Theme Super Hero Teams

[Supreme]

Re: Theme Super Hero Teams

 

I ran for a group that, without intending to, named all of their characters after gemstones: Ruby, Topaz, Opal, etc.

 

I've wanted for a long time to make a villain team all named after Punk songs: Janie Jones, White Riot, Blitzkrieg Bop, etc.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Theme Super Hero Teams

 

Good source, and on a side anti-rant, I adored the Cyberknights. A high tech theme team, in Atlanta no less! I know it is silly of me, but some days I get so tired of the misconception that "South Equals Backwards", and voila, here's a team busting the stereotype wide open.

 

Besides, they would be a cool team anywhere.

 

The Zen Team also rocked;)

 

The Cyberknights were my favorite Champions NPC hero team, after the Protectors. (This was before the MC 8, of course.) I got the impression that the Cyberknights were based on PC characters, probably from Sean Fannon's own campaign. They had the kind of rich history and personalities that come from actually being played.

 

Since the Zen Team has also come up as part of the subject of theme teams, you might get a kick out of this 5E Zen Team Package Deal and concept details from Mathew Ignash:

 

http://www.angelfire.com/scifi2/mathew/pazen.html

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Theme Super Hero Teams

 

An amusing team might be a mythological one, but base it off the names of the planets of the solar system rather than a pantheon, per se. Not only is it a tight theme, there's lots of humorous injokes as well.

 

"Do we even need Pluto here? I thought scientists decided it wasn't a planet."

"It's prounounced 'UHR-uh-nus', not 'Your Anus', dammit."

"Dammit, Jupiter, I know you're a gas giant, but did you eat burritos last night or what? I mean, DAAAAMN!"

[winterhawk]

Re: Theme Super Hero Teams

 

I've wanted for a long time to make a villain team all named after Punk songs: Janie Jones' date=' White Riot, Blitzkrieg Bop, etc.[/quote']

 

Did something similar with a villain team. The leader was Baba O'Reilly, the Pinball Wizard, who preached hippie idealism to attract disenfranchised youth to steal for him: Street Fighting Man, Sugar Magnolia, Nowhere Man, Cinnamon Girl & Ruby Tuesday.

[greymankle]

Re: Theme Super Hero Teams

 

The villian team I'm working out for my up coming DC game is based on the Greek alphabet. Sort of a Viper Organization. Higher/proven members get "lettered" Only once of each letter exists.

 

A hero team based around music might be cool. Depending on how much musical theory is known in the group. Powers working together to form chords and such.

[Starlord]

Re: Theme Super Hero Teams

 

Olympic theme (international peace/unity team)

Ocean/Sea/Water based (defends the seas and coasts team) theme

Environmental protectors (possibly nature-based) theme

Western theme

 

 

Done in 4e

Reformed villains theme

anti-tech team

killer vigilante team (ala Thunderbird)

Circus theme (half-serious guardians)

[Red Knight]

Re: Theme Super Hero Teams

 

An amusing team might be a mythological one, but base it off the names of the planets of the solar system rather than a pantheon, per se. Not only is it a tight theme, there's lots of humorous injokes as well.

 

"Do we even need Pluto here? I thought scientists decided it wasn't a planet."

"It's prounounced 'UHR-uh-nus', not 'Your Anus', dammit."

"Dammit, Jupiter, I know you're a gas giant, but did you eat burritos last night or what? I mean, DAAAAMN!"

 

Now that is an interesting idea.... minus the burritos. Since each planet is named after a god to begin with, it would be easy to grant their powers.

 

Mercury: Winged Messenger (Speedster)

Mars: Bringer of War (Possible Brick or heavy combat)

Venus: Bringer of Peace (Possible Healing powers)

Also known as Aphrodite.

Jupiter: Leader of the gods, also known as the god of justice.

Saturn: The god of agriculture: Plant powers??

Uranus: The Magician/Mystic; also associated with the sky

Neptune: Water-based powers

Pluto: Stealth and Concealment. Trickster? The dark brooding

character. Also known as Hades.

Terra: Earth control powers? Also called Gaia.

