Fnord Model M, An Automotive Nightmare

A goofy concept resulting from spicy food before bedtime, vague memories of the Go-Bots cartoon and nostalgia for playing Car Wars back in the 1980s..

Fnord Model M

When Fnord Motors decided to use an experimental artificial intelligence to run their new fully-automated manufacturing facility it was expected to turn the company's failing fortunes around and let them reclaim their position in the automotive industry.  Unfortunately, the programmers emphasized market competitiveness a little too much.  The factory AI quickly went rogue and began producing new models of semi-autonomous vehicles designed to seek out competitors' products, violently dismember them and drag the resulting supply of parts and raw materials back to its factory to produce more of Fnord's new line.  Authorities quickly traced the strange new auto-drones back to their base and (with superheroic resistance) managed to shut the operation down, but not before copies of the Fnord AI had escaped digitally, leaving Fnord's unwitting organic management behind to face lawsuits, bankruptcy and ruin..

Since then there have been periodic outbreaks of further activity, with the AI using various deceits and hacking to covertly establish a new "production line" somewhere and gradually building up a new fleet of vehicles to carry out its deranged program and "Make Fnord #1" again.  Each iteration has evolved, with its newer designs displaying better tactics and increasing stealth to blend in with civilian traffic until the time is right to strike.  The factory AI has also learned to embody itself in more mobile frames to avoid being digitally isolated, with the current Model M prototype being a serious threat even to military AFVs and superheroes.  The AI's goals don't seem to be changing - no grandiose plans of exterminating humanity or anything like that - but its monomaniacal obsession with removing all other automobiles from the road by force is a threat to life and limb that can't be ignored. 

Description: Shape-changing robotic wheeled vehicle hosting a deranged AI.  It can disguise itself as almost any four-wheeled vehicle from a compact car to small truck, and can vary its paint schemes, license plates and even deploy extra fake wheels as required.  The windows are always dark or reflective though.  When not concealing itself, it favors a heavily-built sedan frame with a massive ram plate, covered in spiked armor plates and various industrial cutters and grinders.  A humanoid torso rises from the hood, centaur-like, equipped with powerful manipulators, concealed torches and welding apparatus.  If need be, the passenger compartment can open up to reveal a turret full of military-grade weaponry, but it really prefers to indulge in close combat.  It doesn't "speak" normally other than its roaring engine, blaring horns and squealing tires, but can communicate via radio using a mechanical text-to-speech voice if absolutely necessary.       

Gender: It's A Car          Age: 2023 Model         Height: Variable          Eyes: It's A Car!

Hair: It's A Car!!     Skin: It's A Car!!!     Built: USA, Not Some Shoddy Foreign Import Job

Approach:  Focused                 Archetype:  Loner

Health:  25 + (5 x H)

Powers: Prototype Chassis d12, Shapeshifting d8

Qualities: Close Combat d10, Deranged Automotive AI d8, Technology d8 

Status: (# of Other Allied Villains) 0 - d10 / 1-2 - d8 / 3+ - d6

Abilities:

Defensive Driving (R) Defend against an Attack against only you by rolling your single Prototype Chassis die.  Boost yourself using the amount of damage reduced.

Demolition Derby (A) Attack multiple targets using Prototype Chassis.  Hinder each target using your Max die.

Jump Start (R) When Attacked with Electricity, Recover that amount of Health instead of taking damage.  When Hindered with Electricity, Boost yourself using the same roll instead.

Red Asphalt (A) Attack using Shapeshifting.  Use your Max die.  Recover Health equal to your Mid + Min dice.

Spark Plug (I) Ignore all damage from Electricity.

Upgrades & Masteries (optional):

Mook Squad +0 Health.  Gain Deploy Murder-Wheels (A) Replenish your Murder-Wheel minions up to the number of heroes in the scene.

Master of Superiority (I) As long as you are manifesting an effect related to a power you have at d12, automatically succeed at an Overcome involving usage of those powers.

Tactics:

Left to its own devices the Fnord Model M is content to simply dismember other vehicles for parts to carry back to its factory, but if opposed in any way it's quick to turn its dangerous tools into deadly weapons.  It prefers to use Demolition Derby to deliver crushing rams to multiple targets (including any other vehicles it can reach), switching to Red Asphalt to deal with whatever foe seems most dangerous while reconfiguring itself to repair any accumulated damage.  Defensive Driving makes it quite difficult to damage and provides a steady source of bonuses to use on its other abilities, although it may use its reaction for Jump Start instead if hit by a strong Electricity-based Attack or Hinder.  Weaker electrical Attacks will simply be ignored with Spark Plug instead.

With its upgrade the Fnord Model M carries a ready supply of light parasite vehicles inside its frame.  Its mastery further improves the already-remarkable handling and durability of its mechanical body.  

____________________________________________________________________________

Battle-Car d8 or d10 lieutenant

Description: A four- or six-wheeled combat drone disguised as any of a wide variety of street-legal civilian vehicles.  Doesn't stand out from regular traffic until it deploys the articulated robotic arms tipped with grabber claws and rotary saws.  Most have a concealed rack of anti-air missiles to deal with flying attackers, but they prefer ramming and fighting in melee.

Hit & Run:  When taking an Attack action you may roll your die twice and take the higher result.  If you do so, divide the damage dealt as evenly as possible between any number of close targets.  You may move afterward subject to the rules of your Street Legal ability.

Street Legal: You may move to any street location in the scene without using an action.  Contrariwise, you can't traverse most stairs, steep inclines, or any terrain impassable to a standard automobile or light truck.

Murder-Wheel d6 or d8 minion

Description: A 5' tall monowheel robot with two mechanical grippers and one or two tool arms tipped with cutting torches and rotary saws for disassembling machinery.  Can also use firearms built for regular humans.  Think "Terminator Unicycle of Doom" and you've pretty much got it.      

Monowheel: You may move to any street location in the scene without using an action.  Contrariwise, you can't traverse any terrain impassable to a dirt bike or ATV.

Scoot: After taking an Attack action against a close target, you may move afterward subject to the rules of your Monowheel ability.

Blog Content Index