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Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: Genre and Setting
So you wanna run a fantasy campaign? .............. 5
High or Low Fantasy?........................................ 5
Just How Supernatural Are Tings? ................ 7
Translating Pokémon Setting Basics to Fantasy. 8
Poké balls ............................................................ 8
Pokémon Storage ............................................... 8
Pokémon Centers............................................... 9
Te Pokédex ....................................................... 9
TM’s and HM’s ................................................... 10
Mega Evolution .................................................. 10
Flavors of Fantasy................................................... 11
Age of Discovery................................................ 11
Steampunk and Tribal Fantasy......................... 12
Arabian Nights................................................... 13
Chivalric Romance ............................................ 15
Dungeon Fantasy............................................... 16
Sengoku Jidai...................................................... 17
Urban Fantasy .................................................... 19
Wuxia .................................................................. 20
Te Supernatural and Metaphysics...................... 22
Te Nature of Types and Pokémon ................. 22
Supernatural Power Sources............................. 23
Supernatural Phenomena and Magic.............. 23
Example Systems ............................................... 25
Elemental Anima, a Pokémon Metaphysics... 27
Fantasy Pokémon Variants.................................... 31
Chapter 2: Alchemy and Gear
Better Living Trough Alchemy .......................... 37
A Method to the Madness ................................ 38
Handling Alchemy as a Game Master............. 39
Example Alchemized Items.............................. 41
Example Legendary Alchemy Items................ 43
Arcane Weapons..................................................... 44
Novice Arcane Weapon Moves........................ 44
Expert Arcane Weapon Moves ........................ 45
Chapter 3: Trainer Classes
General Trainer Edges........................................... 47
General Trainer Features....................................... 47
Berserker ................................................................. 48
Rune Master............................................................ 50
Arcanist ................................................................... 53
Rank 1 Power Manipulations........................... 55
Rank 2 Power Manipulations .......................... 55
Fortress .................................................................... 56
Marksman ............................................................... 58
Skirmisher............................................................... 60
Bug Elementalist: Swarmlord ............................... 62
Dark Elementalist: Shade Caller .......................... 64
Dragon Elementalist: Herald of Pride................. 66
Electric Elementalist: Spark Master..................... 68
Fairy Elementalist: Glamour Weaver .................. 70
Fire Elementalist: Fire Bringer ............................. 72
Flying Elementalist: Wind Runner ...................... 74
Ghost Elementalist: Apparition............................ 76
Grass Elementalist: Druid..................................... 78
Ground Elementalist: Earth Shaker..................... 80
Ice Elementalist: Frost Touched ........................... 82
Normal Elementalist: Prism ................................. 84
Poison Elementalist: Miasmic .............................. 86
Rock Elementalist: Stone Warrior........................ 88
Steel Elementalist: Steelheart................................ 90
Water Elementalist: Maelstrom............................ 92
Chapter 4: Campaign Settings
How to Use Tese Settings.................................... 94
Six Duchies ............................................................. 95
Technology and Setting Basics......................... 97
Te Land of Ardairslen ..................................... 102
Trainer Creation................................................. 105
Building a Six Duchies Campaign................... 105
Campaign Hooks ............................................... 105
Visiwa: the Eastern Isles ........................................ 108
Te Wilds and Setting Basics ........................... 110
Te Eastern Isles ................................................ 114
Trainer Creation................................................. 120
Building a Visiwan Campaign ......................... 120
Plot Hooks .......................................................... 120
Table of ContentsIntroduction
Game of Trohs is the ofcial Pokémon Tabletop United guidebook for creating and running fantasy campaigns
or introducing fantasy elements into any sort of PTU Campaign. Not every fantasy campaign will beneft from
using all of the content of this book, but GMs are recommended to pick and choose elements they like to create
their own campaign world. Treat the book as a toolkit.
Chapter 1 outlines a wide variety of fantasy sub-genres and how they can be used with Pokémon. Tere’s a very
large diﬀerence between a campaign about Poké Vikings and their travels and a modern era campaign about a
hidden school for Psychics, and their assumptions on a setting as a whole. You’ll also fnd expanded details about
topics that ofen get back seated in normal PTU games, such as the nature of supernatural powers and how Types
metaphysically work. Also included will be details on how to implement Pokémon capture, storage, and treatment in settings with lower tech levels.
Chapter 2 is dedicated to gear and equipment. In particular, this Chapter discusses how to go about creating items
that have magical properties. It also includes advice on how to manage these items for GMs.
Chapter 3 introduces a slew of Fantasy themed Trainer options, including the Berserker, Rune Master, Weapon
Specialist, and Elementalist Classes.
Chapter 4 contains sample settings and campaign ideas to help GMs get started. Each campaign concept comes
with a detailed setting description, several plot-hooks, and in some cases, optional rules for use in that campaign.Genre and Setting
5
Chapter 1: Genre and
Setting
By now you’ve likely looked over the core book, and maybe Do Porygon Dream of Mareep or Blessed and the
Damned, and you feel you’re ready to take on a game that’s more than just your modern day travel through a Region, collecting Badges and defeating a Team. You’ve decided your next game will visit another time in history,
or an ancient mythology, a completely alien, fantasy world, or maybe just Hogwarts for Pokémon Trainers in a
world where Trainer society is completely hidden from the masses sounds really rad to you. Either way, you got
a few questions you have to get answers for before we really get to the meat and potatoes.
So you wanna run a fantasy campaign?
High or Low Fantasy?
Fantasy has a lot of variations and ﬂavors and we’ll try
to discuss as many as we can in this chapter. Te divide
between high and low fantasy is the broadest of these
ﬂavors, and is very similar to the divide between hard
and sof sci-f.
High Fantasy is probably the frst thing you think about
when the Fantasy genre comes up. It is characterized by
supernatural struggles between good and evil, fantastic
elements such as non-human races and rampant use of
magic, and epic sagas. Tis type of fantasy usually takes
place on a world that isn’t Earth, but might resemble
Earth. When it does take place on Earth, there is a very
hard divide between the supernatural and the mundane,
and the two do not interact with each other in great detail. Tis brand of Fantasy is also commonly known as
being Tolkienesque, as J.R.R. Tolkien is ofen credited as
popularizing the genre with his Te Hobbit and Te Lord
of the Rings. C.S. Lewis’s Te Chronicles of Narnia and
J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter also embody this brand of
fantasy; it’s the more common type of fantasy in books,
movies, videogames and comics. Obviously, Dungeons
and Dragons would fall under this category.
Low Fantasy, on the other hand, is a lot harder to put a fnger on. Te term was originally coined to describe a brand
of fantasy that not only takes place on Earth, but features
how the supernatural interacts with the mundane as aGenre and Setting
6
central theme. It has taken on a second variation over
the last couple of years to also refer to a brand of fantasy where the fantastic elements are deemphasized in
favor of a more gritty portrayal of human conﬂict. Tis
has caused the genre to sometimes get called ‘Urban
Fantasy’ or ‘Dark Fantasy’, depending on the work being referred to. Te works of Stephen King, such as It,
Te Shining, and Salem’s Lot, as well as H.P.’s Lovecraf’s
works would go under this variation, as well as George
R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian, and Kentaro Miura’s Berserk.
White Wolf ’s World of
Darkness games are also
what you can consider
Low Fantasy.
What’s this imply for
Pokémon? Not entirely
much, honestly! Pokémon
as a franchise has gone back
and forth time and time again
on what type of Fantasy it slants
towards. While it has over time
been creeping toward High Fantasy with the prominence of
Aura, Psionics, Magic, and Godly
Legendaries with each iteration,
it’s a very loosely defned dial.
What is safe to assume is the
world of Pokémon is an alternate reality of Earth, and the
supernatural does exist. How
prominent that supernatural
force is, or how the people and
Pokémon of the world react to it
is not entirely consistent with
the franchise as a whole.
Since Pokémon, at its roots,
is already an Urban Fantasy
setting, a lot of the groundwork has already been done for you
as a GM when putting together a fantasy
game.
Te impact of the choice between a High and Low Fantasy feel will mostly be felt on how the world interacts
with both Pokémon and humans with Supernatural
power; the response people have to discovering someone is a Telekinetic is going to be treated is going to be
drastically diﬀerent based on what one you choose. If
you are looking to make a setting where the supernatural is rare, feared and misunderstood, Low Fantasy
might be more appropriate for you. If you’re looking to
create a world full of wizards and wonder, High Fantasy
would work better. Te important part here is you and
your players should have a shared understanding on the
general feel the game is going for, and the Low vs High
label can be very helpful for that.Genre and Setting
7
When one thinks Fantasy, what ofen frst comes to
mind is a historical setting where magical innovations
have replaced technology - but this does not necessarily
have to be the case. Even the basic Pokémon setting
portrays a world where mystical powers and high tech
devices coexist, and would likely continue to in the future.
Here are some questions you should ask yourself about
your setting:
•	 Who battles Pokémon in your setting? Is it a privilege to be a Trainer, or a common occurrence?
What sorts of jobs or tasks are Pokémon trusted
with? Where do they live? How do humans care for
and interact with them in the wild?
•	 How easy is it to travel in your setting? Are settlements completely isolated, or are there common
trade routes? How do people use these routes? Are
there vehicles that might assist their travels?
•	 How sophisticated the study of medicine in your
setting? Do people understand what germs and viruses are and how to handle them? What’s the average life expectancy for humans, and what are common medical causes of death?
•	 How advanced are the tools Trainers use? Do Poké
balls exist? What about Apricorn balls? Who makes
them, and how common are they?
•	 To what extent have Pokémon replaced technological advancements? Do computers exist? What
about tools that run on a power source, like electricity, steam, magical energies, or pure girl love?
•	 How common and understood are Psychics, Elementalists, Aura Users and other humans with Supernatural powers? Are they feared or respected?
Are these powers one is born with, or can they be
taught over time? Where do these powers originate
from?
•	 What about the types of weapons that exist in your
setting? Are they mundane? Are there legendary
relics of power out in the world? Can you commission a blacksmith to forge a badass fre sword?
•	 Are there races other than Humans in your setting?
How do they interact with Humans, or Pokémon for
that matter? How integrated are they into Human
society?
•	 What other supernatural elements exist in your setting that are not present in Pokémon? Are there
actual ghosts and spirits as well as Ghost Type
Pokémon? How do they diﬀer from the ‘undead’?
Is there an aferlife?
•	 Do Gods exist? If they do, are they Pokémon, or
entities beyond human comprehension? How involved are they with the world as a whole? Are they
worshiped, revered, or feared?
We’ll be discussing these questions as we go and provide
you with tools and ideas to better answer them yourself!
Just How Supernatural Are Tings?Genre and Setting
8
Poké balls
Pokémon has a number of distinctive technologies that make the world what it is. Not only are fans familiar with
these elements but many of them expect them to exist in some capacity, but not having them in a setting would
be difcult to work with. In a fantasy game that takes place in a time period near modern times, this section won’t
be entirely relevant. In a setting more removed from modern times, this section will help you handle the lack of
these technologies in your setting.
Translating Pokémon Setting Basics to Fantasy
Okay, so let’s start with the 800 pound Slaking in the
room: Poké Balls. Poké Balls are the single most defning piece of technology for the Pokémon universe,
and thus potential players for your campaign will likely
be curious about how they’ll be treated diﬀerently in a
fantasy setting - especially since most fantasy games just
won’t have the technology to produce these devices.
Consider the following:
•	 Pokémon are themselves inherently unstable creatures. Canonically when they evolve, they turn into
energy forms temporarily as their bodies shif and
change. Poké Balls may artifcially induce such a
state using the same mechanisms that the Pokémon
uses naturally, except this state is sustained and
kept in stasis in a Poké Ball by the device instead
of changing the Pokémon’s material form. Even if
your setting does not have Poké Balls, per say, perhaps there are devices that induce a similar state.
•	 Apricorn plants are perhaps the easiest way of introducing this concept. Something about these plants,
be it arcane or scientifc in nature, allows them to
be crafed into devices that can put a Pokémon in
stasis.
•	 Along with this train of thought, maybe people
thought of other means of capture than Apricorn or
Poké Balls. Examples of this include a mirror that
entraps ghosts, a talisman on a pouch of glass beads
that summons the creature within whenever a bead
is smashed against the ground, or a family of rituals
that are used to bind and summon Pokémon. Te
genre of fantasy you are working with may very well
have tropes such as these that already ft the function of a Poké Ball.
•	 Poké Balls include a feature that makes them unusable on already Captured Pokémon. Is this something that your setting’s version of the Poké Ball
mimics, and if so, how? Does Capture change a
Pokémon somehow? What’s special about Snag
Balls that makes this possible?
•	 What happens when a capture device is broken in
your setting? Does it simply fail to maintain the
Pokémon’s energy form and thus release it when the
device breaks? Or does the energy conversion process work in such a way that breaking the device irreversibly would kill the Pokémon contained inside
instead?
•	 Is the development of Poké Balls or other capture
devices something you wish to explore as a plot
point? Maybe it was a challenge for scientists to fnd
a way to apply this process to sentient life without
killing it. Tis could make for a bit of gruesome history for the PCs to dig up, or maybe the process is
still ongoing and the campaign doesn’t have working Poké Balls - yet. Will the players stand by and
watch this happen so they can gain from the convenience of this technology, or will they intervene
and stop the experiments, even if it means they will
never get Poké Balls?
•	 Poké Balls don’t work on humans, but why? Tis is
less applicable of a question if your capture devices
work more like summoning devices than capture
ones, but if devices such as Apricorn Balls do exist
then the question arises of whether or not it works
Pokémon Storage
Tis is what makes it feasible to ‘catch em all’ in the
Pokémon universe. Te sheer logistical issues behind
storing and transporting dozens or even hundreds of
Pokémon in Poké Balls would stop all but the most
well-connected and resourceful Trainers from ever
considering attempting to catch more than a handful of
Pokémon otherwise.
Te thing is, in a fantasy setting...well, this whole concept goes right out the window! So what do you do to
compensate? Take a step back and think about what theGenre and Setting
9
PC Storage system really is; it’s a large, international network that allows Trainers to transport their Pokémon
between any two PC Storage terminals in the network.
It also keeps them stored safely until they are needed.
Tis framework can be replicated and explained in a
fantasy system through more arcane manners. Perhaps
there is a widely practiced means of ritually summoning
and storing a Poké Ball via a magical network, or that a
rather inﬂuential group of mages has set up a ‘pocket
dimension Poké Bank’ that Trainers can access through
their countless branch ofces throughout the world. We
won’t go too into detail on the whys and hows of these,
as they are mostly examples - the takeaway should be
that the convenience of the internet could simply be replaced with magic.
On the other hand, this might be an intentional drawback of your setting - that Poké Balls (or Pokémon
themselves if your setting doesn’t have capture devices)
must be physically stored and delivered from destination to destination. Physical transportation and storage
comes with many complications though and this direction might not be very appropriate for a setting with
high amounts of travel. On the other hand, it could be
a very interesting dynamic to a setting that is more central to a small number of settlements, as the PC’s would
have pretty regular interactions with the Pokémon caretakers.
Also consider what happens when a Trainer carries
more than 6 Pokémon, or captures a 7th. Maybe your
setting doesn’t enforce a cap of 6. If it does, and you
went with a more physical storage approach, perhaps
the capture devices your Trainers use have a common
power source, and it caps at 6 active devices at a time;
this device can only be adjusted at very particular locations (usually in a settlement), and so even if they carry
more than 6 Pokémon with them, only their active 6 can
be released. If you went with a more arcane approach,
perhaps the capture devices are inscribed with a certain
magic that allows their bonded Trainer to only handle 6
at a time, and the 7th is automatically teleported away.
Pokémon Centers
Pokémon Centers, far as modern medicine is concerned, are already magical. Treatment is always free,
all but the most grievous injuries can be healed in
under a day, and they are easily available in any civilized place, providing services in addition to medical
treatment, such as facilitating Pokémon trades.
While you might not have actual hospitals or Pokémon
Centers in your setting, you should include some
location where the Players can have their Pokémon
and their own injuries taken care of for free. Pokémon
Tabletop United works under the assumption such facilities exist, and removing them entirely will just make
things miserable for your Players.
Luckily, since what Pokémon Centers do is already miraculous, you really don’t have much work to be done.
Maybe instead of Pokémon Centers they visit the local
church to get care from the clerics who work there, or
they visit the local medicine man, or apothecary for
treatment. In the end, what these facilities are should
just match the ﬂuﬀ of your setting, but they should
exist.
Te other big thing Pokémon Centers do is facilitate
Pokémon Trades. In the base setting, this is largely
tied to the same network that Pokémon are stored on.
As such, it would make sense that the same services
that handle the storage and transportation of Pokémon
in your setting should also handle trading.
Te Pokédex
Te Pokédex has historically been a Trainer’s identifcation card, Pokémon bestiary, and a way to register
their ownership of a Pokémon. While it might not be
appropriate for such an item to exist in every fantasy
setting, it’s a relatively easy one to describe as a magical tome that is bound to its owner. Trainers could use
these to look up information on Pokémon, keep track
of the Pokémon they’ve captured, and also to help facilitate the Trade of Pokémon. Perhaps all Pokémon
trades must be notarized by a third party, and this is
done through each Trainer’s Pokénomicon. Some other
ways you could describe the Pokédex in a fantasy setting could be as an ancient relic from a long lost age,
magical eyewear that functions much like Google Glass
would, or a mentoring spirit that follows, observes, and
handles these tasks for the Trainer.Genre and Setting
10
TM’s and HM’s
Te core PTU book already contains recommendations
on how a GM can make TMs ft their setting. As such
we won’t go into too much detail here and simply list a
few recommendations for fantasy settings:
•	 TMs might be a reagent to a magical ceremony to
impart a Pokémon with the knowledge of how to
perform a new Move.
•	 TMs might be enchanted tattoos or body art that
allow a Pokémon to use a Move that it previously
could not.
•	 TMs might be a drug that sends a Pokémon on a
spirit quest where they undergo a trial that teaches
them how to perform a new Move.
•	 Rather than a syringe, TMs are specially brewed potions that have the same eﬀect the syringe would.
Keep in mind that TMs are typically one-time use, so
whatever idea you do settle on should be something
that is consumed or rendered inert by the procedure.
Mega Evolution
Mega Evolution is pretty easy to explain in a fantasy setting since it is usually attributed to a mystical aspect of
the source material. Tat doesn’t mean you can’t spice
them up a little, though!
Alchemical Stones: Maybe Megastones are the product
of alchemical genius! Te highly volatile stones, when
paired with an artifact that can resonate with them
(such as a Mega Ring), can induce a temporary boost in
power for a Pokémon.
Divine Blessings: Perhaps Megastones are a divine gif!
Te ability for a Pokémon to transcend from their mortal forms into a more powerful, and slightly divine entity is something only heavens can bestow - and never for
longer than it needs be.
Enlightenment: In a more Eastern setting, Mega Evolution might be the result of Trainer and Pokémon mastering their inner chi and reaching enlightenment. Tis
state of perfect harmony manifests as a Pokémon taking
on a new form, if only for a short period of time.Genre and Setting
11
Flavors of Fantasy
Keep those questions we asked at the beginning of this chapter in mind, because this section is going to revisit
them when expanding on some common Fantasy genres and how you can apply them to a Pokémon Tabletop
United campaign.
Age of Discovery
Te Age of Discovery was a time period between the
1400’s and the 1800’s where European powers such as
Portugal, Spain, France, and Britain began to rapidly
expand their empires and establish colonies across the
globe. Fantasy works that take place in this period put
a large emphasis on charting the unknown, big ﬂashy
high seas battles, conﬂicts between mystical, indigenous
tribes and European explorers, and yes, pirates. Tis
sub-genre also usually includes exotic isles, glamorous
and shanty port towns, and larger than life heroes and
villains. Playing the “bad guys” is also highly valued in
this sub-genre, as romanticized pirates and privateers
are a large focus of it.
Given this was an actual era in Earth’s history, it tends
to gravitate more toward Low Fantasy, drawing a lot of
inspiration and ideas from the current events of that
era and the various cultures that contributed to it; Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean is a prime example of
this. Tat said, there are also quite a few High Fantasy
takes on this genre as well, such as Eiichiro Oda’s One
Piece, which feature high seas action and exploration in
a completely alien world. Te technology level tends
to be consistent with that of Earth between the 1400’s
and 1800’s, but more fantasy heavy settings might also
feature some steampunk elements.
Te mystical side of this setting varies widely, ranging
from highly historical and mundane to highly romanticized and arcane. Given the focus on this sub-genre is
more on the action and exploration, supernatural elements are usually there to help move the story along or
make things cooler. Curses, magical relics, ghost ships
and various schools and origins of magic mesh right in
with this sub-genre. Hunting for lost treasures is also a
big focus of this sub-genre, and many of these treasures
are going to have some myths and superstitions around
them!
Key Technologies and Supernatural Temes: Black
powder weapons, Galleons, Curses and Dark Magics,
Enchanted Relics, Gods and Demons
Main Temes: Adventure and Discovery, High Action,
Epic Heroism, Treasure Hunting
Examples: Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, Etrian Odyssey,
Pirates of the Caribbean, One Piece, Treasure Island
How do Pokémon Fit in?
Pokémon easily ft into this sub-genre on two fronts.
On one, they provide interesting and compelling wildlife for the players to encounter in the exotic locales of
the setting. Tis includes the oceans themselves as well;
sea monsters and krakens are a staple of this sub-genre!
Tey also provide a very convenient and interesting
twist for populating the crew of a ship. Tink of the
various tasks and duties that ship hands are responsible
for, and how Pokémon would have ft into that.
How to Handle…
Poké Balls: Given the various advancements in maritime travel during this era, it is very feasible for Poké
Balls or Apricorn Balls to have been invented during
this time period. Such devices would likely be arcane in
nature, and likely a recent development picked up from
experimenting with tribal magics and modern technology.
Te PC Storage System: Tis one is extremely easy to
handle in this sub-genre, as your players will almost
certainly have access to a ship: Extra Pokémon just
stay with the ship! If you also wish to have newly captured Pokémon teleported away, one way to approach
that could be that members of a crew might be expected
to ‘bind’ their service to the vessel. Tis mystical oath
causes newly captured Pokémon to be transported safely to the vessel.Genre and Setting
12
Pokémon Centers: Any seafaring vessel surely has a
doctor and medical supplies on board, which makes
treating staying aboard a ship as staying at a Pokémon
center make plenty of sense. Apothecaries and tribal
medicines would also be relevant, especially when traveling ashore.
TMs and HMs: Given the technology level of the subgenre, TMs and HMs would likely take on abnormal
forms : such as potions, tattoos, mystical drugs and
magical relics.
As a GM How Should I Prepare?
Map out the isles and seas your players will be sailing
through, since this will help them understand the scale
of what is and isn’t explored out there. Prepare rivaling
factions and uncharted isles in a way that your players
have some variety with who they choose to ally with or
fght against, and that they can travel as they need or
please.
Steampunk and Tribal Fantasy
Tere are two other subgenres of Fantasy that relate
pretty closely to the Age of Discovery: Steampunk, and
Tribal Fantasy. As such we’ll give a brief synopsis of
both of these here.
Steampunk
Steampunk is a fantasy genre that is ofen inspired by the
industrial revolution in Western society during the 19th
century. Steampunk works are ofen set in an alternative
history of the British Victorian era or American “Wild
West”, or in a fantasy world that employs steam power.
Steampunk perhaps most recognizably features anachronistic technologies or retro-futuristic inventions as
people in the 19th century might have envisioned them,
and is likewise rooted in the era’s perspective on fashion, culture, architectural style, and art.
Tat said, this genre and shif in technology is not just
to make the world quirkier. Steampunk ofen takes
place right on the end of the Age of Discovery, as colonization starts to bubble and the industrial revolution
begins. During this time period there was a major shif
in cultural values due to rapid advancements in technology, travel and the exchange of information.
When applied to the world of Pokémon, the big question that comes to mind is how did society at large
shif when it comes to their opinions on how Pokémon
should be handled? Did the interest in Pokémon diminish as technology hit a stride, or did it become more
of a sport during this era? How did the feats Pokémon
are capable of impact the steam and magic powered inventions of this era?
Keep these questions in mind when you go about crafing a Steampunk setting, and for some further inspiration, check out the following : Arcanum: Of Steamworks
and Magick Obscura, Last Exile, Steamboy, Full Metal
Alchemist, Bioshock Infnite
Tribal Fantasy
Another big aspect of the Age of Discovery is the frst
meeting between the indigenous populations of North
and South America, and the exploring Europeans.
While history on Earth played out rather poorly for
these civilizations, their legacy and stories still live on.
Each of these tribes had their own mythologies, mystical customs and legacies, and collectively we call these
stories Tribal Fantasy.
In a Tribal Fantasy setting, technology is ofen sent
straight to the stone or bronze age, but the relevance of
mysticism and magical elements shoots right up. Tese
settings are representative of not only the tribes of
North and South America, but the early foundations of
many other cultures as well. Shamanism and animism
were very commonly practiced throughout the world,
and how these beliefs tie to Pokémon is surprisingly
to-the-point. We highlight much of this in the Anima
Metaphysics later in this chapter.
Whether you are looking to run a game where the players are members of an indigenous tribe, or just looking
to ﬂesh out the society of a tribe that is featured in an
Age of Discovery or Steampunk game, keep in mind
that you have literally hundreds of real world examples
of how these societies functioned and what their shamanistic practices encompassed.Genre and Setting
13
Arabian Nights
Most fantasy inspired by the Middle East is set in what’s
loosely called the ‘Islamic Golden Age’, a time period roughly corresponding with the European Middle
Ages (c.780 AD - c.1258 AD) during which the Muslim
world experienced a ﬂourishing of the arts and sciences
as its rulers strove to collect and preserve all the world’s
knowledge.
During this time period, works of the past and from as
far away as Greece and India were preserved and translated into Arabic, and government-funded scholars pioneered revolutions in mathematics, physics, biology,
and chemistry - many things that we take for granted,
like algebra, coﬀee, guitars, and astronomy, were developed during this time period!
Not only did culture ﬂourish during the Islamic Golden
Age, but trade and government did too. Te caliphs of
the age encouraged freedom of speech and belief, and
people from all walks of life and all religions could aspire to a life of civil service. Routes across both land and
sea stretched from Spain to China, and cities like Baghdad and Cairo became major centers of both trade and
culture.
Of course, most games set in this era will focus less on
what happened in the real world and more on what happened in the stories and fables of the time, the most famous of which are the One Tousand and One Nights
- stories of bold thieves, magic carpets, wise (or not so
wise) sultans, and beautiful princesses, where faith and
a quick mind is all it takes for even a street rat to make
their fortune.
A game might be about recovering the lost treasures of
the great Pokémon Master Suleiman, he who managed
to tame one of every species under the heavens and bid
them do as he commanded, or about stopping the sultan’s evil grand vizier from summoning and binding
Missingno so that he can take over the kingdom. In a
world of larger than life heroes and terrifying villains,
the skies are (quite literally) the limit!
Tat’s not to say that you can only run high fantasy
games in a Middle Eastern setting - low fantasy games
more grounded in the realities of the age are just as
possible! Perhaps your players are a caravan of traders, traveling the Silk Road to make their fortunes and
avoiding curses and mischievous spirits. Perhaps they
are researchers in Baghdad, collecting Pokémon to be
recorded in the sultan’s Grand Book of All Creatures.
Tey could even be thieves, banding together to steal a
rich merchant’s treasure - or, perhaps, the heart of his
frst-born child.
Key Technologies and Supernatural Temes: Alchemy, Medicine and Science, Spirits and Mirages, Magical
Beasts
Main Temes: Adventure, Exploration, Romance, Discovery, Deserts and Voyages
Examples: One Tousand and One Nights, Aladdin, Te
Voyage of Sinbad, Te Tief and the Cobbler
How do Pokémon Fit In?
Te biggest question for a setting like this would probably be ‘what ARE Pokémon in this game, anyway?’ Are
they like djinn, spirits placed in this world by a higher power to serve humans? Are they embodiments of
natural phenomenon, like mirages and dust devils?
Are they actual animals that just happen to be able to
breathe fre? While it won’t make much of a diﬀerence
mechanically, of course, how your players - and your
NPCs - see Pokémon will go a long way in establishing the feel of the campaign. Beyond that, you’ll want
to consider what species would be readily available in
a mostly single-climate setting, and how players might
get their hands on Pokémon they want that aren’t so
common (say, Water types).
How to Handle...
Poké Balls: Te easiest way to handle this, and maybe
the best for lower-fantasy games, would be to simply
have Poke Balls be a recent invention, one of the Sultan’s scholars’ latest wonders. For higher fantasy games,
however, consider having Pokémon be bound to objects
- everyone knows the story of the genie sealed in the
lamp, but there are also stories of spirits bound to rings,
ﬂutes, and magical seals. Be creative!Genre and Setting
14
PC Storage: A travel-heavy game could easily have
some sort of central caravan that Pokémon return to
when captured; a higher fantasy game could give each
player a magical grimoire that serves as both Pokedex
and storage. For games based in a single city or small
area, have your PCs establish a base of operations, perhaps with NPCs to care for their extra Pokémon when
they’re away.
Pokémon Centers: In a time of ﬂourishing science and
great strides in medicine, it shouldn’t be too hard to
fnd a doctor or healer pretty much anywhere. Whether
they’re actually competent, on the other hand... While
you shouldn’t make your players jump through hoops
to get their Pokémon healed without incident, introducing a scholar working on more radical medicine
would be a great way to justify things like type-shifing,
if you should need to.
As a GM, How Should I Prepare?
Look through the One Tousand and One Nights, most
importantly! Almost every trope concerning Middle
Eastern fantasy originates from here, so it’s really the
best place to start. You should also consider what angle
you want your game to far as treasure hunting, traveling
and trading, and thieving go. Tere was a lot going on
in this time period, and in its works of fction, so some
focus might be required.Genre and Setting
15
Chivalric Romance
Traditionally, Chivalric Romance describes a style of
prose that was popular in the aristocratic circles of early
modern Europe. Tese stories ofen told of the marvel-flled adventures of a knight-errant who goes on a
quest. Tese works also drew on themes of romance, but
with ironic, satiric or burlesque intent. Many of these
tales reworked legends, fairy tales, and history itself to
better suit these themes, but by 1600 these were out of
fashion, and Miguel de Cervantes famously burlesqued
them in his novel Don Quixote.
Still, the modern image of “medieval” is more inﬂuenced by the romance than by any other medieval
genre, and the word medieval evokes knights, distressed
damsels, dragons, and other romantic tropes. As such,
we use this term as a catch-all for Low Fantasy settings
that take place in an Europe-inspired setting and put
more emphasis on the human elements and historical mythology. Tese settings also usually put a large
emphasis on the politics, with dramatic and meaningful outcomes being reached by the pen just as ofen as
the sword. While all the examples listed might be what
you would consider Dark Fantasy, we list them here because many of the motifs and themes found in them are
the same you’d expect to fnd in a Chivalric Romance
Pokémon setting.
Key Technologies and Supernatural Temes: Castles
and Siege Warfare, Mounted Calvary, Te Fae, Wizards
and Witches, Dragons, Demons and Monsters
Main Temes: Warfare, Politics, Economics, Feudalism, Chivalry, Adventure, Romance
Examples: Arthurian Legend, A Song of Ice and Fire,
Berserk, Beowulf, Te Canterbury Tales, Irish and Celtic
Mythology, Vinland Saga
How do Pokémon Fit In?
Given that these stories ofen referred back to mythology and legends of old, Pokémon don’t have much issue
slipping in as both a replacement to mundane animals,
like swapping out horses for Rapidashes, and as fantastical critters. Fairies also play a large role in this genre,
so Fairy Pokémon are naturally a centerpiece of the
mystical elements of these settings. Tis holds true for
the demons, monsters and dragons in these settings too,
which are ofen intelligent enough to have their own
political or economic agendas that they wish to progress, just like the humans.
How to Handle...
Poké Balls: Apricorn Balls are the go to solution, and
are likely made by wizards or crafsmen who have
enlisted the help of mischievous fairies. Tey are
likely scarce and only aﬀordable by the upper class.
Knights-errants and adventurers who have gotten
ahold of them likely either did someone a great favor,
or owe someone one.
Te PC Storage System: Your players might have a
home fort where they keep surplus Pokémon, but
keeping a large roster and swapping them out constantly will likely be infeasible. You may wish to warn
your players that a smaller and more focused roster of
Pokémon are more appropriate for campaigns of this
genre.
Pokémon Centers: Apothecaries, hedge wizards and
herbalists, clerics and temples, and actual wizards all
make sensible alternatives to Pokémon Centers in
Chivalric settings. Priest and priestesses in a setting
in this genre are likely knowledgeable in frst aid, and
supernatural healing through magic or herbal means is
also appropriate.
TMs and HMs: A wizard did it. No, really! TMs and
HMs would likely have supernatural sources, either
from an experienced mage or from a powerful Fae or
spiritual entity. It would very unlikely be something
you purchase and use at a later date and more be an
arcane ritual that is performed on your Pokémon to
teach them a Move.
As a GM, How Should I Prepare?
Plan out your Region and the various factions that govern it. Find out which ones are allies and enemies. Map
out a portion of your Region where powerful Pokémon
or a Fae Covenant control. Tink of any dominant religions or cults in your Region. And fnally, fgure out
what the quest your Player Characters will be on is.
Teir quest will be the most critical aspect of the game,
but the Player Characters are not the center of your setting; they are but a piece of it.Genre and Setting
16
Dungeon Fantasy
Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’re at least passingly familiar with the concept of Dungeon Fantasy.
