Kids RPG idea - Pokemon

[KyleG]

Hey, im creating a fairly simple RPG idea that i can play fairly seat of my pants with the kids.
Using a basic Speed (who goes first), attack (modifier), Def and HP and revolving around a D20 dice.
Basically roll D20 + Attack is it bigger or smaller than Def of opponent. If yes by how much and that is the HP damage.

But i want to offer some character advantages for a career path and now want some other thoughts
Trainer +1 to a stat of your choice +1 to starter pokemon stat of your choice
Specialist +1 Attack and +1 Defense against your type
Researcher +1 Defense against Pokemon previously caught
Healer +2 HP to all pokemon in your party
Breeder +2 to stat of choice for all egg hatched pokemon
Ranger Pokemon cant be stored but you can form a party from 5 wild pokemon for 1 battle along
with your chosen companion
Coordinator????

Type advantage already adds +2 to attack and im thinking that going up a level will gain a stat boost to a specific pokemon or maybe all of them in their party?

Any thoughts?
Any other trainer types?
its only going to go to level 4 which is around 70 battles (trainers are assigned exp to be given based on difficulty of pokemon encountered, and they dont gain exp if they attack a lower tier pokemon once they have gone up a level). Perhaps i should leave the specialists for once this campaign is done im expecting this to take about 20 sessions to get all three kids thru perhaps 30.

Its going to be an alternate reality setting where pokemon from the first 4 generations are all in our campaign area. Not sure of the overall goal yet but we will be having gym battles, trainer battles and some famous guest appearances from characters they know (but possibly older and wiser).

[GreatWyrmGold]

I'd suggest looking at existing homebrew systems, finding one that sounds good, and maybe removing extraneous rules if you think it's a bit too complex. This thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?238067-Best-pokemon-Tabletop-Rpg) might be a good place to start your search, or you could hit Google.

[Anymage]

A d20 is a decent amount of randomness. (Unless you stack modifiers such that it isn't, but that creates its own system wackiness and probably requires crunchier rules than you want in a kid focused game.) A d6 can allow for smaller numbers to matter, while also being more familiar.

Because it sounds like you're looking for a lot of crunch. Tweens can handle an okay-ish amount of systems crunch, but can also handle D&D more directly. (After all, plenty of us did just fine when we started playing younger.) Younger kids may be able to understand the rules, but more complex rules tend to focus more on rules mastery than on jumping straight in. And past a very minimal level, contemplating the minutiae of which pokemon to bring out when can get in the way of a close relationship with your charmander.

[KyleG]

Ive actually really dumbed it down...roll dice...add modifer...compare to defense of wild pokemon...reduce HP. Wild pocket does the same then its a case of Rinse and repeat. There's a wee catch in the catch rate in that the wild pokemon gets an advantage if its not low enough in HP. So just some fairly basic maths. Ive removed specific attacks leaving it to the imagination of the kids to describe what the attack does just leaving the pokemon types to convey advantage or disadvantage.
Going to start as more of a pick a path than a true open world for now and see what happens.

[The Glyphstone]

If you want trainer types, maybe do it by type-theme instead of profession? Bug Catcher, Hiker, Swimmer, etc. Pokemon of the type that match the character's Theme get a small bonus of some kind, like half the advantage/disadvantage modifier. Pokemon of any other type work like normal.