Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Dragons of Renewal: Icons for 13th Age

As time goes on I realized that 13th Age captures the feel and spirit of heroic epic fantasy better than a lot of other retroclones and even D&D Editions.  As the Dragonlance Chronicles fall into this genre, I figured that they'd go well both thematically and mechanically with this game.

One of the things many people change for their home campaigns is that of the Icons, major power players who have an indirect relationship with the PCs.  To that end I repurposed some of the most iconic characters and organizations from the War of the Lance era and turned them into Icons.

Astinus Lorekeeper (Neutral)



Quote

“I’ve written countless works over many mortal lives, and in that time I learned how fragile true knowledge really is.”

Usual Location

Astinus lives in the Library of Palanthas day and night, since the last stone set into the building.

Common Knowledge

The Library of Palanthas is one of the few true bastions of lore in the Age of Despair.  Its head librarian never aged a day since he appeared at its founding.  Many rumor that he’s immortal, a powerful wizard, or even a long-forgotten god of knowledge.

Adventurers & the Icon

Astinus is a patron of many bards, and he hires many teams to go out into the world and retrieve scrolls and tomes in risky areas to take back for safekeeping.  Many mages come to him in search of spells and lost lore.

Allies

Those who know the Library’s value, such as the Knights of Solamnia and the Wizards of High Sorcery, appreciate Astinus’ contributions.

Enemies

At the same time, there are those within the order of High Sorcery contemplating annexation of the Library, thinking it would be in better use in their hands.  Lord Soth seeks its secrets for reasons unknown, and devotees of Chaos seek the destruction of knowledge and higher thought in all its forms.

History

Astinus has lived far beyond any mortal lifespan, a fixture of the Library since the last brick layed completed its foundation.  And for as long as the people of Palanthas can remember, he's been in there, dutifully writing and archiving the knowledge held in the written word.

The True Danger

Everything will be alright provided that the forbidden tome detailing dire prophecies of Krynn's last days remains unfound.


Chaos (Villainous)



Picture by The Paranoid Freak of Deviantart


Quote

You hear only the churning emotions of hate and rage

Usual Location

Imprisoned within the Greygem.  Even within he is capable of moving it about, causing much woe on Krynn wherever he goes.

Common Knowledge

Before the gods and the Wizards of High Sorcery brought order, magic was an uncontrolled force ravaging the land.  Only through their hand does the land stay in harmony.

Adventurers & the Icon

Chaos thrashes against the shackles placed upon him, but sometimes his conscious reaches out to mortals, imbuing them with dark powers.  Some of them are unknowing vessels, others willing servants of entropy.

Allies

Chaos opposes the gods and reality’s existence.  Only maddened mortals and demons serve his will.

Enemies

Even the most craven forces of Evil don’t seek the unmaking of reality, nor do any of the gods.  No reasonable person wants to free Chaos.

History

Chaos existed since the dawn of reality, and some say before that as the void of nothingness.  He lost much power during the creation of the world of Krynn, and was imprisoned by Reorx in the Greygem to limit his vast power.

The True Danger

Everything will be alright provided that nobody finds the means to split open the Greygem in a fit of true desperation, releasing the avatar of destruction into the world.

Disciples of Nature (Neutral)



Quote

"The sea's awash with blood and demons.  Armies raze forests and drown the afterlife in wailing souls.  The world is broken, and we must restore it, protect it, for the true gods to return."

Usual Location

The Disciples wander the whole of Ansalon, usually where the specter of war and fell magic taint the land.

Common Knowledge

There's no shortage of odd religions in Ansalon, but every so often you hear talk of wandering druids.

Wearing medallions of feathers, shells, and other natural displays, they come into villages and towns, sometimes to drive out evil spirits and ward off plague and famine, other times to force people to stop their incursions into 'sacred areas.'  They have a mixed reputation, to say the least.

Adventurers & the Icon

Many Disciples are adventurers themselves, traveling with similarly-inclined groups and offering their magical aid.  Elves, sailors, and folk who still know of and respect the old gods often ask for their aid.

Allies

Disciples who worship Habbakuk often find a common bond among Knights of Solamnia who still remember the role their deity played in their organization's founding.  The Speaker of the Sun remembers stories of times when the forest still had druids, and will welcome their return.

