"What age did you start D&D?" Topic

That should be "What age…"

If you've ever played D&D even once, what age were you when you played your first game (your best guess)?

10 or under.
11-15
15-20
21-25
26-30
31-35
36-40
41-45
46-50
51-55
56-60
60 and above.

I was 9 years old when i first played in 1978. I played til I was 12. I'm only now looking to get back involved in my 50s!

1978 or 1979; I was in 5th grade and my older brother was a freshman in high school. One day he brings home the D&D basic rules and talked my Dad and me into playing (we had no idea what it was). The first room of the first dungeon both my Dad and my characters are killed, and we are like, this is stupid. Shortly thereafter my Dad took over as DM and we played nonstop over the next few years until older brother went away to college. Much fun was had. I guess I was age 10 or 11.

15-20
My first game was the day that 3rd editon came out, it was at a game store release event.

15-20 in 1977

14 years in 1979. Still play now and then at 56

15 in 1978. WE used to play at the back of the class.

15-20 in 1978

11-15 (Age 13 or 14), ‘79-‘80.

Started with the Holmes Blue Book (which I recently reacquired), graduated immediately to AD&D 1e, switched to the Mentzer "BECMI" boxed sets (and the Rules Cyclopedia) when 2e took over. Currently playing 5e (as a player) and DMing BECMI (with house rules). For the record, I much prefer BECMI/RC to any other edition.

11-15. I was introduced to the white box in 1977 and have been playing various versions ever since

31-35. It didn't stick.

15-20 1975

taught my kids when they were about the same age

Around 12 or 13 I believe.

15 in 1979 with Holmes Edition.

First game at 6 playing Chainmail with my 16 year old brother and his group. I played a Barbarian fighter, and charged a band of Goblins and got hurt, then charged an injured Wyvern and killed it. Hooked me then, though I didnt really have a clue what I was doing.

Played D & D once in university – didn't especially like it, have not played since

Now Chainmail on the other hand – started in my teens, loved it

18 in 1976

15-20 in 1975. Still have the original booklet boxed set and Chainmail booklet.

1978 at age 10. Purple Edition

21-25 and around 1976

12 in 1982. Tom Moldvay Basic D&D, then on to AD&D.

Probably 1980, 12 years old, I gave up on Chainmail since trying to find good miniatures was difficult. Started with D&D then AD&D. AD&D lead to Gamma World, Chill, Twilight 2000, Tunnels&Trolls, Star Frontiers and Rune Quest.

16 in 1979. It was AD&D. The DM Guide was brand new that year. My buddy's older brother ran the game. It would change my life for the better.

23. White box.
We didn't have no stinking "advanced" nonsense back then.

18 in 1978, with my wife to be. We still game, and now play with grandkids

1977 or 1978, so I would have 25 or 26. Didn't play much, but now that I'm retired, I'm thinking of taking it up again when life returns to something resembling normal.

Grelber

11

About 1977 aged 15. We'd heard about it and a friend brought a copy over from the USA.

Don't Roleplay any more due to lack of time, just wargame.

33 with the white box version

Never played

I was 19 in 1974 when I started playing. I still play role playing games but not D&D anymore.

Still time Rich Bliss. Don't be overwhelmed by all it's bell's a whistles these days.

6 years old (1982). My older cousin would run me through some basic adventures. Ruined me for life :)

I was introduced to historical gaming at nine back in 1983. My dad found a local gaming shop, called Past Times, that sold Minifigs but when we visited they also had D&D and Citadel fantasy miniatures. Sometime after that I got the red box basic D&D set and discovered second edition Warhammer Fantasy battle.

Played White Box D&D when it came out, so 11 to 15.

8 back in 81, didn't understand a lot of it, but gave it a good crack at 11/12, but stopped once I discovered miniatures wargaming. Played a bit in uni to kill time, RPGs aren't really my thing.

11-15 with the white box back in 1976; still play

Just also adding that the great thing about D&D today is that all editions but the Holmes Blue Book are available as PDF downloads from DriveThruRPG. That includes the original 1974 game on up. So whatever flavor you like, you can play. On top of that, there are some excellent "retro clones" of various editions that are excellent as well. So if you don't like the current 5th edition* from WotC, you're not stuck.

*(IMHO, 5e is much more streamlined than previous WotC editions, but places a heavy emphasis on character powers and is very hard to tweak or house rule without breaking the system.)

15-20
D+D feels best in my opinion with at least 4 players and a dungeon master.
This gives a better conversation and interaction "buzz".

martin

9 or 10 I believe.

About 23-24. Mind you, it was 1975-76, so it was new then. Last game I was probably about 33. But it wasn't continuous: it was a few years of grad school and a hardship tour in the ROK.

12 I reckon

15, in 1980. Still playing. More fun than a human being ought to be allowed. Also, very cheap entertainment, and we play it, unplugged. Face to face, interactive, team-building, shared open-ended storylines, everyone working together to overcome a common enemy… Like I said, more fun than a human being ought to be allowed. Cheers!

Never played it which is unusual as I've tried most things.

Actually, as a follow-up to my post above, I have never actually played except once. I have always been the DM. The one time I played was with a group that had been started and DMed by one of the people who was a character in my world. Five minutes into that game, one of the veteran players just killed me for no reason. They all had a big laugh though the Dm was shocked. . Said my thank you's And got up to leave. They said I was being a poor sport, and I simply told him this is not what the sport is about, left and never went back. Poor fellow that invited me was extremely apologetic next time he came to my place to play, and said the group had broken up for good after I left.

In the 1970s with the white box 1st edition. Came across Tunnels and Trolls and found it more to my liking. When I play fantasy RPG which is extremely infrequently it is T&T.

It was 1981 and I was 8 years old. My sister is 10 years older than me and usually had to drag me along to whatever thing she was doing at the time. Pretty soon, I found myself playing D&D with her high school friends and it was all downhill from there!

11

12-13 in about 1977, Holmes Basic

I bought 1 of the 1st available rules sets here in Dallas so I was 24 or 25 & my friends & I were thus 1 of the 1st D&D gaming groups in the DFW Metroplex.

19 -20