Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game (3rd Edition), created by Chris Gonnerman, is a rules-light tabletop RPG designed to recreate the feel of the “Basic” era of fantasy gaming while utilizing modern mechanics for smoother play. It is widely respected for being one of the cornerstones of the Old School Renaissance (OSR) movement.

Core Philosophy
The game is built on the Open Game License (OGL), meaning it is entirely community-driven and free to download. Gonnerman’s primary goal was to create a system that was “simple enough for children but deep enough for adults,” stripping away the bloat of modern editions in favor of fast, dangerous, and imaginative gameplay.

Key Features
Race and Class Separation: Unlike the 1981 “Basic” rules where “Elf” or “Dwarf” was your class, Basic Fantasy separates them. You can be an Elven Fighter or a Halfling Magic-User, bringing a touch of modern flexibility to an old-school system.

Ascending Armor Class (AAC): To make the game more intuitive for modern players, it uses ascending AC (higher is better) rather than the “THAC0” or descending systems found in 1970s and 80s titles.

The “Gold Standard” of Accessibility: The project is famous for its “no-profit” model. The PDFs are free, and the physical print-on-demand books are sold at cost, making it one of the most affordable high-quality RPGs in existence.

Compatibility: Because it is modeled after the early versions of the world’s most popular fantasy RPG, it is highly compatible with decades of classic modules and supplements with very little conversion required.

Gameplay Feel
Lethality: Combat is fast and often deadly at low levels. Players are encouraged to use wits, traps, and diplomacy rather than relying solely on their character sheets.

Modular Design: The core book is concise, but there is a massive library of community-created “Supplements” (new classes, races, and rules) that you can add or remove based on your group’s preference.

Comparison with 4th Edition
While the 3rd Edition was the standard for many years, a 4th Edition was released in 2023. The primary reason for the update was to move the game away from the OGL and under the Creative Commons (CC-BY-SA) license to ensure it remains open and free forever, independent of corporate licensing shifts. Most of the mechanical changes between 3rd and 4th are minor refinements rather than a total overhaul.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 21, 2014
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 170 pages,
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1503334945
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1503334946
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.06 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.5 x 0.39 x 11 inches
Condition : Very Good – slight crease on bottom right corner
IMPORTANT: Previously Owned, Used book!

Basic Fantasy Project

Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game 3rd Edition