One of the best features of Dungeons and Dragons is the vast number of optional materials that are available for both players and dungeon masters to explore. The huge list of DnD 5th edition books available can definitely be a bit of a money pit, but tabletop gamers who can demonstrate some amount of self control can easily pickup just a handful of books to keep their group busy for a year or longer.
One of the newer products, the Dungeons and Dragons Essentials Kit, offers a new option for the entry-level players who want to dive into the game. Some shoppers may be a little confused about how this Essentials Kit differs from the Dungeons and Dragons Starter Set and it's a fair question. We've dug through both of the entry-level box sets and can help explain the difference.
In short, both products are catering to the same audience and have a very similar intention. They provide abridged rules for players and DMs who may not own the Player's Handful, DM Guide, or Monster's Manual and offer other items to make those early play sessions go off without a hitch. The Starter Set is a fantastic product with a great campaign to take players from level 1 up to 5 or 6, but the Essentials Kit has a ton more to offer.
The Starter Set keeps things pretty simple with some pre-made characters (including the easiest classes for new player), a nice campaign booklet, basic rules, a handful of nice, and a sweet Sword Coast map. The Essentials Kit provides a new story, with settings and characters to rival The Lost Mine of Phandelver (which we're big fans of), but also has lots of little extra touches to make the tabletop experience more tactile and engaging for players and DM. First off, there's cardboard DM screen which obviously isn't the same quality as the heavier stock official DM screens, but is a great starting spot. This helps set the tone a little better and will make DMs feel more official at the table.
In addition to the DM screen, the box also contains a ton of other tactile handouts to make the play sessions a little more engaging and clear for players around the table (they also help players become better role players). There are clear initiative markers and a ton of place cards for quests, reward items, and other little pieces of the story that could use a visual representation. These things are obviously not necessary to run the campaign, and DMs got by fine without them in the Starter Set adventure, but they often help keep players engaged and give the DM some ideas about how to build these sort of references on their own in future adventures.
"This box contains the essentials you need to run a D&D game with one Dungeon Master and one to five adventurers. A newly designed rulebook on-boards players by teaching them how to make characters, and the included adventure, Dragon of Icespire Peak, introduces a new 1-on-1 rules variant."
Another main feature of the Essentials Kit that makes it stand out from the Starter Set is the inclusion of new rules to help 2-player games. The slight variation is meant for 1 DM and 1 player character and offers the single player a sidekick to aide them on their adventure. The sidekick mechanic works incredibly well and is perfect for players who don't have a big group of players to adventure with.
The Essentials Kit includes nine sidekicks, but as always, players and DMs can create their own or twist the rules around to make it work for them after they have mastered the basics.
When it comes to deciding whether to pickup the Starter Set or the Essentials Kit to kick things off with a new group, the Essentials Kit seems like an easy choice for right now. The product was originally a Target exclusive, but starting in early September 2019 it became available for game shops, as well, so it should be easy enough to find wherever you usually see DnD products.
With all that in mind, the Starter Set really does have a fantastic story and characters that are very easy for new DMs to run. Gamers who have a little extra money to spend on products might want to consider picking up both products so that they can use all the extra resources available in the Essentials Kit with the Lost Mine of Phandelver storyline. Either way, it's a great time to be a player who is new to Dungeons and Dragons with all of these easy to use and affordable resources available. There's a reason why DnD 5e is near the top of our ranking of every Dungeons and Dragons edition and these sorts of products have a lot to do with it.
Dungeons and Dragons is available now. The Essentials Kit is now available both at Target and at game shops.