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Mephibosheth
2007-12-23, 12:36 PM
Avatar: the Last Airbender d20 Setting

This thread serves as an organizing mechanism for a broader homebrew project with the goal of creating a d20 fantasy setting based of the world presented in Avatar: the Last Airbender. Heavily influenced by philosophical, spiritual, and military systems found in China, Japan, Korea, and India, this setting is set apart by the prominent role of individuals known as "benders," who are able to manipulate one of the classical elements (earth, water, air, and fire). In addition to the four bending disciplines, the Avatar (the human incarnation of the spirit of the world) is able to manipulate all four elements.


Goals and Principles

The goal of this project, as stated above, is to craft a setting that allows for d20 fantasy games set in the Avatar: the last Airbender universe. The project includes the creation of new base classes to represent the benders and martial artists extant in the world of the show, the creation of unique feats and skill usages to represent the characters’ abilities, the development of a bestiary to allow for encounters with Avatar world creatures, and the creation of items and technology that appear in the show.

In general, this project is focused on accurately representing the TV show within the d20 fantasy rules system. With a few exceptions necessitated by the limits of the d20 system, the content created for this setting should be firmly grounded in content depicted or referred to in the show.

The purpose of this thread is to organize the project’s various discussions, provide easy access to discussion threads and content summaries, and to host discussion of the setting as a whole, the goals of the project, and the project’s progress.


Directory of Threads

Content Summaries
The Avatar d20 Project Website (http://avatar.d20.googlepages.com/home) – Note that this is a work in progress and will continue to be updated as changes are made and new content is created. Hopefully, this website can serve as a resource.

Active Discussion Threads
Bending and base Classes II (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68630)
Warrior Base Classes (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71969) - Another discussion thread for non-bending base classes. The content under discussion includes revisions of Eighth_Seraph's non-bending classes.
Creatures of the Avatar World (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63909)
Items & Machinery (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67513) - A collection of the items and machinery (oddly enough) used in the Avatar world. Also a place for discussion of wealth-by-level guidelines and other things related to money and equipment.
Bending Forms Compendium II (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=83598) - A collection of combined forms with the goal of establishing an extensive list of possible combinations something akin to a spellcaster's spell list in 3e D&D
Iconic Character Builds (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67547) - A place to post and discuss the Avatar d20 builds for the show's main characters
Non-Canon Content Discussion (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=69732) - A place to discuss homebrew content not necessarily supported by the show, but related to the world and the bending system.

Inactive Discussion Threads
Directory Version 1 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63879) – contains prior discussions of the setting as a whole, item and craftsman information, and the previous directory.
Bending and Base Classes (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=54063) – A discussion thread for the development of the bending base classes, a few prestige classes, and things directly related to bending
Lord Tartaraus’ Martial Classes (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61352) – A discussion thread for the development of non-bending base classes led by Lord Tataraus.
Eighth_Seraph’s Martial Classes (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63834) – A discussion thread for the development of a more limited and specific set of non-bending base classes, as well as builds for various iconic non-bending characters using already-existing d20 classes and several new feats.
Bending Forms Compendium (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64182) – A collection of combined forms with Bending DC’s and general descriptions. Aimed at establishing how the form combining system actually works.
PDF Proofreading Discussion (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3547907)

Playtesting
Playtesting Sign-Up Thread - Round I (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62392) – Currently inactive.
Bending Classes Playtesting Analysis - Round I (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63016) – A discussion of balance issues and improvements highlighted by playtesting combats.
Playtesting Analysis - Round II (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73789)
Playtesting Sign-Up Thread - Round II (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71539)
The Fall of Chin the Great (Group 1 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72452), Group 2 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72453)) - A campaign set in the Avatar world during the life of Avatar Kyoshi
Autumn Twilight (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73644) - A campaign set in the Avatar world at the dawn of the Fire Nation's wars of conquest


Current Topics of Discussion

{table=head]Issue|Thread
Strength DC’s for breaking out of immobilization forms|Bending and Base Classes
Lavabending|Bending and Base Classes II
Communal Bending|Bending and Base Classes
Influence of the Moon and Sun|Bending and Base Classes
Bending Learning Feats|Bending and Base Classes
Redirect Lightening|Bending and Base Classes
Quickened Bending|Bending and Base Classes II
Balancing Tweaks|Bending and Base Classes II
Increasing # of Blasts|Bending and Base Classes II
Monk & Ranger Base Classes|Warrior Base Classes[/table]

Eighth_Seraph
2008-01-13, 01:15 PM
Since, as far as I'm aware, there is no thread specifically for the purpose of problems related to the project's setting itself, I'll post this here. In the Iconic Characters thread, I've noticed something that leads to a question and a problem.

Question: To what extent is the Avatar world a high-level setting?
We know that there's non-commoner low (1-3) level goons to spare (the Earth King's palace guard, for example), as well as enough mid-level fighters, benders and mercenaries that they're not viewed with awe (Participants in that earthbending tournament; soldiers for the three remaining nations, the Kyoshi Warriors), along with organizations of elite mid-high level units (The Dai Li, the Yu Yan archers), and a speckling of people approaching level 20 (the main characters and villains, Master Pakku, Hugh, Jeong Jeong).

...I think I may have answered my own question. Okay then. Level 20 is considered extremely powerful, but attainable, as evidenced by the Iconic Characters' thread needing to use 20 levels for Sokka's Master, Katara, Toph, Ty Lee, and Mai.

Problem: If level 20 is attainable for 16-year-old prodigies, we need to make rules for epic levels.
This won't affect the non-bending classes too much, but the definition of an epic character in the Avatar world needs to be sorted out for when we're ready to go there. In standard D&D, an epic human is not expected to be bound by reasonable physics (an epic Escape Artist check can get through a hole smaller than your head, which is physically impossible). For this setting, will we limit ourselves to reasonable physics, or go for the exalted feel of doing the impossible? It's a question that can go either way, but it needs to be decided.

ErrantX
2008-01-13, 03:48 PM
That's part of the reason I made Aang 16th level, I dunno, I'd suggest that we knock the other benders back to 16th as well. They're prodigies, they're amazing, but I'm sure that folks like Bumi, Ozai, Gyatso (past tense), and Pakku know a few tricks that our heroes don't know. I'd back that.

-X

Eighth_Seraph
2008-01-13, 09:27 PM
Right. I've been tossing the idea around that Ozai, at the very least, is an epic bender. Pakku and Hugh might be epic level as well, though that's open to debate. The one person who we can generally agree on as epic is Avatar Roku, but we have relatively little to work with in regards to him. In The Avatar and the Firelord, we saw Roku tear Souzin's throne room apart with an Air Burst. An AIR BURST. If that's the meaning of epic airbending, then what limits can the other disciplines possibly have?

I guess the real question is whether or not we keep the solid line found in D&D from level 20 to level 21, where the first epic feat becomes available and physical impossibilities no longer apply. If we decide to keep that line, then we'll need to make some epic feats and progression for classes. If we toss that distinction, then we can allow the bending system's normal progression to enable obscenely powerful forms on its own.

Mephibosheth
2008-01-14, 12:32 PM
Well, I know for a fact that Mai and Ty Lee can easily be brought back to lower levels by eliminating a few not-necessarily crucial feats. Katara could probably come down a few levels too by swapping out a feat or two for "Extra Seed." I just went with the ECL 20 benchmark to match Piandao.

I think that the setting, while obviously pretty high-powered, doesn't necessarily have to be. The characters in the show are clearly portrayed as the very best combatants in the world, but it seems like the majority of the population is mid-level at best. Now, this doesn't necessarily preclude epic progressions, but I don't know if they're necessary, at least at this point. Though maybe I'm just hesitant because I know next to nothing about epic progressions.

That said, I'm in favor of sticking with normal physics as much as possible. Increasing bending skill modifiers (especially to allow crazy combos) could account for a lot of the insane bending that Avatar Roku and other powerful characters show. To address Eighth_Seraph's specific example, Roku probably used a combo Air Scythe/Air Burst with a really high Airbending DC.

Those are my (only partially formed) thoughts.

Mephibosheth
2008-02-28, 02:19 PM
Looking over the various threads, it seems like things with the project are winding down. The basics of the bending system and base classes have been hammered out and are being playtested. Non-bending classes are well under way and ready for playtesting. Most of the creatures from the world have been statted. A fair number of items and machinery have at least preliminary statistics. My question now is:

What still needs to be done?

In my mind, the following aspects of the project still need work:
Continuing work on items/machinery/weapons
finalization of wealth by level guidelines
final playtesting and tweaking of base classes
development of any PrC's that the setting might need
final write-ups and editing
write-ups of setting content (organizations, brief historical outline, national profiles, etc.)
Is there anything else that still needs to be done?

Eighth_Seraph
2008-02-28, 04:30 PM
I would actually like to build a few maps of sample villages or cities in each of the nations, and maybe even a cross-sectional schematic of the giant Fire Nation war balloons and The Drill for use as locations instead of vehicles. I also had some ideas for making sea serpents, badgermoles, dragons, and flying bison have age-dependent CR and abilities, much like D&D dragons do. Other than that, I think you're right. All that's left after this list is the actual adventure paths to follow. Somehow, that saddens me. This project came alot further than I ever thought it would when I made the bending classes, what, six months ago? Wow. Of course, we still have to watch out for new concepts and abilities as the show progresses, assuming there's another episode coming out in the imminent future.

Is any of this included in the "From the Playground" compendium?

Shades of Gray
2008-02-28, 04:32 PM
You can add "Autumn Twilight" To the playtesting list.

Mephibosheth
2008-02-28, 05:07 PM
You can add "Autumn Twilight" To the playtesting list.

Done and done.

Another issue, now that we feel like things are winding down, is what to do with our work once we're finished. Sit back and pat ourselves on the back? Use it for our own groups a PbP's, but leave it at that? Attempt to publicize it around the Avatar fan communities? Any ideas?

Mephibosheth

Eighth_Seraph
2008-03-02, 08:40 PM
Well, 4th edition is coming out soon. If anyone's enthusiastic enough to make the transition, we could make an adaptation of the system to it. That'll keep us busy long enough for new shows to come out, methinks.

Ceiling009
2008-03-02, 11:23 PM
I love to convert it to 4e... soon as I manage to get 4e...

Guyr Adamantine
2008-03-03, 03:21 PM
Done and done.

Another issue, now that we feel like things are winding down, is what to do with our work once we're finished. Sit back and pat ourselves on the back? Use it for our own groups a PbP's, but leave it at that? Attempt to publicize it around the Avatar fan communities? Any ideas?

Mephibosheth

Well, I have linked many to this project on the Wizard Forums, in various Avatar conversion thread.

jagadaishio
2008-03-03, 03:46 PM
Well, 4th edition is coming out soon. If anyone's enthusiastic enough to make the transition, we could make an adaptation of the system to it. That'll keep us busy long enough for new shows to come out, methinks.

I would love to help out in the 4e conversion is everyone else is also up for it.

FlyMolo
2008-03-03, 04:10 PM
Done and done.

Another issue, now that we feel like things are winding down, is what to do with our work once we're finished. Sit back and pat ourselves on the back? Use it for our own groups a PbP's, but leave it at that? Attempt to publicize it around the Avatar fan communities? Any ideas?

Mephibosheth

Sit back, pat ourselves on the back, and use it in our own campaigns. It's balanced, interesting, fun, and cool. We've created something awesome, now let's have fun with it.

Pirate_King
2008-03-03, 10:33 PM
I actually plan on running an campaign in this setting over the summer. I've got an idea for a story line that happens after Zuko becomes Firelord, and in a continuity in which the Avatar cycle is broken.

Has the PDF been updated, by chance? would make it easier to distribute the rules to my players, only one of whom is a member of this forum.

Lord Tataraus
2008-03-03, 11:06 PM
Has the PDF been updated, by chance? would make it easier to distribute the rules to my players, only one of whom is a member of this forum.

It is in the process of being updated with a complete overhaul. I've changed the software I'm using and hopefully it will get down faster. However, life has gotten in the way and school comes first. I will not be able to get it done by tonight, but hopefully Tuesday or Wednesday I will have it ready. I will inform you when it is completed. If anyone would like to help out, I need to convert all the tables into png images, I find excel is actually very useful to setup the table then just paste it into any drawing program like window's paint and save it. I use 10pt font and the color pallet in RGB format is: table header (135, 85, 45), odd row (252, 220, 252) even row - white (255, 255, 255). I have all the version 2 bender tables, and Eighth's warrior class tables. If you do make any for me you can send them to [email protected] thanks!

Mephibosheth
2008-03-06, 12:11 PM
I'd be in for conversions to 4e. At least, I'm in if I manage to get access to the 4e sourcebooks. *grumblegrumblepoorgrumblegradschoolgrumble*

Also, does anyone have any search engine optimization skills/experience? I'd like for our website to appear higher on search lists, especially once/if the project slows down and the discussion threads are no longer as active.

Mephibosheth

Lord Tataraus
2008-03-06, 12:38 PM
Also, does anyone have any search engine optimization skills/experience? I'd like for our website to appear higher on search lists, especially once/if the project slows down and the discussion threads are no longer as active.

Mephibosheth

Yes, I do have some experience and its pretty straight forward. There are a number of factors that contribute to your rating, meta, prestige, and networking (could be called different names depending who you ask). Meta is well, your page's meta fields, the content description and keywords, the keywords are the most important, description is those few sentences that show up under the link in search engines. I haven't used google pages before, I prefer to type out all my code, but looking over your site's code, you only have content meta, I don't know how you are expected to update your meta. Prestige is basically your popularity, how many hits you get as well as warnings about bad content (such as pornography, illegal activities, etc.). You can do nothing about upping your prestige except advertise and hope. Networking is exactly as it sounds, how many other sites link to you. You need to somehow get sites with a high ranking to link to you, the higher the other site's ranking, the higher your's is. Sites boost each other up.

I hope that helps, though the most you can do right now is probably add in your meta and maybe see if some friends or someone will link to you.

Edit: I just looked into it a bit more and found that Google pages doesn't allow you to edit your meta at all, however it just searches your content instead. So, the only way to boost your rating immediately is to fluff up your content, but be careful not to spam it up.

Lord Tataraus
2008-03-07, 10:58 PM
I am nearing completion of the Avatar D20 pdf and I would like some input as to the color scheme. I am producing a grayscale printable version and a colorful, high quality one. So, my question is simple: what type of color scheme should I use? The color scheme basically determines the look of the tables and the background/border. The tables have three different colors incorporated into them in the same fashion as the tables here (darker color for the header, light color for the odd rows, even lighter color for the even rows). I have limited capability with background/border design, but I can create one of any color scheme (examples below).

Example background/border without text:
This is a black/purple/blue color scheme
http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/3987/shadowbackgroundnt9.png

this is a tan color scheme
http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/5473/tanbackgroundnv9.png

Eighth_Seraph
2008-03-08, 03:29 PM
I dunno, I kinda feel like it could be something classic, like the PHB borders or the ones from Oriental Adventures. Y'know, something that would be cheap wallpaper if it weren't on a book.

Heh, I was looking from the beginning of the thread, and I just realized that there is an equivalent for Epic Spellcasting in our system. It's called Epic Skill Focus (Bending). +10 to the skill checks. I like it.

Pirate_King
2008-03-09, 04:24 PM
I like the black/purple/blue, it's reminiscent of the opening credits, and the tan reminds me of the episode name backgrounds.

Lord Tataraus
2008-03-09, 05:14 PM
I like the black/purple/blue, it's reminiscent of the opening credits, and the tan reminds me of the episode name backgrounds.

I can do other colors too, those are just two examples of backgrounds I've done in the past. The problem with backgrounds like from the PHB is that their borders are very complex and I'm not much of an artist, I just know how to use the bells and whistles. I could try something close to it, but I don't know how well it will turn out.

Mephibosheth
2008-03-09, 06:22 PM
I like the blue/purple background (I agree, it does look like the opening credits), but I don't like the black border. Would it be possible to see how it looks with darker blue or a purple instead?

Lord Tataraus
2008-03-09, 07:55 PM
I like the blue/purple background (I agree, it does look like the opening credits), but I don't like the black border. Would it be possible to see how it looks with darker blue or a purple instead?

Are either of these better?
#1:
http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/7785/bluebackgroundqk5.png
It seems a bit too purple to me, but you can decide, I can tint it more blue if needed.

#2:
http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/5831/bluephasebackgroundsmaldu9.png
This is a lot more blue and less purple and I think it meshes better than #1.

Also, if the jagged top and bottom don't really fit well, I can easily smooth it out, though I left it in for the above samples.

Copacetic
2008-03-11, 04:19 PM
I really llike that second one there El Tea. It pleasesd the eye. MY vote s on it unless anyting better shows up.

Eighth_Seraph
2008-03-11, 07:51 PM
Alright everyone, I have some bad news. It's been increasingly clear that I really don't have the time to be spending on this project, as AP exams are coming up and I have some other responsibilities that I've put on the back burner for entirely too long. As of now, I can't guarantee that I'll be contributing to the project anymore. At all. I'll finish up the arena battle for the playtest, but I can't be here to see the project through to the end. My ranger and monk classes are now the property of the project as a whole, and you guys can make a new thread to modify them if you wish to do so. You all have been great over the past seven months and I've never seen so much creativity working towards the same end before. I've just got to thank you all and say that I really look forward to the end product of the whole project.

Meph, Tataraus, Pirate King, Darkbane, X, Ceiling, Knightsaline, Vadin, and Collin; you all have stuck with this for more than half a year, reviewing and revising and creating, and I want to say that I really appreciate it. Thanks to all the rest of you guys, too, for making this all possible. G'bye, all, and sorry for being so sudden about this.

Pirate_King
2008-03-11, 10:18 PM
:smallfrown: sorry to lose you to the real world, man. We'll miss your input.

speaking of the real world... I know I've been kind of a proponent of realism within the world of this system, but if you allow for some of the cartoonism, I think the bard would work well with this system. All of the bardic music things would work fine (with an added rule about characters who find the bard's music to be distracting instead of helpful, like Sokka), and even some spells would make perfect sense in a cartoon world. Detect secret doors, for example, would demonstrate the classic cartoon element of accidentally discovering a secret entrance by sitting on a rock. Expeditious retreat is also a very cartoony thing. All it would take is a little creative role playing to discern how a character can do such a thing without magic. Besides, this system is kind of wanting for healers...

Mephibosheth
2008-03-11, 10:54 PM
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h197/Mephibosheth85/ZombearCrying.png

Farewell, Eighth_Seraph! This project is by far the better for your participation, and I've enjoyed working with you the entire time. You're an amazing designer, and I for one will happily welcome you back when exams are done, should you decide to return. I hope that the final version is something you can be proud of.

I considered adding the Bard to the project back in the very beginning, but rejected it based on its too intimate (in my view) connection to magic. Sure, some of the spells might seem appropriate when re-flavored to be non-magical, but how do you account for invisibility?

Mephibosheth

Pirate_King
2008-03-11, 11:19 PM
Well, I suppose the more obvious spells would need to be cut from the list...
Other magic that fits, though, how are we working with the spirit world? Ethereal Jaunts and so forth should certainly be possible. With the world's use of Chi and a sort of empathic telepathy, invisibility and other spells could easily be replaced with others that better fit the world. I'll make that another project for my break; my classes don't start up again until the 24th.

Jukashi
2008-03-12, 08:26 PM
I was just reading through the stuff you have so far - it looks really good! I was just wondering something after looking at the Avatar template; shouldn't there be some mention of the order the Avatar has to learn the elements in? For example, If you start as a Firebender you learn Air first, then Water, then Earth. I suppose you're not strictly limited (Aang was able to learn some firebending, bad idea though it turned out to be), but perhaps it would impart some sort of penalty or random effect if they learn out of order?

Lord Tataraus
2008-03-12, 09:46 PM
I strongly urge all contributers of this project that have not yet signed into the role call to do so now. I will not be accepted any more names after 1:00pm tomorrow EST. I know there are many more contributers than have signed up already, even if all you've done is through out suggestions and add to discussions, sign in and be recognized, this project could not have become what it is without you.

Sign into the role call here. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74477) You may also click the banner in my sig to go to the role call.

- Lord Tataraus

Lord Tataraus
2008-03-14, 11:57 AM
Sorry for the delay, but I finally got the pdfs up for download. I had a bit of trouble getting the background on, but hopefully it will work, if not please tell me and I'll try to fix it.

You can download the pdfs from my downloads page here (http://www.rpghombrews.com/downloads).

jgmaurer
2008-03-15, 11:24 PM
I'm confused about something......I've been looking at the PDF (glad it's posted at a place I can reach it, it wasn't working at the main site)

Does this system use vitality/wounds? Under the prestige class Disciple of healing mentions the ability to detect wounds and vitality. But this system is not mentioned anywhere else in the PDF....

Frankly, I think the vitality and wound system would work better for Avatar than standard hit points....since healing is limited to just waterbenders, and those are relatively rare outside the water tribes. As such hit points would take WAY to long to heal without a waterbender (especially at higher levels). It also takes into the account of lucky hits seen in the show (Azula hitting Iroh square in the chest when he just jumped into the fight comes to mind).

Mephibosheth
2008-03-17, 10:05 AM
Yes, the original idea was that the system would use vitality/wound points. I don't think it's been canonized/required the same way that class defense has been, however. I agree that vitality/wound points are a good system for this type of setting, but I think the consensus was that we didn't want to require it, since some people aren't as comfortable with the system.

So, it might be a good idea to tweak that PrC ability.

Edit: I've updated the website to include the new PDF link. Much thanks to Lord T. for the awesome work.

Mephibosheth

felinoel
2008-03-27, 02:15 PM
http://images.wikia.com/avatar/images/f/f4/Huu_004.jpg
Vinebending, as I have seen it called, or seaweedbending as it is in the image I supplied, is an awesome bend, why is it not there? I mainly ask because I am running a game and one of my players came from the Foggy Water Tribe and he wants to be able to vinebend...



http://bloodandsteel.net/gallery/sokka_coloringpage1-a.jpg
Sokka's Boomerang and WarHammer (I think thats a warhammer? lol)
Why isn't Sokka's totally awesome boomerang and warhammer like object in the weapons category? In fact, there are very few weapons there :smallfrown:

The Rose Dragon
2008-03-27, 02:28 PM
Vinebending, as I have seen it called, or seaweedbending as it is in the image I supplied, is an awesome bend, why is it not there? I mainly ask because I am running a game and one of my players came from the Foggy Water Tribe and he wants to be able to vinebend...

Golem + Plantbending.

The good thing about this system is, you can do pretty cool maneuvers, even those not seen on the show.

felinoel
2008-03-27, 02:31 PM
Golem + Plantbending.

The good thing about this system is, you can do pretty cool maneuvers, even those not seen on the show.

Ah yes, I remember finding that now, it was the other day I went and looked for it and I get very forgetful -_-'

Mephibosheth
2008-03-27, 03:06 PM
http://bloodandsteel.net/gallery/sokka_coloringpage1-a.jpg
Sokka's Boomerang and WarHammer (I think thats a warhammer? lol)
Why isn't Sokka's totally awesome boomerang and warhammer like object in the weapons category? In fact, there are very few weapons there :smallfrown:

While we were developing the system, we worked with the general assumption that Avatar d20 would be an addition to already-existing d20 content, rather than replace it. With that in mind, we only statted weapons we felt truly could not be represented by already-existing weapon statistics.

You can find multiple versions of boomerang statistics in already-published sources. Complete Warrior has statistics for a boomerang, as does Dragon Magazine issue 331 and the Eberron Campaign Setting. However, I can see how none of these really represent Sokka's boomerang (the CWar version only does subdual damage, for example). If none of these statistics work for you, check out the Items and Machinery (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67513) thread for my adaptation (just posted).

Sokka’s warhammer-like weapon would probably just be a club. Doesn’t look any more complicated than that.

Hope that helps.

Mephibosheth

felinoel
2008-03-27, 03:10 PM
While we were developing the system, we worked with the general assumption that Avatar d20 would be an addition to already-existing d20 content, rather than replace it. With that in mind, we only statted weapons we felt truly could not be represented by already-existing weapon statistics.

You can find multiple versions of boomerang statistics in already-published sources. Complete Warrior has statistics for a boomerang, as does Dragon Magazine issue 331 and the Eberron Campaign Setting. However, I can see how none of these really represent Sokka's boomerang (the CWar version only does subdual damage, for example). If none of these statistics work for you, check out the Items and Machinery (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67513) thread for my adaptation (just posted).

Sokka’s warhammer-like weapon would probably just be a club. Doesn’t look any more complicated than that.

Hope that helps.

MephiboshethI see, well I asked because one, Sokka rocks =d
And two, I noticed Sokka didn't have a Character Sheet (http://avatar.d20.googlepages.com/iconiccharacterbuilds), and I considered making one for him and his character sheet would need weapons




EDIT:
Speaking of character sheets, I made one for Avatar d20, since there isn't any yet
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f130/felinoel/DnD/thAvatar20d2020charsheet-1.jpg (http://alignmentshift.com/Avatar%20d20%20charsheet-1.jpg) . http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f130/felinoel/DnD/thAvatar20d2020charsheet-2.jpg (http://alignmentshift.com/Avatar%20d20%20charsheet-2.jpg)

Could someone please do a lookover and let me know if anything needs changed on it, if so I can fix it quickly

Knoxontholos
2008-04-02, 03:02 PM
I was looking at the Bender tables on each respective Bender's page and I noticed that the column labeled as Defense Bonus hasn't been explained. Does it just get added to the AC? Or is there a special circumstance for it?

felinoel
2008-04-02, 05:20 PM
I was looking at the Bender tables on each respective Bender's page and I noticed that the column labeled as Defense Bonus hasn't been explained. Does it just get added to the AC? Or is there a special circumstance for it?I was wondering that too, I can't find an explanation for it on the googlepages site anywhere, it might be somewhere in one of the original threads, but when I asked about it on a different thread, it was just ignored, if it does give a bonus to AC, which is what I am thinking it does, I would definitely like to know so I can update my character sheets to have that in there

Ceiling009
2008-04-03, 12:13 AM
It's the Defense Bonus variant from the SRD and UA. It's either Defense Bonus or Armor Bonus, but natural armor, deflection and the like still stack. The link is right here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/defenseBonus.htm)

black dragoon
2008-04-03, 12:18 PM
Sorry to drop out of the blue like this.:smallfrown: I just recently joined so have'nt had much of a chance to say anything but anywho...
This SEED system could be used for a number of things you guys. I can easily see a FMA or even DC setting done using the basic principles here. This has ALOT of potential in my opinion.:smallbiggrin:

felinoel
2008-04-03, 08:49 PM
It's the Defense Bonus variant from the SRD and UA. It's either Defense Bonus or Armor Bonus, but natural armor, deflection and the like still stack. The link is right here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/defenseBonus.htm)So it just gets added onto AC, right?


Sorry to drop out of the blue like this.:smallfrown: I just recently joined so have'nt had much of a chance to say anything but anywho...
This SEED system could be used for a number of things you guys. I can easily see a FMA or even DC setting done using the basic principles here. This has ALOT of potential in my opinion.:smallbiggrin:Yup, sure seems that way

Ceiling009
2008-04-04, 12:07 AM
No, it does not just get added to AC. It's either the Defense bonus, or your Armor, not both. The Defense bonus is basically built in armor, so both armor bonuses do not stack. But, natural armor, deflection, dodge, and other bonuses that give you armor, but is not an "armor" bonus do stack. So a waterbender at level 1, with 18 dex, has an AC of 17; not wearing any armor. If that same waterbender bought leather armor, and chose to use it, their AC would be 16.

felinoel
2008-04-04, 01:23 AM
No, it does not just get added to AC. It's either the Defense bonus, or your Armor, not both. The Defense bonus is basically built in armor, so both armor bonuses do not stack. But, natural armor, deflection, dodge, and other bonuses that give you armor, but is not an "armor" bonus do stack. So a waterbender at level 1, with 18 dex, has an AC of 17; not wearing any armor. If that same waterbender bought leather armor, and chose to use it, their AC would be 16.Ah I see, well then its name is misleading =d

Foolster41
2008-04-25, 02:49 PM
I havn't seen a suggestion for bending locks yet:

Fire Lock (Like in the fire temple on Crescent Island)
This lock is only unlocked by a blast of fire. Some doors might have multiple fire locks that have to be unlocked simuanously. Since fire would most likely damage wooden doors these types of doors are always either stone or iron (DC 28 to break). Fire may be faked by using explosives (Such as a alchemist's fire or dynamite) or even perhaps a lit torch.

Air Lock (Like in the Air Temples)
This lock is only unlocked by a strong blast of air. Some doors might have multiple air locks that have to be unlocked simuanously.
(I'm not sure how one would fake a air blast. A machine?)

There might not be exactly a place to pick a door, so I'm not sure if a bending door is pickable or if it is what the DC would be.

felinoel
2008-05-09, 12:49 AM
I havn't seen a suggestion for bending locks yet:

Fire Lock (Like in the fire temple on Crescent Island)
This lock is only unlocked by a blast of fire. Some doors might have multiple fire locks that have to be unlocked simuanously. Since fire would most likely damage wooden doors these types of doors are always either stone or iron (DC 28 to break). Fire may be faked by using explosives (Such as a alchemist's fire or dynamite) or even perhaps a lit torch.

Air Lock (Like in the Air Temples)
This lock is only unlocked by a strong blast of air. Some doors might have multiple air locks that have to be unlocked simuanously.
(I'm not sure how one would fake a air blast. A machine?)

There might not be exactly a place to pick a door, so I'm not sure if a bending door is pickable or if it is what the DC would be.A fan or more likely one of those things people used to use to shoot air at fires to bring them back to life

Foolster41
2008-05-11, 08:37 PM
Oh yeah, a Billows pump. (Also useful for brining mostly dead people to life!) I should have thoght of that.

felinoel
2008-06-05, 10:28 AM
I was just reading through the stuff you have so far - it looks really good! I was just wondering something after looking at the Avatar template; shouldn't there be some mention of the order the Avatar has to learn the elements in? For example, If you start as a Firebender you learn Air first, then Water, then Earth. I suppose you're not strictly limited (Aang was able to learn some firebending, bad idea though it turned out to be), but perhaps it would impart some sort of penalty or random effect if they learn out of order?I saw that as mainly legend and not fact though...

Liliedhe
2008-06-07, 04:28 AM
As I promised Mephibosheth, here are the summaries of the Lost Scrolls books:

I’m concentration on information on Bending and other things that can be translated into rules, and ignoring the background stuff, PM me if you want something on that, too.

Fire

Firebenders draw energy from the sun and from heat sources like lava.
The Fire Nation has many skilled metalworkers.
It has a real industry that specialises in producing metals and tools – it’s the first industrialized nation in the world.
Children play with firecrackers as toys.
The Hawks carrying messages are actually “Dragon Hawks”.

Firebending is aggressive and lacks on the defensive side. It’s strength comes from controlled breathing not from physical strength or size. It draws from several ancient martial arts:
-Xsing Yi: Incorporates strikes from the “Seven Stars” – hands, feet, knees, elbows, hips, shoulders and head.
-Southern Dragon Claw: techniques for seizing and holding that use the hand
-Northern Shaolin: Emphasizes kicking.

Moves are designed for achieving victory: a kick or jab creates bursts of flames, whirlwing kicks generate blazing arcs of flames, punches unleash fireballs, spinning kicks rings of fire. Snapping hand or wrist creates a “deadly fire pinwheel”. Several Firebenders working together can combine there energy to shoot fire missiles for long distances.

Strengths: more powerful during the day and in warm climates. Most powerful on the equator during summer (wow, that comet has some auspicious timing…)

Weaknesses: solar eclipses, full moon, less powerful in the rain. Firebenders traditionally lack defensive moves.

Agni Kai: fought at sunset, begun back to back, barefoot, the goal is to overpower your opponent, knock him to the ground and burn him.

The Spirit World

Inhabited by a variety of spirits who are guardians of rivers, forests and mountains. Also, the previous Avatars are alive there. They can be contacted on the Solstice or when one enters the Spirit World.

Avatars partially enter the Spirit World when they go into the Avatar State.

You can still observe the natural world, when you are in the spirit world, but you cannot influence it. Bending is not possible there, because the Spirit World has no physical form.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Water

Waterbenders use their abilities for defence, never for aggression.
The members of the Water Tribes are renowned for being great hunters, making their living from hunting and fishing.
Animals living in their territories include Otter-penguins, turtle-seals, polar sea lions, penguin fish, polar leopards. The Northern Tribe uses buffalo-yaks as beasts of burden.

Waterbending is defensive in nature. Waterbenders draw their strength from the moon and their life from the ocean spirit and try to maintain a balance.
It is influenced by the martial art of Tai Chi. The intent is to control the opponents, not harm them. With Waterbending, softness and breathing prove more powerful than hard aggression.
Waterbenders can control water in any of its forms – steam, water and ice.
Techniques: suspend a body of water around themselves, then lash out with water whips or waves, encase an attacker in a sheet of ice, use a screen of steam as cover. Expert Waterbenders can collect the available moisture in the air and ground around them to use it.

Strenghts: A Waterbender’s power comes from his internal life energy, his chi. The power is related to the emotional state. Inexperienced waterbenders can become more powerful when they are angry, but they lose control which can be very dangerous. They are most powerful at night, when the moon is full, during winter and when they are on the poles. They can choose to direct their energy using two “jings”, or techniques, representing the push and pull of the moon on the tides.

Weaknesses: When there is no water around, waterbenders are helpless and it is easier to cut them off from their element than the other benders.

Healing: done by opening up the chi paths in the body and helping the healing process and speeding it up.

The Waterbending Scroll (from the episode of the same name): contains the Single Water Whip, a technique that was considered lost. It’s now Katara’s signature move.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Air

The Air Nomads were a peaceful race, that lived in huge tempels and traveled the world on flying bison. They preferred to use their powers strictly for defensive purposes.

Airbending is a dynamic skill that uses air to enhance natural abilities, allowing to defend against multiple attackers.

Martial Arts Influence: Baguazhang. Movements employ the whole body with smooth coiling and uncoiling actions. Rapid movements draw energy from the abdomen.
Techniques: -run faster by decreasing air resistance
-jump higher and farther
-run up walls, protect yourself from falling
-create an air vortex to suck in an opponent and spit him out again
-deflect attacks with air shields and air domes
-the staff/glider is used to enhance attacks and defenses
-channel a light breeze into a tornado and ride air currents like flying
-without air an Airbender is powerless [Note: and probably soon dead, because it’s quite difficult to breath without it^^]
To master Airbending and earn arrow tattoos one must pass all 36 levels of Airbending and invent a new move. Aang invented the air scooter, so he got his arrows early.

