Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game

2022·27.1 MB·English

by  Magpie Games

The rolePlaying GaMe
Everything you need to play in this beloved setting
and create your own heroic legends!
T h e ro l e P l ay i n g G a M e
Chapter 1: Welcome to The Game 1
Credits Acknowledgements
The Avatar Legends shows, comics, and books have inspired us for years. They
Project Manager
taught us lessons on heroism when we were younger and represented many of us
Elizabeth Chaipraditkul
in a meaningful way when we missed seeing ourselves on TV. It’s been a dream to
Lead Designer work on this project!
Brendan Conway The staff at Magpie Games is supported by a number of wonderful people,
many of whom helped bring this dream into reality. Thank you to our AMAZING
Core Designers
Kickstarter backers! This book was made thanks to your enthusiasm, love, and
Brendan Conway, James Mendez Hodes,
support. Thank you for journeying to the Four Nations with us and making this
Marissa Kelly, Mark Diaz Truman
book a success!
Contributing Designers
We would also like to thank Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, and
Sharang Biswas, Lee Francis IV, Sen-Foong the folks at Avatar Studios for creating the fantasy world that we love so deeply.
Lim, Yeonsoo Julian Kim, Daniel Kwan We would especially like to thank Dr. Lee Siu-Leung, whose translation and
Additional Design calligraphy work is iconic for the original material and this book. We would also
Elizabeth Chaipraditkul, Alexi Sargeant like to give a huge thank you to Joan Hilty for all her work with us on this project
and the help she provided in getting our representation of the Four Nations just
Development
right. Also, thank you to our “Team Avatar” over at ViacomCBS—Jeff Whitman,
Elizabeth Chaipraditkul, Brendan Conway, Miguel
James Salerno, Alexandra Maurer, Russ Spina, and Linda Lee. It’s been amazing
Ángel Espinoza, Marissa Kelly, Mark Diaz Truman
delving into this world with you and thank you for all the time you’ve invested in
Writing making our work shine!
Sharang Biswas, Elizabeth Chaipraditkul, Brendan We’d like to acknowledge the Asian and Indigenous cultures that influenced
Conway, James Mendez Hodes, Yeonsoo Julian Kim, the Avatar Legends properties and our game. A special thanks to members of
Simon Moody, Lysa Penrose, Mark Diaz Truman those cultures who spent time with us helping to understand their communities
Copy Editing and inspired our work within Avatar Legends; your work with us has made our
game more inclusive, more thoughtful, and more exciting at every level.
Monte Lin, Kate Unrau
We can’t express how grateful we are for all the freelancers we worked with on
Layout and Graphic Design
this project from writers, to contributing designers, to editors. For all the conver-
Miguel Ángel Espinoza
sations we’ve had about culture, our favorite characters, and what it truly means
Art Direction to be a member of the Four Nations! Thank you for helping to shape the DNA of
Marissa Kelly this project, all the amazing work you did, and how you helped bring this game
to life. Also, thank you to our CPP GMs and our community moderators who’ve
Art
helped to shape the community around our game and keep it thriving. You’ve all
Avatar Studios & Viacom International Incorporated
been an integral part of our team and we could not have done this without you.
Miguel Ángel Espinoza, Abe Dieckman,
Thank you also to Christi Cardenas for helping to make Avatar Legends: The Role-
Patrick Spaziante, Richard Suh
playing Game a reality. You are an amazing partner and agent, and we are so deeply
Additional Art: Pete Hague, Syd Mills
grateful for all of the ways in which you make our games possible. Thank you!
Proofreading
Finally, Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game’s mechanics are based on the
Katherine Fackrell Powered by the Apocalypse framework originally developed by Vincent and
Chinese Translation Meguey Baker. We would like to sincerely thank them for creating a game system
Dr. Lee Siu-Leung, Tony Lee that has inspired and influenced our design so deeply and brought a new genera-
tion of designers, players, and publishers into the tabletop gaming hobby.
