Spell templates themselves are OGC by virtue of Dragon magazine.  The
specific templates in MCAU are probably not, or maybe they are...but the
idea definately is.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "woodelf" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2003 11:04 PM
Subject: Re: [Ogf-l] On the matter of game concepts


> At 12:13 -0800 12/15/03, Fred wrote:
> >What I would do, is ask (politely) for a copy of the OGC relating to
spell and
> >weapon templates, and for permission to cite them in your work.
>
> There is none--none of the weapon templates or spell templates
> material is OGC, at least in Arcana Unearthed.  Which mightily
> disappointed me when i got the book: IMHO, those, along with the idea
> of diminished/heightened effects for spells, are the best bits of the
> whole book.
>
> Frankly, if i'd known beforehand not only what was OGC, but which
> element si'd find the most useful/innovative, i might not've bought
> AU: I'm now stuck in the bind of knowing that anything like spell
> templates that i come up with is likely to be heavily derivative of
> his work [whether i intend it to or not--and how do i know i would or
> wouldn't have come up with similar elements to the obvious ones like
> "corrupt" and "blessed" had i not read his?], which isn't OGC,
> whereas if i'd not read the book, just read about the basic concept
> i'd feel free to develop my own version with a clear conscience.  If
> i want to be absolutely clean in the derivation of my work, i have to
> now avoid a whole area of very cool development, because i read
> someone else's work on the matter, and it's not OGC but in an
> OGC-containing work--so i can not reuse the existing, build upon the
> existing, or do anything very similar of my own.  [Now, as it turns
> out, i'm *not* that concerned--i'll make a good-faith effort to do my
> own thing, or only resemble his work insofar as it is "idea", and
> thus outside the realm of copyright, and basically act like his work
> didn't exist and/or i didn't read it.  But it's still annoying.]
> -- 
> woodelf                <*>
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> http://webpages.charter.net/woodelph/
>
> You can't depend on your judgement when your imagination is out of
> focus.
> _______________________________________________
> Ogf-l mailing list
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> http://mail.opengamingfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/ogf-l

_______________________________________________
Ogf-l mailing list
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://mail.opengamingfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/ogf-l

Reply via email to