Impromptu Teams

[CrosshairCollie]

There's a lot of solo villains in the Champs Universe ... but those pesky heroes usually come in packs. Just out of curiosity, what sort of teams have you folks assembled by picking and choosing villains from the Solo sections and slapping them together into a team?

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Impromptu Teams

 

Last summer I was planning to run a story arc featuring an alliance of the most powerful, destructive demonic entities abiding on Champions Earth. The "team" (insofar as these egotistical horrors would be willing to work together) had no great agenda beyond assisting each other in spreading suffering and destruction. I chose Samhain (Champions Universe/Evil Unleashed) as the leader, with Marmoo and The Murk from Hidden Lands, and The Living Sphinx, Survalesh, Li Chun the Destroyer and Eclipsar from Champions Worldwide. Now that I have Champions Universe: News Of The World, I would say that Baykok and Bloodrage would also be good choices in addition to or instead of some of those above.

 

(Unfortunately, the group I was planning to run this for fell apart.)

 

Some time back I posted my concept for a revival of the classic Champions organization RAVEN, this time under the leadership of a cabal of master- or near-master-villains from the Champions Universe having the appropriate backgrounds and goals. If interested you can read about that here.

[Checkmate]

Re: Impromptu Teams

 

One GM I had, made an Oddly effective team out of a bunch of misfits. This was 4th Ed Classic Enemies and the like:

Powercrusher (Had a bunch of Transfers)

Bulldozer

Occolon (Eye beams with a killer Flash Attack)

Freon (Iceman)

Blowtorch (I'm pretty sure he was less psycho in 4th Ed.)

And a 6th member that kept changing. The only one I really remember is Shamrock.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Impromptu Teams

 

Actually, Checkmate, the group you describe sounds a lot like the Crusher Gang, described in the 4E edition of Champions Universe. I'm pretty certain that Oculon and Freon, at least, were working for Power Crusher as part of this post-Classic Enemies villain assemblage.

 

I'll have to go to the book and see who else was in the gang.

[Hermit]

Re: Impromptu Teams

 

Scott Bennie once started this thread that might be of use to you

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49210

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Impromptu Teams

 

Scott Bennie once started this thread that might be of use to you

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49210

 

A source of inspiration or frustration, depending on how you look at it.

[Tech]

Re: Impromptu Teams

 

I've taken Halfjack (modified version from Enemies II, not VIPER book) and Fire And Ice (also from Enemies II, more experienced now) and added them to a group (that still doesn't have a name, they just stick together) coupled with a couple of custom villains and Vibron (slightly upgraded Enemies I version; can't stand CKC version).

 

As I play him, Halfjack is more of a wiseguy than a threat. I can only count on my fingers the number of times he's actually shown up as Halfjack instead of a disguise. Sometimes he's on the side disguised as a normal person, ready to help the team. Sometimes he's dressed as a different villain so that no one knows it's actually him (I feel sorry for the villain he's disguised as - getting a rap for something they actually didn't do. ) or even disguised as a hero who suddenly starts to help out the villains. When he's ready to be defeated, he superleaps away. Hmmm, Foxbat & him should get together in my campaign... (sees possible fun plots forming.)

 

They're not a group with a grande vision. No, the group just wants to help a villainess, beat on some heroes for fun and escape before they get caught. The villainess is looking to get changed back to normal. If she ever does, the group will probably go their way.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Impromptu Teams

 

While not actual villain teams, I have toyed with pairing up a number of solo CU characters whose backgrounds and personalities would seem well suited to working together:

 

Holocaust and Gravitar. Mentioned as one of Holocaust's plot seeds, the two of them would appear to be a natural mix, at least for a while. Both fabulously wealthy, among the social elite, with powerful mutant abilities. Their powers complement each other well, and with Holocaust's political connections and Gravitar's scientific skills they could pose several levels of threat. And for a "Days of Future Past" type alternate-future scenario, the possible power of their child is truly frightening.

