I started playing Moldvay D&D in 1981 after having heard whispers of some secret, dark, new, “Satanic” game for a couple of years. It was an adventure just finding it. I bothered my mother until she finally took me to K-mart and then Woolco (a now defunct proto-Walmart), where they didn't have it and had never heard of it. There was a small hobby shop in my town. They sold models, modeling paints, and some comics. But they didn't have D&D either. I had been assembling the bits and pieces of this mystery for some time, but rumors, snippets of overheard conversations, and the lack of existence in local stores was all I had to go on, until finally a friend of mine told me to come over after school because he had something to show me. And there it was on his parents’ coffee table; the glorious Moldvay magenta box. We tried playing Keep on the Borderlands, but it was difficult with just the two of us. He told me where he bought it and I used a lot of persuasion points with my mother to drive me to the largest nearby city to purchase it that same day. The basic and expert set I bought that day lasted almost a year. I remember my friend taking us through “Against the Giants” with our basic/expert D&D characters and rules. We did a lot of hand waving and house ruling in those days. We also took turns in the DM’s chair. We eventually got more organized and experienced. In 1982 I bought the Players Handbook, DM Guide, and Monster Manuel. From then on we only played AD&D. Starting High School I met new friends and we formed a new group of freshmen players with a junior as our DM. Over the four years of High school we played a long homebrewed campaign. In college I DMed a little, but nothing on a permanent basis. In the early nineties I bought 2nd edition and the Dark Sun Campaign world. I tried running a game for my wife and I, and 2 other married couples. Everyone enjoyed it, even the ladies, which I thought interesting at the time. They certainly role played better than the guys. But, as is normal, the pressures and needs of an adult life didn't leave us enough time to play consistently. After that I didn't play at all until the last few years.
I live in a Spanish speaking country and I used to teach English. As part of my classes, I formed two groups with young (middle school, high school and college age) players. We played 5e Basic D&D because it was free and had been translated into Spanish. (Also because it's a wonderful, simple rule set) I personally translated anything from the DM’s guide, Monster Manuel, or Player’s Handbook that I need to DM the groups.
I’ve lived the last 16 years outside the U.S., mostly in the desserts, mountains and jungles of the real world. But I've only had internet access for the last few years of that time. Having internet gave me the opportunity to play D&D again, though its all been on Roll20. As of 8/23/20, I've been DMing on Roll20 for 4 years.
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