Pokemon: Gotta Build 'em All

[Thia Halmades]

Okay. I lied. New thread! Since I've pretty much begun this project, I'm going to post what I'm doing here, and give my layout on "general design & philosophy" so everyone gets the gist of how I'm converting things. So let me lay out the basics for you:

 

Right now I'm working on POWERS, because that's where just about everything in Pokemon that makes it "cool" stems from, but there are five basic categories that need to be covered:

 

* Trainers, how they grow, develop, and get better. Does the strength of the Trainer determine the most Powerful Pokemon you can summon? Should a low point trainer be able to call forward, say, Charizard? I don't know, I'm thinking about that now. Lots of things I haven't really had to think about with it yet, as the project is fledgling.

 

* Powers. Powers are all being built using the alternate rules from UEP, because it's the best way to, by canon, delineate among powers & abilities. Also, it means that Fire based attacks get their limitation, and so on. This is POKEMON, so it's squarely "super heroic" in style. Knockback and such will be in effect, and should be, but that's later down the line.

 

Additionally, powers cover Status Effects and such, which I have yet to find a build for that is either "in canon" or simply "acceptable" to me.

 

* Pokemon. Pokemon are being built as characters, with their evolutions being built as "templates." In other words, you start with, say, Pidgey. Great. You've got Pidgey (who'll be a rough translation from the video-game canon edition into HERO mechanics). You work with Pidgey and gain it the XP needed to learn new powers for its MP, improve its stats, give it new skills, whatever. At some point, you'll have "saved" enough CP for Pidgey that it can Evolve.

 

That's right. The user (the trainer) pays for the Evolution via CP earned by the Pokemon in combat, and (quite possibly) the Trainer's OWN CP can be "donated" from a shared XP pool (in other words, you and your party are all gaining XP together, but I haven't settled on that yet). This means that the user will always be choosing between saving XP to get all the goodies tied into an Evolution, or trying to build up the Pokemon as is.

 

What applying the Template (or I should say in HERO, "Package Deal") does is it ensures that whatever was already done in terms of leveling sticks, and then any new powers are automatically applied at the time of level up. I don't see another clean, "honest" way to do it.

 

* Items. This isn't a big deal to me; someone somewhere will build them, but it isn't terribly critical at the moment. This is an attachment to the foundation of the project, not the project itself.

 

* Capture/Pool Mechanics. Pokemon are likely built as Followers, and as the Trainer gets better, they spend XP to grow their pool and their most powerful Pokemon. This is unfortunately very limiting, simply because powerful POKEMON get... well. Dialga.

 

Nuff said. So that's on the list of things that needs worked out for the whole thing to work (unless someone suggests people get Pokemon "for free" and then that'll start a whole nother series of problems...)

 

Okay. So you have the gist of where I'm going and what I'm doing, and I'll throw in some more nitty gritty detail:

 

Powers are being built straight off of the video-game canon version, and that includes Charges. I know, I know; most people would rather see it built on END, which I've strongly considered, believe it. However, for now, I'm doing a literal translation. I can easily "unclick" charges later on. Additionally, I want to see Pokemon built with Multipower Pools, although an argument can be made for ECs and VPPs. Once a power is in effect, though, it tends to stay in effect, although things like Barrier will, if I understand correctly, stop functioning if switched away from even if built on Continuing Charges. So the correct design is something I'm struggling with.

 

Beyond that, there's also the issue of how powers are slotted; technically, by video-game canon (again) a Pokemon can only "know" four powers at once. I'm leaning much more towards having a custom-designed Power Pool (possibly a VPP Variant) wherein one can slot in powers at any PokemonCenter, so keeping "four active" so things stay tactical, but leaving the rest "learned" to avoid confusion. I'm open to any thoughts on that.

 

So the project is huge, daunting, and not nearly as cute'n'cuddly as one would think, but I'm starting on it and taking any and all help.

[Midas]

Re: Pokemon: Gotta Build 'em All

 

I've been kicking around something similar, though based on Galatia in 2d rather than "CCG."

 

My basic idea was having a skill "artist." Whatever you could draw, you could summon, based on the skill/summon roll. I'm not familiar with the Pokemon canon, but say a PC draws/finds a "Dr Distroyer" card. OK, using that card would be say a minus 20 on his summon roll. Now he either needs to be darn good, or a take a lot of extra time, complimentary rolls, etc.

 

I rule the "cards" (Though they can be wall paintings, frescoes, etc) are Independant, some sort of focus, and a skill roll.

 

An artist can create his own cards, but it would be a good idea to not make them too much more powerful than his skill roll.

