Licenses?

Over the next few days, expect to hear a lot about licensing regarding both Wizards of the Coast and Darrington Press, specifically regarding Daggerheart. People have read the terms, and some have some valid concerns. Wizards have a "Terms of Service" that is located on another site, which is very similar.

Daggerheart is hot right now, and there will be a lot of discussion on this as YouTube creators farm content. But there may be something here, in both cases. Keep an open mind, and while Daggerheart may be a fantastic game, it may not be so great for content creators.

We don't know much more until we get some analysis on this, so take things with a grain of salt and use your head. A lot of this will be clickbait. Some nuggets will be the truth. People will jump in to defend. Others will go on the attack for their own reasons, using this as proof the entire game sucks.

Use your head. Let your morals and sense of right guide you. You can thoroughly enjoy the game, but also ask them to improve and point out some parts that aren't right.

But be fair and try not to get swept up into "side-isms."

This is why I chose Black Flag Roleplaying and Tales of the Valiant. They don't claim any creation of yours or the community is theirs. They created a framework and a license that allow them, as well as third-party creators, to keep their business open and free from entanglements with Wall Street companies. No one can threaten them again, or those who publish under that license. In five to ten years, who will own some of these games? What will the next CEO be like? I'm not going to bet on that, given the track record of the last few years, which we've experienced (and are still experiencing, in some cases).

I support Open 5E, and I can safely ignore every clickbait and outrage video that appears in my recommended list. I am immunized. But I feel for those in the community who are still in that trap.

I supported the OGL creators in the community.

I watched the community, one by one, drop the OGL and walk away. Some still can't walk away. I feel for them, having to stick to the OGL and live in fear.

I support Black Flag and the Open 5E effort. This is our best opportunity to keep 5E free for future generations and those who still enjoy the game today. This also puts food on the table for so many small and indie creators. If a publisher supports their creative community and invites them to the table, then they have my support.

While Pathfinder is not for me, I support Paizo, too, since they were in the same boat and walked away. They made their own license. They deserve support and respect.

If you want a better hobby, start by making informed choices. Informed is the key word here, because there is not always the best information out there.