PDA

View Full Version : d20 Copyright Infringement?



Luegene Cards
2011-06-14, 11:14 AM
Okay, quick premise set up: I've been building a new pen&paper game system for the last several months that uses a few rudiments of the d20 system. Right now, my plans for it include a partial/full release here and on somethingawful, I mean, if I can get it playtested to where I think it's a decent game, or at least maintain some dignity if it ends up sucking.

The pipe-dream - and I hope this doesn't count as an advertisement infraction, since there's currently no product - would be to see the game released for sale via download or limited printing - and I'm worried that the minimal crossover between my system and D&D would get me sued into oblivion, which is part of the reason I'm posting here instead of Wizards. Also, in my limited experience in posting and extensive experience in lurking on both boards, people here seem to really know their hobby inside/outside/upsidedownside (Clever ego-stroke for maximized positive response! Score one for Luegene!).

So, without going into great and lengthy specifics of the game, it uses the same dice as D&D and a handful of the same stats, like initiative and +hit. Asides from that, the amount of conversion to make a 3rd or 4th ed character playable in my game or vice-versa would be basically impossible; the bulk of the mechanics are entirely different, but I love d20s. d100's don't have that 'YES I rolled a nat 20' feeling, and d10s don't allow for enough randomness, imo. So, know if this could get me sued if I made it / released it / tried to sell it? Or is this the sort of thing that I'd need to have a, uh, pen&paper lawyer look at once its done? I'm pretty criminally uninformed, so any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading and indulging me!

Maho-Tsukai
2011-06-14, 11:16 AM
As long as everything that you use from D&D can be found in the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/index.htm) your safe. If it is from a sourcebook who's content is not in the SRD(Such as the popular Tome of Battle) then you may be in trouble...but as long as what you borrow from D&D is in the SRD you should not run into much trouble.

Djinn_in_Tonic
2011-06-14, 11:22 AM
We can't actually offer legal advice on the forums, so your best bet would be to read the Open Gaming License that 3.5 was licensed under and, if you have reservations, consult a professional.

Gullintanni
2011-06-14, 11:24 AM
We can't actually offer legal advice on the forums, so your best bet would be to read the Open Gaming License that 3.5 was licensed under and, if you have reservations, consult a professional.

This is probably the best advice you'll get here. Couple that with the fact that offering legal advice without qualification from a bar association is illegal in some places, we REALLY shouldn't be interpreting copyright, regardless of any knowledge of the SRD and OGL.

If you're serious about launching a product, talk to a professional.

averagejoe
2011-06-14, 11:27 AM
We can't actually offer legal advice on the forums, so your best bet would be to read the Open Gaming License that 3.5 was licensed under and, if you have reservations, consult a professional.


This is probably the best advice you'll get here. Couple that with the fact that offering legal advice without qualification from a bar association is illegal in some places, we REALLY shouldn't be interpreting copyright, regardless of any knowledge of the SRD and OGL.

If you're serious about launching a product, talk to a professional.

The Mod They Call Me: This is probably the best advice you'll get, even if legal advice were allowed by the forum rules.

As this discussion is likely to go nowhere good, thread locked.