The d20 License: An Explanation

With the D&D Third Edition Player’s Handbook coming out in two days, the hobbyist game design community is still not certain what they can and can’t do under the D20 License [ Open Gaming Foundation.org ]. This foundation, created by D&D brand manager Ryan Dancey, supports both the Open Gaming License (OGL), a license that can be used for any role-playing game that one wishes to release for public expansion, and the D20 License, a specific license that allows anyone from professional game companies to hobbyists to create products compatible with the D20 System used for Dungeons & Dragons.

The unfortunate part is that neither one of these licenses are complete and ready for usage yet. According to Ryan Dancey, the OGL will be ready for public consumption very soon, but the D20 License "is going to take a lot more work, because it is a trademark license, and trademark licenses are really finicky. We'll probably be fiddling with it throughout the summer." On a good note, though, Mr. Dancey says that "there will be some accommodations made to support people who want to release commercial products ASAP though." (He notes that anyone that has a product they want to release can feel free to email him at ryand@frpg.com with questions.)

So, what can you create with this license, and what effect will the license have on your product?

What you can do

The simplest usage is using the license to create d20 adventures, much like Green Ronin is doing with Death in Freeport or Atlas Games is doing with Three Days to Kill. These generally do not effect the rules found in the Player’s Handbook at all, but may include changes as little as new magic items, spells, creatures, and feats, or as large as new races, classes, skills, and more.

People who use the d20 License are allowed to go much further than this, though, creating an entire new setting for D&D (although I should note that the 'D&D' trademark cannot be used. You cannot say "compatible with D&D on your product"; you must instead say "compatible with the d20 System." You could create a setting completely unrelated to fantasy role-playing, instead creating a cyberpunk, mob, space opera, or historical fiction RPG. You could also create sourcebooks for any genre, including a book of new spells for fantasy d20, new races, new equipment or anything else.

The only real restrictions in the D20 License require you to not give explicit rules for character creation, and not include rules for gaining experience, or gaining levels. In an exclusive interview with Eric Noah, Mr. Dancey was questioned on this issue:

EN: What are the 'character creation' rules that couldn't be changed or revealed in a d20-licensed product?

Ryan: The rule for character creation is "pick a race and a class"; you can't put that rule in a product covered by the D20STL. ...I'm working on a revision to the D20 System Trademark License that would restrict you from adding or deleting ability scores (on some level, those abilities are the keystone of the whole D20 system...) Again, if you wanted to just use the Open Gaming License [and thus derive a new product or game but not claim that it is D20-compatible or use the D20 logo], you could [add new ability scores], even with that as-yet un-added restriction; the only time you'd have to abide by the restriction is if you wanted to use the D20 System Trademarks too.

This one statement gives us a lot of insight into the nature of the license and what you can do—you can’t say “pick a race and class,” and that’s about it. You can include new races, classes, or have no races at all, for a all-human (or any sort of homogenous racial stock) game. When questioned by the Gaming Outpost about the ability scores issue, Mr. Dancey had this to say:

GO: I noticed that you wanted to add to the d20 License that the core 6 attributes stay intact, as you felt that they were the cornerstone of the d20 system. Do you still feel that way, and will this be added? Or can I make a d20 setting where the attributes are, for example, Earth, Air, Fire, and Water?

Ryan: What we are focusing on right now is defending the definition of terms. So, if you wanted to have an EAFW ability score system, you could; you just couldn't say that "Strength is represented by the ability of Earth"; "Strength" is a defined term for D20, and if you want to use the Trademark license, you'll have to stick with our definitions.

So, extrapolating, you can go so far as to change this seemingly-crucial part of the system, although without quoting their trademarks. In this case, you could define Earth as “Earth is a measure of your resistance to physical harm and wear. It includes your ability to shrug off damage, to stave off poisons, and to hold back disease.”

What they can do

Much of the controversy about the d20 License has revolved around the fact that it implies that your work is ‘open’; that is, it can be copied without giving the original author royalties. While this is true, there are caveats.

a) The original author must be credited with the work.

b) Because of the nature of open works, anything open must stay open, allowing an author to take a revision of or addition to his work, and add it to his own product.

