A new Dungeons & Dragons starter set is on the way, providing a new entry point into the game using the most recent revised 5th edition ruleset. Last year, Dungeons & Dragons launched its latest major rules revision, making wholesale updates to the game’s current 5e rules. Although many of the rules are similar to the 2014 version, there were fundamental changes to character creation and class rules that make the older rulebooks obsolete in many ways.
Following up on a host of new releases in 2025, Wizards of the Coast will launch a new Starter Set for Dungeons & Dragons utilizing these new rules. Starter Sets provide one of the easiest entry point to D&D, with everything players need to either run or jump into an adventure without any additional resources. This new Starter Set updates the classic adventure Keep on the Borderlands and features several new components designed to make things like character creation and gameplay even easier.
Heroes Of The Borderlands Release Date Details, Price & Preorders Prediction
New Starter Set Will Be Released On September 16, 2025
Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of the Borderlands will be released on September 16, 2025. Currently, no price point for the new starter set is available, although past starter sets have sold for $49.95 at retail stores. A digital version of the starter set should also be available on D&D Beyond upon release. That version will likely have some integration with D&D Beyond’s Maps and Sigil services, the latter of which just launched last month.
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At the time of this writing, preorders aren’t live quite yet. However, these should appear on the D&D Beyond marketplace soon, given that the announcement is fairly fresh. Preorders at large retailers like Amazon and Target will likely follow, but for those wanting the digital version, D&D Beyond is the way to go.
This article will be updated with pre-order links once preorders start appearing.
While most other D&D products require at least the Player’s Handbook to use, the new Starter Set contains everything that a player needs to jump right into a game of Dungeons & Dragons. In addition to character sheets, there’s also mini-rulebooks designed to help explain the broad concepts of D&D, as well as an adventure for a new DM to run for their new players. D&D will also release videos for the new Starter Set, designed to help guide players as they take their first steps into the world of D&D.
We’ll note that Starter Sets, while designed to be an easy and effortless introduction to Dungeons & Dragons, aren’t the only way to get into the game. Many game stores have open D&D nights that can serve as an introduction. Gaming conventions also often have introductory D&D sessions set up for attendees to sign up for. Finally, players can simply pick up the new core rulebooks, which were redesigned to be new player-friendly.
What is Heroes Of The Borderlands In D&D?
A Remake Of Classic D&D Adventure From 1979
Heroes of the Borderlands is an updated version of the classic 1979 adventure The Keep on the Borderlands. The original version of the adventure was set in a small outpost on the edge of civilization, with players tasked to investigate several caves filled with monsters. In addition to dealing with external threats, players also have to deal with intrigue within the keep itself and stumble across several surprises in the wilderness.
The adventure itself is technically set in a generic campaign setting, although D&D later established that the Keep was part of the Mystara setting. Based on current D&D conventions, it’s likely that the new adventure will have little connection to any specific campaign setting. However, there should be brief explainers to help place the Borderlands in any of D&D‘s official campaign settings, so players who want to use the Starter Set as a starting place for a longer campaign can do so.
The original Keep on the Borderlands adventure was also meant to serve as an introductory adventure for Dungeons & Dragons players. The adventure, written by D&D co-creator Gary Gygax, was included in some copies of the Basic Set, a boxed collection of various D&D rulebooks. Because of its inclusion in the Basic Set, the original Keep on the Borderlands became the entry point for an entire generation of D&D players during the 1980s.
What’s Inside The Heroes of The Borderlands Starter Set?
Tile-Based Character Sheets, Plus Booklets and Maps
Wizards of the Coast recently released a video on YouTube showing off some of the components for the new Heroes of the Borderland starter set. The video showed off tons of new reference cards for spells, NPCs, and monsters, along with a first look at an innovative new “tile” system used to create modular character sheet. The intent is that players can quickly pull tiles together to create a new character. The video showed off background, species, and class tiles, so it looks like players will be able to pick and choose between options.
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The tile system is interesting in that previous Starter Sets contained pre-generated characters to use in the adventure. While this did all the character creation work for players, it robbed players of the character-building experience. By offering a new modular system, players will be able to get an idea of character creation without being bogged down by too many details.
In addition to character creation tools, Heroes of the Borderlands will also contain three pamphlets detailing different parts of the adventure. There are also maps and tokens to use in tabletop play, so players can get used to combat on a grid. Specific details about the number of components are currently unknown, although more details are expected closer to the set’s official release.
Should You Pick Up D&D’s Heroes Of The Borderlands?
D&D’s Starter Sets Are Always High Quality
D&D’s Starter Sets have traditionally been some of Wizards of the Coast’s strongest products. The boxed sets are perfectly crafted for beginners and help set up players for success for future D&D play. Additionally, these Starter Sets tend to contain some of D&D‘s best-crafted adventures. For instance, the original set contained The Lost Mines of Phandelver, an adventure widely considered to be one of D&D’s best. The adventure was so popular that D&D chose to turn it into a full campaign in 2023 rather than let the adventure go out of print.
Based on what we’ve seen so far, we think that the new Heroes of the Borderlands set will be well worth the investment. The box is meant to be replayable, is set up to be played in 1-hour segments, and is a remake of a fun, classic adventure. We’re guessing that this box will be a fantastic introduction to D&D. If you’re looking to jump into Dungeons & Dragons, keep your eye out on the new Heroes of the Borderlands Starter Set. The new set hits stores this fall.
Source: D&D/YouTube
Dungeons and Dragons
$46 $50 Save
$4
- Original Release Date
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1974
- Publisher
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TSR Inc., Wizards of the Coast
- Designer
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E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson
- Player Count
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2-7 Players
