Advanced Combat

Advanced Combat
This section will cover the more in depth possibilities that will occur in battle in FLC. Some of these components are similar to actions within the Pokemon games, and some exist in extreme contrast to what is possible in the games.

Pokemon Abilities
Every Pokemon has an Ability that they possess. This Ability grants the Pokemon a certain edge over others in some aspect of the game (although, on rare occasions, Abilities are detrimental). Abilities vary from Pokemon to Pokemon. Some share the same or similar Abilities to others, but every Pokemon has one. Just like in the games, a Pokemon’s Ability will trigger immediately whenever the circumstances cause it to. A few examples:



[Shiera’s Ability is Snow Cloak. In the reference texts, Snow Cloak’s description says, “Raises Evasion in a Hailstorm”. In FLC, this translates to a bonus to Shiera’s Hit Target when fighting in an environment in which it is snowing. If it is not snowing, Shiera’s Ability does not activate. But if she uses the move Hail, which makes it begin to snow, Shiera’s Snow Cloak immediately activates, raising her Hit Target.]



[Ulysses, a Drapion, has the ability Battle Armor. In the reference texts, Battle Armor is described as “The Pokemon is protected against critical hits.” Thus, in FLC, Ulysses cannot be hit with Critical Hit damage, even if the Critical Threat range starts on 2, or if the attacker rolls a 20. With his Ability, attacks against Ulysses do not utilize the Critical Hit damage multiplier.]



Every Pokemon’s Ability is covered in reference texts. Players must keep in mind that some Abilities are very clearly more useful than others, and this is something that they should take into account when choosing Pokemon. The specifics of this will be covered in “Choosing Your Pokemon” in “Character Growth”. Additionally, it is possible to create your own Pokemon Abilities, which will be covered in “Creation in FLC”.



Hit Target
As it has already been mentioned, a Pokemon’s Hit Target is the number that must be rolled by an attacker for the Pokemon to be hit by its move. Upon receiving a Defense Bonus from a DF or SD stat of 50 or above, the Pokemon gains a bonus to their Base Hit Target. As shown in the “Basic Combat” section, rolling a 1 on an attack roll is a Critical Failure. This Failure roll makes every single Pokemon in the game have a Base Hit Target of 1. Then, when the Pokemon begins to get a Defense Bonus, the Base Hit Target adds to the next possible roll that will hit the Pokemon. For example:



[As a Rattata, Franz does not have a particularly strong DF stat. Many Pokemon have an AT stat higher than his DF. So when Franz is being targeted by a Pokemon whose AT is higher than his DF, Franz’ Defense Bonus for DF will start at 2, the next number up from the Critical Failure roll of 1, and the first successful roll for a Pokemon with a higher attacking stat. Franz has a total of 56 DF, so his Bonus is only +1. This makes his Base Hit Target a total of 2, so any creature that rolls a 2 also fails in damaging Franz. This makes Franz’ Hit Target, the number that the attacking Pokemon needs to roll to damage Franz, 3 or higher.]



[This Hit Target changes depending on which Pokemon is attacking whom. Let’s say Penny wants Franz wants to work his strength up on weaker foes that he can beat. She makes him fight a Weedle with an AT stat of 48. The Weedle’s attack roll against Franz will be much more difficult than enemies with higher AT stats. The Weedle’s attack roll must be enough to be higher than Franz’ DF stat. Franz’ Defense Bonus also begins on the number just high enough to hit him, giving him a bit of a boost in his DF. With Franz’ 56 in DF, the Weedle must roll the distance from 48 to 57 (1 more than 56), plus 1 for Franz’ Defense Bonus on his DF stat. From 48 to 57 is 9, plus 1 to make 10. Franz defends against any attack roll that the Weedle makes from 9 or below. Franz’ Hit Target is 10, when the Weedle is using its AT stat against him.]



To make this calculation even worse, there are also moves that let Pokemon change their Hit Targets. Any move that is described as changing a Pokemon’s “evasion” changes his or her Hit Target instead. For example, the move Double Team is described as “Raises the user’s evasion by one stage”. In FLC, one stage of evasion quantifies as a temporary +2 or -2 to a Pokemon’s Hit Targets, for both DF and SD. So, if Franz uses the move Double Team, it changes his Base Hit Target for his DF to +3 (his regular Defense Bonus of +1, and the +2 from Double Team). Franz protects himself from physical attacks that roll 4 or below. If he uses Double Team again, he protects attacks that roll 6 or below, making his Hit Target for higher-AT-stat enemies a 7 or more. For the Weedle who must roll a 10 or up to damage, it becomes a 12 or up, and etc. Conversely, if the Weedle evolved into a Beedrill, and learned how to use the move Defog, it could turn the tables on Franz. Defog lowers a Pokemon’s evasion by one stage, or -2, counteracting Franz’ Double Team.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">Similarly, moves that reduce an opponent’s “accuracy” instead affect the outcome of their attack roll. One stage of accuracy down gives a Pokemon -1 to their attack roll. Subsequent uses give up to a -5 penalty, at which, the Pokemon is effectively unable to roll higher than a 14 (barring the roll of a 20, which is still a Critical Hit). The penalty to a Pokemon’s attack roll symbolizes the Pokemon’s difficulty in targeting the defender in a way necessary to hit it or penetrate its defense. Charts for the specifics of both evasion and accuracy can be found in the FLC Rules Master Text.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

