Contests

New! The 2024 version of the rules are being playtested. If you have feedback, let us know!

Follow these guidelines to become the best Pokémon Coordinator!

Pokémon Contests are a type of competition often contrasted with Pokémon battles and held in Contest Halls. Pokémon are judged on their condition and moves in two rounds to determine which one is the best of its category. A Coordinator enters a Pokémon in one of five categories: Beauty, Clever, Cool, Cute, or Tough and competes against other Coordinators in two rounds:

• The Introduction Round (Primary Judging)
• The Talent Round (Secondary Judging)

For each category, there are four participating Pokémon and their respective Coordinators.

Introduction Round

In the first round, each of the four participating Pokémon individually appeals to the crowd, who then vote on who looks the coolest, most beautiful, cutest, most clever, or toughest, depending on the contest category.

You will accumulate a number of Visual Points depending on three rolls your Pokémon makes.

The Scene

Each participating Pokémon rolls Initiative to determine the order of introduction. Then, the DM sets the scene, and in order each Coordinator conducts a performance with their participating Pokémon. Creatively narrate your performance! You may get advantage on your performance rolls for a novel or impressive performance.

Visual Points

How well your performance appeals to the crowd is determined by three rolls made against the crowd’s DC. The DM may choose a different DC for each of the three rolls:

1. Accuracy: Make a Performance check.
2. Impact: Make a Persuasion check.
3. Distinction: Depending on the category, choose the check that fits your Pokémon’s strength (see below).

For the third roll:

• Cool: Make an Acrobatics or Intimidation check.
• Beauty: Make a Perception or Performance check.
• Cute: Make a Insight or Persuasion check.
• Clever: Make an Sleight of Hand or Deception check.
• Tough: Make an Athletics or Intimidation check.

For each roll, you gain a number of visual points depending on whether you met the crowd’s DC:

• 0 Visual Points if you failed to meet the DC.
• 3 Visual Points if you met the DC.
• 3 additional Visual Points if you met the DC by 5 or more, or rolled a Natural 20.

Crowd DC

As the DM, you may set the crowd’s DC based on how easy or hard it is to impress them. Are they lenient or critics? The below are suggested DCs:

• Easy: DC 8
• Medium: DC 11
• Hard: DC 14

Talent Round

In the secondary judging, the four Pokémon take turns using moves in front of an appointed judge. All the Pokémon perform together, meaning their moves may affect each other’s performances. Take advantage of this by making your opponents nervous!

The Talent Round happens over the course of 4 turns. You will accumulate a number of Appeal Points based on the moves you use.

Turns

Each Pokémon acts in order of Initiative, though note that the turn order may change depending on the moves used.

On your turn, choose a move to perform. Each move is labelled with type of contest it is compatible with, though you may perform moves that are of a different contest type if you wish.

To perform a move, make a check against the judge’s DC. The check may use either your Performance proficiency, or an attribute indicated by the move’s Move Power (plus proficiency bonus). For example, if you use Acid, you may either roll Dex + Proficiency Bonus, or Performance.

Note: If you used the same move on your last turn, then you make the check at disadvantage unless stated otherwise. Keep things interesting for the crowd!

Appeal Points

What happens depends on the roll result and the move’s compatibility with the current contest:

• Compatible Move:
  • Nat 20: Gain double Appeal Points. Crowd Meter increases by 1.
  • Success: Gain Appeal Points. Crowd Meter increases by 1.
  • Failure: Gain half Appeal Points, rounded up.
  • Nat 1: Do not gain any Appeal Points.
• Complementary Move:
  • Success: Gain Appeal Points.
  • Failure: Do not gain any Appeal Points. Crowd Meter decreases by 1.
  • Nat 1: Lose Appeal Points. Crowd Meter decreases by 1.
• Incompatible Move:
  • Success: Do not gain any Appeal Points. Crowd Meter decreases by 1.
  • Failure: Lose Appeal Points. Crowd Meter decreases by 1.

The number of Appeal Points gained is indicated on the move you use. If you maxed out the Crowd Meter, then you gain an additional 5 bonus Appeal Points, and the Crowd Meter resets to 0.