Enemies

Lord Soth's creation of undead to swell the Blue Dragonarmy's ranks makes him one of the Disciple's main targets.  Chaos seeks to undo the world of Krynn entirely.

The True Danger

Everything will be alright provided that the secretive Plague Knight faction doesn't convince the other disciples that the death and suffering of the current Age is but a natural cycle which must be hastened.

Dwarven Council of Thorbadin (Neutral)


Dwarf Council by AhmetCanKahraman of Deviantart


Quote

"Famine, infighting, the departure of the gods.  All this and more threatened our way of life, and yet we still stand proud.  Are we to let the doomsayings of chaos and tyranny in wider Ansalon rattle us so?"

Usual Location

The mountain nation of Thorbadin remains the largest settlement and spiritual homeland of the dwarven people, even to those clans exiled to the surface.

Common Knowledge

The underground kingdom is a glorious city of iron and jewels, with a glorious underground tree and rich valleys allowing a good standard of living.  Even then there are troubles, as the fractured council of clans bickers and jockeys for power and their role in the wider world.

Adventurers & the Icon

Hill dwarves of the Neidar clan wish for one day to return to their homeland.  The Council's multiple factions advocate for alliance with either the Whitestone forces or Dragon Empire, whether or not to continue their isolationist stance, and many other divisive issues which may affect the race as a whole.

Allies

The High dwarves traded with the Qualinesti elves and humans of neighboring nations.  It is said that the Dark Dwarven clans are being supported by the Dragon Empire.

Enemies

The betrayal of Fistandantalus in the Dwarfgate Wars instilled a deep distrust of wizards of all robes.  The Council members themselves are at each others' throats as often as foreign foes.

The True Danger

Everything will be all right provided that the dark dwarf council members don't instigate a coup and prop up a Council in line with Imperial interests.

Emperor Ariakas (Villainous)



Quote

“Ergoth fell, as did Istar.  But the Dragon Empire shall be immortal, as Takhisis wills.”

Usual Location

Sanction or Neraka, the military and religious centers of the Empire.  Or leading the charge at the head of the Red Dragonarmy.

Common Knowledge

Emperor Duulcet Ariakas is the unquestioned leader of the Dragonarmies.

A military genius, his territory grows across Ansalon every year.

It is said that he pays homage to one of the gods of old, and his forces include monsters and those skilled in magic.

Adventurers & the Icon

The Dragonarmies are on the lookout for talented men and women with little scruples, willing to do what must be done to further the Empire’s glory and vanquish its enemies.

Allies

Ariakas’ minions secured a fragile alliance with Lord Soth.  Kitiara of the Blue Dragonarmy shows promise.  Wizards of High Sorcery wearing the Black Robes supplement his war machine with fell magic.

Enemies

All who call themselves champions of good look with horror at the cruelties wrought by the favored of Takhisis.  The Knights of Solamnia are the greatest point of resistance to the Empire’s expansion, while agents continue to hunt for Berem.

History

Emperor Ariakas had humble beginnings, but after making a pilgrimage to the old ruins of Neraka Takhisis chose him as her hand upon Krynn.  In a mere two decades his forces laid claim to much of central and eastern Ansalon, and there is nary a country unaffected by his machinations.

The True Danger

Everything will be alright provided the PCs successfully unite the forces of Good against the Dragonarmies and prevent them from plunging the world into a nightmarish realm of evil and tyranny.

Fizban the Fabulous (Heroic)



Quote

“I’m so happy you put your unconditional trust in me to help you on your quest.  Hold on, is bat saliva the component for a spell of healing or internal immolation?”

Usual Location

Fizban shows up in the most unusual locations, guided by the hand of fate.

Common Knowledge

The village children talk of a sagely old wizard in grey robes who loved to tell stories by a cozy hearth.  The local librarian sees much truth in his tales.

Adventurers & the Icon

Although he rarely appears to be willing and more guided by his own whims, he often appears when heroes are in need of help, be it a magical fortress to hide refugees or the key to the doors of a pre-Cataclysm ruin.

Allies

Fizban is beloved by many locals in whatever town he stays in, and many people across Krynn fondly remember a “kindly old man who helped save my family from peril.”

Enemies

People who distrust and fear wizards, as well as folk of an evil bent, often cross paths (or more likely spell and sword) with Fizban the Fabulous.

