Date: San Francisco, 1938
On top of the roof, Thorpe rolled into a crouch, his gaze darting between the terrified young woman at the roof's edge and the colossal figure known as Loki who moved closer to her with every step. He gritted his teeth as the shattered bones in his left shoulder grated together, sending razor sharp jolts ofpain through his body. He scrambled to his feet. The massive figure continued his pace, stealing menacingly closer to the girl he, along with his partner, had been hired to protect.
The girl screamed as Loki loomed over her. Thorpe ignored his pain and reached to his waist, quickly unwinding the length oflight-weight chain he always wore there. His manriki-gusari, it was a strong chain with iron weights at both ends. Whirling one end over his head, Thorpe flung it expertly with his one good arm at the back of the unsuspecting giant. Dropping over one of the figure's upraised arms, and weighted by the heavy ballast, the manriki looped itselftightly around Loki's arm. Gripping the chain with his one hand, Thorpe hauled back on it, wrenching Loki away from his quarry.
"Hey, " Thorpe shouted at him, "I'm not done with you yet!"
Loki faced the adventurer. His gaze rested on his entangled arm for a moment. Then, instead of trying to free himself, he looked back at Thorpe. With an evil grin, he grasped the chain tighter and gave it a sharp yank.
"Cripes!" Thorpe yelped, as he struggled to maintain his balance.
Loki grinned maliciously as he gave the chain another stout pull.
"You are not done with me? I am not done with you, Schweinehund!"
Uh-oh, Thorpe thought, crashing to his knees again. This could hurt.. .. He grimaced in pain as he felt Loki's iron fingers tighten around his throat, lifting him into the air. His feet dangled afoot off the roof.
"Pray to your Godfor mercy, Amerikaner. "
"I'll...say one...for you... " he gasped in reply, recalling the line from that new Errol Flynn movie.
Thorpe's vision began to haze with streaks of color as Loki's grip tightened like the coils ofa python. He tried a last ditch stab at the pressure point located at the juncture of Übermenschlich's neck and shoulder, but the muscles there were as hard as corded wood. His head swam from lack of oxygen, and he felt his consciousness fading fast. Then he heard a thunder different from the pounding in his ears. Suddenly he could breathe again, and the roofcame slamming up to meet him.
Loki dropped Thorpe as the abrupt, burning pain ripped into his shoulder, and peals of thunder echoed around him. He spun around to meet this new angreifer, this new attacker.
Thorpe looked up from the roof, stifling a gasp ofpain, but managed a grin at the sight that met his gaze.
"Decker!! Get 'em partner!"
Decker just stood there. He clenched his Government .45 tightly in a two-fisted grip. A trail of smoke drifted up from the barrel of the gun (from the round he'd just put into Loki's shoulder). "All right, Uber... Ubar... Whatever the hell you call yourself, Fritz, the jig is up. You lose."
Loki leapt across the roof at the pilot, eyes a-blaze with hellish fury, howling his rage in unintelligible German.
The Colt spoke twice again, each time kicking hard in Decker's grip, thunder booming as lead-jacketed verdicts met the Nazi's headlong rush. The impacts of the .45 slugs brought the Übermenschlich up short and spun him around, sending him reeling to the edge of the roof
Loki looked at the blood on his hands, thenatDecker, thenfinally down at Thorpe, who lay at his feet.
"That's right, murderer. It's your blood, now. Say 'Heil' to der Fuhrer for me. " Thorpe reached out and gave Loki's leg a push. The Nazi pitched off the rooftop.
Decker helped Thorpe to his feet as the girl rushed to their side, hysterical with relief Thorpe grimaced at the pain of his shoulder. "Well, that's one monster that won't be plaguing mankind anymore."
Decker nodded his agreement as they turned to head back to the stairwell. "You said it."
Neither noticed the blood-spattered hand that reached up to grasp the edge of the roof ...
In 1912, All-Story Magazine published the first professional story by a fledgling writer, and in so doing, cracked open what would be a floodgate of adventure fiction-the heroic pulp story. That story was titled "Under the Moons of Mars," and the writer was Edgar Rice Burroughs. He would later become known as 'The Master of Adventure," though at the time Edgar wasn't quite sure what he was getting into, but he did know that he'd had more success at writing adventure yarns than anything else he'd tried. And successful he was. He created one of the most famous fictional characters ever to grace a magazine or book, and later the silver screen: Tarzan of the Apes. Tarzan first appeared in All-Story a few months after "Under the Moons of Mars" (which became the book A Princess of Mars). Burroughs was very prolific, and an industry was born.
Pulp magazines had been around since the 1880's, when Frank A. Munsey began publishing The Golden Argosy. It was not until Burroughs that the heroic pulp story took hold of the public's attention, and not let go until the 1950's. Munsey's idea of cheaply mass-producing a fiction magazine caught on, and a whole slew of pulps began flooding the newsstands in the early 20's. Pulps—named for the rough, untrimmed "pulpy" paper they were printed on—were a cheap form of entertainment easily produced and slickly marketed. Somewhat smaller than the average magazine (7"x10"), pulps had covers painted in lurid, garish colors that had to leap off the newsstand to compete with the next one down the line. Flamboyance was the name of the game, and steely, strong-jawed heroes were always pictured charging to the rescue of the ever-present, ever-popular scantily clad damsel in distress.
A new class of writer emerged through the pulps: young, energetic, imaginative authors who all had one thing in common: they were hungry. The Great Depression was a harsh reality that many yearned to escape from; many found their refuge in the pages of hundreds of different pulp magazines, as writer or reader. An estimated one million stories would appear in the pulps during their 60-year reign. Adventure never had it better.
Publishing houses made their names producing pulps, and became known as "Fiction Factories" as a result of the broad range of stories they cranked out: Westerns, Sports, Aviation, Crime fiction, Horror, Science-Fiction, Fantasy, even Love stories. The pulps did their best to cover every interest. Masked adventurers—like The Shadow, The Gray Seal, Zorro, and The Phantom Detective—were a mainstay.
At the time, Pulp writing was viewed as a hackneyed, stereotypical form of literature (and the term was used loosely). Yet Pulp stories did possess some of the elements attributed to more "serious literature:" they were plot-driven, with enigmatic characters, and always larger than life. Although frowned upon by more "serious" writers, Pulps nevertheless prospered. Some Pulp writers cranked out several different series at a time, sometimes to different publishing houses. Many of today's famous writers began their careers as puip writers: Zane Grey, Frederick Faust, Louis L'Amour, H.P. Lovecraft, Isaac Asimov, Robert E. Howard, Dashiell Hammett, and Robert Heinlein all started out in the pulps.
Soon the story-telling themes of the pulps began to appear in other venues of entertainment. Radio provided a vast arena for showcasing pulp stories, and even led to the creation of popular pulp heroes like The Shadow. Buck Rogers, The Green Hornet, Charlie Chan, and Nick Carter all were perennial radio favorites. And outside of the initial cost of a receiver, radio was free entertainment for an often poor Depression-era audience.
Other people flocked by the hundreds every Saturday to the matinee to watch the death-defying, save-the-world escapades of their favorite pulp heroes. These 10, 12, and 15 chapter serials were called Cliftbangers, because each chapter ended with the heroes in a new life-threatening situation (like hanging from a cliff!) that they could not possibly escape from. The heroes always survived. Everyone knew they would, but guessing how they would escape, and waiting a whole week to find out was half the fun.
Though Pulp magazines would fade as a form of entertainment in the early 1950's due to the ever-increasing popularity of paperback novels, Pulp themes and methods survive. Pulp stories have evolved for the modern era. Even when you think you are reading or seeing something fresh in an adventure yarn, rest assured that the idea probably had its birth in a pulp story.
There is no better source for adventure than pulp fiction, and its advantages as a role-playing genre are obvious. So pull on your mask, buckle on your gun, and climb on board. Welcome back to an era where the fantastic was commonplace, action was always intense, and the world was a simpler place. Welcome to Pulp Adventures!
Pulp Adventures is a genre-book for the Rolemaster Standard System (RMSS) that brings this heroic era to life in a roie piaying game. Players can create and play the bold and daring characters that the Pulps and Serials were known for, and live in that bygone era where everything was black and white and iarger than life.
Note: For readability purposes, this book uses standard masculine pronouns when referring to persons ofuncertain gender. In such cases, these pronouns are intended to convey the meanings: he/she, her/his, etc.
by Will Murray
It was an age of heroes.
When the Roaring Twenties stopped roaring on October 24, 1929, America awoke to a cold reality. The stock market had crashed. Businesses failed. Millions were soon to be thrown out of formerly secure jobs. Thanks to the experiment called Prohibition, organized crime controlled many sectors of a now-faltering economy. The gangster had been romanticized in books and films and even pulp magazines like Gangster Stories and The Underworld. Their bloody depredations were tolerated, even celebrated, during the good times because no one knew how to legislate a thirst for alcohol out of existence.
Once the Depression settled over a frightened nation, tolerance became a luxury. With Repeal in 1934, the gangster no longer had an exclusive lock on the lubrication of sorrow. He had become too powerful, too brutal and the underworld was now moving into more vicious territory—drugs and white slavery.
America began looking for heroes.
When The Shadow's chilling voice was first heard over the airwaves in the autumn of 1930, the public at first didn't know what to think. Was this sinister voice of mystery a good guy or another underworld overlord? Six months of controversy exploded the following spring when Street & Smith published the first issue of The Shadow. With blazing .45 automatics, countless false faces concealed by a flowing cloak, wide-brimmed slouch hat and a defiant yet doomfullaugh, The Shadow stood revealed as the greatest crime fighter of his age.
More fearsome than the Tommy-gunjockeys who were filling city gutters with blood, The Shadow was as deadly as the hoods the public once admired, yet a quantum leap ahead of the pulp heroes who came before, most of whom quivered under their masks at the thought of actually killing their criminal foes.
By the end of 1932, The Shadow was being published twice a month. And the pulp industry, reeling under the Depression, had glimpsed a reprieve from death. Standard Magazines released a devil-may-care Shadow imitation called The Phantom Detective. Street and Smith revived their old dime novel detective, Nick Carter, and with the brilliant Lester Dent, concocted the supreme adventurer, Doc Savage, the Man of Bronze.
Before 1933 was out, every pulp magazine publisher understood that a depressed America was crying out for heroes, and putting those heroes in their own magazines was the best way to stave off bankruptcy. Gangster pulps were unceremoniously discontinued. The trickle of crime-busters became a flood. Some. like The Spider, tried to outdo The Shadow in the cloak and guns depanment. Others explored new pulp paths. Operator# 5 featured the adventures of Secret Service Agent Jimmy Christopher as he attempted to stave off a new foreign invader every month. Secret agent X tried to straddle the line between popular vigilantism and official sanction. Bill Barnes and the Griffon fought crime in the air. G-8 and His Battle Aces and The Lone Eagle took the fight to World War I. The Skipper fought piracy on the high seas. Ka-Zar and Ki-Gor lorded over the African jungle. Western heroes like The Masked Rider and Pete Rice satisfied fans of the Wild West who wanted to read a new novel about familiar cowboy every month.
Every possible variation on the heroic theme was tried. But the most successful ones were in the Shadow mold, like the Black Bat, The Moon Man, and The Phantom Detective. All were masters of disguise. Most wore cloaks. And shot to kill.
Some formulas proved impossible to successfully emulate. Every attempt to clone the extremely popular Doc Savage fell flat. Today almost no one collects the likes of Captain Hazzard, Jim Anthony and Thunder Jim Wade.
Some publishers, not quite understanding that a besieged American public had discovered a new yearning for heroes, offered super-villains in the Fu Manchu mold. Doctor Death, The Mysterious Wu Wang, Dr. Yen Sin, The Octopus and The Scorpion were all rejected by hero-hungry readers. Even a good guy with a too-sinister name like Captain Satan was spurned.
Pulp crime-busters came in waves, each wave reflecting changing economic times and cultural values.
In the real world, the gangster was on the run, thanks to J. Edgar Hoover's FBI. From Ai Capone to Pretty Boy Floyd, the most wanted criminals of the age were succumbing to the law. Then in 1935, the James Cagney film G-Men crystallized the FBI as the new American heroes. Pulp publishers responded with a wave of square-jawed FBI agents-Dan Fowler in G-Men, the Suicide Squad in Ace - G-Men and Lynn Vickers in Public Enemy—that was quickly retitled Federal Agent when readers, remembering an earlier Cagney film with that title, mistook it for another gangster pulp and ignored it.
By 1936, it looked as the Depression was lifting. In response there was a new wave of heroes, The Whisperer and The Skipper were Street & Smith's attempt to clone their own Shadow and Doc Savage. Western heroes like the Rio Kid and Jim Hatfield, Texas Ranger proliferated. Heroes were dragged in from other media, among them The Lone Ranger, Flash Gordon, and Tailspin Tommy.
But another stock market crash in October of 1937 forced publishers to retreat, retrench and cancel many of these new heroes. It wasn't until 1939 that they felt the economy-and the public-was ready for more.
This final flood produced a long string of short-lived characters: The Black Hood, The Green Ghost, The Green Lama, The Purple Scar, The Blue Ghost, The Scarlet Wizard, the Crimson Mask, The Man in the Red Mask. In short, the formula was being driven into the ground. There were a few successes. The Black Bat, a blinded district attorney who looked strikingly like Batman, ran clear into the 1950s. Edmond Hamilton's Captain Future filled a needed void in the science fiction field.
World War II dealt the pulp heroes a severe blow with its paper shortages. Long-running titles like The Spider, The Whisperer and the most promising new hero of them all, The Avenger, were discontinued. America was too busy fighting a war to care about a criminal element already tamed by the real-life F.B.I.
The heroes who survived fought on. They found new foes to fight, new readers to entertain. They would probably still be fighting today but the pulps themselves were dying. Street & Smith canceled Doc Savage and The Shadow in April 1949. The next year Popular launched the first new hero in nearly a decade—Captain Zero. It was a miserable flop.
The Phantom, Dan Fowler and The Black Bat fought on until 1953—the year the pulp magazine gave up the ghost, a victim of the paperback revolution and a hypnotic new medium called TV. Ironically, it would be paperback reprints a decade later that gave Doc Savage and the rest a second life for a new generation ofreaders who didn't need to grow up in the Depression to appreciate that it was truly an age of heroes. The age of heroes might have passed, but it refuses to die. In any time, people need their heroes.
Will Murray is a well-known Pulp authority and historian who has done much in the way ofcontributions to Pulp literature, for which he was honored with the Lamont Award (named for The Shadow's alter-ego, Lamont Cranston) at the annual PulpCon, in 1979. His first exposure to the genre was through re-broadcasts of The Shadow, over WORL radio in the 1960's and later in the pulps themselves with the reprinting of the Doc Savage novel, Dust of Death, and the first Shadow novel, The Living Shadow. The ensuing all-consuming passion led to his devoted research of pulp authors, and eventually the coveted position as the literary agent for the estate of Lester Dent, the author of the Doc Savage series. After his discovery of the "lost" Doc Savage novel The Red Spider in 1979, Mr. Murray wrote and submitted a completely new Doc Savage novel, Python Isle, which Bantam Books accepted and published in 1990. Thus Mr. Murray became the newest "Kenneth Robeson," the house name Dent and five others "ghosted" under, and began producing a new series of Doc Savage novels. Using outlines and manuscripts discovered in Lester Dent's papers, he wrote seven new novels, each a credit to the name Doc Savage. Mr. Murray has also successfully "ghosted" The Destroyer series for the last ten years, amounting to some 40 or more books, and the recent Mars Attacks! novel, War Dogs of the Golden Horde, under the pseudonym Ray W. Murill, which is an anagram for Will Murray.
Many different genres appear in the Pulps. Besides the standard two-fisted fight between good and evil, there were horror stories, romance, western, and others. Below are the major sub-genres of the Pulps, any ofwhich could make an excellent campaign. More than one sub-genre can be mixed without difficulty into a single campaign.
This is the standard Pulp story filled with plenty of violence and excitement to enthrall its readers. The heroes were square-jawed and tough, and used their fists and guns to solve many of the problems that faced them. Usually they swung first and asked questions later. Rescuing damsels-in-distress; fighting large numbers of thugs and ruffians; engaging a powerful henchman in a personal, man-to-man combat; and racing through the crowded streets of New York City to catch a thiefare all common elements of the Action Pulp.
One mainstay element that appeared in almost all the Action Pulps at one time or another was the exotic location, preferably one with an almost supernatural, unearthly feel to it. Whether that location be a hidden valley in the Himalayans or a Lost World inside a hollow earth, the hero usually always journeys to this place to stop the evil that is based there. Most of the time the trip itself was as hazardous as any danger at the location itself. air travel during the Pulp-era was still a fragile thing, with many aircraft unable to withstand much beating or weathering from perilous conditions. Ocean travel was somewhat safer, but not by much, especially in war times, when enemy subs and ships sank any else on the water. Then there was traveling by supernatural means. Who knows how much risk is involved with this method? Most of the time one did not know what was on the other side of the massive stone portal propped up against a mountainside with all that swirling smoke and lights. Close your eyes, cross your fingers and pray the doorway did not lead off a cliff. Do not forget that after the adventure is over, the heroes still must have a way out of these locales, so if they wrecked the plane or ship on the trip in, it might be a long stay. This situation is always made much more exciting by adding that extra thrill of danger and destroying the setting as the heroes make their narrow escape. Have the long-inactive volcano blow its top, destroying the long lost island outpost of Atlantis. Hope your heroes can swim. Or, have an avalanche devastate the hidden Himalayan valley, sealing off the mountain pass for all eternity. Hope the mechanic fixed the propeller on that plane.
Many times the inhabitants of these settings are themselves cut off from modern civilization, and the possibility that they might regard the outsiders as gods can exist. Keep in mind in this instance, that the "god-like" outsider can easily be the villains as opposed to the heroes, it usually just depends on who arrives first, and takes advantage of the situation.
Crime Fighting is similar to action; the main difference lies in the hero. The Action hero is usually into the action, whether or not it might involve something outside the law or those who operate that way, while the Crime Fighting hero actively searches these things out to end the lawless ways. Both types ofheroes stop crime, but while the Action hero usually encounters crime as an incidental condition, the Crime Fighter makes stamping it out a crusade, his life's work. The Crime Fighter will usually stay within strict guidelines in this campaign against evil, often employing gadgets, a secret identity, and a few loyal assistants to help him in his quest to remove crime from the world. In many cases these Crime Fighting heroes were victims of crime, like The Avenger, The Batman or Mack Bolan. Sometimes they were even former criminals themselves, like The Shadow. Whether atoning for past wrongs or preventing what happened to them from ever happening to anyone else again, the Crime Fighting hero combats a never-ending battle against those who break the law. Cloaked Vigilantes are particularly well suited for Crime Fighting, with crime posing the very reason for their secretive ways, whether for the protection of innocents or merely to strike fear into the hearts of their foes.
Organized crime offers a unique situation to the Crime Fighting sub-genre. These so-called "crime families" operate outside the law, often with little or no regard for it at all. Their arms are long-reaching, as are their memories. They possess their own private armies and arsenals, while the Crime Fighting hero usually operates against them alone, or virtually so, with little help from anyone. These crime syndicates' control reaches into the political offices of city, state, and often federal governments. They have elected officials in their pockets, either by bribery or through blackmail. In America, Prohibition opened up a golden opportunity for black-market crime, and it became a booming business. Even after Prohibition was repealed, the damage was done. Criminals had carved their niche in society. A good example of the Crime Fighting genre can be seen in the motion picture The Untouchables, detailing the Chicago mob, and Elliot Ness' war against Al Capone.
Close relatives to the crime fighting and Action sub-genres, the Detective and Mystery sub-genres are often the type of Pulp story that most people are familiar with. The "down-on-his-Iuck, borderline-alcoholic private detective whose life is changed when she walks in" isaclassiccharacter.Thissub-genre requires that there be a mystery to be solved, although it need not always involve a crime. Cases involving recovery of a long lost heirloom. solving a murder, or rescuing a kidnap victim all often come through the P.I.'s door.
The important thing in a mystery ad- venture is that five questions must be answered: Who? What? Where? When? and Why? The hero needs to discover clues that lead to the answers; the answers should eventually tie together to reveal the whole story. If the mystery involves a crime, then there should be some sort of pattern to the events occurring. The heroes best tool is his deductive reasoning, and the ability to come up with a solution with only a handful of piece-meal clues. A t the end of all the detecting and speculating, a definite sense of closure needs to be implied. When the case is solved, if a crime has been committed, the criminal should be brought to justice. When a mystery is brought to light, all the reasons for the tangled clues should be revealed. Sam Spade, Philip Marlowe, and Nick Carter are all perfect examples of heroes from the Detective and Mystery sub-genre.
With all the international intrigue that captured the headlines of the late 1930s, it is no small wonder that Espionage stories became popular in the Pulps. The undercover spy who infiltrates the main villain's forces in hopes of thwarting his master plan is a prime example of this sub-genre. Stereotypically suave, dashing, fluent in many languages, and always impeccably dressed, the spy is generally sent out on missions of national importance. Secrecy and restraint are important factors to stress in the Espionage sub-genre.
One of the Espionage hero's main functions is information gathering, for reporting back to his home government, or the prevention of the same from enemy operatives. Dangers include discovery by the opposition, capture, and conflicts with traitorous double agents. Antagonists should be clearly depicted as villainous, with their loyalties unswerving to their causes. Femme fatales are also common pitfalls in these stories, as was the foreign threat, due to the proximity of the two World Wars and countless smaller examples of civil unrest. Japan, German, Italy, Russia and even a few fictionalized nations all had dozens of madmen with schemes only brave Allied operatives could unravel and avert.
Horror tales were a mainstay for the Pulp-era, Tales of supernatural occurrences, and macabre stories of terrifying situations were commonplace, Most often the protagonists of such tales were innocent bystanders sucked into a horrific situation in which they had to battle for their lives and sanity, Dark things once populated the world, but were banished to the nether-realms by mankind's ancient ancestors, and now they want back in. Creatures of the night, demonic entities. alien beings, these are all possible Occult Horror antagonists. Occult Horror tales very often include arcane elements, such as magic, prophecy or curses. More often than not, the Occult Horror sub-genre is run in addition to another sub-genre, such as the Western, or Action. The Detective and Mystery sub-genre works well in conjunction with Occult Horror, in which the heroes, in attempting to solve a bizarre mystery, encounter the supernatural causes of it.
Not all the Pulp stories took place in the 1930s. Many of them went back fifty years or so to the old west. Cowboys, six-guns, and bandits filled the pages of the western Pulps. With the helpless damsel tied to the train tracks, the hero had to dispatch the black-garbed bad guy, and still save enough time for a heroic rescue. The formula for a Western adventure is simple: Bad guys ride into town, obviously up to no good. The hero, a cowboy, through no fault of his own crosses the Bad guys. Meanwhile, a beautiful frontier girl falls for the hero, and he with her. Their true love is interrupted however, when the Bad guys take steps to either eliminate the hero or to execute their master plan. The cowboy hero ofcourse cannot let that happen, and he's off and running. Add in a few gunfights, horseback chases, and the odd stampede or two and you've got a rousing Western Pulp tale. Very close to the Action sub-genre, the Western is run in much the same way, with loads of action, fights and cliffhangers. Other sub-genres can be mixed in easily with Westerns. Occult Horror elements can be particularly appropriate, as can those from Crime Fighting and Detective and Mystery.
While it may seem that a Western adventure needs to take place in the old west, this is not necessarily the case. There are still plenty of areas in the world where life hasn't changed much since the 1800's. Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas, Mexico, Australia, and even the Middle East could easily have cattle-rustling, back-stabbing, lily-livered bad guys that need thwarting.
Much of the Pulps' target audience was men in their late teens and early twenties. Spicy stories contained more sexually arousing tales than the ordinary ones did, and focused on the damsel-in-distress and her state of undress. They were, however, quite tame compared to today's standards. Plot lines usually involved the kidnapping and torture of beautiful woman. Of course, as the kidnapping or torture progressed, the woman's clothing would suffer and she would gradually (or not-so-gradually) be disrobed. After this removal of most of the damsel's clothing, the villain decides that the kidnapped girl is perfect for his purposes, which usually involves a fate-worse-than-death for her. Enter the hero, who defeats the bad guy and his experiment, rescues the girl, and gets her for himself. While a spicy story is mild by today's standards, they illustrate the more reserved roles men and women played during the 1930s. Spicy stories are excellent ways to get male heroes into the action; after all what red-blooded American can resist the half-naked girl tied to an altar and about to be sacrificed? It does not have to be male rescuing female either. There were a few Pulp heroines that were constantly getting their boyfriends out of trouble, like Sheena, or Nyoka. A hapless member of the opposite sex can often do more to spur on a hero than any promise of financial reward.
Many Pulp stories had elements of Science-Fiction in them, if not the whole of the story itself. It is important to realize, though, that the 1930s' view of science and the universe is radically different from today' s. Atomic power, photographic views of various planets' surfaces, the moon landing, and the information age all have colored our perceptions of how the universe operates. The Pulp writers had none of these restrictions, so, the surface of Mars was inhabited by bug-eyed aliens, and the Earth had a hollow center where another world resided. Players must suspend their disbelief when their characters come across ray guns, alien cultures on other planets, and other scientific impossibilities. They must realize that anything is possible, and more often, probable.
Other sub-genres can be easily mixed in with Science-Fiction, such as Action, Crime Fighting, Detective and Mystery and Occult Horror. Classic examples of the 1930s' perception of science fiction can be found in the movie serials like Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, Rocket Man and others.
While the sales of Pulp magazines dwindled in the 1940s and 1950s, due partly to the increased popularity of comic books and paperbacks, the Pulp-style of storytelling never quite went away. It is entirely possible to run a Pulp Adventures campaign based in the 1990s. While this type of campaign will have "grittier" feel, it allows the players to play in an environment they are comfortable with. Computers, lasers, handheld phones, and the like will allow the heroes to perform feats that previously required a gadgeteer. Any of the James Bond films are a perfect example of a modern Pulp campaign. With megalomanical bad guys, powerful henchmen, beautiful women, and an entire department full of gadgeteers, the Bond films are quintessential Pulp.
Entertainment as a pastime would undergo a revolution during the Pulp Era. Motion Pictures, Radio, and Television are born during the 1920s, and the printed media would evolve to new heights that were hardly thought attainable before. The world ofindustry was changing, and with it, man's need for recreation as a counterpoint. The Great Depression would fire the world's need for escapism, and the Entertainment industry was born.
The early 1920's were somewhat hectic; the world was still recovering from a war that shook very foundations. The public realized that they were but a small part of a much larger world. Moral ideas that were concrete in previous eras were crumbling, and the public found itself unsure and self-conscious. It was a time ripe for social conquest; a tinderbox eagerly awaiting a spark.
America was preparing to enter what would later be known as "the greatest and gaudiest spree in history." Morals would undergo a revolution, and the young would dominate. Prohibition would entice many into its risky, appealing game: unlawful drinking and partying. Styles of clothing changed radically, inhibitions were dropped by the wayside as a younger crowd raged rampant. Women in particular enjoyed this new lifestyle, joining men in their new pursuits of pleasure. Smoking became popUlar; cigarette sales would double during the decade. More and more automobiles sold to single owners, late-night parties, scandalous dancing, and daring clothes were all earmarks of a new high society.
The Jazz Age was in full swing, influencing music, clothing styles, even poetry. Jazz became known as America's one triumphant contribution to the world's music. The names of jazzmen are now legendary: Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Bix Beiderbecke, "King" Joe Oliver, Bessie Smith. Jazz found its own real voice in Chicago's South Side, and New York's Harlem borough, covering up the sounds ofgangsters fighting in the clubs. The popularity of the clubs spread like wildfIre. Jazz would influence serious composers such as George Gerswin, Maurice Ravel, Paul Hindemith, and Darius Milhaud, who would incorporate jazz elements into their own compositions, sending critics into fits.
Radio has its practical beginnings in 1920, as KDKA-Pittsburgh announced the returns on the Presidential election. By the end of the decade, there were 618 broadcasting stations, with networks broadcasting news, church services, and music coast to coast. Lured by the promise of free home entertainment, radio manufacturing and sales, begun in 1920, would reach $600 million dollars in 1929. Radio shows started keeping Americans home at night with the likes of "Amos 'n' Andy" and the "General Electric Symphony Orchestra." And then, in the fall of 1930, a mysterious voice came out over the airwaves ... "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows! Hehhhhhhh-hehhhhhh-hehhhhhhh! " The previously anonymous announcer for "The Detective Story Hour" had an identity at long last, and America had a cultural icon...The Shadow. Soon radio was the showcase for many such programs: The Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet, Superman, Buck Rogers, and Tarzan. The "Grand Ole Opry" got its start in 1925, on station WSM. Radio would keep listeners glued to the dial with the exploits of such fictional heroes, and with real heroes like FDR and his "fireside chats." Radio had a handhold on the world and would not let go.
Hollywood had its own hand in the reformation of American youth. Movies of the 1920s fully embraced the new lifestyle; girls copied techniques of great vamps like Theda Bara, studied sex appeal from Clara Bow, and learned the winsome smile from Mary Pickford. One of the most popular screen flappers was Joan Crawford, who became every girl's role-model with the decadent film, Our Dancing Daughters and its sequel, Our Modern Maidens. They watched how Crawford drank, kissed-even how to cross and uncross one's hands on one's knees while doing the Charleston.
Not that the boys suffered without inspiration, either. They had Rudolf Valentino, Ronald Coleman, and Douglas Fairbanks. American men took notes from Valentino on how to tango, and how to pop one's eyes and bare one's teeth while making love. Doug Fairbanks swashbuckled his way into the hearts of audiences worldwide with his self-directed adventures such as Robin Hood, The Three Musketeers, and The Thief of Baghdad.
The 1930s, with the advent of sound and color, saw the rise of even bigger motion pictures and stars. Names like Clark Gable, Katherine Hepburn, Gary Cooper, Vivien Leigh, James Stewart, Joan Fontaine, Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Cary Grant and Bette Davis drew crowds in record numbers to movie houses all over the country.
To the younger crowds, however, Saturday mornings held all the appeal. Movie serials ran as precursors to actual full-length films. Usually running only twenty-nine minutes in length, each ended in a death-defying cliffhanger that would be continued in the next chapter, shown next week. The action heroes abounded here: Tarzan, Superman, Sheena, The Lone Ranger, The Spider and The Green Hornet.
During the Pulp era, literature flourished, and American authors became more popular the world over.
The American way of life took a dramatic turn in the 1930s. Gone was the carefree lifestyle of the 1920s; the stark reality of the Great Depression forced many people to accept the daunting fact that the United States was no longer blessed. In the 1920s, it seemed that America was destined to lead the world in whatever activity it engaged. The booming stock market all but guaranteed to make millionaires of everyone who invested, technology was moving at an incredible pace, and the quality oflife overall seemed better than anytime before.
All of this changed in 1929, sparked by the stock market crash. The Great Depression hit and it hit hard. Nowhere were these repercussions felt stronger than in the American family. At the height of the Depression, unemployment reached 25 percent. The family became closer, hoping that together they could weather the storm. Mother would sew cardboard to replace the soles of father's shoes and he would claim they fit better than before. Father would then leave the house to start another day ofjob hunting, hoping that maybe this would be the lucky day. Mother would do her best to cook dinner with whatever food she had in the kitchen. All the while, the family would do its best to appear unaffected by the Depression.
By the mid 1930s, work was still hard to come by. While Roosevelt had passed his New Deal and business was starting to show signs of recovery, many factories found it more cost effective to add labor-saving devices to their production methods rather than hire workers. So while production ofgoods increased, the actual number of unemployed increased as well. Unemployment money from the government and various civic jobs bankrolled by the government helped to ease the lack of jobs somewhat, but many were too proud or too skeptical to accept what amounted to a handout.
During the Great Depression, the education levels of Americans increased. Larger numbers of people attended college and pursued graduate work than ever before. This is not surprising, since those who graduated high school or college had a bleak future ahead of them. It was far easier to put off searching for a job for three or four years and get an advanced degree than to pound the pavement in a vain effort to find employment.
The population of cities and suburbs boomed as people moved from their farms and other rural areas and went to find hope in the urban jungle. Adding additional pressure to the already shaky job market, these immigrants to the city often found themselves living in "Hoovervilles," a group of shacks made out of any material that could be scavenged. Those in the Midwest found themselves faced with foreclosure, first from the plummeting crop prices, and second from the terrible dust storms that ripped through the states. Initially, farmers all bonded together to help one another out. When a bank foreclosed on their neighbor's farm, the surrounding farmers would physically force any bidders away from the auction and pay ridiculously low sums for their neighbor's assets. Once they had finished purchasing all they could, they would give all they had bought back to their neighbor, thus saving another farmer from the powerful bankers. Eventually though, the effects of the Depression and the dust storms became too much. Companies bought up four or five farms at once and used massive tractors to farm the land. Displaced farmers gathered their belongings into their vehicle and set off towards the city, in hopes of finding a job.
Not all about family life was bleak in the 1930s. The recreation industry reeeived a large boom. Miniature golf started in Florida in early 1930 and by the summer had spread all across the country, becoming a $125,000,000 industry. People watched fewer sporting events and instead participated in them. Badminton, softball, golf, and tennis all increased in popularity during the Great Depression. A new board game named Monopoly swept the nation, even though its creator was told that the rules were too complicated and the game was turned down by many toy companies. Bridge gained unparalleled popularity: books on bridge regularly topped the best-seller list, and people could be found all over the country chatting idly with three friends over a deck of cards. Skiing and bike riding also gained prominence in America during this time. Biking was especially popular since it allowed women to "wear pants like Dietrich's."
Another hobby that boomed was amateur photography. From 1928 to 1936 the importing of cameras and parts increased 500 percent. From 1935 to 1937, American production ofcamerasjumped 157 percent. Concurrent with this trend was the emergence of picture magazines like Life and Look. At Christmas, boys would beg their parents for enlargers and exposure-meters. During this time, the art of photography grew in range and imagination.
The entertainment industry also increased; Americans needed to get away from the bleak reality of the Depression. The movie industry, still in its infancy, thrilled millions of people by taking them to other worlds. Whether it was the Civil War in "Gone with the Wind" or Sherwood Forest in "The Adventures of Robin Hood," movies allowed Americans to forget their troubles, at least for a few hours. Radio also enjoyed greater popularity, with radio programs expanding beyond simple news and story telling. Radio stations were equipped with seats for an audience to watch the radio performers ply their trade, while other radio stations experimented with the novel concept of playing music over the airwaves. Radio serials gained an audience, who daily would listen to the adventures of the Lone Ranger or the exploits of The Shadow. The most extreme example ofradio's effect on America occurred on October 31, 1939, when Orson Welles terrified a nation with a tale of Martians invading. Even though the program was scheduled, and Welles' stated that the broadcast was fiction, panic still engulfed the nation, no doubt due to the brewing troubles in Europe. Some examples of the hysteria include: 875 telephone calls to the New York Times; several families in Newark, New Jersey convinced a "gas attack" had begun, covered their faces with cloths and packed all their belongings in the car; jamming traffic for miles around; in Pittsburgh a woman attempted to take poison saying "I'd rather die this way than that!"; and in Indianapolis, a woman ran into a church yelling "New York destroyed; it's the end of the world. You might as well go home to die. I just heard it on the radio." The War of the Worlds made an interesting case study in the power of the media and national hysteria.
The Pulp novels, of course, skyrocketed in popularity during the Depression. Children and adults both would race to the newsstand on the corner and lay down their dime to get the latest adventures of such heroes as The Shadow, Doc Savage, The Spider, and G-8 and his Flying Aces. Each of these heroes was a red-blooded American who fought for American ideals. Nothing could lift the spirits of disheartened Americans faster than reading about a great, if fictitious, American facing overwhelming odds and being victorious.
Marriage rates went down during the Great Depression. Starting a marriage is difficult during normal times even without the increased financial pressure from the Depression. Unable to provide forthemselves and reluctant to add additional strain on the family's ability to provide, young couples made plans to get married when "things got better." The marriage rate in 1929 was 10.14 per thousand and fell to 7.87 in 1932. Correspondingly, the birth rate also dropped, from 18.9 per thousand in 1929 to 16.5 in 1933. The divorce rate also went down during the Depression. In 1929 the divorce rate was 1.66 per thousand and in 1932 the divorce rate was 1.28 per thousand. Not only did a divorce cost money, but the desire to be free substantially went down during times of stress.
Below is a listing of the various religions that could be found across the globe during the Pulp era. This is not meant to be an objective view of religion but is rather presented as an informational source only.
Animism: Belief that all beings, objects and natural phenomena have souls. This is considered by many to be the original religion. Animism can be found in primitive tribes in Africa, South America, and parts of Asia.
Buddhism: An ethical philosophy based on teachings of Gautama Buddha. He taught that all suffering is result of desire, and transcendence of desire would cause suffering to cease. The main goal of Buddhism is to reach Nirvana— where desire, passion, and ego are extinguished and the individual achieves an end to suffering. Mahayana, laying stress on universal salvation, considers all beings tied together. It is native to China, Korea, and Japan, and includes sects of Nichiren, Lamaism, and Zen. Nichiren, native to Japan, adapted Buddhism to Bushido, teaching that state and religion should be unified. Lamaism, in Tibet, blends demon worship with erotic practices of Tantrism. Zen was brought to China from India by Bodhidharma; it stresses self-reliance and meditation, and promotes intellect and logic.
Christianity: Christianity is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. Jesus is Greek for Joshua, which means "Jehovah is salvation," and Christ is Greek meaning "anointed one," a translation of Hebrew "messiah." At age 30, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, and preached a ministry for 3 years, performing miracles. The main doctrine of Christianity is one of charity, brotherly love, and repentance, with promise of salvation for believers. By claiming himself messiah, Jesus was brought into conflict with Jewish leaders and crucified for sedition and other crimes against the Roman state. On the third day, Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to his followers before ascending to heaven.
Hinduism: Derived from Hindu, this is the old Persian name for India. Hinduism describes religious as well as social practices and beliefs developed by the Indian people over 50 centuries. There are 4 major castes or divisions of society, each created from a different part of Brahma, an infinite being who pervades all of reality: 1) Brahmans—originated from Brahma's face, priests and intellectuals. 2) Kshatriyas—out of his arms, rulers and men of war, same privileges as Brahmans. 3) Vaisyasout of thighs, farmers, merchants and artisans. 4) Sudras—from feet, duty to serve other three castes. Beneath the four castes are the pariahs, or "untouchables." Ghandi renamed them Harijans, "children of god." A person is bound to caste for life, though he can advance in eternity through karma. Hinduism is rich in sacred scriptures: 1. the vedas, c. 2500 B.C., including Upanishads ("secret doctrines") provides basis for modem Hindu philosophy. 2. Mahabharata, includes Bhagavad-gita ("song of the lord"), a dramatic poem discussing questions of killing, salvation and attachment. Hinduism has three popular deities: Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, Siva the destroyer. Other gods include Kali, goddess of death, wife of Siva; Krishna, god of love, an incarnation of Vishnu; and Lakshmi, who brings good fortune.
Islam: Islam, meaning "submission" in Arabic, and its followers, Muslims or Moslems, "those who submit" is based upon the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed. His revelation as a Prophet to the one god, Allah, was delivered by the Arch-angel Gabriel. Other revelations were to follow, and these were set down into the Qur' an (Koran), the sacred book of Islam. Islam teaches that there have been previous Prophets, many of whom are familiar to the Jewish religion as well as Christianity, including Adam, Moses, and Jesus (whom it is said did not die on the cross, but was taken into heaven by Allah). Mohammed preached his faith, and at times there was holy war against unbelievers, but Islam won out, and is now the chief religion in over 20 countries.
Judaism: This is the oldest of the monotheistic (one god) religions. Christianity and Islam are based upon its principal beliefs. The terms "Judaism" and "Jew" are derived from Judah, ancient Jewish kingdom ofsouthern Palestine. Founded by Abraham, who made agreement with God that he and his offspring would spread the doctrine of one god. In return, God promised Abraham the land ofCanaan (Israel) for his descendants. The basic beliefs of Judaism are love of learning, worship god out of love not fear, and performs heartfelt good deeds without concern of reward. Judaism is based on two fundamental texts: The Bible (old testament) and the Talmud, a compendium on laws, traditions, poetry, anecdotes, biographies, and prophecies of the ancient Jews.
Taoism: Taoism was founded by Lao-Tze, said to have lived in 6th century BC in Honan province. Tradition states he met with Confucius, whom he criticized for his egotism and pride. The main text is Tao Te Ching, a beautiful simple book that teaches that peace can only be found through optimism, humility, passivity, and inner calm.
Zoroastrianism: This religion of ancient Persia still exists on limited scale in India and Iran. It was founded by Zoroaster, whose revelations caused him to preach a new faith.
The 1930s were a time of great change in technology. Numerous inventions were created that promised to make life easier and better. Many of the conveniences taken for granted in the 1990s owe their existence to the technological advances of the 1930s. Uniformity of parts was just beginning, all-music radio was tentatively testing the audience, and a few buildings even had air-conditioning. It was a time when anything seemed possible and new inventions appeared every day.
Communication advanced rapidly during the 1930s. While many homes still did not have telephones, there was usually a public telephone available at a business. Any calls from these phones were usually operator-assisted, since the rotary dial phone was not invented until 1923. Local and long-distance calls were generally reliable, but international calls were notorious for their untrustworthiness, especially in France. Most long distance communication was delivered by telegram, which was much more reliable. A sent telegram was usually placed directly into the hand of its intended recipient. At a nickel a word, they were not often verbose. In fact, translating into "telegraphs" (i.e., reducing a message to the least possible words) was a marketable talent for a telegraph operator. Mail service in America was reliable and efficient, using airplanes to deliver mail long distance. International or overseas correspondence was still risky.
The face of transportation also changed in the 1930s. Cars were a common sight and usually fell into one of two categories: roadsters or sedans. Roadsters were two-seater sports cars with an occasional rumble seat in the back. Sedans were four passenger cars that were favored by cab drivers, poiice, and large families. Most cars were painted a single dark color; anyone driving a bright colored car was either desperate for attention or a taxi cab. Running boards, small standing areas on the side of a car, were extremely popular and almost every car had them. The windshields of new cars became sloped as opposed to their nearly perpendicular alignment in the 1920s. A few cars even sported car radios, a new device invented in 1927. Not many new cars were sold during the Great Depression; people could not afford them. Instead, most Americans maintained their old cars and trucks.
Air travel changed as well. The auto gyro, a cross between an airplane and a helicopter, was invented in 1923. A non-powered helicopter-like rotor was attached on top of a normal airplane body. The forward motion of the airplane caused the rotor to rotate, creating lift. This allowed the auto gyro to travel much slower than an airplane, almost to a hover. Normally an auto gyro could hold one pilot and one passenger; a second passenger or a weapon could replace the cargo area. Airships saw a decline in popularity, as the Hindenburg disaster ended the public's desire to travel in a zeppelin. Commercial air-travel grew dramatically. In 1929, only day-time short flights were available; by 1939, fully pressurized cabins and cross-country journeys with autopilot became accessible to many.
Still, most long distance travel was accomplished on either trains or ships. When people needed to go a long distance over land. the rails were the way they traveled. Even those who could not afford a ticket still used the rails, hopping onto freight trains to hitch a ride. It was estimated in 1931 that 186,028 people hitched a ride on the rails for free. By 1933 there were over a million; 200,000 were children. Eventually the railroads stopped checking for freeloaders due to the massive numbers.
