When did you start playing RL?

Discussing all things Ravenloft
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Le Noir Faineant
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Post by Le Noir Faineant »

Was it then the BB or I6 that made you RL-addicted for a life-time? :)
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Don Fernando
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Post by Don Fernando »

I got introduced to RL by a friend who happened to play Dragonlance. That was arround '92. I borrowed a Dragon Magazine from him and in there I saw the advertisement for the Balck Box (I can still recall the picture of a lady walking through a dark forest and beeing stalked by the creatures of the night). That was enough for me, I was lured by it instantly and two months later I got it (At that time it was really hard for me to get my hands on Role playing stuff (I come from Southamerica), but I had my connections. :wink:

I liked the set so much I started playing as an amateur DM with a group of friends. It has been 13 years, and we still gather once a year to add one more chapter in our campaign (we all live in differnent countries now). We grew from inexperienced first time players, to real Champions of the Mists.

Oh and my first adventure was Night of the Walking Dead, pretty scary at that time :D
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Post by Vorpal Dragon »

Swooping in for a moment.

I started about eleven to twelve years ago on Advanced Fighting Fantasy. Moved onto AD&D for a while. We then followed the White Wolf system, Vampire and Dark Ages for a long while and then found our way back to D&D last April when I purchased the Draconomicon (If it hadn't seen that book in Waterstones I'd probably still be running a Vampires: Dark Ages campaign)

As I ran my campaign, I started investigating ways to introduce a low magic horror feel to the FR campaign setting.. my searches revealed the Wizards of the Coast free Ravenloft adventures (last June.) After read that I sought what had become of Ravenloft and eventually visited here (, but not before acquiring a few books first of course.)

So while, I'm not new to Gothic Horror and I've known of Ravenloft for many years, I'm relatively new to actually playing in a Ravenloft campaign setting.
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Rotipher of the FoS
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Post by Rotipher of the FoS »

I've been a D&D buff for well over 20 years, and a Ravenloft fan since the original module. I'm actually listed as an original playtester for "Feast of Goblyns", having played out a couple of encounters at GenCon in the year of the setting's premeire. None other than TSR-Kargat member William Connors (creator of Ebonbane and originator of the "Bill Rule" for DMing in the Ravenloft setting: "Always go with the scarier option.") was our dungeon master.

Ever seen that old Dragon article which recommended that Ravenloft DMs mislead players by describing monsters as bigger and meaner than they really are? It gave as an example how you could tell a player that the 6" centipedes [=very wussy 2E monsters] which are crawling to attack them are as long as their PC's arm, with fangs dripping "caustic ichor" [=very weak venom]. Well, that was my cleric which Bill'd dropped into a pit full of bones and sicced them on! His description of the critters was so bizarre, I thought they were some horrible new PC-annihilating monster, so my PC freaked and screamed for someone to haul her to safety. Boy, was I mad when I found out after the session just how weak the "killer vermin" had been! ;-)

I'm pleased to say that I teased Bill about that -- my own personal claim to gamer-fame, for which I'm actually quite grateful; it makes for a good story, after all -- for the next six GenCons! For all I know, he may still think I'm mad at him! LOL :-D
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Post by The Pickled Punk »

I first started playing D&D in 1990, almost exactly 15 years ago. I started reading Ravenloft novels (Vampire of the Mists, Knight of the Black Rose, Heart of Midnight), before actually playing. I started playing when I got the Red Box in 1994. Mostly in those days, I used RL as a club to keep my players from destroying the party, ("If you don't behave I'm sending the party to Ravenloft pronto!", or something like that). Later on, after discovering the Secrets of the Kargatane site, and getting Domains of Dread, I started to run campaigns set entirely in Ravenloft, mostly in either Mordent or Dementlieu. I tried to run an all Carnival adventure, but I freaked out my players too much. The one adventure I have run the most is Night of the Walking Dead, followed by the adventure in Book of Crypts with Dante Lysin (the CN nosferatu ex-gladiator).
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Post by Malus Black »

I only started playing D&D a few years ago, but I've been interested in fantasy and history for as long as I can remember - growing up on fairytales and Astrid Lindgren's fantastic children's books, as well as being surrounded by norse mythology and folklore will do that to you. My first introduction to D&D was in 1998, with Baldur's Gate II, which was based on the 2E AD&D rules. Fast forward a few years, and along came Neverwinter Nights. While I was slightly disappointed with the game itself, the toolset was awesome, and I decided to buy the D&D Monster Manual for more baddies to include in my home-made modules. A few weeks afterwards, with the coming of 3.5, i bought the PHB and DMG. I first heard of Ravenloft on the NWVault, a site for hosting fan-made NWN stuff. A quick google brought me to the Kargatane, and I loved everything I read about the Land of Mists. I went to the "local" gaming store and bought the RLCS, and I've been hooked ever since.
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Post by Jennifer »

Hi all,
A moment to talk about myself, the thing I like best.

