Dash Jones's page

Mikaze wrote:

That rival adventuring party sounds like a nice callback to the first Osirion-based module. :)

I was thinking the same thing.

The plot description sounds a little similar to J1 and J4.

Are there similarities or some connection?

(of course, there were some similarities in description between RoW and the Witchwar Legacy and they were very different in actuality, so it could just be a description thing).

Yeah. The problem with putting "OGL" on something is that while people can assume you mean d20- and/or Pathfinder-compatible it doesn't in actuality mean that. Any game system, even one built completely from scratch and unrelated to 3.5, can be published using the OGL license. I can go built a new RPG tomorrow that uses D6 rolls and three attributes, and attach the OGL license to it. Thus, it's an OGL product without being compatible in any way shape or form with d20. There are actually a few systems out there that do just that (Mongoose's Runequest variants, for example.)

"The 3.5 SRD" or "PFSRD" are a lot more accurate in terms of letting people know what system it was built with, but also rely on people knowing what those mean. The average poster on these boards likely does, but the average player is another matter. The licensing of course expressly forbids you from putting the trademarked words on there which the average buyer would understand, and for a good reason.

Personally, I believe you're better off selling something that works with and requires the Pathfinder core rulebook (and you can do that even if you don't use the core classes and completely replace them, or if you write your own combat chapter, as long as you require *something* from the core rulebook. For the d20 license it was the attribute rolls in character creation and the experience table, I think, while Pathfinder doesn't specify anything in particular), because you get a shiny Pathfinder logo that'll help sell more copies.

A standalone rulebook may seem more attractive in that people are more likely to buy it knowing they don't need anything else, but you also lose the exposure. I think enough people already have a Pathfinder rulebook that you'll not have to worry about limiting your audience by requiring it.

The licences, obviously, are built that way for precisely that purpose.

Looking back at a little recent RPG history, Mongoose used the d20 logo license to their advantage by first releasing products...

Thank you very much, that is extremely helpful, and thanks for the advice as well.

Dash Jones wrote:

Quote:

Anything we've declared as Open Game Content in our products, though, is available under the OGL... but note that the OGL specifically restricts you from using "any ... trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity", or from "indicat[ing] compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered Trademark."

Which means you can't use trademarks like Pathfinder or Paizo in connection with your app (except for citing your sources of Open Game Content in your OGL Section 15 Copyright Notice). (Using the non-trademarked term "PFRPG" is legal.)

So this is where I get the questioning about it, I suppose this is more succinct.

If I understand the faq correctly, wouldn't that mean I could use the PRD on it, or would it be PFRPG that I'd have to use as a term...such as...

if it were on a module...utilize the PFRPG (or PRD if that is allowed) with this adventure! and such.

Or with a game system under the OGL rules using the Open Game items from the PRD...acknowledging the usage by stating...based upon the PRD, or PFRPG...as the moniker.

OF course all items also would require the OGL along with the Paizo license additions in the back of the modules or game system.

As others have said, there is no such thing as 'PRD compatible'. I think maybe you are getting your terms wrong? The PRD is Paizo's free online reference for the main Pathfinder RPG rules. If you want to publish something that uses, and is compatible with the Pathfinder RPG, you need to use the Pathfinder Compatibility License, which has been linked to above. It does not cost anything and is not overly restrictive.

Does that help?

I think I got the answer. I CANNOT print what I am thinking under the Pathfinder Compatibility license as it expressely forbids the creation of a new rules system, even if it is designed off the PRD.

However, under the OGL, which the PRD is under, it allows the game systems along with any ensuing adventures/modules to be published.

Since I know the game design is legal under the OGL, I'm looking to see how one would indicate it was organized using the PRD instead as there are differences between the original OGL which was for 3e/3.5 and the PRD which are both under the OGL.

Anything we've declared as Open Game Content in our products, though, is available under the OGL... but note that the OGL specifically restricts you from using "any ... trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity", or from "indicat[ing] compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered Trademark."

Which means you can't use trademarks like Pathfinder or Paizo in connection with your app (except for citing your sources of Open Game Content in your OGL Section 15 Copyright Notice). (Using the non-trademarked term "PFRPG" is legal.)

So this is where I get the questioning about it, I suppose this is more succinct.

If I understand the faq correctly, wouldn't that mean I could use the PRD on it, or would it be PFRPG that I'd have to use as a term...such as...

if it were on a module...utilize the PFRPG (or PRD if that is allowed) with this adventure! and such.

