Level Up (A5E) OGL Question

[Faolyn]

The best advice I can offer is this: If you plan to publish, consult an IP attorney who can walk you through the license.

Yeah, I'm basically broke. There's no way I can afford to do that for this.

Neither of those apply to publishing for Level Up. The OGL is the correct route to take for this particular topic.

Good. I've bought several 5e-related books on drivethrurpg and none of them have had anything more than the OGL stuck in the back.

 

[rules.mechanic]

Neither of those apply to publishing for Level Up. The OGL is the correct route to take for this particular topic.

Thanks, really useful to know. So OGL's the only real way to go. It'll be a big undertaking, as I'll lose the freedom to use WotC images and non-SRD references, but it would be nice to have that OGL freedom. Might have to do an intermediary step of updating the WotC-Fan-Policy-compliant version to be A5E compatible first, without referring to any A5E content - like a meta-game of ttrpg-charades. Until I can make that shift to a OGL-compliant version.

 

[Faolyn]

Thanks, really useful to know. So OGL's the only real way to go. It'll be a big undertaking, as I'll lose the freedom to use WotC images and non-SRD references, but it would be nice to have that OGL freedom. Might have to do an intermediary step of updating the WotC-Fan-Policy-compliant version to be A5E compatible first, without referring to any A5E content - like a meta-game of ttrpg-charades. Until I can make that shift to a OGL-compliant version.

In looking over the OGL, really most things from D&D are allowed. The list of prohibited things is actually really small, and most of it are proper nouns and the full names of the outer planes and twelve monsters. Strangely, AFAICT rust monsters are allowable even though carrion crawlers are protected.

I can see where art might be a problem, though. I'm (very slowly) making all my own illustrations so that doesn't affect me personally.

 

[rules.mechanic]

In looking over the OGL, really most things from D&D are allowed. The list of prohibited things is actually really small, and most of it are proper nouns and the full names of the outer planes and twelve monsters. Strangely, AFAICT rust monsters are allowable even though carrion crawlers are protected.

I can see where art might be a problem, though. I'm (very slowly) making all my own illustrations so that doesn't affect me personally.

Thanks, yeah, I guess it's mainly on rules that the SRD/OGL lets you down (esp classes, archetypes, etc) but that's thankfully not an issue here with A5E being complete as a standalone. Art, however, would appear to be one of my dump stats - definitely not talented enough to make my own!

 

[Timespike]

I will also say as someone with some recent self-publishing experience: DTRPG's staff vets first-time stuff and lets you know if there's an issue. I know this because I left a few things out of section 15 of the OGL at the back of my product and they caught it. I wouldn't rely on them catching your mistakes, and I certainly wouldn't try to transfer the responsibility to them, but that was appreciated, even if it was a (minor) headache to fix.

 

[Faolyn]

I will also say as someone with some recent self-publishing experience: DTRPG's staff vets first-time stuff and lets you know if there's an issue. I know this because I left a few things out of section 15 of the OGL at the back of my product and they caught it. I wouldn't rely on them catching your mistakes, and I certainly wouldn't try to transfer the responsibility to them, but that was appreciated, even if it was a (minor) headache to fix.

Thanks; this is helpful.

 

[Faolyn]

So I've developed another question. I was looking over your "Powered By" page for publishers and came across this line: "You may refer to Level Up in your document, as long as you do not state or imply any ownership of the name or system, and agree to refer to Level Up as “Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition”."

Now, in my compilation of new heritages, I'm including goblins and kobolds. (When I wrote them, you hadn't yet announced you were including them in A5e Zeitgeist, and anyway, this is my own interpretation.) I have a little section for each heritage on including them in the game, and for these two heritages I'm including lines like "they're somewhat different than how they're presented in the Monstrous Menagerie for Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition" with some thoughts on reconciling the differences, because I overthink things.

Now, is that phrasing (the Monstrous Menagerie for Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition) OK? Do I need to write it differently? Could I simply write Monstrous Menagerie? Can I write Monstrous Menagerie? There's nothing on the publishing page that takes about your MM.

 

[Morrus]

That phrasing is fine. You can just write Monstrous Menagerie if you wish.

(Also we're removing the "agree to refer to Level Up as “Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition" condition).

 

[Faolyn]

That phrasing is fine. You can just write Monstrous Menagerie if you wish.

(Also we're removing the "agree to refer to Level Up as “Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition" condition).

Thanks for the info!