Day 13: First Miniatures you used for D&D

That would be the Grenadier Adventurers Box set --

I remember buying this at Tri-City Mall.  Boy, I was happy!  To me, a box of minis was a really big deal.  AK, my DM, had a lot of minis (and many were even painted!)

I got started painting these right away -- with Testor's Model Paints!  Ugh!

They didn't turn out well at all.  :(

Eventually I decided to soak them in paint stripper to get the nasty oil-based acrylics off of them.  Most of the minis globbed together in an awful mess.  I tossed them out!

I did manage to save these three (it took A LOT of scrubbing)

I'm working to repaint them now.  :)

I just couldn't bear to be without my #5001 box, so I did buy a couple off of eBay --

I hope to finish painting a complete box for myself and another for my grandson, Matt.

Someday!  :)

Day 12: First Store where you bought your Gaming Supplies

I live in the Mesa, AZ area.  In the early 80's there were two stores where I bought my gaming stuff.

• Toys R Us at Tri-City Mall
• Toys by Roy at Fiesta Mall

Neither one exists today.  In fact, Tri-City Mall is mostly gone/repurposed.

I bought my Grenadier Adventurers minis at Toys R Us.  I also bought my Monster Manual and Fiend Folio there.  Some dice as well.

I used to buy all my modules at Toys by Roy.  They actually had all the modules hole punched at the top and on display around the ceiling of the room in the back of the store.  There was an index card taped to each module so you could say, "I'd like B4 please."

When good ol Roy went out of business, I bought one or two hole-punched modules on clearance.  I also got the Holmes Blue Book for $0.25!

When I got older, I bought a lot of gaming stuff at Game Depot.  It was near ASU at the time.  They are still around and have relocated.  I was there just a couple of weeks ago.

I also bought a lot of stuff at Desert Hobbies (gone), Waterloo Games (gone) and Roaming Panzer Games (gone.)

I used to buy my Dragon Magazines at Waldenbooks (gone.)

Day 11: First Splatbook you begged your DM to approve

Well, I guess I'm boring.  I've never done this.  :)

I think "splatbooks" were big in 3.0 and 3.5 and I only played 3.0 for about 4 months.  I guess I kinda missed this boat.  (Thanks to the Dungeon Bastard I DO HAVE the "Horrifically Overpowered Feats" book...)

When I played Champions, I did enjoy incorporating Powers from Champions 2 and Champions 3 into the game.  I remember I wanted to play a Gadgeteer with a gadget pool.  That was kind of abusive.

I also knew how to make an Elemental Power Pool go a long, long way during character creation.

Day 10: First gaming magazine I ever bought

It was this issue of The Dragon #52 --

I still have it.  :)

The cover binding is taped up from getting worn out.

I carried this issue in my backpack for months.  I pored over the book for weeks.  I didn't read it all, but I did re-read parts I liked.  I had to be careful when I'd take it out in class for fear that my teacher would see the cover and it would be confiscated!

Some remembrances (thumbing through the issue...)

• There's an article about Clerics.  Until just this past year, I'd never played a cleric.  Maybe I need to give it a read...
• Great article by J. Eric Holmes about Basic D&D.  Should give that a re-read.
• Oh and Tom Moldvay too!
• WOW!  Here's the "coupon" where Gamescience says they are giving dice away!  I sent my parents out into the wild (see Post 8) with this coupon.
• Boris article.
• Giants in the Earth: Circe.  Fun!
• "The Cavern of the Sub Train" - A Gamma World Adventure.  I think I actually ran this once for my buddies.  
• Bounty Hunter NPC
• Ral Partha Storm Giant.  A classic.
• Dungeon Tiles by Task Force Games.  I actually own this supplement (still have it!)
• Book Reviews: 
• Dream Park by Larry Niven (read it)
• Dragonslayer (saw the movie)
• Cleric Mirth

Day 9: First campaign setting I played in.

The first module I played in was "The Keep on the Borderlands," so I believe that's Greyhawk.   :)  One of my first DMs, AK, was a huge Greyhawk fan too.

I remember him going on about Furyondy and the Nyr Dyv and Iuz...  He had the maps from the Darlene set up in his room.

I don't specifically remember *where* he set his adventures and I don't remember *ever* being in an urban location, but I'm certain we were playing in Greyhawk.

Day 8: First set of polyhedral dice.

I don't know that I ever bought myself a "set" of polyhedrals until recently.  I purchased a set of Gamescience dice.  Here's a pic.

I didn't do a very good job with the "coloring in..."

One of my most prized dice is this one --

Back around the summer of 1982, Gamescience came out with an ad for these dice -- 

Mine has lasted more than 32 years...

I told my parents that I wanted one and they willingly went out looking for it.  I seem to recall an ad (somewhere) that offered a free d20 with a coupon.  

My parents ran all over town.  I'm sure they had other errands to run as well, but they did visit multiple hobby shops.  

They came home with my prized d20 (which I still use often) and a handful of minis --

That was a happy day!

Day 7: First D&D Item I ever bought. Do I still have it?

The first D&D item I ever bought was the 1st Ed. DMG.  This one!

Now, I'm loosely interpreting "bought" to mean first item I ever had.  I didn't buy it, it was a gift from my parents.

Here's a fun fact -- they ordered it from the Sears Catalog!  :)

Yes.  I still have it.  It is in really good, gently used condition.  It is one of my prized possessions.

Someday, I might actually read it from cover to cover.  :)