I'd like to try my hand at answering your question about how to get into D&D, hopefully providing some extra insight and assistance along the way.

Both D&D and Pathfinder (one of its largest and most successful competitors) offer boxed sets to get started playing the respective games--in fact, this tradition of "all in one" box sets goes back to some of the very earliest days of D&D and its famous blue/red/gold/black books like Basic and Expert.

D&D 4th Edition (D&D4E) is the latest completed version of D&D, and represents a very significant evolution from what came immediately before. It has a heavy tactical focus, a very broad array of balanced character classes, some great online tools for managing your characters, and there's great ways "in" like the Encounters games hosted at many comic shops and game stores across the US. Since it heavily emphasizes the basic rules of "Striker / Defender / Leader / Controller" in combat (that is, someone to do lots of damage, someone to soak up enemy hits and hold them in place, someone to keep the other party members strong and focused, and one more person to affect and hamstring large numbers of foes at once), it can be pretty easy for a group familiar with other RPGs or even videogames to quickly segue into the proper roles.

You can start playing 4E today by buying The Essential Starter which contains just enough rules, characters, and game pieces to get started playing with a group of friends. The game pieces/maps are there to help track your characters' positions in combat relative to the monsters they'll face; 4E's heavy tactics focus makes this a virtual necessity.

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Pathfinder was started in some ways as a response from the move from 3rd/3.5E D&D to 4th. Some players feel that 4E overemphasizes tactics, party balance, and simplified roleplaying mechanics to the detriment of the game, and so Pathfinder branched off of the open-source elements of the 3.5E ruleset and became its own, tweaked and rebalanced version of that game.

Pathfinder focuses heavily on character customization, a heavy "simulationist" element (e.g., there are very detailed rules for things like getting a job, building castles, going to war with other empires, alcoholism, etc.!), and compatibility with the very large amount of 3E/3.5E material available, in addition to the many Pathfinder-specific books that have been published in the last 4 years.

The Pathfinder Beginner Box, much like the D&D4E product above, contains just enough game pieces, character classes, and rules to get started on a basic adventure with other new players.

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Unfortunately it's worth noting that both of these products are currently sold out on Amazon itself, and the third party sellers that do have them are a little more expensive, so you might want to wait to purchase them.

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Both games rely on similar basic assumptions, tools, and modular rule systems:

Basic Assumptions: Players control [usually] one fantastical hero each, and each hero is primarily defined by their "class." Quintessential fantasy tropes are covered: powerful and hardy Fighters; sneaky, thieving, dangerous Rogues; arcane spellslinging Wizards; and devout, healing Clerics. Each game also has more specialized classes, like 4E's shapeshifting animal-like Wardens and its spell-shooting Seeker archers and Pathfinder's bomb-making Alchemists and Western-style Gunslingers.

Fantasy races are also represented in both games, from nimble, mystical Elves to hardy, gruff Dwarves, from sneaky, affable Halflings to brutish, powerful Half-Orcs. Many other specialized races are also available in each system.

The players make their way through the world by describing what they do to a Dungeon Master, who in turn describes what they see and controls the plot, other characters, villains, and indeed, the world itself. In some cases, the players may simply explore the DM's world, learning and investigating, but sooner or later, a challenge is bound to ensue.

Both games provide rules for engaging challenges through combat and "other" skills. In either arena, the games calculate the effects of random chance and risk through the use of dice rolls. Even the greatest warriors can sometimes miss a slippery foe, and not every cut from a sword is immediately lethal; similarly, even an expert thief is sometimes stymied by a lock when pressed for time, but even such failures won't always necessarily set off the trap hidden within.

By rolling dice, players and the DM factor in this random chance. Then, bonuses and penalties are applied based on logical factors (as outlined in the rules). A strong warrior is more liable to hit--and hurt--with his sword, while a nimble thief is better able to evade attacks and dexterously pick locks. Running across a dungeon floor might normally be simple, but if it's covered in ice, the chances to slip and fall are far higher. Casting a spell from memory might normally be taxing--but altogether doable--for a wizard, but doing it while being attacked by a swordsman is all the harder.

