D&D 4E 4e and Product Identity

[Hussar]

What you will likely see is the tiefling and associated mechanics placed in the new SRD, same as you have with the current races. However, all flavor text, particularly proper nouns, will remain IP and will not be included in the SRD.

After all, right now, there is no racial descriptions in the SRD. Under each race, it just says to look at the Monster Manual entries. Essentially, all you'll get in the SRD is something like:

Tiefling:
Stat bonuses
Assorted mechanics.

And that will be it.

 

[Oldtimer]

What you will likely see is the tiefling and associated mechanics placed in the new SRD, same as you have with the current races. However, all flavor text, particularly proper nouns, will remain IP and will not be included in the SRD.

After all, right now, there is no racial descriptions in the SRD. Under each race, it just says to look at the Monster Manual entries. Essentially, all you'll get in the SRD is something like:

Tiefling:
Stat bonuses
Assorted mechanics.

And that will be it.

And that is all we could expect.

But I think the concern in this thread is whether all the new game-specific race names mean we'll get less than that.

 

[JohnRTroy]

Yeah, I didn't want to target Tiefling so much, the only reason I named them is I was trying to think of specific examples of property that Wizards might want to protect. The "generic fantasy" races, elves, dwarves, goblins, kobolds, orcs, halflings, forms of undead, dragons, etc, are so widely duplicated there is no need to protect those as much.

The stuff that is D&D specific, where the creation was with the D&D game and not as influenced by fantasy is what I wonder about. In Races and Classes you see how much thought is being put in to make the D&D versions unique. There's a lot of talk about building the brand and all the background details. All that would come with implied need to protect it.

I guess if it's a playable race, it'll be included. But I am wondering about what they will do to protect what they would consider "Product Identity", and how it will affect things. This will probably affect monsters more than anything else. I've heard about new beasts being created--how many will be released and how many will be considered akin to Beholders, Gith, Mind Flayers, having a special "coolness" factor etc.

 

[Ranger REG]

I guess if it's a playable race, it'll be included. But I am wondering about what they will do to protect what they would consider "Product Identity", and how it will affect things. This will probably affect monsters more than anything else. I've heard about new beasts being created--how many will be released and how many will be considered akin to Beholders, Gith, Mind Flayers, having a special "coolness" factor etc.

Meh. Just another reason they shouldn't change the traditional PC race options.

They might as well make Tiefling OGC (stats only, not the fluff that describe them as distinct from other creatures). Wouldn't publishers be disappointed if they're designated PI, despite being in the core ruleset?