What is the Community Content Agreement for Pathfinder Infinite and Starfinder Infinite?
The Community Content Agreement for Pathfinder Infinite and Starfinder Infinite is the contract you enter into with Roll20 Inc that allows you to publish material on Pathfinder Infinite and Starfinder Infinite. You can find the full text of this license here, or whenever you upload a new product to the marketplace. Because “Community Content Agreement for Pathfinder Infinite and Starfinder Infinite” is a rather long name for the license, this FAQ may refer to it as the “Infinite License” for the sake of brevity.
The Infinite License is what grants you the right to use Paizo’s Intellectual Property (IP) and that of other Infinite publishers. While this FAQ gives a lot of specifics about what you can and can’t do in the program, it’s really the Infinite License that’s doing the legal heavy lifting.
How does Pathfinder Infinite interact with the Open RPG Creative License (ORC)?
The Open RPG Creative License and Pathfinder Infinite are two distinct and separate things that allow you to use rules and IP owned by others.
The ORC allows publishers to use material designated as Licensed Material in ORC-licensed publications in their own ORC publications. This is restricted to only Licensed Material, which is nearly always copyrighted expressions of game mechanics. While Paizo now releases game rules under the ORC, the Community Content Agreement for Pathfinder Infinite and Starfinder Infinite already grants you the right to use this same content and more. As such, you do not need to cite the ORC when using any Paizo-owned material that was otherwise released under the ORC.
This means that you can already use almost any Intellectual Property Paizo owns under the terms of the Infinite License, including game rules. Thus, you don’t need the ORC in order to be able to publish derivative material on Pathfinder Infinite.
In fact, as of the publication of this FAQ, the Infinite License expressly restricts you from releasing any content in your Pathfinder Infinite or Starfinder Infinite product as Licensed Material under the ORC or any other “open license” (the OGL, CC-BY-SA, etc.).
This ensures that what you release on Pathfinder Infinite or Starfinder Infinite remains within this closed ecosystem, as required by the Infinite License. It also ensures that you or another Infinite publisher don’t inadvertently release something you or Paizo don’t own, that wasn’t previously ORC-Licensed Material (like OGL-based Open Game Content) under the ORC license. Doing so would put you in violation of the OGL, which doesn’t allow Open Game Content to be released under a secondary license.
This also means that you can’t use any ORC Licensed Material that didn’t originate in a Paizo publication, as the Infinite License doesn’t grant you the rights to that material, and you can’t comply with the ORC by passing that open content through to downstream users.
How does Pathfinder Infinite interact with the Open Game License (OGL)?
The Open Game License and Pathfinder Infinite are two distinct and separate things that allow you to use rules and other IP owned by others.
The Open Game License allows its users to publish game material based upon other content released under the same license. It is possible for you to publish material under the OGL without using any of the other licenses mentioned in this FAQ. For more information on the OGL, see the text of the license itself, available at paizo.com/pathfinder/compatibility/ogl.
Under the Open Game License, you can publish material that uses existing Open Game Content owned by other authors or companies so long as they are credited as outlined in the OGL itself, and so long as the resulting product is published under the OGL. The OGL doesn’t allow you to claim compatibility with the Pathfinder rules or use the Pathfinder setting.
As of the publication of this FAQ, the Community Content Agreement for Pathfinder Infinite and Starfinder Infinite explicitly restricts you from using Open Game Content from the OGL or any other “open license” (the OGL, CC-BY-SA, etc.).
Legacy content released under the OGL prior to October 1, 2024 will be permitted to remain on the Infinite marketplace, but no additional products may be released that include this license after that point.
How does Pathfinder Infinite differ from the Paizo Community Use Policy (CUP)?
Both Pathfinder Infinite and the Paizo Community Use Policy allow you to use Paizo’s IP, reference Pathfinder and other trademarks, and use some Paizo-owned art. The primary difference between them is that the CUP is strictly non-commercial, meaning you can’t sell the content created under it or restrict access to it behind a paywall. They also grant you permission to use different pieces of IP, and you can only release content on the Pathfinder Infinite or Starfinder Infinite marketplaces under the Infinite License, not the CUP.
Under the Paizo Community Use Policy, you can publish material that uses the Lost Omens setting (formerly called the Pathfinder Chronicles setting or simply the Pathfinder campaign setting) as published by Paizo and select Paizo-owned artwork for non-commercial release only. You can’t use new Lost Omens material created by other Pathfinder Infinite authors and released on PathfinderInfinite.com under the CUP. If it’s a product containing rules, you must still adhere to the terms of the OGL or ORC. For more information on the Paizo Community Use Policy, see paizo.com/licenses/communityuse.
Alternatively, Pathfinder Infinite allows you to use the Lost Omens setting and an even larger selection of artwork, as well as content created by other Pathfinder Infinite authors. Furthermore, it allows you to sell your product on the Pathfinder Infinite marketplace at PathfinderInfinite.com.
How is the Infinite License different from the Paizo Compatibility License?
Both the Infinite License and the Paizo Compatibility License allow you to indicate that your game material is compatible with the Pathfinder or Starfinder games, but Pathfinder Infinite also lets you use the Pathfinder setting.
