Cursed Gear Guides
Five lists, 40 confirmed Amazon links, all checked for the curseddice-20 tag after redirect. Prices on Amazon control at checkout.
Before you buy anything
I recommend you start with what you have. Borrow a set of dice, borrow a book, and find the free resources online before you spend anything. Pencil and paper work fine for character sheets, for maps, and for notes. This game is only as expensive as you want it to be. The lists below are in that order on purpose: the basics first, the fun extras last. If a pick below does not solve a problem you actually have at your table, skip it for now.
The Starter Hoard: budget dice for new players and DMs
Start here if you are buying your first set, or stocking a table for new players. These are the cheap, readable, replaceable dice, not the showpieces you protect with a tray.
Real talk before you buy
My advice for this list: borrow a set for your first game if you can, then buy one cheap set that you can read across the table. Cheap is ok here. You do not need a matching set, a metal set, or a set for every character to start. One readable set, shared if you have to, will get you through a first game. The sets below are the cheap, readable kind, not the ones you need to protect.
The Cursed Collection: metal, sharp-edge, and liquid-core showpieces
This is the showpiece shelf. Metal, sharp edge, and liquid core sets that look great at the table and need a tray, because they are loud and they can dent wood.
Real talk before you buy
My advice for this list: treat this whole list as a want, not a need. Buy a showpiece only after you know you love the game and after your basics are covered. Metal is heavy and loud, sharp edge sets can mark a table, and liquid core sets are about how they look, not about rolling better. If you buy one, roll it in a tray. Do not make this your first dice purchase, and do not buy it to impress a table that has not played yet.
Getting Started: what you actually need for a first D&D game
Buy in this order if you can: the core books, then dice, then DM tools, then table upgrades. You do not need everything on day one to run a first game.
Real talk before you buy
My advice for this list: start with what you have, and borrow what you can. Find the free basic rules online, use pencil and paper for character sheets, and play a first game before you buy a shelf of books. The starter books are all you need in the long term, and you do not need every core book on day one. If you are playing, start with the player rules. If you are running the game, start with a starter set and borrow the rest until you know you will keep running games. Buy the next book only when you keep reaching for it.
Towers and Trays: keep rolls contained and tables safe
A tower or tray keeps rolls on the table, protects the table, and quiets the roll. Especially important once metal dice enter the game.
Real talk before you buy
My advice for this list: you do not need a tower or a tray to start. A box lid, a baking tray, a book, or just rolling on a mat will keep dice on the table. Buy one here only when rolls keep escaping, when the table is getting marked, when the noise is bothering people, or when you move to metal dice. If you travel to games, a folding tray makes more sense than a heavy tower. If you play at home, pick the one that fits your table and your dice, not the fanciest one.
Table Upgrades: mixed RPG accessories by job
These are the upgrades by job at the table: storage, DM screen, battlemat, conditions, initiative, tokens, and reference cards. Pick the job you actually struggle with first.
Real talk before you buy
My advice for this list: do not buy all of these at once. Pick the one job that actually slows your game down. If you lose track of who goes next, that is the problem to solve. If you cannot picture a fight, that is the problem to solve. Everything else can stay pencil and paper or theater of the mind for now. Models and battle mats are fun visuals, but coins, tokens, paper standees, a hand drawn grid, or just describing the scene will run a fight just fine. Buy an upgrade here only when you have hit the same problem a few games in a row.