Ownership and License Questions

“Storypath Nexus Community Content Program” is not an open game license. Content creators only have permission to use those unique game systems and background materials explicitly permitted by Storypath Nexus Community Content Program. Content creators are not allowed to use other material for original content unless they have a license to do so from Onyx Path Publishing (which requires a separate agreement).

If you’re still not sure about what you can publish, check the table below to see if that helps.

Allowed

I want to…

• design content using the Storypath system for content related to unlocked games (see Storypath Nexus Community Content Guidelines for the current list).
• have my content considered for additional publication by Onyx Path.
• have my content considered for inclusion in digital games.
• have my content considered for inclusion in marketing of unlocked games.

Not Allowed

I cannot…

• publish my content for Storypath games not yet unlocked or released.

• publish my original worlds using the Storypath system.

• print and sell products for unlocked games on my own.

• publish projects with worlds that do not belong to Onyx Path Publishing.

• publish my own rules system for games set in unlocked games.

What is meant by “original worlds”?

This means you can’t make your games based on your own worlds (or intellectual properties) using the Storypath system. This isn’t an open game license, allowing you to make whatever you like with our system. Instead, we’re allowing you to make supplementary materials for the games we produce using Storypath.

This includes games that are significant deviations from our worlds. If you want to do a small book exploring what Scion’s “The World” looks like in the 1950s, that’s great! If, on the other hand, you want to take Scion and make it into a space opera game like Trinity Continuum: Aeon, that’s too far. If you’re not sure, feel free to contact us and ask! http://theonyxpath.com/about/contact/

What is meant by “worlds that do not belong to Onyx Path Publishing”?

This means you can’t reference or cross over into worlds (or intellectual properties) that we don’t explicitly own. Making a Scion pantheon based on The Transformers would be cool, but Hasbro owns them, not us. This restriction also extends to the World of Darkness, Chronicles of Darkness, Exalted, Pugmire, Cavaliers of Mars, and Legendlore, which are owned by our license partners. You can only make products for the games explicitly listed in the “Unlocked Games” area of the Content Guidelines.

Also, we’re not allowing crossovers between Onyx Path properties at this time, so you can’t say that Scion’s “The World” is one of the possibilities of the Trinity Continuum, for example. Each product needs to stay within one of the established Onyx Path worlds.

 

Does Onyx Path own the content that I create in my Storypath Nexus publications?

Yes. Your creations are supplements of the Storypath System game lines and those lines are owned by Onyx Path Publishing (and license partners). The Storypath Nexus Community Content Program agreement then grants other Storypath Nexus authors the ability to use your supplemental content in their program publications.

If we decide to utilize significant parts of your work in Onyx Path publications, we would contact you.

 

If I use content from other Storypath Nexus authors, do I need to credit them?

As more authors contribute to the Storypath Nexus Community Content Program’s pool of community content, we do not expect to maintain perfect attribution every time some author reuses elements originally contributed by another author. Such attributions are not strictly required. However, we do think two things would be best practices for all Storypath Nexus Community Content Program contributors:

• When reusing a larger element that you have taken from another Storypath Nexus author’s work, include a reference to the original work as a link to the DriveThruRPG page within your PDF.

• On your title’s credit page, make a list of such references.

Content and Format Questions

What kinds of products are you looking for?

We’re always particularly interested in the following:

• Adventures

• New player character options (Edges, Paths, pantheons, etc.)

• Non-player characters and antagonists

• New settings (like planets in Trinity Continuum: Aeon or Terra Incognita in Scion)

• Special items or equipment writeups

• Any combination of the above!

What can I use in my products on the Storypath Nexus Community Content Program?

When you create your own title for the Storypath Nexus Community Content Program, you get access to a hoard of resources. Your work can use any of the rules published by Onyx Path. Additionally, Onyx Path and OneBookShelf will, from time to time, make additional resources such as stock art, template cover designs, and other such assets available for you to freely use in your Storypath Nexus titles.

As others create content for the Storypath Nexus Community Content Program and expand the world through their titles, you then have access to use that material in turn. All Storypath Nexus creators contribute to a pool of community content that can be reused, expanded, and explored by other creators in the Storypath Nexus community.

In short, this is an opportunity to take part in a massive communal design network, one that is officially recognized and sanctioned by Onyx Path.

 

What can I publish using the Storypath Nexus Community Content Program?

You can publish only what’s explicitly listed in the content guidelines.

