Mentioning of non-SRD monsters (etc.) in OGL products?

[Drkfathr1]

Okay, this question has probably been asked a bazillion times in the past, and if so, I apologize. I vaguely remember a few threads that addressed this issue, but since the database crashed I can't find the old threads. So....

Would it be considered acceptable, or a serious no-no to mention non-SRD monsters (and the like) in an OGL product?

Say for example you wanted to make a list of monsters that were common to an area. Could you list "Illithid", "Beholder", "Death Giant", "Century Worm", etc; so long as you didn't actually give any stats or write up any descriptions of said creatures? I realize it would be almost pointless to even mention them if you couldn't really use them, but I was wondering.

 

[Sammael]

IANAL.

Some of them are WotC product identity and WotC isn't too keen on seeing them appear in other materials. On the other hand, there is such a thing as "fair use." For one, I don't think the section containing such references could be designated as OGL.

I'd ask WotC for a written permission and I imagine they'd grant one if the usage was reasonable.

 

[Psion]

When you use the OGL, you agree not to use certain terms in your product. Illithid is among them; death giant most likely is not.

Also, you agree not to indicate cross compatibity without a separate agreement. So you could say "there are 3 death giants here" you could not say "from page XX of Monster Manual III".

IANAL, of course.

 

[Sammael]

The easy way out would be to call the beholders "eye tyrants," illithids "tentacled brain eaters," and so on...

 

[Dog Moon]

The easy way out would be to call the beholders "eye tyrants," illithids "tentacled brain eaters," and so on...

Haha. Awesome. If I read descriptions of those in products I'd probably break out laughing.

 

[JoeGKushner]

The easy way out would be to call the beholders "eye tyrants," illithids "tentacled brain eaters," and so on...

Use one of the various 3rd party books that replaces 'em.

 

[Psion]

Use one of the various 3rd party books that replaces 'em.

There's Ronin Arts / LDP's Iconic Bestiary / Classics of Fantasy (for most of them)

There's Hyperconscious (which has an open content mind flayer sort of thing.)

What else is there?

 

[JoeGKushner]

There's Ronin Arts / LDP's Iconic Bestiary / Classics of Fantasy (for most of them)

There's Hyperconscious (which has an open content mind flayer sort of thing.)

What else is there?

I thought that Hyperconscious also had a beholder style beastie?

But LDP's Iconic Beastiary was the top dog I was thinking of. Love their take on the walking worm/mind flayer bit.

 

[Drkfathr1]

That's a good idea. I need to check that out.

Although, if I ever got to a point where I would seriously consider publishing something, I'd either make sure it was all useable, or try to get some kind of liscense from WOTC.

 

[Psion]

I thought that Hyperconscious also had a beholder style beastie?

They did, but unlike the mind grub colony, that does not appear to have been the intent. The - er, forget the name... tendrilled beholder thingy (I have it on my thumbdrive, too lazy to look it up right now...) appeared in Mindscapes: Beast of the Id as a beholder-derivative, with somewhat different abilities. It just had its beholder references scratched on update. The Mind Grub Collective was not in beasts of the Id and the picture is the same as the "bound mind flayer" pic in "If Thoughts Could Kill", and has almost the same flavor abilities (psion levels, etc.) It looks like a mind flayer placeholder to me.