I'm looking into writing up one of my adventures for the purposes of selling it either under OGL or through DMs Guild. One of the traps I use involved rolling on the Wild Magic Surge table, but I found out that the Wild Magic Sorcerer subclass isn't included under the OGL, meaning I can't use the table (I think). So I decided to make a new d100 table and name it something else. This was harder than it looked, so I was looking for inspiration, and came across a d300 Wild Magic Surge table for sale online, not through DMs Guild apparently. I even searched for it on DMs Guild to make sure it wasn't listed both places, and I couldn't find it. I have a lot of legal questions about how they were able to publish that under the OGL, and I just want to make sure my understanding is correct on several points.
I can't use the WMS table in the PHB under OGL.
I can use a d100 table, I just can't call it WMS.
Does anyone know of a third party d100 table that someone else has published under the OGL that I could use?
Hopefully this is the right place to post this. Any insight is much appreciated!
you won't find a 3rd party pub on both DMSGuild and another site...posting on DMSGuild prohibits the author from distributing through any other channel (with a few caveats)...for the life of the IP (effectively forever as far as the author's life is concerned).
i'm not going to buy the product to check...but as long as they're not specifically referencing a sorcerer subclass, there's (imo) no violation...its just a wild magic surge table (that's an assumption). that could be for anything.
just because its for sale somewhere doesn't mean its not violating IP licenses...it could very well be that the IP owner just hasn't pursued it if it is in violation. For WotC, IP infringements are a neverending game of whackamole...they go for the big moles first.
Also re: content "that someone else published on the OGL that I can use" I believe is a misunderstanding of the OGL. The OGL allows you to create content derived from the SRD. It does not allow you to take someone else's content based off the SRD and reproduce it in your work. That's just theft.
You can use the Wild Magic subclass and all related info on DMsGuild as DMsGuild allows you to draw from WotC's 5e to a greater degree than the OGL allows for content not distributed on DMsGuild.
Not a lawyer; but really the SRD and OGL are written so that fans can produce 5e derivative work without needing to consult a lawyer.
I'm looking into writing up one of my adventures for the purposes of selling it either under OGL or through DMs Guild. One of the traps I use involved rolling on the Wild Magic Surge table, but I found out that the Wild Magic Sorcerer subclass isn't included under the OGL, meaning I can't use the table (I think). So I decided to make a new d100 table and name it something else. This was harder than it looked, so I was looking for inspiration, and came across a d300 Wild Magic Surge table for sale online, not through DMs Guild apparently. I even searched for it on DMs Guild to make sure it wasn't listed both places, and I couldn't find it. I have a lot of legal questions about how they were able to publish that under the OGL, and I just want to make sure my understanding is correct on several points.
Hopefully this is the right place to post this. Any insight is much appreciated!
not legal advice...but my own personal thoughts.
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
A rather comprehensive list of free WotC D&D resources
Deck of Decks
Also re: content "that someone else published on the OGL that I can use" I believe is a misunderstanding of the OGL. The OGL allows you to create content derived from the SRD. It does not allow you to take someone else's content based off the SRD and reproduce it in your work. That's just theft.
You can use the Wild Magic subclass and all related info on DMsGuild as DMsGuild allows you to draw from WotC's 5e to a greater degree than the OGL allows for content not distributed on DMsGuild.
Not a lawyer; but really the SRD and OGL are written so that fans can produce 5e derivative work without needing to consult a lawyer.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.