Basic D&D: Did it hook you?

[T. Foster]

[nitpick]The red box cover for the '83 basic set is by Larry Elmore. Erol Otus did the cover for the '81 purple box set.[/nitpick]

The box of the '81/Otus-cover set was pink/purple/magenta-ish, but the rulebook itself was red

 

[Ed_Laprade]

Nope, my first encounter with Basic (don't know which edition, never owned any of them) almost turned me off from RPGs at the start. And my first encounter with Traveller, about an hour later, nearly finished the job! (But I [we] also experienced my [our] first house rule. "No, your character doesn't die before he even gets to the game. Who came up with such a dumb rule in the first place?") Mind you, I was no kid at the time (pushing 30), nor were the people I was playing with (a couple of co-workers).

What really hooked me was Runequest.

 

[Ant]

The "Red Box" Basic Set for me.

Ditto

 

[DestroyYouAlot]

I voted yes, although technically speaking the answer is no

Huh - I voted no, although the answer is technically yes.

I started roleplaying with AD&D, right on the cusp of 2nd edition (barring a short and very free-form session at camp, sans rulebooks or dice). Previously I'd devoured Choose Your Own Adventure, Fighting Fantasy, and Endless Quest books like they were crack cocaine, but that was where I got my start.

HOWEVER: To the question in the thread title - "Basic D&D: Did it hook you?" - I'd say yes, twice. I picked up the Black Box set during that brief 2e-era Basic D&D revival, and it really sparked new creativity in me as a GM. I used it to run Hollow World for a few - not knowing jack about Mystara, I placed it as the chewy nougat center of my version of the Realms - but, not having the Rules Cyclopedia (or any of the BECMI boxes), I was only able to get so much out of the rules therein, and ended up going back to 2e (albeit with a whole new lease on life as a GM).

Fast-forward 13 years, and I'm just now picking up B/X (along with Blue Box, BECMI, and RC), and loving the HELL out of it - runs like silk. Its insidious influence is slowly but surely creeping into my HackMaster game, as well, where I can assure you it's quite lonely and out of place.


Edit: Just now remembering, my first brush with D&D, even before the impromptu camp session. I was stuck outside the principal's office (where I spent much of my time), and someone had left the 1e Monster Manual in the "bad kid" desk. I was FASCINATED - all the crazy art, the descriptions - these numbers, what do they MEAN, they're like some kind of code! This definitely added to my already-burning curiosity about what the hell D&D was.

 

[BlueBlackRed]

Red book Basic for me.

I still owe that Bargle a good thumping.

 

[FATDRAGONGAMES]

Just seeing that box again makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Ditto! My very first game was with this set (Moldvay), but my first campaign with a regular group was with a hybrid OD&D/AD&D game.

 

[Jack Daniel]

Red book Basic for me.

I still owe that Bargle a good thumping.

I assure you, many feel the same way about Zanzer Tem.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

For me it all started with this back in 1991...

 

[Korgoth]

It all started with this...

Yep! I have a copy within arm's reach right now!

I still play Classic. It is pure rawk and awesome.

 

[Jhaelen]

My intro to RPGs was the Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, Fighting Fantasy introductory RPG, then 1e AD&D - DMG & MM purchased for £5 each from a fellow schoolboy. I never had much to do with Basic D&D until recently.

Ha! My first contact with something similar to RPGs were the Fighting Fantasy books as well. Then it was 'Das Schwarze Auge' which was pretty mediocre at the time and didn't really manage to explain how roleplaying was supposed to work.

Things really got started with AD&D 1st.ed. I got to try D&D (RBCMI) later (a player from the AD&D group was the D&D DM) but it never really worked for me - way too simple for my taste!