Creating char but no rules [Archive] - Wizards Community

Creating char but no rules [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Kallestar
12-18-04, 01:19 PM ok i followed my instinct and started trying to find rules for D&D. i found them in the system reference document. however there aren't all the rules for creating characters can someone type them out so i can copy them to a document and print them please?
psionichamster
12-18-04, 01:34 PM no

anything NOT in the SRD is NOT open source material, and is therefore NOT to be distributed without written consent from the owners...ie, WoTC, Hasbro, etc...

which you are NOT going to recieve

if you can't create a character with the core rules laid out for you in the SRD, check out the character optimization boards...they'll tell you just what selections to make

The Code of Conduct (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=community/coc)

]Frequently Asked Questions (http://boards1.wizards.com/faq.php?)

the hamster
Kallestar
12-18-04, 01:36 PM :censored: :headexplo :censored: :headexplo
Trevan0
12-18-04, 01:48 PM They are already typed out....in the books. Go buy the books. :)
Steelwill
12-18-04, 02:07 PM Please don't take any of the posts here the wrong way. I don't think you knew what you were asking, but in short to type out any rules not listed in the SRD is WoTC copyright violation. No one on the boards here would like to be guilty, at least not intentionaly, of that. My 2 cents.
Thorak
12-18-04, 02:10 PM Please don't take any of the posts here the wrong way. I don't think you knew what you were asking, but in short to type out any rules not listed in the SRD is WoTC copyright violation. No one on the boards here would like to be guilty, at least not intentionaly, of that. My 2 cents.
Technically, it's only copyright violation if you copy a great deal of it, or try to claim ownership of the material, or try to sell it. If I were to quote a line or two from the PHB, I won't get in any kind of trouble, whatsoever. Heck, I've been quoting bits I know very well aren't in the SRD for my entire time here, and have yet to recieve a warning of any kind. Because it's neither illegal, nor against the CoC.

That said, posting big chunks may be. And even if I could get away with it, I won't post that kind of stuff on request, because I feel WotC deserves to get the money from the books if you're that interested in playing.
MrkGrismer
12-20-04, 01:31 PM Technically it's copyright violation if you copy any. However, it is fair use if you quote small sections, either for review or comment.

(It is also not criminal unless you do something like over $1,500 worth within a 180-day period, but that is neither here nor there)
PhaedrusXY
12-20-04, 02:28 PM Everything you need to make a character is in the SRD except for the Experience Point Chart, and that isn't open source. So if you know what level you want your character to be at, you can make it just fine. You just won't know how many experience points it should have.
e-z0r
12-20-04, 03:52 PM Phaedrus, not really, no.

If you give a complete newbie a character sheet and the SRD, he/she won't know how to create a character. Basically because the SRD contains no instructions on how to actually create your character, only the references you need to look up when you already know how to create a character but don't remember your skill lists and spells and BAB's by heart. (hence the name system reference document.)

And also, other things are missing from the SRD. For example, the SRD doesn't have starting wealth by level. Nor does it have all the monsters (also, not all the animals a druid could widshape to). Hell, it doesn't have even the starting wealth.

EDIT: Take back that about the animals. Looks like it does have all the animals, after quick-checking the MM.
The Man from Uncle
12-20-04, 11:51 PM If you have any questions though Kallestar concerning how to create a character i am more than happy, as i am sure we all are, to answer them. For example if you wanted to work out how much experiance you need for each level, i could say without any guilt that to obtain the correct number of XP points for a new level, all you must do is add on your current level times 1000. So to move from level 1 to level 2 you need 1000 and to move from level 2 to level 3 you need 2000 more, which is 3000 in total. I believe that in school these were called the 'triangular' numbers.

I also have a good memory concerning other rules if you need any help.
Thorak
12-21-04, 12:22 AM Technically it's copyright violation if you copy any. However, it is fair use if you quote small sections, either for review or comment.

(It is also not criminal unless you do something like over $1,500 worth within a 180-day period, but that is neither here nor there)
How is it a violation of copyright when the use is allowed under the Fair Use clause?
MrkGrismer
12-21-04, 01:06 PM Fair use is a defense, not an exception. It is still a violation under the law, and the burden is on the infringer to prove that it was fair use.
Kallestar
12-22-04, 06:35 PM first i'm not a noob! and second the srd doesn't contain any starting attributes (can someone explain to me the starting attributes) finaly in closure psionichampster .....shutup!
allenchan
12-22-04, 07:15 PM get ability scores (roll, point buy, whatever)
choose an ECL
choose a race
choose classes
assign ability scores with any racial modifiers that synergizes with the class
buy equipment

thats pretty much how I go about making a character.
Stuntman
12-22-04, 07:37 PM There is a reason why the SRD does not contain all the information you need to play the game. The reason is that if the SRD does, then no one would really need to buy the books.

Buy or borrow the books. That's the easiest way.
Kallestar
12-23-04, 03:40 PM thanks allenchan but what is an ECL?
e-z0r
12-24-04, 10:45 AM ECL=Effective character level, or the level of advancement where your character starts.

