@Dusty Lol yeah, I was hoping for like 5 or 6, instead we got 14.

To be fair, Avatar (godawful movie aside) is one of the greats; I don't think it's at all unusual for it to attract this much interest. Personally speaking, I've been (re)reading a lot of Avatar stuff recently - Vathara's Embers is a 700k doorstopper, but well worth the read; I come back to it every few months - which is why I jumped on this so quickly, but I'd have been interested even if I hadn't.

You could ask for character submissions and then pick the ones you like most, if you want to whittle it down a bit.

Hmm, yeah, but I don't wanna fuck over the people who were really interested from the start but weren't fast enough to submit a character before I close it.

@Bluetommy
How about a split then? Make two rps, set in the same setting, but at different place? Kinda like a split-off of a popular series! Both are looking for the Avatar, yet both do so for different reasons!

Well, you could close applications and then give everyone from this thread four days or a week or something to put a character together - if they haven't got one by then, they almost certainly wouldn't have had one ready for a timely start anyway even if you were just accepting everyone.

Alternatively, you could put everyone's names into a hat/assign everyone a number and then randomly select a group of your preferred size. Personally I prefer a merit judgement, which is why I initially suggested a decision based on quality/depth/potential of character sheet, but at the same time this is casual, so maybe requiring high standards of presentation and characterisation isn't the most appropriate. On the other hand, you don't have to make your standards massively high, if you're just determining between applicants...

Etc. etc.

Point is, there are options, and arguments for and against both - but realistically if you were looking for a group of 6, 14 is probably too much. 7 or 8 might be an acceptable stretch (depending on your preference), but even that many can get things really bogged down if the game runs on a more or less sequential turn order.

Honestly I'm just throwing stuff at the wall here, it's up to you what sticks.

EDIT:

@Bluetommy
How about a split then? Make two rps, set in the same setting, but at different place? Kinda like a split-off of a popular series! Both are looking for the Avatar, yet both do so for different reasons!

This would work too. Or just run two completely separate games concurrently.

@Bluetommy
How about a split then? Make two rps, set in the same setting, but at different place? Kinda like a split-off of a popular series! Both are looking for the Avatar, yet both do so for different reasons!

Hmm, issue with this is, I'd have to basically GM two games at once while still coming up with an overarching plotline and how to tie both groups into it and also deal with any drama and or IC issues. If I were to give the GMing reins to someone else and run the other myself it would take a crapton of effort to make sure that their GMing follows the established canon of the other RP.

And if one RP dies, what does that mean for the other one?

Well, you could close applications and then give everyone from this thread four days or a week or something to put a character together - if they haven't got one by then, they almost certainly wouldn't have had one ready for a timely start anyway even if you were just accepting everyone.

I'm thinking about doing this actually, but there's the issue if enough of the 14 show up to make it clogged up anyway...

Alternatively, you could put everyone's names into a hat/assign everyone a number and then randomly select a group of your preferred size. Personally I prefer a merit judgement, which is why I initially suggested a decision based on quality/depth/potential of character sheet, but at the same time this is casual, so maybe requiring high standards of presentation and characterisation isn't the most appropriate. On the other hand, you don't have to make your standards massively high, if you're just determining between applicants...

Etc. etc.

And then you provide an answer to that concern anyway. Definitely not doing the random choice option, lol. I was hoping on high-casual anyway, so maybe I should go with this, maybe put a sample post section on the CS to judge whether someone's up to snuff. I do hate doing that but it may be a necessity.

I'll think about it. Keep making suggestions guys, they're really helping

@Bluetommy

Well, if we would do anything in bigger size, i doubt that we would get around getting a Co-GM into it! Its a legitimate point, that one of the rps could die, yet in this case, i think we simply could kick it off, scavange any player in it that remains, and keep the other going! Again, its not the perfect solution, but in my eyes the most painless.

Then again, painless does not always mean the best, and so i would not be against doing an election process, lead by the Gm, picking out the Sheets her like for the rp!

