Yo! I'm itching to start a Pokemon game, and have no intention of going freeform. It just isn't a thing I can do these days, especially with a game fundamentally about determining the outcomes of physical conflicts. I've got several choices, and just need some advice on which would be best. I have two campaign ideas: one which requires a lot of homebrew (primarily making new pokemon for a new region), while one doesn't (setting a story in Kanto and pretty much using what exists).

First is the obvious choice, Pokemon Tabletop United. It's very well structured and takes its mechanics mostly from the games themselves, so experienced players will be familiar and nothing should strike anyone as glaringly off. The combat system is very strategic and tactical, and it feels almost like what happens if D&D 4e becomes a Pokemon game. Best part is there is plenty of advice on how to use it without maps, and it seems to need no conversion or rules tweaks for that. Just say "we aren't using maps" and go. My problem with it is that it's got so much to it, it's very overwhelming. I don't really want to get burned out, and I absolutely can't see myself making anything new with it, because that's a lot of work. 508 page rulebook is a lot to cover. However, I do think I'd get the most input with this, as it's got a big fanbase and is actively supported.

Next option is something I found called Pokemon Pen & Paper. It's much lighter, focusing more on the trainer and starter pokemon than on others. Rolls are generally 2d6+stat against a target number around 8-14. Only your trainer gains XP, and what level up bonuses you choose for the trainer determines what Moves can be taught to your pokemon. You could really fit your trainer and starter on an index card and then fit a whole team of five other pokemon on the back. Also, I could easily invent new pokemon on the fly, as each one really is just a description, a Type, and a High Stat. The problem here is it seems to be too light, and players might get frustrated with the small amount of options and some of the odd choices, like how pokemon only know Struggle unless you have a perk that lets them learn an appropriate move for their type.

And then there's the idea to ditch those two and go with something else, which I'm also not sure about. Converting something else to pokemon would be a lot of work. I know because I've done it a number of times and never really been satisfied. Monsters & Other Childish Things, Smallville, and Leverage come to mind immediately.

Anyone have any thoughts on how I should proceed?

Personally, I'd go with PTU.

However, I have a homemade system that I've been planning on bending to pokemon and should handle it with a similar heft to d20. In fact, knowing d20 will be a massive step towards understanding the system, leaving it on the easier side to learn. If you want to go that route, I'd help get it setup and established. Making new pokemon should be easy, and unlike normal d20, control of the power span (range from weak to powerful) is fairly easy.

I like the idea of PTU too. I'd be interested.

Not sure either about converting mainly due to it being a lot of work. For you and not for the players as much. Guess it depends on your thoughts on a timeline really. If you are that jazzed about running a Pokémon game then PTU would seem to be a good idea. On the other hand, if you don't think your desire to run it would wane...then converting could be possible.

Had a friend once use M&M to run a Pokémon game. Seen a game that was using Savage Worlds with some modifications, didn't get to play it though.

DarkLightHitomi: I'm not a big fan of D20, though I do like to try every incarnation of it that comes along in hopes I like it. As such, I wouldn't feel comfortable running a playtest of a Pokemon D20 game, but if you put together a game, I'll gladly hop in and help you kick the tires. It just doesn't seem right for what I'm after. PTU is actually as close as I want to get to D20 for this, being D20 derived and all.

Yarraer: I am definitely jazzed. Been trying to get a Pokemon game going off and on for...um...sixteen years? ^_^; I've tried BESM, Trollbabe, Smallville, and a few other things here and there. Been looking at Savage Worlds lately, but not sure where to start, and I don't think it feels right to me. Too much miniatures-based tactical battling. That isn't so much what I do. I'm more a Fate, Firefly, Star Wars D6 1e kinda guy. Maps get in my way rather than helping.

M&M also doesn't suit me too well, though I've done some weird stuff with that. And I still haven't taken a good look at the Mecha & Manga supplement for 2e, which seems like a good idea regardless of what system I end up using. Looking like PTU right now, but that really will be quite a lot of work even without conversions. Just building encounters is going to take time.

Any advice from PTU veterans on how to handle the heavy mechanics without spending hours designing encounters? I figure it'll get faster as I build more characters, but some way of keeping the game moving would be nice. Every game of PTU I've joined on RPoL came to a screeching GMless halt either at the start or end of the first combat scene.

I like PTU myself and it can be a bit complicated with the battles though I have found a few nice programs out there for encounters. Rather customizable to your tastes and seems fairly decent. You can use what you want and leave the rest depending on how much freedom you want to give your players. I don't think I can post the link here but I can still rMail it to you if you want.

As for the battle part...I have had some success with doing 3 rounds of combat at a time. Player does three combat rounds and so does the enemy. It works pretty well unless there is a need to heal, a status effect happens or something on that order. But you can always allow for a player to drop something for a heal or deal with a status effect as needed.

It is not perfect but it works at least fairly well. As long as the player is not overwhelmed by enemies that is.

I would go with PTU, it seems big and has a few none core books, but it is easy to pick up. You can also just learn the sections when ready. It is also fairly customize able if you want it to. Do not forget, it is also free rule books!

Yeah, battles were weird sometimes. I remember a teddiursa nearly wiping the pc party once. It had help, but trust me, it did not need it.

I wonder how well FATE would work with Pokemon?

I will say I do love PTU, been running it for years with only minimal house-ruling required (typically my houserules are more for setting flavour than anything else.)

 I haven't tried FATE with pokemon, but I did use the Window with Pokemon to some success, but if you're running for a group that love numbers.. PTU is far vetter and will give them the level of crunch they need.

Well, that's four votes for PTU, so that's where I'm goin' with it.





After having some incredible success using vanilla Fate Accelerated Edition to run a superheroes game, I'm of the mind that FAE would work very smoothly for Pokemon. The trouble is that while I'm very comfortable playing Fate, I'm not very comfortable running it. There are a lot of pitfalls, and at least two of my group members have had complaints about the way conflicts are encouraged to play out: they end up looking and feeling right as part of genre emulation, but don't feel satisfying as game experiences. (Specifically talking about the suggestion to have each player Create an Advantage using their best traits to then allow the hard hitter of the group to finish off the conflict with a +10 bonus, plus any paid invokes. The narrative is right, but it seems several players don't enjoy that.) As such, I'm leaving Fate Pokemon alone until I can get a chance to look it over, tinker with it, and see if it can feel more satisfying.



I would really like to try playing the Window sometime, but it's hard to read the rules through the author's elitist attitude. Just feels like bashing on other people's fun was the point of the rule system, and that gets in the way of my even reading the rules themselves. Need someone to explain how the game works.



As it happens, I don't actually have a group for this just yet. Unless the PTU votes were also denoting interest, in which case I think my group does prefer solid numbers. :P

If you four are into the idea and want to join in, then I won't even need to put up a Players Wanted ad. Posting a link to the game I just set up, and after that I think this thread can be closed. Got what I needed. Thanks, everyone!

link to another game