Can I publish content for Scion First Edition or Trinity First Edition?

No. At this time we are focusing the Storypath Nexus Community Content Program on Scion Second Edition and Trinity Continuum: Aeon, both of which uses the Storypath system.

How about Dystopia Rising First Edition?

Also no. Dystopia Rising is owned completely be a different company, and thus our license does not extend to that game. All Storypath Nexus products must be compatible with Dystopia Rising: Evolution.

 

Can I update material from one of those games?

With some restrictions, the answer is yes. You can convert items, monsters, NPCs, locations, etc. from earlier edition books to the Storypath system and publish your conversion. There are two exceptions:

• Do not convert content from games or eras not yet unlocked in the Storypath Nexus Community Content Program.
• No direct, full reprints of adventures may be converted to the Storypath system. If you want to publish something based around (for example) a Scion First Edition adventure like Seeds of Tomorrow or Wolfsheim, then you could consider options like a distinctly new Storypath adventure that is perhaps a prequel or sequel to the classic adventure content, a bare-bones conversion guide for someone who already owns the original adventure (i.e., encounter-by-encounter conversion notes with any Storypath system mechanics needed, leaving out all other content), or a unique take in the spirit of the classic adventure.

 

Can I publish content for games not yet unlocked?

No. Other Storypath system games will be added in the future. We'll update this FAQ and the Content Guidelines when those games are open for new community content, but you can always check the Content Guidelines for the current unlocked games.

 

Can I sell my Storypath Nexus title in print as well as PDF?

No. At this time, we are not allowing new print files for community content programs. If you have questions about this, contact publisher services at publisherservices@onebookshelf.com.

 

How do I prepare the PDF of my title for sale?

There are many different programs to lay out and prepare your book for digital download. Here are some things to help you make sure your PDF will download properly and look great!

Fantasy Grounds, Roll20, and Virtual Tabletop Content

Can I publish Astral VTT, Foundry, Roll20, or other virtual tabletop compatible content through Storypath Nexus?

Yes! As long as your material follows the available licenses of those programs and the posted content  guidelines on DriveThruRPG, you can produce content for virtual tabletop programs.

How do I sell adventures built for Astral TableTop on OneBookShelf?

As a community content creator follow the steps detailed here, but use the tools on your Account page under My Content instead of a publisher account.

What logos can I use?

The normal artwork rules apply for the thumbnail image/covers, as can be seen here.

For titles with Fantasy Grounds content, you can continue to use the Storypath Nexus logo, but to make it stand out, you can also use this Fantasy Grounds logo on your cover.

How do I use these files?

For help installing and using files on Fantasy Grounds, take a look at the Fantasy Grounds User Guides here:

http://www.fantasygrounds.com/wiki/index.php/User_Guides

Can I make a Fantasy Grounds version of another author's Storypath Nexus release?

The artwork, including cartography, that another author includes in their Storypath Nexus Community Content Program title does not become reusable by other Storypath Nexus authors. For this reason, it's likely very challenging to make a Fantasy Grounds compatible version of another author's work without contacting that author and working with them on it as a co-published project. Authors can be contacted by leaving them a message in the Discussion thread of their product.

 

Logo and Artwork Questions

What kinds of artwork and maps can I use in my Storypath Nexus products?

The artwork (such as illustrations and maps) that you include in your product does not part of the Storypath Nexus Community Content Program content that other Storypath Nexus contributors can then use. Here are some general guidelines for artwork:

• Art provided by Onyx Path. The art you find in the Resources for Storypath Nexus category is owned by Onyx Path and can be freely used in your Storypath Nexus Community Content Program titles. No other artwork from Onyx Path can be used — only the art specifically released for Storypath Nexus Community Content Program creators.

• Public Domain Art. Art that is in the public domain can be used, but it must be listed in the credits.

• Stock Art. Usage of stock art depends on the license associated with that stock art. Most of the stock art sold under the Storypath Nexus Resources category on DriveThruRPG includes a license that would allow it to be used in your Storypath Nexus Community Content Program titles.

• Commissioned Art. You must have all the rights to the art in your project. Commissioned artwork may have not been previously used for any other IP that is not a part of the Storypath Nexus Community Content Program.

• Creative Commons. This depends on the type of Creative Commons license. Some allow commercial use, while others do not.

• Do not use art created by someone else without permission.
• AI Art (e.g. Midjourney, Dall-E). Until there is a system in place to recompense artists for their inclusion in AI art databases we do not approve of the use of AI art within content posted as part of this program.

