Community Posts Open Letters To WotC About New OGL

Over the past week there have been several petitions and open letters posted regarding the upcoming Open Game License v1.1, asking Wizards of the Coast to reconsider its current path.

This Open Letter, posted under the social media hashtag #OpenDnD, has already been signed by over 4,000 people, including many small publishers. Behind it are Mike Holik (Mage Hand Press) and Noah Downs (an IP lawyer).

#OpenDND

www.opendnd.games

If this new license gains wide adoption, the tabletop industry will shrink to a fraction of its current size, shuttering the small businesses that populate your local cons and putting a stop to their creations. Innovation in the gaming industry will evaporate; your favorite games will be trapped in the past, instead of being allowed to migrate to your phone, virtual reality, and beyond. Diversity in the industry will shrink away, as projects from marginalized creators are effectively written out of the future.

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This isn't the only such Open Letter -- there's another one authored by Jon Brazer Enterprises which has a number of signatories from various OGL publishers.

As small publishers and individual creators who create considerable content under the OGL 1.0a, we the undersigned call upon you to reverse course in regards to the leaked, alleged text of OGL 1.1. As the leader of the tabletop roleplaying game industry, your direction guides us all. We believe that this new version of the OGL will hurt both us and, by extension, you, and we ask that you hear our concerns.

An Open Letter to Wizards of the Coast Concerning the Leaked OGL 1.1

Dear Wizards of the Coast, As small publishers and individual creators who create considerable content under the OGL 1.0a, we the undersigned call upon you to reverse course in regards to the leake…

jonbrazer.com

There are also several petitions on change.org.

 

[Art Waring]

#Opendnd Open Letter.

Due to recent leaks from multiple sources, which have been confirmed by kickstarter, & also confirmed by Griffon's Saddlebag, many 3pp publishers, as well as a wide spectrum of content creators are delaying their D&D projects until further notice is given regarding the 1.1 OGL.

Furthermore, many 3pp publishers have already invested a significant amount of time & resources into developing new games using the 1.0a OGL, and are faced with potential loss that cannot be easily recouped.

Dungeons & Dragons Community Holds Breath as Wotc Prepares New OGL.

-Quoted from the article:

"I have a Kickstarter that's very nearly ready to launch, but my finger's hovering over the button because I don't want to publish it under OGL 1.1," said E.R.F. Jordan, a well-known, Ennie Award-nominated designer told ComicBook.com. "I'm worried the new license will drop partway through the Kickstarter and include some ridiculous terms that I can't agree to, and I'll have to abandon the project and all the art and writing I've sunk into it." Jordan told ComicBook.com that she's put $1,200 into the project for commissioned artwork already on top of the hundreds of hours of unpaid work she's put in.

While wotc may not pay much attention to forums, hopefully they will have to address this issue directly if more people show that they are unhappy with the new terms of the leaked 1.1 OGL.

3pp Publishers should be paying attention to the fact that industry luminaries like Ryan Dancey and Owen K.C. Stephens have made public statements here on the forum this weekend. This issue may not affect players directly, but it does effect the health of the game if content creators are forced underneath the sword of Domacles. This will have a significant impact on the entire ttrpg industry, from Paizo/ Pathfinder to 5e to OSR to games that use the OGL but are using their own ruleset.

Not to mention that the more action we take now, the more likely they will do something to address the growing concerns within the community.

The petition can be signed anonymously if you want so you are not putting anything at stake by signing up. Signing a petition would also go a long way to show that the 3pp community is unified against this latest development, and united for the future of an open gaming community and ttrpg's going forward.

Thank you for your time and your consideration.

I don't have any affiliation with any of the petitions or the Open Dnd website, I am an independent content creator who is advocating for equality within the gaming community.

#opendnd #dnd #ogl #opengaming

EDIT: --->
This is a Plus [+] thread.
This thread IS NOT here for folks to argue if they are still on the fence, or are taking a stance in favor of wotc's new license, or that the leak isn't confirmed, because it has been confirmed by multiple sources now, including the Director of Games Jon Ritter of Kickstarter, who has confirmed with his own words that the new royalty rates are indeed true.

Link to the thread discussing the Kickstarter announcement.

