> Neal Rogers
>
> For
> example, say that game publisher XYZ officially gives
> me permission to publish a conversion (either a paper
> one or a computer program) to/from his system. Since
> I have his permission, am I allowed to include d20 as
> one of the systems to convert from/to?
So long as you have permission to use the third-party trademarks, that's
perfectly fine.
> There's no character creation involved, IMO, since
> they will have already done that using the full-blown
> rules of the source system, whatever that is.
>
> Sound like a problem?
Hmmm, yes. That is an end-run around the 'no character creation'
prohibitation. You could convert the third-party rules into d20 system
rules, I think the conversion guide itself would have to be strictly OGL and
not bear the d20 System logo. That doesn't mean you can't use the d20
System source document, (the SRD), it just means you can't identify it as
d20.
I'm a bit confused, because you seem to be talking about two different
things here- a conversion FROM some third party system TO d20, and a
conversion of d20 material to some third party system. The first might have
the character creation problem, but the second one seems easier.
> If not, then how much of my program and/or conversion
> text needs to be OGL? Obviously, the stuff that
> belongs to game publisher XYZ remains his property. I
> don't have a problem with making my source code or
> written instructions completely open, frankly.
I'd keep as much of the OGL and proprietary code in separate data files, if
I were doing this task. That way you can easily indicate which parts are
OGL and which parts are not.
> I'm really hoping this is possible, because I know a
> lot of people who use non-d20 systems who would love
> to buy all these cool d20 modules and source books
> we're seeing in stores nowadays but are put off by the
> idea of having to convert them.
This sounds legal, but be aware that Wizards' stated intent of the d20
System is to drive people AWAY from other systems and TOWARDS d20. They
probably won't care about it unless you turn out to be very successful, in
which case they can modify the d20 System license to prohibit you from doing
the conversion guides.
-Brad
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