World of the Avatar [PF/3.5] (PEACH)

[Absol197]

It's been a couple of months since I last tried this, so hopefully I'll get a better response this time. I'm creating an Avatar (the Last Airbender, not blue people) d20 system. I could use some help both with balancing the features I've already come up with, as well as with getting some ideas for new features that I'm missing from my system (such features will be noted in red). Any help is much appreciated, and of course any Avatar fans out there who like what I've come up with are welcome to use it themselves. I've got an Avatar campaign coming up in the Fall, so any help I could get now would be of great help getting me ready for then. You don't need to critique the whole system at once, there's a lot of it. Anything you notice!

I've got a lot of material already written up, but I think part of why my previous attempt didn't get any responses was because there was just too much of it! So, that said, I'm going to stick with just the basics for now: races and bending. Anyone interested in other aspects, such as mechanics (classes, skills, feats) or parts of the setting (the Spirit World, history, creatures, etc.) may ask, and I'll post such things on request. Oh, and just to make sure, I know there are other systems for this world out there, but I'm not a huge fan of the ones I've seen. I'm trying to make my own here, both to give it the feel I want, and to try and to say I did it (with some help from the playground, of course :smallsmile:)

So, about the system: it's heavily Pathfinder based (for those who don't know, Pathfinder is as different from 3.5 as 3.5 was from 3.0; here's the Pathfinder SRD (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/)), with a couple of modifications from other systems that I liked:
--The first major change is that I'm using the Condition system from Star Wars Saga Edition, but I have added a positive track of Conditions as well as a negative track. Most abilities that would normally give you bonuses now increase your Condition. The Damage Threshold from Saga edition is also present.

Condition System
The Condition system is a way to measure all of the various ailments, afflictions, and enhancements that your character is under the effect of in one abstract way. Anytime your character is affected by some effect that alters her status, her Condition will go up or down.

Condition Track
+5 +15 bonus to AC, saves, attacks, skills, and checks; +1 full-round action.
+4 +10 bonus to AC, saves, attacks, skills, and checks; +1 standard action.
+3 +5 bonus to AC, saves, attacks, skills, and checks; +1 move action.
+2 +2 bonus to AC, saves, attacks, skills, and checks; +1 swift action.
+1 +1 bonus to AC, saves, attacks, skills, and checks.
0 No modifier. This is the standard.
-1 -1 penalty to AC, saves, attacks, skills, and checks.
-2 -2 penalty to AC, saves, attacks, skills, and checks.
-3 -5 penalty to AC, saves, attacks, skills, and checks.
-4 -10 penalty to AC, saves, attacks, skills, and checks; move at half speed.
-5 Unconscious.

A temporary Condition modifier lasts for only a short while: a penalty lasts until it is recovered by the character (see below), a bonus lasts for 1 round. A lasting modifier remains for the indicated amount of time, or until the condition that causes it (poison, disease, etc.) is cured. Lasting Conditions stack with all others, but temporary bonuses and penalties negate each other (a character with a -2 temporary penalty who gains a +3 temporary bonus goes to +1 Condition, and once the bonus goes away one round later is at 0).

Recover Action: A character can spend three swift actions across one or more consecutive rounds to remove a temporary -1 Condition penalty.

Damage Threshold: Equal to 10 + character's Fort modifier. When dealt damage equal to or greater than their damage threshold, a character gains a temporary -1 Condition penalty.

--Obviously, I had to gut anything that used the traditional magic system, and add my own bending system. What I've come up with is a mix of traditional magic and the Force system from, again, Saga Edition.

--I wanted every base class to be a viable option for either a bender or a non-bender. I don't want any bending-specific base classes (although prestige classes can and should be bending/non-bending specific).

--Chi Points: These are basically action points from Unearthed Arcana, except that you get an amount of them each session, as opposed to each level. I'm still trying to work out a good amount; ideas I currently have are 2/session, 5/session, or 1/2 level (min. 1) per session. Suggestions?

--Small base changes: +1 to 2 abilities every 4 levels; max Hit Die + Con score at 1st level; all characters get +2 to one ability of their choice at 1st level, in addition to racial modifiers.

--A roll of a 1 is treated as a -10; a roll of a 20 is treated as a 30. This is a common house-rule, but I'm working it into the foundation of my system.

Okay, now that we've got all that stuff out of the way, I'll start posting what I've got. First are the Nationalities, akin to the races of normal games. I wanted each nationality to have a unique feel, which is why I went with racial traits instead of the standard "everyone is human; all get feat and skill points". I also have implemented something I've done in the past with games, in that each race gets additional racial abilities at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level. Here's what I've got so far for the nationalities:

NATIONALITIES
Air Nomads
Fluff
Spiritual wanderers that move across the world like leaves blown on the wind, the Air Nomads are a peaceful, fun-loving, and spiritual people that are well-known and respected world-round.
While they are the least populous of the Four Nations, the
Air Nomads are actually the most likely to be encountered by the people of the other nationalities, as their continuous wandering puts them in contact with nearly every society that exists in the world. Even the monks that lead from the great Air Temples do not remain in solitude forever, but travel continuously in order to learn more about the ways of others.

Lands: The Air Nomads make their home on several archipelagoes. These island strings are well known for their large and formidable mountain ranges, and include some of the highest mountains in the world. There are three such island chains that the Air Nomads call home, one in each the South, East, and West respectively. In addition, the mountains of a small peninsula in the north of the Earth Kingdom continent is claimed by the Nomads.
While the Air Nomads make their homes all across these island chains, the crown jewels of their lands are the four Air Temples, one to each string, marking out the compass points for all. These temples, carved over centuries by the Air Nomads out of the highest mountains, are stunningly crafted, and considered some of the world’s greatest wonders.

Society: To the airbenders, spirituality is of utmost importance. Nearly all Nomads live the first part of their lives in one of their people’s four Air Temples. The temples themselves are divided by gender: male children and monks live in the Northern and Southern Temples, while females dwell in the Eastern and Western Temples.
During their stay at the temples, the elder monks teach the young Nomads of the way of air, training them in airbending as well as instructing them of the philosophies of their society. Once an Air Nomad comes of age at sixteen,
she is given the opportunity to choose whether she will remain at the temple as a monk, or go out into the world. The temple monks temple spend their lives in meditation and teaching the young ones, ever seeking spiritual enlightenment. They do not take spouses, nor do they claim any earthly possessions. The eldest of the monks at each temple form that temple’s ruling council, who watch out for the protection of the Nomads who live nearby.
Those who choose a life outside the temples live much as those from the other nations might. While they make their homes in the islands claimed by the Nomads, as their name suggests, they wander often, exploring new lands and societies, going wherever the wind takes them.

Element: Air is the element of freedom. By detaching themselves from worldly concerns, the Air Nomads believe, they can achieve enlightenment. The Nomads cast off the weight of earthly burdens, and live happy and free. Like the changing winds, they wander across the face of the earth, seeking out new experiences and unknown places.
The air nomads hold tightly to a doctrine of peace, forsaking violence except as a means of self-defense. They hold all life as sacred, and so eschew eating meat, instead maintaining a vegetarian diet.

Benders: Because of the spiritual nature of Air Nomad society, they are particularly blessed when it comes to bending: every single Air Nomad is an airbender, and because they spend the majority of their youth in training at one of the Air Temples, they are all at least proficient in the art. Those who choose to remain in the temples after their coming of age continue to train, eventually becoming powerful masters. These masters are rewarded for their hard work by receiving the ceremonial tattoos of an airbending master. These tattoos take the form of swirling patterns and designs that run down the airbender’s arms, legs, and up her neck and over her head, culminating in arrows on the back of her hands, feet, and on her forehead.
Racial Traits: A member of the Air Nomads possesses the following racial traits:
+2 Wisdom, –2 Strength: The spiritual nature of the Nomads makes them very sensitive and aware, but their monastic training leaves little time to promote strength. At 15th level, an Air Nomad gains a +2 bonus to Dexterity as well.
Agile: The rigorous training of airbending grants an Air Nomad a +2 racial bonus on Acrobatics checks.
Defensive Training: Air Nomads train in the passive way of air, learning to use violence as defense only. They gain a +1 Dodge bonus to Defense and Reflex rolls. At 5th level, and every 5 levels thereafter, an Air Nomad receives a cumulative +1 bonus on such rolls, as well. This ability relies on the Nomad not being weighed down, so as to take full advantage of her mobility. This bonus is lost if an Air Nomad wears armor of any kind, or carries more than a light load. The Air Nomad must be aware of an attack and not flat-footed in order to apply this bonus.
Evasion: As they become more skilled, an Air Nomad becomes capable of avoiding area-effect attacks with great skill. Whenever an Air Nomad of 10th level or higher makes a Reflex save against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful saving throw, she instead takes no damage. If an Air Nomad already has evasion from another source, such as class levels, she instead gains improved evasion.
Mastery of Air: An Air Nomad receives the Ride the Wind feat as a bonus feat at 1st level. She need not meet the prerequisites for this feat. Airbending is always a class skill for an Air Nomad. At 10th and 15th level, an Air Nomad adds one Airbending technique to her bending suite.
Meditative Focus: An Air Nomad gains a +2 racial bonus on Concentration checks, due to their meditative training. This bonus increases by +1 at 5th level, and again every five levels thereafter.
Well-Traveled: An Air Nomad gains a +2 bonus on a single Knowledge check of her choice, as their travels expose them to new places, peoples, and ideas. At 5th level, she chooses another Knowledge skill to gain a bonus to.
Needed: Level 20 capstone ability.
Earth Kingdom
Fluff [All sections need work]
Steady, enduring, and strong, the people of the Earth Kingdom are…more description needed.
The Earth Kingdom is the biggest of the Four Nations, and holds an incredibly diverse population. Its people are rooted to the land, developing a strong bond with their homeland and their fellows. They are slow to trust, but make steadfast friends.

Lands: The massive Continent that makes up the majority of the world’s land mass, as well as a few scattered islands nearby, comprises the lands ruled by the Earth King. This vast territory is dotted by huge cities, such as Omashu and the enormous Ba Sing Se, the capital of the Earth Kingdom, where the Earth King himself sits on the Jade Throne. Surrounding these cities are numerous Provinces ruled by nobles, aristocrats, and regional kings appointed to their position by the Earth King.
The Earth Kingdom, by virtue of its incredible size, boasts the most diverse ecosystems in the world. Deserts, forests, swamps, canyons, prairies, and vast inland seas can all be found in the Earth Kingdom. In each of these places, people have found a way to live with the land, and made it their home.

Society: Of the Four Nations, the Earth Kingdom has the most diverse citizenship. Those who live in the cities have a wide variety of luxuries available to them. Out in the provinces, there are small towns and villages of varying states of affluence, as well as wandering tribes.
Like the lands on which they live, the people of the Earth Kingdom are incredibly varied. Those that hail from the great cities are refined and elegant, while those than come from the meaner areas, like the great Si Wong Desert, are hardy and firm. The sheer number of societies, traditions, and customs of the people throughout the Earth Kingdom are staggering. Many tribes continue to live as they always have for millennia, while near the great cities, life has evolved into a hectic, modern existence. There are, of course, thousands of different levels in between.

Element: Earth is the element of substance. [description needed]

Benders: In the Earth Kingdom, benders are relatively rare; only about one person in a hundred has the gift for bending. However, while earthbenders are uncommon, they still have a marked impact on the life of the people throughout the Kingdom. In smaller villages and towns, earthbenders use their skills to help with the construction of buildings, walled fortifications, and other such projects, while simultaneously being the main force behind the town guard. In larger cities, battalions of benders are trained in order to defend their homes.
Racial Traits: A citizen of the Earth Kingdom possesses the following racial traits:
+2 Constitution, –2 Charisma: the people of the Earth Kingdom are hardy and capable of withstanding much, but they have a hard time relating to others. At 15th level, an Earth Kingdom citizen gains an additional +2 bonus any one ability score they wish, including one that already has a racial bonus or penalty.
Bonus Feats: The Earth Kingdom is home to incredibly diverse peoples with many different backgrounds. An Earth citizen gains a bonus feat at 1st level and another at 10th level. He must meet all prerequisites for these feats in order to select them.
Resilient: The people of the Earth Kingdom are incredible tough. An Earth citizen gains a +2 bonus to their Damage Threshold. This bonus increases by +1 at 5th level and at every 5th level thereafter.
Skilled: A subject of the Earth Kingdom receives a bonus skill rank at each level. At 5th level, he may select a number of skills equal to his Intelligence modifier (minimum 1 skill) and make them class skills. If his Intelligence modifier later increases, he gains another class skill.
Steady Footing: Skilled Earth Kingdom citizens are difficult to knock off their feet. At 10th level, an Earth Kingdom citizen gains a +2 bonus to CMD rolls against bull-rush and trip maneuvers while standing on firm ground. This bonus increases to +4 at 15th level.
Needed: Level 20 capstone ability.
Fire Nation
Fluff [All sections need more description]
Basics… [needs some work...]

Lands: The Fire Nation consists of a series of large islands in the western sea. The largest island, on which Royal Caldera City, the capital of the Fire Nation sits, is the size of a small continent. The islands of the Fire Nation rest on the equator, so many are covered in thick, lush jungle. Most of the islands are volcanic, but the majority of those volcanoes are dormant, and eruptions are infrequent.
The Fire Nation’s tropical ecosystems boast an incredible variety of plant and animal life. Several unique creatures, such as the komodo rhinoceros, are used by the people of the Fire Nation as mounts or beasts of burden.

Society: The people of the Fire Nation are incredibly industrious, and after finishing school most members of the Fire Nation choose a trade to specialize in, and spend most of their lives perfecting their craft.
Each island is presided over by a magistrate (or simply a mayor, on the smaller islands), while the entire nation is ruled by the Royal Family.

Element: Fire is the element of strength. The people of the Fire Nation have an incredible drive to succeed, coupled with focus and willpower. They almost always have goals, and a plan on how to achieve it. However, this trait can make the people of the Fire Nation single-minded at times.

Benders: The Fire Nation has the fewest benders out of the four nations: only about one in a thousand members of the Fire Nation have the gift of firebending. However, this relative rarity of benders does not mean that firebending does not play an active role in shaping the Fire Nation’s culture. The image the rest of the world sees of the firebender is a powerful warrior, the shining peak of the Fire Nation’s army. The agni kai, a traditional firebending duel, are practiced to decide matters of skill and honor.
However, firebenders also take many other roles in Fire Nation society. Firebending smiths are the best in the world, using their ability to directly manipulate heat to control the metal’s temperature. Firebending is also used to heat water, providing even people of the middle class with access to hot water.
Racial Traits: A member of the Fire Nation possesses the following racial traits:
+2 Intelligence, –2 Wisdom: the people of the Fire Nation are bright and quick-witted, but they lack awareness and spiritual sensitivity. At 15th level, a person from the Fire Nation gains a +2 bonus to Strength as well.
Bonus Feats: Fire Nation citizens receive a bonus feat at 1st level. She must meet the prerequisites of this feat. At 5th level, she receives the Skill Focus feat as well.
Driven: The people of the Fire Nation have an incredible drive to accomplish their own goals, and are hard to sway from their path. They gain a +2 bonus on Will saves. At 10th level, this bonus increases to +3, and it increases to +4 at 20th level.
Industrious: Fire Nation citizens gain a +2 bonus on all Craft checks and Disable Device checks due to their industrious nature. The bonus to Craft checks increases by +1 at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter, to a maximum of +6 at 20th level.
Skill Mastery: A member of the Fire Nation chooses one skill, and adds her Intelligence modifier (if positive) to that skill as well as the normally applicable ability modifier (if the normal ability modifier is Intelligence, she adds twice her Intelligence modifier to that skill). The chosen skill is always a class skill for her. At 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter, she gains a cumulative +1 bonus with the selected skill. At 15th level, she can take 10 on this skill, even if it’s not normally allowed. She must still be trained in this skill (or have the appropriate feat, if it is a bending skill) in order to use it, if applicable.
Unstoppable: Starting at 10th level, once per day a citizen of the Fire Nation can ignore a single temporary Condition penalty that she incurs. This is a free action.
Needed: Level 20 capstone ability.
Water Tribes
Fluff [definitely needs a lot of work.]
Basics.

Lands: The Water Tribes are divided into two main tribes, the Northern Water Tribe, and the Southern Water Tribe. They live near the north and south poles, respectively, thriving in the harsh and frigid tundra that covers the two polar landscapes. Large cities dot these frozen lands, separated by large rivers and seas that form in the cracks between giant ice flows.
Because of the nature of the landscape, the waters around the areas of solid land constant freeze and thaw, making travel between Water Tribe villages and cities difficult.

