Assuming this is allowed at all. I'm a little hazy on the DM Guild permissions even after reading them.
I have a soft spot for the 1e campaign for "Ravenloft 2: House on Gryphon Hill" despite it's issues, and thought it would interesting to see it remade in a similar way Ravenloft 1 was remade into Curse of Strahd. Since a straight up remake of a product already being sold on DMs guild would understandably be an issue, I thought it would be better to rewrite the story from scratch and approach it more as a re-imagining. A new campaign inspired by the original. It will also help avoid the idea I'm trying to 'fix' the original, and that I'm just doing what I think would be interesting if it existed in the original campaign.
So going back to the DM Guild permissions.
"Publish content for the Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, or Ravnica"
I can see this much being okay. But I want to inquire further on what I can and can't keep from the original campaign.
-Maps and Dungeons.
The campaign has a map of the campaign's town, surrounding region, and two dungeons. Even if I were to change the dungeon encounters am I allowed to at least use the same dungeon layouts on a redrawn map, or do I need to take a more liberal approach to redesigning the dungeons.
-Mechanics and Events.
The game has it's own variant to for generating key item locations and other possibilities similar to how Ravenloft 1e and Curse of Strahd did with Tarokka cards. Would it be an issue to reuse this mechanic?
-Characters
I know there are already DM Guild products that feature Strahd, but I still want to clarify if there are any limitations to use existing characters owned by WOTC.
Of course, if I'm about to step on a legal landmind I'm willing to drop the idea entirely, that's why I'm asking before I even start. Any advice from people who create supplementary material for published 5e campaigns would help a lot.
maps -> you can recreate existing maps using your own art/style. The layout can be the same - same rules are used as what they declared for city maps.
mechanics/events/characters -> you're good as long as you stick with publishing only on DMSGuild. Think about all the 'Xanathar's guide to whatever...' titles being published on dmsguild, and numerous other titles using existing characters and mechanics. A lot of publications specifically regurgitate chunks of rules for whatever pub their doing.
*sounds like you know, taking legal advice from this forum is an absolutely terrible idea., but [in my sole opinion] its not really the legal landmine you think as there's a ton of miss-used IP on DMSGuild when you start looking, especially art. The odds they're going to go after the $30 you make from your publication are minuscule as it just doesn't address the broader problem and wouldn't pay for 5 minutes of their attorney's time. If anything, they'd have to take down the whole system as 'small 'infractions are everywhere when you start looking (although i can only imagine its still a net benefit for them as they're increasing interest, which does drive official book sales). Now, if you made a couple million off of their IP, then looking closely at what you're doing and how closely you're following the rules might be a different story.
I mean, without knowing the full ins and outs of the laws that would cover this subject and not wanting to get into a spitting contest with anyone who thinks they do, you can legally google an image of a picture and show your friends. If you happen to own the book you can also pass it around to people, or hold it up for them to see.
There tends to be this idea that the art you see is for you and you alone and showing it to anyone else is a huge crime and transgression against humanity. It's not. Now if you're illegally downloading content and are distrusting it for free, then yes you are breaking laws.
Tons of people take campaigns and rewrite them for use in their game. Tons of people make their own maps for the games. Tons more people share the maps they legally obtained to others. It really comes down to how you're doing it. If you buy the product and use elements out of it for a story of your own creation and share the maps without distributing them. I really see no legal landmine involved in that.
That said, if you really are worried about it the best answer you will find on the subject is getting a real certifiable lawyer who deals with the subject matter. Everyone else, including myself, is just sharing their opinion and conclusions on the subject as they see it.
I mean, without knowing the full ins and outs of the laws that would cover this subject and not wanting to get into a spitting contest with anyone who thinks they do, you can legally google an image of a picture and show your friends. If you happen to own the book you can also pass it around to people, or hold it up for them to see.