Or with a game system under the OGL rules using the Open Game items from the PRD...acknowledging the usage by stating...based upon the PRD, or PFRPG...as the moniker.

OF course all items also would require the OGL along with the Paizo license additions in the back of the modules or game system.

I'm not positive which forum is the best to post this, but I think this may be the one.

If I understand correctly, you can have a product which is PRD compatible for free...but to have it Pathfinder compatible you have to license it from Paizo?

So does that mean you could put on a product PRD compatible?

I'm not certain I understand completely...which is why I'm asking.

For example, if I designed an adventure or module for sale on RPGnow, and I made it PRD compatible (instead of the OGL from the 3e days) could I put on the cover PRD compatible? Do I put the license at the back and I'm good, or is there more to it?

On the otherhand, if I wanted to put Pathfinder compatible on the cover, I'd contact Paizo for the licensing of the brand name, and after paying fees, signing agreements or otherwise, then I could put it Pathfinder compatible?

Beyond the world of Golarian, and miscellaneous side rules not found in the PRD, is there a big difference between PRD compatible and Pathfinder compatible?

Or am I confusing the issue and they are the same license?

Thanks for any replies.

I'll break silence to say, the BB won me over to PF...hook line and sinker. I've gotten the Core book, Bestiary 1,2,3 and UM and UC. I've gotten all the AP's thus far (though missing one or two adventures in some due to unavailability for me, and probably going to miss one in the future) and probably about half the modules.

I suppose I'm the type they were fishing for with the BB?

This is edging into gun politics - please don't cross the line.

I apologize, I didn't mean to go into any politics at all. Just stating why I had difficulties with the real world vs. a made up one.

As stated previously, I hope everyone who WANTS this to have a great time, I'll probably wait to see what the reviewers say and how it is in truth. As of this time though, I'm probably not going to buy it, but I hope that those who do enjoy the heck out of it and enjoy every last minute of it.

Unintended side effect and I'm sorry if I led to any offensive discussion. I'll go to my usual non-posting self again and sorry for any not game related disruptions that I may have caused.

ON Earth when someone gets shot with a gun and dies, thats because, generally, they are a 1st level commoner.

The PCs are a lot more than that. On Earth your 8th Level Fighter would be the equivalent of 1920s era superman.

Someone shoots the 8th fighter right in the chest with a gun, he has 85 hp, the weapon did 12 damage, to on lookers they might say... "Did you see that?? It bounced right off!"

Erm 1918 is not only 30 years from the nuke. The atom bomb which was used in Japan to hasten the end of WW2 is not a "nuke", as in world destroying, that we are 'familiar' with today.
The difference is between a fission and fusion reaction.

A 20th level sorcerer could pull off what happened in Japan in '45. Some might argue lower level casters could as well.

Having been to war with the US Army, I have seen plenty of people get "shot with a machine gun" and not instantly die. Stop watching so much TV/movies and making it 'fact' when it's not.

Oddly enough, I've served with the military too, and with the "machine guns" of today, normally they don't just die, they pretty much evaporate. The Weapons we normally use, are used on burst setting and even that is enough to kill easily enough in trained hands. In untrained hands it stands a good chance of not killing, but then again, those types wouldn't be serving in the armed services.

Artillery then and now, it doesn't matter how many "HP" you have...you will die from a hit.

And I've never seen a bullet bounce off anyone. I had an instance where I got dang lucky and it must have reflected off the protection and ended up in my clothes...but never actually bounced off.

You have an odd experience if what you relate is your experience. Normally I didn't see people shot with a machine gun, though a suppose a 50 cal could be considered one. With that, people don't just die, if they are in the path of it it's more like a bloody pulp is left than a person.

Most of the injuries of being "Shot" are normally not from trained hands, or are not of the lethal shots. Shoot someone in the head with a trained shot and most likely they are going to die. A majority of the injuries I saw on our side though were from explosives. With that, there are a LOT more injuries then dead typically. On the otherhand, normally if the other side didn't get away or give up, they were dead.

That typically was without artillery and the heavier weapons, that was without a machine gun, and with weapons utilizing a burst approach.

Nukes in Hiroshima and Nagisaki were enough to take down entire cities. You have someone with a couple dozen of those they'll kill an entire nation from radiation poisoning if nothing else.

Dash Jones wrote:

I'd expect a plague of epic proportions to come with the PC's, with NO saving throw in this aspect, and NO magical cures.

and of course, it would work the other way around...oh wait...I don't recall the new world plague that killed over half the world's population popping up in 1917-1922 time periods.

