D&D General First official D&D game product you owned? - forums + Reddit results

JEB · Feb 14, 2022

Finished running the duplicates of the D&D product poll on rpg.net and Reddit (r/DnD, r/Dungeons_and_Dragons, r/DungeonsAndDragons, r/dndnext, r/DnD5e, r/4eDnD, r/DungeonsAndDragons35e, r/adnd, r/BECMI, and r/odnd). Here are the results from here and everywhere else for comparison!

	ENWorld	rpg.net	General D&D subreddits: r/DnD, r/Dungeons_and_Dragons, r/DungeonsAndDragons	5e D&D subreddits: r/dndnext, r/DnD5e	r/4eDnD	r/DungeonsAndDragons 35e	r/adnd	r/odnd	Combined results
Original 1974 boxed set	6 (3.43%)	4 (5.26%)	1 (2.63%)	1 (1.72%)	0	0	0	1 (5.56%)	13 (2.92%)
Original D&D supplement	1 (0.57%)	1 (1.32%)	0	0	0	0	0	0	2 (0.45%)
D&D Basic set (1977/81/83)	79 (45.14%)	32 (42.11%)	10 (26.32%)	8 (13.79%)	6 (20.00%)	1 (50.00%)	16 (33.33%)	8 (44.44%)	160 (35.96%)
D&D Basic set (1991/94)	3 (1.71%)	3 (3.95%)	1 (2.63%)	1 (1.72%)	0	0	3 (6.25%)	1 (5.56%)	12 (2.70%)
D&D ECMI set	5 (2.86%)	1 (1.32%)	0	0	0	0	1 (2.08%)	0	7 (1.57%)
D&D Rules Cyclopedia	1 (0.57%)	0	1 (2.63%)	0	2 (6.67%)	0	2 (4.17%)	0	6 (1.35%)
D&D Basic general supplement	0	1 (1.32%)	0	0	0	0	0	0	1 (0.22%)
D&D Basic adventure	1 (0.57%)	2 (2.63%)	0	1 (1.72%)	0	0	1 (2.08%)	0	5 (1.12%)
AD&D 1e core	24 (13.71%)	7 (9.21%)	3 (7.89%)	3 (5.17%)	0	0	7 (14.58%)	3 (16.67%)	47 (10.56%)
AD&D 1e general supplement	1 (0.57%)	1 (1.32%)	0	0	0	0	1 (2.08%)	0	3 (0.67%)
AD&D 1e setting-specific supplement	0	0	0	0	0	0	1 (2.08%)	0	1 (0.22%)
AD&D 1e general adventure	1 (0.57%)	0	0	0	0	0	2 (4.17%)	0	3 (0.67%)
AD&D 2e starter set	3 (1.71%)	0	0	2 (3.45%)	3 (10.00%)	0	1 (2.08%)	0	9 (2.02%)
AD&D 2e core	20 (11.43%)	6 (7.89%)	1 (2.63%)	5 (8.62%)	3 (10.00%)	0	8 (16.67%)	0	43 (9.66%)
AD&D 2e general supplement	2 (1.14%)	0	0	2 (3.45%)	0	0	0	0	4 (0.90%)
AD&D 2e setting-specific supplement	2 (1.14%)	2 (2.63%)	0	0	1 (3.33%)	0	1 (2.08%)	0	6 (1.35%)
AD&D 2e general adventure	0	0	0	1 (1.72%)	0	0	0	0	1 (0.22%)
AD&D 2e setting-specific adventure	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1 (5.56%)	1 (0.22%)
D&D 3e starter set	2 (1.14%)	3 (3.95%)	1 (2.63%)	1 (1.72%)	0	0	0	0	7 (1.57%)
D&D 3e core	10 (5.71%)	4 (5.26%)	4 (10.53%)	4 (6.90%)	4 (13.33%)	1 (50.00%)	1 (2.08%)	2 (11.11%)	30 (6.74%)
D&D 3e general supplement	2 (1.14%)	1 (1.32%)	0	0	2 (6.67%)	0	0	0	5 (1.12%)
D&D 4e Starter Set	0	0	1 (2.63%)	1 (1.72%)	0	0	1 (2.08%)	0	3 (0.67%)
D&D 4e original core	3 (1.71%)	1 (1.32%)	4 (10.53%)	5 (8.62%)	2 (6.67%)	0	0	0	15 (3.37%)
D&D 4e expanded core	0	0	0	0	1 (3.33%)	0	0	0	1 (0.22%)
D&D 4e Essentials core	0	0	0	0	1 (3.33%)	0	0	0	1 (0.22%)
D&D 4e general supplement	0	0	0	0	1 (3.33%)	0	0	0	1 (0.22%)
D&D 4e setting-specific supplement	0	0	0	0	1 (3.33%)	0	0	0	1 (0.22%)
D&D 5e Starter Set (includes Essentials Kit)	1 (0.57%)	2 (2.63%)	4 (10.53%)	7 (12.07%)	1 (3.33%)	0	0	1 (5.56%)	16 (3.60%)
D&D 5e core rules	5 (2.86%)	1 (1.32%)	6 (15.79%)	11 (18.97%)	1 (3.33%)	0	2 (4.17%)	1 (5.56%)	27 (6.07%)
D&D 5e general supplement	0	0	1 (2.63%)	0	1 (3.33%)	0	0	0	2 (0.45%)
D&D 5e adventure	0	0	0	3 (5.17%)	0	0	0	0	3 (0.67%)
Other	3 (1.71%)	4 (5.26%)	0	2 (3.45%)	0	0	0	0	9 (2.02%)
TOTAL VOTES	175	76	38	58	30	2	48	18	445

