Avatar the Last Airbender: A Second Chance - Avatar the Last Airbender Game

[Stargaizer]

I just thought of this... an A:tLA game using Abberant rules. Does that sound good/interesting to anyone else?

Does it sound good enough to anybody that they'd want to run it? (years after the end of the series sounds like a good setting to me)

[Mr Fox]

Sounds like a cool concept. I loved the show, but as interesting as it sounds, I'm pretty tied up by other games right now.

[SkyLion]

I only ever saw the first 3 episodes or so...

[Mr Fox]

It's a cool show, worth watching. Being able to watch it straight through would be a big bonus over the frakked up schedule Nickelodeon was airing it on. Plus, it's a story with a definite plan and an actual end which is always a plus.

[Adrian Moss]

My whole family loved it and we have Season 1 of it on DVD. While it would be ineresting to see how peope interpreted the powers, I don't have the time right now to run something else, sorry.

[Warren Verona]

Wouldn't work with Aberrant rules very well, Exalted could support a cleaner transition of the skills and abilities.

[Stargaizer]

Elemental Anima (Water/Earth/Air) and Elemental Mastery (Fire) I think would work fine for the bending. And, with Q5 and mastery, you could 'unlock' the 'special/master' bending techniques (Blood/Metal/?/Lightning).

I think it would work fairly cleanly, and with just a little tweaking.

My opinion.

[Valerie]

I would be SO in into this, but Aberrant rules don't fit it too well without tweaking, mostly due to the Mega Stats and some of the more unorthodox powers.

Still I would sign up immediatly.

[jameson (ST)]

Drop the megas completely, they wouldn't fit any way, but I do tend to agree, the Abby system is less than ideal for this kind of thing. Modified Mutants & Masterminds could work, maybe some version of Mage but its been a while so I don't know for sure if that would translate.

And I would consider playing if somebody is brave enough to give this a go.

[Valerie]

Well Mage wouldn't work as well as you think, as you need like 7 points in spheres to do anything worthwhile with Elements and Forces, Prime, Life, etc etc.

Retooled M&M could be, but I don't know the system at all, easiest I can see is just take Aberrant and strip the Dimension altering powers (Teleport, Time Control) and the Mega Abilitites, allowing stats to top at 10 instead of 5 and be done with it.

Or just go with what Rev say and take Exalted which I hear it's pretty damn fun.

[Justin OOC]

BESM would work... but I can't run three games.

[SalmonMax]

M&M would be better than BESM, and BESM would be better than Exalted, and all three would tie up Aberrant and leave it in an alley all bruised and weeping into a muddy puddle back behind the dumpster.

But the concept of an Avatar-world game is concentrated 'win' and I would love to play one.

Though it would hurt me mightily right now, with all the other games I have. Fortunately, no one seems up for running one immediately, so I think I'm safe.

[Warren Verona]

Aberrant's good for Marvel fun and super stuff, but really doesn't mesh well into an anime style genre. Just my opinion.

Speaking of, why don't we have a Marvel-esque are around here...

[Stargaizer]

My idea was to basically use only the EA and EM powers (maybe one lvl of megas... maybe), as there is no other 'superpower' demonstrated in the Avatar universe.

I personally like the freedom that Abby gives in describing how a particular power usage is displayed (which would let one power, say lethal blast, be used for both icsicle shards and slicing water, or even (maybe) a water whip).

That being said, I'm not familiar with any of the other systems (M&M, BESM, Exalted & Mage) to have an opinion one way or the other.

[Warren Verona]

Any system allows that Star. The effects of a power are limited only by the players imagination.

[Adrian Moss]

What Rev said. I think this is one were the characters have to take the right attitude into it as much as anything else. It isn't a case of wanting to be invincible, but of mastering spiritually and physically one element.

[Stargaizer]

Is there anybody who likes Avatar who isn't overextended? *laughs*

Anybody? *looks around in vain*

[Valerie]

Me

[Stargaizer]

Oh, are you interested in running one? I'll help as much as I can; I already have some ideas.

Heck, I'll even offer to be asst. ST, if you want.

[SalmonMax]

Yeah, but you'd be running it in Aberrant.

Aberrant works okay for supermen bashing supermen. I think it's a poor one to represent Avatar, where benders are not necessarily the equal or better of a highly trained "normal" person. Sure, they have supernatural powers, but they don't do ridiculous damage with them, or cause themselves to become virtually immune to attack.

Which is what would happen if someone using EA/EM fought against someone who had only ordinary human abilities, using the Aberrant framework.

