Hmmm, kinda tricky to answer. Technically, I started with the original PH and the Holmes Basic Set. My older cousin introduced me to the game when I was in about 4th grade I think. My first character was a 1/2 Elf Fighter, Thief, Magic User. I still have the sheet somewhere.

However, I originally bought myself the Holmes set, and at some point soon thereafter the Greyhawk supplement. Eventually I got a PH and MM. The DMG had to wait, since my mom kinda freaked with the "demon" (i.e. Efreeti) on the cover... It goes without saying that getting Eldritch Wizardry was right out....  

I remember playing in S1 and S3. The former never really went anywhere - never did find my way to the nasty "instant death" stuff. S3 was a lot more fun - had one character get vapourised by veggie pygmies with a blaster!

Later I got into Metagaming's "The Fantasy Trip", which to this day I still consider the best game system out there, though it could use some tweaking to improve it.

Still like the older D&D alot, though.

You shoulda listed "photocopy of an early set" as an option... ;>

Come to think of it, I am sorry to say the first set I actually owned, so to speak, was a photocopy of the 4th print.  I paid Kerry Lloyd (later of Thieves World fame) $3 for it in about 1976 or so.  I picked up my OCE and 2nd print woodgrain later.

faro wrote:That would be the two people who recently voted for "Chainmail"?

(Of course, could just as easily have been 3e Chainmail, given the wording of the poll... )

Those same people could also be 2 of the 6 people that have voted that they have all 4 Strategic Previews in my poll.  Funny that 6 people have voted for all 4 yet only 2 of those six have confimred as much.

I was hoping that Rob K. would come on here and vote for Chainmail (or maybe he needs an earlier option?)

The poll software did limit the number of options I could include. I had to take out AD&D - post UA & then forgot to edit out the pre-UA.

3E Chainmail didn't even cross my mind!

The Basic and Expert Box sets, with the Erol Otus artwork.  (I'm guessing that's what's meant by the "Pink Box" basic set-- That was my vote.)

I had been playing a kind of ad hoc hybrid mix of basic and 1st edition advanced with friends at school, but these were the first real rulebooks that I owned and played consistently.  Good times!!