 

This is the planets and if you wanted to get interesting, you could have a 10th member called "X" that runs around like a toady to Pluto.

[SKJAM!]

Re: Theme Super Hero Teams

 

An Italian team based on the Commedia Dell'Arte?

 

Harlequin (male character), Columbine (his female counterpart), Scaramouche, Il Dottore, the Lovers, etc.

[Alverant]

Re: Theme Super Hero Teams

 

I’ve started doing some preliminary work on making a villain team themed around the seven deadly sins. There would be Lust' date=' as a mind controlling seductress (maybe go male just to break the stereotype), Gluttony a Blob like character, Wrath a martial arts specialist, Envy uses illusions etc.[/quote']

 

What may keep your interest in this team is to build them around the other aspects of the sins. For example Lust is "intense desire" according to Mr.Webster. So instead of a seducer, how about a telekenitic who grabs whatever she wants or a Transfer/Mimic who takes what she wants from others (it would be a short term copy because she'd always be going after the next target, Lust is temporary and is always looking for something new). Actually the Transfer/Mimic might work better for Envy.

 

For Gluttony, instead of a Blob, how about one that encourages the target to be Gluttonous? Make him so skinny it makes everyone around him look fat. So strong is the illusion that those around him suffer a movement and END drain.

 

I guess in the end when working on a theme or even a name for an NPC consider the other meanings that come after the most common. It makes them distinct in the minds of the player.

[Corven_Ren]

Re: Theme Super Hero Teams

 

A group of heroes themed after whatever state they are based in. For example my Florida based team Forces of Nature: Reptyle, Armordillo Man, Sunburn, Mosquito & Seminole.

[Hawknight]

Re: Theme Super Hero Teams

 

In 4E, I ran a game based on the Punchinello adventure in "Heroic Adventures 2. He was going to kidnap a child star at a mall appearance and was foiled by Playtime (Kingdom of Heroes). Because Punchinello used toy based gadjets, I used any published (with changes regarding sex) characters with a "toy" theme and made them is underlings.

 

Punchinello (Picture from Enemies International, write up from Heroic Adventures 2) Due to his domineering towards women psych, all the toys must be female so he can boss them.

 

Frizbee (twin sister of Enemies 1 villian who was killed)

Yo-yo (crazy technician who stole original Yo-yo's armor- from "Heroic Adventures 1")

Skate Kate (direct from C.L.O.W.N.)

Marbles (dragged into this by Skate Kate)

Hopscotch (used the picture for Flip in Enemies for Hire minus the card/acrobatic martial artist)

Marionette (converted from Villians & Vigilantes- Punchinello's second in command)

 

There were a few others and I can't find the list I had. This game was what would be called a "Dark Champions Animated" adventure now. The PCs had to depend on one character's sidekick to fill them in on the victim. Loads of individual combat in different parts of the mall with each PC pitted against a toy and Playtime's robot armymen planes, ships and tanks.

[Hawknight]

Re: Theme Super Hero Teams

 

 

Another idea would be The Nuclear Family, name taken from the common cultural way to describe a "typical" family.

 

 

DC comics did this in The Outsiders (original) back in the late 80's early 90's.

[greymankle]

Re: Theme Super Hero Teams

 

An Italian team based on the Commedia Dell'Arte?

 

Harlequin (male character), Columbine (his female counterpart), Scaramouche, Il Dottore, the Lovers, etc.

I like this I idea. I may have to steal it. A bunch of my friends and I are into Theatre history so this would work great. Of course they all wear masks, but that works for a superteam.

 

:thumbsup:

[Karma]

Re: Theme Super Hero Teams

 

Patriots (Captain America, Lady Liberty, Stars&Stripes, etc.)

Or in our modern world of global tolerance, cooperation and 'Coalitions of the Willing' how about a team made up of patriots from different, but allied, countries (or even one of non-allied countries, as an attempt at showing a united front (might even work if an alien invsion happens). There's a novel idea. ;-)

Same/similar powers (all speedster team, all brick team, all gadgeteers, all weapon masters, all robots)

 

I once had an all PA/Gadgeteer team, but then all the supers were PA/Gadgeteer, so I guess that doesn't count.

