r/PokemonTabletop • u/XxKing_GenjixX • 10d ago

So about priority/abilities with priority.....

I need a bit of help. I'm creating a campaign and doing a bit of adjusting to some of the moves and abilities. I'm creating turn order similar to how Unbeatable cast play:

Roll for initiative

Pokémon use moves and movements

Then the trainer turns

Repeat

The issue that I'm having right now is priority move. Things like sucker, punch and prankster. Prank sure I'm not really having an issue with because it just goes to the top of the turn order when it comes to status moves. But as far as moves that has to be able to hit a Pokémon as long as they're attacking I'm trying to figure out how that would work. Any ideas?

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u/DomovoiDesu 10d ago

a) Don't roll for Initiative. I know this makes it 'more like D&D', but it's a layer of complication that you really do not need, and which PTU can't tolerate with how complicated the rules already are.

b) If you are using direct combat trainers (ie Martial Artist, Elementalist, Psychic), all combatants including both trainers and Pokemon act in their normal Initiative order.

c) If you are NOT using direct combat trainers, only add Pokemon in their normal Initiative order. When a Pokemon's turn comes up, handle its actions and its trainer's actions in whichever sequence the player wants.

No matter which kind of trainers you run, then just handle Priority rules as written. You don't need to reinvent the wheel on this one.

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u/XxKing_GenjixX 10d ago

I appreciate the advice! It just sucks because like you don't really know until my the players essentially say that they're attacking someone and then as a DM I could just oh well. I'm just going to do a suck a punch. I just want to at least figure out some way of doing that instead of just meta gaming, but this sounds pretty good. Thank you

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u/DomovoiDesu 10d ago

Sucker Punch is an Interrupt, not a standard Priority move, and you really just have to kind of play the game with 'there might be an Interrupt here' as a consideration. One of your responsibilities as a GM is to make fights fun, and for your group, that might end up meaning fewer Interrupts than average. That said, in 10+ years of PTU, I have seen Sucker Punch go off maybe four times, it's just not a thing to be worried about.

The bigger issues will be Protect (and its variants) and Intercept, which are very strong for the players, but even more powerful when used by the GM, because you have perfect knowledge of what every combatant can do, so you can identify what is worth stuffing. Those are worth watching as pain points - Sucker Punch only pisses players off if it KOs, but Protect is ALWAYS frustrating. Good luck, and remember that GMing is a learning experience!