Success or failure is then calculated against some target "difficulty"--either a set number (e.g., hitting a bandit in Leather Armor might always require an Attack roll of 16 or higher, after bonuses and penalties are applied) or against an opposing roll (e.g., a thief attempting to hide in the shadows in the middle of combat will be opposed by the general perceptiveness of the enemies he hopes to evade).

Successful resolutions to a problem--either by defeating the enemies before you or by overcoming the intellectual and physical challenges of a puzzle or mystery--rewards players in the form of fabulous treasures and experience points. If enough of the latter are accrued, characters gain levels, unlocking potent new abilities, while enough of the former is gathered, characters might become rich enough to buy a castle or even a kingdom!

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Tools: Both games rely on polyhedral dice. These are often referred to as dX, where X is the number of sides on the die. d4s, d6s, d8s, d10s, d12s, and d20s are very common. The smaller dice are often used to calculate the damage of weapons or spells (the tiny d4 for a Dagger represents the unlikelihood such a simple weapon has of dealing a killing blow, while a massive greataxe's d12 showcases how a spot-on hit with one could fell even a mighty man in one hit). If multiple dice should be rolled at once (e.g., a Wizard's Fireball becomes more powerful as he grows in level, adding more and more d6s to the damage it does), then a number may be affixed before the "d" to showthat: 2d6 means to roll two 6-sided dice and add their results.

The most important die in both systems is the d20; it is used as the primary generator of entropy in tasks with a random chance to succeed. To attack, you roll a d20 and add your attack modifiers, then compare it to your opponent's "AC" (armor class) to see if you succeed. To climb a sheer cliff, you roll a d20, add your skill and strength bonuses in climbing, and then compare it to the "DC" (difficulty class) of the cliff. To hide from sight, you roll a d20 and add your stealthiness and dexterousness and compare it against your opponent's Perception roll, to which he or she has added their own bonuses.

In both systems, 1s and 20s are often treated specially, particularly in combat. A 1 is generally seen as an automatic--and sometimes cataclysmic--failure, while a 20 is not only an automatic success, it's a chance for a spectacular success (e.g., in combat, it might be represented by a "critical hit" that deals far more damage than a normal strike would on average).

Other common tools are character sheets, game pieces, and maps. Character sheets, either the official ones from the publishers or fan-made ones or even your own, are essentially standardized ways to format and showcase your character's abilities, strengths, weaknesses, and current status in an easy-to-read, quick-to-reference format.

For instance, characters' HP (hit points, a measure of their health and haleness that can be reduced by disease or combat damage) are often prominently placed, since it's such a vital number. Characters' abilities (e.g., strength, dexterousness, intelligence, etc.) are also tracked here, along with skills, possessions, and even magic spells.

Maps and game pieces, as before, provide a convenient way of tracking combat; if a special attack can only be used on an opponent whom you're flanking with an ally, being able to definitively state where you stand is important. Most maps are measured in 1" squares that typically represent 5 feet in the game world, and most game pieces fit into said squares (although pieces representing large creatures may be bigger!).

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Modular Rules: Both games come with a central rulebook (the Player's Handbook for D&D4E or the Core Rule Book for PF) that describes, in essence, how character creation, combat, skill usage, death, advancement, and general adventuring are handled in the game. These basic rules, however, are designed to be expanded upon. The small selection of races and classes presented in said books are supplemented by many more in subsequent volumes (e.g., Player's Handbook 2 and 3 or the Advanced Player's Guide, respectively), and additional rules for things like running the game (Dungeon Master's Guide/Gamemastery Guide), monsters to face (Monster Manual/Bestiary), fantastical treasures to acquire (Mordenkaiden's Magical Emporium/Ultimate Equipment), and more (e.g., Ultimate Campaign, a book about kingdom-building) are also written. Both games are meant to grow with your needs, but most of it is optional.

