---
product_id: 138478356
title: "D&D ESSENTIALS KIT"
brand: "d&d"
price: "£37.59"
currency: GBP
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/138478356-d-and-d-essentials-kit
store_origin: GB
region: United Kingdom
---

# 11 polyhedral dice set 64-page rule & adventure books Double-sided fold-out map D&D ESSENTIALS KIT

**Brand:** d&d
**Price:** £37.59
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 🎲 Unlock epic quests and legendary tales—your adventure starts here!

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** D&D ESSENTIALS KIT by d&d
- **How much does it cost?** £37.59 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/138478356-d-and-d-essentials-kit)

## Best For

- d&d enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted d&d brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Enhanced Gameplay Cards:** 81 detailed cards covering magic items, sidekicks, conditions, and quests to enrich every session.
- • **Complete Starter Toolkit:** Everything you need to launch your D&D journey—dice, maps, rulebooks, and character sheets included.
- • **Custom Character Creation:** Six blank character sheets empower you to craft unique heroes tailored to your playstyle.
- • **Dungeon Master Essentials:** Includes a foldable DM screen packed with quick-reference rules to keep your game flowing smoothly.
- • **Immersive Adventure Included:** Dive into 'Dragon of Icespire Peak,' a thrilling campaign designed for levels 1–6 players.

## Overview

The D&D Essentials Kit is a comprehensive boxed set designed for new and intermediate players aged 12 and up. It includes a 64-page rulebook and adventure book, 11 polyhedral dice, six blank character sheets, a fold-out map, a Dungeon Master screen, and 81 cards featuring magic items, sidekicks, and more. Perfect for 1-5 players, this kit offers a rich, cooperative storytelling experience that enhances creativity, problem-solving, and social skills through immersive tabletop gameplay.

## Description

Set off on your first Dungeons & Dragons adventure with one box full of everything you need to start playing D&D with your friends. Dungeons & Dragons is a cooperative storytelling game that harnesses your imagination and invites you to explore a fantastic world of adventure, where heroes battle monsters, find treasures, and overcome epic quests. This box contains the essentials you need to run a D&D game with a Dungeon Master and one to five adventurers.

