Feywild, Shadowfell, and Usage - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Feywild, Shadowfell, and Usage

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
jacksmithiv
Aug 23, 2008 10:07:28 Hey there!

Alright, I'm new to this, so I'll ask your forgiveness for my ignorance on this matter...

One of the things I noticed about the SRD is that it doesn't have many of the fluff-terms listed, for example the planes. I don't see the Astral Sea, Elemental Chaos, Feywild, or Shadowfell. You see them in other items, such as "Shadowfell Gloves" or "feywild resistance", but I assumed you can only use those as defined as part of that perticular term's usage. I understand that the names of the planes for example, are WotC IP's, but this is pretty limiting, no?

For example, say I wanted to write an adventure where the player's travel to an Eladrin city in the Feywild. It seems that since these aren't listed in the SRD, I can't really say that the Eladrin city is in the Feywild, because I'm not given usage of the Feywild by the SRD. In addition, I can't really give my Eladrin NPC's any feywild-oriented backstory.

Or can I?

Can I use the planes and other IPs as part of a published adventure module? And in what capacity? As said in the DMG, the feywild has access points from the world that can shift in and out of percievable existance. Can I use that as part of my published module, or would that be violation of the IP?

Thanks for the help, and for reviewing my question!

-IV
#2
dmparagon
Aug 23, 2008 14:51:58 As of right now, it will have to mostly come from your brain. "The Planes" is in the works, but it will be a while before we see it.
#3
jacksmithiv
Aug 23, 2008 17:56:44 But I'm not concerned about having to write new content, I'm concerned with the usage of the terms legally. The actual terms. It comes down, basically, to the question of

"If I use the term _______(Feywild, Shadowfell, etc), am I in violation of the GSL"

-IV
#4
fatumd20
Aug 25, 2008 8:24:23 Techincally, yes because it is not in the SRD. When you are operating under the GSL, you may only use the SRD when duplicating names and such. Fluff text like Feywild and Shadowfell are not in the SRD and therefore, cannot be used in your own document. You will have to come up with your own creation.

That's my understand of it anyhow.
#5
umbralknight
Aug 25, 2008 10:13:15 The handy thing is that you can just stick labels like "netherworld", or "shadowlands", or "underworld" or "hades" or whatever over the name Shadowfell. These fit the bill fine, and aren't owned by anyone.
#6
jraynack
Aug 25, 2008 15:38:42
The handy thing is that you can just stick labels like "netherworld", or "shadowlands", or "underworld" or "hades" or whatever over the name Shadowfell. These fit the bill fine, and aren't owned by anyone.

Umbral Knight has sound advice - use something similiar so others know what you write about - Fey Wilds, Fairy Wyld, or Feywylds, are other terms you might safely use.
#7
epochgames
Aug 25, 2008 16:32:43 This was one of the questions sitting in Linae's mailbox and I hope it was passed onto Scott and the rest of the team for clarification, because there are specific mentions of Feywild and Shadowlands in the SRD, but the terms themselves are not defined.
#8
The_Jester
Aug 27, 2008 8:05:55 Like other terms (such as mind flayer) it's not part of the SRD and is being held as WotC's intellectual property. All the Planes are.
So if making a 3rd Party product you can choose to rename the plane (some suggestions already posted above) or make your own cosmology.
#9
epochgames
Aug 27, 2008 15:55:27
Like other terms (such as mind flayer) it's not part of the SRD and is being held as WotC's intellectual property. All the Planes are.
So if making a 3rd Party product you can choose to rename the plane (some suggestions already posted above) or make your own cosmology.

This would seem to be the case at an initial glance, but if it were accurate, why would other terms be listed in the current SRD such as Feywild Protection, Cloak of feywild escape, Shadowfell gloves, and more? They are, at best, allowing at least partial use of the terms and at worst made a horrible oversight in the SRD.

