Old School Essentials - Classes and Races Bibliography

This last week was a good week for Kickstarters showing up: 3 of mine showed up, along with my Shado Technical manual! Sadly, the post office really hates my drieway, so I had to visit the post office to pick up those 4 packages. Fortunately, I waited until the end of the week as new packages seemed to show up daily. An early Christmas to myself!

The OSE box was exciting - I bought both boxed sets, the Classic and Advanced. I also picked up all three Carcass Crawlers, their in-house magazine for OSE (similar to The Fantasy Trip's Hexagram, which was also one of the Kickstarters to show up). And I have a nice t-shirt as well. The boxed sets will make playing this at the table a lot easier: I can use the tomes that have the complete player and GM rules, and the players can use the smaller books to stay focused on the stuff they need immediately. This is also why I got both the basic and the advanced: there is enough overlap that I should have enough books on hand. And as for the moment I only have a single player showing up, yes, I have that covered!

Between the two sets of rules, and the Carcass magazines, as well as a few related Kickstarters, I have quite the collection of races and classes a player could use. As noted in the 1st magazine, you don't have to make them all available - it is probably a good idea to restrict the available classes and races based on the type of game you want to play. Though I can also see that going the other way: let the players choose, then figure out the game from that. If we manage a Traveller game next year, that is my plan: I'll find out what sort of game they want to play, and then create something around that. Stealing from the hundreds of adventures I've got or can find!

Anyway, just as I have my Traveller bibliography for the various careers. I figure I should do the same thing for other games. And this post will be the OSE Bibliography of classes and races one could play. Note that Classic, the races are classes, so I'll try and make a note of that in the process. Some races are limited to which classes they can be, as well as their maximum level. Humans have no restrictions.

And I know I've more than what I've listed below - somewhere I've a Liche class, complete with spells. 

PT = Player's Tome (or the books in the sets)

AEI - Alchemy, Explosions and Inventions

CCn = Carcass Crawler 1/2/3

FG = Father's Goose Creations

BaB = Blobs and Blades

d12 - D12 MagazineD12 Magazine

Fairyland was a zine. I backed it here. Parts of my current in-play Goblin from this, as well as the Gobsmack zine. Probably need to post about my grumpy, non-trusting Goblin as I am playing out of my normal range of characters. And it is really throwing off one of the players I think as we've sort of switched roles somehow in the current game!

OS&Cn Old School and Cool from here Think I only backed the 1st one as I was not playing OSE yet. And realized I really don't need 5000 classes and things...though they are fun! And - I never backed this and somehow have the PDF. It may have been part of another KS - no idea how I got it as I am very strict about only getting legal PDFs and things like that! Though now thinking if they do another KS I may back and get physical copies...

Updates

UPDATED August 15, 2023: added Mushroom Gnome race, Necromancer class

UPDATED April 3, 2023: added Dungeon Duck race, and the Merchant class

UPDATED May 26, 2024: added classes from Blobs And Blades (BaB), D12 Issue 12

Races

Blob (BaB)

Bullbeggar (demi-human class or race; small, unassuming demi-humans with uncanny heads) (Fairland)

Dragonborn (demi-human class or race) (CC3)

Drow (dark Elves). Demi-human class or race  (PT)

Ducks (Dungeon Ducks)

Duergar (grey Dwarves) Demi-human class or race (PT)

Dwarf (Dwarf) Demi-human class or race (PT)

Elf (Elf) Demi-human class or race (PT)

Gargantua (huge humans, demi-human race or class) (CC1)

Gnome demi-human class or race (PT)

Goblin demi-human class or race (CC1)

Half-Elf demi-human class or race (PT)

Halfling demi-human class or race (PT)

Half-Orc demi-human class or race (PT)

Hephaestan(demi-human class or race; think Spock) (CC1)

Human - stock human, can be any class (PT)

Mutoid (demi-human class or race) (CC3)

Mushroom Gnome (demi-human race) (FG)

Mycelian (demi-human class or race. mushroom people) (CC3)

Ophidiean (BaB) Ophidians are hybrid humans descended from the unholy genetic experiments conducted by the sorcerous Serpent Men of the mythic past. Their bloodline carries supernatural reptilian traits that make them dangerous combatants and give them a hypnotic allure.

