Vault Raiders | Avatar Legends meets Sci-Fi

Creating your character

A free session 0 will take place for those looking for guidance or assistance with character creation or just as a means to go back and forth about backstory, lore and arcs. For those that wish, correspondence in advance can take place to build a skeleton before session 0 during which tweaks or changes to the simple character sheet schematics could be made to fit player goals. At this stage, I have yet to experience the advanced playbooks in detail but with some discussion with the player, I am open to seeing how they play if someone feels strongly about playing one. In terms of flavor, the adventure will take place in an advanced sci-fi world so reflavoring the systems elemental bending as sci-fi tech or innate alien abilities might prove a fun twist on a familiar aesthetic but the choice to keep the tradition bending flare remains with an in-world justification and opportunity for a narrative mystery behind it. Technology and weapons approaches are of course allowed and fit well with the setting.

Preparing for the session

The game will take place on Roll20 which has support for Avatar Legends character sheets through Demiplane so while not necessary, if players wish to host their character sheets online to be easily accessed, making a Demiplane account is an option. The voice calls themselves will be hosted on my own Discord server which I use exclusively to host TTRPGs.

What Sam brings to the table

I'll be bringing character voices, NPC roleplay, music and maps to the table to provide as much immersion and enjoyment as possible. The rule of cool is very much at home in the Avatar Legends system so rules might be occasionally voided for the sake of fun while ensuring no permanent lapses in fairness or balance take place. Combat might be challenging or difficult at times but character death is considerably rarer in A.L and will likely only occur if the player is onboard. Of course, there is no expectation on the players to show up with voices or elaborate backstories nor will anybody be punished for showing up to a session with less than full seriousness. I prioritise fun in my games and will do my best to match and reward effort that players put into my games in the hopes that everyone succeeds in experiencing what they hope for. Lapses in RP and "optimal action" are sure to occasionally occur in favor of meta fun and hijinks.

Homebrew rules

Aside from the changes in flavour and setting which are mostly visual/vibe related, I have also constructed a system for ship-to-ship combat. Essentially a carbon copy of the systems combat/technique system, experienced players will recognize conditions, fatigue, basic and advanced techniques given to different ships as a means of tracking damage more befitting larger structures. These rules fit seamlessly with the regular combat system in the game so players shouldn't expect them to disrupt play or overly complicate it, rather players can dive into the intrigue of outfitting a wide array of ships with advanced sci-fi gear that provides new techniques and RP opportunities. As the adventure progresses, new and better ships will become available to the players so I introduced this system as a means of providing mechanical buffs for engaging with the story in this way.

How Sam creates a safe table

In addition to a general code of conduct on the discord, I'll reach out to players with an more detailed document of do's and don'ts that we be further elaborated on in session 0. We will discus the aspects of play that are off limits, themes and subject matters that will be avoided initially but have the potential to be introduced going forward and any additional steps the players can take to communicate their own needs. This document will also include means of slowing or pausing sessions to return to a zone of comfort, should any barriers arise. These will then be resolved privately or communally as dependent on the player/s and situation. Safety is key and if players have additional ways to feel protected, a discussion to onboard these ideas will take place during the opening sessions. An example includes an anonymous Deck of Player safety at session 0, which will occur online and reappear occasionally in the campaign to suit the players needs.