EN World D&D / RPG News - View Single Post - What happens if something I make gets added to the SRD? For Scott or Linae

Teiran · 21st June 2008, 06:00 PM

So, here is the current fear sweeping the Paizo boards, and I'm kind of hoping to get some clarification.

Say that I print a book under the GSL, folllowing all the rules and guidelines to the letter.

In that book, I create a new base class, the Monk. The Monk currently doesn't exist in 4th edition. It's not part of the SRD at the time i print my book, and we're not worried about IP or copywrite here because mine is a whole new creation, it just uses a class common name. A similair example woudl be making a new monster based on a mythological creature you guys have not yet used.

But in two years, when say the Players Handbook 3 come out with a bunch of Ki based classes and the offical Monk base gets printed, what happenes when you guys add the word Monk as a reference to the SRD?

Am I now suddenly in violation of the GSL, because my book details a Monk class, even though they are obviously not the same class? Will I be able to continue printing my book, because I did not redefine the term Monk because mine was printed first?

Obviously the two classes won't be the same. Mine will have powers I made up, a different skill list, and probaly completely different class powers. But a lot of people have taken a very draconian reading of the GSL and begiun saying that at any time you guys coudl print a monster/race/class, add the name ot the SRD and put somebody who already made up that monster/race/class in violation.

What will happen in this situation, where something new is created whole cloth, and then the name gets folded into the SRD later due to Wizards creating a different version?

21st June 2008, 06:00 PM	#1 (permalink)
Teiran Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 1	What happens if something I make gets added to the SRD? For Scott or Linae So, here is the current fear sweeping the Paizo boards, and I'm kind of hoping to get some clarification. Say that I print a book under the GSL, folllowing all the rules and guidelines to the letter. In that book, I create a new base class, the Monk. The Monk currently doesn't exist in 4th edition. It's not part of the SRD at the time i print my book, and we're not worried about IP or copywrite here because mine is a whole new creation, it just uses a class common name. A similair example woudl be making a new monster based on a mythological creature you guys have not yet used. But in two years, when say the Players Handbook 3 come out with a bunch of Ki based classes and the offical Monk base gets printed, what happenes when you guys add the word Monk as a reference to the SRD? Am I now suddenly in violation of the GSL, because my book details a Monk class, even though they are obviously not the same class? Will I be able to continue printing my book, because I did not redefine the term Monk because mine was printed first? Obviously the two classes won't be the same. Mine will have powers I made up, a different skill list, and probaly completely different class powers. But a lot of people have taken a very draconian reading of the GSL and begiun saying that at any time you guys coudl print a monster/race/class, add the name ot the SRD and put somebody who already made up that monster/race/class in violation. What will happen in this situation, where something new is created whole cloth, and then the name gets folded into the SRD later due to Wizards creating a different version?