[WAR] RP Plot Teaser (Draft stage)

[Neo Emolga]

Well, here's my take on the situation.

I've heard Bron describe this as the "perfect world" on multiple occasions, and honestly, I think that needs to be nipped in the bud. You don't get too many heroes, action, or glory if everything's fine and good and everyone can just kick back on a hammock and crack open a cold one. Magic should have plenty of uses, but letting it take away the struggle and effort out of everything by being the go-to quick fix for every one of life's little problems isn't a good idea either. In fact, as a long-term RP creator, the more problems and struggles you have going, the more challenges there are to overcome and the more heroic you make the protagonists by rising up to fix these things. Why do you think so many movies, stories, and games start up with such dystopian or apocalyptic settings? If everything was fine, there wouldn't be a need for a story. So it would be best to try and avoid sticking to a status-quo setting by making life "too good." If that means disrupting/corrupting people's magic powers, causing some kind of doomsday event like a disease or where only a limited and selective number of people can survive, or something where relying too much on magic backfires and now people find themselves out of their comfort zone, I think we really need to consider it.

Even on a minimal change scale, I remember WAR Season 4, which had plenty of good-natured teams, and it only took one little spark to set things off. And this is all it really entailed:

The world leader was gone, and one team assumed leadership of the world and thought everyone would be on board for that. Fat chance. The other teams refused to go along with that and it quickly became a "who died and made you god" kind of conflict. If you don't like the whole idea of dramatically changing the setting, this is another possibility. One team (Trainer, most likely) just needs to assume they're kings of the world now and can try to bend the cultural norms and traditions of all the regions and teams to suit their team theme and ideals, while the other teams straight up start a revolution and try to declare independence. The ruling team can be regarded negatively as an imposing dictatorship (which meant well, but got too close to comfort for some people), while the rebelling teams can be viewed as violent instigators or be given the classic "terrorist" label (though they just wanted to be their own identity).

Aside from this, I don't agree with the whole idea of everyone versus Winter or any kind of "all against one" (or two) setup just to get a conflict going. That's rough no matter what RPing skill they have. I've been overwhelmed by opponent RPers before all attacking me at once and it's quite rough and got to the point where I had to let my character realistically have themselves get killed. Besides, the battle between good and evil isn't always so black and white. You can make a good team seem evil just by having them believe the ends justify the means and feel the utopia to come is worth the violence and the sacrifice.

And Bron, if you really don't want this much modification done to your Arcane Pokéworld idea, maybe it would be better to save it for another occasion and we use something else for a WAR RP instead. There's still time before June 7th and together we can make a backup plan work, but we can't wait too long on this.

[Winter]

Everyone has equal potential, if they practice and work work for it. Sure there's naturals, but everyone can and does have equal max potential. It's like any skill really. Practice and you become a master, don't and you suck at it. Magic that isn't Pokemon related exists if that's what you're asking. That's up to people to create for the most part, and I'm not going to limit out certain magics, unless they're known to be OPed. Instant death spells and auto hitting spells come to mind. Not sure what you mean by power struggle. Two or more strong people fighting is kinda what War is about. It's highly likely that there's deaths in every new magic creation that's dangerous, but the vast majority of spells are so old they're really hard to mess up. Like I said there's still research projects for improving existing enchantments/charms and creating completely new magic, but that's up to players for the most part. Still though, most magic is really old and has been around for eons. There's gangs. Crime isn't completely nonexistent, and people can abuse their power, becoming criminals.

There doesn't REALLY need to be an antagonistic, but it would be easier to "put a face" on it. Easier than saying you're just fighting. It creates a concrete goal of defeating this group. Sabi and the other Winter seem to be able to do this, while I had counted on an evil team being the one to do it.

I think you're missing my point here. I wasn't asking those questions for me, I was asking them for you. All of those questions relate a potential conflict, provided you're willing to tweak some things. Heck, a number of them you don't even have to tweak things for most of them.

If what Neo says is true, then yeah, I agree, the "perfect" world thing needs to be changed. If that's the case, there is no way to really push conflict in a world that's perfect, so no matter what anyone suggests, you're gonna have a hard time finding any conflict that seems workable. Unless that "perfect" world is only perfect at first glance.

Sometimes evil doesn't have a distinct face, and besides, it doesn't have to be Teams vs Invisible Evil, that invisible evil could simply do something that pits the teams against each other. I mean, when there's a power vacuum, aren't people usually determined to fill it rather than go after the force that caused it. Unless I'm misunderstanding, you now want Sabi and Wintervines to be the bad guys? Please tell me you understand how incredibly unfair that is. I've seen it done before, and all it does is lead to frustration.

