Project: AD&D Core Ruleset

[celestian]

For many years, WotC would not even sell PDFs of their 3.x materials. They believed that the existence of 3.x threatened their 4th edition. Now that they moved on to 5th edition, they seem to have gotten over that. However, it could be that they don't want to license older materials because it would compete with their current 5e production efforts. Kind of makes sense. They can't unprint their earlier material, so they might as well enjoy the revenue stream selling PDFs. But they CAN prevent anyone from making new material using their old edition by not issuing licenses and limiting 3rd parties to whatever open gaming license the edition had (which was not much prior to 3e).

This very thread is proof of their thinking. The OP will either go to the effort of entering all his old stuff he has (since no license means no purchasable product), or, more likely, he will eventually tire of taking all that time to enter stuff and move on to 5e (or some other game in active development). Or he will go back to pen and paper with his old stuff.

People will just use OGL versions like OSRIC or S&W and by-pass them entirely. I've had to do this for classes, spells, creatures already. I'd much rather just use the stuff from the books but as I said before, they won't let us unless it's the current revision of the game.

It's a loosing proposition for them to ignore those folks that like other versions. Some people will not play the "latest", specially if there are other options. It's "free" money for WoTC because all they have to do is allow folks like me to put up class/npc/spells/etc in FG format for AD&D and they get their cut with no effort other than keeping the dmsguilds site up. I would probably give them what I've done if they'd just put it up. I'm already doing this for nothing.

Now that the bulk of the coding work is sorted outside of some smaller remaining issues my focus this year is going to be setting up tools in the ruleset to import to reduce the load on the DM. I also am considering getting all of OSRIC's material (spells, npcs, classes and rules as ref manual?) in where possible.

[JackBurton]

People will just use OGL versions like OSRIC or S&W and by-pass them entirely. I've had to do this for classes, spells, creatures already. I'd much rather just use the stuff from the books but as I said before, they won't let us unless it's the current revision of the game.

It's a loosing proposition for them to ignore those folks that like other versions. Some people will not play the "latest", specially if there are other options. It's "free" money for WoTC because all they have to do is allow folks like me to put up class/npc/spells/etc in FG format for AD&D and they get their cut with no effort other than keeping the dmsguilds site up. I would probably give them what I've done if they'd just put it up. I'm already doing this for nothing.

Now that the bulk of the coding work is sorted outside of some smaller remaining issues my focus this year is going to be setting up tools in the ruleset to import to reduce the load on the DM. I also am considering getting all of OSRIC's material (spells, npcs, classes and rules as ref manual?) in where possible.

I agree that with the FG system there really is no reason for WOTC to license and make some $ off of it. I don't think they will lose money from 5e because only old geezers really know about 1E or 2E. Most likely they don't want to be bothered with it. Like my Dad used to say "If I say 'no' I don't have to worry about what I said yes to" so it is easier for them to say no compared to what they 'think' they will benefit from. My guess.

I'm for protecting IP but it does seem like a win/win to license it. The problem we noted 30 years ago is that once you have purchased the books (the printer) you don't HAVE to buy anything else. This was great in High School where money was tight and time abundant. I always wondered why T$R (as we referred to them back then) didn't make more Adventures (the ink). Instead they would come out with new versions that sometimes had dramatic changes (good or bad) and sometimes had slight changes. In college I bought 2E PH and DM and sold it to a friend the same day because there wasn't enough change for me to justify 3 weeks of ramen to afford it.

So why not make $$ on your IP in a newer format?

On vacation now but when I get back I'll take a look at creating classes for 1E and UA. I'll take you up on help if I stumble.

Thanks again for your work on this.

Jack Burton

[Myrdin Potter]

I am sure that one of the reasons relates to IP around artwork and some of the materials. The other is limited resources and lack of time to focus on more than the current set.

They really should license SmiteWorks to covert older material and to provide a rule set. At this point there are two functional AD&D and one functional 2e rulesets. The money from the older materials would be “free money” and they are already selling the 1e pdf so why not other than lack of resources.

As for why not offer more adventurers, they actually offered quite a few but the most money is always in books that players can buy instead of materials for the DM only.

[damned]

I am sure that one of the reasons relates to IP around artwork and some of the materials. The other is limited resources and lack of time to focus on more than the current set.

They really should license SmiteWorks to covert older material and to provide a rule set. At this point there are two functional AD&D and one functional 2e rulesets. The money from the older materials would be “free money” and they are already selling the 1e pdf so why not other than lack of resources.

As for why not offer more adventurers, they actually offered quite a few but the most money is always in books that players can buy instead of materials for the DM only.

Ultimately there are probbly two things driving this. The first is focus - keep the customers focus on 5e. That is th product we are selling today. The other is if there is any irregularities in IP ownership, royalties etc.
Anyway... slowly, slowly the Wizards might come around.

[Bidmaron]

I doubt it. You cannot get parts for a '57 Chevy from General Motors. (well, unless a part in a modern car actually somehow still fits a '57). I think it is just not worth their bother. As much as we all love FG, the sales from AD&D are just not enough to pay the attorneys to write the license agreement. Selling PDFs made sense because there is no maintenance to it: write the agreement and let the royalties from DTRGP roll in, however slow they may be. If Celestian got a license and then decided three years later to retire, then they would have to negotiate a new license with someone.

But I think it is just a holdover of their 4e thinking. The whole reason Paizo exists today is arguably because the only way that WotC could get out of their Dragon magazine contract with Paizo was to let Paizo evolve Pathfinder from 3.5e. As I've said on another post, they were so determined that there would be only one (to borrow Highlander terminology), that they revoked their license with ALL publishers except Paizo, spawning the OGL and D20 cottage industry when they could no longer advertise 3.x compatibility. Anyway, the fact is that a license seems highly unlikely, whatever the reason....

[celestian]

If Celestian got a license and then decided three years later to retire, then they would have to negotiate a new license with someone.

It wouldn't be with me. It would be with Smiteworks.

[Asbendale]

Just found this site, and well...that total made my day Im also an old ADD 2nd edition DM and still have a group going playing the Dragonlance campain, but as i can read in the post, we also was about to go to 5E since we live apart and it was the only way to play more. This might just have saved me/us hours of work to change the adventure to 5e

[damned]

Welcome Asbendale

You wont be disappointed going with either 5e or AD&D - both are very excellent rulesets.

[Asbendale]

Ok i have the AD&D core.pak in fantasy grounds, how do i get spells, monsters, classes and items in?

[damned]

Ok i have the AD&D core.pak in fantasy grounds, how do i get spells, monsters, classes and items in?

You can only get the SRD data that is in teh first post.
Download the mod files and place them in modules and then go Library->Modules and Load them.