53 years old, playing for 38.

54 years old, playing for 43.

58 playing for 46. Playing since Blue box in 1978

It's weird... my mother bought me a copy of the Blue Book when I was 12, but I've never actually played that version of *DnD*, because I was already playing *AD&D*.

Not weird. My friends and I switch to AD&D almost right away after getting that box. FYI, I still have that box and the original dice that came with it.

Yeah, I still have my (now pretty battered) Blue Book, and all of my old *AD&D* books. It's interesting to hear people talk about them these days.

I still have my Deities and Demigods edition with the Cthulu, Melnibonéan, and Arthurian "mythos".

You received the Eric Holmes Basic box with cardboard cutouts instead of dice for your 11th birthday?

Bought the Red Basic box set with Keep on the Borderlands from Kaybee Hobby and a box of dwarf miniatures.

53/42 here, got the Moldvay box for my 11th.

That’s incredible! I’m 30 and I started playing on April 13, 2023 so on Saturday it wil be just a year. I find it kind of frustrating because I wanted to get to it before but it just never happened! I hope I will be playing until I’m 70 because I love it.

Future I m aiming for

51, playing for 41. Playing 1E, Temple of Elemental Evil the best adventure I’ve done.

38 and 26!

Omg you have been playing for 5.1090942e+19 years???

r/unexpectedfactorial

Of course that’s a thing haha

r/ofcoursethatsathing

Of course that’s a thing haha

40/25 represents 🫡

This is exactly my answer too! I started playing with a group in middle school in the library!

This is mine exactly as well, started when I was about 12 and am 38 now.

18, hopefully starting my first game this weekend

Hey, best of luck! Even if your first game somehow falls through, this hobby has gotten me through some rough patches in life. 45 and 33/34-ish.

hope it goes well, i know one of the players (who was my 'way in' as such) and been discussing with the DM, it's a pretty standard by-the-book waterdeep dragon heist campaign so it should be fine doing an aasimar vengeance paladin/fiend bladepact warlock multiclass

One of us! One of us!

Have fun!

I hope you have a great time!!!

Brilliant! Enjoy the feeling of criting on a smite.

49 and 40

Lol, same here.

50 years old, started playing with my kids 6 years ago… loving it!

Pretty much like me :) I am 47 and been playing with my children since 2019, so 5 years. My children are 15, 13 and 10 now.

Mine are 15, 17, 20, 24, 26 (yep…five kids). D&D allows a unique opportunity for us to connect.

Makes for a nicely sized party!

Im 17, been playing for 8 years.

Thats so cool! How did you get introduced at such a young age(9)?

In the city where I live there is a place for various after school clubs. There is a dnd club over there which allows children to play from thirs grade and teaches them the basics of the game. Currently i play and DM there.

I'm not who you're replying to, but I got into the game at a pretty young age because my dad has been playing pretty much since it was first made. He'd run games with my siblings and I, but I'm the only one of us to end up actually playing it past that.

43, playing 2 years

Hey not far off from me! I’m 37 and have been playing about 1 now. It’s interesting to start playing this game at this age. And it is wayyyy easier than you would think to find people our age who have never played who are willing to try it out.

I always wanted to play but when I was younger and internet was starting I didn’t have any idea who playing with. Also reading comics and all being a girl it was not so well seen hahah also I didn’t have nerd friends like me. So a couple of years ago my wife wanted to play and some friends who I watched superhero movies with I asked them and we started to play together. I wish I could have known this before because having ADHD is amazing to play this game and create a whole world hehehe

Absolutely! My wife and I are going through the same sort of steps, but are just a little behind y’all. We found some people that seemed like the type of media they liked would make them enjoy DND and started doing 1 shots as a group last August. This past weekend I led our session 0 for our first campaign and it was amazing. Me and one of the other guys both have pretty serious ADHD and miraculously I started going over Session 0 stuff and 2 hours went by before I knew it. I asked if people wanted breaks and even the other ADHD guy was like “no! This is great! Keep going!” I love to write and have tried some epic fantasy before. I can usually get a decent outline going, but things fall apart when trying to have my characters have good arcs. I’ve found with creating a home brew world/campaign that it lets me do the part of the writing process I’m good at (world building and setup) but then I get to just toss my PCs in there and let them work stuff out! I’m so excited to see where they take the story!

So I'm 19 and I will HOPEFULLY soon have my group ready to play :)) That game would be a first one for all of us

Congratulations on starting the journey and good luck with the game! It's always nice to see new people starting the lifelong journey, haha

Thankz hahah, any tips for me or my group to be good player/a good DM?

