[Free RPG Day 2026] Avatar Legends: Expanded Play

Now in its nineteenth year, Free RPG Day for 2026 took place on Saturday, June 27th. As per usual, Free RPG Day consisted of an array of new and interesting little releases, which are traditionally tasters for forthcoming games to be released at GenCon the following August, but others are support for existing RPGs or pieces of gaming ephemera or a quick-start. This included dice, miniatures, vouchers, and more. Unfortunately, due to vagaries of International Customs, Free RPG Day in the UK did not take place until Saturday, 22nd August.

This review is possible due to the generosity of Waylands Forge in Birmingham.

—oOo—

For Free RPG Day 2026, Magpie Games published not one book, but six—Adventure Booklet 1: Earth & Root, Adventure Booklet 2: Fire & Brimstone, Adventure Booklet 3: Ash & Steel, Adventure Booklet 4: Air & Wind, and Adventure Booklet 5: Water & Mist as well as the Avatar Legends: Expanded Play supplement. These are all for Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game, one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns for any roleplaying game. This is the roleplaying adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, animated series which are inspired by the indigenous cultures of North America and Asia, in particular, China, Chinese martial arts, and the ability to ‘bend’ or manipulate the four elements—water, earth, fire, and air. Only one person can bend all four elements, and he is known as the ‘Avatar’, and not only does he serve as the link between the physical world and the spirit world, but he is also responsible for maintaining harmony between the world’s four nations. In the roleplaying game, the players roleplay characters, or companions, who are capable of bending one of the elements as well as practising martial arts, all with the aim of protecting the world from harm and those unable to stand up to misuse of power.

As with the five Adventure Booklets, Avatar Legends: Expanded Play originally appeared in Wan Shi Tong’s Adventure Guide, which explores and presents adventures in the different eras of the Avatarverse, including the Kyoshi, Roku, the Hundred Year War, Aang, and Korra periods. Avatar Legends: Expanded Play presents the rules and extra supplementary material that supports the five Adventure Booklets. Each of the Adventure Booklets presented an individual Legendary NPC who in some way helped serve the plot, whether that was as a powerful ally, a capable teacher, a dangerous long-term foe. Avatar Legends: Expanded Play explores these roles further suggesting how they might be used and not only that, presents another nine Legendary NPCs taken from Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. Each of these is presented in a two-page spread, complete with a history, suggestions on how to play each NPC and how they can be brought into play, and techniques that they know. In each case, they also explain what they will be like as a teacher and where they might be found. Given the earlier discussion, it is disappointing though, that there is no discussion of how they might be a powerful ally or a dangerous foe, which leaves the Game Master to develop this aspect herself. Most of them come from the Hundred Year War Era and include Long Feng, manipulative head of the Dai Li; Azula, prodigious and dangerous Fire Nation princess; Katara, master waterbender and healer; Sokka, strategic non-bender and weapon master; Suki, resilient leader of the Kyoshi Warriors; Toph Beifong, inventor of metalbending (also from the Classic Era); and Ty Lee, Chi-blocking acrobat and martial artist. The others are Rangi, fierce firebending master and bodyguard from the Kyoshi Era, and Taqukaq, experienced waterbending mentor from the comics.

More specifically for the players, Avatar Legends: Expanded Play includes four new Playbooks that are each easy to bring to the table as new Player Characters. They consist of the Destined, the Elder, the Foundling, and the Razor. They are more focused on telling a specific type of story than those in the Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game. Indeed, there are suggestions too on how to mix and match these four with the ten in the Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game. Of the four, two stand out as slightly different. The Razor has been trained as a dangerous weapon, but now seeks a path to redemption, the other, the Elder, is radically different in terms of its storytelling. It is suggested that the Elder take on the role of a mentor, perhaps like Tenzin, Lin, or Iroh from the series. To support this, the Elder can have protégés and will know more Techniques, but it is harder for the Elder to learn new ones.

Rounding out the booklet are almost fifty new Techniques. These are split between universal techniques and from the six training paths, with some also marked as being rare, so hard to find masters who might teach them. Of course, these give the Player Characters something to work towards and some of the Legendary NPCs in the supplement might know and teach some of these Techniques.

Physically, Avatar Legends: Expanded Play is well presented, sturdy booklet.

Of all of the titles released for Free RPG day 2026 for Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game, the Avatar Legends: Expanded Play supplement is the one that a Game Master is likely to come back to again and again as its content supports campaign play with a solid set of Legendary NPCs, but then again, it does not ignore the player either. Overall, a good mix of new options.

[Free RPG Day 2026] Water & Mist

Now in its nineteenth year, Free RPG Day for 2026 took place on Saturday, June 27th. As per usual, Free RPG Day consisted of an array of new and interesting little releases, which are traditionally tasters for forthcoming games to be released at GenCon the following August, but others are support for existing RPGs or pieces of gaming ephemera or a quick-start. This included dice, miniatures, vouchers, and more. Unfortunately, due to vagaries of International Customs, Free RPG Day in the UK did not take place until Saturday, 22nd August.

This review is possible due to the generosity of Waylands Forge in Birmingham.

—oOo—

For Free RPG Day 2026, Magpie Games published not one book, but six—Adventure Booklet 1: Earth & Root, Adventure Booklet 2: Fire & Brimstone, Adventure Booklet 3: Ash & Steel, Adventure Booklet 4: Air & Wind, and Adventure Booklet 5: Water & Mist as well as the Expanded Rules supplement. These are all for Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game, one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns for any roleplaying game. This is the roleplaying adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, animated series which are inspired by the indigenous cultures of North America and Asia, in particular, China, Chinese martial arts, and the ability to ‘bend’ or manipulate the four elements—water, earth, fire, and air. Only one person can bend all four elements, and he is known as the ‘Avatar’, and not only does he serve as the link between the physical world and the spirit world, but he is also responsible for maintaining harmony between the world’s four nations. In the roleplaying game, the players roleplay characters, or companions, who are capable of bending one of the elements as well as practising martial arts, all with the aim of protecting the world from harm and those unable to stand up to misuse of power.

As with the other four Adventure Booklets, Adventure Booklet 5: Water & Mist originally appeared in Wan Shi Tong’s Adventure Guide, which explores and presents adventures in the different eras of the Avatarverse, including the Kyoshi, Roku, the Hundred Year War, Aang, and Korra periods. Adventure Booklet 5: Water & Mist presents an adventure during the Korra period that will involve the Player Characters in a tale of revenge that takes them into a mess of city politics and city crime in Republic City. In what first looks like a missing persons case, the Player Characters are asked by Zhu Li Moon, the president of the United Republic, to look for her husband, First Gentleman Iknik Blackstone Varrick, who has gone missing. Now this is not the first time he has gone missing, but on previous occasions, he always turned up in some absurd situation or another, leading to the adoption of the ‘Varrick Rule’ under which his disappearances do not warrant too much concern. However, this time it looks to be different and the President wants her husband found quickly and quietly, the inference being that as a recently elected head of government, she wants to avoid a scandal!

In comparison to Adventure Booklet 3: Ash & Steel and Adventure Booklet 4: Air & Wind, the previous entries in the series, which were both chase stories, Adventure Booklet 5: Water & Mist is a detective story and involves a deep investigation into city politics. It begins with the Player Characters meeting President Zhu Li Moon at the Presidential Box at the Spring-Pro-Bending Tournament Qualifier and being asked for their help. After that, the Player Characters are free to conduct the investigation how they want, much as they were in the fairly first entry in the series, Adventure Booklet 1: Earth & Root. This time though, what the Player Characters will not be aware of, is that they are actually up against a deadline. To handle this, the scenario includes a ‘Clock’ as means of tracking how long it takes the Player Characters to act. As they progress, but are either too slow or travel to a new location, the Clock is filled in and when enough segments are filled in, certain events are triggered which go from helpful to ominous. If the Clock is completely filled in, then the Player Characters really only have moments before disaster strikes and they fail in their assignment!

