Dear James Jacobs,
I had a debate with a friend the other night over the OGL, and as the Creative Director you might have the answer. What, exactly, is considered to be Paizo's Intellectual Property for the purpose of determining what can and cannot be expanded upon by Third Party Publishers?
For example, we agreed that things like Deity Names and Nation names are probably off-key, but could a Third Party Publisher mention things like Golarion in their product? Is a concept such as the Dark Tapestry (which appears both in Ultimate Magic, a Hard Cover, and in multiple Campaign products) OGL? What about minor things, like the names of Demon Lords or the names of Golarion's Constellations?
EDIT: Can I have a cookie for being your 17,301st poster?
The OGL has a pretty broad definition of Product Identity, which would seem to be the relevant term (I think Intellectual Property is broader, but I'm no lawyer):
(e) “Product Identity” means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts, creatures, characters, stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content
Golarion and the Dark Tapestry would have to be out. I'd presume Demon names and contellations too unless they already had some public domain existence before Paizo used them.
Creative Director
|
I have a couple of questions concerning the Tattooed Sorcerer Archetype. I know you aren't named as a author on that book, but I know you had something to do with it, because you said so in an earlier post.
Their level 7 ability to Create Spell Tattoo says they can create one with a touch as a standard action. Does that circumvent the construction requirements used by the feat: Inscribe Magical Tattoo? Or is the intent of the thing to allow them one at a time just because of their sheer awesomesauce?
On a fluff note: what would you say if someone wanted to re-skin the Tattooed Sorcerer to more of a Gem/Ioun stone Sorcerer instead? The idea being that the tattoos are a variant version of what the old Thassilonian Runelords used to do with Ioun Stones by implanting them in their bodies and the two schools of thought have a common ancestry. I will warn you though, I am about halfway through a Rise of the Runelords Campaign, and would appreciate a spoiler free answer to this question. If necessary, a simple thumbs up or down would be fine for me.
I wasn't the author... but I was the developer and project lead on the book.
The level seven ability does circumvent the construction requirements to create a magical tattoo.
I'd say probably thumbs down. There IS some information about implanting ioun stones in "Seekers of Secrets," though. I'd chat with your GM for better advice than I can give, though, if I were you. :-P
|
Creative Director
|
Dear James Jacobs,
I had a debate with a friend the other night over the OGL, and as the Creative Director you might have the answer. What, exactly, is considered to be Paizo's Intellectual Property for the purpose of determining what can and cannot be expanded upon by Third Party Publishers?
For example, we agreed that things like Deity Names and Nation names are probably off-key, but could a Third Party Publisher mention things like Golarion in their product? Is a concept such as the Dark Tapestry (which appears both in Ultimate Magic, a Hard Cover, and in multiple Campaign products) OGL? What about minor things, like the names of Demon Lords or the names of Golarion's Constellations?
EDIT: Can I have a cookie for being your 17,301st poster?
Deity names and nation names (along with all the stories that go along with those deities and nations) are not open content.
Golarion is not open content.
The Dark Tapestry is not open content.
Demon lords and the names of Golarion constellations are not open content.
Basically... anything that's a proper name is off limits. Spell names, monster names, feat names... names of rules elements (as with the rules themselves) are Open Content, though.
And sure! COOKIED.
When the zombie apocalypse strikes, where will you go to hide? Will you take your cat with you? How well prepared are you - do you have a zombie survival kit on hand?Alaska (or somewhere the temperature will freeze the dead zombies solid so they're even easier to flee from).
Of COURSE I'll take Shimmy with me.
I'm poorly prepared for the event, though.
Since you're so poorly prepared, I thought I'd help you out. In the event of a zombie plague breaking out use the following map:
Go to Map of the dead
Once you've made it to Alaska, can you let me know if the map was helpful?
James, did you Paizofolk (oh, uhm, is it a new playable race?) ever considered making a parallel line of modules, or better, adventure paths for themed PCs? I mean, something like an AP for Dwarf-only PCs where they must save one of the remaining Sky Citadels, or an Elf-only one where they battle the evil spread by Treerazer, just to say. (How many people asked for a Dwarf-only campaign already?)
