To be honest, there are a lot of books out there for OSE that add classes, races, and all sorts of things to the game. One of these is OSR Advanced Player Options, which is a nice book with tons of random ideas. This is less an "all in one" mod than it is a collection of campaign notes where you pick and choose the things you like. I would not use this entire book for a game, since it repeats some classes (Dwarf, Elf, Knight, Monk, Necromancer) found in other books, creates fighting styles which conflict with CC1's combat talents (CC1, p28), adds a more in-depth skill system which conflicts with On Downtime and Demesnes' skill system, and there are a lot of optional random systems here to use.
Most of the book are new classes to use. This is why I like using an "unlock" system for new content and explicitly defining what can and can't be used. There are a ton of classes in here that can quickly muddle and confuse a game with new stuff, but there are some good classes in here that would add to a game. A note, all of the classes are very heavy and in-depth, and almost feel like 5E classes in the length of each class description with all the special abilities. This is more of a "class replacement mod" for OSE and it brings an AD&D level of depth.
To be fair, the same author in "Into the Wild" revised all the base classes for OSE to these new, more in-depth options. So if you use the first book, definitely pick up the second and completely replace all the classes in the game with these two books. For me, I like the OSE simple classes and prefer to add skills and feats using On Downtime and Demesnes, allowing for more player customization instead of these heavier classes. My Unlocks & Downtime design is more of a "basic simple classes that progress with player-directed training with gold" than these "planned abilities and progression" that is given all for "free" when you level up.
The OSR Advanced Player Options book has the "skill list" that Into the Wild's classes mention (OSRAPO, p19), so if you have both books, you are covered and have all you need.
I would love to see a revised collection of all classes from this author as an alternative character system for OSE in a master omnibus just focused on characters and races. These are some of the best "heavy" classes for OSE and have that crunch and depth that first-edition games provide, while staying in the OSE framework. I would be hesitant to mix these with pure OSE classes since the depth of abilities and special talents are not the same.
As NPC classes, maybe. As its own "deep classes" game that replace all the classes in OSE, sure. So this is not on my "required book list for U&D" but it is an interesting stand-alone mod. These new classes are "all or nothing" and could make an interesting mod for OSE.
To be honest, Shadowdark has this same problem, too. We see new classes in the game that are designed with a deep level of complexity and they do not "feel" like Shadowdark classes at all. Shadowdark is currently in a "glut" of third-party content, and it is hard separating the wheat from the chaff. I have a lot of junk books on my shelf for Shadowdark, and I find it is easier sorting through a more mature, but not as "hot" game like OSE right now.
The thing is, I like the Into the Wild and OSR Advanced Player Options by Third Kingdom Games. These are a bit confused in presentation and take time to sort through, but the class designs and implementation is solid for a standalone and heavier game with robust class designs. While building one game, I found another interesting one with a lot of solid design and work put into it. This isn't like a lot of Shadowdark content these days, rushed out for a quick dollar, but a solid design built over years of play and refinement. The fact this uses OSE as a base makes it amazing and keeps the adventures, spells, monsters, and content from the base game intact.
I would love to see just a character-focused book here, with all the extra bits needed to play in one place, like knacks, skills, and all the extra rules needed for just characters. I would combine OSRAPO in there, too for a massive, all-in-one tome with this "alt game."
My design for U&D is different. Instead of leaning on that designer flex, I want simpler base classes and to let players develop them however they want. OSE shines with simple classes, and my U&D game relies on simple classes that leave players hungry, and use the ODaD training system to allow for customized progression in different areas. So, my game needs the "simple" OSE classes, since depth comes later through gold and training. I don't want classes to get all this "free stuff" as they level, that should be skills, talents, and mastery areas the players train characters into.
So both Into the Wild and OSR Advanced Player Options are out of my U&D game, but I will put them to the side for another possible campaign later. These are solid "heavy" class designs for OSE, and worthy to replace the game's base classes in a more traditional, first-edition style of world.
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