Phase Elf (demi-human class or race) (CC2)

Svirfneblin (Deep Gnomes) demi-human class or race (PT)

Tiefling (demi-human class or race; demon descendants) (CC3)

Wood Elf (demi-human class or race) (CC2)

Classes

Acolyte (CC1)

Acrobat (PT)

Adepts (BaB) Adepts are scholars and philosophers who have dedicated their lives to the study of magic in all its forms

Alchemist (AEI) Alchemists are adventurers who use a combination of magic and science to create useful potions and other alchemical items. These items are of great help to adventuring parties, making an alchemist a beneficial companion. Adventuring also helps an alchemist find the rare ingredients needed for making potions and items. 

Assassin (PT)

Augur (An augur is a scholar that can read the natural world by observing the flights of birds) (OS&C1)

Barbarian (PT)

Bard (PT)

Beastmaster (CC3)

Beerzerker (Beerserkers are cowardly brawlers known for their unquenchable thirst for mead, ale, and all things fermented) (OS&C1)

Blobs (BaB) Blobs are gelatinous monsters that look like dollops of translucent jelly in a variety of garish colors

Bullbeggar (Fairyland zine)

Cleric (PT)

Dancer (BaB) Dancers are agile and charismatic performers who have honed their art form so that they can tap into the primal forces of the universe, magically enthralling enemies, bolstering allies, and channeling elemental forces.

Demolitionist (AEI) Demolitionists are adventurers who have embraced the new technology of black powder and have begun to master its various uses, particularly regarding damaging objects and structures. These skills can be useful in both underground and siege operations. However, like black powder itself, most demolitionists tend to be a little unpredictable.

Dragonborn (CC3)

Drow (PT)

Druid (PT)

Duergar (PT)

Dwarf (PT)

Elf (PT)

Fighter (PT)

Fury (BaB( Furies are highly mobile warriors who specialize in fighting with a weapon in each hand

Gargantua (CC1)

Gnome (PT)

Goblin (CC1)

Half-Elf (PT)

Halfling (PT)

Half-Orc (PT)

Hephaestan (CC1)

Heliothra (Heliothra are creatures of pure light that spontaneously coalesce into mortal beings) (OS&C)

Illusionist (PT)

Inventor (AEI) Inventors are adventurers who use their skills to design and build mechanical devices. they can create a variety of different inventions that may be handy during an adventure, but their services are loud and bulky, and prone to falling apart.

Kineticist (CC1)

Knight (PT)

Language Expert (OS&C1)

Lizardling (OS&C1)

Lycan's Bane (supernatural creature hunters) (OS&C1)

Mage (CC1)

Magic User (PT)

Merchant (The Merchant)

Mon Frere (The mon frere is a bit of a reluctant adventurer. Ideally, they’d be growing grapes or hops in their monastery) (OS&C1)

Mutoid (CC3)

Mycelian (CC3)

Necromancer (OSE) 

Ophidian (BaB) Ophidians are hybrid humans descended from the unholy genetic experiments conducted by the sorcerous Serpent Men of the mythic past. Their bloodline carries supernatural reptilian traits that make them dangerous combatants and give them a hypnotic allure.

Paladin (PT)

Phase Elf (CC2)

Puppeteers (Puppeteers are masters of manipulation and can mesmerize the average person with their deft handiwork) (OS&C1)

Ranger (PT)

Scop (Bard variant) (OS&C1)

Shaman (D12 issue 34) Shaman are priests found in tribal or nomadic societies. They can act as guides,

leaders, or advisers within these societies. They are keepers of knowledge and are able to connect with, and communicate with, the spirits of the land and the animals on it.

Space Dwarf (OS&C1)

Swordmage (BaB) Swordmages are members of a fraternal order of arcane warriors who have dedicated themselves to mastering the balance between spell and steel. They are doughty fighters and formidable spellcasters who can channel magical power through their blades

Svirfneblin (PT)

Tiefling (CC3)

Thief (PT)

Wood Elf (CC2)