Benders and Brawlers
Avatar: The Last Airbender is a story of Aang, a carefree young Airbender who happens to be the Avatar, The Chosen One who must take down The Evil Empire before it can take over the world.
This is not that story.
This is a story about a bunch of kids playing a game similiar to Dungeons & Dragons called "Benders And Brawlers". The story being acted out in this game just so happens to be Avatar: The Last Airbender. That is, it will be once everyone has significantly derailed the GM's original plot.
Can be found here. see also Darths and Droids and DM of the Rings.
Tropes used in Benders and Brawlers include:
- Affectionate Parody
- All There in the Manual: The Author's Notes.
- Alternative Character Interpretation: In-Universe. Inevitable; roleplaying game characters have different motivations than most other fictional characters.
- Animesque: Considering what it's based on, not surprising.
- Art Shift: The comic is done all in screencaps, but the author's ability to put panels together in a visually pleasing manner has improved significantly. An Archive Binge will not reveal this as all the older strips have been replaced.
- Badass Normal: Sokka...at least until Katara eclipses him in power.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: Played with. The characters in the game do. Their players don't.
- Bunny Ears Lawyer: Aaron, to a degree. He's implied to be very smart, but weird.
- Call a Smeerp a Rabbit: There's some of this on the original show, ("Penguins," anyone?) but the comic calls the seal-like creatures in the first episode walruses; the show never names them.
- Catapult Nightmare: Aaron actually shouts this after Aang does it.
- Character Alignment: In-Universe. The GM won't let anyone play Evil characters. Except for Zack.
- Character Customization: The first few pages are Katie comparing different classes.
- Combat Medic: Although we've yet to see it in action, it is implied that Waterbenders are this.
- Doing It for the Art: The author certainly isn't doing it for the money.
- Evil Laugh: The GM after Aaron said something Tempting Fate.
- Failed a Spot Check: Sokka failed a Sense Motive check.
- Fantasy World Map: The GM made one for the campaign. Its inconsistency is lampshaded by Katie.
- Film Comic
- Game Master: Originally only went by GM but a recent page names him Jim.
- Genre Savvy: Everyone, even Aaron. It doesn't help them, though.
- Honor Before Reason: After the GM shoots down Katie's desire to play an Airbender, Sam mentions that they have a spiritual code, which implies that Katie wouldn't want to play them because of this trope.
- In and Out of Character: But mostly out.
- Linear Warriors, Quadratic Wizards: Pointed out by Katie.
- The Loonie: Aaron, the GM's little brother (playing Aang).
- MS Paint: What the author uses to insert dialogue.
- Munchkin: Sam, to a minor degree (playing Sokka). It's also hinted in the Author's Notes that Toph's player will be one.
- New First Comics: The Redux comics.
- Noodle Incident: The Titans and Towers campaign has so far been referenced twice. All anyone will say is that Aaron derailed it.
- NPC: Iroh.
- The Real Man: Katie, a fan of martial arts films (playing Katara).
- The Roleplayer: Zack, a drama major (playing Zuko).
- Role Playing Game Terms: The characters often talk in these, even when talking in character.
- RPG Mechanics Verse: Explicitly stated to be a game, but none of the players are ever seen, so it counts.
- Rules Lawyer: Sam needs everything to be realistic or he starts complaining. Never mind he's playing a game with elemental magic.
- Schedule Slip: Ceased updates for over six months, but finally resumed.
- Schrödinger's Suggestion Box: How Appa is created.
- Webcomic Time: It's been over two months and we're still in the first episode.