Sounds good!
Here’s a look at the NPCs that’ll be wandering around Salvation, barring generics and incidentals, of course:
Bridge Crew
The notable faces among the men and women running the Salvation’s bridge.
[details=Topside- Autobot Co-captain]Name: Topside
Homeworld: Cybertron
Faction: Autobot
Appearance:
Universe Macro, with the colors of Override GTS:
Alt-mode: Cybertronian sports car
Weapons,: Topside wields a Photon Burst Rifle and two Energon swords built into his forearms
Bio: A renowned naval captain chosen to be the Salvation’s Autobot head for his prowess. The responsibility of bearing the fate of his entire race on his shoulders weighs heavily upon him, however he does endeavor to hide it from his subordinates. [/details]
[details=■■■■■■■■■■■■- Decepticon Co-captain]Name: ■■■■■■■■■■■■
Faction: Decepticon
Homeworld: Clemency
Appearance:
Alt-mode: Terran luxury car
Weapons: ■■■■■■■■■■■■ wears a pair of Nucleon Shock Gauntlets (modified to conduct electricity, in addition to their usual capabilities), and carries a beam cannon over his right shoulder.
Bio: the snide and reserved co-captain of the Salvation. He’s still getting accustomed to working- closely- with Autobots.[/details]
[details=Motherboard- First Officer, among other positions]Name: Motherboard
Homeworld: Cybertron
Faction: Decepticon
Appearance: TFP Soundwave, with black armor and electric blue lights in lieu of the violet ones.
Alt-mode: Cybertronian reconnaissance drone.
Weapons, abilities, and equipment: Motherboard’s neural net is connected to most of the Salvation’s systems, granting her a formidable amount of power in addition to the blades and pistols in her forearms.
Bio: appearing to be completely void of all emotion, Motherboard utilizes her connection to the Salvation’s systems to assist in keeping the Fleetcarrier running throughout the duration of her voyage.[/details]
[details= Broadband- communications]Name: Broadband
Faction: Autobot
Homeworld: Conventus
Appearance: IDW Strafe:
-with the colors of Energon Towline:
Alt-mode: Terran communications van.
Weapons: A heavy plasma cannon and a hammer in each forearm.
Bio: the chatty and quick-witted Broadband serves as the communications officer aboard the Salvation.[/details]
[details=Flyby and Brakeswitch- pilot and navigator]Names: Flyby, Brakeswitch
Faction: Decepticon
Homeworld: Cybertron
Appearances: Flyby resembles Titans Return Brainstorm, with the head of Shuffler, and a blue and white color scheme.
Brakeswitch resembles TR Arcee, with a white and blue color scheme.
Alt-modes: Flyby transforms into a Cybertronian jet, Brakeswitch turns into a Cybertronian sports car.
Weapons: Flyby wields a laser rifle and possesses two plasma blasters in his alt-mode. Brakeswitch wields two machine pistols that fire hard-light projectiles, and has uncanny navigational skills.
Bio: twins Flyby and Brakeswitch serve as the pilot and navigator for Salvation, respectively. Despite their… peculiarities… you won’t find any other Decepticons better suited for the task.[/details]
Other Positions Aboard the Ship
Other bots you might run into over the course of Salvation’s voyage.
[details=Forcep- Chief Medical Officer]Name: Forcep
Faction: none
Homeworld: Paradon
Appearance:
Universe Anomaly, however with a black and cyan color scheme with yellow highlights. A red cross can also be seen on his right shoulder.
Alt-mode: Cybertronian ambulance.
Weapons: none. He does, however, possess a myriad of medical equipment built into his forearms.
Bio: a pacifist hailing from Paradon, Forcep’s proficiency in the field of medicine is nearly unrivaled. Though the atrocities of the Great War have turned him jaded and misanthropic, he will still offer his skills to any in need.[/details]
[details=Sprocket and Grommet- Co-head Science Officers]Names: Sprocket, Grommet
Homeworlds: Sprocket hails from Hecate, Grommet is a Chaaran.
Factions: Sprocket is an Autobot, Grommet is a Decepticon.
Sprocket resembles Dropkick from the Bumblebee movie, however with a predominantly dark brown color scheme with green accents. His eyes are yellow, and the lights that flash over his “mouth” when he talks are red and white.
Grommet resembles Universe Contagion, with Oil-slick’s colors.
Alt-modes: Sprocket is a triple-changer, possessing the alt-modes of a Terran attack helicopter and and muscle car. Grommet transforms into a Cybertronian armored car.
