For those who don’t know, Hasbro now owns Dungeons & Dragons. Recently, a document was leaked from Hasbro, the “OGL 1.1”, which will revoke and retroactively limit the rights of third-party vendors to create D&D content, superseding the first OGL (Open Games License) which has been around for decades, and has allowed third-party vendors to create amazing D&D adventures and products.
I’m old enough that when I first played D&D, my very first adventure was the very first commercially available module, Palace of the Vampire Queen by Pete and Judy Kerestan, published by their imprint Wee Warriors. It was a transformative experience, one I’ll never forget. In the early days, the D&D powers that be did not believe in the viability of pre-made modules. Wee Warriors were also the first to create commercially available character sheets. That’s right, you latte-slurping, corporate jerks at Hasbro… the very CONCEPT of pre-made adventures and accessories came from third-party creators. Everything that D&D became, beyond the basic rule books, had its origins from third parties. The OLG 1.1, if it does come to pass, is a slap in the face to the history of the game itself. If it comes to pass, Hasbro won’t get a dime from me, ever again.
Inside the mind of author Michael Marano 