[Saraibre Ryu]

Just popping in to say that I don't mind working all the antagonistic forces on my own, but this RP wasn't my idea and it feels a bit out of place for me to do so. If need be I can be that guy. I have that ability.

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

I'd say something, but Neo and company already said it. There HAS to be a conflict. May I suggest that the 'benevolent' alien benefactors that made the planet the way it is come back at this point, due to unspecified disasters making it the only 'safe' place for whatever reason, and having their high technology and lack of magic conflict? What I mean here is, have the tech explicitly screw with Magic, or vice-versa. That's a whole lot of possible ideology conflicts all at once. That's just my suggestion.

Also, it isn't a REQUIREMENT that a team's player has to follow the team, or that there even is an equivalent team in-universe. For all you know, Team Awesome (just using them as a random example) are going to go completely independant and just wander around with various goals and moralities. You can't prove that Team Magma is actually going to come into this as a team. Or trainer. Or anyone, really. It's merely a preference, if I recall. That's just my two cents, though.

[WinterVines]

Whew, this was posted in a lot since I went to sleep. Anyway, I'm sort of neutral on being one of the "bad guys" if that route is taken. Originally I didn't plan for my character to be technically aligned with Team Magma (my WAR team), but that can be changed if necessary. I'm not for or against this idea as a whole. The character I envisioned was sort of self-centered/serving but could probably can fit into this somehow (or could be scrapped).

On one hand, having most people against my character would at least guarantee I'd run into other people and up the dynamic a little bit. On the other, everyone is right and it would probably be really overwhelming haha. I'm not qualified to judge my own RP abilities anyway. I've had a couple of years of experience with URPG RP (on PWN and BMG) but those are pretty self-directed and not really like this. Also minor D&D and Pokemon Tabletop (on Roll20) experience. It could be fun, but it might be torture too.

Building on Winter's idea of some wielders not being as good as others, I'm wondering, is there any conflict/stigmas/etc between all the races? Since some of them are vastly different, there might be something to work with there. Elements being better against certain others and such. Or something like that. Since this is world where both Pokemon and "Trainers" for lack of a better term, have magic and work side by side (if my understanding is correct), is there any conflict with that? A magic-wielding race enslaving another magic-wielding race.

The killing of the leaders is a pretty good launching point because it automatically puts everyone under suspicion and creates tension.

[VeloJello]

Everyone has equal potential, if they practice and work work for it. Sure there's naturals, but everyone can and does have equal max potential. It's like any skill really. Practice and you become a master, don't and you suck at it.

Talent doesn't really act this way in real life, though, and I doubt that it would be much different when it comes to telling the laws of physics to shut up and sit down. As uncomfortable a truth as it is, some people have to practice and fight more than other people. Some people have to study their butt off for a simple algebra quiz while someone of similar age and upbringing can easily ace their calculus final. And in a world so reliant on magic, having some people who are less capable of using magic is a great way of introducing conflicts both major and minor.

I imagine that a conflict between races isn't all that far-fetched, like WinterVines said. If the Mechari were created to be servants, then it's pretty easy to imagine that some people might consider the Mechari to be lesser beings. Heck, Angels might be considered to be at a disadvantage - they get their fancy thunder and dragon magic, but if everyone is already capable of easily-accessible flight, then what good are an Angel's wings? The Merfolk seem like they would be reclusive and isolated because of their aquatic nature, so maybe they have difficulty understanding the cultural norms that the rest of the races have developed over time.

One thing that I notice is that the exact details on "leadership" aren't present in the story at all. Knowing who's in charge and what sort of government or governments are in place helps to build the story. Are all of the races led by separate leaders? Is there a singular world ruler? Do some races have more influence than others? Having all of the world leaders killed is a start, but it doesn't help move the story much if there's no information on these leaders. What were the leaders doing while they were alive? Do the leaders have clear lines of succession, or is there going to be a big-and-bloody power vacuum? Were the leaders good? Bad? Mixed?

One more question - how do the Pokemon fit into all of this? Are Pokemon treated equally to the other races? Where exactly do they fit in in a world where all of the "people" take care of their own needs and have magic of their own?

Bear in mind that I'm mostly just providing observations here. I'm fond of the idea of the "magical Equalists" trying to remove the magic, since it sounds like the most interesting story. But yeah. Trust me, I know how hard it can be to beat an actual plot into a good premise.

[bronislav84]

Well, here's my take on the situation.