There tends to be this idea that the art you see is for you and you alone and showing it to anyone else is a huge crime and transgression against humanity. It's not. Now if you're illegally downloading content and are distrusting it for free, then yes you are breaking laws.
Tons of people take campaigns and rewrite them for use in their game. Tons of people make their own maps for the games. Tons more people share the maps they legally obtained to others. It really comes down to how you're doing it. If you buy the product and use elements out of it for a story of your own creation and share the maps without distributing them. I really see no legal landmine involved in that.
That said, if you really are worried about it the best answer you will find on the subject is getting a real certifiable lawyer who deals with the subject matter. Everyone else, including myself, is just sharing their opinion and conclusions on the subject as they see it.
Hi. Not trying to get into a spitting contest either, but showing you an in and out of the DnD Beyond Forums. This is the DMsGuild Forum. Some users post "how to run my game?" questions here, when they should be doing so in the "Dungeon Master's Only Section." DMsGuild is a marketplace encouraged by WotC (w/ DriveThruRPG providing the digital marketplace infrastructure/backbone) for D&D players with aspirations of "going pro" or just wanting to share something with the D&D community at a semi-pro level. Basically DMsGuild is an outlet with some tools to help you along the way to create and electronically publish adventures, sourcebooks, tools (I've even seen fonts for use in handouts) and either distribute them for free or sell them (WotC actually encourages the latter, probably a little farm league talent searching but also provides market research). And this subforum is supposed to be for people workshopping, developing or advertising creations on DMsGuild.
So you're right in general, at your table you can really take any protected intellectual property and adapt it to your game and run with it consequence free. But that doesn't apply here, as the OP is talking about assembling their game work into a professional quality package for distribution. The distribution route, especially for sale, greater consideration needs to be made of respecting IP or staying within the allowed lane of DMs Guild. DMs Guild actually has FAQs that discuss the use of artwork, and actually has some guidelines on appropriating material seen in other published WotC owned works including adapting material from other editions.
Not a lawyer, and really the scale of sales one usually makes on DMs Guild aren't really worth the cost of a legal consultation, but to address the OP with what DMs Guild actually says:
The campaign has a map of the campaign's town, surrounding region, and two dungeons. Even if I were to change the dungeon encounters am I allowed to at least use the same dungeon layouts on a redrawn map, or do I need to take a more liberal approach to redesigning the dungeons.
WotC DMs Guild says this:
Can I duplicate/redraw existing D&D maps from any edition?
Duplicated maps, including maps recreated in different art styles, can only be published on Dungeon Masters Guild if they directly support another adventure or supplement. They cannot be the primary product. If you write an adventure that takes places in a location from an existing D&D adventure, you can include redrawn maps of that location. You cannot publish the redrawn maps as an independent map pack. For example, if your adventure is set in Luskan, you can include redrawn maps of the city and nearby locations; however, you cannot publish those redrawn maps as a separate map pack or stock art.
-Mechanics and Events.
The game has it's own variant to for generating key item locations and other possibilities similar to how Ravenloft 1e and Curse of Strahd did with Tarokka cards. Would it be an issue to reuse this mechanic?
-Characters
I know there are already DM Guild products that feature Strahd, but I still want to clarify if there are any limitations to use existing characters owned by WOTC.
Of course, if I'm about to step on a legal landmind I'm willing to drop the idea entirely, that's why I'm asking before I even start. Any advice from people who create supplementary material for published 5e campaigns would help a lot.
Re: characters, this is WotC statement on using WotC published characters in DMsGuild products:
Can I use iconic Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, Ravnica, or Theros characters like Drizzt, Elminster, and Strahd in my DMs Guild title?
Yes.
Can I use characters/locations/etc. from other intellectual properties that partner with Dungeons & Dragons (for example, the Acquisitions Incorporated sourcebook)?
When crafting content for the Dungeon Masters Guild, you may not use content (including characters, locations, artwork, or any other elements) from any products for which D&D has licensed/partnered with other properties, or used intellectual properties with permission, as resources for your own products.
