Episode 7: The Snake Pit

 Lei Fang and Taqqiq stare each other down a moment, before Lei Fang questions what Taqqiq is doing there. After Taqqiq mentions he's investigating what happened to Long, the leader of the Fanged Mercenaries reveals he was the one who attacked the joint, on the behest of Enji. He also reveals he's looking for Chona still. Taqqiq gives him the fake name of Taq, and offers to be available if Lei Fang needs him. After a tense moment, Lei Fang allows Taqqiq to leave.

Everyone meets back up at the Moon Peach Inn, sharing the information they found.Po shares that he managed to convince Sonam to return back to Faa at the White Raven Shrine, and Taqqiq his recent encounter with Lei Fang the Firebender. Mayu and Kensaya share they've caught the attention of Setua the Information Broker, and where he can be found. They decide to go out, with Po and the gang convincing the Inn staff to sell them outfits to help disguise them.

Along their way to the Blue Shell parlor, the group is stopped by the city Task Force, guards assigned to keep peace and defend against the daofei incursions and corruption. After some talk of staying away from the Blue Shell, and being on the lookout, they become a little suspicious. Mayu reveals himself as a former captain, and the guards announce themselves as soldiers under General Hei Wan. They let the companions go with warning to be careful and get off the streets due to curfews and safety.

At the Blue Shell, the gang splits up: Mayu and Kensaya to look specifically for Setua, and Taqqiq, Po, and Chona to watch their backs. Mayu and Kensaya get the attention of a well-dressed woman who seems to be part of Setua's circle. They circle back with the others and, while at their table, are invited to meet with Setua since the companions believe they have information he'd like (and he seems interested). 

Mayu, Taqqiq, and Chona are allowed back to Setua's chambers, leaving Po and Kensaya in the main parlor. Setua is a well-dressed Waterbender, with a pet snake around him which he knows his on the nose. Mayu begins by explaining that the daofei within Ba Sing Se are more prepared to strike than is perhaps common knowledge. Taqqiq also asks about Long's study/shop.

Setua says that he's aware of the squabbling between the daofei, particularly Lei Fang's Fanged Mercenaries and the Paper Lantern Gang in the Middle Ring, which offer him some protection.  He reveals he knows Chona and that she escaped, and that Mayu was tasked to retrieve her.

Taqqiq asks him about Enji, and he reveals Enji used to be married to a daofei woman, and she and their child were killed in attacks when Kyoshi returned to Ba Sing Se a few years ago and began to clean house. Since then Enji has become enamored with how to revisit or revive them, traveling into the depths of the Crystal Catacombs beneath the city to meet with Unyielding Zato, an Earthbender hermit.

Setua is intrigued to learn about Enji's attack on the White Raven, Kaa, and believes he has turned toward more violence than Setua would believe. Setua explains that Enji is trying to find a paradise land where he can meet his family, or their memory, and he was misled by the power of Kaa to help him.

Meanwhile, outside, Kensaya becomes the target of Dai Li agents,who were tipped off to suspicious characters, but Kensaya erupts in anger at being singled out and chastised by Po moments earlier. He sends a circle of flames through the parlor, and Dai Li agents arrest him, clasping his hands.

As Mayu, Taqqiq, and Chona hear the commotion, and Setua's retinue rushes them out of the meeting, they return to the parlor, now in chaos, as some more Dai Li agents arrive, with a man who suspiciously looks like Po -- indeed, it's his father, Lohi.

Avatar Legends: Combat Tips!

 This is reposting information from Magpie's own website (original link).

Five Tips for Running Great Combat in Avatar Legends

As a game about martial artist heroes, action scenes—especially those that involve fights of some kind—are a key component of the narrative of Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game (AL). Its unique combat system can present unique challenges for first time GMs, and even to those who already are familiar with the PbtA design theory! So let's dive in with five tips on how to run great combat.

Tip #1: Don't Forget About the Window in Between Combat Exchanges!

You already know that combat in AL is structured in exchanges. These exchanges are highly structured, with combatants choosing their approaches first, then resolving in a specific order—Defend & Maneuver first, then Advance & Attack, and finally Evade & Observe—and with the PCs going first and the NPCs going after. So far, pretty similar to combat in most RPGs, right?

Well, one of the main differentiators between Avatar Legends and other RPGs regarding combat is that in AL there’s the distinct possibility to do something in between combat exchanges other than fighting. In this window PCs can trigger other moves, such as the basic moves or playbook moves, that usually aren’t available during an exchange. Maybe The Bold wants to assess the situation to provide guidance to their fellow companions? Or The Prodigy wants to challenge an opponent? Or perhaps The Successor wants to reason with the villain, thus triggering a move like persuade or even guide and comfort?

All of these in-between-exchanges’ moves not only fit the Avatar Legends fiction perfectly, but helps you to avoid the often tedious and repetitive nature of combat in other RPGs. Especially in their first few combat exchanges, don’t forget to remind your players about this window and offer going into another exchange right away only if it fits the fiction and they decide not to do something else in between exchanges.

