Project Exodium RPG

[TreChriron]

... (1)(sic) so i have some questions; specifically about the OGL and the SRD. i'm a bit confused about the 2 acronyms. is the SRD based off the OGL? or is it the other way around? from what i understand i can use the 3.5e rules of D&D anyway i want but i have to document i'm using them , and which ones i use. ...

... (2)(sic) is there a few PNP's you can recommend i take a look at? something i can study and learn from

...

(1) - The SRD (System Reference Document) is the rules that WOTC wanted to share, in an easy to digest (and use for publisher reference) format. It took all the Open Content parts of the various d20 systems and placed them in one place.

The OGL (Open Game License) covers the rules and text released as Open Content as designated somewhere in that product. Usually at the beginning or the end somewhere near the actual License. To use the OGL you must;

1. Include the full text of the License in your product.
2. Include all Open Content you derived your content from in Section 15 (look at the format, it's important!).
3. Designate which parts of your work are Open Content and which ones are PI (Product Identity) which is the OGL way of saying IP (Intellectual Property) which is stuff covered under various copyright laws of various countries (a copyright attorney would be very helpful to consult when you're ready to publish...).

Generally, it's considered "good form" to release rules you built upon the Open Content in your game as Open Content. You HAVE to release derivative rules from other Open Content as Open Content.

Ignore the SRD. The d20 logo license no longer exists. You can't use it. You only need to worry about the OGL (and the plethora of rules out there derived from d20 games and other games released under the OGL). Here is a quick list of games derived from d20 content released under the OGL, and some games released under the OGL that did not use d20 derived content (but another system's Open Content or released original content to share as Open Content).

OGL Derived from d20 (not a complete list):

1. Pathfinder RPG
2. Mutants & Masterminds
3. Trailblazer
4. Mastercraft (Fantasy Craft, Spycraft)
5. True 20, Modern 20, Microlite 20, ...
6. Arcana Evolved and various Malhavoc Press releases (Book of Eldritch Might, Book of...)

Games released under the OGL (not a complete list):
1. FUDGE and various FATE games (Dresden Files, Starblazer Adventures, Strands of Fate, Diaspora...)
2. Action! System (you can find some files in the download section of my website, linked in sig)

Research:
Open Game License - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
OPEN GAMING FOUNDATION

(2) For research of games, nab a few PDFs of the games listed above (ENWorlds store is a great place to shop). Many of them are great examples of publishing with the OGL, creating d20 material, etc.

Finally, I am not a Lawyer. Do your research. See if there are legal resources at your school that might look at the OGL and advise you about copyright laws.

Also, check out the GPA (Game Publishers Association) and GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association).

Good Luck!

 

[killxo]

(1) - The SRD (System Reference Document) is the rules that WOTC wanted to share, in an easy to digest (and use for publisher reference) format. It took all the Open Content parts of the various d20 systems and placed them in one place.


Good Luck!

hey man thanks for the info. those are answered i really needed. well its kind of a bummer i cant use the 3.5e rules. i was getting a little bit used to them, but gladly i havent really used anything literally from them, nothing that other games dont alrdy use. i mean sure, i have used terms like "knockback" and "slow" and "touch attacks", but i'm suuurree every rpg ever made has slow and knockback; those things are damn near universal. now the term touch attack is the same thing as "Ignore Armor", so i might just use Ignore Armor instead because it makes more sense imo.

plus i decided to go with the AC/Fort/Ref/Will idea. some of it makes sense, like AC is both your ability to dodge and your armor amount..but yet they use reflexes as another defense mechanism-strange-. i wonder if maybe i cant use those names now. probably not, cuzz i think even Blizzard uses AC for stuff.

one thing thats a bit of a bitch is the usage of names and such nowadays, because theres been soooo many RPG's made, that people have used the same names over and over. and i'm sure there alot of the same formula's used for hit chance and damage rolls.

the only reason why im hesitant to use familiar terms is the whole copyright BS. i thought using some common rules that i am allowed to use by some legal document , might make the process of creating the game less of a hassle and go quicker. but if not, then hey thats no biggie; i was going to make my rules in the first place. but to be honest, since i've been looking at the 3.5e rules, as well as using some rules and systems i came up with, i feel alot more comfortable creating my own rules. cuzz i have a good feeling of how various things "should work".

but again, thanks for your support

 

[TreChriron]

hey man thanks for the info. those are answered i really needed. well its kind of a bummer i cant use the 3.5e rules. ...

but again, thanks for your support

Wait. That's not what I was saying!!

You TOTALLY can use the 3.5 rules. And ANY rules released under the OGL. You can nab them, rehash them, mix them up, and work them in to your heart's content!! That's the beauty of the OGL. You simply have to list each source you "borrow" from in section 15 of the OGL. It's rather simple.

Here's an example.

I take Aspects from FATE 3.0 (use these instead of Attributes).
Take Skills from True20.
Use Advantages/Disadvantages from Action! System (in place of feats).
Use the Combat system as found in Fantasy Craft.
Tack on the Allegiances system from Modern d20 SRD.
Use the Spells and Magic paradigm of Pathfinder.
Mix in some of my own stuff to tie it all together.
Mix at 3000 RPM, bake slowly at 200 degrees for 10 hours, and serve with a dash of cucumber...

Wa La!! My new OGL Game!!

