Building a New NPC Team

[KnightDisciple]

So, in a labor of love, I'm planning to make a Wiki entry for a new NPC Team.

This team will be based in the US Midwest, with each member being based out of a major city in each state.

This team will be professional, successful, powerful, etc. They won't be a joke team.

I envision them spending as much time fighting natural disasters and such (tornadoes, floods, drought) as they do villains.

In the future I might work up their Rogues Gallery, which will draw heavily from Flash's Rogues. That is, villains mostly about "business", so making money via robbery or more subtle means. No crazy face-murderers here, and most would be reluctant to take non-hero/police/soldier lives, or even take life at all.

I've got a rough draft of the membership mapped out here:

Native American, Female, US Air Force Pilot, Oklahoma City, Weather Controller. Janet Herrington, Stormchaser.

Leader, Luck Control/Leader, African-American, Male, Kansas City. James Parker, Maverick.

Fire Controller, Male, Dallas. Dusty Clayton, Brand.

Female, Earth Controller, Denver. Jessie Peak, Stanchion.

Water Controller, Female, St. Louis. Tina Evans, Aquifer.

Plant Controller, Female, Des Moines. Sarah Cassidy, Granary.

Cowl, Male, Omaha. Richard Blake, Thresher.

[Cubist]

Name of the hero group: hmmm... "Prairie Protectors"?

Names of the members:

Weather controller: "Thunderbird" is the obvious choice for a weather-controlling USAF pilot who's also a Native American—the name has significance on both the N.A, side and on the military side. Also, "Cyclone". "Hailstorm".

Luck controller: "Lucky Jim". "Chance". "Coinflipper".

Fire Controller: "Hotspell". "Hotstuff". "King of Flame".

Earth Controller: "Hillock". "Trenchmaker". "Tremor".

Water Controller: "Deluge". "Cloudbuster". "Waterhammer".

Plant Controller: "Harvest". "Cornfed" (ignore this one if it runs afoul of the "honor, nor mock" guideline). "Lady Flora".

Cowl: "Pursuivant". "The Inspector". "The Guardian".

[KnightDisciple]

You do realize that Colorado, Missouri, and Texas have large portions of their area that aren't "prairie", right?

I think I kinda like "Cloudbuster" for the Weather Controller. "Thunderbird" is...just a wee bit too "native-y", and while she's ethnically Native American, "culturally" she's more...mainstream, I guess?

None of those feel like a good fit for luck controller.

"Hotspell" has potential.

"Tremor" is nice and straightforward.

"Deluge"...maybe.

None of the Plant Controller or Cowl ones grab me.

[Semi-Autogyro]

Well, I'd like to say as a Kansan, that not seeing Wichita on a list such as this offends my sensibilities. Besides, the majority of Kansas City is actually in Missouri. :-P

As for names:

Native American Weather Controller (got nothing namewise)- Stormfront (Since she's also a pilot, it could also be her callsign as well.)

Luck Controller (James Parker) - Maverick

Fire Controller (Dusty Clayton)- Brand (as in Branding Iron)

Earth Controller (Jessie Peak) - Column, Stanchion

Water Controller (Tina Evans) - Aquifer

Plant Controller (Sarah Cassidy)- Granary

Cowl (Richard Blake)- Thresher

As for team names...All I can think of is Dust Devils (homage to the dust bowl) or Barnstormers (Tornado Alley and Farming reference)

As for the builds, make the flame controller a horseman atop a fiery steed! (example: 1 and 2)

The leader I would just go with a professional gambler, who knows when to hold 'em and knows when to fold 'em.

[KnightDisciple]

Well, I'd like to say as a Kansan, that not seeing Wichita on a list such as this offends my sensibilities. Besides, the majority of Kansas City is actually in Missouri. :-P

As for names:

Native American Weather Controller (got nothing namewise)- Stormfront (Since she's also a pilot, it could also be her callsign as well.)

Luck Controller (James Parker) - Maverick

Fire Controller (Dusty Clayton)- Brand (as in Branding Iron)

Earth Controller (Jessie Peak) - Column, Stanchion

Water Controller (Tina Evans) - Aquifer

Plant Controller (Sarah Cassidy)- Granary

Cowl (Richard Blake)- Thresher

As for team names...All I can think of is Dust Devils (homage to the dust bowl) or Barnstormers (Tornado Alley and Farming reference)

As for the builds, make the flame controller a horseman atop a fiery steed! (example: 1 and 2)

The leader I would just go with a professional gambler, who knows when to hold 'em and knows when to fold 'em.

Well, like I said, I can fluff them all fine. I'm wanting an Oddball or the like that someone could pick up. In theory this group could be used as an origin point or something similar.

I do like the "fiery steed" angle, though. Hm. If I could get an element controller build that I could swap in Fire for, that might work...

As for Kansas, that's what Kansas City is for! St. Louis is technically there for both Missouri and Illinois, in fact.

Also, my only ideas for Kansas were "Weather/Air Controller" and "Plant Controller", and those are taken, so hey.

I like most of these names, though. I especially like "Maverick". Maybe I'll make him ex-Air Force, too.

"Barnstormers" has a nice ring; it also hearkens back to old-time piloting daredevils!

[Cubist]

Before you decide on the name "Stormfront", you might want to google that word…

[KnightDisciple]

Before you decide on the name "Stormfront", you might want to google that word…

....*Unprintable words*

[Cubist]

On the bright side, it's a great name for a villain, eh? Possibly the arch-nemesis of the Native American weather-controller?

[Ari]

Not too relevant, but that's actually been used as a villain name in The Boys(knowing that is just one of the many things I regret). You can imagine what kind of villain they were.

[KnightDisciple]

On AA's suggestion, I'm thinking "Stormchaser".

[KnightDisciple]

Builds forthcoming, but I'm going to include 5 Reserve Members as well.

Arkansas Insect Controller.

Wichita Battlesuit.

Illinois, possibly a Paragon.

Dakotas, I'm not sure.

Minnesota, also not sure.

I'll be trawling through our character threads later and linking builds that work well.