Yeah this is nuts. Let’s face it most of the official D&D content hasn’t been that great for a while but many I know have stayed invested in large party because of the thriving community of third party content creators that flourished around D&D under the 20 year OGL. The draft license reads more like a desperate quarterly cash grab than a foundation for the continued growth of the brand or the community.
I really feel like ShadowDark is safe for the most part. I was surprised to see the OGL at the end of the beta version- it didn’t seem like it pulled from copyrightable material at all as the mechanical aspects are safe. I hope you are able to get through the review process quickly and without too much cost. It’s a great game! And it ain’t D&D!
This is really the key thing... if section 102(b) of the Copyright Act is applied to tabletop rules the way it's been applied to video games, WotC and Hasbro have very little legal ground to stand on. I almost hope they go after Paizo so the obvious precedent can be set and people can stop worrying so much. Heck, it makes me want to see someone call their bluff and pretty much make what Pathfinder 1e was but for 5e.
@@colbyboucher6391 This is one of the paths (pun intended) I see happening; someone will do to 5e what Paizo did you 3.5e. And you know what, 5e could do well from a solid pass of the rules and a vastly better layout than currently exists.
@@colbyboucher6391 You make it sound like Hasbro/WotC doesn't have more money to throw around than Paizo. If they went after Paizo, i would dare say that Paizo couldn't financially defend themselves.
@@frostmagemarii Finances only matter when a something is debatable enough for there to be a protracted court battle. If that happened in this case, I'd pretty much lose all faith that the U.S. legal system has even a weak pulse.
Looking forward to the Kickstarter and seeing Shadowdark! Let us know if we can support any particular way, over and above what’s mentioned in the video.
Ever since I came across what Hasbro/WotC were doing I immediately thought of you and the Arcane Library and the unfortunate impact it will have upon you and a ton of others. You do excellent work so stay strong and continue to be creative.
Thank you so much. I really appreciate hearing that you thought of me in this situation! I'm optimistic... I think there's a way forward. It will be challenging, but worth it.
I've always been a big supporter of third party content. Your work in particular, has helped many people with encounter design and solid game mechanics. All things that have promoted the game of D&D for WotC. It's a shame that they are going this route, but I am excited to see what new material you create in the new landscape of trpgs.
I think I said this on twitter too, but I'm really grateful that you're moving forward in this way! I'm starting up a new campaign with Shadowdark, and as someone who has been working on his own publishing ambitions for a bit over a year now, I'm really glad that I made the decision to transition to writing primarily for Shadowdark once I discovered it. Super excited for the kickstarter and to see what comes next!
I am on the notification for Shadowdark. I love that you are committing to a non-revocable OGL for your game. Going forward, I am unlikely to buy any game that does not have a non-revocable OGL attached to it. You might want to consider releasing the game as a paperback as well as hardback. Print on demand hardbacks are often not any better (and sometimes worse) than the paperbacks (and the paperbacks cost less for the consumer, thus making them more affordable).
Definitely going to be under consideration! The hardback is coming from an offset printing house, so hopefully the best quality I can get, but I want to explore other options for the book, too. Just gotta get the logistics sorted... which is now a bit delayed!
The problem with putting non-revocable is that a licensee could practically break the terms of the OGL and "get away with it" because of the non-revocable verbiage. What you are intending to ask for is a clause which basically says that without cause the license cannot be terminated or revoked en masse. Which preserves the right to revoke on a case-by-case basis, for cause while protecting all other good faith actors.
She is using OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a, which is Wotc license. She can't just throw in the word "non-revocable" while using a) their license b) their intellectual property. I think she needs a lawyer.
Unfortunately no one in 2000 would of fathomed where we are in terms of technology, ease of self-publishing, or the reach of social media and all the other tech advancements that have affected our hobby (and many other things in life). I wish you the best on Shadowdark RPG, looking forward to see in it. Think of this as an opportunity to burst into new directions of creativity in our RPG hobby.
I'm definitely trying to look at it through this lens. It's a devastating blow in the short term, but it might also end up being the best thing that could have happened in the long haul.
@@TheArcaneLibrary Having been through similar things in other industry I am very confident this will end up a very good thing for you. We're all looking forward to what you produce and have had a great time with the previews of shadow dart
June sayd "Unfortunately no one in 2000 would of fathomed where we are in terms of technology, ease of self-publishing, or the reach of social media." This is incorrect. I worked at one of the major media companies, and as early as 1996, people were discussing all that and more. There was talk about home servers that would upload vast music and movie collections, there was talk of online boards and communities, there was talk about home to home video calls (all the way back to the 1905s), there was talk about virutal games and VR. This was all discussed. I had discussions with company heads in Japan and the USA about this. I wrote several patents for them about this and other technologies, including early VR. There were SciFi stories and Anime about this, all considered predictive. Myself and others were asked "Is this possible? " and the answer was yes. It is one thing to imagine common people on the street didn't know this, it is incorrect that top media companies in the 1990s didn't know this or think about it. *Everyone in top positions knew and were talking about this as the inevitable future.*
@@antimatters6283 I should have said the mainstream common folk, lol. But since you were a technologist/inventor/innovator at that time I'm sure you and others had that foresight, but for the rest of us normies its wasnt in the convo at the time.
