Putting together an Avatar RPG system (and not the blue alien people!)

[Talon Sky]

Title basically says it; I've been working on a role playing system for an Avatar: The Last Airbender style game. It's been bumbling around in my head, and I'd like some feedback as I progressively get it written down.

The essential concepts are borrowed from D&D 3.5 and the Star Wars Saga game. All the bending arts are treated as skill checks: you determine what you want to do with your bending, I set a DC, and you roll for it. As you level up, characters will learn 'Bending Styles', which will essentially determine what DCs are considered 'freebees'.

For example, a level 1 Firebender can add flame to a martial attack for free, as well as extend the fire damage (not the damage of his martial attack, however) 5 feet out for free. Basic Firebending. For every 5 feet he wishes to add on to the extended attack, it's a stacking DC of 5: to shoot fire 10 feet out, it's a DC 5 Firebending check. A level 1 character will have an excellent shot at getting that, maybe even out to 15 feet, but there will be a chance of failure.

Then, at level 3, when he learns his first Bending Art, the range of his fire attack will automatically be able to extend out 10 feet.

A little more obscure, say said Firebender wishes to create a fireball in a 2x2 square and fire it 15 feet. At level 1, the DC to make said fireball would be....I dunno, 10. And then an additional 10 for the range. At a DC 20, that would be difficult to do at the lower levels, and almost trivial....and maybe simply free....at mid-to-higher levels.

Blocking enemy attacks with your own element would run a similar concept, like countering the Force with the Force in Star Wars Saga. A Waterbender attacks our Firebender with an extended attack. She makes her skill check and rolls the attack roll. If our Firebender wants to use fire to block, he needs to roll a Firebending skill check and match or best her attack roll. But here's the kicker: characters can only block a number of attacks per round equal to half their class levels; at level 1, our Firebender's simply not proficient enough to block enemy attacks. At level 2 he's got the concept down but is still mastering it; but level 10, he can block 5 attacks from one or multiple enemies at once and has a fairly solid defense.

There will be more soon, but thoughts?

[The Dark Fiddler]

d20 isn't really the system for an Avatar RPG.

I'm going to be running one myself, shortly, and I'm using Fate Core... which just ended its Kickstarter, so you'll have to wait a bit to get it if you weren't quick enough to get the previews. On the plus side, it'll be pay-what-you-want for the system itself, and all you have to do to make the system work is add Bending as a skill.

That said, if you really want to use d20, it's been done before. Here, for example.

[FreakyCheeseMan]

First, I'd love to see this be a thing, so good luck.

It sounds like you're trying to keep it simple, which is good.

I might suggest adding more distinction between the styles- earth benders, for instance, might be able to block more attacks per round, etc. Unless the Avatar is a PC, no one is going to have to be familiar with more than one bending element per game, so you can make them distinct without worrying about overloading players.

Are you going to attempt to balance non-benders? Are they even going to be PCs? My advice would be "No" and "Yes". Balance isn't the same as fun.

One thing you might play around with is breaking out of the traditional "Level" system. Let styles and techniques be learned fluidly, or skill advanced on the fly. That's just me, though - I never liked the level system, for a number of reasons.

[Talon Sky]

I don't want to ruin too much as I may run this game on this site once it's finished, but for my initial game....no non-benders. My first game will be with four players, each a different element bender.

There will be a bit more distinctiveness. Firebending will be extremely offensively based, Earthbending defensive, Airbending will be more transportational and utilitarian, and Waterbending a fair mix of everything.

At least, at this stage in my mind it is. And that's not to say an element can't be used for other things, but that there are certain aspects that the elements are better at than the others.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

I'd advise you against tying things too heavily to the numbers. I'll second the Fate Core suggestion, or...well, 4th Edition could do this as well, because of how it abstracts things.

Another off-the-cuff game you might look into, at least for inspiration, is Wushu Open. It's designed to encourage wire-fu stunts, and melds pretty perfectly into the Avatar style. You have a lot of back-and-forth in a fight, and you only roll dice at the end (which is when you see if you got a KO).

[Incom]

I don't want to ruin too much as I may run this game on this site once it's finished, but for my initial game....no non-benders. My first game will be with four players, each a different element bender.

There will be a bit more distinctiveness. Firebending will be extremely offensively based, Earthbending defensive, Airbending will be more transportational and utilitarian, and Waterbending a fair mix of everything.

At least, at this stage in my mind it is. And that's not to say an element can't be used for other things, but that there are certain aspects that the elements are better at than the others.

via TVTropes:

Spoiler

Show

Fragile Speedster: Airbending: Its attacks and defensive abilities aren't particularly strong, but it puts more of an emphasis on mobility and speed.

Mighty Glacier: Earthbending: The bender makes slow, gradual movements but deals and takes attacks like a tank.

Glass Cannon: Firebending: It lacks effective defensive moves but hits hard to make up for it.

Stone Wall: Waterbending (ironically enough): It's not particularly offensive in nature; it focuses more on defensive tactics, usually only countering as an offensive move.

IIRC this is supported by creator comments, though I can't find a citation.

Just for some ideas, of course.

[beau highbill]

I actually have a friend working on an avatar pnp as well, using essentially the same system you have outlined. I'd like to see how it goes

[Partysan]

While I agree that d20 might not be an ideal base for an Avatar RPG, one or two Avatar d20 systems have alraedy been developed (and even played on these boards) which model bending as skill checks.

That said, if I were developing an Avatar RPG I'd consider that most bending moves are in fact martial arts techniques given range and area of effect by elemental enhancement, I'd try to fuse the system's melee and bending rules.