Create. Explore. Play. BRP’s Universal Game Engine is available royalty-free for personal and commercial use under the ORC license.

[g33k]

On 4/9/2023 at 10:20 AM, Nakana said:

Perhaps this is premature as the ORC isn't finalized but my question: 

How compatible does a product have to be with BRP in order to be released under ORC and still use the "Powered by BRP" logo? 

For example, if I want to release a game and use the Major Wounds option as it is in BRP, but the rest of the game uses another underlying system released under ORC (say Pathfinder's d20 system) how would that work? 

If the fundamental game-mechanical engine underlying the system is Pathfinder's ORC-version (and note -- we fully expect this, but it doesn't yet exist in any public draft, that I have heard), I would follow Paizo's guidance.  If you use Chaosium's "Major Wounds" mechanics, I'd cite them... but not put the BRP-ORC logo onto the book, as it has only the damage-subsystem, not the core mechanics; it's not a "BRP" game.
 

 

[hix]

28 minutes ago, g33k said:

 it doesn't yet exist in any public draft, that I have heard)

https://downloads.paizo.com/ORC_License_DRAFT.pdf
Just dropped a few days ago apparently.

[g33k]

1 hour ago, hix said:

https://downloads.paizo.com/ORC_License_DRAFT.pdf
Just dropped a few days ago apparently.

Pardon my lack of clarity; yes, the ORC-license itself exists as a draft...
but only BRP (afaik) has game-rules available, as a draft available for use.

 

[MOB]

Watch episode two of Pixel Circus's "Salt and Serpent" BRP actual play on YouTube

Salt and Serpent has set sail with Chaosium's Basic Roleplaying Universal Game Engine!

Salt & Serpent is a swashbuckling tale of rainbow romance and revenge. In the second episode, "Ex Marks the Spot", the crew tracks their missing captain to port and has a run in with some old flames. Featuring special guest Lexi McQueen.

With the Pixel Circus crew Saige Ryan, Kailey Bray, Surena Marie, Rowan Hall, and Aabria Iyengar.

Salt & Serpent premieres on Twitch, Sundays at 6pm PT and on Youtube, Wednesdays at 10am PT.

Watch episode two here:

The following code can be used for 10% off store-wide on Chaosium.com, once per customer:

SALTSERPENT

[Raunen]

I'm just grateful that BRP is now released under the ORC license. The best thing about this new edition is that we are now free to create and publish our own worlds and scenarios. Basic Roleplaying is one of the most classic yet fictionally immersive rule sets of all time. For a content creator like me, it's a dream come true!

Edited April 14, 2023 by Raunen

[MOB]

Salt and Serpent Episode 3 is live now on Youtube - BRP actual play

And now 'Devil's Bargain', part three of Salt and Serpent, the rollicking BRP actual play by our friends at Pixel Circus, is out on YouTube!

In this episode of our swashbuckling tale of rainbow romance and revenge, the crew takes the plunge into dangerous waters, and an old enemy makes an offer. 

With the Pixel Circus crew Saige Ryan, Kailey Bray, Surena Marie, Rowan Hall, and Aabria Iyengar.

Salt & Serpent premieres on Twitch, Sundays at 6pm PT and on Youtube, Wednesdays at 10am PT.

Salt and Serpent uses the Basic Roleplaying Universal Game Engine, Chaosium's system of core rules for tabletop roleplaying. Whether you’re a seasoned roleplaying veteran or new to the hobby, Basic Roleplaying has everything you need for years of entertainment! 

The following code can be used for 10% off store-wide on Chaosium.com, once per customer:

SALTSERPENT

[BRP Investigator]

My first post here… I just have a few questions regarding this. Sorry if it’s already been discussed or explained elsewhere in this forum.

1. If you create and sell your own game (but with the BRP engine included), do you have to share your profit with Chaosium? I couldn’t find any information about that. I’m sure it’s there.

2. If you want to create your own Lovecraftian horror game and use the BRP engine, could you do that? That’s not something I’m going to do, but I still think it’s an interesting question. I know that Lovecraft’s fiction isn’t protected by copyright anymore. Of course, you can’t just steal any stuff you like from Call of Cthulhu, but I’m more wondering how much they really own in terms of copyright. As you probably know, there are already several other Lovecraftian RPGs out there.