Unfortunately, the BECMI poll got zero responses. I can only hope they, and most of the 35e crowd, voted somewhere else.

I didn't include the following voting options in the table, as they got 0 responses in every single poll:

D&D Basic setting supplement (no respondents started with the Gazetteers, eh?)
AD&D 1e setting-specific adventure (nor the original Dragonlance adventures!)
D&D 3e setting-specific supplement
D&D 3e general adventure
D&D 3e setting-specific adventure
D&D 4e general adventure
D&D 4e setting-specific adventure
D&D Next adventure
D&D 5e setting-specific supplement (not even one of the MTG ones?)

As for "other" responses, most didn't specify, or matched other items on the list. One on rpg.net said dice; one on Reddit 5E said they didn't own any official D&D products. Another on rpg.net listed the Kingdoms of Kalamar 3e setting book; I hadn't considered officially licensed game products, but maybe I should have.

Assorted comments:

I suspect I would have gotten more votes on Reddit if I had been able to run those polls in Reddit itself, rather than through Google Forms.
The 1977/1981/1983 D&D Basic sets were clearly some of the most significant products in D&D history, based on the overwhelming number of folks who owned one of them first, even in communities focused on other editions. None of the subsequent starter sets come close to their impact. (Only in the 5e subreddits are they second place, and even there they beat the 5e starter sets.)
However, after the 1977/1981/1983 Basic sets, it's clearly core rules that were a preferred first product, not starter sets. 1e and 2e's core rules are pretty competitive with one another, followed by 3e, 5e, and lastly 4e.
5e's Starter sets and 4e's core rules are competitive with one another. Though 5e's core rules are ahead of 4e's core rules.
Basic seemed to be the best at attracting first buy-ins through adventures, followed by 1e and 5e. No respondent picked adventures up first for 3e or 4e.
No respondent bought into D&D with the Next playtest products, but that's not much of a surprise.
A surprising number of respondents seem to prefer older editions than their first owned products would suggest. I was particularly surprised to see just one respondent on r/odnd who started with the original game, and two whose first products were from 5e! A good reason for everyone who plays D&D to want newer folks in the hobby - it might benefit your edition too.
r/adnd had more votes originating from it alone than all three general D&D subreddits put together. Though the two 5e subreddits are ahead of it.

JEB · Feb 14, 2022

A TL;DR version for folks who just want the top 10 from all sources:

D&D Basic set (1977/81/83): 160/445 (35.96%)
AD&D 1e core: 47/445 (10.56%)
AD&D 2e core: 43/445 (9.66%)
D&D 3e core: 30/445 (6.74%)
D&D 5e core rules: 27/445 (6.07%)
D&D 5e Starter Set (includes Essentials Kit): 16/445 (3.60%)
D&D 4e original core: 15/445 (3.37%)
Original 1974 boxed set: 13/445 (2.92%)
D&D Basic set (1991/94): 12/445 (2.70%)
AD&D 2e starter set: 9/445 (2.02%)

TerraDave · Feb 14, 2022

Each of the first three Basic sets was a complete, if streamlined, version of the game. With Chargen. That could explain at least some of their impact.

Kimberly Burgess · Feb 14, 2022

I don't remember exactly what order i received my first materials in, but i was 12 and it was during the Satanic Panic in rural Louisiana. Someone gave me the Basic and Expert boxed sets plus the 1E Wilderness Survival Guide, and those blew my mind! Sometime after that I received the Gazetteer Kingdom of Ierendi Good times in spite of my mom.