Calligraphy
Dr. Lee Siu-Leung
Additional Calligraphy: Miguel Ángel Espinoza
Indexing
Elizabeth Chaipraditkul, Derrick Kapchinsky
Licensing Liaison
Mark Diaz Truman
Staff Support
Kate Bullock, Sarah Doom, Derrick Kapchinsky,
Adam McEwen, Chris Samson, Sarah Satiel
Printed by LongPack Games
Special thanks to:
Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game text and design
Christi Cardenas, Michael Dante DiMartino,
©2022 Magpie Games. All rights reserved.
Arthur “DJ” Desin, Joan Hilty, Bryan
Konietzko, Linda Lee, Alexandra Maurer, ©2022 Viacom International Inc. All rights reserved. Nickelodeon, Avatar, and all
James Salerno, Russ Spina, Jeff Whitman related titles, logos, and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.
TTaabbllee ooff CCoonntteennttss
Chapter 1: Welcome to The Game ..............................5 Chapter 7: Advancement ........................................207
Avatar Legends ............................................................................6 Earning Growth ......................................................................208
What is an RPG? ...........................................................................7 Growth Advancements ...........................................................210
The Avatarverse ..........................................................................8 Advanced Techniques ...............................................................211
Playing to Find Out ....................................................................12 Specialized Bending .................................................................216
What You Need to Play .............................................................13 Changing Your Character ........................................................218
Chapter 2: The World of Avatar ................................15 Chapter 8: Running The Game ................................221
Exploring History .......................................................................16 The GM’s Role ..........................................................................222
The Four Nations .......................................................................19 Agendas .....................................................................................224
A World of Balance ...................................................................28 Baselines ....................................................................................225
Navigating the Eras ....................................................................31 Guidelines .................................................................................226
The Kyoshi Era ............................................................................32 GM Moves .................................................................................229
The Roku Era .............................................................................44 NPCs ..........................................................................................234
The Hundred Year War Era .......................................................56 Portraying NPCS ......................................................................238
The Aang Era .............................................................................68 Managing Bending ..................................................................239
The Korra Era .............................................................................78 Running Fight Scenes .............................................................240
Chapter 3: Fundamentals of Play ..............................93 Chapter 9: Seasons & Campaigns ...........................245
The Conversation .....................................................................94 Starting Campaigns ................................................................246
Framing Scenes...........................................................................95 Crafting a Season .....................................................................250
Core Elements .........................................................................100 New Seasons ............................................................................255
Starting a Game ......................................................................104
Chapter 10: Running Adventures ...........................257
Chapter 4: Making Characters ................................107 Creating Adventures ................................................................258
Setting Up Your Game ............................................................108 Adventure Tools .......................................................................261
You’re the Hero! ........................................................................112 Adventure Hooks ....................................................................264
The Vanishing Act ....................................................................267
Chapter 5: Core Moves ............................................125
Using this Adventure .........................................................268
Using Moves in Play .................................................................126
Summary .............................................................................268
Basic Moves ..............................................................................127
Introduction .........................................................................271
Balance Moves ..........................................................................137
Escalations ...........................................................................272
Advancement Moves ...............................................................142
Important Characters & Groups........................................273
Custom Moves .........................................................................143
Important Locations ...........................................................276
Combat Exchanges ..................................................................146
GM Advice ...........................................................................277
Statuses ......................................................................................151
Basic Techniques ......................................................................154 Appenddix A: Techniques .......................................279
Weaving it All Together ...........................................................158 Universal Techniques ..............................................................280
Group Techniques ....................................................................281
Chapter 6: Playbooks ...............................................163
Waterbending Techniques ......................................................282
Ten Core Playbooks .................................................................164
Earthbending Techniques ........................................................283
The Adamant ............................................................................167
Firebending Techniques..........................................................284
The Bold .....................................................................................171
Airbending Techniques ............................................................285
The Guardian ............................................................................175
Weapons Techniques ..............................................................286
The Hammer ............................................................................179
Technology Techniques ...........................................................287
The Icon ....................................................................................183
The Idealist ...............................................................................187 Appendix B: NPCs ...................................................288
The Pillar ...................................................................................191 Kyoshi ........................................................................................291
The Prodigy ...............................................................................195 Roku ...........................................................................................292
The Rogue .................................................................................199 General Iroh ..............................................................................293
The Successor ...........................................................................203 Aang ..........................................................................................294
Korra ..........................................................................................295
Appendix C: Play Materials .....................................296

C H A P T E R 1
WELCOME TO
THE GAME
C H A P T E R 1
This chapter introduces you to Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game and gives you a general
overview of the setting and what you do in the game, along with an introduction to roleplaying
if you are new to roleplaying games! It also covers the materials you need to play and safety
tools to keep the game fun for everyone at the table.
Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game is a heroic adventure game A World of Adventure
set in the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend Many people in the Avatarverse are benders, possessing the
of Korra. This world is a fantasy setting inspired by Asian and ability to manipulate one of the four elements—earth, fire, air,
North American Indigenous cultures, a land filled with breath- or water. But whether they’re benders or non-benders, the peo-
taking landscapes, majestic hybrid beasts, and unique marvels of ple of this world have faced centuries of trials and tribulations,
technology and industry. Yet, it is also a world defined by strug- conflicts within and between nations, peoples, and even spirits!
gle in which there are no absolute villains or perfect heroes— For most of the world’s history, the Avatar—a human capable
only people with complex motivations who come into conflict of bending all four elements—has been responsible for maintaining
with others while striving to forge a future they believe is best. balance in the world and serving as a bridge between the spiritual
and physical planes of existence. Following a cycle through the
elements from earth to fire, fire to air, air to water, and water back
AAvvaattaarr LLeeggeennddss to earth, the Avatar reincarnates after each lifetime into a different
nation, carrying forward the Avatar Spirit and its great responsibility.
Many people look to the Avatar for guidance and justice, hoping to
Originally, this setting was only a single show—Avatar: The Last see the most capable bender in the world solve their problems and
Airbender—that told the story of Avatar Aang‘s journey to mas- placing an enormous burden on this lone person to be a savior.
ter the four elements and save the world. But this world’s history But the Avatar is not the only hero in this world. Many are
spans thousands of years, and over time, many more of its stories called to bring balance where there is disorder and seek jus-
across multiple eras of Avatars have been told—including com- tice where there is suffering. Some of these heroes are benders
ics, novels, and of course, the epic series featuring Aang’s succes- themselves, but others use martial arts, weapon training, or
sor, The Legend of Korra. Together, these works make up Avatar technology to triumph in their amazing adventures and build a
Legends, a broad term for all of the different stories that detail the better world. These heroes might sometimes stand with the Ava-
adventures of heroes of the Four Nations (and Republic City). tar in times of great trouble, but often they must join with other
This vast universe of Avatar Legends is often referred to as the heroes—without the Avatar’s guidance—to bring balance.
Avatarverse—a universe that encompasses the entire human
and natural history of this unique world. What is Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game?
Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game gives you and your In Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game, you and your friends tell
friends a chance to create your own Avatar Legends stories a story about a group of young heroes who join together to fight
within five distinct eras, including tools for creating your own for what’s right in a complicated and nuanced world. One of
heroes and your own adventures in the Avatarverse. You and your friends acts as the gamemaster (GM), describing the prob-
your friends get to be the team of heroes at the center of your lems the heroes face and the people they meet along the way;
own show, exploring the Four Nations, confronting threats, and the rest of you take on the roles of individual heroes, seeking to
saving the day just like Team Avatar. make the Avatarverse a better place.
