Unclear regarding OGL rules. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Unclear regarding OGL rules. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
bardliam
07-08-07, 07:44 PM I am developing adventures for sale on a website (pdf download). Is only what is in the SRD available, or can I use feats/abilities/items/etc from any of the core books? For instance, can I use Incarnum?
Aussiegamer
07-08-07, 10:32 PM My understanding is that ONLY SRD is open source.
danzig138
07-10-07, 03:23 PM Look in Incarnum (I don't know the product myself). Is it a WotC book? If so, on the credits page, in small text, they'll tell you if anything in the book is Open Content - which, as far as I know, the only ones that actually have OGC in them are Weapons Locker, Unearthed Arcana, and one of the MOnster Manuals - #2 I think.

For products by other companies, look somewhere in all the text in the front, again, usually on or near the credits page, or in the back, where people tend to stick the copy of the OGL. Some products have the open material declaration in the back near the OGL copy.

If you can't find any such declaration, assume that you CAN NOT use the material. If you just can't figure it out - and believe me, there are quite a few products relased via the OGL and d20 STL that have the crappiest OGC declarations - both intentionally and unintentionally vauge - then contact the company that made the product and ask.

Edit: Aussiegamer, as I note, WotC has a couple of non-SRD products that contain OGC. In fact, pretty much all of Unearthed Arcana (a decent book I think) is Open Content.
Aussiegamer
07-10-07, 06:39 PM cheers....:D
bardliam
07-15-07, 02:20 AM Thanks for the info. I guess I'm just trying to find a plain language answer from WOTC - 'This is allowed, this is not, this is allowed if you get our permission and to do so you must do thus and so.' Guess I need to write their legal department.
spyone
07-15-07, 10:16 AM Here's a quick little test: one of the terms of the OGL is that you have to include a copy of the OGL in any work that uses it. Thus, any book that does not contain a copy of the OGL does not contain any Open Content (and you can't use anything inside it).

Where it gets confusing is this:
"But the Dwarves in the PHB are exactly the same as the Dwarves in the SRD. If they're Open Content in the SRD, why aren't they in the PHB?"
The answer is that WotC owns that write-up for Dwarves. Thus, they are free to use it in anything they want. For example: the PHB. They also put it out as Open Content in the SRD, so anybody else can use it if they want to, so long as they comply with the terms of the OGL. OR, they could negotiate another agreement (a "license") with WotC for the use of that material.
So, even though a lot of the PHB, DMG, and MM appear in the SRD, none of the stuff in those books is published under the OGL, so none of it is Open Content.
By contrast, all of the stuff in the SRD is published under the OGL, and all of it is Open Content.

When publishing anything, you are basicly limited to using things you created yourself or things you have permission to use. The Open Game License is just one form of permission, and it only applies to material that has been made Open Content by its author/owner.
Oh, and stuff that is in the Public Domain. That means stuff like Frankenstein by Mary Shelly: written long enough ago that the copyright has expired, so anybody is free to use it.

I kinda doubt that WotC is interested in licensing any of their material (beyond what's in the SRD) unless they're convinced there is a whole lot of money in doing so. :)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
bardliam 07-08-07, 07:44 PM	I am developing adventures for sale on a website (pdf download). Is only what is in the SRD available, or can I use feats/abilities/items/etc from any of the core books? For instance, can I use Incarnum?
Aussiegamer 07-08-07, 10:32 PM	My understanding is that ONLY SRD is open source.
danzig138 07-10-07, 03:23 PM	Look in Incarnum (I don't know the product myself). Is it a WotC book? If so, on the credits page, in small text, they'll tell you if anything in the book is Open Content - which, as far as I know, the only ones that actually have OGC in them are Weapons Locker, Unearthed Arcana, and one of the MOnster Manuals - #2 I think. For products by other companies, look somewhere in all the text in the front, again, usually on or near the credits page, or in the back, where people tend to stick the copy of the OGL. Some products have the open material declaration in the back near the OGL copy. If you can't find any such declaration, assume that you CAN NOT use the material. If you just can't figure it out - and believe me, there are quite a few products relased via the OGL and d20 STL that have the crappiest OGC declarations - both intentionally and unintentionally vauge - then contact the company that made the product and ask. Edit: Aussiegamer, as I note, WotC has a couple of non-SRD products that contain OGC. In fact, pretty much all of Unearthed Arcana (a decent book I think) is Open Content.
Aussiegamer 07-10-07, 06:39 PM	cheers....:D
bardliam 07-15-07, 02:20 AM	Thanks for the info. I guess I'm just trying to find a plain language answer from WOTC - 'This is allowed, this is not, this is allowed if you get our permission and to do so you must do thus and so.' Guess I need to write their legal department.
spyone 07-15-07, 10:16 AM	Here's a quick little test: one of the terms of the OGL is that you have to include a copy of the OGL in any work that uses it. Thus, any book that does not contain a copy of the OGL does not contain any Open Content (and you can't use anything inside it). Where it gets confusing is this: "But the Dwarves in the PHB are exactly the same as the Dwarves in the SRD. If they're Open Content in the SRD, why aren't they in the PHB?" The answer is that WotC owns that write-up for Dwarves. Thus, they are free to use it in anything they want. For example: the PHB. They also put it out as Open Content in the SRD, so anybody else can use it if they want to, so long as they comply with the terms of the OGL. OR, they could negotiate another agreement (a "license") with WotC for the use of that material. So, even though a lot of the PHB, DMG, and MM appear in the SRD, none of the stuff in those books is published under the OGL, so none of it is Open Content. By contrast, all of the stuff in the SRD is published under the OGL, and all of it is Open Content. When publishing anything, you are basicly limited to using things you created yourself or things you have permission to use. The Open Game License is just one form of permission, and it only applies to material that has been made Open Content by its author/owner. Oh, and stuff that is in the Public Domain. That means stuff like Frankenstein by Mary Shelly: written long enough ago that the copyright has expired, so anybody is free to use it. I kinda doubt that WotC is interested in licensing any of their material (beyond what's in the SRD) unless they're convinced there is a whole lot of money in doing so. :)