Very excited and looking forward to seeing what Shadowdark is like. This is the future of tabletop gaming. We don't need WOTC or the OGL to make our fun. We never did and now people are soaring to new heights. May we all fly high.
Hope the community will keep supporting content creators. I want to get one of your 5e adventures now to support you. Usually dont run pre-written stuff but I'm sure I can find something worth playing :)
I loved 2e in the 90s. My son got the 5e essentials kit for Xmas and it brought me back to the hobby, just in time to see all this. I was about to buy the three core D&D books (again) but now I feel liberated. 5e was too complicated for us anyway, so ICRPG is getting my money. Talented storytellers make the game great, so I just bought the Arcane Library complete collection. Hopefully there are many more out there that feel the same way. Keep up the great work and I wish you the best with all the changes you’re facing.
I'd love to see lots of creators making broadly compatible content across OSR and similar games (like the top-notch adventures you already published for Shadowdark). We are seeing now that having a network or community of creators and games that are broadly compatible creates resiliency.
Randomly finding this video has me subscribed to your notification for your RPG. I will definitely be backing it. I love that you are creating your own true OGL.
I just stumbled upon your channel, thanks to UA-cam recommendations… I really love your attitude about all this and I agree completely. This is an exciting opportunity for a lot of creators to break free from 5e and really make something awesome that’s their own! And Shadowdark looks amazing! Love that artwork (and that cover!!!)… I’ll be looking forward to the Kickstarter. ⚔️🤓
WotC can rot. I have your Shadowdark primer and hope to run a group through your Scarlet Minotaur adventure soon. Will let you know what we think about it!
Looking forward to seeing the KS launch for Shadowdark! I plan on supporting as much non-OGL content as possible in the next year to support those independent creators who have worked so hard on their projects.
I'm now supporting all the entrepreneurial creators I can find. I just stumbled upon your Arcane Library and subscribed. Looking forward the to update of Shadowdark and signed up for the notifications!
It's sad that in an attempt to stifle any competition Wotc, more so Hasbro, is instead going to fracture the entire community and create more competitors then they've ever had. I'm glad you in a good position to handle the shift.
It was always fractured - WotC just enjoyed the lion's share of it, but there were thousands of us playing non-D&D games like Traveller, Call of Cthulhu, Symbaroum, Numenera, FATE & Toon. Now WotC are fracturing their part, and driving innovation as the community parts like the red sea rather than catch them as they fall. They got too greedy, and are now making shamefaced retractions, but the new systems & the new licensing that Paizo, Green Ronin et al are developing, well, the ship has sailed. These new systems and the Open RPG Creative licence (ORC) are going to see the light of day now.
I whole heartedly support the creators and it seems this is going to be a good thing for the hobby and eventually individual creators. Best of luck to you I'll check out your RPG.
And a lot of us cut our teeth on your work. Basilisk Temple has been a launch point for homebrews, Wizards published adventures and other 3rd party works on my home and virtual table. Can't wait for Shadowdark's Kickstarter and appreciate your positive spin on an industry rattling event.
Watching this again (a year later) and, of course, everything clearly did work out well, but more importantly, this video is a Master Class in how to handle unexpected, unprovoked and unfair adversity with grace, poise, focus, self belief and a legendary work ethic. Kelsey, I don't just love your Shadowdark RPG, I also love & respect your moxy and general approach to Hard Times. Thank you.
Best of luck with your game, I believe it's going to be good because you've always published well written and fun adventures! Do not despair, the new OGL isn't out or set in stone yet, I bet you'll be able to safely publish content for it.
I've loved your work for quite a while now, and I can't wait to see where you go next. I'm completely on board and will be more than happy to follow you into Shadow dark
This hit me in the gut - I literally just started publishing content. As someone that left the brand due to the license change during 4th, and only coming back to 5th because I thought they learned their lesson... I'm pretty sure that even if they walk this back (and try to offer a crap deal that's only marginally better) I'm still done with WOTC entirely. I don't need a fancy vtt. Owlbear is good enough for me. I let my players roll real dice anyway even online. So I'm signed up for Shadowdark and here for it. It looks super neat. I'm looking forward to finding my next 'forever' system, and if's as good as it looks to be (from what I've seen already) then you'll already have this 3rd party creator ready to roll out an entire setting and string of one-shots and adventures.
