[Ogf-l] Mongoose - Specific Questions - "is this OGC"

[The Sigil]

==========Part the Second==========

My next question is a specific one directed to Mongoose Matt... since you said, "ask if you have a question on whether something specific is OGC," I'll ask a few questions. I'll try to make it multiple choice (and include a "none of the above" in case I got it wrong). I am hoping that from this specific question set I can derive a more general rule.

The first is from the Quintessential Dwarf book; the OGC designation in the Quint. Dwarf reads, "All game mechanics and statistics derivative of Open Game Content and the System Reference Document are to be considered Open Gaming Content."

On Page 40, we have the following text:

"Rat Hacker (General)
You are skilled at fighting creatures smaller than yourself. While others may stumble around trying to hit the wee creatures, you know just how to hit them where it hurts while avoiding their puny attacks.
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +5.
Benefit: When you are fighting creatures one size category smaller than yourself, they lose any benefits to Armour Class or to their attack rolls based on their size.
Normal: Smaller creatures normally gain a bonus to Armour Class and their attack rolls when battling larger foes."

Is the Open Game Content contained within the above quote (I am inserting curly brackets to denote concepts but not actual text, i.e., {SOME FEAT NAME} means that there is a concept of a feat name but I can't pick up the actual text you used):

A.) The entire text of the Feat including name? (By my reading of your OGC declaration, no.)
"Rat Hacker (General)
You are skilled at fighting creatures smaller than yourself. While others may stumble around trying to hit the wee creatures, you know just how to hit them where it hurts while avoiding their puny attacks.
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +5.
Benefit: When you are fighting creatures one size category smaller than yourself, they lose any benefits to Armour Class or to their attack rolls based on their size.
Normal: Smaller creatures normally gain a bonus to Armour Class and their attack rolls when battling larger foes."

B.) The entire text of the Feat sans name? (By my reading, no.)
"{SOME FEAT NAME}
You are skilled at fighting creatures smaller than yourself. While others may stumble around trying to hit the wee creatures, you know just how to hit them where it hurts while avoiding their puny attacks.
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +5.
Benefit: When you are fighting creatures one size category smaller than yourself, they lose any benefits to Armour Class or to their attack rolls based on their size.
Normal: Smaller creatures normally gain a bonus to Armour Class and their attack rolls when battling larger foes."

C.) The entire text of the Feat sans name and description? (By my reading the spirit of the OGC declaration, yes... but by the letter of the declaration, no.)
"{SOME FEAT NAME}
{SOME DESCRIPTION ABOUT HOW YOU ARE ABLE TO ATTACK FOES SMALLER THAN YOURSELF MORE EFFECTIVELY}
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +5.
Benefit: When you are fighting creatures one size category smaller than yourself, they lose any benefits to Armour Class or to their attack rolls based on their size.
Normal: Smaller creatures normally gain a bonus to Armour Class and their attack rolls when battling larger foes."

D.) A nasty and convoluted set of text? (By a literal reading of your OGC declaration, yes.)
"{SOME FEAT NAME}
{SOME DESCRIPTION ABOUT HOW YOU ARE ABLE TO ATTACK FOES SMALLER THAN YOURSELF MORE EFFECTIVELY}
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +5. (BAB is a term from the SRD and as such is clearly a derivative. Similarly, the concept of Feat Prerequisites is in the SRD and therefore a derivative).
Benefit: {} one size category smaller than yourself, {} benefits to Armour Class or to their attack rolls based on their size. (Relative size and AC/attack bonuses are in the SRD. Negating these bonuses is IMO a derivative work but could be argued not to be).
Normal: Smaller creatures normally gain a bonus to Armour Class and their attack rolls when battling larger foes." (Essentially quoted from the SRD)

E.) Only the rules concept but NONE of the text? (As you have suggested in some of your posts here)
{The concept of removing the advantages built into the d20 system based upon size}

F.) None of the above?

As a second example, take the "Arcane Nexus" section from the Quintessential Wizard (Which I do not have in front of me right now).

A.) Is the entire text of that section OGC (it is rules-related) - i.e., if I wanted to cut/paste the text of that section into my own book, could I do so?

B.) Is some of the text of that section OGC? If so, how do I tell the difference?

C.) Is none of that text OGC - i.e., if I wanted to include the concept of an Arcane Nexus in a book, would I have to re-write it from the ground up?

As a third example, take Encyclopedia Arcane - Elementalism, pages 10-16, starting with the "Five Circles" section header and ending just prior to the "Elemental School Spells" header (obviously, I don't want to type all this out).

A.) Is all of the text on these pages OGC - i.e., can I copy/paste it?

B.) Is all of the text on the pages OGC except (1) the paragraphs that are purely descriptive text; for instance, the paragraph following the prerequisites list for a Circle, e.g., "An Apprentice learns... He gains the following abilities:" and (2) the "flavor text" (stuff in gray boxes such as at the bottom of page 13)?

C.) Only those words that come directly from the SRD, e.g.,
"Knowledge (arcana): 5 ranks
Knowledge (nature): 5 ranks" from the 1st Circle entry and the names of SRD spells on the spell lists appearing on pp. 14-15?

D.) None of the above?

Also, what portions of the spells introduced in Elementalism are OGC? Is there any of the spell text that can be cut/pasted?

I am just trying to understand how Mongoose interprets these particular issues.

--The Sigil

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