D20 OGC Master Compilation.
- Thread starter Geist
- Start date
Kerrick
First Post
It's a fine distinction (and please feel free to correct me, anyone, if I'm wrong here) - basically, anything you write using OGL mechanics is "closed content," meaning that someone who wants to use it should ask you (meaning it's strongly suggested, but not required, as I mentioned earlier). WotC, as the originator of the OGL, doesn't have to ask - they have savoire faire to take anything created using the OGL and plop it into their books - but it's generally considered nicer to ask first. One of us, however, would have to ask WotC to use, say, some feats from one of the splatbooks, because it's all closed content (they are, however, quite gracious about granting access to most material if you ask nicely).
Yes, exactly!
Trouble is, I'm sure a lot of people don't know about that site - I didn't until you posted the link. I'd heard about the Netbook of Feats before, but I didn't think much of it - I thought it was simply a compilation of feats from all sources, whether open or not.
MEG Hal
First Post
Kerrick said:
If it was derived from the SRD it is automatically open-the name and the description may not open you have to check the products S15, so look into that, but the mechanics will be automatically open, no questions asked, it is polite to ask but not needed.
Some companies like Necromancer (Love 'em!) have the names and descriptions closed but give permission to other publishers to use them closed so they still have the IP but you do not have to make anything up, a lawyer must have thought of that
.Hope that helps not confuses, I am not feeling good and may have a fever.
Kerrick said:
Huh? Using other people's OGC makes them charming in social situations?
(I can't imagine what was intended here - there is a foreign phrase that would have made perfect sense there - carte blanche - but that's not similar enough to "savoir-faire" for me to be convinced that was what was going on....)
jmucchiello
Hero
Um, you are confused? If you publish a work that says "Chapter 1 is OGC". Anybody (and I mean anybody) can take chapter 1 of that work and include it verbatim in any other work as long as they include the OGL along with a probably updated section 15. Where you may be confused is that it is considered proper etiquette among d20 publishers to ask before using OGC. There is no requirement for this. It is merely a custom to do so.Kerrick said:
Closed content in WotC books has nothing to do with OGC and should not be included in a conversation about OGC. If WotC uses a feat from one of my PDFs in the 3.5 PHB they had better include a proper Section 15 in the copy of the OGL they print in the book. They are not exempt from the license (having neither carte blanche nor savoir faire in these situations
). They could contact me requesting a separate license to the material but that has nothing to do with the OGL.The other confusion you may be suffering is from is that Mongoose uses an OGC declaration (that they have said they may change) which does an end run around the license back into the copyright realm. This confuses the issue and is the argument Sigil said he didn't want to rehash above. I don't want to rehash it either (and I hope they find my attempted explanation a fair representation).
Kerrick
First Post
Actually it means "know-how" (looked it up on a language translator). Wasn't quite what I wanted - I thought it meant "free reign."
I believe I said that the first time. My second post kind of clouded the issue, though.
I said that too. I know full well it's not required to ask, but it is considered professional courtesy.
I have no knowledge of Mongoose's practices or policies, so that probably did add to my confusion. I won't be rehashing that one.
jmucchiello
Hero
That's the literal translation of Savoir (to know) Faire (to do). Try this definition: http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=savoir-faireKerrick said:
Carte blanche is closer to free reign.
Last edited:
Similar Threads