Possibilities would be countless and would offer a load of fun, in-depth lore of the related themes and much more. Yes, a player loses a greater or smaller part of the normal freedom in creating a character, but the resulting PC is much more involved at a personal level. Think of adventures for the Blackjackets of Druma or the Eagle Knights; for Red Mantis Assassins involved in doing something good for the world, though only for profit; for Hellknights, where non-evil Hellknights face certain moral dilemmas; for Inquisitors/Witch Hunters/Vampire Hunters; for Wizards (each of a different school); for Razmiran Priests; for Shoanti; for living (or even Undead) Gebbites. And so on...
Have you seen Canada's dinosaur money?
Have you seen Canada's dinosaur money?
Not to derail, but, man, US currency is boring.
Any interest at all in Diablo 3?
what is hobgoblin society like? what creatures other than other goblinoids do hobgoblins tend to ally with?Depends on which society. The two primary hobgoblin societies we've revealed in Golarion are those in the wilds of Isger and those who rule the nation of Kaoling in Tian Xia.
In both cases, they're very well-organized militaristic societies. The ones in Kaoling are more powerful and more numerous than those in Isger, who are still reeling from the losses they endured during the Goblinblood wars.
Hobgoblins often keep goblins as slaves, and often employ bugbears as skirmishers or specialists in the art of murder. They also ally with all manner of feral wild animals and monsters native to the region.
Do hobgoblins still have a problem with uncontrollable ambition tending to destabilize their societies (from Classic Monsters Revisited)?
The Dark Tapestry is not open content.
I'm a bit surprised at that one; I suppose you mean name+meaning not just the name.
The Dark Tapestry is not open content.
I'm a bit surprised at that one; I suppose you mean name+meaning not just the name.
To be honest, that one surprised me too because of all of the Dark Tapestry stuff that's considered part of the rules (like the Dark Tapestry Mystery or the Dark Tapestry Subdomain).
Maybe you can't refer to the Dark Tapestry as Outer Space, but you can use the terminology ambiguously? I have no clue ...
|
Creative Director
|
James, did you Paizofolk (oh, uhm, is it a new playable race?) ever considered making a parallel line of modules, or better, adventure paths for themed PCs? I mean, something like an AP for Dwarf-only PCs where they must save one of the remaining Sky Citadels, or an Elf-only one where they battle the evil spread by Treerazer, just to say. (How many people asked for a Dwarf-only campaign already?)
Possibilities would be countless and would offer a load of fun, in-depth lore of the related themes and much more. Yes, a player loses a greater or smaller part of the normal freedom in creating a character, but the resulting PC is much more involved at a personal level. Think of adventures for the Blackjackets of Druma or the Eagle Knights; for Red Mantis Assassins involved in doing something good for the world, though only for profit; for Hellknights, where non-evil Hellknights face certain moral dilemmas; for Inquisitors/Witch Hunters/Vampire Hunters; for Wizards (each of a different school); for Razmiran Priests; for Shoanti; for living (or even Undead) Gebbites. And so on...
I've considered doing something along these lines... and the first one we're trying it out with, really, is Skull & Shackles, where we more or less require the entire party to be pirates. Depending on the success of the AP... you can expect to see more of that, where we might require the party to all belong to a single religion or organization or nation...
...but requiring actual game stats to be the same—all one race, or all one class... that's unlikely, since we're very hesitant to build a product that essentially says "If your favorite class isn't the one we chose, you're out of luck." That's not a very good way to maintain healthy sales, alas.
|
Creative Director
|
James, what are the chances of seeing more development of nagas? Will we ever see a revisited book that might include them? Or perhaps a module?
Thanks, and you kick ass!
Very good. There's a fair amount of naga stuff in Tian Xia, for example.
I suspect it's only a matter of time before we do a lot more with them.
|
Creative Director
|
Any interest at all in Diablo 3?
Yes.
I loved Diablo 1.
I was ambivalent and soon bored by Diablo 2.
I'll certainly check out Diablo 3, but I'm not excited enough by it to bother with the beta. I'll wait for it to be released.... and in fact, I already bought a copy when Blizzard offered free copies to anyone who bought a year's worth of WoW.
|
Creative Director
|
Do you remember when TSR put out the Marvel Superhero Roleplaying Game? Just about every proper noun, and I do mean EVERY proper noun had a trademark symbol after it, even Oscar The Crabby, the example NPC created just for the magic supplement.
Basically... anything that's a proper name is off limits. Spell names, monster names, feat names... names of rules elements (as with the rules themselves) are Open Content, though.