What this means is there is much more of a sense of tension to Adventure Booklet 5: Water & Mist, a race to not only find First Gentleman Varrick, but also finding out why he has gone missing. Unlike the previous entries in the series there is a plot at the heart of the scenario, but like the previous entries in the series, there is no story plot of there being one scene after another. Instead, the scenario is very determined by the actions and decisions of the players and their characters. To that end, the Adventure Booklet 5: Water & Mist lists all of the NPCs and groups together and all of the locations together. Although the various NPCs will have things to tell the Player Characters, more importantly, the location descriptions include details of clues that can be found at each and leads which will link to other NPCs and locations. Effectively, the Player Characters can work their way through mystery, scene-by-scene, with the Game Master throwing in the odd complication or encounter, as determined primarily by the number of segments filled in on the Clock.

The advice for Game Master covers how to handle and fill in the Clock and throwing in escalations to raise the tension, but dedicates most of it attention to running detective stories. It suggests highlighting the passing of time to impress upon the Player Characters the sense of urgency and the consequences of the Player Characters not conducting the investigation in a quiet manner, but above all, it advises that the truth not be hidden from the players and their characters. In other words, the mystery is more fun if it gets solved, so the Player Characters should be able to find the clues and they should be able to undercover the truth. Overall, the advice is solid and useful.

There is advice too on how to set up the scenario if the players are using their own characters rather than the pre-generated quintet which is included in Adventure Booklet 5: Water & Mist. Whether or not the scenario is being run with the pre-generated Player Characters or ones of the players’ own creation, the players will still need to explain the relation between them and President Zhu Li Moon. The five pre-generated Player Characters include Enuk the Guardian, a new Airbender who has come to Republic City to learn Air Nation Ways and wants to keep an eye on a sibling; Changunak the Successor, a Waterbender and technologist from the Southern Water Tribe who wants to main her family’s fishing village; Zhu Song the Hammer, a weapon-wielding former Terra Triad gang member with a grudge against its new boss; Slate the Pillar, an Earthbender trained to lead to a specialised metalbending anti-mecha police force; and Pianchir Jing the Rogue, a Firebender and street orphan who knows Republic City well.

Also included are details of the Basic Moves and Balance Moves in Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game—in addition the Moves for all of the Player Characters—and the techniques that are not in the core book, plus the combat exchanges, statuses, and basic techniques. The Legendary NPC in Adventure Booklet 5: Water & Mist is First Gentleman Varrick, a technologist who could become a teacher to a Player Character (and of course, whether he survives) in the future beyond the scenario.

Physically, Adventure Booklet 5: Water & Mist is well presented, sturdy booklet.

Adventure Booklet 5: Water & Mist is the most sophisticated of the scenarios in the series released for Free RPG Day 2026. The Game Master needs to maintain a tension through between the mystery and its truths, between the actions and decisions of the Player Characters and the countdown of the Clock triggering events, whilst also pushing the players and their characters forward just little to keep the story and mystery unfolding. It is supported by good advice though and the scenario has every that the Game Master needs to run an entertaining blend of intrigue, interaction, and action. Again, as with other entries in the series, Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra will enjoy the background too and overall, Adventure Booklet 4: Air & Wind is great support for Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game.

[Free RPG Day 2026] Air & Wind

Now in its nineteenth year, Free RPG Day for 2026 took place on Saturday, June 27th. As per usual, Free RPG Day consisted of an array of new and interesting little releases, which are traditionally tasters for forthcoming games to be released at GenCon the following August, but others are support for existing RPGs or pieces of gaming ephemera or a quick-start. This included dice, miniatures, vouchers, and more. Unfortunately, due to vagaries of International Customs, Free RPG Day in the UK did not take place until Saturday, 22nd August.

This review is possible due to the generosity of Waylands Forge in Birmingham.

—oOo—

For Free RPG Day 2026, Magpie Games published not one book, but six—Adventure Booklet 1: Earth & Root, Adventure Booklet 2: Fire & Brimstone, Adventure Booklet 3: Ash & Steel, Adventure Booklet 4: Air & Wind, and Adventure Booklet 5: Water & Mist as well as the Expanded Rules supplement. These are all for Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game, one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns for any roleplaying game. This is the roleplaying adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, animated series which are inspired by the indigenous cultures of North America and Asia, in particular, China, Chinese martial arts, and the ability to ‘bend’ or manipulate the four elements—water, earth, fire, and air. Only one person can bend all four elements, and he is known as the ‘Avatar’, and not only does he serve as the link between the physical world and the spirit world, but he is also responsible for maintaining harmony between the world’s four nations. In the roleplaying game, the players roleplay characters, or companions, who are capable of bending one of the elements as well as practising martial arts, all with the aim of protecting the world from harm and those unable to stand up to misuse of power.

As with the other four Adventure Booklets, Adventure Booklet 4: Air & Wind originally appeared in Wan Shi Tong’s Adventure Guide, which explores and presents adventures in the different eras of the Avatarverse, including the Kyoshi, Roku, the Hundred Year War, Aang, and Korra periods. Adventure Booklet 4: Air & Wind presents an adventure during the Aang period that sees them chased across the Earth Kingdom on a picturesque journey through the air accompanied by a wanted thief and the priceless artefact that she stole! Of course, there are numerous factions and peoples who want the artefact back and the thief apprehended. These include Yuzhen Sr., the owner and CEO of Sparrowkeet Air, the company which discovered the artefact, and his son, Yuzhen Jr—though they have very different reasons, and the Snowrats mercenary group and the Yu Dao Bounty Hunter’s Guild both of whom have picked up the bounty on the thief, and last of all, an inventor simply wanting to examine the artefact for what it is rather than anything else.

Like the scenario in Adventure Booklet 3: Ash & Steel, the scenario presented in Adventure Booklet 4: Air & Wind is a chase scenario. It begins in Boat Bottom, a sleepy fishing village on the coast of the western Earth Kingdom and will ultimately end with the Player Characters and their companion climbing the steps of the Beifong Metalbinding Academy on a mountain north of Yu Dao. Whilst the Player Characters are in Boat Bottom, they are approached by a hooded figure who asks for their help. They realise that they have seen her face before—on wanted posters pasted and dropped everywhere by Sparrowkeet Air, a corporation specialising in the construction of aerial contraptions. Her name is Qian Yu and she explains that she is not a thief, but rather an archaeologist who unearthed a lost Air Nomad artefact from before the Hundred Year War and took it with when she discovered that Sparrowkeet Air planned to sell it rather make it available to the whole world.

Once the Player Characters decide to trust Qian Yu, there are a couple of impediments to get out of Boat Bottom under the noses of the Sparrowkeet Air Guard. First, the artefact gets stolen and then the airship that she has ‘borrowed’ needs repairing, let alone a good pilot! After that, the chase is on, and the Player Characters are free to pilot the airship wherever they want. However, before that, the players get to decide a few things as part of the set-up. One is individually why they are in Boat Bottom and the other is the type and nature of the artefact that Qian Yu has excavated. This includes what it is, what makes it rare and irreplaceable as well as difficult to conceal or keep safe, why it is beautiful, and what is its historical meaning. This gives the players some investment in the artefact and in the need to get it somewhere safe.

What this means is that there is plenty of opportunity for confrontation and conflict, but there is chance too for roleplaying—especially with General Onomu. Initially, she is rude and entitled, still a general of the Fire Nation at heart, and will probably remain so unless the Player Characters intervene and perhaps help soften her attitudes towards those around her. This gives the Game Master a potentially interesting story arc for the general to portray.