 

Just some of the ideas I've had on the subject,

Midas

[Fenixcrest]

Re: Pokemon: Gotta Build 'em All

 

Regarding paying points for capturing Pokemon-

 

I think this can be, potentially, safely handwaved as an Everyman Power for pokemon trainers. The limitations are present in the gameworld- powerful pokemon are highly resistant to capture attempts, you can only carry 6 pokemon at once, all your other pokemon need to be stored remotely (maybe players have to pay for this service in the fleshed-out paper and dice world). Additionally, it would be, I think, reasonable to apply to rule of Badges to all pokemon, rather than just ones received through trade: you need to have a certain gym badge, or a certain number of badges, perhaps, in order to control a captured pokemon. I would be tempted to attribute minor powers to badges, major in the hands of gym leaders, but that's another story entirely.

 

There was also some discussion from you in the other thread about Pokeballs, and think that some sort of Transform might be ideal, if it's going to be based on BODY, though I've written similar powers that use XDM, instead, which prevents the device from "wearing down" its target on its own. An example, from my partial Ghostbusters document:

 

GHOST TRAP: Extra-Dimensional Movement (to inside ghost trap; 20 pts). Usable as attack (+1). Area Effect: Cone 6” (+1/2). Trigger (step on the button; +1/4). Ranged (+1/2). 75 Active. Reduced Range: 8” (-1/2). Range Based on STR (-1/4). OAF (Ghost Trap; -1). Charges: 1 6-hour fuel cell. (-0). Only works on ghosts (-1/2). 23 RP.

· Concerning the Ghost Trap Dimension: When the ghost is initially caught in the trap’s field, it can make a save roll based on its remaining BODY in order to escape. As soon as the fuel charge runs out, the ghost is free to leave the trap at its leisure.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Pokemon: Gotta Build 'em All

 

Regarding paying points for capturing Pokemon-

 

I think this can be, potentially, safely handwaved as an Everyman Power for pokemon trainers. The limitations are present in the gameworld- powerful pokemon are highly resistant to capture attempts, you can only carry 6 pokemon at once, all your other pokemon need to be stored remotely (maybe players have to pay for this service in the fleshed-out paper and dice world). Additionally, it would be, I think, reasonable to apply to rule of Badges to all pokemon, rather than just ones received through trade: you need to have a certain gym badge, or a certain number of badges, perhaps, in order to control a captured pokemon. I would be tempted to attribute minor powers to badges, major in the hands of gym leaders, but that's another story entirely.

 

There are two thoughts here, I'll address the obvious one first: I do think you're right, and that like a sort of whacked out Summoning VPP, a Trainer can "slot" 6 Pokemon at once, and then call out any one of those six (Wobuffet! I choose you!) and recall it (Wobuffet! That's enough! Return!) as a free action. The payment then comes not from Pokemon CAPTURED, which is limitless, but of Pokemon CARRIED and summonable. This makes a LOT of sense. PIA to implement, but it also removes some of the painful "I can't Pikachu even though I caught it." You don't have to pay for it! It's captured. You DO have to have enough points to carry his Pokeball and call him forward. That'd work.

 

Badges! Barely thought about it yet. Again, you make a strong argument that badges (and there would be no less than 17 and probably way more) should render specific effects, even if when some of the initial Pokemon are built, we can see what the point ranges look like. I'm not concerned about building Trainers until we've seen what they'd need to be successful and settled on some mechanics. I do think I would marry myself to the idea of "only enough points to support the party." That's very nice, good point.

 

There was also some discussion from you in the other thread about Pokeballs, and think that some sort of Transform might be ideal, if it's going to be based on BODY, though I've written similar powers that use XDM, instead, which prevents the device from "wearing down" its target on its own. An example, from my partial Ghostbusters document:

 

GHOST TRAP: Extra-Dimensional Movement (to inside ghost trap; 20 pts). Usable as attack (+1). Area Effect: Cone 6” (+1/2). Trigger (step on the button; +1/4). Ranged (+1/2). 75 Active. Reduced Range: 8” (-1/2). Range Based on STR (-1/4). OAF (Ghost Trap; -1). Charges: 1 6-hour fuel cell. (-0). Only works on ghosts (-1/2). 23 RP.

· Concerning the Ghost Trap Dimension: When the ghost is initially caught in the trap’s field, it can make a save roll based on its remaining BODY in order to escape. As soon as the fuel charge runs out, the ghost is free to leave the trap at its leisure.

 

Basically you've hit on precisely what I was thinking of already; a Pokeball transfers a Pokemon from this dimension into a Single Dimension: Pokeball. Bigger, badder Pokeballs have different effects and strengths as they go up, based around limitations and bonuses (i.e., a standard Pokeball allows for a Trainer Roll resisted by a BODY roll on the Pokemon, or an EGO roll, or whatever; a Dusk Ball gives the Pokemon a penalty if its Ghost or Dark, and so on). The biggest one, the Master Ball, simply has no limitations; it's a straight up XDM, UAA. Poof, you're in the ball. have a nice day.

