Strictly speaking, this is almost an off-topic post, but I'm tying it into a Hero Quest game I'm preparing for my kids and their friends.  I'm setting it in the world of  Avatar: the Last Airbender, but with a few key twists.  

Now, for those who aren't familiar with the show, it's set in a very loosely asian-esque world where the four dominant cultures are focused on one of the four fundamental elements: the Fire Nation, the Water Tribe, the Earth Kingdom, and the Air Nomads.  Each culture also practices a school of martial arts that complements its respective element, and which was developed for the show from real world martial arts.  Thus, the Fire Nation draws predominantly from Northern Shaolin kung fu with its leaps and kicks and sweeping arm movements, the Water Tribe practices T'ai Chi with its fluid and adaptive motions, the Earth Kingdom's art is based on Hung Gar with its deep-rooted stances and powerful strikes, and the Air Nomads' on Bagua with its constant and circular motions.

What I'm trying to bang out is a fifth style of martial art for this world, one based on the concept of the Void.  Starting with nothing, ending with nothing.  While each of the other four elements has its own polar opposite (Fire and Water, Earth and Air), Void would be a counterpoint to all other elements.

So, what martial art would this be?

!i!

I don't expect they'd be pacifists, because that's not as much fun. Maybe Iaijutsu or whatever? Requires weapons, though. Not sure how you feel about that.

EDIT: Ooh. Maybe something based on jujutsu? Turning someones force on themself?

What's the society and virtues that go with void-bending?

Hi!
  Its pretty clear that the Avatar themselves are personifications of the Void Style.
  If you understand the philosophy behind Void and look at the last 5 or 6 epis the idea that there is not element or that there is one element unifying all the others is made pretty clear in the show.
  But, if you had to, I would link Void to the Spirit world of the Avatar universe...

Quote from: dindenverIts pretty clear that the Avatar themselves are personifications of the Void Style.

Dang it.  I think you're right.

What I'm hoping to portray (and, Tony, I think this will answer your question) is the world of Avatar 100 years after the end of the current adventure shown in the cartoon.  Originally, I had considered the new worldwide threat to come in the form of the return of the Air Nomads -- the Air temples and monks and nuns may have been destroyed by the Fire Nation, but the nomads themselves hightailed it to lands unknown.  So, the Air Nomads return, riding flying Sky-Goats, led by an angry Ghengis-Khan-like figure, wreaking havoc across the land.

Then I started thinking of a sort of anti-Avatar antagonist, a sort of dark-spot that opens up between the four elements.  The players would have to aid the Avatar in countering the great Void Bender to save the world.

The second option is more epic in nature, but I'm beginning to lean back toward the first option.  As you were pointing out about the Void, the Spirit World really is its most sensible compliment.

!i!

Other new factions might include:

Metal (Kendo/Iajutsu/Kenjutsu)
Shadow (Ninjutsu)
Wood ()

Quote from: Ian AbsentiaThen I started thinking of a sort of anti-Avatar antagonist, a sort of dark-spot that opens up between the four elements.  The players would have to aid the Avatar in countering the great Void Bender to save the world.

So why do bending at all?  Why not just run with the trend already in place in the series, that technology is a burgeoning new field, but that people's reliance on bending can often make them overlook the possibilities available to non-benders?

I've worked out how to allow for the multiple or associated masteries seen occasionally in the cartoon (e.g. Fire and Air allowing Lightning Bending, Earth and Fire allowing Metal Bending, etc.), but I hadn't thought of those as separate subcultures.  Makes sense, though, what with the Foggy Swamp Tribe (Water + Earth = Plantbending), and the Sandbenders of the desert.

!i!

Another option might be to have a new faction (or factions) based on taint/corruption.

Their bending abilities could revolve around taking pure elements and turning them into something evil ant twisted. Throw in some mutations for some extra fun. Sprinkle with Lovecraftian horror to taste.

