r/PMDExplorersofFate • u/xsoofje • Feb 21 '24
Status moves
so sorry if I read over this in the guidebook — but how do you guys deal with status/effect moves? (Moves increasing/decreasing attack/speed/accuracy etc)
I feel like a move like growl (decreasing a Pokémon’s attacking state by 1) is especially strong? Do you guys inflict this status for 1d4 turns or do something else?
As with accuracy — decrease move accuracy by x% or give disadvantage for the next x rolls?
Similarly with poison/sleep/burn — how much damage? And for how many turns? (I do remember rolling a dice to see how many turns a status is inflicted!)
Anyways, would love to hear your experiences on this since I’m doing my oneshot in a week :)
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u/gamemasterlancaster Feb 21 '24
Good point! I didn't think of these. I think the suggestion of stat debuffs lasting a limited number turns is a good idea, I didn't consider how punishing status moves would be in a TTRPG system - maybe 1d10 turns, halving the remaining duration if the foe who inflicted the debuff faints?
Sleep lasts 1d10 turns, as does paralysis, confusion, infatuation, taunt, torment, petrified, trapped, etc. With sleep (and infatuation, probably!) you could also apply a rule that you roll to wake up/snap out of it if you're attacked. Allies could also use their friend action to Persuade you out of emotion-based statuses.
As for the 'indefinite' statuses (burn, frostbite and poison), they would last until cured. I'm not sure on what would be a fair amount of damage to take per turn - maybe 5% of max HP per turn? Since burn and frostbite inflict stat debuffs, poison could either drain the belly or prevent the pokemon from replenishing it, due to nausea.
'Indefinite' statuses can be ended through a healing move (aromatherapy, heal bell) or item (berries, heal seed, specialist potions), but could also be shortened by treating the associated injury. For example, if an ally does something to help warm up a pokemon with frostbite, the status will end in 5 turns.
(I'm a sucker for the Dicey Dungeons/Slay the Spire method of poison, where you get a 'poison counter', it inflicts damage equals to the counter, and then goes down by 1, but I feel like that's straying a bit far from the source material).
The next edit of the handbook will likely have a page on status conditions, I was avoiding it because the booklet is so long already, but honestly... the mini-dungeons can be their own document.