Weapons: Sprocket wields a plasma cannon in robot mode, and a machine gun and two missile pods in his helicopter form. The two tanks on Grommet’s back contain ammunition for his two Corrosive Slime Cannons, stowed in his forearms.
Bio: Sprocket and Grommet were each chosen by their respective factions to head the Salvation’s scientific endeavors during its’ voyage. The two have discovered that it will be an arduous task working together, as they cannot stand each other.[/details]
Greasemonkey- Chief Engineer
Name: Greasemonkey
Faction: Autobot
Homeworld: Cybertron
Subtype: techno-organic
Appearance: Beast Wars 10th Anniversary Optimus Primal, however with a white and red color scheme (white as the primary, red as the secondary). In lieu of a mouth, he has a dark grey plate covering most of the lower part of his face, and his right eye is much larger than his left, blue, and telescopic.
Alt-mode: an ape-like creature. In both beast mode and robot mode, some of his red fur can be observed to be gradually graying, due to his age…
Weapons: Greasemonkey is often found with a long, black cane, which can transform into a gauss rifle when needed.
Bio: a colleague of the Autobot mad scientist Wheeljack, Greasemonkey’s position as the Salvation’s chief engineer was warranted by the many experimental technologies included in her retrofit provided by the Autobots. The reclusive and antisocial cyborg can often be found tinkering, and might even prefer the company of non-sentient machines to his fellow autonomous robotic organisms.[/details]
Vendors
Bots from whom you can purchase a variety of goods and services.
[details=Thrift- bits and baubles]Name: Thrift
Faction: none
Homeworld: Junkion
Appearance:
This old concept art for movie Bumblebee, however with the colors of 2007’s Salvage:
Alt-modes: Thrift is a triple-changer. His first altl-mode is a Terran muscle car. The second is a flying vehicle similar in appearance to Thrilling 30 Sandstorm’s:
Weapons, abilities, and equipment: in robot mode, Thrift can reform his right forearm into a gauss cannon, and his forearm guards can deploy stinger blades:
His VTOL mode possesses a chin-mounted mini-gun and missile launchers.
Thrift cruises around the galaxy in a small, scrappy spaceship:
The craft is equipped with two manipulator arms (possessing cutting lasers) near the front end, and a crane in the back, with all the storage compartments. In the off-chance that Thrift finds himself pursued, the ship is equipped with a (rather cheap, and prone to malfunction) active camouflage system, and a payload of thermal mines. Like most spacecraft, it possesses a Quantum Drive for FTL travel.
Bio: hailing from Junkion, the eccentric Thrift fancies himself a traveling merchant, scouring the cosmos for priceless artifacts and exotic treasures… and mostly turning up junk, contraband, and stolen goods. Still, one man’s trash is another’s treasure, and Thrift is determined to make his living off of selling that treasure to you, dear customer, for only the best prices this side of the Milky Way. Satisfaction guaranteed, or your money back![/details]
[details= Facelift- body modifications]Name: Facelift
Faction: Decepticon
Homeworld: Hecate
Appearance: Animated Shockwave:
…With the colors of SDCC 2013 Shockwave:
Alt-mode: Cybertronian light tank.
Weapons, abilities, and equipment: an electromagnetic cannon and a swath of tools fit for surgery and cold construction in his forearms.
Bio: Like your typical Hecatian, Facelift views the Cybertronian body like a living work of art… one which he enjoys picking apart and adding his own “touches” to. Formerly a medic- until he abused the position one too many times in pursuit of his true passion- Facelift has somehow found his way aboard the Salvation, and offers his skills in experimental, illegal, and oftentimes not without risk bodily modifications to the crew, albeit for a price.[/details]
[details=Salvo-quartermaster]Name: Salvo
Faction: Autobot
Homeworld: Gigantion
Subtype: Minicon
Appearance: Salvo resembles Cybertron Overide, albeit with alt-mode kibble more befitting of a Cybertronian half-track, and a color scheme similar to Kappa Supreme.
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Salvo also possesses an artillery platform that she can combine with to form a larger robot resembling Omega Supreme, however with the more “feminine” build/proportions of Pacific Rim Uprising’s Saber Athena. This mech also bears Kappa Supreme’s livery.
Alt-mode: Salvo transforms into a Cybertronian half-track, and the mech transforms into an artillery platform.