While rail was the preferred method of travel across country, ship was the popular way to get across the ocean or between continents. Passenger liners cruised the Atlantic, sending people from Europe to American and back. Those who could not afford the luxury of a cruise ship could book passage on a freighter, which usually reserved three or more rooms for passengers. The travel was not glamorous, but it got people where they wanted to go. Cheaper still was working as a member of the crew. The pay was not good and the work conditions were terrible, but it was the cheapest way across the Atlantic. Crew work, was often hard to come by, due to the number of unemployed people looking work.
The field of medicine made many advances. Anesthesia was commonly used during operations. Many immunizations were found for the most common diseases. Penicillin was discovered in 1928 and came into common use around 1943. The Tetanus shot was discovered in 1927, and X-rays had been in use since 1895.
The list of inventions and discoveries that became common in the 1930s is impressive. Things like the aerosol spray can, color film, dry ice, Geiger counter, jukebox, Kleenex tissue, nylon, photocopy machine, radar, safety razor, scotch tape, stereo records, trolley cars, and water skis. This amazing pace of discovery would only increase with coming war.
A discussion of the 1930s invariably is a discussion of economics. The Great Depression impacted the American way of life more than any war, drought, famine, or hurricane ever could. It affected the entire nation for 10 years, touching millions and millions of people. not just in America, but all over the world.
It was the stock market crash of 1929 that signaled the beginning of the Great Depression. While the decline of the stock market had been going on since early October, October 29 signaled the end. In a few short weeks, the market had lost thirty billion dollars. To put this number into a modern perspective, consider $1 in the 1930s to be equivalent to $10 in the 1990s. Still, three hundred billion dollars seems small to a generation with a trillion dollar governmental budget. Yet thirty billion dollars was slightly less than America spent during all ofWorld War I, and was greater than the national debt in 1929.
But what was the cause the collapse? It certainly can not be attributed to one or two events. The entire world was in transition, and this upheaval paved the way for a world-wide depression. World War I drained the accounts of many nations, and the United States loaned these countries the money they needed to keep fighting. Of these countries. only one, Finland, paid their debt in full and on time. The other countries were strapped with burdensome debt payments. Germany was virtualiy financiaily stripped by reparation payments. For the first time, the entire world's economy was tied together and what affected one country had repercussions on all the others.
In America during the 1920s, the stock market and Prohibition were all everyone talked about. The market kept climbing, and it seemed as anyone who invested made money. And people did invest. Anyone who had some spare money put it into the market. Normally, a downswing in the market only affects the rich, who can afford to invest and afford to lose money. The difference this time was that many people invested on margin, where buyers use a percentage of money to purchase stock while the bank provides the remaining percent. When the margin stock is sold, the profit is divided between the seller and the bank.
While there is nothing inherently wrong with purchasing stock on margin, if the stock starts to lose money dramatically the bank will force the buyer to sell the stock so the bank's loss is minimized. In 1929, the economic pressures of the world combined with an overvalued market to force the stock market down. When prices went down, people sold their stock, fearful of losing more money. This sale pushed the price of stock down further, which triggered the automatic sell-off of margin stocks and lowered the stock price more. This cycle continued throughout the day and ended only when the stock market closed. To give an idea of the extent of losses, listed below are a few of the more prominent stocks and their performances on October 29 (realize that the market had been losing ground for a week before the crash): American Telephone down 28 points, General Electric down 28 points, Allied Chemical down 35 points, and Auburn down 60 points. Rich and poor alike lost money. Many lost their entire life savings in the span of a week. The Great Depression had struck in full force.
Herbert Hoover was concerned about causing rampant inflation (similar to that occurring in Germany) and therefore was reluctant to tinker with the nation's economy. Banks all across the world were suddenly closing due to lack of funds and panic. Hoover used the Federal Reserve to loan money to American banks to keep them from closing down and causing similar panic here. Unfortunately, this only was stabilized the interest rates. Americans' actual earnings continued to decrease, due to unemployment and reduced wages. America's debt load increased as Americans tied up even more money in debt financing.
Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president based on his New Deal. The plan was for the government to take an active role in the nation's economy, controlling it in many places. The factthat most of the ideas of the New Deal were socialist did not bother Americans much since at least someone was trying to do something. During the president's inauguration, banks ali around the nation were facing closure. Many states had declared bank holidays to prevent panicked people from withdrawing all of their money from the banks, which did not have all of their depositors' money. On his first day in office, Roosevelt declared a nationwide bank holiday and shut the panic down. For the next ten days, the Roosevelt administration passed a staggering number of bills intent on controlling the economy and returning America to prosperity. Among those things accomplished during the beginning of the Roosevelt administration were: currency devaluation; taking America off of the gold standard; crop control; stimulating employment through government programs; federal relief to the unemployed; the Tennessee Valley Experiment; lightening the debt load; securities reform; and the National Recovery Act which proposed to write codes for each industry dictating how companies may perform. Business picked up following these acts, and the New Deal seemed like a success.
But soon, the honeymoon ended. The economy did not improve greatly and people became disgruntled. The national debt continued to increase at an astronomical rate. Corruption was revealed in the leaders of banking and securities. And new jobs were not being created because workers we being replaced with labor-saving devices. The greatest blow to the New Deal came when the Supreme Court determined that most of the New Deal was unconstitutional and struck it down. Anti-Roosevelt sentiment increased as people grew more disillusioned with the government. Alternative forms of government were discussed including communism, fascism, socialism, and technocracy. This last one was an interesting concept it stated America has unparalleled technology and thus should have unparalleled prosperity. It further stated that our current pricing system that required an increased debt burden to purchase these technologically advanced devices, was all that stood in the way of that prosperity. Instead, the plan said, the pricing system should be based on energy and should be controlled by technologists.
1936 came and with it a new election. While anti-Roosevelt sentiment was still high, Americans apparently preferred the known to the unknown as Roosevelt won an overwhelming victory. The economy was generally stagnant until 1938 when another recession hit, plunging America into even greater economic straits. Roosevelt enacted new plans to help deal with the problems. Among the worst troubles of these troubled times was the dreaded Dust Bowl that forced so many Midwesterners off their land. The stock market dropped again and unemployment continued. Roosevelt became involved in a bitter struggle to gain control of the Supreme Court. While successful, even if not in the form the Roosevelt desired, that struggle did alienate him with many of his constituents.
The Great Depression started partly because of world events, and would end the same way. England's King Edward the VIII divorced his wife and stepped down from the throne, supposedly to marry an American Wallis Simpson. Mussolini invaded Ethiopia, Hitler annexed the Rhineland, and the Japanese invaded China. By late 1938 and 1939, America's attention was focused no longer on itself but on the world. When Hitler invaded Poland, war became inevitable. America had to suddenly gear itself towards wartime and the economy began to recover. What could not be accomplished with ten years of legislation, economic and political theory, and hope was accomplished inadvertently by the actions ofdictators who desired to rule the world.
Warfare changed dramatically in the beginning of the twentieth century. New technologies required new tactics to fully exploit them. Machine guns and rifles defined warfare at the end of the 1800s. Cavalry still rode horses and the Gatling gun was the support weapon of dreams.
During World War I (then it was known as the Great War, since it was supposed to be the war to end all wars), rifles and machine guns were improved and a new weapon was developed: poison gas. Artillery shells filled with mustard gas sentenced to death any who did not get their gas mask on fast enough. The effects of chemical warfare were so disturbing and effective that the Geneva Convention "outlawed" its use in all future wars.
World War I quickly turned into a stalemate; both sides carved extensive trench systems on their side of the front line. The area in between was known as No Man's Land, and was a blasted, scarred area of terrain. Nothing grew in No Man's Land; and anything there was quickly destroyed by artillery or infantry charges. The tops of the trenches were covered in barbed wire and machine gun nests in hopes ofdeterring enemy attacks. For the infantry man, the war consisted of living underground in trenches and Waiting. First, they waited for artillery to shell them, running to the protection of underground when the first shell hit. Second, they waited for the enemy to charge theIr trench line. If they repelled the enemy, they waited for the whistle to start their own trench assault. For months, that was the way the war went. Thousands of men died just running back and forth between two trenches.
The use of airplanes created a new territory to conquer in the war: the skies. Initially, planes flew over trenches and performed reconnaissance. A pair of eyes in the air could see more than was previously dreamt of. Troop movements and equipment transfers could both be seen clearly from the sky. To combat this threat, both sides employed barrage balloons. These large gas-filled bags were tied to the ground by a long cable. Placed in large numbers, these balloons created obstacles for the airplanes. Balloon busting missions became commonplace, to clear a path through the numerous obstacles. The second way to stop aerial reconnaissance was to shoot down the enemy plane with another plane. Originally, pilots carried pistols and shot at each other with them, however soon machine guns were bolted on Eirframes and devices were invented to prevent pilots from shooting their propellers off. The pilots of World War I caplured the world's attention, and became known as the Knights of the Sky. A code of honor existed among the pilots of World War I. A pilot did not try to kill his opponent, merely damage his plane and force it down. There were a number of recorded instances when one pilot crash landed and the enemy pilot saluted him as he flew away.
Aerial bombardment was in its infancy during World War I. Originally, the thought was that if a plane could fly over the enemy lines and observe troops, it could also drop things on them. In the beginning, pilots carried grenades and bombs in their cockpit and simply dropped them over the side. Accuracy was poor and the explosive power was minimal. Soon dedicated bombers were being built that could carry larger payloads and deliver them with slightly more accuracy. These planes were large, slow, and fragile, so they required fighter escort to protect them from enemy fighters. These bombers were deployed in limited numbers and their effect was minimal.
The Germans also employed zeppelins for attacks against England. A zeppelin could hold many more bombs than a plane and could mount heavier anti-air armament. The slow zeppelins would fly across the sea and move around British cities dropping bombs. Airplanes were loaded with incendiary ammo and scrambled to shoot down the zeppelins. While the zeppelins were large and took a lot of damage to destroy, they were filled with flammable gas. Eventually, the disaster of the Hindenburg would seal the fate for zeppelins and other airships.
The weapon both sides really needed was something to protect troops moving across No Man's Land which would allow them to deliver attacks with impunity. A vehicle that could constantly lay its own road would fit the bill nicely and the tank was born. World War I tanks were massive armor-plated beasts that moved slowly and often got stuck in the mud. However, they were effective. They ignored rifle fire and barbed wire. They were mounted with cannons and machine-guns that destroyed all they attacked.
After World War I, warfare underwent a metamorphosis. New developments in technology and new theories of warfare, coupled with the horrors of World War I, rewrote many standard tactics. Tanks were refined and experimented on to create huge mobile artillery units, or small one-man tanks that would zip across the battlefield. The turret began to appear on tanks and the cannon size was continuallv increased. Anti-tank rifles were created and the hand grenade became more useful. The American cavalry attempted to replace their horses with motorcycles, with mixed results. Two new weapons, the automatic rifle and the sub-machine gun, were developed, tested, and issued, giving more firepower to the average infantryman.
Perhaps the greatest transformation was occurring in air power. In America, the Navy was skeptical about the power of the airplane. A demonstration against old warships that were taken from Germany at the end of World W ar I proved that the airplane could sink a warship. This threatened the Navy, who started to fight the development of American air power to keep their place as the premier American attack force. Eventually, the feud between the Navy and the Army (who had control of the newly founded American air Force) was settled by allowing the Navy to have their own air fleet when the feasibility of the carrier was proven. The dual-wing canvas and wood planes of World War I slowly gave way to the sleek metal-bound planes of World War II. Airplane guns were moved from the fuselage to the wings, to avoid the tricky problem of shooting around the propeller, and bombs :md torpedoes were slung under the wings of fighters. Larger bombers, including the massive B-17, were built with manned turrets to shoot down any manned fighters that attacked them. Seaplanes were developed for recon, rescue, and transport, which gave the Navy an almost limitless runway. Aerial photography became more of a science and parachutes became standard equipment for pilots. Radio, radar, and formations all changed the way the plane would be used in the war ahead.
Naval warfare changed significantly between the two World Wars, although it would take the actual outbreak of hostilities to prove it. For years, the battleship was the king of the oceans. Larger cannons and heavier armor were placed on each successive battleship to make it greater than its predecessor. The invention of the torpedo and the aircraft carrier put the future of the mighty battleship in doubt. With the torpedo, a significantly smaller ship could successfully sink a larger ship. By placing the explosive of the torpedo right on the target's water line, the explosion weakened the hull and allowed water in. The submarine and torpedo boats both used this new weapon with great success, providing they had the element of surprise or speed. The aircraft carrier allowed naval groups to project their firepower beyond the normal line of sight limit. Previously, no matter how much range a ship's cannons had, the curvature of the earth limited its ability to attack by blocking line of sight between two ships. With longer range airplanes, bombers, and torpedo planes could attack and sink an entire naval group without the home carrier ever knowing where exactly the target was. The battleship still had its place in both naval warfare and shore bombardment, but it was no longer the king of the seas.
When it came to revolutionary tactics, no one could beat the Germans. They tested theories in the Spanish Civil War, and based on those experiments, perfected techniques fortheir upcoming war. The key to the new German tactics was the Blitzkrieg. With the Army's new mobility through troop transports, tanks, and airplanes, the Germans planncd to overrun each target and just keep moving until they seized key victory points. Germany's foes, used to a more leisurely, less mobile war, were caught by surprise. The Maginot line is a prime example of the Blitzkrieg's effectiveness. To help defend France from attack, a massive series of cannons, tunnels, and bunkers was created inside a mountain range near the French border. The thought was that nothing could destroy these massive batteries before they stopped whatever attack came. Much to France's dismay, the German Blitzkrieg drove past and sometimes over the Maginot line. And since their guns were unable to point backwards, the Maginot line could not to slow the German assault inside their country.
The time between World Wars I and II served as a testbed for numerous war ideas, even though very few nations desired or expected a war. The changes that occurred during this time forever shaped the future of warfare.
This section explains the differences between character creation in the RMSS (which presumes a fantasy setting) and character creation in Pulp Adventures.
The following aspects of character creation and development remain exactly as presented in the RMSS: generating stats, potential stats, and stat bonuses.
The other aspects of character creation are affected in at least a minor way. Each section below deals with how the other aspects of character development are different.
Rather than the twelve different races the Rolemaster Standard System has, in Pulp Adventures, there is only one race: Modem Man. Within the race of modern man, there are twelve different cultural choices. First, it must be determined if the character is from an Industrial nation or a Third World nation. Second, it needs to be determined if the character is from an Urban or Rural area, with the primary difference being that a Rural culture provides close to their 100% of their own goods for day to day living while an Urban area purchases them in a nearby city. For example, there are not many Rural areas in the United States, whereas the smaller settlements of Europe would be considered Rural. Finally, the mcome level of the character must be determined: Lower Income, Middle Income, and Upper Income. Note that the Upper Income of the Third World country is very different from the Upper Income of an Industrial nation.
It is also possible, depending on the type of Pulp campaign being run, that character's could be from a race other than human. These races could include Mars Beastmen, Atlanteans, primitive tribes living in a lost valley, or many others. To create these Races, the Gamemaster should use the Talent Law race creation system, substituting the Pulp adolescent skill list for the RMSS adolescent skill list.
See the Race Abilities Table T-1.1 (Pulp) for game statistics for the Modern Man. See the Adolescencc Rank Table T-1.6 (Pulp) for the differences between the various cultures.
Magic in a Rolemaster fantasy world is a common circumstance. This is not true at all in the modern, Pulp-era Twentieth Century. Magic appeared in the Pulps on an irregular basis, usually wielded by villains and only occasionally by the hero. In the Pulps, magic was much more subtle than that found in a typical fantasy story. Rarely would fireballs leap from the hands ofevil wizards; rather they would employ powers like hypnosis, illusion, or subtle redirection. True magic, the manipulations of the realms of Essence, Channeling, and Mentalism found in the Rolemaster Standard System, is very different in the Pulp world. Magic does exist; its effects can be seen and felt but technology exists as well. Technology can counterbalance magic; however, if not handied carefully, the balance between the two can easily and dangerously favor one over the other.
In the Rolemaster Standard System, there are three separate realms of magic: Channeling, Essence, Mentalism. Arcane magic, the Primal Essence, the "first magic," is the precursor to, and essentially a combination of the three realms. There is no access to Arcane magic in the Pulp world, only the three realms. The realm of Channeling is very limited in the world of the Pulps; it is usually reserved for only the most holy of characters. Essence magic is much weaker and much more costly, but is available to the dedicated disciple. Mentalism is not considered magic at all, but rather "psychic powers" or "weird talents." These "talents" do not appear to be the product of some super-natural force, but rather a power possessed by the character himself.
The Gamemaster must decide at what intensity magic will exist in his world. This decision will affect not only how much magic can be encountered, but also who can wield this power and how much actual magical ability they can possess. There are three suggested options: High Magic, Low Magic, and No Magic. As always, spell allocation will be determined by the GM.
In a No Magic world, magical power does not exist and there is no spell-use whatsoever. The world itself operates within very specific physical laws which do not allow supernatural powers to be harnessed by mankind. No character, player or non-player, will be able to learn or use spells. There is no Power Point acquisition, and any skill that IS based on magic will not work. There are no magical or enchanted items, and no supernatural creatures. If anything even remotely supernatural is encountered, rest assured that there will be a logical explanation behind it, such as a strange affliction or disease, some sort of technological trickery, or perhaps even hallucination. This type of world is very much like our own, with technology the ruling science. The greatest monsters are but men: men warped by their own minds and bodies. In this world, man struggles with his own kind, with no otherworldly or supernatural intervention.
In contrast, in a High Magic world everybody uses magic. That is, everybody who is inclined to. The super-natural is a fact of life. Mythical races intermingle with humanity on a daily basis, and the Sorcerous Revolution occurred right alongside the Industrial one. Magic and technology compete against and compliment one another to produce an easier lifestyle for all. The High Magic world is ripe for adventure, as it contains the best of both worlds. A High Magic-intensity Pulp world is beautifully portrayed in the motion picture "Cast a Deadly Spell, " where the hero, who disdains the use of magic, struggles to survive against a world that does. The Gamemaster should take great care that magic-use does not dominate the game to a point where it becomes just a fantasy game with guns and grenades. Magic should be used as a tool, just like technology is. In a High Magic world, all the realms of magic are available, though Mentalism still might be considered a "psychic power" as opposed to actual magic.
The final option, and the recommended one, is a Low Magic world. In a Low Magic world, magic works at a reduced level generally and is a hidden skill. Technology has the upper hand, but magic holds its own quite nicely, outdoing science in the end, but only rarely.
Most of the world does not believe in the existence of magic. What "magic" they have experienced, though, is usually not the result of some sorcery or wizardry, but in actuality skillful ruses of sleight-of-hand, illusion, and sometimes mesmerism displayed by the "magician." These "magicians" use their skills to entertain the public (for the most part), and to make a living.
Yet true magic does still exist, and its impact, though weakened through stagnation, disbelief and non-practice, can still be impressive. Many beings who were magical in nature or owed their existence to magic now find themselves consigned to the realm of superstition, and have fallen by the waysides ofmodern civilization. Students and adepts of true magic now practice their arts in secret, and sometimes seeking out others of their kind to contact these mythical beings to increase their own power and/or status. Cultists perform shadowy rituals. Dark rites and once-forgotten ceremonies are performed by cultists in secret to tap supernatural powers. Their foes, guardians of humanity, practice rites to confound their efforts and ideals. Magic is still very real, and can serve as a powerful tool or weapon. Players should not lose sight of this. Prime examples of Low Magic worlds include the Indiana Jones movie trilogy, and "Big Trouble in Little China."
The following guidelines should be used for spell-use in a No Magic world.
Remove the following skill categories: Power Manipulation, Power Awareness, Power Point Development, Directed Spells, and Lore • Magical
Magical items do not exist and have no real function
Spells may never be cast from any source.
To reflect the diminished magic level in a Low Magic world, spell-use should be restricted using the following guidelines:
All skills in the following skill categories are classified as Restricted: Power Manipulation, Power Awareness, Power Point Development, Directed Spells, and Lore • Magical
No Base lists are available for any Profession. Only Open, and Closed (and possibly Evil) spell lists may be developed
Mentalism may be treated as a "psychic power" or "weird talent," but is otherwise treated identically to the other two realms
The following guidelines should be used for spell-use in a High Magic world:
All skills in the following categories are developed as per the normal RMSR rules: Power Manipulation, Power Awareness, Power Point Development, Directed Spells, and Lore • Magical
Base lists may be available for a Profession subject to the Gamemaster's approval.
Mentalism may be treated as a "psychic power" or "weird talent," but is otherwise treated identically to the other two realms.
Adapting fantasy-based professions to those based upon a modern era is by no means an easy task. Many of the Rolemaster Standard System professions have no clear equivalents among the occupations of the twentieth century, and vice versa.
Magic use in the twentieth century is a tricky thing, and should be handled by the Gamemaster with extreme care. Technology has given mankind a tremendous edge, a niche ordinarily filled by magic-use in a fantasy game. Having both side-by-side and working equally well may be enough to unbalance the game.
Armor use has become lost in the past; however, it is quite feasible that armor might be worn in extreme situations (Doc Savage had a chain-mesh shirt he sometimes worn on adventures). Of course, until the French army started handing out those wonderful steel skullcaps in 1915, one only wore a helmet ifhe was in the cavalry and there was a danger offalling on his head. It is not unreasonable to assume (by Pulp standards, that is) that there still exist pockets of long-lost civilizations whose inhabitants still use armor. During World War I, armor did come back into some use by cavalrymen and snipers.
Many of the professions that do still exist by the 1930s have become specific to distinct corners of the world, and are often attributed to a particular race or social class. For example, the Warrior Monk profession, developed in the Far East, would be most common to those of Oriental descent, while the expert woods-lore of the Ranger profession is likely falls into the realm of the American Indian. Professions should not be looked upon as racially specific. By the early twentieth century, careers were becoming more specialized, so some professions may be more appropriate in one culture than another.
The professions that are available depend heavily on the effect that magic has in the world. Listed below are the professions that are appropriate to the three different magic levels in Pulp Adventures.
Academics are non-spell users whose main pursuit in life is the acquisition of knowledge. They ordinarily fill a non-combative role, but rely on the maxim "mind over matter" when pressed into action. Education is essential; all academics will have completed at least four years of college-based education, and should have a particular field of endeavor that they specialize in. Academics are firm believers in science and technology. Thus they have better than average skills when manipulating mechanical devices. They usually specialize in a given field, be it anything from Archaeology to Psychology to Zoology.
An Academic may also find himself on the other side of the chalkboard, educating the masses for the sake of humanity and culture as a teacher, or work behind the scenes as a researcher. They often revel in their lifelong passions, collecting specimens the world over for their private collections, whether a rare tome on esoteric magic or a fossil of some extinct flora or fauna.
Prime Stats: Reasoning and Memory
If the GM is not running a No Magic campaign, the Academic may learn (at a high development point cost) spells from his chosen realm of magic.
Everyman Skills: choice of one Situational Awareness skill, Administration, Research
Occupational Skills: choice of one Lore • Academic skill
Restricted Skills: All skills in the categories marked with * (unless playing in a High Magic campaign)
Fighters will find it relatively easy to develop a variety of different weapons and to wear heavier types of anuor, if desired. They are less skilled in maneuvering and manipulating mechanical devices such as locks and traps. They have the greatest difficulty learning anything connected with science and/or academics. Fighters are a pretty standard lot; their profession existing anyv/here from the military to the boxing ring. Tne "War To End All Wars" assured that fighting would not become an extinct pastime.
Prime Stats: Constitution and Strength
If the GM is not running a No Magic campaign, the Fighter may learn (at a high development point cost) spells from his chosen realm of magic.
Everyman Skills: Situational Awareness: Combat, Leadership, Frenzy, any one non-Restricted Combat Maneuver, Boxing, Wrestling
Occupational Skills: None
Restricted Skills: All skills in the categories marked with * (unless playing in a High Magic campaign)
Normally each character has an "adventuring" profession, reflecting how his early training and life have molded his thought patterns. However, the Layman profession represents characters who do not have a standard "adventuring" profession. Most non-adventuring NPCs will have the Layman profession.
Prime Stats: None
If the GM is not running a No Magic campaign, the Layman may learn (at a high development point cost) spells from his chosen realm of magic.
Everyman Skills: None
Occupational Skills: any one Craft (and any associated skills from other categories, at the GM's discretion).
Restricted Skills: All skills in the categories marked with * (unless playing in a High Magic campaign)
The Noble Savage is a non-spell user who has been raised from an early age by wild animals or who has survived by himself since infancy in a wilderness setting. Isolated from civilization for most of his life, the Noble Savage often knows no other life than this simple, primitive one in which survival is the first and foremost concern, with wild beasts his only companions. His experiences with civilization are usually fleeting ones that leave the Noble Savage with base impressions of its advantages. By choice the he returns and remains in his wilderness home. A master of wilderness survival, the Noble Savage is usually assumes the mantle of guardian of his savage, adopted realm, protecting it from the depravities of modern "civilized" man. Famous Noble Savages might include: Tarzan of the Apes, Sheena—Queen of the Jungle, Ka-Zar—King of Fang and Claw, Kioga of the Wilderness, Jongor, Kaspa Starke, Jan of the Jungle, Kungai, Tam—Son of the Tiger, and Miota—the Jungle Goddess.
Thandar roared a thunderous challenge as he raced over the savanna, piercing the night with the fierce battle-cry o fhis people, the Golden Lions of Abbysinia.
Prime Stats: Empathy, Presence, and Self Discipline
If the GM is not running a No Magic campaign, the Noble Savage may learn (at a high development point cost) spells from his chosen realm of magic.
Everyman Skills: Brachiation, one skill from the Outdoor group
Occupational Skills: None
Restricted Skills: All skills in the categories marked with * (unless playing in a High Magic campaign)
Rogues have some expertise in thievery abilities and a more specialized knowledge of arms than that possessed by Fighters. Normally, a Rogue will be almost as good as a Fighter with one weapon of his choice. The cost, in development points, of developing his thievery skills will generally not allow him to be as good in these areas as a Thief, but his flexibility is unmatched by either profession.
Prime Stats: Agility and Strength
If the GM is not running a No Magic campaign, the Rogue may learn (at a high development point cost) spells from his chosen realm of magic.
Everyman Skills: Duping, choise of one Lore • Technical skill, choice of one Situational Awareness, one of either Boxing, Wrestling, or Brawling.
Occupational Skills: None
Restricted Skills: All skills in the categories marked with * (unless playing in a High Magic campaign)
This profession specializes in the repair and design of equipment in a specialty area. Technicians are more able to analyze and understand new items, as well as construct items of a technical nature. They also spend much of their time developing other people's ideas with their in-depth design skills. This is the perfect profession for a gadgeteer.
Prime Stats: Intuition and Reasoning
If the GM is not running a No Magic campaign, the Technician may learn (at a high development point cost) spells from his chosen realm of magic.
Everyman Skills: Research, choise of one Awareness • Senses, Gadgeteering
Occupational Skills: One Science/Analytic • Specialized skill, one Science/Analytic • Technical skill
Thieves specialize at maneuvering and manipulating. They have the easiest time learning mechanical skills (such as picking locks and disarming traps) and are fairly good at picking up weapon skills. Tnieves are also unusually adept at subterfuge skills (Stalking, Hiding, etc.). They rarely wear heavy armor, although armor does not especially hinder the exercising of their professional abilities other than limiting their maneuvering abilities. The gentile art of the "light-fingered gentry" is one that will never go out of style. Thievery types continue to ply their trade in the Pulp era, and probably will continue to do so as long as there are items prized yet unavailable to some, and altogether too easily obtained by others.
Prime Stats: Agility and Quickness
If the GM is not running a No Magic campaign, the Thief may learn (at a high development point cost) spells from his chosen realm of magic.
Everyman Skills: choice of one Situational Awareness skill, Duping, Subdual, Operating Equipment
Occupational Skills: Lock Lore
Restricted Skills: All skills in the categories marked with * (unless playing in a High Magic campaign)
Warrior monks are non spell users who are experts at maneuvering and martial arts. Warrior monks may learn to use nonnal weapons, although not as easily as others in the realm of Arms. They prefer to utilize unarmed combat. A particularly Oriental-viewed profession, it should be noted that many other cultures practice some fonn of the martial arts such as French Savate (kick-boxing).
Prime Stats: Quickness and Self Discipline
If the GM is not running a No Magic campaign, the Warrior Monk may learn (at a high development point cost) spells from his chosen realm of magic.
Everyman Skills: Sense Ambush, any one Combat Maneuver
Occupational Skills: None
Restricted Skills: All skills in the categories marked with * (unless playing in a High Magic campaign)
Healers are Hybrid spell users who combine the realms of Channeling and Mentalism. While they do not generally heal others through the use of spells, the Healer is well trained in the mundane skills of doctors and surgeons.
Prime Stats: Intuition, Presence, and Self Discipline
Special Note This profession should not be played in a No Magic campaign.
The Healer may learn (at a high development point cost) Open and Closed Channeling and Mentalism spell lists. If the GM is running a High Magic campaign, the GM may also choose to allow the Healer to develop base lists.
Everyman Skills: Adrenal Stabilization, Herb Lore, Use Prepared Herbs, Foraging, and a choice of one of Surgery, Second Aid, or Midwifery
Occupational Skills: None
Restricted Skills: All skills in the categories marked with * (unless playing in a High Magic campaign)
Mystics are Hybrid spell users who combine the realms of Essence and Mentalism; they have concentrated on subtle spells of misdirection and modification. Mystics use the power of their spells to enhance their confidence abilities.
Prime Stats: Empathy, Presence, and Self Discipline
Special Note This profession should not be played in a No Magic campaign.
The Mystic may learn (at a high development point cost) Open and Closed Essence and Mentalism spell lists. If the GM is running a High Magic campaign, the GM may also choose to allow the Mystic to develop base lists.
Everyman Skills: Time Sense, Adrenal Stabilization, Magic Ritual, Meditation
Occupational Skills: None
Restricted Skills: All skills in the categories marked with * (unless playing in a High Magic campaign)
Sorcerers are Hybrid spell users who combine the realms of Essence and Channeling, concentrating on spells of destruction. This is typically the profession of an "evil" spell caster, generally the villain of a particular adventure.
Prime Stats: Empathy, Intuition, and Self Discipline
Special Note This profession should not be played in a No Magic campaign.
The Sorcerer may learn (at a high development point cost) Open and Closed Essence and Channeling spell lists. In addition, the Sorcerer may learn Evil spell lists from Essence and Channeling (subject to the GM's approval). If the GM is running a High Magic campaign, the GM may also choose to allow the Sorcerer to develop base lists.
Everyman Skills: Magic Ritual, Meditation, Divination
Occupational Skills: None
Restricted Skills: All skills in the categories marked with * (unless playing in a High Magic campaign)
Bards are Semi spell users who combine the realm of Mentalism with the realm of Arms. They concentrate on entertaining people including singing, playing instruments, tale telling, and acting.
Prime Stats: Memory and Presence
Special Note This profession should not be played in a No Magic campaign.
The Bard may learn (at a high development point cost) Open and Closed Mentalism spell lists. If the GM is running a High Magic campaign, the GM may also choose to allow the Bard to develop base lists.
Everyman Skills: Choice of one skill in the Influence skill category.
Occupational Skills: None
Restricted Skills: All skills in the categories marked with * (unless playing in a High Magic campaign)
Monks are Semi spell users who combine the realm of Essence with the realm of Arms. They are concerned with the control of their bodies and minds, while their arms capabilities are concentrated in unarmored, unarmed combat. Monks differ from Warrior monks in that Monks have the added mystery of spell use.
Prime Stats: Self Discipline and Empathy
Special Note This profession should not be played in a No Magic campaign.
The Monk may learn (at a high development point cost) Open and Closed Essence spell lists. If the GM is running a High Magic campaign, the GM may also choose to allow the Monk to develop base lists.
Everyman Skills: None
Occupational Skills: Meditation
Restricted Skills: All skills in the categories marked with * (unless playing in a High Magic campaign)
Rangers are Semi spell users who combine the realm of Channeling with the realm of Arms. They tend to focus their skills on survival and tracking in the wilderness. A Ranger has a particularly close relationship with nature and has found a mystical power for his spells.
Prime Stats: Constitution and Intuition
Special Note This profession should not be played in a No Magic campaign.
The Ranger may learn (at a high development point cost) Open and Closed Channeling spell lists. If the GM is running a High Magic campaign, the GM may also choose to allow the Ranger to develop base lists.
Everyman Skills: None
Occupational Skills: None
Restricted Skills: All skills in the categories marked with * (unless playing in a High Magic campaign)
In a No Magic setting, there is no need for a realm of power, so this step of character creation is ignored entirely. In a Low Magic or High Magic setting, all characters should choose a realm of power (according to the normal RMSR rules).
There are no Base Lists for any profession in Pulp Adventures, regardless of the Magic level of the setting. Optionally, the Gamemaster may allow base lists in a High Magic campaign. If so, treat this process exactly as presented in RMSR. Note that only Healers, Mystics, and Sorcerers would get extra base lists in the Pulp genre (also, GMs may decide to allow these spell users to take any appropriate Evil spell lists as their base lists).
The process for generating stats in the Pulp setting works exactly as presented in RMSR.
The process for determining skills gained during Adolescence is almost identical to what is presented in RMSR. The only difference is that you use T-1.6 (Modern) instead of the table in RMSR.
Note that there are several new types of skills gained in Adolescence. Many times, you will have a choice of several possible skills. When this occurs, you may split the ranks shown among any number of skills within the group. For example, Industrial/Rural/Middle income characters get 4 ranks in Lore skill categories. This may be split among the four Lore skill categories in any way.
Background options in the Pulp setting are handled slightly differently than in the typical fantasy setting. Most importantly, all characters get 6 background options. These background options may only be spent as detailed below.
Note: If using Talent Law, all cultures will get 55 Talent Points to spend. Not all Talents are available. See the tables below for suggested Talents and Flaws.
This option may be selected exactly as detailed in the RMSR (i.e., twenty extra ranks to be assigned as indicated by the race you have selected).
You may spend one or more background options (or 10 Talent Points) to make one or more rolls on the Extra Money portion of the background option table. Use the column on the table that matches your selected Income level for your character.
Note that when you use more than one background option, you do not select the result you want, you simply make another roll on the appropriate column of the table.
This background option works exactly as detailed in the RMSR (i.e., one background option or 15 Talent Points may be spent to gain an extra stat gain roll for each of the character's stats).
You may spend one or more background options (or 10 Talent Points) to make one or more rolls on the Special Items portion of the background option table. Use the column on the table that matches your selected Income level for your character.
Note that when you use more than one background option, you do not select the result you want; you simply make another roll on the appropriate column of the table.
This background option works exactly as detailed in the RMSR (i.e., one background option may be spent to gain a special bonus of+5 to a skill category or a special bonus of +10 to a specific skill).
This background option works exactly as detailed in the RMSR. However, GM's should determine which Talents and Flaws are appropriate for his setting.
As a new option, a character can spend one background option (or 10 Talent Points) to halve (round up) the cost of any training package. This option may be selected more than once, but each subsequent selection halves the already halved cost (the second choice reduces the cost to 25% of normal, etc.). This only affects training packages developed during Apprenticeship.
Apprenticeship skill development works basically in the same fashion as detailed in the RMSR. There are a few modifications to the normal procedures, but these are detailed below.
Development Points are calculated in exactly the same fashion as shown in the RMSR.
The Standard Skill Category Development Point Cost Table T-2.8 is replaced by the table below. This table includes all the professions appropriate to the Pulp genre (and ali the skill categories appropriate the Pulp genre).
Variable DP costs are handled as presented in the RMSR. Occupational, Everyman, and Restricted skills are handled exactly as presented in the RMSR with the following exceptions. There are new Training Packages that have been made available to Pulp characters and not all old Training Packages are appropriate for Pulp characters. The Training Package DP Cost Table T-2.7 is replaced by the table below.
Note: Characters can now spend background options to decrease the cost oftraining packages.
This section details new skills that have developed by the Pulp era in the twentieth century. Many of these skills have evolved due to the advent oftechnology, while others are particular to the Pulp genre itself. Each skill listed fits into an existing standard skill category as detailed in Rolemaster Standard Rules.
Three new categories have been added to the standard categories. These categories (along with the necessary statistical information) are shown on the below. These categories are treated just like all other categories in the Rolemaster Standard System (note that it is assumed that the necessary weapon categories have been added from Weapon Law).
Note: Some skill categories might need a slightly different definition than before (based upon the inclusion ofnew categories). For example with the addition of the two new science categories, the Science • Specialized category should now be considered to be all sciences that do notfall within one of the other categories.
In addition to new categories, many new skills should be added to the normal list. These skills are listed below, by category.
Note: No skill list is intended to be comprehensive. The GM should add whatever skills he deems appropriate for his game. Remember that a skill should be worth the development points spent on it.
The only old skill that is modified is Adrenal Toughness. This skill should be moved to the Self Control skill category (though it should remain classified as Restricted). This reflects the fact that many Pulp heroes were able to shrug off the effects of wounds and combat with seeming ease (as the Self Control skill category is significantly cheaper to develop).
The following gives skill descriptions for all the new skills presented in this book. The skills are grouped by category.
Bicycling: This bonus is applied to all maneuvers for piloting vehicles operated by manual power (e.g., bicycle, pedal copters, etc.) Each vehicle type must be developed as a separate skill. GMs should use the result of the maneuver as a gauge of how fast the pilot of the vehicle is able to travel (as a maximum). {Ag}
Brachiation: This skill provides a bonus for all maneuvers involving swinging from tree to tree or vine to vine, similar to a monkey. {Ag}
Skydiving: Bonus for all skydiving maneuvers, performing maneuvers while in freefall, and for the use of various forms of parachutes. {Ag}
Combat Pilot: This skill may only be used in a combat situation (when the character is under fire). The pilot may make a maneuver roll to increase his vehicle's OB and/or DB. The character should roll d100 (open-ended) and add his skill bonus in this skill. Look up the result on the Moving Maneuver Table (with a difficulty of Sheer Folly). Any result from the table may be split between the craft's DB and any OB the craft may have that round. Skill must be developed separately for each type of vehicle. {In}
Note: The Combat Pilot skill rank cannot exceed the character skill rank in the appropriate piloting skill.
Crewmember AFV: This skill bonus applied to maneuvers when driving! piloting Armored Fighting Vehicles (tanks, APC, etc.). This skill must be developed separately for each different type of AFV. {In}
Demolitions: This skill is used whenever the character wants to set demolition charges or otherwise use explosives. The character should make a maneuver roll using this skill (using a difficulty that should be modified by the complexity of the explosive device and the item or area wanting to be destroyed). Any numerical result on the Moving Maneuver Table is the percentage of the item or area that is destroyed. {In}
Mounted Weapons Ambush: This skill allows a projectile gunner to strike an opponent more precisely than normal, as reflected in manipulation of the critical roll (as per normal Ambush rules). Before adjusting the critical result, the gunner must successfully make a maneuver using this skill (as per the normal rules of Ambush). This skill may only be used when the target is completely unaware that it is about to be attacked and is not employing evasive tactics. If not, the gunner may not use this skill. {In}
Speed Reading: This skill is used for the quick assimilation of data from a written (readable) format. A successful maneuver allows reading the material at two to three times the normal speed with full memory of the text. A failure indicates a distraction of some sort, the attempt fails, and normal reading speed takes over. The GM may choose to allow another attempt with a negative modifier. {Me}
Brainwashing: This skill involves the ability to subvert the will of another being to obey and believe whatever the controller wishes him to believe. It is the conquering of one's individuality, by gradually wearing down the person's mental endurance. However, this is a long process requiring days, sometimes weeks, of constant exposure to "reprogram" a person for the desired results.
The person attempting a Brainwashing maneuver makes a maneuver roll. Ifhe is successful, the target must make an RR. The attack level of the RR is equal to the number of ranks the brainwashing character has in this skill. The target's resistance level is equal to the sum of both his Reasoning and Self Discipline stat bonuses (with a minimum of one). How convinced the target is of the brainwashing attempt may be gauged by the original maneuver roll. GM's can treat each point over 100 as a percentage of "belief' in the target. For example, if the original maneuver resulted in a 131, the target would believe about 31 % of what the controller wanted him to believe. {SD}
Savor-Faire: This skill provides a bonus for knowing how to "fit in" and to behave correctly in an unfamiliar situation. This skill is used to determine such things as table manners, when to laugh at ajoke, politeness, social common sense, etc. The Anthropology skill may be used instead of Savior-Faire if the appropriate culture has been studied. {Em}
Art History: Bonus for recognizing famous works of art, their artist, and when they were created. The skill can also be used to determine the style the artist used (e.g., Baroque, Gothic, Cubism, etc.). {Me}
Canon: Bonus for the performance of religious ceremonies and practices in the fashion deemed proper by one's faith (e.g., saying mass, performing sacrament, chanting, etc.). {SD}
Comparative Religion: Bonus for recognition and identification of similarities and differences among various religions within a category (e.g., Christianity, Buddhism, etc.). {Me}
Journalism: Bonus for writing and presenting information in adirect, accurate, and understandable format. This form of writing conveys facts and occurrences and spends little time on analysis and interpretation. Journalism consists of collecting, writing, and editing news articles for newspaper, magazines, and broadcast news media. Such writing may be on any topic, provided the research materiais are available for finding the necessary facts. {Pr}
Political Science: Bonus for the ability to influence, guide, or even take over the control of a government. The skill also includes all the knowledge of the structure of a government, where the levels of power within the government rest, methods of getting into office, etc. This skill must be developed separately for each type of government and each culture. {Pr}
Religious History: Bonus for knowing the history of a specific religion. This includes the origins of the faith, major characters, major events, how the faith spread (if it did), etc. This skill must be developed separately for each religion. However, several different religious histories may be developed simultaneously, provided appropriate research materials are available. {Re}
Sociology: Bonus for the study of group interaction under various conditions like stress, peer pressure, fear, etc. This skill may be used to predict the reaction of a given group under designated conditions, to specific actions or topics of discussion, etc. This skill may also be used to determine how to induce a desired reaction from a specific group. {Em}
Visual Arts: Bonus for the appreciation and in-depth understanding of works of art. This skill includes the ability to effectively criticize a work of art. This skill encompasses all art forms of the visual nature. {In}
Physics: This skill provides a bonus to understanding of things such as matter, and energy, and their interactions. {In}
Autopsy: Bonus for acquiring information from dead bodies. Such information may include determining the exact cause of death when numerous injuries are present on the body, or what type of weapon was used to cause a specific injury. Cause of death may be determined even when no injuries are present, such as by poison, stroke, heart attack, chemical abuse, the unusual removal of all vital minerals from the body, etc. All possibilities are covered under this skill, although the GM may feel that certain situations call for increased difficulty. For example, a difficult to detect, poison-induced a heart attack which will appear natural might impose -30 to the character's Autopsy maneuver. This skill may also be used to determine information such as the time of death, in what order injuries may have been caused, and the age of each separate injury, if received at significant time intervals. {In}
Drug Therapy: Bonus for the use of pharmaceuticals in the treatment of illness and/or injury. This skill includes the determination of the amount of a pharmaceutical needed, and over how long a period it must be taken to clear up the affliction. Improper use of this skill could result in tragedy, including addiction, worsened health conditions, side effects, even death. {Re}
Medical Practice: Bonus to perform operative procedures, including the use of surgical and standard medical equipment. When a character acquires his sixth rank in this skill, he has the minimum training necessary to receive the proper certification for the purchase and use of field medical equipment and healing drugs. {Ag}
Note: These skill ranks for certification are recommendations; the GM may wish to raise or lower them, or perhaps abolish them all together as he sees fit for his particular campaign.
