Pokémon Mystery Dungeon - Various Notes

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Experience

The experience formula in Mystery Dungeon is different from the ones in the RPG games.

Exp. Points = int((int(A*(B-1)/10)+A)*C)

where:

  • A = Pokemon's base experience (see the list)
  • B = Pokemon's level
  • C = 0.5 if only regular attacks were used; 1 if moves were also used; 1.5 if linked moves were also used.

If the calculated Exp. Points is 0, it becomes 1.

If a Pokemon holds a Joy Ribbon, it gains Exp. Points equal to the HP it lost (for any reason), as long as it doesn't faint from the HP loss.

Experience Gain Stages

Stage 0
Only regular attacks were used against the foe.
Stage 1
A move targeted the foe at least once, with these requirements:
  • The move must have hit the foe. If the move is a damaging move, it must also have dealt at least 1 damage to the foe.
  • Moves used by the foe can target it even if the foe itself uses it; for example, if the foe uses a move with a range of "user" or "allies in room."

A successful use of a life-draining move (Absorb, Leech Life, Mega Drain, Giga Drain, Dream Eater), Pain Split, Baton Pass, or Switcher by the foe also counts in stage 1, but not in stage 2.

Stage 2
At least one of the moves in a linked move targeted the foe at least once. The requirements above apply.

Tactics

The list of tactics that the team leader has available depends on its level.

TacticMin. Level
Let's go together1
Go the other way25
Go after foes1
Avoid the first hit1
Avoid trouble35
Be patient40
Keep your distance20
Wait there15
Get away10

If a Pokemon's actual species is a cocoon (Kakuna, Silcoon, Cascoon), it doesn't move no matter what tactic is currently active.

A Pokemon's tactics and IQ skills can't be changed while it's asleep, napping, having a nightmare, petrified, paused, infatuated, terrified (in narrow sense), or has the Blinker status.

A Pokemon's can't be changed to the team leader while it's asleep, napping, having a nightmare, petrified, paused, infatuated, or terrified (in narrow sense).

Notes on tactics

Let's go together
The Pokemon follows the team leader. Default behavior.
Go the other way
The Pokemon ignores the team leader.
Go after foes
If a foe is within room range, it follows the foe instead of the team leader.
Avoid the first hit
If a foe is within room range, it follows the foe instead of the team leader. The Pokemon tries to attack first whenever possible.
Avoid trouble
If HP is half (rounded down) or less, the Pokemon avoids all other Pokemon and can't use or throw items. Otherwise, the Pokemon follows the team leader.
Be patient
If HP is half (rounded down) or less, the Pokemon doesn't move. Otherwise, the Pokemon follows the team leader.
Keep your distance
The Pokemon follows the team leader. The Pokemon tries not to be within a 1-tile range of foes.
Wait there
Doesn't move but can still do everything else. Can still switch places with the team leader.
Get away
The Pokemon avoids all other Pokemon, can't use or throw items.

In addition, the following tactics are hidden, regardless of level:

All for one
The Pokemon will try to avoid being alone. It will try to stay with the team. (Perhaps similar to "Let's go together.")
Group safety
The Pokemon will try to avoid being alone. It will try to stay with friends of the same species.

Exclusive Pokemon

  • Red Rescue Team only: Plusle, Roselia, Porygon, Feebas, Milotic, Mantine
  • Blue Rescue Team only: Minun, Aipom, Porygon2, Magikarp, Gyarados, Lapras

To make a Pokemon exclusive to one version appear as wild Pokemon in the other version, a Wonder Mail for that Pokemon must be received and its mission fulfilled.

Body Size

The body size is important only in recruiting members and choosing the members who should enter a dungeon. All species not listed below have a body size of 1.

  • ** (2 stars): Mantine, Salamence, Metagross, Latios
  • **** (4 stars): Onix, Gyarados, Lapras, Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Dragonite, Steelix, Lugia, Ho-Oh, Wailord, Milotic, Kyogre, Groudon, Rayquaza

Map

All items, all allies, and the stairs within discovered portions of the floor are shown on the map. Items within walls and items behind locked doors are not shown. Only foes within room range of the team leader are shown on the map. Walls within room range of the team leader are drawn on the map as the team leader moves.

