What Is 5e?

The term 5e defines compatibility between the products of hundreds of publishers and the 2014 version of the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop roleplaying game �����known as 5th edition D&D.

In early 2023, Wizards of the Coast, the current holder of the D&D brand and developer of D&D 5th edition (as well as 3rd and 4th editions) released the core rules of D&D 5e under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license in the 5.1 System Reference Document. I know it sounds boring as hell but it's super valuable and important for the whole tabletop roleplaying game hobby.

With this release, 5e became an open platform for roleplaying games. 5e is like Linux ��� a platform usable by anyone to build any 5e-based RPG game or supplement they want without needing permission from or paying royalties to Wizards of the Coast.

So now 5e means something different.

I argue the term "5e" no longer means "the 5th edition of D&D" but now acts as a stand-alone term defining compatibility between thousands of 5e RPG products.

For example, by early 2025 there will be at least four different core 5e systems:

2014 D&D by Wizards of the Coast2024 D&D by Wizards of the CoastTales of the Valiant by Kobold PressLevel Up Advanced 5e by EN World publishing

One could argue the excellent old-school-style RPG Shadowdark is actually a lightweight 5e variant (it references the 5.1 SRD in its core book). The French-produced Fateforge is another stand-alone 5e RPG. The Iskandar Player's Handbook by MT Black is a fully self-contained 5e player's guide for $4. I'm likely missing others.

D&D is the most popular version of 5e by probably two orders of magnitude but that popularity doesn't matter for you and your own game. You can choose whatever version of 5e meets your preferences, or mix and match from all of them to build the game you want to run for your players.

Beyond the several different core 5e systems, there are thousands of 5e compatible supplements with character options, spells, magic items, monsters, adventures, campaigns, world books, and alternate sub-systems produced over the past ten years. You can use these products to change your own version of 5e any way you wish, all built on this open 5e RPG platform.

You can also modify 5e yourself however you wish. Homebrewing is a time-honored tradition going back 50 years.

So what is 5e?

5e is your system. Use the vast library of 5e products to build your own version of the game and enjoy it as you wish with your friends around the table.

More Sly Flourish Stuff

Last week I posted a couple of YouTube videos on Choosing the First Adventure that Works and Horned Devil Bakis ��� Shadowdark Gloaming Session 28 Lazy GM Prep.

Last Week's Lazy RPG Talk Show Topics

Each week I record an episode of the Lazy RPG Talk Show (also available as a podcast) in which I talk about all things in tabletop RPGs. Here are last week's topics with time stamped links to the YouTube video:

Shadow of the Weird Wizard Impressions by Gnome StewWOTC Stops Selling A La Carte Items on D&D BeyondBob World Builder D&D and WOTC Popularity Survey ResultsDelve by Bob World BuilderRegnum Rattus the Rats in the Cellar4,000+ DM Tips in the Creative CommonsThe GMs Miscellany by Raging SwanBeing a Good Steward of the RPG HobbyPatreon Questions and Answers

Also on the Talk Show, I answer questions from Sly Flourish Patrons. Here are last week's questions and answers:

Should a New DM Run Fateforged?How to Expose Midgard and Big Campaign Settings to Players?Handling a TPK in WitchlightRPG Tips

Each week I think about what I learned in my last RPG session and write them up as RPG tips. Here are this week's tips:

At the end of your campaign, ask the characters to describe where their characters are one year later. Write down and share their stories. Ask players what they want and where they want their characters to go as you close out your campaign. Have players build characters together at a session zero so they can build their characters off of one another. Mash up multiple encounters into one big fun complicated scene. Build encounters around an interesting set piece or monument to define the physical location and give players something to play off of. Keep track of current and previous NPCs in a big list with a name and a few descriptive words. Roll a d20 to see how the lives of off-screen NPCs have been going. The higher the roll, the better things have been going for them.Related ArticlesWhat 5e in the Creative Commons Means to YouD&D Beyond, Wizards of the Coast, 5e, and YouMy Favorite TTRPG Products of 2023Get More from Sly FlourishArticlesNewsletterBookstorePatreonPodcastYouTubeBuy Sly Flourish's Books Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master Lazy DM's Companion Lazy DM's Workbook Forge of Foes Fantastic Lairs Ruins of the Grendleroot Fantastic Adventures Fantastic Locations

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