Does WotC still own Ravenloft?

[caudor]

Is Ravenloft still owned by WotC? What I'm wanting to know is if it is OK to convert an old Ravenloft adventure to 3rd edition for the Enworld conversion library? I know there are restrictions on what can be converted due to IP that WotC doesn't own anymore. Is Ravenloft one such restricted property?

Before putting any effort into it, I want check this first.

Cheers!

 

[johnsemlak]

Ravenloft is now published by Sword and Sorcery but I don't know the exact nature of the agreement.

However, WotC must retain all the IP of the older 2e stuff. That is, all ravenolft products producted by TSR are IP of WotC, AFAIK.

 

[Alzrius]

As far as I understand, from hanging out on the Kargatane site, WotC still owns Ravenloft as a whole. Sword & Sorcery Studios just have a special license to publish new material for the setting, hence the lack of the OGL in the back of the new products.

 

[caudor]

Thanks for the replies. It sounds like it might be OK to convert, but I'm still a little leary. I suppose it is possible that S&S has already converted some old Ravenloft monsters and put them in the new books, but without OGL there is a potential of trouble. I'll research it a little more...I don't want to get myself in hot water with S&S.

If anyone has additional info, please feel free to hop in. I'd be happy to do some Ravenloft module conversions for everyone's benefit, but I don't want to risk any trouble.

There are plenty of old Forgotten Realms books that can be converted.

 

[johnsemlak]

I suppose the best thing to do is pose the quesiton on S&SS's forums.

 

[Morrus]

WotC still own Ravenloft; S&SS produce materials for it under license.

It's OK to convert materials as long as you follow WotC's Electronic SKU Download (ESD) Conversion Agreement.

Hope that helps!

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

Hmm, interesting quandary then.

From what Morrus said, conversion should be OK. But a guy on the Kargatane boards got in some pretty hot water from both WOTC and SS (maybe just SS) when he converted and posted on the net some of the Darklords that haven't been covered yet. I'd definitely get in touch with either WOTC or SS first.

 

[Morrus]

Hmm, interesting quandary then.

From what Morrus said, conversion should be OK. But a guy on the Kargatane boards got in some pretty hot water from both WOTC and SS (maybe just SS) when he converted and posted on the net some of the Darklords that haven't been covered yet. I'd definitely get in touch with either WOTC or SS first.

As long as you follow the guidelines specifically created by WotC for this very purpose, then you're fine. I imagine this chap didn't do that.

 

[Mangrum]

As long as you follow the guidelines specifically created by WotC for this very purpose, then you're fine.

Not necessarily true. As I recall, since WotC has licensed Ravenloft to S&SS, they consider the acceptability of converting old RL material to be S&SS's decision.

 

[Drakron]

S&SS is not "converting" much, they are building a lot of new material.

There is some funny stuff in it, since S&SS cannot refere to WotC products and since Ravenloft was tied with several WotC setting they are rephasing and removing from text those references.

The real problem is that ... well, Ravenloft is not OGL and so we cannot "convert it" using the current Ravenloft d20 rules and because of the old Ravenloft ties with other settings we cannot use those settings rules as well.

I belive that was the problem with converting dreaded lords, some come from Toril as so we could use the FRCS combined with RlCS to stat then but because neither the contents of those books are open source we can only use flavor text and OGL rules.

Ravenloft is a niche market ... and since neither is SS&S and WotC are like TSR, I doubt they go after you if you simply use flavor text and OGL rules but as said, you sould contact then on what you can and cannot use.