I've heard Bron describe this as the "perfect world" on multiple occasions, and honestly, I think that needs to be nipped in the bud. You don't get too many heroes, action, or glory if everything's fine and good and everyone can just kick back on a hammock and crack open a cold one. Magic should have plenty of uses, but letting it take away the struggle and effort out of everything by being the go-to quick fix for every one of life's little problems isn't a good idea either. In fact, as a long-term RP creator, the more problems and struggles you have going, the more challenges there are to overcome and the more heroic you make the protagonists by rising up to fix these things. Why do you think so many movies, stories, and games start up with such dystopian or apocalyptic settings? If everything was fine, there wouldn't be a need for a story. So it would be best to try and avoid sticking to a status-quo setting by making life "too good." If that means disrupting/corrupting people's magic powers, causing some kind of doomsday event like a disease or where only a limited and selective number of people can survive, or something where relying too much on magic backfires and now people find themselves out of their comfort zone, I think we really need to consider it.

Even on a minimal change scale, I remember WAR Season 4, which had plenty of good-natured teams, and it only took one little spark to set things off. And this is all it really entailed:

The world leader was gone, and one team assumed leadership of the world and thought everyone would be on board for that. Fat chance. The other teams refused to go along with that and it quickly became a "who died and made you god" kind of conflict. If you don't like the whole idea of dramatically changing the setting, this is another possibility. One team (Trainer, most likely) just needs to assume they're kings of the world now and can try to bend the cultural norms and traditions of all the regions and teams to suit their team theme and ideals, while the other teams straight up start a revolution and try to declare independence. The ruling team can be regarded negatively as an imposing dictatorship (which meant well, but got too close to comfort for some people), while the rebelling teams can be viewed as violent instigators or be given the classic "terrorist" label (though they just wanted to be their own identity).

Aside from this, I don't agree with the whole idea of everyone versus Winter or any kind of "all against one" (or two) setup just to get a conflict going. That's rough no matter what RPing skill they have. I've been overwhelmed by opponent RPers before all attacking me at once and it's quite rough and got to the point where I had to let my character realistically have themselves get killed. Besides, the battle between good and evil isn't always so black and white. You can make a good team seem evil just by having them believe the ends justify the means and feel the utopia to come is worth the violence and the sacrifice.

And Bron, if you really don't want this much modification done to your Arcane Pokéworld idea, maybe it would be better to save it for another occasion and we use something else for a WAR RP instead. There's still time before June 7th and together we can make a backup plan work, but we can't wait too long on this.

I think changing the premise to be less perfect would take too long to do now and the RP wouldn't be starting on time. I'd be fine with quickly rewriting it with Trainer in charge, provided they're fine with it. Can't just force it on them.

I'd say something, but Neo and company already said it. There HAS to be a conflict. May I suggest that the 'benevolent' alien benefactors that made the planet the way it is come back at this point, due to unspecified disasters making it the only 'safe' place for whatever reason, and having their high technology and lack of magic conflict? What I mean here is, have the tech explicitly screw with Magic, or vice-versa. That's a whole lot of possible ideology conflicts all at once. That's just my suggestion.

Also, it isn't a REQUIREMENT that a team's player has to follow the team, or that there even is an equivalent team in-universe. For all you know, Team Awesome (just using them as a random example) are going to go completely independant and just wander around with various goals and moralities. You can't prove that Team Magma is actually going to come into this as a team. Or trainer. Or anyone, really. It's merely a preference, if I recall. That's just my two cents, though.

I think you didn't read enough. The Xeth are the source of Pokeworld's magic. To us they'd be gods who transcended material forms and their magic is much higher level than Pokeworld's. What you're suggesting wouldn't work, sorry.

Whew, this was posted in a lot since I went to sleep. Anyway, I'm sort of neutral on being one of the "bad guys" if that route is taken. Originally I didn't plan for my character to be technically aligned with Team Magma (my WAR team), but that can be changed if necessary. I'm not for or against this idea as a whole. The character I envisioned was sort of self-centered/serving but could probably can fit into this somehow (or could be scrapped).

On one hand, having most people against my character would at least guarantee I'd run into other people and up the dynamic a little bit. On the other, everyone is right and it would probably be really overwhelming haha. I'm not qualified to judge my own RP abilities anyway. I've had a couple of years of experience with URPG RP (on PWN and BMG) but those are pretty self-directed and not really like this. Also minor D&D and Pokemon Tabletop (on Roll20) experience. It could be fun, but it might be torture too.

Building on Winter's idea of some wielders not being as good as others, I'm wondering, is there any conflict/stigmas/etc between all the races? Since some of them are vastly different, there might be something to work with there. Elements being better against certain others and such. Or something like that. Since this is world where both Pokemon and "Trainers" for lack of a better term, have magic and work side by side (if my understanding is correct), is there any conflict with that? A magic-wielding race enslaving another magic-wielding race.

