Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set: Heroes of the Borderlands, 3 Adventures

The easiest way to get a new group playing D&D

Heroes of the Borderlands is the official Dungeons & Dragons starter set, and its whole design aims at removing the barriers that stop new tables from forming. Instead of asking one person to read a thick rulebook before game night, the box gives you a quick-start guide, speedy character creation and components that teach the rules as you use them. If nobody at your table has rolled a d20 before, this is where we would start.

Built for hour-long sessions

The listing describes the game as playable in bite-sized, hour-long sessions. That matters more than it sounds. Plenty of first campaigns fizzle out because scheduling a four-hour evening is hard, especially with kids or busy adults in the group. An hour fits between dinner and bedtime, which makes it realistic to play every week and actually reach the end of the story.

Three booklets, three kinds of play

Three adventure booklets supply dozens of encounters that mix combat, social interaction and exploration. The box frames this around player choice: you can fight the goblin, try to reason with it or sneak past it undetected. That variety is a quiet teaching tool. Players learn early that swinging a sword is only one option, and the Dungeon Master gets practice running every side of the game rather than just fights.

What is in the box

• Character class boards in place of a blank character sheet
• Three adventure booklets, each a set of short encounters
• Dice, maps and tokens to show where everyone stands
• Cards for magic items, spells, monsters and more
• Immersive handouts to pass around the table
• A combat tracker and a handy quick-start guide

Why it ranks first

Compared with the other five products, it pairs the lowest barrier to entry with one of the broadest component lists. The Pathfinder Beginner Box offers more reading, and the Hellfire Club set adds a screen, but neither is as clearly organised around getting complete newcomers playing in minutes. Cards and class boards also mean fewer rules lookups during a session, which keeps the pace up for younger players and nervous first-time Dungeon Masters alike. It is also the neutral fantasy option, with no licensed theme that some players might not care about.

Who it is for

Families, friend groups trying D&D for the first time and anyone who wants to run a game without studying first. Experienced players can enjoy it as a light side campaign or a way to introduce a partner or child to the hobby. If your group already plays long weekly sessions and wants deep character options, the 2024 core rulebooks will serve you better than any boxed set.

Popular alternative: D&D Young Adventurer's Collection Box Set 1, Four Illustrated Books. Browse our full range of d&d starter sets.

• Size: 12