Pokemon RPG brainstorming

So I was thinking about how to handle Pokemon as separate entities and not as weapons, maybe there could be a form of the bond system between Pokemon and trainers that is separate from the humanxhuman bonds? You could roll for nature to give the Pokemon more personality too.

Do you think the combat should focus more on the PBtA side or the Pokemon side?

>>49390618
>Do you think the combat should focus more on the PBtA side or the Pokemon side?
You should start by elaborating on this question. Right now, it is so vague as to be useless.
What exactly does combat "focused on the PbtA side" mean according to your understanding?

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You should stop wasting time on these inferior systems and do it all in GURPS.

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>>49391836
Here's your (You).

>>49391801
What I mean is should the battles moreso match the conventions of Pokemon with moves, abilities, EVs, etc., or would that be to crunchy and we should just sort each Pokemon into categories and give them powers based on that? Personally, I think we should do the movepools and abilities of Pokemon, but leave out EVs and IVs. I would keep type effectiveness also, obviously, and allow for using the environment. I'm considering possibly having more than 4 move slots, but I'm on the fence about it.

>>49391898
...right.
If that's your train of thought, you should definitely not touch the PbtA engine.

I don't actually know much about GURPS, but the GURPSfag might actually have a point for once.

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>>49392008
>>49391898
GURPS certainly can do it. Just have a racial template per Pokemon, these represent the species' basic stats, natures, EVs, IVs and levels are just increases in these stats relative to the racial template. All moves are just advantages, mostly innate attacks and afflictions.

Easy peasy.

starting at low level would be cool. Maybe some kind of powered by apocalypse thing

>>49392199
PbtA was what I was thinking, but it seems like it would be difficult to keep consistant now.

>>49392273
It's not difficult at all to make a "consistent" (or whatever other word you were probably looking for) PbtA Pokémon game.

You just have to abandon any notion of using the video games' mechanics and systems.

>>49390445
Ever thought of doing a gijinka setting (where all the pokemon have become anthropomorphic and intelligent)?

>>49394158
So many posts to reply to, and you choose to contribute nothing to the thread?

>>49390445
There are other less crunchy options out there, Pokerole and pokemon pen & paper come to mind, there's also pokethlulu.

If you are gonna brainstorm you should star for what feeling you are going for:
Do you want it to be like a wargame?
Do you want more free-form role playing?

>>49394196
You're right, sorry. I wanted to keep it from dying before I could reply.

>>49392395
How would you do combat that keeps the feel of Pokemon but within PbtA rules?

>>49394183
Yes! This seems easier as you can generalize more type wise IMO and eliminates the problem of Pokemon seeming like tools.

>>49394225
Definitely more freeform

I haven't heard of any of those systems, I'll check them out.

>>49394263
Making the pokemon humanoids also makes it easier to use both generalist systems like GURPS and freeform storytelling.

>>49390445
I always wondered why the rpg's are so ridiculous, considering you need a sheet for like each pokemon.

Could battle just be simplified to something like Infinity? Where Pokemon just have an action and reaction? Like a Pikachu could use a movement and attack and then choose dodge reactions, and it basically comes down to rolling a die on each side, using a speed modifier from Pikachu and attack modifier from the attacker?

>>49394461
Pokemon Pen and paper already does something similar to that.

/tg/ is full of PTA/U fags that get butthurt whenever someone wants to play something else, but many other systems have already done things differently and are also pretty fun to play.

>>49394500
Ah I see! Thanks for letting me know, didn't know about pen and paper and will definitely check that out

So when I get home I'll start fleshing out a gijinka system because everything else seems to be covered. I want it to be more freeform, any suggestions?

>>49394263
>How would you do combat that keeps the feel of Pokemon but within PbtA rules?
Define the "feel" of Pokémon combat, define around five distinct approaches to Pokémon combat, translate those approaches to basic moves and associated stats, define several archetypes of Pokémon, create moves that distinguish archetypes from each other, either modifying the general approaches or opening new avenues of action.

Of course, that assumes that combat is the sole focus of the game.
If you want a more comprehensive system, you either have to slot the combat system into the main system, which effectively results in playing two different games at the table or reduce combat to an approach.

So I kinda abandoned the gijinka idea because I figured out a way to make PbtA work, what are some classes I should put in?

