Author Topic: Bending Overview  (Read 4001 times)

Offline dman11235

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Bending Overview
« on: March 12, 2012, 09:47:41 AM »
BENDING OVERVIEW

Water.  Earth.  Fire.  Air.  These four elements make up the world of the benders.  Using a combination of spirituality and physical prowess, benders are capable of manipulating these elements, bending them to their will and shaping their world.

Bending is a spiritual martial discipline. Neither divine nor mundane, but somewhere in between.  Unlike magic, it cannot create substance where there was none.  Unlike martial disciplines, it can defy laws of nature with the manipulation of the elements.  Like magic, it contains seemingly impossible tasks, and incorporates them into combat.  Like martial disciplines, the tasks are incorporated seamlessly into the fighting style of the practitioner.

Bending is not magic.  At least, not magic in the typical sense.  Nothing is created, only manipulated.  As such, bending cannot be performed while in an anti-magic field or similar effect, nor can material inside such an effect be manipulated.  However, benders can affect objects inside those effects through the use of momentum: a rock thrown at a target inside an anti-magic field will continue to the target, for instance.  Because of this, all bending is classified as a supernatural (su) ability.  However, there may be exceptions that don't follow the normal rules for supernatural abilities.

A normal bending effect is referred to as a Seed.  These basic forms provide the backbone of any bender's arsenal, and can be a power to behold.  However, advanced forms, the result of combining two seeds or a seed and a template, or even more, are not a power to be trifled with.

Bending Forms

Bending Level
Your Bending Level determines how good you are at bending.  It is equal to your combined levels in bending classes plus one half your other combined hit dice.  So for instance, a character with 5 levels in Bender, 2 levels in Fire Adept, 2 levels in Pyrokineticist, and 2 levels in Fighter would have a Bending Level of 9 (7 from bending classes, 2 from non-bending classes).

When you make a bending attempt, you must meet or exceed the DC of the seed by rolling 1d20+Bending skill.  Your bending skill is equal to your Bending Level plus your wisdom modifier, plus any miscellaneous modifiers that might apply, such as Form Specialization.  You may take 10 on bending attempts unless you are threatened, and this does not increase the bending time.  You cannot take 20 on a bending attempt.

Components
Most forms require specific motions to complete.  The types of motions are listed under the component section of a seed.  There is also a material component required for most benders, notably air, water, and earth.  If enough material required to complete the form is not available within range, the form fails.

Somatic: Somatic components are precise motions that are easily disrupted.  Any seed with somatic components receive double the usual armor check penalty (wearing a suit of armor with an armor check penalty of -2 would incur a penalty of -4, for instance).  Being hindered in a significant way (not having two limbs free, being prone or grappled, etc.) incurs a -10 penalty on the bending check.  It is impossible to bend forms with a somatic component if you are pinned or otherwise helpless.  All seeds have somatic components unless otherwise specified.

Meditative: Some seeds require concentration to maintain them.  These seeds have meditative components.  Each seed with a meditative component has a concentration time listed.  It requires a successful bending check every turn, using that action listed, to maintain the seed, otherwise the seed ceases to function.  The elements being manipulated act like normal, so earth floating would fall, fire would dissipate, etc.  Maintaining a seed like this provokes attacks of opportunity unless the action is a swift or free action.

Augmentation
Many of the seeds have augments available to increase the power of the seed.  There are three types of augments.

Increase: Increase augments require the DC of the form to be increased.  This represents a task attempted of greater difficulty.  When you attempt to use an increase augment, the base DC of the seed is increased by the amount the augment requires.  Most increase augments allow you to do this multiple times, exceptions will be noted.  You must apply all increase augments before you roll the bending check.

Exceed: Exceed augments happen after the roll, and represents extra power offered by a better bending attempt.  They are more simple than increase augments, but much more rare.  Simply subtract the base DC from the bending check to determine the strength of exceed augment.

Template: Templates are presented as individual seeds, but do nothing on their own.  They are used to alter the utility of another seed.  To use a template seed, you must combine it with a seed that has an actual effect.  When you do so, add the template's DC to the base seed's DC.  That is the new base DC.  This alters the effects of the seed as per what the template states.