Landing Spots

If an item lands somewhere it cannot enter, it tries to land on an adjacent tile up to two tiles away, in this order (the "0" indicates the tile the item couldn't land on):

9  10 11 12 13
14 5  1  6  15
16 4  0  2  17
18 7  3  8  19
20 21 22 23 24

An item can't land on magma, sky, or cliff tiles; on another item; or on the stairs, a warp zone, or a trick tile, but it can land on a Pokemon.

If the thrown item is not a rock and the item's first landing spot is magma, sky, or a cliff, the item is lost. If a rock's first landing spot is one of these spaces, it tries to land according to the order shown in the diagram above.

The landing order ignores facing and throwing direction.

If there is no place to land, the item is lost. If the item lands in magma or lands on a sky tile, the item is also lost.

If a Pokemon drops an item, it lands one space away in the direction it's facing (the "0" in the diagram above). If the item can't land there, it tries to land according to the order shown in the diagram above.

Pushing, throwing, and warping of Pokemon

If an effect causes a Pokemon to warp, that Pokemon lands on a random room tile on the floor without an item on it; which is not a trick tile or the stairs; and which is off screen from the Pokemon's previous location, and takes a facing 1/8 or 1/4 turn clockwise from its previous facing.

The location of a Pokemon when it lands follows the landing rule. A Pokemon can't land on an item, a trick tile, another Pokemon, or any non-regular floor tiles such as magma, even if it could enter them. However, it can land on the stairs or a warp zone. If there is no place to land, the Pokemon lands on its current position.

If after it is pushed, a Pokemon is on a space it cannot enter, it warps at the end of its turn. If a Pokemon hits a wall, it loses 5 HP. If a Pokemon hits another Pokemon, both Pokemon lose 5 HP.

When a Pokemon is pushed or thrown, or if it warps, it loses the Ingrain, Constriction, Petrified, Wrapped by foe, Wrapped around foe, and Leg Hold statuses.

Weather

A floor's "prevailing weather" is the weather condition present when the floor is entered. This condition is usually "clear".

Whenever a weather move is used, a variable is set to 20 (even if the weather would change to the same condition). Whenever the weather change event triggers as described below, this variable is decreased by 1. Then, if the variable equals 0, the current weather reverts to the floor's prevailing weather.

Weather change event

The weather change event triggers at these moments:

  • Once after a weather move is used.
  • Once at the beginning of the team leader's turn. The exception is when a new floor is entered, in which case the event triggers three times instead of once.

The weather change event applies weather effects in a certain order. This order is given below, with effects appearing earlier having higher priority than other effects:

  • Cloud Nine/Air Lock ability (highest priority)
  • Weather change from moves and Orbs
  • Drought ability
  • Sand Stream ability
  • Drizzle ability
  • Floor's prevailing weather (lowest priority)

Conditions

  • Clear: Usual weather.
  • Sunny: Effectiveness of Fire-type moves is multiplied by 1.5. Effectiveness of Water-type moves is halved.
  • Sandstorm: Each Pokemon, except Ground, Rock, and Steel types, loses 5 HP every 10 turns (see below)
  • Cloudy: Effectiveness of non-Normal-type moves and attacks is multiplied by 3/4.
  • Rain: Effectiveness of Water-type moves is multiplied by 1.5. Effectiveness of Fire-type moves is halved. Explosions and huge explosions are prevented.
  • Hail: Each Pokemon, except Ice types, loses 5 HP every 10 turns (see below)
  • Fog: Effectiveness of Electric-type moves is halved.
  • Snow: Increases the Movement Speed of Ice-type Pokemon by 1.

Sandstorm and Hail

To determine when to trigger the Sandstorm and Hail effect, the game uses a variable, X, that begins at 9 whenever the player enters a floor. Whenever the weather change event triggers as described above, X decreases by 1 if it is greater than 0, or X is set to 9 otherwise. At the end of a Pokemon's turn, if X equals 0, the Sandstorm and Hail effect triggers for that Pokemon.

