Cygnia Posted January 13, 2023 Report Share Posted January 13, 2023 https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6si7v Quote Paizo Announces System-Neutral Open RPG License Thursday, January 12, 2023 For the last several weeks, as rumors of Wizards of the Coast’s new version of the Open Game License began circulating among publishers and on social media, gamers across the world have been asking what Paizo plans to do in light of concerns regarding Wizards of the Coast’s rumored plan to de-authorize the existing OGL 1.0(a). We have been awaiting further information, hoping that Wizards would realize that, for more than 20 years, the OGL has been a mutually beneficial license which should not–and cannot–be revoked. While we continue to await an answer from Wizards, we strongly feel that Paizo can no longer delay making our own feelings about the importance of Open Gaming a part of the public discussion. We believe that any interpretation that the OGL 1.0 or 1.0(a) were intended to be revocable or able to be deauthorized is incorrect, and with good reason. We were there. Paizo owner Lisa Stevens and Paizo president Jim Butler were leaders on the Dungeons & Dragons team at Wizards at the time. Brian Lewis, co-founder of Azora Law, the intellectual property law firm that Paizo uses, was the attorney at Wizards who came up with the legal framework for the OGL itself. Paizo has also worked very closely on OGL-related issues with Ryan Dancey, the visionary who conceived the OGL in the first place. Paizo does not believe that the OGL 1.0a can be “deauthorized,” ever. While we are prepared to argue that point in a court of law if need be, we don’t want to have to do that, and we know that many of our fellow publishers are not in a position to do so. We have no interest whatsoever in Wizards’ new OGL. Instead, we have a plan that we believe will irrevocably and unquestionably keep alive the spirit of the Open Game License. As Paizo has evolved, the parts of the OGL that we ourselves value have changed. When we needed to quickly bring out Pathfinder First Edition to continue publishing our popular monthly adventures back in 2008, using Wizards’ language was important and expeditious. But in our non-RPG products, including our Pathfinder Tales novels, the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, and others, we shifted our focus away from D&D tropes to lean harder into ideas from our own writers. By the time we went to work on Pathfinder Second Edition, Wizards of the Coast’s Open Game Content was significantly less important to us, and so our designers and developers wrote the new edition without using Wizards’ copyrighted expressions of any game mechanics. While we still published it under the OGL, the reason was no longer to allow Paizo to use Wizards’ expressions, but to allow other companies to use our expressions. We believe, as we always have, that open gaming makes games better, improves profitability for all involved, and enriches the community of gamers who participate in this amazing hobby. And so we invite gamers from around the world to join us as we begin the next great chapter of open gaming with the release of a new open, perpetual, and irrevocable Open RPG Creative License (ORC). The new Open RPG Creative License will be built system agnostic for independent game publishers under the legal guidance of Azora Law, an intellectual property law firm that represents Paizo and several other game publishers. Paizo will pay for this legal work. We invite game publishers worldwide to join us in support of this system-agnostic license that allows all games to provide their own unique open rules reference documents that open up their individual game systems to the world. To join the effort and provide feedback on the drafts of this license, please sign up by using this form. In addition to Paizo, Kobold Press, Chaosium, Green Ronin, Legendary Games, Rogue Genius Games, and a growing list of publishers have already agreed to participate in the Open RPG Creative License, and in the coming days we hope and expect to add substantially to this group. The ORC will not be owned by Paizo, nor will it be owned by any company who makes money publishing RPGs. Azora Law’s ownership of the process and stewardship should provide a safe harbor against any company being bought, sold, or changing management in the future and attempting to rescind rights or nullify sections of the license. Ultimately, we plan to find a nonprofit with a history of open source values to own this license (such as the Linux Foundation). Of course, Paizo plans to continue publishing Pathfinder and Starfinder, even as we move away from the Open Gaming License. Since months’ worth of products are still at the printer, you’ll see the familiar OGL 1.0(a) in the back of our products for a while yet. While the Open RPG Creative License is being finalized, we’ll be printing Pathfinder and Starfinder products without any license, and we’ll add the finished license to those products when the new license is complete. We hope that you will continue to support Paizo and other game publishers in this difficult time for the entire hobby. You can do your part by supporting the many companies that have provided content under the OGL. Support Pathfinder and Starfinder by visiting your local game store, subscribing to Pathfinder and Starfinder, or taking advantage of discount code OpenGaming during checkout for 25% off your purchase of the Core Rulebook, Core Rulebook Pocket Edition, or Pathfinder Beginner Box. Support Kobold Press, Green Ronin, Legendary Games, Roll for Combat, Rogue Genius Games, and other publishers working to preserve a prosperous future for Open Gaming that is both perpetual AND irrevocable. We’ll be there at your side. You can count on us not to go back on our word. Forever.–Paizo Inc Chris Goodwin, Grailknight, Hermit and 3 others 4 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnia Posted January 13, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2023 And since the website is rather clogged with attention right now... | Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted January 13, 2023 Report Share Posted January 13, 2023 Yeah, Paizo just drove a sharp stick into Hasbro’s eye with this move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted January 13, 2023 Report Share Posted January 13, 2023 Props to Paizo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrosshairCollie Posted January 13, 2023 Report Share Posted January 13, 2023 I just watched that video and ran over here to post it if nobody else had. OMFG. This is just ... this is huge. If there was ever a way to give a giant Fornicate You to WotC, that was it. They basically said "Yeah, everything WotC did with their license? We're doing the opposite." And the fact that Paizo is willing to go to court to back up their assertions ... the fact that it's being written in such a way that they absolutely cannot go back on it, even if they change management or get greedy ... I had the same reaction NoNat1s did when he said there was no actual SRD/copyrighted (copywritten?) mechanics in PF2. I know a lot of people who will be relieved to know there won't be a PF 3 or PF 2.1. It already kind of felt like D&D was on life support after One D&D and the OGL fiasco, but I think Paizo just pulled the plug on it. Slaying the Dragon, indeed. I wish Paizo and its allies the best of luck in this. Cygnia 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted January 13, 2023 Report Share Posted January 13, 2023 Hasbro: I’ve made a horrible miscalculation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ultrium Posted January 13, 2023 Report Share Posted January 13, 2023 LOL. Their web site is down. Too much traffic I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnia Posted July 10, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2023 https://www.pcgamer.com/the-creators-of-pathfinder-have-released-their-own-version-of-dandds-controversial-ogland-it-could-have-a-huge-impact-on-all-tabletop-rpgs/?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnia Posted August 7, 2023 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2023 D&D rival Paizo has no plans to follow in its virtual tabletop footsteps with Pathfinder and Starfinder, says they're prioritising 'the VTTs our fans choose' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclevlad Posted August 7, 2023 Report Share Posted August 7, 2023 One wonders whether Paizo can manage to keep gaming-as-a-hobby alive... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnia Posted November 21, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2023 Pathfinder stripped every last trace of D&D from its new rulebooks — even owlbears Duke Bushido, Scott Ruggels and Old Man 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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