Not long ago I joked with a friend about running a campaign and only allowing the players to be small races
Today I thought about that joke and thought it would be funny to make the players be "pokèmon"
So now I'm trying to figure out how to merge a fantasy setting and pokèmon
I want the players to still be a fantasy adventure party, but their primary objective is escorting and protecting a human (nobody understands) during his/her travels.
I'm not going to be forcing the players to emulate any pokèmon and I'm ignoring the use of poké balls and the catch'em all aspect of pokèmon.
First classes I'm limiting it to no pets and no non-casters
Where I come to a huge design flaw is why would sentient creatures come together to serve as guardians/attack dogs to human overlords that don't speak any "known" languages?
In no way is this a world that the cliché find a party at the pub will work
Why not have everyone play a level-appropriate Eidolon?
This would eliminate a great deal of my issues with character loyalty, player absence, it gives me an already established lexicon of terms, and defines the difference between summoners and everyday people
But it doesn't have the feel I want.
The players wouldn't be the adventure party and it removes the humor of sense motive rolls top figure out what the summoner is commanding the player to do during battles.
Otherwise it's an idea I can build from and work with for the overall concept
The players don't have to be a level-appropriate Eidolon/Summoner team. They just need to be a level-appropriate character built off of an Eidolon's statistics. Granted, they'll be a bit weaker than an actual player character class, but not much.
From your suggestion I was just going to call the player characters eidolons and their human a summoner because it creates the master/guardian dynamic keeping the players loyal to that human. I was also going to use the connection summoners have with their eidolons, link and share spells. It would also let me "dismiss" an absent player for the session and "resummon" them the next time we play.
If I let them level as eidolons I'm afraid of the messes I could get even using unchained rules.
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Maybe just use the concept of the summoner & eidolon dynamic, but keep the character creation rules based on normal classes.
Alternative "how we got together" concepts:
- 'Island of Dr Moreau': everyone is playing a "half-animal" race, and have shock collars that control them (or not). They are a science experiment of 'elevated' animals, the party being the 'best of the experiments', currently being used for protection while the Humans do... whatever.
Races
Lots of acceptable races: catfolk, kobolds, ratfolk, tengus, gripplis, kitsune, nagaji, strix, and vanaras.
- 'Permanent Summons': Conscripted by a once powerful wizard, who is now weakening with age (possibly losing his mind, senility). The party is there to do his bidding and protect him, but their view of the world is a bit skewed since they only know what he's told them of it. As his mind loses control, they may find his grip on them loosening. But what will these radically disparate planar beings do once no longer forced to work together?
Races
Best if people only pick one of each race in this group: aasimar, fetchling, ifrit, oread, sylph, tiefling, and undine. (allows for a group up to 7 players)
- 'P.T. Barnum's Captured Monsters of Myth!': The players are sort of a "last of their kind" or otherwise one-offs of 'Greek Myth' style of creatures. But instead of being killed off by some hero-in-training, they were captured by an enterprising Human who's given them a safe home to live in, and accepted by society... well, at least as something to be jeered and gawked at.
Security and shelter, as long as they put on a show and protect the camp as it travels from town to town. How long can a group of proud player characters stand this?
Races
Pretty much anything, as long as it's sufficiently "out there" in appearance and ability. Strongman Minotaur kind of stuff.
Maybe just use the concept of the summoner & eidolon dynamic, but keep the character creation rules based on normal classes.
Alternative "how we got together" concepts:
- 'Island of Dr Moreau': everyone is playing a "half-animal" race, and have shock collars that control them (or not). They are a science experiment of 'elevated' animals, the party being the 'best of the experiments', currently being used for protection while the Humans do... whatever.
Races
Lots of acceptable races: catfolk, kobolds, ratfolk, tengus, gripplis, kitsune, nagaji, strix, and vanaras.- 'Permanent Summons': Conscripted by a once powerful wizard, who is now weakening with age (possibly losing his mind, senility). The party is there to do his bidding and protect him, but their view of the world is a bit skewed since they only know what he's told them of it. As his mind loses control, they may find his grip on them loosening. But what will these radically disparate planar beings do once no longer forced to work together?
Races
Best if people only pick one of each race in this group: aasimar, fetchling, ifrit, oread, sylph, tiefling, and undine. (allows for a group up to 7 players)- 'P.T. Barnum's Captured Monsters of Myth!': The players are sort of a "last of their kind" or otherwise one-offs of 'Greek Myth' style of creatures. But instead of being killed off by some hero-in-training, they were captured by an enterprising Human who's given them a safe home to live in, and accepted by society... well, at least as something to be jeered and gawked at.
Security and shelter, as long as they put on a show and protect the camp as it travels from town to town. How long can a group of proud player characters stand this?
Races
Pretty much anything, as long as it's sufficiently "out there" in appearance and ability. Strongman Minotaur kind of stuff.
My current brainstorming has brought me to a world where everyone summons an "eidolon" to serve them when they've come of age, but there are some that are destined for a more adventurous life and are granted multiple "Eidolons" to keep them safe on their journeys... Probably the plot to an anime I've never heard of. I'll also need to make the destined ones sound a little more common.
Through the early levels I've thought it would be funny to make the players struggle with understanding their masters commands. later I could make gym battles into dungeons with mazes and puzzles during team gladiatorial combat
With the players not able to communicate or understand their master I thought it would be funny if they were on a massive trip to save the world but to them it's nearly no different than a trip to the local market. lol
I'm just stumbling with some moral and ethical issues using gnomes and other small sentient creatures as battle pets lol
I'm limiting the race selection to only small character races paizo has 12 and willing to reduce any character race down to size but no human
I'm restricting the classes to no non-casters, no pet classes, and no summon spells or spells with similar themes and probably no language Spells
If you want it be "Pokemony" use various "roles" meaning "reasons" for them to work for a human.