Review: suitable for D&D beginners with more affordable price - Packed with a rule book, an adventure book, 6 character creation papers, 9 uncut cardboard (9 cards each, 81 cards total), 11 dice, 1 master screen, 1 double-sided map etc., everything you need to learn D&D. It's a more affordable version of starter set without some luxurious component, which means more pen-and-paper work for tabletop RPG sessions, but also more likes traditional ways. Product quality is still good, but starter set is better. So if price isn't your most concerns, going for starter set directly would be my suggestion.
Review: ESSENTIALS KIT vs STARTER SET: Which is better? (no spoilers review) - ESSENTIALS KIT vs STARTER SET SHORT REVIEW: if you can only buy one set and are new to the game then buy the Starter Set. It explains the rules in a condensed version and easy to read manual--you will be up and running quicker than Essentials Kit. The rules and setup in the Essentials Kit has more steps and might get new players bogged down with too many details. After playing the Starter Set you wil have a feel for the flow and mechanics of the game and can then go deeper into the rules with the Essentials Kit. After playing the Starter Set and you want to move on, choose the Essentials Kit next before buying the hardcover Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide which have way too much information for new players. The Essentials Kit will build on the Starter Set by introducing magic-using races/classes and character customization. LONG REVIEW AND COMPARISON: ESSENTIALS KIT vs STARTER SET: In the Essentials Kit you get a 64-page squarebound rulebook and 64-page Adventure book. The Starter Set has a 32-page staplebound rulebook and 64-page staplebound Adventure book. I'm not going to talk about the Adventure books to avoid spoilers. But both are recommended and both should be played. The Rulebook differences are significant: in this case shorter (Starter Set) is better. The Essentials Kit has 6 blank character sheets. Players will use the Rulebook to help create their own custom character. The Starter Set has 5 pre-made characters which is NOT bad and for first time players it might be better to start this way. It forces you to play different races and classes of characters, it shows you what type of background story you might want create for future characters, it gives you an idea of how a character sheet is put together and where everything goes, and most importantly it gets you up and running quickly so you can learn how the game plays out. On your second adventure you can take the extra time to create your own character knowing what you liked or didn't like based on your first character. You can easily download and print blank character sheets online. I personally think the Starter Set's idea to use pre-generated characters is best for first time play. DICE: There are 11 dice total in the Essentials Kit but there are duplicates; there are only 7 different types. The Essentials includes a percentage die not in the Starter Set which has 6 different dice total. You only need the 6 types of die so both sets are equal to me. For the Starter Set that's all you get: Rulebook, Adventure book, pre-filled character sheets and dice. It's priced less than the Essentials Kit here on desertcart. Additional material in the Essentials Kit includes extra cards that come 9 to a sheet and you need will need to separate them. None of these are necessary to play. You could write down the information on the cards on paper, but the cards are a nice convenience and can help move the game along. The different cards are: 9 Initiative cards: these are just cards with a number on them, #1-9. 3 Combat cards: these are cheat sheets of combat rules. 24 Magic Item cards. 9 Quest cards: a description of a mini-quest players might take during the bigger Adventure Book. 9 Sidekick cards: your extra character when running a 2-player game. 14 Condition cards: when characters suffer from a certain condition this card reminds them of the symptoms. 1 Magic Charm card. Some of the cards are helpful to have and the Starter Set could be improved to include them as well. Other items in the Essentials Kit: a thin paper Dungeon Master's folding screen. It has a picture on one side and rules/tables on the other. This is very helpful for the Dungeon Master only--it has no use for players. A color map of the world. Maps are fun! And a thin cardboard box to store your dice (not fun). Both the Essentials Kit and Starter Set are good steps towards introducing new players to the game. I think they are both useful. Starter Set should be first. And the Essentials Kit should come second. After that you can play a few more adventures with the information you currently have. Or if you want to dive into the hardcover books then that's the next step. I highly recommend the Starter Set and Essentials Kit. Both are worthwhile purchases. I suggest the Starter Set first then Essentials Kit.

## Features

- Dragon of Icespire Peak—an adventure for characters levels 1–6
- Rulebook—includes guide to creating characters and all the rules you need to play
- Dungeon Master’s screen
- Fold-out poster map, 6 blank character sheets, and 11 polyhedral dice
- 81 cards describing magic items, sidekicks, and more

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN | 0786966831 |
| Age Range Description | Age Range:12 Years & Up |
| Best Sellers Rank | #53,987 in Toys & Games ( See Top 100 in Toys & Games ) #1,395 in Board Games (Toys & Games) |
| Brand Name | D&D |
| Container Type | Box |
| Customer Package Type | Standard Packaging |
| Customer Reviews | 4.8 out of 5 stars 22,167 Reviews |
| Educational Objective | Enhance creativity, problem-solving, and social skills through collaborative storytelling and strategic gameplay |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 00630509861798, 09780786966837 |
| Grenre | Action & Adventure, Adventure, Dragons & Mythical Creatures, FICTION, Fantasy, GAMES & ACTIVITIES, Mythical, legendary and supernatural beings, monsters and creatures, Role Playing, Role-playing, war games and fantasy sports, action fiction |
| Included Components | Boxed Set |
| Indoor Outdoor Usage | Indoor |
| Is Assembly Required | No |
| Item Dimensions | 9.1 x 2.1 x 11.6 inches |
| Item Type Name | Tabletop Game |
| Item Weight | 2.23 Pounds |
| Manufacturer | Wizards of the Coast |
| Manufacturer Maximum Age (MONTHS) | 1188.01 |
| Manufacturer Minimum Age (MONTHS) | 144.01 |
| Manufacturer Part Number | 0786966831 |
| Material Type | Paper |
| Model Name | PHB |
| Model Number | Essentials Kit |
| Model Year | 2019 |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Number of Players | 2-5 |
| Operation Mode | Manual |
| Other Special Features of the Product | 1-on-1 rules variant, sidekick rules |
| Package Quantity | 1 |
| Power Source | Manual |
| Product Style | Starter Set Only |
| Set Name | D&D Essentials Kit |
| Size | 9.1 inches x 2.1 inches x 11.6 inches |
| Subject Character | Drake of Icepeak |
| Theme | Games |
| Unit Count | 1 Count |