"Kickstarter was contacted after WoTC decided to make OGL changes, so we felt the best move was to advocate for creators, which we did. Managed to get lower % plus more being discussed. No hidden benefits / no financial kickbacks for KS. This is their license, not ours, obviously." -Jon Ritter of Kickstarter

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

The final OGL 1.1 hasn’t been released and there’s already a petition it needs change?

 

[Art Waring]

The final OGL 1.1 hasn’t been released and there’s already a petition it needs change?

It was leaked by a journalist, and the facts they revealed (such as royalty rates of 25%, or just 20% for kickstarter) were confirmed by the head of kickstarter.

In his words:

"Kickstarter was contacted after WoTC decided to make OGL changes, so we felt the best move was to advocate for creators, which we did. Managed to get lower % plus more being discussed. No hidden benefits / no financial kickbacks for KS. This is their license, not ours, obviously." -Jon Ritter of Kickstarter

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

Last night I read it was still a version from early December, not a confirmed final.

 

[mamba]

The final OGL 1.1 hasn’t been released and there’s already a petition it needs change?

given what we know, it does

 

[mamba]

Last night I read it was still a version from early December, not a confirmed final.

if you think the final will be substantially better, or even assume we do not know whether it will, I got a bridge to sell you…

 

[Rabulias]

Last night I read it was still a version from early December, not a confirmed final.

If the OGL 1.1 has changed for the better since then this may be a minor waste of time.

If not, the sooner WotC hears a message the more chance (however slight) they will change it. I doubt they will, but it is harder for companies to change things once they release something as "final."

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

given what we know, it does

What we know is way down the chain of a game of telephone.

People confirming they have seen the leaked version. No evidence the leaked version is the one that will be presented on the 13th.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

If the OGL 1.1 has changed for the better since then this may be a minor waste of time.

If not, the sooner WotC hears a message the more chance (however slight) they will change it. I doubt they will, but it is harder for companies to change things once they release something as "final."

I agree. I also think the only voices that matter to bean counters and shareholder-capitalists at Hasbro are the responses of major 3rd party publishers.

 

[Deset Gled]

The final OGL 1.1 hasn’t been released and there’s already a petition it needs change?

While the fire is not yet visible, the amount of smoke is concerning enough to convince some people to leave the building. Anyone who chooses to stay at this point is advised to note the nearest emergency exit and review their safety plan.

 

[Art Waring]

What we know is way down the chain of a game of telephone.

People confirming they have seen the leaked version. No evidence the leaked version is the one that will be presented on the 13th.

I have updated the OP, showing my sources of the leak confirmation, please see the updates to the OP.

 

[Umbran]

Last night I read it was still a version from early December, not a confirmed final.

Yes, but in that document, it was stated that from the time the license was revealed, creators would have one week to decide if they were going to use the new license. By the time it is officially released, it would likely be too late to negotiate changes.

So, yes, there's a petition now, against the things we have seen, so the thing never gets released in that form.

In addition, this is {+} thread. If you are not on board with the basic premise, take that idea to a different discussion.

 

[Rabulias]

FYI, there are two other petitions on change.org for this:

Sign the Petition (currently leading with 739 signers)

Sign the Petition (62 signers)

 

[Art Waring]

FYI, there are two other petitions on change.org for this:

Sign the Petition (currently leading with 739 signers)

Sign the Petition (62 signers)

Thank you! I will update the OP with the additional petitions.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

In addition, this is {+} thread. If you are not on board with the basic premise, take that idea to a different discussion.

That’s fair, but in a defense it was turned into a [+] thread in an update after I posted.

 

[mamba]

What we know is way down the chain of a game of telephone.

no it isn’t, we have excerpts, but granted this is no a ‘we’ as it does not include you

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Mod Note:

Digs and parting shots should not have a place in a [+] thread. Conduct yourselves accordingly or be removed from the discussion.

 

[Art Waring]

Just wanted to say thank to everyone who signed the petition! The top petition is currently counting at over 1862 signatures and going up every minute.

 

[Reynard]

It should be a petition to drop it, and even then it doesn't matter. WotC has shown us what they think of the OGL and the Open Gaming ecosystem. Unless there is a major leadership change, we have to assume that is their agenda going forward, no matter what backpedaling they do in the immediate future.