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The question I have is pretty simple. The PDF file that WotC has on their website does not have the same content as this website https://www.5esrd.com/.

If I create a 5e adventure and want to go the OGL route instead of the DMs Guild one, can I use the extra content from the website?

As an example, the website contains a creature named Witchlight. The creature is from the Tome of Beasts, which is a Kobold Press release. What are the restrains there, if any? Reading the title of the website, as it contains SRD in it, it makes me think that I can. But the confusion arises when I don't see the same content in the WotC file. Can I use this creature and any other that is not in the PDF of WotC?

Thank you all in advance.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Why would you expect to see non-WotC content in the WotC PDF? \$\endgroup\$
    – Adeptus
    Nov 10, 2020 at 0:46
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    \$\begingroup\$ Welcome to RPG.SE! Take the tour if you haven't already, and check out the help center for more guidance. \$\endgroup\$
    – V2Blast
    Nov 10, 2020 at 1:59
  • \$\begingroup\$ I don't expect to see the same content. I just had a feeling that the website is just an online version of the PDF, and the confusion came when I saw content from 3rd party publishers :). \$\endgroup\$
    – Andreas Grigoriadis
    Nov 10, 2020 at 10:08

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*Disclaimer, I do freelance work for the owner of the Open Gaming Network websites, including d20pfsrd.com, 5esrd.com, and others.

5eSRD.com is a compilation of Open Gaming Content from multiple sources, including WotC's own 5th Edition SRD, and OGC pulled from various published materials by third parties.

However, "But this website says its okay." is not the best legal ground to be standing on if you're a publisher yourself. I suggest using it as a guide and then picking up the primary source (the book mentioned for each page you want content from) to double-check what it declares as OGC. You should consider yourself legally responsible for verifying first-hand that something on the internet labelled OGC and covered by the OGL really is OGC.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Working on the site, have you or your peers ever found non OGL content? \$\endgroup\$
    – NotArch
    Nov 9, 2020 at 22:15
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    \$\begingroup\$ @NautArch - it's rare, but there's been a couple of times things have sneaked through, usually due to something like an protected name (of a character, organization, god, etc) sneaking through alongside rules text. \$\endgroup\$
    – Matt Thomason
    Nov 10, 2020 at 2:50
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It's Open Gaming content, presumably

That website seems to aggregate Open Gaming license content, which is what you say you are looking for per their intro header:

The intent of this site, and all of the sites that make up the Open Gaming Network, is to bring to you official Open Game Content rules for 5th Edition AND the best Open Game Content from other publishers. This site is not intended to bring only official content from Wizards of the Coast, but instead to be a constantly growing resource of the best Open Game Content for 5e.

However, if you want to be 100% certain that the content you use from the site is 100% OGL, then I would still double verify the source of that content and go to them to check on their license applicability.

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