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From WotC: Here is how the new Conversion Policy affects the Creature Catalog
OK- after initial discussions with the peeps at WotC we are cool...just a few minor changes.
#1- I will be getting a list of IP monsters that must be altered...not taken down. Really just the names must be changed. According to what I have been told, it is only a few. So, no worries.
#2- There will probably be a click through to get to the converted monsters pages, much like the click through for the OGL monsters. Since the conversions now fall under the OGL/d20 licenses, this is the most likely (easiest and cleanest) route to take. There are a few other options, but none are really that attractive to me.
#3- Flavor text. For now, it is cool. But- NO MORE verbatim stuff. As a side, I will probably go back and begin rewriting all the stuff that is VERBATIM.
Agreed. There is a 3e Conversion thread in the GenDisc forum that is well, in parts, less than flattering to the new conversion policy.
But hey- WotC is just protecting their property. I would do the same thing if I were in their place. If they don't defend their IP/trademarks/etc...it can become public domain, and while that sounds cool, it would really suck in the long run.
So- no ill feelings toward WotC from my side. From initial discussions with them, we are very cool as we are. Like I said, there is a list (a handful of monsters) that they want me to rework/rename for IP purposes, but no big deal. I believe I can accomodate them on that one.
Hell, they could've pulled a TSR (of the mid-late 90's) and said: "Shut it down you bastard!"
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Ofcourse they could, but fortunatly they won't, for unlike the late TSR, WotC was a company started and run by GAMERS! Which in many ways is a good thing. They care alot about getting positive feedback from their customers, so they can become a better company, unlike microsoft <snicker>
For new names of creature, be sure to choose ones that are near to the old. Like the warg/worg scene. The reason ? Not to annoy WotC (I doubt they would be annoyed by this, by the way -- IIRC, their reason to demand this is to not have these names fall in the public domain), but to allow people to quicly find out what the monster really is.
For example, if the Flumph needs to be renamed, name it the Flomph. Yan-C-Bin could become Ian-Cee-Bin. Dire Corbies could be Corbics. Ixitxachitl could be Ischitshachitl (since 'x' is just a different spelling for 'sh' in south-american native cultures, like Inca or Aztec). I've added a 'c' between 's' and 'h' because the boards would have put smilies otherwise...
that sounds about right gez. of course, since scott says it's only a small portion of monster names affected, maybe it's mostly only the "proper name" folks, like jubilex, ygorl, cryonax, and those other loveable fellows. i'm sure there are a few others, too.
Not sure exactly which ones are going to be affected. Anthony hasnt sent me the list yet. But- initial conversations with him indicate that it is only a handful of monsters that will be affected.
And BTW Boz, that should be "JUIBLEX", though if we have to change it, it will indeed become "JUBILEX"
Good to hear that is all working out well, Scott, for you and the crew of monsterites...
I hope that you'll be able to use the names of the individuals who do the converting so that they can each get proper credit for their efforts.
Maybe once it is all converted with proper d20 and OGL documentation some (other) d20 publishers will be using your work directly and citing your site in their "Section 15" details!
Originally posted by Mark Good to hear that is all working out well, Scott, for you and the crew of monsterites...
Thanks, my friend. All is good. Necromancer is keeping me busy with the upcoming hardback release of the CC, so that is why I havent been around too much lately. Many new monsters and about 60+ conversions that are NOT even on the site (or in the forums). More on this later though...
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I hope that you'll be able to use the names of the individuals who do the converting so that they can each get proper credit for their efforts.
The only ones that have done any converting for the CC site are myself, Erica, and BOZ. Credit is listed on the main page as such, though not for each individual monster. At the time, I never really thought about listing who converted what (just seemed kinda silly, I mean everyone knows who the peeps are that do the CC stuff).
The upcoming CC book includes individual credits at the end of each monster page for the conversions (though a lot of monsters have been reworked from what is currently on the site; some quite extensively).
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Maybe once it is all converted with proper d20 and OGL documentation some (other) d20 publishers will be using your work directly and citing your site in their "Section 15" details!