Now, in Section 15 of the OGL, I list the awesome people who came before me and gratiously released their awesome as posseum game mechanics under the OGL.

Check out the Section 15 of this awesomely done OGL license on the Pathfinder SRD page as an example.

The only thing you really need to be careful of is Product Identity. For instance "Mind Flayer" is Product Identity as is "Illithid" IIRC. HOWEVER, you could create a monster called the "Tentacled Bearded Brain Sucker of the Underworlds" with the same stats as you find in the SRD. This may not be perfectly accurate example, but you get the basic idea.

When you are looking at an OGL source, make sure to identify the Product Identity (the stuff you can't use) so you don't tread on someone's copyright.

Make sense?

YOU CAN TOTALLY USE 3.5 OPEN GAME CONTENT!!!

Design away young man. Embrace the awesome of the OGL.

 

[killxo]

Wait. That's not what I was saying!!

You TOTALLY can use the 3.5 rules. And ANY rules released under the OGL.


When you are looking at an OGL source, make sure to identify the Product Identity (the stuff you can't use) so you don't tread on someone's copyright.

Make sense?

YOU CAN TOTALLY USE 3.5 OPEN GAME CONTENT!!!

Design away young man. Embrace the awesome of the OGL.

well thats good to hear. i'll definitely look out for the PI's of anything i use.
u used the example of the illithid as something thats a product identity. are rules usually product identity? cuzz thats all i'm concerned about, i'm not gonna use any of the species or races used in 3.5; just the rules.

but hey i think i get it now. thanks a bunch

 

[TreChriron]

No, rules are not PI, generally it's proper names, place names, monster names.

 

[killxo]

No, rules are not PI, generally it's proper names, place names, monster names.

well thats good. thats what i wanted to hear actually lol. makes me feel much more at ease when using other peoples rules.

i know im def gonna use a diff way to calculate critical hits and chance mods

 

[TreChriron]

...

i know im def gonna use a diff way to calculate critical hits and chance mods

You should look at Fantasy Craft. You may not even want to recreate your own OGL game. It's actually really well done. The Criticals are a fun modification where you have "threat ranges" and you spend action dice to confirm them. You can confirm various levels. The GM has action dice to spend to confirm fumbles on the players.

Worth checking out for more OGL material as well. :-D

 

[killxo]

Game Update

i have finished the skill lists and have posted them. only the magic skills tho, still working on the mastery skills ( i have one of them done, need to finish the other 2)

i also went ahead and created a page that explains the character attributes and how they work and what they effect. i'm really happy with the result, and it is quite different from D&D; which is good from my perspective. while i am borrowing ideas from D&D, and some basic rules, i want the game to be unique all on its own in as many ways as possible so it stands out amongst other rpg's.

i'be been playing Diablo 2 alot recently, and it has factoring in alot to my creative thinking. i'll definitely use it for naming schemes for weapons and equipment

keep in touch

 

[killxo]

bumping this thread with additional info. also looking for people willing to help!

havent worked on much because i havent had much time. i'll make a quick jotlist of what i've been working on:

--formula to calculate max hp.
--concrete skills information. when skills can be obtained and how. Skill tree's.
--Mapped out the various tier 2 hybrid skills
--worked on and completed 1/3 of the tier 2 hybrid skills
--research on fauna and flora, and astral details (descriptions of solarsystems)
--came up with a list of physical descriptions of beasts(quite extensive)

havent done much else, cuzz i've been busy with stuff and just havent had the mindset to brainstorm.

 

[killxo]

hello everyone! it has been sometime since i have worked on Exodium, not too long but still, quite some time

recently i have worked on some additions to the story of Exodium; mainly the background of the Zev race.

here's one thing i think we can discuss about: how import is Story, or "fluff" as some call it, to an RPG? many could argue that getting the system down for playing the game to be the most important. i cant disagree with that, but i think if a RPG lacks in story and immersion, then it isn't a good RPG. many of my favorite RPG's had a good combat system and what not, but what was the most enticing was the story and my players role in that story. seeing it evolve and the plot twists, makes the immersion very heavy and you almost forget how long you've been playing for!

but i'm sure there is a limit to how much fluff is needed in a game. what do you think that limit is?

i have added a post to the blog about character pages too. i came up of an idea of how to stream-line and simplify the character pages of each user. the goal was to design a character page that had 2 sides: one side has the totaled #'s for the various formula's that dictate how much dmg they do, modifiers etc. , and the back of the page has the formula's in their entirety so players can fill change values when they level up or get a new skill or a new piece of equipment. the skills players use will either be on another sheet or players will simply use a compendium, part of the core game book, to see all the skills. i'm not sure about that part yet, i think it would probably be best to have a player skills book where they can fill out some kind of sheet which has default forms where they add in info for skills their player has from the main book and can then edit them later as they obtain new skills and when those skills get stronger and etc.

its summer time for me, which means i have a lot more time now to focus on exodium. although i am working about 4-5 hrs 5 days a week and i have a morning class twice a week, it gives me more time here and there compared to normal quarters. so, i hope to expand the story of exodium more which will help me come up with new races, factions, hidden plots, characters and possibly unique race specific skills/passives.

there's still a lot to work on, and i actually have a decent idea of a campaign setting players can start off playing in. i'll finalize that soon, as its part of the Exodium fluff. i think i could use it as structure for creating content: scenario's and battles and NPC's and what not.