Avatar Legends: Ash and Steel [Organization thread]**DON'T POST HERE**

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Avatar Legends: Ash and Steel [Organization thread]**DON'T POST HERE**

Post by Gunmetal_Rainbow »

**DON'T POST IN THIS THREAD PLEASE**

Era: 100 Year War
Scope: Racing across the Earth Kingdom
Group Focus: Protect ex-Fire Nation General, Onomu and deliver the War Plans she carries to the outpost destination outside Ba Sing Se.
Cast:
<> Li [The Rogue] Doctor Malsyn
<> Minnow [The Prodigy] Vivid
<> Zumu Yin [The Elder] Flynnarrel

Your group has been contacted by Ba Sing Se’s Grand Secretariat, Long Feng, an extremely influential political figure in the city, advisor to the king of the Earth Kingdom himself. It is unlikely any of you have personally met Long Feng, but have had contact with him via correspondence or one of his many agents. This time however, he has invited you to meet with him personally.
[What has your group done in the war against the Fire Nation to gain his notice?]

He has a task of the utmost importance for you. A prominent Fire Nation general by the name of Onomu has defected and stolen vital war plans. She wants asylum in Ba Sing Se, using the war plans as her golden ticket through the gates. Long Feng wants those plans in order to know the Fire Nation’s movements for the sake of keeping Ba Sing Se safe.
[Expanding on the previous question, why does Long Feng trust your group with this vital mission?]

Long Feng has offered to reward you greatly for this service to the Earth Kingdom should you succeed.
[What does your character request in exchange for taking on this mission, and why are you specifically committed to seeing the mission through?]

Onomu is an embarrassment to Fire Lord Ozai as not only did she openly question the Fire Lord, but also stole the war plans and managed to escape from Fire Nation lands. Ozai no doubt has sent mercenaries after her, and any Fire Nation soldiers and officers may recognize her and know of her defection. She will also be conspicuous in the Earth Kingdom, possibly recognized by the citizenry of the Kingdom as well as Fire Nation colonizers, so traveling with as low profile as possible will be the key to successfully completing the mission.

Your group will meet with Onomu in a small coastal village on the Earth Kingdom’s western coastline called Tuyadi village and travel northeast to Ba Singe Se. With access to Long Feng’s considerable resources, it is easy to map out the swiftest, and safest, route through the Kingdom to reach Ba Sing Se. It does not promise complete safety, but should avoid a large bulk of the occupying Fire Nation. The path will take the group through;

West Heiatu: A Fire Nation colony your group has actually visited before. It’s been colonized long enough to have reached a somewhat steady peace, most of the time. You recall a tea house you visited, the Steeping Phoenix, where you met and spoke with the owner who sat and shared tea with your table. You feel confident you can slip through this settlement easily so long as you keep your heads down.
[What was the teahouse owner’s name? What was an odd quirk her had? And what trained animal did he employ to assist him in running the teahouse?]
[What did you do to endear yourselves to the owner?]
[What complicated trouble did the owner complain of while drinking tea with you?]


So Bai Oasis: The desertous central region of the Earth Kingdom is nearly impossible to effectively patrol for the Fire Nation. As a result, smaller locales that provide no political or strategic value, like So Bai Oasis, are more or less spared the horrors the war has brought and only vaguely know of what is happening due to their remoteness. This should be a good milestone to rest a little in relative safety before moving on.

Xiadi: You may or may not have known of this underground (literally) rebel stronghold in the heart of the Earth Kingdom. Passing through here will cut a vast amount of time and risk from the trip to Ba Sing Se, but there is no way they will knowingly let a Fire Nation general through, defector or not, without extremely convincing reasoning. You may be able to plead for passage, but you might also be able to sneak through if you’re careful. The alternative is very difficult terrain that contains a heavy concentration of Fire Nation patrols on the lookout for rebel activity, making it a suicidal alternative.
[Do you have any ties to the rebel forces in Xiadi? Were you a member of their ranks? What caused you to leave?]

