Effort

Effort is a resource representing a a combination of a character's stamina, willpower, and ability to push themselves to undertake more difficult tasks. All characters, both Trainers and Pokémon, have Effort equal to their Tier. Effort can be spent in a few ways:

• before making a Skill Check to gain Advantage on that roll (or cancel out Disadvantage)
• to lead a Group Action
• to use Talents from some Callings
• to activate Pokémon Gifts

Whenever Effort is associated with a Skill Check, such as when used to gain Advantage on a roll or to lead a Group Action, you must have a positive modifier in at least two different Skills within the category of the Skill Check being used. This does not have to include the Skill involved in the Skill Check itself. For example, if I want to spend Effort to gain Advantage on a Force Check, I must have positive modifiers in at least two out of Force, Traversal, and Survival.

When a party spends Camp Supplies during a Long Rest, every Trainer and Pokémon in the party recovers 1 Effort.

Example uses of Effort

• roll with Advantage on your Traversal Skill Check
• roll Covertness to lead the whole party in sneaking into a location (lead a Group Action)
• use your Ghost, Fairy, or Dark Pokémon to inflict a non-combat curse on an NPC using the Hex Maniac talent
• let your Pokémon activate a Gift like Wired or Phasing

Group Action

Sometimes, a character will take charge to lead the group in a type of action, such as helping the party sneak past guards or to help the party all pass as criminal Team members while infiltrating a base. In this case, a character can spend Effort on their roll to make one roll that covers themselves and any number of party members, rather than risking party members with worse rolls having to roll on their own.

Example: A party is sneaking into a Team Skull hideout, but most of the Trainers have two left feet and no eye for security systems. The one with a criminal background has at least two Clever Skills with a positive modifier, so they can spend Effort to make a Covertness Check that covers both them and the rest of the party sneaking into the hideout. Their experience lets them guide the party, but it puts extra stress on them to cover everyone's mistakes, which is why it takes Effort to do.