So, I intend on running a Fallout game and I was looking to try out the Anachronistic Adventurers classes, since they seem to be highly praised.
Thing is I'd hate to have my players buy almost $30 worth of PDFs and then risk the campaign going nowhere (some of our campaigns tend to not so much end as just stop), thus wasting their money.
So I'm wondering, is the content in the books Open Game Content? If I bought the PDFs for myself could I share the files with my players and/or copy the classes onto a website? Or should I just stick to either converting the d20 modern classes (which would be very easy) or the basic Pathfinder classes?
Modern Path seems to needlessly complicated for me, fyi, so I don't wanna use that. Or maybe the SRD website is just too hard to make sense of, dunno.
If you are playing face to face, just buy them yourself, print them (perhaps 2-3 copies), and share at the table.
No, we're not, else I wouldn't be asking. We're all from different countries and met online years ago.
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Reviews for the Enforcer, Investigator, Daredevil, and Tough all on the same web page.
I have them all and rather enjoy them in modern and character out of time settings.
So, to answer your question, yes they are open content (Take a look at the final page of the pdf)
DECLARATION OF OPEN CONTENT: All game mechanics, proper names of classes, prestige
classes, archetypes, feats, skills, spells, magic items, monsters, rituals, artifacts AND OR the names
of abilities presented within this book are Open Game Content as described in Section 1(d) of the
License.
Someone could for instance, add these classes and to D20pfsrd (several other Genius classes are up there).
Also, I am reasonably confident Owen (the owner of said content) would not object to you purchasing the pdfs and distributing them to your group, so long as the distribution stopped there. Thats sort of the point of these pdfs, to use them in games. Its fairly difficult for a group to use a pdf if only you have seen it. Its not like we are all required to buy our own print books and not share them around the table.
I know I have specifically asked Owen about sending the pdf to my dm before (he was ok with it of course) but I can't seem to find the post. Might have been in an email instead. In the mean time, if you are really concerned, you could post in the product discussion for the pdfs. He responds to those fairly quickly.
Edit:
Just for reference, I have used these classes and I like them a lot. Though the enforcer suffers a bit as it was the first in the series to be released. I know it was going to get another pass at some point but I dont think Owen has gotten to it. Probably wont see much until he moves forward on Warlords of the Apocalypse I would assume.
I completely consider a GM making the pdfs available to players using the classes to be "fair use." If the players decide they want to do something else with them (play them in other games, run their own games with the class, write their own expansions of the class for sale), I'd respectfully request they then buy their own copies.
As a separate issue, note that only game mechanics are open. Flavor, paragraphs of GM advice, art, and other non-mechanical material isn't.
And actually, a revised Enforcer is due to be put up from open commentary on my website (owenkcstephens.com) very soon, as part of have a set of these classes designed to operate on their own (rather than designed to slot into a fantasy work where just knowing more advanced tech exists can be an advantage, and the normal magic and class options are already omnipresent).
As a separate issue, note that only game mechanics are open. Flavor, paragraphs of GM advice, art, and other non-mechanical material isn't.
What exactly constitutes "Flavor"? That sounds pretty vague and subject to interpretation.
Someone could for instance, add these classes and to D20pfsrd (several other Genius classes are up there).
That actually makes me wonder, why AREN'T the anachronistic classes on the D20pfsrd? I actually checked to see if they were, was delighted to see the RGG category in the 3rd party classes section at first but then was disappointed to see that they weren't there.
Also, reworking them classes for non-fantasy settings sounds exciting, since that'd probably just make them even better for modern, pulp, or futuristic adventures, I bookmarked your website/blog for when that happens.
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What exactly constitutes "Flavor"? That sounds pretty vague and subject to interpretation.
That was an offhand description, not a revision of the IP declaration. For example, a feat (as far as I am concerned, all parts of a feat) is a game mechanic, and thus all open.
A section called "How to Set a Mood in your Gaming Room" that discusses lighting, soundtracks, and smoke machines likely isn't a game mechanic. Some of our products have short fiction intros. Those are not game mechanics, and are not open.
In the Enforcer pdf, the sidebar titles "Okay, But Why?" has no game mechanics, so it's not open.
Is that clearer?
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That actually makes me wonder, why AREN'T the anachronistic classes on the D20pfsrd? I actually checked to see if they were, was delighted to see the RGG category in the 3rd party classes section at first but then was disappointed to see that they weren't there.
Because no one has put them up. I have no objections to open material from RGG products being on the site, but I don't enter them myself.
Also, reworking them classes for non-fantasy settings sounds exciting, since that'd probably just make them even better for modern, pulp, or futuristic adventures, I bookmarked your website/blog for when that happens.
That is the end-goal, yeah. A baseline of improved classes designed to stand alone, that I can then tweak as needed for things like Warlords of the Apocalypse, and Guns of Tarnation, '49, No Strings Attached, and Pierce the Veil if those settings ever mature.
Thanks for clearing stuff up.