Bethesda's pen-and-paper Elder Scrolls "Elsweyr" adventure (archived here for reference) contains text that in total seems only slightly reworded from the D&D adventure "The Black Road," written by Paige Leitman and Ben Heisler as part of Wizards of the Coast's Organized Play program. The adventures are largely identical throughout their texts, aside from sometimes sloppy replacements of certain words and phrases with synonyms and the changing of certain items and locations to fit in the Elder Scrolls setting.
The introduction to "The Black Road" reads, in part:
"Elsweyr's" introduction reads as follows:
The similarities often extend to gameplay and scenario details as well. Here's a description of a caravan players can encounter in "The Black Road":
And a loooooot more (see the full article at Ars for the full breakdown).
Not actually sure if tabletop RPGs belong on the Gaming side? But given that Bethesda is a major games publisher, and that this is a tie in for the upcoming Elswyr expansion for TESO, I feel like it should be okay. Mods, please feel free to move it if you disagree.
Anyway, Bethesda landing in legal trouble given how zealously litigious it is is... ironic.
The introduction to "The Black Road" reads, in part:
There's nothing like the desert to make people feel small and insignificant. In every direction, huge dunes roll across the landscape, and an even bigger sky looms above. The oasis of Vuerthyl is a motley collection of sun-bleached tents in the vast Anauroch desert.
Through various means, it has been arranged that you would meet Azam the caravaneer in the large, Calimshan-styled tent that passes for a tavern here. A pair of tieflings, who seem to be unaffected by the heat, eye approaching visitors warily. The dim interior of the tent is a relief from the bright light and wind, though it's as hot here as anywhere else. The gentle sounds of a stringed instrument fill the air, and the people inside are hunched over food, drink, and conversation. A dragonborn with rust-colored scales greets you, and guides you to a private table. There are a few other adventurers here.
"Elsweyr's" introduction reads as follows:
Nothing beats the desert to make people feel small and unimportant. In every direction enormous dunes roll across the landscape, and an even larger empty air skies above it [sic]. The oasis on the border between Cyrodiil and Elsweyr is a colorful collection of sun-drenched tents in the vast desert of Elsweyr.
In various ways it is arranged that a group of adventurers would get acquainted with the caravan leader named Kar'reem. His big tent is filled with several Khajiit, which seem unaffected by the heat, they stare at you cautiously. The dim interior of the tent is a relief compared to the bright sunlight from outside, even though it is still as hot inside as out there. The soft sounds of stringed instrument [sic] fill the air, and the people are busy over eating, drinking, and conversation [sic]. An Argonian servant escorts you to an empty table.
The similarities often extend to gameplay and scenario details as well. Here's a description of a caravan players can encounter in "The Black Road":
- Four wagons, each pulled by two foul-tempered camels
- One wagon carries the caravan's food
- One wagon carries the caravan's water and a shipment of medicinal herbs
- One wagon carries a shipment of weapons
- One wagon carries the statue of Angharradh
- The caravan travels and sleeps in two shifts every day. Travel from predawn until noon, sleep from noon until late afternoon in the shade, travel from late afternoon until after dinnertime. Sleep from after dinnertime until predawn.
And a loooooot more (see the full article at Ars for the full breakdown).
Not actually sure if tabletop RPGs belong on the Gaming side? But given that Bethesda is a major games publisher, and that this is a tie in for the upcoming Elswyr expansion for TESO, I feel like it should be okay. Mods, please feel free to move it if you disagree.
Anyway, Bethesda landing in legal trouble given how zealously litigious it is is... ironic.
