HazzaH The Mobile Tabletop RPG Tool for iPhones and iPads Kickstarter Project

[Harrrbinger]

HazzaH The Mobile Tabletop RPG Tool for iPhones and iPads: Playing anytime, anywhere with anyone is what HazzaH is all about—paper-free, backpack-free, and hassle-free! HazzaH is a set of tools bundled into your iPhone and iPad app (an Android version is planned) to bring tabletop RPGs to the smartphone and tablet age. If you use it to play RPGs, then it’s in HazzaH: dice, maps, initiative tracker, character maker, campaign maker, and minis to represent characters and those they are destined to fight. HazzaH gives you all this plus in-game text chat, the ability to create characters and 3D game maps, the ability to print and export characters and maps, and RPG specific rule references and much more. It supports multiple rule sets and even a “No rule set” mode.

The tool comes standard with the Pathfinder PRD that adds on to the “No rule set” features to replicate your tabletop.

This is NO VIDEO GAME! HazzaH is all about old-school pen-and-paper gaming but in high-tech style!

For more RPG Kickstarter projects, check out RPG Kickstarters.

 

[Blackwarder]

Very interesting project.

I would rather have the ability to use regular maps than the 3d versions they work on...

Warder

 

[Otakkun]

Really interesting ... the fabled 4E toolkit wotc never delivered but coming from a 3rd party and focused on pathfinder instead.

I approve!

 

[fablestreams]

2D Maps support

Very interesting project.

I would rather have the ability to use regular maps than the 3d versions they work on...

Warder

The app allows you to change the camera angle, so if you want a 2D overhead view, you got it.

The app also allows you to export a 2D Jpeg of your app and places it in your photo folder so you can make your own playable map or reference map for us GMs if you still want to run your game on the tabletop.

 

[fablestreams]

4E Toolkit

Really interesting ... the fabled 4E toolkit wotc never delivered but coming from a 3rd party and focused on pathfinder instead.

I approve!

We are working on not meeting the same fate But its not just that our first rule set (we are working on adding more) is based on Pathfinder, but this is a fully integrated mobile app so you can take it anywhere more conveniently even if you use a laptop.

You don't have to be married to pathfinder to use it also (as opposed to the wotc concept). The map maker, campaign maker, dice roller, init tracker can all be used for game play without a rule set.

 

[vmaaxt]

Will the phone app be fully featured (maps, etc)? I don't have an iPad, and neither does anybody at my table.

 

[fablestreams]

iPhone Features

Will the phone app be fully featured (maps, etc)? I don't have an iPad, and neither does anybody at my table.

vmaaxt, thanks for the question. The iPhone (and soon followed by Adnroid phones) has two functions geared primarily for the player. The iPad (or tablet) is primarily the GMs tool. The phone acts like your character sheet and dice, and the tablet as your game mat and GM tools.

By itself, the phone does not need the tablet, but its player centric. It lets you create characters for Pathfinder/3.5 OGL (we are working on getting licenses for future rule sets). You can have multiple characters in there. You can share your characters with other players (either e-mail or bluetooth), create a paper character sheet, and has a 3D physics based dice roller included. Additionally, it has context specific help to look up skills, feats, spells and weapons, equipment, an magical items. This is all independent of the iPad/Tablet connectivity. You can use it for your tabletop games.

The second set of features is specific to connecting to the iPad/tablet. When connected, the phone acts much like a wireless remote control for your console. When you roll your dice, others see it on their devices, you can chat with other players and you will have a tactical battle mat that a displays whats going on in the tablet host device.

There is a host/slave relationship between the tablet to phone, tablet to tablet relationship. Why would you do such a thing, you may be wondering? We see trends in technology that point to tablets becoming more and more common. There is a lot of research out there that shows that their growth is outpacing laptops and PCs and in the not so distant future, tablets will be the new laptop. We wanted to get ahead of that curve. The cost of the iPad/Android tablet (which you will use for a lot more than our app) will be made up in savings over traditional print media and miniatures. The app itself for the iPad will be pretty cheap ($9.99)--a lot less than an accessory adventure. It comes with over 300 digital assets including creatures and PCs--3D digital models. Miniature packs will feature dozens of minis for less than you would pay for a plastic pre-painted mini and way less than a metal one. Not that I'll stop buying them, but our app will let you have better looking (and I think more fun games) for a lot less. The tablet/phone is also more convenient to carry.

