Dungeons & Dragons Basic/Expert vs White Box: FMAG

Compare Dungeons & Dragons Basic/Expert and White Box: FMAG side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.

	Dungeons & Dragons Basic/Expert	White Box: FMAG
Genre	Fantasy	Fantasy
Tags	Classic Fantasy, Dungeon Crawl, Hexcrawl, Resource Management, Deadly, Vancian Casting, Descending AC, Domain Management, Sandbox, Random Tables	Rules-Light, Classic Fantasy, Dungeon Crawl, Deadly, Hackable, Beginner-Friendly, Random Character Creation, Vancian Casting, Descending AC, Hexcrawl
Core Mechanic	Roll 1d20 with the relevant modifiers and meet or exceed the target shown on the attack or saving-throw table. Attack targets account for the opponent's descending Armor Class.	Roll d20 + modifiers against a target number derived from the defender's Armor Class (descending AC by default, ascending AC optional). Attribute modifiers are compressed to −1, 0, or +1. Each class has a single saving throw number that improves with level. Side-based initiative is rolled each round on d6.
Dice	d20	d20
Complexity	High	Very Low
Availability	Paid	Free core rules
Runnability	5 of 5 book tools	2 of 5 book tools
License	All Rights Reserved	OGL 1.0a
Third-Party Publishing	No verified route found	Not yet researched
Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing.
Publisher	TSR Hobbies, Inc.	Seattle Hill Games
Year	1981	2016
Languages	English, French	English
Best For	Groups who want dangerous fantasy expeditions built around exploration and managing supplies. Campaigns can grow from dungeon treasure hunts into wilderness travel and ruling a territory.	Groups wanting the simplest possible version of original D&D: four classes, compressed modifiers, and intentional rules gaps that invite house rules and Referee creativity.
Highlights	Ten-minute dungeon turns make searching and resting consume supplies under wandering-monster pressure. Reaction and morale rolls give encounters outcomes beyond fighting to the death. Stronghold construction and settler taxes turn adventuring wealth into territorial responsibilities.	Attribute modifiers compressed to −1/0/+1 keeps math fast and reduces stat dependency. Complete game in 143 pages including monsters, treasure, spells, and wilderness/dungeon procedures. A free PDF and a low-cost print edition make it one of the most accessible OSR games. Intentional rules gaps and a blank House Rules page explicitly invite customization.
Considerations	Playing through level 14 requires both the Basic and Expert rulebooks. Class-based advancement offers little customization beyond equipment and spell selection. Characters die at zero hit points, and some failed saves kill them immediately.	Four classes (three without the optional Thief) limits character variety. No formal skill system: the Referee adjudicates all non-combat actions. Level tables cap at 10, requiring house rules for extended campaigns.