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Message: <blockquote data-quote="The Sigil" data-source="post: 714151" data-attributes="member: 2013">I do see what you're saying.  Basically, the choice to go d20 is a choice that adds recognition and market share - in exchange for creating supplements to a rules system, not rules systems themselves.But the reason I called it a "technicality" is that under the current version of the d20STL, all d20 products are REQUIRED to reference the PHB.  Only those produced under separate license with WotC (Kalamar and Ravenloft come to mind) are exempted.Hence, even if you don't really "need" the PHB to make use of a book (e.g., you *don't* need the PHB to make use of the Enchiridion of Treasures and Objects d'Art because nothing in that work refers to character advancement, et al), you are *required* to reference it.That requirement to reference the PHB - even when (in theory) you could create a standalone system that does *not* require the PHB (for instance, a d20 system game that has characters spend XP directly for BAB increases, Save increases, and other benefits - rather than a level-based system - and we have seen these sorts of ideas - direct XP expenditure for a specific benefit - in Encyclopedia Arcane:Elementalism, FFG's Path of... Series, and Bastion Press' Guildcraft for instance).  This would be a system that does not require the PHB to play and yet is required by the d20 license to reference it.  IMO, this is a system that SHOULD merit consideration as a "standalone" game regardless of the d20 requirement to make (uneccessary) reference to the PHB.Now, I'm not arguing that Spycraft fits that description.  In fact, I don't think any of the games in consideration for this year's award do.  I am just pointing out that I believe it IS possible to create a true standalone game under the d20 license... and in that particular set of circumstances, a "vestigal" reference to the PHB required by license should not be sufficient to disqualify the game in question from consideration.  But again, I'm not saying that anything currently under consideratino fits that description - I'm instead saying that I can visualize a game that would.  Whether or not releasing such a game as a d20 game for the added market value based on brand recognition is a good idea is another question entirely.  And whether that "extra market value" should be considered sufficient counterweight to "this is really a supplement" - IOW, "if you want the extra market share, you can't call it a stand-alone" is a much more philosophical question - and one that I'm not sure I have a solid stance on either way yet.--The Sigil</blockquote>

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