Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set: Heroes on the Borderlands Review

The latest starter set for DnD 5th edition includes updates from the 2024 Revised Core Rulebooks. There are a lot of board game elements in the box to help new players learn how to play Dungeons and Dragons. This includes pre-printed maps, tokens for monsters, cards for NPCs and more. The included adventure is for one to four characters plus one Dungeon Master.

DnD Starter Set Heroes on the Borderlands Description:

Heroes on the Borderlands contains contains a quick-start guide, a play guide reference booklet, three adventure booklets, eight player class boards (for Fighter, Cleric, Wizard, and Rogue), over 200 game cards, 11 dice, over 20 poster maps, and over 200 tokens (including monsters, resources, and terrain). It also includes a combat tracker and in-world handouts to help immerse players into the world.

Creating a Player Character (PC) is done by selecting one of the player boards, choosing a species and background card, and then gathering the equipment and spell cards you might need. You place any power tokens that are removed when you use your PCs abilities. And you get hit point tokens equal to your starting health and gold tokens equal to your starting gold.

The quick-start guide walks you through unboxing things and who needs to read what. There is a QR code that links to a couple intro videos by Becca Scott. These give players an idea what to expect and the basics of how to play Dungeons and Dragons. For more information PCs can use the play guide to help them.

The Dungeon Master (DM) and players can choose which adventure book to start with but it is suggested newcomers start with the Wilderness booklet. It has a series of encounters that highlight different aspects of the game like meeting an NPC, exploring regions and combat. You can use the included maps and tokens or try theater of the mind but again newcomers might find the physical representation helpful. Any items or cards the DM needs are listed in the scenario booklet.

This starter set uses milestone experience which means you level up at certain parts of the campaign. When you level up you simply flip your playboard over and place any additional cards or tokens as necessary. There is enough adventure material to get your PCs to 3rd level.

Dungeons and Dragons Heroes on the Borderlands Review:

Heroes on the Borderlands is a starter set for the Dungeons and Dragons that features the updated 2024 rules. It is different than previous starter sets as it includes a lot of helper elements and items you’d find in board games. In fact this starter set is listed and sold as a board game.

There is a lot to like about this starter set. The quick character creation is better than pregenerated characters. Most new players will appreciate the choices they can make but won’t be overwhelmed starting from scratch.

The NPC and monster cards look great and have useful information on them. These give DMs something to show players when they encounter an NPC or monster. It has a brief description of the NPC’s ways they might talk and what they might know or say.

All the maps and tokens you get help your group see combat and encounters. They look great and you can use them for other adventures. Miniatures are great but can be expensive. Having these maps, tokens, and standees is a nice jump start.

Some other nice to have items are the player aid which details what players may do one their turn. And the combat tracker. It reminds me of the initiative tracker in Roll20 but with even more helpful information.

Not everything is perfect though. Though character creation is streamlined you may only have one PC of each class in your party. If two players want to be wizards, too bad.

Another small nitpick is the cards having the monster/NPC name on the side with the art. It is less of an issue for NPCs, but for monsters you lose some of the mystery and discovery of encounters. This is especially true for new players. It is awesome being able to show them the scary thing they see, but I would like to retain the unknown aspect of what it is.

You might be wondering who should buy Heroes on the Borderlands. It’s a great question. Obviously anyone interested in trying out Dungeons and Dragons for the first time. This is an excellent introduction to the game and how to play it. It also might make sense for newer groups or DMs that would like the maps, tokens, and other elements to include in their games. If you are a veteran DM or experienced group there is probably less in this starter set for you.