Go Back   EN World D&D / RPG News > Industry Forums > RPG Legalities: OGF/4eGSL/d20STL

Notices

RPG Legalities: OGF/4eGSL/d20STL Discussions about the Open Gaming Movement, the Open Gaming License, along with WotC's GSL. This is the new home of the OGF-L and d20-L listserver discussions.

 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 23rd June 2008, 05:18 PM   #1 (permalink)
WotC Community Manager
 
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 65
Mike_Lescault Goblin Sharpshooter (Lvl 2)
Questions for Scott and Linae

I'd like to get some help from the ENWorld community in compiling some questions for me to pass onto Scott and Linae to answer. I'm also collecting questions from other community spots as well, so this isn't an exclusive.

Please try to make them brief and to the point. Also, I'd appreciate it if they were worded as neutrally as possible, which will save me time in having to reword them. I'm not sure how many questions I'll submit, but I'd like to get them ranked in order of importance. Say a top 10-20 questions.

If someone would be willing to help compile these for me, that'd be great. I suppose we could always ask Morrus to do it, but sometimes I feel like we make the poor guy do too much work himself! =)

Thanks,
-Mike
__________________
Mike "Gamer Zer0" Lescault
Online Communities Manager
Wizards of the Coast
Mike_Lescault is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23rd June 2008, 05:51 PM   #2 (permalink)
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,088
jaldaen Goblin Sharpshooter (Lvl 2)
Send a message via AIM to jaldaen
Here are my top 5 questions:

1) What will be the differences between the D&D GSL and the d20 GSL? Will the d20 GSL allow for more customization of rules (b/c it is not associated with D&D and does not indicate compatibility) or will it just be a version of the rules intended for use with specificly Modern or Futuristic settings (i.e. no Fantasy allowed)? Lastly, when will the d20 GSL be released?

2) Are the defined 4e References just the mechanics and not the PI ("fluff") of the races, classes, monsters, etc.? When I first read the SRD I was thinking just mechanics, b/c WotC didn't release their "fluff" with the previous SRD. However, a lot of people are reading "4e Reference" as both mechanics and fluff (i.e. tieflings have to have the same raical traits & assumed background in the PHB).

3) Is the restriction/removal of a race/class/monster, etc. considered defining, redefining, or altering the definition of the 4E Reference?
For example, could I say in a campaign setting's race chapter:
Instead of using the races in the D&D 4e Player's Handbook use the following races: Mortal, Feyblood, etc.

4) Can we apply "add-ons" to character creation system process such as "Background" or "Aspects"?
For example, could I say in a campaign setting book:
In addition, to a Race choose a Background.
In addition, to a Class choose an Aspect.

5) Alternatively, would it be fine to add these extra "character creation" steps onto already existing ones:
As part of choosing a Race, choose one of the following Backgrounds as well.
As part of choosing a Class, choose one of the following Aspects as well.

Thanks those are my top questions
__________________
Joseph Miller
Privateer Press Wordsmith (Monsternomicon & Monsternomicon revised!)
Mongoose Freelancer (EA: Illusionism & Familiars, SG to Derro)
Former ENnies Biz Manager (2004)
Designer and Writer of Nevermore campaign setting a True20 Worlds of Adventure contest winner and Ennies 2007 award nominee for Best Electronic Book and Best Free Product.
The World of Nevermore True20 campaign setting is now available in pdf or "dead tree" format.
Check out the new Nevermore campaign setting blog.
Stay tuned for more upcoming products...
jaldaen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23rd June 2008, 05:53 PM   #3 (permalink)
4e is teh sex
 
Jack99's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Denmark
Posts: 2,183
Jack99 Hobgoblin Soldier (Lvl 3)
I think Morrus should work some more for the free core set he got!
__________________
4e Draegor Campaign: 128 hours played.

Ultra-short "reviews" of my 4e stuff; More Ultra-short "reviews"
Jack99 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23rd June 2008, 08:05 PM   #4 (permalink)
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,490
Lizard Goblin Sharpshooter (Lvl 2)
1)What protection is there for products which use terms which are not now part of the SRD, but which someday might be? Leaving aside issues of core material such as Druid and Bard, which we can safely guess will someday be part of D&D, it is not possible to always guess what WOTC has planned -- for example, there were "Swashbuckler" and "Artificer" classes LONG before Complete Warrior and Eberron. Will there be a "grandfather clause"?

2)The STL allowed for a 30 day "cure" period for a breach. This protected publishers because it meant WOTC had to specify WHAT was in breach and give them a chance to reply. As written, the GSL seems to give wholly arbitrary power to WOTC, to basically shut down, at will, any product or publisher without any cause needed. Is this a correct reading of the product?

3)If a creature is not listed in the SRD, but exists in legend and mythology, is it legal to create a version of it? For example, the Succubus. WOTC cannot claim a trademark on either the word "Succubus" or the mythological concept of it. Is it legal for a 3PP to create their own version of the succubus, which is not mechanically or conceptually based on the MM version, except to the extent that both draw from the same legend (a seductive, beautiful demonic entity) and thus would have to be at least partially similar?

4)Can a 3PP use a unique and distinct cosmology? If not, to what extent can the 'default' cosmology be expanded upon?
Lizard is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23rd June 2008, 08:54 PM   #5 (permalink)
Freelance Artist
 
Klaus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
Posts: 7,946
Klaus Goblin Sharpshooter (Lvl 2)
Copied from the "goes live" thread:

1) "When the GSL says "no referencing artwork", what do you mean by referencing? I can paint a dragonborn, but I can't paint a new picture of, say, the specific dragonborn in the Fighter entry?"