Hey! So I'm really interested in and love Avatar. I know you have a lot of people, so I wouldn't wanna add extra pressure. Still, I figured I could throw my hat in the ring.

Right, this group is far too big. Sorry guys. I'm not going to be able to accept everyone in this Interest Check.

If you really want in then PM me the character sheet and I'll check it out.

I'm not asking for you to be faster than everyone else, I want quality.

I won't be accepting any more than two of any bending art. I'm hoping for eight people at most.

I'll post the OOC as soon as I figure some stuff out which shouldn't take very long.

Interest

@Bluetommy I’ll just go ahead and drop my interest. It’s a good story though but I just probably won’t have a lot of time. Sorry and good luck to everyone.

@Bluetommy

Okay, so here's a question - how far into fanon are we allowed to go? Because there's some canon stuff that... really doesn't make sense, and some fanfiction stuff (principally Embers-derived, I will admit) that really does.

Principally, I'm thinking:

• Lavabending should be equally possible with fire or earth, and should require the user to study the bending forms of the element they don't have, and possibly water as well (earth that's hot like fire and flows (somewhat) like (really thick, sometimes, depending on type) water.)
• Similarly, there should be other cross-element specialisations; a firebender might learn to bend heat by studying airbending, hot water (more specifically the 'fire' in hot water, but effectively) by studying waterbending, or steam by studying both, just as a waterbender might learn mudbending from studying earth or an airbender stormbending (as in genuine rain-thunder-and-lightning storms, not just huge winds) from water and fire.
• Active chi use should be for more than just bending and mystical extrasensory perception; high-level warriors like Piandao, for example, defeating a hundred men or fighting blindfolded, should be active chi users. Likewise, strong benders should be capable of enhancing their physical power with chi, or even creating a surge in the power of their bending, at the cost of stamina.

Which ties into my (firebender) character sheet thusly:
Skill classification (as in difficulty/advanced-ness) goes universal/novice/apprentice/journeyman/expert/master
Skill level (as in how good you are) goes untrained/novice/apprentice/journeyman/expert/master

There are seven Universal skills: Inner Fire (how powerful your flame is, and some incidental bonuses like not freezing), Surging Breath (firebender chi use), Mountain Style (firebending technique one, aggressive), Dragon Style (firebending technique two, defensive), and then Study of Earth, Study of Water, and Study of Air; so, for example, if my firebender progressed to Expert Inner Fire, Expert Study of Water and Expert Mountain Style (or Master Dragon Style), he could learn Lightningbending and Lightning Redirection, or Controlled Lightningbending at Mastery.

A Waterbender, alternatively, might have Inner Flow, Surging Tide, Ocean Style and Moon Style, and then Study of Earth, Fire and Air.

Obviously this is fairly complicated, but I like to have a bit of a structure to work with. Is this all okay, or do I need to adhere to canon rules?

EDIT: Also, this would, double obviously, be a lot of work, it's not the sort of thing anyone can just breeze through. I'm thinking long-term here, mostly.

Okay, so here's a question - how far into fanon are we allowed to go? Because there's some canon stuff that... really doesn't make sense, and some fanfiction stuff (principally Embers-derived, I will admit) that really does.

Principally, I'm thinking:

• Lavabending should be equally possible with fire or earth, and should require the user to study the bending forms of the element they don't have, and possibly water as well (earth that's hot like fire and flows (somewhat) like (really thick, sometimes, depending on type) water.)
• Similarly, there should be other cross-element specialisations; a firebender might learn to bend heat by studying airbending, hot water (more specifically the 'fire' in hot water, but effectively) by studying waterbending, or steam by studying both, just as a waterbender might learn mudbending from studying earth or an airbender stormbending (as in genuine rain-thunder-and-lightning storms, not just huge winds) from water and fire.
• Active chi use should be for more than just bending and mystical extrasensory perception; high-level warriors like Piandao, for example, defeating a hundred men or fighting blindfolded, should be active chi users. Likewise, strong benders should be capable of enhancing their physical power with chi, or even creating a surge in the power of their bending, at the cost of stamina.