The Air Nomad Monks were the leaders of the Air Nomads. They taught the future generations of Airbenders. Air Nomads not linked to a temple just roamed around.

An Avatar must master his own element before he can continue to learn the others. [The rest about Avatars in the book is common knowledge.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’ll add the other elements in the afternoon.

Eighth_Seraph
2008-06-07, 05:10 PM
Ooh. That's really useful. Thanks, Liliedhe! :smallbiggrin:

Techniques: -run faster by decreasing air resistance
-jump higher and farther
-run up walls, protect yourself from falling
-create an air vortex to suck in an opponent and spit him out again
-deflect attacks with air shields and air domes
-the staff/glider is used to enhance attacks and defenses
-channel a light breeze into a tornado and ride air currents like flying So it seems that we've got all of those covered except for being spit out of a vortex. Though that one function in Tornado comes pretty close.

About the airbender making a new move; that should be form, right? Because we put the Air Scooter down as a (rather underpowered) seed.

felinoel
2008-06-08, 12:50 AM
Hello its me again, while getting my game set up I realized that I did not have a map with locations, so I put one together, this is just the first draft of it, especially since I noticied I had forgotten an island =b

http://felinoel.deviantart.com/art/The-World-of-Avatar-88014928
Just felt like submitting it to be used if people want to use it


EDIT:
I had forgotten Kangaroo Island, Whaletail Island, EK ferry, and the Ba Sing Se train station, I will add them in the next version

Eighth_Seraph
2008-06-20, 03:28 PM
Y'know, with the addition of the new forms compendium, I've noticed how cluttered the OP is. Could you separate the active threads from the inactive ones altogether, Meph? It just all seems kind of chaotic right now.

Also, Felinoel deserves SO much more credit than what we gave him (read: none) for the map he made of the Avatar world. Nice work, bro. That's exactly the start we need to make this setting a playable location.

Liliedhe
2008-06-22, 02:26 AM
I'm extremely sorry it took me so long to finish this, but here is the missing element:

Earth

The people of the Earth Kingdom believe in peaceful coexistence. They use their powers for industry and defence and are fierce fighters. Earthbenders are strongest during spring.

Their industries are farming, architecture, carpentry, hunting, coal mining. Stones and rocks are Earthbended into the cities to make everything from tools to buildings. The Kingdom has an advanced communications and trade system.

Earthbending

Earthbenders use their own strength to power their attacks and are mostly extremely muscular. It uses techniques from the Hun Gar Style of Kung Fu, that uses strong stances and is based on the movements of animals like the tiger (imitated when using hard blows) and the crane (when gently landing again).

Earthbending techniques are:
- striking the ground to cause tremors or small quakes
- stomping the ground to kick up a boulder and kick it at the enemy
- use Earthbending to catapult themselves in the air
- soften the Earth to cushion their landing
- open cracks in the ground to swallow an opponent
- raise stonewalls to block attacks
- levitate stones to propel them at opponents
- magnetize their limbs to stone to climb
- highest level Earthbenders can change the ground into quicksand and trap opponents

Earthbending has 85 jings or ways to direct one’s energy, the neutral jing (waiting and listening for when to strike) is the most important. They can combine their movements to create huge walls and so on.

Their greatest weakness is their inability to bend metal.

EDIT: Oh, concerning Sandbenders... The "Fire Nation Man" from the wrestlers in The Blind Bandit is a Sandbender. Don't know if that will help figuring out more about them, though^^.

felinoel
2008-06-22, 06:38 AM
Y'know, with the addition of the new forms compendium, I've noticed how cluttered the OP is. Could you separate the active threads from the inactive ones altogether, Meph? It just all seems kind of chaotic right now.

Also, Felinoel deserves SO much more credit than what we gave him (read: none) for the map he made of the Avatar world. Nice work, bro. That's exactly the start we need to make this setting a playable location.Well I did only recently make it, also I remade the map after I had posted the first one online some people gave me a few places I had forgotten about, the full version of the map is here
http://felinoel.deviantart.com/art/The-World-of-Avatar-mark-2-88014928
And a good list of locations for the map is here
http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/The_World_of_Avatar

EDIT:
And once the series ends I will be remaking it once more, to show the locations given then


Also, Felinoel deserves SO much more credit than what we gave him (read: none) for the map he made of the Avatar world.By this statement do you mean I was given no credit with anything whatsoever, or just no credit for the map? Because a while back I made some character sheets for a game I will be running (I had my players start early just to be sure), and I see it is now on the Avatar d20 Project Website


EDIT:
Would you guys mind it if I ran a few games of this system at a convention? I would of course give credit and direct people to the site about it
Also the pdf on that site doesn't seem to be working

Mephibosheth
2008-06-27, 08:54 AM
Would you guys mind it if I ran a few games of this system at a convention? I would of course give credit and direct people to the site about it
Also the pdf on that site doesn't seem to be working

First, let me echo Eighth_Seraph and say that the map is fantastic and that you definitely didn't get the praise you deserve.

I don't have any problems with you running some Avatar d20 games, provided you give us the feedback. The system is free for anyone to use at any time. Are you talking running Avatar d20 games at GenCon or at some other convention?

The PDF on the front page of the site indeed doesn't work. I've been meaning to change that link, but keep forgetting. If you go to the "Favorite Links" page, the first link will take you to a working PDF, which, unfortunately, is out of date. Downloading some PDF-making software and doing an updated version is another project I've been meaning to take on but keep forgetting.

Mephibosheth

felinoel
2008-06-27, 10:28 AM
First, let me echo Eighth_Seraph and say that the map is fantastic and that you definitely didn't get the praise you deserve.

I don't have any problems with you running some Avatar d20 games, provided you give us the feedback. The system is free for anyone to use at any time. Are you talking running Avatar d20 games at GenCon or at some other convention?

The PDF on the front page of the site indeed doesn't work. I've been meaning to change that link, but keep forgetting. If you go to the "Favorite Links" page, the first link will take you to a working PDF, which, unfortunately, is out of date. Downloading some PDF-making software and doing an updated version is another project I've been meaning to take on but keep forgetting.

MephiboshethAwesome, I am going to run it at Origins next year, I actually planned on running it for this year, but I missed the due date for reserving space -_-' This year I am going to reserve it early =b

EDIT:
I am thinking of running it a few years after current time, Aang is captured, Ozai rules all, and the Air Walkers were forgotten about, but with guru Pathik's help they became the new Air Benders and they go to save the day, whatcha think about that? I am doing this mainly because the game I will be running with some friends when I return to college will be running in the current time with no air benders and everyone didn't like how they couldn't be airbenders =b

Mephibosheth
2008-07-03, 12:51 PM
I know in the past I've been opposed to working on the Spirit World until we found some more information, but here's some notes on a Spirit subtype that I've crafted. I also put together a feat for characters like Iroh. What do you think?


Spirit Subtype

This subtype is used to represent the denizens of the Spirit World. The Spirit World is a lush world that exists alongside of the material world but remains completely separate and inaccessible to most denizens of the material world. At certain locations the Spirit World and the material world pass close to each other, and the border between them blurs, allowing passage between. These locations include the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole and the great tree in the middle of the Earth Kingdom’s Foggy Swamp.

Spirit creatures in general remain aloof from the material world, but they have the ability to pass between the two worlds, with some Spirits crossing over and living in the material world permanently.

Traits
Material Jaunt – Creatures with the Spirit subtype possess the ability to move between the Spirit World and the material world. Using this ability is a full-round action. In general, this ability can be used twice per day and has an indefinite duration. However, this ability may operate differently for different Spirits, and frequently requires certain conditions.

A creature with the Spirit subtype can bring another creature along with it when using this ability. Unwilling creatures are allowed a Will save to resist crossing to the Spirit World or the material world. The DC for this save is equal to 10 plus half the Spirit creature’s hit dice plus the Spirit creature’s Wisdom modifier.

When in the material world, creatures with the Spirit subtype are invisible and intangible to creatures native to the material world. Creatures native to the material world can only affect creatures with the Spirit subtype with force effects. Creatures with the Spirit subtype who are in the material world can affect each other as normal. Creatures with the Spirit subtype can cause themselves to become visible and tangible as a free action with indefinite duration.


Spirit Touched
You have been touched by the Spirit World, and can see and affect it as normal mortals cannot.
Prerequisites: Knowledge (Religion) 6 ranks, must have been to the Spirit World or had prolonged contact with a creature with the Spirit subtype
Benefit: You can always see creatures with the Spirit subtype when they are present in the material world, even if they are invisible to other denizens of the material world. Additionally, you can affect creatures with the Spirit subtype when they are intangible, though you suffer a 50% miss chance when attempting to do so.
Normal: Denizens of the material world cannot see or affect creatures with the Spirit subtype unless the creature chooses to make itself visible and tangible.

felinoel
2008-07-03, 01:56 PM
Knowledge (religion)? You are keeping that skill in this system? I didn't think there was religion in Avatar, well except for Huu and the swamp but that is more of a philosophy then a religion...

I noticed that the Spirit World has two realms, one that is sort of an overworld of the natural world, and another that is its own place, the overworld seems to have the same features of the place it is over in the natural world, and seems to be able to be affected by those in the natural world affecting that place in the natural world. I figured that creature Iroh saw flying by was in the overworld part of the Spirit World at the time, not invisable in the natural world. Like Hei Bai's forest in the Spirit World and how it looks just like the forest in the natural world and how it had been affected by the natural world's version of the forest being burned down, and it was Aang who called the overworld I speak of part of the Spirit World in either episode 107 or 108, its a two parter

Mephibosheth
2008-07-03, 02:05 PM
Knowledge (religion)? You are keeping that skill in this system? I didn't think there was religion in Avatar, well except for Huu and the swamp but that is more of a philosophy then a religion...

The "skills" section of the web page details the changes to the Knowledge skills that we made to make them conform to the Avatar world. In the Avatar d20 system, Knowledge (Religion) includes the spirits, religious practices and symbolism, philosophy.


I noticed that the Spirit World has two realms, one that is sort of an overworld of the natural world, and another that is its own place, the overworld seems to have the same features of the place it is over in the natural world, and seems to be able to be affected by those in the natural world affecting that place in the natural world. I figured that creature Iroh saw flying by was in the overworld part of the Spirit World at the time, not invisable in the natural world. Like Hei Bai's forest in the Spirit World and how it looks just like the forest in the natural world and how it had been affected by the natural world's version of the forest being burned down, and it was Aang who called the overworld I speak of part of the Spirit World in either episode 107 or 108, its a two parter

That's entirely possible. I considered something like that and decided against it for a few reasons. First, none of the former Avatars or the other "experts" on the Spirit World ever mention something like that. Second, I don't want to establish a system of planes like in run-of-the-mill D&D. Nothing in the show indicates anything like that. Third...this was easier :smallwink:.

That said, I'm willing to look into any number of alternate systems and discuss pros and cons.

Mephibosheth

felinoel
2008-07-03, 02:08 PM
The "skills" section of the web page details the changes to the Knowledge skills that we made to make them conform to the Avatar world. In the Avatar d20 system, Knowledge (Religion) includes the spirits, religious practices and symbolism, philosophy.



That's entirely possible. I considered something like that and decided against it for a few reasons. First, none of the former Avatars or the other "experts" on the Spirit World ever mention something like that. Second, I don't want to establish a system of planes like in run-of-the-mill D&D. Nothing in the show indicates anything like that. Third...this was easier :smallwink:.

That said, I'm willing to look into any number of alternate systems and discuss pros and cons.

MephiboshethOh, I read the skills section long ago and must have forgotten it then

Well I never said they were different planes, they could be on the same plane just farther out, but now that you mention planes the way the Avatar and others enter it, it sure does seem like planes :smallconfused:

jagadaishio
2008-07-04, 03:10 PM
I think that Spirit Touched should have a higher skill requirement to be taken. True awareness of the spirit world just doesn't seem like something that a third level character would be likely to have.

felinoel
2008-07-04, 03:13 PM
I think that Spirit Touched should have a higher skill requirement to be taken. True awareness of the spirit world just doesn't seem like something that a third level character would be likely to have.

Then how about a level requirement?

Liliedhe
2008-07-07, 12:37 PM
To me the spirit world seemed like the astral plane of Shadowrun. It's everywhere, most people just can't see it. And it can visibly overlap like on the North Pole (the Spirit Oasis is a physical part of the spirit world that everyone can enter).

felinoel
2008-07-07, 12:43 PM
To me the spirit world seemed like the astral plane of Shadowrun. It's everywhere, most people just can't see it. And it can visibly overlap like on the North Pole (the Spirit Oasis is a physical part of the spirit world that everyone can enter).

And theres also the part of the Spirit World that is not overlapping anything but is its own place though

Mephibosheth
2008-07-07, 12:50 PM
To me the spirit world seemed like the astral plane of Shadowrun. It's everywhere, most people just can't see it. And it can visibly overlap like on the North Pole (the Spirit Oasis is a physical part of the spirit world that everyone can enter).

Do the Lost Scrolls books speak to the Spirit World at all?

Liliedhe
2008-07-08, 04:31 AM
Yes, they do. I put the gist of it in my summaries, but I can type it out word for word if you want to.

The part with the Spirit Oasis being part of the spirit world in the physical world is from the DVD commentary, though.

String
2008-07-22, 11:42 PM
So, I was instructed to direct my Affiliation creations here. Wunderbar. Now, I have two Affiliations underway, with Ideas for a few others, and I wanted to ask:

-Should the nations (Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, Water Tribes, Air Nomads) count as affiliations?
-If so, are they Racial Affiliations or Social? My first thought was that due to the language under the "Races" section of the four bending classes:
Races - All earthbenders (with the exception of the Avatar, who is able to master all four elements) are members of the group known as the earth Kingdom. that Racial Affiliations was the way to go, leaving room for Order of the White Lotus, Kyoshi Warriors, etc to be social. That said, I can also argue that since their all human, there really shouldnt be ANY Racial affiliations, and they should all be Social, with affiliation score penalties from hailing from a different land. What says the Playground? For the purpose of getting something down, I am assuming that they are NOT Racial affiliations.

Next: In order to conform more to the style of the Avatar series, I propose the following changes to the list of Affiliation Types.

The RAW types: Business, Cabal, College, Druid circle, Fightig company, government, spy ring, temple, thieves guild, or tribe.

I suggest combining Cabal and Druid Circle into a bender's group, since the setting has no magic.

My Proposal (for clarification): Business, Bender's Group (Needs a better name), College, Fighting Company, Government, Spy Ring, Temple, Thieves' Guild, or Tribe.

All that said, a simple caveat when looking at the affiliations: I am not averse to giving Affiliations executive powers that they technicaly don't qualify for, given their Type, so any 'mistakes' of that effect aren't. Also, I'm a big believer in special circumstances, especially regarding how to use multiple affiliations (see special note on Earth Kingdom) However, if you feel they don't really deserve said EP's, say so. I bow to boards consensus.

oh yeah. I don't know how to do tables.

The Earth Kingdom
Symbol: The Royal Symbol (http://dvdscreenshots.avatarspiritmedia.net/306/378.jpg)
Background, Goals and Dreams:
Enemies and Allies: Due to the ongoing war, the Earth Kingdom is bitterly opposed to the Fire Nation and it's Navy. However, the Dai Li work in close tandem with the throne, especially within the confines of Ba Sing Se, and the Earth Kingdom Army is obviously tied closely to the workings of the government.
Members: A good deal of the Earth Kingdom Citizens are Earthbenders, as might be expected. A common career for a citizen is to enlist in the military, or to take on farming in rural areas. The people of the Earth Kingdom are sturdy and resilient, and their hope and trust in their great nation is incredibly strong.
Secrets:(Note: The Following is only applicable if playing during the era encompasing the end of the war, before the fall of Ba Sing Se) Once you reach an affiliation score of 30 or more, it becomes evident that the Earth King is not the true power behind the throne of Ba Sing Se. The Secretariat Long Feng, and the Dai Li are the true powers in control of the Earth Kingdom, and the Earth King knows nothing of the War with the Fire Nation. Long Feng works hard to keep it this way, and those who talk too much as quickly silenced.
Type: Government
Scale:14 (Continent Wide Kingdom)
Affiliation Score Criteria: Performing tasks for or being associated with various nobles or royalty is the best way to ascend the ladder of rank in the Earth Kingdom, although a sparkling military record has also proven to help.

Criterion/Affiliation Score Mod:

Character level +1/2 PC's Level
10 or more ranks in Earthbending +2
Has Earthbending Study feat +2
Is of Noble origin +2
Family Member is part of Nobility +2
Reccomendation by member with >=21 affiliation score +2
Performs mission for Earth Kingdom/EK Army successfully +1/mission
Known to associate with Fire Nation -10
Known to participate in Anti-earth kingdom ventures -10


Titles, Benefits and Duties: As your affiliation score increases, you become more and more associated with the nobility and rulers of the Earth Kingdom. Eventually you may even become a trusted advisor to the Earth King.

Affiliation Score/Title: Benefits and Duties.

3 or Lower: No Affiliation
4-11: You gain +4 circumstance bonus to any Gather Information or Knowledge(Royalty and Nobility) check within the bounds of an Earth Kingdom city and possess traveling papers to any region in the Earth Kingdom.
11-20: Minor Noble: You are now among the nobles of the Kingdom, and are given documentation to that effect. At any Earth Kingdom city, you may procure a small flat, large enough to accomodate four people comfortably.
21-30: Lord or Lady: You have ascended to a more lofty status than before. You may claim audience with any King, Governor or similar official within 1d6 days once per month. You are accompanied at your request by an Honor guard of four 6th level earthbenders and one 8th level earthbender. In addition, you may procure a larger flat, generally large enough to house six people. The bonus to Gather Information and Knowledge(R&N) increases to +6
30 or more: Regent Advisor: You are within the inner circle of Earth Kingdom nobility. You recieve a Manor residence within either Omashu or Ba Sing Se, created to your specifications (within DM approval), and may arrange a meeting with any member of the Earth Kingdom Army, Dai Li, or Earth Kingdom nobility within 1d4 days, excepting travel time, once a month. Every month that you use this privilege, you must make a DC 15 Diplomacy check or lower your affiliation score by 5 as your superiors and colleagues question your policy. The bonus to Gather Info and Knowledge(R&N) increases to +8


Executive Privileges: Law, Mint, War
Special Note: I would Rule that a character can be a member of both the Earth Kingdom and the Earth Kingdom Army without incurring the normal -10 affiliation score penalty(or perhaps only incurring a -5 penalty), and the rewards and whatnot have been created with this in mind
---
So? What do you think? I need to writeup the fluff on the Background and whatnot, but the crunch is all there. Too overpowered? I don't know.Gimme some thoughts, please.

Eighth_Seraph
2008-07-23, 07:38 AM
I like it! The symbol is a bit off, though. It should be a a dark green square on a light green circle on a dark green background. (http://dvdscreenshots.avatarspiritmedia.net/306/378.jpg)

Also, the privileges granted by higher affiliation scores seem a bit...weak on the side of the earth kingdom. I would expect that an earth kingdom noble could request the services of a few low-level earthbenders easily enough, or else some body guards or exclusive access to trolley services. I'm just throwing out ideas at this point (I've never made an affiliation before), but I think that it would make it more exciting to be a noble with practical benefits like that.

AlterForm
2008-07-23, 10:44 AM
I put together some images you could use for the affiliations. They're a bit big for left alignment, but I think they'll look good if you center align them.


http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x38/MightyDraco/Earth.png http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x38/MightyDraco/Fire.png

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x38/MightyDraco/Wind.png http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x38/MightyDraco/Water.png

Mephibosheth
2008-07-23, 10:52 AM
I like the images and the affiliation write-up for the Earth Kingdom. I've been thinking about buckling down and doing something like this for a while now, but haven't gotten around to it.

Here's what I think should happen with our "World of the Avatar" section:
General descriptions of various nations, organizations and other factions. Affiliation stats could/should be included, but there should also be information useful for gamers who don't have the PHBII or don't use affiliation rules.
Write-ups for a few villages/cities/other important locations. These might be difficult, given the changes over time in the setting, but don't really need to be too detailed. Only one or two for every nation would be necessary.
General descriptions for international relations in the Avatar world, including notes on relations between various groups and how organizations like the White Lotus Society fit into everything.
Descriptions of the Spirit World (if we ever get enough information about it) and how the spirits interact with the physical world.
I'm sure there are things I'm missing, but this is at least a start. I'll try to find some time to do a few write-ups, but others are welcome to contribute as well.

Mephibosheth

String
2008-07-23, 12:45 PM
21-30: Lord or Lady: You have ascended to a more lofty status than before. You may claim audience with any King, Governor or similar official within 1d6 days once per month. You are accompanied at your request by an Honor guard of four 6th level earthbenders and one 8th level earthbender. In addition, you may procure a larger flat, generally large enough to house six people. The bonus to Gather Information and Knowledge(R&N) increases to +6

The Change is in bold.

In regards to the request for more fluff, may I ask for some input on ...(I suppose) Era's of play? I ask largely because I notice that both of the current playtesting games do not take place in the one or so years Avatar Aang is ending the war. I don't know how many eras there are, or how we should devide them, but it seems as though it would be a usefull piece of fluff.

AlterForm
2008-07-23, 01:02 PM
Rough draft of Ages of Play:

Golden Age: Before Sozin's invasion 100 years before the series, the four nations (according to the opening) lived in harmony. Everyone is hanging out in their respective locations, and the Avatar generally handles any world-threatening events. Terminates with Sozin's Invasion. A generally blank-slate era.

Age of Fire: After Sozin's invasion, the fire nation has cemented itself as a powerful force in the world. The Air Nomads have been wiped out, the Southern Waterbenders are disappearing, the Earth Kingdom is weathering repeated assaults from smaller fire nation invasions, and the Avatar (Aang) has disappeared. Terminates roughly 100 years after Sozin's Invasion, once Aang is discovered and word of his presence spreads.

Age of Hope: Timeframe during which the series takes place. Rebel groups are forming in the Earth and Water nations, fire nation armies are stepping up their assaults (and sometimes being repelled), and word of Aang's attacks on the fire nation have spread hope to the people of the world again. Terminates with the return of Sozin's Comet and the defeat of Ozai.

New Age: The world must be rebuilt. After the fire nation ravaged most of the world, benders across the world find a new sense of brotherhood and help to rebuild to the lives they once had. The fire nation is now led by Zuko (who might be opposed by leftover loyalists), and Aang occasionally pitches in with larger projects. No definite termination.

New Golden Age: The world has been rebuilt. The Gaang (and most people they knew) are dead. The Air Nomads may (or may not) have been reinstated somehow. The Earth Kingdom (and the wall of Ba Sing Se) has been rebuilt. The Water Tribes have returned to their ways of fishing, or have become traveling healers. The Fire Nation is the main source of technology in the world. Avatars come and go. A generally blank-slate era.

String
2008-07-23, 05:05 PM
I like those. I'm a little leery of making the show's duration an Era all to itself, but thats only a small issue.

EDIT: I'd like some feedback on that Racial/Social question about the Affiliations. It affects the bonuses conferred from Criteria, among a few other things. Also, Have we seen Non-Earthbenders in the earth military? or any non-bender in a military?

Foolster41
2008-07-23, 07:23 PM
The faction/afillitation is interesting, but is there a way for inate abillities so people in the four nations so characters can have something that makes them different between each nation? Specificly this would encourage non-bender (Saka!) types and make them more interesting and encourage non-benders since I'd imagine there'd be a tendency to pick a bender currently.

felinoel
2008-07-23, 08:42 PM
I like those. I'm a little leery of making the show's duration an Era all to itself, but thats only a small issue.

EDIT: I'd like some feedback on that Racial/Social question about the Affiliations. It affects the bonuses conferred from Criteria, among a few other things. Also, Have we seen Non-Earthbenders in the earth military? or any non-bender in a military?

Well the rebel groups did form before Aang defrosted, just look at Hakoda, so its not just the show's duration

AlterForm
2008-07-23, 08:45 PM
blah blah blah rough draft blah blah blah bound to be errors blah blah blah fix it in post. :smallwink:

That said, I was trying to seperate the timeline into sections that we can infer (with near certainty) exist(ed) and have significant campaing-affecting differences. I had the series as its own era because that's where the majority of canon is- so a lot of its events are more defined than other time periods.

felinoel
2008-07-23, 08:54 PM
blah blah blah rough draft blah blah blah bound to be errors blah blah blah fix it in post. :smallwink:

That said, I was trying to seperate the timeline into sections that we can infer (with near certainty) exist(ed) and have significant campaing-affecting differences. I had the series as its own era because that's where the majority of canon is- so a lot of its events are more defined than other time periods.

Yes thats a good reason too

String
2008-07-23, 09:35 PM
Cool Cool.

Okay, heres the Earth Kingdom Army, and just to see how it looks, I'm gonna try and incorporate Alterforms Era's Of Play
The Earth Kingdom Army
Symbol: The Royal Symbol (http://dvdscreenshots.avatarspiritmedia.net/306/378.jpg)
Background, Goals and Dreams:
Enemies and Allies: During the Golden Age, The Earth Kingdom Army is widely unused until Chin the Conqueror's widespread attack, but retains good relations with the crown and the other three nations. After Chin's defeat at the hands of Avatar Kyoshi, The Earth Kingdom Army has a cordial, if decidedly terse relationshipwith the Dai Li. During the Ages of Fire the Earth Kingdom Army is at bitter war with the Fire Nation, and the relation with the Dai Li is even more strained. Near the Middle of the Age of Hope, it is spread almost hopelessly thin. In The New Golden Age, The Earth Kingdom army has been greatly reduced and repurposed to restoration, although pockets of violence are not unheard of.
Members: Almost all of the Earth Kingdom Soldiers are Earthbenders, as might be expected. Earth Kingdom Soldiers are a hardy folk that rarely surrender in combat, holding the line against any threat.
Type: Fighting Company
Scale:12 (Standing Army)
Affiliation Score Criteria: Performing missions and duties for the Military and exemplary service are the main ways of advancing yourself, although exceptional skills are also rewarded.

Criterion/Affiliation Score Mod:

Character level +1/2 PC's Level
10 or more ranks in Earthbending +2
Is an Earthbender +1
Citizen of the Earth Kingdom +1
Serves 5 years in Earth Kingdom Army +2
Base Attack Bonus +5 +1
Base Attack Bonus +10 +1
Performs mission for Earth Kingdom/EK Army successfully +1/mission
Known to associate with Earth Army's enemies -10
Known to participate in Anti-earth kingdom ventures -10
Is not citizen of the Earth Kingdom -3
Razes Stronghold of Earth Kingdom Army's enemy +4


Titles, Benefits and Duties: As your affiliation score increases, you rise through the ranks of the Army, eventually gaining a spot on the War Council, which decides Military Policy.
Affiliation Score/Title: Benefits and Duties.

3 or Lower: No Affiliation
4-9: Kingdom Soldier: You are counted amonst the rank-and-file soldiers, and may be called upon to serve in time of war. In return, you gain a +3 bonus on Earthbending Checks when working with other Earth Kingdom soldiers or officers. If you lack ranks in Earthbending, then you do not gain this benefit.
10-15: Earth Lieutenant:You have been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, with all the privileges and duties that accompany that. You may command a small personal squad of five 1st level Earthbenders and one 3rd level Earthbender with a DC 15 Diplomacy check each week you use them.Failure causes your affiliation score to be lowered by 2 as superiors and colleagues question your methods. (You may, with DM permission, create this squad to your specifications within the perameters given)
16-24: Earth Captain: You have been promoted to a Captain with all the privileges and duties that accompany them. You may claim audience Earth Kingdom Army official or Earth Kingdom noble within 1d6 days once per month. You gain 150 gp per month as a salary, and may be called to battle during war.
25-35: Major-General: You have risen higher in the ranks, becoming a Major General. Your personal command travels up the ranks with you becoming five 4th level Earthbenders and one 6th level Earthbender that you may command with a DC 15 Diplomacy check each week you use them, with failure causing a 2 point affiliation score loss. You recieve a Manor residence within any one Earth Kingdom city created to your specifications (within DM approval).
36 or more:General: You are a member of the Earth Kingdom War Council which decides military policy, and may be called upon to attend meetings or execute policies. You may arrange a meeting with any member of the Earth Kingdom Army, or Earth Kingdom nobility within 1d4 days, excepting travel time, once a month. Every month that you use this privilege, you must make a DC 15 Diplomacy check or lower your affiliation score by 5 as your superiors and colleagues question your policy. Your personal command becomes five 5th level Earthbenders and one 7th level Earthbender. The Diplomacy DC is 15, the penalty for failure 2 affiliation score point. Your salary increases to 200/month

Executive Privileges: War, Crusade, Fortify
Special Note: I would Rule that a character can be a member of both the Earth Kingdom and the Earth Kingdom Army without incurring the normal -10 affiliation score penalty(or perhaps only incurring a -5 penalty), and the rewards and whatnot have been created with this in mind

Okay, Now I also feel that this might be a tad overpowered. I also felt that way about the Earth Kingdom one, however, so I may not know what the hell I'm talking about. Next is either the Fire Nation and it's Navy, or the Kyoshi warriors or Dai Li. Stay tuned or make a preference known.

Eighth_Seraph
2008-07-23, 10:27 PM
Ooh, very nice. I approve, though my instincts say that there should be more intermediate ranks. Is the four-some levels of affiliation standardized? Also, a +8 for razing an enemy stronghold is a whole lot. All of sudden, the 50-some earthbending soldiers in a platoon are captains. There wouldn't be many privates left in the army after the first month of a war.

Ooh! Make the Dai Li next, please! I'm kind of interested in how you would do it, and I kind of want to have the whole earth kingdom statted up. I'm also interested in how you can pull off the Order of the White Lotus, what with the little information we have.

Anyway, is there any way we can help you make these?

String
2008-07-23, 10:34 PM
Dai Li and Kyoshi Warriors are up next then! They will both be much smaller scales and accordingly lesser benefits will be gained, as a heads up.

On the White Lotus, I can only try to use as much of the canon as possible before extrapolating.

As for help...Um, as you may have seen, the "Backgrounds, Dreams Goals" sections are blank. If anyone wants to take a crack at large chunks of fluff for the Earth Kingdom and it's army, I'd appreciate it. Otherwise, just critique what you see if you want, that helps.

EDIT: Ah. I see your point. The I'll decrease the bonus to perhaps a +4? It does seem a major help. Also, the standard is 4 or 5. I can add another rank in there, and shuffle the abilities around.

String
2008-07-23, 11:11 PM
3 or Lower: No Affiliation
4-9: Kingdom Soldier: You are counted amonst the rank-and-file soldiers, and may be called upon to serve in time of war. In return, you gain a +3 bonus on Earthbending Checks when working with other Earth Kingdom soldiers or officers. If you lack ranks in Earthbending, then you do not gain this benefit.
10-15:Earth Lieutenant:You have been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, with all the privileges and duties that accompany that. You may command a small personal squad of five 1st level Earthbenders and one 3rd level Earthbender with a DC 15 Diplomacy check each week you use them.Failure causes your affiliation score to be lowered by 2 as superiors and colleagues question your methods. (You may, with DM permission, create this squad to your specifications within the perameters given)
16-24: Earth Captain: You have been promoted to a Captain with all the privileges and duties that accompany them. You may claim audience Earth Kingdom Army official or Earth Kingdom noble within 1d6 days once per month. You gain 150 gp per month as a salary, and may be called to battle during war.
25-35: Major-General: You have risen higher in the ranks, becoming a Major General. Your personal command travels up the ranks with you becoming five 4th level Earthbenders and one 6th level Earthbender that you may command with a DC 15 Diplomacy check each week you use them, with failure causing a 2 point affiliation score loss. You recieve a Manor residence within any one Earth Kingdom city created to your specifications (within DM approval).
36 or more:General: You are a member of the Earth Kingdom War Council which decides military policy, and may be called upon to attend meetings or execute policies. You may arrange a meeting with any member of the Earth Kingdom Army, or Earth Kingdom nobility within 1d4 days, excepting travel time, once a month. Every month that you use this privilege, you must make a DC 15 Diplomacy check or lower your affiliation score by 5 as your superiors and colleagues question your policy. Your personal command becomes five 5th level Earthbenders and one 7th level Earthbender. The Diplomacy DC is 15, the penalty for failure 2 affiliation score point. Your salary increases to 200/month

Changes and moved things are in SANDYBROWN. Brief overview:

I adjusted the affiliation score windows.

I added Earth Lieutenant in between soldier and captain, and moved the first instance of personal command to there.

I moved the bit about gaining audiences from major general to captain

I moved the Manor residence title to Major general from General.

I raised the Affiliation score loss for diplomacy failure to 2 points in order to leave some room for a less charismatic character to ascend the ranks slower.

I changed the bonus for razing to +4.


The way I have it arranged, you gain 1 privelige for SOldier and Lieutenant, 2 for Captain and Major-Gen, and 3 for General. I may need to add "duties to it, such as assassination attempts or mutinies. Thoughts?

Paragon Badger
2008-07-24, 11:17 PM
Okay, after months of ignoring this threads completely (to avoid spoilers), I'm ready to throw my hat in the creative process whenever I can spare the time. :smallwink:

Now, to catch up on everything you've already made... :smalleek:

String
2008-07-26, 08:03 PM
Alright, my attempt at the Dai Li affiliation. I was unsure how to go about certain parts ofthis affiliation, but I'll go into detail at the end. here we go.


The Dai Li
Motto (more or less): There is no war in Ba Sing Se.
Enemies and Allies: The Dai Li's express purpose is to maintain peace and stability in the Earth Capital, regardless of any other uses they may be put to. As such, any threat to the prosperity or citizens of Ba Sing Se is of utmost concern to the Dai Li Agents. They operate completely separate from the Army, and answer directly to the highest authority in Ba Sing Se.
Members: Only powerful Earthbenders can actually become agents. Anyone with a history of seditious intent against the Earth Kingdom (or even worse, Ba Sing Se itself) is never allowed to accrue an affiliation score with the Dai Li.
Secrets: The Dai Li have never truly been under the control of the Earth King or his advisors, ever since Avatar Kyoshi first created them. The member of the Dai Li with the highest Affiliation score is considered its "head", and has undisputed power over all Dai Li agents, in addition to other benefits and drawbacks of his affiliation score.

