D&D 5E Skyrim supplement for D&D 5e

[Sacrosanct]

Calling out using other's work without permission has a useful social value. I can both be a fan AND say that this is a clear violation of IP rights. It's not either or, nor is it bad form to point out when things are IP violations. You may be fine with stealing other people's creative works, but I, and I dare say some others, may not be.

Indeed. I work with a lot of artists, and that's one of the fastest ways to upset them is to use their work for your own stuff you are distributing without permission, free or not. Also, if I were a witty person, I would have responded with:

"How about you focusing on being a fan, and leaving the designing to the designers?"

 

[dave2008]

Nice work on Alduin, I'm posting a version him soon myself. A few comments:

Breathweapon: as written Alduin could use a different "shout" each round. This really skews his attack CR. By a quick check I get a DPR of at least 327 (could be much higher depending on how you calculate meteor swarm) which would be an attack CR of approximately 33. His defensive CR calculates to about 32, so his total CR should be about 32.5 and I would round to at least 33 because of Meteor Swarm.

Defensive:
Effective HP = 765 (HP + 30x5 for legendary Resistance) = CR29
Effective AC = 25 (23 + 2 for Soul of the dov); 25-19 = 6/2 = +3 to CR
Defensive CR = 32

Attack
DPR Rd 1: 280 (Meteor Swarm x2) + 105 (tail x5) = 343
DPR Rd 2: 280 (Meteor Swarm x2) + 105 (tail x5) = 343
DPR Rd 3: 242 (fus-ro-dah x2) + 105 (tail x5) = 305
DPR average: 372 = CR33 (approx., table stops at 320)
Expected Attack DC = 24; actual DC = 24; no change to CR (approx., table stops at DC 23)
Attack CR = 33

I would suggest making all the breath weapons and meteor swarm recharge on the same roll (like Metallic dragons) if CR 27 is important, or increase the CR.

Also, Alduin doesn't have foreclaws. I would suggest removing this attack. I gave him a bite and tail attack for his multiattack, but considered 2 bites instead.

 

[Kobold Boots]

I don't think I've seen this directly stated so I'll chime in.

You are free to create and sell your own stuff if you write it and you draw it. It's yours.

If you're redistributing other people's stuff and giving credit where it's due there's the social stigma and the legal stigma. Legally

1. If you give credit where it's due
2. If you're not selling the work and getting a profit
3. If you're not competing with or effecting sales of the author's original product
4. It's generally not an IP violation (as some have said)

You won't get sued and it's up to how nice people want to be with each other. Transitioning to social stigma, people are going to snipe and start Internet sillyness any time someone does something, especially if it's easy to snipe at and they can hide behind the morality argument.

Only way to get beyond that is to consistently put out quality stuff over a long period of time and let the people who support you drown out the snipers as their population grows. Any aspiring publisher has run into fair use issues, intentionally or not during their journey.

Good stuff in the packet BTW. Hope it's the start of positive notoriety for you.

KB

 

[Mistwell]

If you're redistributing other people's stuff and giving credit where it's due there's the social stigma and the legal stigma. Legally

1. If you give credit where it's due
2. If you're not selling the work and getting a profit
3. If you're not competing with or effecting sales of the author's original product
4. It's generally not an IP violation (as some have said)

You won't get sued

Speaking as an attorney, this is not accurate. Do not take advice saying "you won't get sued" for most things, but in particular don't take unsolicited random advice from anonymous fans on the internet about the complex field of intellectual property and your own livelihood. And that's fine if you don't take my advice as well, but just consult an attorney. You may in fact get sued.

 

[Kobold Boots]

Speaking as an attorney, this is not accurate. Do not take advice saying "you won't get sued" for most things, but in particular don't take unsolicited random advice from anonymous fans on the internet about the complex field of intellectual property and your own livelihood. And that's fine if you don't take my advice as well, but just consult an attorney. You may in fact get sued.

Not going to argue that as I've seen some pretty garbage cases put together. I would still feel pretty good about beating anything that didn't have monetary impact and pretty solid about advising that if you're not causing loss you're not getting sued. Especially since cease and desist and arbitration are in play in a lot of cases.

I'll blame poor use of the English language and a desire to post quickly as the source of my initial post. I should have mentioned playing percentages due to legal bullying.

KB

 

[Sacrosanct]

Not going to argue that as I've seen some pretty garbage cases put together. I would still feel pretty good about beating anything that didn't have monetary impact and pretty solid about advising that if you're not causing loss you're not getting sued. Especially since cease and desist and arbitration are in play in a lot of cases.

