[Meta thread] Iron's PokeRole Adventure: The Skull Ruins

[Lord Windos]

Hey, Foul Play is still a good option and worth a try, I wanted to bring that move up as well.

It is (mostly because it's a Dark type move), but we also need to keep in mind that what worked against a partially PDed Genesect might not work against other Legends (and the stronger they are, the more likely they'll be fully PDed).

For now, I'm going to operate under the assumption that Foul Play is a catch all Anti PD Move until Iron proves otherwise and/or fabricates a Legend that it's mechanics wouldn't work against (Such as Fairy and Fighting Legends, or Defensive Juggernauts with esoteric 'Strength values), as the way the Move is worded and how PD Defense works it would seem like that it would just bypass it because it's not the user's own power that is being leveraged against it, but the Legend's itself. I can easily see the Legend taking counter measures to make sure FP isn't as effective after the first time it's used against them (or at all), but I logically from a mechanics stand point see how 'Using a Legend's own PD Strength To Break Through Its Own PD Defense' WOULDN'T work in some manner. Against Legends, Foul Play might as well be a pseudo Counter Move of sorts (Speaking of which, how would those work against Legends? Hmm...)

Have to agree with you about Super Fang, though. Forget that The Sword can only power up SE Moves, so my bad with that assumption! Pixie still has everything else going for her, however, so it ain't the end of the world if she can't use Super Fang on DEOXYS.....hopefully, anyway.

Concerning PDing Moves, though....I thought that doing so would also carry over their mechanical affect too, not outright override it with pure DAMAGE? If not, oh well......

[Spiritmon]

Oh boy. Deoxys already begun. Brace yourselves folks, battle is coming...

[Dragonstrike]

For now, I'm going to operate under the assumption that Foul Play is a catch all Anti PD Move until Iron proves otherwise and/or fabricates a Legend that it's mechanics wouldn't work against (Such as Fairy and Fighting Legends, or Defensive Juggernauts with esoteric 'Strength values), as the way the Move is worded and how PD Defense works it would seem like that it would just bypass it because it's not the user's own power that is being leveraged against it, but the Legend's itself. I can easily see the Legend taking counter measures to make sure FP isn't as effective after the first time it's used against them (or at all), but I logically from a mechanics stand point see how 'Using a Legend's own PD Strength To Break Through Its Own PD Defense' WOULDN'T work in some manner. Against Legends, Foul Play might as well be a pseudo Counter Move of sorts (Speaking of which, how would those work against Legends? Hmm...)

Have to agree with you about Super Fang, though. Forget that The Sword can only power up SE Moves, so my bad with that assumption! Pixie still has everything else going for her, however, so it ain't the end of the world if she can't use Super Fang on DEOXYS.....hopefully, anyway.

Concerning PDing Moves, though....I thought that doing so would also carry over their mechanical affect too, not outright override it with pure DAMAGE? If not, oh well......

I have a bit of a different interpretation, actually.  Remember how Mural Mew had 5 Dex?  And Foul Play copied Genesect's actual Strength score and didn't directly do PD damage?  Legendaries still have actual stats for their Attributes.  They just don't need to use them most of yhe time.  Foul Play specifically says it uses the target's Strength score instead of the user's, which is exactly what happened with Genesect.  PDed effects are also not meant to be copied easily, if at all, and the book states in multiple places that PDed stuff cannot truly be copied or similar at all.

Effects still seem to be treated as normal.  Genesect's Rock Slide's Flinch chance didn't act any different.  It's only the damage that becomes PDed.  However, effects hardly matter if generally applying them to Legends is super difficult, if not outright impossible.

The Sword makes STAB moves PDed, not SE ones.  Calam can use Dark and Fairy PDed moves regardless of the target, for example.  Pixie could use PDed Steel and Fairy moves.  I want to make sure we're absolutely clear on this, because it could heavily affect our team compositions.

[Dragonstrike]

 (OOC Note: Ditto currently has 18 exp)

Er...didn't Ditto start with 18 exp, @Mikaruge108? Did you not distribute any experience to them at all from the battles they participated in?

[Mikaruge108]

 (OOC Note: Ditto currently has 18 exp)

Er...didn't Ditto start with 18 exp, @Mika?  Did you not distribute any experience to them at all from the battles they participated in?

nope, didn't give it exp. Only one battle iirc, and, tbh, didn't really see the point in giving it more exp.

[Dragonstrike]

nope, didn't give it exp. Only one battle iirc, and, tbh, didn't really see the point in giving it more exp.

...

Ditto was definitely in more than one battle.  I distinctly remember them Impostering both Magcargo and Azumarill, and possibly one or two other pokemon.

I'm honestly baffled about this.  I was expecting that you'd, you know, give them a fair share of the experience in addition to making sure they got back to Nathan okay.

Exp is always useful, even if the pokemon has little to spend it on.  Surprises are always something it can be spent on, and I don't exactly appreciate that Ditto was shortchanged, effectively getting nothing out of this trip to arguably the most dangerous and lucrative part of Creshire.