It would be nice if Scott would at least let us know if this is being taken into consideration with the revisions, if he cannot directly answer it at this point in time.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 jacksmithiv Aug 23, 2008 10:07:28	Hey there! Alright, I'm new to this, so I'll ask your forgiveness for my ignorance on this matter... One of the things I noticed about the SRD is that it doesn't have many of the fluff-terms listed, for example the planes. I don't see the Astral Sea, Elemental Chaos, Feywild, or Shadowfell. You see them in other items, such as "Shadowfell Gloves" or "feywild resistance", but I assumed you can only use those as defined as part of that perticular term's usage. I understand that the names of the planes for example, are WotC IP's, but this is pretty limiting, no? For example, say I wanted to write an adventure where the player's travel to an Eladrin city in the Feywild. It seems that since these aren't listed in the SRD, I can't really say that the Eladrin city is in the Feywild, because I'm not given usage of the Feywild by the SRD. In addition, I can't really give my Eladrin NPC's any feywild-oriented backstory. Or can I? Can I use the planes and other IPs as part of a published adventure module? And in what capacity? As said in the DMG, the feywild has access points from the world that can shift in and out of percievable existance. Can I use that as part of my published module, or would that be violation of the IP? Thanks for the help, and for reviewing my question! -IV
#2 dmparagon Aug 23, 2008 14:51:58	As of right now, it will have to mostly come from your brain. "The Planes" is in the works, but it will be a while before we see it.
#3 jacksmithiv Aug 23, 2008 17:56:44	But I'm not concerned about having to write new content, I'm concerned with the usage of the terms legally. The actual terms. It comes down, basically, to the question of "If I use the term _______(Feywild, Shadowfell, etc), am I in violation of the GSL" -IV
#4 fatumd20 Aug 25, 2008 8:24:23	Techincally, yes because it is not in the SRD. When you are operating under the GSL, you may only use the SRD when duplicating names and such. Fluff text like Feywild and Shadowfell are not in the SRD and therefore, cannot be used in your own document. You will have to come up with your own creation. That's my understand of it anyhow.
#5 umbralknight Aug 25, 2008 10:13:15	The handy thing is that you can just stick labels like "netherworld", or "shadowlands", or "underworld" or "hades" or whatever over the name Shadowfell. These fit the bill fine, and aren't owned by anyone.
#6 jraynack Aug 25, 2008 15:38:42	The handy thing is that you can just stick labels like "netherworld", or "shadowlands", or "underworld" or "hades" or whatever over the name Shadowfell. These fit the bill fine, and aren't owned by anyone. Umbral Knight has sound advice - use something similiar so others know what you write about - Fey Wilds, Fairy Wyld, or Feywylds, are other terms you might safely use.
#7 epochgames Aug 25, 2008 16:32:43	This was one of the questions sitting in Linae's mailbox and I hope it was passed onto Scott and the rest of the team for clarification, because there are specific mentions of Feywild and Shadowlands in the SRD, but the terms themselves are not defined.
#8 The_Jester Aug 27, 2008 8:05:55	Like other terms (such as mind flayer) it's not part of the SRD and is being held as WotC's intellectual property. All the Planes are. So if making a 3rd Party product you can choose to rename the plane (some suggestions already posted above) or make your own cosmology.
#9 epochgames Aug 27, 2008 15:55:27	Like other terms (such as mind flayer) it's not part of the SRD and is being held as WotC's intellectual property. All the Planes are. So if making a 3rd Party product you can choose to rename the plane (some suggestions already posted above) or make your own cosmology. This would seem to be the case at an initial glance, but if it were accurate, why would other terms be listed in the current SRD such as Feywild Protection, Cloak of feywild escape, Shadowfell gloves, and more? They are, at best, allowing at least partial use of the terms and at worst made a horrible oversight in the SRD. It would be nice if Scott would at least let us know if this is being taken into consideration with the revisions, if he cannot directly answer it at this point in time.