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Old-School Essentials

Old-School Essentials

3–6 players 2019
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About this Game

Old-School Essentials is an award-winning role-playing game of fantastic adventure, monsters, and magic. Players delve into forbidden crypts and forsaken ruins, explore haunted forests and perilous mountain ranges, sail the high seas in search of lost lands, recover fabulous treasures, and unearth secrets of ancient magic.

Categories

Fantasy Imaginative

Mechanics

d20 System

How to play Old-School Essentials

Light, easily modified rules put the focus of play on shared imagination, improvisation, and fun. The game's core rules cover the essentials of fantasy gaming: delving into dungeons, exploring the wilderness, voyaging across the seas, and founding strongholds.

Classes

Cleric

Clerics are adventurers who have sworn to serve a deity. They are trained for battle and channel the power of their deity.

Dwarf

Dwarves are known for their stubbornness and practicality. They are a hardy people and have a strong resistance to magic, as reflected in their saving throws.

Elf

Elves are seldom met in human settlements, preferring to feast and make merry in the woods. If crossed, they are dangerous enemies, as they are masters of both sword and spell. Elves are fascinated by spells and beautifully constructed magic items, and love to collect both.

Fighter

Fighters are adventurers dedicated to mastering the arts of combat and war. In a group of adventurers, the role of fighters is to battle monsters and to defend other characters.

Halfling

Halflings are a friendly and welcoming folk. Above all, they love the comforts of home, and are not known for their bravery. Halflings who gain treasure through adventuring will often use their wealth in pursuit of a quiet, comfortable life.

Magic-User

Magic-users are adventurers whose study of arcane secrets has taught them how to cast spells. Magic-users are able to cast a greater number of increasingly powerful spells as they advance in level.

Thief

Thieves are adventurers who live by their skills of deception and stealth. Their range of unique skills makes them very handy companions in adventures. However, thieves are not always to be trusted.

Frequently Asked Questions

What supplies do I need to play Old-School Essentials?
Obviously this will vary from table to table, but here are some good places to start! If your game is played in person, most likely you will want to get a set of dice, something to write with, and paper to take notes. If your game is hosted online instead, you will probably need to make accounts on a few sites for things like character sheets, access to the Virtual Tabletop for maps and tokens, and sites like Discord or Zoom for video/voice calls during the session. You won't always need to have the rulebooks to start, but if you want to read through them to make sure you know all the rules, this might also be a good option.
What if I'm not comfortable with certain themes or content in Old-School Essentials?
Tabletop Roleplaying Games can cover an impressive range of topics and styles, including violence, horror, romance, and many many more! However, if there are specific themes or content that you’re uncomfortable with, let your group and GM know before the game, and have an open conversation about these topics. Any group worth playing with should be respectful and understanding of your concerns and the game can be adjusted so everyone is having fun. Many tables also use “Safety Tools” which help ensure that these conversations are handled easily, and everyone has a voice at the table.
What dice do you use for Old-School Essentials?
Old-School Essentials uses a standard, 7 piece set of dice, containing a d4, d6, d8, d10, d%, d12, and d20.
Is Old-School Essentials the same thing as older editions of Dungeons & Dragons?
While Old-School Essentials is based on the beloved 1980s Basic/Expert rules for D&D, it is not the same system. With it's roots in classic games, Old-School Essentials is compatible with decades of iconic adventures and supplements, and material published for all 20th century editions of D&D can be used with minimal conversion effort.

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