[jameson (ST)]

Right, look at Sokka, Suki, Mai, and Ty Lee. All of them are unable to bend elements but are more than capable of holding their own against the benders in a tussle.

[Stargaizer]

Modify the soak so that benders and non-benders have the same, and limit the powers to just EA/EM, and you'd basically have regular people with special powers, right? And doesn't that accurately portray Avatar?

And, honestly, doesn't any super-powered game slant the playing field in favor of the supers? Besides the soak, how does Abby does it any more than any of the others?

[SalmonMax]

The damage.

The nonlethal and lethal blast powers in Elemental Anima and Mastery do a -huge- amount of damage compared to anything short of heavy squad support weapons and artillery.

Similarly, the soak gained from using EA/EM far outstrips what anyone could get from armor, unless you have a truly puny level of ability.

Games like M&M don't really distinguish between "normal" people and "supers" in the mechanics. The balancing factor is Power Level. A PL10 normal guy with nothing but his superb physical abilities and access to cool gadgets (Batman) is at no innate disadvantage to superhumans of PL10.

In Aberrant, there's just no way for a non-nova to fight on equal footing as a nova, especially in a low-tech setting.

[Stargaizer]

Ok, a sword does Str+5d10L and has a min Str of 3 to use, so that's a min dice pool of 8d10L, with a max of 10d10L, and a club does btw 5d10B and 9d10B. So, as far as the powers go, drop all dmg adds, and reduce all multipliers by 1. That would make Blast do btw 2d10B and 10d10B, and L-Blast btw 1d10L and 5d10L. That actually slants it towards the non-benders.

And as far as soak goes, Shield only works against other powers, so that's a non-factor, and using the above tweak for Wall lets it give only btw 1 and 5 additional soak (meaning that a moderately stron person could get through a modertly strong bender's wall with a good hit... like in the show it's possible, though difficult to physically get through a shield). And that's consistant with the show, I think.

So, make the only powers EA/EM, make the soak the same (either max 5/2 or 5/0) for both, and get rid of dmg adds and reduce multipliers on all off and def powers... and it seems fairly even.

I know that M&M doesn't need tweaking, but that's just because everyone's a super, they just either have super 'powers' or super attributes.

Anyways, I still vote for a tweaked Abby (and I could be asst. ST for one), but I'd still happily play a M&M game.

[Valerie]

Oh god no, I could never be an ST ;_; I suck too much at it to ruin the fun of the good people here, but I would love to participate.

[Haplo]

BESM 2nd Edition

Character Creation

30 Character Points

Using the Staged Stat Cost optional rule, no starting attribute above 6

30 Skill Points

Restricted Attributes

Anything not under the type 'Normal'. Other abilities can be taken with the approval of the GM, providing that they fit the setting and chosen element.

Restricted Defects

Anything not under the type 'Normal'. Other defects can be taken with the approval of the GM, providing that they fit the setting and chosen element.

Note: Bending techniques should be taken under Magic, then the technique bought with points provided by magic.

The general idea that you're starting out on your quest, not midway through it, is prevalent theme. You're low-powered, so the benders will not be making the non-benders useless. Furthermore, no Avatar. There is one, and it is not you. Only the base four elements are available, as users of the sub-elements (Lightning, Metal, Blood, etc.) are incredibly rare.

Or, at least that's how I would run it.

[Ryan Hawke]

2e? wow I'd have to dig that book out..

[Stargaizer]

Aberrant

Character Creation

-Standard Baseline Creation

-Starting Quantum = 4

-Spend 10 Nova Points

Restrictions:

-No Taint

-No Power other than Elemental Anima (Earth/Water/Air) and Elemental Mastery (Fire)

-No Mega Attributes

House Rules

-'Baselines' have the same soak as 'Novas'

-All offensive and devensive manifestations of powers have no damage adds and any multipliers reduced by 1

-No Aggrivated Damage

-Sub-Elements (Lightning, Metal, Blood and Sound) are avaliable once Mastery has been purchaced

-Increasing Quantum and Node do not induce Taint

Would be how I'd run it...

[Courier]

And *everyone* has to take several flaws, i.e. powers require gesters, that sort of thing.

[Warren Verona]

Looks like you got it all figured out Star, have at it bro.

[Stargaizer]

If I weren't about this close *holds forefinger and thumb a short distance apart* to dropping the one and only game that I'm currently running, I would give it a go... provided I could get some asst. ST's to help.

If it seems like I'm fighting tooth and nail against using any other system, I apologize, that's not what I meant. I'd be more than willing to play this game in another system. All that I was primarially trying to do was show that it could be done, relatively easily, in the Abby system (because that's the system I'm most familiar with and others said it couldn't be done).