The True Danger

Everything will be alright, provided that the forces of darkness do not figure out Fizban’s true nature and take him down once and for all.

Kitiara Counterpart (Villainous)

Image Varies Depending on Your Campaign

Quote

“I’m only telling you this because you’re my friends, but you’re backing the wrong cause.”

Usual Location

Occupied Solamnia, directing Blue Dragonarmy forces on the front lines.

Common Knowledge

Kitiara is the Blue Dragon Highlord.

Kitiara’s been instrumental in conquering much of northern Ansalon, and her forces are battering down what’s left of the Solamnic armies.

Were it not for the Red Dragonarmy’s superior numbers, Kitiara’s forces would be the most powerful.  They are the most well-disciplined, though.

Adventurers & the Icon

As she is a long-time friend and traveling companion of the PCs, her defecting to the forces of evil is a complicated affair.  She might aid or show mercy to them, and all the better if in doing so contribute to the Blue Dragonarmy’s power.

Allies

Kitiara’s a valuable asset to Emperor Ariakas’ war effort.  She and Soth entered into a pact of mutual alliance.

Enemies

Kitiara’s the face of the enemy as far as the Knights of Solamnia are concerned, and no other Highlord is as responsible for the massive devastation the invasion wrought upon their country.  The forces of good oppose her as strongly as they do Ariakas.

The True Danger

Everything will be all right provided that Kitiara has no chance of uniting the Dragonarmies after Ariakas is defeated.

Knights of Solamnia (Heroic)





Image from Ansalon MUD

Quote

“Solamnia Solamnia, may the light of justice shine eternal
Solamnia Solamnia, protect the good folk of this world”

Usual Location

The Knights have a presence across all of Solamnia, and the Isle of Sancrist as well.

Common Knowledge

The Knights of Solamnia were founded back in the Age of Dreams, devoted to the Gods of Light and hold fast to a strict code of honor.

Knights live by the Oath and the Measure, a complex code of volumes governing proper conduct of a knight ranging from peace times to war.

The Knights are divided into three Orders of ascending authority: the Order of the Crown, the Order of the Sword, and the Order of the Rose, representing the values of loyalty, courage, and wisdom respectively.

The Knights lost a lot of popularity and prestige in their home country, as they were unable to keep the commoners safe and secure from the ravages of the Cataclysm.

Adventurers & the Icon

Many Knights travel Solamnia and the lands beyond for wrongs to right, and their battle against the Dragon Empire means they’re in need of much help.

Allies

In these troubled times the Knights do not have anyone to rely on but themselves.  Many of their subjects blame them for failing to stop the Cataclysm, and even Solamnia’s neighbors are more concerned with their own needs than helping the war effort.

Enemies

Solamnia’s the last bastion of true resistance against Emperor Ariakas’ empire, and Kitiara’s conquering more and more of their territory.  A former Knight himself, Lord Soth bears no love for his old order.

The True Danger

Everything will be alright provided that Solamnia stands strong and its Knights do not fall upon themselves from infighting and external foes.

Lord Soth (Villainous)



Quote

"There is no hope for this dying world.  All that matters now is if they can return her to me."

Usual Location

Dargaard Keep in Nightlund, a haven for undead activity and prime supplier of such beings for the Blue Dragonarmy

Common Knowledge

It is said that in the cursed land of Nightlund sits a former Knight of the Rose, cursed to live forevermore.

Those few knights who managed to come back alive speak of a figure clad in black armor surrounded by an aura of decay.  They say he moves as one with the legions of zombies and wraiths.

Adventurers & the Icon

Warriors in their final days and students of the necromantic arts often approach Dargaard Keep, hoping that the fallen knight might gift them some blessing or knowledge for their personal gain.

Allies

Lord Soth is allied with the Dragon Empire and allows Kitiara to use his keep as a base of operations, albeit reluctantly.

Enemies

The flames of hate burn bright in his undead heart, for the gods who condemned him to his condition and their servants such as the elves and the Knights of Solamnia.

The True Danger

Everything will be all right as long as Lord Soth doesn't make for a power grab in the Blue Dragonarmy and plunge all of Solamnia into an undead apocalypse.

Silvara (Heroic)



Quote

“I cannot reveal my sources, but I have evidence that the Dragonarmies are using prime blackmail material on some powerful forces of Good.”