 

Tip #2: Combats Should Be Dynamic Affairs

Another death knell to fun and engaging combats in games is when they’re static. You’re fighting the same bunch of goons for what seems like an eternity, in the same space and with no major, noticeable changes throughout the fight.

To counter this, don’t be afraid to shake things up a bit every once in a while. The villain escapes and now the PCs must decide how to best use their turns during the following combat exchanges: do they keep on fighting the villain’s goons or do they go after the villain (by using a basic technique such as Seize the Position to catch up with them, Smash, or even Bolster or Hinder to impede their escape)? This can create an extremely dynamic and fun experience for everybody at the table, as there’s now a new layer to the combat.

As yet another example of the same philosophy at play: have multiple combats running in parallel. Use one exchange order—i.e. the same approach resolves for all combats at the same time—and, in this way, you can have some characters in one place—e.g. defending a village—while others are out there fighting the invaders. This makes it possible to present layered and interesting situations without overwhelming the players (or yourself).

Tip #3: There Are Many Types of Combat

One of the most important rules in Avatar Legends is that not every confrontation should end up in a combat. An addendum I would add is that, even when a combat happens, not all combats have to be the same. 

Some combats will be dramatic fights against monologuing villains, yes, but you can also have short engagements against goons that help to boost the PCs morale (and/or to give new players some low-stakes combats to learn the system); duels resolved “to the first blow” (whoever inflicts the first condition); and even situations in which fighting is a form of presentation/getting to know each other through non-verbal means. 

All of these—and the many more you can probably think of/come up with—will allow you to insert vital action scenes in the middle of otherwise action-less situations.

In this sense, remember that Avatar Legends is, first and foremost, a game about martial artist heroes. The “martial artist” part is a key component of its original fiction—and most probably the expectations of all players at the table!

 

Tip #4: Combats Shouldn't Be (Only) About Punching People Unconscious

In my experience, inflicting fatigue and conditions until an opponent can't take it anymore should be only one of many options available in a combat. Most opponents should have other avenues to be defeated, such as debilitating them to the point of losing their control (marking one specific condition, for example) or the victory conditions of the fight itself should be such that PCs can win without having to spend 10 exchanges hitting someone over and over again. This can often be achieved by setting up scenarios in which the combat is about more than “fighting to the death”, such as stopping a ritual, releasing a prisoner, or hold a certain position until another event occurs. 

 

Plus, most of the time it's mechanically more efficient to defeat opponents by challenging their beliefs, especially through the "Test Balance" basic technique—although that makes them more dangerous, as they get additional techniques each exchange when their balance track moves.

Tip #5: “What Does That Look Like in the Fiction?”

Finally, techniques and combinations are fun and all, but never forget that combat is just another part of the overall narrative of an Avatar Legends game. As such, I often like to refer other players—and myself—back to that narrative with a simple question: “What does that look like in the fiction?”

 

Remember to describe what each technique and move looks like in that narrative moment. Yes, you Strike at someone, but what does that look like? Do you use a fire kick, an ice dagger, or a blast of wind? This may be very dependent on your specific training but, even then, you can choose to use new descriptions as your character grows and changes or even add variations to your description depending on the current fictional situation. This focus on the narrative will enhance your experience of using the combat exchange framework in Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game. 

Episode 6: Threading Winds

In Ba Sing Se, the following day, the companions regroup to piece together the various threads they've uncovered. Taqqiq and Chona note that the Middle Ring is run by a daofei group called the Paper Lanterns, and Kensaya mentions that the Fanged Mercenaries, headed by Lei Fang, are taking hold in the Lower Ring. Mayu mentions that his contacts are telling him the city is a powder keg of daofei remnants vying for control. The group decides finding Sonam is their chief priority, and tracking down Enji comes second.

Mayu and Kensaya go to pai sho parlors to find out more about Setua: they learn he is a many-linked information network, basically parleying and brokering all information that comes through the city. They learn he sometimes frequents a parlor known as the Blue Shell, and through gambling and trading stories the two manage to pique Setua's gang. They're told they have piqued his interest.

Meanwhile, Po and Taqqiq go to seek out the Air Nomad, Sonam. They first go to Ba Sing Se University and ask of the students there, acting on information that Sonam frequents that place. They learn he had set up a meeting at the Green Dragon Tea Shop, and so Po and Taqqiq go there to meet him instead.

Taqqiq, troubled and afraid, backs out of the meeting, but Po stands firm and begins to talk Sonam into returning to the White Raven Shrine and making amends with Faa, the abbess. Sonam accepts Po's words and tries to redeem himself.

Meanwhile, Taqqiq returns to the burned study of Long, the archeologist for whom Chona worked. As he examines the rubble, a shadow darkens the doorway. Taqqiq comes face to face with Lei Fang, the daofei mercenary leader.