Old-School Essentials

Return to the Roots of Fantasy Adventure!

We wanted this system in the library before we had time to write it properly, so consider this entry a placeholder. If you've got hours logged with it, we'd love your help turning this into something worth reading - reach out.

Overview

Old-School Essentials is a Dungeons & Dragons B/X retroclone designed by Gavin Norman and published by his own studio, Necrotic Gnome, first released in 2019. It doesn't reinvent the 1981 Basic/Expert D&D rules so much as reorganize them: rather than hunting across four different chapters just to build an elf character, every rule on a given topic now lives on a single two-page spread, with modern layout and clarity layered over mechanics that are otherwise untouched. Since launch it's become something close to the flagship rulebook of the
Old School Renaissance https://groupfinder.gg/library/old-school-renaissance-osr-2000
- clean enough to hand a brand-new player, and 100% compatible with four decades of B/X-era modules and third-party adventures.

Active games and players

OSE
Old School Essentials
Online
Campaign
Ruin has come to our family
Players
0/6
GM
1/1
Old School Essentials
en English

Ruin has come to our family

Homebrew
House rules, a custom setting, or a system the Game Master wrote themselves.
Newbie friendly
New players are welcome, and nobody expects you to know the rules beforehand.
"You remember our venerable house, opulent and imperial. It is a festering abomination! I beg you. Return home; claim your birthright, and deliver our family from the ravenous, clutching shadows of the Darkest Dungeon." Hi everyone I'm looking for 4-6 players for a Darkest Dungeon themed old school D&D campaign. I'll be running it through Old School Essentials (A repackaging of Basic/Expert D&D) with some fairly heavy homebrewing to make it fit the source material (Stress, Quirks, Unique Heroes) It should be fairly accessible to anyone, regardless of your experience with D&D or old school play. The overall focus will be on delving the dungeons of the region, recovering artefacts, amassing wealth and getting powerful enough to finally defeat the evil deep beneath the manor. Currently looking at Sunday 6pm CET / 12pm EDT with some room for flexibility based on replies. Play will be on Discord. Open to any enjoyer of Darkest Dungeon, regardless of experience. Drop me a DM if you're interested and tell me who your favourite hero is. I look forward to hearing from you!

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OSE
Old School Essentials
Online
Campaign
OSE Stonehell mega dungeon
Players
4/6
GM
1/1
Old School Essentials
en English

OSE Stonehell mega dungeon

Stonehell is a classic-style mega-dungeon. Once a prison built to house dissenters, it evolved into an expansive, multi-level complex filled with over 1000 rooms, rival factions, and terrifying secrets. Campaign has been running for 3 months, currently with 4 players, looking for 1-2 more. Still exploring levels 1 and 2 (its a big dungeon!). Please note the time zone (Australia). Friday 7-11PM AEDT (UTC+11)

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DND5.5E
Dungeons & Dragons 5.5E (2024)
...
Los Angeles
Online
diggityjones
Usually behind the screen, always happy to grab a seat and try another system. I bring curiosity, share the spotlight, and work with the GM and fellow players to create the kind of moments you only get around a TTRPG table.
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VtM
Vampire: The Masquerade
Homebrew
Homebrew
...
Online
eikona
I've been gaming since the early 80s. I suck at bios. I have played a bazillion games, and am willing to learn new systems. I prefer long term campaigns, with  focus on roleplay and character development. I haven't listed all games I've played/own, because there's far too many.
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en English
DND5E
Dungeons & Dragons 5E
...
Glasgow
Online
epoc923
Ran multiple games over the years. Started with 3.5, ran 5e till i burnt out on it. Now run OSR style games. Current running two private games in Dolmenwood. Prefer online for ease of schedule and lack of travel. Will run in person games if local.
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DH
Daggerheart
...
Leicester
Online
Aron
Experienced games master and player. Im looking to branch out and play with other people and try playing online. Im willing to run games and play.  I have a preference for horror or less  super heroic fantasy.
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