The killing of the leaders is a pretty good launching point because it automatically puts everyone under suspicion and creates tension.

Okay so we're not gonna go with you and Sabi as the antagonists. I don't want to force it on people, even if one says she's cool with it.

Talent doesn't really act this way in real life, though, and I doubt that it would be much different when it comes to telling the laws of physics to shut up and sit down. As uncomfortable a truth as it is, some people have to practice and fight more than other people. Some people have to study their butt off for a simple algebra quiz while someone of similar age and upbringing can easily ace their calculus final. And in a world so reliant on magic, having some people who are less capable of using magic is a great way of introducing conflicts both major and minor.

I imagine that a conflict between races isn't all that far-fetched, like WinterVines said. If the Mechari were created to be servants, then it's pretty easy to imagine that some people might consider the Mechari to be lesser beings. Heck, Angels might be considered to be at a disadvantage - they get their fancy thunder and dragon magic, but if everyone is already capable of easily-accessible flight, then what good are an Angel's wings? The Merfolk seem like they would be reclusive and isolated because of their aquatic nature, so maybe they have difficulty understanding the cultural norms that the rest of the races have developed over time.

One thing that I notice is that the exact details on "leadership" aren't present in the story at all. Knowing who's in charge and what sort of government or governments are in place helps to build the story. Are all of the races led by separate leaders? Is there a singular world ruler? Do some races have more influence than others? Having all of the world leaders killed is a start, but it doesn't help move the story much if there's no information on these leaders. What were the leaders doing while they were alive? Do the leaders have clear lines of succession, or is there going to be a big-and-bloody power vacuum? Were the leaders good? Bad? Mixed?

One more question - how do the Pokemon fit into all of this? Are Pokemon treated equally to the other races? Where exactly do they fit in in a world where all of the "people" take care of their own needs and have magic of their own?

Bear in mind that I'm mostly just providing observations here. I'm fond of the idea of the "magical Equalists" trying to remove the magic, since it sounds like the most interesting story. But yeah. Trust me, I know how hard it can be to beat an actual plot into a good premise.

I would like to do a Magical Equalists thing with some who aren't as good just wanting to nix all the magic. They don't know it's the sun that gives the world magic. Really I would like to do this, but we can't. Someone would need to take the reigns for it to be effective and nobody is really going to. I don't want to force Sabi and/or WinterVines to to it.

The stigma and tension between races is an idea that can be implemented into the plot though.

I had hoped to not need to go into detail about world governments that no longer exist once the RP starts. They all cease to exist anyway. There's definitely going to be a power vacuum though. That seems to be most logical to me.

Pokemon are pretty much on the level of sacred and are revered, due to being the first practitioners.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Okay, so Neo will be doing an update to the plot. We'll be working together, but he's more eloquent than I am. We want to keep the setting and mechanics as intact as possible, but introduce conflict and tension as has been discussed.

By the sound of it we might put Trainer in charge and have the other teams not like the idea, but I think Trainer has to agree to that. Guys? @The Frost Dragon @Pokemon Trainer Sarah

It should be able to start on time. Sit tight, y'all.

[Steel Lunpara]

Okay, so Neo will be doing an update to the plot. We'll be working together, but he's more eloquent than I am. We want to keep the setting and mechanics as intact as possible, but introduce conflict and tension as has been discussed.

By the sound of it we might put Trainer in charge and have the other teams not like the idea, but I think Trainer has to agree to that. Guys? @The Frost Dragon @Pokemon Trainer Sarah

It should be able to start on time. Sit tight, y'all.

Sorry, friend, Sarah isn't here this weekend. It's just myself right now. Regardless, as for handling the RP, I'm not exactly sure why it needs to be handed off to another team, much less to ours in particular. What's the issue of a group discussion on the matter, like we're doing now?

Team Trainer: Lawful good. Team Trainer believes in the idealistic, almost naive, why-can't-everyone-get-along within the means of the law kind of good. Primarily making decisions with a long-term plan in mind (ie if we don't feed our people this week we can feed everyone for a year!)
The Phoenix Battalion: Chaotic good. They don't believe in inefficient or slow ways of doing good. They want forceful change now. Short-term thinkers (ie if we don't feed our people this week, they will die).
Prism League: Neutral good. Religious zealots that have a very specific, uncompromising, and dogmatic sense of justice.
Team Awesome: I have no idea what tickles XaiakuX's fancy these days.

Just create some catastrophe that only allows for a singular solution and have the good teams duke it out over who gets to implement their sense of justice upon the world.

