Quickstart #2 - Creating Your Character

Time to make a character!

It's time to get into it (yuh) and make a character! I'll make this as easy as possible. If you want to follow along with actual details, check out p112 of the Core RPG Book. 
But, if you don't wanna, here's what you gotta do:

1. Choose a playbook.

The playbooks are basically your "classes." Each of them are distinct archetypes that you can customize so each character will have a special skill and a particular story arc. Your playbook will define your core elements, balance principles, an special feature. Please note that only one player can use a playbook during a campaign. Your playbook is also not your skills and training (as in bending/tech/weapons).
Once you have selected your playbook, please read though it carefully. There will be a page dedicated to it on the book you are reading but also the worksheets:
Core Worksheets: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_78GYgA0ktDfyDFWD_V_h1GZRphRUg9h/view?usp=sharing Wan Shi Tong Worksheets: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_78GYgA0ktDfyDFWD_V_h1GZRphRUg9h/view?usp=sharing
From the Core RPG Book, there are 10 options. 

From the Wan Shi Tong expansion, there are four more:

2. Make The Concept

Now that you've read your playbook, it's time to make your character concept! Remember to read the introduction to the story and make sure your character fits in with the times (for example, you can't be a technologist who rides motorcycles, because they hadn't been invented in Kyoshi's Era.)
Read the intro: https://www.worldanvil.com/w/avatar-legends3A-rise-of-the-zodiac-heralds-fengyutheopulent
Visualize your character, and then get into it below!

3. Name Em

The book has name ideas for each nation. You don't need to use it, but it can be helpful. Check out p114 of the Core RPG Book for more details, but basically:
Earth Kingdom: Names are usually one or two syllables of Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, or Tagalog origin. They can also be precious stones (like Garnet, Crystal, etc) or plants (Camellia, Willow, etc). 
Water Tribe: Go by a single name without last name, Think "Sokka of The Southern Water Tribe." Usually, they are of Algonquin, Anishinaabe, or Inuit origin for North/South Pole tribes, and the Foggy Swamp names are Khmer, Vietnamese, or Chinese origin. 
Fire Nation: Usually their names are derivative of a clan. So pick a clan (p114 has examples) and a first name, usually from Japanese, Mongolian, or Chinese origin.
Air Nomad: Single name without lastname, usually "Monk _____" or "Sister _______." Monks are from North and South Airtemples, and Nuns are from East and West. Their names are usually of Hindi, Tibetan, or Nepali descent. 
While these guidelines are helpful, they are not necessarily the rules. Just please research the meaning of your name and culture it's from!

4. Training & Fighting Style

This is the fun part! How do you fight? There are six options, and I've included the specialized bending types as well: 
For Benders:
Waterbending - all Waterbenders are capable of bending both water and ice. Specialized forms include:

• Healing
• Blood Bending 
• Plant Bending (for Foggy Swamp Tribe)
• Spirit Bending 

Earthbending - all Earthbenders can control rocks, dirt, mud, etc. Please note that at this point in history, there is no Metal Bending yet, as Toph has not shown the benders how to do it. I've replaced this with Crystalbending. Specialized forms include:

• Sandbending
• Lavabending
• Seismic Sense
• Creeping Crystal bending (Jennamite

Firebending - all Firebenders can both create and manipulate fire. They are capable of regulating heat (including their body heat, steam, etc.) as well. Specialized forms include:

• Lightningbending (and redirection)
• Cumbustionbending (the third eye)

Airbending - all Airbenders are able to both create and manipulate air and wind. Specialized forms include:

• Flight
• Astral Projection
• Spiritual Connection

Note that specialized forms of bending can only be achieved by learning a technique that shows you are capable of it (for example, Zuko can redirect, but not make lightning, Bolin is a Lavabender but not a Metalbender, etc.), but more on that later. 
For non-benders, you can chose between being a Weapons Master (hammers, archery, dual swords, chi blocking, spears, kunai, shuriken, etc, go crazy!) or Technology (traps, snares, chemistry, slingshots, bola traps, launchers, etc!). Just because you're not a bender doesn't mean you can't fight! They are equally as cool! 
Also choose a fighting style! For example, if you are an Earthbender who relies on making weapons, you're different from an Earthbender who likes to rely on sand. Likewise, nonbenders can be trappers, archers, chi blockers, etc. 

5. Background

Choose one or two of the six backgrounds. You'll need this for both your origin, and as a way to interact with NPCs later. 

• Military
• Monastic
• Outlaw
• Privileged
• Urban
• Wilderness

6. Hometown

Choose a hometown from the map! Check out our main map here: https://www.worldanvil.com/w/avatar-legends3A-rise-of-the-zodiac-heralds-fengyutheopulent/map/273fede7-e430-4d0a-ba42-b3f6810d255c
If there's a town you wanna make up, go for it! Let the GM know and I will incorporate it into the story and canon.

7. Demeanor 

How does your character act? Each Playbook has some suggestions, but feel free to really get into it and make your own. 

8. Your Look! 

Self explanatory. How do you look? How tall are you? How muscular, chubby, skinny, etc? Skin tone? Any unique features? Hair color and style? What are you wearing? All of that!! Really get into it (makeup, accessories, tattoo, etc!)

9. History Questions

Answer the history questions on your Playbook. Each Playbook has a different one. 

10. Stats

The four stats of the game are Creativity, Focus, Harmony, and Passion. Each playbook has a defined stat for you (for example, your Playbook can give you maybe +1 Passion, but -1 Harmony, etc) which will affect every roll. Whatever those stats are, add +1 to any of the four (you can use this to make a -1 even to 0 or make a +1 a +2 for an extra punch, etc.) Please note that the max value of the stat is +3. 

11. Fatigue, Conditions, Balance

I'll make this easy -- this is prechosen for you on your Playbook. Your Fatigue is your health (everyone should have about five), Conditions are positive and negative conditions the GM and NPCs can give you, and your balance measures your state of mind. We can discuss irl. 
You also have this thing called "Moment of Balance" which you can unlock later. This is basically your ultimate move. 

12. Moves & Features

Fill in the "Features" section of your Playbook and also choose two moves from there that are available to you. You will be able to learn more special moves later, but everyone can also perform basic moves. Moves are not for combat, but for general play.

13. Connections

Don't do this yet, we will do this together, once you meet everyone's characters!

14. Combat Techniques

Now we're talking! You're basically like a Pokemon, and you have these techniques you know how to use in battle. Again, these are specialized! We know you can make a fireball, but can you make fire bullets? Right now, you can choose one mastered technique, and one learned technique. You can choose these from:

• Your playbook (those are unique to you!)
• The universal techniques (everyone can do this!) p280 on Core Book
• The bending/weapons/tech techniques (unique to your training) p282-287 on Core Book

Note that depending on if your technique is mastered, practiced, or learned, it will be easy or harder for you to use it in combat. Also, if you want to ensure you can learn specialized techniques (lightningbending, lavabending, etc) now's the time! Choose it as one of your two base techniques. Later on, it may be harder for you to learn specialized techniques, because you will have to rely on luck and a roll to see if you are even capable of it (if you fail your first lavebending lesson, that means you're not one, etc, but if you start the game already being a lavabender, you're set!).

MAKE A GOOGLE DOC OF ALL THIS INFO AND EMAIL TO JOJO!

Otherwise, we can Facetime to do it together, or we can do it in the beginning of our play.