Here it is! Pokemon D&D, or at least a game based roughly on D&D.

The top chart is of the first 3 of the 18 Pokemon character classes I have created. As you can see they are based on actual Pokemon abilities and incorporate some D&D features. Most damage is based on d6’s while leach and damage over time abilities tend to be d4’s.

You roll out your character as you would with D&D. Roll your abilities by taking the best 3 rolls from 4d6. Fill, in your saves as well as your AC, Grapple, and Initiative Modifier. The Level/BAB/Ability Pts chart is for your reference when leveling up. All players start with 6hp + Con modifier. At each new level they gain 1d6+Con hp.

Setting up combat is fairly simple. The players determine the order in which they will be in, and DM can either do the same or have the enemy trainer’s Pokemon randomly ordered. Once you enter combat each player is designated a “Slot.” The slot is from the order you choose. Each Pokemon is squared off against one other. You then go down the line with combat, and the initiative modifier determined which Pokemon in each slot goes first.

Players can use their turns to either use an ability, attack, or switch spots to a willing ally. When a Pokemon faints they are taken out of combat and that slot becomes empty and players may move into those slots as an action.

Combat is pretty straight forward, you roll an attack or ability and beat their AC or save. Its the same mechanics as D&D. Your “Ability Points” determine how many of each ability you can use per encounter. As you can see as you level you gain additional use of your abilities. Note that all Pokemon have a base attack of 1d4 Physical damage that can be used an unlimited amount of times. I know this is not on the cards, it will likely be included in the future.

Note that you can only have 4 abilities open at a time, and once you unlearn one you cannot use it again. Each level you gain new abilities based on your Pokemon and it is up to the player to determine which abilities to keep.

Apologies for the sloppily written rules, I made several changes while in the process of writing it. Feel free to question or comment, any feedback is highly appreciated.

I was talking to a player who had several questions, and he asked at one point how much DMing I had done. When I mentioned I had done other games besides D&D he was a bit confused until I told him that Pen and Paper RPGs are an entire genre of gaming. He then asked if there were either Star Wars or Pokémon. I know there are several version of Star Wars as any true nerd should (Trekkies be damned) but beyond home brew I don’t believe there is a real Pokémon Pen and Paper game. I thought about it a bit and decided I would ask how my players felt about a 1 off session of Pokémon D&D. I actually got flying yeses from not only my player but from another person who refused to play D&D with us.

So I began thinking of how I would set it up. With traditional Pokémon combat its 1 vs. 1 with both trainers and Pokémon. In a group setting, especially so large I think it would move too slowly. I then go the idea to have an “all out battle” mode. Here the trainer would throw out all of his Pokémon at once, and the players would each take the roll of one of them, and the opponent would do the same. This could allow players to each have a turn in a round of combat, which fits the D&D combat system nicely.

DandDwiki.com has some nice homebrew Pokémon monsters which I think can nicely be turned into playable classes. As for type advantage I think that if something is “super effective” you will receive a +1d6 damage bonus and if it is “not very effective” you will receive a -1d6 roll, up to a minimum of 1 point damage. After a player levels a few times it can be boosted up to 2d6 additional damage and so on as well as gain new abilities.

As for role playing the group as a whole will decide how the trainer acts. This might get a bit sticky but the only way to find out is to try it. Hopefully there will be more to come soon. Any suggestions are welcome, I’m pretty much making this up as I go.