My little secret: I skip D&D editions

January 13, 2016

Cover of "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Pla...

Cover of Player’s Handbook, AD&D or D&D 1e, via Amazon

Role playing games, specifically D&D, came into my life in about 1980. I say “about” because I can’t remember the exact date, though I know it wasn’t later and seems unlikely it would have been earlier. It all began when my junior high school started a Dungeons & Dragons club, and being a fan of fantasy literature, I made sure to attend the first meeting where character sheets were handed out. At the time I had not been aware of the game, but I figured the terms “Dungeons” and “Dragons” meant it would be of interest to me. Unfortunately that club didn’t last long because of some bad press the game received, but it was too late for me. I was hooked.

Mowing yards for money back then, I saved up enough to start collecting all the core books as well as many modules and the occasional supplemental rules book. First edition was king then, and the game had the word “Advanced” in its title. I remember I payed $15 for my first Dungeon Master’s Guide and $12 each for the Player’s Handbook and the Monster Manual; I’m not sure, but I believe the adventure modules were between $7 and $10, and that includes a lot of modules produced by companies other than TSR, the publishers of D&D back then.

(As an aside … To this day I still think the original Gary Gygax Dungeon Master’s Guide is one of the best role playing rules books I’ve ever read. It has its quirks, and it definitely is a product of its time, but it is obviously a product of love. For those who think Third Edition D&D is overly complex, go back and check out all the charts and lists in that original DMG. One other thing: I’m not sure today’s newer and younger players can appreciate the weight of three little letters … TSR. For good or ill, just seeing those letters with one of a few different logos still gives me shivers of nostalgic pleasure.)

First edition was ‘my’ game

Anyway, AD&D First Edition remained my main game for the next decade. By the time Second Edition rolled around, my life had become the busy one of a college student. To this day I’ve never bought a single Second Edition book, and I’ve only played that version of the game something like two or three times (it was enough like First Edition that I had no difficulty following the rules).

After college, I began my career as a newspaper editor and didn’t have much gaming time for several years. During that period, when I did get a chance to sit at a gaming table, it was never for D&D but for Dragonquest, an old D&D competitor, or for newer games (at the time) like Deadlands or Shadowrun.

Third edition D&D brought me back

Cover of "Dungeon Master's Guide: Core Ru...

Cover of Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D 3.5, via Amazon

Then Third Edition came along. I heard enough about it to intrigue me, so I thought I’d give it a try. That Player’s Handbook won me over instantly, there being enough familiar there but also plenty of new elements which I thought built upon the game’s original framework to create something fun. About that time one of my old gaming groups became mixed with some folks who were new to me, and for the next several years it was D&D every week, sometimes twice a week.

Eventually I moved away from my longtime gaming pals, started a new job, and I got married. All of that kept me busy for much of the next decade, which means I missed out on Fourth Edition D&D and all the hullabaloo that went along with it.

Then, as happens so often in life, change reared its head once more. I started a new career as a fantasy fiction writer. My wife passed away. My father passed away. I lived in the middle of nowhere with only myself and my beagle, Lily, for company. Even Lily has since passed on.

Fifth edition D&D and online role playing games

Setting aside all that is maudlin, I found myself isolated, and I live in a region where there are absolutely no role players to be found. Fortunately, I do have a good Internet connection and I soon discovered the world of online gaming.

About that same time, Fifth Edition D&D was released upon the world. Since, I’ve been gaming more than ever, about two or three times a week, though not always D&D.

So, I skipped the Second and Fourth editions of D&D. I suppose if there’s ever a sixth edition, I’ll have to skip it as well just to stay on path. Or maybe not. Maybe there’ll be some cool stuff there to draw me in. Either way, I’ve loved my decades with D&D and all the other RPGs, and I hope there are many more to come.

Do you have some favorite memories of playing D&D or other tabletop games? If so, mention them in the comments. And while you’re at it, Stay Nerdy!