Popularized by Gary Gygax and his Dungeons and
Dragons, this sub-genre descended from war-gaming
and lead to the formation of modern tabletop roleplaying.
Usually centered around swords and sorcery in pseudo-European fantasy settings (more ofen than not with
a little borrowed ‘inspiration’ from a certain J.R.R. Tolkien), Dungeon Fantasy focuses on adventurers scouring
the realm to right wrongs and make coin. Slay the dragon, defeat the lich, and spend all your earnings from the
dangerous Tomb of Horrible Spiky Tings on a dozen
ﬂagons of the innkeeper’s best mead.
It goes without saying that this sub-genre is heavily,
heavily High Fantasy in most depictions, though its
incarnations are as myriad as the imaginations of roleplayers the world over. Technology level can vary heavily, from Middle Age kingdoms full of dirt-encrusted,
malnourished peasants, to more fantastical applications
of industrial age technology in the form of formidable
airships powered by steam engines, or even more futuristic technology heavily laced with the setting’s magic. Similarly, the amount of supernatural inﬂuence can
vary heavily, from more gritty ‘no-magic’ campaigns to
the most fantastical settings imaginable.
All in all, it’s very hard to do dungeon fantasy ‘wrong’.
Adventure, delving, loot, and a good time had by all are
all you need. Look to the past for inspiration, but it’s
YOU, the players and the GMs out there, who make this
sub-genre what it is.
Key Technologies and Supernatural Temes: Various,
ofen low tech with powerful practitioners of magic and
fantastical beasts breaking up the more mundane.
Main Temes: Adventure, Swords and Sorcery, Epic
Battles between Good and Evil or anything in-between,
and almost anything else you could think of.
Examples: Dungeons and Dragons, Dragon Quest , Wizardry, Final Fantasy I, Te Hobbit
How do Pokémon ft in?
Pokémon ft extremely naturally into this type of setting, as fantastical monsters lurk in almost every gloomy
wood, dark cave or abandoned castle. Even in traditional tabletop games, the most martial-oriented fghters
will favor utilizing magic equipment against their foes
to compete with their increasingly outlandish supernatural powers. It might also be said, then, that in a world
of Pokémon, adventurers are wont to train some of the
realm’s beasties to gain a similar edge. It may be difcult
for the average Joe to get much beyond a Miltank or a
Mareep, but the players, who are almost certainly playing as larger than life heroes, would certainly be able to
form their own menageries.
How to Handle...
Poké Balls and PC Storage: Te surprisingly brilliant
invention of a mad wizard who wanted to fnd a way
to keep his dangerous Ursahoots encapsuled, only for
these strange spheres to be liberated by the frst set of
adventurers to shut him down. Te blessed spheres of a
church’s faith, distributed by the religious to the faithful
in order to contain the savage creatures of the realm.
Te ways Poké Balls and Storage could have come about
are just as varied as anything in this subgenre!
Pokémon Centers: Churches of major religions, inns,
and hospices are all standard methods of handling healing in fantasy settings.
TMs and HMs: Spell scrolls that when read aloud, imbue the knowledge of a technique into a Pokémon’s
mind, or perhaps an elixir of knowledge.
As a GM, how should I prepare?
Dungeon Fantasy tends to focus more heavily on dungeon crawling, which can include anything from heavy
amounts of encounters, to intricately detailed areas
to explore, dangerous traps to overcome, and conundrums to solve. Give yourself plenty of time each week
to prepare for crunch-and-detail heavy sessions when
necessary. Make encounters interesting and engaging,
and don’t be afraid to litter the area with possible environmental factors that the players or their foes can use.
Give things a feel of high adventure. And more than
anything, have fun.Genre and Setting
17
Sengoku Jidai
Te Sengoku period in Japan (from the
mid 1400’s to the beginning of the 17th
century) marked an age of conﬂict that
arose as the result of the Ashikaga shogunate losing its centralized inﬂuence
over the rest of the country, with local
lords (daimyos), clans, and religious
groups gaining power and vying against
each other for control of Japan.
Tis period is known for these conﬂicts,
the economic, social and political upheavals the country faced, the popularization of trade with foreign powers,
and the rise in use of early frearms. Additionally, this is also the period where
most of our information about ninja comes from, as this was when men
willing to perform tasks that the more
honorable samurai would not would begin to oﬀer their
services.
Like the Age of Exploration, this is a historical period,
and tends to be depicted with low fantasy in fction.
Where the supernatural does crop up, it tends to include
elements of Shinto mythology and Japanese folklore,
though other religious inﬂuences during the period included Buddhism, Taoism, and Christianity. Popularly,
stories on the Sengoku period cover closer to the end of
the wars, especially around the warlord Oda Nobunaga
and other fgures of his time.
Key Technologies and Supernatural Temes: Matchlock riﬂes, castles, Japanese folklore
Main Temes: Warfare, Unifcation, Politics, Economics, Feudalism
Examples: Pokémon Conquest, Inuyasha, Princess
Mononoke, Nobunaga’s Ambition, Sengoku Basara, Samurai Warriors, Onimusha
How do Pokémon Fit In?
What might immediately spring to mind about
Pokémon in this setting is that they might provide a sizable bulk of any given army within the states, though
depending on the particular species of Pokémon, one
might also see stronger or rarer specimens as pets of inﬂuential lords, for sale by foreign traders, or acting as
yokai for the setting (maybe Sawk and Troh are oni
instead of martial arts masters).
Pokémon Conquest had the particular, simplistic division of making each of the warring states drawn to a
single Type of Pokémon, which may or may not be suitable for a given campaign.
How to Handle...
Poké Balls: Apricorn Balls or Poke Balls may be relatively new technologies imported by foreigners like frearms (the Portuguese were the ones responsible for this
in real life) and would likely be severely sought afer due
to their ability to condense an army’s size considerably.
Alternately, as outlined before, there might be more
mystical talismans or mirrors with entrapped spirits,
though these would be less common among strict military.
PC Storage: Te castle of one’s home territory (or other applicable headquarters) should serve your players
well as a spot for their Pokémon. Similar to the Age of
Exploration suggestions, a ritual might be employed to
transport recently caught Pokémon to their home castle
for safekeeping.Genre and Setting
18
Pokémon Centers: An army that travels without doctors to heal the wounded is sure to encounter signifcant
losses, so for larger-scale operations, treatment should
be provided. For more personal treks, various temples
or local healers may provide rest and healing for the
wounded, perhaps even despite afliation.
TMs and HMs: From enchanted paintings, to mercenary training, to carefully prepared shinobi scrolls
detailing stratagems, there are a number of ways that
Pokémon could be instructed in using moves that they
normally don’t possess.
As a GM, How Should I Prepare?
Whether you’re using historical Japan, Ransei, or your
own Sengoku-ized setting, a map will help your players
visualize territories and make informed tactical decisions.
Tey won’t necessarily be aware of what faction is controlling an area at any given time (scouts can help with
this), but they should at least have a strong idea of who
their neighbors are and some of the more infamous
names in the region. Don’t be afraid to change borders
every now and then as factions gain or lose inﬂuence,
but be careful not to create too much work for yourself
either.
You should also decide ahead of time how to handle war
itself - will you create your own subsystem for mass battles and have the players engage the enemy commanders
in a traditional Pokémon battle? Will it all be traditional
battles in subsections of the feld? Will you put the larger battles in more narrative control by describing how
the battle is going, and ask for the players’ input in more
commander-esque roles? Te decision is up to you, but
you should prioritize how to handle these things.Genre and Setting
19
Urban Fantasy
Put in the most basic terms, urban fantasy is fantasy that
heavily features cities and urban environments. However, the concept now usually refers to works with a few
more specifc traits. Urban fantasy works usually take
place in a contemporary setting, ofen drawn directly
from the real world but with supernatural elements layered on top, and they tend towards mystery and horror
in their themes and tone.
In urban fantasy, the supernatural elements are ofen
hidden from most of the world, which is said to live under a veil of ignorance or in a masquerade. Characters
in such a story live a double life, trying to get by and
deal with everyday troubles while maintaining the secrecy of the supernatural and fghting magical threats
and enemies.
Ofen, this is made easier by the fact that magic and the
occult primarily exist in Otherworlds, other planes of
existence that connect to the mundane world. Still, supernatural investigation takes up signifcant time and
resources, making everyday obligations like school and
holding down a job difcult or impossible for the heroes.
Tere is ofen a level of anachronism in urban fantasy
settings. Dullahans are portrayed as mysterious bikers, modern sorcerers use implements and tools that
wouldn’t look out of place at a Renaissance fair, and the
occult society uses names and traditions from centuries
ago despite having completely modern trappings otherwise. Tis dissonance produces the unique feeling that
many urban fantasy works have.
Key Technologies and Supernatural Temes: Occult
Underground, Modern Day Technology, Otherworlds,
Extraplanar Entities
Main Temes: Mystery and Investigation, Horror,
Double Lives
Examples: Shin Megami Tensei and Persona series,
Neverwhere, Dresden Files, Durarara!!
How do Pokémon ft in?
Te frst question to ask yourself when drafing up your
urban fantasy setting is: does the world at large know
about the existence of Pokémon? If the answer is
yes, you will have to think carefully about what makes
your setting urban fantasy rather than a normal modern day Pokémon campaign. Perhaps Pokémon are extraplanar beings, invaders from beyond our realm. Te
world may know of them, but few are brave enough to
attempt to capture, tame, and battle with them.
If the answer is no, then you should fgure out how they
remain hidden, but you also have more leeway to decide what they are. Perhaps they only exist in an Otherworld which the players visit, or they are disguised with
glamours to appear like normal plants and animals for
everyday situations. Urban fantasy is by far one of the
easiest fantasy genres to adapt to Pokémon because the
very existence of Pokémon is usually crucial to the plot.
How to Handle…
Poké Balls: While it’s simple enough to use Poké Balls
due to the modern setting of most urban fantasy, you
can do better. Maybe Pokémon are stored like programs
in a cell phone that summons them, or perhaps they
have their essence pressed into Tarot Cards. It’s common in urban fantasy to see either seemingly mundane
modern day technology repurposed to manipulate
magic or classical occult implements being used as actual magical tools.
Te PC Storage System: If cell phones and computers
are used to summon Pokémon, then it’s easy to just keep
the idea of a PC Storage System, albeit one that may be
run in secret rather than as a public service.
Pokémon Centers: Medical treatment is a bit trickier
when you’re fghting supernatural beings hidden from
the rest of the world. Black market doctors who are in
the know likely set up shop specifcally to take advantage of this situation, and they may even be sponsored
by supernatural investigators like the PCs.
TMs and HMs: Magically enhanced computer programs could teach new Moves to Pokémon stored in a
cell phone or computer. TMs could also be ﬂuﬀed as
artifacts or shards of magical power taken from an Otherworld.Genre and Setting
20
As a GM How Should I Prepare?
If you’re creating a world where the supernatural is
hidden away, then you absolutely need to think about
what happens if your players blow the secret wide open.
It can and will happen when you are least prepared to
think about the implications otherwise.
Outside of that, you should prepare the major secrets
of your setting and decide the vague roadmap for how
your players will be drawn into and uncover them. Various factions will ofen have an interest in either exposing or protecting these secrets, and planning them out
well will practically make your plot write itself as the
players interact with and wheel and deal with them.
Wuxia
Wuxia is a fantasy genre set in ancient China which
centers on martial arts and the lives of wandering heroes, called youxia. Te actual time period and setting
for wuxia stories can vary greatly, though honestly they
are ofen not of particular importance because wuxia
heroes tend to come from the margins of society and
operate with their own code of ethics.
Youxia are larger than life, ofen capable of taking on
large mobs of lesser fghters such as guardsmen and
common soldiers without breaking a sweat. Te only
true threat to a powerful martial artist is an equally
skilled martial artist, which contributes to the marginalization of youxia and their life on the fringes of society. Tis world of martial artists is called the jianghu, or
rivers and lakes, and within it, disputes and conﬂicts are
usually solved through combat, with formal structures
based on law and order usually being ineﬀective.
Among the fantastical elements present in the wuxia
genre, the most important is the concept of qi, or the life
force that martial arts master through a process called
neigong and use to perform superhuman feats.
Authors exploring the concept of qi and neigong give
elemental qualities to certain practices of cultivating
qi or manipulating it, using the fve classical elements
in Chinese philosophy: Fire, Water, Earth, Wood, and
Metal. In a Pokémon world, it is easy to expand this to
the whole list of Types, resulting in various schools of
martial arts based on each Type which can be represented by the Elementalists.
Wuxia stories tend to focus on disruptions and major
changes and upheavals within the jianghu. Tragedy
strikes as a venerated leader of a martial artist society
is murdered, rival pupils fall out and tear apart their
martial arts school in the process, or an old master seeks
out pupils to pass his or her secrets onto before their
death. Recurring characters are important to establish
in a wuxia story, with rivals who will be fought many
times over the course of a story, or romantic interests
for the PCs.
Key Technologies and Supernatural Temes: Varied
Martial Weapons, Neigong, Daoism and Other Eastern
Philosophy
Main Temes: Trials of a Hero, Rivals and Mentors,
High Action, Honor and Redemption
Example: Te Condor Trilogy; Weapons of the Gods;
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; House of Flying Daggers
How do Pokémon ft in?
At frst, this genre may seem difcult to apply to a
Pokémon, but possibilities for campaigns open up once
you consider treating styles of Pokémon battle as martial arts, with their own carefully guarded secret societies and passed down techniques. In a world of Pokémon,
the martial arts range from techniques for personal
combat such as the Martial Artist and Aura Guardian,
to styles of mixed Pokémon and personal combat such
as the Hunter, to pure Pokémon battlers like the Taskmaster.
And of course, Fighting-Type Pokémon are already
based on many schools of existing martial arts. Te
question is whether in your setting those Pokémon
inspired these forms of martial arts, or whether they
learned them from humans.
How to Handle…
Poké Balls: Modern Poké Ball technology certainly
wouldn’t exist yet, though Apricorn Balls are a reasonable possibility. However, consider that the themes ofGenre and Setting
21
wuxia mean that Trainers may ofen keep their Pokémon
outside of their balls and may carry a smaller team due
to a lack of easy means to transport them from city to
city like the PC Storage System in modern settings.
Another way to handle Poké Balls is to borrow the concept of a lu, or spirit register, from Daoist traditions.
A lu is a record of spirits’ names who can be called on
for service, using written paper talismans called fu. Te
concept translates easily to one’s record of their own
Pokémon and fu used to call them into battle.
Te PC Storage System: Characters in a wuxia campaign may have a home base of some sort, such as the
temple for their martial artists’ society, where reserve
Pokémon can be stored. However, this makes keeping a
rotating team of Pokémon difcult at best and infeasible
for many campaigns. You may wish to warn your players that a smaller and more focused roster of Pokémon
are more appropriate for campaigns of this genre.
Pokémon Centers: Te practice of neigong is ofen
portrayed to have applications to healing, particularly when making use of accupunctural pressure points.
Tose who know how to navigate the social world of the
jianghu well will probably fnd healers willing to treat
them and their Pokémon wherever they go.
TMs and HMs: In a world themed afer wuxia stories,
it makes much more sense to populate the world with
many specialized Move Tutors than it does to have TMs
and HMs be consumable items. Te passing down of
techniques from mentor to pupil is an important aspect
of wuxia stories, and this can make seeking out TM
Moves for a Pokémon much more interesting. If you do
feel the need to use TMs as items, then it is easy enough
to treat them as mystical scrolls that provide instruction
and a training regimen for learning new Moves.
As a GM How Should I Prepare?
Figure out the outlines of a few secret martial arts societies and what techniques and practices they guard
and teach. You will also want to think carefully about
each PC and their goals and desires. Set them up with
intriguing and personal nemeses, as the dramatic buildup to a fnal showdown is the most common way to
treat a basic wuxia plot arc.Genre and Setting
22
Te Nature of Types and Pokémon
•	 Where do the 18 Pokémon Types come from in
your world?
•	 Are they like the building blocks of the world like
the classical elements in many settings, or do they
play a less fundamental role in reality?
•	 Has the list of Types always been the same, or has it
changed over time? What causes that change?
•	 Pokémon obviously have Types, but humans do not
- why, and what does it mean to be “Typeless”?
•	 What other fundamental diﬀerences exist between
humans and Pokémon?
Pokémon are essentially magical animals, so when
looking to defne the nature of magic in a setting, you
look frst to them and their most distinctive traits - the
18 elemental Types.
Te origin of the 18 Types will also feed into how supernatural powers operate in your world. Did Arceus
create an unchanging spectrum of Types from day one
of creation? Or do the existing Types in the world ebb
and ﬂow along with the memories and thoughts of the
world’s collective consciousness? Many possibilities exist here that could lead to dramatic events in your campaign, such as introducing the creation of a new Type
like Fairy midway through.
You will also need to defne just what the Types are in
your cosmology. Some schools of classical philosophy
use a set of elements as the fundamental building blocks
of the world, and others use them in more of a fgurative
way to describe processes of change. You should decide
whether the world is literally composed of bits of each
Type, or whether the qualities that are ascribed to Type
are a layer on top of the normal composition of matter
and energy as we understand it.
Given that humans lack Type, it’s easiest in most cases
to simply say that having a Type and the eﬀects of such
are a product of a magical property all Pokémon have.
If you do decide to make Types the fundamental building blocks of your universe, you then need to fgure out
what makes humans diﬀerent. Are they composed of all
of the Types and thus end up Typeless due to them canceling out? Or are they composed of some neutral 19th
element? Tink about what this means for humans who
do wield Type-based powers like Elementalists and Psychics - this would seem to make them metaphysically
closer to Pokémon than their mundane companions
Tis has implications when it comes to other diﬀerences between Trainers and Pokémon too, such as that the
latter can evolve suddenly into other forms and can be
contained in Poké Balls. It could be something in the nature of Types and why Pokémon have them that makes
them susceptible to Poké Ball technology.
Te Supernatural and Metaphysics
Where do the Pokémon Types come from? How diﬀerent are Aura Guardians, Telepaths, and other Elementalists
from each other? Pokémon is by its nature fantastical, but the franchise itself does little to explore the nature and
origin of supernatural abilities such as Sabrina’s psionic powers or Riley talents as an Aura Guardian. However,
these very issues ofen come to the forefront of Fantasy genre campaigns. Magic systems, detailed metaphysics,
and the unique supernatural phenomena tied to those systems ofen characterize popular works of fantasy, so it’s
important to explore these concepts when GMing a Fantasy campaign in PTU.
While it’s best to defne the nature of the supernatural and create your own system of metaphysics for your campaign, we’ll provide examples and brainstorming ideas for how to handle that, including a fully ﬂeshed out system
of metaphysics that will be used in two of the sample campaign settings later in this book. Each section here will
begin with a few questions you should ask yourself when thinking about the Metaphysics of your world, and then
it’ll explore ways to answer some of those questions and the explanations for supernatural power that can come
from that.Genre and Setting
23
Supernatural Power Sources
•	 What does Elemental Connection represent, and
how is it obtained?
•	 Do the various Elemental Connections and their related Feature Trees diﬀer substantially in nature, or
are they diﬀerent ﬂavors of the same kind of trait?
•	 Are supernatural powers largely in-born traits or
the products of training? Both?
•	 What other sources of supernatural power exist outside of the Type structure of Pokémon?
•	 Does supernatural power fundamentally change a
person?
As mentioned above, having supernatural power from
Feature Trees tied to Elemental Connections can represent a drastic change to a person, bringing them closer to Pokémon. What this means can vary. Perhaps the
change is absolutely central to someone’s being, and
their soul (or the equivalent in your setting) shows differences from that of someone who has no powers. On
the other hand, an Elemental Connection may be external, like a persistent spell or blessing that happens to
latch onto someone.
Te way this manifests can be diﬀerent in each case,
however. Here’s a short list of possible sources of Elemental Connection:
•	 Genetic inheritance, possibly due to a blessed or
cursed bloodline
•	 Birth in proximity to elemental phenomena
•	 Sudden manifestation due to exposure to elemental
phenomena
•	 Change induced from repeated magic rituals or
consuming potions and reagents over time
•	 Blessing from a Legendary Pokémon or a bargain
made with them
Aura reading and Telepathy may be in-born traits in
your world, while a dedication to studying herbology
could be the basis of a Grass Connection and Druidic powers, while only those blessed by a Legendary
Pokémon ever manifest a Dragon Connection and the
powers of a Herald of Pride.
On the other hand, you may decide that Elemental
Connection is completely uniform in how it manifests
in a person. It is always a genetically inherited trait, or
it is only present in those who are born near powerful
manifestations of a particular Type, or it is always the
product of some form of dedicated study and training.
Aside from the 18 Types, other sources of supernatural
power could exist in your world, especially if you style
your setting afer a particular real life culture or draw
heavily from those inﬂuences. As an example, blood as
a representation of life and vitality may have magical
properties in your world and be crucial to rituals like
performing Type Syncs. Powerful expressions of art,
such as music and story may also manifest as magic in
your world, helping to explain the eﬀects and talents of
Musicians and Dancers, or giving reason to the power
of Legendary Pokémon - they grow with the strength of
their associated myths and legends.
Supernatural Phenomena and Magic
•	 What other supernatural phenomena do you need
to explain in your system?
•	 Are there places of magical power in the world or
otherworlds?
•	 What about magical artifacts, enchanted items, etc?
•	 Does an aferlife exist? What is the nature of death?
•	 How do these supernatural phenomena aﬀect
Pokémon and potential variant Pokémon in the setting?
Primary among these concerns is that of life and death.
With a Ghost Type in Pokémon, you have to be careful
with how you treat the nature of death in your setting.
Do people and Pokémon who die actually turn into
Ghost Pokémon? If so, what do they remember, and
what happens when a Ghost Type dies? If not, where do
Ghost Pokémon come from, and why do they have their
name? You may decide that strong emotional impressions lef upon the world by the dying become Ghost
Pokémon with little or no recollection of their origin,
and that the actual soul of humans and Pokémon enter
a cycle of reincarnation. Or perhaps there’s a more defnite realm of the aferlife, perhaps with Giratina overseeing it like a Hades fgure.
Outside of that, you should decide how supernatural
power manifests itself in places and things, and not justGenre and Setting
24
Pokémon and humans. If you use Types as the building
blocks of your universe, for example, consider whether
or not pure “elemental planes” representing the Types
exist. And even if you treat the Types as just properties
that Pokémon have, perhaps some locations are infused
with the energy of a certain Type, such as the shrines
for certain Legendary Pokémon. Tese locations are
ripe for creating Type Shifed Pokémon or variants to
reﬂuﬀ Pokémon that are normally tied to technologies
too advanced for your setting - a crystalline elemental
plane of Normal Type energies to match the Prism and
to house a Porygon variant that travels through magical
crystals, for example.
Tis is also where you should consider some features
of the Pokémon universe such as Giratina’s Distortion
World, the Unown dimension, and the Dream World,
which didn’t get a huge amount of explanation or exploration. Is the Dream World just an elemental plane
of Psychic energy, or is it more Type-neutral? Did the
Unown come into being when language was created?
And if so, what does that mean about the nature of their
dimension?
And of course, most fantasy settings feature magical artifacts of some sort. Aside from the power held in Elemental Stones and many Held Items like Mega Stones,
you may create other objects imbued with the properties
of one or more Types. Te next chapter on fantasy items
will include an Alchemy system to help create equipment with these traits. You may decide that magical
items may give oﬀ an Aura much like living creatures,
and items with particular elemental strength may exhibit special properties, such as a Dark Type item being
impossible to scry upon or fnd with Psychic powers.Genre and Setting
25
Example Systems
Tese examples won’t answer all of the questions above, but they’ll give enough information to fgure out how
supernatural characters work and diﬀerentiate diﬀerent supernatural Feature Trees.
Mystic Traditions
Tis is probably as close as we can get to a “default” system of metaphysics for Pokémon, considering the lack
of canonical Elementalist powers and the little information that is given on canonical supernatural abilities like
psionics and Aura.
Pokémon Types are not the building blocks of reality
here but instead are just properties that Pokémon have
and which humans can sometimes access through select means. Each manifestation of an Elemental Connection and its associated Feature Trees diﬀers in origin
and training.
Despite the fact that all living things possess an Aura,
Aura manipulation is an innate talent, and not one that
someone can acquire by training or through supernatural accident. You are either born with the potential or
not, but the skill to use and control Aura as an Aura
Guardian must be honed like any other.
Psionic talent is largely the same, and considered a
genetically inherited trait. However, there are rare instances where a human may come into contact with a
powerful psychic phenomena, like Celebi’s time traveling, and gain psionic abilities as a result. In the latter
case, a person may even develop strong Psychic powers
without any real training.
However, other supernatural talents primarily result
from training, experience, and circumstance, rather
than birth.
Te Unown usually choose Rune Masters from those
who discover artifacts related to them, ofen those who
feel a great need or desire that requires supernatural
power to satisfy. At other times, it appears like pure
whim who is graced with the ability to manipulate the
letter Pokémon. In any case, it’s impossible to guarantee
that the Unown will “accept” you and grant you their
power, no matter how much time you pour into collecting and studying their artifacts.
Te supernatural empathy that characters like N demonstrate is also a byproduct of experience rather than innate talent. Growing up near Pokémon rather than people and connecting with them has allowed his ability to
understand Pokémon grow to literally magical levels.
Most Channelers come from a similar background and
feel like they’re more at home with Pokémon than with
other humans. In any case, it also takes an open and
accepting personality to develop these powers, and this
suggests that other expressions of strong personality
traits may similarly develop into supernatural powers
with the right environment to nurture them. For example, a Herald of Pride requires a boastful and prideful
personality and a near constant exposure to Dragon
Type Pokémon, while a Wind Runner is born from
an exceptionally free spirit living among Flying Types
since an early age.
Te abilities of Ninjas, Sages, and Hex Maniacs are largely gained from dedicated study, as are those of Druids
and Stone Warriors. Tools and implements as well as
specialized training routines are much more important
to those wielding these supernatural powers.
As for the rest of the Elementalist Feature Trees, they’re
easy to sort into categories as you like. Maelstroms,
Swarmlords, and Steelhearts grow from appropriate personalities with heavy exposure to their respective types.
Prisms and Glamour Weavers fnd themselves graced
with power by chance or the blessing of a Legendary
Pokémon. Apparitions and Shade Callers are born with
their powers. Miasmics could be derived from an obscure Ninja tradition. And so on and so forth.Genre and Setting
26
Practices of Neigong
Tis Chinese-inspired system of metaphysics is perfect
for a Wuxia campaign and takes a more unifed approach to the nature of supernatural powers than the
Mystic Traditions framework.
Elemental Types are not a basic building block of matter, but they are basic building blocks for life and specifically life energy, or Qi. Pokémon are born with the natural capability to channel and control ﬂows of Qi within
their body in line with certain elemental Types, and in
fact they can never change the nature of their internal
energies, which is what binds them to certain Types.
Humans, in comparison, are born without this innate
knowledge but as a result can learn methods of internal alchemy which let them control the nature of the Qi
ﬂow in their bodies. As a result, all Elemental Connection Feature Trees require a general practice of aligning
one’s body, breath, and mind. As with real life practices
of neigong, there exist manifold methods for achieving
internal balance, and in this framework they are used
to achieve mastery of diﬀerent Elemental Connections.
Dynamic choreographed movements such as those
used in Tai Chi are ofen practiced by those seeking a
deeper connection with Types that emphasize ﬂow and
movement, such as Flying, Fighting, and Water.
Practitioners seeking mastery of level and stable Types
like Rock, Steel, and Ground use training based on
holding static stances for long periods of time.
Meditation and visualization exercises beneft those
seeking Psychic, Dark, or Dragon Type power, and
those who want to become a Prism must become adept
at clearing their heads and letting thought and energy
merely ﬂow through it.
Not all neigong is based on purely internal practice either. Use of medicines and other external aids, including Pokémon, is the centerpiece of Grass and Bug Connection, and these techniques are also used for many of
the Supernatural Feature Trees which don’t require an
Elemental Connection.
No one in this framework is simply born with supernatural powers. Everyone who attains that level of mastery
has trained for it and dedicated themselves to a particular philosophy and method for attaining internal balance and control of their qi ﬂows.
Divine Bloodlines
Tis framework also unifes all Types and Elemental
Connections under one umbrella, but it makes most
supernatural powers hereditary in nature rather than
trained skills, with a twist on their origin.
At one point in history, Pokémon did not exist, and the
universe functioned much like ours did. No one knows
exactly when or why Pokémon came into being, but
when they did, their existence fundamentally changed
the nature of reality. Elemental Types are not the only
building blocks of reality, but they color and inﬂuence
a great deal of how they work and are present in all
Pokémon.
In the early days of the age of Pokémon, pure expressions of the Elemental Types, known as the Outer Gods
(read the appropriate section in the Blessed and the
Damned for more) appeared before humanity to help
guide them through the crisis caused by the sudden
appearance of Pokémon. Much like the ancient gods
of many cultures, these Outer Gods ofen took human
form and had children among mortals, who were then
blessed with a fraction of their power. With each successive generation, however, the strength of that divine
blood waned.
Today, most people who have divine ancestors do not
even know it, and the family trees are too muddled to
accurately trace whether any given individual or family has divine origins. It takes a unique combination of
circumstance, strength of personality, and pre-existing
skill to awaken a latent Elemental Connection. Most
who do feel a quiet calling in the back of their head
to act as an agent of their Outer God ancestor, most
of whom have retreated from civilization to elemental
Otherworlds and are now known as little more than ancient myths and legends.Genre and Setting
27
Te Supernatural Feature Trees that don’t require Elemental Connections were largely developed in ancient
times to combat rogue children of the Outer Gods, who
ofen abused the much more potent elemental powers
that resulted from their more direct connection to their
divine forebearers. For example, it’s suspected that Unown were originally invented to create a dimensional
prison for Outer Gods or their children, though present
day Rune Masters would hardly have the knowledge to
recreate that kind of application.
Elemental Anima, a Pokémon Metaphysics
Te Pokémon universe contains many elements that the
canonical media does not quite fully explain. How do
Pokémon evolve with such rapidity? Why are Poké Balls
able to contain them but not humans? How do humans
come to manifest supernatural abilities such as Aura
Manipulation and Telekinesis? Why are birds naturally
resistant to punches?
Te Game of Trohs supplement for PTU adds to these
questions with the Elementalist Suite of Trainer Classes - now Trainers can gain supernatural powers aligned
with any of the 18 Types of Pokémon, not just the Fighting-associated Aura or the Psychic-associated Psionics.
Tis framework is designed primarily for the Visiwa setting included in this book but has a couple extra ideas
and can be used for any fantastical Pokémon setting to
provide a foundation for explaining the supernatural elements of the franchise and how supernatural Trainer
Classes work.
As you might have inferred from the title, this framework is based on animism, a set of beliefs seen in religions and other spiritual beliefs throughout history
that posits that all things in nature - humans, animals,
plants, even rocks and other inanimate objects - house
an animating spirit or soul. Another common idea in
animist beliefs is a separation between the physical and
spiritual realms, which will also be used in this framework. If you want to do some of your own research and
reading on the topic, take a look at indigenous tribal religions, such as those in the Americas and Philippines,
or at Shinto, for a good start.
Te Nature of Pokémon and Humans
In our framework, we’ll call these spirits Anima, and
there are 19 varieties of Anima. Of these, 18 varieties
are associated with the 18 elemental Types of Pokémon.
Tese are the Elemental Anima, and every Pokémon
is animated by a spirit with the aspects of at least one
of these 18 Anima. But there also exists a 19th variety
called the Origin Anima or Creation Anima. Tis latter
variety is (usually) exclusive to human beings.
Humans are therefore inherently diﬀerent from all
Pokémon on a spiritual level, which is very important
for this framework. Te Origin Anima is known for
stability in its growth and development - hence why
humans mostly appear share the same body type, aside
from minor diﬀerences such as coloration and other
aesthetic diﬀerences. In contrast, the Elemental Anima
are far more versatile in how they express themselves
in the physical world; a Fire Anima can animate animal-like Pokémon such as Charmander and Torkoal
as well as stranger creatures like Slugma and Litwick.
However, as the name suggests, the Origin or Creation
Anima are also intensely creative. In fact, it is from human thought and imagination that all Pokémon forms
arise. Te Origin Anima acts as a wellspring of inspiration from which the Elemental Anima draws the designs for Pokémon species. As human civilization and
natural philosophy advances, new Pokémon species
come into the world, and new Elemental Anima, such
as the Steel Anima, may even develop.
Tis diﬀerence between the Origin Anima and the Elemental Anima also explains Poké Ball technology and
Pokémon evolution. Te stability of the Origin Anima
does not allow the rapid form changing of Pokémon
evolution, and Poké Ball technology relies upon the inherent mutability of Elemental Anima in order to turn
Pokémon into energy - a form of pure Anima rather
than physical form.
How exactly the process of new Pokémon creation occurs is a place where you can put your own interpretation into your setting and give it personal ﬂair. New
Pokémon species may arise spontaneously all the time,Genre and Setting
28
with local populations completely driven by the whimsy
of human dreams and stories. You may instead decide
that new Pokémon species arise in large batches, afer
the Origin Anima becomes full with new ideas or has
time to process the creative output of human civilization for an extended period of time. Tis is an easy way
to introduce the concept of diﬀerent Generations of
Pokémon if you wish to give signifcance to that way of
organizing Pokémon in your campaign.
Te position of Legendary Pokémon is also up to interpretation in this framework. You may use Legendary
Pokémon as near deities, powerful entities that have an
innate inﬂuence over the Elemental Anima and may
even be living embodiments of them. Tis could come
about due to the very rare instances where a Pokémon
has an aspect of the Origin Anima within them.
