The Best Introduction

Red Box!

After years of viewing, reading and playing a number of tabletop role-playing game products aimed at introducing new players to the hobby, I have a favorite in this category and therefore a recommendation. In 1983 TSR released a new version of their D&D "Basic" version of The Original Fantasy Role-Playing Game.

Commonly known as "The Red Box", the new "introductory" version of the game is edited by Frank Mentzer and comes just about three years after the release of the "Basic" book edited by Tom Moldvay (commonly referred to as B/X). Mr. Moldvay had done an excellent job compiling the rules of the game to date (1981) and his version of the rules, together with the "Expert" book written by David "Zeb" Cook with Steve Marsh, remains one of the most popular versions of the game (B/X). So why re-write the Basic Set so soon after its Basic predecessor?

Anyone familiar with the red box Basic Set will likely know the answer - because red box is so very beginner friendly! Starting with the Basic Set edited by J. Eric Holmes (1977), TSR had been looking for a way to introduce completely new players to the game, thereby spreading the fun to a wider audience and not coincidentally, also broadening the company's consumer base. The original version of the game that I call "White Box" was aimed at experienced wargamers who were interested in "fantasy" and it includes very minimal introductory material that would be any help to a novice in their efforts to grasp the essential elements of play. In the late 1970s Gary Gygax was busy writing the Advanced game books and the task of creating an introductory game version aimed at the non-wargaming or new hobbyists fell on the able and willing shoulders of Dr. Holmes. The version of the game he wrote is in a number of ways very close to the white box version, but it also contains some references to the Advanced game as "the next step" and which was still being written at the time. 

The last volume of the Advanced game (Dungeon Masters Guide) is released in 1979 and perhaps due to a lawsuit happening with Dave Arneson, the Advanced game is marketed as a completely new and separate product line distinct from the original game, which is now termed "Basic D&D" or simply by the original name, "Dungeons & Dragons". This marketing change undoubtedly contributes to the rewriting of the Basic Set as released in 1981.

Efforts at making the game more accessible to non-wargamers ultimately paid off nicely and the hobby is growing dramatically during the period of the late 1970s and early '80s. Unto this scene comes our Red Box (pictured above). The illustrations are captivating (financial success allows TSR to hire more art talent including the gifted Larry Elmore), the printed text is nice and big, the presentation eye-catching, and the rules are written in a step-by-step approach to learning the game, either along with your friends or by oneself. 

And what an introductory adventure it is! Who among hobbyists of my generation doesn't remember the fate of our friendly cleric Aleena, killed in such a dastardly way by the evil magic user Bargle? By the time I had access to the red box version of Basic, I had been playing various versions of The Original Fantasy Role-Playing Game as well as many other games that came after and felt pretty comfortable with the hobby, but I still enjoyed the solo adventure format used by Mr. Mentzer to teach us the game. (A recent re-reading produced similar enjoyment!) The solo has a good story to tell and engaged my imagination then - and frankly it still does. 

The decades since 1983 have seen the release of many a subsequent starter set and various beginner kits all aimed at either teaching an experienced player their new game, or at introducing the totally uninitiated new-comer into the hobby of tabletop role-playing games through their product line. Many are quite good, some are less "inspiring" - at least in my estimation. For me, none have equaled, let alone surpassed, the Red Box version of Basic, especially for easing one into the hobby and doing so with such inspiring context. I venture to say, that most who have come into the hobby through the Red Box have fond a hobby they can enjoy for years.
Following the practice initially established by Dr. Holmes and followed by Mr. Moldvay, Mr. Mentzer in the Red Box, character advancement is only supported in the Basic Set through three levels of play. You are encouraged to purchase subsequent products in order to continue your adventuring careers to higher levels. 

The Red Box stands up quite well in comparison to more recent game releases. The presentation, the writing and artistic style, and the programmed approach to learning the game, taken together all make this the single best introductory product in the hobby and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting this sort of beginner friendly product. (At present, Red Box Basic is available in digital format.)