Medical Sciences: Development of specialty areas in practice or research wi thin the medical fields. Each area must be developed separately. For example, Medical Sciences (Anesthesiology) or Medical Sciences (Dermatology) might be developed. {In}
Pharmaceuticals: Bonus for the recognition, identification, and knowledge of the effects produced by pharmaceuticals. This does not include knowledge of the proper use and safety measures required for drugs (e.g., medicinal, narcotic/recreational). {In}
Criminal Technology: This is a bonus for the maintenance and repair of crime-oriented devices. This skill may also be used for modifications not involving significant redesign, for which Criminal Engineering would be more appropriate. This skill must be developed for each specific area. For example, Counterfeiting, Forgery, Security Systems, Surveillance, and Tracking are all examples of specific areas of Criminal Technology. {Ag}
Electronic Technology: Bonus for the repair and maintenance of electronic equipment. This skill covers a wide range of electronic fields, but each must be developed separately by the character. {Re}
Gadgeteering: This skill provides a bonus to creating inventions that defy current scientific practices. These gadgets are usually smaller, more powerful, or slightly futuristic modifications of existing items. See Section 3.4 Gadgets and Gizmos. {Re}
Genetic Technology: This skill involves the actual alteration of existing gene patterns and abilities (as opposed to the science of breeding: Genetics). The skill covers all methods of inducing genetic manipulation (e.g., bombardment by a specific radiation to perform a specified desired mutation). This skill is typically used by villains to create a super-soldier or other genetically superior creation. {In}
Mechanical Technology: The repair of machines involving moving parts, excluding those covered by other technical skills. A separate skill must be developed for each separate field of knowledge. {Ag}
Weapon Technology: Bonus for the repair and maintenance of weapons and weapon systems, as well as defensive systems. Each field of weapons should be developed as a separate skill. For example, Explosives, Missile Artillery, Mounted Projectile Weapons, and Firearms would be different classes within this skill. {Ag}
Adrenal Reload: This skill provides a bonus to quickly reload a firearm. If the static maneuver is successful, the time to reload a weapon is halved; otherwise reloading takes the normal time. This skill does not count against the one adrenal move every other round limit. {Ag}
Sniping: Sniping allows an attacker using a single shot projectile weapon to adjust a critical roll against an unaware target. This skill is used exactly like the Ambush skill (in the Subterfuge • Attack skill category) except that this skill affects only missile weapons. {Ag}
Targeting: If this skill is used successfully, the targetter can reduce his range penalties for a given missile attack. The first requisite for using this skill is that the declared attack must be made during the Deliberate Action Phase of the combat round (which means that the attack must be resolved as one of the last actions in the combat round).
In addition, to use this skill, the character must have an optical sighting device on his weapon (e.g., a scope of some kind). All sighting devices are assigned a Targeting Class (ranged from I to VII), which represents the maximum that the range penalty can be reduced. Multiply the class by 5 to determine the maximum reduction to range penalties that the particular sight provides.
The character makes a maneuver roll and if the result is successful, the range penalty for the current attack is reduced by the lesser of his skill bonus or the sighting device's Targeting Class times five. {SD}
Garrote: This skill allows an unknown assailant to attack with a garrote, intending to render the target unconscious. To use the Garrote skill, a character must approach his foe undetected and be able to strike before the foe can react. To resolve a garrote attack, the attacker makes a moving maneuver and adds his Garrote OB. The base difficulty for the maneuver is Easy. However, this difficulty increases by one level for every 5 full points of DB the target has at the time of the attack (e.g., a +17 DB increases the difficulty to Hard). Look up the total in the Moving Maneuver Table.
If the result is a number, the target must make an RR to stay conscious. The base RR attack level is equal to 10% of the number from the Moving Maneuver Table (round up). The target's level is equal to his Co stat bonus (minimum of 1). If the target fails his RR, he falls unconscious. If he makes his RR, he must roll again next round, but the attack level iilcreases by the base RR attack level. Forexample, if the first RR was made versus level 6, the next RR is made versus level 12 (then level 18, etc.) Repeat this procedure until the target is unconscious. While being choked, the victim has any maneuver he attempts modified by -30.
If the original moving maneuver resulted in a text description at the top of the chart (i.e., a very good attack maneuver), the victim must still make an RR (versus a 20th level attack) but this RR is to avoid death (i.e., failing this RR results in a broken neck).
If the original moving maneuver resulted in a "fail to act" result, the target still makes and RR (versus a 1st level attack), and success indicates he is free from the attacker. Any other text result indicates that the maneuver failed. After the victim is unconscious, the attacker can choose to automatically kill the victim or leave him unconscious. {St}
Safe Cracking: More involved than picking locks, this skill enables the character to open or deactivate specialized locks used for high security systems such as vaults, in which the locking mechanisms are so complex that the locks must be destroyed, removed, or accessed by unusual means. An example would be "peeling," in which the face of the safe's door is pried or peeled back to reach the mechanism. Application of this skill takes a lot of time in some cases. This skill also covers attempts to listen to the tumblers as a combination lock spins. {SD}
Security Operations: Bonus for determining the details of an observed security system. This could be identifying individual aspects and how they are linked, or determining how many guards patrol an area and how often they make their rounds. This skill would also cover making simple flow charts of how the system operates, and recognizing backup systems. {SD}
Tax Evasion: Bonus for manipulating one's tax forms to keep from paying taxes, or to make a profit at the government's expense. {In}
Aircraft Pilot: This skiIl provides a bonus to maneuvering a self-powered air vehicle. This skill needs to be developed separately for the following types of vehicles: airplane, glider, autogyro, balloon, zeppelin (this includes blimp and dirigible) and helicopter. {Ag}
Billiards: Bonus for setting up and making billiard shots, whether straight or trick shots. Different forms of billiards must be developed separately. {SD}
Boat Captain: This skill provides a bonus to maneuvering a self-powered water vehicle. This skill needs to be developed separately for the following types of vehicles: motorboat, ship, and submarine. {Ag}
Driving (Mechanical): This skill provides a bonus to maneuvering a self-powered ground vehicle. This skill needs to be developed separately for each different type of vehicle. {Ag}
Sailing: This skill provides a bonus to maneuvering a wind-powered water vehicle. This skill needs to be developed separately for the following types ofvehicles: sailboat, yacht, catamaran, and multi-masted. {Ag}
Train Engineer: This skill provides a bonus to maneuvering a self-powered rail vehicle. This skill needs to be developed separately for the following types of vehicles: steam-powered and diesel-powered. {Ag}
Mechanic: This skill provides a bonus to modifying and repairing a vehicle. Each type of vehicle must be developed separately such as airplane, autogyro, balloon, car, motorboat, motorcycle, submarine, tank, truck, zeppelin. {In}
Below is a table summarizing all the talents that are appropriate to a Pulp Adventures game. In addition to the category and point cost for each talent, the page number where the talent may be found is also listed. TL refers to a page in Talent Law, while PA refers to a talent found in Pulp Adventures. If randomly rolling a talent , roll a d10 to determine which table to use. If the result is a 1 to 5, use Table I. If the result is a 6 to 10, use Table II.
Aura of Fear (uncontrollable): There is something about you that gives people the creeps. All who approach within 10 feet of you must make a Resistance Roll versus Fear. If they fail by more than 50 they must flee from you as quickly as possible. If they fail by less than 50, they operate at -25 while they remain within ten feet. The Aura of Fear is always present and can never be dispelled or dismissed. [10 points]
Aura of Fear (controllable): As Aura of Fear (uncontrollable) however, you may turn it on and off at will. [25 points]
Fear is your greatest weapon. The criminals you prey on cannot pull the triggers on their guns due to theirtrembling. You strikefear into the hearts ofall who would oppose you.
Cinematic Luck: You have the kind of luck that only seems to happen in books or movies. For you, a one-in-a-million chance happens one time out of six. Twice per game session, the player may re-roll any dice result for his character. [40 points]
When it really counts, you can be relied on to come through. No matter how unlikely the odds, youfeel comfortable thatyou will succeed. Youfeel thatLady Luck smiles upon you, and you may be right. Your luck is the kind that legends speak of
Cinematic Reflexes: Your skill with firearms coupled with your hypersensitive reflexes allow you to react with incredible, almost unbelievable, speed. You may use your Firearm skills to parry firearm attacks. [20 points]
You never know when the crack of a gun will send a bullet zipping by your face. You are always prepared to dodge enemy fire. You dodge gunfire and are always conscious of any potential cover. Your reactions to gunfire are almost uncanny and certainly unbelievable to all except those who actually witness your astounding reflexes.
Contact: You have a friend in a helpful place. If you need a favor or some information, he will provide it to you to the best of his ability. This is helpful because you cannot be everywhere at once, or know everything that is going on. Your contact is one of your best tools in solving a mystery. You have a contact that is in a powerful position and can pull strings for you or provide a vast amount of information for you, provided that you can communicate with him. You must determine who the contact is and how you know him, subject to the GM's approval. The cost of a contact is dependent on the contact's power and range of influence.
Contact (greater): This contact's range of influence is generally national in scope. Examples include a large corporation's president, the Director of the FBI, a general in the Army, the head of an intelligence agency, or a Mafia boss in charge of the whole syndicate. [40 points]
Contact (major): This contact's range of intluence is usually restricted to a region such as a state or large city, or their power is limited in scope. Examples include a state governor, an executive at a corporation, the chief of the state police, a colonel in the Army, or the Mafia boss in charge of a region. [20 points]
Contact (minor): This contact's power is usually restricted to information only or has a very limited area of influence. Rarely, they can pull some strings to help the character, but usually this is only within a small geographic area. Examples include university professors, police chief or mayor, a private in the Army, a middle manager in a corporation, the secretary of an executive, a local criminal, or a newspaper reporter. [10 points]
Favor (greater): A favor (greater) is like a contact (greater), except that it can only be used once. When the character "cashes in" the favor, he may no longer caII on that contact for anything. Again, the contact cannot reveal information he does not know nor do things he cannot normaIIy accomplish. [20 points]
Favor (major): As favor (greater) except the contact is a contact (major). [10 points]
Favor (minor): As favor (greater) except the contact is a contact (minor). [5 points]
Uncooperative Contact (greater): This is a contact (greater) who will help you, but only under duress or through coercion. Perhaps the uncooperative contact is a rival who owes you something, a criminal who is plea-bargaining for a reduced sentence, or someone who is helping you under the threat of violence. To get help from an uncooperative contact, you must give them reason to do so and offer them some service, potential reward, or punishment. You must determine why the contact is uncooperative and what is required to secure their assistance, subject to GM's approval. [20 points]
Uncooperative Contact (major): As uncooperative contract (greater) except the contact is a contact (major). [10 points]
Uncooperative Contact (minor): As uncooperative contract (greater) except the contact is a contact (minor). [5 points]
Uncooperative Favor (greater): As uncooperative contact (greater) except that once the contact is used, it is lost. [10 points]
Uncooperative Favor (major): As uncooperative contact (major) except that once the contact is used, it is lost. [5 points]
Uncooperative Favor (minor): As uncooperative contact (minor) except that once the contact is used, it is lost. [3 points]
You always kept in touch with your college roommate. You were goodfriends in school and continue to carry thatfricndship over into adulthood. On occasion, you find yourself needing some information about a current case. When this happens, you know you oniy need to pick up the phone and call your old college buddy. Because he owns the city newspaper, he always has a line on what is really going on.
Financial Wizard: You have an innate knack for managing money. You can sense the right time to buy and sell stocks, which new ideas will capture the public imerest, and the best way to deliver a product. You are one of the lucky few to get out of the stock market just before the Great Crash. You do not necessarily have premonitions about anything in particuiar. You just get a strange feeling whenever you need to make a crucial financial decision. You receive a +25 to any maneuver involving money, finances, or potential profitability. It is up to the GM's discretion whether a particular situation warrants the bonus or not. [10 points]
You first encountered this feeling in 1929. The day before the Great Crash you felt that you should do something else with Jour money. The next day you were stunned to see those around you lose their fortunes while you maintained yours. Since then, you have trusted your "feeling" when dealing with anything financial and you have not lost money since.
Gadgeteer Friend: You have a friend who is always inventing something. While you do not quite understand the science behind each of his new inventions, you gladly put them to good use in your crusade. Your gadgeteer friend provides gizmos for you to use at half of the normal cost. He will also fix any broken items for free. [15 points]
There was always something strange about Harold. He was always excitable and would babble on about his latest discovery, usually while pushing his glasses back up onto the bridge ofhis nose. His house looks like some mad scientist's lab out of a horror movie. On the other hand, you do have to admit that Harold's gadgets work (more often than not) and have helped you out ofa scrape or two. But you often wonder, he is definitely a genius, so why doesn't he tighten the screws on his glasses?
Good Timing: You always seem to arrive just in the nick of time. No matter what slows you down, no matter how long you spend fighting the villain's thugs, you can rest assured that you will be able to confront the villain just before he sets his evil plan into action. [10 points]
You know you need to hurry to save her, but obstacles keep getting your way. First was the dogs guarding the villain's hideout, then it was the sentries just inside the door. A few traps and an involved fight with the main henchman all ate up precious time. You are not too worried though, if history is any judge you will walk into the villain's chambers just before he throws the switch to drop her into the vat of molten wax.
Magical Training: All skills in the Directed Spells, Lore • Magical, Power Awareness, Power Point Development, and Power Manipulation skill categories are considered "normal" (not restricted). [20 points]
It was on that last archaeological dig that youfound the ancient tome. Translating it from ancient Sumerian was not easy, but you have succeeded. What it told you was amazing! There is energy out there than can be tapped by you, all you have to do is practice and you can do truly supernatural things.
Natural Captain (major) You were born with sea legs. There is nothing you like better than standing on the pitching deck of your boat, calmly guiding her into the heart of a thunderstorm. You have innate skill when it comes to piloting a ship. You receive a +25 to all Boat Captain or Sailing maneuvers. [15 points]
Natural Captain (minor) You receive a +25 to all Boat Captain or Sailing maneuvers done in a certain type of vehicle (sailboat, motorboat, ship, or submarine). [10 points]
When you learned that your grandfather was an admiral in the Navy, you were not surprised. You always felt that the sea was your second home. Since you could walk, you have enjoyed the ocean. When you were old enough, you would take the family boat out on excursions to explore the seven seas. Since then, you have purchased your own boat and can be found out there mostofthe time.
Natural Driver (major) You have been driving since you were a teenager. You have always been in control of your vehicle, whether driving in the rain, through snow, on ice, or on dry pavement. You have an innate skill when it comes to driving. You receive a +25 to all Automobile Driving maneuvers. [15 points]
Natural Driver (minor) You receive a +25 to all Automobile Driving maneuvers done in a certain type of vehicle (automobile, truck, motorcycle, or tracked). [10 points]
You are one with your vehicle, You know just how much force to apply to the steering wheel, how far down to press the brakes, and when to press the accelerator. You enjoy feeling the G-forces on your body when you go into a tight turn, the squeal of rubber on pavement when you stop suddenly. You feel most alive when you are driving.
Natural Pilot (major) You feel as if you were born behind the stick of an airplane. When you have your hand on the stick and your feet on the rudder pedals, you feel completely in control. You have innate skill when it comes to piloting flying vehicles. You receive a +25 to all Aircraft Pilot maneuvers. [15 points]
Natural Pilot (minor) You receive a +25 to all Aircraft Pilot maneuvers done in a certain type of aircraft (single-engine airplane, multi-engine airplane, autogyro, airship, or hang glider). [10 points]
It was not until World War I that you finally found your true calling. Your commanding officer ordered you to learn how to fly so that he could get accurate information about the battlefield. You were sent to a British airbase and taught how to fly. You stunned your instructors by finishing the course in half the normal time. When you were in your plane, you could make it do things that made the designers shudder. You seem to know when to let up on the stick orjust when to press the rudder to keep the plane from falling apart, and when it comes to dogfighting, you are superb. Since the war, you have tried to stay in the cockpit as much as possible.
Sidekick You have a partner who follows you everywhere and helps you in your activities. He is not as skilled as you are, more like a hero-in-training, but he makes up for that in enthusiasm. Your sidekick is an NPC controlled by the GM. His profession is the same as yours; his level typically starts at half of yours. The GM will create the sidekick, although you may add your input on what he should be like. [15 points]
You are not sure where the kid came from. He just started following you around one day, showing up wherever you were trying his best to help you out. Whenever he looked at you, you saw hero worship in his eyes. An orphaned street urchin, judging from the rags he called clothes. He had no home, so you decided to take him in. You have started teaching him what you know and he has proven a more-than-apt pupil. Together you set out to make the world better for mankind.
Simulate Death You can enter into a state of suspended animation that appears deathlike (it takes 1 minute to do this). Only a detailed examination will determine that you are still alive. Your heartbeat, breathing, digestion, and all other bodily functions are slowed to the point that your body only requires one-tenth of the normal amounts of food, water, and air to sustain itself. Before you enter this state, you must specify when you will wake up. If you wish to wake up before that time, you must make a -50 Alertness static maneuver; otherwise you remain in your death-like state. [10 points]
The monks taught you all of their secrets. The greatest of these was to feign death. By controlling your heartbeat, you could enter into a trance vastly reducing the amount of food, water, and air you needed. You have only had to use this skill once, when you were trapped in that abandoned mine, but it definitely saved your life.
Below is a table summarizing all the flaws that are appropriate to a Pulp Adventures game. In addition to the category and point cost for each flaw, the page number where the flaw may be found is also listed. TL refers to a page in Talent Law, while PA refers to a flaw found in Pulp Adventures. If randomly rolling a flaw, roll a d10 to determine which table to use. If the result is a 1 to 5, use Table I. If the result is a 6 to 10, use Table II.
Another Pretty Face You are a sucker for a pretty face. You cannot refuse a request for help from an attractive member of the opposite sex. This often forces you to do things that under normal circumstances you would outright refuse. Villains who are aware of this weakness will often take great steps in exploiting it. [-5 points]
It started out as just another day. I poured myself a shot of scotch and ran my hands over the stubble on my face. I decided there was nothing worth shaving for today so I turned my attention back to the bottle. As I felt the scotch starting to numb my senses, she walked in. I knew even before she spoke that I would take her case, I only hoped it paid well.
Bad Timing This is the opposite of good timing. You are always just a few seconds too late. You have seen more elevators close in your face than you care to remember. You never make it to the train before it leaves. If anyone needs rescuing, you have to be very creative as you know you will only have a few moments to react, since whatever fate that will befall the victim will already have started by the time you get there. [-5 points]
Too little, too late. That has become your motto. No matter how hard you try, no matter how early you leave, you always just miss whatever appointmentyou have set. Youfeel that maybe one day, you will catch a break, but that has not happened yet.
Calling Card This is really a variant of the Compulsive Behavior flaw, You must leave some kind of symbol to link you with the actions you do, This could be anything from leaving behind a playing card for the authorities to find to branding your symbol on the forehead of those you defeat. The only requirement is that the calling card must be placed, even if it means the character himself is in danger. [-5 points]
You want to strike fear into the criminal element, so every time you stop a ciime you make certain to leave your skull ring. Soon, wherever injustice is done, they will fear the skull, and its owner The Reaper!
Companion (Sidekick) You are the sidekick to another hero, either a PC or NPC. While you are in the presence of the hero, your DB is doubled, your Fumble range is doubled, and your Breakage and Reliability scores are increased by 1. When in combat, you often distract your opponent, causing him to strike at you instead of the hero, thus providing the hero with the ability to plan a more devastating attack. You must pick five skill categories that your hero possesses. You may never have any skills in these categories with a total greater than 10 less than what your hero has. If you are ever away from your hero for any reason, you immediately lose all bonuses and penalties. [-5 points]
After your parents were murdered, all you wanted was revenge. Mr. Baines was kind enough to take you in, and he later revealed to you that he was The Wraith! He offered to train you and teach you how to be a crimefighter like himself and you jumped at the chance. Thus The Spirit was born.
Evil Twin (minor): You were born with an identical twin. Unfortunately, while you and your twin look exactly the same, the similarity ends there. You are total opposites when it comes to personality. While you try uphold good and see that justice prevails, your twin tries to lie, cheat, steal, and kill. Your twin hates you for the "goody-two-shoes" that you are, resenting how easily life comes to you. After numerous attempts to reform your twin, you have finally resigned yourself to the hard and bitter truth that he will never change. While you have not seen your twin for many years, you know he will come back into your life someday. Your twin will do anything, including impersonating you, to effect your ruin and advance his own agenda. The GM is free to use your evil twin as often as he likes, although he is most effective if his appearance is infrequent and unexpected. [-15 points]
Evil Twin (major): You have an evil twin (minor), but you are unaware of the fact. As far as you know, you were an only child, or at least of a singular birth. When this news is finally uncovered, this could lead you to attempt to right your twin's wrongs or at the very least a reconciliation. In any case you will always be reluctant to harm or injure him. Again, the appearance of the unknown evil twin is left to the GM's discretion. [-20 points]
You wondered why all the people in this town were scared of you when you had only arrived that very morning. Yet everywhere you went, people would avert their eyes and shrink away. lf you spoke to any of them, their answers were always short and terse, as if they wished they were somewhere else, or better yet, YOU were. And then, during the night, you were attacked by a large group of locals. It was not until later, when you uncovered the mastermind of the plot to discredit you, that you discovered why the townsfolk were so hostile. The mastermind was your own twin brother. He had ransacked the town, just days before you got there, knowing you were on your way.
Night Blindness: You see perfectly well during the day; however, all penalties for seeing in dark or dusk conditions are doubled. [-10 points]
You have 20/20 vision during the day. Once nightfalls, though. you are blindas a bat. Atfirst your disability worried you; you feared it would lead to complete blindness. Now, however. you have learned to live with it; you carry a flashlight wherever you go.
Strangeness Attractor: Your whole life has been one strange occurrence after another. You seem to attract the strange, the bizarre, the just plain weird. If aliens were ever to land on Earth, they would unerringly pick your backyard; if someone lost some ancient and powerful relic, you would stumble over it while looking for your wallet. You have a rough time keeping up relationships, be they romantic or platonic, because you are constantly breaking off appointments due to some unforeseen and quite unbelievable circumstance. For whatever reason, you are a magnet to the weird. When something unusual must happen, chances are it will happen to you. Strange packages delivered in the middle of the night, ominous premonitions and dreams, or mystic possessions are just some of the occurrences that your character might encounter. It is up to the GM to fit this flaw into the campaign. This will usually help to introduce your character into a particular adventure, but most of the time strange things occur just because, and of course, when you least expect it. The oniy limitation to these happenings is that they not be immediately fatal; otherwise the GM has free reign. [-5 points]
Being hit by lightning was not, in itself, strange. Being hit twice in one week was. Since that day you began to notice more and more odd things going on around you. Once, while innocently relaxing on a tropical beach you accidentally discovered a mystic talisman that washed up next to you on the shore. The tribal assassins that came looking for it made your life rather hectic. You were finally able to dispatch them and get rid ofthe cursed amulet, but you have the feeling that it's just a matter of time before something else bizarre finds its way into your life.
Susceptibility to Disease: You have always been sickly. While you may also have the endurance of a track star, whenever a bug comes your way, you immediately catch it. Colds and the flu are common occurrences for you and you do not dare travel anywhere abroad, as the list of diseases you could catch is endless. You have a -50 modification to all of your Resistance Rolls versus Disease. [-15 points]
Sneezing, sniffling, fever; you are familiar with all of these. You always get sick no matter what. If someone sneezes on you, you catch a cold. If the climate changes abruptly, you get the chills. You've always got a bottle of pills for some illness. People think you are a hypochondriac, butyou know better. You really feel bad.
Unknown Son/Daughter: You (male only) have a son or daughter that you didn't know about. Usually the first clue to the existence of this offspring is when the child is kidnapped, or perhaps years later, when they are behind some grandiose scheme to take over the world. This will usually cause some conflicting emotions, especially if the child has turned bad. Dealing with these emotions will often be a long-term endeavor, and lead the character into some interesting depths. The GM will determine when the character's unknown progeny will appear, and why. [-5 points]
Your life was going along pretty well until she came back. You had not seen herfor eight years. but you secretly still loved her. It was obvious by herface that she did not want to come to you, but she had no one else to turn to. She told you she needed help finding her son. He had been kidnapped and the police were no help. When you asked who the father was, she meekly said you. Suddenly, finding her kidnapped son took on a whole new sense of urgency.
The only aspects of this step that are different are the starting money resources and outfitting. All characters receive starting money resources based upon the Income level they chose for their character. Use the chart below to determine starting money for the character.
Following is a chart displaying the various language families of the world. They are associated by similarity only for pure point-of-knowledge reasoning, and should not be considered a discourse on the subject.
There are two new rules for training packages (that differ from the RMSR). The first new rule is that you may spend a background option (or 10 Talent Points) to decrease the cost of a training package (see Section 3.9; remember that this rule has no affect after Apprenticeship).
The second rule also affects the cost of a given training package. Now a character may qualify for a professional status in a training package (termed "professional qualifier"). Basically, this is a set of requirements that, if the character possesses all the requirements before purchasing the training package, the character pays a lesser cost for the package. The discount to the cost is listed with the requisites for the professional qualifier.
Finally, certain training packages will have their costs adjusted depending on whether the GM is running a No Magic campaign or not. In this case, two costs are listed (with the second cost to be used if the GM is running a No Magic campaign).
For the High Magic campaigns: All Rolemaster Standard System Training Packages (listed in the table above) remain the same with the following exceptions:
Mercenary: Exclude Armor and Shield.
For No to the Low Magic campaigns: All Rolemaster Standard System Training Packages remain the same with the following exceptions:
Adventurer: Exclude the Spell Adder.
Amateur Mage: Not normally available, allow with moderation.
Berserker: Not normally available, allow with moderation.
Cut Purse: (Pick-pocket) Exclude the Stolen Jewelry, Gems, and Document.
Detective: Exclude the piece of jewelry and d100 Gems; Replace Piece of artwork with Recovered stolen document (reward- worth $d100).
Diplomat: Exclude the Potion and the Rune.
Doctor: Consider the herbs to be modern medicinal equivalents.
Guardian: (Bodyguard) Replace the Camouflaged cloak with Fatigues.
Herbalist: Not normally available; usually used as an NPC; allow with moderation.
Highwayman: Not normally available, allow with moderation.
Knight: Not normally available, allow with moderation.
Mercenary: Exclude Shield.
Philosopher: Exclude the Spell adder.
Shaman Priest: Not normally available; usually used as an NPC; allow with moderation.
Zealot: Exclude the Daily I item.
Training Packages from other books that focus on magic and magic-related skills should not be used in a No or Low Magic campaign. In a High Magic campaign, the Gamemaster should closely examine the Training Package to ensure that it is balanced in his campaign.
In addition to the aforementioned notes, the following new Training Packages can be used for character development.
The life of a member of the clergy is an existence for only the most devout. These members of an organized religion usually have a strict code of ethics and behavior they must observe to maintain favor in their faith. On occasion, a member of the clergy will be sent out into the world to right wrongs and spread the faith.
Quote: “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.”
Time to Acquire: 147 [117 months]
Starting Money: normal
Stat Gains: Memory
Professional Qualifier: 1 skill in the Influence group at 2 ranks. [-3 points]
Special: An open Channeling spell list may be developed as a Training Package spell list (GM’s discretion)
The Cloaked Vigilante is an individual who has lost faith in the proficiency of the local constabulary to enforce laws, usually against a criminal element, though sometimes it is those in lawful positions who are the wrong-doers. He therefore endeavors to “take the law into his own hands,” and launches his own, personal crusade, functioning outside the law, against injustice (or justice, or whatever other cause he might be campaigning against). He traditionally keeps his identity a secret, to protect his public life and those relations he may keep in it, for these would be obvious targets for the Vigilante’s enemies. Famous Cloaked Vigilantes might include The Shadow, The Phantom Detective, The Spider (Master of Men!), The Batman, The Phantom, The Green Hornet, The Avenger.
Quote: “The fear you feel in your heart is justice!”
Time to Acquire: 161 months
Starting Money: normal plus d10
Stat Gains: none
Professional Qualifier: 2 skills in the Subterfuge group at 2 ranks each. 1 rank in a skill in the Urban group. [-4 points]
Those who risk life and limb for nothing more than fame or fortune are Daredevils. From the death-defying circus performer such as a Trapeze Artist or a Human Cannonball, to the unsung heroics of a Hollywood stuntman, Daredevils have found that the general public is thrilled by hazardous tricks and stunts. Usually the more dangerous a feat is the better it would enthuse a crowd, and they constantly try to dream up new perilous ways to excite onlookers. Out of work pilots from the Great War took up aerial acrobatics during the Pulp-era, becoming known as “Barnstormers,” and often joining Air Circuses. Circus performers began attempting dangerous stunts such as going over waterfalls (such as Niagara) in nothing more than a wooden barrel, or walking a tightrope from skyscraper to skyscraper over busy metropolitan streets. Sitting on top of a flagpole for long periods of time even became a fad during the 1920’s. The Wild West shows churned out their share of Daredevil antics: Sharpshooters, Bronco-busters, lasso-artists, and knife throwers to name a few. Famous Daredevils might include in their ranks the names of Waldo Pepper (Barnstormer), “Buffalo Bill” Cody (cowboy trick shooter), Emanuel Zacchini (Human Cannonball), Jean Lussier (Waterfall Daredevil), Douglas Fairbanks (movie actor; performed all his own stunts).
Quote: “Go ahead. Double-dog dare me.”
Time to Acquire: 30 months
Starting Money: normal plus d10
Stat Gains: none
Professional Qualifier: none
Usually born to a noble, or rich family with a large silver spoon in his mouth, the Dilettante rarely cares about any one thing, save perhaps his personal freedom. The idle rich, he has always had the best of everything, and thus lacks many skills that make normal folks...well, normal. He is well-educated, having attended the best (usually Ivy-League) schools. Herein often lies the greatest irony; for the affairs of the Dilettante offer a most unusual “cover” for other, more shadowy practices. Many heroes are Dilettantes in their public (secret) identities, while wearing the mantle of the Cloaked Vigilante or Gangster to root out their foes. After all, who else would have the time or cash to traipse about everywhere seeking out enemies to thrash? The Dilettante, of course. Whether a facade masking criminal activities or crime-busting, who would suspect the spoiled rich have any interest in such matters? This cover leaves the Dilettante free to conduct his more important affairs in secret, free from the prying eyes of those who might attempt to hinder him. Famous names among the ranks of Dilettantism might include: Lamont Cranston, Bruce Wayne, Howard Hughes, Richard Wentworth, Richard Curtis Van Loan, and Alphonse Capone.
Quote: “What year is this wine? 1904? Well that was an adequate year I suppose, however I always prefer the 1902 vintage.”
Time to Acquire: 145 months
Starting Money: normal plus 10d100
Stat Gains: Presence
Professional Qualifier: none
Between movies, books, music, and television, the entertainment industry virtually had its birth during the Pulp era. Entertainment provided an escape from the horrors of the Great Depression, at least for a little while. With the increased popularity in movies, a new breed of celebrity appeared: the movie star. With spotlights, gala premieres, awards ceremonies, and glamorous life styles, movie stars embodied all that Americans wished their lives were. Some famous entertainers include Errol Flynn, Clark Gable, Olivia DeHavilland, Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, Kenneth Robeson (actually Lester Dent, author of Doc Savage), and George Burns.
Quote: “The play’s the thing.”
Time to Acquire: 53 months
Starting Money: normal plus d100 (open-ended)
Stat Gains: none
Professional Qualifier: none
The Entrepreneur begins his career as a white-collar worker, in an office, working the standard (as of 1938) 40-hour work week. He enters into commercial enterprises on a regular basis, taking risks, endeavoring to rise through the ranks of the business world. Wealth, power and social position are the Entrepreneur’s motivating factors, (much as they are to the Dilettante) and he works hard to get ahead (unlike the Dilettante). Famous Entrepreneurs might include: J.D. Rockefeller, Howard Hughes, or Bruce Wayne.
Quote: “Money is Power.”
Time to Acquire: 85 months
Starting Money: normal plus d100 (open-ended)
Stat Gains: none
Professional Qualifier: none
The Femme Fatale is an exercise in seduction. She (a predominantly female vocation) uses those natural gifts to play upon her victim and his resources for her own gain. The seductress will usually present herself as sympathetic to one’s plight until she has attained her goal, then will turn on her “benefactor” and betray him in some fashion, even if it is just abandonment. The Femme Fatale has little sense of morality, and will go to great lengths to accomplish her task. It is not to say she will positively attempt to hurt her victim, whether physically or emotionally, but that she is simply out for herself. If she should desire to continue the relationship, then that becomes one of the goals she will attempt to attain. Many Pulps stereotyped the role as that belonging to an Oriental enchantress, with name-tags like: The Dragon Lady, Serpent Lady, Empress of the East, etc. Infamous Femme Fatales might include: Mata Hari, Thelda Blanchet, Elsa Schneider, Princess Aura, Princess Kojii, and Ayesha-She Who Must Be Obeyed.
Quote: “Hello handsome, got a light?”
Time to Acquire: 49 months
Starting Money: normal plus d100
Stat Gains: none
Professional Qualifier: Female
G-Men are government (hence the “G”) branch officials, with law enforcement powers that usually focus in a particular area. They can include agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Treasury Department, Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN), Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), U.S. Marshals Service (Marshal, Deputy Marshal, etc.) In 1924 J. Edgar Hoover is placed in charge of the FBI. Until that point crime ran rampant. In 1934, the FBI is granted more legal police powers, and they begin cracking down on gangsters. Within a few short years, the FBI will have arrested all of its ten most wanted men. Some famous G-Men might include: Elliot Ness, John Dewey, and Herbert Hoover.
Quote: “You are under arrest by the FBI!”
Time to Acquire: 135 months
Starting Money: normal
Stat Gains: Intuition
Professional Qualifier: A total of at least 10 ranks in any combination of the following skills: Alertness, Observation, any skills in the Combat Maneuver skill category, any skills in the Influence skill category, Law Enforcement, Criminology, any skills in any Firearm skill category. [-4 points]
The gadgeteer is an inventor with the ability to create machines that leap over current scientific restrictions. The gadgeteer can invent items that most only dream of and these inventions usually work correctly the first time. Of course, accidents do happen (usually destroying the only working prototype) but the gadgeteer continues undaunted.
Quote: “Let’s see, if I adjust the resistance and upgrade the power supply...”
Time to Acquire: 44 months
Starting Money: normal
Stat Gains: none
Professional Qualifier: none
For the first part of the 1920s public opinion of the Gangster was positive, and the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted” list made anti-heroes of its inductees. Legendary Gangsters became household names, and the public often followed their exploits in the papers and on the radio. Toward the end of the decade the popularity of the Gangster waned and the public threw its support with the G-Men, as more and more hapless citizens were caught in the crossfire between gangs.
Gangs were frequently based on the extended family, with the Italian Mafia, Irish toughs, Oriental criminal societies such as the Tongs and Yakuza, and good ol’ American street punks often fighting each other for superiority. Famous Gangsters might include: Al Capone, John Dillenger, Bonnie & Clyde, “Dutch” Schultz, “Lucky” Luciano, “Bugs” Moran.
Quote: “I don’t think he’s gonna fit in the trunk. Hey Guido, bring the chainsaw.”
Time to Acquire: 42 months
Starting Money: normal plus d10
Stat Gains: none
Professional Qualifier: none
Great White Hunters (a stereotypical descriptive; not all were white, nor even great) are sometimes arrogant of their abilities, and sometimes need to be taken down a notch or two. They often lead hunting parties and caravans into the wilds of unexplored lands, just for the sake of the adventure. Famous Great White Hunters might include Allan Quatermain, Teddy “Rough Rider” Roosevelt, Charles Remington, “Buffalo Bill” Cody, and “Wild Bill” Hickok.
Quote:
Native porter: “No bwana, no bwana!! No enter!! Simba rules there!!”
Great White Hunter: “That’s exactly what I’m counting on.”
Time to Acquire: 184 months
Starting Money: normal plus d10 (open ended)
Stat Gains: Constitution
Professional Qualifier: At least 2 skills in the Outdoor category at 2 ranks each. [-3 points]
The Insidious Villain is the criminal mastermind. The master schemer, he always hatches some sort of diabolical plan to attain his desires, many times at any cost. He feels himself above the law, and unlike most “ordinary” criminals, fears no lawful repercussions for his actions. The Insidious Villain will go to any length to achieve his goals, whether it be planning a small heist or contriving to rule the world. Morality is not in his vocabulary, and he will always possess a nefarious master plan, some dastardly dark design that lurks in the recesses of his criminal mind, patiently awaiting fruition. Whatever his current activities, it can be a sure bet that it will lead to that grand scheme. Insidious Villains are known for their secret hideouts, which are of course filled with countless deathtraps, yet also contain the spoils of their wicked plots. Infamous Insidious Villains might include: Dr. Fu Manchu, Professor Moriarty, Ming the Merciless, John Sunlight, Mo-gwei, Shiwan Khan, Kathulos, Adolf Hitler, The Nine, Itsu-The Hand Sinister, and Mola Ram.
Quote: “You don’t know the power at my command!”
Time to Acquire: 124 months
Starting Money: normal plus 10d100
Stat Gains: Presence
Professional Qualifier: none
The journalist reports the news to the general public. Whether the journalist works for a newspaper, magazine, or radio, he often goes into dangerous situations to get a scoop. Members of the press often are allowed into places that normal people are forbidden, such as crime scenes or gala events. Examples of noted Journalists might include: Edward R. Morrow, Lois Lane, Walter Burns, and Hildy Johnson.
Quote: “Can I quote you on that?”
Time to Acquire: 89 months
Starting Money: normal plus d10
Stat Gains: none
Professional Qualifier: none
It is of some comfort to Mechanics that no matter how advanced technology becomes, machines will still break down and someone will have to repair them. A Mechanic focuses on repairing and improving machines, generally vehicles. With the proper tools and parts, a good Mechanic can bring even the most heavily damaged vehicle back from the dead.
Quote: “Well, it’s either a cracked engine block or you’ve blown a head gasket. Either way, it isn’t pretty.”
Time to Acquire: 33 months
Starting Money: normal
Stat Gains: none
Professional Qualifier: none
This is the professional soldier. Be it Army, Navy, Army Air Corps, or Marines, the military life is well established within twentieth century society. Boot camp usually lasts the first three months; then it’s active duty thereafter. In the Militaria, one learns discipline and tactics. During wartime in the Pulp Era, most countries instituted some sort of “draft” to successfully fill out the ranks of their standing army or navy. It is the Militaria’s job to defend its nation’s boundaries, and sometimes to expand them. Famous members of the Militaria might include: Gen. Douglas MacArthur, George Patton, Dwight Eisenhower, Charles DeGualle, and Admiral Dewey.
Quote: “Sir, yes sir!!”
Time to Acquire: 150 months
Starting Money: normal plus d10
Stat Gains: none
Professional Qualifier: A total of 7 ranks in any combination of the following skills: any skills in the Weapon group, any skills in the Martial Arts group, any skills in the Combat Maneuvers skill category, Tactics, Military Organization, Body Development. [-4 points]
The Occultist is a scholar of the Paranormal. His greatest love is first and foremost the arts of the unknown; from research of magic and sorcery to investigations of mysterious phenomena, creatures and places. As an actual science, very few schools exist to educate the field. The real prerequisite for advancing in the vocation is an incurable thirst for knowledge, most often of “Things Man Was Not Meant To Know.” The information the Occultist seeks is always rare and cryptic, and he usually keeps a tight rein on any knowledge he has thus far acquired, for fear of allowing a competitor any advantage. Famous Occultists might include: Aleister Crowley, Edgar Cayce, Charles Fort, Professor J.B. Rhine, Charles Dexter Ward, Adolf Hitler, Dr. Rudolf Steiner.
Quote: “There are things out there that man was not meant to know.”
Time to Acquire: 151 [97 months]
Starting Money: normal
Stat Gains: Memory
Professional Qualifier: A total of 5 ranks in any skills in the Lore group. If not playing in a No Magic campaign, a total of 2 ranks split between skills in the following skill categories: Power Awareness and Power Manipulation. [-4 points]
The aerial dogfights of The Great War grabbed the attention of thousands, men and women alike. Aviation was in its infancy as a field of endeavor when the Pulp-era arrived. Many ex-military pilots roamed the land with their war surplus “crates” all boxed-up (hence the name) brand-new, and performed in “Air Circuses” for the general public as “Exhibition Fliers.” Pilots like Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart became national heroes. Other famous Aviators might include: Patrick O’Malley, Cliff Secord, G-8, Eddie Rickenbacker, Jake Cutter, Howard Hughes, Bill Barnes, Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Dusty Ayres, “Mad Jack” Bannon, and Claire E. Chennault.
Quote: “So there I was in a three G inverted roll...”
Time to Acquire: 35 months
Starting Money: normal plus d10
Stat Gains: none
Professional Qualifier: none
Civilized society must have its guardians. Cities and states employ forces of constables representing law and order as dictated by the laws of state and federal governments. These officials are Police Officers. Authorized on a city, state, or county level, Police Officers routinely maintain order and keep the peace. In larger cities, Officers patrol the streets to this end, both on foot and by prowl car. Instructed in a Police Academy, Officers are taught the Law and its penalties, selfdefense combat tactics, and firearms training. Some examples of known Police Officers might include: Jimmy Malone, Lieutenant Valcour, Inspector McKee, Inspector Timothy Klein, Det. Sgt. Mayhew, and Commissioner James Gordon.
Quote: “Yeah, yeah, I believe ya. Tell it to the judge. Now assume the position.”
Time to Acquire: 48 months
Starting Money: normal plus d10
Stat Gains: none
Professional Qualifier: none
White lab coats, mazes of glass tubing connecting beakers of bubbling, colored liquids and sparking electrodes were the typical perceptions of the scientist in the 1930s. While real scientists rarely had labs that resembled Dr. Frankenstein’s, they were making significant gains in the various sciences without them. Technology was growing quickly and its effect on the general public was profound. Devices like the telephone, aerosol cans, radio, pressurized airplanes and other inventions changed the world. Famous names in the scientific ranks include: Albert Einstein, Hans Zarkov, Enrico Fermi, Clark Savage, Jr., Andrew Blodgett Mayfair, Thomas J. Roberts, William Harper Littlejohn, and Thomas Edison.
Quote: “They called me mad, but I’ll show them. Soon my experiment will be finished and then vengeance will be mine!”
Time to Acquire: 141 months
Starting Money: normal
Stat Gains: Memory and Reasoning
Professional Qualifier: At least 1 skill in the Science/Analytic group at 2 ranks. [-4 points]
The Sportsman is the professional athlete, from amateur status, Olympic participants, to world-class contenders, such as a Heavyweight World-Champion, to a player on a professional sports team such as baseball or football. Sportsmen spend much of their careers in physical training and practice of their chosen sport. They are often noted personalities, and many have become household names. Famous Sportsmen might include: Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Lou Gehrig (baseball); Jesse Owens (track & field); Johnny Weissmuller (swimming); Sonja Henie (figure skating); Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis (boxing); Red Grange (football); Ben Hogan (golf).
Quote: “I coulda’ been a contenda’!”
Time to Acquire: 112 months
Starting Money: normal plus d100 (open-ended)
Stat Gains: Strength, Constitution, or Agility
Professional Qualifier: At least 1 skill in the Athletic group at 2 ranks. [-3 points]
Before any dice are rolled to create a Pulp Adventures hero, some thought needs to be given to the character's concept and background. Why does he do what he does? Is he happy? What does he desire? What does he fear? These questions need to be addressed before a true Pulp hero can emerge.
