DND Animation Permission?

[Valhalla]

So I have this idea for making an animation series that is semi based on D&D (alot of the spells and classes are based on D&D), but I can't figure out if I need permission from Wizards of the Coast to do so. Alot of what I want to make has been inspired by Order of the Stick and Adventure Time and I am curious if the Burlew asked WOTC permission to base his comic of the game.

[Blackhawk748]

So I have this idea for making an animation series that is semi based on D&D (alot of the spells and classes are based on D&D), but I can't figure out if I need permission from Wizards of the Coast to do so. Alot of what I want to make has been inspired by Order of the Stick and Adventure Time and I am curious if the Burlew asked WOTC permission to base his comic of the game.

If you are just using stuff from the SRD (Like Wizard, Fighter, fireball, stinking cloud, etc) you should be fine as those are all under OGL. Just drop specific things like Mordekinan's from those spells, as those are copyrighted, oh and don't mention their gods.

Now, do note, im not a legal expert, but im pretty certain about this.

[Grinner]

If you're doing a parody, you could probably claim fair use. However, there's probably a bunch of little things you need to comply with in regard to fair use and copyright. I have no idea what those might be. Creativity and the legalities thereof have never really been on the same page.

Edit: This (http://fairuse.stanford.edu/overview/fair-use/four-factors/) looks like a good place for you to start your research. And here (http://fairuse.stanford.edu/overview/fair-use/what-is-fair-use/)'s a description of fair use, if you're not already familiar with it.

Edit: Here (http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/fair-use-rule-copyright-material-30100.html)'s another promising page.

That said...


If you are just using stuff from the SRD (Like Wizard, Fighter, fireball, stinking cloud, etc) you should be fine as those are all under OGL. Just drop specific things like Mordekinan's from those spells, as those are copyrighted, oh and don't mention their gods.

Now, do note, im not a legal expert, but im pretty certain about this.

...this is definitely a bad interpretation of the OGL. There's no open season on it just because it's released under a free license; there are still terms attached. If you go the OGL route, you have to comply with the terms of the OGL, none of which play nicely with anything other than tabletop games.

[Valhalla]

I'm just looking to use the spells, classes, and rules like Vitriolic Sphere, Psions, and Mystic Theurges. Alot of the mythology is homebrew with Greek, Egyptian, Norse, Native American, Christianity, etc. I'm looking at this page and I think that it'd be ok? I'm looking at the SRD guidelines on the D&D website.

[Bowerbird]

I seem to remember for Pathfinder, Paizo has a section specifically for this with a block of text to use to properly attribute stuff. Not sure if WotC has something similar...

[endoperez]

I'm just looking to use the spells, classes, and rules like Vitriolic Sphere, Psions, and Mystic Theurges. Alot of the mythology is homebrew with Greek, Egyptian, Norse, Native American, Christianity, etc. I'm looking at this page and I think that it'd be ok? I'm looking at the SRD guidelines on the D&D website.

Ideas are not protected.
Trademarks can be.

I'm not a lawyer, but I've seen an animated show that already did this, including stuff like metamagic and how specific spells work. The show in question is Overord, an anime, and it's very interesting that it never mentioned D&D at all. You have your own mythology already. Acid Explosion instead of Vitriolic Sphere (etc) is just safer.

[The Glyphstone]

Great Modthulhu: Giving/requesting legal advice on the forums is prohibited by the Rules. Sorry.