Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ClockworkGolem 11-14-05, 07:05 PM	Hello, I have been involved in a discussion on the greytalk e-list on Canonfire regarding the fate of retired LGH adventures. Charles and Ian were recommended to me as the most knowledgeable people to speak to regarding this issue. There is some interest in working to make retired adventures available for distribution outside of the RPGA, or for home play by RPGA members at unsanctioned events (i.e. home campaigns). The consensus is that this is currently against WotC or RPGA policy, but that it could conceivably be allowed for Year 3+ adventures (as Years 1-2 would be prohibitively difficult). People are willing to pay for these adventures as they are, without additional editing. My question is, what would it take to make this a reality? As it is now, after the adventures are played for a year or so they disappear forever. That seems a waste, as many people who have played the adventures, DM'd them, or just heard of them would be interested in adding them (or some portions of them) to their home campaigns. Thanks, Don
smerwin29 11-14-05, 07:19 PM	Maybe Tim Sech can refer Ian to this thread, but many people have asked the same question, so I can relay the answer to you. For the first three years' worth of Living Greyhawk modules, the authors signed away their rights to the work, but the RPGA only got the rights to publish them for RPGA events until those events were retired. What that set up was a bit of a "no man's land" as far as rights were concerned. The RPGA can't release them in any other format without gaining further rights, and the authors can't release them. Fortunately this changed starting with Year 5 modules, where the author's contracts stated that the rights would be given back to the authors. (I know because I've signed a few of those contracts.) The amusing part is that most people only want them for the Greyhawk content, and the Greyhawk content is the ONLY THING that the original authors cannot use when the rights to the modules revert back. I know that you only want an answer from Ian or Charles, and I do hope that they post here. Heck, I hope that they come and announced that they are going to release all of the modules in print copy. I'd certainly be interested in seeing that happen, both as an author and as a longtime Greyhawk fan. Shawn
ClockworkGolem 11-14-05, 07:28 PM	Thanks, Shawn. You have summarized well the state of affairs as they exist today. My main curiosity, however, is how can things be changed in the future. Obviously, the fans would like to see the adventures released (in electronic form or in print) with the Greyhawk content preserved. So, can something be worked out between the authors and the RPGA so that this can be done? Currently, there is no vehicle in place to do this. But, there is a demand, and there is a supply. It would seem that a well-placed middle-man could make a buck or two. Don
kenobi65 11-14-05, 08:33 PM	(BTW, it's Ian Richards, not Richardson. Ian does post on these boards on occasion, though I don't think I've ever seen Charles here in the RPGA section.) As Shawn points out, it'd require a different contract between the RPGA and the module authors. Instituting it going forward would likely cost the RPGA more money (since they'd need to compensate the authors more, in exchange for the republication rights). The issue, of course, is whether the amount it'd cost RPGA (both in authors fees, and in administering the sale of the re-released modules) would pay out, or even make money. It very well might, I just don't know. At any rate, if they were to institute a new contract like that *today*, it'd be at least 2 years before you'd see any of those modules re-released, since they stay active in the RPGA event ordering system for 2 years. Shawn notes that the new contracts allow the original authors to republish their modules after they're retired from RPGA play, but the authors are required to strip out any non-OGC material (all the Greyhawk-specific stuff). I don't see WotC changing their mind on this issue; they don't let *any* third-party publisher use WotC's IP in their releases. If you want Greyhawk content, it's gonna have to come from the only organization with the legal right to publish it, and that's WotC. As far as the older modules (written under the original contracts) -- in order to re-release them, RPGA would need to negotiate new contracts with each author (and, again, compensate them again for the republishing rights). Possible, but I think it's unlikely, unless WotC somehow felt that there was a *massive* pent-up demand for these modules. As you note, I'm sure there are lots of people who would be willing to buy them. The question is: are there *enough*?
smerwin29 11-14-05, 09:04 PM	As you note, I'm sure there are lots of people who would be willing to buy them. The question is: are there *enough*? At Winter Fantasy last year, this question was asked. Charles Ryan himself essentially said "No." Now that was to the question about whether there was enough people to justify the release of more Greyhawk campaign material overall, and not necessarily modules. Maybe with the renewed interest in publishing adventures, they would be willing to rethink this answer. We can hope so. Shawn