My introduction to D&D was a slightly older friend from the Boy Scouts taking me through Keep on the Borderlands, just me with a fighter and him with a Wizard DMPC. We did a little information gathering at the Keep, went to the Caves, and entered Cave D. Turned left, started off well against the goblins therein, until they called in the ogre. 1st level fighter + ogre + first time player = dead fighter. Nevertheless, it was enough to get me hooked.