I'll accept fanon if it makes sense with the established canon of the shows and if I believe it fits the tone I'm trying to achieve.

In terms of lavabending being equally possible in both the firebending and earthbending disciplines, there is precedent from the show,
two of the known lavabenders are Kiyoshi, an earthbender, and Roku, a firebender. It makes complete sense to me that these disciplines are connected in such a manner.

In terms of cross-bending abilities, study of the other bending arts has been shown to lead to greater abilities in the show, Iroh creating lightning redirection through studying waterbenders being the most obvious of these. In terms of the examples you gave, I don't think it makes sense for airbenders to be able to stormbend simply by watching waterbenders, unless the storm already exists it makes little sense to me for Airbenders to suddenly gain the ability to create storms, mud has been bent by both water and earthbenders without any interaction between the two, and heat manipulation is an intermediate level firebending technique, Iroh uses it to heat tea, Zuko uses it to melt ice, Sozin uses it to attempt to halt a volcanic eruption. None of these people outside Iroh had had the chance to study airbenders prior to use.'

I agree with the active chi bit and have nothing to add.

Which ties into my (firebender) character sheet thusly:
Skill classification (as in difficulty/advanced-ness) goes universal/novice/apprentice/journeyman/expert/master
Skill level (as in how good you are) goes untrained/novice/apprentice/journeyman/expert/master

There are seven Universal skills: Inner Fire (how powerful your flame is, and some incidental bonuses like not freezing), Surging Breath (firebender chi use), Mountain Style (firebending technique one, aggressive), Dragon Style (firebending technique two, defensive), and then Study of Earth, Study of Water, and Study of Air; so, for example, if my firebender progressed to Expert Inner Fire, Expert Study of Water and Expert Mountain Style (or Master Dragon Style), he could learn Lightningbending and Lightning Redirection, or Controlled Lightningbending at Mastery.

A Waterbender, alternatively, might have Inner Flow, Surging Tide, Ocean Style and Moon Style, and then Study of Earth, Fire and Air.

Obviously this is fairly complicated, but I like to have a bit of a structure to work with. Is this all okay, or do I need to adhere to canon rules?

EDIT: Also, this would, double obviously, be a lot of work, it's not the sort of thing anyone can just breeze through. I'm thinking long-term here, mostly.

Hmm, this is all quite interesting, I see no reason to say no. In terms of defensive firebending, be sure to recall that for a long time those arts were forgotten, and even if my setting is earlier in the timeline, the warlike state of the Fire Islands and aggressive focus of the most powerful warlord may lead to it being far rarer than the aggressive form.

If this structure will help you, I won't stop you, though this is a casual RP and I won't expect the same from everyone else.

Also another piece of setting information that I may have forgotten to mention, as this RP is far earlier in the timeline, the spirit world will be more closely linked with the physical.

@Bluetommy

Okay, so here's a question - how far into fanon are we allowed to go? Because there's some canon stuff that... really doesn't make sense, and some fanfiction stuff (principally Embers-derived, I will admit) that really does.

Principally, I'm thinking:

• Lavabending should be equally possible with fire or earth, and should require the user to study the bending forms of the element they don't have, and possibly water as well (earth that's hot like fire and flows (somewhat) like (really thick, sometimes, depending on type) water.)
• Similarly, there should be other cross-element specialisations; a firebender might learn to bend heat by studying airbending, hot water (more specifically the 'fire' in hot water, but effectively) by studying waterbending, or steam by studying both, just as a waterbender might learn mudbending from studying earth or an airbender stormbending (as in genuine rain-thunder-and-lightning storms, not just huge winds) from water and fire.
• Active chi use should be for more than just bending and mystical extrasensory perception; high-level warriors like Piandao, for example, defeating a hundred men or fighting blindfolded, should be active chi users. Likewise, strong benders should be capable of enhancing their physical power with chi, or even creating a surge in the power of their bending, at the cost of stamina.

