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Tuesday, January 12, 2016

D&D 5e Goes OGL with it's New SRD (Yes, Hell Has Just Frozen Over)



Imagine my surprise waking up to a message from +Jason Paul McCartan linking to Dungeons & Dragons 5e's new SRD (which is under the OGL) My jaw just about hit the floor.

Of course, so many publishers were releasing 5e material under the OGL without a 5e SRD or simply using copyright law that the genie really was out of the bottle.

Wizards did find a way to get some monetization from the new SRD - The Dungeon Masters Guild (powered by DTRPG) is their online 5e store which includes 3rd party publishers. It's 5e's D20 license and allows the use of Forgotten Realms material (so long as you let WotC do all the selling)

I expect we'll see a real surge in 5e releases now.

14 comments:

  1. d205esrd.org just doesn't have the same ring to it as d20pfsrd does...

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  2. Here is my question to the cogenesti. Will this slow down ODR releases? How about Pathfinder? Will 3pp jump ship for the flagship of D&D?

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    Replies
    1. I'll bet Pathfinder more than any other system will be hit hard, below the belt even, by this.

      Delete
  3. Indeed. Since 5e stuff can now be written either for "official" settings or homebrewed campaign worlds, Wizards has found a way to appease everyone and get new materials released for their system without lifting a finger to do so. Genius, really.

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  4. ...and monetize the dreams of every gamer out there. It is a bold move. There will most likely be a LOT of dreck (like can already be found on RPG now and the like) but they can then skim through the sales numbers, find the top sellers and hire them or buy their IP. Pretty smart on their part and it opens a floodgate of creativity but also runs the risk of devaluing the work of their professional writers, who might move on to greener pastures/systems. Time will tell.

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    Replies
    1. if I'm not mistaken, Bob:

      1. a lot of the material will already be OGC by its very nature;
      2. anything using WotC's PI is likely to be hard for the 3pp to PI

      That is, I might be allowed to include Elminister in my Forgotten Realms-friendly adventure, but it's not PI -- it's used under license. The adventure is set in the Dalelands, also not my PI. I see a great potential for dick moves here.

      Delete
  5. It does seem to be missing treasure tables, which is a change from the d20 SRD - it does have magic items/artifacts/etc. though. How does this document compare to the Basic Rules already let out?

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    Replies
    1. On a browse it's pretty (nearly, not totally) complete in terms of SRD content....the 5E equivalent of the 3.5 SRD, basically.

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  6. Does "the D&D online marketplace" and "digital games" meant to cover PDF sales? Because both of those options don't fall under the OGL and instead the Guild.

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  7. D&D 5E...and the Frogotten Realms...have officially been crowdsourced. I never, ever saw this coming!

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  8. I just about drop over dead at the thought that they might, maybe, someday, add Mystara to the campaign settings you can play with on DMG.

    As it is, that I could play around officially with FR just about might get me back into 5E.

    That I could play around officially with Mystara? Wharglebargle!

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  9. This comment has been removed by the author.

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