## Images

![D&D ESSENTIALS KIT - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/710Ixn4byUL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ suitable for D&D beginners with more affordable price
*by J***N on November 17, 2025*

Packed with a rule book, an adventure book, 6 character creation papers, 9 uncut cardboard (9 cards each, 81 cards total), 11 dice, 1 master screen, 1 double-sided map etc., everything you need to learn D&D. It's a more affordable version of starter set without some luxurious component, which means more pen-and-paper work for tabletop RPG sessions, but also more likes traditional ways. Product quality is still good, but starter set is better. So if price isn't your most concerns, going for starter set directly would be my suggestion.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ESSENTIALS KIT vs STARTER SET: Which is better? (no spoilers review)
*by B***Y on September 14, 2019*

ESSENTIALS KIT vs STARTER SET SHORT REVIEW: if you can only buy one set and are new to the game then buy the Starter Set. It explains the rules in a condensed version and easy to read manual--you will be up and running quicker than Essentials Kit. The rules and setup in the Essentials Kit has more steps and might get new players bogged down with too many details. After playing the Starter Set you wil have a feel for the flow and mechanics of the game and can then go deeper into the rules with the Essentials Kit. After playing the Starter Set and you want to move on, choose the Essentials Kit next before buying the hardcover Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide which have way too much information for new players. The Essentials Kit will build on the Starter Set by introducing magic-using races/classes and character customization. LONG REVIEW AND COMPARISON: ESSENTIALS KIT vs STARTER SET: In the Essentials Kit you get a 64-page squarebound rulebook and 64-page Adventure book. The Starter Set has a 32-page staplebound rulebook and 64-page staplebound Adventure book. I'm not going to talk about the Adventure books to avoid spoilers. But both are recommended and both should be played. The Rulebook differences are significant: in this case shorter (Starter Set) is better. The Essentials Kit has 6 blank character sheets. Players will use the Rulebook to help create their own custom character. The Starter Set has 5 pre-made characters which is NOT bad and for first time players it might be better to start this way. It forces you to play different races and classes of characters, it shows you what type of background story you might want create for future characters, it gives you an idea of how a character sheet is put together and where everything goes, and most importantly it gets you up and running quickly so you can learn how the game plays out. On your second adventure you can take the extra time to create your own character knowing what you liked or didn't like based on your first character. You can easily download and print blank character sheets online. I personally think the Starter Set's idea to use pre-generated characters is best for first time play. DICE: There are 11 dice total in the Essentials Kit but there are duplicates; there are only 7 different types. The Essentials includes a percentage die not in the Starter Set which has 6 different dice total. You only need the 6 types of die so both sets are equal to me. For the Starter Set that's all you get: Rulebook, Adventure book, pre-filled character sheets and dice. It's priced less than the Essentials Kit here on Amazon. Additional material in the Essentials Kit includes extra cards that come 9 to a sheet and you need will need to separate them. None of these are necessary to play. You could write down the information on the cards on paper, but the cards are a nice convenience and can help move the game along. The different cards are: 9 Initiative cards: these are just cards with a number on them, #1-9. 3 Combat cards: these are cheat sheets of combat rules. 24 Magic Item cards. 9 Quest cards: a description of a mini-quest players might take during the bigger Adventure Book. 9 Sidekick cards: your extra character when running a 2-player game. 14 Condition cards: when characters suffer from a certain condition this card reminds them of the symptoms. 1 Magic Charm card. Some of the cards are helpful to have and the Starter Set could be improved to include them as well. Other items in the Essentials Kit: a thin paper Dungeon Master's folding screen. It has a picture on one side and rules/tables on the other. This is very helpful for the Dungeon Master only--it has no use for players. A color map of the world. Maps are fun! And a thin cardboard box to store your dice (not fun). Both the Essentials Kit and Starter Set are good steps towards introducing new players to the game. I think they are both useful. Starter Set should be first. And the Essentials Kit should come second. After that you can play a few more adventures with the information you currently have. Or if you want to dive into the hardcover books then that's the next step. I highly recommend the Starter Set and Essentials Kit. Both are worthwhile purchases. I suggest the Starter Set first then Essentials Kit.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great for new players, useful for old ones too
*by A***E on January 18, 2021*