[Red Knight]

Re: Theme Super Hero Teams

 

In 4E, I ran a game based on the Punchinello adventure in "Heroic Adventures 2. He was going to kidnap a child star at a mall appearance and was foiled by Playtime (Kingdom of Heroes). Because Punchinello used toy based gadjets, I used any published (with changes regarding sex) characters with a "toy" theme and made them is underlings.

 

Punchinello (Picture from Enemies International, write up from Heroic Adventures 2) Due to his domineering towards women psych, all the toys must be female so he can boss them.

 

Frizbee (twin sister of Enemies 1 villian who was killed)

Yo-yo (crazy technician who stole original Yo-yo's armor- from "Heroic Adventures 1")

Skate Kate (direct from C.L.O.W.N.)

Marbles (dragged into this by Skate Kate)

Hopscotch (used the picture for Flip in Enemies for Hire minus the card/acrobatic martial artist)

Marionette (converted from Villians & Vigilantes- Punchinello's second in command)

 

 

I like this idea.... I might have to borrow it.

 

Now all I have to do is track down pictures and stats

[Alverant]

Re: Theme Super Hero Teams

 

One thing you have to watch out for when you have a theme team are vilians who are particularlyeffective against that theme. An all gadget/powered armor/robot team wouldn't do well against the Anti-tech League (from 4th ed) who had EMP and other powers that were extra-effective against technology. Likewise what would an all-brick team do against a desolid or flying target? When making a theme, you have to be sure you keep your bases covered. Granted you couldn't have gadgets which affected minds or a magical robot, it's just a little harder to justify.

 

I had an idea for a sciences based team. "Physics" was a martial artist, "Biology" was a Beast Boy style metamorph, "E-M" (electromangatism) was your energy protector, "Astromony" had travel, enhanced perceptions, and strength abilities, "Q-M" (quantum mechanics) had the unusual powers like teleport and desolid, "Chemistry" had unusual attacks like knockout gas, acids, flash. "Psychology" was the team mentalist.

[Red Knight]

Re: Theme Super Hero Teams

 

It might seem really cliche'... but what about an Elemental Team?

 

I used to play the Legend of the Five Rings game and I designed elemental armors that enhanced an aspect of the wearer's base abilities.

 

You could create a team based on the five elements.

Earth

Water

Air

Fire

Spirit. (In L5R, this was called Void. The premise was the spirit as the binding force of the elements in each of us.)

[Hawknight]

Re: Theme Super Hero Teams

 

RED KNIGHT-You're welcome to it. I'll dig around and see if I can find the floppys (GASP!!) with the character background and pictures. Remember- all this was from 4E and needs to be updated.

[Marketeer]

Re: Theme Super Hero Teams

 

It might seem really cliche'... but what about an Elemental Team?

 

I used to play the Legend of the Five Rings game and I designed elemental armors that enhanced an aspect of the wearer's base abilities.

 

You could create a team based on the five elements.

Earth

Water

Air

Fire

Spirit. (In L5R, this was called Void. The premise was the spirit as the binding force of the elements in each of us.)

 

You could also turn the Legend of the Five Rings (L5R) analogy on its head. In L5R, each of the five "Rings" represents both an elemental force and a philosophical truth You could have the same team of five, based upon the elements, but make them, say, "five enlightened souls":

 

"Fire" representing a force for change (say someone with a lot of Change Environment and/or Transforms).

 

"Air" representing an understanding of the subtle, instinctive nuances of life (high PRE, good social skills, and powers representing the ability to "read" the intentions, actions, and emotions of others).

 

"Earth" representing persistence, fortitude, and resolve (high EGO and CON, and Life Supports like Reduced need for Sleep and Food).

 

"Water" representing the ability to "flow" around problems, to find or create ways past obstacles (probably the highest Tactics skill of the bunch, maybe a VPP representing the ability to improvise around problems. Also, thematically, the one character most likely to have a disparate set of attacks that, between them, will always affect anybody, even if the attacks do minor damage on a per-hit basis).

