Not sure if D&D 4th edition is for you? Here's a cheap way to find out. Includes just enough to get you started, with pre-made characters, quick-start rules, abbreviated DM's guide, a short adventure, dice and dungeon tiles. No miniatures, but there are cardboard place markers. There are also no rules for character creation, or for going past third level, so eventually you'll need to buy the...

Builds on the material in the Player's Handbook, with new races like devas, goliaths, and shifters. Half-orcs and gnomes return, along with the sorcerer, barbarian, and druid classes. Introduces the primal power source, on which the barbarian, druid, and some new classes, the shaman and warden, rely. The new avenger and the invoker classes allow more options for divine characters.

For a lot less money, search Amazon.com's website for Chessex dice and dice bags; or, go to a hobby shop or comic book store and pick out your own.

Not yet released. More of the same, I imagine.

Provides a player's overview of the Forgotten Realms, and includes new options specific to the realms, like the swordmage class.

4th edition relies heavily on miniatures for combat sequences. While miniatures are expensive, at least you'll know what you're getting with these sets: three figures, all based on artwork from the player's handbooks. No monsters, no surprises, no duplicates. Other companies sell compatible miniatures, including those you can paint. Just make sure they're of a comparable scale (28-30 mm).

These displays are designed for hobby shop owners, not individual players, but I include them here, instead of their component parts, to save space in the list. Each deck includes cards for all the powers of a PC class, so you can leave your player's handbooks at home. If you create your character using Character Builder, however, you can print these cards out for free.

These displays are designed for hobby shop owners, not individual players, but I include them here, instead of their component parts, to save space in the list. Each deck includes cards for all the powers of a PC class, so you can leave your player's handbooks at home. If you create your character using Character Builder, however, you can print these cards out for free.