Module Conversions

[Johnny Angel]

I have cleaned up my conversion notes for the Star*Drive module Black Starfall, and I'd like to make them available, especially since there's such a dearth of prepared modules these days.
I was curious as to what the requirements were to distribute the same in a kosher manner. I seem to recall that back during the heady days when 3rd Edition came out, WoTC didn't mind people doing conversions, but they didn't want people creating edited versions of the modules. All I've done is give d20 versions of everything that was game-system related in the order in which they appeared in the module, except for re-gridding the original maps for the miniature scale, which appears at the end of my conversion.

 

[Rhun]

ENWorld actually has a sub-forum for conversions...they have guidelines for the conversion and a template for the conversion, I believe. If you look through the stuff, I'm sure you'll find what you are looking for:

http://www.enworld.org/downloads/index.php?cid=8

 

[kingpaul]

WotC came out with a rule-set (the ESD) that allowed people to convert OE, 1e and 2e rules to 3e/35e. However, IIRC, nothing was enacted to allow Star*Drive/Dark*Matter conversions.

 

[rowport]

Johnny-

If it is OK to distribute your notes, I would very much like to see them. I have the original module and d20 Future, but I have not figured out a direct conversion methodology, so your notes would help a lot.

Rhun is right that the conversion standards essentially let you substitute the new stats where appropriate as long as you do not copy the entire text of the module wholesale. (So, to use the conversions, you still need a copy of the original module.) Kingpaul may be right that the conversion rules do not apply to d20 Modern materials; that seems counter to the point of the OGL, but I have no reason to doubt him.

 

[kingpaul]

Kingpaul may be right that the conversion rules do not apply to d20 Modern materials; that seems counter to the point of the OGL, but I have no reason to doubt him.

How is it counter to the OGL? Those books (Star Drive, Dark Matter, OE, 1e and 2e) were never produced under the OGL to begin with. The ESD grants users to convert the OE, 1e and 2e products, which they didn't have to do. Of course, IIRC, the ESD came out before Modern, which probably explains any modern-esque items not being included.

 

[rowport]

How is it counter to the OGL? Those books (Star Drive, Dark Matter, OE, 1e and 2e) were never produced under the OGL to begin with. The ESD grants users to convert the OE, 1e and 2e products, which they didn't have to do. Of course, IIRC, the ESD came out before Modern, which probably explains any modern-esque items not being included.

I was imprecise in my language. Obviously, materials produced prior to the OGL could not be subject to it. But, the spirit of the OGL (and all Open Source generally) is to expand a common system widely so that it gets widely adopted. Allowing and encouraging conversions to that open system certainly is consistent with that intent. The only potential problem is loss of revenue for those earlier products (if still for sale as pdfs or whatever), but the conversion guidelines make it important to have a copy of the earlier product also, which eliminates even that problem.

Put another way, the OGL does not *require* allowing those conversions, but the principles behind its adoption should *desire* those conversions.

It might well be a timing issue, as you suggest, but I would think that making the clarification to allow d20 Modern materials makes good business sense.

 

[Johnny Angel]

Reading the materials linked to, it doesn't look like an encouraging prospect. They certainly didn't have Star*Drive materials in mind when they wrote up the policy, and I shouldn't think editing the disclaimer text they have would be kosher.

Also, even if the agreement covered these materials, it doesn't seem open to broad interpretation. For one thing, it said something to the effect that the rules used must be covered in the SRD. Does that mean that if I use a feat that comes from a non-SRD OGL source that I'm in violation? Can I suggest to the reader how to use the Unearthed Arcana's optional complex skill check system to substitute for Alternity complex skill checks?

When I ran the party through Deep Cover, the adventure that came with the System Guide to Aegis, I had to do a fair deal of figuring to get the timing to work out for the chase up to the manor house and the sequence of events counted down by minutes. That requires not just a new set of stats, but a rearrangement of the encounter just to achieve the same effect using a different system of turns. If I had to leave my own re-figuring out, it would defeat at least part of the purpose of presenting the notes -- to save the GM the time and make the adventure basically ready-to-play.

I also have a homebrew adventure that I've been attempting to clean up for use by the public. It was designed for the Star*Drive setting, though it could be rendered more generic. But in my write-up, I have been giving page numbers to Star*Drive materials so that the GM would know exactly where to look to read up on the setting details most relevant to the module without having to learn everything about the Star*Drive campaign all at once. Am I allowed to do that? In academia, I don't think anybody would blink at calling this 'fair use.'

 

[kingpaul]

Does that mean that if I use a feat that comes from a non-SRD OGL source that I'm in violation?

I honestly don't know. I can't think why an already open feat would violate the ESD.

Can I suggest to the reader how to use the Unearthed Arcana's optional complex skill check system to substitute for Alternity complex skill checks?

Most of Unearthed Arcana is open.

 

[JohnSnow]

Most of Unearthed Arcana is open.

Probably truer than you think.

Except for the obvious product identity stuff (basically, the iconic wizard's names and the small number of creatures who are part of the product ID), ALL of Unearthed Arcana is OGC.

Just FYI.

 

[qstor]

Johnny-

If it is OK to distribute your notes, I would very much like to see them. I have the original module and d20 Future, but I have not figured out a direct conversion methodology, so your notes would help a lot.

I'd be interested too.

Mike