Lethal Blow? A Web3 Game Inspired By D&D Changes Direction Due To The NFT Ban

Join Our Telegram channel to stay up to date on breaking news coverage

Many fans and content producers were horrified by what they perceived to be restrictions that may restrict their freedom to produce derivative games, shows, and other forms of media when rumors about an anticipated Dungeons & Dragons licensing shakeup first appeared earlier this month.

NFTs, however, ended up being the main target, which was bad news for Web3 gaming startup Gripnr, which was developing a project that aimed to recreate the appeal of the fantasy-themed tabletop blockbuster for the modern era. Now that it is evident that D&D’s parent corporation has no interest in NFTs, the company is reversing course.

The current D&D Open Game License has made it possible for fans and businesses to produce materials that are compatible with the illustrious tabletop experience for more than 20 years by allowing the use of certain elements—such as game mechanics—via a System Reference Document.

Wizards of the Coast has reduced some of the most onerous terms of the new license—including mandatory royalties—in response to significant criticism, but the license’s most recent edition still forbids the integration of D&D’s material into NFTs.

Wizards of the Coast, the company that publishes D&D, stated in a blog post that one of the main objectives of the company in updating the license was to respond to third-party Web3 projects. The company wrote,

We wanted to address those attempting to use D&D in Web3, blockchain games, and NFTs by making clear that [Open Game License] content is limited to tabletop role-playing content.

However, Gripnr’s first goal was essentially to combine Web3 technology with aspects of Dungeons & Dragons.

In late 2021, the Louisiana-based startup started developing The Glimmering, a tabletop game powered by blockchain. It aimed to encourage play while recording money, objects, and experience points on-chain, among other things like paying inventors and those in charge of The Glimmering sessions. It did this by utilizing the Ethereum sidechain network Polygon.

According to the game’s whitepaper, the Open Games License and System Reference Document would be utilized to “bring The Glimmering to life.” Following the disclosure of the contentious licensing update, some members of Gripnr’s top management had a meeting, according to lead game developer Stephen Radney-MacFarland.

He said, “There was a considerable amount of commotion.” The question of “How are we going to do this?” has to be revisited.

GRIPNR isn't moving forward with OGL 1.2 or SRD 5.1. It's not protective of creators nor meets our standards of "open."

To be blunt, Wizards has no broad right to prevent the use of Web3, blockchain, or NFTs in TTRPGs.

Our statement:https://t.co/UE0QEYxmko #OpenDnD #DnD #OGL

— The Glimmering (@The_Glimmering) January 20, 2023

The wisest course of action, in the opinion of Gripnr, was to proceed with the project while rescinding all applications of the Open Games License and System Reference Document. And Gripnr is of the opinion that none of the intellectual property that Wizards of the Coast has the right to protect has been violated by its game.

The prohibition on NFTs in the proposed license, according to Radney-MacFarland, wasn’t wholly unexpected because the company had already received emails indicating Wizards of the Coast “may not be thrilled” with The Glimmering.

Refusing to take a chance

Last week, Gripnr published a thorough rebuttal to the most recent version of the license that had been offered, citing problems with the changes that go far beyond a prohibition on blockchain applications. In the end, it proposed a design for a fresh, open-source license for tabletop RPGs.

The statement read, “The wisest course of action for Gripnr and many other companies in the industry is to renounce the [Open Games License] and find licensing or other approaches that will allow us to continue operating.” To put it plainly and honestly, Wizards has no general authority to forbid the use of Web3, blockchain technology, or NFTs in tabletop gaming.

The blog post also referred to Wizards of the Coast’s use of NFTs as one of the main justifications for wanting to update the license as “disingenuous,” given that Hasbro, the parent company, has previously sold NFTs, including digital Funko Pop collectibles and Starting Lineup NBA action figures packaged with NFTs.

To fund the project, Gripnr announced in April 2022 that it had raised $2.5 million. However, the initiative has encountered a great deal of criticism from aficionados of tabletop games, much to the strong opposition to NFTs from some video game fans. Gizmodo, a tech publication, elaborated on the initiative last year under the heading “NFTs are here to wreck D&D.”

The on-chain campaign for The Glimmering will begin in March, but Gripnr has already launched its Genesis Collection of NFT heroes that will be needed to play the game.

The selling of the heroes was one of the justifications given by Radney-MacFarland for moving on.

We were not going to simply pack up our belongings and head home, he declared. We had already worked very hard and sold all of our initial supply of NFT heroes.

