What You Need to Play D&D
While there are a ton of great books, tools, and toys out there that all help take a DnD game to the next level, you don’t actually need a whole lot to get started. What you will need is:
1. The Rules
You can find the full ruleset for D&D 5E in the Player’s Handbook, or you can get the short version of the rules if you download the DnD Basic Rules for free. If you want to expand your tool kit, you can also pick up the Dungeon Master’s Guide, which has tips for running the game as well as additional, optional and variant rules that you can use.
2. Some Dice
You’ll also need at least one set of polyhedral dice, though I recommend every player have at least one (and maybe get a few spares for the table). A full set of D&D dice contains (at least):
- 1 d20
- 1 d12
- 1 d10
- 1 d8
- 1 d6
- 1 d4
You can find RPG dice in almost any color or material you might want online – or you can probably get them by the scoopful at your local hobby shop! You can also use digital dice rollers online, though there’s nothing quite like the feel and sound of actual dice hitting an actual table.
3. Some People to Play With
Whether you want to run the game yourself, or if you’ve hoodwinked a friend into doing it for you, you can’t have a game of D&D with just one person. You can play with just two, now that they’ve released the “two-player rules” with the new D&D Essentials Kit, though (in our experience) the best group is a DM (“Dungeon Master”, or often “Game Master” in games that don’t have Dungeon in the title), who adjudicates the rules and helps guide the story, and 3 to 5 players to make up an adventuring party.
You can, of course, have a group full of as many people as you like, though too many players at a table can make things exceptionally complicated – doubly so if you’re all new to the game. If you’re having trouble getting a group together on your own, there are some great resources out there for finding party members. You can join the official D&D Adventurer’s League, which often hosts games at local hobby and game stores and helps link people up online (though they do maintain strict adherence to the rules as written, so no homemade content/rules can be used), or find groups through sites like Reddit, D&D Beyond, Roll20 and more.
That’s it! If you want to add some tactical complexity to your games, you can pick up some miniatures and battle maps, but really the only thing you need is your imagination!
And some dice. And that other stuff we said earlier.
The Best D&D 5E Starter Sets
If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to get into Dungeons and Dragons, Wizards of the Coast has released a few versions of the “introductory experience” for DnD 5e.
The D&D Essentials Kit
The most recent starter set for D&D is the Dungeons and Dragons Essentials Kit, and in my opinion, it’s currently the best option for players who are just starting their D&D adventure.
This box, currently exclusive to Target but available at more retailers starting in September, contains six character sheets, a DM screen (with helpful info on the DM’s side and artwork on the player side), perforated player handout cards for quests, conditions and magic items, plus one of the best “starter” dice sets out there (with 2d20, 1d12, 2d10, 1d8, 4d6, and 1d4).
It also contains a unique rulebook that sits somewhere between the free Basic Rules and the full Player’s Handbook, as well as the The Dragon of Icespire Peak encounter book, which can be run as individual encounters or strung together into a full campaign for characters of first to sixth level.
2014 Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set
Then, of course, there’s the classic Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition Starter Set. This box, currently retails (officially) for $20 – but can usually be found on sale – comes with a copy of the basic ruleset, a set of 6 RPG dice (one of each), five pre-generated characters for your players to choose from, and the introductory adventure The Lost Mine of Phandelver.
This is a great adventure to start new players off on, as it introduces them not only to the mechanics of exploration and combat, but also eases them into role-playing in various situations. As a set, it isn’t the most robust offering out there, but the Phandelver adventure is a great place to start and leads handily into the Tyranny of Dragons storyline should your group choose to continue playing.
Stranger Things D&D Starter Set
If you want to try Dungeons and Dragons but think you aren’t ready to go full High Fantasy Nerd™ just yet, why not give the Stranger Things-themed starter set a shot?
It’s a sparse set, with a 6-piece dice set, character sheets and an adventure based on the boys’ D&D game in the show and a pair of miniature Demogorgons (Stranger Things’, not D&D’s; the D&D Demogorgon is a giant tentacle-monkey-lizard demon lord).
Dungeons & Dragons Core Rulebooks
If you know you’re going to be diving deep into the D&D world, your real best bet is to pick up a full set of core rulebooks. It doesn’t come with any pre-made character sheets or published adventures, but the Player’s Handbook covers character creation in-depth and the Dungeon Master’s Guide and Monster Manual have more than enough helpful tips and information to get you on the way to writing your own adventure.
You can purchase each book on its own, or pick up the D&D Core Rulebooks Gift Set, which comes with one copy of each plus a DM screen and storage case. There’s also the Limited Edition D&D Rulebooks Set with beautiful alternate covers and a unique DM screen, though the price tag on that is considerably higher.
Your First Session
When you’re ready to actually get down to the business of dungeoning up some dragons, there’s always a few first-time hiccups. It could be questions that always pop up, like Do we build characters together or should I come with one already made? Will we just pick from a pile of pre-rolled characters instead of making our own? Is someone actually going to play a healer or are we just going to be a group of DPS murderhobos?! Or there might be players who are surprised when they find they’re expected to talk to an NPC, or a DM caught off guard when a player decides to do something they hadn’t anticipated.
Ultimately, there’s no way to avoid a few bumps along the road, but the most important thing you can do – whether you’re running the game or playing a character – is to make sure that your group talks to one another about these things. Some groups like to make these discussions a session all their own, a “Session 0,” to create characters and set expectations, before you actually start playing. Not only is it helpful for working out logistics like “how are we going to create characters,” but it’s also important that your group have the chance to talk about what type of D&D campaign you’re all looking to participate in.
How much roleplay (speaking in-character to other players or NPCs) is desired in the game? Is your campaign more combat-focused or exploration-based? Are there topics or subject matter that the group wants to avoid dealing with? Or maybe something that you especially want to see? Do you want to play a long, overarching story, or a series of short one-or-two-session adventures? All of these are important questions for a D&D group to answer, and the best way to ensure everyone at the table is having a good time is to ask them early on. Communication is key.
Because, really, that’s what Dungeons & Dragons is all about: having fun with your friends and making new friends – if you’re in a party of random people you found on the internet. Either way, once you get to your first session, the most important thing to remember is that everyone is there for a good time. You’ll probably want to introduce your characters, let your DM explain the setting a bit, and then you’re on your way! The most important thing to remember is to dive in with an open mind and an adventurous spirit.
Also, healing potions.
Of course, there’s plenty more to Dungeons & Dragons once you do manage to get started – check out these cool accessories, or actor Matthew Lillard’s crazy-detailed premium D&D boxed set. If you don’t think D&D isn’t the game for you, why not see our suggestions for what tabletop RPG might be a better fit.
JR is a Senior Editor at IGN and really really hopes you give D&D a shot. Follow him on Twitter and let him know if you do.
*In my weekly game, I recently planted a few magic beans that we expected to bloom into helpful items or something. I almost got our entire party killed with just two of them. Even the best-laid plans can (and often, will) go awry.
