Gizmodo Reveals OGL v1.1's 'Term Sheet' Carrots For Selected Publishers

In December, WotC arranged meetings under NDA with a number of prominent third party 5E OGL creators in order to persuade them to sign up to the new Open Game License v1.1. before it was revealed to the world.

Part of this approach included 'Term Sheets'. According to Gizmodo, which has sources at Wizards of the Coast, these term sheets offered:

• A 15% instead of 25% royalty
• Marketing on D&D Beyond (but not at times when WotC had its own releases)

It's not clear whether any publishers actually signed the contract at the time.

WotC has since walked back some of the terms in the upcoming OGL v1.1, but the OGL v1.0a still remains slated for 'de-authorization'.

According to an anonymous source who was in the room, in late 2022 Wizards of the Coast gave a presentation to a group of about 20 third-party creators that outlined the new OGL 1.1. These creators were also offered deals that would supersede the publicly available OGL 1.1; Gizmodo has received a copy of that document, called a “Term Sheet,” that would be used to outline specific custom contracts within the OGL.

These “sweetheart” deals would entitle signatories to lower royalty payments—15 percent instead of 25 percent on excess revenue over $750,000, as stated in the OGL 1.1—and a commitment from Wizards of the Coast to market these third-party products on various D&D Beyond channels and platforms, except during “blackout periods” around WotC’s own releases.

It was expected that third parties would sign these Term Sheets. Noah Downs, a lawyer in the table-top RPG space who was consulted on the conditions of one of these contracts, stated that even though the sheets included language suggesting negotiation was possible, he got the impression there wasn’t much room for change.

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gizmodo.com

 

[darjr]

Oof!

 

[jgbrowning]

Those aren't even parsnips and shouldn't have fooled any but the foolish.

joe b.

 

[mangamuscle]

It is plain to see that any walkbacks do not represent a change of heart, but a change of strategy; instead of one big change to the OGL they now plan to do incremental changes once "fans have forgotten" and in the meanwhile they will tell all kinds of lies like the one trick pony they are.

The only real change is that as we speak they are plotting their revenge "against those meddling kids and their stupid dog"

 

[Lord_Blacksteel]

But it was just a draft seeking input and feedback right? In December?

 

[This Effin’ GM]

My question: who were the companies offered these terms and which ones have been quiet during all of this?

 

[MockingBird]

The only thing that looks remotely good is the Dndbeyond promotion part.

 

[Dreamscape]

Those aren't even parsnips and shouldn't have fooled any but the foolish.

I resent that slur on the king of root vegetables.

 

[Morrus]

My question: who were the companies offered these terms and which ones have been quiet during all of this?

They're under NDA, so they can't comment.

In December, WotC licensing folks reached out to me for one of these meetings, but that didn't pan out.

 

[ReshiIRE]

But it was just a draft seeking input and feedback right? In December?

What Wizards thinks our favourite song is.