D&D 4E 4e Pokemon Tabletop RPG

[Cwheeler]

A Brief thought on the class/type/role front:

There was someone a while ago that was working on a 4e-based superhero game, who treated the different roles as different classes.

Depending on which role you had, your powers would behave differently (much like variations in warlock pact powers).

This was one of his examples:

Snare Superhero Attack 1
You ensnare your opponent with a thrown rope or net.
At-Will • Super
Standard Action Ranged 5
Target: One Creature
Attack: Dexterity vs. AC
Hit: Target is immobilized
Controller: Range becomes Area burst 1 within 5, and target becomes each creature in burst
Defender: You pull the target a number of squares equal to your strength modifier
Striker: You deal damage to the target equal to your dexterity modifier

If you allowed pokemon to choose both a type and a role, this would allow for SOME variations in how powers worked.


Alternatively, you could go through and create a large number of pokemon powers (possibly all of them, eventually), and give them prerequisites that need to be met in order to learn them (EG: Darkness type, leader role).


On top of this, you could allow Pokemon to pick up additional types and roles through hybrid or multiclassing rules.

 

[Camelot]

Hm, this could work. It'd take some delicate treading to pull of all Pokemon with the same role and type to have the same powers and features. For example, I plan Pidgey and Doduo to both be strikers. It fits them, but in different ways, the big one being that Pidgey flies and Doduo doesn't.

And what about Pokemon with two types? Do they get certain powers and features from both roles of both types, kind of like hybriding, but with role restriction?

I could fit many Pokemon together into a type/role category, though. Thanks for the idea.

 

[Real Sorceror]

The trainer as a race represents the trainer's style of training, which can make two same-species Pokemon become very different under different trainers. Wild Pokemon get their own "racial" benefits for being wild that trained Pokemon don't have. I just haven't figured this part out yet. This immediately switches once caught.

This does open up some strange questions. Since wild Pokemon will be statted like monsters, they will change drastically once caught. The reason? A wizard did it. Whoever invented the Pokeball must've been some kind of wizard, because the effects it has on Pokemon is astounding. It even prevents them from being able to kill with their extreme power.

Well, I'd concentrate on having the trainers provide boosts, buffs, and have the ability to grant feats and special abilities. As for the mons, I'd just stat them all as NPCs. That will make the transition easier once they've been caught. Otherwise you might end up having two sets of stats for each Pokemon, and that something to avoid.
As for the whole "not killing anybody" thing, I'd just say that official matches require you to deal nonlethal damage.

This could work for general abilities, but it would need tweaking. This is because (in my game) every Pokemon of the same level has roughly the same power level (gives the same XP), just as each 4e class is equal. So, Magikarp can feasibly battle a pikachu and possibly win (I think they'll both be strikers). This is a huge change from the Pokemon video games, but for the better in my opinion. This will prevent players from "needing" a certain Pokemon to win, and not require a lot of complicated math trying to figure out the XP.

The idea of Magikarp defeating anything hurts me a bit, but I can understand the need to standardize everything. There are a lot of mons that nobody ever uses, so this would help out a lot.

Yep, like I said, the idea is not to catch 'em all. There will most likely be "monster" stats for Pokemon that do not have "class" stats yet, so you can still catch them, but you can't use them. This also is okay because you'll probably be travelling with a group of about 4 other trainers, and in battles you each use one Pokemon (five on five, usually, another huge difference from the vg). You might even only use one Pokemon your entire career as a trainer, so although you could catch Pokemon, you needn't use them. This will alleviate much stress from not having a certain Pokemon have a "class" writeup yet, though I intend to create many of them. You can use your starter all throughout the game and not need anything else!

Once you get each of the 17 types done, then subdivided with each role, it'll be pretty easy to figure out what moves/stats each Pokemon should have without having it fully done. Group battles and team battles are definitely the way to go, since you can expect a normal sized group of PCs. People would get bored if you did too many of the 1vs1 battles.

Like I also said, the focus will be the story. So, the goal is to stop Team Rocket, not become champion, though that might happen on the way. Your group could be about to beat the champion(s) when the final boss interrupts with a world devastating plan, and you need to stop them. Then you save the world and the game is done, and you have a great Pokemon story to tell.

Heck ya. I got myself some interesting Team Rocket related plots. I'm planning on running one in my pbp.