Society: [I think it needs work...]

Element: Water is the element of change.

Benders: The water tribes boast a large number of benders compared to the other nations. Roughly one in ten members of the Water Tribes is a waterbender. The large number of waterbenders allows the Water Tribes to survive in the icy lands that they call home. Their benders build their cities out of ice and snow, and help maneuver boats and skiffs down the river-ways that snake their way through the city streets.
The Northern and Southern tribes have a much different cultural view on the training of waterbenders. In the Northern Water Tribe, male waterbenders are trained in the combative arts, while female waterbenders are taught solely to use their powers to heal. The Southern Water Tribe forgoes such gender-based roles, allowing anyone who develops the gift for waterbending to practice how they see fit. This does, however, lead to a lack of healers in the Southern Water Tribe.
Racial Traits: A member of one of the Water Tribes possesses the following racial traits:
+2 Charisma, –2 Dexterity: The people of the Water Tribes are friendly and personable, but they lack agility. At 15th level, a Water Tribe member gains a +2 bonus to Wisdom as well.
Bonus Feats: The members of the Water Tribes gain a bonus feat at 1st level. He must meet the prerequisites, if any, for this feat. At 5th level, he gains the Endurance feat, as well.
Diplomatic: A member of one of the Water Tribes gains a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy checks. This bonus increases to +4 at 5th level.
Hardy: Living in extreme environments has made the people of the Water Tribes able to endure incredible hardships. They gain a +2 bonus on Fortitude saves. At 10th level and again at 20th level, this bonus increases by +1.
Mettle: At 10th level, a member of one of the Water Tribes becomes capable of better resisting unusual attacks. Whenever he succeeds at a Fortitude or Will save against an effect that normally has a partial effect or reduced damage on a successful save, he ignores the partial effect.
Polar Survivor: A member of the Water Tribes gains a +2 racial bonus on Swim checks and Survival checks due to the harsh nature of their homelands. At 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter, he may choose one of these skills to gain an additional +1 bonus.
Spirit Blessed: Blessed children of the Moon and Ocean, the people of the Water Tribes are resistant to the powers of hostile spirits. They gain a +1 bonus on saving throws against special attacks made by spirits and against spirit magic. This bonus increases by +1 at 5th level and at every 5 levels thereafter.
Needed: Level 20 capstone ability.

So, any comments, suggestions, or constructive criticism on balance and/or any needed abilities is most welcome!

[Absol197]

So, since the Bending section was so freakin' huge, I have to split it up. I've done two elements per post, with the basics below.

AIRBENDING
Airbending is a quick, graceful art that emphasizes mobility and speed. The motions are swift, and incorporate many circular movements of the arms and rapid, light footsteps. Above and beyond the other bending arts, airbending allows the airbender to augment his own physical abilities, giving him incredible speed, agility, and jumping ability.

Airbending has a primary focus on defense—the many abilities that it grants allows an airbender to easily dodge, avoid, evade, or simply run away from a confrontation. True attack techniques in airbending are rare: most often, techniques like Gust, which blow opponents away, are as close to an actual attack that airbenders perform.

As all Air Nomads are benders, the art of airbending plays an incredibly important role in their society. Air Nomad dwellings are often placed on cliff sides and high peaks—easy enough to reach, if one can fly. The Air Temples themselves are carved onto the highest peaks, and totally unreachable except by a flying airbender or the sky bison that they often use as mounts.

It is nearly impossible to separate an airbender from his element: doing so for any extended period of time is almost certainly fatal, as the airbender needs air to breath, just like any other creature. This, combined with the airbender’s enhanced mobility, makes taking them prisoner quite a challenge.
Unlike most other bending disciplines, an airbender does not need to be able to see the air in order to bend it. Instead, he must have an unbroken line of effect to whatever target he is affecting, or he must use the sense air ability in order to bend air that he does not have line of effect to.

Airbending Techniques
Airbender’s Leap
This ability is one that makes members of the other nations quite glad that airbenders practice nonviolence, for how could you stop an enemy that can simply jump over your highest wall? The Airbender’s Leap allows an airbender to jump extraordinary distances, both vertical and horizontal, with incredible ease. It is important to note that this technique does not grant an airbender any ability to ignore falling damage: he must make sure he’s landing on an elevated platform, or that he has some other ability that will allow him to mitigate a fall.

Action: Swift.

Effect: You gain a bonus on a single Acrobatics check made to jump. For the purposes of the jump, you are always considered to have gotten a running start.

DC 20: +20 to Acrobatics check made to jump.
DC 25: +40 to Acrobatics check made to jump.
DC 30: +80 to Acrobatics check made to jump.
DC 35: +160 to Acrobatics check made to jump.
DC +10: Doble bonus to Acrobatics check made to jump per 10 above 35.

Special: Airbender’s Leap requires very minimal physical movement beyond simply jumping, allowing an airbender to use it while bound or otherwise restrained.
Air Burst
The airbender generates a powerful surge of wind around himself, blasting everything in the area away.

Action: Standard (R).

Effect: A burst of wind surrounds the airbender, blowing all characters within a certain radius away. Compare the Airbending result to each affected opponent’s CMD. Characters that are airborne when affected take a –4 to their CMD. Characters that are blown into a solid object or other character take 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet flung in this manner.
Additionally, this technique can do anything else that a powerful gust of wind could be expected to do, such as whip up a cloud of dust or sand that might obscure vision.

The maximum radius of this ability is a number of feet equal to the result of the Airbending check (rounded down to the nearest 5-foot increment), although the airbender may make it smaller if he wishes.

An airbender can use a smaller air burst reflexively in order to attempt to disperse an area attack aimed at him. If he succeeds on his Reflex save against such an attack, he takes no damage instead of half damage, as the evasion ability. If the airbender already has evasion, he instead takes half damage even if he fails his save, as improved evasion.
Featherdance
By using the air around him to support and assist his movements, an airbender is capable of becoming as light and agile as a feather. This technique has several uses: first, it allows an airbender to slow his descent, allowing him to ignore falling damage. It also allows him to gain bonuses on Acrobatics checks to perform various maneuvers.

Action: Swift.

Effect: The airbender either ignores falling damage, or gains a bonus on an Acrobatics check or a Stealth check to move quietly, as well as granting a dodge bonus to AC.

DC 10 + 1/10 ft. fallen: An airbender ignores 10 feet of falling damage for every point by which his Airbending result exceeds 10.
DC 15: +5 to Acrobatics or Stealth check; +1 to Defense.
DC 20: +10 to Acrobatics or Stealth check; +2 to Defense.
DC 25: +15 to Acrobatics or Stealth check; +3 to Defense.
DC 30: +20 to Acrobatics or Stealth check; +4 to Defense.
DC +10: Additional +5 to Acrobatics or Stealth and +1 to Defense per 10 above 30.

While using Featherdance, an airbender does not provoke attacks of opportunity for shifting reflexively. An airbender can maintain this technique for as long as he wishes, as long as he continues to spend a swift action every round.

Special: Featherdance requires very little physical motion, allowing the airbender to use it while bound or otherwise restrained.
Flight
Perhaps the skill that airbenders are best known for is the ability to fly. Unlike most bending techniques, airbenders require assistance in order to fly: the monks use light wooden and cloth gliders to help with the fine control of air currents needed to make use of this technique. Without a glider, an airbender takes a –20 penalty on Airbending checks made to use this technique, and must continue to make Airbending checks each turn in order to stay airborne. If the airbender has something to assist him, such as a staff he can spin rapidly, this penalty is only –10.

Action: Move (R)

Effect: Your effective fly speed is double your Airbending check result (rounded down to the nearest 10-foot increment). Your maneuverability is based on your Airbending check as described below. You must continue to take a move action every turn to fly at least half of your speed, or else you stall in the air and begin to fall.

DC 25: Clumsy maneuverability (–8 to Fly checks).
DC 30: Poor maneuverability (–4 to Fly checks).
DC 35: Average maneuverability.
DC 40: Good maneuverability (+4 to Fly checks).
Gust
A staple in the arsenal of every airbender, Gust allows him to focus a powerful surge of wind, blowing anyone and anything in front of him away.

Action: Attack.

Effect: Gust creates a line of air in front of the airbender. The length of this line is determined by the result of an Airbending check:

DC 15: 30-ft. line.
DC 20: 60-ft. line.
DC 25: 90-ft. line.
DC 30: 120-ft. line.
DC +10: +30 ft. length per 10 above 30.

Treat his Airbending check result as a bull rush attempt against the CMD of all creatures or objects in the area of the effect. As with Air Burst, characters that are pushed into solid objects or other characters take 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet pushed.

Additionally, this technique can do anything else that a powerful gust of wind could be expected to do, such as whip up a cloud of dust or sand that might obscure vision.

An airbender can choose to create a cone with Gust instead of a line. The length of this cone is equal to half the length of a line.

If an airbender uses gust as a full-round action instead, he may maintain this technique for a number of rounds equal to his Wisdom modifier, taking a full-round action each turn to do so.
Microburst
One of the few truly damaging attacks in the airbender’s arsenal, the mighty Microburst creates a short-lived but powerful windstorm in a small area.

Action: Standard.

Effect: A spread of air buffets those in its area, dealing damage. Affected creatures may attempt a Fortitude save for half damage.

DC 35: 15-ft. radius, 6d6 damage.
DC 40: 15-ft. radius, 7d6 damage.
DC 45: 20-ft. radius, 8d6 damage.
DC 50: 20-ft. radius, 9d6 damage.
DC +10: Additional +5 ft. to radius and +1d6 to damage per 10 above 50.
Move Object
With precisely directed currents or air, a skilled airbender is capable of lifting objects and moving them about, or even using them as projectile weapons against his opponents.

Action: Attack (R).

Effect: An airbender can move an object of a certain weight based on his Airbending check result. This technique does not allow the airbender enough fine control in order to manipulate and object in a way that a hand might—he may only push or pull the object.

DC 20: Move object of up to 20 lbs.
DC 25: Move object of up to 40 lbs.
DC 30: Move object of up to 80 lbs.
DC 35: Move object of up to 160 lbs.
DC +10: Double maximum weight per 10 above 35.

An airbender may throw an object at an opponent with enough force to deal damage. To do so, the object must be at least one weight level below the maximum the airbender can move based on his Airbending check result. Thrown objects require a ranged touch attack to hit, and have a range increment of 20 feet, and can be thrown a maximum of 5 range increments. For each additional weight category below the airbender’s maximum the projectile is, the range increment doubles.

Thrown objects deal a number of dice based on their weight (1 die per weight category), and of a die size based on their consistency, ranging from 1 for very soft materials (such as a mattress) to 1d10 for dense or hard materials (such as steel).

An airbender can move living creatures with this technique, although a creature that does not want to be moved can attempt a Reflex save to negate the attempt.

Move Object can be used reflexively in order to deflect an attack, either melee or ranged. Make an Airbending check and compare it to the attack roll. If the Airbending check result is higher, the attack misses. Otherwise, the attack hits as normal. Effectively, the Airbending check is the airbender’s Defense roll against that attack. Alternatively, nearby objects can be moved between the airbender and an incoming projectile, blocking the attack.
Run with the Wind
By generating a powerful tail-wind, an airbender is capable of running with astounding speed, covering distances that would take others hours in a matter of minutes. This useful technique also allows an airbender to walk on walls or even ceilings for a short time without risk of falling.

Action: Move.

Effect: The airbender’s base land speed increases by an amount determined by his Airbending check result. While using Run with the Wind, an airbender can move across any vertical or inverted surface as easily as if he were walking across the ground, however he must end his turn standing on a surface that can support him, or else he falls and this technique ends.

DC 20: +20 ft. to base land speed.
DC 25: +40 ft. to base land speed.
DC 30: +60 ft. to base land speed.
DC 35: +80 ft. to base land speed.
DC +10: Additional +20 ft. to base land speed per 10 over 35.

An airbender can maintain this technique as long as he wishes, as long as he continues to take a move action to move at least half of his (improved) base land speed each turn. This technique does not grant him immunity to fatigue, however, and if he runs for too long, an airbender risks becoming tired.

While using this technique, an airbender is partially supported by the currents of air, allowing him to run on surfaces that normally would not support his weight, including thin ice or even water without penalty, although he must still end his turn on solid ground or else the technique ends and he falls through the surface.

Special: Run with the Wind requires very little physical movement beyond simply running, allowing the airbender to use it while bound or otherwise restrained.
Soundbending
A secret technique of the greatest airbending masters, Soundbending allows an airbender to manipulate waves of air with such precision as to deaden or amplify sounds, or even create new sounds altogether.

Prerequisite: You must have the Master of Sound feat in order to gain or select this technique.

Action: Swift (R) or Attack.

Effect: With Soundbending, an airbender can either amplify or diminish sounds, decreasing or increasing the DC of a Perception check to hear the sound or sounds in question. When amplifying a sound, subtract the result of the airbender’s Airbending check from the DC of the Perception check to notice it. This will typically mean the sound can be heard from a very long way away. An airbender can amplify a sound he makes, so as to be heard from a long way off, or he can amplify a far-off sound, making it easier for him to hear what is going on over a distant hill.

A diminished sound adds the result of an Airbending check to the DC of the Perception check to hear it, meaning such sounds are likely almost imperceptible. Airbenders typically use this technique to hide the details of a conversation from those around him. This version can be used reflexively to negate a sound-based attack, such as another airbender using this technique to create a sound burst (see below).

Alternately, an airbender can create sounds with this technique. Created sounds can be of any type that the Airbender can imagine. Listeners may attempt a Will save to realize that the sounds are manufactured, not natural. An airbender can use this ability to create a screaming burst of sound that deals tremendous damage and deafens those in the area for 1d4+1 rounds.

DC 30: Create sounds.
DC 35: Sound burst deals 6d4 sonic damage.
DC 40: Sound burst deals 8d4 sonic damage.
DC 45: Sound burst deals 10d4 sonic damage.
DC +10: Sound burst deals an additional 2d4 points of sonic damage per 10 points above 45.

A sound burst may be either a 120-foot line, a 60-foot cone, or a 30-foot burst centered on the bender. A successful Fortitude save halves the damage and negates the deafness.
Tornado
The ultimate technique of airbending, the dreaded Tornado creates a whirling cyclone that leaves a wake of destruction behind it. Due to the peaceful nature of the Air Nomads, this powerful technique rarely sees use in combat, but the mere fact of its existence is often enough to cause potential enemies to think twice about attacking an airbender temple.

Action: Full-Round.

Effect: A tornado creates a whirling storm wind of tremendous power. Its radius is based on the result of an Airbending check:

DC 40: 5-ft. radius, 50 ft. high.
DC 45: 10-ft. radius, 100 ft. high.
DC 50: 15-ft. radius, 150 ft. high.
DC 55: 20-ft. radius, 200 ft. high.
DC +10: Additional 5-ft. radius and 50 ft. in height per 10 above 55.

The tornado imposes a –4 on all ranged attack rolls per square of the tornado the attack passes through, and a –20 on Listen checks. Medium creatures must succeed on a Fortitude save each turn there are within the tornado or be picked up and help aloft in the howling winds, unable go anywhere but where the tornado (and therefore, the airbender) takes them. Either way, any creature in the winds takes 2d6 points of damage per round with no save. A tornado that touches the ground kicks up a cloud of debris that obscures vision. This cloud affects a radius equal to three times the tornado’s.

Out to twice the tornado’s radius is an area of wind not as strong as the funnel itself. All effects of the tornado are halved in this area, and instead of being picked up, Medium creatures are unable to move against the winds.
The tornado forms in front of the airbender (who is unaffected by the outer radius of weaker winds, but is affected by the tornado itself), and can be directed to move as he wishes, up to 60 feet per round. The airbender can maintain the tornado for a number of rounds equal to his Wisdom modifier, taking a full-round action to do so.

One of the big things I need critiqued here are the DCs for Earthbending techniques.

EARTHBENDING
A firm, powerful style, earthbending is slow, methodical, and direct. It makes use of short, tight, focused movements that allow the earthbender’s feet to maintain near-constant contact with the earth. More so than any other bending style, the effects of earthbending are long-lasting: the Earth Kingdom is littered with spires and walls left over from the battles of ages past.

