How did you get into D&D?

[jmucchiello]

In 1981, I was 12 and I was introduced to the books by a local bookstore owner. Pestering my Mom resulted in her complaint that there were too many books to buy. (Ever wise is Mom.) So I pointed out that the Basic D&D Red box didn't work with those Advanced Books. She eventually relented and I spent the summer DMing for my 6 year old sister and her Winnie the Pooh. The only thing I remember about those games really was that Pooh played a D'orf, as she would say it.

I also remember getting Issue #63 of Dragon and reading it so many times the cover came off. A week later #64 came out and I started looking for older ones. Got back to #50 without paying more than cover price.

Eventually I found friends in school to play with but no one around was really into it like I was. We would have marathon games on New Year's Eve and that was about it.

I college I finally started playing regularly and now play weekly with the same group since 1997. Sadly my sister didn't stick with it, nor did Pooh, but now I have a niece and I know what she's getting for her 8th or 9th birthday....

 

[jezter6]

My tale is the average uber-geek story.

My friend got one of the boxed sets (to this day I dont' know which) as something to keep him occupied during 6th grade summer break...and it started a revolution in our neighborhood.

We played weekly until I moved away at 16.

Suddenly I found myself in a new town, and posted my name at the local comic/dnd shop, got a call, and played weekly with that group for 2 years till college.

Since then I've never found another group even though I spent all the money on the books and stuff.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

To understand this story, you'll need to know that I have two older brothers. Mark is now 40, and Neal is 35. I'm presently 23.

I'd heard about D&D from them both, and had seen the interesting books with the funny names when I was younger. I'd occasionally come home from school and find Neal playing Blood Bowl or similar with one of his friends. Eventually I pestered Neal into DMing for me...and there I was.

Can't remember the name of my first character, but I think he was a Dwarf fighter/thief type. He adventured down a dungeon, escaped with his life and was never heard of again.

Now I've been playing for more than 10 years, I still game with Neal when I can (distance is a problem though) and when I'm very lucky me and Mark get to play. He lives in the States and I live in the UK. Neal now has kids, and come the age of ten or so, I'm sure they'll be playing too!

Heh, if I ever have kids I'm making sure that their first word is "Dragon" no matter what their mother wants...

 

[Rel]

I'm another guy who started playing because of the Boy Scouts. There were a bunch of guys who played on our camping trips and I still remember my first game and character: Elf Fighter/Magic User (he had Magic Missile). Those guys (all between the ages of 12 and 16) were the most munchkin powergamers you ever saw but we had a lot of fun.

The following summer, there were D&D classes eek: ) offered at the Jr. High School. That was where I learned what D&D was really about. I took both the "basic" and "advanced" classes and we had a blast. The DM was really good and we fought a bunch of Kobolds in the basic class and a temple full of Lizardmen in the advanced class.

If by some miracle of chance Wes Ives is reading this thread, thanks for being a fantastic DM and opening my eyes to what roleplaying games should be about.

Seeing the comments by others who played with their little sister at some point, I ran some very fun games for mine when I was around 11 and she was 8. I still recall playing in the car when we didn't have any dice. I "rolled" the dice by flipping to a random page in the DMG or Monster Manual and looking at the page number. Fun times.

 

[Angelsboi]

My best friend Tommy. He was 16 and i was 13. Also, my first true love. When we first met, he asked if i ever played D&D. I told him no. He gave me a thick book and told me he didnt want to see my face again till i read it.

I was mortified. I didnt think i could read the book. He smiled and said, "You will finish it within the week."

And i did. I fell in love with Goldmoon and all the other characters fromt he Dragonlance Chronicles.

For 3 years we played, him, his brother and I. Oh what Sister Sarah Moonstarr could tell you (Saw-ruh)

 

[Scott814thmpco]

Hi-
I was in the navy back in 86 and an avid wargammer, I hated D&D
thinking it was for little kids. Well I got assigned to a troop ship and all my wargames collected dust, nobody wanted to play Afrika Korps, Squad Leader or The Russian campaign. <sigh>
So sitting on the fantail smoking ciggerates out of bordom got old real quick
So I took a stroll to the mess deck and saw a group of Marines playing D&D, well if Marines like D&D, it cant be that bad, so I joined the Group and the rest is history. Oh and I still play wargames, just gotta divide my time between the two.


Scott

 

[buzzard]

A friend showed me how to play the game when sleeping over back in 1979 (before the DM's guide came out). I made characters from the PHB, but we used the basic rules to run things. I started in that Ol' Keep on the Borderlands.

I proceeded to be a classic munckin powergamer for a while after that. I have played fairly regularly until the present. I got past the munchkin thing and became a straight powergamer.

buzzard

 

[Rabbi Shlomo]

Seminary. After long days of studying texts in Hebrew, hack n slash was called for. All the fellow students I graduated with still play to this day. In fact, 3 of my 6 friends lead congregations to this day, play or DM their own groups.

I got into anti-missionary work, so I've started up again myself.

 

[baradtgnome]

Late 70s, a bunch of folks who have met through a friend of a friend kind of thing. All war gamers looking for a good multiplayer game. I see this D&D thing at the game shop and buy it. I somehow manage to convince these guys to try it. Basic D&D boxed set, "The Keep on the Borderlands". First 30 feet of the caves, TPK. Hmm, I think, perhaps it is not supposed to work that way? Eventually we figure it out. Move on to advanced edition later that year. Play seriously modified house rule 1st edition for many years, until 3e.

20+ years later 3 of the original group are still playing together.

Queue the tacky music...

 

[Breakdaddy]

I was a bout 10 years old, and I saw a thing on the news about a game that made Heavy Metal Kids kill themselves and/or worship the Devil.

I was sold.

Dude, I always meant to tell you that your sig is the fire. Yer one f***ed monkey, its great!