Basic Fantasy RPG: OSR Core Rulebook Review

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QUESTING KNIGHT PATRONS!
James Endres
RH1NO
John Eternal
The Threshold Team
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Tina Lennox
Minty
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Kobold
Fil Kearney
Aiden Downs
Chris Boyce
Darren Brum

[ChrisGonnerman]

Hey, thanks for the kind words! I get your point about character generation and looking things up, but the rules are arranged to mirror the layout of the classic games circa 1981; also, the organization is meant to be convenient for the GM rather than the players. Character generation is usually done in the down time between sessions, or at the beginning or end, where there is time to turn a few pages; however, when the GM needs the numbers, it's often in the middle of the game.

[garrick]

Other OSR systems are more glossily presented (and more expensive), but Basic Fantasy is one of the most complete systems out there. It works well for new OSR players coming from, say, D&D 5e because it drops a lot of the weirdness of B/X - descending armor, THAC0, race as class, varying level limits, but it keeps the old school feel. The best part is, the PDFs are free, but if you want to buy the books they are dirt cheap. I have every book and it maybe cost me $40 total, which is about the same cost as one 5e book.

[lazylitch]

This is like the linux of OSR - made by a decentralized community were anyone can get involved, all open for everyone to thinker with and made not for profit. I play these rule systems a lot, I love them. I bought this for my younger brother too because I thought its a good place to get started.

[onealflynn]

There is a field guide that serves as monster manual that has more monsters than what is in the core book as well

[jonsadler]

My favorite OSR system. Other games do specific things better but no game is a pure and direct as BFRPG. This game looks and plays how I imagined rpgs to look and play before I started playing.

[Malcadon]

One thing that I like about Basic Fantasy RPG, besides being freely available for download, is how the rules and supplements -- like the Fantasy Field Guide (monster book) and Equipment Emporium -- are constantly getting updates. With or without the main rulebook, I can print the game whole or in pieces.

[freddaniel]

Basic Fantasy was my first OSR system and remains my first choice to run for folks new to old school play. My 2nd edition copy of BFRPG, which I started OSR play with, is sitting right beside me in its 3-ring binder. (It's easy enough to arrange a few pages in whatever order you want them, if that's important to you, or to even add your own house rules if that's how you roll!) For my money, BFRPG does exactly what I want my OSR game to do in the 21st Century! I have many other original and OSR products, but nothing is as useful as BFRPG. I am so grateful to Mr. Gonnerman!

[HoundofOdin]

This is the game that got me into the OSR. It is what 3e should have been.

[chrishall]

Thanks for looking at this one. I ran a campaign with it for two years. Aside from being a great game, the community in their forums is great. The modules and supplements are created for free from the community. It’s a no-drama zone which can be rare in OSR circles.

[alutheranlearningspanish]

The emphasis really is on Moldvay-Cook BX d&d, not so much the d20. The d20 was a legal means to the end of getting a bx clone out there. The author has even said that if he knew Labyrinth Lord was coming out at the time, he probably wouldn't have done the book. The changes are mostly his house rules, even though they do make it easier for people used to d20 systems. PC alignment is ommitted, which probably leads to smoother play since nobody notices it's missing. The separated race and class don't change that much. The biggest change is probably the individual initiative, but it's easy enough to splice side initiative back in if one doesn't like it.

[aerothelich]

what i absolutely love about this module is that it was created by a dedicated community of Roleplaying fans. Its so awesome that they put all the rulebooks on their website for free and if you do want to buy the books then you can get them for very little money.

I love how somewhat simple and straight forward the rules are. You don't even need to print character sheets! Normal graph paper is more than enough.
This Ruleset doesn't get lost in hundreds of talents, special class features and so on (just take a look at the pathfinder character sheet for example. I love Pathfinder but i think you know what i mean). Also the community keeps expanding on classes and races which is amazing!

Its so inspiring to see projects like this grow and it makes me so proud to be a roleplayer and fan of the genre. I purchased some of the books and hope to get more people into playing Basic Fantasy RPG to support the project!

Thank you for your wonderful summary video of the core rulebook!

[VMSelvaggio]

Hey Mr. Ben! I just picked this book up, along with the Adventure Compendium and the Monsters Malignant and Benign. Can't wait to receive them, will be here on Friday!

[SamwiseRPG]

I've had a great time running this. It's nice that I don't have to break the bank to buy physical copies.

[fernandomercado]

Just ordered 7 books from basic fantasy. It wasn't even 30 bucks! You have to review Iron Falcon!

[thingsnearandfar]

I never understood why people say this is an old school D&D updated for the d20 system (3e etc}... Apart from the use of acceding AC I don't see any 3e type rules in this game at all! It really puzzles me! It's pure OSR!

[perspectivedetective]

Based on your review, I decided to check out this book. So far, I'm loving it! It makes me want to run an oldschool mega-dungeon game.

[pedrobastos]

I began playing/running RPGs with this one (I mean, it's 100% free, couldn't go wrong), and I always end up going back to it, whether it is for some monster stats, item lists, so on and so forth. But yeah, it could be a tad more organized with the saving throw tables and the Turn Undead table too.

[lastsonofkrypton]

Cool, the stronghold rules are really good ones to assist players in constructing theirs. If you can please review Iron Falcon from the same author. It's OD&D 3 little brown books + Supplement I: Greyhawk, the two of which together are the very bones of D&D. Much like Moldvay Basic D&D but not race as class and many more spells, monsters and magic items you would recognize from AD&D 1st ed. Very inexpensive and the pdf is free for download. Would make a great expansion to Holmes D&D Basic Set too =)

[paulcoy]

I bought the whole collection for about 50 bucks! The main book and 11 other adventures or resource books. Amazing.

[raymond]

Thank you for such a gift as this. I am new to DND, and this helps make it understandable. thank you.