WotC Unveils Draft of New Open Gaming License

As promised earlier this week, WotC has posted the draft OGL v.1.2 license for the community to see.

A survey will be going live tomorrow for feedback.

Starting the OGL ‘Playtest’

In this article, you can review a draft of OGL 1.2, submit feedback via survey, and learn about a Creative Commons license that puts D&D's core mech...

www.dndbeyond.com

The current iteration contains clauses which prohibit offensive content, applies only to TTRPG books and PDFs, no right of ownership going to WotC, and an optional creator content badge for your products.

One important element, the ability for WotC to change the license at-will has also been addressed, allowing the only two specific changes they can make -- how you cite WotC in your work, and contact details.

This license will be irrevocable.

The OGL v1.0a is still being 'de-authorized'.

 

[mamba]

Want to make a VTT that includes the SRD and has animated tokens+effects, or an SRD-based computer game?

Absolutely fine under 1.0a with a promise from them that it would be fine forever. Not fine now.

yeah, I think that one goes a 'bit' far

 

[Reynard]

On the VTT Subject: How will the strange line in the sand WotC drew affect existing and future VTT developers. It seems to suggest to me that you couldn't, say, code into your OGL VTT adventure animated tokens or spell effects, but what about the VTT in general. Does that mean you can't use an OGL module in a VTT that inherently had "video game like qualities" of its own? And where is the line? I 3D terrain a problem? I can use 3D terrain at home. Is lighting a problem? I can use lighting in that 3D terrain at home.

 

[mamba]

You don't read enough non-D&D news, in that case.

or maybe what leads me to consider this more likely is not what I would call news

 

[MoonSong]

Yeah, there's fuzzy stuff that WotC has decided is unacceptable or not desirable for their books but that some people like. But then there's actual hate speech in books like nu-TSR's Star Frontier's product.

Which didn't use the OGL btw.

I'm an actual POC creator from a third world country, and I'm afraid of this clause.

 

[mamba]

There are large swaths of games derived from the 3.5 SRD that are essentially shut down by the OGL v1.0a's de-authorization. That is not acceptable collateral damage.

Are they, or can they be moved over to 1.2? I assume the latter since they can be used under any OGL version of your choosing, IANAL though

 

[Fendulum]

Good to hear that they're looking at adding previous edition content. That together with the irrevocability clause make me a lot happier with this.

 

[Matt Thomason]

Are they, or can they be moved over to 1.2? I assume the latter since they can be used under any OGL version of your choosing, IANAL though

The problem here is 1.2 only applies specifically to WotC content, there's no real explanation of how to combine WotC content and 3PP content when 1.2 itself can't be used for 3PP content, implying we need to also include 1.0a for that.

 

[p_johnston]

So the crux of the issue for me is that WOTC has already demonstrated they are very comfortable going back on their word if they believe it's in their best interests. Even if the current staff are 100% pure in intention (Which I have doubts about) and only interested in using this benevolently what happens in 5 years when a new CEO comes in and decides that Hateful is whatever product they don't like/feel is a threat? At the end of the day it's still a matter of WOTC going "Trust us to keep our word about this" while in the very same document breaking their word.

 

[mamba]

This is a very strange take since nothing in the license talks about film. At all.

apart from it not being covered under it

"Works Covered. This license only applies to printed media and static electronic files (such as epubs or pdfs) you create for use in or as tabletop roleplaying games and supplements (“TTRPGs”) and in virtual tabletops in accordance with our Virtual Tabletop Policy (“VTTs”)."

 

[mhd]

So there are separate rules for VTTs, what's the likely route for other software? Character generators, random treasure tools etc.?