Roleplay Friday - An RPG For Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender
The roleplaying world is becoming more and more accessible, but many gamers still maintain an outdated view of how much investment is required to try out roleplaying. It’s very likely that, with the many thematic board games that have come out in recent years, most of the tabletop community has roleplayed to some extent even if they weren’t aware of it.
The best roleplaying experiences can sometimes be in worlds that we’re already familiar with. I love the ALIEN roleplaying game and a lot of that appeal stems from my love for sci-fi and my appreciation of the movies from Ridley Scott.
And so, possibly with that idea in mind, Magpie Games has announced an upcoming RPG set in the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender (and also The Legend of Korra). The magical and elemental world of Nickelodeon’s hit animated show seems ripe for roleplaying, and I imagine the second life that the show received on Netflix certainly helped both sides of the partnership realize the audience that existed for this content.
Magpie Games has secured a multi-year licensing agreement, so an initial core rulebook will be followed up by supplemental content to expand the world and the possibilities for tabletop roleplaying gamers.
The agreement with ViacomCBS Consumer Products will likely result in the most visible product for Magpie Games. The biggest one for tabletop gamers right now is Root but The Last Airbender has the potential to reach a wider audience outside of traditional board games and roleplaying.
While I haven’t watched Avatar at all, I have many friends and family who think highly of the television series. And it deals with some poignant character and story arcs, so it’s no surprise that Magpie Games jumped at the opportunity. Mark Diaz Truman, the CEO, stated:
The stories of Avatar are so moving for us because they are joyous and heartbreaking. We’re incredibly excited to bring the tales of brave benders and loyal friendships to tabletop roleplaying games; we know so many fans of both series have been waiting years for this moment! We’re also thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Asian designers like James Mendez Hodes to bring the world of Avatar Aang and Avatar Korra to life in a way that’s true to the authentic, diverse spirit of both shows.
Magpie Games has a diverse staff and a varied line of products, so I’m hoping that they’ll do justice to the nuanced world of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Players will be able to jump into the Avatar Aang world and be the heroes themselves. Playbooks will assist with character generation and then these new heroes will rise to face the antagonists that threaten the safety of the people across the land.
The core book is currently slated for an early 2022 release date. It should be out in February, but the supplemental materials will arrive later in 2022 and early in 2023. The titles for those two publications are Republic City and The Spirit World.
What other world from books, shows, or games would you like to see as an RPG? Let me know in the comments!