Converting Avatar: The Last Airbender/Legend of Korra setting to GURPS

[timeladymanedwolf]

This is a simple question. I want to run a campaign based off of those two series eventually, should I simulate bending as psionics, magic... What should I simulate it as?

Furthermore what tech level do these two fit into?

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by timeladymanedwolf

This is a simple question. I want to run a campaign based off of those two series eventually, should I simulate bending as psionics, magic... What should I simulate it as?

It's chi-based in the setting. I don't know if you want to change that. GURPS Thaumatology: Chinese Elemental Powers and GURPS Martial Arts can basically get you all the way there.

Furthermore what tech level do these two fit into?

Avatar is mostly TL3+1 (for the Earth kingdom) with the fire nation at TL3+2 and the Water tribes at TL0+2.

Legend of Korra is fairly uniformly TL4+1. Republic City and other advanced areas are TL5+1.

[timeladymanedwolf]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

It's chi-based in the setting. I don't know if you want to change that. GURPS Thaumatology: Chinese Elemental Powers and GURPS Martial Arts can basically get you all the way there.


Avatar is mostly TL3+1 (for the Earth kingdom) with the fire nation at TL3+2 and the Water tribes at TL0+2.

Legend of Korra is fairly uniformly TL4+1. Republic City and other advanced areas are TL5+1.

Okay... I have access to neither of those books-

I have the basic books plus Psionics, Magic, Horror, Space, High-Tech, and Bio-tech.

[Mr_Sandman]

There was a thread on this a while back:
http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread...ight=airbender

As for TL, in Airbender the Fire Nation seemed to have some TL 5 (even a little bit of 6 if you count the tanks) tech but used bending for combustion so maybe TL 4+1, but the other nations seemed more solidly TL 4. In Korra, Republic City seems to be TL 6 without the need for bending. No guns for anyone still, but odd electric weapons, right? Been a while since I watched.

[Dalillama]

These threads may be of interest.

[timeladymanedwolf]

Originally Posted by Mr_Sandman

There was a thread on this a while back:
http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread...ight=airbender

As for TL, in Airbender the Fire Nation seemed to have some TL 5 (even a little bit of 6 if you count the tanks) tech but used bending for combustion so maybe TL 4+1, but the other nations seemed more solidly TL 4. In Korra, Republic City seems to be TL 6 without the need for bending. No guns for anyone still, but odd electric weapons, right? Been a while since I watched.

This seems far more plausible for me to use, thanks.

And yeah, those tech levels make more sense in my book. Now I just have to make the maps of the local areas the player characters will start out in.

[Mr_Sandman]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

It's chi-based in the setting. I don't know if you want to change that. GURPS Thaumatology: Chinese Elemental Powers and GURPS Martial Arts can basically get you all the way there.


Avatar is mostly TL3+1 (for the Earth kingdom) with the fire nation at TL3+2 and the Water tribes at TL0+2.

Legend of Korra is fairly uniformly TL4+1. Republic City and other advanced areas are TL5+1.

You are right 3+1 is probably better for the Earth Kingdom then a flat 4.

Now that I think about it maybe Korra is TL 5+1. I was going by the automobiles and moving pictures without bending when I said 6.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by timeladymanedwolf

Okay... I have access to neither of those books-

Then you should probably get them (both are available as W23 pdfs)? Running a martial arts centric campaign without Martial Arts may be difficult, unless you are willing to create your own rules for styles.

I have the basic books plus Psionics, Magic, Horror, Space, High-Tech, and Bio-tech.

• Psionics is a third edition book and that system basically doesn't exist in 4e (the system in Psionic Powers is a spiritual successor, but mechanically very different).
• Magic isn't directly useful for Avatar unless you just treat "spells" as chi-abilities. Which is probably doable.
• Horror isn't going to be very useful, unless you are running a game in the same setting but a very different genre (though there are some horror-elements in the two cartoons like Blood-Bending).
• Space isn't going to useful at all. The genre advice is for the wrong genre, and you only have the one (basically Earth-like) planet.
• High-Tech will be useful for technology of the Fire Nation in the Aang era, and for everywhere in the Korra era.
• Bio-Tech might be useful for the hybrid animals, but probably not necessary.

You are probably going to want Powers, both for bending abilities (although not as much if you just use the system from Chinese Elemental Powers) and for spirits.

[timeladymanedwolf]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Then you should probably get them? Running a martial arts centric campaign without Martial Arts may be difficult, unless you are willing to create your own rules for styles.

• Psionics is a third edition book and that system basically doesn't exist in 4e (the system in Psionic Powers is a spiritual successor, but mechanically very different).
• Magic isn't directly useful for Avatar unless you just treat "spells" as chi-abilities. Which is probably doable.
• Horror isn't going to be very useful, unless you are running a game in the same setting but a very different genre (though there are some horror-elements in the two cartoons like Blood-Bending).
• Space isn't going to useful at all. The genre advice is for the wrong genre, and you only have the one (basically Earth-like) planet.
• High-Tech will be useful for technology of the Fire Nation in the Aang era, and for everywhere in the Korra era.
• Bio-Tech might be useful for the hybrid animals, but probably not necessary.

You are probably going to want Powers, both for bending abilities (although not as much if you just use the system from Chinese Elemental Powers) and for spirits.

It sounds like this kind of campaign is out of my realm of plausibility then. I'm a new GM. But I suppose I'll safe this information for later when I feel more like I know what I'm doing.

I do like the suggestion regarding hybrid animals, and I WILL include blood-bending and some other horrific elements in the hands of my villains.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by timeladymanedwolf

It sounds like this kind of campaign is out of my realm of plausibility then.

Really, with Chinese Elemental Powers and Martial Arts most of the really crunchy things about the setting are already available.

I'm a new GM. But I suppose I'll safe this information for later when I feel more like I know what I'm doing.

You might want to pick up a copy of How To Be A GURPS GM as well as try to run your first campaign with Action, Dungeon Fantasy or Monster Hunters. These are all great resources that would have saved me a lot of learning curve if they had existed back in the dim eighties when I started playing GURPS. I cannot recommend them enough to new GURPS GMs.