Let’s Play D&D With Rocket Raccoon
We’re gonna need a few things… including that guy’s arm. This week we’re playing D&D with Rocket Raccoon.
The latest Guardians of the Galaxy movie is just about here, and the trailers look like this one is going to hurt us. It also looks like there’s going to be a lot of focus on the team’s tiny, angry super genius who definitely isn’t a raccoon. And that’s fine by us, Rocket is an interesting character who’s usually fun to spend screen time with. So fun and interesting, that I think we’ll have him join us for our next adventure. This week we’re playing D&D with…
Rocket Raccoon
You may be disappointed to hear that there aren’t any playable Raccoon folk in D&D. There should be. There are Lizard Folk and turtle people so many varieties of elf but if you want to play a Rocket Raccoon, you’ll have to pick a different race and let the table know that they’ll be wearing a jacket with cute little raccoon ears at all times. I went with Rock Gnome. They’re small, smart, and natural tinkerers.
From there, there were a few directions go to in with Rocket’s classes, but only a few key character beats to hit. He’s smart, comes up with some of the team’s best (or worst) plans, and can make and heavily modify all sorts of gadgets. He’s also somebody you’d want to have on your team in a fight and good with a firearm. Or that guy’s arm. Either way.
I made Rocket an Artificer to start and chose the Battle Smith sub-class so his steel defender could be Groot. Should Groot be his own character sheet? Yeah, probably, but I’m not making Groot this week so for now he’s living on Rocket’s sheet. This also gives him the ability to tinker, create, replicate, invent, and otherwise make all sorts of horrible weapons and goodies.
From there, I considered a Gunslinger-Fighter duel class. But I decided that with his tiny body, high dexterity, and the fact that he’ll let everyone in earshot know that he’s the smartest in the room, he should be a Mastermind-Rogue. Rocket can sneak around and nab stuff, or he can just lean into being the smartest mouth in the room and focus the plans. More likely, he’ll do both.
I gave him the Mobile feat in part because as a Gnome he had a pretty low starting speed… but Rocket should be pretty quick. Mobile gave him a much-needed speed boost. Observant gave us an opportunity to bump his intelligence up once again, as well as some additional boosts to his passive perception and insight.
Artificers get a few spells, but I don’t think magic would really be Rocket’s thing. So he has the spells that came with his sub-class and a few others that I thought would be helpful like Mage Hand and Message. And a few that would just be fun and on-brand, like Pyrotechnics.
How would you make Rocket Raccoon for a D&D setting? Are you excited for the next chapter of the Guardians of the Galaxy saga? What movie, show, game, or book should I make sheets from next time? Let us know in the comments!
Happy adventuring!