If you’ve never played a tabletop roleplaying game before, This game focuses on stories of adventure and the personal
welcome! Starting a new hobby can feel daunting, but everything journeys of heroes through the various trials in their lives. It’s a
you need to learn how to play is included right here in this book, game for people of all ages who want to look at the Avatarverse
including how to make your heroes and tell amazing stories in the beyond the scope of the existing shows, comics, and stories
Avatarverse. Don’t be afraid to jump in and get started; the best and explore the meaningful actions heroes take for the good of
way to learn how to roleplay is to try it out for yourself! others. If you have ever wanted to throw yourself into the Ava-
tarverse and craft your own adventures alongside your closest
friends, then Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game is for you!
6 Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game
WWhhaatt iiss aann RRPPGG?? The Rules
For the most part, a tabletop roleplaying game plays like a conver-
sation—you take turns speaking, describing the action or sharing
A tabletop roleplaying game (sometimes abbreviated to TTRPG dialogue, reacting to each other, switching back and forth between
or RPG) is a storytelling game for three to six people played at a in-character and out-of-character speech. But the conversation leads
table—or online— with pen, paper, and dice. The game plays out to places of uncertainty, times when no one knows what happens
as if you and your friends were cooperatively telling a story togeth- next. When one character tries to jump from a burning building to
er. Over a few hours, your collective tale evolves and changes, go- safety—across a ten-foot gap—no one knows for sure what hap-
ing to new and unexpected places based on the characters’ actions. pens: do they make the jump or come crashing down?
You may even end up playing multiple sessions that build on the In those moments, you turn to the game’s rules; they help
events of your first session and deepen the characters’ stories! you to figure out what happens in moments of tense uncertain-
Most players each take on the role of a character in the setting of ty, guiding the conversation forward into new, interesting, and
the game. Alongside your friends–who play their own characters— surprising outcomes. The rules themselves provide guidance on
you describe what your character looks like and what they do. You when they come into play, but most of the time, the GM has to
say what they say, either describing their words (“I say something provide some additional interpretation to help the mechanics fit
intimidating and glower at the guard!”) or speaking about them ver- the very specific situation in your game.
batim (“I say, ‘I’ll never forgive the Fire Nation!’”). You think about What’s more, the GM also acts as a kind of impartial judge, help-
how your character thinks and feels, and you guide all their actions. ing the table determine when the rules come into play. If there’s ever
One of your friends plays a special role—the gamemaster doubt about whether or not the rules apply, the GM acts as the final
(GM). They portray the rest of the world, including all the other arbiter and decision maker. If a character is jumping from a burning
characters. They describe what every other character does or building, the GM might look at the rules and the situations in which
says and fill in any holes in the setting so that everyone at the they’re supposed to come into play, and then decide that, yes, there
table shares the same imaginary world in their heads. In a game absolutely is uncertainty here. Time to go to the rules!
focused on an existing property, like Avatar Legends: The Roleplay- If, on the other hand, a character is jumping from one building
ing Game, the GM also helps to productively introduce existing to another when there’s no fire and the two buildings are practically
elements like major characters or events from the setting. touching, the GM might look at the rules, look at the situations in
Very importantly, the GM isn’t playing against the other which they’re supposed to come into play, and decide that there’s no
players. They’re here to try to represent the world faithfully while real uncertainty here. There’s no tension. The character just does it.
building out a set of interesting conflicts—to say what happens
and what exists in a way that makes the fictional world make sense.
