Fan Created Works Guidelines

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Grotto Beasts! is the Intellectual Property (IP) of Elbertson and Sons, LLC and the rules of the game are licensed to Elbertson and Sons by game designer J. Evan Raitt. This page lists some brief guidelines on Fan Content. We want to be as lenient as we can, where we can– the team wants the community to have plenty of space to create the things they’d like with this project and world, and we’re excited that you’d consider creating things for spaces related to Grotto Beasts!


With that in mind, three important overall guidelines:

  1. Please make sure your Fan Content is not appearing to be or passing as official, and indicate where necessary that Elbertson and Sons is not directly connected to your work. In some cases, it’s appreciated that your work is clearly marked as unofficial or fan-created. Please just be mindful of context! (Examples of what to avoid: using logos or protected content without a disclaimer, claiming you are a part of the team.)
  2. Do not make or share Fan Content that is harmful, hateful, or is offensive toward anyone.
  3. Fan Content must be free to access and can only be monetized when following specific guidelines. See Q3, Q4 and Q5 below for more.

FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


Q1: Can/should I tag or share my Fan Content with the Grotto Beasts team?

A: Yes! We love to see art or other media like Youtube videos, or livestreams— you can show us by including the #grottobeasts tag on your work on Twitter and Instagram, or directly with @grottobeaststcg on both those spaces! The Jerma Discord is also a great spot, in #gb-chat, or the #jerma-fanart channel if you’ve got artwork you’d like to share.

However, we do ask that you don’t send us your original fan concepts with the intent for it to be a future product, merchandise, or character. Legal guidelines make it tricky for us to interact with works like this, unfortunately. We’ll be very clear when or if we are looking for any type of future solicitations or work.


Q2: May I include my Fan Content in my personal artwork portfolio?

A: Yes! Just as long as the Policy guidelines on this page are being followed where they may apply.


Q3: May I sell my Fan Content online or at conventions?

A: This one’s a tougher area. As a team of creators, we love artist alleys and the opportunities that can be brought by fan art. Please do understand however, that it gets difficult legally if we don’t act on certain things, and Elbertson and Sons is obligated to protect its IP.

Companies not directly working with Elbertsons and Sons cannot produce or sell Grotto Beasts! merchandise or goods.

Individual artists and creators must follow the guidelines listed below:

  • No machine-made, factory-made, or mass-produced items for sale.
  • Do not make original cards for sale or compete directly with official products.
  • Do not replicate official Grotto Beasts! art or logos for profit. What this means is, the name and logo “Grotto Beasts!” is under protection, as are our card frames/borders, and all artwork exactly as they appear on the cards, packaging, and other official spaces.
  • If it’s necessary, we may need to ask you to halt an unofficial item’s sale– please just be mindful!

Some safer exceptions would be: human-illustrated small batch art prints and items like charms, stickers, zines, buttons, keychains, as well as one-off art commissions are likely fine as long as you’re not selling large quantities.


Q4: Can I create a fan page about Grotto Beasts? And use Elbertson and Sons’ artwork or assets?

A: Absolutely, just make sure you follow our policies outlined on this page. Also, no requiring any payments, surveys, subscriptions, email registration or anything of the sort to access your Fan Content. If the Grotto Beasts! IP you are incorporating into your fan content already has logos or trademarks existing within it, don’t remove them. You can use those in your fan content as long as they aren’t changed in any way.


Q5: I made my Fan Content free to access– what about if people want to donate?

A: That’s awesome! A ton of work goes into making your fan content and we want others to be able to appreciate that. It’s okay to receive donations for your Fan Content via ad/click revenue on site like YouTube and Twitch, or on sites like Patreon– just make sure it does not interfere with free access to your fan content and does not violate any part of this policy.


Q6: Can I make original or custom cards, get them printed, and use them in games?

A: Creating original or custom cards for fun is fine, however they cannot be built using the assets of the official cards (See Q4). Original or custom cards cannot be made for sale or trade, or be in direct competition with official cards or the game design owned by J. Evan Raitt. An example of using custom cards in direct competition with official cards is using them during gameplay of events.