Wait, wait! I know I'm late to the party, but as I've said on the general war discussion thread, I don't think "good" ideals necessarily have to be positive things. Just like a character flaw doesn't quite have to be a bad thing, i.e. a character that's far too trusting or willing to forgive others, a "good" team could easily take their ideology too far. My current idea for my team was a Splinter Cell of sorts, a group of extremists within the team that want something that's good on concept, but either by it's methods or implications could be awful to the rest of the world.

[bronislav84]

Frost please read what's been going on. Please don't ask me to explain when it's already been posted.

[Neo Emolga]

@The Frost Dragon

And I have given this some of my RP-making magic!

If you're interested in reading the new conflict (Bron approved!), head down toward the "Night of Bloodfall and the New Team Trainer Contingency" part. Trust me, there's plenty of stuff to watch out for now.

I'm not sure if Team Trainer would approve of being given this kind of storyline role, but if they are, I think we're good to go here.

ARCANE POKÉWORLD STORY

It all started 80 million years ago, far beyond recorded time and even before prehistoric Pokémon like Aerodactyl, Kabutops, and many of their kind roamed the world. The world was inhabited by dinosaurs and animals that could have evolved into the Pokémon of the modern era. The only traces of humanity that existed in these long, almost forgotten days were protohumans.

The Sun this world depended on, Arcstar, suddenly changed it's cycle and was on the critical brink of becoming a supernova. If left to run it's destructive course, it would have decimated the entire solar system and would have nothing but burnt shadows in it's wake. The cataclysmic signs were detected by the Xeth, a highly advanced race of aliens that had the power and the means to manipulate the laws of physics, logic itself, and even dictate the course of existence. The Xeth, while not truly gods, had the power and techniques that could be considered godlike. Upon examining the unstable and potentially devastating course the Arcstar was heading toward, they used their powers and techniques to stabilize it and in turn, prevented what could have been a tragic disaster if left unchecked. As a result of their benevolent efforts, fate ran a different course and the Arcstar was forever changed, now illuminating the world with a bright white and lightly violet-colored illumination.

This is where the story begins. This is what is known as The Dawn of the Arcane Sun.

As a result of the Xeth's efforts, the Arcstar was able to continue it's cycle without risk of apocalyptic devastation. Life and prosperity continued for 15 million more years and in time, new evolution had set it's course, eventually becoming the Pokémon we recognize of the modern era. These creatures known as Pokémon, armed with the power, skills, and techniques to harness the elements and supernatural forces thanks to the Arcane Arcstar, were able to claim dominance, resulting in the end of the dinosaurs that could not command the same forces they could. These Pokémon were the first practitioners of what would eventually be called Magic.

Following in the footsteps of their flourishing Pokémon brethren and companions, the early protohumans were the next to evolve, learning how to harness magical forces and energies from the Arcstar be means of concentration and willpower. Soon, like Pokémon, they began to inherit the basic and fundamental skills of the Xeth thanks to the transformed Arcstar.

But what was supposed to become human never came to pass. Instead, the early protohumans were evolved by the Arcane Sun as well, becoming distinct races but all being collectively called humans due to having the same ancient ancestor. In time, as the ages and eras marched on, humans learned Magic from their Pokémon companions as well as through their own dedicated research into harnessing the power and energies of the Arcstar in new and creative ways.

This is the story of how Magic had risen through the Arcstar and soon enough, became the central influence on civilization, culture, norms, research, and technological development. The creation of tools, weapons, and structures had undergone a completely different breed of industrial revolution, relying on the fundamentals of supernatural magic as opposed to the utilization of scientific principles despite how these same principles like gravity, conductivity, and the like are still present. As the ages of civilization marched on, technology was built around the magic these humans knew best, and magical technology, called Magitek for short, resulted in the creation of enchanted mechanical tools, equipment, and devices that perform the same functions of technology today, but are powered by the forces of magic as opposed to using the principles of science.

NIGHT OF BLOODFALL AND THE NEW TEAM TRAINER CONTINGENCY

The High Magi Council. The Celestial Circle. And the Order of the Crimson Flame.

All 62 world leader members assigned to keep the peace were assassinated in a single night along with their assigned chain in command. It escalated into a vicious and heartless attack that would be forever scarred into the history books as the Night of Bloodfall. It was unknown who launched and coordinated the attack, but the investigation concluded all leader members were violently stripped of their magical abilities before they were executed. None of the assassins were caught or identified, but the limited witness testimony and evidence concluded it had been a band of Mechari assailants responsible for the assault. The attackers were labeled as the "Repressors" for their strange ability to strip magic out of their targets.

