OGL: Kobold Press 'Raising Our Flag' For New Open RPG

Kobold Press has announced its plans regarding the upcoming new OGL v1.1, which involves a new, open game codenamed Project Black Flag.

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Kobold Press has been and always will be committed to open gaming and the tabletop community. Our goal is to continue creating the best materials for players and game masters alike.

This means Kobold Press will release its current Kickstarter projects as planned, including Campaign Builder: Cities & Towns (already printed and on its way to backers this winter).

In particular, Deep Magic Volume 2 will remain fully compatible with the 5E rules. We are working with our VTT partners to maintain support for digital platforms.

As we look ahead, it becomes even more important for our actions to represent our values. While we wait to see what the future holds, we are moving forward with clear-eyed work on a new Core Fantasy tabletop ruleset: available, open, and subscription-free for those who love it—Code Name: Project Black Flag.

All Kobolds look forward to the continued evolution of tabletop gaming. We aim to play our part in making the game better for everyone. Rest assured, Kobold Press intends to maintain a strong presence in the tabletop RPG community. We are not going anywhere.

Raising Our Flag - Kobold Press

Kobold Press is committed to open gaming. We are moving forward with clear-eyed work on a new Core Fantasy tabletop ruleset: available, open, and subscription-free for those who love it—Code Name: Project Black Flag.

koboldpress.com

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Consider that there are already at least two 5E-alike but heavier games out there. If you're going to change anything, think about making the game lighter rather than heavier.

I absolutely agree. The best thing about the current state of affairs is that we can, at long last, have a bunch of different compatible subsystems to swap in and out as groups prefer. ("I want MCDM monsters, but LevelUp player characters and Black Flag DM tools," etc.) I would absolutely be in the market for modular systems that are lighter but still compatible.

I want complexity to be modular and show up as needed (give me a robust spell and magic item creation system, someone!) but not add a permanent and ongoing level of complexity to systems that already work fine for me.

 

[bedir than]

Looks like they kicked up the standard array a bit.

Because the old racial ASIs don't exist, so that value is just part of stat creation.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

What's the heavier 5E alike other than LevelUp/A5E?

MCDM's monster book, Flee Mortals!, for one, which adds several new systems on the DM's side.

 

[Reynard]

MCDM's monster book, Flee Mortals!, for one, which adds several new systems on the DM's side.

That's just a monster book. I thought @overgeeked was referencing a full system.

 

[Zaukrie]

I absolutely agree. The best thing about the current state of affairs is that we can, at long last, have a bunch of different compatible subsystems to swap in and out as groups prefer. ("I want MCDM monsters, but LevelUp player characters and Black Flag DM tools," etc.) I would absolutely be in the market for modular systems that are lighter but still compatible.

I want complexity to be modular and show up as needed (give me a robust spell and magic item creation system, someone!) but not add a permanent and ongoing level of complexity to systems that already work fine for me.

This, other than how IMPOSSIBLE it is to support on VTTs right now.

 

[overgeeked]

This, other than how IMPOSSIBLE it is to support on VTTs right now.

As long as you use the VTT as a virtual table top instead of a fancy calculator website to run all the mechanics for you, it would work just fine.

 

[Zaukrie]

As long as you use the VTT as a virtual table top instead of a fancy calculator website to run all the mechanics for you, it would work just fine.

Sure, but this idea that I want to set up my characters on paper going forward, when I use a VTT, seems odd to me. And my monsters, and everything. I'm not even sure I could create a mid-level PC right now w/o help.

 

[overgeeked]

That's just a monster book. I thought @overgeeked was referencing a full system.

"Just." It all depends on where you draw the line. The D&D 5E book for L5R has a ton of heavy mechanical options for combat and ninja tricks, etc. But that could be said to be "just" a setting book.

Pointless definitional tangent aside, there's plenty of people already doing 5E-only-heavier. There's a lot more room to work in the 5E-but-lighter space.

 

[Marc Radle]

This, other than how IMPOSSIBLE it is to support on VTTs right now.

You can check out just some of the VTT partners that have signed on to support Project Black Flag:
https://koboldpress.com/project-black-flag-friday-publishing-partners/

 

[overgeeked]

Sure, but this idea that I want to set up my characters on paper going forward, when I use a VTT, seems odd to me. And my monsters, and everything. I'm not even sure I could create a mid-level PC right now w/o help.

Same facts, different interpretation.

To you, that means you need a VTT to do the math for you or have at least a character builder to make characters.

To me, that means the system itself is too complicated. If you can't run the thing in your head with only a few look ups, it's too much.