Question regarding GSL and New Campaign Settings - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Question regarding GSL and New Campaign Settings

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
samael_aod
Dec 15, 2011 23:10:58 I am not entirely sure on whether or not this has been asked before. I can already see some of you shaking your heads, but I would like an answer on this if that is at all possible:

I am working on a new setting for the 4th Edition of Dungeons and Dragons. In the spirit of staying within the GSL, I definitely have a lot of new things. Following in the vein of the currently existing licensed Settings, I described how the races in my setting work. Nothing of mechanical value is changed here, only the "Fluff" has been modified.

For example, The PHB mentions that Elves are "Wild and Free", and that they use "stealth and deadly arrows". In my setting the elves are a race of arcane masters (and their brethren the Eladrin are a result of an experiment gone awry).

By chaning the nature of the race, have I violated the GSL? If so, what changes can I make to ensure that I am not.

I have also created "Sub-Races" of Humans. These being caegories that are only superficial in that they describe that person's physical traits, garb, and behavior. By creating this flavor, am I an violation of the GSL?
#2
SerenaDawn
Dec 16, 2011 0:58:31 TECHNICALLY, an argument can be made that you have. That being said, I sincerly doubt anyone at WOTC will do anything about it. What I did with Amethyst is rename my elves by referring to them as something else. If WOTC has defined elf, then you can make "Moon Elf" or "Inconsequential Elf" or "Trekker Elf". Amethyst dropped the elf from "damaskan elf" and just kept to calling them "damaskan". Instea of fey, we call them fae. There are simple ways around it. They don't own all definitions of pointed-ear fairy creatures, only that term.
#3
samael_aod
Dec 26, 2011 11:33:22 Alright, that explains a lot better than trying to interpret legal terminology. So for example, the Elves in my setting are Illuviani, (Enlightened Ones) and the Eladrin are Soriani (Tainted Ones). Now Drow are my next major worry. If I change the name of them, is that stepping on toes, or should I just keep them as the Drow or "Dark Elves".

Now regarding humans, I read in the FORGOTTEN REALMS CAMPAIGN GUIDE that there are certain denominations of Humans based on their origin. In my setting, is these denominations do not have any mechanical applications, they just have to do with things such as skin color, hair color, and cultural aspects (All of which are "fluff"). This I am fairly sure is all original material, so it does not go against the GSL.

My next question is regarding the creation of regional backgrounds (much like those in FRCG). Each of the regions offers a benefit, and carries with it some backstory. Since this "adds content" and does not "change what already exists", this is not a violation of GSL, correct?
#4
Matt_James
Jan 03, 2012 17:49:02 Elf is not protected. It comes from mythology. The same goes with how you describe them.

Remember, consult a law professional for any concrete advice. My attorney has a colum on my site that has some of his rantings. He's an IP attorney by trade.

loremaster.org/content.php/123-protectio...
#5
The_Jester
Jan 06, 2012 10:15:54
Elf is not protected. It comes from mythology. The same goes with how you describe them.

Remember, consult a law professional for any concrete advice. My attorney has a colum on my site that has some of his rantings. He's an IP attorney by trade.

loremaster.org/content.php/123-protectio...

Except that by using the GSL to gain access to the some of WotC's protected IP and related logos you have to abide by their term, hence the "license" aspect. And one of their stipulations is not redefining terms, which means no changed rules and no reflavoured races. You can only add overtop.
#6
bone_naga
Jan 06, 2012 11:08:17
Elf is not protected. It comes from mythology. The same goes with how you describe them.

Remember, consult a law professional for any concrete advice. My attorney has a colum on my site that has some of his rantings. He's an IP attorney by trade.

loremaster.org/content.php/123-protectio...

Except that by using the GSL to gain access to the some of WotC's protected IP and related logos you have to abide by their term, hence the "license" aspect. And one of their stipulations is not redefining terms, which means no changed rules and no reflavoured races. You can only add overtop.

True, he would have to either name it something other than elves, or even make them an elf subrace (like arcane elves), or just not use the GSL.
#7
vlazreus
Jan 08, 2012 18:46:59
I am not entirely sure on whether or not this has been asked before. I can already see some of you shaking your heads, but I would like an answer on this if that is at all possible:

I am working on a new setting for the 4th Edition of Dungeons and Dragons. In the spirit of staying within the GSL, I definitely have a lot of new things. Following in the vein of the currently existing licensed Settings, I described how the races in my setting work. Nothing of mechanical value is changed here, only the "Fluff" has been modified.

For example, The PHB mentions that Elves are "Wild and Free", and that they use "stealth and deadly arrows". In my setting the elves are a race of arcane masters (and their brethren the Eladrin are a result of an experiment gone awry).

By chaning the nature of the race, have I violated the GSL? If so, what changes can I make to ensure that I am not.

I have also created "Sub-Races" of Humans. These being caegories that are only superficial in that they describe that person's physical traits, garb, and behavior. By creating this flavor, am I an violation of the GSL?

