I'm not a d&d player but looking to get into it with my brother. We've both talked about getting into d&d for a couple years now but never took the jump.
It was his birthday recently and I'd like to gift him a starter set or something so the rare occasions we get to see one another we could sit down and play. Only issue is I don't know where to start.
Ideally I'd like something that included miniatures, scenery as well as the core rule book etc. Not sure if this is possible but any help you can throw me would be appreciated.
P.s I was looking to also get him a compendium of some sort. A collection of artwork of the creatures and the world if that's a thing?
I recommend the essentials kit. It doesn't come with miniatures, but it has an adventure, basic rules, and comes with a code to unlock 4 adventures and 50% off the PHB on DDB. It gets you the same amount (more actually) digital content as physical content so you can decide how you prefer to play before buying more books and committing to one or the other.
Maps and miniatures (if you choose to play that way) will have to be bought separately. You can print the digital maps from DDB or use a virtual table top (like roll 20) and just import the maps to it.
Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set and the Dungeons & Dragons Essentials Kit are where i would start. It gets you started without much in the way of investment. The players handbook is great but has a lot of options and can be confusing if you just hand it to a person and say learn the rules.
The starter kit is great for new players and DMs, but does not includes hints for playing with just a DM and one player. The essentials kit, as I understand it, does have suggestions for doing so. If you go that route, get the physical essentials boxed set and use the included code to get the adventure (and followup adventure) on here.
Both kits include one set of dice; you might want to get a second set (a standard 7 dice set for D&D).
In terms of minis, be aware minis can be a big money sink: it's nigh unto impossible to have all the minis you "need" for every scenario. Lots of tables play "theater of the mind," where there is no grid or minis. If you think you will want/need a grid (which I understand; I do better with a grid), I'd encourage you to just pick up a grid/battle map with 1" squares and--initially-use items at hand for the minis. Some folks use dice. I have carboard minis/pawns, but I also keep a batch of pawns from a Sorry! game with my minis, and they are usually what I pull out first for monsters. It's a lot quicker than sorting through my pawns for the right monsters--or for acceptable substitutes. Because they are different colors, they are also easier to tell apart on the map than identical pawns/minis are.
The Essentials Kit is the way to go for 2 people as it has the Sidekicks rules included, which greatly eases managing playing with just 2 or 3 people. As DxJxC mentioned, the Essentials Kit also gets you more content, and the discount on the Player's Handbook here on DDB if you want to go that route (which you will probably want to do if you keep playing and and plan on using DDB to make your characters).
As for maps and minis, I would second the idea of trying "theater of the mind" first, just to get a sense of the rules. If you do want to try using minis, maybe just buy one or two for characters and then use pennies or extra dice to represent monsters. My group has a bunch of extra six sided dice and we just turn each to a different number so we know which one is which, i.e., "I'm attacking Orc number 3."
As to the minis piece there are several affordable options out there like paper or acrylic standee minis, the D&D adventure system board games, glass beads, pawns from other games, dice etc. You can get a dry erase battle mat for around 20 bucks as well or you can make your own at Kinko's for a little cheaper most likely.
Also, because I didn't see anyone mention it, both the Starter Kit and Essentials kit come with dice sets. I believe the Essentials Kit comes with a few more, like an extra D20 and maybe D6. For my money, the Essentials Kit is really the way to go if you're just starting out.
Minis are tricky to start with, since there's so much variety to come from. But if you're looking for a map you can use without making a large investment I'd recommend just looking up "D&D Dry Erase Mat"... you can find options in the $5 range that you could use repeatedly. I think it'd be better to invest in something like that off the bat instead of investing in better looking, but more expensive modular tiles.
Minis are tricky to start with, since there's so much variety to come from. But if you're looking for a map you can use without making a large investment I'd recommend just looking up "D&D Dry Erase Mat"... you can find options in the $5 range that you could use repeatedly. I think it'd be better to invest in something like that off the bat instead of investing in better looking, but more expensive modular tiles.
Echoing the point of the Starter Set and Essentials Kit, I'd also add that miniatures is not something to expect to be included in a catch-all bundle. That being said, the dry erase mat is a definite must for any party; you won't know what miniatures and scenery you prefer until you play some sessions. Some people prefer drawing, lego, minis from other games (eg. Warhammer), Dwarvenforge, or the primary D&D line of minis.
Also, it is incredibly endearing to cut out some paper, draw your character onto it, and fold it so it can stand on the mat. You will likely eventually get a mini or something and the simple imaginative beginnings will be guaranteed nostalgia.
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Hi guys.
