Dumb Question About OGL Monsters

[Morrus]

I'm a little confused as to how they can claim an ability - by definition a game mechanic, derived from the SRD and thus OGC whether they like it or not, notwithstanding attempts to declare it otherwse - as PI.

Or did you just mean the name of the abilty? In which case, just use the ability and give it a different name. There's no way they can make a d20 game mechanic not OGC.

 

[Jraynack]

I'm a little confused as to how they can claim an ability - by definition a game mechanic, derived from the SRD and thus OGC whether they like it or not, notwithstanding attempts to declare it otherwse - as PI.

Or did you just mean the name of the abilty? In which case, just use the ability and give it a different name. There's no way they can make a d20 game mechanic not OGC.

They are referring to the name of the ability and the name of the monster - and probably the other name of the monster inside the ability - in this case "drudge".

 

[Roger]

There's no way they can make a d20 game mechanic not OGC.

Sure there is. It's easy. Lots of publishers have done it.


Cheers,
Roger

 

[Angellis_ater]

Step One: Contact Privateer and ask if it is ok to use the Cephalyx in an OGL product.
Step Two: Use the stats to make a Cephalys with the Chirurgery(Su): ability. Done.

 

[Angellis_ater]

Step One: Contact Privateer and ask if it is ok to use the Cephalyx in an OGL product.
Step Two: Use the stats to make a Cephalys with the Chirurgery(Su): ability. Done.

 

[madirishman]

Not to get too far afield here, but my Google-fu seems to be failing me. Didn't somebody have an awesome list of all the OGL monsters somewhere? Not their stats. just a list. Might have even been here. If someone can assist on that score, I'd appreciate it - I apparently rolled a natural 1.

Cheers,
Patrick

 

[Voadam]

Not to get too far afield here, but my Google-fu seems to be failing me. Didn't somebody have an awesome list of all the OGL monsters somewhere? Not their stats. just a list. Might have even been here. If someone can assist on that score, I'd appreciate it - I apparently rolled a natural 1.

Cheers,
Patrick

A couple sources are entirely OGC.

Bastion Press in Minions Fearsome Foes and Complete Minions (the pdf 3.5 update) made their monsters including the names and flavor descriptions entirely OGC.

Tome of Horrors and Tome of Horrors Revised by Necromancer games are all OGC. I don't own the second two volumes so I couldn't say on those.

I believe Denizens of Avadnu by Inner Circle Games is all OGC.

I know that Atlas Games' Penumbra Fantasy Bestiary has the stats and monster names as OGC but not the in-depth background description parts.

White Wolf/Sword and Sorcery were very restrictive, not including monster names or description parts in the Manual of Monsters, Monsters of Norrath, etc. I think it was this way in all the scarred lands books as well so that would include the creature collections, but I'd have to look them up specifically to be sure.

There are a ton of monster books, PI/OGC designations vary widely.

 

[Morrus]

Sure there is. It's easy. Lots of publishers have done it.


Cheers,
Roger

No, they haven't. If it's derived from the SRD (as any d20 mechanic must be, by definition - otherwise it isn't a d20 game mechanic), then it's OGC, whatever the publisher in question claims.

If it's not derived from the SRD (i.e. doesn't reference any d20 game terms, etc.) then it's not a d20 game mechanic. It's just an unrelated game mechanic.

 

[Roger]

I think this is the relevant section of OGL1.0a:

1.(e) "Product Identity" means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content;

(Emphasis in the above is my own.)

I'm not a lawyer or anything, but to me, that seems to indicate fairly clearly that "magical or supernatural abilities or effects" can be declared Product Identity.

I'll agree that it's not in keeping with the spirit of the OGL to do so.



Cheers,
Roger

 

[Corjay]

No, they haven't. If it's derived from the SRD (as any d20 mechanic must be, by definition - otherwise it isn't a d20 game mechanic), then it's OGC, whatever the publisher in question claims.

If it's not derived from the SRD (i.e. doesn't reference any d20 game terms, etc.) then it's not a d20 game mechanic. It's just an unrelated game mechanic.

Actually, as TSR's history proves, mechanics can't be copyrighted. Tables may be considered copyrighted, the words themselves that describe the mechanics may be copyrighted, but the mechanic itself cannot be copyrighted. So if another system doesn't use the entire d20 system and as long as they don't reprint the wording from the d20 SRD or any other D&D-derived product, and don't reprint the exact same tables, then they can still include that mechanic or a group of mechanics in their system.