What is the Dungeons and Dragons SRD and why is today a good day to know about it?
On May 6th, 2024, Wizards of the Coast released this blog post detailing their plans to release an updated version of the SRD. This is a silver lining in the waves of recent controversy that has arisen in the Dungeons and Dragons community. If you aren’t too sure why, this article will go through and explain why this is a good thing.
What is the Dungeons and Dragons SRD?
SRD is short for Systems Reference Document. This document contains a shortened version of the core rules of D&D and is primarily used for creators to create 5e compatible creations that you can sell under the Creative Commons License. This license allows “everyone from individual creators to large institutions a standardized way to grant the public permission to use their creative work under copyright law.” 1 But beware as this is a CC BY license which means that it “enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator.” 2
This pretty much means that you can:
1. create your own modules within the settings of Dungeons and Dragons on the DMsGuild website.
2. Create content using the revised and expanded ruleset that is in the Dungeon Masters Guide, Players Handbook, and Monster Manual.
The Dungeons and Dragons SRD document will be entering into its 5.2 version but users will still be able to access the previous 5.1 version as well.
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Who uses SRD?
The short answer? A LOT of people.
Any actual-play podcasts or streams like Critical Role, Dungeons and Daddies, Not Another Dungeons and Dragons Podcast, and many others rely on this license in order to create, stream, and share their stories with you the audience.
Furthermore, anyone who sells on DMsGuild uses the SRD 5.2 document to create stories that you can purchase and use in your own games. This allows you to support your community and receive some delicious new content in return.
The best part is that you (Yes! You reading this very article!) are able to go out and do the same thing. Just make sure you abide by the rules of the Creative Commons License.
Benefits and Restrictions of the Dungeons and Dragons SRD and OGL.
You can use the System Reference Document to release games under the Open Gaming License to do the following:
Publishing Content for DMsGuild:
- Publishing content in Forgotten Realms
- Selling D&D content in the online marketplace
- Have your content rated by a large network of players
- Your content can be considered by additional publication by WOTC
- Content considered for inclusion in WOTC digital games
- Content considered for inclusion in WOTC marketing
Publishing Content under OGL:
- Publishing original campaign settings and worlds using 5th edition rules
- Selling and printing your own 5th edition rules on your own
Publishing Content Under Both:
- Design content using the 5th edition rules for D&D.
Overall the Dungeons and Dragons SRD license gives content creators, dungeon masters, players, and many more a lot of opportunities to share their creations with the rest of the Dungeons and Dragons community!
Dungeons and Dragons OGL Controversy
With this recent good news, its important to address the elephant in the room. Earlier last year there was a lot of commotion about Wizards of the Coast “revising” the gaming license.
When the company was revising the document, a version of it was leaked that revealed that the OGL would be done away with, along with some other hefty and complicated procedures.
Some of these entailed controversial requirements like sending a report of all your earnings to WOTC, anyone making over $750,000 must pay a royalty fee of 25% if they are using the OGL, that WOTC could use any content using the OGL in any way they decided, and the termination of the license if they deemed fit. This of course caused an uproar and brought together over 60,000 people to sign an open letter condemning these actions leading to many D&D creators leaving the system altogether and creating their own.
Are these bad times behind us? Who knows for sure but they are a company at the end of the day and that means that WOTC has a interest in creating profit. This means that members of the community should always stay diligent and double-check the official documents as they come out.
Is There a Dungeons and Dragons SRD for Older Editions?
Yes! The official Systems Reference Document came out in 2000 when the official edition was the 3rd one. Every time a new edition came out, WOTC would update the SRD to reflect the rules.
Older versions can be found when scouring the web.
In Conclusion
In my own opinion, I was cautious when I heard about the release of this document (you hurt me with the OGL controversy WOTC, I need time…). Even so, I think this means that the Wizards of the Coast company are actually listening to the Dungeons and Dragons community and understand why the SRD and OGL are so very important.
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References
- https://creativecommons.org/about/
- https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/cclicenses/
- https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1717-2024-core-rulebooks-to-expand-the-srd
- https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document
- https://www.gamesradar.com/dandds-licensing-controversy-explained-heres-why-you-should-care/
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