Following on from a thought I had in response to BriH’s post earlier last week I have been thinking about creating a completely open and free to use monster book. Rather than Creature Law this would be Creature Libre.
The two parts of the puzzle would be an open source of monsters something like the the d20SRD monster index and the rules for monster creation. These we already have at least in part from Creature Law (PDF page 342).
Furthermore, by using a standard source (the d20SRD) and a public platform (this blog) anyone can contribute monsters to the project. Over this weekend I will re-read the creature creation rules and come up with a template.
The only issue will be art. Once all the content is written then I guess it worth looking at some kind of crowd funding to get the art done?
This is definitely on my To Do list and moving up the priority. If anyone is interested in publishing any unofficial RMU material, if you want or need a monster then let me know and I will prioritise those monsters!
Lovecraftian monsters. Got to have some of them! (The d20pfsrd.com has a few.)
Peter:
I’m assuming this would be for d100 format? Why don’t we do 50 monsters/creatures in 50 day challenge to quickly create content?
Are you thinking of adopting RM stat blocks? It could be simplified a bit as has been discussed in the forms–especially the cryptic codes.
I am thinking to dual statting all the monsters in the available DnD open license books for both RM2 and RMU.
This would completely sidestep the ICE IP, even if those creatures already exist in C&T or Creature law. ICE does not own the rights on orc or hill giant.
Wouldn’t they own the rights for things like Offensive Bonus, or skill rank progressions, or any of that stuff?
Offensive bonus is not even unique to rolemaster so there is no IP there.
This might be relevant: check out what White Wolf is doing by creating its ‘Storyteller’s Vault’, for community content:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/content.php?4329-White-Wolf-Announce-Storytellers-Vault-Content-Creators-Program
Edgltd has been arguing for a RM community content system for a year or more.
I did not know that. I definitely see the wisdom in it.
+1 from me!
I could write, design and publish a high rate of content for SW–I already have, but that would infringe on Terrys IP if it were “published”.
Im now looking at d100 products, but they lack context.
Yes, to put something directly inside someone else’s creation that is pure intellectual property cannot be easily side stepped.
I would talk directly to Terry and try and reach an accommodation. I know he has read some of your shadow world articles on here as I have given them to him to read and he knows they are being sold commercially. We have pierced that veil so to speak. Terry is also a fan of fanzines producing and publishing their own content. He used to write for fanzines himself.
Purely hypothetically if I was to write something for shadow world. I would set it inside buildings. There are hundreds of inns, taverns, boarding houses and brothels in even the most detailed of Terry’s cities just as there are countless warehouses and ships in the harbours. The streets are Terry, the specific locations are all yours. This does not break cannon, does not describe areas untouched by the published books but could be overwritten by a future publication.
I guess I am talking about shadow world urban adventures.
If you created one for the fanzine we can run it past Terry. If he approves then you have a precident of selling shadow world content.
The other alternative is to take on the grand campaign and finish it. Then join with Edgltd and drive the adventure path project forward. Both of those are approved and sanctioned by Nicholas.
Talking about Adventure Paths, there are a number of publishers – Legendary Games (http://www.makeyourgamelegendary.com/about/adventure-path-plug-ins/) bu there are others – who publish additional content for Paizo’s Adventure Paths.
Admittedly they have the OGL to make life easier but they are able to supplement Paizo’s IP work by never directly referring to it. “Mummy’s Mask” is called the “Egyptian Adventure Path” and other terms such as “Tomb City” are used to refer to setting locations and places. Given that many of the people who write these also write the Adventure Paths for Paizo, Paizo don’t have a problem with it.
The problem with RM is it’s all IP. Although it can be gotten around, especially with game mechanics.
Developing stuff in buildings for SW is something I have thought of. Nicholas has said he would be willing to do a regular supplement of approved material (perhaps he would be willing to outsource it?) and creating locations for such as Sel-kai is an option I have thought of. Perhaps create a business and set it in “The Flying City.”