Gamers Launch Natural 20 as DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Announces OGL Won’t Change and SRD 5.1 Fully Under Creative Commons

The last few weeks have been crazy for Dungeons & Dragons fan. Earlier this month, a leaked document showed changes to the Open Gaming License (OGL) dubbed OGL 1.1 that the creators and fans were extremely furious about. Then, a week later, the company half-apologised, full of PR bullshit. Executive producer Kyle Brink then announced a feedback survey and an initial draft of OGL 1.2 designed to update OGL 1.0a in a way that benefits the company and fans.

Then, on January 27, Brink made a new post about D&D Beyond announcing it D&D would end this campaign. The survey for OGL 1.2 launched on January 19, which means that after about a week they wrapped it up and decided to leave OGL 1.0a intact and launched the entire 5.1 System Reference Document (SRD) under a Creative Common License. This is huge!

Over 15,000 surveys were filled out in about a week, and Brink highlights the following stats:

• 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 the decommissioning of OGL 1.0a.

• 86% are dissatisfied with the draft VTT policy.

• 62% are satisfied with the inclusion of Systems Reference Document (SRD) content in Creative Commons, and the majority of those who were dissatisfied asked for more SRD content in Creative Commons.

This led them to the above decision. The only sad part of the result is that they aren’t touching OGL 1.0a at all, which means they aren’t adding the language many are asking for, which would make it irrevocable. This is important because as it is, D&D might try something like this again in the future. However, having the SRD 5.1 under a Creative Commons license is huge!

This move is irrevocable and D&D he can’t take it back. The rest of the time, anyone can use SRD 5.1 for their projects as long as it’s allowed under a CC-BY-4.0 license. Also, there is no more stupid VTT policy that says you can’t have animations on your virtual table. This is a pretty substantial win for content creators and fans alike. D&D he has lost a lot of trust and good will in the last month or so from the community and this is no magic wand. Still, it’s a good, strong step forward.

Now, some are still upset that OGL 1.0a is not irrevocable and expect it A D&D will be under a more restrictive license at launch. This is one possibility. It would suck and start this fight again, but it’s also something we can deal with when it comes. Right now, let’s celebrate the 20 naturals we collectively achieved. I’ve included Brink’s entire post below.

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

Already more than 15,000 of you have completed 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 the decommissioning of OGL 1.0a.

86% are dissatisfied with the draft VTT policy.

62% are satisfied with the inclusion of Systems Reference Document (SRD) content in Creative Commons, and the majority of those who were dissatisfied asked for more SRD content in Creative Commons.

The results of these live polls speak for themselves. You want OGL 1.0a. You want irrevocability. You like Creative Commons.

The feedback is in such high volume and its direction is so clear that we are taking action now.

We are leaving OGL 1.0a in effect, as-is. Intact.

We are also making the entire SRD 5.1 available under a Creative Commons license.

Choose which one you prefer to use.

This Creative Commons license makes the content freely available for any use. We do not control that license and cannot modify or revoke it. It is 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 is no return.

Our goal here is to deliver what you wanted.

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

We wanted to protect the D&D gaming experience in the future. We still want to do it with your help. We’re grateful that this community is passionate and active because we’ll need your help to protect the inclusive and welcoming nature of gaming.

We wanted to limit the OGL to TTRPGs. With this new approach, we’re putting that aside and relying on your choices to define the future of gaming.

Here is a Creative Commons licensed PDF of SRD 5.1. By simply publishing it, we place it under an irrevocable Creative Commons license. We’ll have him housed somewhere more convenient next week. It was important to take this step now, so there’s no doubt about it.

SRD 5.1-CC

We will now close the OGL 1.2 survey.

We’ll continue to talk 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