What was your first D&D session like?
- Thread starter Oryan77
- Start date
It was March, 1982. I had some money I'd gotten for my 17th birthday, and went down to the mall (Port Plaza, Green Bay WI) to buy a new model rocket at Kay-Bee Toys. Well, they didn't have any rocket kits that I was interested in...but they did have a D&D introductory boxed set (the purple box, with the Erol Otus picture of the dragon on the cover). The neighbor kids played it, and I'd looked at their books once or twice, and it looked like it could be fun (I was already a voracious reader of fantasy novels), so I bought that boxed set, instead.
My first character was Rolf, an elf (you may recall that, if you played a non-human in those rules, your race was also your class; "elf" meant you were fundamentally a fighter / magic-user). The neighbor kid, David, was willing to run me through the module that was in the box (Keep on the Borderlands).
Even after having read the rules cover-to-cover, I'm not sure I was entirely prepared for it (I'm sure it didn't help that Rolf was going into the caves solo). I remember getting my butt kicked by kobolds and hobgoblins repeatedly, and frequently retreating to the keep to recuperate (since the monsters didn't seem to care much for chasing you.)
It was whacko, but it was fun. A few weeks later, a classmate of mine invited me to join him at a AD&D game he was just joining. My friend stayed for 2 sessions before dropping out; I'm still playing with that same group, 22 years later.
My first character was Rolf, an elf (you may recall that, if you played a non-human in those rules, your race was also your class; "elf" meant you were fundamentally a fighter / magic-user). The neighbor kid, David, was willing to run me through the module that was in the box (Keep on the Borderlands).
Even after having read the rules cover-to-cover, I'm not sure I was entirely prepared for it (I'm sure it didn't help that Rolf was going into the caves solo). I remember getting my butt kicked by kobolds and hobgoblins repeatedly, and frequently retreating to the keep to recuperate (since the monsters didn't seem to care much for chasing you.)
It was whacko, but it was fun. A few weeks later, a classmate of mine invited me to join him at a AD&D game he was just joining. My friend stayed for 2 sessions before dropping out; I'm still playing with that same group, 22 years later.
Templetroll
Explorer
I was 24 and that was 25 years ago in a galaxy far, far away....
It was at a university dorm (Temple U., thus the Temple of my handle) and we were using a small lounge area to play in. It was me, another player and the DM using PrinceCon variant OD&D rules. If you are familiar with those rules the DM was Robert West of the "Robert West Curse System". It's focus was more on roleplayable embarrassment and annoyance than death.
Discussion of the game and the system went well, other than a lout throwing a can of beer at us. Apparently, they had to endure that sort of thing in those days.
I was told "I hope you don't mind but you have to roll up a dwarf because that is what we have penciled into the marching order. All the other characters are taken." I proceeded to roll a 19 strength and a 3 charisma. I named it the only dwarf name I knew that was not Disney and I began to play Gimli. They were all higher level than I was and the first thing we were going to do was seek out undead and smite them. I later realized that was the Lawful way to go tomb robbing. 
We found a tomb with a broken seal, went in and there was a wight! In character, I was advised as to what a wight could do and wisely stayed back until it was well-thrashed, then charged in to smack it a couple of times. They were impressed with how my strenght helped take it down quicker.
After it was dead they found a mace that was magical in the tomb. None of the characters had ever bothered to use a mace that the regular player could recall so I quietly asked if I could have it. (That was the last time I was ever quiet about asking for a piece of loot) The player checked with the GM for his opinion about how the other players would react and then handed it to me. Gimli thought this was great! I had a blast.
It was at a university dorm (Temple U., thus the Temple of my handle) and we were using a small lounge area to play in. It was me, another player and the DM using PrinceCon variant OD&D rules. If you are familiar with those rules the DM was Robert West of the "Robert West Curse System". It's focus was more on roleplayable embarrassment and annoyance than death.
Discussion of the game and the system went well, other than a lout throwing a can of beer at us. Apparently, they had to endure that sort of thing in those days.
I was told "I hope you don't mind but you have to roll up a dwarf because that is what we have penciled into the marching order. All the other characters are taken." I proceeded to roll a 19 strength and a 3 charisma.
