Is use of d20's patented?

[Halivar]

Does WotC have a patent on using d20's in a RPG? I know d10's are alright, since I've used them in other games, but I heard somehwere that WotC had a patent on d20's. Is this true?

 

[CRGreathouse]

Does WotC have a patent on using d20's in a RPG? I know d10's are alright, since I've used them in other games, but I heard somehwere that WotC had a patent on d20's. Is this true?

Surely not a patent, but WotC does hold a trademark on "d20 System". They do claim it (meanlinglessly?) as PI in the SRD, though it has been clarified to "when used as a trademark" IIRC.

 

[Wraith101]

No WotC do not have a patent on the D20.
As far as I know it's on the open market but things like those wierd shaped dice made by Dwarven Forge are. . .

 

[Impeesa]

If they did try to patent d20's, I imagined we'd have heard something out of Palladium by now.

--Impeesa--

 

[Ranger REG]

That begs a question: exactly who created the first twenty-sided die?

 

[BrooklynKnight]

....its scary how i can hear george carlin say that.

same as "Just who made this guy captain?!"

 

[Aaron L]

If they manage to get a patent on using d20's, I'm going to get a patent on using d6's.

 

[Hawklord]

Nope !

Try playing Fading Suns from Holistic Design using the Victory Point system... you use more D20's than in a lifetime of D&D ... TORG from West End Games used a D20 and I'm sure other games do as well.

 

[Henrix]

While I don't know who invented them, I know that polyhedral dice were around and sometimes used by wargamers before Chainmail/D&D.

 

[johnsemlak]

Well, certainly 20-sided dice were around well before D&D. Gygax and co. found them in some sort of catalog for educational supplies or something. IIRC, He could only buy them in sets of 6--one 4 sided, one 6 sided, one 8 sided, one 10-sided, one 12-sided, and one 20-sided. Or something like that.