I've seen a few systems that kinda leave compatibility in the dust and a couple of the rules light or pre-ed. facsimiles can alter some really key components. There's things like dropping feats, skill groups, alt. magic systems, even changes to the base statistics that I've seen handled.
So it really got me wondering: how far from SRD shallows can you set your course before you're no longer in OGL waters?
Both Word of the Text and opinion answers are welcome, but try not to get too heated about systems you dislike...On that note though, what are some examples of the odder OGL systems or options you've seen floating adrift in the dice brine?
Ah, you guys are quick!
One thing that's confused me is mention of terms regarding compatibility issues like classes and ability-rolling and whatnot. If I understand correctly, those would actually be terms of trademark agreements, right? Like the d20 license or PRGCL?
I suppose there's the logistics of OGL brand recognition and all that that doesn't really fit on paper though.
Any release date on your rooster game? Are you you going for a narrativist or simulationist thingus with it?
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The classes detailed in 3.5 SRD can be used under OGL, they are open content. The ability rolling rules (along with XP advancement rules) are NOT part of the SRD.
In layman terms: you can make a game under OGL that will reprint verbatim the 3.5 SRD Fighter class (or Pathfinder Fighter class, or any other OGL class). You cannot use the Duskblade class from WotC PHB2 in the same manner, because it is not open content.
You cannot use the D&D 3.5 ability generation rules or XP advancement rules as they are not part of SRD and are not open content. You can use Pathfinder ability generation rules and XP rules because they are open content.
Confused yet ? :)
The classes detailed in 3.5 SRD can be used under OGL, they are open content. The ability rolling rules (along with XP advancement rules) are NOT part of the SRD.
In layman terms: you can make a game under OGL that will reprint verbatim the 3.5 SRD Fighter class (or Pathfinder Fighter class, or any other OGL class). You cannot use the Duskblade class from WotC PHB2 in the same manner, because it is not open content.
You cannot use the D&D 3.5 ability generation rules or XP advancement rules as they are not part of SRD and are not open content. You can use Pathfinder ability generation rules and XP rules because they are open content.
Confused yet ? :)
A small dose of confusion is always good for any modest diet.
3.5 ability score generation...ah, they're the same as the Pathfinder rules for it though. I thought the ability score thing was a condition of d20 compatibility, so you'd have to use the 4d6 drop the lowest method under the d20 agreement to fulfill the compatibility pro...provisions (had to look that one up again).
Another point that isn't so much confusing, but considering Pathfinder updated the SRD material that it used, I'm assuming use of SRD content doesn't restrict someone to the use of that content as is, right? Again, repackaging fighter as twenty different unbalanced variations may not be the best idea, but you can do it?
Sorry, I always like sussing out the boundaries of rules, classic mage/theif here.
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Like MiB said, forget the d20 license. It was revoked by WotC and it's a thing of past.
You can make twenty variations of Fighter that uses any degree of stuff from any OGL source, be it 3.5 Fighter, PF Fighter or whatever other open content class.
(But you have to invoke those OGL sources in your legal blurb).
Don't worry about the D20 license any more. It was just a license to use the D20 logo on your published work, and it's gone now.
Do you want to professionally publish game material and market it as "Pathfinder compatible"? Read this. Better yet, have your lawyer read that. Any effort I would make to summarize that would be a grave disservice if I made any mistakes.
If you're just sticking stuff on your website or making forums or generally doing anything else that isn't making you any money, read the Community Use Policy. It's pretty standard stuff as these things go; they just don't want you filching just anything off their website or stealing their logos or Photoshopping stuff or republishing huge excerpts.
I admit I've been kicking around some ideas and crunching numbers on some ideas, but publishing isn't really something I'm thinking about right now. I hope I didn't come across as one of those guys who come across as, 'Hey guys, I've got this rad idea that will totally make you burn all your other game material and you can buy it soon from Totes Rad Entertainment! I need to know everything about publishing and copyright first though!'
If I was thinking of publishing Pathfinder compatible stuff, I'd see about working with an established pub though and gain that stackable resistance bonus vs. litigation.
More importantly, working on my ideas has me looking closer at other material lately and sussing out the OGL a little better. That's brought me to a lot of design theory sites and other places where you get a lot of opinions about what an OGL game can't do or inherent problems with the usual d20 suspects applied to the OGL license in general. I wonder where a lot of those ideas fall between the boundaries of legal fine print, what people like, what has come before and just plain bias.
I looked for some threads on OGL text, concepts and culture as opposed to some anti-D&D reaction to OGL you might find in some theory circles and couldn't find one, so here we are! OGL design theory, I guess?
There used to be a OGL discussion list, with a number of industry folks as members. I don't even know if it's in existence any more. Certainly I haven't had an email from it for years. The gist of most discussions boiled down to one of these:
1. I want to write something that uses somebody else's cool IP (Intellectual Property) idea. Answer was always: don't.
2. I want to write something that adapts someone else's cool game rules. Do I have to ask permission? Answer: No, but it's polite to do so. If someone asks you not to use something, don't. Why? It's a small community.
3. Is it possible to interpret X grey area of whether something is Product Identity (As opposed to Open Content) as OGL or not? Answer: consult your lawyer.
4. How do I properly write my Section 15? Answer: read the license, and consult your lawyer. Anytime you reference someone else's Open Content, follow the license and then their declaration.
There are some discussions, mainly now about the GSL, on ENWorld that still go over OGL issues.
For ability generation, I always understood it to be the original roll 3d6 and assign in order as the only official D&D method and all others ere optional methods, even if printed in their books, and thus could be used in your own rules system without worry.
As for MIB's tongue-in-cheek reference to using rock-paper-scissors, if that was actually used in published rules, you might get in trouble with White Wolf, as that is the resolution system in their LARP rules and they may have legal rights to it's use in any gaming rules.
Indeed. You can't copyright game mechanics, only the expression of them.
Even if they could attempt to lay claim to a rock, paper, scissors mechanic, there's a PC Engine game (EDIT: Bah! It was actually Master System) that relies on that mechanic pretty heavily and predates WW.
The way I understand it, in order to make a legal claim over something functional like that, it would have to be covered by a patent, but a patent doesn't cover text, that's copyright. The patent covers a working prototype which isn't really possible since the actual function is however people choose to actually play the game. Now, copyright would cover the text, but there's only so much of the underlying ideas that could be considered legal intellectual property.
On the other hand, if Hasbro decides they own the concept of dice and brings a lawsuit against you for using dice in your game, they're off their rockers, but can you actually afford to win that case? That's the main point where IP laws gets tricky.