Okay so far I have:
Ace trainer: Battling, training, becoming the very best like no one ever was
Breeder: Hatching, caring for others, being trusted
Super Nerd: Optimizing, building, fixing
Youngster: Not sure exactly but I'm thinking it could be a jack of all stats?
Ranger: Survival, befriending wild Pokemon, using the environment to their advantage
Researcher: Researching (duh), making discoveries, using gathered intellect (maybe better for detective?)
Grunt: Intimidation, navigating the underground, ???
Detective: ???

Alright narrowing it down a bit
I'll keep Ace Trainer, Breeder, Ranger, Super Nerd, and Researcher, and I'll try to think of a class based on catching. I might add Youngster in if I find a way to make it actually interesting, and I'll add grunt and detective as a supplement if this goes through so I don't get overwhelmed.

>>49397005
Don't make the mistake of trying to make too many classes or you'll end up with dozens of them.

It's better if the roles fit a broad spectrum instead of a specific one.

Everyone fits into the Pokemon Trainer Category, so everyone should be able to:
>Battle with their Pokemon
Not because a player focuses on social stuff means it must be impaired for combat.
>Use their Pokeballs and items
This is a given, while the bug catchers are seen using a net or fishermen are seen using a rod in the end every trainer catches their pokemon with a pokeball.

>Participating in combat
Everyone must be able to do something in battle. From damage to support. that means all classes must include something for it.


I would suggest these broad categories.

Ace Trainer for trainers focused on battles
Coordinator for trainers who focus on social
Ranger for trainer who focus on nature and travel
Researcher for trainers who focus on science and technology.

That's it, everything else should be role-play if you want it to be free form.
If a players wants a grunt and to act evil the he should act like it, do not complicate it with class modifiers and bonus features and stuff like that, you'll make the same mistake as PTA who also started with the classes first around eight then over 40.

>>49397433
You're probably right, it's just that every other PbtA game I've played had like nine classes to choose from because of how they're designed to work. I'll start with the four you listed, and if I decide I need more I'll make supplements.

Should I have combat stats (defence, special attack) and general status (charm, grace), or would that be to complicated?

>>49397855
Can you make basic moves that are meaningfully different in application and consequence for each stat?

>>49398080
I don't think I could, no. I'm having a hard time moving from conventions of the games.

>>49398138
Then why don't you scrap what you have and follow the guideline in >>49394659?

>>49398309
I did, when I get up in the morning I'm making the basic moves and Pokemon archetypes.

>>49390445
I am partial to the way it was handled in Pokemon Conquest. The lack of pokeballs made it more interesting.

>>49390445
What do all these abreviations stand for? I only know two pokemon systems: pokemon tabletop united and some mystery dungeon system.
Also while PTU is a solid system, it is way too complex, GMs often complain about taking forever to complete sheets. Everytime i ask them why not use a generic system
>because ptu at least has moves and pokemom stated
I would also kill for a propper pmd sourcebook for ptu

>>49400118
Pretty sure PMA and PMU are supposed to refer to Pokémon Tabletop Adventures and Pokémon Tabletop United.
PbtA is Powered by the Apocalypse.

>>49390445
Why not Cortex+ (Marvel Heroic Roleplaying, Firefly)?

Pokemon stats range from 1 to 255. Cortex+ ranges from d4 to d12.

1-30 - d4
31-60 - d6
61-90 - d8
91-120 - d10
121-150 - d12
151-180 - 2d12
181-210 - 3d12
211-240 - 4d12
241-255 - 5d12

This is how you would rate Hit Points, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed.

Pokemon would get a die related to their "stage."

Baby - d4
Stage 1 - d6
Stage 2 - d8
Stage 3 - d10
Legendary - d12

Level would also be measured in dice.

1-7 - d4
8-14 - 2d4
15-21 - d6
22-28 - 2d6
29-35 - d8
36-42 - 2d8
43-49 - d10
50-56 - 2d10
57-63 - d12
64-72 - 2d12
73-81 - 3d12
82-90 - 4d12
91-100 - 5d12

Cortex+ characters also have Distinctions which are like Aspects in Fate. I think Pokemon makes these easy:

#1 Type
#2 Pokedex Entry (e.g. Pikachu is the "Electric Mouse" Pokemon)
#3 Nature

This is all off the top of my head. The idea behind this scheme is that you use a narrative system to make the game seem like the cartoons and comics while also making game stats relevant.

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What system would be used for a more PMD sort of game, playing as a Pokemon rather than as a Trainer?

