D&D (2024) The 5.2 SRD PDF has new content over 5.1, but the 15 "newly added" magic items are all missing.

[Lupin]

I love that they've added some key rules, such as character creation steps, to this document over 5.1. It now can serve better as an "expanded" version of the 2014 Basic Rules PDFs, far moreso than the 5.1 SRD does. And the added monsters (dinos!) and spells (hex!) are a great boon for tightly budgeted players and D&D writers alike.

But as far as I can tell, none of the 15 listed "added" magic items are in the document itself. I've included one page where the Cloak of Invisibility should be as an example.

From https://www.dndbeyond.com/srd :

Added 15 Magic Items:

Bead of Nourishment
Cloak of Invisibility
Elixir of Health
Energy Bow
Gloves of Thievery
Hat of Many Spells
Potion of Invulnerability
Potion of Longevity
Potion of Vitality
Quarterstaff of the Acrobat
Rod of Resurrection
Sending Stones
Sentinel Shield
Shield of the Cavalier
Thunderous Greatclub

Hopefully these will get added whenever a new version is posted (i.e., when the Knight is no longer an Iron Golem clone).

(Psst, while you're in there, could we get Tough in the list of Feats too, please? Or at least the remaining Fighting Style feats that matched the equivalent Fighter abilities in 2014? Thank you; much love!)

 

[SlyFlourish]

I love that they've added some key rules, such as character creation steps, to this document over 5.1. It now can serve better as an "expanded" version of the 2014 Basic Rules PDFs, far moreso than the 5.1 SRD does. And the added monsters (dinos!) and spells (hex!) are a great boon for tightly budgeted players and D&D writers alike.

But as far as I can tell, none of the 15 listed "added" magic items are in the document itself. I've included one page where the Cloak of Invisibility should be as an example.

From https://www.dndbeyond.com/srd :


Hopefully these will get added whenever a new version is posted (i.e., when the Knight is no longer an Iron Golem clone).

(Psst, while you're in there, could we get Tough in the list of Feats too, please? Or at least the remaining Fighting Style feats that matched the equivalent Fighter abilities in 2014? Thank you; much love!)

Paging @LaTia J!

Please pass along that it would be really great for the community if the “Tough” feat got added to the 5.2 SRD. It’s a simple feat that works well for newer players or simplified characters because it’s “always on” and can be wired in as a nice default feat. It has barely any mechanics to it so I don’t think it’s giving away too much of WOTCs design. The 3.5 SRD had something similar already. Pretty please??

 

[Alzrius]

@LaTia J

 

[dave2008]

Can someone clarify to me why the magic items and the tough feat need to be in the SRD? How does their inclusion help 3PP create new content? Is it simply so you can copy it into your content? I am honestly trying to understand.

 

[LaTia J]

Paging @LaTia J!

Please pass along that it would be really great for the community if the “Tough” feat got added to the 5.2 SRD. It’s a simple feat that works well for newer players or simplified characters because it’s “always on” and can be wired in as a nice default feat. It has barely any mechanics to it so I don’t think it’s giving away too much of WOTCs design. The 3.5 SRD had something similar already. Pretty please??

I arrive!

Yes, some sharp-eyed folks on the DDB forums noticed the magic items missing last week. That was a mistake—they absolutely should’ve been in 5.2.0.

In addition to the Knight stat block and some other errors we spotted, that’s all being added and updated and we’re releasing a new version soon.

Re: Tough - I will pass the feedback along!

 

[Lupin]

Can someone clarify to me why the magic items and the tough feat need to be in the SRD? How does their inclusion help 3PP create new content? Is it simply so you can copy it into your content? I am honestly trying to understand.

These are my thoughts on it at the moment. I can't speak for Mike or anyone else.

1. Various online play tools like VTTs can only use SRD content because it is open-sourced. I believe most VTTs don't even have the option of using official D&D rulebook data.

2. There is no printable "Basic Rules" onboarding PDF for 2024 D&D like there was for 2014 D&D (2 in 2014, patched and merged into 1 file in 2018). However, the revised SRD genuinely appears to be meant to fill that void: it has the gameplay overview (including "exceptions override general rules"—not in the 5.1 SRD), a character creation walkthrough, and even the trinkets list, all of which were missing from the 5.1 SRD but included in the 2014 Basic Rules. The inclusion of the excellent Rules Glossary also points to this.

My impression is that if it's indeed intended to also serve as a "basic rules"—which it will both via VTTs and as a PDF—they should probably include the really basic stuff that will be of use to incoming players. Naturally, you'd expect the physical/D&DB rulebooks to include many more and more interesting feats, but Tough, for example, is essentially a super-basic feat suited for players just getting their feet wet.

My case for the other basic Fighting Style Feats being included is because they're all already options for Fighters in both the 2014 Basic Rules PDF and 5.1 SRD; why exclude them now?

3. In the case of the magic items, they said they had included something and then didn't. I think it would be in poor taste to call out all this stuff by name and then say "whoops we actually didn't mean to include those, sorry to get your hopes up." Would leave people with a bad taste in their mouths, similar to how much of the 2024 DMG content was added to the Free Rules section on D&DB and then mostly pulled it the next day, but even more publicly than that.

I arrive!

Yes, some sharp-eyed folks on the DDB forums noticed the magic items missing last week. That was a mistake—they absolutely should’ve been in 5.2.0.

In addition to the Knight stat block and some other errors we spotted, that’s all being added and updated and we’re releasing a new version soon.

Re: Tough - I will pass the feedback along!

Thank you kindly!