When the news of the Repressor attack hit the media through the Maginet and the Mirror broadcasts, immediately the hysteria resulted in Mechari being branded as traitors, flawed devices, and "rebellious machines without souls." Citizens began to question the meaning of their existence, while others attempted to defend the machine race by arguing not every Mechari was a Repressor out for anarchy nor did they support the Night of Bloodfall, although there were plenty of sympathizers for the Repressors and felt it was a "much-needed cleansing long overdue." However, the shaken and unstable political theater were only making the situation critical and law enforcement that much more difficult. With rioting and looting on the rise because of these events, what was once a perfect world paradise was rapidly collapsing.

The only lead in terms of determining who should be established as the new order was found in the Celestial Circle's Decree documents, establishing that if the Circle should fall, the faction known as Team Trainer would be the next in line to assimilate authority. Meanwhile, the High Magi Council and the Order of the Crimson Flame had nothing left after their assigned chains of commands had all been eliminated in the Bloodfall assault.

With no other official documents and successors to go by, Team Trainer was established as the new emergency world order. However, despite Team Trainer's righteous and good intentions, not everyone saw the mission from their point of view. Many felt their individual identity and culture were threatened, and not everyone recognized the authenticity of the Celestial Circle Decree. Even in the mist of the already costly Bloodfall riots, others were far too skeptical and portrayed the Decree as a conspiracy theory forgery that hit the airways and tabloids hard. Meanwhile, others believed Trainer was not capable of stopping the "Repressors" from striking again, wherever and whoever they are...

The world has become a darker place. The question of who should lead the world of magic is in shambles, and the hunt for the Repressors is a trail rapidly going cold. The Mechari are fighting bigotry and racism from all directions, while rebellion factions rise up against the authority of the questionably established Team Trainer order.

It is unknown whether the world can return to the state of peace and paradise it had once enjoyed. What is known is that the flames of war have been lit, and many will be taken in its demand for sacrifice...

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE ARCANE WORLD AND THE STANDARD ONE

Flight Spells - Individuals have access to flying spells, which was an early discovery. As such, buildings and structures have access balconies that grant access at any level. Devices like parachutes and hang-gliders were obsolete before they even existed. Work, life, and even sports have been changed due to this ability to fly freely.
Flying Cars and Vehicles - Used for faster travel, as well to assist with the shipping of heavy goods and as mass transit.
Pokémon Carrying Crystals (PPCs) - Instead of Pokéballs, these crystals are used instead, offering a stronger, more comfortable, and more rejuvenating container for companion Pokémon.
Healing Spells - Used in place of healing medicines.
Travel - As a means of getting from one place to another, a portal network exists, replacing train lines and metro stations with a portal network. Walking into a portal of one town in another region will allow you to emerge to a town in another region in no time at all. There is still travel time, as the passenger will be in a stasis while in the Travelscape. They will be allowed to think, see, and hear, but not physically move. The only allowed use of portals is strictly limited to these "Portal Metros." Any other unauthorized use of portal spells or teaching of portal spells is regarded as highly illegal due to the ability to use them for trespassing.
Pokémarts - These retail outlets have been changed to sell Pokémon healing spells, as well as the Pokémon Carrying Crystals needed to contain them. A spell only needs to be brought once, much like a book that only needs to be brought once but can be read multiple times. Most Pokémarts make the majority of their revenue from PCCs, although the spells are always available for new rookie trainers that are only just starting their journey.
Magic Shops - Magic that isn't Pokémon-related is sold here. Magic has been around since ancient times, so new research and development into new spells is rare (but still possible). These vendors will sell mainly the books and resources needed for practical spells, as well as self-defense, trades, crafts, and many other purposes that are needed in everyday life.

Science Gadgets we Expect:

The Maginet - The magical rendition of the Internet. No need for wi-fi hotspots or worrying about data plans with this. You can access it anywhere and everywhere.
Smartphones - Have been implemented as Mirrors, also connected to the Maginet. These perform the same functions we are familiar with it terms of phones, and they're significantly cheaper to mass produce. Everyone has one, unless they lost it the way one does with car keys or their wallet.
Televisions - Televisions are a derivative of Mirrors and can be altered in size to suit the owner's preference and accommodate the room. In that same light, Mirrors also take on the form of video players and gaming consoles for entertainment, given they have they have been enchanted with the desired game or movie spell.

RACES

All races are considered humans as a collective whole, but these are the sub-categories (think in terms of Hispanics, Caucasians, Asians, and so on). The magic they specialize in is similar to those of Pokémon attacks and moves, although each race can still cast spells in all other fields.

