How does the license work?

[Richard Mayo]

It does not appear that I could buy an ultimate license of fantasy grounds and sometimes be the GM and sometimes be the player. Is this correct?

The installation of the product stores the license key in the registry key of the installed computer, and prevents two users with the same key from participating in the same session. The EULA only covers one installation.

Could I install the product on a computer at work that is accessible to RDP (Remote Desktop) with an ultimate license, and then have me and my friends install the free license. Then whoever is GM'ing that time would have to log on to the RDP computer to get the master license and all of the content license.

It seems an awful lot of work to circumvent a license configuration that seems both too lax and too stringent. Why must the license rest on the GM computer? If one player has the license it should share with the others for the duration of the session.

Please help clarify this for me, because it may mean that I purchase a different VTT. I don't mind spending $600 to get everything licensed, but not if I can only GM and never play.

[Bidmaron]

You can do either with the Ultimate license. You cannot share your license. Your expectations are not reasonable. You and your friends could not buy a copy of Microsoft Word and share it (family license gets close), why would you expect a game to do that? You cannot buy a copy of Halo and share it with your friends.

If you own an Ultimate license, you can GM or play, either one.

[damned]

Hi Richard Mayo the license is a User license - it is for you to use and only for you to use.
There is absolutely no need to spend $600 - especially not in one go upfront.
If you and another will be sharing GM duties you might buy Standard licenses for everyone or you might use Ultimate subscriptions. You cancel yours when the other player becomes GM and he starts a new one.
Then the DLC.
You would probably both want the PHB.
Other than that if you are running published adventures (which it sounds like) just buy the adventure that you are going to run. In conjunction with the PHB you will have everything needed to run. Same for the other GM. Bear in mind that if you go the subscription route you cannot access your DLC while your subscription is cancelled.

[Richard Mayo]

I know of many software licenses that work exactly like I am suggesting.

TeamViewer -- I have a corporate Teamviewer license. I can connect to any of my clients' computers. They don't need a license... I have one. I can reverse the connection to share my workstation. They don't need a license, I have one. Only one side of the connection requires the license.

Accounting Software -- Most accounting and ERP software is based on a concurrent license count. I can install the software on as many workstations as I want so long as the total user count does not exceed what I am licensed for.

It isn't really analogous to "sharing" microsoft word. I am not looking to have two different people use the license at the same time. I am participating in the game that he is playing.

It goes back to my topic sentence...

"It does not appear that I could buy an ultimate license of fantasy grounds and sometimes be the GM and sometimes be the player. Is this correct?"

And your answer doesn't clarify this for me. "You can do either with the Ultimate license."

Can you answer this question please? If I purchase 3 books of content and I am licensed to use them, but I am participating in a group where no body else has purchased that information, who can see this content?

a. Nobody
b. Just me
c. everybody

Thanks, I am really fuzzy on how this would work.

[Richard Mayo]

Thanks, that clears things up ... a bit.

So if I am running a game with the ultimate license, do the players have access to the content that I have purchased for building their characters, etc? Could they use tokens from my license while we are connected?

Or, if I am following, we really need everyone to buy a license with the PHB, Sword Coast Guide, and any other content that they want. The content isn't really shared.

If we had four players with access to the same amount of content that we have at our physical table, we are in the $1,500 range (only those running the game need the modules).

[Zhern]

So if I am running a game with the ultimate license, do the players have access to the content that I have purchased for building their characters, etc? Yep, you can share the content with me. For instance, you bought the 5e PHB, Elemental Evil Player's Companion, Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, and Volo's Guide to Monsters. You could then, while being GM, share each of those with your players and they can use them to build characters, etc.


Could they use tokens from my license while we are connected? Yep


Or, if I am following, we really need everyone to buy a license with the PHB, Sword Coast Guide, and any other content that they want. The content isn't really shared. If we had four players with access to the same amount of content that we have at our physical table, we are in the $1,500 range (only those running the game need the modules). That's a negative. If you have an ultimate license, you can run the game and your players could use the demo/free version to play in your game and have access to all your reference material that you have purchased. It is akin to sharing one set of books around the table.

Does this help? Let me know if you need further information.

[damned]

Hi Richard Mayo the GM and only the GM can share information or resources at the table.
So if you are GM and you share the PHB everyone can access it.

If you are a player with the PHB and the GM doesnt have it it happens like this:
* You (player) activate the book in this campaign
* You try and open the book
* The GM gets a message saying Gikando is trying to open the PHB would you like to allow?
* The GM allows it and you have access to it.
* You cannot share it with the GM or with other players.

