Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Kram-Odlog Mar 23, 2014 17:06:33	I really like artifact spells from Secrets of Xen'Drik.    I'd like to make some and release them under my own 3PP imprint. Is this legally possible if I change the crunch enough or will I have to rename them too? Like Legendary Spells?   Thanks!
#2 Syltorian Mar 28, 2014 7:51:23	I'm not lawyer, but I believe that at least part of the question is whether you intend to make any money with this. If so, you'll need to step very carefully around WotC copyright as artifact spells were not included in the OGL. Since you intend to publish - you mention a 3PP imprint - I assume this is the case. As to how far you need to get away from the SoX spells (and the article in Dragon Magazine adding, I think, 4 more), that's open to interpretation: interpretation is what makes jurisprudence so interesting and what makes laywers and judges necessary. In the extreme case, even asking here shows you want to immitate non-OGL material and could be used against you, I'd say.   Beyond that, I hope that someone with legal experience can offer you some advise, and maybe this post bumps the thread enough for them to become aware of it (as the boards show new answers in red colour, but does not mark new threads in any way).   That said, I'd really like to see more Artifact Spells. They're a great idea, but came unfortuntately too late to be much used (there was, as mentioned, a Dragon article, in a giant-themed issue), and I can't really figure out how they are balanced against all the other spells.
#3 Beoric Mar 28, 2014 16:42:06	Hmm, I work in a different jurisdiction, but I'm pretty sure they can enforce their intellectual property rights even if you don't make money from the infringement.  And they take it pretty seriously, too, given teh experiences of certain individuals who even mention in the forums the name of a certain piece of software used to add custom content to the Legacy Character Builder.  And if the OGL doesn't allow it (and I haven't read it to find out), I don't think changing the names of the spells is going to cut it.  You need better advice than you are likely to get for free in the forum.