I'm not a d&d player but looking to get into it with my brother. We've both talked about getting into d&d for a couple years now but never took the jump.
It was his birthday recently and I'd like to gift him a starter set or something so the rare occasions we get to see one another we could sit down and play. Only issue is I don't know where to start.
Ideally I'd like something that included miniatures, scenery as well as the core rule book etc. Not sure if this is possible but any help you can throw me would be appreciated.
P.s I was looking to also get him a compendium of some sort. A collection of artwork of the creatures and the world if that's a thing?
Thanks for your help
I recommend the essentials kit. It doesn't come with miniatures, but it has an adventure, basic rules, and comes with a code to unlock 4 adventures and 50% off the PHB on DDB. It gets you the same amount (more actually) digital content as physical content so you can decide how you prefer to play before buying more books and committing to one or the other.
Maps and miniatures (if you choose to play that way) will have to be bought separately. You can print the digital maps from DDB or use a virtual table top (like roll 20) and just import the maps to it.
Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set and the Dungeons & Dragons Essentials Kit are where i would start. It gets you started without much in the way of investment. The players handbook is great but has a lot of options and can be confusing if you just hand it to a person and say learn the rules.
The starter kit is great for new players and DMs, but does not includes hints for playing with just a DM and one player. The essentials kit, as I understand it, does have suggestions for doing so. If you go that route, get the physical essentials boxed set and use the included code to get the adventure (and followup adventure) on here.
Both kits include one set of dice; you might want to get a second set (a standard 7 dice set for D&D).
In terms of minis, be aware minis can be a big money sink: it's nigh unto impossible to have all the minis you "need" for every scenario. Lots of tables play "theater of the mind," where there is no grid or minis. If you think you will want/need a grid (which I understand; I do better with a grid), I'd encourage you to just pick up a grid/battle map with 1" squares and--initially-use items at hand for the minis. Some folks use dice. I have carboard minis/pawns, but I also keep a batch of pawns from a Sorry! game with my minis, and they are usually what I pull out first for monsters. It's a lot quicker than sorting through my pawns for the right monsters--or for acceptable substitutes. Because they are different colors, they are also easier to tell apart on the map than identical pawns/minis are.
Trying to Decide if DDB is for you? A few helpful threads: A Buyer's Guide to DDB; What I/We Bought and Why; How some DMs use DDB; A Newer Thread on Using DDB to Play
Helpful threads on other topics: Homebrew FAQ by IamSposta; Accessing Content by ConalTheGreat;
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The Essentials Kit is the way to go for 2 people as it has the Sidekicks rules included, which greatly eases managing playing with just 2 or 3 people. As DxJxC mentioned, the Essentials Kit also gets you more content, and the discount on the Player's Handbook here on DDB if you want to go that route (which you will probably want to do if you keep playing and and plan on using DDB to make your characters).
As for maps and minis, I would second the idea of trying "theater of the mind" first, just to get a sense of the rules. If you do want to try using minis, maybe just buy one or two for characters and then use pennies or extra dice to represent monsters. My group has a bunch of extra six sided dice and we just turn each to a different number so we know which one is which, i.e., "I'm attacking Orc number 3."
As to the minis piece there are several affordable options out there like paper or acrylic standee minis, the D&D adventure system board games, glass beads, pawns from other games, dice etc. You can get a dry erase battle mat for around 20 bucks as well or you can make your own at Kinko's for a little cheaper most likely.
Also, because I didn't see anyone mention it, both the Starter Kit and Essentials kit come with dice sets. I believe the Essentials Kit comes with a few more, like an extra D20 and maybe D6. For my money, the Essentials Kit is really the way to go if you're just starting out.
Minis are tricky to start with, since there's so much variety to come from. But if you're looking for a map you can use without making a large investment I'd recommend just looking up "D&D Dry Erase Mat"... you can find options in the $5 range that you could use repeatedly. I think it'd be better to invest in something like that off the bat instead of investing in better looking, but more expensive modular tiles.
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Echoing the point of the Starter Set and Essentials Kit, I'd also add that miniatures is not something to expect to be included in a catch-all bundle. That being said, the dry erase mat is a definite must for any party; you won't know what miniatures and scenery you prefer until you play some sessions. Some people prefer drawing, lego, minis from other games (eg. Warhammer), Dwarvenforge, or the primary D&D line of minis.
Also, it is incredibly endearing to cut out some paper, draw your character onto it, and fold it so it can stand on the mat. You will likely eventually get a mini or something and the simple imaginative beginnings will be guaranteed nostalgia.