The Adrift

The Adrift () is one of the playbooks for Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game, an outline of a character archetype that can be customized in the game. The Adrift is one of the three playbooks featured in the Republic City playbook, and is described as resilient, searching, detached, and capable. Their balance principles are Risk vs. Stability.Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game. Republic City, Version 1.0, 2023, p. 109.
== Description ==
The Adrift is trying to find a cause and purpose to invest in. Play the Adrift if you want to encounter conflicts around what to care about, and when caring too much is dangerous.
Resilient, searching, detached, capable. The Adrift was once exactly what others expected of them, playing some role to perfection without ever caring or investing in anything. They could not bring themselves to commit to the world, to involve themselves — they just did as was expected. But now, they are trying to find a cause to commit to, a reason to struggle and strive.
The Adrift is slowly shifting from being so deeply enmeshed in inoffensive, perfectly safe apathy, to taking risks and putting themselves on the line for worthy causes. That means more than any other hero, they start out already skewed toward one of their principles and their journey is about shifting away from that principle.
* Starting stats: Creativity +2, Focus 0, Harmony 0, Passion -1
* Demeanor options: Careful, Dismissive, Inscrutable, Sarcastic, Sharp, Subdued
== Principles ==
The Adrift struggles between their principles of Risk and Stability.
The Adrift's struggle is between the principles of Risk and Stability. Stability represents a chosen apathy, designed to keep them safe, protected, and constant. But even though the Adrift's trajectory shifts them away from Stability, they can still draw strength from the familiar, from comfortably shifting and bending with the world's needs. NPCs might also shift the Adrift toward Stability when they discourage Risk as something unnecessary or dangerous. A Stable Adrift is very capable of shrugging off failures, setbacks, and
harsh words, though they are less likely to commit to anything real or dangerous.
Their Risk principle represents the Adrift coming to put themselves on the line by taking chances. As the Adrift's Risk rises, they become more and more likely to pick up causes and commit, to involve themselves in the world despite the cost. A Risky Adrift can put themselves and their emotions in peril by committing to dangerous or costly causes with real fervor and verve, but might pick the wrong cause or the wrong time to risk it all.
The Adrift tries to balance these two principles by shifting away from their initial Stability toward a place where they can actually Risk things. They do not shift their center when they lose their balance toward Stability, unless they want to—so there is no risk of the Adrift's center falling off the track toward Stability unless their player chooses it. The real struggle is finding out the right amount to commit and how much to risk, and the Adrift's Moment of Balance exemplifies finding that perfect balance at exactly the right moment.
== Characteristics ==
=== Moment of Balance ===
You see it now — a path to pour yourself into your endeavor, without losing yourself, without sacrificing everything that you are just to achieve your end. In this moment, you find total clarity on what matters most to you, truly, and how best to protect or promote that. Tell the GM how you put yourself on the line just enough to deliver the perfect action and resolve a problem or conflict instantly.
=== Moves ===
* Changing Plans
* Play the Part
* Brooding Mind
* Drawing Ire
* Hidden KnivesAvatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game. Republic City, Version 1.0, 2023, p. 110.
=== Growth question ===
Did you honestly and openly express a strong emotion?
The Adrift's growth question is about making sure they emerge from their shell of apathy, whether they focus on Stability or Risk. They have to actually exhibit their conditions and their self, instead of hiding it behind a facade, to grow.
== References ==
Category:A to Z
Category:Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game playbooks