Explanation of Terms
This area explains all of the terms used with a seed's vital statistics.

Difficulty Class: The base difficulty class for the seed.  You must beat this on your bending check in order to complete the form.  Failure to match or beat the DC means the form fails and the action(s) are wasted.

Bending Time: This is the amount of time it takes to complete the form.  The materials may gather during the execution, but no effect happens until the end of the bending time (unless otherwise specified).

Maintenance Action: If a seed requires concentration, then it will have a maintenance action listed.  Every turn, you must succeed on a bending check equal to the DC used to start the seed.  So if you augmented a seed to have a DC of 35, you must succeed on a bending check every round of DC 35 in order to keep the seed up.  If you fail at a concentration check, the seed immediately ends.

Range: This indicates the range at which the seed can be executed.  It follows the same rules for spells with regards to range.

Area: This is how large of an area the seed affects, if it affects an area.  It follows the same rules as spells with regards to area.

Target: This is where a seed that requires a target will specify said target.  It follows the same rules as spells with regards to targets.

Effect: If a seed conjures an effect, this section will briefly describe it.

Duration: This indicates how long a seed lasts.  Most seeds with a duration have one of Concentration, and thus will have a maintenance action as described above.  Some have another duration, usually listed in a number of rounds or minutes, but durations expressed in 10 minute increments or hours or another time unit are not impossible.

Saving Throw: If a seed has a saving throw for a lesser effect, this is where the type of save and any modifiers to that (such as “harmless”) will be located.  It follows the same rules as spells with regards to saves.

LIST OF SEEDS

All of the seeds for each discipline are listed below.  They are organized alphabetically within each discipline.

Airbending

Earthbending

Firebending

Waterbending

Advanced Forms
Two seeds may be combined to create an advanced form.  Using a single seed is usually  useful and powerful enough in its own right, and it is often powerful enough to be quite a threat even in later levels by augmenting the seed.  However, in situations where two of a character's known seeds are compatible with each other, they can be executed together and augment each others effects.  This is called and Advanced Form.  Using an advanced form uses the longer bending time of the two seeds, and has a base DC of the two seeds added together -4.  Only one of the two seeds may be augmented.  The exception to this is that any template augment is applied to the resulting advanced form, not base seeds.

The intention of Advanced Forms is to replicate effects that are logically feasible for a bender of an appropriate skill level to perform, but simply are not modeled in the Seed Forms, either due to creator oversight or because the technique was dubbed to be a combination. It should therefore be stressed that players and DMs are intended to cooperate to determine what combinations of bending seeds are appropriate in a given game before the session begins. Many combinations are possible, so be creative!

BENDING GOLEM

Bending golems are not independent creatures.  They have to be constantly controlled by the bender that created them for them to function.  The skill of the bender creating the golem determines how powerful the golem is.

Creation
A bending golem looks like a vaguely humanoid creature made of water, snow, ice, fire, rock, metal, air, clouds, sand, or whatever is appropriate to the bender creating the golem.  The bender can attempt to carve or twist the golem into a specific shape or design if he so desires.  This requires a Craft (Sculpture) check to determine the quality of the work as part of the action to create the golem.  A result of 10-19 creates a golem that is recognizably similar to the desired creature's shape.  A result of 20-29 creates a golem that looks like an accurate portrayal of that creature's species.  A result of 30 or higher creates a golem that looks like a specific individual.  Certain factors may increase or decrease the DC, as appropriate to the situation and creature in question.  Regardless of the level of success, you cannot hide the fact that it is a mass of elements.

Traits
A bending golem has immunity to poison, sleep, paralysis,
stunning, disease, death effects, necromancy effects, mind affecting
effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms,
patterns, and morale effects), and any effect that requires a
Fortitude save unless it also works on objects or is
harmless. It is not subject to critical hits, nonlethal
damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion,
or energy drain.  It cannot heal damage on its own, although magic can heal it.