Like the scenario in Adventure Booklet 3: Ash & Steel, the scenario presented in Adventure Booklet 4: Air & Wind is less open in its plotting and more directed. The Player Characters are not as free in their actions in this scenario than they are in the others in that they have a mission to perform and do have to travel from ‘A’ to ‘E’ via ‘B’, ‘C’, and ‘D’. Yet like those other entries in the ‘Adventure Booklet’ series, its ending is open-ended and determined by the actions and decisions of the Player Characters as is the order in which they can visit the scenario’s various locations. These possibilities are discussed and there is solid advice for the Game Master along with detailed descriptions of all of the NPCs, groups, and important locations. In addition, there is advice too for the Game Master on how to handle airship combat scenes—primarily as narrative fight scenes until the Player Characters and NPCs get close to board the other’s vessel and on how to set up the scenario if the players are using their own characters rather than the pre-generated quintet which is included in Adventure Booklet 4: Air & Wind. The five pre-generated Player Characters for the adventure have all decided to help Qian Yu. They include Taiki the Bold, a Waterbender from the Northern Water Tribe keen to make a name for himself; Lan the Guardian, a warrior fisherwoman from Boat Bottom who wants to help the whole group; Kiki the Hammer, a Firebender who was going to take the bounty on Qian Yu, but has changed her mind; Yuxuan the Idealist, a technologist and trap builder wanting to find a way home; and Chesa the Rogue, an Earthbender want to escape his family’s banditry.

Also included are details of the Basic Moves and Balance Moves in Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game—in addition the Moves for all of the Player Characters—and the techniques that are not in the core book, plus the combat exchanges, statuses, and basic techniques. The Legendary NPC in Adventure Booklet 4: Air & Wind is Toph Beifong, an Earthbender that the Player Characters can meet at end of the scenario and whom Qian Yu knows. She can become an ally and teacher of the Player Characters in the future beyond the scenario.

Physically, Adventure Booklet 4: Air & Wind is well presented, sturdy booklet.

Adventure Booklet 4: Air & Wind is an exciting chase scenario with a chance for the Player Characters to add a little history to the setting, fly an airship, visit numerous locations and ultimately confront corporate greed. It is a great mix and that is in addition to all of the other opportunities for combat and interaction. Again, as with other entries in the series, Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra will enjoy the background too and overall, Adventure Booklet 4: Air & Wind is great support for Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game.

[Free RPG Day 2026] Ash & Steel

Now in its nineteenth year, Free RPG Day for 2026 took place on Saturday, June 27th. As per usual, Free RPG Day consisted of an array of new and interesting little releases, which are traditionally tasters for forthcoming games to be released at GenCon the following August, but others are support for existing RPGs or pieces of gaming ephemera or a quick-start. This included dice, miniatures, vouchers, and more. Unfortunately, due to vagaries of International Customs, Free RPG Day in the UK did not take place until Saturday, 22nd August.

This review is possible due to the generosity of Waylands Forge in Birmingham.

—oOo—

For Free RPG Day 2026, Magpie Games published not one book, but six—Adventure Booklet 1: Earth & Root, Adventure Booklet 2: Fire & Brimstone, Adventure Booklet 3: Ash & Steel, Adventure Booklet 4: Air & Wind, and Adventure Booklet 5: Water & Mist as well as the Expanded Rules supplement. These are all for Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game, one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns for any roleplaying game. This is the roleplaying adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, animated series which are inspired by the indigenous cultures of North America and Asia, in particular, China, Chinese martial arts, and the ability to ‘bend’ or manipulate the four elements—water, earth, fire, and air. Only one person can bend all four elements, and he is known as the ‘Avatar’, and not only does he serve as the link between the physical world and the spirit world, but he is also responsible for maintaining harmony between the world’s four nations. In the roleplaying game, the players roleplay characters, or companions, who are capable of bending one of the elements as well as practising martial arts, all with the aim of protecting the world from harm and those unable to stand up to misuse of power.

As with the other four Adventure Booklets, Adventure Booklet 3: Ash & Steel originally appeared in Wan Shi Tong’s Adventure Guide, which explores and presents adventures in the different eras of the Avatarverse, including the Kyoshi, Roku, the Hundred Year War, Aang, and Korra periods. Adventure Booklet 3: Ash & Steel presents a Hundred Year War Adventure whose action will take the Player Characters from the borders of the Fire Nation to a Ba Sing Se outpost as they accompany, Onomu, a defecting Fire Nation general who is seeking asylum and carrying stolen Fire Nation war plans as leverage to their master, Long Feng, Grand Secretariat of the Earth Nation. Of course, not everyone wants Onomu to reach Ba Sing Se. There are Earth Kingdom rebels who want their own revenge on the defecting general and of course, Fire Lord Ozai of the Fire Nation wants the general stopped and the plans returned. However, that is not everyone who stands in the way of General Onomu and the Player Characters.

The scenario presented in Adventure Booklet 3: Ash & Steel is a chase scenario. It begins in West Heiatu, a Fire Nation colony in the Earth Kingdom and will end when the Player Characters reach the outpost of Ba Sing Se. The scenario details five locations that the Player Characters will visit on the way along with various NPCs that they may also meet at each. Previous scenarios in the ‘Adventure Booklet’ series for Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game for Free RPG Day have detailed escalations, events that can be used by the Game Master to increase the tension and sense of danger over the course of an adventure. Adventure Booklet 3: Ash & Steel breaks its escalations down into one per location turning each into an individual mini-adventure. For example, the So Bai Oasis is a quiet stop along the route, far from the ongoing war between the Fire and Earth Nations, that gives the Player Characters a chance to rest after a confrontation between Fire Nation soldiers and the Rough Rhinos, Earth Nation rebels. However, the escalation for the location suggests that the Rough Rhinos catch up with the Player Characters and General Onomu and tear the town apart in an attempt to find them!

What this means is that there is plenty of opportunity for confrontation and conflict, but there is chance too for roleplaying—especially with General Onomu. Initially, she is rude and entitled, still a general of the Fire Nation at heart, and will probably remain so unless the Player Characters intervene and perhaps help soften her attitudes towards those around her. This gives the Game Master a potentially interesting story arc for the general to portray.

Another difference between Adventure Booklet 3: Ash & Steel and the other entries in ‘Adventure Booklet’ series is that it is less open in its plotting and more directed. The Player Characters are not as free in their actions in this scenario than they are in the others in that they have a mission to perform and do have to travel from ‘A’ to ‘E’ via ‘B’, ‘C’, and ‘D’. Yet like those other entries in the ‘Adventure Booklet’ series, its ending is open-ended and determined by the actions and decisions of the Player Characters. These possibilities are discussed and there is solid advice for the Game Master along with detailed descriptions of all of the NPCs, groups, and important locations. In addition, there is advice too for the Game Master on how to set up the scenario if the players are using their own characters rather than the pre-generated quintet which is included in Adventure Booklet 3: Ash & Steel. The five pre-generated Player Characters for the adventure are all 

Air Nomads attending the conference on behalf of the Elders of the Southern Air Temple to help keep the peace and report back on ideas presented at the event. They are all resistance fighters from different nations who met in fighting the Fire Nation. They include Xinyi the Adamant, an Earthbender who suffered at the hands of the Fire Nation; Nalu the Hammer, a Northern Water Tribe warrior who fled south to fight the Fire Nation; Lana the Icon, a Southern Water Tribe spiritual healer who wants to help others; Zimo the Pillar, a Firebender who wants to stop her nation from enacting its plan to conquer every nation; and Xiao the Prodigy, a martial arts master trained by monks who is unsure of using his abilities to fight.

Also included are details of the Basic Moves and Balance Moves in Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game—in addition the Moves for all of the Player Characters—and the techniques that are not in the core book, plus the combat exchanges, statuses, and basic techniques. Long Feng, Grand Secretariat of the Earth Nation is also fully described and there is advice too on how to use Legendary NPCs like Long Feng. Notably, he remains off camera for much of the scenario and there is the possibility that the Player Characters never get to meet him at all! He is a very different NPC compared to the Legendary NPCs in the ‘Adventure Booklet’ series.

Physically, Adventure Booklet 3: Ash & Steel is well presented, sturdy booklet.

Adventure Booklet 3: Ash & Steel is more of a traditional scenario than the previous two entries in the series, being more plot driven and slightly less Player Character-driven. This makes it easier to run than those other entries, an exciting mix of chase and combat, interaction and intrigue in a solidly done scenario with some interesting consequences to explore. Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra will enjoy the background too and overall, Adventure Booklet 3: Ash & Steel is great support for Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game.

