D&D 5E So, 5e OGL

[Shasarak]

Yup, as far as the eye can see.

 

[Nylanfs]

IOW, the only thing standing between you and publishing an OGL 5e product is your willingness to retain a lawyer and get some legal advice. Which, IMO, is a good thing. It adds just enough of a buy in that it makes anyone who wants to do an OGL product actually invest a bit beforehand. We're not talking huge investments either. It's not like a lawyer is that expensive. A few hundred dollars and you're good to go. So, what we're seeing is companies and individuals who believe enough in their ideas to actually make the effort instead of a wave of OGL material, the vast majority of which was utterly forgettable.

The problem, at least from PCGen's perspective, is that without an OGL (and either accompanying SRD or indication of what is OGC like what 4e did). Character creators are MUCH more difficult because we can't afford a lawyer, so you are then left with ONLY the ones that can afford lawyers, like Herolab, or people that completely ignore the copyright laws and put out what they want.

 

[kenmarable]

IOW, the only thing standing between you and publishing an OGL 5e product is your willingness to retain a lawyer and get some legal advice. Which, IMO, is a good thing. It adds just enough of a buy in that it makes anyone who wants to do an OGL product actually invest a bit beforehand. We're not talking huge investments either. It's not like a lawyer is that expensive. A few hundred dollars and you're good to go. So, what we're seeing is companies and individuals who believe enough in their ideas to actually make the effort instead of a wave of OGL material, the vast majority of which was utterly forgettable.

Maybe, just maybe, by setting the bar just a smidgeon higher than the wide open 3e OGL was, we get the best of both worlds - higher quality 3pp products on the shelf and a slower release schedule that serves everyone better.

But a few hundred dollars for a lawyer is a far cry from the safe harbor of the OGL. Speaking personally, I'm ramping up on some Pathfinder products and would love to do 5e as well but won't touch it without an OGL for two reasons:

1) There is a difference between "not believing enough in your idea to pay for a lawyer" and "not believing a couple hours with a lawyer is enough of a guarantee compared to the whim's of a major corporation's legal division." WotC deliberately saying "it's ok to use this with the OGL" is the high bar I want met rather than "they said it was ok to use something similar enough years ago that I can kinda fake it to fit with this newer stuff they haven't said was ok."

2) Not as an accusation against anyone (since this is a standard I'm comfortable with for myself, but wouldn't hold anyone else to it), but for me, if WotC hasn't said "please play with our toys" to 3PP, then I don't think I should go playing with their toys. When they release the 5e rules under the OGL, I will be all over that. But until they do, no matter how much I believe in my ideas, I'm not going to dive in and hope they don't notice or mind - and if they do mind, pulling out my lawyer and telling them too bad they have to let me play with their toys.

So until WotC officially says "this is how 3PP can use 5e", I will stick with Pathfinder only.

 

[MoonSong]

How is the OGL dying though? I just backed the Primeval Thule 5e Kickstarter and it uses the OGL. There are a few other companies using the OGL as well, without any major issue.

The only thing that has changed is the bar to entry. In 3e, anyone with a computer could bang out a PDF, put it on DrivethruRPG and call it done. And that's exactly what happened. We had an absolute glut of material of wildly varying degrees of quality swamping the market which promptly crashed. If you want to do a 5e OGL product, you can certainly do so. That's been proven to be true. It can be done. It has been done. It has been done multiple times over the past year.

IOW, the only thing standing between you and publishing an OGL 5e product is your willingness to retain a lawyer and get some legal advice. Which, IMO, is a good thing. It adds just enough of a buy in that it makes anyone who wants to do an OGL product actually invest a bit beforehand. We're not talking huge investments either. It's not like a lawyer is that expensive. A few hundred dollars and you're good to go. So, what we're seeing is companies and individuals who believe enough in their ideas to actually make the effort instead of a wave of OGL material, the vast majority of which was utterly forgettable.

Maybe, just maybe, by setting the bar just a smidgeon higher than the wide open 3e OGL was, we get the best of both worlds - higher quality 3pp products on the shelf and a slower release schedule that serves everyone better.

I meant, either we have some news o gencon or forget about a 5e srd

I don't really like this needed buy-in. in lawyer fees, do you prefer money going instead of more art-work, or more proofreading, or better layout design (or even better art-supplies for one-man companies)? and this doesn't really count purely fanworks for non-profit.

 

[Morrus]

I meant, either we have some news o gencon or forget about a 5e srd

Sounds like you need to forget s out a 5e SRD, because WotC has no events scheduled at Gen Con where an announcement could take place.

They don't really use conventions for announcements these days.

 

[darjr]

Didn't they make announcements during gencon but not at gencon last year?

 

[Jester David]

Said some stuff. Boards ate it. Don't feel like retyping.

 

[Mistwell]

I meant, either we have some news o gencon or forget about a 5e srd

Why would that be the line drawn in the sand for this issue?

 

[Morrus]

Why would that be the line drawn in the sand for this issue?

Not really sure how it can be. Even if one does manage to forget about it, I'm sure they'd remember it again if it were announced 3 months later!

 

[Morrus]

Didn't they make announcements during gencon but not at gencon last year?

Did they? I don't recall!