Last year, Wizards of the Coast announced that the essence of the new Dungeons & Dragons rules—specifically the System Reference Document (SRD)—would be released under the Creative Commons license once the core rulebooks were published. This significant change allows third-party developers to utilize the foundational rules while retaining the rights to their creations, which can lead to a burst of creativity in the tabletop RPG community.

The new SRD, version 5.2, launched under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY-4.0), which prohibits any future retraction of this availability. Publishers only need to reference a single sentence instead of a lengthy legal text, simplifying the process for everyone involved.

Furthermore, the SRD 5.2 offers more content compared to its predecessor, including various feats, the latest weapon masteries, more spells, and diverse magic items. It notably excludes trademarked creatures and rules, maintaining a focus on brand identity and intellectual property rights.

For those wishing to dive deeper into Dungeons & Dragons or get acquainted with the game mechanics, Wizards of the Coast has also released the new D&D Beyond Basic Rules, making it easier for new players to explore this classic game.