So while I think your group is common in not having a tablet and specifically an iPad, the trend that we see in the market, in the games I run at stores and see at conventions tells us that the trend is that more and more groups are adopting these technologies in their games.

Thanks again for your question, and let me know if you have more!

 

[Blackwarder]

The app allows you to change the camera angle, so if you want a 2D overhead view, you got it.

The app also allows you to export a 2D Jpeg of your app and places it in your photo folder so you can make your own playable map or reference map for us GMs if you still want to run your game on the tabletop.

That's all cool, but I would rather have the ability to actually import into the app already drawn maps or better yet to draw 2D maps instead of the 3d kind.

I find that having a good 2D top down (or isometric but those are harder to draw) without too many frills and distractions is the best medium for my group.

I'll just add that after reading the first update I want to point out that I have no intention to play D&D like some kind of a computer game and right now it seems to me like your focuse is on the 3d assets.

Btw, I'm not dissing you, I pledged.

Warder

 

[fablestreams]

Re: Features

That's all cool, but I would rather have the ability to actually import into the app already drawn maps or better yet to draw 2D maps instead of the 3d kind.

I find that having a good 2D top down (or isometric but those are harder to draw) without too many frills and distractions is the best medium for my group.

I'll just add that after reading the first update I want to point out that I have no intention to play D&D like some kind of a computer game and right now it seems to me like your focuse is on the 3d assets.

Btw, I'm not dissing you, I pledged.

Warder

Some more good points. First, yes, I know you pledged and I want to personally thank you for it.

2D vs 3D view and old-school vs. new-school: We personally think that 3D views would be great and thought that it would be very cool for gamers. But it was important to keep the 2D view and so we offer the 2D view or what we call the top view for a more old-school feel. But honestly, its an app. As an analogy, its like PDF vs. printed books. I prefer books, but carrying them around is annoying. So I still tend to buy both I take the PDFs around on my iPad but still use the books at home. The app is meant to do much of the same. A lot more people today seem to be playing at stores or local cons or don't have all the storage space at home. So what HazzaH offers is convenience with a few cool bells and whistles. To me, an old-dog, I love drawing my own maps on a Chessex board (or dry erase board), rolling real dice, and writing my own adventures, but its not as feasible to take all my stuff to have a quick game during my lunch hour at Taco Bell. I can with an app. People will think I'm cool with an iPad Just trying to be funny, but I think you get what I mean.

In my heart, there will always be a place for actual pen-and-paper, but to try to appeal to a younger base, an app may have broader appeal. For those of us that want to game more away from home or can't house more stuff, an app can make it easier. Ultimately, this app won't completely replace a good-ol' tabletop with pen, paper and dice, but it just gives us more options.

Thanks again for your good insights and your support.

 

[Blackwarder]

Some more good points. First, yes, I know you pledged and I want to personally thank you for it.

2D vs 3D view and old-school vs. new-school: We personally think that 3D views would be great and thought that it would be very cool for gamers. But it was important to keep the 2D view and so we offer the 2D view or what we call the top view for a more old-school feel. But honestly, its an app. As an analogy, its like PDF vs. printed books. I prefer books, but carrying them around is annoying. So I still tend to buy both I take the PDFs around on my iPad but still use the books at home. The app is meant to do much of the same. A lot more people today seem to be playing at stores or local cons or don't have all the storage space at home. So what HazzaH offers is convenience with a few cool bells and whistles. To me, an old-dog, I love drawing my own maps on a Chessex board (or dry erase board), rolling real dice, and writing my own adventures, but its not as feasible to take all my stuff to have a quick game during my lunch hour at Taco Bell. I can with an app. People will think I'm cool with an iPad Just trying to be funny, but I think you get what I mean.

In my heart, there will always be a place for actual pen-and-paper, but to try to appeal to a younger base, an app may have broader appeal. For those of us that want to game more away from home or can't house more stuff, an app can make it easier. Ultimately, this app won't completely replace a good-ol' tabletop with pen, paper and dice, but it just gives us more options.

Thanks again for your good insights and your support.

I got nothing against any of your points, I'm just saying that it would be cool to be able to import a 2d map to the app, overlay a grid (or a hex grid for overland travel) and put the miniatures on that, be they 2D tokens or full fledge 3D minis.

Tbh, I'm more interested in the player character sheet and campaign maker tools.

Did you guys talked with WotC about dndnext for the app?

Warder