D&D and SRD [Archive] - Wizards Community

D&D and SRD [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Soulkeeper
06-13-05, 10:56 AM Can someone help me understand the working connection (as in player usage) of the SRD in connection to D&D?

http://srd.plush.org/home.html

I see its not legally "affiliated" with WotC or D&D, but it seems to be connected quite close.
IMarvinTPA
06-13-05, 12:27 PM The SRD is the "Open" content of the PHB, DMG, and MM and a few other things Wizards has released. The official source for it is at http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/welcome

IMarv
Soulkeeper
06-13-05, 12:32 PM So, can I assume anything in the SRD is also in the PHB, DMG and MM, but that not all information from the 3 books is in the SRD?

Likewise, which overrides which for reference?
Planar Wanderer
06-13-05, 12:34 PM IMArvin got there before me but I'll add my :twocents:

I am no lawyer so the best thing is to read the OGL and all appropriate licenses and I make no claims as to the accuracy of the following but as I understand it basically the system reference document (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/srd35) (SRD) is a collection of material that wizards make available under an "open game license" (OGL).

It's all the stuff that wizards will allow third parties to use for various purposes (such as writing novels, publishing a third party resource etc.) provided it doesn't breach the terms given in the license. Certain things are designated "product identity" and these can't be used at all. You may notice on the boards when people post the full wording of a spell its quoted as coming from the SRD, only stuff in the SRD can be legally quoted that way (it's still under copyright but wizards grant permission to use it under the terms of the OGL), if it isn't in the SRD then no one outside of wizards can use it.

Now as a player the most likely use for it is quick reference of the rules since it doesn't include fluff and is on the computer and hence available for automated searching.

okay maybe that was more like :twocents: :twocents:

EDIT: in response to your second post, the SRD doesn't contain everything in the 3 core, some things (the product identity stuff) is missing from the SRD, in terms of priority, of the stuff that appears in both they should be identical although the SRD may contain errata (I don't know if WOTC update the SRD to include errated stuff or if you need to errata it yourself using the errata download
Soulkeeper
06-13-05, 12:44 PM He he, ok.

I wasn't planning to use it for publication, sorry if I left that vague. I simply meant as my gaming resource for now in making characters, adventures and so on.

I was simply worried that using it might be using wrong or different information than what others with the books have at this point.

Thanks for the great reply!
Planar Wanderer
06-13-05, 12:52 PM I wasn't planning to use it for publication, sorry if I left that vague. I simply meant as my gaming resource for now in making characters, adventures and so on.

I was simply worried that using it might be using wrong or different information than what others with the books have at this point.

No you'll have more or less the same information the others have (I reckon most of the use the SRD gets is DM's (remember DMs are third parties too :) ) downloading it to reference rules quickly since you can use the find function in word or whatever to find the bit you want) but like I say some stuff is missing (like the wealth by level tables) so you can't use the SRD instead of the core books but there is enough there that for looking up stuff 99 times out of 100 it'll have what you want.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Soulkeeper 06-13-05, 10:56 AM	Can someone help me understand the working connection (as in player usage) of the SRD in connection to D&D? http://srd.plush.org/home.html I see its not legally "affiliated" with WotC or D&D, but it seems to be connected quite close.
IMarvinTPA 06-13-05, 12:27 PM	The SRD is the "Open" content of the PHB, DMG, and MM and a few other things Wizards has released. The official source for it is at http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/welcome IMarv
Soulkeeper 06-13-05, 12:32 PM	So, can I assume anything in the SRD is also in the PHB, DMG and MM, but that not all information from the 3 books is in the SRD? Likewise, which overrides which for reference?
Planar Wanderer 06-13-05, 12:34 PM	IMArvin got there before me but I'll add my :twocents: I am no lawyer so the best thing is to read the OGL and all appropriate licenses and I make no claims as to the accuracy of the following but as I understand it basically the system reference document (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/srd35) (SRD) is a collection of material that wizards make available under an "open game license" (OGL). It's all the stuff that wizards will allow third parties to use for various purposes (such as writing novels, publishing a third party resource etc.) provided it doesn't breach the terms given in the license. Certain things are designated "product identity" and these can't be used at all. You may notice on the boards when people post the full wording of a spell its quoted as coming from the SRD, only stuff in the SRD can be legally quoted that way (it's still under copyright but wizards grant permission to use it under the terms of the OGL), if it isn't in the SRD then no one outside of wizards can use it. Now as a player the most likely use for it is quick reference of the rules since it doesn't include fluff and is on the computer and hence available for automated searching. okay maybe that was more like :twocents: :twocents: EDIT: in response to your second post, the SRD doesn't contain everything in the 3 core, some things (the product identity stuff) is missing from the SRD, in terms of priority, of the stuff that appears in both they should be identical although the SRD may contain errata (I don't know if WOTC update the SRD to include errated stuff or if you need to errata it yourself using the errata download
Soulkeeper 06-13-05, 12:44 PM	He he, ok. I wasn't planning to use it for publication, sorry if I left that vague. I simply meant as my gaming resource for now in making characters, adventures and so on. I was simply worried that using it might be using wrong or different information than what others with the books have at this point. Thanks for the great reply!
Planar Wanderer 06-13-05, 12:52 PM	I wasn't planning to use it for publication, sorry if I left that vague. I simply meant as my gaming resource for now in making characters, adventures and so on. I was simply worried that using it might be using wrong or different information than what others with the books have at this point. No you'll have more or less the same information the others have (I reckon most of the use the SRD gets is DM's (remember DMs are third parties too :) ) downloading it to reference rules quickly since you can use the find function in word or whatever to find the bit you want) but like I say some stuff is missing (like the wealth by level tables) so you can't use the SRD instead of the core books but there is enough there that for looking up stuff 99 times out of 100 it'll have what you want.