This week, while setting students a project, I spent time outlining the definition of plagiarism and the potential negative consequences of doing so in the academic arena. Although my students are only 12-13 years old, I always feel it’s good to start young… at least in academia.
Yesterday, in reading the myriad of cool responses off-blog (mostly on G+) to my last article, I was pointed to lots of really cool SF conversions to the Savage Worlds RPG. In reading the excellent Savage Star Frontiers material, I was immediately filled with a rush of nostalgia and a desire to play it… but also to build on it.
That’s when it occurred to me: Why can’t I just rip the bits I want and mash it up?
What I’m Saying…
GMs steal other people’s stuff all of the time, don’t they?
Being from an academic background, however, I’ve always felt that this wasn’t quite right… so I’ve tended to borrow little details, like location maps, but steer away from outright plagiarism. It’s not that I’m really planning to publish my scenarios, but (especially as I have a blog) I’ve tended to be shy of outright stealing.
Let’s be clear: copyright infringement will land you in court. We’re not talking about copying someone’s work and then publishing it as your own. Especially not for money.
What I’m talking about is the concept of stealing something pretty much wholesale from a setting, rulebook, or whatever and adding it to your game. At your table. For your players.
Is it ok if…?
Let’s look at the classic Star Frontiers game as an example:
Is it ok if I steal the Dralasite species and shove it into my setting? It’s really unique as an idea and, after all these years, feels fresh. I might rename it and give it some new connections, but basically I’m plagiarizing.
From the standpoint of a GM, I can’t see why not. My players will enjoy the new idea and it adds something to our game. If anyone asks, I’d be happy to say, “Yeah, I nicked that from Star Frontiers… you remember that game?”
Is that ok?
So, why do I feel so dirty doing it?
The Upside
Here’s a few reasons why plagiarizing stuff into your RPG writing is an advantage:
- It gives you access to unlimited cool ideas to mash-up in new ways.
- It saves you thinking time.
- It makes being “creative” easier… because you don’t have to as creative.
- It adds fun ideas from settings that aren’t “quite right” to make one that is.
- It’ll probably be fun.
In fact, and I am not able to cite evidence so it’s just hearsay, I’ve read someplace that while good GMs borrow ideas, great GMs steal them.
And yet…
The Discomfort
I honestly feel great discomfort in even writing this post: plagiarism is, at least in my mind, WRONG!
Aren’t we meant to come to the table filled with new ideas? If we aren’t that great at making new ideas, then aren’t supposed to use some else’s setting and be honest about it?
Gah!
We’re not talking about publishing, selling, or even academia. This is GMing. Gaming.
Right?
So why does it feel so dirty?
Eons ago, when I wrote adventures for a living city campaign, as soon as I sent off the file, I was happy for it to be used in any way – other people would run the game on different tables, with different groups, and each encounter would be different – even though they all used the same adventure.
DMs would put themselves into the runing of the game, changing the adventure from what I had designed, but making it better, adding to the depth of the story, and making it their own.
As a writer, I was happy with this. But if they had then repackaged it and sold it on, I may have been a little miffed!
As long as you respect the work from others, and don’t benefit from selling it, I think it is fine. AFter all, you are only talking about a small borowing of the item, to share with 6 friends.