I just read through the License section of the Tomb of Horrors (I don't know why I keep writing that!) Tome of Horrors and have a question regarding the prose text – the monster descriptions (which often contain a lot of non-mechanical description and maybe a line or two regarding spells known, damage dealt by trampling and all that) and lairs in the S&W version.
On the one hand, it says this:
Designation of Open Game Content: All text contained within this product (including monster names, stats, and descriptions) is hereby designated as Open Game Content, with the following exceptions:
- Any text on the inside or outside of the front or back cover or on the Credits or Preface pages is not Open Game Content;
- Any advertising material — including the text of any advertising material — is not Open Game Content;
- Any material contained in the “Credit” section of each monster is not Open Game Content. See the “Note on the ‘Credit’ Section,” below;
This seems to indicate that almost everything is Open Game Content.
Further down, however, we find the following:
Designation of Product Identity: The following items are hereby designated as Product Identity as provided in section 1(e) of the Open Game License: Any and all material or content that could be claimed as Product Identity pursuant to section 1(e), below, is hereby claimed as product identity, including but not limited to: […]
4. The proper names, personality, descriptions and/or motivations of all artifacts, characters, races, countries, geographic locations, plane or planes of existence, gods, deities, events, magic items, organizations and/or groups unique to this book, but not their stat blocks or other game mechanic descriptions (if any), and also excluding any such names when they are included in monster, spell or feat names;
The section 1(e) mentioned above says the following:
“Product Identity” means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures; characters; stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content;
Thus, the text I am interested in appears to be both Open Game Content and Product Identity? I'm confused.
The reason I ask? I'd like to post the Open Game Content to a wiki. Thus, it's important whether the OGC of the Atomie is just
Atomies can cast the following spells: Blink, entangle, invisibility (self), pass without trace and speak with animals.
or whether it's the full
Atomies are among the smallest of the fey, looking like 1-foot tall elves with gangly limbs and greenish skin. They dwell in arboreal regions, with a single atomie family staking their claim to a single tree. Atomies are attractive, especially when compared to other sprites. Atomie clothing is almost always magical, made to change color with the seasons to help hide the wearer during all times of the year. Atomies can cast the following spells: Blink, entangle, invisibility (self), pass without trace and speak with animals.Any ideas?
There Goes the Neighborhood
When the archduke laid siege to the baroness' castle, he felled many trees and heaped one depredation after another on the woodlands that had housed a tribe of atomies since time immemorial. Fearing the iron weapons of the soldiers, the 2d4x10 atomies have moved on, taking up residence in a large forest of walnuts and wild apple trees. The people of a small village have gleaned much of their sustenance from this forest for years, grazing their swine in it and gathering walnuts and apples. The atomie, having just been driven from their own lands, are in no mood for sharing with humans and are thus doing their best to drive the humans away - tormenting hogs, tying fairy knots in hair, petty theft, scouring the woodlands of walnuts and apples, etc. The atomies have no leaders as such, with each female among believing herself to be a queen, so some of the creatures are against this campaign of terror and may be inclined to help the hapless villagers. The tree top hovels of the atomie are woven from fallen and living branches and very difficult to spot. The woods are now filled with simple traps - small holes to turn ankles, arrows coated with painful toxins and the like. At heart, the atomies do not wish to kill the humans, just drive them away.
