Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
Help for someone clueless about D&D before AD&D 1st Edition?
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="MNblockhead" data-source="post: 7472521" data-attributes="member: 6796661"><p>Good stuff! One thing that I realize is that I really didn't understand the difference and just mixed rules and monsters from various editions in the 80s. </p><p></p><p>The other thing I realize is that I can't for the life of me remember which was my first. </p><p></p><p>I'm almost positive that it was the Moldvay edition with the Earl Otus cover, but the Mentzer edition with the Elmore cover is also very nostalgic and familiar. But I *think* that I remember seeing the new box in stores and loving the art, but had already bought the AD&D books. </p><p></p><p>I know for a fact that my set had the lighter blue dice that I needed to fill in the number with a white crayon that was provided. Does that narrow it down?</p><p></p><p>Okay, I just looked it up on the excellent Acaeum site (<a href="https://www.acaeum.com/ddindexes/setpages/basic.html" target="_blank">https://www.acaeum.com/ddindexes/setpages/basic.html</a>) and I'm certain I started with the Moldvay version. </p><p></p><p>The dice don't help as the Mentzer edition could come with either uncolored or colored dice. </p><p></p><p>BUT, the Mentzer edition did NOT come with the Keep on the Borderlands adventure and I am 100% certain that my first boxed set did as THAT is how I learned to play the game. And for a while, that WAS the game. I just kept leading people through those Caves of Chaos until I could get my parents to take me to a store where I could buy graph paper. </p><p></p><p>I don't know why the Mentzer cover is so familiar. Again, I think it is from seeing it on the shelves and maybe friends had it. I don't *think* that I owned a copy. </p><p></p><p>One thing I regret is that I traded all my old D&D and all other gaming stuff the summer after my freshman year in college. Not that any of it would be worth anything, but it would be nice to page through the old books and modules that I actually owned and played as a kid. All that is left is a dog chewed d10 with edges rounded from use, the white crayon filling the numbers having lasted longer than the cheap plastic used to make the dice.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="MNblockhead, post: 7472521, member: 6796661"] Good stuff! One thing that I realize is that I really didn't understand the difference and just mixed rules and monsters from various editions in the 80s. The other thing I realize is that I can't for the life of me remember which was my first. I'm almost positive that it was the Moldvay edition with the Earl Otus cover, but the Mentzer edition with the Elmore cover is also very nostalgic and familiar. But I *think* that I remember seeing the new box in stores and loving the art, but had already bought the AD&D books. I know for a fact that my set had the lighter blue dice that I needed to fill in the number with a white crayon that was provided. Does that narrow it down? Okay, I just looked it up on the excellent Acaeum site ([URL]https://www.acaeum.com/ddindexes/setpages/basic.html[/URL]) and I'm certain I started with the Moldvay version. The dice don't help as the Mentzer edition could come with either uncolored or colored dice. BUT, the Mentzer edition did NOT come with the Keep on the Borderlands adventure and I am 100% certain that my first boxed set did as THAT is how I learned to play the game. And for a while, that WAS the game. I just kept leading people through those Caves of Chaos until I could get my parents to take me to a store where I could buy graph paper. I don't know why the Mentzer cover is so familiar. Again, I think it is from seeing it on the shelves and maybe friends had it. I don't *think* that I owned a copy. One thing I regret is that I traded all my old D&D and all other gaming stuff the summer after my freshman year in college. Not that any of it would be worth anything, but it would be nice to page through the old books and modules that I actually owned and played as a kid. All that is left is a dog chewed d10 with edges rounded from use, the white crayon filling the numbers having lasted longer than the cheap plastic used to make the dice. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
Help for someone clueless about D&D before AD&D 1st Edition?
Top