Questions tagged [intellectual-property]
For questions related to copyright, trademark, and/or patent law as it applies to the publication and distribution of tabletop RPGs.
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What editions of D&D are derived from the d20 system?
The tag wiki on this website says:
For questions about the d20 System, an RPG system originally published in 2000 by Wizards of the Coast. The d20 System was developed alongside D&D 3e and is a ...
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1answer
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Using non-mechanical descriptors from Pathfinder SRD for a non-d20 system game
I have an inquiry. If someone can help me with it, I would strongly appreciate it.
I'm currently in the process of designing the bestiary of my TTRPG. It doesn't use the d20 System, but I'm taking ...
6
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1answer
233 views
The content available online seems to vary from site to site. How can I tell if a given piece of content is legally available for free?
I thought that only the SRD content was supposed to be offered for free, but on some websites I can find content from the Basic Rules document (that isn't in the SRD) or even the Xanathar's Guide to ...
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Publishing, Intellectual Copyright [duplicate]
So effectively, I am working on creating my very own TTRPG rulebook based on my own setting and universe. The only question I got is how much of mechanics am I allowed to be inspired by?
Effectively, ...
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1answer
227 views
Whose property is user-created homebrew material on D&D Beyond?
When creating homebrew material on D&D Beyond (dndbeyond.com), what kind of license do I grant to Fandom Games for the material that I create by using its tools? Or more broadly, whose property is ...
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What proper names and characters are defined as “not Open Content” by the Pathfinder OGL?
In this answer, it mentioned that "Proper name" and "Character" are in the "Product Identity", which can NOT be reproduced.
What it means is the names of the towns and characters in any Adventure ...
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2answers
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How can I make use of the material that doesn't fall under the OGL?
So I am doing a side project to build a platform where different groups of people can play D&D 5e online. While looking for resources online, I stumbled across the OGL. Now the OGL has a lot of ...
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1answer
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How can Forgotten Realms maps be used in DMsGuild adventures?
JVC Parry's recent intriguing DMsGuild adventure Call from the Deep includes a hex map of an area of the Sword Coast from Forgotten Realms.
As JVC Parry is a third-party author outside of WotC, this ...
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1answer
201 views
Who owns content posted at Paizo.com forums?
I am working on a guide containing many Pathfinder tactics and rules commonly overlooked by new players, such as delaying until you get buffed. I am using this thread as one of the important sources. ...
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How hard is it to navigate D&D 5e copyright and licensing? [closed]
I'm developing the concept of a website to help DMs run campaigns. Imagine a beefed up D&DBeyond site. I'd like to be able to have spells and classes on said site for a few games, but does anyone ...
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1answer
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Is Forgotten Realms geo-location data copyrighted, or free to use?
I am in the process of creating a gis map of Toril, starting from the Faerun Continent. (More details are in this question on GIS.SE: Starting a QGIS project for a fantasy world map from raster images....
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Who owns the Dragonlance intellectual property?
This answer states that Margaret Weis "owns" Dragonlance, and that she "won the rights to Dragonlance in a court battle." Is this accurate? I could not find any details of such a court battle, or ...
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How to get permission to use Monster Manual images in articles and adventures “courtesy of Wizards of the Coast”?
We notice that a variety of online articles appear to have received permission from Wizards of the Coast for use of their images from the Monster Manual (such as this Nerdarchy article which uses a ...
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1answer
535 views
Can a PC protected by copyright be used by the DM without player permission? [closed]
A player owns the copyright on their character as long as that character meets copyright criteria and was featured in something before being in the campaign, such as a backstory or drawing. This has ...
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1answer
198 views
Dungeons and Dragons god symbols in real life crafts [closed]
I understand that the D&D deities of the multiverse and various setting pantheons are protected by copyright laws, as are official artworks, but is there anything prohibiting a hobbyist from ...
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1answer
608 views
If Drow and Duergar are allowed as monsters in the D&D 5e SRD, are they allowed as subraces as well?
I'm developing a campaign setting with my S.O. which we intend to publish. (We're uncertain of exactly where we'll publish yet.) I was reading through the D&D 5e SRD released under OGL to see what ...
