D&D 5E How does one publish an adventure/quest?

[GHammy26]

At the beginning of the year I made my own quest as a sort of a one off that could be used to start an overarching campaign. I did it to help the new players bond with each other and get into the role-playing a bit more as two of them were new to RPG's and the other two were used to 4e being very battle heavy. I've DM'ed a fair amount over the past 2 years, but this was my first homemade quest so I was a little nervous. It turns out the players loved it and found it better than any of the other premade campaigns I'd used in the past.

It was a good little confidence boost and as we record our sessions (for personal use) I decided to send the several 'episodes' to one of my friends who has his own D&D group. He loved the story and asked me to write it up so he could DM it for his guys.

Anyway...

I've written it up and sent it his way, his group seems to be really enjoying it and their consensus was to get me to publish it.

I have no idea how to do this; do I need permissions from wizards? Is there a website to use?

I've written the quest in a similar manner as Hoard of the Dragon queen has been presented book wise so it is quite easy to follow.

If anyone could shed some light on this matter I'd be grateful.

Thanks
G

 

[wedgeski]

Wizards don't officially endorse fan works (there is no 5E open license) but neither do they seek to actively quash them. The most likely scenario is that you'll write up your adventure, throw it on your blog or whatever, and Wizards won't even know you exist.

If you want to try and make money off it, that's a different ball-game, usually involving co-opting the 3E OGL for basic D&D terminology, avoiding anything that's copyright WotC, and relying on fair use for everything else.

 

[GHammy26]

Ah, so it all depends on whether I want to make money on it?

When you stated 'co-opting the 3E OGL for basic D&D terminology', did you mean finding terminology that is used in both editions only?

I heard that you can use information from the 'Basic Rules' set without issue as it is free online but I don't know whether to believe it or not.

What about stating where to find information in the 5E books? is that allowed?

Thanks,
G

 

[Jester David]

WotC tends to look the other way when content from the Basic rules is used. But that's not a hard rule and they could instantly reverse that position. Really, they have no official policy beyond in the Fan Site Kit, which is poorly written and explicitly was not designed for game content creation.

If you plan on releasing it free, using your own monsters or referencing the text but not copying any should be fine. No changes really have to be made.
If you want to try selling it, you'll need to to be cautious with your formatting and follow the 3e Open Game Licence, which is much trickier.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

What generally creates problems is giving away WotC's info without having permission - whether that is putting their monster stats, their class abilities, or even just their particular phrasing of a thing regarded as a game term.

What can be done to avoid issues of permission is to simply not use anything that would require permission, sticking to an approach like I have seen in a few "system neutral" adventures that would say things like "As the cave widens, numerous goblins can be seen gathered around a cook-fire preparing for a meal of what looks to be roasted pig. They all have shortbows and daggers nearby. As this is their typical camp, some more permanent furnishing are on hand, including a sturdy chest that contains their treasures, shut with a simple lock."

Which is to say, they get across what a person needs to know to make the adventure happen, but that person has to fill in the game mechanics with no cues from the author (i.e. they have decide what "simple lock" means in regards to chances that the players' characters can open it, and have to decide what to fill in for "goblin" with because no stats are provided).

There is also the likely much longer and more onerous route: send an email to WotC asking who you need to talk to about what you are and aren't allowed to do, and maybe get that permission which the lack of is root of most problems.

 

[Morrus]

Just don't use anything that WotC wrote that isn't in the 3.x SRD, follow the terms of the OGL, and you're fine. You'll find that most of the terms you need to write for the current iteration of the game are in the SRD for 3.x. Make doubly sure by not mentioning the game or company by name, and make sure you don't copy their layout or trade dress. Basically, don't use any of their IP, including terminology, art, trademarks, logos, titles, etc. unless they've given you permission to (as they have with the OGL and SRD with very large number of terms). Remember that the OGL does not allow you to use any trademarks (any at all - not just WotC's) without written permission from the trademark holder.

WotC won't give you legal advice, and neither should they, so there's no point asking them.

The short version: use the OGL. You can use any text from the 3.x SRD; you cannot use any text not in the 3.x SRD, unless you write it yourself. The answer to any "Can I use X?" question is "Is it in the 3.x SRD?"

Here's the OGL (it's fairly simple):

http://opengamingcontent.com/open-gaming-license/

Here's the 3.x SRD:

http://opengamingcontent.com/revised-v-3-5-system-reference-document/

 

[wedgeski]

I am not a lawyer, an expert, or anything in between. No-one can talk in specifics because the only way to talk in specifics would be to have a 5E open license to refer to. That said, I can give you some opinions.

Ah, so it all depends on whether I want to make money on it?

No. If you posted the complete contents of the Monster Manual on your web site, even if you insist you're not making money off it, you will likely (and rightfully) attract the ire.

But, an adventure written for your friends and posted on your blog is different than publishing it on a digital marketplace and making money off it. Several publishers do that safely (it would appear), including ENWorld's own EN5ider, but they know exactly how to tread the line.

All that being said, WotC have only actively gone after people re-publishing their rules material (such as digital game aids with monsters, spell lists, etc.), at least as far as I know.

When you stated 'co-opting the 3E OGL for basic D&D terminology', did you mean finding terminology that is used in both editions only?

Yes, pretty much.

I heard that you can use information from the 'Basic Rules' set without issue as it is free online but I don't know whether to believe it or not.

That's incorrect. It's a free version of the game, not a system reference document.

What about stating where to find information in the 5E books? is that allowed?

I seriously doubt it.

 

[MoonSong]

You could always pitch your adventureto en5ider

 

[arjomanes]

You can say "3 orcs are guarding the lair." You cannot reprint the orc stats from the 5e Monster Manual, refer to the Monster Manual, or probably even mention the orc's "aggressive" trait. You cannot sat "3 mindflayers lurk in the chamber beyond the door."

Rule of thumb: assume you have to make up any creatures or items not in the OGL SRD. If the item/race/class/monster exists in the SRD and has a 5e alternative, great! You can refer to it. Same goes for generic terms (noble, scout, bandit, pirate, etc).
Do not copy any of the language from a 5e book. Be very very carefel about 5e only terms like "Advantage". Basically, try to stay within the letter and the spirit of the OGL rules and you should be fine. Look at what companies like ENWorld are doing and base your approach off theirs.

 

[neobolts]

In my opinion, the best thing to do would be to put up your stuff for free. WotC isn't out for blood, so your fansite would be find.

As has been mentioned, many products (incuding En5ider) walk the line using the OGL. You could try to shoehorn your 5e module into the 3.x OGL, but is that really what you set out to do? The lines are untested, so any publication doing this runs the risk of getting a grumpygram from WotC and you'd have to accept that possibility. EN Publishing has enough presence and professional history that WotC would probably work out any issues, but a relative unknown might risk getting a blanket C&D if they cross the invisible line. I could be wrong; [MENTION=1]Morrus[/MENTION] probably has a better pulse on the C&D buzz across the 'net.