Mechari - Mechari are sentient Megitek machine humanoids, and were originally created by the other races as servants many years ago and continue to be created today. In addition, new Mechari are created by a partial magical donation of the personality and appearance to the one they wish to create. Being enchanted machines themselves, Mechari understand Enchanting magic the best out of all the other races, and make outstanding craftsmen. Mechari can take on a male or female appearance, but do not reproduce sexually. Mechari specialize in magic related to Steel, Normal, and Ghost type sources.

Granok - The Granok are sentient, golem-like people formed out of living rock. Strong, sturdy, and adamant, Granok can take excessive physical punishment in combat, and are exceptional at utilizing spells focused on earthen manipulation and plant manipulation. As a result, the Granok are the best at Grass, Rock, and Bug spells.

Chua - The Chua are the shortest of the races, taking on the form of rodent humanoids based on such creatures similar to rats, rabbits, mice, and guinea pigs. Often eccentric and unpredictable, the Chua are skilled with Ice, Ground, and Fire magic. Because of this, they have natural resistance to heat and fire, and can handle working in stifling conditions far better than the other races. Moreover, they are the least affected by extreme weather, able to transverse scorching deserts and frozen tundra areas more comfortably than anyone else.

Neko - Neko are feline humanoids that are fast, nimble, acrobatic, and agile. They have prehensile tails and are typically considered attractive by most other races. Most Neko work in the entertainment industry, but there are still plenty of exceptions. Female Neko are typically taller and have upper body strength while males are shorter and have better lower body strength. Neko specialize in Fighting, Dark, and Psychic magic.

Angel - Angels are the most recognizable as the humans from the normal Pokémon world, taking on an appearance that looks exactly like humans except for a pair of feather wings they have on their backs. Angels are the only race that can fly without use of a flying spell, and have strong proficiencies in Electric, Flying, and Dragon magic.

Merfolk -Mermaids and mermen, collectively called Merfolk, appear as half-human, half-fish humanoids while submerged in water and have incredible swimming ability. Meanwhile, they are also exceptional at water and ice based magic and have perfected most of their tools, technology, and equipment to work perfectly underwater. If need be, they can emerge from the water and after arriving on the surface, their fish tails will become human legs for a temporary amount of time. They can stay like this and walk on the ground for about three days before they start to become dehydrated and dizzy and need to return to the water. Merfolk specialize in Water, Fairy, and Poison magic.

COMBAT

• Unlike Harry Potter, wands aren't present. Fighting with magic can be done in the form of enchanted melee strikes (like a fire or thunder punch) or as projectiles like a fireball or ice beam. Fighting without magic, such as using a melee weapon like a pipe or a sword, is possible, but will be seen as quite primitive (on the level of bringing a knife to a gun fight).
• If you cannot speak, you cannot cast (hence, taking a hostage by duct-taping their mouths is an effective way to suppress their magic, much like blindfolding a sharpshooter temporarily nullifies most of their skills). Spells that cause the opposing caster to be muted are possible, but only last for a temporary amount of time and have very high rates of failure when attempted to be used in rapid succession.
• Though your character can have a library of spells to work with, the general idea is they can only use one spell for every post. Spells are limited by two things: fair play and imagination. The second one means as long as it's not god-modding, it can be used. As before, everything has strengths and weaknesses that can be exploited. Bigger is not necessarily better, as we all know.
• Spells take on many different forms, such as elemental bullets being fired from a gun-like device, and healing spells that are typically the material of fantasy RPGs. Also, the typical performance enhancer spells (buffs) are possible also.
• Just about every Pokémon attack is a spell. Some are exclusive to Pokémon however, and have no use to humans.
• Conjuring large spells or effects is possible, but takes time. Summoning creatures, devices, and the like are also possible, but have a limited duration of existence and must return back to where they were summoned from eventually.

RULES

• Please follow the Pokémon Crossroads Community Rules and the Pokémon Crossroads Role Playing Rules. Following these rules would include:
  
  • No godmoding.
  • No bunnying other characters.
  • No instant teleportation. Travel across great distances requires at least one post of travel.
• When the GM feels the rules have been broken, he will immediately invalidate the post in question and ask the poster to change it.
• If, following prior warning, or if done flagrantly, rule-breaking will be punished with a strike. Three strikes equals an immediate ban from the Role Play.
• If the incident is particularly heinous, we reserve the right to ban you from the RP without prior warning or strikes.
• There is a 48 hour cooldown on posts, meaning you can only post once every two days. Please keep track of your own timer. This is to ensure most people can keep up with the RP and don't get left behind.
• Please start each of your posts off with the following header for everyone's convenience:

Character Name
Team
City, Region
Affected RPers:

THE 1.5 ATTACK RULE

This rule was created to make attacking and defending actions more fair and more realistic, meaning your character can only do so much in a single post to address defending themselves against attacks and making reprisal attacks of their own.