Kelsey, I have been a fan of your work for several years and will continue to support your efforts moving forward. I think I can say for a lot of us, We have your back! Can’t wait to see what you come up with next!
Kelsey! I was a player in one of your Gary Con games. I absolutely love your content and can't wait to see what Shadowdark Rpg has in store! Keep it up!
I wish you luck in the coming competition out there there’s going to be a lot of innovation as everyone does something to stand out. I can’t wait to see what you come up with
I saw it coming and started working on my own system for many years. Mine is coming soon as well. I will definitely check out yours now that I followed your FB page and know about this project.
Now that it's been a few months and there have been some updates to what WotC allows, how will this affect ShadowDark? Will you use the Creative Commons, or are you going to go off onto your own and make your own game? I, for one, absolutely loved your 5E work, and I am so excited to see what you're going to do now that you aren't under someone else's license. I absolutely love the OSR, and I got the quickstart for SD, and I can tell you that if this isn't my primary system, I'm still going to strip it for parts. I would like to see D&D's Empire broken up into smaller kingdoms of creativity, where everyone can kind of carve out their own little niche, but still be part of the bigger whole that we all love.
Best idea would be to gather, all creators and agree on a system that may suit you all and start all of you publishing for it ... similar to dnd but not infringing on it.
This would be awesome, but it's hard to pull a group of indie-minded people together. We moved into the indie sphere because we like being our own bosses and having creative control... not saying it can't be done, but it'd be a big lift to point all indies into the same creative direction!
@@TheArcaneLibrary I mean, if it can ever happen, this is the one time it should. Everyone's getting hurt over the wotc move. make it like an open source thingy and everyone can sell add to it and everyone can add more to the world, even different systems ... like different continents/worlds, each has specifics and can be linked through a main system ... even writers might join in.
I've been waiting for months for the kickstarter release! In light of all the craziness with WotC, my family and I are 100% ready to switch to Shadow Dark exclusively! GO STING BATS!
I finally got into D&D a few months ago after years of half-knowing about it. While considering DMing, I came across and fell in love with your horror bundles and ran some one-shots with my friends. Going through the beta copy of Shadowdark I am truly reminded of good old dungeon crawlers as well as rougelikes, and it makes me want to run my own campaign for the first time. I'm absolutely looking forward to the kickstarter.
Stumbled on this while watching a number of vids about what Wizards is doing with the OGL. As someone who has played for nearly 46 years, I caution you about the whole "make my own system" route. You will be far from alone. The market will quickly glut with offerings and those whose products succeed (meaning, actually making anything resembling profit) will be rare. Much the same happened in the early days as numerous 'alternatives' were published to compete with TSR. Few survived more than a year, and the number that are still in print today can be counted on one hand. There are already a slew of D&D competitors with enough time on the market to prove themselves viable, and loyal customers that will be shy about trying anything new to make your task Herculean. Add in everything else that will come out within the next year to 18 months and your odds of success are minuscule. I'm not saying don't try. Just have alternate plans for income because the survivors will be few, and disappointment could be very real. Good luck, but be realistic.
Thank you for your caution. This is exactly what people told me about becoming a 5E publisher. I'm glad I took their advice into account but decided to do what I was planning anyway! I wouldn't be a highly successful (former) 5E publisher in an absolutely saturated market if I had waited or held back due to fear.
@@TheArcaneLibrary The difference from then to now will be how the new OGL could impact you in a sideways manner. Wizards has the deep pockets for legal coverage that can (and probably will) get super nit-picky. Again, not saying don't. Just cautioning for an abundance of CYA.
@@paulfelix5849 Yes, it's true. I will have to be really dang careful about how to proceed. There's a strong chance WotC will get nit-picky to try to scare off any dissenters!
I feel very fortunate that my own product is still early enough in development that I can easily pivot away from all things WotC, D&D, and OGL. Your idea of creating your own version of an open gaming license is terrific! Fingers crossed, and from one game developer to another, I wish you the best of luck.
I didn't realize you were so close to finishing Shadowdark. The preview looked real good, so I'm looking forward to it a lot. You have my support for sure.
Shadowdark looks like a work of art. I wonder with 'the scattering' how many games will gather little campfires around them? My group shifted from 5e to OSE last spring and have generally been experimenting with other RPGs for a couple years now
I can feel your pain... I´m about 70% done with my own material and I had to stop and make the decision to turn it on a system-agnostic book with small PDFs available online for the small amout of system-specific rules that it might need. Now, having to change a finished book, that´s gotta hurt.
It sucks SOOOO much. I'm really sorry you got hit with that. I'm trying to be like... well... at least this happened before we published? That way we have a chance to change course before it's too late.
I've been purchasing all of your work since you first released Secrets of Skyhorn Lighthouse. Cancelation of the OGL won't change that. Looking forward with anticipation to your Shadowdark Kickstarter!