Type: Bending Group (this functions as a combination of Cabal and Druid Circle)
Scale: 8 (County-sized City)
Criterion/Affiliation score mod:

Character Level +1/2 level
10 or more ranks in Earthbending, Move Silently, or Hide +1/skill
Have Sneak Attack Class Ability +1
Successfully completes Mission for the Dai Li +1/two missions
Knows Immobilize seed +1
Recomendation from member with Affiliation Score of 21 or higher +2
Successfully defends Ba Sing Se from major outside threat +3
Serve 10 years in the Dai Li +1
Cannot Earthbend -5 and may never have an affiliation score higher than 11
Is not a member of the Dai Li prestige class -1 and may never have an affiliation score higher than 15

Titles, Benefits and Duties: As you join the Dai Li, you gain greater power within Ba Sing Se, and access to their spy network, in addition to learning how to better work with your comrades.
Affiliation Score/ Title: Benefits and Duties:
Less than 11: No Affiliation
11-15: Initiate: You gain a +8 bonus to Gather Information, Intimidate, Search and Diplomacy checks within Ba Sing Se
16-20: Junior Dai Li Agent: You gain a +2 bonus to Earthbending, Move Silently and Hide Checks while working with fellow Dai Li agents, and recieve a salary of 150gp/month.
21-29: Senior Dai Li Agent: Your bonus to Earthbending, Move Silently and Hide checks increases to +4, and you are given command of a squad of four 7th-level Dai Li Agents (Earthbender 6/Dai Li Agent 1) that you may direct as you wish with DC 20 Diplomacy check each week you use them, with failure causing a 2 point affiliation score loss.
30+: Dai Li Commander: You answer only to the Secretariat or Earth King, and are free from any legal repurcussions within Ba Sing Se. Your salary increases to 200gp/month. You gain the benefits of the Extra Bending Seed feat. If your Affiliation score falls ever falls below 30, you lose access to that seed until your score reaches 30 again. The position of Commander is highly coveted however, and once every month, you must make a DC 30 Gather Information check to uncover an assassination plot. If you fail, you may either play out the encounter against the Dai Li assassin (Earthbender 6/Dai Li Agent 6), or make a DC 15 Fort Save vs. death
Executive Powers: Assassinate, Shadow War, Inquisition

I'm not as happy with this one as I am with the other two. I feel like the command squad may be too powerful, However, I felt that they both sould have levels in the appropriate prestige class, and that requires 7 levels.

The Kyoshi Island Warriors

Background, Goals and Dreams: The Kyoshi Warriors are only a viable affiliation from the duration of Avatar Kyoshi onwards (Approximately 100-200 years before the Age of Fire).
Enemies and Allies: The Kyoshi Island Warriors are a middling group that almost exclusively hail from Kyoshi Island, and as such have few enemies that do not threaten their safety there. In the Age of Hope, they have begun to combat the Fire Nation.
Members: All members of the Kyoshi Warriors are females, and males can never have an affiliation score higher than 3. Members dress in dark green armored kimonos and wear facepaint reminiscent of Avatar Kyoshi: white face, with red lips and eyeshadow and accentuated eyebrows. Almost all are monks who use the Passive Way style.
Type: Fighting Company
Scale:6 (Village or Community)
Affiliation Score Criteria: Defending Kyoshi Island and it's interests, performing admirably in combat, and advancing in skill are all possible ways to advance yourself.
Criterion/Affiliation Score Mod:

Character level +1/2 PC's Level
Has Behind the Back feat +1
Proficiency with Warfan +2
Is a Passive Way Monk +2
Born on Kyoshi Island +2
Performs mission for Kyoshi Warriors successfully +`1/mission up to +6
Defends Kyoshi Island or it's villages from an attack +3
Base Attack Bonus +5 +2
Recommendation from Member with Affiliation score of 21 or more +2


Titles, Benefits and Duties: As your score increases, you are welcomed more fully into the ranks of the Kyoshi Warriors.

Affiliation Score/Title: Benefits and Duties.

3 or Lower: No Affiliation
4-10: Hopeful: The Kyoshi Warriors recognize you as a potential warrior and may call upon you to prove your worth on occassion.
11-20: Kyoshi Apprentice: You have joined the ranks of the Kyoshi Island Warriors, and have been trained in their particular style. You recieve a +4 bonus to Tumble and Jump Checks, and if you have levels in the Monk/Martial Artist class, you may add Warfan to your list of style weapons.
21-29: Kyoshi Warrior:Your training has increased, and you have added a new weapon to your repetoire. The bonus to Tumble and Jump checks increases to +6, you gain a +4 bonus to Jump and you may add Katana to your list of monk/martial artist style weapons.
30+: Kyoshi Teacher: You now teach the younger warriors, and your training has reached a peak. The bonus to Tumble and Jump Checks increases to +10, the Jump bonus to +6 and you gain a +4 bonus to climb checks. You have small group of Kyoshi Apprentices (4 Monks(Passive Way) 4)that you are teaching and you may call on to assist you once a week.

Executive Privileges:Crusade, Research, Fortify (see below)

I feel the Kyoshi warriors lack a little OOMPH, so any suggestions are good. I might say that they can wear that kyoshi armor without losing class abilities, but that seems REALLY powerful. Thoughts?

Also:

New Executive power:

Fortify: Warriors train, Benders work their will, and citizens clamor for instruction on how to best defend themselves. Your affiliation knows that the best offense is a good defense. When your affiliation uses the Fortify power, make a Violence check versus DC 10. For two points your result exceeds the DC, you get a +1 bonus to any Violence or Espionage checks made defensively in the month you use this power.This bonus ONLY applies any time in the month that you use this power that another affiliation uses an executive power or does something that requires you to make an opposed Violence or Espionage check, not one instigated by you.
Fighting Companies, Bending Groups, Governments, and Tribes may Fortify themselves.



EDIT: Noticed that it was literally impossible to reach the highest echelons of the Dai Li without being epic.Fixed. Going back through the others to see if I made similar mistakes.

theonesin
2008-07-27, 07:04 AM
I tried searching online and in DnD 3.5 PHBs, but I couldn't find anything explaining exactly what affiliations are and how they work. Help?

felinoel
2008-07-27, 01:31 PM
I tried searching online and in DnD 3.5 PHBs, but I couldn't find anything explaining exactly what affiliations are and how they work. Help?

I am mildly sure they aren't in any of those places because they are being made for this game, other then that, I am not sure, its a bit confusing to me -_-'

String
2008-07-27, 02:06 PM
I tried searching online and in DnD 3.5 PHBs, but I couldn't find anything explaining exactly what affiliations are and how they work. Help?
I am mildly sure they aren't in any of those places because they are being made for this game, other then that, I am not sure, its a bit confusing to me -_-'

Aw, now don't go confusing the poor boy.:smallwink: (just messing)

Affiliations were introduced and are explained in full in the Players Handbook 2.
I'm not sure if other supplements have used them since then.

theonesin
2008-07-27, 03:22 PM
Um, which edition is that?

endoperez
2008-07-27, 03:29 PM
3.5, Player's Handbook 2. I don't think the fourth-edition Player's Handbook 2 has been published yet. :smallbiggrin:

The whole Avatar project uses 3.5.

String
2008-07-27, 03:31 PM
Um, which edition is that?


3.5

EDIT: ninja'ed

felinoel
2008-07-27, 03:43 PM
3.5, Player's Handbook 2. I don't think the fourth-edition Player's Handbook 2 has been published yet. :smallbiggrin:

The whole Avatar project uses 3.5.

It is something from DnD? I was positive you just made it up to replace races or something? I am the one who made the site's character sheets, should I replace race with affiliation anyway?

String
2008-07-27, 04:09 PM
It is something from DnD? I was positive you just made it up to replace races or something? I am the one who made the site's character sheets, should I replace race with affiliation anyway?

Er...

In Order:

Yes, it's from DnD. WotC, even.

No, it is not a replacement for races, it's something completely different and supplementary. If you use affiliations in your game, then when you begin intereacting with an affilliation, you gain an Affiliation Score. (Which starts at zero, modified by all the criterion on the little lists.) As you gain a higher affiliation score (either by leveling up, or doing the stuff on the lists, or other things that the GM decides raises your affiliation score at their discretion) you move higher on those Tiers on the OTHER little lists. It adds a bit more depth to the game is the idea. Affiliations also have things like Capital (determines how much money and power they have), and Violence, Negotiation and Espionage modifiers (which are decided by their type), which are used when interacting with other Affiliations.


Er..I'd go into specifics, but I think the WotC lawyers might be tracking me for this right now.

theonesin
2008-07-27, 07:31 PM
I have a new question regarding Affiliations(specifically Dai Li, but it might apply to others). What happens if someone is part of an Affiliation, but ends up leaving?

For example, the Dai Li, while under the control of Long Feng, were focused on keeping the peace. Late in the series for Avatar, Azula controls Long Feng and by extension the Dai Li, and they are forced to do "evil". But what would happen to an Agent who was against Azula's leadership and "left" to join the "good guys"? Would they still hold rank in that Affiliation? Would it have any affect on progressing through the Dai Li Agent PrC?

String
2008-07-27, 08:14 PM
I'm not the one who wrote the Dai Li Prestige class, nor one of the guys who hands out the "A-Okays", so I dunno about that particular question (the class as written doesn't have any mention of it). Most social affiliations ( the ones I have written do not, but I'll remedy that shortly), which all the Avatar ones are, have sections in the Members heading that specify how they deal with those who want to leave the affiliation (if they deal with them at all). However, there are no crunchy repurcussions.

If you'd like MY opinion, I would just say that they lose anywhere from 10-30 points from their Affiliation score with that Affiliation, depending on how well that affiliation takes those who leave. I can't really use your particular example, because that involves a PrC I didn't write or have any input on.

May I use my own?

Gong joins the Earth Kingdom Army early in his adventuring career. At level 15, he has an Affiliation score of 18 with the Earth Kingdom Army, meaning he is an Earth Captain. However, after being ordered to kill a firebender who had saved his life just because he was a firebender, Gong refuses breaks with the Earth Kingdom army, Deserting. The DM decides that a -20 penalty is suitable, as Desertion is a serious offense. Gong's score with the EKA drops to 0, and he loses all privileges and titles.

felinoel
2008-07-27, 09:24 PM
Er...

In Order:

Yes, it's from DnD. WotC, even.

No, it is not a replacement for races, it's something completely different and supplementary. If you use affiliations in your game, then when you begin intereacting with an affilliation, you gain an Affiliation Score. (Which starts at zero, modified by all the criterion on the little lists.) As you gain a higher affiliation score (either by leveling up, or doing the stuff on the lists, or other things that the GM decides raises your affiliation score at their discretion) you move higher on those Tiers on the OTHER little lists. It adds a bit more depth to the game is the idea. Affiliations also have things like Capital (determines how much money and power they have), and Violence, Negotiation and Espionage modifiers (which are decided by their type), which are used when interacting with other Affiliations.


Er..I'd go into specifics, but I think the WotC lawyers might be tracking me for this right now.
Yes but the Avatar d20 system doesn't use races, I wanted it to but no one seemed to like it...

Eighth_Seraph
2008-07-27, 09:50 PM
Well, we tossed other racial possibilities around at first, but Avatar: The Last Airbender definitely only has humans as possible characters. Maybe we could have spirit characters, but I believe Mephibosheth made that a subtype or a template instead of a race.

Also, String, you rock. I like the Dai Li and how there's very clear and few levels of power. I would add one little unorthodox addition, though. Whoever has the highest Affiliation Score among the Dai Li is considered its "head", and has undisputed power over all Dai Li agents, in addition to other benefits of his affiliation score. Is that alright?

felinoel
2008-07-27, 09:55 PM
Well, we tossed other racial possibilities around at first, but Avatar: The Last Airbender definitely only has humans as possible characters. Maybe we could have spirit characters, but I believe Mephibosheth made that a subtype or a template instead of a race.

Also, String, you rock. I like the Dai Li and how there's very clear and few levels of power. I would add one little unorthodox addition, though. Whoever has the highest Affiliation Score among the Dai Li is considered its "head", and has undisputed power over all Dai Li agents, in addition to other benefits of his affiliation score. Is that alright?

No I mean Air Nomads, Earth Kingdom, Water Tribes, and Fire Nation as races with racial mods

String
2008-07-27, 10:05 PM
Well, we tossed other racial possibilities around at first, but Avatar: The Last Airbender definitely only has humans as possible characters. Maybe we could have spirit characters, but I believe Mephibosheth made that a subtype or a template instead of a race.

Also, String, you rock. I like the Dai Li and how there's very clear and few levels of power. I would add one little unorthodox addition, though. Whoever has the highest Affiliation Score among the Dai Li is considered its "head", and has undisputed power over all Dai Li agents, in addition to other benefits of his affiliation score. Is that alright?

Thats perfectly cool. As it is, the affiliation system sortof assumes this, but it fits with the flavor of the Dai Li to make it explicit. Give me two minutes and it's done.



Yes but the Avatar d20 system doesn't use races, I wanted it to but no one seemed to like it...

I'm confused as to why this pertains to my post. The avatar system makes it convention that all characters are Humans, with the accompanying feat and skill points. This has no bearing on the currently provided affiliations, as all the Avatar-verse ones are Social, not Racial.

felinoel
2008-07-27, 10:08 PM
Thats perfectly cool. As it is, the affiliation system sortof assumes this, but it fits with the flavor of the Dai Li to make it explicit. Give me two minutes and it's done.



I'm confused as to why this pertains to my post. The avatar system makes it convention that all characters are Humans, with the accompanying feat and skill points. This has no bearing on the currently provided affiliations, as all the Avatar-verse ones are Social, not Racial.

I asked if I should replace the spot for "race" with "affiliation" since all characters are human

EDIT:
Or how about deity instead?

Eighth_Seraph
2008-07-27, 10:15 PM
Meh. The setting doesn't seem to have any real deities, more like vaguely super-powerful spirit-beings that govern different aspects of the world. Even the moon is not truly worshipped, though she is celebrated.

We also considered giving each organization racial mods (+2 Con for Earth Kingdom, +2 Strength or Charisma for Fire Kingdom, +2 Wisdom for Air Nomads, +2 Dex for Water Tribe), but that didn't really stick. We generally decided that it's all a matter of training, so it's just decided in how you roll up your character. That, and the human bonus feat and skills are just so juicy to benders that they're hard to pass up.

felinoel
2008-07-27, 10:16 PM
Meh. The setting doesn't seem to have any real deities, more like vaguely super-powerful spirit-beings that govern different aspects of the world. Even the moon is not truly worshipped, though she is celebrated.

We also considered giving each organization racial mods (+2 Con for Earth Kingdom, +2 Strength or Charisma for Fire Kingdom, +2 Wisdom for Air Nomads, +2 Dex for Water Tribe), but that didn't really stick. We generally decided that it's all a matter of training, so it's just decided in how you roll up your character. That, and the human bonus feat and skills are just so juicy to benders that they're hard to pass up.
I see, so do you think I should replace deity with affiliation then?

Eighth_Seraph
2008-07-27, 10:39 PM
If you want to run a character that's truly in the Avatar setting, then replace "race" with "affiliation" and eliminate "deity" in your stat block. There's no reason you can't have your character particularly devoted to Yué or the Painted Lady, but it's difficult to have the kind of worship that our Christianized western world is accustomed to in this setting.

felinoel
2008-07-27, 10:42 PM
If you want to run a character that's truly in the Avatar setting, then replace "race" with "affiliation" and eliminate "deity" in your stat block. There's no reason you can't have your character particularly devoted to Yué or the Painted Lady, but it's difficult to have the kind of worship that our Christianized western world is accustomed to in this setting.lol I was just about to suggest deleting one and replacing affiliation with the other =b

Paragon Badger
2008-07-28, 01:26 AM
There is the option of subraces, which grant a bonus in addition to the standard human one. Usually a very minor one. Zuko, afterall, said that the Earth Kingdom people as a whole are strong and adamant as long as they have hope. A +2 bonus to Will or Fort saves seems just their cup of tea.

North and South Pole Water Benders would likely get a bonus to fort saves vs. cold (+4? so it's not weaker than the earth kingdom's?) while the foggy swamp tribe might just get a +2 bonus to Survival or somesuch.

Air Nomads... Hrm... +2 bonus to Spot, because of their time in the sky? Ehhh... That's tenuous, at best. :smallconfused:

The Fire Nation... Hmm.. +2 vs. hot weather? I mean, alot of them live in a volcano. :smalltongue:

Foolster41
2008-07-28, 03:13 PM
I like the idea of sub race bonuses. Like I said before, I'd be cool to encourage people to have non-benders that are at least a little different between the races. Otherwise I think you're going to see hardly any non-benders, but this isn't true to the world where there's plenty of non-benders.

But why does the bonus have to be so minor? Why not something like +1 to Str/Dex/Etc. in addition to the human racial abilities? Maybe in addition to the cold/hot survival, will save and... whatever is for the air nation (That's the only one I don't really like.)

felinoel
2008-07-28, 11:50 PM
I like the idea of sub race bonuses. Like I said before, I'd be cool to encourage people to have non-benders that are at least a little different between the races. Otherwise I think you're going to see hardly any non-benders, but this isn't true to the world where there's plenty of non-benders.

But why does the bonus have to be so minor? Why not something like +1 to Str/Dex/Etc. in addition to the human racial abilities? Maybe in addition to the cold/hot survival, will save and... whatever is for the air nation (That's the only one I don't really like.)
Yea and the Foggy Water Tribe doesn't even get any? :smallconfused:

GryffonDurime
2008-07-29, 12:59 AM
Avatar Variant Rule Proposal:

National Modifiers
For those DMs who wish to "play up" the cultural differences of the Avatar world, the following are a list of bonuses derived from nationality that may be applied to characters in addition to the standard human traits. It goes without saying that this necessarily creates a slightly higher standard of power, and may not be right for all games.

Northern or Southern Water Tribe - +2 Dex or +2 Con, +2 to Surival and Fortitude rolls relating to cold weather and climates.
Earth Kingdom - +2 Str or +2 Con, +2 to Craft rolls and +2 to Survival rolls in temperate climates.
Air Nomad - +2 Dex or +2 Cha, +2 to Tumble, Jump, and Climb checks.
Fire Nation - +2 Int or +2 Cha, +2 to any two Knowledge skills.
Foggy Swamp Tribe - +2 Dex or +2 Con, +2 to Survival and Fortitude rolls in aquatic enviornments.
Sun Warriors - +2 Dex or +2 Str, +4 to Knowledge: Bending checks regarding Firebending and +2 to all Charisma based checks when dealing with dragons.
Sandbender Tribes - +2 Dex or +2 Con, +2 to Survival and Fortitude checks in desert enviornments.


...Something like that, I assume, is what you're looking for? There's a lot of things on it I'm not sure about; the Air Nomads we've seen so far have all seemed fairly spry and short of giving them a collective bonus to Knowledge: Religion and Philosophy, there wasn't much else I could see. The Fire Nation is something of an odd duck with strictly mental bonuses for a military nation, but they also have the only public education system we've seen for certain and by far the most advanced systems of technology, so it seemed fitting. I could even see a case for the Sandbender Tribes to have an Int bonus as an option; they're depicted as fairly clever and cunning...but I leave that open for discussion. No one gets a bonus to Wisdom, for obvious reasons of balance, though it was hard not to offer it up for the Air Nomads or the Sun Warriors.

felinoel
2008-07-29, 02:32 AM
Avatar Variant Rule Proposal:

National Modifiers
For those DMs who wish to "play up" the cultural differences of the Avatar world, the following are a list of bonuses derived from nationality that may be applied to characters in addition to the standard human traits. It goes without saying that this necessarily creates a slightly higher standard of power, and may not be right for all games.

Northern or Southern Water Tribe - +2 Dex or +2 Con, +2 to Surival and Fortitude rolls relating to cold weather and climates.
Earth Kingdom - +2 Str or +2 Con, +2 to Craft rolls and +2 to Survival rolls in temperate climates.
Air Nomad - +2 Dex or +2 Cha, +2 to Tumble, Jump, and Climb checks.
Fire Nation - +2 Int or +2 Cha, +2 to any two Knowledge skills.
Foggy Swamp Tribe - +2 Dex or +2 Con, +2 to Survival and Fortitude rolls in aquatic enviornments.
Sun Warriors - +2 Dex or +2 Str, +4 to Knowledge: Bending checks regarding Firebending and +2 to all Charisma based checks when dealing with dragons.
Sandbender Tribes - +2 Dex or +2 Con, +2 to Survival and Fortitude checks in desert enviornments.


...Something like that, I assume, is what you're looking for? There's a lot of things on it I'm not sure about; the Air Nomads we've seen so far have all seemed fairly spry and short of giving them a collective bonus to Knowledge: Religion and Philosophy, there wasn't much else I could see. The Fire Nation is something of an odd duck with strictly mental bonuses for a military nation, but they also have the only public education system we've seen for certain and by far the most advanced systems of technology, so it seemed fitting. I could even see a case for the Sandbender Tribes to have an Int bonus as an option; they're depicted as fairly clever and cunning...but I leave that open for discussion. No one gets a bonus to Wisdom, for obvious reasons of balance, though it was hard not to offer it up for the Air Nomads or the Sun Warriors.
As much as I like it, don't modifiers usually come with a plus and a minus? Perhaps keep both plusses and give a minus in something for each? Its usually two plusses and one minus, at least as averaged as I have seen them


EDIT:
If anyone cares, I started an article about this d20 system based not so loosely off of the website's explanation of the game, add as you see fit, please no vandalism, you will get banned
http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Avatar:_the_Last_Airbender_d20


EDIT:
Here is a good affiliation that could possibly be made (if it is not already made and I am just blind), Order of the White Lotus
You could have different things for each rank (that we know of) or just a single thing for all ranks, just in case you don't know the known ranks are initiate, member, grand master (the grand master rank has also been called grand lotus).

horngeek
2008-07-29, 05:13 AM
If this is being discussed elsewhere, please tell me, but-
spiritbending.
How are you guys going to handle that?
I mean, I don't know 3.5 rules much (I don't know D&D rules much at all) but what would you do?
I'm thinking make it an ability of the Avatar Template only acsessable when he/she has levels in all bending classes, and possibly level 20 as well.
Also, what else would it be used for besides taking away bending?

Sir Shadow
2008-07-29, 08:13 AM
@ gryffondurime: I think it's right to give each of the different races different physical bonuses. Since they're all "human" it would seem best not to call one race more stupid than another. You justified the Fire Nation's int bonus pretty well tho.

felinoel
2008-07-29, 11:11 AM
If this is being discussed elsewhere, please tell me, but-
spiritbending.
How are you guys going to handle that?
I mean, I don't know 3.5 rules much (I don't know D&D rules much at all) but what would you do?
I'm thinking make it an ability of the Avatar Template only acsessable when he/she has levels in all bending classes, and possibly level 20 as well.
Also, what else would it be used for besides taking away bending?

I think the official term is energybending, just check the Avatar Wikia


@ gryffondurime: I think it's right to give each of the different races different physical bonuses. Since they're all "human" it would seem best not to call one race more stupid than another. You justified the Fire Nation's int bonus pretty well tho.

To avoid confusion lets say "Nation" instead of "Race" and "National Modifier" instead of "Racial Modifier"

horngeek
2008-07-29, 05:12 PM
I think the official term is energybending, just check the Avatar Wikia


Sorry, Energybending. But still, how would you handle it?

AstralFire
2008-07-29, 05:59 PM
I would say "wait until the possibility of Season 4 is completely confirmed or denied."

If the show really is over, then we obviously won't see it again, time to fill in our own gaps. If it's not, then we wait and see or risk making a mechanic that's totally inaccurate and incomplete to official lore. One 11th Hour Superpower usage really isn't a lot to go on.

GryffonDurime
2008-07-29, 06:35 PM
One 11th Hour Superpower usage really isn't a lot to go on.

Oh, I wish everyone would stop thinking of it like that. We've seen a likely human Energybender before in the Guru, given his capacity to do "Avatar-stuff" in locating Aang from afar. Likewise, the connection to all things experienced in the swamp may yet be Energybending.

TV Tropes needs to be burnt. :smallwink:

AstralFire
2008-07-29, 06:39 PM
Oh, I wish everyone would stop thinking of it like that. We've seen a likely human Energybender before in the Guru, given his capacity to do "Avatar-stuff" in locating Aang from afar. Likewise, the connection to all things experienced in the swamp may yet be Energybending.

TV Tropes needs to be burnt. :smallwink:

But we don't know. Especially since psychic phenomena in modern fiction can come from one of a hundred thousand different places. What belongs to the element of the heart isn't so clear cut as earth, fire, air and water. go planet.

I'm all for interesting extrapolations, but on the other hand we probably want to avoid the mess that say, happened in the Star Wars Expanded Universe when Boba Fett got a backstory in the PT and Jedis were revealed to be celibate. Especially when I'm sure we'd get more explanation on Energybending if ATLA comes back for another season.

Eighth_Seraph
2008-07-29, 08:03 PM
But it won't. It's pretty official; Avatar is over, and there is no Book of Air. So we'll have to deal with Energybending (ugh, terrible name) whether we like it or not. My initial reaction is "Finally! A reason for Will saves!", but we'll see how that works out. I don't think we should restrict Aang's final move against Ozai to the Avatar, though.

[/cleverly sidestepped spoiler]

felinoel
2008-07-29, 08:06 PM
I would say "wait until the possibility of Season 4 is completely confirmed or denied."

If the show really is over, then we obviously won't see it again, time to fill in our own gaps. If it's not, then we wait and see or risk making a mechanic that's totally inaccurate and incomplete to official lore. One 11th Hour Superpower usage really isn't a lot to go on.

Wasn't that 100% denied a while ago?

AstralFire
2008-07-29, 08:15 PM
Wasn't that 100% denied a while ago?

Was it? I make a point of avoiding fanship so I don't keep myself hyped up. My need to kick everyone off the television at 8 PM for a week was unbecoming enough as it was. =p

Darkkwalker
2008-07-29, 08:39 PM
as far as energy bending goes. The lion turtle said "In the era before the Avatar we bent not the elements but the energy inside ourselves."

This implies that anyone can do it. And if it was before the Avatar then the avatar certainly isn't the only one who can do it.
I think it's more of an ability that was awakened by the lion turtle. Sort of like Zuko learning to bend from the sun and not from anger.

Also, an unbendable spirit, that seems like both will and charisma to me. But mostly will.

That's my take on it.

felinoel
2008-07-29, 08:55 PM
as far as energy bending goes. The lion turtle said "In the era before the Avatar we bent not the elements but the energy inside ourselves."

This implies that anyone can do it. And if it was before the Avatar then the avatar certainly isn't the only one who can do it.
I think it's more of an ability that was awakened by the lion turtle. Sort of like Zuko learning to bend from the sun and not from anger.

Also, an unbendable spirit, that seems like both will and charisma to me. But mostly will.

That's my take on it.Yes, but was there humans in the era before the Avatar?

Sir Shadow
2008-07-29, 09:13 PM
we don't know if there were humans before the Avatar.

BUT I would assume that there were. The Avatar is there for balance. We could assume that there were humans, but something threw off the balance (such as Chin the great or Fire Lord Ozai). Thus the Avatar was created to keep the balance. but that's all assumption.

felinoel
2008-07-29, 11:30 PM
we don't know if there were humans before the Avatar.

BUT I would assume that there were. The Avatar is there for balance. We could assume that there were humans, but something threw off the balance (such as Chin the great or Fire Lord Ozai). Thus the Avatar was created to keep the balance. but that's all assumption.

And we also could assume there weren't

GryffonDurime
2008-07-30, 12:15 AM
To me, the Lion Turtle's statement implies that the Avatar's existence was or is tied directly to the ability to bend: from his own phrasing, the Lion Turtle implies that no one could use bending other than spiritbending before the Avatar was created. As I said in the Sozin's Comet thread, the Lion Turtle, in his vast sum of what--three sentances?--has probably given us more information about the primordial history of the Avatar world than three seasons of knowledge spirits, moon-murdering admirals, and face-stealing centipedes.

I wouldn't be surprised if Spiritbending (shush you Energybenders! Until I see direct Word-of-God support for such an unwieldy term...) is and has been largely a nonpresence in the world since the Avatar's creation. The Guru is clearly doing something very funky that I'm brave enough to set forth as possible Spiritbending, even if he himself doesn't know the term. Likewise, the ignorance of the past Avatars may imply that Aang is the first--at least in a great while--to employ Spiritbending.

Hmmm, has anyone watched The Guru lately? Doesn't he claim to be from among a sibling group to the Air Nomads?

...On another, more audacious and pedantic note, does Spiritbending imply that a person's Chi is an entirely seperate notion? I mean, Waterbenders can direct a person's Chi--that's the basis of their healing power. A person's "Spirit" may then be a seperate concept, save that the only effect we've seen for Spiritbending is to strip one of their ability to bend...which is remarkably similar to what Ty Lee does by blocking the flow of Chi through the body. Could healing be a form of Spiritbending unknowingly practiced by the Water Tribes for uncounted ages? Healing is the only bending art we've seen that can indirectly manipulate an intangible such as chi.

The world may never know...rampant speculation man, away!

In all seriousness, we've probably got all the "straight" answers we're going to get about the Avatar world, if not forever than for a sufficiently long time. This is the point where the project has to be willing to analyze and extrapolate, and whether you choose to provide all collected analysis for the individual DMs to consider themselves or utilize variants or really go out on a limb and claim accuracy...well, I mean, it's a big step to consider.

felinoel
2008-07-30, 12:20 AM
I wouldn't be surprised if Spiritbending (shush you Energybenders! Until I see direct Word-of-God support for such an unwieldy term...)

Where did "Spiritbending" come from? The Lion Turtle says "bending a person's energy" not spirit, I don't see why people call it spiritbending?

Eighth_Seraph
2008-07-30, 09:00 AM
Because it sounds better. When I hear "Energybending", I think of a mad scientist with a lightning rod that turns electricity into raw power for use in a death ray. Spiritbending better suits the undertones of the ability.

AstralFire
2008-07-30, 09:06 AM
Where did "Spiritbending" come from? The Lion Turtle says "bending a person's energy" not spirit, I don't see why people call it spiritbending?

Doesn't he also say that you must have an "unbendable spirit"?

Zuki
2008-07-30, 12:21 PM
Spiritbending is just the nomenclature that some people have chosen for the term instead of 'energybending' or 'mindbending'. I personally like it better because energybending to me implies some sort of super-special-awesome noncanonical bending like all electricity, all the time, or light, sound, or kinetic energy, or something like that. Spiritbending sounds a bit more...dignified, to me.

The phenomenon was never officially given any name at all. I believe this year at Comiccon the creators semi-jokingly referred to it as 'Unbending', so I get the sense that 'energybending' is just the term somebody picked out

felinoel
2008-07-30, 04:56 PM
Spiritbending is just the nomenclature that some people have chosen for the term instead of 'energybending' or 'mindbending'. I personally like it better because energybending to me implies some sort of super-special-awesome noncanonical bending like all electricity, all the time, or light, sound, or kinetic energy, or something like that. Spiritbending sounds a bit more...dignified, to me.

The phenomenon was never officially given any name at all. I believe this year at Comiccon the creators semi-jokingly referred to it as 'Unbending', so I get the sense that 'energybending' is just the term somebody picked out

I am told it was given a name at Nick.com

Zuki
2008-07-30, 05:26 PM
It is referred to as energybending on the Nick.com website, which, unfortunately, makes that the 'canonical' term. However, the creators and writers never named it or had a particular name in mind, as I understand it. And I still really don't like the term. There's a lot of useful supplementary information on the nick.com Avatar site...but one could argue that it's like the Expanded Universe books and information for Star Wars, a 'lesser' level of canon that doesn't originate from the original source.

Considering how weird Star Wars fans may get about interpretations and 'personal interpretations of canon' this might not be the best analogy, as nothing on the Nick.com website is contradictory to the flavor, style, or official canon of the show as a whole...but I'm going to reserve the right to be a silly fan and call 'Energybending' by a term I prefer.

felinoel
2008-07-30, 05:54 PM
It is referred to as energybending on the Nick.com website, which, unfortunately, makes that the 'canonical' term. However, the creators and writers never named it or had a particular name in mind, as I understand it. And I still really don't like the term. There's a lot of useful supplementary information on the nick.com Avatar site...but one could argue that it's like the Expanded Universe books and information for Star Wars, a 'lesser' level of canon that doesn't originate from the original source.

Considering how weird Star Wars fans may get about interpretations and 'personal interpretations of canon' this might not be the best analogy, as nothing on the Nick.com website is contradictory to the flavor, style, or official canon of the show as a whole...but I'm going to reserve the right to be a silly fan and call 'Energybending' by a term I prefer.

Then that ruins my complete map with locations :smallfrown:

Zuki
2008-07-30, 08:23 PM
Why toss out the map, just because you based it on the website? It's basically good and accurate-looking information if that's where you got it. It seems to list the events of 'Bitter Work' as occuring in two different places so I'm not sure if that's a programming error of some sort or a reference to the simultaneous plotlines of Zuko and Aang at the time. They're pretty far away. I'd bet your map is basically okay.

felinoel
2008-07-30, 10:17 PM
Why toss out the map, just because you based it on the website? It's basically good and accurate-looking information if that's where you got it. It seems to list the events of 'Bitter Work' as occuring in two different places so I'm not sure if that's a programming error of some sort or a reference to the simultaneous plotlines of Zuko and Aang at the time. They're pretty far away. I'd bet your map is basically okay.

Who is throwing my map away?

Sir Shadow
2008-07-30, 10:27 PM
Then that ruins my complete map with locations :smallfrown:

felinoel... do you just exist to create problems?

felinoel
2008-08-12, 07:04 PM
I was thinking of making a character for testing, it would either be a nonbender to test how they work against bending, or an airbender to test gravitybending, any ideas on which I should do?

String
2008-08-12, 07:12 PM
Perhaps an Avatarverse Ranger? Has that been tested yet?

Eighth_Seraph
2008-08-12, 07:32 PM
Yes, but only once, in a monster match. Overall, it did well. The two-weapon style cut up them wolves pretty well. Hunter is very effective in team battles, too, though I would never suggest it one-on-one, for obvious reasons. Well, maybe it could hold its own against a bender, if built right.

Overall, undertested classes include all of the ranger styles and the airbender. Some well-built rogues, fighters, or other classes suitable for the setting (http://avatar.d20.googlepages.com/baseclasses) are very much welcome in the arena, too.

String
2008-08-12, 07:37 PM
Hmm, I'll work on an airbender after I level up Gong. Also, I'm still trying to work on Fire Nation affiliations, but if its alright, i'm not really in any hurry, seeing as they're mostly fluff, and (generally speaking) not really gonna be used in playtesting (although the Dai Li mightve become damn near unbeatable with an ADDITIONAL bonus to their EB)

felinoel
2008-08-12, 07:38 PM
Yes, but only once, in a monster match. Overall, it did well. The two-weapon style cut up them wolves pretty well. Hunter is very effective in team battles, too, though I would never suggest it one-on-one, for obvious reasons. Well, maybe it could hold its own against a bender, if built right.