>>49402397
I don't understand what the Stage and Level dice are used for.

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>>49390445
I bought this thing at a thrift store a while back, and it was basically babby's first tabletop game but with Pokemon. I seriously think with a little tweaking you could turn it into a decent barebones Pokemon system. You'd just have to stat up any other Pokemon you wanted to use, it only came with 23 Gen I Pokemon.

>>49402435
Stages are about capturing the feel of a given Pokemon. Higher stage Pokemon give off the feeling of being more powerful even if the stats say otherwise. It's more about the fluff than the video game crunch in this case.

Easily removed if not desired.

The way I envisioned Level working was that Pokemon use Base Stats and then rely on Level to simulate their stats going up. After all, if a Pokemon just levels up, no items used, their stats stay relative.

A Pokemon Cortex+ game could just as easily drop Stages and Level and strictly work off of Stats though.

What's the best system?

>>49403080
Best system for what?
For basing a pokemon game on?

>>49400118
>>49400880
Yeah, I meant PTA and PTU.
>>49402641
It seems to me that the stage dice would make Pokemon that aren't in a three stage line less viable.

>>49403538
That is easily fixed.
Pokémon with 3 Stages go d6->d8->d10, those with 2 Stages d6->d10 and without evolution d8.

>>49390445
>Maybe we could make something less crunch heavy?
I think the most fun thing about Pokemon is the battling, and crunch goes hand in hand with that.

This is some thing I want to do but have no clue how.

>>49403769
I'll check out they system, but I'm not sure I'll use it yet. Thanks!

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So what kind of story do you want to tell? That might help with your system options.

>>49404137
Well I would like to keep it open, but I guess I would have to say something close to the manga?

>>49404137
Why would you invite such autist behavior as default?
I mean, Pokemon is a cesspool of autism, but there is no need to accept it as the standard.

So the PbtA system is what I'm going with for now, I'm thinking that the combat stats should be in the game but only for combat, and the general stats should be, if course, general. What do you think?

>>49404242
Pardon?

>>49402435
Pokerole has a Mystery Dungeon module.

>>49402546
Holy shit, I remember having that. I gotta look it up again.

>>49402546
If you shared the system I could look into it.

I need to compile the rest of the notes into something pretty but I made this when I last got bothered by the issue at hand.

https://notehub.org/wyo0y

>>49404406
I should note. This system was made for a pre pokeball, feral pokemon game where some humans are psions. Having a pokemon in this game is like having a pokedex. A pretty big fucking deal. That's why the xp works how it does.

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>>49404406
>>49404450

So I started working on the PbtA classes, should we have backgrounds in game?

>>49404513
In the game*

>>49404509
What?

>>49404513
Have you finished the basic moves yet?

>>49404617
That looks terrible.
You would do better if you just use FATE or GURPS or any othe other Pokemon systems out there...

>>49404658
I was going to go with a generic "if you do something roll", but now that you mention it I should prob boy have more specific ones. Any ideas?

>>49404739

Probably*

>>49404739
>I was going to go with a generic "if you do something roll"
Yeah, that way you'll end up with garbage.

As previously stated: Define the "feel" of Pokémon combat, define around five distinct approaches to Pokémon combat and then translate those approaches to basic moves and their associated stats.
Only after you have done that can you even begin to think about classes, because you cannot write moves for your classes without having a solid grasp on the basic moves.

>>49404949
Shouldn't the general stats be general and not combat specific?

>>49406188
Well, the same process applies to the general stats, but that requires you to think about the "feel" of Pokémon in general, which is even harder to define.

>>49406258
It really is

For general I have force, smarts, and whim.

I'm probably going to deviate a lot from the system when it comes to combat, otherwise it will be hard to have it "feel" like pokemon.

>>49406369
I should also add that I think there should be more general stats and that I am open to suggestions

>>49406369
Wrong. You do not have to deviate a lot from the system.
You have to distill what makes Pokémon Pokémon and build the hack around that.

The PbtA engine is a narrative tool that can do many kinds of narratives provided you are willing to sufficiently abstract them.
You have to get to the very core, the very essence of whatever you are trying to do in that system.

If it is the games' mechanics that define the franchise for you, PbtA will never yield a satisfying result, because PbtA is all about abstraction.

>>49406479
Okay, then what do you recommend?

>>49406580
For what exactly?

>>49406770
Either the system I should use or the basic moves.

