Preferred game system that isn't built on the OGL

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Jan 12, 2023 3:41 am
Priest_of_Turundor says:
No one’s mentioned Torg which has a serious amount of option/Inspiration. Straight up Pondsmith cyberpunk is always great! Runequest and pendragon (which 6e should be released any time now). Old Stormbringer is readily available in pdf for anyone wanting that sweet Moorcock pulp fantasy glory. Fantasy trip, House of the blooded, Orc world, LOTFR, etc.

This list could go on forever! They don’t own our game. The originator of the first OGL has already gone on record saying that "in his opinion" wizards has no power to revoke the previous OGL. In the original wording of the OGL, once a game was open under the license it would remain open. Pretty sure this is all just smoke and mirrors. Our very own satanic panic playing out.

As a student of anthropology I am always curious about when people will realize that culture cannot be owned. This is a myth of capitalism, Intellectual Property rights are for artists and creatives. Once things pass into broad multigenerational use the rules change, whether or not our laws want to recognize it. Dungeons and dragons is apart of our history, are they going to tell Luke Gygax he cannot publish things for Gary Con next?
The first third of this addresses my question, but the other two thirds are better suited for the GP Discird where we've been politely discussing some of the very issues you've brought up. Come join us!
Jan 12, 2023 3:49 am
Sorry, new to the forum, still figuring out where everyone talking. Ya those are my games lol.
Jan 12, 2023 8:16 am
Or if you want 5e but much better there's always Shadow of the Demon Lord!

If you want the old school flavor, Dungeon Crawl Classics is the apex.
Last edited January 12, 2023 8:18 am
Jan 12, 2023 4:23 pm
My first inclination is to tout the old Marvel Superheroes system (aka "the FASERIP system"), and the TMNT game. Those are what I cut my teeth on, so... nostalgia.

From a more realistic standpoint... World of Darkness (any iteration) and Shadowrun. The Fallout RPG looks solid (recently snagged a physical copy), and my limited experience with SWADE seems pretty great too.
Jan 12, 2023 4:55 pm
Ars Magica - fantasy
Basic Role-Playing - generic
Chronicles of Darkness - horror
Dungeon World - fantasy
Dragonbane - fantasy
GURPS - generic
Savage Worlds - generic
Shadowrun - cyberpunk
Tiny D6
Maze Rats
Knave
2400
Risus
ATRIM
Tricube Tales
Torg
Dungeon Crawl Classics
Shadow of the Demon Lord
Marvel Superheroes (FASERIP)
the TMNT game
Fallout RPG

The list keeps growing...we have options.

No worries @Priest_of_Turundor! I wasn't reprimanding you, but rather inviting you to come to hang out on Discord.
Jan 12, 2023 6:29 pm
Looking at the list and seeing some fantastic games, I feel like life after the OGL will be just fine.

That said, I'm not totally keeping up with the legal drama... will it impact things like PbP websites? I always figured those were really no different than friends sitting around a kitchen table.

Len

Jan 13, 2023 4:48 am
Classic Traveller and Mongoose Traveller 2e are two more awesome, non-OGL games to add to the list.
Jan 13, 2023 7:20 am
Len says:
Classic Traveller and Mongoose Traveller 2e are two more awesome, non-OGL games to add to the list.
While strangely enough Mongoose Traveller 1e used OGL for its derived works license, so things like Cepheus (even the new one) fall under OGL 1.0a.
Jan 14, 2023 3:31 am
I like Anima: Beyond Fantasy. Never really got to play it but it has an interesting system. I looked in the book and couldn't find anything mentioning Wizards OGL, so I think it's safe.
Jan 14, 2023 7:49 am
MaJunior says:
Looking at the list and seeing some fantastic games, I feel like life after the OGL will be just fine.

That said, I'm not totally keeping up with the legal drama... will it impact things like PbP websites? I always figured those were really no different than friends sitting around a kitchen table.
Well everything seems to have been called off now, but even if it hadn’t I doubt it would’ve affected pbp in this form.
Jan 14, 2023 12:50 pm
Sassafras says:

Well everything seems to have been called off now, but even if it hadn’t I doubt it would’ve affected pbp in this form.
I'm generally pretty skeptical by nature. There was some sort of email leaked by an employee that essentially said something about backing off for now, letting things die down, and circling back to it later. I'm not sure I believe WotC has actually called the whole thing off.

Here's hoping, though.
Jan 16, 2023 7:27 pm
I would have suggested various Free League games however just got a notice from their mailing list they've developed 2 new OGLs, one for Dragonbane and a separate one for their Year Zero Engine games. Regardless Free League games are fantastic.

Modiphius' Conan 2d20 has been mentioned but add to that Achtung! Cthulhu 2d20, John Carter of Mars 2d20, Fallout 2d20, and likely their most popular of all, Star Trek Adventures (2d20).
Jan 17, 2023 2:58 am
Ars Magica - fantasy
Basic Role-Playing - generic
Chronicles of Darkness - horror
Dungeon World - fantasy
Dragonbane - fantasy
GURPS - generic
Savage Worlds - generic
Shadowrun - cyberpunk
Tiny D6
Maze Rats
Knave
2400
Risus
ATRIM
Tricube Tales
Torg
Dungeon Crawl Classics
Shadow of the Demon Lord
Marvel Superheroes (FASERIP)
the TMNT game
Modiphius 2d20 games (Conan, Achtung! Cthulhu, John Carter of Mars, Fallout, Star Trek)

We have options, friends.
Jan 17, 2023 3:05 am
Are you still collecting? There are literally hundreds of great non-OGL games we could list...

(DCC, btw, is OGL.)
Jan 17, 2023 3:07 am
I was only compiling the list of stuff that people had posted here. I wouldn't dare try and build a list of all the options available. It's too daunting a task for me and my meager free time.
Jan 17, 2023 4:54 am
Indeed! Just for giggles: Against the Darkmaster, The One Ring, Pendragon, Prince Valiant, Free League's whole line of YZE games, Symbaroum, Supers!, Warlock!, Warpstar!, Feng Shui, Jackals, Heavy Gear, Jovian Chronicles, ICRPG, Blades in the Dark, Mork Borg... I mean. Yeah. We could go on. ;)
Jan 17, 2023 10:17 am
Tweak the scope of our discussion? Since OGL is most closely associated with D&D in people's minds, what are non-OGL D&D-like alternatives? I can see how that's of great concern to people thinking D&D thoughts. (Or should this be a different thread?) That way we don't have to discuss all game genres.
Last edited January 17, 2023 10:18 am
Jan 17, 2023 8:51 pm
Brilliant idea, and a much trimmer list.
Jan 18, 2023 7:48 am
Quote:
where is 13th Age in relation to D&D OGL?
Answering my own question. 13th Age is under the D&D OGL
Last edited January 18, 2023 8:06 am
Jan 18, 2023 2:55 pm
Well, if we want to go with DnD-esque games not under the OGL, the one that immediately comes to mind is Rolemaster. (Personal experience is with 2E.) It predates the OGL by... a lot.

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