Under the Paizo Compatibility License, you can use Paizo’s trademarks to declare compatibility with one or more Pathfinder or Starfinder rules sets. You may sell this content on any marketplace but can’t use any of the Pathfinder setting or Paizo-owned artwork allowed under the CUP or Pathfinder Infinite. For more information on the Pathfinder Compatibility License, see paizo.com/licenses/compatibility.
Under the Pathfinder Infinite program, you can publish Pathfinder material that uses the Lost Omens setting (formerly called the Pathfinder Chronicles setting or simply the Pathfinder campaign setting) or the Starfinder setting. Depending what game system it’s made for, you can also claim compatibility with any Pathfinder or Starfinder rules set.
Does Paizo own any unique IP that I create in my Pathfinder Infinite publications?
You retain ownership of any unique, original IP that you create in your publications (original characters, events, locations, magic items, organizations, etc.). Additionally, the Infinite License grants Paizo a license to use your IP, and a right for other Pathfinder Infinite and/or Starfinder Infinite authors to use your IP in their own works on Pathfinder or Starfinder Infinite without compensation or royalty.
If your work merits incorporation into officially published material, Paizo will make a good faith effort to ensure you are properly credited for your contributions. The content guidelines for both Pathfinder and Starfinder Infinite urge other Infinite authors to do the same.
Is content on Pathfinder or Starfinder Infinite canon?
Content published on Pathfinder Infinite and Starfinder Infinite is considered unofficial and non-canon. This is true even if the author is professionally associated with Paizo, either as a member of the staff or a former or current freelance author.
What do I include in the legal text within my Pathfinder Infinite or Starfinder Infinite title?
All products released on Pathfinder Infinite or Starfinder Infinite must include the following legal declaration in a clearly visible place, preferably the title page:
[[XXProduct_Name]] © [[XXYear]], [[Your name or company name here]]. All rights reserved. Paizo, the Paizo golem, Pathfinder, Starfinder, and other trademarks owned by Paizo are property of Paizo Inc. This work is published under the Community Content Agreement for Pathfinder Infinite and Starfinder Infinite.
If you are using content through another license that requires attribution, such as Creative Commons CC-BY, you must include all attributions that such license requires. Note that use of content from Open Licenses or Share-Alike Licenses (those that require you share your derivative work in a similar fashion, like the OGL, ORC, and CC-BY-SA licenses) is not permitted under the Infinite License.
What Intellectual Property from official Pathfinder and Starfinder products am I not granted a license to under the Infinite License?
While Paizo licenses the bulk of its Intellectual Property to you as part of this program, there are some elements of official Pathfinder and Starfinder publications that Paizo doesn’t have the right to license out, namely those rules and flavor elements that Paizo gained access to via the Open Game License (OGL) or other arrangements (see below). The Infinite License does not grant you permission to use these elements, though you may be able to use some of them under permitted licenses like CC-BY.
Ultimately, it is the publisher’s responsibility to ensure that another publisher’s IP isn’t used in products in an unauthorized manner. When in doubt, publishers are encouraged to err on the side of caution. One method of determining if something is owned by Paizo (and thus licensed under this program) is to see if it is referred to, and if so, how, in a non-OGL product such as Pathfinder Player Core, Pathfinder GM Core, or a work of Pathfinder fiction. While this will not reveal Open Game Content that was omitted from these works for space or other considerations, if something has been replaced with an original creation filling the same niche in a non-OGL source, that should indicate that the original term or concept was available only via the OGL.
On a few occasions, Paizo has published material under specific agreements with third parties who have allowed its use in isolated cases. Since this content is not Paizo’s IP, it isn’t something the Pathfinder Infinite program can grant you access to. In each case, this material was declared Product Identity and is thus also unavailable under the OGL. As of this FAQ’s publishing, the following material is not allowed in Pathfinder Infinite or Starfinder Infinite products:
- Abhoth (Pathfinder Adventure Path #109: In Search of Sanity)
- Atlach-Nacha (Pathfinder Adventure Path #112: The Whisper Out of Time)
- Byakhee (Pathfinder Adventure Path #110: The Thrushmoor Terror)
- Chaugnar Faugn (Pathfinder Adventure Path #109: In Search of Sanity)
- Coeurl (Pathfinder Adventure Path #9: Endless Darkness)
- Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath (Pathfinder Adventure Path #46: Wake of the Watcher)
- Deep Crow (Pathfinder Adventure Path #9: Endless Darkness)
- Dimensional Shambler (Pathfinder Adventure Path #46: Wake of the Watcher)
- Formless Spawn (Pathfinder Adventure Path #111: Dreams of the Yellow King)
- Gnoph-Keh (Pathfinder Adventure Path #46: Wake of the Watcher)
- Hunting Horror (Pathfinder Adventure Path #113: What Grows Within)
- Ib Shade(Pathfinder Adventure Path #111: Dreams of the Yellow King)
- Ithaqua (Pathfinder Adventure Path #109: In Search of Sanity)
- Mordiggian (Pathfinder Adventure Path #109: In Search of Sanity)
- Star Vampire (Pathfinder Adventure Path #110: The Thrushmoor Terror)
- Tsathoggua (Pathfinder Adventure Path #109: In Search of Sanity)
- Wamp (Pathfinder Adventure Path #111: Dreams of the Yellow King)
- Characters, locations, and events introduced in the Knights of Everflame livestream
- Any content of the Pathfinder-branded tie-ins for either Vampire Hunter D or Niobe.
