Capabilities are a large way of taking basic non-combat actions, and some of them may need to be consulted when using other actions to determine your limits. The main Basic Capabilities are Power, Throwing Range, Movement Capabilities, and Intelligence. Special Capabilities represent elemental powers, talents, and limits that are too specific to apply to all creatures.
Power
Power is a creature’s physical strength. The chart below shows how much a creature can bear, based on their power value. The Superpowered capability multiplies the listed weights by 10. Creatures of Large size and higher have a bonus to Power, but this is factored into a Pokemon’s base Power and you should only factor it when homebrewing material. Humans start off at 3 Power.
- A creature bearing weight within its Heavy Lifting range takes a -2 CS penalty to Speed, and a -2 penalty to Evasion and Accuracy, but may otherwise move.
- While lifting higher than their Heavy Lifting range and up to their Staggering Limit, creatures can only move 1 meter per Shift Action and cannot take Standard Actions. The penalties from Heavy Lifting are doubled.
- A creature can push or pull objects heavier than their Staggering Limit and up to their Dragging Limit at a rate of 1 meter per round. Beneficial conditions, such as wheels or a ramp, can multiply the drag weight limit by a factor of 2 or 3.
| Power Value | Heavy Lifting | Staggering Limit | Dragging Limit | Size | Power Bonus | ||
| 1 | 5-25 lb. | 50 lb. | 100 lb. | Large | +1 | ||
| 2 | 30-50 lb. | 100 lb. | 200 lb. | Huge | +2 | ||
| 3 | 75-100 lb. | 200 lb. | 400 lb. | Massive | +3 | ||
| 4 | 150-200 lb. | 400 lb. | 800 lb. | Gigantic | +4 | ||
| 5 | 300-400 lb. | 800 lb. | 1600 lb. | ||||
| 6 | 600-800 lb. | 1600 lb. | 3200 lb. | ||||
| 7 | 1200-1600 lb. | 3200 lb. | 6400 lb. | ||||
| 8 | 2400-3200 lb. | 6400 lb. | 12800 lb. | ||||
Throwing Range
Creatures (that have the appropriate appendages) have a Throwing Range that determines how far they can throw small items and other things they are holding, most notably Pokeballs. This Capability is equal to (4 + Athletics Rank + Combat Rank) x Tier meters and is multiplied by 10 if you have the Superpowered capability.
- The above distance only applies to items that are lighter than the creature’s Heavy Lifting range. Items that are heavier than a creature’s Heavy Lifting range may only be thrown 1 meter away.
- There are more details on throwing things in the Environmental Rules section.
Movement Capabilities
There are six forms of movement in Pokemon Tabletop Evolution.
- Overland defines how many meters the creature may shift while on dry land. This is the primary movement capability for most creatures.
- Burrow determines how many meters a creature can shift each turn while underground. The holes dug are as large as the creature who burrows. A creature ending its turn underground must spend a Standard Action to remain underground. If it has already spent a Standard Action on the round it ends underground, it forfeits its next Standard Action.
- Swim determines how many meters a creature can shift in the water.
- Levitate determines how many meters a creature moves while floating or levitating. The maximum height off the ground the creature can achieve is equal to its Levitate Capability. Levitators are treated as if they have Good Maneuverability, see below.
- Teleporter determines how many meters a creature moves while teleporting. Only 1 teleport action can be taken during a round of combat. The creature must have line of sight to the location they wish to teleport to, and they must end each teleport action touching a surface (you cannot “chain” teleports to fly). If the creature has the Sky or Levitate Capability or the Air Balancer Acrobatics power, they may teleport into Sky spaces (only to spaces within their maximum height for Levitate).
- Sky determines how many meters a creature can shift in the air. See below for Flying Rules.
All creatures can move at 4 different paces – walking, jogging, running, or booking it. For the sake of simplicity, use these terms regardless of if the creature is flying, burrowing, or moving over the ground. There are special rules for flying in the air, detailed below.
- Walk – When you are Slowed or otherwise travel less than half your Overland capability in a round, you are walking (or its equivalent).
- Jog – The standard Overland capability that is most commonly used in combat.
- Run – You are moving twice your Overland speed, either through Escaping or Sprinting.
