The OGL and other STDs and you!

I am of the opinion that I do want to acknowledge the true authors and artists of the D&D game, and I want to point out that I am a hobbyist gamer who loves to kit-bash rules and make the game my own, but by sharing the kit-bashed stuff on the internet, someone might force me to take it down or worse: try to get blood out of a stone and actually sue me for money. In either case, I'm afraid that if I don't post the following crap, I'll be sitting my ass in a trebuchet sling. But on the other hand, I'm afraid that if I DO post this crap, I'll be cutting the rope that stays the sling every time I post something game-related. 

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer, but I'm going to post something here in a half-assed attempt to cover sling my ass. Maybe I'd be better off wadding it up and stuffing it in my mouth or my ass, since I talk out of that orifice a lot.
This post, is no exception, but the fine print is actual, the Fool's Errand stuff is meant to be light-hearted and sarcastic, yet true.

OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a

The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc ("Wizards"). All Rights Reserved.

1. Definitions: (a)"Contributors" means the copyright and/or trademark owners who have contributed Open Game Content; (b)"Derivative Material" means copyrighted material including derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation, modification, correction, addition,

extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) "Distribute" means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d)"Open Game Content" means the game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content does not embody the Product Identity and is an enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work covered by this License, including translations and derivative works under copyright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity. (e) "Product Identity" means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f) "Trademark" means the logos, names, mark, sign, motto, designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or its products or the associated products contributed to the Open Game License by the Contributor (g) "Use", "Used" or "Using" means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h) "You" or "Your" means the licensee in terms of this agreement.

2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from this License except as described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions may be applied to any Open Game Content distributed using this License.

3.Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your acceptance of the terms of this License.

4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content.

5.Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original material as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are Your original creation and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this License.

6.Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder's name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you Distribute.

7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity.

8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content.

9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License.

10. Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute.

11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do so.

12 Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected.

13 Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License.

14 Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable.

15 COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

"Fool's Errand Enterprises is copyright 2015, Robert G. Weber. Levels Beyond Basic house rules, Hordes & Hoards house rules, and Lair of the Marrowbeast titles are copyright 2015, and are trademarks of Fool's Errand Enterprises, but the original works of Dungeons & Dragons, 'Holmes'' Basic D&D, Advanced D&D, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master's Guide, Player's Handbook, et. al. found in these hacked titles remain the properties of the original authors and artists; no copyright infringements were intended, besides the hacks to make these house rules and campaign settings, adventures, scenarios and/or modules. Fool's Errand Enterprises trademarks acknowledge that we are standing on the shoulders of giants because none of this is terribly original anyway at http://primereq.blogspot.com/, with posted links to hacked rules and scenarios."

Should I be putting this blurb on the PDFs I make and post here and other places, or should I just let a sleeping giant un-prodded?

The Lair of the Marrowbeast, Part One

During the recent illness, I got a wild hair, and followed up on it. It started out with a simple map sketch of the dungeon located within the cliffs at Dockside, Portown. There isn't an exact location picked yet, just a general location, but that's good enough to get it off the ground and flying.

That's the first rule in gonzo Holmes D&D: Learn to fly before you walk, or run. That may be the only rule... Hrmmm.

The result is a 7 page 10 locale dungeon worthy of uploading. Well, my sole criteria for worthiness is simply that I finished it. I dunno if its any good, but I finished it, with a caveat that there may be more, once I find another angle to present the "Marrowbeast of Portown". I may have wrapped things up a bit too neatly in Part One, and that's just fine for me and for other refs who don't like to rely on 2 or 3 parters. Wrap it up and move on, I like that too. Pulp novels with famous characters did that a lot. That could be why I'm such a fan of the short story format, and I think more dungeons could benefit from that philosophy.

Of course, these ten rooms aren't going to offer enough XP by way of monsters or treasure to level up even a first level thief, (well, maybe...) but that's not the point. The point is to enjoy the setting, implied or spoon-fed, its in here, it's pulpy, it's sloppy, and it's incomplete, which calls for at least "Part Two"....

Campaign Journal: The Exploration of the Djangorün Depths: Part Eight through Part Ten is uploaded!

Part Eight through Ten is uploaded at Dragonsfoot, at this link:
http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=65248&p=1674997#p1674991

...and I hope that link works. These last three installments wraps up what I've written for the Djangorün Depths, unfortunately. Part Ten is the denouement and prologue for the next chapter in our intrepid campaigners' adventures.

Truth be told, I hadn't written more than this, or even speculated what the elements of a supposed next chapter be; I had a simple idea in mind about the Druids in my world, and I wanted to exposition them at some point. The idea isn't all mine, as it came from many phone conversations with Katkin Kalvin concerning druids in 0e and 1e, among a lot of other 0e and 1e things we talk about once a month or so.

Now that I've exhausted all that I've written so far concerning this tale, I can concentrate on where to go next, or possibly focus on Rindo Rissun's exploits in the Djangorün Depths, but, as glory hungry as this NPC is, I'm actually surprised he didn't hire a Bard to tell his tale.

Campaign Journal: The Exploration of the Djangorün Depths Part Seven

I finally posted the next instalment of my intrepid party's foray into the Djangorun Depths over at Dragonsfoot. Here's the url: http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=65248&p=1669595#p1669595

I think I may have promised to post another new monster here, but I find my time is running short today, and I have a doozy of a Non-Standard Dragon post scheduled for later on this week or early next, so that'll have to wait.
Stay tooned! ;)