Monster names as PI

[Grinning Loony]

As a writer, what am I supposed to do with a monster whose name is PI? How am I supposed to include it in a product when I can't refer to it by name? One reason I think Tome of Horrors is awesome is because it's *all* OGC. But what can I do with something like Sword & Sorcery's Creature Collection or the new Gaming Frontiers monster thing? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

-Luke Johnson

 

[jmucchiello]

As a writer, what am I supposed to do with a monster whose name is PI?

You can't. You have to include the entire stat block in your work and give the monster a new name. PI monster names are a great for people never find out who created a monster. Just don't PI your own monster names. It makes no sense.

 

[HellHound]

Loony - the other option is of course to ask. Call up the publisher in question and ask permission to use the Product Identity in question and make sure not to release said PI as OGC.

 

[Gez]

Yeah. Either you rename it ("Blade Demon ? Mmmh, what about calling it a 'spadilith' ?") or you ask special permission.

 

[Voadam]

I'm one of the freelance authors of the GF Monsters one (I wrote all the vampires and mummies), I was hoping the names were going to be OGC so that people could use them straight out of the book but in the end it was not my call and that was not how it was done, each was made PI to the authors.

In the back of the book there is a contact list for the authors. If mine were the ones you wanted to use, please e-mail me and I would be happy to give permission to use the (deliberately generic) names I gave the monsters and templates I wrote.

 

[jmucchiello]

Yeah. Either you rename it ("Blade Demon ? Mmmh, what about calling it a 'spadilith' ?") or you ask special permission.

How about renaming it "Nameless Creature of PI"? That ought to strike terror into your players. Especially when they find out that it's nameless because of.... Lawyers!

(I'm in a weird mood.)

 

[Drawmack]

The Create from Page X of Book Y *l*

 

[jmucchiello]

The Create from Page X of Book Y *l*

That's great but Book Y will get you trouble if someone releases a book called Y. How about "Eighteenth creature from ISBN xxxxx-xxxxx-x". That even gives them a way to order the book and probably skirts the advertising clause of the OGL.

 

[Drawmack]

That's great but Book Y will get you trouble if someone releases a book called Y.

Nah cause I'm not going to release my monster name anyway to I'll stomp on them for infringing my PI.

How about "Eighteenth creature from ISBN xxxxx-xxxxx-x". That even gives them a way to order the book and probably skirts the advertising clause of the OGL.

I like that.

 

[Orcus]

Definately, just ask. I cant remember me or SSS ever saying no to a request to use a monster name from Creature Collection.

By the way, as for the Tome of Horrors, that is why I not only made the whole thing OGC, I also included instructions on how to reuse the content so that freelancers could use the stuff more easily.

Clark