What traditional pulp adventure RPGs are out there?

[00Machado]

In the old West End Games TORG RPG, Earth is "invaded" by a number of alternate realities. One of those alternate realities is the Nile Empire, which is meant to represent a pulp-style reality, though there's a certain level of superhero-style stuff present, too. I know that there was a sourcebook for the Nile Empire.

The D6 system in general is good for pulp action.

 

[jdrakeh]

The D6 system in general is good for pulp action.

Torg didn't/doesn't use the D6 System. It had/has its own system.

 

[Von Ether]

d6 Adventure is a seperate game from TORG. Basically, it's the old SW system with a few tweaks.

http://www.westendgames.com/d6_adventure.asp

If you get it's sister games, d6 Fantasy and d6 Space, you get four different ways to do supernatural powers.

I stand by the Hollow Earth Exp. core rule book, btw. It is a complete game on it's own and has no superpowers for PCs. That all comes in a suppliment that's pretty optional for your criteria.

 

[breschau]

I think Hollow Earth Expedition is one of the best pulp RPGs ever done. The rules are simple and the game plays very fast.

Agreed.

 

[jdrakeh]

I stand by the Hollow Earth Exp. core rule book, btw. It is a complete game on it's own and has no superpowers for PCs. That all comes in a suppliment that's pretty optional for your criteria.

I may have to pick up Hollow Earth Expedition later this month based on the recommendations received here. It's nice to see some folks other than the 'usual crowd' making recommendations -- it makes me feel much more comfortable. I've had an interest in Hollow Earth Expedition for a while, though I have a new-ish rule of swearing off purchases based on suspect recommendations.

[Note: Basically, the rule is that if the only people saying really good things about a game repeatedly are the same five to ten folks, then I don't buy the game. It has served me well over the last year.]

 

[Qualidar]

I was not that impressed by the HEX rules when I read through the book, but I played in a game at the Long Island game day and it was a hell of a lot of fun. I'm actually running it at the Boston game in a couple of weeks.

 

[Zoatebix]

Raise Thread!

I was not that impressed by the HEX rules when I read through the book, but I played in a game at the Long Island game day and it was a hell of a lot of fun. I'm actually running it at the Boston game in a couple of weeks.

That's good to hear. Reading the HEX rules, and even one of the examples of play, turned me off to the game, even though game designers with their own Pulp games have talked it up (I'm 99% sure I'm thinking of SotC co-author Fred Hicks showing some love for HEX).

And since Bruce Baugh had a hand in Adventure! and a big hand in HEX, maybe you'll make the Adventure! fans happy by picking up his other game.

 

[Crothian]

Two Fisted Tales is new and pretty good.

 

[pawsplay]

You did that just to drive me nuts, right? I'd say that it's neither traditional nor, by default, a true Pulp RPG. Pulp heroes weren't superpowered people who gained their powers as a result of mutation -- and that's the default in Adventure. There are the 'daredevils' rules, of course, but the fact that these are presented as secondary to the aforementioned folks tells you a lot about what Adventure! is at its heart. It's supers with a Pulp wrapper.

Actually, daredevils are the baseline. Stalwarts and mesmerists are the less common types. As for the radiation... it's back story, and you can certainly ignore it. I don't know what you mean by it being nontraditional; it has some meta-elements, but nothing that changes the basic relationship of GM, players, setting. Adventure! would be my first choice if I were to identify a traditional pulp RPG.

EDIT: Okay, that didn't add much. Just noticed the necromancy. Still, this is what I should have said the first time.