In 1983, theBasic Setwas revised again, this time byFrank Mentzer, and redubbedDungeons & Dragons Set 1: Basic Rules. The set included a sixty-four pagePlayers Manual,[12]a forty-eight pageDungeon Masters Rulebook,[12]six dice,[2]and in sets in which the dice were not painted, a crayon.[6]The 1983 revision was packaged in a distinctive red box, and featured cover art byLarry Elmore.[2]Between 1983 and 1985, the system was revised and expanded by Mentzer as a series of five boxed sets, including theBasic Rules(red cover),Expert Rules(blue),[13]Companion Rules(teal, supporting levels fifteen through twenty-five),[14]Master Rules(black, supporting levels twenty-six through thirty-six),[15]andImmortal Rules(gold, supporting Immortals, characters who had transcended levels).[16]Instead of an adventure module, theBasic Setrulebooks included a solo adventure and an introductory scenario to be run by the Dungeon Master.[2]

The rules for the game were little changed from the Moldvay set, but the presentation was overhauled into a more tutorial form, to make the game easier for younger players to learn.[17]

The10th Anniversary Dungeons & Dragons Collector\'s Setboxed set, published by TSR in 1984, included the rulebooks from theBasic,Expert, andCompanionsets; modulesAC2,AC3,B1,B2, andM1Blizzard Pass;Player Character Record Sheets; and dice. This set was limited to a thousand copies, and was sold by mail and atGenCon17.[2]:147

An Australian version of theBasic Setwas printed by Jedko Games in 1987.[2]