Reward

If a reward is a statue, or access to a Friend Area, and the team already has that statue or Friend Area, the team receives 1000 POKe instead.

Recallable moves

For any given Pokemon, these are the moves that it could learn from the Gulpin Link Shop.

  • Moves learnable by same species (e.g. Venusaur) on or before current level
  • Moves learnable by previous form's species (e.g. Ivysaur) on or before the level it first evolved in Luminous Cave (or 0 if it never evolved there).
  • Moves learnable by next-to-previous form's species (e.g. Bulbasaur) on or before the level it last evolved in Luminous Cave (or 0 if it evolved there only once).

Moves the Pokemon already has are, of course, removed from the list of moves to be recalled.

Boss floors

Warping is not possible, Orbs can't be used, moves can't be passed off.

Jirachi

The 99th floor of Wish Cave is a room 7 tiles in length and 8 tiles in height. If Jirachi is defeated and the player has a Wish Stone (even if it's sticky), Jirachi will grant one of the wishes below.

Lots of money.

Six landing spots within a zero- or one-tile range of Jirachi are randomly determined. For each of these landing spots, nine money items land on that spot. (Their actual location follows the landing rule.) The same landing spot can be chosen more than once. See money items for information on the value of each money item; for Wish Cave 99F, the base money is 25.

Lots of items.

Six landing spots within a zero- or one-tile range of Jirachi are randomly determined. For each of these landing spots, nine items land on that spot. (Their actual location follows the landing rule.) The same landing spot can be chosen more than once. The possible items are listed in item chances under the heading "Wish Cave 99F."

A Friend Area.

A random Friend Area sold in the Wigglytuff Club is opened. If no such Friend Area exists, this wish can't be chosen.

More strength.

Five landing spots within a zero- or one-tile range of Jirachi are randomly determined. For each of these landing spots, four items land on that spot. (Their actual location follows the landing rule.) The same landing spot can be chosen more than once. The items are chosen from among Protein, Calcium, Iron, Zinc, Joy Seed, Ginseng, Life Seed, and Sitrus Berry.

Something good!

In this wish, a Pokemon will join the player's rescue team. The team also gains access to the Pokemon's Friend Area if it doesn't already. A Pokemon who joins the team this way has a level of 1 (0 Exp. Points) and an IQ of 1. A species can be a companion through this wish if it meets these conditions.

  • The species is not one of the following:
    • Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Groudon, Rayquaza, Kyogre, Lugia, Castform (Hail, Sun, or Rain Form), Deoxys (all forms), Mewtwo, Jirachi, Mew, Latias, Latios, Entei, Raikou, Suicune, Ho-Oh, Regirock, Regice, Registeel, Celebi
  • The species is not one of the following unless access to that Pokemon is activated (see Exclusive Pokemon):
    • Porygon, Porygon2, Magikarp, Gyarados, Feebas, Milotic, Plusle, Minun, Lapras, Mantine, Roselia, Aipom
  • If the player has access to the species's Friend Area, all of the following must also be true:
    • The species cannot be found in any Friend Area.
    • There is room for the Pokemon in its Friend Area.

The game follows the process below when determining which species will join. This process triggers after the player leaves the dungeon without giving up the adventure. The process checks species with IDs of 1 through 419; therefore, any species outside of this range--namely, Munchlax, Decoy, and Statue--are excluded from the check.

  1. X is set to a number from 0 through 31.
  2. Z holds the number of matches. It is set to 0.
  3. The game starts by checking a Pokemon species chosen at random.
  4. A match for a Pokemon species is found if it meets the conditions described above.
  5. If a match is found, X decreased by 1 and Z (the number of matches) is increased by 1. If X is less than 0, the process stops and the game returns the last Pokemon species for which a match was found.
  6. After checking a species for a match, it moves on to the next species in the list and the game goes to step 4.
  7. After checking all species, as well as checking the randomly chosen species again:
    • If no matches can be found (Z equals 0), the process stops.
    • If X is greater than or equal to Z, X is set to a random number from 0 through (Z-1), Z is not modified, and the process starts checking all species again from step 4.