Laoshan: A small, destitute mining community next to a rich mine that the Fire Nation has exploited for ore. The bulk of Fire Nation soldiers here are stationed at the mine, rather than the town, resulting in the townsfolk being forced to labor under the Fire Nation for meager wages out of sheer desperation. Because the focus of the Fire Nation forces here is on the mine, passing through the village proper should be very simple.

This is the last leg of the trip before the final destination, an outpost situated outside the western walls of Ba Sing Se where one of Long Feng’s agents will meet you for the exchange of the War Plans.
[Knowing without doubt that this is the safest and fastest route, do you have any reason to deviate from this path, knowing to do so would take longer and expose the group to more danger?]

Long Feng is a shrewd man, and given his resources, you can be certain he will have eyes on the situation, reporting back to him as it develops, but you will not be able to count on his assistance from afar in any reasonable amount of time as his influence is primarily within the walls of Ba Sing Se. However, you do get the sense that he is genuinely sincere in his desire to use the war plans in the defense of the city and that you can trust he will honor his side of the bargain with your rewards, assuming they are reasonable.
Last edited by Gunmetal_Rainbow on Tue May 16, 2023 2:08 am, edited 5 times in total.
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Re: Avatar Legends: Ash and Steel

Post by Gunmetal_Rainbow »

CHARACTER CREATION

PLAYBOOKS
The following playbooks are available for use. Use the descriptions to feel out what kind of personal character story and struggles you want to play out. Each Playbook’s balance is informative of the kind of internal struggles the character will face as they represent two conflicting principles that will influence and be affected by your character’s actions. There are benefits to leaning into one principle or the other, but such imbalance carries risks of losing balance entirely which can lead to destructive consequences.

• The Adamant will fix the world, even if it means breaking all the rules. Play the Adamant if you want to contend with what “doing right” means in a complicated World.
[Balance: Restraint vs Results]

• The Bold fights to live up to their self-image and earn others’ trust and confidence. Play the Bold if you want to build your reputation and leadership skills.
[Balance: Loyalty vs Confidence]

• The Destined are known to have some important, Incredible fate before them…but exactly what that fate is, when it will come for them, and how it will play out all remain to be seen.
[Balance: Patience vs Determination]

• The Elder have seen much, been to many places, And done much. Now esteemed and successful, they have much to teach…but they also have the wisdom to see they have much to learn.
[Balance: Experience vs Humility]

• The Foundling are the inheritor of two traditions, two cultures, two frameworks of training and philosophies. They are constantly trying to represent the best of both, and sometimes to combine them into something new.
[Balance: Unity vs Heritage]

• The Guardian defends someone close to them, steadfast and watchful. Play the Guardian if you want to be the first to see danger coming and the last line of defense.
[Balance: Self-Reliance vs Trust]

• The Hammer is strong, tough, and looking for a deserving face to punch. Play the Hammer if you want to grapple with what force can and can’t solve.
[Balance: Force vs Care]

• The Icon comes from an ancient tradition and inherits some serious standards to live up to. Play the Icon if you want to be torn between your heart and your duty.
[Balance: Role vs Freedom]

• The Idealist has a past, full of suffering and tragedy, that strengthened their beliefs. Play the Idealist if you want to awaken the hope in everyone around you.
[Balance: Forgiveness vs Action]

• The Pillar is an experienced team player and leader of a famous group of warriors. Play the Pillar if you want to be a savvy tactician who binds the team together.
[Balance: Support vs Leadership]

• The Prodigy not only excels at their training, but has taken it even beyond their masters’ teachings. Play the Prodigy if you want to stretch the limits of your training and abilities.
[Balance: Excellence vs Community]

• The Razor were raised to be a weapon, a tool for their masters to use against enemies. But they have seen a better way forward, and now they seek to make up for the terrible things they did and what they were taught to do.
[Balance: Control vs Connection]