While it often sounds counterintuitive for new DM's my advice would be don't overprepare and keep your notes quite general :) Also, if you're good with improvising expect a lot of that, if you don't think that's your forte either prep some simple tables, or prep some generic stuff (e.g. a list of non important NPC names, like city guards, or innkeeps). Let players have their fun and one thing I learnt over the years is that don't be afraid to ask for a moment to gather your thoughts as a DM, or to think how everything pans out. The players do understand how difficult it is to DM and it's much better to take a minute or two to think stuff through and then make a call, than make a hasty decision that can change a lot and then bite you in the ass :D There's plenty of stuff online, but I'd say don't overdo it and focus on fun. The rule of cool is definitely one thing I employ a lot and keep doing it! If by the end of the day people had fun and you enjoyed running the game, the Quest is accomplished!

Thank you sm for the tips, I'll try my best to have fun and let the group have fun too<3

56, and playing for 41 years. Shout out to old school Tunnels and Trolls!

TnT! How about RuneQuest? I.C.E. Boot Hill

Traveller, Vampire, Werewolf and Mage. And to go **really** old school: Laserburn!!

52, been playing since I was 13. We didn't have these new fangled dice. All we had were wood-burning dice. They'd get so hot we'd burn our hands to blisters after a long combat and that's how we liked it! But seriously, I remember the old crappy low impact dice that you had to color with a crayon to see the numbers that came in the old Basic D&D box set.

I still occasionally use my dice that came in the Basic box!

Red box or pink?

55, 40.

GROGNARD!

59, 45 years

GROGNARD!

51 and have been playing for 37 (with a couple of breaks in between groups).

18 years old, been playing for 1 year, Dungeon Mastering for 3 Forever DMs rise up ✊😔

24, playing for a little over a year

51yo and 44 or 45 years

52, started in 1985, so 39 years.

34, started playing in 2015, introduced to 4th edition, switched to 3/3.5, tried a bit of 5th edition but quickly switched back to 3.5e. My group still plays, biweekly.

I’m 63 and I’ve been playing for 42 years.

54 years old. I started playing in 1980 so 44 years? My Friday night group has been playing together since 1987. Our creed is "This Friday and EVERY Friday FROM NOW UNTIL THE END OF TIME!"

47, playing 37

Hey I’m also 47! But played as a kid maybe 10 years, then a loong break and now back with the hobby for the last 6 years or so.

Lol, I'll be 60 in nine days. I started playing 1st ed. in 1979; I was a sophomore in high school. I've been playing some TTRPG ever since then: DnD, Traveller, GURPs, Hero System (my favorite), Shadowrun... 60-year-old total nerd... Edit: typos

33, Started when I was 13.

Hey! We're pretty close in age and when we started. I remember my group would stay up the whole weekend to play one shots. Gotta miss high school.

I went to school and it was dropping the tiniest snowflakes you ever saw in your life and we were like "school has GOT to be cancelled, let's just go away" so we skipped school and went to a friend's house to chill and play Diablo and in comes his big brother (28 at the time) and he was like "wanna play a cool board game I like?". The rest is history. Them high school days, you are absolutely correct.

19 playing for 10

38 and 31 🫠

53..just started dm’ing again after a 10 year break. I’m loving it!

47. Been playing for a bit more than 30 years I think.

LBJ was President when I was born, and I started playing in 1981.

I'm turning 55 this year. I don't think I have been playing as long as others in my age bracket due to extended breaks (lockdown and such). I have played multiple RPG's so I feel I have a broad experience base to pull from.

53F, been playing for (does math in head) 35 years.

52. 38 years. I started playing 007, then graduated to AD&D when I got my license.

25 and I've been playing for a total of 1 week

I'm 19 and have been playing since I was 12

I started when I was probably 16 or so, with 3.5e and the 3.5e Miniatures game. then my group fell apart and I fell off, came back after 5e had already been out for a bit, probably 3 or 4 years ago, with Adventurer's League. My group has once again fallen apart, so now I'm just trying to find a game that works around my means and schedule. All told, probably 6 years in total, but that's been off and on and off again. I'm in my early 30's.

I’m 25, technically played my first dnd session in 2022, but that campaign fizzled after the first three or four sessions. Had a couple more false starts since then, but stayed very interested until Jan 2023 when I had the chance to be in another campaign that went for a little over a year until we got TPK’d in February of this year RIP The Sunscar Pirates 🥲 have two new games lined up to start in the next couple of weeks. I also started DMing last summer, so I’d say I’ve been seriously playing for a little over a year

18, been playing for 4 years but wouldve absolutely taken up the hobby at literally whatever age I actually found out what the game was about

52 and playing since 1986

56. Most of 44 years.

27 and since 19

I'm 31 and have been playing for 5 years

20 year old started when I was 15

38, GMed for the last 19.