Every character needs a concept. This concept will give life and shape to the character and help smooth out the rough edges. Initially, the character concept is a one sentence descriptive, specifying who he is and what is special about him. Some examples might look like this:
"The hero is the genius son of a famous adventurer who decides tofollow in hisfather's footsteps, thwarting evil."
"After seeing his parents brutally murdered in front of him, the hero dedicates his life to stopping crime as a masked avenger. "
"The hero is a college professor/archaeologist who searches for ancient artifacts, usually while being pursued by enemies. "
As can be seen from the above examples, the concept does not have to be precise or even very long; it just needs to sum up the player's idea about the character.
The Pulp hero is different from any other type of hero. What might seem cliche or even stereotypical is right at home in the Pulp genre. After all, what is cliche but something used repeatedly, over and over? It was the advent of the Pulp magazine and cliftbanger movie serials themselves that made a good many things trite. It is okay to borrow ideas and adapt them to your own use. Imitation is the sincerest form offlattery. It happened all the time in the Pulps and the cliffhangers. The following questions should be answered in a character concept statement: Who is the character, and what does he do? The character concept is a kind ofskeleton: itgives shape and substance, and lends the framework that everything else will hang and grow on.
Once the concept has been established and written down, the player will need to flesh out the character. He will have to determine what makes the character do what he does. To quote method actors everywhere, What is the character's motivation?
Example: Pat decides that he wants his character to be the muscle ofhis group. He mulls this idea over and comes up with this concept: "The hero, Guiseppe, is an ex-Mafia thug who joins with the other heroes ill hopes ofatoning for his past deeds. "
As discussed in the Rolemaster Standard Rules, Role Traits are factors that affect a character's specific persona. Background Options and Talents can add flavoring to these, but the player must establish the role of the character he is to play on his own. He is to breathe life into his creation, and then justify it (at least to himself). To help this process, the player should follow the guidelines set down in the Rolemaster Standard Rules (p. 65). Following, however, are some notes on different traits found in the Pulps.
The hero's motivation will determine a lot about the hero's personality. Almost every Pulp hero is noble and moral, at least to their own way of thinking, and lives by an ethical code that will brook no compromise. The hero creates his code because of some catastrophic event in his life that leads him to embark upon his personal crusade. He may have some terrible secret concealed in their past, or he may use somewhat questionable methods to further their cause (taking the law into his own hands, or breaking it with the utmost impudence), but the Pulp hero's goal is always righteous and just, even if he is the only one who sees it that way.
There were a few anti-heroes in the Pulps, but for the most part the genre seemed to have a clear-cut, black and white good/evil philosophy. Heroes were heroic, and villains were villainous.
So why does the hero do what he does? What is it that makes this characterdifferent from John Q. Public? What's his point? Is he making a statement? Motivation. The "Motivation Traits" table, found on page 66 of the Rolemaster Standard Rules, gives a good outlining of motivating factors. If the player chooses one of these, he should expound upon his choice, make it personal. Why does the character feel this way?
Example: Pat is still working on his ex-Mafia character. The character's concept stated that the character has hopes ofatoning for his past deeds. Why? Why did this character leave the Mafia and why does he need to atone for his past deeds? Pat decides that at some point, this character saw the repercussions of his actions. Perhaps Guiseppe encounters the widow and children of someone his boss had him "rub out. " Seeing how this shattered the family, the hero vows that this should not happen to anyone else and he will do all he can to bring down the Mafia. Thus, Guiseppe's motivation is a combination of remorse and revenge—potent and poetic combination.
Many different motivations appear in Pulp novels, but behind all of them is the feeling that the hero can make a significant difference and therefore is morally obligated to try. Much like the "Noblesse Oblige" ideal of the chivalric medieval knight, the hero feels he is honor-bound to stamp out injustice merely because he can. "With great power comes great responsibility." Fame, fortune, and glory are all very nice, but deep down the hero knows that he puts himself in danger to make other people's lives better.
Unlike characters in many other role playing genres, the Pulp hero's motivation is rarely one of amassing wealth. Greed is generally a trait reserved for the villain. That is not to say that all Pulp heroes disdain wealth, or take vows of poverty; in fact, many heroes are independently wealthy. Amassing wealth just is not a hero's main priority. If the hero does come across a substantial amount of wealth, one of three things should happen:
First, some tragedy might befall the wealth coincidentally right as the hero takes his eyes off it, such as a freak voleano eruption destroying the abandoned Incan village (filled with gold) as the hero takes off in his airplane to return home. The hero will undoubtedly have had his plane loaded with some treasure, but only enough to relieve a few financial burdens for a little while.
Or, the hero could refuse the wealth for noble reasons. For example, the hero has finally defeated the villainous Dr. Alchemy and his robotic minions, thwarting their diabolical scheme to conquer Rhode Island. While searching through the Doctor's secret base, the hero discovers how Dr. Alchemy was able to finance his army: he had discovered the enigmatic Philosopher's Stone. If the hero were to confiscate this priceless item, he could turn any ordinary lead into precious gold, thus insuring his financial well being for the rest of eternity. However, the here realizes that such a misuse of the Stone could easily flood the world market with gold, making it as common as coal. Because many countries rely on gold as the sole backing for their currency (although both Great Britain and the United States moved off the gold standard in the early 1930s), this devaluation of the gold market could economically cripple some countries. The hero decides that the Philosopher's Stone is truly something that Man Was Not Meant To Know and destroys it for the good of all mankind.
A final option: Should the wealth not befall some dire tragedy, and should there be no reason why the hero should refuse it, the money should never be used solely for personal gain. As an example, suppose our hero saves the niece of a local millionaire. As a reward, the millionaire insists on paying an annuity to the hero, and nothing he does will make the old man change his mind. Reluctantly the hero accepts the funds, but rather than buying a new car, a house, or fancy clothes, he uses the money to help others. He donates money to the orphanage where he grew up, or creates a grant for his gadgeteer friend to finance the creation ofmore crime-fighting inventions. The hero keeps enough money to live on comfortably, and uses the rest for mankind's benefit.
The character's goals are intimately connected to his motivation. Part of motivation is why he wants to do something. Another is what the he hopes to accomplish by doing it. This is known as a goal or desire. For a Pulp hero, these goals are almost always altruistic. A Pulp hero is never interested in fame or glory, or power; these are merely by-products of his true goals. The Pulp hero's goal should be a feasible, obtainable desire as opposed to a theoretical possibility. For example, while many Pulp heroes would like to put an end to crime permanently, most realize that this goal is unattainable, even for them. Instead, a more plausible goal would be to bring crime in a particular city to an all-time low, striking fear into the hearts of all criminals living there. This is a much more obtainable goal, and saves the character a lot of disappointment (and keeps his ego in check).
Once a goal has been successfully achieved, it is up to the character to define a new goal, to find a new purpose for being, and for doing whatever it is that he does. For instance, a crime-fighting Cloaked Vigilante might be so successful in checking crime in his city that the local crime bosses move out, hoping to find greener pastures elsewhere. At this point, the hero necds to decide whether he should foilow them to wherever they set up shop again, or concentrate his crime fighting efforts on the remaining independent criminal clement.
Example: In the case of Pat's character, he wants to stop the Mafia from continuing to operate in New York City. So, Guiseppe's goal would be to cause as much grief and hardship as he can to "the Family" in hopes of making them flee the city. Though it would take a long time to accomplish, since the Mafia is so deeply entrenched ill the city, this goal is not impossible.
They may look tough on the outside, but on the inside, the Pulp hero can still know fear. It may not have to be the paralyzing type, or the teeth-chattering type, but it can still be there. Some Pulp heroes' fears were based on becoming no better than those they fought. As the saying goes, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely."
Fear need not be all-consuming; perhaps it's just an undertone or a subtle reminder. A masked avenger hero might refuse to shoot a fleeing felon in the back knowing that if the roles were reversed he would feel the sting of that felon's bullet. But if the hero was to pull the trigger, he would be no better than those he has sworn to fight. Instead, the hero picks up a discarded trash can lid and flings it at the felon's feet, hoping to cause the criminal to trip. Role playing fear can add immense depth to a character.
Example: Guiseppe's main fear is that he willfall into his old ways again. After all, the money was good and the work not too difficult. Because his motivations and goals keep returning him to the places he used to work, he still hears voices in the background telling him to return to his old job. Guiseppe must filter out those voices and come to terms with his past ifhe is ever to succeed in his selfprescribed goal.
Now that the character's concept and motivations have been decided, the background for the character should be obvious. The player already knows what he plans to do, and why he does it; the "how" is all that is left.
Talents and flaws are background events that can either aid or hinder the character during actual game play. It is important that the Gamemaster approve the list of talents and flaws available for the players to choose from. Various campaign attributes will determine why certain talents and flaws cannot be purchased. For example, if the Gamemaster is running a No Magic world, most of the talents and flaws that deal with magic should be removed from the list.
In both the Rolemaster Standard Rules and Talent Law are lists of talents and flaws, along with rules for using them. There are also some Pulp-specific talents and flaws found in this book that can be chosen as well. It is important to realize that with every talent and flaw chosen, there should be a corresponding story that goes with it. No talent or flaw should be chosen strictly on the basis of what advantage it might give a character in the game. Talents and flaws are designed to do more than that. They peek into the history of the character, helping to bring more of that character's personality into focus.
Four of the new talents in Pulp Adventures are of particular importance to Pulp heroes. These are: Cinematic Luck, Cinematic Reflexes, Companion, and Good Timing. These talents are designed to reflect the heroic abilities Pulp heroes always seem to possess, that allow them to dodge bullets and perform other extraordinary feats. If the points are available, it is strongly recommended that at least one of these talents be purchased, to enhance a character's survival when the enemy bullets start to fly.
Example: Pat is trying to decide which talents and flaws Guiseppe needs. Looking over both the talent and flaw lists and Guiseppe's background, Pat decides on the following: a bonus to his Strength, a contact in the underworld (minor), some additional wealth, and Cinematic Reflexes. Looking at each of these, we can see additional aspects of Guiseppe 's life that may have been previously hiddenfrom view. He has always possessed great strength; this originally brought him to the eye of his former employer, who was always looking for some quality muscle. And after all that time spent in the Mob underworld it was only natural that he would still have a friend or two he could count on. In addition, the Mob paid well, and since Guiseppe was very thrifty (like most people during the Depression), he was able to save up a significant amount of money. Finally, life on the streets honed Guiseppe's reflexes to the point where he could almost anticipate oncoming bullets.
Because the character's background is now pretty clear, it is time to determine what skills he would have learned during his life. Obviously, the character's profession will have marked impact on skill choice; however, a character's background might have equal impact. For instance, as the character was growing up, what did he do? Was he part of a gang of kids? Did he read whenever and whatever he couid? Was he interested in sports and dream of becoming a professional athlete? Each of these circumstances bring with them a series of skills the character could have learned during childhood.
It is also important to add hobby skills to flesh out a character's interests. The Gamemaster should take note of those skills and introduce different situations that might warrant their use. Perhaps a character's baseball skill might come in handy when encountering a villain who likes to throw hand grenades. The character might try to bat away the incoming pitches with a convenient 2x4. Or perhaps a character's refined taste might be used to detect the faint flavor of poison in a glass of wine.
Example: Knowing what we do of Guiseppe's past we can determine that at the very least he needs a lot of Body Development, Boxing, Firearms, Interrogation, and Automobile Driving skill ranks. Looking deeper into his character's background, Pat decides that Guiseppe was part of a streer gang while growing up and gained skills like Leadership, Stalk, and Hide. Finally, Pat decides that Guiseppe is a big outdoorsman, and has him take skills like Fishing, Orienteering, and Reading Tracks. Hopefully these skills may prove useful some day.
By following this outline, the character in a Pulp Adventures campaign will become much more vibrant and alive, and more fun to play. And the better defined the characters are, the better defined the campaign is. Taking the time to fully flesh out the characters will make the difference between a merely enjoyable campaign and a truly memorable one.
The following is a list of firearms that were in common use during the 1930s. A brief description of each weapon can be found along with the nationality, caliber, clip options, and the typical users of these firearms. The statistics for each of these weapons are listed below (using Weapon Law: Firearms notations).
Colt Army .45, Colt DA Army: This is the six-shooter, single-action revolver most often associated with the Old West. It is from this pistol that the phrase "God created all men, Samuel Colt made them equal" originated. The Colt DA Army is an identical pistol with double action.
Colt Detective Special: This is a small, snub-nosed double-action pistol designed by Colt that fires the .38 Special round, more powerful than the standard .38 caliber. This pistol is designed to be easily concealed on a person, ideally a police detective, but still have sufficient stopping power. This pistol also contained Colt's patented "Positive Lock" system that all but prevented accidental discharges.
Colt Navy: This double-action revolver fires the .38 Colt Long round and is considered to be the standard pistol for the armed forces. It was issued until 1907, when it was realized that a more powerful caliber, the .45, was needed in areas like the Philippines. It was eventually replaced by the Colt New Service revolver, in .45 caliber, which also was again replaced in, April of 1911, by the M1911 auto-loading pistol.
Colt Police Positive: Designed to be the standard police issue revolver, the Colt Police Positive is available in both a .32 Short Colt round and a .38 caliber round. This is a perfect pistol to issue to any policemen encountered.
Japanese Type 26: This pistol was adopted by the Japanese in 1893. It is designed to be a double-action only revolver so the hammer had no thumb spur to cock it with. This pistol was manufactured in quantities greater than 50,000 and was still being issued to rear echelon troops as late as 1945. It was superseded by the Type 14 self-loading pistol in the mid 1920s.
Nagant M1895: This Russian pistol soon became as synonymous in Russian with revolver as Browning became with auto-loading pistol. Although Russia was generally more concerned with issuing rifles than pistols, there were over 400,000 Nagants produced and issued. If a Russian carried a revolver, this is the one they had.
Remington .41 Derringer: Representative of the many small holdout pistols that became known as the Derringer. Ironically, Deringer, the pistol designer, had nothing to do with the design ofthis pistol and in fact only had one 'R' in his name. Still, the term Derringer became synonymous with a small pistol, usually with only one to four shots. These small pistols could be concealed easily, but did not fire a particularly power shell. The number of shells denoted the number of barrels, since the pistol has no reloading mechanism.
Smith & Wesson Military and Police: This pistol was designed to compete in the handgun trials the U.S. Army held in 1899. It lost to the Colt Army revolver, but it is still an effective design and is very similar to the Colt pistol.
Smith & Wesson M27: A typical.357 Magnum revolver, a relatively large pistol that packs a powerful round. Its greatest claim to fame is that General Patton owned one, which is on display alongside his other pistols at the W est Point Museum. Many police officers carry this pistol, as well as hunters of small to medium sized game.
Webley Mk 3, Webley Mk 4: These were the standard service revolvers in the British Army. They are all topbreak revolvers, meaning that the pistol is hinged in front ofthe trigger guard. The entire top of the pistol, including the barrel, tilts downward, ejecting the spent shells. Almost anyone from the British military wore one of these pistols.
Astra 400, Astra M1921: This pistol is also known as the Astra Model 1921 and is an improved version of the Campo-Giro Model 1913. This pistol was adopted by the Spanish Army in 1921 and was used until the late 1940s. One unique feature of this pistol is its ability to fire almost every 9mm cartridge as well as the .38 Colt Auto round. Normally the minor inconsistencies and slight differences in round sizes prevent a pistol from firing more than one specific type of round.
Astra 900, Astra 902: These two pistols were outward copies of the Mauser C/96 Broomhandle pistol. The 900 was designed to be sold to the Chinese and South American markets, which liked the Mauser but found it to be too expensive. Although the pistol resembled a Mauser on the outside, inside the pistol is different. The bolt traveled over twice the distance of the C/96 and the 900 also requires a heavier trigger pull, due to cost cutting methods of design and manufacture. The 902 has a longer barrel and a larger magazine. In addition, the 902 also is able to fire in a fully automatic mode. Not many 902s were made and manufacture stopped after two years.
Bayard 1923: This Danish pistol has an outward resemblance to the Mauser C/96 butin fact is designed completely by Theodor Bergmann. Its predecessors the, M1910 and M1921, were adopted by the Greek Army.
Beretta 1915: Italy adopted the Glisenti Model 10 pistol for use in their Army, but when enough Glisentis could not be produced, Italy asked Beretta to produce a new design. They designed the Model 1915, which fires either the 7.65mm (.32 Auto) or the 9mm Glisenti (9mm Short).
Beretta 1934: This model is a mechanical improvement of the Beretta 1915. It has an external hammer and a cleaner appearance. The pistol is suitable for military use, but slightly underpowered. Like the Beretta 1915, the slide stays open when the pistol fIred the last round in the magazine.
Browning 1910, Browning 1922: This Belgium designed pistol is widely sold commercially and available throughout most of Europe, usually as a police pistol. Its most remarkable invention is the wrapping of the recoil spring around the barrel, giving the front of the pistol a tubular and more handy appearance. The 1922 is the same pistol with a longer barrel, providing more accuracy. The Model 1922 was adopted by the armies of Greece, France, Turkey, Holland, and Yugoslavia.
Browning Baby: The Browning Baby is a small pocket pistol designed to be carried in a coat pocket or a purse. Its small caliber required the firer to hit with multiple rounds to stop an attacker. Even with this restriction the pistol is popular, due mostly to its small size.
Browning GP35: This pistol is also known as the Browning High Power. It is the fIrst of the high-capacity magazine 9mm pistols. Before World War II, it was adopted by Belgium, Latvia, Lithuania, and China. When Gennany took over Belgium in 1940, they commanded that the pistol be manufactured for their usc. The normally very reliable GP35 suddenly had many problems fmng accurately, as the Belgium work-force sabotaged their creations.
CoIt M1911: This is arguably the most popular pistol in the world, possibly behind the Mauser C/96. This is definitely the weapon of choice of many masked avengers in the Pulps, including The Shadow and The Spider. The .45 caliber pistol was adopted by the United States in June of 1926 and was only replaced in 1985. The pistol has a relatively smooth silhouette and fires the powerful .45 round. It is a standard pistol in the hands of all-American Pulp heroes.
Colt Service, Colt Woodsman: The Service and the Woodsman are copies oftheM1911 retooled for the .380 Auto and the .22 Long caliber's respectively. They are physically smaller than the M 1911 and therefore easier to conceal.
CZ 24: This pistol was originally designed by an employee of Mauser. When the company decided not to develop the design, the developer, Josef Nicki, sent it to Brno, a manufacturer producing Mauser rifles for the Czech army that was looking for a pistol. The pistol is well made but unnecessarily complicated. Over 180,000 were made.
CZ 27: This is a modifIcation of the CZ24. It reduced the caliber and made the pistol less complicated. The CZ 27 is issued to Czech police and treasury guards and it is also exported.
Frommer Stop: This Hungarian pistol is a complex gun, requiring the barrel and bolt to be locked together during reCOIl a dIstance greater than the size of the round loaded. Nevertheless, this pistol was adopted by the Hungarian army and remained in production until 1930. It is relatively common, well-made, somewhat ugly, awkward, and reliable.
Frommer M29, Frommer M37: These pistols were refinements of the Frommer Stop. The locked bolt was exchanged for a simple blowback operated pistol. The pIstols resembled the M1911, even down to the side thumb safety. The only major difference between the two pistols is the caliber.
Japanese Model 94: Nambu, the designer of the pistol, set out to create a cheaper and smaller pistol in 1929. After handing the design over to the army, the pistol returned with a slightly bizarre appearance and a much heftier price tag than the Nambu 14th Year. Regardless, the pistol was accepted and put into production. Over 70,000 were made, with quality dropping off in 1944 and 1945.
Lahti-Model 35: This Finnish pistol was adopted by the Finnish Army in 1935. It is well designed and well sealed against dirt and has shown itself to be remarkably reliable in sub-zero conditions. One unusual aspect of the pistol is the inclusion of an accelerator (a device that accelerates the returning bolt), an addition usually found on a machine gun. It increases reliability in poor conditions, but requires an armorer to clean.
Llama Model 11, Llama Model 3: The Llama pistols are Spanish reproductions of the M 1911, designed in different calibers.
Mab Model A, Mab Model D: These French pistols are reproductions of Browning pistols.
Mannlicher 1901: This is an Austrian pistol with excellent workmanship, balance, and fInish. The clip is loaded by pullmg the slide back and running a charger strip full of bullets down into the pistol. Many of these pistois were made for the Argentine Army. Just over 10,000 were ever made.
Mauser 1910, Mauser Pocket Model 1934: These pistols are small blowback operated pistols. The Model 1934 is a slight redesign of the 1910, having a contoured plastic wrap-around grip instead ofthe traditional wood handle. These pistols are easy to conceal, but only use the .25 Auto round.
Mauser C96 (Broomhandle): The C/96 Broomhandle is one ofthe most popular auto-loading pistols designed near the tum-of the century. Many countries, including Turkey, Persia, Russia, and Italy adopted the pistol; Germany did not. The pistol comes with various capacities including 6, 10, and 20 round magazines that are part of the pistol itself. To reload the pistol, a stripper clip loaded with bullets is forced into the magazine chamber. In many societies, the Mauser pistol is a coveted sign of position.
Nambu Baby: The Nambu M1904 had disappointing sales due to its cumbersome size so the Nambu company developed a three-quarter size version chambered for the new 7mm caliber. The new Baby still was not popular due to its high price tag; no more than 6,000 were made.
Nambu M1904: This is the first pistol made for sale to Japanese army officers; it was not adopted officially by the army. The magazine is difficult to remove, since it is the only thing that holds the bolt open. When the magazine is pried loose, the bolt slams back.
Parabellum Luger P08: This is the most famous of all the pistols Luger developed. It was the standard pistol in the German Army until 1941 , when it was replaced by the P38. The action of the P08 is akin to a curling finger. When the round goes off, the top of the pistol curls up in a slightly inverted 'V' shape and slides back, stripping the next round off of the magazine. Virtually every German encountered in the Pulps has a P08 somewhere on his person.
Radom: The Polish Model 35 is more commonly known as the Radom, its place ofproduction. This pistol is similar operationally to the Browning GP35. Once Germany occupied Poland, they continued manufacture of the Radom for the German Army. It is generally heavier and larger than most 9mm pistols, but this makes it more accurate and pleasant to shoot.
Sauer Behorden Model: This German pocket pistol was designed in 1913 for personal defense and for the police market. It remained in production until 1930, with an estimated 175,000 made. A revised model was made in 1930 and produced through 1937; it was used by military and police in Germany.
Sauer Model 38H: This well-made pistol replaced the Behorden Model and would have been a commercial success if not for the war. Instead the entire production of 200,000 went to the Army and the design died there. It is a double-action auto-loader with an internal hammer control, allowing the gun to be de-cocked without depressing the trigger (a novelty at the time).
Star Model B: The Star is a Spanish design based heavily on the M1911. The pistol isalso available in .38 Auto and 7.63mm versions. A strange modification was made in 1930 to convert the Star into a submachine gun by adding a shoulder stock and longer magazine. This modification, named the MD, is very impractical and saw very little military employment.
TT-33 Tokarev: The Russian-made Tokarev is based on the Browning swinging-link breech lock with added improvements to make it reliable and simpler to manufacture. The TT-33 replaced the IT-30; mainly manufacturing changes were made to the pistol. This is an excellent pistol to give to any Russian that is encountered.
Type 80: The Japanese Type 80 is based loosely on C96 Broomhandle. The magazine is in front of the trigger, but it is removable and is sloped forward to improve feed. It has an attachable buttstock and bayonet as well.
Walther Model 8: In 1918 the Walther factory, along with DWM and Mauser, was forced to close its doors due to the Armistice that ended World War I. In 1920, Carl Walther's son introduced a new 6.35mm pistol with the approval of the League of Nations. It is a small pocket pistol and heavily influences the Models PP and PPK.
Walther Model Pistole 38: This is the pistol that replaced the P08 in the German Army. The P38 incorporates a visible hammer, so the firer can determine if the pistol is cocked or not. It has a double action trigger mechanism similar to the PP and PPK, and a side-mounted safety. The gun in "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." is a heavily modified P38.
Walther Model PP, Walther Model PPK: The Walther PP is the first totally successful autoloader to incorporate a double action trigger. In addition to its clean, modem appearance, the PP also sports a side-mounted safety operated by the thumb. It was introduced as a police weapon (PP stands for Polizei Pistole) and later as an officer's pistol in the German army. The PPK is nearly identical to the PP but made smaller for plains-clothes police officers to carry without alerting any one of their armed status. James Bond carries a Walther PPK for just this reason.
Bergmann MP35/1: This German submachine gun was built initially in Denmark to get around the Versailles Trealy. About 2000 MP35s were made for police and export to Bolivia. An interesting feature of the gun is that the trigger selects the type of fire. If the trigger is pressed half-way, the weapon fires a single shot, if it is pulled all the way back, it fires fully automatic.
CZ 383: This submachine gun was produced in Czechoslovakia lli.d is typical for weapons ofthe period. It is heavy and robust and can lay down accurate fire. Three things made this gun different from other submachine guns: it has a bipod built into the barrel, it has a quick-change barrel, and it has a removable weight that can alter its fire rate to either 500 or 700 rounds per minute.
Erma MP38: The MP38 is probably the most recognized submachine gun in the world. It is also the most misnamed. Throughout history it has been called the "Schmeisser" even though Hugo Schmeisser had nothing to do with the design ofthe gun. This gun has many firsts in the submachine gun field: it is the first submachine gun to have no wood in its furniture, the first to have a successful folding stock, and the first to be designed for a modem, fast-moving, mechanized army . If Germany adversaries need to have a submachine gun, this is the gun they should carry.
Erma MPE: This was developed in Gennany in the Late 1920s and was manufactured from 1930 to 1938 when the MP38 took over all Erma production. Many of these guns were sold to France, Mexico, and South America. The gun was also used a little in the Spanish Civil War. It has a tubular receiver, ajacketed barrel, aside-feed magazine, and a vertical wooden foregrip located just behind the magazine.
M30 Broomhandle: This is merely the automatic version of the C/96 Broomhandle pistol with an extended magazine and attached wooden stock.
MAS M38: This French submachine gun was made in 1938 and continued production into 1949, with a limited number being used for German forces during their occupation. It is reasonably light, has good accuracy, and low recoil movements. Since there was no 9mm version, most foreign nations were not interested in adding it to their arsenal.
MP 28/11: This German gun was designed as a purely commercial investment and was subsequently used in the Belgian Army and throughout South America. It has a wooden stock with an air-cooled barrel. In addition to the 50-round "snail" magazine, the 28/11 also has a 20 and 32 round magazine available.
Suomi M31: The M31 was designed by Aimo Lagti and was produced for the Finnish Army. The Model 31 is a refinement of earlier models and became the standard to which all other submachine guns were measured. In addition to the 71 round drum, the M31 also has 20, 40 and 50 shot magazines and a 40 shot drum.
Thompson M1928, Thompson M1A1: These are two almost identical weapons, the classic "tommy gun." The main difference in the two weapons is the manufacturing process: the M1A1 requires fewer parts, and thus speeds up production. The mob first employed the Thompson effectively, which led the FBI to purchase some as well. Eventually, the military became interested and assigned them to the Marine Corps and Coast Guard. The foregrip of the Thompson can be either the classic front handle or a horizontal grip. In addition to the 50 round drum, the tommy gun can also take a 100 round drum, and 18, 20, and 30 shot magazines. It can also fit into a slightly modifted violin case.
Arisaka Type 99: This bolt-action rifle was designed based on experiences in the Sino-Japanese war. The Type 99 rifle was based on the then new 7.7mm round. It also includes a flip-up sight and thin wire monopod to be used in the event of attack from air. It is more psychological than useful.
Czech ZH29: The ZH29 is a long heavy rifle that is capable of providing sustained automatic fire. In addition to the 25 shot magazine, the ZH29 also has a 10 shot one.
Enfield M1917: This bolt-action rifle was the standard issue for World War I American infantry. It is a redesigned Lee-Enfield rifle modified to take the rimless cartridge that the American Army uses. This rifle was one of the most popular rifles in the American armory. A total of 2,193,429 were made. They were issued to the British and the Chinese during World War II.
French 1916 8mm: This bolt-action rifle is a modification of the French 1907/15 8mm rifle with a 5 shot integral clip replacing the traditional 3 shot clip.
H&H Best Quality Magazine Rifle, H&H No.2 Hammerless, H&H Royal Double Custom 300: Holland and Holland make high quality hunting rifles and shotguns. These weapons are extremely expensive and would never bc found in the hands of a common street punk. These rifles are equally at home in the hands of a great white hunter or mounted over the mantIc on a fireplace,
Hungarian M35: This bolt-action rifle was made in response to Austria and Hungary going their separate ways following the end of World War I. It is a Romanian M1893 rifle retooled to fire the 8mm Hungarian round.
Japanese Type 38: This rifle is a refined version of the Arisaka rifle and includes a receiver-mounted ejector and safety mounted on the end of the bolt. This mushroom-shaped knob is pressed in and rotated to allow the rifle to fire.
Lee-Enfield Mk I, Lee-Enfield SMLE Mk 3: When the British adopted Cordite as the standard smokeless propellant for ammunition, a new rifle needed to be designed. Previously, all rifles needed to prevent powder residue from clogging the moving parts. With almost no fouling Cordite allowed a much more accurate rifle to be designed. Using rifling from Enfield Lock and the action from Lee, the Lee-Enfield Rifle is synonymous with British rifles in the early twentieth century. The SMLE Mk 3 has different sites than the Mk 1 and a smaller internal magazine, but is otherwise identical.
M1 Garand: The M1 is the first self-loading rifle to be adopted as a standard weapon. The United States Army adopted the M1 Garand in 1932 and began issuing them in 1936. The rifle is a little heavy but robust. The M1's magazine is internal and does not project below the weapon. The magazine only holds eight rounds, and can only be loaded when empty. Even if there is only one shot left, the rifle needs to be emptied before it can be reloaded. Lastly, when the final round is fires, the clip is automatically ejected with a distincti ve sound that alerts those who can hear it of the rifle's ammunitions supply. These minor problems did not prevent the US Anny from carrying a self-loading rifle throughout Worid War II.
MAS 1936: Based on experience from World War 1, the French decided that the 8mm round was insufficient to their needs, In 1924 a new 7.5mm rimless round was adopted and a rifle was needed to fire it. A modified Mauser rifle became the bolt-action MAS 1936.
Mauser Gewehr 98: This is one of the most successful rifles ever designed. Millions of rifles based on the Mauser Gewehr 98 have been made and are used by many armies. The magazine is integral to the rifle and it merges into the trigger guard creating a smooth appearance. It is loaded by a charger strip full of five rounds. The performance of the Mauser is excellent and it is designed to be reliable and accurate.
Moshin-Nagant 1891: This Russian bolt-action rifle was the standard armament for the Tsar's troops. The 1891 is a standard rifle with an area to fit a socket bayonet. Although most countries felt the socket bayonet obsolete, the Russians placed great reliance on them. In fact, Russian soldiers were not issued scabbards for their bayonets, it is assumed they would be on the rifles as all times. In addition, the sights of the 1891 took into effect the presence a bayonet would have on the barrel.
Schmidt-Rubin 1931: This was the national rifle of Switzerland for a hundred years. It has a straight pull bolt (meaning that the bolt is pulled straight back by a plunger) rather than the typicai iift and puli, or tumbolt, mechanism. While not an overall excellent rifle, Switzerland's neutrality helped prevent the Schmidt-Rubin from seeing actual wartime conditions. There were 528,180 Schmidt-Rubin 1931s produced.
Simonov Model 36: This is the first auto-loading rifle to be adopted by the Soviet Army. The standard weapon has a selective-fire design that allows it to operate as a light machine gun. The rifle is complicated and easily allows dirt inside. Adopted in 1936, it was replaced by the Tokarev SVT-38 in 1938.
Solothurn S-18/100 20mm Anti-Tank Rifle: Sometimes an elephant gun will not get the job done. When that happens, itis time to use the Solothum S-18. Designed in Switzerland in the early 1930s, this massive rifle was adopted by Italy, Hungary, and Switzerland. It has a well-padded shoulder stock, integral bipod, and a rear monopod which helps to absorb most of the recoil. In addition to the 10 round magazine, a 5 round magazine is also available. This is one of the most powerful manportable rifle's of the 1930s.
Springfield 1903A1: The Springfield 1903A1 is a 1903 with a pistol grip added to the rifle' s stock. The 1903 was the standard bolt-action rifle of the US Army, replacing the licensed Mauser that was produced and used during the Spanish-American War.
Tokarev SVT-38: This rifle replaced the Simononv Model 36 as the standard auto-loading rifle of the Soviet Army. Simpler than the Model 36, this rifle was in use until its revision in 1940. One unique feature of this rifle is the location of the cleaning rod. Rather than place the rod beneath the barrel, it is inserted along the right side of the stock.
Breda M30: This Italian weapon is ugly to look at and difficult to keep clean. The machine gunner needs to squirt oil on each bullet as he loads them into the clip to ensure proper loading. The gun does not have a carrying handle or sling so the gunner has to carry it over his shoulders.
Breda M37: This became the standard Italian machine gun of World War II. Since the weapon was originally designed for tank use and the tank crews did not want spent shell casings rolling around on the floor ofthe tank, the machine gun replaces each shell on the strip from which it was loaded. A gunner needs to remove the empty shells from the strip before new shells can be loaded. This gun also suffers from the same need as the M30; each shell must be lubricated with oil before loading.
Bren Mk 1: This is one of the finest light machine guns ever made. It was adopted by the British military in 1938. It is made of simple and easily understood mechanical components that allowed it to be stripped or assembled by a trained soldier in a matter of seconds.
Browning M2HB: This is Browning's .50 caliber machine gun, introduced into service in 1921. This machine gun proved so popular that it was mounted on virtually anything that can carry it including planes, tanks, anti-aircraft mounts, and even jeeps. It is still in use by the United States in the 1990s, attesting to its well- made design and durability. Each of the half-inch bullets carries superior destructive power, usually reserved for material de- struction rather than attacking people.
Chatelleraut 1924/29: This French machine gun was a replacement for the Chatellerault 1915, which has the distinction of being the worst machine gun ever developed. The 1924/29 is an entirely new design. It is still plagued by problems, however, generally due to the 7.5mm shell it fires.
Degtyarev DP: This machine gun was adopted by the Soviet Army in 1928 after two years of trials. It is a simple and reliable gun that stayed in use until the 1950s. The most notable aspect of the gun's appearance is the large pan-shaped magazine that is placed on the top of the gun.
Hotchkiss 1922, Hotchkiss Mk 1: The Hotchkiss light machine gun was adopted by the French military and the British. The bipod on the gun has rocker-shaped [eellhai heip reduce the climb the weapon experiences during firing. The Mk 1 is the British version, retooled to fire the .303 round.
Japanese Type 11: This is the first light machine-gun that the Japanese designed themselves. In addition to an angular appearanee, the gun contains features that are rarely seen on other machine-guns. The most interesting feature is the hopper system feeder: any bullets dropped in it are aligned and loaded onto the strips. The feeder is complicated and does lead to stoppages, however.
Japanese Type 92: The Type 92 was a design created to use the 7.7mm round the Japanese developed. Each round needs to be oiled before it is loaded and the rate of fire is slow.
Japanese Type 97: This was originally a tank machine gun modified for ground use. It is a copy of the Czech ZB26, firing the 7.7mm round. The barrel is pretty light and cannot stand up to long bursts offire, which limits the gun's usefulness in a tank.
M26 Lahti Saloranta: This is a good example of the type of machine gun made in the 1920s. It is a simple, strong, and not too heavy Finnish gun. It was thought that the gun could be sold commercially, but the Great Depression prevented that. The Finnish Army used it during the Russo-Finnish War of 1939-40 with reasonable success.
MG34: This German machine gun could accept either a 250 shot belt or a 75 shot drum. The trigger is designed so that a slight pressure fires a single shot and a full depression fires the weapon in a fully automatic mode. It has a bipod mounted underneath the barrel and can also be mounted on a tripod. It is a reliable weapon and served in the German infantry until 1945.
ZB26: This was Czechoslovakia's first successful machine gun after WorId War I. It is similar to many other light machine guns made at this time but has some superior features. It fires slower so there is less stress on all the parts, the piston and cylinder are made from stainless steel so there is no corrosion ofparts, and the carrying handle can be used to change the barrels without touching the hot metal.
Beretta 410 10 Gauge Magnum: This is typical version of the side-by-side breech load shotgun. It fires a heavier shell than the normal 12 gauge shotgun, so it can be used to hunt larger game.
Browning Auto-5 12 Gauge: This shotgun was designed in 1903 by John Browning. It has a lower recoil than other 12 gauge shotguns, as part of the energy is used to load the next shell. At close range, the Auto-5 can create a virtual cloud of lead shot that will destroy anything in its path.
Winchester M1911 12 Gauge: The Winchester M1911 is a typical 12 gauge pump shotgun. It is a modification to both the M1887 and M1889 shotguns that Winchester released. It saw action in World War I, the Spanish Civil War, and almost every other major conflict that needed a close range weapon.
Nightstick: Also known as a "billy-club" and resembling a smaller cousin to the baseball bat, the Nightstick was usually carried by beat cops in addition to their sidearm. Normally about 24"-26" long, versions were also used by the criminal element. Often they had an ounce or two of lead in the ends of their "listen sticks" to emphasize their points. The Night- stick attacks on the Club attack table, adding a + 10 to the attack if the stick is weighted down with lead.
Sap (Blackjack): The Sap, or Blackjack started out as an improvisational weapon. It is essentially a small, oblong bag filled with some heavy material (such as sand, coins, ball-bearings, etc.) and used like a club, delivering vicious blows. Its attacks are resolved on the Club attack table. In addition, anyone using this weapon gains a special bonus of +25 to their Subdual skill.
Garrote: The Garrote is an assassin's weapon a length of thin, wire or cord material (piano-wire is common) used to strangle unsuspecting victims silently from behind. The attacker holds each end in either hand (sometimes handles are attached to the Garrote), loops the slack around a victim's neck, and crosses the ends over, pulling the noose tightening. The Garrote cuts off the victim's air, killing them by suffocation. The Thugee cult of India used scarves with weights in either end to kill their victim's, usually for the glory of their god, Kali.
Sword-cane: The ultimate in men's accessories, the Sword-cane is usually used as a form ofstreet protection. A simple twist of the handle brings forth the 19 to 25-inch blade concealed in a hollow cane or walking stick. Brigadier General Theodore "Ham" Marley Brooks, one of Doc Savage's aides, is an expert with this elegant weapon, and is known to coat his Sword-cane with a powerful anes- thetic drug. Just a prick from Brook's Sword-cane quickly puts his victims to sleep. Attacks with the Sword-cane are resolved on the Rapier attack table.
Brass Knuckles: Little more than a thick strip of brass with finger holes, Brass Knuckles are worn over the fingers, resting against the knuckles. Delivering a much more potent punch than bare knuckles alone, Brass "Knucks" are a common weapon used by the average street-thug. Attacks utilizing Brass Knuckles are resolved using the appropriate skill (i.e., Boxing, Martial Arts Strikes, Power-Striking, or Subdual) with damage resolved using the Brawling attack table with a maximum of Medium results. In addition, attackers using brass knuckles may add +10 to their OB for the attack.
Pocket-Knife, Switchblade, Straight-Razor and Machete: These weapons are considered Weapon • 1h Edged for purposes of attacks, with damage resolved on the Dagger table for Pocket-Knife, Switchblade and Straight-Razor (double all range modifications); and on the Falchion table for the Machete (with a special modifier of -10 versus all ATs).
Throwing Knife: The Throwing Knife is, uniquely enough, a Weapon • Thrown for skill purposes, and uses the Dagger table for attack resolution and damage (reduce all range modifications by 10).
Throwing Star (Shuriken): The Orient is the originator of many unusual weapons. One of these is the Throwing Star, or Shuriken, which is essentially a flat piece of metal in the shape of a many-pointed star. The points are sharpened, and sometimes coated with poison or someother chemical concoction. Usually handfuls of these small instruments of pain are used at one time, to increase their effectiveness and chances to hit a target. Attacks are resolved as Weapon • Thrown on the Dagger table Reduce all range modifications by 10; increase fumble range by 2, lower the breakage number by 2, and increase the strength by 5.
Blowgun: The preferred weapon of many native tribes ofthe South American rain forests, the Blowgun is a hollow tube through which the user blows (a sharp exhalation) a needle or dart (usually poisoned). The attack is resolved on the Stinger attack table with a maximum of small result.
Bullwhip: An 8 to 15 foot length of braided leather or rawhide, the Bullwhip has a handle of leather or wood at its thickest end and a knot at the other. One of the leather strips is left longer than the others beyond the knot. This "cracker" is the part of the whip which strikes a target, and, if used appropriately, can break the speed of sound, creating the loud crack that is the Bullwhip's trademark. Supple yet strong, the Bullwhip is a very versatile tool. Intimidating as a weapon, it can also be used (with acquired skill) in many situations that might only be solved by a length of rope.
Foil: The foil is a fencing weapon ordinarily used only for sport. As such, it usually has a blunt end covered with a rubber tip. However, should the foil have its tip removed and its point sharpened, it can be the deadliest of weapons. Only the tip of a foil is used to attack; its blade has no edge. The skill for fencing is Weapon • 1h Edged. A foil's attack is resolved on the Rapier table, using Tiny critical strikes. As the blade of a foil is somewhat flexible, heavier armor types (AT) will turn the blade, causing it to bend instead of puncturethrough.A foil blade suffers a -50 penalty against AT 7 or higher; however against lower ATs, the foil gains a special bonus of +10.
Rapier: The Rapier is another fencing weapon, heavier than a foil, yet long and thin for speed and accuracy. The blade's cross-section is triangular, giving strength for thrusting. A sharpened edge allows cuts as well.
Saber: The heaviest of all fencing weapons, the Saber is a favored weapon in many cultures, and has been adapted in many different ways. The most common version is the cavalry saber, worn by cavalry officers of nearly every army of the 19th, century onward. A saber possesses a much heavier curved blade, and requires the Weapon • 1h Edged skill to wield and attacks are resolved on the Scimitar attack table.
Commonly only sold to those with legal need, such as contractors, mining concerns, etc., most explosives also can be found on the Black Market at an average of 200% of original cost.
Black Powder (Gun-Powder): A mixture of Saltpeter (Potassium Nitrate), charcoal and sulfur, Black Powder has been around for almost a thousand years. Roger Bacon, an English Franciscan monk, described it and its effects in a manuscript believed to be written around 1240. His formula listed "41.2% of saltpeter and 29.4% each of carbon and sulfur." Chinese (10th century) and Arabian manuscripts also describe uses of the explosive. Developed and refined many times over, Black Powder was first used in a firearm in 1325, and was in common use as a weapon up to the late 1800s. Although extremely sensitive to heat, it must be tightly confined to generate a blast, or it will just flare and burn.
Nitrocellulose (Guncotton): Known as "smokeless powder" because of the significantly smaller amount of smoke produced compared to Black Powder, Nitrocellulose was developed in the mid-1800s by Sobrero in Switzerland. It can be wadded into an explosive or made into strip for use as a fuse. Nitrocellulose is sensitive to heat, open flame, and impact.