@Iron, is there something we can do about this?

[Iron]

Mon XP should be fairly evenly divided after a battle, you can tweak it a bit if one Pokemon shouldered more responsibility or is close to a breakpoint.
I just got too lazy to divvy it up for you every time.

Just give Ditto 12 XP right now, Dragonstrike, and we'll call it square.

[Dragonstrike]

Just give Ditto 12 XP right now, Dragonstrike, and we'll call it square.

Thank you.

[Lord Windos]

The Sword makes STAB moves PDed, not SE ones.  Calam can use Dark and Fairy PDed moves regardless of the target, for example.  Pixie could use PDed Steel and Fairy moves.  I want to make sure we're absolutely clear on this, because it could heavily affect our team compositions.

Fair enough argument, but I rather hold onto mine slim hopes that Foul Play can be meaningful in PD situations than it not at all, as otherwise those battles turn right back into crapshoot and guess fests beyond 'Use SE Damage!' and now 'Use Da Swordo!'

Practically speaking, The Sword true effect will most likely only be really applicable to Nathan's Pokemon, as he is the one using it, and would probably prioritize either keeping his own partners ahead of the game or his father's. But with this new info in mind.....well, I could substitute Lovely in place of one of my Mons if they got Sword buffed, as they could take a couple of hits due to their Bulk since it would make their Water Gun SE (And ergo they could maybe fire it off 2 - 3 times, if Priority/Luck don't run afoul of him), and Melly's Discharge pretty much becomes a Meltdown Spell under the Sword (Every Pokemon is screwed), though if she's only sent out at first and has Shiva Shielding her from PD Damage she could conceivably end up soloing a entire swarm of those galactic germs. Tommy also becomes a slightly better choice than Seismitoad too if Sword Powered, as a SP Fake Out is more likely to flinch regardless of Crits, and his Fury Swipes would be ludicrously powerful (Not so much as Grid's SP Fury Cutter, which if all of them hit would end up doing 10 PD Damage to Deoxys, cripes), but then again the poisonous toad also has Bubble, which would act like a Spread PD Move under the Sword's Power, and he still has Shadow Claw even if he isn't buffed.

Edmundi could also become rather potent regardless of Sword Power up, as Metal Burst would likely work against Deoxys and it's Sturdy would keep it in the game potentially regardless, and Inari (Diggersby) has Bulldoze, Double Slap, AND Super Fang that all could be boosted by Sword Power to be utterly nutterly terrifying (And Bulldoze can be more easily dodged than a PD Discharge). Finally, we have Anubi, who if powered up by the Sword gets access to Priority PD Bullet Punches or PD ROCK SMASH and FINAL GAMBIT, the former bypassing any Initiative advantages and the later Move being turbo charged into utter brokenness but most likely being blunted due to Deoxys' Legendary Psychic Typing. They also have Copycat, but I doubt it would work against Deoxys, since power copying Legends in any manner so far has been utterly ineffective except in the 'using their image for Intimidation/Bluffing' department.

However, I have to assume that none of my Pokemon will be getting a Sword Boost, since I can't guarantee I'll get it when I need it most, so I'll need to design my team around that fact. I could still bring along Spread and AoE Move Users and have Terra focus solely on keeping the clones/Non-Legendary threats at bay/draw the aggro to him, but that would mean he'd be less useful in helping out against DEOXYS - which might not be such a bad thing, if they could potentially mind whammy Terra if he engages them directly. Hmm.....

So....based on the new info I added, what Pokemon do you think should be on my team, and should Terra shape his team to be either generalist, DEOXYS Focused, or Clone/Non-DEOXYS Insurgent Focused (If he should come along to the fight in the first place, again). I know for a dang fact that Nathan is DEFINITELY going to be DEOXYS Focused and likely will be trying to burn down it ASAP will SE PD Multi-Hit Moves and/or Spread Damage, so I and the rest of the group can afford to specialize in other areas to better support you/each other.

[Mikaruge108]

nope, didn't give it exp. Only one battle iirc, and, tbh, didn't really see the point in giving it more exp.

...

Ditto was definitely in more than one battle.  I distinctly remember them Impostering both Magcargo and Azumarill, and possibly one or two other pokemon.

I'm honestly baffled about this.  I was expecting that you'd, you know, give them a fair share of the experience in addition to making sure they got back to Nathan okay.

Exp is always useful, even if the pokemon has little to spend it on.  Surprises are always something it can be spent on, and I don't exactly appreciate that Ditto was shortchanged, effectively getting nothing out of this trip to arguably the most dangerous and lucrative part of Creshire.

Just checked, two battles. Sorry, if that seemed unfair, the way I divided the exp in the Numel battle (https://pokemonuranium.co/forum/showthre...0#pid66060) was 10xp to Toya and 10 to Noire (as they were the only two left conscious after the fight), the Ghosts Galore (https://pokemonuranium.co/forum/showthre...3#pid63423) I gave all 14 xp to Hida. I have no excuses for that one, so I deeply apologize.