YOU'RE THE CREATOR OF SHADOW DARK????? I'm SO FREEKING GLAD I FOUND YOU!!! I LOVED that thing. I simply CAN'T WAIT for that thing to release!! Also, sorry for the caps... I'm just really excited that I found you on here!
@@TheArcaneLibrary Oh, I did!! I actually started making homebrew races to use in my games almost exactly 3 minutes after reading the two previously released documents. I REALLY like the game. It shows a lot of promise.
I'm looking forward to your Shadowdark RPG. I just came across your channel to you. Even I have considered writing my own RPG game using D&D.. but I wanted to incorporate old school rules. So Now I'm kinda scratching my head. Considering another system. Just not sure which. But maybe Tri-stat, AGE, or another one.. Good luck in your ventures from here!
My opinion right now is that whatever happens, 5e is fun and will remain fun, as will all the existing third party material. If One D&D turns out to be a nightmare, I can happily vote by not supporting it and continuing to play 5e with my friends. I understand this doesn't really help content creators though. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you and other people in your line of work.
Very true! At the end of the day, the work has to serve the community at large. I want people who want to play 6E to enjoy the heck out of it! There's a system and style for everyone. The more, the better.
This is the sensible approach! That said, One D&D is not really connected to the issues with OGL 1.1 (except for WotC business reasons which we don't care about).
Of course the proposed license isn't finalized, and even if it does get issued as is will be challenged in court. But I completely understand your dilemma and other 3pp's. Good luck with your system. It's coming out at a good time.
This is kicking off to be a very exciting, explosive year of creativity, freedom, and disrupting traditions, and I am here for it.
That it is! Adversity forces growth!
Hi big fan of your stuff AJ glad to see Kelsey is a great creator.
I can't wait to see your work for Shadowdark.
Are you working on a fantasy Rpg system of your own by any chance? I swear I heard a rumor, read it technically.
Yeah this is nuts. Let’s face it most of the official D&D content hasn’t been that great for a while but many I know have stayed invested in large party because of the thriving community of third party content creators that flourished around D&D under the 20 year OGL. The draft license reads more like a desperate quarterly cash grab than a foundation for the continued growth of the brand or the community.
@@Tiyev an RPG yes
What an incredible and optimistic take on such a dark time for this hobby. Thank you. You have my Kickstarter dollar!
That means a lot to me, Mike. Thank you!!
#sameteam
And you have my axe! Crap, now I have to go out and get an axe.
I can’t wait to hype Shadowdark with all my cannons when it launches. ✊🏼🤓🔺
DT, you are the coolest.
I really feel like ShadowDark is safe for the most part. I was surprised to see the OGL at the end of the beta version- it didn’t seem like it pulled from copyrightable material at all as the mechanical aspects are safe. I hope you are able to get through the review process quickly and without too much cost. It’s a great game! And it ain’t D&D!
This is really the key thing... if section 102(b) of the Copyright Act is applied to tabletop rules the way it's been applied to video games, WotC and Hasbro have very little legal ground to stand on. I almost hope they go after Paizo so the obvious precedent can be set and people can stop worrying so much.
Heck, it makes me want to see someone call their bluff and pretty much make what Pathfinder 1e was but for 5e.
@@colbyboucher6391 This is one of the paths (pun intended) I see happening; someone will do to 5e what Paizo did you 3.5e. And you know what, 5e could do well from a solid pass of the rules and a vastly better layout than currently exists.
@@colbyboucher6391 You make it sound like Hasbro/WotC doesn't have more money to throw around than Paizo. If they went after Paizo, i would dare say that Paizo couldn't financially defend themselves.
@@frostmagemarii Finances only matter when a something is debatable enough for there to be a protracted court battle. If that happened in this case, I'd pretty much lose all faith that the U.S. legal system has even a weak pulse.
Looking forward to the Kickstarter and seeing Shadowdark! Let us know if we can support any particular way, over and above what’s mentioned in the video.
Ever since I came across what Hasbro/WotC were doing I immediately thought of you and the Arcane Library and the unfortunate impact it will have upon you and a ton of others. You do excellent work so stay strong and continue to be creative.
Thank you so much. I really appreciate hearing that you thought of me in this situation! I'm optimistic... I think there's a way forward. It will be challenging, but worth it.
I've always been a big supporter of third party content. Your work in particular, has helped many people with encounter design and solid game mechanics. All things that have promoted the game of D&D for WotC. It's a shame that they are going this route, but I am excited to see what new material you create in the new landscape of trpgs.
I think I said this on twitter too, but I'm really grateful that you're moving forward in this way! I'm starting up a new campaign with Shadowdark, and as someone who has been working on his own publishing ambitions for a bit over a year now, I'm really glad that I made the decision to transition to writing primarily for Shadowdark once I discovered it.
