Creating a "Bender" class

[Achan hiArusa]

That's not what I think of when I hear Bender.

 

[shinobi_guyver]

You're not anime enough.

Oh Blargag.

Avatar isn't anime, no matter how you try and twist it.

It does draw on martial arts and asian-inspired elemental abilities, but that doesn't make it anime.

Sadly, though, when I hear "Bender" I have to think "Avatar" to prepare myself for these threads. Yet for some reason when I hear "Avatar" I think "Perfection" or "Epitome of one aspect/focus/whatever." Weird, huh?

Slightly more on topic:
Basing the class more on a Warlock makes sense, as does adding traits from other classes that are similar to the element you're focusing on. So instead of completely reflavoring just Warlock abilities, try finding ways to incorporate abilities from other classes to help make a distinction between elements.

 

[Achan hiArusa]

The creators have defintely said there were strong anime influences in Avatar, so yes you can twist it and say it is anime. Now, its not really Japanese but it has a large Chinese/Eskimo background (with a little bit of Redneck, Oliver Stone, and Arabic in it).

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Oh Blargag.

Avatar isn't anime, no matter how you try and twist it.

The creators have defintely said there were strong anime influences in Avatar, so yes you can twist it and say it is anime.

See?

 

[Angrydad]

Oh Blargag.

Avatar isn't anime, no matter how you try and twist it.

It does draw on martial arts and asian-inspired elemental abilities, but that doesn't make it anime.

Sadly, though, when I hear "Bender" I have to think "Avatar" to prepare myself for these threads. Yet for some reason when I hear "Avatar" I think "Perfection" or "Epitome of one aspect/focus/whatever." Weird, huh?

Slightly more on topic:
Basing the class more on a Warlock makes sense, as does adding traits from other classes that are similar to the element you're focusing on. So instead of completely reflavoring just Warlock abilities, try finding ways to incorporate abilities from other classes to help make a distinction between elements.

Yeah, we're not strictly focusing on the Warlock invocations and such, but we're basing the effects a bender can create and the number they can learn on that system. I was also thinking it might be appropriate to give benders an ability similar to Jedi in the SW d20 system. They can, once they reach a given level, deflect elemental attacks with their own element. This would use up a move action for the next round and all that, but allows for some of the dynamic back and forth action from the show.

 

[Arkhandus]

Waterbenders:
The waterbenders in the show tend to gain healing abilities, though nowhere near what a cleric is capable of. Instead, the healing mechanic would be based on the warlock's "fiendish resilience" ability. Once per day, a waterbender can trigger a fast healing effect in a given target (meaning that any one person can only receive healing from a waterbender once per day). The target would heal a certain amount per round based on his/her HD or level. The duration would be based on the level of the waterbender. If a waterbender so chooses, he or she may instead gain further abilities to shape or add effects to their elemental blast. A waterbender can cause piercing or slashing damage when creating ice effects.
-Prestige Class idea: Bloodbender. In the show, a few waterbenders eventually learn to manipulate the water in living creatures, plants, and so on. This would essentially allow a powerful water/bloodbender to cause enemies to attack their own allies and such.

Bloodbending was really limited though; the old woman could only use it to control people during a full moon, and Katara could only use it a little bit at other times. Though both could draw moisture out of plants and animals and air and such with ease, which was related to bloodbending. This can be used offensively, similar to a smaller-scale Horrid Wilting spell in D&D.

Of course, there was a similar technique of the swamp-folk that bent the water in plants to make them move at any time, but they needed really moist plants. They never bent trees or nothin'. So this kind of technique might be mixed into the Bloodbender stuff, maybe leading up to true bloodbending.

I figure the Waterbender would be a balanced/middling class stat-wise; medium BAB, d6 or d8 HD, good Reflex saves, 4 skill points/level maybe, simple weapon proficiency. They might get a few bonus feats over time from the monk's list or something, with Improved Unarmed Strike also there as an option.

Firebenders:
Firebenders are the most aggressive benders and we're thinking would have bigger HD, a better BA progression, or gain some Fighter bonus feats as they level up. Fire is the least able to create other effects beyond direct damage, so we felt they deserved to have some other significant ability. We also considered having the damage of their elemental blast increase faster.
-Prestige class idea: Lightningbender. A rare few firebenders learn how to channel lightning from their fingertips. Unlike fire or other elements, lightning cannot be shaped into anything besides a straight line/blast (like a lightning bolt spell).

Firebenders aren't necessarily so tough, though, as much as they are just offensively focused. A d8 hit die would probably make sense though, given how martial they are. Full base attack bonus, or medium BAB with a bonus Weapon Focus feat or something. 2 skill points/level, high Fortitude.

