Dungeons and Dragonites brings D&D and Pokemon together

This is first what will hopefully become a reoccurring feature on Viridian Forest – spotlights on Pokemon-inspired Dungeons and Dragons games – and I begin with Dungeons & Dragonites.

In 2016, the “It’s Super Effective” Pokemon Podcast released a spinoff podcast of Dungeons & Dragonites, a homebrew D&D campaign that combines Pokemon and Dungeons and Dragons. The Pokemon Podcast had streamed the game on their Twitch channel before releasing it in podcast form.

Dungeons and Dragons, a fantasy-based tabletop role-playing game, has been around for over 40 years and has gone through several changes throughout the years. While there are established game worlds within D&D, it allows – and even encourages – players – to use their imagination when brewing their games. Dungeon Masters have created numerous campaigns based on video games and other properties, including Pokemon.

Below is the first episode where the cast makes their characters and begin their journey. The cast is a mix of experienced players and folks new to the game. There are 12 episodes in the first campaign. The game takes on different names in the later seasons.

The cast list:

• SBJ – a Human Pokemon Tamer with a Farfetched companion
• Jeff – Emojis, a human wizard
• Travis – Wendy Coletarver, a Hill Dwarf Cleric
• “The Rest”/Logan – Standt Willow – a Human Druid
• Greg – Dungeon Master

Dungeons & Dragonites has an interesting setting. It takes place 3,000 years before the modern world and there are still animals who inhabit the land. Real animals still exist in this world and Pokemon yet they have disappeared. Actual Pokemon have been around for 100 years, and the Johto region was the first to record Pokemon activity.

There were wars as well that led to knowledge about Pokeballs and Pokemon being spread to the other regions. All of the races from D&D appear in this world – so imagine your favorite Dungeons and Dragons characters like orcs and elves with Pokemon.

The party is a mix of interesting characters who all have their own stories. Some D&D purists might irritated with some of the players’ choices, like Wendy being a dwarf and not having a beard. I don’t have a problem with it because, again, D&D is all about imagination – and my last dwarven character was a clean-shaven woman.

This game is easy to follow and a good way for Pokemon trainers who want to get into Dungeons and Dragons and learn about stats, classes, backgrounds and other aspects of the game.

For folks who would like to learn more about Greg’s Pokemon World, the Pokemon Podcast has a website with character sheets and information about some of the homebrew aspects of the game.

The series is five seasons long with around 30 episodes. It is an easy listen and Pokemon trainers should give it a listen. They might end up bringing something new to their D&D game, or even their Pokemon characters.

This is just one of many D&D homebrew games inspired by Pokemon. Trainers who love D&D and other TTRPGs can find other podcasts and streams out there to enjoy.