Dungeons & Dragons has a new starter set for RPG beginners
Including a new adventure.
Update:This article previously stated that Spelljammer was originally released for D&D 3E. However, this has since been corrected to D&D 3E.
A new starter set for the tabletop roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons is set to be released later this year.
Announced during the 2022 D&D Direct livestream, the new starter set for the fantasy TRPG will reportedly be different from the original D&D 5E Starter Set, offering players a more “streamlined and easier to understand” experience. The fresh starter set will contain everything players and dungeon masters need to begin their journey through the world of D&D 5E - including a 32-page book containing basic rules that will take players from first level to third, five pre-generated character sheets and a set of polyhedral dice. During the D&D Direct livestream it was mentioned that the new starter set would also feature “digital aspects”, though it’s yet to be confirmed exactly what these will be.
Alongside the rules, character sheets and dice featured in the upcoming RPG starter set, a new adventure – called Dragons of Stormwreck Isle – will be included as well. The adventure will see first level player characters getting wrapped up in a war between rival dragons as they discover the secrets of a mysterious island.
The original starter set released for Dungeons & Dragons 5E features a rulebook designed to take player characters up to fifth level, as well as five pre-generated character sheets and a dice set. A beginner adventure called The Lost Mine of Phandelver is included in the original starter set, with the story taking players to the town of Phandelver in the icy regions of Neverwinter in order to unravel the mysteries found therein.
Besides the new starter set for the tabletop roleplaying game, the return of the Spelljammer setting – originally released for D&D 2E – was also announced. Dungeons & Dragons 5E players and DMs will be introduced to the sci-fi fantasy world of Spacejammer through a new collection, called Adventures in Space, which will contain three separate books. The Astral Adventurer’s Guide will feature everything needed to both run and play sessions within the setting, including a selection of playable character species such as humanoid insects and hippo-headed beings. Boo’s Astral Menagerie contains a bestiary of all the creatures and characters that call the Astral Ocean their home. The third book is an adventure called Light of Xaryxis, which is designed for fifth level characters and will take place over 12 episodes.
Another big announcement made during the 2022 D&D Direct livestream was the release of a new campaign book based on the beloved Dragonlance series of D&D novels. Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen will provide DMs and players with an original story set during the War of the Lance, which is the main focus of the Dragonlance Chronicles Trilogy. A miniatures wargame also based on the book series – called Dragonlance: Warriors of Krynn – was revealed alongside Shadow of the Dragon Queen.
The new starter set for D&D 5E will be released as a Target exclusive first on August 1st, before receiving a wider release on October 4th.