Free OSR - Cthulhu Eternal (Open Source SRD Chthulhu Gaming)

Free Cthulhu roleplaying? Count me in! Let me present Cthulhu Eternal.

Cthulhu Eternal is a multi-era, setting agnostic ruleset which aims to support inventive game designers who have original ideas for Lovecraftian roleplaying games or scenarios. It draws upon the long line of D100 games of Cthulhu-themed investigation, offering a beautifully streamlined and elegant set of mechanics to support a diverse range of gaming styles.

Different eras of human history each have their own flavor and character – due in part to the technology available, and in part due to social conventions of the day. Recognizing this, Cthulhu Eternal exists as a family of inter-related rules engines – each based on the same mechanics but tailored to the needs of a specific era.

This version of Cthulhu Eternal is specially designed to support Lovecraftian games set in the “Jazz Age” – that is, world as it was in the early 20th Century (between the World Wars). This is an attractive option for a game setting as it was the then-contemporary world in which H.P. Lovecraft set many of his novellas and short fiction.

Other versions of Cthulhu Eternal currently available in SRD form (PWYW Bundle):

Cthulhu Eternal: Age of Revolutions (1750-1850) SRD

Cthulhu Eternal: Victorian Era SRD

Cthulhu Eternal: World War II SRD

Cthulhu Eternal: Cold War SRD

Cthulhu Eternal: Modern Age SRD

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NEWS! OGL 1.0(a) is NOT being Revoked. 5.1 SRD is Released Under Creative Commons 4.0 International

I had plans for today, and they included catching up on emails, especially from OSR Christmas Day 12 and the Wednesday Night Giveaway. A small emergency last night, a scheduled doc appointment this morning, and obligations today that were related to last night's small emergency in addition to the totally unexpected OGL news today - including an extra video and tonight's scheduled but likely extremely lively livestream - means little will get done until tomorrow. I beg forgiveness. Now, onto the news! - Tenkar

When you give us playtest feedback, we take it seriously.

Already more than 15,000 of you have filled out the survey. Here's what you said:

• 88% do not want to publish TTRPG content under OGL 1.2.
• 90% would have to change some aspect of their business to accommodate OGL 1.2.
• 89% are dissatisfied with deauthorizing OGL 1.0a.
• 86% are dissatisfied with the draft VTT policy.
• 62% are satisfied with including Systems Reference Document (SRD) content in Creative Commons, and the majority of those who were dissatisfied asked for more SRD content in Creative Commons.

These live survey results are clear. You want OGL 1.0a. You want irrevocability. You like Creative Commons.

The feedback is in such high volume and its direction is so plain that we're acting now.

We are leaving OGL 1.0a in place, as is. Untouched.

We are also making the entire SRD 5.1 available under a Creative Commons license.

You choose which you prefer to use.

This Creative Commons license makes the content freely available for any use. We don't control that license and cannot alter or revoke it. It's open and irrevocable in a way that doesn't require you to take our word for it. And its openness means there's no need for a VTT policy. Placing the SRD under a Creative Commons license is a one-way door. There's no going back.

Our goal here is to deliver on what you wanted.

So, what about the goals that drove us when we started this process?

We wanted to protect the D&D play experience into the future. We still want to do that with your help. We're grateful that this community is passionate and active because we'll need your help protecting the game's inclusive and welcoming nature.

We wanted to limit the OGL to TTRPGs. With this new approach, we are setting that aside and counting on your choices to define the future of play.

Here's a PDF of SRD 5.1 with the Creative Commons license. By simply publishing it, we place it under an irrevocable Creative Commons license. We'll get it hosted in a more convenient place next week. It was important that we take this step now, so there's no question.

SRD 5.1-CC

We'll be closing the OGL 1.2 survey now.

We'll keep talking with you about how we can better support our players and creators. Thanks as always for continuing to share your thoughts.

Kyle Brink

Executive Producer, Dungeons & Dragons

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Adventurer Conquerer King System (ACKS) System Resource Document

During today's recording of the latest episode of the Path of Legends Podcast, the Adventurer Conquerer Kings System was brought up in regards to how it handles characters dipping down to and below zero hit points. My cohost, +Vincent Florio mentioned that ACKS had a System Resource Document (SRD). I didn't believe him at first but he found the link. Vince was right. ACKS has an SRD.

Here's the ACKS SRD link. The chapters are in plain text, it's no frills but it's definitely useful and even better, it's free ;)

Strangely enough, I was supposed to play in the first session of ACKS for my gaming group in a couple of years last night, but I was exhausted from a week of illness and an afternoon and evening of socializing with my old gaming buddies. I'll have to wait till next week.