Trapdoor Tech's Official Pathfinder Mobile Application

Trapdoor Technologies and Paizo have announced that the former will be producing an official licensed Pathfinder RPG mobile app. The company already produces Playbook for PRC, which is an open-gaming-content version, but this will allow more content and artwork, along with a catalogue of official Pathfinder adventures. It'll be coming to mobile devices this summer. Trapdoor technologies is the company which was originally producing DungeonScape, the official D&D 5E app, before that project was cancelled.

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[h=4]Press Release[/h]
Trapdoor Partners with Paizo, Inc. to Create Comprehensive Pathfinder RPG Companion App for Players and Game Masters to Streamline Gameplay Like Never Before

BOULDER, COLORADO (April 11, 2016): Trapdoor Technologies proudly announces a partnership with Paizo, Inc. to produce Playbook for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, an app that integrates all of the components of running the popular RPG into a single application for iPad.

"Playbook will allow players to roll up and manage characters, while Game Masters can purchase and prep adventures and campaigns in the award-winning world of Pathfinder,” says Chris Matney, Managing Director at Trapdoor. “With quick rules lookup, information sharing, stat tracking and more, this is the app roleplaying gamers have been waiting for.”

Trapdoor released a preliminary version of the Pathfinder RPG Playbook developed independently of Paizo, however the full licensed version of Playbook for Pathfinder will include the games’s complete rule set, artwork, connection with Pathfinder Society Organized Play events, and the extensive library of Pathfinder adventures. Playbook for Pathfinder is slated for release Second Quarter 2016, with additional adventures released throughout the year.

"We are excited to have Trapdoor join the Paizo family, and we think Playbook for Pathfinder has great potential to improve the game prep and play experience. Streamlining bookkeeping and simplifying rules lookup during play will help gamers get the most out of their time at the table," said Lisa Stevens, CEO at Paizo.

 

[smiteworks]

WotC still hasn't announced any digital tools. Probably taking their time after the DungeonScape fiasco. There's still room for something, since the DM's Guild doesn't fill the niche that DungeonScape would have (digital versions of the rulebooks, character builder, plus campaign manager).

-HM

First off, congratulations to Paizo and Trapdoor.

I just wanted to chime in here to say that WotC did announce digital tools in the form of Fantasy Grounds in April, 2015. It's been very well received and now 1 year later, every available D&D fifth edition release is available on the platform, with most products releasing simultaneously with the release of the product in public print release. It covers the digital version of the rulebook, campaign manager and a limited form of character builder - although it is specifically targeted towards online play or as an at the table aid.

... now back to this specific topic. Carry on.

 

[Hollow Man]

Yes, I should've made it clearer that I meant nothing has come out to specifically meet the needs that DungeonScape was attempting to meet, i.e. digital tools to be used in conjunction with playing at a physical table (rather than a virtual tabletop).

-HM

 

[smiteworks]

Yes, I should've made it clearer that I meant nothing has come out to specifically meet the needs that DungeonScape was attempting to meet, i.e. digital tools to be used in conjunction with playing at a physical table (rather than a virtual tabletop).

-HM

Fair enough. They were different enough that I imagine they could have lived side-by-side. There is a growing number of people using it at a physical table, but it is most commonly used solely by the DM as a campaign and combat manager or with a 2nd display pushed to a TV, projector or 2nd monitor for digital, tactical maps and handouts. There is no tablet option at this time like there would have been with DungeonScape, and it is less likely that everyone would bring a laptop or slate to the table.

 

[Jester David]

Curious.

Paizo already has a deal with Lone Wolf for both Hero Labs and Realmworks, and many Pathfinder fans have already sunk money into that. So Playbook has to be even better to just complete, sunk cost fallacy and all.
Pathfinder is also a very mature system, so unless you can get all the books, there's little reason to buy in.

 

[EthanSental]

My question or line of thought...if trapdoor couldn't pull off the WOTC digital tools, or WoTC didn't like what they saw, or maybe trapdoor was hamstrung by licensing issues (or some other unknown reason) why is paizo jumping all over it for probably a similar set up/app that trapdoor was working on for WoTC.

 

[Jester David]

Downloaded Playbook again. Which took a while given the number of other apps with that name. Unfortunate branding.
It was slow. The "Forge" feature was *still* forthcoming. The PRD/ character creator only included the Core Rulebook (it said APG but there was no non-core classes or archetypes). The book reader feature was painfully slow and had no bookmark tool I could see to speed reading. Terrible experience overall and the impression of very little progress in the past six-seven months since it went live.
With zero splatbook support this app is of zero use to Pathfinder players.

-edit-
Kept trying out of masochism for an informed review.
There is a "bookmark" tool that allows you to mark pages. But I saw no way of quickly moving to bookmarks, making it useless.
There is a table of contents, but only for each chapter. A few have lists of contents (classes) so you can click classes and then click "rogue" and go right to that class (after 10-30 seconds of load screens). But the combat section will still require flipping. And with no search function, you can't skim to "grappling" for example or browse for keywords. So the book function is subpar compared to even a mediocre PDF reader.
There is a linking feature that connects references to linked sections. But this is poorly implemented. For example, the "rogue talents" link in the rogue table it moved me to the shadowdancer section.
Every time I tried to download the PRD monster book, it failed.

It's telling that there are not even enough reviews of an app for iTunes to give it a rating.

My question or line of thought...if trapdoor couldn't pull off the WOTC digital tools, or WoTC didn't like what they saw, or maybe trapdoor was hamstrung by licensing issues (or some other unknown reason) why is paizo jumping all over it for probably a similar set up/app that trapdoor was working on for WoTC.

I doubt Paizo is "jumping all over it". Trapdoor went to them, paid the licensing fee, and they just said "yes". Doesn't cost Paizo anything. If it works they get an app, and Lone Wolf has to make Hero Labs better for a net win to consumers. If the Playbook app fails, they still made the licence fee.

 

[Curmudjinn]

This whole thing is eerily familiar...

 

[EthanSental]

Thanks Jester - sounds like WoTC might have made the right decision in dropping them as it doesn't sound too encouraging. Maybe they will get the kinks worked out and make it more useful to PF players.

 

[Curmudjinn]

Thanks Jester - sounds like WoTC might have made the right decision in dropping them as it doesn't sound too encouraging. Maybe they will get the kinks worked out and make it more useful to PF players.

They were given countless advice and support during the beginning of the Dungeonscape fiasco, regarding many of these same issues. Some people thought they wanted lost money decompensated before bothering to do anymore work on the project. Hopefully that will be cleared up, but it's hard to make an elephant stop being an elephant.

 

[Bloodsausage]

We're back to these guys again? They've got a bead on a product that nobody wants. Why does this keep getting pushed?