>>49406819
Dunno. You haven't told me what you consider to be the essence of Pokémon.

>>49406870
Well I would like to show a sense of wonder, have a focus on battling but not leave roleplaying behind, and make sure that Pokemon are characters in their own right and not just tools or weapons.

>>49407018
That is what you want to do with your system, not what you consider to be the essence of Pokémon.

>>49407106
Okay well then I think the essence is wonder and teamwork
What do you think it is?

>>49404707

Those don't really give a good one to one mapping with the pokemon game stats though.

>>49407168
A half-forgotten childhood memory and a sense of abject horror at the competitive scene.*

Wonder and teamwork are two strong themes that make for a great starting point
Now think of 4-6 player moves that evoke these themes. You should probably focus more on teamwork for that, since wonder is a tool better left to the GM. Though it wouldn't be a bad idea to give one move a stronger "wonder" bent for those players who want to contribute their personal brand of wonder.

---
* Disclaimer: The last Pokémon game I've played in any meaningful way is Yellow.

>>49407281
I'm really asking for advice here, I'm not trying to be an asshole, can you think of any that do?

Sigh

Bump

which pokemon would be the most likely to cause an apocalypse?

which would then cause local conditions to alter drastically? which cause other problems?

I kind of want to figure out how an ecology SHOULD work with pokemon...this includes them eating each other for food, territorial disputes, edge-interactions. locations etc.

I want a world to exist where humans are endangered because of pokemon...Pokemon; HARDCORE Edition. the kind of game you'd get if you gave 100 million dollars each to FROM Software and Bethesda Games and told them to make a Pokemon game...

can we work out that setting?
has it been worked out before?
what data applies and changes as you go up the generations?

I think I figured out what I want to do with this

I'll report back in about a week

Feel free to keep discussing

>>49409482
oh no you don't.

TELL US WHAT YOU'RE WORKING ON FAGGOT

>>49407386
Pokerole and PTU literally translated the video game stats pokemon by pokemon.
I don't know how much closer you want to get.

>>49409558
not him, but what I wanted in >>49409211
was the implied end-results of data from Pokedex entries. like the Cubone tragedy, that one pokemon that has a patch of body that outputs more heat than(I'll assume a similarly sized patch of) the surface of the sun, the unfortunate case of psyduck. and other stuff similar to that.

>>49409506
It will be more crunchy than PbtA because I really don't think that would work, but less crunchy then PTA/U because holy fuck
Combat and general is still going to be separated out of necessity
I'll do a post apocalyptic supplement if this ever gets completed just for you <3

>>49409671
>I'll do a post apocalyptic supplement if this ever gets completed just for you <3
AWESOME

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I set up my phone to guilt me if I don't report back by Saturday

I'll start with the figuring out how combat will work

>>49390445
>Less crunch heavy

Why would you want that?

>>49409758
Because I don't like that much crunch

I'll probably keep some of it in combat, don't worry.

>>49409758
Because not everyone is an autist whose idea of fun is spending an afternoon doing math calculations and passing every minuscule detail from a video game into paper to do all accounting by hand.

>>49407281
>>49409558
The thing is, though, the in game stats are supposed to be a very loose abstraction, focused on game balance rather than lore. there are plenty of inconsistencies between what pokemon are supposed to be capable of in lore and how they play in game. For example a 30 foot long snake made of steel boulders has less offensive power than a 60 lb Sandslash and only a little more HP than a squirrel

>>49409972
I want a setting worked up that does the opposite...where an onyx is physically stronger than most things that aren't explicitly strong for their size.

I want that, very much.

the issue is "how does it change as you add generations of pokemon to the mix?"

>>49410244
generally speaking the power levels of pokemon are pretty consistent from generation to generation for regular pokemon. Legendaries seem to get more powerful with each new game though, i mean, the gods of space and time where in diamond and pearl

>>49410404
really?
awesome.

I've not really looked at the lore since Red/Blue was new, and even then I was hazy on stuff.

and Legendaries can go fuck a stick.
unless they can cause an apocalypse like I was asking about in>>49409211.

>>49404345
Uh I looked around for a scan of the rules, couldn't find any. I'll break out the scanner and find my set and scan it for you later tonight.

>>49410589
Really? Thanks! I'll take a look at it.