Items/Equipment
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">In the Pokemon games since Gold and Silver, Pokemon can hold items. These can be of a wide variety of things, from Berries that will restore your Pokemon’s HP to items that increase the power of the Pokemon’s moves. In FLC, a Pokemon is allowed to hold one Item and one piece of Equipment. Items refer to the various things that trainers use to restore their Pokemon. These include objects inspired by the games, such as Potions or Revives. The GM is free to make items have whichever qualities they choose. Craft (Organic) checks very often create Items that are consumable and provide nourishment or healing. Unless otherwise noted, Items have one use will be discarded after their effect occurs. As stated in the “Battle Actions” section, players are free to have their Pokemon use their Item whenever it is suitable. This includes the use of an item in response to a great deal of damage. Using an item this way is referred to as using it reflexively. Some Items, like an Antidote, will not work reflexively. The body must already be intoxicated for the antivenom to take effect. The exception to this is the Item Revive and its ilk. Pokemon can inject themselves with this medicine as they faint, to restore them to consciousness. Pokemon cannot use their Items if they are not conscious, or if they are within a Pokeball.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">In addition to an Item slot, every Pokemon has an Equipment slot. Equipment is FLC’s version of Items that increase your Pokemon’s powers instead of healing them. Equipment can be straightforward, something like, “Defense Emblem: Gives equipped Pokemon +5 to their DF stat.” Equipment can have an activation or it can be consumable, like, “Dragon’s Heart Gem: May be activated along with a user’s Dragon move to give it a 1.5x multiplier, then is destroyed.”  Or Equipment can be very complicated, such as something like, “Earthripper Claws: [Can only be equipped on a Dark type Pokemon] Gives +3 to attack rolls against Pokemon with Rock or Ground as one of their types, +5 against solely Rock or Ground type Pokemon, +7 against Rock/Ground Pokemon. Affects Critical Threat range.” Equipment may be derived from Pokemon games, but it is also likely that it will be of the GM’s creation. Craft (Inorganic) checks will more often than not create Equipment, instead of Items.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">In battle, Equipment that creates a Passive (or, continuous) effect, such as the Defense Emblem, will always be granting its properties to the Pokemon. An active use Equipment, such as the Dragon’s Heart Gem, has its properties occur when the player decides to use it. (Active use Equipment may only be usable on a trainer’s turn, instead of a Pokemon’s.) A situational use Equipment, such as the Earthripper Claws, only has its properties trigger in certain circumstances. A simpler situational equipment might be, “When equipped Pokemon’s HP falls below 10, they are immune to damage for the remainder of the round.” Basically, when the circumstance occurs, the Equipment activates. Equipment can also have multiple aspects. For instance, the “Shock Collar”: When user takes damage from an energy based attack, the Shock Collar charges. With one charge, it adds +1 Damage to any attack. With 2 charges, +2 Damage. With 3 charges, +3 damage and charges can be spent up to add an additional +3 damage on the next attack. Any Electric action will trigger the Shock Collar.” As you can see, the Shock Collar has a trigger of special attacks or Electric actions that activates its charges. It also has a activation aspect, the absorption of its charges for additional damage.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">On a Trainer's turn, he or she can give 1 Item or piece of Equipment to a trainer or Pokemon in an adjacent square. Receiving Items or Equipment is a free action. Additionally, a trainer can use an Item that they have on a Pokemon or trainer, as their turn's action.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">Items and Equipment are both very malleable ideas in FLC. They can be anything that the GM can conceive of and can affect the gameplay greatly. The Craft Skills can help the players shape Items and Equipment as well.

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Statistic Changes
<span style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;white-space:pre-wrap;">Certain moves have properties that can raise or lower the effectiveness of a Pokemon’s statistics. These are called Statistic Changes (or, Stat Up/Stat Down). Every stat, except HP, can get Stat Ups or Downs, as well as the previously mentioned accuracy and evasion. Statistic Changes occur in stages. Every instance of a move affecting a Pokemon’s stat affects that stat by at least one stage. When a move gives a Pokemon a Stat Up in AT, the Pokemon’s AT stat gets stronger. Similarly, an effect that gives a Stat Down in SP makes the Pokemon slower. For instance, Kylie the Vanillite uses the move Harden. It raises Kylie’s DF by one stage. Later on, Kylie gets the move Acid Armor. This move raises Kylie’s DF by two<span style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;white-space:pre-wrap;"> stages in a single turn, making a stronger defensive effect than only one stage of DF would. Every stat can have a total of 5 stages of Stat Up or Stat Down. The specifics of each Statistic Change and the effects that they have in battle can be found in the FLC Rules Master text. Remember that Stat Up/Stat Down calculations affect the total damage before<span style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;white-space:pre-wrap;"> Weaknesses and Resistances.

