Since the public release of OSRIC 3.0 in late 2025/early 2026, I've seen a great deal of interest online in the nitty-gritty details of what makes this new version substantially different from previous ones. Obviously, there's new art and a fresh layout and presentational style intended to make original AD&D easier to learn, teach, and reference than ever before. Beyond that, though, there was indeed substantial rules revision and expansion, primarily intended to move OSRIC closer to the standards set by AD&D proper and to make it more viable as a standalone set of rules. This list is my attempt to document what I consider to be every meaningful change and addition to the 3.0 rules that might affect how it actually plays. It should be considered unofficial (i.e. not compiled by OSRIC's publishers at Mythmere Games) and a work-in-progress. Now, on to the list!
1. All the previously known outstanding errata was fixed, and it was a fairly lengthy list of items. There were certainly even more items identified and patched during work on 3.0 as well, such as the table for NPC magic items that gave thieves a chance to possess magic shields they can’t use as opposed to magic armor.
2. A couple of additional methods for ability score generation are described in addition to the traditional 3d6 and 4d6 drop lowest.
3. Dexterity modifies saving throws in cases where agility would be a factor, as per AD&D.
4. The relationship between constitution and raise dead/resurrection is now detailed (i.e. these spells result in permanent constitution loss when successful and characters cannot be raised more times than their initial constitution scores).
5. Character age categories and their attendant ability score modifiers are present.
6. Gnomes have regained their ability to communicate with burrowing animals.
7. Half-elves can be druids as in AD&D.
8. Half-orcs are no longer able to benefit from raise dead and resurrection, since AD&D treats them the same as elves in this respect.
9. An optional rule is described that allows characters to choose classes they don’t meet all the ability score requirements for in exchange for experience penalties.
10. Previous OSRIC-specific tweaks to class experience tables have been reverted to the AD&D norm in most cases. Assassins now require 1,500 XP for second level, for example, as opposed to 1,600.
11. The thieves’ cant bonus language has been restored as a feature of that class.
12. Due to ambiguities around its implementation, OSRIC 3.0 no longer includes the concept of minimum magic-user/illusionist spells known per level. Maximums per level still apply, however.
13. Classes that gain spellcasting ability after 1st level (paladins and rangers) now have rules for determining their effective casting level included.
14. The incredibly obscure rule from page 47 of the module WG6 Isle of the Ape that states negative to-hit numbers translate to bonus damage has been more clearly codified as the Mighty Blow ability for fighters, paladins, and rangers.
15. Spellcasting classes now have more details provided on which types of magic items they can create and what the requirements are (minimum level, cost, etc.).
16. The monk class is now present and has been tweaked somewhat to allow it to be selected by players without meeting all the steep ability score requirements. This will result in a monk with fewer special abilities, however.
17. The effects of weapon specialization are further detailed as it relates to missile weapons.
18. Carrying capacities for various animal mounts are provided.
19. Weight/volume limits for different types of containers are listed.
20. Composite bows have had their encumbrance reduced, making them no longer strictly worse choices than their non-composite counterparts in OSRIC.
21. All melee weapons now have length and speed factor statistics listed. Length is mainly used to determine who gets first strike during charge attacks and speed factor is for breaking initiative ties.
22. Rules for handling “grenade-like” missiles are now included.
23. Ascending armor class and base attack bonuses are included as an alternative to the traditional descending AC and attack matrices.
24. Rules for determining encounter distance are now present.
25. Procedures for handing encounter evasion in dungeon and outdoor settings have been added.
26. A monster/NPC reaction table is now included.
27. The combat chapter now includes a discussion on ways to make AD&D/OSRIC style movement and positioning work in VTT environments.
28. Encumbrance categories now reduce base movement by set percentages (25%, 50%, 75%) to work better with characters that don’t have the default 120’ movement rate (monks, dwarves and similar short characters).
29. Two different ways to handle combat movement are detailed: The simplified “chess move” where figures move their full rate all at once on their initiative and a segment-by-segment one where figures move 1/10th of their maximum each round segment beginning on segment one. Either or both can be used as needed depending on whether the GM wishes to prioritize speed of play or precision in time-sensitive scenarios.
30. Hurled missile attacks are now explicitly permitted when closing into melee.
31. An iteration of the “unhelmed opponent” rule from AD&D is now included. A figure wearing armor without a helmet allows a chance for enemy blows to ignore that figure’s armor altogether.
32. In a rare instance of 3.0 moving away from AD&D, the item saving throw table has been tweaked slightly to be a bit more legally distinct.
33. An entirely new system for grappling and overbearing combat has been added. It seeks to produce results on par with the equivalent systems in the AD&D DMG, but in a streamlined manner. Using d20 attack rolls instead of percentiles, fewer fiddly shifting modifiers, and so on.
34. The clerical spell exorcise has been substantially revised due to the AD&D version being borderline unworkable. The concrete effect on an exorcised creature is now detailed, for instance.
35. Monsters again have their own unique attack matrix.
36. Saving throw chances for unintelligent monsters are broadly worse, mirroring AD&D.
37. Special followers gained by high level assassins, rangers, and thieves are fully detailed.
38. There’s more detail on what constitutes a “0 level” character. How to determine their hit points by role and ancestry, for example.
39. The procedure for sage information discovery has been simplified slightly by moving the distinction between urban and rural sages.
40. The dungeon dressing tables from 2.0 unfortunately had to be removed over a potential copyright risk.
41. Monster stat blocks now all include morale ratings.
42. Monsters capable of engaging in grappling or overbearing combat have pre-calculated modifiers for these attacks bundled into their descriptions.
43. Treasure types (renamed to loot classes but tied to the same alphabetical codes as AD&D) are now present in OSRIC and are present in all monster stat blocks.
44. The AD&D table detailing a monster’s chance to detect invisible creatures by HD is now present.
45. Experience point values for potions have been increased to better match AD&D.
46. Per AD&D, magical armor now provides bonuses to many types of saving throw.
47. New rules for stronghold construction, siege combat, and founding and administering player character freeholds are included.
48. The process of new spell research is detailed.
.JPG)