And they’re here to keep things compelling and exciting—which The Story
includes honoring how awesome the other players’ characters are! Telling a story together through roleplaying isn’t like writing a
screenplay, in which a sole writer is in complete and total control
over the narrative. Instead, the GM offers problems for the
Your Heroes players to confront while making room to be surprised by how
In Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game you play one of the many the PCs respond to the conflicts at hand, and the players make
heroes of the Four Nations. Your goal is to protect the world choices about what their characters do, playing off each other
from harm and stand up for those without the power to stand and finding out what happens together.
up for themselves. You fight on the side of what is right, even if Thus, each individual story of Avatar Legends: The Roleplay-
that is the most difficult path to take, and you understand that to ing Game is like an episode of your own television show—the
achieve peace there must be balance in all things. heroes learn about problems, figure out what they want to do,
Each player in Avatar Legends: the Roleplaying Game creates engage in some action, then discover the resolution of those
their own hero using a playbook, a kind of hero archetype—a problems through their choices. But unlike those shows, nothing
set of abilities and details and story elements all wrapped togeth- is scripted, and you play to find out what happens!
er to help you make the coolest character possible. Each hero is But a single episode rarely resolves everything. You and your fel-
known as a player character (PC) in contrast to characters not low companions might defeat a dangerous villain and save a village
controlled by the PCs called non-player characters (NPCs). from destruction, but that doesn’t mean that there are no further
You and your fellow PCs are the main characters; your decisions problems for the heroes to face. In fact, that defeated villain might
matter the most to the tale you’re telling together. As you play, the reveal that there are larger forces in play, leading to the companions
GM presents the PCs with locations, situations, and characters undertaking a larger mission that spans multiple sessions of play.
that create new, interesting choices and events. For example, your That larger overarching story—composed of multiple, com-
characters might be invited to a soiree at the Earth King’s palace, a plete story episodes—is called a season. Sometimes groups only
spot you know will attract several thieves looking to steal the King’s tell short stories, perhaps a single episode or just two or three,
precious jewels. Your GM describes what the party looks like, the in- but often the longer stories are what makes roleplaying games
teresting guests attending, the surprising events that take place, and truly memorable. After all, what could be better than getting to
the dangerous actions of the thieves. You decide what your heroes watch the heroes you and your friends created grow and change
do to respond to the situation at hand! over the course of many adventures?
Chapter 1: Welcome to The Game 7
TThhee AAvvaattaarrvveerrssee The Eras
Each game of Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game begins with your
group picking an era as the backdrop for your game. The eras are
While all the rules and advice in this book are designed to each tied to the span of an Avatar’s life—except for the Hundred
support stories in the Avatarverse, there are a few core ideas you Year War era during which Avatar Aang was frozen—and focuses on
need to keep in mind while you play. Avatar Legends: The Roleplay- distinct themes which define the type of game you play. The full text
ing Game tells stories of adventure and action against the back- of Chapter 2 describes these eras more deeply, but here’s a quick list
drop of the Avatarverse, a fantasy setting in which any individual that describes the rough focus and details of each era:
person can change the course of history…but no one can escape
the decisions of the past. The Kyoshi Era covers the events right after The
In other words, the potential for change is infinite—there Shadow of Kyoshi novel. Play in the Kyoshi Era
is always a new challenge to be met, a new future to be built, if you want to fight in battles against rogues and
a new legacy to be forged—but the Avatarverse is a place in bandits and deal with governmental corruption as
which people remember what came before, whether that be the nations establish their borders.
the great deeds of Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko, the terrible
destruction wrought by Fire Lord Sozin, or the innumerable The Roku Era covers the time right after Sozin
warlords and bandits that lived and died long before Avatar became Fire Lord and before Roku married. Play
Kyoshi first learned earthbending. The past matters, now more in the Roku Era if you want to deal with tensions
than ever, and the consequences of your actions will echo long between different nations and the trials of main-
after you are gone. taining an uneasy peace.
The stories you tell through this game are not stories of the
battle between good and evil. Instead, they are stories about The Hundred Year War Era focuses on the time
how people try to make a better future while dealing with the just before Avatar Aang’s awakening at the begin-
problems of the past. They are stories about misguided figures ning of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Play in the Hun-
who take things too far and heroes who make sacrifices to find dred Year War era if you want to rebel against unjust
compromises and new ways forward in equal measure. rule, protect the weak, and stand up to tyranny.
