Basic Capabilities
Aside from SKILL Checks, Capabilities are probably the biggest determiner of how you take basic non-combat actions in Pokémon Tabletop United, and even when you or your Pokémon use SKILL Checks, you may need to consult your Capabilities to determine the limits of your actions. The main Basic Capabilities are Power, which measures how much weight you can lift, Throwing Range, which is how far you can throw, High and Long Jump, which measure how far you can jump, and Movement Capabilities, which determine your movement speed using various methods like running or swimming.
There are also Special Capabilities which represent the various elemental powers and other special talents Pokémon have.
POWER Power represents a Pokémon or Trainer’s physical strength. The chart to the right shows how much weight a Pokémon or Trainer can bear, depending on their power value. Heavy Lifting: A Pokémon or Trainer bearing weight within their Heavy Lifting range takes a -2 CS penalty to Speed, and a -2 penalty to Evasion and Accuracy, but may otherwise move and take actions. Actions may be restricted; if you’re carrying a Growlithe in both arms, you can’t very well use attacks that depend on your hands. Staggering: While lifting weight higher than their “Heavy Lifting” range and up to their Staggering Weight limit, Pokémon or Trainers are able to move only 1 Meter per Shift Action, and cannot take Standard Actions. While lifting Staggering Weight, a target also suffers a -4 CS penalty to Speed, and -4 to Evasion and Accuracy. Each round of carrying Staggering Weight requires an Athletics Check with a DC of 4. Drag Weight: Pokémon and Trainers can push or pull objects that are heavier than their Staggering Weight Limit but lighter than their Drag Weight Limit at a rate of 1 meter per round. Beneficial conditions may greatly increase the drag weight limit; wheels on the dragged object, for example, can multiply the drag weight limit considerably.
THROWING RANGE Trainers have a Throwing Range that determines how far they can throw Poké Balls and other small items. This Capability is equal to 4 plus their Athletics Rank in meters.
JUMPING CAPABILITIES There are two kinds of Jumps – Long Jumps and High Jumps. Long Jumps measure how far a Pokémon or Trainer can Jump, while High Jumps measure how high. Each Pokémon or Trainer has a specific value associated which each of these; this value is represented in meters and measures how far they can jump without making a check (assuming the jump is not particularly tricky; jumping onto a narrow ledge might require a check even if the distance isn’t particularly far). Pokémon or Trainers may attempt to increase their High or Long Jump value by +1 by making an Acrobatics Check with a DC of 16.
MOVEMENT CAPABILITIES There are many different kinds of Movement Capabilities. The most basic Movement Capability is the Overland Capability, which measures how fast a Trainer or Pokémon can walk or run on a surface. Movement Capabilities don’t generally need to be tested, although the Sprint Action may be taken as a Standard Action to increase Movement Speed by 50% for a turn. Burrow: The Burrow Capability determines how much a Pokémon can shift each turn while underground. The holes dug are only as large as the Pokémon who burrows. If a Pokémon learns the Move Dig and does not have the Burrow Capability, they gain Burrow 3. If they already have the Burrow Capability, the Burrow value is raised 3. A Pokémon or Trainer ending its turn underground must spend a Standard Action to remain underground. If a Pokémon or Trainer has already spent its Standard Action on a round it ends underground, it instead forfeits its next Standard Action. Overland: Overland is a Movement Capability that defines how many meters the Pokémon may shift while on dry land. Most Pokémon and Trainers will use Overland as their primary movement capability. Sky: The Sky Speed determines how many meters a Pokémon may shift in the air. If a Pokémon learns the Move Fly and does not have the Sky Capability, they gain Sky 4. If they already have the Sky Capability, the Sky value is raised by 4. Swim: Swim is a Movement Capability that defines how quickly the Pokémon can move underwater. If a Pokémon learns the Move Dive and does not have the Swim Capability, they gain Swim 3. If they already have the Underwater Capability, the Swim value is raised 3. Levitate: Levitate is a Movement Capability that defines how quickly the Pokémon moves while floating or levitating. When using the Levitate Capability, the maximum height off the ground the Pokémon can achieve is equal to half of their Levitate Capability. If a Pokémon gains the Levitate Ability and does not have the Levitate Capability, they gain Levitate 4. If they already have the Levitate Capability, the Levitate value is raised 2. Teleporter: Teleporter is a Movement Capability that defines how far the Pokémon can travel by teleportation. Only one teleport action can be taken during a round of combat. The Pokémon must have line of sight to the location they wish to teleport to, and they must end each teleport action touching a surface (ie it is not possible to ‘chain’ teleports in order to fly). If a Pokémon also has the Sky or Levitate Capability, they may Teleport into Sky spaces (only to spaces within their maximum height for Levitate). Teleporter cannot be increased by taking a Sprint Action. If a Pokémon learns the move Teleport and does not have the Teleporter Capability they gain Teleporter 4. If they already have the Teleporter Capability, the Teleporter value is raised 4.
