This New Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set Helps Beginners Explore the Realms of D&D

The idea of a starter set, a box that includes everything a group needs to try out the legendary tabletop roleplaying game, isn't new, but this brand-new set changes up the formula a bit to help make the onboarding and learning process even more welcoming. To that end, Heroes of the Borderlands forgoes the more traditional character sheets for a character board that has slots for cards. These cards cover the various backgrounds, species, spells, equipment, magic items, and more for their character, removing the need to manually write them down or scour through a book to find.

The goodies included aren't just tailored to new players, though. It comes with plenty of tools and items to make the process smooth for new game masters, too. The included adventure booklets are built to highlight a particular adventure style, be it combat, exploration, or roleplaying. It also comes with maps and a combat tracker to ease new storytellers into their important role.

One particularly neat thing about this starter set is its connection to the legacy of Dungeons & Dragons itself. The area known as the Borderlands was first introduced all the way back in 1979 with the adventure module, "The Keep on the Borderlands". This adventure was design and included in early iterations of the game's starter sets, referred to as the Basic Set, so this release almost feels like the game is coming home.

Dungeons & Dragons – Starter Set: Heroes of The Borderlands releases on September 16, 2025 for a retail price of $49.99. Preorders have also gone live for a Stranger Things-themed set ahead of the Netflix series' final season.

Scott White is a freelance contributor to IGN, assisting with tabletop games and guide coverage. Follow him on X/Twitter or Bluesky.