Ownership and License Questions

Canis Minor is not an open game license. Beyond what is allowable with the OGL, content creators only have permission to use those unique game systems and background materials explicitly permitted by Canis Minor. Content creators are not allowed to use other material for original content unless they have a license to do so from Pugsteady and Onyx Path Publishing (which requires a separate agreement).

If you’re still not sure about what you are allowed to publish, check the table below to see if that helps.

Allowed

I want to…

• design content using the Pugmire or Monarchies of Mau rules for Realms of Pugmire-related content
• have my content considered for additional publication by Pugsteady and/or Onyx Path
• have my content considered for inclusion in digital games
• have my content considered for inclusion in Realms of Pugmire marketing

Not Allowed

I cannot…

• publish my original IP using non-OGL elements of the Realms of Pugmire rules
• print and sell my Realms of Pugmire products on my own
• publish crossover games with IPs that do not belong to Pugsteady
• publish my own rules system for games set in the Pugmire world

 

Does Pugsteady/Onyx Path own the content that I create in my Canis Minor publications?

Yes. Further, content creators are not allowed to create new intellectual property under the Canis Minor program. Rather, every piece of content created uses the Pugsteady/Onyx Path IP. That said, if your work merits incorporation into canon, Pugsteady/Onyx Path will contact you.

The Canis Minor agreement will grant other Canis Minor authors a license to use your original content at any time from its publication date.

What do I include in the legal text within my Canis Minor title?

We recommend a legal section in this general format:

This product was created under license. PUGMIRE and its logo, and CANIS MINOR and its logo, are trademarks of Pugsteady, and used in conjunction with Onyx Path Publishing. All Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau setting material, art, and trade dress are the property of Onyx Path Publishing and Pugsteady. www.theonyxpath.com

This work contains material that is copyright Onyx Path Publishing and Pugsteady. Such material is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for “Canis Minor” Community Content. All other original material in this work is copyright [THIS YEAR] by [YOUR LEGAL NAME OR COMPANY NAME] and published under the Community Content Agreement for “Canis Minor” Community Content.

If I use content from other Canis Minor authors, do I need to credit them?

As more authors contribute to the Canis Minor’s pool of community content, we do not expect to maintain perfect attribution every time some author re-uses elements originally contributed by another author. Such attributions are not strictly required. However, we do think two things would be best practices for all Canis Minor contributors:

• When re-using a larger element that you have taken from another Canis Minor author’s work, include a reference to the original work as a link to the DriveThruRPG page within your PDF. For example, if you use a new enemy called the Badger Mystics that you found in another author’s work, you should reference that inside your own work using an internal citation such as "Badger Mystics from Attack of the Badgers by Jane Doe".
• On your title’s credit page, make a list of such references.

 

Content and Format Questions

What can I use in my products on the Canis Minor?

When you create your own title for the Canis Minor, you get access to a hoard of resources. Your work can use any of the rules published by Pugsteady/Onyx Path. Additionally, Pugsteady/Onyx Path and OneBookShelf will from time to time make additional resources such as stock art, template cover designs, and other such assets available for you to freely use in your Canis Minor titles.

As others create content for the Canis Minor and expand the world through their titles, you then have access to use that material in turn. All Canis Minor creators contribute to a pool of community content that can be re-used, expanded, and explored by other creators in the Canis Minor community.

In short, this is an opportunity to take part in a massive communal design network, one that is officially recognized and sanctioned by Pugsteady/Onyx Path.

Can I create new player character species in my products?

Pugsteady and Onyx Path reserve the right to product official products featuring rules for playing all mentioned species (including dogs, cats, rats, mice, lizards, geckos, turtles, snakes, birds, badgers, otters, polecats, weasels, ferrets, wolverines, and rabbits). Other other species are allowable as Canis Minor content.

Can I use iconic Pugsteady/Onyx Path characters like Yosha Pug, Pan Dachshund, and Leo Bulldog in my Canis Minor title?

Yes. They are good dogs.

Can I publish comic books, computer games, apps, and so on on Canis Minor?

No. Only what is listed under the "Allowable Media" section of the guidelines.  

Can I sell my Canis Minor title in print as well as PDF?

No. At this time, we are not allowing new print files for Community Content programs. If you have questions about this, contact publisher services at publisherservices@onebookshelf.com.

How do I prepare the PDF of my title for sale?

There are many different programs to layout and prepare your book for digital download. Here are some things to help you make sure your PDF will download properly and look great!

Fantasy Grounds, Roll20, and Virtual Tabletop Content

Can I publish Astral VTT, Foundry, Roll20, or other virtual tabletop compatible content through Canis Minor?

Yes! As long as your material follows the available licenses of those programs and the posted content guidelines on DriveThruRPG, you can produce content for virtual tabletop programs.

How do I sell adventures built for Astral TableTop on OneBookShelf?

As a community content creator follow the steps detailed here but use the tools on your Account page under My Content instead of a publisher account.

What logos can I use?

The normal artwork rules apply for the thumbnail image/covers, as can be seen here.

For titles with Fantasy Grounds content, you can continue to use the Canis Minor logo, but to make it stand out, you can also use this Fantasy Grounds logo on your cover.

How do I use these files?

For help installing and using files on Fantasy Grounds, take a look at the Fantasy Grounds User Guides here:

http://www.fantasygrounds.com/wiki/index.php/User_Guides

Can I make a Fantasy Grounds version of another author's Canis Minor release?