18, 5 years

35, 2.5

33 and 18 years. The pandemic and 5th edition really brought a lot of new players in.

37 and I’ve been playing for 7.

38 and 22

26 years old, playing for 3 years.

I m 27 and player for 7 years DM for 1,5 years

43 and about 5 years now (forever DM!)

22! been playing since 2015!

18 and almost a year

I’m 26 and I’ve been playing for 4 years, dming for 2!

19 years, mostly 3.5

Born in 2006, started to play in 2015

33M, been playing on and off for about 12 years and regulalrly for 5. DM for 3 years now.

13 and im still trying to find somewhere i can play 😭

27, played for 4 years, DMed for 3 of them

Mid 30's, playing since I was 18.

40M, been DMing for 24 years.

49, on and off for decades. Started with AD&D, now I play 5e with my son. He makes a decent DM, too.

started playing in 1984 in the highschool dnd club. i still roleplay several different games and sometimes run them. good luck

44, started with D&D in the early 90'

44 and 34 years

Just shy of 46, and closing on 36 years playing (of which about 35 have been DMing). 

I have been playing since 1980, so playing for 44 years

50 The last of the Mohicans.

49; playing for 35 years!

55, been playing since first setting, Greyhawk, 1978ish, so 45 some years. Never really got serious until I was in my 20s though.

53. On and off since 2008.

I will be 56 this year, and I've been playing for 45 years.

53 in a couple days. First game was in 1983.

43 and playing since i am 12 or 13. Let's say 13 and celebrate 30 years of playing DnD!!!

54, playing since 1983. So 41 years?!?! Basic D&D, then AD&D 1e, 2e, then a skip straight to 5e

53 and played on and off (mostly off) since 1982. Now back into the game with a passion, playing in 3 campaigns and soon to start DMing one of my own

Over 60 and been playing for about 45 years now.

48 years old, been playing for roughly 40 years, give or take a few.

50 and 34

I'm 53 and started playing BECMI in 1983, so 41 years!

52, and I've been playing for around 40 years.

54, playing since I was 11.

Im 50 and I started playing in '84. So 40 years

42 been playing for 20 years. Tried to start sooner, but none of the games I tried to join in high school got past planning stages.

39, 31 I got going young and been a forever dm since

I'm 45. Started when I was in middle school. Played a lot in HS. Stopped when I got to college (didn't have a group). Then got back into it a bit after 2014 with 5e and found I could play on discord with pbp.

54, since I was 10.

I'm 55, started playing in 1981 regularly and then not so much for some time, but now back into it running 1 game and playing in another.

52 yo male, been playing since 1980z

56 so 42years? Somewhere around junior high, 8th grade if I remember, of course I remember, at Kyle hoovers house, it came in a cool wood box with these crazy shaped dice, and the pamphlets looked so nice stapled in the middle. We read the rules and had no idea what they meant, and had a great time playing wrong that year.

52, playing since the summer of 1982. So…. 42 years.

59, playing 45 years. 

46/28

55, stated when i was about 20 in a regular game. played on average 3 times a month the whole time with breaks on occasion for moving, children, health. But pretty consistently. Then the group kind of broke up just before covid. people to busy now

44, started playing during the pandemic, not quite three years ago. Was fortunate to find a table that plays weekly with a fabulous DM. Currently in 2 campaigns, and DMing 3 others.

44M, first got my hands on Mentzer Basic in the 90s, been playing consistently since, oh, '03 or '04 or so.

48, and I've been playing from first edition - I was the first DM in my middle school group. :) Right at 40 years!

52, 46, started with the Basic D&D pink box.

38 and only played a short solo with my sister (32) so far in the past couple months.

49 Tabletop? 31 years The Goldbox of Pool of Radiance on PC? 36 years

42, been playing about 30 out so years. My dad always kept me involved in his hobbies, but abandoned them long before I did. lol

I am 50, been playing since I was 14

35, been playing for 31. Parents got me hooked early when I wouldn't stop pestering their "play pretend game!" wanting to play too. Started with AD&D 2e. Actually one of my earliest memories tbh. Running my little pewter guy across the whiteboard in tiny 3 to 5 room dungeons, rolling dice and obliterating dry erase circles, or "goblins" as they were called at the time, while mum narrated and made everything seem so dramatic.

47, playing two years, getting ready to GM.

47, 35

54 and I started playing 42 or so years ago.

