Powerpuff Girls?

[Goose]

Well, I have a friend and he wants to try a powerpuff girl style game.  Uhhh,  I guess.  Any ideas?

[Eddy Fate]

Well, I have a friend and he wants to try a powerpuff girl style game.  Uhhh,  I guess.  Any ideas?

Um... um...

I'll have to get back to you on that one.  ;-)

[Michael Hopcroft]

I don't see why it wouldn't work. The only problem I see is that all three girls have very similar powers (the only variants are that Blossom can breathe ice, Buttercup has augmented her superstrength and superspeed with martial arts prowess and Bubbles can talk to Animals and actually get useful information).

The hardest part, though, will be roleplaying as kindergarteners and THINKING like a super-powered kindergartener. And that has nothing to do with system considerations.

[Eddy Fate]

I don't see why it wouldn't work. The only problem I see is that all three girls have very similar powers (the only variants are that Blossom can breathe ice, Buttercup has augmented her superstrength and superspeed with martial arts prowess and Bubbles can talk to Animals and actually get useful information).

The hardest part, though, will be roleplaying as kindergarteners and THINKING like a super-powered kindergartener. And that has nothing to do with system considerations.

Right.  It was just a matter of me not being that familiar with the series (except for the first cartoon that used to be shown on Space Ghost: Coast to Coast), so I couldn't say.  :-)

[Goose]

First, I have to say, I love the show.  It is a fun cartoon.  I think the biggest problem I am having with this is the fact that he wants to play the Powerpuff Girls.  Now mind you.  I have no problem with cross gender role play at all.  I just don't think I can run a game where 3 of my friends are girls in kindergarden.  I don't think I can handle running it.  I would not want to try to compete with the series.  Now, my suggestion was to age the PPG's to about 16 and go from there, but he is not interested there.

[Wulf]

First, I have to say, I love the show.  It is a fun cartoon.  I think the biggest problem I am having with this is the fact that he wants to play the Powerpuff Girls.  Now mind you.  I have no problem with cross gender role play at all.  I just don't think I can run a game where 3 of my friends are girls in kindergarden.

Yes, that would be somewhat of an intellectual leap up for certain members of my group too...

I don't think I can handle running it.  I would not want to try to compete with the series.  Now, my suggestion was to age the PPG's to about 16 and go from there, but he is not interested there.

That would be Sailor Moon, wouldn't it? (He asks, never having seen PPG) Well, the sanitised US hack job of Sailor Moon (he says, being an anime fan - not that I LIKE the Japanese original, but still...).

Wulf

[Michael Hopcroft]

In fandom, these are referred to as "Teenpuffs" and, while they frequently appear in fanart, do not show up in fiction very often.

Mind you, as both a campaign setting and as a setting for stories "teenpuffs" would be interesting. Craig McCracken (the creator of this absolutely brilliant series) has given no indication what the Girls might be m\like as they get older, and has no plans to age them during the entire run of the series. One wonders whether they are capable of aging, having emerged fully-formed at age 5 from the glass cauldon in Professor Utonium's basement.

If they can age, though, it would be interesting to see what develops. How do you have a social life when you;ve grown up as the most powerful superheroes in the world? How do the Girls handle puberty? Would the differences in their personalities accelerate as they get older (Bubbles getting more flighty and feminine, Buttercup more tomboyish, etc.)? Would the same Rouge's Gallery of bad guys still be around or would they have given up by now? Would there be any bullies or drug dealers who dare go near the Girls' high school? What about the other boys or girls in the school? Would any dare date a teenage Powerpuff Girl?

[gunsel]

You could always call upon the Rowdy Ruff Boys to be the PCS. Mabey they copuld become good guys and move to another city. I firmly believe in the power of the burrito fart as a force for good and not evil.  ;-)
Dave

[Goose]

I firmly believe in the power of the burrito fart as a force for good and not evil.