Alternatively, you may simply have them be Pokémon
that contain a large amount of Elemental Anima and are
rare but otherwise completely normal. An idea you will
see used in both the settings oﬀered here is that Legendary Pokémon need worship and belief from humans in
order to maintain their power, and they will usually be
tied to locations that are signifcant in the human collective consciousness.
Pokémon Types and Teir Anima
What each Pokémon Type represents in this metaphysical framework might not be immediately clear, especially when it comes to creating landscapes that are
infused with the Elemental Anima of Types such as
Dragon. Most of the Types are fairly obvious, however.
Grass would be associated with lush forests, Rock and
Ground would be associated with caves and mountains,
Fire would be associated with volcanoes, and so on and
so forth. Combinations may exist as well, such as hot
springs and geysers associated with both Fire and Water.
Here are some ideas for what some of the Types can represent:
•	 Dragon and Fighting-Type both represent life and
vitality to some extent.
•	 In the case of Dragon, this association is more wild
and untamed, like vitalism growing out of control.
Terrains infused with Dragon Anima would also
tend further toward the extremes. Dragon Anima in
the oceans would produce treacherous waves, and
Dragon Anima in the mountains produces jagged
and perilous peaks. Both locations would be fraught
with extreme weather.
•	 Fighting on the other hand represents life in a state
of disciplined conﬂict. Hills and valleys in the area
would produce what seem like natural arenas and
training grounds, and the wildlife in the area would
be intensely competitive with each other.
•	 Ghost-Types represent the imprints or remnants of
the memories of the deceased. Travelers wandering
through these lands are haunted with hallucinations
of loved ones long dead as the land turns their own
memories against them.
•	 Dark-Type lands are deceptive and fraught with
hidden danger. Lakes and oceans hide a treacherous
undercurrent which pulls unwary swimmers down
to their deaths. Natural pitfall traps and quicksand
appear in dark forests and marshes.
•	 Fairy-infused locales have an air of mysticism about
them. Landforms and plants ofen have a sof glow
that betrays their nature, and foraging for food in
these areas can be an unpredictable and potentially
hazardous endeavor - eating berries, mushrooms,
and other plants and fungi from a Fairy-Typed land
can have unexpected side-eﬀects, from giving the
eater magical compulsions to causing temporary
minor glamour eﬀects on their appearance.
In a similar fashion to how the land itself can be infused
with Elemental Anima, the attacks and Moves that
Pokémon are infused with them as well. Tis may seem
obvious, but this is the reason why a punch performed
as a Mega Punch will barely tick an Aggron while a
punch performed as a Focus Punch can deal devastating double super-eﬀective damage. Te technique for
performing the latter calls Fighting-Type Anima and
changes the very nature of the attack itself.
Trainers and Supernatural Powers
What does this mean for humans with supernatural
powers? While most humans are purely of the Origin
Anima, some may be born with an aspect of an Elemental Anima as well - which is represented in the system as
the Elemental Connection Edge. Still others may have
their spirit forcefully infused with an Elemental AnimaGenre and Setting
29
through outside inﬂuence - blessings from Legendary
Pokémon, accidents involving areas of high Elemental
Anima concentration, and purposeful use of magic rituals are all ways this can happen. Elementalists, Psychics,
Aura Guardians, and other supernatural abilities all result from this kind of spiritual blending. More ‘generic’
supernatural abilities that aren’t tied to a certain Type,
such as Channeling can be explained as greater spiritual
sensitivity, an awareness of the Elemental Anima and
ability to manipulate it that most humans do not share.
In settings written with this framework as a foundation,
the occult is not some mysterious and esoteric art that
few know of and understand. It is used on a daily basis, and most people would make use of simple rituals
and “magic” just as ofen as they use “technology”. Apricorns are the frst and most widespread example of this,
as it takes a simple magical ritual anyone can perform to
unlock their latent potential and create Apricorn Balls
out of them.
A World in Flux
Another consequence of the stability of the Origin Anima and the volatility of the Elemental Anima is that the
entire world exists in a state of constant ﬂux, and the
only points of stability are major human civilizations.
Landmarks and particularly well known locations - the
ones that have taken root in human imagination, are
well known among many people, or have stories told
about them - remain in place as long as they are remembered, but the rest of the land twists and contorts
as if alive itself. And in a way, it is most defnitely alive;
the land is infused with latent Elemental Anima, which
determine which Types of Pokémon most commonly
come to inhabit the area.
For example, a particularly ancient tree or a tall rock
outcropping covered in vines may have become deeply
embedded in local knowledge of a forest, and thus they
would remain and could act as consistent touchstones
for travelers trying to fnd their way. However, the surrounding forest will change, with springs and creeks
fading in and out of existence, large groves and clearings appearing at arbitrary points, and even small hills
and valleys growing from the ground.
Travelers therefore can rarely rely on maps more detailed than a list of landmarks, and navigating the wilds
is a highly valued and difcult skill.
Tere’s a method to this madness, however. An area will
never change in a way that is signifcantly alien to its
latent Elemental Anima. A forest flled with Bug and
Grass Anima will probably forever remain a forest or
grassland of some form, though it may change through
the ages from a thick and lush rainforest to fragrant and
colorful feld of ﬂowers. Of course, there are ways in
which Elemental Anima may come and go from an area,
and thus a particular location may change Elemental
alignment as new Anima shif in or even become barren
in the absence of strong Elemental Anima nearby.
You might wonder why we’re including such an odd
phenomena in our metaphysical framework. Te answer’s quite simple really. It gives a good reason for the
wilderness to be a dangerous and unpredictable place,
and it makes traveling and pathfnding into a viable profession. Skilled Trainers would become invaluable assets
for merchants who need to fnd their way through the
wilderness, as it would be nearly impossible to establish
consistently safe paths through the wild. Te world will
likely never enter an age where exploration is “done”.
Te world will continue to change as human thought
changes, and there will always be more to discover.
As a GM, you should introduce ideas for how to allow
PCs to better navigate the ﬂux of the wilds, which can
be interpreted as an innate ability to ‘read’ the ambient Elemental Anima in an area, or as an expression of
the Origin Anima and its creative force on the world
around it - rather than discover a safe path through the
wilds, a very willful human may actually unconsciously
create that path as they travel.
Te Dream World
Obviously, with a metaphysics framework that makes
everything into spirits, there’s a lot of room for magical
planes beyond our own. Many settings have a concept
of a spirit world where the reﬂections and ideas behind
real physical objects have their purer spiritual form. In
this framework, that place is the Dream World. We said
before that the human subconscious fuels the process
of populating the world with Pokémon, and the placeGenre and Setting
30
these ideas take form and grow before fnding their way
into the real world is the Dream World.
One never directly visits the Dream World physically.
It’s not like stepping into a door and coming out in a
diﬀerent place. Rather, it’s like peeling back a layer of an
onion, in this case the layer of the physical world, and
peering within. It’s not easy to do. Dream Mist created
by certain Pokémon species can help the process, and
of course it is much easier to do while one is asleep and
dreaming, with their minds in a mutable state. Dedicated Dream World enthusiasts will brew tea and other
concoctions using the Dream Mist to help them peer
through the veil.
Normal humans are the most “pure” form of Origin
Anima and have the easiest time perceiving and manipulating the Dream World. Humans with an aspect
of Elemental Anima ofen have trouble perceiving or
inﬂuencing anything in the Dream World that doesn’t
directly relate to their chosen Type. Everything else is a
bit blurred and feels ephemeral. Part of the reason behind this setting decision is to give normal humans a
bit more utility in a fantastical setting where they might
be overshadowed by their more magical counterparts
when it comes to plot hooks and interesting mystical
adventures.
So what does one actually do in the Dream World?
Well, this is the “factory” where new Pokémon species
are created. Te united force of the whole world’s collective consciousness drives this factory, which means one
individual human, even if they’re peering directly into
the Dream World and touching it, cannot do much to
inﬂuence the overall direction of things.
However, it’s possible to “steal” from this factory and
take Pokémon out before they’re ready to be introduced
to the rest of the world. Such a brazen defance of the
natural order is not without its dangers, of course. You
may decide that Legendary Pokémon act as spiritual guardians to this realm, seeking out and punishing
those who would steal from it. Or you may simply decide Pokémon taken out early are unformed and unstable, causing a myriad of problems around them.
Te Dream World is also a good way to gain insight and
hand out plot information, from diving into an important NPC’s dreams, to fnding the spiritual source of a
disaster in the physical world. Oracles may also draw
on the Dream World when performing their Auguries.
Demesnes: Pokémon and the Origin Anima
As described further above, there are rare instances where Pokémon carry a bit of the Origin Anima in
them as well, instead of being purely of Elemental Anima. Tis phenomenon should be treated as very rare in
a setting, as its implications are quite drastic: Te infusion of a Pokémon with Origin Anima causes them to
inﬂuence and warp their surroundings with their mere
presence and thought, similar to humans.
However, unlike humans, individual Pokémon that carry the Origin Anima have a signifcant eﬀect on their
environments and can alter them consciously, shaping
them into mystical realms that seem to exist in another
dimension all on their own but blend seamlessly into
normal. At one moment, a group of Trainers may be
going on what they think is a routine walk in the forest,
and in the next, they are trekking through the labyrinthine mystical Demesne of an Origin-empowered Torterra.
Tese Demesnes have heightened supernatural qualities. A forest is flled with walking trees that will uproot
and rearrange themselves, closing oﬀ parts of the forest
while opening new paths. Trainers will fnd themselves
suddenly engulfed by a rising wall of water as coral reefs
spring into existence around them, but afer a moment’s
panic, they realize they can breathe the water.
While it is easy to wander into a Demesne by mistake,
it is difcult or impossible not to realize where you are
once you’ve gone further inside. You can think of them
as the spiritual domains of local deities, and in fact if you
were to use the idea of Legendary Pokémon in a setting
with this metaphysics framework, giving them a piece
of Origin Anima and creating a sprawling Demesne
for them within a shrine dedicated to their worship is a
good way to do so. You may also decide that belief and
worship powers a Pokémon’s Demesne. Te more humans worship and revere (or fear) these Pokémon, the
more they subconsciously lend them strength through
the subtle ways that the Origin Anima changes the
world, and the more these Pokémon grow.Genre and Setting
31
Te Pokémon who control these Demesnes have several
advantages in battle as well. First of all, every Pokémon
of this nature should be created using the Boss Template.
Te infusion of Origin Anima, the essence of creation,
into a Pokémon drastically increases their strength. Second of all, the Origin Anima makes them impossible to
capture with Poké Ball technology, similar to humans.
Tird of all, the inﬂuence these Pokémon wield over
their Demesnes extends so far as to allow them to create other Pokémon on the ﬂy to act as allies in battle.
Finally, whether they are true Legendaries or not, these
Pokémon should be able to control their environments
to help them fght and conjure up eﬀects similar to Legendary Auras in the Blessed and Damned supplement
book. For example, the Origin-infused Torterra acting
as a local deity may wield the Creation and Life Auras
when faced in battle.
Fantasy Pokémon Variants
Tere are a few Pokémon species that assume a certain level of scientifc advancement that might seem problematic for a fantasy game. Fret not, because we’ll be discussing those species here and how you can make them more
setting appropriate. Also here are a few other fantasy variants to spice up a few species, and present some ideas you
could extend to additional ones as well!
Te Antikythera Pokémon
Tis set of variant Pokémon is based on the Antikythera
Mechanism, an ancient device used for predicting the
movements of cosmic bodies and a precursor to analog computers. Mysterious devices created by ancient
civilizations are a dime a dozen in fantasy settings, and
they provide a way to integrate oddball or anachronistic
Pokémon into a campaign in an interesting way. Tis
machine has three Pokémon as its primary components.
Te Klink line makes up the bulk of the device, ancient
rusted gears which representing mechanical knowledge
beyond what one might expect of civilizations of the
time. Unlike normal versions of the Klink family, these
Pokémon cluster into larger groups, sometimes comprising up to a dozen gears constantly churning towards
a mysterious purpose.
Unown engraved upon the surface of the machine may
come to life to observe those who examine the machine
and are thought to provide instructions for operation or
ways to read the information it uncovers. Whatever the
standard written language is for your setting, these Unown are not in that language. You could choose to use
Greek letters, Chinese characters, or even make something up all your own.
Voltorb are used as an arcane power source for this machine, and they are the only aspect of this write-up that
isn’t based on a detail of the real Antikythera Mechanism. In addition to harnessing Electricity in some novel way for the device, these Voltorb seem to be linked to
the Sun and Moon, and possibly other cosmic bodies.
Researchers presume that they serve some purpose in
the astronomical applications of the machine.
Mechanics:
•	 Klink: Lose Plus/Minus for Technician. Lose Early
Bird. Targeting System becomes an Advanced Ability. Te High Ability becomes Cluster Mind. Replace
Charge Beam with Spark, Mirror Shot with Magnet Bomb, Discharge with Wild Charge, and Hyper
Beam with Meteor Mash.
•	 Unown: No mechanical changes here, only a ﬂuﬀ
one on the side of both Unown and Rune Masters.
•	 Voltorb: Becomes Electric/Fairy Type. Replace
Soundproof with choice of Starlight or Sunglow.
Replace Rollout with Moonlight or Morning Sun.
Replace Swif with Dazzling Gleam. Replace Gyro
Ball with Moonblast.Clockwork Porygon
Porygon is a tricky Pokémon to implement in historical
settings for obvious reasons. Digital computers didn’t
exist until very recently in human history, and Porygon
are practically wedded to those technologies. However,
this variant is based upon analog computers, of which
we have uncovered examples dating back to antiquity.
While not much appears to be diﬀerent at frst glance,
a closer examination of the Pokémon reveals that it is
made from stained glass rather than a futuristic plastic
compound, and one can just barely make out the movement of myriad cogs and gears on the inside.
Mechanics: Loses Wired for the Machine Spirit Capability. Tis Capability allows the Clockwork Porygon to
inﬂuence and control simple machines around it, much
like a normal Porygon can control electronics. However, it cannot “jump in” and possess a machine the same
way its modern-day variant does.
Fire Elemental Chandelure
Beings of pure elemental essence are surprisingly short
in supply in the Pokémon world, for all its focus on elemental Types. However, it’s fairly easy to create such
creatures by stripping away the Ghost-Typing from certain species and treating them as pure manifestations of
their secondary Type.
Tis approach can be used for other elementals as well,
such as turning a Rotom into a lightning elemental or a
Jellicent into a water elemental.
Mechanics: Becomes pure Fire-Type. Replace Soulstealer with Fox Fire, and Infltrator with Heat Mirage.
Replace Night Shade with Swif, Imprison with Incinerate, Hex with Fiery Dance, Curse with Morning Sun,
and Shadow Ball with Solar Beam.
Loses Phasing, Invisibility, and Dead Silent. Gains
Amorphous.
Haunted Armor Golurk
It is said there once lived a great king who always received his audience alone in his throne room and kept
no personal guard. Trough years of courtly intrigue,
threats from foreign nations, and even unrest and
near-civil war, he persisted in this policy and yet he never fell prey to any threat to his person. Some stories sing
praises of the king’s martial prowess and champion the
notion that his ability in single combat was too great for
any assassin to overcome, no matter their preparations
or advantage in numbers.
However, the truth is much simpler. Lining the walls of
his throne room were the suits of armor belonging to
all the greatest heroes and warriors of his kingdom. Every time a knight of legend fell in battle, the king would
send his magisters to seek and bind the soul of the fallen
knight to the armor they wore in life, to become eternal
sentinels and secret guardians for his throne room.
Tis Golurk variant takes on the appearance of a suit of
armor, rather than a golem or automation, and when it
is inactive, it is virtually indistinguishable from an ordinary suit of armor. It can be used in a dungeon crawl
campaign as an ambush encounter to keep players on
their toes, or as guardians to an ancient and sacred
place. Tese Golurks are ofen paired with the Honedge
line, and together, they are a devastating combination.
Mechanics: Becomes Ghost/Steel Type. Gains the
Wielder Capability. Replace Iron Fist with Bulletproof,
Klutz with Sturdy, and No Guard with Parry. Replace
Mud-Slap with Bullet Punch, Magnitude with Iron
Head, and Earthquake with Meteor Mash.Genre and Setting
33
Homunculus Reuniclus
Te Solosis line of Pokémon were invented as part
of an experiment in creating artifcial humans. Te
products were anything but human, but remnants of
the project or instructions for their creation can be
found in the ruins of deserted alchemists’ labs, waiting
to be rediscovered. Each Solosis has an intense desire
to become more human, and when they fnd a Trainer,
they will do everything in their power to emulate the
qualities that they believe constitute humanity.
Tis variety of Solosis cannot reach its fully-evolved
state without the help of a human teaching it and
showing it how to act more human. It will latch onto
them and the values and desires they teach, which
inﬂuences their fnal evolutionary form.
Mechanics: Tis Solosis variant is Normal-Type and
has the following changes to its Move List: Psywave
becomes Sonic Boom, Psyshock becomes Swif, Future
Sight becomes Trump Card, Psychic becomes Hyper
Beam, Heal Block becomes Recycle, and Wonder
Room becomes Lucky Chant.
However, in order to evolve into a Reuniclus, this
variant needs to learn and embrace a type of desire that
it considers formative to its humanity. Te desire it embraces determines the Type it becomes upon evolving
into a Reuniclus, with its Move List changing accordingly. A fully realized Homunculus Reuniclus also
gains a Trainer Feature based on the desire they embraced. For the purposes of this variant, when such a
Feature refers to “your Pokémon”, it instead aﬀects this
Reuniclus only.
Te fve types of desire are: desire for knowledge, desire for pleasure, desire for power, desire for belonging,
and desire for freedom. Use the table below as a reference. Note that a Reuniclus that embraces a desire for
pleasure retains its Normal Typing and Moves and that
a desire for knowledge has diﬀerent Moves than the
original despite having the same Psychic-Type.
Desire Knowledge Pleasure Power Belonging Freedom
Type Psychic Normal Dragon Fairy Flying
Level 1 Move Psywave Sonic Boom Dragon Rage Fairy Wind Gust
Level 25 Move Psyshock Swif Dragon Breath Dazzling Gleam Air Cutter
Level 31 Move Psychic Trump Card Dragon Pulse Moonblast Air Slash
Level 39 Move Psycho Boost Hyper Beam Draco Meteor Light of Ruin Hurricane
Level 54 Move Miracle Eye Recycle Snatch Attract Defog
Level 59 Move Role Play Lucky Chant Mimic Misty Terrain Tailwind
Feature Echoes of the
Future
Dietician Deadly Gambit
Go, Fight, Win! Burst of
SpeedGenre and Setting
34
Honedge Armory
In most ordinary Pokémon campaigns, a sword is just a
sword, and it doesn’t particularly matter if a character is
wielding a katana, a jian, a scimitar, or some other type
of sword. Players in a fantasy campaign, particularly one
with specifc cultural inspirations, will be more discerning and may even pursue a Honedge with a particular
model of sword, rather than the default claymore-like
appearance, on their own initiative.
Similar to the Cofagrigus and Samurott variants presented in this chapter, this variant is primarily designed
to help you resolve cultural inconsistencies that may
come from using particular Pokémon in your campaign.
Mechanics: Te following variants are mechanically
identical to the original Honedge line except for two
crucial diﬀerences. Tey each switch out King’s Shield
for a diﬀerent Shield Move, and they grant diﬀerent
Moves when being wielded as a Living Weapon.
Duelist’s Honedge: Tis variant begins as a thin rapier, evolves into a pair of daggers as Doublade, and then
fnally becomes a rapier paired with a sword breaker as
Aegislash.
Honedge’s Adept Move: Pierce!
Doublade’s Adept Move: Cheap Shot
Aegislash’s Adept Move: Pierce!
Aegislash’s Master Move: Riposte
Move: Blade Trap
Type: Steel
Frequency: Scene
AC: None
Class: Status
Range: Self, Interrupt, Shield, Trigger
Eﬀect: If the user is hit by an attack, the user may use
Blade Trap. Te user is instead not hit by the Move. You
do not take any damage nor are you aﬀected by any of
the Move’s eﬀects. In addition, if the triggering attack
was Melee ranged, the attacker becomes Vulnerable for
one full round.
Spartan’s Honedge: Tis variant begins as a thick kopis, becomes two smaller xiphos swords when it evolves
into Doublade, and then becomes a kopis again as Aegislash, paired with the iconic aspis shield used by Spartan hoplites. In its fnal form, Aegislash tends to use its
shield for oﬀense just as much as it does its blade half.
Honedge’s Adept Move: Wounding Strike
Doublade’s Adept Move: Pierce!
Aegislash’s Adept Move: Wounding Strike
Aegislash’s Master Move: Titanic Slam
Move: Phalanx
Type: Steel
Frequency: Scene
AC: None
Class: Status
Range: Self, Interrupt, Shield, Trigger
Eﬀect: If the user is hit by an attack, the user may use
Phalanx. Te user is instead not hit by the Move. You
do not take any damage nor are you aﬀected by any of
the Move’s eﬀects. In addition, if the triggering attack
was Melee ranged, the user may immediately perform
an Attack of Opportunity against the attacker.
Jousting Samurott
As hinted by its name, Samurott is based on the samurai
warriors of Japanese history, which makes it a good candidate for a variant Pokémon in more western-inspired
settings. Rather than using its horn for cutting attacks
like Fury Cutter and Slash, this variant is based on European knights and jousting.
In terms of appearance, Samurott’s “armor” and “helmet” take on the appearance of European plate mail,
including a pseudo-visor over its eyes to help protect
them.
Mechanics: Becomes Water/Steel Type and swaps Special Attack and Defense in its Base Stats. Replace Fury
Cutter with Drill Peck, replace Slash with Iron Head,
replace Swords Dance with Iron Defense. Replace the
Inner Focus Ability with Run Up.Genre and Setting
35
Outsider Kabutops
Extraplanar beings are a staple of fantasy works, whether they be eldritch entities whose very existence tears
apart reality, or simpler more benign but still mysterious beings who hail from worlds quite diﬀerent from
our own. Tis Kabutops belongs to the former category,
and it is well known for slaying mages who act with hubris and recklessness in their study of other worlds and
dimensions.
Adding to its fearsome appearance, its form is unstable and erratic in the Pokémon world, as alien forms
of matter and magic struggle to maintain a persistent
state of being in a world of Pokémon’s Elemental Types.
In one moment, it is ephemeral, easily ﬂoating through
walls in pursuit of ﬂeeing victims or to make a quick escape itself. In the next, it becomes jagged and deadly, a
mess of shadowy blades that easily seek out weak points
in even the most well-armored opponent.
Mechanics: Becomes Rock/Dark-Type or Rock/GhostType. Phase Shif becomes its only Basic Ability. Its Advanced Abilities are Sturdy, Shadow Tag, and Battle Armor. Its High Ability depends on its current typing. As
a Ghost-Type, it has Fade Away. As a Dark-Type, it has
Super Luck.
Replace Aqua Jet with Shadow Sneak, Mega Drain with
Pursuit, Slash with Shadow Claw, Ancient Power with
Stone Edge, Wring Out with Phantom Force.
Ability: Phase Shif
At-Will - Shif Action
Eﬀect: Te user changes its Ghost-Typing to Dark-Type
or vice versa.
Has the Phasing Capability while Ghost-Type, and
Mindlock while Dark-Type.
Pegasus Rapidash
Tis one is a bit of a no-brainer. Te Pegasus is one of the
most well-known and recognized mythological creatures, and it is quite easy to imagine the majestic Rapidash as having a winged variant that soars through the
sky. Of course, this raises questions of where such creatures came from. Tey could be magical experiments
conducted between wizards and Pokémon Breeders to
serve a royal army, or perhaps they’re the creations of
bored Gods. Either way, in a setting where these variant Pokémon exist, they are sure to change the face of
warfare.
Mechanics: Becomes Fire/Flying Type. Gains a Sky
Speed of 6 as Ponyta and 9 as Rapidash. Add Wing Attack as a Level 10 Move. Replace Take Down with Acrobatics, and replace Fury Attack with Brave Bird.Genre and Setting
36
Re-Cultured Cofagrigus
In a modern setting with a well-connected world, it’s
easy to take a Pokémon that makes a very specifc cultural reference like Cofagrigus and explain it away as
having been discovered in a faraway land and popularized and spread later.
However, in many historical settings, such Pokémon are
difcult to account for and may be jarring to the overall
feel of the setting. In this case, a variant Cofagrigus simply has a diﬀerent funeral receptacle, rather than a sarcophagus, ftting for whatever best matches the culture
and setting in your campaign. Don’t forget to change
the base form Yamask’s death mask to be appropriate to
your campaign’s setting.
Mechanics: Re-Cultured Cofagrigus have a Type Shif,
the appropriate Move List changes, and a replacement
for their Sand Veil Ability. You may rename Mummy to
be culturally appropriate for your game. Here are some
examples.
•	 Cofn Cofagrigus: Tis Cofagrigus has a wooden
cofn rather than a sarcophagus. Ghost/Grass Type.
Loses Sand Veil for Pressure. Replace Haze with Ingrain, Ominous Wind with Energy Ball, and add
Giga Drain as a Level 42 Move. Adjust TM and Tutor Lists according to this new Type.
•	 Burial Tomb Cofagrigus: Tis Cofagrigus is encased in a stone cofn. Ghost/Rock Type. Loses
Sand Veil for Sturdy. Replace Haze with Stealth
Rock, Ominous Wind with Ancient Power, and add
Earth Power as a Level 42 Move. Adjust TM and Tutor Lists according to this new Type.
•	 Funeral Pyre Cofagrigus: Tis Cofagrigus is composed of burning sticks and other bits of wood in
the shape of a cofn, with a visible skull up top.
Ghost/Fire Type. Loses Sand Veil for Flash Fire.
Replace Haze with Fire Spin, Ominous Wind with
Flame Burst, and add Flamethrower as a Level 42
Move. Adjust TM and Tutor Lists according to this
new Type.Gear and Alchemy
37
Chapter 2: Alchemy
and Gear
Magical weapons, armor and relics are a staple of Fantasy settings and stories. Te entire plots of many works
revolve around these artifacts, and their powers are heavy inﬂuences to the narrative of others. From a tabletop
perspective, they function as both great plot hooks and as milestones for players to work for. Afer all, what swordman doesn’t want that Badass Fire Sword of Fairy Buttkicking?
Tat said, its not always so easy to introduce these items to a game. How rare should they be? How powerful
should they get? Who makes these items and how much should they sell for? How much should I make my players work to get that Badass Fire Sword of Fairy Buttkicking? Fret not, because Alchemy is here to help answer
these questions.
Better Living Trough Alchemy
Historically, Alchemy was an ancient tradition whose
practitioners believed it to be the precursor to various
powers. Te objectives and traditions that Alchemists
followed diﬀered from culture to culture, but there were
a few staple trends.
Te frst of these trends was a set of three goals that
cropped up very commonly in alchemical traditions:
the desire to turn basic metals into noble metals (such
as turning lead into gold), the development of an elixir
of youth, and the development of a Philosopher’s Stone.
Te Philosopher’s stone was believed to be a miracle
substance that could do a variety of things, but the most
common trend was that it was believed to be able to create life, bring back the dead, or grant immortality.
Te second of these trend was that Alchemy was seen
as a protoscience, mixing mythology, magic, religion,
spirituality and other hermetic principals with structured laboratory techniques, theory, terminology and
experimental method. Alchemists had a method to
their madness, and their work paved the way for more
modern sciences like chemistry and medicine.
Te third and most relevant to trend to Pokémon, however, would be that most Alchemists believed that everything in our world was composed of four elements:
Earth, Air, Fire and Water.Gear and Alchemy
38
Taking what we know of traditional alchemical practices, and extending that to the world of Pokémon, things
mesh up pretty well. Te mystical traditions that Alchemists followed already have precedence in the world of
Pokémon through both the various Types of Pokémon
and the other supernatural arts that humans are capable of. Instead of just four elemental types, these Alchemists had eighteen to work with, and the creation of
Pokémon species such as Reuniclus or Mewtwo could
have come about from an Alchemist successfully creating a Philosopher’s Stone.
If we accept that Alchemy is an understood and practiced form of crafsmanship in the world of Pokémon, it
makes it much easier for both players and Game Masters to approach these magical items in a way that’s both
accessible, but also quantifable.
For example, revisiting the Badass Fire Sword of Fairy
Buttkicking. If a player wanted to get an item like this
made, it wouldn’t be out of the question to fnd a blacksmith or alchemist, fnd out what they’d need to get it
made and how much the labor would cost, and then go
gather the reagents.
Or, if the players fnd a Badass Fire Sword of Fairy Buttkicking in an ancient ruin and wish to sell it, fnding
out how much its worth gets much easier when the
Game Master has an idea what it would take to make
this item. Now if only we had some rules to do that...
A Method to the Madness
While there’s a lot of mysticism and spiritual tradition
surrounding alchemy, at its base are a set of concrete
steps and basic procedure that don’t change.
Step 1: Choose the Base
First oﬀ, you need an item that you are attempting to
alchemize a magical property upon. Tis item is known
as the Base of your alchemical formula. Most mundane
equipment, such as weapons, clothing, armor, accessories and tools, make fne Bases.
Consumables and perishables typically do not work
as Bases, nor does trying to use a living organism as a
Base work. One could, for example, alchemically enchant some ink and then tattoo it onto a person, but
you could not directly alchemize the enchantment onto
that person.
While a Base that has previously been enchanted can
be used as a Base in an attempt to change or empower
its enchantment, doing so is not easy and the other reagents required to successfully perform the procedure
are both scarce, and expensive.
Step 2: Choose the Catalyst
Te Catalyst is usually an elemental stone, TM, keepsake, or other common held item. Tey defne the main
quality of the alchemized item, usually a Type alignment but sometimes a particular tendency like being
used for Injuries or Flinching. Fossils can also be used
as Catalysts, and sometimes especially rare Catalysts
can be used such as Type Plates, which have the eﬀect of
a normal Type aligned Catalyst but with a bonus.
Step 3: Add Extras
Extras are typically disposable or consumable items
that can give an alchemized item quirks such as berries,
type gems, dream mist, cleanse tags, etc. Multiple Extras
must ofen be used in the alchemy formula. Tree is a
good baseline.
As their name implies, Extras aren’t required for Alchemy to work. Maybe the item is being made on a budget,
or someone doesn’t care about the ‘of Fairy Buttkicking’
part of the Badass Fire Sword, so they don’t need the
Extras.
Step 4: Alchemize!
If you haven’t already found an Alchemist to perform
the procedure, now’s the time to do so! Once an Alchemist has a Base, a Catalyst, and the required Extras, they
are ready to perform the procedure.
Te one caveat here is that an Alchemist can only Alchemize items when they are within their Alchemical
Lodge. An Alchemical Lodge is essentially a workshopGear and Alchemy
39
that contains a collection of symbols, writings, tools, fetishes and other mystical materials that help the Alchemist record their lore, expand their talent and practice
Alchemy.
Te actual contents of these Lodges diﬀer from Alchemist to Alchemist (an Irish Blacksmith who also practices Alchemy is not going to have the same sort of lodge
as an Indian Sherpa), but their functionality is more or
less identical in that an Alchemist needs to be in their
comfort zone and place of power to perform the ritual.
Te ritual itself takes an Extended Action to perform,
afer which the item is enchanted.
Alchemical Lodges are normally stationary, but can be
set up and taken down in the event the Alchemist has to
move. Setting up or taking down a Lodge takes about
an hour, but it can take up to a week for an Alchemist
to feel acclimated to it once its been moved to a new
location.
Handling Alchemy as a Game Master
Probably the most important thing a Game Master
should be aware of with Alchemy is it is going to severely up the power level of your campaign. Not only
will your players be building and fnding these items,
but your bad guys will need them as well to remain an
actual challenge. Tis can also come back to haunt you
if you give a Boss a really overpowered relic, and your
players defeat them and acquire it. So you should be
prepared for some additional prep work should you decide to include these items!
Tat said, they are a ton of fun on the player side, and
your players will likely really enjoy trying to fgure out
what they need to get a particular eﬀect on a piece of
equipment, or just giving an Alchemist an assortment
of random items and seeing what comes out of it.
While it might only be an Extended Action to enchant
the item, if you feel a little stumped on what the things
the players tried to mix together does mechanically you
shouldn’t feel pressured to answer on the spot. Just let
your player know that you’re going to need some time
to fgure out what the item does, and you’ll let them
know when you’ve fgured it out yourself.
Part of the idea behind the Alchemical Lodge existing
was to help with this, as it encourages players to do their
Alchemy at the beginning or end of a session, when they
are still in town and things are either warming up or
winding down. Players should understand that sometimes their random ideas are going to stump you, but
the results almost always worth the wait.
On the topic of these bonuses, keep in mind that many
eﬀects will imitate, rival, or exceed what may be given
by various Trainer Combat Classes in the system, and
you will have to be aware of this as you assign the eﬀects
of an alchemized item so as not to inadvertently step
on a player’s toes by giving a fellow player an item that
mimics or outdoes their own niche.
Te upside to this is that characters will become defned
by the personalized items they carry and accumulate
through a campaign as well, which gives an additional
level of customization to the players as well as allowing
players to play similar concepts and Class spreads while
still diﬀerentiating their characters from each other, if
they so choose.
As for Alchemists themselves, if you choose to include
alchemized items, you should make them common
place enough that its not a hassle for players to fnd one
to get something made. Tey should at least be as common as your equivalent of Pokémon Centers.
