Damage is not a fore gone conclusion when going off road, a lot of it depends on where you are going and the types of obstacles you are attempting. I could lead you down Hells Revenge in Moab with no damage. But most of us have spent a lot of time and money modifying our trucks do do very different things.
The suggestion of learning to learn wheel what you have stock, before you make any changes. Reading through the different build threads will give you a good idea what we have done and why we have done it.
I personally love wheeling with newbs, I try to slot them in the middle of the pack, rite behind someone with some experiance that I know how they wheel, and what lines they will take.
Having your own recovery gear is a must, you don't have to have everything possable, straps, shackles, recovery points, the normal stuff.
To go camping and fire roads you really don't have to do much of anything. Mine has a solid front axle, lockers front and rear, armor, winch, lights, big tires and gears, with an open exhaust. It is about as un-civalized as a daily driven truck could be.
If you could make it to WentWindrock this year you could learn a lot about yourself, your truck, meet some great people, and just over all have a great time.