An earthbender moves through combat slowly, focusing on one thing at a time. When she defends, her defense is impregnable—when she attacks, it’s head on and full-force. It is said by many that the key to earthbending is to wait and listen, finding the perfect time to switch from defense to offense.
While not incredibly common among the people of the Earth Kingdom, the earthbender is part of the foundation of the society. Their unique ability to construct vast buildings out of solid rock quickly has made them an important part of the Earth Kingdom’s infrastructure. Entire villages, towns, even massive cities are constructed entirely of earth that has been bent into its shape by master earthbending-architects. Other marvels, such as the trains of Ba Sing Se and the Omashu mail delivery system also make use of earthbending in order to improve the lives of the Earth Kingdom’s citizens.

It is difficult to separate an earthbender form her element, but for the determined, it can be done. Metal cells, as well as ships on the ocean, can separate the earthbender from the rock and stone needed to bend sufficiently to cut off their abilities. It is for this reason that most Earth Kingdom prisons are made entirely out of metal.

In order to bend, an earthbender must have a connection to the earth. By standing on the ground, she automatically has a connection to all contiguous expressions of earth within her bending range, as well as to any non-contiguous earth that she can see. Metal interferes with this connection, creating a “shadow” in her sense of the earth around her. By using the sense earth ability, an earthbender can sense all earth within her bending range, even if she is not touching the ground. For some unknown reason, metal still interferes with this ability, and blocks an earthbender’s line of effect with sense earth. An earthbender entirely surrounded by metal, such as one in a metal jail, is completely cut off from the earth.

EARTHBENDING TECHNIQUES
Burrow
A favorite of higher level earthbenders, Burrow allows the bender to tunnel swiftly through the ground, moving unseen (though not necessarily unnoticed) beneath the surface of the earth.

Action: Move (R).

Effect: The earthbender gains a burrow speed based on the result of her Earthbending check:

DC 30: Burrow 20 ft.
DC 35: Burrow 30 ft.
DC 40: Burrow 40 ft.
DC 45: Burrow 50 ft.
DC +10: Additional 10-ft. of burrow speed per 10 above 45.

Burrowing in this manner does not leave a tunnel behind for other creatures to follow, meaning an earthbender who wishes to bring friends or allies who do not also possess Burrow along with her must instead use the Excavation technique, which takes appreciably longer.

Used reflexively, this technique allows an earthbender to shift down into the earth beneath her feet to avoid an attack.

An earthbender can maintain this technique for as long as she wishes, as long as she continues to spend a move action to move at least half of her burrow speed each turn. If the earthbender stops moving for whatever reason, she is then trapped under the earth until she uses Burrow again in order to get out. If this happens, she may run the risk of suffocating.
Cling
By sinking her hands and feet into the earth slightly, an earthbender is capable of becoming a bastion of defense, nearly impossible to move from her current place. An earthbender can also use this technique to scale walls made of earth as easily as a spider.

Action: Swift (R) or Move (R).

Effect: Rooting herself to the spot grants an earthbender a bonus to her CMD to resist any attack that would move her from her place, such as a bull rush, trip, or overrun, and on any save against a similar effect, based on the result of her Earthbending check:

DC 15: +4 to CMD and saves to resist being moved.
DC 20: +8 to CMD and saves to resist being moved.
DC 25: +12 to CMD and saves to resist being moved.
DC 30: +16 to CMD and saves to resist being moved.
DC +10: Additional +4 to CMD and saves to resist being moved per 10 above 30.

Cling can be used reflexively to resist such an attack as it is made. This ability lasts until the earthbender uses another swift action to end it, but during that time, she cannot voluntarily leave the square she is in (an earthbender with the Burrow technique can use that ability to negate this restriction).

An earthbender can also use Cling to scale walls made of earth, gaining a climb speed based on the result of an Earthbending check:

DC 20: Climb speed 10 ft.
DC 25: Climb speed 20 ft.
DC 30: Climb speed 30 ft.
DC 35: Climb speed 40 ft.
DC +10: Additional 10 ft. to climb speed per 10 above 35.

A falling earthbender near a wall can use this ability reflexively in order to grab the wall and reduce the damage from the fall. The earthbender still takes damage from the distance she has already fallen, but the effective distance is reduced by her climb speed (so an earthbender who falls 30 feet before catching a wall who gains a climb speed of 30 feet takes no damage).
Unlike other similar techniques, an earthbender does not need to keep taking a move action to remain climbing—this technique ends once she stops climbing and returns to the ground.
Earthen Armor
Although it is a difficult technique to master, Earthen Armor has saved the lives of thousands of earthbenders throughout the ages, and so any with the skill to do so usually take the time to become at least proficient with it.

The difficulty in this technique lies in the fact that one must bend continuously in order to maintain it—the stones that form the armor are quite heavy, and without bending to supplement the user’s strength, she would be quite incapacitated by the weight of her new suit.

Action: Swift (R).

Effect: Earthen Armor allows the earthbender to draw in nearby earth which covers the bender with a suit of thick, durable rocks, providing an armor bonus to AC based on the results of her Earthbending check:

DC 35: +4 armor bonus to AC.
DC 40: +6 armor bonus to AC.
DC 45: +8 armor bonus to AC.
DC 50: +10 armor bonus to AC.
DC +10: Additional +2 to AC per 10 above 50.

As stone is a poor conductor of heat, the armor is effective against firebending attacks. The earthbender can maintain this technique indefinitely, as long as she continues to spend a swift action each turn. If she does not, the armor falls off. Unlike most personal techniques, if there is not enough nearby earth, this technique cannot be used (a Medium earthbender requires a 3-foot cube of earth for this technique).
Earthquake
This powerful technique creates a rippling tremor to flood out from the earthbender, causing damage to everything in the area.

Action: Full-Round.

Effect: An Earthquake affects a radius around the earthbender and deals a certain amount of damage, as based on the result of her Earthbending check:

DC 30: 10-ft. radius; 4d6 damage.
DC 35: 20-ft. radius; 6d6 damage.
DC 40: 30-ft. radius; 8d6 damage.
DC 45: 40-ft. radius; 10d6 damage.
DC +10: Additional 10-ft. radius and 2d6 damage per 10 above 45.

The earthbender may choose to instead affect a cone of up to twice the radius, or a line of up to four times the radius. Affected characters may attempt a Reflex save for half damage.

At the earthbender’s option, this technique can kick up a cloud of dust in the affected area that obscures the vision of those inside it. She may maintain this cloud as a swift action, or allow it to disperse naturally, which usually takes 1d6+4 rounds, depending on the wind conditions in the area.
Excavation
The benders of the Earth Kingdom are known for their enormous and impressive cities forged completely from stone, and it is this technique that allows for these magnificent achievements. It is quite common for earthbenders to become architects as well as soldiers, using Excavation to raise walls, build houses, and dig trenches to help their communities.

Action: 1+ rounds.

Effect: Excavation allows an earthbender to mold and shape large quantities of earth, shaping it as necessary. The amount of earth that can be shaped is determined by the result of an Earthbending check:

DC 15: One 10-ft. cube.
DC 20: Two 10-ft. cubes.
DC 25: Four 10-ft. cubes.
DC 30: Eight 10-ft. cubes.
DC +10: Double volume per 10 above 30.

For each additional full-round an earthbender takes to use this technique, she can shape double the amount of earth, up to a number of rounds equal to her Wisdom modifier.

This technique is too slow to work effectively as an attack, except in rare circumstances (such as turning a staircase beneath enemies into a slide). It is useful for reshaping a battlefield in order to gain a tactical advantage. Any attempt to encapsulate an opponent allows a Reflex save in order to avoid being trapped.
Metalbending
Metal is simply earth that has been purified and refined, yet the ability to bend metal is beyond even the most powerful earthbenders. None has yet to discover the secret, though many have tried. The technique remains a legend, often sought, never found.

Prerequisite: You must possess the Warp Iron feat in order to gain or select this technique.

Action: Varies.

Effect: Unlike many techniques, Metalbending does not have a unique effect of its own. Instead, it allows an earthbender to use any other use of the Earthbending skill she possesses to instead affect worked metal. Add +20 to the DC of the technique being performed. She cannot metalbend a target that is farther away than her Close range, and she must have a continuous line of metal to affect a target she cannot directly touch. The effects of some techniques, such as Earthquake’s ability to generate a dust cloud, may not function when used with Metalbending.

While an earthbender with this technique can sense metal, it still creates a “shadow” that interferes with her ability to sense normal earth. However, since she can actively manipulate metal, she has many more options than a normal earthbender.

Use of this technique counts as a use of Metalbending, not of the technique being mimicked.
Move the Earth
A staple for earthbender soldiers, Move the Earth allows an earthbender to levitate boulders and chunks of earth, as well as launch them with great force, creating effective projectiles.

Action: Attack (R).

Effect: The earthbender can lift and manipulate a chunk of earth of a certain weight based on the result of an Earthbending check:

DC 20: Move object of up to 25 lbs.
DC 25: Move object of up to 50 lbs.
DC 30: Move object of up to 100 lbs.
DC 35: Move object of up to 200 lbs.
DC +10: Double maximum weight per 10 above 35.

To throw a boulder as a projectile weapon, it must be at least one weight level below the maximum the bender can move based on her Earthbending check result. Thrown objects require a ranged touch attack to hit, have a range increment of 20 feet, and can be thrown a maximum of 5 range increments. For each additional weight category below the earthbender’s maximum the projectile is, the range increment doubles. A boulder deals 2d6 damage per weight category.

An earthbender can use this technique to levitate several smaller boulders, as long as the total weight does not exceed her maximum based on her Earthbending check. Earthbenders typically do so in order to make attacks with several smaller rocks quickly.

This technique can be used reflexively to block an earthen projectile moving towards the earthbender; a boulder disturbed by an avalanche, or, more often, a stone chucked at them by another earthbender.
Pillar of Earth
Useful as both an offensive and defensive ability, Pillar of Earth allows an earthbender to quickly create spires and walls from the ground beneath her feet. This technique is also useful for quickly constructing makeshift shelters, commonly called the “earth tent.”

Action: Full-round.

Effect: Pillar of Earth has two versions: either a spire or a wall. The size of a wall depends on the result of an Earthbending check:

DC 15: 25x25 ft. wall, 1 inch thick.
DC 20: 50x50 ft. wall, 2 inches thick.
DC 25: 75x75 ft. wall, 3 inches thick.
DC 30: 100x100 ft. wall, 4 inches thick.
DC +10: Additional 25x25 ft. area and 1 inch of thickness per 10 above 30.

The area of the wall is shapeable, as long as it is within the prescribed limits. An earthbender may double the thickness by halving the area, or double the area by halving the thickness.

A spire on the other hand, has a prescribed volume, based on the result of an Earthbending check:

DC 20: 5x5x5 ft. spire; 1d6 damage.
DC 25: 10x10x10 ft. spire; 2d6 damage.
DC 30: 15x15x15 ft. spire; 3d6 damage.
DC 35: 20x20x20 ft. spire; 4d6 damage.
DC +10: Additional 5x5x5 ft. volume and 1d6 damage per 10 above 35.

Like a wall, a spire’s prescribed volume is shapeable. Unlike a wall, a spire can be used as a weapon by raising it out of the ground to strike an enemy, dealing the listed damage. An enemy may attempt a Reflex save to negate the damage. In an enclosed space, a big enough spire can be used to attempt to crush an enemy, should an earthbender summon it from a wall or ceiling. Such an attempt deals double the damage, and may possibly trap the enemy if it fails its save.
Tectonics
By causing small, localized tremors in the earth, an earthbender using this technique can shift objects across the surface of the ground, or even catapult them into the air.

Action: Swift (R).

Effect: The bender makes an Earthbending check, allowing her to shift a character or object across the surface of the earth. Because the tremors make balancing difficult, this movement provokes an attack of opportunity as normal, unless the earthbender shifts herself. A creature that does not wish to be shifted can attempt a Reflex save to avoid the effect. How far an earthbender can shift a target is based on the result of her Earthbending check:

DC 15: Shift target 5 feet.
DC 25: Shift target 10 ft.
DC 35: Shift target 15 ft.
DC 45: Shift target 20 ft.
DC +15: Shift target an additional 5 feet per 15 above 45.

A target need not be shifted in a straight line. An earthbender may continue to spend a multiple swift actions across multiple turns to continue to shift a target, as long as the target does not move from the spot she shifts it to in the interim. She may maintain this power as long as she wishes if she keeps spending at least one swift action per turn.

Alternatively, an earthbender can catapult the target into the air. Earthbenders often use this ability to reach high-up places.

DC 15: Launch target 5 ft.
DC 20: Launch target 10 ft.
DC 25: Launch target 20 ft.
DC 30: Launch target 40 ft.
DC +10: Launch target twice as high per 10 above 30.

This assumes the target is Medium-sized and about as heavy as an ordinary human. Larger or significantly heavier objects are launched a shorter distance: for each size category above Medium, or if the target is much denser than normal, it is launched only half as far. Smaller or lighter targets are easier to launch, and fly farther, going twice as far for each size smaller than Medium.

This technique can also be used reflexively by an earthbender to reduce the damage from a fall. As long as the bender is landing on solid earth, she can reduce the effective height of a fall by the distance she would have been launched by being catapulted based on her Earthbending check result.
Tremorsense
This incredibly useful ability is one that most earthbenders don’t even know about. Through their innate connection to the earth, they can feel the vibrations around them, generating a mental map of the area, helping them locate allies and potential enemies.

Action: Swift.

Effect: The earthbender gains an accurate mental map of all movement in or on the earth within a certain radius, based on her Earthbending check:

DC 30: 15-ft. radius.
DC 35: 30-ft. radius.
DC 40: 60 ft. radius.
DC 45: 120 ft. radius.
DC +10: Double effective radius per 10 above 45.

The earthbender is aware of all creatures in contact with the earth within the radius, as well as the effects of any earthbending attempts within that radius as well. Creatures she can’t actually see still have total concealment against her, and attacks against her from such creatures still benefit from her effective blindness, but she is not flat-footed against such attacks. This technique is useless against airborne creatures, and creatures in the area may still make Stealth checks to avoid her notice, but the Earthbender gains a +10 bonus on Perception checks to notice them.

This technique can be maintained indefinitely, as long as the earthbender continues to spend a swift action each round to maintain it.

[Absol197]

Fire and water should be pretty good, all things considered. Any critiques are still welcome, of course!

FIREBENDING
Swift, forceful, and overwhelming, firebending is driven by the will and emotions of the bender who wields it. Of all the bending styles, firebending is the most directly martial in its appearance, being composed of punches, kicks, and similar strikes. Because of this, many young firebenders mistakenly believe that it is physical strength that fuels their bending. In fact, the powerful movements are simply to direct the flames—true power in firebending comes from control of the breath and the focusing of the emotions. In battle, master firebenders seem utterly serene, almost as if moving in an odd “sped-up slow-motion.”

Firebending seems unique among the other bending style in that its practitioners are capable of creating their element out of nothing. This is in fact not true: a firebender needs ambient heat in order to ignite flames this way, and compared to manipulating active fires, creating it oneself is much more difficult. Most firebenders who use their abilities for utility instead of combat don’t bother to learn the ability, and instead make use of other aspects of the art. However, this fearsome reputation is made use of by the leaders of the Fire Nation, and nearly all firebending warriors learn to perfect this technique, both to keep the fearsome image alive, and for the utility of not needed an active flame to use their abilities.

Because of fire’s ethereal nature, and its low percentage of benders, one might think that the Fire Nation would fall behind the others. In fact, quite the opposite is true: because of their determination and industrious nature, the Fire Nation is one of the most advanced of the four. While fire itself may not be the best building material, it has many uses in industry, and the smiths of the Fire Nation have perfected the process of smelting metal by actively controlling exactly where the heat from their forges goes. The Fire Nation is also the only place where even the lowest peasants have a good chance of having good access to hot water, a luxury that only the highest nobles of the other nations might have.

Separating a firebender from his element is impossible, but limiting his access to it is at least a possibility. Because he draws his energy from the heat in the air, cold places make firebending difficult. In addition, dousing or quenching any active fires in the area are a good way to limit a firebender’s effectiveness, as he must then rely on the more difficult process of creating fire to bend. A firebender can affect any active fire he can see, as well as the heat from the air he breathes in and his own body heat. In order to affect other aspects of fire, such as a fire he cannot see or the heat of other objects, he must use the sense fire ability.

