Evolution

As digimon fight, explore, and accumulate more data, they grow into stronger, more advanced forms, which is to say, they evolve. A digimon’s normal lifespan takes them from baby to child to adult evolutionary levels, but with training and dedication, even higher plateaus await.

The bond between you and your partner allows for something beyond what a normal digimon is capable of, allowing them to temporarily evolve. At Level 3, no matter your digimon’s species or your class, you automatically acquire the “Evolution” Daily technique, allowing you a temporary evolution once per long rest, should you choose to use it as one of your active techniques. At level 5, you may choose to permanently evolve your digimon to the Adult(Champion) level.

There are many different paths of evolution. Discuss with your DM how you’d like things to play out. A few different suggested methods are laid out below:

- “The Chosen Child” Method: Lay out your partner’s path with the DM before hand. Every time your partner evolves, it will follow this path.

- ”The Tamer” Method: Your actions and alignment are taken into consideration as you raise your partner. When it comes time to evolve, your DM determines what your partner evolves into. “Good” actions may make your partner more likely to follow “good” paths, “evil” actions lead to “evil” paths, and lazy or scummy actions may lead you to… slimier evolutions, etc. But so long as the evolution isn’t permanent yet (i.e. the evolution option at level 5), the evolution isn’t sent in stone and can still be changed.

- ”The Sleuth” Method: Similar to the Tamer method, your actions hold weight over what your partner will become, but instead of being chosen by the DM, the DM presents the player with a few fitting options (3 or 4 potential options recommended), and the player may pick which of those evolutions their partner will become.

These are just a few suggestions. You may alter your evolution playstyle as the players and the DM see fit. For example, a player could take the Chosen Child method, but still agree that their actions could alter their chosen evolution route if they slip into unfitting behavior for their alignment (e.g. let’s say a player, Taichi, has his Greymon set to always become a Metalgreymon when it evolves, but despite his Good alignment, becomes antagonistic and perhaps steals from his teammates. The DM could then rule that when Taichi tries to evolve his Greymon, it will become a SkullGreymon instead).

So long as the DM is willing, each player can even use a different method of evolution. Make sure the gameplay style is agreed upon by everyone.

As a Technique
The daily Digimon technique "Evolution" is automatically granted to all player characters upon reaching level 3. It can be equipped to the Digimon daily technique slot the same as any other Digimon daily technique. While it is considered a daily technique, it may be used a number of times per day equal to the technique's level. When used in battle, the player's digimon evolves from child level to adult, then applies the following effects:


 * +2 temporary stat boost to the user's highest stat.
 * Heal for 1 hit die roll.
 * Gain advantage on the user's next attack roll.
 * The user's signature digimon technique becomes that of their evolved form, taking the level of their Evolution technique.
 * May replace the Evolution technique with another daily technique (of any type) from their technique pool. Regardless of the learned technique's level, when it replaces the Evolution technique, it takes the Evolution technique's level.
 * The new daily technique or the digimon's signature technique may be used immediately.

The evolution lasts for the encounter, after which the digimon reverts to its child form and all benefits gained above (except for any health gained) are returned to normal.

Permanent
Upon reaching level 5, the player may choose to permanently evolve their digimon to the adult level. Once evolved, the user applies stat changes per the evolved digimon's elemental types, then may choose a new perk from up to the Adult level to acquire (in the case of a digimon with two types, the user may choose one of their digimon's elements to take stat changes and perk from). The adult level digimon also acquires their signature technique and loses their child level signatue technique.

As a Technique
Permanent

As a Technique
Permanent

Armor Evolution
A select number of Digimon may use ancient relics known as Digimentals to temporarily evolve to an Armor level Digimon. Armor Digimon possess roughly low- or mid- Adult level strength, but also have access to rare and useful techniques. To evolve with the Digimental, it must not be equipped as an armor or weapon item, and must be as its base form in the users inventory. When the user declares its use as an evolutionary item, the Digimental is consumed and user's Digimon evolves into their armor form, then applies the following effects:


 * +2 temporary stat bonus corresponding to the Digimental's respective stat focus.
 * Heal for 1/2 of 1 hit die roll.
 * Gain advantage on the user's next attack roll.
 * The user's signature digimon technique becomes that of the Armor Digimon they evolve into. This technique (and only this technique) may be used immediately upon evolution, if the player so desires.