I would highly suggest The Begginer's Box.

A mini is a mini. It doesn't matter what system it's for. You can use a highly detailed, hand painted mini, or you can use a rock from the ground.

The absolute best bang for you buck: the Pathfinder Starter Box. It's around $35 on Amazon right now. You get 80 cardboard minis, mostly monsters, but a solid mix of male/female race/class combos too. Plus, you get dice, a dry erase mat, simplified rules, and more!

As for individual minis, Heroforge is pretty highly recommended, but they're not cheap. Expect $20+ for a single mini, but it is completely customizable!

If you want to really invest, get a cheap 3D printer and print your own stuff! I've had a Micro 3D printer for several years, and it still works great! You can find files for most DnD monsters thanks to an artist named Miguel Zavala.

Otherwise, just head to your local store and talk to the people there. Minis can go from $0.10 to several hundred dollars. I'd say you should expect to pay a few dollars for an average mini.

Have you guys tried any of the D&D-themed board games released recently, like Wrath of Ashardalon, Legend of Drizzt, or Castle Ravenloft?

A cheaper, more authentic way to go might be to buy the Pathfinder Beginner Box

There are two currently popular versions of Dungeons and Dragons: 3.5 and 4th edition. 3.5 is (obviously) the older edition, but a lot of people still play it because they thought the rules system was more complex and interesting than 4th edition. However, 4th edition is better ballanced and far easier to play.

Pathfinder is also a good alternative to both, as it takes the 3.5 rules and updates them to be more balanced and easier to play.

Pathfinder and 4th Edition both have starter sets for ~$25 and ~$17 respectively. These are great options, and a wonderful way to try out the game without dropping a ton of money on books.

In addition to looking to hook-up with existing gamers (and you should definitely check out that store), ask your existing friends if they'd be interested in playing. With something like the Pathfinder Beginner Box playing an RPG can be as easy as picking up a new boardgame.

I've spent 99.9% of my gaming (over 20+ years) playing with friends I made outside of gaming. (Often by recruiting players who had never played an RPG before.)

Because this will be your first time, for your whole group, I recommend the latest edition, 5e. However, Pathfinder, or 3.5 are also quite good editions.

5th Edition Starter Set: $20

Pathfinder Starter Set: $27

3.5 Edition Starter Set(I believe):$30

Try Pathfinder's Beginner Box. Solid.

Cheaper.

Either the Pathfinder Beginner Box or the D&D Red Box Starter Set will give you everything you need to start playing a simplified version of the full games, all in one box. Buy it, invite friends over, unwrap the box, start playing.

The rules are written in such a way as to let players get started immediately, but the person running the game (the Dungeon Master or Game Master) will probably want to look through it for a few minutes beforehand.

If you like the tutorials, you might move on to the full games. I like Pathfinder, so I'll focus on that one.

If you want to play the "full" Pathfinder game, you don't need the Beginner Box, instead you need:

• One copy of The Core Rulebook
  
• One copy of The Bestiary
  
• One set (or more if you want) of polyhedral dice, such as this.
  
• One character sheet per player [PDF]
  
• Some pencils
  
• Some tokens to represent characters and monsters (pennies, nickels and dimes will do)
  
  All other books you will see listed are optional: they provide more options, more content, more ideas. Don't buy them until you need more. You may never.
  
  You only need one set of books and dice, but having more copies will make life easier. It's totally optional. All of the important Pathfinder content is available for free on the internet in multiple locations, so technically you could skip the books altogether if you needed to. In practice it's nice to have a hard copy.
  
  Also, there are thousands of RPGs out there you could play instead of D&D or Pathfinder, but I would say try them after you've gotten your feet at least slightly wet.

In addition to checking out here, I would poke around the local gaming shops. Rolling Gnome is probably a good spot to try.

Also, think about what type of game you're looking to play.

Are you wanting high fantasy, high magic, sort of like a mix of harry potter and Lord of the Rings?

Or maybe something more intrigue focused, like Game of Thrones?

