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

[Iron]

The book says the Pokemon with higher Special gets to determine the weather. I guess I would first look at the default Special for the Pokemon in question, then go to tiebreakers similarly to how I break Initiative ties.

If it's Vulpix vs an opponent weathermon, I'd go with the higher Strength.

I think the book just says that with regards to the weather abilities, though, right?  Would we apply that rule to the weather moves as well? (aka, you'd need higher Strength/Special to override the ability with a move for the next 4 Rounds?)

Oh, right, only abilities, so Cherrim isn't a good example. Moves work as normal - basically the most recent move will control the weather.

[Spiritmon]

Hmm...what choices I should take?
Starly I should take Zubat, Spinarak or Whismur?
Vullaby I should take Hard Stone, Grimer Silk Scarf or Wide Lens?
Crustle for 6500, Iron Tail and Giga Drain TMs, Punchs TMs, Smeargle, Elekid or Heracross?

I cant decided witch one is better. Its a offer better then other.

[Lord Windos]

Hmm...what choices I should take?
Starly I should take Zubat, Spinarak or Whismur?
Vullaby I should take Hard Stone, Grimer Silk Scarf or Wide Lens?
Crustle for 6500, Iron Tail and Giga Drain TMs, Punchs TMs, Smeargle, Elekid or Heracross?

I cant decided witch one is better. Its a offer better then other.

I say Whismur, Grimer Slik Scarf, and either the $6500 Poke or the TMs (Depending who on your/The group's Pokémon can learn). Whismur can eventually Evolve into Exploud, which has access to STAB Boomburst AND can get the HA Scrappy as a Surprise to ensure that not even Ghosts can avoid its Normal moves. Take Grimer for the Silk Scarf mainly to boost up Whismur, but Grimer itself is a rather versitle AND dangerous Pokémon in the right hands. The Poke is to recoup the expenses of Disobedience Camp + Adopting A-Geodude, but the TMs can offer coverage or more powerful Move to some of your Pokémon/the group's without much difficultly.

Those are my opinions, mate, so take them how you will!

[Lord Windos]

Ah, just looked this up, but Whismer can also learn Fire Punch for Steel types (Via Tutoring based on the Bulba Page, but Iron could make an exception/allow for TM teaching), and I think Rose can learn Thunder Punch for Water and Flying types, and Ice Punch is just good coverage for anyone that can learn it. If those Moves could be taught to those Pokémon, that's a great deal in of itself, but if not....welp, oh well.

[Spiritmon]

Spoiler

Ah, just looked this up, but Whismer can also learn Fire Punch for Steel types (Via Tutoring based on the Bulba Page, but Iron could make an exception/allow for TM teaching), and I think Rose can learn Thunder Punch for Water and Flying types, and Ice Punch is just good coverage for anyone that can learn it. If those Moves could be taught to those Pokémon, that's a great deal in of itself, but if not....welp, oh well.

Well, Thunder Punch I already have teach Rose when we were in the Library. But Ice Punch would be awesome for any pokemon in my team capable of learning. And if I could let Rose change her ability to Iron First, she would be even more powerful. But it will take a while until I be able to change her ability.

[Spiritmon]

Spoiler

Hmm...what choices I should take?
Starly I should take Zubat, Spinarak or Whismur?
Vullaby I should take Hard Stone, Grimer Silk Scarf or Wide Lens?
Crustle for 6500, Iron Tail and Giga Drain TMs, Punchs TMs, Smeargle, Elekid or Heracross?

I cant decided witch one is better. Its a offer better then other.

I say Whismur, Grimer Slik Scarf, and either the $6500 Poke or the TMs (Depending who on your/The group's Pokémon can learn). Whismur can eventually Evolve into Exploud, which has access to STAB Boomburst AND can get the HA Scrappy as a Surprise to ensure that not even Ghosts can avoid its Normal moves. Take Grimer for the Silk Scarf mainly to boost up Whismur, but Grimer itself is a rather versitle AND dangerous Pokémon in the right hands. The Poke is to recoup the expenses of Disobedience Camp + Adopting A-Geodude, but the TMs can offer coverage or more powerful Move to some of your Pokémon/the group's without much difficultly.

Those are my opinions, mate, so take them how you will!

Thank you! That indeed are good choices. As much take Heracross would be good, have a little pokes/TMs is even more important. I follow your advice my friend!

[Dragonstrike]

Hmm...what choices I should take?
Starly I should take Zubat, Spinarak or Whismur?
Vullaby I should take Hard Stone, Silk Scarf or Wide Lens?
Crustle for 6500, Iron Tail and Giga Drain TMs, Punchs TMs, Smeargle, Elekid or Heracross?