A bending golem's stats are based on its creator's power.  It has a number of Hit Dice equal to your bending  level, a strength score equal to your wisdom score, a dexterity score of half your wisdom score, 10 HP per bending level, a natural armor bonus to AC equal to your wisdom modifier, and a base attack bonus equal to your bending level.  It has a single slam attack that deals 1d8 damage.  Unlike most natural attacks, the bending golem can make additional attacks with its slam attack based on its base attack bonus.  The bending golem is not its own creature, and thus has no constitution, intelligence, charisma, or wisdom score.  Any time the golem would have to make a save or check of any kind (although some checks are impossible for it) the bender controlling it makes the check instead.  The exception to this are strength and dexterity based checks and saves, which are made by the golem.  Due to this link, any bending golem that strays out of the range of the bender controlling it immediately breaks up.

Special Abilities
A bending golem can have a number of special abilities, depending on the power of the bender creating it.  A base level bending golem has no abilities chosen from the following menus, but more powerful bending golems can start to have abilities that make each bending golem unique.  See the Golem seed for more information on the number of menu abilities the golem bending receives.  A bending golem need not meet the prerequisites of any feat granted.  A bending golem cannot have the same menu option more than once, unless otherwise specified.

The bending golem has any extra-sensory abilities that the bender has, with an exception.  Any creature blocked from view of the bender is blocked from view of the bending golem.  So for instance, if a creature is blocked from view of the bender by a wall, or is outside the range of the bender's blindsense, the bending golem cannot see or sense it.

BENDING GOLEM MENU A

(click to show/hide)

BENDING GOLEM MENU B

(click to show/hide)

BENDING GOLEM MENU C

(click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: March 13, 2012, 09:25:51 PM by dman11235 »
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Offline dman11235

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Airbending
« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2012, 09:11:22 PM »
AIRBENDING

Air is the element of freedom.  Those who manipulate it are more care free than most, and the use a mental agility to solve problems from many angles.

AIR BLAST (fundamental)
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AIR SCOOTER (seed)
(click to show/hide)

AIRSENSE
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BABYLON CONTROL (seed)
(click to show/hide)

BREATH STEALER (seed)
(click to show/hide)

CONTROL WINDS (seed)
(click to show/hide)

DIRT SPRAY (seed
(click to show/hide)

DUST CLOUD (seed)
(click to show/hide)

FUNNEL (seed)
(click to show/hide)

GOLEM (seed)
(click to show/hide)

HAND OF WIND (fundamental)
(click to show/hide)

HEAVENLY STRIDE (seed)
(click to show/hide)

PUPPET (seed)[size]
(click to show/hide)

SHOCKWAVE (seed)
(click to show/hide)

SOUND BENDING (seed)
(click to show/hide)

WIND BARRIER (seed)
(click to show/hide)

WIND BURST (seed)
(click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: August 08, 2013, 01:50:51 AM by dman11235 »
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Earthbending
« Reply #2 on: March 13, 2012, 09:12:48 PM »
EARTHBENDING

Earthbenders are typically stubborn, determined warriors, not content with yielding any ground.  They root themselves down into the earth itself and make their opponents come to them.  They practice patience, and some to an almost unnerving degree.  Most earthbenders are not able to bend metal, sand, or similar substances, but through practice, they can learn to bend the more stubborn and hard to control forms of their element.  Usually this involves becoming more stubborn than the material itself.

One of the biggest aspects of earthbending typically lost on those who are just starting to learn the art is that the element is actually all about neutrality.  Most earthbenders know to be immobile and stubborn, but the true masters know that this is because of the neutrality of actions.  Strike a balance with your actions and wait until your opponent makes the mistake.