Super excited for the kickstarter and to see what comes next!
I am on the notification for Shadowdark. I love that you are committing to a non-revocable OGL for your game. Going forward, I am unlikely to buy any game that does not have a non-revocable OGL attached to it. You might want to consider releasing the game as a paperback as well as hardback. Print on demand hardbacks are often not any better (and sometimes worse) than the paperbacks (and the paperbacks cost less for the consumer, thus making them more affordable).
Definitely going to be under consideration! The hardback is coming from an offset printing house, so hopefully the best quality I can get, but I want to explore other options for the book, too. Just gotta get the logistics sorted... which is now a bit delayed!
@@TheArcaneLibrary I understand. I wish you good luck!
The problem with putting non-revocable is that a licensee could practically break the terms of the OGL and "get away with it" because of the non-revocable verbiage. What you are intending to ask for is a clause which basically says that without cause the license cannot be terminated or revoked en masse. Which preserves the right to revoke on a case-by-case basis, for cause while protecting all other good faith actors.
@@pedroig8839 Yes! This is why I need a lawyer, hahahaha! Intent vs. execution have to line up.
She is using OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a, which is Wotc license. She can't just throw in the word "non-revocable" while using a) their license b) their intellectual property.
I think she needs a lawyer.
Unfortunately no one in 2000 would of fathomed where we are in terms of technology, ease of self-publishing, or the reach of social media and all the other tech advancements that have affected our hobby (and many other things in life). I wish you the best on Shadowdark RPG, looking forward to see in it. Think of this as an opportunity to burst into new directions of creativity in our RPG hobby.
I'm definitely trying to look at it through this lens. It's a devastating blow in the short term, but it might also end up being the best thing that could have happened in the long haul.
@@TheArcaneLibrary Having been through similar things in other industry I am very confident this will end up a very good thing for you. We're all looking forward to what you produce and have had a great time with the previews of shadow dart
June sayd "Unfortunately no one in 2000 would of fathomed where we are in terms of technology, ease of self-publishing, or the reach of social media."
This is incorrect. I worked at one of the major media companies, and as early as 1996, people were discussing all that and more. There was talk about home servers that would upload vast music and movie collections, there was talk of online boards and communities, there was talk about home to home video calls (all the way back to the 1905s), there was talk about virutal games and VR.
This was all discussed. I had discussions with company heads in Japan and the USA about this.
I wrote several patents for them about this and other technologies, including early VR. There were SciFi stories and Anime about this, all considered predictive. Myself and others were asked "Is this possible? " and the answer was yes.
It is one thing to imagine common people on the street didn't know this, it is incorrect that top media companies in the 1990s didn't know this or think about it.
*Everyone in top positions knew and were talking about this as the inevitable future.*
@@antimatters6283 I should have said the mainstream common folk, lol. But since you were a technologist/inventor/innovator at that time I'm sure you and others had that foresight, but for the rest of us normies its wasnt in the convo at the time.
Um.........everyone in 2000 knew where technology was going
it's funny how this OGL drama has showed me so many more creators. Will be checking out your Kickstarters ❤️👌
I am looking forward to learning more about Shadowdark.
Kelsey, your work is brilliant and I'm really looking forward to Shadowdark RPG and supporting your work under your own OGL!
Very excited and looking forward to seeing what Shadowdark is like. This is the future of tabletop gaming. We don't need WOTC or the OGL to make our fun. We never did and now people are soaring to new heights. May we all fly high.
I am 100% ready for Shadowdark RPG! Your work is amazing and I can't wait to see what you do next!
I'm Also creating my own RP Game & This will just give it a bigger chance to blow up, in our favour.
Hope the community will keep supporting content creators. I want to get one of your 5e adventures now to support you. Usually dont run pre-written stuff but I'm sure I can find something worth playing :)
As a long time D&D player since Basic in the early 80s, I'm here to support you and every other open system soon to be coming.
I loved 2e in the 90s. My son got the 5e essentials kit for Xmas and it brought me back to the hobby, just in time to see all this. I was about to buy the three core D&D books (again) but now I feel liberated. 5e was too complicated for us anyway, so ICRPG is getting my money. Talented storytellers make the game great, so I just bought the Arcane Library complete collection. Hopefully there are many more out there that feel the same way. Keep up the great work and I wish you the best with all the changes you’re facing.
Thank you so much, Jan! And ICRPG is so close to my heart -- a fantastic game. I'm glad you're moving in that direction.
I'd love to see lots of creators making broadly compatible content across OSR and similar games (like the top-notch adventures you already published for Shadowdark). We are seeing now that having a network or community of creators and games that are broadly compatible creates resiliency.
