Only a few days after Wizards of the Coast has released the updated GSL, Paizo announced a  Compatibility License for Pathfinder and a Community Use Policy. From what I’ve seen so far (and please bear with me, I am no lawyer) Paizo’s licenses are much, much more fair than the dreaded GSL. 

The compatibility license can be compared with the late d20 System License since it allows people to print “Compatible with Pathfinder” onto their books. And since Pathfinder will probably become the replacement for the out-of-print D&D 3.5 Players Handbook quite a few companies that still produce 3.5 material could jump onto the bandwagon.

The Community Use Policy is also very nice indeed. You just have to add a short legal text to your site and then you are allowed to use certain pieces of artwork that Paizo provides (including the iconic characters from the Pathfinder RPG), use texts from their blog, et cetera as long as the Pathfinder stuff is for free. I think it’s a clever move by Pathfinder to allow others to claim compatibility to their stuff. If this works out like Paizo hopes, time will tell, but I applaud to that decision.  

I am still undecided on the Pathfinder RPG itself. It looks like it’s going to be a winner, but I don’t think I will need an updated D&D 3.5 rulebook when I already own a whole lot of them. But from what I’ve seen they’ve made some pretty nice changes and the book just looks beautiful. And it’s a great thing they put it all into one big book instead of forcing you a whole bunch of them. But I appreciate the way they treat their fans and their business partners. If I only could say that about WotC that repeatedly failed to fulfill their promises.

And while you are at it check out the posts by my fellow RPG bloggers:

Related posts:

  1. My thoughts on OGL, GSL and beyond
  2. There’s more to the OGL than d20 (Paizo Edition)
  3. My thoughts on the new D&D “red box”
  4. Our thoughts on D&D 5th Edition
  5. Future of the Iron Kingdoms RPG line still unclear