It’s here at last! The culmination of months of cooperative effort sees Paizo, the acclaimed game publisher, reveal the definitive edition of the Open RPG Creative (ORC) License. Crafted to be system-independent, the ORC license is unending and unequivocal, providing a legally safe environment for sharing game mechanics. The intention is to stimulate a fertile ground for innovative thinking and collaborative efforts within the domain of tabletop gaming.
After meticulous scrutiny and a series of enhancements, the ORC License and the complementary ORC AxE (Answers and Explanations) document have arrived at its finalized state. This breakthrough is a monumental resource for prominent and emerging game publishers.
Enclosed below are the links to the finalized drafts of these documents. We appreciate the value of public commentary in shaping these works, and we’re now wrapping up this phase, closing the door to further modifications. Paizo extends its heartfelt gratitude to each person who chimed in with their ideas, constructive criticism, and valuable suggestions since the inception of this process back in February. This achievement would have been impossible without your invaluable input.
Mapping Out The Road Ahead
The official text of the ORC License has now been dispatched to the Library of Congress. It has made its grand public debut on the Azora Law website. This legal entity deserves applause for conceptualizing and drafting the pioneering license. All currently available versions of the final ORC License text should be regarded as the Interim Final ORC License and ORC AxE. Once the copyright registration is finalized, these documents will be updated with the final copyright registration number, a process we anticipate will be complete in about six months. In the interim, game publishers are given the green light to utilize the ORC License immediately. We reassure you that no additional components of these documents will be subject to alteration in the future.
In the upcoming Gen Con Indy 2023, set to take place in early August, Azora Law’s Managing Partner Brian Lewis, along with representatives from Paizo, Chaosium, and several other publishers, will host an interactive panel on the ORC License. The panel’s purpose will be to address queries related to the license and provide guidance on maximizing its potential.
From Paizo’s vantage point, they will soon be revising their Community Use and Pathfinder Compatibility Licenses to integrate the finalized ORC License. A massive thank you goes out for supporting the cause of open creativity and gaming. Let’s use this exciting development as a springboard to create some spectacular games!
Get the Orc License for download.
Get the Redlined Orc License for download.