The upcoming CC book actually has (or will, Clark and I are writing it now) a page on how to use the conversions in your poroducts (if you are a publsiher). It includes the proper way to cite, use, and credit anything used from the book. More on this later as well.
Ya know... The listing used in the OGL section 15 by publishers for the SRD is...
System Reference Document Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
I don't suppose there's any reason why the three of you can't share the credit collectively for the full output, since, in all likelihood all three of you tweeked one another's work. Plus, of course, adding any names from the Necro-crew that help to further enhance the work. I mean this as an "in lieu of" separating out each individual monster for individual credit and such.
i can attest to that! scott has edited everything of mine that's been posted on the site. some of them have gone on nearly untouched, some were subject to moderate editing, and some have been almost completely rewritten! mind you though, i have on more than one occasion pointed out a thing or 2 to fix/improve work on scott and erica's conversions, and i'm pretty sure the same is true in their cases.
of course, most of my corrections involve monster sources.... but hey, that counts!
Every monster that will make it into the print version of the CC has been editted and rewritten (flavor text in all cases). Most of the section for combat has been left alone, although I did "touch-up" a few monsters here and there....
Flavor text however is all completely new for all monsters.
Contributors and such will be given full and proper credit for their work even if it was just one word that they contributed (it still counts, like Boz-man said).
As of right now, the monster count stands at 400 monsters (conversions, new monsters, and brand new 1e conversions never seen here). More on this later.
This will be the single biggest most important Monster book that has been undertaken since the inception of d20/OGL!
Leave it to you guys to make that mark, and Clark and company to make it possible!
I'm personally looking forward to this more than any single product that has yet come before. I'm happy to see that you're handling this as a cooperative (as I always knew that all of the team, Clark and Necro-gang included, would).
Major Thanks and Congratulations to all of you involved in the process!
I think you all will be happy with the published version of Scott's Creature Catalog. The product is not a 100% go. I am still finalizing stuff with WotC.
Here are a few things:
*New Name: The Tome of Horrors (subtitle: A Fiendish Folio of Creatures)
*hardback
*Over 400 total monsters (thats right)
*Single page layout per monster (for all monsters except animals and hazards, etc)
*Over 40 new monsters not even on Scott's site
*There will be NO overlap with the MM2. We are working with WotC and there wont be anything in ours that is in theirs, and vice versa.
*All original monsters from Necromancer Games products (about 20) will be there.
*It will all be open content with instructions on how other publishers can use the monsters and do the legal stuff properly
*All original authors will be credited and a nod will be given to original source material.
*Chock full of juicy 1E goodness bringing conversions of all your favorites that WotC left out of 3E from the original MM2, the original MM, the original FF and even some from some old modules.
As for credit, the section 15 will be in 2 parts: the first part in the legal appendix will read:
15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Tome of Horrors Copyright 2002, Necromancer Games Inc. and Scott Greene, [refer to individual monsters for additional Section 15 information and include that information in your notice in lieu of this bracketed text].
Then the next user will go to the monster page they are using where they will find the cridit for the original monster and then the continued section 15 designatin, such as:
Author Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary Gygax.
So that means that lets say someone used the ascomoid, the final notice would be:
15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Tome of Horrors Copyright 2002, Necromancer Games Inc. and Scott Greene, Author Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary Gygax.
I think this is absolutely phenominal, Clark. I'm impressed by the size of the book, the extra care being taken to give credit and avoid duplication with other source books, and the efforts of every individual involved in this project.
As someone who has benefitted from your help and advice, I'd like to point out to others that this is just one in a long list of instances where you've gone the extra mile to do things the right way and lead in the d20 publishing industry by example. Just when I thought the bar couldn't be raised any higher...
Which in many ways is a good thing. They care alot about getting positive feedback from their customers, so they can become a better company, unlike microsoft <snicker> 
of course, since scott says it's only a small portion of monster names affected, maybe it's mostly only the "proper name" folks, like jubilex, ygorl, cryonax, and those other loveable fellows. 
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