so long #3

One of the nastier parts of the d20 GSL [Game System Licence] (Wizards of the Coast's replacement for the d20 OGL [Open Gaming Licence]) is the restrictions on continuing to publish 3rd edition stuff if you want to publish 4th ed stuff. According to a strict interpretation of the licence, you can't continue to publish an established product line of 3rd edition stuff once a conversion document or 4th edition product in that line has been produced. Whilst recent FAQs have commented that this is simply a reasonable expectation on the part of Wizards of the Coast that the game publishers will not produce combined 4th and 3rd ed modules/games, there is one subclause to this contract (and the SGL has become a formal licencing contract now, rather than simple conditions of use), that I find rather objectionable as an archivist and collector. And that is, the publishing company is allowed to sell the physical product they have on hand, but after that (and this clause survives termination of the licence), they may never again offer that 3rd ed product, even in electronic form. Goodman Games is the first to announce that they are eradicating their 3rd ed line in accordance with the new licence conditions. So if you want to finish playing the Classic Dungeon Crawl series of adventures, I suggest you might want to hurry. Then again, the CDC series is ideal for 4th ed, which to my mind, has become a tactical minatures game rather than a role-playing game (not only because of the required use of the battleboard, but because almost every class ability is designed for use on the battleboard).