WotC Gale Force 9 Sues WotC [Updated]

In the second lawsuit against WotC in recent weeks (Dragonlance authors Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman sued the company for breach of contract and other things about a month ago), Gale Force 9 is suing the company for breach of contract and implied duty of good faith.

Gale Force 9 produces miniatures, cards, DM screens, and other D&D accessories. They’re asking for damages of nearly a million dollars, as well as an injunction to prevent WotC from terminating the licensing contract.

From the suit, it looks like WotC wanted to end a licensing agreement a year early. When GF9 didn't agree to that, WotC indicated that they would refuse to approve any new licensed products from GF9. It looks like the same sort of approach they took with Weis and Hickman, which also resulted in a lawsuit. The dispute appears to relate to some product translations in non-US markets. More information as I hear it!

UPDATE. GF9's CEO, Jean-Paul Brisigotti, spoke to ICv2 and said: "After twelve years of working with Wizards, we find ourselves in a difficult place having to utilize the legal system to try and resolve an issue we have spent the last six months trying to amicably handle between us without any success. We still hope this can be settled between us but the timeline for a legal resolution has meant we have been forced to go down this path at this time."

 

[Hussar]

Note, you could simply play online and your book costs are now US prices, with no shipping. You could get all three core books on Fantasy Grounds for about 75-90 bucks depending on sales.

There are perfectly legal means for gaming cheaply without piracy.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Note, you could simply play online and your book costs are now US prices, with no shipping. You could get all three core books on Fantasy Grounds for about 75-90 bucks depending on sales.

There are perfectly legal means for gaming cheaply without piracy.

Isn't the 5E basic rules document available free?

I know the 3.5 SRD is still up many places -- completely free.

Infinite adventures; no investment required.

 

[MoonSong]

Note, you could simply play online and your book costs are now US prices, with no shipping. You could get all three core books on Fantasy Grounds for about 75-90 bucks depending on sales.

There are perfectly legal means for gaming cheaply without piracy.

I'm not advocating piracy, far from it. In fact I've spent a lot of effort building a music and movie collection of my own. (I just got Princess Bride!) But I can acknowledge this is isn't a cheap hobby, or at least not one without some upfront spending. I have it relatively easy, but many people just don't. (I used to be penfriends with a boy from Centroamerica, he had a hard time getting money to spend on our shared hobby, and it was considerably cheaper back then than RPGs)

And how to game dirt cheap/for free isn't knowledge you'd normally have without coming first into the game.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Isn't the 5E basic rules document available free?

Yup, a free, indexed with links, in color, with a few good arts, 182 pages pdf!

It includes the basic 4 core classes, rules for the DM, about 100-ish monsters, spells for both cleric and wizard.

For those who love a more old-school game, Basic 5e + Slow Healing (DMG), its a pretty good start.

Edited to add: and you can take the 5e SRD (which is also free) for the ''advanced'' version, with extra classes and their spell list.

 

[Zardnaar]

Yup, a free, indexed with links, in color, with a few good arts, 182 pages pdf!

It includes the basic 4 core classes, rules for the DM, about 100-ish monsters, spells for both cleric and wizard.

For those who love a more old-school game, Basic 5e + Slow Healing (DMG), its a pretty good start.

It's not really worth the time investment.

If you don't get cheap/free shipping you can pay a lot more relative to someone in the US.

I'm paying roughly double. Postage alone is similar price to Amazon purchase price.

An we"be got is reasonably good. You can pay double though to X10 the cost in real terms.

Or in real terms buy a PHB or pay your rent for the week.

If you're in the first world in a decent wage sure. If you're not or geography can be very expensive.

 

[LordEntrails]

There are import and shipment fees to pay, and currency exchange rates vs US dollars can be brutal in some countries.

Buying the 3 base books, if you take in consideration import fees, shipment and onerous currency exchange rates can be a serious barrier to entry.

Try living outside America.

PHB $50-$70 and in some countries you get a fraction of US wages (half or less).

By the time you've paid for postage each book can be the equivalent of $100-$200.

Note, you could simply play online and your book costs are now US prices, with no shipping. You could get all three core books on Fantasy Grounds for about 75-90 bucks depending on sales.

There are perfectly legal means for gaming cheaply without piracy.