Status Effects
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">Surely you don’t need to be reminded about Status Effects. You’ve never fought Zubats in a cave? Anyway, some Pokemon moves can give their opponents different Status Effects. Some specific moves give bonuses to the length of time for the status effect. There are several different status effects, and the specific battle effects of each can be seen in the FLC Rules Master text. The status effects are:

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 * Poisoned: The Pokemon has venom in his or her blood that hurts them continuously. Given by Poison type moves, a Poisoned Pokemon takes HP damage on every one of their turns. Upon Poisoning, the attacking Pokemon rolls a d4 to determine the base number of turns being Poisoned. Additional Poisoning attacks will add to the amount of damage taken per turn, as well as the length of time the Pokemon is Poisoned. Poisoning is the only status effect that can be added onto with subsequent attacks.
 * Burned: The Pokemon has been charred by a Fire type or high temperature attack, resulting in searing pain. Upon Burning, the attacking Pokemon rolls a d4 to determine the length of time being burned. On the Burned Pokemon’s turn it loses HP.
 * Confused: The Pokemon’s brain is addled and the mental commands that it receives from its trainer become distorted, usually from Psychic type attacks. The Pokemon loses control of its faculties, presenting just as much a danger to itself as to its enemies. Upon Confusion, the attacking Pokemon rolls a d4 for the number of turns that the Pokemon is confused. On each turn that the Pokemon is confused, the Pokemon does a 50% check, usually on a d4 (i.e. 1, 2: Success, 3, 4: Failure). This check determines whether or not the Pokemon accurately receives commands from its trainer. If it does not, it lashes out in Confusion, using one of its moves at random on itself. If a Pokemon is Confused, its trainer rolls a die with the same number at the number of moves in the Pokemon’s move slots (i.e. 5 different moves, d5). If the first move slot is a roll of 1, the Pokemon uses the appropriate move that they rolled on themselves, with regular damage and FP usage.
 * Asleep: The Pokemon has been put into a temporary near-comatose state. Upon putting a Pokemon to Sleep, the attacking Pokemon rolls a d4 for the number of turns of being Asleep. A Pokemon who is Asleep cannot act on their turn, unless they make a check against Sleep. On the first turn of Sleep, if a player can roll a 6 on a d6, the Pokemon awakens and can have their turn. On the second turn of Sleep, if a player can roll a 5 or 6 on a d6, the Pokemon awakens, and so forth for the remainder of the length of Sleep. Pokemon-induced sleep is more than just unconsciousness, the Pokemon does not wake from being attacked. Additionally, Sleeping Pokemon cannot move, so only their Base Hit Target is used in attack rolls against them. Sleeping Pokemon cannot use Items.
 * Paralyzed: The Pokemon’s body convulses, usually from Electric energy, rendering it difficult to act upon their trainer’s commands. Upon Paralyzing a target, the attacking Pokemon rolls a d4 to determine the length of time being Paralyzed. On each turn of Paralysis, the Pokemon does a d4 50% check to determine whether or not they can act. Additionally, Paralyzed Pokemon move at the end of a round, just before trainers, regardless of what their SP stat is. (If several Pokemon are Paralyzed, the fastest SP stat among them moves first.)
 * Frozen: The Pokemon is encased in ice, almost exclusively from Ice type attacks. They are unable to break free from the cold encasing them. Upon Freezing an opponent, the attacking Pokemon rolls a d4 to determine the length of time the opponent is Frozen. Frozen Pokemon cannot act until they are no longer Frozen. Being hit by a Fire type move, or getting the status effect “Burned” will end a Pokemon’s Freezing.
 * Flinched: The Pokemon is reeling in pain, often from a Dark or Fighting move, and cannot overcome it immediately. Upon Flinching an opponent, roll a d4 50% check. On a 1 or 2, the Pokemon is “half Flinched” meaning that it is wincing in pain but rallies itself to take half of its turn, either a movement action or an attack action, but not both. On a 3 and 4, the Pokemon is “fully Flinched”, and is in too much pain to take any action. This works on the target’s next turn, even if it is in the next round.
 * Tormented: The Pokemon is provoked to lose its focus against its enemies, making it lash out in a way that ignores the strategic commands its trainer sends it. Torment is a primarily Dark type status effect. Upon Tormenting an opponent, the attacker rolls a d6 to determine the length of time. (This is the only status effect that uses a d6 base.) A Tormented Pokemon cannot use a move if it used that move in its immediately previous turn. (A two turn length of time allows a move to be used again.)
 * Incandescent: The Pokemon is stuck with a blinding iridescent glow that prevents any escape from its enemies. Incandescence is a solely Light type status effect. Pokemon who are Incandescent get -3 to their Hit Target (down to a minimum of 1) starting on the attacking Pokemon’s turn. After the users turn in the next round, the glow fades from the targeted Pokemon.
 * Stunned: The Pokemon is dazed and cannot take any actions this round, including reflexive ones. A Pokemon cannot be Stunned more than one turn in a row.
 * Concussed: The Pokemon is heavily damaged and cannot act for 2 entire rounds, including reflexive actions. A Pokemon cannot be Concussed for two consecutive sets of turns.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">It is important to note that in FLC, unlike in the games, it is possible to have more than one of these affecting your Pokemon at the same time. It is possible for a Pokemon to be Poisoned, Frozen, Paralyzed, Confused, Flinched, and Incandescent in the same turn. The exception is the previously mention Burned canceling out Frozen. Also, if a Pokemon is Flinched, Stunned or Concussed, it cannot also be either of the other two. If a Pokemon has more than one status effect, both effects run their course independently of one another. If a Pokemon is Frozen for 3 turns, and Asleep for 4, he or she will thaw before they awaken.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