What logos are required and allowed on my Storypath Nexus product?

You are required to use the Storypath Nexus logo on the cover of any product. You can use any logo packaged with the art assets provided by Onyx Path.

Do I have to use the templates provided by Onyx Path?

You are highly recommended to use Onyx Path templates, but they are not a requirement.

 

Payment and Pricing Questions

How should I price my product?

When you upload your Storypath Nexus Community Content Program product, you will enter all the metadata for your product, including setting its price. You have the option to set the price to be free ($0). You can also set the price to be Pay What You Want (PWYW), meaning that each customer can set their own price (from $0 up) to pay for your product. Most products, though, will be priced at a fixed price.

The ideal fixed price varies with the length of RPG product and its quality of writing, art, and design. Based on historic data from DriveThruRPG sales for PDFs, the most successful price points are $1.00, $2.00, $2.95, $3.95, $4.99, $7.95, $10.00, $14.95, and $19.99.

More detail can be found in this OneBookShelf blog post.

How do I get paid?

Once you activate your Storypath Nexus Community Content Program title for public sale, your account will begin to accrue a 50% royalty every time your product sells. You can withdraw your accumulated royalties via PayPal by going to the My Money section of the Account page. Note that the My Money section of your Account page will not display until you have a balance accrued.

There is a $2 fee to cover the cost of each withdrawal, but you will pay no other fees, either to us or to PayPal, to receive your money.

To prevent certain types of fraud, we must hold back the amount of royalties you earned in the past 60 days from being eligible for withdrawal. The amount eligible for withdrawal at any time, is your total account earnings balance less the amount earned in the past 60 days. You may use your earnings as site credit to pay for orders on the site; this will lower your earnings balance and the amount eligible for withdrawal.

We pay royalties only via PayPal. Creating a PayPal account is free and easy, and in most countries, you can connect your PayPal account to your bank account and transfer money from PayPal to your bank in a few business days.

 

DriveThruRPG Publisher Account Questions

I already have a publisher account at DriveThruRPG. Should I use my normal publisher tools for submitting Storypath Nexus products?

No. Storypath Nexus Community Content Program products are managed from the My Content section of your Account page on DriveThruRPG.com. Do not use your normal Publisher Hub to set up new Storypath Nexus products. Royalties for Storypath Nexus product sales will likewise accrue in your customer account, not in your publisher earnings account

Can I use my publisher tools on my Storypath Nexus content?

Storypath Nexus content is associated only with your customer account, not your publisher account. The tools available to you for your Storypath Nexus content are found on the Account page of Storypath Nexus Community Content Program. They are a simplified subset of your normal publisher tools.

Can I release the same products on both Storypath Nexus and as an independent publisher?

Any content created for the Storypath Nexus Community Content Program, which is completely separate from your other publishing efforts, must remain exclusive to Storypath Nexus Community Content Program. It cannot be listed anywhere else and will not be considered part of your publisher account (though it will be part of your “My Content” on the Storypath Nexus Community Content Program).

 

Other Questions

Can I submit non-English language titles to the Storypath Nexus Community Content Program?

Please do! You can submit your content in any language.

Can I submit translated material to the Storypath Nexus originally published by other creators?

Yes, you may translate Storypath Nexus Community Content Program content with the permission of the original content creator, which will require an agreement between the creator and the translator. This may result in a revenue sharing program as administered by DriveThruRPG.com.

Can I submit translated material of previously officially published Onyx Path products?

Not at this time. We are in the process of working with professional translation companies.

Will material be approved by Onyx Path before it is published on the Storypath Nexus?

There will not be a formal approval process by Onyx Path or OneBookShelf, per se. However, if you’re found to be breaking our content guidelines, there will be repercussions. For example, your content can be pulled from the site, you might be ejected from Storypath Nexus Community Content Program as a content creator, and you would receive no payment for copies sold.

Can anyone rate my Storypath Nexus content?

Only people who purchase your content are allowed to rate and review it. Anyone can join the Discussion on your product page, however.

It is encouraged to keep reviews of others’ work positive and helpful, in keeping with the community atmosphere.

Can I rate my Storypath Nexus content?

No. Self-reviews are not allowed.

Can I become an administrator for the Storypath Nexus?

At this time, all administration responsibilities are handled by OneBookShelf and Onyx Path staff.