The Great Comet: Once every one-hundred years, a great comet skims through the firmament of the world, granting firebenders untold power. For the one day that the comet is nearby, all firebenders gain a +50 insight bonus to all firebending checks. The comet’s passage also allows firebenders to bend, even if (on the incredibly rare occasion) there is also a solar eclipse that day. For the Fire Nation, the comet’s passage is a very auspicious day, and each time it appears in the sky, there are thousands of Agni Kai (traditional Firebending duels) fought. A child (especially a firebending child) born on the day of the comet is believed to have an incredible destiny before her.

FIREBENDING TECHNIQUES
Breath of Fire
The vast majority of firebenders use their gifts to learn to control external sources of heat and flame. There are, however, those few who know how to manipulate their own inner fire—the chi, to achieve effects that, while not as spectacular as other firebending techniques, are still quite potent.

Action: Swift (R).

Effect: The Breath of Fire allows a firebender to resist the effects of bitter cold or sweltering heat by controlling his body temperature. It can also grant a firebender resistance to fire or cold damage. Powerful firebenders can use the technique to reduce or even ignore the penalty to Firebending checks for being in a cold environment. The level of endurance he gains is based on the result of a Firebending check:

DC 25: Exist comfortably in Hot or Cold environments.
DC 30: Exist comfortably in Severe Heat or Severe Cold environments; gain resistance to fire 5 and cold 5; Ignore –2 penalty to Firebending due to cold.
DC 35: Exist comfortably in Extreme Heat or Extreme Cold environments; gain resistance to fire 10 and cold 10; ignore –4 penalty to Firebending due to cold.
DC 40: Ignore –8 penalty to firebending due to cold.
DC +10: +5 fire and cold resistance and ignore additional –2 penalty due to cold temperatures per 10 above 40.

A firebender can maintain this technique as long as he wishes, as long as he continues to spend a swift action each round to do so.

Special: Breath of Fire requires no movements on the bender’s part to perform. It never provokes an attack of opportunity, and can be used while restrained.
Combustion
This powerful technique allows a firebender to induce a fire to generate a powerful explosion, causing damage and flinging characters and objects in the area away.

Action: Standard.

Effect: A currently burning fire erupts, causing an explosion that deals damage based on the size of the fire and the results of a Firebending check:

DC 25: Fire increases +1 size.
DC 30: Fire increases +2 sizes.
DC 35: Fire increases +3 sizes.
DC 40: Fire increases +4 sizes.
DC +10: Fire increases +1 size per 10 above 40.

{table=head]Fire Size|Base Damage|Fire Area|Bull-Rush Modifier
Fine|1|—|–22 + Wis
Diminutive|1d2|1-ft. square|–18 + Wis
Tiny|1d3|2-1/2ft sq.|–12 + Wis
Small|1d4|4-ft. square|–6 + Wis
Medium|1d6|5-ft. square|+ Wis
Large|2d6|10-ft. square|+8 + Wis
Huge|2d8|15-ft. square|+16 + Wis
Gargantuan|4d6|20-ft. square|+24 + Wis
Colossal|4d8|30-ft. square|+32 + Wis
Colossal +|+2d8/size|+10 ft./size|+8/size[/table]

The area affected is that of the fire’s new size. The damage dealt is equal to the standard damage of a fire of the fire’s new size plus that damage times the number of sizes the fire increased by (a Medium fire that increased to a Huge fire, for instance, would deal 6d8 damage [a Huge fire deals 2d8, plus 4d8 for increasing two sizes]).

Half this damage is fire damage, the other half is bludgeoning damage. Creatures in the area are subjected to a bull-rush attempt, using the modifier listed for the fire’s new size.

After the explosion, the fire returns to its original size, unless there are combustible materials in the area that can be ignited by the blast.
Fire Blast
Almost synonymous with firebending itself, the fire blast allows a firebender to launch a blazing jet of flame at a target.

Action: Attack.

Effect: The damage and range of the Fire Blast is determined by the result of a Firebending check:

DC 20: 1d6 fire damage; 20-ft. range increment.
DC 25: 2d6 fire damage; 30-ft. range increment.
DC 30: 3d6 fire damage; 40-ft. range increment.
DC 35: 4d6 fire damage; 50-ft. range increment.
DC +10: +1d6 fire damage and +10 ft. range increment per 10 above 35.

The jet of flame requires a ranged touch attack to hit. Some armors and shields are designed to protect against fire, allowing them to be applied to the target’s AC as well. A Fire Blast can be fired up to ten range increments. Unlike normal fire damage, objects take full damage from a Fire Blast.
Flame Blade
A technique favored by firebenders with skill in weapons combat, a Flame Blade is a weapon composed of pure fire. Useful in that it cannot be disarmed from the firebender and that it bypasses most armor, those with the skill in melee to utilize such a weapon rely heavily on this technique.

Action: Swift (R).

Effect: The firebender manifests and focuses a small flame in the shape of a weapon. Typical favorites are daggers, whips, and short swords. The weapon imitated must be capable of dealing slashing damage. The weapon is wielded as a weapon of its type, and has a threat range and critical multiplier as normal. The damage of the weapon is determined by the result of a Firebending check:

DC 20: Normal weapon damage.
DC 25: Damage as +1 size category.
DC 30: Damage as +2 size categories.
DC 35: Damage as +3 size categories.
DC +10: Damage as +1 additional size category per 10 above 35.

If the firebender draws active flame to form his Flame Blade instead of creating it himself, the DC decreases by 5. A whip that is manifested in this fashion gains an additional 5 feet of reach per extra size category of damage it deals.

The fiery weapon requires a melee touch attack to hit. Some armors and shields are designed to protect against fire, allowing them to be applied to the target’s AC, as well.

A firebender may maintain a Flame Blade as long as he wishes, as long as he continues to spend a swift action each round. A firebender with the Two-Weapon Fighting feat may create or maintain two light Flame Blades with the same swift action.

A Flame Blade can be manifested as a reflexive action in order to make an attack of opportunity against an opponent.
Jet
The great firebending masters are capable of using the power of fire to generate a forceful propulsion that allows them to move at tremendous speeds, float slowly down during a fall, or even fly.

Action: Move (R).

Effect: The firebender expels fire rapidly from his feet, generating a powerful force in the other direction. This can be used to gain a boost in speed, or to fly.

A speed boost increases the firebender’s base speed by a certain amount, determined by a Firebending check:

DC 30: +10 ft. to base speed.
DC 35: +20 ft. to base speed.
DC 40: +40 ft. to base speed.
DC 45: +80 ft. to base speed.
DC +10: Double bonus to speed per 10 above 45.

This increase to speed grants a bonus to Acrobatics checks made to jump, as normal. If the firebender wishes, he may forgo the increase to speed and instead gain double the normal bonus to Acrobatics checks to jump, and treat it as though he had a running start, but doing so ends the technique.

A firebender using jet in this fashion loses a fair amount of agility, and takes a –10 penalty on Acrobatics checks, except for those made to jump. Because the flames allow his feet to hover just over the surface of the ground, slippery surfaces, difficult terrain, and surfaces that could normally not support his weight do not hinder him.

When using jet to fly, a firebender’s fly speed is based on the result of a Firebending check:

DC 30: Negate falling damage.
DC 50: Fly speed 20 ft., clumsy maneuverability (–8 to Fly checks).
DC 55: Fly speed 30 ft., poor maneuverability (–4 to Fly checks).
DC 60: Fly speed 40 ft., average maneuverability.
DC 65: Fly speed 50 ft., good maneuverability (+4 to Fly checks).
DC 70: Fly speed 60 ft., perfect maneuverability (+8 to Fly checks.

A firebender can maintain Jet as long as he wishes, as long as he continues to use a move action to move at least half of his speed (land or fly, depending on the version he is using) every turn (a flying firebender need not move if he hovers, but he still must spend a move action to maintain the technique).

Jet can be used reflexively in order to negate falling damage.
Lightning
The most coveted technique of firebending, the ability to generate strokes of lightning is a closely guarded secret among the greatest firebending masters. A firebender must be completely focused in mind and serene in soul in order to perform this technique, or else they risk injuring themselves.

Prerequisite: You must possess the Cold-Blooded Fire feat in order to gain or select this technique.

Action: Full-round.

Effect: Lightning creates a crackling bolt of electrical energy that the firebender aims at a target. This bolt takes the form of a line with a length of four times the firebender’s check result in length. The damage of a lightning bolt is determined by the result of a Firebending check:

DC 35: 8d8 electricity damage.
DC 40: 12d8 electricity damage.
DC 45: 16d8 electricity damage.
DC 50: 20d8 electricity damage.
DC +10: +4d8 electricity damage per 10 above 50.

Regardless of the damage, Lightning imposes a temporary –2 Condition penalty. The lightning bolt ignores the hardness of objects and deals full damage to them. A character in the area of the bolt may attempt a Reflex save for half damage and to negate the Condition penalty.

Special: A firebender who attempts this technique and fails instead creates a 5-foot radius explosion that encompasses him, dealing 4d6 points of damage and knocking prone every character in the area. Affected characters (except the firebender himself) may attempt Reflex saves for half damage and to resist being knocked prone. The firebender is assumed to automatically fail the Reflex save.

Firebenders currently affected by an emotion effect (such as a barbarian’s rage, a bard’s bardic music, or a fear effect) take a –10 penalty on Firebending checks to use Lightning.
Pyrotechnics
This technique allows a firebender to manipulate or create fires. One of the most diverse techniques, it has uses both in utility and combat.

Action: Varies (R).

Effect: A firebender can extinguish, manipulate, increase, or create fires in his general area based on a Firebending check, as shown on the chart below:

{table=head]Check DC|Fire’s Size|Fire’s Area|Damage|Example
0|Fine|—|1|Candle
1|Diminutive|1 ft. sq.|1d2|Torch
2|Tiny|2-1/2 ft. sq.|1d3|Campfire
5|Small|4-ft. sq.|1d4|Fireplace
10|Medium|5 ft. sq.|1d6|Bonfire
20|Large|10 ft. sq.|2d6|???
30|Huge|15 ft. sq.|2d8|???
40|Gargantuan|20 ft. sq.|4d6|Burning house
50|Colossal|30 ft. sq.|4d8|Burning barn
60+|Colossal +|+10 ft./size|+2d8/size|Inferno[/table]

A firebender can maintain this technique as long as he wishes, as long as he spends at least a swift action each round to use one of the abilities it grants. Should he fail to do so, the technique ends.

A firebender can use Pyrotechnics reflexively to negate or disperse a fire attack aimed at him. If the result of his Firebending check is greater than that of the person directing the attack, the attack is negated. If the attack was an area attack, the firebender disperses his square, plus one additional contiguous square for every five by which he beats the attacker.

A fire can be split into multiple smaller fires with this ability, or combined into a bigger fire. The fire’s area determines how many fires of what sizes it could be split into (for these purposes, a Fine-sized fire counts as a 1/2 foot square). A Large fire, for instance, could be split into 4 Medium fires, 5 small fires, 8 Tiny fires, 100 Diminutive fires, or 400 fine fires. Each fire that is split off decreases the fire’s remaining area by a proportional amount.

Create/Maintain Fire (Swift): The firebender draws in heat from the air with his breath and extends the energy through his arms to ignite a small fire in his hands. The DC to create a fire of a certain size is twice of simply manipulating such a fire. Likewise, a firebender can maintain a fire without a fuel source (usually held in his hands), but the DC to maintain a fire is also twice that as manipulating a fire of the same size.

Diminish Fire (Standard): To decrease a fire, the bender subtracts his check result from that needed to manipulate a fire of the blaze’s current size. The result determines the fire’s new size, as shown on the chart. For instance, a Firebender who gets a 27 on his check to put out a house (a Colossal fire) creates a result of 23 (50 for the fire – 27 from the check = 23), between a Large and Huge fire. The fire is diminished to being just Large size.

Increase Fire (Swift): A firebender can increase an existing fire to a size equal to that of his check result. The fire swells from its original size to whatever size the firebender chooses, up to the maximum based on his check result. However, a bigger fire consumes fuel faster, so it may quickly die out.

Manipulate Fire (Attack): Manipulating a fire allows a firebender to levitate, shape, and otherwise direct the motion of a fire. Some firebenders use this ability to create fantastic moving displays of dancing flame. Such an act requires a successful Perform check.

Firebenders can also manipulate a fire into being a weapon, hurling gouts of flame at a target. This attack can take the form of a ranged attack or an area attack. A ranged attack requires a ranged touch attack to hit the target, with a range increment of 20 feet, doubled for each size category lower that the firebender’s maximum the fire is, with a maximum of five range increments. An area attack uses the fire’s maximum area, shaped as the firebender wishes.
Thermodynamics
A rarely used but useful ability, Thermodynamics allows a firebender to manipulate raw heat. Typically used to heat water, either to warm up tea or a bath, it can also be used to heat metal to a scalding level, or even to draw heat off an object, rendering it frigid to the touch.

Action: Standard.

Effect: The firebender can heat an object within reach. This deals an amount of fire damage to the object, based on the result of a Firebending check:

DC 15: 1d4 fire damage.
DC 20: 2d4 fire damage.
DC 25: 4d4 fire damage.
DC 30: 7d4 fire damage.
DC +10: +4d4 fire damage per 10 above 30.

This damage is dealt normally to the object, including doing half damage to most objects and taking into account hardness. However, the total damage done is taken into account, and any creature touching the object in the next round takes that damage. This damage reduces by 1 every round thereafter, until it reaches 0. Particularly cold objects, such as ice, don’t deal this extra damage. If a firebender wishes, he can choose to deal less damage than his check would indicate (such as to heat up tea without raising it to a burning temperature). This technique can be maintained by spending a standard action every round, dealing additional fire damage to the object. The object is considered to have taken the new damage total, plus half of the remaining total on each turn, meaning it will eventually begin to take damage, even if it has a very high hardness.

This use of Thermodynamics requires very little motion, and so can be used while restrained without penalty.

Additionally, a firebender can use this technique to draw heat away from an object, making it colder to the touch. This use is much harder to do, and so the DC of the Firebending check increases by 20. The damage inflicted becomes cold damage (which is quartered against objects), but otherwise functions similarly.

When drawing heat from an object in this manner, the firebender collects the energy he drains. He may either disperse this energy harmlessly, or release it as a burning ray. He may use this ray constantly as he continues to draw heat from the object, or launch all collected heat at once, ending the technique.

He may release the heat as either a ray, a line, a cone, or a burst centered on himself. A ray requires a ranged touch attack to hit, and has a range increment of 40 feet. A line has length of 20 feet, a cone of 10 feet, and a burst has a radius of 5 feet. The firebender may reduce the damage of the blast by 1d4 to increase the range by one increment. For example, a firebender with 7d4 points of gathered heat may fire a 20-foot line to deal 7d4 points of fire damage. A 40-foot line would deal 6d4, a 60-foot line 5d4, etc. Affected creatures may attempt a Reflex save against a line, cone, or burst.

Using Thermodynamic to heat an object within 5 feet of the firebender requires only a breath, and so the firebender can do so while restrained, and it does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

WATERBENDING
Like water itself, waterbending is a fluid, sinuous style that mimics the ebb and flow motion of the tides. A waterbender learns to be completely relaxed, allowing her limbs to flow without resistance, just like the water she manipulates.

Waterbending focuses on moving energy, transforming the bender’s defensive energy into offensive energy, and turning an opponent’s attacks against them. Those who face waterbenders grow frustrated very quickly, as the same motion that deflects their attacks also strikes them painfully.

The benders of the Water Tribes make good use of their ability to manipulate snow and ice and the frigid environments in which they live, forming massive structures out of frozen water for their tribe to live in. These frozen cities are marvels, with canals, locks, and other similar water features everywhere. Travel by boat through a Water Tribe city is as common as travel by foot. Most pathways are formed by compacted snow, and the buildings, while formed of ice, are quite comfortable inside.

Out of all the elements, it is easiest to separate waterbenders from the source of their power. Water in large enough quantities for a bender to use to good effect take up much space (and is quite heavy), which makes it difficult for a waterbender to bring it with her. Many waterbenders resort to water skins, which can hold enough to use a fair number of techniques, in a pinch.

WATERBENDING TECHNIQUES
Bloodbending
Wherever there is life, there is water. All a living being is, whether it is a tree, an elephant-rat, or even a human being, is a bag of skin filled with water. It is from this depraved line of thinking from which the art of Bloodbending stems. A waterbender who has mastered this technique can ply her will on any creature, or person, she wishes.

Prerequisite: You must possess the Thicker than Water feat in order to gain or select this technique.

Action: Full-Round.

