Iosue
Legend
I vividly recall being in awe at how shiny and red it was. And filled with Easley and Elmore black and white artwork. I'm still split, in many ways. I first started playing with Moldvay Basic, but my first D&D was Mentzer Basic.
D&D 5E Raise your hand if your mom...
Stormonu
Legend
I asked for the game for Christmas when my dad showed me a Gencon clip when they were talking about the Egbert case on the TV. Surprisingly, I got the game for Christmas.
My family was fairly religious to boot, so I struggled for years with question about D&D "being evil". I had many discussions with guests about why I didn't feel the game was evil or bad, and I think a lot of those people were surprised to find out how much I didn't fit their preconception of someone who plays D&D (funnily, the big one being that I hated heavy metal music and preferred listening to orchestrations and classical music).
I did almost loose my books though after one year when my stupid cousin (who'd I taught to play D&D) carved a pentagram in his arm with a knife and his parents blamed it on D&D. My dad was worried I was too involved in the game, so we made a compromise - I put the books away for a week and did other things to prove the game didn't have the same kind of hold over me. I don't remember how I spent my time that week, but I remember it being very long and depressing.
My family was fairly religious to boot, so I struggled for years with question about D&D "being evil". I had many discussions with guests about why I didn't feel the game was evil or bad, and I think a lot of those people were surprised to find out how much I didn't fit their preconception of someone who plays D&D (funnily, the big one being that I hated heavy metal music and preferred listening to orchestrations and classical music).
I did almost loose my books though after one year when my stupid cousin (who'd I taught to play D&D) carved a pentagram in his arm with a knife and his parents blamed it on D&D. My dad was worried I was too involved in the game, so we made a compromise - I put the books away for a week and did other things to prove the game didn't have the same kind of hold over me. I don't remember how I spent my time that week, but I remember it being very long and depressing.
My mom had no problem getting 2nd edition along with MTG for me back in late elementary/ middle school. She admitted though she would have not done so 5-10 years earlier for my brothers. She said she felt confident by the time I came along that I would be capable enough to make my own decisions at a young age at let me be influenced by my friends far more than my brothers. I guess we will see how the experiment ends once we all die and tally which level we made it to? 
Seriously though, my oldest brother would have been prosecuted by my mom for even looking at D&D and I spent my first paycheck on gaming stuff. He also wasn't allowed to play football, while I started in 3rd grade. Parents grew up just like we did, and they changed with the times. I'm sure neither me, or my brothers would change her, even though we got a vastly different upbringing.
Seriously though, my oldest brother would have been prosecuted by my mom for even looking at D&D and I spent my first paycheck on gaming stuff. He also wasn't allowed to play football, while I started in 3rd grade. Parents grew up just like we did, and they changed with the times. I'm sure neither me, or my brothers would change her, even though we got a vastly different upbringing.
wedgeski
Adventurer
I'm British so the media frenzy which befell you, my American D&D-playing cousins, wasn't something I had to deal with. My mum's biggest complaint about D&D, as I continued to play it into my 20's, and then my 30's, and still play it now as I sail blissfully into middle-age, is that it is a childish pastime that I should have grown out of by now. To this day she looks slightly disappointed when I tell her I've got my old school mates coming up for a weekend of D&D. Bless her, she just doesn't get it.
Nebulous
Legend
I received far too many religious lectures and warnings. Partial nudity in the DMG did not help matters. The straw that broke the camels back was this Dragon magazine cover that came in the mail:
Nudity AND devil worship in the same place? In our MAILBOX? She flipped the **** out. Sigh.
Nudity AND devil worship in the same place? In our MAILBOX? She flipped the **** out. Sigh.
SavageCole
Punk Rock Warlord
Yes, my Southern baptist mother confiscated my books and had an intervention. She'd seen something on TV which convinced her that D&D was a satanic trap for our youth. She set up an appointment for me to talk to the Reverend at our church (Presbyterian). He and I chatted for about 10 minutes pleasantly and I don't remember what we talked about, but he concluded there's nothing wrong with the game.
That chilled my mother right out.
That chilled my mother right out.
Will Doyle
Explorer
I went to a Christian missionary school in the mid eighties. The worse I had was one of the teachers taking me aside to ask why so many creatures in the WFRP bestiary were evil. Some parents refused to let their kids play d&d with us, but I also remember one of the teachers explaining that roleplaying was a great aid to English and maths.
Here in the UK there wasn't such a religious backlash, but that's probably because the hobby was never quite as popular as it was in the States. A lot of people here went nuts when Puffin released a fighting fantasy gamebook about devil worshipers, so the attitudes definitely existed.
Here in the UK there wasn't such a religious backlash, but that's probably because the hobby was never quite as popular as it was in the States. A lot of people here went nuts when Puffin released a fighting fantasy gamebook about devil worshipers, so the attitudes definitely existed.
Wednesday Boy
The Nerd WhoFell to Earth
My folks never bothered my brother and I about playing D&D but I guess starting in 1992 meant we were past the more hysterical times. However, a little bit later we started playing Magic and my aunt came to us with the same sort of misinformed concerns. After explaining it was really just a game about comparing numbers on cards, her concerns were assuaged and she ended up getting us booster packs for Christmas.
Wednesday Boy
The Nerd WhoFell to Earth
My folks never took issue with my brother and I playing D&D but I suppose since we started in 1992 we missed most of the D&D hysteria. However a bit later we started playing Magic and my aunt came to use with the same misinformed concerns. After explaining to her that it was really a game about comparing numbers on cards, she was assuaged and ended up buying us booster packs for Christmas.
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