4e D&D GSL Live

[JVisgaitis]

I really didn't see much of this going on under the OGL, besides, publishers were always welcome to designate any portion of their new rules content closed anyway. What this does is make it so that every publisher that wants to open up their product has to come up with their own license. Lame.

Then you haven't looked hard enough. How many SRD compilations are there for instance? An entire license? What's wrong with x, y, and z are copyright and/or trademark Inner Circle, LLC and are used with permission? Big deal.

 

[TimeOut]

The thing that concerns me is the issue of reprinting and the prohibition against it. yes, i understand that they are trying to avoid a Pocket Player's Handbook type situation, but what does that mean for adventures? Does that mean you can't actually print a whole stat block for a creature that is referenced in the SRD? What about rules information for powers, skills, feats and the like?

If you want to use the statblock verbatim you must reference it. You are not allowed to repost it in this case. Same for all other rules information that is a 4E Reference. No reposting, only referencing.

 

[Family]

Oh heck...why not (raise shields, initiate anti-troll authentication):
The SRD was an attempt to open up D&D and bring droves of new player's in. It was a costly experiment that bound WotC tightly. This time they are trying to open up the game by targeting a new demographic (but I don't feel left out either) and by making the ease of use and moments of glory more accessible. It is a toy; I wouldn't expect to see Barbie (Mattle) accessories for Mr. Potato Head (Hasbro). [Although Mr. Rouse uses Barbies in D&D play ]

If they can control the content others make for their system that will mean they can sell more 1st party items, and secure the revenue that 3rd parties would otherwise make. Profitable company looks good to a guy like me who wants his hobby to stick around and get solid corporate support.

It's not like they aren’t letting other kids play on their team, the GSL didn't have to exist at all. Having read it, it does seem workable. It's just not handing over the keys this time around.

Let he who is without…*SMACK* ow…hey!

 

[Reynard]

You can't print the rules information for powers, skills, feat s and the like.

Well, that pretty much kills the idea of a useful module, doesn't it. I mean, it doesn't matter how awesome you adventure is, how well written, if you have to say, "See MM page XX for goblin stats." So, you either have to create everything from scratch or just reference the Core?

I'm surprised. I assumed that the one thing the GSL would do is support 3rd party adventures so more people would be playing the game. If this is really the way the license works, they are begging for a 4E full craptastic class crunch books and monster manuals.

 

[TimeOut]

Well, that pretty much kills the idea of a useful module, doesn't it. I mean, it doesn't matter how awesome you adventure is, how well written, if you have to say, "See MM page XX for goblin stats." So, you either have to create everything from scratch or just reference the Core?

Yes, you must reference the MM. No page reference either, that is not allowed under the GSL.

Edit: One example was given.

Monsters (see the D&D 4E MONSTER MANUAL):
Bugbear Strangler, 2 Bugbear Warriors, and 3
hobgoblin soldiers.
Since the grimlocks have blindsight, you should
review the rules for that sense, which are found in
the D&D 4E Monster Manual.
The evil wizard might use a power to push a PC off
the ledge. See the D&D 4E PLAYER’S HANDBOOK for
rules on Pull, Push, and Slide and on Falling.

I'm surprised. I assumed that the one thing the GSL would do is support 3rd party adventures so more people would be playing the game. If this is really the way the license works, they are begging for a 4E full craptastic class crunch books and monster manuals.

It still supports them. But you will need the core books to use supplements and adventures now.

 

[Vascant]

I have to say, this is the worst possible situation...

 

[Glyfair]

I mean, it doesn't matter how awesome you adventure is, how well written, if you have to say, "See MM page XX for goblin stats."

You can't even do that because page references are disallowed (admitted, with a good reason).

One concern I saw made is that WotC can yank the GSL and effectively kill a product line published under the GSL (since they can't later publish in under the OGL per the license).

 

[Darrin Drader]

Then you haven't looked hard enough. How many SRD compilations are there for instance? An entire license? What's wrong with x, y, and z are copyright and/or trademark Inner Circle, LLC and are used with permission? Big deal.

Sure, easy to use, but what about the guy who wants to create the product that is entirely open? What language can he use to designate all of a book's content as fair use for other third party publishers? Under the OGL it was as simple as a statement such as, "The entire contents of this book are designated as open game content." You can't do this under the current license, so now said publisher needs to get an attorney and create some custom thing that essentially does the same thing. Or, they might just scrap the idea because it's not worth the effort anymore.

 

[JohnRTroy]

Looks like 4e needs an Osric.

I think your just asking for a lawsuit if you do that. Unlike 1e, there is a reasonable license for this, so it's not like it's a "dead product".

Based on Ryan D's infamous "How Wizards can get rid of the OGL" on an Industry List, and considering how his other predictions came true, I fully expect somebody who tries that to be made an example of.

 

[xechnao]

Oh heck...why not (raise shields, initiate anti-troll authentication):
The SRD was an attempt to open up D&D and bring droves of new player's in. It was a costly experiment that bound WotC tightly. This time they are trying to open up the game by targeting a new demographic (but I don't feel left out either) and by making the ease of use and moments of glory more accessible. It is a toy; I wouldn't expect to see Barbie (Mattle) accessories for Mr. Potato Head (Hasbro). [Although Mr. Rouse uses Barbies in D&D play ]

If they can control the content others make for their system that will mean they can sell more 1st party items, and secure the revenue that 3rd parties would otherwise make. Profitable company looks good to a guy like me who wants his hobby to stick around and get solid corporate support.

It's not like they aren’t letting other kids play on their team, the GSL didn't have to exist at all. Having read it, it does seem workable. It's just not handing over the keys this time around.

Let he who is without…*SMACK* ow…hey!

I actually think that aside Wizards and D&D it will help the rest of the hobby. I expect more game support on systems other than D20 and this is most important for the long term health of the whole hobby. And this is what really counts in my book.