GSL is up

[amusingsn]

I have to chime in and agree with those saying that they prefer adventures with the monster stat blocks already included. One of the nice things (I thought) about 4th Edition D&D was the smaller stat blocks for monsters, making that possible (to get an encounter, an encounter map and all the monster stat blocks) on two facing pages. As a DM, this makes things SO much easier to run. If I'm going to have to manually copy down stat blocks so that I don't have to flip through my Monster Manual endlessly, I may as well manually draw a map and manually pick the monsters to fight, and manually string things together in the form of a plot. The conceptual stuff is easy for me. Its the convenience of having all the *WORK* done for me that would make buying a module worth my money.

Here's a question. They allow the creation of new monsters stat blocks, yes? Does that include stat blocks of variations of the monsters already in the MM (well except for the ones that they are keeping for themselves, like beholders, etc)? Could someone, instead of using kobolds from the monster manual, design an adventure with completely stock-created kobolds? I don't think it would be hard to create new kobolds using the guidelines for creating new monsters in the DMG. In fact, maybe someone could create a variant monster manual with new variants of the monsters allowed.

I'm just not good with legalese gobbledy-gook and can't figure out if that is one of the allowed things. I go all cross-eyed.

 

[Ashardalon]

Full list of monsters missing from the list, and therefore can't appear in 3rd party products:

Not quite the full list, as it omits individual entries in otherwise present categories.
[sblock]Tarrasque
Beholder Eye of Flame
Beholder Eye Tyrant
Cambion Hellsword
Cambion Hellfire Magus
(Demon is defined, but the monsters not)
Barlgura
Balor
Evistro (Carnage Demon)
Glabrezu
Goristro
Immolith
Hezrou
Marilith
Mezzodemon
Vrock
(Devil is defined, but the monsters not)
Bearded Devil (Barbazu)
Chain Devil (Kyton)
Bone Devil (Osyluth)
Imp
Ice Devil (Gelugon)
Legion Devil Grunt
Legion Devil Hellguard
Legion Devil Veteran
Legion Devil Legionnaire
Pit Fiend
Spined Devil (Spinagon)
Succubus
War Devil (Malebranche)
Displacer Beast
Displacer Beast Packlord
Dracolich
Blackfire Dracolich
Runescribed Dracolich
Redspawn Firebelcher
Blackspawn Gloomweb
Bluespawn Godslayer
Drider Shadowspinner
Drider Fanglord
Drow Warrior
Drow Arachnomancer
Drow Blademaster
Drow Priest
Flameskull
Great Flameskull
Githyanki Warrior
Githyanki Mindslicer
Githyanki Gish
Githzerai Cenobite
Githzerai Zerth
Githzerai Mindmage
Hook Horror
Kruthik Hatchling
Kruthik Young
Kruthik Adult
Kruthik Hive Lord
Kuo-toa Guard
Kuo-toa Marauder
Kuo-toa Harpooner
Kuo-toa Monitor
Kuo-toa Whip
Mind Flayer Infiltrator
Mind Flayer Mastermind
(Ooze is defined, but the monsters not)
Ochre Jelly
Gelatinous Cube
Orcus
Aspect of Orcus
Doresain, the Ghoul King
Deathpriest Hierophant
Crimson Acolyte
Deathpriest of Orcus
Otyugh
Owlbear
Winterclaw Owlbear
Sahuagin Guard
Sahuagin Raider
Sahuagin Priest
Sahuagin Baron
Shadar-kai Gloomblade
Shadar-kai Chainfighter
Shadar-kai Witch
Shadar-kai Warrior
Longtooth Hunter
Razorclaw Stalker
Slaad Tadpole
Gray Slaad (Rift Slaad)
Red Slaad (Blood Slaad)
Blue Slaad (Talon Slaad)
Green Slaad (Curse Slaad)
Black Slaad (Void Slaad)
Demonweb Terror
Umber Hulk
Shadow Hulk
Warforged Soldier
Warforged Captain
Guulvorg
Yuan-ti Malison Sharp-eye
Yuan-ti Malison Incanter
Yuan-ti Abomination
Yuan-ti Malison Disciple of Zehir
Yuan-ti Anathema
Snaketongue Initiate
Snaketongue Zealot
Snaketongue Warrior
Snaketongue Assassin
Snaketongue Celebrant[/sblock]

 

[Kaodi]

I still do not understand why some of the names of real life monsters are being excluded... I can see Orcus and Tarrasque and Drow, I guess, even though those names cannot be trademarked, but come on, Cambions, Imps and Succubi? And I do not see the concern about the Balor either, seeing as the concept was ruthlessly swiped from Tolkien back in the day.

 

[Henrix]

Trademark doesn't come into it. This is a list of monsters that Wizards allows you to refer to when making a product branded as compatible with D&D.


It's not the new OGL, it's the new d20 license.

 

[Blackbrrd]

Yes. I mean, look at KotS. If you had to write everything out before the session (assuming 4 encounters) you'd have to write out:
- Kobold Minion
- Kobold Slinger (with notes as to pots)
- Kobold Dragonshield
- Kobold Wyrmpriest
- Kobold Skirmisher
- Irontooth
- Gnome Skulk
- Guard Drake
- Halfling Slinger
- Human Rabble
- Rat Swarm
- Goblin Warrior
- Goblin Sharpshooter
- Hobgoblin Torturer
- Balgron the Fat
- Goblin Cutters
- Zombie Rotter
- Zombie
- Giant Rat
- Ochre Jelly

Remember, once they get to the town the first time it's possible they go right to the keep, and once they beat that first encounter, there's so many directions they could potentially go.

Balgron the Fat and Irontooth they could include in a 3pp if kots was 3pp.

If Wizards provided a simple way to -copy- a stat block for DMs, they could just make those copies and be done with it, but they're also preventing that

According to for instance Norwegian copyright laws you can just photocopy the whole thing for personal use.

 

[Kaodi]

I kind of got that, but it does not make any sense to me why they do not want you referring to some fairly common creatures.

 

[bandrewski]

If you can not post the full stats block for common monsters in the adventure that really makes it a big pain.

Wotc/Hasbo has once again shot themselves in the foot.

I think history will remember D&D 4th Edition as "Good Rules, ruined by poor management"

The new GSL has really turned me off to 4th edition.

 

[Xanaqui]

It's very clear that I could publish no versions of the current OGL material I've created under the GSL, nor would it be advisable to do so. (Problems include means of publication, existence of prohibited material, and re-definition of existing terms).

Unless they construct another license (or alter this one a lot), I'm going to have to rely on base copyright law. That's pretty unfortunate - as most such materials were created for one or another of my gaming groups (example: campaign rules, modules for my personal use, etc.), which tend to increase purchases of WOTC products within said group.

Perhaps I could work around their restrictions ("Elves are banned; Ljosalfar are just like Elves with the following differences..."). However, it still would be very inadvisable for me to do so, and the means of publication is very limiting.

Oddly enough, it does look like a 3E-> 4E conversion project may be viable, but perhaps I'm just mis-reading the GSL.

I'm guessing that they'll get lesser network effects from this license than they did from the OGL/d20 licenses.