The artwork, including cartography, that another author includes in their Canis Minor title does not become re-usable by other Canis Minor authors. For this reason, it's likely very challenging to make a Fantasy Grounds compatible version of another author's work without contacting that author and working with them on it as a co-published project. Authors can be contacted by leaving them a message in the Discussion thread of their product.

 

Logo and Artwork Questions

What kinds of artwork and maps can I use in my Canis Minor products?

The artwork (such as illustrations and maps) that you include in your product becomes part of the Canis Minor content that other Canis Minor contributors can then use. Here is general advice for these types of artwork:

• Art provided by Pugsteady/Onyx Path. The art you find in the Resources for Canis Minor Creators category is owned by Pugsteady/Onyx Path and can be freely used in your Canis Minor titles. No other artwork from Pugsteady/Onyx Path can be used — only the art specifically released for Canis Minor Creators.

• Public Domain Art. Art that is in the public domain can be used, but it must be listed in the credits.

• Stock Art. Usage of stock art depends on the license associated with that stock art. Most of the stock art sold under the Canis Minor Resources category on DriveThruRPG includes a license that would allow it to be used in your Canis Minor titles.

• Commissioned Art. You must have all the rights to the art in your project. Commissioned artwork may have not been previously used for any other IP that is not a part of the Canis Minor.

• Creative Commons. This depends on the type of Creative Commons license. Some allow commercial use, while others do not.

What logos are required and allowed on my Canis Minor product?

You are required to use the Canis Minor logo on the cover of any product. You may use the included Pugmire and Mau logos in the art pack as well. You may not use any other game line logo as part of your RPG product title.

Do I have to use the templates provided by Pugsteady/Onyx Path?

You are highly recommended to use Pugsteady/Onyx Path templates, but they are not a requirement.

 

 

Payment and Pricing Questions

How should I price my product?

When you upload your Canis Minor product, you will enter all the metadata for your product, including setting its price. You have the option to set the price to be free ($0). You can also set the price to be Pay What You Want (PWYW), meaning that each customer can set their own price (from $0 up) to pay for your product. Most products, though, will be priced at a fixed price.

The ideal fixed price varies with the length of RPG product and its quality of writing, art, and design. Based on historic data from DriveThruRPG sales for PDFs, the most successful price points are $1.00, $2.00, $2.95, $3.95, $4.99, $7.95, $10.00, $14.95, and $19.99.

More detail can be found in this OneBookShelf blog post.

How do I get paid?

Once you activate your Canis Minor title for public sale, your account will begin to accrue a 50% royalty every time your product sells. You can withdraw your accumulated royalties via PayPal by going to the My Money section of the Account page. Note that the My Money section of your Account page will not display until you have a balance accrued.

There is a $2 fee to cover the cost of each withdrawal, but you will pay no other fees, either to us or to PayPal, to receive your money.

To prevent certain types of fraud, we must hold back the amount of royalties you earned in the past 60 days from being eligible for withdrawal. The amount eligible for withdrawal at any time, is your total account earnings balance less the amount earned in the past 60 days. You may use your earnings as site credit to pay for orders on site; this will lower your earnings balance and the amount eligible for withdrawal.

We pay royalties only via PayPal. Creating a PayPal account is free and easy, and in most countries, you can connect your PayPal account to your bank account and transfer money from PayPal to your bank in a few business days.

 

DriveThruRPG Publisher Account Questions

I already have a publisher account at DriveThruRPG. Should I use my normal publisher tools for submitting Canis Minor products?

No. Canis Minor products are managed from the My Content section of your Account page on DriveThruRPG.com. Do not use your normal Publisher Hub to set up new Canis Minor products. Royalties for Canis Minor product sales will likewise accrue in your customer account, not in your publisher earnings account

Can I use my publisher tools on my Canis Minor content?

Canis Minor content is associated only with your customer account, not your publisher account. The tools available to you for your Canis Minor content are found on the Account page of Canis Minor. They are a simplified subset of your normal publisher tools.

Can I release the same products on both Canis Minor and as an independent publisher?

Any content created for the Canis Minor, which is completely separate from your other publishing efforts, must remain exclusive to Canis Minor. It cannot be listed anywhere else, and will not be considered part of your publisher account (though it will be part of your “My Content” on the Canis Minor).

 

Other Questions

Can I submit non-English language titles to the Canis Minor program?

Please do! You can submit your content in any language.

Can I submit translated material to the Canis Minor originally published by other creators?

Yes, you may translate Canis Minor content with the permission of the original content creator, which will require an agreement between the creator and the translator. This may result in a revenue sharing program as administered by DriveThruRPG.com.

Can I submit translated material of previously officially published Pugsteady/Onyx Path products?

Not at this time. We are in the process of working with professional translation companies.

Will material be approved by Pugsteady/Onyx Path before it is published on the Canis Minor?

There will not be a formal approval process by Pugsteady/Onyx Path or OneBookShelf, per se. However, if you’re found to be breaking our content guidelines, there will be repercussions. For example, your content can be pulled from the site, you might be ejected from Canis Minor as a content creator, and you would receive no payment for copies sold.

Can anyone rate my Canis Minor content?

Only people who purchase your content are allowed to rate and review it. Anyone can join the Discussion on your product page, however.

It is encouraged to keep reviews of other's work positive and helpful, in keeping with the community atmosphere.

Can I rate my Canis Minor content?

No. Self-reviews are not allowed.

Can I become an administrator for the Canis Minor?

At this time, all administration responsibilities are handled by OneBookShelf and Pugsteady/Onyx Path staff.