Wizards of the Coast has unveiled the System Reference Document, which serves as the foundation for the three core rule books of Dungeons & Dragons’ 2024 gameplay, now available under a Creative Commons license. This licensing shift ensures that the company cannot modify the agreement further, a move that had previously sparked significant backlash in early 2023 and ultimately led to a retraction of their initial plans. After a lengthy journey, the dedicated community has secured long-term benefits, including a newly licensed reference source.
Wizards of the Coast (WotC), the owner of D&D, had initially introduced the core rules under an Open Gaming License in the early 2000s, drawing inspiration from Richard Stallman’s GNU General Public License. The intent was to encourage the creation of derivative works by making fundamental mechanics, classes, spells, races, and creatures freely available. This approach aimed not only to expand the tabletop role-playing landscape but potentially to draw new players back to the central D&D offerings. Additionally, the foundational elements of gameplay included in the license posed challenges for copyright protection.
However, WotC viewed the Open Gaming License (OGL) as subject to updates and proposed alterations that would require creators earning above $50,000 annually to report their income or pay royalties on earnings exceeding $750,000. A leaked draft indicated that the revised licensing structure could impose a 25 percent royalty on published materials, raising concerns among virtual tabletop and software developers regarding their standing within the new framework.
The debate surrounding the legality of WotC’s planned modifications stemmed from the OGL being “perpetual” yet not “irrevocable.” Following a wave of community feedback that WotC described as overwhelmingly clear, the company decided to release its D&D One System Reference Document under a Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution 4.0 International License. This means that the fundamental components of D&D are free for use and reference with appropriate credit, and the license itself is secure from future changes.
Updated licensing with expanded content
The newly released Version 5.2 of the SRD, exceeding 360 pages, now comes under the same Creative Commons license. The updated document incorporates more rules and content from the revised 2024 edition (referred to as D&D One), whereas version 5.1 was based on the rules from 2014. Creators can now legally develop and publish campaigns based on the 2024 5th edition rule set. In particular, this updated license grants access to a broader range of materials from the latest rulebooks, including:
- Documentation on “Rhythm of Play” and “Exploration”
- A variety of character origins and backgrounds, encompassing options like criminal, sage, soldier, and the goliath and orc species
- Sixteen feats, including archery and great weapon fighting, alongside seven boons
- Five pieces of equipment, twenty spells, fifteen magic items, and seventeen monsters, featuring the hippopotamus
Nevertheless, certain elements of D&D remain protected under copyright. While some creatures, such as the Kraken, fall within the public domain, their specific statistics as presented in the D&D rulebook are not. Iconic entities, such as the Beholder, Displacer Beast, Illithid, and Githyanki, continue to be under WotC’s ownership (and thus Hasbro’s). Creators will need to be cautious and conduct thorough checks before publishing or selling their work.
