I though of this when reading the "HERO system Noob" thread. I've been gaming supers for almost as long as I've been playing RPGs. There are very few games in the supers genre I haven't read or played at least once. And when a new one comes along, I always test it out by modelling some supers to see how far the system stretches before breaking, or what concepts work for the system and which don't. HERO in particular sells itself on players ability to customize character abilities. The big test for me of a system though is Cap'n Zoit.



Cap'n Zoit is a superhero I created when I was 9. Accordingly, his main influences are Super Grover, Cap'n Crunch, and Astro Boy. My challenge is thus: sell me on a supers system by statting up Cap'n Zoit in that system. An easy enough task you think? Well, his powers are a bit unusual...

Cap'N Zoit is the alter-ego if Zach Power, a ten year old boy who found a high technology/magic alien belt. The belt projects the image of Cap'n Zoit around Zach as an illusion combined with an energy force field protecting Zach. Despite this, Zoit flies by means of rocket boots that frequently run out of fuel. Zoit's form is hyper-maleable, think Plastic Man by way of a Chuck Jones cartoon. By sticking his thumb in his mouth and blowing hard, Zoit can inflate his muscles, granting him superhuman strength for as long as he holds his breath.

His visor allows him to see in 7 different spectrums, as well as having telescopic capabilities. It projects out a ray that envelopes other in a force-bubble protecting them from harm, or immobilizing them then acting as a tractor beam. It also can extend forward abruptly about a foot to knock an opponent who is very close to Zoit's face.

 Zoit can make himself 2D at will. Perhaps most unusually, when in hand to hand combat, instead of actually physically striking human opponents, Zoit extends his arms, his gloves taking the form of large yellow boxing gloves, and then the belt send's a neural signal straight to the target's brain, making them think they've been knocked out. So they pass out without any physical injury. Alternately, Zoit can turn his hands into Megaman style laser canons.

He's pretty cool. He's got bits of Plastic man, Shazam, Green Lantern, and more all rolled into one, and from multiple power sources.

Name: Cap'n Zoit
Motivation: Spirit of Adventure!

Might: Average Human
Agility: Average Human
Toughness: Exceptional Superhuman
Intellect: Exceptional Human
Knowledge: Average Human
Resolve: Average Human

Powers:
Hypermalleability: Can Attack (Laser cannons, enlarged fists with psychic oomph), Defend (Body is malleable forcefield.), and Manipulate (Can stretch to throw/catch and otherwise manipulate objects) with Exceptional Planetary Power.  He's able to change his body shape in a variety of cartoon ways. From 2 dimensional on up.


Flight: Rocket boots allow him to fly at Exceptional Superhuman speeds


Visor: Enhanced Senses (Sight) Exceptional Planetary Ability.
Visor can also emit a additional Force FIelds (Bubbles) that have Movement at Exceptional Superhuman ability, as well as Defense at the same rank.


Stress Triggers:
Rocket boots have limited fuel.
Is really a 10 year old little boy
(likely) Parental Relationship: Mom/Dad



Since you didn't mention any enhanced physical abilities I went with human ones, he's powerful as it is, so its likely to be unneeded anyway.

I do much the same with superhero RPGs.

Could probably be done with some tinkering in Heroes Unlimited, not so easily in Scraypers with its more limited scope.

Might be doable in SMT, though as a non human. That would take a-lot of effort though as the book as is was not all that great and requires a seperate RPG to play fully. Not worth it.

Certainly do-able with MSH with a little tweaking. If a system can handle Slapstick then it can handle Zoit.

Villains & Vigilanties... Probably doable. Depending on the edition.

It would take a little bit for me to write that in HERO, but I'm willing to say it might work better in TOON.

JG

Quote from: James Gillen;701125It would take a little bit for me to write that in HERO, but I'm willing to say it might work better in TOON.

JG

SuperTOON you mean?

Quote from: Monster Manuel;701087He's pretty cool. He's got bits of Plastic man, Shazam, Green Lantern, and more all rolled into one, and from multiple power sources.

Yeah, pretty much just pure preteen exuberance. I devoured comics in those days, feasted on whatever I could get my hands on, and my own creations were just mixing and matching those tropes. I recall a villain named Madbat , that was basically Batman crossed with Venom, and a bit of Predator.

I still doodle little comic strips about Zoit occasionally. I like his simplicity against intricate science fiction backgrounds. Done mostly in the vein of Robotman, for anyone who recalls that old gem.

Quote from: Monster Manuel;701087He's pretty cool. He's got bits of Plastic man, Shazam, Green Lantern, and more all rolled into one, and from multiple power sources.

Quote from: Silverlion;701097Name: Cap'n Zoit
Motivation: Spirit of Adventure!

Might: Average Human
Agility: Average Human
Toughness: Exceptional Superhuman
Intellect: Exceptional Human
Knowledge: Average Human
Resolve: Average Human

Powers:
Hypermalleability: Can Attack (Laser cannons, enlarged fists with psychic oomph), Defend (Body is malleable forcefield.), and Manipulate (Can stretch to throw/catch and otherwise manipulate objects) with Exceptional Planetary Power.  He's able to change his body shape in a variety of cartoon ways. From 2 dimensional on up.


Flight: Rocket boots allow him to fly at Exceptional Superhuman speeds


Visor: Enhanced Senses (Sight) Exceptional Planetary Ability.
Visor can also emit a additional Force FIelds (Bubbles) that have Movement at Exceptional Superhuman ability, as well as Defense at the same rank.