The evolution lasts for (User's level + User's CON modifier) rounds, after which the digimon reverts to their previous form and all benefits gained above (except for any health gained) are returned to normal. The consumed Digimental then returns to the user's inventory.

Armor evolution may only be used on the same digimon once per encounter, but in total for 1+ User's CON bonus times per day.

Spirit Evolution
Spirits are elemental guardians of the digital world, descended from the data of ancient, legendarily powerful Digimon. While the spirits may manifest as individual entities on their own (known as a Hybrid Digimon), a digimon in possession of a spirit may themselves become the Hybrid Digimon and inherit the ancient spirit's power. Should a player in possession of a spirit choose to use it to evolve their digimon, their digimon will permanently evolve into the associated Hybrid Digimon. The player then applies stat changes and gains a perk per the Hybrid digimon's elemental type (in the case of dual types, the player chooses one). The evolved digimon also gains their new signature technique and loses their previous signature technique.

Jogress
Jogress (a portmanteau of "Joint" and "Progress") is the phenomenon where two digimon combine their data to progress to the next evolution stage. The resulting digimon is usually far stronger than a digimon reaching that level alone and naturally, but Jogresses are, save for a few highly rare instances, often unstable and temporary.

Jogress can be achieved by players who have taken the Jogress teamwork driver. When taken, players are automatically granted the "Jogress" technique. It can be equipped to the Digimon daily technique slot the same as any other Digimon daily technique.

In order to initiate a Jogress, two players must both have the technique equipped. One player may declare its use during their turn, then both character’s digimon fuse into one, appearing in the spot of the declaring player. The resulting digimon will have the following properties:


 * The Jogress Digimon's stats are equal to the initiator's stats, plus half the other character's stats (rounded down).
 * For example:
 * Digimon 1 (initiator): STR:16, CON:14, DEX:13, INT:10, WIS:11, CHA:12
 * Digimon 2: STR:10, CON:11, DEX:14, INT:16, WIS:13, CHA:12
 * Jogress Digimon: STR:21, CON:19, DEX:20, INT:18, WIS:17, CHA:18
 * The resulting Jogress Digimon's max health is the Initiator's max health + half the other digimon's max health. The Jogress Digimon starts with the initiator's current health at time of Jogress, then gains an amount equal to half the other digimon's max health (cannot exceed Jogress' max health).
 * Speed is the initiator Digimon's speed + half the other Digimons speed (rounded down to the nearest 5ft)
 * Skill rolls are all done with the highest score between the two component digimons' skill scores.
 * The Jogress digimon's active weapons must be taken from one of the component digimon, as chosen by the players. All other equipment must be taken in entirety from one of the component digimon, again as chosen by the players. These may both come from the same digimon.
 * The Jogress Digimon shall have access to both players' inventories.
 * The Jogress Digimon shall have access to all of both component digimons' active techniques, except for the components' signature techniques, which is replaced with the Jogress Digimon's signature technique. The signature technique may be used immediately upon evolution.
 * Gain advantage on the next attack roll.
 * If in combat, the resulting fused digimon takes the initiative of the initiator digimon and the turn continues.

The Jogress lasts for (the average of the two players' levels (rounded down) + the lower CON modifier between the two components) rounds. Jogress also requires contribution and cooperation in planning turns between the players involved (i.e. one player should not be controlling the Jogress digimon alone. Both players should contribute). Should any substantial disagreement occur, the DM may rule the Jogress ends early. Once the Jogress ends, the two original component digimon return to normal (the initiating player's digimon occupies the space last occupied by the Jogress digimon, the other may occupy any adjacent square), but are both Exhausted. All stats and equipment are returned to normal. The component Digimons' health after defusing shall be set to what the Jogress Digimon's health was when the Jogress ended, regardless of what it was prior to the Jogress (cannot exceed their respective max health).