d20 Feats and OGL / Copyright

[Kor - Orc Scrollkeeper]

Firstly, despite my attempt to educate myself on OGL, I have failed. I really don't understand what is OGL and what is copyright material. Really... I don't understand what is OGL material either. If anyone knows of a good site that explains all of this in common language so that the people with little brains like me can understand it, I would be most appreciative.

My specific question I am looking to have answered is with regards to feats. Having seen AEG's recent book "FEATS" (Which I might add is a great resource) I noticed they have feats from various sources listed within. I think feats are "OGL", which means I can put them in a document so long as I plop in the OGL and d20 info at the end of the document.

I want to list all the feats from various publishers that would be applicable to orc player characters. Am I able to do this, or is there a concern over copyright infringement. My compilation would be posted on my website (ie would be deemed "published").

If anyone could lend me a hand in getting this figured out, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

 

[haiiro]

Well, WotC's d20 System page on their website is pretty helpful: http://www.wizards.com/D20/. It offers the license itself, as well as plenty of additional info on the license and the general concept, including FAQs.

Reading the OGC declarations at the front of various books can also be useful. Check FEATS and see how AEG describes what is and isn't open content, and then look through the book and see how that actually plays out in the text.

In general, anything that is derived from the System Reference Document (http://www.wizards.com/D20/article.asp?x=srd) must be OGC. Things like monster/character names, flavor text, background info and the like are considered product identity (PI) and not OGC.

I'm not a lawyer, so I recommend doing the legwork yourself and figuring what is and is not OGC -- I can't give you anything that approaches a complete answer.

 

[Kor - Orc Scrollkeeper]

Feats

Thanks for the links. I have read through them, but I am still confused a bit. Basically the way I read it is that the Feats in Player's Handbook are OGC. Feats presented in another game company's books are Product Identity? In the OGC wording it indicates that enhancements to the PHB Feats are OGC -- making entirely new ones though would appear to me, to be PI.

Anyone know if I got this right?

 

[danzig138]

The feats in the Player's Handbook are not open content. The feats in the SRD are open content. Feats in other companies books are more thna likely open content, assuming they followed the rules, but the names and descriptive text for those feats might not be open. For example, say ABC Corp has released the following feat:
Generic Feat
This feat allows you to do something outside the normal rules of the game system.
Prerequisites: Any other feat.
Benefit: You can do something cool.
Normal: Normally, a character without this feat cannot do something cool.

Now if ABC Corp has released the entire feat as open content, then you could simply C&P the whole thing for your use. But maybe ABC wants to keep the name and description closed, in which case, only the following part of the feat would be open content (By default since it derive from mechanics found in the SRD)
Prerequisites: Any other feat.
Benefit: You can do something cool.
Normal: Normally, a character without this feat cannot do something cool.
You could still use this, but you would have to provide a new name and descriptive text.To be completely sure as to what is and isn't open content in a third party prduct, you should probably contact the publisher of the product. IANAL.

 

[Kor - Orc Scrollkeeper]

Feats

Thanks a lot for clarifying that! In short, I can't do what I want to do... unless I "convert" them into my own feats

 

[Ranger REG]

Re: Feats

Basically the way I read it is that the Feats in Player's Handbook are OGC.

Incorrect. Almost none of Wizard's products contain OGC.

Only the System Reference Document provided by Wizards contain OGC. You reference from that material.

Feats presented in another game company's books are Product Identity?

Product Identity are closed content located within an OGC. Sometimes the author wishes to keep that to themselves but allow the rest of the stat be used by other people. Example of Product Identity in OGC includes named spells or a feat name.

The Open Game License defines and governs both OGC and PI so authors can choose to keep certain elements for their own while offering to share rules mechanic or game content.

In the OGC wording it indicates that enhancements to the PHB Feats are OGC -- making entirely new ones though would appear to me, to be PI.

Keep in mind that Player's Handbook do not contain OGC. So let's use the SRD. Any enhancement of OGC from an SRD, for example, must remain OGC. The name of the OGC (name of a feat or spell or creature) can be designated Product Identity.

So I can take an Orc stat from the SRD, but I want to name it Orukus because that is the name of such creature in my product which is a campaign setting, I can do so and designate it as PI, so it is unique to my product. The creature's stat remains OGC but the "Orukus" name is mine to control. No one else can use it.

 

[kingpaul]

Firstly, despite my attempt to educate myself on OGL, I have failed. I really don't understand what is OGL and what is copyright material. Really... I don't understand what is OGL material either. If anyone knows of a good site that explains all of this in common language so that the people with little brains like me can understand it, I would be most appreciative.

I'll try and take a stab here. The author has copyright of all material that they produce. Using the OGL allows others a "perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content". OGL material is anything that is published under the OGL. Now, in an OGL product, one can have OGC (Open Game Content), PI (Product Identity), or standard copyrighted material. OGC is available for others to use, as long as the follow the OGL. PI is material the created has decided that they don't want to be OGC; this is usually smaller batches of text that are in a large section of OGC, like a spell name. PI closes off one's use of the elements. If you want to use PI, you need to ask permission.

My specific question I am looking to have answered is with regards to feats. Having seen AEG's recent book "FEATS" (Which I might add is a great resource) I noticed they have feats from various sources listed within. I think feats are "OGL", which means I can put them in a document so long as I plop in the OGL and d20 info at the end of the document.

I want to list all the feats from various publishers that would be applicable to orc player characters. Am I able to do this, or is there a concern over copyright infringement. My compilation would be posted on my website (ie would be deemed "published").

If anyone could lend me a hand in getting this figured out, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

What you need to do, with any feats you'd like to use, is read said products' Declaration of Open Game Content and Declaration of Product Identity. Read those, and see if the feats are listed. If they fall under OGC, then they are available for use. If they fall under PI, then they aren't. In general, the mechanics should be OGC, while the name could be PI. It is a courtesy to contact the publishers whose material that you wish to use. When putting your compilation together, be sure to update Section 15 of the OGL to include the Section 15s of all sources you use. Common practice is to not inlcude redundant sources (i.e., multiple OGL and SRD instances).

I hope this helps you out.

 

[Kor - Orc Scrollkeeper]

Thanks

Thanks all for helping me out with this!

I also made the mistake of assuming that all the Feats in the SRD were in the PHB, so I made reference to the PHB.

Thanks!

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Something else to look out for is that WotC material (feats included) that is not part of the SRD is not OGL not even the mechanics. Because they wrote the source material they are not bound to make their mechanics OGL. So Feat: Forgotten Realms Generic Feat
This feat allows you to do something outside the normal rules of the game system while using Forgotten Realms.
Prerequisites: Any other feat.
Benefit: You can do something cool.
Normal: Normally, a character without this feat cannot do something cool.

would not be useable, even with the name changed. You should take a look at the d20 publishers section, this is a subject that has gotten a lot of discussion. (Also arm waving, jumping up and down, and quite a bit of yelling. )

The Auld Grump, hope your stuff works out.

 

[saduff]

The general concept of "Feats" is in no way shape or form. Property of Wizards of the Coast.

GURPS has had "Feats" for along time now.

You could make a book of generic "Feats" and give them no game mechanics and it wouldn't be OGC or d20.