D20 System

The title of this article is incorrect because of technical limitations. The correct title is d20 System.

d20 is also a kind of die.

The d20 System logo

The d20 System is a system of game mechanics for role-playing games published in 2000 by Wizards of the Coast and based on the third edition of Dungeons & Dragons. The system is named after the 20-sided die which is central to the core mechanics of the system.

Much of the d20 System was released as the System Reference Document (SRD)[1] (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/srd35) under the Open Game License (OGL) as open gaming content, which allows commercial and non-commercial publishers to release modifications or supplements to the system without paying for the use of the system's associated intellectual property, which is owned by Wizards of the Coast.

The original impetus for the open licensing of the d20 system was the economics of producing role-playing games. Game supplements suffered far more diminished sales over time than the core books required to play the game. Ryan Dancey, Dungeons and Dragons brand manager, directed the effort of licensing the new edition of Dungeons and Dragons through the d20 trademark, allowing other companies to support the d20 system under a common brand identity. This is distinct from the Open Game License, which simply allows any party to produce works composed or derivative of designated Open Game Content.

Theoretically this would spread the cost of supplementing the game and would increase sales of the core books, which could only be published by Wizards of the Coast under the Dungeons and Dragons and d20 trademarks (to this end, the SRD does not include rules for character creation and advancement). The marketing theory behind the d20 System and its associated licenses is network externalities;support for the core rules would become an external expense rather than one incurred by Wizards of the Coast, but would promote the sales of the company's core rulebooks.

Contents

Mechanics

Mechanically speaking, the d20 system is similar to older, proprietary game systems such as the d10-based Interlock system used by semi-defunct publisher R. Talsorian Games, and d20 System designer Jonathan Tweet credits his work on Ars Magica as one of the inspirations for the system. The basic mechanics involve adding a skill modifier to an ability modifier and rolling a die to compare to a target number (called a Difficulty Class).

The d20 System is not the first system attempting to be universal (supporting all kinds of game settings), but it is one of the most popular. GURPS from Steve Jackson Games had been the most popular universal role-playing system since its creation in 1986.

The rules for the d20 System are defined in the SRD (currently version 3.5), which may be copied freely or even sold (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/srdfaq/20040123c). The SRD is essentially made up of material from the Dungeons & Dragons books Player's Handbook v3.5, Dungeon Master's Guide v3.5, Monster Manual v3.5, Deities and Demigods (3rd edition version), Epic Level Handbook, and Expanded Psionics Handbook. Information from these books not in the SRD include detailed descriptions, flavour-text, and material Wizards of the Coast considers product identity (such as references to the Greyhawk campaign setting and information on mind flayers). d20 Modern has its own SRD, which includes material from the d20 Modern Roleplaying Game, Urban Arcana Campaign Setting, the d20 Menace Manual, and d20 Future.

d20 License

Because Dungeons and Dragons is the most popular role-playing game in the world, many third party publishers produce products designed to be compatible with that game and its cousin, d20 Modern. Wizards of the Coast provides a separate license allowing publishers to use some of its trademarked terms and a distinctive logo to help consumers identify these products. This is known as the d20 System License. The d20 System License (D20STL) requires publishers to exclude character creation and advancement rules, apply certain notices and adhere to an acceptable content policy. Games that only use the OGL are not bound by these restrictions, and several have included character creation and advancement rules, allowing them to be used as standalone products. D20STL products require a core book from Wizards of the Coast and must clearly state this. As the D20STL has changed, some companies have chosen to use the OGL by itself. All D20STL products must also use the OGL to make use of d20 open content, but publishers may use the OGL without using the D20STL.

For a long time D20 System products using one or both licenses took a significant market share of the role-playing games industry. They have especially promoted the rise of electronic publishing, since small companies can tap the huge market potential of Dungeons and Dragons at no cost to themselves. D20 product sales are currently in flux, however.

Criticism

Unlike the OGL, the d20 license is revocable and is controlled by WotC. For critics this gives too much control of the open gaming movement, which is widely considered to be synonymous with the d20 System, to a private company. WotC has the ability to alter the d20 license at will and gives a short, 30 day "cure period" to rectify any issues with the license before termination. These changes apply retroactively to all material published under the d20 system license.

When gaming company The Valar Project attempted to publish the d20 Book of Erotic Fantasy, which contained adult content. WotC altered the d20 license in advance of publication of the Book of Erotic Fantasy, by adding a "quality standards" provision that required publishers comply with "community standards of decency." This subsequently prevented its publication under the d20 license [2] (http://www.gamingreport.com/article.php?sid=10243&mode=thread). WotC claimed this was done to protect its d20 trademark, but critics claimed that it was censorship. The Book of Erotic Fantasy was subsequently published without the d20 trademark under the OGL.

Criticism is also levied at the conditions for termination of the d20 license through a breach of its terms. The d20 license requires that, upon breach of the terms of the d20 license which includes any subsequent modifications of the d20 license after publication of a work using the d20 trademark, all inventory and marketing material must be destroyed. Adhering to the breach conditions an onerous task for smaller game companies.

History

Shortly after the publication of the d20 license and OGL, d20 publications began to proliferate. Many new companies were started exclusively to publish d20 content. This was a profitable niche for some established companies, revitalized others, and inspired the creation of new d20-only RPG production houses.

Sales of role-playing games had already been in decline, and the popularity of the d20 system motivated companies to refocus on those products at the expense of their own games. Some companies (notably Alderac Entertainment, with 7th Sea and Legend of the Five Rings experimented with d20 versions of existing creative properties.

The d20 system jump-started the fledgling PDF role-playing publishing industry. Since many of the d20 publishers were small, amateur companies started by fans, publishing as PDF offered a cheap and easy way of getting published, without the minimum returns required by professional ventures. Some of these companies became profitable and even broke through into offset print (as opposed to print on demand) runs.

While various manifestations of the d20 system still compose the single largest marketshare in roleplaying games, various sources (including Kenneth Hite and Game Trade Magazine) report an overall decline in RPG sales that can be at least partially attributed to declining d20 game sales. An overcrowded market is usually blamed, since the proliferation of d20 supplements divided the budgets of retailers, distributors and hobbyists.