 

Of course with their egos they wouldn't last as a couple past the first disagreement over whose plan to follow.

 

Zorran and Stingray. These two scions of ancient, hidden civilizations are from the highest nobility of their respective homes, both sorcerors, and both exiled for aspiring to seize power over their peoples. I could see their many similarities drawing them together in the strange Human world they now live in, to help each other achieve their parallel goals. Stingray's greater physical power would complement Zorran's superior sorcerous skill.

 

Stormfront and Zephyr. Two weather manipulators, both with histories as thieves and grifters, would seem to be a natural fit. Stormfront could work either as a romantic partner or as a father figure for Zephyr. But Stormfront would have to be careful how he tries to control Zephyr, as she's very resentful of authority and has the power to kick him around the block.

 

Esper and Tesseract. Two women possessed by alien intelligences who desire world conquest, but don't really want to kill anyone to do it. These two beings may be the only ones who could truly understand and sympathise with their alien viewpoints. OTOH Photon's origin is very open to interpretation; it's possible that aliens are responsible for her origin as well. Her attitudes are reasonably compatible with the other two.

 

This opens the possibility of a whole team of female "Furies" with conquest on their minds. Gravitar would be a natural to lead it, and I could also see Raya de Plata joining in.

[Supreme Serpent]

Re: Impromptu Teams

 

Back in the Enemies I and II days, I formed a sorta "Wrecking Crew" type group out of Sledge, Piledriver, Bulldozer and an 'original' villain Jackhammer who followed the Sledge/Piledriver one-hand weapon theme. Later on they joined with Fire & Ice, Skyqueen(Bora with serial numbers filed off), Scorcher(Fuer with serial numbers filed off) and Richter (original villain) as the Masters of Disaster.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Impromptu Teams

 

Back in the Enemies I and II days' date=' I formed a sorta "Wrecking Crew" type group out of Sledge, Piledriver, Bulldozer and an 'original' villain Jackhammer who followed the Sledge/Piledriver one-hand weapon theme. Later on they joined with Fire & Ice, Skyqueen(Bora with serial numbers filed off), Scorcher(Fuer with serial numbers filed off) and Richter (original villain) as the [i']Masters of Disaster[/i].

 

Nice. Blowtorch would fit in with that gang, as well.

 

Reminds me of the 4E Destruction Company from High Tech Enemies, one of the better Champions "theme villain" teams.

[casualplayer]

Re: Impromptu Teams

 

I had a villain team called Foxbat's Menagerie composed of Foxbat (duh,) Bull(dozer,) Wyvern, Leech and an autistic safecracker called Raccoon. They were vicious comic relief.

 

Lucifer's team, I think it was called The Hand, also had a rotating membership, mostly because a member got killed or maimed every time they faced my players. Lucifer got brain damage in the first meeting, Starhand got knocked back into the chick with the Killing Attack Damage Shield the second time, Firefist got his sternum shattered during a mini-series (on accident, the player was very upset about this!)

 

Turned Thunder into Destruction, because the pictures were so similar and it made for a nice plot twist. She kinda lost it a bit when her husband Lightning got killed by War of the Horsemen, killed War herself after a post-mortem Radiation Accident and then got tapped by Dread to replace War on the team.

 

Can't think of too many teams that I didn't tweak, adding, modifying or subtracting members.

[casualplayer]

Re: Impromptu Teams

 

A source of inspiration or frustration' date=' depending on how you look at it. [/quote']

 

QFT.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Impromptu Teams

 

Nice. Blowtorch would fit in with that gang, as well.

 

Reminds me of the 4E Wrecking Crew from High Tech Enemies, one of the better Champions "theme villain" teams.

 

Destruction Company, actually, to nitpick. I'm thinking of doing them up 5E style, too, with some tweaking (like building Chainsaw's namesake into the armor, instead of it being an easily-disarmable OAF, and making Live Wire not-crazy).