The OCD Open Rules Policy.

What is "Open Rules"?

The obSESSION Rules System is released under Obsessive Compulsive Design's Open Rules Policy. This is not a licence like Wizards Of The Coast produced but is more akin to the Open Source policies operated by many Software Developers. Read on to learn more about it and what you are allowed to do with our rules.

How this works...

The rules of a game such as obSESSION may be re-used in your own products under the policy, this means that you can use the Dice Rolling and Skill Resolution mechanics, the Combat System, etc. but you can't simply copy those rules wholesale from the Corebook (or any other obSESSION product), you need to paraphrase the existing material and WRITE YOUR OWN TEXT.
Obviously there are limits to how many ways you can say "Roll 4 ten-sided dice and check the results against a Threshold Number" and we don't expect every product to be totally unique, but don't be too lazy and copy the whole book.
Your (or our) game settings, characters, and the like remain your (or our) property at all times. If you write a game using the obSESSION rules then that game is yours, to do with as you will with but one restriction : The mechanics of the game are Open Rules and don't belong to you, you can't complain if people copy or change them, provided they do so in a manner that doesn't breach the copyright of your material.
The "credit must be given" clause simply means that you need to say who created the rules you are using. If you make a obSESSION based game then you need to says so, even if it is as little as "This game created using rules devised by Obsessive Compulsive Design". We don't expect money for the use of our rules, but recognition is a must. Thank you.

Definition of "Open Rules"...

The Obsessive Compulsive Design Open Rules policy is used to designate game rules and mechanics that may be freely mimicked and/or used "as is" by other Developers, Players and Gamesmasters. The Open Rules Policy applies specifically to the rules mechanics used in any game designated as "Open" and permits others to copy, modify and use those mechanics. Only the game mechanics of Open Rules games may be so copied : the text, layout, artwork and other elements of any Open Rules Product remain the copyrighted property of the creator and may not by duplicated without express permission of the copyright owner. Creative material such as Game Settings, Character and Item Descriptions, Scenarios, etc., are NOT covered by the Open Rules Policy and are NEVER "Open", although individual authors may choose to allow the copying or use of their material in a similar manner.
Products created using Open Rule Material remain the property of their creators and are not affected by the Open Rules Policy except where it already applies to those portions of the game (ie the Open Rules mechanics) that are already covered by the Policy.
No restriction is placed on the quantity of Open Rules Material that must be found within a given product, such material may be used exclusively or in addition to "Closed" rules of the author's own devising. The use of Open Rules Material in a product does NOT imply the application of the Policy to other material within that product.
Users of Open Rules Material are not required to label such material as Open Rules, or to make any reference to the Open Rules Policy, however some credit must be given to the creator of the material used.