I cant decided witch one is better. Its a offer better then other.

- Zubat is a nice, strong option if you take the time to evolve it all the way.  Acrobatics is a really strong STAB, Cross Poison is great, Crobat has 6 Base HP...

- Whismur has a great niche in being able to learn many different sound based moves (STAB Boomburst included if you reeeaaallly spend a lot of time raising it). And has a lot of coverage when fully evolved, too.  

- Spider pokemon have a lot of fun niches.  In Ariados's case, it's Venom Drench combined with Toxic (which you can purchase for $3300 in the Violet Tent, or $3500 at the Department Store) or another Poison inflicting move (Toxic is the best option in this campaign if you want guaranteed Poison, but then you're not attacking).  It's hard to fight back when you have -1 Dex and Strength!  Blegh!  Also learns Sticky Web for a high amount of exp.



- Hard Stones are rather common, and purchasable at the Department Store for a mere $500.  That one's a trap, imo. 

- Silk Scark and Wide Lens are amazing, however.  Normal moves getting a buff is always nice (particularly if you go with Whismur), but who can say no to a universal +1 Accuracy on all your attacks? Can't go wrong with picking either one of those, imo.



- Smeargle seems to be designed as a utility pokemon, not a fighter.  Would be great for catching pokemon...but not much else.  And unless we get some NPC move relearner help, you're probably not going to be able to learn Sketch for cheap amounts of exp, as it's already used 7 of its 10 Sketches.  Unless I was looking for a pure utility pokemon, I probably wouldn't take it myself.

- Tyrogue and Elekid are baby pokemon, and would need a lot of growing and experience to become truly awesome.  Could be beneficial, just would need a lot of work.  (You might be able to get them elsewhere, though)

- Heracross is a really strong pokemon to have access to, and is rather rare.  Starts with Arm Thrust and Bullet Seed, can get Aerial Ace for cheap, and gets several strong STABs.  

-But having extra TMs is never, ever a bad thing.  Particularly when they're as strong as the Elemental Punches, Iron Tail, and Giga Drain.  (As a reminder, Golett can learn all three elemental punches, btw.  And has Iron Fist.  Ouch.)  Some of these might be straight up better than a fresh pokemon since you're strengthening an old one.

- Money isn't as much of an issue since you have an Amulet Coin.  You don't have to constantly do hard battles to make a decent amount of cash, which is great.  Nathan isn't too worried about money either because of Pay Day, though it's a lot slower.

[Lord Windos]

If you want Heracross, go get them, but I think that between ALL your Disobedient and hard to raise Pokémon + having Rose sorta invalidate its purpose of having it.

Also, keep in mind that Exploud learns Boom Burst for a truly obscene 85 XP in the Corebook that Iron uses, which is....a bit much. At least it can learn Fighting Moves and Surf to make up for that, and Silk Scarf can be a boost it needs for its plain Normal STABs.

[Dragonstrike]

Also, keep in mind that Exploud learns Boom Burst for a truly obscene 85 XP in the Corebook that Iron uses, which is....a bit much. At least it can learn Fighting Moves and Surf to make up for that, and Silk Scarf can be a boost it needs for its plain Normal STABs.

I find it funny that Vibrava gets Boomburst for 'only' 53 exp

Boomburst is definitely not a cheap move no matter what learns it.

[Lord Windos]

Also, keep in mind that Exploud learns Boom Burst for a truly obscene 85 XP in the Corebook that Iron uses, which is....a bit much. At least it can learn Fighting Moves and Surf to make up for that, and Silk Scarf can be a boost it needs for its plain Normal STABs.

I find it funny that Vibrava gets Boomburst for 'only' 53 exp

Boomburst is definitely not a cheap move no matter what learns it.

Particularly when the writers of the book refuse to make Powerful Moves 0 XP, and how hard it is to earn XP unless you exclusively use that Pokémon in all fights, and pool all the XP of a group fight and only give it to them, which has its obvious downsides. That, and Whismur will take a LOT of investment in order to get it to Evolve in an Exploud, get its HA, AND learn all its necessary powerful Moves.

Hmm....perhaps you shouldn't get that Mon after all @Spiritmon, and take the Spider or straight cash. Less time/XP investment going that route, and Sticky Web is more than worth grinding it out, like Spore was for Michael. That, and Toxic + Venom Drench is as nasty as Dragonstrike pointed out....Only problem with the Spider is that getting a decent Poison STAB on it will take time/Poke (For TMs), but it can also learn Shadow Sneak and Night Shade on the cheap, which are rather neat Moves for Priority and Fixed Damage.