What Is Heroes of the Borderlands? Your Gateway to D&D Adventure

Tags author-mike-bernier Heroes of the Borderlands

Gather your party and prepare for an unforgettable journey! Heroes of the Borderlands is your magical portal into the world of Dungeons & Dragons. Perfect for seasoned adventurers and newcomers alike, this is D&D's largest starter set ever and combines the magic of tabletop storytelling with the ease of a board game!

A Complete Adventure Experience

The contents of Heroes of the Borderlands

Heroes of the Borderlands is the biggest, boldest, and most beginner-friendly Dungeons & Dragons starter set ever! Everything in the box is purpose-made to help you get rolling in minutes and learn as you go.

What's in the box is still, without a doubt, Dungeons & Dragons, but it's approached from a fresh angle—one that is especially helpful when you're learning to DM or onboarding new players.

Inside, you'll find a trove of physical components to help introduce players to the game and immerse them in their sessions:

Adventure Booklets

A Quick Start Guide, Play Guide, and 3 Adventure Booklets

Step into a world alive with danger, mystery, and magic. This set of booklets provides ready-to-run adventures and quick-start rules for Dungeon Masters to take their players on magnificent quests:

  • Three ready-to-run adventure booklets, Wilderness, Caves of Chaos, and Keep on the Borderlands.
  • A quick start guide that helps you start the game without reading all of the rules beforehand. 
  • A dedicated play guide that explains the components and how to play the game in more detail.

The adventures in these booklets also offer up to 60 hours of replayable content! Maybe your party charged in spells blazing the first time. On your next run, you might talk your way out—or sneak past the danger entirely.
Character Classes

4 Iconic D&D Classes

Choose your playstyle with four core classes designed to showcase different types of heroes:

  • Fighter: Lead the charge with unmatched martial prowess.
  • Rogue: Sneak, scout, and strike from the shadows.
  • Cleric: Channel divine magic to protect allies or vanquish foes.
  • Wizard: Wield arcane power to reshape the battlefield.

Each class's board teaches essential game mechanics using tactical elements, such as Hit Points and spell slot tokens, or equipment and spell cards. It also empowers players to make meaningful choices as their character grows and discovers new gear.

You'll also be able to level up to level 3 and choose between two subclasses per class using these boards!
Game Cards

Over 200 Game Cards

Speed up play and enhance immersion with over 200 quick-reference cards:

  • 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.

These cards keep the game flowing smoothly. Players won't have to flip through books to find what spells they have or what attacks their character can make; they're sitting in front of them on their character boards! These cards also help you create modular characters by swapping out equipment and spells to customize your hero.
Maps

18 Full-Color Maps and Other Handouts

Immerse your group in vivid locations with 18 fold-out maps covering dungeons, strongholds, and wilderness:

  • Designed for tactical gameplay and narrative exploration.
  • Clearly marked terrain encourages creative movement and tactics.
  • Let your players shop at taverns, temples, and more!
Punch-Out Tokens

200+ Punch-Out Tokens

Bring your world to life with more than 200 colorful tokens:

  • Depict monsters, heroes, and unique terrain elements right on the map.
  • Quickly show who's where during tactical encounters.
  • Easily track health, GP, and spell slots on your character board.

No more having to ask, "Wait, how many of these goblins are there?" Or "How much gold do I have again?" These high-quality tokens help anchor imagination in the moment-to-moment action of combat or through the twisting paths of overland travel.
Dice Set

11 Polyhedral Dice

This complete set includes 1xd4, 4xd6, 1xd8, 1xd10, 1xd12, 2xd20, and 1 percentile die.

In D&D, every roll tells a story. From nail-biting attacks to desperate saving throws, these dice help bring chance to every outcome.

Start Something Legendary

BILLY CHRISTIANA Dwarf Fighter defends himself against bandits

Heroes of the Borderlands was made for friends, families, and game night heroes, with each session designed to run in a couple of hours. Thanks to the easy setup components, you can just crack open the box and start playing!

Play as one of four iconic classes—Cleric, Rogue, Wizard, or Fighter—and immerse yourself in a campaign that feels vast, alive, and tailor-made for heroes in the making. And with fast, streamlined character creation, you can choose a different class next time and see how the story changes. The adventure's structure and variety make it easy to replay from multiple angles, whether you're the DM or a player itching to try something new.

Best of all, this is D&D designed for everyone. The rules are welcoming, the setup is fast, and it can be learned as you play. Perfect for curious newcomers who've never rolled a d20 before and grizzled adventurers who are embarking on a new quest.

Play In-Person or Online with the Digital Adventure Pack

The Heroes of the Borderlands Ultimate Bundle includes not just the physical board game but also a digital experience integrated into D&D Beyond. This online toolkit equips you with premade characters and 19 quickplay maps, complete with tokens, fog of war, and stickers.

What's better, when Heroes of the Borderlands releases on September 16, D&D Beyond's Maps virtual tabletop (VTT) will be free for all registered D&D Beyond users to run their games! No need to spend hours prepping. Just open the map, drop your players in, and start rolling.

Answer the Call for Adventure

Heroes of the Borderlands launches September 16. Pre-order now and prepare to make your first steps into the legendary world of Dungeons & Dragons.

All you have to do is open the box, and let the adventure begin.

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A smug mage looks away as an explosion goes off behind them. Text reads, Adventurers wanted! Join the D&D Discord today!

Mike Bernier is the founder of Arcane Eye, a site focused on providing useful tips and tricks to all those involved in the world of D&D. Outside of writing for Arcane Eye, Mike spends most of his time playing games, hiking with his girlfriend, and tending the veritable jungle of houseplants that have invaded his house.

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