If you got a player who really wants to learn how to become an Alchemist, make it a personal subplot for that
player to fnd a mentor, be it an experienced Alchemist
or a Legendary Pokémon who will help them out. We
made a choice here to not make an Edge or Feature for
this for two reasons. Te frst is that we didn’t want to
make Alchemy a Feature tax for that player, and the second is we didn’t want people to take the Feature then be
bummed they didn’t get to utilize it ofen.
As for the alchemical reagents themselves, your players typically shouldn’t have to buy Catalysts and Extras.Gear and Alchemy
40
Buying Bases is fne, as they are usual mundane items
that they could pick up anywhere, but outside of the
occasional Talismonger, these two groups of reagents
should be things they fnd from exploring or hunting
(parts from the carcass of powerful Pokémon make a
great idea for Catalysts and Extras), or things they are
rewarded with for their actions. Alchemy is a really fun
mini-game for your players when it comes to piecing
together items to get specifc eﬀects out of them, so try
to keep it that way by not taxing them that much on the
puzzle pieces that make it fun, and try to throw enough
of them out to give them lots of room to work with.
When it comes to upgrading the enchantment on an
item, or trying to do something unusual with this system (such as trying to create life or revive the dead),
the easiest solution is to get your players to require a
Philospher’s Stone to perform what they are trying to
do. How these are actually made or acquired we’ll leave
in your hands, but they should be rare enough that acquiring one should be a major plot point, a meaningful
moral dilemma, or take a signifcant amount of time
and resources to acquire.
Catalyst Examples
Below we’ve listed some examples of what type of items
might be considered a Catalyst, and how they might affect the Base item. Note that additional Moves granted
by Alchemized weapons are in addition to the Moves
the weapon would normally have.
Elemental Stone and Keepsake eﬀects:
•	 On a weapon, change the damage to the Type of the
stone at Scene x3 frequency.
•	 On a weapon, Grant a Move that is of the associated
Type, usually Simple Weapon tier (Ex: Reaper Cloth
→ Shadow Sneak).
•	 On armor, grant +5 Damage Reduction against attacks that the Type of the armor resists.
•	 On armor, resist an attack the Type of the armor resists once a Scene.
Type Plate eﬀects:
•	 In addition to normal Elemental Stone or Keepsake
eﬀect, grant an Ability associated with the Type (ex:
Fox Fire for a Staﬀ + Fire Plate).More powerful custom eﬀects that are in theme with the Type.
Held Item eﬀects:
•	 On a weapon, attacks with the weapon have the effect of the Accessory/Held Item (Ex: King’s Rock,
Razor Claw, etc).
•	 On armor, grant the wearer a chance to ignore the
eﬀects the Held Item causes. (Ex: King’s Rock granting a chance to resist Flinch).
Fossil eﬀects
•	 Grant an Ability known by the Pokémon that it’s a
Fossil of (ex: Boots of the Rampardos that grant Run
Up).
•	 On a weapon, Grant the Ancient Power Spirit Surge
eﬀect to all attacks made with the weapon.
Extra Examples
Much like the previous section, these are just examples
of what some items could grant as an Extra.
Type Gem eﬀects
•	 On a weapon with a matching Type Primary Catalyst, turn the Simple Weapon tier granted Move into
a Fine Weapon tier granted Move or a Status Move
(Ex: Shadow Claw instead of Shadow Sneak).
•	 On a weapon, deal +5 bonus damage against enemies weak to the Type of the Gem.
Berry eﬀects
•	 On armor, give a +2 bonus to Save Checks for the
status eﬀect the Berry heals.
Cleanse Tag eﬀects
•	 On a weapon, attacks made with the Moves granted
by it are treated as if the user had Scrappy.
•	 On a weapon, disable Capabilities of damaged Targets like Invisibility, Phasing, etc.
•	 On armor, grant Immunity to Curse.
Dream Mist eﬀects
•	 On a weapon, add a 19-20 sleep eﬀect range on
weapon
•	 Grant the Sleep Talk Move.Gear and Alchemy
41
Example Alchemized Items
Keep in mind these items are just examples and not an exhaustive list, but they should help players come up with
ideas for items to combine, and ideas for Game Masters for what type of eﬀects would be appropriate for items of
a certain quality or cost point.
Storm Gloves
Reagents: Simple Glove Weapon + Water Stone
Eﬀect: Small Melee Weapon, grants Aqua Jet.
Spread Needle
Reagents: Fine Ranged Weapon + Omastar Fossil
Eﬀect: Short Range Weapon, Grants Barrage. When using Barrage with this weapon, make the 1d8 roll for Five
Strike before you roll Accuracy. Ten, you attack a number of diﬀerent targets up to the number of attacks you
rolled with a DB 2 attack, as if using Barrage without the Five Strike keyword.
Staﬀ of the Nine Flames
Reagents: Fine Staﬀ Weapon + Fire Plate + 3x Fire Gem
Eﬀect: Large Arcane Weapon, grants Flame Burst and the Fox Fire Ability.
Blood Scythe
Reagents: Fine Scythe Weapon + Big Root + 3x Dark Gem
Eﬀect: Large Melee Weapon, grants Slash. Once a Scene heal Hit Points equal to half
the damage dealt by an attack made with the Weapon, deals +5 damage to enemies
weak to Dark.
Robes of the Songbird
Reagents: Light Armor + Really Freaking Good Altaria Cloud Fluﬀ + 3x Chesto Berry
Eﬀect: Light Armor, grants the Cloud Nine Ability, +2 to Save Checks vs Sleep.
Heartwarming Flute
Reagents: Magic Flute (Cures Paralysis) + Shiny Stone + 3x Cleanse Tag
Eﬀect: Can be used 1/Scene instead of 1/Day, grants up to Occult Rank allies aﬀected by the Flute +5 Damage
Reduction against Ghost Attacks for the rest of the Scene.Gear and Alchemy
42
Brimstone blade
Reagents: Fine Knife Weapon + Dark Plate + 3x Fire Gem
Eﬀect: Small Melee Weapon, Grants Night Slash, Critical Hits with the weapon inﬂict the
Burn Status Eﬀect.
Stampede Boots
Reagents: Jungle Boots + Cranidos Fossil + 3x Cheri Berry
Eﬀect: Boots with Naturewalk (Mountains, Caves), Run Up Ability, and +2 to Paralyze Save Checks.
Tunder Beast Skewer
Reagents: Fine Polearm Weapon + Manectric Mega Stone + 3xLuxray Fangs
Eﬀect: Large Melee Weapon, grants Tunder Fang and grants Rivalry Ability.
Shadow Walkers
Reagents: Foot Equipment + Sealed Gengar Soul
Eﬀect: Original foot slot equipment eﬀects + grants the Shadow Meld Capability
Badass Fire Sword of Fairy Buttkicking
Reagents: Fine Longsword + Charizard Mega Stone + 3xColdsteel Ingots
Eﬀect: Large Melee Weapon, grants Flametounge (A Fire-Shifed Slash). Moves used with the
Badass Fire Sword of Fairy Buttkicking deal Super Eﬀective damage to Fairy Types.
Te Candy Hammer
Reagents: Fine Warhammer Weapon + tears of a virgin maiden + 3xRare Candies
Eﬀect: Large Melee Weapon, attacks made with Te Candy Hammer deal Candy Type Damage
(Neutral to everything). Once a day you may lick the Candy Hammer to restore 2 Ticks of Hit
Points.Gear and Alchemy
43
Kaladanda
Reagents: Fine Polearm Weapon + Griseous Orb + 3x bottled Spiritomb Souls
Eﬀect: Large Melee Weapon, grants Phantom Force, Shadow Claw and Shadow Force. Foes
knocked out with this weapon cannot wake again until 24 hours have passed.
Svalinn
Reagents: Heavy Shield + Regice Core + 3x Occa Berry
Eﬀect: Heavy Shield, user has immunity to Burn and to Fire Type attacks, allies within 2 meters resist Fire one step further.
Yata no Kagami
Reagents: Mirror + Reshiram’s Light Stone + 2x Fire Gem, 2x Dragon Gem
Eﬀect: Oﬀ-Hand Item, User is immune to Illusion eﬀects and can tell when someone reﬂected in the mirror is
wearing a disguise or is Transformed. Once Daily you may force a target looking at the mirror to answer a single
question truthfully.
Ruyi Jingu Bang
Reagents: Fine Staﬀ Weapon + Blessed Fire given by an Infernape Outer God + 3x Fighting Gem
Eﬀect: Large Melee Weapon, grants Mach Punch, Fire Punch and Brick Break,. Te
wielder has Reach 5 when making attacks with this weapon. At Scene x2 frequency they
may use any attack from this weapon with Smite and as a Burst of size 1 to 3 or a Close
Blast of size 2 to 4.
Excalibur
Reagents: Fine Longsword Weapon + Steel blessed by Arceus + one of each Type Plate
Eﬀect: Small Melee Weapon, grants Sacred Sword and the Regal Challenge Ability. You may
change Sacred Sword’s Type as a Swif Action.
Chaos Dunker
Reagents: Te Candy Hammer + A Diglett’s Lower Body + A Philosopher Stone
Eﬀect: Large Melee Weapon, grants Earthquake, Land’s Wrath, and Precipice Blades with the Friendly
keyword. Moves used with Chaos Dunker bypass Ground Immunity.
Example Legendary Alchemy Items
While the Badass Fire Sword of Fairy Buttkicking might be awesome, its still not Legendary. Tese are less like
creative alchemy and more like using highly powerful symbolic items, requiring parts from Legendary Pokémon
or Philosopher Stones to conjure the “memory” of a legendary artifact and bring it into existence once more. It is
not enough to merely possess the ingredients either - knowledge of the legend behind the item is required as well,
and a great deal of personal power. Crafing these is usually accompanied by some sort of ritual or a pilgrimage to
a sacred place.Gear and Alchemy
44
Arcane Weapons
Game of Trohs introduces a new kind of weapon:
Arcane Weapons! Tese weapons represent everything
from staves, to wands, to magical instruments, and
serve as foci for Trainers who favor Special Attacks over
normal ones. A Trainer requires the Arcane Training
Feature (found on page 47) in order to wield one of
these weapons.
Arcane weapons can come in both the Small and Large
Melee variety, and can also be Short or Long Ranged.
So it’s totally possible for one Trainer to have a Short
Ranged Arcane wand, and another to have a Large
Melee Arcane staﬀ, for example.
Tey also come at the same price points for Crude,
Simple, and Fine weapons listed in the core book. All
Arcane Weapons modify Struggle Attacks to be Special
Attacks. Simple and Fine Arcane Weapons also have
their own list of Weapon Moves gained at Novice and
Expert Rank. Additionally, you qualify for Arcane
Weapon Moves and bonus Struggle Attack Damage
Bases using Occult Education Ranks, not Combat
Ranks.
Additional eﬀects, such as Moves and Abilities, on
Alchemized Arcane Weapons are not subject to the
normal restriction on Typed Damage that normal
Arcane Weapons have, nor do they gain Damage Base
bonuses from Arcanist’s Soul Bond.
Novice Arcane Weapon Moves
Move: Arcane Fury
Type: Normal
Frequency: EOT
AC: 3
Damage Base 3: 1d6+5 / 9
Class: Special
Range: Cone 2
Eﬀect: Arcane Fury’s Targets become Vulnerable on
19+.
Limitation: None
Move: Energy Blast
Type: Normal
Frequency: EOT
AC: 3
Damage Base 4: 1d8+6 / 11
Class: Special
Range: WR, Blast 2
Eﬀect: You gain +1 Special Attack on 19+.
Limitation: None
Move: Energy Sphere
Type: Normal
Frequency: EOT
AC: 3
Damage Base 4: 1d8+6 / 11
Class: Special
Range: Burst 1
Eﬀect: You gain +1 Special Defense Combat Stage on
19+.
Limitation: None
Move: Rending Spell
Type: Normal
Frequency: EOT
AC: 2
Damage Base 3: 1d6+5 / 9
Class: Special
Range: WR, 1 Target
Eﬀect: Te target loses a Tick of Hit Points on 16+.
Limitation: None
Move: Resonance Beam
Type: Normal
Frequency: EOT
AC: 3
Damage Base 4: 1d8+6 / 11
Class: Special
Range: Line 4
Eﬀect: All targets have their Special Defense lowered by
1 Combat Stage on 20+. Tis Eﬀect Range is extended
by +1 for each foe targeted by this Move.
Limitation: NoneGear and Alchemy
45
Move: Secret Force
Type: Normal
Frequency: EOT
AC: 4
Damage Base 4: 1d8+6 / 11
Class: Special
Range: Melee, 1 Target, Smite
Eﬀect: When calculating damage, the target subtracts
their Defense from Secret Force’s damage instead of
their Special Defense. Secret Force is still otherwise
Special.
Limitation: Melee Weapons Only
Expert Arcane Weapon Moves
Move: Arcane Storm
Type: Normal
Frequency: Scene x2
AC: 2
Damage Base 6: 2d6+8 / 15
Class: Special
Range: WR, Blast 3
Eﬀect: All targets of Arcane Storm are Slowed and
Vulnerable for 1 Full Round.
Limitation: Ranged Weapons only
Move: Bane
Type: Normal
Frequency: Scene x2
AC: 2
Damage Base 4: 1d8+6 / 11
Class: Special
Range: WR, 1 Target
Eﬀect: Te target loses a Tick of Hit Points at the start of
their next three turns and suﬀers a -2 penalty to all Save
Checks on those turns.
Limitation: None
Move: Cone of Force
Type: Normal
Frequency: Scene x2
AC: 2
Damage Base 6: 2d6+8 / 15
Class: Special
Range: Cone 2, Push
Eﬀect: Cone of Force Pushes all targets 2 meters, and
lowers their Evasion by -2 for 1 full round..
Limitation: Melee Weapons Only
Move: Energy Vortex
Type: Normal
Frequency: Scene x2
AC: 4
Damage Base 2: 1d6+3 / 7
Class: Special
Range: WR, 1 Target
Eﬀect: Te target is put in a Vortex.
Limitation: None
Move: Magic Burst
Type: Normal
Frequency: Scene x2
AC: 2
Damage Base 6: 2d6+8 / 15
Class: Special
Range: Burst 1, Friendly
Eﬀect: Foes hit by Magic Burst can’t make Attacks of
Opportunity for 1 full round.
Limitation: Melee Weapons Only
Move: Spirit Lance
Type: Normal
Frequency: Scene x2
AC: 2
Damage Base 6: 2d6+8 / 15
Class: Special
Range: Line 6
Eﬀect: Spirit Lance deals +3 damage to all targets for
each target beyond the frst that it successfully hits.
Limitation: NoneTrainer Classes
46
Chapter 3: Trainer
Classes
In this chapter you’ll fnd a variety of classes that are very appropriate in a fantasy setting. Tese classes have a
heavy slant toward Trainer Combat options, so the way they are divided is a little diﬀerent than the classes in the
core book.
Berserker and Rune Master are more general classes that might be a bit out of place in a modern day game that
takes heavily afer the To-Be-A-Master format, but ft well in most settings.
Arcanist, Fortress, Marksman and Skirmisher are
weapon specialists; each of these classes embodies
a style of martial combat that utilizes weapons. If
Trainers carrying around weapons isn’t normal in
your setting, these classes might not be very appropriate for your setting.
Next are the Elementalists, a collection of 18 classes that represent Trainers with a supernatural tie to
a Pokémon type. Tese settings ft perfectly for a
High Fantasy, high magical shenanigans game. In a
more grounded or gritty game, they might be out of
place, or practitioners of them could be hunted and
persecuted. As for why Psychic and Fighting do
not have classes listed here, its because we consider
Aura Guardian and the Psychic classes in the core
book to be their Elementalists.Trainer Classes
47
General Trainer Edges
Weapon of Choice
Prerequisites: A Feature with the [Weapon] tag
Static
Eﬀect: Choose a specifc weapon type. You gain a +2
Bonus on Opposed Rolls to prevent being disarmed
while wielding weapons of your chosen type. If you
would be disarmed anyway, you may pay 1 AP to
prevent yourself from being Disarmed
General Trainer Features
Arcane Training
[+Special Attack][Weapon]
Prerequisites: Novice Occult Education, Elemental
Connection or Mystic Senses
Static
Eﬀect: You may use Arcane Weapons. Attacks made
with your Arcane Weapons share the Type of your Elemental Connection. If you have Mystic Senses, these
Attacks deal Normal Type Damage. Arcane Weapon
users that qualifed through Mystic Senses or Elemental Connection (Normal) gain a +5 Bonus to Damage
Rolls and a +2 Bonus to Eﬀect Range when using Arcane Weapon Attacks. When wielding an Arcane Weapon, you may resist Disarm Maneuvers with your Occult
Education.
Smith
[Ranked 2] [+Attack]
Rank 1 Prerequisites: Novice Focus, Novice Athletics
Rank 2 Prerequisites: Adept Focus, Adept Athletics
Rank 1 Eﬀect: You may create Simple Weapons for
$1000, Light Shields for $1,500, and Light Armor for
$4,000.
Rank 2 Eﬀect: You may create Fine Weapons for $2,000,
Helmets for $1,125, Heavy Shields for $2,250 and Heavy
Armor for $5,000.
Type Sync
Prerequisites: Elemental Connection; a Type-Linked
Class*; Adept Medicine, Occult, or Tech Education.
Special – Extended Action
Target: Your Pokémon
Eﬀect: Te Target gains the Type of your Elemental
Connection as an additional Type, or has one of their
Types replaced by that Type. See the Type Changes section (page 436) for more information and suggestions.
A Pokémon may be targeted by Type Sync only once.
Tis Feature may be performed One Time for each Rank
above Untrained you have of your highest of Medicine,
Occult, or Tech Education, up to a maximum of 4 times
at Master Rank.
*Type-Linked Classes include Type Ace and all
Elementalist Classes, all of which are linked to their
respective Types. Additionally, Aura Guardian is linked
to Fighting; and Telekinetic, Telepath, and Warper are
linked to Psychic. Obviously, your Type Linked Class
must match your Elemental Connection to apply for
Type Sync!
Work with your Game Master to determine
what Moves are on the Simple and Fine Weapons you create.Trainer Classes
48
Berserker
Stories of Berserkers have been passed down through the ages telling of savage warriors who channel their anger
into a trance-like frenzy. In reality, the way of the Berserker is more controlled than barbaric; they are warriors
who have learned to not only fght through injuries that would hinder most, but also harness that pain as a weapon
against their enemies. While many of these warriors are capable of entering the frenzied battle trance, doing so is
something they ofen strive to avoid. Afer all, an angry, injured Ursaring might not be able to tell friend from foe
in a heated battle, and neither can they.
Berserker takes some of the ideas from Taskmaster and Enduring Soul and applys them to a Trainer. Tey are
tough to put down, and get stronger the more they get injured. Tis class pairs well with classes that like to get in
the thick of things, like Fortress, Roughneck and Martial Artist. It can also work well with more mobile classes
like Skirmisher or Ninja by giving them something to fall back on when their mobility is taken away from them,
or they jump into more trouble than they were asking for.
Trainer Combat
Associated Skills: Combat, IntimidateTrainer Classes
49
Power of Rage
[+HP]
Prerequisites: Berserker
Static
Moves: Choose Enduring Rage, or White Flame. You
gain the chosen Ability.
Lessons In Rage & Pain
[+HP]
Prerequisites: Berserker, Adept Intimidate
Static
Eﬀect: While you have at least 1 Injury, add +X to your
Damage Rolls with Rage, Flail, Fury Swipes, Trash,
and Weapon Attacks. X is equal to your Intimidate
Rank plus the number of Injuries you have. You do not
lose Hit Points from being Heavily Injured, and Injuries
beyond the 5th do not lower your Maximum Hit Points.
Frenzy
[+HP]
Prerequisites: Berserker, Adept Combat
Scene x2 – Free Action
Condition: You must be Enraged to use this Feature
Eﬀect: You may immediately take your turn with Priority. If you do, you are instantly cured of Slowed and
Stuck, and for the rest of this turn gain a +2 Bonus to
Critical Hit Range, +2 Bonus to Movement Speed, and
+2 Bonus to Acrobatics, Athletics, Combat, and Intimidate Checks.
Fight On and On
[+HP]
Prerequisites: Lessons in Rage and Pain, Adept Combat
Daily – Free Action
Trigger: Your Hit Points are lowered to or below 0 while
Enraged.
Eﬀect: You are not Fainted; you instead Faint upon
reaching -50% of your Max Hit Points. If you have 5
or more injuries, you may use this Feature regardless of
Frequency.
Crash and Smash
[+HP][Weapon]
Prerequisites: Frenzy, Expert Combat
Static
Eﬀect: You learn the Moves Double Edge and Trash.
You may use these moves as a Weapon Attack when
wielding Melee Weapons.
Push it to the Limit
[+HP]
Prerequisites: Lessons in Rage and Pain, Expert Intimidate
At-Will – Free Action
Trigger: You hit with a Berserker Move or Weapon Attack
Eﬀect: Immediately gain one Injury before resolving
the triggering attack. You gain a Tick of Temporary Hit
Points and may cure yourself of a Persistent Status Afﬂiction. Te triggering attack doubles your damage bonus from Lessons in Rage and Pain.
Berserker
[Class] [+HP] [Weapon]
Prerequisites: Novice Combat, Novice Intimidate
Static
Eﬀect: You learn the Moves Rage and Flail. You may use these moves as a Weapon Attack when wielding
Melee Weapons.Trainer Classes
50
Rune Master
Rune Masters study the mysterious Unown and have gleaned an insight into their powers. Tey have an afnity
for the odd creatures, able to call them forth from thin air. Whether they are summoning them from some far oﬀ
location or alternate dimension, or whether they have somehow learned to create Unown by their own powers is
unknown.
While Rune Masters have the ability to augment Unown as Pokémon, combining them to allow them to battle to
greater eﬀect, they also learn a number of ways to use Unown more as occult tools. Tey can create spy glyphs, set
oﬀ Hidden Power explosions at a distance, and even create remotely activated sentries.
Despite the universal focus on Unown, whether or not a Rune Master heavily draws upon use of these Pokémon
in battle is up to individual preference. Some may be more comfortable battling alongside their large swarms of
Unown, linked together with their occult expertise. Others choose to treat them as a reservoir of glyphs, preferring
to do battle with their other Pokémon instead.
Travel and Investigation
Passive Pokémon Support
Trainer Combat
Associated Skills: Occult EducationTrainer Classes
51
Hidden Power
[+Attack or Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Rune Master
Static
Eﬀect: You learn the Move Hidden Power. Whenever
you use Hidden Power, it may be either Physical or Special, adding the appropriate Attack Stat.
Rewrite
[+Attack or Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Hidden Power
Daily
Target: Self or a willing Pokémon with Hidden Power.
Eﬀect: Reroll the Type for an instance of Hidden Power the target knows If you target an Unown, you may
transform the target into a diﬀerent letter.
Glyph
[+Attack or Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Rune Master
At-Will – Extended Action
Target: Your Unown that is not part of a Prime Unown
Eﬀect: You may set the target Unown against any ﬂat
surface, and turn the Unown into a glyph. Glyphs have
HP equal to your Level, and no other stats. Glyphs last
until they are destroyed or intentionally de-activated,
at which time the Unown returns to Unown Space, disappearing forever. You may have a number of active
Glyphs equal to your Occult Education Rank. When
setting a Glyph, you may have the Glyphs be either visible or invisible, as you prefer. At any time, as a Standard
Action, you may Channel any Glyph youhave set down.
Tis causes the Glyph’s eye to open and become visible if it was not. While you are channeling a Glyph, you
are able to see through the Glyph, listen through it, and
project your voice through it.
Words of Power
[+Attack or Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Adept Occult Education, Hidden Power
Static
Trigger: You or your Pokémon use Hidden Power
Eﬀect: Instead of a Burst, you may choose to have Hidden Power be a 1 Target Melee, 1 Target 6m, or Cone 2.
Additionally, you and your Prime Unown always have
STAB on Hidden Power as if you or they were of the
same Type.
Alarm Runes
[+Attack or Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Glyph
Bind 1 AP – Standard Action
Target: A Glyph you have put down, regardless of distance
Eﬀect: You give the Glyph a Trigger, which may be as
vague or as precise as you like (i.e.: “If anyone enters the
room”, “if James peeks in my diary”, “If a Torkoal uses
Surf while I scream the word ‘Gelato’”). If the trigger is
met within the Rune’s 30 meters, the Rune will become
visible, and will begin screeching loudly, alerting anyone nearby. You are capable of hearing this screeching
noise in your head, regardless of your current distance.
Glyphs will remember their Triggers as long as the AP
spent on the Feature is Bound. If you have the Explosive
Runes or Sentry Runes Features, you may instruct this
Glyph to automatically use the chosen Feature as a Free
Action when it is triggered if you have the AP to spend.
You may have only one Glyph use Explosive Runes per
round, even if multiple Runes are triggered at the same
time.
Rune Master
[Class] [+Attack or Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Own 2 Unown, Novice Occult Education
Static
Eﬀect: You gain the Gather Unown capability, and your Unown gain the Letter Press Capability. When using
Gather Unown, you are treated as a level 20 Pokémon.Trainer Classes
52
Explosive Runes
[+Attack or Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Adept Occult Education, Glyph, Hidden
Power
1 AP – Standard Action
Target: A Glyph you have put down, regardless of distance
Eﬀect: You may use Hidden Power, originating the attack from the location of the targeted Glyph. Use your
own Stats and Hidden Power values to calculate damage. Using this Feature causes the Glyph to become visible and glow for a minute aferwards.
Sentry Runes
[+Attack or Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Expert Occult Education, Explosive
Runes, Hidden Power
1 AP – Standard Action
Target: A Glyph you have put down, regardless of distance
Eﬀect: Te target Glyph becomes an Unown of your
Trainer Level, its Stats allocated as you wish. Tis Unown knows a single instance of Hidden Power, identical
to your own. Te Glyph can fght on its own without
needing you to command it. At the end of the encounter, or afer 5 minutes, the Unown returns to Unown
Space forever, destroying the Glyph. You may only have
one Glyph active in this way at a time; if various Alarm
Glyphs are triggered to become Sentries at the same
time, only one does so; the others will do so once the
previous one has been destroyed if the Trigger condition is still being met.
What’s a Prime Unown Look like?
Tis is a pretty common question, so we’ve included an art piece that’s pretty close to what
we imagine. It’s fve seperate unowns that have been bound into one entity through a supernatural means! Whether they are actually touching or just bound by magic is likely up
to the traditions of the rune master.Trainer Classes
53
Arcanist
When it comes to supernatural combat, some are simply dabblers. Tey might have been born with a knack
for telekinesis, Aura manipulation or an elemental connection, but whatever talent they have with it was simply what they were born with. Others, like Rune Masters or Hex Maniacs, put the eﬀort to learn and hone their
skills like any other profession. Arcanists are those who have taken these talents to the next level, and learned
how to weaponize them. Using arcane foci, such as staves, wands, and in some cases musical instruments, they
both amplify their attacks and channel new ones through their foci.
While Arcanist can stand on its own feet mechanically as a weapon specialist class, it shines as a support pick up
for a Trainer who has invested in another Special Attack class. Anything from Aura Guardian to Windrunner,
and even Musician, can make great use of what Arcanist has to oﬀer.
Trainer Combat
Associated Skills: Occult EducationTrainer Classes
54
Metamagic
[+Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Arcanist, Adept Occult Education
1 AP – Swif Action
Trigger: You use a Special Move
Eﬀect: You may apply a Rank 1 Power Manipulation to
your attack.
Authentic Taumaturgy
[+Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Arcanist, Expert Occult Education
Scene x2 – Swif Action
Trigger: You use a Special Move
Eﬀect: You may apply a Rank 2 Power Manipulation to
your attack
Signature Manipulations
[Ranked 2] [+Special Attack]
Rank 1 Prerequisites: Metamagic
Rank 2 Prerequisites: Authentic Taumaturgy
Static
Eﬀect: Each Rank, select a Power Manipulation of the
same Signature Manipulation Rank you are taking or
lower.
•	 For Rank 1 Manipulations, this Manipulation may
be used twice per Scene without spending AP to activate.
•	 For Rank 2 Manipulations, this Manipulation may
be used once per Scene without activating Authentic Taumaturgy’s Frequency.
Recoup Energy
[+Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Arcanist, Expert Occult Education
Scene x2 – Free Action
Trigger: Your Special Move misses all targets
Eﬀect: You do not expend the Frequency of the triggering Move. If you applied a Power Manipulation to
the triggering Move, you are refunded the AP for the
Manipulation or do not expend the Frequency for it.
Soul Investment
[+Special Attack] [Weapon]
Prerequisites: Arcanist, Master Occult Education
Bind 2 AP – Extended Action
Target: Your Soul Bonded Weapon
Eﬀect: Choose one Novice and one Expert Arcane
Weapon Move. Your Soul Bonded Weapon adds those
Moves to your Move List as long as this Feature is
Bound. You may only Bind one instance of this Feature
at a time, and you may not have multiple instances of
the same Move in your Move List.
Arcanist
[Class] [+Special Attack] [Weapon]
Prerequisites: Arcane Training
At-Will – Extended Action
Target: An Arcane Weapon
Eﬀect: You create a Soul Bond with the target Weapon. You may make a Soul Bond with only one weapon at a
time. If you create a new Soul Bond, previously Soul Bound weapons lose the Bond. Soul Bound Weapons gain
the following benefts:
•	 Increase the Damage Base and Eﬀect Range of Struggle Attacks and Arcane Weapon Moves made with your
Soul Bonded Weapon by +1 for each Occult Education Rank you have above Novice, up to a maximum of
+3 at Master Rank.
•	 As a Shif Action, you may beckon your Soul Bonded Weapon to your hands if it is within 10 meters. If it
is being held by someone else who does not want to let go of the weapon, make an Occult vs Athletics Opposed Check. If you win, they their lose grip on your Weapon and it ﬂies to your hand as normal.Trainer Classes
55
Rank 1 Power Manipulations
Energy Finesse
Condition: Te triggering Move is an Arcane Weapon Move and has an Eﬀect Range
Eﬀect: In addition to its existing Eﬀect Range, the Eﬀect triggers on all natural Even-Numbered Rolls.
Warp Energy
Condition: Te triggering Move is a Cone, Line, Burst, or Blast
Eﬀect: Instead of its usual range, you may use the Move as if it had a range of Burst 1, Cone 2, Close Blast 2, Line
4, or 2-Target with a range of 4.
Directed Barrier
Eﬀect: You gain Damage Reduction equal to your Tick Value against the targets of the triggering Move for one full
round.
Power Overdrive
Eﬀect: If the triggering attack hits, you lose a Tick of Hit Points, and the triggering attack deals bonus damage
equal to your Tick Value plus your Occult Education Rank. Tis loss of Hit Points cannot be prevented in any way.
Rank 2 Power Manipulations
Berserk Blow
Condition: Te Triggering Move is 1-Target
Eﬀect: Te Move causes the target to become Vulnerable for 1 full round, and the Move’s Critical Hit Range is
increased by +3.
Energy Link
Eﬀect: For one full round, the next Normal-Type attack to hit the target instead deals Damage of the same Type
as this Attack. If the Attack Energy Link was applied to was already Normal-Typed, for one full round, the next
Normal-Type attack to hit the target instead deals damage as if it was one step more Super-Eﬀective.
Enlarged Power
Eﬀect: Te Move gains the keyword Burst 1 if Melee 1-Target, or Blast 2 if ranged 1-Target. If the Move is already
a Burst, Blast, Cone, or Line, increase the size of the Move’s Range by 1.
Lock of Fate
Eﬀect: Te Move cannot be Intercepted, and targets may not avoid the attack in any way if hits (such as via Dodge,
Parry, Shield Moves, etc). Evasion still applies, and the Move can still Miss.Trainer Classes
56
Fortress
Knights, Myrmidons, Landsknechts, Braves, Samurai, Warriors. Tey’ve been known by many names throughout
the centuries and various cultures of the world, so we’ve given them a singular one. Fortresses are heavily armored
weapon specialists who focus on front line combat and protecting their allies from harm. Some favor the classic
sword and shield, others a massive two handed weapon, but their goal is the same: to hold the line and to defeat
their foes.
Te Fortress is in both name and function a tank. Tey excel at drawing fre to themselves and mitigating the
damage they do take. Tis class pairs well with almost any Fighting Class, and can also make a great pickup for a
Trainer who is Pokémon Support focused and wants to take on a proactive, defensive role in combat.
Trainer Combat
Associated Skills: Combat, FocusTrainer Classes
57
Slow or Steady
[+Defense]
Prerequisites: Fortress
Static
Eﬀect: Choose Analytic or Battle Armor. You gain the
chosen ability.
Stalwart Bastion
[+Defense]
Prerequisites: Fortress
Bind 2 AP – Standard Action
Eﬀect: While this Feature is Bound, you and all
cardinally adjacent allies gain Damage Reduction equal
to your Combat or Focus Rank.
Shield Bearer
[+Defense]
Prerequisites: Stalwart Bastion
1 AP – Swif Action
Eﬀect: You may immediately ready a Shield, and do not
become Slowed as a result. You may choose to grant
an adjacent Ally the Evasion and Damage Reduction
bonuses from your shield instead of gaining them
yourself, but these bonuses only apply as long as the ally
remains adjacent to you. If you do and the ally Shifs,
you may Shif alongside your ally as a Shif Action
Interrupt. Tis cannot cause you to shif more than your
normal Movement.
Wall of Iron
[+Defense]
Prerequisites: Fortress, Adept Combat or Focus
Static
Eﬀect: You learn the moves Iron Defense and Protect.
