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Anonymous
April 12th, 2005, 19:57
Just checking out FG for the first time. This is probably listed somewhere already but I thought it would be easier to simply ask.

Can non-d20 rulesets be made for this program?

Examples would be Unisystem, Whitewolf, Mutants and Masterminds? Granted MnM is technically almost D20 but you get me drift.

Thanks.

Thore_Ironrock
April 12th, 2005, 22:56
Can non-d20 rulesets be made for this program?

Absolutely! The one problem with doing this, legally, is that non-d20 usually does not fall under the Open Gaming License, and thus you need permission from that company to use it publically.

That said, there are a few non-d20 rulesets in negotiations, and I'm sure news of them will be posted in this forum, probably by monkeys, in the future. :lol:

Anonymous
April 12th, 2005, 23:27
Ah, but if you were using them privately for your group, that would be ok I imagine. Or would it? As long as you left the mechanics and creation out and just stuck with character sheets?

I guess all I'm really talking about is character sheets. Everything else can be handled with chat and the proper books at hand.

Hmm, interesting.

AzureaSkyes
April 20th, 2005, 12:05
Depending on what system you want to run, you may find some issues surrounding copyright on non OGL d20 games.

In general, I would say that if you want to make an FG conversion, that you should NOT make any kind of rules reference like the d20 monsters and the little character memory joggers that FG has. Well, not unless the company tells you it's ok.

Copying commercial adventures without permission would also be a no no.. even if they are from defunct companies, or out of print. This restriction might also apply to copying actual d20 adventures as a lot of the text of the adventure, maps and other trade dress would NOT be covered by the OGL.

All you really need to use FG with a system is some character sheets. Again, I'd check with the company if it's ok to make such available. Even if you play with "your group", you may fall foul of the way in which FG distributes the campaign folder... in effect it is "publishing" it. And certainly making rulesets available for download on the forum might be frowned upon by some publishers.

I want to use FG to run a Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay campaign, but in order to do that, I have to make a WFRP compatible character sheet. Because of an odd clause in Game Workshop's fair use policy, it may be that I cannot actually distribute my conversion. (I'm seeking clarification at the moment).

For example, from GW's IP usage page.....
"The game or mod must be strictly non-commercial – this includes any web site that the mod or game is hosted on. You also cannot pay a printing company to publilsh copies of it onto CD. It may also mean that you cannot get sponsorship."

Now, this is an interesting clause. In effect it means that you cannot distribute WFRP material on the Fantasy Grounds forum as FG is a commercial product and the Fantasy Grounds website supports a company. In essence, it means that if GW doesn't make money from your offering, and someone else does, then you can't offer it. Even if the bit you create is free. I am seeking clarification on this and other issues regarding GW's policies and I will let other WFRP fans know if they can use FG or not as soon as I get some feedback.

richvalle
April 20th, 2005, 14:55
Great... thanks for going though the trouble of doing that.

Though, just to be clear, it should be fine to create FG material for your OWN use even if its moving published adventures into FG as long as you don't share them.

rv

nezzir
May 18th, 2005, 20:15
Please let me know if you get this worked out with Ronin. My group plays WFRP and WFRP2 and I would be interested in purchasing this product (and my players as well) if a WFRP2 rule set were included.

I would think that they would realize that you still need a rulebook and that this would assist them in generating sales...

There may also be a window in which you release the rule sets as a separate and free download, perhaps putting them in a format in which they are readable by themselves. This might satisfy the legal rules and still allow the set to be released.

For example, what if the community developed a WFRP2 ruleset for this product and I hosted them free on my website. Would this satisfy the agreement?

If anyone decides to start a WFRP2 conversion project, let me know, I'll be glad to key in some things and write minor code bits.

[email protected]