Hardcover printed in the UK. The book is nicely laid out and there is nice black and white artwork throughout. I have used this role-playing game for solo play and I have also been running a campaign with a group for several weeks. It is very easy to run and play and the mechanics are very streamlined. There is a very nice selection of monsters and spells and everything you would expect from a fantasy OSR game in terms of character classes (magic user, cleric, fighter, thief) and races (human, dwarf, elf, halfling). Basic Fantasy RPG makes running a game very easy. I never feel like I am floundering for rules as it seems to cover everything I need without being rules heavy at all. This is my favourite fantasy role-playing game system due to how easy it is to run and how much material you get in the book. There are also plenty of supplemental materials and adventures available for free from the Basic Fantasy website.

Very nice piece of work. Clear and compact, generic - does not have any added world or political constraints, is totally open to storytelling, which suits me completely.

I can't see that much difference between it an Basic Roleplaying by the same guy. Basic is better supported and has lots of free scenarios etc.

Best of the old school d&d clones. Especially with the optional rules in this edition allowing your characters to live longer and attempt things not previously allowed for their character class.

Really like it as it is the cheapest Monster Manual type book. it is usable with most games on the market, and is extremely well done.

This is an eighty four page monster manual for The Basic Fantasy Rpg packed to the brim with monsters and is perfect for any OD&D style campaign. There's a huge number of familiar faces but there's a totally whole different way of dealing with these monsters. The book takes a nonsense approach to it's creatures, everything here is geared for maximum adventure potential, there are over one hundred eighty creatures with a full array of original and public domain artwork, and its well organized. A DM can't ever have enough monsters. These are both the benign and darkly dangerous for the health of adventurers. They can easily be slipped into a wide variety of OSR adventures at the drop of a hat. These are the creatures that your going to want to populate your OD&D style dungeons with. The monsters are very well done in the old school tradition with plenty of new variations to keep it punched up and fresh as well as deadly.

So what's in this book? According to Drivethrurpg:

Need a few more monsters? You've come to the right place! This tome contains over 180 creatures for use with the Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game. From ordinary animals to extra dimensional intruders, this book contains something for almost any game!

Challenge your players with alien Eelbats or deadly Clockwork Skeletons. Populate your wildernesses with stalwart Chelonians or the wily Rabbit Prince. Perhaps the next tomb your players raid will house a powerful Bone Horror! These and many more weird, wonderful, and wicked creatures lurk within this book. There's been a ton of work put into the monsters in this book and the Basic Fantasy authors & contributors know their material. There are quite a few surprises slipped into the back door of this free download. The problem and issue with monsters is really one of expansion, there are always always room for that one special creature that you as a DM need. This book has quite a few creatures to fill in that special niche. The monsters here are wide ranging, interesting, dangerous deadly, and don't simply conform to the usual OD&D tropes all of the time. The authors have done a nice job of mixing it up to give a DM a real variety of creatures. When a DM has a huge sprawling ruin to populate with monsters this is really a great book to grab. This really is a no nonsense game book that highlights, hits all of the monster high points, and gives all of the best stat blocks at a glance. I can honestly recommend this book without reservation as yet another great Basic Fantasy rpg line book with a full dance card of all of the living dangers for your dungeons and adventures Did I mention that it was free? Grab this one with a high recommendation.

I wrote a three part blog post series about BFRPG which is too long to insert it here. http://spacebeyondreality.com/post/basic-fantasy-1 http://spacebeyondreality.com/post/basic-fantasy-2 http://spacebeyondreality.com/post/basic-fantasy-3

Here's a summary:

Basic Fantasy has quite a bland name which doesn't reflect the refined ruleset it presents. Perhaps it is a fitting name as the system is a complete one yet it is basic enough to understand and to build upon with supplements.

As the author states: "The Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game is a rules-light game system modeled on the classic RPG rules of the early 1980's. Though based loosely on the d20 SRD v3.5, Basic Fantasy RPG has been written largely from scratch to replicate the look, feel, and mechanics of the early RPG game systems. It is suitable for those who are fans of "old-school" game mechanics. Basic Fantasy RPG is simple enough for children in perhaps second or third grade to play, yet still has enough depth for adults as well."

I can attest to the fact that the game takes the spirit of the Basic/Expert Set from the 1980's but doesn't shy away from making some changes to suit players with slightly more modern sensibilites. That being said, it still is a straight D&D game that oozes an old-school-flair. It is not a modern reimagining like games as Adventure Fantasy Game or Old School Hack. BFRPG succeeds at creating an OSR ruleset from scratch that evokes the feel of the original game it was modeled after.

The rules are somewhat lightweight. It comes down to what you call rules-lite. I personally think of systems like Risus or Wushu as lightweight and that leaves Basic Fantasy more in the spectrum between rules-lite and medium. Be that as it may, it is certainly lighter than D&D 3e, 4e or Pathfinder.

BFRPG limits itself to the core material, for instance the 4 core classes, but is still complete in its own right. Yet it really shines when the (free) supplements come in. There are many optional rules, classes etc. and they are completely modular. That means, you can tailor the game to your needs. Next to the stuff I would have expected (Druids, Paladins, Rangers, more spells and options for Magic-Users and Clerics, more races...) I found some interesting material which I haven't seen before, i.e. the Tiny Hitpoint Companion which lets you exchange damage points for maneuvers. The community is really a great thing. Its output is amazing as you can see from the sheer amount of additional resources that are available.

Generally, I can see Basic Fantasy as a product for several generations if you like old school roleplaying. Like the original game it can be grasped by young teenagers but will also suffice the gaming needs of adults. The prize is also a selling point especially for a younger target audience which might not have that much cash at hand.

What I like: While old school at its core BFRPG makes some clever rule changes which I as a gamer of a "newer generation" really like and which makes transitioning easier. The rules are clearly laid out and have matured over several iterations. The look is charmingly retro and the artwork is pretty good and especially useful in the bestiary chapter. The author took newer players and Game Masters into consideration and adds advice for them. I like how he doesn't assume that only veteran players with a nostalgic feeling towards old school games will play this game. Basic Fantasy is easily fitted to your needs with tons of additional material. What's more, I welcome the open-source idea and the embrace of the community-driven approach. Best of all, the electronic versions (PDF and .odt format) are free and the print products can be bought cheaply at different sources.

What I would have liked to see/Things that don't work for me: While Chris Gonnerman takes the trouble to be inclusive of novices I am missing concrete advice for how to play the game. Like the original he mostly sticks to the pure mechanics. I would have liked to see an actual play example with advice for a fledgling GM and more. I'd also like some help on converting material from other OSR games. Granted, experienced players won't need this "beginner material" but here I find the the intention of the book a bit at odds. Actually, the resource I'm refering to has already been written and by exactly the same author: RPG Primer and Old School Playbook. I think at least its part about converting material could be useful in Basic Fantasy itself. Finally, a small nitpick: While it's a good thing that the product line of BFRPG is under constant revision it may be a bit annoying to update all downloads every now and then. While the retro old school look may be a plus factor for some it might discourage others.

This product is very much in keeping with old school D&D, and provides everything you need to run a game in that setting without having to collect a bunch of different supplements and so on. All in all, I consider it historically accurate, while at the same time being streamlined enough to be playable. A solid traditional game, complete with monster manual!