[Recruitment] Battles & Badges: Pokemon 4e Playtest

[Camelot]

Welcome to Battles & Badges! The Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition system fits fantastically with how Pokemon works, so I decided to convert it into Pokemon. Now I am searching for players to help playtest it!

You will take the role of a Pokemon trainer living in Pallet Town, Kanto. You haven't any Pokemon yet, but you know what your first Pokemon will be when you get the chance: one of Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Pichu/Pikachu (they are interchangable flavorwise), Caterpie, Weedle, Pidgey, Rattata, Nidoran (Female), or Nidoran (Male). All Pokemon are equally good choices, like D&D classes, so don't worry about power differences between, for example, Weedle and Charmander.

You might have put some thought into your battling strategy. Will you be a Battler, focusing on accuracy, tactics, and using your intelligence to command your Pokemon? Will you be an Evolver, focusing on defense, resistance, and using your constitution to endure many battles in preparation for your Pokemons' evolution? Will you be a Healer, focusing on healing, avoiding damage, and using your wisdom to know what your Pokemon need? Or will you be a Raiser, focusing on damage, durability, and using your strength to train alongside your Pokemon to toughen them up?

To find the rules for this game (an ongoing process, so it's not completely complete), follow this_link and download the fairly small PDF called the Trainer's Handbook. Here, you will find the necessary stats to make a trainer and a Pokemon.

Of course, I might not be as good at explaining as I think I am, so please post any questions you have here. I will answer them in detail.

If you'd like to help with this playtest, you must have a good grasp on the 4e rules. I would like feedback on what is working and what isn't, and it will be hard to do if you don't know how the mechanics work. You don't have to be a rules lawyer, you just need to know the basics and it would be nice for you to know a bit more.

As I mention in the linked thread, the PDF doesn't contain all the powers or feats for all the starter Pokemon. If you would like to use one of the Pokemon that is lacking powers and feats, simply let me know here and I will add them promptly.

Also, since this is a playtest, if you have an idea for a power or a feat (or another small mechanic, where small means not a trainer specialization or a Pokemon), please propose it as I would like to try out as many ideas as possible.

So, post if you're interested! I hope I explained enough, but if you have any questions about anything regarding this playtest, I'd love to answer them. Let your Pokemon journey begin!

 

[Cloneoftheghost]

Alright dude, I don't know a whole lot about 4e but I'm willing to give it a try. I'm all excited and . Sign me up !!!

 

[Camelot]

Okay, you're in! Choose your trainer specialization and Pokemon strategy, and either you can write up a character or, if you want to make sure it's done right, I can absolutely make one for you.

If you choose to do it, post them here when finished so I can take a look!

PS: You have no idea how excited I am. (8D

 

[DistractingFlare]

This is an interesting idea. I'll have to look into it more.

 

[Camelot]

Hope you'll to try it out, Flare!

Nidoran (M) and Weedles's powers and feats have been added to the TH.

 

[Cloneoftheghost]

Leaning torward guy named Chase. He'll be a Raiser with a Bulbasaur ... I'll get back to you with the complete bio and such-not.

 

[HFactor]

I'm interested a bit in joining in. I have a basic knowledge of how 4e works and I've looked over your Trainers Handbook.

 

[Moon_Goddess]

I'm curious, sounds interesting if you've still got a spot.

 

[HFactor]

Vance and his Charmander

Vance is a 10 year old trainer waiting to get his own pokemon just like everyone else. His first choice though would be to take hold of a Charmander, both because they look cool and that they evolve to be very strong.

Vance
Battler - Offensive Strategy
Str: 12 (1), Dex: 10 (0), Con: 13 (1), Int: 16 (3), Wis: 14 (2), Cha: 11 (0)
Feat: Improved Battle Tactics
Skills: History, Pokemon (+1), Insight, Technology (+1), Perception (+1)
Inventory: Standard Trainers Kit

Charmander
Level 1 - Draconic Strategy
Str: 13 (1), Dex: 13 (1), Con: 16 (3), Int: 10 (0), Wis: 10 (0), Cha: 14 (2)
HP: 28, Healing Surges/Day: 10
Init: +5 (+8), Fort: 13, Ref: 13, Wil: 12
At Will 1: Ember Spray
At Will 2: Lizard Pulse
Encounter: Flaming Spiral
Daily: Cinder Sear
Feat: Improved Initiative

Red pressed A+B+Down

 

[Camelot]

Woah! I was worried this wouldn't take off. Thanks for the sudden burst of interest!

In retrospect, I should have put this in the first post, so I'll put it up now before it's too late. These are my rules for PbP games. PLEASE READ ALL THE RULES. I want the game to run smoothly and at a fun pace, and to do that we need structure.

Rules for Recruitment

- The first 5 people to post their complete characters will be the players.

- Everyone else will be put on a waiting list in the order that they posted their characters/interest.

- If a player does not follow the rules for posting or behaves inappropriately, they will be dropped from the game. I will PM the next person on the waiting list asking if they want to join. If they do not respond within 24 hours, I will ask the next person, etc. The first person to reply will get the spot.

- If you are dropped from the game accidentally but want to get back into the game, PM me as soon as possible. If I have not given your spot away already, you will be welcomed back into the game with no animosity whatsoever. However, if I have already given your spot away, you can add yourself to the end of the waiting list to rejoin the game in case someone else drops out.

Rules for Character Creation

- All characters start at 1st level.

- Point-buy for ability scores.

- Required Sources = Battles & Badges Trainer's Handbook.

- Optional Sources = D&D Player's Handbook. B&B uses many of the same rules as D&D which are not reprinted in the Trainer's Handbook yet.

