Chainmail Bikini Games & the OGL

I know Chainmail Bikini Games apparently closed up shop quite a while back. I know that Goodman Games distributes a hardcopy version of Beyond Monks: The Art of the Fight. I am pretty sure Goodman Games worked out some sort of deal with Chainmail Bikini to do distribution for Beyond Monks.

I am curious how all that works with the OGL? The thing is, the other Chainmail Bikini Games PDF was Call of Duty. I liked both PDFs and actually use them in my game. I would love to point players to the PDF when I suggest they purchase it. But there is no PDF left to buy. I'm not keen on blindly passing out the PDF just because the publisher is no longer around to sell it. If for no other reason than it sends the wrong message. I don't condone that sort of thing.

I would prefer to point players to both a PDF version and a print version, when available, for products they might be interested in. But in one case, Call of Duty, this isn't possible. In the other, Beyond Monks, I can only point them to the print version even though I have the PDF version. While I would like to see a PDF version of Beyond Monks available again, I won't belabor the point. I presume Goodman games either doesn't want to release one, or can't due to licensing limitations.

But suppose I want to use the Prestige Paladin, as well as some of the other material (such as the Righteous weapon property) with modifications in my game. Would I be OK publishing those modifications as a player document with full OGL designations? (Yeah, I don't need to do OGL stuff for my personal game. But I can't assure that players won't spread it around.) Can the OGL be used to keep material alive after a company has apparently departed the market?

As a related note, does anybody know how James Garr is doing? According to his profile (Gargoyle), he hasn't been around in a few months.

Yep. OGC remains OGC, whatever the fate of the publisher.

I have not spoken to James in quite a while.
Last time I did he was doing ok.

The shut down of CMB was around some changes in his "real life" career and I don't know much more than that. I'm of the impression that he was still doing fine.

As I understand it, Goodman Games simply was not keen on a Paladin book. That is how I recall it based on what James said to me. That was like two or three years ago. I may not be a perfect source.

You can not buy Call of Duty anywhere that I know of.
I am confident that James would be pleased to know you were using the product and would approve of whatever you have in mind. I certainly don't speak for him, but I really strongly believe that.

Feel free to e-mail me if you have any other questions. my user name AT mindspring.com

Bryon

BardStephenFox said:

I know Chainmail Bikini Games apparently closed up shop quite a while back. I know that Goodman Games distributes a hardcopy version of Beyond Monks: The Art of the Fight. I am pretty sure Goodman Games worked out some sort of deal with Chainmail Bikini to do distribution for Beyond Monks.

I am curious how all that works with the OGL? The thing is, the other Chainmail Bikini Games PDF was Call of Duty. I liked both PDFs and actually use them in my game. I would love to point players to the PDF when I suggest they purchase it. But there is no PDF left to buy. I'm not keen on blindly passing out the PDF just because the publisher is no longer around to sell it. If for no other reason than it sends the wrong message. I don't condone that sort of thing.

I would prefer to point players to both a PDF version and a print version, when available, for products they might be interested in. But in one case, Call of Duty, this isn't possible. In the other, Beyond Monks, I can only point them to the print version even though I have the PDF version. While I would like to see a PDF version of Beyond Monks available again, I won't belabor the point. I presume Goodman games either doesn't want to release one, or can't due to licensing limitations.

But suppose I want to use the Prestige Paladin, as well as some of the other material (such as the Righteous weapon property) with modifications in my game. Would I be OK publishing those modifications as a player document with full OGL designations? (Yeah, I don't need to do OGL stuff for my personal game. But I can't assure that players won't spread it around.) Can the OGL be used to keep material alive after a company has apparently departed the market?

As a related note, does anybody know how James Garr is doing? According to his profile (Gargoyle), he hasn't been around in a few months.

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Any specific content designated as OGC in the original can be republished in your own documents that comply with the OGL. Anything designated as Product Identity would need a different permission from the owner of that PI.

Having not seen the DMG, and thus not seen rule variants the might become common, magic items, or other adjustments... it is not easy to determine which classes will have the best possible AC.