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>>49404137
>Arceus OC
>Keldeo OC
>glasses on Pokemon
>hair on a fucking DRAGONAIR

>>49410443
Groudon
Kyogre
Palkia
Dialga
Arceus
Giratina
Regigigas
Yveltal
Final form Zygrde

Those are the legendries that have the power to cause cataclysmic devastation on a regional or global scale with their powers.

>>49410639
Mewtwo and lugia probably could too.

>>49410639
okay, so I located a pokedex, but the entry blurbs aren't telling me all of what I need to know...and some don't really explain whats so apocalyptic about things
>Groudon
causes droughts(locally cataclysmic sure, or is it worse than that?)
>Kyogre
causes droughts(locally cataclysmic sure, or is it worse than that?)
>Palkia
not sure now to apocalypse here...folds space?
>Dialga
controls flow of time, if it fucks with areas so they flow at different rates things may get weird...but not apocalyptic
>Arceus
"look at this stupid goat shoved through a fence!"
...I suppose a creator can be a destroyer...
>Giratina
not sure either
>Regigigas
infinite army of steel stone and ice warriors?
>Yveltal
potential world-ender depending on the meaning of "life energy"
>Final form Zygrde
not sure either.

am I missing things that would be in the anime but not the game?
or is it just that I found a particularly shitty dex?
and what about locally apocalyptic pokemon?
rockslides, floods, clouds of killing gas, fire etc...

>>49411011
Check bulbapedia, their website is clunky and it's clearly edited by kids but it's got everything you could ever possibly want to know about Pokemon.

>>49410614
I just realized how much of a giant pain in the ass unpacking my scanner would be, so I just took pictures of the rules section of the booklet. I can take pictures of the actual given adventure or some of the Pokemon cards, upon request.

http://imgur.com/a/wNCO2

>>49390445
I'm already working on a PBtA Pokemon-esque system.

It's tough. Here's why:

If every Trainer has a team of Pokemon, and you have an average sized party, that's 3 Trainers and EIGHTEEN Pokemon. If we lower the maximum party size for Trainers to only three Pokemon, that still gives us an average of 9 Pokemon in a party.

If we want to lower bookkeeping, you want Pokemon to tend towards simplicity; but at the same time, you also want each Pokemon to feel unique. You need to streamline them enough that 9-18 Pokemon is a reasonable amount to keep track of, but also keep enough detail and granularity such that every Pokemon you encounter feels different.

In addition, many PBtA systems live and die on their moves. With Pokemon, you can't give each Pokemon a custom move - that taxes players and the GM too much - yet it's also tough to make them feel truly unique if they all share templates of moves from "Pokemon playbooks" or something. You're going to encounter enough Pokemon that you can't ensure each has a unique playbook, unlike the players in PBtA games, where that's never an issue.

But wait, there's more. The more detail you remove from the Pokemon character sheets, the less room for growth you give them... and growth is the entire point of Pokemon. PBtA character advancement relies heavily on moves, and as stated, Pokemon really can't have individualized playbooks, so they can't rely on moves for character advancement. Stats are a way to do advancement, but they do nothing to the fiction.

Currently, the way I have it set up is that Trainers have a set of Playbooks, and that Pokemon are far more customized, using a system similar to The Bureau. (http://ihousenews.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/62455318/The%20Bureau.pdf) This works, but it definitely feels cobbled-together.

>>49390618
I thought this too. I currently have an entirely new Bond system in place that I'm very proud of, but the details I'm struggling with.

>>49411300
Another note, again referring to the anon. It's tough to make Pokemon feel simplified while still retaining personality. Take too much away from them, and you end up with 'animal companions' like the Ranger has in Dungeon World. They feel like modifiers or weapons, not characters in their own right.

Was interested in PTA years ago, mostly because they did the work for you.
All the pokemon, all the moves, it was there.

I didn't like most of the rest of the system, however, which was kind of crappy, but normal enough d20 fare.

I've never heard of most of the other ones in the thread, do they do PMA better than it?
I would absolutely hate to run this in GURPS, for example, because of the colossal undertaking of making standardized parameters to better fit the pokemon world.

I've been working on a Fate Pokemon game lately. I don't have a release version yet, but I've tested it with several people already. I've got most mechanics down. The changes I'm making for my next alpha test version are making moves simpler, and changing the way stress is dealt.

