Officially Sanctioned World of Darkness Fan Activities and Legal Notices
We know that our fans like to support our World of Darkness games and products by expressing themselves creatively and enthusiastically. We encourage and appreciate greatly our fans’ dedication, time, energy, and creativity. However, we would also like our fans to respect our rights as the owners and the creators of these intellectual properties. The Dark Pack is our program for supporting World of Darkness fan activities while protecting our copyrights and trademarks.
You don’t need to ask for our permission before creating and sharing most types of content as long as it is non-commercial. Anyone can stream an actual play of Vampire: The Masquerade, make and share cosplays and fan art, run a World of Darkness LARP, or even make and share a short fan film on YouTube, without asking us first if it’s okay–again, if the content is non-commercial.
You can monetize videos on platforms that allow it (such as YouTube), and gather funds through optional subscription services (such as Twitch, Patreon, ko-fi), if the World of Darkness content you provide is available for free for everyone to enjoy.
What we ask is that when you advertise or promote your fan content using our intellectual property, on websites, social media, posters, flyers, TikTok, Patreon, and similar channels and platforms, you acknowledge our copyrights and trademarks by including a brief legal statement and the Dark Pack logo on your advertising. We understand that presenting and sharing our brand matters to you, and we want to help you do it in a way that will help us promote your content as we expand our community support efforts and also respects our rights and the brand owner.
What’s included? What kind of content can I make or share?
You can create and share the following non-monetized and non-commercial content:
- Websites and social media fan pages and fan groups
- Online roleplaying games (Discord, IRC, MUSH, Obsidian Portal, forums, etc.)
- Live and recorded streams on streaming platforms (Twitch, YouTube,, Facebook, TikTok, etc.)
- Live and recorded podcasts
- Original artwork, art galleries, and art collections
- Fan fiction
- Fan “films” (short videos)
- Cosplay
- Live Action Roleplaying (LARP) events
- Character sheets
- Online character generators (including downloadable and mobile apps)
- These apps must be free; they cannot contain in-app purchases or other monetized transactions
- Virtual dice rollers
- Mods to Paradox Interactive games (any mods you create using World of Darkness IP shall be governed by the Paradox Mod policy, which you can find here https://www.paradoxplaza.com/mod-static-info-ca.html. Please notice that Paradox is not always the owner of the intellectual property for a game that we publish, and therefore, Paradox cannot unconditionally allow modding to all games published by us. This also means that modding is only allowed for strictly non-commercial purposes. In case of a discrepancy between the mod policy and this Agreement, the mod policy shall take precedence)
- Discord bots, provided that they do not contain verbatim quotations from World of Darkness products, including books (such as Vampire: The Masquerade v5 Corebook), and that they cite original materials if applicable (such as TTRPG book names and page numbers).
If the kind of content you want to make and share isn’t listed above please feel free to contact us and ask about it through our social media (Twitter DM or Facebook message).
So Dark Pack is an agreement?
Yes. This agreement (the “Agreement”) is between you and Paradox Interactive AB (“Paradox”). Placing the Dark Pack logo on your content means that you agree to abide by all terms of this Agreement. In return for accepting this Agreement, Paradox permits you to use its intellectual property as described in this Agreement. In jurisdictions where consideration is required for an agreement to be enforceable, you agree that the right to use that material is valuable consideration for accepting this Agreement.
Questions? Please check out the FAQ below, and if you still have questions contact us through our social media (Twitter DM or Facebook message).
The Legal Part
Intellectual property; ownership and license
Paradox Interactive owns the copyright, and/or a copyright interest, in all of the World of Darkness products published by it, its licensed partners, and/or its affiliates. These copyrights include (but are not limited to) the copyrightable elements to: the Storyteller System; the backstory of the World of Darkness® including its factions (Clans, Tribes, etc.); Exalted and Chronicles of Darkness elements; named characters and unique locations, and items; the storylines expressed in World of Darkness novels, game products, licensed products, and larps; the artwork included in all previous materials; and any and all derivative works of any of the foregoing works in any language.
Paradox Interactive owns the trademarks and/or registered trademarks in any term or mark appearing in or associated with its products or support materials, some of which bear the TM or ® symbol, including but not limited to the names of the games, the Storyteller System™, Mind’s Eye Theatre®, the names of the factions (Clans, Tribes, etc.), and all associated graphical logos, artwork, and trade dress. Paradox Interactive’s copyrights and trademarks also include its own corporate name, logo, and trade dress as well as the Camarilla® name, logo and trade dress.
Collectively and hereafter, these intellectual properties and any other intellectual property embodied in any works of World of Darkness materials are called “World of Darkness IP”.
Subject to your compliance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Paradox hereby grants you a personal, non-sublicensable, royalty-free, revocable right and license to use the World of DarknessIP for types of content listed in this policy.
Nothing in this Agreement is to be construed as a transfer of ownership into any World of Darkness IP. All rights not expressly granted in this Agreement are reserved by Paradox Interactive.
How to join The Dark Pack?
Include the Dark Pack logo somewhere on Your Material as an indication to the public of your compliance with this Agreement.
Download Dark Pack logo with red border here >>
Download Dark Pack logo without the border here >>
In addition, include the following copyright and trademark notice:
“Portions of the materials are the copyrights and trademarks of Paradox Interactive AB, and are used with permission. All rights reserved. For more information please visit worldofdarkness.com.”
