What types make a good team?

[RavensPath]

Hey folks,
I'm working on putting together a team and want your input. This team is more for stories than for RPGing since I haven't had a chance to find any gamers in town yet.

I want to hear from everyone on what types of characters make a balanced team. I am thinking Teen Titansish type of team. Young but somewhat experienced. The first character I have is Robin like but not the team leader, but more of a field leader in combat.

Anyway, what all of you think?

Matthew

[Revenant]

While there are several elements a team needs, such as varied capabilities (at least one ranged attacker and one damage soaker), the more important elements answer the question "What do I bring to the team?". Any team needs people who are good with a battle plan, those that are good at directing people, those that can keep the team healthy, and finally and possibly most important, those that are good at deciphering clues. With these elements, a decent team could even be developed from a single archtype.

[Blue]

There's the overbearing brick. This is the guy who thinks the easiest way to do anything is to walk right into the path of trouble and just deal with the pain. He don't want no stinking plan!

By contrast there's the character who always has to have a plan. They want to research everything and expect everyone to follow their lead (even though if they are teens this is highly unlikely).

A non-combatant of some type. This can be a sort of passive mentalist (mind reader) or maybe someone who just works with technology, making gadgets for the team.

There's the one character who has little control over their power. It likely cycles between high and low, keeping the character from having any real fine control. Usually an energy projector.

A stretchy guy or morphing character. Teams hate the guy who was able to squeeze into the locker and listen to them talk or who was disguised as the lamp in the corner.

And lastly I recommend the one character who is very good at most things. It's good to create a little envy. This is likley someone with great atheletic skills, good looking, who can seems to be very lucky and is likely very popular.

And there's the outsider. Regardless of powers, this is the person who was not part of the group to begin with and feels like they are neglected (and often is). Maybe has a history of 5-finger discount or hanging with the wrong crowd. If these are teens, this person is likely roped in by a mentor or is there because they have to be tutored in something by one of the heroes.

[st barbara]

What makes a good team depends on the environment that the team is operating in to some extent but here is my take on what a team of supers needs when starting out. To begin with you will probably need a "brick" someone with muscle and an ability to soak up damage. You will also need someone to give the orders, this can be anyone in the team so it is best to leave it to the players (or the referee) to decide who does this. Back to the makeup of the team. After the muscle man the next important type is probably the team scout, this could be someone with flight or super speed, enhanced eyesight can help here but they need to be able to see the situation first and pass on their information to the rest of the team. Every team needs an energy projector and this often works well when combined with the scout ("St Barbara" handles this function for "Team Zenith 3"). Next, someone with detective skills, again this can combine with either of the other characters butit also goes well with team leader. A "gadgeteer" who has a variety of devices is very useful to any team and can handle a number of functions (energy projector, stealthy type, even muscle if he has the right gadgets) Someone with a very versatile power such as a magician with a wide variety of spells is very handy, as also is a mentalist or a stealth expert (with or without invisibility). Take a look at the old "Teen Titans" for example, they had a detective/gadgeteer ("Nightwing"), an energy projector("Starfire") a brick (Wonder Girl), a second gadgeteer/power suit wearer/brick ("Cyborg")and a member with multiform ("Changeling"). Throw in the fact that both "Starfire" and "Wonder Girl" could fly (Or did "WG" only glide ?) and you have most possibilities covered.

[JmOz]

You forgot Kid Flash, who would be a scout in your assesment and Raven who was a mentalist, so probably a mystic type

[RavensPath]

Thanks everyone for your input. These are the types of ideas that I wanted!

Matthew