Your characters in this story are always capable heroes with
the training and willpower necessary to make the world a better The Aang Era is set immediately after the events
place. They’re drawn together by events that called them to of the Imbalance comics trilogy, some time after
undertake an important struggle—see Outline the Inciting the end of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Play in the
Incident, page 111—but that goal is too large for them to Aang Era if you want to heal the world after trage-
accomplish overnight. Instead, they will have to work together to dy and help push it into a brighter future.
make a meaningful difference. Sometimes that means they must
discover a hidden truth or deep learning; sometimes it means The Korra Era covers a period that takes place
they must win the trust of a worthy ally; and sometimes that after the events of the Ruins of the Empire comic
means they must defeat a dangerous and powerful foe. trilogy, sometime after the end of The Legend of
Each of these goals is complicated by the characters’ own in- Korra. Play in the Korra Era if you want to deal
ternal struggles, the way they are torn between their principles as with the repercussions of imperialism and play in a
they deal with problems. For example, the heroes might finally modernized era.
confront a murderous bandit who has been terrorizing the near-
by villages, only to discover the bandit is keeping a community
of people fed who would have otherwise starved. Will the heroes The Four Nations
set things right no matter the cost? Or do they seek redemption For centuries, the world has been split into four distinct nations
for the bandit based on his good deeds? each with their own cultures and customs. While individuals
Even though each episode’s story will likely be about a partic- from these nations often form lifelong bonds of friendship and
ular conflict or villain or problem, the decisions the companions love, the nations themselves are often in conflict. Your heroes
make echo throughout the setting. And when you play a full may travel from place to place or stay in one location, but they
campaign, you not only encounter the long-term effects of your must always contend with the politics and peoples of the places
own actions, but you also see how your character is changed and they visit during their adventures.
shaped by the decisions you make. Forging a better future also You can read more about the full history of each of the Four
means forging a new version of yourself! Nations—and locations that only exist in later eras, like Repub-
lic City—in Chapter 2. For now, here’s a short summary of each
of the Four Nations, their history, and some of the most import-
ant issues that are likely to arise if they appear in your game.
8 Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game
The Earth Kingdom
The largest of the Four Nations, The Earth Kingdom has been
ruled by a monarchy for much of its history. It is known for its
sheer vastness and diversity of both geography and peoples. De-
spite the history of hardship in the rural areas neglected by the
government, the citizens of the Earth Kingdom are known for
their strength, resilience, and unyielding nature. When they are
knocked down, they rarely stay down for long. They draw their
strength from the immortal earth and immovable mountains.
The Fire Nation
The Fire Nation is located on a group of islands to the west of
the Earth Kingdom. It boasts an impressive military, and its navy
is a force to be reckoned with. This is in large part because travel
by water is a necessity on the islands. In addition to its military,
the Fire Nation is known for its robust economy and industrial
achievements. The Fire Nation is filled with people who value
innovation, technology, discipline, and strength of all kinds.
The Air Nomads
Determined to focus on a spiritual life separate from the rest of the
world, the Air Nomads roamed the world while maintaining four
distinct Air Temples in nearly inaccessible locations. Tragically, Fire
Lord Ozai ordered the Fire Nation military to kill all Air Nomads at
the start of the Hundred Year War (page 58); Avatar Aang was
the only survivor. Over a century later, a number of people gained
airbending abilities during the Harmonic Convergence, ushering in
a new Air Nation under the guidance of Aang’s son, Tenzin.
The Water Tribes
Divided into the Southern Water Tribe and the Northern Water
Tribe—alongside a smaller group based in the Foggy Swamp—
the people of the polar tribes are skilled at sailing and navigating
challenging terrain. However, there is a long history of tension
between the two tribes, and the Southern Water Tribe has often
struggled while their Northern counterpart thrived. Both are
known for their powerful loyalty and unrelenting perseverance,
like the waves of the ocean crashing onto the beaches’ shores.
Chapter 1: Welcome to The Game 9