New DnD SRD (Systems Reference Document) 5.2 Now Available
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In May of 2024, Wizards of the Coast officially announced that the new Dungeons & Dragons Core Rules (as featured in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide and Monster Manual) would be included in an updated version of their Systems Reference Document (SRD); the online document which provides the rules of DnD for commercial use by third-party publishers.
Now, Wizards of the Coast has officially released the DnD SRD 5.2 into Creative Commons. This is huge news for third-party DnD content creators, as it means they can now legally use the updated DnD 2024 rules for free in upcoming publications. It’s also marks a major step forward for Wizards of the Coast following the disastrous fallout from the OGL scandal.
So just how will the release of the DnD SRD 5.2 impact players and publishers? Below, we break out all the details.
What is the DnD SRD (Systems Reference Document)?
The DnD SRD, or System Reference Document, is a free, online document that provides the basic Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition rules, including classes, subclasses, monsters, spells, magic items and combat mechanics. It is available for use under two licensing options: the Open Gaming License (OGL) or the Creative Commons, both of which allow third-party publishers to legally use the SRD to produce their own DnD 5e content without paying any licensing fees.
While in theory, players could run a complete DnD 5e campaign using only what’s presented in the SRD, the primary purpose of the document is to provide a rules framework that third-party publishers can use to create content for past and present versions of DnD. Notably, a key reason why this document is available is because under US trademark law it is not possible to copyright the rules of the game.
It’s worth noting that the SRD is not as in-depth as the Player’s Handbook or other official DnD 5e rule books, and does omit certain elements, such as iconic monsters (i.e. Beholders and Mind Flayers), as well as brand terms like “Dungeon Master” and “Dungeons & Dragons,” which are registered trademarks.
It’s also worth noting that in 2023, Wizards of the Coast caused widespread public backlash when they announced changes to the OGL that would require third-party publishers to pay licensing fees, along with applying certain restrictions on content usage. This was later walked back by Wizards of the Coast and the SRD 5.1 was released into the Creative Commons, meaning anyone could use the SRD without any cost or legal permission, and that it cannot legally be revoked by WotC at any time.
What’s changed in the DnD SRD 5.2?
In late 2024 and early 2025, Wizards of the Coast released new versions of the Player’s Handbook (in September 2024), the Dungeon Master’s Guide (in November 2024) and the new Monster Manual (in February 2025). While all three books are still technically part of the fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons rules, they also introduced a number of significant changes.
Given what had happened with the OGL, many fans were worried that these new updates would not enter into the SRD, which would have impacted third-party publishers’ ability to create content that matches the latest edition of the game.
Fortunately, this is not the case as Wizards of the Coast has released the 2024 rules in a new document known as SRD 5.2. This includes updates to all DnD 5e classes, new monster stats, magic items and spells. It also includes new rules that were featured only in the 2024 rules, including crafting, Weapon Mastery and changes to Backgrounds and Species.
