When Campaigns and Companions landed in Starburst Towers, we were expecting yet another tabletop roleplaying book. It is something quite different however – this is a novelty book filled with silly snippets based on the premise ‘What if your pet played D&D’?
The gags come from games writers Andi Ewington and Rhianna Pratchett. Both of these creators are very familar with both fantasy gaming and good gags. The result is something both hilarious and heart-warming. We get hamsters stuffing magic items in their cheeks, cats knocking exactly the wrong thing off a shelf, dogs chasing things that they shouldn’t and so on. All of these are presented in a short-form format, as if someone was narrating a regular game of Dungeons and Dragons. They are no rules or complicated systems here, just fun little slices of humour and some gorgeous looking art. This is a book to pick up and have a good chuckle with.
The little stories are accompanied by very, very pretty art from Calum Alexander Watt. It’s the perfect choice for a book like this, fun and silly but not too cartoonish. Each page of art is the sort of thing you might want on your wall. It’s lush and imaginative, and we particularly enjoyed the berserker barbarian bunny and the pug who can’t get through a door.
Tabletop Gaming has become an unstoppable phenomenon in recent years. It’s heartening to see that the appeal has spread to things like this. It’s not an adventure book, supplement or setting book; it’s just a book aimed at gamers. This is a short, stocking-filler style book which is ideal pick for fans of RPGs who want a laugh, or perfect for geeky pet-lovers. It’s also a great choice for anyone who wants to give a ‘Dungeons and Dragons related gift’ but is bewildered by the many options out there.
Daft, geeky fun and absolutely ideal for anyone who likes rolling dice whilst fighting dragons.
