Makeing a Character

Making a character is for this table top is very easy. This page will guide you through the process and hopefully answer any questions you may have.

=1. Choose an element= This is the most important part of character creation because it will influence how you play the game as it will decide your combat abilities and how the world views you. Players are allowed to pick any of the four main bending elements or may choose to be a non bender. Each element has its own strengths and weaknesses so choose carefully and though it may seem underwhelming being a non bender is fine too. You may not start the game as "powerful" as characters who can bend but non benders have plenty advantages that make up for their lack of supernatural abilities.

Players are not allowed to make characters that are energy benders or that can bend multiple elements. I don't care if your characters mother was a water bender and your father was a fire bender that's not how bending genetics work. It should be obvious but nobody is allowed to play as the avatar as that would make your character the center of the story and far more powerful then the other pcs which would not be fair. Also do not try to make up your own element their will be no shadow benders, time benders or light benders in this campaign (anything else is off limits as well,) please leave those to bad fanfics. However it is possible for your character to create their own special sub class of bending like Huu the plant bender (he was a water bender who controlled plants by bending the water in them) as long as it makes sense I'm fine with it. Your character will start the game with an expert level of skill in their bending discipline. To give an example from the show your character would have around the same amount of skill as Katara did after she finished training with master Pakku. So you are a powerful and experienced bender but far from a master. No one is allowed to start the game with any of the higher bending arts (metal bending etc) though being from the right guild is an exception to this rule.

Also every character may start the game with one weapon skill and a few minor skills. These are mostly decided by your guild. For example if you are a member of a traditional bending guild you can only use weapons traditionally used by benders of that element (example the glider staff for air benders). If you are from one of the more secretive and stealthy guilds you may start the game with the ability to sneak around undetected. Their isn't a hard rule on weapons or skills and with enough rational explanation I will allow something if it is a bit irregular. Non benders are the exception to this rule they may start the game with several weapons or skills both major or minor. Also they have no restrictions on what kind of weapon they want to use (the exception to this is fire arms and strictly western weapons like claymores). Non benders can have almost as many skills and weapons as they want (within reason) but they must pick one weapon and skill they are best at. It is this versatility that makes up for their lack of supernatural powers. =2. Choose Your Guild= The main location that the game will take place in is the city of Ba Sing Se in the year A.S.C. 270. Ba Sing Se during this time is run by ten guilds eight of which are devoted to one of the four bending disciplines the ninth is dedicated to non benders and the tenth doesn't care what you bend as long as you make them money. With a few notable exceptions you must be the right kind of bender to join the right guild. If you are an air bender you may not join the Earth Regency the traditional earth bending guild. Think carefully about which guild you want to join as their are consequences and advantages to each one. For example you can start the game as a metal bender and with engineer training if you join the Mechanist Combine but your combat skills would be underdeveloped and you'd be weaker in fights then other pcs. Or if you join the Sons of Ozai or any of the other malevolent guilds you may have to fight against the main party, Also you have to follow the rules of your chosen guild or you risk expulsion or worse. Some guilds are stricter and more controlling then others and have higher penalties for insubordination but these guilds tend to have excellent benefits as well. If a player wishes they can make their character start the game guild less. The advantage of this is that they would have to answer to no one and can do whatever they want however the downside is that they will start they game with no allies and only basic resources also they would not be properly trained in bending so they wouldn't have access to more advance or refined bending techniques.

=3. Notoriety= After you pick your element and guild I will ask you to roll a D20. This is to determine how well known and respected your character is in your guild. This reflects what your accomplished in the past and may help you obtain things from your fellow guild members. The higher you roll the more influence you have in your guild. If you start the game with low notoriety don't be discouraged it just means that your character has to prove themselves and can still garner respect and status in their guild. The same goes for high notoriety don't think it will save you if you make a critical mistake or pick a fight with the wrong person. The more positive or negative things you do the more your notoriety will increase or decrease. For example saving your guild master from an assassin will raise your notoriety greatly but failing to complete a mission or being insubordinate will lower it.

=4. Backstory and Name= For your characters name please choose an eastern name or a pseudo eastern name. No western names allowed no matter how cool, also please no joke names I feel like they really ruin characters and aren't that funny (your warlocks name is bob we arn't that impressed). It is fine to name your characters after characters in the show after all most of them went on to become famous and highly respected individuals and it isn't that uncommon for parents to name their children after famed historical figures. I would ask that you don't pick a name that another pc already has as it will lead to confusion the same goes for major npcs. Though I don't care if by coincidence you have the same name as a minor npc.

Your back story can be as long or as short as you want. I encourage everyone to come up with one for their characters to help guide them in the campaign. If you make one you must tell the dm before your character comes into game so that I can use it against you, er I mean create meaning full scenarios involving your character's past. Their is no ret conning back stories to suite your situation. So no adding places you've been to or people you know to your backstory just because it would make your life easier. Also back stories that give you some unfair advantage over the other players will not be permitted (like I'm the son of a guild master so I can tell people what to do). An interesting backstory and character drive will get you good things, or it might get you bad things but they might be bad things that lead to good things. Also beware the good things that could potentially lead to bad things they tend to be the worst things.