#COMBAT FIGHTING MOVES HOW TO#

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 this sense, remember that Avatar Legends is, first and foremost, a game about martial artist heroes.

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.Īll 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. An addendum I would add is that, even when a combat happens, not all combats have to be the same. One of the most important rules in Avatar Legends is that not every confrontation should end up in a combat. This makes it possible to present layered and interesting situations without overwhelming the players (or yourself). defending a village-while others are out there fighting the invaders. 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.

#COMBAT FIGHTING MOVES HOW TO#

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.Īs yet another example of the same philosophy at play: have multiple combats running in parallel. To counter this, don’t be afraid to shake things up a bit every once in a while. 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. Tip #2: Combats Should Be Dynamic AffairsĪnother death knell to fun and engaging combats in games is when they’re static. 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. 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 ?Īll 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. In this window PCs can trigger other moves, such as the basic moves or playbook moves, that usually aren’t available during an exchange.

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. So far, pretty similar to combat in most RPGs, right? 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. You already know that combat in AL is structured in exchanges.

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

Combat fighting moves