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1answer
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Which part of the PHB is free for public use?
I'm designing an iOS app could help us in game. The app including a "spell quick reference" section. Can I use the spell list in the PHB? In the future, I want to add more to it, like feats. Can I use ...
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1answer
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Creating an RPG with a similar setting to Shadowrun: is it a derivative work?
I have spent a lot of time looking at both other posts on this form about derivative work and its actual definition/ conditions, but I would like to hear your thoughts on this specific case. I have ...
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1answer
398 views
What can I include in 3rd-party content? [duplicate]
What WotC 5e D&D content am I and am I not allowed to use in published 3rd-party content? Core books? Books like Xanathar's and Volo's? Unearthed Arcana? How do I avoid plagiarism, copyright ...
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1answer
529 views
Are monster names covered as identity under the OGL or otherwise copyrighted?
Can I reuse the names of monsters from works published under the Open Gaming license, specifically monsters found in the Pathfinder Bestiary, the Open Pathfinder SRD web site or books published under ...
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2answers
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Can I use the example character names from the PHB for characters in a story I'm writing?
My problem is that I was in need of a nice-sounding name for a character during one DnD session, so I used one from the Player’s Handbook, since I thought that it’s not going to be an extremely ...
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1answer
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Can I mention Dungeons & Dragons in a D&D 5e OGL product description?
I have been thinking of publishing a D&D 5th edition module under the open gaming license (OGL).
I understand the phrase "Dungeons & Dragons" product title is copyrighted trademarked and thus ...
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0answers
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How hard is it to get a license from WotC to publish a novel set in a D&D setting? [closed]
Everybody is trying to get around writing their own stories without infringing any copyrights by WotC. That got me wondering...
How hard could it be to obtain a license to actually publish a book ...
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1answer
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What kind of license or ownership does uploading content to D&D Beyond grant WOTC?
I remember when DM's Guild first came out there were some concerns regarding the licensing terms you agree to when uploading homebrew content. At first it seemed like you granted ownership of your IP ...
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1answer
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Can I publish my own books for use with D&D 5th edition?
I've had artistic skills since I was a kid and I love D&D, and I want to create some books. I would be trying to fund them with KickStarter — 100 new monsters, 100 NPCs, 100 map tiles, and stuff ...
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2answers
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Is there any copyright infringement if you prepare a campaign setting based on a published book or movie?
I'm working on a project to prepare roleplaying settings. We first wanted to make it for ourselves but we thought that if anyone wants to use it why not. We even thought further and figured that it ...
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1answer
268 views
Is there a definitive set of monster icons or images that is royalty free? [closed]
I'm about to start broadcasting a D&D campaign on roll20 via twitch.tv. My current account is loaded with images that are, suffice to say, copyright infringement. I intend to replace all of the ...
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1answer
211 views
Open Gaming License and Novels
I would like to write an RPG licensed under the OGL that draws inspiration (but does not contain any copyrighted material etc.) from novels and other forms of media. How could I reference those books ...
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4answers
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What's the legality of making a character editor?
I want to develop a character editor for role-playing games. At first just for one game, but I want to expand it later to cover multiple games.
What laws (like copyright and intellectual-property) do ...
3
votes
1answer
113 views
Is there public domain prior art for frost-breathing Winter Wolves? [closed]
Does anyone know of any public domain prior art for the breath weapon of D&D's winter wolf? I ask because I'd like to use ice-breathing wolves in fiction, but would have to avoid litigation in ...
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1answer
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Is it legal to make a D&D 5e character sheet app?
I am working on a simple Android app. My app implements a D&D 5e character sheet. It lets the user fill form fields and calculates the effects of level progression and attributes. I am not using ...
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1answer
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May I link to SRD in a document under OGL?
I am writing a house rules document for a Pathfinder game. Not publishing it would be a pity, and not using OGL to publish it likewise, since publishing the house rules under OGL allows others to use ...
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1answer
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Legality of publishing a book based on a D&D game
I'm planning to write a book based on a game of Dungeons and Dragons. The rest of the people in my party will get credit as will the DM, who wrote the adventure. If I change the things that were ...