With any of the base races, this is equal to your character levels combined. If you have a race taken out of the monster manual (such as a Tiefling, for example), it might have a level adjustment, or a LA. A monster race might also have some hit dice. Like, say, a centaur has 4HD from his monster levels, and a +4 level adjustment. In these cases the character's HD+LA+CL(class levels)=ECL. For example, if the centaur had 3 levels of Ranger, his ECL would be 4+3+3=10.

For simplicity's sake, you should definately choose a race out of the base races(human, elf, dwarf, halfling, gnome, half-elf, half-orc)
simen_88
12-24-04, 08:55 PM Don't care about ECL for now, just read the last line in e-z0r's post.

I believe it's only copyright violation if you use the exact words used in the books. You can't copyright the rules to a game, only the wording, IIRC.
DrMorganes
12-24-04, 09:33 PM You can't copyright the rules to a game, only the wording, IIRC.
I fail to see the distiction, as copyright is secured the moment a work is set into fixed form. (Reference the US Copyright Office website (http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html) for more.) I'm sure the Wizards of the Coast legal team would be happy to enlighten anyone foolish enough to publish a paraphrased version of the Player's Handbook...
buzzbomber
12-26-04, 03:45 AM As has been said, it's not legal/ethical to copy out the PHB, but a really nicely organised SRD does help quite a bit

http://geocities.com/sovelior/srd

has a very nice neat copy of the SRD.
MrkGrismer
12-26-04, 10:05 AM I fail to see the distiction, as copyright is secured the moment a work is set into fixed form. (Reference the US Copyright Office website (http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html) for more.) I'm sure the Wizards of the Coast legal team would be happy to enlighten anyone foolish enough to publish a paraphrased version of the Player's Handbook...

I think what he is referring to is that copyright protects expression, but not the ideas within (for that you need a patent). The best example of this is a dictionary. A dictionary is a book of facts. Websters does not have a copyright on the definitions of words contained within its dictionary, those are facts and are freely distributable. But if you do so on paper, in a format similiar to Webster's you risk infringing on Webster's copyright. A game contains fewer facts, however, and more expression. The rules themselves are facts, and it would be difficult to prove infringment if somebody simply explained, in thier own words, how to make a character to another person. The fluff text, and especially any characters or story-type text (from like an adventure, or setting) is almost fully expression and thus has the strongest protection under copyright laws.

Of course, the Terms and Conditions of this board says that we cannot explain things that are not in the SRD (I believe), and that trumps copyright law on these privately owned boards.

