(Mongoose) D20 CyberNet - Royalty Free Licence

[Mongoose_Matt]

Hi guys,

In October, Mongoose Publishing is releasing the first in what will be a set of core rulebooks. D20 CyberNet has been designed as a definitive set of rules covering all aspects of cyberpunk roleplaying, from character creation, occupations and equipment, to the very latest in cyberware and webruns. Released under the Open Game Licence, it is a veritable treasure trove of near future roleplaying.

However, we decided not to stop there - as the game itself is released under the Open Game Licence, we have decided to open this line of core rulebooks right up to other publishers. Any publisher contacting us (at msprange@mongoosepublishing.com) is welcome to an electronic copy of the CyberNet rulebook, as well as free use of the CyberNet logo (which we will provide). In this way, other publishers can take advantage of one of Mongoose's main lines and the print runs that go with it. In effect, this is a royalty-free, world-wide licence to use CyberNet in your own publications - all we want to know in return is who you are. If you are already a publisher, you know how this works.

Please note that the one condition we make is that you have already published something - however, we welcome PDF publishers to contact us.

As I said before, this is a stand alone core rulebook that requires no other for play - all the rules you need to start playing cyberpunk scenarios are included. Over the next few months, a range of core rulebooks will become available from Mongoose Publishing, all available for use under this royalty-free licence, including D20 Horror, D20 Steampunk and D20 Ancients.

Full updates on these rulebooks will be appearing on our web site over the next few weeks, so stay tuned!

 

[thundershot]

So... the big question...

Will these rulesets be usable with D&D, d20m, or whatever other d20 system game without much alteration? I'm having a bitch of a time getting BESMd20 to work with me, and if this series of books is as good (and compatable) as they sound, then I'm all over 'em. I run a group of reality jumping characters, and this would be perfect fodder for different worlds to create for them to interact with..



Thanks
Chris

 

[Mongoose_Matt]

Taken as a whole, the series will have a real spread in this way. D20 CyberNet, however, you will find pretty simple to use with existing games such as D&D, d20Modern, M&M, etc. D20 Horror, to use another example, is still fairly close but a little further away, so you can mix and match the kind of games you want to play. Bit difficult to explain without any actual books to show you, but I hope that is a bit clearer now!

 

[thundershot]

Well, by compatability, I mean...

Skills: Between d20m and D&D, there shouldn't be any more skills, with MAYBE a few exceptions. Adding skills just makes life messy. Most anything should be able to be used with existing skills, but maybe with different ability scores.

Basically, one should be able to take a Fighter or Druid or Fast Hero, and drop them into the setting, and the character can exist without having to alter the character sheet. A character class from this setting should be able to be dropped into a D&D or d20m game without having to have a new character sheet made as well. Yes, there'll be some different laws of reality, but the character shouldn't be lacking anything that is necessary to play the games.

All in all, this stuff sounds pretty good...


Thanks
Chris

 

[2WS-Steve]

Great news Matt. I hope we get to see a lot of support for these rulesets so I can finally run my steam/cyberpunk horror game.

 

[Dartnet X]

So mat whene will we be seeing steampunk D20?? Is there a Pupl book in there somewhere also?

Dartnet X

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

As I said before, this is a stand alone core rulebook that requires no other for play - all the rules you need to start playing cyberpunk scenarios are included. Over the next few months, a range of core rulebooks will become available from Mongoose Publishing, all available for use under this royalty-free licence, including D20 Horror, D20 Steampunk and D20 Ancients.

Just a couple of quick questions:

Do any of the books use the System Reference Document that specifically reserves the term "d20" as Product Identity of WOTC?

Will these books carry the d20 logo and follow the d20 System Trademark License, and/or is the use of "d20" in each of the titles a challenge to WOTC's d20 System trademarks?

Does Mongoose have a plan to shield partner-publishers from any legal action WOTC may wish to pursue?

 

[ES2]

The first post said OGL, so if this is the case it won't have the d20 license on it, therefore the reasoning for the book to have its own character creation process. That means we won't need the PHB, and therefore WotC can't do anything about this.

In other words, Mongoose is being smart to open their new corebooks to the public. However, if they put d20 Cybernet in the title, I think the use of putting d20 in the title itself would require them to use the d20 license, but I may be wrong. Anybody more knowledgable care to elaborate?

I hope its the first, this way we finally have a book that people can use for their own worlds and games that won't require the PHB, and therefore less money goes to WotC. I'm all for that.

 

[kingpaul]

Please note that the one condition we make is that you have already published something - however, we welcome PDF publishers to contact us.

Does having an ENnie nominated product count?

I think you can imagine where my interest is.