Legal Status of other supplements

[sfchbryan]

That is an adventure published by Michael Brown. It is not a Cepheus Engine book. It is someone's Cepheus Engine compatible product.

There are only two Cepheus Engine books. I've been told that I am not allowed to post links to sales sites here. Go to DTRPG and type in "Samardan Press". You'll get the two CE books.

And in 5 minutes, Samardan Press could have another two (Alien Creation & Magic)

Looking forward to seeing you at Travellercon - I want to pick your brain on how you developed your Clement Sector Rules, since I am working on a similar project.

 

[Independence Games]

Looking forward to seeing you at Travellercon - I want to pick your brain on how you developed your Clement Sector Rules, since I am working on a similar project.

I look forward to seeing you there. As it stands, I'm not entirely sure that I will be able to be there but I'm pushing hard!

 

[sfchbryan]

I see some things were not ported over, here and there, from the Traveller SRD.
Were these not ported over for OGL/license issues?

One was capital ship and other options from the High-Guard portion of the Traveller SRD.
Another is the Mercernary and group combat.
Any rumor of these coming forth as additons or are these a no go.

Other seem to be editorial decisions to make Cepheus more like CT. Like the format of character generation. There are no event tables and skill packages, even though they were in the SRD.
Yet event tables are in the new Diverse Roles supplement or at least the sample has them.

As to why Jason didn't move some things from the SRD over, you would have to ask him. Making CE more like CT was an editorial decision. Although I would say that it is more like MT (Character generation and a [much clunkier] Task System, minus the rebellion & errata.

People have used the D&D SRDs to retroclone more than just the 3.5 version of D&D. Swords and Wizardry and Labyrinth Lord are 0e clones, OSRIC is a 1ed clone, Gold & Glory is a 2ed clone (from what I understand). In addition, others have pushed SRDs in other directions - White Star and Stars without Number are SF RPGs that are based on the 0e clones. Whatever your yen is, there is a 0e D&D clone covering it (Superheros, Combat Archeology, Horror, Piracy, etc).

There is absolutely nothing preventing you from adding "missing ideas and concepts" to your own version - that is what I am doing.

OTOH, there are a number of things that I am taking out, because I feel that they are too closely tied to the OTU for my comfort (Concept of Nobility, Scouts not having pensions, any mention of an Imperium, Imperium awards, 3 levels of (Space Navy) - I am sure there are other concepts I'll be trashing as I run across them.

AFA Mercenary & High Guard - I don't know what Jason is doing, but I'm working on character books for my take on CE - I prefer character generation that uses annual roles (AKA advanced) as opposed to term (AKA basic) rolls; although I did drop the Mishaps & Events table & replaced them with a "Professional Training" roll (functional equivalent of the special duty roll in MT.)

 

[estar]

All you're saying is that you don't know, which leads one to ask why you're bothering to comment. If you're okay with it, then maybe you can plan to publish "generic" scifi stuff outside your company's setting.

Personally I was hoping to see something like this, essentially official Traveller mechanics without the official background, published as per the games origins and first iteration, and with the author's (Marc Miller's) blessing so that normal Joes like me could write "real" scifi with this game mechanic in mind (because we're used to it and like it) that didn't violate the ground rules for the official Traveller setting because there would be no official setting.

You do realize that the Marc himself has published the Traveller 20 with the OGL language intact by releasing the CD-ROM and posting them on RPGNOW/DriveThruRPG. By doing this he given explicit permission to use that material under the OGL.

This combined with the face that Mongoose Traveller SRD has been out for a number of years and the recent addition of this subforum I think illustrates Marc's views on the use of both SRD (T20 and MgT1e).

Your view that the whole thing is "fishy" is shared by many others who view Pathfinder, and the D&D retro-clones in the same light. If you are not comfortable with using various Traveller related SRD then don't.

I will only say that at some point you have to come up with an answer to the observation that it been X years and Marc (or Wizards) hasn't sued or sent notice anybody using the material released under the various SRDs.

 

[Leitz]

And for my next trick...

