The SRD and Monsters Not in it?

[tzor]

I think I know the answer for the Beholder. It's probably a leftover from the TSR days. Early in the days of D&D much of the intelllectual property rights disputes were in the rules themselves, not in the monstes therein. Many third party companies tried to create cross game manuals, including one series called "All The World's Monsters," which was actually a great softcover series and a foretaste of the age of d20 supplements some 20 years later.

In that series, among the Garlic Bread golem, were the "Wandering Minstrel Eye" and the "Wandering Monster Eye." Athough more of a Gilbert and Sullivan rip off than a TSR rip off, the whole notion of the floating eye is something that TSR started to covet.

Personally I would love to see someone try to argue for a single eye floating monster citing ATWM as precidence.

 

[JPL]

I'm at the point where I'd rather see 3rd party authors try to create something new and different rather than just rehashing mind flayers or beholders or whatnot.

 

[Tonguez]

The carrion crawler is probably iconic and popular enough to be worth $. For instance, it would be a rad action figure.

It was a rubber carrior crawler and two plastic bullywugs that my mother bought me back in 1980 that got me into DnD (Basic) - lol the memories...

 

[Tonguez]

=> here's my variation on the Beholder for you

The 'Dark Tyrant' appears as a dark vortex suspended in the air. The vortex measures 10 - 20 ft across and sucks all magic into its center. The Death Tyrant can use this magical energy to manifest nexus points in the area around it, each nexus having a specific spell effect. The number of nexus points the Dark Tyrant can manifest is determined by its HD etc etc etc

 

[Ranger REG]

I hate that PI thing.
I love Kuo-Toas and Mindflayers.
Specially Kuo-Toas....
The thing I hate the most about it is that other companies can't expand upon them... and WoTC isn't doing anything!
Ok, Lords of Madness was great, we had some Beholder and Mind Flayer loving, but I believe that if WoTC isn't letting anyone else touch Giths and Kuo-toas and Umber Hulks (?) at least they should do something with them...

Then tell WotC you want some products that include them.

And hopefully, you'll get more vocal supports behind your request that there is a market for them to do.

 

[mhacdebhandia]

Likewise, apparently they can't lay claim to the githyanki because they're inspired (albeit very indirectly) by George R. R. Martin. He mentioned and vaguely described a race by that name in a book he wrote, though none actually appeared in the story.

Now that's news to me. I don't remember Charlie Stross saying so when he's discussed creating them for White Dwarf back in the day. However, it appears you're right. Hilarious.

 

[Henry]

In that series, among the Garlic Bread golem, were the "Wandering Minstrel Eye" and the "Wandering Monster Eye." Athough more of a Gilbert and Sullivan rip off than a TSR rip off, the whole notion of the floating eye is something that TSR started to covet.

According to Gary, Terry Kuntz came up with the beholder as early as sometime in 1974, about two months after he joined their gaming group. This "Wandering Monster Eye", I wonder if it had the same overall shape and powers?

 

[starwed]

Again, Non-Lawyered opinion. I could be wrong. However, the OGL is a license of "safe harbor" for publishing under WotC's base ruleset, which avoids the whole sticky wicket about "copyrighting rules" by sidestepping them entirely. However, to publish the Jabberfloozy, which has an orb-shaped body, one central eye which shoots anti-magic rays, and ten other eyes evenly distributed that shoot other magical powers, even under the OGL, would be enough to raise WotC's lawyerly hackles if they were made aware of it.

(I'm not a lawyer either, but...) Publishing under the OGL seems orthagonal to whether WotC's lawers could sue you. The OGL simply grants other people the rights to use and modify your creation. (And note that anyone can license original material under the OGL, without so much as referencing the SRD or any other wizards IP.) If the Jabberfloozy is close enough to the beholder that it infringes upon wizards IP, they can sue you regardless. And if it isn't, then using the OGL doesn't give them extra power over you.

 

[Ranger REG]

Andre Norton was a pen name of a woman author, who was often cited as one of scifi's great authors. She recently died.

My bad. If that's the case, then it would be the ones who inherits her estate regarding her IPs.

 

[Matafuego]

Then tell WotC you want some products that include them.

And hopefully, you'll get more vocal supports behind your request that there is a market for them to do.

And how do I do that?
I don't believe that's the way it works because I've seen people screaing everywhere for a 'loth book and there's no one on sight.
But, as always, there's a (fairly big) chance I'm wrong.
Is there a place to send suggestions?
Or petitions?
Or whatever?

Thanks =)