Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set
TSR, Inc. published four starter sets for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons between 1994 and 1999. Shannon Appelcline noted that by 1993 the Basic D&D line ended and was replaced by games such as Dragon Quest in 1992 and DragonStrike in 1993. There was another abrupt change the next year when TSR put out First Quest in 1994 by Richard Baker, Zeb Cook, and Bruce Nesmith. It was an introductory AD&D game with an example of play on a CD. After two years of introductory board games, the company was now back to introductory roleplaying, though no longer under the Basic D&D brand. In 1995, this starter set was re-released with new artwork and re-titled as the Introduction to Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Game. The main difference in this new edition was that it included The Book of Lairs and did not include an audio CD. Wizards of the Coast bought TSR, Inc. in 1997 and in 1999 they published the last starter set for the 2nd edition, the Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game. This set also included dice, a dice bag and pre-generated characters but did not include an audio CD.
In 2000, the 3rd Edition version of the Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game was released. It included a 32-page rulebook, a 48-page adventure book, 32 pages of reference, a map, two pages of tokens and a Read This First sheet. After the revision to 3rd Edition known as v3.5 was published in 2003, three more starter sets were published. In 2004, the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Game was published as a simplified version of game in the form of a board game that was compatible with the full version of v3.5. It was known as the Black Dragon Edition due to the black dragon on its cover. Similar to the 3rd Edition starter set, this set included quick start rules, a full rulebook, and an adventure but it also included 16 painted plastic miniatures, double-sided map tiles, and a set of dice. Then in 2006, a new edition of the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Game was released. It was known as the Blue Dragon Edition due to the blue dragon on its cover. The characters, the content of the adventure, and the miniatures were almost entirely different from the 2004 edition. In 2007, Wizards of the Coast published the Dungeons & Dragons Player's Kit. This starter set was advertised as a sequel to the Basic Game of 2006.
Following the release of the new 4th Edition Player's Handbook, Monster Manual, and Dungeon Master's Guide in June 2008, the Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Starter Set was released on the 21st of October 2008. This box set included an introductory version of the 4th Edition rules including a 16-page Quick Start Rules booklet and a 64-page Dungeon Master's Book. It contained dice, three sheets of double-sided map tiles, 50 tokens to represent characters and monsters and an adventure module called Beneath the Village of Harken. The 2008 Starter Set was referred to as the Blue box edition due to its cover. A PDF version of these Quick Start Rules was made available for free download. This new Starter Set was released on the 7th of September 2010. The box set included two booklets including a 32-page book for players and a 64-page book for Dungeon Masters. It also included two adventures one designed for solo-play and one designed for group play called The Twisting Halls. The 2010 Starter Set was referred to as the Red box edition.
Unlike the 4th Edition Starter Set of 2008, the 5th Edition Starter Set was released on the 15th of July 2014 before the new core three rulebooks were released between August and December 2014. It included a 32-page rulebook for playing characters level 1 through 5, a 64-page adventure module called Lost Mine of Phandelver, five pre-generated characters and dice. Lost Mine of Phandelver is set in and around the village of Phandalin which is a region in the Forgotten Realms. The Starter Set won Best Supplement in the 2014 Golden Geek Awards. In the 2015 ENnie Awards, the Starter Set was the gold winner of Best Production Values and Best Family Game. Bloomberg reported that in 2014, the Starter Set in North America sold 126,870 units. While unit sales decreased in 2015, unit sales started to increase again in 2016. In 2018, 306,670 units were sold in North America.
Stranger Things Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Starter Set was released on the 1st of May 2019. This box set includes a Stranger Things themed adventure called Hunt for the Thessalhydra that was seen in the first season of the Netflix show. It also includes a set of dice and two exclusive miniatures of the Demogorgon one painted and one unpainted. Tabletop Gaming reported that the box itself is modelled on the RPG's iconic Red Box released in the early 1980s and comes with the impression of hours of love in the form of readymade scuffs, creases and tears. A new boxed set titled Stranger Things: Welcome to the Hellfire Club is scheduled for release in October 2025. It will feature four adventure modules with each module corresponding to a single season of Stranger Things along with five pre-generated character sheets across three levels of play. Dungeons & Dragons vs. Rick and Morty was released on the 19th of November 2019. This box set includes a Rick and Morty themed adventure called The Lost Dungeon Of Rickedness Big Rick Energy.
In May 2019, the Dungeons & Dragons Essentials Kit was announced during D&D Live 2019: The Descent on a Twitch live stream by Wizards of the Coast and was released on the 3rd of September 2019. It contains a 64-page rulebook with new rules on creating characters, a new adventure titled Dragon of Icespire Peak, dice, character sheets, and 81 cards describing game mechanics. The Essentials Kit also includes a code that unlocks the Essentials Kit Bundle on D&D Beyond at no extra cost. This bundle consists of the included Dragon of Icespire Peak adventure level 1 through 6 as well as 3 digital-only supplementary adventures written by Wizards of the Coast including Storm Lord's Wrath level 7 through 9, Sleeping Dragon's Wake level 9 through 11, and Divine Contention level 11 through 13. Brandin Tyrrel for IGN reported that the adventure location is the same as the first 5th Edition Starter Set so both adventures can be played together. In April 2022, the Starter Set: Dragons of Stomwreck Isle was announced at the D&D Direct livestream event and it was released on the 31st of July 2022.
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Common questions
When was the Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set first published by TSR, Inc.?
TSR, Inc. published four starter sets for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons between 1994 and 1999. The company released First Quest in 1994 as an introductory AD&D game with an example of play on a CD.
What contents are included in the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition Starter Set released in July 2014?
The Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition Starter Set released on the 15th of July 2014 includes a 32-page rulebook for playing characters level 1 through 5, a 64-page adventure module called Lost Mine of Phandelver, five pre-generated characters and dice. This set is set in and around the village of Phandalin which is a region in the Forgotten Realms.
How many units did the Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set sell in North America during 2018?
In 2018, 306,670 units were sold in North America for the Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set. Unit sales had decreased in 2015 but started to increase again in 2016 before reaching that figure.
When was the Stranger Things Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Starter Set released?
Stranger Things Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Starter Set was released on the 1st of May 2019. This box set includes a Stranger Things themed adventure called Hunt for the Thessalhydra that was seen in the first season of the Netflix show.
What items are included in the Dungeons & Dragons Essentials Kit announced in May 2019?
The Dungeons & Dragons Essentials Kit released on the 3rd of September 2019 contains a 64-page rulebook with new rules on creating characters, a new adventure titled Dragon of Icespire Peak, dice, character sheets, and 81 cards describing game mechanics. It also includes a code that unlocks the Essentials Kit Bundle on D&D Beyond at no extra cost.