• The Rogue is a rule-breaker, a joker, a delinquent—a figure on the fringes who snipes at the people in charge. Play the Rogue if you like the idea of being a Troublemaker.
[Balance: Friendship vs Survival]

• The Successor comes from a powerful, tarnished lineage. Play the Successor if you want to struggle against your lineage as it threatens to draw you in.
[Balance: Tradition vs Progress]

For the sake of maintaining the tension of the adventure, I will be restricting the “Yip Yip!” move from the Icon’s playbook. Basically, no air bison (they are all but extinct by this point anyhow) or equivalent flying mounts. Any land-based companions are perfectly fine.

Each playbook has unique moves, a unique technique and a unique feature. Make sure you read them over. The feature is a core element of your playbook, something that makes them really stand out and give them an edge in doing what they do. The moves are unique things you can do, often thematic for the playbook. And the technique is unique to that playbook and automatically one of your starting techniques.
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Re: Avatar Legends: Ash and Steel

Post by Gunmetal_Rainbow »

Once you have chosen a playbook, you have two entries called “Training” and “Fighting Style”.

Training is a choice of 6 options; The four elemental bending styles (Air, Earth, Fire and Water), Weapons or Technology. The Bending styles represent the base forms, not advanced styles like metal or blood bending. There is a way to begin with these, but for now, focus on the base form. Weapons training represents both armed and unarmed combat, including chi blocking. Your fists and feet are weapons as well after all. Technology represents using ingenuity to create gadgets and devices that you use in place of or in support of the raw martial talents of other training types. It can also reflect a “brains over brawn” approach to combat.

Fighting Style is more open-ended. While Training can be seen as “what you do”, Fighting Style is more “how you do it”. Are you a Firebender that uses a more fluid style you’ve adapted by observing waterbending, or an Earthbender with a floaty fighting style more reflective of your personality eschewing traditional Earthbending forms? Are you a weapons user that specializes in the use of a favored heirloom longbow? Are you a technologist with a penchant for explosives? Think of fighting style as the coat of paint for how your character fights and create something signature and reflective of your character’s mindset and background.

After Training and Fighting Style is Background. The options are: Military, Monastic, Outlaw, Privileged, Urban and Wilderness. This list should cover most situations, but it’s not exhaustive and provides a layer of flavor that may inform other areas of your character. So if these options are not sufficient for what you have in mind, feel free to suggest something else! You may choose up to two backgrounds to reflect perhaps different phases of your background, or more complicated circumstances.

Hometown is where you grew up. Feel free to make up a place and say a little about it and where your character fit in, if they lived there long, the circumstances behind them leaving and any other details like whether it’s an Earth Kingdom town now colonized by the Fire Nation, or if it was razed in the conflict or due to some kind of uprising. Give it a little history.

Demeanors are options laid out by your chosen playbook. These are behavioral norms for the character that can help if you’re not sure what to do in a given situation. They also give others a broad idea of how the character may present to others, as in how they act and are seen by those they interact with. A Flippant Adamant will act and be viewed differently from a Chilly or Above-it-all Adamant. You are not restricted to the Demeanors on your playbook, they are merely suggestions to help and are thematic to the playbook, and you are not restricted to just one. Characters are far more multi-dimensional than being distilled to a single demeanor, though some might embody one demeanor and show depth in their actions that subvert expectations of that demeanor, or maybe they have a different demeanor that only comes up in certain, high pressure situations.. There’s really no wrong way to go about this. Do what feels right.

Your Look might seem less important, but think about the show; each character had a distinct style you can bring to mind when thinking about them. Specific details; Aang’s tattoos, Zuko’s burn scar, Toph going barefoot. Try to think about a few specific details of your character that would be invoked when trying to remember what they look like. Who knows, maybe something about your look could become important!

