diff --git a/src/mods/Schemas.lua b/src/mods/Schemas.lua
index 9be13727..dfa2fb97 100644
--- a/src/mods/Schemas.lua
+++ b/src/mods/Schemas.lua
@@ -91,6 +91,28 @@ function f.rec(fields, opts)
     desc = "{" .. table.concat(parts, ", ") .. "}" }
 end
 
+-- An open record: the listed fields are typed (including f.id
+-- cross-references) and everything else on the value passes through
+-- unexamined, unlike f.rec's nested shapes, which reject any key they do
+-- not name.  Map objects are why this exists -- NPCs, signs, items, warps
+-- and static encounters all share one array, and only a full union of
+-- every kind's shape could describe it as f.rec; that is a lot of surface
+-- to keep in sync with the loader for fields nothing here needs to check.
+-- f.partial types just the field that actually names another registry and
+-- leaves every kind-specific field around it alone.
+function f.partial(fields)
+  local names = {}
+  for name in pairs(fields) do names[#names + 1] = name end
+  table.sort(names)
+  local parts = {}
+  for _, name in ipairs(names) do
+    local ft = fields[name]
+    parts[#parts + 1] = name .. (ft.kind == "opt" and "?" or "")
+  end
+  return { kind = "partial", fields = fields,
+    desc = "{" .. table.concat(parts, ", ") .. ", ...}" }
+end
+
 function f.union(alts)
   local parts = {}
   for _, alt in ipairs(alts) do parts[#parts + 1] = alt.desc end
@@ -197,6 +219,23 @@ checkValue = function(t, value, path, patchMode, errors, top)
     end
     return
   end
+  if kind == "partial" then
+    -- the open counterpart of "rec": listed fields are checked exactly
+    -- like a rec's, and any key not listed is left alone rather than
+    -- flagged, so a heterogeneous blob (map objects) can have one field
+    -- typed without every other shape sharing the array being rejected
+    if type(value) ~= "table" then return fail(errors, path, t.desc, value) end
+    for key, ft in pairs(t.fields) do
+      local sub = value[key]
+      if sub ~= nil then
+        checkValue(ft, sub, path .. "." .. tostring(key), patchMode, errors)
+      elseif ft.kind ~= "opt" and not patchMode then
+        errors[#errors + 1] = ("%s.%s: missing required field (%s)")
+          :format(path, key, ft.desc)
+      end
+    end
+    return
+  end
   if kind == "union" then
     for _, alt in ipairs(t.alts) do
       local scratch = {}
@@ -299,7 +338,7 @@ collectRefs = function(t, value, path, out)
     for k, v in pairs(value) do
       collectRefs(t.value, v, path .. "." .. tostring(k), out)
     end
-  elseif kind == "rec" and type(value) == "table" then
+  elseif (kind == "rec" or kind == "partial") and type(value) == "table" then
     for key, ft in pairs(t.fields) do
       collectRefs(ft, value[key], path .. "." .. tostring(key), out)
     end
@@ -895,7 +934,15 @@ R.maps = {
                                 destMap = f.str, destWarp = f.int(0),
                                 destGroup = f.opt(f.int(0)),
                                 destMapNum = f.opt(f.int(0)) })),
-    objects = f.opt(f.list(f.any)),
+    -- NPCs, signs, items, warps and static wild encounters all share this
+    -- one array, with no field the loader could use to tell them apart
+    -- ahead of time -- an f.rec strict enough to describe every kind would
+    -- reject the others.  f.partial types only `pokemon` (the static
+    -- encounter's species, OverworldController.lua's `d.pokemon` ->
+    -- BattleState.newWild) so a bad id is a load-time error, the same as
+    -- an encounter slot's species, instead of the crash newWild has no
+    -- guard against.  Every other object field passes through untouched.