So, anybody, anybody who is at least a decent ST, please, please seriously consider running this game... it'd be a hit and I'd help as much as I could (either as player or asst. ST).

[Warren Verona]

No offense Star but the last thing I want to see is another aberrant game. With so many other options it's a shame we stick the same system over and over and see the same lame ass mega-social builds or uber-soaks repeatedly.

I'd much rather see a D&D game get started, or, if I ever get my patience back, kick a d20 Future game into gear.

It's great that everyone is inspired by T.V. and movies... but I'd prefer to be a part of something that isn't just a 're-make of everyone favorite show' game.

That's really the only reason I haven't stepped up and took you up on your offer to help get it going; I just don't want to run a Saturday Morning Cartoon campaign.

[SkyLion]

Personally I love Aberrant and Im still a ways a way from having played every Aberrant character I've ever wanted to play. Honestly I would love to see a canon conspiracy campaign, or a reboot of the amazing but short lived Teragen game we hosted at Eon. ItB is awesome although a special case in a way since it the very beginning of everything. Also all of the current games are relatively low powered as if a trend swept through. Id love to see a 30-50 xmen level type game where we could really go nuts. Forge and I were lamenting the abrupt demise of Quantum Identity which seemed very much in the x-men/conspiracy style.

Aside from Aberrant, I would personally love to play in the Warhammer game currently going, or what would REALLY be awesome if someone ran a hybrid forum like SGC set in the Iron Kingdoms setting.

If I ever had the time to run a game my top two choices would be either Cybergeneration or Rifts using the Marvel Advanced rpg sustem.

[Haplo]

Hot damn I love Iron Kingdoms. I'm currently in an Iron Kingdoms game and its fantastic.

And holy shit Gun Mages rock your face.

[SkyLion]

Haplo is it a PbP? Any spots open?

[Haplo]

Nope, it's one of the two games I am in IRL.

[Stargaizer]

Revenant, no offense, but from what I've heard this is one of the last good places to play Aberrant on the net, so I'm glad that we've stuck with that as a primary system despite the other options avaliable.

Second, while I respect your opinion (and not just because you've been around these boards and read more of the stories here than I have), I think you're being overly broad in your generalizations of Abby characters (especially since none of those concepts that you're complaining about would be able to happen in the AtLA game). I say that, specifically, because right now I'm playing an uber-soak character and I would like to think that I'm fairly original with how I play him. Between his backstory, powerset, concept, and how I play him, I would hope that people wouldn't assume he's some cookie-cutter character... and I'm relatively sure that other people think so as well.

And lastly, while I can understand your desire to see some other (any other) game get started, I started this thread in the hopes that I could garner interest and an ST. And from the responses I've gotten so far, it seems that there are a lot of people who would like to play in this. If you want to start or test the waters for something else, start up your own thread, but please don't dis my idea, desire and characters here.

And if you change your mind about the genre and/or system (depending on how it ends up getting run) then I'd love to play with(fellow player)/under(you as ST) you.

[Glacier]

I <3 me some Aberrant, but I agree with Revenant that its system is not the best to simulate Bending powers. Elemental Anima and Mastery are the sketchiest powers in the game, partly because they were intended as a catch-all power to take care of the Pyros and Kataras and Pikachu all in one fell swoop. Having to drop the Mega-Attribute system alone should make you think twice about using Aberrant.

Secondly, don't you think it's a bit of a cock tease to post a compelling game idea and a proposed rule set, but not offer to ST? And then when you get called on it, to threaten to drop the game you're currently running?

[SkyLion]

Heh. Cocktease...

Glacier! Happy Birthday Bro!!!

You know what would be sick is if you ever decided to pick up the scraps of ProfPotts' Warlord of tellus Adventure! game and run it for us. If you did that I would feel like it was my birthday too!

[Stargaizer]

Personally I don't think EA/EM are sketchy powers, and since we'd be limiting the rest of the powers, I don't see any problem dropping the Mega-Attribute powers as well.

Secondly, I posted this game idea to see if anyone was interested and to see if anyone wanted to ST. I've been asking for someone else to ST since the first post. On top of that, I only posted a proposed rule set because Haplo did and to show that it could be done, relatively simply.

And lastly, never did I threaten to end the game I'm in, I simply responded to the idea that I could run it by saying that I'm having trouble with the game that I'm currently running and thinking about shutting it down, so I really can't take on another right now.

So no, I don't agree, with any part of your post.