Hm, this could work. It'd take some delicate treading to pull of all Pokemon with the same role and type to have the same powers and features. For example, I plan Pidgey and Doduo to both be strikers. It fits them, but in different ways, the big one being that Pidgey flies and Doduo doesn't.

And what about Pokemon with two types? Do they get certain powers and features from both roles of both types, kind of like hybriding, but with role restriction?

I could fit many Pokemon together into a type/role category, though. Thanks for the idea.

I don't think the fact that Pidgey can fly will make too much of a difference. They can still fill the same role by choosing the right moves. Doduo runs faster anyway, so it balances out.
The dual types might be hard to pull off. Probably treating their secondary class like multiclassing might be the best place to start.

 

[Cwheeler]

Once you get each of the 17 types done, then subdivided with each role, it'll be pretty easy to figure out what moves/stats each Pokemon should have without having it fully done.

Bingo.

Although I would advise letting trainers customise/choose the stats of their own pokemon.

For example, I plan Pidgey and Doduo to both be strikers. It fits them, but in different ways, the big one being that Pidgey flies and Doduo doesn't.

I don't think the fact that Pidgey can fly will make too much of a difference. They can still fill the same role by choosing the right moves. Doduo runs faster anyway, so it balances out.

Luckily for us, Pidgey has the Flying type...

The dual types might be hard to pull off. Probably treating their secondary class like multiclassing might be the best place to start.

Multiclassing is far more of an 'and now I'll start to dabble in this' system.

I'd advise modifying the Hybrid rules to suit the theme of pokemon.

(eg: Hybridize the type, but not the role)

This system would allow players to find the best way to create the pokemon that they want to play, and (shock horror), even dream up their own pokemon, if it fits with your world. (eg: new region set on a different part of the planet)

 

[Camelot]

Both Pidgey and Doduo have the flying type, which means when put together as the same class, they'd most likely have a similar battle style, unless I specified which powers each could pick. However, they'd still have the same class features, so they would have to have similar strategies. I just think it would be hard to do so while flying is integral to one's strategy and plays no part in the other. So I don't know what you meant when you said Pidgey has the flying type.

Hybrid does sound like a good idea if I went the type = class role, but I'll have to see how it works when the PH3 comes out.

And about coming up with your own Pokemon, of course anyone who would play this game would want to do so. So, although I hadn't tried to work out how, I had planned to include guidelines on how to design your own Pokemon class. The type = class design would make that much easier to do. However, that is much further down the line, as I want to make the real Pokemon work before I go introduce new ones.

 

[Cwheeler]

So I don't know what you meant when you said Pidgey has the flying type.

Forgot that doduo did. oops! (got tricked by the whole 'doesn't use much flight' thing)

All the rest: Sounds good!

 

[Real Sorceror]

Well I'm kinda torn here with a few things. I know you'll be having your stage I and stage II evolutions occurring at 11th and 21st level. I'd like to do that as well since its simple and mirrors the human advancement. But I can't help but shudder at the thought of spending 10 levels raising a Caterpie and then drudging through another 10 levels of Metapod just to get a Butterfree. Plus, at least IMO, Butterfree and Dragonite are nowhere near eachother in power, and even suggesting that they should both evolve at level 21 rubs me the wrong way.
I've gotten about 50% of the way through all of the attacks and moves, so I'll post those here later in case they help anyone out. Even though we're using different systems it might help to at least get ideas. I borrowed a few moves from the card game since Dragons had so few moves and Dark didn't have a 9th level attack.

 

[Camelot]

Temporarily Ignoring the Prospective Problems...

I finally had some inspirations for Squirtle. I.e., to base it off of the shaman. I'm a little annoyed at myself for basing most of my Pokemon off current D&D classes, though I know there's no problem with it. I just expect myself to be a little more creative. =)

So, if anyone has original ideas for Pokemon features in particular, I'd love to hear them to spark some new ideas. I like the idea of each type having their own "thing," like psionic classes mostly use power points instead of encounter powers.

Anyway, here are my ideas for Squirtle.

Squirtle

TRAITS

Role: Leader and defender.
Type: Water.