Effect: The waterbender can control the actions of one or more creatures. The size of the creatures she can affect with this ability are based on the result of a Waterbending check:

DC 30: Control a Diminutive creature.
DC 35: Control a Tiny creature.
DC 40: Control a Small creature.
DC 45: Control a Medium creature.
DC +10: Control a creature of +1 size category per 10 above 45.

Affected creatures may attempt a Will save to negate the effect. Creatures who fail cannot take actions of their own. Instead, they take the actions that the waterbender dictates on her turn.

The waterbender has very rudimentary control over the creatures in her power: she cannot force them to bend, utilize spirit magic, or perform any other special ability that requires conscious decision, including talking (although she can prevent them from doing so). A creature under the power of bloodbending moves in an erratic, jerky fashion, similar to a puppet on strings. They often move across the ground without taking steps. The waterbender can force a controlled creature to move a speed of 30 feet (including double moves, if so desired), even levitating them into the air. She can force them to attack, but the creatures use her base attack bonus plus her Wisdom modifier for the attack roll plus any size modifiers instead of the creature’s normal attack roll.

The waterbender must spend a full-round action each turn in order to maintain the technique. If she fails to do so, all controlled creatures are released from her grip.

A waterbender can control multiple creatures of a size smaller than the largest she can control based on her check result. For each size category smaller than her maximum, she can control twice the number of creatures.
It is difficult to control another waterbender in this fashion. A waterbender may make a Waterbending check instead of a Will save in order to resist this technique, and may continue to do so each round until she breaks the controller’s hold.

Special: Repeated use of this technique degrades a waterbender’s sanity. It is an evil act, shifting her alignment slowly towards Evil with every use. In addition, her mind begins to twist, becoming paranoid and hateful towards others. Every time a waterbender attempts this technique, she must make a Will save. The DC begins at 10, and increases by 1 with each use. Each time she fails, she takes a cumulative –1 penalty on all Diplomacy, Sense Motive, and Handle Animal checks, but gains a +1 bonus on Intimidate checks, due to her strange and disturbing presence. These penalties can only be removed through the application of very powerful spirit magics. Use of other techniques with the same effect stack for determining the Will save DC.
Extract Water
Water is a waterbender’s most formidable weapon, but she often finds times when there is none to be had. In such instances, waterbending masters turn to this technique to draw water from their surroundings. While quite difficult to perform, Extract Water means a waterbender is almost never without a weapon.

Prerequisite: to use this technique to draw water from living creatures, you must possess the Thicker than Water feat.

Action: Swift (R), Standard, or Full-Round.

Effect: The Waterbender draws water from some source nearby—a plant or animal, or even from the humidity in the air.

Extracting water from a living object (such as a plant) automatically succeeds. In this case, the result of a Waterbending check determines how much water is extracted, as long as there are enough nearby plants to generate that much water:

DC 30: Extract a 2-1/2-ft. cube.
DC 35: Extract a 5-ft. cube.
DC 40: Extract a 10-ft. cube.
DC 45: Extract a 15-ft. cube.
DC +10: Increase cube by 5-ft. per 10 above 45.

This use requires only a swift action and allows the waterbender to draw from multiple sources at once. The object or objects being extracted from are killed, and the waterbender gains the appropriate supply of water. A waterbender can use this version reflexively to draw in water to defend herself with.

Extracting water from a creature causes Constitution damage and imposes a lasting Condition penalty based on the check result, and supplies the Waterbender with an amount of water based on how much damage is dealt. The Condition penalty lasts until the creature drinks an amount of water equal to how much the waterbender drained. An affected creature may attempt a Fortitude save to change the damage to hit point damage, reduce the Condition penalty by 1 and make it a temporary penalty, and prevent the waterbender from extracting any water from them.

DC 30: 1d4 Constitution damage, –1 Condition penalty.
DC 35: 2d4 Constitution damage, –1 Condition penalty.
DC 40: 3d4 Constitution damage, –2 Condition penalty.
DC 45: 4d4 Constitution damage, –2 Condition penalty.
DC +10: +1d4 Constitution damage per 10 above 45.

{table=head]Creature Size|Water Per Die of Con Damage
Tiny or smaller|1/8-ft. cube
Small|1/4-ft. cube
Medium|1/2-ft. cube
Large|1-ft. cube
Huge or larger|2-1/2-ft. cube[/table]

Using Extract Water in this fashion requires a full-round action, and the waterbender must possess the Thicker than Water feat.

Alternatively, a waterbender can draw upon the water in the air itself. Increase the DC for drawing from living objects by 10 to determine how much water can be extracted. In particularly humid environments, such as a rainforest, this modifier might be as little as +5 or even +0. In particularly arid environments, such as a desert, it might increase to +15 or more. This use of Extract Water requires a standard action.

Special: Repeated use of this technique to extract from living creatures degrades a waterbender’s sanity. It is an evil act, shifting her alignment slowly towards Evil with every use. In addition, her mind begins to twist, becoming paranoid and hateful towards others. Every time a waterbender attempts this technique, she must make a Will save. The DC begins at 10, and increases by 1 with each use. Each time she fails, she takes a cumulative –1 penalty on all Diplomacy, Sense Motive, and Handle Animal checks, but gains a +1 bonus on Intimidate checks, due to her strange and disturbing presence. These penalties can only be removed through the application of very powerful spirit magics. Use of other techniques with the same effect stack for determining the Will save DC.
Ebb and Flow
The motion of water is that of push and pull. Waterbenders have an instinctual understanding of this motion, and can use it to control the motion of rivers and streams around them. Some of the most common uses of this technique are to slow raging rivers, or steer a boat without oars or sails.

Action: Standard or Move.

Effect: Using this technique, a waterbender can increase or decrease the current in a body of water, or concentrate the effect to use the current to push an object through the water.

Affecting the current allows the waterbender to increase or decrease the speed at which the water moves by 5 feet per round in an area based on the result of a Waterbending check:

DC 10: 5-ft. cube.
DC 15: 10-ft. cube.
DC 20: 15-ft. cube.
DC 25: 20-ft. cube.
DC +10: cube +5 ft. per 10 above 25.

The volume of this ability is shapeable as the waterbender wishes. She may decrease the size of the cube by 5 feet to increase the change of current by 5 feet. Rivers with higher currents have a higher Swim DC to navigate through. This use of Ebb and Flow requires a standard action. The waterbender may maintain the technique as long as she wishes, spending a standard action each round to do so.

Alternatively, a waterbender can focus the power of this technique to move an object across or beneath the surface of the water. She can move a Medium-sized object at a certain speed, depending on the result of her Waterbending check:

DC 15: 10-ft. speed.
DC 20: 20 ft. speed.
DC 25: 30-ft. speed.
DC 30: 40-ft. speed.
DC +10: +10-ft. speed per 10 above 30.

This use requires a move action. The waterbender can use the double-move and run actions with this technique, as well, directing the motion of whatever object she is controlling. For each size larger than Medium the object being moved is, the base DC increases by 5. For each size smaller than Medium the object is, the base DC decreases by 5. The waterbender can maintain the technique by continuing to use at least a move action per turn.

A creature can be moved with this technique, but one that does not wish to be affected can attempt a Reflex save to negate the effect.
Freeze
A waterbender can control water in all its forms, and being able to utilize all of those forms is key to becoming a true master of the art. Freeze allows a waterbender to master water in its solid form, ice.

Action: Swift (R).

Effect: The waterbender freezes a certain amount of water, or melts a certain amount of ice or snow, depending on the result of a Watebending check:

{table=head]Check DC|Water’s Size|Water’s Volume
5|Fine|1/2-ft. cube
6|Diminutive|1-ft. cube
7|Tiny|2-1/2-ft. cube
10|Small|4-ft. cube
15|Medium|5-ft. cube
25|Large|10-ft. cube
35|Huge|15-ft. cube
45|Gargantuan|20-ft. cube
55|Colossal|30-ft. cube
65+|Colossal +|+10-ft./size[/table]

Once frozen or unfrozen, the water remains that way until it natural melts (or freezes again) or the waterbender uses this technique again to change its form.

A waterbender can manipulate ice and snow without using this technique; Freeze simply allows her the ability to change water to and from its solid state. A waterbender can also use Freeze to change water vapor into ice, essentially condensing and then freezing the vapor extremely rapidly. This adds 15 to the DC of the waterbending check. An area of steam or water vapor usually condenses into a cube with a side equal to one quarter the radius of the cloud (a cloud with a 20-foot radius, for instance, would solidify into a Medium sized [5-foot] cube of ice, or its equivalent).

A waterbender can freeze water into almost any shape imaginable. Forming an ice sculpture or other piece of artwork with this technique also requires a relevant Craft check. Other ice shapes are much more useful in combat—swords, daggers, and other weapons can be wielded as normal, either by the waterbender herself or by someone she gives them to. Other common shapes are icicles or razor-thin discs of ice that are bent at an opponent, as well as simply forming a large orb of ice to lob.

Freeze can be used reflexively in order to form a wall of ice to block an incoming attack, although against certain kinds of attacks (such as a firebending assault), this is not necessarily the best option.
Healing Waters
This rare but potent ability is one that sets waterbenders apart from the benders of the other nations—all benders can use their abilities for combat, but only those of the Water Tribes can use their skills to heal the wounds of battle.

Prerequisite: You must possess the Waters of Life feat in order to gain or select this technique.

Action: Full-Round.

Effect: The waterbender can cure a wide variety of injuries or ailments using this technique. To be used to its fullest, the waterbender must also be knowledgeable as to the functioning of the human body, and so a number of ranks in the Heal skill are often necessary, as well.

By itself, this technique can heal hit point damage, as well as remove temporary Condition penalties. The amount of healing is based on a Waterbending check:

DC 20: Heal 1d8 hit points; remove –1 Condition penalty.
DC 25: Heal 2d8 hit points; remove –2 Condition penalty.
DC 30: Heal 3d8 hit points; remove –3 Condition penalty.
DC 35: Heal 4d8 hit points; remove –4 Condition penalty.
DC +10: Heal +1d8 hit points or 1 Condition per 10 above 35.

The two effects can be mixed. For instance, a waterbender who gets a result of 30 on her check could heal 3d8 hit points or remove 3 conditions, or she could heal the target 1d8 hit points and remove 2 conditions, or any combination of d8s and removed conditions that add up to 3. A waterbender adds her Wisdom modifier to all dice rolled to restore hit points. For instance, if she has a Wisdom modifier of +3 and heals 3d8 points of damage, she adds +9 to the damage healed (3 times her Wisdom modifier).

To cure more detrimental ailments, a waterbender must also succeed on a Heal check in addition to a DC 20 Waterbending check. The DC of the Heal check is determined by the kind of ailment she is attempting to heal:

[Under construction…]

To use any of the abilities this technique offers, a waterbender must have at least 1 cubic foot of water. This water is absorbed into the target of the healing, using it up.
Shroud of Mist
Mist, vapor, fog, and steam are all forms of water, and therefore under a waterbender’s control. Findings ways to use all of these to her advantage is what separates a waterbending master. Shroud of Mist allows for control over water in its various gaseous states.

Action: Full-round.

Effect: The waterbender causes water to boil or disperse, transforming a volume of water into a cloud of steam or fog. This technique can also be used to condense various water vapors back into a liquid state. The amount of water she can vaporize is determined by the result of a Waterbending check.

Water vapors usually spread out to cover an area with a radius of four times the size of the cube. A Large-sized cube (10 feet on a side) for instance, would create a fog bank with a radius of 40 feet. Steam condenses to a similar size of water (one-quarter the fog bank’s radius).

A waterbender can manipulate water vapors without need for this technique—Shroud of Mist simply allows a waterbender to change the form of water to or away from the gaseous. Typical uses of this technique are to create a bank of fog to allow for hiding or to cover escapes.

{table=head]Check DC|Water’s Size|Water’s Volume
10|Fine|1/2-ft. cube
11|Diminutive|1-ft. cube
12|Tiny|2-1/2-ft. cube
15|Small|5-ft. cube
20|Medium|5-ft. cube
30|Large|10-ft. cube
40|Huge|15-ft. cube
50|Gargantuan|20-ft. cube
60|Colossal|30-ft. cube
70+|Colossal +|+10-ft./size[/table]

A waterbender can use this technique to change ice directly into steam, essentially melting and then boiling the water extremely rapidly. Doing so adds 5 to the DC of the Waterbending check. Ice and water form the same amount of steam, based on the volume of the ice.
Skate
Water is the medium that waterbenders work with, so being able to travel across it with ease is a vital skill that all waterbenders attempt to cultivate.

Action: Move (R), or Swift (R).

Effect: The waterbender gains the ability to skate quickly and gracefully across ice with no danger of slipping, or even to walk or stand on water itself.

When skating across ice, the waterbender gains a bonus to her base land speed as long as she crosses ice. The bonus she gains is based on her Waterbending check result:

DC 20: +10-ft. bonus to speed while skating.
DC 25: +20-ft. bonus to speed while skating.
DC 30: +30-ft. bonus to speed while skating.
DC 35: +40-ft. bonus to speed while skating.
DC +10: +10 ft. increase per 10 above 35.

While skating, a waterbender need not make Acrobatics checks to avoid slipping on the ice. A waterbender can maintain this technique as long as she wishes by continuing to move at least 5 feet every round. While skating, a waterbender can use a reflexive action to shift across ice at no penalty.

Skate can also be used to walk across the surface of water as easily as if it were solid ground, or even stand in place on the water’s surface.

DC 35: Walk on water.
DC 45: Stand on water.

While walking on water, a waterbender must continue to spend a move action every turn to move at least half her speed, or else the technique ends and she falls through the surface. Standing on water requires only a swift action to maintain the technique, and the waterbender need not move at all (although she can if she wishes to). Either way, she may shift reflexively while using Skate in this fashion.

While walking or standing on water, rough water counts as difficult terrain and requires an Acrobatics check to balance on the surface, or else the waterbender falls in and the technique ends.

Special: Skate requires very little movement on the waterbender’s part. It does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
Streaming the Water
The most fundamental technique of waterbending, Streaming the Water allows a waterbender to manipulate and direct the movement of water in her vicinity, even levitating it through the air.

Action: Standard (R).

Effect: With this technique, the waterbender can manipulate water nearby, moving and shaping it however she wishes. The waterbender can control the movement of an amount of water based on the result of a Waterbending check:

{table=head]Check DC|Water’s Size|Water’s Volume|Bull-Rush Modifier|Defense Bonus
0|Fine|1/2-ft. cube|–22 + Wis|+0
1|Diminutive|1-ft. cube|–18 + Wis|+0
2|Tiny|2-1/2-ft. cube|–12 + Wis|+1
5|Small|4-ft. cube|–6 + Wis|+1
10|Medium|5-ft. cube|+Wis|+2
20|Large|10-ft. cube|+8 + Wis|+3
30|Huge|15-ft. cube|+16 + Wis|+4
40|Gargantuan|20-ft. cube|+24 + Wis|+5
50|Colossal|30-ft. cube|+32 + Wis|+6
60+|Colossal +|+10-ft./size|+8/size|+1/size[/table]

Waterbenders often use this ability to create dazzling displays; such attempts also require a successful Perform check as well as a Waterbending check. A waterbender can maintain this technique as long as she continues to take a standard action every turn.

This technique can also be used to direct a surge of water at an opponent, blasting him from his feet and possibly causing damage. The wave of water makes a bull-rush attempt against the target’s CMD. A target that is pushed 10 feet or more takes 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet pushed in this manner. The water surge has a range increment of 5 feet per size category of the manipulated water (measured from the water’s position), and a maximum range of 5 range increments. The range penalty is applied to the water’s CMB for the bull-rush.

A waterbender can affect multiple creatures nearby with a water surge: by reducing the effective size of the wielded water by one, she can affect twice as many creatures. Using a water surge ends the technique and causes the waterbender to lose her control over all water used in the technique.
A waterbender can also control snow, ice, steam, and other water vapors with this technique, using the same base DC. Controlling steam or water vapor allows the bender to control a bank of steam with a radius of four times the size of the cube she would normally be able to control.

A waterbender can use Streaming the Water reflexively to use the water under her control to deflect an incoming attack out of the way. If she is controlling liquid water or ice, compare the result of her Waterbending check instead of a Defense roll against the incoming attack, with a bonus on the roll equal to the result of the size of the water being manipulated (this is an exception to the rule that a maintained technique always uses the same result). If the check result is higher than the attack roll by 5, the waterbender may take another reflexive action to use a free water surge against the attacker, as long as he is within her Close range. If the attacker was in melee with her, she does not lose control of her water during this water surge.
Tsunami
One of a waterbender’s most formidable techniques, with Tsunami she creates a big, powerful wave that crashes over opponents, bludgeoning them and washing them away.