Each playbook has History questions, so you will need to have chosen your playbook to do this part, but the questions will help flesh out how you came to embody the playbook you chose, and create ties with other members of the group. These are important questions, so make sure you give them appropriate consideration, and feel free to crowdsource the group for ideas if you’re stuck! After all, some of the questions involve the other players, so working with them to flesh out those answers will only serve to bring more life into your character and their relationships within the group.
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Re: Avatar Legends: Ash and Steel

Post by Gunmetal_Rainbow »

STATS

Your playbook will indicate your starting stats, which will be between -1 and +2. You get 1 point you may place in one stat, but may not bring a stat above +2. There are special playbook moves that may be taken that give +1 to a particular stat and increases the cap to +3.

Having said that, I just want to point out that the core rolling mechanic is 2d6+stat. 1-6 is failure, 7-9 is success with a cost and 10+ is outright success. So even without a modifier, 7 is the most likely result one will see. Having +1 or 2 will make that 7-9 range come up more often than not. Having a +3 is not vital for success, and is generally going to be less interesting than other moves available.

However, I’m not the fun police, take whatever move you want that you have access to. I just want that choice to be informed, and don’t want you to feel like you’re missing out in any way by passing up that +1 over the other great moves available.


BALANCE

At the start of play, you may begin with your Balance centered at 0, or shifted once towards either of your character’s principles.


PLAYBOOK MOVES

You get to choose two moves from your playbook! With growth, you can later choose moves from other playbooks, but for now, you’re limited to the awesome moves your own playbook has access to.


ADVANCED TECHNIQUES

We’ll be starting with one Mastered technique and one Learned technique. Normally, your Playbook technique is the Mastered technique by default, but I’ll allow forgoing of your playbook technique in favor of something else, whether that means you take the playbook technique as the Learned technique, or not take it at all.

Techniques exist as Learned, Practiced or Mastered. The difference is mostly about when you may use them during exchanges. A Learned technique becomes Practiced once you successfully use it in an exchange. Making a Practiced technique Mastered is much more difficult, requiring a master who will give you specific requirements that must be completed, be it to seek forgiveness of someone you have slighted to learn humility, placing your mind in a state it may finally fully grasp the technique to master it, or to visit a particular site where final instruction may be effectively provided. Lots of possible things here really, but given the scope of the adventure, it leaves things limited, but not impossible. Just saying for tempered expectations. Gaining new Learned techniques is pretty easy though. Requires a teacher and just a little time. Then you make a Training Move roll to see if you were able to pick it up. Very simple and something you can expect as rewards if that’s the kind of thing you might be interested in while moving through the adventure.
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Re: Avatar Legends: Ash and Steel

Post by Gunmetal_Rainbow »

EXCHANGES

This will be a basic primer on Exchanges as it is unique to Avatar Legends as far as PbtA games go, and something I have seen other players struggle with.

A few simple premises to keep in mind:
There are no “turns”. While actions will be described in a particular order, all of the actions will play out at the same time. So, marked fatigue or conditions that result from a technique will not set in until the end of the exchange and will have no effect on the action the condition is placed on.
Exchange “rounds” are singular. Don’t think of an exchange as everyone doing a single thing. It’s more like a scene of combat, a single beat of combat where multiple things happen, a flurry of blows exchanged.
Exchanges don’t typically happen back to back until one side is defeated. Think about an action sequence in the cartoon where characters will fight a bit, then will pause to talk, whether it’s taunting or trying to resolve things another way. This reflects how one exchange has ended and the characters have a chance to talk and try to change the status quo before determining if another exchange is even necessary.
Exchanges end once no-one wants to continue. It takes a minimum of two people who want to fight for an exchange to happen, so striking someone who doesn’t want to fight is not handled as an exchange. Simple as that.
Not all combat requires an exchange! An exchange assumes combatants of competent and reasonably equal capabilities. You would not enter an exchange with a Fire Nation assault tank under any circumstances. You can attack it with your skills, and it can use its weapons against you, but that is not an exchange. Similarly, attacking someone who lacks the skill to effectively defend themselves against you is not an exchange.
Multiple exchanges can happen at the same time. This is typically done to split combat up when there are different groups engaged. IE PC1 is holding off a group of Fire Nation Soldiers while PC2 is dueling their commanding officer. There may be some firebending attackers that are not being engaged right now, they simply do what they will since no-one is stopping them. PC3 might be racing to where they are to engage them, but won’t make it until after the first exchange has concluded. If exchanges continue, then there will be a third group with the firebenders and PC3 in a different location.