Such products include but are not necessarily limited to:
Acquisitions Incorporated sourcebook
Stranger Things Starter Set
Dungeons & Dragons vs. Rick and Morty boxed set
The characters of Arkhan the Cruel, Krull the Tortle, Torogar Steelfist, and their distinct likenesses, which appear in Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus
Explorers Guide to Wildemount sourcebook
Regarding adapting prior edition material in general, the say this:
Can I convert old D&D content from earlier editions to 5E and publish it on DMs Guild?
With some restrictions, the answer is yes. You can convert magic items, monsters, character classes, spells, etc. from earlier edition books to 5th Edition and publish your conversion at DMsGuild.com.
There are two exceptions:
Do not convert content from settings not yet released in the DMs Guild program, with the exception of classic D&D adventures (see #2 below).
No direct, full reprints of classic adventures converted to 5E. If you want to publish something based around a classic adventure like Against the Giants or Queen of the Demonweb Pits, then you could consider options like:
a distinctly new 5e adventure that is perhaps a prequel or sequel to the classic adventure content;
a streamlined, bare-bones conversion guide for someone who already owns the classic adventure (i.e., encounter-by-encounter conversion notes with any 5E stats needed, leaving out all other content, augmented with ideas for setting the adventure in the Forgotten Realms); or
a unique take in the spirit of the classic adventure. Yeah, Acererak’s tomb is horrific, but what about that other lich’s place?
So you're good to recycle Strahd or other NPCs from the adventure. The mechanical effects you want to use to generate story, I'd shy away from (based on my instincts, not a grounding in IP law).
So you're good to recycle Strahd or other NPCs from the adventure. The mechanical effects you want to use to generate story, I'd shy away from (based on my instincts, not a grounding in IP law).
imo this is fair game....not much argument to say the mechanics of a copyrighted spell or creature are okay but the mechanics of copyrighted adventure are not. As long as its published on DMSGuild, you're fine....in my qualified* opinion.
Assuming this is allowed at all. I'm a little hazy on the DM Guild permissions even after reading them.
I have a soft spot for the 1e campaign for "Ravenloft 2: House on Gryphon Hill" despite it's issues, and thought it would interesting to see it remade in a similar way Ravenloft 1 was remade into Curse of Strahd. Since a straight up remake of a product already being sold on DMs guild would understandably be an issue, I thought it would be better to rewrite the story from scratch and approach it more as a re-imagining. A new campaign inspired by the original. It will also help avoid the idea I'm trying to 'fix' the original, and that I'm just doing what I think would be interesting if it existed in the original campaign.
So going back to the DM Guild permissions.
"Publish content for the Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, or Ravnica"
I can see this much being okay. But I want to inquire further on what I can and can't keep from the original campaign.
-Maps and Dungeons.
The campaign has a map of the campaign's town, surrounding region, and two dungeons. Even if I were to change the dungeon encounters am I allowed to at least use the same dungeon layouts on a redrawn map, or do I need to take a more liberal approach to redesigning the dungeons.
-Mechanics and Events.
The game has it's own variant to for generating key item locations and other possibilities similar to how Ravenloft 1e and Curse of Strahd did with Tarokka cards. Would it be an issue to reuse this mechanic?
-Characters
I know there are already DM Guild products that feature Strahd, but I still want to clarify if there are any limitations to use existing characters owned by WOTC.
Of course, if I'm about to step on a legal landmind I'm willing to drop the idea entirely, that's why I'm asking before I even start. Any advice from people who create supplementary material for published 5e campaigns would help a lot.
all my own opinion*,
maps -> you can recreate existing maps using your own art/style. The layout can be the same - same rules are used as what they declared for city maps.
mechanics/events/characters -> you're good as long as you stick with publishing only on DMSGuild. Think about all the 'Xanathar's guide to whatever...' titles being published on dmsguild, and numerous other titles using existing characters and mechanics. A lot of publications specifically regurgitate chunks of rules for whatever pub their doing.
