Hi all!
We’re a family of three, my wife, my son (11M) and me. We would like to start playing “real” D&D, after trying a very simplified version we bought a couple years ago.
I’ve been playing “real” D&D with my friends many years ago, but only as a player, never as the DM. What I’m looking for is a set comprising a Player’s Handbook, a DM Handbook and Rules (?). I’m not really sure sure what else I would need to start… I’d be the DM and the player, at least at the beginning…
Can anyone point me towards a good starter pack, with the minimum needed books? Also, any additional suggestion would be welcome.
Thanks a lot in advance!
EDIT: Thanks to everybody! These have been very useful suggestions. I think we may start with the “Starter Set” (cheap, slightly more advanced than the one we’re using right now) and if the family enjoy it we may explore the “core rule set” afterwards. Hope my son may appreciate this kind of games, as a healtier alternative to phone/pc video games :-)
If you’re not married to playing 5e, Pathfinder has an amazing beginner box that slowly introduces the ruleset. Then you have the benefit of an open source system with the full srd online in an official source.
You already had good answers but I would like to add my two cents:
The “starter set” is the cheaper option (less than 20$). It has a small prewritten adventure, a set a prewritten characters of level 1 with backstory, and the basic rules you need for this adventure.
Good point for it: cheap, the bare minimum you need to dive directly in it, already contain an adventure so it’s easier for you as a new GM.
Bad point: it only contain a small subset of the rules, and will become “useless” if you decide to go further and buy the full books. Also, if your wife or kid do not like the pregen characters, you will not have the full rules related to character creation.
Then you have the core rule set already linked.
Good point: everything you need for a very long time, you will have all the rules to run anything you want. Other books are “only” going to add more options (spell, items, characters building options, ect).
Bad point: the price (120$), more information so it may be harder to digest everything and “get into it”. It does not contain pre written adventure. You will have to find one separate or make one yourself, there are some free options available.
On top of that you don’t need anything else exept pen and paper. Dice are of course greatly recommended, but you can start with some free phone app.
Dnd has the slimmed down Basic Rules for free. It should have enough to get started playing from a rules standpoint. They are also free low level characters online as well if you don’t want to make them yourself.
They don’t have an official free adventure but there are plenty out there. You can obviously make them and the basic rules have a DM section.
Obviously this is recommend for the cost. The starter set and essential kits are good as well. However, they do have a cost.
If you do decide to buy the full books the Player’s Handbook should be your priority. I’ve been playing on and off with friends for awhile now and its all we’ve ever needed. The others are great for designing adventures but not really required for playing, and I’ve been able to find any statblocks I need online easily. But when its time to create a character, level up, or lookup a spell the handbook is great to have around.
Buying the books may come, but probably at a later time, if my son enjoys the game. At the moment I don’t think the books would make much sense for him.
Totally fair, I started with the starter myself. I just know I put off buying the books for forever because I thought I needed all of them which would have been like $150, when really the PHB is 90% of the value (imo)
Hope you guys have fun in the realms!
Thanks, much appreciated :-)
