Frank Mentzer's Empyrea Fantasy Setting on KS

[Falconer]

Just a comparison FYI:

The crazy thing is it’s not just the maps and the names. In both settings, gnomes live in Neang-Kazar, elves live in Breem, and dwarves live in Uriah-Kazar and Cidin-Kazar and Krazandol (not shown on the Valon map but detailed in the Wilderlands booklet and placed on hex 4807). Populations are inflated in Aquaria but otherwise relatively the same (so Uriah-Kazar is larger than Cidin-Kazar, and Fairway is larger than Fairlea).

[RandomEncounter]

So you are saying it took 40 years to come up with a setting which is a copy of JG content.

[francisca]

That's waaaay more than simply using a map.

[Flambeaux]

Wow... ...umm...

[RandomEncounter]

I wonder if these people copyrighted the name Empyrea...

https://www.wizard101.com
http://the-spiral-kingsisle.wikia.com/wiki/Empyrea

[RandomEncounter]

You know a thought occurred to me. Maybe in the last 40 years of note taking he stole some JG stuff for his setting and completely forgot and no one noticed except Falconer lol.

[Landifarne]

It now looks like it's gaining about 10% of each previous day's pledges. I'm sure it's going to peter out at $65K and get withdrawn.

[RandomEncounter]

Yeah... Also Falconer where'd you get the setting info on the map and races and town? Because for a Kickstarter about a campaign setting there's very little meat on that bone, if any.

[Falconer]

This… AqPLkit.zip …Aquaria Player’s Kit has been out there since the 90s.

[RandomEncounter]

Holy crap. So the theft occurred over 17 years prior to this Kickstarter, not as some agreement.

I bet I was right then, he "borrowed" details from various sources as many do for personal use and didn't think twice about it. If that makes it into print it will be crazy.

Edit: I guess it already has, since the map on the KS social goal map looks the exact same lol

[Falconer]

Holy crap. So the theft occurred over 17 years prior to this Kickstarter, not as some agreement.

Well, remember that it was just a home campaign. This player’s kit was just circulated to his players. There’s no harm in using Valon in your home campaign and calling it something else. And there’s no harm in publishing your Valon fanfic, if you acquire approval. It’s not likely to be very interesting to anybody, but, I guess that’s where the guest writers and guest artists come in—to pad it out into something that’s at least collectible.

[RandomEncounter]

Right, personal/fanfic use as I said. But the same map is on the KS. It's now going to officially be Empyrea rather than Valon lol. Maybe he acquired rights to copy it. Or maybe he didn't but no one cares anymore.

Regardless, it doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the rest of the material.

I don't know, even with the guest authors this thing might need a taxidermist to reach a decent level of padding.

[Guy Fullerton]

Maybe he acquired rights to copy it.

The kickstarter page says, "Approved by Judges Guild," which I take to indicate some kind of acquired permission.

[Blackadder23]

What is the next level beyond "hard pass"?

[bobjester]

Working on a new invisible robe called "The Emperor's New Robe".

EDIT: I've posted this here.