D&D General What version of the Basic D&D/BECMI starter set did you first own?

[David Howery]

Huhn, I didn't realize Holmes was initially '77. I got mine in '79, with B2 Keep on the Borderlands, for Chistmas. Still had the chits, instead of dice.

yeah, that was my first one too, got it in 1980. The chits were so annoying that (literally) the next day, I went out and bought a set of dice, and consigned the chits to the trash can. The box eventually disintegrated, the B2 module ended up disappearing, but I still have the rulebook...

 

[J.Quondam]

I started with the Mentzer '83 "Red Box", but had/gotten a copy of the Cook/Marsh '81 Expert rules before the "Blue Box" Expert came out...which I then got anyway...

...cuz, you know,...had to get/have the matching sets.

Heh, that's what I did, too, except I never bothered picking up the "correct" Blue Box Expert set. Little-kid-me never realized they were really different editions! The little rules mismatches puzzled me slightly now and then, but we managed just fine.
And just to make the mismatch even more glaring, I eventually got the Companion set.

 

[steeldragons]

Heh, that's what I did, too, except I never bothered picking up the "correct" Blue Box Expert set. Little-kid-me never realized they were really different editions! The little rules mismatches puzzled me slightly now and then, but we managed just fine.
And just to make the mismatch even more glaring, I eventually got the Companion set.

OH, of course! Even though I was well into playing AD&D (1e) by then, I still made sure to get the Companion and Masters boxes. Never did get my hands on an Immortals, actually.

I still have all of the BECM (not I) manuals. The boxes themselves did not fair through the decades as well. I still have the blue and black boxes (that are in near-total uselessness) but the others are long gone.

 

[Arilyn]

Red box

Older brother was the DM. I played Dweeny the Dwarf.

My first was Forgo the dwarf. Still grieving his death.

 

[Azzy]

My first was Forgo the dwarf. Still grieving his death.

Mine was Gideon, the Fighter.

 

[Bupp]

Mentzer was the first I owned.

I started playing with my best friend/neighbor with his Holmes set.

I still weep for Aleena.

 

[Cadence]

Red box

Older brother was the DM. I played Dweeny the Dwarf.

Moldvay.

The sitter saw I had Moldvay and knew how to play - which was good, because I don't think any of my friends did. My Halfling Antares had to cut off my Dwarf Alexis's hand off to save him from a cursed sword. Played them for many years with friends in the neighborhood.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Mentzer was the first I owned.

I started playing with my best friend/neighbor with his Holmes set.

I still weep for Aleena.

I feel you.

 

[jmartkdr2]

Mine was Gideon, the Fighter.

My first fighter's name was Warlock

 

[not-so-newguy]

My first was Forgo the dwarf. Still grieving his death.

My first unofficial death was that carrion crawler hiding under the fallen door outside Mistamere castle. Luckily my brother was in a good mood and replayed the whole incident.