Weapons: the claw in lieu of the mech’s right hand contains a beam weapon built into its “palm”, and the left forearm can transform into a riot cannon. In vehicle mode, Salvo’s half-track possesses a projectile cannon.
Bio: a demolitions/heavy weapons specialist who volunteered herself to serve as a test subject for a prototype of the weapons systems of Kappa Supreme, Salvo sells weaponry and related items to her shipmates aboard the Salvation.[/details]
[details=Halfrunner- barkeep of the Antillian Sunrise]Name: Halfrunner
Faction: none
Homeworld: Antilla
Appearance: Universe Ripraw, however his armor is predominantly black, and the flames are crimson in color.
Alt-mode:
This, but with the colors described above.
Weapons: an X12 Scrapmaker in his right forearm and two Path Blasters.
Bio: a friendly Antillian happy to see everyone at least pretending to get along again, Halfrunner runs a small establishment he’s set up in the Salvation’s main hangar. All are welcome, provided things don’t get too rowdy.[/details]
[details=Lurch- barkeep of Peace and Tyranny]Name: Lurch
Faction: Decepticon
Homeworld: Cybertron
Appearance: Universe Drive-by, however all the red is replaced with a deep violet color.
Alt-mode: Cybertronian luxury car.
Weapons: two shoulder-mounted missile launchers, and a plasma blaster in each forearm. He can also deploy sharp claws from his fingertips.
Bio: though forced to work alongside the Autobots for the time being, Lurch refuses to set his prejudices aside for the greater good. The snobbish Decepticon runs a pretentious watering hole aboard the Salvation, competing mainly with Halfrunner’s establishment and attracting other folks as unpleasant as he.[/details]
Villains
The antagonists of Transformers: Salvation:
[details=Bludgeon]Name: Bludgeon
Faction: Decepticon
Homeworld: Caelum
Appearance: a towering and imposing cybertronian, resembling his ROTF voyager toy, albeit with more “alien” alt-mode kibble. He stands roughly thirty-eight feet tall.
Alt-mode: Cybertronian heavy tank.
Weapons, abilities, and equipment: Bludgeon carries a long Energon sword similar in design to an ōdachi, and a shorter Energon blade bearing resemblance to a wakizashi. The blades of these two swords can heat up to extreme temperatures to facilitate slicing through opponents, and they can combine into a larger, dual-bladed weapon. Within each of his forearms are stored purple energy swords that can spin at ludicrous speeds.
He also carries a high-voltage electric cannon, which wreaks havoc upon the systems of any unfortunate soul on its receiving end. The initial shot is punishing enough, however the violent electric shocks afterward can short out weapons systems, impede motor and transformation functions, and generally ruin a bot’s day.
In tank mode, Bludgeon’s main turret sports a fusion cannon, and attached to it are two ionic pulse launchers, which fire pulse missiles that create seismic waves upon impact. In both forms, his armor is reinforced with a cybertanium alloy.
Bio: a master of the deadly Cybertronian martial art of Metallikato, Bludgeon strictly adheres to its ancient spiritual teachings, believing it his destiny to become the successor to the “Ultimate Warrior”
of legend who supposedly created the art. To this end, he sees himself as above even Megatron, and plans to usurp him as the Emperor of Destruction. He covets the power of the Omega Lock described in cybertronian lore; with divine power at his fingertips, surely nothing can stand between him and his perceived destiny.
Despite his treacherous ambitions and warped perception of the cybertronian faith, Bludgeon himself still holds Metallikato’s code of honor as sacred. Perhaps our heroes can exploit this in their efforts to thwart his schemes…
[details= The Mayhem Attack Squad]The Mayhem Attack Squad
The Mayhem Attack Squad is a special team formed by Bludgeon as a counter to the Autobots’ elite unit, the Wreckers. Like its Autobot counterpart, the Mayhem Attack Squad is often deployed to execute high-risk missions that cannot be entrusted to the rank and file. The team is led by Bludgeon himself, and its current roster includes:
Carnivac, a modified mechanimal pretender and the team’s “pet”. The feral beast possesses an anti-thermal cannon, which slows down molecular movement to effectively freeze his targets for a short while.
Spinister, a deceptively-cunning and taciturn stealth warrior equipped with a beam cannon and a plethora of missiles.
And Roadbock, a ruthless Decepticon Ultra-Pretender. He is completely without fear, and unfortunately has plenty of powerful weaponry to boot.