Guardian’s Punishment
[+Defense]
Prerequisites: Fortress, Expert Combat or Focus
Scene x2 – Swif Action
Trigger: You hit a Marked Foe with a Damaging
Weapon attack
Eﬀect: Add your Defense Stat to the Damage Roll. Te
Marked Foe takes a penalty to Damage Rolls equal to
your Combat or Focus Rank for 1 full round.
Unstoppable Will
[+Defense]
Prerequisites: Slow or Steady, Expert Combat or Focus
Static
Eﬀect: You gain the Discipline Ability.
Fortress
[Class] [+Defense] [Weapon]
Prerequisites: Novice Combat, Novice Focus
At Will - Free Action
Trigger: You target an enemy with a Struggle attack or Weapon Attack and end your turn adjacent to the
target.
Eﬀect: You Mark all targets of the attack until the end of your next turn. Marked foes take a penalty to Attack
Rolls against any targets besides you equal to your Focus Rank. A Mark from a diﬀerent source (such as a
second Fortress or a Fighting Type Ace’s Pokémon) will overwrite your Mark.Trainer Classes
58
Marksman
Since ancient times, men has hunted and protected itself with projectiles. From throwing weapons, to bow and arrow, to crossbow and frearm, the art of combat has always respected the ability to down a foe from a safe distance.
Marksmen are practitioners of this tradition, taking aim of their targets and waiting for the precise moment to
strike.
Te Marksman is the class of choice for a Trainer looking to be an archer or musketeer. It oﬀers a number of ways
to make your Ranged Weapon attacks get more bang for their buck.
Trainer Combat
Associated Skills: Combat, PerceptionTrainer Classes
59
Aiming Down Te Sights
[+Attack] [Weapon]
Prerequisites: Marksman
At Will – Shif Action
Eﬀect: Your next Weapon Attack with a long-range
Weapon gains +2 to its Accuracy Roll and Critical Hit
Range. Tis eﬀect lasts until used or until the start of
your next turn.
Double Shot
[+Attack] [Weapon]
Prerequisites: Marksman, Adept Combat
1 AP – Standard Action
Eﬀect: You may make two Struggle Attacks with a -2
penalty to Accuracy, each targeting the same foe. If the
frst attack gains the beneft of Aiming Down the Sights
or Clear Shot, the second attack also gains the same
benefts for free.
Overwatch
[+Attack] [Weapon]
Prerequisites: Marksman, Adept Perception or Combat
At-Will – Standard Action
Eﬀect: Create a Line X, and place a Blast 3 with at least
three meters overlapping the Line’s area. X is equal to
your Weapon’s Range. For one full round, if a foe moves
in or out of that area, you may make a Ranged Weapon
attack, Frequency allowing, against that foe as a Free Action. You may not attack a specifc foe more than once
per round this way. While this is in eﬀect, if you Move
from your current location, Overwatch’s eﬀect is lost.
Clear Shot
[+Attack] [Weapon]
Prerequisites: Marksman, Expert Perception or Combat
Scene x2 – Swif Action
Trigger: You make a ranged Weapon Attack against a
target with no other combatants or Rough or Blocking
Terrain within 2 meters
Eﬀect: Te target is considered Vulnerable against this
attack, and you increase your Critical Hit range by +4
for this attack.
Crippling Shot
[+Attack] [Weapon]
Prerequisites: Marksman, Expert Perception or Combat
2 AP – Full Action
Eﬀect: Make a Ranged Struggle Attack attack with a -2
penalty to Accuracy. If you hit, the attack deals Damage as if it was resisted one step, but the target becomes
Slowed, loses 1 Speed Combat Stage, and you initiate
a Trip Maneuver against the target. You may use your
Perception Skill to resolve the Opposed Check if you
wish.
Dead-Eye Shot
[+Attack] [Weapon]
Prerequisites: Marksman, Master Combat or Perception
Scene x2 – Standard, Priority
Eﬀect: Use of Dead-Eye Shot must be declared at the
start of the round. Nothings happens at this time. At
the end of the round, the user may use their Shif Action, and then make a Ranged Weapon Attack and roll
twice for Accuracy. You may resolve the attack using either result, but if you choose to use the lower result and
the attack hits, it is automatically a Critical Hit.
Marksman
[Class] [+Attack] [Weapon]
Prerequisites: Novice Combat, Novice Perception
Static
Eﬀect: You gain the Sniper Ability.Trainer Classes
60
Skirmisher
Some weapon specialists are more quick than they are mighty, favoring to outmaneuver their opponent and strike
where they are weakest. Utilizing smaller, more nimble weapons, they dance around the battlefeld and their
enemies alike. Tese scrappy fghters are known as Skirmishers, and where they lack brawn, they make up for in
alacrity and precision.
Skirmisher covers a variety of combat styles, including swashbuckling pirates, fencing duelists, and nimble assassins and ninjas. Tey make great use of movement and pair well with classes that give Trainers mobility bonuses.
Trainer Combat
Associated Skills: Acrobatics, CombatTrainer Classes
61
Nimble Steps
[+Speed]
Prerequisites: Skirmisher
Static
Eﬀect: You may perform the Disengage Maneuver as a
Swif Action.
Counter Stance
[+Speed]
Prerequisites: Skirmisher
At-Will – Free Action, Interrupt
Trigger: An adjacent foe misses you with an attack
Eﬀect: You perform an Attack of Opportunity against
them.
Harrier
[+Speed]
Prerequisites: Skirmisher
At-Will – Free Action
Trigger: You hit a foe with a damaging Attack
Eﬀect: Until the end of your next turn, that foe is considered Flanked, is Slowed, and cannot take actions as
Priority or Interrupt. Harrier may only be used on a foe
once per Scene.
Weapon Finesse
[+Speed] [Weapon]
Prerequisites: Counter Stance, Adept Combat or Acrobatics
2 AP – Swif Action
Trigger: You hit a foe with a Weapon Attack.
Eﬀect: Afer the attack is resolved, you may immediately use a Disarm, Trip, or Push Maneuver against that foe
as a Free Action. Te Maneuver automatically hits, but
you must still make an Opposed Roll.
Outmaneuver
[+Speed]
Prerequisites: Harrier, Adept Combat or Acrobatics
Scene x3 – Free Action
Trigger: You use a damaging Attack
Eﬀect: Add half your Evasion to your Accuracy Roll for
the attack, and all foes hit by the attack have their Initiative reduced by your full Evasion value.
Swif Strikes
[+Speed] [Weapon]
Prerequisites: 4 Skirmisher Features, Master Combat
or Acrobatics
1 AP – Standard Action, Special
Eﬀect: Use a Weapon Attack as if it had the Priority Keyword. If the Move already had the Priority Keyword, use
it as if it had the Priority (Advanced) Keyword instead.
Skirmisher
[Class] [+Speed] [Weapon]
Prerequisites: Novice Combat, Novice Acrobatics
Static
Eﬀect: Choose Flutter or Vanguard. You gain the Chosen Ability.Trainer Classes
62
Bug Elementalist:
Swarmlord
Some trainers like to collect Bug Pokémon, and support them in battle. Others instead seek to emulate and command them. Swarmlords are trainers who have undergone a manifestation of Bug-type elemental power, taking
on either the aspects of the arachnid hunters, or the traits of the proud, winged monarchs. Such manifestations are
not always physically apparent, but the Swarmlord may take on certain features when using their powers - whether
it be their eyes splitting to have multiple irises, or sprouting tiny hairs from their fngertips. Swarmlords tend to
be resourceful and charismatic individuals, and can be utterly relentless in battle - striking again and again while
emitting pheromones that subtly guide their attacks towards the enemy’s weak points - and teaching them what
happens when you try and take on a Swarm.
Trainer Combat
Travel and Investigation
Associated Skills: Command, SurvivalTrainer Classes
63
Swarmlord
[Class]
Prerequisites: Elemental Connection (Bug), Novice Survival, Novice Command
Static
Eﬀect: Your powers begin to take afer either Arachnid's Embrace or Monarch's Embrace. Depending on your
Embrace, you gain an Ability and Stat Tag. Whenever you gain a Swarmlord Feature, you gain the same Stat
Tag.
How To Shoot Web
Prerequisites: Swarmlord
Static
Eﬀect: You gain the Treaded and Wallclimber Capabilities.
Broodlord
Prerequisites: Enhanced Embrace Rank 2, Expert
Command or Survival
Static
Eﬀect: You gain the following Ability based on your
Embrace.
Arachnid’s Embrace: Tinted Lens
Monarch’s Embrace: Compound Eyes
Pheromone Markers
Prerequisites: Enhanced Embrace Rank 1
1 AP – Free Action
Trigger: You hit a foe with a damaging Bug-Type attack
Eﬀect: Te triggering foe gains 1 Pheromone Stack. Your
Bug-Type attacks gain a +2 bonus to Accuracy Rolls and
+1 Critical Hit range against foes for each Pheromone
Stack they have. Once per Scene per foe, when they gain
their third or higher Pheromone Stack, you may choose
to roll 1d6. On a result of 1 or 2, the foe becomes Confused; on a result of 3 or 4 the foe becomes Suppressed;
on a result of 5 or 6 the foe becomes Enraged.
Enhanced Embrace
Rank 1 Prerequisites: Swarmlord
Rank 2 Prerequisites: Adept Command or Survival
Rank 3 Prerequisites: Expert Command or Survival
Static
Eﬀect: Learn two Moves from the list below at the Rank
of Enhanced Embrace you are taking or lower. Moves
marked with an Embrace require that Embrace to be
chosen.
Rank 1 Moves
Move Prerequisites
Defend Order None
Fury Cutter None
Fell Needle None
Struggle Bug Monarch
Sticky Web Arachnid
Rank 2 Moves
Move Prerequisites
Attack Order Arachnid
Infestation None
Powder Monarch
Signal Beam None
Steamroller None
Rank 3 Moves
Move Prerequisites
Bug Buzz None
Mega Horn None
Quiver Dance Monarch
Spider Web Arachnid
Arachnid’s Embrace Unnerve [+Attack]
Monarch’s Embrace Shield Dust [+Special Attack]Trainer Classes
64
Mankind has long been afraid of the dark. Without the light, once familiar spaces can become difcult to navigate.
Creatures of the night emerge from their dens and begin to go on the prowl for their next meal. And those poor
souls who get caught in the wrong place, at the wrong time, become swallowed by it, never to be seen again. Te
Shade Caller is not one such soul. Tese trainers embrace the Dark, and revel in it. Te lightless areas of the gloom
are their playground, a medium they move through more easily than fsh through water. Teir attacks may come
from anywhere, and strike with unnatural precision. Tey are the night. Tey are Shade Callers.
Trainer Combat
Travel and Investigation
Dark Elementalist:
Shade Caller
Associated Skills: Guile, StealthTrainer Classes
65
Shade Caller
[Class] [+Attack or Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Elemental Connection (Dark), Novice Guile, Novice Stealth
Static
Eﬀect: You learn the Moves Faint Attack and Snarl.
Twisted Soul
[+Attack or Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Shade Caller
Static
Eﬀect: You gain the Twisted Power Ability.
Living Shadow
[+Attack or Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Shade Caller
Static
Eﬀect: Your own Shadow can attack others; you may
have your Dark Type Moves originate from any Square
adjacent to you. If you are fghting among complete
darkness, you may have your Dark Type Moves originate from any square within X meters that is completely
dark, where X is the higher of your Guile or Stealth
Rank. Attacks originating from Living Shadow do not
trigger eﬀects that rely on being hit with a melee attack.
Sharpen Shadows
[+Attack or Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Shade Caller, Expert Guile or Stealth
Static
Eﬀect: You learn Dark Pulse and Night Slash
Heart of Darkness
[+Attack or Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Sharpen Shadows, Master Guile or
Stealth
Static
Eﬀect: You learn Night Daze and Punishment
World of Darkness
[+Attack or Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Shade Caller, Adept Guile or Stealth
2 AP – Standard Action
Eﬀect: You create a zone of Shifing Darkness in a Burst
2 around you, which persists until the end of the encounter. All targets without Darkvision attacking from
or i nto the Shifing Darkness receive a -3 penalty to Accuracy. You may count Shifing Darkness as complete
darkness for the purposes of activating your Living
Shadow. As a Static eﬀect, you also gain the Darkvision
Capability.
Dark Soul
[+Attack or Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Shade Caller, Master Guile or Stealth
Static
Eﬀect: Choose Shadow Tag or Super Luck. You gain the
chosen Ability.Trainer Classes
66
Pride. A defning trait of the dragons, and for good reason - their strength is unparalleled, their heritage ancient,
and their weaknesses few. Why shouldn’t they be proud? Dragons are the mightiest creatures on Earth, and they
know it. Similarly, humans who have inherited the will of the dragon might themselves be Heralds of Pride. With
unrelenting force they strike, and with a regal demeanor they walk. Tey know their attitude is not simple arrogance, for they have the strength and the will to back it up. Tey will earn the respect they deserve, or through the
fre and the ﬂames their foes will carry on.
Trainer Combat
Dragon Elementalist:
Herald of Pride
Associated Skills: Command, Intimidate
Trainer Classes
67
Herald of Pride
[Class] [+Attack] [Weapon]
Prerequisites: Elemental Connection (Dragon), Novice Command, Novice Intimidate
Static
Eﬀect: When wielding Melee Weapons, you may use Command or Intimidate instead of Combat to determine
the Damage Base of your Struggle Attacks, to resist Disarm Maneuvers, and to qualify for a Weapon’s Moves.
Your Weapon Attacks ignore Damage Reduction up to your Command or Intimidate Rank.
Noblesse Oblige
[+Attack]
Prerequisites: Herald of Pride
Static
Eﬀect: You gain the Regal Challenge Ability.
Channel the Dragon’s Spirit
[+Attack]
Prerequisites: Herald of Pride
1 AP – Free Action
Trigger: You use a Weapon Attack
Eﬀect: You may have the triggering attack deal DragonType Damage if you wish. On 18+, all targets can only
use At-Will Frequency Moves for one full round
Bare the Dragon’s Claws
[+Attack] [Weapon]
Prerequisites: Herald of Pride, Adept Command or
Intimidate
Static
Eﬀect: Your learn the Moves Dragon Claw and Dragon
Tail. You may use these Moves as Weapon Attacks when
wielding Melee Weapons.
Call the Dragon’s Rage
[+Attack] [Weapon]
Prerequisites: Bare the Dragon’s Claws, Master Command or Intimidate
Static
Eﬀect: You learn the Moves Dragon Rush and Outrage.
You may use these Moves as Weapon Attacks when
wielding Melee Weapons.
Rouse the Dragon’s Blood
[+Attack]
Prerequisites: Herald of Pride, Expert Command or
Intimidate
Scene x2 – Free Action
Trigger: You suﬀer a Critical Hit or gain an Injury from
a foe’s attack
Eﬀect: For 1 full round, the next Herald of Pride Move
you use against the triggering foe cannot miss, cannot
be Intercepted, and eﬀects that would cause it to miss
cannot be activated against it.
Sovereignty
[+Attack]
Prerequisites: Herald of Pride, Expert Command or
Intimidate
Bind 2 AP – Standard Action
Eﬀect: While this Feature is bound, you gain a +2 Bonus
to Save Checks against Volatile Status Afictions, and a
+2 Bonus to Opposed Checks when defending against
being Disarmed, Grappled, Pushed, or Tripped.Trainer Classes
68
Bzzzap! Electricity is the element of motion. Leap here, crackle there, sizzle and spark… and when the time is right
- leap out and strike in a ﬂash! Te so-called Spark Masters take this to heart themselves, overcharging the electricity in their bodies to unprecedented levels. Tese guys are quick and don’t let much slow them down - whether the
obstacle to overcome is merely distance or even gravity itself, with their electromagnetic prowess. Don’t call them
attention-defcit though, it takes a lot of focus to safely channel several thousand volts of electricity. Underestimate
the fast and formidable Spark Masters, and you might just fnd lightning will strike you twice… or three or four
times!
Trainer Combat
Travel and Investigation
Electric Elementalist:
Spark Master
Associated Skills: Acrobatics, FocusTrainer Classes
69
Spark Master
[Class] [+Speed]
Prerequisites: Elemental Connection (Electric), Novice Focus, Novice Acrobatics
Static
Eﬀect: Choose Static or Electrodash. You gain the Chosen Ability.
Magnetize
[+Speed]
Prerequisites: Storm Wizard Rank 1, Adept Acrobatics
Static
Eﬀect: You gain the Magnetic Capability and may use
this magnetism to stick to surfaces with signifcant metal content (ex: metal walls obviously, concrete with metal I-beams inside, etc). You may use your Overland to
traverse any such surfaces, even if that means walking
vertically up a wall or upside down on a ceiling. You
may choose not to be Pushed when on such a surface.
Body of Lightning
[+Speed]
Prerequisites: Master Acrobatics or Focus
Static
Eﬀect: Choose Volt Absorb or Motor Drive. You gain
the Chosen Ability.
Bottled Lightning
[+Speed]
Prerequisites: Storm Wizard Rank 1, Adept Focus
2 AP - Standard Action
Target: An item made of conductive material
Eﬀect: Choose one of your Electric Type Moves with a
target. You Charge the target item with this Move. Bottled Lightning counts as using the Move for frequency
purposes. You may expend this Charge as a Swif Action on your turn to use the Move the item was charged
with, originating from the item. If a Pokémon or Trainer touches a Charged item, you may instead activate this
Swif Action as if it had the Priority keyword. At the end
of a Scene, all items lose their Charge, and you may only
have X items Charged at a time where X is half your
Focus Rank.
Storm Wizard
[Ranked 3] [+Speed]
Rank 1 Prerequisites: Spark Master
Rank 2 Prerequisites: Expert Acrobatics or Focus
Rank 3 Prerequisites: Master Acrobatics or Focus
Static
Eﬀect: You may learn two Moves from the list below,
marked with the Storm Wizard Rank
you are gaining or lower.
Rank 1 Moves Rank 2 Moves Rank 3 Moves
Charge Beam Charge Discharge
Eerie Impulse Tunder
Punch
Tunder
Shock Wave Tunderbolt Tunder Wave
Spark – Volt TackleTrainer Classes
70
Fairy Elementalist:
Glamour Weaver
Fairies are one of the most mysterious groups among Pokémon. Shimmering, dancing lights leading to dancing
Pokémon within circles of stones or mushrooms… Who are these creatures? Why do they frolic so cutely? Why
can these creatures of fable withstand the might of Dragons? Few know the secrets to these questions, and fewer
still are those who know the origins of the fey-aligned ‘magical girls’ that emulate the illusionary powers of these
mysterious beings. Tese so called Glamour Weavers bend the line between fact and fction, taking on a fey aspect
in their Enchanting Transformations… Are their hearts pure, or do their glamours mask their true selves as well?
Only the Glamour Weavers can answer that question...
Trainer Combat
Associated Skills: Charm, Occult EducationTrainer Classes
71
Glamour Weaver
[Class] [+Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Elemental Connection (Fairy), Novice Charm, Novice Occult Education
Static
Eﬀect: You learn the Moves Sweet Kiss and Disarming Voice.
Fey Law
[+Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Glamour Weaver
1 AP – Swif Action
Trigger: You hit a foe with a damaging Fairy attack
Eﬀect: Choose one of the following: Status-Class,
Combat Maneuver, attacks with an unmodifed Damage
Base 10 or higher, or an Elemental Type. Te triggering
foe is Bound; they suﬀer a -X penalty to all rolls made
to use attacks with the chosen trait. X is equal to half
your Charm or Occult Education Rank. Te Bound
condition lasts until the end of a Scene. You may unbind
someone as a Free Action at any time. A target may not
have multiple instances of Bound applied at once.
Passionato Harmony
[+Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Glamour Weaver, Expert Charm or
Occult Education
Static
Eﬀect: You learn the Moves Dazzling Gleam and
Draining Kiss.
Lucky Clover Grand Finale
[+Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Passionato Harmony, Master Charm or
Occult Education
Static
Eﬀect: You learn the Moves Moonblast and Aromatic
Mist.
Glamour Mastery
[+Special Attack]
Prerequisites: 4 Glamour Weaver Features
Static
Eﬀect: Choose Magic Guard or Magic Bounce. You
gain the Chosen Ability.
Enchanting Transformation
[+Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Glamour Weaver
Bind 2 AP – Shif Action
Eﬀect: You perform a magical transformation on
yourself. While this Feature is Bound, you gain +5
Damage Resistance against Dragon, Fighting, Dark, and
Bug-Typed attacks and your Glamour Weaver Moves
have the additional eﬀects below.
» Sweet Kiss: Sweet Kiss ignores Speed Evasion.
» Disarming Voice: You may also choose to use
Disarming Voice as a Line 4 or Cone 2.
» Dazzling Gleam: On Even-Numbered rolls,
targets hit by Dazzling Gleam have their Accuracy
Lowered by 1.
» Draining Kiss: You gain an additional Tick of Hit
Points when gaining Hit Points from Draining
Kiss.
» Moonblast: Whenever Moonblast misses a target,
they lose a Tick of Hit Points.
» Aromatic Mist: All allies aﬀected by Aromatic
Mist gain a +2 bonus to their next Save Check.
Magical Burst
[+Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Enchanting Transformation, Passionato
Harmony
Scene – Standard Action
Condition: You must have Enchanting Transformation
Bound to use Magical Burst
Eﬀect: Use a Glamour Weaver Move as if it had the
range Burst 3, Friendly, Exhaust, Smite. All allies within
the area-of-eﬀect gain a Tick of Temporary Hit Points or
cure themselves of one Volatile Afiction. Enchanting
Transformation immediately becomes Unbound,
and the AP used to bind it becomes spent instead of
becoming available again.Trainer Classes
72
Fire Elementalist:
Fire Bringer
Trainer Combat
One legend holds that fre was once the sole dominion of the gods, until one of their own stole it to give its power
to man. Whatever truth may lay in this tale, fre has been one of the most important elements used by humans -
providing the steps for improved nutrition, hygiene, and shelter, as well as being the force that allowed humanity
to bend and conquer metal. Both nurturing and destructive, the aptly-named Fire Bringers channel this primal
force in decidedly the latter fashion. Channeling their inner destructive might, these Elementalists will not rest
until their enemy burns with the same passion they do - literally - as they intensify the crispy injuries their attacks
already do. Play with fre, and you’re gonna have a bad day.
Associated Skills: Combat, FocusTrainer Classes
73
Fire Bringer
[Class] [+Attack or Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Elemental Connection (Fire), Novice Combat
Static
Eﬀect: Choose two of Flame Burst, Flame Wheel, Flame Charge, or Will-O-Wisp. You learn the chosen Moves
Fiery Soul
[+Attack or Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Fire Bringer
Static
Eﬀect: You gain the Heater Capability, and are immune
to the Burn condition.
Firebrand
[+Attack or Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Fire Bringer, Adept Focus or Combat
Static
Eﬀect: Your Fire-Type Moves Burn Targets on a roll of
19+. If a move already has a chance
of Burning foes, Firebrand increases the eﬀect range by
+2.
Burning Passion
[+Attack or Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Fire Bringer, Expert Focus or Combat
Static
Eﬀect: Choose Flash Fire or Flame Body. You gain the
chosen Ability.
Blazing Inferno
[+Attack or Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Fire Breather Rank 2, Master Focus or
Combat
2 AP – Swif Action
Eﬀect: You becoming Blazing. While you are Blazing, whenever your Fire-Type Moves Inﬂict Burn, the
Burned target immediately loses a Tick of Hit Points,
and loses an additional Combat Stage in Defense. While
Blazing, when you hit a foe with a damaging Fire-Type
Move, you may choose to automatically burn one target
of the Move. If you do, you lose the Blazing Condition
afer the Move’s eﬀects are resolved.
Fire Breather
[Ranked 2] [+Attack or Special Attack]
Rank 1 Prerequisites: Expert Focus or Combat
Rank 2 Prerequisites: Master Focus or Combat
Static
Eﬀect: Learn two Fire Bringer Moves from the list below. You may choose any Move marked with the Fire
Breather Rank you are taking or lower.
Rank 1 Moves Rank 2 Moves
Flamethrower Blaze Kick
Fire Punch Fiery Dance
Fire Spin Flare Blitz
Sunny Day Heat WaveTrainer Classes
74
Flying Elementalist:
Wind Runner
Of all the limits the world places on its denizens, gravity is the force that struggles to keep a three dimensional
world ﬂatly in the second. Breaking free of these chains and soaring high above the world - that is what Wind
Runners yearn to do. While they can’t outright ﬂy for very long, these masters of the wind can hover, as well as
temporarily break their shackles, joining their Flying-type brethren in the air, or challenging them there. So keen
is their connection with the sky, that the very breeze is said to be as the tips of their fngers, letting little lay out of
their grasp. Tose lucky trainers whose hearts have learned to ﬂy free - they are the Wind Runners.
Trainer Combat
Travel and Investigation
Associated Skills: Acrobatics, PerceptionTrainer Classes
75
Wind Runner
[Class] [+Speed]
Prerequisites: Elemental Connection (Flying), Novice Acrobatics, Novice Perception
Static
Eﬀect: You gain the Levitate Ability. You have a total Levitate Speed equal to 4 plus half of the higher of your
Acrobatics or Perception Rank.
One With the Winds
[+Speed]
Prerequisites: Adept Perception
Bind 2 AP – Standard Action
Eﬀect: You summon a windy breeze that follows you
around. Your sense of touch is extended through this
wind, and you can guide it by thought, using it to perceive the shape and texture of objects as long as the wind
can reach, even through very small cracks and holes.
Te range of this eﬀect is equal to your Acrobatics Rank
plus Perception Rank in meters.
Flight
[+Speed]
Prerequisites: One With the Winds, Adept Acrobatics
1 AP – Swif Action
Eﬀect: You gain a Sky Speed equal to your Levitate
Speed plus your Acrobatics or Perception Rank for the
remainder of the round.
Gale Speed
[+Speed]
Prerequisites: Raging Winds Rank 1, Master Acrobatics
or Perception
Static
Eﬀect: Choose Celebrate or Gale Wings. You gain the
chosen Ability.
Raging Winds
[Ranked 3] [+Speed]
Rank 1 Prerequisites: Wind Runner
Rank 2 Prerequisites: Expert Acrobatics or Perception
Rank 3 Prerequisites: Master Acrobatics or Perception
Static
Eﬀect: You may learn two Moves from the list below,
marked with the Raging Winds Rank you are gaining
or lower.
Rank 1 Moves Rank 2 Moves Rank 3 Moves
Aerial Ace Air Slash Brave Bird
Air Cutter Bounce Hurricane
Gust Defog Mirror Move
Tailwind Feather Dance Sky AttackTrainer Classes
76
Ghost Elementalist:
Apparition
Spooky, scary skeletons don’t send shivers down their spines - the Apparitions are trainers with an intense connection to the spiritual Ghost type and an inclination to a knife in the dark. As ephemeral as the mischievous souls
that still walk the realm, these gifed tow the line between this world and the next. Tese haunting Elementalists
are known to be able to take on ghastly forms, free of the restrictions of their ﬂesh, attack with ghostly remnants of
themselves, and partially pass through even the thickest armor with their attacks. Beware the Apparition, or you
may just feel their hand on your shoulder… or their blade between your ribs.
Trainer Combat
Travel and Investigation
Associated Skills: Intimidate, Occult EducationTrainer Classes
77
Apparition
[Class] [+Attack] [Weapon]
Prerequisites: Elemental Connection (Ghost), Novice Intimidate, Novice Occult Education
Static
Eﬀect: When wielding Melee Weapons, you may use Occult Education or Intimidate instead of Combat to
determine the Damage Base of your Struggle Attacks, to resist Disarm Maneuvers, and to qualify for a Weapon’s
Moves. Your Weapon Attacks always treat you as having the Reach Capability, and foes may not activate Reaction
eﬀects against them that specify being hit by a Melee Attack.
Shadow Arms
[+Attack] [Weapon]
Prerequisites: Apparition
Static
Eﬀect: You learn the Moves Shadow Punch and Shadow Sneak. You may use these as Weapon Attacks when
wielding Melee Weapons.
Too Spooky
[+Attack]
Prerequisites: Apparition
Static
Eﬀect: Choose Pressure or Frighten. You gain the chosen Ability.
Silent Assassin
[+Attack] [Weapon]
Prerequisites: Apparition, Adept Intimidate or Occult
Education
Bind 2 AP – Standard Action
Eﬀect: While this Feature is Bound, your Struggle
Attacks and Weapon Attacks deal Ghost-Type Damage,
and you gain the Dead Silent Capability.
Shadow Form
[+Attack]
Prerequisites: Silent Assassin, Expert Intimidate or
Occult Education
Bind 2 AP – Swif Action
Eﬀect: While this Feature is Bound, your appearance
becomes wan and obviously otherworldly. Your natural
Weaknesses, Resistances, and Immunities change to
match that of the Ghost Type. Additionally, while in
Shadow Form, you are immune to the Cursed Status
(if you were previously Cursed, you are instantly cured
upon going into Shadow Form) and gain the Phasing
Capability. You may unbind this Feature as a Swif
Action, returning to your normal appearance.
Phantom Menace
[+Attack] [Weapon]
Prerequisites: Shadow Arms, Expert Intimidate or
Occult Education
Static
Eﬀect: You gain the Moves Shadow Claw and Phantom
Force. You may use these Moves as Weapon Attacks
when wielding Melee Weapons.
Haunted Wounds
[+Attack] [Weapon]
Prerequisites: Shadow Arms, Master Intimidate or
Occult Education
Scene x2 – Free Action
Trigger: You hit with an Apparition Move or GhostTyped Weapon Attack
Eﬀect: Afer one full round, repeat the triggering
attack against one target as a Free Action, regardless
of range. If this attack hits, it deals damage as if it
were resisted one step further. Haunted Wounds
may only aﬀect a target once per Scene.Trainer Classes
78
Grass Elementalist:
Druid
Druids are trainers in-tune with that which grows in the earth. Some may herald themselves as protectors of nature, others as mere observers. Yet others still might only be interested in the power that the untamed wilderness
can oﬀer them. But all have the same in common - they are one with the forest, and will use the myriad abilities of
nature to turn their enemies into mulch. If you anger one, you’d best make like a tree… and leave.
Trainer Combat
Associated Skills: General Education, SurvivalTrainer Classes
79
Green Path
Prerequisites: Druid
Static
Eﬀect: You gain the Naturewalk (Grassland) and Naturewalk (Forest) capabilities, and you are immune to
Moves with the Powder keyword.
Overgrowth
Prerequisites: Nature’s Embrace Rank 3
2 AP – Swif Action
Trigger: You hit with a Druid Move
Eﬀect: One target of the triggering Move is aficted
with Overgrowth. As long as the target is aficted, they
are one step less Resistant to Grass-Type attacks, to a
maximum of neutral damage, and they cannot recover Hit Points or gain Temporary Hit Points. Whenever
they would do so, you gain those Hit Points or Temporary Hit Points instead. Overgrowth is removed when
the target Takes a Breather or is hit by a damaging Fire,
Ice, Poison, Flying, or Bug-Type attack. Overgrowth
may only aﬀect a target once per Scene.
Druid's Call
Prerequisites: Green Path
Scene x2 – Standard Action
Eﬀect: 6 small saplings, ﬂowery bushes, or mushroom
patches (depending on your oath) suddenly grow within 6 meters of you, occupying 1 square each. Tis vegetation lasts until the end of the encounter, and acts as
rough terrain that blocks line of sight for Pokémon and
Trainers without the Naturewalk (Forest) Capability.
Whenever you use a Move learned through Nature's
Embrace, you may have it originate from these Plants
as if they were the user. Tis Feature must be used on
soil, or terrain under which soil is hidden by only a few
inches (such as most sidewalks, parking lots, gravel or
woodchip lots, etc.)
Nature's Embrace
[Ranked 3]
Rank 1 Prerequisites: Druid
Rank 2 Prerequisites: Adept Survival or General Education
Rank 3 Prerequisites: Expert Survival or General Education
Static
Eﬀect: You learn 2 Moves chosen from the list below,
marked with the Rank of this Feature you are gaining
or lower.
Druid
[Class] [Special]
Prerequisites: Elemental Connection (Grass), Novice Survival, Novice General Education
Static
Eﬀect: Your powers begin to take afer either Flowers, Fungi, or Trees. Depending on your oath, you gain an
Ability and Stat Tags. Whenever you gain a Druid Feature, you gain the same Stat Tags.
Flower Oath Aroma Veil [+Special Attack]
Fungal Oath Eﬀect Spore [+Special Defense]
Wood Oath Life Force [+Attack]
Rank 1 Moves
Move Prerequisites
Cotton Spore None
Ingrain Tree Oath
Mega Drain None
Razor Leaf None
Stun Spore Fungal Oath
Sweet Scent Flower Oath
Rank 2 Moves
Move Prerequisites
Aromatherapy Flower Oath
Energy Ball None
Giga Drain Fungal Oath
Magical Leaf None
Seed Bomb None
Spiky Shield Tree Oath
Rank 3 Moves
Move Prerequisites
Leech Seed None
Petal Blizzard Tree Oath
Petal Dance Flower Oath
Power Whip None
Solar Beam None
Spore Fungal OathTrainer Classes
80
Ground Elementalist:
Earth Shaker
Te earth is the very foundation that the world’s life lives on. Little by little, it moves, unceasingly changing itself bit
by bit. Continents drif. Volcanoes rise. Te earth quakes, shakes and cracks open. Tose with the steady, unyielding nature of the land are Earth Shakers. As unﬂinching as the ground itself, these souls control the very substance
on which they - and their enemies - stand. Whether the earth parts, the sand streams, or balance is lost, these patient trainers will overcome any odds to ensure they and their allies are the only ones lef standing on solid ground.