Usual Location

Western Ansalon, or any place that needs some clandestine sabotage of the Dragonarmies’ plans

Common Knowledge

Silvara often appears in the form of some mundane traveler.  An adventuring gnome testing out cool new devices, a wandering mercenary named Vanderjack, or a Kagonesti elven druid with silver hair.

Adventurers & the Icon

Angered and upset by the Oath of Neutrality, Silvara cannot sit still as she watches evil gain dominance in the world.  By posing as a mortal, she seeks to lead adventurers of proper moral fiber to treasure and knowledge which can turn the tide of battle against the Dragonarmies.

Allies

Operating in the shadows, Silvara has no true allies, only trusted sources who know only her cover identity.

Enemies

Silvara is not well-liked by Fizban for violating the Oath, and Ariakas is only vaguely aware that some agent in the west is screwing up his plans.

The True Danger

Everything will be all right provided that Silvara’s mission is successful and her information reaches the forces of light before it can be intercepted by the enemy.

Speaker of the Sun (Heroic)



Quote

“You are the last scion of all that is good about elvenkind.  Even if our homes are razed, our people sent to the four corners of Krynn, please bear this light.”

Usual Location

The Qualinesti leadership will be in their homeland around the campaign’s beginning.  When the Dragon Empire invades, they’ll refuge in exile to Southern Ergoth.

Common Knowledge

Elves are said to rule a mighty forest kingdom.  Ever since the Dragon Empire declared war on them, many refugees have been spotted fleeing westward.  Serves the elitist bastards right, if you ask me.

Adventurers & the Icons

Qualinesti’s leadership will call upon the aid of elvenkind and those friendly to them.  Typically many adventurers are tasked with seeing to the safety of refugees, freeing prisoners from the Dragon Empire, and recovering ancestral heirlooms from the now-dangerous forest homelands.

Allies

The Speaker of the Sun’s family includes more than a few White Robe Wizards.  But otherwise their isolationist policies do not earn many friends.

Enemies

The Dragon Empire seeks to commit genocide upon the elves.  Silvara would ordinarily be an ally, but she holds contempt for how far the once-favored children of Light have fallen and their oppression of her people.

The True Danger

Everything will be alright provided that the Dragon Empire doesn’t reach Southern Ergoth and provoke the Speaker into reading the forbidden Desolation Scrolls.


Wizards of High Sorcery (Neutral)




Quote

“It is our greatest gift and burden.  The pursuit of magic deserves nothing less.”

Usual Location

The Tower of Wayreth, deep in the forests of Qualinost

Common Knowledge

The Wizards of High Sorcery worship one of the three moons of magic, and their power waxes and wanes with their phases.

Wizards are dangerous and unpredictable, capable of inflicting curses and devastation with but a thought.

Wizards tend to be a scholarly lot, cloistered in remote towers filled with tomes and artifacts of lost ages.

Wizards swore a vow to only ever fight with a dagger, quarterstaff, or spell.

Adventurers & the Icon

Any adventurers with arcane talent are inevitably bound to attract the notice of senior mages, who force those with budding talent to take the Test of High Sorcery and declare allegiance or forsake the path of magic.  As a result, adventuring wizards tend to be members of one of the three orders, embarking on quests to secure occult secrets and take down dangerous mages, or live the dangerous path of the renegade mage.

Allies

The art of wizardry is held in high esteem by the elves, and many Speakers of the Sun are White Robe Wizards.  The Black Robes threw their lot in with Emperor Ariakas and the Dragonarmies for a cushy position as valued magical aids.

Enemies

The Knights of Solamnia, and the dwarves, and the general populace of Ansalon, distrust and fear those who can work magic.  It’s rumored that Ariakas and the devotees of Takhisis are researching ways to bypass the moon-based avenue of arcane magic so that they won’t have to share power with Nuitari.

The True Danger

Everything will be alright provided the Black Robe faction doesn’t become dominant and sway Ansalon’s mages towards the cause of Evil, or if the Tower of Wayreth remains intact to prevent a magical cataclysm from sweeping across the face of Krynn.

Nifty Ideas in Gaming

Sometimes when going through gaming sourcebooks you come upon an idea that's too good to waste by confining it to a single game.  Sometimes it's an adventure plot, or a cool-sounding monster or magic item, or other element you want to use in the games you're running right now.

