-Year (if you're brave)
Wish I could remember. Early 80s.
-System/Setting
Red box D&D
-What Character You Played (or if you GM'd)
GM
-Notable Events
My knowledge of English was very "basic". I didn't understand much of what I was reading.
-Highlight
A friend and my older brother joined me for a first game the same day I got the rules. I used the map in the back of the book and improvised everything. It was basically just going from room to room fighting monsters. Without having a clear grasp of the rules. It was great.
-Lowlight
Nothing.
-The overall perception you had afterwards
After we finished the "game" we poured over the catalogue and ordered more stuff. My friend ordered Runequest, my brother Gamma World.

This thread made me go and find the old character sheet. I was surprised - I'd thought it was Basic D&D, but the sheet mentions weapon proficiencies and the two-part alignment so it must have been AD&D.

Year: 1983 - April Fool's Day
System/Setting: AD&D 1e
What Character You Played: James Roberts, immediately nicknamed Jim Bob the Luckless
Notable Events: Highest stat rolled was 10, for Strength. Rolled the minimum starting money. DM told us we had a coinpurse and were otherwise completely naked, we had to buy everything. Got halfway through buying his gear and realised he had not enough money, took him gambling for more and of course lost his spare cash; innkeeper (who sold us all our gear) threw in a torch and large sack out of pity. Struggled up to 3rd level and then perished gloriously fighting a Gelatinous Cube.
Highlight: Paul's magic-user was killed by a Piercer
Lowlight: none of the barmaids ever liked Jim Bob the Luckless.
The overall perception you had afterwards: "One day I will meet the Dungeon Master in the dungeon and kill him and then I can run the game."

Yes, that's what we thought, that the Dungeon Master was some character deep in the dungeon somewhere and if we killed him we'd be allowed to DM the game. We were 12, okay?

   Jim Bob the Luckless
Fighter 1st level
neutral good

STR 10
INT 9
WIS 9
DEX 8
CON 9
CHA 7

HP 8

Weapon proficiencies: longsword, battleaxe, club, two-handed sword


GEAR
Starting money - 50GP
Loincloth, cost 1CP
Belt, cost 3SP
Sandals, cost 1SP

Long sword & scabbard, damage 1-8/1-12, weight 60GP, cost 15GP
Small helm, 10GP
Wineskin, cost 15SP
Watered wine 1 pint, 5SP
Torch, free
Large sack, free
Total spent 26GP 8CP - rest gambled