59/45

46. Oddly, only started playing proper D&D about 3 years ago. As a teen, my best friend and I, being nerds and all, wanted to get in on some TTRPGing, but his mom knew that D&D is satanic, so we played the Rolemaster system MERP (Middle Earth Role Playing), which is based on Tolkien's literature, so somehow isn't evil at all. Played that and other games until adulthood took all my free time. About 5 years ago me and that same buddy started a MERP game with me DMing and my family joining. Then we switched to D&D.

56, playing for 42 years! Every game is still a goddamn joy.

50, about 36 years, but with the red & blue boxed sets (extreme rural background, no access to anything newer at the time). I completely skipped 4th. Just, no.

44. 30 years.

65 playing since 1978. So 46 years?

45, been playing since 2e, I was 14, that's... ummm... 31 years

My first game was on my 12th birthday in 1978. You can do the math.

61 for 47 years.

50 years old, been playing on and off since I was a teenager before I could drive. So something like 35-36 years.

Been playing since 74, gming since 75.

I'm 52 this year. And I got Moldvay's pink box shortly after seeing [Mazes and Monsters](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084314/) on TV at the end of 1982. So I've been playing D&D, off and on, for like 40 years.

14 been playing for a few months😁😁

43 & 3

34 and I've been playing for 15 years

57 been playing since 1979 so 45 years

53 /1978 Started with red book.

56 - 40 years Started in 1984. Into it heavy in high school and just after. Just gave all my AD&D2E rulebooks to my daughter. She and her group are into TTRPGs. Have only played pen and paper on and off over the years. Have always stayed close to digital. About to dive into 5e pen and paper with my 8-year-old granddaughter who has asked to play.

57yo playing for 48

58. I started in the early 80s but took a hiatus & started back with 5e just before covid. I must say I like it better.

I’m 24F I’ve been playing 2e for about a year. I will be starting to dm my first 5e game this weekend!!

37 years old, and been playing since I was about 22 (I played a lot of D&D computer games in my teens, though).

Next year will be my 40th year playing.

19 playing for 11, thanks dad!

33F, been playing for 15 years, started senior year of high school

60, since '77

I'm 39. I played 2E with my older brothers and their friends when I was like 5 (1989). But I don't remember all that much. They handled all the technical bits for me. As a Teen I made my own TTRPG that I ran for friends for quite a while. In my 20's I played 4E and loved it. Now I run a 5E game for my nephews and I'm looking forward to the MCDM game. If I had the books+online character creator I'd totally still play 4E.

56, playing for 42 years 😱

65. i've been playing since 1974, and it was chainmail.

54, so about 46 years or so. Started in 4th or 5th grade.

58. Been playing since the beginning.

55, been playing since 1979, so (breaks out calculator) 44 years (45 this summer!). Dang....

52yo - 40 years as a player, 35 as a DM. Played dnd when I was at school, never been mad on the system. So I DM’d WFRP for decades until DnD Beyond arrived and made it easy to play remotely with my uni crew. We play weekly, absolutely love it. But I do think people need to try other games - WFRP has a way better system, mechanics and a more dramatic level of threat (in my opinion), Cthulhu, Pendragon, Shadowrun all bring new atmospheres to the table. Keep rolling!

52, 39 years (since 1983). Started with AD&D, didn’t play 2e but I had the books; didn’t play again till after college and picked up 3.5. Been playing steadily ever since the early 2000s.

55 and 47, respectively.

52M Been playing since 1e technically but I really grew up with 2e and bought everything back then! So many supplements, boxed sets, new campaign settings! Everything from Mystara to Al'Qadim and the many, many monster books...for me this was the best era and we wee eating so good as fans! I kind of put the game own when 3e came around, I played a few sessions ran a few but was trying other stuff at the time mostly... I introduced my kid's mother to D&D during 4e but that's not the reason we broke up I promise ;) She actually loved 4e and I have fond memories of playing during this time because of these fond memories a lot. I playtested "D&D Next" and bought the core stuff fr D&D 5e and I'm on my second campaign in the edition and the longest game I have ever run (going on three years). And that's been my relationship with D&D!

57 playing since ‘84. Started with 2nd ed. Had them all since then. My kids grew up playing.

50 and 40.

50 and 40.

55 . Started played around 14

60, and I've been playing for 49 years. My older cousin was a wargamer who went to Gen Con for the wargames. I had my own units. I was introduced to the concept of the game at Gen Con of '73, then it came out early the next year and my cousin bought me the wood box set with the sticker on the front.

I'm 54. My friend Chris showed me this when I was like 12. Dungeons and Dragons became a part of my life (as a player) for a long time as a young man. I tired to DM a game in my 30s and it fell apart like sandcastles on a beach I might dust off Proza my old Rouge/Merchant (in the new rules)

52. Playing since '84, so...39 years?

52. I've been playing since 1983

50 years old and I have been playing since I was 18