Extensions that modify modules

[lesliev]

Hi everyone

It's no secret that the HOTDQ book has many shortcomings - I have been laboriously applying modifications to the Fantasy Grounds module, many suggested by DadTheDungeonMaster in his excellent series on the book on YouTube. And it occurred to me that the modified version might be useful to others - if a whole army of us are doing similar edits in parallel, that seems like a huge waste of time!

So I was wondering:
1. Could I write an extension to edit the base module? Basically, apply a local patch to it?
2. If so, the extension would rely on the base module not changing too much. How much do these modules tend to change? Can an extension look up the version?
3. Is an extension even the best way to do this, or is there a better module patching system already in place?
4. If such an extension were created, could it be sold on FG Forge?

[LordEntrails]

I don't think it's an extension you would need. Extensions change the code of FG, not the contents of a module. I don't know the extent of these changes, so I could be wrong, but I assume they are like many re-writes and just modify content.

So, you can start a campaign, copy the entries you want to change and modify them. Then you can export that campaign to a module and it will only get your changes. This module can then be used in other campaigns. BUT, your changes won't overwrite the HOTDQ module, it will supplement it. So a new campaign will have both the original story (or encounter, NPC, etc) and your updated one.

Now, can you distribute your changes. Only if a few things apply; 1) you do not include an IP belonging to someone else (i.e. WotC) or 2) you have permission to include the IP.

I imagine your modification is going to want to include parts of the original, and therefore you are going to need permission to do so. Your best chance is to be able to use the Wizards Fan Content policy: Fan Content Policy | Wizards of the Coast Which means you have to distribute it for free, and you can't hurt Wizards. So, they wouold probably consider it ok if your mod requires the purchase of the official module.

Now, IANAL, and this is not legal advice.

I tried doing this once with the Alexadrian Remix of WDDH and wasn't happy with the outcome, so even though I had Justin's permission to distribute, I never did because I thought it was too clunky.

[lesliev]

I don't think it's an extension you would need. Extensions change the code of FG, not the contents of a module. I don't know the extent of these changes, so I could be wrong, but I assume they are like many re-writes and just modify content.

So, you can start a campaign, copy the entries you want to change and modify them. Then you can export that campaign to a module and it will only get your changes. This module can then be used in other campaigns. BUT, your changes won't overwrite the HOTDQ module, it will supplement it. So a new campaign will have both the original story (or encounter, NPC, etc) and your updated one.

Now, can you distribute your changes. Only if a few things apply; 1) you do not include an IP belonging to someone else (i.e. WotC) or 2) you have permission to include the IP.

I imagine your modification is going to want to include parts of the original, and therefore you are going to need permission to do so. Your best chance is to be able to use the Wizards Fan Content policy: Fan Content Policy | Wizards of the Coast Which means you have to distribute it for free, and you can't hurt Wizards. So, they wouold probably consider it ok if your mod requires the purchase of the official module.

Now, IANAL, and this is not legal advice.

I tried doing this once with the Alexadrian Remix of WDDH and wasn't happy with the outcome, so even though I had Justin's permission to distribute, I never did because I thought it was too clunky.

Hmm. I would have thought that the extension (or whatever it is) would NOT include any part of the original module, just references to the parts I want to change - but it's true that the modifications would probably mention characters or places from HOTDQ now and then.

If there wouldn't even be a tip jar for DadTheDungeonMaster and I at the end of the process, there's not much point to me spending the hours modifying all the parts I'm never going to use, and working on this whole patch system. And besides, any changes in the base module would prevent a patch from applying cleanly.

Oh well, it was an interesting idea.

[claedawg]

IF DMSGUILD allows uploads of FG modules, you can post it there as you are allowed to use WOTC copyrighted material in your own work there. You will need to add the OGL and stuff to your mod campaign Book or in a Story.

[LordEntrails]

Hmm. I would have thought that the extension (or whatever it is) would NOT include any part of the original module, just references to the parts I want to change - but it's true that the modifications would probably mention characters or places from HOTDQ now and then.

If there wouldn't even be a tip jar for DadTheDungeonMaster and I at the end of the process, there's not much point to me spending the hours modifying all the parts I'm never going to use, and working on this whole patch system. And besides, any changes in the base module would prevent a patch from applying cleanly.

Oh well, it was an interesting idea.

Well, depends on how you do it. If you are just adding content, then references to HOTDQ content is probably fine. But if you want to take an entire story entry and edit it and have your new story be a copy of the original but with changes, then that would be the IP issue.

IF DMSGUILD allows uploads of FG modules, you can post it there as you are allowed to use WOTC copyrighted material in your own work there. You will need to add the OGL and stuff to your mod campaign Book or in a Story.

It does. And I'm surprised I forgot about that option.

You could definitely sell it there, if you architect it correctly. Classic Modules Today – Reviews and Conversions of Early Edition D&D Modules would be a good example to draw from. They have updates to 5E they sell on the DMsG, though they are architected so that you also have the original. I don't see that this would be functionally different.

But as I said, I just was not happy with the user experience when I tried it. But others may be satisfied with it or come up with a better way than I did.

[lesliev]

Yay, I'll take a look at this, thanks!