Looks like this might take a few more days.
While you guys discuss, I'll write up more worldbuilding articles for you to consume so you don't get bored without a story update. But that's only if the discussion lasts all the way through the weekend because I run an izakaya and weekends are hell.
If we restrict to fewer pacts, can we have mercenaries in our party? So that way we can get type coverage without breaking the restriction. That would mean hiring on a near-permanent basis, but I figure that's not too bad since we get money anyway.
I agree completely, I'm forseeing us meeting a super cool pokemon the next town over and being unable to bring them along because we restricted ourselves to only those 5 specifically.
You can always hire an unlimited number of mercenaries as long as you have the cash.
Note that other than your salary, each of your Pacted Pokemon also get their own salary. Which means Pacted Pokemon don't have to be paid out of your own pocket.
But also note that mercenaries are not cheap, and that the more skilful they are, the more expensive they tend to be. They also tend to be unevolved because attempting to evolve without a Trainer requires a high Rank in Independent Action, and is also dangerous because if you fail to complete evolution before the Miasma turns you, are swarmed in the process, or just fail to make it back to a safe zone... Then you either die, or turn.
It's a bit easier with a Trainer party protecting the Pokemon attempting to evolve, of course, but it's not a guarantee.
Partial evolutions are permanent which means you get stuck at your bottleneck forever, so you can really only attempt evolution once.
Also, my main reason for the 5-family restriction being on the list of things I will never vote for is that I can see a way for the QM to kill us with it in one move. "Pallet town burns down, you're stranded with no way to pact new pokemon."
Yeah, but I won't do that because it'll kill my quest.
The latter, not the former.
I might still burn down Pallet if shit goes down.
Okay, closing discussion... the obvious compromise between Chloe and David is 'both.' They'd work well together and compliment the bulbasaur. I see no reason not to strongly support that option.
I see no obvious compromise between the 'pile as many restrictions as possible' camp and the 'less restrictions means we have more options for problem solving' camp. Knives at dawn?
Can I get a QM ruling on what these would give us?
-Restrict to 2 pacts at a time
-Restrict to 3 pacts at a time
-Restrict to 4 pacts at a time
-Restrict to 5 pacts at a time
I don't know how this would rate in terms of power, but I thought of a more restrictive version of the elemental types restriction - one of each type ever. So, for instance, if we had a fire type and it died fighting with us, we would never have another fire type. Which also appeals to me on a poetic/character level, because it punishes us for screwing up and getting our partner killed/our partner ditching us.
Not quite sure how it would handle mixed types or someone like an eevee who evolves from one type to another type, but I thought I'd throw it out there to see if there was any interest.
Hey, I had an idea. What would happen if we made our restriction: the first six Pokemon we pacted with that had non-reoccurring types, and only those first six Pokemon?
I'm buffing the Non-Repeating Forever Restriction with Independent Action +1.
The following list can be buffed or nerfed at the QM's discretion. Because I'm not all-knowing and I make mistakes. Also because I'm drunk right now.
Restriction List:
One type only
boosts all STAB by 1 OR gain additional EX Skill.
Specific mixed-type only
boosts all STAB by 2.
gain additional EX Skill.
Non-repeating types
boosts all STAB by 1.
Non-repeating types forever
mixed-types count and removes from the available list.
evolving removes from the available list.
cannot evolve if you will gain a type that's not on the available list.
boosts all STAB by 2.
Ranks-Up Independent Action by 1 Rank.
Pallet Set
Non-repeating types
(meaning you can't get multiple Eevees until you evolve one of them)
boosts all STAB by 1.
boosts your EX Skill.
The Pallet Set (with only one each at any one time)
Non-repeating types
boosts all STAB by 1.
increases the highest attribute by 2 (if equal, GM's choice).
boosts your EX Skill.
The Pallet Set (with only one each forever)
Non-repeating types
boosts all STAB by 2.
increases all attributes by 2.
boosts your EX Skill.
Ranks-Up Independent Action by 1 Rank.
Any Pokemon
First 6 Individual Pokemon (not species)
increases all attributes by 2.
boosts your EX Skill.
Rank-Up Independent Action by 1 Rank.
Maximum of 1 Pact forever
boosts all STAB by 3.
increases all attributes by 10.
boosts your EX Skill.
gain an additional EX Skill.
Rank-Up Independent Action to S-Rank.
Maximum of 1 Pact (at a time)
boosts all STAB by 2.
increases highest attribute by 10. (GM's choice.)
increases all other attributes by 5.
boosts your EX Skill.
Rank-Up Independent Action by 2 Ranks.
Maximum of 2 Pacts (at a time)
increases highest attribute by 7. (GM's choice.)
increases all other attributes by 4.
boosts your EX Skill.
Rank-Up Independent Action by 1 Rank.
Maximum of 3 Pacts (at a time)
increases highest attribute by 4. (GM's choice.)
increases all other attributes by 2.
Maximum of 4 Pacts (at a time)
increases highest attribute by 2. (GM's choice.)
increases all other attributes by 1.
Maximum of 5 Pacts (at a time)
increases highest attribute by 2. (GM's choice.)
