Hey, for all I know Umbran is just someone who made all that up because he enjoys being contrary.
For cryin' out loud! Ask for free advice, then question the motives of those who give it to you? Classy. Really, wonderfully classy. Thanks, Doc. I appreciate it.

However, just 'cause now you made it sound like I'm the jerk here...
What you're looking for is called the "idea-expression divide".
"The idea-expression divide differentiates between ideas and expression, and states that copyright protects only the original expression of ideas, and not the ideas themselves. This principle, first clarified in the 1879 case of Baker v. Selden, has since been codified by the Copyright Act of 1976 at 17 U.S.C. § 102(b)."
I reiterate - if you are really-o, truly-o worried about this, get yourself a lawyer. And a professional editor too, while you're at it.
In my personal opinion, this sort of thing is great for Elizabeth Moon, who has the talent, discipline, and drive to use it to provide a rather remarkable story quite worth the reading - I recommend The Deed of Paksenarrion to any D&D player out there. But I don't imagine it was *easy* for her to do. It is no quick-fix, simple solution for folks who want to scrape the serial numbers off mediocre fan art so they can publish it and say, "Hey, I'm an AUTHOR!" It is a protection for those who are taking some basic ideas, and adding plenty of their own content and style to produce something cool and new.
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