The good part of this is that it's driven by narrative, and as such it plays a lot more as if it was anything else but a videogame. You could play something more akin to the ashnime, or any manga, or whatever, rather than the videogames, and I think this is a plus. The downside, in my opinion, is that the player and the GM must know the characteristics of a Pokemon's species (such as dex entries), or have a way to make it known.

I've also found ways to deal with handling items, levels and learnsets, and to give both trainers and Pokemon things they usually wouldn't be able to do (ever wanted to play Yellow from Special?).

Thoughts?

>>49411407
>lately
My bad, I meant for one or two years already. It's been a while since I started working on this.

>>49411407
Looking for playtesters?

>>49411052
>>49410639
better descriptions, but now comes the trouble...how could I reach out and grab those creatures and contrive a reason for them to come into this world and bring their Shit Fucking Squadron of poke-friends along to this world(or one like it with previously no encounters with pokemon)

>>49411507
They already exist in Pokemon's world, they're just usually asleep or in their own little subspace of their own creation. If you want to put them in another world, several of those Pokemon have abilities that can either rip space and time a new one or travel through time or other worlds.

It's not strictly pokemon, but has anyone heard of a system where you can basically just fuse with, well, pokemon-ish creatures and deal with combat that way?
You would have 3-4 buddies with you and each time you "equip" one, you get a different powerset.
They could have weak versions of their powers that they can use themselves, but would require using a human as an "amplifier" of sorts for anything major.
Seems like a neat idea to me, but not sure how to handle crunch/can't be bothered to.

>>49411434
I don't speak native english. One of the groups I played with were native speakers and I gotta say, language was kind of a barrier. I *could*, however, release a reduced, playtest version of the game, and I could be fine with adding or changing things in the rulebook.

I still need to have the game reviewed by people experienced with Fate. If you're up to it, it would be wonderful if you had some previous experience with Fate, especially because most things not explained by the game are to be taken from Fate Core. This includes basic mechanics such as character creation, aspects, compels...

Right now I'm working on a definitive, complete list of moves and abilities. Up to now I only created them as needed, but the right way to make them stroke me and now I'm writing all of them down. Most of them aren't difficult to understand, and except for very powerful moves there isn't a real limit to using moves (if you have a move that has, say, 30PP, it's really useless to keep track of how many times you've used it in a fictional setting).

Moreover you're not really limited to use a move as written; those are just the way to use them in battle. If they could be used in other ways, you can justify a new usage because of narrative permission, and then roll the proper attribute. For example, if you had Ice Beam, you can say the GM you're narratively justified to create a path of ice, and thus all you should be doing is to create an advantage for the proper effect. But all of this already comes in Fate by default.

>>49411582
Well, that's one way to deal with "pokemon are like weapons" in a tabletop... just make them literal weapons.

I kid, I kid.

>>49411603
If the English in your playtest version is a bit bad, that's fine. I could help edit it. If it's in a different language though, well... no help there.

I'm experienced enough with Fate to understand what's going on, yeah.

>>49411680
I have a half translated version which I intended to hand to my players, but then went full "fuck it" once I realized they wouldn't read anything from it and just take my word. I could pick it up, add the changes I'm intending to add, and hand it to you.

>I'm experienced enough with Fate to understand what's going on, yeah.
Excellent. Got anything where I can contact you?

>>49411757
infinitesaturday at gmail.

>>49411757
What language do you speak?

>>49411843
Getting to ya!

>>49411897
Spanish.

>>49411843
Mail sent!

Hopeful bump
How about some pdfs or links or tools or something?

>>49412673
Fate guy here.

I can't post anything as I'm still working on a new version, and I know Fate is not everyone's cup of tea.

Alright finally have time to work on this, where should I start?

>>49411507
Hoopa

>>49391836
/thread

>>49411334
If PTA isn't what you want, then you should stay away from PTU as well, it is a renewed version of PTA but it still makes some of the same mistakes.

Pokemon pen and paper is mostly if you want something simplified and quick to set up and play, useful for one-shots and short campaigns.

Pokerole is kind of a balance between rules and story, it has enough rules for some crunchy battles and smooth flow of the narrative and combat.

And Pokethlulu is basically pure story, and you need to refluff most pokemon into it, but as far as mechanics go, they are not that relevant.

In my experience having played all the ones I'm mentioning, pokerole is the most balanced one although i haven't played it for long, i don't know how the system handles higher levels.