This thread is useful to me as well. I'm working on creating a new gameworld, and I've rather dramitcally re-tooled elves (still very definately elves, but not as the exact way they've been pigeon holed for WOTC), orcs (I've diversified them to run gamut from the twisted tolkein-ish ones to ones more like those found in wow) totally scrapped and replaced all dieties, all Demons (and therein removed the distinciton between demon and devil. also have 14 hells instead of nine) the way elementals and elemental planes and such is also built completely from scratch. races such as halflings and gnomes don't exist, Tieflings and Dragonborn never had an ancient empire, lots of differences like that, because I built my world and its story largely from scratch, and while it stays easily within genre conventions, I am left with the impression that it may not work with the GSL.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 samael_aod Dec 15, 2011 23:10:58	I am not entirely sure on whether or not this has been asked before. I can already see some of you shaking your heads, but I would like an answer on this if that is at all possible: I am working on a new setting for the 4th Edition of Dungeons and Dragons. In the spirit of staying within the GSL, I definitely have a lot of new things. Following in the vein of the currently existing licensed Settings, I described how the races in my setting work. Nothing of mechanical value is changed here, only the "Fluff" has been modified. For example, The PHB mentions that Elves are "Wild and Free", and that they use "stealth and deadly arrows". In my setting the elves are a race of arcane masters (and their brethren the Eladrin are a result of an experiment gone awry). By chaning the nature of the race, have I violated the GSL? If so, what changes can I make to ensure that I am not. I have also created "Sub-Races" of Humans. These being caegories that are only superficial in that they describe that person's physical traits, garb, and behavior. By creating this flavor, am I an violation of the GSL?
#2 SerenaDawn Dec 16, 2011 0:58:31	TECHNICALLY, an argument can be made that you have. That being said, I sincerly doubt anyone at WOTC will do anything about it. What I did with Amethyst is rename my elves by referring to them as something else. If WOTC has defined elf, then you can make "Moon Elf" or "Inconsequential Elf" or "Trekker Elf". Amethyst dropped the elf from "damaskan elf" and just kept to calling them "damaskan". Instea of fey, we call them fae. There are simple ways around it. They don't own all definitions of pointed-ear fairy creatures, only that term.
#3 samael_aod Dec 26, 2011 11:33:22	Alright, that explains a lot better than trying to interpret legal terminology. So for example, the Elves in my setting are Illuviani, (Enlightened Ones) and the Eladrin are Soriani (Tainted Ones). Now Drow are my next major worry. If I change the name of them, is that stepping on toes, or should I just keep them as the Drow or "Dark Elves". Now regarding humans, I read in the FORGOTTEN REALMS CAMPAIGN GUIDE that there are certain denominations of Humans based on their origin. In my setting, is these denominations do not have any mechanical applications, they just have to do with things such as skin color, hair color, and cultural aspects (All of which are "fluff"). This I am fairly sure is all original material, so it does not go against the GSL. My next question is regarding the creation of regional backgrounds (much like those in FRCG). Each of the regions offers a benefit, and carries with it some backstory. Since this "adds content" and does not "change what already exists", this is not a violation of GSL, correct?
#4 Matt_James Jan 03, 2012 17:49:02	Elf is not protected. It comes from mythology. The same goes with how you describe them. Remember, consult a law professional for any concrete advice. My attorney has a colum on my site that has some of his rantings. He's an IP attorney by trade. loremaster.org/content.php/123-protectio...
#5 The_Jester Jan 06, 2012 10:15:54	Elf is not protected. It comes from mythology. The same goes with how you describe them. Remember, consult a law professional for any concrete advice. My attorney has a colum on my site that has some of his rantings. He's an IP attorney by trade. loremaster.org/content.php/123-protectio... Except that by using the GSL to gain access to the some of WotC's protected IP and related logos you have to abide by their term, hence the "license" aspect. And one of their stipulations is not redefining terms, which means no changed rules and no reflavoured races. You can only add overtop.
#6 bone_naga Jan 06, 2012 11:08:17	Elf is not protected. It comes from mythology. The same goes with how you describe them. Remember, consult a law professional for any concrete advice. My attorney has a colum on my site that has some of his rantings. He's an IP attorney by trade. loremaster.org/content.php/123-protectio... Except that by using the GSL to gain access to the some of WotC's protected IP and related logos you have to abide by their term, hence the "license" aspect. And one of their stipulations is not redefining terms, which means no changed rules and no reflavoured races. You can only add overtop. True, he would have to either name it something other than elves, or even make them an elf subrace (like arcane elves), or just not use the GSL.
#7 vlazreus Jan 08, 2012 18:46:59	I am not entirely sure on whether or not this has been asked before. I can already see some of you shaking your heads, but I would like an answer on this if that is at all possible: I am working on a new setting for the 4th Edition of Dungeons and Dragons. In the spirit of staying within the GSL, I definitely have a lot of new things. Following in the vein of the currently existing licensed Settings, I described how the races in my setting work. Nothing of mechanical value is changed here, only the "Fluff" has been modified. For example, The PHB mentions that Elves are "Wild and Free", and that they use "stealth and deadly arrows". In my setting the elves are a race of arcane masters (and their brethren the Eladrin are a result of an experiment gone awry). By chaning the nature of the race, have I violated the GSL? If so, what changes can I make to ensure that I am not. I have also created "Sub-Races" of Humans. These being caegories that are only superficial in that they describe that person's physical traits, garb, and behavior. By creating this flavor, am I an violation of the GSL? This thread is useful to me as well. I'm working on creating a new gameworld, and I've rather dramitcally re-tooled elves (still very definately elves, but not as the exact way they've been pigeon holed for WOTC), orcs (I've diversified them to run gamut from the twisted tolkein-ish ones to ones more like those found in wow) totally scrapped and replaced all dieties, all Demons (and therein removed the distinciton between demon and devil. also have 14 hells instead of nine) the way elementals and elemental planes and such is also built completely from scratch. races such as halflings and gnomes don't exist, Tieflings and Dragonborn never had an ancient empire, lots of differences like that, because I built my world and its story largely from scratch, and while it stays easily within genre conventions, I am left with the impression that it may not work with the GSL.