System Reference Document - Revision history

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	The [[D&D 4E\|4th edition]] of ''D&D'', released in 2008, was not licensed under the OGL, but under the more restrictive [[Game System License]]. Subsequently, the 4e System Reference Document is quite different. Instead of the full texts of the OGL-licensed rules, the 4e SRD presents only lists of concepts and tables from the 4e rulebooks that may be used in a compatible product.<ref name="GSL text">{{cite web \|date=2008-06-17 \|title=Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition Game System License \|url=http://www.wizards.com/d20/files/GSL_20080617.pdf \|url-status=unfit \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080920193311/http://www.wizards.com/d20/files/GSL_20080617.pdf \|archive-date=2008-09-20 \|publisher=[[Wizards of the Coast]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=April 25, 2008 \|title=Interview with Scott Rouse, Part 1 \|url=https://icv2.com/articles/games/view/12449/interview-scott-rouse-part-1 \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107073310/http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/12449.html \|archive-date=January 7, 2010 \|access-date=2021-09-17 \|website=icv2.com \|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web \|date=August 11, 2008 \|title=WotC to Revise 4th Ed. GSL \|url=https://icv2.com/articles/games/view/13072/wotc-revise-4th-ed-gsl \|access-date=December 22, 2022 \|website=[[ICv2]] \|language=en \|archive-date=December 22, 2022 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222055659/https://icv2.com/articles/games/view/13072/wotc-revise-4th-ed-gsl \|url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="escapist">{{cite web \|last=Tito \|first=Greg \|date=28 December 2011 \|title=The State of D&D: Present \|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/features/9293-The-State-of-D-D-Present.2 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120129004417/https://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/features/9293-The-State-of-D-D-Present.2 \|archive-date=January 29, 2012 \|access-date=1 October 2013 \|work=The Escapist}}</ref>		The [[D&D 4E\|4th edition]] of ''D&D'', released in 2008, was not licensed under the OGL, but under the more restrictive [[Game System License]]. Subsequently, the 4e System Reference Document is quite different. Instead of the full texts of the OGL-licensed rules, the 4e SRD presents only lists of concepts and tables from the 4e rulebooks that may be used in a compatible product.<ref name="GSL text">{{cite web \|date=2008-06-17 \|title=Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition Game System License \|url=http://www.wizards.com/d20/files/GSL_20080617.pdf \|url-status=unfit \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080920193311/http://www.wizards.com/d20/files/GSL_20080617.pdf \|archive-date=2008-09-20 \|publisher=[[Wizards of the Coast]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=April 25, 2008 \|title=Interview with Scott Rouse, Part 1 \|url=https://icv2.com/articles/games/view/12449/interview-scott-rouse-part-1 \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107073310/http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/12449.html \|archive-date=January 7, 2010 \|access-date=2021-09-17 \|website=icv2.com \|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web \|date=August 11, 2008 \|title=WotC to Revise 4th Ed. GSL \|url=https://icv2.com/articles/games/view/13072/wotc-revise-4th-ed-gsl \|access-date=December 22, 2022 \|website=[[ICv2]] \|language=en \|archive-date=December 22, 2022 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222055659/https://icv2.com/articles/games/view/13072/wotc-revise-4th-ed-gsl \|url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="escapist">{{cite web \|last=Tito \|first=Greg \|date=28 December 2011 \|title=The State of D&D: Present \|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/features/9293-The-State-of-D-D-Present.2 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120129004417/https://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/features/9293-The-State-of-D-D-Present.2 \|archive-date=January 29, 2012 \|access-date=1 October 2013 \|work=The Escapist}}</ref>

