> lizard
>
> If your intent is to do something which is interesting, but which you do
> not wish to breach the license, no.

If 'interesting' includes those things which WotC seems to be trying to
protect, then don't put a d20 Logo on it. People seem to think that the
trademark is some kind of magic token that will automaticly make their
product sell.  It isn't.  True, it is hard to create a product that directly
extends D&D and tell people about it, but it can easily be done within the
context of a product line.

For example, if you release 10 adventures with a "Dangerous Caverns" that
bear the d20 logo and your own mark, and then you publish a "Dangerous
Caverns Character Guidebook" without the logo, nobody is going to assume it
is not d20 compatible just because it doesn't have the logo.

> Knowing that
> you can, say, add 'action dice', or use 'departments' instead of
> 'races', or use an alternate hit point system, and not be in danger of
> hitting the walls of the STL, is a good thing.

No, it is false protection.  Just because someone else has done it does not
mean you are safe if you do it.  Quite the opposite - if just one person
does one thing that gets uncomfortably close to the things WotC wants to
protect and the rest of the world ignores it, then perhaps WotC will not
bother with it.  On the other hand, if it becomes common practice then they
can simply change the license and everybody who thought they were compliant
is now in violation.

Worse, every time the license gets updated there will be a few 'anecdotal'
changes that could have an unforseen impact on publishers of existing
products.  It is in everyone's best interest for the license to stay static,
and that means respecting the spirit of the d20 STL and staying away from
those areas that WotC wishes to protect.

If you have a cool idea that gets close to describing the effects of
experience or level advancement or character creation then drop the logo and
save us all a lot of grief.

-Brad

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