 

"Void" representing the unique insights people have during moments of epiphanies, when you don't need to think while you act, because everything is clear (a precog makes sense, but so would someone with a huge number of Overall Skill Levels--Usable by Others).

 

 

Same 5 elements, but you get a totally different spin on the team, what they do, and why.

[Red Knight]

Re: Theme Super Hero Teams

 

Very interesting....

I like the design...

[Kirby]

Re: Theme Super Hero Teams

 

You could create a team based on the five elements.

Earth

Water

Air

Fire

Spirit. (In L5R, this was called Void. The premise was the spirit as the binding force of the elements in each of us.)

In Watchers of the Dragon (4E), Spirit was replaced with Steel, if you want to try that method.

 

In my previous gaming group, our GM had created a game where we created 75 point normals. He had also asked us some questions prior to this that were basically asking what type of character we'd like to play.

 

When it was game day, there were four players and the GM. We went with our dates to some college professor's house to have dinner and then a storm came up. We discovered that someone in our group (an NPC) had tricked us and they were hunting us to capture us (my character hid in a closest to protect the "hot chick" who ended up being a servant of the baddies). Anyway, we all woke up later and were strapped to the tables made of stone. It turned out we were being used as sacrifices for DEMON. Something went wrong with their summoning and we became/reamined free-willed instead of slaves to them. We were each now an elemental (mine being earth). We had to experiment with our characters until we figured everything out (which none of us quite did). It was still pretty fun. I do recall my character was the only one who couldn't fly, though I could teleport as long as I was touching the ground (the sfx was that I'd meld into the earth and reappear in a new body elsewhere) and that I had an 80 Strength. The game didn't last because it came right before we decided to do a "game purge" and limit each GM to three games to cycle through (at the time, we had four DM/GMs and maybe twenty games between us, and I was only running one or two then).

[ShinDangaioh]

Re: Theme Super Hero Teams

 

I have seen a grouping of six elements.

 

Fire-Water-Earth-Wind-Wood-Metal

 

If you want to be preverse, you could pull what the TV series Monster Squad or the cartoon Drac Pak did. Take the classical Hollywood monsters and make them heroes.

 

Month based themes. April has water control(April showers). May has control over plants(May flowers). August-heat powers. March can create storms(In like a lamb out like a lion) June gets some insect powers(June bugs) and so on.

[zaras]

Re: Theme Super Hero Teams

 

Not sure if its been mentioned or done before but i have been toying with the idea of using the seven deadly sins as a villan team.

[st barbara]

Re: Theme Super Hero Teams

 

Not sure if its been mentioned or done before but i have been toying with the idea of using the seven deadly sins as a villan team.

Ohhh ! "St Barbara" wants to meet LUST ! Or if there is an opening in the "7 Deadly Sins" put "St B" down for that one !

[Kirby]

Re: Theme Super Hero Teams

 

I now recall a vigilante NPC team called "The Verdict." Their members were Judge, Jury, & Executioner, with the latter being the leader.

 

Judge: A cop gone bad, killing criminals who were repeat offenders (murderers, sex offenders). The first one he was suspected of he killed the criminal and made it look like self-defense (though he was being investigated). The second and third (same day) he killed them while they were handcuffed. His involvement was obvious and he became wanted. He had a Judge Dredd type weapon and appearance.

 

Jury: Had 11 duplicates of himself, each about 150 points, I believe, maybe 200. Was a skilled normal pretty much.

 

Executioner: Went with the Grim Reaper theme. Had a false focus of a sickle and was permanently desolid, so his attacks all had to have "affects real world." He could also teleport the team for quick attacks and escapes.

 

I had a long story-line involved with them that wasn't able to come to an end. A "member of the jury" was supposed to accidentally kill the wife of a retired superhero (Cpt Atom level) and the Executioner had the ability to kill off all forms of Jury, as well as judge. (They had a strict "No innocents harmed" policy.) The special effect were the Jurors floating a hex above the ground with broken necks: Thus, a hung jury.