3. Chaosium has taken a clear stance against using AI generated images in their own products. I totaly get why. But I’m also wondering if they will allow third party creators to use AI services like Midjourney in their products. It does cut the cost significantly. I’m not looking for a discussion about this topic, just information about how Chaosium deals with it.

Edited April 21, 2023 by BRP Investigator

[Jason D]

2 hours ago, BRP Investigator said:

My first post here… I just have a few questions regarding this. Sorry if it’s already been discussed or explained elsewhere in this forum.

1. If you create and sell your own game (but with the BRP engine included), do you have to share your profit with Chaosium? I couldn’t find any information about that. I’m sure it’s there.

No, you do not need to share your profits with us. 

If instead you choose to enter a licensing agreement with us, then you would need to (or whatever arrangement we made with you). 

 

2 hours ago, BRP Investigator said:

2. If you want to create your own Lovecraftian horror game and use the BRP engine, could you do that? That’s not something I’m going to do, but I still think it’s an interesting question. I know that Lovecraft’s fiction isn’t protected by copyright anymore. Of course, you can’t just steal any stuff you like from Call of Cthulhu, but I’m more wondering how much they really own in terms of copyright. As you probably know, there are already several other Lovecraftian RPGs out there.

You are free to do so. 

Keep in mind, though, that much of what is considered "the Cthulhu Mythos" extends far beyond the public domain Lovecraft material, and incorporates the work of other authors and Chaosium's own IP, which are not public domain. This includes certain names and descriptions of creatures, classifications of the Mythos gods, names of spells, etc. 

 

2 hours ago, BRP Investigator said:

3. Chaosium has taken a clear stance against using AI generated images in their own products. I totaly get why. But I’m also wondering if they will allow third party creators to use AI services like Midjourney in their products. It does cut the cost significantly. I’m not looking for a discussion about this topic, just information about how Chaosium deals with it.

Once the BRP rules are out in the ORC, you can do with them what you want. We won't be using any AI in our works and will be discouraging our Jonstown Compendium and Miskatonic Repository contributors from using AI art and/or text, but under the ORC, there are no restrictions (unless those are in the ORC itself, and I encourage you to check for yourself). 

 

 

[MOB]

4 hours ago, BRP Investigator said:

3. Chaosium has taken a clear stance against using AI generated images in their own products. I totaly get why. But I’m also wondering if they will allow third party creators to use AI services like Midjourney in their products. It does cut the cost significantly. I’m not looking for a discussion about this topic, just information about how Chaosium deals with it.

As Jason says above, when the ORC is finalised, you can use it to do whatever you want with the BRP rules. We, Chaosium, are not involved. You do not need our permission. We do not review or approve what you create or publish. We don't take any royalties.

Our stance on AI art only applies to what we publish ourselves (this includes our community content programs at DriveThruRPG, as Chaosium is the publisher here). If you want to use AI art in something you release using the ORC that's nothing to do with us.

[g33k]

First and foremost -- welcome to BRPC & welcome to the tribe!

But then, on to business (the welcome feast will come later tonight) ...

Note the answers from @Jason D & @MOB above -- they are Chaosium, I am not!

But I wanted to address a couple of issues that they skipped...
 

4 hours ago, BRP Investigator said:

...

1. If you create and sell your own game (but with the BRP engine included), do you have to share your profit with Chaosium? I couldn’t find any information about that. I’m sure it’s there.

Note that the new "BRP:UGE" volume is the only material covered under the ORC license.

If there are rules in -- for example -- RuneQuest / Magic World / Call of Cthulhu / Etc Etc Etc that you wish to use, which are not published in the BRP:UGE book, then those BRP rules are NOT covered by the ORC license (I mention this because have seen more than one person who seemed to presume that "the entirety of all BRP games, ever," were now governed by the ORC license).

A goodly portion of those RQ/CoC rules ARE in the BRP:UGE book, of course... it's all versions of the same core mechanic, after all!

But, for example:  the "Sanity" rules in BRP:UGE are much simpler than the ones in CoC.  If you prefer something more robust than what's in BRP:UGE, you will need to write your own rules and not simply copy from CoC.

