What they really should do is have two sections of public homebrew. A featured section that adheres to more stringent requirements.
I disagree. All we need is the ability to rate and/or report homebrew items. A user can thus sort by rating and never see the crap that floats to the bottom as the cream rises to the top.
Other than that, the only change needed is to remove the subjective nature of mods deciding if something is useful. In the end, a submission either infringes on IP or breaks the rules; or it doesn't, in which case it's up to users to decide if something is useful, or if they should keep scrolling.
Mods should follow their own checklist.
Is this a copy of an existing spell/monster/item from the current compendium (this includes being similar to existing content)?
Does it follow some basic content rules (certain themes are prohibited, such as ****, torture etc)?
Does it contain copyrighted material (text or images) that the user is unlikely to be the copyright owner?
I would amend the first item on the checklist to make it clearer to mods:
The submission should not have the same name as an existing item/spell/monster, unless it's something generic, or is a modification of the existing item. For example; a "Frost Giant" would not be acceptable, even if the stats are completely different from the existing Frost Giant, however a "Plague Frost Giant" would be an acceptable modification of an existing name.
The submission should not be a copy of an existing item/monster/spell with just a name change.
A submission that has a modified name can use an existing item/spell/monster as a base, as long as the work is transformative. For example, I created a Frost Giant Werewolf. I took the existing Frost Giant as a base creature, added lycanthropy, tweaked its ability stats just a bit, and added a description that explained this new type of Frost Giant.
At the end of the day, if the submission does not contravene the content rules (torture, ****, etc), and a Mod is worried about IP infringement, ask this simple question (which is usually the basis of most Trademark infringement cases) "Is a normal user likely to confuse this thing with the "official" thing." Or more specifically where DDB is concerned, is a DM likely to use this monster in place of the existing official one that they would otherwise have had to pay for, and substitute it for that thing?
BTW, mods, if you want some help adjudicating submissions, let the community help. You could deputize a group of assistant mods whose only job is to spend time in a mod-only sub-forum where they review and rate submissions with any concerns flagged. Mods can then look at the submissions with the reviewer's notes and the mod makes the final decision to approve or reject.
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"Orcs are savage raiders and pillagers with stooped postures, low foreheads, and piggish faces with prominent lower canines that resemble tusks." MM p245 (original printing) You don't OWN your books on DDB: WotC can change them any time. What do you think will happen when OneD&D comes out?
Shall I go on? How do these get approved but the OP's spell doesn't?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Orcs are savage raiders and pillagers with stooped postures, low foreheads, and piggish faces with prominent lower canines that resemble tusks." MM p245 (original printing) You don't OWN your books on DDB: WotC can change them any time. What do you think will happen when OneD&D comes out?
Lower level, only one possible effect, and that effect is quite different; enhance ability only affects ability checks, whereas this grants an actual increase to Strength.
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"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
I had stated yesterday that as a result of this thread my spell was given another look and I was told what still needed to be changed. And now it's been approved as a public homebrew spell!
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I would amend the first item on the checklist to make it clearer to mods:
At the end of the day, if the submission does not contravene the content rules (torture, ****, etc), and a Mod is worried about IP infringement, ask this simple question (which is usually the basis of most Trademark infringement cases) "Is a normal user likely to confuse this thing with the "official" thing." Or more specifically where DDB is concerned, is a DM likely to use this monster in place of the existing official one that they would otherwise have had to pay for, and substitute it for that thing?
BTW, mods, if you want some help adjudicating submissions, let the community help. You could deputize a group of assistant mods whose only job is to spend time in a mod-only sub-forum where they review and rate submissions with any concerns flagged. Mods can then look at the submissions with the reviewer's notes and the mod makes the final decision to approve or reject.
"Orcs are savage raiders and pillagers with stooped postures, low foreheads, and piggish faces with prominent lower canines that resemble tusks." MM p245 (original printing)
You don't OWN your books on DDB: WotC can change them any time. What do you think will happen when OneD&D comes out?
Examples of questionable spells that have been approved by mods.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/2909-aaaargh - Aaaaargh!. < Really? And this spell basically does what Silence does, so... useful? Debatable. Also pretty silly.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/6707-youre-late - You're Late < Another silly spell. Also does the same thing as Fear.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/11058-arc-lightning - Arc Lightning < Pretty much does what Chain Lightning does already.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/2656-arcane-strength < Arcane Strength. This is just a slightly modified version of the Enhance Ability spell.
Shall I go on? How do these get approved but the OP's spell doesn't?
"Orcs are savage raiders and pillagers with stooped postures, low foreheads, and piggish faces with prominent lower canines that resemble tusks." MM p245 (original printing)
You don't OWN your books on DDB: WotC can change them any time. What do you think will happen when OneD&D comes out?
mjsoctober, the OP's spell will get approved. We talked in PM and we got it resolved.
Anyway, thanks for these reports, we will review those again as soon as we can.
Lower level, single-target instead of AoE, without the thunder immunity, etc.
Single-target instead of AoE, lower level, and much weaker effect.
Lower-level, much weaker, and (if I'm remembering chain lightning correctly) fewer targets.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
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I had stated yesterday that as a result of this thread my spell was given another look and I was told what still needed to be changed. And now it's been approved as a public homebrew spell!
https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/11971-erylias-second-chance
Thanks filcat for working out the spell with me!
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