LOL  Oh my, I got a good chucckle out of this one!  :)

[Slant]

I saw a fan-made cartoon not long ago that had the PP girls as teens.  Bubbles was the town slut and Buttercup was a militant lesbian.   It was really great.  I wish I could remember what site I saw it at.

A teenage PP game would work, but you'd kinda need to resist the temptation to add all the teenaged angst, social awkwardness, and sexuality issues that generally go with more modern teen shows.  PPG is meant to be lighthearted and almost a throwback to the more innocent toons of the 70's.  While you could still deal with crushes and peer pressure and the like, the tone should be more like an Archie comic with a lot of super butt-kicking thrown in.

You could even include player character boyfriends.  Bubbles might be dating the big, dumb football player whilst Blossom pines for her college-aged crush who is at Townsville University on a full academic scholarship.  Hell, Buttercup might even date another girl for an episode or two (although the issue of whether or not they are having sex should be skirted) before dumping her because she is "too feminine."

[Michael Hopcroft]

A teenage PP game would work, but you'd kinda need to resist the temptation to add all the teenaged angst, social awkwardness, and sexuality issues that generally go with more modern teen shows.  PPG is meant to be lighthearted and almost a throwback to the more innocent toons of the 70's.  While you could still deal with crushes and peer pressure and the like, the tone should be more like an Archie comic with a lot of super butt-kicking thrown in.

That would be a fun game. The innocence is a very important part of it, of course. "Teenpuffs" sounds like a lot of fun.

You could even include player character boyfriends.  Bubbles might be dating the big, dumb football player whilst Blossom pines for her college-aged crush who is at Townsville University on a full academic scholarship.  Hell, Buttercup might even date another girl for an episode or two (although the issue of whether or not they are having sex should be skirted) before dumping her because she is "too feminine."

Dealing with social and gender-indentity issues is not beyond this type of campaign. Personally, I think Buttercup is probably straight, but won't settle for any guy who isn't as tough as she is. This could be a problem given she;s perhaps the biggest bad*** on the planet! If they hadn't killed off the Rowdyruff Boys in their only appearance, Buttercup is the Powerpuff Girl most likely to date one of them. I could see her falling for a gentle martial arts master who probably uses a soft-style like Aikido -- all he has to do is throw her to the mat in training and she's hooked. This has the advantage of being a PC who, while not as powerful as the Girls, would be useful in combat!

The other two "boyfiend ideas" posited here might be interesting PCs too. neither is as powerful as the Girls are, but they're both very interesting. I'd dispute the football player being dumb, since I've roomed with football players in college and even lineman (who are most often stereotyped as being "dumb")have to learn a great deal of techniques and strategies to even play the game. If this guy's grades are poor, it's because he's so focused on football that he can pay attention to little else. A girlfriend like Bubbles might be jujst the thing that straightens him out -- Bubbles may be flighty, but she's not stupid, and she can certainly help him study. Football players learn a lot of tricks that can be useful in combat.

Blossom's college guy can provide a lot of mental assiatance for the team, often without even realizing it. He probably doesn;t realize Blossom has a crush on him -- while he's probably flattered that a celebrity is paying so much attention to him (the Girls are probably just as famous as they were in their kindergarten years), he probably just thinks she's trying to learn from him. This could be played for much comic effect! He would probably be a science/computer whiz much like Professor Utonium is in the TV series. The other girls may be smart, but Blossom is a genius in many areas far beyond tactics and strategy -- she probably doesn;t NEED to pay attention in high school classes and often goes to the University and soaks up knowledge like a sponge, speaks a dozen languages fluently, etc. The guy probably mainly wonders why the girls his age stay away from him (the reason is they see what he doesn't and know they can;t compete with a Powerpuff Girl). Alternatively he could be a Tuxedo Kamen type who has allied himself with the Girls without knowing why and has considerable battle skills in addition to his scientific knowledge.

Professor Utonium is probably retired by now, living comfortably off his patents. He might be married (though not to Sedusa!) and might even have natural children by now. Needing to protect them makes an interesting Story Hook for the Girls.