POWER Power represents a Pokémon or Trainer’s physical strength. The chart to the right shows how much weight a Pokémon or Trainer can bear, depending on their power value. Heavy Lifting: A Pokémon or Trainer bearing weight within their Heavy Lifting range takes a -2 CS penalty to Speed, and a -2 penalty to Evasion and Accuracy, but may otherwise move and take actions. Actions may be restricted; if you’re carrying a Growlithe in both arms, you can’t very well use attacks that depend on your hands. Staggering: While lifting weight higher than their “Heavy Lifting” range and up to their Staggering Weight limit, Pokémon or Trainers are able to move only 1 Meter per Shift Action, and cannot take Standard Actions. While lifting Staggering Weight, a target also suffers a -4 CS penalty to Speed, and -4 to Evasion and Accuracy. Each round of carrying Staggering Weight requires an Athletics Check with a DC of 4. Drag Weight: Pokémon and Trainers can push or pull objects that are heavier than their Staggering Weight Limit but lighter than their Drag Weight Limit at a rate of 1 meter per round. Beneficial conditions may greatly increase the drag weight limit; wheels on the dragged object, for example, can multiply the drag weight limit considerably.
THROWING RANGE Trainers have a Throwing Range that determines how far they can throw Poké Balls and other small items. This Capability is equal to 4 plus their Athletics Rank in meters.
JUMPING CAPABILITIES There are two kinds of Jumps – Long Jumps and High Jumps. Long Jumps measure how far a Pokémon or Trainer can Jump, while High Jumps measure how high. Each Pokémon or Trainer has a specific value associated which each of these; this value is represented in meters and measures how far they can jump without making a check (assuming the jump is not particularly tricky; jumping onto a narrow ledge might require a check even if the distance isn’t particularly far). Pokémon or Trainers may attempt to increase their High or Long Jump value by +1 by making an Acrobatics Check with a DC of 16.
MOVEMENT CAPABILITIES There are many different kinds of Movement Capabilities. The most basic Movement Capability is the Overland Capability, which measures how fast a Trainer or Pokémon can walk or run on a surface. Movement Capabilities don’t generally need to be tested, although the Sprint Action may be taken as a Standard Action to increase Movement Speed by 50% for a turn. Burrow: The Burrow Capability determines how much a Pokémon can shift each turn while underground. The holes dug are only as large as the Pokémon who burrows. If a Pokémon learns the Move Dig and does not have the Burrow Capability, they gain Burrow 3. If they already have the Burrow Capability, the Burrow value is raised 3. A Pokémon or Trainer ending its turn underground must spend a Standard Action to remain underground. If a Pokémon or Trainer has already spent its Standard Action on a round it ends underground, it instead forfeits its next Standard Action. Overland: Overland is a Movement Capability that defines how many meters the Pokémon may shift while on dry land. Most Pokémon and Trainers will use Overland as their primary movement capability. Sky: The Sky Speed determines how many meters a Pokémon may shift in the air. If a Pokémon learns the Move Fly and does not have the Sky Capability, they gain Sky 4. If they already have the Sky Capability, the Sky value is raised by 4. Swim: Swim is a Movement Capability that defines how quickly the Pokémon can move underwater. If a Pokémon learns the Move Dive and does not have the Swim Capability, they gain Swim 3. If they already have the Underwater Capability, the Swim value is raised 3. Levitate: Levitate is a Movement Capability that defines how quickly the Pokémon moves while floating or levitating. When using the Levitate Capability, the maximum height off the ground the Pokémon can achieve is equal to half of their Levitate Capability. If a Pokémon gains the Levitate Ability and does not have the Levitate Capability, they gain Levitate 4. If they already have the Levitate Capability, the Levitate value is raised 2. Teleporter: Teleporter is a Movement Capability that defines how far the Pokémon can travel by teleportation. Only one teleport action can be taken during a round of combat. The Pokémon must have line of sight to the location they wish to teleport to, and they must end each teleport action touching a surface (ie it is not possible to ‘chain’ teleports in order to fly). If a Pokémon also has the Sky or Levitate Capability, they may Teleport into Sky spaces (only to spaces within their maximum height for Levitate). Teleporter cannot be increased by taking a Sprint Action. If a Pokémon learns the move Teleport and does not have the Teleporter Capability they gain Teleporter 4. If they already have the Teleporter Capability, the Teleporter value is raised 4.
| Power Value | Heavy Lifting | Swaggering Weight Limit | Drag Weight Limit |
| 1 | 2-5 lb. | 10 lb. | 20 lb. |
| 2 | 20-30 lb. | 60 lb. | 120 lb. |
| 3 | 35-50 lb. | 100 lb. | 200 lb. |
| 4 | 45-70 lb. | 140 lb. | 280 lb. |
| 5 | 60-90 lb. | 180 lb. | 360 lb. |
| 6 | 75-115 lb. | 230 lb. | 460 lb. |
| 7 | 100-140 lb. | 300 lb. | 600 lb. |
| 8 | 120-190 lb. | 380 lb. | 760 lb. |
| 9 | 150-240 lb. | 480 lb. | 960 lb. |
| 10 | 200-300 lb. | 600 lb. | 1200 lb. |
| 11 | 250-375 lb. | 750 lb. | 1500 lb. |
| 12 | 350-450 lb. | 900 lb. | 1800 lb. |
| 13 | 450-525 lb. | 1050 lb. | 2100 lb. |
| 14 | 500-600 lb. | 1200 lb. | 2400 lb. |
| 15 | 550-675 lb. | 1350 lb. | 2700 lb. |
| 16 | 600-750 lb. | 1500 lb. | 3000 lb. |