ORC, the Open RPG Creative, license is a response to Wizards of the Coast’s abandoned attempt to reign back the Open Gaming License, which governed some D&D and 5e usage. It’s a document for RPG publishers to read.
Blockbuster successes like Chaosium’s Basic Roleplaying: Universal Game Engine and indies like Mythmere Games’ Swords & Wizardy to Pay What You Want discoveries from publishers like Martian Muckracker with titles like Under a Hostile Sun all use ORC.
Only this week, though, has the final ORC license (PDF link) been approved by those taking part.
In an announcement last night, Paizo said;
The license is a system-agnostic, perpetual, and irrevocable open gaming license that provides a legal “safe harbor” for sharing rules mechanics so as to encourage collaboration and innovation in the tabletop-gaming space. After much commentary and iteration, the ORC License and accompanying ORC AxE (Answers and Explanations) document are now final and ready to be used by game publishers large and small.
This RPG document is going to the United States of America’s Library of Congress. The law firm, Azora Law, which helped publishers agree and finesse the words, is also hosting the details. Why? These are third parties that will hold the text sacrosanct.
Paizo said they’d update their Community Use and Pathfinder Compatibility Licenses with these appropriate new legal rules.
At Gen Con, on the Saturday of the huge gaming convention and at ICC 144-145, there will be an ORC License questions and answers session. It’s a free-to-attend event, will last for two hours and features;
- Jeff Richard, Chaosium Chair, Founder, & former lawyer
- Markus Plotz, Ulysses-Spiele Owner & Chair
- Erik Mona, Paizo Chief Creative Officer
- Wolfgang Baur, Kobold Press Founder & Chair
- Brian E. Lewis, Azora Law Partner, Gen Con Co-Owner, Legal architect of the OGL, Principal drafter and legal architect of the ORC
It looks like Team Gen Con has some pretty tight connections with a law firm.
Quick Links
- ORC license (PDF link)
- ORC Answers and Explanations (PDF link)
Check out the comments below to see what other Geek Natives think.