===

Revenue Sharing:

There is an entirely-separate "Community Content" program that does this, nothing to do with the ORC license.
Do not cross the streams.
Licensing terms & permitted-materials are very different between these "CC" programs (hosted on DriveThruRPG) vs. the ORC.

Chaosium "Community Content" programs are hosted on DTRPG for RuneQuest & Call of Cthulhu:  the Jonstown Compendium for RQ and Miskatonic Repository for CoC.  Chaosium provides a bunch of free resources (document templates, stock art, Ambassadors to help new creators, etc).  Revenue from these publications goes 50% to the creator (which is an incredibly-high margin for creatives!), with Chaosium+DTRPG splitting the other 50%.

There may (at some indefinite point in the future) be a similar "Community Content" program for (non-RQ / non-Coc) BRP games on DTRPG, similar to the ones in place now; I expect the material provided to support these "CC" creators will be similarly restricted from the ORC.  Chaosium has stated that a BRP-CC program at DTRPG is under consideration.  I suspect they are waiting to see how the market treats the new BRP:UGE book, and what sorts of things people do with it.

[BRP Investigator]

Thanks for very informative answers! 
However, I do have an additional question: if I create my own stuff based on the ORC, can I promote it by saying it’s compatible with Call of Cthulhu or RuneQuest? 

[Nick Brooke]

1 hour ago, BRP Investigator said:

Thanks for very informative answers! 
However, I do have an additional question: if I create my own stuff based on the ORC, can I promote it by saying it’s compatible with Call of Cthulhu or RuneQuest? 

I doubt it. Because it won’t be, and those are Chaosium’s trademarks.

[MOB]

9 hours ago, BRP Investigator said:

Thanks for very informative answers! 
However, I do have an additional question: if I create my own stuff based on the ORC, can I promote it by saying it’s compatible with Call of Cthulhu or RuneQuest? 

For a definitive answer on such questions we'll need to wait until the final version of the ORC is out. People also want to know what they can say asserting compatibility with Pathfinder, D&D etc.

[g33k]

18 hours ago, BRP Investigator said:

Thanks for very informative answers! 
However, I do have an additional question: if I create my own stuff based on the ORC, can I promote it by saying it’s compatible with Call of Cthulhu or RuneQuest? 

Honestly:  if you want to make a CoC adventure, or campaign, or sourcebook/supplement... I'd go with the Miskatonic Repository on DTRPG.
Similarly for RQ & the Jonstown Compendium.

You don't get 100% ownership/etc, but the advantages of those programs are IMHO (more than!) worth the %revenues that DTRPG & Chaosium get.

Each of those RPG's have specific names & subsystems -- product identity -- which are not covered under the ORC.  No ORC'ish Runes -- nor ORC'ish Tusk-Riders, nor etc -- for an ORC-licensed RuneQuest supplement, and similarly for CoC.

 

Edited April 24, 2023 by g33k
RR - Redundancy Removal

[BRP Investigator]

4 hours ago, g33k said:

Honestly:  if you want to make a CoC adventure, or campaign, or sourcebook/supplement... I'd go with the Miskatonic Repository on DTRPG.
Similarly for RQ & the Jonstown Compendium.

You don't get 100% ownership/etc, but I think the advantages of those programs are IMHO (more than!) worth the %revenues that DTRPG & Chaosium get.

Each of those RPG's have specific names & subsystems -- product identity -- which are not covered under the ORC.  No ORC'ish Runes -- nor ORC'ish Tusk-Riders, nor etc -- for an ORC-licensed RuneQuest supplement, and similarly for CoC.

 

That is also a possibility that I’ll consider. I might actually write both ORC stuff and  something for the Miskatonic Repository. However, I do want my own approach even if I write something that’s specific for CoC. Are there strict guidelines for how the text should be written? I mean how you structure a mystery, what kind of images you can use (open access photos, AI images), and if you’re restricted by a detailed canon (events in other scenarios, well known NPCs, exactly how Arkham is described etc.).

Another aspect of all this is that I’m kind of both indie and OSR in how I view RPGs. That also change how I do things, even though I’m not rigid about how an RPG supplement should be structured.

