BGP Malady & Weather Conditions

     Maladies are afflictions (primarily caused by other ponies) that weaken a pony in some way. Things like poison, paralysis, burns, and freezing are maladies. Curses, shrinking, and being dazed are sub-maladies. Maladies should not be confused with lowering stats, which involves decreasing the numbers of a pony's stats like speed, attack, defense, etc.

     Weather is an important factor in combat because it affects different classes. Some weather boosts the power of some classes while weakening others. However, no matter what the weather is, Chaos class ponies always get a slight boost because of the way they thrive in havoc.

You can find details on how both of these mechanics work in Battle Gem Ponies below.

     Maladies come in two types: Maladies and Sub-Maladies. Maladies are the big ones and no one pony can be afflicted with more than one of these. Sub-Maladies are more subtle and can be stacked on top of other maladies, provide temporary semi-invulnerability, or just handicap the afflicted pony in some way.

Here are all the descriptions straight from the design document.

(WARNING: Messy game design document text is subject to change on a moments notice. This is simply a starting point.)

Just for reference, here is the stat lingo I use in the design document:

• HP (Health Points), GP (Gem Power),  SPD (Speed)
• ATK (Physical Attack), E.ATK (Energy Attack), DEF (Defense), E.DEF (Energy Defense)
• ACC (Accuracy), EVA (Evasiveness), Base (Original Form), Ultra (Ultra Form)

Maladies:

Frozen: 

• Can’t move for 2-4 turns. 60% chance of thawing out after 2nd turn.
• Blocks: Fire class cannot freeze. Sunshine prevents freezing. Fire attacks used on it will cure.
• Bonus: 2% more damage from Ice moves. Speed reduced to zero while frozen.
• Text: “Pony was frozen solid!” “Pony broke free of the ice!” ”Sunshine melted the ice away!”

Burned: 

• Take 12.5% damage each turn, but damage decreases by 3.125% (1/32) each turn until 0% (cured).
• If a burn is re-cast, the damage counter resets. (Lasts about 4 turns)
• Blocks: Fire class is immune.
• Bonus: Halves DEF. Status remains if immunity is activated post-facto.
• Text: “Pony suffers from the burn.” “Pony’s burn went away!”

Poisoned: 

• Lose 6.25% (1/16) max HP every turn. Reduces HP by 2% every 4 steps outside of battle down to 1 HP before curing. Lasts 3 turns in battle and 40 steps outside.
• Blocks: Steel and Toxic are immune.
• Bonus: Halves ATK. Malady remains if immunity is activated post-facto.
• Text: “Pony was poisoned!”

Badly Poisoned: 

• Same as Poisoned (Blocks & Bonus too) but takes 3.125% (1/32) of max HP and additional 1/32 (stacked) every turn.  Lasts for 4 turns, renews poison turn count.
• Blocks: The stack counter resets to 1/32 after victim is switched. Reverts to regular poison outside of battle.
• Bonus: Halves E.ATK. Can be caused by causing poison on the same target twice (counter starts at 3/32 that turn).
• Text: “Pony was badly poisoned!” “Pony is taking severe damage from poison.”

Sleep:

• Immobilized for 1 to 3 turns. 40% chance of waking up, increases by 10% each turn until 3^rd passes.
• Extra 10% chance to wake up if switching forms that turn.
• Blocks: Cursed ponies can’t fall asleep. Chaos attacks will wake up the victim.
• Bonus: Halves DEF & E.DEF. Makes Air class vulnerable to all Earth attacks.
• Text: “Pony was forced into deep sleep!”

Paralyzed: 

• 25% Chance of taking no action each turn. Lasts 4 turns.
• Blocks: Surge class is immune. Surge moves cannot stun Earth class ponies.
• Bonus: Halves SPD. Many Plant, Chaos, and Ghost moves cause this.
• Text: “Pony has been stunned and can’t move!”

Sub-Maladies:

Burrowed:

• Underground, immune to most attacks and status changers.
• Unable to switch out or even make a move next turn.
• Earth and homing attacks do double damage.
• Protected from weather.
• Air Class and levitators are exposed to Earth attacks.
• Wild ponies are not catchable in this state.
• Cancels lock-on.
• Paralysis/confusion/sleep will cancel to move and pull the user to the surface.

