Player's Guide Transcribed to Blog

[Drazulfel]

Here's a link to the complete WotBS Player's Guide, in blog format: WotBS - 00 - Player's Guide

I hope some DM or player out there finds this to be useful.

Regards,
~Draz


[Original Post Edited - See conversation below]

I'm preparing to run WotBS later this year. For the sake of my players, I transcribed the Player's Guide into blog format. All text and pictures are included, copy/pasted directly from the downloaded PDF.

As of right now, the blog is private. It can't be searched, or accessed by anyone unless I give them access. ie: It's for my game group only. However, if this might be a useful tool for other gamers, I'd be more than happy to open it up to the public.

Since the Player's Guide is free anyway, would that be okay? On every single post, at the top, I have the following disclaimer:

DM Disclaimer: All material in the Player Guide portion of this blog is copied directly from the War of the Burning Sky Player's Guide, which is freely distributed and available for public download at EN World. I take no credit for any of the text or images found in posts tagged with the "player guide" label.

I'll keep the blog private unless/until appropriate permission is received.

Thanks!
~Draz

 

[Marius Delphus]

I don't, and shan't pretend to, speak for Morrus, but my own personal take on it is this: copyrighted content that is distributed for free is still copyrighted.

In other words, I would posit that while EN Publishing distributes the Player's Guide and Campaign Guide "for free" -- that is, at zero cost to anyone who chooses to obtain a copy -- the copyrighted material therein is not "free to distribute" -- that is, EN Publishing's copyright on it is still in force, and it would violate EN Publishing's copyright to copy and/or distribute the material in another format.

In other other words, I don't happen to believe that the existence of a free product equates to permission to copy and distribute copyrighted material within said free product.

Now, realistically, because sharing the material with your gaming group is something EN Publishing might want to encourage, I don't personally have a moral problem with placing a portion of the material behind a password (the game mechanical information), even though it's not, strictly speaking, legal.* I can certainly get behind the disclaimer. I can't personally support copying the images, though; they're not needed as player reference information.

* In the 3.5/d20 versions, the following is reserved as Product Identity and is not free to copy even under the OGL: "the covers, the title and contents page, the illustrations, 'EN Publishing,' the EN Publishing logo, character and place names, story elements, and the EN Publishing product line title 'War of the Burning Sky'."

* In the 4E versions, the GSL doesn't have any provisions for the reuse or copying of game-mechanical content from Licensed Products.

* Most importantly, however, neither the OGL nor the GSL cover blogs or Web sites (and the GSL specifically states that a Web site can never be a Licensed Product).

Overall, I would think directing your players to EN World so they can download the product themselves is a better way to go.

 

[Morrus]

Yep, we'd rather you directed people to places where we have made it available for free download. That way they're exposed to other products and services that EN World and/or EN Publishing has to offer.

I'm OK with you doing it privately for your own gaming group; but not for the general public, I'm afraid! We want people coming here for the info, not to your site.

But for your own group? Totally fine!

 

[Drazulfel]

Very well. I shall gladly honor your wishes. I'll keep the player guide blog private for my players, and create a second blog for the campaign Story Hour, once it begins (most likely, still many weeks away).

Morrus, I'll drop you an invite for access, as well... just cuz.

 

[Morrus]

You know what? I've been thinking about this. Go for it! I can't see it doing any harm as long as it's appropriately credited and sticks to the free guide.

 

[Drazulfel]

You know what? I've been thinking about this. Go for it! I can't see it doing any harm as long as it's appropriately credited and sticks to the free guide.

I'll go ahead and make it public, then. I'll also add a link back to the official download page in the side bar, so it's visible on all pages.

If at any time you change your mind, or if you see anything on there that you feel misrepresents the intent of EN Publishing, please let me know. And thanks! I hope somebody finds this useful.

Here's the Link: WotBS - 00 - Player's Guide