I got started in 1985. I was four years old. My dad got me hooked. He would set me down in front of the table with dice and a character sheet. I remember it like yesterday. Roger Littleguy, a halfling. I didn't know what I was doing. My sister's would pretty much do all the work for me, and tell me what dice to throw. I picked up pretty quick. 6 years old and I'm gaming on a regular basis, even following the storyline and making my character's decisions for myself and everything. It wasn't until I started reading the rulebooks myself... maybe age 8 or so, that I realized that the places I had visited were actual places in another world.... I was in my teens before I knew the name of the world, it was Mystara. Since then, I have to play every chance I get. I've tried it all. Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Star Wars d20, Top Secret/SI, Robotek, even, to my shame, Eberron! I couldn't help it, it wasn't my fault. I needed a game, and the only people around willing to play were already doing eberron. But I'm better now. I'm only doing Mystara and homebrew.
D&D Start date: summer 1985/age 4
Mystara start date: summer 1985/age 4
3e Start date: winter 2002/age 22
Wecome to the group, Roger! Well, at least we admit that we have an addiction, but frankly I think it's a good one.
My story is quite similiar to your's actually. I think I started in '85 as well, but it may have been '86 and we were in grade 6. The sad thing is that we only had the expert rules set, and I don't even remember where we got that from. I'm pretty sure it was originally one of my friend's older brothers that gave it to him, and he in turn gave it to me so I could run the game. Needless to say, we had no clue what we were doing!
In '88 my family moved and my new friends began to play the game as well. We soon began to piece together how the game really worked and had some good times. A good 6 or so years later, my best friend found the RC in a store and bought it. We finally had the complete picture (surprisingly though, we were quite close to most of the rules; the basic ones anyhow).
In the meantime, my younger brother started playing with us and he still plays in my games after we moved to another province and formed another small group. I went from having only the expert rules to having most of the Mystara setting material. I've read other setting's material that other players have had, but none of them captured me like the Known World/Mystara material.
Anyway, I started this thread to find out when and the age of everyone when they started gaming, when they discovered Mystara (if it wasn't your first world) and when you gave in and finally went to 3e, if you have done so...
It took me over three years to do that, although I managed to get to play some other games in between. In 1988 our D&D group started, and we moved to Mystara almost instantly. We've continued ever since, and I'll never leave original D&D and Mystara. Never! Never!
..., to my shame, Eberron! I couldn't help it, it wasn't my fault. I needed a game, and the only people around willing to play were already doing eberron. But I'm better now. I'm only doing Mystara and homebrew.
No to threadjack, but one reason I like Eberron is I see a lot of Mystara in it (minus the trains). That's why Eberron and the Known World are my favorite settings. :D
I didn't realize I was playing Mystara until the RC, and every other setting I looked at has not owned up to the standard Mystara set for me.
Haven't looked at Eberron though, gave up on WotC actually coming up with a setting as good as Mystara.
And I still use a variation of the RC rules. Mixed with RoleMaster and my own adjustments, to speed up combat and make it more realistic.
Which reminds me, I need to get that latest update to my campaign uploaded here. I might be starting up the campaign again this weekend.
Bought the first Basic Set when in 6th grade (about 12 years old here) in Spring 1984 or 1985, and spent the whole summer covering the dice numbers with the wax crayon (what was that all about??)
You just reminded me of something that I haven't thought about in YEARS. I was still young and I finally saw a set of dice that you DIDN'T have to color in the numbers. I very distinctly remember saying, "What cheap dice! Where are the real ones?"
Actually, I still have one or two of my original dice that came with the red box. They are chewed up (by my dog) and have most of the corners crushed, knocked off, worn down, etc. so they look more (and roll) like spheres. Still, I always get comments about them: "WTF? How old are those things?!" :D
I then had a break from gaming til the mid 80's - where we used the Known World map but shamefully I don't remember much about the campaigns back then other than my character being a couple of levels higher than the rest of the others would send them ahead in to rooms and wait for the fighting to stop. He would then either join them or go back to town for another bunch of suckers - er... sorry party members. ;) He later on became an Avenger and is currently one of the BBEG's in my campaign (Fighter/Paladin of Slaughter/Werewolf Lord).
After another break, (I was gaming but it wasn't D&D), I joined a Wargaming/Role Playing Club - initially for the wargaming. I played a couple of sessions of a 2ed Mystara campaign set in Norwold (It was run by Paul Dooley - who has a couple of articles on Pandius).
My return to role playing proper started with me playing a FR character in GH campaign - the party had travelled to Torrel when I joined in! Following a number of games and systems I felt I was now able to GM again - so I dusted off my KW/Mystara material and started to run again.
Oh yes I still have a few of my original dice from the boxed sets - but not the sets themselves I sold them to a second hand shop when I bought the Rules Cyclopedia.
Regards
Gary
I've played in other settings but always found they lacked the depth and variety that Mystara offers.
