If I build a computer game using places and characters from one of the world say Ansalon, how much fee I need to pay WotC? Assuming I sell it on Steam for some paltry revenue.
The Dragonlance universe is one of the more complicated examples you could have picked, because there's been some lawsuits about the rights. Also, video games have always required additional licensing, so you picked an almost entirely orthogonal example. The OGL covers printed (or digital "print") content.
The original OGL very much allows video games. KOTOR is for example a game that includes a copy of the OGL. There is also several virtual tabletop softwares that ship with OGL content.
This is Wizards trying to walk a fine line. They want a cut of the profits from the big-name D&D-based content creators, but they don't want to kill the entire creative community. I'm not sure they're going to succeed. Pissing off the biggest names putting your product in the spotlight in return for a couple bucks seems a really dumb idea to me.
Not true. One of the very first lines there states that:
> OGL 1.1 makes clear it only covers material created for use in or as TTRPGs, and those materials are only ever permitted as printed media or static electronic files (like epubs and PDFs). Other types of content, like videos and video games, are only possible through the Wizards of the Coast Fan Content Policy or a custom agreement with us.
> You can’t require payments, surveys, downloads, subscriptions, or email registration to access your Fan Content;
> You can’t sell or license your Fan Content to any third parties for any type of compensation; and
> Your Fan Content must be free for others (including Wizards) to view, access, share, and use without paying you anything, obtaining your approval, or giving you credit.
> You can, however, subsidize your Fan Content by taking advantage of sponsorships, ad revenue, and donations—so long as it doesn’t interfere with the Community’s access to your Fan Content.
All of this exists (IMO) because game mechanics aren't subject to copyright, so you can, if you'd like, read these two sets of rules as Hasbro saying, "This is what we're willing to let you do without having to get a lawyer to defend yourself in court, even if it's legally allowed."
Note, though, that in GP's post, "places and characters from one of the world say Ansalon" very much are covered by WotC's copyrights (and probably some trademarks too).
Thanks, looks like it's pretty strigent. Well worst case I'll put it up for free when done. Don't think anyone is going to pay anyway, just a hobby project.
They grant themselves a nonexclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, sub-licensable, royalty-free license to use the content under the new OGL for any purpose and they can revoke your license for any reason provided they give you a 30 days notice.
You would have to be crazy to agree to that. Hasbro can literally tell you you have 30 days to pack then sell your product as their own.
What are the big names? Paizo/Pathfinder? Can't they simply do their own thing and stop relying on D&D precisely because they are so big their customer base already knows them?
Or is it computer games? With computers handling the rules, you can just make your own RPG rules, right? Or is it the setting? Do people really only play videogames that are set in Faerun or Icewind Dale or whatever? Can't you just make your own stuff up and call it Arda-- er, Middle-- er, Ancient Magical Land of Elves?
Wow. Surely Disney of all companies can probably break clean of the OGL and do their own thing, right?
I mean, I would totally watch a battle between Disney's and Wizards of the Coast's legal departments. I suspect the Goliath in this case is Disney, and there are no Davids.
OGL only covers rules and mechanics, and some of the common, generic races/classes/spells/gear. All of the 'fluff' e.g. places and characters and worldbuilding is not licensed by OGL. OGL allows you to build your places and characters and content so that they're compatible with D&D content.
I don't think any Dragonlance content was ever published under the OGL, FWIW. The covered content is limited to the rules and the core(-ish) monster stat blocks. The fiction was never part of the deal (nor should it have been, IMHO).
Interesting. Does that mean If I loosely follow the rules (say mages use mana points which change by shape of moons) and don't use the stats (after all it's just a Ultima spinoff), I probably don't need to worry anything about licensing fee? I really don't think it's going to make any meaningful money anyway.
The Ultima series itself didn't bother to license D&D, so you're fine. Basic ideas of mechanics can't be copyrighted, and no one ever got a patent on "hit points" et. al.
