Pulp RPGs General Thread [+]

[Staffan]

This thread made me think again how I felt I had never really seen what I considered a good definition of "pulp fiction", so I decided to look around a bit. This seemed like a good page.

What is Pulp Fiction?

Pulp fiction (not the film) formed the basis of our modern escapist literature, thriving in the early 20th century. Learn more here.

storytellingdb.com

By those characteristics, I feel like a great many games fit the bill.

I think that in RPG contexts, the term has gotten a more specific meaning, and is often called "Pulp action" instead of "Pulp fiction". But as with anything, strict definitions are hard, and words should generally be considered magnets rather than boxes (instead of a definition with specific criteria where anything within those criteria matches and anything outside doesn't, magnet words provide a sort of ideal of what a thing is and the closer another thing is to that the better the match). For RPGs, I think the main pulp magnet is "Indiana Jones". You want lots of action, some time before WW2, exotic locations, moral clarity (but not necessarily perfection), and so on.

 

[definiteFreakyFishGuy]

I think that in RPG contexts, the term has gotten a more specific meaning, and is often called "Pulp action" instead of "Pulp fiction". But as with anything, strict definitions are hard, and words should generally be considered magnets rather than boxes (instead of a definition with specific criteria where anything within those criteria matches and anything outside doesn't, magnet words provide a sort of ideal of what a thing is and the closer another thing is to that the better the match). For RPGs, I think the main pulp magnet is "Indiana Jones". You want lots of action, some time before WW2, exotic locations, moral clarity (but not necessarily perfection), and so on.

Would this mean Pulp Fiction (film) is like the opposite of pulp? (Not that much action, after WW2, ordinary places, no moral clarity).

 

[Staffan]

Would this mean Pulp Fiction (film) is like the opposite of pulp? (Not that much action, after WW2, ordinary places, no moral clarity).

I think the film Pulp Fiction is more Noir than the RPG interpretation of pulp. You have plots driven by the desires of the characters, and everyone in it is a deeply flawed character rather than the clearly good characters that you see in pulp. It is definitely something you could see in the literary version of pulp fiction, which is more of a term describing the work's business qualities: printed on cheap paper (which is where the term comes from), often pretty short, easy to read, often written pretty quickly.

 

[dbolack]

I think that in RPG contexts, the term has gotten a more specific meaning, and is often called "Pulp action" instead of "Pulp fiction". But as with anything, strict definitions are hard, and words should generally be considered magnets rather than boxes (instead of a definition with specific criteria where anything within those criteria matches and anything outside doesn't, magnet words provide a sort of ideal of what a thing is and the closer another thing is to that the better the match). For RPGs, I think the main pulp magnet is "Indiana Jones". You want lots of action, some time before WW2, exotic locations, moral clarity (but not necessarily perfection), and so on.

Man. I really like that concept.

 

[Staffan]

Man. I really like that concept.

Words as magnets? I got it from this video, which IIRC Matt Colville linked from his BlueSky account:

 

[corwyn77]

Because Two Little Mice and Free League are bringing back Broken Compass material for Outgunned Adventure!

https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/two-little-mice/outgunned-adventure-broken-compass-legacy/launch_party

I know it won a few awards, but I only heard of Outgunned yesterday due to the Backerkit campaign.

 

[Umbran]

I know it won a few awards, but I only heard of Outgunned yesterday due to the Backerkit campaign.

That folks may not have heard of it was why I mentioned it!

 

[Dalekdad]

My issue with Outgunned is that all rolls are player facing. As a GM, I like rolling dice for the antagonists, its fun and keeps me in the game.

Personally, Savage Worlds is my go to for Pulp Adventure.