If you started playing D&D with the Basic D&D rules, which edition was it?

[Particle_Man]

Moldvay. And the thief got the shaft.

 

[Ourph]

I voted for the Holmes set, but I noticed there was no option for the original three-book, manilla cover set circa 1977 or 1978.

The three-book manilla cover version isn't "Basic" D&D, it's original D&D. It was included as an option in the "Which edition of D&D did you start with" poll.

 

[Krieg]

Orius, Merric, rogueattorney & RFisher....thanks for the clarifications on the various editions.

I might just break down and get a copy of the 83 & 91 sets just to check them out.

 

[jeffh]

As I posted elsewhere, I started with the Mentzer basic set, which is what I voted for here, but what I call the "Moldvay" expert set since it goes with Moldvay's basic set (though as some have mentioned already, Zeb actually wrote it).

Here's a question I asked elsewhere but got no reply to - the Cook expert rulebook mentions that future D&D sets would give the thief a bunch of new abilities, like mimicing voices and some sort of distraction ability. When the Companion set finally came out, does anyone else remember eagerly flipping to the thief writeup - only to be terribly disappointed NOT to find the new abilities there?

 

[qstor]

Holmes

I had to go to acaeum.com to check. Cause mine had B1 in it. When we ran it we had a different monster in every room. Gee I wonder how they got food. lol...


Mike

 

[jmucchiello]

This one: a later printing of the Moldvay, I believe.

First one I ever owned, however, was the Mentzer with the Elmore cover.

I think that's just the book found inside the Moldvay box. I have both the box (seen in the first post) and the book (seen here) and I do believe they go together.... with the Zeb expert set which I cut my teeth on until succumbing to the the 1st ed books. Never saw a companion or masters set until after 2nd ed was out.

 

[Galethorn]

Apparently, I'm in the minority, as I started with the 1999 version, in summer 2000. To be fair, I was only just-a-couple-months-from-13 years old when I played through it with my mom and a friend, so my birth was T-Minus 10 years when the Holmes edition came out. In fact, I'm pretty sure my parents were still in college back in '77.

 

[palatineknight]

Holmes edition (1977-1979) - I started play with my dad's boxed set. D&D was a family affair in our household. I have continued the tradition with my son, the third generation of gamer...

 

[Starglyte]

I voted for the Rules Cyclopedia, but first product was
Hollow World. We went all the way home and tried to play
but only to find out that we didn't have the rules. We
went back and picked up 2 Cyclopedias( for me and my
dad). The store was a Waldenbooks.

 

[SamSpectre]

Thornir is correct.

I started with the Moldvay box too, in 1979.