	The [[D&D 5e\|5th edition]] of ''D&D'' was released in 2014. A new OGL-licensed SRD based on 5th edition was released in January 2016, and updated to version 5.1 in May 2016.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/systems-reference-document-srd\|title=Systems Reference Document (SRD)\|website=[[Wizards of the Coast]]\|access-date=2020-10-06\|archive-date=2016-05-23\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160523081141/https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/systems-reference-document-srd\|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=D'Amato \|first=Lee \|date=2023-01-09 \|title=Dungeons & Dragons: What SRD & OGL Actually Mean \|url=https://screenrant.com/dungeons-dragons-srd-dnd-ogl-meaning/ \|access-date=2024-05-07 \|website=ScreenRant \|language=en \|archive-date=2023-01-22 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122202519/https://screenrant.com/dungeons-dragons-srd-dnd-ogl-meaning/ \|url-status=live }}</ref> In January 2023, Wizards of the Coast announced that the full ''D&D'' [[c:File:SRD5.1-CCBY4.0License.pdf\|System Reference Document 5.1]] (SRD 5.1) would be released under the [[CC-BY-4.0]] license.<ref name=":35">{{Cite web \|last=Brink \|first=Kyle \|date=January 27, 2023 \|title=OGL 1.0a & Creative Commons \|url=http://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1439-ogl-1-0a-creative-commons \|access-date=January 27, 2023 \|website=[[D&D Beyond]] \|language=en-us \|type=[[Press release]] \|archive-date=January 27, 2023 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127201539/https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1439-ogl-1-0a-creative-commons \|url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":34">{{Cite web \|date=January 27, 2023 \|title=Dungeons & Dragons Scraps Plans to Update Its Open Game License \|url=https://gizmodo.com/dungeons-dragons-will-no-longer-deauthorize-its-open-1850041837 \|access-date=January 27, 2023 \|website=Gizmodo \|language=en \|archive-date=January 27, 2023 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127202427/https://gizmodo.com/dungeons-dragons-will-no-longer-deauthorize-its-open-1850041837 \|url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":332">{{Cite web \|last=Hall \|first=Charlie \|date=January 27, 2023 \|title=D&D won’t change the OGL, handing fans and third-party publishers a massive victory \|url=https://www.polygon.com/23574677/dungeons-dragons-dnd-ogl-canceled-wizards-fans-win \|access-date=January 27, 2023 \|website=Polygon \|language=en-US \|archive-date=January 27, 2023 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127201901/https://www.polygon.com/23574677/dungeons-dragons-dnd-ogl-canceled-wizards-fans-win \|url-status=live }}</ref>		The [[D&D 5e\|5th edition]] of ''D&D'' was released in 2014. A new OGL-licensed SRD based on 5th edition was released in January 2016, and updated to version 5.1 in May 2016.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/systems-reference-document-srd\|title=Systems Reference Document (SRD)\|website=[[Wizards of the Coast]]\|access-date=2020-10-06\|archive-date=2016-05-23\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160523081141/https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/systems-reference-document-srd\|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=D'Amato \|first=Lee \|date=2023-01-09 \|title=Dungeons & Dragons: What SRD & OGL Actually Mean \|url=https://screenrant.com/dungeons-dragons-srd-dnd-ogl-meaning/ \|access-date=2024-05-07 \|website=ScreenRant \|language=en \|archive-date=2023-01-22 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122202519/https://screenrant.com/dungeons-dragons-srd-dnd-ogl-meaning/ \|url-status=live }}</ref> In January 2023, Wizards of the Coast announced that the full ''D&D'' [[c:File:SRD5.1-CCBY4.0License.pdf\|System Reference Document 5.1]] (SRD 5.1) would be released under the [[CC-BY-4.0]] license.<ref name=":35">{{Cite web \|last=Brink \|first=Kyle \|date=January 27, 2023 \|title=OGL 1.0a & Creative Commons \|url=http://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1439-ogl-1-0a-creative-commons \|access-date=January 27, 2023 \|website=[[D&D Beyond]] \|language=en-us \|type=[[Press release]] \|archive-date=January 27, 2023 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127201539/https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1439-ogl-1-0a-creative-commons \|url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":34">{{Cite web \|date=January 27, 2023 \|title=Dungeons & Dragons Scraps Plans to Update Its Open Game License \|url=https://gizmodo.com/dungeons-dragons-will-no-longer-deauthorize-its-open-1850041837 \|access-date=January 27, 2023 \|website=Gizmodo \|language=en \|archive-date=January 27, 2023 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127202427/https://gizmodo.com/dungeons-dragons-will-no-longer-deauthorize-its-open-1850041837 \|url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":332">{{Cite web \|last=Hall \|first=Charlie \|date=January 27, 2023 \|title=D&D won’t change the OGL, handing fans and third-party publishers a massive victory \|url=https://www.polygon.com/23574677/dungeons-dragons-dnd-ogl-canceled-wizards-fans-win \|access-date=January 27, 2023 \|website=Polygon \|language=en-US \|archive-date=January 27, 2023 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127201901/https://www.polygon.com/23574677/dungeons-dragons-dnd-ogl-canceled-wizards-fans-win \|url-status=live }}</ref> SRD 5.2 was released on April 22, 2025.{{cn\|date=November 2025}}

