Kobold Press is proud to announce that the Black Flag Reference Document (BFRD) is now available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). This addition expands the accessibility and usability of the BFRD, providing creators even more freedom to build, adapt, and share content based on the Black Flag Roleplaying system.
In addition, this version includes new material from the Tales of the Valiant Game Master’s Guide, including mechanics such as NPC attitude, dread to address terrors beyond mortal provenance, and environmental challenges: curses, diseases, hazards, and traps.
The Creative Commons license allows anyone to freely use, modify, and publish their own material derived from the BFRD, so long as proper attribution is given. Kobold Press believes this is a significant step toward empowering third-party publishers, game designers, and fans to confidently create new game mechanics and content without legal uncertainty.
“This is about opening doors for creators,” said Kobold Press founder Wolfgang Baur. “By licensing the BFRD under Creative Commons, we’re providing a stable legal oundation—one that’s compatible with how people actually build, share, and play tabletop RPGs.”
The BFRD builds on the 5E System Reference Document released by Wizards of the Coast under the same CC BY 4.0 license. That foundation created a dependable legal framework for game mechanics, and now, the BFRD offers that same clarity and creative freedom to the Black Flag community.
Creators using the BFRD under Creative Commons have no obligation to release their own mechanics as open content. While Kobold Press encourages contributions back to the community, the license fully supports commercial projects, proprietary development, and full creative independence.
The BFRD remains available under the Open RPG Creative (ORC) License. ORC emphasizes a different philosophy—new mechanical elements built on open content remain open. This dual licensing means publishers and creators can choose the license that best fits their goals or even publish under both licenses.
For more details on the BFRD, Creative Commons licensing, and how to use either license, click the big button!
For more information and press inquiries, please contact:
Dot Steverson
[email protected]
koboldpress.com
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