Expanding the War Machine

[JmOz]

So I want to use Warlord and his War Machine, but I want to add a few members (Got 7 players, would like 7 warmachine members).

 

So, umm I need ideas on members...names especialy. It seems to me that each member is named War__________, and would like to keep up with that

 

I have one guy already being worked on called Warblade...any other ideas would be welcome...

[Shadow Hawk]

Re: Expanding the War Machine

 

I've used the name War-Star for a non-human with powers of fire and ice. Picked because the name was cool.

 

In the original campaign, Shadow Hawk had a clone brother named War Hawk... wait, isn't one of the original War Machine War Hawk? Never mind.

 

IIRC, the team is heavy on the ranged firepower, low on the melee and subtlety. A ninja type and a brick type would be useful. So,

War Shadow: invisibility, martial arts, spy skills.

War Dog: a were-wolf, superstrength, stealth, tracking, HKA, regeneration. And to make him fun, instead of taking extra damage from(cannot regenerate) silver, have him vulnerable to wood.

[Escafarc]

Re: Expanding the War Machine

 

Here's a few names:

Warcraft

Warchant

Wardance

Warhammer

Warlock

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Expanding the War Machine

 

I developed a few additional members for the War Machine for my own campaign. I'm sorry I don't have character sheets in a postable form (I still do mine by hand), but I can give you the names and concepts:

 

Warhammer, one of the Warlord's hired scientists who wanted to get out of the lab and participate in the action; so he secretly built a strength-enhancing armored exoskeleton and offered his services to the Warlord, who decided to reward his initiative by accepting;

 

Wartime, a female Shadow Army soldier whose heart was critically wounded in battle. Having noticed that the VIPER supervillain Oculon has "blueboy" (Hzeel) eyes, the Warlord had an Hzeel heart implanted in her. She gained superhuman speed and reflexes as a result;

 

Warlock, a renegade DEMON Morbane. He experienced a prophetic vision of DEMON being consumed in a magical catastrophe, and fled to the Warlord to escape their fate and gain his protection. He conceals the sorcerous nature of his powers to avoid DEMON's notice.

[Tom]

Re: Expanding the War Machine

 

Warzone (in my game, it's what you get when Mechassassin is crossed with Devestator... )

Warshot (in my game, he was the underwater specialist. I used a modified version of Le Sone for the base)

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Expanding the War Machine

 

Here's a few names:

Warcraft

Warchant

Wardance

Warhammer

Warlock

 

"Wardance" would be a good name for a skilled martial artist/acrobat character.

[clsage]

Re: Expanding the War Machine

 

So, umm I need ideas on members...names especialy. It seems to me that each member is named War__________, and would like to keep up with that

 

You're welcome to the name of an as of yet unplayed villain NPC from my Team Norfolk universe:

 

Warstorm

 

Maybe for a powered armored version of a weather controller....

 

-Carl-

[JmOz]

Re: Expanding the War Machine

 

Warcraft actualy gives me some ideas for a gadgeteer type. Like Shadow Hawk said the team seems strong on range, weak on melee, and almost non existent on stealth

 

SO

 

Warshadow, a Ninja (no otherway of saying it). Armor will provide invisibility, silent attacks, at long range, making him a sniper

Warblade: Weaponmaster with a sword

Warhammer: A Tank, big bruisor type

Warlock: Have a couple of ideas here, I like the morbain idea but will play around with it. I have some concerns about how well it fits into the whole high tech aspect, thinking about using blueboy instead of magic...

Warcraft: in field gadgeteer

 

I like the idea, but not the name for wartime...

 

Ideas still acoming, I think it makes sense for him to have a number of techs

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Expanding the War Machine

 

Warhammer: A Tank' date=' big bruisor type[/quote']

 

That was the kind of powered-armor character I was thinking of for the name. Maybe make him an actual "tank" -- big, massive, heavily armored.

 

Warlock: Have a couple of ideas here' date=' I like the morbain idea but will play around with it. I have some concerns about how well it fits into the whole high tech aspect, thinking about using blueboy instead of magic...[/quote']

 

In my game, that was exactly how Warlock sold himself to the Warlord; covering an area where the Warlord's organization is weak, and providing a nasty surprise to heroes prepared to deal with all-tech villains. Warlock concealed his magic behind a technological facade, e.g. body armor rather than enchanted robes, and replacing his Morbane's mace with a techy-looking staff.

