However, so far there has been one rather large issue with the Eidomon idea: we don’t actually have rules. Well, that’s not entirely true. SunderedWorldDM took a very good stab at it, but there are a few changes I’m going to make to that system. So, here we go:
Throughout the ages, Eidomon have existed alongside the civilisations of the world as allies, enemies and food in equal measure. Created through the collective consciousness and beliefs of the world, they are dreams given physical form. For years, we have observed them, but it was not until the First Binder brought the Eidomon named Ghandra into his spirit that we discovered their true potential.
RULES
You play as an Eidomon Binder, someone who has learned how to bring the essence of an Eidomon into their metaphysical form and summon them at will. Each Eidomon in existence has a level (LVL) and a number of power dice (PD) equal to their level. PD are d4s. Each Eidomon has a number of Moves equal to their level as well. Moves are essentially spells, and are unique to each Eidomon. To use a Move, you decide how many PD you wish to invest. [dice] is the number of dice you invest, [sum] is the total of their results. If you roll a 1-2, the PD returns to your pool. If you roll a 3-4, the PD is lost for the duration of the battle.
Being part of your very soul, Eidomon do not have separate HP. Instead, the Binder has one HP pool, equal to the total level of the team multiplied by four. Any hit against an Eidomon reduces the Binder’s HP. Hits are determined by a d20 roll. To hit, you must roll a ten or over. Your roll is reduced by the level of the opposing Eidomon, and you may spend PD to add [sum] to this roll. You lose a battle if your HP reaches zero. If you ever take 1/6th of your HP in a single turn, the Eidomon you currently have on the field is unusable for the rest of the battle. The amount of Eidomon you can have on the field is determined by the type of battle (single, double, etc.). Initiative is determined by 1d20+LVL for each Eidomon, going in order from highest to lowest. Ties are broken by LVL or Rank. Each turn, the Binder may take an action and move, and so may each of their Eidomon.
After winning a battle, you gain half the total level of the opposing team in Ranks, which you can distribute to any Eidomon in your possession. Each LVL costs 10 Ranks. Every Eidomon evolves at LVL 5. An evolved Eidomon does not gain extra PD (your PD remains at 4), however each LVL one of your PD becomes a d6 until all four of them have been stepped up. You still gain extra Moves. An Eidomon who reaches LVL9 may enter Burst Mode, where for a single turn every single one of their PD will roll maximum value, however they will all be burnt on use. You take 3 damage for each dice burnt this way.
Unbound Eidomon have HP equal to their LVL x 10, and a maximum of four moves. Catching an Eidomon requires a 1d20 roll with a target number of the Eidomon’s HP + their LVL. Eidomon who are asleep or incapacitated do not gain their LVL as a bonus.
To begin as an Eidomon Binder, roll a team on this generator, give them names and one Move each. You begin with 18 Ranks to distribute as you wish among your Eidomon. Here are my starting Eidomon:
Cobroxin: LVL1 R2
Maddening Fangs: Deal 1 damage per round for [sum/2] rounds. Impose an extra [dice] penalty on the enemy’s to-hit roll for the same duration.
A massive green snake, the size of a double decker bus. It is said that its venom sends even the most sane person to pure insanity. Evolves into Jormungacid, a frilled snake as large as a double decker aeroplane. Cobroxin lives in the deep trenches of the ocean.
Gravursa: LVL1 R0
Graviton Surge: Bind [dice] targets to the ground for [dice] rounds, preventing movement entirely.
A pastel blue Koala, covered in glowing runes. Trees around it buckle under the weight of its gravitational field, resulting in large destruction wherever it rests. It evolves into Singularityrant, a black bear that sucks in matter around it, functioning as a living black hole.
Bullreas: LVL1 R1
Glacial Charge: Deal [sum] damage and push the enemy back by [dice]x10 feet.
A stark white oxen that lives on the surface of lakes, freezing the ground underneath it just by walking on it. Evolves into Avalox, an Eidomon so cold that it creates blizzards wherever it walks. A charging herd of Avalox and Bullreas is frequently mistaken for rapid glacier movement.
Kleti: LVL1 R2
Freezing Touch: Deal [sum] damage and prevent the opponent from using 1 PD next turn.
A big white yeti, just a bit taller than an average human. They are known for occupying abandoned mountain towns to simulate human society. Kleti evolves into Sasquake, a hulking snow white monstrosity known to hang on the side of mountain passes and drop onto unsuspecting prey, causing tremors as they land.
Ambrex: LVL2 R0
Light: Shed light in a 30ft radius for [dice] hours.
Telekinesis: Move [sum] kg of material anywhere within [dice x 10] kg.
A sleeping dinosaur, trapped in amber. Its latent psychic energy allows it to float, functioning as very useful lights in dark caves. It evolves into Crystasaur, a living psychic crystal formation. Multiple Crystasaurs in one place form psychic supercomputers that give guidance to nearby villagers as to how to improve their lives.
Wyrkagan: LVL1 R3
Fire Breath: Deal [sum] damage in a 30ft cone.
A seeming wingless dragon, like a large four-legged reptile. They do, in fact, have many transparent, insect-like wings that create an infamously ear-piercing buzzing sound as they fly. The record for the most wings found on a Wyrkagan is 200, 100 on each side. It has a very complicated evolution process, turning into one of ten different types of Dracovire. There have also been reports that Wyrkagan are used in the ritual to summon the Divine Eidomon Tiamadon.
Design Notes:
The idea of one HP pool was done to encourage Eidomon switching and also just to differentiate from Pokemon in some degree. This does, however, present some issues in terms of the sheer number of Eidomon you have. As I wrote this I was wondering if perhaps reducing your maximum number to 4 would work better for these rules.