I started gaming in 1995, in september I think. One of my friends was introduced to roleplaying by another friend and wanted to try it out on me and some other people. I was the tender age of 17 at the time. Still young and innocent of the ways of the world.

I can't remember how I came into contact with Ravenloft. I know I bought the second edition Domains of Dread about 6 or 7 years ago and that I lurked and the kargatane website at that time. But I can't remember which came first. Did I stumble on the website in 1998 and did I then buy the book, or did I see the book and then went looking for Ravenloft on the web? I do know it was a wrench to see the Kargatane closed and the relief when I found this website.

It was all a long time ago anyway. Ravenloft appealed to my because of the storylines focussing on emotions and passions and less on fighting.

You know all about my first Ravenloft campaign, it started about 1,5 year ago and the sessions are all availble here in the smoking room. Due to real life however the campaign has started to peter out somewhat, to my regret. I will try to revive it, but I think the end is near.

An important part of my roleplaying education was joining the dutch gaming association Casus Belli. There I met many other gamers and GM's and was able to join in many games and run quite a few of them myself. One of those is posted in the smoking room as well, it is my gothic earth game.

Jennifer
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Post by Gorthaur »

Well I started gaming at the age of 14 or 15. My first venture to Ravenloft was about 10 years ago. My first campaign was crafted when the 3rd Edtion RL-rules came out.
Now I can look down to 20 years as player and about 15 years as DM.
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alhoon
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Post by alhoon »

Joël of the Fraternity wrote: this campaign started in 1987 (and is still running).
You have a campaign running for almost 20 years ! ? ! ? !

You undead! Do you plan to keep it running for eternity?

What level are the PCs in this campaign?

On topic:
I started playing D&D around 1989 - 1990, got seriously into it in 1995-96 and I got into Ravenloft about 5-6 months before the Kargatane moved to the new boards. What time was that? 2001?
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Post by Augustus »

I started playing 3 years ago when a friend of mine invited me to play a game in his homebrew campaign. Even though he was a mediocre DM I enjoyed myself and started buying books.
I soon after DMed an evil campaign for Forgotten Realms, but soon became angry at the setting- I realized my players were doomed to fail because of the unchanging nature of the setting and predominance of unrealistic goodness. (Bet the Dark Powers would corrupt someone like that Elminster fool quickly :x )
Soon after that campaign ended with the PC's splitting and going into hiding after burning a citys' library down I began looking for a new setting. The setting I was looking for would be realistic, sensible and positively deadly for those who make bad decisions. I found Ravenloft and I probably will never play a different setting ever if I can help it.
My series of run-ons I call a post has ended. If you read all of this, thanks for humouring me :D
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Post by Bluebomber4evr »

I got my first D&D books for Christmas back in 1983 at the age of 8. I got what was by all definitions a treasure trove of stuff: AD&D 1st edition Monster Manual and Dungeon Master's Guide (the ones with Dave Sutherland's artwork on the covers), two versions of the original D&D Basic boxed sets (one published in 1979 and a later revision from 1982), and a bunch of original D&D modules such as Keep on the Borderlands, Palace of the Silver Princess, The Lost City, and Horror on the Hill. I would get more books and modules over the years, and eventually went from player to DM.

I remembered seeing the original I6 module in the store but had never got it, which I came to regret later on. My involvement with Ravenloft was delayed until 1990.

While playing Castlevania 3 on my NES, I started to think it would be cool to make a D&D setting based on Castlevania. With this idea in mind, I stumbled upon an advertisement on the back of a comic book. It was an ad for the Ravenloft Campaign Setting--the "black box." I remembered the name of Ravenloft from way back when I saw the original I6 module in a bookstore, and realized that most of the work of making a Castlevania D&D game had already been done. So I saved up every penny I could until I had enough to buy the black box from my local bookstore.

Upon reading it, I became so enthralled in the setting I forgot all about basing a Castlevania game on it and decided I wanted to run a game based on Ravenloft itself. I was running a Greyhawk campaign with my group and I tried to get them to start a Ravenloft campaign. They had played through the original module prior to my joining the group and were a little wary (they enjoyed the adventure, but their PCs barely survived the experience!). I eventually won them over and we played Night of the Walking Dead--we were all hooked and Ravenloft became our game of choice. We played a Ravenloft campaign until our gaming group dissolved when people moved away to go off to college.

I haven't played much in the way of D&D (or any other role-playing games) since then (the last time I played a "pencil and paper" rpg, 3rd edition hadn't even been announced), but I've always continued to buy Ravenloft books because I just love the setting.

