One of the most common questions new D&D players and DMs ask is which campaign to start with. The answer genuinely matters — a well-suited starting campaign creates momentum, while a campaign that's too complex, too long, or poorly matched to your group's style can stall out before anyone has a chance to fall in love with the game.
This guide covers the best official campaign options available in Australia for beginners, with clear explanations of what makes each one suitable or not for new groups.
The Lost Mine of Phandelver (included in the D&D Starter Set) is the best starting campaign for most new groups in Australia. It's short enough to complete, well-written, and designed for new DMs and players. Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk expands this into a full campaign. For groups wanting a pre-made full campaign, The Wild Beyond the Witchlight is the most beginner-friendly full-length adventure. Curse of Strahd and Tomb of Annihilation are not recommended as first campaigns.
Why Campaign Choice Matters for Beginners
D&D campaigns vary enormously in length, complexity, assumed DM experience, player engagement requirements, and tone. A campaign designed for experienced groups with an established DM running 100+ sessions is a very different experience to a compact adventure designed to introduce the game.
Beginners tend to do best with campaigns that are:
- Short enough to feel completable (not an open-ended 2–3 year commitment from session one)
- Structured with clear hooks that drive the story forward without requiring the DM to improvise heavily
- Forgiving of new DM mistakes in encounter design
- Set in an accessible tone (avoid starting with horror, player-versus-player, or politically complex intrigue)
Lost Mine of Phandelver: The Standard Starting Point
Format: Included in the D&D Starter Set (AU$35–$45) Length: 15–25 sessions Suitable for: Complete beginners, both players and DMs
Lost Mine of Phandelver has been the recommended starting adventure for D&D 5th edition since 2014 and for good reason. It covers the core dungeon exploration, wilderness travel, and social encounter pillars of the game in a balanced way, provides clear objectives that pull the party forward, and is short enough that a new group can actually finish it.
The adventure starts with a classic wagon-robbery encounter that immediately gets new players in the action without requiring heavy rules knowledge. The town of Phandalin provides a social hub, and the three dungeon locations offer progressively more complex encounters without an overwhelming difficulty spike.
For DMs: Phandelver is one of the most DM-friendly campaigns Wizards has published. The structure is clear, encounters are well-explained, and the adventure handles enough of the creative work that a first-time DM can run it with confidence.
The Starter Set also includes: A basic rulebook covering levels 1–5, five pre-made character sheets, and polyhedral dice. For a new group buying nothing else, it's a complete package.
D&D Starter Set (Lost Mine of Phandelver) on Amazon AU Includes the adventure, rulebook, dice, and pre-made characters.
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Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk — Extending the Beginning
Format: Standalone hardcover (AU$65–$75) Length: 30–50+ sessions Suitable for: Groups who enjoyed Lost Mine of Phandelver and want to continue the story
Phandelver and Below is a direct sequel and expansion of Lost Mine of Phandelver published in 2023. It begins where Phandelver ends and takes the party through a full campaign into darker, more complex territory. The first half of the book is an expanded version of the original Phandelver adventure, which means groups can use this book from the start without needing the Starter Set first.
If your group finishes Phandelver and wants to keep playing together, this is the natural next step before committing to a longer fully original campaign.
The Wild Beyond the Witchlight: Best Full-Length Beginner Campaign
Format: Standalone hardcover (AU$65–$75) Length: 40–70 sessions Suitable for: Groups that want a full campaign with a beginner-friendly tone and structure
The Wild Beyond the Witchlight is the most beginner-accessible full-length campaign that Wizards of the Coast has published. Its distinguishing feature is that the entire adventure can be completed without a single combat encounter — though combat is possible, the campaign emphasises social interaction, exploration, and clever problem-solving as equally valid solutions to every challenge.
This makes it particularly forgiving for new DMs who are less confident in combat encounter balancing, and for groups with players who are more interested in the story and character aspects of D&D than tactical combat.
The carnival setting (the Witchlight Carnival) and fairy-tale tone make it memorable and visually distinctive without requiring deep lore knowledge.
Consideration: The whimsical tone isn't for every group. Players who want a dark, gritty adventure will find this light in comparison to campaigns like Curse of Strahd.
Dragon of Icespire Peak: The Alternate Starter Campaign
Format: Included in the D&D Essentials Kit (AU$30–$40) Length: 15–25 sessions Suitable for: Complete beginners, alternative to Phandelver
Dragon of Icespire Peak is the adventure included in the Essentials Kit and is approximately equivalent in difficulty and structure to Lost Mine of Phandelver. It uses a quest board format rather than Phandelver's linear structure, which some DMs find easier to manage (players choose which quests to pursue rather than following a fixed path).
Either Phandelver or Icespire Peak is a fine starting point. Groups that like structured narrative lean toward Phandelver. Groups with more player agency and sandbox preference often prefer Icespire Peak's format.
Campaigns to Avoid as a First Adventure
Curse of Strahd: Frequently recommended by experienced players and just as frequently the cause of first-time group meltdowns. It's a horror-themed campaign with morally grey NPCs, genuine player character death consequences, and a tone that requires experienced DM judgment to run well. It's an excellent campaign — for an experienced group.
Tomb of Annihilation: A death-heavy campaign with a campaign-wide ticking clock mechanic (characters are constantly dying via a magical curse). Not a good fit for new players still learning the rules.
Waterdeep: Dragon Heist / Dungeon of the Mad Mage: Dragon Heist is a good campaign but has a complex structure (four different villain tracks) that's demanding for first-time DMs. Mad Mage is a dungeon megacrawl (23 levels of dungeon) that's very long and very combat-focused.
Stormwreck Isle (D&D Starter Set 2022 version): Very short and designed more as a one-session teaser than a full campaign. Fine for a single introductory session but not a campaign.
One-Shots Before Campaigns: A Worthwhile Step
Before committing to any campaign, running a one-shot adventure is a useful way for everyone to test their interest in playing together and learn the basic rules without the pressure of a long-term commitment.
Several free one-shot adventures are available through D&D Beyond and community sites like the DMs Guild. "A Wild Sheep Chase" (free on DMs Guild) is one of the most-recommended beginner one-shots. Running one session first helps new groups discover whether their playstyles are compatible before investing in a multi-month campaign.
Related guides:
Browse D&D Starter Sets, hardcover campaigns, and dice at the C3 eBay store.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best D&D campaign for beginners in Australia? Lost Mine of Phandelver (included in the D&D Starter Set) is the standard recommendation for most new groups. It's well-structured, the right length for a first campaign, and designed with new DMs in mind. The Wild Beyond the Witchlight is the best option if your group wants a full-length campaign from the start.
Do I need to buy a campaign book to start D&D? No. The D&D Starter Set or Essentials Kit includes a complete adventure along with a simplified rulebook, making it a self-contained starting package. You don't need to buy the full PHB, DMG, and a separate campaign to start playing.
How long does it take to finish Lost Mine of Phandelver? At a typical session pace of 3–4 hours, most groups complete Phandelver in 15–25 sessions. At a weekly cadence, this is 4–6 months of play.
Is Curse of Strahd good for beginners? No. It's an excellent campaign for experienced players, but the horror tone, morally complex NPCs, and death-heavy mechanics are better suited to groups where at least the DM has run multiple previous campaigns.
Where can I buy D&D campaign books in Australia? EB Games and local game stores carry major D&D hardcovers. Amazon AU stocks the full range with Prime shipping. D&D Beyond sells digital versions that can be shared across a group.