[/details]
[details=Banzaitron]Name: Banzaitron
Faction: Decepticon, by little more than association
Homeworld: Junkion
Appearance: G1 Banzaitron’s timelines toy. He is twenty-five feet tall in robot mode.
Alt-mode: a terran spacefighter, akin to Titans Return Trigger-happy’s alt-mode.
Weapons, abilities, and equipment: Banzaitron is a student in seven cybertronian martial arts- though not a true master in any of them, this makes any close-quarters engagement with him rather perilous. For melee combat, Banzaitron wields two katana-like blades, the edges of which can be coated in plasma increase their lethality.
Banzaitron also carries four ion blasters on his person that he can use in both modes. His jet mode is also equiped with two additional electromagnetic guns. He has recently acquired a pet mechanimal crab named Razor-sharp, who transforms into a semi-automatic rifle firing explosive bolts of plasma.
Bio: though he often wears the mask of a cold and reserved warrior, Banzaitron’s pride and arrogance always shine through the facade, eventually. Once a competent mercenary in the beginning of the War, Bludgeon has since taken Banzaitron under his wing, and he has become the lord’s apprentice. He has not inherited his master’s dogmatic disposition, and isn’t opposed to fighting dirty to best his opponents.[/details]
[details=Thunderblast]Name: Thunderblast
Faction: Decepticon
Homeworld: Hecate
Appearance: Cybertron Thunderblast’s toy, though all the kibble on her back forms something of a cloak, rather than just hanging off her the way it does. The grey bits are also more silver in color. She stands around twenty-three feet tall.
Alt-mode: a Cybertronian fighter jet, akin to WFC Slipstream’s alt-mode.
Weapons, abilities, and equipment: in robot mode, Thunderblast wields a Thermo Rocket Cannon, which can also transform to fire a foldspace warhead. Her forearms can also reconfigure into electro-bolter harpoon guns.
Credit to artist Isaac Rinzuala. The hilt and guards are purple, with gold accents. The blade is silver in color, and all the lights are yellow, rather than blue.
In vehicle mode, Thunderblast can make use of the Thermo Rocket Cannon, along with two blasters.
Bio: In the vein of other “opportunistic” Decepticons such as Starscream, Thunderblast craves power and influence, and isn’t above backstabbing and other forms of foul play to facilitate her rise through the ranks of the Decepticon Empire. Her habit for manipulation, deceit and treachery borders on a pathological need, almost. She’s joined forces with Bludgeon, seeing the arrangement as a chance for her to jump up a few more rungs on the hierarchical ladder. A betting mech could safely place a few thousand shanix that Bludgeon could very well find himself on the end of her blades if he isn’t careful…
[details=Thunderblast’s cadre]In recent years, Thunderblast has taken to keeping in the near-constant company of three other Decepticons:
Ransack is a devious assassin, equipped with a twin-barrelled electromagnetic gun and a phase shifter but into his sternum.
Ransack’s brutish partner, Crumplezone, possesses brute strength and two beam cannons built into his back.
Thundercracker, a former Seeker, wields two devastating sonic cannons in robot mode and is proficient in the art of swordplay.
[/details]
[/details]
[details=Obsidian]Name: Obsidian
Faction: Decepticon
Homeworld: Cybertron
Appearance: this scout-sized toy of Obsidian, however with the lankier proportions seen in the Beast Machines cartoon. In robot mode, he is twenty-seven feet tall.
Alt-mode: Cybertronian gunship, akin to the vehicle in the toy’s picture
Weapons, abilities, and equipment: Obsidian’s vehicle mode is equipped with a chin-mounted autocannon and a missile launcher under each wing. The launchers are available to him in robot mode, as well, and can dispense a variety of projectiles. Obsidian’s forearms can gattling guns that fire energon-based projectiles. His turbines can generate gale-force winds and house powerful energy cannons, as well. Obsidian is actually rather weak, physically, and prefers to keep his targets at a distance to avoid the risk of melee combat.
Bio: an infamous Decepticon general with a peculiar sense of loyalty, Obsidian dedicates himself to the defense of Cybertron and her colonies, having joined the Decepticons purely because of their superior military power at the time. He has come to believe that aligning himself with Bludgeon is in the best interest of Cybetron’s future, in spite of his resentment of the lord. He is cold, pragmatic, and a master tactician.[/details]
[details=Strika]Name: Strika
Faction: Decepticon
Homeworld: Cybertron
Appearance: movieverse Brawl, however with the colors and head of Strika’s Timelines toy. She towers above Bludgeon, standing fourty-three feet tall.
