Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of the Borderlands Starter Set is a brilliant starting point to get into the TTRPG hobby

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One of the things I love about tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons is how much freedom you get. Seriously, if you can *think* it, you can usually try it! I once had a plan where I made my bear familiar glow and look like it was on fire, which totally enraged it and sent it barreling through a door to scare some Kobolds who were having lunch – it was a pretty clever move, if I do say so myself! But all that freedom can be a little daunting if you’re new to the genre, which is why starter sets are so important. And honestly, the new Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of the Borderlands Starter Set is one of the best I’ve seen at getting people into the game. It’s a fantastic box for newcomers, and I highly recommend it.

Contents:

  • 3 adventure booklets
  • 8 character class boards featuring iconic D&D classes
  • 1 quick-start guide
  • Reference booklet
  • 5 in-world immersive handouts (including a tavern menu and shop catalogs)
  • 9 double-sided poster maps
  • a combat tracker
  • 11 dice
  • 210 game cards (including spells, magic items, and equipment)
  • 273 tokens (including monsters, terrain, and resources).

Like most TTRPG starter sets available, Heroes of the Borderlands includes everything a group of five players (1 game master and 4 players) needs to begin their adventures. You’ll find attractive maps, plenty of tokens for monsters, players, and gold, a helpful guide to gameplay, three separate introductory adventures, everything required for character creation, and, crucially, a set of dice. For $49.99, the box offers a substantial amount of content, and it’s all of very good quality – the tokens, in particular, have a lovely shine. However, what really impressed me about this set is its approach to character creation and item management.
Character creation is often a lengthy but enjoyable part of a TTRPG experience, and many starter sets offer a mix of pre-generated character sheets allowing players to choose roles that create a balanced group: a durable character to absorb damage, a stealthy character skilled at lockpicking, a powerful but fragile magic user, and so on. Borderlands also provides these options, but this new set offers significantly more flexibility, thanks to the many cards included.

These cards are designed to be easy to understand and show off all the tools players have at their disposal – weapons, armor, spells, abilities, and more – which they place on their character board. This helps players feel more connected to their character and what they can accomplish. For example, weapons clearly display the dice roll and any modifiers needed to calculate damage directly on the card. Armor shows exactly how much it increases your defense. Spells even include spaces for tokens, acting as a physical representation of spell slots. By putting this information directly on the cards, instead of requiring players to search through rulebooks or character sheets, it significantly reduces confusion and frustration for those new to the game.

This change to using cards applies to many game elements, like monsters and non-player characters. Players also receive helpful cards outlining the actions they can take each turn. This isn’t a completely new idea; many large campaign RPG board games employ a similar card-based system, such as Divinity Original Sin, Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era, and Gloom/Frosthaven. Even Dungeons & Dragons now features card versions of magic items and equipment for use in campaigns. As someone used to searching through numerous rulebooks for stats, I find these cards incredibly useful, and it’s a smart decision by Wizards to include them in this starter set. It really streamlines gameplay and makes finding information much easier. This is a welcome addition for both new and experienced players.

Beyond the actual gameplay, I really appreciate how the Heroes of the Borderlands set encourages players to share the role of Dungeon Master. Each adventure and its extra materials are great for both learning to play as a character and for those who are running the game. The three quests aren’t too lengthy and give the person running the game enough information to feel prepared, while still leaving room for fun role-playing and improvisation – and that’s really where the joy of tabletop RPGs lies.
Despite costing more than twice the price of the previous Starter Set, Heroes of the Borderlands offers a lot of value and a generally better experience for new players. I’m hoping Wizards of the Coast continues to develop the card-based character sheet idea, maybe even creating dual-layered player boards and additional card decks for future books.

As a big fan, I just wanted to let you know you can get the Heroes of the Borderlands Starter Set for $49.99! I found it on Amazon, but it’s also available at your local game shop if you prefer to support them directly.

RPGSite was provided a review copy of this Starter Set to cover.

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2025-09-30 18:57