Let me ask another question. Does Pazio Publishing receive 100% profits off of their Pathfinder game? This is essentially D&D 3.5e correct? If so doesn’t this mean one could borrow heavily from D&D and still make money?
Any and all discussion would be appreciated.
Thank you
Nyde
If, on the other hand, you have healing surges, at-will/encounter/daily/utility powers, AC/reflex/fortitude/will defenses, str/dex/con/int/wis/cha ability scores...well you get the idea, then you might be in some trouble.
EDIT: As to your other question, yes if you created this game legally, you would be entitled to all the profits. The OGL lets you reprint the entire SRD if you want (and a number of games were created this way using 3.5 mechanics). The GSL is a lot more restrictive, however. They are two very different licenses.
You're being way too vague to offer anything constructive. If your game involved rolling a d20 and adding modifiers to beat a target score, that is fine. If you can play a fighter or wizard or thief and slay demon, dragons, orcs, and goblins, thats fine.
If, on the other hand, you have healing surges, at-will/encounter/daily/utility powers, AC/reflex/fortitude/will defenses, str/dex/con/int/wis/cha ability scores...well you get the idea, then you might be in some trouble.
EDIT: As to your other question, yes if you created this game legally, you would be entitled to all the profits. The OGL lets you reprint the entire SRD if you want (and a number of games were created this way using 3.5 mechanics). The GSL is a lot more restrictive, however. They are two very different licenses.
Thanks you. You basically answered my questions. I wanted to be Vague as to entice a broad discussion without letting the cat out of the bag as it were.
;)
I wonder if WotC (Hasbro) would consider profit sharing for use of some of their IP? ie using mobs like the Beholder. Moreover, the OGL lets you reprint the SRD but would it let you borrow bits and pieces from it?
I wonder if WotC (Hasbro) would consider profit sharing for use of some of their IP? ie using mobs like the Beholder.
Extremely doubtful, and not without an explicit license to do so.
Moreover, the OGL lets you reprint the SRD but would it let you borrow bits and pieces from it?
As long as you abide by the terms of the OGL, you can utilize OGL content. The OGL isn't just something that lets you reprint the SRD, and there's far more OGL content out there than just the SRD.
What benefit does Hasbro gain from having the OGL if someone can use it to borrow parts of the D&D system to make their own game and sell it for profit?
Because most people that buy material for the d20 system are going to use it with D&D, which encourages people to buy D&D. I believe I remember reading somewhere that it was primarily intended for adventures and niche products, which encourage people to play the game, but aren't profitable enough for WotC to devote manpower to over other products.
I think the side effect of companies taking the SRD and creating their own games (of which most were virtually identical to 3e anyway) was mostly an unforeseen consequence. I believe that was what prompted the stricter terms of the GSL (which I believe is far too strict, I mean you can't reprint a monster stat block as part of the adventure, and if you want to modify a stat block you can only print the modified portions, forcing the DM to reference two different sources at once, wtf?).
Even so, however, D&D dominates the RPG market. In general, when RPG sales are up, D&D sales are up, so anything promoting RPGs in general will also help promote D&D. Also, since these games were produced with 3e's game system, many people (such as myself) bought these products simply for more material for their own D&D games, which benefits WotC.
Because most people that buy material for the d20 system are going to use it with D&D, which encourages people to buy D&D. I believe I remember reading somewhere that it was primarily intended for adventures and niche products, which encourage people to play the game, but aren't profitable enough for WotC to devote manpower to over other products.
I think the side effect of companies taking the SRD and creating their own games (of which most were virtually identical to 3e anyway) was mostly an unforeseen consequence. I believe that was what prompted the stricter terms of the GSL (which I believe is far too strict, I mean you can't reprint a monster stat block as part of the adventure, and if you want to modify a stat block you can only print the modified portions, forcing the DM to reference two different sources at once, wtf?).
Even so, however, D&D dominates the RPG market. In general, when RPG sales are up, D&D sales are up, so anything promoting RPGs in general will also help promote D&D. Also, since these games were produced with 3e's game system, many people (such as myself) bought these products simply for more material for their own D&D games, which benefits WotC.
Actually, that may have been an intent, as well - if a system is open, there's the probability that more people will learn to use it, and that drives sales to the system - regardless of the imitators.
Dancey has a very big write-up on the concept somewhere out there...
So then my conclusion from your insight is that under the OGL another company could create a stand-alone game that borrowed concepts from both the 3e and 4e base systems as long as you did not steal stat blocks, actual excepts, IP (such as the Beholder), and such. Is this correct?
Nothing in 4E is covered under the OGL. 4E is covered under the GSL, and I believe there's an explicit restriction on mixing GSL and OGL content when releasing under the GSL.
As far as utilizing the OGL - a number of companies have produced stand-alone games/systems. Mutants & Masterminds and Spycraft come quickly to mind.
So then my conclusion from your insight is that under the OGL another company could create a stand-alone game that borrowed concepts from both the 3e and 4e base systems as long as you did not steal stat blocks, actual excepts, IP (such as the Beholder), and such. Is this correct?
If you are talking about the 4e system, you also cannot print any rules for creating characters or applying experience to characters. Which makes it hard to create your own system.
This is intentional.
As to your other question, yes if you created this game legally, you would be entitled to all the profits. The OGL lets you reprint the entire SRD if you want (and a number of games were created this way using 3.5 mechanics). The GSL is a lot more restrictive, however. They are two very different licenses.
My question falls along the same lines, but I would like a bit more clarification. I understand how the GSL works, but with the OGL I could create my own game that uses the 3e system (combat and skills) with my own races, equipment and so on? I have been reading up as much as I can to make sure I know what I can and can't use. I assume since Spycraft and other games like it use the system its ok to do this.
My question falls along the same lines, but I would like a bit more clarification. I understand how the GSL works, but with the OGL I could create my own game that uses the 3e system (combat and skills) with my own races, equipment and so on? I have been reading up as much as I can to make sure I know what I can and can't use. I assume since Spycraft and other games like it use the system its ok to do this.
The SRD (a collection of content that WotC released under the OGL, and containing quite a bit of game content such as spells, feats, etc.) can be combined with your own game mechanics to produce a standalone game. You can freely use this content, provided you obey the terms of the OGL under which it was released.
For the most part, you can use similar or virtually identical mechanics to what is known as "The D20 System", however, you cannot directly copy the expression of those mechanics from copyrighted sources.
Spycraft is a good example of the above - for all intents and purposes, it's what we know as D20, or D20 Modern, but it's got it's own spin on things, and is a protected expression itself.
.