Finally, include a notice which informs users that Your Material is not official World of Darkness material.
- You may not remove or alter any copyright or trademark notices of World of Darkness.
- Your use of World of Darkness IP is strictly for non-commercial purposes only. For example, you may not offer goods or services for sale in connection with your use of the World of Darkness IP.
- You may not sell or charge any fees in connection with Your Material, with these exceptions:
- You may accept donations for your time and materials through Patreon or similar services, or through sponsorships.
- You may accept subscription fees and revenues allowable through streaming platforms such as Twitch, YouTube, Mixer, etc.
- You may sell your Material through the Storytellers Vault, our official program that allows you to create and sell certain types of content through our authorized web portal.
- You warrant and represent that Your Material at all times shall comply with all applicable laws, and that it does not infringe any third party’s intellectual property rights or any other right.
Use of materials: what is reasonable?
Use of works embodying World of Darkness IP is strictly limited to what is deemed reasonable extent. Paradox reserves the right to decide, in its sole and absolute discretion, what constitutes “reasonable extent” in each case. With the exception for artwork, the copying, distributing, or making publicly available of any World of Darkness work (such as book) in full is never deemed reasonable for the purpose of this Agreement.
You may provide links to materials provided by Paradox Interactive for free, such as quickstart guides, character sheets, or other promotional products.
Term and termination
This Agreement is effective until terminated.
You may terminate this Agreement at any time by removing the Dark Pack logo and ceasing to use the World of Darkness IP on Your Material.
Paradox Interactive may terminate this Agreement at any time for any reason. You must then immediately cease to use all World of Darkness IP on Your Material.
Limitation of liability
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, in no event shall Paradox Interactive, its affiliates or licensees, be liable for any special, incidental, indirect, or consequential damages whatsoever (including, without limitation, damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of business information, or any other pecuniary loss) arising out of your use of or inability to use the World of Darkness IP.
Nothing in this agreement limits our liability to you in the event of death or personal injury resulting from gross negligence, fraud, or knowing misrepresentation on our part.
General
Governing law; jurisdiction
This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the country of Sweden, without regard to its rules on conflicts of law. With regard to any disputes arising under this Agreement, the parties hereby submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the general courts of Stockholm, Sweden.
Updates to this agreement
Paradox Interactive reserves the right to, in its sole and absolute discretion, change the terms of this Agreement with 30 days’ notice. A prominent notice of any changes to this Agreement will be provided on www.worldofdarkness.com and through Paradox Interactive’s owned social media channels.
Severability
If for any reason a court of competent jurisdiction finds any provision, or portion thereof, of this Agreement to be unenforceable, the remainder of this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect.
In all and every legal issue, the English version of this Agreement has the highest priority.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I use the Dark Pack as a way to publish and sell my own World of Darkness novels or tabletop RPG books?
A: No. You can publish and sell some kinds of World of Darkness books through our Storytellers Vault program, but that is the limit of book publication allowed by this policy. Books created through a donations platform can only be published on the Storytellers Vault.
Q: Can I use the Dark Pack policy as a way to create and sell my Material that uses World of Darkness assets or intellectual property (examples: crafts, t-shirts, posters, artwork)?
A: No. For these activities you will need a license. You can also choose to contact some of our licensed merchandise partners to inquire about collaborations:
By Night Studios: www.bynightstudios.com
Rusted Icon Designs: www.rusted-icon.net
Q: Does this policy mean that I can accept donations to cover my costs for a fan-created online roleplaying game, like a Discord or chat server?
A: Yes, if you are collecting donations for your time and materials through Patreon or similar services.
Q: Are there any restrictions on how long my World of Darkness fan film or video can be?
A: The video should be no more than about 15 minutes or less in length. The production must be an amateur production (a production that is created by , and it must be distributed for viewing without charge to the viewer and without generating revenue. If you share your fan video content on a platform that allows monetizing such as YouTube or Twitch, this is allowed.
Q: How do I use the Dark Pack logo and legal copy in a cosplay or a stream?
A: We don’t expect you to put the Dark Pack logo on your cosplay costume or show it on your live stream. We do expect you to use the logo whenever you are promoting your content, or soliciting donations to cover your time and materials through a service like Patreon, or on the promotional channels where you advertise your Material. For streamers, including the Dark Pack logo in your stream overlay when you’re streaming World of Darkness games is a good option.
Q: Can I ask for donations to help defray the cost of running my LARP event?
A: Yes. We recognize that it’s often necessary to pay for a safe and comfortable LARP venue, and that asking for donations from your players helps cover those costs. This will include the vast majority of casual LARPs that are not organized for commercial purposes. We in no way want to discourage your LARPing!
Q: Can I charge fees for LARP membership in my LARP organization, or fees for attending my LARP event, that are in excess of covering my time and materials?
A: Yes, but if your LARP is a commercial business and its fees generate net revenue in excess of time and materials, we may require you to have an additional license. This isn’t to make life more difficult for LARP organizers or players, but to ensure that our intellectual property is protected in the way laws require it. We recognize that this may seem vague, but we are actively working on a more specific and detailed policy with input from LARP organizers. Until we can share that we ask for your patience and that you contact us through our social media (Twitter DM or Facebook message) if you are in any way uncertain about your LARP.