There are so many fantasy TTRPGs out there besides Dungeons and Dragons, and it’s not just small indie publishers either. Whole companies have created their own iconic tabletop RPGs, each with reasons to pick over the classic D&D faire. Among the most prolific is Free League Publishing, with the likes of Symbaroum, Dragonbane and Forbidden Lands in its library. The Year Zero Engine‘s standard ruleset is famously free for creators, but the third-party games were out of reach.
Until now.
Free League Publishing expands its open game licenses to include several of its third party games. Worth noting, the standard Year Zero Engine Free Tabletop License only allowed for the use of the core rules, not any modifications or lore from third-party YZE publications. Much like how the OGL functions for DnD 5e books, the expanded license gives creators more freedom with their projects.
Here are the games now supported by that FTL, alongside their specific license agreements:
Put simply, open game licenses give third-party creators permission to make third-party content without fear of legal action, so long as they meet the license requirements. This is especially important for commercial creators, who want to earn from their third-party creations.
For players, this is great news because it means more homebrew content will start popping up everywhere. One of the greatest assets a tabletop game can have is longevity. Just take a look at how much homebrew is released whenever there’s a gap in the DnD release schedule.
I am especially excited to see more creators for Forbidden Lands. Despite the awesome post-apocalyptic fantasy setting, there’s far less content for the game than I’d like. With the floodgates opened up, so many stories will make their grim debut in these cursed lands.
You can read the official post from Free League Publishing here.
Want to find some new players for these Year Zero games? The Wargamer Discord has plenty of tabletop fans for you.