Avatar Legends RPG boxed starter set hits Target shelves
The official tabletop adaptation of the beloved animated series gets an exclusive release in US retail.
Tabletop RPG fans in the US might see a beginner box tucked amongst the usual selection of Dungeons & Dragons kits on their next shopping trip as Avatar Legends is now exclusively selling its starter set at Target.
Avatar Legends, the official adaptation of the beloved and acclaimed Avatar: The Last Airbender animated series, announced the retail deal on the same day that many eagle-eyed fans noticed the starter sets amid the other popular board games and more party-centric entries. Publisher Magpie Games, the same studio behind the Root RPG, Urban Shadows and Masks: A New Generation, called it an “exclusive” placement in a recent tweet, though for how long remains unclear.
The placement is notable for being one of a scant few tabletop RPGs to claim a bit of what’s become highly sought-after shelf space in Target’s respectable selection of non-Milton Bradley or Hasbro titles. For many publishers, a deal with the US-wide chain could be seen as breaking through one of the many ceilings that keep this hybrid hobby-industry within niche interest groups. Normally, shoppers could only expect the usual D&D essentials kit - or its more recent Dragons of Stormwreck Isle starter set.
The Avatar Legends starter set comes with everything a group should expect to have on hand as they begin creating their own stories within the world of Aang, Korra and the vast lineage of past Avatars. Playbooks detail the core character approaches, whether members decide to play a bender, weapons specialist or someone dabbling in cutting-edge technology. Two additional booklets provide a truncated version of the rules and a pre-written adventure so that the facilitator can get events rolling forward with menial prep. It looks like there’s also a cloth map depicting the bending world of the Four Nations.
As a Powered by the Apocalypse-style RPG, the Avatar Legends starter set also comes with a set of six-sided dice for adjudicating those explicitly triggered moves. There are also a set of combat cards, which handle the special system Magpie Games designed to handle violence and conflict in a way that doesn’t undercut the spirit of the original work. The studio told Dicebreaker during its record-setting Kickstarter campaign that it wasn’t interested in locking bending to specific classes, nor locking it behind a magic system-esque structure.
Instead, Avatar Legends is a game interested foremost in telling stories about young people striving to make a difference or discover their place in the world, much like the main characters of both Aang and Korra’s respective series. The fanbase has proven staunch and hungry for more stories in this universe, so a boxed set that eases people into the rules is a welcome addition, especially during a moment where D&D might not be the clear recommendation it was even at the end of 2022.
The starter set includes an online version of the starter set that players can unlock on Demiplane, the digital toolset and platform that hosts the official version on Avatar Legends. Additionally, groups will have access to a 50% discount on the digital core rulebook, which contains more information and guidance on running the game, along with adventure tools and worldbuilding for the different Avatar eras that act as RPG settings
More information, including availability, of the Avatar Legends RPG Starter Set can be found on Target's website. Dicebreaker has reached out for more information about the starter set, including when and where it might appear outside of the US.