Creating Moves & Abilities

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Unlike some other Pokemon TTRPGs, this game doesn't have existing conversions for most Pokemon, moves, and abilities. Instead, it aims to offer GMs and Players a quick, rules-light move/ability system that is customisable to fit a particular Pokemon and Trainers' unique personalities and skills. These rules work for moves from the games, cards, and new creations.

This section isn't quite finished, but should be usable in its current form. Example moves and abilities are to come!

Abilities

Abilities are usually a passive bonus that a Pokemon gets access to all the time, or with a particular trigger. This could be +1d, +1 Impact level, immunity to a particular type or effect or a better position when certain conditons are met, such as health being below a certain threshold or being in a particular kind of environment/weather.

When creating a Pokemon, choose one of its possible abilities (or create a new one), read its description, and decide how best to convert it. Some abilities (like Levitate or Heavy Metal) are always active, whereas others (Swift Swim, Overgrow) activate when a particular condition is met, or in response to triggers like moves (eg. Motor Drive, Moxie, Defiant).

When defining an ability, decide when it's active, what triggers it, and what effect(s) it has while active or when activated.

Moves

Moves have a name, Type, Category (physical, special, status), Power (low/medium/high), a short description, and potentially some tags.

    1. First, decide on the move you want to convert, or make one up! Write down its name, and a brief description of what it looks like and what effect(s) it has.

     2. Then, choose the Type and Category that best fit the move. Moves that get up close with the target or hit them with force tend to be Physical, while moves that deal elemental, magical, or ranged damage are usually Special. Moves that don't deal damage are Status - instead, they may raise or lower a stat, change the battlefield, or inflict a status condition.

     3. If your move deals damage, decide the its Power. Moves can have Low, Medium, or High Power. Conversion numbers aren't absolute, but if an in-game move has 50 Base Power or below, it's Low, 50-75 it's Medium, 80+ it's High. Take into account the rough level of the Pokemon and additional effects of the move when determining Power.

     4. Finally, add some tags if you'd like! These are functionally part of the description, and act as reminders for what properties/benefits a move can have. For example, a move like Hydro Pump may have the tag 'forceful', because of its ability to push targets around, or knock them off balance.