I named it the only dwarf name I knew that was not Disney and I began to play Gimli. They were all higher level than I was and the first thing we were going to do was seek out undead and smite them. I later realized that was the Lawful way to go tomb robbing. We found a tomb with a broken seal, went in and there was a wight! In character, I was advised as to what a wight could do and wisely stayed back until it was well-thrashed, then charged in to smack it a couple of times. They were impressed with how my strenght helped take it down quicker.
After it was dead they found a mace that was magical in the tomb. None of the characters had ever bothered to use a mace that the regular player could recall so I quietly asked if I could have it. (That was the last time I was ever quiet about asking for a piece of loot) The player checked with the GM for his opinion about how the other players would react and then handed it to me. Gimli thought this was great! I had a blast.
noeuphoria
First Post
7 years ago. I was 17 and had just moved. A bunch of my new friends invited me to play. I started out with a wizard. As I recall, my first adventure ended with us meeting Reorx, some dwarven god. My character got upset at something he said, and used 'cantrip' to attempt to give a god jock itch. Needless to say, there's a satyr wandering the forest that can tell you some members of the dwarven pantheon have no sense of humor.
the Jester
Legend
Heh hehehehe... my first game was played with a bastardized set of made up rules that one of my neighbors had... he had none of the books or anything but loved the game, so he did his best.
You rolled for your AC (which dictated what kinds of armor you can wear), your race, your alignment, your deity, everything... I had a Japanese longbow that inflicted 2d20 hp of damage on a hit. I killed some sort of genie, and I was a dwarf, but I don't remember much more than that. Loved it, though!
You rolled for your AC (which dictated what kinds of armor you can wear), your race, your alignment, your deity, everything... I had a Japanese longbow that inflicted 2d20 hp of damage on a hit. I killed some sort of genie, and I was a dwarf, but I don't remember much more than that. Loved it, though!
wingsandsword
Legend
It was in April of 1998, playing in a heavily-house-ruled AD&D 2e/Players Option game. I had never played D&D, but I had read my few old D&D books voraciously over the years, wanting to be in a game. I had the Basic D&D box set (Black with Red Dragon on the cover, circa 1992). Needless to say, it was a culture shock (another player created my character for me and handed it to me, so I learned a lot about the changes when I gamed, instead of during creation).
"I'm only a first level cleric, I don't get spells until 2nd level. Huh? I get all these spells at 1st level?"
"You all are 10th level, I didn't think the rules went above 5th level!"
"Uh, 9 hit points of damage? I"m dead. Yes dead I only had 8 HP, you're dead at 0. Oh, I'm at -1, I'm not dead at 0 now? Wow."
"How did that elf cast Cure Light Wounds, I thought that Elves cast Magic-User spells?"
Oh, and being unaccustomed to the idea of proficiencies/skills I got a gentle chiding from the DM for using player knowledge about some monsters we encountered and not having the Monster Lore proficiency (but since it was my first time, and the version of D&D I sorta knew didn't have proficiencies, everybody understood that I wasn't trying to cheat).
It took about half the first session to get re-educated, but it was a really funny bit of culture shock on the way there.
"I'm only a first level cleric, I don't get spells until 2nd level. Huh? I get all these spells at 1st level?"
"You all are 10th level, I didn't think the rules went above 5th level!"
"Uh, 9 hit points of damage? I"m dead. Yes dead I only had 8 HP, you're dead at 0. Oh, I'm at -1, I'm not dead at 0 now? Wow."
"How did that elf cast Cure Light Wounds, I thought that Elves cast Magic-User spells?"
Oh, and being unaccustomed to the idea of proficiencies/skills I got a gentle chiding from the DM for using player knowledge about some monsters we encountered and not having the Monster Lore proficiency (but since it was my first time, and the version of D&D I sorta knew didn't have proficiencies, everybody understood that I wasn't trying to cheat).
It took about half the first session to get re-educated, but it was a really funny bit of culture shock on the way there.
Laurel
First Post
If first you fail- Try try again!
Unfortunately my first game was horrible-- I was angry and frustrated and couldn't understand how any one would voluntarily play this for hours on end. Later I found out most of the frustration, confusion and angst was not just due to my first time as a gamer, but also the DM's first time as a DM, and in a setting everyone had different levels of knowledge in (wheel of time)-mine being the most limited.
