PDF and Hardcover, 48 pages

These are the rules to allow you to play in any sort of "Basic Fantasy" style game. Here get our character classes of Cleric, Fighter, Magic-User, and Theif and The three "demi-human" classes of Dwarf, Elf, and Halfling. If you are familiar with the Basic/Expert games of 1981 then this is home territory for you. Human classes are limited to 14th level and demi-humans vary.

In addition to the classes (half the book more or less) we go into Equipment, mounts, hirelings and building strongholds. So yes, everything that concerns players from level 1 to level 14 or retirement.

This is one of the three required books by the players. The others are the Core Rules and then also Cleric and Magic-User spells (if they are playing one of those classes).

Like all the books in this series the layout is crisp, clean and a model of efficient use of words. From a User Experience point of view it is an absolute gem.

The art is likewise fantastic with full color spreads throughout the book.

The Core Rules weighs in at 80 pages and gets to the very heart of the OSE line. The essential Essentials as it were. It covers Ability scores in general, sequences of play and all the basic rules needed. Combat is covered separately. Magic also gets a bit of coverage here in general terms and including how spells can be researched and magic items made.

The rules have been "cleaned up" from their obvious predecessors. The focus is on readability and playability here. like all of the OSE books every entry of a rule is presented on facing pages. So you open up the book and everything you need on the subject is right there. Only rarely will you need to turn the page.

In the original rules, it took a bit of digging to actually figure out how much a character moves. This was vastly improved in later editions of the game, but here it is very succinctly spelled out. Other rules are equally made clear.

Since the "Basic" and "Expert" rules are combined here there is an economy of word usage here. As much as I love my Basic and Expert games, sometimes you need to consult both books when a situation comes up. This book though is more than a handy index, it takes that notion from the B/XE Core Rules and expands it into a much more playable game.

The philosophy of the Core Rules is just that, everything you need to play regardless of the genre. Included in the boxed set (and an expected purchase) is the Classic Fantasy Genre Rules. This is what takes the Core Rules and makes it into a "Basic-era Fantasy Game". So in simpler language, this is Basic D&D. You do need a set of Genre Rules to be able to use the Core Rules, but there is enough there if you are an aspiring game designer to make up your own. Say Roaring 20s, or Space or Horror. Anything really.

PDF and Hardcover, 80 pages

The Core Rules weighs in at 80 pages and gets to the very heart of the OSE line. The essential Essentials as it were. It covers Ability scores in general, sequences of play and all the basic rules needed. Combat is covered separately. Magic also gets a bit of coverage here in general terms and including how spells can be researched and magic items made.

The rules have been "cleaned up" from their obvious predecessors. The focus is on readability and playability here. like all of the OSE books every entry of a rule is presented on facing pages. So you open up the book and everything you need on the subject is right there. Only rarely will you need to turn the page.

In the original rules, it took a bit of digging to actually figure out how much a character moves. This was vastly improved in later editions of the game, but here it is very succinctly spelled out. Other rules are equally made clear.

Since the "Basic" and "Expert" rules are combined here there is an economy of word usage here. As much as I love my Basic and Expert games, sometimes you need to consult both books when a situation comes up. This book though is more than a handy index, it takes that notion from the B/XE Core Rules and expands it into a much more playable game.

The philosophy of the Core Rules is just that, everything you need to play regardless of the genre. Included in the boxed set (and an expected purchase) is the Classic Fantasy Genre Rules. This is what takes the Core Rules and makes it into a "Basic-era Fantasy Game". So in simpler language, this is Basic D&D. You do need a set of Genre Rules to be able to use the Core Rules, but there is enough there if you are an aspiring game designer to make up your own. Say Roaring 20s, or Space or Horror. Anything really.

The book has some really, really great old-school feeling art as well. Just fantastic stuff really.

I bought this referree reference screen in conjunction with the plastic GM screen to insert them into. Couldn't be happier with both. The cardstock the OSE screen is printed on is thick and has some real heft to it, while the screen to insert them into seems to be of a sturdy build as well. It also has the added bonus of me being able to insert other homebrew screens that I've put together over the years. Very happy with this!

Beutiful art! Well laid-out and relevent charts. My new go-to B/X screen!

I love these rules. They take something that I always felt was rather arbitrary collection of unrelated skills and turned it into a coherent system. I've banned the original Assassin classes at my table, but I've allowed them back in via this B/X Rogue class because HERE they actually make some sense.

Very helpful to have! No space is wasted. Just all the tables you need for quick reference.

Just finished running this adventure for my group using Old-School Essentials. It was our first experience with OSR style play and we had a blast! The adventure is fun and quirky. The layout is the high quality that is the staple of Necrotic Gnome products and it was very easy to get all the information you need with a quick glance. Highly reccomended.

This is a really great and unique product. Both as a playing aid and a look into the early most basics of D&D rules. It's extremely elegantly laid out, very easy to navigate and the artwork is stunning and oozing of that good old school vibe 100% and sparking imagination instead of spelling it out. A supreme basis for your own home brew D&D ruleset or as a All-In-One guide to run a purist old school D&D game. Highly recommended!

This screen is a work of art and invokes a really unique feeling you may or may not like. Personally I love it. The inside is tight, informative and well thought out. Highly recommended!

This is my favorite DM screen, worth it for the Mullen art alone. Can't wait for a physical product.

Killer product. Layed out well and very useful. The art is fantastic

Amazing. The layout and wording is the same great stuff we saw in B/X Essentials but with the EXTREMELY helpful addition of Ascending AC rules and some cool new art. If you play B/X you should be using this book. Can't wait to get the individual physical copies to pass around the game table. Also that alternative cover art is radical!

This is the character sheet my group uses. It's got everything you need (except spells

This tome collects Old-School Essentials Classic Fantasy Core Rules, Genre Rules, Monsters, Cleric and Magic-User spells and Treasures books under one cover. This Tome is the apex of easy and beautiful layout AND is the difiniitive and faithful issue of the original B/X rules, even though the ability to use acending Armor Class is introduced. This addtiion is very well founded seeing as the vast majoirty of people playing today, including new players expects to see it. My ONLY gripe with this tome is that there are no higher spells. That though will be hopefully done in future serpreate book installments.