- Book It – You are moving three times your Overland speed by Escaping and Sprinting.
Flying Rules
A creature cannot use its Levitate or Sky capabilities unless it is Airborne. Sky capabilities come in 3 types of Maneuverability: Good, Average, and Poor. Most creatures are merely Average or Poor fliers. Each Maneuverability entry is detailed below. Levitate capabilities are treated as if they have Good Maneuverability.
- Take-Off: What kind of action it takes to become Airborne and begin flying. You must still use your Shift Action to move once you are Airborne.
- Minimum Forward Speed: Average and Poor fliers must travel at least ½ of their Sky capabilities per round to stay aloft. If they cannot, then they must land at the end of their movement or fall straight down, descending 60 meters in the first round of falling. If they do not collide with anything, the creature must use the Controlled Fall Acrobatics Power to regain control and continue flying. If they do not, they reach terminal velocity this round (see Kinematics) and subsequent rounds, until they either regain control or crash into something.
- Hover: The ability to stay Airborne in one place without moving.
- Move Backward: The ability to move backward without turning around.
- Turn: How much the creature can turn after covering the stated distance.
- Turn in Place: An Average flier can use some of its speed to turn in place.
- Up Angle: The angle at which the creature can climb.
- Up Speed: The speed at which the creature can climb.
- Down Angle: The angle at which the creature can descend.
- Down Speed: Fliers can fly down at twice their normal Sky capability.
- Elevate/De-elevate: An Average or Poor flier must fly level for a minimum distance after descending and before climbing. Any flier can begin descending after a climb without an intervening distance of level flight.
| Good | Average | Poor | |
| Take-Off | Interrupt | Standard | Standard |
| Minimum forward speed | None | ½ | ½ |
| Hover | Yes | No | No |
| Move backward | Yes | No | No |
| Turn | Any | 90°/1 m. | 45°/1 m. |
| Turn in place | Any | 90°/- 1 m. | No |
| Up angle | Any | Any | 45° |
| Up speed | Full | ½ | ½ |
| Down angle | Any | Any | 45° |
| Down speed | Double | Double | Double |
| Elevate/De-elevate | 0 m. | 1 m. | 4 m. |
Intelligence
Intelligence is used to determine the rough mental capacity of a creature and its ability to learn. The vast majority of Pokemon are smart enough to understand orders and form basic ideas, making them Intelligence 2-3. A creature with Intelligence 1 cannot be commanded, as it is incapable of comprehending human languages. You should consider a creature’s Intelligence when roleplaying it – this goes double for GMs!
- Any human who is at least adolescent age is Intelligence 3. Becoming Master Rank in a Mind Skill OR Grade 6 in any Knowledge gives you +1 Intelligence.
- Pokemon cannot use the Recall Factoid or Craftwork Skill Powers unless they have Intelligence 3 or higher. They also cannot work in Professions without Int 3+.
| Intelligence Capability | Representation | Example |
| 1 | Only acts on instinct or programming, has no concepts of time or tactics | A non-Pokemon jellyfish or coral, a robot |
| 2 | Is self-aware, understands other species, can plan and form basic goals | Most Pokemon, a human child |
| 3 | Can create/use technology, is adaptable towards its goals | A Gengar, most humans |
| 4 | Highly adaptable and capable of quickly inventing new systems and processes, could create a society | Mr. Mime, a human genius |
| 5 | Superhuman thought, capable of communicating with any species, understands concepts 99.9% of humans cannot | Alakazam, a supercomputer |
Weight Class
A creature’s weight determines a fair amount of how it interacts with the environment, mostly with regards to Collision Damage. A creature’s Weight Class typically does not change outside of extreme circumstances.
| Weight Class | Weight Range |
| WC 1 | 0 – 25 lbs; 0 – 11 kg |
| WC 2 | 25 – 55 lbs; 11 – 25 kg |
| WC 3 | 55 – 110 lbs; 25 – 50 kg |
| WC 4 | 110 – 220 lbs; 50 – 100 kg |
| WC 5 | 220 – 440 lbs; 100 – 200 kg |
| WC 6 | 440 – 880 lbs; 200 – 400 kg |
| WC 7 | 880+ lbs; 400 kg+ |