3 ms·

How much of the value in DnD is the specific taxonomy of names?

by javajosh 4y ago

jonnycomputer 4y ago
Like "magic user" or "fighter"? seems pretty generic to me.
- Macha 4y ago
  How about the detailed spell listings? D&D 3.5: http://dndsrd.net/wizardSpells.html http://dndsrd.net/wizardSpells.html PF 1E: https://www.aonprd.com/Spells.aspx?Class=Sorcerer https://www.aonprd.com/Spells.aspx?Class=Sorcerer
- eropple 4y ago
  D&D owns a lot of things that have sort of percolated into the gaming zeitgeist. For example, "beholder" is a D&D construct, as is "mind flayer". You can switch up the names, and people do that more these days, but it is a concern.
  - crooked-v 4y ago
    Though it's worth noting that there are plenty of things that weren't original to D&D in the first place. For example, the distintive looks of the owlbear and landshark were actually directly based off dime store plastic toys imported from Asia, and various names like "prismatic spray" and "githyanki" actually come from preexisting fantasy novels.
jasondigitized 4y ago
That’s what I don’t understand. Can’t people buy a set of dice and start making their own rules, characters, monsters, and spells? What am I missing.
- tptacek 4y ago
  They can, but (as I understand it) there are pretty well-established commercial teams that have invested heavily in the IP-encumbered stuff we're talking about here; this is a little like embedding a PDF rendering library into your program, losing the license to it, and being told "can't you just take a text editor and a compiler and write your own PDF renderer?". Sure, you can.
- trynewideas 4y ago
  Lots of people have for decades, and continue to do so. There's a much smaller commercial market for that right now that doesn't interact with the OGL, either though D&D 3E/Pathfinder or D&D 5E. The question isn't whether you can make it, it's whether you can access the specific markets and marketplaces that make sustainable money from it.
  - crooked-v 4y ago
    In particular, plenty of indie authors have noted that anything D&D-branded gets exponentially more sales, even if it's otherwise completely identical to something without the direct D&D association.

How much of the value in DnD is the specific taxonomy of names?

jonnycomputer 4y ago

Like "magic user" or "fighter"? seems pretty generic to me.

Macha 4y ago
How about the detailed spell listings? D&D 3.5: http://dndsrd.net/wizardSpells.html http://dndsrd.net/wizardSpells.html PF 1E: https://www.aonprd.com/Spells.aspx?Class=Sorcerer https://www.aonprd.com/Spells.aspx?Class=Sorcerer
eropple 4y ago
D&D owns a lot of things that have sort of percolated into the gaming zeitgeist. For example, "beholder" is a D&D construct, as is "mind flayer". You can switch up the names, and people do that more these days, but it is a concern.
- crooked-v 4y ago
  Though it's worth noting that there are plenty of things that weren't original to D&D in the first place. For example, the distintive looks of the owlbear and landshark were actually directly based off dime store plastic toys imported from Asia, and various names like "prismatic spray" and "githyanki" actually come from preexisting fantasy novels.

jasondigitized 4y ago

That’s what I don’t understand. Can’t people buy a set of dice and start making their own rules, characters, monsters, and spells? What am I missing.

tptacek 4y ago
They can, but (as I understand it) there are pretty well-established commercial teams that have invested heavily in the IP-encumbered stuff we're talking about here; this is a little like embedding a PDF rendering library into your program, losing the license to it, and being told "can't you just take a text editor and a compiler and write your own PDF renderer?". Sure, you can.
trynewideas 4y ago
Lots of people have for decades, and continue to do so. There's a much smaller commercial market for that right now that doesn't interact with the OGL, either though D&D 3E/Pathfinder or D&D 5E. The question isn't whether you can make it, it's whether you can access the specific markets and marketplaces that make sustainable money from it.
- crooked-v 4y ago
  In particular, plenty of indie authors have noted that anything D&D-branded gets exponentially more sales, even if it's otherwise completely identical to something without the direct D&D association.