, we present practical advice for managing powerful characters, helping players direct their characters’ own stories, and tailoring the campaign for the group. For those with ideas for their campaign firmly in mind, sections on how to more deeply engage and support Exalted’s themes may be helpful. For those who aren’t sure how they want to engage with Creation, campaign frames and adventure seeds can offer accessible places to start.
In the Exalted: Essence Storyteller’s Guide, we present practical advice for managing powerful characters, helping players direct their characters’ own stories, and tailoring the campaign for the group. For those with ideas for their campaign firmly in mind, sections on how to more deeply engage and support Exalted’s themes may be helpful. For those who aren’t sure how they want to engage with Creation, campaign frames and adventure seeds can offer accessible places to start.
Whether you’re a brand-new Storyteller embarking on their first campaign, or just looking for new options to transform your game, we hope the Storyteller’s Guide will bring your adventures in the world of Creation to new heights.
Chapter 1: Thousandfold Tales of the Chosen focuses on storytelling advice and how best to run various styles of game. Resplendent Storytelling Arts covers everything from how to set, track, and support player agendas to broader game themes and playstyles, while Adventure Hooks and Campaign Frameworks offers campaign frameworks and adventures ready to be set down at the table and run.
Chapter 2: Machinery of Greatness: Systems and Subsystems presents explication and expansion of the rules in Exalted: Essence. From the basics of success and failure to ventures revisited and expanded, the chapter covers how to smoothly integrate Exalted: Essence’s rules for their greatest effect. For those interested in modifying the rules, Cut a Bloody Swath: Optional and Alternate Combat Rules offers a myriad of options to customize the combat experience, while Essence Combat Reforged offers an entire alternate combat systems centered around teamwork, opportunity, and tactical choices. Golden Tongues and Fiery Wit: Optional and Alternate Social Rules presents similar options for social influence, including an alternate social influence system presenting more granular resolution. Finally, the Shining Miscellany covers alternative systems for the strange magic of Creation, more options for stunts, and further mechanics for narrative control.
Chapter 3: Antagonists begins with the Machinations of Doom, including best practices for designing and using enemies, before introducing the Ferocious Teeming Legions, a great accounting of new foes of every sort. From demon-worshipping assassins to ancient automata, inhuman undead to disasters from the sky, a veritable new army of enemies is placed at the Storyteller’s command. This includes some of the most dangerous and driven enemies that a circle of Exalted must face: other Exalts.
Just like with our Player's Guide campaign, I'll be sharing the entire draft manuscript over the course of the campaign with backers, so anyone who joins will be able to read the entire thing before any pledges are processed or payments collected. A new manuscript section drops every Tuesday!
Join in and Check it out!
It's that time of year again! Onyx Path will be running their virtual gaming convention in a few weeks - FRIDAY JUNE 5 to SUNDAY JUNE 7.
As noted, all panels will be streaming on Onyx Path's Twitch channel running Friday June 5 - Sunday June 7, and Actual Plays will be streaming at Plastic Age Plays channel. I'd suggest checking out
- What's Up with Onyx Path on Saturday June 6 at Noon EDT
- The Exalted Panel on Saturday June 6 at 6:00 PM EDT
- Ask Us Anything Panel on Sunday June 7 at 2:00 PM EDT
Pending Projects
All changes from last month were noted at the top of the update. Also, our companion - Essence Enhanced - is just finishing up the first drafts. Hopefully we'll see it move to redlines soon.
Rewards Distributed to Backers
- Exalted: Essence Core Rulebook PDF
- Pillars of Creation PDF
- Tomb of Memory PDF
- Deeds Yet Undone PDF
- Across the Eight Directions PDF
- The Realm PDF
- Heirs to the Shogunate PDF
- Many-Faced Strangers PDF
- Exalted Third Edition Core Rules PDF
- Dragon-Blooded: What Fire Has Wrought PDF
- Lunars: Fangs at the Gate PDF
- Exigents: Out of the Ashes PDF
- Sidereals: Charting Fate's Course PDF
- Abyssals: Sworn to the Grave PDF
- Alchemicals: Forged by the Machine God Draft Manuscript
- Exalted Music Bundle
- Exalted Fiction Bundle
Pledge Manager
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://exalted-essence-players-guide.backerkit.com/
- BackerKit How-To: Reviewing and Updating Your Information <Download PDF Here>
- BackerKit How-To: Claiming Your Digital Rewards <Download PDF Here>
Onyx Path Project Tracking
I will continue to post regular updates every month until the final reward has gone out.
Remember: You can use the links at the bottom of this e-mail to unsubscribe from updates or Manage your notification settings. These status updates are available on the campaign page for you to review at any time.
The Monday Meeting Notes will also be a good place to learn about the next Crowdfunding project as it gets closer. I'll give you a hint - it's the Exalted: Essence Storyteller's Guide. That's a pretty good hint.
The Monday Meeting Notes will also be a good place to learn about the next Crowdfunding project as it gets closer. I'll give you a hint - it's the Exalted: Essence Storyteller's Guide. That's a pretty good hint.
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:
To Contact James
If you've got a question about your pledge or BackerKit page or any part of the process, you can contact me with any of these methods
- Via E-Mail: Onyx.Kickstarter [at] gmail.com
- Via BackerKit: Click "Need Help?" from your page, and then fill in the Contact Us form. BackerKit will pass your message along to me.
