Raising a Glass at the Black Hound Tavern
- hi.im.t
- Mar 20
- 2 min read
It is often said that the best adventures begin in a tavern. For the creators behind Pawlymorph and Cantrip Candles, that trope became a reality—not through a mysterious hooded stranger, but through a shared passion for tabletop gaming, craftsmanship, and, of course, dogs.
The Founders, Jason and Christoff, met during a Kickstarter to launch Pawlymorph and later Cantrip Candles became one of the first retail partners. Christoff saved the day at PAX by helping Jason during "con crunch" and helped organize inventory that arrived late. Thus in those trenches, a friendship was forged.
"When people you admire support what you're building... it makes the whole thing feel that much more."
-Jason on collaborating with Christoff
Afterwards, collaborating felt like a Nat20 with the overlap in the TTRPG space and the guidance Christoff was giving to help Pawlymorph grow. Cantrip Candle's aesthetics and their Black Hound Tavern in universe served as the inspiration, and the Founders started the process from concept to creation.
Using the tavern as a starting point, Jason leaned into his brewing past and started to design a tankard inspired by a common campaign kick off point. He didn't want to make just a "mug toy", he wanted to make a piece of gear; the design would resemble the size and proportions of a tankard from a Renaissance Faire.
"The amount of thought that went into how we could customize it was mind-blowing!...It really was sky's the limit."
-Christoff on collaborating with Jason
Including plush coins in the tankard was an inspired idea, letting dogs "pay" for their round, and adding another element of play to the design. Different prototypes were made, trying to refine each element of the design for maximum fun. Christoff was amazed how "Pawlymorph took a drawing and broke it down by size, texture, sound and materials. It was like the drawing came off the page and started squeaking in my hands!"
The collaboration was not only a professional milestone, marking the first collaboration for Pawlymorph, but a deeply personal one for Christoff. His own beloved black hound, Henry, recently passed but is now immortalized as the logo on each tankard. Jason hopes each tankard "keeps his memory alive with every happy pup that plays with it".
"He'll forever be immortalized...Henry loved his tankard...that's a gift I'll never be able to repay"
-Christoff on Henry's inspiration
The Black Hound Tavern Tankard is more than a toy, it's a celebration of community, care, and the dogs that inspire the work.
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