Stress Triggers:
Rocket boots have limited fuel.
Is really a 10 year old little boy
(likely) Parental Relationship: Mom/Dad



Since you didn't mention any enhanced physical abilities I went with human ones, he's powerful as it is, so its likely to be unneeded anyway.

Interesting, so how do the Stress Triggers work in this game ? Is it point-buy? Would this be a "legal build"? (It's okay if it's not, just curious how the game would handle a character like this overall.


I guess I didn't mention his stats. He is, as you guessed, mostly normal except for his ability to temporarily increase his strength, and the toughness of his energy form. What I didn't mention is that Zoit is not very bright. While Zack is a reasonably clever boy, Zoit is kind of a goofball whose consciousness is basically Zack's superego, in the Freudian sense, and whose worldview is mainly based on comic books and cartoons. So, none too quick on the uptake.

"Legal" is very much decided at the game table between players and GM's usually during the pitch and chargen process. He's be reasonable for a high end Planetary Scale Campaign. (Generally Justice League with Superman in comic books.)

It isn't point buy. It has three options for second edition: Roll Randomly, Spend Ranks, or for optimal usage: Make it up like you did and work with gm to make the PC.

In general I prefer the last. 1E only had the last and people complained (which is weird because the new Marvel game did something similar and it took a long time for that complaint to out.)

Stress triggers are interesting, as they can work a few different ways. Usually when their penumbra is threatened, they generate stress. When stress gets high enough, the hero will suffer Fallout. Fallout is the catch all bad stuff of the game. Limited Fuel would be a situation where when using his boots for a long time he takes stress, and the Fallout would be "Out of gas." Until they could recharge/recover. The others work in such a way that when he is challenged he takes stress which can be used to mentally or physically harm him with fallout.  For example putting his Mom in danger would be stressful, and produce mistakes which could get him hurt. On the other hand if the player plans it right they can monologue and trigger their stress for a Triumphant moment.

In the case of being a kid, it makes sense for him to suffer stress when presented with adult situations/decisions, and could lead to him suffering mental problems or again physical ones (not zigging when he needs to and getting hit because he's worried about which of two people to save first...for example.)


Of course, I border on the "story" game elements, albeit I'm not into that mess. I wrote H&S to simulate comic book story flow, so its loose collection of rules designed to work like comic book genre and tropes.

Cap'n Zoit's a very interesting character.  Hmmm...real life taking up most of my day (and next few days)  But I'll see what I can do...


~ M

Use ICONS.

Quote from: TristramEvans;701028Cap'N Zoit is the alter-ego if Zach Power, a ten year old boy who found a high technology/magic alien belt. The belt projects the image of Cap'n Zoit around Zach as an illusion combined with an energy force field protecting Zach. Despite this, Zoit flies by means of rocket boots that frequently run out of fuel. Zoit's form is hyper-maleable, think Plastic Man by way of a Chuck Jones cartoon. By sticking his thumb in his mouth and blowing hard, Zoit can inflate his muscles, granting him superhuman strength for as long as he holds his breath.

His visor allows him to see in 7 different spectrums, as well as having telescopic capabilities. It projects out a ray that envelopes other in a force-bubble protecting them from harm, or immobilizing them then acting as a tractor beam. It also can extend forward abruptly about a foot to knock an opponent who is very close to Zoit's face.

Zoit can make himself 2D at will. Perhaps most unusually, when in hand to hand combat, instead of actually physically striking human opponents, Zoit extends his arms, his gloves taking the form of large yellow boxing gloves, and then the belt send's a neural signal straight to the target's brain, making them think they've been knocked out. So they pass out without any physical injury. Alternately, Zoit can turn his hands into Megaman style laser canons.

Fate Core (though FAE may be better):

Cap'N Zoit
High Concept: Bearer of the Zoit Belt
Trouble:  Still a Kid
Aspects:
Rocket Boots
My Body is SOOOOO Malleable
Hypervisor (computer joke)

Skills:
+4: Fight
+3: Investigate, Shoot
+2: Physique, Athletics, Notice
+1: Will,

Stunts:            
My Force Field:  Once per Conflict, Zoit can absorb a single attack that would take him out without taking a Consequence

Balloon Muscles:  Zoit may Create Advantage on his "My Body Is SOOOO Malleable" aspect to create a "Strength of Zoit" aspect.  Doing so will grant him an extra free invocation of this aspect.

Brain Boxing:  Zoit may target an opponent's mental stress track instead of the physical stress with any appropriate hand-to-hand fighting attack using his yellow "boxing gloves."

------

Explanation:
The aspects cover most of Zoit's cool generally 'on' stuff.  The Hypervisor is understood to grant vision into the appropriate spectrums.  The Rocket Boots let him fly - and their shutting down is just a Compel on that aspect.  My Body is SOOOOO Malleable is a bit of a stretch (ha!) allowing for both the normal malleable body as well as the 2d bit.

I fudged slightly in not including an aspect for the laser glove things, but we can just roll that into the Zoit belt.

Most of the skills represent the 'final' ability he has to do things, after his belt enhancements are brought into play - the Investigate/Notice skills, for instance, roll up the fact that he can see into other spectrums.

I think that covers the majority of it, and what's not there could be rolled into an understanding of the Zoit belt.  For instance, the "knock away" power seems just like another use of Fighting to me, with specific coloring as to what actually happens.