We started off in a town center- no reason to stay so we all walked off since there was no reason to interact. I went to the bar, since I hated the other races in the party. I walked in and said "She looks around."
He said "okay."
Me, "What do I see?"
DM, "you see a tavern."
".....okay. I walk to a table."
DM- "You can't there aren't any."
Me, ".... okay. I-"
DM, "A guy in heavy metal armor walks up and stabs you."
Me, "and he didn't warrant attention when I looked around the room?"
--in my first game I almost died in the first few minutes of the game, not fun! Since playing more though I see many a fault, a lot mine.--
Then after playing for a while we threw background and PC feelings out the door and just decided to all meet up and that we would like each other. In the attempt to move on.
After about an hour, and only having seen one fight everyone was down but my character.... um.... "I drag six bodies back to town... oh wait I have a negative strength! So she runs for help" Only on return I get told, she took to long they are all dead... the town was sixty feet from the battle!
Basically there were lots of points of frustration, anger, and arguing that just didn't work and too many firsts for people.....
Somehow knowing I needed to try again, my fiancé had me try with some of the same group just asking for a more experienced DM and using plain dnd 3.5.
Since that second game I have played and been intrigued and had loads of fun!!!!!
Unfortunately my first game was horrible-- I was angry and frustrated and couldn't understand how any one would voluntarily play this for hours on end. Later I found out most of the frustration, confusion and angst was not just due to my first time as a gamer, but also the DM's first time as a DM, and in a setting everyone had different levels of knowledge in (wheel of time)-mine being the most limited.
We started off in a town center- no reason to stay so we all walked off since there was no reason to interact. I went to the bar, since I hated the other races in the party. I walked in and said "She looks around."
He said "okay."
Me, "What do I see?"
DM, "you see a tavern."
".....okay. I walk to a table."
DM- "You can't there aren't any."
Me, ".... okay. I-"
DM, "A guy in heavy metal armor walks up and stabs you."
Me, "and he didn't warrant attention when I looked around the room?"
--in my first game I almost died in the first few minutes of the game, not fun! Since playing more though I see many a fault, a lot mine.--
Then after playing for a while we threw background and PC feelings out the door and just decided to all meet up and that we would like each other. In the attempt to move on.
After about an hour, and only having seen one fight everyone was down but my character.... um.... "I drag six bodies back to town... oh wait I have a negative strength! So she runs for help" Only on return I get told, she took to long they are all dead... the town was sixty feet from the battle!
Basically there were lots of points of frustration, anger, and arguing that just didn't work and too many firsts for people.....
Somehow knowing I needed to try again, my fiancé had me try with some of the same group just asking for a more experienced DM and using plain dnd 3.5.
Since that second game I have played and been intrigued and had loads of fun!!!!!
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jmucchiello
Hero
It was summer of 80, I was 12 and my sister was 6. She played a T'ief and her Poohbear played a D'orf. (This is red box basic so the dwarf was a fighter.) I DMed her and her bear through the kobold areas of Keep on the Borderlands. A few sessions into it school started and she didn't have time to play any more. (1st grade really screwed her up.)
She hasn't played since so I guess I wasn't much of a DM at the time. But her daughter is 2 so I'll wait until she's at least 8 this time.
She hasn't played since so I guess I wasn't much of a DM at the time. But her daughter is 2 so I'll wait until she's at least 8 this time.
Stone Angel
First Post
It was mid octoberin 95 I was 15. There was a group of guys that were a few years older than me. I knew they played, but they would never invite me. Then my friend Danny got invited. So I showed up to play. They would not let me in the barn. I needed the password. The next day Danny gave me the password "Choda Soda". I sat down and watched and created a viking-esque fighter named Valkar Gamchan.
I was found a captor and the parties thief said that he would release me only if I promised to give him 10% of my treasure. I agreed. Then we went off to stem the army of Lizardmen and search for the the four elemental sword of power. Good fun. Great fun.
The Seraph of Earth and Stone
I was found a captor and the parties thief said that he would release me only if I promised to give him 10% of my treasure. I agreed. Then we went off to stem the army of Lizardmen and search for the the four elemental sword of power. Good fun. Great fun.
The Seraph of Earth and Stone
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