>>49411011
Kyogre and Groudon can literally reshape continents in their primal forms

Palkia and Dialga have the power to destroy or create time and space, not just manipulate it. Alone they could destroy all space or end the flow of time, together they could reshape the universe

Arceus is a literal god. The source of all pokemon and their powers, its not a stretch that he could destroy his creation.

Giratina has sole domain over the mirror world, ass well as the potential for huge destruction. Any destruction in the mirror world is reflected in the real world in ways potentially many times more devastating.

Regigas is physically powerful enough to move thousands of tons and has some means of geomancy. He's walking force of nature

Yveltal has an aura of death that lays waste to the environment around it and sucks the life out of living beings.

Zygarde is a power nature guardian capable of very large scale destruction that could easily reclaim a major city to nature over night or even drive civilization out of a region in less than a year

>>49413534
Thank you very much for your thorough answer.

I'll look into Pokerole, and if it doesn't have 'enough' I'll have to learn & tweak PTU.

>>49411011
These and many pokemon that aren't even legendary are capable of extinction-level catastrophes, it just happens that there are so many of them that they cancel each other out.

You aren't thinking big enough. Just using the weather trio for example, think of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami or Pompeii.

>>49413616
This guy gets it, I don't know why >>49411011 is making light of the various pokemon's powers. Just because they're based on animals doesn't mean they aren't primal, eldritch, dangerous creatures. Pokemon like Giratina or Arceus are probably closer to Nyarlathotep or Yog-Sothoth than traditional humanized depictions of gods.

>>49413722
>I don't know why >>49411011 (You) is making light of the various pokemon's powers.
because all I had is a shitty set of 3-6 sentence 'Dex entries

>>49412788
With an idea.

>>49413884
Yeah, the dex is a load of crap. Best not to rely on it for anything really

>>49413929
Very helpful thanks

>>49413997
Start from the beginning. What do you want to accomplish with this project?

>>49412788
>>49413997
small seemingly mundane details of the setting
things like common greetings, superstitions, how culture is changed when it's Rattatas chewing at your granary instead of squirrels....or angry swams of beedrils keeping you from going to school in the morning.

>>49414072
I want to create a system that has indepth combat but is still free form. I would also like to show Pokemon as characters and not weapons, and I want the system as a while to focus on roleplaying.

>>49414143
Whole*

>>49414096
Sounds like you might like this

https://m.fanfiction.net/s/6161819/1/Pokedex

>>49414143
Look up the mistborn RPG, Its got some pretty good combat mechanics while still being mostly narrative driven

>>49414365
>>Mistborn RPG
That system is... weird but I highly recommend it. My only real bitch about it is that it mixes variable 'ticks' (based on whatever the DM feels appropriate for the scene) with resources that last a specific amount of time (ie, seconds/minutes/hours). Admittedly, you're going be throwing out the magic system if you're adapting it for something else so it's a moot point.

>>49414143
>has indepth combat but is still free form
How do you expect that to work?

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>>49414173
you're right...I do.

but I was pointing out the way I build settings and games.
I start with HUGE ideas
>"this is a pokemon setting"
or
>"I want to make a bloodborne like game that isn't a straight ripoff")
then move to little details
>the most common pokemon are frequently seen as pests and "exterminators" are among the most hardcore people out there
or
>Necromancers are unsurpassed in medical arts and home decorating
from there I move on to things like WHY that is, I cite anecdotal examples I make up on the spot like
>for example in some regions it is illegal for exterminators to utilize pokemon to kill pokemon for [reason unknown] this makes taking down beedrill and scyther swarms and other such infestations a dangerous affair for only the best of swordsmen
or
>"if you cannot stick the organs in a LIVING person the right way round you're a failure, just as much as if you can't flow energy through a home you'll be hopeless at flowing it through a cadaver"

if you start with a diverse and large enough listing of small details and work them to conclusion you end up with a setting full of little quirks that work out surprisingly well

yes I like necromancers enough to post my favorite take on them

>>49414143
I'm on it bro. I'm >>49411407 >>49411603 and you should know Fate does exactly that. I'm trying to make it as in-depth as possible, including combat, and freeform comes in the system itself.

>>49414471
Can I see what you have? I haven't looked at fate much, maybe I should.

>>49414471
fate is kinda shit though

>>49414459
I use the same method of worldbuilding, so I completely get what you mean.

>>49414564
I have a half translated english version. I'm currently fixing the one in my main language, and once that's done I will do the same to the english one.

