GURPS Cthulupunk

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by Huscurian

IF Cthulhupunk is convertible, I am only interested in uploading it to the Web should it ever happen.

Sure, I was just pointing out why you probably won't see SJG themselves do an official version regardless of licensing. A lot of simpler updates and conversions get done without licensing by us and published right here on this forum, however, so saying that it doesn't have enough crunch for a real book isn't saying that it isn't worth doing.

[Refplace]

Yeah a company doing the work is a lot different then an individual doing a fan work for no pay.
The latter is a lot less attractive to lawyers :)
A lot of the conversion can be done as "Fair Use" where what your doing is talking about rather then plagerizing.
Don't quote too much of anyone's work, though SJG is really nice about what they allow.
I would just do stuff based off the books, skip Chaoism all together in the quotes and material but point to them as additional reading in a bibliography.
Take the Lovecraft Mythos and adapt it to the cyberpunk genre and stir for flavor then apply GURPS mechanics to it.

[RyanW]

Originally Posted by Refplace

Some of Lovecrafts stuff is public domain, catch is some of the derivative stuff isn't so you need to be sure which. But there are articles on the works and public domain that I have seen so it can be researched.

The legally easy way to do it would be "This conversion assumes you have a copy of CthulhuPunk. Start searching those used bookstores!" and then just do a purely mechanical update. The background material should be perfectly usable as is. And much of the "mechanics" could probably be guidelines on which bits of the new GURPS Horror to use.

Other than a few trademarked names (which, unlike copyrights, are generally subject to the "I wasn't making money or trying to look like an officially sanctioned product" defense), everything else in such a limited project should fall under the SJGames online policy.

Of course, IANAL.

[Huscurian]

Originally Posted by Gold & Appel Inc

... so saying that it doesn't have enough crunch for a real book isn't saying that it isn't worth doing.

I do agree with you regarding that quote above. I already have the 3rd Edition to 4th Edition Conversion PDF so it should not be a problem updating some characters, which brings me to another question.

Just how illegal is it to update a character straight from the Cthulhupunk sourcebook? Or would new characters have to be created to prevent legal hassles?

Originally Posted by Refplace

Yeah a company doing the work is a lot different then an individual doing a fan work for no pay.
The latter is a lot less attractive to lawyers :)
A lot of the conversion can be done as "Fair Use" where what your doing is talking about rather then plagerizing.
Don't quote too much of anyone's work, though SJG is really nice about what they allow.
I would just do stuff based off the books, skip Chaoism all together in the quotes and material but point to them as additional reading in a bibliography.
Take the Lovecraft Mythos and adapt it to the cyberpunk genre and stir for flavor then apply GURPS mechanics to it.

Got it. Scratch everything Chaoism off, use the books of H.P. Lovecraft for source material concerning the Mythos, pour into a nice big cauldron, ask for Nyarlothep to bless and create a new tome for humans like us!

Would it be okay if Cthulhupunk, in its conversion, include statistic information on cyberware from Ultra-Tech (4th Ed.)? Or would that require a "GURPS Cthulhupunk uses the following supplements to enhance its gameplay experience: blah, blah blah, and so on" quotation at the beginning of its PDF?

Originally Posted by RyanW

The legally easy way to do it would be "This conversion assumes you have a copy of CthulhuPunk. Start searching those used bookstores!" and then just do a purely mechanical update. The background material should be perfectly usable as is. And much of the "mechanics" could probably be guidelines on which bits of the new GURPS Horror to use.

Other than a few trademarked names (which, unlike copyrights, are generally subject to the "I wasn't making money or trying to look like an officially sanctioned product" defense), everything else in such a limited project should fall under the SJGames online policy.

Of course, IANAL.

Yeah, I can do that. I'll have to procure myself a copy of GURPS Horror and go from there. As for the quotation regarding the assumption people already have Cthulhupunk in their possession, that'd be useful since I am not so big a fan of piracy either.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by Huscurian

Just how illegal is it to update a character straight from the Cthulhupunk sourcebook? Or would new characters have to be created to prevent legal hassles?


Would it be okay if Cthulhupunk, in its conversion, include statistic information on cyberware from Ultra-Tech (4th Ed.)? Or would that require a "GURPS Cthulhupunk uses the following supplements to enhance its gameplay experience: blah, blah blah, and so on" quotation at the beginning of its PDF?