The table below breaks out all the differences between SRD 5.1 (which governed the 2014 DnD 5e rules) and SRD 5.2 (which governs the new 2024 DnD 5e rules)
| Section | SRD 5.2 Difference |
|---|---|
| Legal Disclaimer | Wording changes only |
| Table of Contents | New |
| Playing the Game | Added: Rhythm of Play, Exploration |
| Character Creation | Wording/mechanics changes only |
| Classes | Wording/mechanics changes only |
| Character Origins | – Added 3 Backgrounds, 2 Species: Criminal (background), Sage (background), Soldier (background, Goliath (species), Orc (species) – Removed: Half-Elf (race) and Half-Orc (race) as these are not in the 2024 core rules. |
| Feats | – Added 15 Feats: Alert, Magic Initiate, Savage Attacker, Ability Score Improvement, Archery, Defense, Great Weapon Fighting, Two Weapon Fighting, Boon of Combat Prowess, Boon of Dimensional Travel, Boon of Fate, Boon of Irresistible Offense, Boon of the Night Spirit, Boon of Spell Recall, Boon of Truesight |
| Equipment | Added: Weapon Masteries, Musket, Pistol, Brewing Potions of Healing, Scribing Spell Scrolls |
| Spells | Added 20 Spells: Charm Monster, Chromatic Orb, Dissonant Whispers, Divine Smite, Dragon’s Breath, Elementalism, Ensnaring Strike, Hex, Ice Knife, Mind Spike, Phantasmal Force, Power Word Heal, Ray of Sickness, Searing Smite, Sorcerous Burst, Starry Wisp, Summon Dragon, Tsunami, Vitriolic Sphere |
| Game Rules | – Added: Rules Glossary – Removed: “Between Adventures” section as that is not featured in the 2024 core rules. |
| Gameplay Toolbox | Added:Travel PaceEnvironmental Effects |
| Magic Items | Added 15 Magic Items: Bead of Nourishment, Cloak of Invisibility, Elixir of Health, Energy Bow, Gloves of Thievery, Hat of Many Spells, Potion of Invulnerability, Potion of Longevity, Potion of Vitality, Quarterstaff of the Acrobat, Rod of Resurrection, Sending Stones, Sentinel Shield, Shield of the Cavalier, Thunderous Greatclub – Additionally, two items have a different name in SRD 5.2: Deck of Many Things has been renamed Mysterious Deck* andOrb of Dragonkind has been renamed Dragon Orb** |
| Monsters | Added 17 Monsters: Allosaurus, Anklyosaurus, Archelon, Bugbear Stalker, Goblin Boss, Goblin Minion, Guard Captain, Hippopotamus, Hobgoblin Captain, Pirate, Pirate Captain, Pteradon, Sphinx of Wonder, Swarm of Crawling Claws, Tough Boss, Troll Limb, Vampire Familiar – Updated: Monster names and stat blocks follow the Monster Manual. Plus, uou can reference Monster Conversions in Appendix B for stat block conversions from 2014 to their 2025 equivalent. |
| Appendix | Removed: “Fantasy-Historical Pantheons” and “The Planes of Existence,” as those are not rules-bearing to play fifth edition. |
| *Renamed in SRD 5.2 only to avoid using protected trademarks; still referred to as Deck of Many Things in official products. | |
| **Renamed in SRD 5.2 only to avoid using protected trademarks; still referred to as Orb of Dragonkind in official products. | |
When was the DnD SRD 5.2 released?
The DnD SRD 5.2 was officially released on April 22nd, 2025. This marks a major milestone for third-party DnD publishers who have been waiting to produce new content that can legally use the updated 2024 content, rather than relying on the SRD 5.1, which still used the 2014 DnD 5e rules.
As this is a document that lives under Creative Commons it cannot be altered or revised at any time and lives permanently in this state. This means that if more substantive changes are made, to the DnD rules Wizards of the Coast will have to release new versions under the Creative Commons (i.e. SRD 5.21, 5.22 etc.). Major rules changes to the fifth edition would in turn fall under a 5.3 license.
Why is this change to the SRD important for DnD fans?
While the released of the SRD 5.2 from Wizards of the Coast might seem like insider news that has little impact on most players, in fact it’s important for several key reasons: First, it shows that Wizards of the Coast is indeed serious about willing to listen to fans and try to repair their reputation following the OGL scandal.
Second, and more importantly, it means that both large and small third-party publishers will be able to create new content using the most up-to-date versions of the rules. This means more choice for players when it comes to 5e, and more ways for independent creators to grow financially and creatively – both of which will help contribute to the overall health of the DnD and TTRPG community as a whole.
You can download the new SRD 5.2 today via D&D Beyond.
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Cameron Nichols is a Senior Editor who lives in Boston, Massachusetts, and has been playing D&D since the early 90s, when he was introduced by his older brother and cut his teeth on AD&D 2nd Edition. Since then he’s played virtually every RPG he could get his nerdy little mitts on (including a weird Goth phase in the early 2000s when he rocked Vampire: The Masquerade pretty hard). His favorite D&D campaign setting is the Forgotten Realms and his favorite character to play was a Half-Orc Barbarian named Grug (who was unfortunately devoured by a gelatinous cube).