Are you wanting to keep sci-fi and fantasy separate, or are you ok with a blend?

Are you wanting to solve puzzles, get into fights, or...?

What degree of complexity/customization do you want from your characters? (The simpler the system, the more same-y the characters are; as a converse, the more customization you can bring for characters, the more fiddly little rules come into play.)

All of these are significant considerations.

Now, I might be a bit biased in suggesting The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, but it offers absurd customization, has an excellent beginner package, and all of the rules are 100% free (and available online.)

D&D 5e, on the other hand, has a significantly simplified system. This isn't a bad thing; it vastly reduces the amount of math needed while leveling up or changing what items your character uses regularly. This can make things easier for newer players, and reduce the overhead mid-fight if you have one or two people who have built batman-like. Additionally, 5e has a much...flatter power curve, and is better for a fantasy setting with less magic.

If you're having trouble getting started with Pathfinder try the Beginner Box It starts off with a simpler sub-selection of Pathfinder rules to learn the game and how to play without overwhelming new players and comes with some pre-generated characters and an adventure to jump right in.

If Pathfinder is what peaked your interest in the hobby I would say go for it.

I'm a huge Pathfinder Fan. Plug for /r/Pathfinder_RPG

The best things about Pathfinder are the huge amount of choice it gives its players, and the sheer amount of content that's available for free online.

You can play Pathfinder casually with your friends without spending a single cent (You should probably buy dice though if you're not using a VTT).

Sites like d20pfsrd and The Archives of Nethys have nearly all of the rules available online, and you can play the game with your friends over the internet using a VTT like Roll20. If you're playing IRL, I'm going to recommend these great class-specific character sheets by Dyslexic Studeos.

I should note that if you want to play Pathfinder Society Organized Play, you will need to own physical books for each rule your character uses. I don't play PFS as I find some of thier rule restrictions limiting, and It's much more fun to just play with my friends.

Also, if I could recommend one product for a new group of players, I'd recommend you buy the Pathfinder Beginner's Box. It contains everything needed to get started, and a simplified ruleset that's easier for newer players to latch on to.

EDIT: I just realized that you asked for thoughts on the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game and not the Roleplaying Game. I've only played this a few times, and we got a lot of playtime and sessions out of the Rise of The Runelords set. There's a subreddit for this game too: /r/Pathfinder_ACG

You can pick up the Pathfinder Beginner Box. It's actually better then the D&D 5E box. It includes a flip mat and cardboard tokens. You just need to get a dry erase marker.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1601253729/ref=s9_psimh_gw_p14_d0_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-1&pf_rd_r=16EZ8184V6FR941M1Q51&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=1970559082&pf_rd_i=desktop

I highly recommend you get the beginner box. You get all you need to start out without a significant cost.

Paizo Publishing Pathfinder RPG Beginner Box https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601253729/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_RtYTDbEKEFJXV

Heck, I do that with my experienced players, given that Pathfinder is "homework, the game".

But the note from /u/JasontheFuzz on the Pathfinder Beginner Box is also good advice.

http://www.amazon.com/Pathfinder-Roleplaying-Game-Beginner-Box/dp/1601253729/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323610729&sr=8-1

Listener and Humanis's links are excellent.
If you're serious about trying it out, you can pick up the Beginner's Box; I have it, and it's a fantastic introduction to Pathfinder. It comes with a Player's Handbook and DM's Guide of sorts. Not the "full" Pathfinder game, but excellent at getting the basics down.
Once you get your feet wet (whether it be just with the free options, or after the Beginner's Box) you can pick up the Core Rulebook and Bestiary and be good to go!
I'd suggest picking up some of the Pathfinder Modules to start on- they do an excellent job of setting the tone and style for how Pathfinder is to be played. I suggest Master of the Fallen Fortress because it's free and a great place to start. Not much RP or real story, but it's a simple short intro to combat and environmental hazards.

