OGL: Kobold Press 'Raising Our Flag' For New Open RPG

Kobold Press has announced its plans regarding the upcoming new OGL v1.1, which involves a new, open game codenamed Project Black Flag.

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Kobold Press has been and always will be committed to open gaming and the tabletop community. Our goal is to continue creating the best materials for players and game masters alike.

This means Kobold Press will release its current Kickstarter projects as planned, including Campaign Builder: Cities & Towns (already printed and on its way to backers this winter).

In particular, Deep Magic Volume 2 will remain fully compatible with the 5E rules. We are working with our VTT partners to maintain support for digital platforms.

As we look ahead, it becomes even more important for our actions to represent our values. While we wait to see what the future holds, we are moving forward with clear-eyed work on a new Core Fantasy tabletop ruleset: available, open, and subscription-free for those who love it—Code Name: Project Black Flag.

All Kobolds look forward to the continued evolution of tabletop gaming. We aim to play our part in making the game better for everyone. Rest assured, Kobold Press intends to maintain a strong presence in the tabletop RPG community. We are not going anywhere.

Raising Our Flag - Kobold Press

Kobold Press is committed to open gaming. We are moving forward with clear-eyed work on a new Core Fantasy tabletop ruleset: available, open, and subscription-free for those who love it—Code Name: Project Black Flag.

koboldpress.com

 

[Parmandur]

And I'm less so! I've been playing 5E for 8 or 9 years at this point and am ready to leave it behind. Oh well -- maybe MCDM's game will be cool.

I already have 5E and DCC, I don't need another high fantasy RPG.

 

[jerryrice4949]

Yeah I am not super excited about Black Flag. I will probably continue to play 5E and dabble in D&D One but I don’t know that I need a derivative of 5E too. Kind of a no man’s land to me but I am sure I will see how nicely it works with 5E. If any conversion is necessary I probably won’t support it.

 

[TerraDave]

"Regardless of what comes, Project Black Flag maintains core compatibility with the 5E products you already know and love, but with a Kobold spin."

They see a chance to make BF the 5E PF, and are going for it!

Which I think is great. Very much looking forward to it.

 

[Reynard]

I already have 5E and DCC, I don't need another high fantasy RPG.

Ok. I have TOR and SWADE and Symbaroum and PF2 and Forbidden Lands and GURPS Dungeon and Beyond the Wall etc... I still want to see what Coville and Co. come up with. I like innovation in RPGs.

 

[Parmandur]

Ok. I have TOR and SWADE and Symbaroum and PF2 and Forbidden Lands and GURPS Dungeon and Beyond the Wall etc... I still want to see what Coville and Co. come up with. I like innovation in RPGs.

Not against innovation, but I'd be more interim a different genre for a new system. For an established working system, iteration like what Black Flag is looking to be is preferable.

 

[Reynard]

Not against innovation, but I'd be more interim a different genre for a new system. For an established working system, iteration like what Black Flag is looking to be is preferable.

I don't NOT want new games in different genres. But new games in established genres are good too. I mean,we have 5E (AiME and LevelUp) journey rules because a new game came in and innovated in TOR.

 

[Parmandur]

I don't NOT want new games in different genres. But new games in established genres are good too. I mean,we have 5E (AiME and LevelUp) journey rules because a new game came in and innovated in TOR.

Still, the closer a new system is to covering D&D territory, while not working with D&D, makes me less interested.

 

[Reynard]

Still, the closer a new system is to covering D&D territory, while not working with D&D, makes me less interested.

Fair enough. I think well trod genres are better for new rule sets because it is "easier" to see the innovative, if that makes sense. Like, Dungeon World tells us a lot more about its design because it is ostensibly trying to fit in the old school D&D genre space.

 

[JEB]

They call out that they get to use CC now.

I wonder if they'll rely on CC, dual-release to ORC, or even triple-release to the OGL. The more licenses, the better, but the longer the licensing section...

 

[Parmandur]

I wonder if they'll rely on CC, dual-release to ORC, or even triple-release to the OGL. The more licenses, the better, but the longer the licensing section...

In business sense, Vrearoce Commons makes most sense: does Kobold Press tend to claim Product Identity loosely or tightly?