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<blockquote data-quote="Dausuul" data-source="post: 6330094" data-attributes="member: 58197">Game mechanics cannot be copyrighted, but the specific text used to present those mechanics most certainly can be. You can't just copy-paste Basic D&amp;D and call it open content. You have to rewrite everything in your own words.Wholesale copying the names of the mechanics is something you'd want to be real careful about, too. Things like ability scores and (most) spell names are covered by the original OGL. But backgrounds, ideals, flaws, and bonds are not OGL; you're relying on &quot;fair use&quot; under copyright law for those.Bottom line: The original OGL provides a safe harbor for 3E material, not 5E material. You really, really don't want to try creating &quot;open 5E&quot; without advice from a genuine lawyer with genuine expertise in IP law. If you just wade in on your own, you are doing the equivalent of jumping into the ring at an MMA tournament and swinging your fists around.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Dausuul, post: 6330094, member: 58197"] Game mechanics cannot be copyrighted, but the specific text used to present those mechanics most certainly can be. You can't just copy-paste Basic D&D and call it open content. You have to rewrite everything in your own words. Wholesale copying the names of the mechanics is something you'd want to be real careful about, too. Things like ability scores and (most) spell names are covered by the original OGL. But backgrounds, ideals, flaws, and bonds are [I]not[/I] OGL; you're relying on "fair use" under copyright law for those. Bottom line: The original OGL provides a safe harbor for 3E material, not 5E material. You really, really don't want to try creating "open 5E" without advice from a genuine lawyer with genuine expertise in IP law. If you just wade in on your own, you are doing the equivalent of jumping into the ring at an MMA tournament and swinging your fists around. [/QUOTE]

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