I played tons of D&D around 10th grade, but as time went by, most of these sessions have merged into one huge memory. There were many dark caves visited, sword duels fought, villages being saved (or burned) and tons of temples filled with riddles. One session I’ll probably always remember in detail was when a friend, playing illusionist, turned himself into a sparrow to spy on some enemies. He stayed in that form till the end, fluttering around us, while we kept progressing through the dungeon. The situation got so absurd and hilarious that we simply couldn’t leave the table.
This month a really creative campaign appeared on Kickstarter and instantly made me remember that legendary session. Dungeons and Doggies is a set consisting of 13 dog miniatures usable in most tabletop RPGs and board games. They were made to replace regular characters and bring some comedy and canine goodness to your table.
Faces Behind Dungeons and Doggies
The project was created by Russ Charles known from “Painting and Polygons” channel on Twitch. Russ is primarily a sculptor, responsible for some big, tabletop gaming related projects. If his Twitter is anything to go by, he’s also a huge dog lover.
For the Kickstarter project Russ teamed up with the creator of Dungeons and Doggos webcomic. The series tells a story about a bunch of dogs playing D&D together. Thanks to this collaboration Tonka, one of the characters, will join the minis and become a Kickstarter exclusive. If you ever needed a Mastiff dressed like a bard, here’s your chance.
When Your Party Needs More Bark and Bite
Dungeons and Doggies miniatures were made to be used with 5th edition of D&D. Minis come with a set of rules making them usable in any campaign. Rulebook gives us tons of details: from dog adjusted class mechanics to a specific dog deity made for religion related characters. Backers will also gain access to a special adventure made with new figurines in mind.
The package seems pretty attractive even for people who don’t play dungeon crawling RPGs. You can easily use the dogs to liven up any board game from Zombicide to wargames like Warhammer.
Meet the Four Legged Adventurers
Our heroes come from many dog breeds and various adventurer trades. There’s Tedric, a one angry chihuahua, clad in tight leather armor and wielding a dagger in his teeth. We also have a proud looking German Shepherd druid called Freya and Cornelius – a wizard sporting a huge Gandalf-like hat with heavy spellbooks tied to his sides.
All minis look fantastic and the detail is a sight to behold. All tiny bone-shaped accessories and funny details hidden on every miniature just ooze creativity.
A Look Into the Future
The Dungeons and Doggies campaign can easily be considered a huge success, and there are still 6 days remaining till the end. Author promises continuing the “Animal Adventures” series with even more dog minis in the future, and a possible cat version. If the latter becomes reality, count my wallet in on day one.