I’m a DM of 40 years and I just signed up for notification of your Kickstarter. I can’t wait to see what you bring to the table.
Randomly finding this video has me subscribed to your notification for your RPG. I will definitely be backing it.
I love that you are creating your own true OGL.
You are a talented writer and creator. Thank you for all you have given us. I hope you the best at landing solidly in your feet and moving forward.
I just stumbled upon your channel, thanks to UA-cam recommendations… I really love your attitude about all this and I agree completely. This is an exciting opportunity for a lot of creators to break free from 5e and really make something awesome that’s their own! And Shadowdark looks amazing! Love that artwork (and that cover!!!)… I’ll be looking forward to the Kickstarter. ⚔️🤓
WotC can rot. I have your Shadowdark primer and hope to run a group through your Scarlet Minotaur adventure soon. Will let you know what we think about it!
Watching this after the close of the Shadowdark Kickstarter... I'm happy to know you'll be okay for the forseable future. :)
Looking forward to seeing the KS launch for Shadowdark! I plan on supporting as much non-OGL content as possible in the next year to support those independent creators who have worked so hard on their projects.
Sounds awesome! Letting out creativity is always good and letting others use your work to do that is commendable
Now there's a coincidence, I stumble on this video barely a day after having the Shadowdark RPG recommended to me.
One good thing, this OGL thing has the algo suggesting all sorts of channels I have never seen before
HUGE amount of respect for you and everything you're working towards!
secondeded
All best from Over Here
You are an absolute champion! What an amazing positive attitude when facing adversity.
I'm now supporting all the entrepreneurial creators I can find. I just stumbled upon your Arcane Library and subscribed. Looking forward the to update of Shadowdark and signed up for the notifications!
It's sad that in an attempt to stifle any competition Wotc, more so Hasbro, is instead going to fracture the entire community and create more competitors then they've ever had. I'm glad you in a good position to handle the shift.
It was always fractured - WotC just enjoyed the lion's share of it, but there were thousands of us playing non-D&D games like Traveller, Call of Cthulhu, Symbaroum, Numenera, FATE & Toon. Now WotC are fracturing their part, and driving innovation as the community parts like the red sea rather than catch them as they fall. They got too greedy, and are now making shamefaced retractions, but the new systems & the new licensing that Paizo, Green Ronin et al are developing, well, the ship has sailed. These new systems and the Open RPG Creative licence (ORC) are going to see the light of day now.
The optimism of this message is very refreshing. Actually makes me excited for future of the community, thanks!
Thank you! I'm excited, too. We have no way to go but forward!
I can’t wait to do an actual play of Shadowdark!
Happy to stumble across you and this video. I'll begin paying attention to Shadowdark.
I whole heartedly support the creators and it seems this is going to be a good thing for the hobby and eventually individual creators.
Best of luck to you I'll check out your RPG.
And a lot of us cut our teeth on your work. Basilisk Temple has been a launch point for homebrews, Wizards published adventures and other 3rd party works on my home and virtual table. Can't wait for Shadowdark's Kickstarter and appreciate your positive spin on an industry rattling event.
Watching this again (a year later) and, of course, everything clearly did work out well, but more importantly, this video is a Master Class in how to handle unexpected, unprovoked and unfair adversity with grace, poise, focus, self belief and a legendary work ethic. Kelsey, I don't just love your Shadowdark RPG, I also love & respect your moxy and general approach to Hard Times. Thank you.
Thank you, Todd! That means the world to me! :)
I see this as a new Renaissance of our hobby. Much creativity and love to your new venture into Shadow Dark.
Best of luck with your game, I believe it's going to be good because you've always published well written and fun adventures! Do not despair, the new OGL isn't out or set in stone yet, I bet you'll be able to safely publish content for it.
I finally got to check out the Shadowdark playtest and my socks 🧦 were knocked off!!! Can’t wait for the final book!
The one good thing about all of this is that I am learning about a lot of new small ttrpg UA-camrs
I've loved your work for quite a while now, and I can't wait to see where you go next. I'm completely on board and will be more than happy to follow you into Shadow dark
Signed up for the kickstarter and will definitely support your work.
This hit me in the gut - I literally just started publishing content.
As someone that left the brand due to the license change during 4th, and only coming back to 5th because I thought they learned their lesson... I'm pretty sure that even if they walk this back (and try to offer a crap deal that's only marginally better) I'm still done with WOTC entirely. I don't need a fancy vtt. Owlbear is good enough for me. I let my players roll real dice anyway even online.
So I'm signed up for Shadowdark and here for it. It looks super neat. I'm looking forward to finding my next 'forever' system, and if's as good as it looks to be (from what I've seen already) then you'll already have this 3rd party creator ready to roll out an entire setting and string of one-shots and adventures.
Thank you for your work on this topic. Many people have this same and shared appreciation. 😇
So many of us spent the last couple years making our own RPG stuff!
