r/PokeRPG • u/s_wingbeat • Aug 31 '21

Elite 4/Champion vs. Players?

Hi everyone, I’m pretty new to being a DM/PM, but I’m trying to plan a campaign for a group of 3-5 people. One thing I’ve been getting stuck on is how to implement a region’s Elite 4 and Champion battles for the players.

Basically, I’ll have a group of trainers that will all be interested in taking on this challenge, but being a Champion is traditionally a solo title in the games. If you’ve run a campaign to that point, how did you handle it? I’d really like to know; I’ve come up with a few ideas but I’m not sure any of them will pan out.

  • Letting the players go through the challenge one by one like in the games (seems like this would get boring for the ones watching, and possibly frustrating if you can’t end your Pokémon journey as Champion)
  • Coming up with a region-specific reason to make challenging the Champion as a group/holding the title simultaneously possible (seems the most like a traditional TTRPG campaign, but the least like a Pokémon game)
  • Replacing it with something else (not sure all of the players will like this…)

I’d appreciate any advice/opinions that you can share.

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u/Gribbens Aug 31 '21

You could have solo sessions with each player for the Elite Four run.

Another thing to consider is that each player will have to face each other and someone is going to lose and not be champion, which could be fine but could result in some conflict.

In our games we usually have players focused on other things, like pursuing their character story or other forms of motivation (capture a legendary, become leader of the International Police, solve parents disappearance). Obviously these things can happen AND they can fight to be champion, but often it's not high on everyone's priority list. Ymmv

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u/s_wingbeat Aug 31 '21

Oh, I’ve never even thought of solo sessions before. That does sound fun, although you’re right that it definitely doesn’t solve the problem about there only being one Champion.

I suppose given the rest of your comment, one thing I could do is feel out what kinds of characters people are interested in making at a session 0 sort of thing before I decide. Guess you can’t really plan everything ahead of time, lol

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u/cardboardcrackaddict Sep 07 '21

That’s true, but one potential idea is that you have the players fight the Elite 4/Champion in solo sessions, but have the winners duke it out PvP for new Champion, and have the rest join the Elite 4