WotC Backs Down: Original OGL To Be Left Untouched; Whole 5E Rules Released as Creative Commons

Hundreds of game publishers sigh in relief as, after extensive pressure exerted by the entire open gaming community, WotC has agreed to leave the original Open Gaming License untouched and put the whole of the 5E rules into Creative Commons.

So, what's happened?

• The Open Gaming Licence v1.0a which most of the D&D third party industry relies on, will be left untouched for now.
• The whole of the D&D 5E SRD (ie the rules of the game less the fluff text) has been released under a Creative Commons license.

OGL 1.0a & Creative Commons

Over the past few weeks you, the community, have made your voices heard. And we’ve listened. OGL 1.0a will remain untouched AND the entire SRD 5.1...

www.dndbeyond.com

WotC has a history of 'disappearing' inconvenient FAQs and stuff, such as those where they themselves state that the OGL is irrevocable, so I'll copy this here for posterity.

When you give us playtest feedback, we take it seriously.

Already more than 15,000 of you have filled out the survey. Here's what you said:

• 88% do not want to publish TTRPG content under OGL 1.2.
• 90% would have to change some aspect of their business to accommodate OGL 1.2.
• 89% are dissatisfied with deauthorizing OGL 1.0a.
• 86% are dissatisfied with the draft VTT policy.
• 62% are satisfied with including Systems Reference Document (SRD) content in Creative Commons, and the majority of those who were dissatisfied asked for more SRD content in Creative Commons.

These live survey results are clear. You want OGL 1.0a. You want irrevocability. You like Creative Commons.
The feedback is in such high volume and its direction is so plain that we're acting now.

1. We are leaving OGL 1.0a in place, as is. Untouched.
2. We are also making the entire SRD 5.1 available under a Creative Commons license.
3. You choose which you prefer to use.

This Creative Commons license makes the content freely available for any use. We don't control that license and cannot alter or revoke it. It's open and irrevocable in a way that doesn't require you to take our word for it. And its openness means there's no need for a VTT policy. Placing the SRD under a Creative Commons license is a one-way door. There's no going back.

Our goal here is to deliver on what you wanted.

So, what about the goals that drove us when we started this process?

We wanted to protect the D&D play experience into the future. We still want to do that with your help. We're grateful that this community is passionate and active because we'll need your help protecting the game's inclusive and welcoming nature.

We wanted to limit the OGL to TTRPGs. With this new approach, we are setting that aside and counting on your choices to define the future of play.
Here's a PDF of SRD 5.1 with the Creative Commons license. By simply publishing it, we place it under an irrevocable Creative Commons license. We'll get it hosted in a more convenient place next week. It was important that we take this step now, so there's no question.

• SRD 5.1-CC

We'll be closing the OGL 1.2 survey now.

We'll keep talking with you about how we can better support our players and creators. Thanks as always for continuing to share your thoughts.

Kyle Brink
Executive Producer, Dungeons & Dragons

What does this mean?

The original OGL sounds safe for now, but WotC has not admitted that they cannot revoke it. That's less of an issue now the 5E System Reference Document is now released to Creative Commons (although those using the 3E SRD or any third party SRDs still have issues as WotC still hasn't revoked the incorrect claim that they can revoke access to those at-will).

At this point, if WotC wants anybody to use whatever their new OGL v1.x turns out to be, there needs to be one heck of a carrot. What that might be remains to be seen.

Pathfinder publlsher Paizo has also commented on the latest developments.

We welcome today’s news from Wizards of the Coast regarding their intention not to de-authorize OGL 1.0a. We still believe there is a powerful need for an irrevocable, perpetual independent system-neutral open license that will serve the tabletop community via nonprofit stewardship. Work on the ORC license will continue, with an expected first draft to release for comment to participating publishers in February.

Over 1,500 Publishers Support Paizo's Upcoming Open RPG Creator's License

Paizo has revealed some of the 1,500+ tabletop RPG publishers who have expressed an interest in their new Open RPG Creator's License (ORC), describing the group as the 'ORC Alliance'. The license itself is still being worked on, so these 1,500 publishers have not actually seen it or signed...

www.enworld.org

 

[overgeeked]

Now that the 5.1 SRD us released to a CC license, I hope they follow through on releasing older SRDs as they said might happen. I know I am in the minority, but I'd love to get the 4e SRD out into a non-naughty word license.

Same. I want to see 3.0, 3.5, and 4E released under the CC-BY4 just in case. A new SRD under CC-BY4 covering B/X, AD&D, 2E, BECMI, and the RC would be fantastic.

 

[MNblockhead]

I had a look at the CC SRD they released.
It specifically applies to that version of the 5.1 SRD.
Unlike the OGL it has no language about also applying to later versions of the SRD.
This almost makes me think they intend this to be the last SRD version they release, and that whatever DnD One will become it would not have a SRD.

Fine by me. If they choose make the next version a completely closed system, someone will become the next Pathfinder for 5e and will have a lot more protection under the CC license than they did for 3e under 1e.

 

[dave2008]

For 5e creators releasing under the CC-BY should pretty much cover them. Legally they now have MORE freedom to use the material not less.

For folks using the 3e SRD, they should still go through de-OGLifying their material IMO. Wizards isn't going to do anything in the near term because holy cow just look at what they went through as a PR nightmare. But executives change positions all the time and who knows what could happen. (But with the 5e SRD under a CC-BY, de-OGLifying should be easier as well).

WotC could also release the 3e and 4e SRDs to CC. They talked about that in their FAQ from earlier in the week.

 

[overgeeked]

I don't think 3e was every any sort of intended target. This was about 5e and going forward. They're not going to do anything to people using the older SRDs.

Here's to hoping. If only they'd make it official with additional releases.

 

[The Myopic Sniper]

I had already packed my bags and left D&D fandom behind with the intent never to buy new product from WOTC or deal with the brand ever again.

That has changed. I am back.

I am glad that sanity has apparently prevailed for once.

 

[Scribe]

The 1.0 OGL cost us a raid tier.

Spite will have it cost us something, but well, it is what it is.

I've had a pretty rough few weeks, this is the first bright news I have had in some time.

 

[Umbran]

For the 5.1 stuff like A5e, not for the 3.5 stuff like PF 1e, right?

Okay, yes, I spoke too quickly. I suppose this is why they specifically stated that v1.0a was still there - it keeps a lot of OSR and 3.x stuff in safe harbor as well.

 

[Alzrius]

4e was under the GSL. However, they could in theory release the 4e and 3e SRD to CC as well.

Well, the 4E SRDs aren't really worth releasing; they were just a list of references that could be made to the 4E Core Rules and a few templates for powers, skill challenges, etc. You can't make much of anything with it.

 

[dave2008]

I had a look at the CC SRD they released.
It specifically applies to that version of the 5.1 SRD.
Unlike the OGL it has no language about also applying to later versions of the SRD.
This almost makes me think they intend this to be the last SRD version they release, and that whatever DnD One will become it would not have a SRD.

That is possible I doubt it. I expect them to release more SRDs to CC.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Introducing GSL 2.0

Probably not the worst idea. If it is done correctly, it allows to chose more restriction for more promotion. This might be fair.
OneDnD will not be different enough to leave you behind if you chose OGL 1.0a or CC.