Basically just found this channel.
Really dig the adventure breakdowns
Kelsey, I have been a fan of your work for several years and will continue to support your efforts moving forward. I think I can say for a lot of us, We have your back! Can’t wait to see what you come up with next!
Thank you so much, James! This level of community support has been staggering. It means the world to me.
Kelsey! I was a player in one of your Gary Con games. I absolutely love your content and can't wait to see what Shadowdark Rpg has in store! Keep it up!
I remember that! :D Thanks so much, Nick. Grateful to have you in my corner.
Beautiful art for Shadowdark! I really hope it succeeds!
Best of luck with your new creative direction. Looking forward to checking out Shadowdark.
Just signed up for the kickstarter notifications. Looking forward to it!
I wish you luck in the coming competition out there there’s going to be a lot of innovation as everyone does something to stand out. I can’t wait to see what you come up with
Ran a bunch of your 5E stuff over the last few months and I really like it. Looking forward to the new stuff coming up and running it from you.
Thanks for the update and I for one can't wait for the kickstarter to start.
I saw it coming and started working on my own system for many years. Mine is coming soon as well. I will definitely check out yours now that I followed your FB page and know about this project.
Now that it's been a few months and there have been some updates to what WotC allows, how will this affect ShadowDark? Will you use the Creative Commons, or are you going to go off onto your own and make your own game?
I, for one, absolutely loved your 5E work, and I am so excited to see what you're going to do now that you aren't under someone else's license. I absolutely love the OSR, and I got the quickstart for SD, and I can tell you that if this isn't my primary system, I'm still going to strip it for parts. I would like to see D&D's Empire broken up into smaller kingdoms of creativity, where everyone can kind of carve out their own little niche, but still be part of the bigger whole that we all love.
Best idea would be to gather, all creators and agree on a system that may suit you all and start all of you publishing for it ... similar to dnd but not infringing on it.
This would be awesome, but it's hard to pull a group of indie-minded people together. We moved into the indie sphere because we like being our own bosses and having creative control... not saying it can't be done, but it'd be a big lift to point all indies into the same creative direction!
@@TheArcaneLibrary I mean, if it can ever happen, this is the one time it should. Everyone's getting hurt over the wotc move. make it like an open source thingy and everyone can sell add to it and everyone can add more to the world, even different systems ... like different continents/worlds, each has specifics and can be linked through a main system ... even writers might join in.
I've been waiting for months for the kickstarter release! In light of all the craziness with WotC, my family and I are 100% ready to switch to Shadow Dark exclusively! GO STING BATS!
Big business - always a force for innovation and making things better!
Signed up for the notification, and looking forward to the start of the KS.
I've tried my hand at RPG design - maybe it's time I released Valour Shield 2nd Edition ! Good luck with Shadowdark - I'll keep a lookout for it.
Taking the opportunity to spread out and learn more about other TTRPG publishers. Subbed and paying attention, thank you for your efforts
Thank you so much! Very glad to have you here! :)
Can't wait to support the kickstarter!
Whatever is happening: all your adventures are top notch and every group I've ever played them with loved them!
Love this attitude, good luck with the journey to come!
I finally got into D&D a few months ago after years of half-knowing about it. While considering DMing, I came across and fell in love with your horror bundles and ran some one-shots with my friends. Going through the beta copy of Shadowdark I am truly reminded of good old dungeon crawlers as well as rougelikes, and it makes me want to run my own campaign for the first time. I'm absolutely looking forward to the kickstarter.
The time of OGL is over
The time of the ORC is at hand!
Best of luck with your adventure on Shadowdark.
Was really worried about Shadowdark when I saw the news. Can't wait for the kickstarter!
Looking forward to the Shadowdark kickstarter!
Stumbled on this while watching a number of vids about what Wizards is doing with the OGL. As someone who has played for nearly 46 years, I caution you about the whole "make my own system" route. You will be far from alone. The market will quickly glut with offerings and those whose products succeed (meaning, actually making anything resembling profit) will be rare. Much the same happened in the early days as numerous 'alternatives' were published to compete with TSR. Few survived more than a year, and the number that are still in print today can be counted on one hand. There are already a slew of D&D competitors with enough time on the market to prove themselves viable, and loyal customers that will be shy about trying anything new to make your task Herculean. Add in everything else that will come out within the next year to 18 months and your odds of success are minuscule. I'm not saying don't try. Just have alternate plans for income because the survivors will be few, and disappointment could be very real. Good luck, but be realistic.
Thank you for your caution. This is exactly what people told me about becoming a 5E publisher. I'm glad I took their advice into account but decided to do what I was planning anyway! I wouldn't be a highly successful (former) 5E publisher in an absolutely saturated market if I had waited or held back due to fear.
