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OGL 1.1 and the way forward. (Patreon)

Published:
2023-01-06 00:10:03
Imported:
2026-06

Content

Hi Folks-

Many of you may have heard that the upcoming OGL 1.1 update has leaked. You can read the details here:

Unfortunately, it's bad. I'm not going to beat around the bush. This thing is donkey droppings in the worst way. I had some inkling this coming, and all of the worst case scenarios were confirmed.

Specifics:

  • WotC plans to terminate the OGL 1.0a with the release of OGL 1.1.
  • WotC owns all content published under the OGL 1.1.
  • WotC can change the license at any time with 30 day notification.
  • WotC will disallow content that is not a PDF is disallowed (this would target a site like my 5eCrafting.com site).

There's a lot more, but at some point it's kicking a dead horse to pile on more deal-breaking provisions. This is not a license that a 3rd party publisher can sign. I cannot run a Kickstarter on a license that can be pulled out from under me with a 30-day notice.

I will not be signing the OGL 1.1. What does this mean? I don't know.

Hopefully, what it means, is when WotC wakes up tomorrow they sober up and make better choices, and realize this is not the direction they want to go. They leave the OGL 1.0a in place, and I go one with my life, including the upcoming Kickstarter.

If WotC chooses the most destructive path, things get worse for everyone involved. The next Kickstarter would be delayed, and I would figure out what to do next, with the advice of legal counsel.

Whatever ends up happening, I plan to find a way to move forward with 5e-compatible content of some stripe. This may look like publishing without an OGL (this is complicated). This may end up a 3rd party 5e-compatible system. 5e is what I play, and what most of you play, so while I may diversify somewhat over time, I plan to continue making 5e-compatible or adjacent content as the primary focus such as I am able to this year.

For the time being, I'm going to wait and see what happens, and hope that saner decisions prevail over at Wizards of the Coast.

WotC said it themselves in the leak:

“will receive community pushback and bad PR, and We’re more than open to being convinced that We made a wrong decision.”

Well, let's hope that's the case, because they've made the wrong decision.

All the best,

-Kibbles

#OpenDnD

Comments

Magic The Casual

two questions: 1) if they get rid of it/make the changes, what happens to all the stuff that has already been created under the old OGL? And 2) (regarding "WotC will disallow content that is not a PDF" does that mean that it is okay for creators to continue to make PDFs (they just run the risk of getting hit with a 30 day take down notice)?

KibblesTasty
>>99130867

1) They cannot make people send back their books and PDFs, so those would remain. I would probably have to take down or modify the crafting site (or risk legal actions). I would probably not take it down unless required to by legal action, but I don't know if I would fight the case or not if it came to that. 2) Creators could still make PDFs under OGL 1.1 if the signed it; unfortunately I will not. Signing it gives up too many legal rights. That's not necessarily the end of the line though. I can move forward without the OGL to some extent, but more than that, keep in mind that this is also effecting companies like Paizo (Pathfinder), Kobold Press, and FoundryVTT. This fight won't end with the OGL 1.1 getting published, should the choose to go that route. If I think I can continue to move forward counting on that WotC cannot sue everyone, I might. As folks may have noticed, the patreon has been moved into an LLC for a reason - I'm taking the legal steps necessary to move forward with the advice of legal counsel if that becomes necessary to not put myself at major risk 3) Bonus: At the end of the day, I will aim to take whatever steps lets me keep making 5e content. The problem is, I don't think that includes signing the OGL 1.1, because signing that means they would (very likely) revoke my ability to make 5e content when One D&D came out. That's not something I want to commit to being under at the moment. But I'm exploring options for how to move forward, and will keep folks in the loop. WotC is under enormous PR pressure to back down right now; this is likely the largest backlash the company has ever faced. It is my hope that with the sustained pressure they will heavily revise their plans and move away from the more destructive routes they were considering.