	=== Other publishers ===		=== Other publishers ===

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{{Short description|Set or subset of role-playing mechanics available under an open license}}
{{refimprove|date=October 2020}}
{{RPG}}
In the [[open gaming]] movement, a '''System Reference Document''' ('''SRD''') is a reference for a [[role-playing game]]'s mechanics licensed under a [[public copyright license]] to allow other publishers to make material compatible with that game. In 2000, [[Wizards of the Coast]] pioneered this by releasing a SRD for [[Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition|''Dungeons & Dragons'' 3rd edition]] under their [[Open Game License]] (OGL).

''[[Dicebreaker]]'' described a SRD as a "handy guide on how to use, hack and implement an existing game system for your own purposes".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tam |first=Kyle |date=March 14, 2022 |title=How to make a roleplaying game |url=https://www.dicebreaker.com/categories/roleplaying-game/how-to/how-to-make-rpg |access-date=May 7, 2024 |website=[[Dicebreaker]] |language=en}}</ref>

==History==

=== Wizards of the Coast ===
The first SRD was published in 2000 by [[Wizards of the Coast]] (WotC) and is based on the third edition of ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]''; it was released under their [[Open Game License]] (OGL).<ref name=":11">{{cite web |last=Dancey |first=Ryan |author-link=Ryan Dancey |date=2002-02-28 |title=The Most Dangerous Column in Gaming |url=http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/md/md20020228e |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020404235238/http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/md/md20020228e |archive-date=April 4, 2002 |access-date=2008-02-26 |work=Interview with Ryan Dancey |publisher=Wizards of the Coast |format=Interview}}</ref><ref name=":38">{{cite web |last=Cook |first=Monte |author-link=Monte Cook |title=The Open Game License as I See It |url=http://www.montecook.com/cgi-bin/page.cgi?mc_los_154 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070501052435/http://www.montecook.com/cgi-bin/page.cgi?mc_los_154 |archive-date=2007-05-01 |access-date=2007-03-15}}</ref><ref name=":39">{{Cite web |last=Leonard |first=Andrew |date=March 10, 2000 |title=Dungeons & Dragons to go open-source? |url=https://www.salon.com/2000/03/10/dungeons/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222031720/https://www.salon.com/2000/03/10/dungeons/ |archive-date=December 22, 2022 |access-date=December 22, 2022 |website=[[Salon.com|Salon]] |language=en}}</ref> it was revised following the release of ''D&D'' version 3.5 in 2003. That SRD allowed for third-party publishers to freely produce material compatible with ''D&D''. It also formed the basis for independent role-playing games from other publishers, such as ''[[Mutants & Masterminds]]'' and the ''[[Pathfinder Roleplaying Game]]'', among others.

The [[D&D 4E|4th edition]] of ''D&D'', released in 2008, was not licensed under the OGL, but under the more restrictive [[Game System License]]. Subsequently, the 4e System Reference Document is quite different. Instead of the full texts of the OGL-licensed rules, the 4e SRD presents only lists of concepts and tables from the 4e rulebooks that may be used in a compatible product.<ref name="GSL text">{{cite web |date=2008-06-17 |title=Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition Game System License |url=http://www.wizards.com/d20/files/GSL_20080617.pdf |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080920193311/http://www.wizards.com/d20/files/GSL_20080617.pdf |archive-date=2008-09-20 |publisher=[[Wizards of the Coast]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=April 25, 2008 |title=Interview with Scott Rouse, Part 1 |url=https://icv2.com/articles/games/view/12449/interview-scott-rouse-part-1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107073310/http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/12449.html |archive-date=January 7, 2010 |access-date=2021-09-17 |website=icv2.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=August 11, 2008 |title=WotC to Revise 4th Ed. GSL |url=https://icv2.com/articles/games/view/13072/wotc-revise-4th-ed-gsl |access-date=December 22, 2022 |website=[[ICv2]] |language=en |archive-date=December 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222055659/https://icv2.com/articles/games/view/13072/wotc-revise-4th-ed-gsl |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="escapist">{{cite web |last=Tito |first=Greg |date=28 December 2011 |title=The State of D&D: Present |url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/features/9293-The-State-of-D-D-Present.2 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120129004417/https://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/features/9293-The-State-of-D-D-Present.2 |archive-date=January 29, 2012 |access-date=1 October 2013 |work=The Escapist}}</ref>