Overall, undertested classes include all of the ranger styles and the airbender. Some well-built rogues, fighters, or other classes suitable for the setting (http://avatar.d20.googlepages.com/baseclasses) are very much welcome in the arena, too.

I am a fan of airbenders... Maybe I will make an airbender then if its so undertested...

Zak Crimsonleaf
2008-08-12, 07:58 PM
I don't mean to put things off topic, but I think earlier in this thread somebody mentioned working up descriptions of various locations and geography of the world. I've been told I'm good at description, so I'd like to start describing some notable places in the Earth Kingdom. Where should I post that kind of thing?

felinoel
2008-08-12, 08:01 PM
I don't mean to put things off topic, but I think earlier in this thread somebody mentioned working up descriptions of various locations and geography of the world. I've been told I'm good at description, so I'd like to start describing some notable places in the Earth Kingdom. Where should I post that kind of thing?

Maybe make a new thread about locations?

Also I corrected the character sheets

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f130/felinoel/DnD/thAvatar20d2020charsheet-1.jpg (http://alignmentshift.com/Avatar d20 charsheet-1b.jpg) . http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f130/felinoel/DnD/thAvatar20d2020charsheet-2.jpg (http://alignmentshift.com/Avatar d20 charsheet-2.jpg)

Eighth_Seraph
2008-08-12, 09:03 PM
I don't mean to put things off topic, but I think earlier in this thread somebody mentioned working up descriptions of various locations and geography of the world. I've been told I'm good at description, so I'd like to start describing some notable places in the Earth Kingdom. Where should I post that kind of thing?
I think the main hub would be the closest thing we have to an appropriate thread. It'll probably get tangled with String's affiliations, but it might work there. That, and I don't think I can handle keeping track of yet another thread in this project.

felinoel
2008-08-12, 09:29 PM
I think the main hub would be the closest thing we have to an appropriate thread. It'll probably get tangled with String's affiliations, but it might work there. That, and I don't think I can handle keeping track of yet another thread in this project.

lol, I just tell GitP to email me whenever theres a new post in threads I am watching, it makes it easier

EDIT:
I removed alignment in my update of the character sheets because I didn't see it being used so I figured it wasn't being used in the Avatar d20 system, should I put it back or keep it gone?

Zak Crimsonleaf
2008-08-13, 11:44 PM
Okay, here goes. I'm starting off with the most famous place in the Earth Kingdom, of course. Beware, long post, and undoubtedly needs some work on the details. I'll edit this post as I work up new descriptions. Anyone that wants to help is welcome to add their own contributions, and I'll work them into it. I plan to divide the Earth Kingdom into regions, and the places that have not been shown in the show, I'll make up things about, and warn that they are non-canon content. I think it'd be easier to keep them here though, for the sake of convenience. Anyway, here's my first effort.

Ba Sing Se

Location in the world (http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f130/felinoel/Avatar/d20%20locations/06.jpg)

“I did not know mortals could build such things…”
-Unknown traveler upon first seeing Ba Sing Se.

Population: 500,554 (City of Ba Sing Se, Metropolis, 367,983)
Government: Monarchy
Imports: Timber, ore, all manner of exotic goods.
Exports: Many finished goods.
Alignment: All

Ba Sing Se has been called many things. The Earth Kingdom capital, the Impenetrable City, the City of Walls and Secrets. But whatever it is called, it has truly earned a place in history, and whatever else it is, it is indisputably the biggest city in the world. And not only that, it is also one of the most diverse places in the Earth Kingdom, with a dizzying variety of people contained within its boundaries, and an even more dizzying array of places, goods, and natural wonders. If it exists, odds are you can find it in Ba Sing Se.

To the people, it sometimes seems as though the city constitutes a world unto itself. It is very easy to simply ignore the world outside the walls in favor of the life within. And undoubtedly, the world knows from travelers tales and old stories that Ba Sing Se is like nowhere else on earth. Life is very different there.

Life and Society:

Seen from an outsider’s point of view, Ba Sing Se is a seething whirlpool, with mind-bogglingly fast and incomprehensibly complex affairs. As in many larger cities, wealth is what counts to a lot of the citizens. Much, if not most, of the city’s business involves coins changing hands. People and organizations exist in a constant state of struggling to survive and thrive, fighting rivals and the times with equal intensity. A shop can open, succeed, fail, and close in less than a month. Many different powers have interests here, and sometimes those interests require activities of an unsavory nature. There is little privacy for the average citizen, and the laws are many, and strictly enforced for the most part. The beaurocracy is notoriously slow in moving any kind of process along. However, one bright spot is the earthbending-powered trains that transport people and goods throughout the city.

Major Organizations:

City Guard: Charged with policing the streets and keeping order, the Guard is a separate unit from the Army. They dress in green uniforms and wear headbands, carrying swords most often. They always try and talk first, but are more than willing to fall back on force if that tactic fails.

Ba Sing Se Army: The Army is made up of professional soldiers and earthbenders that are responsible for defending the city, protecting the gates and walls, and guarding important citizens and locations. They wear ornate green, black, and gold uniforms, and plumed helms, and carry either spear or sword, unless they are earthbenders. One elite unit of the army serves as the Earth King’s personal guard, along with the Dai Li.

Dai Li: The cultural authority of Ba Sing Se, the Dai Li are the guardians of all of the city’s traditions. At least, that is their official purpose. They also function as a secret police and elite strike force, answerable only to their current head, who in turn answers (at least theoretically) to the Earth King. They wear distinctive green robes and hats, as well as the stone gloves and shoes they are famous for using as restraints to those foolish enough to challenge them. They are all earthbenders, and excel in stealth and agile techniques of fighting. They are authorized to arrest those they deem troublemakers on the spot, and darker rumors abound about how they deal with such people.


Major Geographical Features:

Lower Ring: The city is divided into three massive rings. The Lower Ring, the largest is also the most humble. All recent arrivals to the city are housed here, and it is the home of craftsman and artisans. In the words of one tour guide, “It’s so quaint and lively…you do want to watch your step, though.” It is also home to the city’s slums and bad neighborhoods, and the greater part of the criminal element. The Guard contents itself with keeping such things contained here.

Middle Ring: This section of the city is a ways better off than the Lower Ring. The streets are paved in stone much more often than dirt, the houses are kept clean and sound, and in general, those who live here tend to be wealthier, or more upstanding. It contains the immense central marketplace, which stretches for miles, and in which nearly any kind of item can be found for the right price. As well, one can find more specific shops, the city’s more reputable restaurants, and Ba Sing Se University, one of the finest collections of learning in the world.

Upper Ring: This is where many of the stories about the splendor of Ba Sing Se originate. The Upper Ring houses only the rich, with noble estates dotting pastoral, park-like countryside. Here, you can find the beurocrats who run many things around the city, noble families, and in general, people of reputation, such as bending masters or legendary craftsmen.


Important Sites:

The Royal Palace: This massive palace is located in the very center of the city, and is heavily guarded by the Army and Dai Li Agents. It hosts many important events, and is where the Earth King issues decrees. It is also where the most secure dungeons are located. It is quite splendidly decorated, and even those used to it still have cause to admire what it shelters.


Lake Laogai: This large lake in the east of Ba Sing Se is a popular vacation spot for both noble and peasant alike, though a large section has been put aside for those of means, and a much smaller section for use by the Army. Pleasure boats can often be found sailing the water in summer, and the beaches packed with people.

The Great Walls: Among the most memorable features of Ba Sing Se are the two great walls that guard the city from anyone that comes with swords drawn. Marvels of engineering skill and bending ability, they tower nine hundred feet into the air, and are immensely thick. They stood against the Fire Nation for the better part of a century, having been breached only twice, each time by the famous Fire Nation general, the Dragon of the West. Until that point, no army ever entered within.

Old Ba Sing Se: An abandoned underground city of tunnels, cavernous halls, subterranean rivers, and twisting passageways, Old Ba Sing Se is the stuff of legend. Most people know nothing of it other than the name. Its origins and purpose have long since been lost to time. One section, the Crystal Catacombs, are occasionally used to contain non-earthbending prisoners of extremely high value or infamy for brief periods.

Regional History: See History of the Avatar World.

Plots and Rumors: Forthcoming.

Notable Residents:

Iroh, (Male human Firebender 25) the legendary Fire Nation general, known better by his nickname, the Dragon of the West, currently operates an Upper Ring teashop, the Jasmine Dragon. He evidently brews tea with as much skill as he fought the war, for it is very popular, despite the undercurrent of resentment some in the city bear the aging general. He is a font of wisdom and a voice of experience, and has had a very eventful life. Despite it all, he maintains his belief that destiny will sort things out for the best, and that those that take control of their lives can work wonders.

Kuei, (Male human Exp8) the current Earth King, is young and inexperienced in truly ruling. However, after returning from a recent journey around the Earth Kingdom in disguise, he has taken the throne with more confidence, and has so far done well in aiding his city in the rebuilding process. How well he will continue to do remains to be seen.


Si Wong Desert

Location in the world (http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f130/felinoel/Avatar/d20%20locations/05.jpg)

“A strange and forbidding land that reveals itself very slowly, it nonetheless remains a place of beauty as well as danger, the two often blending together to form a life that requires many years to truly understand.”
-Lecture in Ba Sing Se University by Professor Zei

Population: 67, 439
Government: Tribal, assorted semi-independent towns.
Imports: Timber, silk, herbs, weapons, spices, wool, rope, grains, wine.
Exports: Incense, leather goods, trade goods, salt, pottery, artwork.
Alignment: LN, CN, CG

The Si Wong is the largest desert in the world, a parched land that stretches for miles upon miles of sand, rock, and dust, also known as the ‘Desert of the Dead.’ In the day, blood has been known to literally boil within those unfortunate enough to be caught unprotected during the summer months. At night, the cold winds scour the face of the land with a frosty knife that can pierce even the best armor. However, it is not an uninhabited wasteland. Here live the Sandbender tribes, outcasts from other parts of the Earth Kingdom, and frontier towns that dot the edges of the sands, populated only by those stubborn enough…or under enough pressure…to eke out one more day in some of the most inhospitable terrain in the Earth Kingdom.

Contrary to popular belief, the desert is not simply endless sand dunes. It holds those, true, but the land varies from place to place, from rocky earth, cracked with the heat, to shaded oases where the tribes congregate to obtain the water they need to survive, to stony canyons and badlands, with wind-sculpted shapes that baffle the mind.

Life and Society:

Life in the Si Wong is always a struggle to survive. The desert itself is bad enough in that regard, but relations between the sandbender tribes are strained at best, and often erupt into full-scale raiding for supplies and goods that can mean the difference between life and death. The outland towns are rough places, and those who live their tend to be as hard as they need to be to make a life there. Then there are the bandits, renegades that have been either lucky enough or skilled enough to fight the sandbenders or the trading caravans and win.

Even so, the code of the desert is enforced under penalty of death, and one of its precepts is politeness to all others who live in the Si Wong. With strangers, it depends on how impressive the stranger in question is. The tribes respect only strength, or the wisdom of the sands. They do not rescue those poor souls they find lost among the dunes, considering them to have earned their fate. Only in rare cases will they break that unwritten rule.

Major Geographical Features:

Si Wong Rock: The magnetic center of the desert, Si Wong Rock is an immense stone column in the northeastern quarter of the Si Wong. Ancient sandbender lore tells that the rock was dropped from the heavens by the gods as a demonstration of their great power and anger when human inhabitants had stopped abiding by the rules of their priests. The sandbenders use its properties for navigation, but refrain from mining the ore, because they fear if they take too much, it will lose its guiding quality, because it is far easier to simply trade for finished weapons, and because it is lined with buzzard-wasp hives, and the creatures are irritable in the extreme. Occasionally, they visit the great stone to harvest poison from the buzzard-wasps for trade, but most of the tribes prefer not to resort to such measures unless necessary.

The Womb of Fire(non-canon content): Located in the southeastern quarter of the desert, this region is a expanse of canyons, ravines, and plains of glass for as far as the eye can see. Here, it is said, is where great spirits of fire reside, and burn all who venture within. This has never been verified, obviously, but what is known is that every so often, titanic lava flows burst through the surface, and pour over the landscape. The miles-wide glass plains are the result of them. No sandbender generally enters here, though every so often, some tribesman seeks to test himself against the best the Si Wong has to offer, or to finally see if fire spirits do indeed claim it for their home. The survivors are generally of the former category, which of course has only added to the legend.

The Misty Palms Oasis: The best known oasis in the desert, this was formerly a tourist attraction before the war, and can be found near the desert’s southwestern edge. However, with tourism having vanished over the years, it has become just another scrubby frontier town, with the ice spring it is famous for being used to serve drinks. It serves as a weather vane for the general mood of the rest of the desert, and those who wish to find out which way the wind is blowing can usually be found here, as can those who will tell them…perhaps for a reasonable price. Some rumors have indicated that the mysterious Order of the White Lotus has a prescence here, but nothing has been confirmed or denied on that front.

The Jade Road(non-canon content): A caravan route through the more livable portions of the southern desert, this road has earned its name not because it is a source of jade, but because here there are scattered patches of grassland. A few of the smaller tribes have constructed semi-permanent settlements here, attempting to farm the land or use it for grazing. To date, these attempts have had only limited success. However, they have succeeded in obtaining a larger share of the trade goods that enter the desert, and are on the rise in prominence.

Important Sites:

The Sunstorm Truce (Large City, 20, 452, but only for one week of each year, non-canon content): For one week every year, the sandbender tribes meet at an oases under flag of peace in order to trade among themselves. Everything changes hands, and many caravans are willing to make the trip in order to play the tribes off against each other for the best prices. As well, it is here that many marriages are arranged, and the solitary tribesman must beware.

Wan Shi Tong’s Library: This legendary collection of knowledge, supposedly brought to the mortal world by the knowledge spirit Wan Shi Tong, He Who Knows Ten Thousand Things, has been lost for centuries. Its location has long been disputed, and some even say that it does not exist. Others say it was destroyed. However, it does exist, and has not been destroyed. Mostly buried under the sands, the library has survived to this day. However, more recently, it was completely buried, and rendered inaccessible to those without knowledge of sandbending, and who do not know of its location. For those that have both, and can reason with the knowledge spirit (an unlikely prospect at best), it is possible to find information on just about anything in the world.

Bedouin Merchant’s Camp: These famous, or infamous merchants, who use giant beetles for transport, are the ones who trade the most with those truly outside the desert and not simply the caravans and frontier towns. They are nomadic by nature, and it may be difficult to locate their camp, but usually they offer the most variety and the best prices, if you can find them.

Regional History: See History of the Avatar World

Plots and Rumors: Forthcoming.

Notable Individuals:

Sha-Mo (Male human Ranger8/Fighter6) The chieftain of the most prominent of the tribes, the Jao Zheng, Sha-Mo is generally held as the one to talk to if you want to deal with the sandbenders as a whole. While his word is not law by any means, it is generally held in higher regard than any other chieftain’s. He is stern, unrelenting, and committed to making the Jao Zheng as powerful as he can.

Gashuin (Male human Earthbender7) Sha-Mo’s impetuous son, Gashuin is like a second version of his father, without the restraint. He has been called hot-headed, and though an excellent leader, trusts more to his instincts and his heart than logic, pulling off daring raids and other such feats that, while frowned upon, especially by his father, cannot help but earn him respect. Having recently recovered from his latest mistake, in which he stole the Avatar’s sky bison and paid for it with the destruction of four sand sailers, he seeks to rebuild his reputation, and is on the alert for the right kind of situation to use to his advantage in that regard.

Min Lei Han Province/Kingdom of Omashu

Location in the world (http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f130/felinoel/Avatar/d20%20locations/12.jpg)

“A rugged land, and a people to match. They’ll fight, and fight hard, but when the fighting is done, they become the friendliest folk in the world. A place worth ruling.”
-Chin the Great, preparing to attack Omashu

Population: 465, 186
Government: Monarchy
Imports: Coal, glass, incense, silver, salt.
Exports: Timber, iron, copper, sugar.
Alignment: LN, NG, TN

In Min Lei Han, the people have a right to be proud. Their home is one of the most fruitful and thriving places in the southern Earth Kingdom. With fearsome natural borders that can be easily defended sheltering fertile farmlands and rolling plains, it is easy to see why the province was once one of the most powerful realms in the world in the days before the Earth Kingdom was (ostensibly) united under the Earth King. Even now, with most of the Earth Kingdom paying tribute to Ba Sing Se, it remains one of the most independent places, with a king of its own, and a standing army to match.

Min Lei Han has neighbors that would make anyone confident. With the mighty Jendei River to the north, the Si Wong Desert to the east, the ocean to the west, and mountains and swamps to the south, entrance here is only convenient through a few places, and those tend to be heavily guarded. The people are very much aware of the need for vigilance.

Life and Society:

Life here tends to be a quiet affair, for the most part, for the commoners. Without a great deal to worry about, thanks to the province’s strength (real or imagined), they are quite friendly and hospitable, more than willing to share what they have. Under pressure, however, things change very rapidly into a state of intense preparation and watchful readiness, with everyone ready to do whatever it takes to make sure their home remains free. The people like to brag that they can outstare a badger-mole.

Thanks to abundant farmlands and grazing grounds, there is no shortage of food unless there are multiple bad years in a row, which allows people to concentrate their attention on things that matter to them, be it earthbending, crafting, or scholarly pursuits. However, this also tends to contribute to laziness in some people.

Major Geographical Features:

Kolau Mountains: Rather low for mountains, this short range, marching towards the northeast from the ocean, is nonetheless the tallest one completely within the province, and its highest peaks remain white-capped even during the summer months. A dry, rocky place for the most part, it has a certain stark beauty to it. Mining villages are scattered here and there, hanging onto life in the few cool valleys that cut through the peaks, and on the outer edge of the mountains, pine forests can be found, along with sagebrush and other sweet-smelling flowers. There are dangerous beasts that prowl the cliffs as well, but they tend to avoid the well-established roads and trails.

Kongming River: Originating from a spring high in the Kolau Mountains, the Kongming grows into a good-sized river by the time it courses across the northern plains to empty into the sea. Small villages dot its length. The river has some very scenic rapids and waterfalls on its way out of the mountains, and at one point, pools into a mountain lake that is rumored to be home to a powerful water spirit that inhabits a network of underwater tunnels at the bottom of the lake, but so far, nobody has been able to venture into the depths to confirm that.

Plains of Thunder(non-canon content): To the north of the Kolau Mountains, these immense grasslands are home to herds of wild ostrich-horses and other herd animals. The only large towns are situated along the river to the north, the people of the plains tend to prefer smaller villages placed so as to be convenient to the migration routes of the herds and on land that can be farmed. Just about everyone owns a mount here, and when war comes, they have proven very effective at fighting as a mobile cavalry force. The plains are often battered by heavy rains and storms, hence their name, yet they retain a rather arid climate.

Jendei River: Formed from two rivers joining together, this river is the largest in the province, stretching nearly a full mile from shore to shore in most places, and flows with a slow, lazy current, emptying into the sea in a great flood. It forms the northernmost border of the province, and small Earth Kingdom forts and bases line both edges. Few bridges span the river, but ferry services are common, and boats both large and small are a familiar sight. About two-thirds of the way down its length, the Jendei splits apart and comes together later on, forming a large island. Called Anjin Island, it has been heavily settled, but a few parts retain the native evergreen forest.

Sei San Hills(non-canon content): Less hills than gently rolling countryside, these lands to the south of the Kolau Mountains make up the bulk of Min Lei Han’s farmland. A patchwork of farming villages, low stony ridges, and isolated stands of trees, it enjoys a generous amount of rain during the autumn, but is fairly dry the rest of the year. There are more than a few old quarry sites among the hills, along with one site that produced a great deal of marble before it was tapped out, and has become a wide jagged-looking bowl that is much favored by the nearby villages for practicing earthbending. The hills also are rumored to play host to a secretive group of monks dedicated to some mysterious purpose.

Important Sites:

Omashu (Metropolis, 185, 349): The provincial capital, Omashu is quite possibly the only city that is comparable, even if on a lesser level, to Ba Sing Se. Nestled among the Kolau Mountains, it is surrounded on three sides by a gorge hundreds of feet deep. The only path into the city is a road that switchbacks back and forth on a winding course up to the city. With only earthbenders capable of moving the great stone gates, it is nearly impossible to assault. The actual city is incredible. Due to its great size, Omashu relies on an earthbending-powered delivery system to ensure goods get where they need to go in a reasonable time, and packages travel along miles of tubes and chutes to reach their destination.

In past times, Omashu was famous for being the friendliest city in the world, but now, it will be a long time before they are ready to forgive what the Fire Nation did to their city. They are still in the process of rebuilding after it was occupied for months, and as part of the rebuilding is the royal palace, the government is having a great deal of trouble finding space to operate in. Notable features include the underground parts of the city, the famous Stone Soul martial arts dojo, its rival, the Zan Yu Earthbending Academy, and the noble district, which the Fire Nation largely spared.

The Cave of Two Lovers: An underground labarynth that pierces the Kolau Mountains from north to south, this network of caves, made famous in song and story, was built by the first earthbenders, Oma and Shu, for whom Omashu was named. They were from villages at war, so they had to meet secretly, and it was for this reason they built the cave. Then, when Shu was killed in the war, Oma took matters into her own hands with a terrible display of earthbending. She declared the war over, and the two villages worked together to found Omashu.

According to legend, only those who trust in love will make it through the tunnel, those who do not are cursed to become lost forever under the earth. The truth is only slightly better. Most of the tunnels constantly shift and change due to the movements of the badger-moles that inhabit large portions of the maze, and only a small, obscure section remains fixed. The fixed sections are lined with crystals that glow in the dark, but since most travelers carry torches or lanterns, they will never find them. The two lovers are buried in the heart of the mountains, with instructions that will enable anyone that finds the tomb to find their way out. “Love is brightest in the dark.”

Shang Li (Large City, 22, 318, non-canon content): Situated on Anjin Island, Shang Li is the biggest city in the north of Min Lei Han, as well as the main trading route and the most well-defended military base. It was originally built as a medium-sized fort, but overflowed those walls and swelled outward to encompass nearly the entire island, as well as small sections of both riverbanks. The northside and southside districts, as they are called, serve as a buffer zone where most of the poorer citizens live, and have moved onto the river somewhat in the form of buildings and walkways built on stilts. The result is a maze of rickety paths that only the experienced can navigate safely. Boats are safer, but most honest ferryman shun those waters. The towns are joined to the main part of the city by a great stone bridge, wide enough for four ostrich-horses to cross at once

The main city still retains something of the strong military prescence it originally housed. Laws, while fair, are strictly enforced, and the entire city is built on the basis of being defensible from any position. Thick outer walls are patrolled constantly, and the inner walls have been built higher so that they still can defend the city core against anyone that makes it past the outer defenses. Streets are uniformly straight and paved with stone, and the districts are mostly distinct from one another. Nearly a quarter of the city consists of soldiers and earthbenders, and they are a common sight. The ordinary citizens occupy their time mostly with business from the merchants that pass through. Shang Li is very much a town built on trade. It’s ruler, Lord Tang, is also the general in command of the garrison forces. The post has been joint for some time now. He takes his duties very seriously, and rules well enough, though he confines his decrees to the island mostly, writing off the riverside districts as not worth trying to govern properly.

Regional History: See History of the Avatar World.

Plots and Rumors: Forthcoming

Notable Individuals:

King Bumi. (Male human Earthbender 24) The one-hundred-twelve-plus year old King of Omashu, Bumi is one of those people that has their own way of looking at the world. In his own words, “Instead of seeing what they want you to see, you’ve got to open your mind to the possibilities.” Given to fits of cackling laughter, terrible jokes, and messing with people in a multitude of hilarious ways (not always so to the person on the receiving end), he nonetheless manages to rule Omashu and the surrounding lands very well. His eccentric nature hides one of the smartest minds in the world, and age has not dulled his wits one bit. If anything, he’s gotten sharper since he was younger, and more than once has earned his nickname of ‘Mad Genius.’

Eighth_Seraph
2008-08-14, 07:38 AM
*Applause*

...

*More Applause*

I like it! We now have a bona fide adventure setting. For serious completeness, though, we'd need a map, though I can't imagine being able to make a canon one. Also, I don't think we have any artists with that kind of ability within our ranks. This is a nice start, Zak. Between your settings and String's affiliations, we might have a nice set-up for a campaign.

Sir Shadow
2008-08-14, 08:54 AM
Wow, that's great! *much applause*

If I ever get a graphics tablet, I'd be more than willing to help with the map. But <_< that won't be for some time...

felinoel
2008-08-14, 04:38 PM
Nicely done, I see my question about alignments has been answered in that Ba Sing Se was given alignment and I will fix the character sheet, and don't worry about the map, ever since the nick site gave more locations of their episodes (not all but more, oh well) I was updating it, all I am doing now is working on the border, I like the opening sequence map's border better then my current one's so I am making it from that

EDIT:
Although... doesn't the Avatar wikia already have descriptions of locations?
http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Locations

felinoel
2008-08-14, 05:01 PM
No one seems to want to talk about it, but that might be because that thread seems to be just for creating not for discussing, so I will post it here
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=83598&page=3
I am thinking of adding it so you can increase or decrease it further it will just raise the DC but I aslo need better names for the flourth ones and I want to implement how weight affects the bending, people weighing more wouldn't be too bothered by the first level of decreased gravity, but they would be affected more by the first level of increased gravity compared to a regular human...

Any thoughts?

Zak Crimsonleaf
2008-08-14, 06:21 PM
It does have location descriptions, but not really of the kind we'd need for a campaign setting. Many are stubs, and I'm not sure what they can tell me that I don't already know. As well, there's a specific format to be followed when describing locations for a D&D setting, which you can see I used in the Ba Sing Se entry. The last reason, and the least important, but one that should be mentioned nonetheless, is that I think I can describe these places better than wikipedia. A description that one enjoys reading is one that I plan to use. However, your point is taken, and I will consult the articles in my future additions to the post. Thanks for reminding me of that.

felinoel
2008-08-14, 08:02 PM
It does have location descriptions, but not really of the kind we'd need for a campaign setting. Many are stubs, and I'm not sure what they can tell me that I don't already know. As well, there's a specific format to be followed when describing locations for a D&D setting, which you can see I used in the Ba Sing Se entry. The last reason, and the least important, but one that should be mentioned nonetheless, is that I think I can describe these places better than wikipedia. A description that one enjoys reading is one that I plan to use. However, your point is taken, and I will consult the articles in my future additions to the post. Thanks for reminding me of that.

Good point, but there is one thing that that site told me that I didn't already know, names of places, some places were only named in Nick magazines while others were only named at Nick.com, I never bothered with either of those and when I put my map on that Wikia they all attacked it adding the names of places where I only had descriptions :smallbiggrin:

Zak Crimsonleaf
2008-08-14, 10:49 PM
Added the Si Wong Desert. After this I'll have to start naming regions. I've listed the parts that are entirely my own creations and may be not only non-canon, but not really possible. On the other hand, I'm rather fond of them. So, your choice whether or not you want to use them in your campaign. Anyway, feel free to correct me on anything.

felinoel
2008-08-14, 10:56 PM
Maybe we should sort them on canon and non-canon places?



Any ideas on the gravitybending anyone?

Zak Crimsonleaf
2008-08-15, 02:10 AM
It seems to me, as I remarked earlier on that subject, that it would just be easier to include them all in the same place for ease of use and reference. It would be awfully tedious to have to flip back and forth between threads when wanting to read about settings.

And no, no ideas on gravitybending. I don't recall as I took much interest in it, though my interests in such areas do tend to be mostly confined to earthbending.

felinoel
2008-08-15, 03:41 AM
It seems to me, as I remarked earlier on that subject, that it would just be easier to include them all in the same place for ease of use and reference. It would be awfully tedious to have to flip back and forth between threads when wanting to read about settings.

And no, no ideas on gravitybending. I don't recall as I took much interest in it, though my interests in such areas do tend to be mostly confined to earthbending.

Yes I agreed that that would be best earlier

Yea its really just the fine details of it, how much would you way is the max a human could weigh? And the min for an adult human, how much would you say that is?

Zuki
2008-08-15, 09:07 AM
I think it's really great that you've stepped up to the plate and started working on those place write-ups, Zak. That's real setting document meat and substance. I like your non-canon additions to the Si Wong desert, I think they're sensible and useful. By clearly marking them as non-canon in the document, DMs have the option to use, discard, or mutate them as they please...which is really what they should be doing with any setting element.

Would you be interested in some help or assistance with this project? I might be interested in contributing some write-ups myself. Send me a PM and we can talk.

To felinoel:

...The weight range is something like 85 lbs to 950 lbs, when you start figuring in anorexic people and morbidly obese people, and probably a bit beyond that when you start figuring in Guinness World Records.

You're probably better off looking at the average ranges, or what's listed on a BMI chart, or something.

Having you tried looking at Google or Wikipedia for this information? You're probably going to get better luck there instead of randomly asking us here in the setting main hub.

And what was your support for being able to increase gravity with Airbending, anyways? Specifically increase. When does that happen in the show? Or was this a non-canon project that you're asking about?

Sir Shadow
2008-08-15, 09:49 AM
well, it wouldn't really be "gravity bending" it would just increased downward airpressure on someone or creating lifting pressure beneath them...

felinoel
2008-08-15, 12:14 PM
I think it's really great that you've stepped up to the plate and started working on those place write-ups, Zak. That's real setting document meat and substance. I like your non-canon additions to the Si Wong desert, I think they're sensible and useful. By clearly marking them as non-canon in the document, DMs have the option to use, discard, or mutate them as they please...which is really what they should be doing with any setting element.

Would you be interested in some help or assistance with this project? I might be interested in contributing some write-ups myself. Send me a PM and we can talk.

To felinoel:

...The weight range is something like 85 lbs to 950 lbs, when you start figuring in anorexic people and morbidly obese people, and probably a bit beyond that when you start figuring in Guinness World Records.

You're probably better off looking at the average ranges, or what's listed on a BMI chart, or something.

Having you tried looking at Google or Wikipedia for this information? You're probably going to get better luck there instead of randomly asking us here in the setting main hub.
Well I was just giving weights as an example of one of the last few things I need before its finished, but 1000 lbs to 50 lbs would be fine for that, thanks


And what was your support for being able to increase gravity with Airbending, anyways? Specifically increase. When does that happen in the show? Or was this a non-canon project that you're asking about?
well, it wouldn't really be "gravity bending" it would just increased downward airpressure on someone or creating lifting pressure beneath them...

Well its not increasing that is canon, Aang was shown decreasing, I know you asked specifically for increasing but if one could make a force using air currents in an air shield to create something that appears as if he is decreasing gravity, then one can assume he can also do the same for increasing

Sir Shadow
2008-08-15, 12:16 PM
o.o like I said... increasing atmospheric pressure around them could simulate increased gravity

Eighth_Seraph
2008-08-15, 01:01 PM
Right. Alright, here's the final bad news. I am, as of now, off of the Avatar project. There are some problems that I would like to fix up (specifically with the Dai Li, the Earthquake seed, and the Lightning seed), but I know that as soon as I finish those, others will appear. Also, it's a shame that I won't be able to see the final incarnation of the item enhancement system paired with new wealth-by-level.

But in any case, school is starting soon, and I am alarmed by my recent tendency to check the GitP forums before checking my email, and by the fact that I finished the silver-based wealth-by-level system before I even got halfway through my first college application. In any case, I need to be off this project, sad as it may be. I might pop in occasionally, but don't count on it. It's been great homebrewing with all of you, and we've got a setting to be proud of just as it is, and getting better. Goodbye for now, and God bless.

felinoel
2008-08-15, 01:05 PM
Right. Alright, here's the final bad news. I am, as of now, off of the Avatar project. There are some problems that I would like to fix up (specifically with the Dai Li, the Earthquake seed, and the Lightning seed), but I know that as soon as I finish those, others will appear. Also, it's a shame that I won't be able to see the final incarnation of the item enhancement system paired with new wealth-by-level.

But in any case, school is starting soon, and I am alarmed by my recent tendency to check the GitP forums before checking my email, and by the fact that I finished the silver-based wealth-by-level system before I even got halfway through my first college application. In any case, I need to be off this project, sad as it may be. I might pop in occasionally, but don't count on it. It's been great homebrewing with all of you, and we've got a setting to be proud of just as it is, and getting better. Goodbye for now, and God bless.I set these threads to send me an email whenever someone makes a new post in it, thats easier for me then checking the forums every day, but good luck with college, I am about to finish my last year of it :smalleek:

felinoel
2008-08-16, 06:08 AM
http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/avatar/images/thumb/5/5d/Avatar_World_002.jpg/300px-Avatar_World_002.jpg
http://felinoel.deviantart.com/art/The-World-of-Avatar-Map-95026596
http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/The_World_of_Avatar#The_Known_Lands_of_the_World_o f_Avatar

I finalized my world map, now it has all the canon locations listed as to where and what

Zak Crimsonleaf
2008-08-18, 10:45 PM
Nice map. Sorry to hear that the progenitor has departed, hopefully they'll return someday. Anyway, something new to add. This next region covers the lands around Omashu. Hopefully I made the borders clear enough. As usual, tell me what you think. I'm open to suggestions.

felinoel
2008-08-18, 10:48 PM
Nice map. Sorry to hear that the progenitor has departed, hopefully they'll return someday. Anyway, something new to add. This next region covers the lands around Omashu. Hopefully I made the borders clear enough. As usual, tell me what you think. I'm open to suggestions.

Would you like a smaller, not covered in markers map to use to define the borders?

Zak Crimsonleaf
2008-08-18, 11:27 PM
I don't think I have the software to trace borders even if I had the map. I'm not quite sure what it would take. Not that it wouldn't be handy, just that I don't know I could do it.

felinoel
2008-08-18, 11:59 PM
I don't think I have the software to trace borders even if I had the map. I'm not quite sure what it would take. Not that it wouldn't be handy, just that I don't know I could do it.Well as long as you are using a PC I am positive you have the paint program, you could use that to make a sort of border, then send it to me and I cna make a better version of it if you want

Zak Crimsonleaf
2008-08-19, 12:05 AM
Sure, that's better than nothing. Send me that smaller map, and I'll get right on it.

felinoel
2008-08-19, 12:09 AM
Sure, that's better than nothing. Send me that smaller map, and I'll get right on it.

http://images.wikia.com/avatar/images/b/be/Avatar_World_002b.jpg

Mephibosheth
2008-08-20, 03:18 PM
I really like both Zak Crimsonleaf's area writeups and the newest version of felinoel's map. Nice work both of you!