Nitroglycerin: This is a volatile liquid explosive sensitive to extreme heat, open flame, electrical spark, significant jolt or impact, excessive vibration, or shock wave from noise. When carrying Nitro, all movement must be at a crawl for fear of jarring the dangerous liquid. It is sometimes used to quench oil-field fires, by blasting the fire out and using up all the oxygen in the vicinity. Developed by Nobel in Sweden in the 1860's, it is the most powerful commercial explosive, exported the world over under the name "Swedish Blasting Oil."
Dynamite: Nothing more than Nitroglycerin soaked into a neutralizing material such as sawdust, it is a stable explosive which can be burned, struck with a heavy object, or fired into without setting it off. Sold in sticks for blasting, Dynamite is rated according to the amount of Nitroglycerin is contains. Bundles of 3 or more sticks cannot be thrown accurately due to their bulk. It can only be detonated by an explosive trigger, i.e., a "Blasting Cap" (see Electric igniters, below). Dynamite can "sweat" due to long- term exposure to heat or humidity, causing the Nitro it contains to leak and become unstable, and be triggered by flame, spark or shock. This is avail- able legally to licensed construction, demolition, and related personnel. Ordinarily it sells legally for $2 a stick; it can usually be found on the Black Market for $5 a stick.
Plastique: Completely stable, will not explode without primer. Variable cost.
Grenade: Most grenades of the Pulp era were developed during World War I, including the infamous German "Potato Masher," in 1914, named so because of its resemblance to the kitchen utensil. All grenades are triggered by a fuse, which lasts anywhere from 1-8 seconds.
Fuses: Det cord, connected to explosive, triggered by flame. $1.95 for 1000 feet.
Electric igniters: Pressure caps and Thermal caps, known as "Blasting caps;" Require a detonator box and roll of wire connecting cap and box. Box is usually standard "plunger" type. Uses a heating element to set off the primer or a heat-sensitive explosive. Blasting caps are unstable, triggered by open flame or impact. $10.00 each.
Chemical igniters: Unreliable, may be set only once.
Many heroes in the Pulps were able to create fantastic devices to aid them in their struggles. Most ofthe time these inventions were more scientifically advanced than the current technology would allow. Often inventions and gizmos created in the Pulps were realized in our modern age; many have become common, everyday items. For example, Doc Savage invented a telephone answering machine, using a phonographic cylinder, in 1933.
To invent a gadget, the character requires time, materials, a place to work, and the Gadgeteering skill. The player should submit to the GM the plans for the gizmo he wishes his character to build. The GM must then select a difficulty level and minimum time necessary for construction based on technology and materials available. The standard Rolemaster difficulty scale is used (Routine, Easy, Light, Medium, Hard, Very Hard, Extremely, Hard, Sheer Folly, and Absurd). The player then specifies the amount of time his character will spend working on the gadget. The minimum suggested time is eight hours for a Medium difficulty gadget, and actual time spent will modify the base chances of success. Once the appropriate amount of time has passed, the character performs a maneuver on the Gadgeteering Static Maneuver Table modified based on the table below.
If the static maneuver is successful, the gizmo is created. Because the player will not know the difficulty of the gadget his character is Gadgeteering, he will not know the degree of success achieved. This, a partially successful maneuver could "successfully" create an imperfect gizmo, which has a chance of malfunctioning when used. To determine how often a gizmo malfunctions, subtract 100 from the Gadgeteer's maneuvcr roll. The result is the percentage of time a gizmo malfunctions. For example, if a Gadgeteer's total roll is an 85, the gadget created will malfunction 15% of the time.
Example: The gadgeteer, Hans Insidio, a premiere designer of deathtraps and other implements of destruction, wants to build a compact submachine pistol to use in his latest war against Truth, Justice, and the American Way. He is currently in his lab with plenty of gun metal available and the appropriate types oftoolsfor the job. Hans' Gadgeteering skill is a +85 and he also has ten ranks of Gunsmith. He decides to allot eight hours for this project. The GM secretly decides that this would take a minimum of six hours at a difficulty level of Very Hard. The total bonus would be 95; 85 for Hans' Gadgeteering skill, +10 for spending two extra hours, +10 for ten ranks of the Gunsmith skill, +10 for exact materials, and -20 for the difficulty (Very Hard). Hans' roll is a 36; his modifier is a 95 for a total of 131. The GM compares the result to the Gadgeteering Static Maneuver Table and determines that Insidio has succeeded in Creating his machine pistol. Look out good guys!
The foiiowing gadgets are examples of what a gadgetmaking character could reasonably design and implement in the 1930s. Some gadgets could actually be the focus of a series of adventures. After all, this is the Age of Invention!
A variation of the Nose Plug Filters and the precursor to SCUBA gear, these gadgets allow the wearer to breathe (for a limited time) in normally unbreathable environment, such as underwater, in poison gas, or in a non-oxygen atmosphere. These gizmos can be as simple as a gas-mask, or sophisticated as a miniaturized SCUBA tank or even an environmental suit (radiation suit, space suit, etc.). (Gadgeteering skill difficulty: Very Hard).
Since the advent of weaponry, man has searched for the most effective way to protect himself. This continues in the twentieth century, since man continues perfecting methods for causing damage as well. Bulletproof Clothing comes in various forms, from resistant inserts to full suits of armor. All reduce Puncture criticals to Impact criticals.
Bulletproof inserts are pieces of an impact-resistant material very similar to modern day Kevlar. They are designed to slide into specially crafted pockets of the character's clothes (usually a vest of some sort) to provide protection from gunfire and other types of impact damage (i.e., the character receives no benefit versus heat and flame, electricity, etc.). Inserts weigh about a pound each and provides Type I body armor with a +5 DB. Each insert also gives any onlooker a modifier of +5 to Observation to notice the unusual bulges in the clothing. (Gadgeteering skill difficulty: Medium)
Suits of armor are a thing of the middle-ages, but the theory is sound. In the Pulp era, a hero might have a lightweight, chain-mesh undershirt created for his protection. Made of a steel alloy, this shirt would resemble a chain or scale-mail shirt, providing a DB bonus of +10, and an AT of 13. (Gadgeteering skill difficulty: Medium)
Grappling hooks are one of the most versatile and handy tools available, to any adventurer. Collapsible versions are usually made of hardened steel, and capable of holding up to 200 pounds. Numerous variants have appeared in use by many adventurers. Examples: Hand-held, disguised as a fountain-pen when collapsed; Belt version, often used in conjunction with a Monofilament Cable or silken cord; Projectile-mounted, shot from a breach-loaded firearm, either a Derringer or a shotgun. Often used in equipment belts of many cloaked vigilantes. (Gadgeteering skill difficulty: Hard)
The old knife-in-the-bootor gun-up-the-sleeve tricks have new life with this handy little gizmo. A spring-loaded holster for the weapon is strapped to a limb or secreted into a piece of clothing (coat sleeve, shoes, belts, etc.) for easy access. The owner depresses a secret catch, and "click," the weapon is exposed ready for use. Such weapons typically consist of edged blades, though small pistols such as Derringers makes good hide-outs as well. (Gadgeteering skill difficulty: Medium)
Resembling an ordinary thimble, these gizmos can be disguised as the wearer's fingertips concealing their true purposes as chemical delivery devices. Common chemical coatings for the Needles include: paralysis, sleep (anesthesia), poison, hypnosis, truth serum, etc. (Gadgeteering skill difficulty: Medium)
Like the one our friend Insidio made, or the original design developed by Doc Savage, the Machine Pistol is a favorite weapon of Pulp heroes and villains. Suggested is Hidalgo Firearms design; .24 caliber, capable of firing 766 rounds per minute; auto and semi-auto firing rates; loaded usually with some sort of Specialized Ammunition in a 66- shot drum. This weapon is known for the sound of its automatic firing: a deep, bass "bull-fiddle" roar due to built-in noise-suppressers. This Machine Pistol resembles a miniaturized Thompson M1A1 Sub-Machine gun. (Gadgeteering skill difficulty: Very Hard)
Many different kinds of grenades can be created in miniature (i.e., anything from the size of a golf ball to a ball-bearing). Explosives, gases, or liquids are the usual ingredients of these sometimes subtle gizmos. The container can be made of most stable materials, from glass to plastic to steel. Chemical concoctions are also favorites, such as: sleeping gas, laughing gas, concentrated smoke (for concealment), nitroglycerin, poisons, gasoline, flash-bangs (producing temporary blindness), acid, chemical residues sensitive to Ultraviolet or Infrared light, etc.
Easily hidden on a person, these gadgets are virtually undetectable if well concealed. Hiding places may include: secret compartments in shoes or belt-buckles; fake, hollow teeth; attached to scalp (hidden by the hair); beneath fingernails. Due to their small size, most grenades would have to be opened, broken, or punctured to release their contents. They are usually not adaptable to fuses or triggers, like ordinary grenades. (Depending on their contents, most Miniature Grenades would have a Gadgeteering skill difficulty of Medium.)
Radio and Television paved the way for newer, easier ways to communicate. Miniaturized gizmos for two-way communication in both technologies use the following guidelines: Radio units the size of a hearing-aid would have a Gadgeteering skill difficulty of Extremely Hard. Television transmitter/receivers could be no smaller than a wristwatch and have a Gadgeteering skill difficulty of Sheer Folly at that level. Both these items have a finite range, recommended to not exceed 5 miles.
This is an extraordinarily strong wire, which appears to be just a thick thread. The cable is composed of a chemically treated steel alloy, which makes It very flexible and sturdy. Its obvious use is as rope though it may be used as a makeshift garrote. Climbing the Monofilament Cable is Extremely Hard (-30 to Climbing skill) and requires gloves. Ifthe character fumbles the climbing roll, or is not wearing gloves, the character receives an A Tiny critical each turn he is climbing. The Monofilament Cable will support up to 200 pounds easily and can be cut with a pair of wire-cutters. (Gadgeteering skill difficulty: Hard)
These are bulky strap-on goggles that allow the wearer to see in the dark as the Nightvision spell (see Spell Law). The goggles require some kind of electric current to operate, either through household current or some kind of batterypack.The unit functions on the principle of viewing through the higher (Ultraviolet) or lower (Infrared) ends of the visible light spectrum. Certain chemical compounds may enhance the viewing of objects through the goggles, such as a clinging powder that leaves a normally invisible residue trail (used for tracking), or a stick of chalk that produces invisible writing. (Gadgeteering skill difficulty: Hard)
These tiny plugs slip inside the nostrils and filter out poisonous gas. When worn these plugs cannot be seen from farther away than one foot. When the wearer of the nose plugs is in an area with a toxic gas, the wearer may ignore the gas' effect for up to 2 hours (after which the plugs become useless). In combat, there is a 20% chance of a blow to the head (indicated by critical) will knock the nose plugs loose. (Gadgeteering skill difficulty: Hard)
Weapons of the future, Ray Guns were a staple in Sci-Fi pulps and movie serials. These weapons are very powerful, and the GM should take care not to let their inclusion unbalance the game (although dinosaur hunts are great fun!). Unless otherwise specified, the "ray" fired will be in a cone shape. Usually a pistol-sized sidearm, there are more than a few variants:
Disintegrator Pistol: Very dangerous weapon, with various settings that affect as Solid Destruction True on the Sorcerer Base spell list Solid Destruction, except that the area of effect will always be in a 30' cone, and will affect all materials. However, it will only disintegrate that which the ray comes into direct contact with (i.e., if Deke Starkiller was taking cover behind his ship, and was fired upon with a Disintegrator Pistol, the ray would disintegrate the ship, not Deke. Even though Deke was in range and in the area of effect, he was effectively under cover, and the ray did not touch him directly. However, now that Deke has lost his cover...) The power cells for this weapon are good for only 5 shots before requiring recharging.
Lightning Gun: Emits a bolt of electricaliy charged particles that affect as a Lightning Bolt III. Power cells are good for 20 shots.
Paralyzer Pistol: Emits sonic waves that will paralyze the nerve centers of the body, affecting targets as Paralyze V on the Mentalist Base spell list Mind Attack, except that the waves are in a cone form, and the range is 50'. Power cells are good for 20 shots.
Repulsor Ray: Emits a beam of anti-gravity that affects as the Staying X spell on the Closed Mentalism spell list Telekinesis. Various settings on the gun correspond to the different levels of Staying spells, with greater power drain for higher settings. Power cells are good for 40 shots.
Stun Blaster: Emits a bolt of stunning energy that will affect as Holy Shout on the Cleric Base spell list Channels. Power cells are good for 30 shots.
Man's dream to fly can be traced all the way back to the likes of Icarus and Leonardo Da Vinci. Mankind achieved that dream with the Wright Brothers historic flight at Kitty Hawkin1907. Man also realized that the only way he could ever fly (without magic) would be through the use of technology. The first successful autogyro flight was made by Juan de la Cierva in 1923. In 1926, Dr. Goddard completed the first liquid fuel rocket. The first successful rocket-flight followed shortly thereafter, in Germany in 1929. To strap a rocket to a man's back was no great leap in logic. Germany was very interested from the beginning in developing single-person rocket flight. Many problems hindered them at every stage, including the testing ground and resulted in more than a few test-pilot deaths.
It was not until 1934 that the first successful rocket-pack was developed by Clark Savage, Jr. The onset of World War II initiated a mad scramble to acquire the prototype for military use. Hughes Industries was contracted in 1937 to refine Savage's design for the U.S. Army. They perfected the design, and produced a new prototype, the Cirrus X-3. Germany also had great plans for a working rocket-pack and its military applications, and set out to achieve them no matter the cost.
Rocket-packs in use: an anonymous adventurer known only as the Rocketeer appeared briefly in Los Angeles in 1938, using a working rocket-pack while performing several heroic deeds; and the United States sanctioned a special agent, "Commando Cody," who used a rocket-pack in the late 1940s to investigate supposed alien incursions.
Cirrus X-3: Single person rocket-pack worn strapped to the back like a backpack; Liquid fuel (alcohol) twin-turbine engine with palm control. Functions as the Fly True spell. A separate skill must be developed to use this gadget (Pilot: Rocket-pack). Unless a helmet is worn, crashing causes an E-impact critical. (Gadgeteering skill difficulty: Very Hard)
Want to strike fear in your opponents? Start a reputation? Spell out a warning? Use a Signature Accessory! These gizmos are common devices with special uses; they are a hero's calling card. Whether Zorro's "Z" emblem or the Lone Ranger's silver bullet, Pulp heroes like to give notice. The signet ring is a favorite, leaving a particular mark upon the flesh of anyone unlucky enough to connect with the fist that wears it-whether by burning its mark by phosphorous, or scarring by chemically treated edges, to marking by special ink (which won't come om). Other styles include boot-heels, belt-buckles, specialized playing-cards, custom seals, even an off-colored feather can work. Less permanent Accessories, such as stylized beams of light, or even soluble paints or inks may also be used. (Gadgeteering skill difficulty: Medium)
Some Pulp heroes were somewhat humanistic, and used ammo that wouldn't kill. These "mercy" bullets are composed of a hardened gelatin substance that contains a powerful anesthetic; they only cause unconsciousness (a poison of sorts) and no serious injury.
Other heroes wanted to cause extreme injury to their foes. Explosive bullets (cause Ballistic Shrapnel criticals) were not uncommon, as well as rocket-propelled ammunition (causing Ballistic Puncture criticals). (Gadgeteering skill difficulty: Hard)
Hand-to-hand combat in Pulp Adventures is conducted exactly the same as laid out in the RMSS. Martial Arts are not yet as prevalent in the western world as they are in the Far East, but it is not unlikely that globe-hopping adventurers will encounter them in their travels. Most of the western world fights by using the Martial Arts skill category, which includes Boxing, and Wrestling. In addition, the Brawling skill is useful.
Weapon combat is slightly different, with the advent of firearms and other higher-tech devices, such as explosives.
Grenade attacks will be resolved on the Grenade Attack Table (7.3). If the grenade was thrown, the throwing character can add his skill with Weapon • Thrown (Grenade) to an open-ended roll and consult the chart below to detennine how close to the desired location the grenade landed. This roll is modified by the range to the intended target (the range modifications given on the attack table apply to this accuracy roll, not to the OB of the attack).
Note: All rules presented here presume that the grenade is armed when thrown. Other rules may be necessary if the grenade has a different method of arming.
The GM may choose to allow an Awareness maneuver for the target to see the grenade coming and "dive" for cover (use the Rolemaster Standard Rules cover modifiers for Area Spells, but use the rules for "diving" for cover as presented in Weapon Law: Firearms). The amount ofthe thrown weapons maneuver less than 100 is treated as a positive modifier to the target's "dive for cover" maneuver (results of over 100 may apply negative modifiers to the maneuver roll at the GM's discretion).
The chart below will indicate how many degrees off of the desired location the grenade landed and how many feet away from the target the grenade landed. For the Degrees Off, the player should roll d100 (open-ended). This roll is modified by the range modifications to the intended target. At the same time, the GM should roll d100 (no open-ended). If the result is doubles (i.e., 11, 22, etc.), the grenade lands right on target regardless of the player's roll. If the result is an even number, the grenade lands to the right of the target (otherwise, it lands to the left of the target). The GM subtracts the larger number from the smaller number and compares the result to the table below. In all cases, the result is where the grenade ends up after all the bouncing and rolling stops (not where the grenade initially hits).
Example: Joey the cabbie decides to toss a grenade at his foes. The range is 50 yards to the desired area, so the range modification is +0. The player rolls d100 and gets an 94. The GM rolls (as the same time) and gets a 12. This results in a d10° to the right of the target. The player then rolls a d10 and gets a 2. The grenade was thrown 2° to the right of the target.
For the Feet Off, perfonn a similar process. If the GM' s roll is doubles, the grenade traveled exactly the right distance. If the roll is even, it travels too far; odd means it was short of the target. Remember, the character is attempting to throw a specific distance. If the throw was not straight on target (i.e., the Degrees Off was not 0°) the original distance from the thrower is what is modified by the Feet Off number. For example, if the throw was off by 10° to the left of the target, the throw will already land short of the target.
Example: Continuing the example, the player rolls again and gets a 52 (+0 for range modification). The GM rolls and gets a 29 indicating that it lands short of its target (which was 50 yards away). The player rolls 7d10 and the result is 26. The grenade travels about 40 yards and then lands to the right of the target.
To resolve damage from a grenade attack, roll d100 (open-ended) and consult the attack table (note that the character's skill adds to the accuracy, not to the damage). The grenade has a blast radius of twenty feet: it affects all within that radius. If the grenade is a fragmentation grenade, the criticals are resolved on the Ballistic Shrapnel table; otherwise use the Ballistic Impact critical table (both critical tables may be found in Weapon Law: Firearms).
This weapon uses a liquid fuel of gasoline and oil, or a similar combustible to send a lance of flame at an enemy. Resolve attacks with flame-throwers on the Flame-thrower Attack Table (7.2) with Heat criticals. In addition to the normal critical result, there is a base 10% chance of the target of the attack catching fire. This chance is modified by +1% per point ofconcussion damage dealt to the target, and by +5% for each level of critical dealt to the target (e.g., a 'B' critical result would increase the chance by 10%, an 'E' critical result would increase the chance by 25%).
After the attack is resolved normally (and all damage is applied), roll d100 (open-ended) and add the chance of catching fire (determined as detailed above). If the result is over 100, the target has caught fire. While a target is on fire, he will take another Heatciitical each round equal to the level of the critical given in the original attack, or an 'A' if no critical was received on the initial attack. This will continue until the target has burned up or until the fire is put out.
To put out the fire, the target may make a maneuver roll (adding only his minimum maneuver penalty (MMP) or triple his Agility bonus if not wearing armor). This action requires 100% activity for the round. The level of difficulty is at least Very Hard and could be harder if the GM deems it appropriate; i.e., there is not suitable terrain for dropping and rolling, etc. The level of difficulty will shift down by one for each character devoting 100% activity in the round to helping the target.
Bullets flying from speeding cars, men in suits with tommy guns hanging on the running boards of cars, the stutter of cannon fire from the wings ofan airplane—these are all staples of the Pulp genre. Obviously, it is generally more difficult to hit a target with a firearm from a moving platform than it is from a stable platform, so it is important that the Gamemaster assign suitable penalties to any attacks made from a moving vehicle.
There are three major considerations when attempting to shoot at someone from a moving vehicle: how much cover the target has, how much the firer's vehicle is moving, and the relative speed between the shooter and target. If the target is inside a vehicle, at least half of the target will be obscured by the vehicle. The Gamemaster should determine the amount and brittleness of cover and assign a bonus to the targets DB appropriately. Refer to the Cover chart in Weapon Law: Firearms.
The movement of the vehicle refers to how much jarring the shooter will experience from the vehicle. Obviously, firing from a car traveling over a gravel road is more difficult than firing from a car traveling down a highway. The Gamemaster should assign various penalties to the firer's OB; refer to the chart below for examples.
Finally, the relative speed between the shooter and target will increase the difficulty of the shot. Again, the exact speed penalty to the OB of the shooter is up to the Gamemaster. It is important to realize that it is not the actual speed that the two combatants are traveling that is important, but rather their speeds relative to each other. For example, two cars, one behind the other, racing down the street at fifty miles-per-hour would have very little speed penalty, if any, since the vehicles are traveling a relative speed of zero. Now if these two vehicles were coming head on, their relative speed would be around 100 miles per hour! In this case, the speed penalty would be much greater as the time to aim and pull the trigger is significantly shortened. The chart below lists some examples to help the Gamemaster determine the penalty.
Example: Mac is in his car trying to chase down some bad guys during downtown San Francisco rush hour. The Gamemaster assigns the following penalties to Mac as he leans his Tommy Gun out the window and firing at the bad guy's convertible car: -30 for cover, -15 for driving during rush hour, and -0 for a relative speed of 0 (they are both heading in the same direction at approximately the same speed) for a total DB penalty of -45.
A weapon mounted on a vehicle is on a generally stable surface and may be fired without major inconvenience to the driver. Vehicle mounted weapons are also generally heavier and do more damage than weapons able to be carried by people. These two factors make vehicle mounted weapons attractive to everyone from soldiers to crime-fighters. While heavy weapons like tank cannons and artillery are beyond the scope of this supplement, smaller weapons, such as .50 caliber machine-guns and flame-throwers can be mounted on vehicles.
The skill to fire vehicle mounted weapons is different than the skill to fire the weapon outside of its mount. Generally speaking, all mounted weapons are a separate skill in the Weapon • Missile Artillery category. The skill should be specific not only to type of weapon, but also the vehicle it is mounted on. The differences between two different weapons of the same type mounted on the same vehicle are minimal; thus, the skill is considered to cover all types of a particular weapon (e.g., all machineguns mounted on a truck would use the same skill).
Example: Mac has mounted a Vickers .30 caliber machine gun on his car. To use this gun effectively, Mac needs the skill Weapon • Missile Artillery (Car mounted machinegun). Later, Mac decides to upgrade his firepower and replaces the Vickers with a Browning .50 caliber machine gun. Because the type of weapon— machine gun—has not changed, Mac can use the same skill to operate his new weapon. If Mac had replaced his Vickers with a flame-thrower or grenade launcher, a new skill would need to be developed to fully utilize the new weapon.
Times will come when a vehicle needs to be stopped. What better way to do this than to pump it full of lead, provided that the final condition of the driver and passengers is not important? The following rules are an abstract way to handle weapon fire versus vehicles.
While vehicles are relatively easy to hit, they can be difficult to stop. Most vehicle bodies are made of metal or wood, both excellent materials for slowing down a bullet. Hitting the vital areas of a vehicle and doing enough damage to stop it are both fairly difficult. These rules will cover attacks on vehicles from weapons including firearms, flame, and explosions.
A normal attack roll is made as normal. Each vehicle will have its own armortype and defensive bonus modifier. The vehicle's DB is the driver's skill adjusted by the vehicle's DB modifier. The number of hits that the attack scores is ignored (except as an indication of how much "body damage" the attack did); instead check to see if a critical of 'C' or higher has been scored. Ifso, the attacker may make an open-ended roll on the Vehicle Critical Strike Table (below). If the critical is a 'D' add +10 to the roll; if the critical is an 'E' or higher add +20 (if the modified total is between 96 and 100, add another open-ended roll). Choose the most appropriate column based on the weapon attacking.
Note: Ignore Hunting classes for attacks on vehicles.
Chases are integral to most Pulp adventures. Whether the hero is chasing the escaping villain in motorboats or the hero is attempting to run away from a band of thugs, chases should appear with regularity.
When a chase occurs there will beachasee and a chaser. There may be any number of chasees or chasers, and during the chase either may split up to create additional pairs of chasees and chasers. The chasee is the one attempting to escape the chaser, the chaser is the one attempting to capture the chasee. It is entirely possible that during the chase the roles will reverse with the chasee becoming the chaser and vice versa. The chaser may decide to end the chase (by simply deciding not to chase any more).
The following chase rules are designed to be used for any type of chase, be it a foot chase, two speeding cars, or an intricate dogfight between airplanes. Every chase consists of a series of standard 10 second turns, broken down into six phases. In all cases, the GM should determine if it is even possible for the chaser to catch the chasee. For example, a man on foot is unlikely to catch a speeding car. The GM could assign a large negative penalty (e.g., -100) or simply say "the chasee gets away." The rules below presume that the chaser has a speed relatively close to the chasee.
Determine initial range
State maneuver to perform
Bid for difficulty
Winner of bid attempts to execute maneuver
Check maneuver result and determine current range
Allow weapon fire
The Gamemaster will determine the starting range of any chase based on its starting circumstances. There are five possible ranges that a chase may be involved in: Point Blank, Short, Me- dium, Long, and Very Long.
Point Blank — The chasee and chaser are close enough to touch one another with their vehicles (or hands). A few chases will start at Point Blank range (things like races, or the chasee and chaser leaving a parking lot at the same time, etc.). Point Blank range is between 1 and 3 feet.
Short — The chasee and chaser are close to one another, but not close enough to physically touch each other. Chaser's have less time to react to the actions of the chasee. Most chases will start at Short range, assuming the ehasee has a few seconds head start on the chaser. Short range is typically between 4 and 100 feet.
Medium — The chasee is significantly ahead of the chaser, but not far enough away to completely escape. The chaser can react to the chasee's actions, but is not close enough to stop the chasee. Chases will start at Medium range if the chasee has a significant head start. Medium range is generally between 100 and 500 feet.
Long — The chasee has placed a lot of distance between himself and the chaser. V ery rarely will a chase begin at Long range. Long range is between 500 and 2000 feet.
Very Long — In this case, the chasee is far ahead of the chaser and if the chaser cannot lessen the range, the chasee will soon escape. No chase will ever begin at Very Long range. Very Long range is anything over 2000 feet.
The range may never be closer than Point Blank. If the range ever becomes greater than Very Long, the chasee immediately escapes and the chase ends.
Example: Thomas Sharppe, a PI, has recently broken free from the cellar where the Mob was holding him. Unfortunately, he was not very subtle during his escape. Sharppe dives into his car and starts the engine as an assortment ofgoons dive into their thugmobile to give chase. The GM determines that the chase begins at Short range as Sharppe pulls onto Main Street, pursued closely by the thugs.
Each turn both the chasee and chaser will simultaneously choose one of five maneuvers to perform. These maneuvers are: Close/Widen the Gap, Quick Turn, Double Back, Physical Attack, and Stunt. Each of these maneuvers will have some effect on the range or the outcome of the chase, depending on the degree ofsuccess ofthe maneuver.
Close/Widen the Gap — This is the most basic maneuver that can be performed. It can be performed by either the chasee or chaser and at any range. It is simply an attempt by either the chasee or chaser to either close or lengthen the distance between the two. This maneuver may be performed at any time. If the performer of Close/Widen the Gap has a higher top speed than his opponent, the moving maneuver to perform Close/Widen the Gap is modified by +10. If the performer's top speed is less than his opponent's, the moving maneuver is modified by -10. There is no modification ifthe top speed is the same. This maneuver has an initial difficulty of Easy.
Quick Turn — This maneuver may only be performed by the chasee and only if the current range is Point Blank or Short. The chasee is attempting to quickly change direction in hopes that the chaser will not react in time. This could be making a quick turn down an alley, diving your plane into a cloud bank, waiting until the last minute to maneuver your boat down a tributary, etc. This maneuver has an initial difficulty of Light.
Double Back — This maneuver may only be performed by the chasee and only at a range of Medium or Long. This maneuver allows the chasee to quickly turn around and start traveling in the opposite direction. If performed successfully, this maneuver can end the chase or even make the chasee become the chaser. This maneuver has an initial difficulty of Medium.
Physical Attack — This maneuver may be performed by either the chasee or chaser only if the range is Point Blank. This maneuver is used to physically batter the opponent with the performer's vehiclelbody. If performed correctly, this maneuver can stop the opponent's vehicle immediately. If the attacker's vehiclelbody has a higher weight than his opponent, then the moving maneuver to perfonn the Physical Attack is modified by +10. If the attacker's weight is less than his opponent's, the moving maneuver is modified by -10. There is no modification if the weights are the same. This maneuver has an initial difficulty of Medium.
Stunt — This is the catch-all maneuver. It may be performed by the chasee or chaser at any range. The Stunt includes things like jumping over a raising drawbridge, driving a four-wheeled vehicle on two wheels, or performing a Cuban roll. The Gamemaster may require a Stunt to be the chasee or chaser's maneuver if the situation warrants it (such as avoiding a large truck suddenly darting in to the character's line of traffic, a surprise sandbar in the middle of the bay, or a group of nuns crossing the street, etc.). The Stunt has an initial difficulty of Hard; though the GM may increase the initial difficulty based on the difficulty of the Stunt.
Example: Thomas Sharppe needs to decide what he can do to get away from the Mafia goons. Since the chase is currently at short range, Sharppe may only do a CloselWiden the Gap, Quick Turn, or Stunt. Since Sharppe is mostly interested in getting away with his face intact, he chooses a relatively safe maneuver: Close/Widen the Gap. The thugs wish to get closer to Sharppe to recapture him before their boss returns, so they choose Close/Widen the Gap as well.
Each maneuver is assigned an initial difficulty, which corresponds to one of those found on the Moving Maneuver Table and represents how difficult a particular maneuver is to perform. But much of the danger of a chase comes from the desperation of the participants, either to get away or to catch their quarry, and the struggle between them. The more desperate the participant, the more reckless the maneuvers he will likely attempt, and the more difficult and dangerous performing these maneuvers will be. A simple assignment ofdifficulty does not adequately represent this tense interaction between desperate participants, so instead, the participants Bid for Difficulty.
The Bid for Difficulty is an auction of sorts. Starting with the chasee, the chasee and chaser alternate bidding for the difficulty of maneuver they wish to perform. The acceptable bids are Routine, Easy, Light, Medium, Hard, Very Hard, Extremely, Hard, Sheer Folly, and Absurd. As in an auction, the bidders may only bid higher than the previous bid. Each participant must bid at least their maneuver's initial difficulty. If the chasee's bid for difficulty is lower than the chaser's, the chaser must bid at least his maneuver's initial difficulty. Whichever side bids highest (most difficult) must perform their maneuver on the Moving Maneuver Table at the difficulty of their winning bid.
Example: Sharppe is the chasee so he gets to bid first. Because Close/Widen the Gap has an initial difficulty of Easy, Sharppe bids Easy. Because the thugs are also attempting to Close/Widen the Gap, they need to bid at least Light to attempt their maneuver. Knowing this, the GM bids Light. Sharppe, desperate to get away, bids Medium. The thugs, not wanting to lose control of their vehicle, stop bidding. Sharppe wins the Bid for Difficulty and must perform is maneuver at a difficulty of Medium.
The winner of the Bid for Difficulty now performs a Moving Maneuver, at a difficulty equal to the winning bid. The winner adds whatever skill is appropriate to the chase (Driving, Piloting, etc.) and the vehicle's maneuver bonus (if in a vehicle) to an open ended roll. This total is then compared to the Moving Maneuver table. The result will either be a number, a Failure, or a Success. A Failure is when Moving Maneuver the result has text listing something bad, while a Success is when the result has text listing something good.
The Gamemaster should feel free to modify the maneuver based on outside circumstances such as night, the weather, or terrain. Some examples are listed in the chart below:
Example: Sharppe has a Driving skill bonus of +46 and is driving the generic car (modifier of 0). He rolls the dice and comes up with a 30. 30 +46 is 76. Checking the Medium column (the difficulty that Sharppe bid) he has a result of 60.
The winner of the Bid for Difficulty (the performer) compares the result of his Moving Maneuver (i.e., the result from the Moving Maneuver table, not the Moving Maneuver die roll) to the appropriate table below (based on the type of maneuver performed). If the chaser receives a result of "Chase ends," then the chaser has trapped the chasee. In effect, the chaser has wrestled the chasee to the ground, blocked the chasee's car in a blind alley, forced the chasee's plane to land, etc.
If the result indicates an increase or decrease in the range of the chase, simply move up or down the range scale the indicated amount. For instance, if the current range is Medium and the result increased the range by 3, the new range would be Very Long. No chase can ever be closer than Point Blank. Any chase that goes beyond Very Long ends immediately with the chasee getting away.
Example: Taking Sharppe's result of 60 from the previous phase, he checks the Close/Widen the Gap table. The result is Increase/Decrease range by one, making the current range between Sharppe and the Mafia thugs Medium.
After the current range is determined and the results of the maneuver have been applied, both sides may freely use weapons on one another. Note that hand-to-hand weapons may not be used at any range other than Point Blank.
When directed to roll on the Crash Table, make a close-ended roll and add any modifiers. If the total is greater than 100, treat the result as 100; if the total is less than 1, treat the result as 1. Choose the most appropriate column based on the type of chase: Ground for chases involving vehicles on the ground (cars, tanks, bikes), Foot for running chases, Air for airborne vehicles, and Water for waterborne vehicles. Find that result on the table below and apply the effect.
The Pulp novels were all written following a general formula, which makes designing an adventure much easier for the game master. Remember, what is trite in other games is expected in a Pulp Adventures game. Below is a sample formula that can be followed when designing an adventure:
The characters are thrust into the middle of things and given a minor problem;
The characters attempt to solve the minor problem and meet with difficulty;
Possibly succeed in solving the minor problem, but realize that there is another much larger problem;
The characters set out to stop the larger problem;
The characters meet with difficulty, possibly captured by the villain;
The characters escape and engage in a fight with the villain's henchman and thugs;
The characters stop enemy's plan, possibly kill the enemy.
A Pulp story never starts at the beginning. Usually, the hero is brought into the adventure through no action on his part. A woman appears to the hero and asks his help to find her father, an assassin attempts to kill the hero so the assassin's plans can go on unhindered, or the classic: a person stumbles into the character's arms and whispers a few enigmatic words before dying from the knife wound in his back. These kinds of beginnings rarely give the hero the time to decide whether to investigate the problem, and instead thrust the hero into the middle of action with little time to think.
Example: We find our hero, Rick 'The Claw' Decker, dining with his partner Doctor Jason Thorpe at a fashionable restaurant. Movement from the front of the establishment catches Rick's eye and he sees a frightened young woman enter, arguing with the Maitre'd and glancing towards the front door. Seeing Rick noticing her, she starts to point to him. The Maitre'd nods and guides her over to Rick's table. The girl thanks the Maitre 'd and sits down next to Dr. Thorpe. "I'm sorry to interrupt your dinner, but I needed to... " Before she can finish her sentence, the door to the restaurant opens and a group of Oriental thugs barges in. The girl faints into Thorpe's arms as the doctor and Rick leap to their feet to deal with the unexpected threat.
After having taken care of the immediate problem, the hero is now faced with solving the mystery presented to him. Occasional dilemmas usually hinder the hero's investigation. What the hero does not realize is that the problem he is investigating is actually only the tip of the iceberg; there is a much larger plot brewing that he has stumbled into.
Example: After Rick Decker and Dr. Thorpe dispatch the Oriental goons, they search the bodies for some form of identification. Thorpe discovers a coin in the pocket of the head goon. While Rick and the Doctor are hunched over one of the unconscious thugs, they are suddenly struck unconscious from behind. When they come to, Decker and Thorpe find the girl gone and the restaurant empty. The only clue they have is the coin in Thorpe's hand. Their curiosity raised, Decker and Thorpe set out to find the girl whose name they do not know. The duo inquires with various coin and antiquities dealers around the city. They discover that the coin is the calling card ofan Oriental gang that is based in a restaurant in Chinatown. Decker and Thorpe set out to Chinatown to rescue the girl. After bluffing their way past the guards, the two find themselves in afight with the gang members.
The hero may well succeed in solving the initial problem, but discovers that there is a much larger threat than the hero previously thought. World domination, plans to destroy an entire city, control ofthe world's economy, or the summoning of some incredibly powerful eldritch horror were all common plots that Pulp heroes had to deal with.
Example: Decker and Thorpe face a desperate battle against many goons, but succeed in making their way to a damp cellar where the girl is chained to the wall. Decker faces offagainst a large Oriental named Wong the Mangier while Dr. Thorpe tries to free the girl. The fight between Rickand Wong isjurious, withneitherof the combatants able to land a decisive blow. When Dr. Thorpe succeeds in freeing the girl, Wong backs up against a wall and pushes a hidden switch. The wall rotates open behind Wong, and he escapes down a hidden tunnel. Decker reaches the tunnel just as the wall slams shut in hisface. Before theyfollow Wong, the girl reveals that Wong has stolen a jade necklacefrom her that can be used to summon the spirits of the great samurais from ancient Japan's. With an army of non-corporeal undead warriors, Wong could become unbeatable. Clearly, Decker and Thorpe have their work cut outfor them.
Having identified the larger problem, the hero determines that he must stop this threat. Even the hero may not know the exact method he will use, but he must at least try to prevent the problem. Usually this involves discovering the enemy's base of operations and finding a way inside.
Example: Knowing Wong's plan, Decker and Thorpe attempt to follow down the escape tunnel but find it impassable. Apparently Wong tripped a switch that blocked the passage with a cavein. Instead, Decker and Thorpe rouse an unconscious thug and interrogate him. Twenty minutes and five thugs Iater, the duo learns that Wong is merely the henchman for a much more poweiful enemy: Su Fung.
Now the adventure is in full swing. The hero is on to what the villain is planning and is taking steps to prevent it. The hero will usually confront the villain directly and attempt to thwart him. It is not uncommon at all for the hero to be captured by the villain and thrown into the villain's fiendish deathtrap.
Example: The duo makes their way to Su Fung's hideout, a warehouse on the docks. Sneaking in. Decker and Thorpe waylay a few sentries and stalk toward Su Fung, who is preparing for his rituaI to summon the samurai spirits. Before Decker and Thorpe can formulate a plan, Wong the Mangler steps out and a fight ensues. During the fight, Su Fung pulls a lever and the floor falls out from beneath Decker and Thorpe. The two slide down a tube and land with a splash in a deep well. Above them, the top opens and Su Fung laughs at them He tells the heroes of his plan to unleash the samurai spirits on Washington D. C. With his undead army, Su Fung will take over the United States. Alas, there is nothing that the heroes can do, since they are about to die. After a last maniacal laugh, Su Fung closes the lid, and water starts to fill the well, threatening to drown our heroes.
The hero will need to escape the villain's clutches, hopefully after the villain gloats about his masterplan. Using heroic inspiration, unnatural skill, or an amazing gadget the hero should find a flaw in the villain's death trap and free himself and possibly a few others. Once freed, the hero continues on his quest to stop the villain, but is usually stopped by a final fight with the villain's main henchman. This is usually a climatic fight that makes full use of the surrounding environment, whether it is the top of a bridge, a burning building, a diving airplane, or even a freefall parachute descent. It is here that the henchman will usually meet his end.
Example: Using a hidden piece of plastique, Dr. Thorpe blows the top ofthe well off after the water floats him and Rick Decker near the top of the well. Having made their escape, Decker and Thorpe are intercepted by Wong the Mangler, who is wielding a wickedly barbed whip. Wong and a group of thugs fight Thorpe and Decker as Su Fung raises the jade necklace to place it into an ancient Buddha statue. Realizing that the Su Fung's ceremony is almost complete, Decker and Thorpe pummel Wong and the thugs andpush them back into the well where Decker and Thorpe were prisoners mere moments before.
Finally, the hero is able to directly influence the villain's plan. Usually, the master villain is no match for the hero physically (that is what the henchman is for) so a final fight will usually be unspectacular. However, depending on the villain's master plan, the character's may have to deal with its aftermath. In the end, the villain should find some way to escape, to return one day to plague the hero. Common escape plans include hidden tunnels, identical twins, clones, illusions, and the ever-popular faked death. Sometimes though, the hero makes the villain's escape impossible and may even kill the villain. Eventually though, a villain must die and if it is at a climatic moment in the story, the villain's death can create a satisfying finish to an adventure. Of course, the villain's body could mysteriously disappear from the morgue...
Example: Having disposed of Wong and his thugs, Decker and Thorpe focus their attention on Su Fung, who is placing the jade necklace into its recess. Picking up Wong's discarded whip, Decker snaps the stone out of Sung's hand just as he sets it into the cavity. The jade falls into the hole and pops out again. The energy from Sung's summoning spell coalesces into the gem which shatters on the floor, releasing a powerful explosion and blinding light. When Decker and Thorpe's vision clears. the only thing that remains of Su Fung are a few wisps ofsmoke. What happened to him can only be speculated.
While not all Pulp adventures need to follow this formula, it makes for an exciting game and is guaranteed to capture the flavor of the stories.
It is highly recommended that the GM run his campaign on the "Serial Episode" approach. The "Serial Episode" approach is based on the way the Saturday morning cliffhangers were presented. Usually each episode presented did an extremely short recap of the final, "cliffhanging" scene from the last episode, in which it finally looks as the heroes have met their match, and are all goners for sure. The heroes are caught in a frantic battle, whether by fiendish death-trap, furious onslaught by overwhelming enemies, or some other despicable fate. The villain (or villains, as the case may be) is always about to triumph, and there is no hope of escape.... Except that was only Episode One. Now onto Episode Two.
The "Serial Episode" approach allows a GM to heighten suspense for the players by leaving them in a tight situation, and sparing them from instantly coming up with ideas to save their skins by giving them more time to come up with creative ways ofgetting out of whatever trouble they are in. It also might give the GM time to come up with the next obstacle his players will have to hurdle.
It is not necessary to make the cliffhanger the end of the session; instead, call a for a break at that point. This will keep the players in suspense, yet also giving them needed (sometimes desperately) time to think. Several "Serial Episodes" can be drawn together into one larger adventure in this way, giving a much different "Pulp" feel to the game.
Great care should be taken not to overreach the player's abilities to save themselves during a cliffhanging sequence. Always leave them an out. Do not make it obvious, but do make them hunt for it. If it were easy, it would not be an adventure, now, would it? Also, do not forget villains often should have some of the same advantages that the heroes have.
There should always be an intensified sense of melodrama. The action should be non-stop, with one narrow escape after the other. The pace should move at a breakneck speed, barely allowing the heroes time to catch their breath, let alone to think. Visualize in cinematic terms. Pretend you are a cinematographer staging a scene; what would the most death-defying thing that could happen at this point? Do it, make it happen! Do not let the obstacles pile up, however. Give them a chief problem to solve, a main focal point to concentrate on, and throw in three or four smaller snags to contend with. Space out the smaller snags, so that a false sense of security is felt, then drop another problem on them. Peril is the name of the game, and cliffhanging a way of life for the average hero. They should have a desperate battle against incredible odds before breakfast every morning, and a death-defying escape from an insidiously conceived death-trap by lunch.
Also, do not underestimate the usefulness of a good red herring. Then give them a glimpse of the bad guys getting away, or nearly accomplishing their task. Nothing will fuel a hero's desire to come out on top more.
