New Box Set Covers, Recent Third-Party Products, a Deep Dive into Dolmenwood, and More!

October 15, 2021

We have some very exciting news to share, including revealing the covers for the upcoming box sets, a deep dive into the Dolmenwood hardcover books, recent third-party products, and much more! So let's dig in!

Classic Game Set Cover by Erol Otus

The Basic/Expert game which Old-School Essentials is based on was published in 1981 — 40 years ago! In celebration of this anniversary, we're delighted and honoured to announce that Erol Otus, legendary creator of the original B/X covers, has painted a brand new cover for the Old-School Essentials Classic Game Set. The deluxe set of 5 books in this box set contain the complete Old-School Essentials Classic Fantasy game. Erol was recently interviewed on the Vintage RPG Podcast, which you can listen to here.

Advanced Expansion Set Cover by Peter Mullen

The Advanced Fantasy expansion set will have cover art by Peter Mullen, which you may recognise from the Advanced Fantasy Referee's Tome. The 4 books in this box set expand the Classic Fantasy game with loads of extras inspired by the 1970s Advanced 1st Edition rules.

Publication date: Both box sets will be coming to the same Kickstarter being planned for late 2021!

A Deep Dive Into the Dolmenwood Hardcover Books

As you may have heard, we're currently developing a major campaign setting for Old-School Essentials: Dolmenwood. The setting is being developed as a three book set (over 600 pages of material!) packed with fairy tale magic and eerie folk horror. We recently did a really deep dive into each book's table of contents to see what's in them! You can read that here!

Once the books are finished, we’ll run a Kickstarter for deluxe print editions. In the meantime, we currently run a Patreon where backers receive monthly PDFs of freshly written sections of the Dolmenwood hardcover books, building up to their completion. For just €2 a month, you'll get a monthly dose of new Dolmenwood material plus access to all past content packages — almost 300 pages of material at the time of writing!

Join here: patreon.com/necroticgnome

Updated Adventures Errata

When Old-School Essentials books are in development, lots of effort is put into quality control. Nonetheless, the odd little mistake inevitably slips through even the most hermetic of proofreading nets. We've now updated our list of errata to include official Necrotic Gnome adventures.

You can view the list of known errata here organised by what has been fixed in which version of each book.

How to Report Errata

If you've noticed any errors in any of the OSE books, have a look at the errata list to see if it's something that's already been fixed. If it's not, then please report it!

Contact us: Email summon@necroticgnome.com.

Which book: Note which book you've noticed an error in and on which page it is.

What error: Describe what the error is.

With your help, the next generation of OSE books will be polished up even more shiny!

Recent Third-Party Products

Here are some highlights of recent products by third-party creators designed for Old-School Essentials.

Brewkessel

Once upon a time, there was a wonderful school of spellcraft and sorcery called Brewkessel. 62 years ago it vanished in a flash of red lightning, taking with it some of the best and brightest names in magic. All that was left behind was a deep, smoking hole. Brewkessel is a megadungeon, presented as a series of zines that each detail a section of the dungeon and its surrounding area. Although Brewkessel is designed as a complete whole, each issue is modular, and can be played on its own or be mixed-and-matched with the other issues. PDF available from itch.io. Print available from kettlesberg.bigcartel.com.

Fiendish Friends: Monsters Go Adventuring Too

This is a supplement that contains rules for playing as monsters. These aren’t civilised monsters mind you. They haven’t been declawed or made more sympathetic than those loathsome beasts you love and know. Contains rules for: Dark Creepers, Deep Ones, Ghosts, Ghouls, Knolls, Gullygugs, Kobolds, Lizard Men , Orcs, Ogres, Revenants, Satyrs, Skeletons, Trolls, Tritons, Vampires, and Wights. It also includes a small section at the end for adapting each monster for advanced Race/Class rules. Written by Grimsby Doghollow. PDF available from DriveThruRPG.

Delver Magazine Issue #1

Delver Magazine is a bi-monthly resource for Old-School Essentials referees. Each issue includes a ready-to-play adventure, printable props, random charts & tables, articles, and maps for the included adventure. Written by James Floyd Kelly. PDF available from DriveThruRPG.

Necrotic Gnome PDFs now available via Bits & Mortar

If you've recently purchased a print version of an official Necrotic Gnome product, you may be eligible for a free digital version.

When you buy a book published by a Bits & Mortar publisher from your gaming store and that book is available online as a combined print and PDF bundle, you will receive the PDF at no additional charge. It’s a free value-add for supporting your local gaming store, and we are proud to take part in this initiative.

See if your friendly local gaming store is part of the Bits and Mortar program. If they aren't, it is easy (and free) for them to join!

Reviews Round-Up

There have been lots of reviews of Necrotic Gnome products recently, and we are always thrilled to hear of the community's enthusiasm about what we're doing. Check out some of the reviews below to get a look at products you might not already.