D&D Starter sets

[MerricB]

A few notes...

Original Basic Set - J. Eric Holmes
Created as an introduction to original Dungeons & Dragons. Holmes contacted TSR and offered to write the product for them. Despite the misgivings of Tim Kask, Gary Gygax was enthusiastic and gave the go-ahead, and we got the first Basic D&D as a result. After the manuscript was submitted, Gary Gygax inserted several AD&D references into the game, giving future scholars of early D&D food for much arguing over whether it was a Basic set for AD&D or OD&D! (source on Dragonsfoot)

First 3.5E Basic Game - Black Dragon edition
Unusually for the 3E-era basic games, this edition actually has character creation rules. Designed by Jon Tweet, the major flaw of the game is the limited selection of monsters: there are seven, limited by the miniature selection. The game had basic rules for integrating D&D Minis boosters, but I don't know if anyone used them. (My overview)

"The Basic Game is a huge step for us because the Basic Game is a product designed to bring role-playing to people who aren't already familiar with the concept. I think most people know what fantasy is; those people, who aren't in our market, the twelve year-old kid, know Lord of the Rings. They know what a game is. I don't think that person understands the idea of a game where you have a character that gets better over time or a game where you can do anything that you want instead of moving a piece into a square and only having a couple of options. I don't think he knows what those funny dice are all about. I don't think he understands the idea that you aren't trying to win after a couple of hours. All those concepts are so simple to us because we're very comfortable with them, but to the new player who is not familiar with it, (those concepts) are all kind of weird. [Its] not what they think of when they think of a game.

"The Basic Game is a really cool product because it hides all of those concepts in a box that looks like a board game. Here again, you're a twelve year-old kid and you're interested in fantasy and you play games and you've heard of D&D, you go out and buy this box and open up this game and inside you see a game that has miniatures - you're used to figures, and these are like figures that you get in other games, but these are much cooler. It has maps that are board-like with tiles that you can use to put together dungeons in different ways. That's a lot like a board for a board game, so that's something that you are used to. It starts off with simple scenarios that introduce ideas. In the first scenario, you get to move in and fight some things and it is very much like a board game, you move to a certain space and you do a certain thing. The next stuff that you do introduces the idea that you can do stuff on a freeform basis. The next thing that you do introduces the idea that you get something, a piece of treasure or something, that you are going to be able to use whenever you want and you keep track of it. From there, we go to the idea that your character is going to grow and develop and become better. Basic Game is going to prove to be an excellent acquisition tool." - Charles Ryan

Second 3.5E Basic Game - Blue Dragon edition
No character generation rules in this edition, alas! And only 12 miniatures rather than 16. Inflation bites!

Cheers!

 

[Verdande]

The 1999 boxed set was my first actual D&D product. I was into freeform roleplaying before that with my friends. We were young enough to run around and pretend we were dudes from board games and computer games and stuff. Good times...

 

[doctorhook]

Here's an image of the cover of the 2008 4E starter set:

 

[grodog]

quick Holmes correction

Holmes was first published in 1977, not 1979: that's why it's proto-AD&D-isms are so interesting to sort through

 

[Stormonu]

Holmes was first published in 1977, not 1979: that's why it's proto-AD&D-isms are so interesting to sort through

Oops - I'd personally thought it came out earlier, but I was relying on the TSR Archive for the years each set came out.

 

[S'mon]

I have an early '90s (1992) Basic intro set that's not listed here - called Dragon Quest. It has Ral Partha minis and tons of interesting stuff, like monster and item cards. I think they were foolish not to call it Dungeons & Dragons though, it uses essentially the Mentzer rules.

 

[rogueattorney]

"Challenger Series" correction:

It's a common misconception and indicative of how confusing TSR's marketing of D&D was in the early '90s, but the "Challenger Series" was NOT the Black Box Basic set, the various other boxed sets, and the Thunder Rift series of adventures. Rather that was the "Beginner Series." Many of the "Beginner" series of resources had a shield on the lower right with a symbol on it that designated whether it was an adventure, resource, or whatever.

The "Challenger Series" was the continuation of the RC supported D&D Known World products, such as the Poor Wizard's Almanacs, the Hollow World Products, the PC series, and various boxed sets like Wrath of the Immortals and Champions of Mystara. You can tell the "Challenger" products by the blue flag behind the D&D ampersand with the world "Challenger" on it.

There was a Dungeon Master Screen put out in 1993 which had an adventure "Escape from Thunder Rift," which transitioned players from Beginner/Thunder Rift products to Challenger/Known World products.

The Beginner/Challenger convention was only used in 1992 and 1993, after which the Known Word line was folded (poorly) into 2e as Mystara and all support for D&D (beyond the 1994 and 1996 reprints of the 1991 Black Box Basic) set were discontinued.

As a side note, I've never seen the contents of the 1999 Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game set with the black box and red dragon (not to be confused with the 1991 Black Box Basic set) and don't know exactly what the rules in that game are. I don't know if it's another reprint of the 1991 set or if it's an intro to 2e.

 

[Dragonbait]

I thought I had played through the majority of the 2ed era - and yet I do not recognize most of their starter sets.

A full system for the The 3.5 starter came with the second box set. It contained dice, character sheets, and a soft cover of the PHB. I don't remember if anything else came with it.

Edit: So this was the Player's Kit, apparently. It was a similar size as the starter set, along with being made from the same sturdy material and a similar design.

 

[Tamlyn]

It is scary that I now realize I started with Holmes edition. I must be really freaking old, but it was fun to look at all those covers.

Regarding the 3.5 set, the big differences from the 3.0 one were:

1. only one set of dice
2. flimsy dungeon tiles
3. no separate character sheets

The 3.0 one was WAY better in terms of quality.

Couldn't agree more. The 3.0 set was what got me started in the hobby. My friends and I spent many hours going through the packaged adventures (much to the chagrin of my wife). I got the 3.5 set for my brother and was a little disappointed with it. The minis were nicer than the counters, but only 1 adventure was disappointing.

Of course, the opinion above is only as valid as my memory.

 

[MTanner]

I started with Holmes. Best initiative system evar.