Edited April 24, 2023 by BRP Investigator

[Nick Brooke]

1 hour ago, BRP Investigator said:

That is also a possibility that I’ll consider. I might actually write both ORC stuff and  something for the Miskatonic Repository. However, I do want my own approach even if I write something that’s specific for CoC. Is there strict guidelines for how the text should be written? I mean how you structure a mystery, what kind of images you can use (open access photos, AI images), and if you’re restricted by a detailed canon (events in other scenarios, well known NPCs, exactly how Arkham is described etc.).

Here’s the Miskatonic FAQ (which links to the Guidelines and Additional Guidelines, which are where you should start). How you write and structure your stuff is up to you, but the CoC style guide on Chaosium’s website is sensible, and if you can take Paul Fricker’s Write Your First Adventure course c/o the Storytelling Collective that’ll get you off to a great start. No AI images, no AI text, no cultists as protagonists (our player characters are Investigators, not murderous lunatics). There are no canon restrictions: you can reference or contradict Chaosium’s/HPL’s version of Arkham, or characters, events, artifacts, lore, tomes, locations, etc. from our books — or not — as you see fit. This isn’t a tightly restricted programme, it’s nothing like the DMs Guild’s Dungeoncraft.

Edited April 24, 2023 by Nick Brooke

[Greg]

I have a few questions as well:

1. Will there be someone specifically at Chaosium we can ask what is permitted once the ORC is "live?"
2. Can I alter some BRP mechanics such as reducing damage modifiers (i.e. -1D4, -1D2, None, +1D2, +1D4...) and removing a success level (i.e. Special > Success > Failure > Fumble)
3. I would like to split skills into Basic and Expert ala Mythras and Rivers of London. Can I do this irrespective of any license given that multiple systems do this? (Same question for "pushing" a roll - CoC 7e does this, but so do many other systems).
4. If I alter the system with relatively minor tweaks as 2 & 3 above, is it still "BRP Compatible?"

My main confusion is how ORC will function - it seems to fall in between the Design Mechanism's Mythras Gateway License and the OGL.

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

[g33k]

2 hours ago, Greg said:

... My main confusion is how ORC will function - it seems to fall in between the Design Mechanism's Mythras Gateway License and the OGL. ...

Gonna pick this one out to highlight 1st:  there is no ORC license (yet).  There is a draft, with both public feedback solicited, but also (and I expect more significantly) feedback from Paizo's "early partner" publishers in the ORC process; and maybe even the later-adopter publishers (afaik, we don't know).

We have no real insight into that feedback, nor how substantive the changes will be from recently-released draft to final license.

All that being said...  

2 hours ago, Greg said:

 

Can I alter some BRP mechanics such as reducing damage modifiers (i.e. -1D4, -1D2, None, +1D2, +1D4...) and removing a success level (i.e. Special > Success > Failure > Fumble)

I would like to split skills into Basic and Expert ala Mythras and Rivers of London. Can I do this irrespective of any license given that multiple systems do this? (Same question for "pushing" a roll - CoC 7e does this, but so do many other systems).

If I alter the system with relatively minor tweaks as 2 & 3 above, is it still "BRP Compatible?"

Chaosium has stated that you can do whatever you want(*).  The changes you mention look largely within that scope!  😉

I don't know that the ORC license will make it an explicit "no-no," but I presume that if you steal someone else's Intellectual Property (e.g. try to publish a BRP-ORC driven "World of Warcraft" or the like), you will -- at the least -- get a cease-and-desist notice!

Note that (notwithstanding ORC license for BRP-UGE) the various Chaosium IP's and licenses (Call of Cthulhu, RuneQuest, Rivers of London, etc) are separate products NOT covered under the ORC license, and NOT available for us to use in our ORC-BRP-engined games.

Edited April 24, 2023 by g33k
(*) If what you want is a career in k-pop, publishing under the ORC license would seem an odd choice; but it wouldn't be prohibited.

[Paul StJohn Mackintosh]

I was looking for a system to create a full-length version of my classic detection mini-game Sleuths of the Golden Age. I'm going to go ahead with the BRP-UGE as the platform.