@@TheArcaneLibrary The difference from then to now will be how the new OGL could impact you in a sideways manner. Wizards has the deep pockets for legal coverage that can (and probably will) get super nit-picky. Again, not saying don't. Just cautioning for an abundance of CYA.
@@paulfelix5849 Yes, it's true. I will have to be really dang careful about how to proceed. There's a strong chance WotC will get nit-picky to try to scare off any dissenters!
I'm very excited for you and for Shadowdark. I'll be watching and rooting for you.
Really dig the artstyle of Shadowdark and a return to more of the OSR style dungeon delving rule systems!
Kudos on getting the book done! Looking for forward to the KickStarter
I feel very fortunate that my own product is still early enough in development that I can easily pivot away from all things WotC, D&D, and OGL. Your idea of creating your own version of an open gaming license is terrific! Fingers crossed, and from one game developer to another, I wish you the best of luck.
I didn't realize you were so close to finishing Shadowdark. The preview looked real good, so I'm looking forward to it a lot. You have my support for sure.
Shadowdark sounds so cool I will have to check it out. DND1's ogl broke my heart 😢
Shadowdark looks like a work of art. I wonder with 'the scattering' how many games will gather little campfires around them? My group shifted from 5e to OSE last spring and have generally been experimenting with other RPGs for a couple years now
I can feel your pain... I´m about 70% done with my own material and I had to stop and make the decision to turn it on a system-agnostic book with small PDFs available online for the small amout of system-specific rules that it might need. Now, having to change a finished book, that´s gotta hurt.
It sucks SOOOO much. I'm really sorry you got hit with that. I'm trying to be like... well... at least this happened before we published? That way we have a chance to change course before it's too late.
I've been purchasing all of your work since you first released Secrets of Skyhorn Lighthouse. Cancelation of the OGL won't change that. Looking forward with anticipation to your Shadowdark Kickstarter!
Thank you so much -- I truly appreciate your support, Jason!
It was great to hear you on Between Two Cairns... I was previously unaware of your good work. I'm in! Late pledge. Woohoo!
Can't wait to see what you come up with! Exciting Times!
I'll pick up the complete pdf bundle this weekend. You're doing great work I look forward to getting a copy of Shadowdark.
I will continue supporting your work in whatever form, it is fantastic!
Looking forward for the Kickstarter!
just took the complete collection (just in case) ^^
kudos for the great work, hope the best for you
Thank you so much for your support! 🙏
I am looking forward to this. I am going to be proud to back this when it goes to Kickstarter.
Thank you so much, Richard! I hope I can continue to make you proud with it.
♥️
YOU'RE THE CREATOR OF SHADOW DARK????? I'm SO FREEKING GLAD I FOUND YOU!!! I LOVED that thing. I simply CAN'T WAIT for that thing to release!!
Also, sorry for the caps... I'm just really excited that I found you on here!
Hahahah, this made my day! I'm really glad you liked Shadowdark so much! :D
@@TheArcaneLibrary Oh, I did!! I actually started making homebrew races to use in my games almost exactly 3 minutes after reading the two previously released documents.
I REALLY like the game. It shows a lot of promise.
I'm looking forward to your Shadowdark RPG. I just came across your channel to you. Even I have considered writing my own RPG game using D&D.. but I wanted to incorporate old school rules. So Now I'm kinda scratching my head. Considering another system. Just not sure which. But maybe Tri-stat, AGE, or another one.. Good luck in your ventures from here!
Really looking forward to your Kickstarter and its going to be something I very likely back. Best of luck to you and the denizens of the dark!
Never watched your stuff until this video. Will 100% buy your shadowdark system books :)
You're awesome. I use your adventures and my group always love them. Super excited for shadow dark.
Thank you so much! :)
My opinion right now is that whatever happens, 5e is fun and will remain fun, as will all the existing third party material. If One D&D turns out to be a nightmare, I can happily vote by not supporting it and continuing to play 5e with my friends.
I understand this doesn't really help content creators though. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you and other people in your line of work.
Very true! At the end of the day, the work has to serve the community at large. I want people who want to play 6E to enjoy the heck out of it! There's a system and style for everyone. The more, the better.
This is the sensible approach! That said, One D&D is not really connected to the issues with OGL 1.1 (except for WotC business reasons which we don't care about).
It depends on whether the OGL changes will impact 5e. There is talk that it may through its compatibility.
Good on you! Signed up on your site last night.
I am looking forward to your kickstarter and will for sure be backing you. Drive on!
Of course the proposed license isn't finalized, and even if it does get issued as is will be challenged in court. But I completely understand your dilemma and other 3pp's. Good luck with your system. It's coming out at a good time.
Randomly saw your video n UA-cam. I am happy creators are making truly open content! I cannot wait to check out your system!