Look at Fate, because this game assumes you understand the system and starts from there. I can send to you the revised english version on email once it's done though, it will take me under a week.

>>49414581
ure mom is shit :^)

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>>49414629
>>49414581
shots fired...

I'm actually digging what Pokérole has made for Mystery Dungeon. I do like some of the ideas they put down for the regular Pokémon and how they should act.

I will definitely be stealing the tile thing, though.

>>49414445
Yeah, these goals are kinda counter to each other. Adding depth requires more complexity. Typically, that means you add a bunch of different kinds of actions that can be taken during combat. Another option is to add a lot of equipment that modifies various stats and actions. Both of these things make combat more structured, and less freeform.

PbtA is definitely on the freeform side: in Dungeon World you only really have 3 moves in combat (I've never seen a player use Defend), but they're very freeform: Defy Danger can be a fancy acrobatics move to reposition yourself, feinting to distract an enemy, grabbing the virgin off the altar before she's sacrificed, etc. But there's very little in terms of "mechanical depth" to combat. Equipment has mostly narrative effects on combat, and GMs are discouraged from giving out gear with any kind of "+1" effects because adding to a 2d6 can quickly make it literally impossible for rolls to fail and adding to damage has similar issues when kobolds have 4 hp and a dragon has 16 hp.

Maybe Edge of the Empire is kinda what you're looking for? There's definitely a lot of crunchy mechanical depth to combat: you have plenty of actions to mess with, a ridiculous amount of gear customization, and tons of character customization. But the core "narrative dice" mechanic gives you lots of room for freeform. Every roll gives you a certain amount of "success/fail" points and "threat/advantage" points. The book provides a small table of bonuses/penalties for various advantage/threat costs, but also encourages freeform use of these points. You also have critical success and critical fails to play with.

I've heard that Burning Wheel is also deep yet freeform, but the system was too crunchy and weird for me to understand. Tried running it once and it didn't really click with anyone, and we all agreed to never do it again.

With a good GM, you can also run GURPS in a more-freeform style, but that requires advanced-level GURPS skill.

Some PbtA ripoff for out of combat, and Strike! (2d6 variant) for in-combat?

>>49390445
Does anyone want to talk about PTU? What's the coolest thing you've done in one of your games?

>>49415596
Using DW as an example for PbtA mechanics is rather useless, because the moves are pretty badly designed.

AW has only two directly combat-related moves and both are tied to the same stat. Go aggro for using the threat of violence to get someone else to do something and seize by force for using violence to get what you want. Note that these combat moves are not concerned with how you fight, but why you fight. They also directly change the situation with every use, unlike DW's combat moves, which only do numbers.
Act under fire, which DW bastardized into Defy Danger is tied to a stat of its own.

PbtA CAN do more nuanced combat, as evidenced by a couple of moves for group combat, horseback fighting and chases in 2e.

Bump again

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I've been working on a Pokémon system of my own for a short while (actually going to be the second one I've made). I actually got to playtest it with a group after a couple members of my regular game went poof. The feedback I got on the main mechanic (see Resolution) is that it was hard at first getting into the mindset, but once you get going "it just runs." Although they playtested a heavier version than what I'm linking; there used to also be a modifier to BN for STAB (giving +1) and another for 'Speed Buff' (if there's a difference in speed, the faster gets a +1). I removed them because it was a slog checking speeds and counting it up every time. Next chance I get I'm seeing if I can retain STAB and still run fast.

It's obviously not prettied up at all, just regular text on regular white, and it's not finished (as you can see), but it's getting there. The biggest obstacle is that the way I've done it will require me to go through and stat every single move and ability, and sort them out for each pokémon, which is daunting to say the least.

>>49420084
why did you choose THAC0?
Things will get broken at the drop of a hat...

>>49421050
I didn't consciously choose THAC0. There's also no AC in this system, and the rolling is reversed (for simplicity) from ADnD. It's less of a THAC0 and more of a roll-under.

Why do you say things will get broken, though? What should I watch out for?

>>49421400
To me it seems that you kept the numbers small for the sake of balance and simplicity.
This means that character progression will be barely noticeable, if you were to increase it things would get ugly.

and yes, it's a Base Number instead of Armor Class, but it takes AC's place in the equation so it is not THAC0 per se, but very similar.

I haven't played it, man, I'm just sying my first impressions.

>>49420084
A lot of abilities are just damage + effect, try just starting it as that.