2, from SandS James) "Regarding Section 6.1 OGL Conversion.

Here's my example situation: I've licensed Sword & Sorcery and products released for 3.X edition under the Sword & Sorcery banner by White Wolf. I'm going to release 4E versions of Creature Collection, Relics & Rituals and the Scarred Lands Campaign Setting through my company, Fiery Dragon Productions.

So... does White Wolf have to kill all of their 3.X Sword & Sorcery releases... or do they not fall under section 6.1 because they are not the licensee for the GSL in this case?"

3) The GSL prohibits "redefining" of the terms in the SRD. But can you, say, change the "fluff"/"description" of something? Can you give, for instance, a new origin to the Dragonborn in your product?
Klaus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23rd June 2008, 10:27 PM   #6 (permalink)
Rusty Sellsword
 
Cam Banks's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: SE Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 1,427
Cam Banks Goblin Sharpshooter (Lvl 2)
Send a message via AIM to Cam Banks Send a message via Yahoo to Cam Banks
I only have one question, although it's related to some of the others already listed.

1. Can we add or change racial abilities or traits for races that are specific to a campaign setting? For instance, Dragonlance elves are divided into subraces that do not exactly match the elf/eladrin split. Can you create world-specific subraces of elf that share some features of both elves and eladrin?

Cheers,
Cam
__________________
Designer | Managing Editor | Margaret Weis Productions
Burned-Out Mercenaries. Bad-Ass Gnomes. Haunted Swords. Ugly Heroines. Dragonlance: The Sellsword Now Available!
Cam Banks is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24th June 2008, 12:37 AM   #7 (permalink)
Familiar Extraordinaire
 
Brown Jenkin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Indianapolis
Posts: 2,554
Brown Jenkin Goblin Sharpshooter (Lvl 2)
What kind of products is WotC hoping for with the GSL.
__________________
Brain: Come Pinky! We must prepare for tomorrow night.
Pinky: Why? What are we going to do tomorrow night?
Brain: The same thing we do every night....TRY TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD!

Brown Jenkin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24th June 2008, 07:35 AM   #8 (permalink)
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,177
justanobody Goblin Sharpshooter (Lvl 2)
Firstly, if you reword ANY question, then you are changing the question so might as well not even ask it. The exact question asked is what is wanted an answer to.

Section 9 is the quality clause so to speak, so when can WotC request for review any product, and what steps would then be taken during that review process?

It is understand that this is some sort of quality assessment process, but the process itself is not defined within the GSL.

Where will this review process be spelled out in the event one occurs? Is there some sort of deadline for this review process in where WotC cannot just stop production of a book that has already been printed? But instead will be some way of working in advance of costs to print have been incurred?

Can a publisher request a review of the product form WotC to make sure it conforms to sections 7 & 8 prior to sending something off to the printer with the GSL?

What rights to the material are held by the author in case of such material is delivered for review?
justanobody is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24th June 2008, 01:03 PM   #9 (permalink)
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,490
Lizard Goblin Sharpshooter (Lvl 2)
Prior to the actual release of the GSL, it was said it would be a "Fantasy only" license. However, nothing of this nature appears in the GSL/SRD, and it seems there is nothing in the text of the license which can prevent someone from creating "Modern" classes, adding guns/tech, and so on. Was the "Fantasy Only" concept dropped, or will WOTC revoke the license of anyone making non-fantasy product (but otherwise staying within the strictures of the GSL), despite the lack of any explicit ban or limit in the terms of the license itself?
Lizard is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24th June 2008, 10:27 PM   #10 (permalink)
WotC Community Manager
 
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 65
Mike_Lescault Goblin Sharpshooter (Lvl 2)
Thanks, I've compiled the questions and passed them on.
__________________
Mike "Gamer Zer0" Lescault
Online Communities Manager
Wizards of the Coast
Mike_Lescault is offline   Reply With Quote

EN Marketplace Featured Listings
WereDragon Magazine Issue #1!


Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On



These are the 100 most-searched-for thread tags
Search Tag Cloud
3.5 3.5 still lives here 3.xe 3e 3rd edition 4e 4th edition action rpg adventure aquerra art artificer blizzard bring back nightfall! build campaign cartography cats & dogs rule! character cheese class codex hiveous combat computer games conversational cosmology cydra d&di d20 modern dark sun diablo3 dming dragon dragon magazine dungeon eberron errata feats game game aid games gleemax problems greyhawk gsl gurps hive hivemind hiveocracy homebrew homebrewed homebrew setting house rules humor hunting season is now! legacy legacy thread lorraine williams maps massachusetts meta miniatures monsters ninja'd hive nuclear aoe ftw! od&d off-topic oots optimization order of the stick pathfinder plots powers race races recharge power retro clone rules smilies attack sporked hive ssoass sterich stick hive story hour swordmage tags tale of the twin suns the planes traps true20 turkey sammich unconventional thought wall-e warlock weird wiki worldbuilding world of kulan wotc wyre ymca

All times are GMT +1. The time now is 11:38 AM.


Site Contents © 2008 ENWorld
PHP Ajax Multimedia Web Framework © 2008 Digital Media Graphix
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.0 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.2.0