DD wants Dungeons and Dragons for Christmas.

[DannyOD]

There is so much stuff involved. Anyone got any advice on what is a good starter set? Thanks

according to google, this is the best starter set x

Excellent thank you!!

All a player needs is the player's handbook. Dice sets are gorgeous but can use dice apps instead. The other stuff is for the Dungeon Master (DM) who actually runs the game.

Hardest bit is finding a game for new players. If you're lucky with teachers there might be an after school club to learn the basics.

Best bet is to pop into comic book shop or games section of bigger book shops. They'll have the books (& oodles of beautiful dice) and contact details for local games.

The good thing is that dice, spell cards, nice notebooks, rolling trays, etc will keep her sorted for gifts & stocking fillers for ever. D&D players can never have too many dice!

www.thethornlessrose.co.uk/product-page/adventurer-bundle-mandala fir example.

Lots of lovely gaming cafes are around. If you ring one of those then they'll be super helpful in what's best.
Equally if you're near one then it's well worth a visit as lots have different games on with a host teaching you to play.

Ooh. I need a present for a 14yo D&D playing boy, about £10-15 ish, but I have no idea what kit he does and doesn’t have. Any suggestions?

I believe there’s different editions. So if she’s playing with friends make sure it’s the same edition that her friends have. Dd plays a lot and I’m sure a friend recently had to get new stuff so he could play with dd and the others. He had 6th edition and they were all on 7th.

If your daughter saw it on Stranger Things this is a good one: thirstymeeples.co.uk/products/dungeons-dragons-rpg-netflix-stranger-things-starter-set-pre-order?variant=27562113269783&currency=GBP&utm_campaign=gs-2018-10-08&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign

If not then any of the starter sets really :) I am very into gaming but not hugely into D&D due to the time it takes and finding other players, but it's a great hobby to get in to, and lots going on- hope your DD enjoys it!

Hi feel free to message me. My OH is a dungeon master and as I write this I am upstairs locked away as he is finishing up a 10 hour campaign downstairs! :)

DS managed to play for the first year with just this book and an inexpensive set of dice.
Character sheets can be printed off the internet.

What about starting with something like Pathfinder - it's not strictly D&D but good for beginners and a bit lighter

If they like stranger things there's a box set from that, it includes basic 5th ed (current) rules, premade character sheets and the Thessalhydra campaign, two Demogorgon figures and a set of polyhedral dice. If they enjoy it you can print blank character sheets and use the basic rules for further stuff. Eventually you'd need more books and stuff if he likes it.

@EgremontRusset

Dice.

They always love more dice. Can't get enough dice. And bags to put the dice in. All the dice.

Did I mention dice?

He had 6th edition and they were all on 7th.

Are you posting from the future?

Ok, I might have got the editions wrong but the point is the same.

The first thing to know is that this is a game that needs a group of friends to play together. I'd first check with any local games stores or boardgames cafes and see what they have going on that he can join in with.

Also, it may be that he already knows what he needs and wants. It might be one other Christmas presents that you just let him tell you. When I was a kid I can't count the number of times when my parents tried to keep it a secret but ended up buying the wrong thing.

But it's a great sign that they're interested in Dungeons & Dragons. It's a fantastic way to develop imagination, interpersonal and problem solving skills.

The version you want to look at is 5e or fifth edition.

How serious are you wanting to get involved with it? My group of friends have a few campaigns currently running and can take many many sessions / months to come to a conclusion.. we all get killed usually.

Most starter sets are aimed at very short games and basically just a taster. If you're serious about getting into it I can ask one of my DMs (Dungeon Master) to compile a list of the real basic essentials that I can forward to you. However, you are talking about £25 each for DM guide and a players handbook. Both are key components for the full experience.

There's a few starter sets out there, these are three really nice sets, which will be great intros, and they all include a campaign, rules, character sheets, and dice, which is all you really need. Once they've started playing with this, then the amount of stuff you can get is endless, but the only thing they'd really need is a player's handbook. It's the joy of d&d is that you can play it with very little, but if also, there's loads out there, that are great gifts as well
Dungeons & Dragons Essentials Kit www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0786966831/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_tINMDb8873JZ5?tag=mumsnetforu03-21
Dungeons & Dragons Starter Kit: 1 www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0786965592/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_7INMDb3N6KBKY?tag=mumsnetforu03-21
Hasbro HASE3702 Stranger Things Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set, Multicoloured www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07PMSDGSP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_qJNMDbW8984RQ?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Hi there. The current edition is 5th edition and won't be replaced for years.

What you need is the D&D Essentials box, as per the first reply.

It contains everything needed to play the game up to seventh level. It contains dice, rulebook, pre-written adventures and a host of other resources, such as a Dungeon Master's screen.

The reason this would be a better choice than the original starter set is that the adventure Icespire Peak is much easier for someone new to the game to run than the Lost Mines of Phandalin.

D&D Essentials is a great starting point, has enough content to keep playing for many sessions (and indefinitely if they start to create their own low-level adventures).

It is also cheap at £20.

If she already has a group to play it with, they know what they're doing and someone else is running the game, all she needs is the Players Handbook and a set of dice. :) If she's new to it and wants to play it with friends who are new to the hobby as well then one of the starter kits as the previous posters have mentioned is a better idea!

Following this with interest. My DS got a beginner set last year and hasn't played as none of his friends are interested. (If it's not a computer game they don't want to know). Great tip to see if there are any groups.

I’ve enjoyed reading this thread. Don’t know diddly squat about Dungeons and Dragons so it’s like you are all speaking a different and exciting language!

You to joining an existing play group if she hasn't already.

Learning it in her own will be daunting.

Plus you need commitments from other players and a good DM. So unless she knows how to DM or knows someone that can, it will be a bit of a waste.

Joining a group and getting her the players handbook and some dice would be good. You can get all sorts of amazing designs :)

What about starting with something like Pathfinder - it's not strictly D&D but good for beginners and a bit lighter

Hahahahahahaha. Good one!

If your daughter has previous experience, get her the 5E core rule book. If not, get her the starter kit then start collecting the books. Also look out for humblebundle, they sometimes have RPG bundles available - not necessarily DND though - I got like 20 digital copies of Pathfinder books for less than a tenner.

DS plays D&D. He has the books but really you can get started with very little. As long as someone else is acting as DM and has the books and guides, you just need yourself! DS has got a few bits and pieces now, but he and his friends have sort of cobbled it together as they went along.