Whats up, GMs!
Are you excited to run your first sport of Avatar Legends however you’re unsure the place to start out? Have you ever run a sport already and wish to make your subsequent session sing?
This text is for you!
Avatar Legends has some improbable recommendation for GMing in “Chapter 8: Working the Sport.” There are additionally loads of suggestions and tips that GMs of all expertise ranges won’t find out about! At this time let’s have a look at 4 of them that will help you GM a improbable and enjoyable sport of Avatar Legends.
Tip 1: Let your Marketing campaign Creation Worksheet information you!
The setup section of the sport is vital to making sure everyone seems to be on the identical web page. It’s the plot bible to the TV present that’s your sport! Be sure that everybody (together with you!) has a say during which choices you select. Use the worksheet to maintain your sport on observe in these two key methods:
After it’s stuffed out, use your worksheet to assist gamers create characters that match the story. When somebody begins creating an Icon who travels the wilds to hunt harmful creatures, and your group focus is about fixing a thriller in Ba Sing Se, level them again to the worksheet and ask “How does this work with what we’ve all created?”
Flip to the worksheet once you prep periods or should you get caught throughout play! In case your scope is “the Earth Kingdom” and your group focus is “to ship the supposed true Earth King to Ba Sing Se” within the Kyoshi Period, every session must be a few completely different cease in your lengthy journey or a hazard that halts your progress — a daofei ambush, wilderness hazards, and many others.
Tip 2: Deal with steadiness as greater than black and white!
In Avatar Legends, every PC’s ideas are in battle however they’re not “good vs. unhealthy.” It’s when characters overcommit to ideas and lose their steadiness that causes issues! Struggling along with your beliefs or obligations and discovering out how far you’ll go to embrace or reject them is on the coronary heart of each story within the Avatarverse.
In your personal video games, let PCs lean into one precept earlier than displaying them worth within the different. Usher in NPCs who allow them in addition to those that disagree (or wish to change them). Since true evil is uncommon within the Avatarverse, current antagonistic NPCs as having taken their ideas too far reasonably than simply being “unhealthy.”
Attempt to additionally shift steadiness via participant selections as a lot as NPCs’ affect. When a PC commits to one among their ideas with phrases or actions, present how important it’s by making a transfer and shifting their steadiness, whether or not they’re sticking to established beliefs or having a change of coronary heart. Do that when PCs act heroically as a lot as once they act selfishly so it feels pure, not like a punishment.
Tip 3: Run the sport like an episode of the exhibits!
Avatar Legends is designed to seize the texture of each exhibits with its guidelines and mechanics. The sport shines once you lean into telling tales within the fashion of ATLA and LoK, versus working issues like a extra conventional RPG. Turning to the GM ideas for steering will carry you thru, however listed below are a couple of examples of what this seems like utilizing the exhibits as guides:
- Begin the session as near the motion as doable, like Mako chasing triad goons throughout the streets of Republic Metropolis or Aang arriving at Omashu and discovering it’s been conquered by the Fireplace Nation.
- Give simply sufficient element so gamers could make selections or ask follow-up questions, then ask “What do you do?” As you play, ask guiding questions and use the solutions — “Rogue, you notice somebody you owe cash to throughout the road; who’s it and why are you avoiding them?”
- Push in the direction of critical occasions which have everybody on the sting of their seats! They are often really harmful, just like the Fireplace Navy laying siege to Agna Qel’a on the North Pole. These moments aren’t at all times fights — they’re additionally introspective, like Bolin having to simply accept the reality about his bending talents.
- Combine in light-hearted moments! You don’t must go proper from critical to slapstick comedy (until it’s applicable!) however generally a comforting “kiss” from an enormous sky-bison after pouring your coronary heart out to your folks might be the right method to transfer on.
- Whether or not it’s a one-shot or a part of an extended sport, spherical issues out with a conclusion to the general difficulty of the session, just like the Fireplace Ferrets overcoming their interpersonal drama to advance to the professional bending championship. You’ll be able to as a substitute maintain everybody wanting extra with an thrilling cliffhanger, like Amon revealing his energy for the primary time!
Tip 4: Maintain combat scenes fluid and snappy!
Martial arts are a core component of the Avatarverse and eventually, a combat’s going to interrupt out. As an alternative of working fight exchanges as characters buying and selling assaults, like a turn-based online game, consider the combat scenes within the TV exhibits. Maintain issues in movement and keep in mind that folks in these tales nearly by no means combat to their final breath!
In your personal sport, present how the world and characters change after each fight trade. Don’t be afraid to make a GM transfer to try this! Say the PCs are resistance fighters through the 100 12 months Battle period and assault a squad of Fireplace Nation jail guards throughout an escape. What occurs after an trade?
- Possibly the guards beg for mercy and also you flip to the Hammer to see in the event that they settle for give up or give in to Pressure (shifting their steadiness)!
- Possibly a wall or some furnishings is broken within the combating, providing a doable path to flee (supply a dangerous or pricey alternative)!
- Possibly one of many guard’s helmets is knocked off, revealing them to be an previous buddy of one of many PCs (reveal a hidden reality)!
If strategies appear restrictive, keep in mind that a combat is greater than a sequence of fight exchanges — an trade is once you and an opponent commerce blows, however a combat scene is commonly greater than that single second and you can also make primary strikes in between exchanges!
There are lots of extra suggestions and tips to supply however these are some issues that you could be discover essentially the most helpful as you start your first journeys. As you go, be at liberty to succeed in out to different GMs on our neighborhood Discord to share your experiences with one another, and maintain your eyes on this area for extra of those sorts of articles sooner or later! We hope this helps you as you get able to run your personal video games of Avatar Legends!
Written by Reyna (she/they)
@LuchaAndLattes
