Basic D&D: Did it hook you?

[WayneLigon]

My intro to D&D was the Original D&D set. I've never played Basic D&D;we'd already moved on to AD&D when it came out and that would have been a step backwards. In fact, I can't say as I personally know anyone who has played the Basic sets or Cyclopedia.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Red box with the Erol Otus cover.

 

[Felon]

There was something about that red box that made it seem...unintimidating. To my ten-year-old mind, a hardcover book was this flat thing full of boring rules and charts and the occasional picture. A bright red box with a picture of a guy fighting a dragon--now that could contain just about anything!

The box made it good. Made it feel like I was buying a new board game full of dice and markers and cards and chits....well, at least the dice part was true!

 

[xnosipjpqmhd]

Although I picked up the blue box and all the early 1e books, my first "real" games were quick-and-dirty DnD one-shots. Char sheets were handwritten index cards, and no one needed to reference any books; the DM had jotted down everything we players needed to know, which thankfully wasn't much. The fact that (nearly) anything was possible in this kind of game blew my little 10-year-old mind.

 

[Gryffyn]

The AD&D Players Handbook hooked me for life at age 12. I don't think I've ever played Basic.

 

[balterkn]

My father introduced me to gaming with AD&D1e in 3rd grade (8/9 years old?).

Our fist adventure was U1: Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh

Still a favorite.

 

[Piratecat]

AD&D 1e for me.

 

[Jackelope King]

I split the price of the 2E PHB with a friend and his brother. I've subsequently played Rules Cyclopedia with other groups. Then as now (with my tastes in gaming what they are), I've found RC to be wanting.

 

[Ourph]

Red box with the Erol Otus cover.

[nitpick]The red box cover for the '83 basic set is by Larry Elmore. Erol Otus did the cover for the '81 purple box set.[/nitpick]

 

[Creamsteak]

I played CRPGs first, but my first table top game was the red box basic set. And honestly, I think that's a perfectly playable system still. There are times I really wish my players liked it as much as I did.