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Shadow
I am not sure if this is the right forum to be posting this on so I apologize in advance if I am in the wrong place.

Shadowrun has a really cool, and versatile system. Sure some of the specific rules bite, but the system as a whole is really good. The idea of TN's and varying degree of difficulty based on the number of successes you get is good stuff. Not to mention the un-precedented control over character creation (point system) and of course how you advance is pretty marvelous.

Now before I get going let me say, I love the setting. %100 the best RPG setting EVER! Lately though I have been longing for those bygone days of Traveller and Star Frontier. It has been years (like 20) since I played either and I am really not interested in searching ebay or other sites to find the (out of print I am sure) rules to them. Nor do I want to teach them to my group.

I would however like to adapt the core SR rules to a more hard sci-fi setting. Something 600 years in the future so I have lots of leeway for my imagination to run wild. I have a pretty good idea (Thank you Stumps and LM for inspiration) and I would like to flesh it out using the SR core rules.

However; if I spend countless hours working on this system, and mod the SR rules to it, I may want to post them on the web for others to enjoy. At that point (hypothetically of course) would WK or FP step in and shut me down? I am not a publisher, lawyer, or affiliated with anyone on those respective businesses. like most people I have a hazy concept of copywrite laws. I don't want to steal or plagiarize anything, just use some of the concepts from the BBB in my mod.

So what I am talking about is writing a mod for the SR rules to adapt them to a Hard Sci-Fi setting. I would use nothing that is setting specific (magic, elves, dragons, etc) from SR, just the core rules.

Anyone have any incite they can give me?

Fresno Bob
As long as you didn't profit from it, I think it would be ok.
Kagetenshi
You can send legal queries to WizKids and they'll usually get back to you, though it may take a month or so.

~J
Cray74
I adapt SR to all sorts of game settings, like Mechwarrior (preferable to MW3 RPG, bleh). I rarely use the settings, but I figure so long as I'm not profitting from it, it's all cool.
A Clockwork Lime
You can't copyright a game mechanic, only the means of how that mechanic is described. Basically, as long as you don't plagerize the actual text for the rules and don't try to claim that it's an accessory or anyway associated with Shadowrun, you're golden.
Kagetenshi
So what is the significance of the OGL for d20? Is it just a license to use the same description, or purely marketing fluff with no substance?

~J
A Clockwork Lime
That's mostly so you can use their logos to identify it as being compatible with their system, and so that you can freely reference their material as "part" of your game. It also allows them to use some of the terms they have trademarked, such as Dungeon Master. As far as I know, at least.
mfb
the OGL means that d20 material and rules may be freely copied, modified, and distributed. that means i could print out the d20 game rules (not the actual books--PHB, DMG, MM--but what's on the OGL site) and hand them out on the street.
Abstruse
Which is why you'll notice a few key things are missing from the OGL books to actually play...like what to do with XP you get.

I'm not a legal expert, but my guess would be if you post it as a setting variation for Shadowrun without printing any of the actual rules from the book (IE don't put the character creation table, don't put the full skill list from the book, etc.) they won't do anything. Just post on the web stuff like "There's no magic, therefore the spellcasting skills aren't available, here's a new PC race, add in these skills for mecha combat" etc. etc. Don't post blocks of text from the actual rulebooks and shit like that. Just post what info is needed to run the game in that setting.

WK might say something about it, but odds are they won't because you're not stealing their material, you're promoting it. Just make sure to add in that little text from the Shadowrun FAQ..."This page is not accociated with WizKids or FanPro" etc. Worst that'll happen is they'll send you an email telling you to take it down. If you leave it up after they tell you not to, THEN they might break out the lawyers.

The Abstruse One
Pthgar
QUOTE (Shadow @ Mar 20 2004, 09:33 PM)
...Lately though I have been longing for those bygone days of Traveller and Star Frontier. It has been years (like 20) since I played either and I am really not interested in searching ebay or other sites to find the (out of print I am sure) rules to them. Nor do I want to teach them to my group...

If you're interested the Traveller rules are in reprint. They are available at Stiggybaby's.
Shadow
I appreciate the responses. The legality of game rules is an interesting one. Can a game mechanic be copywrited? I.E. since D20 uses a 20 sided dice, can no other rules ever use one?

I suppose as long as you don't blatantly cut & paste sections out of the rules then technically it would be legal. But it still seems like you could conceivably profit from someone elses work.


@ Pthgar, I stated earlier I had no wish to purchase them, or re-learn them. Let alone teach the rules to my group. I am sure I look at these games through nostalgia colored glasses and I would hate for them to be shattered by the reality of the gaming system.
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