AD&D DM Design Kit PDFs [Archive] - Wizards Community

AD&D DM Design Kit PDFs [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
lifespeed
04-04-05, 09:21 PM I just got the AD&D DM Design Kit from one of my many local libraries (the good one), and it's got some pretty cool sheets in it for adventure design and stuff. As I don't have ready access to a photocopier that is either good or cheap, does anybody know where I can find some of the sheets in PDF? I do have access to a decent laser printer here at work after all.
yeknom
04-04-05, 10:13 PM rpgnow.com

svgames.com
lifespeed
04-05-05, 10:12 AM No such luck. I didn't know about SVgames, thanks for the link.
Well, my parents have a pretty decent scanner, and I've got to go over there to use the printer that it shares life with, so I can scan them up. As for making PDFs and not hideously large JPEGs or something, we'll have to see. Maybe I can do it in OpenOffice.
Anybody interested? I've got some webspace that I can throw them up on once I get them in a version that's usable. Mind you, they're AD&D (not even 2nd edition), so there are some stats that may confuse and even frighten people that don't rememeber the old days. Still, if you pretend THAC0 is To Hit and that AC is Ac (but it goes the other way! spooky!) you shoudl be fine.
olshanski_home
04-05-05, 11:17 AM This is a nice and noble idea, but I cannot begin to describe how illegal it would be to post these on a website.

And WOTC is vigilant about protecting its intellectual property.

One company had to throw several thousand books into a shredder because they violated WOTC's IP.
lifespeed
04-05-05, 12:10 PM Did I mention charging for them? No, no I didn't. And I quote:
"Book II is the Forms Book. Here, you'll find sixteen forms you can use to create your adventures. We recommend that you make several photocopies of each from Book II, so you'll always have a supply on hand"
Same as printing "Permission granted to photocopy for personal use" right on the sheet. By scanning the forms and making them PDFs, I'm effectivly doing the same thing.
It hasn't been that long since I worked at Kinko's and had copywrite law ground into my head. I doubt that copywrite law has changed that much, if at all. So I'm pretty sure I'll be fine.
olshanski_home
04-05-05, 12:20 PM Putting them on webspace is considered publishing.
Publishing is not "personal use" regardless of whether you charge for it or not. It is entirely different from making a few photocopies to use in your own home.

I am a paralegal in a law firm (http://www.dorsey.com/Intellectual_Property_Litigation) that deals with prosecuting and defending IP laws, so I can speak with some authority.
AmanitaEata
04-05-05, 12:28 PM Did I mention charging for them? No, no I didn't.
That does not matter. By distributing them, you would be violating copyright law. profit need not come into play.

Do you think the folks sued by the RIAA for sharing songs on Kazaa and the like were making a profit on those songs? They weren't. They were people who took copyrighted material and "shared" it with others ... which is what you are proposing to do.
Same as printing "Permission granted to photocopy for personal use" right on the sheet. By scanning the forms and making them PDFs, I'm effectivly doing the same thing.
No.

No you're not.

You're distributing copyrighted material without the permission of the copyright holder, not unlike placing songs online, or scanning the Player's Handbook and posting it here. That is not personal use. And that is against the law.
It hasn't been that long since I worked at Kinko's and had copywrite law ground into my head. I doubt that copywrite law has changed that much, if at all.
No, it has not changed that much. It just seems you simply never understood it very well in the first place.
So I'm pretty sure I'll be fine.
If by "fine" you mean "breaking the law," yes, you will be fine.
lifespeed
04-05-05, 01:22 PM So how is it that sites like RPGsheets.com even exist? They've got boatloads of character sheets from any number of games, and I know a number of them are just scans out of the backs of books and whatnot. How is it that a site like that can get away with this on such a scale if it's so illegal?
AmanitaEata
04-05-05, 01:25 PM So how is it that sites like RPGsheets.com even exist? They've got boatloads of character sheets from any number of games, and I know a number of them are just scans out of the backs of books and whatnot. How is it that a site like that can get away with this on such a scale if it's so illegal?
From the RPGSheets front page: "Legal Disclaimer: All OFFICIAL sheets are copyright by their publishers, and are reposted here with permission." (emphasis mine)

Hmmm. It looks to me as if they GOT PERMISSION.
Dave Stebbins
04-05-05, 07:25 PM Seriously, if the $4.95 that RPGNow or SVGames charges for the PDF of this product is beyond your means, ask your parents to get it for you for your birthday or reimburse them for doing it.