A friend wrote some code for Character Generation under the GPL. My sense from all this is that such code is fine, correct? It's not like a bunch of us aren't doing the same thing, but he asked about the GPL <=> OGL relationship.

 

[Blue Ghost]

You do realize that the Marc himself has published the Traveller 20 with the OGL language intact by releasing the CD-ROM and posting them on RPGNOW/DriveThruRPG. By doing this he given explicit permission to use that material under the OGL.

This combined with the face that Mongoose Traveller SRD has been out for a number of years and the recent addition of this subforum I think illustrates Marc's views on the use of both SRD (T20 and MgT1e).

Your view that the whole thing is "fishy" is shared by many others who view Pathfinder, and the D&D retro-clones in the same light. If you are not comfortable with using various Traveller related SRD then don't.

I will only say that at some point you have to come up with an answer to the observation that it been X years and Marc (or Wizards) hasn't sued or sent notice anybody using the material released under the various SRDs.

Based on my personal circumstances, to me, it's a risk. I've got five adventures fully fleshed out, others in draft form, two ready to "go to press" so to speak. There's nothing I'd like better than to just get a LOC certification number for copyright, and throw them up on Drivethru or Amazon in ebook form. Truly.

And I may be coming close to that. But the legal ambiguity just makes me uncomfortable. It's not "big dollars" (at least not for me), but it sure would be nice to have a piece of paper that says that I can write for such and such.

That's my only issue. My best to whoever enjoys it and writes for it.

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

I have three adventures written up that I want to release as TAS on drive thru, because I want others to use what's in them for their own whatever.

I just have to put in the time now to do the layout and all the full-color page artwork for them, so they match the look and feel of the Mongoose 2nd edition core book. Since they all have character illustrations, it's going to take awhile to produce.

 

[aramis]

And for my next trick...

A friend wrote some code for Character Generation under the GPL. My sense from all this is that such code is fine, correct? It's not like a bunch of us aren't doing the same thing, but he asked about the GPL <=> OGL relationship.

We're not putting the license on every post...
which technically may be an issue. If the code is GPL, comment in a note and a link to the specific license used...

EG:

// Foofuu
// Code released under the GNU GPL, https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.en.html
Int Main (Void){
    print "Foo! Foo on You!"
};

 

[estar]

And for my next trick...

A friend wrote some code for Character Generation under the GPL. My sense from all this is that such code is fine, correct? It's not like a bunch of us aren't doing the same thing, but he asked about the GPL <=> OGL relationship.

There is code, and then there is the data that the code uses. The code can be GPL, and the data can be OGL.

 

[estar]

And I may be coming close to that. But the legal ambiguity just makes me uncomfortable. It's not "big dollars" (at least not for me), but it sure would be nice to have a piece of paper that says that I can write for such and such.

You have the piece of paper, it is the declaration of open content within Traveller20, and the Mongoose Traveller SRD. Furthermore for the Traveller20 content is has been rereleased with the same notice directly by Marc Miller when he released the Traveller20 SRD at Far Future

The Cepheus Game Engine cites all the open content it uses.

15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

High Guard System Reference Document Copyright © 2008, Mongoose Publishing.

Mercenary System Reference Document Copyright © 2008, Mongoose Publishing.

Modern System Reference Document Copyright 2002-2004, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Bill Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Charles Ryan, Eric Cagle, David Noonan, Stan!, Christopher Perkins, Rodney Thompson, and JD Wiker, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, Peter Adkison, Bruce R. Cordell, John Tynes, Andy Collins, and JD Wiker.

Swords & Wizardry Core Rules, Copyright 2008, Matthew J. Finch

System Reference Document, Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

T20 - The Traveller’s Handbook Copyright 2002, Quiklink Interactive, Inc. Traveller is a trademark of Far Future Enterprises and is used under license.

Traveller System Reference Document Copyright © 2008, Mongoose Publishing.
Traveller is © 2008 Mongoose Publishing. Traveller and related logos, character, names, and distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Far Future Enterprises unless otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved. Mongoose Publishing Ltd Authorized User.
Cepheus Engine System Reference Document, Copyright © 2016 Samardan Press; Author Jason "Flynn" Kemp

Cepheus and each of the above cited reference has it open content detailed as required by section 8 of the license.