The prevailing argument of “WotC can publish my work without giving me a dime,” is rather true—but you’ll be fully credited, and can take that work and publish it yourself. In addition, your entire work does not have to be open: you can ‘close’ sections of your product. For example, you have the statistics for an evil governor in an adventure. The statistics follow d20 conventions, so they are open. If you clearly mark the next page which describes the governor's motives and psychology in normal (real world) terms 'closed', that will not fall under the OGL, and cannot be copied by WotC or anyone else.

A real world example

The following example is meant to show how far under the hood of the d20 mechanics you can go, and still be covered by the d20 License. It’s not been fully playtested, so feel free to send me any ideas, or improve it and publish it yourself (crediting me.) Such is the beauty of open source.

Combat Points: an alternative hit point system for the d20 System

[Image not recovered] Requires the use of the Dungeons & Dragons^(R) Player's Handbook, Third Edition, published by Wizards of the Coast^(R). Dungeons & Dragons^(R) and Wizards of the Coast^(R) are Registered Trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, and are used with Permission.

One of the largest complaints with the d20 System is the usage of an unrealistic, constantly-growing large pool of hit points for all characters. For example, it should take approximately 20 times the amount of successful hits with a sword to kill a 20th-level character as it would take to kill a 1st-level character in the d20 system. While the usage of the standard d20 System’s hit points is meant to imply more hit points equals more skill at evading, and turning good blows into ineffectual ones, this system attempts to quantify it further.

Beginning characters have a number of hit points equal to what a first level character would have, according to the Player’s Handbook. As they gain levels, all classes add their Constitution modifier to this total each level to hit points. (A negative value only subtracts from initial hit points. You do not subtract it each level.)

In addition, they roll their classes’ Hit Die each level per normal, but without Constitution modifiers, and add this to combat points.

Combat points can be used in several ways:

a) To avoid avoidable damage. Avoidable damage is defined as damage the character could physically attempt to block, dodge, or otherwise lessen, such as melee or missile attack, or visible magical attack, such as magic missile and fireball. Damage from poison, disease, or a rogue’s sneak attack are not avoidable, and come straight out of hit points. Combat points can be spent on a one-for-one basis to lessen damage, much like traditional hit points.

b) If the character has the power attack feat, a number of combat points equal to the character’s level can be used to increase damage by that amount. These points must be declared before the attack.

c) If the character has the expertise feat, a number of combat points equal to the character’s level can be used to increase Armor Class by that amount. These points must be declared before the attack.

d) A number of combat points equal to the character’s level can always be used to increase the chance of making a saving throw versus magical attack.

e) If the character is a spellcaster, a number of combat points equal to the character’s level can be used to increase the difficulty of saving versus a spell the caster casts.

f) The staredown: If a character attacks in melee and misses, a number of combat points equal to the amount the roll was missed by (against AC 18, the character’s total attack was 15—3 points) can be spent for the character to have actually struck the weapon of his opponent. The two weapons are locked together, and the two characters are able to stare each other down. Each makes a secret wager of combat points. The one who wagers higher will throw the other character back 1d6 paces, and will gain a +1 to attack that opponent next round. If a character is attacked in melee, he can spend points in the same fashion (a number equal to the amount the victor won by), to block the opponent’s weapon with his own, and force a staredown.

Combat points could be spent on other things, such as to perform an exciting stunt during combat, if allowed by the individual game master.

This variant of hit points requires a change to the rogue’s sneak attack in order to keep it balanced. Instead of gaining +1d6 damage to a sneak attack every other level, the rogue gains +1 damage to his sneak attack every level (including 1st). Remember that in the case of a successful sneak attack, the damage comes straight out of hit points, increasing the chance of killing a character or creature tremendously.

In order to calculate hit points and combat points for a creature that uses the standard d20 System, take the creature’s Constitution score, and add its Challenge Rating. This provides the amount of hit points, with the remainder of standard hit points being combat points. This provides an amount roughly equivalent with a character of the same level.