WotC To Give Core D&D Mechanics To Community Via Creative Commons

Wizards of the Coast, in a move which surprised everbody, has announced that it will give away the core D&D mechanics to the community via a Creative Commons license.

This won't include 'quintessentially D&D" stuff like owlbears and magic missile, but it wil include the 'core D&D mechanics'.

So what does it include? It's important to note that it's only a fraction of what's currently available as Open Gaming Content under the existing Open Gaming License, so while it's termed as a 'give-away' it's actually a reduction. It doesn't include classes, spells, or magic items. It does include the combat rules, ability scores, and the core mechanic.

 

[Dreamscape]

You also had the right to explain them poorly such that your product can be played incorrectly, or inconsistenly.

And do you non-WotC games are generally written poorly?

Thank you for your praise of Blueholme, though I expect it will be going away at some stage.

 

[darjr]

Matt Finch says he’s looking at the prospect.

 

[TerraDave]

So this was really about the owlbear all along?

 

[Michael Linke]

And do you non-WotC games are generally written poorly?

Thank you for your praise of Blueholme, though I expect it will be going away at some stage.

Whether they're written poorly and published that way, written poorly but corrected in editing, or written well through a lot of effort by the author, it's gotta be helpful at least to know that an official wording of a complicated rule can be reprinted without fear.

 

[Ondath]

Matt Finch says he’s looking at the prospect.

Any chance you could elaborate on this darjr? Who's Finch and what prospects is he looking at?

 

[darjr]

Any chance you could elaborate on this darjr? Who's Finch and what prospects is he looking at?

It’s in Facebook and I dint think it’s public.

But he did respond with a quick off the cuff response.

Probably not. Because it doesn’t mention monsters or spells etc.

I expect he’s still mulling it over .

 

[Michael Linke]

Any chance you could elaborate on this darjr? Who's Finch and what prospects is he looking at?

Matthew Finch Product Listing - RPGnet RPG Game Index

 

[Jolly Ruby]

Good, but not good enough. They should release the whole SRD under CC-BY. Except the owlbear, they can keep their owlbear.

Jokes aside, It's good news, but I think they can do better with this creative commons public stunt. Release a robust document, the four base classes, the four base races, some monsters and some spells. And they should give something really dear to them as a peace offering, maybe the magic missile, the fireball, or the displacer beast.

 

[Haplo781]

Add all your previously published SRDs and Open Gaming Content to this and I'll cede the naughty word owlbears, WizBro.

 

[Ondath]

Matthew Finch Product Listing - RPGnet RPG Game Index

Oh. OSRIC!

Thanks a lot, that clarifies things!