Was D&D the first RPG?

[Eternalknight]

A person I know and I had a discussion recently about 'the first ever RPG'. I said it was D&D. He said there were some before D&D, but D&D 'got it right'. As I was not around back then, I put it some more knowledgable folks:

Was D&D the first ever RPG?

 

[WayneLigon]

A person I know and I had a discussion recently about 'the first ever RPG'. I said it was D&D. He said there were some before D&D, but D&D 'got it right'. As I was not around back then, I put it some more knowledgable folks:

Was D&D the first ever RPG?

You could quibble and argue about Chainmail (not the most recently released rules for that), or really any wargame (HG Well's Little War or Fritz Leiber's homemade Lanhkmar game)where you had individual units instead of squads and up (because you could then claim 'It was marked as Wellington, so I made it go where I thought Wellington would go'), but D&D was the first thing that could be called a role-playing game.

 

[Odhanan]

This first part of a History of Role-playing by Astinus should answer your question.

 

[DungeonmasterCal]

I seem to remember a dice-less rpg called "Pretend".......

 

[Jdvn1]

I seem to remember a dice-less rpg called "Pretend".......

That was totally unbalanced. I wouldn't even call it a roleplaying game.

 

[Psion]

I seem to remember a dice-less rpg called "Pretend".......

C'mon. You know Dice-less RPGs aren't "real RPGs".

 

[DungeonmasterCal]

Curses! Again, facts confound me!

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

I seem to remember a dice-less rpg called "Pretend".......

Yeah, but the DM was always a total ruleslawyer. He wouldn't let you get away with anything ...

 

[Alzrius]

I seem to remember a dice-less rpg called "Pretend".......

That game's only for munchkins.

 

[shilsen]

I seem to remember a dice-less rpg called "Pretend".......

Adam: And today I'll be Gabriel and you can be an eager cherub who...
Eve: Munchkin!