If no matches can be found, then the player's rescue rank is raised to the next level (the rescue team will have the minimum number of rescue points needed for that rank). If the team's rank is already Lucario Rank, then the rescue team gets a 10,000 POKe reward (this money can be received only if the team has less than 90,000 POKe).

Belly

The list below shows how much the team leader's Belly empties upon taking actions. The effect triggers at the end of the team leader's turn.

Taking a step, waiting, or using an attack or move:

Action Usual Energy Saver
enabled
Usual -0.1 -0.075
Holding Tight Belt -0 -0
Holding Diet Ribbon or Heal Ribbon -0.2 -0.1
Holding Munch Belt -0.2 -0.1
Holding Stamina Band -0.075 -0.05
  • Having Wish status: -0
  • Cutting corners when moving: -0
  • Digging through walls: -0
  • Using a linked move this turn:
    • 2 moves in the link: -1
    • 3 moves in the link: -2
    • 4 moves in the link, or 2 linked moves: -4
  • Turn ended on a wall: -5
  • Passing off moves and attacks: -2 (each time, not each turn)

Each Pokemon's Belly begins at 100, and its maximum Belly size is set to 100, when a dungeon is entered.

After emptying the team leader's Belly, if the team leader is famished, it loses 1 HP unless it only waited that turn. If a team member other than the leader is famished, it becomes unable to move (has the Hungry Pal status), but can still do everything else as normal.

A Pokemon's maximum Belly size can be increased up to 200 while in a dungeon.

A Pokemon's Belly doesn't change when it joins the player's team.

Throwing range of rocks

This is the range of rocks when thrown by a Pokemon that faces west and northwest. F is the location of the foe and X indicates each position where the Pokemon can hit the foe. The throwing range ignores obstacles and visibility.

If there is more than one foe that the Pokemon can hit, the closest foe to the Pokemon (ignoring obstacles and visibility) is chosen. If there is no foe that the Pokemon can hit, the Pokemon throws the rock two spaces in the direction it's facing.


  Horiz./Vert.             Diagonal
 (facing west)         (facing northwest)
          X
         XX
        XXX             F
       XXXX              XXXXXXXXXXX
      XXXXX              XXXXXXXXXXX
     XXXXXX              XXXXXXXXXXX
    XXXXXXX              XXXXXXXXXXX
   XXXXXXXX              XXXXXXXXXXX
  XXXXXXXXX              XXXXXXXXXXX
FXXXXXXXXXX              XXXXXXXXXXX
  XXXXXXXXX              XXXXXXXXXXX
   XXXXXXXX              XXXXXXXXXXX
    XXXXXXX              XXXXXXXXXXX
     XXXXXX
      XXXXX
       XXXX
        XXX
         XX
          X

HP Regeneration

To determine the amount of HP regenerated each turn, each Pokemon has a variable, X. The process triggers at the beginning of each Pokemon's turn.

Recovery rates:

  • If the Pokemon has the Wish status:
    • The recovery rate is 30.
  • Else if the weather is rainy and the Pokemon has Rain Dish:
    • If the Pokemon is holding a Heal Ribbon:
      • The recovery rate is 30.
    • Else:
      • The recovery rate is 50.
  • Else if the Pokemon is holding a Heal Ribbon:
    • The recovery rate is 100.
  • Else:
    • The recovery rate is 200.

Recovery process:

  • X = (X+(Total HP))%(Recovery rate)
  • Gains 1/(Recovery rate) of total HP, rounded down.
  • If the new X is less than the old X, it gains 1 HP.

When the player enters a new floor, X is set to 0 for all Pokemon.

Pressing and holding A+B will end the team leader's turn in about 0.1 second, thus making it appear that it speeds up the HP regeneration process.

Kecleon

The Kecleon that manages the shops within dungeons is at level 90. If somehow, at least one item was taken from the shop without being paid for, and the team leader is visible, the "thief" mode will begin. During "thief" mode, the Escape Orb will fail.

In thief mode, leaders can't be switched, and if the team leader is defeated during thief mode, it is simply returned to its rescue team base and all items become Plain Seeds and all held items become lost.

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