September 16 Gives You Everything You Need to Get Your Friends into Dungeons and Dragons

Dungeons and Dragons, let alone any highly involved and commitment-oriented tabletop RPG, still may not be the most accessible or effortless activity for players to dive into. On the outside looking in, Dungeons and Dragons boasts unimaginably immense worlds of rules and lore that are vital to have at least some comprehension of, especially between new editions or handbooks, and it can be incredibly daunting wanting to dip one’s big toe into those dense, icy waters. If nothing else, character creation itself can be a hobbling and exhaustive experience when players aren’t sure what to expect or how to go about the decisions that may impact nearly every in-game choice thereafter.

That’s not to say Dungeons and Dragons’ accessibility has never been accommodating to newcomers, though. In fact, a brand-new Dungeons and Dragons Starter Pack called Heroes of the Borderlands was revealed a while ago that appears to be far more comprehensive than Starter Packs before it, and it isn’t long before players can get their hands on it, either. In a nutshell, Wizards of the Coast claims: “No experience needed. No costumes required. Just imagination, laughter, and the courage to roll.”

Dungeons and Dragons’ Heroes of the Borderlands Starter Kit is a Game-Changer

Advertised as “D&D’s biggest Starter Set ever made,” Heroes of the Borderlands may well be the Dungeons and Dragons Starter Pack to invest in if players have been overwhelmed by the idea of beginning their Dungeons and Dragons journey and waiting for a set that can wade them into the deep end of the pool with all the skills and information needed to conquer that overstimulation.

It’s probably unrealistic to assume that the Starter Set actually facilitates its claim that fans can “pick up and play in minutes,” given how enormous an undertaking any individual adventure can feasibly be. Regardless, the set’s production quality has already been praised by seasoned players and appears to be one of the more favorable Starter Sets yet.

According to Dungeons and Dragons’ Wizards of the Coast store website, the Ultimate Bundle version of the set features:

• 3 adventures with distinct focuses: Combat, Exploration, and Roleplaying
• A Quick-Start Guide for easy setup
• 8 player boards featuring 4 iconic D&D classes: Cleric, Rogue, Wizard, and Fighter
• Over 200 game cards, poster maps, and tokens
• Set of 11 dice, essential for playing D&D
• Combat Tracker that teaches new Dungeon Masters how to track initiative effectively
• Heroes of the Borderland Quickplay Adventure Pack, which includes digital tools for bringing your adventures to D&D Beyond
• The Keep on the Borderlands Digital Dice Set

Dungeons and Dragons Has Never Been More Accessible

It may still take a while for Dungeons and Dragons’ gameplay to become second nature,and indeed, Dungeons and Dragons is still a tabletop RPG that evolves in response to the energy and devotion players invest in it. However, this Starter Pack is a great companion for new players who prefer to have every bit of contextual knowledge at their disposal without having to do homework in an extracurricular sense.

In particular, D&D Beyond explains how having over 200 quick-reference cards should allow players to stay immersed with the following information on hand:

• Keep the rules for spells, weapons, and magic items at your fingertips.
• Access NPC and creature stat blocks for on-the-fly encounters.
• Mix and match species and background cards on class boards to create unique heroes.

Franchise

Dungeons & Dragons

Original Release Date

1974

Designer

E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson