That makes sense with the licensing plan WotC seems to have. It might also be good to note, that it looks like the GSL will allow you to put out something like power cards -with- your own campaign material, as long as the cards are for powers you’ve created for your campaign. From section 3: “…and accessory products to the foregoing roleplaying games and roleplaying game supplements that are not otherwise listed as excluded in Section 5.5” As cards are not excluded, they would seem to be fair game. Except for Section 2 that could end up screwing you out of R&D; time and production costs if WotC decides to add them to the exclusion list later.

In fact, if Wizard’s is putting out their own card set, it would make sense for other publishers to include their material this way in order for play to work well between multiple campaign worlds and the core rules.

–Rhalin

Repackaging material from the PHB in a verbatim format (i.e. power cards) doesn’t really fall under that category.

Well, last example I saw of a forth coming version of this sort of aide, coming from WotC, was that they were perforated cards that we’d fill out ourselves; you know, like index cards we can buy, anyhow….

….I think the GSL is gonna cost us a lot of fun tools and aides that we’ve become acustom to.

This was a brilliant idea. It’s unfortunate that the GSL is incredibly restrictive. Something like this would have been great considering the shortcomings of the PHB that you mentioned in another post. I remember reading the class chapter and starting to space out after a few pages of powers… While I’m unhappy with the GSL, I think most of us knew that it was going to be what it eventually turned out to be. Personally, I think it’s a shame that game content has to be tied to rules anyhow. It would be great if we could get some good stories / worlds /adventures published that were just the background, flavor, and events with the rules and game mechanics published separately as supplements, or similar to your idea, in card form. Rules are a great framework, but I think role-playing has gotten a bit lost in them. I think the GSL will only further fracture the existing D20 and OGL content, causing hours of conversion of rules for people who want to play older content. I mean, look at the pile of content from ADnD 2nd edition that is just sitting there in IP land. There may be legal reasons that WotC is not doing anything with it that I don’t know about, but if not, then it is just rotting on the shelves. My group was constantly playing 2nd edition Planescape and Forgotten Realms material in 3 and 3.5, and it was great fun. I’m running short on time, but I think I’ve at least brushed on my point. RPGs needs to become more concerned with the story and the game than with rules and mechanics, and I think while 4th edition is a neat game itself, it may be a step in the wrong direction, especially considering the restrictiveness of the GSL.

-Rhalin

Can’t imagine why they wouldn’t want you to be releasing something that not only competes but DUPLICATES what they’re doing.