Lanefan said:
Call me thick perhaps, but what's the end-result difference between d20 and OGL material anyway, if written for the same game e.g. D+D? In other words, if I pick up a book written for D+D and start reading it, would I be able to tell the d20/OGL difference if I ignored the legalese and cover symbols?
Should it matter to the readers who are not aspiring game designers? The things that should matter to the readers are the quality and usefulness of the game product that can make or break the publisher and the designer(s).
As I stated before, if the product has a trademarked "
d20 System" (the little red-n-white square with black border), it means you need the
Player's Handbook. Such a product has little deviation due the the restriction in the Trademark Usage Guide. It's for the reader's convenience.
Lanefan said:
What matters more for discussion purposes is whether a given thing is written for D+D, or for Star Wars, or whatever game, to put it in context.
If something is written for
D&D, it should say so, or at least be "compatible with any
d20 fantasy games."
For
Star Wars, you can't make any connection whatsoever without infringing on Lucasfilm. HOWEVER, if you're a rules tinker, there is nothing to stop you from importing mechanics from one product to another game ... for personal or group use.
d20 System is modular. You can add or swap new [OGC] mechanics, with little or no difficulty into another game using the
d20 System rules.
For examples, I never did like the autofire rules in
Star Wars, so I replace it with the autofire rules in
d20 Modern.
I never like WotC's psionic rules, so I used the Psychic System rules from
The Psychic's Handbook from Green Ronin.