Besides the two Mystara campaigns I'm running, I'm currently playing in FR, Eberron, Kalamar, Conan, Pendragon (2), Cthulhu, Warhammer, d20 Freeport (using Swashbuckling Adventures), Harn, d20 Modern, Night Below (set on a generic world), and finally a DnD conversion of the old Fighting Fantasy & Sorcery gamebooks - these are played fairly infrequently and aren't completely serious; I'm playing a Skullcrusher Ogre barbarian/frenzied berserker in one and a Quickling in the other.
Other campaigns that have finished (or be put on hold) include the GH game mentioned in my previous post it became Epic and we're currently about 35th level, d20 Slaine, Swashbuckling Adventures, Planescape, Dark Sun, and a number of others.
Regards
Gary
Besides the two Mystara campaigns I'm running, I'm currently playing in FR, Eberron, Kalamar, Conan, Pendragon (2), Cthulhu, Warhammer, d20 Freeport (using Swashbuckling Adventures), Harn, d20 Modern, Night Below (set on a generic world), and finally a DnD conversion of the old Fighting Fantasy & Sorcery gamebooks - these are played fairly infrequently and aren't completely serious; I'm playing a Skullcrusher Ogre barbarian/frenzied berserker in one and a Quickling in the other.
Other campaigns that have finished (or be put on hold) include the GH game mentioned in my previous post it became Epic and we're currently about 35th level, d20 Slaine, Swashbuckling Adventures, Planescape, Dark Sun, and a number of others.
Dude, two questions
a)Do you have a spouse/s.o. and what do they think, and
b)DO YOU FRICKIN' SLEEP??
:PDude, two questions
a)Do you have a spouse/s.o. and what do they think, and
Sadly not at the moment, far too busy gaming obviously. :D
b)DO YOU FRICKIN' SLEEP??
Just about but the weekends are full! :D
The negative point is with so many games running we only play 1 session of each a month or so. This Saturday for example is Mystara, and Sunday will be FR.
Regards
Gary
The negative point is with so many games running we only play 1 session of each a month or so. This Saturday for example is Mystara, and Sunday will be FR.
Lucky dog...I miss the gaming bachelor life... :raincloud
Lucky dog...I miss the gaming bachelor life... :raincloud
And then there's the few beers afterwards. :D
Regards
Gary
And then there's the few beers afterwards. :D
Regards
Gary
OUCH!! :P
With Mystara it's a little fuzzier, as we were playing on-and-off alternating between the B/X sets and AD&D in the early 80's (along with several lengthy breaks of no gaming whatsoever...). I think what convinced me to finally choose the B/X set over AD&D was the arrival of the Companion rules, which had a lot of neat stuff in it. And the Dragons were really cool...
You just reminded me of something that I haven't thought about in YEARS. I was still young and I finally saw a set of dice that you DIDN'T have to color in the numbers. I very distinctly remember saying, "What cheap dice! Where are the real ones?"
Actually, I still have one or two of my original dice that came with the red box. They are chewed up (by my dog) and have most of the corners crushed, knocked off, worn down, etc. so they look more (and roll) like spheres. Still, I always get comments about them: "WTF? How old are those things?!" :D
Man, I still have all the original dice, without any wax rubbed in still. They are ugly compared to 50+ other dice, but still in good shape. I lone them to newcomers or visitors in my campaigns. I don't have to worry about anyone walking away with them. ;) (Yes, I'm a diceaholic)
I only wish I had a small portion of the time Gary has to game. I only get to play usually twice a month but since October it's been every other month. This weekend we are set to play for sure though. Hopefully I can get some more players soon to start playing every weekend, I would love that and then I can just leave the characters of players not present to the side without crippling the party too much.
I started playing Basic D&D back in 1983 with friends at school and never paid much attention to settings untill I found Mystara (or the Known World as it was back then) when Gaz 1 was released. Since then I've run several campaigns in Mystara , my current one (which is also my first in 3rd ed) has been going for about 5 years now. Some of the details of that camapaign can be found here
I've played in other settings but always found they lacked the depth and variety that Mystara offers.
I started playing in 1981 at about age 7 using the Basic Rules that my brother got for Christmas but never used. Played through school and college running a surreal campaign based in Glantri. It fizzled out as we all went off to Uni, and I never really played from then on.
Then about 6-7 years ago, I needed a place to stay after a flatshare ended, and I moved in with Tim aka Angry Gibbon who I had met through a gaming shop. Turns out he was a big Mystara fan too, and he started a campaign which was much better than anything I ever ran.
I dont still live with him but the campaign is still going strong, to the point where there are so many players wanting to be part of it that there isnt room at the table for everyone. We have uncovered the secrets of the Hutaakans, and are currently trying to save Karameikos from the machinations of Argoth* the dragon (who in turn is being manipulated through her dreams by Thanatos), whilst also trying to prevent a civil war erupting between the Thyatian and Traladaran sectors of Karameikos.
I set up a website to help make sense of the hundreds of interrelated characters and events that the campaign has involved. The site has also become a repository for the Mystaran monsters Tim has created or converted to 3E.
We are playing again this evening... can't wait. It really is the highlight of my week.
James
* Argos is known as Argoth in our campaign since in England Argos is a budget price catalogue store