Invariably, the characters will be captured by the main villain in the adventure. In fact, the players should manage to get themselves captured at least once an adventure. It provides an excellent way to discover the villain's true plan and gives the GM the ability to add real personality to the villain. There are three very important things that should happen when the players are captured by the villain: a threat of torture or death, a long-winded speech about the villain's diabolical plan, and, finally, the deathtrap to finish off our heroes.
The threat of torture or death is more to establish how evil the villain is rather than strike fear in the heans of the characters. Depending on how evil the villain is (and how sane), the threat will be anything from vague death threats ("I will take great pleasure in killing you slowly."), to specific torture ("Let's see how smug you are after you have met my assistant Mr. Wong."), to the truly bizarre ("Igor! Put them in the Hourglass of Death!").
It is important that the GM gauge his description of the torture or death to an appropriate level. The GM wants the player to realize his character is in trouble and needs to escape, not to be sickened or upset concerning the fate about to befall him. Generally the more twisted and sadistic villains are either prevented just in time from carrying out their depraved plans or those plans are done out of sight of the characters.
It is a time-honored tradition of the Pulps to allow the overconfident villain to gloat about the genius of his master plan to the captured hero. For a perfect example of this check out almost any James Bond movie. The villain feels that there is nothing the hero can do to him now as the hero is about to be thrown into the villain's deathtrap. He should seejust what it is that he failed to prevent. Depending on the location of the villain's hideout the speech could be just a simple lecture on the villain's greatness, to an extravagant multi-media presentation with lights, music, and scale models. The heroes should learn all they need to about the villain's plan, including (hopefully) a way to thwart it.
When the villain is finished gloating, he will invariably throw the hero into his deathtrap or, at the very least, order his thugs to take the hero out back and shoot him. It is now that the hero should plan his escape.
Every villain worth his salt should have at least one deathtrap secreted in his hideout. These deathtraps can range from the cliche (crushing walls, rooms filling with water) to an intricate mechanical nightmare (a platform connected to a slide that ends in four blades and leads to a pit filled with lions).
The deathtrap is designed to kill the heroes in a most spectacular manner. Usually, the villain will order the heroes into the deathtrap and then leave to carry off his master plan, allowing the heroes to formulate an escape plan. Occasionally the villain will have crafted a special viewing room so he can watch the heroes struggle.
The important thing about deathtraps is that there must be a way for the heroes to escape. It may require great ingenuity by the players, but they should find a way out. Also, the players may come up with a completely different plan of escape than the Gamemaster intended. Do not penalize the players for not thinking the way the Gamemaster does; instead applaud their ingenuity.
What makes a particular adventure memorable is how real it seems in the players' minds. Little details and flavor text add immensely to the gaming group's experience. Throughout this book, there arc many references to everyday life in the 1930s that should be used whenever possible. Current fads, music hits, popular dances, and world events all can be sprinkled into an adventure to bring it to life.
The setting for a Pulp adventure is as important as the plot. A Pulp adventure never happened in Middletown USA. If it did you could rest assured that everyone in the town had been hypnotized, replaced with robots, or were actually German spies. The more exotic the locale the better. Pulp heroes carried their fight against tyranny to the four corners of the earth. In the end of the story, the hero would fight the villain not in an empty grass plain, but somewhere exotic and dangerous like the top of an active volcano, atop the Golden Gate Bridge, in the middle of an earthquake, or while running away from a tidal wave.
In addition to exciting locations for adventuring, the Pulp hero also needs a place to return to, a sanctuary. Whether it is located in the Arctic wastes, inside a cave, or in the Empire State Building, the hero's base of operations provides a logical place to begin an adventure. Another way to bring the adventure to the hero is to place the hero in a location that naturally draws people who need help. Below is such a place called the Valhalla Club. This is a club where all the heroes in the world are members. If you are in trouble, where better to go? The Valhalla Club could even become the basis for a campaign.
In 1885, world-renowned soldier-of-fortune and traveler Major Richard Henry Savage decided that there was a need for a place for men like him to rest and relax. Returning to his home in San Francisco, Savage commissioned the building ofa private club of his own design; one that would cater to "his kind"—the adventurers of the world. He called it The Valhalla Club, after the Norse myth of the Hall of Heroes. It was an immediate success. The heroes of the world now had somewhere to congregate without danger of harassment by the public, or the criminal clement. Savage was so ecstatic that he decided to establish Valhalla Clubs in other cities of the world, closer to the areas that its clientele frequented.
There are actually seven other Valhalla Clubs in cities all over the world, in addition to the first in San Francisco: New York City, Shanghai, London, Paris, Cairo, Vienna, and Rome. These seven buildings house the greatest collection of heroes, memorabilia, and exploits that the Pulp-era world has to offer.
The Valhalla Club is known across the globe as a most prestigious private club with some difficult entrance requirements. To become a member of the Valhalla Club, one must not only be sponsored by an existing member, but also have performed some kind of world-famous exploit that reflects the kind of upstanding, adventurous moral fiber that the Club is famous for. When such an applicant comes to the attention of the Club, a vote is sent out to the members. If a majority vote for acceptance is returned, the applicant is admitted as a member. lfthe membership application is rejected by a less than majority vote, the applicant is welcomed to reapply in a year's time, provided that another sufficient exploit has occurred during that time. Thus the membership roll of the Valhalla Club reads likc a Who's Who of heroes, scientists, crime fighters, spies, and explorers. This list, including their private identities, is held privately by the Club's Board of Trustees, to ensure the protection of its members' identities. When a new member is accepted, their public identity is recorded in the membership book along with their personal signet. This symbol is then used to identify the member's exploits on the Grand Adventure map located in the main dining area of every Club.
For descriptive purposes, New York City's Valhalla Club, (the most famous) will be used for examples. Originally constructed in 1888, the Club itself sits on Fifth Avenue across from Central Park. Renovated in 1931, it is a four-story building, with two sub-basement levels. The present architecture is Art-Deco, with two-story granite sculptures depicting personages of the Norse pantheon (Other Clubs' designs usually differ, often according to locale. For example, Cairo's design reflects Egypt's distinctive architecture). It should be noted that further on down Fifth Avenue sits the equally infamous Hellfire Club, which caters to those who often find themselves at odds with members of the Valhalla Club. The Hellfire Club is also unique in that it also serves as the Balkarian embassy and thus provides diplomatic immunity to those within its walls.
The main lobby contains a registration desk, for members and their guests, and a series of four phone booths along one wall that can ring any of the offices on the third floor of the Club. The first floor is dominated by the actual club itself, containing a substantial dining room (formal attire is required after 5:00pm) and a smaller, separate bar. These two areas are open to the pUblic, the rest of the building, however is off-limits to unescorted non-members. Reservations are required to dine at the Valhalla Club if one is not a member, and although the restaurant is generally booked two months in advance, a few tables are held in reserve for late arriving members. The club seats approximately two hundred in the dining area, and includes ample space for dancing and a band. The cuisine served from the Valhalla Club's kitchen is both gourmet and exotic. With recipes donated from various members and a staff of world-renowned culinary artists, the menu provides a tantalizing variety of dishes from all over the world. On the weekends, there is entertainment during the dinner hours, generally a beautiful songbird with orchestral accompaniment. The main dining hall can be reserved by members for formal occasions, but generally the second floor dining room is utilized in these instances.
One feature found universally in all the Valhalla Clubs is the Grand Adventure map. Located in the main dining areas, this large map of the world measures 50 feet wide by 20 feet tall and is usually suspended from the ceiling behind the orchestra area of the dining room. Features of the map are engraved in bas-relief, from mountain ranges to ocean waves. Upon further investigation the purpose ofthe Grand Map is revealed. Displayed on the map are small ornately carved symbols, representative of a member's personal signet, located on the map indicative of where particular adventures have taken place. Small numbers are labeled next to those symbols in cases where a member has performed many different exploits in the same place (New York City, for example, has a five-inch diameter circle of signets and numbers atop it). Located at a podium next to the map is a large tome that serves as a legend for the Grand Map, detailing each of the exploits that are marked there, for those who wish to study the exploits of a favorite hero.
The bar in the Valhalla Club can comfortably seat fifty patrons. Scattered around the bar are various mementos donated by members as souvenirs of their travels. This leads to a rather eclectic collection of items ranging from African tribal masks, Tibetan Dragon banners, to even a mounted Tyrannosaur head. The bar is well stocked, and has a talented staff offriendly bartenders. A piano sits in the bar area for any who feci the need to tickle the ivories, and a professional pianist plays on weekend evenings.
Also located on the first floor is the kitchen for the dining areas located on the first and second floors. A small dumbwaiter connects the kitchen to the second floor, which allows various dishes to be created in the one central location and sent to whichever dining area is appropriate. The kitchen area is quite large and has a plenitude of pots, pans and other utensils and culinary implements suspended from the ceiling, A service door that leads out into an alley next to the club is for deliverIes.
The manager's office and vault are also located on the first floor. From here, the Club manager keeps track of all paperwork, accounting books, and other day-to-day business affairs. While there are no actual fees for membership, members have often offered the Club donations, enough to keep the Club running well for a considerable amount of time. Considering the financial success of many of its members, the Club never wants for resources. In addition, the main dining area and bar both generate income. The vault stores the petty cash for the club and any items that members staying over in the Club's apartments might wish to store. The vault was designed by some of the Club's preeminent inventors, and so far has withstood all attempts (three, to be exact) to be cracked.
There are no bouncers or enforcers employed by the Valhalla Club, only attendants that serve as doormen, bellmen, and elevator operators. Any who might cause a disturbance are met by the Maitre' d, usually British, and an adventuring veteran himself, who will politely request those who are not welcome to take their leave. More often than not, there are almost always a few heroes in attendance at the Club, so any disturbances are usually met with swift reprisal. The mere reputations of the Club's members are generally enough to prevent any serious disturbances. Brawling inside the Club is frowned upon, and any member who does so frequently will soon find his membership revoked.
The second floor is laid out into eight rooms, with a balcony off the hallway that overlooks the first floor's dining area. Seven of these rooms are each thematically dedicated to one of the seven continents: Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Antarctica. Various mementos from those particular regions of the world are on display therein, ranging anywhere from animal skins and trophies, to ancient artifacts dug up during an archaeology expedition. A large map of the contincnt (mirroring the Grand Map downstairs) covers one entire wall in each room, and indicates locales where members have had adventures. Luxuriously decorated according to that continent's cultural decor, it is to these rooms that many members retire to talk about world events, crime fighting techniques, or other topics of interest.
Also located on the second floor is the casual dining room. This room is smaller than the formal dining room, seating one hundred, but is for members and their guests only, and serves the same menu. It is used by members who are looking for a quiet meal or dinner at times when the other dining area is closed. This room also doubles as a meeting room and can be reserved by members for various presentations. In the event that this room is too small for a major presentation, the main dining area can be reserved.
The third floor contains office areas that members can rent. These offices contain two desks, a file cabinet, a typewriter, telephone, and radio. The phone booths located downstairs in the Club lobby can be used to ring any of the offices. A member can escort a potential client to the third floor offices through the elevator located close to the front door or, in the event the elevator is not working, through an enclosed stairwell.
On the fourth floor of the Valhalla Club reside guest apartments. These apartments are generally used by visiting members who for whatever reason do not wish to stay in a hotel. The apartments are three room suites, a living area with desk, couch, and radio, a bedroom with a king-sized bed, and a modest bathroom with a tub and shower. These suites can be reserved for a single night or for up to three months.
The first sub-basement contains a fully stocked infirmary with licensed physicians available twenty-four hours a day. Medical care is free and generally without question to members in good standing. The second sub-basement serves as a parking garage for members' vehicles. On any given night a wide range of exotic vehicles can be found parked here.
The Valhalla Club is a study of old world luxury and decor. Famous the world over, these exquisite Clubs serve as homes away from home for its members, the heroes of Pulp Adventures.
Villains in a Pulp story all had one thing in common. They were evil. This was not misunderstood evil, this was world-dominating, kill-all-who-get-in-your-way evil. It is only through the actions of heroes like the characters that these evil people (or things) are stopped. There are many different types of villains who make their appearance in the Pulps.
The first type was the foreign menace. This villain became more popular near the end of the 1930s as the world came closer to war. The foreign menace was, of course, from another country, generally an imperialistic or fascist one. The foreign menace usually wanted to overthrow the United States in a bid for world domination. Russians, Orientals, and Germans all appeared with frequency, sporting names like The Red General, Mister Fu, or Baron Von Blitzkrieg. America was not as sensitive to racial comments in the 1930s as it is today and there was no attempt to be politically correct. The Germans represented a threat to worldwide freedom and thus were vilified in the Pulps. The foreign menace was usually masterminded by one man, with an army of foreigners willing to do his bidding, whether it was to invade mainland America, enforce a profitable drug trading, or poison a city's water supply. It was up to the hero to stop this InSidiOUS plot and keep America the land of the free.
Another type of villain was the mad scientist. Like Doctor Frankenstein, these scientists all had one great discovery that changes the world's understanding of how everything operates. Unfortunately, these scientists all suffered from some kind of mental collapse. Instead of using their knowledge for good, they turned their inventions to evil. Megaiomania, deiusions, and even phobias aii contributed to the mad scientists' skewed view of the world. Incredible inventions, robotic minions, and a remote hidden base to conduct experiments in all made appearances in the Pulp story involving a mad scientist. A subset of the mad scientist was the scientist forced to work against his will. These scientists were generally moral, upstanding citizens, although a little absent-minded and narrowly focused, who were forced to conduct research by a master villain. A kidnapped daughter or hypnosis were favored tactics a villain used to ensure the scientist's loyalties. In these adventures, the hero not only needed to stop whatever invention was created but also rescue the good scientist and release the hold the villain has upon him. Quite a day's work for any hero.
The next villain type was the criminal. These villains were concerned less with ruling the world as thev were with making a lot of money. Criminals focused on theft of valuable objects but were not above extortion, drug smuggling, blackmail, and murder. Either the hero was either asked to stop the criminals or he stumbled across the crime in progress. If the hero thwarted the crime, a criminal was sure to get away to try again later. The hero might establish a reputation for crime fighting, and become a target for criminals. Doc Savage often became involved with criminals simply because the criminals felt they had to take out Doc before they could begin their plans. A subset of the criminal was the mob boss. Here is where the hero took on the likes of Al Capone in an attempt to rid their city of the Mafia. The mob boss had many people under him who did whatever he asked. The average person on the street feared the mob boss, so the hero's requests for aid generally went unheard. Up against incredible odds, the hero had to defeat the mob on his own and avoid any reprisals they had in store for him. The hero against the mob makes an excellent ongoing crime fighting campaign, as it would take even a group of heroes a long time to remove all the members of the mob from their city. Modern day Pulp hero Mack Bolan spent over three dozen books fighting the Mafia before he was recruited by the United States government.
The femme fatale was the Pulp hero's subtle foe. Most heroes have a soft spot for the "fairer sex" and spend much time rescuing them from the clutches of evil. Imagine the hero's surprise when the woman he rescued from a villain turned out to be the villain herself! The femme fatale's motivations were many, but usually involved some kind of relationship with the hero. Femme fatales have attempted to force Pulp heroes to marry them, turn over to their side, and even spawn powerful children for their armies. Poison lipstick, a garter holster, and misplaced trust were the femme fatale's primary weapons; she used them with great effectiveness. More than one hero has fallen victim to a downward glance and battered eyelashes. Many times, though, the hero was able to convert the misguided femme fatale to the side of right, possibly allowing a relationship to continue to develop. An interesting role playing experience can occur if the hero becomes aware of the femme fatale, as each tries to determine who is manipulating whom.
The villainous organization provides an excellent way for a hero to thwart the plans of a villain, even kill him, and still have the villain return. In a viIIainous organization, there is usually one leader with dozens, possibly even hundreds, of followers. If the leader of the organization is incarcerated or killed, another will step up and take his place thus keeping the organization alive. To heip the continuation of the organization, many times the leader's actual identity is often hidden, usually through a mask, allowing the changing from one leader to another to occur almost instantly and giving the leader an almost immortal appearance. Also, these villainous organizations often have elaborate hideouts and training bases hidden somewhere in the world. Old caves, not quite extinct volcanoes, undersea installations, and even hideouts inside various landmarks all have served as a base of operations for various organizations. Usually, if the hero infiltrates the organization's hideout, it will be destroyed either through a conscious act of the hero, the villain' s activating a selfdestruct mechanism (with a prominently displayed counter), or a natural disaster. The final defeat of a villainous organization could be the culmination of a grand campaign.
Finally, there are monsters and aliens for the heroes to fight. Usually in Pulp adventures, aliens were the bug-eyed sort who desired human women for whatever reason, generally breeding. Flying saucers and ray guns were the usual equipment carried by these invaders from beyond, and their tactics were rarely subtle. With so many threats from far away lands like Japan, Germany, and Italy, it was only natural that threats from even farther away places like Mars and Venus found their way into the Pulp stories. Occasionally, the subtle alien with shape-shifting or incredible mental powers would appear, but his extra-terrestrial origin was usually only hinted at. The types of monsters heroes would encounter were many, from the standard vampires and werewolves to terrible creatures from beneath the seas. Many times, these monsters were created by a mad scientist to further his plans, perhaps even converting the hero's friends into monsters through some horrible process. Then not only does the hero have to stop the mad scientist's plans, he also must return his friends to normal without permanently harming them. Also included in the monster category are the eldritch horrors from the imagination of Lovecraft. These terrible creatures would slow down even the most powerful hero were they to manifest themselves on earth. Usually, it is the hero's job to save the world from that fate by preventing a cult of worshippers from summoning the creature.
The following are individuals who left an identifiable mark on not only the 1930s, but also the twentieth century. The information below is not meant to be exhaustive, but rather an overview of the historical figure's impact on the era (and the twentieth century as a whole). More information can be found in any history book.
Listed below are some of the major political figures who were active during the pulp era.
The story of Franklin Delano Roosevelt is the story of the United States of America in the 1930s. No modem president has had as great an effect on so many people as Roosevelt did. In the face of the potential collapse ofthe capitalistic system, Roosevelt brought in policy that while being interventionist, socialist and suffering enough setbacks to prolong the Depression, provided the country with the time and relief it needed to get back to its feet. While it is impossible to judge whether the country would have recovered strongly enough without the New Deal to face the Axis powers in World War II, the effect of Roosevelt's administration on the average American worker is obvious.
Franklin Roosevelt was born on January 30, 1882, at Hyde Park, New York. Franklin was born of Dutch and English ancestry and had a sheltered youth. He spent much of it at the family estate, on trips to Europe, in athletics (mostly swimming and boating), stamp collecting, and bird collecting. Franklin attended Harvard University and graduated in 1903. He attended the Columbia Law School, but dropped out when he received admission to the New York Bar. He then went to work for a Wall Street law firm from 1907-1910.
On March 19, 1905, Roosevelt married a distant cousin, Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (whose uncle, President Theodore Roosevelt, gave the bride away). They had five children: Anna Eleanor, James, Elliott, Franklin Delano, Jr., and John; a sixth died in infancy. The Roosevelt's devoted substantial time and energy to help the less fortunate. Franklin handled small-claims cases in the municipal court systems, which only strengthened his concern for common people.
In 1910 Roosevelt toured dirt roads in an open red Maxwell automobile, trying to gamer votes from traditionally Republican farmers, and won a Democratic seat in the New York State Senate. In 1912 at the Democratic National Convention, he put his support behind Woodrow Wilson in the party's bitter contest for a presidential nomination. For this support, Franklin was awarded the post of assistant secretary of the navy (from 1913-1920). Roosevelt's name and progressive image garnered him the Democratic vice-presidential nomination in 1920 on Governor James Cox's presidential ticket. The democrats had little hope of winning, as Americans were more interested in Warren G. Harding's promise of a "return to normalcy," (return of a pre-World War I style of life).
In the summer of 1921, Roosevelt was stricken by polio. His recovery was slow and his family, especially his mother, urged him to retire to the Hyde Park estate. Urged ?n by Eleanor and his advisor Louis McHenry Howe, he Instead continued his aspirations for public office, at the cost of the use of his legs. At the Democratic Convention of 1924, Roosevelt announced his return to politics with a speech that placed Governor Alfred E. Smith of New York in the nomination for the presidency. When Smith secured the nomination in 1928, he persuaded Roosevelt to run for Governor of New York. He did, and won by a narrow margin. Roosevelt's governorship was filled with accomplishments: public power, civil-service reform, and welfare measures. In 1932, based on his accomplishments as governor, Roosevelt was given the Democratic Party presidential nomination. In a move that surprised everyone, Franklin boarded a Ford Trimotor airplane the same day of his nomination and flew to Chicago to give his acceptance speech. Traditionally, the acceptance speech was given days or weeks after the nomination. This speedy reaction foreshadowed things to come.
In Roosevelt's acceptance speech, he promised a New Deal to help remedy the nations terrible economic situation. This approach was the exact opposite of his opponent, Herbert Hoover's, who tried his best to let the economy repair itself. While Hoover's intentions were sound, he could not have guessed that active governmental intervention was required to prevent the economic collapse of the country. Hoover tried to implement programs to help America, but they came too late. Franklin Delano Roosevelt won the election and became the 32nd President of the United States.
On the evening of Roosevelt's March inauguration, the banking system collapsed. People, afraid to lose the money they had in banks, withdrew all their money, which caused the banks to close. During this time, Roosevelt gave his "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself' speech and ordered a national bank holiday. He summoned a special session of Congress and passed emergency banking legislation to provide the funds the banks needed to stay open. During his first "fireside chat," Roosevelt urged the American public to stop hoarding money. Millions ofpeople did as asked; Roosevelt's self-assured personality provided the stability and trust that Americans needed. By the end of the first ten days of Franklin Roosevelt's presidency, America's banks had stabilized somewhat, people began to feel optimistic, and the prohibition on beer was being removed.
In the following years, the Roosevelt government passed many domestic programs. These included: the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933; which hoped to lower crop supply to raise crop prices, by paying farmers to not plant their entire crop; and the National Recovery Administration that set out to create fair practice codes for every type of business. Unemployment insurance, social security, an end to child labor, maximum hours, and minimum wage legislation were also passed. The face of American business was being changed forever.
In 1933, Roosevelt took America off the gold standard. No longer could the dollar be redeemed from the nation's gold reserve. This initially devalued the currency, but it allowed the government more control of the nation's economy. Roosevelt also created the Tennessee Valley Authority, which provided for public development of cheap electrical power. These reforms helped Roosevelt to secure a second term in 1936, after a landslide defeat of Alfred M. Landon, and an unprecedented third term in 1940, after defeating Wendell Wilkie.
Near the end of the 1930s however, the social programs of Roosevelt began to lose their popularity. Charges of socialism started to creep up and the Supreme Court declared much of the early New Deal legislation unconstitutional. When Roosevelt attempted to increase the size of the Supreme Court and pack it with younger, more liberal judges, he was met with public and congressional opposition.
During the Great Depression, domestic problems overshadowed any foreign policy. Throughout the 1930s America did its best to remain neutral, having had its fill of world problems with World War I. But America could no longer ignore the world's problems. In 1939 World War II began in Europe and by the end of 1941, America would be fully involved in the fighting. Roosevelt would be elected to a record fourth term and help lead the Allies against the Axis onslaught. On April 12, 1945, Franklin Delano Roosevelt died of a cerebral hemorrhage, ending one of the most eventful presidencies in American history.
Eleanor Roosevelt was born in New York City on October 11, 1884. She married Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1905 and had six children, one of whom died in infancy. She was very shy, but became very active in politics after her husband was stricken by polio.
When Franklin Roosevelt became president in 1933, Eleanor became a powerful force, especially for social causes. She conducted press conferences, had her own radio program, and even wrote a nationally syndicated newspaper column "My Day." She was a powerful First Lady and continued her public service after the death of her husband, serving as a U.S. delegate to the United Nations.
Adolf Hitler was one of the most hated men in history. His life was so dichotomous that one wonders how his mind worked. One the one hand, he saved his country from total financial ruin and collapse. In the span of six short years, he transformed his country from a collapsing shell with rampant inflation to a powerful world power with the chance to rule the world. On the other, he committed the greatest atrocities ever known and spent the last few years of his life trying to eradicate entire races of people.
Hitler was born on April 20, 1889, in the town of Braunau am Inn in Austria. Hitler's father, Alois, was always very strict with him and hated his daydreaming. Alois' death in 1903 was a great relief to Hitler. His mother's death in 1907 was very traumatic for him.
Hitler desired to become an artist, fueled by his failure as a student in secondary schools. He tried to gain admission to the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna in 1907 but was turned down. Thus rejected, he lived in Vienna until 1913, leading a shadowy life. His years in Vienna were characterized by a lack of focus, melancholy, and racial hatred. It was here that he developed his lifelong obsession that the Jews of the world posed a threat to the "Aryan race."
In 1913, Hitler went to Munich, mostly to avoid conscription into the Austrian army. With the outbreak of World War I in August of 1914, he answered the call to arms and served in the Bavarian Sixteenth Regiment on the western front. He distinguished himself for bravery on the battlefield and was awarded the Iron Cross, First Class. Finally, Hitler had found a home with action, comrades, and nobility. His happiness was shattered by Germany's defeat—a defeat he blamed on Jews and Marxists.
After the war, Germany's position was precarious. Angered by an abortive Communist revolution and the demands of the Peace of Versailles, Hitler decided to enter politics. In 1919 he joined a small political faction in Munich and by the next year, he formed the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP). He used an iron hand in guiding the organization and used its meetings to deliver powerful speeches blasting Germany's "enemies." In 1923, Hitler led his organization into action. The ill-fated Munich Putsch resulted in his imprisonment.
During his stay in prison, Hitler wrote Mein Kampf, which became the basis for the Nazi political philosophy. In the book, Hitler defined the enemy as the Jews, international communism, effete liberalism, and decadent capitalism. He offered that only pure Aryan blood and a renewed German nationalism under an elite fighting force would defeat this enemy. Following this dogma, Germany would again become the leading power on the continent and gain its rightful breathing space in central Europe and Russia.
Hitler was released after serving nine months ofhis five-year sentence. He resumed his leadership of the NSDAP in 1925. He reshaped the party and neutralized Gregor Strasser, who had built his own Nazi power base in the industrial north. Hitler gathered a trusted staff including Hermann Goering, Joseph Goebbels, Heinrich Himmler, and the anti-Semitic journalist Julius Streucher.
It was the Great Depression that paved the way for Hitler's success. As bad as America suffered under the Depression, Germany was hit worse. Massive reparations paid to the victors of World War I and a general turndown in the world's economy caused massive inflation (to the point where it literally took a wheelbarrow full ofmoney to purchase common goods). Many German citizens actually burned their money in stoves for heat because the paper the money was printed on was more valuable than the currency. These economic conditions, plus mass unemployment, Communist insurgency, and an alliance between the Nazis and the industrialist Alfred Hugenberg's Nationalist party helped give the NSDAP an electoral victory in September 1930. The NSDAP increased its scats in the Reichstag from 12 to 107, becoming the second largest party. The political climate was violent, and Hitler employed the SA (Sturmabteilung, or Brownshirts), the Nazi paramilitary arm, to further his political gain.
In April 1932, Hitler only narrowly lost the presidential election to Paul von Hindenburg, and the July elections made the Nazis the largest party in the Reichstag with 37 percent of the vote. Finally, on January 30, 1933, after Germany had failed to gain stability under Hindenburg, Hitler was named chancellor.
Hitler gradually consolidated his power by assuming dictatorial authority and eliminating outside opposition. On February 27, 1933, the Reichstag fire provided the needed pretext for Hitler to outlaw the Communist Party and arrest its leaders. An even greater victory for Hitler was when the Reichstag passed the Enabling Act on March 23, 1933, which gave Hitler four years of dictatorial powers. Hitler then dismantled all political parties except the NSDAP . All federal and state institutions and organizations were brought under the party's control and purged of Jewish influence. On June 30, 1934, Hitler eliminated Ernst Roehm, the commander of the SA as well as hundreds of other Nazi radicals. Hindenburg died in August 1934; Hitler assumed the functions of the presidency. He gave himself the title of Führer (supreme leader) of the Third Reich.
The Third Reich's supremacy was reinforced by a powerful terror apparatus, established by the leader of the SS, Himmler. The SS and Gestapo created the system of concentration camps. While other groups and institutions suffered Nazi persecution because of their politics, the Jews were targets merely because oftheir race. Decree after decree was passed to eliminate them from their positions in their professions and the government. Finally, in 1933 the Nuremberg Racial Laws deprived Jews of their citizenship.
Along with the terror machine came propaganda. Goebbles masterfully orchestrated various propaganda themes that coordinated with Hitler's domestic and foreign success. The economic recovery of Germany helped reinforce support of Hitler in the 1930s. It was not that so many people agreed with Hitler's philosophies; he was a man moving and appeared to be sure of his destination. The German people did not care where they went, they just wanted to move.
Hitler's economic policies were initially designed to help Germany recover from the depression. He undertook a large program ofpublic works, including the construction of a superhighway network (the Autobahnen) which helped to return unemployed people to work and readied the economy. In 1936, however, Hitler named Goering the director of the Four Year Plan that focused the entire economy on preparations for war.
In Mein Kampf, Hitler outlined his foreign-policy goals. He wanted to overturn the Versailles settlement, unite all Germans in a single Greater Germany, destroy Bolshevism, and to conquer and colonize eastern Europe. He started cautiously, withdrawing from the League of Nations in October of 1933 and offsetting that with declarations of peaceful intentions capped with a nonaggression pact with Poland in 1934. Hitler noticed the indecisiveness of his opponents and began to act more boldly. In March 1935 he began the rearmament of Germany a blatant violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Britain reacted by signing the Anglo-German Naval Pact in June of 1935; France responded with absolute silence.
In 1936 the Rome-Berlin Axis and the Anti-Comintern Pact with Japan were formed. In November of 1937, Hitler outlined his plans to the German military leaders in a secret meeting. Several who objected were immediately dismissed. In March of 1938, Hitler annexed Austria. Later that year, over alleged abuses to Germans in the Sudeten area of western Czechoslovakia, Britain and France joined Italy in signing the Sudentenland over to Germany at the Munich Conference. In March of 1939, Germany completed the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia. Britain and France moved to guarantee Poland's integrity. In August of 1939, Hitler signed the Nazi -Soviet Pact, which opened the way for his attack on Poland on September 1. By September 3, Britain and France declared war on Germany. With the Nazi-Soviet pact, Hitler was free to concentrate on his western enemies.
In 1945, Hitler realized that his defeat was imminent. With armies on both his east and west side and defenses crumbling, Hitler appointed Admiral Karl Doenitz as his successor and married his long-time companion Eva Braun. On April 30, 1945, he committed suicide in his bunker, signaling the end ofthe Fascist era and the disintegration of the Third Reich.
Winston Churchill was born at Blenheim Palace on November 30, 1874, His father was the third son of the seventh duke of Marlborough, which made Churchill a direct descendant of the first duke of Marlborough, of whom he would write a monumental biography. His mother, Jennie Jerome, was an American. Churchill had an unhappy childhood, loathing school and refusing to learn any Greek besides the alphabet. He had an extraordinary memory, enjoyed history and poetry, and was fascinated by battles and soldiers,
Churchill declined a suggestion to go to a university and instead enrolled in the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. In 1894, he graduated and was commissioned in the 4th Hussars. He served in Cuba, India, and the Sudan. Having developed a taste for writing when he wrote for British newspapers while on military duty, he published an account of the Battle of Omdurman. Churchill was sent to cover the South African War for the Morning Post, and was captured by the Boers in 1899. His daring escape made him an overnight celebrity,
In 1900, Churchill was elevated to Parliament. While he found speaking an ordeal, he quickly made his mark. In 1905, Churchill became the under secretary of state for the colonies; in 1908 he married Clementine Hosier and became a member of the cabinet as president of the Board of Trade; In 1910 he was appointed home secretary and in the following year first lord of the Admiralty.
After World War I began, he attempted to usc the navy's mobility to force the Dardanelles in the Gallipole Campaign. This brazen assault failed and Churchill was removed from the Admiralty. After active dutv in France Churchill became minister of munitions in 1917. From there he served as secretary of state for war and air from 1918-1921 and for the colonies in 1921-1922. In 1921 he helped negotiate the treaty in 1921 that created the Irish Free State. In 1922 Churehill lost his office and his seat in Parliament.
In 1924, Churchill returned to Parliament and was offered the position of chancellor of the exchequer. The greatest act that Churchill performed while at this position for which he had many misgivings, was to return Britain to the gold standard. This worsened England's already poor economic situation. Eventually, Britain would again take itself off the gold standard.
From 1929 to 1939, Churchill did not hold office. He strongly disagreed with Britain's Indian policy and at the same time he warned against Nazi Germany's ambitions and urged that Britain should match Germany in air power. As World War II drew nearer, his warnings heeded.
Churchill became Prime Minister on May 10, 1940, and helped lead the Allies to victory over the Axis powers.
Benito Mussolini was born on July 29, 1883, the son of a socialist blacksmith. As a child he was unruly and undisciplined. As he grew up Mussolini shared his father's views, and became an itinerant schoolteacher and journalist, spent some time in Switzerland and Austria, and took a peasant wife, Rachele Guidi, who bore him five children.
In 1912 Mussolini became the editor of the Milan Socialist party newspaper Avanti! Initiaily, he opposed Italy's involvement in World War I, but soon reversed his position and called for Italy's entry on the Allies side. He was expelled from the Socialist party. He founded his own newspaper in Milan, Itpopolo d'[talia, which later became the organ of his Fascist movement. He continued to serve in the army until his wounding in 1917.
On March 23, 1919, Mussolini, with the help of some other war veterans founded a revolutionary nationalistic group in Milan called the Fasci Di Combattimento. The name came from the ancient Roman symbol of power, the Fasces. The Fascist movement soon gained the support of many landowners ofthe lower Po valley, industrialists, and army officers. Socialists, Communists, Catholics, and Liberals soon found themselves in a civil war against the Fascist blackshirt squads.
Soon the Fascists marched on Rome, where on October 28,1922 Mussolini secured a mandate from King Victor Emmanuel III to form a coalition government. In 1925-1926—after a delay due to a crisis in the parliament following the assassination of the Socialist leader—a single-party, totalitarian dictatorship was imposed. Mussolini abolished free trade unions but made terms with Italian capitalism. He also ended conflict with the Church by signing the Lateran Treaty of 1929.
In the mid 1930s, Mussolini turned to a more aggressive foreign policy, taking over Ethiopia in 1935-1936. He also helped General Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War and allied himself with Hitler's Germany. In April of 1939, he ordered his armies to occupy Albania, a rash move. Italy would not actually enter World War II until June of 1940, when it was certain that Gennany would take France.
World War II was a disaster for Italy and particularly for Mussolini. On July 25,1943, the king dismissed him and had him arrested. He was rescued on September 12 by the Germans and made the puppet head of a government in Northern Italy. In April 1945, Mussolini and his mistress tried to flee the advancing Allied army. They were captured by Italian partisans and shot on April 28, their bodies hung in a public square in Milan. Mussolini was popular with his people until the late 1930s; he only lost their respect when he dragged the country into a war they were not prepared to fight.
Joseph Stalin was born Joseph Vissarionovich Djugashvili on December 21, 1879, in the town of Gori, located in Georgia. His father was a poor alcoholic shoemaker who often beat him. His father died in a brawl when Stalin was 11. His mother, Ekaterina, was a washerwoman and had hopes that Stalin would become a priest. Growing up, Stalin tried to identify with various hero figures. He used the nickname "Koba" which was the name ofa fictional mountain bandit and rebel. His childhood gave Joseph ambition and class consciousness; his Georgian upbringing taught him brutality and vengeance.
At age 14 Stalin entered the Tiflis Theological Seminary, whose discipline only pushed Stalin towards revolutionary activism. In 1898 he became involved in radical political activity, leaving the seminary the next year to become a full-time revolutionary organizer. He became a member of the Georgian branch of the Social Democratic Party by 1901, roaming the Caucasus, stirring up workers, helping with strikes, and handing out socialist literature. He was neither a skilled speaker nor a charismatic leader, but Stalin had a talent for practical organizational activity and possessed an acute memory.
In 1903, the Social Democrats split into two different groups, the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks. Stalin supported the more radical Bolsheviks, quickly gaining the appreciation of the Bolshevik leader, V. I. Lenin, with his intense personal loyalty and familiarity with Russian nationality problems. Between 1902 and 1913, Stalin was arrested many times but managed to escape to continue his work. It was during these years that Stalin staged robberies to obtain the money the movement needed.
In 1912, Lenin rewarded Stalin by naming him to the Bolshevik Central Committee. Stalin quickly gained influence and power with the Bolsheviks and served as the first editor of the party's newspaper, Pravda. It was during this time that he started using the name Stalin, which meant "man of steel." From 1913-1917, Stalin was exiled to Siberia by the tsarist government. Following the March revolution that overthrew the monarchy, Stalin returned and played an important role in the reorganization of the party after the Bolsheviks' unsuccessfully attempted to seize powers. After the successful November Revolution, Stalin was placed in rather mundane positions, but in 1922, he became the general secretary of the party's Central Committee. Stalin now controlled appointments, set various agendas, and could easily transfer thousands of officials to different posts at will. The position fed Stalin's hatred of intellectuals and specialists, and his thirst for power.
In 1924, Stalin found his chance to grab power when Lenin died. Stalin used his control of the party to remove his opponents. Stalin instituted moderate economic policies, enacted his "socialism in one country" slogan, and enacted agricultural collectivization and rapid industrialization. By the end of 1929, Stalin was the undisputed master of the USSR.
In late 1928, Stalin's program offarm collectivization had begun. He had ordered the expropriation of the lands of the middle-class farmers, seizing total control of the harvest and deporting about 5 million farmers from the countryside. He used the profits from the seized grain to finance a massive drive for industrialization. Although Stalin was brutal in keeping down peasant resistance, the collectivization proved successful in creating rapid industrial growth.
With the nation's economy under control, Stalin was free to remove those who doubted his wisdom and ability. In 1934, following the assassination of a party member, Stalin arrested virtually all major party figures on charges of sabotage. From 1936 to 1938, Stalin staged the Moscow show trials where prominent Bolsheviks and army officers were convicted of terrible crimes, no matter how implausible. By 1937, Stalin had purged every party cell in the country. In 1939, 98 of the 139 central committee members that were elected in 1934 had been shot, while 1,108 of the 1,966 delegates to the 17th Congress were arrested. Stalin's secret police conducted a reign ofterror that purged a large portion of every profession including those in the general population. Including those who died in concentration camps, the total estimates of those killed was in the millions. During this reign of terror, Stalin promoted a cult of adoration that proclaimed him a genius in every field of human endeavor. The terror eased in 1938 when Stalin's dictatorship became personal, completely unrestrained by the party or any other institution.
Stalin began to fear the increasing power of Nazi Germany. Stalin attempted to make an accord with the Western governments, but failed. In 1939, Stalin signed a non-aggression treaty with Hitler. When Germany invaded Poland at the start of World War II, Stalin reacted by attempting to expand the Soviet borders into Finland and eastern Poland. By 1941, however, German troops invaded the Soviet Union, thus ending the short peace treaty.
After World War II, Stalin extended Communist influence to Eastern Europe, causing even worse atrocities than before the war, and creating the perilous climate of the Cold War. In 1953, Stalin stated that he uncovered a plot among the Kremlin's doctors. Many feared there would be more deaths, but Joseph Stalin died March 5,1953, before he could carry out the purge.
To many Americans, the story of King Edward the VIII is the personification of a romantic fairy tale. After all, he gave up ruling a country for the love of a woman. At least that is the official story.
1936 saw the outbreak of civil war in Spain, German occupation of the Rhineland and Italian occupation of Addis Ababa. Yet what grabbed most Americans' attention was the drama ofthe current King of England. Edward VIII King of Great Britain, Ireland, and the British Dominions Beyond the Seas, Defender of the Faith, and Emperor of India, fell in love with Wallis Warfield Simpson of Baltimore. When news reached American that Edward had been granted a divorce, it made the front pages. Ironically, the citizens of Great Britain would not learn for weeks of even the existence of Ms. Simpson due to unofficial censorship on news uncomfortable to royalty. After weeks of discussion and debate, it was determined that Edward should abdicate. He acquiesced. Simpson and Edward were married, and thousands of American girls dreamed of when their king would come for them.
The truth unfortunately has more to do with politics than love. While Edward's relationship with Wallis Simpson was uncomfortable to the British leaders, it was Edward's relationship to fascist Germany that caused his abdication. While no proof exists that Edward was an intentional spy for the Germans, documents from Germany state that Edward was a valuable source of information about the British. It is certain that Edward was a German sympathizer, evidenced most blatantly when, following the German occupation of France, he refused to report to duty in His Majesty's Royal Navy, choosing instead to flee to Spain. He continued to provide information to the Germans, whether intentional or not, which caused a flurry of stern letters from Prime Minister Churchill. In the end, Churchill was forced to discharge Edward from the military. Following an unsuccessful attempt by the Germans to kidnap/rescue Edward, Churchill assigned him to Bermuda. He spent the last of his years ruling the island colony.
Listed below are some of the major figures of the scientific community who were around during the pulp era.
Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany on March 14, 1879. Einstein's parents, nonobservant Jews, moved from Ulm to Munich while Einstein was an infant. The family business, the manufacture of electrical apparatus failed in 1894. Following this failure, the family moved to Milan, Italy where Einstein officially relinquished his German citizenship. Within a year, Einstein failed an examination that would have allowed him to attend the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, the Zurich Polytechnic, and pursue a degree as an electrical engineer. He spent the next year in Aarau at the cantonal secondary school. Einstein returned in 1896 to Zurich Polytechnic and graduated in 1900 as a secondary school teacher of mathematics and physics.
Two years later, Albert got a post at the Swiss patent office in Bern. While Einstein worked there (1902-1909), he wrote a remarkable range of publications in theoretical physics, most of which were written in his spare time on information garnered from close contact with scientific literature or theoretician colleagues. In 1905, Einstein submitted one of his papers to the University of Zurich and obtained a Ph.D. degree. In 1908 he sent a second paper to the University of Bern and became privatdocent, or lecturer, there. The next year, Albert became an associate professor of physics at the University of Zurich.
As Einstein's reputation grew, he gained professorships at the German University of Prague and at the Zurich Poiytechnic. In 1914, he gained the most prestigious, and highest paying, post that a theoretical physicist could hold in central Europe: professor at the Kaiser-Wilhelm Gesellschaft in Berlin. In 1921 Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work, not for the theory ofrelativity, but for his 1905 work on the photoelectric effect.
In 1933, Einstein moved to the United States and abandoned his previous pacifism in response to the rise of fascism in Germany. Apparently he came to the conclusion that the German menace would have to be stopped through force of arms. In 1939, Einstein sent a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt urging the United States to develop atomic bomb before the Germans did. Correspondence between the White House and Einstein contributed greatly to Roosevelt's decision to fund the Manhattan Project.
Enrico Fermi was born in Italy on September 29, 1901. He received his doctorate from the University of Pisa in 1922 and in 1926 became a professor of theoretical physics at the University of Rome. In 1938, on the eve of World War II, he escaped to the United States. In 1938, he received the Nobel Prize for physics, based in his experiments with radioactivity and atomic structure. While at Columbia University, Fermi, along with other eminent scientists, experimented with nuclear fission. On December 2, 1942, he succeeded in creating the first sustained nuclear reaction at the University of Chicago. At the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, Fermi created the world's first atomic bomb.