[Free RPG Day 2026] Fire & Brimstone

Now in its nineteenth year, Free RPG Day for 2026 took place on Saturday, June 27th. As per usual, Free RPG Day consisted of an array of new and interesting little releases, which are traditionally tasters for forthcoming games to be released at GenCon the following August, but others are support for existing RPGs or pieces of gaming ephemera or a quick-start. This included dice, miniatures, vouchers, and more. Unfortunately, due to vagaries of International Customs, Free RPG Day in the UK did not take place until Saturday, 22nd August.

This review is possible due to the generosity of Waylands Forge in Birmingham.

—oOo—

For Free RPG Day 2026, Magpie Games published not one book, but six—Adventure Booklet 1: Earth & Root, Adventure Booklet 2: Fire & Brimstone, Adventure Booklet 3: Ash & Steel, Adventure Booklet 4: Air & Wind, and Adventure Booklet 5: Water & Mist as well as the Expanded Rules supplement. These are all for Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game, one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns for any roleplaying game. This is the roleplaying adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, animated series which are inspired by the indigenous cultures of North America and Asia, in particular, China, Chinese martial arts, and the ability to ‘bend’ or manipulate the four elements—water, earth, fire, and air. Only one person can bend all four elements, and he is known as the ‘Avatar’, and not only does he serve as the link between the physical world and the spirit world, but he is also responsible for maintaining harmony between the world’s four nations. In the roleplaying game, the players roleplay characters, or companions, who are capable of bending one of the elements as well as practising martial arts, all with the aim of protecting the world from harm and those unable to stand up to misuse of power.

As with the other four Adventure Booklets, Adventure Booklet 2: Fire & Brimstone originally appeared in Wan Shi Tong’s Adventure Guide, which explores and presents adventures in the different eras of the Avatarverse, including the Kyoshi, Roku, the Hundred Year War, Aang, and Korra periods. Adventure Booklet 2: Fire & Brimstone presents a Roku Era Adventure whose action takes place at the Four Nations Summit & Technological Symposium in Hari Bulkan, the capital of the Fire Nation. Shortly after the opening ceremony with performances and displays by all four nations, Kuchtei, the Fire Nation’s Minister of Education, Science, and Technology bursts into the meeting hall and announces that someone has stolen multiple crates containing rare meteorite metal. When forged, this metal can be used to create unbreakable weapons and devices and so is worth more than its weight in gold! Kuchtei demands that the thief or thieves reveal themselves and when no-one is forthcoming, announces that security will increased and when the perpetrator is found, he will feel the full force of the Fire Nation’s law. In the wake of this announcement, Taqukaq, a famous Waterbender from the Northern Water Tribe approaches the Player Characters, explains the situation, and asks them to investigate, to find out not only who stole the meteorite metal, but also why.

The scenario presented in Adventure Booklet 2: Fire & Brimstone is like a murder mystery in a cosy country house a la Agatha Christie, except the Player Characters are not investigating a murder, but a theft and are at a conference rather than a country house. Nevertheless, they are in a small environment, there are numerous witnesses to interview and interrogate, and there are multiple suspects. This though is a scenario for Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game, which means that whilst there are multiple suspects, there not one set culprit and not one set solution to the crime. Instead, the Game Master is expected to build the adventure plot and story around the actions and investigation conducted by the Player Characters. There is also not a given end to the scenario, but a discussion of how it might end, along with advice on running the scenario as a whole. This covers how to pace the scenario, escalate the situation with events, both create and handle good clues, and running the investigation. In particular, how to shift the story from its investigative process and interaction with the various NPCs and factions to combat scenes and back again, as well as some answers to additional questions that might arise during play.

Beyond this set-up—and it is a very detailed set-up—the Player Characters are free to approach the investigation however they want. To that end, all of the NPCs, groups, and important locations are described in detail and backed up with the solid advice for the Game Master. In addition, there is advice too for the Game Master on who to set up the scenario if the players are using their own characters rather than the pre-generated quintet which is included in Adventure Booklet 2: Fire & Brimstone. The five pre-generated Player Characters for the adventure are all Air Nomads attending the conference on behalf of the Elders of the Southern Air Temple to help keep the peace and report back on ideas presented at the event. They include the excitable and ambitious Bo the Bold; the spirit seer Chegu the Icon, reluctant about her revered position and who also comes with an air bison; Ema the Idealist who is building devices that mimic airbending abilities; Sherah the Pillar, a covert operative; and Norbu the Rogue, a troublemaker and thrillseeker glad to be away from the temple.

Also included are details of the Basic Moves and Balance Moves in Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game—in addition the Moves for all of the Player Characters—and the techniques that are not in the core book, plus the combat exchanges, statuses, and basic techniques. Taqukaq is also fully described and there is advice too on how to use Legendary NPCs like Taqukaq. Also detailed are the various Techniques used in the scenario by the NPCs not found in the core rulebook. In some ways, the Game Master advice is so complete and feels longer than the broader description of the situation in Adventure Booklet 2: Fire & Brimstone and the summit location.

Physically, Adventure Booklet 2: Fire & Brimstone is well presented, sturdy booklet.

Adventure Booklet 2: Fire & Brimstone is not a scenario in the traditional sense, but very much more of a highly detailed set-up backed up with all of the background, stats, and advice that the Game Master needs to respond in what will very much be a Player Character-driven investigation and story. This makes it a bit more complex to run than the previous Adventure Booklet 1: Earth & Root and the Game Master needs to prepare it with care to cover most eventualities. Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra will enjoy the background too and overall, Adventure Booklet 2: Fire & Brimstone is great support for Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game.

[Free RPG Day 2025] Laurel’s Canopy

Now in its eighteenth year, Free RPG Day for 2025 took place on Saturday, June 21st. As per usual, Free RPG Day consisted of an array of new and interesting little releases, which are traditionally tasters for forthcoming games to be released at GenCon the following August, but others are support for existing RPGs or pieces of gaming ephemera or a quick-start. This included dice, miniatures, vouchers, and more. Thanks to the generosity of Waylands Forge in Birmingham, Reviews from R’lyeh was able to get hold of many of the titles released for Free RPG Day.

—oOo—

Published by Magpie Games, Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game is a roleplaying game based on the award-winning Root: A Game of Woodland Might & Right board game, about conflict and power, featuring struggles between cats, birds, mice, and more. The Woodland consists of dense forest interspersed by ‘Clearings’ where its many inhabitants—dominated by foxes, mice, rabbits, and birds live, work, and trade from their villages. Birds can also be found spread out in the canopy throughout the forest. Recently, the Woodland was thrown into chaos when the ruling Eyrie Dynasties tore themselves apart in a civil war and left power vacuums throughout the Woodland. With no single governing power, the many Clearings of the Woodland have coped as best they can—or not at all, but many fell under the sway or the occupation of the forces of the Marquise de Cat, leader of an industrious empire from far away. More recently, the civil war between the Eyrie Dynasties has ended and is regroupings its forces to retake its ancestral domains, whilst other denizens of the Woodland, wanting to be free of both the Marquisate and the Eyrie Dynasties, have formed the Woodland Alliance and secretly foment for independence.

Between the Clearings and the Paths which connect them, creatures, individuals, and bands live in the dense, often dangerous forest. Amongst these are the Vagabonds—exiles, outcasts, strangers, oddities, idealists, rebels, criminals, freethinkers. They are hardened to the toughness of life in the forest, but whilst some turn to crime and banditry, others come to Clearings to trade, work, and sometimes take jobs that no other upstanding citizens of any Clearing would do—or have the skill to undertake. Of course, in Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game, Vagabonds are the Player Characters.

Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game is ‘Powered by the Apocalypse’, the mechanics based on the award-winning post-apocalyptic roleplaying game, Apocalypse World, published by Lumpley Games in 2010. At the heart of these mechanics are Playbooks and their sets of Moves. Now, Playbooks are really Player Characters and their character sheets, and Moves are actions, skills, and knowledges, and every Playbook is a collection of Moves. Some of these Moves are generic in nature, such as ‘Persuade an NPC’ or ‘Attempt a Roguish Feat’, and every Player Character or Vagabond can attempt them. Others are particular to a Playbook, for example, ‘Silent Paws’ for a Ranger Vagabond or ‘Arsonist’ for the Scoundrel Vagabond.

