Posted in: Games, Paizo, Role Playing Games, Tabletop | Tagged: Paizo, pathfinder, Starfinder, Tabletop, TTRPG

Paizo Announces New Open RPG Creative License

In response to the changes to D&D's upcoming OGL changes, the Pathfinder and Starfinder publisher Paizo is launching an ORC.

Paizo made a brief announcement this afternoon declaring that they will be launching an Open RPG Creative License (ORC). The company sent out a quick statement today letting players know that the new system will be built "agnostic for independent game publishers" as they sought legal guidance from Azora Law, which is an intellectual property law firm representing the company and several other game publishers in this endeavor. This is not simply a single-company push, as they have apparently worked with multiple publishers who have collectively signed on to aid in this new historic effort. The goal of this is for everyone to collectively take part in a new and truly open license. This one is specifically designed to allow all game systems under it to "provide their own unique open rules reference documents that open up their individual game systems to the world."

The move comes in response to Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast's move to launch a new Open Game License for Dungeons & Dragons when they launch One D&D in 2024. While their license has not been fully released or applied to the game yet, a leaked version came out and was quickly examined by multiple outlets. The short version, based on what's been gleaned, is that any third-party content from any creator or publisher is subject to paying the company royalties for using their system as a base for any content, and gives WotC full rights to use your works and even publish it on their own without your consent. The move has sent the playerbase into a frenzy on social media, with people going so far as to announce they will no longer be playing D&D or participating in its community, and have even canceled their D&D Beyond subscriptions in response.

Paizo, who used Dungeons & Dragons' original OGL to create Pathfinder from D&D 3.5, understands the importance of having an open license on the market to help make new content for the future. And we're sure, aside from seeing the need for it in response to the coming changes, also see there's now a greater potential to bring in new fans to Pathfinder and Starfinder who may be turned off by the changes to come. Will this change affect what Hasbro and WotC do with their OGL moving forward? Time will tell in the weeks and months to come. But regardless, there's now a new system on the way to replace whatever they're working on that practically defies everything about the new license.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!