1. Nature is brutal. Your family was eaten by predators. A kindly human rescued you and gave you to a novice to train. These games they play are non lethal, and the human seems to really care.
2. Fame. Everyone cheers for the winner, and you like the winners circle.
3. Legacy. Your family has been playing these games for generations. You want to make them proud.
4. Apex predator. Stealing live stock or food did not have enough challenge or honor.
You can think of more, but mechanics.
A mini monster can be any small creature with Elemental Blaster, illusionist, or other leveled powers. As they level they get bigger, more powerful, and more skillful. Elemental vermin. A mouse with electrical power or a bug with entangle then later web and poison powers can be types of mini monsters.
Communication. The trainers all have handle animal as a class skill. A glass or metal craftsman who has a baby dragon partner will have handle animal as a class skill. Everyone does. A mini monster as a class skill can use perception to get another roll to succeed at picking up on the handler's intent.
Communication. The trainers all have handle animal as a class skill. A glass or metal craftsman who has a baby dragon partner will have handle animal as a class skill. Everyone does. A mini monster as a class skill can use perception to get another roll to succeed at picking up on the handler's intent.
If you *really* want to push the idea of this non-normal communication between Handler and Players (ie language barrier, trained tricks), you can have a Handler bonus similar to an Aid Another bonus that only applies if the player does the action that the Handler wanted them to make.
As the players level, so do their Handlers, gaining more "tricks" they "teach you", which are basically the player being given the command word in english so they know what the Handler wants. Otherwise, come up with pantomime or things like "It seems like he wants you to be aggressive towards the one that's hurt."
The game would start off with the players guessing a bit to gain that extra bonus, but in later games as they get more powerful and have more "trained commands", it will be less about that.
That's when the players may decide to do something *different* from what the Handler said, because the Player can see a tactical advantage the Handler didn't.
This is all assuming the Handlers are being played by the GM.
Spoiler:i hadnt considered a using mechanical advantage to understanding the handler.Communication. The trainers all have handle animal as a class skill. A glass or metal craftsman who has a baby dragon partner will have handle animal as a class skill. Everyone does. A mini monster as a class skill can use perception to get another roll to succeed at picking up on the handler's intent.
If you *really* want to push the idea of this non-normal communication between Handler and Players (ie language barrier, trained tricks), you can have a Handler bonus similar to an Aid Another bonus that only applies if the player does the action that the Handler wanted them to make.
As the players level, so do their Handlers, gaining more "tricks" they "teach you", which are basically the player being given the command word in english so they know what the Handler wants. Otherwise, come up with pantomime or things like "It seems like he wants you to be aggressive towards the one that's hurt."
The game would start off with the players guessing a bit to gain that extra bonus, but in later games as they get more powerful and have more "trained commands", it will be less about that.
That's when the players may decide to do something *different* from what the Handler said, because the Player can see a tactical advantage the Handler didn't.This is all assuming the Handlers are being played by the GM.
just another bump i've discovered. how would i stop the players from just attacking rival handler/summoners/trainer instead of his pets?
going with the summoner/eidolon route each player gets to represent a manifested fragment of the summoners personality. this creates the "6 ball limit" and eliminates the gotta catch 'em all. this also lets the DM "cheat" with some summoners stretching their "safe" limits and manifesting more (weaker) eidolons than their mind can support or allowing other summoners to manifest fewer (stronger) eidolons.
i'll probably end up using some variation of "life link" to keep the players loyal to the summoner because if the summoner dies the players cease to exist and put travel limits on the player's movements they would gain 1 negative level for every 40ft they stray from their summoner. when they reach 0 they'll either pop back to their summoner or disappear until they're resummoned
i think this lets me run an otherwise "typical adventure", except the loot is divided out by the summoner after making stops at shops to buy equipment for his "eidolons"
The summoners could be competitors in some sort of league, forcing their pets to fight for their amusement. Give them each a tattoo or amulet or something as a sign of membership that prevents them from being attacked by eidolons (theirs or anyone else's), and possibly keeps their own on a leash. Maybe it can also 'capture' a rival summoner's pets, giving people a means of replacing their character if they die.
That keeps the players from attacking their own or rival summoners, and also may provide a long-term goal for the characters (breaking free from their summoner to start an eidolon rebellion, or teaching him The Power of Friendship to get him to free them, or something like that, depending on how things go).
Oh, look, were on the house rules subboard!
House rule 1, up to 6 eidolons per trainer.
2, A referee running a match casts a spell that enforces the rules, including eidolons only fighting eidolons, non lethal, ect.
(Pikachu blasts team rocket into the sky after each criminal attempt.)
3, If a trainer dies or even rejects an eidolon, they became wild. A wild eidolon can live like an animal, find a new trainer, or even get a job. (There were Pikachus working at a power plant. More than 10.)
4, An eidolon can have any personality. There can be some back and forth between them and the trainer, represented by empathy. It might represent some sort of repressed part of their personality, which can result in partial loss of control during a match. This also can explain loss of communication.
5, Empathy is a metamagic feat, where summoned or charmed creatures understand the caster non verbally. If the eidolon is killed(however temporarily) the controller may be stunned one round. Save DC 10, plus creature's charisma bonus, plus creature level.
In the feat I am using creature as it applies if a dragon charms a human. It is a general use feat I plan to use when I next GM.
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Look at Mystical: Kingdom of Monsters. It's basically a Pokemon conversion to Pathfinder. It has almost everything you're looking for - including rules for converting monster races to PCs if a trainer dies.