I started with the Rockland dry plate kit. It has everything you need -- plates, emulsion, developer and fixer. You'll read a lot about modifications and enhancements -- almost to the point of debilitating confusion -- but if you start with the kit and make plates out of the box, you'll at least have a grounding. Coating is a little bit challenging -- keeping the emulsion and plates warm, not making a mess while pouring and coating, and then quickly getting them somewhere cool and dark where they can sit level and "cure."
I made this with my first kit and no previous experience coating anything.