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Which Ruleset for Pulp/WWII era
- Thread starter Gwaihir
- Start date
Actually, I think, but 5 -- Torg, Justice Inc., Crimefighters, MS&PE, and Gangbusters -- are long out of print. All first came into print less than 30 years ago, and some were on store shelves about 20 years ago, if memory serves. (I did not pay much attention to the field in the 1990s, beyond following Runequest for a few years.) If it's par for the course, then Justice, Inc. has at least an equivalent by another name for Hero System 5th ed. (probably easy to adapt to 6th). It may be that some of the much more recent D20 System products are likewise out of print.
Daredevils is apparently available from FGU for $15, and Adventures 1 through 4 for $6 each.
Daredevils Fantasy Games Unlimited
Other old games might be found via such resellers as Noble Knight, or perhaps in PDF at RPGNow and DriveThruRPG.
If you mean to "disagree" with those suggestions on the basis that age or print status makes them unsuitable, then I disagree with your disagreement.
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Mark
CreativeMountainGames.com
I hear good things in regard to how Spirit of the Century would handle such a game.
Yeah, all you need to do is axe the majority of the "wahoo" stuff and its a perfectly good WW2 game.
3catcircus
Adventurer
Couple of possibilities here that I think would work very well.
If you want to stick w/ d20, I'd recommend Spycraft 1.0 (and for pulpy goodness, get the Shadowforce Archer campaign supplements - chemical monsters, mystics, mysterious cults, and psionics that don't suck like standard d20 psionics.) Spycraft 1.0 is based upon 3.0 rules, so if you are a 3.5 purist, this may not sit well. It is out of print, but available on DTRPG/RPGNOW.
As was previously mentioned, TORG. Yes it is out of print (but you can get on DTRPG/RPGNOW). It pretty much has one set of supplements specifically for pulp stuff (we're talking power-mad criminals with large organizations of henchmen, weird science gadgets, and super heroes.) The system is easy to learn and easily scalable.
Another option if you are focusing on simulationist/gritty WWII moreso than pulp is the Twilight:2013 rules. I highly recommend them, especially the Life Path system for character generation and the team rules which pretty well simulate military small unit command and control. It is kinda like a combination of the d20 "teamwork" rules and the "in this situation, we do this" immediate action/reaction drills that parties always come up with (e.g. "When opening a door, the rogue listens. If there is noise and it sounds like hostiles, the plan is that the cleric and fighter will kick in the door, followed by the wizard casting a fireball and the rogue firing his crossbow at the closest target.")
Another option (which I find a bit too generic) is d20 Modern with the d20 Past supplement.
If you want to stick w/ d20, I'd recommend Spycraft 1.0 (and for pulpy goodness, get the Shadowforce Archer campaign supplements - chemical monsters, mystics, mysterious cults, and psionics that don't suck like standard d20 psionics.) Spycraft 1.0 is based upon 3.0 rules, so if you are a 3.5 purist, this may not sit well. It is out of print, but available on DTRPG/RPGNOW.
As was previously mentioned, TORG. Yes it is out of print (but you can get on DTRPG/RPGNOW). It pretty much has one set of supplements specifically for pulp stuff (we're talking power-mad criminals with large organizations of henchmen, weird science gadgets, and super heroes.) The system is easy to learn and easily scalable.
Another option if you are focusing on simulationist/gritty WWII moreso than pulp is the Twilight:2013 rules. I highly recommend them, especially the Life Path system for character generation and the team rules which pretty well simulate military small unit command and control. It is kinda like a combination of the d20 "teamwork" rules and the "in this situation, we do this" immediate action/reaction drills that parties always come up with (e.g. "When opening a door, the rogue listens. If there is noise and it sounds like hostiles, the plan is that the cleric and fighter will kick in the door, followed by the wizard casting a fireball and the rogue firing his crossbow at the closest target.")
Another option (which I find a bit too generic) is d20 Modern with the d20 Past supplement.
dragonlordofpoondari
Explorer
My choice would be ...
Savage Worlds + fluff courtesy of the inimitable Kenneth Hite such as: Day after Ragnarok, GURPS Weird War II, and GURPS Infinite Worlds or Alternate Earths and maybe even some Godlike for good measure.
Savage Worlds + fluff courtesy of the inimitable Kenneth Hite such as: Day after Ragnarok, GURPS Weird War II, and GURPS Infinite Worlds or Alternate Earths and maybe even some Godlike for good measure.
Thanee
First Post
Why take GURPS Weird War II, if there is a Weird War II sourcebook for Savage Worlds.
Bye
Thanee
rgard
Adventurer
You might want to look at Forbidden Kingdoms:
Forbidden Kingdoms - Master Codex Babbage Edition - OtherWorld Creations | EN World PDF Store
Forbidden Kingdoms - Master Codex Babbage Edition - OtherWorld Creations | EN World PDF Store
pawsplay
Hero
If you can find a copy, the non-d20 vesion of Adventure! is simply awesome. Just ignore the backstory and use your own.
Other than that, GURPS, Spycraft, Hero System, or Savage Worlds seem like good options. Probably the simplest game I could think of for this would be D6 Adventure, which is available free under the OGL. On the matter of GURPS and Hero, they do cinematic gaming quite well, and in the high-action, not having lots of superpowers world of pulp, they thrive. Once upon a time I used to recommend Hero over GURPS for cinematic games and vice versa for historical, but the current versions of both are now so flexible it's more of a personal taste issue.
Other than that, GURPS, Spycraft, Hero System, or Savage Worlds seem like good options. Probably the simplest game I could think of for this would be D6 Adventure, which is available free under the OGL. On the matter of GURPS and Hero, they do cinematic gaming quite well, and in the high-action, not having lots of superpowers world of pulp, they thrive. Once upon a time I used to recommend Hero over GURPS for cinematic games and vice versa for historical, but the current versions of both are now so flexible it's more of a personal taste issue.
