Pathfinder 1E Paizo Licenses

[Charwoman Gene]

Are you certain?

Well, yeah. I was kinda tipped off by the fact that it was a service. I was also clued in by the fact that it was not a product.

 

[Charwoman Gene]

----

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

I hope you gave the jackbooted thugs bigger hit dice or more feats. You know, just to keep them competitive.

(I kid because I love.)

No.... but they do have those ginormous Wayne Reynolds swords and spiky sh*t all over their armor.

 

[Filcher]

5. Compatibility
In order to make use of the compatible content, your product must operate under and rely on the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Standalone game systems are in no event authorized hereunder.

Translation: Don't do to us what we did to D&D.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

So, when is the Pathfinder SRD coming out so I can release their rules on a wbesite by cutting and pasting? You say like all OGL companies they don't release THEIR rules on SRD? shocking

10 months ago? How's that work for ya?

 

[Krensky]

Well, yeah. I was kinda tipped off by the fact that it was a service. I was also clued in by the fact that it was not a product.

Services are products.

A product is anything that can be offered to a market that might satisfy a want or need.

 

[Jack99]

Well, yeah. I was kinda tipped off by the fact that it was a service. I was also clued in by the fact that it was not a product.

Have you been drinking again, mate? A bit early to start before lunch?

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Translation: Don't do to us what we did to D&D.

Alternate Translation: Don't pretend to be compatible or to use with Pathfinder if you're not.

The GSL and the Paizo License are not the OGL. They are like the STL, a license indicating that your product is suited to be used with D&D 4E, Pathfinder or D&D 3E respectively. It's almost false advertisement to say "Hey, this stand-alone game that changes tons of rules is compatible with Pathfinder/3E/4E since it happens to use a d20 and 6 ability scores!

Either license indicates that what you get will work in your game of 3e/4e/Pathfinder.

The OGL remains for people that want to use some rules but create something entirely new with it - often stand alone or significantly changing the game, without having to worry about copyright issues and so on. If it's OGL, you can use the rules, even if you copy them verbatim. You don't have to use a thesaurus before giving out your rules just because you were inspired by D&D or Pathfinder and those rule systems found neat ways to formulate and formalize certain game concepts.

 

[Krensky]

Translation: Don't do to us what we did to D&D.

How so? That Pathfinder Compatibility license is equivalent to the old d20 STL, which didn't allow stand alone games either.

From what I could see it (cursory look, not a lawyer) actually might allow more then the STL did. It appears to me that someone could write a product that gives alternate XP tables or leveling procedures or ability generation processes (like using a Harrow deck), or a Buy the Numbers type books and use the Pathfinder compatibility logo. Your product can't be a complete game though.

I'm not a lawyer, I only scanned the license, this is not legal advice, correct me if I'm wrong, etc.

 

[Filcher]

How so? That Pathfinder Compatibility license is equivalent to the old d20 STL, which didn't allow stand alone games either.

I'm out of my depth here, but I confident someone will correct me.

But aren't Pathfinder, M&M, Etherscope, all examples of stand alone games?