For a while, I've been working on a project with @bflanagin that I hope will prove useful to tabletop gamers everywhere.

Tabletop+ is an app that streamlines the boring, confusing, or time-consuming parts of a tabletop game while offering ways to enhance gameplay for the game master (GM) and their players. It offers GMs and players various ways to digitize their tabletop games, but is flexible enough to serve a wide spectrum of gameplay preference. Whether you prefer mostly analog, mixed analog and digital, or full digital, Tabletop+ is here to help.

Tabletop+ is also system-agnostic in terms of what tabletop games it supports, and it's accessible through both phones and PCs. GMs and players can store whatever info they want on Tabletop+ as well as craft and share digital resources to use with any game.

Here's a quick overview of the more important features.

Player-Specific Content

Problem:
Your friend "Ann" rolls a 16 in Perception and the GM reveals to everyone that she's the only one who rolled high enough to see the assassin. Your other friend "Greg", gets his mental wires crossed and begins rolling to retaliate. Now the GM has to remind Greg that he can't perceive the assassin, only Ann can.

Solution:
Instead of dealing with that over and over again, Tabletop+ offers GMs the option to send messages or sounds to a player's phone client. Using our app, the GM could subtly tell Ann about the assassin, which will enable the party to more viscerally feel the difference in perception when Ann surprises everyone by reacting to an assassin the others didn't know was there.

Or if the GM just wants to surprise players with unexpected atmosphere from their phone like rustling leaves or spooky monster noises, the app allows that too (only while the app is open and the player has joined an active game, of course).

Automation Options for Number-Crunching

Problem:
Ever been in a 5-7 player campaign and nearly fallen asleep during combat while everyone hashes out and rolls their moves? Or have you ever started scrolling your phone and/or doodling in the background while someone re-discovers what their modifiers are?

Solution:
Store relevant modifiers and other information in Tabletop+ and Automate calculations for player rolls. No more searching for your proficiencies or rooting through Player Handbooks to find that damage formula you never wrote down for your weapon. Open the app, select your tool/spell/etc, pick a target, roll, get a result. Results are automatically pushed to the GM.

Of course, I love rolling my colorful math rocks in real life as much as the next player. To that end, Tabletop+ will include options to configure just how much you want to automate. You could go full digital, input your initial roll into the calculator for your selected player option, or just do it all yourself if you want.

Character Management

Problem:
A player has either forgotten their character sheet at home, struggled to find x thing on their sheet, somehow logged a different amount of xp/gold than remembered from the last session, or have a lot of sheets to manage. (Lookin' at you 5E spellcaster and Pokemon 5E.)

Solution:
Digitize and synchronize player sheets. GMs can create/manage/edit character sheets for a game and players can access that info through a simple but comprehensive console on their phone or PC.

GM Console

Problems:

• Tabletop games often require memorizing a lot of rules
• Prepping a game requires managing a lot of materials

Solutions:

• Store rulesets and commonly-used game calculations within Tabletop+. Skilled GMs can also share their "game kits" for others to use as well. You should be able to pick up Tabletop+ and run a game even if you've never GM'ed before, without having to painstakingly memorize everything or constantly thumb through manuals.
• Store things like maps, tokens, sound clips, and notes within Tabletop+. If you still prefer to handle those things physically, that's fine too.
• Create, edit, and run games through a UI that keeps many of your most important tools as a GM close at hand.

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What's Next?

In my next post, I'll share some of the mockups and UI designs of the project so far. This is still in a VERY early design phase, slowed down by the holidays. We're planning to begin testing parts of the app later in January 2021, provided no other apocalyptic shifts in our reality surprise us.

In the meantime, I hope everyone's having a safe and happy holiday season. It's been a long year, so make sure you take a long rest and recover your points by giving yourself some good food, rest, or some self-care. You've earned it.