"Inspired" d20 ideas?

[Kahuna Burger]

I don't know if this is the right place for this, but it seems the best of the EN world forums to try. I have a general quandry about a project and was hoping more established publishers could help me.

What is the obligation/liability of a writer who uses general ideas or flavor from a literary source to produce a D20 'item'? I'm not talking about an entire project or book based on an unconsenting writer, but a spell, prestige class or race inspired by a component of an author's work, where you can't find the same idea in other works. An analogy might be the similarity between the Aliens movies and the Brood that was introduced in the X Men comics later. Or in more concrete d20 terms, a prestige class that uses many of the "stepping out of time" ideas and general flavor of the Time Monks in Pratchett books (sp?).

I would find backward adjusting things till it didn't look inspired intellectually dishonest, tracking down approval for less than a page of work that is significantly different in both presentation and function than the orriginal seems too much hassle for me and the writer, and I don't know if a blurb saying (for example) "Inspired by ideas in The Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett" would draw more problems than it would prevent.

Thoughts, advice, copyright lawyers with nothing better to do?

Kahuna Burger

 

[philreed]

I think mentioning the source of inspiration would be a bad idea.

Otherwise, I think that as long as you put your own twist on things there isn't any problem with this. Just don't do an exact duplicate of the idea.

 

[Psion]

I think mentioning the source of inspiration would be a bad idea.

I find that bibliographies, etc., provide a great resource for further ideas when running a game. If the product is too similar to the inspiration, that's a problem with the product, not a problem with mentioning the inspiration.

Otherwise, I think that as long as you put your own twist on things there isn't any problem with this. Just don't do an exact duplicate of the idea.

That, I would agree with.

 

[Tyrant]

Where is the line between being inspired by something you read and using their product identity to make a derivative work?

Eric Price
Dragon Scale Counters
http://www.dragonscalecounters.com

 

[The Sigil]

IANAL...

I think that if you read something and use the general idea for "seeding" your work, you're okay. Remember, IDEAS cannot be copyrighted (e.g., the concept of "time-stepping monks" cannot be copyrighted)... only the set of words used to express them can.

If you have the book in front of you for constant reference, it's probably a derivative work. If you use proper names et al from your source of inspiration, it's a derivative work.

If you stick to general concepts and re-create specifics from scratch, you're fine. For instance, I could create a prestige class that creates magic effects by making rhymes -- but each rhyme only works once -- without infringing on Piers Anthony's Apprentice Adept series (which I haven't read in over a decade).

But if I decided to name this class "the Blue Adepts" I might get into trouble, though.

Or I could stat out and build a story around a white dragon that is covered with fur instead of scales and that befriends younger children.

But I could not name him "Falcor" nor put him in a "Neverending Story."

Does that help?

--The Sigil

 

[SkeletonKey Ed]

Just take a look at the Midnight Campaign Setting from Fantasy Flight Games. It has the influence of Tolkien all over it but it still remains quite original.

- Ed

 

[Grinning Loony]

Just take a look at Dungeons & Dragons from Wizards of the Coast. It has the influence of Tolkien all over it but it still remains quite original.

-Luke