Trainer Combat
Associated Skills: Focus, IntuitionTrainer Classes
81
Earth Shaker
[Class] [+Defense]
Prerequisites: Elemental Connection (Ground), Novice Intuition, Novice Focus
Static
Eﬀect: Pick two of Bulldoze, Mud Shot, or Sand-Attack. You learn the chosen Moves.
Earthen Bond
[+Defense]
Prerequisites: Earth Shaker
Static
Eﬀect: You gain the Tremorsense Capability, and you
gain Naturewalk for Cave, Mountain and Desert.
Earth Mother’s Blessing
[Ranked 2] [+Defense]
Rank 1 Prerequisites: Adept Focus or Intuition
Rank 2 Prerequisites: Ground Out, Master Focus or
Intuition
Static
Eﬀect: Each Rank, choose Arena Trap or Lightning
Rod. You gain the chosen Ability.
Earthshifer
[+Defense]
Prerequisites: Ground Out
2 AP – Swif Action
Trigger: You hit with a damaging Ground Type Move
Eﬀect: You initiate a Trip Maneuver against 1 target of
the Move. Te Maneuver automatically hits, and you
may use your Focus or Intuition for the opposed check.
Ground Out
[+Defense]
Prerequisites: Earth Shaker, Expert Focus or Intuition
Static
Eﬀect: Pick two of Drill Run, Magnitude, or Mud Bomb.
You learn the chosen Moves.
Tectonic Shif
[+Defense]
Prerequisites: Ground Out, Master Focus or Intuition
Static
Eﬀect: Pick two of Earthquake, Earth Power, or Sand
Tomb. You learn the chosen Moves.Trainer Classes
82
Ice Elementalist:
Frost Touched
Eons ago, the world ﬂourished in life, only to fall in a relatively brief but lethal global freeze. Tose who emerged
from the ice age were tempered by it, ft for survival. But many have forgotten to fear the frost… and those who
would call upon its power once more. Te Frost Touched are trainers with a supernatural power over subzero temperatures, and by that power can function however cold it gets. As ft for survival as their ancestors, these fearsome
warriors could certainly build a snowman - but should you get the urge to ask, you should just let it go.
Trainer Combat
Travel and Investigation
Associated Skills: Athletics, SurvivalTrainer Classes
83
Te Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway
[+Attack or Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Frost Touched
Static
Eﬀect: You gain the Naturewalk (Tundra) Capability,
are immune to being Frozen, and do not lose Hit Points
from Hail.
Glacial Defense
[+Attack or Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Frost Touched
Static
Eﬀect: Choose Ice Shield or Winter's Kiss. You gain the
Chosen Ability.
Frozen Domain
[+Attack or Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Expert Athletics or Survival
2 AP – Standard Action
Eﬀect: Set 6 square meters of Frozen Domain within
range 6. All 6 meters must be adjacent with at least one
other space of Frozen Domain. All legal targets passing
through these squares must make an Acrobatics check
with a DC equal to 4 + twice your Survival Rank. On
failure, the target is Tripped. Pokémon who are ﬂying,
levitating, or have the Naturewalk (Tundra) Capability
are immune to this eﬀect. When standing on a square
aﬀected by Frozen Domain, you may act as if you were
in Hail weather. When a Fire-Type attack originates
from or targets a square of Frozen Domain, that square
of Frozen Domain melts and is cleared. Frozen Domain
is considered a Hazard.
Winter is Coming
[+Attack or Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Master Athletics or Survival
Static
Eﬀect: You gain the Frostbite Ability.
Winter's Herald
[Ranked 2] [+Attack or Special Attack]
Rank 1 Prerequisites: Expert Athletics or Survival
Rank 2 Prerequisites: Master Athletics or Survival
Static
Eﬀect: You may learn two Moves from the list below,
marked with the Rank of Winter’s Herald you are gaining or lower.
Frost Touched
[Class] [+Attack or Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Elemental Connection (Ice), Novice Athletics, Novice Survival
Prerequisites:
Eﬀect: Choose two out of Haze, Ice Shard, Mist, and Powder Snow. You learn the Chosen Moves.
Rank 1 Moves Rank 2 Moves
Freeze-Dry Avalanche
Ice Punch Blizzard
Ice Beam Frost Breath
Icicle Crash Icicle SpearTrainer Classes
84
Normal Elementalist:
Prism
In a realm of eighteen diﬀerent ﬂavors of ice cream, the Normal type is certainly vanilla. But whoever said that
vanilla had to be plain? Tough lacking in the raw, elemental aspects of the other types, Normal nevertheless tends
to focus a variety of powers, like a prism straining diﬀerent colors of light. Te trainers who embrace their inner
versatility may learn themselves how to focus it, like a Prism. Wielders of light, these Elementalists make use of
ﬂashy, powerful techniques with a rainbow spectrum of eﬀects, proving that Normal defnitely doesn’t mean dull.
Trainer Combat
Travel and Investigation
Associated Skills: Charm, General EducationTrainer Classes
85
Blinding Brightness
[+Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Prism
Static
Eﬀect: You gain the Illuminate Ability.
Sparkle
[+Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Prism, Expert Charm or General Education
Static
Eﬀect: You learn the Moves Tri-Attack and Weather
Ball.
Rainbow Surge
[+Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Sparkle, Master Charm or General Education
Static
Eﬀect: You learn the Moves Hyper Beam and Morning
Sun.
Lucent Mirage
[+Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Prism
Static
Eﬀect: You gain the Illusionist Capability.
Luminous Aura
[+Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Blinding Brightness, Adept Charm or
General Education
Static
Eﬀect: Choose Starlight or Sunglow. You gain the Chosen Ability.
Prismatic Alignment
[+Special Attack]
Prerequisites: 4 Prism Features, Master Charm or General Education
2 AP – Swif Action
Trigger: You use a Prism Move
Eﬀect: Te eﬀect of this Feature depends on the Triggering Move. You may only use Prismatic Alignment
with each Move once per Scene.
•	 Flash: Flash also Blinds all targets it hits until the
end of their next turn.
•	 Swif: Swif instead has a range of 8, 3 Targets.
•	 Tri Attack: Roll twice for Tri Attack’s Accuracy Roll
and take the better result. If you trigger its Eﬀect
Range, you may choose the eﬀect instead of rolling
for it.
•	 Weather Ball: You use Weather Ball as if you were
in the Weather of your choice.
•	 Hyper Beam: Hyper Beam instead has a Range of
Burst 2, Smite or 10, Ranged Blast 3, Smite.
•	 Morning Sun: You use Morning Sun as if you were
in Sunny Weather, and you may cure yourself of one
Status Afiction.
Prism
[Class] [+Special Attack]
Prerequisites: Elemental Connection (Normal), Novice General Education, Novice Charm
Static
Eﬀect: You learn the Moves Flash and Swif.Trainer Classes
86
Poison Elementalist:
Miasmic
Illness. Disease. Death. Decay. Where Grass represents ﬂourishing life, and Ghosts display life afer death, Poison
is that in-between. A slow, steady decline towards the end. Even in its most nonlethal doses, poison causes living
creatures to ‘malfunction’, debilitating in some way. Many substances are toxic to a degree, and Miasmics know
that rarely is anything truly pure. Tese trainers take on the vile aspects of decay, becoming less susceptible to the
same themselves and becoming less bound to the shape their living shell was born with. Tese individuals may be
shaped by their powers, becoming abrasive to those who don’t understand. But Miasmics know, everything has its
end...
Trainer Combat
Associated Skills: Guile, StealthTrainer Classes
87
Corrupt Blood
[+Defense]
Prerequisites: Miasmic
Static
Eﬀect: You are immune to the Poisoned and Badly Poisoned statuses and resist Poison-type attacks one step
further.
Flexible Form
[+Defense]
Prerequisites: Miasmic
Static
Eﬀect: Your body becomes more malleable, and even
your bones are able to ﬂex when required. You do not
gain Injuries from taking Massive damage, and you gain
a +2 Bonus to any Acrobatics or Athletics Check made
to bend, squeeze, or otherwise contort your body -including those to avoid Trip or Grapple maneuvers.
Vile Body
[+Defense]
Prerequisites: Adept Guile or Stealth
Static
Eﬀect: Choose Absorb Force, Poison Point, or Poison
Touch. You gain the chosen Ability.
Miasma’s Call
[+Defense]
Prerequisites: Vile Body, Expert Stealth or Guile
Static
Eﬀect: You learn the moves Acid Armor and Sludge
Bomb.
Miasma Unleashed
[+Defense]
Prerequisites: Miasma’s Call, Master Stealth or Guile
Static
Eﬀect: You learn the moves Sludge Wave and Toxic.
Miasmic Spray
[+Defense]
Prerequisites: Miasma’s Call, Master Stealth or Guile
2 AP – Swif Action
Trigger: You hit with Acid, Clear Smog, Sludge Bomb,
Sludge Wave, or Toxic; or use Acid Armor.
Eﬀect: Te Eﬀect of this feature depends on the triggering move.
•	 Acid: Instead of its usual eﬀect, Acid lowers the Special Defense of all targets hit by -2 Combat Stages.
•	 Clear Smog: Clear Smog’s target loses 5 HP for
each combat stage lost.
•	 Sludge Bomb: Te Target receives a -3 penalty to
Accuracy Rolls until the end of your next turn.
•	 Sludge Wave: All targets in Sludge Wave’s Burst are
Slowed until the end of their next turn.
•	 Toxic: Te target’s Badly Poison Hit Point Loss begins at 10 instead of 5.
•	 Acid Armor: You are not slowed while liquefed
and resist all special damage one step.
Miasmic
[Class] [+Defense]
Prerequisites: Elemental Connection (Poison), Novice Stealth, Novice Guile
Static
Eﬀect: You learn the Moves Acid and Clear Smog.Trainer Classes
88
Rock Elementalist:
Stone Warrior
While the supernatural eﬀects of an Elemental Connection aren’t always obvious, those with a Rock Connection
show it in a way that’s pretty gneiss; their skin gets thicker, bones more durable, and overall exhibit more physical
endurance than whats considered normal. Tey also exhibit some limited ability to materialize earthen matter
and weaponize it, much like a Rock Type Pokémon . Tese individuals are known as Stone Warriors, and are ofen
guided since an early age to put their natural skills to use. Tese earthen guardians make excellent bodyguards,
and many corporate fat cats, politicians and celebrities seek them out for employment. Because of this, some
might think that these guys are all bark and no bite, but you can’t take the ability to materialize rocks for granite.
Trainer Combat
Associated Skills: Combat, SurvivalTrainer Classes
89
Stone Stance
[+Defense]
Prerequisites: Stone Warrior
Bind 2 AP – Standard Action
Eﬀect: You adopt one of the stances below, gaining the
eﬀects of the stance while this Feature remains bound.
You may switch your active Stance as a Standard Action
without rebinding your AP. Te benefts from this Feature do not apply if you are not standing on a solid surface, such as deep mud or snow, or if you are outright
swimming or even ﬂying.
•	 Falling Boulder Stance: You gain a +5 bonus to all
Damage Rolls, but lose 5 HP from Recoil whenever
you hit with an attack.
•	 Moon Mountain Stance: Your initiative is lowered
by -5, but you gain 5 Damage Reduction and are immune to Push or Pull eﬀects.
•	 Roiling Earth Stance: Afer a successful Intercept
action, you may make a Struggle Attack against a
foe within range.
Rock Power
[Ranked 2] [+Defense]
Rank 1 Prerequisites: Adept Combat or Survival
Rank 2 Prerequisites: Expert Combat or Survival
Static
Eﬀect: Each Rank, choose one of Sturdy, Rock Head,
Run Up, or Sand Veil. You gain the chosen Ability. If
you choose Sand Veil, you may consider sand a “solid
surface” for the purposes of Stone Stance.
Shards of Stone
[+Defense]
Prerequisites: Expert Combat or Survival
Static
Eﬀect: You learn the Moves Rock Slide and Stealth Rock
Stone Cold Finish
[+Defense]
Prerequisites: Shards of Stone, Master Combat or Survival
Static
Eﬀect: You learn the Moves Stone Edge and Head
Smash.
Stone Stance Mastery
[+Defense]
Prerequisites: Stone Stance, Master Combat or Survival
Static
Eﬀect: Whenever you bind Stone Stance, you may
choose two Stances and apply the eﬀects of both.
Stone Warrior
[Class] [+Defense]
Prerequisites: Elemental Connection (Rock), Novice Combat, Novice Survival
Static
Eﬀect: You learn the Moves Rock Tomb and Wide Guard.Trainer Classes
90
Steel Elementalist:
Steelheart
What was once a curiosity buried in the ground was tempered by mankind into the foundation of society. Weapons
and armor to defend themselves, beams to support their houses, circuitry housed within complex devices… Metal
has come a long way since man frst discovered it and learned how to alloy it to match or exceed the iron hides of
Aggron. Te strength of Steel is unyielding to man or mon, and those gifed few who know this better than anyone
are the Steelhearts. Possessing immense durability, these men and women are living siege engines, taking any blow
and oﬀering an unrelenting assault in turn. Tey do not yield, they do not break. Tey are the bone of their swords,
the heart of their armor. Tey know that the hardest metal known to man is no Dragonforce, but the spirit of Steel
within themselves and their unlimited blades.
Trainer Combat
Associated Skills: Athletics, FocusTrainer Classes
91
Champion of Steel
[+Defense] [Weapon]
Prerequisites: Steelheart
1 AP – Free Action
Trigger: You make a Weapon Attack.
Eﬀect: Te attack or Move increases your Defense by 1
Combat Stage on 16+ and you may have it deal SteelType Damage if you wish.
Steel Wind
[+Defense] [Weapon]
Prerequisites: Steelheart
Static
Eﬀect: You learn the Moves Bullet Punch and Metal
Claw. You may use these Moves as Weapon Attacks
when wielding Melee Weapons.
Reactive Armour
[+Defense]
Prerequisites: Steelheart, Adept Athletics or Focus
Scene x2 – Free Action
Trigger: You gain an Injury or take a Critical Hit while
wearing metallic Armor
Eﬀect: All foes within a Burst 1 lose Hit Points equal
to double your Athletics or Focus Rank, and you gain
Damage Reduction equal to double your Athletics or
Focus Rank for one full round.
Impenetrable
[+Defense]
Prerequisites: Steelheart, Expert Athletics or Focus
Static
Eﬀect: You gain the Bulletproof Ability.
Master of Arms
[+Defense] [Weapon]
Prerequisites: Steelheart, Expert Athletics or Focus
Static
Eﬀect: You learn the Call to Arms and Unlimited Steel
Works Talents.
Call to Arms
At-Will – Extended Action
Target: A Metal Weapon
Eﬀect: You create a Steelheart Bond with the target
Weapon. You may only have one Steelheart Bond at a
time; if you create a new Bond, all old Bonds are lost. As
a Shif Action, you may beckon your Steelheart Bonded
Weapon to your hands if it is within 10 meters. If it is
being held by someone else who does not want to let go
of the weapon, make an Athletics or Focus vs Athletics
Opposed Check. If you win, they their lose grip on your
Weapon and it ﬂies to your hand as normal.
Unlimited Steel Works
At-Will – Extended Action
Target: Your Steelheart Bond Weapon
Eﬀect: You may replace the Move(s) granted by the
target Weapon with any other standard Weapon Moves,
within Limitations. Weapons may still only grant one
Adept and one Master Move at a maximum.
Man of Steel
[+Defense] [Weapon]
Prerequisites: Steelheart, Master Athletics or Focus
Static
Eﬀect: You learn the Moves Meteor Mash and King’s
Shield. You may use these Moves as Weapon Attacks
when wielding Melee Weapons.
Steelheart
[Class] [+Defense] [Weapon]
Prerequisites: Elemental Connection (Steel), Novice Athletics, Novice Focus
Static
Eﬀect: When wielding metal Melee Weapons, you may use Athletics or Focus instead of Combat to determine
the Damage Base of your Struggle Attacks, to qualify for a Weapon’s Moves, and to resist Disarm Checks.
Whenever your Weapon Attacks hit a foe who has previously hit you with a Melee attack in the same round, the
foe loses a Tick of Hit Points.Trainer Classes
92
Water Elementalist:
Maelstrom
Te ocean is the vast body of water that covers seventy percent of the Earth’s surface area. Being over twice as vast
as the land we live on, it positively teems with life-forms majestic and mysterious. But the sea isn’t only a place of
beauty and life - it can also become a raging whirl of clawing waves and greedy currents, waiting to drag the next
fool who underestimates the dangers that lay beneath their boat. Te ones who can brave the Maelstroms fearlessly
have taken on the name of the same, among them skilled Water type Elementalists who can breathe the water like
air and glide through the currents as birds on the breeze. Tey too have the sea’s deadly might, and assault their
enemies with the force of a great typhoon.
Trainer Combat
Travel and Investigation
Associated Skills: Acrobatics, AthleticsTrainer Classes
93
Water’s Shroud
[+Speed]
Prerequisites: Call Te Current Rank 2
Static
Eﬀect: Choose Wash Away or Storm Drain. You gain
the Chosen Ability.
Hydro Jet
[+Speed]
Prerequisites: Call Te Current Rank 1
1 AP – Free Action
Trigger: You use a damaging single target Water-Type
Move
Eﬀect: Hydro Jet’s eﬀect depends on if the triggering
Move was Melee or Ranged.
•	 If Melee, the Move gains the Pass keyword and you
may change direction during the four meters of
Pass (but may still only target any given Pokémon
or Trainer once).
•	 If Ranged, the Move becomes a Line 4 instead of its
usual range.
Oceanic Feeling
[+Speed]
Prerequisites: Water’s Shroud, Master Athletics or Acrobatics
Scene x2 – Free Action
Trigger: See Text
Eﬀect: You may activate Oceanic Feeling when either
Wash Away or Storm Drain would be triggered to gain
that Ability for 1 full round, if you do not already have
it, and immediately Trigger it. Activating an Ability
this way ignores its usual Frequency. You may use each
Ability once per Scene this way.
Call Te Current
[Ranked 3] [+Speed]
Rank 1 Prerequisites: Maelstrom
Rank 2 Prerequisites: Adept Athletics or Acrobatics
Rank 3 Prerequisites: Expert Athletics or Acrobatics
Eﬀect: You learn 2 Moves chosen from the list below,
marked with the Rank of this Feature you are gaining
or lower.
Maelstrom
[Class] [+Speed]
Prerequisites: Elemental Connection (Water), Novice Athletics, Novice Acrobatics
Static
Eﬀect: You gain the Gilled Capability, and a +2 bonus to your Swim speed. Whenever your Water-Type Moves
miss all targets, you gain a Tick of Temporary Hit Points.
Rank 1 Moves Rank 2 Moves Rank 3 Moves
Aqua Jet Bubblebeam Aqua Tail
Aqua Ring Waterfall Rain Dance
Water Pulse Whirlpool SurfCampaign Settings
94
Chapter 4: Campaign
Settings
How to Use Tese Settings
Tis section is divided into two (and hopefully soon
three, and by soon I mean before 1.06 in a blog post)
containing two full setting concepts for Fantasy campaigns. Tese settings are comprehensive and ready to
be used as is, which can be a big win for a lot of play
groups and GMs who are more looking to jump straight
to playing.
Te settings included here were written to cover a variety of fantasy concepts and subgenres, and to explore
various aspects of Pokémon lore that have a lot of room
for development in a fantasy world. Keep in mind as you
read these that they aren’t intended to be complete and
closed settings. Each one of them is complete enough
for a campaign, but mysteries have been deliberately lef
open-ended, not just to prevent your potential players
from reading ahead but also encouraging playing with
ideas and rifng oﬀ the ones contained here.
Te Six Duchies is the frst campaign setting detailed
and is representative of your traditional Chivalric Romantic setting. It is an ideal setting for those looking
for that traditional Tolkienesque fantasy feeling, as well
as those looking for something more akin to A Song of
Fire and Ice from a political intrigue angle.
Visiwa: Te Eastern Isles is the second campaign setting detailed and representative of both the Age of Discovery and Tribal Fantasy. Tis high seas and dense
jungled setting focuses on exploration of the unknown
with extremely dangerous wildlife, ever changing labyrinths and ecosystems, and lost relics and ruins of an
ancient civilization. It can be played from both a swashbuckling, light hearted angle all the way to a dark and
dangerous dungeon crawl. It also includes several different cultural groups, leaving a lot of room for politics
and tension between the various factions.Campaign Settings
95
The sea breeze rolled across the docks and through the city of Kingswatch, the banners of the First Cohort of the royal army ﬂuttering. Te procession through the town was silent save for the clamor of armored foot steps. Te troopers marched through the city, past the temple of the Tousand Arms where holy men and -
women mourned. Past the College of Tree Disciplines, where scholars had halted their studies for the day to pay
solemn respect, and past the College of Logic, saluted by future captains and commanders in full parade dress.
Bannermen held their burdens high, never letting the black pennants dip or waver despite the winding path and the
hours of steady march. Reaching the palace proper, they entered a grand hall, their fnal destination. It was open to
the western sea, allowing the breeze to swim over those assembled.
Standing on tiered platforms along the walls were the ruling nobility of Adairslen. Te dukes and duchesses each sat
under a banner displaying their coat of arms. Of the Six Duchies only one lord was absent; the Duke of Coalbank had
sent his youngest son in his place, a boy no older than ten summers. It was just above insult for the event.
A funeral. A coronation.
Te soldiers knelt in a wave, each rank in turn. Tey did not pay obeisance to the nobility at their ﬂanks, but to the
veiled woman at the head of the room, standing stiﬀ as wood and ﬂanked by two men.
Te men standing on either side of her could not look any more diﬀerent. One was a man of middle years, his long hair
tied in a braid streaked with early grey. His clothes were worn, but of fne material. He looked down his nose, crooked
where it had been broken at least once. Tis was the storyteller. Te other man was in the winter of his life, his white
hair cropped short in a warrior’s cut. His clothes were of simple make and fabric, all in white. He clutched his medallion of ofce, the golden wheel, with scarred hands. He was the First Arm of the Path.
Six DuchiesCampaign Settings
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On the raised dais the veiled woman motioned for the soldiers to stand. At her command they snapped to attention.
Slowly she removed her veil. She was rather plain, her face bare of paint, her dark hair pulled into a severe bun. Even
her mourning dress was simple in design, if not in fabric. Her most striking features were her red eyes, and they glowed
on her pale face. Te sun, setting at her back, ringed her in light.
It was then that Margaret Bloody-Eyes made her frst speech as queen.
“Tis is Our time for mourning. Our father the late king was one of the most beloved rulers this kingdom has ever
known. He viewed all his lands, his home, and all those who lived upon them his children. Our father was as a father
to the entirety of Adairslen. As such every Adairen weeps for his passing. But the treachery that took him will not go
unpunished,” her voice cracked as she spoke. Quickly she regained control of herself.
“But now more than ever are the duchies divided, ripping at each other’s throats. Why? Diﬀerences in belief? Who
follows the Path of One-Tousand or who pays respect to the Icons? Over riches gained or taxes levied? Slights real or
imagined. Tose seeking to lay blame?” Her words came easier now her as she found the rhythm.
Te room remained silent. Many of the noble men and women looked anywhere but to the dais, to their Queen.
“We are not blind, nor deaf. We know what whispers echo in Our nation. Cession. We know what we are called. We
are not Our father, we have never claimed to be. No, do not hide it. We see it in your faces. Te fear in your eyes. Te
uncertainty. Te ambition,” Margaret’s eyes lingered on the young scion of Coalbank, and to the boy’s credit he only
squirmed afer her gaze lef him.
“We will not be perfect at frst, but We are still your monarch. We, I, am your Queen. But for this nation to do more
than survive, for this nation to thrive as it did under the rule of my father I cannot do this alone. I will need the aid of
every Archduchess and Archduke in the kingdom. Te aide of every man and woman in this room.” Te queen continued on, her expression hardening as she looked over those assembled.
“We are Maragret Adairson, also called Bloody Eyes. We call now to reafrm your oaths, thrice over. Once to the
throne, once to your lands, and once to me,” the stiﬀ, uncertain woman of earlier was mostly gone.
Several of the dukes and duchesses shared confused looks. Eventually Duchess Oriana of Fairfeld knelt, hand over
heart. ”My Queen, I swear my oath, my fealty, my life. To the crown, the kingdom, and to you.”
Each of the dukes and duchesses followed suit. Coalbank was the last group to kneel before their queen.
“You all honor me and you honor our father,” Margaret said, the tears falling down her face, red in the setting sun.
--So began the Reign of Margaret Bloody-Eyes. 1065 FFCampaign Settings
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Six Duchies is a western medieval fantasy campaign setting, where sword and sorcery still reign supreme. Te nation of Adairslen is in turmoil; their king was assassinated while en route to a ball in his honor. Fear runs rampant
with the nobility, and whispers of usurpation and cession burn the ears of all who hear them.
Te six duchies that the setting derives its name from make up the six provinces of Adairslen: the capital King’s
Watch; Fairfeld, the oldest Duchy; Coalbank, famed for its mining; Sailmourne and its famous sailors; Faepeak,
in the shadow of the mountain, Fairymont; and Greensea, land of primordial forests. Wild Pokémon still populate
the Six Duchies, but Poké Balls are still a new and rare invention, so there are fewer domesticated species.
Each Duchy has a Ducal Keep that serves as a capital. Tey are the largest settlement in each duchy and are the
center of commerce. All tariﬀs, levies and general tax collection makes it’s way to the ducal keeps, and from there
to Kingswatch. Every ducal keep is protected by walls taller than any man could climb. Tese walls were built when
the duchies were still new, and as time progressed the commerce, produce, and manpower needed to supply the
Keeps caused the towns to spread outside of the walls.
Technology and Setting Basics
Six Duchies Campaign Setting
Genre: Chivalric Romance
Features: Enchanted Landscapes, Exploration, Living Gods, Magical/Military Academie, Political Intrigue, Old
Fae Lore, Warring States
Poké Balls
Capturing Pokémon is nothing new in the Six Duchies,
and has been happening for centuries. Te method by
which Pokémon are captured is the only thing that has
changed. Prior to the invention of Poké Balls, Pokémon
would have to be contained within a runic circle for the
duration of a ritual to bind them to a sizeable piece of
Faeglass, a crystal found only within the mines of Fairymont.
Due to the cost of materials, only nobility were able to
bind Pokémon, and the Faeglass crystals were ofen displayed in jewelry, weapons, or armor. Due to the length
of the ritual and the fragility of the Faeglass before being
bound, only sedated or domestic Pokémon were bound.
Modern Poké Balls have only been in production for
about ten years. Initially discovered by researchers at
the College of Logic, Poké Balls are made using Apricorn shells inlaid with Faeglass and Varil ore. While the
College is highly protective of their production methods and design, rudimentary versions of the Poké Balls
created by the College can be produced by country
hedgewitches and wizards, but these products are more
likely to break.
Pokémon Centers
In the duchies Pokémon centers do not exist in the traditional sense. Te duchies have houses of healing in
every major city that heal both trainer and Pokémon,
but out in the wilds options are limited to local healers and hedge witches/wizards. Tese individuals
will provide healing services, sometimes for free, but
sometimes in exchange for a favor, either immediate
or called on later. In general it is poor planning to have
every Healer’s Hut or Hedge Witch require a service or
goods but it can help set the tone of the area.
Religion
Tere are two main religions in Adairslen: the worship
of the legendary Icons, and the proclaimed Path of One
Tousand Arms, sometimes refereed to as the Arcean
Cult. Te Path is relatively new, as it was only established two hundred years ago; the late king was the frst
member of the royal family to practice the Path openly,
going so far as to build a temple in the capital. Since
his conversion, tensions and conﬂicts between the two
religions have begun to emerge between the formerly
peaceful groups.Campaign Settings
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Te Icons
Icons are the forces of human nature made manifest.
Tey begin as mere stories told over years and centuries
until the belief and faith of thousands of people spins
them into life. As they are beings beyond mortal limitations, no Icon is bound to a singular body or shape;
however, they are still bound to mortal belief. Should
a story cease to be told, an Icon may lose access to that
character. Should enough stories vanish, an Icon may
disappear entirely. Conversely, as new stories are created, an Icon can gain new forms.
Every Icon has a sphere of inﬂuence that correlates to
their nature, as well favored Pokémon. Tese Pokémon
may embody an Icon’s spirit, ideology, or personality;
they may also simply be tied to an Icon through stories. Icons will ofen bless members of these favored
species in odd but benefcial ways. Occasionally, these
Pokémon can also be used as servants or messengers.
Icons do not have an organized or dedicated clergy.
Tey can be worshipped anywhere, by anyone. Prayers
are simply stories; they range from as short as two lines,
to epics usually reserved for festivals. Te closest thing
to a priesthood are freelance Storytellers. Tese are people who travel the land learning and telling stories, attempting to ensure no legend is lost. Most Storytellers
devote themselves to a particular Icon, but will never
turn down a rare tale of any Icon. Te more popular
Icons may have shrines, but these are tended by volunteers, usually retired Storytellers.
Each duchy has a favored Icon, one the people pour
more belief into than any other. Icons are more likely to
appear and act in areas where their worship is strong,
but they are by no means limited to these areas.
Most Popular Icons
Te Grinning Fisherman
Patron of the art of fshing, the Grinning Fisherman is
said to be found at every major body of water with a
pole in hand and a story to tell. Reports of his appearance vary wildly from duchy to duchy, but he always
appears as an older man with a full beard and a perpetual grin.
He is one of the most enigmatic of the Icons, as he never
makes demands of his followers or attempts to increase
their numbers. He usually only appears to those worried
or afraid; he tells a story, or answers some questions,
and departs, ofen before they realize who he is. Despite
his mysterious nature, he is worshipped by sailors, fsherman, and anyone with business on the sea.
Spheres of inﬂuence: Water, Fishing, Sailing, Storytelling
Favored Pokémon: Lapras, Slowpoke, Finneon, Wailmer
Lord of Feasts
Tis Icon is arguable the most active, and unlike most
Icons, the Lord of Feasts can be deliberately summoned-
-in this instance, by a grand enough celebration. He appears most ofen as a young man with a masquerade
mask, and is usually clothed as richly as the wealthiest
of nobles.
Although normally carefree and jovial, this Icon is capable of grimmer presentations. He embodies excess;
when his mood turns sour, the celebration may continue until participants are pushed beyond mortal limits,
dancing and consuming until there is nothing lef. Despite the risk, any party attended by the Lord of Feasts
will be remembered for years to come.
Other Titles: Duke of Drink, Viscount of Victuals, Reviled Reveler
Spheres of Inﬂuence: Dance, Food, Celebration
Favored Pokémon: Muchlax line, Gulpin line, Spinda,
Shuckle
Te Midwife
Doctors and hospitals are rare in Adairslen, found primarily in the keeps. In the country, the Midwife is the
patron Icon of local healers and pregnant women. Te
Midwife usually takes the guise of an older woman,
wrapped in scarves and a tattered dress, a bag of tools
and a long knife on her hips. Her face is obscured by her
scarves but her long, bony fngers are wrinkled, worn,
and calloused.Campaign Settings
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Tough midwifery is her specialty, it is not the only
thing the Midwife is known for. She is a healer of any
ailment; though she usually only appears in times of
dire need, she will also appear to newly pregnant women or women who have recently miscarried.
Other Titles: Midwife, Matron, Matriarch
Spheres of Inﬂuence: Fertility, Health
Favored Pokémon: Chansey, Kangskhan, Audino, Alomomola
Soul of the Battlefelds
Tis Icon is associated with any sort of bloodshed, be
it war, murder, or raiding. As such, this Icon is worshipped not only by soldiers, but also by bandits and
assassins. Tis Icon is only found where lives have been
deliberately taken and is most commonly seen on battlefelds, battling on the side of the victor. Te Soul of
Battlefelds has only one identifying trait; a face painted
red with blood. Anyone who pays respect to this Icon
does so fervently, for the Soul of Battlefelds is unpredictable; the worst fate imaginable is to fnd this Icon
fghting against you, for they never lose.
Other Titles: Bloody Icon, Idol of Murders, Warcaller
Spheres of Inﬂuence: Duels, War, Bloodshed
Favored Pokémon: Tyranitar Line, Honedge Line, Tyrouge line
Pathfnder
Te patron of the hunt and master of the secrets of the
wild lands, this Icon is barely remembered by those who
live in large towns and cities. Tis Icon is known for its
capricious behavior; while it occasionally aids hunters,
it will sometimes turn on them in the middle of the
hunt, startling game or turning disrespectful hunters
into prey. Te Pathfnder never kills without reason. It
appears to followers as: an older woodsmen with Ursaring hides slung over one shoulder, carrying a large
logging axe; a young woman with a longbow; or a young
child with a hunting knife.
Other Titles: Te Pathfnder, Ranger of the Wilds , or
Master of the Hunt
Spheres of Inﬂuence: Hunting, Forests, Stealth
Favored Pokémon: Stantler, Deerling line, Vulpix line,
Houndour Line, Growlithe line, Rufet Line
Plowman
Te most humble of the Icons, the Plowman’s presence is visible even if he himself isn’t. Wherever he has
walked or worked the plants grow that much faster,
are that much stronger, and produce that much more.
Tough he is not the most widely worshipped Icon, he
is respected and loved by his followers, for he brings
only blessings and never curses.
Te Plowman always takes the form of a suntanned
youth on the verge of manhood, his hair bleached by
the sun. He is most commonly found hiring on for a
day’s work; where he toils, the work goes faster, and his
fellows never tire. Crops he gathers seem to double in
the gathering, and what he plants faces neither pest nor
plague. He is ofen accompanied by a Tauros that he
will leave behind as a gif; Tauros descended from these
Pokémon are highly valued.
