> Does the D20 STL bar me from mentioning character generation?
Section 2 of the d20 System Trademark license binds you to the conditions
set forth in the d20 System Trademark Logo guide.
In that guide, Character Creation is defined as:
"Definition of Character Creation:
Character creation means a description of the process of assigning initial
scores to abilities, selecting a race, selecting a starting class, assigning
initial skill points, selecting initial feats, and picking an initial
alignment.
Character creation does not include creating or modifying the description of
an ability score, a race, a class, a skill or a feat."
The Guide indicates that as a Mandatory Restriction, no Covered Product may
contain rules or instructions of any kind that:
"Describe a process for Creating a Character".
You can say "players need to create characters".
You can say "before you begin play, create a character".
You can say "characters are created in this game".
You can say "characters have ability scores, races, classes, skills, feats
and alignments."
You can even say "Supers characters have 25 skill points at 1st level".
You can't describe >THE PROCESS< for assigning ability scores, picking a
race, a class, assigning skill points, picking a feat, or choosing an
alignment.
So, "yes", you can "mention" character creation.
> Can I mention character generation in the context of "generate them in the
> normal fashion, and at this step do this, at that step do that, etc. etc."
as
> was mentioned by Lizard that you said was okay?
Under the current terms of the Guide, you cannot describe the >process< for
filling in the ability score, race, class, skill, feat, or alignment blanks
on a characer sheet.
I went looking for Lizard's post, and this is what I found:
> To create a character for D20 Supers, do the following:
This whole section is just barely ok. It is almost instructions for
creating a character, but it doesn't actually provide any process. One slip
in wording, and a publisher might find themselves crossing the line.
> Follow the directions in Chapter I of the Player's Handbook, with the
> following changes.
"Follow the directions in Chapter I" is essentially an inclusion of a
reference for instructions for assigning ability scores, picking class,
race, etc. It's no longer permissible.
You would have to say something like "Chapter I of the Player's Handbook
describes the process for creating characters," and then leave it up to the
reader to figure out when to follow those instructions and when to use your
new instructions.
> a)In Step 1, use one additional die in the first step. Keep the same
> number of dice in the totalling step.
This is ok. You're not saying anything about assigning the totals to the
ability scores. You have to go to the PHB to get those instructions.
> b)In Step 2, choose from the appropriate sections in this document, not
> the sections in the PHB. In addition, you may be entitled to a 'Norm'
> class. See the 'Classes' and 'Races' section in this document for more
> details.
This is not ok. The instruction "choose from the appropriate sections in
this document, not the sections in the PHB" is an instruction that would be
constructed as rules for picking a race and/or a class.
This is the section that is probably most open to interpretation by a
litigant. You'd be far better off to just say "This product contains
descriptions of the d20 Supers classes and races. The classes and races in
the Player's Handbook are not used in d20 Supers." Yes, this means that the
reader has to make the mental jump that if the PHB classes/races >aren't<
OK, then they'll have to substitute something else, but I don't think this
is much of a leap.
> c)There are no Starting Packages in the D20 Supers. When you reach step
> 8, go to the section on Plot Hooks and select those you want or those
> which the DM mandates, or which have been mandated by your class or
> race..
This is OK. Starting Packages are beyond the scope of the Guide, as are the
apparent additions to character creation of "Plot Hooks".
> d)After Step 8, apply the options you gained, if any, by selecting Plot
> Hooks."
Ditto to the above, provided that "options" doesn't mean "skills, feats or
alignments", which would not be legal.
In other words, if "Plot Hooks" says "Your character has a girlfriend",
that's ok.
If "Plot Hooks" says "Your girlfriend was killed by a mobster. You cannot
be Good", that would be a problem.
If "Plot Hooks" says, "Your character is bit by a radioactive spider. Gain
the Wall Climbing Feat and the SpiderSense Feat", it would not be OK.
(Because you're providing rules for picking Feats at character creation.)
If you defined a whole new category of character abilities, say "Edges", and
you had text that said "You are from another planet. Gain the X-Ray vision
Edge, and the Leap Tall Buildings Edge", that would be OK, unless you tried
to get clever and have "Edges" essentially be "Skills" or "Feats" (which are
both defined terms in the Guide, and broadly defined at that), in which case
you'd get nailed anyway. You'd have to create a set of definitions and
rules for Edges that made them something other than Skills or Feats.
If I was going to take a stab at writing a "Guide Safe" version of Lizard's
instructions, this is what I might propose:
d20 Supers Characters
Chapter I of the Player's Handbook contains the rules for creating
characters.
In Step 1, use one additional die in the first step. Keep the same number of
dice in the totalling step.
The Classes and Races presented in the Player's Handbook are not used in d20
Supers.
The d20 Supers Classes and Races are:
[ insert descriptions of classes and races ]
[ note: You don't have to mention that there are no Starting Packages in
d20 Supers; just don't provide any in the Class descriptions. ]
After Step 8, select Plot Hooks for your character at your option or at your
GM's discretion.
[ insert description of Plot Hooks. Each description should define if you
have to take it, if the DM can make you take it, or if it is optional, and
what happens to your character if the character gets the Plot Hook. ]
Ryan
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