From the back of the book: What is Fantasy Earth? Fantasy Earth is a fantasy role-playing game of gritty, realistic low fantasy, in which seasoned warriors fear a knife in the back and wizards get nervous around loaded crossbows. Dangerous? Yes, but skill, wit and courage can overcome even the greatest dangers. Read in, and enter the world of Fantasy Earth. What's in The Essential Fantasy Earth? The Essenrtial Fantasy Earth is a complete game system. You will need a few dice and your imagination, but all the information you need to play is in this book. What If I Want More? Although the Essential Fantasy Earth contains a condensed version of the Fantasy Earth rules system, it is designed to be compatible with the rest of the Fantasy Earth Game Master's Guide, plus all of our future releases. If you want more detailed rules or additional campaign source material, it's here for you. What If I've Never Role-played Before? The Essential Fantasy Earth is ideal for beginning role-players. Pre-generated sample characters, an easy to use rules system, and an introductory adventure let you start playing quickly, even if this is your first time as a player or game master. Plus, as your interes grows, Fantasy Earth can grow with you, with more gaming and adventure information when you're ready for it.