Other Titles: Lord of Farmers, Tauros Blood,
Spheres of Inﬂuence: Crops, Growth, Animal Husbandry
Favored Pokémon: Taruos, Miltank, Spoink line, Hoppip line, Mareep line, Cherrim,pumpkaboo line.
Scholar of Runes
Te Icon of academic endeavors and research. Te
Scholar has no defnite shape or form; it has appeared
as men and women both young and old, as whisperers
unseen, and even as a tome of knowledge. Te Scholar
appears to anyone truly seeking knowledge and will offer their advice and guidance.
Tis Icon truly appreciates being called upon and relishes their patrons as much as the endeavors they are on.
Te Scholar ofen becomes too engrossed in the pursuit of research, and has been known to go to extreme
lengths, inﬂuencing patrons or providing questionable
tools and means, in order to fnd answers.
Other Titles: Librarian of the Arcane, Scathing Academic, Sinister Savant
Spheres of Inﬂuence: Knowledge, Artifce, Ruthlessness
Favored Pokémon: Unknown, Fenniken line, Abra line,
Claydol line Golett lineCampaign Settings
100
Singer of Storms
Te Singer of Storms is the Icon most closely associated
with the turn of the seasons and the weather. Tose who
pay her respect ask for an early spring or a cool summer,
for rain or for sun. She is also mistress of music, and one
of the many ways she asks for tribute is through song.
Her appearance and instrument change depending on
the season and the weather.
In fall she has hair of deep browns, gold and yellows;
her skin is the color of wet clay and her eyes green. She
primarily uses ﬂutes and other woodwinds during this
season. In winter her skin is white as snow, her hair blue
with shards of black, and her eyes are colorless white
orbs, and uses drums and other percussions.
Spring turns her hair to green, full of life and ﬂowers; her skin becomes a rosy peach color; and her eyes
change at a whim, always reminiscent of wildﬂowers. It
is during this season that she truly becomes the Singer,
as she uses no instrument but her voice. Summer turns
her skin turn a dark bark-like brown; her hair as red
as the setting sun; and her eyes each a miniature sun.
Tis season is for string instruments, primarily harps
and lutes.
Other Titles: Composer of Cold, Spring Soloist, Conductor of Sunlight
Spheres of Inﬂuence: Weather, Seasons, Song, Music
Favored Pokémon: Castform, Kricketune, Chatot, Igglypuﬀ line, Deerling line
Migrant Trader
Te Icon of travel and trade. Every merchant, trader,
and traveler pays homage to the Migrant Trader, for
its blessings include safe travel, the best deals, and the
chance to be the frst to corner a market or discover a
new point on the map. Te Trader has anything a person could want and is always the happy to make a deal,
although they don’t always trade in coin. Tey have
been known to trade secrets, time, years of work, and
even lives for their goods and services. Te Migrant
Trader has claimed to have set up shop everywhere in
the world, and some places besides, even on the other
side of death. Teir appearance is always the same: a fgure in a large black cloak, hood raised, a kerchief across
their face, and a bag of goods on their back.
Other Titles: Dead Peddler, Vagrant Vendor
Spheres of Inﬂuence: Trade, Travel, Money
Favored Pokémon: Meowth Line, Inkay line, Delibird
Te Path of One Tousand Arms
Unlike the Icons, the Path has a devoted and organized
clergy and religion. Tey preach of the harmony of the
natural world and worship Arceus as the creator. Although they are a popular religion, practiced openly
by commoners and nobility alike, the Path was initially
persecuted and practiced secretly.
Te founder of the Path was a commoner, a farmer in
Farfeld Duchy named Mercedes. During planting season, she unearthed a ﬂute carved entirely of strange blue
stone. She played it that evening for her family, and they
marveled at the clear and beautiful sounds it produced.
In their dreams, each member of the family saw a being
unlike any other; he did not speak to them, and he did
not attack them. He simply watched. For over a fortnight the family shared this dream, and every day they
discovered a new object buried in their felds, strange
stone like objects of mysterious make and design.
On the sixteenth day they found the last plate; on the
sixteenth night, the being fnally spoke to Mercedes.
While there are many contradicting stories of what the
being we now call the Creator told His frst disciple, all
the texts agree on what happened next. Mercedes of
Farfeld cast away her name, becoming the First Arm of
the Path of One Tousand. She preached the unity and
harmony of the Sixteen Essences of the World, using the
power of the sixteen Plates to demonstrate the truth of
her story. Each Plate granted dominion over one of the
fundamental elements of the world. Many were awed
by her power and her story, and her following steadily
grew.
Although the First Arm denounced war and bloodshed,
her pacifsm was seen as a fatal weakness by those who
saw her as a lunatic and a heretic. In order to protect her,
members of the congregation formed a group called the
Gilded Fists. Each member of the Gilded fsts aspires to
the rank of Knight-Templar. Tere are only ever sixteen
Knight-Templars at one time, as each embodies one of
the sixteen aspects of creation.Campaign Settings
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Each Knight-Templar commands fve ‘Finger’ groups of
ten men and women. Total, the Gilded Fists are composed of eight hundred knights. Tough this group is
large enough to rival any standing army, they have no
military base and are rarely in the same place. Tey are
most commonly divided down to the Fingers and serve
as small honor guards for missionaries and gather into
full Fists to serve the First Arm.
In the formative years of the Path, when they were still
hunted and persecuted, the Sixteen Plates were lost. No
one knows why or how: some say the Creator was angry with his disciples for using His blessings as tools of
destruction, and reclaimed the Plates from the world;
others claim that the First disciple deliberately broke
them on her deathbed and scattered the shards across
the land with the last of her power to prevent them from
being misused.
Tose of the Path hold only sixteen major elements in
high regard, disregarding two elements that were not
present in the Plates. Normal holds no special gifs, but
is seen as the force that binds the world together. Te
other missing element is Fairy. Te Path ofcially views
fairies as something alien, but benign. Tere are those
who seek it out as a corruption, and attempt to cleanse it
from the world. Other factions claim that it is just a new
element brought to the world by the Creator and that
the Path should adopt it into its doctrine.
Titans
In the world of Adairslen, legendary Pokémon take the
form of Titans, beasts of legendary power and pure elemental force. Old legends claim these creatures made
the world, but these stories have long been disregarded in the face of their unrelenting destructive force and
complete disregard for the lives of anyone, human or
Pokémon, who crosses their path. Not one expedition
has ever returned from trying to calm these Titans.
In ancient history, kingdoms and empires banded together in attempts to defeat these Titans. Such battles
are referred to as the Titan Wars. Tey all ended in failure. In modern Adairslen, most people avoid these creatures to the best of their ability. However, the College of
Tree Disciplines has begun long-distance studies into
the nature of these Titans, and rumors say they hope to
one day capture or control them. Tey have recruited
the small but fervent Titan Cults into service, sending
members closer than most scholars dare go.
Example Titans:
•	 Te Titan of the Southern Sea, now called the Sea
of Glass stilled it’s waves over a millennia ago, no
scholar knows why but to this day there are no
waves, the tide rises and falls with still water.
•	 Te islands that dot the northern archipelago have
raging volcanoes that never stop spewing their ash
and lava, slowly growing each year. On dark still
nights those who live on the shores claim to hear
ringing roars and earth shaking blows coming from
those mountain peaks, the Titan of the Earths Heart
expanding his inﬂuence.
Society in the Six Duchies
Te social structure of Adairslen is largely feudal. Te
kingdom is broken into the six duchies, and each duchy
is broken down further into individual fefdoms. Each
duchy has a ruling noble family led by an arch- duke
or duchess, then branch families who own and oversee
these fefdoms.
Depending on the duchy there may also exist a wealthy
merchant class. Te merchants wield considerable power and inﬂuence, ofen on par with the nobility, but
without titles. Many of these merchant princes have
been stripped of their property and wealth afer trying
to act above their station in the capitol.
Tose who exhibit supernatural powers are ofen recruited at a young age by the Path to be trained as either
a Gilded Fist or part of the clergy. Tose who refuse or
avoid their attention ofen attend the College of Tree
Disciplines to further their abilities. Individuals from
small towns or remote villages are usually taught by a
local hedge witch or wizard in some regard, ofen as an
apprentice.
Pokémon Populations
Since this setting is pre-digital age, Pokémon like Porygon, Voltorb, Magnemite, and even Mewtwo can’t have
the same background as usual.Campaign Settings
102
Te Land of Ardairslen
King’s Watch (Capital of the Kingdom)
Ruled by: Queen Margaret Bloody-Eyes
Patron Icon: Scholar of Runes
Te capital of the Six Duchies is located on the coast,
and is the secondary trade port of the kingdom. Tis
city is older than the duchies themselves, having been
home to the original inhabitants of Adairslen. Over the
centuries the Adairslens have made changes and additions to the city and surrounding area, but the keep itself, a great stone tower, remains mostly unchanged. It
serves as a lighthouse for passing ships and travellers.
Residence of the Royal Family.
Notable locations:
•	 Te largest military and scholarly academies of the
land. Te College of Logic is the Adairslen military
academy; most young nobles spend at least a single
year in attendance. Te College of Tree Disciplines
is the academic college. It focuses on arcane arts,
history, and philosophy.
Farfeld Duchy
Ruled by: Arch Duchess Oriana
Patron Icon: Te Plowman
Te oldest of the duchies. Farfeld is the agriculture hub
of the country, where most of the kingdom’s grains and
livestock are raised. Afer the invention of Poké Balls,
much of its land has been turned away from food production and instead to the growth of the Apricorns that
make the cases of Poké Balls.Campaign Settings
103
Te recent change in direction for many of its farms
has caused a bit of an uproar with those who survive oﬀ
these lands. Te new plants and trees cannot bear fruit
for several years afer planting, and even at maturity the
Apricorns are inedible. Tis has lef many of the farmers
holding onto the promise of royal investment as a shield
against starvation.
Notable locations:
•	 Te ducal keep, Silo, whose walls surround enough
farmland to support the entire keep.
•	 Te Tauros Proving Grounds: the route by which
drivers take their Tauros to market every year.
•	 Te Gormen Music Academy: the greatest school of
music and theory in the duchies. It is said that every
notable bard, dancer or performer has trained here,
including many of the Icon’s storytellers.
Coalbank
Ruled by: Arch Duke Vincent
Patron Icon: Migrant Trader
Tis duchy lies at foothills that lead to the Fairymont.
Coalbank contains the only mines that produce Varil,
the singular ore suitable for the creation of pokeballs.
As a result, Coalbank has become the richest of the Six
Duchies. Most mining operations for normal ores have
ceased in favor of searching for Varil deposits. Hundreds
of boomtowns have risen and fallen in the decades since
this economic shif.
Notable locations:
•	 Te ducal keep, Whitewall. Whitewall is not the
grandest of the ducal keeps, but it boasts some of
the most impressively maintained walls and garrisons. Te white stone of the walls came from the
hills of the duchy themselves and some say they are
magicked.
•	 Te town of Varisle, located by the original varil
mine, is the oldest remaining boomtown and boasts
the second largest population in the duchy.
Sailmourne
Ruled by: Archduchess Isabella the Privateer
Patron Icon: the Grinning Fisherman.
Te only other coastal duchy in the kingdom, Sailmourne is renowned for its fne ships and excellent sailors. Te duchy is in charge of guarding its coast from
outside raiders, pirates and corsairs. Minor raiding parties are the norm; a full scale naval battle has not been
waged in generations. Te people of this duchy are notoriously superstitious, and invoke their patron at the
smallest hint of ill fortune.
Notable locations:
•	 Te ducal keep, commonly referred to as the Shipyard. Te keep is built right into its own private
docks where the duke’s ﬂagship is kept in case of
emergencies.
•	 Te shipyards, not to be confused with the ducal
keep. Tey use the timber imported from Greensea
Duchy to create all of their ships
•	 Te Whirling Cave: home to all manner of strange
and varied sea life.
Faepeak
Ruled by: Archduchess Serena
Patron Icon: Singer of Storms
Tis duchy dwells in the direct shadow of the Fairymont. Te people here are reserved and do not take to
outsiders very well. Faepeak is one of the more dangerous duchies; in the shadow of the mountain, infants and
children sometimes vanish from their homes, replaced
with strange creatures; men and women vanish for years
and return unchanged, unaware of the passage of time,
while some return afer only a single night, but aged
into elders. Tis duchy is also home to unique Pokémon
found nowhere else in the kingdom.
Tis duchy is where the crystalline stone called Faeglass was frst discovered, and its mines remain the only
mines to produce it. Since the invention of Poké Balls
and the increasing use of Varil ore, the demand for Faeglass has decreased.Campaign Settings
104
Notable locations:
•	 Te ducal keep, Stonheart; built into the Fairymont
itself, the keep’s walls are constructed from stone
said to be mined from the heart of the Fairymont.
Tough it has never been sieged properly, any attacks made against the ducal keep have always failed
quickly. Many who visit claim that Stoneheart Keep
is a maze of corridors that go deeper than they
should. Some visitors even claim to have heard voices from the walls and see faces in the stone. Conversely, no native has ever experienced trouble navigating.
•	 No one is certain how the properties of the crystals
within the Faeglass mines were frst discovered, but
Faeglass has always been vital to the production of
Poké Balls. Locals however, have a number of superstitions surrounding Faeglass; most disturbingly,
they claim that any child who looks into a crystal
will lose their soul. While these legends remain unsubstantiated, a larger percentage of people do go
missing from the mines than from anywhere else in
the duchy.
Greensea
Ruled by: Archduke Laurent
Patron Icon: Te Pathfnder
Te largest of the duchies, but the least populated,
Greensea is named for the thick forests that dominates
its lands. Many settlements rest just at the forest’s northern edge, but there are a few communities that make
their living by logging deep in the woods. It is a difcult life, as the living forest tries to reclaim its lost land
every day; plants and trees grow at a vastly accelerated
rate, and have overcome several villages unable to keep
ahead. Much of the traveling done through this duchy
is accomplished by paving roads with stone from the
Fairymont, the only material resistant to the plants and
trees.
Te wood provided by Greensea duchy supplies the entire kingdom with timber; with the rate of forest growth,
there is very little chance of complete deforestation.
Notable locations:
•	 Te ducal keep, Ivywall. Te keep’s walls are not
made of stone, but live wood. When the duchy
was frst established, before the nature of the forest
was fully understood, the people thought nothing
of building in the forest using wood. But over the
years the walls and buildings began to sprout and
leaf again. Te strange nature of the forest seems to
have brought the dead wood of the walls back to life.
Tis has created a strange atmosphere to the keep
and most buildings in the duchy. Te maintenance
of the walls requires much shaping and trimming,
but as the walls themselves grew the keep became
incredibly fortifed.Campaign Settings
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Trainer Creation
Trainers can walk all manner of life in the duchies.
Many Elementalists and those with the power of Aura
are snatched up by the Arcean Cult to serve as squires
and eventually knights known as the Gilded Fists, but
some still live their whole lives in the country or attend
a College. Supernatural classes like Medium and Channeler are much more common in the wilds; almost every
village or town has at least one as a wiseman or woman.
Many scholarly types try to gain patronage to research
their felds, such as pokeball research or the artifcial
creation of Poké Balls. Such classes might be Researcher, Scientist, even something like Jail Breaker from DPDoM could ft with some reﬂufng. Te classes from Te
Blessed and the Damned can also ft if the campaign focuses on Legendary Pokémon, or even the Icons themselves may have chosen to bless or brand individuals.
Te more ‘mundane’ classes still have a home in the
Duchies as well, Ace’s and Capture Specialist especially,
as Pokémon raising and catching is important not just
for warfare, but everyday life. Chefs might be trying to
impress the Lord of Feasts and musicians may wish to
play at Court.
Building a Six Duchies Campaign
Te setting allows for a diverse set of game styles (ex:
service under a duke to quell banditry; a mercenary
band escorting members of the College of Tree to a
site; political intrigue in the capital in the afermath of
the Kings death; even students at the College of Logic
during fnal exams), so it is best to sit down with your
group and discuss what sort of fantasy style game they
want to play in. A campaign of Knights of the Gilded
Fists will be worlds apart from one following the disciples of the Grinning Fisherman. One might be full of
combat and rising through the ranks, the other more
about exploration and seafaring.
Campaign Hooks
Ruins in the Woods
Sages of the College of Tree have had an unsettling
message delivered in the night. A strange set of ruins
have been discovered near the small village of Pinevale
in Greensea Duchy. Tey are in a barren clearing that
plants refuse to grow in, an occurrence very unusual
in Greensea’s forest. A few brave and curious villagers
explored every huge stone structure, except the tallest
tower, and found them empty of anything save the
murals on the walls.
Te largest tower was the only one with a sealed door.
But even from the ground the villagers could spy a
large, strangely etched stone upon its top. Te villagers departed the ruins unharmed, but those who had
entered the buildings began to fall into a deep slumber and any who awoke began speaking in strange
tongues. Soon, the strange illness spread to other
members of the expedition, and then to the rest of the
village. Te writer of the message claims to be one of
the last unaﬀected.
Te sages have agreed to send a company to investigate
this strange illness, but it is not the state of the villagers
that most interests the sages; it is the murals and the
buildings themselves. Tese ruins sound almost completely intact, a legacy unspoiled by war and time. Tey
are unsure how the frescos survived for so long but the
scenes described are unlike the Duchies of today. From
what the scholars were able to understand of the ‘uneducated’ descriptions, the murals depicted Kingswatch,
the volatile northern islands, and strange and fantastic
creatures and humans. Scholars have theorized that
the murals could be showing humans and Titans living
side by side.
Upon arrival in Pinevale, the party fnds the village as
bustling as a logging town can be expected to be. Te
villagers don’t seem ill, but the people of Pinevale all
speak in some sort of language none of the sages have
ever heard. Yet the villagers seem to understand one
another perfectly fne, and are not outright hostile to
the party. Te only thing that seems amiss is a large
stone in the center of the town. It is easy to tell that it
was dragged there recently.Campaign Settings
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It isn’t until several days afer the party arrives in Pinevale that a carrier Pidgey delivers a fateful message.
Te malady is spreading from Greensea Duchy to the
rest of Adairslen even the messenger is now stricken,
and it is not so benign. Men and women do not wake
from sleep, or enter a frenzied feral rage. Does this
strange stone hold the key to the afiction of the town?
Tis plothook is something that an entire campaign
can be based oﬀ of or can be adopted in with some
tailoring. Te murals and the ruins themselves are lef
intentionally vague for you to fll in your own ideas
and mythos to the cause of the plague. It allows for a
great jumping oﬀ point. Maybe the lake guardian trio
are enraged to fnd those who worshiped them now
dead and are revoking the gifs of knowledge, willpower and emotion they gave to humanity. Te strange
stone could be the keystone to an ancient Spiritomb
who housed the souls for an ancient people, and is now
possessing those of the Dutchy, and the messenger
brought the keystone to the capital.
Shards from the Heavens
It has been generations since the Path of One Tousand Arms lost it’s most holy relics, the Plates of
Arceus. Te details of how they were lost are still the
debate of theologians today; the most accepted theory
is that Mercedes of Farfeld shattered each Plate into
shards so that the enemies of the Path could not use
them.
Over the centuries many relic hunters have come
forward, oﬀering to sell what they called shards of
the Plates to the Path, most of which were mundane
in nature, but not all. Te Path hoards those shards,
regarding them as holy artefacts. Tey collect them in
hopes to one day mend the shards back to their original form. Tis was seen by most of the clergy as an
commendable but ultimately unattainable goal.
Yet the Path has begun to receive reports from its missionaries, strange starfalls across the Duchies and in
their wake the land is changed. Some areas the changes
are minute, more rainfalls, or heat waves, even some
reports of shadows moving on their own. While in
others the region have to contend with the dead walking, or explosive plant growth, even ground shattering
earthquakes.
Te Pokémon in these areas are likewise changed,
some are simply found with abilities rare for their
breed, while others are diﬀerent elemental types. But it
is those who are behemoths for their kind, their abilities and power strange and foreign for their species. It
was one of these Pokémon that was frst discovered to
have one of the strange elemental shards embedded in
its ﬂesh, that the Path coveted so much. Even before
word had reached the First Arm it seemed some other
force had began to collect these shards for their own
use.
Te First Arm has oﬀered several mercenary companies and treasure hunters personal contracts to aid
those areas aﬀected by the starfall, as well as retrieve
any and all artefacts in the vicinity. Tose of the Path
are not the only ones interested in these strange starfalls, the College of Tree has also began eﬀorts to
explore these incidents.
Shards from the Heavens is a campaign hook that
allows for many diﬀerent biomes and conﬂicts between
two or more factions. Te party can be one of a multitude of groups hunting these shards, for glory, gold or
out of piety and the lust for knowledge. Perhaps this
shadowy group is trying to amass all of the shards to
recreate the frst 16 plates, or a rogue sect of the Path
is using these shards to try and create their own Fairy
Plate.
Encounter and Session Ideas
•	 While traveling the party notices a strange weather phenomenon, a sandstorm, hail, rain and even
striking beams of sunlight shifing in succession.
Upon investigation they fnd a group of Castform
and two musicians fghting over the weather as the
locals run for cover.
•	 Te Duke Edmont has contracted the party to
escort one of his sons from Sailmourne duchy to
court. During the trip they fnd that he is a she!
Having swapped places with her brother she wants
to attend the College of Logic.
•	 A strange merchant asks to join the party at their
fre as they camp, he has a cart with a Rapidash
attached. Afer breaking bread with them he asks
them if they are looking for work. He brings out
a strange bauble he claims is a Poké Ball that can
catch anything, and he is looking for a buyer.Campaign Settings
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•	 A great discovery is announced in Coalbank duchy,
a varil ore vein deeper than any other. But as the
minders start to dig deep a giant Steelix rampages
through the tunnels Any attempts to fend it oﬀ or
even capture it prove fruitless. A renowned scholar
claims that the beast has some how fused with the
Varil ore during its evolution and is easily worth a
fortune itself.
•	 Strange tales from Faepeak Duchy claim that children are being replaced with fairy Pokémon! Te
Duchess Serena had written it oﬀ as more superstition until even her own son is replaced with a
Ralts. Te party is contracted to fnd out what is
happening.
•	 Te Lord of Feasts has announced a grand festival,
and promised a boon to whoever could best entertain him. Get your grills and guitars out chefs and
bards!
•	 Te College of Tree is shaken to it’s core as one
of the experiments breaks free and is terrorizing
the country side of Kingswatch. Reports are conﬂicting on what the experiment was, a herd of
small Pokémon all acting in unison, a giant beast
which pulls trees from the root, or a single small
Pokémon that seems completely harmless.Campaign Settings
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Visiwa: the Eastern Isles
In the beginning, we were one people – the people of the Holy City of Empathica. We, the children of Bondye, were brought into this world with a simple task: Live, Learn, Build, and Worship. He even sent Te Great Moth er to watch over us. Our forefathers took this task to heart, and built the greatest city this world has ever known. -
Teir ziggurats, pyramids and temples of gold and gems reached to the heavens themselves. Artisans, scholars and
shamans thrived in a time of great learning and prosperity. We learned many of the secrets of the universe – mathematics, alchemy, metallurgy, medicine, nautical navigation and many other arts. With the teachings of Te Great
Mother, we frst learned to tap into the secrets of mind, body, and soul: Psionics, Mysticism, Aura, and Te Dream
World.
But one day, this all changed. A great catastrophe fell upon Empathica, and the city was lost. None can say for sure
what happened – some say Bondye was displeased that they invented the Apricorn Cages and found ways to tame
the wilds and inﬂicted a holy wrath upon us, others claim nightmarish creatures rose from the waters and pulled
Empathica down, and many others simply believe we built our towers too high, and the island sunk. Whatever the
cause, our forefathers ﬂed their Holy City as it sunk beneath the waves, taking what little they could with them –
which was mostly their knowledge. Te Great Mother exerted much of her energy to guide our people to our new
home – Visiwa.
Once our people landed on what we now call Mother’s Isle, Te Great Mother herself said she was tired, and must
rest. She found a nice, cool stone to lay on, and entered a deep sleep. Our forefathers simply could not leave her
there, and they learned the wilds were a truly dangerous place. So, they built her a temple, and beneath that temple,
a labyrinth. Tere, far beneath the warmth of the sun, they lef her to rest.
Tat was many centuries ago. Tings have changed much now. In Te Great Mother’s absence, we found new
Gods…or maybe, they found us. Regardless, disagreements amongst our people started, and then violence. We are
no longer one people, but two. Te Great Mother’s Temple is lost to us, and with it, Te Great Mother herself as well.
-Ekondayo, Elder Shaman of Darkfeather Village.
January 12th, 1816
Six months have passed since we frst landed on Kingler Isle (and to think it took us three months to understand why the Wildlings called it that!) and founded Port Ivyhollow. While we are able to maintain the settlement just fne, as resources are plentiful, expansion has proven highly improbable. We have lost scores of scouts over
the months; it as if it knows we are outsiders, and fghts against us as the body does against a plague. It contorts,Campaign Settings
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twists, shifs and changes as we sleep, and the Pokémon that inhabit the wilds are truly savage beings. If not for the
charity of some of the more curious and benevolent Wilding tribes, I myself would not be alive to write this diary entry. Tey know this land in a way we cannot, and to make matters worse, my scouts report that pirates have begun
to take interest in the Isles as well. I give it two months before they establish a port of their own.
I abandoned hopes of this colonization eﬀort playing out as planned. We will not subjugate and conquer this land
and the Wildings who inhabit it. Tere is something mystical about this land that we do not understand, and if we
are to thrive and have inﬂuence here, we will have to strike alliances with the Wildings. We know this is something
they will consider, since we are not the frst Anglos to visit this land; it seems the tales of the Vinland saga had some
truth to them, since a group of Norsemen settled and on a neighboring isle and integrated with the natives. Tis
apparently happened hundreds of years ago. Absurd, isn’t it?
To help accomplish our own steps toward a coalition with the Wildlings, I have established an Explorer’s Guild,
and have sent couriers to the mainland to begin a recruitment campaign on its behalf. I will call upon the bravest,
most skilled trainers, soldiers, scholars, scientists, alchemists, and adventurers across all of Kalos in the hopes that
they will succeed where we have failed. I have even welcomed the Wildings to join this eﬀort as a frst step toward
forming an alliance between them and Kalos. As for those of us of the Kalosian Navy, we shall focus on the security of this settlement for the time being. While my actions will seem absurd to my superiors, and to Europe and the
Americas as a whole, I hope that the tales the Explorers will weave will help show the world that this land is unlike
any other.
-Admiral Sharp, Leader of the Eastern Isles Expedition
Visiwa: Te Eastern Isles Campaign Setting
Genre: Age of Discovery, Tribal Fantasy
Features: Alchemy, Ancient Ruins and Exploration, Te Anima Metaphysics, Black Powder Weapons, Dangerous Wilds and Pokémon, High Seas Adventure, Gods and Legends, Shamanism and Spirits
Te Eastern Isles setting takes place in what one could equate to the Caribbean. Nestled South of Unova (and
northwest of Mexinova) rests a collection of Isles that host several independent Tribes. While the Technology in
this setting is what could be considered primitive, the people of these Isles devised means of creating Apricorn
Balls very early in their history. Mystical and Pscionic powers are also very prevalent among these people, as
Visiwa is a very spiritual location. Pokémon in this setting are respected for the danger they present to those who
venture into the wilds, as well as the loyalty and companionship they can provide. In short, they are viewed in
much the same light as wild and domesticated animals are to us.
In addition to the native tribes, the navy of Kalos has recently set its sights on the Isles. Tey have established a
base camp named Port Ivyhollow, but have been unable to expand beyond its borders. Te Kalosians have brought
many commodities with them, from iron bound Galleons to black powder weapons, but they struggle with the
supernatural. Te Kalosians have also imported foreign Pokémon species to the isles, but have been careful to not
let them free into the wilds. Trade and general relations between the Tribes and the Kalosians is still in a shakey
state. Recently, the Kalosians have caught wind of corsairs approaching the region as well.
Tis setting uses the Anima Metaphysics presented in Chapter 1, so the following section will be echoing some of
its aspects and how they apply to Visiwa.Campaign Settings
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Te indigenous people of Visiwa came to the islands
with a great breadth of knowledge from the Golden Age
of Empathica, but life in these lands was not what they
expected. Te origin of Pokémon, and the dangers the
wilds presented were very alien concepts to them. Tey
quickly learned the laws of this new home, and their society and studies shifed to adapt to survival in a primal
land.
Te frst thing the natives learned about their new home,
is leaving their settlements unprepared was a quick way
to die. Not only were the Pokémon they encountered
much more hostile than any they had encountered before, but they found it impossible to make heads or tails
on mapping out the lands around their settlements.
Coming across the same rock formation no matter what
way they traveled, or they would fnd this landmark repeated in completely diﬀerent biomes.
Te Pokémon that inhabited these regions also seemed
to be constant ﬂux, and they rarely encountered the
same species twice. Tey also noticed trends in the
Types of Species they encountered. If a child had a
nightmare about a ghostly apparition and began to
spread the tale amongst the others in the village, sure
enough the next time their hunters and gatherers would
dare leave, they’d encounter Ghost Pokémon.
In time, their shamans and spiritual leaders formed
a hypothesis on this phenomena – one that was later
confrmed when they frst encountered deities other
than their lost Great Mother. Te frst lesson was that
the human subconscious had a very powerful eﬀect on
the world around them. Tey had known for ages that
Pokémon were highly volatile entities, capable of quickly evolving and learning new traits and capabilities.
It was this observation that led them to create Apricorn
Balls in the frst place – if Pokémon enter a stage of pure
energy when they evolve, could they be forced into that
state to contain them? Te origins of these Pokémon,
they had always assumed, was the doing of Te Great
Mother. She surely had the power to create them, and
there were endless eye witness accounts of her doing so,
even among survivors.
What the shamans theorized is this was simply her acting on the subconscious of her devout – that it was the
collective human spirit’s dreams and imagination that
had given her the idea for these beings, and she had
willed them into existence. What if, in her slumber,
this power had been lef in a state where it would naturally occur as long as humans were near her? It surely explained the patterns in the kinds of Pokémon they
encountered in their travels, and their general hostility. Tese beings were being born from nightmares and
dreams.
Te second hypothesis was that the wilds themselves
were also in a state of constant ﬂux. Empathica was an
entire island city. It had no vast, expansive wilds where
no men dwelt – just farm lands along its coasts. Miles
and miles of untapped land was a new thing to them,
something they had never experienced before. With no
humans around to observe it, it could very well change
as easily as the Pokémon that inhabited it did. If they
were ever to make any concrete mapping of what to expect outside of their settlement, they would have to establish more of them and slowly crawl their way across
the isles.
To test this theory, the people’s spiritual leaders, and
those with talent for the mystical and pscionic arts,
started to accompany their hunters and gatherers, and
observe the land while treating this hypothesis as fact.
Tey quickly found that this greatly increased the likelihood of these individuals ever returning home from
the wilds, and it helped those who would dare to explore have a better sense of what to prepare for. With
this knowledge in mind, they slowly established a vast
network of villages in their new home. Tis, of course,
had social impacts – a once united people was forced to
sever if they ever hoped to ﬂourish in this land.
Te Kalosians
Kalos, being inspired by France, continues that tradition
in Visiwa. It has been around thirty years since the Kalosian Revolution, and the refounded nation been in a
state of constant ﬂux since. While the Kalosians are not
the frst Europeans to settle on the Eastern Isles, their
motivations were very diﬀerent; when Admiral Sharp
Te Wilds and Setting BasicsCampaign Settings
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set out with his ﬂeet to colonize the Eastern Isles, he had
in mind what most colonial powers did; to conquer the
land and its natives, and extract the region’s wealth for
their home empire.
Tings could not have gone worse. While their initial
landing and settlement went smoothly, they swifly
learned the same lessons the tribesmen had centuries
ago about how dangerous it was to venture beyond the
town.
Te ﬂeet swifly found itself at the mercy of the Wildlings
(a Kalosian catch-all term for the tribesmen) friendly
enough to extend a hand. Admiral Sharp, living up to
his namesake, realized how disadvantaged they were
and began to change the objectives of this colony. Te
Wildlings were willing to trade, and to teach, and the
Kalosians would need it - especially when dealing with
the supernatural.
Back home in Kalos, topics of the supernatural are considered heretical, and those who exhibit signs of an elemental connection, such as Aura or Psionics, are ofen
feared and lynched. Rune Masters and Channelers are
unheard of, as these arts are not native to Kalos.
In reality, the military would love to recruit these individuals for their abilities, and the few they do manage
to fnd before they are sent to the gallows are recruited
to serve as Alchemists: masters of the Elements and exempt from the Church of Arceus’s persecution. Even
amongst Admiral Sharp’s ﬂeet, there are only a handful
of these individuals. Te Wildlings, on the other hand,
have a natural inclination to these abilities.
Admiral Sharp believes that half the struggles that his
ﬂeet has faced settling here are due to this fear, and limited understanding of the supernatural, and he’s not far
oﬀ either! He has recently created an Explorer’s Guild
that welcomes civilians from the homeland, willing soldiers, and Wildings, to collaborate and learn from one
another as they explore the isle while his ﬂeet focuses on
the security of the settlement. Sharp hopes this will lead
to the Kalosians being just as accepted as the norse settlers of old were, but time will tell if that pans out, and
the European corsairs probably won’t help with that.
Life in the Eastern Isles
While the Wildings are a divided people with various
tribes and customs, they did come from a common culture and have many shared characteristics. Tis is especially true when it comes to the more common jobs
among the inhabitants of a village. Te natives do not
uphold a caste system, as it’s very common for an individual to take on many diﬀerent professions in their life
to better round out their ability to adapt and survive.