Which ties into my (firebender) character sheet thusly:
Skill classification (as in difficulty/advanced-ness) goes universal/novice/apprentice/journeyman/expert/master
Skill level (as in how good you are) goes untrained/novice/apprentice/journeyman/expert/master

There are seven Universal skills: Inner Fire (how powerful your flame is, and some incidental bonuses like not freezing), Surging Breath (firebender chi use), Mountain Style (firebending technique one, aggressive), Dragon Style (firebending technique two, defensive), and then Study of Earth, Study of Water, and Study of Air; so, for example, if my firebender progressed to Expert Inner Fire, Expert Study of Water and Expert Mountain Style (or Master Dragon Style), he could learn Lightningbending and Lightning Redirection, or Controlled Lightningbending at Mastery.

A Waterbender, alternatively, might have Inner Flow, Surging Tide, Ocean Style and Moon Style, and then Study of Earth, Fire and Air.

Obviously this is fairly complicated, but I like to have a bit of a structure to work with. Is this all okay, or do I need to adhere to canon rules?

EDIT: Also, this would, double obviously, be a lot of work, it's not the sort of thing anyone can just breeze through. I'm thinking long-term here, mostly.

WOAH DUDE!
This is a little complication, but like really cool.
I might be like... Behind on info, but is that stuff all legit canon names for things or did you make some of it up? I kind wanted a fire bender, but now idk if I could compete lol Still really cool though

In terms of lavabending being equally possible in both the firebending and earthbending disciplines, there is precedent from the show, two of the known lavabenders are Kiyoshi, an earthbender, and Roku, a firebender. It makes complete sense to me that these disciplines are connected in such a manner.

LoK actually jossed that, IIRC - by canon lavabending is a specialised Earth technique. Which is stupid.

In terms of cross-bending abilities, study of the other bending arts has been shown to lead to greater abilities in the show, Iroh creating lightning redirection through studying waterbenders being the most obvious of these. In terms of the examples you gave, I don't think it makes sense for airbenders to be able to stormbend simply by watching waterbenders, unless the storm already exists it makes little sense to me for Airbenders to suddenly gain the ability to create storms, mud has been bent by both water and earthbenders without any interaction between the two, and heat manipulation is an intermediate level firebending technique, Iroh uses it to heat tea, Zuko uses it to melt ice, Sozin uses it to attempt to halt a volcanic eruption. None of these people outside Iroh had had the chance to study airbenders prior to use.'

So, in order - airbenders certainly couldn't stormbend just by watching waterbenders; I see Stormbending as a Master-Level technique (which means Inner Gale and one Airbending Style at Mastery) also requiring Mastery in Study of Water and Study of Fire. That's like, endgame stuff. And doing anything big with it would probably completely wipe you out even then, plus falling into Dangerous Forbidden Move classification, because if you let a storm get out of your control and it grows? Hurricanes are Avatar territory.

You are more or less correct about mud, I threw that in mostly offhand; that would probably be Novice level in Study of Water/Earth for earth/waterbenders, respectively, since mud is stiffer than water but more fluid than earth. You could get that just by carefully watching the appropriate type of bender do their thing for a while, but if you want to start getting deeper into Study of [Element] you need to actually learn the forms and what they do, and then start experimenting with how you incorporate some of those things into your own style. Master-level Study of Water means mastering Master-level waterbending forms and then picking out the bits that are applicable to your own element.

Heatbending, as I visualise it, is not quite the same thing as heat manipulation - heating tea and melting ice, the way I've been thinking of them, fall under the 'can radiate warmth' part of Inner Flame, the most basic Universal-level firebender skill; what Sozin does with the volcano is Novice or maybe Apprentice level heatbending, just moving it from one place to another. Combat heatbending, though, I see as stuff like throwing around blasts of superheated air, more or less instantly dropping the space around someone to minus fifty and then dumping that all onto the guy standing next to him: just as dangerous as most sorts of firebending, and a whole lot less visible.

