New (free) Pdf manual, and a lot of doubts

[Robin Q]

Hi,
(I hope this is the right forum. I take sometime cheking around but still I may have failed.)

Back on topic.
I just finished the manual I was working on in the last months. It's based on a modified d20 system (like True20, but less different), and the manual contains all the maths and the statistics, for almost everything, converted to that system.
Specifically: Character creation, abilities, races, classes, skills, feats, equipment, magical items, powers (which are spells), rituals, environmental things like traps and hazards, and soon monsters.
It's a complete and standalone "product" which provide all you need to play (tough being a bit synthetic, it's probably easily usable only by those with experience with the d20 rules).

I'd like to release it as a totally free downloadable PDF...an here begins my concerns.

Since it's still d20, there are parts which, tough rewritten, are still (mathematically) the same. Everything should be Open gaming content, but I'd like to be sure I'm not breaking any copyright.

I red, for example, that character advancement (like the table of the benefits for leveling up), is not open content. Mine is a little different than the regular 3.0/3.5 advancement table but it' not so different, certain things are just the same or similar.
Also the use of certain terms makes me worried, like "Bloodied" (when a character hp halve).

Also the changes I did to the system makes me worried:
- Saves are now called "Defenses" and are passive, so the attacker must beat them with a dice check, for his attack to take effect (just like in the 4E).
- Base attack bonus, base power bonus (it's an attack but for spells), base defenses, skill ranks, all improves by +1 very 2 levels (just like 4E).
- Skills/skill ranks are managed like in the 4E or Star wars d20 Saga (the latter is certainly non-open content).
- Reflex defense is used against physical (weapon) attacks, but the Armor Class still exist and it's used to reduce the damage taken. (similarly to True20).
- Spells are now called powers, and spell levels are gone. They have been separated in 2 categories: normal (per encounter) an majors (per day). About power I'm a bit less concerned, since all is almost new.
- I have rituals similar to those in 4E.

I'd clearly release it under Open Game License (and for free too). At the end of the manual stands the OGL 1.0a, and the Copyright Notice of every product i took contents from. But I couldn't include 4E (different license) and Star wars d20 saga (non-open content) and there are things in common with those products. Especially 4E since I designed it to be reasonably compatible with D&D.

I'm really insecure about what to do.. Should I release it or not?

P.S.
My english is probably horrible; sorry.

 

[Starglim]

You could look at what the Conan RPG does with OGL declarations for its character generation, though it's by no means the same, because they're Mongoose and as far as I know we don't have access to any discussions that they had with WotC.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

First off, it the sytem is based on the 3.5 d20 systemyou won't be able to publish it using that D20 logo. You'll need to use an OGL logo.

Secondly, because it will be OGL you'll be allowed to include all character creation and advancement rules.

Saves are now called "Defenses" and are passive, so the attacker must beat them with a dice check, for his attack to take effect (just like in the 4E).

For this I refer you to Players Roll All The Dice. It is open content so you are free to include it so long as you reference the original work.

Skills/skill ranks are managed like in the 4E or Star wars d20 Saga (the latter is certainly non-open content).

The Pathfinder RPG does something similar, so I refer you to that.

Reflex defense is used against physical (weapon) attacks, but the Armor Class still exist and it's used to reduce the damage taken.

That is similar to the Evasion class ability that Rogues get.

Something to consider is using freeform saves; allow the players a set number of points to increase their saves as they see fit.

Another option would be to treat saves like skills; you gain a bonus to the saver equal to the number of ranks they have.

Spells are now called powers, and spell levels are gone. They have been separated in 2 categories: normal (per encounter) an majors (per day). About power I'm a bit less concerned, since all is almost new.

I am sort of doing something similar for my 3.5 homebrew. There are still spell levels, but instead of making spellcraft checks, the players make power checks. They need a minimum power level to gain access to certain spells. The player's personal power level is used instead of caster levels. Its possible for a player to an Power level of 6 at 1st level if the characters requisite ability score is high enough.

The character's power level is equal to what their caster level would be in 3.5 + their requisite ability modifier + any feat modifiers.

I have rituals similar to those in 4E.

For this I refer you to Incantations.

 

[Robin Q]

First: Thanks a lot for the answer, which were very useful.

You could look at what the Conan RPG does with OGL declarations for its character generation, though it's by no means the same, because they're Mongoose and as far as I know we don't have access to any discussions that they had with WotC.

Character generation for Conan RPG is not open content. That is clearly stated at the beginning of the manual:

With the exception of the character creation rules detailing the mechanics of assigning dice roll results to abilities and the advancement of character levels, all game mechanics and statistics [...] are declared open content.

First off, it the system is based on the 3.5 d20 system you won't be able to publish it using that D20 logo. You'll need to use an OGL logo.

Yes i knew that, in fact it'll be published under the OGL logo.

Secondly, because it will be OGL you'll be allowed to include all character creation and advancement rules.

I hope so. Pathfinder RPG character creation is OGL, so I think I'll go with that (tough revised). But this still worries me strongly, since that part seems to be clearly"closed content"..
The site you linked tells clearly this:

A: The d20 license restricts some information from being included. Specifically…

"No Covered Product may contain rules or instructions of any kind that:

• Describe a process for Creating a Character
• Describe a process for Applying the Effects of Experience to a Character"

And about the skills system..

The Pathfinder RPG does something similar, so I refer you to that.

The Pathfinder version I red still uses the classic skill system which 3/3.5E use. So for the skills system I haven't found a OGL counterpart to refer to.

And about Rituals, etc..

For this I refer you to Incantations.

For this I refer you to Players Roll All The Dice. It is open content so you are free to include it so long as you reference the original work.

The site you linked (The Hypertext d20 SRD The Hypertext d20 SRD (v3.5 d20 System Reference Document) :: d20srd.org) is very interesting. I'm going to refer to the open content on that site.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Further (specific) links that might prove useful for ya:

Players Roll All The Dice :: d20srd.org

Alternative Skill Systems :: d20srd.org

Alternative Skill Systems :: d20srd.org

Armor As Damage Reduction :: d20srd.org

Action Points :: d20srd.org

The last one, in case you wanted, well, something like Action Points, from an open source.

 

[Nellisir]

Yes i knew that, in fact it'll be published under the OGL logo.
I hope so. Pathfinder RPG character creation is OGL, so I think I'll go with that (tough revised). But this still worries me strongly, since that part seems to be clearly"closed content"..
The site you linked tells clearly this:
And about the skills system..

The material you quote clearly says "d20 license". You are not using the d20 license. You CANNOT use the d20 license. NO D20! So any restrictions in the d20 license don't apply to you.

If you don't understand the difference between the OGL and d20 licenses, figure it out before you do anything else.

Again, NO D20!

 

[Nellisir]

My english is probably horrible; sorry.

Your English is generally good, but I think you mean "though", not "tough", in many cases. "Tough" means hard or resistant to injury.

As I stated in the other post, the d20 license no longer exists. You can still informally refer to the d20 system, but the license, and its restrictions, no longer apply. So no restrictions on advancement charts or how to level a character.

As far as stuff you've "borrowed" from 4e or Saga...it's a judgement call. It'd be alot better if you had an existing OGL source to borrow from. Personally I'd say you can be "inspired by" 4e, but you cannot "borrow from". If you looked at the 4e books to create rules, then it's probably "borrowed", not "inspired".