To undertake an action or Move in a ‘Powered by the Apocalypse’ roleplaying game—or Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game, a character’s player rolls two six-sided dice and adds the value of an attribute such as Charm, Cunning, Finesse, Luck, or Might, or Reputation, to the result. A full success is achieved on a result of ten or more; a partial success is achieved with a cost, complication, or consequence on a result of seven, eight, or nine; and a failure is scored on a result of six or less. Essentially, this generates results of ‘yes’, ‘yes, but…’ with consequences, and ‘no’. Notably though, the Game Master does not roll in ‘Powered by the Apocalypse’ roleplaying game—or Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game.

So for example, if a Player Character wants to ‘Read a Tense Situation’, his player is rolling to have his character learn the answers to questions such as ‘What’s my best way out/in/through?’, ‘Who or what is the biggest threat?’, ‘Who or what is most vulnerable to me?’, ‘What should I be on the lookout for?’, or ‘Who is in control here?’. To make the Move, the player rolls the dice and his character’s Cunning to the result. On a result of ten or more, the player can ask three of these questions, whilst on a result of seven, eight, or nine, he only gets to ask one.

Moves particular to a Playbook can add to an attribute, such as ‘Master Thief’, which adds one to a character’s Finesse or allow another attribute to be substituted for a particular Move, for example, ‘Threatening Visage’, which enables a Player Character to use his Might instead of Charm when using open threats or naked steel on attempts to ‘Persuade an NPC’. Others are fully detailed Moves, such as ‘Grab and Smash’. When a Player Character wants to smash through some scenery to reach someone or something, his player rolls the character’s Might in a test. The Move enables the character to reach the target on a hit. However, this is not without its consequences. This can the character hurting himself and the player marking an injury, break an important part of his surroundings, or damage or leave behind a piece of gear. One a roll of 10+, the character suffers one of these consequences; on a roll of 7-9, he suffers two; and on a miss, he smashes but is left totally vulnerable on the other side.

Root: Laurel’s Canopy Quickstart is the Free RPG Day 2025 from Magpie Games for Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game. It includes an explanation of the core rules, six pre-generated Player Characters or Vagabonds and their Playbooks, and a complete setting or Clearing for them to explore. From the overview of the game and an explanation of the characters to playing the game and its many Moves, the introduction to the Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game in Root: Laurel’s Canopy Quickstart is well-written. The publisher is well practised when it comes to presenting these Root quick-starts. It is notable that all of the Vagabonds are essentially roguish in nature, so in addition to the Basic Moves, such as ‘Figure Someone Out’, ‘Persuade an NPC’, ‘Trick an NPC’, ‘Trust Fate’, and ‘Wreck Something’, they can ‘Attempt a Roguish Feat’. This covers Acrobatics, Blindside, Counterfeit, Disable Device, Hide, Pick Lock, Pick Pocket, Sleight of Hand, and Sneak. Each of these requires an associated Feat to attempt, and each of the six pregenerated Vagabonds has one, two, or more of the Feats depending just how roguish they are. Otherwise, a Vagabond’s player rolls the ‘Trust to Fate’ Move.

The six pre-generated Vagabonds include Nimble the Thief, a stealthy raccoon burglar and pickpocket looking to prove his skill; Saga the Chronicler, a possum and fearlessly inquisitive scholar; Lucasta the Raconteur, a weasel storyteller and singer who wants to hold truth to power in her performances; Keilee the Tinker, a messy, but adept beaver who advocates freethinking and is hunting her enemy, Minuet de León; Laeliana the Arbiter, a mole mercenary looking to defend those who cannot defend themselves; and Umberto the Raider, a mouse who loves the fight and being adored as a hero. All six of these Vagabonds have links to the given Clearing and its NPCs in Root: Laurel’s Canopy Quickstart, and all six are complete with Natures and Drives, stats, backgrounds, Moves, Feats, and equipment. All a player has to do is decide on a couple of connections and each Playbook is ready to play.

As its title suggests, the given Clearing in Root: Laurel’s Canopy Quickstart is Laurel’s Canopy. Its description comes with an overarching issue and conflicts within the Clearing, important NPCs, places to go, and more. The situation in Laurel’s Canopy is different to that of most Clearings, dominated as it is by the diktats of power from before the Grand Civil War. It is part of the Eyrie Dynasty, led by Nanit Osprey, whose uncle, Pandion, instituted a set of Decrees that ensured stability in the Clearing. However, in the wake of Grand Civil War, the strict interpretation of the decrees has led to famine with fish left rotting the warehouses, over foraging in the surrounding forest, and a standoff between Nanit Osprey and the Clerkdom which enforces the Decrees. Meanwhile, Corvid Conspiracy Leader Ambrosius Conroy campaigns for fairer representation of all, whilst seeking to undermine Nanit Osprey’s rule and Silver Sally leads a rebellion which gives her cover for her own objectives. Lastly, the mouse scholar, Theodore Twitchwhisker has been accused of plagiarism by Mister Stubby, a lizard who runs the Lost Tail Bakery. He contends that the mouse’s Book of Twin Dragons, an inflammatory description of the Lizard cult orthodoxy, was based on a work of fiction of his own, for which the manuscript is missing. This has led to the bakery being picketed, the relationship between the lizards and non-avian citizens of Laurel’s Canopy becoming strained.

These four Conflicts make up the plots to be explored and developed in the Clearing and each is fully detailed and includes notes on what happens if the vagabonds do not get involved and leave the Conflict to develop on its own. For the Game Master there is a good overview of the Clearing and notes of where to begin when running the Root: Laurel’s Canopy Quickstart and getting the Vagabonds involved. This is enhanced by each Vagabond having a link to and thus a motivation for visiting Laurel’s Canopy. There are suggestions also as to how escalate the situation for each of the Vagabonds to draw them further into the ongoing events in Laurel’s Canopy. Some of the conflicts are a little subtle too, often with NPCs attempting to achieve the same quite personal aim, so the Game Master will need to read them more closely to understand them and be able to impart them to her players.

Physically, Root: Laurel’s Canopy Quickstart is a fantastic looking booklet, done in full colour and printed on heavy paper stock. It is well written and the artwork, taken from or inspired by the Root: A Game of Woodland Might & Right board game, is bright and breezy, and really attractive. Even cute. Simply, just as Root: The Pellenicky Glade Quickstart was for Free RPG Day 2020, Root: The Bertram’s Cove Quickstart was for Free RPG Day 2021, the Root: Talon Hill Quickstart for Free RPG 2022, and the Root: Hacksaw Dell Quickstart for Free RPG Day 2023, Root: Laurel’s Canopy Quickstart is physically one of the most impressive of all the releases for Free RPG Day 2023.

If there is an issue with Root: Laurel’s Canopy Quickstart it is that it looks busy and it looks complex—something that often besets ‘Powered by the Apocalypse’ roleplaying games. Not only do players need their Vagabond’s Playbooks, but also reference sheets for all of the game’s Basic Moves and Weapon Moves—and that is a lot of information. However, it means that a player has all of the information he needs to play his Vagabond to hand, he does not need to refer to the rules for explanations of the rules or his Vagabond’s Moves. That also means that there is some preparation required to make sure that each player has the lists of Moves his Vagabond needs. Another issue is that the relative complexity and the density of the information in Root: Laurel’s Canopy Quickstart means that it is not a beginner’s game and the Game Master will need a bit of experience to run Laurel’s Canopy and its conflicts.

Ultimately, the Root: Laurel’s Canopy Quickstart comes with everything necessary to play and keep the attention of a playing group for probably three or four sessions, possibly more. Although it needs a careful read through and preparation by the Game Master, Root: Laurel’s Canopy Quickstart is a very good introduction to the rules, the setting, and conflicts in Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game—and it looks damned good too. For the Game Master who is already running a Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game campaign, the Root: Laurel’s Canopy Quickstart provides another Clearing that she can add to her campaign with the others available in the proper quick-start for the roleplaying game as well as releases for previous Free RPG Days.