Cursed: 

• Victim loses 12.5% (1/8) of max HP every turn. Caster loses 25% max HP immediately.
• Lasts for 5 turns.
• Blocks: Victim does not take damage while switched out. Ki and Light are immune.
• Bonus: 2% more damage from Ghost moves. Victim cannot fall asleep. Sleeping ponies wake up.
• Text: “Pony is too afraid to fall asleep!”

Soaked: 

• Coated in water for 2 turns since being put into this condition. Affects non-Aqua ponies on last turn of rain.
• Blocks: Sunshine prevents soaking. Aqua class is immune.
• Bonus: 10% more damage from Surge moves. Ice moves 20% more likely to freeze.
• Text: “Pony is soaking wet!” “She could freeze more easily and be hurt by Surge moves!”

Trapped:

• At the end of a turn additional damage is done based on the power of an opponent’s trap move due to it lingering. The attacks have low power but the affect lasts 2-5 turns.
• Blocks: Ghost class is immune. Does not prevent switching gems.
• Bonus: Prevents wild fleeing.
• Text: “Pony is trapped in the <Attack>!”

Dazed:  

• 50% chance of causing headache damage. Lasts 1-4 attacking turns (move must be used to be hurt).
• Blocks: Multi-turn attacks have higher chance of failure due to extra checks.
• Bonus: Damage equal to user's ATK-DEF+POW. If POW = 0, POW = 10.
• Text: “Pony has been dazed!” “Pony is hurt by a severe headache!”

Mini: 

• Makes a pony weaker to certain attacks. Higher evasion. Cancels huge status before causing this.

Huge: 

• Makes a pony stronger. Lower evasion. Cancels mini status before causing this.

Locked Onto: 

• The foe’s next attack will not miss. Cancels if foe switches.

Stagger: 

• Miss a turn. Fails on Substitutes. Only works if user hits before victim.

      Weather changes up the battlefield in quite a few ways. It can often lead to incredible team combos and turn the tide of battle against opponents who are caught off guard. Some ponies change the weather with special moves and a few can change the weather just by appearing in battle for the first time.

Here is what I have down for weather in the design document:

• Each lasts 6 turns without being reset.
• Strengthen: POW = 110%
• Weaken: E.DEF down 1 stage.
• All weather boosts Chaos class SPD, DEF and EDEF 1 stage, they are also immune to weather.
• All weather causes Air class SPD, DEF, and EDEF to fall 1 stage.
• Stat changes from weather are taken off when cleared.

Sunshine: 

• Strengthen Fire, Plant, and Light.
• Weaken Dark and Ghost.
• Allow 1 turn solar moves.
• Frozen ponies thaw that turn.

Sandstorm: 

• Strengthen Earth. Boost POW x1.5, EDEF raises 2 stages.
• Take 1/16 HP
• Weaken Aqua and Surge. Steel is immune.
•  Sand Spray does 2 stages of ACC loss, not 1.
• Burrowed ponies are safe form harm.

Hail: 

• Strengthen Ice.
• Weaken Fire and Air.
• Take 1/16 HP

Rain: 

• Strengthen Aqua and Surge.
• Weaken Fire and Air.
• Earth DEF and EDEF lowers 1 stage. Burn lasts 1 turn.
• Lasts 3 turns instead of 5.
• Short time makes up for soak malady on non-Aqua class.

Darkness:

• Strengthen Dark, Ghost, and Chaos.
• Weaken Light, Esper, and Plant.
• Boost Dark, Ghost, and Chaos EVA for duration.

     Weather and maladies basically serve as an element to change the pace of battle of control your opponent's next move. The names "status effect" and "volatile" are used in the Pokemon games to describe afflictions, but I wanted to call them something different that more closely matches their literal meanings in English.

     When I'm playing with these and start the rebalancing process I'm sure the rules will change a great deal. But since that's so far away from now, I just wanted to share what I have in mind.