D&D 5E 5E boxed sets.

[Stormonu]

I started my 5E journey with the Starter box, added in the SRD. The starter set, to me, was really, really good and has enough for at least a month of play, if not more. About midway through the Mines of Phandelver I went and got the hardback books - first PHB, next month the MM, then finally the DMG. The hardbacks are extremely cheap on Amazon, even moreso if you're willing to buy used.

I have bought, but haven't used the Essentials set.

 

[Azzy]

The adventure in the Starter set is definitely superior to that in the Essentials set. However, the Starter set doesn't contain rules for character creation (whereas the Essentials set does). That's easily to ameliorate since the basic rules and SRD are avilable online for free (as others have said).

 

[bedir than]

The Netflix show boxed set is for Stranger Things. The adventure in it is fine. I've run it and enjoyed it. Some of its presentation is as if a lower-age teen wrote it. There's some touching on stuff from the show. BUT only get it if you love Stranger Things.

Otherwise go for Starter Set if you want the better adventure or Essentials if you are more into character creation and telling your own tales.

 

[ccs]

That gives me an interesting idea: Each of us gets a different boxed set, that way we get both modules! With what you said about Essential's module, that may work out real well.

We're both long time D&D players- he's just wanting to get into the new edition via the ground floor. Quick n easy! Plus, he lost all his dice a couple of moves ago, lol.

Do that.

Personally I liked the Essentials adventure a bit more than the Starter one.

 

[QuentinGeorge]

Since it's a possibility, I think getting one each is a good compromise. Combined, the two box sets give you a pretty good "basic" games which you can supplement with the free basic rules.

 

[jeffh]

So far most people are comparing the two "main" ones that are designed to give a mainstream D&D experience. Anyone in a position to say how the Stranger Things one compares? That was also passingly mentioned in the OP.

(There's actually a fourth one, as someone also mentioned. However, I don't know about OP but I, for one, have less than zero interest in the Rick & Morty one...)

 

[aco175]

There is also a dozen adventures that take place in and around the Phandalin town from the box sets that are on DMsGuild. Most are free or a buck or two. This could expand the box set for another campaign or add to the box set.

 

[Gorg]

I ended up making a run to the game store, and got myself both, lol. Couldn't decide, so I took option C.

I like how they did the pregen characters, with the rules for levelling them up on the back. Can't get much easier than that! The rule pamphlet is essentially the most important pages of the PHB assembled into a booklet, with descriptions of spells and items added on. It looks a bit flimsy, but really drives the point home what an elegantly simple system this is.

I did not dive into the adventure, just in case HE is the DM. I want the full experience of playing an unknown adventure!

Essentials is not only more complete, but the books were better put together, with actual covers. I also liked how the dice set has 4d6, 2d20, and a 10s D10, along with the complete 6 pc set. Plus the poster map, and the DM's screen.

The character creation options are, of course, abbreviated- there's only 2 domains and 2 Arcane traditions to pick from, for instance. The spell list is likewise streamlined. Between the two, there's a pretty good selection of monsters to use, though. Everything truly important is in there, though.

If you want more, Well, we just so happen to also make a Players Handbook; Monster Manual; and a Dungeon Master's Guide. (says so right on the box, lol)

I also grabbed the booklet of character sheets. My 4 hand drawn characters are getting kinda sloppy from all the number changes- they'll be getting transposed today.

And just for fun, I grabbed an adventure, too. I AGONIZED over the decision of Storm King's Thunder; or Curse of Strahd; or Ghosts of Saltmarsh... They all looked so interesting! I finally went with Storm King. But that's what happens- put me in front of a bunch of different new adventure modules, and tell me I can only have 1, and I end up like Homer Simpson in a donut shop with the same dilemma, lol.

It looks great, though- cool premise, set in the same part of The Realms I'm in now, and it's set up so you can begin at 1st level OR 6th. You just begin with a different chapter. Really cool idea!! Are they all set up like that?

 

[embee]

The Starter Set has 7 dice. This is not enough.

The Essentials Set has 10 dice. This is enough.

You can get them both for about $25 total from a certain website named for a large South American rain forest.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Personally I found the original Basic Set to be amazing. You could easily just go with that and use the pre-gen characters, and the adventure is one of the best starting adventures in decades (I suspect it will be the newer generations Keep on the Borderlands or Sunless Citadel).

I'm running the OAR version of Keep on the Borderlands now and reread Sunless Citadel, as I considered using that (Meepo!). Lost Mine of Phandelver leaves them both in the dust, no matter how much nostalgia I may have for the other two adventures.

It very much feels like, before it was written, the team sat down and discussed how previous introductory adventures fell short and what elements of D&D they wanted to make sure new players were exposed to from the beginning. It's a sensational framework for new DMs to use when designing their own adventures, too, which I suspect was part of their plan.