- All rules updates are used. Please check the Wizards of the Coast official site if you are unsure about the rules updates. The last rules update was March 2010, and the next will be May 2010. Most of the updates are specific to D&D mechanics, but some apply to the general mechanics that B&B also uses.

- When you become a player, post your character in the Battles & Badges Gallery. Please do not link to another site; type up your character information in spoilers. The information should include everything that can be found on a character sheet, but you may include as little as possible, as long as the rest is able to be figured out (for example, you may record only which skills you are trained in without having to write out each skill bonus; another example, you do not need to include basic attacks or passive senses, since those can be inferred from the other information on the sheet). Write a brief paragraph describing what your character looks like. You may also include a description of your character's personality, mannerisms, and background. If you are keeping aspects of your background secret from the other players or are using a false background, you may record this background as long as you PM me the real one.

Rules of Play

- When you post, please use proper punctuation and good English, especially in the IC thread. No leet speak whatsoever. The occasional typos are of course acceptable, but if you're poor at typing, please review your post before posting it for spelling and grammar. If you're not a native English speaker, let me know. I will never drop someone for mistyping, but if you constantly use abbreviations, use leet speak, or refuse to write in sentences, I will ask you to stop or be dropped. I want the posts to be legible so that they get their message across without readers (especially myself and the other players) having to decipher your text.

- At minimum, please post once per day during weekdays, even if you have nothing to add. If you do not, I will PM you the night of the day you did not post, not including weekends. Meanwhile, I will take control of your character, using your strategy so I will not make choices you wouldn't have. If you do not respond within 24 hours of my PM, I will be forced to drop you from the game and give your spot to the next person on the waiting list.

- Post during the weekends as much as possible and as needed, as that is when I will have the most time to check on the game. If you do not post during the weekend, this is not a problem. However, if the majority of people are posting on the weekend, not including myself, I will control your character so the game does not slow down too much. If this is the case, I will follow your strategy until it is no longer valid.

- If you PM me with a sensible reason for not posting, such as you are sick, working or studying late, or on vacation, I will gladly take control of your character while you are away. However, if you are planning on not posting for more than a week, I will be forced to drop you from the game and give your spot to the next person on the waiting list. Also PM me if you decide to quit the game, as soon as you decide.

- Please do not post anything OOC in the IC thread, unless it is very short and in a spoiler.

- Die rolling is done using Invisible Castle. When you roll, include the result in the post, and also include a link to the roll at Invisible Castle. I will make my rolls "behind the screen," with either my actual dice or my random number generator.

- At the start of an encounter, I will roll initiative and appropriate knowledge checks for you, then post initiative order and any information you know about your opponents and environment. Refer back to this post frequently, as I will edit it to include up-to-date information on your opponents whenever you reveal such information by attacking it or making a check. The information will include weaknesses, resistances, immunities, damage taken, defenses, and powers. This is so you can immediately know whether your attack hits and how much damage it does after a few rounds, rather than constantly having to wait to know what the result of your attacks are.

- If you can, post your battle strategy at the beginning of an encounter. This strategy should cover at least the next two rounds. Designate what actions you will take depending on specified circumstances, especially triggered actions. You can change your strategy at any time, or act against it on a whim. This doesn't mean I want you to post your strategy and watch me control your character; this is just in case of an emergency in which you are unable to post so that your character can continue its actions without slowing down the game, and also so that you can use triggered actions immediately.

- I will use Microsoft Excel 2003 to create maps of encounters when necessary, labeling squares A1 and so on. When you move, post the exact squares you enter on your way to your destination. If you cannot view Excel 2003 documents, PM me so we can figure out a solution. I am not a technologically savvy person, so if you know of a more efficient way of sharing maps that does not require expense, please PM me with your suggestion.

- If you wish to perform an action that is not covered by the rules, feel free to make any checks you think might be needed and play out the result based on those checks. Overestimate the number of checks you make, so that you will most likely have the checks I would have required. I will then post in the OOC thread the way I will rule such actions from that point onward. I will also post here if I think your action is impossible or if it had a different result than what you posted, and I will ask you to edit your post to reflect this; however, I don't expect our opinions to vary that much that I will often cancel a success at a creative action.

- I will post any XP and items you get in the Battles & Badges Gallery. Please update your character in the same thread with any of this information. Money will be divided equally among all players. No stealing, even if that is what your charater would do. Items will be assigned by me. The only way to overcome item assignment is if the assigned player gives up the item and another player wants to take it. I will just assign for convenience, instead of requiring discussion for every item. My item distribution is not random, so you will receive useful items and all players will have an equal amount of items in the long run.

- If I have a conflict that requires me to be away from the game for a period of time, I will post in the OOC thread at least three days in advance. I will try not to let that happen, as there is no waiting list for DMs, but if it does, feel free to continue playing and communicating as long as possible without me.

- Give me as much feedback as you want. Post any comments, concerns, or criticisms without restraint, no matter how small or large they are, in the OOC thread. The only thing I ask is that you are polite and constructive. I want to make this game enjoyable for all of us, so make it known if you're not enjoying it.

- This is a playtest, so I will post problems I noticed and questions I have for the players in the OOC thread. I encourage not only the players but anyone who is following the game to give their input. When answering, keep in mind that fun comes first, and math is used to make it fun, so don't worry if the numbers aren't perfect, only if they're getting in the way of fun. Also, post anything you notice as well, especially if you think it's getting in the way of the fun.

Thank you for your interest and for reading all the rules. If you did not read all the rules, GO BACK AND READ ALL THE RULES! We all need to be on the same page. I apologize for the amount of rules, but I feel that it's necessary.

If we get one more player and everyone posts a character, we can get started! If you're interested, the playtest in the Giant in the Playground forums has begun here: Battles & Badges - Giant in the Playground Forums. Feel free to take a look at all the threads and give your input in the OOC thread!