So the great influenza pandemic of 1918 was caused by travelers from Golarion!

Go here for details on the Great Pandemic.

Not big enough. Has to be bigger...well...maybe.

If you see that many adventurers have been exposed to magical diseases that are "cured" by spells...I'd imagine something there has remnants of it on them...should be relatively easy for some magical disease to pass onto someone they interact with (or are they going to kill EVERYONE in the module, including the NPC's...or will there be NO NPC's to interact with in a non-aggressive manner). That should be deadly enough that it would wipe out most of the world's population I imagine since we don't have a way to magically cure it.

IMO of course.

I hope that this is an awesome portion of the AP for those who want it, and think it might be.

If they have some thing which says...Golarian is an alternate earth or something, I could buy that. But the REAL earth, as in this one...and trying to take it seriously (It may be canon, but no one thinks it serious in regards to Greenwood and Elminister, it's more of a tongue in cheek, wink wink, type thing)...that's where I think I have a problem.

However, I think the PF writers realized that (and acknowledged this already previously in the thread) that they were worried about how this approach would be accepted.

I hope those that like it have a rip roaring awesome time with it.

Personally though, not my cup of tea. I'm one of those that aren't an AP subscriber though (NO online CC to be able to use), so I get mine via retail...and probably won't be picking up this portion of the AP myself.

I hope those that do however, enjoy it immensely.

I get you :)

I just don't like the very idea of the D&D verse spilling into the real world at all.

I normally don't post on these boards, but with this being the only AP I think I'll not play with the group should they choose too, I have to agree.

Mine reason differs from what is shown on these boards.

If they can go to Earth, Earth can go to the PF universe.

#1 - Can't suspend the imagination to that degree. IF I riddle you with a machine gun, I'm sorry, you will be dead. There is NO saving throw on that degree...if I shoot six of you, even if one gets lucky, the rest are dead.

IF they include the 20th century guns, and they are on earth, better use Earth physics...save or die for many weapons.

#2 - Those dynamics, then, should transfer over to PF. Heck, WWI is only 30 years from a nuke. Someone from Earth therefore should be able to go to Golarion and nuke the entire place in half a century. Done, dead, no more invasions. Stalin comes and destroys the entire world...no more foes from that place coming in witch dancing huts.

#3 - If a PC has access to the technology, they should be able to bring it back and create it in the PF worlds...so where the heck are the Bi-planes, Tanks, Battleships, and everything else.

IF you're going to do a crossover, it should make sense. Sense states that if you have access to tech, you bring it with you, or the possibility should exist. If you bring it with you, you should be able to conquer the whole of Golarian in half a century...since mass production of guns, tanks, planes, artillery and battleships with ranges that far outdistance most magic spells and can be used by a 1st level commoner...means that even the high level wizards will eventually succumb just due to sheer numbers.

In otherwords, once you bring modern technology into the world...unless it has the possibility to take hold in the other, it doesn't make much sense.

Afterall, once Columbus discovered the New World...they didn't just go back to the old world and forget about it...and vice versa. It changed the entire dynamic of both the Old and the New world...with the New world getting conquered by the old.

In addition, another aspect...someone that they meet in this Earth venture is BOUND to have some sort of ailment. Remember, millions died simply because the Europeans came to the New world.

I'd expect a plague of epic proportions to come with the PC's, with NO saving throw in this aspect, and NO magical cures.

and of course, it would work the other way around...oh wait...I don't recall the new world plague that killed over half the world's population popping up in 1917-1922 time periods.

So yes, the problem is when you bring the real world into one that is so far divided from it, that things become a stretch. Stretches of imagination, such as in Hellboy, and others...I can accept. But taking a world where you can survive diseases simply by making a saving throw, and the more XP you have the better chance you have of surviving (as opposed to the real world where XP is related to age and the older you get the less chance you have of surviving in many instances), or even having a party of six survive a bomb blast simply because they have such high saving throw values...

It should be deadly and quick. There's a reason guns won against the guys with swords and arrows...

So, not much of a commentator...and it doesn't bother me that there are those that like this idea...but for me...not so much.

If I remember though, what happens in an AP isn't normally set as canon (though exceptions have occurred, such as RotRL references in JR, and CotCT and other references in SS, but even then, those aren't canon, just expectations of what could have occurred in running that particular AP).

So hopefully it rocks for those that want this type of thing, but for me it doesn't have any appeal.