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It’s been an eventful time for Dungeons & Dragons lately, particularly behind the scenes. But an upcoming update is about to affect all its players, particularly those on the creative side.
On April 22, Wizards of the Coast is publishing a 5.2 version of its System Release Document (or SRD)—aka, the game’s base rules to be used by third-party publishers making products built off the TTRPG’s foundation—that will include “foundational content” from its recently released Core Rulebooks. Going forward, SRD 5.2 will fall under the Creative Commons License, be compatible with its 5.1 predecessor, and “make it easy for creators to transition their third-party content that was written for 2014 rules to the 2024 rules.” Future versions of the SRD will be exclusively released under the License for “consistency and broader compatibility.”
The Creative Commons License lets players freely share their work with other players “while retaining certain rights,” and makes it so Dungeons & Dragons‘ “essential parts” can be freely used, iterated upon, or remixed. The SRD was first placed under the License in 2023 during Wizards’ controversial decision to update its Open Game License (OGL). After weeks of extensive reporting and backlash, Wizards reversed its decision, and later scrapped its plans to update the OGL. SRD 5.2, plus 5.1 remaining unchanged, seem to be the final kiss of death for the OGL.
According to Wizards, the 5.2 SRD will be regularly updated with more material from the 2024 core rulebooks, and be clearly labeled as such. More details, and a guide to help creators transition their content to the new ruleset, is coming from Wizards “later.” The company is also working on a Creator FAQ that will cover fan content, homebrew tools for D&D Beyond, and official D&D content not found in either SRDs.
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