Copyright does not stop the free exchange of ideas, it only protects an 'artists' expression of those ideas.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Kallestar 12-18-04, 01:19 PM	ok i followed my instinct and started trying to find rules for D&D. i found them in the system reference document. however there aren't all the rules for creating characters can someone type them out so i can copy them to a document and print them please?
psionichamster 12-18-04, 01:34 PM	no anything NOT in the SRD is NOT open source material, and is therefore NOT to be distributed without written consent from the owners...ie, WoTC, Hasbro, etc... which you are NOT going to recieve if you can't create a character with the core rules laid out for you in the SRD, check out the character optimization boards...they'll tell you just what selections to make The Code of Conduct (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=community/coc) ]Frequently Asked Questions (http://boards1.wizards.com/faq.php?) the hamster
Kallestar 12-18-04, 01:36 PM	:censored: :headexplo :censored: :headexplo
Trevan0 12-18-04, 01:48 PM	They are already typed out....in the books. Go buy the books. :)
Steelwill 12-18-04, 02:07 PM	Please don't take any of the posts here the wrong way. I don't think you knew what you were asking, but in short to type out any rules not listed in the SRD is WoTC copyright violation. No one on the boards here would like to be guilty, at least not intentionaly, of that. My 2 cents.
Thorak 12-18-04, 02:10 PM	Please don't take any of the posts here the wrong way. I don't think you knew what you were asking, but in short to type out any rules not listed in the SRD is WoTC copyright violation. No one on the boards here would like to be guilty, at least not intentionaly, of that. My 2 cents. Technically, it's only copyright violation if you copy a great deal of it, or try to claim ownership of the material, or try to sell it. If I were to quote a line or two from the PHB, I won't get in any kind of trouble, whatsoever. Heck, I've been quoting bits I know very well aren't in the SRD for my entire time here, and have yet to recieve a warning of any kind. Because it's neither illegal, nor against the CoC. That said, posting big chunks may be. And even if I could get away with it, I won't post that kind of stuff on request, because I feel WotC deserves to get the money from the books if you're that interested in playing.
MrkGrismer 12-20-04, 01:31 PM	Technically it's copyright violation if you copy any. However, it is fair use if you quote small sections, either for review or comment. (It is also not criminal unless you do something like over $1,500 worth within a 180-day period, but that is neither here nor there)
PhaedrusXY 12-20-04, 02:28 PM	Everything you need to make a character is in the SRD except for the Experience Point Chart, and that isn't open source. So if you know what level you want your character to be at, you can make it just fine. You just won't know how many experience points it should have.
e-z0r 12-20-04, 03:52 PM	Phaedrus, not really, no. If you give a complete newbie a character sheet and the SRD, he/she won't know how to create a character. Basically because the SRD contains no instructions on how to actually create your character, only the references you need to look up when you already know how to create a character but don't remember your skill lists and spells and BAB's by heart. (hence the name system reference document.) And also, other things are missing from the SRD. For example, the SRD doesn't have starting wealth by level. Nor does it have all the monsters (also, not all the animals a druid could widshape to). Hell, it doesn't have even the starting wealth. EDIT: Take back that about the animals. Looks like it does have all the animals, after quick-checking the MM.
The Man from Uncle 12-20-04, 11:51 PM	If you have any questions though Kallestar concerning how to create a character i am more than happy, as i am sure we all are, to answer them. For example if you wanted to work out how much experiance you need for each level, i could say without any guilt that to obtain the correct number of XP points for a new level, all you must do is add on your current level times 1000. So to move from level 1 to level 2 you need 1000 and to move from level 2 to level 3 you need 2000 more, which is 3000 in total. I believe that in school these were called the 'triangular' numbers. I also have a good memory concerning other rules if you need any help.
Thorak 12-21-04, 12:22 AM	Technically it's copyright violation if you copy any. However, it is fair use if you quote small sections, either for review or comment. (It is also not criminal unless you do something like over $1,500 worth within a 180-day period, but that is neither here nor there) How is it a violation of copyright when the use is allowed under the Fair Use clause?
MrkGrismer 12-21-04, 01:06 PM	Fair use is a defense, not an exception. It is still a violation under the law, and the burden is on the infringer to prove that it was fair use.
Kallestar 12-22-04, 06:35 PM	first i'm not a noob! and second the srd doesn't contain any starting attributes (can someone explain to me the starting attributes) finaly in closure psionichampster .....shutup!
allenchan 12-22-04, 07:15 PM	get ability scores (roll, point buy, whatever) choose an ECL choose a race choose classes assign ability scores with any racial modifiers that synergizes with the class buy equipment thats pretty much how I go about making a character.
Stuntman 12-22-04, 07:37 PM	There is a reason why the SRD does not contain all the information you need to play the game. The reason is that if the SRD does, then no one would really need to buy the books. Buy or borrow the books. That's the easiest way.
Kallestar 12-23-04, 03:40 PM	thanks allenchan but what is an ECL?
e-z0r 12-24-04, 10:45 AM	ECL=Effective character level, or the level of advancement where your character starts. With any of the base races, this is equal to your character levels combined. If you have a race taken out of the monster manual (such as a Tiefling, for example), it might have a level adjustment, or a LA. A monster race might also have some hit dice. Like, say, a centaur has 4HD from his monster levels, and a +4 level adjustment. In these cases the character's HD+LA+CL(class levels)=ECL. For example, if the centaur had 3 levels of Ranger, his ECL would be 4+3+3=10. For simplicity's sake, you should definately choose a race out of the base races(human, elf, dwarf, halfling, gnome, half-elf, half-orc)
simen_88 12-24-04, 08:55 PM	Don't care about ECL for now, just read the last line in e-z0r's post. I believe it's only copyright violation if you use the exact words used in the books. You can't copyright the rules to a game, only the wording, IIRC.
DrMorganes 12-24-04, 09:33 PM	You can't copyright the rules to a game, only the wording, IIRC. I fail to see the distiction, as copyright is secured the moment a work is set into fixed form. (Reference the US Copyright Office website (http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html) for more.) I'm sure the Wizards of the Coast legal team would be happy to enlighten anyone foolish enough to publish a paraphrased version of the Player's Handbook...
buzzbomber 12-26-04, 03:45 AM	As has been said, it's not legal/ethical to copy out the PHB, but a really nicely organised SRD does help quite a bit http://geocities.com/sovelior/srd has a very nice neat copy of the SRD.
MrkGrismer 12-26-04, 10:05 AM	I fail to see the distiction, as copyright is secured the moment a work is set into fixed form. (Reference the US Copyright Office website (http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html) for more.) I'm sure the Wizards of the Coast legal team would be happy to enlighten anyone foolish enough to publish a paraphrased version of the Player's Handbook... I think what he is referring to is that copyright protects expression, but not the ideas within (for that you need a patent). The best example of this is a dictionary. A dictionary is a book of facts. Websters does not have a copyright on the definitions of words contained within its dictionary, those are facts and are freely distributable. But if you do so on paper, in a format similiar to Webster's you risk infringing on Webster's copyright. A game contains fewer facts, however, and more expression. The rules themselves are facts, and it would be difficult to prove infringment if somebody simply explained, in thier own words, how to make a character to another person. The fluff text, and especially any characters or story-type text (from like an adventure, or setting) is almost fully expression and thus has the strongest protection under copyright laws. Of course, the Terms and Conditions of this board says that we cannot explain things that are not in the SRD (I believe), and that trumps copyright law on these privately owned boards. Copyright does not stop the free exchange of ideas, it only protects an 'artists' expression of those ideas.