New Issaries, Inc. policy? from Nick Brooke on 2004-12-17 (Immoderate Glorantha Quest)

From: Nick Brooke <Nick_at_jZyYgSYY2NbTJdGfs9u5oDfclOzEUKRe5WQE7-t3obIbSBnO8k7MZPqoNjSSS7-62Bkvjl8>
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 2004 21:48:34 -0000

Let's cut out the middle-man, eh?

REGARDING TRADEMARKED AND COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL USED ON-LINE Issaries, Inc. is an active member of the on-line gaming community. Since Day One, Gloranthan products and artwork have been developed by creative people employed or hired by Issaries, Inc. This has resulted in the creation of an extensive line of products, identities, names, rules, game mechanics, logos, and standards of quality, to name a few. The gaming products, works-in-progress, and publications are designed to encourage resourcefulness and creativity in play. All of these created properties are owned by Issaries, Inc. through national trademarks and copyrights which protect their publication - electronically or published on paper. When they are published by anyone other than Issaries, Inc. or their licensees, this publication becomes an infringement to Issaries' trademarks and copyrights.

However, the gamers, designers, writers, artists, and editors who work for Issaries, Inc. do not wish to inhibit role playing game play.

SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR CONTINUED PLAY: WHEN USING ISSARIES' PROPERTIES: You can create material using the HeroQuest game mechanics, etc. and submit that material to glorantha.com. You can download anything -- graphics, games, etc. -- appearing on glorantha.com for your personal use. Currently, any other distribution to the general public - in paper form or on the net - of HeroQuest adventures, other Gloranthan materials and game mechanics, or copyrighted materials is considered unauthorized. However, you CAN freely distribute or publish "generic" novels, stories, game mechanics, etc. Read on.

HOW TO CREATE GENERIC MATERIAL - SOME TIPS: Don't specifically use HeroQuest statistics. Be creative. If you want a hero to encounter a stupid but strong opponent, let the narrator determine the opponent's actual stats for the game system used by that narrator. If the party encounters a hydra, let the narrator look up the stats for the hydra in the game system he is using.

Don't set your adventures in Glorantha. Create your own or use one from history or legend. For example, you could set your adventure in Atlantis or TSR's Forgotten Realms, but not in Greg Stafford's world of Glorantha.

Don't use monsters, spells, etc. that were created by Issaries, Inc. Create and name your own. Draw on history, legend or reality - even spell their actual names backward for uniqueness.

Or, if a monster or spell is used in several different game systems, this is a good indication that it is not owned by Issaries, Inc. For example, trolls were created by Greg Stafford, but a hydra is a known legendary monster and is public domain.

You really can get going creatively when you invent your own, unique, game mechanics ... worlds, monsters, etc. And you are free to publish anywhere when you specifically do not rely on the HeroQuest game mechanics or other material from Issaries, Inc.

With our on-line feedback form on glorantha.com, we'd like to hear from you about games, graphics, audio, and other material you'd like to download for your own gaming. Please let us know. We plan to be electronically publishing a lot of great things in the future for your gaming use.

(No, of course I'm not serious!)