Anjali Bhimani reveals her inspiration behind The Puppy Bowl and what fans can expect for round two, as well as working with Critical Role.
Actress and producer Anjali Bhimani is rolling high on the die for charity with her one-of-a-kind Dungeons & Dragons livestream, The Puppy Roll. This heartfelt and hilarious event features a star-studded cast of celebrity players who bring their beloved canine companions to life as adventurers, weaving a tale of fantastical fun and furry heroism.
More than just a game, the event is a dedicated fundraiser for Petco Love, a national non-profit committed to saving pet lives and raising awareness for animal rescue and welfare initiatives. This includes Petco Love Lost, the organization’s innovative image recognition registry that helps reunite lost animals with their humans. Bhimani’s creation perfectly marries the collaborative storytelling of TTRPGs with a deep passion for animal welfare, proving that even a game of fantasy can make a tangible difference in the real world.
The upcoming The Puppy Roll 2 continues the tradition of blending comedy, heartfelt play, and impactful fundraising. This year’s event promises even more delightful chaos and includes not just dogs, but a few cats joining the adventuring party, as well. The enthusiasm for the cause – and the inherent silliness of the concept – makes The Puppy Roll an unmissable event that showcases the best of the gaming community’s generosity and collaborative spirit.
The Inclusive Power Of The TTRPG Community
Anjali Bhimani’s passion for using the game as a force for good is rooted in her deep appreciation for the TTRPG community. When asked what it’s like working with Critical Role, she immediately praises their consistent and genuine nature. “They’re the same people all the time. They’re the same kind, wonderful, open, and embracing people all the time,” she says, noting that this welcoming culture extends to “everyone who works there, not just the founders.”
This spirit of inclusion is what first drew her to D&D as a child. Bhimani, who started playing when she was eight, had an epiphany that the game offered a safe, diverse space: “You can be an orc, you can be a halfling. It doesn’t matter. You can still save the day.”
This built-in celebration of variety and difference is what she loves most about the entire community. It creates an environment where people are actively encouraged to be exactly themselves, providing a powerful example of how to “take care of each other” – a necessity she feels cannot be emphasized enough in today’s world. She concludes that the folks at Critical Role and Dimension 20 set this precedent for kindness and community support.
From Player To Purveyor Of Fun: The DM Life
For Anjali Bhimani, stepping into the role of a Dungeon Master was initially a daunting prospect. Fellow Critical Role founder Marisha Ray told her years ago, “You should DM,” to which Bhimani replied, “The hell I should. I am… I don’t want to be in charge of anything.” However, while preparing to DM a one-shot, she realized that the true task of a DM is not about being perfectly in charge of the rules, but being the “purveyor of fun” for the players.
This mindset helped inspire The Puppy Roll. The game’s unique premise allows for maximum silliness, leaning into the idea that there are “no wrong answers, as long as we’re all enjoying each other’s company and telling a good story.” That core philosophy – the fun and silliness of it all – is what inspired her to finally take the plunge and DM the first Puppy Roll last year.
Reflecting on her return to the game as an adult, Bhimani was asked what it was like to play for the first time again. She notes that her first TTRPG back wasn’t D&D, but a zombie apocalypse horror show called We’re Alive Frontier. That experience, which immediately made her invested in saving her party, solidified the emotional and communal hook of TTRPGs: “that investment that came from sitting at a table with a bunch of people who were equally invested in the story… that hooked me.” Her first D&D game was a Doom one-shot with Critical Role – a ridiculous, fun adventure that was exactly what she wanted.
Now, she’s constantly thinking about TTRPG classes, even for her own acting roles. She jokingly confessed that during a panel with her Overwatch castmates, she was internally assigning them classes. For example, she believes her character Symmetra is a combo between an Artificer and a Clockwork Sorcerer.
The Puppy Roll Is The Legacy Of Charley
The real inspiration for The Puppy Roll came from Bhimani’s late dog, Charley, who unfortunately recently passed away. The initial idea to play D&D as him during a Kickstarter sparked the question, “Why is this not a thing?” Though she initially wasn’t sure if she could handle organizing the sequel event so soon after his passing, she ultimately realized it had to happen: “This is Charley. He made this… He’s the one who inspired all of this.”
The project now provides a wonderful way to have her dog have a legacy. Charley, a Bard of the College of Glamour, will be making his appearance once again as the “dashingly adopted male,” complete with fun new surprises cooked up by the production team.
For The Puppy Roll 2, Anjali Bhimani is thrilled to welcome new players, including the incredibly talented Ginny Di and Emily Axford. Axford, whom Bhimani calls a “sweetheart,” is expected to bring delightful chaos to the table.
In a nod to a surprise twist from the first stream, this year will indeed include some feline adventurers: “There are indeed some cats,” she confirmed. And of course, the event will be full of dog and cat puns, including re-skinned spells like “mage paw and prestidogitation.”
A Community Of Support
Anjali Bhimani highlights that the support for The Puppy Roll is a true community effort, with companies like Hero Forge, Misty Mountain Gaming, and Wizards of the Coast providing surprises and resources. She notes this is unique to the TTRPG space: “The companies support each other… You don’t see Sony and Paramount being like, ‘Hey, let’s swap executives for this season.'”
Beyond the charity stream, Bhimani is also a co-producer on The 20-Sided Tavern, a live, touring production that blends D&D with theater and improv, allowing the audience to vote on game choices via a mobile app. This show, which Anjali Bhimani calls a combination of her great loves, D&D and theater, is all about inviting people to the party and reaching underserved communities.
The success of The Puppy Roll has even sparked grand, arena-sized dreams. When jokingly asked if she’d be able to do The Puppy Roll live in a stadium, Bhimani’s eyes lit up. “You just gave me a bucket list moment,” she exclaimed. She noted that the “roar of the crowd” at TTRPG arena shows is akin to a rock concert or athletic event, and she’s ready to manifest a live charity event: “We need to think this into being!”
For now, fans can affect the current game by visiting the event’s Tiltify page to donate, affect the game’s outcome through polls, and unlock milestone rewards, all in the name of saving animal lives.
The Puppy Roll 2, featuring Anjali Bhimani, Matthew Mercer, Ashley Johnson, Aabria Iyengar, Ginny Di, Maggie Robertson (and more) will return on October 20th at 6 PM PT.
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Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.