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Old-School Essentials

Classic Fantasy
The gold standard retroclone of classic B/X D&D
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fantasy
Dungeon CrawlDeadlySandboxLow-PrepBeginner-FriendlyGrittyAscending ACDescending ACVancian Casting
Languages: English, Italian, German, Spanish, French
Diced20
System FamilyOSR
Cost$$
LicenseOGL 1.0a
PublisherNecrotic Gnome
Year2019
Complexity Low
Accessibility High
Community High

Core Mechanic

Roll d20 vs. descending AC via attack matrix (THAC0). Five-category saving throws. Side-based d6 initiative each round.

Best For

Groups wanting a clean, beautifully organized take on classic B/X D&D with decades of compatible old-school content.

Highlights

Clear layout and organization, wide B/X and OSR compatibility, modular supplements, highly hackable

Considerations

No domain play or mass combat in core rules, treasure-as-XP requires careful GM economy management, limited character options in Classic edition without Advanced supplements