how old were you when you started ?

Vidgrip · December 02, 2020, 03:25:34 PM

12 years old, with white box D&D.

jhkim · December 02, 2020, 06:04:04 PM

I was first exposed in pre-school, age 5 (back in 1975). My best friend's older brother had played D&D, and his older brother was cool. So my pre-school imagination games were all "playing D&D" - but of course, that wasn't actually playing the game.

I tried playing in school in 2nd and 3rd grade, but it was still more like "Let's Pretend" then really playing by the rules. I got the Basic boxed set in 5th grade, and that's when I started to play the real game.

My son was exposed from even earlier since his mom and dad played a lot. I'd say he got into real play similarly around age 10. However, he never had a regular group of his own until college, because none of his local friends played.

GameDaddy · December 02, 2020, 08:08:35 PM

I was seven in 1971 when I started building 1/72 scale WWII models and playing war. I was nine when I started wargaming with MB/SPI/Avalon Hill boardgames in 1973, ...still played with minis though, and was thirteen when I started playing (and running) D&D in 1977.

mightybrain · December 02, 2020, 08:17:52 PM

About 12. I think. It was a long time ago.

Razor 007 · December 02, 2020, 10:00:58 PM

24? Man, time flies.

thedungeondelver · December 03, 2020, 12:40:53 AM

Ten years old, back in 1980. My first D&D was Keep on the Borderlands. I had no rulebook but there was enough in the pull-out sheets that I could intuit a pretty decent game to keep myself, my sister, and my friend Tommy from down the street entertained for a few afternoons.

Later I got the Dungeon Masters Guide, the Monster Manual, and a copy of Tom Moldvay's edit of D&D and Expert D&D by himself and Cook, then a Monster Manual II, and a Deities & Demigods. I think at the time the only other module I owned was Slave Pits of the Undercity, although I wanted more.

Trinculoisdead · December 03, 2020, 01:09:24 AM

I started war-gaming with Avalon Hill's Across Five Aprils when I was 11 with a friend of mine. We never did get the rules right. Around the same time he showed me a copy of 3e D&D. My mom wasn't down with the sickness though, so I didn't play any. When I was 23 I ran a simple Roll to Dodge forum game, and then a more complex one that was basically an RPG.
In the fall of that same year I joined a D&D group through Meetup. Since then I have GM'd a lot of games, and played in a few others. It has been six years and a few months.

Starglyte · December 03, 2020, 10:04:54 AM

Around 10 years old with the Rules Cyclopedia and the Hollow World box sex. Good times.

soundchaser · December 03, 2020, 10:49:39 AM

It was 1977, so it was when I was 15. Whitebox.

Chainsaw · December 03, 2020, 11:54:20 AM

For D&D, 5th-6th grade, so 11-12 or so. A couple or years earlier for NES, maybe 9-10.

Eirikrautha · December 03, 2020, 02:50:16 PM

About twelve years old, I think (middle school). Had the Basic game (still get goosebumps when I see the purple Keep on the Borderlands module that came in the set), but no regular players until high school. Then we all switched to AD&D. Been playing with some of that same group for the last 35+ years...

RPGPundit · December 03, 2020, 03:01:05 PM

Just shy of 12.

Bren · December 03, 2020, 04:20:04 PM

Quote from: consolcwby on November 24, 2020, 11:11:29 PM
Quote from: petron_age on November 04, 2020, 07:23:47 AM
hey everyone . i was wondering how old were you when you started gaming ?
You asked gaming? GAMING?! Well, here's the abbreviated history:
I was 3yo when I first played Candy Land. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candy_Land
I was 11 when I first played (watched more than played, however) Stalingrad. https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/8363/turning-point-battle-stalingrad
I was 12 when I first played D&D. https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Basic_Set_(BX_D%26D)
I was 15 when I first played Civ (Played a full 7 hours long game, baby!). https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/71/civilization
I was 16 when I first played BattleTech. https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1540/battletech
I was 23 when I first played MtG (Last time I ever joined "The Kult Of The New"). https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/463/magic-gathering
I was 28 when I first played a Euro. Can't remember the exact game, but this will suffice: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/13/catan
And that's just the milestone games!

And now I'm going on 51 years old.

Not much gaming left for me. I got more time behind me, than in front of me. Soon I must leave this green Earth. But, at least I'm one of the lucky ones!

My first thought was, "What kind of gaming?" I'm glad I'm not the only pedant. Assuming the OP meant RPGs, I started as a teen with the original D&D brown boxed set in 1974.

The Witch-King of Tsámra · December 03, 2020, 05:28:56 PM

I was 13 but I had known about Tabletop RPGs for a number of years prior.

SirFrog · December 03, 2020, 05:35:17 PM

13...so 31 years ago with AD&D