4th-Ed. D&D License to be Revised

Wizards of the Coast (WotC) announced the 4^th-Ed. GSL will be revised, following an unreceptive welcome by the industry.

As we reported two weeks ago, the latest incarnation of the Dungeons & Dragons gaming system brought with it a new License many 3^rd-party designers felt was unfair. While the 3^rd-Ed. D&D rules (d20) and GSL resulted in a glut of product which flooded the market, the new license was deemed "one-sided" by most; few successful design companies had said they would sign-on.

"We recognize the important role third party publishing support plays in the success of the 4^th-Edition of Dungeons & Dragons. We have listened to the community and our valued colleagues and have taken their concerns and recommendations to heart. Our commitment to the health of the industry and hobby gaming lifestyle is reflected in the revisions to the Game System License," said D&D Licensing Manager, Linae Foster.

At this time, The Weirding does not directly support any version of D&D for licensing reasons. However, much of the material to be presented in the Fantasy RPG department was developed for or with AD&D 1^st- and 2^nd-Ed. rules - why lie about it? For this reason, the data is presented generically with a 3d6/d20 "conversion." Technically, this makes the material compatible with several fantasy RPG systems, including Fantasy HERO, Palladium, GURPS, and more.

TSR, the original owners of Dungeons & Dragons, successfully sued both Mayfair Games and GDW over licensing rights, putting both companies out of business. TSR then sold the rights to Hasbro. Game designer, Gary Gygax, left the company over similar tactics, including the 2^nd-Ed. "revamping" of the game. Perhaps not so ironically, Gygax' creation for GDW, Dangerous Journeys, was the catalyst for the GDW lawsuit.

(Mayfair Games is still in existence, though it no longer offers role-playing products. Various rumors have surfaced over the years as to its getting back into the industry, but nothing has panned-out so far. In addition to the Chill horror RPG, Mayfair produced the award-winning DC Heroes RPG.)

© C Harris Lynn, 2008