Action: Standard.

Effect: The wave that the waterbender creates washes out in a cone, dealing damage and bull-rushing all characters in the area of effect. The length of the cone, damage, and bull-rush modifier of the wave depend on the bender’s Waterbending check result:

DC 30: 40-ft. cone, 2d6 damage, bull-rush +8.
DC 35: 60-ft. cone, 3d6 damage, bull-rush +16.
DC 40: 80-ft. cone, 4d6 damage, bull-rush +24.
DC 45: 100-ft. cone, 5d6 damage, bull-rush +32.
DC +10: +20-ft., +1d6 damage, +8 to bull-rush per 10 above 45.

The waterbender adds her Wisdom modifier to the bull-rush attempt made by the Tsunami. A character with footing on solid ground may attempt a Reflex save for half damage. A character without a solid footing gets no save, and takes a –4 penalty on their CMD against the wave.

The waterbender must draw upon a large water source in order to generate a Tsunami, such as a nearby river, lake, or ocean. The Tsunami originates from a point on the water source, and spreads out in the direction the waterbender chooses. If the area of the wave extends out of the water over land, its remaining length is halved. A Tsunami is a quarter as high as it is long.
Water Whip
A specialty technique of the Northern Water Tribe, the Water Whip allows a waterbender to lash out with a thin stream of water, slashing the opponent with a whip directed with her will.

Action: Attack (R).

Effect: The Water Whip requires an attack roll to hit with, but uses the waterbender’s Wisdom modifier instead of her Strength modifier on the attack and damage rolls. The waterbender does not need to be proficient with whips to use this technique, but any feats or special abilities that increase her skill with a whip also apply to a Water Whip. The damage and reach of the attack is depends on the result of a Waterbending check:

DC 15: 1d4 damage, 10-ft. reach.
DC 20: 1d6 damage, 15-ft. reach.
DC 25: 1d8 damage, 20-ft. reach.
DC 30: 2d6 damage, 25-ft. reach.
DC +10: +1d6 damage, +5-ft. reach per 10 above 30.

Each progressively bigger level of the Water Whip uses more water in order to function to its fullest effect. The base amount is the equivalent of a Tiny creature. For each level higher, the amount of water needed increases by one size category. If there is not enough water present, the waterbender’s potential for this technique is limited.

A waterbender may maintain this technique by spending a swift action every turn. If she does so, she can wield the water whip she forms as a normal weapon.

A waterbender can use Water Whip reflexively as an attack of opportunity, threatening every square within her whip’s reach.

[Absol197]

BENDING BASICS
Fluff
In the world of the Avatar, there exist special individuals who are capable of manipulating the four elements—air, earth, fire, and water—to their will. These powerful men and women are called benders, and the abilities they wield have greatly shaped the history of their world.

Each bender is capable of controlling only a single element—that of their home nation. Each bending style is an art that can take years, even decades to master. Most benders don’t seek true mastery of the art, but simply use their rudimentary bending skills to augment their lives in small ways. Those that do seek to perfect the skills and techniques of their particular bending style, however, can be almost impossible to stop.

The gift of bending is quite mysterious in its manifestation. A person is either born with the power, or not. Those without the gift are completely unable to bend, no matter how much they practice. In order to become a bender, a character needs to have taken the proper Bending Feat. For the Air Nomads, this feat is Ride the Wind; for the Earth Kingdom, it is Soul of Stone; for the Fire Nation, the feat is Burning Heart; and for the Water Tribes, it is Moon’s Chosen. Typically, a character with bending skill takes the proper bending feat at 1st level, to represent their innate ability. However, there is no restriction on taking these feats at later levels—such characters that gain the ability to bend later in life simply had the gift all along, but never realized it, or perhaps knew they were a bender but never explored their abilities.

Bending is both a hereditary ability, as well as a spiritual one. It can manifest in a family that has no history of bending whatsoever, and people with parents who could bend are not guaranteed to have the ability. The spirituality of the culture from which the person hails is also important—the more spiritual societies, such as the Air Nomads and Water Tribes, have a much higher proportion of benders.
BENDING SKILL CHECKS
Each bending style has its own associated skill. The four bending skills are Airbending, Earthbending, Firebending, and Waterbending. All of the bending skills use Wisdom as its associated ability score. The bending skills are unique among other skills in that they require the appropriate bending feat in order to be used. A character cannot make a Waterbending check, nor even put ranks into the Waterbending skill, unless she possesses the Moon’s Chosen feat.

Once a character has the appropriate feat, however, making a bending skill check is as simple as making a normal skill check. Each bending skill has several associated effects that the bender can perform with a skill check (for more information, see the individual description of each skill in Chapter 4, Skills). Bending techniques, more advanced powers that certain class features and other feats can grant, also make use of Bending skill checks to perform.

When making a Bending skill check, a character provokes attacks of opportunity, unless the technique or ability they are attempting requires a swift action or less to perform. If a character is not currently threatened by an opponent, they may choose to take 10 on a Bending skill check. Any bending attempt (making a Bending skill check) requires that the bender make certain specific motions in order to influence his element to do what he wants. These motions are not necessarily complicated, but they do require that the bender be relatively free to move as necessary. A bender who has his arms restrained is unable to bend. A character that is holding something in one hand takes a –2 penalty, and he cannot bend if both hands are full. A prone bender takes a –10 penalty on his attempt. A technique that requires only a swift action or less does not need as much space, as the motions are smaller and simpler. While he still unable to bend if restrained or if he has his hands full, he does not take the penalty for being prone.

It is important to note that a bender cannot create his element out of nothing. Even firebenders, who to most of the other benders appear to be able to manifest it from nowhere, are actually drawing in the heat from the air (fire in its purest form) with their breath, and using that as the fuel for the flames they create. If there is none of his element around, a bender’s skills are useless. Typically, this is not much of a problem, as there is almost always some of a bender’s element present, but in certain situations, such as a waterbender in a desert or an earthbender on a ship, this limitation can become problematic. Airbenders and firebenders, however, are almost never without materials to bend, as air and heat are literally everywhere.
Bending Techniques
Bending techniques are advanced maneuvers that benders can use to perform powerful feats of elemental manipulation, such as creating powerful tidal waves, crushing earthquakes, swirling tornados, or blazing infernos.

Bending techniques are unique to their specific bending style. Waterbenders learn waterbending techniques, firebenders learn firebending techniques, earthbenders learn earthbending techniques, and airbenders learn airbending techniques. No matter how hard he tried, a firebender could never learn the Gust technique, as only airbenders can do so. The exception, of course, is the Avatar, the one person who is capable of bending all the elements. As long as the Avatar has the proper bending feats, he can learn any bending technique he wishes.
Learning bending techniques
A bender can gain access to techniques in several ways. Many classes have special abilities that a character can choose that grant knowledge of bending techniques, and a character who takes the Bend the Elements feat automatically learns a number of bending techniques equal to their Wisdom modifier (minimum 1). If their Wisdom modifier increases at a later time, they gain an additional bending technique known.

For example, Kyra is an Air Nomad with a Wisdom score of 15 (+2 modifier) and an Intelligence score of 14 (+2 modifier) who has just taken her 2nd-level of Rogue. She chooses the Bending Trick rogue talent, allowing her to choose a bending technique. She chooses the Run as the Wind technique. At 3rd level, she gets to choose a feat, and so she chooses to take Bend the Elements, allowing her to choose 2 additional techniques: this time she takes Move Object and Gust. At 4th level, she gets another rogue talent and chooses Elemental Training, which gives her 2 more techniques (her Intelligence modifier). She also increases her Wisdom score to 16 at this level, giving her an additional technique known from her Bend the Elements feat. She chooses Airbender’s Leap, Flight, and an additional Gust technique.
Using Bending Techniques
When your character uses a bending technique, you must make a Bending skill check appropriate to the element you can bend. The check result determines the technique’s effect.

Some techniques have all-or-nothing effects. Most, however, have multi-tiered effects, and your Bending skill check determines the maximum effect you can achieve, although you can always choose a lesser effect. If your Bending skill check is too low to activate the technique’s base effect, then the technique fails and the action (and technique) is wasted.

Techniques per Day: Each technique your character knows can be used only a few times per day before it becomes too strenuous for the character to perform any more. Each technique can be used once per day per point of Wisdom bonus your character has, to a maximum of 5 times per day with Wisdom 20 or higher. However, using the same technique repeatedly is difficult, and after each time you use a technique, the base DC of the Bending skill check needed to activate the technique increases by 5.

For example, Kuzon is a firebender with a Wisdom score of 16 (+3 modifier). He knows the Flame Blade, Fire Blast, and Pyrotechnics techniques. He may use each 3 times per day. After the first use, however, the base DC increases by 5. For the third and final use of any particular technique, the base DC is 10 higher. So if he has used Pyrotechnics twice, Fire Blast once, and has yet to use Flame Blade, the base DCs of these techniques are now 10 instead of 0 for Pyrotechnics and 25 instead of 20 for Fire Blast. Flame Blade still has the base DC of 20, as Kuzon has not used it yet today.
When the base DC of a technique increases in this manner, the DC of any higher tiers of effect also increases by the same amount.

Multiple Instances of a Technique: Because repeated use of a technique becomes more and more difficult, many benders choose to learn their favorite techniques more than once, gaining additional instances of that technique in their Bending Suite. Every time they choose to learn a technique an additional time gives a bender more uses per day of that technique. Multiple instances of a technique in a bender’s Suite do not interact with each other: if, in the previous example, Kuzon were to learn Fire Blast an additional time, he would be able to use both 3 times per day. If he used the first instance twice, the base DC would be 30 to use it the last time, but the base DC for the second instance would still be 20, as he had not used it at all yet.

A bender need not use up all the uses on one instance of a technique before using another—in fact, most benders rotate through all instances of a technique, using all the lowest DC uses first before using the higher DC uses.

Regaining Techniques: There are several different ways to regain use of your bending techniques:

—By resting for 8 hours, you restore your personal energy, refreshing all your techniques to their full number of uses.

—You may spend a Chi point as a free action in order to fully refresh one technique.

—If you roll a natural 20 when activating a technique, that technique is fully refreshed at the end of your turn.

—You may choose to give yourself one level of Fatigue in order to refresh one technique of your choice.

—Some unique abilities allow you to refresh bending techniques in other ways.
Action
Each bending technique requires a certain action in order to execute, as given in the description of the technique. Most techniques have an action of 1 standard action, but techniques can vary wildly in the action required.
A technique with an action of 1 round is used as a full-round action, and comes into effect just at the start of your next turn. You then act normally after the technique is complete. If the technique has an action of multiple rounds, you must spend a full-round action each round until you have taken the required amount of time. These actions must be continuous and uninterrupted, or the technique fails.

Any technique with an action of longer than 1 swift action provokes attacks of opportunity.

Quickening a Technique: If you possess the Quicken Bending feat, you may decrease the amount of time that it takes to perform a technique by accepting a penalty on your Bending skill check. By accepting a –10 penalty, you can reduce the action necessary by one step (full-round—standard—attack—swift—free; or move—swift—free) or reduce the action by 1 round, for a technique that requires multiple rounds to use. By accepting a –20 penalty, you can reduce the action by 2 steps. Even if you quicken a technique to have an action less than what is required to maintain the technique, the action required to maintain the technique does not change.

Maintaining a Technique: Many techniques can be maintained by spending a certain kind of action for each turn you want the effect of the technique to persist. As normal, if this action is greater than a swift action, maintaining the technique provokes attacks of opportunity. If you fail to spend the appropriate action, or if you cannot, the technique ends.
If your modifier for your Bending skill check changes (excluding the penalty for maintaining multiple techniques) while a technique is being maintained, the effective result of the technique also changes. For instance, if you gain a Condition bonus or penalty, the increase or decrease to skill checks changes the effective result of the Bending skill check for the maintained technique. If this change moves your result to a different level of success, you use the new level. If it reduces your result below the base DC required for the technique, the technique automatically ends, even if you have already spent the necessary actions to maintain it.

Reflexive Techniques: In addition to their normal effect, many techniques can also be used reflexively, having a smaller or reduced effect when made in response to an attack or other action on behalf of another character. If a technique has a reflexive use, an (R) will appear on the action line of the technique description, following the normal action.
If a bending technique is used reflexively in response to an attack, the character cannot also use a reflexive action to defend against the attack normally: the technique is the character’s Defense, and if it fails, the character is flat-footed against the attack.
Bending Range
Each bender is limited in how far away he or she can affect their element. A bender has three ranges: Close, Medium, and Long.

A bender’s Close range is 25 feet. Bending his element at Close range gives no penalty to his bending skill check.

A bender’s Medium range is 100 feet. Bending at Medium range imposes a –5 penalty on Bending skill checks.

A bender’s Long range is 400 feet. Bending at long range imposes a –10 penalty on Bending skill checks.

{table=head]Ability|Range Increment Increase
Ranks in Bending skill|+1/rank
Class skill|+1
Skill Focus*|+1
Skill Focus + 10 ranks*|+2
Wisdom Bonus|+1/point
Synergy Bonus|+1 per point of bonus
Insight Bonus|+1 per point of bonus[/table]
* Use the higher of these bonuses

Certain factors can increase a bender’s range. See Table 8-1, above, for a summary of these factors. For every range increment increase, a bender’s Medium range increases by 10 feet, and his long range increases by 40 feet. For every 2 range increment increases, his Close range increases by 5 feet.
The range at which a technique is being attempted is determined by the target of the technique, or the origin of an area of effect or attack.

Techniques that create an area or include a ranged attack roll can have their effects move to a more distant part of a bender’s range without imposing a higher penalty.

In addition to being in range, the bender must also be able to perceive the element in question. Usually, this means that the bender must be able to see it (airbenders are an exception, as it is impossible to see air). If they cannot see the element to be bent, they must create a connection in some other way. The most usual method is to use the Sense application of the various bending skills. As a swift action, the bender can attempt a DC 15 Bending skill check. If successful, the bender becomes connected to all expressions of his element within his bending range, allowing him to affect it as if he could see it.
Effect
In general, the target of a bending technique is a certain amount of the bender’s element that he is attempting to manipulate. However, where this element is and what the bender is attempting to make it do can give the technique additional targets.

Personal Effects: Some techniques cause certain effects on the bender himself. For these techniques, the element being affected are those immediately surrounding the bender, or even that inside of him. Unless noted in the technique’s description, the bender is assumed to have enough of his element on hand to use these techniques. Certain personal techniques, such as Burrow and Skate, don’t technically require any of the bender’s element in order to be used, but would have a limited or no effect without the presence of the bender’s element: if there is no rock or earth underneath her feet, an earthbender can’t use Burrow, and a waterbender can’t walk on water with Skate if there is no water to walk on.

Element: These techniques, directly target a chunk of the bender’s element. The effect on other creatures is determined by what the bender does with the element. Some techniques that fall in this group are Excavate, Pyrotechnics, and Streaming the Water.

Attack: Several techniques allow the bender to attack with the manipulated element as a weapon. Usually this is a ranged attack, a ranged touch attack, or a ranged combat maneuver check. Such attacks have a specific range increment, as given by the technique being used. The element being manipulated can be hurled from its current location to a location in a more distant part of the bender’s range without imposing a greater penalty on the Bending skill check. The damage dealt by the attack is given in the technique description. Some attack techniques are Fire Blast and Water Whip.

Area: Many techniques affect an area, affecting every character in the affected squares. Most techniques that affect an area allow characters in the area to attempt a saving throw (usually Reflex) in order to avoid some or all of the effects. An area technique may originate from the bender, or from another point, depending on the specific technique.

