Keith Baker asks about walking away from Eberron.

[Snarf Zagyg]

• Alcohol use, tobacco use, and fantasy drug references. For example: A phosphorescent mushroom that produces hallucinatory effects when eaten is allowed. A reference to a real-world drug like cocaine is not allowed.

I mean ....

A reference to a brightly colored piece of magic paper that produces hallucinatory effects when placed on your tongue is allowed. A reference to a real world drug, like psilocybin, is not allowed.

Got it!

 

[Haplo781]

If you like that, they also have a very clear description of exactly what their content guidelines are, which could pretty easily be used word for word in the new proposed OGL 1.2 (or at least a strong basis):

What are other rules or requirements for my content?
More than a platform, Dungeon Masters Guild is a license of Wizards of the Coast’s fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons. Because titles published under the DMsGuild license are strongly associated with Wizards of the Coast, they must follow content guidelines intended to protect the Dungeons & Dragons brand. Please read below for specific guidance for all Community titles added to our catalog December 2020 or later. If you have questions or concerns about these guidelines, please e-mail dmsguild@onebookshelf.com.

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D&D historically has touched on dark or mature themes. To help you navigate the boundaries of what is listed above, here are just a few examples of what is allowed:

This license allows:

• Alcohol use, tobacco use, and fantasy drug references. For example: A phosphorescent mushroom that produces hallucinatory effects when eaten is allowed. A reference to a real-world drug like cocaine is not allowed.
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Oh hey they are capable of using definitions provided by third party non-profits.

 

[darjr]

Oh hey they are capable of using definitions provided by third party non-profits.

That’s drive thru, not wotc

 

[Haplo781]

That’s drive thru, not wotc

Stop ruining my joke with facts

 

[Vaalingrade]

Eberron was made under the onus that 'everything in D&D must be in the setting' when the CS contest happened.

I look forward to seeing what Keith will be able to do truly unbound.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Absolutely agree. But I think that impacts folks like me--small time publishers with no large name recognition. For folks like Keith, KP, or Paizo? I think they can take advantage of that and separate from the chaff.

They probably might have a slightly better chance, yes... but I do wonder whether name recognition of the designer is enough of a thing that can drive enough people to their work, and not the work itself and the game/setting their work falls into?

I have no doubt there are some customers out there in RPG land that follow designers based purely on their name and the work from them they've enjoyed previously... but are those customers enough to risk moving onto a new thing if your livelihood depends on it? Every designer is going to have to really think about that.

I mean if you think about it... Monte Cook had/has one of the biggest names in the industry currently, and was able to use it to transition a lot of his fanbase away from D&D-adjacent material and over to Monte Cook Games and Numenera / Cypher System. And he's been able to run a business off of that transition-- at least... for some amount of time. But even right now Monte Cook Games has begun writing and selling all manner of 5E Compatible games too... presumably because they sell. Doesn't that tell us that in many ways it is in fact the game system that a lot of customers care about, moreso than the writer and the ideas that writer has?

If even Monte Cook has to come back to the 5E pool because that's where the customers are (after selling all he could to the people who followed him on name and ability alone)... anyone else I would expect has to be exceedingly concerned about trying to do the same thing.

 

[Scribe]

Doesn't that tell us that in many ways it is in fact the game system that a lot of customers care about, moreso than the writer and the ideas that writer has?

I think the barrier to entry of learning a new system, is higher than invested folks want to admit. If people are already in a system, its harder to move them out.

 

[eyeheartawk]

I think the barrier to entry of learning a new system, is higher than invested folks want to admit. If people are already in a system, its harder to move them out.

Which I always thought was kind of weird too. Like, the GM is the one learning a new system, and I mean, really learning it. The players just have to show up roll some dice and know a few basic things. And yet it's the players who are the most resistant. There's gotta be a name for this.

 

[Scribe]

Which I always thought was kind of weird too. Like, the GM is the one learning a new system, and I mean, really learning it. The players just have to show up roll some dice and know a few basic things. And yet it's the players who are the most resistant. There's gotta be a name for this.

I mean it does impact everyone still. There are people here still willing jump in front of a train for 4e or Warlords, or whatever. Inertia, attachment to concepts, maybe the system just clicks, there's tons of reasons, and is why I'm sure Wizards tried to sell everything about the new edition, as not a new edition.

 

[Incenjucar]

It's not a hard binary choice. I would be delighted to see Keith try to expand beyond that old contest, but as long as he's not burning bridges he can still keep a hand in Eberron. If nothing else, if I can get the time to work on my own setting, I'd love for a chance to compete with him again like the old setting contest days. (Really I'd love to see a ton of people publish the settings they submitted way back then.)