Quote from: Ian AbsentiaI've worked out how to allow for the multiple or associated masteries seen occasionally in the cartoon (e.g. Fire and Air allowing Lightning Bending, Earth and Fire allowing Metal Bending, etc.), but I hadn't thought of those as separate subcultures.  Makes sense, though, what with the Foggy Swamp Tribe (Water + Earth = Plantbending), and the Sandbenders of the desert.

I'm ... not sure where you're getting the notion that Azula is secretly an air-bender, or Toph a fire-bender.  Am I missing some sanctioned fan-sites?

Quote from: TonyLBI'm ... not sure where you're getting the notion that Azula is secretly an air-bender, or Toph a fire-bender.

No secrets.  It's really very obvious in the show, though not explicitly described as such. I'm riffing a bit on the notion that a bender of one element sometimes adopt aspects of adjacent elements or can affect their element as it manifests through another element.  As I alluded to above, the leader of the Foggy Swamp Tribe can control water as it manifests in plant matter, making him effectively, a plant-bender (water + earth).  Electricity isn't fire, but is sort of a fiery manifestation of the air, suggesting Azula does something similar to the plant-bending by channeling fire through the air (or air through fire).  Similarly, Toph has gone beyond the bounds of normal earth-bending by being able to manipulate metal (I'm guessing this is a fiery aspect of metal, but other interpretations may vary).  The confluence of water and air doesn't seem to yield anything as spectacular, as their bending manifestations mirror each other somewhat.

So, no, none of this is official, but is strongly implied.  Go with it.

!i!

Hi!
  Ian, I think you are close. Its interesting that Toph discovered her metal bending the same time that Ang unlocked his Avatar Spirit Form (while that spirit of the previous Avatar told him how there is not Element to bending, that it is all the same thing). Each of the most dangerous characters has shown an ability to delve into and/or understand non-traditional elements and that has led them to new and interesting techniques.
  If I were planning your campaign, I would have the BBEG BE the Avatar (Not Ang, but his successor). And run him like Jack Nicolas' character from  A Few Good Men. He is motivated by good, but pursues it with a ruthlessness that borders on the criminal.
  Its my hope that Avatar ends up being a story of redemption and that villain would go nicely with that theme...
  Either way, good luck man!

Quote from: dindenverIf I were planning your campaign, I would have the BBEG BE the Avatar (Not Ang, but his successor).

BBEG = Big Bad Evil Guy?  That's an interesting thought, really, and would accidentally fall in step with my plan for fabricating a "Void-Bender".  Traditionally, "void" can be interpreted as either total release of attachment and acceptance of all things as they simply are (the positive side of things) or total absence and/or annihilation (the negative side).  This could lead to an interesting interpretation of the Avatar, one at odds with his (her?) own spiritual tradition.

By the way, after Aang, the next Avatar is from the Water Tribe, yes?

!i!

Hi!
  IIRC, yes. Last was Fire and Earth is opposite...
  And, yes, BBEG=Big, Bad, Evil Guy. Thought that was an internet standard, sorry for the lingo.
  And kudos on a great mod for HQ. I have seen a ton of mods for HQ, but this is the first one I have seen where I can't think of another game that would do it better.

  I figure the conflict is, how do you redeem a being that is all-powerful (or nearly so in the case of the Avatar)?
  I mean you could destroy the Avatar and hope that the next re-incarnation is nicer, but then you risk locking that hatred and anger into the Avatar Cycle for all eternity, no?

Quote from: Ian Absentia;209578So, no, none of this [combined elemental masteries] is official, but is strongly implied.  Go with it.

Actually, it turns out that I'm somewhat mistaken.  I happened to have been watching an episode from  Season 2 last evening ("Bitter Work"), where Uncle Iroh explains to Zuko the inextricable interaction between the four elements, and teaches him a new firebending technique influenced by Iroh's studies of the waterbenders.  Again, it's not exactly explicit and official, but I think there's an even stronger case there (along with a number of other instances of benders combining elements where they come into contact).

!i!