[Aeralys]

Re: Pokemon: Gotta Build 'em All

 

A few of my friends have recently begun playing this style of game(after a good few months of building the required monsters. We built the Pokeballs as something like a continuous drain stun with a limitation that if the pokemon should recover enough to become concious (so, recover more then the pokeball drained) it would escape the pokeball.

 

The 6 you carried with you was a multipower with 6 recoverable charges. That way the loayalty of the individual pokemon you caught was based on how much of the amicable you could buy on the summon while keeping within the confines of your mulitpower's point limit.

 

the pokemon themselves were dealt with much like equipment, in that you would use experience to increase your multipower, but would not have to pay for each pokemon that you found. We also had two seperate methods for rewarding experience, one for your character, and another for the pokemon's growth.

 

We also used the rules in ultimate energy projector to create a full working system of elemental interactions, so that we could perfectly emulate certain elements being weaker and stronger against each other, and thus being either cheaper or more expensive.

 

On top of all of that, we broke each evolution into three tiers with their own DC limit and average appropriate armor values.

 

It's been working very well, especially the capturing of them. It really forces the fight before the attempted capturing, seeing as the pokeballs drain must knock them out to work.

[Nolgroth]

Re: Pokemon: Gotta Build 'em All

 

Didn't Enforcer84 write up a bunch of Pokemon stuff once upon a time?

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Pokemon: Gotta Build 'em All

 

Didn't Enforcer84 write up a bunch of Pokemon stuff once upon a time?

 

You know me Nolgroth; why crib someone else's hard work when I can just rewrite the whole thing from scratch my way?

[Nolgroth]

Re: Pokemon: Gotta Build 'em All

 

You know me Nolgroth; why crib someone else's hard work when I can just rewrite the whole thing from scratch my way?

Good point. It strikes me that something like Yu Gi Oh or Pokemon are perfectly suited for HERO. You have X points to choose your deck, here are the cost lists for the monster/card, go get 'em!

 

(And I still must be the stingiest bastiche around when it comes to rep. I still need to spread it around. )

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Pokemon: Gotta Build 'em All

 

LMAO -- okay, well I got an email from DualJ asking if I'd done anything for this, and I know Aylwin13 was interested in it, so I'm going to get back to work since I'm at the wall with most of my other projects.

[Teflon Billy]

Re: Pokemon: Gotta Build 'em All

 

LMAO -- okay' date=' well I got an email from DualJ asking if I'd done anything for this, and I know Aylwin13 was interested in it, so I'm going to get back to work since I'm at the wall with most of my other projects.[/quote']Just take it one Pokemon advancement track at a time. You'll get there!

 

TB

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Pokemon: Gotta Build 'em All

 

Curses. Okay, well, my original work appears to be gone. So here's POWER ONE, from the reboot.

Pound: Hand-To-Hand Attack +4d6, 35 Charges (+1/4) (25 Active Points); Normal/Physical Attack (-1), Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2)

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Pokemon: Gotta Build 'em All

 

Moves are going to be defined by Type (just as they should be) and I'll be consistent, as i'm taking notes. The notes are built off of UEP (Ultimate Energy Projector) since it's basically all pre-written to do this. You can use the rules pretty much RAW. You will notice one change; Fight, for example, is -3/4, where Normal is -1. You'll notice it more as I assign the appropriate types to each power, and there's a master list I'm building as I go.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Pokemon: Gotta Build 'em All

 

So let go ahead and explain some of the other ideas that I've had while I've been devving this sub-sub-project in the face of deadlines, panicky editors and all the other stuff I'm dealing with. If I avoid one project long enough the solution WILL pop straight into my brain.

 

One change from the core rules I know I'm making in advance; Pokemon already have SPD, PD, ED & STR. That all comes with the territory. In the original I believe it's SPD, Special Attack, Special Defense, Physical Attack and Physical Defense. In HERO one of those is missing -- Special Attack. To that end, I am assigning EGO as the Special Attack Stat. It operates exactly like STR, but for those attacks marked Type/Special.

 

For example: Thunder Punch is marked Electric/Physical. You use STR to attack and PD to defend against it. The danger of ThunderPunch is who can learn it, and that it's a ELEC type attack on creatures that are normally light on elementally aligned attacks.

[Enforcer84]

Re: Pokemon: Gotta Build 'em All

 

Didn't Enforcer84 write up a bunch of Pokemon stuff once upon a time?

 

You know me Nolgroth; why crib someone else's hard work when I can just rewrite the whole thing from scratch my way?

 

No, I didn't do Pokemon. But thanks for thinking of me

[aylwin13]

Re: Pokemon: Gotta Build 'em All

 

No' date=' I didn't do Pokemon. But thanks for thinking of me [/quote']Well, why haven't you?

[Enforcer84]

Re: Pokemon: Gotta Build 'em All

 

Well' date=' why haven't you? [/quote']

Good question, my only answer is, I don't like them.