Listed below are some of the major personages of the business world who were making their fortunes during the pulp era.
Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863, the son of an Irish immigrant. His father, William Ford, came to the United States in 1847 and settled on a farm in Dearborn, Michigan. Henry was not fond of farm life, preferring machines to plants, so when he was 15 he went to Detroit and trained as a machinist. In 1888 he married Clara Bryant their son, Edsel, was born November 6, 1893.
In 1890, Henry started to experiment with the horseless carriage. He built his first car, the quadricycle, in 1896, the sixth American-built gasoline-powered car. Ford tried, unsuccessfully, to get the car into production. During this time, he built race cars and became a well-known racing driver. In 1903, Henry launched the Ford Motor Company, based on his idea of production.
He met initial success with the Model TFord, introduced in 1908, and perfected his moving assembly line in 1913. For the next 15 years, Henry Ford was a major figure in the automobile industry. In 1914 he startled the world by instituting the then high base-wage scale of $5 a day.
In 1926, Ford lost first place in the automobile industry to General Motors by clinging to the Model T too long. Henry Ford gave the presidency of the Ford Motor Company over to Edsel in 1919, but kept the company firmly under his control. Edsel struggled vainly to exert his own measure of leadership, but the frustrations contributed to his death at the age of 50, which forced Henry to resume the presidency. In 1945, Ford gave the presidency to his grandson, Henry II.
Listed below are some of the major movers and shakers in the entertainment industry that were making people laugh, cry, or gasp in excitement during the pulp era.
Cecil Blount De Mille was born in Ashfield, MA on August 12, 1881. He began his career as an actor but quickly turned to directing and made his mark with silent Westerns such as The Squaw Man (1913), the first feature film made in Hollywood, and The Virginian (1914). He was one of the founders of Paramount Pictures, along with Samuel Goldwyn, Jesse Lasky and Adolph Zukor. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, De Mille's flamboyance typified the typical Hollywood director's image. He is generally noted for his large biblical epics: The Ten Commandments (1923), The King of Kings (1927), and Samson and Delilah (1949).
Vivien Leigh, whose birth name was Vivian Mary Hartley, was born on November 5, 1913. She is best known for her Academy Award-winning performance as Scarlett O'Hara in the film Gone With the Wind in 1939. In 1937 she was cast in Fire Over England, opposite Laurence Olivier, whom she married in 1940. She also won acclaim for her stage performance in A Streetcar Named Desire. Her work in the film version won her a second Academy Award.
Clark Gable, born on February 1,1901, was for 30 years the king of Hollywood. He was noted more for the force of his personality than his acting talent. He caused the decrease of undershirt sales in America merely by stating he did not wear one in a movie. He appeared in such films as Red Dust (1932), his Academy Award-winning performance in It Happened One Night (1934), Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), San Francisco (1936), and of course as Rhett Butler in Gone With the Wind (1939). He died during the filming of The Misfits (1961).
Jimmy Stewart, born in Indiana, Pennsylvania on May 20, 1908, was not your typical Hollywood actor. He was tall, gangly, with a drawl and had an aura of such sincerity that he could never playa villain. He was in his element in the optimistic Frank Capra films You Can't Take It With You (1938), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), and It's a Wonderful Life (1946).
Greta Garbo was born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson in Sweden on September 18, 1905. One of Hollywood's first major romantic idols, she came to Hollywood in 1925 following training at the Royal Dramatic Theater of Stockholm. MGM transfonned her into a gorgeous, almost queen-like actress who always made headline when she was making a new film, even if her films did not always make money. She was always known for her shyness, and her sudden retirement in 1941 only served to enhance the air of mystery that surrounded her. Her first talkie was Anna Christie in 1930 and was advertised with the slogan "Garbo talks!". She also starred in Mata Hari (1931), Grand Hotel (1932), As You Desire Me (1932), Queen Christina (1933), Anna Karenina (1935), Camille (1936), Conquest (1937), Ninotchka (1939), and Two-Faced Woman (1941).
Ruth Elizabeth Davis, who was later known as Bette Davis, was Hollywood's most popular actress for many years. She won the best actress Academy Award for her work in Dangerous in 1935 and Jezebel in 1938. She was known for her distinctive voice, striking looks, and her outspoken opinion. Other films for which she won acclaim include Of Human Bondage (1934), Dark Victory (1939), Elizabeth and Essex (1939), and The Little Faxes (1941). In 1976, she received the Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute.
Listed below are some of the most notorious figures in the world at the time of the pulps.
Alphonse Capone was born in Brooklyn, New York on January 17, 1899. He was possibly the most famous of all American mobsters. He grew up in Brooklyn and earned the nickname "Scarface Al" from the cut he received in a bar fight. He worked his way up the mob ladder and moved to Chicago, eventually dominating bootleg liquor, prostitution, and gambling. By the end of the 1920s, Capone was earning more than $20 million a year. Part of Capone's survival in the vicious gang wars in Chicago was due to his killing most of his rivals, his most famous action was the St. Valentine's Day Massacre in 1929. Several of Capone's men, dressed as policemen, shot and killed seven members of "Bugs" Moran's gang. Capone wanted people to think ofhim as a benefactor rather than a criminal, so in the early 1930s, Capone opened Chicago's first soup kitchen. Finally in October 1930, the federal authorities succeeded in convicting Capone of tax evasion and fined him $80,000 and sentenced him to 11 years in prison. He was released in 1939, terminally ill with syphilis. He died on his Florida estate on January 25, 1947.
John Dillinger, born in Indianapolis, Indiana on June 22, 1903, was a bank robber who gained national attention when the FBI named him "public enemy number one" in the 1930s. Dillinger was notorious for shooting his way out of traps. When he was 21, he was arrested robbing a grocery store and served 9 years in prison. Upon his release, he founded a gang that held up banks in the Midwest. He was jailed twice, but escaped both times. In April 1934, he became trapped by police in Wisconsin. True to his form, Dillinger pulled out his guns and shot his way out, killing two policemen. On July 22, 1934, on a tip from a female friend of Dillinger's, Melvin Purvis and his squad of FBI agents waited patiently outside a movie theater. Purvis recognized Dillinger (even though he was wearing glasses, died his hair, and had a face lift) and motioned his men to move in. When Dillinger saw the G-Men coming for him, he pulled out his automatic rifle. The FBI gunned Dillinger down before he could pull the trigger. Since the man killed had physical differences from Dillinger, and since Dillinger burned off his fingerprints with acid, legend arose that another man was killed in Dillinger's place and that Dillinger escaped.
Listed belav; are some details about some famous authors who were writing during the pulp era.
Born September 1, 1875, in Chicago, Edgar Rice Burroughs was generally unsuccessful in thejobs he chose. In need of money to support his family, Burroughs began writing and selling Pulp fiction in 1911. The serial form of his second novel Tarzan of the Apes (in All-Story Magazine) and the hardcover version published in 1914 made Burroughs a best-seIling author. After that, Edgar devoted himself to writing exclusively and continued to write until 1944. Burroughs wrote 70 novels, most in both serial and hardcover forms. Burroughs wrote many types offiction, including westerns and crime stories, but is most famous for his heroic fantasies and tales of lost cities. Of course, the 24 Tarzan books are Burroughs' most famous, but also weIl-known are the 7-novel "Pellucidar" series (featuring a lost world in the core of the Earth), and the 11-book "Barsoom" series, starring American John Carter and his adventures on Mars.
Listed below are summaries ofthe various regions of the United States during the pulp era.
The north-eastern states are some of the oldest areas in the United States. All of these states trace their heritage to the original thirteen colonies and were settled primarily by Europeans. The area was hard hit by the Depression; many factories and small farms closed. A large academic population in New England keeps an almost eccentric collection of knowledge, and Massachusetts is home to the famous Miskatonic University, in Arkham.
Arkham, an old city entered by crossing by the murky Miskatonic river, was founded in the first years of the Seventeenth century, but has changed very little since then. It is said that in the hills around, in the dark valley of white stones nearby and on the uninhabited island in the Miskatonic River, terrible ceremonies have taken place since the city's founding. Many buildings in Arkham are the silent witnesses of dark deeds: the famous witch house, for instance, was once inhabited by Keziah Mason who caused an unmentionable scandal during her trial in 1692.
Miskatonic University, one of the centers of New England culture, specializes in the studies of the occult and other forms of arcane lore. The library of the University is celebrated for its collection of rare and dangerous books, including a copy of The Necronomicon of the "Mad Arab" Abdul Alhazred, the fragmentary Book of Eibon, the Unaussprechen Kulten by Von Juntz, the Pnakotician Manuscripts, the Sussex Fragments and The Cultes des Coules by the Count of Erlette.
Adventurers visiting the city do so at their own risk and are warned that the consequences of such a visit may very well haunt them for the rest of their lives.
The town of Harrisonville, New Jersey is also known for its plague of supernatural occurrences, and as a result, is now the home of the famous Dr. Jules de Grandin, once France's foremost occult expert and supernatural investigator, now a naturalized citizen of the United States.
Many landmarks dating back to the revolutionary period can be found in the New England states as well as abandoned coastal forts and other monuments to U.S. history. The spirit of the witch trials can be found in the more rural areas, such as Salem, Harrisonville, or Arkham while gangsters and spies ply their trades in the larger cities.
The Civil War left an identifiable scar on the psyche of the South. The mostly agricultural south was hammered by the Great Depression, between the "black blizzards" of dust and plummeting agricultural prices. Violence is not uncommon in the South, between labor strikes, lynching, and a general distrust of anyone from the North. Through it all, however, Southern hospitality is still observed with a sense of honor.
There are considerable mysterious areas and locations in the South, including the Louisiana bayou, the Florida Everglades, and the Ozarks. The bayou is a marshy area covered in cane, pine cypress, vines, and moss. No one lives here, at least no human, but it is an excellent place for fishing, hunting, and trapping. Cajuns live all around the Louisiana bayou. They are very territorial when threatened, and tend to be wary of outsiders and strangers, but are generally hospitable and friendly once a person is known to them. They consider firearms as necessary a tool as a knife or a stove. The Louisiana bayous are also known to be firm encampments for the Voodoo religion. New Orleans, in particular is a high seat for dark voodoo rites and rituals, with a large portion of the population being ofAfrican or Caribbean descent. Who knows what other dark things might lurk in the vast bayous?
The Florida Everglades are a massive, 4,000 square-mile, swampy area in Florida. The water's depth ranges from a few inches to many feet and serves as a home for alligators, opossum, snakes, deer, birds, and millions of large insects. Florida was explored extensively by Ponce de Leon in the 16th century during his quest for the Fountain of Youth, of which he spent a good portion of his life and wealth in fruitless search, and which is still rumored to exist there somewhere.
The Ozarks are a mountain range located in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri. A hardy group of people lives here, proud that they rely on no one but themselves for survival. Everyone owns at least one gun; many of the best marks men of World War I came from the Ozarks. They are organized by families or clans and are fiercely loyal, often engaging in feuds that last generations. Depending on how they are approached, they can either be great friends or viscous enemies.
New York is a place of adventure. It has eight million people, making it the largest city in the United States. I t has the busiest ports, largest Iibralies, greatest publishing houses, and is the home for organized crime. It has incredible landmarks and many square miles of pavement for feet to round. New York also has an ethnic center for virtually every culture including Chinese, Irish, Italian, Jewish, Black, Spanish, and Polish. Each of these groups tends to congregate and live in the same area, giving birth to Chinatown, Little Italy, and other sections in the city. Just entering one of these regions is like stepping into another country.
The city itself is divided into five regions, called "boroughs," which are distinct unto themselves, as any native will tell you. Queens and Brooklyn reside on Long Island; Manhattan on Manhattan island; Richmond on Staten Island; and the Bronx, which is located on the state's peninsula.
Manhattan is an island in center of New York City. At the center of Manhattan is Central Park, a massive naturalist setting with everything from duck ponds to densely wooded areas. The famous Valhalla Club overlooks the park from its address on Fifth Avenue. The rest of Manhattan is filled with numerous buildings and skyscrapers including the Empire State Building, the Stock Exchange, expensive shops, and numerous publishing houses. The Empire State Building is the tallest building in the world, standing 86 stories with a 200' dirigible mooring mast atop it. Construction began in 1929 and is not completed until 1931, when Doc Savage establishes his headquarters there, utilizing the entire 86th floor, and a sub-basement garage for his vehicles. The famous building is also the site of the demise of the giant ape "King" Kong, who fell to his death while battling Army Air Corps fighters in 1933 (Doc and his associates were out of town at the time).
Harlem is another prominent location in New York City. The population of Harlem is predominantly Black with a significant number of Germans, Irish, Spaniards, and Poles. Most people come to Harlem for the night life. The various clubs in Harlem, including the well-known Cotton Club, attract many of the city's more famous and powerful people and provide excellent music as well.
The entire metropolis is crisscrossed by bridges and tunnels, and navigating anywhere within its environs requires one to cross more than a few of these, and sometimes even take the occasional ferry ride. New Jersey is located just west of New York City, and most New Yorkers like to keep it that way.
California was the promised land to many displaced farmers from the Midwest. When the bank foreclosed on their dust-clogged land (the product of the Great Dustbowl), many gathered their belongings and headed down Route 66 to California. While not all of these farmers were from Oklahoma, they were given the derogatory name of "Okies." These new settlers found life difficult in the Southwest. Jobs were scarce due to the Depression and the abundance of migrant workers, conditions were harsh, and for the most part, they were treated as second-class citizens. The plight of the "Okie" was brought to the nation's attention in John Steinback's classic The Grapes of Wrath.
San Francisco boasts many memorable landmarks. Besides the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco is home to Alcatraz, or "The Rock," the greatest federal prison ever built. No one ever escaped from Alcatraz and it was here that Al Capone was sent after his tax evasion conviction. Alcatraz is on an island surrounded by strong currents and San Francisco's legendary fog. Any attempts to swim to freedom ended in a watery death for those who tried. The Presidio is a large army base located there, and a naval base is situated nearby as well.
San Francisco is also home to the largest Chinatown in the United States, a vast realm unto itself, consisting of myriad mazes and markets (both above and below ground), with many unexplained occurrences. One of The Shadow's favorite haunts, San Francisco's Chinatown maintains ties with the motherland, as well as it's brothers in New York. Tong societies rule the underworld undisputed, although other gangs try to muscle in at times, and Oriental Masterminds always have a home here, where their rule is undisputed, and their resources are legion.
Listed below are other areas of the Americas that are not the United States.
The Great White North provides many exciting locations for Pulp adventures. Much of Canada is located within the Northern Polar region, with only gradual changes in temperature and climate the farther north one travels. Large wilderness regions exist in these icy reaches, and obviously many opportunities exist for such an environment. Large tracts of heavily filled pine forests crown Northern Canada, and even closer to the Arctic regions lay the Tundra layers and a harsh, inhospitable land known as the Barrens. Tundra is a wet, soggy mess, much like a bog. Water is prevented from seeping into the soil by a layer of Permafrost, and the land is in a constant state of freeze and re-freeze. These frozen wastelands can contain all kinds of horrors that the heroes will need to defeat
Besides the bitter cold, snow, and ice, there could be countless untold things perfectly preserved under the ice. Someone could stumble across some evil artifact that was placed in the middle of nowhere to prevent it from falling into human hands. Lost valleys containing long extinct races and/or creatures are just waiting here for discovery. The northern part of Canada also provides an excellent location for either a hero or villain's secret hideout. Incidentally, the polar bear, a native of northern Canada, is the only animal known to hunt humans for food.
Many native races existed in ancient Central America, (what is now Mexico) and in South America. These races built fabulous cities and were in many ways more advanced than Europeans of the same time. Mysteries are in abundance when it comes to these races, especially when almost all that remains of them now are a few ruins strewn with rock and overgrown with jungle; hardly fitting memorials to these mighty empires. Central America is a place of dense, lush jungles, ancient, forgotten ruins, and exotic beauty.
The Olmec were a mysterious people that inhabited the thick jungles of the southern Gulf Coast, and thought to be the ancestors of the Aztecs. One of their cities was an eight square mile metropolis that prospered at the time Christ was born and for about 700 years thcreafter. It was then that the populace mysteriously vanished, leaving only giant, 12-ton megaliths that surrounded several towns as evidence of their actual existence.
The Aztecs conquered the Valley of Mexico during the 300 years of their reign. Over 500 neighboring people fell and were subjugated to Aztec rule during this time. The Aztecs worshipped the elements, and practiced human sacrifice, before they in turn were conquered by Hernando Cortez and his Conquistadors from Spain. The Spanish, in search of new worlds to conquer, ground the Aztec people out of existence with the heels of their boots. All that remains of their once grand empire are ruins, and even these are rare. Located northeast of the Valley of Mexico is the great Aztec city of Teotihuacan, "the City of the Gods," the largest settlement in the New World before the Spanish conquest. It covered over 60 square miles and possessed over 150,000 inhabitants. The main features of the city include great pyramids devoted to the sun and moon, and a central temple devoted to the worship of Quetzacoutl, the Feathered Serpent, chief among the Aztec pantheon. The Aztec capitol itself lies thirty feet below the level of modern-day Mexico City. Who knows what still could be living (or unliving) down there, waiting, biding its time to re-emerge into the world and claim vengeance?
The Mayans occupied parts of Central America including what is now Guatemala for over a thousand years, from the 1st century to the 10th century A.D. Many Mayan temples and ruins of cities can be found deep in the Yucatan peninsula. The Mayans were extremely interested in time and time-keeping; they designed buildings with holes in the walls that would focus the sun during its two equinoxes each year. Astronomy was also one of the Mayan's interests. They were able to accurately predict the changes of season, and the movements of the sun and moon, including eclipses!
Usually surrounded by stone walls, Mayan villages would contain many stone buildings dominated by a pyramid-shaped stone temple, complete with altar. Upon this altar the Mayan's victims were tied down and with an obsidian knife, their hearts were cut out and offered as sacrifices to the Mayan gods. As the Mayan village grew, the temple was added to, bringing it to greater and greater heights. What is contained inside these temples can only be guessed at.
Something happened to the Mayan civilization after the 10th century; some 2.5 million Mayans disappeared from their cities, letting them be reclaimed by the jungle, from which they had hewn them a thousand years before. Doc Savage's father discovered the "Valley of the Vanished," in the tiny republic of Hidalgo, which contains a hidden city of Mayans. It is they that provide Doc the wealth in gold needed for his research and crime-fighting campaigns.
The Incas of South America are the youngest of the "ancient" native tribes. Their culture developed around the 15th century. Their empire was spread along the western coast of South America from Ecuador to Chile. The Incas were a hardy mountain folk because the Andes mountain range cut straight through the center of their empire.
Most Incan cities were constructed high up in the Andes, like Manchu Picchu, at an elevation of 8,000 feet above sea level, in modem-day Peru. This fabulous city was the accidental discovery of Hiram Bingham in 1911, who was actually searching for another legendary Incan citadel, UiIcapampa. The ruins ofManchu Picchu were remarkably well preserved due to its elevation and the temperature there. Bingham found many temples devoted to sun-worship there, built with only three walls, the fourth being left open to allow the radiance of the sun to shine in.
Another mystery among Incan cities is the ruins of Tiahuanaco, found in a bleak valley in Peru. This city is known for its unearthly resonance, the feelings that its designers and/or inhabitants may not have been entirely human. The architecture is in most cases macabre, detailing representations of unnerving creatures such as snakes, carrion birds and jungle cats. Strange deities are manifest here as well, with temples devoted to their worship.
In Brazil flows one of the greatest rivers in the world, the Amazon, for a course of over 4,000 miles. The rain forest around the Amazon River is one of the densest and most dangerous jungles in the world. Along this long river lay deadly snakes, piranha, native tribcs with poisoned wcapons, viscous destructive ants, virulent disease, and othcrdangers. The Amazon basin is nothing ifnot wet. The lush rain forest receives great amounts of rainfall every year, sometimcs more than 350 inches. This damp gets into everything; it is next to impossible to keep out, and can affect equipment and dispositions. What is hidden by the jungle is unknown, but could easily include lost civilizations, hidden trcasure, and artifacts of immense power. The natives are of Indian descent, and keep to themselves in small tribal communities. They live off the jungle, and are experts at survival within it. Excursions into the Amazon regions are usually staffcd by native guides, excellent sources of local lore.
Professor George Challenger explored up the Amazon, in particular the plateau called "Maple White Land," on which he and his party found a preserved "Lost World" where extinct species offlora and fauna were discovered to be living quite unawares of their supposed fates.
Listed below are summaries of various locales in Europe.
Much of Spain was ravaged by the Spanish Civil War, a testing ground for Germany's resurrected military might. Besides being involved in the war, there are plenty of exciting locales in Spain to draw an adventurer. Pamplona' s annual running of the bulls could be the villain's death trap. Ruins from the Middle Ages beg to be explored. The Pyranees mountains between Spain and France house the Basques and their unacknowledged country of Andorra. The Basques want their independence recognized desperately enough that they may even use terrorism.
The history of Great Britain is steeped in much mystery and mysticism. Great castles, some in ruins, are scattered all over the landscape. Some say the spirit of Robin Hood still inhabits Sherwood Forest. Legends also persist that in some vast underground cavern, King Arthur sleeps with 100 of his knights, awaiting the time when Britain shall need them most.
Of all the mystical areas in Great Britain, Stonehenge has grabbed the most attention. What ancient rituals were performed at these stones, and what power did the rituals unleash? More importantly, could the same ritual be performed today? What would be required? A chase across all of England, ending in a confrontation at Stonehenge during a thunderstorm could create a memorable adventure for any hero.
Who knows what strange experiments the Nazis conduct in the search for a new weapon? Germany makes an excellent location for a mad scientist's laboratory or a master plan from a foreign threat. The Germans conducted experiment after experiment trying to further their plans for world domination. In addition, Germany itself has a long history of powerful lords dwelling in stone towers, crusaders crossing the Rhineland searching for heretics, and witch trials. There could still be medieval castles containing orders of knights who have had no contact with the outside world for centuries From its snow-covered mountains to its deep forests, Germany is a land ofmystery. When in doubt, Nazis make great bad guys.
Between Rome's rich history, Mussolini's fascist rule, and the center of all Catholic power, Italy contains some of the greatest places for adventure in all of Europe. Whether the heroes find hidden catacombs in the Coliseum or are engaged in a chase down the waterways of Venice, Italy should provide an endless supply of exotic locations. Who knows what evil artifacts the Vatican has kept hidden from the world to prevent their evil use? What things remain from the Holy Roman Empire, and would these provide the power that the emperors themselves wielded ages ago? Could Da Vinci actually have invented a device that changed lead into gold and if so, where is it now? The answers to these questions can only be found in Italy. In addition to its history, Italy also has its people. The Mafia originated in Sicily providing gangbusting heroes a place to "finish the job." Gypsies come down from their mountains to travel through Italy, possibly providing information that a hero would be otherwise unable to obtain. Finally, any traveler to Italy should always be wary of the fascist regime, lest they be considered spies or traitors.
Listed below are various locales on the Asian continent that might serve as settings during the Pulp era.
The Asian continent was still very much a closed country to outsiders during the Pulp-era. Russia was very careful about admittance within its borders, but that is not to say the determined intrepid adventurer could not get in! The Balkans are hotbeds of political turmoil and intrigue, especially in Balkaria, where rules Rudolph I, the Purple Emperor, who is rumored to have ideas about world conquest. The countries of Asia Minor are excellent places for archaeological digs.
China during the Pulp-era is large, isolated nation experiencing political growing pains and unrest. The majority of the country's inhabitants are rural farmers, ripe for foreign intervention and civil war. The Japanese have embarked upon a policy of conquest of China during the 1930s, and will capture the metropolis ofShanghai in 1937. Many opportunities abound within China, from ancient beliefs and ruins lost since the rule of the old dynasties. Who knows if those beliefs, such as those associated with demons and dragons, weren't based in some reality?
The mountain country of Tibet is wreathed in mystery. Nestled deep in the Himalayas, it is not a favored tourist spot. Roads do not exist, just mountain trails that lead over the mountains into India. Arctic conditions exist in this, the highest mountain range in the world, and the trails are often rendered impassable. Before a British representative was invited to the tiny country in 1920, outsiders tended to be killed first and questioned later. Late into the 1930s, outsiders could move freely about, but it was still far from the safest of havens. Strange things are said to inhabit the mountains surrounding the country, including the Yeti, or Abominable Snowman. Tibet is ruled by the Dalai Lama, a religious leader who is said to be reincarnated after he dies. His followers search the land after his death for the new Dalai Lama, whom it is said will possess his memories. During the Pulp-era, the Dalai Lama dies in late 1933, and the new Lama will not be found before 1940. The palace of the Dalai Lama is the Patola, said to be the most magnificent sight in Tibet. It is built along a cliff, running over a length of 1000 feet, and rising over 400 feet above the city.
The mythical valley of Shangra-La is also said to be found among the mountains of Tibet, where can be found a lamasery with a library of knowledge (including arcane and occult studies) that would rival those of the world's great universities. It is also rumored that miraculously, life in Shangra-La has an age-retarding effect. The founder of the lamasery is said to have lived to over 250 years of age.
Africa—the Dark Continent, possibly the greatest continent on which to find adventure. From the sands of Egypt to the north, down through the jungles of the equatorial Congo, many things still evade the eyes of men.
Egypt is home to one ofthe most exalted ancient cultures known in the modem age. A desert country, Egypt is littered with ancient ruins and cities that have been lost from the eyes of men for millennia. Carelessly strewn with catacombs, tombs, and temples, Egypt is the country of adventure.
The three great pyramids of Giza are among the country's more prominent features, rising from the plateau of Giza situated six miles west of the bustling metropolis of Far East Africa Cairo, and the immense Nile river. Sitting alongside these immense tombs is the Great Sphinx, a 240' solid (or is it?) rock carving of a mythical creature of legend.
The city of Cairo is the heart of Egypt, where anything can be found in its bazaars ... for a price. Alexandria, once the capitol of Alexander the Great's empire, is a relatively new city built upon the foundations ofthe old. It once housed the greatest depository of knowledge in the ancient world, but disaster struck, and the Library of Alexandria was destroyed. Who knows what might have occurred just before that disaster? Surely not all of those tomes were destroyed?
Much of Africa still remains unexplored. Many adventurers made their fortunes here in the Nineteenth century exploring and mapping the interior. Every type of terrain can be found here: jungles, plains, mountains, and deserts. Most of the explored portions of the continent are divided among the greater European powers.
North Africa boasts probably the most famous desert in the world, the 4,000,000 square mile Sahara. Fierce, dense jungles incorporate most of central Africa and its heart, the Congo basin. It is somewhere here that Lord Greystoke was raised by apes, and somewhere deep in the interior lies the fabled lost cities of Opar, said to be an outpost of Atlantis, and Zinj, the location of King Solomon's Diamond Mines. Somewhere along the west coast lies Bangalla, the home of The Phantom. Rumors persist of the existence of great creatures living in the jungles that are thought to be long extinct and just waiting to be discovered. Many tribes inhabit the Dark Continent, among them, various Pygmy tribes, the fierce Masai peoples, and the savage Zulu.
The following are some notable events and institutions relevant to the game era but not so widely known as larger historical events or institutions. They are presented here in hopes that they may provide backgmund for the player or GM to flesh out a character or adventure.
Abssynia, Conquest of (1935): The belligerent foray by Mussolini aimed at winning popular support at home, increasing in Italian prestige, and winning strategic gains to pressure the British in the Eastern Mediterranean. Beginning in October of J935 against the advice ofmost Italian generals, the campaign was a success, with victory achieved by General Badog Jio in May J936. The King was declared Emperor. However, Italian troops numbering over a half million had to be committed to the region to subdue the Abysinian army, which was badly equipped and poorly organized. The action won Italy the enmity of the British government.
Allied Intervention in Russia (1918-22): The intervention of foreign troops in Russian affairs following the Bolshevik October Revolution. French, British, Japanese and American troops hoped to stiffen resistance to Germany by landing in the north and south of Russia and in eastern Siberia. Before these troops could become effective, Lenin concluded the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk and they were drawn into the Russian Civil War on the side of the "dual power" fighting Lenin. This did little against Germany and ruined Western-Soviet relations for years. Most troops were withdrawn by 1920, but it was two more years before the Japanese departed Vladivastok.
Arab Legion: The Arab Legion was established in Transjordan in 1921, initially intended as a police force. Command of the force passed to Major John Bagot Glubb, later known as Glubb Pash, under whose training it developed into a highly disciplined unit of good caliber. It made considerable contributions to the Middle Eastern efforts in WWII and was later a key player in struggles with Israel over East Jerusalem and the West Bank. In 1956 it became part of the regular Jordanian army.
Arab Revolt (1916): Led by Faysal, the son of Sharif Husayn ibn Ali of Mecca, this was essentially a revolt against Turkish occupation. Among the achievements of the revolt was the destruction of the Hijaz Railway and the capture of Aqaba. It was during this revolt that T. E. Lawrence, a British military officer, earned his fame ("Lawrence of Arabia"). The close of the revolt was less than satisfactory, for though Turkish dominance had effectively been ended, relations between Britain and the Arabs were soured for some time, as the latter believed that they were betrayed by Britain in subsequent treaties and political actions.
Army, British Indian: The Indian regiments ofthe British Army were recruited in 1748 and were a part of the military until 1947. During the key years particular to this work, there was much change in these regiments. In 1903 the British Indian Army was renamed the Indian Army. Because of its performance during WWI, Indians were eligible for the King's Commission beginning in 1917. In 1922 it was reorganized and the "Indianization" of its officer corps (previously primarily British) was increased. By 1924 there were eight wholly Indian units and in 1934 an Indian Military Academy for the training of officers was opened at Dehra Dun. India was throughout the period a place for British officers to "adventure" and to gain combat experience in numerous small-scale conflicts and skirmishes that continually plagued the region. The presence of foreign individuals in Indian battalions was rare but not unheard of.
Autumn Harvest Uprisings (1927): A series of attempted peasant insurrections led by the Chinese Communist Party following the coliapse of the United Front in June of 1927. Primarily contained to the provinces of Hunan and Hubei, it was launched in hope of igniting urban revolution. Mao Zedong led one such uprising, but it collapsed and he and his ragged army retreated to the mountains of Jinggangshan. By the end of 1927 all sympathetic rebellions were crushed or had collapsed.
Black and Tans: Members of the Royal Irish Constabulary recruited by the British government to cope with Irish nationalist unrest in 1920. Due to the shortage of regulation unifonns, caused by the large number of additional constables quickly recruited, the recruits were issued khaki tunics and trousers and very dark green caps, hence their name. They were known for severe and brutal reprisals against terrorist activity.
Black Dragon Society: Kokuryukai. A Japanese conspiratorial nationalist organization founded in 1901 by Uchida Ryohei and Toyama Mitsuru. They sought to improve Japan's position in the mainland, mainly in Manchuria. They pressed for assertive foreign policies, often anti-western, and conducted extensive espionage activities. The Society was disbanded after WWII.
The Black Hand: The Ujedinjenje ili Smrt, or 'Unification or Death' party fonned by Serbian nationalist army officers in 1911. Led by Colonel Dragutin Dimitrijevic, its objective was the unification of the Serbs. The Black Hand was responsible for the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, an event that led directly to the outbreak of WWI.
Ceka: An organization of hired thugs recruited by Mussolini from criminal and lower classes, to intimidate his political opponents. They were responsible for several deaths and forced many of his rivals to flee the country.
Chaco War, The: A conflict between Bolivia and Paraguay from 1932-1935. Basically a territorial struggle over the Northern Chaco region, the conflict was eventually won by the Paraguayans. This was largely due to the superior abilities of Colonel Jose Felix Estigarribis. A peace treaty was signed in 1938. Approximately 50,000 Bolivians and 35,000 Paraguayans were casualties of the war. The conflict had far-reaching political ramifications throughout the region for the next 30 years.
Cheka: Established in 1917, it was the "All-Russian Extraordinary Commission for Combating Counter-Revolution and Sabotage." The name is an acronym from Russian letters. It was essentially a political police force responsible for the investigation and punishment of anti-Bolshevik activity. It was responsible for the execution ofmany thousands of political opponents and came to be called the "Red Terror."
Cherry Blossom Society: The Sakurakai, a secret society of young Japanese army officers formed in 1930 under Lt. Colonel Hashimoto Kingoro. It violated the ban on anny involvement in politics and was a result ofincreasing military dissatisfaction with the government. In alliance with ultra-nationalist civilians, it was behind two abortive coups in 1931 and was dissolved sometime afterwards.
Cristero Revolt (1927-29): An insurrection against the Mexican government, primarily in Guadalajara, Morelos, Colima, Jalisco and Michoacan. Conflict was confined to rural guerrilla warfare, though this didn't lessen its ferocity. The banner "Viva Christo Rey," under which the rebels marched, reflected their intention to restore the Church of Mexico to its pre-eminence in the country. Eventually Church and State stalemated. The fonner suspended public worship, the latter persecuted the clergy. In the end a compromise was negotiated by the Vatican and the U.S. Ambassador.
Dopolavoro: The Opera Nazionale Dopolavoro was a network of clubs and recreational centers created by the fascists in 1925. It was a network that covered the country, providing bars, sports facilities, libraries, dances, and other festivities. It was a popular innovation of the fascist state.
Durruti, Buenaventura (1896-1936): A Spanish revolutionary and anarchist. He emerged from the savage urban guerrilla warfare of 1919-23 (in Barcelona) as the most prominent of the violent activists. Exiled to Europe and South America for the next eight years, he was the main leader of the revolutionary Iberian Anarchist Federation (Federación Anarquista Iberica). He advocated rebellion and was frequently jailed. He led the anarchist militia during the Spanish CiviI War until he was shot and killed under suspicious circumstances. It is generaHy thought that he was killed by a Nationalist sniper.
Fuorusciti: Italian, literally exile, outlaw, or emigre. This term refers to political opponents of the fascist regime of Italy. They were forced to flee in the 1920s and 1930s, many serving in the Republican armies of the Spanish Civil War. As a consequence, many fought against fellow Italians in the form of troops sent by Mussolini to assist Franco. They won a famous victory over Italian fascist "volunteers" at the Battle of Guadalajara in 1937.
Gestapo: An abbreviation of Geheime Staatspoizei. It was the political police of the Hitler's Third Reich, founded in 1933. It began originally on the basis of the Prussian political police but expanded rapidly throughout Germany and in 1936 came under control of Himmler, who was head of the SS.
Green Gang: A Chinese underworld organization active in Shanghai during the 1920s. The Quingbang was led by businessmen ormen with links in financial circles, and was heavily involved in prostitution, gambling, and opium rackets. After Chiang Kai-shek gained control of Shanghai in 1927 the Green Gang was used to attack communist-led labor unions in the city. In the late 1920s and early 1930s the Quingbang launched a terror attack on wealthy businessmen and the bourgeoisie, forcing them to financially support Chiang's regime.
The Heaven and Earth Society: The Triads, or Tiandihui, a Chinese secret society that emerged in the late 17th century as a support group for the previous Ming Dynasty. It was during the early years of the new Quing Dynasty that the Triads became known in Taiwan, spreading their influence to the southern provinces of Fujian, Guangdog and Guangxi. Their first recruits were poor urban dwellers, the destitute, and seamen. They and a host oflocal branches with different names were engaged in smuggling, racketeering, and robbery. They were also actively involved in armed insurrection in several provinces. The Triad emphasis on brotherhood and loyalty, coupled with such things as blood oaths and rituals, made them an attractive refuge for the homeless and poor. As Chinese settlers immigrated to other countries, the Heaven and Earth Society went along, spreading its influence around the globe, particularly to the American coasts. Its political ideology became increasing inconsequential and irrelevant as time passed. They remained active until today, especially in Hong Kong and overseas Chinese communities.
International Brigades: Foreign volunteer forces recruited to assist the Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War. Nearly 60,000 troops of va.rying quality, mostly workers, fought in Spain between late 1936 and late 1938, when the Brigades were withdrawn.
Iron Guard: The Legion of the Archangel Michael. A fascist movement under the leadership of Codreanu that had a massive following Romania. It was founded as the military arm of the movement in 1927. Quasi-religious, it was both chauvinist and anti-Semitic and was active in fighting communists. Ostensibly dissolved by the Romanian government in 1933, it was not actually disbanded until 1938, when Codreanu was shot. Remnants of the Iron Guard persisted but were crushed in 1941 with German support.
October Revolution: Bolshevik-led insurrection. In 1917 the Russian Provisional Government was overthrown by rebel soldiers and sailors led by Bolshevik-mustered workers (the Red Guards). The members of the government were imprisoned and replaced by the Sovnarkom, the Soviet of People' s Commissars. Lenin was the chairman. This began the political and economic structure of Russia that lasted seven decades.
Opus Dei: Literally, "The Work of God." An order within the Roman Catholic Church. Established by Jose Marla Escriva in Spain in 1928, it is a lay order that was formed with the purpose of obtaining secular power by gaining influence over leading professionals. An ultra-conservative order, in the past nicknamed the "Holy Mafia," it assisted Franco with the modernization of Spain's economy in the late 1950s and remained influential in that government until the early 1970s. Severe in its outlook on theology and surprisingly strict in its stance on women, Opus Dei has been associated with dictatorial regimes in Latin America and has been rumored to be involved with the CIA. (The extent of these involvements or even their veracity is uncertain.) Opus Dei became, under Pope John Paul II, the most powerful order within the Church, extremely wealthy and highly secretive.
The use of magic and sorcery in a game of this context should be handled carefully. Magic items are not the familiar potions and protective talismans ofother high-fantasy games; rather they are more potent items, often of divine nature; relics and artifacts with great historical significance or religious connotations. As such, they are perhaps more suited to play roles as focal points for adventures; as objects intended for recovery, or as unexpected complications for the heroes (perhaps as the "secret weapons" of great villains?). This is not to say that they may not be gained and kept by enterprising characters, but they should be rare, and should be regarded-and treated-with a great deal of respect. After all, the wellspring of their power is far more wondrous and mysterious than the average sword or scroll that has been conjured up by one of any number of bearded gentlemen in robes and pointy hats. A last point of consideration (and one that is vital to the effect and drama of a game) is that of "special effects" (i.e., the aura and air that surround these relics) both when they're found and especially when employed. The descriptions of their powers and backgrounds listed below are necessarily brief. This does not mean they should be slighted in game play. Rolling clouds, rising winds, the hairs on the players' napes standing erect...All of these things should be played up to the utmost. After all, we're talking about real magic here, sometimes a sorcery so old it predates Christianity, sometimes power so holy that it will devour the unready or insufficiently pious. The GM should feel free to add to these items, and is encouraged to play up their effects. Saint Malachy' s Crosier is not going to just start hurling lightning bolts about at the player's whim! It is the lasting relic of a powerful and grimly devout man, a charismatic and vital man who influenced Celtic Christianity in great measure. Some of his essence will linger on...
And then there is the question of what happens to a player ofevil nature who seeks to employ an artifact, or one who seeks it solely due to greed...There is great opportunity with these items for plot development. Adventures can be planned around them, NPCs designed with them in mind. Villains have any number of reasons to be involved with them, and it would be quite simple to develop intricate plots around them. (Say, an order within the Roman Catholic Church dedicated to recovering lost relics to keep them from the wrong hands. Never actually admitting to their existence, not openly opposed to the PCs, but undeterably committed to their own ends...) GMs are further encouraged to use the items below as guidelines, and develop their own relics...lost artifacts of the Aztecs in abandoned jungle temples; conch horns lost with Atlantis. The possibilities are endless, and can add great flavor to the game.
Aegis: Aegis was the name of the shield of Zeus, the master of the Greek gods. It was forged by the smith of the gods, Hephaestus, and covered with the skin of Amalthea, the goat who had suckled infant Zeus. Medusa's head was mounted in its center after being taken by Perseus, and Aegis was carried by Zeus' daughter Athena. The source of divine protection, Zeus could shake Aegis and produce great storms and fearful thunder. The bearer of Aegis receives a +50 DB, and any allies of the wielder within 50' receive a +20 to DB. GM discretion must be used with this relic, for the head of the Gorgon within the center of the shield (if it is still there) will petrify anyone who views it, and the wielder should have great influence over storms simply by having possession of the shield. The extent of this influence is a matter for GM determination.
Lemnian Earth: A clayish earth found on the island of Lemnos. Reddish in hue, the magical earth was in ancient times said to be of sovereign medicinal value. It was pressed into blocks and stamped with the head of the goddess Diana. These blocks were called terra sigillata and were supposed to cure festering wounds and snake bites. The Earth is now dug in a traditional ceremony, but for reasons unknown to scholars only ancient earth gathered in years past retains its healing efficacy. A pinch of Lemnian Earth will heal up to 5-50 hits or any one minor wound. Another pinch will remove any infection, and if poured over a poisoned wound, such as a snake bite, it will remove the venom.
Caduceus: A caduceus in the singular sense was the white wand carried by the heralds of Rome when they went to treat for peace. It is also a traditional symbol for medics and physicians. However, as a single name such as used here it is the wand carried by Mercury, the herald and messenger of the gods. This wand allowed him, or so poets said, to send anyone he desired into slumber. The Caduceus will allow its wielder to cause up to 20 levels of target to fall into a deep sleep. RR is against 30th level ofeffect. Ifthe power is directed at but a single target, that target receives -50 to his RR.
St. Malachy's Crosier: Mael Maedoc Ua Morgair was born in 1094 in Ireland. By the age of 25 he was ordained a minister and received instruction from many great men of the church, such as St. Celsus, the archbishop of Armagh, and St. Malchus, the Bishop ofLismore. In the following years many miracles were attributed to him. He eventually became the bishop of Connor, and in this capacity brought many folk to the Church. A conflict over who was to become the new archbishop of Armagh ensued when St. Celsus died. Two other men were installed in succession, though Malachy (Malachy O'More is the anglicized version of his Gaelic name) had the rightful claim. In 1134, during this conflict (which involved much internecine fighting between the clans and the involvement of troops), twelve ruffians in support of the wrongful contender tried to assassinate Malachy at a bridge during a thunderstorm. They were all struck dead by lightning. Peace was eventually restored and Malachy went on to perform great deeds. He is known as a great influence in Celtic liturgy and was the first Irish saint. The Crosier of St. Malachy, symbol of his arch bishopric, will hurl fearful lightning upon those who seek to do harm to its wielder. Treat these as +100 Lightning Bolts with x3 concussion damage. They are not instantly biddable, and cannot be tossed about like bullets from a gun. The need must be great and the bearer true of heart. (Note: GM should employ a great deal of discretion here.)
Churchyard Mould: Churchyard mould is the mould scraped from the mortified remains of bodies interred in a cemetery. When gathered in sufficient amounts (approximately a fistful) and carried, such as in a leather pouch, it was supposed to lend complete protection against faeries and fey creatures of all kinds. Of course, the harvesting of such mould held perils all of its own, especially in superstitious times and places. Anyone bearing churchyard mould gains a +20 DB versus any attack by supernatural or faerie creatures, and a +20 bonus for RRs. However, its possession will call attention to its bearer when said bearer is encountered or sensed by such creatures, or by persons with knowledge of them and mystical power to deal with them.
