Dungeons and Dragons fans banded together to get #OpenDnD trending on Twitter. This tag emerged in response to recent activity that suggests Dungeons and Dragons might be considering cracking down on homebrew in One D&D.
This situation first began when rumors emerged from reputable sources within Wizards of the Coast reported the company might not renew the Open Game License for One D&D. As the legal documentation that allows players to create and sell third-party content with the game, its discontinuation would cripple the homebrew market for Dungeons and Dragons.
While Wizards of the Coast claimed it would support creators in One D&D, few players were assuaged by the statement, as it was mostly corporate jargon and non-answers. Recently, some Dungeons and Dragons content creators who had been vocal against these rumors received invites to a clandestine meeting with Wizards of the Coast pertaining to the OGL–so long as they signed an NDA. This further incited fans, who have only grown antsier as Dungeons and Dragons danced around answers and moved to silence its opposition.
These events then led to #OpenDnD trending on Twitter, with over a thousand tweets in just a few days. Content creators, actual play streamers, and third-party publishers alike spoke their mind, making their viewpoint on Wizards of the Coast’s actions clear: if it continued with its dodgy practices and refused to carry over the OGL into One D&D, they would simply quit Dungeons and Dragons and make content for another TTRPG.
Wizards of the Coast’s recent actions have not inspired hope for many Dungeons and Dragons fans. In a recent investor meeting, the CEOs of Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast claimed Dungeons and Dragons was under-monetized, and that it wanted to capitalize on the brand further. Considering its silence on the matter of the OGL, many Dungeons and Dragons creators fear it may try to do so by forcing third-party content to be sold via DMsGuild or by individual licensing. Every scenario imagined by Dungeons and Dragons fans based on Wizards of the Coast’s actions has them rightfully concerned. If Wizards of the Coast continues down this path, it is more likely to spawn another competitor like it did with Pathfinder during 4th Edition than it is to turn a profit.
The longer Wizards of the Coast goes without a concrete statement on the future of the OGL in One D&D, the more unrest and panic will form within the Dungeons and Dragons community. That said, though its recent actions have raised concerns, Wizards of the Coast has also not announced anything about One D&D that would ruin it for creators. Either way, players passionate about the world’s greatest roleplaying game should be sure to use the #OpenDnD to make their own voices heard in the meantime.
One D&D is in development.