I do remember that. Heh.
|
Creative Director
|
The Dark Tapestry is not open content.
I'm a bit surprised at that one; I suppose you mean name+meaning not just the name.
The Dark Tapestry is as much a part of the Campaign Setting as Golarion, Varisia, Azlant, Castrovel, or anything else. It's closed content. The name itself has slipped into rulebooks here and there... but even then, it's protected as closed content by the Product Identity section on the legal page at the front of the book which specifically states that proper names, storylines, locations, and the like are not open content.
|
Creative Director
|
The Dark Tapestry is not open content.
I'm a bit surprised at that one; I suppose you mean name+meaning not just the name.
To be honest, that one surprised me too because of all of the Dark Tapestry stuff that's considered part of the rules (like the Dark Tapestry Mystery or the Dark Tapestry Subdomain).
Maybe you can't refer to the Dark Tapestry as Outer Space, but you can use the terminology ambiguously? I have no clue ...
Third party publishers can no more talk about or use the Dark Tapestry in their products than they can Desna or Aroden or Cheliax or Sandpoint. That does mean that a few domains and stuff will be difficult for third party publishers to use—they'll need to rename those (very rare) if they want to use the rules. I'd prefer they just do similar but different ones if they feel they absolutely need something like that, naming it a "Deep Space subdomain".
The Darklands are another one that pops up now and then.
We DO try to keep those proper names out of the books, but now and then they slip into print. Fortunately, that's a TINY FRACTION of the total rules content that IS open...
Any interest at all in Diablo 3?Yes.
I loved Diablo 1.
I was ambivalent and soon bored by Diablo 2.
I'll certainly check out Diablo 3, but I'm not excited enough by it to bother with the beta. I'll wait for it to be released.... and in fact, I already bought a copy when Blizzard offered free copies to anyone who bought a year's worth of WoW.
Next logical question: What do you think the first class you'll play in Diablo 3 will be? (Just in case you don't know the classes, they are: Barbarian, Demon Hunter, Monk, Witch Doctor, and Wizard.)
I'm definitely aiming to play the Monk first... in Pathfinder terms that character is something like a Paladin/Monk thematically, which is awesome.
|
Chief Technical Officer
|
Dear James Jacobs,
I had a debate with a friend the other night over the OGL, and as the Creative Director you might have the answer. What, exactly, is considered to be Paizo's Intellectual Property for the purpose of determining what can and cannot be expanded upon by Third Party Publishers?
For example, we agreed that things like Deity Names and Nation names are probably off-key, but could a Third Party Publisher mention things like Golarion in their product? Is a concept such as the Dark Tapestry (which appears both in Ultimate Magic, a Hard Cover, and in multiple Campaign products) OGL? What about minor things, like the names of Demon Lords or the names of Golarion's Constellations?
EDIT: Can I have a cookie for being your 17,301st poster?
The OGL has a pretty broad definition of Product Identity, which would seem to be the relevant term (I think Intellectual Property is broader, but I'm no lawyer):
(e) “Product Identity” means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts, creatures, characters, stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game ContentGolarion and the Dark Tapestry would have to be out. I'd presume Demon names and contellations too unless they already had some public domain existence before Paizo used them.
While the OGL itself contains sort of a "default definition" of Product Identity, publishers can place their own statements of Product Identity and Open Game Content in each product; our usual statement is a bit less restrictive than the default.
Usually*, Paizo's statements are crafted thusly:
---
Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, storylines, locations, characters, artwork, and trade dress. (Elements that are in the public domain or have previously been designated as Open Game Content are not included in this declaration.)
Open Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this Paizo Publishing game product are Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Gaming License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission.
---
In short, our mechanics are generally Open Content, and our setting material, storylines, and branding are generally Product Identity.
*If you're going to use content from our products, it's important you check the exact statements in each product you intend to draw from, because there are occasional exceptions.
The Dark Tapestry is not open content.
I'm a bit surprised at that one; I suppose you mean name+meaning not just the name.
The Dark Tapestry is as much a part of the Campaign Setting as Golarion, Varisia, Azlant, Castrovel, or anything else. It's closed content. The name itself has slipped into rulebooks here and there... but even then, it's protected as closed content by the Product Identity section on the legal page at the front of the book which specifically states that proper names, storylines, locations, and the like are not open content.
