How were you introduced to RPGs?

[Hairfoot]

An old question but a good one.

I'm asking how you began playing RPGs in general, not the system/edition you're currently using.

My introduction was a bit unorthodox: my primary school ran Basic D&D as lunchtime activity, with a teacher DMing. I started at age 8 and never looked back.

 

[ggroy]

Was able to convince my parents to buy me a basic D&D box set, largely as an "impulse buy" without knowing what was actually inside the box.

At the time, I thought the picture on the cover of the box looked really cool.

 

[cmbarona]

I had always been into sci-fi and fantasy type games, but I think the earliest one I played and actually got into was Phantasy Star IV for the Genesis. Sadly, none of the other PS series has lived up to that standard.

My first introduction to tabletop RPGs was through college friends in the fencing club, who played Vampire: the Masquerade.

 

[Herremann the Wise]

For me, it was a quick progression from Fighting Fantasy Game Books (themselves from Choose-your-own-adventure books and with City of Thieves/Deathtrap Dungeon being standouts) and then to the Red box and then the AD&D books and modules (with the Talisman board game and numerous fantasy style Lego sets [the original yellow lego castle for one] thrown in the middle for good measure).
[Edit: And how could I forget the TRS-80 game Dungeons of Daggeroth as well!!! Please tell me if you can fit more gaming goodness into 16kb than that!?! And Dark Castle for my old Mac as well... Damn is this nostalgia time for me at the moment or what!]

Yeah... something like that.

I did not play AD&D formally until High School though (1985+).

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

 

[Vorput]

I voted through friends, but only because my friend gave me a video game (Champions of Krynn [1990]) that got me hooked.

 

[ggroy]

For me, it was a quick progression from Fighting Fantasy Game Books (themselves from Choose-your-own-adventure books and with City of Thieves/Deathtrap Dungeon being standouts)

I remember going through several fighting fantasy books, back in the day. One book was really frustrating once one goes over a river. It was a maze that was easy to get lost in and running around in circles, if one does not a draw out a map.

 

[jdrakeh]

By my third grade Gifted Education teacher. She used D&D (Holmes Basic) as a kind of team-building exercise. This was right before the big scare ignited by Pat Pulling. Shortly afterward, the GE program was abolished at our school and the teacher disappeared (I assume she was fired).

 

[Herremann the Wise]

I remember going through several fighting fantasy books, back in the day. One book was really frustrating once one goes over a river. It was a maze that was easy to get lost in and running around in circles, if one does not a draw out a map.

Warlock fo Firetop Mountain (the first one). I'm pretty sure I just cheated at the time with that one .

I think the art in City of Thieves and Deathtrap Dungeon by Iain McCaig (who obviously went on to much bigger and better things) combined with the original Talisman art as well as THAT dragon on the Box set pretty much define fantasy for me. It is as much the imagery as it is the ideas that provides the "thing" that my RPG lens gets applied through.

Actually, I think there was another reference there too. Remember an American TV series where this kid had this super computer (from his dad who worked somewhere weird) and he and his friends solved different mysteries (and his Uncle was the blonde haired Simon from Simon & Simon - my goodness that was a favourite). One of the episodes featured this kid and his friends going to see a D&D exhibition with some big dragon model featured. Anyway, I think it was THAT episode of that show when I first heard about D&D. I went out and investigated at the local toy store and came home with the Red box. Can anyone help me out here what the name of that show was?

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

 

[El Mahdi]

I was strapped to a chair with metal clips that kept my eyelids open and forced to watch episode after episode of the D&D cartoon for three days straight...


Oh, wait a minute...you meant RPG's.


I was invited to play by fellow unit members (so I chose work colleagues). However, they were also my friends. We were all from different avionics specialties (what are called "pointy heads" in the Air Force).

 

[Punnuendo]

Voted other. Was at the bookstore one day when I was 14 and bought the Mechwarrior 2nd Edition RPG.