> David Bolack
>
> > Brad Thompson
> >But that is exactly the point. Why on earth would Wizards want
> a system out
> >there that made it so you didn't need the PHB? The ENTIRE point
> of the D20
> >System Trademark License is to make people buy the PHB.
>
> This makes it *pointless* to do d20 conversion rules in print, cause you
> *can't* tell anyone they are in the book.
It makes it very hard, if you are trying to preserve the original game's
character generation system. It demands that you must accept the D20 System
method of character generation and effects of experience, though you have
broad latitude on changing how those two systems work without violating the
d20 STLG.
> Am I the only one that sees a problem with that?
I don't have a problem with it. This is strictly a D20 Trademark issue,
since you can do anything with the SRD so long as you don't use the mark. I
think Wizards is well within their rights and still playing fair if they
make the demand that all conversion guides must use the standard character
creation and experience systems if they want to use the D20 Trademark. It
establishes a baseline of compatibility between works that use the mark (a
very low baseline to be sure, but a baseline nonetheless).
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> Then why did they *bother* with the OGL at all? We have all
> hashed out here the fact that using that you could create a book
> that was a virtual clone (albeit in different words) of the PHB
> and put that into competition with the D&D PHB. Which is
> *exactly* the situation they appear to not want to happen...
They bothered with the OGL for two reasons. One, it promotes a migration to
a common rules base and therefore a consolidation within the industry
towards their camp (because the SRD is based on their game). Two, the rules
aren't all that protectable anyway, so by putting them under a license they
gain extra protection for their really valuable property - the D&D
trademarks and IP. This extra protection obviates the need to defend
questionable IP (game mechanics) while at the same time creates some very
strong contractual ties that bind would-be infringers in the unlikely event
that they do need to litigate an infringement suit.
An unbranded PHB created with the OGL is not very marketable, and poses such
a small threat to Wizards that they deem the risk acceptable given the
enormous advantages the other aspects of the OGL grants them.
The OGL is not an act of altruism, but rather a carefully planned mechanism
for increasing profits in a shrinking market segment. I'm pretty impressed
with the whole idea, it is unusual that a solution can be found that
benefits so many parties all at once.
-Brad
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