If you know me, you know I'm near-obsessed with the Nick cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender. As such, I of course have had a lot of ideas regarding a RPG based on the series. Here are some of the ideas, collected in a fairly unsorted manner. I'll add more as they come to me.

Now that I write more on this, it seems like a good core system for the QUAD mechanic title, as it is really quite similar to my old notes. I think I'll call the (obviously free and unlicensed) Avatar skin of it "The Avatar Cycle" or something like that.

MISC NOTES
* Game is for four players, although I'm considering making concessions for a fifth (the avatar). the Avatar is a role that floats between the players, perhaps, or just a fifth GM-like player
* Each player plays a character of their choice, and represents one of the four elements. Characters can be of any of the nations, and the player's element doesn't have to match - meaning, it is entirely conceivable (and fun!) for a Fire Nation character to have a Water element. Their chosen element is their Aspect. one idea is to have the player element change every session! that'll mix things up a bit. draw cards at the beginning of the session and order from highest to lowest.
* players sit around the table in order of their elements - water, earth, fire, air. gameplay proceeds in that order.
* There are four main attributes. I wonder if you can figure out their names? Players rank them at 4, 3, 2, and 1.
* As for the Avatar, it could either be an actual firth player and character, a "party character", or a meta-role that floats around from scene to scene.
* The game is broken into phases. Each phase corresponds to one of the five elements: Water, Earth, Fire, and Air being the four standards, and the fifth being Spirit.
* The phases flow in a certain set order. A session is started with a phase chosen by the initiator, and from that point on, the phases must be in order. Earth follows Water, Fire follows Earth, Air follows Fire, and Water follows Air.
* Spirit phases should be special, and not part of the actual set order. Players could interject them as special moments, perhaps.
* The mechanic uses a deck of cards, with each suit corresponding to an element. A correspondence between four elements (Phase Element, Attribute Element, Player Element, and Card Elements) determines four things: # of cards drawn at beginning of scene, most cards playable for any one action, potential outcome of challenges should they succeed, and your available chi for that phase.
* Hearts = Fire, Diamonds = Earth, Spades = Air, Clubs = Water.

BASIC GAME FLOW
* NEW PHASE
* Element is Chosen, Framer is the "Avatar", element matches the first action of the phase as dictated by the framer
* Everyone draws a # of cards equal to TWICE the attribute on their sheet that corresponds to the phase's element.
* Avatar gets a Challenge Hand = 12 cards. If the avatar has a personal character, it is played by the others for the duration of this phase.
* Determine starting Chi by comparing personal element to phase element. Equal = 8 points, Neutral = 6, Opposed = 4. Avatar gets 6 Chi, and has access to every Chi ability possessed by the players.
* if a player has any anguish counters, they must choose to sacrifice that total amount of cards, chi, and being, BEFORE looking at their cards. this sacrifice can be spread out as they see fit. then discard the anguish counters.
* if you have more anguish counters than available cards, chi, and being, you cannot participate in this phase
* Roleplay time. Roleplay until a challenge begins.
* BEGIN CHALLENGE
* identify the challenge
* both simultaneously reveal a card from the deck
* both simultaneously play and reveal cards from their hand.
* (remember: you don't HAVE to play more cards, and can just stick with the one from the deck)
* Can play any # of cards, limited only by the size of your hand and whatever Chi effects you may have.
* The "Avatar" plays all the opposition from the Challenge Hand.
* high card wins, results are determined by comparing winning high card suit to loser's. matched = success with a boon, neutral = basic success, opposed = success but with a concession.
* if success, check your attributes, and deal your high card's element in outcome.
* if success with a boon, deal standard outcome and you get to add something to the narration.
* if success with a concession, deal standard outcome but your opponent gets to add something to the narration.
* if you choose, instead of dealing outcome you can simply make a statement, such as "i escape" or "i grab the sword" or whatever is applicable.
* outcome is applied to your opponent, if applicable. it is subtracted as the opponent chooses from their hand, chi, and being. if they take more outcome than available cards and chi and being, they gain anguish counters.
* END CHALLENGE
* you can leave the phase at any time by stating as such and how it happens, but if anyone tries to stop you it requires a challenge.
* Phase continues as such until everyone at the table uses all the cards in their hand. once the last card is played from a hand, the phase ends.
* a phase can last as long as necessary. if all players blow all their cards fast, the phases move along pretty quickly. but if they're reserved with them, they can move much slower.
* players can attempt any number of challenges just by sticking with the single dealt card.
* END OF PHASE
* start next phase
* if no one volunteers to frame the next phase, randomly draw for the job. otherwise, session over, eh?

VARIABLES
* # of cards per phase = character element corresponding to phase element (8/6/4/2)
* # of statements about success: compare winner's high card to loser's. matched = success with a boon, neutral = basic success, opposed = success but with a concession.
* Base Available Chi = your personal element compared to phase element. Equal = 8 points, Neutral = 6, Opposed = 4.
* Base Attributes: each player defines them at creation, ranked 4, 3, 2, and 1

BENDING AND CHI
* All characters, regardless of bending type or none at all, can use a point of Chi to increase their high card +1, but just for the purpose of beating your opponent.
* Players can choose a bending type. Each has a core ability.
* FIRE: When starting a challenge, can spend a point of Chi to add an additional card from their hand, and afterwards they draw a new one to replace it.
* EARTH: When resisting a challenge, can spend a point of Chi to add an additional card from their hand, and afterwards they draw a new one to replace it.
* WATER: After the cards are played and compared, can spend a point of Chi to force the opponent to replace one of their played cards with another one in their hand. If none are in the hand, use one from the deck instead. The opponent gets to choose which played card is replaced, though.
* AIR: After the cards are played and compared, can spend a point of Chi to draw a card from the deck and, if desired, replace it with any of their own played cards. Increased abilities could allow multiple draws, multiple replacements, etc.

BEING (optional)
* Being is an additional pool of resources used for resisting attacks and such. it's mostly for combat encounters, where the attacks flow left and right and the tension is high.
* if being is used, all outcome suffered is subtracted first from Being, and only after that is it taken from cards and chi.
* being refreshes in full every new phase

COMBOS
* players can play multiple cards to create combos.
* STRAIGHT: (4+ cards only) +1 outcome per card
* FLUSH: (4+ cards only) +1 outcome per card
* MULTIPLE KIND: +2 outcome per card beyond the first.

ELEMENT AFFINITIES
* Water: Intelligence, Wisdom, Benevolence, Adaptation
* Earth: Patience, Thoughtfulness, Hardworking, Stability
* Fire: Strength, Restlessness, Ferocity, Intensity
* Air: Peace, Harmony, Congruence, Acceptance
* This could be tied into an advancement system, or into the flow and focus of each phase. Advancement comes from meeting one of two criteria in a session. You can choose to follow the Way of the Avatar, and exemplify one of the affinities under each Element. Or instead, you can follow the Way of the Master, and instead exemplify all four of the affinities under a specific element.
* The Way of the Avatar earns you a single mark in all four Element tracks, while the Way of the Master earns you two marks in that Element's track.
* Once you have 4 marks in a track, you earn an advancement for that Element. I'm still working on what advancements do. Perhaps extra cards, increased attributes, free boons. etc.

USING QUICKSTRIKE CARDS
* if using the quickstrike cards instead of playing cards, the mechanic is slightly different.
* possibly use a strike-only deck instead of playing cards, or maybe use a variation of the quickstrike mechanic? draw upon abilities and allies from optional side piles?