Using D&D Races for my Book (copyright questions)

[River Thelen]

So I've started writing a fantasy book using Dungeons and Dragons themed races. I'm about 30 pages in and just figured it might be worth asking if that would cause me any copyright problems. For instance using the word "Tiefling" in my book to describe half-demon characters. If that wouldn't be allowed, i'd switch the names to something else, but i'm a D&D nerd and would love to be able to use those terms. -River

[GloatingSwine]

Most D&D things were pillaged from somewhere else, so rather a lot of them are not copyrighted by WOTC.


However, directly taking D&D concepts and using them in your own fiction will basically stick out like a sore thumb and make the product feel uncreative unless you are making some specific point about them.

If you want half demons, figure out what that means for the world you're creating and the sort of word that would be used to describe them in that world (by themselves and by others).

[Roland St. Jude]

Sheriff: Please do not ask for or give legal advice here.