First D&D/RPG Experience

[Wik]

The first time I played- a couple of friends roped me into a game. I played a half-elf ranger with a blimp. He liked to explore, was good at shooting, and collected exotic valuables and treasures for trade and sale.

Wait. A half-elf ranger with a BLIMP? Or is this a typo? Because, I really think blimps are underutilized in D&D. And that'd be an awesome intro to the game.

***

As I just said on another thread, my first playing experiences involved my dad. He had just been posted to Toronto, and didn't have any real friends to hang out with, so he introduced me to D&D to test out the new 2e rule book. So, we each made a character. My dad made a human ranger (which I remember only because he would ALWAYS play a human ranger... ) and I made a character based off Link, which I think mechanically was a half-elven ranger or fighter. I remember the character's name was "nelf", which stood for "neutral elf".

I don't really count those experiences, though, because they were kind of lame, and just involved us using the random dungeon creator, cheating on the tables until we got something interesting, and then rolling a bunch of dice. But I did read most of my dad's D&D books, and finally got to play a game of my own when we moved to B.C. I think it was a BECMI game... I don't remember much, only that I DMed. And was quickly declared the "best DM ever". Which stuck from grade five until the end of high school.... meaning yours truly rarely got to be a player.

 

[possum]

My DM was the scoutmaster's son and his group were also members of the Boy Scouts. During one week-long camping trip to the Lake of the Ozarks, his group played and I asked if I could join because I thought it sounded very interesting. I couldn't at the time, but in late 2000 or early 2001 when the group converted over to 3rd Edition, I got my formal invite.

I played a half-elf fighter that was heavily influenced by Tanis from Dragonlance. Don't worry, he got better.

 

[El Mahdi]

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[FATDRAGONGAMES]

My friend Dave brought his Moldvay D&D Basic boxed set he got for Christmas over to my house on New Years Eve 1980 and we played for hours. I was absolutely facinated with the six funny dice.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

I was never really introduced to D&D. When I was 9, I was visiting a an uncle for Thanksgiving. I came across a 1e Monster Manual on a shelf in his son's room (he was in highschool, iirc). I remember flipping through it and being totally fascinated by the goofy pictures and all those glorious stats. I don't even recall mentioning it to anyone, but for some reason Santa brought me a Red Box that Christmas.

I didn't have much luck getting the brothers to play with me, but a few neighbor kids did now and then throughout middle and high school. I never really had a steady group or campaign to play in until I was a few semesters into university, though.

A few memories from the old days:

- I was saving allowance money to get a couple modules, but lost most of it on the walk up to the local game shop. The guy who worked there showed pity and let me take home the modules for 90% off the price! He was AWESOME! ...but obviously not a very good businessman; the shop folded within a few years

- While going to my elementary school way back when (I think I had just received my first D&D box), there was a kid out front passing out pamphlets that said "Dungeons and Dragons" on the front. I got excited and told him how much I loved the game; he frowned and handed me a flyer., Turns out it was one of those old screeds against gaming that were so common back in the 80's-- my first experience with that whole aspect of history. I really wish I still had that pamphlet!

 

[Dice4Hire]

he frowned and handed me a flyer., Turns out it was one of those old screeds against gaming that were so common back in the 80's-- my first experience with that whole aspect of history. I really wish I still had that pamphlet!

Did you tell him he was a "weirdo" for handing out stuff like that?

I sure hope so.

 

[Shades of Green]

I started playing AD&D 2E when I was about 15 years old back in 1997, when a few friends of mine (who already had some d&D experience) arranged a game (before that we were playing Talisman on a more or less weekly basis). I played a halfling thief, but never got to use my abilities as the game fell apart after just two sessions.

A few months later I borrowed their books and dice and started DMing to two of my other friends. Later, in 2000, I bought 3E and ran it for them.

 

[Chrono22]

Wait. A half-elf ranger with a BLIMP? Or is this a typo? Because, I really think blimps are underutilized in D&D. And that'd be an awesome intro to the game.

Actually, the blimp was my idea. Although, it was more like a cross between a blimp and a hot air balloon. It sort of looked like this, but the balloon was larger in proportion to the underside. And it also had wing-like sales that fanned out from the sides.

My character called himself "Captain Thanan Skywalker". Good times.

 

[JoeGKushner]

I was probably about 14 and it was Marvel Super Heroes. My mother picked it up for my birthday. It was the original in the yellow box and I can still recall the old FASERIP and what it standads for (Fighting, Agility, Strength, Endurance, Reason, Intuition and Psyche I believe) with the former adding up to Health and the latter to starting Karma.

Loved playing and running it despite how lousy the rules were. I didn't know any better. Mind you, it was easier to play in many ways according to the comics but game balance? Nope. Killing people and losing all of your karma? The weird results from martial arts? Some goofy stuff there but great fun.

My friends were all big comic fans and initially we only used 'official' characters, making copies at the local drug store and picking the characters we'd use. Loved seeing how the characters would be officially updated after some big change or how things were statted out in special events like Secret Wars.

Then one of my friends who didn't play noticed it was made by TSR and introduced me to the other game they happened to make...

 

[Gilladian]

I was 11. My big brother (13) played in Boy Scouts. When it got banned there (because they stayed up all night playing), he came home, wrote down the rules, and taught me and our little brother how to play.

My first character was a cleric, who wandered around in a dungeon trying to find the source of a humongous buzzing noise. When he finally found the entrance to a secret room, he released a huge cloud of giant bees, which stung him to death.

Despite my intense reaction to this unfairness, I was hooked! (I had already read Tolkien, and that was the same summer I read Narnia, so it was a natural fit).

I'll never forget Mom driving us half-an-hour to the only hobby shop we knew of that sold DnD stuff and buying OUR OWN COPY of the rules! It was the Red Box Basic Set, as I recall.