If not, the library you got it from probably has a copier which you can use for pocket change, most library branches do. If not, there are lots of places like Kinkos or Office Max that will also make copies for pocket change.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
lifespeed 04-04-05, 09:21 PM	I just got the AD&D DM Design Kit from one of my many local libraries (the good one), and it's got some pretty cool sheets in it for adventure design and stuff. As I don't have ready access to a photocopier that is either good or cheap, does anybody know where I can find some of the sheets in PDF? I do have access to a decent laser printer here at work after all.
yeknom 04-04-05, 10:13 PM	rpgnow.com svgames.com
lifespeed 04-05-05, 10:12 AM	No such luck. I didn't know about SVgames, thanks for the link. Well, my parents have a pretty decent scanner, and I've got to go over there to use the printer that it shares life with, so I can scan them up. As for making PDFs and not hideously large JPEGs or something, we'll have to see. Maybe I can do it in OpenOffice. Anybody interested? I've got some webspace that I can throw them up on once I get them in a version that's usable. Mind you, they're AD&D (not even 2nd edition), so there are some stats that may confuse and even frighten people that don't rememeber the old days. Still, if you pretend THAC0 is To Hit and that AC is Ac (but it goes the other way! spooky!) you shoudl be fine.
olshanski_home 04-05-05, 11:17 AM	This is a nice and noble idea, but I cannot begin to describe how illegal it would be to post these on a website. And WOTC is vigilant about protecting its intellectual property. One company had to throw several thousand books into a shredder because they violated WOTC's IP.
lifespeed 04-05-05, 12:10 PM	Did I mention charging for them? No, no I didn't. And I quote: "Book II is the Forms Book. Here, you'll find sixteen forms you can use to create your adventures. We recommend that you make several photocopies of each from Book II, so you'll always have a supply on hand" Same as printing "Permission granted to photocopy for personal use" right on the sheet. By scanning the forms and making them PDFs, I'm effectivly doing the same thing. It hasn't been that long since I worked at Kinko's and had copywrite law ground into my head. I doubt that copywrite law has changed that much, if at all. So I'm pretty sure I'll be fine.
olshanski_home 04-05-05, 12:20 PM	Putting them on webspace is considered publishing. Publishing is not "personal use" regardless of whether you charge for it or not. It is entirely different from making a few photocopies to use in your own home. I am a paralegal in a law firm (http://www.dorsey.com/Intellectual_Property_Litigation) that deals with prosecuting and defending IP laws, so I can speak with some authority.
AmanitaEata 04-05-05, 12:28 PM	Did I mention charging for them? No, no I didn't. That does not matter. By distributing them, you would be violating copyright law. profit need not come into play. Do you think the folks sued by the RIAA for sharing songs on Kazaa and the like were making a profit on those songs? They weren't. They were people who took copyrighted material and "shared" it with others ... which is what you are proposing to do. Same as printing "Permission granted to photocopy for personal use" right on the sheet. By scanning the forms and making them PDFs, I'm effectivly doing the same thing. No. No you're not. You're distributing copyrighted material without the permission of the copyright holder, not unlike placing songs online, or scanning the Player's Handbook and posting it here. That is not personal use. And that is against the law. It hasn't been that long since I worked at Kinko's and had copywrite law ground into my head. I doubt that copywrite law has changed that much, if at all. No, it has not changed that much. It just seems you simply never understood it very well in the first place. So I'm pretty sure I'll be fine. If by "fine" you mean "breaking the law," yes, you will be fine.
lifespeed 04-05-05, 01:22 PM	So how is it that sites like RPGsheets.com even exist? They've got boatloads of character sheets from any number of games, and I know a number of them are just scans out of the backs of books and whatnot. How is it that a site like that can get away with this on such a scale if it's so illegal?
AmanitaEata 04-05-05, 01:25 PM	So how is it that sites like RPGsheets.com even exist? They've got boatloads of character sheets from any number of games, and I know a number of them are just scans out of the backs of books and whatnot. How is it that a site like that can get away with this on such a scale if it's so illegal? From the RPGSheets front page: "Legal Disclaimer: All OFFICIAL sheets are copyright by their publishers, and are reposted here with permission." (emphasis mine) Hmmm. It looks to me as if they GOT PERMISSION.
Dave Stebbins 04-05-05, 07:25 PM	Seriously, if the $4.95 that RPGNow or SVGames charges for the PDF of this product is beyond your means, ask your parents to get it for you for your birthday or reimburse them for doing it. If not, the library you got it from probably has a copier which you can use for pocket change, most library branches do. If not, there are lots of places like Kinkos or Office Max that will also make copies for pocket change.