So "The Dark Tapestry" (with capital letters and all) is off limit, but saying something is a "dark tapestry" (lower case letters) is ok?
|
Creative Director
|
Any interest at all in Diablo 3?Yes.
I loved Diablo 1.
I was ambivalent and soon bored by Diablo 2.
I'll certainly check out Diablo 3, but I'm not excited enough by it to bother with the beta. I'll wait for it to be released.... and in fact, I already bought a copy when Blizzard offered free copies to anyone who bought a year's worth of WoW.
Next logical question: What do you think the first class you'll play in Diablo 3 will be? (Just in case you don't know the classes, they are: Barbarian, Demon Hunter, Monk, Witch Doctor, and Wizard.)
I'm definitely aiming to play the Monk first... in Pathfinder terms that character is something like a Paladin/Monk thematically, which is awesome.
Assuming that the classes, like previous Diablos, don't let you customize the look of your character, I'll be picking the character who looks coolest to me.
|
Creative Director
|
So "The Dark Tapestry" (with capital letters and all) is off limit, but saying something is a "dark tapestry" (lower case letters) is ok?The Dark Tapestry is not open content.
I'm a bit surprised at that one; I suppose you mean name+meaning not just the name.
The Dark Tapestry is as much a part of the Campaign Setting as Golarion, Varisia, Azlant, Castrovel, or anything else. It's closed content. The name itself has slipped into rulebooks here and there... but even then, it's protected as closed content by the Product Identity section on the legal page at the front of the book which specifically states that proper names, storylines, locations, and the like are not open content.
Correct. If you have a black wall-hanging in a dungeon and describe it as a dark tapestry, you're fine.
Correct. If you have a black wall-hanging in a dungeon and describe it as a dark tapestry, you're fine.So "The Dark Tapestry" (with capital letters and all) is off limit, but saying something is a "dark tapestry" (lower case letters) is ok?The Dark Tapestry is not open content.
I'm a bit surprised at that one; I suppose you mean name+meaning not just the name.
The Dark Tapestry is as much a part of the Campaign Setting as Golarion, Varisia, Azlant, Castrovel, or anything else. It's closed content. The name itself has slipped into rulebooks here and there... but even then, it's protected as closed content by the Product Identity section on the legal page at the front of the book which specifically states that proper names, storylines, locations, and the like are not open content.
I dunno... that seems a bit lacking in providing atmosphere and flavour. ;)
Correct. If you have a black wall-hanging in a dungeon and describe it as a dark tapestry, you're fine.
So "The Dark Tapestry" (with capital letters and all) is off limit, but saying something is a "dark tapestry" (lower case letters) is ok?
I dunno... that seems a bit lacking in providing atmosphere and flavour. ;)
In some literature and such; tapestry is be used instead of backgrounds (different meanings)... probably a "pun" about using tapestry for the backgroud/"2nd wall" in theatre.
The Dark Tapestry is not open content.
I'm a bit surprised at that one; I suppose you mean name+meaning not just the name.
To be honest, that one surprised me too because of all of the Dark Tapestry stuff that's considered part of the rules (like the Dark Tapestry Mystery or the Dark Tapestry Subdomain).
Maybe you can't refer to the Dark Tapestry as Outer Space, but you can use the terminology ambiguously? I have no clue ...
Third party publishers can no more talk about or use the Dark Tapestry in their products than they can Desna or Aroden or Cheliax or Sandpoint. That does mean that a few domains and stuff will be difficult for third party publishers to use—they'll need to rename those (very rare) if they want to use the rules. I'd prefer they just do similar but different ones if they feel they absolutely need something like that, naming it a "Deep Space subdomain".
The Darklands are another one that pops up now and then.
We DO try to keep those proper names out of the books, but now and then they slip into print. Fortunately, that's a TINY FRACTION of the total rules content that IS open...
...Wait, can you do that with "the Darklands"? Won't Joe Dever's lawyers have something to say about that?
While the OGL itself contains sort of a "default definition" of Product Identity, publishers can place their own statements of Product Identity and Open Game Content in each product; our usual statement is a bit less restrictive than the default.
Usually*, Paizo's statements are crafted thusly:
---
Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, storylines, locations, characters, artwork, and trade dress. (Elements that are in the public domain or have previously been designated as Open Game Content are not included in this declaration.)Open Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this Paizo Publishing game product are Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Gaming License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission.