But less commonly borrowed are game mechanics.  Part of this may be the fact that a lot of them were designed with a specific system in mind, and thus may be harder to transfer to another game than something as mechanically nebulous as a story which can be reflavored for your game of choice.

This blog post takes a look at three game mechanics which can be useful in many other RPGs.



Player-Created Soundtracks

I play my table-top games on Roll20, and one its features is the Jukebox.  Music can be a very important set-piece in developing the mood of a scene, and if used correctly can add as much to the game as much as handouts and well-detailed maps.

Although I don't own it, this RPGnet review of Tropicana by GRAmel mentioned the use of music in a very interesting way.  The Tropicana Jukebox is a player-created soundtrack for the game, where randomly-determined songs chosen at the start of combat bestow benefits on characters if their theme music comes up first.

I enjoy rules which encourage a collaboration of player activity, and it has the added bonus of letting players find music to their tastes or ones which really gel with the protagonist they have in mind.

All-encompassing Modifiers



Many games assign numeric bonuses or penalties on a gradient scale.  It is meant to be all-encompassing and accurate estimation of the difficulty of tasks, but oftentimes can bog the game down when the group forgets if the difficulty for tumbling through light undergrowth is -2, -4, or -5.

5th Edition cut down on extraneous modifiers with the Advantage/Disadvantage system which gives a clear probably change in results.  If you have Advantage, you roll twice and take the better result.  If you have Disadvantage, you roll twice and take the worse result.

It's so simple and all-encompassing that I'm surprised I haven't seen it used earlier (although with third party D20, you never know).  You don't have to worry about modifiers stacking so much that they boost you well beyond the results for the game itself, it's quick enough for most GMs to eyeball on the spot.

Turn "Save or Die" into "Shit Happens at 0 HP"



Dungeons & Dragons has many abilities on both the player and GM side which can more or less serve as instakill moves, or "Save or Lose."  Deadly poisons in old-school games, a multitude of spells from death to enchantment magic, are capable of bypassing hit points entirely to determine survivability at the whim of a single die roll.

Although an effective playing style in certain Editions, it can be quite anti-climactic to have a legendary warrior get taken down by a single unlucky roll, or for the GM's laboriously created encounter to be blown through with little effort on the player side.

In keeping with a gritty dark fantasy tone, Shadow of the Demon Lord's deadly spells often grant added effects once the opponent reaches zero health.  One incapacitated by a bonewracking damaging spell might die as their own skeleton tears itself from their flesh to serve the caster; a petrification spell might turn a target into a stone statue instead of merely hindering them, and so on and so forth.

In many cases this is mostly a descriptive change (in the end the creature dies), but like with the bone spell it can encourage the caster to look out for weakened targets to use on instead of throwing their most powerful spells at the biggest dangers.  It's also nice in that it adds some cool variety to spell effects without drastically changing the game's survivability rate, and keeps one's Health or Hit Points a meaningful attribute.

Thursday, January 14, 2016

The Different Kinds of Game Balance

Inspired by some posts in this RPGnet thread, I got around to quantifying the most common definitions in the table-top community.

Much like Dungeons & Dragons alignment, the term "game balance" has many valid and popular definitions, but a lot of the time many folk do not have an agreed-upon consensus for discussion and end up misinterpreting the other side.


Class/Role-based Balance: The game has certain duties fulfilled by certain archetypes, where they are more or less experts in several skills to help supplement the whole group.  Archetypes which can invalidate others by doing their job better, or ones which don't do their own roles very well, are imbalanced.

Mathematical Balance: One of the most common and well-known types, this looks at the underlying framework of dice-based probability and sees if there are any options which swing the variables too much or throw things out of whack.

Spotlight Balance: The idea that characters should have equal screen time in the gaming session, and that things which focus too much on one character is bad. Quite common in story-game RPGs.

Competitive Balance: Balance based on how a player's options relate to their ability to move against other players.  Different from class and spotlight balance in that a lot of times individual character units are more likely to be able to "hold their own" due to less emphasis on cooperative aspect.

Versatility/Options Balance: Balance where the more open-ended an archetype's abilities are, the greater the impact they have in the game world.  This quite common in rules-lite RPGs and 3.X D&D where you had a spell for every occasion.

