Which RPG games depend on the OGL 1.0a?

[MacDhomnuill]

This is the wrong question. Open Game Content is the real issue. Companies that stupidly slapped the OGL into their books but don’t use OGC can just delete the OGL from the pdf and carry on, games that use OGC are screwed. The real kicker here is that OGC is not legally defined anywhere to the best of my knowledge so I expect WOTC to claim its anything in any of the SRDs.

 

[CapnZapp]

Every game that uses D&D concepts like Fighters, Clerics, Wizards, levels, classes, Elves, Orcs, are in the danger zone.

Don't kid yourself you're fine just because you think you will be able to use legalese to weasel yourself out of any formal definitions.

You are only safe* if your game demonstrably uses a different game engine than that of D&D. Or in other words, your game has never had the appeal of being similar to or like D&D (any version). Games like BRP/RQ, GURPS Fantasy or MERP/RoleMaster.

*) and no, contrary to what you might think, I am not a lawyer

 

[CapnZapp]

Dungeon Crawl Classics from Goodman Games ("DCC RPG is published under the Open Game License.")

 

[Morrus]

Time for me to eat crow, I had no idea FATE and Gumshoe used WotC's OGL.

They do not depend on the OGL and use none of WotC's OGC. They use it as a convenient tool to share their content to their 3PP communities, but can easily switch that license for another. They're not licensing content in, they're merely licensing their own content out.

 

[Grendel_Khan]

Time for me to eat crow, I had no idea FATE and Gumshoe used WotC's OGL.

Yeah this is making me realize, to my chagrin, that I have no idea why non-D&D-ish games ever used it.

 

[Reynard]

This is the wrong question. Open Game Content is the real issue. Companies that stupidly slapped the OGL into their books but don’t use OGC can just delete the OGL from the pdf and carry on, games that use OGC are screwed. The real kicker here is that OGC is not legally defined anywhere to the best of my knowledge so I expect WOTC to claim its anything in any of the SRDs.

What do you mean "stupidly." It was intentional. The idea was that they wanted their games open, too, to enjoy the benefits of what Open Gaming offers: innovation, support and community.

 

[Cadence]

Level Up/A5E by EN

 

[Morrus]

Yeah this is making me realize, to my chagrin, that I have no idea why non-D&D-ish games ever used it.

In order to easily license their games to their own creator communities. The OGL is the Open Game License not the Open D&D License.

The OGL is just a convenient ready made tool. They can easily just switch to another sharealike license.

 

[Reynard]

Yeah this is making me realize, to my chagrin, that I have no idea why non-D&D-ish games ever used it.

Because it was a movement built around a document. WotC being jerks now doesn't diminish the fact that it was an unqualified GOOD THING for 23 years.

It is kind of gross how folks are turning on the OGL instead of those trying to abuse and eliminate it.

 

[MGibster]

They do not depend on the OGL and use none of WotC's OGC. They use it as a convenient tool to share their content to their 3PP communities, but can easily switch that license for another. They're not licensing content in, they're merely licensing their own content out.

Got'cha. Why reinvent the wheel if you've already got something you can use.