With the release of Neverwinter Nights for the PC, I've found a new way to play D&D, and have now joined a group of builders devoted to making a server based on Ravenloft--which I might as well announce here, is finally about to open to the public.
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Post by BigBadQDaddy »

First off I would like to give thanks to Desdichado for posting this topic. It has been really interesting for me to be able to read the replies.
I started playing in '94. A good friend of mine was still running 1st edition and ran me through a home-made campaign, in which my very first character(Ren, a 1st lvl fighter) died by being eaten by squids. Sadly enough, rather than detering me from gaming, I was hooked.
I stayed a player for about 4 years, when a friend of mine came home from boot camp and desperatly wanted to game. So I went and bought the Servants of darkness adventure to run for him. Well, I followed the storyline for about 30 min when I just went in a completley different direction with it. It was that nigh that I discovered I could DM.
I didnt return to ravenloft for some time though. Although while on this break I was GMing Heroes Unlimited from palladium. But for some sick reason I bought tons of ravenloft material. I kept buying and reading more and more and for no reason until I got to where I am today. I think I am only missing 3 or 4 of the original 2nd ed adventures and i was lucky enough to find the 1st ed modules at a gaming store in St Paul. MN. I found most of the other stuff while I was stationed in Germany for the army.
It wasnt untill recently I finally tried a hand at ravenloft again, and well, have met some difficulties in switching from a superhero oriented game to a gothic horror setting, but I am not going to give up. I love everything about ravenloft and I plan to keep at it until my player cant sleep at night.
-Cheers
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Post by alhoon »

Bluebomber4evr wrote: I have now joined a group of builders devoted to making a server based on Ravenloft--which I might as well announce here, is finally about to open to the public.
And you announce it HERE? These news deserve their own thread! When do you plan to open up? What levels can be accepted? Details, details, details!
- Domains covered
- NPCs covered
- Ravenloft monsters covered
- Adventures
- Equipment (Firearms, those poisons, herbs etc in the Gazs)
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Post by Joël of the FoS »

Desdichado wrote:Was it then the BB or I6 that made you RL-addicted for a life-time? :)
This I6 adventure was a blast, and we often discussed it afterward. But the BB was the final click to move this D&D carreer toward darkness ...

The I found the Kargatane site, but I was a lurker and netbook user for a time before actually posting in 1999 or 2000.
alhoon wrote:
Joël of the Fraternity wrote: this campaign started in 1987 (and is still running).
You have a campaign running for almost 20 years ! ? ! ? !

You undead! Do you plan to keep it running for eternity?

What level are the PCs in this campaign?
Yep, since 1987. And it is mostly with the same bunch of friends: one player left and another joined (the son of one player). And we plan to play until we can roll dices, which is I hope a long time.

Their level? These PC were born in 1st ed, then converted to 2e when it came out. They were about 14th level when we switched to 3e. We are not power hungry so a slow increase in level was fine, minues the few undead drains. But at the end, they were quite powerful.

Then we switched to 3.5 and decided to retrofit the PCs to 7th level, a level easier to play, more convenient since we had to learn 3.5e, and with more published adventure possibilities.

About the same time, we also started another campaign, with Ravenloft natives.

We play everytwo Sundays. Two games with the "1987" PCs (currently in Greyhawk, for the Shackled City adv path), then two games in Ravenloft, then back to Greyhawk and so on.

Joël
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Post by Bluebomber4evr »

alhoon wrote:When do you plan to open up?
Next weekend, just in time for Halloween. :D
alhoon wrote:What levels can be accepted?
It's a server vault only. You have to create a character specifically for the server. After character creation, you are given 1 level before entering the server proper, so you start out at level 2. Maximum level on the server is 20, as anything higher than that is just too much for Ravenloft.
alhoon wrote:Details, details, details!
- Domains covered
The server is set entirely in Barovia. The areas available for this beta will be Vallaki, the countryside east all the way up to the Svalich Pass, and the countryside all the way north to the foot of Mt. Baratak. Later updates will include Mt. Baratak itself, Castle Ravenloft, and the Village of Barovia.
alhoon wrote:- NPCs covered
Way too many to list here, but how's this for a sample: Strahd, Inajira, Jander, the Gentleman Caller, Lyssa von Zarovich, and the Weathermay Twins, to name just a few. ;) As this is a persistent world, NPCs will come and go as needed by the DMs.
alhoon wrote: - Ravenloft monsters covered
As with the NPCs, way too many to list here. I did my best to create as many monsters as I could within the limitations of the NWN engine. We were able to create a few custom models exclusive to our server for a few fan favorites, such as gremishka, carrion stalkers, and wolfweres. For a sneak preview of our custom models, Click here
alhoon wrote: - Adventures
Since this is a persistent world, the adventures aren't scripted. You can make your own by joining other players, and live DMs will often have their own events as well.
alhoon wrote: - Equipment (Firearms, those poisons, herbs etc in the Gazs)
No firearms yet, but they may show up in a future update. As for the herbs/poisons, we're planning on adding a custom crafting system in the future which will make use of these, but it isn't available yet.

If you want more info, check our website at: www.nwnravenloft.com

We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread. ;)
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