Feats
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">Feats are special abilities that Pokemon get that grants them incredible power in battle. Feats can give Pokemon the strength to defeat a foe that outmatches them. Other times they grant Pokemon the ability to convenience their trainer with powers that they would not normally have. Feats are one of the largest difference that the tabletop setting offers the game of Pokemon. They give the Pokemon powers that would never work in the games, but here, Feats allow for trainers to turn the tables in interesting and impressive ways.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">Pokemon gain access to Feats at Level 10, and they unlock a new one for use every 10 Levels. Unless specified, Feats are a Free Action that can be used on a Pokemon’s or trainer’s turn. The Feat may also have specified instruction for when it can be used. Each Feat has a title, a description, and a restriction of use, sometimes called its cooldown (for how long it takes for the Feat to “cool down” from its use). The Feat’s title tells the user what kind of effect the feat symbolizes or, what the Pokemon in the game is actually doing. The description tells what effect it will have on the gameplay. The frequency tells the player how often this Feat can be used. For example:

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">[Jerry the Shinx has the Feat “Lightning Speed”. Lightning Speed says: “The user attacks first in the round for his or her next two turns, beginning from the round after its usage is declared. (1pd)” The title, Lightning Speed, dictates that Jerry is going to use his power over Electricity, energizing himself to move and strike faster than any other Pokemon in the fight. The description tells the player the changes that the use of the Feat will create, specifically, that the player’s Pokemon will be moving first in the 2 rounds after declaring Lightning Speed’s use. The cooldown of the move says “(1pd)”. This is shorthand for “Once per day.” There are many different lengths of cooldowns, ranging from the extreme “Once per 5 days,” to the generous “5 Times per day.” The restriction of use is dictated by the strength of the action that the Feat causes. Lightning Speed’s restriction is (1pd), so when Jerry the Shinx uses Lightning Speed, he cannot use it for the remainder of the day (More realistically, he cannot use the Feat again until he rests for the night). So Diane, Jerry’s trainer, declares that Jerry is using Lightning Speed on her trainer turn, at the end of the current round. The Feat Lightning Speed is used, and cannot be used for the remainder of the day. At the top of the next round, Jerry’s move occurs first. (Jerry’s move will occur before even a Quick Attack move, since his Feat will take precedence over non-Feat users’ moves.)]

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">As you can see, the Feat Lightning Speed grants Jerry power that he normally did not have. This opportunity is granted to every Pokemon as they gain more and more feats. Feats that have a restriction of (1pd) do not affect other feats with the same restriction. They are independent of each other. The following chart shows a few of the different possibilities of cooldowns. Keep in mind that this is by no means a final list. The different Feats are listed in the FLC Rules Master text, but like other aspects of FLC, Feats can be created as well.

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 * (1pd) = Once per day
 * (2pd) = Twice per day
 * (npd) = n times per day
 * (1p2d) = Once per 2 days
 * (1pnd) = Once per n days
 * (1pb) = Once per battle
 * (2pb) = Twice per battle
 * (npb) = n times per battle
 * (1ps) = Once per session [meaning one use per gameplay session]
 * (Passive) = Continuous effect
 * (Passive until activated) = Continuous effect and/or triggered effect

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">There are also even more powerful feats, referred to as “Level 2 Feats” and “Level 3 Feats”. Unless specifically noted, Level 2 Feats are not accessible until the Pokemon reaches Level 40, and Level 3 Feats are not accessible until Level 60. The power unlocked by these Feats would be too unbalanced for early on in the trainer’s and Pokemon’s growth. Level 2 and 3 Feats are derived from a specific Level 1 Feat. A Pokemon must have this regular Feat to allow the further Level Feat(s) to be accessed. For instance:

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">[Naya the Scraggy becomes Level 30. When she does, she gains access to her third Feat. Naya gets the Fighting Feat “Ki Attacks”. Later on, when Naya becomes Level 40, she unlocks Level 2 Feats. For her fourth Feat, she can choose the Level 2 Feat “Long Punch”, because it is a Level 2 Feat from a regular Feat that she has, Ki Attacks. Naya cannot choose a Level 2 Feat that she does not have the preceding Feat for.]

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">Similarly, Level 3 Feats cannot be utilized by a Pokemon without also having the Level 2 Feat before it.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">In addition to this, every Pokemon has the capacity to unlock an even stronger power, specific to them as a character. This power is usable through a Pokemon’s Signature Feat. The Signature Feat is unlocked for every player’s Pokemon at Level 50, instead of receiving another regular or Level 2 Feat. A Pokemon’s Signature Feat is unique to them. No other Pokemon can have the exact same Feat. As such, Signature Feats are created between the player and the GM, to be sure that they are not obscenely strong. A Signature Feat should reflect the personality of the Pokemon. A Grass type Pokemon’s Signature Feat might have it healing its entire team with a single move, if it feels that its teammates are important to it. Similarly, a domineering Dragon type Pokemon might have a Signature Feat that causes those that it targets to be filled with awe and terror. A Poison type Pokemon’s Signature feat might make its Poison deal 10% HP damage instead of the normal 5%, or have it Poison for d8 turns instead of d4. As a rule, Signature Feats are encouraged to have a restriction of (1ps). Here’s an example:

