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Old 05-31-2014, 02:47 AM   #1
Arith Winterfell
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Indiana, United States
Default Proper webpage creation for a campaign setting

I'm working on creating an RPG setting as a GM and am aiming to create a website with my own art, own self-created story vignettes, setting details, and so forth. This is in order to share my setting with others and as a place to show off its use of the GURPS game system.

As a creative artist myself I'm very concerned about proper behavior when it comes to copyrights, trademarks, etc. as I myself wouldn't want to see someone else using my works as their own. I've made sure to read over the online policy page (and I plan to use the suggested notices, disclaimers, etc for my own webpage).

I'm currently doing preparatory work by writing up various setting templates and lenses for the setting and I found myself realizing I needed some clarification regarding the posting of information from the game.

For example, the setting is dark fantasy so I picked up GURPS Horror to make use of its material for campaign design. I was reading over the entries about the Corporeal Undead and the Zombie Templates. I realized I wanted to create a slightly different Corporeal Undead template and zombie template for my setting by shifting some traits out of Corporeal Undead into the Zombie template, so as to make the Corporeal Undead template more generic as a basis for other Undead I might create. To clarify this would just be templates with listed traits etc not a full description of those traits.

Is it alright to post up on the website the modified Corporeal Undead / Zombie Templates?

What about in cases like the Zombie Template which mentioned the Automaton meta-trait template. Is it acceptable to unpack those listed traits into a zombie template trait list rather than listing the automaton meta-trait?

In another case what about listing skills for the purpose of having entries about how they work differently in the setting than as written in the basic set?
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Old 05-31-2014, 03:17 AM   #2
johndallman
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
Default Re: Proper webpage creation for a campaign setting

You need to start by reading the SJ Games Online Policy.
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Old 05-31-2014, 03:47 AM   #3
Arith Winterfell
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Indiana, United States
Default Re: Proper webpage creation for a campaign setting

Thank you for the link, however, I already read the page as I mentioned in my post above.

I understand the page talks about not posting materials from the books directly, which is why I was looking for clarification regarding my questions above.


-------

Ok. I went over the online policy again and found I had apparently missed an entry while reading. *facepalm* I now see the entry part that reads "It has to do with whether or not the material is an extension to the game line (OK), or a restatement of the copyrighted rules (not OK). Character stats, and original background and scenario material using our rules terminology, are a permitted use, as long as you're not selling it in any way."

So I now see the part where its OK to make "scenario materials using our rules terminology" which covers much of my questions.

Last edited by Arith Winterfell; 06-01-2014 at 02:26 AM. Reason: Re-read online policy and saw stuff I missed earlier.
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Old 06-01-2014, 02:30 AM   #4
Arith Winterfell
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Indiana, United States
Default Re: Proper webpage creation for a campaign setting

I think what I was really asking was do templates published in a book count as "copyrighted rules" or materials for people to "extend the game line"?

I was just being wary about how template creation (and logical selection of traits) or template modification can result in the new templates that are "too close to the original."

Maybe I'm just over thinking all of this . . .
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Old 06-01-2014, 09:12 AM   #5
Dwarf99
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Fayetteville, Arkansas
Default Re: Proper webpage creation for a campaign setting

Quote:
Originally Posted by Arith Winterfell View Post
Maybe I'm just over thinking all of this . . .
Yep. That pretty much covers it right there :D.
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Old 06-01-2014, 09:42 AM   #6
Arith Winterfell
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Indiana, United States
Default Re: Proper webpage creation for a campaign setting

Haha! XD

Thanks for the confirmation! :D

Now back to campaign design!
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