The traits of the heroes are produced at random and describe a wide range of characteristics exclusive to each character, such as their weapons, armor, and unique backgrounds. A hero from the Genesis Collection has only ever been sold on OpenSea once, in October 2022.

Veteran of the tabletop gaming sector, Radney-MacFarland has held positions with both Wizards of the Coast and Paizo, the company behind Pathfinder, one of D&D’s main rivals. The Glimmering is now being revised, according to the developer, in order to account for the removal of the Open Games License and System Reference Document.

He said, “I’m hastily reviewing the things that I’ve previously built and making improvements.

Name: Lidl
Ancestry: Dragonborn
Class: Bard 🪕
Background: Veteran
Homeland: Corinon
Owner: @radarracecar

With sword and harp in hand, Lidl is ready for any challenge the party may face! pic.twitter.com/bj6DdlJX79

— The Glimmering (@The_Glimmering) January 17, 2023

Prospective players can currently experience The Tower of Power, a one-hour game session hosted on Gripnr’s Discord server, to get a taste of what The Glimmering will be like. Since the current version of the game by Gripnr has not yet been revoked, it continues to use that version.

According to Radney-MacFarland, the game will still have aspects that are common in tabletop gaming, such as 20-sided dice, spells, adventures, and treasure. However, given the necessity of properly differentiating itself from its legendary inspiration, some features, such as specific monsters and portions of the game’s mythology, are likely to change.

He predicted that “our orcs will be a little different.” Although there will be some differences from what people are used to playing, I don’t believe those differences will be overpowering.

Calvaria Presale

In the realm of NFT card gaming, a hot project right now is Calvaria. It is currently in presale and only a few hours remain to complete the $3 million presale. This opportunity offers purchasing tokens at a significant discount and 97% of tokens have already been sold.

What is Calvaria?

Calvaria is a Play-to-earn (P2E) crypto collectible battle card game with an afterlife theme. It aims to bring crypto games into the public eye by integrating into a sizable, established industry: the market for real battle games (such as Pokemon or Yu-Gi-Oh). There is also a possibility for significant development, with Markets and Markets’ study projecting that the cryptocurrency gaming market would expand from its current value of $4.6 billion in 2022 to $65.7 billion by 2027.

What Sets Calvaria Apart?

Calvaria is marketed as a cutting-edge, one-of-a-kind blockchain gaming platform that aims to incorporate a number of Web3 concepts into a user-friendly and engaging experience. Players build an avatar from a wide range of playable races and classes when they join a Metaverse with the idea of an afterlife.

Each and every sign in Calvaria has its own own token to symbolize it (NFT). These NFT trade cards are used to build the decks that players use to compete against one another.

They employ complex strategies to acquire new items and points, and the winner is awarded with eRIA, the platform’s in-game money. Since they can cash out their winnings in for real money, players are incentivized to keep playing.

The network stands out for gamers because of a variety of features. Any gadget, at any place, can be used to play the game. No special tools are needed; players may just download the game to their cellphones and begin playing.

The developers of Calvaria have made care to keep things fresh by allowing players to tweak a number of combat-related elements. As a result, there will be a sizable knowledge base available for use in combat.

Every player in the Calvaria game serves as a “pseudo-ambassador,” according to the notion developed by the game’s creators.

This is accomplished by offering a wide range of gameplay options that will appeal to both gamers in general and those with a focus on cryptocurrencies. The Calvaria game offers both a free-to-play (F2P) and a pay-to-win (P2W) option (P2E).

What Makes The RIA Token So Unique?

The designers of Calvaria have incorporated a local coin that is comparable to those found in numerous other blockchain-based games. A great tool for in-game purchases and raising player engagement is the RIA digital asset.

As is the case with most new currencies, the RIA rollout started with a pre-sale. Even with the present unfavorable market conditions in 2023, this offering has been one of the most successful since the presale started in the final quarter of 2022.

The platform’s developers recently disclosed that after the presale is a success, the token will be listed on well-known exchanges including BKEX and LBank. You should keep in mind that eRIA can take the place of traditional RIA, among other things. The token may be sold for immediate payment after the transaction is complete.

The fact that RIA is a proof-of-stake (PoS) currency adds to its value. The token offers the opportunity to increase your chances of winning and actively take part in determining the course of Calvaria’s numerous platform developments, upgrades, and other activities.

Purchase Calvaria Now

If you participate in the pre-sale, you are able to purchase Calvaria’s RIA token at a significant discount. Only 3% of tokens are available in the pre-sale, and it is estimated that the price will rise substantially after it it officially released on major exchanges.

Invest in Calvaria Now

Join Our Telegram channel to stay up to date on breaking news coverage