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">[Kylie the Vanillite is generally sweet and kind, but she has a temper. She loves her trainer, Fred, very much. Fred and Kylie bonded over the fact that they both were always considered to be useless. Together, they prove to each other that they are more than what others see them to be. As a character, Kylie gets frustrated when she gets picked on, so when she becomes Level 50, Fred’s player discusses with his GM how to implement that into her new Signature Feat. They decide that Kylie’s Signature Feat should be something that she does to counter those who would prey on her, while at the same time, being a bit smug about proving that it is, in fact, the enemy who is the useless one. Kylie’s Signature Feat becomes:

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">“Hypothermic Reaction”: Kylie, angry that her foes plot against her, targets a nearby enemy and creates an isolated pocket of freezing temperature within the Pokemon’s body. Targets a Pokemon up to 2 squares away from Kylie. That Pokemon gets -100 SP (to a minimum of 1), -5 to their attack rolls against Kylie, and is Frozen for d4+1 turns. If used on a Fire type Pokemon, their FP becomes 0. (1ps)”

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">As you can see, Kylie’s Signature Feat incapacitates her bullies, especially the Fire type, which is super-effective against Kylie’s Ice type. The move also implements Kylie’s power over cold, proving her worth to her opponents. You will also note the restriction of (Once per session), meaning that Fred’s player can only use Hypothermic Reaction once per gameplay session of FLC.]

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">Feats and Signature Feats are one of the biggest differences between FLC and the Pokemon games, but they are also one of the coolest. Beware, though, once the player’s enemies start using Feats, the difficulty of gameplay will ramp up considerably. Sorry. At least it’ll be awesome.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

Synthesis Attacks
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">Speaking of awesome, Synthesis Attacks. Also called Combo Attacks, these attacks let two Pokemon join their power together into an impressive move. Synthesis Attacks are difficult to do because of the tremendous power that will result from a successful combination of strength. To use a Combo Attack, both Pokemon must have a move available in the current round. It cannot be performed if one of the Pokemon has already had his or her turn. In using the Combo Attack, the Pokemon involved can perform it on either one of their turns. In doing so, they both forfeit their turns to attempt the Synthesis. Performing a Synthesis Attack qualifies as an attack action. A Pokemon is free to move before performing a Combo with another Pokemon, but after the attempt, neither Pokemon can do anything that is not a free action for the remainder of the round.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">To do a Synthesis Attack, both Pokemon roll a Synthesis check. The check is rolled on a die relative to a Pokemon’s Group Bonding Level. (Yes, another new growth statistic. It’ll be covered in “Character Growth” under “Group Bonding Level”.) The respective dice used for Synthesis checks for each Level of Group Bonding can be found in the FLC Rules Master text. To successfully Synthesize, both players must roll above a 2 on their respective dice. If they do, the attack is successful. The players must now be able to articulate what their Synthesis Attack will be. (If players cannot describe how the attacks will mesh, they cannot perform the Combo.) They then roll for the attack to hit, usually a d20 attack roll from one player with a bonus to that attack roll from the other player. The bonus die that the other player rolls is the same die that he or she used for the Synthesis check. Critical Failures and Critical Hits are still possible with Combo Attacks, though if a bonus to a roll brings it up to 20, it does not count as a Critical Hit. There is no Critical Threat range with Combo Attacks, as it would be much too easy with 2 attacking stats. After a successful Synthesis check, the 2 Pokemon roll their Damage dice and add the total together, then applying that total to the necessary damage calculations. After a successful Combo, instead of using up the FP of each of the respective moves, the GM decides how much the Pokemon should lose. This number should have significance relative to the effectiveness of the Combo Attacks, usually being a large amount, often 20 FP or more. This loss of fatigue is symbolic of the effort spent by the Pokemon in (A) tempering their power to allow another creature’s influence, and (B) funneling the combined power toward the intended target. In addition to this, attempting a Synthesis Attack, even without success, means that you cannot attempt another one for 3 rounds.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">Using these attacks allows for players to create moves that are impossible in the games of Pokemon. Notably, it allows for an attack to be more than 1 type. Under normal circumstances, attacks can only be 1 type. In the video games, this never changes. In FLC, the use of Synthesis Attacks is the primary way to access double-typed moves. As you might assume, these moves are potentially devastating if they are used correctly. If the 2 types of the move are both Weaknesses of the opposing Pokemon, the Damage multiplier will be even greater than it would be with only one of the types. This chart shows the effectiveness of a double-typed move on the various different relationships that it might have on a Pokemon. The first column shows the two attacking types’ effect on the defending Pokemon, and the second shows the output of damage. You will notice similar patterns as seen in the multi-typed Pokemon chart.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">
 * Two 4x Weaknesses = 8x Damage
 * One 4x Weakness, one 2x Weakness = 6x Damage
 * One 4x Weakness, one regular Damage = 4x Damage
 * One 4x Weakness, one 1/2x Resistance = 3x Damage
 * One 4x Weakness, one 1/4x Restance = 1x Damage
 * Two 2x Weaknesses = 4x Damage
 * One 2x Weakness, one regular Damage = 2x Damage
 * One 2x Weakness, one 1/2x Resistance = 1x Damage
 * One 2x Weakness, one 1/4x Resistance = 1/3x Damage
 * One regular Damage, one Resistance = 1/2x Damage
 * Two 1/2x Resistances = 1/4x Damage
 * One 1/4x Resistance, one regular Damage = 1/4x Damage
 * One 1/4x Resistance, one 1/2x Resistance = 1/6x Damage
 * Two 1/4x Resistances = 1/8x Damage