 

I like the idea' date=' but not the name for wartime...[/quote']

 

I meant it to reflect an accelerated metabolism; but then, how about Warhorse?

[Evil Steve]

Re: Expanding the War Machine

 

Warcrime, an intelligence specialist. I'm writing him up as the new Tokomak.

[red_eagle123]

Re: Expanding the War Machine

 

It's funny that you're looking to expand the War Machine idea as well. I'm looking at doing the same and was running into a similar problem as you.

 

However in my case I'm going to have to be cutting a couple of the existing members for setting reasons and have ideas for powersets to replace them but was looking for decent names.

 

To that end I did an internet search for all words that begin with 'War' and found this page:

 

http://www.morewords.com/starts-with/war/

 

From that list I think the most usable names are:

Warcraft

Warlock

Warlike

Warmaker

Warplane

Warpower

Warsaw

Warship

Wartime

 

 

And a couple of the suggestions from others in this thread: Warhammer & Warzone that for what ever reason don't appear on that page.

 

As for Wartime, that name conjures to me the idea of a Time Manipulator, a Chronomancer or something along those lines.

 

Hope that list helps a little JmOz.

 

As for me, the two power sets I'm looking at adding are similar to your needs, a stealthy type and a hand-to-hand combatant, possibly a tracker (I'm going to use the War Machine as a Mercenary Special Forces unit similar to the A-Team/Losers mold). I'm thinking a Werecat and Shapeshifter (Similar to Morph from Ultimate Metamorph).

[Haerandir]

Re: Expanding the War Machine

 

I was toying with a similar idea, myself. Never got around to doing writeups, and most of my name ideas have already been mentioned. One that hasn't come up yet however is War Widow. Never did come up with a power set for her, but there are possibilities (spider-themed assassin, perhaps?).*

 

The other thing I was considering was leaving the War Machine the way it is, but having the Warlord recruit a second team of supers (or perhaps promote deserving Shadow Army soldiers and equip them with Hzeel tech). This team would be more of a functioning military unit than the War Machine (which includes several amateurs), and would play the role of the Warlord's 'Left Hand', specializing in covert ops and intelligence work. I wouldn't give them 'War' names, though. Perhaps a 'Battle' theme (Battleaxe, Battleplan, et al.). Or name them after legendary warriors (Achilles, Hannibal, Spartacus, etc.)

 

Another possibility, particularly if you only need a temporary increase the Warlord's power level or prominence in your campaign, is to have him actively recruit military/mercenary supers (Mechassassin, Lazer, Steel Commando, etc) either for one-off missions, or as new members of the War Machine. They're unlikely to stick around for very long (it's hard to imagine Mechassassin, for instance, putting up with Warhead's pretensions for any length of time), but they'd make the War Machine very scary while they were available.

 

* - OTOH, that name would also work for a hero (or anti-hero) motivated to seek revenge on the Warlord because she blames him for destroying her family in one of his operations. (Heck, you could make a whole team of them! War Orphan, War Debt, War Guilt, War Hero...)

[BobGreenwade]

Re: Expanding the War Machine

 

I once started on Warhorse, a fast-running brick, for addition to the Warlord's team.

[casualplayer]

Re: Expanding the War Machine

 

How about Warwound or Fog of War?

[JmOz]

Re: Expanding the War Machine

 

Maybe a Centaur type...

[Peregrine]

Re: Expanding the War Machine

 

Another possibility, particularly if you only need a temporary increase the Warlord's power level or prominence in your campaign, is to have him actively recruit military/mercenary supers (Mechassassin, Lazer, Steel Commando, etc) either for one-off missions, or as new members of the War Machine. They're unlikely to stick around for very long (it's hard to imagine Mechassassin, for instance, putting up with Warhead's pretensions for any length of time), but they'd make the War Machine very scary while they were available.

 

Honestly, that was the first thing I thought of when I saw the thread title.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Expanding the War Machine

 

Since Steel Commando effectively stole his armor and weapons from the Warlord (contracting the Warlord to build them, then skipping out on his payment), if the Warlord caught up to him he might make SC an offer he couldn't refuse: "Work for me or watch your armor go into a car crusher -- with you in it."