Felinoel, I still think that your gravitybending idea is interesting but ultimately unappropriate for the setting. Maybe it's just the term "gravitybending," but it seems outside the scope of the airbender abilities we've seen depicted. Sure, Aang's levitated things with air currents and whatnot, but he's never used that ability to hinder an opponent's movements (other than blowing them backward) that I can remember. Also, it seems like the levitation abilities you mention seem easy to account for with Wind Shaping and other abilities. I like the idea for a non-canon game or a combination seed, but not as a class ability.

Finally, I just want to let you (and by "you" I mean "participants in the Avatar d20 project") that I've sent an email to someone at Nick who might be able to forward information about our project on to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. My purpose was to make them aware of the project (particularly in light of the MMORPG that was announced) and possibly get some input, with no motives other than that. If anything developes, I'll let everyone know.

Mephibosheth

Imbasel
2008-08-20, 03:56 PM
If Nick, wanted to make an official game out of this, what would happen, would they take the info, and make it so people wouldn't be able to see it. Or would we still be able to look at all this great work.

felinoel
2008-08-20, 03:57 PM
I really like both Zak Crimsonleaf's area writeups and the newest version of felinoel's map. Nice work both of you!

Felinoel, I still think that your gravitybending idea is interesting but ultimately unappropriate for the setting. Maybe it's just the term "gravitybending," but it seems outside the scope of the airbender abilities we've seen depicted. Sure, Aang's levitated things with air currents and whatnot, but he's never used that ability to hinder an opponent's movements (other than blowing them backward) that I can remember. Also, it seems like the levitation abilities you mention seem easy to account for with Wind Shaping and other abilities. I like the idea for a non-canon game or a combination seed, but not as a class ability.

Finally, I just want to let you (and by "you" I mean "participants in the Avatar d20 project") that I've sent an email to someone at Nick who might be able to forward information about our project on to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. My purpose was to make them aware of the project (particularly in light of the MMORPG that was announced) and possibly get some input, with no motives other than that. If anything developes, I'll let everyone know.

Mephibosheth

Well I am up for suggestions for a different name, and I thought it was a combination seed...



If Nick, wanted to make an official game out of this, what would happen, would they take the info, and make it so people wouldn't be able to see it. Or would we still be able to look at all this great work.

Thats up to Nick

AstralFire
2008-08-20, 06:39 PM
Nick would not make an official game out of this. You could:

- Get major people who worked on the project pulled for an official one (highly unlikely)
- Get the backing of the creators (which would be pretty cool)

This is because:

- All of this information has been floating around free on the interwebs for a -long- time in various places.
- An extremely large amount of people contributed to the project and tracking down all of them for permission to use their IP (especially if any of the threads have gone under) would be exceptionally difficult.
- Dungeons and Dragons is targeted at an older demographic than Avatar is targeted at. (Any cartoon which is enjoyable by adults but not exclusively by them is marketed at kids. Kids buy more via whining than the D&D 15 to 33 bracket does.)
- WotC is backing 4th edition, not 3rd. Regardless of your opinions on 4th and if you think it's going to eventually fail, it's certainly doing well enough for itself right now that the future of 3.x is uncertain. WotC represents the overwhelming majority of the RPG market, as Monte Cook has remarked before.

felinoel
2008-08-20, 06:49 PM
Nick would not make an official game out of this. You could:

- Get major people who worked on the project pulled for an official one (highly unlikely)
- Get the backing of the creators (which would be pretty cool)

This is because:

- All of this information has been floating around free on the interwebs for a -long- time in various places.
- An extremely large amount of people contributed to the project and tracking down all of them for permission to use their IP (especially if any of the threads have gone under) would be exceptionally difficult.
- Dungeons and Dragons is targeted at an older demographic than Avatar is targeted at. (Any cartoon which is enjoyable by adults but not exclusively by them is marketed at kids. Kids buy more via whining than the D&D 15 to 33 bracket does.)
- WotC is backing 4th edition, not 3rd. Regardless of your opinions on 4th and if you think it's going to eventually fail, it's certainly doing well enough for itself right now that the future of 3.x is uncertain. WotC represents the overwhelming majority of the RPG market, as Monte Cook has remarked before.

What do you mean eventually going to fail, it already is a failure, besides most d20 systems I have seen are either in 3.0 or 3.5

AstralFire
2008-08-20, 06:53 PM
What do you mean eventually going to fail, it already is a failure, besides most d20 systems I have seen are either in 3.0 or 3.5

They recently ordered a second printing. That is far from anything approaching a clear failure. It is widely endorsed by independent media (the 4E marketing blitz got Penny Arcade and 8-Bit Theater on their side, which I'm very sure helps given the shared community they have with tabletop gamers.)The only thing that currently makes the situation ambiguous is the lightening of the GSL, but that's far from enough market data to state that 4E has inarguably failed. So no one's going to be putting out any 3E licensing right now.

The latter is due to the fact that those d20 adaptations weren't designed within the last year for the most part. (The most recent is SWSE which is a bit older than that, and represents several 4E mechanics as well as 3E.) It takes some time to come up with and perfect this material, and I'm sure a lot of license holders are waiting to see exactly how the dust settles as well.

felinoel
2008-08-20, 06:55 PM
They recently ordered a second printing. That is far from anything approaching a clear failure.

The latter is due to the fact that those d20 adaptations weren't designed within the last year for the most part. It takes some time to come up with and perfect this material, and I'm sure a lot of license holders are waiting to see exactly how the dust settles as well.I was just kidding with the first part, its an adequete game :smallbiggrin: but a sigh goes to your response to my second part, because now if Nick does decide to make a d20 system, they might just make their own

AstralFire
2008-08-20, 07:02 PM
I was just kidding with the first part, its an adequete game :smallbiggrin: but a sigh goes to your response to my second part, because now if Nick does decide to make a d20 system, they might just make their own

That is most likely, given the potential for hold-outs on IP rights as well as the fact that much of the information is currently widely dispersed for free. That does, of course, assume that they even deem there to be a sufficient market for such a thing. Like I said, Avatar's primary market is younger than D&D's, inherently limiting the market. That's one black mark. D&D is still saddled with some baggage the soccer mom that purchases things for the younger demographic is going to be wary of. Two black marks. The majority of official d20 adaptations are of things which are actually targeted at the 15 to 33 demographic originally.

Sir Shadow
2008-08-20, 07:42 PM
well, 4e is hardly DnD at all, they've changed it so much. But that's not what this topic is for.

Nick would probably not do anything with it, though they might send the note on to the creators. I have some friends that have written in to TV shows and have gotten responses from the hosts or writers. So, who knows, even them responding and saying "good job" or "looks cool" would be nice wouldn't it?

felinoel
2008-08-20, 07:46 PM
well, 4e is hardly DnD at all, they've changed it so much. But that's not what this topic is for.

Nick would probably not do anything with it, though they might send the note on to the creators. I have some friends that have written in to TV shows and have gotten responses from the hosts or writers. So, who knows, even them responding and saying "good job" or "looks cool" would be nice wouldn't it?

Plus it would be excellent to put on the main page of the site

Knaight
2008-08-20, 08:20 PM
That is most likely, given the potential for hold-outs on IP rights as well as the fact that much of the information is currently widely dispersed for free. That does, of course, assume that they even deem there to be a sufficient market for such a thing. Like I said, Avatar's primary market is younger than D&D's, inherently limiting the market. That's one black mark. D&D is still saddled with some baggage the soccer mom that purchases things for the younger demographic is going to be wary of. Two black marks. The majority of official d20 adaptations are of things which are actually targeted at the 15 to 33 demographic originally.

Although there is always the off chance that they will use a different rule-set. GURPS and World of Darkness are the main competitors, and therefore the most likely rule sets to be used other than d20. However the soccer mom that purchases things for the younger demographic is not going to be happy about finding a link between the Avatar game and World of Darkness. Lets face it, for those of you with kids would you want your 6-7 year old reading and playing that? GURPS could very well work though. Of course I'm going to hope for the impossible, and that they make it with the Fudge rules, thus bringing Fudge into the public eye and finally getting it quite a few players. Spirit of the Century traces back to it, and might just be big enough to give this a slight chance. A very slight chance.

felinoel
2008-08-20, 08:23 PM
Although there is always the off chance that they will use a different rule-set. GURPS and World of Darkness are the main competitors, and therefore the most likely rule sets to be used other than d20. However the soccer mom that purchases things for the younger demographic is not going to be happy about finding a link between the Avatar game and World of Darkness. Lets face it, for those of you with kids would you want your 6-7 year old reading and playing that? GURPS could very well work though. Of course I'm going to hope for the impossible, and that they make it with the Fudge rules, thus bringing Fudge into the public eye and finally getting it quite a few players. Spirit of the Century traces back to it, and might just be big enough to give this a slight chance. A very slight chance.

Or they might just ignore us completely

Mephibosheth
2008-08-20, 09:46 PM
Just a quick note. I'm not really expecting anything substantial to come of the email I sent. I did not in any way ask for them to endorse an official version of Avatar d20 or create a purchase-able product. I simply thought that we put a lot of work into creating a system that represents the world they'd created, and thought they might be interested, particularly since there was an Avatar MMORPG announced recently. Like most of you, I don't think anything other than possibly a brief note will come of this, I just wanted to make everyone aware of it.

Mephibosheth

AstralFire
2008-08-20, 10:11 PM
*nods* There's a lot to respect here. Some recognition would be cool. Just didn't want people getting their hopes up too high.

Zuki
2008-08-20, 10:41 PM
Of course I'm going to hope for the impossible, and that they make it with the Fudge rules, thus bringing Fudge into the public eye and finally getting it quite a few players. Spirit of the Century traces back to it, and might just be big enough to give this a slight chance. A very slight chance.

I highly doubt that would happen, Fudge/Spirit of the Century's a mostly little-known sort of indie system by a similarly Indie third-party game company. On the other hand, I think a 'Spirit of the Elements' hack for Avatar would be just about perfect for capturing the feel of the game. The broadly defined nature of Aspects, Stunts, and Skills, along with the narrative feel of the system, would work really really well I think. One of the reasons I bought the book was so I could do a conversion at some point the future. Send me a PM if you want to keep chatting about this, or SotC/Fudge in general. I'd love to find some players or GMs for it.


Back on the original topic, I do like the idea of sending off a copy to the creators/writers/producers/whoever of the show, but I'm mostly seeing it as a kind of intricate fanmail. We love the show and world so much we did this complicated nerd thing with it, we hope that's cool with you and not copyright-infringing. Your blessings, can we has? It's a labor of love, and in my experience, creators like to find out about those. I've always gotten the impression the Avatar panels at Comiccon were very fan-friendly and laid-back.

felinoel
2008-08-20, 11:45 PM
I highly doubt that would happen, Fudge/Spirit of the Century's a mostly little-known sort of indie system by a similarly Indie third-party game company. On the other hand, I think a 'Spirit of the Elements' hack for Avatar would be just about perfect for capturing the feel of the game. The broadly defined nature of Aspects, Stunts, and Skills, along with the narrative feel of the system, would work really really well I think. One of the reasons I bought the book was so I could do a conversion at some point the future. Send me a PM if you want to keep chatting about this, or SotC/Fudge in general. I'd love to find some players or GMs for it.


Back on the original topic, I do like the idea of sending off a copy to the creators/writers/producers/whoever of the show, but I'm mostly seeing it as a kind of intricate fanmail. We love the show and world so much we did this complicated nerd thing with it, we hope that's cool with you and not copyright-infringing. Your blessings, can we has? It's a labor of love, and in my experience, creators like to find out about those. I've always gotten the impression the Avatar panels at Comiccon were very fan-friendly and laid-back.

I think the original topic was that he had sent it, not that he was wondering about sending it

Zak Crimsonleaf
2008-08-22, 05:45 PM
New area write-up. I'm putting it here because I don't know how long the other post can become before it gets too big. As usual, comments, questions, and corrections are welcome.

Edit: Even a description of the flaws would be appreciated. I don't know what people think if nobody says anything. If I'm getting stale in this kind of thing, it'd be good to hear about it. I won't take offense. Added another region.

Ling Chou Su Province/Western Outlands

Location on the map. (http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f130/felinoel/Avatar/d20%20locations/11.jpg)

“As I looked out over the vast empty expanse before me towards the distant mountains on the horizon, I felt as though I were the first man to visit a newly created world. However, after a day of walking, I seem to find myself no closer to the peaks than before. I can only hope that the time passes swiftly.”
-Rem Jha the Traveler, journal entry

Population: 379, 496
Government: Monarchial in most parts, assorted semi-independent villages.
Imports: Iron, silk, grains, trade goods.
Exports: Seafood, gold, gems, leather goods.
Alignment: CG, CN, TN

Ling Chou Su is a place that lends itself to contemplation. The province is generally divided into three huge areas, each of them with its own way of pulling a man in. To the far west are the majestic mountains that tower over everything else from the coast to a good distance inland. To the far east is an arid land of canyons, badlands, and prairie. In between them lie the plains and pine forests.

A place where one must learn patience and persistence to survive, Ling Chou Su is nonetheless a mostly peaceful place. The parts that are not tend to be make up for that by being many times more dangerous.

Life and Society:

The people here are an independent sort that tend to believe in the power of the individual. In Ling Chou Su, when out of sight of others, it is easy to believe oneself entirely alone. However, they do acknowledge that a tribe, village, and even a city depends on cooperation, and generally get along well enough with each other. When they don’t, trouble ensues. The most heavily settled portion is the mountains, and that mostly along the coastline in rocky inlets and fjords. A few mountain valleys are large enough to support towns, and there is even one city that has spread out underground. The plains and forests are more sparsely populated, with towns and villages centered around a plentiful source of water. A few nomadic hunter tribes follow the game across the plains to the south. The badlands and canyons to the east have only a single village of note, and that is mostly underground near a well, and relies on trade to stay alive.

Major Geographical Features:

The Great Divide: The biggest canyon in the Earth Kingdom, and the world, the Great Divide is a full day’s journey across, and marks the eastern edge of the province. It is a marvel to look at, but is also a dangerous place to venture into. Many kinds of predatory creatures dwell within, and with food as scarce as it is, are able to smell a meal from miles away. Only those who don’t carry food can travel with any kind of safety, which necessarily limits the extent of any exploration. Passage across is only available where the canyon is narrowest, and requires the services of the aging earthbender who knows the safe routes in and out. However, for those willing to endure the pangs of hunger, a few secrets may be revealed. There are all manner of rumors concerning treasure or ancient ruins to be found within the canyon, and there is no denying its existence is a mystery, for no river runs through it that would indicate erosion. Local legends say it was created by angry earth spirits. What the truth is may be something else entirely.

Zendao Mountains: Taking up most of the western half of the province, these mountains hold a rugged sense that transfers over to the people that live there. Mining villages are common, though some are abandoned. Water is abundant in the form of huge glaciers, mountain streams, and a few full-fledged rivers that empty into the sea in the west, and so fog is also common. A few small forests twine their way through the valleys, and the heights are always buried under heavy snow. The roads are narrow and winding, but kept in good condition, and most people here have a good sense of balance and direction. There are no caves of any great size here, though there are a few abandoned mine shafts that people occasionally explore, looking for ore that may have been missed before.

Ji Sing Forest (non-canon content): This widely spaced forest of pine and other trees that do well in a drier climate is home to the more civilized towns as well as a diverse array of wildlife. It is wise to beware of poisonous animals, for they are more common here than some other places. The villages do a brisk business in selling antidotes to travelers. Most of the settlements have slow, peaceful way of life.

Wulong Forest/Hei Bai’s Domain: This great forest, which covers a large part of the northwest of the province, mostly along the coast and in the lower mountains, is the home of the great forest spirit, Hei Bai, who sometimes manifests as a panda, and other times a horrible beast. Which one depends on the mood the spirit is in. Towards the end of the war, the Fire Nation burned down a lot of the forest. The damage has only begun to regrow on the fringes, and those passing through usually consider it wise to make an offering at the shrine near Senlin Village. What’s left of the forest houses more than a few spectacular spots, including the Hall of Ages, a natural avenue of oak trees hundreds of years old, and the Grandfather Tree, an immense cedar with the history of this part of the world carved into its lower trunk, making it a living testament to what has been done in this part of the world.

The Twisted Land (non-canon content): These badlands are chock-full of strange rock formations: arches, mazes, columns, standing stones. The result looks like the work of either an insane earthbender or some incomprehensible natural process. One part of it is actually the result of an earthbender that was set on creating the world’s toughest practice arena, so they say. There’s no denying it is incredibly hard on anyone that wishes to try it. The arena consists of one large flat area surrounded by a ridiculously elaborate system of stairs, platforms, ramps, columns, walls, sand pits, and some rock formations that defy description. Handy instructions on how to work the course are provided by carvings left on a nearby cliffside, but some parts have worn away. The nearby Shodau Village will be more than happy to provide a complete scroll for a small fee.

Gao Shin River: This two-mile wide river is one of the biggest in the world. It flows swiftly, and has several low waterfalls along its length. It forms the northern border of the province, but there are few bases, because, despite the width, bridges are common. At first, there was only one, but when the owners began charging people to cross, then everyone got the idea of building their own bridge and doing the same thing. The result today is that crossing the river is free and easy.

Important Sites:

Jiang Jha Base: Located in the central portion of the Zendao Mountains, this heavily fortified Earth Kingdom base is the hub for all military activity in the western part of the province. It has normally holds fifteen hundred soldiers, but has space for up to three thousand if the situation warrants it. Other, smaller outposts are spread throughout the mountains, and couriers constantly travel back and forth between them. The base is one of the better equipped ones in the western Earth Kingdom. It has barracks, an infirmary, a temple, an earthbending arena, and a recreation area.

Senlin Village (Hamlet, 217): This small village, resting on the edge of Wulong Forest is completely unremarkable save that it was once attacked by Hei Bai, and now pays homage to the forest spirit at the nearby shrine. Some say they have gained the favor of the spirit, and now it defends them as well as its home, but there is no evidence of that.

Dekari (Large City, 13, 165, non-canon content): The biggest city in the Zendao mountains, this city tries to imitate Omashu on a lesser scale, and is mostly carved out of a mountainside. Construction has slowed to a trickle, as the city simply cannot support many more people, and many sections are now abandoned. It remains, however, a fairly prosperous place, for it sits on top of the biggest gold mine in the mountain range. The Earth Army is very prominent here to provide security, and earthbenders are in high demand. The prevalence of earthbending has led to the creation of an intricate system of ramps that resemble Omashu’s delivery system. This system is meant for people, though, and if one knows a willing earthbender, they can travel between places at a rapid rate. Gold brings out the best and worst in people, and such is the case here. You can find great good and great evil in Dekari.

Lumin Seaport (Small City, 8,456, non-canon content): Located at the northwestern tip of the province, at the mouth of the Gao Shin River, this port handles the overflow business from the smaller towns on the coast as well as the ships that are too big to fit there, such as Fire Navy ironclads, or some of the bigger Earth Navy ships. It is very busy even in the winter, and to maximize trade, the entire town is mostly located along the waterfront, so the salt air is smelled everywhere. It also houses a pair of shipyards that have been competing with each other for decades. During the war, it was conquered by the Fire Nation, which set about putting in several factories and other mechanical improvements at the yards, which are now capable of building smaller Fire Navy ships. They left them behind when they withdrew, and the city is growing even more, though at the cost of increased industrial pollution. Some people that don’t like the new look have left, but many more that do have moved in, though they tend to consist of opportunists and the lower class that have nowhere else to go that they can work.

Shodau Village (Hamlet, 314, non-canon content): The lone settlement in the east, this tiny village ekes out an existence in the desolate ? Badlands, on the ourskirts of the Great Divide. The people here only stay because they couldn’t make it anywhere else, or because they have nowhere else to go. Most of it is underground to avoid the heat, and were anything to destroy the four or five buildings that stand aboveground, nobody would know there is a village here at all. The village’s main export is a kind of mushroom that grows abundantly in the darkness. It is effective against poisons, induces healing, or it can simply be eaten, though it tastes awful in any form. The scrabble for survival has produced a village of good merchants, and the bargains here are among the most heated contests in the world. For a few coins, some of the braver villagers will offer to show a visitor around the badlands and point out the sights of interest.

Zhang Territory and Gan-Jin Village: This swath of land in the south of the plains is home to two tribes that have a very troubled history. The Gan-Jins were among the first people to permanently settle amid the pine forests, and built themselves a thriving village that allowed most of them to take life at their leisure. They consider themselves to have earned an easy life by the grace of their forefathers and the spirits, and are significant among the northern villages.

The Zhangs used to be a nomadic tribe, but as fate would have it, they were lucky enough to take enough meat to stay in one place for a long while, and decided they liked it. So they built themselves a settlement nearby the Gan-Jins, and the two tribes had a cordial relationship at first. Then, due to an unfortunate event, the details of which are still argued about by the tribes (Either Jin Wei of the Gan-Jins was robbed or Wei Jin of the Zhangs was imprisoned unjustly, depending on which version you believe.) there arose a bitter feud that lasted for a hundred years, until the Fire Nation conquered their lands.

A fortunate few from each tribe manage to flee towards Ba Sing Se, and encountered each other and the Avatar on the road. The Avatar was able to resolve the feud and broker a tentative peace, and when the war ended and the refugees came home, they brought that peace with them. So far, things are still peaceful, though a little strained. The tension is still there, and wants only the right situation to erupt into another feud.

Regional History: See History of the Avatar World.

Plots and Rumors: Forthcoming.

Notable Individuals:

General Fong. (Male human Earthbender 15) The commander of all military forces in the Zendao Mountains, Fong is a capable and brave leader. One of the most aggressive generals in the Earth Kingdom, he is known for unusual tactics. Starting as an enlisted man over 25 years ago, Fong originally fought against the Fire Nation on the front lines where his "no fear" attitude won him high praises from his superiors. Fong worked his way up the ranks, eventually becoming an officer. He was different from the other officers, having a less formal education, but this set him apart and helped him on his path to becoming a general. Because General Fong started at such a low rank, the men under his command consider him one of their own and they are extremely loyal to him. However, he is not without his flaws.

His desire to end the war however he could led to his mistaken belief that he could use the Avatar, and the power of the Avatar State, as a weapon against the Fire Nation. He even went to the extreme of attacking the Avatar, and nearly smothering one of his companions, to force him into the Avatar State. The enraged Avatar then proceeded to lay waste to most of the base, with the soldiers unable to stop him. This incident cost Fong a great deal of credibility with his superiors, but he has held onto his position, and remains a general. These days, he feels a little bit useless due to the lack of an enemy to fight, but before long he may find he has enough to do with keeping the peace in the nearby former Fire Nation territories.

Tai Kun Rei Province/Frozen North

Location on the map. (http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f130/felinoel/Avatar/d20%20locations/01b.jpg)

“Today, I finally reached the summit of the mountain. Standing there, with the world laid out before me, and the clean alpine air whistling in my ears, I felt like a king. I began to understand why those that live here enjoy it so much, even with the bitter cold. I will still be very much glad to return south, but I will never forget what I have seen here.”
-Rem Jha the Traveler, journal entry.

Population: 364,481
Government: Monarchy
Imports: Salt, Vegetables, Fruit, Wine.
Exports: Silver, Furs, Trade Goods, Cloth, Rope.
Alignment: NG, TN, LN

A land where everything happens in the shadow of the highest mountains in the Earth Kingdom, Tai Kun Rei somehow seems remote even in the well traveled regions. Seeming almost to exemplify the nature of the earth, enduring and expansive, the province is a place where life is rarely boring, but where new challenges arrive every day, and the people must meet them head-on.

Life and Society:

Life in Tai Kun Rei is dictated by the environment. The people in the north build their lives around the cold that they must endure for half a year, and the people in the south plan their lives around the lack of rainfall and how much food they can get out of each square mile. The province is peaceful for the most part, but as more and more Earth Army soldiers were pulled out to fight the war, bandits and other criminals began to seek shelter in the mountains, and they are still there. Right now, the people are extremely wary of strangers, and go armed everywhere. It may take a long time for things here to settle down. Tai Kun Rei is a turbulent place, where country life is not always simple.

Major Geographical Features:

Yukando Mountains: The tallest mountains in the Earth Kingdom, these mighty peaks dominate most of the province. Not many dwell in the higher reaches, but there are plenty of people that find mining, fishing, and farming to be very successful in the lower parts of the range. They hold nearly every kind of terrain one can imagine being there. Lakes, streams, boreal forests, rocky slopes. There are many paths through the mountains, and most of them are well traveled, and the region is actually more knowledgable than people think.

Yukura Hills: The foothills of the Yukando, they are still tall enough to be called mountains by those used to flat country. They are the most heavily inhabited part of the province, but the geography ensures that villages are usually separated by at least a few hours travel. The soil is not particularly rich, but not particularly poor either, and rice is the most common crop, as it can be grown on hills easier than others. Here is also the greatest concentration of Earth Army forces, who excel in fighting among the narrow paths and rocky hilltops. It has proven almost impossible to dig them out, not the least because the outposts are many and scattered, rather than few and large, and all of them are connected by underground tunnels, allowing troops to be quickly shunted wherever they need to go by earthbending. However, the army doesn’t actually try and govern too much of the province, for it would be an endless, time-consuming task to police every single village out here. Instead, they focus on specific villages that are the easiest to patrol and get to. This is even more true with the losses during the war.

Ishido River: This river in the southwest of the province, is fed by mountain springs and glaciers both, and is fast and noisy, thundering through rapids and ravines on its journey south. Quiet evergreen forests line its banks for a good way, and it is a peaceful spot to spend an afternoon.

Genjikaro River: Located in the southeast, this is the major river that runs through this land. It looks deceptively slow, but has an undertow that can rip the feet out from under anyone foolish enough to try and wade it, for it carries a great deal of water. It provides irrigation to the southern farms, and carries merchant traffic up and down its length.

Important Sites:

Northern Air Temple (Small Town, 1,313):
“Then I stumbled across this place. Couldn’t believe it! Everywhere, pictures of flying people!”
-The Mechanist, describing his discovery of the Northern Air Temple
The only Air Temple not built in Air Nomad territory, but on the northern edge of the Earth Kingdom, this place shows all the marks of a culture not restricted by gravity. Like the majority of the Air Temples, it consists of a series of towers built on a mountaintop. Although, it would be more accurate to say the towers are built around the mountain, for the Air Nomads strove to affect the land, even here, as little as possible. The temple contains many incredible features, such as beautiful murals that show the history of the Air Nomads, delicately carved statues, an open-air style that lets the cold mountain winds flow freely throughout the structure, and pathways that can only be negotiated by airbenders.

Though the airbenders that lived here were slaughtered one hundred years ago, the temple itself was left intact. Only a few years before the end of the war, it became inhabited again. A nearby Earth Kingdom village was nearly wiped out by a great flood, and in their search for safety, they came across the Northern Air Temple, empty and silent. They seized on the opportunity, and made a home here. Since they arrived, they have been refitting the temple to accommodate a non-airbender lifestyle, using the hot air that flows up from the heart of the mountain to power many mechanical inventions. They have even constructed gliders based on the airbender’s staffs that use hot air currents to fly. Unfortunately, in the process they have destroyed much of the temple’s original artwork and architecture. Even so, the Northern Air Temple remains a fascinating place. It now trades regularly with the nearby villages for food and other supplies via a newly constructed road. It is no longer hidden, but is still a place of sanctuary.

Caverns of Winter’s Breath (non-canon content): These extensive ice caves that wind deep into the array of glaciers on the highest peak in the Yukando Mountains are amazing to behold. The intricate network runs for miles, and houses many wonders, such as completely clear ice crystal formations, still lakes cold enough to kill in minutes, and all manner of delicate ice formations. Waterbenders from Jukana often come here to explore the maze. Nobody has ever mapped the caves completely, and there are some underwater portions that only a waterbender can visit. It is advised to dress warmly, for there is a constant icy wind playing through the caves, which is where they come by their name.

Heart of Frost (non-canon content): This barren stretch of the mountains is always buried in snow, and freezing cold, no matter what the season. The terrain is treacherous and icy, but the route is the shortest way north. It was built by earthbenders, who cut a path through the mountains for precisely that reason. Soon after it was finished, in the middle of summer, it began snowing heavily, blocking the pass for anyone unable to travel on the snow and ice. And even those who were capable quickly learned to avoid doing so, for travelers began vanishing, and reappeared as frozen corpses, even those wearing heavy winter clothes and knew how to survive in the cold. The word spread that the Heart of Frost was cursed, and haunted by some malevolent spirit that was taking revenge upon those who had cut their way through their domain. Whether or not the story is true, nobody travels this road now, save the truly desperate, or those that don’t know any better. The given odds of survival are about half-and-half.

Saranshi (Large Town, 3,132, non-canon content): Hidden away behind a large waterfall, this safe haven started life as the base of a notorious bandit clan that was the scourge of the southern mountains in the days before the Earth Kingdom was united. They were mostly wiped out by Chin the Great during his sweep through the northern lands, and the survivors gave up raiding in favor of normal village life to stay alive. After Chin met his death, some of them thought of taking up the old life again, but the majority had grown satisfied with life as it was, and had no interest in change. However, they agreed that they should put their skills to use somehow, and one of them voiced the idea that rather than attacking villages and travelers, they could help protect them. It was slow to take root, but in a few years time, the former raiders had become one of the best irregular peacekeeping forces in the north. Now, Saranshi is well known as a place for reformed rogues, escaped criminals, and anyone that wants a home in exchange for service. It is still hidden, though, for the village leaders are cautious about the Earth King taking a dislike to their vigilante activities.

Jukana (Small City, 7,341, non-canon content): This hunting and fishing village on the northern coast is an oddity among the other such towns. It was founded over one hundred years ago by the Northern Water Tribe, and so houses a large number of waterbenders. Before the war, communication between the colony and the North Pole was commonplace, but now, Jukana has had to survive on its own, and has done so fairly well. It is far more humble than the great northern city, consisting mostly of igloos and wooden huts, with only a few buildings made of sculpted ice. A thick defensive wall surrounds the village, and its sheltered harbor holds a small fishing fleet. The villagers trade extensively with the nearby Earth Kingdom towns.

Kusari (Small Town, 2,322, non-canon content): This town is built on the Ishido River, literally. Its founders used earthbending to raise up columns of stone to build houses and other buildings on. Why, one can only guess, but it does allow for easy fishing when the migratory fish come swimming back upstream. The town is difficult to navigate for the inexperienced. The river flows too fast for boats, so a mixture of earthbent stone bridges and wooden walkways connects everything. Some enterprising children have thrown rope bridges over a few gaps to create shortcuts. Kusari is a sleepy little town usually, but when war threatens, it becomes a strategic position that can be easily held. All the people need to do is cut the bridges to land and stand off any attackers. It also counts among its most prized possessions a set of what they claim are airbending scrolls. They are so worn and old that nobody can tell for sure.

Regional History: See History of the Avatar World.

Plots and Rumors: Forthcoming.

Notable Individuals:

The Mechanist. (Male human Expert12) The mastermind behind the reconstruction of the Northern Air Temple, and the leader of his people, this eccentric inventor spends his time endlessly creating new ‘improvements’ for all things in life, whether or not there is actually a pressing need for them and if they are safe. (An example would be the finger-safe knife sharpener that he lost three fingers to before figuring out where he’d been going wrong.) Shortly after he and his fellow villagers began living in the temple, the Fire Nation found them, and threatened to reduce the temple to rubble unless he started making weapons for them. With no choice in the matter, he agreed, and designed several of the Fire Nation’s most successful war machines, including firebending-powered tanks, the war balloon, and gave input on the drill that would later attack the walls of Ba Sing Se. In the last year of the war, the Avatar visited the temple, and after discovering the arrangement with the Fire Nation, forced a battle in which the attackers were driven off. Ever since then, the Mechanist has put his talents to work against the Fire Nation, and designed some extremely successful devices to that effect, including earthbending-powered tanks and waterbending-powered submarines. Taken captive during the final months of the war, he returned to the Northern Air Temple after his release, and continues his work.

Teo. (Male human Expert3) The Mechanist’s son, Teo is a free spirit that enjoys soaring among the clouds better than drawing up blueprints. His outlook is remarkable given his condition. When he was an infant, he was badly hurt and lost the use of his legs. He now gets around in a wheelchair, but when he is in the air, he is perhaps the best flier in the Northern Air Temple, and is very popular among the other young folk there.


San Ying Province/Southern Coast

Location on the map. (http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f130/felinoel/Avatar/d20%20locations/13.jpg)

“Most of this land is hidden behind the mountains, but now that I have descended into the country beyond, I find it surprisingly pleasant, not at all like the far north of the Earth Kingdom, which is bitterly cold. This is a rich land, in more ways than one, but remains far removed from what the mountain folk here refer to as civilization, save near the coast, and in the larger cities. Elsewhere, things are of a rougher nature.”
-Rem Jha the Traveler, journal entry.

Population: 731,415
Government: Monarchy
Imports: Copper, Timber, Horses, Trade Goods.
Exports: Iron, Coal, Gems, Silver, Grains, Wool.
Alignment: TN, LN, CG

The far south of the Earth Kingdom is a mixed kind of land. In the north, the imposing mountains and tangled swamps serve as an effective barrier. Further south, as the Earth Kingdom finally gives way to the sea, the land turns lush and green on the plains and hills, and port cities thrive on merchant traffic. A place where civilization only abides in scattered outposts, and where the people have a strong sense of awareness about the land they live on.

Life and Society:

Life in the north has a frontier mentality. What the mountain folk refer to as ‘civilization’ has failed to make much of an impact, and they hold city-dwellers in a kind of contempt, as though they could not endure the harshness of the mountains. Most northerners are honest enough, but there are quite a few unscrupulous folk that are more than happy to take advantage of the inexperienced traveler. The wise man travels with a trustworthy native guide when crossing the north of the province. In the south, where life tends to be easier, civilization is in full flower, making itself felt more and more as it reaches to the coast. There, where most of the province’s food is grown or caught, life includes all the quirks of the city, but still retains an air of detachment, for the Fire Nation, concentrating their efforts in the northern Earth Kingdom, only occupied the coastal cities and towns, and left it at that. Yet they might have been hard pressed if they ever had tried to push north, for while the Earth Army prescence here was minimal even before the war, the citizens have proven extremely effective at hit-and-run warfare.

