So whats the deal with Unearthed Arcana with referance to open content and SRD? I've been reading about the book to see if it was worth my money, but i keep finding major excerps from it listed on sites. These sites list it as open content. When i check wizards site i find no mention of this, and nothing in their SRD mentioning UA. Could someone clear this up for me?
Open Content and UA
- Thread starter MrBudweg
- Start date
MoogleEmpMog
First Post
UA is (almost all) open content. It's not in the SRD - it has an actual OGL license in the book, like 3rd party books do.
crazy_monkey1956
First Post
The product information page (the "credits" page) just prior to the table of contents, spells out that UA is in fact open content, with the exception of product identity items (githyanki, githzerai, slaad, and yuan-ti bloodlines).
Most WotC books have a little section stating "This product contains no open game content." UA is an exception.
Most WotC books have a little section stating "This product contains no open game content." UA is an exception.
. So i guess the next question is, Is the price worth what i cant get online, or should i spend my money on another book?
crazy_monkey1956
First Post
I like UA a lot. Most of the online stuff I have seen is little snippets here and there, where-as you get the whole package with UA. However, UA is also a book that you're never going to use all of, so little snippets may be more to your liking. If you want to "drink from the fire hose" to quote the book, then buy it. If you'd rather get a glass or two at a time, get the snippets.
freyar
Extradimensional Explorer
I'm not sure how much of it is there, but you might like a link: the Hypertext SRD has most or all of the open content from UA, but again it's in bits.
Wik
First Post
UA is one of my favourite wotc books, and it's one I've seen three different GMs (including myself) use. While it is all on the net, I like having it in hardcopy form. It's really about comfort - how do you feel about having to print off stuff from the net to use in your games?
I'm not entirely comfortably with electronic-only products, which is one reason why I use UA.
In any case, there's a lot in the book that you don't see online - designer advice, designer variants, expanded examples, and the "D&D" stuff (Slaad bloodlines, for example). Really, if you like to tinker with your campaign, pick up UA. It's well worth the cash.
I'm not entirely comfortably with electronic-only products, which is one reason why I use UA.
In any case, there's a lot in the book that you don't see online - designer advice, designer variants, expanded examples, and the "D&D" stuff (Slaad bloodlines, for example). Really, if you like to tinker with your campaign, pick up UA. It's well worth the cash.
Ranger REG
Explorer
The book itself contains OGL, which is rare among Wizards' publications (with the exception of the SRD and a couple other, like d20 Modern Weapons Locker). Because it contains the OGL, it means it contains OGC, so you CAN use them in your product (assuming you're a designer or publisher).MrBudweg said:
Some of the OGC in Unearthed Arcana are already OGC from third-party sources (like the Injury System bearing a stunning resemblance to the Damage Saving Throw System from Mutants & Masterminds).
But aside from the OGC, it's a big book of variant rules. If you want your own D&D game to be different from core and more to your suitable preference, flavor, and style of playing, UA offers many rules options.