Primary Abilities: Intelligence
Secondary Abilities: Constitution, Wisdom
Tertiary Abilities: Charisma

Size: Small
Speed: 5 squares
Vision: Normal

Armor Bonus to AC: +6
Armor Type: Heavy
Bonus to Defense: +1 Fortitude, +1 Reflex

Physical Weapons: Body, Head, Tail
Special Weapons: Bubbles, Water

Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + Constitution score
Hit Points per Level Gained: 5
Healing Surges per Day: 7 + Constitution modifier

FEATURES

Bubble Shield: You gain the bubble shield power.
Healing Bubbles: You gain the healing bubbles power.
Squirtle's Guidance: You gain the Squirtle's guidance power.
Squirtle's Strategy: Choose one of the following options.
- Bubble Strategy: Any ally adjacent to you gains additional hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier when he or she uses second wind or when you use a healing power on him or her.
- Shell Strategy: Any ally adjacent to you gains a bonus to his or her AC equal to your Constitution modifier until the end of his or her next turn when he or she uses second wind or when you use a healing power on him or her.

POWERS

FEATURE POWERS

Bubble Shield - Squirtle Feature
At-Will * Healing, Special
Opportunity Action - Melee 1
Trigger: An enemy leaves a square adjacent to you without shifting
Target: The triggering enemy
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: Intelligence modifier damage.
Effect: One ally within 5 squares of you regains hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier.

Healing Bubbles - Squirtle Feature
Encounter (Special) * Healing
Minor Action - Close burst 5 (10 at 11th level, 15 at 21st level)
Target: You or one ally in burst
Effect: The target can spend a healing surge, and you or an ally within range besides the target regains 1d6 hit points.
- Level 6: 2d6 hit points.
- Level 11: 3d6 hit points.
- Level 16: 4d6 hit points.
- Level 21: 5d6 hit points.
- Level 26: 6d6 hit poins.
Special: You can use this power twice per encounter. At 16th level, you can use this power three times per encounter. You can only use this power once per round.

Squirtle's Guidance - Squirtle Feature
Encounter
Free Action - Close burst 10
Target: Each ally in burst
Effect: Until the end of the encounter, each target gains a bonus to their next skill check equal to your Charisma modifier.

 

[Dire Human]

I'm very disinterested in making 400+ classes, and this leaves out most of the point of a game like this: creating your own character, or in this case, Pokemon. It seems like Type should be chosen by combinations of half-races, and battle style chosen by class (Wall/Brick, Sweeper, Baton Passer, Annoyance seem to map well to existing roles).

Examples:

Fire Type
Ability score choices: +2 Charisma, +2 Strength
Skill bonus choices: Civilization, Intimidate
+1 to ongoing damage (+2 if pure Fire)
Encounter: Minor action, close burst 1: Str/Dex/Cha + 2/4/6 vs Reflex, 1d6 + Cha fire damage.

Fighting Type
Ability score choices: +2 Constitution, +2 Strength
Skill bonus choices: Athletics, Insight
Second wind as a move action (minor action if pure Fighting)
Encounter: When hit, make a basic attack as a free action against the attacker

Flying Type
Ability score choices: +2 Charisma, +2 Dexterity
Skill bonus choices: Perception, Stealth
+1 squares of movement when shifting two or more squares (+1 squares of moment when shifting any number of squares if pure Flying)
Encounter: Move action, fly your speed + 2, must land at the end of the move

Ground Type
Ability score choices: +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom
Skill bonus choices: Endurance, Nature
Resist lightning 1 + 1/2 level (3 + 1/2 level if pure Ground)
Encounter: Minor, stand from prone and shift 1 square

 

[Real Sorceror]

Hey Camelot (and company), in case you're interested we just started the alpha playtest for my homebrew last week:Pokemon d20: Pockets & Monsters - Giant in the Playground Forums
I've converted more and more things to match the 4e style, but I'm still using power points for the attacks. I think thats the best way to do it (at least for me), especially since I'm not too keen on turning the 300+ attacks into at-will, encounter, and daily powers.

I'd still suggest creating classes based on type/role matchups (Psychic Controller, Psychic Lurker, Psychic Brute, etc). That will give you plenty of variety and will reduce your workload considerably. I mean, you're still going to end up with 100+ plus classes, but thats still better than almost 500. (although personally I'd just do 17 classes, or just stat them all as monsters).