Alt-mode: a massive Cybertronian tank.
Weapons, abilities, and equipment: In robot mode, Strika wields a fusion cannon attached to her back, which swings around her right flank when deployed. On her right forearm is a four-barreld plasma-pulse cannon, a souped-up plasma cannon that fires in four-shot bursts. On her left forearm is an ion displacer heavy machine gun, along with a bladed weapon for melee combat. On each shoulder rests a Thermo Rocket Launcher. Strika is absurdly strong, and her armor is reinforced with a Cybertanium alloy like Bludgeon’s.
In tank mode, Strika can access the fusion cannon and the Thermo Rocket Launchers, along with two beam cannons mounted on a separate turret above the main once, and a machine gun.
Bio: many have made the grave mistake of underestimating Strika’s intelligence from her brutish form, but in truth she is one of the most brilliant Decepticon minds on the battlefield. While her frequent partner Obsidian prefers to hover above the carnage and strike from afar, Strika charges alongside the forces she commands into the thick of combat. Relishing in the chaos that battle brings, Strika aims to thoroughly crush her opponents, refusing to accept anything less as a true victory for the Decepticons.[/details]
[details=Lockdown]Name: Lockdown
Faction: Lockdown’s allegiance lies with the highest bidder. Currently, that is Bludgeon.
Homeworld: unknown.
Appearance: AOE Lockdown. He stands twenty-two feet tall in robot mode.
(The Cyberglyphics on his face might indicate a religious background; the Knights of Cybertron and other devout followers of the Cybertronian faith sometimes take to inscribing the ancient language on their armor, believing it will bring them good fortune)
Alt-mode: a Lamborghini Aventador
Weapons, abilities, and equipment: various. Lockdown is notorious for stealing weapons that strike his fancy from his quarries, and he has amassed a vast and varied arsenal over the course of his career. Lockdown is also known to collect the eyes of his quarries as trophies, and always keeps some of his collection secured on his left hip.
Lockdown’s ship, the Death’s Head, is a fair-sized, well-armed vessel that the mercenary uses to travel the cosmos, and stow his growing collection of weaponry and… other mementos from his bounties.
Bio: the infamous bounty hunter and mercenary Lockdown has made quite the name for himself over the five hundred years the Great War has raged. His skills are second to none, and there doesn’t seem to be anyone in the galaxy he won’t put them to use for… so long as the price is right, of course. Lockdown cares truly for only two things in all the universe: himself, and the thrill of the hunt. Cold, without mercy, and a touch sadistic, there’s little an unfortunate soul who finds himself his target can do, other than make their peace with the universe before he finds them.[/details]
[details=Mooks]Most of the forces of Bludgeon’s Decepticons can be grouped into distinct classes. The most common are described here.
Ground troopers are Decepticon soldiers commonly possessing SUV-esque vehicle modes, and are armed with Photon Burst Rifles- mid-range weapons that fire hard-light projectiles in three-round bursts. Their vehicle modes also possess a machine gun, and many have blades for melee combat. Their counterparts are the Air troopers, who possess similar armaments, in addition to missiles, and fighter jet alt-modes.
Heavy ground troopers transform into half-tracks and tanks, and possess variations of the Scrapmaker minigun, Riot Cannons, and grenade launchers in robot mode. Heavy air troopers transform into bombers and gunships, and are armed with rocket launchers and autocannons in robot form. They are stronger and better-armored than their lighter versions.
Sharpshooters are weak, thus preferring to keep their targets at a distance with a Nucleon Charge Rifles and Energon Pistols in their robot modes. They typically transform into areal vehicle modes with VTOL capabilities, equipped with laser beam weapons and missile launchers.
Chem-troopers are armored footsoldiers armed with the Corrosive Slime Cannon, which forms the main weapon of their half-track alt-modes. Elite chem-troopers have modified Slime Cannons that fire globs of slime laced with a strain of rust plague. Both variants have a weak spot in the form of the tanks on their backs, which house the ammunition for their weapons.
Mercenaries are skilled soldiers of fortune, transforming into either ATVs or VTOL-capable flight modes armed with autocannons and missiles. In robot form, they wield Neutron Assault Rifles, Scatterblaster shotguns, and Energon blades. Some also possess active camouflage technology. They are often seen in the company of Lockdown and Banzaitron.[/details]