Jam

When a Move has Jam, then after the roll for Appeal Points has been made, target an opposing Pokémon. The target of your Jam must make a CHA saving throw against your move’s DC. If your Appeal Roll was a Natural 20, then the target makes their save at disadvantage.

• Successful Save: Lose no Appeal Points.
• Failed Save: Lose Appeal Points equal to the Jam.
• Nat 1: Lose Appeal Points equal to double the Jam.

You may choose your Move’s DC to be either its normal DC as determined by its Move Power, or using your Intimidation proficiency. Essentially, choose between:

Move Contest Effects

Certain moves may have additional effects. Most effects resolve after making the Appeal Check and Jam Save above, though some effects apply to the checks or alter the number of Appeal Points awarded.

Be sure to check the move’s Contest Effect to see how things play out.

Crowd Meter

The Crowd Meter is a gauge of the crowd’s excitement. The Pokémon that maxes out the Crowd Meter will earn 5 bonus Appeal Points, and the meter resets to 0. The Crowd Meter may max out multiple times in the same contest, each time awarding bonus Appeal.

In a standard Move Contest with four contestants the Crowd Meter maxes out at 5. In a showdown between two Pokémon the Crowd Meter maxes out at 3.

Move Compatibility

Use the table below to determine the result of your Appeal Check.

Final Scoring

After the Talent Round is complete, tally up your points to determine placement.

Ribbons are awarded to winning contestants.

Moves Missing Contest Definitions

Some moves have not (yet) been assigned contest defintions. For these moves, you may either decide as a table what the effect should be or use the default card below:

A crowd favorite. No extra effects.

The move’s type can be used as a proxy for the Contest Type:

• Cool: Normal, Flying, Rock, Bug
• Beauty: Ghost, Steel, Electric, Ice
• Cute: Water, Grass, Fairy
• Clever: Poison, Fire, Psychic, Dark
• Tough: Fighting, Ground, Dragon

Advanced Topics

The following are optional rules to make Contests a little more interesting once you have the basics practiced.

Status Effects

• Calm: A Pokémon with this status is immune to CHA saving throws.
• Nervous: A Pokémon with this status has disadvantage of CHA saving throws.
• Startled: A Pokémon with this status has disadvantage on Move attack rolls and targets of it’s Moves have advantage on CHA saving throws.

Stage Position

• Front Stage: With the entire crowd’s attention, the pressure is on. Pokemon have disadvantage on all Intimidation, Performance, and Persuasion rolls. However, if successful, Appeal and Jam points gained or lost are doubled.
• Mid Stage: With the crowd expecting nothing more or less, there is no advantage or disadvantage for this position.
• Back Stage: With minimal crowd attention, the pressure is off. Pokemon have advantage on all Intimidation, Performance, and Persuasion rolls. However, if successful, Appeal and Jam points gained or lost are halved (rounded down). Optional, the crowd meter can’t be raised from back stage.

Pokéblocks

Consuming Pokéblocks provides the Pokémon with Performance Energy, or PE. A Pokémon may use 50 PE to gain advantage on a single roll during a contest. This includes Performance, Persuasion, and Intimdation rolls during the Introduction Round. If used during the Talent Rounds, PE may be used to give advantage on moves that require an attack roll or to give disadvantage on moves that require a saving throw. Finally, PE may also be used to gain advantage on a saving throw.

Move Effects

A move of huge appeal, but using it prevents the user from taking further contest moves.

Pokemon is unable to perform for the remainder of the Appeal Rounds.

A very appealing move, but after using this move, the user is more easily startled.

Pokemon has disadvantage on all CHA Saving Throws for the remainder of the Appeal Rounds.

Affected by how well the previous Pokémon's move went.

4 if previous Pokémon’s move was a Nat 20 and raised the crowd meter, 3 appeal if previous Pokémon’s move raised crowd meter, 2 if previous Pokémon’s move kept crowd meter the same, 1 if previous Pokémon’s move lowered the crowd meter.

An appealing move that can be used repeatedly without boring the audience.

No penalty applied for repeating the move.

Badly startles all of the other Pokémon to act before the user.

All Pokemon that acted before the user must make CHA Saving Throws against Intimidation/Persuasion DC.

Badly startles all Pokémon that successfully showed their appeal.

All Pokemon that succeeded the Judge DC and gained appeal points must make CHA Saving Throws against Intimidation/Persuasion DC.

