WotC 2024 D&D Core Rules Will Be Added To SRD In 2025

The 2024 version of the D&D core rules will be included in an expanded version of the System Reference Document, and available to third parties via Creative Commons (though there is no mention of thr Open Gaming License). The new SRD 5.2 will be available early 2025 after the new Monster Manual has been released.

The new SRD will be localized in the languages which WotC supports.

Regarding the long-awaited SRDs for previous editions, WotC says that they will start reviewing those documents once the 2024 rulebooks are out.

 

[Reynard]

It's great news, but it's also important to note that "SRD 5.2 will provide revised rules at the same scope as 5.1" so we may not see many subclasses or new bastion rules etc...

I don't think there is any reason to believe the revised SRD will be significantly expanded upon, especially since the 5E SRD as is has been quite successful. It would make like MUCH better and easier to have all the rules of 5E released open, as Paizo does with Pathfinder and ENP does with A5E, but that is not going to happen.

 

[Parmandur]

The SRD under CC-BY-4.0 allows it to be used with the OGL, but not necessarily the other way around. So adding the 5.2 SRD to OGL is moot if it is CC-BY. OGL publishers will need to make sure you include both citations - proper OGL declaration with updated Section 15 and OGC declaration AND the CC-BY reference for the SRD.

It's not viral and if people want to only use WotC SRD content and nothing else, there are no requirements to open their work as well, which is something I'm not a fan of since there's value in the OGC Commons, but vast majority of 5e 3pp just use the SRD and completely ignore everyone else anyway. (It is ironic how many small 3pp were waving the "Open Gaming!" banner during the OGL Kerfuffle but don't open their own content. But anyway! )

But if you want to publish under the OGL, you can still use the 5.2 SRD after it is released under CC-BY-4.0. So it's the right move by WotC.

The viral aspect of "Open Gaming" never really took off, to be honest.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I don't think there is any reason to believe the revised SRD will be significantly expanded upon, especially since the 5E SRD as is has been quite successful. It would make like MUCH better and easier to have all the rules of 5E released open, as Paizo does with Pathfinder and ENP does with A5E, but that is not going to happen.

I think it is easier for ENP to release all their rules openly, because the incentive to just copy and rerelease it is way lower.

And obviously the same is true for PF2e.

 

[Reynard]

I think it is easier for ENP to release all their rules openly, because the incentive to just copy and rerelease it is way lower.

And obviously the same is true for PF2e.

This strikes me as an unfounded concern. The only time it ever happened was with Pathfinder when WotC abandoned a game people still loved in order to make a quick buck. if that is why WotC won't do it, everyone enjoying D&D as is should be concerned.

I mean, I guess it could still be the reason. It makes about as much sense as their backwards view of PDFs.

 

[mamba]

I guess that's the part that's confusing me. If both are open licenses, why would you need both? Isn't one always going to be enough? Is there ever a situation where one would be preferable to the other?

they are incompatible licenses, so if you do not only want to use material from the SRD in your product but also something that is under the OGL, it is easier to go with the OGL SRD over the CC one and vice versa.

Of you can go with either without restrictions, go with CC imo

 

[mamba]

If WotC believed in Open Gaming, they would have fixed the OGL by now.

the OGL is not broken, adding that word is more a bit of goodwill than legally relevant

 

[Reynard]

the OGL is not broken, adding that word is more a bit of goodwill than legally relevant

The lie was put to that a little over a year ago. It was a fine fiction for nearly 20 years, but then WotC proved how fundamental that word is to an actual functional OGL.

 

[Nikosandros]

The viral aspect of "Open Gaming" never really took off, to be honest.

Sad, but true. Some creators actually went out of the way to release as little as possible.

 

[bmfrosty]

***What about the SRDs for previous editions?

Because we still need to complete reviews on those materials before they’re released into Creative Commons, we made the decision to wait until after the 2024 rules revisions were released to begin reviews of those documents***

Not forgotten, just deprioritized until the 24 books are done.

I think it's interesting to identify what has to be done to do an SRD. I would think it would start with a text dump of a rule set from a book - I'm sure they have plain text copy of all of it by now, then a big edit, and then review for trademark and copyright issues.

That third one is the interesting one. I think they'd want to have multiple passes on the text they would license out, and I think that they'd probably looking for proofreaders/editors (with a strong understanding of D&D history) for the first passes, then copyright/trademark lawyers who are steeped in some D&D history for the second passes.

I think we tend to armchair quarterback and think it's simpler than it is.

 

[bmfrosty]

Awesome news all around. Also, I’m gonna start calling the 2024 rules 5.2 now.

If there were only some sort of authority who could version 5e rules. Hopefully using semantic versioning.