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Avatar: The Last Airbender


Lightbane

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Re: Avatar: The Last Airbender

 

Can we rise this thread? I was asked to run an Avatar: The Last Airbender game for a new group. I've played with one guy, but now his two sons (21 and 19) respectively and their 2 friends want to play. They've never played HERO and while I've been playing and GMing for awhile, I have never taken on this big of a task before. If you were to run a game during the 100 years war while Aang slept, what would you have the characters do? How long did it take for the Air Nomads to be wiped out.

 

If I could get some general chitter chatter, it might help inspire. And, I've only really watched Book 1 and a few of Book 2 episodes. Obviously, I need to catch up.

 

But, if anyone is interested... Sound off and let's get crackin'!

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Re: Avatar: The Last Airbender

 

That is a good thought. The only character bit I've heard thus far is an Earth or Air Bender. If the later, it has to be before they were eradicated.

 

I've been considering how to do the bending and I'm thinking about using Lezentauw's skill familiarity system.

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Re: Avatar: The Last Airbender

 

It could also take place after the series ended because I'm sure that Aang would have started teaching a new generation of Air Benders. As a side note, I just recently heard that the new series is starting. This looks to be a good resource: http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/The_Last_Airbender:_Legend_of_Korra

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Re: Avatar: The Last Airbender

 

Were it up to me RP, I would start it after ToS was over, but the players chose that era. I'm not sure why as I've yet to even speak to them about it. I just had a two minute phone conversation with the Father and it's up to me. I have until next Sunday for the first game.

 

Heheh.

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Re: Avatar: The Last Airbender

 

Nothing like putting on the pressure! I think the very first thing you have to do is figure out how you are going to handle Bending. You need to put together a sample of Bending Arts and then take them for a little spin to make sure they reflect the flavor of the show. If the effect isn't the same as what you get from the show, then your players are likely to revolt against it. The setting can always develop on the fly, so I don't think you need to put a lot of emphasis on that right away. Keep the first encounters small and localized. Heck, have all the players write up strong backgrounds and then steal all those ideas to develop the setting. That way they'll feel like they are a part of the world.

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Re: Avatar: The Last Airbender

 

I just look at it from the standard Hero design perspective. What is the end result you are trying to achieve? You want to encase someone in ice? That is an Entangle, or using MA, it is a multi-limb lock. You want to damage someone with a fireball? That is an EB or a Martial Strike. You want them to be knocked down with a wind gust? That is any one of several powers, or a Sweep. Etc.

 

So, I would simply look at the result that the player wants to be able to achieve and then pick an appropriate MA maneuver, or power, whichever seems to make everyone happy. My idea of going with the MA approach was due to the fact that the Bending arts are portrayed as various martial art forms, and the cost would be relatively lower than building an MP. Plus, you can easily add in more maneuvers or build your own over time as the players earn XP.

 

That said, if you wanted to have the Bending Art effects do additional things, such as setting a village on fire, and you wanted it concern yourself with actual damage totals and the like, then it would probably be best to be done with an MP. Personally, I would probably just hand wave side effects such as that, as long as the players didn't get abusive with them. I would make it clearly known that such side effects would only be considered "flavor" and not have any real game mechanics. So for example, if the Fire Bender wanted to simply burn the rope off that was binding him wrists, he would need to have the Escape maneuver, otherwise his fire wouldn't work to burn through the ropes.

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Re: Avatar: The Last Airbender

 

Martial Arts is a given since most of the benders use that to channel their art. You can build powers to simulate what they do, or use skills as powers as RP said, or you can use telekinesis only on the element they pick, and link any power build to the teke.

 

CES

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Re: Avatar: The Last Airbender

 

There was an Avatar: The Last Airbender game over on HeroCentral at one point. You might want to check if it's still there and look at how they built the characters.

 

Things to consider. Many Bending abilities should probably have the Gestures Limitation, some form of Restrainable, or some other type of Limitations to reflect the martial arts forms that go with many of the more powerful abilities. You might consider using the Variable Advantage on some abilities. That way the Earth Bender can throw an Armor Piercing stone spike, a huge Double Knockback boulder, or effortlessly (1/2 or Zero END) toss small rocks around the field, without needing a Multipower for what otherwise is basically a few simple variations of Blast. Consider the use of Ranged Martial Arts.

 

Also, make sure non-Benders are not just useless lumps. While most warriors could not take on a true Bending Master, there are a dozen warriors shown throughout the series that can hold their own against average Benders.

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Re: Avatar: The Last Airbender

 

I'm strongly considering using martial arts and ranged martial arts with a small MP or Power Skill roll to emulate effects other than those contained within purchased MA.

 

I'm also setting the game in the future as opposed to the 100 year war. This way is a lot easier to deal with disconnect from players vision to mine and having a group of benders from different nations. The United Republic from the next series is perfect for this, but I'm dissatisfied with the teen angle. While the Anti-Bender revolt theme is certainly adult-minded, I don't like the idea of main protagonists (and antagonists for that matter) to be teen-agers. So, I don't know if I'll go with 70 years after ToS, or something a little farther.

 

Expect some character builds while I toy with points in the near future.

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