The Gaming Den

No, I would go the other way. In the games, a badge increases your control level (because there's no trainer level) and allows you to use a field move outside of combat. Field moves are handled by a single feat, and there's no good way to say "pokemon can't use this field move unless you have a certain badge" in an RPG. In the video games, gym leaders hand you their signature TM because you impressed them, but I would say that beating the membership challenge bestows upon you the basic, non-magical badge, and you get the knowledge of the gym's signature technique (ie, the moves), and then the Master badge has the major magical effect.

Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Because the intermediate level is what the game's trainer would get, but the trainer isn't dedicating themselves to the particular gym, so they don't get the bonus effect.

I'm cool with Pixels' suggested route.

Can we use Pathfinder's magic item crafting system (with virtual XP costs as well)?

In PF, magic item creation uses a Spellcraft check that you can take 10 on. The DC to craft something is 5 + caster level of the item + 5 for every requirement you don't meet (e.g. a spell, being a gnome, whatever else). Caster level isn't a requirement, but just adds to the DC. The crafting feat is still necessary.

If yes, I'll probably take the bloodline now and Bag full of Knick Knacks at 6th level.

Prak wrote:Yeah, I'm honestly surprised there isn't a gryphon-based pokemon with a stupid name like Eagalion. I can double check on Undermountain, I may have mistyped.

Ok, yes, Undermountain is beneath Waterdeep.

Can we get a consensus as to where people want to start? I'm aiming at being able to at least start the IC thread tomorrow, but I need to know where people want to start.

I'm good with the plan of starting near, or heading toward, Hellgate Keep first. However, if you have somewhere you want to put Mt Armory and then start closer to there, heading toward Hellgate to pick up some experience.

If everyone else can agree to a plan, I'll agree to it.

I also agree to agree.

So, it's up to Pixels and Griffinsummoner it seems.

Pixels wrote:My personal preference is to start at Hellgate Keep, knock out the nearby gyms of Silverymoon, Mithral Hall, and Griffon's Nest, then follow the Surbin and Dessarin south to Waterdeep/Undermountain, and finally take the Sword Coast up past Neverwinter to Icewind Dale.

I'd also be fine with starting at Waterdeep, but I suspect Undermountain will be difficult to tackle at the very start of the run.

Griffinsummoner wrote:I'm good with the plan of starting near, or heading toward, Hellgate Keep first. However, if you have somewhere you want to put Mt Armory and then start closer to there, heading toward Hellgate to pick up some experience.

So... At or Near Hellgate Keep? I'll throw in a vote for Near.

No objections here. Hellgate Keep was my preferred starting location.

And it looks like Mask and Ogrebattle are still interested in playing. But we can at least get things started, I think.

Yeah, they can probably be retconned in smoothly enough.

Are Psionics considered separate from magic for Knowledge and Spell/Psicraft purposes?

No, I'm going to consider psionics just another form of magic.

I started an IC thread so the party can start interacting, and the game can start. You're starting out in a small river-port town in High Forest.

Also I'm going to just say that fire-type pokemon are at least immune to mundane fire, since even flareon is supposed to have a body temp of 1600 degrees.

Well, I imagine most of them would have the [Fire] subtype, which would make them immune to fire anyway, right?

D&D elemental subtypes interact weirdly with Pokemon Types. Like [D&D Fire] makes a creature vulnerable to cold damage, while [Pokemon Fire] takes half damage from ice.

So you get weird things like fire creatures that are pokemon taking half damage from ice attacks from other pokemon, but double damage from environmental and magical ice. Which isn't necessarily incorrect... but it does lead to stuff where, like above, I have to specify whether something is D&D Fire or Pokemon Fire.

I take it that the rest of the party knows that Kentaro is a Kitsune. Does everyone know his alignment and/or his goals? This is as much a question to the other players as much as it is to Prak. It's important to know for roleplaying my character.

What does the party need, character/pokemon wise?

Maybe not the alignment, but his goals of power-acquisition are likely known. I imagine we learned a lot about each other's abilities in the Mt Armory story.

That is up to you guys.

Darth Rabbitt wrote:I take it that the rest of the party knows that Kentaro is a Kitsune. Does everyone know his alignment and/or his goals? This is as much a question to the other players as much as it is to Prak. It's important to know for roleplaying my character.

My character would probably know due to having an Abra, but he wouldn't object to them or go around telling everyone else. Luca (Pixels' character) is neutral so I don't think he'd object either. I don't know about the others.

I don't think it's illegal to be a Kitsune, but it's probably best if people don't know you're a shapeshifter, or they might get suspicious when crime sprees happen around you and no one recognizes the perpetrator and/or lots of people claim to have been framed. It'd probably make Kentaro's life easier if his party members are in on it.

Mask_De_H wrote:What does the party need, character/pokemon wise?

Not entirely sure. Do you have any particular preferences? What parts of your character have you nailed down?

Won't have the time to keep up with this game but will be watchin'

Griffinsummoner wrote:Maybe not the alignment, but his goals of power-acquisition are likely known. I imagine we learned a lot about each other's abilities in the Mt Armory story.

Seems legit. Kentaro would definitely say he wants to take on the League, and might even say he wants to topple it if he thinks the rest of the party's down with that.

radthemad4 wrote:My character would probably know due to having an Abra, but he wouldn't object to them or go around telling everyone else. Luca (Pixels' character) is neutral so I don't think he'd object either. I don't know about the others.

I think Luca also wouldn't object (at least to the overthrow of the League) on the grounds that he wants to make the Champion answer for their experimentations on him (according to the backstory on his character sheet.)

I don't think it's illegal to be a Kitsune, but it's probably best if people don't know you're a shapeshifter, or they might get suspicious when crime sprees happen around you and no one recognizes the perpetrator and/or lots of people claim to have been framed.

I figured Kentaro would tell NPCs that he's just a little halfling boy, as his default humanoid appearance most resembles. He has fucktons of Bluff and Disguise for that exact purpose.

It'd probably make Kentaro's life easier if his party members are in on it.

Agreed.

Yeah, Luca is absolutely for overthrowing the League. He believes the current system is corrupt, or at least propping up corrupt leaders. He's not into the mustache-twirling villainy, but knocking it all down is the best way to ensure the rot is exposed.