ARMOR (seed)
(click to show/hide)

BOULDER TOSS (seed)
(click to show/hide)

CATAPULT (seed)
(click to show/hide)

DENSITY (seed)
(click to show/hide)

DIRT SPRAY (seed)
(click to show/hide)

DUST CLOUD (seed)
(click to show/hide)

EARTH BLAST (fundamental)
(click to show/hide)

EARTH WALL (seed)
(click to show/hide)

EARTH WAVE (seed)
(click to show/hide)

EARTH SIGHT (seed)
(click to show/hide)

GOLEM (seed)
(click to show/hide)

HEADCRACKER (seed)
(click to show/hide)

IMPRISON (seed)
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METAL BENDING (template)
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MOVE EARTH (fundamental)
(click to show/hide)

PUPPET (seed)
(click to show/hide)

QUAKE (seed)
(click to show/hide)

RUBBLE WAVE (seed)
(click to show/hide)

SHAPE EARTH (fundamental)
(click to show/hide)

SPIKE (seed)
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TECTONIC (seed)
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« Last Edit: May 21, 2012, 09:48:21 PM by dman11235 »
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Firebending
« Reply #3 on: March 13, 2012, 09:13:58 PM »
FIREBENDING

Fire is the element of power and energy.  Primarily fueled by passion, many firebenders fight with a furious zeal, whether that zeal is for their nation, a cause, another person, or themselves.  Although it seems like they create the fire from nothing, the fire is actually their own energy and breath.  Popular  among firebenders, both apprentice and expert, are breathing exercises, which help increase the power of the forms.

Firebenders are the only benders who do not require other material to work with.  They create their element using energy from their own body.  As such, they tend to consume more food than other benders

BREATH OF THE DRAGON (seed)
(click to show/hide)

BURNING EDGE (seed)
(click to show/hide)

CLAW OF THE PHOENIX (seed)
(click to show/hide)

COLD FIRE (template)
(click to show/hide)

COMBUSTION (seed)
(click to show/hide)

EXPLOSION (template)
(click to show/hide)

FIRE BLAST (fundamental)
(click to show/hide)

FIRESPIN (seed)
(click to show/hide)

FLAMETHROWER (seed)
(click to show/hide)

GOLEM (seed)
(click to show/hide)

HEAT CONTROL (seed)
(click to show/hide)

HEATWAVE (template)
(click to show/hide)

HYPNOTIC LIGHTS (seed)
(click to show/hide)

INNER FLAMES (seed)
(click to show/hide)

LIFEBENDING (seed)
(click to show/hide)

MAGNIFY FLAMES (seed)
(click to show/hide)

MOVE FLAMES (fundamental)
(click to show/hide)

PUPPET (seed)
(click to show/hide)

PYROTECHNICS (template)
(click to show/hide)

REDIRECT (seed)
(click to show/hide)

SOARING FLAMES (seed)
(click to show/hide)

WALL OF FLAMES (seed)
(click to show/hide)
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Waterbending
« Reply #4 on: March 13, 2012, 09:14:49 PM »
WATERBENDING

Water is the element of change.  Those who utilize this deceptively powerful element are patient  and calm, while waiting for the attack to come.  They then turn that attack around on the originator, giving legitimacy to the defensive nature of the element.  Although they seem to be out of their realm of power without a large body of water nearby, the master waterbender realizes that where there is life, there is water.

Balance and precision are both integral to waterbenders.  They believe in flowing while retaining their position, letting their enemies waste energy moving about.  Without extremely good balance and precision, this tactic fails on a number of levels, hence the training in these two aspects of combat for waterbender warriors.

BEND PLANTS (template)
(click to show/hide)

CAPTURE (seed)
(click to show/hide)

FEEL THE FLOW (seed)
(click to show/hide)

GOLEM (seed)
(click to show/hide)

HEALING WATER (seed)
(click to show/hide)

ICE SHARDS (seed)
(click to show/hide)

ILLUSORY MIST (seed)
(click to show/hide)

MOVE WATER (fundamental)
(click to show/hide)

PHASE CHANGE (fundamental)
(click to show/hide)

SHAPE WATER (fundamental)
(click to show/hide)

SPOUT (seed/template/fundamental)
(click to show/hide)

STEADY STANCE (seed)
(click to show/hide)

TENTACLE (seed)
(click to show/hide)

WATER BLAST (fundamental)
(click to show/hide)

WATER SHIELD (seed)
(click to show/hide)

WATER WHIP (seed)
(click to show/hide)

WAVE (seed)
(click to show/hide)
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