For those that haven't been following it, some information about the future of 4E OGL have leaked out.

There is no "OGL" anymore. It's called, Game System License (GSL) now.

There are some interesting conclusions being drawn...

1) GSL will allow supplements, not core books. This means no True20 4E type book. No Arcana Unearthed. No SRD reprints. Basically, the thought is that the PHB is the only core book, there won't be alternative D20 4E PHB type books anymore.

2) GSL and 3.5 OGL/OGC won't be compatible. It's one or the other, which may prove to be a problem 4E update products like stuff Green Ronion put out.

3) Refocus on D&D and not alternative themes. Not using the rules to create future settings, modern settings, etc. that doesn't work with the D&D theme but instead a focus on sword & sorcery/hack & slash gaming.

I wouldn't be surprised if 1 wasn't dead on. I'd wonder about 2, there's a lot of 3/3.5 stuff that would never see it into 4e then and that might cause people to stay with 3.5. Since I didn't do anything aside from D20 Star Wars & Modern, I don't care about option 3. Though it does mean no 4E updates for licensed stuff like Stargate, Babylon 5, or whatever else out there that used d20 that people liked.

There are some interesting conclusions being drawn...

... by whom? People in the gaming industry who have seen it, or people who have internet access and a bone to pick?

SirUrza wrote:

There are some interesting conclusions being drawn...

... by whom? People in the gaming industry who have seen it, or people who have internet access and a bone to pick?

Neither, actually.

Conclusion, no. Reasonable guess, yes. Discussing things WotC has outright said, yes. Discussing fears, yes. But we have nothing conclusive until we see the GLS itself.

Allow me to sift through what we do have:

1) GSL will allow supplements, not core books. This means no True20 4E type book. No Arcana Unearthed. No SRD reprints. Basically, the thought is that the PHB is the only core book, there won't be alternative D20 4E PHB type books anymore.

Will the GSL allow supplements? We don't know. Its a hope, and it is a guess, but at the end of the day, WotC has said nothing that will indicate this one way or the other. Will it allow other core books (true20, etc)? No. WotC has outright said this. Granted, WotC isn't exactly the most honest of companies so it is possible this may change. I doubt it, but it could.

2) GSL and 3.5 OGL/OGC won't be compatible. It's one or the other, which may prove to be a problem 4E update products like stuff Green Ronion put out.

This is a guess and a fear. Nothing more. We have no conclusive, hard information on this. All talk on this up until my writing is all speculative and common-fear based.

3) Refocus on D&D and not alternative themes. Not using the rules to create future settings, modern settings, etc. that doesn't work with the D&D theme but instead a focus on sword & sorcery/hack & slash gaming.

This, we do not even have enough information to form a guess on. Can someone make a Campaign Setting that has no magic, takes place in midevil europe, and follows a mythical english king, maybe. Can someone make a setting that takes place in colonial america that uses both magic and guns, maybe. How about a non-magical, western themed game? Maybe. We don't have enough information to even form a guess.

Sure you can make a campaign setting, but if it's a setting that requires say a computer person, or a gunslinger... core D&D classes don't fit. You can't come up with alternative core books. :P

Sure you can make a campaign setting, but if it's a setting that requires say a computer person, or a gunslinger... core D&D classes don't fit. You can't come up with alternative core books. :P

For now this seems ... this is all just speculation ... seems to be the case but Wizards has said that there also may be some form of license for alternate styles of play.

Sure you can make a campaign setting

Unless you can provide a link of someone from Wizards saying you can, I'm sticking with, "They have said nothing to indicate you can, one way or the other."

Sure you can make a campaign setting, but if it's a setting that requires say a computer person, or a gunslinger... core D&D classes don't fit. You can't come up with alternative core books. :P

SirUrza, are you saying that the restriction on no core books is the same as saying no base (1-30) classes because they are in the core book?

With that logic wouldn't it mean that you couldn't make any more feats? Those are in the core books. No new spells? Those are in the core books. No new armor or weapons? Those are in the core books.

That just doesn't make sense to me.

I would think a restriction on core books would prevent someone from revamping the base rule set. So no completely new combat mechanics. Etc.

I suppose it could also be that it has to allow the core classes from the PHB, but that could get... odd...

We'll see I guess...

Sean Mahoney

Sure you can make a campaign setting

Unless you can provide a link of someone from Wizards saying you can, I'm sticking with, "They have said nothing to indicate you can, one way or the other."

Without links to back up the very first post, this is really kind of pointless. To present an interpretation (or a collection of "what the community has said with no input from any authoritative source") as some kind of compilation of facts is just silly. :)

SirUrza wrote:

Sure you can make a campaign setting, but if it's a setting that requires say a computer person, or a gunslinger... core D&D classes don't fit. You can't come up with alternative core books. :P

SirUrza, are you saying that the restriction on no core books is the same as saying no base (1-30) classes because they are in the core book?

With that logic wouldn't it mean that you couldn't make any more feats? Those are in the core books. No new spells? Those are in the core books. No new armor or weapons? Those are in the core books.
That just doesn't make sense to me.
I would think a restriction on core books would prevent someone from revamping the base rule set. So no completely new combat mechanics. Etc.
I suppose it could also be that it has to allow the core classes from the PHB, but that could get... odd...
We'll see I guess...
Sean Mahoney

I think you are mixing two different things he was talking about.

I believe he did suggest that supplemental material would be allowed.

I seem to recall that it's been said that whatever material the OGL is used with hence forth *needs* to require the core three books to function. Thus I've heard no d20srd as we've seen, which I think is something of a poor call, but oh well. We indeed shall have to see.