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">As seen in the chart, if the target’s Weaknesses are exploited, a Damage roll of a 36 could go as high as 288 Damage, or 576 Damage with a Critical Hit! (This is a silly amount of damage.) Of course, if the players attempted an attack without being aware of a Pokemon’s Resistances, they could accidently do less damage than they intended to. So learn your Weaknesses and Resistances.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">Here’s an anecdotal example of a Synthesis Attack in use.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">[Thomas and Kylie are fighting a Victreebel that is giving them a whole heap of trouble. The pair’s attacks are doing lots of damage to the Victreebel, but the Victreebel has a piece of Equipment on that is making the fight difficult. It is wearing an object called the “Regenerative Pendant” that heals 50 HP for the wearer every turn. (Note: This piece of Equipment is absurdly strong.) The Victreebel restores its HP faster than the pair can hurt it, so they decide to use a Synthesis Attack, to deal a great amount of damage to it. Kylie chooses Icy Wind and Thomas chooses Psybeam. The players describe Kylie’s Icy Wind wrapping the beam of energy is a swirling vortex of cold. Thomas then launches the attack at the Victreebel with intention of paralyzing the body with cold to allow the psionic attack immediate piercing access to the creature’s poisonous center. Thomas and Kylie both roll their Synthesis checks. They both roll above a 2: Success. Thomas rolls his d20 attack roll. Kylie rolls her bonus die. The total is 17. The attack hits the Victreebel. An Ice/Psychic move against a Grass/Poison Pokemon affects two 2x Weaknesses, so their attack is 4x Damage. Kylie and Thomas roll their dice. Thomas rolls 17, Kylie rolls 12. The total is 29 Damage. The attack does 4 x 29, or 116 damage. Individually, each attack would have 34 and 24 damage for Thomas and Kylie respectively. The move is substantially more powerful together than it would have been apart. After the Synthesis, the GM tells them that the attack cost the both of them 15 FP each. Neither of them can attempt a Combo move for the next 3 turns.]

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">Move combinations can be more than just damage dealing. Status effects could be combined to debilitate enemies. Healing moves could be increased in power or range. Just be sure that you can talk about how the moves interact.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

Trainers in Battle
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">In battle, Pokemon do the vast majority of the work against the other team. However, trainers are totally capable of fighting on their own. Every trainer starts with 20 HP and can gain more from various Trainer Skills. They can attack or interact with the environment just like a Pokemon can.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">As previously mentioned, trainers get one movement action and one other action on their turn. If a trainer chooses to do an attack action, they must roll a d20. Attacking another human prompts a Combat check against them. This could be an Armed or Unarmed Combat check, or both against each other, if appropriate. The two humans roll against each other, and the higher outcome wins the clash and does damage to the other. Trainers without a Combat Skill receive a -4 penalty to their Combat checks, even if they are just defending themselves. Trainers with a non-appropriate Combat Skill will also receive a penalty in using the other Combat. (As in, a brawler in a sword fight will not do well. Similarly, a fencer will not do well in a boxing match.)

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">The damage that humans do is based on their Armed or Unarmed Combat Skills. For Unarmed Combat, the base damage that a trainer gets is a d4 of damage. Further Levels of Unarmed Combat strengthen the trainer to be able to do several d4s of damage. Anyone untrained in Unarmed Combat can only do a maximum of a single d4 of damage in a confrontation. The damage done by an Unarmed Combat check is non-typed and is not affected by Weaknesses and Resistances. For Armed Combat, the trainer uses weapons to deal damage. Any weapon that a trainer equips, whether it is a sword, a nightstick, or even a chair, has a damage die equated to it. For example, a stick on the ground has a damage die of a d2. A sharpened dagger has a damage die of a d12. Furthermore, weapons could also have types. A stun baton could be a d8 Electric attack, a lit torch could be a d10 Fire attack. (A dagger is not necessarily a Steel type move. This will be explicitly stated by the GM.) Note also, that weapons do not always have a type. Additionally, further Levels of Armed Combat will unlock additional d4s of damage for the trainer to use.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">To summarize, trainers deal damage as such:

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">Unarmed Combat (untrained): d4

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">Unarmed Combat (trained): d4 + any additional d4s if appropriate

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">Armed Combat (untrained): die of weapon strength

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">Armed Combat (trained): die of weapon strength + additional d4s if appropriate

