Pokémon: Tabletop Version

Pokémon: Tabletop Version (PTV) is an unofficial fan-made role-playing game based on the Pokémon series of video games. [TK high-level reasons you might want to play]

• Core rules
• Pokédex
• Moves
• Abilities
• Items
• Player materials
• GM materials

How does PTV differ from the canon videogames?

Well, for starters, it’s a tabletop role-playing game. Other than that…

• Additive instead of multiplicative math, so the numbers don’t match exactly but we try to make them feel about the same.
• Each Pokémon can have a Bonus Move: a 5th move slot filled by their Trainer’s Class(es).
• PP has been replaced with AP, which works as more of a spendable resource each character has instead of tracking usage of each Move.
• New Moves added (not many).
• New Abilities added (many).
• Lackluster Abilities got “Bonus Stats” to make them more worth choosing, which increase the user’s Stats just by having those Abilities.
• Pokémon learn a second Ability at level 5.
• Levels compressed to 1–20 instead of 1–100.
• Level-up movesets overhauled:
  • No dead levels with no new Moves.
  • Makes more Pokémon usable without guaranteed TMs (and makes them easier to quickly slot in as encounters)
  • Added strong Moves to weaker Pokémon to power them up.
  • Adds fun/interesting/fitting Moves to more Pokémon, mythology gags and references to Pokémon design origins.
• By default, Pokemon level up with their Trainers; no tracking EXP for each.
• Sleep/Poison/Burn/Paralysis/Frozen aren’t mutually exclusive; characters can have more than one simultaneously.
• Trainers can be attacked, and some Trainers can fight back.

Those are the major differences; there’s also a section on detailed changes from the core series.

How does PTV differ from Pokémon Odyssey (formerly Pokémon Tabletop United)?

PO focuses on tabletop gameplay, with mechanics inspired by but not working like the Pokémon video games. If you want any of the following, you may prefer PO…

• Lots of crunchy grid combat, like D&D 4^th edition
• Mostly new Moves and Abilities instead of conversions from the videogames
• Abstractions of travel/items/money/other mechanics that aren’t part of battles