D&D Celebrities Transform Into Their Pets in a Paw-some Charity Event

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The Puppy Roll 2 features a talented cast including Anjali Bhimani (Charley), Aabria Iyengar (Suvi), Ashley Johnson (Sully), Matthew Mercer (Omar), Maggie Robertson (Cricket), Jonathan Graziano (Milton), Ginny Di (Pablo), and a special appearance by Emily Axford as Bruce.

To make players feel fully connected to their pets in The Puppy Roll 2, creator Bhimani and Bad Auntie Entertainment collaborated with Wizards of the Coast. They’ve cleverly adapted elements from the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons books, *Heroes of Faerûn* and *Adventures in Faerûn*, so expect some surprising new spells, character classes, and other fun additions!

During this upcoming livestream, viewers can influence the game as it happens and also support animal shelters by helping pets find loving homes! To give everyone a preview, TopMob spoke with the livestream’s creator, Anjali Bhimani, and players Jonathan Graziano and Ginny Di about what exciting things to expect.

TopMob: Where did the idea for The Puppy Roll originally come from?

I’d been wanting to combine my two biggest passions for a while, and it all started with a Kickstarter campaign I did in 2021. One of the rewards was letting backers join a one-time roleplaying game with me and B. Dave Walters. I decided to play our dog, Charley, as my character, and it was so much fun! I immediately started thinking we needed to turn it into a full-length game.

I’ve always been a huge advocate for adopting, especially after bringing my own dog into my life – so many of my friends have amazing pups too! It felt natural to combine that passion with a live stream to benefit a good cause. Then I met the team at Petco Love – seriously, they’re incredible – at an event where they brought adoptable dogs, and it just clicked. They’re doing fantastic work with animal welfare nationwide, and the more I collaborated with them, the more I realized they were the perfect partners for this project.

TopMob: What inspired the idea to play as your own real-life pets?

I wanted to build a world where dogs could truly be dogs, not just act like people. I envisioned an adventure that felt like it came straight from my dog Charley’s mind, so even though I hadn’t run many games before, I decided to create the story and setting myself. This year, it means even more because we lost Charley in August. At first, I wasn’t sure I could handle it emotionally, but I quickly realized this adventure, the charity event, and everything connected to it, are a way to honor Charley’s memory more than anything else. He brought so much love into my life, and I want to keep that spirit alive for as long as possible.

TopMob: Will any other animals be joining The Puppy Roll this year?

As the title suggests, Ginny Di and Emily Axford will be joining us this year, bringing their cats along for the fun! If last year was wild, we have a feeling things are about to get even more chaotic with these two and their feline companions!

TopMob asks: What’s it like to role-play as your dog in an adventure? And how did you develop your dog’s personality for the game?

Jonathan Graziano described the experience as incredibly enjoyable. He explained that people often imagine their pets having personalities and roles, but he took it a step further by assigning his dog, Milton, a class like those in Dungeons & Dragons. It was particularly meaningful because he honored his previous dog, Noodle, by making him Milton’s powerful, otherworldly mentor. This allowed Jonathan to fondly remember Noodle while also celebrating the unique personality of his current dog, Milton.

I’m so excited to finally get to *play* Pablo! It’s funny, I already spend all day thinking about what he’s thinking – I basically narrate his life in my head! He’s this gorgeous, fluffy white cat, but honestly, he’s a little devil disguised as an angel. He’s brilliant, but that just means he’s *always* getting into mischief. So when I started working on ‘Puppy Roll,’ it felt natural for him to be the villain – a bit of a misunderstood bad boy, really, and I designed his character sheet to reflect that.

TopMob wants to know: If your pet were a Dungeons & Dragons character, what would they be like? What job would they have in the game, and does that fit their personality in real life?

Milton’s character, a warlock, is guided by a powerful entity named Noodle, which perfectly suits Milton’s personality. Even though Noodle has passed away, his influence still shapes the choices Milton and I make in the game. It’s a strangely beautiful thing, and I think anyone who’s loved and lost a pet will appreciate how we’re able to keep Noodle’s memory alive. In a way, Noodle always possessed a grand, otherworldly presence.

Pablo, like a lot of cats, is incredibly cunning when he wants something, so the name ‘Rogue’ seemed perfect for him. He’s full of tricks! For example, he’ll pretend to be starving to get extra food (he’s a master of deception!), and he patiently waits near my other cat Fitz’s special, high-tech food bowl, timing his move to steal a bite right before it closes. I have a feeling he’ll be quite a troublemaker for the other characters – he definitely listens to his mischievous side more than his good one!

Charley is definitely a Bard of the College of Glamour – it’s clear just by looking at him! While he isn’t physically strong, he’s incredibly charismatic. He became quite talkative as he got older, almost like a singer, and always knew exactly what he wanted from his owners, expressing himself very clearly. He’s always been inspiring, so it makes perfect sense. And let’s not forget his culinary expertise – he’s a true expert in biscuits! Meet Charley Barkenter, Bard and Biscuitologist.

Join the Puppy Roll 2 livestream on October 20, 2025, at 6 PM PST at Youtube.com/sweeetanj! All proceeds will benefit Petco Love, a nonprofit dedicated to helping pets find loving homes. For 25 years, Petco Love has partnered with Petco and over 4,000 rescue organizations across North America, helping more than 6.8 million pets get adopted. You can learn more about their work and donate at PetcoLove.org, or follow them on social media: Facebook, Instagram, X, Threads, and TikTok.

Editor’s note: Interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity

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2025-10-18 01:34