Character/Object: Some techniques affect a specific creature, such as the Tectonics and Bloodbending techniques, or an object, such as Move Object and Ebb and Flow. If the target is a living creature, it gets to make a saving throw to avoid the effect of the technique, if it wishes.
Duration
The effects of most techniques last only one turn, and then end. Without a bender to give them motion, the elements return to their natural state. Many techniques can be maintained, lasting as long as the bender continues to concentrate on them, spending the necessary action to sustain the ability. Certain techniques can only be maintained for a short time, usually a number of rounds or minutes equal to the bender’s Wisdom modifier.
While being maintained, the bender does not need to roll a new Bending skill check each turn. The technique is assumed to maintain the result rolled to activate the technique in the first place. If that result is unsatisfactory, the bender must cease the technique and begin it anew, spending another use of the technique for the day.
Maintaining Multiple Techniques: Because bending requires such focus, maintaining multiple techniques at once is difficult. For each technique that a bender is currently maintaining, he takes a cumulative –2 penalty on all Bending skill checks. Certain techniques do not burden a bender’s concentration as much, and so do not impose this penalty, as given in the technique’s description. A bender may have a maximum number of techniques maintained at one time equal to his Wisdom modifier, assuming that he has enough actions each round to do so.
Saving Throw
Usually a harmful bending technique that does not require an attack roll allows the target to attempt a saving throw as a reflexive action in order to avoid some or all of the effects. The kind of saving throw (Fortitude, Reflex, or Will), as well as what aspects of the technique’s effect it negates, are given in the individual technique descriptions. In general, the DC of a saving throw against a bender’s techniques is 10 + 1/2 the bender’s ranks in his Bending skill + the bender’s Wisdom modifier. Other factors can increase a bender’s save DC, as shown on Table 8-2.

{table=head]Ability|Increase to DC
Ranks in Bending skill|+1 per 2 ranks
Class skill|+1
Skill Focus*|+1
Skill Focus + 10 ranks*|+2
Wisdom Bonus|+1 per point[/table]
* Use the higher of these bonuses
Concentration
Bending is a demanding task, and it requires that the totality of the bender’s being—body, mind, and spirit—be focused completely on the task at hand, or else the attempt may fail. If something disrupts a bender during the process, the bender must make a Concentration check or the bending attempt fails, all their effort is wasted, and no effect happens. The more distracting the interruption or the more complex the bending being attempted, the higher the DC of the Concentration check is. If the bender was attempting to use a Bending Technique, that use of the Technique is still expended.

Injury: If you take damage while bending, you must make a Concentration check with a DC of 10 + the damage taken + 1/5 the base DC of the Technique being attempted or the Technique fails and does nothing. The interrupting event strikes during the bending attempt if it comes between the time you started bending and the time the effect occurs, (such as for a Technique with an action of 1 full round or more) or in response to your attempt at bending (such as an attack of opportunity provoked or a contingent attack, such as a readied action). If you are maintaining a bending Technique and are damaged, you must likewise make a Concentration check in order to continue the Technique.

If you are taking continuous damage, such as from an opposing bending Technique or by standing in a lake of lava, half of the most recent damage is considered to take place while you are bending. The Concentration DC is then equal to 10 +1/2 the damage taken + 1/5 the Technique’s base DC. If the last damage dealt was the last damage of the effect, then the damage is over and it no longer distracts you.

Bending: If you are affected by another bender’s bending while trying to perform a Technique, you must make a Concentration check or lose your own attempt. If the hostile bending attempt deals damage, the DC is the same as the DC for injury, as given above. If the hostile Technique is distracting in some other fashion, such as a Gust technique blowing the wind about you, the DC of the Concentration check is the save DC against that bender’s bending (10 + 1/2 bender’s ranks in appropriate bending skill + bender’s Wisdom modifier) + 1/5 the base DC of the Technique you are attempting.

Grappling or Pinned: Bending while grappling or pinned is extremely difficult. Most bending Techniques cannot be performed while grappling. Some Techniques have minimal physical motion required, as given in their description, and so can be used in a grapple or pin. Other techniques must be quickened to reduce the complexity of their motions, which raises the DC of the associated bending check considerably. If the bender wishes to do this, or is attempting a technique with a limited motion requirement, the DC of the Concentration check is the grappler’s CMD + 1/5 the Technique’s base bending DC (including any increase from quickening the technique).

Vigorous Motion: If you are riding on a moving mount, taking a bouncy wagon ride, on a small boat in rough water, belowdecks in a storm-tossed ship, or simply being jostled around in some fashion, you must make a Concentration check (DC 10 + 1/5 the Technique’s base DC) or your bending attempt fails.

Violent Motion: If you are on a galloping ostrich-horse, taking a very rough ride in a wagon, on a small boat in rapids or in a storm, on deck in a storm-tossed ship, or being pitched roughly about in a similar fashion, you must make a Concentration check (DC 15 + 1/5 the Technique’s base DC) or the technique fails. If the motion is extremely violent, such as that caused by an earthquake, the DC is equal to 20 + 1/5 the technique’s base DC.

Violent Weather: You must make a Concentration check if you try to bend in violent weather. If you are in a high wind carrying blinding rain or sleet, the DC is 5 +1/5 the technique’s base DC. If you are in wind-driven hail, dust, or debris, the DC is 10 + 1/5 the technique’s base DC. In either case, the technique fails if you fail the Concentration check.

Bending Defensively: If you are threatened by an opponent and wish to bend without provoking an attack of opportunity, you must make a Concentration check (DC 15 +2/5 the technique’s base DC). If you fail, the opponent may make an attack of opportunity, if they wish. If there is more than one opponent threatening you, the DC of the Concentration check increases by 5 for each additional opponent after the first.

Entangled: If you want to bend while entangled in a net, vines, or similar obstruction, you must make a Concentration check (DC 15 + 1/5 the technique’s base DC) or the attempt fails.
Augmenting Techniques
Bending techniques can be augmented in certain ways by voluntarily accepting a Condition penalty. The ways in which a bender can augment his techniques are summarized on the table below.

{table=head]Effect|Condition Penalty
Boost check result by 5|Temporary –1 per +5
Refresh technique|1 level of fatigue
Do not expend use of technique|Temporary –1
Use base DC|Temporary –1[/table]

These Condition penalties come into effect just after the use of the technique. If the bender wishes to maintain the technique, he must cope with the penalty from the Condition penalty, as normal.

Boost Check Result: for every –1 Condition penalty the bender accepts after the technique is used, the result of his Bending skill check increases by 5. If this increase raises his result to a level of a higher tier of effect (or even to the minimum DC to use the technique), the technique uses that higher tier for its effect.

Refresh Technique: A bender can completely refresh an instance of a technique in his bending suite by giving himself a level of fatigue. If he does so just as he is using that technique, the level of fatigue does not come into effect (the penalty from the Condition penalty does not affect the bender) until after the technique has been used.

Don’t Expend Use of Technique: By accepting a –1 Condition penalty, the use of the technique does not count against the daily number of uses of that technique that the bender can attempt.

Use Base DC: By accepting a –1 Condition penalty, the bender can use the base DC for the technique being used, instead of the increased DC from having used the technique. This still expends a use of the technique as normal.

A bender may accept the penalty from more than one of these abilities at once, gaining all the listed benefits, but also all the Condition penalties. For instance, Feng, the firebender, currently has a temporary +2 Condition bonus. She wants to blast an opponent with Fire Blast, but she is on her fourth and last use of the day, and wishes to keep it for later, and is concerned that she might not be able to make the DC of 35. She elects to take a temporary –2 Condition penalty in order to not expend her use, and to reduce the DC back to 20. She rolls and gets a 3 on the die. With her +8 modifier, +2 from her Condition bonus, that is a result of 13, not high enough. She decides to take an additional –2 Condition penalty in order to increase her result by 10, for a final result of 23. After she blasts her opponent, her Condition drops by 4, from +2 to –2.
Opposed Bending
If two benders vie for control over the same mass of their element, they are said to be opposing one another. The effects of fighting over the same piece of an element depends on what the participating benders are attempting to do.

Disrupt Bending: You may prevent another bender from bending. To do so, you must ready an action to negate a bending attempt. If an opponent makes a bending attempt, you must succeed on a Knowledge (bending arts) check in order to determine what technique they are attempting, and what piece of element they are attempting to affect. This check is a free action. If you succeed, you may attempt to disrupt their bending attempt. If you know the technique they are using, you may use that technique against them, allowing you to subtract your bending skill check result from theirs, limiting their attempt. If you do not know the technique being used, or if you cannot use that technique for some reason (such as being out of uses for the day), you may use another similar technique (subject to GM discretion) for the disruption attempt, but if you do so, you take a –10 penalty on your opposed bending skill check. If you do not know or cannot use a similar technique (or choose not to expend a use of any techniques), you may still attempt to disrupt your opponent, but you take a –20 penalty on your opposed bending skill check. You cannot disrupt a bender of a different element that you. Penalties for range apply normally from your location to the piece of element being affected by the opponent.

If the opponent is attempting to bend an instance of their element that is internal or personal (such as a firebender using the Breath of Fire technique or any technique that creates fire, or an earthbender using Earthen Armor or Burrow), you take an additional –10 penalty on your disruption attempt.

End Technique: You can cause a technique that an opponent is sustaining to end. Make a bending skill check as a standard action with a DC equal to that of the result of the bending skill check that the opponent made to perform the sustained technique. If you succeed, the technique ends. You cannot end a technique that is internal or personal. As normal, range penalties apply.

Deflect Attack: You may deflect a bending assault by your element that is aimed at you as a reflexive action. Because you are using your reflexive action against the attack to deflect instead of to avoid it, you are treated as flat-footed against the assault should you fail. Make a bending skill check, with a DC equal to the attacking bender’s bending skill check result. If successful, the attack is deflected or stopped harmlessly. If you fail, you take the full effect of the attack.
Cooperative Bending
Just as two or more benders can work against each other, multiple benders can also work together in order to create truly awesome displays of elemental manipulation. Multiple benders can use the aid another action to assist in a bending attempt, as described in Chapter 4: Skills, as normal. This use requires no expenditure of techniques from the assisting benders.

However, multiple benders with the same technique can work together to create even greater effects. If they expend a use of the same technique, the total result each achieves over the base DC stacks in order to determine the final result. For instance, four waterbenders work together to push a Huge-sized boat across a lake, each expending a use of the Ebb and Flow technique. The base DC is 25 (15 base + 10 for 2 sizes above Medium), but one of the waterbenders has already expended a use of Ebb and Flow today, making the base DC for him 30. The result of their Waterbending checks are 22, 26, 31, and 38; the waterbender with the higher DC gets the 38. After subtracting the base DC from each result, we get 0 (a 22 doesn’t beat the base DC of 25), 1, 6, and 8, for a total of 15 above the base DC of 25—a final result of 40. The four waterbenders have collectively gained 4 levels of success and are pushing the boat at a speed of 40 feet.

Benders can also cooperate using different techniques, allowing them to each focus on a different aspect of a bending attempt. Even benders of different elements can cooperate, as long as the substance being bent is composed of both elements. Common multi-elemental substances are clouds (air/water), mud or slurry (water/earth), lava (earth/fire), and hot air (fire/air).

[Welknair]

Wow. This looks very extensive. I'll need to read it in greater detail later. You have seen the Avatar D20 (http://sites.google.com/site/avatard20/) though, haven't you?

[Hiro Protagonest]

I don't think fire nation and water tribe people should have the ability score adjustments. I think they should just have no adjustments, because I can't see how Water Tribe people are slow or how the Fire Nation people are less perceptive than normal and not as good at bending.

[Absol197]

Wow. This looks very extensive. I'll need to read it in greater detail later. You have seen the Avatar D20 (http://sites.google.com/site/avatard20/) though, haven't you?

Such was addressed in my OP. :smallsmile: And yes, it is extensive. Going through my Word documents on the subject, I have over 100 pages of material written up for this. What you see here is a small fraction of what I've got. You can ask about anything (most things have at least some changes), and I can post it.

Of course, all that writing is useless without someone to read through and critique all the mechanics (and a playtest wouldn't be too bad, either :smallwink:), which is why I've come here.


I don't think fire nation and water tribe people should have the ability score adjustments. I think they should just have no adjustments, because I can't see how Water Tribe people are slow or how the Fire Nation people are less perceptive than normal and not as good at bending.

A penalty to Dex doesn't mean one is slow: it means that they aren't agile, lithe, or dextrous. I think it fits with the environment that they live in. Most creatures that live in arctic environments (think polar bears, seals, and penguins) aren't incredibly dextrous. As for the Fire Nation, it has been established by Word of God that they have the fewest number of benders relative to the other nations. I put the penalty to Wisdom in there to reflect that. However, if others argue as you do, I'll consider changing such things. I do, however, want all the nations to have ability adjustments. Personal preference.

[Curious]

Personally, I disagree with the penalties to both the Fire nation and Water nation groups. Water style is based off Tai-chi, and it involves a lot of flowing, elegant motions. This seems to indicate high dexterity to me. From a fluff perspective I agree with a penalty to wisdom for the Fire nation, but from a design perspective giving them a penalty to the stat used to determine bending ability, which makes up the majority of combat in this game, seems like a bad idea.

[Absol197]

Personally, I disagree with the penalties to both the Fire nation and Water nation groups. Water style is based off Tai-chi, and it involves a lot of flowing, elegant motions. This seems to indicate high dexterity to me. From a fluff perspective I agree with a penalty to wisdom for the Fire nation, but from a design perspective giving them a penalty to the stat used to determine bending ability, which makes up the majority of combat in this game, seems like a bad idea.

As a practitioner of Tai Chi, if I were to list the ability scores necessary in order of importance, it would go something like Wisdom--Intelligence--Constitution--Dexterity--Strength--Charisma. One does not need dexterity to seem elegant (although it certainly does help). Note how Perform (dance) is based off of Charisma.

While, yes, a penalty to the main bending ability score does hurt Firebenders, as I said in my first post, every character gets a +2 to one ability of their choice in addition to racial modifiers, which can be used to offset that. Also, the Fire Nation gets an additional advantage in their Skill Mastery ability, which allows them to gain a substantial boost to their Firebending check. Also, firebending has the fewest number of techniques among all the styles (8 as opposed to 10 for each of the others).

But as I said before, if enough people express dislike, I'll change it. Current count is 2 against, 1 for. :smallsmile:

[Hiro Protagonest]

Note how Perform (dance) is based off of Charisma.

That's because it got lumped in with perform.

[John Cribati]

Waterbending was fluffed in canon as a flexible art, with the ability to switch between Offensive and Defensive stances, as well as combining offense and defense. I'd go so far as to say that the whole "roll with the punches" style of waterbending pretty requires dexterity to be decent.

[EdroGrimshell]

As far as i've seen, Katara and the waterbenders from the opposite tribe (forget if it's north or south) are fairly flexible and balanced, both of which require dexterity.

As for the firebenders, i see why you did it, i see most firebenders as complete hotheads and very impatient, like fire itself.

[Absol197]

Waterbending was fluffed in canon as a flexible art, with the ability to switch between Offensive and Defensive stances, as well as combining offense and defense. I'd go so far as to say that the whole "roll with the punches" style of waterbending pretty requires dexterity to be decent.

As Curious mentioned, waterbending is heavily based on tai chi (in fact, the waterbending scroll actually depicts a tai chi form that I know). Tai chi has the same philosophy: use your opponent's energy against them, allowing your defense against their attack to attack them in return. However, in practice, this does not require much agility or dexterity, and only requires slightly above average flexibility. The most important things for tai chi is sensitivity, awareness, and focus. That screams Wisdom to me. Like I said in my above post, the order of abilities that I, as a practitioner, would use is Wisdom--Intelligence--Constitution--Dexterity--Strength--Charisma.

Of course, your opinion will be taken into account. 3-to-1 against Water Tribe penalty to Dex. When it gets to 6 against I'll change it, but that means I need suggestions as to what to replace it with :smallsmile: .

EDIT:

As far as i've seen, Katara and the waterbenders from the opposite tribe (forget if it's north or south) are fairly flexible and balanced, both of which require dexterity.

As for the firebenders, i see why you did it, i see most firebenders as complete hotheads and very impatient, like fire itself.

True, but consider this: those are only the waterbenders. Consider the water tribes as a whole: you have Hakoda and Bato, as well as the rest of their men. They are big and muscley, probably with maybe Dex 13-14 at most.

In the northern tribe, aside from Pakku, a waterbender, you have Hahn, who is a clumsy git, and his possy, who are all similarly build to Hakoda and his men.

I could (in fact, I believe I will :smallsmile:) argue that, mechanically, the waterbenders put a higher ability score in Dex, both because they have a penalty to it, and they don't wear armor (as it interferes with bending), and so need all the AC they can get. No one that we see in the Water Tribes is anything like Aang, Ty Lee, Mai, Suki or the Kyoshi Warriors in terms of dexterity. Even the most dextrous Water Tribe members are only slightly above average. The Water Tribe in general doesn't seem conducive (from what we've seen) to the uber-agility character archetypes, while each of the other nations (especially Air) have at least one character that could shame an olympic gymnast. Wouldn't that be a good argument for a Dex penalty?

