There’s not a single pet owner among us that can definitively say they have never narrated their pet’s inner thoughts. Thankfully the internet has moved on from thinking every cat can has cheeseburger; instead we are delighted with gems like Miette that come from tumblr and Twitter.
Now here to take that concept to the next level is Campaigns & Companions: The Complete Role-Playing Guide for Pets. Because, as the blurb says, if there are two things all geeks love, it’s role-playing games, and their pets. So why not combine both?
Reading like a greentext story and accompanied by the most beautiful illustrations, Campaigns & Companions follows the adventures (and misadventures) of your beloved family pets as they engage in some good old-fashioned tabletop role-playing shenanigans. Of course, bringing pets into the dungeon is not without its pitfalls: dogs are going to chase ball-shaped things, cats are distracted by small lights, and budgies will inevitably get trapped by a mirror.
All these scenarios and more play out across the pages of Campaigns & Companions, with many laugh-out-loud moments where you can just imagine your beloved (and sometimes dickish) furkid doing the exact same things.
Writers Andi Ewington and Rhianna Pratchett capture the essence of silly animal behaviour across 96 pages, accompanied by the stunning art of Calum Alexander Watt – who must have had the best time coming up with amazing RPG outfits to shove all manner of creatures into.
Campaigns & Companions is a short, punchy book that doesn’t wear out its narrative gimmick and has the perfect amount of absurdity to make it an instant hit. Not only that, the illustrations look as though they are lifted straight from a player’s handbook. This will be the ideal Christmas gift for any geeky role-playing friend or family member.
If you’re keen for a taste of the style, and some previews of the art, I highly recommend following AndiEwington on Twitter. Campaigns & Companions is available on 14 September in hardcover and ebook format, and comes from Rebellion Publishing.
