Avatar Bending Mechanics

[Zeybek]

I'm wondering if a system like this already exists.

Bending in the show is very diverse but at its base it often follows two phases: first the bender gathers a certain amount of their element, and then they do something with it. The idea is to model the element-bending from the Avatar franchise by using a resource-management mechanic:

Performing different bending techniques requires a different amount of the element to be under the bender's control. We can divide these amounts into "bending units". Let's say one bending unit of water is roughly one cubic meter. This is enough to use a simple water whip technique but not enough to summon a wave to surf around the battlefield, which would require around 6 bending units of water. In the game we can then use coloured tokens to track how many bending units of water are currently under Katara's control.

Bending techniques are then sorted by how many bending units are required to initiate them, and how many bending units are left in the bender's possession after execution. This can be a net positive or negative: some techniques will allow the bender to seize more of their element, whereas others (typically attacks) will make them spend some or all of their bending units.

Bending techniques also have an Initiative cost: we divide techniques into Actions and Reactions. Whoever has the highest Initiative in that turn gets to use an Action-type technique, and their target(s) then get to counter with a Reaction-type technique.

Example Actions:

- Gather Element (reduces Initiative by a certain fixed amount, but allow an extra Action if Initiative is still higher than opponent after gathering)
- Direct Attack (high Initiative cost)
- Engulf Enemy (very high Initiative cost)
- Close Distance to Enemy (low Initiative cost)

Example Reactions:

- Block with an Elemental Barrier (large Initiative increase)
- Dodge (low Initiative increase)
- Escape Engulf (moderate Initiative cost)
- Flee (high Initiative cost)

As Initiative ebbs and flows, both opponents will alternately get to Act or React as they whittle each other's HP or try to land a good Engulf that will make the opponent unable to fight.

We then combine both mechanics and adjust the costs to create the four binding styles:

- Earth: Earthbenders stand their ground and prefer a straight-forward approach. Blocking moves cause very little loss in bending units and give particularly large Initiative increases. They also have excellent engulfing powers.
- Air: Airbenders are very defensive and reactive players. Dodging moves cause a net positive in bending units, but they have trouble generating enough Initiative to get land a good direct attack.
- Water: Waterbenders are extremely versatile, with good mobility, attack and engulf powers, but often limited by the available total number of bending units in the arena. They can convert water bending units to ice and fog for special techniques.
- Fire: Firebenders are very aggressive and have good mobility (Iron Man hands and feet), but otherwise lack versatility (no engulfs, lack of non-lethal moves). They have an advantage to generating bending units independent of arena constraints, but at high costs to Initiative since they're using their own resources.

Another interesting thing that happens when two benders of the same element battle is that they can wrest control of each other's bending units as a Reaction, using an enemy's resources against them. This situation also arises when a bender is using a mixed element, or sub-element (yet more coloured token types):

- Water and airbenders can steal each other's fog bending units.
- Water and earthbenders can steal each other's mud bending units.
- Earth and airbenders can steal each other's sand bending units.
- Firebenders are greedy and never learned to share (I'd have said scuffles with earthbenders over lava, but that is no longer canon)

All that would be left would be to write up some techniques for each bending style and come up with an adequate dice resolution technique to introduce some randomness to success and failure.

The main problem I see with this system is that it would be very tough on the GM: they'd basically have to be the Avatar and master all four styles if they're going to be fighting against every player. The system seems much better for PvP than PvE. I wonder if different enemies could just be statted out with simple algorithms representing preferred strategies that the GM can then floow semi-blindly.

[Pixels]

I'm wondering if a system like this already exists.

Hicks wrote up a dicepool-based Avatar RPG a few years ago. I never gave it more than a cursory glance, but the reception seemed generally positive. A few years before that, Frank had a thread with a bunch of musings about Avatar stuff as it would translate into tabletop mechanics. It mostly devolved into talking about the show itself, but it's worth mining for tidbits of wisdom if you have the time and are interested in writing your own Avatar RPG.

[erik]

I definitely don't know of a system that uses those mechanics.

There is a fan made d20 Avatar. [pdf]

I don't know if I agree with your assessment of how bending works- having to gather stuff. Lots of times they launch attacks without any appreciable prep... I'd probably just give a bonus if you have time to fool around gathering whatever.

I dunno if I would call the action unit "initiative". Action points might fit better. *shrug*

I'd probably just have favorable terrain give a boost in points that allow you to do bigger things.

[OgreBattle]

Shadowrun 4e's basic magic system feels robust enough to be a starting point for Avatar bending

[Zeybek]

Shadowrun 4e's basic magic system feels robust enough to be a starting point for Avatar bending

I can't agree. Shadowrun has indeed an excellent magic system, but there's a number of characteristics that make it incompatible with Avatar.

First, the targeting system is completely different. In Shadowrun you point at something with your mind and the spells mostly find their own way there. Casting misty attack spells is instantaneous and there's no way for the mage to influence things after the spell is cast forth.

Second, there's the fact that the choice of elemental spells is really limited. Just a bolt, a ball and a few manipulation things. Shadowrun mages have a lot more, interesting options in their arsenal, and stripping everything else from the spellbook would make these mages pretty boring! Plus, the only difference between elements are secondary effects, which in Avatar rarely cone up.

Finally, the drain mechanic, which lends the Shadowrun system so much flavor, rarely comes up in Avatar. There are no psychic nosebleeds. If benders are tired after a battle it's usually because they've been in an actual battle and been doing strenuous martial arts moves.

Shadowrun mages, like mages in pretty much every other system, are designed as back-row fighters that contribute to the fight using special mechanics that differ from the ones use by melee fighters. I don't think that's a design approach that fits the Avatar series, where benders are always in the middle of the action.

I think that the system I propose, where there's an ebb and flow in power and initiative, is a better fit. When I have the time I'll try to model a fight from the show to see how it would go.