A new way to experience TTRPGs
Some months back, I was thinking about my past tabletop gaming experiences and something that seemed common to all of them was that I wished there was just a little more of a tech aspect to them. When the sickness that shall not be named beset the world in 2020, the TTRPG community was forced to go online. Great tools like Roll20 or Fantasy Grounds kept us alive, but as in-person sessions started taking place again, there still wasn't anything to bring the best of both worlds to the tabletop.
Another thing I remember when I was a new D&D player was how daunting it all felt. D&D has a rich history of engaging, comprehensive combat, storytelling, and exploration mechanics, but boy does it make a newbie's head spin. That's another thing I wanted to tackle. And so, SMARTBASE was born.
What it is
SMARTBASE, simply put, is a combination of a smart, Bluetooth-enabled TTRPG figurine base and TTRPG companion app. With SMARTBASE, we wanted to:
- Lower the perceived barrier of entry for new players into TTRPGs like D&D, Warhammer, etc.
- Offer DMs and players tools that enhance the in-person TTRPG experience by taking away some of the tediousness of manually keeping stats, tracking initiative, etc.
- Provide hardware that augments a player's gameplay feedback and engagement.
SMARTBASE hardware is currently being developed in-house alongside the software. The software is currently focusing on D&D 5e thanks to WotC's gracious provision of their 5e SRD, but we hope to expand support in the near future to as many TTRPGs as is practical.
Finding the balance
The primary ethos of SMARTBASE is balance. We want the hardware and app to enhance, not replace, the experience of the players within the worlds of their TTRPG of choice. We believe that the app shouldn't do everything that these various IPs' systems allow for, but we also want to give enough tools to allow players and game runners/DMs alike to engage more with the story, the world building, the combat, and the exploration while still maintaining their agency. Especially in instances where campaigns can stretch out for weeks or months, having the minutia taken care of for you will undoubtedly allow you and your party to focus on the story as it unfolds, not "was he poisoned?"
Current Features
SMARTBASE hopes to address common pain points such as:
- Game startup/character creation
- Stat tracking
- Initiative tracking
- Actions taken per turn
- Spell/equipment management
There are also tools designed specifically for DMs such as:
- Campaign creation with encounter/scenario builders (mostly focused on combat)
- "Compendium" that holds spells, gear, classes, and monsters sourced directly from D&D's OGL/CC-licenseable SRD
- Multiplayer session hosting and management with session persistence
- Player lobby with QR code quick join
- Initiative tracking
- Status effect tracking
- "Any time" digital dice set for non-combat situations
- And more
The SMARTBASE hardware currently pairs via Bluetooth to the app, allows for custom device naming, and responds to status effects, displays level-up events, player turn indication, damage taken, health restored, and health status. It accommodates standard 20mm and 50mm D&D figurine bases and measures roughly 50mm in diameter with a height of ~25mm. It uses a single power switch and charges via USB-C. It is currently in its 3rd iteration and is undergoing more revisions before final production. Materials for the SMARTBASE have not been finalized at this time.
The first in-person closed alpha is March 7th, but we will be making improvements and posting regularly, so stay tuned!