[Free RPG Day] Rebels & Refugees Adventure

Now in its seventeenth year, Free RPG Day for 2024 took place on Saturday, June 22nd. As per usual, Free RPG Day consisted of an array of new and interesting little releases, which are traditionally tasters for forthcoming games to be released at GenCon the following August, but others are support for existing RPGs or pieces of gaming ephemera or a quick-start. This included dice, miniatures, vouchers, and more. Thanks to the generosity of Waylands Forge in Birmingham, Reviews from R’lyeh was able to get hold of many of the titles released for Free RPG Day.

—oOo—

The Rebels & Refugees Adventure is a scenario released for Free RPG Day 2024 for Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game, one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns for any roleplaying game. Published by Magpie Games, this is the roleplaying adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, animated series which are inspired by the indigenous cultures of North America and Asia, in particular, China, Chinese martial arts, and the ability to ‘bend’ or manipulate the four elements—water, earth, fire, and air. Only one person can bend all four elements, and he is known as the ‘Avatar’, and not only does he serve as the link between the physical world and the spirit world, but he is also responsible for maintaining harmony between the world’s four nations. In the roleplaying game, the players roleplay characters, or companions, who are capable of bending one of the elements as well as practising martial arts, all with the aim of protecting the world from harm and those unable to stand up to misuse of power. The Rebels & Refugees Adventure can be run using the Movers & Shakers Quick-Start Booklet rather than the full rules and there is advice for the Game Master to that end. It is designed for three to six players, one of whom will be the Game Master, and includes five pre-generated Player Characters, rules and advice for the Game Master, and a situation or scenario, the ‘Rebels & Refugees’ of the title.

The Rebels & Refugees Adventure and thus Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game is ‘Powered by the Apocalypse’, the mechanics based on the award-winning post-apocalyptic roleplaying game, Apocalypse World, published by Lumpley Games in 2010. It is set during the ‘100 Year War Era’ and opens with the Player Characters, or Benders, having joined a group of Earth Kingdom rebels and Earth Kingdom refugees fleeing the Fire Nation Army. They have taken refuge in the Western Air Temple, hoping to find respite from an enemy which has been behind them every step of the way. Unfortunately, the Western Air Temple is not as safe as they hoped that it would be. Long abandoned, the only inhabitant now is a spirit whose antics quickly escalate from throwing oranges at the new arrivals to collapsing columns and blocking passages. Faced with a threat from within as well as the Fire Nation Army closing in, tensions grow as it becomes clear that the Western Air Temple is not as safe as everyone thought it was. When neither the leader of the rebels or the leader of the refugees can agree on what the best course of is—stay in hiding from the Fire Nation Army, but at the mercy of a malicious spirit, or make a run for it and hope that the Fire Nation Army does not catch with them, both they and the refugees and the rebels turn to the Player Characters for help and advice.

The scenario opens with the Player Characters and the rebels and the refugees they are accompanying in the Western Air Temple having lowered themselves by ropes down cliffs to the entrance. Both the rebels and the refugees are spooked by the first of the strange events in the temple and already on edge. Beyond this set-up, the Rebels & Refugees Adventure provides all of the bits and pieces that the Game Master needs to run it and even possibly run a sequel. This includes a very good summary and description of the scenario, all of its NPCs, and its locations. Among the NPC descriptions are the leaders if the rebels and the refugees, the spirit lurking in the Western Air Temple, even General Uyanga, the commander of the Fire Nation Army, whom it is possible for the Player Characters to meet in the course of the adventure. There is a number of pre-plotted events, but much of what the Game Master will be doing is reacting to the actions of the Player Characters in order to construct a pursuit clock. This will ultimately measure the chase between the Player Characters and the many people with them as they try to escape from the Western Air Temple to a southern port where they can properly escape the Fire Nation Army. Numerous actions and options in terms of what the Player Characters might do, and ultimately, the outcome is very much player-driven and the Game Master will need to adapt as necessary.

In terms of Player Characters, the scenario comes with a varied selection. There is a headstrong inventor with a penchant for sabotage, an Earth-Bending farmer able to adjust the plans of others, an acrobat with a walrus-yak companion—although how the Player Characters got it down the cliff to the Western Air Temple is a whole other scenario of its own, a nun wants to heal the world of its war woes and fights defensively, and a Water Bender who is an astute judge of character. All five start play with a single mastered technique and other unique advancement options, so they are not equal to starting characters. There is advice given on how to adjust new characters to play the scenario if the players want to create their own.

Physically, the Rebels & Refugees Adventure is well presented, sturdy booklet. The booklet is well written with plenty of advice and help for the Game Master, including summaries of the Moves, Combat Exchanges, Fighting Techniques, and more at the back.

Rebels & Refugees Adventure is good scenario for Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game and the worlds of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. It will also appeal to fans of anime and martial arts, but this is still a scenario for an experienced Game Master even if it can played with just the quick-start rules in Movers & Shakers Free RPG Day Booklet.

[Free RPG Day 2023] Root: Hacksaw Dell Quickstart

Now in its sixteenth year, Free RPG Day for 2023 took place on Saturday, June 24th. As per usual, Free RPG Day consisted of an array of new and interesting little releases, which are traditionally tasters for forthcoming games to be released at GenCon the following August, but others are support for existing RPGs or pieces of gaming ephemera or a quick-start. Thanks to the generosity of David Salisbury of Fan Boy 3, Fil Baldowski at All Rolled Up, and others, Reviews from R’lyeh was able to get hold of many of the titles released for Free RPG Day, both in the USA and elsewhere.

—oOo—

Published by Magpie Games, Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game is a roleplaying game based on the award-winning Root: A Game of Woodland Might & Right board game, about conflict and power, featuring struggles between cats, birds, mice, and more. The Woodland consists of dense forest interspersed by ‘Clearings’ where its many inhabitants—dominated by foxes, mice, rabbits, and birds live, work, and trade from their villages. Birds can also be found spread out in the canopy throughout the forest. Recently, the Woodland was thrown into chaos when the ruling Eyrie Dynasties tore themselves apart in a civil war and left power vacuums throughout the Woodland. With no single governing power, the many Clearings of the Woodland have coped as best they can—or not at all, but many fell under the sway or the occupation of the forces of the Marquise de Cat, leader of an industrious empire from far away. More recently, the civil war between the Eyrie Dynasties has ended and is regroupings its forces to retake its ancestral domains, whilst other denizens of the Woodland, wanting to be free of both the Marquisate and the Eyrie Dynasties, have formed the Woodland Alliance and secretly foment for independence.

Between the Clearings and the Paths which connect them, creatures, individuals, and bands live in the dense, often dangerous forest. Amongst these are the Vagabonds—exiles, outcasts, strangers, oddities, idealists, rebels, criminals, freethinkers. They are hardened to the toughness of life in the forest, but whilst some turn to crime and banditry, others come to Clearings to trade, work, and sometimes take jobs that no other upstanding citizens of any Clearing would do—or have the skill to undertake. Of course, in Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game, Vagabonds are the Player Characters.

Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game is ‘Powered by the Apocalypse’, the mechanics based on the award-winning post-apocalyptic roleplaying game, Apocalypse World, published by Lumpley Games in 2010. At the heart of these mechanics are Playbooks and their sets of Moves. Now, Playbooks are really Player Characters and their character sheets, and Moves are actions, skills, and knowledges, and every Playbook is a collection of Moves. Some of these Moves are generic in nature, such as ‘Persuade an NPC’ or ‘Attempt a Roguish Feat’, and every Player Character or Vagabond can attempt them. Others are particular to a Playbook, for example, ‘Silent Paws’ for a Ranger Vagabond or ‘Arsonist’ for the Scoundrel Vagabond.

To undertake an action or Move in a ‘Powered by the Apocalypse’ roleplaying game—or Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game, a character’s player rolls two six-sided dice and adds the value of an attribute such as Charm, Cunning, Finesse, Luck, or Might, or Reputation, to the result. A full success is achieved on a result of ten or more; a partial success is achieved with a cost, complication, or consequence on a result of seven, eight, or nine; and a failure is scored on a result of six or less. Essentially, this generates results of ‘yes’, ‘yes, but…’ with consequences, and ‘no’. Notably though, the Game Master does not roll in ‘Powered by the Apocalypse’ roleplaying game—or Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game.

