Worlds and settings without rights

[Trifletraxor]

Originally Posted by raymond turney

Worlds which don't require rights:

a) Three Kingdoms {Chinese classic}
b) Ramayana {Indian}

Any other suggestions in the same direction? Developed worlds that don't require rights I mean?

SGL.

[AikiGhost]

Chtuluesque horror, vampire Horror, Monster hunting horror.

Vikings: Horror,Horror,Horror,Horror,Horror lovelleee Horror...
Old lady: I dont like Horror

[Atgxtg]

Journey to the West

Are the works of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells in the Public Domain now?

Captain Nemo and MArtian Invasions never go out of style.

[Trifletraxor]

Anything fantasy like? Is there any old fantasy series that's suitable?

SGL.

[TRose]

Could also do a Gullivers Travel source book np or how about Baron Munchausen? Anyone know what your ride cannonball skill starts at?
And as for the West how about a fantasy wild west with the Likes of Paul Bunyan, Mike Fink and Pecos Bill are around.

[Atgxtg]

Fantasy.

King Arthur, Robin Hood, Roland.

Pretty much all of earth legnedary and mythical heroes and setting (Atlantis?) are fair game. But most works by 20th century authors is under copywrite.

[Zane]

Originally Posted by Atgxtg

Journey to the West

Are the works of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells in the Public Domain now?

Captain Nemo and MArtian Invasions never go out of style.

Jules Verne's works are definitely public domain, as he died in 1905, and his last work looks to have been published in 1910. It looks like the majority of H.G. Wells works are public domain, though a lot aren't. Still it looks like the best known H.G. Wells works are all public domain.

Captain Nemo and the Martian Invasion are both in "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol. 2", so who knows issues there could be with including both in the same book.

Where things get really tricky are with settings such as those based on "Edgar Rice Burroughs" works. While many of his works are in the public domain, you can bet you'll have ERB's family lawyers and the Di$ney lawyers on you so fast it will make your head spin if you do something based on them. I believe this is do to Trademarks rather than copywrites.

One interesting approach to the issue of Campaign Settings / Worlds with copywrites and Trademarks, is this. Pick a genre, find a group of like minded people, and hash something out, and put it under a "Creative Commons" type license. Of course then you just might have someone like Di$ney come along and be able to freely make a movie that makes them tons of money without having to pay any royalties.

[GreatBear]

Many people over the years have wanted to do ERB's Barsoom roleplaying. ERB Inc. are not interested nowadays unless their cut runs into 6 figures. Even though Burroughs books are all in the public domain now, ERB Inc. hold trademarks on the names of the significant characters i.e. Tarzan®, John Carter of Mars®, etc. For an example of what you can get away with see MARS from Adamant Entertainment.

[CthulhuFnord]

Quite a bit of Mars critters... both H.G. Wells and Edgar Rice Burroughs versions are in two CoC books. The Creature Compendium and that huge book of Monsters that just came out. Also included was the delightfull chap from "Who Goes There?" aka "The Thing".

[seneschal]

The Wind in the Willows -- anthropomorphic animals co-exist (not always comfortably) alongside humans and normal animals in Edwardian England. Beware the hostile denizens of the Wild Wood, which has grown over a ruined Roman city. And the Great God Pan is still active. So you have early 20th Century technology and fantasy.