Badly startles Pokémon that the audience has high expectations of.

Pokemon that has the highest Visual Round score must make a CHA Saving Throw against Intimidation/Persuasion DC.

Badly startles Pokémon that used a move of the same type.

Pokemon that used a move of the same contest type must make a CHA Saving Throw against Intimidation/Persuasion DC.

Badly startles the last Pokémon to act before the user.

Pokemon that acted immediately before the user must make a CHA Saving Throw against Intimidation/Persuasion DC.

Brings down the energy of any Pokémon that have already used a move this turn.

Lowers the crowd meter by the number of Pokemon that raised the crowd meter this turn.

Causes the user to move earlier on the next turn.

Pokemon goes first on the next turn. In the event two similar moves are used in the same turn, the last to use the move goes first. The first to use the move in this case would go second.

Causes the user to move later on the next turn.

Pokemon goes last on the next turn. In the event two similar moves are used in the same turn, the last to use the move goes last. The first to use the move in this case would go second to last.

Effectiveness varies depending on when it is used.

3 Appeal points if move is not performed first or last, 1 Appeal point if move is performed first or last.

Excites the audience a lot if used first.

Raises the crowd meter by 2 if successfully performed first in correct contest, raises the crowd meter by 1 if successfully performed first in complementary contest.

Excites the audience a lot if used last.

Raises the crowd meter by 2 if successfully performed last in correct contest, raises the crowd meter by 1 if successfully performed last in complementary contest.

Excites the audience in any kind of contest.

Raises the crowd meter if successfully performed, regardless of which contest.

Gets the Pokémon pumped up. Helps prevent nervousness, too.

Doubles the Appeal Points of a successful move in the next round. Pokemon also has advantage on CHA Saving Throws until after their move next round is performed.

Makes the audience expect little of the other contestants.

If successfully performed, increase Judge DC by Pokémon’s Charisma modifier for the remainder of the round.

Makes the audience quickly grow bored when an appeal move has little effect.

Moves that get 2 Appeal points or less do not increase the crowd meter until the end of your next turn.

Makes the remaining Pokémon nervous.

Pokemon that perform after you this round have disadvantage on Performance rolls and CHA Saving Throws.

Prevents the user from being startled one time this turn.

You are immune to first CHA Saving Throw you would have to make this round.

Prevents the user from being startled until the turn ends.

You are immune to CHA Saving Throws for the remainder of this round.

Quite an appealing move.

A crowd favorite. No extra effects.

Scrambles the order in which Pokémon will move on the next turn.

Each Pokemon rolls a d20 for a new turn initiative. No bonuses. Roll for tie-breakers.

Shows off the Pokémon's appeal about as well as all the moves before it this turn.

Average all moves that were successfully performed before your turn and gain that many Appeal points.

Shows off the Pokémon's appeal about as well as the move used just before it.

Gain Appeal points equal to the move performed immediately before your turn minus one.

Startles all of the Pokémon to act before the user.

All Pokemon that acted before you turn must make a CHA Saving Throw against your Intimidation/Persuasion DC.

Startles all other Pokémon. User cannot act in the next turn.

All Pokemon must make a CHA Saving Throw against your Intimidation/Persuasion DC.

Startles the last Pokémon to act before the user.

The Pokemon that acted immediately before you must make a CHA Saving Throw against your Intimidation/Persuasion DC.

Temporarily stops the crowd from growing excited.

The crowd meter can’t be raised for the next 1d4 turns.

Works better the later it is used in a turn.

1 Appeal point if used first, 2 Appeal points if used second, 3 Appeal points if used third, 4 Appeal points if used last.

Works better the more excited the crowd is.

You gain Appeal points equal to the crowd meter level plus 1.

Works great if the user goes first this turn.

4 Appeal points if used first this turn, 2 Appeal points if not used first this turn.

Works great if the user goes last this turn.

4 Appeal points if used last this turn, 2 Appeal points if not used last this turn.

Works well if it is the same type as the move used by the last Pokémon.

4 Appeal points if the move used immediately before it was the same contest type, 2 Appeal points if not.

Works well if the user is pumped up.

4 Appeal points if the Pokemon is pumped up from the previous round, 1 Appeal point if not.