If you're looking for a way to get into D&D, this is a great resource. It includes everything that you need* to get started: * dice (a full set including 2d20s so you can easily roll advantage and 4d6 which are good for rolling stats). If you don't have extras, you can pass these around the table as needed, but buying a few extra sets of dice so everyone has a set is about the only thing that you NEED beyond this set. (They're even selling them at the dollar store now, but you can play with one if you must, it'll just slow things down a bit.) * an adventure that goes from levels 1-6 -- great for new players to start in or experienced players can roll up new characters for * basic rules book - this tells you all the basics of how to play the game. There's much more in-depth information and options in the Player's Handbook, the DM Handbook, and expanded in Xanathar's Guide and Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. I would recommend buying them in that order if you can afford them, but you can certainly play with just what's in this box without them (and if you don't want to be overwhelmed with too many options or spend more money, just using what's in the box is fine). * character sheets (a blank set of 6; you can run photocopies of one or download more later) -- the only thing I would have changed would have been to include pre-generated characters for new players, as new character generation can be one of the most daunting and boring tasks if you don't know what you're doing. Just make copies before you start, because if your characters get killed and you need new ones, you don't want to have them all used up. And use pencils, because you'll be doing a lot of erasing and updating! * DM screen (pretty basic version but a good starter one) * a set of perforated cardboard cards detailing magic items and NPCs that can be found in the adventure, character conditions, and combat steps. There's also a set of numbered cards that can be passed around during combat for initiative order -- this is the least useful thing included, as a good initiative tracker (like a flag style) or even just a whiteboard that everyone can see is much more helpful than having to look around the table. Even getting some spring-loaded clothespins with characters' names painted on them and clipping them to the DM screen in order is better than the cards. But the condition cards (that explain what happens when you're grappled, blinded, etc) are boku useful and can be passed around the table as needed. I use the condition cards in my games all the time. * A 2-sided fold-out poster map (about 15x22") that shows the area the adventure occurs in (there's a world-map on one side and a town on the other). This is helpful for showing stuff to players, but some parts of the game happen inside building and caves and such, that aren't on the poster map. If you want to have visual aids for those (which are helpful to the players) I'd recommend getting some wrapping paper with the grid on the backside. You can redraw the building maps on that, and then get some tokens to represent your players. You don't need expensive minis, if you go to printableheroes.com or grab pieces from another board game or just use coins or something. You can also just use "theatre of the mind" and describe what's going on, but most players think having a visual "board" makes the game easier and more fun. D&D is a hobby you can easily spend hundreds of dollars on if you really enjoy it (trust me, I have) but for $8 with this introductory set you can't go wrong. A copy of the Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Handbook and some extra dice would help things, but aren't necessary.

## Frequently Bought Together

- D&D Essentials Kit (Dungeons & Dragons Intro Adventure Set)
- D&D Starter Set: Dragons of Stormwreck Isle, for ages 12 Years & Up
- Dungeons & Dragons 2024 Player's Handbook (D&D Core Rulebook)

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*Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom*
*Store origin: GB*
*Last updated: 2026-07-04*