D&D Starter Set: Which Box to Buy First

For a group starting Dungeons & Dragons from zero, buy Starter Set: Heroes of the Borderlands at $39.95 from Amazon (4.8 stars from 1,020 ratings). It is the newest box in the official Starter Set line, built so new players make a character quickly and play in sessions of about an hour; one player still runs the game as Dungeon Master, and the quick-start guide and combat tracker make that easy for a newcomer. If your group is a Dungeon Master and just one or two players, or wants to build characters from scratch, the D&D Essentials Kit at $32.61 is the other strong first box.

A starter set is a box with the basic rules, dice, an adventure and premade or quick characters, so a group can play without buying the rulebooks first. Which one fits comes down to three questions: how many players you have, who will run the game as Dungeon Master, and whether you want a roleplaying game or a board game that feels like one.

The Starter Boxes Compared

Prices and ratings are Amazon listings on October 25 and change often. The Essentials Kit, Stormwreck Isle and Adventure Begins are sold by third-party sellers at these prices. Contents are from the publishers' Amazon listings and rules versions from the Wikipedia history of the Starter Set; we do not play or test these games.

How to Choose

• Everyone is new: Heroes of the Borderlands. One player runs the game as Dungeon Master; character class boards, cards, a quick-start guide and a combat tracker put the rules on the table instead of in a book, which helps a first-time Dungeon Master.
• A small group, or players who want to build characters: the Essentials Kit. The box is made for a Dungeon Master and one to five adventurers, with sidekick cards for very small groups, a Dungeon Master's screen, an adventure for characters of levels 1 to 6 (Stormwreck Isle's rules stop at level 3), and full character creation.
• Nobody wants to prepare or run a game: Adventure Begins is a cooperative board game for 2 to 4 players, ages 10 and up, where the Dungeon Master role passes from player to player each turn. It is not the roleplaying game, but nobody has to prepare anything.
• Which rules: Heroes of the Borderlands uses the revised fifth edition rules, the same as the current Player's Handbook. The Essentials Kit and Stormwreck Isle came out before that revision and use the original fifth edition rules; the two are close, but some character options differ.
• After the first box: the revised Player's Handbook is the full rulebook every player eventually wants, and it matches Heroes of the Borderlands.
• Skip the original Starter Set (the Lost Mine of Phandelver box) at third-party prices. It is listed at $110.99 on Amazon today, nearly three times the price of the new box.

The Starter Sets in Detail

1. Starter Set: Heroes of the Borderlands, Best for a New Group

The box has three adventure booklets with dozens of encounters, character class boards, dice, maps, tokens, handouts, a combat tracker, and cards for spells, magic items and monsters, plus a quick-start guide. Wizards of the Coast describes it as playable in hour-long sessions, which suits a game night more than a weekend campaign. Check Heroes of the Borderlands on Amazon, $39.95.

2. D&D Essentials Kit, Best for Small Groups

The kit is made for a Dungeon Master and one to five adventurers. It holds the adventure Dragon of Icespire Peak for characters of levels 1 to 6, a rulebook with character creation, a Dungeon Master's screen, a fold-out poster map, 6 blank character sheets, 11 dice and 81 cards for magic items and sidekicks. Players build their own characters here, which takes longer on the first night but teaches more. It has 22,157 ratings at 4.8 stars. Check the Essentials Kit on Amazon, $32.61 from a third-party seller.

3. Dragons of Stormwreck Isle, the Earlier Starter Set

The Starter Set before Heroes of the Borderlands, this box has a 48-page adventure, a 32-page rulebook for characters of levels 1 to 3, 5 ready-to-play characters and 6 dice. Premade characters make the first session fast. At $42.00 from a third-party seller it now costs more than the newer box, so buy it only at a lower price. Check Dragons of Stormwreck Isle on Amazon.

4. Welcome to the Hellfire Club, Best for Stranger Things Fans

A Stranger Things themed box with 4 adventure booklets, a Dungeon Master's screen, 11 dice, 91 cards, 72 tokens, 15 character sheets, poster maps and a quick-start guide. The listing says it is for new and experienced players. Check Welcome to the Hellfire Club on Amazon, $34.95.

5. Adventure Begins, Best If Nobody Wants to Run the Game

Hasbro's cooperative board game for 2 to 4 players, ages 10 and up, where the Dungeon Master role passes from player to player each turn: pick heroes, choose a journey and a final boss (a Beholder, a Fire Giant, a Green Dragon or the Kraken), and play with 4 plastic hero figures. For more games in this style, see our board games for fans of D&D and solo D&D board games. Check Adventure Begins on Amazon, $48.99 from a third-party seller.

6. Revised Player's Handbook, the Next Step

Not a starter set, but the book a group buys once the starter box is done: 12 classes, 48 subclasses, 10 species, 16 backgrounds and 75 feats in the revised fifth edition rules (the current core rulebook). It matches the rules in Heroes of the Borderlands; groups that started with the Essentials Kit or Stormwreck Isle will find some changes. Check the revised Player's Handbook on Amazon, $39.99.

Related Guides

• Board games for fans of D&D
• Family RPG board games
• Deck building RPG games
• All strategy games

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best D&D starter set for beginners?

Heroes of the Borderlands, the newest official Starter Set, at $39.95 on Amazon on October 25. It is designed for a group where everyone is new; one player runs the game as Dungeon Master with the help of a quick-start guide.

What is the difference between the Starter Set and the Essentials Kit?

The Starter Set gets a new group playing fastest. The Essentials Kit is made for a Dungeon Master and one to five players, adds a Dungeon Master's screen and an adventure for levels 1 to 6, has players create their own characters, and uses the original fifth edition rules where Heroes of the Borderlands uses the revised ones.

Do you need the Player's Handbook to use a starter set?

No. Each starter box includes the rules it needs. The Player's Handbook is for when the group wants every class and option.

Is there a way to play D&D without preparing as a Dungeon Master?

Adventure Begins is a cooperative board game where the Dungeon Master role passes from player to player each turn, so nobody prepares anything. For the roleplaying game itself, one player runs the game.