World of Dungeons: Pokemon Spirit Combat

In World of Dungeons, magic is done primarily by summoning spirits. Yet these are the only rules present for it. Wondering how I could expand it, and mostly, wanting to define some example spirits for a list, I ended up wanting to turn magic into Pokemon-style combat. As such, spirits should have a list of 1 to 5 abilities that provide either firepower (against other spirits or the wizard's enemies), defense (same) or some utility (MOs in pokemon, utility spells in all rpgs). 

Spirits are usually minor spirits, not named or unique (a rule that can be broken at any moment); some actually seek for a wizard in order to "level up" or spend their excess energy; others are too dumb to know they are being catched. Lawful-aligned spirits might want to help their own, while chaotic demons will take fun in corrupting their wielder. 

The template for spirits in the pokedex should be something like:

NAME: generic name for the spirit, but you can rename your own, why not?
MOOD: or moods, if variable. Amongst other things, this will influence how the spirit behaves on partial successes and failures.
LORE: mostly habitat and best way to make contact in order to "catch" it.
ATTACK#1 (maybe something useful at low level)
ATTACK#2 (the rest of the attacks are learned in order)
ATTACK#3 (though sometimes there might be a choice in the order) 
ATTACK#4 (mostly on through the middle progress)
ATTACK#5 (the idea is to put the most gamebreaking ones at the end)

I had this idea that, when you command your spirit to do something (roll 2d6+mod) and get a partial result/failure, the attack may be at random. Roll 1d6 and if you roll over your intended #attack, it happens. Else, the spirit may do the rolled attack or just act on his nature.

The easiest leveling up method for pokemons spirits is to have them grow when their summoner does: each level up of the caster, he can/must level up a spirit instead of getting some or all their HP (actual amount to be discussed). This also sort of fixes the fact that fighters progress the same as wizards in World of Dungeons.

An important note on spirit combat is that spirits do not die when defeated: they are debilitated. They don't even track hp: Instead they have a resistance value: if they are damaged by that amount, they are "stunned" for a round. If they are damaged for double that amount, they are defeated and need to rest. Damage and armor work as normal, but spirit attacks have types (electric, holy, fire, ice, etc), and spirits have resistances and weaknesses to those types (this means less, more or maybe no damage)

The next entry will probably be some spirit prototypes.The more I think on this project, the more I see that this whole blog was pointing towards it since the beginning. (even these ff8 GFs tie in here somehow)

 

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art by Suzuki Sarunobu

related (in my head) bonus: on the origins of the Miko

The origin of the Miko dates back to the end of the Jomon period (-14,000 to -300 BC) when women shamans entered into convulsions and trances to transmit the messages of the deities. Over time, they grew in importance, performing religious services and taking charge of various political and social activities.

From the Nara era (710 - 794), the political powers of the archipelago never stopped trying to regulate the activity of the Miko, to both control it and prevent abuse.

During the Sengoku period (1477 - 1573), the institution of the Miko also suffered from the chaos of the country and many priestesses brightened up in the country, becoming "arukimiko" - literally, "itinerant Miko" and exercising activities close to prostitution.

It was during the modern era, from the Edo period (1603 - 1868) to the Meiji era (1868 - 1912), that their role was gradually formalized, the practice of shamanism being prohibited under the Tokugawa while the imperial restoration prohibits any spiritual activity. 

The Miko that populate Shinto shrines today is easily recognizable. They wear a red hakama, the chihaya (white kimono top with wide cuffs), Japanese sandals, and quite often a hanakanzashi, a flower ornament that serves as a headdress.

They take care of keeping the shrine shop, offering omikuji, helping with the maintenance of the shrine, assisting the kannushi (Shinto priests in charge of the shrine) as well as performing the traditional dances, known as "Miko-mai".
 
It is often young virgin girls who hold these jobs, in the form of volunteer work or part-time work. They usually leave him when they get married.

There are several types of Miko, three categories if we follow the ethnologist Kunio Yanagita:

    jinja miko ("shrine miko"), the miko who participate in dances and rituals
    kuchiyose miko ("miko medium"), the miko who speak for the dead
    kami uba ("woman of the gods"), the miko in charge of the worship of the deities

The Miko has become, like other ancient symbols of the country, elements of Japanese popular culture. Often presented in manga with a broom in hand in shrines, they have the stereotypical figure of being temperamental and fierce.