So for example, if a Player Character wants to ‘Read a Tense Situation’, his player is rolling to have his character learn the answers to questions such as ‘What’s my best way out/in/through?’, ‘Who or what is the biggest threat?’, ‘Who or what is most vulnerable to me?’, ‘What should I be on the lookout for?’, or ‘Who is in control here?’. To make the Move, the player rolls the dice and his character’s Cunning to the result. On a result of ten or more, the player can ask three of these questions, whilst on a result of seven, eight, or nine, he only gets to ask one.

Moves particular to a Playbook can add to an attribute, such as ‘Master Thief’, which adds one to a character’s Finesse or allow another attribute to be substituted for a particular Move, for example, ‘Threatening Visage’, which enables a Player Character to use his Might instead of Charm when using open threats or naked steel on attempts to ‘Persuade an NPC’. Others are fully detailed Moves, such as ‘Grab and Smash’. When a Player Character wants to smash through some scenery to reach someone or something, his player rolls the character’s Might in a test. The Move enables the character to reach the target on a hit. However, this is not without its consequences. This can the character hurting himself and the player marking an injury, break an important part of his surroundings, or damage or leave behind a piece of gear. One a roll of 10+, the character suffers one of these consequences; on a roll of 7-9, he suffers two; and on a miss, he smashes but is left totally vulnerable on the other side.

Root: Hacksaw Dell Quickstart is the Free RPG Day 2023 from Magpie Games for Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game. It includes an explanation of the core rules, six pregenerated Player Characters or Vagabonds and their Playbooks, and a complete setting or Clearing for them to explore. From the overview of the game and an explanation of the characters to playing the game and its many Moves, the introduction to the Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game in Root: Hacksaw Dell Quickstart is well-written. It is notable that all of the Vagabonds are essentially roguish in nature, so in addition to the Basic Moves, such as ‘Figure Someone Out’, ‘Persuade an NPC’, ‘Trick an NPC’, ‘Trust Fate’, and ‘Wreck Something’, they can ‘Attempt a Roguish Feat’. This covers Acrobatics, Blindside, Counterfeit, Disable Device, Hide, Pick Lock, Pick Pocket, Sleight of Hand, and Sneak. Each of these requires an associated Feat to attempt, and each of the six pregenerated Vagabonds has one, two, or more of the Feats depending just how roguish they are. Otherwise, a Vagabond’s player rolls the ‘Trust to Fate’ Move.

The six pre-generated Vagabonds include Laeliana the Arbiter, an experienced Mole mercenary who is looking for the right battles to fight; Jexri the Champion, a Lizard who is devout follower of the Great Wyrm and defender of those who need it; Yates the Envoy, a Toad envoy who works as a diplomat for hire; Mint the Prince, a young Fox trying to live up to the reputation of her mother; Rackham the Thief, a bird thief who has returned to Hacksaw Dell to show off their expertise as a burglar; and Knohadd the Vagrant, a Possum ex-Riverfolk Company captain, who comes with plenty of baggage. All six of these Vagabonds have links to the given Clearing and its NPCs in Root: Hacksaw Dell Quickstart, and all six are complete with Natures and Drives, stats, backgrounds, Moves, Feats, and equipment. All a player has to do is decide on a couple of connections and each Playbook is ready to play.

As its title suggests, the given Clearing in Root: Hacksaw Dell Quickstart is Hacksaw Dell. Its description comes with an overarching issue and conflicts within the Clearing, important NPCs, places to go, and more. The situation in Hacksaw Dell is different to that of most Clearings. Until recently, the Marquisate operated a lumbermill in the Clearing, but this was targeted by the Woodland Alliance and burnt down, only a month ago. An Assembly of Citizens has been established to create a charter to govern the newly freed Clearing, but progress is not fast enough for some. This is includes the Woodland Alliance provocateurs who liberated the Clearing, some of whom want to repeat the action they took in liberating the Clearing and many other citizens who have found succour in the Lizard Cult. Others want to install a prince like they had in the days when the Eyrie Dynasties ruled the Clearing. These four Conflicts make up the plots to be explored and developed in the Clearing and each is fully detailed and includes notes on what happens if the vagabonds do not get involved and leave the Conflict to develop on its own. For the Game Master there is a good overview of the Clearing and notes of where to begin when running the Root: Hacksaw Dell Quickstart and getting the Vagabonds involved. There suggestions also as to how escalate the situation for each of the Vagabonds to draw them further into the ongoing events in Hacksaw Dell.

Physically, Root: Hacksaw Dell Quickstart is a fantastic looking booklet, done in full colour and printed on heavy paper stock. It is well written and the artwork, taken from or inspired by the Root: A Game of Woodland Might & Right board game, is bright and breezy, and really attractive. Even cute. Simply, just as Root: The Pellenicky Glade Quickstart was for Free RPG Day 2020, Root: The Bertram’s Cove Quickstart was for Free RPG Day 2021, and Root: Talon Hill Quickstart for Free RPG 2022, so too Root: Hacksaw Dell Quickstart is physically the most impressive of all the releases for Free RPG Day 2023.

If there is an issue with Root: Hacksaw Dell Quickstart it is that it looks busy and it looks complex—something that often besets ‘Powered by the Apocalypse’ roleplaying games. Not only do players need their Vagabond’s Playbooks, but also reference sheets for all of the game’s Basic Moves and Weapon Moves—and that is a lot of information. However, it means that a player has all of the information he needs to play his Vagabond to hand, he does not need to refer to the rules for explanations of the rules or his Vagabond’s Moves. That also means that there is some preparation required to make sure that each player has the lists of Moves his Vagabond needs. Another issue is that the relative complexity and the density of the information in Root: Hacksaw Dell Quickstart means that it is not a beginner’s game and the Game Master will need a bit of experience to run Hacksaw Dell and its conflicts.

Ultimately, the Root: Hacksaw Dell Quickstart comes with everything necessary to play and keep the attention of a playing group for probably three or four sessions, possibly more. Although it needs a careful read through and preparation by the Game Master, Root: Hacksaw Dell Quickstart is a very good introduction to the rules, the setting, and conflicts in Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game—and it looks damned good too. For the Game Master who is already running a Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game campaign, the Root: Hacksaw Dell Quickstart provides another Clearing that she can add to her campaign with the others available in the proper quick-start for the roleplaying game as well as releases for previous Free RPG Days.

[Free RPG Day 2023] Movers & Shakers

Now in its sixteenth year, Free RPG Day for 2023 took place on Saturday, June 24th. As per usual, Free RPG Day consisted of an array of new and interesting little releases, which are traditionally tasters for forthcoming games to be released at GenCon the following August, but others are support for existing RPGs or pieces of gaming ephemera or a quick-start. Thanks to the generosity of David Salisbury of Fan Boy 3, Fil Baldowski at All Rolled Up, and others, Reviews from R’lyeh was able to get hold of many of the titles released for Free RPG Day, both in the USA and elsewhere.

—oOo—

The Movers & Shakers Free RPG Day Booklet is the quick-start for Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game, one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns for any roleplaying game. Published by Magpie Games, this is the roleplaying adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, animated series which are inspired by the indigenous cultures of North America and Asia, in particular, China, Chinese martial arts, and the ability to ‘bend’ or manipulate the four elements—water, earth, fire, and air. Only one person can bend all four elements, and he is known as the ‘Avatar’, and not only does he serve as the link between the physical world and the spirit world, but he is also responsible for maintaining harmony between the world’s four nations. In the roleplaying game, the players roleplay characters, or companions, who are capable of bending one of the elements as well as practising martial arts, all with the aim of protecting the world from harm and those unable to stand up to misuse of power. The Movers & Shakers Free RPG Day Booklet is designed for three to six players, one of whom will be the Game Master, and includes five pre-generated Player Characters, rules and advice for the Game Master, and a situation or scenario, the ‘Movers & Shakers’, of the title.

