The new DnD System Reference Document, released on April 22, is a lengthy legal document stuffed with snippets of the full fifth edition rules. These are safe for third-party creators to use under Wizards of the Coast’s newly-adopted Creative Commons license, and the most recent version (5.2) specifically covers the 2024 rules updates.
The full thing is a whopping 361 pages long – almost the same length as the 2024 Player’s Handbook itself, despite containing a less complete version of the rules. For anyone who wants to see what’s changed between 5.1 and 5.2, we’ve put together a summary of the main content changes you can find inside the updated D&D SRD.
Classes
In general, the DnD classes are presented exactly as they were previously in the SRD. However, each has had numerous tweaks, which have been carried over to this document. These include:
- Barbarian 5e – Tweaks to maintaining Rage, plus new features like Brutal Strike, Weapon Mastery, and Persistent Rage.
- Bard 5e – No Song of Rest, an entirely reworked Magical Secrets feature, and more flexible ways of regaining Bardic Inspiration.
- Cleric 5e – More uses of Channel Divinity, plus new features like Divine Order, Divine Spark, Sear Undead, and Divine Intervention.
- Druid 5e – Reworked Wild Shape, always has Speak with Animals prepared, no medium armor proficiency, plus new features like Wild Resurgence, Elemental Fury, and Archdruid.
- Fighter 5e – Can change Fighting Styles at level ups, more uses of Second Wind, and new features like Weapon Mastery, Tactical Mind, Tactical Shift, Tactical Master, and Studied Attacks.
- Monk 5e – Bigger Martial Arts dice, re-designed Martial Arts options, plus new features like Uncanny Metabolism, Deflect Attacks, Empowered Strikes, Acrobatic Movement, Heightened Focus, Deflect Energy, Perfect Focus, Superior Defense, and Body and Mind.
- Paladin 5e – Lay on Hands as a bonus action, no Divine Health, Radiant Strikes that can affect unarmed strikes, plus new features like Weapon Mastery, Paladin’s Smite, Faithful Steed, Abjure Foes, and Restoring Touch.
- Ranger 5e – Now has spell slots from level one, plus new features like Weapon Mastery, Favored Enemy, Relentless Hunter, Precise Hunter, and Foe Slayer.
- Rogue 5e – New features like Weapon Mastery, Cunning Strike, Improved Cunning Strike, and Devious Mind.
- Sorcerer 5e – Several tweaked Metamagic options, plus new features like Innate Sorcery, Sorcery Incarnate, and Arcane Apotheosis.
- Warlock 5e – Several Eldritch Invocations changes, plus new features like Magical Cunning, Contact Patron, and Eldritch Master.
- Wizard 5e – Can now be proficient in simple weapons, plus new features like Ritual Adept, Scholar, and Memorize Spell.
Each class still includes one subclass:
- Berserker Barbarian – No longer gains exhaustion for using Frenzy, can use Rage to permanently end charmed and frightened conditions, and has a more consistently usable Intimidating Presence feature.
- College of Lore Bard – Magical Discoveries updated to match new Magical Secrets Rules, and Peerless Skill doesn’t spend Bardic Inspiration when it fails.
- Life Domain Cleric – Subclass spells altered, Preserve Life can only target Bloodied creatures, and Blessed Healer only applies to spells with spell slots.
- Circle of the Land Druid – Can change spell lists on a long rest, fewer spell list options with new spell selections, plus new features like Land’s Aid, Natural Recovery, Nature’s Ward, and Nature’s Sanctuary.
- Champion Fighter – Survivor now gives advantage and increased crit chances on death saves, plus new features like Remarkable Athlete and Heroic Warrior.
- Warrior of the Open Hand Monk – Open Hand Technique now affects reactions, Quivering Palm cost and damage type altered, plus new Fleet Step feature.
- Oath of Devotion Paladin – Radiant damage for Sacred Weapon instead of magical damage, no Turn the Unholy, plus new Smite of Protection feature.
- Hunter Ranger – Streamlined rules for Hunter’s Prey, Multiattack Defense gives advantages to attackers rather than an AC bonus, plus new features like Hunter’s Lore, Superior Hunter’s Prey, and Superior Hunter’s Defense.
- Thief Rogue – Fast Hands can now use magic items, and reworked features like Supreme Sneak and Use Magic Device.
- Draconic Sorcery – Draconic Resilience now buffs AC, plus new features like Draconic Spells and Draconic Companion.
