Let’s Play D&D– I AM GROOT!
Hey there sprout, you wouldn’t be-leaf what adventures we’re about to get up to. This week we’re playing D&D with Groot.
The latest addition to the Disney+ lineup features none other than our favorite talking tree galaxy guardian. Groot was an instant hit with all of us, even those of us who weren’t expecting to love this character’s foray onto the big screen so much. But Groot is great and he’s here to stay. And you know where else could use a hyper-specific concept character who will turn out to be surprisingly endearing? That’s right, your next D&D campaign. This week we’re playing D&D with…
Groot
There aren’t a lot of great options for making tree people in D&D. You can always take the homebrew route, and there are a ton of good homebrews out there for just about everything you could want. But for these sheets, I like to stick to the official materials as much as possible. So we had to take another approach to Groot.
Really, the most important thing about picking a race for Groot is making sure he’s a big dude. Bonuses to strength are a bonus, but he should tower over most other people. There are a couple of options and I think all of them have a lot of potential, but in the end, I opted for Firbolg because it felt the most connected to nature to me.
From there his class had to convey all of the planty-ness we couldn’t get through his race but also the fact that he’s just a big tree-shaped tank. This of course called for a multi-class and Groot is now a Druid and Barbarian mix. Druid will give us access to lots of nature and plant-based spells, while Barbarian will let us hit and throw things with ease with those rages.
All of this does mean that we’re working with an adult Groot as opposed to a baby or teenager-sized guy. Pint-sized Groot is undeniably adorable, but he’s not the most effective in battle, and if you’re playing a character that’s almost more concept than the character you want to make sure you’re on the right side of the playability line.
Druid would give Groot access to an optional Wild Companion, but I didn’t see Raccoon as an option so this didn’t feel terribly worth it or in character for him. And this may be for the best, Rocket really should be his own character. But it also gives us a few spells that I think mimic some of Groot’s plant powers perfectly. Entangle, Enlarge / Reduce, and Barkskin are all fairly spot-on. And I know that the Druid spell list will only have more options for him as he gains levels.
Finally, you may notice a distinct lack of items or weapons on this sheet. Groot doesn’t really carry much or wield many weapons. In a game you should, of course, give your character whatever weapon will help them beat the next encounter.
How would you make Groot for a D&D setting? Have you watched his new show yet? What movie, show, game, or comic should I make sheets from next time? Let us know in the comments!
Happy Adventuring!