Major Geographical Features:

Tencho Mountains: This enormous mountain range resides only partially in San Ying, with only the western half running across the north of the province, the ultimate deterrent to invasion. Passage over them is a long journey, and possible only in a few locations. The fastest is Sky’s Edge Pass, which is narrow and treacherous, but still used by those who value speed more than safety. It is only open half the year, buried under snow the rest of the time. The mountains hold many small settlements devoted to mining, or farming in the low portions. They hold extensive caverns and tunnels, some of which are rumored to be home to powerful earth spirits. The caves are known to be home to badger-moles, wolf-bats, and other creatures that live underground.

Foggy Swamp: This humid, misty place, in the lowlands of the west, is, to all appearances, completely impassible, and not a place anyone would want to live in. The swamp houses an abundant variety of plant and animal life, including stinging insects and cat-gators that are ever alert for their next meal. And beyond the simple physical discomforts, there are strange tales passed around about what has supposedly happened to people that have braved some of the outer reaches of the swamp. Yet people do live here. Hundreds of years ago, a large migration took place from the Southern Water Tribe through this part of the Earth Kingdom. When they came to the swamp, they decided to stay, for whatever reason, and over time, they diverged far enough from the old ways that they have become a new culture that now enjoys life where they are, and desire only to continue it. The swamp dwellers have even developed a different style of waterbending, much more simple (some say crude) than the usual flowing movements, and have discovered the technique of bending water inside plants in order to manipulate them. They lead a simple but happy life, catching fish and hunting other game, and welcome visitors, though few indeed are their guests. They trade with the towns on the edge of the swamp for various essentials, but have no other outside contact, and pay little attention to what passes in the outside world. They also seem to be mostly unaffected by the strange spiritual experiences that occur with others. Other people sometimes see visions of people they have lost, or loved, people they think are gone. These visions can be quite disturbing.

Linshei Forest (non-canon content): A sprawling evergreen forest running along just south of the mountains, this forest is remarkable only for the quiet that pervades its confines. The trees grow thick and tall, shutting out sunlight and casting the forest in a nearly permanent twilight. The floor is blanketed with needles and bracken, as well as shade-loving plants, deadening all footsteps, and seeming to snatch any sound out of the air. It is home to more than a few predatory animals and those they hunt. The boar-q-pines in particular are dangerous to travelers. But there is a passable road cut through it in the east, running up to a low pass over the mountains, and most trade passes over it. There are logging villages on the edges of the wood, but nobody will venture very far into it, except one, whose people have built a village in the treetops, and move about on a network of ropes and wooden bridges. Why, nobody knows, but it does make for a interesting place to live.

Nan Shan River: This quiet river that runs down into the west winds through the Linshei Forest is low and murmuring, with few rapids or waterfalls. The ones it has are spectacular, though. One waterfall is fifty feet in height, thundering down into a seething bowl of foam. The water flows down from the mountains, and when the river floods, it has been known to drown a great deal of forest for days.

Rulon River: A short river that runs straight and swift out to the sea, this river has little remarkable about it, save for where it does empty into the waves. There, it falls down into a natural bowl, surrounded by high cliffs, before going over a waterfall into the ocean. The little lake is heated by an underground hot spring, and is a very popular vacation spot.

Important Sites:

Gaoling (Large City, 22,235): This city near the south coast is among the largest in the province and has done well for itself in trade. The inner city houses the common folk and the markets, while the outer city and the outskirts are home to the richer estates. The city is not walled, but resists attack by the strength of its earthbenders and their skill at using the wooded terrain around the city. It is perhaps one of the truly cosmopolitan places in the province, civilized without being decadent, and is by all accounts a pleasant place to live. It is also the home of the world-famous Earth Rumble, an underground earthbending tournament. Every year, earthbenders gather from all over the world to fight for the championship belt and the prestige that comes with it. The goal is to knock the opponent out of the arena. A few of the more prominent contestants live nearby, including the second-place winner of the last tournament, the Boulder, an somewhat vain man that usually refers to himself in the third person. Gaoling is not without its darker elements. There is a syndicate that collects ‘protection’ fees from most of the more profitable businesses in the town, and it continues to elude any official investigation. As it has several earthbenders on its payroll, it is assumed they have a hidden headquarters somewhere underground.

Kyoshi Island: A tiny island about a day’s sailing off the southwest coast of the province, this island is famous as the birthplace of Avatar Kyoshi, and as the home of the warriors that have taken on her name. It was not always an island, but was once attached to the Earth Kingdom as a peninsula. When Chin the Great reached this place, he stood against Avatar Kyoshi, and demanded she surrender the territory at once. In answer, Kyoshi used an incredible display of all four elements to crack the earth and split the peninsula off from the mainland, moving it to its current location. Chin was left standing on the edge of a cliff, which crumbled under him, and he fell to his death. His empire died with him. Now, the island village subsists through fishing and farming, and attempts to avoid getting involved with any worldly affairs, even going so far as to declare neutrality in the war, asking that both the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom leave them alone in that regard. It is home to a group of martial artists that are dedicated to Avatar Kyoshi. They wear green and gold uniforms, white and red face paint, and fight with fans as well as swords and shields on occasion. Very few earthbenders live here, so they are the prominent fighting force for each village, and are extremely skilled. The basis of their technique relies on using the opponent’s force against them.

Teoro (Village, 613, non-canon content): The only convenient settlement to stop at when traversing Sky’s Edge Pass, this town was built around its iron mines, but has grown to be a self-sufficient community since then. With a large number of the villagers being earthbenders, it has a large defensive wall blocking off the narrow pass that allows entrance. The stone gates can only be moved by a pair of earthbenders, and there are always a few villagers stationed on the wall to watch for new arrivals or for an attack. Teoro treats visitors stopping by on the journey over the pass well enough, though the people are not above taking advantage of the ignorance of those they believe too wealthy for their own good. The mines have become quite extensive in the years since the village was founded, and zigzag in all directions under the mountains, breaking through into natural caverns in some places. Genemite has been found here in small amounts, and most of the villagers love it, though they do sell some to travelers for the right price. The town is buried about half the year under heavy snows, quite literally, necessitating an underground network of tunnels running under each house, and a large underground storeroom for the winter supplies. Some villagers can be hired out as guides around this part of the mountains.

Tenhari Ke (Small City, 9,832, non-canon content): This famous city may be one of the few completely secure places in the world. Built entirely underground, it is impossible to enter without passing through a maze of passages that can be shifted back and forth according to the will of the earthbenders who live there. Buried deep under the Tencho Mountains, some people may question why anyone would choose to live here. But at their first sight of the city, they usually understand. Tenhari Ke is a magnificent place to look at. Lit by the luminescent green crystals that grow profusely here, it has been sculpted into a work of art as much as a place to live, and has been built around several stunning natural features of the caverns. The caverns and tunnels are built wide and tall, so that instead of feeling suffocating, they merely feel secure and safe. The food is the only complaint most visitors have. On the surface, some of the city hunts the creatures that dwell in the mountains, while others hunt those that live below, but the majority of the food is the edible fungus that grows very well here, and it is an acquired taste at best. It also serves as the main ingredient of tanjiro, the infamous strong drink of the place, that while just as sour and acidic as the rest of the food, is one of the most powerful liquors known to man. They do a brisk trade with nearby towns and villages.

Kinlai (Village, 553, non-canon content): This little settlement on the west coast of the province, borders the Foggy Swamp, and is made up mostly of those of the tribe within that enjoy a greater degree of contact with the outside world. Ships stop at the village every so often to trade for some rare plants found only within the swamp, and other exotic goods in exchange for the few items the swamp tribesmen can’t manufacture for themselves. Some of the waterbenders hire out as help for short sea voyages, using their talent to push the vessels along. Others provide swamp skiing services for a small fee, for those that want to dare the sport.

Chin (Small Town, 1,235): This small coastal town in the southwest of San Ying is one of the few places that still honors the memory of the would-be ruler of the Earth Kingdom, Chin the Great, or Chin the Conqueror as others call him. It is the place where he fell to his death, and there is a statue honoring him located near the place. The people formerly held festivals every year dedicated to deriding and condemning the Avatar that had killed him, but in the last year of the war, Avatar Aang was able to protect the town from Fire Nation forces, earning their gratitude. The festival now celebrates the fact that the Avatar was not boiled in oil, as he had been sentenced to do when facing trial. Chin is a fairly insignificant town, lacking a proper harbor even though it sits on the coast, and located near no major trade routes, but their cuisine has a good reputation.

Regional History: See History of the Avatar World.

Plots and Rumors: Forthcoming.

Notable Individuals:

Huu. (Male human Waterbender18) A resident of the Foggy Swamp Tribe, Huu spends his days mostly in communion with the swamp, under the great central banyan tree. From here, he can sense if any harm is being done to it, and go to stop whoever is responsible. He has a very distinctive way of dealing with intruders. Rather than trying to convince them to stop, he prefers to take them and dump them outside the swamp’s borders. He favors using waterbending to bend the water in the abundant vines, creating an enormous construct that often strikes fear into those he attacks. However, for those that approach in peace, Huu proves a rather tolerant and friendly person. He claims to have reached enlightenment under the banyan tree, and it is certain that he understands the strange things that happen within the swamp better than most others of the tribe.

Xin Fu (Male human Earthbender14) The referee and owner of all profits from the Earth Rumble tournaments, Xin Fu is a ruthless businessman that always gets what’s coming to him…one way or another. He takes advantage of any opportunity for profit, but he does run a fair arena, and knows how to keep the fights interesting and bringing in the crowds. He rarely takes the field himself, but sometimes hires the services of the more well-known contestants for various shady jobs. In recent times, he has become even more serious than usual after returning from a mysterious mission of some kind. He only says he doesn’t want to talk about it, but rumors abound about what happened. The most prevalent are that he ran afoul of a master earthbender whose glance shakes the ground and whose voice shatters iron…these may be exaggerated, of course.

Toph Bei Fong (Female human Earthbender21) Toph is the only daughter of the Bei Fong family, the richest people in Gaoling and among the richest in the world. However, most of the world does not know she exists, or knows her as someone different. Toph was born blind, and smothered with protective measures by her parents, who instinctively saw her as helpless and fragile. She grew to hate being perceived that way, and ran away more than once, only to find nowhere to go. During one such trip, she encountered the badger-moles, the first earthbenders, and was able to learn the earthbending technique that allowed them, as much blind as her, to see through vibrations in the earth. Armed with this new ‘sight’, she poured all her energy into learning advanced earthbending under the nose of her parents and everyone else, and even began participating in the Earth Rumble tournaments under the fighting name ‘The Blind Bandit.’ By the time of the sixth tournament, she had become the champion of the arena, despite being only twelve years old.

It was during this time she met the Avatar, and agreed to become his earthbending teacher. Traveling with him during the final months of the war, she took a critical part in some of the biggest events of the time, and survived to see the end of the war. Now, her current whereabouts are unknown, but thought to be still near the Avatar.

Suki (Female human Martial Artist(Passive Way)14) The leader of the Kyoshi Warriors that dwell in the largest village of Kyoshi Island, Suki is, naturally, quite skillful in unarmed combat, and has a playful sense of humor as well. Until recently, she had no desire to leave the island, but after Avatar Aang and his friends paid a prolonged visit, it inspired her to try and make a difference in the world. She and the other warriors of her village set out to do what they could against the Fire Nation. Sometime later, unfortunately, they ran afoul of the then Princess Azula and her allies, and were taken prisoner. As the leader, Suki spent several weeks in the Fire Nation’s highest-security prison, the Boiling Rock, but was rescued by the Avatar’s companions, and lent her skill to their cause in the final moments of the war. After the war was declared over, she opted to return home to Kyoshi Island, but may not remain there for long as she has become romantically involved with Sokka of the Water Tribe.

felinoel
2008-08-31, 12:18 PM
One of my players was remaking his character sheet and we were looking for defense bonuses but they aren't on the table thing

http://avatar.d20.googlepages.com/Earthbender2.png/Earthbender2-full.png

Zak Crimsonleaf
2008-08-31, 10:01 PM
Added the south Earth Kingdom. I'm adding notable characters (with the exception of Iroh) in the places they were born in and lived most of their lives in. I put Iroh in Ba Sing Se because I assume he doesn't intend to move anymore.

felinoel
2008-08-31, 10:37 PM
Added the south Earth Kingdom. I'm adding notable characters (with the exception of Iroh) in the places they were born in and lived most of their lives in. I put Iroh in Ba Sing Se because I assume he doesn't intend to move anymore.

Well he does still have his duties with OWL, but we have no clue what those duties could be so it probably would be better to assume that

Mephibosheth
2008-09-02, 01:46 PM
One of my players was remaking his character sheet and we were looking for defense bonuses but they aren't on the table thing

http://avatar.d20.googlepages.com/Earthbender2.png/Earthbender2-full.png

I took them out of the class tables to emphasize the fact that the variant is recommended, not required. I added notes on the Variant Rules (http://avatar.d20.googlepages.com/variantrules) page that outline which class defense bonuses to give.

felinoel
2008-09-02, 02:27 PM
I took them out of the class tables to emphasize the fact that the variant is recommended, not required. I added notes on the Variant Rules (http://avatar.d20.googlepages.com/variantrules) page that outline which class defense bonuses to give.

I see :smallconfused:

Zak Crimsonleaf
2008-09-08, 12:21 PM
New area write-up. I hope I got everything. If you see anything I missed, please let me know.

Hu Sin Provinces/Northwestern Expanse

Location on the map. (http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f130/felinoel/Avatar/d20%20locations/10.jpg)

“This place seems more Fire Nation than Earth Kingdom now. Fireworks, fire flakes, firebending exhibitions. You’d think they’ve forgotten their own heritage. You’d think they’d forgotten what their parents paid for this.”
-Jet, remarking on the changing attitude of Hu Sin.

Population: 771,381
Government: Monarchy
Imports: Iron, Coal, Silver, Silk, Spices
Exports: Obsidian, Glass, Herbs, Leather Goods, Trade Goods
Alignment: LN, TN, LE

This place is usually referred to as more than one province because it has long been divided into many small regions on the map, with each local governor or magistrate keeping a very stubborn hold on their little fiefdom. That changed when the Fire Nation invaded. They wasted no time vesting all administrative authority in the provincial capital. Now, Hu Sin is developing into a maelstrom of unrest and dissent. The terrain is conducive to this, with low hills, thick forests, and broad rivers cutting each town and village off from all but a few others. However, within those few others, the people are remarkably sophisticated and advanced. Hu Sin is a place where things happen.

Life and Society:

Life here is never dull, whatever else can be said for it. The coast has few large ports, and many of the towns there have a dark reputation. The inland villages have a history of minding their own affairs, and not speaking much among themselves, but this rarely translates to rivalry, instead remaining a kind of suspicious courtesy. The newcomer may get the feeling that everyone is watching them, and they probably are, but this goes away after a week or so. The divisions between the Earth Kingdom villages and Fire Nation colonies run very deep, especially since many Fire Nation citizens have been born here, and regard it as their home too.

Major Geographical Features:

Sejuna River: The biggest river in the Earth Kingdom and the world, this torrent flows from the northern inland sea, northward to the cold waters of the arctic. No bridges span its length, and it is deep enough and level enough to admit the passage of Fire Navy ships. During the war, all passage across was given and monitored by the Fire Nation. Now that the war has ended, independent ferries are beginning to spring up again, but they are still few, and the Fire Nation still gets the most people across for the best prices. In winter, the northern half freezes over, and traffic flows freely across the thick ice.

Kajali River: Formed from two other rivers, this waterway has its source in the depths of the earth, from a pair of underground springs, and is clear and cold. Running from north to south, it is commonly used to divide the province into west and east sections. With several long loops along its length, it is in most places shallow and easy to cross.

Mukari Mountains: Just barely high enough to be called mountains, this range is nonetheless the most prominent feature of the west coast of the province. Their sides are generally forested, but the higher parts are bare stone. Many of the peaks are old volcanoes, no longer active, but a few are still smoking, and are a cause of concern to those that live nearby. The old lava tubes and chambers are frequented by curious travelers, even though some of them carry toxic fumes from the molten rock that still simmers under them. It is a major source of obsidian for the Earth Kingdom, even though the glass is low quality compared to Fire Nation exports.

Muraken Hills: Rising in the southeast corner of Hu Sin, these hills seem like great teeth of stone. They have little greenery about them, and are not a good source of minerals. The chief advantage of living there is that they have some of the most defensible ground in the province, and as such, the provincial capital is located here.

Kensho Forest: This forest is less a single expanse of trees, and more a dense network surrounding the many towns and villages of the east and south. Some sections are not even connected to the main part of the forest at all, but still bear the name. It begins as a normal decidous forest in the south, but as it travels north, it gradually becomes a uniform expanse of boreal evergreens. The trees have provided the timber to build defensible walls for every hamlet out here, and most of the villagers know how to use a bow or a quarterstaff. Small shrines to various forest spirits are located in the larger sections, and it is also the home of the abandoned Freedom Fighter headquarters, a village built among the largest trees in the south that was the base of a band of Earth Kingdom guerillas.

Ki Tan Island: A large island off the western coast of Hu Sin, this land is mostly dominated by stony hills, save for the fishing villages and coastal towns that line the edges.

Important Sites:

Gaipan (Small Town, 1,478): Formerly a sleepy logging town, it was turned into an outpost by the Fire Nation a few years before the end of the war, and took on a decidedly militaristic bent as Fire Army soldiers used it to stage raids on Earth Kingdom supply lines. They had great success with this tactic until a gang of guerrilla fighters moved in, building a base high in the treetops of the nearby forest, and dubbing themselves the Freedom Fighters. Made up mostly of people who had lost their homes or loved ones to the Fire Nation, they proved quite effective at sabotaging most of the Fire Nation’s movements around Gaipan. Some of the townsfolk offered them clandestine support in various ways. However, after their leader attempted to flood the town to eliminate all possibility of the Fire Army using it as a base, the citizens turned against them as well, and with their hiding place in danger of being discovered, they moved out. Since then, Gaipan once again served the Fire Nation well. With the end of the war, the Earth Kingdom citizens actually would prefer the Fire Nation stay, as the town is now of much greater significance than it was under the Earth Kingdom, but since Gaipan has no value beyond its location, it looks likely it will go back to the way it was, just a minor logging town.

Pohuai Fortress: This massive base, encircled by two thick iron walls, and occupying a heavily defended harbor, is the Fire Nation’s main military headquarters for the province. Here, the newest soldiers were given additional training and educated about how to conduct themselves in the Earth Kingdom before being shipped out to the front by rail. With the war over, it has been reduced to a mockery of itself. With soldiers no longer needed, the base has fallen into disrepair, and is down to a skeleton defense. However, the Yu Yan Archers, a legendary unit of bowmen, are still housed here, and they remain very dangerous. One tale claims that they can pin a fly to a tree from fifty feet away—without killing it. The base commander, General Shinu, is reportedly very dissatisfied by the way things have gotten, but has little idea of what to do about it. He also has other problems, and as he is the commander of all Fire Army forces in the province, other soldiers that have nothing to do with themselves. It is rumored that the Fire Lord plans to turn Pohuai over to the Earth Kingdom rulers and consign the soldiers to follow their authority, but Shinu is quick to point out that they have no basis in fact and are pointless to talk about.

Taku (0, currently abandoned, formerly Small City, 13,764): Formerly a prosperous trading center, Taku was one of the first Earth Kingdom cities to fall to the Fire Nation early on in the war, when the forces of Fire Lord Sozin wiped out most of the population and sent the rest fleeing southward to carry tales of the Fire Nation’s strength to the rest of the province. No on has yet returned, and the marks of battle can still be seen in shattered walls and statues, scorch marks, and the bones of the fallen. Many things still lay where the citizens left them when they had to leave. Taku is built on and into a hillside, but does not extend very far underground, instead opting to circle around the hill to a greater extent. The city is likely to remain abandoned for the foreseeable future. Nobody wants to make a home on a graveyard, and only curious travelers stop by now. There are stories of ghosts still haunting the ruins, but nobody takes them seriously.

Xanhao Herbalist Institute (1): Built on the top of one of the Mukari Mountains, this expansive building houses one of the most extensive collections of herb lore and information on plants in the northwestern Earth Kingdom. Formerly, it was renowned for the skill and effectiveness of its healers and herbalists. But when the war approached, most of them moved out to offer their services where they were needed most. As time went on, fewer and fewer remained. Now, only one person still lives in the institute, an aged woman who has become rather eccentric after being alone for so long, with her only company a small cat. Her remedies are still sought after by Earth Kingdom soldiers and citizens, though, and they visit every so often.

Garsai (Metropolis, 31,325, non-canon content): The provincial capital, Garsai was among the last cities of Hu Sin to fall to the Fire Nation. It lies in the south and east of the province, on the borders of the Muraken Hills. In a three-day long battle, with Fire Lord Azulon personally leading his troops, it was at last defeated, and solidly occupied by the Fire Army. It remains so today, but the Fire Nation’s hold is increasingly precarious. Despite negotiations to release the occupied territories into Earth Kingdom jurisdiction, some of the citizens, the older ones that remember what their parents told them about the days before the war, have seized on the opportunity to attack the Fire Army soldiers and Fire Nation citizens. The city is rapidly becoming divided into two camps, the Fire Nation colonists and citizens, and the Earth Kingdom ‘peacekeepers’ and soldiers that continue to move into the city. Garsai is built high rather than wide, and many tall towers stretch to the sky across the hilltops, with bridges of all kinds running in between them. Only the lower parts of the city sprawl over the countryside. Before the war, there were many problems in some sections, but the Fire Nation has successfully reduced the crime rate by nearly half. The remains of the criminal element are that much more vicious to compensate, and with the other pressures the Fire Army soldiers are under, they are beginning to move to reclaim their old territory. A city of deep divisions and complex politics, Garsai is not likely to stabilize anytime soon without direct intervention from the Fire Lord, the Earth King, or the Avatar, and those three already have many other problems.

Makapu Village (Village, 503): This little village has escaped the wrath of the Fire Nation by virtue of being insignificant in all military aspects and by its location, tucked away in the Mukari Mountains. However, it also sits next to Mount Makapu, an active volcano that is on constant danger of erupting. The citizens formerly had a tradition of climbing the mountain to check if it was in danger of erupting. Ever since a fortuneteller by the name of Aunt Wu moved in, they have a tradition of asking for her prediction of whether or not the village will be destroyed. She doesn’t charge for readings, so a fair amount of people come by to get their fortunes told, though naturally, such predictions are often vague. The volcano did erupt about half a year before the ending of the war, but the village was saved through the intervention of Avatar Aang. It now has a huge stone wall formed by hardened waves of lava that is quite dramatic to look at.

Sangyan Seaport (Large City, 20,012, non-canon content): This enormous coastal city is the biggest settlement on Ki Tan Island, and lies on its southeast coast. Formerly a major Earth Navy base before the war, it has since been turned into the biggest Fire Navy base in northwestern seas. Like Lumin Seaport further south, it has a modern shipyard, but this facility is much bigger, capable of building any and all vessels up to and including Fire Navy Empire-class battleships. At least a dozen Fire Navy ships are usually docked here, and are moved out as the situation dictates, though there is space for thirty-six ships. Over a hundred years, the lines between Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation have grown blurred, and now, the city is perhaps the first example of a blending between the two. Earthbending is not prohibited, as it formerly was in other Fire Nation territories, and children of both nations are taught at the same schools. Here, you can obtain many unique products that are the result of input from two different cultures. However, whatever it’s accomplishments in that area, a large part of the city has to deal with the industrial pollution from the shipyards and factories, and the air quality around that section is usually bad. The city’s governor is under considerable pressure to deal with this, but there is no readily available answer. There is a standing reward of a thousand gold pieces to anyone that can figure out a way to get rid of the pollution.

Regional History: See History of the Avatar World

Plots and Rumors: Forthcoming.

Notable Individuals:

Jet (deceased): The charismatic leader of the Freedom Fighters, Jet was the brains behind their operations around the town of Gaipan, and very often part of the muscle as well. He was able to take a dissolute group of renegades and transform them into an effective fighting force. However, his hatred of the Fire Nation increased with the years, and eventually, determined to stop them at any cost, he destroyed the nearby dam to flood the town and kill everyone there—Fire Nation or not. The townsfolk, warned by Avatar Aang, escaped in time, and afterwards were hostile to him and his warriors. Forced to leave, most of the Freedom Fighters broke down into scattered bands, with Jet heading towards Ba Sing Se with two of his best warriors, intending to start a new life. His efforts were doomed to failure, when he proved unable to stop trying to fight the Fire Nation, even in the form of two seemingly innocent refugees. For his trouble, he was arrested and brainwashed by the Dai Li into living peacefully. He was able to fight back against them, with the help of the Avatar and his companions, but was killed in the process. The fate of the two warriors he brought with him is unknown.

Jun (Female human Fighter13) One of the most notorious bounty hunters in this part of the Earth Kingdom, Jun owes a fair amount of her success to her shirshu, one of the infamous animals that can unleash a paralyzing toxin with a flick of its tongue, and can track anyone by scent anywhere in the world. However, she is no slouch at unarmed combat, and when pressed, wields a barbed whip that can shred skin in a single lash and that is also dipped in shirshu venom. She doesn’t work for cheap, but she usually does get the job done. Her usual haunt is a seedy tavern in a town on the edge of the Kensho Forest, but she travels a great deal, and at any given time can be found anywhere in the Earth Kingdom.


Xao Xan Province/Far West(non-canon content)

Location on the map. (http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f130/felinoel/Avatar/d20%20locations/09.jpg)

“What’s it like? Ha! What isn’t it like is more the question. There are far too many contradictions here, and they always seem to be clashing in one way or another. Doing anything is a gamble here, and one’s luck isn’t always good. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
-Jojo the Kissing Bandit, when asked what Xao Xan was like.

Population: 379, 491
Government: Monarchy
Imports: Silk, Herbs, Leather Goods, Ship Supplies
Exports: Bamboo, Fruit, Wool, Perfume, Furs
Alignment: NG, NE, TN

Xao Xan, it is always said, is a spinning coin, and one can never tell when the fortunes of those within will turn with it. The eastern half is relatively peaceful. Safe behind a thick network of interconnected Fire Nation outposts, it houses most of the bigger cities and towns, and is considered by the Fire Nation the more desirable part. They have tried, however, for years, to pacify the other half, but have never achieved complete success. The people are also of two kinds, the commoners that just want to be left to the simple life, and those that consider the province a good place to practice the darker trade sof the world. It is unlikely Xao Xan will ever truly lose its rebellious souls.

Life and Society:

Life here varies from the typical farming, hunting, or bamboo cutting to the desperate defense of villages from invaders, whether Fire Nation or Earth Kingdom. In the Fire Army-occupied east, life is the strict and orderly fashion that has been in favor for many years among that country. In the rural country, life is a struggle for survival against the weather and the bandits that control large parts of the province.

Major Geographical Features:

Tuwaru Forest: The biggest expanse of bamboo and the plants that grow with it in the Earth Kingdom, this ‘forest’ stretches across the center of the province, and is inhabited by a generous population of panda bears, tiger-dillos, and other animals. The villages and towns located just outside the forest use the bamboo for all kinds of building material, and trade it to the rest of the nearby provinces. Logging trails are cut through the outer edge in a patchwork of confusing routes, and more than a few villages seem to have moved into the forest with the years, with a few of them switching from mostly farming to mostly hunting for the furs. The maze of trails creates an idea situation for the bandits that are continually on the move within the forest, and prey on the weaker villages. Some of them consider themselves honorable, and exact ‘tribute’ from their victims in exchange for putting the village under their protection and claim the territory as their own. Others won’t think twice about knifing a lone traveler in the back. It is said the local forest spirits will protect those who honor them, and there seems to be some truth to that, as the local priests seem to be able to avoid any harm. Fire Nation soldiers fight a constant battle to keep the towns they occupy and the routes between them safe without burning down the forest.

Sokalu River: Curving down through the west half of the province, this river cuts through the Tuwaru forest, and is used for fresh water and fishing by many villages. It is bridged in too many places to count, which is a good thing, because it is said to run so fast that it will carry one’s shadow half a mile downstream as you cross, where it will smash on the rocks.

Nejuma Hills: These hills are cut through by a natural maze of ravines and valleys. This being the case, most of the settlements are located on the tops, with many bridges crossing the short gaps between them. Most work that is done in the darkness takes place down in the ravines, hidden away from prying eyes, but every so often, some of the predatory animals from the nearby forest find their way in, and people are liable to go missing.

Numako Swamp: This watery, sucking bog in the south of the province has been called the gutter of the Earth Kingdom, and it has more than earned the name. Quite besides the usual perils such as quicksand pits, predatory animals, and malevolent swamp spirits, the human element claims a place as the greatest of the predators, and their prey is each other. No Earth Kingdom of Fire Nation soldiers will dare to follow any criminal into the swamp, and so it has become a haven for the truly dedicated enemies of society. There are wild stories of all kinds that revolve around this place, and more of them are true then most suspect.

Important Sites:

The Labyrinth: The most complex part of the ravines and gullies that run through the Nejuma Hills, this rock-strewn maze is not entirely natural. Some parts have been deliberately made more difficult to navigate through and find the way past by earthbending, for in the center there exists a strange order of earthbenders that borders on the legendary. Stories abound about them, and those that go looking for them generally come home a few days later, tired and very lost. A few never return, and it is assumed either they have found what they were looking for, or they became lost forever and died in there.

Bandit Camp: In the central portion of Tuwaru, this place is neutral ground for the bandits of the forest, and is used for negotiations of territory, settling disputes, and dividing up plunder. At any given time, any of the gangs that operate in Tuwaru can be found here, and depending on which one it is, the visitor may either merely be relieved of his valuables, or killed on the spot.

Skyfire Cliffs: A high cliffside on the very northernmost tip of Xao Xan, this place provides a spectacular view of the northern lights. A small temple sits on its edge, and holds a mirror that is said to reflect the true nature of those that look within, provided they are deeply in tune with their surroundings. It doesn’t work for most, but some swear that they have changed their lives based on what they saw.

Bukari Kai (Large Town, 4,471): The largest of the swamp settlements, this town sits high above the murky waters on bamboo stilts, though some parts are built on the few pieces of dry land that exist. It is a city of thieves, rogues, cutthroats, and other such people, and the only reason that the population doesn’t decrease is that newcomers are always arriving. For those brave enough to venture within, all manner of illicit or illegal goods can be obtained for some of the cheapest prices in the world, as well as information on anything happening in the province.

Xailan (Metropolis, 41,253): The provincial capital, this city in the eastern half of Xao Xan is completely Fire Nation. The common citizens were evacuated to the neighboring Hu Sin Province, while the soldiers stayed behind to fight, and they were wiped out to the last man in a week-long battle. Now, having been extensively rebuilt in the Fire Nation style, the city is considered a civilizing influence on the rest of the nearby towns and villages. It is quite impressive to look at, encircled by thick stone walls that have been plated with a thin layer of iron to prevent entry by earthbending. The city is built on a flat plain, and stretches for miles. Steam power from underground springs is used for many inventions throughout Xailan, and it is a mechanic’s paradise. It also houses a famous firebending academy. The governor while he enjoys the privileges of his position, takes the duties that come with it seriously, and is constantly pushing the boundary of civilization westward. With the war’s end, this effort has been largely halted.

Regional History: See History of the Avatar World

Plots and Rumors: Forthcoming.

Notable Individuals:

Jojo the Kissing Bandit (Female human Earthbender8/Rogue5): A green-clad bandit queen that dominates the eastern tip of Tuwaru Forest, Jojo is tolerated by the few remaining Earth Army forces, both because they themselves have been mostly reduced to bandits, and because she is that rarest of thieves, the charitable robber that mostly steals from those that can stand it or deserve it, and she is hostile to the Fire Nation, resisting their advances at every corner. She earned her nickname by her trademark of leaving the mark of a kiss on her male victims. This has led to a fair degree of notoriety, and some travelers have been known to express a desire to be robbed by her.


Renjin Shou Province/Eastern Mountains(non-canon content)

Location on the map. (http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f130/felinoel/Avatar/d20%20locations/07.jpg)

“As I write these words, I am sitting in the common room of an inn that has been owned by the same family for the last five hundred years. A sense of age and comfortable familiarity permeate everything here. I could almost imagine I am home again, sharing a meal with my family, were it not for the prevalence of mounted travelers. I fear I may never get the dust they raise out of my tunic.”
-Rem Jha the Traveler, journal entry.

Population: 139,371
Government: Monarchy
Imports: Grain, Timber, Silk, Coal, Tea
Exports: Horses, Wool, Leather Goods, Livestock, Rope
Alignment: LN, TN, LE

Somehow, everything seems smaller here. The mountains are dwarfed by the taller ones to the south, the forests are dry and thirsty, and even in the larger cities, it seems like everyone knows each other. This is a very rural province that has little contact with the rest of the Earth Kingdom, despite being near a major source of river traffic. While in some places this lends itself to stagnant and dull lives, in other places it promotes a sense of community and fellowship that is unmatched elsewhere. Renjin Shou is a place where the people look out for each other for the most part. However, more than a few leaders, due to the never-changing state of power have become complacent, and more concerned with maintaining the status quo than actually ruling.

Life and Society:

The country life is a hard one, the more so because the land is a poor place for farming, and the best mineral veins are further south in San Ying. With the forests mostly scrubby and stunted from the lack of water, most of the commoners keep livestock, and this is a good place to buy mounts of any kind, even animals distinct to the Fire Nation nearer the coast, where that country holds sway. In the few cities, everything is taken at a slow pace. Some travelers have been known to believe the natives take a strange kind of pleasure in dragging things out, but in truth, they simply don’t see a reason to move faster unless there is something cataclysmic going on. One fact of note is that the more backwoods villages are mostly unable to read.

Major Geographical Features:

North Tencho Mountains: The northern part of these mountains, extending up from San Ying Province, is considerably lower than the southern part, yet they are the tallest in the eastern Earth Kingdom, save for the few peaks around Ba Sing Se. In a select few caverns are the only places in the world where rulin crystals are found. These luminescent green crystals, when placed in a fire, give the flames a deep green light, and are used by many storytellers to enhance the atmosphere, and by those who prefer carrying or using torches that don’t spoil their night vision. But they are very expensive, as the crystals take a long time to grow, and wear out eventually. The rest of the mountains are typical of the range.

Meido River: A small and short river, more resembling a stream, this river is completely peaceful. Teluma Base is located at its mouth. It has a number of favored swimming spots along its length. Rafters pole their crafts up and down the slow-moving waters, carrying various cargoes.

Kyonsharo Forest: A thin strip of green that marks the border between the west of the mountains and the east of the Si Wong Desert, this little forest is smaller than normal, due to the dry conditions. There is little wildlife here, and what there is of it is not seen a lot. However, more than a few villages are glad for the shade it provides.

