Some things captivate us as children. Universally speaking I can think of little else that can seize a young man's imagination like Transformers. Even to this day there is a certain magic to the very legendary sound of a robot changing modes. A fact that still wrestles at my mind often enough to drag me(somewhat willingly) to the land of daydreams.
In recent days, I must confess I've succumbed to a fascination that no boy ever truly outgrows. Finding some older Rpg materials I have been toying with some Transformer-esque characters etc. While my first foray into such a subject was about a year ago and yielded a Autobot based Osprey VTOL aircraft. I tentatively named him "Tilt," and set him aside at the time.
With Renewed fervor I decided to try my hand at a small band of both villains and heroes much like the Autobots and Decpticons of our childhood. The rules I used were for Mechamorphosis by Fantasy Flight Games. All in all it is a great system for something like a Transformers based game. It is a system that could still use some refining and expanding, but for what it is I would say it's about the best option out there.
The teams were each 3 man squads, that I thought might prove effective PC support/filler for even a small player or two game no matter the side they might choose. For the 'bot based heroes we have: Priss, Daen, and Carver. And for the 'con based baddies we have: Stryker, Icona, Undermine and his smaller half Discord.
Priss is a grizzled vet of old wars, but one with a conscious. She has served her kind on the battlefield for as long as she can recall, until her orders shifted from protecting her people to conquering others. That alone made the decision for her, leading her to leave the military. Now she champions the defense of her friends and fights against tyranny. In vehicle mode Priss adopts the guise of an an armored bridge layer providing support in the heat of battle. When she transformers her bridge becomes a massive shield she can wield to protect others and slam through opposing forces alike.
Carver has always been fascinated by the extremes of natural environments. His curiosity has lead him into countless rough spots in search of exploration and to rescue his damaged friends when others could not. When it comes to needing repairs and being in a tight spot Carver is the first 'bot many call on and about the only one you can trust to make it. In his vehicle mode he resembles a rugged snow and mountain rescue emergency vehicle much akin to a snowmobile with a little cab. And with his enhanced onboard sensors he can always find someone in need, even in the bleakest blizzard.
Leading the small squad is a loyal and devoted young 'bot called Daen. Hard working and dedicated, Daen has always followed orders to the letter and refuses to give up. Coming from a labor background Daen has seen his fair share of work and in truth would have it no other way. He still insists on getting his hands dirty alongside even the lowest ranks and tolerates no notions of him being above any other 'bot. Holding to his past Daen's vehicle mode is that of a GINAF specialty heavy duty labor truck. When he isn't fighting he can often be found hauling salvage or rebuilding damaged structures. Being idle is an alien concept to this worker.
A stark contrast to Priss, Icona is small, sleek, and anything but a push over. Designated for scout duty Icona excels at espionage and counter intelligence. Instead of front line combat, she prefers to utilize her skills of stealth as well as a cloaking field emitter to sneak herself and sometimes others behind enemy lines to strike where least expected. Coupled with her vehicle mode of a Icon light sport luxury aircraft has made her a deadly and deceptive foe.
Not content to hide in the shadows Stryker instead lives for the thrill of battle. A survivor of the gladiator arenas, Stryker has come to sadistically embrace bringing his superior strength and firepower to bear over weaker opponents. In vehicle mode he resembles his namesake - a Stryker M1128 Mobile Gun System to deliver artillery fire at foes. But is equally capable in close range with his shield and flail at devastating opponents.
Leading the 'con-like squad is a devious figure who loves psychological warfare; Undermine. Taking the vehicle mode of a Douglas A-26 strategic bomber, Undermine delights in tactical assaults where he can deploy his trusty subordinate; Discord. Taking the form of a bomb, Discord is often delivered from the air only to use his own talents to covertly transform and land without raising suspicion. Once unleashed, Discord can perform any number of tasks for his master - be it destroying key equipment, gathering intel, or even using his hysteria inducer to compel foes to perform tasks for his master. However, neither Undermine nor Discord is a slouch from combat. The villainous leader has many times over shown no hesitation to draw his shell launcher or heavy mace against his foes. Just as Discord is never seen without his blaster carbine or short sword.
Well, there are the various characters so far. I may try to revise my character notes on them into a more cohesive stat-block and post their details later. I'm still in the process of forming a playable scenario/plot hook for any interested PC's. Perhaps you'll see something of it in the near future. Especially since I would love nothing more than to put these rules and characters through they're paces to test things out.
Feedback is always welcome and appreciated. Just ask yourself sometime, I am sure when you were a kid you probably had a favorite 'bot or 'con. Perhaps you even daydreamed of if you were a Transformer yourself. What kind would you of been?
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