The [[D&D 5e|5th edition]] of ''D&D'' was released in 2014. A new OGL-licensed SRD based on 5th edition was released in January 2016, and updated to version 5.1 in May 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/systems-reference-document-srd|title=Systems Reference Document (SRD)|website=[[Wizards of the Coast]]|access-date=2020-10-06|archive-date=2016-05-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160523081141/https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/systems-reference-document-srd|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=D'Amato |first=Lee |date=2023-01-09 |title=Dungeons & Dragons: What SRD & OGL Actually Mean |url=https://screenrant.com/dungeons-dragons-srd-dnd-ogl-meaning/ |access-date=2024-05-07 |website=ScreenRant |language=en |archive-date=2023-01-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122202519/https://screenrant.com/dungeons-dragons-srd-dnd-ogl-meaning/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In January 2023, Wizards of the Coast announced that the full ''D&D'' [[c:File:SRD5.1-CCBY4.0License.pdf|System Reference Document 5.1]] (SRD 5.1) would be released under the [[CC-BY-4.0]] license.<ref name=":35">{{Cite web |last=Brink |first=Kyle |date=January 27, 2023 |title=OGL 1.0a & Creative Commons |url=http://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1439-ogl-1-0a-creative-commons |access-date=January 27, 2023 |website=[[D&D Beyond]] |language=en-us |type=[[Press release]] |archive-date=January 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127201539/https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1439-ogl-1-0a-creative-commons |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":34">{{Cite web |date=January 27, 2023 |title=Dungeons & Dragons Scraps Plans to Update Its Open Game License |url=https://gizmodo.com/dungeons-dragons-will-no-longer-deauthorize-its-open-1850041837 |access-date=January 27, 2023 |website=Gizmodo |language=en |archive-date=January 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127202427/https://gizmodo.com/dungeons-dragons-will-no-longer-deauthorize-its-open-1850041837 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":332">{{Cite web |last=Hall |first=Charlie |date=January 27, 2023 |title=D&D won’t change the OGL, handing fans and third-party publishers a massive victory |url=https://www.polygon.com/23574677/dungeons-dragons-dnd-ogl-canceled-wizards-fans-win |access-date=January 27, 2023 |website=Polygon |language=en-US |archive-date=January 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127201901/https://www.polygon.com/23574677/dungeons-dragons-dnd-ogl-canceled-wizards-fans-win |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Other publishers ===
Some other game systems, such as ''[[Fate (role-playing game system)|FATE]]'', the [[Mongoose Publishing]] editions of ''[[RuneQuest]]'', ''[[Mongoose Traveller|Traveller]]'', and ''[[Zweihänder (role-playing game)|Zweihänder Grim & Perilous RPG]]'' have also released their own mechanics under distinct OGL-licensed "System Reference Documents".

Chase Carter, for ''[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]'' in 2022, highlighted that the [[Indie role-playing game|indie game design]] scene "has moved toward extremely permissible SRDs and the open plains of collaboration. [...] When SRDs do pop up in indie games, they read more as political statements about art and creation under capitalism".<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=Chase |date=2022-09-12 |title=The fork in the road facing third-party tabletop RPGs |url=https://www.polygon.com/23344107/dungeons-and-dragons-third-party-licensing |access-date=2024-05-07 |website=Polygon |language=en-US |archive-date=2024-01-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240127134512/https://www.polygon.com/23344107/dungeons-and-dragons-third-party-licensing |url-status=live }}</ref> Carter commented that "independent designers are looking toward a future divested from the weight of D&D. [...] SRDs, or whatever their next form might look like, may provide fledgling artists waystones through an open field instead of fence posts around private property".<ref name=":0" />

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{d20}}

[[Category:D20 System]]
[[Category:Role-playing game terminology]]