8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content.

You already have the piece of paper you are looking for.

 

[Nightwind1]

You have the piece of paper, it is the declaration of open content within Traveller20, and the Mongoose Traveller SRD. Furthermore for the Traveller20 content is has been rereleased with the same notice directly by Marc Miller when he released the Traveller20 SRD at Far Future

The Cepheus Game Engine cites all the open content it uses.



Cepheus and each of the above cited reference has it open content detailed as required by section 8 of the license.



You already have the piece of paper you are looking for.

People have been trying to convince him of the legality of the OGL for months (at least).

 

[AsenRG]

People have been trying to convince him of the legality of the OGL for months (at least).

I don't expect them to succeed.

 

[Timerover51]

This looks like a good spot for my question, as it does involve supplements for the Cepheus Engine. As I am now finally up and running on DriveThru, I am looking at a couple of supplements for the Cepheus Engine, one involving 19th and 20th century weaponry and military equipment, and one involving animals for outdoor adventuring. I am just checking to see if those would be covered under the OGL, and would I need permission to list them as compatible with the Cepheus Engine?

The format would be an image and actual data of the weapon or item of equipment, then the data put into Cepheus Engine format, along with some extrapolation to cover things like the current crop of rifles firing the .50 caliber machinegun cartridge and the very powerful Russian 14.5mm anti-tank rifles used during World War 2 and Korea, along with things like the 1 inch Gatling gun and the .600 Nitro Express and other very high-power hunting cartridges.

The animal directory would be similar, giving an image of the animal, its actual data, and then Cepheus Engine data. In this way, the individual user can determine if there should be any modifications made to the basic Cepheus Engine data.

A vehicles catalogue will be coming eventually as well.

 

[estar]

This looks like a good spot for my question, as it does involve supplements for the Cepheus Engine. As I am now finally up and running on DriveThru, I am looking at a couple of supplements for the Cepheus Engine, one involving 19th and 20th century weaponry and military equipment, and one involving animals for outdoor adventuring. I am just checking to see if those would be covered under the OGL, and would I need permission to list them as compatible with the Cepheus Engine?

The OGL license and declaration of open content is the permission. But it always polite to ask as we are all a bunch of folks engaging in a hobby that we love. So it is nice to hear from people using the material that is released.

In general if the stats, and descriptions (and original art) are your own work then you should be good. My personal recommendation is that you declare everything open content except for any adventure or setting material related to a setting you created. The easiest way of doing that is just put that material into a chapter of its own. And say Chapter 1 to X are open content and chapters X+1 to the end are product identity.

If you are not comfortable with that then the minimum would be to declare the weapon stats open content or any rules directly derived from Cepheus mechanics.

People have done both.

The format would be an image and actual data of the weapon or item of equipment, then the data put into Cepheus Engine format, along with some extrapolation to cover things like the current crop of rifles firing the .50 caliber machinegun cartridge and the very powerful Russian 14.5mm anti-tank rifles used during World War 2 and Korea, along with things like the 1 inch Gatling gun and the .600 Nitro Express and other very high-power hunting cartridges.

I think some would find that very useful.

The animal directory would be similar, giving an image of the animal, its actual data, and then Cepheus Engine data. In this way, the individual user can determine if there should be any modifications made to the basic Cepheus Engine data.

A vehicles catalogue will be coming eventually as well.

Looking forward to seeing what you release.

 

[Independence Games]

I am just checking to see if those would be covered under the OGL, and would I need permission to list them as compatible with the Cepheus Engine?

As far as just using the OGL, you need permission from no one. The OGL is your permission.

As far as making it compatible with Cepheus Engine, Jason has placed his requirements in the latter portion of the book. Really simple steps to follow.

The other thing that I would recommend for people making a CE product is something that you doing right here and now: Let folks know. The CE publishers are a great group of folks and will welcome you with open arms.

As for myself, I'm glad to have you aboard!