[MOB]

7 hours ago, Greg said:

I have a few questions as well:

1. Will there be someone specifically at Chaosium we can ask what is permitted once the ORC is "live?"
2. Can I alter some BRP mechanics such as reducing damage modifiers (i.e. -1D4, -1D2, None, +1D2, +1D4...) and removing a success level (i.e. Special > Success > Failure > Fumble)
3. I would like to split skills into Basic and Expert ala Mythras and Rivers of London. Can I do this irrespective of any license given that multiple systems do this? (Same question for "pushing" a roll - CoC 7e does this, but so do many other systems).
4. If I alter the system with relatively minor tweaks as 2 & 3 above, is it still "BRP Compatible?"

Yes to all those questions. Regarding Q1, you are welcome to ask Chaosium for advice about using the ORC, but you don't have to get Chaosium's permission. 

[Greg]

I am still thinking of the BRP-OGL which was summed up as "Just don’t try to create a retroclone of Call of Cthulhu, RuneQuest, Pendragon, or other Chaosium games." My understanding of the ORC from the comments so far is that I could indeed use the text of the BRP:UGE, add mechanics such as bonus dice and pushed rolls as long as I use my own wording. Not saying that I intend to do this - but I could then, indeed, create a game that is darn near a clone of CoC.

What I would like to do is create a game that has the base rules of BRP with a few modifications (such as revising the damage modifier), some selected optional BRP rules to be understood as base rules (such as the EDU characteristic), and some other mechanics (such as pushing a roll); all formatted in A5 size!

My quest to understand the legalities is only to know whether or not I can share this with others.

Edited April 26, 2023 by Greg
clarification

[Atgxtg]

2 hours ago, Greg said:

I am still thinking of the BRP-OGL which was summed up as "Just don’t try to create a retroclone of Call of Cthulhu, RuneQuest, Pendragon, or other Chaosium games." My understanding of the ORC from the comments so far is that I could indeed use the text of the BRP:UGE, add mechanics such as bonus dice and pushed rolls as long as I use my own wording. Not saying that I intend to do this - but I could then, indeed, create a game that is darn near a clone of CoC.

The hurdle with making a clone of  CoC, RQ,  or other Chaosium games is that they are all separate IPs from the game mechanics, and would require some sort of deal with whoever owns that particular IP. For things that are in Public Domain, such as King Arthur, you could drawn on the same sources (Le Morte d'Arthur, etc.) to make an Arthurian RPG, but a lot of what makes up Pendragon isn't in BRP, and iof challenged you would have to justify why you made all the same design choices for you game that Greg (or the current authors) made with Pendragon. The same with any other clone.

Not that you are planning on doing so. 

2 hours ago, Greg said:

What I would like to do is create a game that has the base rules of BRP with a few modifications (such as revising the damage modifier), some selected optional BRP rules to be understood as base rules (such as the EDU characteristic), and some other mechanics (such as pushing a roll); all formatted in A5 size!

My quest to understand the legalities is only to know whether or not I can share this with others.

I hope so, since otherwise the OGL would be pointless. I mean just about anybody who wants to make their own BRP game is going to want to tweak something about it. 

[trechriron]

It is strange however that we are including the license in the name of the game. There are SRDs out there where they refer to OGC (Open Gaming Content) derived from the OGL (Open Gaming License) -- but most don't include a license in the name.

We don't refer to Pathfinder 2e as PF2E OGL, or D&D as D&D OGL. We do define open content derived from the 5.1 SRD, even then it's not referred to as 5.1 SRD OGL. I also have never seen a game title like Cool Game CC. 😄 

I like the acronym introduced here previously. BRP:UGE = Basic Role Playing: Universal Game Engine. The fact that it's released under an open license is no different than the other games released under an open license. BRP:BGB or just BGB (Big Gold Book) was the previous edition. BRP:UGE is the cleaned up new hotness.

Then we don't have to legitimize anything dealing with Orc Burps. Do we really want people thinking Orc Burps when picking up the game? 😛 😮 🤓

[David Scott]

14 hours ago, trechriron said:

It is strange however that we are including the license in the name of the game.

Fortunately the cover clearly says:

and doesn't even mention ORC. It's just the latest edition of BRP to me.

[Jeff]

3 hours ago, David Scott said:

Fortunately the cover clearly says:

and doesn't even mention ORC. It's just the latest edition of BRP to me.

Yep. It is the BRP Universal Game Engine. Says so right on the cover.