I strongly suggest pathfinders beginers box it has a scaled down set of rules premade characters as well as anything you need for starting characters lv 1-5 it also has a battle map with the 1st dungeon and blank map for your own dungeons on oposite side and 80 pawns (heavy cardstock minis for the pcs, npcs and monsters very sturdy and super cool btw).

amazon is out of stock

http://www.amazon.com/Alliance-Games-PZO-1119-Pathfinder-Beginner/dp/1601253729

dir from paizo

http://paizo.com/products/btpy8osv?Pathfinder-Roleplaying-Game-Beginner-Box

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Unfortunately tabletop RPG's are more of a group activity. You can play with two people (I have). In which case a basic set of polyhedral dice is all you'd really "need" to buy. You can largely find the complete ruleset for the Pathfinder RPG at the d20 Pathfinder SRD made by John Reyst (I love you man).

Having a physical copy of at least the Core Rulebook is also very helpful and handy. It would also probably be a little less daunting to read through then the entire contents of the SRD. PDF versions of all the rulebooks can be bought directly from Paizo's website if that's the way you want to go with it.

There is also the Pathfinder Beginner Box that has much of the basic content, a little adventure and some premade characters for you to experiment with.

Hope some of this information helps!

Look up the Beginner's Box.

Also, I basically helped someone do the same thing over the past two weeks. The way we approached it was to start with a basic module with the society pre-gened characters. Go over the basics of the character sheets. For the record we used Master of the Fallen Fortress(see /u/JesterRaiin). The next week was character creations. Because we had some experienced people we were able to group them and let every one make what they wanted.

What we will be doing a club-event in a few weeks is having some seminars. This is both for DMing and Players. I will be in charge of in-depth character creation, and I suggest you do something similar. Have everyone make a Marital, Caster, and Their Choice, in that order. For each character also have them level it onto a new sheet. We will be doing this for 2nd and 3rd level.

Good Luck!

You will be choosing between Pathfinder and 4E, and as best I can tell the biggest difference between Pathfinder and 4E is personal preference. And as DM, you get to choose, frankly. Players will generally go along with what you think.

Both games sponsor in-store events where you can learn the basic feel of the game, especially combat, and it might be useful to go to those. Call up your game shop.

Pathfinder is my preference for not-combat. The combat's okay, but the character building and skill checking and all of that is awesome.

4th Edition D&D is my preference for combat. It can bog down, but the tactics and all offered by this are brilliant. If your guys are Warhammer players, this might be the better option. It might also feel too light for them, like it's trying too hard to be a miniatures wargame.

As a more expensive third option, there's this: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. It's a comprehensive fantasy setting that lines up with the Warhammer Fantasy wargame. I've played a super-old version, never played one of the new ones, and never played the actual wargame. It's not really a recommendation because I honestly know nothing about it; but if you want to have a game where the story could lead to an actual military battle or wars, this might make a cool option.

The first two links you posted are for 4th edition D&D.

The third link is specific to 3rd edition/3.5. Do not use the that third page if you are playing 4e. The rules are incompatible.

If you want to play 4e, see my 4e beginners'/buyers' guide.

If you want to play 3.5, most of the rules as well as many monsters are available on the d20srd. Alternatively, you could play Pathfinder, which is a third party variant of 3rd edition/3.5 D&D, which has basically all of its official rules and content available online on the Pathfinder SRD. While 3.5/Pathfinder is far from my RPG system of choice, if PF is the way you want to go, I can't deny that the Pathfinder Beginner Box is a very good value.

I have never played a RPG before, but this looks like it could be a good gift for a beginner?
http://www.amazon.com/Alliance-Games-PZO-1119-Pathfinder-Beginner/dp/1601253729/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1398134789&sr=8-7&keywords=Dragons+starter+set

Start here.

http://www.amazon.com/Alliance-Games-1119-Pathfinder-Beginner/dp/1601253729

It's the VERY GOOD Pathfinder basic set. It teaches the core concepts of the game, gaming itself, and how to ease into the full system once you are use to it. I always recommend it for newbie groups and GMs.