If I use content from other Pathfinder Infinite or Starfinder Infinite authors, do I need to credit them?
When re-using a larger element that you have taken from another Pathfinder Infinite or Starfinder Infinite author’s work (such as an original character, location, monster, or event), include a reference to the original work by linking to the product page on PathfinderInfinite.com or StarfinderInfininte.com within your PDF. For example, if you are using a new character known as the Wobble Goblin that you found in another author’s work, you might reference that inside your own work where you describe or provide stats for the Wobble Goblin the first time, using an internal citation such as, "(Wobble Goblin from The Wobbliest Goblin by Merisiel Silvari)."
We recommend you include a list of such references on your title page for readers’ ease of use.
If I write a short story, can that be reprinted in an anthology later, without my permission or without any financial remuneration for my work?
Not by other members of the Infinite community, as compiling others’ work is not considered adapting or building on it. If Paizo were to release an official collection of Pathfinder or Starfinder Infinite fiction, we would make every effort to purchase the story from you outright, just as if we had commissioned its writing in the first place.
If we can’t use the OGL in our products, does that mean we can’t support Pathfinder First Edition or Starfinder First Edition?
In January 2023, Wizards of the Coast released the System Reference Document 5.1 under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. This released many of the proprietary terms and the specific expressions of many game mechanics upon which Pathfinder and Starfinder were built into the Creative Commons space. Since the Infinite License does not prohibit the inclusion of Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) content, you may be able to use some elements of Pathfinder and Starfinder that would be otherwise unlicensed without the OGL.
This is not blanket permission to use the entirety of Pathfinder and Starfinder in your products. There are many aspects of both games that derive from Open Game Content that are not covered in the System Reference Document 5.1, and it is your responsibility as publisher to ensure you are only using elements that are licensed under CC-BY.
If a game term is owned by Paizo, such as the strix ancestry or skittermanders, then you need no license beyond the Infinite Licese to use that content in your product for any game edition. If a game term is not owned by Paizo but is available under a license compatible with the Infinite License, such as the terms aboleth or tiefling as found in the SRD 5.1, you may use them in your Pathfinder First Edition and Starfinder First Edition products to the extent you comply with the CC-BY license of the SRD 5.1.
Please note that this FAQ does not constitute legal advice, and publishers are each responsible for using the content in their products legally. We recommend you consult with an intellectual property attorney if you have any questions about this.
Okay, but what does that mean in practice?
In general, if you’re making something of your own creation, like a monster or spell or feat, that’s your material. If it refers to a game term or bit of setting lore that Paizo owns (like if it’s related to Thassilon or comes from the planet Eox) then the Infinite License grants you permission to use those terms. If it includes game terms that Paizo doesn’t own, like the magic missile spell, the chaotic evil plane of the Abyss, or owlbears, you will just need to make sure that those non-Paizo terms are something you gain access to via the SRD 5.1 and Creative Commons.
Some topics will be easier to adapt using Creative Commons than others, and we encourage publishers to collaborate with the larger Infinite community to find creative solutions to the tougher ones. But for many publishers, readers, players, and Game Masters, a Pathfinder First Edition-compatible product or Starfinder First Edition adventure that uses the SRD 5.1 in place of the OGL will feel seamless.
Can I use a monster, spell, class, feat, or magic item from a pre-Remaster Pathfinder Second Edition product in my Infinite project?
Probably. Most Pathfinder Second Edition material was written entirely by Paizo and is thus something we can license to you under the terms of the Infinite License rather than the OGL. In some cases, however, this new content might refer to OGL elements that you’ll need to strip out if you reprint it. This means you can create new feats for the magus, include an anadi NPC in your adventure (or even present a remastered version of the anadi ancestry), and include magic items or spells from most Legacy sources in your content as well. If a Remastered version of the rules element you’re using exists, we prefer you build upon and reference the Remastered version, but if no Remastered version exists and Paizo created the content in question, you are free to use it in your Pathfinder Second Edition project.
Does this mean I can use the SRD 5.1 and Creative Commons to include things like drow and owlbears in my Second Edition release?
While this might legally be allowed, we ask that you reference the SRD 5.1 only in Pathfinder First Edition and Starfinder First Edition releases, in place of the Open Game License. Pathfinder Second Edition and Starfinder Second Edition products should use Paizo-owned terminology as released in ORC-licensed products.
Can I use Pathfinder Second Edition or the Starfinder Second Edition Playtest to release Starfinder Second Edition content before the final game is released?
Please refrain from releasing content for a rules set that is not finalized and has not yet been released. Prior to the release of Starfinder Second Edition in August 2025, we will provide templates, art assets, and other tools to help publishers use this exciting new game system. Until then, please release content only for Starfinder First Edition.