Many RPGs incorporate more than one of the above options.  Not all of these are mutually exclusive, and in some cases can fold into the others, such as class/role-based balance and versatility/options balance.  The biggest melee damage bonus in the world won't save you if an opponent can outright nullify your attack by flying in the air, so measuring by one metric may not be all-inclusive.

Old-school Dungeons & Dragons relies heavily on class/role-based balance in comparison to its later incarnations.  3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder relies more heavily on versatility/options balance.  4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons had a big emphasis on mathematical balance.  I cannot say for sure what metric's most common for 5th Edition, but now that there's an SRD I should find out soon.

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

A Proposal: Using OGL-friendly elements and crediting them



Edit: So it's come to my attention that what I propose may not necessarily be allowed due to Section 7 of the OGL from a commentor on Facebook:

slams heavily into Section 7, regarding Product Identity. Unless otherwise granted by another license (such as the Pathfinder Compatibility License) the OGL doesn't grant you permission to use the names of reference content. 

Section 11 says you're not allowed to "market or advertise the Open Game Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do so".

IOW, by the OGL what you propose isn't allowed. I've seen discussion that normal IP rules still let you do exactly what you're suggesting and that the OGL doesn't give you anything anyway... but I've not seen it tested and don't have an opinion.

I agree with XXXXX; by the OGL, what you suggest is specifically not allowed. In order to do that, a publisher would have to get permission from each company whose product would be mentioned in that way.

I'll give the OGL a closer read once I have the time, and if possible consult with any legal experts on an ideal way to do this.


So an interesting thing as a self-publisher is that most D20 and OSR sourcebooks have an explanation detailing what parts are Product Identity, and what parts are Open Game Content.  In many cases game mechanics and rules fall under the latter category, but in some instances there are books with no Open Game Content at all or ones which designate all text in the work as such.  It's legal to use another's Open Gaming stuff in your own work, and the most notable examples are third party publishers borrowing from Wizards of the Coast or Paizo sourcebooks.

However, I've noticed that there's quite a few third party sourcebooks with a lot of useful Open Gaming Content.  Take for example the CC1 Creature Compendium, a huge tome full of new monsters for 1E and Basic style games.  From the Open Game License in the back, you can see that the product is very OGC-friendly:

This entire work is designated as Open Game Content under the OGL, with the exceptions of the trademark “Old School Adventures,” and “New Big Dragon Games Unlimited,” and with the exception of all artwork  not already in the public domain. These trademarks, the artwork and the “trade dress” (fonts, layout, style of artwork, etc., including all charts and graphs) of this work are reserved as Product Identity.

Products like this are a great boon when one wishes to borrow elements to incorporate into their own works.  And many OSR sourcebooks I've read are similarly lenient in this regard.  However, third party publishers who use other people's third party content aren't necessarily obliged to tell folk point-blank what elements are their own and which they took from other books.  Simply putting the titles and authors of the books you used in the OGL in the back of your product is often enough.  I see this commonly with Frog God Game's Tome of Horrors, where monster stat blocks copied from them have been put into countless sourcebooks.  Or 1,001 Spells which incorporated many spells from other sources as well as ones of the author's own creation.

While the Tome of Horrors is a very well-known and regarded product, most third party OSR and Pathfinder companies are not so prominent.  Compounding this is that many gamers don't flip back to the OGL to see which ideas came from which books.  So this gave me an idea on shining the spotlight on your peers' content: a "Third Party Credits" page.

Generally speaking, if you use a class, monster, spell, feat, etc from certain third party products, you should put near the front of your book a list of said products and the things you borrowed (in addition to the listing of the product title and authors in the OGL in back, of course).  That way, if a reader really liked a certain element which was originally created by another, they can check out the original source and potentially other works of theirs.  You gain something by using another's Open Gaming material to enhance your own work, and you point potential new fans their way.  It's win-win.

Granted, this might not be ideal for all products, such as doing a massive class compendium where individually listing elements and their parent books would take up a lot of pages.  In this case you might want to list the names of the books you used, and throw out specifics if one or more of their elements were particularly important in the creation of your product.

While it might sound like common courtesy, this isn't something I've seen often in third party publishers except some OSR books crediting their parent system (like a Labyrinth Lord-compatible adventure thanking Goblinoid Games and original creators like Gary Gygax and Frank Mentzer).  I think that if more self-publishers did this, it would be a boon for all of us, and for that reason I plan on having Third Party Credits pages in my works from here on out.