How to exchange:
Determine who is involved and where they are narratively. This is important so that everyone is on the same page as to what the battlefield looks like as it will determine who you can engage.

Determine who you are engaging in the exchange. Keep narrative position in mind. If you lack the means to engage an enemy, then you simply can’t and they probably aren’t part of the exchange.

Decide on your Approach. There are three approaches: Defend and Maneuver, Attack and Advance, and Evade and Observe. Which you choose will determine what techniques and advanced techniques you have available to use during the exchange based on your stance move roll, and what order actions will be described in.

Remember, all actions will occur at the same time, but there is a strategic benefit to be had, as the actions are described in the order mentioned above. The later you are in that order, the more information you have as you know what other people are doing and may choose your course of action accordingly.

All players roll the stance move which will determine what they may do during the exchange within the scope of the approach they chose. NPCs do not roll and automatically use a number of techniques equal to their Balance rating+1 (meaning the more you push an NPC towards it’s principle, the more dangerous they get as you might consider it like they are being pushed into extremes, drawing power from their conviction)

Here are the step-by-step instructions
The GM chooses approaches for the NPCs (But doesn’t show them yet)
The players choose approaches for themselves and reveal them.
The GM reveals the NPC approaches.
Approaches are resolved in order; PC Defend and Maneuver, NPC Defend and Maneuver, PC Advance and Attack, NPC Advance and Attack, PC Evade and Observe, NPC Evade and Observe.
Resolving means rolling the Stance Move, choosing techniques, and recording the effects of those techniques. The effects will resolve at the end of the current exchange. The Cost for any technique used resolves as part of using the technique, not at the end of the exchange.
Resolve being taken out or losing balance for any character applicable.

At this point, everything is reassessed. See who is still standing and still wanting to fight. A conflict can be ended in a single exchange. Morale may break, an enemy may see they are greatly out-matched, etc.

How I plan to implement this in the forum to try and keep things moving as smoothly as possible, I will make an OOC post to keep everything organized for each exchange and edit in details as we go, so as approaches are chosen and techniques are resolved. In the IC as you choose which techniques you want to use, you can post just how that looks in action, think of it like a panel in a comic book, a snapshot of the character in action doing the cool thing.

At the end of the exchange, I’ll do a post outlining the NPC actions, reacting to the PC actions and summary of the results of all the actions. I don’t know how well it will work, it might be a learning experience to adapt as we learn.
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Re: Avatar Legends: Ash and Steel [Organization thread]**DON'T POST HERE**

Post by Gunmetal_Rainbow »

Here is a link to the Avatar Legends play materials. It contains all the common moves and will be certainly invaluable.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1taMp5O ... share_link
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Re: Avatar Legends: Ash and Steel [Organization thread]**DON'T POST HERE**

Post by Gunmetal_Rainbow »

[What has your group done in the war against the Fire Nation to gain his {Ba Sing Se’s Grand Secretariat, Long Feng,} notice?]
[Expanding on the previous question, why does Long Feng trust your group with this vital mission?]

We defended Shima Zho from Fire Nation Marauders far longer to save some of its citizens and aided Earth Nation military in making sure the Fire Nation didn't hold it using stealth and skill.

[What does your character request in exchange for taking on this mission, and why are you specifically committed to seeing the mission through?]