[Shadowpup]

Re: Expanding the War Machine

 

Sorry, not a serious reply, but man, it is GOOD to see some of the old hats still around.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Expanding the War Machine

 

Now that I think of it, I could see the three official independent villains who owe their powers to the technology of the Warlord, or of the Hzeel he scavenged from -- Steel Commando, Howler, and Devastator -- being forced together as a team to protect themselves from his attempt to confiscate their tech.

[Karmakaze]

Re: Expanding the War Machine

 

I'm surprised not to see Warbird already mentioned. (presumably someone with more flight-themed abilities).

[Haerandir]

Re: Expanding the War Machine

 

I'm surprised not to see Warbird already mentioned. (presumably someone with more flight-themed abilities).

 

That's because Warbird is already the leader of the team.

[wcw43921]

Re: Expanding the War Machine

 

You could easily convert Morningstar (CKC, pg. 182) into Warhammer--just describe him as an armored cyborg rather than a demonically altered human, and describe the morningstar as something hammer-like. (You would have to change his Susceptibility to something else--perhaps a Vulnerability to electromagnetic attacks.)

 

Torment (CKC, pg. 99) could be used as War Child--born in a war zone, his mother died giving birth to him due to wounds she sustained in an artillery barrage. Ever since then he has known nothing but pain and suffering, until finally he found a way to project that pain into the minds of others. The Warlord's medical staff found a way to block out his psychosomatic pain--and continue to do so as long as he serves in the Shadow Army.

 

War Powers--Carlton Powers is an exceptionally able telepath who can link to hundreds of minds at once, providing an unprecedented level of combat communication and coordination, enabling The Warlord to respond immediately to any change of situation. What The Warlord doesn't know is that Powers is able to control the minds to whom he is linked. He is biding his time and perfecting his control, waiting for his opportunity. Until then, he draws a Shadow Army paycheck--a rather lucrative one at that.

 

War Bride--Said to be the ghost of a young woman killed during her wedding during one of Napoleon's wars, she appears on a battlefield with pallid skin, grey, lank hair, and large staring eyes that convey great sorrow coupled with great rage. She wears a tattered, blood-soaked and burned bridal gown and carries a bouquet that some say is made of withered flowers, while others say is of thorn-encrusted vines--while yet others say it is made of flames. She has been seen appearing from out of nowhere walking towards soldiers on a battlefield--while others have seen her floating over it, looking down on the carnage. Some say she kills by touch, while others say she need only point at a soldier and say his name for him to die. Most of those who see her usually don't stick around to find out. Recently she has been seen more often at the Shadow Army's engagements scaring off their adversaries--no one can say why.

 

Actually she's an PsyOps experiment conceived by The Warlord to test a new psychotropic fear gas, using the legend of the War Bride as the ultimate propaganda weapon. Of course, there's always the possibility that the real War Bride will show up. . .

 

 

War Hero--Super-strong, impervious to most damage, can leap tremendous distances, never gets tired. He refuses to carry a weapon or kill in combat--yet when the Shadow Army's troops are pinned down by enemy fire, he's the one who comes to the rescue, shielding wounded soldiers with his own body, clearing a path for evacuation, saving the day. There are those who believe someone as unlikely a soldier for a warmonger like The Warlord must have been brainwashed into serving him, but maybe--just maybe--he has his own reasons for being in his army.

 

Hope you can find a use for those ideas.

[Greywind]

Re: Expanding the War Machine

 

Warmonger

Warchild

[JmOz]

Re: Expanding the War Machine

 

Now that I think of it' date=' I could see the three official independent villains who owe their powers to the technology of the Warlord, or of the Hzeel he scavenged from -- [b']Steel Commando, Howler, [/b]and Devastator -- being forced together as a team to protect themselves from his attempt to confiscate their tech.

 

Do some name shuffle, Howler could be called WARCRY, change the current one to something else...

[casualplayer]

Re: Expanding the War Machine

 

Honestly, while it is comic-cool, having a team full of people whose call signs all sound similar is really a horrible idea. "Did Warbird just tell Warwhoop to lay down cover fire?"

 

Unless you add a telepath/Mind Link specialist called Warroom, who can let the team communicate and develop tactics without audible signals.