Par5e Mod files & Legal usage

[LordEntrails]

The licensing is pretty wordy... and I can see that people are making direct support material... I'll need to figure out how the permissions are obtained or the copyrights and trademarks honored in the developing of materials and tools to be used with their content.

In short, for D&D you have 4 ways your can re-use or distribute content;
1) Using the SRD content in accordance with the OGL
2) You are distributing via the DMsGuild in which case their is a different license (which allows both more re-use than OGL, but limits your rights as well)
3) Using the Wizard's Fan Content Policy, which basically means you can not distribute for commercial gain or have any type of restriction on distribution (i.e. paywall or require user login), it must not hurts Wizards, and it must be marked as fan content. But, this does really doesn't allow re-use, just 'homebrew' creations.
4) But, if you are not distributing and are just using the materials for your own private gaming groups use, you can do what you want.

[esmdev]

I own multiple copies of 5E in book form. I also own all the rulebook and supplement modules for Fantasy Grounds plus a few adventures. It is totally worth it to me because you can do so much with Fantasy Grounds, especially as a DM that makes it so much easier. Even in a tabletop environment I can use it to track combat, story, maps, treasure, etc., like having a module, dice and DM screen but with everything easier to find and use.

Don't think of it as repurchasing the same product because it is so much more than just the book. Smiteworks has a 30 day full refund period so you could buy the core rules, play it for 3-4 weeks and if you don't see it's value return it. They are really good about that.

[Nickademus]

I definitely think "the laborer is worthy of their hire"... Just that if it is Wizards... it would be nice to somehow bundle it with the hard copies to encourage the platform usage. I might not have bought the Hardcovers if they were usable and present in their entirety in their Fantasy Grounds Modules.

Wizards endorses Fantasy Grounds, Roll20, D&D Beyond, and probably a couple more. If they were to set up a way to get digital material with the purchase of a hardback, they would have to set up a lot of interactions with multiple companies to prevent playing favorites. That's not worth the effort for a company that would rather you pick your digital medium.

[artreri]

Thanks,

DMsGuild looks like the way to for now. I'll check it out in detail and see what the vetting process is for making FG Modules.

[LordEntrails]

Thanks,

DMsGuild looks like the way to for now. I'll check it out in detail and see what the vetting process is for making FG Modules.

No vetting process to distribute on the Guild. That said, I strongly suggest you look to some of the standards that have been done, their is the one in my signature and their is one on the Wiki that I think is the old AAW standard. Also Rob2E has a video or two on the subject, and he does very high quality work as well. Also take a look at some of the official modules, most of those are very well done too. And though I haven't done a review in awhile, take a look at my blog, you will see what I think is important and give you some quality insight; https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/blog.php?34276 Finally, try hard to find someone to review it. The author/creator always knows what they know, and often miss things that someone new to the content will stumble over.

[artreri]

Awesome... All great stuff!

I am a retired US Army PSYOP Specialist and the Multi Media Illustrator for 12 Years after a medical issue and then got to be a certified Knowledge Manager and picked up MBA's in Entrepreneurship and Technology & Innovation... now Medically Semi-Retired... I want to at least make some great stuff for my own usage... and hope it takes off from there in the community if useful and distributable. Best practices and reviews help considerably.

Will be setting up for Waterdeep Dragon Heist first... just wish there was a definitive guide to doing this stuff 'by the rules' for distribution. Or some review authority that could provide feedback on what needs to be added (©'s, notices, etc...), deleted (i.e. if I use something I shouldn't), etc... when working with the Material. At the very least it will be good for my campaigns private use and some experience (update: Have reached out a few places for official feedback on ways ahead... we'll see)

I am NOT a coder however... I know enough to install and modify stuff... or at least enough to know what I need someone else to do. So I hoping to work from within the FG environment and export... but may learn more if I really really have to...

Is there a particular "Conversion" of a adventure into FG that you would recommend (preferably forgotten Realms or Generic) that you feel exemplifies a Adventure Module best practices? That's my biggest interest... taking existing adventures into FG.

[Trenloe]

That's my biggest interest... taking existing adventures into FG.

Which existing adventures are we talking about? If you're doing a direct conversion of an existing adventures, then (assuming that adventure is copyright protected, which most are) you'll need permission of the copyright holder.

As has been mentioned above, there are various different ways to create FG material for distribution. All of these don't work around this base assumption - you cannot just create a FG conversion that is a copy of a D&D product that is covered by copyright without permission of the copyright holder.

[artreri]

It looks like creating and distributing through the DMsGuild covers most of those permissions from what I read from the links. And I have already seen a number of Adventures that have been converted with work arounds such as notifying individuals that certain content must be obtained separately for inclusion into the structure being provided (i.e. They must obtain the electronic copy of the original work and copy and past certain content in themselves). Trust me... I am very familiar with copyrights and usage. And at the very least there is nothing restraining me from anything I build for my private usage and do not distribute in any way... and then approaching for obtaining permission independently if required above and beyond what is already covered if I am working within the DMsGuild framework.

EXAMPLE: This module does not violate copyright laws. This means that you must buy the digital copy of <Insert Title Here> then paste the copyrighted material into this Fantasy Grounds module. The bare minimum is to only paste the actual story. After that, you are ready to play!

[Trenloe]

It looks like creating and distributing through the DMsGuild covers most of those permissions from what I read from the links. And I have already seen a number of Adventures that have been converted with work arounds such as notifying individuals that certain content must be obtained separately for inclusion into the structure being provided (i.e. They must obtain the electronic copy of the original work and copy and past certain content in themselves).

Yep, because they are not including the copyright material that the original product contains. The DMs Guild relaxes some aspects of the WotC Intellectual Property - with very limited scope, but it doesn't remove copyright on their products.

EXAMPLE: This module does not violate copyright laws. This means that you must buy the digital copy of <Insert Title Here> then paste the copyrighted material into this Fantasy Grounds module. The bare minimum is to only paste the actual story. After that, you are ready to play!

They'll also need to copy over maps and images, unless the producer of that limited conversion also includes copyright free maps and images (probably having to create these themselves).

And at the very least there is nothing restraining me from anything I build for my private usage and do not distribute in any way...

Yes, this has been mentioned a few times above.

[LordEntrails]

I'd be happy to walk you through a specific case. Probably wouldn't have time to do a full detail review, but could at least get you on track. PM me your email address and we can connect from there.