- Fiend Warlock – Dark One’s Blessing also triggers if a friend kills something, tweaked Fiend Spells, and Hurl Through Hell now has a saving throw and deals less damage.
- Evoker Wizard – Sculpt spells and Potent Cantrips swapped levels, plus a reworked Evocation Savant.
Species
The Half-Elf 5e and the Half-Orc have been removed from the SRD, as they are no longer featured in the core rules. Two DnD races replace them: the Orc and the DnD Goliath.
Seven other species are presented as before, though they have seen plenty of changes. As well as no longer offering increases for certain DnD stats, the following tweaks have been made:
- Dragonborn – Increased breath weapon damage but a limited number of uses, now have Darkvision and Draconic Flight.
- Dwarf – Speed of 30ft instead of 25ft, double their usual Darkvision, and reworked Stonecunning.
- Elf – Different lineage spells, and keen senses lets you choose between three different DnD skills.
- Gnome – Speed of 30ft instead of 25ft, and Rock Gnomes have a reworked Tinker feature.
- Halfling – Speed of 30ft instead of 25ft, and all Halflings have the Naturally Stealthy feature.
- Human – Can be Small or Medium, and has new features: Resourceful and Versatile.
- Tiefling – Can be Small or Medium, Fiendish Legacy is more flexible with damage types and offers new sub-features.
Backgrounds
DnD 2024 backgrounds were one of the biggest changes to the base 5e rules, and three examples have been included in the SRD. These are the Criminal, the Sage, and the Soldier.
Feats
The SRD originally only included one 5e feat, Grappler. Now, 16 additional feats have been added. Here are the newbies, plus the changes that were made to them as part of the new rules:
- Alert – Now adds proficiency bonus instead of +5 and swaps Initiative instead of using the old surprise rules.
- Magic Initiate – Now limited to Cleric, Wizard, and Druid spell lists. Now a repeatable feat, with spells that can be replaced or cast with spell slots.
- Savage Attacker – No longer limited to melee.
- Skilled – No change.
- Ability Score Improvement – No change.
- Archery – No change.
- Defense – No change.
- Great Weapon Fighting – Tweaked damage rules.
- Two Weapon Fighting – Now specifies weapons with the Light property and that you can’t have already added the damage.
- Boon of Combat Prowess – Entirely new.
- Boon of Dimensional Travel – Entirely new.
- Boon of Fate – Entirely new.
- Boon of Irresistible Offense – Entirely new.
- Boon of the Night Spirit – Entirely new.
- Boon of Spell Recall – Entirely new.
- Boon of Truesight – Entirely new.
Weapon Mastery
The brand-new DnD weapon mastery rules have been added to the SRD, as they’re now crucial for martial characters.
Spells
20 DnD spells were added to the SRD. That brings the total number to 336.
The newly-added spells are:
- 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
Items and equipment
The musket and the pistol have been added to the SRD’s list of DnD weapons. Plus, there are now rules for brewing potions of healing and scribing spell scrolls.
15 additional DnD magic items have been added to the document, bringing the total to 243:
- 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
Two items with direct ties to D&D’s lore have also been renamed. The Deck of Many Things is now the Mysterious Deck, and the Orb of Dragonkind is now the Dragon Orb.
Monsters
17 new DnD monsters have been added to the SRD:
- Allosaurus
- Ankylosaurus
- Archelon
- Bugbear Stalker
- Goblin Boss
- Goblin Minion
- Guard Captain
- Hippopotamus
- Hobgoblin Captain
- Pirate
- Pirate Captain
- Pteranodon
- Sphinx of Wonder
- Swarm of Crawling Claws
- Tough Boss
- Troll Limb
- Vampire Familiar
All 325 of the SRD’s stat blocks also saw changes in the new Monster Manual, from minor tweaks to entire overhauls. These changes are reflected here.
Other
- The ‘Gameplay Toolbox’ section expands the travel and exploration rules covered early in SRD 5.2.
- The ‘Gameplay Toolbox’ also covers creating backgrounds and environmental effects.
- A rules glossary has been added to the document.
- The Planes of Existence and discussions of fantasy pantheons have been removed.
- The ‘Between Adventures’ section of SRD 5.1 has been cut, as it’s no longer part of the 5e rules.
You can read the full SRD document yourself to learn more. Or head over to the Wargamer Discord, where we regularly discuss the latest updates to the DnD release schedule and the fifth edition rules.
Source: Wargamer
