MIND-BLOWING D&D Revealed in 1991 'Black Box'

Uncover the mind-blowing awesomeness of the 1991 Dungeons & Dragons "Black Box" boxed set, considered one of the best ever released in 1991!

=== Where Agranak Studios Is At ===

[novembersun]

That black box was my first introduction to d&d and I still have it to this day.

[sathdk]

I got this for Christmas just as described after being introduced to the game at a friend's birthday party. I jumped immediately into creating my own maps and stories and running my friends through new fictional worlds. We outgrew it quick and jumped into AD&D 2nd edition. We ran Dark Sun, Ravenloft, and Realms, and even al-Qadim to the soundtrack of Pantera, Metallica, Megadeth, and NIN. \m/

[BX-advocate]

I completely agree Basic editions are the best version D&D. Personally I think Moldvay BX is the best overall for a few reasons.

[Pippinmog]

I had fond memories of that set. The cards inside the screen are still the best introduction to any tabletop rpg.

[BiimGamesDev]

I started with this box (Italian version) and it's so great and well explained.
I read the book so many times that I knew exactly at which page any topic needed was written, but I didn't need to check since I was a "rule lawyer" at that time.

Best D&D box ever!

[macoppy]

My copy has been run multiple times. Zanzer's Dungeon has an excellent opening sequence to teach players the moving parts of the game. After the initial encounter with Zanzer, the dungeon becomes something of a fun-house menagerie. There is a section of the dungeon that is not populated, specifically so new DM's have an opportunity to be creative. If the PCs escape, there are immediate hooks for more adventures to pick up or ignore.

The explanation of THAC0 really did matter for me as a youth. I got the black box a full year _after_ the core books for 2e AD&D. Finally, the mechanic clicked in my head, and I have been running games ever since.

[johnnymindgames]

Never seen the black box unboxed before. It's much cooler than I thought. I like the dm cards that's a great reference tool. And the dice look great! I'm taking my group through the dragon's den adventures that came out with the black box. I was surprised at how good and how challenging the adventures In it were.
Also the dragons den hasn't been reviewed by anyone on YouTube, so if you're looking for un tread territory, this would be it 😉
Great review. I'm eager to hear your thoughts once you've finished reading through the black box set!

[G-Funk]

That black box set was a great way for a ten-year old (me) to learn the rules of the game. But if I remember right, the multiplayer adventure it came with was an absolute meat-grinder if you ran it as written. It opened with at least three unavoidable fights, one after another, for characters who didn't even necessarily have character classes yet. Learning to DM and write my own adventures came from finally playing with an older, experienced DM who knew how to really teach the game.

[ColumbiaBeet]

Yup, the "Black Box" was my first "official" intro to D&D. Before that an older cousin that had learned to play in the mid-80s had taught me using what he had remembered from the AD&D rules. He also puchased this boxed set at Toys R Us one afternoon while babysitting me in 1990, and later gave it to me. The box fell apart over the years and I replaced it with a copy from Ebay about 12 years ago. Still have it and actually reworked Zanzer's Dungeon to fit into my campaign world at the time.

[sketchasaurrex]

Never heard of the black box. I've seen that art often but never knew it was tied to a starter set.

[gurugru]

It's definitely the most obscure of the Basic games; even moreso than Holmes.

[The_PaleEmperor]

Mentzer said it right about your last video, simplicity and freedom = fun!

[Goldschlager]

I always liked THAC0 growing up. I remember looking through the MM and Deities & Demigods and being in awe at the creatures with -8 or -9 AC (wasn't -9 the lowest AC at that time? Age is a bitch.) I still like associating the negative AC to the hardest to hit, it just feels so much cooler.

[ryanmills]

I just got one and am playing it with my friends we kinda like it more than 5e

[novembersun]

We love Zanzer Tem's dungeon so much that we've run it using 5e, White Box Fantastic Medieval Adventures and Tales of the Valiant. All time classic.

[YawdroGaming]

That looks a like a great box set! That artwork just really speaks to me. I can't put my finger on why, but I love it!

[dungeonmeister]

That was my introductory set to this wonderful hobby of ours. So many great adventures were spawned from the black box until I moved on to the Rules Cyclopedia. I still have the rulebook somewhere.

[wingusryu]

You just cast...Understand THACO! Are you some kind of math wizard or soemthing???? I never heard of that! My world has been forever changed. No wonder you are the overlord! Hail DM Wisdom!!!

Yeah show off more of this box!

[danjamin]

This set looks awesome! I mostly remember the redbox but i know ive seen this one back in the day!

[DGSPresents]

That is interesting--I don't thin I noticed that definition of THAC0 when I read through the rules. Aside from that, I love this set, and the artwork (especially that drawing on page 28 of the cleric healing the dwarf)