Magical Kitties Open License: Author Interview
To celebrate the release of Magical Kitties Save
the Day under an open license, the core Rulebook co-author Justin Alexander talked with me about why this is in fact a big deal.
Take a look, then get your own Magical Kitties material ready to
release under the Open License by the end of July, to win a HUGE digital
prize package worth $90!
Find out how to share your OWN Magical Kitties creations here!
 | RULEBOOK CO-AUTHOR Justin Alexander |
Magical Kitties just released under an open license. Why do you think this is important for the game and the fan community?
"Open licenses are a gift. Quite literally, and not only to those who use them, but to the entire community. We once swapped stories around the campfire, and those stories would grow and change and adapt and beget new stories as they passed from person to person and campfire to campfire.
"The modern era of copyright has choked us off from our heritage of shared storytelling. Copyright, and the protections it gives to creators who would otherwise be exploited by corporations, is important, but something was lost along the way, something that open licenses give back to us.
"I'm eager to see all the new magical kitties stories that will be created and shared and grow in the telling. I'm sure the magical kitties are excited, too! They know just how much magic a story shared can have."
Are you considering releasing your own Magical Kitties content under the open license? Tell us about them.
"I'm deep in the weeds on my next book, So You Want to Be a Dragon Slayer, but as soon as that's done, I'll be jumping at the opportunity to revisit the magical kitties! River City was my baby and I'll be looking forward to exploring more of its mysterious streets and strange secrets. I've also had the idea for cyberpunk kitties. Could be a good companion piece to the Mars setting!"
What are some things you'd like to see Magical Kitties fans create under the open license?
"One of the things I was most excited to create for Magical Kitties Save the Day were the adventure recipes. It's so easy to take Foes and Locations and other elements and drop them into the recipes to create cool new adventures. I'm looking forward to checking out all the new Foes and other stuff people create, and running all the adventures they'll inspire!"
What's your favorite thing about Magical Kitties Save the Day?
"I love how the magical kitties instantly capture the imagination of children. Every single kid I've ever run the game for has thought the kitties were the coolest things ever, and the illustrations by Anthony and Ekaterina never fail to delight. I'm very proud of the work we did, crafting a game that rewards that excitement and then builds on it -- introducing kids to roleplaying games, then to game mastering, then to adventure writing, then to world building.
"It's that same idea of shared storytelling made manifest."
Anything else you'd like to mention?
"I'm on vacation right now in a lake-side cabin with my daughter and my niece and my nephew. Looking across the room, I can see the Magical Kitties boxed set sitting on the table. Tonight we're going to be cracking open the box like a treasure chest and all the kids are going to leap into their kitties and go on a fabulous adventure.
I can't wait to share all the stories you've been waiting to create with them!"