If you are a GM with the PHB it happens like this:
* You (GM) activate the PHB in the campaign
* You mark the book as shared
* You can open the book
* The players can open the book (once it downloads to their campaign cache)

The Standard and Full licenses come with cut down instances of the rules known as the SRD and the Basic rules (they are two distinct and overlapping sets of rules - use one or the other, not both - you can combine these with any of the full licensed versions - eg SRD + PHB so you have all SRD monsters plus ALL PHB character options) that are sufficient for play - albeit without all the options and all the fluff and pictures. Additionally with 3.2.2 you can add in all the extra traits, feats, backgrounds etc manually, as you need them, if desired.

You would probably end up with something like this over time:

GM1: Ultimate, PHB, Lost Mines of Phandelver, Swords King Thunder (could easily be 6-12 months of gaming)
GM2: Ultimate, PHB, Curse of Strahd, Savage Worlds

or

GM1: Standard, PHB, Lost Mines of Phandelver, Swords King Thunder (could easily be 6-12 months of gaming)
GM2: Standard, PHB, Curse of Strahd, Savage Worlds
P1: Standard
P2: Standard
P3: Standard
P4: Standard, Call of Cthulhu (as she has decided that she wants to run some stuff too)

Individual items often go on sale too. D&D Curse of Strahd is on sale today. Other than your first purchases to get you going you can hold off on the others and add them as you see them on sale. In the past there have been two big annual sales co-inciding with Steam sales.

[Richard Mayo]

Hi Richard Mayo the GM and only the GM can share information or resources at the table.
So if you are GM and you share the PHB everyone can access it.

If you are a player with the PHB and the GM doesnt have it it happens like this:
* You (player) activate the book in this campaign
* You try and open the book
* The GM gets a message saying Gikando is trying to open the PHB would you like to allow?
* The GM allows it and you have access to it.
* You cannot share it with the GM or with other players.

If you are a GM with the PHB it happens like this:
* You (GM) activate the PHB in the campaign
* You mark the book as shared
* You can open the book
* The players can open the book (once it downloads to their campaign cache)

The Standard and Full licenses come with cut down instances of the rules known as the SRD and the Basic rules (they are two distinct and overlapping sets of rules - use one or the other, not both - you can combine these with any of the full licensed versions - eg SRD + PHB so you have all SRD monsters plus ALL PHB character options) that are sufficient for play - albeit without all the options and all the fluff and pictures. Additionally with 3.2.2 you can add in all the extra traits, feats, backgrounds etc manually, as you need them, if desired.

You would probably end up with something like this over time:

GM1: Ultimate, PHB, Lost Mines of Phandelver, Swords King Thunder (could easily be 6-12 months of gaming)
GM2: Ultimate, PHB, Curse of Strahd, Savage Worlds

or

GM1: Standard, PHB, Lost Mines of Phandelver, Swords King Thunder (could easily be 6-12 months of gaming)
GM2: Standard, PHB, Curse of Strahd, Savage Worlds
P1: Standard
P2: Standard
P3: Standard
P4: Standard, Call of Cthulhu (as she has decided that she wants to run some stuff too)

Individual items often go on sale too. D&D Curse of Strahd is on sale today. Other than your first purchases to get you going you can hold off on the others and add them as you see them on sale. In the past there have been two big annual sales co-inciding with Steam sales.

Thanks everyone for your help. I've now got a good handle on how the licensing works.

[Bidmaron]

Richard, you will not regret your investment with these guys. The unique interface of Fantasy Grounds really helps reinforce the immersive experience and it is unique in that regard.

[JohnD]

In the past almost 5 years now I have used FG exclusively for my gaming. Take the plunge and you frankly will not regret it.

I have been keeping track of how much use I get from FG vs what I've paid for it. Currently my cost is just under $0.21/hour... and I have a **** tonne of extra (non "essential") stuff I've bought.

It does take a little work to learn how things work, but given you already know how the rules of your chosen RPG system work, you're more than 1/2 way there.

[Myrdin Potter]

I am the DM in my group and I bought the Ultimate license and own all the DLC being used. Many of my players now own the standard license. They do not need it to connect to me, but most like having the PHB themselves. This is pretty much exactly like it was when I started playing (and DMing) over 30 years ago.

For the cost of the Ultimate license, you can get at least 4 and maybe 5 standard (full) licenses. If you will swap DMing a lot, then that is the most economical per person.

Remember, Fantasy Grounds plays many games, not just 5e. The DLC cost for 5e is set by WoTC and other 3PP. You need to own at least one set of the rules innyiur group anyways.

It is really not as bad as your original posts imagine.

[ddavison]

I think you already got it, but just to clarify... you can be a GM with the Ultimate license or a player in someone else's game as long as they have their own license. You can't share your license with another user and let them take your place as a GM. If you expect to switch up from month-to-month, the Ultimate subscription might be a good option for your group. GM #1 can have the subscription active when they have the role of GM and then they can cancel their sub and allow GM #2 to start or re-start a subscription to the Ultimate when they take over the responsibilities. The player would only have access to the stuff that their GM had available to share, though.