If you look at the Avatar wiki, there's a line about heat manipulation, referring specifically to Sozin's heat redirection: It appears to operate on a similar principle to Iroh's redirection of lightning technique. Hence, if Study of Water leads to lightning manipulation, Study of Air leads to heat manipulation - and if lightning redirection graduates into proper, controlled lightningbending, logically speaking, heat redirection should graduate into heatbending.

Hmm, this is all quite interesting, I see no reason to say no. In terms of defensive firebending, be sure to recall that for a long time those arts were forgotten, and even if my setting is earlier in the timeline, the warlike state of the Fire Islands and aggressive focus of the most powerful warlord may lead to it being far rarer than the aggressive form.

If this structure will help you, I won't stop you, though this is a casual RP and I won't expect the same from everyone else.

Also another piece of setting information that I may have forgotten to mention, as this RP is far earlier in the timeline, the spirit world will be more closely linked with the physical.

Well, it's not purely defensive, it's just more focused on control and the flow of fire rather than aggression and power; that results in better deflection. It doesn't, in and of itself, give you anything special, or at least not until you hit Mastery and unlock Cloak of Flame, the defensive counterpart to Mountain's Endless Onslaught. Rather, if Mountain Style is a straight line, Dragon Style is an arc or a circle; you can stab things better with a line, but moving in an arc is better for deflection. Both Mountain and Dragon defend by knocking things away or just incinerating them with fire; Dragon is simply better at it than Mountain, as Mountain is better on the offence than Dragon.

And the reason my firebender knows Dragon style, and is in fact better at it than Mountain, is that he learned from a dragon (this being centuries before Sozin wiped them out, they're probably a lot more common.) He's peasant-born, so his parents couldn't teach him, and none of his family are very fond of any of the warlords - that's part of why he's searching for the Avatar, in fact, because he's hoping the Avatar will lay down the law on them.

WOAH DUDE!
This is a little complication, but like really cool.
I might be like... Behind on info, but is that stuff all legit canon names for things or did you make some of it up? I kind wanted a fire bender, but now idk if I could compete lol Still really cool though

Oh, I know it's complicated. I just enjoy that sort of thing.

Most of those names aren't canon; Lavabending and Lightningbending are, and we know that Iroh studied waterbending to come up with his lightning redirection technique, as well as the fact that he could breathe fire without external motions. So Study of Water/Earth/Air is a formalised name for doing that sort of thing that I came up with, and Inner Flame and Surging Breath describes the firebender ability to manipulate both flame and chi by breathing, but most of the other stuff isn't canon.

Cross-element bending abilities I drew primarily from Embers, in which - among other things - Zuko invents hot water bending in order to disguise himself on the run, then later, working with Toph, molten glass bending (which they can both do) while she also learns to bend ashes in the air above an open flame. So I took that and went along the logical progression.

Chi use by warriors is also, I think, from Embers (Sokka learns it) - we get hints of that being the case in canon, both because Piandao is simply too awesome not to be doing something wacky and because chi-blocking causes paralysis rather than just stopping bending. That is, if no chi means you can't move, more chi should mean you can move more or more powerfully. I say I think because I don't know if it ever actually became an acknowledged thing in canon or just fell under 'this is a fantasy world, there are people who can take on a hundred men using only a sword and come out without a scratch.'

@Rokoran so where does plant- or bloodbending fall?

@Rokoran so where does plant- or bloodbending fall?

Waterbending. It's all internal water, after all. I haven't got this all perfectly fleshed out or anything - I'm still faffing about with the firebending stuff - but I'd probably go with it being similar to Lightning; you can get basic internal water manipulation at Expert, but then to do mass or complex stuff, you'd need the Master-level version of the technique.

OOC!: roleplayerguild.com/topics/171013-ava…