Starting from the top down, all the tribes have a Chief.
While the way this individual is chosen diﬀers from
tribe to tribe, their role is very much the same – they
are the highest authority on all matters within the village, and it is very uncommon for a chief not have some
sort of supernatural power. Tis stems from the fact
that many of the choices a Chief must be involved with,
involve an understanding of the supernatural and the
way the lands of Visiwa function.
Directly under the Chief would be the spiritual leaders of the village – Shamans, Witch Doctors, Druids,
Witches, Rune Masters, call them what you will, they
play many vital roles within a village. One of these individuals, or one of their acolytes, almost always accompanies individuals traveling into the wilds.
Following this are a myriad of professions that are important to survival in the isles. Such as warriors, hunters, beastmasters, gatherers, the crafers, traders, farmers, and other service providers. Warriors, hunters and
gatherers play very self-explanatory roles – they are the
frst lines of the defense for the villages and ofen venture into the wilds to secure whatever raw materials the
village needs.
Rune Masters! Let’s talk about what those are here.
Since all Pokémon origins start from the subconscious
of men, Unowns are this idea at its purist form. Rune
Masters create Unown from human memories, and
typically in a village they act as the historians. A Rune
Master’s primary role in a village would be to observe
and record the life and times of their people.Campaign Settings
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A more blurred profession here would be beastmasters.
Ace Trainers, Commanders, Taskmasters, Cheerleaders, Enduring Souls, and similar classes that have more
of an active battling focus. Tese individuals ofen work
closely with the warriors, hunters and gatherers, as their
ability to handle Pokémon and train them for combat
are highly valued for survival. Likewise, Pokémon
Breeders, Mentors, Coordinators and Style Experts provide the village with outlets to increase the pedigree of
Pokémon throughout a village as well.
While Pokémon might have a supernatural origin, the
ability to both breed them in captivity and better care
for them is just as important for a village as being able to
best and capture them in the wilds. For example, fairly
common that an explorer’s frst Pokémon would be one
that was bred by one of the village’s Breeders.
Crafers, traders, and farmers provide the village with
a myriad of resources and needed equipment. While
things such as weapon, armor, food, and restorative potions might seem obvious, ofen it’s the Apricorn Smiths
who fnd themselves the wealthiest.
Traders, as you could guess, focus on the movement of
local goods from one village to another for proft. Tis
could include raw goods such as equipment, food, Apricorn balls, and Pokémon themselves. Te Wildings
hold a common currency – gold coins from the lost city
of Empathica – but being there is a fnite supply of these
bartering and exchange of services are also very common means of trade as well.
As for the Kalosians, there are three primary groups
that have settled in Ivyhollow. Te frst are the members of the Kalosian Navy who are stationed there. Tey
function as both the local security and law enforcement,
and answer to Admiral Sharp.
Te second group are skilled professionals: doctors,
teachers, scientists, artisans, blacksmiths, fshermen,
farmers, engineers, cartographers, brewmasters, you
name it, they got it. Tese civilians have their own elected ofcials who work alongside the Admiral to make
sure both sides are met.
Te third group are the recently welcomed Explorers.
Tese brave souls are the ones who venture forth into
the wilds, and while they technically answer to Admiral
Sharp, they are compensated by both him and the civilians of Ivyhollow.
Since the Wildings had their own coinage, trade with
the Kalosians was easy to work out and the two currencies are exchanged freely. Bartering, haggling, and exchanging of favors are still common modes of business
as well.
Technical Machines
One of the frst major accomplishments in the collaboration between the Kalosians and the Wildings was the
invention of a substance they call Tech-Mojo. Tis mix
of modern science and tribal magic is an incense that
can send a Pokémon on a spirit journey to the Dream
World. When they awake, they know a Move they didn’t
know previously, and ofen couldn’t learn naturally!
Tis substance is only sold in quantities large enough
for a single Pokémon, and seems to have no eﬀect on
humans (It doesn’t stop plenty from trying to get high
on it anyway. Cut’s a top seller!)
Poké Ball Technology
Both the Kalosians an the Wildings use Apricorn Balls
as their primary method of capture and containment
of Pokémon, and can transport as many as they wish,
but most Trainers on both side agree that its difcult
to bond and care for more than six Pokémon at a time.
Tis is a policy that is pretty strictly enforced by caretakers in the settlements, since the well being of Pokémon
is their duty.
A Trainer looking to leave a village or town with more
than six would have to have a very compelling reason to
get the approval of the local caretakers. Transportation
of Pokémon from one settlement to another is handled
by the caretakers and traders, and due to the eﬀorts of
the Explorer’s Guild, they’ve gotten pretty fast at doing
it.
Keep in mind there are no factories to produce Poké
Balls in Visiwa, and the ability to manufacture these
devices from Apricorns is vital to a village’s ability to
actually capture and raise Pokémon. If the village lacksCampaign Settings
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Apricorns and/or Apricorn Smiths, they will have to
rely on much more primal methods of capture and containment, such as lassos, traps, and winning Pokémon
over with bait and force of personality. Tis holds true
for Kalos as well, as commodities traveling from the
mainland are slow to arrive.
Pokémon Centers
While the villages don’t have typical ‘Pokémon Centers’,
these individuals also ofen act as the village’s medics.
Tese individuals also typically have close afliations to
the local deity. Port Ivyhollow hosts an actual Pokémon
Center with the best surgeons and nurses that the Kalosian Navy could get. Tough given this is the 1800’s,
many Kalosians wonder if they should put more faith
in the remedies the witch doctor’s come up with… Mechanically, these facilities are identical.
Pokémon Populations
Visiwa hosts a number of diﬀerent biomes and environments, but Ice and Dragon Types in particular are
scarce. Tey would either be found at the steepest of
mountains, found near Snowfeather Village, or be imported from Kalos. Tis said, due to the constant ﬂux
of the wilds in Visiwa, its not unheard of for Explorers
to wind up in a tundra due to circumstances beyond
their control.
Type-Shifed and unusual Pokémon, while not common place, are the most potent threats to humans in the
wilds, since ones with these traits tend to become pack
leaders amongst their kind, or the most alpha predators.
Along with Type-Shifed alpha predators are the ever
dreaded Demesnes. Sometimes called “Fiends” by the
Wildings, these extremely powerful and paranormal
creatures lurk in the wilds of the isles, and are less uncommon than most would be comfortable with. It is
believed that the majority of Te Labyrinth is controlled
by these creatures.
It’s up to you what Pokémon live in a given biome, or
how far these biomes extend. Te fact that the wilds are
in constant change gives you a lot of freedom to vastly
change what your players encounter traveling the same
route twice. Tis said, each locale does oﬀer suggestions to what to expect in the wilds near it.Campaign Settings
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Te Eastern Isles
1. Te Temple of the Great Mother
Centuries ago, Te Great Mother entered her endless
slumber here. Tis location was where the Empathicans began their expansion throughout the isles and is
their oldest settlement. While the natives built a temple
in her honor on the surface and a handful of tribesmen
and shamans reside here to maintain it, what lies beneath is considered the most dangerous region of the
isles: Te Labyrinth. It is as if the land itself wished to
protect the resting Mew, and grew defenses to accommodate that. Countless Demesnes and their Pokémon
spawn reside within it, and none can say how far down
it goes, how treacherous it gets, or what other horrors
await those who venture too deep. Tose who do reside
here are elected individuals from each tribe, and their
primary objective is to ensure that the frst few levels are
kept in check so that nothing too dangerous could ever
surface from the depths below. Very rarely do explorers
venture here, and even fewer ever return.Campaign Settings
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2. Darkfeather Village
Associated Types: Ghost, Bug, Poison
Deity: Te Fate Spinner (Ghost/Bug Galvantula)
Darkfeather Village rests upon the shore of Te Misty
Isle, nestled next to the isle’s massive forest. Te forests covering the isle are a bit more temperate than the
jungles on the other isles, and make an ideal breeding
ground for Bug Pokémon due to a lack of natural predators. Villagers of Darkfeather tend to stick to the bay
and the forests, as they know the lay of the land there
best. For a good portion of their history, their tribe was
nomadic, traveling through the forests and hunting and
gathering for their food. Over time they learned to tame
and work along side the insects inhabiting these forests,
and before too long their tribe developed an afnity for
the Bug and Poison Types.
Tis development had a heavy cultural impact, as girls
tended to develop Bug Connections, and boys Poison
Connections. Te Swarmlods of their tribe learned to
use pheromones to better lead their insectoid allies,
which over time led to them not only developing a matriarchal society, but also adopting a hive-like culture
centered around an elected “Queen Bee.” Tis tradition
began afer a young Swarmlord encountered and befriended an entity that would become the Tribe’s personal deity - Te Fate Spinner. It was under the frst
Queen’s guidance that the nomadic tribe settled down,
turning to agriculture as well as hunting, raising and
gathering for food. She also introduced a practice of
ancestral worship which would eventually lead Ghost
Types to hold the tribe in high regards.
Socially, the Darkfeather Tribe is broken into several
castes; these castes are familial, but do not hold much
weight in determining one’s status as much as their
profession. Farmers, warriors, and shamans, and other
societal tasks are considered equals, as all the tasks the
Tribe recognizes are necessary to its survival. Normally,
one is stuck to the caste they are born with, but children
who develop Elemental Connections (especially girls
with Bug Connections) tend to be funneled to a caste
more suitable to their talents. Marriage can also change
one’s caste, as men typically take on the caste of their
bride.
Bug Pokémon play a large role in Darkfeather culture,
and almost every caste makes heavy use of them. Tis
is especially true of the Farmers, who work side by side
Bug Types in the felds. While Poison and Ghost Types
are also highly revered, Poison Types tend to be raised
by warriors, and Ghost Types tend to assist those more
in touch with the supernatural. Warriors of the Darkfeather Tribe have also adopted many of the survival
techniques that Bug, Poison and Ghost Types employ to
survive into how they fght - including stealth, trickery,
swif movements and use of venoms.
Religiously, the Darkfeather put a huge emphasis on
honor to one’s family, including one’s ancestors. Tey
believe that Ghost Pokémon are the spirits of their loved
ones who have returned to help guide the living. While
this belief might not be entirely accurate of the true nature of Ghost Pokémon, i is one that has has served the
tribe well and that Te Fate Spinner does not feel a need
to correct. Te Fate Spinner is a gargantuan, spectral
Galvantula that has watched over the tribe since their
nomadic days, and long before the frst Queen noticed
her. She fnds humans, the choices they make, and the
stories they weave truly fascinating.
When those she favors fnally do pass on, she creates
a Ghost Pokémon imparted with her memories of the
individual; this is considered the highest honor that a
Darkfeather tribesmen can receive, and many live their
entire lives working toward this goal. Te Fate Spinner is very social, and even a bit motherly. She’s usually
found in the company of the current Queen, serving as
an advisor, instructor and spiritual counselor for all of
the Darkfeather Tribe.
While the Darkfeather Tribe as a whole remains skeptical of the fair skinned Kalosians (they were not large
fans of the Snowfeathers at frst either), Te Fate Spinner believes that Admiral Sharp’s eﬀorts to found an Explorer’s Guild are done out of good will. To honor this
opinion of their patron deity, they have allowed warriors and shamans of their tribe to venture to Ivyhollow
and enlist in this guild to both learn from and about
these outsiders.
Tis is nodding toward the Ninja class existing in
Visiwa.Campaign Settings
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3. Steelwing Village
Associated Types: Fire, Rock, Ground
Deity: Te Mountain Breaker (Fire/Ground Torkoal)
Steelwing Village is nestled in the midst of a mountain
valley in the Misty Mountains. Te mountains span
across the center of the isle and host a wide variety of
Pokémon types. Travel through the mountains can be
quite risky, as the mountain paths tend to be in constant
ﬂux. Tose traveling outside, or through the range, tend
to prefer heading through the mine shafs that the Steelwing Tribe have dug up. Te entrances to these mines
are marked by signal fres along the cliﬀsides, and travel through them is generally considered safe, as guards
ofen patrol them and escort travelers from end to end.
Te village also hosts a number of natural hot springs,
which are quite popular with visitors.
Te founders of Steelwing Village chose the location for
its temperate weather (the mountain range shields them
from most storms), and proximity to the largest mineral
deposits in the isles. Tese founders had a vested interest in working toward relearning the lost arts of Empathica, and news of the settlement attracted artisans
from all over the isles.
Te village makes heavy use of Rock and Ground Types
to assist with the excavation eﬀorts, and Fire Types to
assist with the crafwork. Tis close bond has led to the
vast majority of those born with an Elemental Connection in the village to be tied to one of these Types. Precious metals, gemstones, glass work, and stone works
are all produced here, making it a hotspot for trade;
Steelwing goods are heavily desired by the other tribes,
and making the journey to trade for them can be very
proftable.
While they are not as religious as their neighboring
tribes, Steelwing Village does have a patron deity of its
own. Te Mountain Breaker, a large, craggy Torkoal, has
assisted the tribe with their mining and crafsmanship
for centuries. Te Legendary has a large admiration
for art and crafsmanship, and has embedded himself
in this aspect of the village by assisting in training new
apprentices, appraising goods, and helping with the excavation of new mine shafs. He is also responsible for
choosing the village’s chief through an annual contest
where those wishing to compete for the title of chief are
given a list of materials that they must gather, and create something with. Tese materials change from year
to year, but all contestants receive the same list. It is
a task they must complete with only the assistance of
their own Pokémon, and cheating is grounds for exile
from the village.
While the village is a wonderful place for an artisan to
learn and prosper, it can also be a taxing one. Competition amongst peers can be cut throat, and quarrels are a
constant problem with the youths of the village. And for
those who aren’t miners or crafsmen, life can be rather
dull as that is the focus of the village. To help alleviate
this, the village has recently sent hot headed apprentices
and aimless youths to live amongst the other Villages,
hoping a change of scenery and perspective will help
them mature. Some never return, fnding life outside
of Steelwing more to their liking, and others come back
with a breath of new experiences and a rekindled passion for their craf. Either way, its proven wildly successful, and the invitation from Admiral Sharp to welcome these traveling youths to the Explorer’s Guild was
well recieved.
4. Snowfeather Village
Associated Types: Ice, Dragon, Dark
Deity: Te Drake Hunter (Ice/Dark Beartic)
On the southeast coast of Te Misty Isle rests a Village
with an unusually chilly climate compared to the rest
of the isles. It snows all year round near Snowfeather
Village, and the wildlife in the forests and mountains
near here reﬂects this. Te Village itself is an oddball
compared to its peers, since its founders were not Empathican, but Norsemen. Around thirty years afer the
Empathicans settled, they arrived on wooden longboats
en mass. Almost all of these Nords were runaway slaves
who had chased afer the tales of a fertile land called
Vinland, and had taken to the seas in hopes of fnding it.
Visiwa was not the welcoming Vinland they expected,
and their settlement was a rough one. Between their
unfamiliarity with this new land, and their lack of resources from their long journey, survival looked bleak.
Luckily, the other tribes of Visiwa learned of this new
settlement of fair skinned and haired people, and aferCampaign Settings
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much deliberation, decided to help them out. Tings
were difcult at frst, as the former slaves were wary of
the true intentions of the Empathicans, and the Empathicans unsure if they were the scouts of an invading force or refugees themselves. Tis doubt on the
side of the Empathicans was largely due to the draconic
Pokémon these people brought with them. Te ferce
Dragon Types were unlike any species the Empathicans
had seen before, and had an unsettling regality about
them..
Tis matter sorted themselves out when a new Deity
awoke in the Isles; the Norsemen had come with their
own legends, stories, myths, and beliefs, and many
fell to prayer in their harshest hours. Tese collective
emotions and wishes were answered by the Isle itself in
the form of Te Drake Hunter, a colossal, black furred
Beartic.
It is said that he arrived in the midst of a fght between a
Darkfeather Tribesmen and a Norsemen, separating the
two and beseeching both to settle their diﬀerences with
words, and not bloodshed. He approached the Nordic settlement, ensuring the settlers that their prayers
had been answered and entrusting them with a pack of
Weaviles, vicious and loyal hunters that would serve the
settlers well. He then ventured to the other Villages,
and pleaded with their Deities and Tribesmen alike to
welcome these outsiders as brothers and sisters.
Afer witnessing what their beliefs had birthed, and
some introspection, the Empathicans realized that
these outsiders and their struggles were no diﬀerent
than their own. Tey welcomed them with open arms,
and the Nords in return respected by taking on a tribal
name of their own - Snowfeather. While the majority
of the Snowfeather chose to stay with the village, others decided to intermingle with the other Tribes. Te
opposite was also true as Empathicans settled in Snowfeather as well. Over time, the two bloodlines mixed,
but the Anglo traits of the original settlers didn’t exactly
fade away. People from Snowfeather tend to have lighter skin, and people with blonde or red hair can be found
throughout the isles.
In current times, the Snowfeather’s major resources
are lumber, fsh, and skins. Te southern and eastern
coastline are rich in wildlife, and most the original settlers were woodsmen, carpenters and farmers by trade.
Agriculture is limited in the cold environment, but the
farmland they do have helps sustain the production of
wine and mead, two products the others tribes consider
a grand luxury. Te Drake Hunter still watches over the
village, though he is a little more ofands than most
the other Deities. He resides in the woods near the village, but welcomes and teaches those who do track him
down in an ancient combat style from their original
home that closely models the ruthlessness of a Weavile,
and the namesake of a Beartic. Tose who practice it
are known as Berserkers.
When word of Admiral Nelson’s invitation reached
Snowfeather, it was met with fear. Were these Anglos
from the same land as their ancestors, and were they
here to take back their slaves? Te reassurance of other tribes has quelled some of these worries, the turnout has been sparse thus far. Most the initial volunteers
were adults, grizzled veteran hunters, and Berserkers.
Te feedback from the frst wave of volunteers has been
overly positive, though, and now young adults are looking to make the trek as well.
5. Bravescar Village
Associated Types: Electric, Flying, Normal
Deity: Te Storm Seer (Electric/Flying Xatu)
Bravescar Village rests atop an expansive plateau on
the northwest side of Kingler Isle. Te plateau itself is
largely grasslands, but also has patches of arid desert.
Te climate on this plateau is much less humid than it
is down in the jungles below, making it a much more
dry heat than most the isles. Getting up and down the
plateau is tricky to do on foot, as safe routes up are few
and far between. Most travel up and down is done with
the assistance of ﬂying Pokémon.
To the Bravescar Tribe, the plateau is a bread basket.
Tere is ample space for raising livestock and crops,
enough rainfall to get by, and best of all, a wide variety
of Flying Pokémon that live up here. Bravescar Tribesmen have always had a strong tie to the skies, and their
name is derived from both the boldness needed to soar
the skies on the back of a Pokémon, and the Braviary
Species being one of the more common Flying Types
raised by the tribe. Where this obsession with ﬂightCampaign Settings
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originated from is a topic of much debate amongst the
tribe, but most recognize it as a question along the lines
of asking if the Torchic or the Egg came frst and that
their patron Deity is at the heart of it.
Te Storm Seer is a Xatu with a very electrical ﬂare to it
- with a yellow molting and feather patterns that depict
storm clouds, rain and thunder. It rests on a stone pillar
at the center of the village, and spends its days staring
into the sun and moon. It speaks little, but when it does,
it speaks of events to come, and it’s always right. Te
signifcance of these messages varies and most of them
do happen to be inconsequential, such as predicting a
newlywed wife in Steelwing Village will burn dinner tonight, or that a man in Ivyhollow dropped a penny.
Te Storm Seer does however make a point of regularly
reporting an update on what the weather forecast for
the next week, or month, or year will look like. Tis is
immensely helpful to farmers and villages in general to
help budget and gauge how much food they will be able
to produce in a year, and what additional must be hunted or traded for. Also, when something truly insidious
does happen in the isles, Te Storm Seer alerts all who
are near what has, or will, transpire.
Compared to the other Deities, Te Storm Seer is a little odd. It doesn’t pay much attention to the humans
who live alongside it, and does not take part in any of
the inner workings of the tribe. If oﬀered a gif, it will
accept it and thank the gif giver, but won’t say much
else. Despite this, Bravescar Village has a number of
Clairvoyants and Rune Masters who do their best to
assist Te Storm Seer and record its messages. Tese
messages are handed oﬀ to a team of couriers known as
the Braves, who take to the skies with their trusted Flying Pokémon, and relay the messages to the other tribes.
In addition to this, Te Braves act as mail carriers for
the region, and also help transport Apricorn Balls from
village to village. Tese services are very crucial to the
success of the tribes of Visiwa, and its not uncommon
for young Bravescar Tribesmen to gain an inﬂated ego
from this honor. When Admiral Nelson extended his
invitation to the Explorers Guild, these bratty and boisterous youths were the frst to go with the hope that the
experience would humble them. Te results are yet to
be determined.
6. Ivyhollow
Associated Types: Grass, Fairy, Steel
Deity: Princess Diana (Diancie)
New Ivyhollow hosts all the amenities a proper colony of Kalos would be expected to have, and plenty of
Kalosians and Wildlings live there comfortably. Unfortunately, the bay that town rests in is surrounded by
swampland and geothermal hotspots, so once you leave
town you’re literally knee deep in trouble. Tere’s a path
by land that leads to both Veilbeak Village and Bravescar Village from the town, but given the swampy conditions and the dangerous Pokémon that lurk in it, travel
on these roads without a military or Explorer convoy is
discouraged.
For an explorer, probably the most important locale in
the township is the Explorer Guild’s HQ. Tis building hosts a number of meeting rooms, ofces, and a research library. All missions and guild business are done
through this portside facility:
•	 Vai University - founded by a Kalosian inventor
and artifcer by the name of Teresa Vai, this research
academy focuses on the Kalosians and Wildlings
sharing their knowledge with one another. Tis
ranges from basic language courses, to history and
cultural studies, to complex supernatural and scientifc topics.
•	 Te Armory - this state-of-the-art blacksmithy and
alchemy hall provides both equipment and services
to Explorers at aﬀordable prices. Te Alchemy Hall
also is home to a team of researchers who are studying the unusual Pokémon in the region.
•	 Te Moonstone Inn - while construction for new
housing for Explorers is constantly going on, new
arrivals do need a place to stay in the short term!
Te Moonstone Inn houses new explorers while
they await more permanent housing, making moving in and out of it a rite-of-passage for many.
•	 Te Singing Feebas - Run by Barkeep Mac, Te
Singing Feebas is not only a fne seafaring ship, but
the best pub in town. Located right on the main pier,
explorers ofen come here to relax, hear the latest
gossip, and see if they can pick up some non-ofcial
jobs from the town folk for some extra income.
•	 Te Trader’s Market - Every Saturday, various shipsCampaign Settings
119
from Kalos and the various Wildling Tribes come
into port and set up the Trader’s Market. Here the
locals can trade for outside goods, and vise-versa.
While Admiral Nelson is ofcially the leader of the Explorer’s Guild, he also has his duties to the navy, so he
has entrusted most the day-to-day administration work
to Princess Diana: A Diancie that Admiral Nelson befriended many years ago back home in Kalos. While she
isn’t technically the a patron of the town, most townsfolk (especially the visiting Wildlings) respect her as
one. Most Explorers consider Princess Diana their direct “boss”, as she her aids (both humans and Pokémon)
are the ones who divvy out missions. She’s known for
being bubbly and cheery, and having a sweet tooth for
Bluk Berry Pofns.
Kalosians in general have a strong tie with Fairy and
Grass Type Pokémon, and this is especially true of Admiral Nelson’s ﬂeet. All recruits to his ﬂeet are issued a
Mawile upon graduation from basic training, winning
the them the nickname of Mawile Marines. Also, the
infantry mount of choice for the Kalosians is the Gogoat, so they are quite common to see around the port
town. Te Admiral himself is almost never seen without a Whimsicott on his shoulder and a gaggle of Mawiles following at his heels.
7. Veilbeak Village
Associated Types: Fighting, Psychic, Water
Deity: Te Sea Guardian (Water/Psychic Milotic)
Veilbeak Village is a seaside settlement where to the
west you can fnd swamps, and to the north you can
fnd dense jungle. Several rivers meet and empty into
the sea here, giving the village easy access to waterways
that venture deep into Kingler Isle. Tis proximity to so
many water sources has led to most the town being on
stilts or ﬂoating platforms, and many buildings are simply large boats. It goes without saying that every family
in Veilbeak owns a boat, and its ofen easier to row over
to someone’s adobe than to walk there.
Te Veilbeak Tribe has always been known for two
things: its sailors, and its warriors. Te sailors are of no
surprise to anyone - with so much of day-to-day life in
the village revolving around boats, children learn from
a young age how to sail and handle Water Pokémon. For
the longest time almost all goods traveling between the
isles were carried by a Veilbeak vessel, and trade was the
largest source of income for the town.
Tat said, it isn’t just the wilds that are dangerous in
Visiwa; there are things in the deeps even more frightening than anything you could experience on land. Tis
makes security of these vessels a top priority for Veilbeak, which is where their warriors come into play.
Its said it was Te Sea Guardian who frst taught the
Veilbeak the secrets of Aura and Psionics. By bestowing
those who would stand up to defend others the ability
to transcend the limits of the human body, and teaching
others how manipulate the ocean itself, she empowered
them to fght the monsters that lurk in the deep. Te
grey-scaled Milotic is a generous soul, and ofen accompanies ships coming and going from Veilbeak to their
destination.
For those who she cannot accompany, well, the people
of Veilbeak can handle that on their own now. Children born with an Elemental Connection are swifly
sorted out and begin training from a young age with
a Pokémon companion of a Type matching their gif.
Because of this, Fighting and Psychic Pokémon are very
common sights around town - especially Medicham.
Youths without a supernatural gif are ofen schooled in
martial combat, as its expected that anyone who would
work on one of the village’s ships should be able to defend themselves.
Te arrival of the Kalosians is a sour subject for the Veilbeak Village. Many feel their monopoly on trade between the isles will be threatened by these new arrivals,
and others are frustrated that their Fairy Pokémon are
so resilient against their best warriors. How the people
of Kalos treat people with the gifs they excel at is also a
sour topic for most, and their proximity to the town of
Ivyhollow makes many nervous
Admiral Nelson has done his best to assure the people
of Veilbeak that he and the people of Ivyhollow mean
them no harm, but relations are shaky. Tose who do
answer the Explorer’s call usually have a bone to pick
with the people of Kalos.Campaign Settings
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Trainer Creation
Trainers with supernatural aptitude are a dime in a
dozen amongst the Wildlings, but scarce amongst Kalosians. Kalosians who have an elemental connection
were either raised in a military environment from an
early age to become Alchemists, or ﬂed from home to
avoid persecution for their talents.
Given the time frame and the scope of the setting, the
classes in Do Porygon Dream of Mareep do not make
sense in the setting. Advancement paths from Te
Blessed and the Damned, on the other hand, would be
very appropriate. One class that can work in the setting
but would need reimagination would be Photographer.
Photographers, rather than rely on a camera, would
have to rely on pen and paper.
Building a Visiwan Campaign
Te most likely setup for a group of player characters
in Te Eastern Isles is as an Explorer Team working out
of Ivyhollow. Tis gives the players a wide variety of
potential backgrounds to come from, and gives them
a very direct, joint goal by working to uncover the secrets of the isles. Sessions and plot arcs would start in
the form of missions assigned by Princess Diana, and
branch out from there.
Tat said, there’s a few diﬀerent plot points in this setting that you could also play from. You could turn the
dial back to the fall of Empathica, with the player characters being amongst the survivors as they began to
learn about the isles and splinter into tribes. You could
also go to the period in time when the Norsemen frst
arrived, with your players either being runaway slaves
trying to fnd a new home,tribesmen deciding how to
approach these fair skinned people, or a mix of both in
a scenario where the two sides need to fnd a middle
ground to survive a struggle or crises.
Tose looking for a more swashbuckling theme could
take things a diﬀerent way. Te player characters could
possibly be a pirate crew looking to set up a pirate town,
or a tea of privateers working under Admiral Nelson
tasked with stopping these buccaneers. Or what if the
East Indian Trade Company started to take interest in
the isles as well? Tere’s a lot of diﬀerent angles one
could approach the setting from, and each of them has
a unique ﬂair to it.
Plot Hooks
Here is an assortment of ideas for GMs who need a last
minute session idea or some hooks they could throw to
their players to give them more options to explore. Not
all of these are necessarily meant to be used in the same
campaign, and some of them establish facts about the
setting you may wish to ignore in your campaign.
Te Labyrinth of the Great Mother
Te Great Mother rests far, far below her temple on the
small isle south of Ivyhollow, and it is a known fact that
the halls beneath the surface are extremely dangerous.
Tere are horrors that lurk down there, and those who
live there are tasked at ensuring they do not reach the
surface. To the Wildlings, this simply was a fact, one
they accepted and did not question. But the Kalosians,
afer hearing these tales, found the whole story peculiar.
Why would the land itself build a natural dungeon that
is considered a death trap? Why are extremely powerful
Pokémon trying to leave it? What about the extremely
powerful Pokémon in the wilds, where did they come
from? Are there maybe more entrances than the Wildlings originally thought? Is something actually trying to
keep others away from the Great Mother? All of these
were simply questions exchanged between Kalosian researchers at frst, since it struck them as something that
would be oﬀensive to ask a Wildling.
Tat changed recently. Tis plot hook isn’t something
that should kick in immediately as the game starts, but
it is something you should hint and tease about with the
above questions. Te player characters have stumbled
across something or unleashed something that has had
catastrophic results. Horrifc creatures are rising from
the sea, the land, and the labyrinth at a terrifying rate,
and something must be done about it. Admiral Nelson
has called for the Explorers Guild to answer this call,
and beseeches the player characters to venture down
into the labyrinth to both quell these monsters, and
learn what has caused this.
Ultimately, the truth of what happened here is in your
hands. Maybe the cause is also what caused EmpathicaCampaign Settings
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to fall. Perhaps a malevolent Legendary has taken advantage of Te Great Mother’s absence and has made
the labyrinth so that none could reach and rouse her.
Perhaps this is due to Te Great Mother having a really
bad nightmare, and her dreams becoming reality.
Either way, your players have been asked to tackle this
head on, calming one level of the labyrinth at a time as
they work their way down to the resting place of Te
Great Mother.
Scourge of the Crimson Corsairs
Admiral Nelson is well aware that pirates are taking interest in the isles, and is doing his best to up security to
brace for it. What he’s not aware of is the scale of this
pirate threat. A pirate captain named Grant the Red
has managed to unite a dozen of the most feared pirate
crews under a single banner: Te Crimson Corsairs.
Teir ﬂeet is heading straight for Visiwa, and their goals
are bigger than just looting, drinking, gambling and
wenching; these buccaneers want power. Grant aims to
turn the isles into a sanctuary for pirates, and enslave
the gods of its indigenous population for his own gain.
How he intends to do this, no one can agree on. Some
say he plans to usurp Te Great Mother, and have his
most trusted underlings do the same to the others.
Others say he has the support of a dark lord, or several
dark lords. Others think he himself might BE a dark
divinity. Regardless of what the truth is, his ﬂeet poses
a threat unlike any other to Visiwa.
Te player characters, as well as their NPC allies, should
be caught oﬀ guard by the reality of how large this ﬂeet
is. Tey should completely overtake a location (ideally
the Temple of the Great Mother), and establish a base
of operations there. Combating these pirates will take
a large force, and the player characters trying to unite
the isles under a banner as well should be encouraged.
Each of these pirate crews has a unique theme to it, and
while they are all loyal to Grant, they should have their
own agenda as well.
Perhaps down the road some of them will change sides
and help the player characters, or even backstab Grant
for their own gain. Te end result no matter how it plays
out should be an epic struggle as the player characters
do their best to help defend the villages of the isles, and
ensure Grant’s mission does not go as planned.
Encounter and Session Ideas
•	 Te long scorned and disgraced Firefoot Tribe,
composed entirely of pygmy cannibals, has risen
from the shadows and attacked Ivyhollow! Tey’ve
made oﬀ with several prisoners and have retreated
into the swamp. To make matters worse, Te Storm
Seer claims they’ve fnally found a patron deity of
their own.
•	 Tere’s a festival going on in Snowfeather Village,
with dancing, drinking and hunting! Yes, hunting.
Te village hosts an open invitation challenge every
year. Te objective is simple : go out and slay or
capture the most powerful Pokémon you can fnd.
Tose who enter compete over several Dragon Type
Pokémon eggs specially bred as rewards for this
event! Some say the real winner gets a Sneasel egg,
though.
•	 While traveling between islands by ship, the player characters witness an eerie scene at night as the
legendary ghost ship known as Te Flying Dutchman sails past them. Seeing this ship is known as an
ill omen,and the night only gets stranger as Ghost
Pokémon and other horrors start to invade the ship
the player characters are on.
•	 While visiting Bravescar Village, Te Storm Seer
warns the village that a kraken will soon attack a
ship at sea! Te player characters are the only
ones available to relay a warning and help combat
the monster, and are permitted to borrow a Flying
Pokémon for the trip if needed.
•	 While venturing along the coast in the wilds, the
player characters spot a woman with the lower body
of a Milotic resting on a rock! If approached, she
panics and dives below the surface. If the players
continue to investigate this, they discover a chunk
of sunken, Empathican ruins, and a tribe of merfolk
who are living there!
•	 Te player characters forgot about Princess Diana’s birthday, and she’s so upset with them that she
won’t give them work! But fret not, Admiral Nelson thinks he might have an idea to help the players
apologize to the pouting Diancie. And it involves
singing, dancing, and bluk berry pofns.