Dungeon Crawl: Beginner Adventurer’s Pack

A weekly article on how to play and enjoy Dungeons and Dragons

     Before I get into writing about how to build characters and develop backstories I feel like it would be a disservice not to mention and review some good beginner resources for you. For almost every edition of Dungeons and Dragons there has been a “Beginner’s Kit” of sorts and the 5^th edition kit is no different. This is likely available at your local comic book and game store, but some larger box stores have begun carrying this as well. Of course there is always the internet but I believe in supporting your local stores whenever you can.

Dungeons and Dragon starter set box art from dnd.wizards.com

Now I must give a warning to the greenhorn adventurer’s reading this, once you start down the path of buying sets, buying dice, acquiring miniatures, and cosplaying your characters, there is no turning back. Just look at what you get with a good beginner’s kit:

Starter Set contents from riddleroom.ca

The 64-page Dungeon Master Adventure Guide is designed for both new and experienced DM’s alike. If you have never been a Dungeon Master before then this kit is a good way to experience the rules, familiarize yourself with how the gameplay must go, and get experience telling story narratives that build worlds in the mind.

For the players there is included a 32-page Player’s Rulebook, and 5 pre-generated character sheets.  These combined will walk you through how to play, and how to grow your characters up to level 5.

Last but not lease in this set is a 6-dice set, which includes everything except the percentage die. The percentage die isn’t used often, but is included in most 7-dice sets you purchase and does have its uses that I will cover in a later article.

Beautiful blue marbled starter set dice from imgur.com

These items combined will help any part of 4-6 adventurers get their basic introduction and start into Dungeons and Dragons. When you are ready to take the next step in your adventure, I recommend the D&D Essentials Kit.

D&D Essentials Kit contents from dnd.wizards.com

I was really surprised when I opened the box and with everything it came with. There was an all new adventure book, spell cards, monster cards, and even cards for NPCs (Non-Player Characters). There was a nice 7-die set, initiative trackers, a Dungeon Master screen, and even a variant for 1-on-1 play. The player’s guide in this set would help you in setting up a basic character of your own. This is really a great set, and the dice that come with it are dice I carry with me in my briefcase should I get the inspiration for a new story.

My essential kit dice helping me create a character for an upcoming adventure

These are just some of the resources that are out there but both of these sets are currently on my shelf and often get referenced for new ideas or inspiration. In the coming articles I will be addressing how to build a character of your own, the pros and cons of what type of character you want to play, and I will even be building a character a long with you. Don’t forget to check out our partners at Metallic Dice Games and use promo code “GNN” to get 10% off your order. They have some amazing and beautiful dice and accessories as well.

Be sure to comment down below the type of character you play in Dungeons and Dragons, or the type of character you want to play. Also check out our Facebook page Geek News Now as we have tons of giveaways going on all the time, cool contests, awesome content, and some amazing videos. Also be sure to check this site out for news articles and all kinds of weekly content. I’ll see you next week right here on Geek News Now: Dungeon Crawl.