An overview of BESM d20

[Guardians Of Order]

Okay, if this book is as good as it sounds, this is what I want. Where are the preorders? Will it show up in PREVIEWS?

It will appear in Previews and Game Trade Magazine for April solicitation (mailed out at the end of Jan, I believe).

Also, if the class abilities are point based, does it still present them like the D&D classes for those who don't want to play with points?

Yes. You could ignore all points and just follow the class level progression as you would for normal D&D classes. Consider each Attribute as a "special ability," and follow the instructions.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: An overview of BESM d20

AEG with Rokugan opens all d20 rules, including the text of d20 kata which isn't rule heavy, but its mainly a setting book, so it's not really a problem for them.

Though apparently GoO is willing to do license with some thing, so it's OK.

But I would like to be sure that it could be as open as the player handbook for D&D.

AEG is a special case, as they have separate licensing agreements with WOTC. They are a poor example for the layman trying to figure out, "What should and should not be OGC."

Again, all d20 RULES will be Open Content, by default. It is impossible to construct rules that are compatible with d20 without thereby being derivative of the SRD.

WOTC (and her sublicensees) notwithstanding, you cannot withhold d20 rules-related material from Open Content status. If GoO feels otherwise on that point, I'd sure like to hear the explanation, as that would indicate I have something to learn yet about the OGL.


Wulf

 

[jonrog1]

Great, I just spent three weeks breaking down a point system based off of M&M for D20Modern for my group, and NOW I find out the time was wasted? But waiting 'til April -- feh, I slog on in my Ancient Mariner way.

I was playing D20Modern Dark*Matter before they even ANNOUNCED D20Modern, ya young whippersnappers! ... grumbling insanely

 

[Blacksad]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: An overview of BESM d20

Again, all d20 RULES will be Open Content, by default. It is impossible to construct rules that are compatible with d20 without thereby being derivative of the SRD.

Make a class which gains "magical beans" every level, have a list of "magical beans".

The class is derivative from the srd, the "magical beans" aren't, thus you can close them.

exemple of "magical beans":

You never sleep
You double your damage
etc...

Those are compatible with d20 without being derivative.

That's this very possibility, with a point based system that use class to hide the new character creation rules, that worry me.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: An overview of BESM d20

exemple of "magical beans":

You never sleep
You double your damage
etc...

Those are compatible with d20 without being derivative.

If the magical beans have some game effect described in d20 terms, they must be Open Content.

If their effects are not described in d20 terms, then they are not d20 compatible-- and in fact, are probably not even very useful. At that point who really cares if they are Open or not?

I think you worry needlessly.


Wulf

 

[Samnell]

Re: Re: Re: An overview of BESM d20

It will be completely compatible with D&D and D20 Modern, although we have made some changes to tailor the system to more what we think it should be (Armour is damage resistance, for example; consequently, Strength does not add to the chance to hit).

Hmmm, well that just dampened some enthusiasm on my part. Are your classes (the new ones, not just the standard D&D classes) presented with the Armor as AC rules too, or just Armor as DR?

 

[Guardians Of Order]

Re: Re: Re: Re: An overview of BESM d20

Hmmm, well that just dampened some enthusiasm on my part. Are your classes (the new ones, not just the standard D&D classes) presented with the Armor as AC rules too, or just Armor as DR?

Armour is DR only.

Of course, it's easy for you to change it to regular AC if you prefer that implimentation.

 

[Samnell]

Armour is DR only.

That's a shame. Not enough to completely turn me off, but enough to ensure I look at the book closely in a store before I buy it. Armor as DR only does not fit my definition of completely compatible with D&D.

Now I'll need to find a game store that carries it. I don't mean to be down on the product. It sounds very interesting (even if I don't have the eternal vendetta against classes that some do) but it's looking less ploppable than I'd like.

 

[Blacksad]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: An overview of BESM d20

If their effects are not described in d20 terms, then they are not d20 compatible-- and in fact, are probably not even very useful. At that point who really cares if they are Open or not?

I think you worry needlessly.

Have you read my exemples?

Those are not d20 per se, but can have a game effect.

and I worry because GoO doesn't produce a lot of product per year, and some project get pushed and pushed (like Uresia, which I'll buy if it gets out), so having the possibility that other publisher could do derivative product without problem (like netbooks of characters or monsters or vehicles or spells) is important to me.

Though I understand that GoO would prefer to do it themselves, or that they reserve the possibility.

Plus, could you exactly points to me where it is said that rules compatible with OGC has to be OGC?

"including translations and derivative works under copyright law"

As far as I'm concerned rules can't be copyrighted, the derivative work include only derivative text.

edit: like feat and such, but you could do something like the kata in way of the samurai and close them:

Way of The magical Bean
By concentrating during one minutes, you focus yourself with the magic in beans, this allow you to use beans to produce a magic-missile spell effect of your character level.
Xp: 50

I do not think that this could be considered like derivative, it uses similar terms "magic-missile", "character level", but those are prior art and can't be declared OGC, thus it isn't derivative of OGC and can be closed.

PS: IANAL

 

[Blacksad]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: An overview of BESM d20

Armour is DR only.

How does it handle a dagger?

A weapon that was specifically made to pierce through armor.