Welcome to the Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition Roleplaying Game
If you're brand new to the D&D RPG, you may be wondering where and how to get started. Below is a helpful guide to D&D products and resources, as well as where to find opportunities to play the game.
The First Step
Check out the "
New to D&D" section of the Dungeons & Dragons website!
The Red Box - If you are just getting started with Dungeons & Dragons, this is the ideal set to begin your adventures.
What you may be wondering is: what happens next? What products do I pick up after the Red Box to continue my adventures?
D&D Essentials for Players
Rules Compendium - A comprehensive guide to the rules of the Dungeons & Dragons RPG. Highly portable and an indispenable reference during game play.
Wondering just what races and classes are in the "Heroes of" books?
Heroes of the Fallen Lands
Spoiler:
Show
Races
- Dwarf
- Eladrin
- Elf
- Halfling
- Human
Classes
- Cleric (Warpriest) - Divine Leader
- Fighter (Knight) - Martial Defender
- Fighter (Slayer) - Martial Striker
- Rogue (Thief) - Martial Striker
- Wizard (Mage) - Arcane Controller
Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms
Spoiler:
Show
Races
- Dragonborn
- Drow
- Half-Elf
- Half-Orc
- Human
- Tiefling
Classes
- Druid (Sentinel) - Primal Leader
- Paladin (Cavalier) - Divine Defender
- Ranger (Hunter) - Martial and Primal Controller
- Ranger (Scout) - Martial and Primal Striker
- Warlock (Hexblade) - Arcane Striker
At this point you may be wondering: But what if I want to run the game? What if I want to take on the most challenging role in the game? What if I want to be the Dungeon Master?
D&D Essentials for Dungeon Masters
Dungeon Master's Kit - Book, tokens, maps, adventures, screen, this box is packed with goodies for the Dungeon Master. The adventures contained within, Reavers of Harkenwold Part 1: The Iron Circle and Reavers of Harkenwold Part 2: The Die is Cast serve as a followup to the adventure in the Red Box and take
player characters from level 2 to level 4.
Monster Vault - Another box set packed full of goodies,
Monster Vault includes a book full of critters, monster tokens, a poster map, and an adventure for 4th level characters, Cairn of the Winter King, which can follow directly on the heels of the adventures in the DM's Kit.
Dungeon Tiles Master Sets:
The Dungeon,
The City, and
The Wilderness - Sturdy cardboard tiles of all shapes and sizes to help you visualize your adventure and provide a battleground for your player characters and monsters.
Is that it, you may be asking yourself? Is that all there is?
Beyond Essentials
Since debuting in June of 2008, D&D 4th Edition has built up an immense library of core rulebooks, supplements, and adventures. Here's a quick rundown.
Core Rulebooks
These books provide more race and class options to create player characters (Player's Handbooks), rules, hints, tips, and tools to run the game (Dungeon Master's Guides), and collections of creatures to pit your heroes against (Monster Manuals).
Supplements
These books provide even more options for your campaigns and characters from new equipment and gear for your heroes (Adventurer's Vaults) to new powers and builds (Power books, Heroes of Shadow) to in depth lore and options for creatures (Draconomicons, Open Grave) to setting options (Underdark, The Shadowfell).
Accessories
The perfect tools to augment your game from a sturdy screen to hide your DM notes and rolls to Dungeon Tiles to plan out and play your encounters to Fortune Cards to give your characters that extra boost they need.
Adventures
Ready to play adventures and scenarios for your group. The H, P, and E series of adventures provide a full campaign from levels 1-30. Hammerfast and Vor Rukoth each provide a full adventure setting that DMs can use in their own campaigns. Finally, Madness at Gardmore Abbey, Revenge of the Giants, and Tomb of Horrors are massive "super" adventures that provide many levels worth of exciting play.
Settings
These books provide entire worlds for you and your group to explore and make your own. From the classic sword and sorcery of the Forgotten Realms to the burnt desert world of Dark Sun to the high fantasy of Eberron. And if you need a break from fantasy, you can explore the zany post-apocalyptic Gamma World.
Whoa! Slow down, that's a lot of stuff! Are there any online tools to help me manage it all?
D&D Insider
Dungeons & Dragons Insider is a monthly subscription service that provides you with a plethora of online tools and new content for your games via Dragon and Dungeon Magazines.
Ok, so I have the products and played with the online tools...where do I actually find people to play this game?
D&D In-Store Play
Play D&D at your local game store every Wednesday night with
D&D Encounters.
You can earn rewards and, if you use Twitter, you can get special buffs during the game session by following the @Wizards_DnD Twitter channel.
Ready to take off the beginner gloves and face a real challenge? Check out
D&D Lair Assault, another in store program like Encounters that pits your heroes against some of the most devious, challenging encounters we can come up with. Plus, you can earn badges for your D&D Community profile.
Hmm, you know, roleplaying is fun and all, but what if I want to get my D&D fix with a board game or video game?
D&D Board Games
The D&D brand includes several exciting board games.
D&D Video Games
Want to get a taste of D&D on your computer or favorite game console?
Be a Part of D&D's Future
Sign up for the open playtest of the next iteration of Dungeons & Dragons!
