Can I? Please? [Adventure conversion; Steel Shadows] - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 need_a_life Jul 16, 2008 11:51:39	This is about something tricky. It's not about how to convert an adventure to Eberron or from 3.5 to 4E... no, that went alright. No, what I am wondering is if it's legal for me to take the adventure "Steel Shadows," (By Keith Baker; Dungeon Magazine October 2004) convert it to 4th edition and then share it with people? Would it be enough to write the following Disclaimer: I do not own Steel Shadows, Dungeon Magazine, Dungeons and Dragons, any of its trademarks or affiliates, though admittedly I would like to. I do not make any money on this project and do not intend to. This work is merely meant as a tribute to an excellent adventure and should be taken only as such. I do not own any of the artwork contained within this document the artwork was included in the original Steel Shadow adventure. This document is meant for entertainment purposes only and – while freely re-distributable – should not be used to spin a profit or be altered for further redistribution without attributing proper credits.
#2 snarky_monkey Jul 16, 2008 21:45:07	From what I understand, and I am not a lawyer in any way shape or form, you can't reproduce anything listed in the adventure. What you can do is release a set of suggestions on what to replace with what in each encounter. IE: "Replace X with Cloud of Daggers on page 150 of the 4e PHB". Least that is your safest bet. I personally think a person should be able to convert any old adventure and release it for free for other rp fans, but I know it can be a sketchy area.
#3 need_a_life Jul 17, 2008 6:48:45	Hmph! That was what I was afraid of. I think I'll send an e-mail to Hasbro and hear if it's permissable...
#4 vegetalss4 Jul 17, 2008 14:55:17	i think you should contact paizio instead it was them that made the magazines at the time, but i am not sure. actuly i would be best if you contact both
#5 mystrich Jul 17, 2008 15:11:22	i think you should contact paizio instead it was them that made the magazines at the time, but i am not sure. actuly i would be best if you contact both Except they no longer have rights to DnD 3.5, Dungeon, or Dragon, and don't have rights to 4e. They wouldn't be able to give him permission to do anything, as they no longer have rights to any part of the adventure.
#6 vegetalss4 Jul 17, 2008 15:33:25	i am pretty sure that they still have the rightd to the context that they already has put out thats why i said he has to ask both
#7 need_a_life Jul 17, 2008 17:09:24	Thus far I've sent the question to Wizards... If they tell me I'm good to go, then I'll post the conversion on this board. If they tell me that I'd need Paizo Publishing's approval, but otherwise I'm good to go I'll go do that. If they tell me, however, that it's a no-go, then I'll keep it for myself. Seems like the easiest way to do things. 4E is owned by Wizards of the Coast (and thereby Hasbro) and Paizo Publishing has nothing to do with 4E AFAIK. Dungeon Magazine was at that time owned by Paizo and used D&D3.5 material with permission from Wizards of the Coast, a permission that was rescinded when 4E was due to be released. That makes me suspect that Wizards of the Coast still has the rights to the D&D material, even if Paizo Publishing printed the adventure. Then again, I am not a lawyer and the lawyers I know tell me that copyright-law is perhaps the hardest to understand of all types of laws.
#8 dread_lord Jul 17, 2008 19:41:57	I'm fairly sure that the adventures still fall under the OGL, Paizio would have rights to them. You wouldn't be able to post any stats or rules though, though those would all be out of date anyway.
#9 mystrich Jul 17, 2008 21:24:01	I'm fairly sure that the adventures still fall under the OGL, Paizio would have rights to them. You wouldn't be able to post any stats or rules though, though those would all be out of date anyway. Paizo didn't use the OGL though. Paizo had special permission from Wizards, which let them go beyond the OGL and publish anything from any DnD source. This special permission is what was revoked when Wizards bought Dungeon and Dragon magazines from them, hence why they didn't buy the Pathfinder adventure path or other DnD-based Paizo products

Post/Author/DateTime

Post

need_a_life

Jul 16, 2008 11:51:39

This is about something tricky.

It's not about how to convert an adventure to Eberron or from 3.5 to 4E... no, that went alright.

No, what I am wondering is if it's legal for me to take the adventure "Steel Shadows," (By Keith Baker; Dungeon Magazine October 2004) convert it to 4th edition and then share it with people?

Would it be enough to write the following

Disclaimer: I do not own Steel Shadows, Dungeon Magazine, Dungeons and Dragons, any of its trademarks or affiliates, though admittedly I would like to. I do not make any money on this project and do not intend to. This work is merely meant as a tribute to an excellent adventure and should be taken only as such. I do not own any of the artwork contained within this document the artwork was included in the original Steel Shadow adventure.
This document is meant for entertainment purposes only and – while freely re-distributable – should not be used to spin a profit or be altered for further redistribution without attributing proper credits.

snarky_monkey

Jul 16, 2008 21:45:07

From what I understand, and I am not a lawyer in any way shape or form, you can't reproduce anything listed in the adventure. What you can do is release a set of suggestions on what to replace with what in each encounter.

IE: "Replace X with Cloud of Daggers on page 150 of the 4e PHB".

Least that is your safest bet. I personally think a person should be able to convert any old adventure and release it for free for other rp fans, but I know it can be a sketchy area.

need_a_life

Jul 17, 2008 6:48:45

Hmph!

That was what I was afraid of.

I think I'll send an e-mail to Hasbro and hear if it's permissable...

vegetalss4

Jul 17, 2008 14:55:17

i think you should contact paizio instead it was them that made the magazines at the time, but i am not sure. actuly i would be best if you contact both

mystrich

Jul 17, 2008 15:11:22

i think you should contact paizio instead it was them that made the magazines at the time, but i am not sure. actuly i would be best if you contact both

Except they no longer have rights to DnD 3.5, Dungeon, or Dragon, and don't have rights to 4e. They wouldn't be able to give him permission to do anything, as they no longer have rights to any part of the adventure.

vegetalss4

Jul 17, 2008 15:33:25

i am pretty sure that they still have the rightd to the context that they already has put out thats why i said he has to ask both

need_a_life

Jul 17, 2008 17:09:24

Thus far I've sent the question to Wizards...
If they tell me I'm good to go, then I'll post the conversion on this board.
If they tell me that I'd need Paizo Publishing's approval, but otherwise I'm good to go I'll go do that.
If they tell me, however, that it's a no-go, then I'll keep it for myself.

Seems like the easiest way to do things.

4E is owned by Wizards of the Coast (and thereby Hasbro) and Paizo Publishing has nothing to do with 4E AFAIK.
Dungeon Magazine was at that time owned by Paizo and used D&D3.5 material with permission from Wizards of the Coast, a permission that was rescinded when 4E was due to be released.

That makes me suspect that Wizards of the Coast still has the rights to the D&D material, even if Paizo Publishing printed the adventure.

Then again, I am not a lawyer and the lawyers I know tell me that copyright-law is perhaps the hardest to understand of all types of laws.

dread_lord

Jul 17, 2008 19:41:57

I'm fairly sure that the adventures still fall under the OGL, Paizio would have rights to them. You wouldn't be able to post any stats or rules though, though those would all be out of date anyway.

mystrich

Jul 17, 2008 21:24:01

I'm fairly sure that the adventures still fall under the OGL, Paizio would have rights to them. You wouldn't be able to post any stats or rules though, though those would all be out of date anyway.

Paizo didn't use the OGL though. Paizo had special permission from Wizards, which let them go beyond the OGL and publish anything from any DnD source. This special permission is what was revoked when Wizards bought Dungeon and Dragon magazines from them, hence why they didn't buy the Pathfinder adventure path or other DnD-based Paizo products