*sounds like you know, taking legal advice from this forum is an absolutely terrible idea., but [in my sole opinion] its not really the legal landmine you think as there's a ton of miss-used IP on DMSGuild when you start looking, especially art. The odds they're going to go after the $30 you make from your publication are minuscule as it just doesn't address the broader problem and wouldn't pay for 5 minutes of their attorney's time. If anything, they'd have to take down the whole system as 'small 'infractions are everywhere when you start looking (although i can only imagine its still a net benefit for them as they're increasing interest, which does drive official book sales). Now, if you made a couple million off of their IP, then looking closely at what you're doing and how closely you're following the rules might be a different story.
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
A rather comprehensive list of free WotC D&D resources
Deck of Decks
I mean, without knowing the full ins and outs of the laws that would cover this subject and not wanting to get into a spitting contest with anyone who thinks they do, you can legally google an image of a picture and show your friends. If you happen to own the book you can also pass it around to people, or hold it up for them to see.
There tends to be this idea that the art you see is for you and you alone and showing it to anyone else is a huge crime and transgression against humanity. It's not. Now if you're illegally downloading content and are distrusting it for free, then yes you are breaking laws.
Tons of people take campaigns and rewrite them for use in their game. Tons of people make their own maps for the games. Tons more people share the maps they legally obtained to others. It really comes down to how you're doing it. If you buy the product and use elements out of it for a story of your own creation and share the maps without distributing them. I really see no legal landmine involved in that.
That said, if you really are worried about it the best answer you will find on the subject is getting a real certifiable lawyer who deals with the subject matter. Everyone else, including myself, is just sharing their opinion and conclusions on the subject as they see it.
Hi. Not trying to get into a spitting contest either, but showing you an in and out of the DnD Beyond Forums. This is the DMsGuild Forum. Some users post "how to run my game?" questions here, when they should be doing so in the "Dungeon Master's Only Section." DMsGuild is a marketplace encouraged by WotC (w/ DriveThruRPG providing the digital marketplace infrastructure/backbone) for D&D players with aspirations of "going pro" or just wanting to share something with the D&D community at a semi-pro level. Basically DMsGuild is an outlet with some tools to help you along the way to create and electronically publish adventures, sourcebooks, tools (I've even seen fonts for use in handouts) and either distribute them for free or sell them (WotC actually encourages the latter, probably a little farm league talent searching but also provides market research). And this subforum is supposed to be for people workshopping, developing or advertising creations on DMsGuild.
So you're right in general, at your table you can really take any protected intellectual property and adapt it to your game and run with it consequence free. But that doesn't apply here, as the OP is talking about assembling their game work into a professional quality package for distribution. The distribution route, especially for sale, greater consideration needs to be made of respecting IP or staying within the allowed lane of DMs Guild. DMs Guild actually has FAQs that discuss the use of artwork, and actually has some guidelines on appropriating material seen in other published WotC owned works including adapting material from other editions.
Not a lawyer, and really the scale of sales one usually makes on DMs Guild aren't really worth the cost of a legal consultation, but to address the OP with what DMs Guild actually says:
WotC DMs Guild says this:
Re: characters, this is WotC statement on using WotC published characters in DMsGuild products:
Regarding adapting prior edition material in general, the say this:
So you're good to recycle Strahd or other NPCs from the adventure. The mechanical effects you want to use to generate story, I'd shy away from (based on my instincts, not a grounding in IP law).
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
imo this is fair game....not much argument to say the mechanics of a copyrighted spell or creature are okay but the mechanics of copyrighted adventure are not. As long as its published on DMSGuild, you're fine....in my qualified* opinion.
*i'm not a laywer and nothing i say means squat.
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
A rather comprehensive list of free WotC D&D resources
Deck of Decks