Both these questions can rally only be answered by SJG.
No one else can give you the answer or approval. I suggest read the licensing agreement then contact them as it instructs.
I have read it and used to have a website for a GURPS game online so players could access the material. In fact Kromm joined up, sadly it died PBM just was not working out back then, or at least for me. But becasue of that I was 100% confident I did everything by the SJG rulebook.
I intend to be doing something similar in the future and will be reviewing the policy again prior to posting. Covers me for changes or bad memory.
If you look at it and on the web you will find many approved sites that offer house rules or write ups of everything from spells to creatures to NPCs and even vehicles.
SJG is really really good about as long as your not trying to make money or posting things that let people skip buying books they seem to be ok with it.
Most companies even with those goals met still want you to jump through hoops and possibly have it all vetted first.

I just posted the stuff after getting a nod and said "Please take a look and if anything you don't like is up there tell me and its GONE"
That was wonderfully easy :)

I think a conversion would be pretty easy and Horror added a lot of the stuff you would use.

[Huscurian]

Originally Posted by Refplace

Both these questions can rally only be answered by SJG.
No one else can give you the answer or approval. I suggest read the licensing agreement then contact them as it instructs... SJG is really really good about as long as your not trying to make money or posting things that let people skip buying books they seem to be ok with it.
Most companies even with those goals met still want you to jump through hoops and possibly have it all vetted first.

I just posted the stuff after getting a nod and said "Please take a look and if anything you don't like is up there tell me and its GONE"
That was wonderfully easy :)

I think a conversion would be pretty easy and Horror added a lot of the stuff you would use.

Okay, sounds good. I'll see what I can do to email SJG and see what works, what doesn't. Right. That would be a bad idea if I had written an entire PDF dedicated to the conversion of every little bittle thing coming straight from the sourcebook.

Fortunately for SJG, I am not interested in making money or profits. I'm actually interested in converting the meatier parts (mechanics, characters, organizations, mythos, adv/disadv and not the prose parts (stories, explanations of this or that.) This way, it ends up a 3e to 4e conversion PDF. If the prose parts are written, better it be written by a SJG-officiated author to do the job.

However, I'll email SJG and see what they agree to. I can possibly ask them to check the website but their policy, stated online, actually said they won't be able to check every single website made by singular fans or individuals in charge of a fan-made creation.

Thanks for the info, Refplace.

EDIT: As for Horror, I'll see about purchasing that PDF since it does involve a lot of what I'm looking for: vampires, werewolves, etc. for some of my other projects.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by Huscurian

However, I'll email SJG and see what they agree to. I can possibly ask them to check the website but their policy, stated online, actually said they won't be able to check every single website made by singular fans or individuals in charge of a fan-made creation.

Thanks for the info, Refplace.

EDIT: As for Horror, I'll see about purchasing that PDF since it does involve a lot of what I'm looking for: vampires, werewolves, etc. for some of my other projects.

Your welcome. Yeah they dont check everything but loyalists often report stuff and that they check. I still put that out there because its a clear declaration of intent and tells them your not trying to hurt sales or anything as well as making sure they have a way to contact you.
Though I would also have contact info on the site.
As for Horror not only the monsters but it has Corruption mechanics that are very suited to Mythos stories and other things. Plus a whole on running a Horror game.

[Huscurian]

Originally Posted by Refplace

Your welcome. Yeah they dont check everything but loyalists often report stuff and that they check. I still put that out there because its a clear declaration of intent and tells them your not trying to hurt sales or anything as well as making sure they have a way to contact you.
Though I would also have contact info on the site.
As for Horror not only the monsters but it has Corruption mechanics that are very suited to Mythos stories and other things. Plus a whole on running a Horror game.

What kind of Corruption mechanics? Are you referring the Corruption mechanics to the "Sanity" mechanics of the PCs when confronting an Elder Thing, or an Old One, or one of the monsters (Shambler, etc.)?

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by Huscurian

What kind of Corruption mechanics? Are you referring the Corruption mechanics to the "Sanity" mechanics of the PCs when confronting an Elder Thing, or an Old One, or one of the monsters (Shambler, etc.)?

Similar,.
IN Horror they added a Corruption system that can turn you into something else, usually mentally or spiritually. Loosely based off the Compact and Black Arts or Spirit mediated magic ideas posted in a few places, like Magic and Thaumatology.
But much more detailed. Also a limitation to magery or power is assigned and detailed out. So you could have Magery (Mythos) or a psi power with this limitation and it would be cheaper then normal becasue it has a drawback.
Perfectly reasonable and fair and Horror gives us guidelines and mechanics for it.