---In short, our mechanics are generally Open Content, and our setting material, storylines, and branding are generally Product Identity.
*If you're going to use content from our products, it's important you check the exact statements in each product you intend to draw from, because there are occasional exceptions.
Ah, cheers. I admit I didnt comb through every OGL statement, I just looked at one online. I didnt realise a publisher had the flexibility to tweak the designations in that way.
|
Creative Director
|
Dear James
Another CoC question here. My players keep asking me just how tall someone is relative to their SIZ stat since the book does not have any height or weight stuff under SIZ. So, how do we tell, using SIZ, if someone is tall or short and whatnot?
In CoC? You read the description of the monster, look at the pictures if there are any, and then decide based on that.
In CoC? You read the description of the monster, look at the pictures if there are any, and then decide based on that.Dear James
Another CoC question here. My players keep asking me just how tall someone is relative to their SIZ stat since the book does not have any height or weight stuff under SIZ. So, how do we tell, using SIZ, if someone is tall or short and whatnot?
Or find an old copy of Petersen's Field Guide to Cthulhu Monsters, check out the size comparison charts, and there you go.
|
Creative Director
|
Or find an old copy of Petersen's Field Guide to Cthulhu Monsters, check out the size comparison charts, and there you go.In CoC? You read the description of the monster, look at the pictures if there are any, and then decide based on that.Dear James
Another CoC question here. My players keep asking me just how tall someone is relative to their SIZ stat since the book does not have any height or weight stuff under SIZ. So, how do we tell, using SIZ, if someone is tall or short and whatnot?
They actually have size comparison graphs for most of those same monsters in the core rulebook these days, in fact.
Contributor
|
Russia
India
Greece
Babylon
Sumeria
The Middle EastAnd that's just for starters. There's plenty to draw upon still.
Sorry, wasn't implying that somebody had done it wrong or ran the well dry. :)
Could something like Kipling's Kafiristan show up there? (Or does something like that already exist?)
Kafiristan is a real place, on the borders of the Swat Valley (Kashmir) and Afghanistan.
The Dards living in the region really do think of themselves as descended from Alexander the Great or his soldiers.I'd think the analogous region in Golarion would be on the boundaries of Kelesh and Vudra, but perhaps James has a different idea?
|
Creative Director
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Can you cast spells underwater with water breathing and freedom of movement on?
Yes... but mostly because you can cast spells underwater without water breathing or freedom of movement. It just takes a concentration check to pull it off (and, incidentally, prevents you from holding your breath...).
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Sumeria
Alright, you've spoken the magic word of doom. Now you'll have to deal with the beasts of Nergal that I'll summon to make sure you work hard and fast upon that subject. If they don't tear me apart first.
maybe this has already been brought up, but there is the Rise of the Runelords redux as PFRPG (check pre ordered), RotRL PP miniatures, RotRL item pack, RotRL pawn collection, RotRL paperminis, RotRL face cards, RotRL dice, RotRL map folio, etc etc. How about some RotRL map packs and flip maps. IMO this would set off what is shaping up to be a RotRL summer. Any chance of seeing some specific flip map and map packs to support?
|
Creative Director
|
maybe this has already been brought up, but there is the Rise of the Runelords redux as PFRPG (check pre ordered), RotRL PP miniatures, RotRL item pack, RotRL pawn collection, RotRL paperminis, RotRL face cards, RotRL dice, RotRL map folio, etc etc. How about some RotRL map packs and flip maps. IMO this would set off what is shaping up to be a RotRL summer. Any chance of seeing some specific flip map and map packs to support?
Yes.
Flip-mat Town Square gives the plaza out in front of the Sandpoint Cathedral and the Sandpoint Northgate as battlemat encounter areas.
No plans at this point for specific map pack support for Rise of the Runelords, though.
I want more, but I'll take it. Being able to plop down the amazing Karzoug wizkid mini on an equally amazing flip map would be awesome.
pic.
Like?
|
Creative Director
|
James, I know you're a dinosaur fan. What do you think of recent evidence that T-Rex and other large Theropods may have been covered in course feathers rather than the 'traditional' scaly appearance? Any chance of vibrantly plumed dinos showing up in Paizo products?
We generally mix it up—sometimes dinosaurs have scales, sometimes feathers, sometimes vibrantly colored, sometimes conservatively colored. Artist preference often comes into play as well.