Important Sites:

Earth Avatar Temple (Hamlet, 246): Hidden among the tallest of the northern Tencho Mountains, this temple to the Avatar is thousands of years old, and contains an incredible wealth of knowledge and artifacts of the Avatar and earthbending. Indeed, some scrolls here are reputedly copies of copies of copies of the very first earthbending scrolls. Most of these items are safely hidden away in the temple sanctuary, which can only be accessed by earthbending, and only a master is powerful enough to do it alone. Otherwise, it takes two earthbenders, one for each door. This is a homage to the first earthbenders, Oma and Shu. The Earth Sages that live here are still loyal to the Avatar, and are content to wait for him. They spend their time in meditation, and in keeping the temple self-sufficient.

Ojura (Small Town, 1,310): Considered by the inhabitants to be among the oldest continually inhabited places in the world, this town takes pride in that most of its citizens have never left. They believe that this means it is one of the most desirable places to live in the world, and it is an excellent place to stay when passing through the province. Everything seems very old, and most likely is. Businesses and homes have been lived in for many generations, and a sense of history is quite prevalent. Perhaps the best library in the province is located here. The citizens are a simple folk, but far from foolish, and more than one man has been taken in by the lazy attitude towards life and wound up regretting it.

Teransu (Large City, 23,235): The provincial capital, this is the biggest city in Renjin Shou, and one of the only such capitals that is not walled. For defense, it relies on conventional troops, and cavalry in particular, used in unconventional ways. The outer parts of the city are built with the intention of letting any invaders in, then making sure they never get out. A few good men can hold off many times their number by taking advantage of the bizarre street and building construction. Located on the northern coast of the province, it handles the lion’s share of commerce from the northern Earth Kingdom, which has made it wealthy compared to the other towns and cities.

Teluma Base: This coastal fortress is one of the few remaining ports for the Earth Navy, which has always been at a disadvantage when facing the Fire Navy. Defended by surface-to-surface rocks that its earthbenders can hurl with deadly accuracy, and by a fleet of eight ships, it is a formidable obstacle to any invaders. However, the garrison can only secure the base and the area immediately around it. With the end of the war, the soldiers have begun an effort to reclaim the rest of the coasts, hills, and plains, which have been occupied for decades by the Fire Nation.

Regional History: See History of the Avatar World

Plots and Rumors: Forthcoming.

Notable Individuals:

Malu the Ghost Witch (Female human Airbender15): A legend, this mysterious figure is said to live in one of the remote east mountain passes, where she destroys all who seek to slay her and end her domain over the pass. Anyone who seeks to cross without seeking her permission faces all manner of obstacles. Strange mists, storm winds that blow anything not tied down off cliffsides, sudden rockslides where there shouldn’t be any, and other such events. After the first few caravans arrived greatly reduced and very much unnverved, the pass was abandoned by merchant and military traffic. While it has been many years, nobody dares to venture in to see if she has died, or to the forest groves where one traditionally waits to ask permission to cross. She is said to hold dominion over many spirits, but in reality, she is the only survivor of the massacre at the Eastern Air Temple. Her parents sent her away just before the attack, and she has lived here, in complete isolation ever since. But she is ancient, and may have died. What her fate is, nobody knows except the winds.

Mephibosheth
2008-09-08, 12:28 PM
I know I haven't mentioned anything previously (an omission for which I apologize), but these write-ups are awesome! Where are you getting all this great information, particularly concerning place names and geographic features?

Mephibosheth

Zak Crimsonleaf
2008-09-08, 01:30 PM
Thanks. About the place names. I get the canon names off the official site at nick.com, but for the places that are canon but don't have names, like mountain ranges or forests and such, those names I make up. I'd have mentioned it, but it sounded a little stupid to add 'non-canon name'. If you'd prefer I mention it in the future I can do that. The actual information about most of this is also made up, except for places where the show actually displayed information. I haven't the faintest idea how many soldiers General Fong's base actually holds, or of the history of the Zhangs and Gan-jins other than that they give, so I just create the rest of it out of whole cloth. The only thing they give of the Kolau Mountains, where Omashu is, is the name. Same with Garsai.

A lot of the world is left unmapped, obviously, so it's up to us to fill in the blanks. I'm planning to take a break after I finish building the Earth Kingdom, and let somebody else have a shot at the other nations. I shouldn't be the only one that gets to make up things. Plus, I haven't any idea what kinds of plots and rumors are 'forthcoming', I was going to leave that to everybody else for the most part. I may have rambled a bit, but I hope I answered the question.

felinoel
2008-09-08, 02:16 PM
Thanks. About the place names. I get the canon names off the official site at nick.com, but for the places that are canon but don't have names, like mountain ranges or forests and such, those names I make up. I'd have mentioned it, but it sounded a little stupid to add 'non-canon name'. If you'd prefer I mention it in the future I can do that. The actual information about most of this is also made up, except for places where the show actually displayed information. I haven't the faintest idea how many soldiers General Fong's base actually holds, or of the history of the Zhangs and Gan-jins other than that they give, so I just create the rest of it out of whole cloth. The only thing they give of the Kolau Mountains, where Omashu is, is the name. Same with Garsai.

A lot of the world is left unmapped, obviously, so it's up to us to fill in the blanks. I'm planning to take a break after I finish building the Earth Kingdom, and let somebody else have a shot at the other nations. I shouldn't be the only one that gets to make up things. Plus, I haven't any idea what kinds of plots and rumors are 'forthcoming', I was going to leave that to everybody else for the most part. I may have rambled a bit, but I hope I answered the question.Well my map has all the canon-ly named places, that seems easier to find names for them

Zak Crimsonleaf
2008-09-09, 04:32 PM
Added the northwest tip of the Earth Kingdom. Since they give us officially nothing about that place, I found it easier to say at the top that the whole place is (mostly) my own thoughts rather than add in each little tag that it isn't canon content.

Edit: Added the east mountains. For whatever reason, these entirely homebrewed places are easier to write than the canon content.

Edit2: New write-up. I'm getting down to it, now.

Anlong Tai Province/Inland Lakes

Location on the map. (http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f130/felinoel/Avatar/d20%20locations/02b.jpg)

“I think the thing that struck me the most was the quiet. Even though people are always busy, it’s as though they’re afraid of offending somebody with any noise. Or, as I’ve heard, perhaps it’s so they can listen to the wind and waves for what the weather will bring. Not that such things ever worked.”
-Admiral Sezuno, musing on growing up in Anlong Tai

Population: 93, 923
Government: Monarchy
Imports: Timber, Ship Supplies, Rope, Grains, Salt
Exports: Seafood, Trade Goods, Cloth, Pottery
Alignment: TN, LN, NE

Consisting of the two great inland lakes, and the coastline around them, this province lies almost entirely on the water. The people are quite attuned to the water, and fishing villages are the usual settlements, along with a few larger port towns and cities. With the two lakes nearly cut off from one another, a clear division between Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom territory is visible, and the Fire Nation’s immediate withdrawal is being demanded. Here, whoever controls the water, controls Anlong Tai, and so far, no one nation or person can do that.

Life and Society:

Life here revolves around the shifting tides and the luck in fishing, for the most part, and this is a good place to find masters in all aspects of boatbuilding. Tradition and superstition are very prominent, and shrines to various spirits of the wind and wave are abundant, as the people hope to ward off storms and bad luck. In the larger cities, life tends towards the busy. It always seems like there’s something that has to be done this very minute.

Major Geographical Features:

Lake Hensai: Completely controlled by the Fire Navy, the western lake is strictly policed by their ships, and most naval activity is closely monitored, even commercial traffic. Nonetheless, small sailing vessels ply the coast under cover of night. The lake is home to some small Fire Nation colonies, but many of these have been abandoned under pressure from the Earth Kingdom settlements. Small Fire Navy bases are located along the northeastern shores.

Lake Lusai: Mostly under Earth Kingdom control, the eastern lake plays host to a few small Earth Navy bases as well as a goodly part of Earth Kingdom merchant shipping, what there is of it. Fire Nation pirates, unable to exist in the western lake, make forays all around these waters, using their access to Fire Nation technology to wipe out any rivals. They and the Earth Kingdom smugglers are constantly at war, with neither side seeming to be able to gain an advantage. With war’s end, such activity has dropped somewhat, but neither nation has the time or manpower to effectively patrol these waters, even if they could agree on who they belonged to.

The Serpent’s Pass: A narrow strip of land, this treacherous pass is the only land connecting the southern Earth Kingdom to the north through the lakes. The only other way is either to go around to the west or east, or to take a boat, and most people usually pick one of those options, for the pass is infamous for taking a fearsome toll on those that attempt the passage, and only those who have no other way to go try and cross it. At the beginning of the pass is a sign that seems to exemplify its nature. It reads, “Abandon hope.” Contrary to its name, the pass does not wind like a serpent, but is mostly straight. It comes by the name for the enormous sea serpents that ply the waters nearby, waiting for a chance to pick off the unwary traveler. One section of the pass towards the northern end is underwater, forcing travelers to swim or go back, and it is here they are most likely to be attacked.

Full Moon Bay: The biggest bay in either lake, this place harbors a number of port towns, as well as a hidden ferry service to Ba Sing Se on the other side. It is located in the south of the eastern lake. Very wide, it plays home to a large fishing fleet, and is prone to rough stretches of water and reefs. Navigation here is a tricky business in some parts, and experienced pilots and helmsmen are very highly valued. More than a few old wrecks can be seen along the shoals, both Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom. There are also a few hidden coves that provide safe haven for pirates and smugglers.

Chameleon Bay: This little bay, on the north side of the eastern lake, is the mouth of a small river that leads directly to the outskirts of Ba Sing Se. It gets its name from the fact that it is easy to pass by without noticing unless one knows where it is. Easily defended by a small number of people and ships, it is solidly held by Earth Kingdom forces, which have replaced the warriors of the Southern Water Tribe that held that post for some months in the last year of the war. However, the new defenders have managed to make an agreement with the Water Tribe to obtain the instructions on how to make tangle mines, which have proven very effective against the Fire Nation ships. Now the bay entrance is heavily mined, and to enter requires a pilot that knows the safe routes in and out. As well, a pair of surface-to-surface rock emplacements have been installed on either side of the bay. Despite these obstacles, it is a quick way to get goods by water into and out of Ba Sing Se.

Lantaru River: Flowing southeast from the eastern lake, this river empties into the eastern seas. It has a small lake halfway along its length. It is deep enough to admit Fire Navy ships, and has no bridges. However, despite this, it has a slow current, and it is possible to swim across with a minimum of effort. The surrounding terrain is rocky, but wet enough for an abundant variety of plant life.

Important Sites:

Imala (Large Town, 5,013, non-canon content): Sitting on the northern side of the Lantaru River, just past its source in the eastern lake, this town has a direct train route to Ba Sing Se, and a few other towns. Being so close to Ba Sing Se, it has never been very big, and attempts to hold the interest of travelers and its own citizens by the quality of the work it does. It seems as though every building is intended to be a work of art, and here it is possible to find some of the finest craftsmen in the Earth Kingdom. In particular, the town produces earthbending-sculpted statues and figurines of surpassing skill. With so many earthbenders, the town’s walls are thick and strong, though not many would attack the town anyway.

Andei (Large City, 14,135, non-canon content): The provincial capital, this large coastal city sits on the southern end of the eastern lake, and is one of the Earth Kingdom’s busiest seaports, not least because it handles a great deal of business that flows back and forth between Anlong Tao, Ba Sing Se, the Si Wong Desert, and even Renjin Shou Province in the east. With the prevalence of pirates and the threat of the Fire Navy, the harbor is guarded by massive walls and a pair of immense iron gates that date back to before the war, as well as a team of earthbenders. The city has all the advantages and disadvantages of prosperity, and the current ruler is inclined to turn a blind eye to the lesser offenses as long as the money keeps coming in. However, he is merciless in military matters, and is intent on improving the remains of the Earth Navy so that it can stand up against the Fire Nation, should the war resume.

Slate Waters (non-canon content): An infamous cove that is used as a meeting place by pirates and other outcasts from society, this little natural harbor is renowned for the peculiar gray color of the water that it holds. So far as any investigators have found, this water is as fresh and drinkable as the rest pf the lake, though it seems to have some curious properties that shift with the seasons. A small temple sits on the top of the cliffs that surround the cove, and the priest acts as a fence for stolen or smuggled goods. The cove itself is riddled with jagged rocks, and only someone who has been there before can safely guide a ship in and out.

Regional History: See History of the Avatar World

Plots and Rumors: Forthcoming.

Notable Individuals (non-canon content):

Sezuno (Male human Firebender15): The Admiral of the Western Fire Navy, Sezuno is a rarity, having been born in this province, and rose to his rank mostly on ability. Replacing Admiral Zhao, after that officer’s spectacular defeat at the North Pole, he has done his best to avoid such a disaster, and concentrated his efforts in the Earth Kingdom. Now that the war has ended, he is uncertain if his efforts at enforcing order on the inland lakes will be wasted. He remains loyal to the Fire Nation, but has his suspicions about the new Fire Lord, and suspects that the nations will be unable to keep the peace. He has been quietly setting up contingency plans in the event war resumes.

Seijo Shin Province/Eastern Horizon (non-canon content)

Location on the map. (http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f130/felinoel/Avatar/d20%20locations/04.jpg)

“When I first left my home here, I viewed Seijo Shin as a place of boredom, where life was a back-breaking torment, a mindless existence, or slothful ease. But now that I see it once again, I can see the good here too. I see the value of hard work and the feel of the seasons for those that live with the land. I see the meticulous detail and attention that is invested on craftsmanship and all kinds of work. And I see that the only kinds of people that grow lazy are those that have nothing better to do. Even those who spend time in meditation are honing their minds to a razor edge. Here, as in all places, things balance out, one way or the other.”
-Rem Jha the Traveler, journal entry.

Population: 551,331
Government: Monarchy
Imports: Iron, Gold, Timber, Salt, Coal
Exports: Silk, Grains, Fruit, Spices, Vegetables, Trade Goods
Alignment: LN, LE, CG

In Seijo Shin, more than anywhere else, it sometimes seems, the prominent color is green, in a thousand different shades. In the north, gently sloping plains provide some of the most fertile farmland in the Earth Kingdom, and even among the cities, green and gold are the favored colors for roofs. In the south, where the province becomes a peninsula, thick jungles blanket the land, and are home to a staggering variety of plant and animal life. Only at the very tip of the peninsula does the land turn to a wide expanse of sand dunes and rocky shores. Seijo Shin seems peaceful, but the easy life has led to a kind of decadence in the cities and increasing demands on the farms, and the jungle tribes don’t appreciate the encroachment into their lands.

Life and Society:

Life here, in a part of the Earth Kingdom that was hardly touched by the war until the very end, is nonetheless not always easy. When life is good, either for the farmer who has a good harvest, the rich citizen, or the prosperous tribesman, it’s very good. But when it’s bad, it’s very bad. The lower class citizens of the north struggle to survive the taxes and quotas of the harvest, and the jungle tribes in the south are fighting for their land constantly. The tension here is not well concealed, and it is easy to see Seijo Shin could use a little help.

Major Geographical Features:

Kemaro Islands: Three tropical islands sitting to the west of the Jusenti Jungles, these lands are more or less typical of such places, covered in palm trees, trailing vines, and other such vegetation. The fishing villages here have a very relaxed way of life, and are hospitable to all travelers, so nobody has ever bothered to try and conquer them, there being nothing the islands produce that is particularly valuable. Some inhabitants leave to travel the world as nomads, in the tradition of their ancestors that traveled a long way to reach the islands. They are not always well received, though.

Jinshai Island: A large island off the east coast of the province, this land holds one of the few active volcanoes in the Earth Kingdom, and those who live here must be on constant guard against sudden lava flows. The sight is quite spectacular. The volcano is of the shield type, and continually sheds a slow trickle of molten rock into the ocean, creating sheets of volcanic rock. Earthbent channels keep it contained, but every so often, it overflows them and must be stopped before destroying the nearby villages. The major port town here experiences twenty-foot waves in some places, and higher during monsoon season.

Jusenti Jungles: Taking up the southern two-thirds of the long peninsula that is the south half of Seijo Shin, these jungles are steaming hot, incredibly thick, and for all practical purposes impenetrable…at least to the unobservant eye. People do live here, gathering the abundant fruits and other edibles, and hunting a few of the larger animals. They trade rare plants, pelts and skins, and some of the foods to the civilized lands in the north in exchange for metal tools, weapons, and other goods they can’t make for themselves. Of late, the northerners have begun cutting into the outskirts of the jungle with an eye towards finding a few of the place where the tribes get the gems they sometimes offer up for trade, and obtaining some of the exotic woods that grow here and nowhere else. The tribes have not taken this quietly, and now things have come to a stalemate. The tribesmen are cut off from the trade has been very lucrative for them, and the civilized folk dare not go within bowshot of the mass of greenery. It is said ancient ruins are buried deep in the jungle, and are sources of great spiritual knowledge and power.

Sulin River: Marking the north border of the province, this river is long and wide, providing water for many of the northern farms. Goods flow along its length, from Ba Sing Se out to the eastern ocean in exchange for other goods coming back. The river has a great deal of silt, and is quite muddy in some places, especially its mouth, so most people refrain from drinking the water straight from the river.

Opano Plains: Covering the northern half of Seijo Shin, these grassy fields are rumored to be so fertile that the farmers don’t even have to plant seeds. Though this is doubtful, it is true that a great deal of foodstuffs originate here. The wet climate, ready sources of water, and rich soil make perfect conditions for farming, and most of the countryside is taken up by such activity. A few drier stretches towards the south remain unsettled, and various plains animals are found there.

Important Sites:

Subutai (Metropolis, 61,310): The provincial capital, this enormous city shows its arrogance, and the strength to back it up, even in how it is built. While its walls are hardly the equal of Ba Sing Se, they do stand at least a hundred feet high, and have four great gates, one for each of the four cardinal directions. The implication is that they have enough soldiers to defend all four at once. Inside, the division between the upper and lower classes is very distinct. The city is divided into four quarters. The northern quarter is the noble district, with great castles and richly appointed estates. The western quarter is the business district, home to market and shops. The eastern quarter is where the middle class live. The southern quarter, better known as the thieves’ quarter, is where the most unfortunate live their lives. Tension has always been high, and with the army drawn primarily from the three better off quarters, the soldiers are not helping.

Zantien (Metropolis, 52,582): The second largest city in Seijo Shin, and the main rival to Subutai, Zantien is located more towards the south of the plains, and is generally thought of as superior to its rival in quality of life, if not size. Its walls are only half as high, but the city is not divided in any way, and is a mixture of many different walks of life. Though this does make it confusing to get around in for the newcomer, the citizens are very helpful in that regard. The earthbenders here are famous for their use of stone and earthen armor in interesting ways.

Daruka (Small Town, 1,312): This little town, on the western coast of the jungle, is one of the few places that one can still come to trade with the tribesmen. The people that live here are a curious combination of the tribes and the civilized lands to the north, and trade with both of them. They have grown rich of late, and the town is quite well-appointed for so small a settlement, which has made the people very happy, and they welcome all travelers. However, they refuse to guide anyone into the jungle as long as the tribes continue to remain hostile to outsiders.

Temple of the Spirit (Hamlet, 472): An ancient building in the heart of the jungle, this isolated temple, though centuries old, is still inhabited, and is a place of learning. The monks here follow a strange path of spiritual enlightenment, and are extremely knowledgeable about the spiritual forces at work in the world. They claim a kind of kinship to the Air Nomads, and some parts of the temple show the distinct marks of airbender design. Very few people beyond the jungle are even aware of the temple’s existence, much less the trove of knowledge that it holds, for the monks very rarely journey into the world.

Regional History: See History of the Avatar World

Plots and Rumors: Forthcoming.

Notable Individuals (non-canon content):

Rem Jha the Traveler (Male human Earthbender21): One of the most highly cultured and well traveled people in the world, Rem Jha started out as a cartographer’s apprentice in Zantien. Sick of copying maps, he ran away to see the world, making his own maps along the way. In the course of eighty years, he has been everywhere and done just about everything. The atlas he has compiled is considered the most complete and accurate in the world, but his journals are even more widely read. Now, having returned home, he is still going strong, even at ninety-five years old, and teaches earthbending to all who show significant dedication to the art. He is also a master at Pai Sho, and favors a little-used gambit involving the White Lotus.


Sung Xwi Province/Northeastern Coast (non-canon content)

Location on the map. (http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f130/felinoel/Avatar/d20%20locations/03.jpg)

“What’s it like? It’s wet. That’s all you need to know, unless you’re planning to live here, and you don’t look as desperate as the usual people that do that. Though I am reserving judgment, because only an idiot would ask what it’s like that has already been through half of it.”
-Rukil, to Rem Jha the Traveler, on Sung Xwi

Population: 209,924
Government: Monarchy
Imports: Timber, Iron, Quality Stone, Silver, Grains
Exports: Herbs, Seafood, Salt, Trade Goods, Leather Goods
Alignment: LN, LG, CG

Sung Xwi is not one of the more hospitable places in the Earth Kingdom. No matter where you go, it seems to always be raining, or if it is the winter, snowing. The amount of farmland here is sadly lacking due to the northern swamps and the southern rainforests, making supporting a large army or population difficult, and the province is close enough to Ba Sing Se for it to have little real independence. With the people not very rich, bandits and other criminals make up a very small percentage of the population, and the Earth Army patrols are virtually nonexistent. Yet there is a simple satisfaction to be found if you know where to look.

Life and Society:

Life in Sung Xwi is hard, and often without much reward. Wresting a living from the poor soil consumes much of the time, and there are few large settlements here. However, this simplicity has a kind of appeal to some residents, who have grown to enjoy the apparently endless rain and snow. Some people move here to avoid various troubles, and some move out to find a better life, but the flows balance other out. The various lords recognize that they can’t possibly get any more out of their estates than what they already are, so the villagers live without fear of retribution. The people work hard, but they are happy.

Major Geographical Features:

Sendra Inlet: A broad expanse of salt water stretching inland for miles, this marshy place holds very little to attract anyone. When the tide is in, it is a shallow, brackish salt marsh, and when the tide is out, it is a sucking mud plain. A road stretches across it in the middle, built of large squared-off stone blocks and wooden bridges that stay above the water even at high tide, but it has not been repaired for many years, and many bridges have broken or are in extreme disrepair. Shellfish live here in great numbers towards the ocean, if one can dig them up.

Sekumin Swamp: If there is a good kind of swamp, Sekumin is it. A broad expanse of slow-flowing waters and rocky earth in equal measure, the swamp more resembles a wetland river delta. Waterfowl and other aquatic animals live here in abundance, as well as moisture-loving mosses, flowers, and trees. It is foggy or rainy much of the time, water is very much the dominant element. However, things become cold and barren in winter, so few people live here. Some villages on the outskirts of the swamp hunt birds and collect certain types of grasses and mushrooms. Sekumin is perhaps best known as the main source of the Black Lotus, a beautiful flower that holds one of the deadliest poisons known to man, and its twin, the White Lotus, which contains the antidote. The two always grow together, and there is a curious tale behind why that is.

Kenkali Rainforests: This forest resembles, to some extent, the steamy Jusenti Jungles of the province to the south, yet it is different. In the jungle, it is hot, wet, and humid. Here, it is cold, wet, and frequently windy. The trees tend towards towering, and it is easy to feel overwhelmed walking among them. The west of the forest is home to a few logging camps, but the wood here tends to split, twist, and shred when cut. It’s good for cooking, but not much else, so the rainforest still stands, much as it has for hundreds of years. The villages here are small hunting and gathering communities for the most part, but are hardly ignorant of the rest of the world. Many travelers pass through here, and the villagers have a keen interest in things that might threaten them. Earthbenders are rare here, and they concentrate on using actual earth rather than stone, creating many forms that seem akin to the sandbenders of the Si Wong desert.

Ameda Bay: A curving, broad bay just south of Sekumin Swamp, this expanse of water is mostly peaceful, at least as far as the human element is concerned. But it is a place where carnivorous aquatic creatures congregate, and occasionally battle each other, and the northern half holds a network of low sea caves that can be navigated by rowboat, and yield beautiful wave-polished stones that are used in jewelry. There are also rumors of treasure hidden somewhere in the caves, but nobody takes them seriously, considering they are well mapped and divided into specific claims.

Important Sites:

Sunrai (Small City, 8,131): The second smallest provincial capital in the Earth Kingdom, this city is looked on as little more than an outpost of the authority of Ba Sing Se, even though it is located near the southern border of Sung Xwi. It is true that the ruler of the province is mostly a figurehead. However, it is not Ba Sing Se, but his underlings that hold the real power, and they ignore the Earth King’s decrees on a regular basis. Since hardly anyone really cares what is going on in the province, it is an ideal situation for them to foment unrest, but they have no interest in military aggression, and seem, at least on the surface, content to enjoy the benefits of their position. The city itself is a poor one, due to the few business prospects of Sung Xwi, and the people have little hope of that changing anytime soon.

Yamadara (Small City, 5,135): Sitting at the northernmost border of Sung Xwi, Yamadara is the most prosperous and well-traveled city in the province, even more so than the capital. The people have always considered their city the real center of activity here anyway, and that is close enough to the truth. The neighboring Tai Kun Rei province does a brisk trade with them for items not found in the mountains, and they sit directly between the easternmost part of Tai Kun Rei and the source of incredible wealth that is Ba Sing Se. The city has grown wealthy from the two-way trade, and holds the largest concentration of earthbenders in Sung Xwi.

Stonewood Glade: On the far east of the Kenkali Forest is a large section of petrified trees that have somehow been preserved mostly intact. Whether this is the result of some strange combination of bending, spirit magic, or Avatar powers nobody can say, but the stone trees look very strange and eerie, especially at night. Few animals frequent this place, but there are tales of earthbending power to be found here through some strange ritual or another, and there is no denying the story of one earthbender that claimed his strength came from this place. However, he refused to speak of what happened.

Isle of the Mists: This is the largest expanse of (relatively) dry ground in Sekumin Swamp. About a square mile as viewed from the water, it seems to take on enormous proportions once one actually sets foot on it, going on for miles of fog and stunted trees. Some braver explorers claim to have seen a great tower through the mists, but nobody has been able to verify that claim. The isle is believed to be the domain of either some mysterious spirit or simply a spiritual place that is to be approached with great caution.

Regional History: See History of the Avatar World.

Plots and Rumors: Forthcoming.

Notable Individuals:

Rukil (Male human Earthbender11) The leader of the largest village in Kenkali forest, Rukil is a fairly powerful earthbender and a wise leader. However, he lacks tact, and his incredibly blunt speech forces him to remain very quiet a great deal of the time. He depends on his wife to act as intermediary for him, and thus is able to keep his village a good place to live. He knows the rainforest better than most others, and often seeks solitude among the tallest trees.

Rogue 7
2008-09-15, 07:29 PM
Hello folks. There was enough interest in an Avatar game in my gaming club that I find myself DMing for one. Five players. I won't give any plot spoilers in case some members are browsing, but, got any advice for a first time GM? And more importantly, how current to your revisions is the Avatar D20 site?

Also: This won't come into play until much later (like, Dragon to the final boss later), but my villain concept right now is for mainly a fire-earth hybrid. As such, I'd like to see 2-man teams (1 earth, 1 fire) as lavabenders. Is there a concept for that out?

Zak Crimsonleaf
2008-09-15, 08:14 PM
The site is actually fairly current, I think. The character builds are not, but everything else is up to date. But I can't officially say so, that's for the founders to say. As for advice, I've tried DMing before, and I can offer a little advice, though doubtless it's been given before.

Keep the game moving, keep the events interesting, and make sure the players all get a chance to show off their skills. If you've got an earthbender, present them with opportunities to make bridges or shift aside obstacles, and so on. Also, make sure you know where you want the players to go, and gently guide them in that direction. Nobody likes being railroaded, but if you have an end goal in mind, usually you can be flexible enough that any path leads there eventually. There are other threads that can offer better advice on this site, I imagine, and other members that can better advise you on using the Avatar Project, but that's mine. Just be careful if anybody takes levels in Dai Li Agent. They're still working on that one. And Sandbending hasn't been resolved either, even though I think that should be a greater priority.

Rogue 7
2008-09-15, 08:32 PM
The site is actually fairly current, I think. The character builds are not, but everything else is up to date. But I can't officially say so, that's for the founders to say. As for advice, I've tried DMing before, and I can offer a little advice, though doubtless it's been given before.

Keep the game moving, keep the events interesting, and make sure the players all get a chance to show off their skills. If you've got an earthbender, present them with opportunities to make bridges or shift aside obstacles, and so on. Also, make sure you know where you want the players to go, and gently guide them in that direction. Nobody likes being railroaded, but if you have an end goal in mind, usually you can be flexible enough that any path leads there eventually. There are other threads that can offer better advice on this site, I imagine, and other members that can better advise you on using the Avatar Project, but that's mine. Just be careful if anybody takes levels in Dai Li Agent. They're still working on that one. And Sandbending hasn't been resolved either, even though I think that should be a greater priority.

Thanks.

I plan to set it about 400 years in the future, so the Dai Li are long gone. By character builds, I doubt you mean the actual classes, right? Because slogging around on the forums every time I want to see them would be troublesome.

Zak Crimsonleaf
2008-09-15, 09:49 PM
No, I mean the sheets for the iconic characters of the show. The classes are fine.

Mephibosheth
2008-09-16, 08:50 AM
Yep. Zak Crimsonleaf is right. The bending classes (http://avatar.d20.googlepages.com/baseclasses) on the website are up to date, though the iconic character builds (http://avatar.d20.googlepages.com/iconiccharacterbuilds) haven't been updated to reflect some of those changes and I think there were some changes made to the martial artist that I haven't added to the site.

Let us know how the campaign goes. I hope everything works out well.

Mephibosheth

phoenixcire
2008-09-16, 11:50 AM
I have a question: Why do firebenders get fire resistance but waterbenders do not get cold resistance? Also, firebenders even get cold resistance when it seems they should be weak to it. So, why can firebenders get cold resistance but waterbenders(who typically live in an arctic environment) cannot?

Zak Crimsonleaf
2008-09-17, 07:05 PM
I believe the reasoning runs along this line: A waterbender cannot altar the temperature around or inside themselves. They can bend water or snow out of the air, but they cannot take away the chill from the wind or shield themselves from the wind like an airbender, nor can they raise the temperature by simply moving water around. A firebender can manipulate their own body heat so as to keep themselves warm in cold weather, keeping the cold from lowering that temperature. And since they handle fire so much, they instinctively channel its destructive power away from themselves, thus, they gain resistance to fire.

Oh, and I added another write-up.

phoenixcire
2008-09-17, 11:31 PM
I believe the reasoning runs along this line: A waterbender cannot altar the temperature around or inside themselves. They can bend water or snow out of the air, but they cannot take away the chill from the wind or shield themselves from the wind like an airbender, nor can they raise the temperature by simply moving water around. A firebender can manipulate their own body heat so as to keep themselves warm in cold weather, keeping the cold from lowering that temperature. And since they handle fire so much, they instinctively channel its destructive power away from themselves, thus, they gain resistance to fire.

Oh, and I added another write-up.

While, for the most part, that makes sense, I remember seeing a waterbender exhibit a huge resistance to cold. During the Pakku/Katara fight, Katara was standing in a pool of water throwing ice disks at Pakku. If that isn't a resistance to cold then I'm not sure what is. If anything, cold based attacks should be resisted. Also, seeing how waterbenders typically live in arctic climates they would better know how to survive in such weather extremes. I mean, seriously, do you think a little wind chill would bother someone who is used to wind that's around 40 degrees colder? I know for a fact it doesn't in the real world. So why would it in a game world?

In addition, the ability to control their own body temperatures isn't a natural thing that firebenders do. It's an ability that firebenders are taught. A firebender would need to know that they are taking cold damage to realize that they need to use that ability. So it wouldn't be a natural resistance, it would be a temporary halting of a continual damage source.

Zak Crimsonleaf
2008-09-17, 11:44 PM
Well, Katara was extremely excited at the time, and perhaps did not feel the cold as keenly, and she was in there for less than half a minute. Granted, it would have been felt later, but in the heat of the moment, she probably would have ignored it. And as a waterbender, she certainly could have bent the freezing water away after the fight was over.

As for natural resistance, there you go into familiar ground. That would normally fall under the category of racial bonuses, and since as of now, all humans living in the Avatar world are of the same race, there is little to be done. Perhaps you should suggest or construct a variant in which the Four Nations are seperated into races. It would not be appropriate to give cold resistance just to waterbenders when other people live in the Water Tribes.

That is true, a firebender would have to actively resist heat or cold, but over time, it would become so instinctive that the firebender would barely realize they were doing it unless the damage being resisted was extreme. However, you make a good point. It just seems easier to give them the resistance than to make it an ability one must activate.

felinoel
2008-09-18, 12:11 AM
Well, Katara was extremely excited at the time, and perhaps did not feel the cold as keenly, and she was in there for less than half a minute. Granted, it would have been felt later, but in the heat of the moment, she probably would have ignored it. And as a waterbender, she certainly could have bent the freezing water away after the fight was over.

As for natural resistance, there you go into familiar ground. That would normally fall under the category of racial bonuses, and since as of now, all humans living in the Avatar world are of the same race, there is little to be done. Perhaps you should suggest or construct a variant in which the Four Nations are seperated into races. It would not be appropriate to give cold resistance just to waterbenders when other people live in the Water Tribes.

That is true, a firebender would have to actively resist heat or cold, but over time, it would become so instinctive that the firebender would barely realize they were doing it unless the damage being resisted was extreme. However, you make a good point. It just seems easier to give them the resistance than to make it an ability one must activate.I still vote for human subraces based on nations! But oh well not too many others like the idea...

Foolster41
2008-09-18, 12:42 AM
I do, I think it would add variety to non-caster classes.
Also, it seems cold affects fire bending (Boiling Rock), which makes me think they don't really have any resistance to cold.

AstralFire
2008-09-18, 05:27 AM
I do, I think it would add variety to non-caster classes.
Also, it seems cold affects fire bending (Boiling Rock), which makes me think they don't really have any resistance to cold.

The normal firebender, yes. Zuko and Iroh, at least, know how to keep their 'inner fire' up to get around this limitation.

Knaight
2008-09-18, 06:37 AM
I seem to remember Sokka screwing up the cold room to let Zuko use fire.

phoenixcire
2008-09-18, 06:45 AM
I still vote for human subraces based on nations! But oh well not too many others like the idea...

Subs based on Nations, I believe, are very logical and shouldn't be dismissed as easily as they have been. The problem lies in pinning what nation with which bonuses. For this I like:

Fire +2 Int -2 Cha The Fire Nation shows their intelligence through technology, mandatory schooling and strategy. Their hotheadedness tends to be abrasive to others.

