| BaldDwarf |
I'm developing a game using PFRPG's PRD, and have done some research about what I could and couldn't use from the PRD content (rpg forums, including this one and a few answers by Paizo staff themselves).
The general conclusion, so far, is that content on the PRD site can be used under the OGL.
One specific part of it, with content from the GameMastery Guide, the Planar Adventures, is giving me a little headache...
The Abaddon definition, as an example, contains what I think would be considered IP, talking about the source of the River Styx, etc.
It's not new content, however, so I'm guessing the staff had enough time to think about this piece.
My questions, for clarification, is:
1. Considering that the PRD has a whole page about PFRPG planes, including their names and, well, "geography", everything in that page can be used as long as I follow the OGL (eg Abaddon as a Neutral Evil plane, The Abyss as a Chaotic Evil plane, maybe River Styx, etc.)?
Planar adventures shouldn't come soon for my game, but it would be good to know, when/if eventually I reach something beyond the Material Plane, if I could make a River Styx flowing through the planes and even bring some textual descriptions from the PRD about that on my gamepedia...
I would still have to build my own pantheon, etc., but having a basic setup for the planes would save me some time.
About the gamepedia concept, a second question comes up. The basics of the gamepedia would the PRD itself, with the proper "Section 15: Copyright Notice" at the end of each entry. It would eventually contain modifications relative to the game own's small campaign setting, but at first it would be pretty chunks of PRD text. The question:
2. Displaying parts of the PRD *textual descriptions* (race, class, planes, rules, etc.) should be allowed as long as I put Section 15 together with it. Is that correct?
Thanks in advance. For indie game developers brave enough to implement 3.5/PFRPG rules, the PRD is a huge asset.
In the end, I hope, even without using "Pathfinder", "Golarion" names, etc, by using the PRD under OGL, my project and those of other people should end up bringing at least a few more views, clicks and purchases for you guys, thus supporting the whole open model.
The basic game concept would be:
- a 2d roguelike with RPG elements (or maybe an RPG with tons of procedural content, in a roguelike manner);
- party based, I'm thinking about 4 members;
- based on open content both for multimedia assets and the rules (OpenGameArt et al + PFRPG PRD);
- lots of text. really. Half the PRD should be there in the end.
- the game should be free to play at first (but close-sourced), supporting some type of capitalization in the future (maybe it stays free forever, but I like to think someday it could also give me some pennies back).
* I will put a screen shot of the character creation draft soonish, as it shows something like the gamepedia/display of PRD texts I've talked about.