Attacks and Abilities Guide

[Negrek]

Yeah, that's fine.

 

[Zhorken]

How do one-action Dig et al work? I heard somewhere (Squorn in #tcod, I think) that the user digs down with extra priority and then strikes with negative priority, but that sounds ridiculous; you could easily just dig all round and take no damage.

 

[Negrek]

It's possible to command a dig to dodge an attack, although for that to work you'd need to be faster than the pokémon trying to attack you. Unless you're specifically trying to dodge something, though, you go down and come up with reduced priority.

Therefore it is theoretically possible to dig-dodge the entire round to avoid damage while hitting if you're going second and can command it. However, I would allow this tactic to work only once or twice before the enemy pokémon figures out what's up and is able to work around it, so in practice I would not allow that strategy to actually work.

 

[The Omskivar]

The only remaining move to be asked about is Dive; does that work the same way? Able to be delayed, hiding from damage, able to be combo'd with other physical attacks? Would your opponent be able to see you while Diving, or would you be somehow hidden?

 

[Karkat Vantas]

Moves that require manipulating the opponent (Charm, Fake Tears, etc) grow less effective and more fake over time. So, in that case: if a Pokemon used Attract 3 times in a row, would it grow less effective as a result?

 

[Phoenixsong]

The only remaining move to be asked about is Dive; does that work the same way? Able to be delayed, hiding from damage, able to be combo'd with other physical attacks? Would your opponent be able to see you while Diving, or would you be somehow hidden?

Yes, as long as the pokémon doesn't need to come up for air in that amount of time; yes; yes. Whether or not your opponent could see you would depend on how clear and deep the water in question was, but you wouldn't automatically become undetectable just because you used the move. If you were in a muddy swamp or something, though, sure, you'd probably be hard to spot.

 

[Negrek]

Moves that require manipulating the opponent (Charm, Fake Tears, etc) grow less effective and more fake over time. So, in that case: if a Pokemon used Attract 3 times in a row, would it grow less effective as a result?

Yes, whether you mean "Attract x3" or re-attracting the same pokémon three times, each time after the previous attract has worn off. You also get diminishing returns for things like paralysis, where if you thunder wave once you get standard paralysis. If you thunder wave again, the opponent's paralysis will worsen, but not as much as to double their chance of parafailing.

 

[Byrus]

What happens if a Pokémon tries to use a move that it has nowhere near enough energy to use? Does it fail outright, or is it just used at reduced power?

 

[Karkat Vantas]

Yes, whether you mean "Attract x3" or re-attracting the same pokémon three times, each time after the previous attract has worn off. You also get diminishing returns for things like paralysis, where if you thunder wave once you get standard paralysis. If you thunder wave again, the opponent's paralysis will worsen, but not as much as to double their chance of parafailing.

If my Stunfisk is severely attracted, then faces 3 attracts in a row, will it end up more attracted, or will it start to lose its infatuation?

 

[Whirlpool]

If my Stunfisk is severely attracted, then faces 3 attracts in a row, will it end up more attracted, or will it start to lose its infatuation?

It depends on the scale of the ref. Most of the time, severe is the highest stage of statuses, so probably not more, but probably not less either (i.e. infatuation doesn't lessen because of a repeated move, it's just that the repeated move looses its effectiveness after a while). Your Stunfisk might just squee the entire round and do nothing, though.

 

[Lord of the Fireflies]

What happens if a Pokémon tries to use a move that it has nowhere near enough energy to use? Does it fail outright, or is it just used at reduced power?

It depends on the ref. Some have it at full power and make the user energy faint but others have it fail completely. Personally, I have it deal the fraction of the damage corresponding to the energy left. For example, a move needing 9% energy to be performed completely used by a user having only 6% energy left would deal 2/3 of its usual damage.

For non-damaging moves, though, I don't know. I would make it work personally, unless it's something ridiculous like a 8% energy move and the user has 1% left or something.

 

[Negrek]

What happens if a Pokémon tries to use a move that it has nowhere near enough energy to use? Does it fail outright, or is it just used at reduced power?

It does vary by the referee, but I would have it used at reduced power unless the energy shortfall is >10% or so, at which point I would just have it fail outright. If it's an instance where the pokémon is only short 1/2% energy, on the other hand, I would have it work at full power if it were something like a status move, or not reduce it much if it were damaging.

If my Stunfisk is severely attracted, then faces 3 attracts in a row, will it end up more attracted, or will it start to lose its infatuation?

More attracted, but I would probably only have it go up to about 75% chance of attract-fail per action rather than 50%.

 

[Lord of the Fireflies]

If a Pokémon with the ability Simple used Psych Up on a foe with, say, +2 attack, would it get +2 or +4 Attack?

Also, if a pokémon with Klutz holding an item used Acrobatics, would it double in power?

 

[1. Luftballon]

in gen 4, simple pokémon had the same -6 to +6 scale, but each step was doubled, and then capped to +6 during calculations. in gen 5, simple pokémon just get doubled stat changes.

(that's no to the first question, I think.)

 

[Karkat Vantas]

More attracted, but I would probably only have it go up to about 75% chance of attract-fail per action rather than 50%.

Attract-fail doesn't apply to moves that could be considered pleasing, correct? IE, show off your manliness with a Bulk Up, show off your sculpting skills with Substitute, show her the feeling is mutual with an attract?

 

[Negrek]

If a Pokémon with the ability Simple used Psych Up on a foe with, say, +2 attack, would it get +2 or +4 Attack?

Also, if a pokémon with Klutz holding an item used Acrobatics, would it double in power?

+2

It would.

Attract-fail doesn't apply to moves that could be considered pleasing, correct? IE, show off your manliness with a Bulk Up, show off your sculpting skills with Substitute, show her the feeling is mutual with an attract?

If you word it well enough, yes. Persuade the referee that your move shouldn't attract-fail.

 

[Squornshellous Beta]

What happens if a trainer has given commands that will result in a ghost-type possessing something, but has given no prior orders as to when to come out? Specifically, this case.

 

[Negrek]

If a trainer doesn't give commands for when a ghost should stop possessing something, it will phase out of the object at the end of the round when it began possession.

However, ghosts don't possess anything unless they're told to, so in the case you linked to, it wouldn't matter anyway; the ghost would just phase out of the tunnel. (I'm guessing you thought it would possess the water?) There's no indication Coroxn meant for the ghost to possess anything.

 

[Squornshellous Beta]

I figured it would possess the water based on "if a ghost is phased and then tries to occupy a space taken up by a solid object for any more than a single action, it counts as "possesssing" that object and different rules apply." I missed the "solid", I think. >>

(Also, that's a typo of possessing there.)

 

[1. Luftballon]

how much energy would a sketch cost?