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">Trainers can also target Pokemon in battle. Since trainer’s actions are guided by their sharper will, they have a better sense of intent when acting against Pokemon then Pokemon do against each other. It is easier to hit a Pokemon with a human than it is to hit a Pokemon with another Pokemon. The downside to this is that the damage that a human can do to a Pokemon is usually negligible, and it focuses the Pokemon’s ire onto the trainer. Still, bold trainers have been known to defeat enemy Pokemon who have been worn down by the trainer’s own companions. To target a Pokemon, the trainer rolls a d20. If the roll is a 1, the trainer gets a Critical Failure. If the roll is a 20, the trainer gets a Critical Hit. The rest of the d20, from 2 to 19, is a successful hit. From there, the trainer rolls his or her appropriate damage dice. Even with a -4 penalty, this is an easy roll to perform, though the small amount of damage the trainer will do often makes this choice of action foolish for those unprepared for its consequences.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">Pokemon actions against trainers can be a terrifying experience, because of the players’ stakes in their characters. Because of the incredible power that Pokemon have, trainers must be able to adapt to an aggressive encounter with one in order to survive. Thus, trainers usually wear some kind of protective armor when on the Battlefield, even if they do not regularly. This could range from a thick coat to a nanotech suit, to an enchanted vest. A trainer can equip one piece of armor. The armor will give the trainer a Hit Target that Pokemon must roll to damage them. It will also usually give some sort of damage reduction in the event that the trainer is hit. For example: “Thick Leather Armor: Hit Target: 7, Reduces Damage by 4”.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">Still, a Pokemon’s power can be easily be lethal to a human. What sort of defense could a person have against something that spews acid? The answer is in human’s mental connections to Pokemon. When a Pokemon’s mind is connected to a human’s, the human’s brain lets off a kind of wave interference. This does not impede connection to the trainer’s Pokemon, it impedes any creature that is not the trainer’s Pokemon. A Pokemon attacking another trainer receives this interference in its head and it disrupts the Pokemon’s focus. Pokemon do less damage to a trainer with a Pokemon out then they would to a trainer without one out. For each trainer that has a Pokemon out, an enemy Pokemon will have it’s damage dice reduced by 1d4. Against a group of 4 trainers who each have one Pokemon out, an enemy Pokemon, wild or trained, will receive interference from all 4 trainers minds, and have its damage dice reduced by 4d4. If a Pokemon was attacking a group of 5 trainers who each had 2 Pokemon out, it would have its damage dice reduced by 10d4.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">For a Pokemon attacking a trainer, the attack roll is used to check against the trainer’s Hit Target from their armor (or any Bonuses they have in addition to it). With a successful roll, remove the appropriate number of d4s from the Pokemon’s damage dice. (One d4 for every Pokemon on the opposing team that has a trainer on the Battlefield. Wild Pokemon on the opposing team do not impede attacks, though they are impeded in their attacks against a team with trainers.)

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">[So, as an example, let’s say that a wild Grimer attacks Jorge. Jorge has an armor that gives him a Hit Target of 10 and -6 damage. Jorge’s Kadabra is out. The Grimer attacks Jorge with the move Sludge. It does its attack roll and rolls an 11. It takes one d4 from its damage roll and uses Sludge’s d6 + 3d4. The Grimer rolls a total of 10 damage. Jorge’s armor reduces the damage by 6 and he takes 4 damage. The Grimer then rolls for the Poison chance, (because trainers can have Status Effects, why wouldn’t they be able to?) and is unsuccessful. At the end of the round, Jorge does an Unarmed Combat check against the Grimer. He rolls a 16: Success. Jorge rolls a d4 plus one more d4 for his Bonus in Unarmed Combat. Jorge rolls a total of 5 and does 5 damage to the Grimer.]

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">Even though Jorge did more damage to the Grimer, in a relative sense, the Grimer hurt Jorge more. 4 damage to somebody with 20 or 25 HP is a bigger deal than 5 damage to something with 70 HP. This is why it is important for humans to travel together. The more Pokemon that a trainer and his or her allies (regardless how little they actually like each other) can put onto the Battlefield, the more protection they give each other. In the event of a trainer turning against his or her allies, the effect would immediately switch, and the now-enemy Pokemon would subtract from the group effect and would receive the penalty of damage dice from the other trainers.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">A few final notes: Trainers cannot be affected by Stat Changes. (Because they don’t have stats, you see.) However, trainers can be affected by Status Effects. If a trainer has a Status Effect, the Effect acts as it normally does on a Pokemon. For example, for Paralysis, roll a 50% d4 check to see if the trainer can have an action this round. They also make their decisions after all of the other trainers have done so. If a trainer is Flinched, they cannot act on their next turn. If a trainer is Burned, they lose 10% of their maximum HP (which is thankfully not much). The exception is for Confusion. If a trainer is Confused, they have a 50% chance of not being able to send commands to their Pokemon. For that round, the trainer’s Pokemon are treated as though they were feral.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

Feral Pokemon
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">Pokemon who are feral are not receiving direction from their trainer. They operate the same way that Pokemon in the wild do, on instinct. If a trainer is not sending commands to the Pokemon, it acts at random. For a feral Pokemon, roll a die equal to the number of moves in your Pokemon’s moves slots. If the top slot is a roll of 1, the second slot is 2, and so forth, the Pokemon uses the appropriate move rolled on the die on the target of the player’s choice.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">There a few different reasons why a player’s Pokemon might be feral. The primary ones are: The trainer has been downed and is not conscious; the trainer is Confused, and could not send commands; the trainer is Asleep and is not conscious; the trainer has been killed; or the trainer has another Pokemon out and is focusing necessary mental capacity on it.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">Feral Pokemon will be able to receive instruction as soon as their trainer’s faculties are regained.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

