SRDs: Info needed

[Korias]

Ok. I'm aware that there are SRDs, but so far, they only contain Psionics, UA, and PHB. I want to look into the Duskblade, Warlock, and Binder, but have no acess to those books. Is there an SRD for them?

[PlasticSoldier]

No, WotC product identity doesn't show up in SRD's thats why you can't find illithids on d20srd.com

[MeklorIlavator]

Ok. I'm aware that there are SRDs, but so far, they only contain Psionics, UA, and PHB. I want to look into the Duskblade, Warlock, and Binder, but have no acess to those books. Is there an SRD for them?

No, as SRD's are free for all, and wizards wants to make money.

[Reel On, Love]

Ok. I'm aware that there are SRDs, but so far, they only contain Psionics, UA, and PHB. I want to look into the Duskblade, Warlock, and Binder, but have no acess to those books. Is there an SRD for them?

Yeah, it's called BitTorrent.

But remember, kids: every time you illegally download D&D books... you're downloading COMMUNISM!

[Nerd-o-rama]

Psst. We're not at war with Communists anymore. Now they're downloading terrorism.

This has been your daily reminder from the Ministry of Truth. Don't slip up again, citizen. Big Brother Is Watching.

Ahem. Anyway, the SRD only contains certain content made public for easy use by developers, though plenty of players find it a useful reference. For anything you haven't so far seen in the SRD, you're going to have to acquire the actual books.

[Illiterate Scribe]

You may be downloading terrorism, but the way that you do it is worse; with an internet hate machine.

http://crystalkeep.com/d20/index.php

[PlasticSoldier]

I'm pretty sure posting that's against the rules, but thanks for the link I'm reading up on the warlock's invocations.

[goat]

It's complicated. As far as I understand it, you're not supposed to be able to copyright game rules, but you can copyright all the fluff surrounding them. The crunch should in theory be freely available as long as you credit it all and make no profit.

edit - I should justify that statement more.

Game rules aren't copyrightable, but the problem with D&D specifically is that the primary rule is that the rules are only suggestions. As such, it's difficult to say whether the specifics of any class are "crunch" rules, or "fluff" flavour.

By giving out the SRD, WotC are offering a subset of their total, which they say contains all of the "crunch". Everything else is just an adaptation of the system covered under the rules of normal literary copyright. Offering any more invites lawsuits, and is just rude to be honest. They could fight to make the SRD MUCH smaller than it is now.

[Draz74]

I'm pretty sure posting that's against the rules, but thanks for the link I'm reading up on the warlock's invocations.

No, CrystalKeep is actually legal (or so say the rumors I've heard consistently). Some kind of special personal favor that its owner worked out with the folks at WotC or something like that.

[Korias]

Wow, Thats really handy. And its got EVERYTHING... I dont think I'll need the SRD ever again. I'll just download those PDFs.

[Illiterate Scribe]

Information wants to be free!

You know, between that, and retro-engineering the excerpts and examples on the WotC website, one can play DnD on very little money.

[The_Snark]

Wow, Thats really handy. And its got EVERYTHING... I dont think I'll need the SRD ever again. I'll just download those PDFs.

Doesn't really work out very well. Crystalkeep is a decent reference, but it doesn't give you all the information you need. The base classes it gives are relatively complete, but it only has the information on spells and feats that you'd find in the tables (i.e. incomplete). Information on monsters is all but nonexistent.

[goat]

You know, between that, and retro-engineering the excerpts and examples on the WotC website, one can play DnD on very little money.

You can, and by the copyright laws you should be able to.

What you SHOULDN'T be able to do, is play the same game of D&D as somebody who owns the books. You should have to work out all the checks and balances for yourself, and invent all the background. The only thing they really have to give you is the blunt mechanic. If they went for it and won, they'd probably only have to give abstract descriptions of the D20 mechanic, feats, skills and abilities.

EVERYTHING else could be considered fluff.

[Tor the Fallen]

Doesn't really work out very well. Crystalkeep is a decent reference, but it doesn't give you all the information you need. The base classes it gives are relatively complete, but it only has the information on spells and feats that you'd find in the tables (i.e. incomplete). Information on monsters is all but nonexistent.

Which I rather like, as it's got a bunch of stats drawn up- which I presume are mostly balanced; any problems with them and I come here- and I get to make up all the fluff.

[Illiterate Scribe]

You can, and by the copyright laws you should be able to.

What you SHOULDN'T be able to do, is play the same game of D&D as somebody who owns the books. You should have to work out all the checks and balances for yourself, and invent all the background. The only thing they really have to give you is the blunt mechanic. If they went for it and won, they'd probably only have to give abstract descriptions of the D20 mechanic, feats, skills and abilities.

EVERYTHING else could be considered fluff.

Exactly - it's the setting, ultimately, that they are selling - they made that decision when they set up the SRD.

Also, working out, say, mindflayer base stats from one with class levels is somewhat fun.:smallbiggrin:

[goat]

Well, if they were aiming for bare minimum, you'd have no indication of what class levels even were. You don't HAVE to gain levels in D&D, you could play it as a purely tactical enterprise.

[ocato]

Yeah, it's called BitTorrent.

But remember, kids: every time you illegally download D&D books... you're downloading COMMUNISM!

damn you communists! Damn you to candyland, where rainbows frolic with puppies

[bugsysservant]

Psst. We're not at war with Communists anymore. Now they're downloading terrorism.

This has been your daily reminder from the Ministry of Truth. Don't slip up again, citizen. Big Brother Is Watching.

Actually, I think that was a reference to this:

http://modernhumorist.com/mh/0004/propaganda/mp3.jpg

[Draz74]

Doesn't really work out very well. Crystalkeep is a decent reference, but it doesn't give you all the information you need. The base classes it gives are relatively complete, but it only has the information on spells and feats that you'd find in the tables (i.e. incomplete). Information on monsters is all but nonexistent.

Not to mention, it's infamous for having numerous little mistakes (typos).

[Kurald Galain]

Actually, I think that was a reference to this:

The sad thing is, that's actually better than the actual campaigns.

Have you seen the "Stealing Is Forbidden" one? With the shocking pictures? By which "shocking" I mean they can't hold their camera steady, and apparently think it is cool...

At any rate, google for something like "excerpt site:wizards.com" - on their website, WOTC has an excerpt or two from every single book they've published lately, so you can read some classes and feats and such on there. It's nice.

[Chineselegolas]

Not to mention, it's infamous for having numerous little mistakes (typos).
Ah, but they are fun to exploit from time to time. Like going Xvart Wizard...