Long Feng will divert resources to re-establishing a village at the site of Shima Zho and give priority to survivors of the original village for populating the new establishment. It will also be better protected.

[What was the teahouse owner’s name? What was an odd quirk her had? And what trained animal did he employ to assist him in running the teahouse?]

Mr. Wu, a man who had poor hearing and would often shove his face close to others so he could both hear them and still 'Look people in the eye'. He owned what must've been either a juvenile or a pigmy badger mole that he wore like an adorable hat.

[What did you do to endear yourselves to the owner?]
[What complicated trouble did the owner complain of while drinking tea with you?]

Supplies of tea have been harder and harder to come by. We helped one of Mr. Wu's tea shipments by defending the cart it was on from bandits on the road.

[Do you have any ties to the rebel forces in Xiadi? Were you a member of their ranks? What caused you to leave?]

[Not sure how big Xiadi is so being conservative.]
Several of the younger survivors from Shima Zho found that the stabile location and proffered training of Xiadi were appealing. The trio may have stayed long enough to get the scant survivors that were staying settled, but didn't stay further; too much to do on the road.

[Knowing without doubt that this is the safest and fastest route, do you have any reason to deviate from this path, knowing to do so would take longer and expose the group to more danger?]

While Li might be lured by the great desert library, Zumu Yin knew the time-sensitive nature of getting the Fire Nation plans into the hands of authorities who could design counters. She'd only stray from the fastest route if there were actively people in danger and the trio could help.
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Re: Avatar Legends: Ash and Steel [Organization thread]**DON'T POST HERE**

Post by Gunmetal_Rainbow »

NPC Balance chart

( ) = Center / * = Current Balance

Code: Select all

Onomu            *
Survival         0(1)2
Defector from the Fire Nation. A once decorated general, responsible for many successful campaigns in the Earth Kingdom against its people. Currently carrying war plans stolen from under the Fire Lord's nose to use as a bartering chip to secure safe haven in Ba Sing Se in a long distance arrangement with Long Feng. Has started to soften up to the group after experiencing some incidents with them and observing how they act, as well as seeing various locals of the Earth Kingdom in her travels towards Be Sing Se.

Ben Ta           *
Revenge          0 1(2)3
Leader of the Armadillo Bears with a personal grudge against Onomu whom she blames for her mother's death due to the appropriation of food and medical supplies by Onomu's forces. Normally rational, but where it comes to Onomu, she's seen to lose all reason.
       
Rameh              *
Justice         (0)1 2
Ben Ta's second in command for the Armadillo Bears. He's level-headed and speaks little and only when important. Seems to be the only one able to keep Ben Ta calm when she gets too carried away.
       
Armadillo-Bears    *
Loyalty         (0)1 2
Ben Ta's squad of freedom fighters. They are not individually very strong and skilled, but make up for it with their loyalty to Ben Ta and the Earth Kingdom as a whole.

[b]Rough Rhinos[/b]
Colonel Mongke     *
????            (0)1 2
Has earned a name for himself in the fire nation for his brutality. An ex-general, he had trouble within the establish structure of the military, but has thrived working as his own boss being a mercenary, leading the Rough Rhinos.

Ogodei (Chains)    *
????            (0)1

Kahchi (Guandao) *
????            (0)1

Yeh-Lu (Bomber)  *
????            (0)1

Vachir (Archer)  *
????            (0)1

Bo               *
????            (0)1
Formerly a resident of Shima Zho. Known to Yin, Minnow and Li in their younger years. Has grown up to be a respectable earthbender and currently acts a freedom fighter stationed at Xiadi.

Taph Aleh         *
????             (0)12
The head of Xiadi, coordination hundreds of earth kingdom freedom fighters as they campaign against the fire nation occupation. Wields a large sword and easily recognizable by her signature sleeveless garb, revealing thickly muscled arms scaored with a webwork of scars from battles past. 
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