When players want to get started in the world of Dungeons and Dragons, there are a ton of products to consider. Sure, all you really need is a DM Guide, Player's Handbook, and a good group of friends; but there are a lot of other tools that can make kicking things off a little easier. One product specifically meant to help with that is the Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set.
The Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set box is a product that has been around since the first days of DnD fifth edition. There's actually a new and updated version of it available now, the Essential Kit, with some additional resources, so players and DMs have two options. As groups decide which Dungeons and Dragons products to get started with, it might be helpful to review some of the pros and cons of this Starter Set.
Let's start with all the good stuff. The DnD Starter Set includes an incredibly entertaining narrative for players to adventure through at low levels. The Lost Mine of Phandelver contains lots of opportunities for tricky combat, politics, negotiation, stealth, and everything else a DM might want to throw at their players.
The campaign also drops players onto the Sword Coast, which is a great place for future adventures and geographically ties nicely into the Princes of the Apocalypse campaign, for groups that want to continue their adventures after completing this story. One of the best parts about the Lost Mine of Phandelver is how intuitive it is to run for DMs. There's a very linear narrative to follow, but also a good share of side quests that players can easily explore to help make the sandbox feel a little more open than it actually is. Future campaigns are a lot trickier on this front, so it's really an excellent place to start for newer DMs who might be a little nervous about how to keep the story moving forward.
The Starter Set also includes some pre-gen characters that will get the job done for groups that are in a hurry, but we highly recommend having players roll their own original characters instead. There's nothing wrong with the pre-gens (especially for new Dungeons and Dragons players), but the act of getting together and creating characters as a group is a fundamental way to build some table camaraderie and have players incorporate their own play styles from the very beginning. DMs should just keep in mind that they may want to nerf some of the more powerful racial and class abilities that come from DnD expansion content.
In terms of rules and monsters, the Starter Set includes everything players and the DM need to know to get started, but the adventure can obviously be enhanced by having the other core rulebooks around for each session. There are enough goons built in to the campaign, but a good DM always has some surprised from the Monster Manual behind the screen ready just in case.
The box doesn't include any minis, but does come with 6 dice to get things started. Realistically, players will each want to pick up their own set of role-playing dice, but sharing these will be enough to kick things off if the group is playing on a tight budget. DMs may also want to get some dungeon tiles or other tactile props to help set the stage for some of the recurring settings of the campaign.
Overall, the Starter Set value really comes from the quality of the story and the ease of use for the Dungeon Master. The dice, character sheets, and pre-gens are all just a bit of added bonus. There are other 1-5 level campaigns available to run, but if your group wants to spend their time adventuring on the Sword Coast, we highly recommend playing through the original DnD Starter Set adventure to kick things off. By the time the adventure is finished the group will have some exciting loot and may have already met and bargained with their first dragons and evil wizards.
Be sure to check back in the near future for more Dungeons and Dragons strategy guides, news, and updates. Until then, roll well, adventurers!
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