I’m not sure when the Stranger Things D&D Starter Set is due to hit the shelves of your FLGS in the UK. Imminently comes to mind. I’m pretty sure I saw May as a target date. But then again I may be getting that confused with the release date of the Ghosts of Saltmarsh source book.

If you are impatient (like me) and don’t mind paying the extra postage you can pick up a copy from Amazon.com. But before you do, have a look at the photos below, skim the words and then decide if that is something you should do if so inclined.

This isn’t a review. Let’s get that clear from the start. It’s more like an unboxing and thoughts/impressions about what I’m seeing. I got this yesterday! So there is not a chance in hell that I’ve played the adventure.

So in this rather spiffy box, that depicts one of the Stranger Things kids engaged with a demogorgan, you get the following:

• 6 dice (the usual one of each)
• 2 demogorgon minis, one has had paint applied to it)
• 5 Stranger Things character sheets (Level 3 characters)
• Rulebook
• Stranger Things Adventure

The demogorgon minis are nice. Made from a softer plastic than the normal hard plastic we are used to with minis these days. So there is a little give, or bendiness in them.

I don’t know why they didn’t just give us both models “painted”, and a wash applied to them both. What little paint there has been done on the “painted” model nearly goes unnoticed. I wouldn’t be making a big deal of what they did.

But I do like that they added these in.

The included rulebook is 43 pages compared to the 32 in the starter set. The main difference in page count being accounted for by an additional 2 appendixes. One for magic items and one for monster stats.

Where as in the starter set we only got spells for clerics and wizards, in this rulebook we bet spells for bards, clerics, paladins, rangers and wizards. Also at a brief glance I noticed that wizards don’t get the Dancing Lights cantrip in these rules. There may be other slight differences also. I do have a life (despite popular opinion).

It’s nice that the monster stats are in the rulebook and not in the adventure. It makes it a bit easier for the DM in my opinion not flicking around rule books. The adventure book can be open at the relevant place and have the monster stats to hand at the same time.

Each chapter has a photo from the series at the start. Which I like. It helps keep that theme of the show going which otherwise isn’t really needed. But it breaks up the pages and the text.

Ok let’s look at the adventure itself. WotC have gone to great lengths to make the included adventure “Hunt for the Thessalhydra” look like it was made straight from the notes of the 12/13 year old (or whatever age they are) in the show that created the adventure that they are playing. Right down to the included sketches and maps looking like they were hand drawn, and using a font that looks like handwriting.

I think they were really successful in doing that.

Back in the early nineties during the Twin Peaks crazy they released a book that was the Secret Diary of Laura Palmer. It was a paperback version of the diary found in the show. The immersion in that whole Twin Peaks universe, and trying to solve the mystery of who killed Laura Palmer went through the roof for me. There I was reading the actual diary in the show, looking for clues. It was almost a surreal experience at times when watching the show.

I’m wondering will fans of Stranger Things get a similar experience when they watch the show after having played the included adventure in this set? After all I believe this adventure is meant to be the same one played in the opening episode, and have the same character sheets.

I like the style of the adventure, it’s layout and how information is presented.

I do have one complaint about the maps. I know thematically what I’m asking for wouldn’t be needed. Because the youngster that created the adventure would know this. However considering that the audience for this set isn’t just experienced D&D players. But also fans of the show that may never have rolled a d20 before in their life, and may just be curious about this fun looking game they have seen played in their favourite tv show.

Couldn’t they have included a little legend (even if it’s in the rule book) that decodes the swiggles on the maps? How is a new player who is meant to be describing rooms and tunnels etc from the brief descriptions in the adventure and off the map itself know what the door symbol is? They might guess the stairs. But still let’s make life a bit easier for them.

Play wise I’d guess this adventure could take 2 or 3 sessions (assuming 2 or 3 hours a session) to complete. Depending on the group and the progress they make. I wouldn’t use this for a taster session one shot. Unless you want to leave the players hanging.

But it does look a fun adventure.

Another nit pick, and this really is. Having seen that WotC have made the move to including 2 d20’s in the Essential Kit, and I think that may also hold true for future products. It would have been a nice touch to have included a second here also.

Overall I love the presentation and theme. WotC have done a really great job. My criticism are very minor. I think any fan of the show will love this. But it must be remembered you are playing D&D from the show. If you want to actually play in a Stranger Things like world, and be the kids in the show fighting demons you will need another system like Tales from the Loop, or Kids on Bikes RPG – Strange Adventures in Small Towns. Or homebrew it using a generic system like Genesys or WOIN. The homebrew option requires a lot more effort. I’d be surprised if some-one hasn’t done a lot of the work in those systems already.

And yes I have plans for the demogorgon.