Pulp Era/ D&D 5E

[Gwaihir]

Im thinking about running for my next campaign - actually Ive been thinking about running for a long time, Since reading Katherine Kurtz's Knights of the Blood- a campaign that somehow links 1930s Indiana Jones style Pulp with D&D5e.

We currently play 5E, but what rulesets should I consider for the Pulp Era stuff? Ideally it would be either a)really simple or b) similar to 5e.

Thoughts?

Thanks!
G

 

[JeffB]

Amazing Adventures will be coming out from Troll Lord Games in a version compatible with 5E. I know they had a Kickstarter last year , but unsure of details/timeline.

Here is a free preview (PDF link to TLG site) AA 5E Preview

I have the original version (based off Castles & Crusades) it's good fun if you want to stick with something close to D&D- Here is a complete quickstart with pre-gens utilizing the Siege Engine AA-Menace of the Serpent God

There are a few free OSR/Retro style games out there much simpler than either version of AA

Ancient Mysteries and Lost Treasures
Raiders of the Unknown

(Both can be found here At this link collection for retro games)

I'm positive there are some DW/PBTA hacks out there but I don't know any by name

 

[hawkeyefan]

Whispers in the Dark is a 5E based game that would probably suit, although its default setting of late 1800s is a bit earlier than what most would consider the pulp era. But it should serve as a good starting point. There are only quickstart rules at this point (link below) with a more comprehensive rule book to come.

Whispers in the Dark

 

[Gwaihir]

Thank You for the input. Does anyone have experience with Spirit of the Century?

 

[atanakar]

I really like Modern AGE by Green Ronin. I use it to run my Pulp 1910-30 campaign.

The system is modular. You can choose which parts you want to us with your campaign. For example there are 3 types of play. Gritty (Cthuluh), Pulp (Indianna Jones) and Super Heroic (D&D). Healing, armour and some powers work slightly differently with each type of play.

Another aspect I like is the Stunt system. For each action roll there is a chance to trigger stunt points which you must spend immediately to buy stunts, which are applied to the action. There are Action Stunt, Exploration Stunts and Social Stunts. My players really like them.

Crunch wise it is easy to learn. Character creation offers more choices than 5e. No classes. The creation process is well done and you can whip up a first level character in 20 minutes, if you are familiar it is even faster.

 

[Fenris-77]

Thank You for the input. Does anyone have experience with Spirit of the Century?

Do you like the basic FATE mechanics? If so then SotC will probably push the right buttons. If you want a more specifically WWII frame Achtung Cthulhu might be ok too.