1920's Pulp Stuff

[Jasper Cunnings]

Hi, everyone, I'm a long time GM and player (20 years in each) and I'm looking for information on anything developed for the d20 system that covers the 1920's pulp adventures. I'm looking for stuff like gangsters and Indiana Jones, with a little of the weird stuff thrown in, but not as weird as Cthulu. I remember a game back in the 80's, I think it was Danger Incorporated or something, that was pulp based. Is there anything like that??

The reason why I'm looking is, big surprise, because I'm developing a campaign set in 1923. It's a world-hopping set of adventures investigating occult things and places and legends. The thing is, not only is there local opposition, but also global. I'm including, as opponents and allies, various societies and brotherhoods, many based on real things that were around in the 1920's. The primary adversary is a group called the Gesselschaft, also known as the Thule Society, the German pagan group who gave us such cheerful and uplifting things as Adolf Hitler and the Final Solution to the Jewish Problem.

With this germ, I plan on starting a campaign mixing reality and fantasy ala a 1920's "Shadowrun" kind of thing. Could be fun, but I need the setting/weapons/equipment etc to present the game.

I look forward to hearing from anyone with any good ideas (on the campaign as well as on info for the system)

Jasper

 

[jaerdaph]

d20 Past (for d20 Modern) is coming out next month (March 05) from WotC. Might work combined with elements of the Urban Arcana setting - that would cover the "Shadowrun" element.

Pulp is more 1930s, especially if you're thinking Nazis and Indiana Jones. Adamant Entertainment's Thrilling Tales Pulp Roleplaying products work with d20 Modern.

Ronin Arts has some PDFs that also work with d20 Modern and cover The Thule Society, among other conspiracies. Occult Villains: Thule Assassin, for example.

There's always d20 Call of Cthulhu as well.

Edited for more info and links.

 

[Gomez]

Well there are several.

Adamant Entertainment has a series of PDF pulp content for D20 Modern. Great Stuff.


Arthaus (White Wolf) has Adventure! d20. A nice pulp book that only requires the 3.5 Players Handbook.


Dungeon magazine had two mini-games. Pulp Hero d20. I forgot what issues they were in. The second Pulp Hero was a update for d20 Modern.

 

[The Shaman]

I ran a pulp heroes game using Mutants and Masterminds - PL 6, no more than one "superpower" per character (and subject to GM purview - fortunately all the players understood the genre so no one was trying to create the Hulk...), "grim 'n' gritty" variant rules. It was great fun.

I didn't worry about historical background too much, except in broad strokes - my game did a bit of globetrotting but mostly focused on the Far East, very Terry and the Pirates and Bring 'em Back Alive! in flavor, circa 1927 at start.

 

[Krieg]

Arthaus (White Wolf) hasAdventure! d20. A nice pulp book that only requires the 3.5 Players Handbook.

I'm going to second the recomendation for Adventure! it does a very good job of imparting a pulpish feel (although I personally would use Grim Tales for the core book rather than the 3.5 PHB).

Speaking of Grim Tales if you can come up with the background information/fluff on your own and just need a set of mechanics, then Grim Tales is an excellent choice.

Otherworld Creations put out a D20 Pulp book called Forbidden Kingdoms. While overall the fluff isn't the greatest it does have a few nice bits...and it is the only place to find Ken Hood's various rules in print.

Reviews for the above mentioned products:

Adventure! D20

Grim Tales

Forbidden Kingdoms


If you are looking for figs you absolutely have to stop by Bob Murch's Pulp Figures page! Chaosium also has some 20's era CoC figs that would work nicely.

A few other links that might help:

The Pulp Avengers - Game Mastering Pulp Adventures in the 1930s and 1940s

Thrilling Adventures - Resources for the Polyhedron Pulp Heroes minigame.

The Lester Dent Pulp Paper Master Fiction Plot - Advice on how to write pulp stories by the writer of Doc Savage!

 

[qstor]

Some of the GURPS books would make good sourcebooks as well. I think the pulp book for 3e GURPS is out of print as is the China book which would be cool. Plus the Egypt book.

Mummies and the evil priest of Set vs Doc Savage and Doctor Jones...Film at 11


Mike

 

[JimAde]

Emerald Press has the Treasure Hunter Sourcebook for all things pulp-y:

http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=4270

Lots of good d20 crunch to go with the fluff others have listed.

 

[Greatwyrm]

Others have already pointed out most of what I was going to bring up, so here's the abbreviated version.

Jasper, you might have been thinking of Justice, Inc., an old HERO system pulp sourcebook. If you enjoyed it, you might want to look at Pulp HERO, which is scheduled to come out later this year.

Of the other things mentioned, I was also impressed by Forbidden Kingdoms. IIRC, you should be able to find it at RPGnow.com as a pdf, if you can't find a print copy.