Questions about OGL...

[uv23]

For example, the point-buy character creation system from D&D3e is NOT OGC, but a system IDENTICAL to it is available as OGC from the EverQuest RPG... but you couldn't use it in a d20 product.

Glad this came up as I have a quick quetsion regarding it. Is it legal to refer to the point buy system, while not modifying it? For example, could you, in a published product, state that all NPCs in said book were based on a particular point buy, and recommend that player characters be created using the same number for game balance? Or is it completely off limits? Thanks.

 

[jmucchiello]

Re: Another OGL Question

So here's the question: I know it doesn't work, but why? Is it legal? Or is it simply the spirit of cooperation that exists between D20 publishers and WOTC?

Mostly it is the spirit of cooperation. Why spit in the well?

If someone did a PDF supplement called Axe and Palm containing all of the material in Sword and Fist renamed and rewritten as you described, they would be taking the chance the WotC wouldn't sue them. Now whether or not WotC could win the lawsuit is not very relavent. Who could afford to defend themselves against the legal might Hasbro could bring to bear on them? You are right. It may be legal to create such a PDF but that doesn't mean you would win. Since you cannot win doing it and all it does is get WotC mad, why bother?

There are less than two dozen WotC books you cannot touch and many hundreds of d20 publisher books that you can. Are you really losing anything because you cannot have a feat like Monkey Grip in your works?

It's a hell of lot better than it was in yeats past: releasing a module or sourcebook "For use with most fantasy role-playing games". Those were sad times.

 

[jmucchiello]

Is it legal to refer to the point buy system, while not modifying it? For example, could you, in a published product, state that all NPCs in said book were based on a particular point buy, and recommend that player characters be created using the same number for game balance? Or is it completely off limits? Thanks.

This is not legal advice.

I don't know. (Great advice, eh?) In my book, I said: "All of the major NPCs are based on 28 points." It is the first paragraph of a section of notes about NPCs and Organizations. I figured if WotC complained about it, it won't kill me to remove the sentence from the appendix.

Notice I didn't explain what these 28 points are. I would not refer to them as "point buy system" and I certainly wouldn't "recommend" anything to the reader regarding game balance. But that's me. IANAL.

Joe Mucchiello
Throwing Dice Games
http://www.throwingdice.com

 

[Flynn]

Re: Re: Another OGL Question

Mostly it is the spirit of cooperation. Why spit in the well?

Thanks. As I said before, I knew it wasn't do-able, but I just wanted to know why it wasn't. Thanks for clearing it up.

If someone did a PDF supplement called Axe and Palm containing all of the material in Sword and Fist renamed and rewritten as you described, they would be taking the chance the WotC wouldn't sue them. Now whether or not WotC could win the lawsuit is not very relavent. Who could afford to defend themselves against the legal might Hasbro could bring to bear on them? You are right. It may be legal to create such a PDF but that doesn't mean you would win. Since you cannot win doing it and all it does is get WotC mad, why bother?

A very valid point, and it demonstrates the difference between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law.

There are less than two dozen WotC books you cannot touch and many hundreds of d20 publisher books that you can. Are you really losing anything because you cannot have a feat like Monkey Grip in your works?

Nope. But I've been watching the fight Gryphon's been having about keeping his Book of Feats up, and it started making me wonder. Some day, I hope they do include the new feats, spells, prestige classes, etc, in the SRD, but until then, I'm cool with using what I do have access to should I want to put anything into print.

It's a hell of lot better than it was in yeats past: releasing a module or sourcebook "For use with most fantasy role-playing games". Those were sad times.

Agreed, my friend, agreed. I've very happy with what we have now, and I look forward to watching the game grow as time goes on.

Thanks for the feedback,
Flynn