+    objects = f.opt(f.list(f.partial{ pokemon = f.opt(f.id("pokemon")) })),
     signs = f.opt(f.list(f.any)),
     connections = f.opt(f.map(f.enum{ "north", "south", "east", "west" }, f.any)),
   },
diff --git a/tests/engine/map_object_pokemon_ref_test.lua b/tests/engine/map_object_pokemon_ref_test.lua
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..905f400d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/engine/map_object_pokemon_ref_test.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+-- A map object's `pokemon` field (the static wild encounter kind --
+-- OverworldController.lua's `d.pokemon`, handed straight to
+-- BattleState.newWild with no existence check of its own) used to go
+-- completely unchecked: R.maps.objects was f.opt(f.list(f.any)), so a
+-- typo'd species sat in a loaded mod and only surfaced as a crash the
+-- moment a player stepped up to that object.  Every other kind sharing the
+-- objects array (NPCs, signs-as-objects, warps) has fields this schema
+-- still does not know about, which is what f.partial is for: it types only
+-- `pokemon` and leaves the rest of an object's shape alone.
+
+package.path = "./?.lua;./?/init.lua;" .. package.path
+
+local T = require("tests.modkit")
+
+local function manifest(id)
+  return ([[{
+    "id": "%s", "name": "%s", "version": "1.0.0",
+    "entry": "main.lua", "api": 2
+  }]]):format(id, id)
+end
+
+-- ------- a bad species id is caught as a load error, not left to crash
+
+local BAD = {
+  ["mods/bad_static_encounter/manifest.json"] = manifest("bad_static_encounter"),
+  ["mods/bad_static_encounter/main.lua"] = [[
+    local mod = ...
+    mod.content.maps:patch("FIX_ROUTE", {
+      objects = {
+        { pokemon = "NOT_A_SPECIES", level = 30, text = "Gyaoo!" },
+      },
+    })
+  ]],
+}
+
+do
+  local run = T.sdk.loadMods({ "mods/bad_static_encounter" },
+    { fs = T.sdk.memfs(BAD) })
+  local dangling = {}
+  for _, message in ipairs(run.errors) do
+    if message:match("unresolved reference") then
+      dangling[#dangling + 1] = message
+    end
+  end
+  T.eq(#dangling, 1,
+    "a bad static-encounter species is reported once ("
+      .. table.concat(dangling, "; ") .. ")")
+  T.check(dangling[1] and dangling[1]:match("maps%.FIX_ROUTE%.objects")
+    and dangling[1]:match("pokemon"),
+    "the report names the map, the objects field and the pokemon registry: "
+      .. tostring(dangling[1]))
+  run.release()
+end
+
+-- ------- a real species resolves, and an NPC-shaped object beside it (no
+-- pokemon field at all, and fields this schema never named -- sprite,
+-- movement, range) is untouched
+
+local GOOD = {
+  ["mods/good_static_encounter/manifest.json"] = manifest("good_static_encounter"),
+  ["mods/good_static_encounter/main.lua"] = [[
+    local mod = ...
+    mod.content.maps:patch("FIX_ROUTE", {
+      objects = {
+        { index = 1, name = "FIXROUTE_TRAINER", sprite = "SPRITE_FIX_NPC",
+          movement = "STAY", range = "NONE", text = "TEXT_FIXROUTE_TRAINER",
+          x = 5, y = 9 },
+        { pokemon = "FIXMON_A", level = 30, text = "Gyaoo!" },
+      },
+    })
+  ]],
+}
+
+do
+  local run = T.sdk.loadMods({ "mods/good_static_encounter" },
+    { fs = T.sdk.memfs(GOOD) })
+  T.eq(#run.errors, 0,
+    "a real species and an untyped NPC object both load clean ("
+      .. tostring(run.errors[1]) .. ")")
+  local objects = run.data.maps.FIX_ROUTE.objects
+  T.eq(#objects, 2, "both objects landed on the map")
+  T.eq(objects[1].sprite, "SPRITE_FIX_NPC",
+    "the NPC object's untyped fields passed through unexamined")
+  T.eq(objects[2].pokemon, "FIXMON_A",
+    "the static encounter's species field passed through too")
+  run.release()
+end
+
+T.finish()