Do games based on Chainmail Miniatures require OGL-ification

[Pres-Gas]

I have been talking with a person making a game/setting using the Chainmail rules as a base. Initially the author had the OGL posted on the end, but he is hearing that it may not be necessary.

I was thinking it should be added at least so that people can create supplements/adventures under it.

Can anyone help me with either the need or reasons for keeping it in?

[robertsconley]

I have been talking with a person making a game/setting using the Chainmail rules as a base. Initially the author had the OGL posted on the end, but he is hearing that it may not be necessary.

I was thinking it should be added at least so that people can create supplements/adventures under it.

Can anyone help me with either the need or reasons for keeping it in?

You are conflating two issues here.

One is basing a work on Chainmail a miniature wargame once copyrighted by TSR and now owned by Wizards of the Coast.

The second is about giving permission to other people to copy and/or make derivative works based on what you authored.

As for the first, the Open Game License doesn't help. The Chainmail was written by Gygax and Perrin with the copyright subsequently owned by TSR and now Wizards. There only two way you can resuse Chainmail's content; get permission from Wizards or use the math behind Chainmail's mechanics to write your own game. If you do the latter, you really should enlist the advice of a IP lawyer.

As for the second, the Open Game License is relevant. The basic question is you should ask yourself is "Of what I written what to I want to allow other people to use?" The Open Game License strength is that is clearly allows you to designate which portions of a work you are sharing which are you are not sharing. The part you are NOT sharing is Product Identity and the part you are sharing is Open Content. If you don't care if the entire work can be copied or reused then just declare all text and charts to be open content.

Note any use of open content also has to be open content so you will be incorporate what people do with your material back into subsequent editions or products.

Remember doing this is about you clearly communicating to us, the gamer reading your work, which party you willing to let other use freely. If you don't want to allow other copy or reuse your work then don't use the OGL or any other type of license. Just affix the copyright notice and that is that.

[Guy Fullerton]

Two other things beyond what Rob offered:

1. Pres-gas, you also conflate the OGL with sources of Open Content. And the situation you described ("using the Chainmail rules as a base") lacks the critical specific details needed for answering your question concretely. Both those things suggest you have a very shallow/superficial understanding of the OGL ... maybe even a misunderstanding. Be careful offering advice to the author; you might be doing them a disservice.

2. It is possible and legal to make a product explicitly for use with Chainmail, without using a license (OGL or otherwise). The devil is in the details though. The legality depends on exactly what the author plans to include in their product.

[Vile]

I'm going to make the assumption that you are not talking about using the text of Chainmail verbatim. Which means the answer is no, because there is nothing in the game that is unique or original in a literary sense, and as mentioned it's easy enough to re-write rules so they do not infringe copyright. In fact the OGL is a straitjacket.

If you want others to freely use your new rules, you can use the OGL or any number of licencing options - if you like you could make it public domain.

[jgbrowning]

I'm just chiming in to say listen to Rob and Guy.

joe b.