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Is it legal to design and publish a game with D&D's ability scores?
If I were to design an RPG that had Str/Dex/Con/etc... would it be legal to publish it? I know that games like Pathfinder and Dungeon World got away with it, but I'm not sure how or why.
Looking at D&...
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Does the OGL let me write D&D 5e compatible rulebooks legally?
In the D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide, there are two magic items named The Book of Exalted Deeds and The Book of Vile Darkness. In their description, under "Vile Lore" it says that the DM ...
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Is the Greyhawk pantheon protected “Product identity”?
A bit off the usual topic here but I thought I'd see if anyone knew:
Specifically, I'm wondering whether I could make and sell non-game products (like t-shirts, for example) that feature Greyhawk ...
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1answer
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What legal issues will I have with copying themes and ideas from existing RPG's?
So I've ben building a tabletop RPG for quite a few years, gone through all the mechanics, we have a timeline laid out for doing a TON of playtesting (individually, local friends, local game stores, ...
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Can you publish a commercial rpg using the Gumshoe SRD?
As a Kickstarter reward, the Gumshoe ruleset (used in games such as Trail of Cthulhu and Mutant City Blues) was released as an SRD. You can get it here:
https://pelgranepress.com/index.php/tag/open-...
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1answer
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Can I Write A Story Within The Forgotten Realms And Publish it? [duplicate]
If I were to use a character, say a Deva, and create a story using them can I publish it?
For things like town names, God titles and small amounts of lore I can change them. But the real question is, ...
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1answer
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Writing stories based on a D&D homebrew setting
I've been considering writing and posting (for free) stories based on a homebrew D&D setting I came up with. Most of the questions on here deal with the legality of posting rules mechanics etc, ...
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4answers
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What is the required process to (partially) reproduce D&D rulebooks?
Say I wanted to create (and sell) an original design of the D&D 5e Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and some original cartography of Forgotten Realms locations. This would mostly be a ...
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What is an SRD for?
Some RPGs have SRDs. Wikipedia tells me that they are System Reference Documents, but that it's largely a D&D thing, and doesn't explain why they exist. Only that they do.
This answer suggests ...
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Is it legal to write and publish a novel based on a pre-existing campaign or setting?
I have read over the OGL and researched copyright laws, but I still am not sure how much of what I want to do is legal. What if someone wanted to write a story about a pre-existing campaign, such as ...
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What are the legal/ethical considerations of republishing old adventures for new editions?
I am a lazy GM and I rely a lot on published adventures. Particularly shorter ones: I get a lot of pleasure from tweaking and arranging them into a coherent narrative frame for a campaign.
I've been ...
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1answer
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Do Tabletop RPGs Require a Copyright?
I am currently creating a Tabletop RPG and I have already found a few ways to publish it. The main problem I am having is this: if I want to get credit for making the game, and receive any and all ...
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3answers
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What Information Can I Use If I Want To Publish My Own D&D 5e Module?
I intend to write a D&D module and publish it under the OGL (I know 5e itself isn't OGL, see note below) for use with both D&D 5e and AD&D. I know there are areas where I can't draw ...
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Is it legally okay to blog a D&D 5e story (actual play)
Okay, this might be a stupid question (sorry about that) and possibly even a duplicate, but is it okay legally to blog a D&D 5e story, that is, to publish a kind of "actual play" publicly?
Sure I ...
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Are the Gods in the Forgotten Realms setting under copyright?
I'm in the midst of writing a story involving Cyric and Tharizdun butting heads over a group of mortals attempting to obtain one of Cyric's toys and destroy it. (based on a 2 dungeon master, dungeon ...
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Is there a OGL or GSL license for D&D 5e?
With the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition Basic Rules being a free PDF, they are practically the SRD.
But is there a license available for content creators that want to create commercial products ...
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1answer
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Is the NDA for DnDNext still in Effect?
When signing up for the playtest, you sign an agreement that basically says you can't quote or share material from the playtest packet.
However, recently, Wizards of the Coast has started to sell ...
