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Unlike most tabletop roleplaying games,Avatar Legendshas a highly unique level-up system that’s not based on numbers or specific levels at all. Instead of leveling up, player characters in the Avatar: The Last Airbender universe earn growth, rather than XP or any other type of currency.
While this may sound confusing at first, the level-up system in Avatar Legends is actually relatively streamlined and easy to learn. However, level-ups can vary from playbook to playbook, so you’ll want to pay close attention to different rulesets for different characters. Here’s what you need to know to level up your character in Avatar Legends.
What Is Growth?
As mentioned above,growth is the level-up currency in Avatar Legends,the equivalent of XPin other tabletop gameslike Dungeons & Dragonsor milestones.
When you earn growth,you can spend it to expand your abilities, strengthen your character, and more.
Typically, in Avatar Legends,growth is earned as a group, meaning players will very rarely out-level each other.
However, depending on which playbooks your group is using,some players could earn extra growth faster.
Unlike mastering new bending or fighting abilities,growth is all about your character’s arc or progression.
Growth is something you earnbased on your character experiences, having your ideas challenged, and roleplaying your character’s journey well.
How To Earn Growth
As you play Avatar Legends,there are three main ways to earn growth:
Generally speaking,you’ll earn growth mainly through answering growth questions, which we’ll detail in full below.
Answering Growth Questions
At the end of each session in Avatar Legends,players will answer a series of growth questionsbased on the session they played.
This is calledtaking the growth move.
These questions are detailed in full in Chapter Seven of the Avatar Legends Core Book, but often speak to ideas like learning about the world, stopping a serious threat, or advancing your character arc.
If the answer to any growth question is ‘yes,’ then you mark off a growth boxon the second page of your playbook.
Once you have marked off four growth boxes, then you earn a growth advancement, which you can spend as currency to ‘level up.’
Balance And Playbook Moves
As mentioned, while growth questions are the main way to earn growth,there are also playbook and balance-specific moves that players can use to mark off a growth.
The rules for playbook-specific moves are unique to each playbook, and detailed on the playbook.
For example, the Icon has a move known as ‘Otter-Penguins, Unagi, and Hot Springs,‘that allows them to roll with Harmony when they visit an uninhabited location to potentially mark growth depending on the success of the role.
Playbook rules vary from playbook to playbook, butevery player-character has access to the balance-specific move known as ‘Resist Shifting Your Balance.’
When you take this move, you are resisting an NPCwho is trying to shift your balance one way or another.
As you continue to earn growth and growth advancements,if you run out of advancements to take, it might be time to retire your character.
On a hit, you maintain your current balance and can choose to mark growthwhen you act to prove the NPC wrong, along with other possible boons.
How To Use Growth Advancements
Once you’ve earned four growththrough various means,you can then take a growth advancementto improve your character.
you’re able to only take some of these advancementsa limited number of times.
Take A New Move From Your Playbook
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On each playbook,there are several unique moves availablefor players to take.
When you take this growth advancement,you may take a new move from your playbook.
Take A New Move From Another Playbook
Similarly, when you take this growth advancement,you may take a new move from another playbook.
Raise A Stat By +1
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When you take this growth advancement,you may select a stat of yours and increase it by +1.
However,you may only increase each stat in this way by +2, unless you have a playbook move that states otherwise.
Shift Your Center One Step
When you take this growth advancement,you can shift your center of balanceone step in either direction.
Unlock Your Moment Of Balance
When you take this growth advancement,you can unlock your Moment of Balance, which is a special move detailed on each playbook.
Overall,taking moves and raising stats are going to prove the most helpfulin terms of character advancement.
Adjustments to balance and moments of balance are not always going to come into play, and tend to reset after a given period of time.