I'll blame poor use of the English language and a desire to post quickly as the source of my initial post. I should have mentioned playing percentages due to legal bullying.

KB

You are objectively incorrect, and I'll even say you are giving dangerous advice. Create an RPG supplement of Disney characters, and see how that works out for you, even if you're "giving it out for free". I'm here to tell you (and anyone) that if they use anything that I have IP of, regardless of how it's used, I will act. And I will have the legal backing to do so. You are grossly mistaken about the profit angle. For example, if someone uses my IP to put something out that is garbage and/or otherwise portrays my IP in a poor light, even if it's free and I'm not taking any personal profit loss, that is harmful.

And this myth of "you won't get sued means you're OK" needs to die in fire. Just because someone doesn't sue you, doesn't mean you're not violating copyright infringement.

 

[Kobold Boots]

You are objectively incorrect, and I'll even say you are giving dangerous advice. Create an RPG supplement of Disney characters, and see how that works out for you, even if you're "giving it out for free". I'm here to tell you (and anyone) that if they use anything that I have IP of, regardless of how it's used, I will act.

Your opinion is fair, you're entitled to it. Also, since I have no idea who you are or what your product is I'm happy that you will act. But acting does not mean that in any given case, you won't have your backside handed to you.

And I will have the legal backing to do so. You are grossly mistaken about the profit angle. For example, if someone uses my IP to put something out that is garbage and/or otherwise portrays my IP in a poor light, even if it's free and I'm not taking any personal profit loss, that is harmful.

Sure, and if it's in poor light and you can prove that your sales were affected in any way, you will be compensated. If you can't, you won't. I think I covered that with my original post.

And this myth of "you won't get sued means you're OK" needs to die in fire. Just because someone doesn't sue you, doesn't mean you're not violating copyright infringement.

Very true, but in order to sue someone you have to take proper steps to best make your case. If taking those steps doesn't result in your rights being upheld then I'd guess that whomever you'd be annoyed at, didn't do anything wrong.

I think it's really important to state that just because an artist feels wronged, doesn't mean the law has been violated. I completely get the vitriol around the discussion of IP because people pour their souls into things but no one legally cares about the work if there's no documented financial loss or risk of future loss due to reputation of the artist being effected.

 

[Sacrosanct]

This isn't my opinion. The IP owner does not need to show monetary loss in order to protect copyright. You have some very dangerous opinions that are not true, and if anyone follows them, may find themselves in a lot of trouble. I highly suggest you look up what copyright protection is. I'd start here: https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/

If someone owns the IP to something, it means they decide when and how it's used. You don't have any legal right to use it. At all (outside of certain exceptions like satire or news/reviews, but those are very specific). Not only are you wrong, but you are giving dangerous and misleading advice. No one should use anything without talking to a lawyer first, and I admit I am not one. But I do have a lot of experience in publishing and am pretty well versed in copyright law. Your assumption that an IP holder can't protect their IP unless they can prove a monetary loss is flat out wrong.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Read this while you're at it: http://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/intellectual-property/what-is-copyright.html

Specifically:

A Copyright Owner's Rights

The primary goal of copyright law is to protect the time, effort, and creativity of the work's creator. As such, the Copyright Act gives the copyright owner certain exclusive rights, including the right to:

Reproduce the work
Prepare "derivative works" (other works based on the original work)
Distribute copies of the work by sale, lease, or other transfer of ownership
Perform the work publicly
Display the work publicly

 

[nightwind1]

Your opinion is fair, you're entitled to it. Also, since I have no idea who you are or what your product is I'm happy that you will act. But acting does not mean that in any given case, you won't have your backside handed to you.



Sure, and if it's in poor light and you can prove that your sales were affected in any way, you will be compensated. If you can't, you won't. I think I covered that with my original post.



Very true, but in order to sue someone you have to take proper steps to best make your case. If taking those steps doesn't result in your rights being upheld then I'd guess that whomever you'd be annoyed at, didn't do anything wrong.

I think it's really important to state that just because an artist feels wronged, doesn't mean the law has been violated. I completely get the vitriol around the discussion of IP because people pour their souls into things but no one legally cares about the work if there's no documented financial loss or risk of future loss due to reputation of the artist being effected.

Finances or money have absolutely NOTHING to do with copyright. If I write a story and put it up on the web for free, it's still MY story, and any use of it without MY permission is illegal (except for the allowed exceptions under copyright law, such as excerpting for review, etc.)

Additionally, one does not need to defend their copyright in order to maintain it. A trademark must be defended, but a copyright doesn't need to be.