However, Barbarians with Bracers of AC and maxed stats do seem likely to be tough... but you're talking about a lot of resources devoted to getting there. A 20 Strength, Constitution and Dexterity when you only get 10 additional points to add to your stats... If you use point buy and start with a 15/14/13 in those stats, get 3 from race and add all 10 (no feats), you still fall 5 points shy... I think the rules assume that this type of super PC is unlikely to exist and that most barbarians will end up with a maxed con and strength and a dexterity around 14... and no shield. That should put them in the same zone as fighters.

[MENTION=13098]BSF[/MENTION] I'm flattered that you enjoyed them. I very much enjoyed writing them, but my day job and family responsibilities got to be too much, and so I had to stop writing. If I get into writing again, it will be only after I'm sure I can commit the time to do it they way it needs to be done.

Consider this post my written permission to copy and reprint any Chainmail Bikini Games PDF as needed. You can make them public if you want. Not that I think you need it.

I don't even know where my copies are anymore, or I'd post them here myself. As far as using it in your own material, just follow the rules for the OGL, it's easy to Google that and figure it out.

BryonD said:

I have not spoken to James in quite a while.
Last time I did he was doing ok.

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I'm doing fantastic actually. I was going through a rough period there where my weight was out of control, and like the rest of my family I contracted type 2 diabetes, but now I'm super fit and controlling my blood sugar with diet and exercise, no medications.

The last two years I've been training in lai tung pai kung fu, so I'm no longer just writing about martial arts, I'm living it. In fact, I won first place in advanced continuous sparring at a regional tournament last March by beating guys half my age, and convinced the organizers to change the rules so that I can compete in full contact lei tai sparring next year. (they had an arbitrary age limit of 40) And I've been invited to a tournament in Argentina and to train with our sigung in China.

Also I have a new job with NASCAR as a network engineer; I've worked for NASCAR for the past ten years, but up to now I've been on the road as a timing official. Now I'm an office guy and loving it. I actually have time to play D&D, although lately I've been running more Star Wars Edge of the Empire. Very much looking forward to a new 5e campaign with my old buddies...some of whom have left the state sadly, but maybe I'll do a Google Hangout for some of them.

The shut down of CMB was around some changes in his "real life" career and I don't know much more than that. I'm of the impression that he was still doing fine.

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Things got busy, and then I had lost my day job as GE closed the company that I worked for, and went through a rough spot, but I can't complain. The tech bubble had burst and lots of people had it rough. I'm stronger and smarter now having gone through all that.

As I understand it, Goodman Games simply was not keen on a Paladin book. That is how I recall it based on what James said to me. That was like two or three years ago. I may not be a perfect source.

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You are correct. There was some interest in other things I was doing, but I couldn't commit to anything with my personal issues. There was a glut of splat books at the time, I think the interest in a monk book was because no one else was doing one, and because it was a best seller at rpgnow for so long. Joseph Goodman is a great person, very smart, and I love what he's done over the years as a publisher. I'm thankful that he gave me a chance and published my book.

You can not buy Call of Duty anywhere that I know of.
I am confident that James would be pleased to know you were using the product and would approve of whatever you have in mind. I certainly don't speak for him, but I really strongly believe that.

Feel free to e-mail me if you have any other questions. my user name AT mindspring.com

Bryon

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Thank you for covering for me. I've always lurked on these boards since before 3rd edition when Eric ran it, but with my old job I didn't have time to actually play D&D, so I didn't participate much because I didn't have much to say. Nice that 5e is coming out the same time that I got this new job.

Anyone know where to find Chainmail Bikini PDFs, then?

Zireael said:

Anyone know where to find Chainmail Bikini PDFs, then?

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Scribd pirates and sells stuff like this. You can buy it there. I wouldn't normally link to a pirated copy, but given the permission upthread, I guess it's no longer pirated.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/53148896/Beyond-Monks-The-Art-of-the-Fight-A-Martial-Arts-Source-Book

(I've had to buy copies of my own products from Scribd before!)

I know this is a somewhat old thread but just found it. I do have a copy of the 3.0 version of the Beyond Monks pdf. Not sure what version the original poster was looking for. I still have the email from CMB for the 3.5 version but RPGNow no longer has it available for download. If I ever downloaded the 3.5 version, it apparently didn't make it into my backup cycle.