The Open Gaming License (or OGL) is a virtual user license that was created in 2000. It allowed fans to use parts of Dungeons and Dragons intellectual property in their work without the supervision of Wizards of the Coast (the Hasbro subsidiary that owns J&D).
OGL’s foundation was rooted in software licenses, directly inspired by GNU / Linux license. Under OGL — which anyone could use, without the need for special permissions or contracts — fans were allowed to create their own games, adventures, characters, items, and creatures that were explicitly compatible with Dungeons and DragonsAnd sell this business for money.
OGL was attached to a system reference document, which described the exact parts of the Dungeons and Dragons An IP that people can use, including stats and mechanics for races, classes, spells, creatures, combat… everything you could possibly need to run the game or more. The SRD is currently bundled with OGL 1.0(a) – the latest authorized version of the license – approximately 400 pages long. Over the course of 23 years, OGL and SRD have led a large number of D&D fans to invest their time and money in third party publishing, or 3PP.
Over the past 23 years, many publishing houses have specialized in production J&D– Compatible third-party content created. Some of these companies include Kobold Press and Green Ronin. Other companies have produced indie games that use OGL as a base, such as Paizo’s searchlight and evil hat spell.
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