Not only can you buy all of the WotC 5E Books on Fantasy Grounds at less than MSRP (close to US Amazon prices). You have no taxes, not import fees, or postage.

And you know what? You can even buy them through Steam and get regional pricing, which adjusts for cost of living where you live. Meaning you can get up to something like another 75% off the cost. So that means you can get the PHB for something like $5 USD. And all of that is legal.

Inform yourself of what's possible, and some of you, because where you live, can buy the core books and all the add-ons for a fraction of what us Americans pay. (And yes, I'm fine with that because I understand global economics). Using cost to justify theft of a non-essential hobby product is pretty selfish attempt to justify immorality.

And for those of you who often bitch about the quality of TTRPG products, its' because many of us gamers refuse to pay premium prices, so therefore we do not get premium products. Just look at all the posts on how hard it is to make it as a professional in the TTRPG industry. It's because 'we' gamers are cheap and use any justification possible to steal the work of others. Anyone can play 5E completely free and legally.

 

[Zardnaar]

Not only can you buy all of the WotC 5E Books on Fantasy Grounds at less than MSRP (close to US Amazon prices). You have no taxes, not import fees, or postage.

And you know what? You can even buy them through Steam and get regional pricing, which adjusts for cost of living where you live. Meaning you can get up to something like another 75% off the cost. So that means you can get the PHB for something like $5 USD. And all of that is legal.

Inform yourself of what's possible, and some of you, because where you live, can buy the core books and all the add-ons for a fraction of what us Americans pay. (And yes, I'm fine with that because I understand global economics). Using cost to justify theft of a non-essential hobby product is pretty selfish attempt to justify immorality.

And for those of you who often bitch about the quality of TTRPG products, its' because many of us gamers refuse to pay premium prices, so therefore we do not get premium products. Just look at all the posts on how hard it is to make it as a professional in the TTRPG industry. It's because 'we' gamers are cheap and use any justification possible to steal the work of others. Anyone can play 5E completely free and legally.

I don't steal crap I don't need to. Generally I get the books as gifts for birthday/Christmas. And store credit for running the games.

Not everyone likes PDFs, talking about the books.

Books are aimed at millennials or younger I suppose. Did you miss the GFC or Covid which has disproportionately landed on them?

USA literally has people going hungry right now or has that missed you as well?


Books cost $$50+ usd here. Still get to play in person first world problems.

 

[LordEntrails]

I don't steal crap I don't need to. Generally I get the books as gifts for birthday/Christmas. And store credit for running the games.

Not everyone likes PDFs, talking about the books.

Books are aimed at millennials or younger I suppose. Did you miss the GFC or Covid which has disproportionately landed on them?

USA literally has people going hungry right now or has that missed you as well?

Books cost $$50+ usd here. Still get to play in person first world problems.

What are you going off about? Because you certainly didn't seem to understand what I tried to write.

FG does not do books in PDF format. So that statement is either not accurate or is not relevant. If you don't like any digital format, that's understandable though.

My point was you don't have to buy physical books for $550, you could buy digital ones for a small fraction of that. IF you wanted, but you don't have to want. Its a luxury item, buy it based on your own wants and needs.

 

[MoonSong]

What are you going off about? Because you certainly didn't seem to understand what I tried to write.

FG does not do books in PDF format. So that statement is either not accurate or is not relevant. If you don't like any digital format, that's understandable though.

My point was you don't have to buy physical books for $550, you could buy digital ones for a small fraction of that. IF you wanted, but you don't have to want. Its a luxury item, buy it based on your own wants and needs.

(I know am not Zardnaar) I like pdfs, but not so much the other formats. I've been burned once before by losing an account through not fault of my own. I feel comfortable buying pdfs, but not content in a platform that might not be there tomorrow. Nothing beats a hardcopy, though pdfs are acceptable, everything else, I need a lot of trust it'll be there tomorrow. I can't take access to my collections online for granted. Outside the states you are a legislation change away from being cut out of your online content.

 

[Zardnaar]

Also I don't play online so PDFs are useless in that regard.

I buy them if they're cheap ($10 or so maybe $20) or come bundled with hardcopy.

Online D&D to me is like online porn compared to erm nevermind. It's not the same.