These actions do not have to be done in this order.

ACTION 1: A CHANCE TO DEFEND/TAKE DAMAGE

When your character is being attacked, you get the chance to do one of the following:

• Take damage/allow your character to be hit
• Dodge the attack (use this sparingly and don't dodge everything)
• Parry, deflect, block, and so on and so forth (again, sparingly)

Again, your character should take damage every now and then, especially after repeated attack attempts. This does not necessarily mean they have to die, but they should take a few burns, bruises, and wounds keep it more realistic.

Also, you get this action each time your character is attacked. So if three people are attacking your character at once, you get the chance to respond to each of them, but bear in mind, if your character is being attacked that many times, at least one of them should do some kind of damage. Dodging/blocking all three without a scratch is unlikely. The more your character is ganged up on, the more they should be taking damage.

ACTION 2: A CHANCE TO ATTACK/RESPOND

You can attack another character or named NPC however you'd like (unnamed NPCs don't count toward these allowances, albeit you shouldn't wipe out excessive amounts of these kinds of NPCs in a single post). Once you've decided on your target and how you want to attack them, that's your attack.

Do not say your attack hits or declare it to be successful if the target is in the hands of another RPer who never authorized you to land a successful attack on them. That's still for them to decide. Otherwise, it's bunnying and nobody likes that.

Your response could also be in the form of running away from the battle or taking defensive cover without returning fire. Someone who attempts to run away without attacking in response would be more successful and clear more distance than someone who tries to both run away and return fire at the same time.

ACTION 3. ONE MINOR OFFENSIVE/MINOR ACTION

Besides your attack, you can do some other combat/support action that does not attempt to directly damage a living target, such as healing your character, prepare a weapon, use a device/equipment, and so on, provided it can be done relatively quickly.

If you choose, you could sacrifice your entire attack action to perform several support actions by breaking away from the fight and using that post to use or set up weapons/equipment, heal, and other non-combat actions in a single post.

OR

You can perform a minor combat action, such as a fast and weak attack against another target, which would be along the lines of throwing/shooting a weapon that would realistically take less than three seconds, or use a quick melee attack against a target that's very close to you. In order to do this, your character should not be traveling to have to perform it, and should not be able to travel anywhere after said attack is made. In other words, you can't make your quick attack and then run away. Not to mention this attack is quick and you don't have time to take careful aim.
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So with all these in mind, you could do the following for example:

• Dodge an incoming fireball - Your DEFEND action
• Throw a boulder at a target - Your ATTACK action
• Throw a quick explosive charge on a building to collapse it - Your MINOR SUPPORT action (detonating it would have to wait until next turn).

Another example:

• Getting struck by an incoming electric attack - Your DEFEND action
• Throwing a suppressing net on an enemy - Your MINOR SUPPORT action
• Attacking the same netted enemy with a thrown explosive - Your ATTACK action

Another:

• Blocking a grenade by taking cover - Your DEFEND action
• Attacking Target A with a rocket launcher - Your ATTACK action
• Attacking Target B's rifle in an attempt to disable the weapon - Your MINOR SUPPORT action

And finally:

• Dissipate a fireball attack by using a wind attack on it - Your DEFEND action
• Summoning creatures as support allies - Your MINOR SUPPORT action (this does not include ordering them to attack, which would count as an attack action. Here they would only be on standby to be used next post)
• Hot-wiring a nearby vehicle - Another SUPPORT action taking the place of the ATTACK action

Sign-Up Form

Name: (Your character’s name. First and last name is required.)
Gender: (Male, female, or whatever else you think fits. We here at PXR are progressive.)
Species: (What race your character is. Either Mechari, Granok, Chua, Neko, Angel, or Merfolk. There are no humans, but going Angel is the closest choice to human.)
Age: (Age in years. In order to maintain believability, please keep the ages above 17 years old.)
Team: (You must be on a WAR team to participate. For more information on that, check out the Groups and Clubs board).
Description: (Your character’s physical appearance. Pictures are greatly welcomed for supplement but should not be a substitution for worded description (and if someone else made the picture, please give them credit). This should be at least a paragraph long.)
Personality: (Your character’s mental state and emotional intelligence. This should also be at least a paragraph long.)
Background: (Your character’s history and background prior to the events of the RP. This should be at least two paragraphs long).
Pokémon: (Choose up to six Pokémon. One cannot start with legendaries, but may capture them as the RP progresses).
Other: (Any other details about your character, such as what weapons they may be carrying, what vehicles they may have in their possession, close NPC companions that may accompany them, and so on.)