Water +2 Cha -2Int The Water Tribe peoples are friendly and jovial with a good-natured spirit. However, their seclusion and tribal nature tends to cut them off from the rest of the world, leaving them ignorant to the ways of the world.

Earth +2 Con -2 Dex People of the Earth Kingdom are known to be as tough as the stone that they work with. They also tend to be as rigid and unyielding as the ground they stand upon.

Air +2 Dex -2 Con The Air Nomads have unsurpassed agility while lacking a bit in hardiness.

Mephibosheth
2008-09-18, 09:00 AM
I originally gave firebenders fire resistance way back in version 1.0 (which then got carried through to this version) as a way of mirroring the movement abilities the other benders get. There's really no way to create a "movement through fire" ability that remains faithful to the show, so fire resistance was the best I could come up with. Besides, there's a precedent (http://www.giantitp.com/articles/BvfDDJzx2tyIGOX5zdC.html).

On phoenixcire's proposed racial statistics, the only major problem I have with them is that they make members of the Earth Kingdom inherently inferior benders with their penalty to Wisdom (the ability that governs pretty much all bending). Perhaps a penalty to Dex instead of Wis? Otherwise they look pretty good. If we were to follow through with this, I would definitely want to put together some additional racial abilities like a bonus to saves against cold weather for Water Tribe members, maybe a racial bonus to some Knowledge checks for Air Nomads (since they're all monks). I'm sure we can think of others.

Mephibosheth

phoenixcire
2008-09-18, 10:29 AM
I originally gave firebenders fire resistance way back in version 1.0 (which then got carried through to this version) as a way of mirroring the movement abilities the other benders get. There's really no way to create a "movement through fire" ability that remains faithful to the show, so fire resistance was the best I could come up with. Besides, there's a precedent (http://www.giantitp.com/articles/BvfDDJzx2tyIGOX5zdC.html).

On phoenixcire's proposed racial statistics, the only major problem I have with them is that they make members of the Earth Kingdom inherently inferior benders with their penalty to Wisdom (the ability that governs pretty much all bending). Perhaps a penalty to Dex instead of Wis? Otherwise they look pretty good. If we were to follow through with this, I would definitely want to put together some additional racial abilities like a bonus to saves against cold weather for Water Tribe members, maybe a racial bonus to some Knowledge checks for Air Nomads (since they're all monks). I'm sure we can think of others.

Mephibosheth

I fixed the bonuses for Earth to have -2 Dex instead of Wis. Also changed the description of why it's plausible.

I still believe that firebenders shouldn't get a resistance to cold because they aren't naturally strong against it. Cold weather adaptability is even planned for within the class

Firebending is all about breath control; applying this properly allows a firebender incredible resilience to harsh outer cold.
• As a full-round action that doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity, a firebender can take a deep breath and hold it for a number of rounds equal to 5 times his Constitution score. While holding his breath this way, a firebender maintains his body temperature at normal levels and is immune to nonlethal damage by exposure to cold environments. After letting out his breath, a firebender cannot use this seed for at least five minutes. For every point by which the Firebending check exceeds the DC, the firebender holds his breath one additional round.

So having +4 to checks, 5 resist and the Fire in the Stomach seed all together is a bit much. I like the seed and feel that the others are redundant.

felinoel
2008-09-18, 02:04 PM
I fixed the bonuses for Earth to have -2 Dex instead of Wis. Also changed the description of why it's plausible.Or you could have earthbenders use a different skill for bending...

phoenixcire
2008-09-18, 03:11 PM
Or you could have earthbenders use a different skill for bending...

Except the system is written with all bending being Wisdom based. While I do prefer having a -2 Wis for being stubborn, -2 Dex for being rigid and unyielding makes just as much sense. Also, it puts Earth and Air into a more perfect alignment as opposites.(Did that sentence make sense?) Just like I had with Water and Fire.

felinoel
2008-09-18, 04:10 PM
Except the system is written with all bending being Wisdom based. While I do prefer having a -2 Wis for being stubborn, -2 Dex for being rigid and unyielding makes just as much sense. Also, it puts Earth and Air into a more perfect alignment as opposites.(Did that sentence make sense?) Just like I had with Water and Fire.

Good point, and yes that does make sense

AstralFire
2008-09-19, 05:26 PM
I seem to remember Sokka screwing up the cold room to let Zuko use fire.

Zuko could still use it in arctic temperatures in Season 1, you'll recall, when the ability to use the technique is first mentioned by Iroh.

Knaight
2008-09-19, 06:10 PM
Yeah, but thats just arctic temperatures. Hardly the cold room, not really a big deal, judging by how temperate the arctic region was by the clothing the water benders had.

AstralFire
2008-09-19, 06:21 PM
Yeah, but thats just arctic temperatures. Hardly the cold room, not really a big deal, judging by how temperate the arctic region was by the clothing the water benders had.

...

Top-side is a LOT colder than their igloo city. And note that the waterbenders go around in furcoats, trading it for the light cloth for traveling.

I mean, they're at the North Pole. How much colder does it have to be?

Knaight
2008-09-19, 06:24 PM
The north pole does seem to be pretty cold, but the south pole not so much, and while they have fur coats, they don't cover the face or make a point of staying inside. Both of them seem to be significantly warmer than our north and south poles.

felinoel
2008-09-19, 08:55 PM
The north pole does seem to be pretty cold, but the south pole not so much, and while they have fur coats, they don't cover the face or make a point of staying inside. Both of them seem to be significantly warmer than our north and south poles.

Either that or Water Tribe people from the north and south pole got used to the cold...

Ceiling009
2008-09-19, 09:32 PM
The water tribes seem so to have ridiculous cold tolerance. Think about it, they live in a city of ice; and don't seem to particularly mind being wet or covered in ice half time in what should be sub-zero temperatures.

phoenixcire
2008-09-19, 09:42 PM
Either that or Water Tribe people from the north and south pole got used to the cold...

Which is why I was annoyed by the fact that Firebenders get cold resistance but not Waterbenders.

Another thing, with such a cold resistance, most Waterbender freeze capabilities are useless(or damageless anyway) against a Firebender. That means that only two cold based attacks have any effect on a Firebender, Ice Shards(ranged) and Blizzard.

Zak Crimsonleaf
2008-09-25, 08:33 PM
Added the northeast coast of the Earth Kingdom. Judging by the lack of response to my post on the other thread, I'm guessing sandbending isn't a priority just now. Well, I still think it's a neat idea. Maybe I'll work up some forms based on it.

demegrade
2008-09-30, 08:52 PM
So I need a little help understanding the seeds here. First off are there restrictions by level that determine whether you can use the seed or is it based solely on the skill check? Secondly, do you obtain everything under the seed (like the itilizied things) or do you have to learn those at latter levels? I'm sorry if this question has already been answered but my friends want me to DM an avatar game and I really don't want to read 8 pages of text. Call me lazy if you want.

Zak Crimsonleaf
2008-09-30, 09:18 PM
No level restrictions. Technically you could take the Rift seed at 1st level, but you wouldn't have the skill check to use it. It is based entirely on the skill check. And yes, you gain every ability of the seed immediately. The italic abilities represent the various ways in which the seed is used by itself. And it's no problem to ask. The project site is up to date, though, and has all the information you need arranged in neat little sections.

Edit: I've taken the previous poster's (sorry, but I'm bad with names) ideas for subraces, and expanded them a little more. However, they're far from complete. If nothing else, it would make an interesting variant rule set. So, any help at finishing them would be appreciated.

Earth Kingdom
-+2 Constitution, -2 Dexterity. The people of the Earth Kingdom are persistant and enduring, but immovable as the stones most of the time.
-Medium: As Medium creatures, Earth Kingdom citizens have no specific bonuses or penalties due to their size.
-Earth Kingdom base land speed is 30 ft.
Special abilities
+4 racial bonus on saving throws against
Attack and damage
+2 racial bonus on Knowledge(geography) checks
+4 racial bonus on all Survival checks made underground.
+4 racial bonus on all Listen checks.
+2 racial bonus on all Craft, Appraise, and Profession checks involving some form of earth or stone.
Favored Class: Earthbender A multiclass Earth Kingdom citizen's earthbender class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.

Fire Nation
-+2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma. The people of the Fire Nation are educated, and technologically advanced, but are prone to a short temper and arrogance.
-Medium: As Medium creatures, Earth Kingdom citizens have no specific bonuses or penalties due to their size.
-Fire Nation base land speed is 30 ft.
Special abilities
+4 racial bonus on all saving throws for intense heat.
attack and damage
+2 racial bonus to all Knowledge(Fire Nation nobility and royalty) checks
+4 racial bonus on all Survival checks made in jungle and tropical environments.
+4 racial bonus on all Spot Checks
+2 racial bonus to all checks involving complex machinery.
Favored Class: Firebender. A multiclass Fire Nation citizen's firebender class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.

Air Nomads
+2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution The Air Nomads are agile and light on their feet but more delicate than the other nations.
-Medium: As Medium creatures, Air Nomads have no specific bonuses or penalties due to their size.
-Air Nomad base land speed is 30 ft.
Altitude Adaptation: Living on the highest mountaintops for the most part, the Air Nomads have become immune to the affects of the thin air. They need not make any saving throws to avoid the affects of altitude sickness.
+4 racial bonus on all saving throws due to strong winds
Favored Enemy: None. The Air Nomads seek to harm no one, so they gain a +2 Dodge bonus to AC against a single attacker.
+2 racial bonus on Knowledge(religion) checks.
+2 racial bonus to all balance and tumble checks. The Air Nomad temples inspire a heightened sense of mobility.
+4 racial bonus on Survival checks made over 6,000 feet above sea level.
+4 racial bonus on Jump checks.
Favored Class: Airbender. A multiclass Air Nomad's airbender class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.

Water Tribes
+2 Charisma, -2 Intelligence. The Water Tribes have a deep sense of community and love that gives them a pleasant manner, but, insulated from most of the outside world, they have less use for study.
-Medium: As Medium creatures, Water Tribesmen have no specific bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Icewalking: The Water Tribesmen are sure-footed on ice and snow, and can ignore normal penalties for moving at their speed over such terrain. When running they take half penalties.
+4 racial bonus on saving throws against the effects of cold.
Favored Enemy: Animals. The Water Tribes depend on hunting a great deal to survive. They recieve a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls against animals of any kind, as well as a +1 Dodge bonus to their AC.
+4 racial bonus on Swim checks.
+4 racial bonus on Survival checks in arctic environments.
+2 racial bonus on Knowledge(nature) checks
+2 racial bonus on Handle Animal checks
Favored Class: Waterbender. A multiclass Water Tribesman's waterbender class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.

demegrade
2008-10-02, 08:17 PM
This may have already been brought up as well but I may have a good idea here. In accordance with the above racial stats, me and my friend have actually come up with a good way to diversify the bending styles.
Here are the discriptions of the different fighting styles used for the bending styles.

Tai Chi focuses on alignment, body structure, breath, and visualization. This technique is the foundation of "Waterbending" in the series.

# Hung Gar was chosen for its firmly rooted stances and powerful strikes to represent the solid nature of earth. This martial art is the basis of "Earthbending" in the series.[20]

* Chu Gar Southern Praying Mantis has distinguishing movements and unique footwork that are employed by Toph Bei Fong to complement her blindness, giving her a unique style of Earthbending.[29]

# Northern Shaolin Kung Fu uses strong arm and leg movements. This technique is the foundation of "Firebending" in the series.[20]
# Ba Gua uses erratic, circular movements.[20] In Bagua, centrifugal force plays a vital role in generating power, and the nearly constant circular movement creates angles between the fighters. This makes it easier for the practitioner to defend and attack. This martial art is the basis of "Airbending" and is the bending style of the main character, Aang.

Using this my friend and I were able to decide what attribute could be used for each bending style rather then just wisdom

Water: This style would use wisdom still but the racial abilities should be changed to +2 wisdom, -2 charisma. They have a lot of common sence but arent very nice.

Fire: This style would use strength but the racial abilities should be changed to +2 strength, -2 wisdom. They are powerful fighters but are head strong.

Earth: This style would use Constitution. Its racial abilities can remain the same

Wind: This style would use Dexterity. Its racial abilities can remain the same

Personally I am going to incoporate this into my avatar game if it is alright with you and you are welcome to try this as well. Its an idea that we came up with

Zak Crimsonleaf
2008-10-02, 09:50 PM
You're welcome to use it if you want. However, it seems simpler to me to use Wisdom for every bending skill because of its innate suitability for that use. A bender's understanding of their element is what makes them strong, to my way of thinking.

"Power in firebending comes from the breath, not the muscle."
"You're moving the water around, but you're not feeling the push and pull."
"The air supports something inside you, something even lighter then air, and that something takes over when you fly."
"The key to earthbending is your stance. You've got to be steady and strong."

And so on. Anyway, here's the last area write-up for the Earth Kingdom. You may notice the new title I've added to my signature. I'm taking a break from these write-ups for a while, so anybody that wants to take a shot at the other nations is welcome to go ahead. Or, you can think up some of the 'plots and rumors', and send them to me, and I'll put in the ones I think are the most creative and intriguing. And lastly, a shiny copper piece to the one who can spot the Seven Samurai reference in this last one.

Nakatsuru Islands/Far South (non-canon content)

“When voyaging among these islands, it is impossible not to become aware of how much the people look to the sea. For their part, they cannot imagine life without the sound of the waves, or salt in the air. It is a part of every man’s life.”
-Rem Jha the Traveler, journal entry

Population: 69,395
Government: Monarchy, assorted semi-independent towns
Imports: Timber, Iron, Leather Goods, Rope, Fruits
Exports: Seafood, Ship Supplies, Ships, Mercenaries, Trade Goods
Alignment: NG, NE, TN

A large island group off the southernmost coast of the Earth Kingdom, these lands are about as far as it is possible to be from authority and the Earth Army, and the waters around them have long been considered hazardous to merchant ships. Yet the exotic goods and riches of the islands are enough to make sure that trade continues to flow back and forth, even to the neighboring southern and eastern Air Nomad islands, the outer edges of the Fire Nation, and until recently, the Southern Water Tribe. Remote, dangerous, and with the thrill of fortunes waiting to be made, the Nakatsuru Islands have always been a land apart from the rest of the world, separated by miles and miles of seas.

Life and Society:

Life in the islands is always a challenge. Fishing villages eke out a living, defending their homes against the weather, seekers after wealth, and pirate raids, merchants and glory hounds constantly brave danger to bring back the rare goods that are found here, and the pirates battle each other, the merchants, and the Fire Nation patrols. As one might guess, most of the significant events here involve the sea in some way, and the favored color for clothing is blue, or among the Fire Nation citizens and exiles, red, rather than green. A few Fire Nation colonies have been established, but the inhabitants are not numerous. However, the people care little about the war, as most of the islands have always ignored decrees, whether they come from the Earth King or the Fire Lord, and have defended themselves with an informal navy that has successfully resisted invaders many times.

Major Geographical Features:

Shushirei Island: The northernmost and biggest of the islands, Shushirei is the only one that is actually governed by the Earth Kingdom. It holds a fairly large population of noble families that prefer to govern their lands from a more pleasant location, are in disfavor, or find it to their advantage to be far away from Ba Sing Se and Omashu. Consequently, it also holds a fairly large number of private armies, which has given rise to many schools and academies for the honing of martial craft. Most settlements are located around the shoreline, for the interior is a mountainous forest that is home to the rare shirshu, the infamous animal that can paralyze its prey with a flick of its tongue.

Yohei Island: Caught between aggressive Earth Kingdom forces in the east, raiders from Rikichi Island in the west, the cold anarctic ocean in the south, and economic pressure from the south coast of the Earth Kingdom, Yohei Island has had to become independent and strong to survive. With a major river that runs through it, branching off into dozens of small streams that zig-zag across most of its northern half, nearly everyone here owns a boat of some kind. The farming and fishing villages support each other in nearly everything. When one village is attacked, the nearest settlements rally to defend it. They have used earthbending to create intricate barriers to sea attack. However, this vigilance has its price. The people are very wary, so they aren’t overly friendly to strangers, and they have become almost paranoid about encroachment by anyone. They just want to be left alone, but never have been.

Manzo Island: The second most easterly of the isles, Manzo Island is for the most part peaceful, yet hardly without experience in conflict. A land of green hills and sandy shores, it is a beautiful place, but the eastern half is constantly contested by Earth Kingdom forces trying to bring the island into their governance. The villagers fight them with tooth and claw at all corners, and thanks to a large population of earthbenders, they have more than held their own, and currently, Earth Army activities are confined to the eastern coast. The western half is ruled by commerce. The villages and towns here will trade with anyone that has money, but they are considerably more honest than the merchants of Rikichi Island to the west. As well, they have their own navy, made up of small, fast fishing and trading vessels. Rather than trying to directly stand up against Fire Navy vessels, they lure them into shallow water and use their superior maneuverability to close and board them. These tactics have been highly successful, and the Fire Nation has long since abandoned Manzo Island as not worth the effort.

Rikichi Island: A haven for the lawless and the disreputable, this island’s port towns and villages are rife with all manner of criminal types. The westernmost and second smallest of the islands, it has little natural resources, which to some extent is why the inhabitants conduct so many raids on fishing and farming villages on nearby islands. The ground is rocky, and too saturated with salt spray to be of much use, and most of the island is high hills. The icy South Pole seas are very close, and icebergs have been known to drift up this far before, especially in the winter. The weather here always seems a little colder than it should be.

The Forsaken Isle: This tiny speck of land, in between Rikichi and Yohei Island, is a place where even the most savage of pirates steer well clear of. Not only is it a desolate and barren place where hardly anything grows, but it is inhabited by a powerful storm spirit that ventures forth to wreak havoc on the seas from time to time. The island is swathed in a constant thunderstorm that can be seen for miles. It is possible to speak with her, if you perform the proper rites, but she is temperamental, and if she dislikes the questions asked, she destroys the asker on the spot. Her answers are also variable. Sometimes they are useful, sometimes not. She also is rumored to hold sway over a path into the Spirit World, but nobody has ever been brave enough to ask about that. Only the Avatar might be able to contend with and command her power.

Important Sites:

Masaru (Large City, 14,231): Sitting on the northernmost tip of Shushirei Island, this palatial city is almost exclusively populated by Earth Kingdom nobility, their servants, and a small class of merchants that profit handsomely from providing goods from the mainland. Acting as the provincial capital, Masaru is a major port for the Earth Navy and base for a small army detachment, and coastal fortresses ring the island. The city is breathtakingly beautiful, but few commoners ever get to see its wide avenues of sculpted marble and granite. Gambling is big here, and a lucky man can pick up a fortune in one night. The night life down at the docks is said to be spectacular.

Xei-Hong-La (Small City, 9,581): The hub for most of the pirates, smugglers, and braver merchants that sail these waters, Xei-Hong-La is the most dangerous city in the islands, and sits in a sheltered cove on Rikichi Island. With a massive harbor, the city does do a good deal of legitimate trade with the other islands and the mainland, but profits far more from illegal activities and goods. Though some here observe forms of honor, most business is done with knives in the dark. There are very few people here that are not experienced at keeping themselves safe in one way or another.

Regional History: See History of the Avatar World.

Plots and Rumors: Forthcoming.

Notable Individuals:

Kinto (Male human Waterbender14) Born in the Northern Water Tribe, Kinto was never exactly warmly regarded there, due to his chronic obsession with practical jokes, some of them harmful to the point of not being funny. Fortunately for the tribe Kinto left when he was fully grown, intending to see the world. He has traveled far, but these islands are where he spends most of his time. He still favors using painful or cruel waterbending moves, considering the results hilarious, but does ensure he only kills when attacked with that same intent. He has recently fallen in with a smuggling crew that roams the southern seas, though he is a restless sort, and is liable to be found anywhere in the islands.

felinoel
2008-10-02, 09:51 PM
Don't forget the Foggy Swamp Water Tribe subrace, the sandbender subrace, and the Sun Warriors subrace, all those guys live in different enviroments and would have different stats

Zak Crimsonleaf
2008-10-02, 10:11 PM
It's easier to use a single entry, for ease of use. But in the interests of completeness, here they are.

Si Wong Tribes

+2 Constitution, -2 Charisma The sandbenders are just as enduring as the other people of the Earth Kingdom, but more mobile, though they are suspicious of outsiders.
-Medium: As Medium creatures, Sandbenders have no specific bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Sandskimmer: The sandbenders are experienced in moving over the shifting dunes. They gain the Sandskimmer feat as a bonus feat.
+4 racial bonus on saving throws against the effects of heat.
Attack and Damage.
+4 racial bonus on Survival checks in desert environments.
+4 racial bonus on Knowledge(nature) checks.
+2 racial bonus on Spot Checks
+2 racial bonus on
Favored Class: Earthbender. A multiclass sandbender's earthbender class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.

Foggy Swamp Tribe

+2 Charisma, -2 Intelligence
-Medium: As Medium creatures, the swamp tribesmen have no specific bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Special Ability
+4 racial bonus on saving throws against poison and disease.
Attack and Damage
+4 racial bonus on Survival checks in tropical and swamp environments.
+4 racial bonus on Swim checks
+2 racial bonus on Knowledge(nature) checks
+2 racial bonus on Listen checks
Favored Class: Waterbender. A mutliclass swamp tribesman's waterbender class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.

Sun Warriors

+2 Strength, -2 Charisma The Sun Warriors are less concerned with
technology than the Fire Nation, but possess greater strength of arm. However, they tend to be just as temperamental.
-Medium: As Medium creatures, the Sun Warriors have no specific bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Special Ability
+4 racial bonus on all saving throws against the effects of heat
Attack and Damage
+4 racial bonus on Survival checks in jungle environments
+4 racial bonus on
+2 racial bonus on Knowledge(Fire Nation History)
+2 racial bonus on Spot Checks
Favored Class: Firebender. A multiclass Sun Warrior's firebender class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.

felinoel
2008-10-03, 05:51 AM
For the Si Wong Tribe you say
+2 racial bonus on and then stop right there?




You gave the Foggy Swamp Tribe a +2 charisma? I see them as, if anything, more dexterous then charismatic...

Zak Crimsonleaf
2008-10-03, 12:06 PM
It's like I said. These entries are incomplete, because I couldn't think of anything to put in the blank spots. If anyone can suggest something to fill the gaps with, please do so. Oh, and about the swamp dwellers, they seem to have a very friendly atmosphere going on, and their waterbending style isn't nearly as graceful as the northern and southern styles, so I didn't figure them as particularly dextrous. I admit that it was a tough choice.

felinoel
2008-10-03, 09:03 PM
It's like I said. These entries are incomplete, because I couldn't think of anything to put in the blank spots. If anyone can suggest something to fill the gaps with, please do so. Oh, and about the swamp dwellers, they seem to have a very friendly atmosphere going on, and their waterbending style isn't nearly as graceful as the northern and southern styles, so I didn't figure them as particularly dextrous. I admit that it was a tough choice.

Just because they use a more rigid form of bending doesn't mean they aren't dexterous, but yea, it is a tough choice, can you give them a plus one in one thing and a plus one in something else? That might make it easier...

AstralFire
2008-10-03, 09:14 PM
+1s break core D&D philosophy and are a bit easier to munch around with.

felinoel
2008-10-03, 10:00 PM
+1s break core D&D philosophy and are a bit easier to munch around with.But come on, its the Foggy Water Tribe, just what can they be given a +2 in that makes good sense (instead of mildly adequete)?

AstralFire
2008-10-03, 10:03 PM
But come on, its the Foggy Water Tribe, just what can they be given a +2 in that makes good sense (instead of mildly adequete)?

No idea. I'm generally against regional modifiers to begin with, though.

Lord Tataraus
2008-10-03, 10:03 PM
Wow, it's been awhile...but a series of emails and posts in ancient threads direct to me have brought me from my unfortunate absence and back into the realm of the Avatar D20 project. I must say it is refreshing.

So, that business done with, I have a simple question. I have seen evidence of this project being used for campaigns and most of those I imagine make use of my pdf. However, I assume that there are a number of parts that may be outdated so, I will be taking up the task to release an up-to-date pdf by the end of December. So, my simple question is who would be willing to help? I do need to include Eighth Seraph's Ranger and Martial Artist as the default and my Martial Artist class as the variant and I am sure there are a few seed revisions I need to include and extra feats, etc. I will also add the chapters on creatures, technology, etc. To those who are interested in helping me with this endeavor, I need a compiled list (or just point out little typos and nit-picks) of the missing feats, revised seeds, and whatever else I'm missing as well as any suggestions as to the organization of the pdf.

If you want to be extra enthusiastic and write the stuff up in a word document or something, you can email it to me at: [email protected]

- LT

felinoel
2008-10-03, 10:05 PM
No idea. I'm generally against regional modifiers to begin with, though.

It can be counted as racial modifiers, since they are so different from each other they might as well be a different race, and they would be if there were any other race then human

Bajaaku
2008-10-08, 11:12 PM
So, my simple question is who would be willing to help? I do need to include Eighth Seraph's Ranger and Martial Artist as the default and my Martial Artist class as the variant and I am sure there are a few seed revisions I need to include and extra feats, etc. I will also add the chapters on creatures, technology, etc. To those who are interested in helping me with this endeavor, I need a compiled list (or just point out little typos and nit-picks) of the missing feats, revised seeds, and whatever else I'm missing as well as any suggestions as to the organization of the pdf.

If you want to be extra enthusiastic and write the stuff up in a word document or something, you can email it to me at: [email protected]

- LT

LT, I just discovered the Avatar d20 project yesterday and would really like to help out. I would be willing to assist you with the PDF. I feel that the current PDF is a bit unorganized and is missing a lot of information. However, being so new to the system I don't quite understand everything myself. So, I might not be the best person to help you, but I'd like to try. If you want to coordinate something feel free to email me at [email protected] or send me an AIM. My S/N is King of Kalvorin.

String
2008-10-08, 11:32 PM
Also still here, still trying some afilliation stuff but it's slow going. I am against regional and 'racial' modifiers.

EDIT: I am also against modifying the Bending skills dependent attribute. It's been repeatedly demonstrated that a level of wisdom is most influential on someone's bending ability.

Foolster41
2008-10-09, 12:01 AM
I agree on changing the bending attribute from wisdom, but why are you against racial modifiers? I think it makes a lot of sense, at the very least I think it should be there as a optional rule.

For one thing, it encourages non-benders playing in the system, as it makes a fire bender fighter have a different style then a water bender fighter, which I think is fitting in the world. (Each has a martial arts style whether or not they are benders, look at the way Sakka and Jet, two non-benders fight).
For another thing, it creates variation in the world, as the only race in the game is human (no bonuses and a bonus feat). Finally, It's not going to be incredibly hard to balance and won't hurt anything to be there. If some people would like to concentrate in focusing on this, other people can work on other stuff (I'd be willing to help out if there are missing parts).

If your objection is based on messing with the basics of the mechanics, well I think there's no problem with that. The rules are a starting point, but games like Wheel of Time changes a lot of the mechanics to fit with Robert Jordan's world. I think it's more important to change the rules to fit in Avatar, than stick to the rules at the expense of the way the source material of the world works.

Maybe what we need is a new term. Not a "race bonus" but something like "Culture bonus".

Also, why +2 CHA for froggy tribe? They don't strike me as very charismatic.

felinoel
2008-10-09, 12:05 AM
I agree on changing the bending attribute from wisdom, but why are you against racial modifiers? I think it makes a lot of sense, at the very least I think it should be there as a optional rule.

For one thing, it encourages non-benders playing in the system, as it makes a fire bender fighter have a different style then a water bender fighter, which I think is fitting in the world. (Each has a martial arts style whether or not they are benders, look at the way Sakka and Jet, two non-benders fight).
For another thing, it creates variation in the world, as the only race in the game is human (no bonuses and a bonus feat). Finally, It's not going to be incredibly hard to balance and won't hurt anything to be there. If some people would like to concentrate in focusing on this, other people can work on other stuff (I'd be willing to help out if there are missing parts).

If your objection is based on messing with the basics of the mechanics, well I think there's no problem with that. The rules are a starting point, but games like Wheel of Time changes a lot of the mechanics. I think it's more important to change the rules to fit in Avatar, than stick to the rules at the expense of the way the source material of the world works.

Whats wrong with the ones above? There is even subracial modifiers for the swampbender, sandbenders, and Sun Warriors

Foolster41
2008-10-09, 12:11 AM
Not sure what you mean. I didn't say there was any problem. If you mean my offer to help, It was a open offer in case there were sub-races that were not done yet (I'm not sure if they are or not).

(The last line in my last post was aimed at Zak)

Zak Crimsonleaf
2008-10-09, 08:22 AM
I couldn't think of another attribute that it seemed like they would recieve a bonus in. I might've done wisdom, but since we use wisdom for bending modifiers, that's impossible. What do you think of a constitution bonus, then? The reason I picked charisma is because, as I said previously, they seem friendly enough, but I'm willing to change it if something else makes more sense. And yes, your help would be appreciated.

Bajaaku
2008-10-09, 12:30 PM
Might I make a general suggestion? Being completely new to the project, I'm finding it very difficult to find and identify what information is current across the several threads regarding the project. Many of the threads talk about many things (lavabending and racial stats in the same topic). I think it would be beneficial for the organization of the project if we had our own forums. That way we could create one thread for a discussion on Airbenders, one thread for Earthbenders, one thread for weapons, etc. We could do that here, but I think it would clog up the GITP forum that is used for many different homebrew projects.

In summary: Our own Avatar d20 forums, yes/no?

I know I would also like some sort of chat program. Like most people, I like instant gratification and an instant messaging (like AIM or IRC) or VOIP (Skype or Ventrilo) program might be nice to discuss things quicker. The forums are nice because everything is documented and recorded, but the additonal option might be helpful too. This is just a personal preference.

I know a vent server costs money, but has some nice features as far as channels go. However, Skype is free and also very nice. Both programs support both VOIP and IMing.

Again, this is just my opinion and it might be something to consider if others feel this way.

AstralFire
2008-10-09, 12:33 PM
Rapid talk would be great, but there aren't many people involved deeply with the project who can get on at the same time, I'm sure.

Bajaaku
2008-10-09, 12:43 PM
Water: This style would use wisdom still but the racial abilities should be changed to +2 wisdom, -2 charisma. They have a lot of common sence but arent very nice.

Fire: This style would use strength but the racial abilities should be changed to +2 strength, -2 wisdom. They are powerful fighters but are head strong.

Earth: This style would use Constitution. Its racial abilities can remain the same

Wind: This style would use Dexterity. Its racial abilities can remain the same


Here's my take on this. I agree that Wisdom should still be the ability used for all bending. As someone mentioned earlier, I believe that it is more the understanding of the element that determines the power of the bender. Part of the problem of using other stats is what I call "double-counting." In reality, Wis normally does little for the character other than increase will saves. Str, con, and dex are all used in important combat situations. If these are used to also determine the strength of bending, the bending classes would become overpowered.

For example, an Earthbender's Con mod not only improves his HP and fort save, but also makes his bending stronger. Another example, an Airbender's Dex mod not only improves his ranged (an possibly melee) attacks, skills, and ref save, but now it also makes his bending more powerful. There is too much benefit being added to one score.

I can see changing the bending ability to use Int, Wis, or Cha depending on the type, just like normal casters. But using the more "combat-oriented" abilities makes the classes overpowered.

Bajaaku
2008-10-09, 12:45 PM
Rapid talk would be great, but there aren't many people involved deeply with the project who can get on at the same time, I'm sure.

Yeah, probably. However, we could still all get Skype or something and share our names so we could contact someone faster if need be.

I still think getting our own forums would be useful. Heck, I think I could even set up some free forums if there's an interest in it. I'd have to look into what sort of features are available for free. I've used www.freewebs.com to make my own website before and I know you can add forums, but I've never tried.

AstralFire
2008-10-09, 12:52 PM
Proboards.com is free. I also have the available webspace/bandwidth to host boards (and have done so before) however - no one's going to use it. (Speaking from experience here with other stuff). This project has largely crawled to a stop, so getting people to regularly remember to go over to this unattached forum would be difficult. A better idea might be to ask if Av20 could get its own forum family like Tears of Blood, but I don't know what the process is for that, especially given that it has slowed down largely.

Bajaaku
2008-10-09, 12:56 PM
If the project has slowed down, then its up to everyone who's interested to bring it back or finish it. Where did everyone go? Hopefully the lead developers didn't abandon it.

String
2008-10-09, 01:02 PM
Conforums.com is also free.

My beef with racial modifiers or culture modifiers is twofold. One: I'm set in my ways. The idea of racial modifiers has come up several times, and is always shut down, generally with very good arguements. Two: I think that our Ranger and Monk classes allow for enough variation within themselves and between them to allow for 'different styles' of character. I mean, no two human fighters HAVE to be the same. No two elven wizards are the same, no two half-orc barbarians are the same. So between Jet and Sokka, as in your example, it's more a matter of choices than of having a +2 to dex or a +2 to str.

EDIT: I believe Eighthseraph had to back out because of school, and I'm not sure where our resident Zombear is...

Lord Tataraus
2008-10-09, 01:13 PM
My view on a new venue for the project is simply, it won't work for a number of reasons. Firstly, the project is, from a overall design stand point, finished. We've created a thoroughly deep system on top of the D20 framework and filled in all necessary components. All that's happening now is splatbook material which is not as popular because many don't feel it is necessary. The system is proven to be relatively balanced with both non-bender systems and has a near limitless form structure. Thus, the project doesn't have much to discuss which is one reason I'm taking up the task of updating the pdf. When I made the first version, the project was in a playable state with a bit of a dispute between the non-benders and a few little tweaks could have fixed it up a bit more, but overall it was completed. No the tweaks are done, the non-benders are finalized and a few new additions have been made, but most of what is happening now is, as I said before, splatbook material. The other reason another venue won't work is, as Astral Fire said, those within the project are too geologically spread apart that finding a time for a chat would be near impossible without excluding a number of people, also an external forum would, IMO, go against the spirit of this being a Giantitp Community effort. And of course, because the project is effectively done, traffic would be very low. As far as I can tell, the old lead designers are satisfied with what was achieved and have moved on. I have no intention of adding anything more to the project other than a last official pdf of the final project.

- LT

Bajaaku
2008-10-09, 01:15 PM
I wasn't really arguing the racial mods, I was talking about using abilities other than Wis for bending. Unless your post isn't directed at me >.>

I'm not sure whether or not I like the idea of racial mods if everyone is human. I wouldn't say that their location has anything to do with their physical qualities. They are all of the same species, just like we are. It's the character's personality and class that sets them apart from each other.