Firebenders probably have the least bending focus of them all, since theirs is more limited to just fire blasts and such. They'd be able to do a little bit of defensive stuff, but are still very limited in their bending. So better physical stats would make sense.

Lightning bending wasn't quite that rare, though. It just took more patience and focus than fire. And it wasn't strictly limited to bolts, really. Azula used waves of lightning sometimes, as I recall, and I think she released an a spherical burst of it alll around her once.... And it was used in both cones and lines by Azula, Ozai, and Iroh. So don't limit it too severely, though it clearly took more time to build up the lightning charge than to just hurl fire.

Earthbenders:
The most defensively oriented of the benders, we thought it would be appropriate to give them the AC bonus from the monk class, as well as allow them to learn more shapes for their blasts that create armor or shield effects. Earthbenders are the only ones whose blasts deal bludgeoning/piercing/slashing damage, depending on the effect desired. Also, we were thinking that perhaps earthbenders would get a bonus to resist bull rush and trip attempts, much like dwarves or four legged creatures.
-Prestige class idea: Metalbender. Only one character in the show ever learns to manipulate metal of any sort, but we figured it would be a cool power to add. Metal is basically pure earth, but is more difficult to work with, so metalbenders aren't able to affect as much metal as earth.

Hmm. d10 hit dice (maybe d8 if you lower firebenders and waterbenders to d6), medium BAB (they're the second-most martial of the benders), simple weapons and light armor proficiency, 2 skill points/level, high Fortitude and Will saves. And sure, maybe a monkish AC bonus.

Their elemental attack should progress slowly, and never get quite as powerful as a firebender's. Earthbending seems to take more physical exertion sometimes, requiring more brute strength and endurance, so it should cause some nonlethal damage or fatigue/exhaustion to the Earthbender over time when in use. Like 1 point per use of the elemental blast, and 1 or more points for each use of other abilities. Earthbenders are tough, but they have to struggle and force their element to bend, not guide or coerce it like other benders, so they can't just nudge Earth into motion, they have to beat it into submission with their muscles and willpower. This would help balance out the higher basic stats than other benders.

Seems like you got the right idea with metalbending. Toph does some cool stuff with it, but only on a very small scale. Bending an airship's rudder is the biggest thing she manages to pull off with metalbending.

Airbenders:
Airbenders are all about mobility and evasion. We're thinking it'd be good to basically give them many of the monk abilities from the base class, since many of the monk abilities relate to movement and such. Airbenders are also able to fly via gliders or similar type devices. As they gain levels they'd increase their flight speed and maneuverability. Perhaps granting a skirmish bonus or the AC bonus (similar to the Scout class) would be appropriate.
-Prestige class idea: We don't have a real name yet, but the class would eventually learn to fly without any glider or device and end up being able to fly at will. It's tougher to figure out an Airbender prestige class because there's only one in the show who gets more than a few minutes of screen time, so there's a little less insight into potential other abilities.

Makes sense. Probably d6 hit dice, low BAB, 6 skill points per level, simple weapon proficiency, high Reflex saving throws, and a monkish AC bonus. Some monkish abilities like fast movement and slow fall and leap of the clouds and such, but no need for a nearby wall with their Slow Fall ability.

They might get a small attack bonus for movement, similar to Skirmish but not damage, but Airbenders are by far the least combat-focused and least offensively-focused of the benders. Their elemental blast should do the least amount of damage, and only nonlethal damage, but have a knockback effect and sometimes knocking enemies prone. They can move over water and other things while floating on the air-ball, but can't maintain the air-ball for terribly long. Maybe 2 or 3 rounds in D&D combat terms. So if they try crossing an ocean that way, no chance, but they could cross a river probably without getting wet.

I can't really think of anything a prestige class for them would do, but greater flight doesn't seem like it would quite fit. Aang can only fly (without a glider) in the Avatar State, where he's drawing on the power of his earlier incarnations, who were masters of their elements. And it isn't until he masters the Avatar State that he can actually fly without riding a whirlwind a mere few dozen feet off the ground, at best.

It seems like a variant of airbending might be soundbending, if nothing else. So maybe a sonics-oriented prestige class, a Soundbender or Thunderbender. All I can think of that might fit.

 

[Angrydad]

Arkhandus,

I do really like your idea of making a Sound/sonic bending prestige class for Airbenders. It'd probably be a 3 or 5 level class, but then most of the specialty PrC benders would be one of those smaller progressions. Bloodbending is the only one I can conceivably justify stretching into 10 levels. It'd be mostly the bender learning to manipulate plants, then animals, then maybe drawing water from the air, and finally they'd learn to blood bend. For the sake of game balance, I'd allow a bloodbender to use their power most of the time, and then give them a DC increase when the moon is full. Something like that. Otherwise, there'd be no point in taking all the levels of the PrC.