How long have you played D&D?

[Ravellion]

25 years (summer, 1980)

I killed a something with a spear.

A nerd is born.

8 years or 9 for me. My first attack roll was with a dwarven fighter, wielding a mace. It was a natural 20 on an aggressive black bear!

The DM described it as "skin flying around in all directions". It was cool.

 

[diaglo]

Were you using the fantasy part of the rules?

no. but i was playing with knights and dragons.

George vs the dragon style.

 

[MonsterMash]

no. but i was playing with knights and dragons.

George vs the dragon style.

Then I'd say it counted.

 

[diaglo]

Then I'd say it counted.

i think that is why it was like an epiphany when i finally did start playing OD&D(1974).

it just so made what i was doing before make sense. and it was like a perfect fit for our group.

in that case change my answer to 31+ years.

 

[MrFilthyIke]

I started in '89, a solo adventure after I got hooked on fantasy w/ The Hobbit. It was the year 2e was released, 2e PHB was my first purchase, but couldn't figure out the rules (I was on my own w/o others), so I box the Mentzer box, taught myself, and the rest is my life story.

 

[Mark]

in that case change my answer to 31+ years.

Nope. Those of us who came from wargaming/miniature battling, used the fantasy rules with Chainmail and who are content with the 30+ option simply cannot allow such johnny-come-lately-ism.

 

[mattcolville]

Don't mean to be nitpicky, but couldn't you have just shorten the choices making making them 5-year increments?

Is this a trick question? Isn't the answer obviously "yes?"

 

[mattcolville]

I see unusually big spikes at 10, 15, 20, and 25 years which makes me think most people are just estimating. I reckon the people commenting in the thread are among those actually doing the math.

 

[Bloosquig]

started when I was 7 and been playing these last 16 years off and on whenever I could. I've come a long way from trying to throw my sword at every monster I saw Now I just need to find a new group now that I've moved back to good old Los Angeles... Need to get my roleplaying fix... ah well I salute you fellow dicers and see ya around

 

[Mark]

Is this a trick question? Isn't the answer obviously "yes?"

I think that's meant to be ironic, because last time this was done I used larger increments and was deluged with suggestions to make it one year per choice since there were less than thirty possible choices.

I see unusually big spikes at 10, 15, 20, and 25 years which makes me think most people are just estimating. I reckon the people commenting in the thread are among those actually doing the math.

Possibly but I'm not sure I'd say "most" just yet. It certainly looks like most of those who have posted did the math, though I saw at least one who mentioned estimating, after a fashion, though I am not sure all estimates are falling on the 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 spots either. It'd be nice if we could get at least 1,000 participants on polls like this. Someone should put in a community news scoop for the front page to spur more people to vote. (nudge nudge)