Published Open Source Game Settings?

[Jürgen Hubert]

I know that there are a variety of Open Source Settings online (such as this one). But are there any published (i.e., sold for money) settings out there that are Open Source?

I'm asking because I am currently contemplating using a modified Open Source licence for Urbis once I manage to publish it. Basically, everything would be Open Source except for the rules bits (which would have to be covered under the OGL/d20 Licence), with the limitation that I still have ownership of the setting name. Use of the name would be granted automatically for (a) gaming products and (b) anything freely available to the public (so publishing your own sourcebooks for the setting and charging money for it would be fine. So would creating a webcomic or fiction for it as long everyone can read it online for free - and it won't matter if you get money from advertising on the site). The entire text of the book would also be put into a Wiki operating under that licence (again, sans the rules parts) so that others can develop it and gain access to it...


Does this sound like a good idea?

 

[Ranger REG]

So, basically you want to make a royalty-free Trademark Use License.

Sounds like a decent idea.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

So, basically you want to make a royalty-free Trademark Use License.

Sounds like a decent idea.

Well, royality-free for a certain set of applications, though they'd be the most common applications.

Gaming publications would be royality-free. So would anything that can be freely seen on the web.

Write a novel based on it and sell it and we'd have to negotiate first. Of course, I don't think this is likely to happen, but if Urbis takes off like a rocket and takes the world by storm, I wouldn't mind seeing some money flowing in for non-gaming applications...

 

[Ranger REG]

Well, royality-free for a certain set of applications, though they'd be the most common applications.

Gaming publications would be royality-free. So would anything that can be freely seen on the web.

Write a novel based on it and sell it and we'd have to negotiate first. Of course, I don't think this is likely to happen, but if Urbis takes off like a rocket and takes the world by storm, I wouldn't mind seeing some money flowing in for non-gaming applications...

So, basically you're asking if we're interested BEFORE you decide to commit yourself to drafting an Urbis trademark use license and the accompanying trademark usage guide.

If we are, then you would dedicate a portion of your time drafting such license and usage guide.

If not, at least you'll know not to waste your time on.

Correct?

 

[Fishbone]

Nyambe, from page 54 onwards, I believe is open source/open license. Its a very good setting in a very neglected part of the fantasy world. Check it out.

 

[yojimbouk]

The only one I know of for definite is SpirosBlaak from Misfit Studios/Green Ronin.

Jim.

 

[Yair]

Murchad's Legacy is also all OGC, although BiggusGikkus didn't really put that well into writing...

If you're looking into alternate licenses, you should also look at the FUDGE license for another example of open-source. There are also various Creative-Commons licenses, I suppose one of them should be able to meet your needs.

Yair