Still, we're at 4-to-1. Two more againsts and we'll change it.

[EdroGrimshell]

EDIT:

True, but consider this: those are only the waterbenders. Consider the water tribes as a whole: you have HAkoda and Bato, as well as the rest of their men. They are big and muscley, probably with maybe Dex 13-14 at most.

In the northern tribe, aside from Pakku, a waterbender, you have Hahn, who is a clumsy git, and his possy, who are all similarly build to Hakoda and his men.

I could (in fact, I believe I will :smallsmile:) argue that, mechanically, the waterbenders put a higher ability score in Dex, both becauae they have a penalty to it, and they don't wear armor (as it interferes with bending). No one that we see in the Water Tribes is anything like Aang, Ty Lee, Mai, Suki or the Kyoshi Warriors in terms of dexterity. Even the most dextrous Water Tribe members are only slightly above average. Wouldn't that be a good argument for a Dex penalty?

Very true, and Sokka is clumsy as well so i know why you did it. But maybe a bonus to Balance (they live on ice and snow so it makes sense) and i always see tai chi, and thus waterbending, relies a bit on balance, both physically and mentally. Just a thought.

And i wasn't opposed to the Dex penalty, just that waterbending shows a dextrous bent.

[Absol197]

Very true, and Sokka is clumsy as well so i know why you did it. But maybe a bonus to Balance (they live on ice and snow so it makes sense) and i always see tai chi, and thus waterbending, relies a bit on balance, both physically and mentally. Just a thought.

And i wasn't opposed to the Dex penalty, just that waterbending shows a dextrous bent.

Ah, sorry. :smalltongue: I misunderstood you there. And you are correct: balance is an important part of Tai Chi. Unfortunately Balance isn't a skill anymore; it's part of Acrobatics. We'll see what we can do, how about that :smallbiggrin: ?

3-to-1 against water Dex penalty, then. Any other comments (particularly on the bending stuff) are welcome/requested, but thanks a lot for the replies so far!

[John Cribati]

As an aside, I think the Fire Nationals should get some kind of bonus to Acrobatics checks made to Jump.

[Pokonic]

One minor thought, are you going to cover the smaller branches of the world in there own small section? I would assume that the swamp-based branch of waterbenders would be able to do things not avaliable to the pole dwelling tribes dispite being rather small in numbers and primitive, and the sun warriers have a less aggressive approch to firebending than a mainstream firebender.

[Absol197]

One minor thought, are you going to cover the smaller branches of the world in there own small section? I would assume that the swamp-based branch of waterbenders would be able to do things not avaliable to the pole dwelling tribes dispite being rather small in numbers and primitive, and the sun warriers have a less aggressive approch to firebending than a mainstream firebender.

Why yes, I had planned on it. I've even started writing them up. However, like I said in my first post, I think the reason I didn't get any responses to my original thread (see my sig) was because I just dumped *everything* I had into the thread immediately, and people didn't respond because they didn't want to read it all. So I'm going at a slower pace this time. Would you like me to put up what I have for the off-shoot nations (foggy swamp tribe, sandbenders, and sun warriors)? I'd also like to come up with a similar air tribe--I know it's not canon, but I do so hate asymmetry...

[gkathellar]

As a practitioner of Tai Chi, if I were to list the ability scores necessary in order of importance, it would go something like Wisdom--Intelligence--Constitution--Dexterity--Strength--Charisma. One does not need dexterity to seem elegant (although it certainly does help). Note how Perform (dance) is based off of Charisma.

As a practitioner of Tai Chi, I would say that dexterity and agility are crucial to speed drills, weapons forms, the fast form and two-man set, as well as general precision.


I think it fits with the environment that they live in. Most creatures that live in arctic environments (think polar bears, seals, and penguins) aren't incredibly dextrous.

Here's my problem with that: the Water Tribe is made up of people, not "creatures." This is functionally equivalent to saying the Inuit have a -2 to dexterity because they live in the arctic, or that the Japanese have +2 intelligence, -2 wisdom because their education system emphasizes testing: it puts people in boxes that not even their culture can explain. (Hell, a significant portion of the third season was just about the fact that people from the Fire Nation are exactly like people elsewhere.)


As for the Fire Nation, it has been established by Word of God that they have the fewest number of benders relative to the other nations. I put the penalty to Wisdom in there to reflect that.

This hasn't always been true. It's strongly implied that the low spirituality (and thus the small number of benders) is a result of being on the aggressive side of a genocidal war. It's not a "racial" attribute, but a cultural one.

[Absol197]

As a practitioner of Tai Chi, I would say that dexterity and agility are crucial to speed drills, weapons forms, the fast form and two-man set, as well as general precision.

Perhaps our instructors are emphasizing different things, because I have always felt that such things required increasingly greater focus and sensitivity, not actual agility. My instructor always emphasizes those aspects. She's flexible, I guess, more so than most people, but I definitely wouldn't call her especially dextrous, but whenever she does a demonstration, she is amazingly skilled (seriously, in sparring it's like she's a ghost; you can never find her. Spooky). Obviously, I can't comment for your experience, I can only speak about mine. That's my experience.


Here's my problem with that: the Water Tribe is made up of people, not "creatures." This is functionally equivalent to saying the Inuit have a -2 to dexterity because they live in the arctic, or that the Japanese have +2 intelligence, -2 wisdom because their education system emphasizes testing: it puts people in boxes that not even their culture can explain. (Hell, a significant portion of the third season was just about the fact that people from the Fire Nation are exactly like people elsewhere.)

You're right, they are people. But people are animals, too. We change to match our environment just like our less intelligent cousins do. And I agree that the third season was showing about how the Fire Nation wasn't filled with a bunch of crazy Empire-driven monster, but with normal people. However, there are still cultural differences between the different nations. And while, yes, they all are technically "human," there are literally major differences in abilities between the various peoples. No one from the Fire Nation can earthbend. It is impossible.

Either way, I like the feel of different racial abilities between characters. To me, it emphasizes different people coming together to achieve something greater, whatever their quest might happen to be. I like the idea that ones heritage might give them abilities that not everyone has. I'm sorry the idea disagrees with you, but this is how I want to do it. If you have suggestions that you think would make more sense, please, feel free to share them.


This hasn't always been true. It's strongly implied that the low spirituality (and thus the small number of benders) is a result of being on the aggressive side of a genocidal war. It's not a "racial" attribute, but a cultural one.

Maybe I'm not as steeped in Avatar lore as you, but I was under the impression that it was a gradual process that's been going on for a long time, as they become more and mroe technologically advanced. If I'm wrong, feel free to let me know.

[Absol197]

I took some time to stat up some characters from the show with this system. Here is Avatar Aang, as he is when he first appears in Episode 1, and one of my favorite characters...Ty Lee! :smallsmile:

Avatar Aang (Episode 1)
http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd298/bea_triz17/aang-9.jpg

"I never wanted to be the Avatar..."

AVATAR AANG
Sage* 5/Monk 1
Init +6; Senses Perception +6
DEFENSE
Defense +7, touch +7, flat-footed 5; (+3 Dex, +2 Def, +2 dodge)
hp 40 (5d6+1d8+18); Damage Threshold 12
Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +10
Reflexive Actions 4 (); Defensive Abilities uncanny dodge
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.; Flight, Run with the Wind
Melee airbender’s staff +7 (1d4)
Melee airbender’s staff +5/+5 (1d4)
Special Attacks Avatar State
Airbending DC 21; range 60 ft./240 ft./960 ft.
Airbender’s Leap +23
20 25 30 35 40
20 25 30 35 40
Air Burst +23
0 5 10 15 20
Air Scooter +23
25 30 35 40 45
25 30 35 40 45
Featherdance +28
15 20 25 30 35
15 20 25 30 35
Flight +23
25 30 35 40 45
25 30 35 40 45
Gust +23
15 20 25 30
15 20 25 30
Microburst +23
35 40 45 50 55
Run with the Wind +23
20 25 30 35 40
Tornado +23
40 45 50 55 60
Waterbending DC 16; range 40 ft./160 ft./640 ft
STATISTICS
Str 8, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 22, Cha 12
Base Atk +3; CMB +2; CMD +7
Feats Bend the Elements (B), Mastery of Breath (B), Moon’s Chosen (B), Ride the Wind (B), Skill Focus (Acrobatics (B), Airbending), Technique Focus (Featherdance), Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +16, Airbending +23, Concentration +18, Fly +13, Knowledge (bending arts) +12, Knowledge (local) +3, Perception +14, Ride +8, Stealth +8, Waterbending +6
SQ equilibrium 6/day, insights (advanced technique [Air Scooter], bending insight [gust], endure elements)
Ty Lee
http://www.absoluteanime.com/avatar_the_last_airbender/ty_lee.jpg

"My aura has never been pinker!"

TY LEE
Martial Artist* 11/Rogue 4
CN Medium human (fire)
Init +9; Senses Perception +11
DEFENSE
Defense +19, touch +19, flat-footed 11; (+5 Dex, +7 Def, +1 dodge, +6 insight; +1 dodge vs. traps; +4 dodge vs. attacks of opportunity)
hp 124 (11d8+4d8+53); Damage Threshold 14
Fort +10, Ref +16, Will +17; +1 vs. traps
Reflexive Actions 12 (); Defensive Abilities improved evasion, unstoppable
OFFENSE
Speed 60 ft.
Melee unarmed strike +16/+11/+6 (1d10+5)
Melee unarmed strike +17/+17/+12/+12/+7 (1d10+5)
Special Attacks chi pool, sneak attack +2d6, stunning fist
STATISTICS
Str 16, Dex 20, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 18, Cha 15
Base Atk +11; CMB +14; CMD 33
Feats Acrobatic (B), Bending Breaker, Block Bending, Combat Reflexes, Disruptive, Dodge (B), Extra Chi, Gorilla-Goat’s Fist (B), Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike (B), Mobility, Scorpion Style (B), Skill Focus (Acrobatics) (B), Spring Attack (B), Stunning Fist (B), Weapon Finesse (B), Wind Stance
Skills Acrobatics +37 (+60 jump), Climb +21, Diplomacy +20, Disable Device +12, Disguise +9, Escape Artist +23, Perception +11, Perform (tumbling) +20, Sleight of Hand +12
SQ ledge walker, skill mastery (Acrobatics), slow fall 50 ft.
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Chi Pool: (11/day) 
Ty Lee can spend uses of her chi pool in order to enhance her abilities. Unless noted, all effects are a swift action. She can create the following effects:
Attack (1 Chi): Ty Lee can make an additional attack with the attack or full-attack action at her highest base attack bonus.
Diamond Body (1 Chi): Ty Lee can grant herself a +10 bonus on a saving throw against a poison or disease. This is a free action.
Dodge (1 Chi): Ty Lee can gain a +4 dodge bonus to Defense rolls for 1 round.
High Jump (1 Chi): Ty Lee can grant herself a +20 bonus Acrobatics checks made to jump for one round.
Overcome Damage Reduction (1 Chi): Ty Lee can overcome a target’s damage reduction for 1 round.
Reactions (1 Chi): Ty Lee can gain an additional reflexive action for the current turn. This is a free action.
Speed (1 Chi): Ty Lee can increase her base speed by 20 feet for 1 round.
Stunning Fist (1 Chi): She can spend uses of her chi pool in place of uses of the Stunning Fist feat, or to add a special martial artist effect of Stunning Fist to a normal stunning attack.
Wholeness of Body (2 Chi): Ty Lee can heal herself 11 hit points. This is a standard action.

Ledge Walker: Ty Lee can move along narrow surfaces at full speed using the Acrobatics skill with no penalty. In addition, she is not flat-footed when using Acrobatics to move along narrow surfaces.

Stunning Fist: (12/day; DC 21) 
Ty Lee can stun a creature with a successful hit. A successful Fortitude save negates the stun. Ty Lee also has other special conditions she can impose with this feat:
–1 Condition: Ty Lee can impose a temporary –1 Condition penalty on the target.
Fatigue: Ty Lee can impose a level of fatigue on the target. A target that already has one or more levels of fatigue is unaffected.

Unstoppable: Once per day, Ty Lee can ignore a single temporary –1 Condition penalty or reduce a larger temporary Condition penalty by 1.

[Absol197]

Alright, let's give this one last try...Anyone interested in giving any critiques, or are we letting this thread die like the last one?

[Zale]

Even if water benders aren't exceedingly dexterous, I doubt they would warrant a Dex penalty.

[Absol197]

Even if water benders aren't exceedingly dexterous, I doubt they would warrant a Dex penalty.

Very well, Zale. What would you give them a penalty to?

I wouldn't think Strength, as most Water Tribe members are pretty muscley (Sokka's perhaps an exception).

I wouldn't think Constitution, because they live in the freakin' arctic, they need to be tough.

I wouldn't think Intelligence, because most of the Water Tribe members we see are rather smart (Sokka, Hakoda, Bato, Chief Arnook).

I wouldn't think Wisdom, because the people of the Water Tribes are fairly spiritually aware (being the blessed of the Ocean and Moon spirits), and they have a high number of Waterbenders.

I wouldn't think Charisma, because the people of the Water Tribes seem generally good-natured and easy to get along with, and rather, well, charismatic :smallredface:

This was my line of thinking when assigning the penalty--as I've said before, I wanted each nationality to have a bonus and penalty (in addition to the +2 to any one score you want), because I like how it makes the game feel. Using process of elimination, Dex seems to be the only one the people of the water tribes don't exemplify at some point.

Either way, the count it (I believe) high wnough that we're changing the water tribe ability modifiers. What should we replace them with?

[John Cribati]

Do you think that just outright giving benders different Ability score adjustments would fix the issue? I mean, it wouldn't be unheard of for a Waterbender to have less physical power, since they'd spend more time studying bending than Actual Physical attacks.

And You still haven't gotten back to me on the Fire Nation Racial Bonus to Jump Checks (or their Pathfinder Equivalent) thing I suggested.

EDIT: Also, from what we see, the Foggy Swamp Water Tribe would definitely have an Int Penalty.

[Absol197]

Do you think that just outright giving benders different Ability score adjustments would fix the issue? I mean, it wouldn't be unheard of for a Waterbender to have less physical power, since they'd spend more time studying bending than Actual Physical attacks.

And You still haven't gotten back to me on the Fire Nation Racial Bonus to Jump Checks (or their Pathfinder Equivalent) thing I suggested.

EDIT: Also, from what we see, the Foggy Swamp Water Tribe would definitely have an Int Penalty.

I'm not sure about giving benders different ability modifiers...yes, waterbenders are generally less physically strong and more agile than the non-bender Water Tribe members, but that could be mechanically represented by placing a lower ability score roll in Strength and a higher one in Dex, which would make sense for a waterbender, as they have little need for Strength and more of a need for Dex, what with armor interfereing with bending.
Plus, that brings up a problem with the way I have bending functioning. I'm assuming no one's read it yet, as no one has commented (no surprise, it's rather dense), but like in Saga Edition, you need a feat to be able to bend. However, you can take this feat at any level that allows one, even above 1st. The idea is that while the character was always a bender, she either didn't choose to develop those skills beforehand, or else didn't realize she had them. The meta-game reason for the decision is to not pidgeon-hole a character concept because the player didn't take the right feats at 1st level. If benders have different adjustments, then characters would need to alter their racial adjustments if they take the feat at any level other than 1st, which is quite the awkward way of working things.

As for the Fire Nation racial to jumping, I like the idea, and I think it's rather amusing, but I'm not quite sold on it yet. As you can see from my statting of Ty Lee, she's got a +60 to jumps, which means jumping with ease over 70-foot gaps and 20 vertical feet, quite in line with her abilities, even without such a bonus. Since the skill that deals with jumping is now Acrobatics, every skill point you use to make yourself better at Balancing or Tumbling also makes you a better jumper. The three other Fire Nation characters we see leaping about like fools (Azula, Mai, and Zuko) all would likely have their Acrobatics skill maxxed out, anyways, which would lead to great jumping ability. None of the other major Fire Nation characters tend to show such amazing gravity-defying ability. I think it works well enough without it. Of course, if others argue with you, I'll change it, of course :smallsmile: .

Finally, yes, the Foggy Swamp Tribe definitely has an Int penalty! I was thinking +2 Con, -2 Int. Most of them (with the exception of Du) seem exceptionally, er, heavyset, and tough, but they seem on the whole to be rather dim...