Danger and Death
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">You can’t have realism without consequences. In the Pokemon games, if you fall in battle, you are immediately returned to a safe place and healed. In FLC, you are not. Falling in battle has consequence ranging from being embarrassed, to being robbed, arrested, or shunned, or even killed outright. In FLC, the players are often standing against foes that will kill them and their Pokemon if given the chance. Thus, players should plan how to act in situations of failure, danger, and death.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">The most common situation of danger is the lowering of a Pokemon’s HP to 0. In the games, a Pokemon who’s HP drops to 0 faints and is returned to their Pokeball. In FLC, a Pokemon with 0 HP drops to the ground unconscious. If an unconscious Pokemon is struck with an attack, it dies. Additionally, if a Pokemon remains downed on the battlefield for 3 rounds, without being recovered, it dies. However, when a Pokemon falls, a trainer can reflexively return them to their Pokeball. Normally, a trainer has a Pokeball for each of his or her Pokemon. The Pokeball fires a red beam that releases the Pokemon from inside and lets them out onto the battlefield. Striking the Pokemon with the red laser returns them to the Pokeball. A reflexive return can be done only if the trainer has a clear line-of-sight path for the laser to take. If the trainer does not have a straight line to the downed Pokemon on the battlefield grid, they cannot return them until they do. However, if the only thing between a trainer and his or her Pokemon is an ally, they can still reflexively return them, with the ally moving out of the way. Inside a Pokeball, a Pokemon is stable. They will not die, even if they are at 0 HP. Similarly, a Pokemon that has a status effect like Poisoned or Burned will not take damage when inside a Pokeball.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">Trainers can use their turns to change Pokemon. They aim their Pokeball and hit their Pokemon with the red laser beam. (Hitting a Pokemon that is not yours does nothing if the Pokeball belongs to your Pokemon.) Returning a Pokemon qualifies as a free action, but in battle, it can only be done once per round. A Return can be done on a trainer's turn, but it can also be done on the Pokemon's turn within the round. Releasing a different Pokemon does use up a Trainer's action. Releasing a Pokemon can be done in several ways. The more common way is to activate the Pokeball's beam. This causes the Pokemon to be let out wherever the beam hits. In battle this can be adjacent or 2 squares away from the trainer. The less common approach would be to throw the Pokeball, opening it when it impacts the ground. This will release the Pokemon in the square that the ball lands in. This can be useful if the players are in a scenario in which a line-of-sight for the laser is impossible. However, this method comes with the risk of losing hold of the Pokeball. After throwing a Pokeball, it must be retrieved by a trainer or Pokemon for the player to utilize the ball again. (Retrieving it qualifies as an Interact action.) Ending a battle will allow a trainer to retrieve his or her thrown Pokeball immediately. In rare circumstances, Pokemon may also respond to a scenario with enough emotional energy to trigger the Pokeball's release. They will let themselves out of the ball to respond to the events unfolding. Returning them immediately will likely prove difficult.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">Similar to downed Pokemon, if a trainer’s HP falls to 0, they are put into the same scenario. Hitting a downed human will kill them. Trainers can use the Skill Survival to try and stabilize a downed teammate. A successful stabilizing puts the trainer at 1 HP and they are no longer dying. Additionally, healing Items can be used to stabilize trainers. (Trainers cannot be put into Pokeballs. That’s silly.) If a trainer is not stabilized in 3 rounds’ time, they die.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">If a team of player’s trainers falls in battle, one of their options is to retreat. The enemy will very likely pursue them, but if the trainers have appropriate skills to escape, they can do so. This may be a very difficult task if the GM decides to make it so. In the event of a Pokemon’s death, trainers are free to create a mental link with another Pokemon, though when they will have the opportunity to do so is up to the discretion of the GM. In the event of a trainer’s death, any Pokemon that they are bonded to loses its mental link to the human and to the other Pokemon. They do not become feral, but cannot communicate mentally with any other being. In the instance that another trainer has fewer than 3 Pokemon, they may try to bond with one of the Pokemon of the deceased trainer if they so choose. If a trainer really wishes to, they could even try to replace a Pokemon that they are still bonded with (although this probably has a pretty good chance of offending both Pokemon enough to leave the trainer).

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">Also, in intense story moments, characters may be killed. If a player’s Pokemon deals a decisive blow to an important storyline enemy, the GM may decide to make it fatal. Likewise, characters can die as a dramatic narrative moment. This is up to the discretion of the GM, though it is considered cruel to kill a player’s Pokemon without giving them the chance to do anything about it, and especially bad to kill a player’s trainer without letting them do something about it. This is, again, up to the discretion of the GM, and the players should be aware of scenarios that have potentially lethal consequences.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucidagrande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:lucidagrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:16px;">Players whose trainer dies may be asked to leave the further gameplay sessions, or they may be invited to return as an audience. The GM may also let them play as another character, either one that already exists, or one that the players encounter. Either way, players who wish to return to the game should talk with the GM and begin crafting a new character for the next available story arc.

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