The Movers & Shakers Free RPG Day Booklet and thus Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game is ‘Powered by the Apocalypse’, the mechanics based on the award-winning post-apocalyptic roleplaying game, Apocalypse World, published by Lumpley Games in 2010. At the heart of these mechanics are Playbooks and their sets of Moves. Now, Playbooks are really Player Characters and their character sheets, and Moves are actions, skills, and knowledges, and every Playbook is a collection of Moves. Some of these Moves are generic in nature, such as ‘Guide and Comfort’ or ‘Rely on your Skill and Training’, and every Player Character can attempt them. Others are particular to a Playbook, for example, Qacha, the Guardian, one of the five pre-generated Player Characters, has the Moves, ‘Catch a Liar’, ‘Suspicious Mind’, ‘Martyr Complex’, and ‘A Warrior’s Heart’.

To undertake an action or Move in a ‘Powered by the Apocalypse’ roleplaying game—or Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game, a character’s player rolls two six-sided dice and adds the value of an attribute such as Creativity, Focus, Harmony, and Passion, to the result. A full success is achieved on a result of ten or more; a partial success is achieved with a cost, complication, or consequence on a result of seven, eight, or nine; and a failure is scored on a result of six or less. Essentially, this generates results of ‘yes’, ‘yes, but…’ with consequences, and ‘no’. Notably though, the Game Master does not roll in ‘Powered by the Apocalypse’ roleplaying game—or Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game, although she does have Moves of her own.

So, for example, if Erdene, the Prodigy, wants to assess an opponent, her player will select the ‘Judging a Rival’ Move. The aim is to have Erdene determine the rival’s strengths and weaknesses, how she can show dominance or submission to the rival, what the rival intends to do next, and what the rival wishes that Erdene would do next. To make the Move, the player rolls the dice and his Erdene’s Focus to the result. On a result of ten or more, the player can ask two of these questions, whilst on a result of seven, eight, or nine, he only gets to ask one.

Besides the four stats, a Player Character has Backgrounds, for example, Urban and Military, Demeanours like Confident and Warm, and a Training, such as Airbending. He also has a Fighting Style, like ‘Strong individual streams of air, like a Firebender’s flame jets’. His Balance is represented by a track, which runs from ‘+3’ to ‘-3’, for example, between the Principles of Excellence and Community. Events and the effects of Moves can shift the Player Character’s Balance up and down the track. This represents a Player Character’s core personality and if this Balance is pushed off the track, which can lead to a loss of a Player Character’s powers, his acting against his principles, or even give in to the enemy. A Player Character’s Balance can be restored through rest and reflection, but this takes time. In addition, a Player Character has an aspect that adds depth and detail, as well as motivation. For example, Thi, the Hammer, has ‘Bringing Them Down’ which sets him up to confront a single enemy. In his case, it is Amrita, the lieutenant of the Creeping Crystal Triad that Thi once worked for and is trying to make up for having done so. When facing Amrita, Thi has a penalty to all interactive Moves, but when fighting Amrita, becomes Inspired and clears all fatigue. A Player Character has two or three ‘Fighting Techniques’ and notes on connections, a Moment of Balance when he can restore his Balance, and a Background.

As the quick-start for Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game, the Movers & Shakers Free RPG Day Booklet provides both an introduction to the setting and the mechanics. The former includes a basic overview of the setting, the ‘Avatarverse’ and its five ages and four nations, plus descriptions of Airbending, Earthbending, Firebending, and Waterbending, followed by Weapons and Technology, and the roles that they all play in the ‘Avatarverse’. It provides a short, basic introduction to the setting, whilst the scenario gives more setting specific details. The explanation of the rules is more extensive, covering what a roleplaying game is, the need for safety tools, how to frame scenes, and more, all before going into detail about Moves. This includes the Basic Moves common to every character, plus Balance Moves, which affects the Balance Track, as well as Combat Exchanges. In general, combat in the Movers & Shakers Free RPG Day Booklet and in Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game is run as a series of one-on-one combats rather than mass brawls, no matter the number of combatants. They require combatant to first select an approach, either ‘Defend and Manoeuvre’, ‘Advance and Attack’, or ‘Evade and Observe’, this being the basic style the character wants to assume. After that, a combatant can select a Fighting Technique associated with the approach. For example, Erdene, the Prodigy, has three Fighting Techniques. Both ‘Steady Stance’ and ‘Air Swipe’ are associated with the ‘Defend and Manoeuvre’ approach and ‘Small Vortex’ with the ‘Evade and Observe’ approach.

What there is not in Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game is any Moves connected to Bending, or the manipulation of an element. A Player Character needs to be trained in Bending, whether Airbending, Earthbending, Firebending, or Waterbending, and these colours what he does and the Moves he makes. For example, Meeka, the Idealist, is a Waterbender and she has the fighting style involving ice spikes, either flung or driven up from the ground or through the walls. With the ‘Disorient’ Fighting Technique, she pummels the foe with quick blows, in this case a flurry of ice shards, but with ‘Slip Over ice’, she slides around the environment with ease to put off an enemy off-balance, this could be over the ice she creates or the water from partly melted ice she has created.

The scenario in the Movers & Shakers Free RPG Day Booklet is the eponymous ‘Movers & Shakers’, which is set during the Korra Era of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. The Player Characters are hired to protect the production of a new mover—or film—called ‘Sengo: lady of the Winds’. It has been plagued with equipment malfunctions and breakdowns, and an executive at Varrimovers International Studios fears that someone is attempting to sabotage the production of a mover that could restore the studio’s fortunes. This is certainly the case and that someone is connected to the backstory of one of the five pre-generated Player Characters. Over the course of four days, the Player Characters must protect the film, its production, its crew, and its cast from attacks from without by members of the Creeping Crystal Triad and tensions from within between the cast and crew. With the latter there is scope for investigation and roleplay and with the former, there is scope for roleplaying and combat. Like the publisher’s scenarios for Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game, ‘Movers & Shakers’ is not a linear scenario. Rather it is a situation or scenario, comprised of detailed descriptions of the various locations and NPCs, that the players and their characters can explore, the Game Master reacting to their decisions and making Moves of her own to keep up the tension, the storyline, and the action as necessary. It is primarily player-driven and the Game Master will need to understand all of the scenario’s elements to run it properly. This does mean that the scenario—and also the Movers & Shakers Free RPG Day Booklet—are really designed for the beginning Game Master. She is accorded good advice on how to run the scenario, but for someone new to the hobby, it is likely to be daunting prospect.

The five pre-generated Player Characters include a rash airbender with great airbending ability who exasperates her sister, who has sworn to protect her. The others are a former triad employee who is good with technology, who is trying to redeem himself; a former soldier and waterbender who wants to help and heal the world; and an earthbender who wants to live up his father’s skill, but not his reputation. All five pre-generated Player Characters are nicely designed, capable, and interesting, and include backgrounds and connections to one or more of the other Player Characters.

Physically, the Movers & Shakers Free RPG Day Booklet is well presented, sturdy booklet. Running to some fifty-pages, there is plenty of advice and help for the Game Master, including summaries of the Moves, Combat Exchanges, Fighting Techniques, and more at the back. Although it needs a slight edit in places, the main issue perhaps is the lack of examples that would ease the learning of the ‘Powered by the Apocalypse’ mechanics, especially the Combat Exchanges of Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game. The detailed nature of the Movers & Shakers Free RPG Day Booklet also means that the Game Master does have a lot to learn and prepare.

The density of Movers & Shakers Free RPG Day Booklet and the non-linear, sandbox style nature of its scenario, ‘Movers & Shakers’, means that Game Master needs to study the booklet in order to prepare and run the adventure. For anyone new to roleplaying, perhaps fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra and having picked up the Movers & Shakers Free RPG Day Booklet to find out what roleplaying is, this is too dense and not supported with examples that would have made the learning process easier. For the more experienced roleplayer, and certainly anyone with experience of ‘Powered by the Apocalypse’, this will be very much less of an issue.

The Movers & Shakers Free RPG Day Booklet is a fun, entertaining introduction to Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game and the worlds of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. Fans of both will enjoy this, as will any player who enjoys anime and martial arts, but Movers & Shakers Free RPG Day Booklet definitely benefits from an experienced Game Master.