SRD Update

[SSS-Druid]

Well, it looks like the spells have been updated. And boy, is there some wackiness to be found therein.

They've removed references to the proper nouns that make up their IP from the spells, even the abbreviated ones.

I mean, it's not even Mord's Sword anymore. It's just...Sword.

I dread seeing what they do to the Quiver of Ehlonna.

 

[RangerWickett]

lol, I was just about to ask about that, to see what we might need to change in the future. Hmm.

So all proper nouns are just gone? That's nuts.

I say we, the D20 Publishing Community, band together to boycott silly magic spells and items like the Quiver of, Apparatus of, and the lovely Trap, Tiny Hut, Secret Chest, Secure Shelter, Sword, and Lucubration. I mean, we can come up with better ones on our own, right? It would make a nice web project that publishers could contribute to, to present a free webpage of alternate spells, all OGC.

First of all, I propose to get rid of Transformation (formerly Tenser's Transformation). Something like Wrathful Incarnation might make a good replacement, which would send the caster into a berserker rage, and grant 10 ability score enhancement points that could be distributed as the caster wishes, a +7 bonus to attack rolls, and any two powers from a brief list, like wings for flight, enhanced armor, etc. It could be a divine spell too.

 

[Ranger REG]

Well, for whatever reasons that Wizards has for the change, just be glad they have released these new 100% OGC sections for the SRD.

Personally, I don't like named spells, especially when they are associated with a certain campaign setting, and I'm porting them into my own non-Greyhawk campaign.

 

[Poster Bard]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Mark Clover
Creative Mountain Games
Mark@CreativeMountainGames.com


Alpha Spells - A Lexus Supplement Available Now!

September 13, 2002 (Chicago, IL)- Released under the d20 System License, this Lexus supplement is designed to help Publishers, DMs and players keep those spells in a comfortable, alphabetical order for easy reference. Derived from the newly renamed spells of the recently released WotC SRD spell sections, the 27 spells in the Alpha Spells - Lexus Supplement have been renamed to move them into a more convenient place, alphabetically, from Big Clenched Fist to Tense Transformation.

Mark kicked off Creative Mountain Games in January of 2002 with his first free release after having researched the d20 System and OGL licenses since their inception. He's carefully moved forward to ensure that each and every release from CMG strictly follows the guidelines and rules of the d20 System and related licenses.

Mark's love for the game began back in 1975 and soon after he began developing his own material. With the advent of the d20 System license, he can now bring over a quarter century of design and writing experience to everyone. As one who always adhered to the rules, the material presented in CMG releases is sure to be balanced for use in any d20 System/Fantasy game.

Please, be sure to check out http://www.creativemountaingames.com right away and look for even more in the near future!


(c)2002 Mark Clover. Creative Mountain Games is a trademark of Mark Clover. The d20 System is a registered trademark of Wizards of the Coast Inc.

 

[Morrus]

Well, for whatever reasons that Wizards has for the change, just be glad they have released these new 100% OGC sections for the SRD.

Personally, I don't like named spells, especially when they are associated with a certain campaign setting, and I'm porting them into my own non-Greyhawk campaign.

It does create a difficulty, though. Imagine you're writing an adventure and you include the spell "Sword" in a a major NPC's spell list. Imagine the poor DM's confusion when he goes to look it up in his PHB... "Sword?!? There's no spell called Sword!"

 

[ColonelHardisson]

I'll cut 'n' paste what I said in a similar thread on the main board.

Wanna know my guess as to why all the proper nouns were taken out? Because Anthony wanted to get the stuff into the SRD as soon as possible, without getting bogged down with any possible legal wrangling over the names. Dumping them en masse would thereby eliminate that potential impediment. Yeah, maybe somebody said they were OK, but perhaps he decided to take no chances. Another guess is that AV will have stuff added to the SRD on a swifter, more regular basis, to ensure as much as possible is added before any future moves WotC might make.

 

[Winterthorn]

I think this is both good for d20 and quite *ahem* interesting too...

Morrus - I think you make a good point about complications WRT referencing material from use (esp. in game!). At the same time I wonder about this: why not publishers attach their own proper noun to these very same spells, frex: Melf's Acid Arrow to Nadira's Acid Arrow? Even better, use a different name starting with the same letter--that would lead users close to the section in the literature where the spell description is found.

Morrus' Acid Arrow. How do you like that?

BTW: the Kingdom's of Kalamar Player's Guide specifically renames the SRD spells that carry proper names. There Melf is replaced by Folnester (KoK PG p147.) Mind you, Kenzer has a license with WotC so they had privileges at the time?

Colonel: I think what you just is close to the truth, Anthony V. seems quite keen on supporting the SRD. His own words in past threads and news-bites often suggested to me he's "with us" for lack of a better of definition.

REG: I was never thrilled with "named" spells in the past. But now that there are more details for spell creation, I like the idea that creative player's could invent spells and name them as the PC's invention...

-W.

 

[Luke]

I'll cut 'n' paste what I said in a similar thread on the main board.

Wanna know my guess as to why all the proper nouns were taken out? Because Anthony wanted to get the stuff into the SRD as soon as possible, without getting bogged down with any possible legal wrangling over the names.

As I said on the OGL mail list:

It's as legal for WotC to provide the proper names in the SRD, as it is for them to use the names themselves in their own official books. It works both ways, barring the granting of special permission to Wizards from original copyright holders to *only* use the names in official Wizards books (very unlikely scenario).

Getting rid of proper names may be a good idea, but it should be timed with release of immediate official Wizards errata, and subsequent Wizards publications (including future PHB etc printings), should use the new names as well.

Regards,

 

[Ranger REG]

It does create a difficulty, though. Imagine you're writing an adventure and you include the spell "Sword" in a a major NPC's spell list. Imagine the poor DM's confusion when he goes to look it up in his PHB... "Sword?!? There's no spell called Sword!"

Well, that's what OGC is for. You can, as a convenience to your customer, provide the spell with the adventure, so they don't have to look for it.

 

[Mouseferatu]

My suggestion would be not only for publishers to make up their own name, but to make them only a letter or two off from the original. Melk's Acid Arrow, Bagby's Grasping Hand, Tenzer's Transformation...

That way, everybody not only knows exactly what we're talking about, but they should have little trouble finding 'em alphabetically.