GSL Possible 3rd party SRD

[Urizen]

I'm batting around the idea of creating my own 3rd party SRD.

Since, in accordance with section 10.2 of the GSL we as publishers are allowed to let others use our content, if they ask us to do so, I think it would be within the spirit of open gaming to create an srd that is freely useable by other 3rd party publishers.

TO BE CLEAR, if created, this system reference document will ONLY contain my company's material which has been created for 4th edition products. There will be no materials that have references to WOTC's core books.

I would put the following game mechanics pertaining to my upcoming book: Scarrport, City of Secrets:

1. New Races
2. The elementalist character class
3. All new Paragon Paths
4. New magic Items
5. New feats
6. New equipment

I would also consider allowing the use of Scarrport itself in 3rd party supplements.

As I said before, the goal is NOT to freely release WOTC's intellectual properties, but rather to foster the creation of a new system reference document which is created by 3rd party publishers.

Anyone see any real issues with this?

[El Mahdi]

I'm not a lawyer or any sort of GSL expert, but I don't see why it would be a problem. In fact I think it would be pretty awesome.

Although, I don't know what kind of luck you may have getting other 3pp's to contribute. But, even if they don't you'd be creating an open content shared world. That in itself sounds really cool.

Without the core mechanics of the GSL SRD, I'm not sure it could really be considered a full SRD though. It would basically just be an open content shared world with some optional mechanics. Kind of a collection of 3pp houserules (but only the ones willing to contribute). Still very cool, but it would always be somewhat limited and definitely not all inclusive of the 3pp 4E world.

[Urizen]

Originally Posted by El Mahdi

I'm not a lawyer or any sort of GSL expert, but I don't see why it would be a problem. In fact I think it would be pretty awesome.

Although, I don't know what kind of luck you may have getting other 3pp's to contribute. But, even if they don't you'd be creating an open content shared world. That in itself sounds really cool.

Without the core mechanics of the GSL SRD, I'm not sure it could really be considered a full SRD though. It would basically just be an open content shared world with some optional mechanics. Kind of a collection of 3pp houserules (but only the ones willing to contribute). Still very cool, but it would always be somewhat limited and definitely not all inclusive of the 3pp 4E world.

Heya,

Thanks for your response!

Yeah, there's no way 3pp could reproduce the core mechanics of the GSL SRD, but that's ok, in my opinion. I don't want to rip off Wizards of the Coast.

I just want to get back a bit of the spirit of the OGL, by opening up my creations and those of the talented people I'm working with, so that other publishers might benefit and develop their own content.

Hopefully other 3PP would embrace that spirit, but who knows.

Obviously I'll still sell my content, but yeah, a sort of "shared world" might be really interesting.

[kenmarable]

Hey, if the revised GSL ever arrives and isn't too bad, I'm totally with you with the material I plan to publish! I've been wondering about ways to "open" my 4e content.

At some point there would have to be an official license, but most likely it can be kept pretty simple. Basically a "you are allowed to use this material with attribution in any GSL covered products" sort of thing. (One thing I didn't like about the OGL was the lack of attribution other than the roundabout Section 15, or contacting each publisher to ask.)

As long as whatever agreement states that the material can only be used in GSL covered products, I don't see any problems. Although you are not planning on re-creating the core content and are just looking to share your own paragon path, for example, it could get a little dodgy if you allow a publisher to re-use your paragon path in a non-GSL product since any game mechanic will carry remnants of the core rules in them (even the basic concept of a "paragon path"). Yeah, there's grey areas to dance around, but to keep WotC happy and not wanting to yank your GSL from any imagined threat, I'd make the agreement stipulate that the content can only be used in a GSL covered product. Extra CYA doesn't hurt.

But, like I said above, if there's ever a version of the GSL I'm happy with, I'm totally with you on this!

[Urizen]

Sweet!

Yeah, There absolutely has to be language forbidding the use of the material in game supplements that do not make use of / comply with, the GSL.