Starting Equipment for New Players

Every Table-Top Role Playing Game (TTRPG) Player has been there. You get introduced to a new game, likely at the invitation of a friend, family member, or co-worker, they let you borrow a set of polyhedral dice and helped you to fill out your character sheet for an exciting one-shot or introductory session, maybe even a chance to watch their own campaign in action! Now, after having an absolute blast, you have the itch to join and do more… but where do you start?

Like our characters for such games, it helps to have starting equipment. There’s plenty of free content and downloads available on the web and you could always ask to borrow some materials from more seasoned players, but if you are anything like me, you do your best when given the proper tools for the job.

Related: Board Games for New TTRPG Players

This is a comprehensive list of starting equipment we recommend for new ttrpg players looking to take their first steps into the world of Table-Top Gaming with Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Starfinder, and Cyberpunk Red. (Be sure to click on the item title to order your very own!)

General Equipment

Polyhedral Dice Sets: A polyhedral die is “any die that has multiple faces, all of which are equal in size to each other.” Technically all dice are some kind of polyhedral dice. The most common piece is the six-sided die found in common board games. Most table-top role-playing games require the use of several dice with varying numbers of sides including d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and the iconics d20.

Dice Tray: A Dice Tray helps to keep your dice on the table and protects the playing surface from dents and scrapes.

Character/Game Journal: Are you tired of flipping through unorganized character sheets? Are you a new player and don’t know what you need for that first session? This Character Journal has got you covered! Keep track of your adventures in one streamlined notebook! This journal is primarily designed for players and it includes detailed character sheets with some features that are often overlooked (carrying capacity, jumping distance etc.)

Related: Port of Entry – Session 0

Game-Specific

Dungeons & Dragons

Players Handbook by Wizards of the Coast: The Player’s Handbook is the essential reference for every Dungeons & Dragons roleplayer. It contains rules for character creation and advancement, backgrounds and skills, exploration and combat, equipment, spells, and much more. Use this book to create characters from among the most iconic D&D races and classes.

Monster Manual by Wizards of the Coast: The Monster Manual teaches you how to how to fill your Dungeons & Dragons games with monsters—how to populate the game with pesky goblins and mighty dragons for players to battle or beguile, outwit or outrun. Inside the Monster Manual, you’ll find more than 150 classic D&D creatures, with vivid illustrations and rich descriptions to help breathe life into your zombies and liches.

Dungeon Masters Guide by Wizards of the Coast: It’s good to be the Dungeon Master! Not only do you get to tell fantastic stories about heroes, villains, monsters, and magic, but you also get to create the world in which these stories live. Whether you’re running a D&D game already or you think it’s something you want to try, this book is for you. Inside you’ll find world-building advice, tips and tricks for creating memorable dungeons and adventures, optional game rules, hundreds of classic D&D magic items, and many other tools to help you be a great Dungeon Master.

Dungeons and Dragons Starter Set (5th Edition) by Wizards of the Coast: DnD Starter Set: a perfect gift for beginners. The material is easy to follow and understand. For the more experienced players, the Lost Mines of Phandelver adventure is certainly a good pick. This is a quality DnD Starter Kit that you can mine for a lot of great materials.

Pathfinder

Pathfinder Core Rulebook by Paizo: This comprehensive 640-page guide to the Pathfinder roleplaying game provides everything you need to set out on a world of limitless fantasy adventure! Choose from ancestries like elf, human, and goblin and classes like alchemist, fighter, and sorcerer to create a hero of your own design destined to become a legend!

Starfinder

Starfinder Beginner Box by Paizo: The Starfinder Beginner Box has everything you need to get started. A 96-page Heroes’ Handbook, detailing character creation and general rules for playing the game, plus a short solo adventure. A 96-page Game Master’s Guide containing an adventure, alien adversaries, and advice on how to create your own science fantasy tales.

Cyberpunk Red

Cyberpunk Red Jumpstart Kit by Talsorian Games: Cyberpunk Red is supported by a range of accessories, including miniatures and dice. All content is canon with the original Cyberpunk 2020 and CD Projekt Red’s highly anticipated video game, Cyberpunk 2077.

Related: Keeping it Comfortable at the Table

There you have it! We hope you have a great time adventuring and as you go about your own journey be sure to share what other equipment you would recommend for beginners!

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