Some MAJOR news from Wizards of the Coast today! They’ve added 5e rules to their Open Gaming License and Systems Reference Document AND announced the opening of the Dungeon Masters Guild.
What are these things and why is this HUGE? Let me break it down a little. I have to apologize if I’m a little incoherent, I’m sober atm.
One. Back in 3.5 days WOTC first released the Open Gaming License (OGL) for Dungeons and Dragons. What this license said was “Hey, here are all the core rules for DnD. Why don’t you use them and make games with them. You don’t have to pay us anything.” It created an explosion of new material for players mostly created by other players but companies where even built on it. Paizo still uses this OGL for Pathfinder today.
So what does that mean for 5e?
My main issue with 5e has been the lack of content. But now that WOTC has put out an OGL we’re about to get content in droves. Heck Paizo might be able to convert Pathfinder if they wanted to.
Two. The Systems Reference Document (SRD) goes hand in hand with the OGL it’s a document of all the rules in a free database. Right now it’s a searchable PDF that you can download but expect to see Apps and Webpages built around it that will make finding rules easier then ever.
And Three: the Guild! The Dungeon Masters Guild is a collaboration between WOTC and OneBookshelf as a place for DMs to upload and share, Even Sell, their adventures and rules while retaining rights the rights to their original IP. There is already a trove of alternate rules and adventures on the site and I’m curious to see how it grows in the near future.
So I gotta stand up and clap for Wizards of the Coast on this one. Good job guys. I like where your head is at.
-Article by Peter Hicks (of Beer and Battle)
Links!
http://www.dmsguild.com/
http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/systems-reference-document-srd