St. Martin's Cloak: A Roman soldier born in Pannonia, Saint Martin of Tours was a military tribune in Amiens when, on a bitterly cold winter's night, he was asked for alms by a beggar. The young soldier readily split his cloak with a dagger, to share with the mendicant, despite the blowing snow and icy winter storm. Later that night, it is said, Christ himself appeared before Martin, who was heathen, dressed in the beggar's half of the cloak. Martin converted and eventually became the Bishop of Tours in 371, accomplishing great works in his lifetime. The cloak referred to here is the half that was kept by Martin, and worn by him until lost. It will confer upon its wearer protection against all manner of inclement weather, so that neither bitterest winter cold nor most dire summer heat may cause him harm, If worn by an appropriately good and well-intentioned person, it has been known to calm unpleasant weather, to end drought, and to mitigate unpleasant extremes of temperature.
The Arrow of St. Giles: Saint Giles, the patron of cripples, was a hermit living alone in piety in the forests of France. King Childeric, the ruler of France at that time, was hunting with his retinue and let fly an arrow at a stag the hounds had startled. The arrow was loosed awry and struck Giles, who had been passing by unbeknownst to the party. The shaft pierced his knee and crippled him for life, and he retreated into even greater solitude for worship and devotion. His symbol is a hind, an illusion perhaps to both the first stag that caused the accident and a hind that is purported to have visited his cave daily to give him milk. Thereafter, churches were built in dedication to St. Giles for the healing, treatment and care of the crippled, infirm or mortally ill. They were built outside the gates of walled cities or on the outskirts of towns, for cripples and beggars were not allowed to enter most cities. The Arrow of St. Giles is a weathered and fragmented thing. Only the smallest bit of rusted metal remains of its point, and all but one of its fletchings have been lost. If found, however, and wielded with proper intent by worthy hands, the Arrow will heal, completely, any manner of physical debilitation. Persons ravaged by disease, crippled at birth or by injury, will be made whole and healthy when touched by its point. A person holding the Arrow or bearing it upon his person will suffer only half damage from any injury or attack, and will still be able to function even if the damage should have been crippling. It is said that the Arrow will restore health even to a person who lays dying of a mortal wound, if they are pierced by its point. This action however, will cause the Arrow to crumble to dust.
The Castaly Fountain (Water of): Castaly was a fountain of Parnassus, a mountain near Delphi in Greece. It was sacred to the Muses and had the power to inspire anyone who drank from it with the gift of poetry. Whether this fountain still remains is unknown, though doubtless some ancient vessel might still contain some of its sweet water. Anyone drinking from the fountain will gain great charisma and voice, becoming able to influence the hardest of hearts and having the gift of writing beautiful poetry. (GM determination as to the exact manifestation of these gifts in game terms.)
We could easily write a whole other book detailing all the wonderful sources on pulps, including the pulps themselves. Unfortunately, we do not have that kind of space. However, we would be remiss in our duties if we did not point out a few of the inspirational treasures we have discovered over the years. Most of these were found through many relentless hours of scouring over crammed shelves of used book stores. Many of the Pulp reprints listed below are now being considered "collector's items", sometimes almost as much as the Pulps themselves, so they might be rather difficult to find. All we can suggest is persevere, and you will be rewarded. Good hunting!
Listed below are samples of fiction that portray either pulp-style adventures or the pulp era.
The Adventure of the Peerless Peer, by Philip Jose Farmer, Dell Publishing Co. Inc., 1976.—Somewhat entertaining tale of the team-up of Sherlock Holmes and Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle, in which there are also various cameos and in-jokes of famous pulp characters.
Doc Savage, The Man of Bronze et al., by Kenneth Robeson, Street & Smith, Inc. 1933-1949, reprinted beginning in 1964 by Bantam Books, Inc., and a small hardback print run (aimed at a more juvenile audience) by Golden Press, 1975. New Docs began appearing in 1991 under the Kenneth Robeson pseudonym, (in reality Will Murray) but the series was again put on hiatus indefinitely in 1993—What is there to say? Quite possibly the greatest pulp hero of all time (equaled only by The Shadow), Doc and the Fabulous Five have hacked their way through 190+ adventures and are still going strong. In our book, Doc is the ultimate pulp hero.
Doc Savage: His Apocalyptic Life; Escape From Loki by Philip Jose Farmer, Doubleday & Co., 1973, many reprints in paperback.—Farmer wrote a definitive biography of Doc and his crew, detailing many aspects of their careers, not to mention supplying a chronological table of all their adventures. Escape From Loki relates the very first Doc adventure, in which he meets the Fabulous Five in a German prison camp. Written in 1991 and published by Bantam/Falcon, it served to introduce the new scries.
The Living Shadow. et al., by Maxwell Grant, Street & Smith, Inc. 1931-1949, various reprints beginning in 1960s.—The first great pulp hero, The Shadow starred in over 300 adventures. "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!" served to introduce the radio drama The Detective Story Hour, uttered by the previously anonymous announcer soon to be revealed as ...The Shadow. Soon people clamored for "that Shadow guy", and the character was given his own Pulp magazine to meet the demand. Thus a legend was born, the ultimate Cloaked Vigilante known only as... The Shadow!
The Spider Strikes, et al., by Grant Stockbridge, Popular Publications, 1933-1943, reprinted beginning in 1969 by BerkeleyBooks.—The Master of Men appearing in 118 super-sagas, was the most ferocious (and the strangest) of the Cloaked Vigilantes. Even the editors of his magazine refused to have him depicted as he really was, instead favoring a cloak, hat, and domino mask.
The Story of The Phantom, et al., by Lee Falk, A von Books, 1972.—The novelizations of the adventures of The Phantom, The Ghost Who Walks, based on Falk' s immensely popular comic strip series published by King Features Syndicate, Inc. The Phantom is the only Pulp hero never to appear in an actual Pulp magazine.
Tarzan Alive, by Philip Jose Farmer, Panther Books Ltd., 1975, reprinted by Playboy Paperbacks in 1981.—As with Doc Savage, Farmer wrote the definitive biography of Lord Greystoke, describing his life and adventures in minute detail.
Tarzan of the Apes, et al., by Edgar Rice Burroughs, All-Story Magazine, Argosy, Blue Book, various reprints in hardcover and paperback (Ballantine Books) beginning in 1914.—The Lord ofthe Jungle, Tarzan swung his way through 24 novels, and a whole slew of movies, serials and TV shows. The greatest of all Jungle Lords, Tarzan is one of the most popular characters of fiction in the world. Ifyou have onlyjust seen Tarzan in the movies or on TV, forget what you know and read the books. They are without a doubt classics.
The Avenger, by Kenneth Robeson, Warner Paperback Library, beginning in 1972.
Captain Future, by Edmond Hamilton, Berkeley Books.
Doctor Death, by Edward P. Norris; Zorro, Corinth Books.
Dusty Ayres and His Battle Birds, by Robert Sydney Bowen, Corinth Books.
G-8 and His Battle Aces, by Robert 1. Hogan. Berkelev Medallion Books, beginning in 1970.
Operator #5, by Curtis Steele, Corinth Books.
The Phantom Detective, by Robert Wallace, Corinth Books.
Secret Agent X, by Brant House, Corinth Books.
Armageddon 2419 A.D., by Philip Francis Nowlan, Ace Science Fiction 1962.
Mordred, by John Eric Holmes, Ace Science Fiction 1980
Warrior's Blood; Warrior's World, by Richard S. McEnroe, Ace Science Fiction 1981.
Roger's Rangers, by John Silbersack, Ace Science Fiction 1983.
— The original Buck Rogers, as appeared in the 1928 issue of Amazing Stories (Armageddon 2419 A.D., and the sequel, The Airlords of Han, in 1929) and the excellent authorized sequels based on an outline by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle.
Buck Rogers: A Life In The Future, by Martin Caiden, TSR, Inc., 1995.—Caiden's expert re-telling of the exploits of the most famous of spacemen, Buck Rogers.
The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu, et al. (14 volumes), by Sax Rohmer, P.F. Collier & Sons, beginning in 1913, various reprints.—Perhaps the greatest of villainous masterminds, Rohmer's Dr. Fu Manchu personified the antagonism known as "The Y ellow Peril" in 14 novels. The hero ofthe tales is Nayland Smith, and his sidekick, Dr. Petrie appears with him throughout most of them.
Other Sax Rohmer (non-Fu Manchu) titles:
Brood of the Witch Queen, Pyramid edition, 1966.
The Golden Scorpion, 1936
The Yellow Claw, 1915.
Yellow Shadows, 1925.
The Lion Men of Mongo, et at., adapted by Con Steffanson; Carson Bingham, Avon Books beginning in 1974.—Novelizations based on Alex Raymond's popular comic strip published by Kjng Features Syndicate.
Flash Gordon Book 1: Massacre in the 22nd Century, et al., undisclosed author, Tempo Books, beginning in 1980.—New adventures of Flash & Co., published to capitalize on the motion picture, Flash Gordon.
Raiders of the Lost Ark. by Campbell Black, Ballantine Books, 1981.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, by James Kahn, Ballantine Books, 1984.
Indiana lanes and the Last Crusade, by Rob MacGregor, Ballantine Books, 1989
—The novelizations of the outstanding movie trilogy about adventurous archaeologist Indiana Jones, presented by the masters, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg.
Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi, et al., by Rob MacGregor, Bantam/Falcon Books, 1991-1992.—New original adventures detailing the "shaping" of the Indi- ana Jones we know today. Fairly decent stories, though with a strange streak of spiritualism thrown in, albeit unnecessarily.
Indiana Jones and the Sky Pirates, et al., by Martin Caiden, Bantam/Falcon Books, 1993-1994.—Continuation of the new Indy Jones series.
Indiana Jones and the Philosopher's Stone, by Max McCoy, Bantam/Falcon Books, 1995-present.—Continuation of the new Indy Jones series.
Indiana Jones Find Your Fate Adventures, various authors,Ballantine Books, 1984-85.—Young Adult "choose your path" role playing adventure books about Indy and his young cousin, you! Good adventure ideas.
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles Book One: The Mata Hari Affair, by James Luceno, Ballantine Books, 1992.— Novelization of an episode of George Lucas' Young Indianalones Chronicles, detailing the early life of Indy.
A Princess of Mars, et al. (11 volumes), by Edgar Rice Burroughs, various editions, beginning 1917.—Revolutionary Science-Fiction pulp adventures of John Carter, Virginia gentleman, on the red planet, Mars.
At the Earth's Core, et al. (7 volumes), by Edgar Rice Burroughs, various editions, beginning 1922.—The Pellucidar series; the adventures of David Innes (and others) in the incredible Lost World at the Earth's Core. The fourth book in the series is Tarzan at the Earth's Core, also the thirteenth book in the Tarzan series. John Eric Holmes also wrote an "authorized" sequel, Mahars of Pellucidar.
The Land That Time Forgot; The People That Time Forgot; Out of Time's Abyss, by Edgar Rice Burroughs, various editions, beginning 1924.—Great "Lost World" adventures on the lost continent "Caspak". Interesting ideas of evolution, yet also Burroughs-ian adventure at its finest.
Pirates of Venus, et al. (5 volumes), by Edgar Rice Burroughs, various editions, beginning 1934.—Burroughs' second major Sci-Fi series, detailing the adventures of Carson Napier, on the planet Venus.
Beyond the Farthest Star, 1941.—The tale of Tangor, former American W.W.II fighter pilot, shot down by the Germans, and crash-landing on the planet Poloda, lightyears from Earth.
The Land of Hidden Men, 1931.—Adventures of Gordon King, and his discovery of lost Khmer empires in Cambodia.
The Mad King, 1926.—Thinly disguised epic reminiscent of Anthony Hope's The Prisoner of Zenda and Rupert of Hentzau, in which American Barney Custer helps out a distant cousin (who happens to be his idcntical twin) in a mythical European country.
The Mucker, 1913; The Return of the Mucker, 1916; various reprints.—Details the story of once-low-life Mucker Billy Byrne. The first tale is by far the better of the two, landing Byrne on a lost Pacific island inhabited by Medieval Samurai warriors.
Other titles in the "Burroughs vein":
A Feast Unknown; Lord of the Trees & The Mad Goblin; by Philip Jose Farmer, Playboy Paperbacks edition, 1980; Ace Double novel, 1970.—Farmer turned out A Feast Unknown in some bizarre (some might say twisted) underground tribute to Tarzan and Doc Savage. It is, rather...explicit in its connotations at times. However, with an open mind, it is a good read, and offers a great example of a Secret Society that conspires to rule the world. Lord of the Trees and The Mad Goblin are the separate sequels for each hero; they are not "explicit", and are quite entertaining.
Bunduki, by J.T. Edison, DAW Books, 1975.-The "authorized" adventure of Tarzan's adopted son.
Hadon of Ancient Opar and Flight to Opar, by Philip Jose Farmer, DAW Books, 1974 & 1976.—Adventures in Tarzan's Africa, 12,000 years ago.
Hawk of the Wilderness; Kioga of the Wilderness; One Against a Wilderness; and Kioga of the Unknown Land, by William L. Chester, beginning 1935. Reprints in DAW editions.—The trials of Kioga of the Wilderness; living in the "Lost World" setting of an untamed land above the Arctic circle.
lroncastle, by J.H. Rosny, trans. by Philip Jose Farmer, DA W Books, 1976. "Lost World"/Sci-Fi adventure.
Spearmen of Arn, by Del Dowdell, BelmontTower, 1978.—Earthman is transported to another world, this time through the Bermuda Triangle.
Warlord of Ghandar, by Del Dowdell, DAW Books, 1977.—ln the tradition of John Carter, the story of an Irish warrior mysteriously transplanted to an alien planet.
Cthulhu: The Mythos and Kindred Horrors, by Robert E. Howard, Baen Books, 1987.—An unsurpassed collection of all Howard's contributions to H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos.
Skull-Face, et al., by Robert E. Howard, Berkeley Medallion Edition, 1978.—The perfect criminal mastermind, (rivaling only that of Dr. Fu Manchu) Kathulos of Egypt attempts to take control of the world. opposed only by Stephen Costigan and John Gordon!
The Book of Robert E. Howard; The Second Book of Robert E. Howard, Zebra Books, 1976.—Classic rare stories by one of Pulp's greatest writers; particularly good are Black Talons, The Voice of El-Lil, Black Canaan, and The House of Suspicion.
The Iron Man with The Adventures of Dennis Dorgan, by RobertE. Howard, Ace Books edition, 1983.—Howard's classic "fighting" stories, featuring boxers as the heroes of these tales; and the travels of sailor/boxer Dennis Dorgan in the Orient.
There have been recentreprintings of many of Howard's better stories; we highly recommend ANYTHING written by him, but stories of particular pulp-era interest might be found in:
Trails in Darkness; and Beyond the Borders, Baen Books, 1996.
Anything by A.A. Merritt; including: Seven Footsteps to Satan; Dwellers in the Mirage; and The Face in the Mist.
Adventures, by Mike Resnick, Signet Books, 1985. Lucifer Jones, by Mike Resnick, Warner/Questar Books, 1992.—The hilarious tongue-in-cheek adventures of The Right Reverend Honorable Doctor Lucifer Jones, whose religion is one that he and the Lord worked out betwixt themsel ves one Sunday afternoon in Moline, Illinois; Being a handsome, noble and resourceful Christian gentleman who has certain serious unresolved disagreements with the authorities of fourteen African nations, and eighteen separate Asian and European governments over the finer points of the law. On the other hand, he means well. Highly recommended.
The Adventures of Jules de Grandin, et al. (6 volumes), by Seabury Quinn, Popular Library editions, beginning in 1976.—The most popular author of the immortal pulp Weird Tales, Seabury Quinn created the Occult Investigator, Dr. Jules de Grandin. Along with his sidekick, Dr. Trowbridge, Grandin solves over 90 super- natural cases. Highly entertaining and recommended.
Agent 13, The Midnight Avenger: #1 The Invisible Empire; # 2 The Serpentine Assassin; #3 Acolytes of Darkness; by Flint Dille and David Marconi, TSR Inc., beginning 1986.—Based on TSR's Top Secret, S.I. roleplaying game comes the saga of Agent 13, a former agent for The Brotherhood, a Secret Society lusting for mastery of the world, who now is the only obstacle that stands in their way.
At the Mountains of Madness, et al., by H.P. Lovecraft, Del Rey Books edition, 1982.—The master Eldritch horror writer of the twentieth century, Lovecraft's works, as with Howard's, should be digested in whole. In 1993, Chaosium, Inc began publishing a highly recommended series called "Cthulhu Cycle Books", reprinting ali the stories (Lovecraft' s, as well as many others) relating to the Cthulhu Mythos.
Blackhawk, by William Rostler, Warner Books, 1982.—Novelization of the adventures of W.W.II allied ace Blackhawk, who first appeared in comic books of the 1940s. and later revived by DC comics.
Crystal Skull, by Rob MacGregor, Ballantine Books, 1991.—A Florida P .I. searches for a stolen Crystal Skull.
Doc Sidhe, by Aaron Allston, Baen Books, 1995.—Clever tribute to Doc and the Fabulous Five, set in a High-Magic world. Also check out Allston's Galatea in 2-d.
The Hook #1: The Gilded Canary, et al., by Brad Latham, Warner Books, beginning in 1981.—One of the "Men of Action" series, about Insurance Investigator Bill Lockwood, in 1930s New York City. Reminiscent of Pulp's "Spicy Stories".
The lllyrian Adventure, et al., by Lloyd Alexander, Dell Books, beginning 1986.—Young adult cliff-hanging adventure series starring Vesper Holly, teen-age Indiana Jones.
Journey to the Underground World; Zanthodon; Hurok of the Stone Age; Darya of the Bronze Age; Eric of Zanthodon; "The Adventures of Eric Carstairs in Zanthodon", by Lin Carter, DAW Books, 1979-1982.—Terrific five-volume series set in the fabulous Lost World setting of Zanthodon, an immense cavern sunk deep beneath the earth's crust.
King Kong, by Delos W. Lovelace, Ace Books edition, 1976.—Based on the conception by Edgar Wallace and Merian C. Cooper, the classic story of beauty and the beast, the 50 foot ape known as Kong.
The King of Satan's Eyes; The Patch ofthe Odin Soldier; The Tail of the Arabian, Knight; The Fangs of the Hooded Demon, by Geoffrey Marsh, TOR books, beginning in 1987.—The entertaining adventures of Lincoln Blackthorne, Tailor, and Soldier-of-Fortune.
King Solomon's Mines; Allan Quatermain; She; She and Allan; et al., by H. Rider Haggard, Lancer Books, 1968 editions.—Haggard's tales of high adventure will never go out of style; he perfected the "lost race" story.
The Lost Ones (Island at the Top of the World), by Ian Cameron, A von Books edition, 1970.—"Lost Race" epic about a Viking settlement in the far north, discovered by the quest for the legendary whale's graveyard. Also The Mountains at the Bottom of the World.
The Lost World, et al., by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Berkeley Medallion edition, 1965. Doyle's other famous character, Professor Challenger, explores the "Lost World" setting of a South American plateau called "Maple White Land". Other Challenger stories are highly pulpish as well.
The Messiah Stone and Dark Messiah, by Martin Caiden, Baen Books, 1986 & 1990.—More Sci-Fi than anything, but with a great background story - the Messiah Stone.
The Nemesis of Evil, The Volcano Ogre, and Invisible Death, by Lin Carter, Popular Library, beginning in 1975.—The incredibly exciting adventures of Prince Zarkon and his Omega Crew, a lovingly but thinly (only in tribute) disguised rendering of Doc Savage and the Fabulous Five, with many guest cameos of popular pulp heroes and situations. Rumor has it that a fourth volume exists, but is unfortunately unknown to us.
The Nine Unknown, by Talbot Mundy, A von edition, 1968.—Classic story of another Secret Society, "The Nine Who Rule" in the Orient. Also Jimgrim and The Devil's Guard.
The Rocketeer, By Peter David, Bantam/Fa1con, 1991.—Novelization of the motion picture adaptation of Dave Stevens' Graphic Novel. "The panicked Nazi agent whirled on Sinclair, wishing to hell he'd volunteered for something safer, like that endless dig for archaeological treasures in Tanis."
The Rocketeer, by Dave Stevens, Pacific Comics, beginning 1982—Dave Stevens' fantastic Graphic Novel tale of Cliff Secord, ace pilot who stumbles on an incredible invention, a flying rocket-pack. Highly Recommended.
Runespear, by Victor Milan and Melinda Snodgrass, Popular Library/Questar books, 1987.—Terrific story of the quest for the spear of Odin, and keeping it out of Nazi hands.
The Saint: Meet the Tiger, et al., by Leslie Charteris, various reprints, beginning 1928.—The chronicles of adventurer Simon Templar, modern-day Robin Hood.
Spear of Destiny, by Leo Rutman, Pinnacle Books, 1989.—Nazis force American flyer Sam Siegal to search for the Heilige Lance, the spear that pierced the side of Christ during the Crucifixion.
Stalking the Unicorn: A Fable of Tonight, by Mike Resnick, Tor Books, 1987.-Private Detective John Justin Mallory's adventures in a High-Magic world.
Strange Tales from the Nile Empire, edited by Greg Farshtey, Greg Gordon. and Ed Stark; Mysterious Cairo, edited by Ed Stark, West End Games, 1992.—Two anthologies set in West End Games' TORG universe, whereupon different realities have mixed together. These two books deal with the Nile Empire, North Africa ruled by a Pulp reality. Good stuff.
Sweet Silver Blues, et al. (8 volumes), by Glen Cook, Signet/Roc Books, beginning 1987.—From the files of Garrett, P.I., the highly entertaining adventures of the sardonic confidential agent with a half-elf vegetarian assassin for back-up, unwanted favors from the mob, a dead Loghyr for a roommate, and a host of lovelies that would make a bishop kick out a stained glass window to goggle at. Some guys have all the luck.
The Things that are Not There, et al., by Robert Morgan, Diamond Books, 1992.—The Supernatural Mysteries of Teddy London, P.I., dealing with all matters of the occult, in a High-Magic world.
Under the Andes, by Rex Stout, All-Story Magazine, 1914; Penzler Books/Mysterious Press edition, 1986.—Rex Stout's only fantasy excursion, the tale of three adventurers encountering the troll-like descendants of the Incas beneath the Andes.
Earl Der Bigger's Charlie Chan series, 1925-32, various reprints.
Anything by Raymond Chandler, particularly The Big Sleep, The Long Goodbye, and Farewell, My Lovely, various reprints. Also Perchance to Dream, by Robert B. Parker and Raymond Chandler, from an unfinished manuscript by Chandler.—The sequel to The Big Sleep.
Anything by Dashiell Hammett, particularly Red Harvest, The Dain Curse, and The Maltese Falcon, various reprints. Also Hammett, by Joe Gores, G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1975.—Fantastic novel starring Dashiell Hammett himself, in San Francisco's Chinatown, 1928.
Elliot Roosevelt's Eleanor Roosevelt Murder Mystery series, beginning 1983—. Written by the son of FDR with his mother, the First Lady as the heroine of these traditional mysteries. They offer great details about general life during the Depression and into the 1930s, and unique insight into the life of one of America's most popular presidents; after all, who would know better than one who was there?
Casino Royale, et al., by Ian Fleming, various reprints, beginning 1953.—A little too late for pulp, the James Bond series is nevertheless a staple ofadventure fiction. Fleming wrote a total of 14 novels starring British agent 007, with a license to kill. In 1981 John Gardner began a new authorized series of Bond books with License Renewed.
Created, The Destroyer, et al., by Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir, Pinnacle Books, beginning 1971.—The Destroyer series; The adventures of Remo, Shiva incarnate, Son of the White Tiger, and his mentor Chiun, reigning Master of Sinanju, the sun source of all martial arts. Hilarious, great fun.
War Against the Mafia, et al., by Don Pendleton, various reprints Gold Eagle, beginning 1970.—Mack Bolan, The Executioner, is the epitome ofthe ultimate vigilante. While these books tend to focus more on guns and military hardware, Bolan is really a Pulp hero, fighting for the American ideals oftruth, liberty, andjustice, most often against organized crime and international terrorism.
A History of Secret Societies, by Arkon Daraul, Citadel Press, 1994.—Details various historical secret organizations that have been in existence, some since the Middle Ages. See also The Occult Conspiracy, by Michael Howard, Destiny Books, 1989.
The American Detective, An Illustrated History, by Jeff Siegal, Taylor Publishing Co., 1993.—An in-depth look at the American detective.
The Barnstormers, by Don Dwiggins, TAB Books, Inc., 1981.—The story of the flying daredevils ofthe Roaring Twenties.
Danger Is My Business, by Lee Server, Chronicle Books, 1993.—An excellent source for information on the pulps themselves.
The Duende History of The Shadow Magazine, by Will Murray, Odyssey Publications, 1980.—Mr. Murray's expert thesis on The Shadow phenomenon.
Originally written just after the decades he describes, Frederick Allen offers fascinating glimpses at actual events that occurred during them.
The Great Pulp Heroes, by Don Hutchinson, Mosaic Press, 1996.—A highly informative and entertaining reference on the mainstay Pulp heroes. Recommended.
The Great Radio Heroes, by Jim Harmon, Ace Books, 1967.—Terrific review of all the old radio serial greats.
The Hero Pulp Index, by Robert Weinberg with Lohr McKinstry, Opar Press, 1970.—Excellent reference detailing and indexing all the great hero pulps.
Old Time Classic Cars: 1885-1940, by Juraj Ponizik, ArcD Publishing, Inc., 1985.—Detailed examination of the early automobile, including descriptions of over 80 famous models.
Only Yesterday, and Since Yesterday, by Frederick Lewis Allen, various reprints, 1931 and 1940. —The Pulps, compiled and edited by Tony Goodstone, Chelsea House, 1970,— An incredible collection of Pulp material, from color reproductions of covers, to reprints of the stories themselves.
This Fabulous Century; Volume 3, 1920-1930, and Volume 4, 1930-1940, Time-Life Books, 1969.—Great reference material on life in America during the Pulp era.
The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life from Prohibition through World War II, by Marc McCutcheon, Writer's Digest Books, 1995.—Highly informative sourcebook on common, everyday details of the Pulp era.
The Yellow Peril. by William F. Wu, Archon Books, 1982.—Literary analysis of the fear of many pre-WW II Americans towards the Chinese people inaccurately portrayed in the fiction of the period.
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai, Across the Eighth Dimension, 1984. The Doc Savage mold is updated for a modern Sci-Fi audience.
The Adventures of Captain Zoom, 1996. This movie brings the science fiction of the Pulps to life. While set in the 1950s, the story has everything the pulps had, including ray guns, beautiful princesses, mystical prophecies and the ultimate choice between good and evil.
Big Trouble in Little China, 1986.—Directed by John Carpenter, Kurt Russell is Jack Burton, truck driver extraordinaire, caught in between a Tong gang-war in San Francisco's Chinatown. Add in a phantom Emperor from China's first dynasty, his three demi-god minions, Jack's erstwhile sidekick Wang, the wizard Egg-Shen, and the appealing Gracie Law, and you have Big Trouble. "Hey, ya never know 'til ya try!"
Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze, 1975. George Pal's version of the classic pulp hero. Very campy, but a fun adventure for Doc fans.
Firewalker, 1986. Classic cliffhanging adventure starring Chuck Norris and Lou Gossett, Jr. as argumentative mercenary partners looking for the big haul. Great fun.
High Road to China, 1983. Terrific adventure story of an ex-WWI flying ace played by Tom Selleck and a spoiled flapper (Bess Armstrong) flying across Europe and Asia.
Hudson Hawk, 1991. Hilariously confusing but entertaining cat-burglar flick starring Bruce Willis.
Jake Speed, 1986.—A modern Pulp classic; the adventures of Jake Speed, and his partner Dez, as they set out in quest of their latest bestseller. Jake and Dez write their own stories, after living them, in paperback novels, the successor to the Pulps. From Jake's wisecracks and ramblings about how things should be done, to Syd, the ultimate villain, throw in the HARV (Heavily Armored Raiding Vehicle) and the Kid (Jake's awesome full-auto sawed-off shotgun), and you have prime Pulp adventure.
Jurassic Park, 1993. Spielberg's incredible dinosaur tale based on Crichton's novel. If you have not seen it, you are missing something.
King Solomon's Mines, 1950. Starring Stewart Granger as H. Rider Haggard's Great White Hunter Allan Quatermain who searches for the greatest treasure trove in the world: the diamond producing mines of King Solomon.
King Solomon's Mines, and Allan Quatermain and the City of Gold, 1985 & 1987. Filmed at the same time, these versions of the Haggard classics have a definite Pulp feel to them, bordering upon cheesy, With Richard Chamberlain making a great adventure hero in his role as Allan Quatermain, and Sharon Stone as the female interest, in what she would later describe as "those awful jungle movies."
Lassiter, 1984. Great story concerning Nick Lassiter, a cat-burglar (Tom Selleck) blackmailed into spying on the German embassy and ambassador (Lauren Hutton) in London.
The Phantom, 1996.—The latest ofthe great Pulp heroes to make it to the major motion pictures, Lee Falk's "Ghost Who Walks" is well-played by Billy Zane, with Kristy Swanson doing a bang-up job as girlfriend Diana Palmer. Treat Williams' villainous Zandar goes a bit over the top, but the story is adequitely "pulpy", and makes for an enjoyable adventure.
Radioland Murders, 1994. Set in a radio station during the 1940s, this whodunit provides both a glimpse into the behind the scenes ofradio broadcasts and an entertaining mystery.
Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1981, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, 1984, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, 1989.—Produced by George Lucas and Directed by Steven Spielberg, the masters of modern film introduced one of the most endearing and enduring characters in movie-dom. Indiana Jones, dashing adven- turer and swashbuckling archaeologist, traipses through deathtrap after deathtrap, hostile natives, evil cultists, hordes of Nazis, the odd damsel in distress, and even the power of God. A more-than-fitting homage to the Saturday morning cliffhangers.
The Rocketeer, 1991—Excellent film adaption of Dave Steven's outstanding comic-book mini-serial. Amidst wonderful depictions of 1938 Los Angeles and Hollywood, pilot Cliff Secord stumbles upon an incredible invention, a rocket-pack stolen from Howard Hughes. Sought by Nazi spies, a giant thug, American feds and gangsters, Cliff must use the rocket-pack and become "The Rocketeer" to save himself and his girlfriend Jenny , and to prevent the invention from failing into enemy hands.
The Shadow, 1995.—Great adaption of the popular Pulp hero, Alec Baldwin portrays Lamont Cranston and his fearless alter-ego, The Shadow. Incorporating features of both the Pulp magazine and the radio show, the movie is fairly accurate and true to its sources.
Year of the Comet, 1992. Great adventure flick about a trouble-shooter, a girl and a really big, really valuable bottle of wine.
While the characters are traveling across the world, there are plenty of NPCs for them to meet. Below is a list of actual people from the 1930s and a few notes about them. These people can appear with as much regularity as the Gamemaster desires, and helps to create a more believable campaign world.
Note: Each potential NPC has a symbol following his name. This indicates the best usefor theperson in most games. You should not take this indicator as a mandate. In the case ofmultiple symbols, you should read them in descending order of likelihood (i.e., the best suggestion is first). These symbols are: † for an NPC adventurer or someone the PCs might meet "in the field;" § for persons who are political personages or are able to exert great social influence, and so might be appropriate as patrons, benefactors or employers, etc.; and ‡ for those persons who would make suitable villains in a story-line. Generally these persons will have a great deal of influence as well. Obviously this list does not include many people of historical significance. The purpose here is not to provide a detailed study of every personality of the time. Rather, this list should illustrate a few personages that most people overlook, or to illuminate some that you may only know about in a general sense.
Abboud, Ibrahim (1900-1983)†: A Sudanese soldier, was commander-in-chief ofthe Sudanese army from the time of the country's independence in 1956. He was the leader ofthe military regime in the Sudan that took power when Abdullah Khalil surrendered the government to the army in 1958. His regime was unable to maintain effec- tive control of the country either politically or economically and was overthrown in 1964. Abboud resigned and retired to private life until his death.
Abd al-Krim, Muhammed (1882-1963)†: A chieftain of Berber Arabs born at Adjir, Morocco, he led revolts in 1921 and in 1924, fighting against both Spain and France. He surrendered to their combined forces in 1926 and was exiled to the Island of Reunion. Later amnestied (1947), he went to Egypt, where he formed the North African Liberation Committee. He died in Cairo.
Abdullah ibn Husayn (1882-1951)§: The King of Jordan from 1946-1951. Born in Mecca, he was the second oldest son of Husayn ibn Ali (Sharif of Mecca 1908- 1916, King of the Hijaz 1916-1924). Made the ruler of the British-mandated territory of the Transjordan in 1921, he was the first King of Jordan when the mandate ended in 1946. He was assassinated in Jerusalem.
Adams, Sir Grantly Herbert (1898-1971)§: A Barbadian politician called to the English Bar in 1924 after studying classics at Oxford. He returned to the West Indies to practice. He was a prominent figure in Caribbean politics and became Premier of Barbados before being elected the first Prime Minister of the short-lived Federation of the West Indies, which would have united seven former British colonies into a single state.
Aga Khan III (1877-1957)§: Hereditary head of the Nizari Ismailian sect of Muslims. His full name was Aga Sultan Sir Mohammed Shah. He was born at Karachi and succeeded to the title in 1885. He worked for the British cause in both of the World Wars and was president ofthe League of Nations in 1937. Notable for owning several Derby winners, he died at Versoix, Switzerland.
Aguinaldo, Emilio (1870-1964)†: A Filipino revolutionary. He was a central figure in the rising against Spain (1896-8), and against the U.S. (1889-1901). Americans captured him in 1901. He took an oath of Allegiance to the U.S. afterwards, as at the time the U.S. was the new colonial power.
Albert I (1874-1934)†§: King of Belgium from 1909-34. At the outbreak of WWI he refused a German demand for free passage of their troops, and after a heroic resistance led the Belgian Army in a fighting withdrawal for Flanders. He commanded the Belgian and French anny in the last offensive on the Belgian coast in 1918, and reentered Brussels triumphantly on November 22. After the war he was actively involved in the industrial reconstruction of the country. He was killed in a climbing accident in the Ardennes and was succeeded by his son. The Albert Canal, which links Liege with Antwerp, is named in his honor.
Alexander I Karageorgevic (1888-1934)§‡: The King of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (1921-29) and King of Yugoslavia from 1929-34. Commander-in- chief of the Serbian Army during WWI while acting as Prince-Regent of Serbia. He was a Serbian nationalist who aimed to create a centralized state government in Belgrade. Other non-Serb national groups of the king- dom resisted him. In 1929 the constitutional system collapsed after the murder of the Croatian leader Stjepan Radie and he imposed a royal dictatorship. This involved the dissolution of the assembly, the abolishment of political parties and the imprisonment of many leaders. He was supported by Czechoslovakia, Romania and France. He was assassinated in 1934 while on a state visit to Marseilles. The assassin was thought to be Macedonian linked to a right-wing fascist movement of Croatian origin, the Ustasa, which carried out several assassinations and massacred thousands of Serbs, Jews, gypsies and Communists.
Alexander, Harold Rupert Leofric George, Earl (1891-1969)§†: A British field marshal. In WWI he commanded a brigade on the Western Front and in 1940 was the last officer to leave Dunkirk. He served in Burma and conducted a masterful campaign as commander in chief, Middle East. This North African campaign was one of the most complete victories in military history. Appointed Field Marshal after the capture of Rome, he was Supreme Allied Commander in the Mediterranean Theater for the remainder of the war. He was later the Governor-General of Canada and Minister of Defense.
Alfonso XIII (1886-1941)§†: The King of Spain from 1886-1931, member of the Spanish branch of the House of Bourbon. Became King at age 16 in 1902, showing much sympathy for the Spanish army. In 1923 he allowed General Miguel Primo de Rivera to destroy the Spanish parliamentary system and to establish a dictatorship. de Rivera fell in 1930, leaving Alfonso discredited. In 1931 there were sweeping Republican gains in local elections and he left Spain, never to return. Shortly before his death he abdicated, or may have been forcibly abdicated, in favorof his third eldest son, Don Juan. He died in Rome.
Amanullah Khan (1892-1960)†: Amir and King of Afghanistan. He established Afghani independence in 1922 after fighting the British. His emphasis on internal reforms provoked opposition and he was forced to abdicate in 1929. He spent the rest of his life in exile and died in Zurich.
Atatürk, Kemal Mustafa Kemal (1881-1938)†: A Turkish army officer turned politician. He fought against the British in the Dardanelles during WWI. He drove the Greeks from Anatolia in a rebellion from 1919-22. In 1921 he established a provisional government in Ankara. The next year the Ottoman Sultanate was abolished and Turkey was declared a republic. Kemal was its president. Kemal had a strong personality cult dedicated to him and was by all accounts a vigorous and charismatic leader. He initiated reforms to transform Turkey from a feudal absolutist monarchy to a modern republic, and in 1934, when surnames were adopted in Turkey, took the name Atattirk, meaning Father of the Turks.
Auchinleck, Sir Claude John Eyre (1884-1981)†: A British field marshal. He joined the 62nd Punjabis in 1904, serving in India, Egypt and Mesopotamia. During WWII he commanded units in both northern Norway and India, then moved to the Middle East. After further service with the British 8th Army (notably at El Alamein), he returned to India as Supreme Commander.
Baden-Powell, Robert Stephenson Smyth, 1st Baron (1857-1941)†: A British general, educated at Charterhouse. He joined the army, served in India and Afghanistan, was on the staff in Matabeleland and Ashanti, and won fame as the defender of Mafeking in the second Boer War. He founded the Boy Scouts in 1908, and the Girl Guides in 1910 with the help of his sister Agness.
Badoglio, Pietro (1871-1956) ‡§: Italian General, the Governor of Libya between 1929 and 1934. He pacified the Sanusi tribesmen by force of arms by 1932 and replaced De Bono as head of the conquest of Abyssinia in 1935. He conducted his campaigns with marked brutality. He became Viceroy of the new colony in 1936. Favoring neutrality in WWII, he eventually changed his position and was made commander in chief under Mussolini. The humiliating defeats suffered by his army in Greece and Albania caused his resignation in December of 1940. In 1943 he signed an armistice with the allies after the arrest of Mussolini and formed an anti-fascist government that declared war on Germany. After the liberation of Rome in 1944, the Americans forced him to stand down in favor of more suitable politicians.
Barzani, Mustafa al- (1904-79)†: A Kurdish military leader and mullah. He commanded the peshmerga guerrillas. Negotiated a promise of autonomy for the Kurds in northern Iraq as late as 1970, a pledge that was not honored.
Batista y Zaldivar, Fulgencio (1901-73)†§: A Cuban dictator. In 1933 he organized the "Sergeants' Revolt" and overthrew the government, becoming President, then later dictator. He was eventually overthrown himself by Fidel Castro and found refuge in the Dominican Republic.
Ben-Gurion, David (1886-1973)§: Israeli nationalist and politician. Born in Poland, he emigrated to Palestine in 1906, where he was expelled by the Turks during WWI. He recruited Jews to the British Army in North America. In 1919 he founded a socialist party in Palestine. Played active role in politics during the British rule and was Prime Minister after Israel's independence.
Berggrav, Eivind (1884-1959)†: A Norwegian Lutheran bishop. He was a teacher, pastor and prison chaplain, eventually becoming Bishop of Troms and then Bishop of Oslo and Primate of the Norwegian Church (1937-50). Ardent opponent of the Nazis during their occupation, he was eventually imprisoned by them.
Blyuker, Vasili Konstantinovich (1890-1938)†‡: A Russian soldier who became a hero of the Russian Civil War. He commanded the forces that expelled the Japanese from the Soviet Far East, and fought with the Chinese as well. He was too successful for Stalin's taste, however, and was arrested, tried, and executed.
Boris III (1894-1943)‡: The King of Bulgaria from 1918 to 1943. He became king after his father's abdication. The numeral III in his name there to implies his succes- sion to the great medieval Bulgarian emperors. After a series of military coups, he established an authoritarian regime in 1935, removing Colonel Kimon Georgiev and the Military League, returning the country firmly to civilian control. He was married to the daughter of the King of Italy. An admirer of German culture, he was firmly in the Nazi (Axis) camp. It is rumored, not without credence, that after a disagreement with Hitler he was poisoned. He was succeeded by his son after his death.
Budenny, Simeon Bikhailovich (1883-1973)†: A Russian soldier. The son of a Cossack farmer, he fought as a Cossack private in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 as an NCO is WWI. After the revolution he became a Bolshevik, raising a Cossack unit to fight along the Don and winning several victories there. In 1920 he served ably against Poland and was made a marshal in 1935.
Bustamante, William Alexander (1884-1977)†: A Jamaican politician. Born the son of an Irish planter, he was adopted at the age of 15 by a Spanish seaman called Bustamante and spent an adventurous youth abroad before returning to Jamaica in 1932. His original name was William Alexander Clarke.
Canaris, Wilhelm (1887-1945)§†: A German admiral. He entered the Imperial German Navy in 1905, serving on board the Dresden. Present at the battles of Coronel and Falklands in WWI, he escaped internment in Chile and made a clandestine way back to Germany. He disapproved of much of the Nazi regime, but rose under Hitler to become the chief of the Abwehr, the military intelligence services, as well as admiral of the German Navy. He was involved in anti-Nazi resistance and was implicated in the bomb plot against Hitler in 1944. For this he was taken into custody, imprisoned and hanged in April of 1945, shortly before the Soviet Army took Berlin.
Cardenas del Rio, Lazaro (1895-1970)§‡†: A Mexican general turned politician. He presidency of 1934-40 shaped modern Mexico. He worked for the return of communal property holding in the south and the extension of small property holding in the north. He was left-wing in his sympathies.
Cardozo, Benjamin (1870-1938)§: A U.S. judge. He sat on the bench of the New York Court of Appeals from 1913-32. He was then appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court by Herbert Hoover, succeeding Oliver Wendell Holmes. He served there for 6 years. Many of his opinions dissented from the majority, but due to his eloquence and education he was remarkably influential. A liberal by the definition of the times, he believed that the courts could and had a responsibility to effect social change.
Carillo, Santiago (1915- )‡: A Spanish politician. He was a high ranking official ofthe Socialist Youth at age 19. Imprisoned for his role in the Asturian uprising of 1934, he was a key player in the merging of the Socialist Youth with the Communists before the Spanish Civil War. He is generally thought to have been responsible for the massacre of Nationalist prisoners at Paracuellos de Jarama in late 1936.
Codreanu, Corneliu Zelea (1899-1938)‡: A Romanian politician of Ukrainian peasant ancestry. In 1927 he organized the Legion of the Archangel Michael, a quasi-religious nationalist organization of which the Iron Guard was the military branch. He was tried for treason in 1938 and sentenced to a decade in prison. Later that year he and a group offollowers were shot, evidently during a bid to escape.
Daley, Richard J. (1902-67)†§‡: An American politician. He was Democratic mayor of Chicago from 1955-1976 and held considerable power. His political machine was so powerful that Democratic candidates at the state and federal level sought his patronage. Accused of being heavy-handed, his followers and even the police were later accused of violence against rivals and protesters.
Darnand, Joseph (1897-1945)‡: A French politician. As a militant associated with the extreme right wing, he was involved in a conspiracy in 1938 called the Cagoule (hooded men) conspiracy. This organization was financed by Mussolini with intention of murdering Italian exiles in France. He collaborated with the Nazis during WWII and organized an auxiliary police force called the Milice that was responsible for many atrocities. He tled to Germany, was captured, tried, and executed.
Delgado, Humberto (1906-65)†: A Portuguese general and politician. He was born into a traditional military family of modest means. He ardently supported the counter-revolution while a junior officer, and rose so quickly in the ranks that he became, at 46, the youngest general in the military of Portugal. His exposure to democracy abroad (particularly in the U.S.) led him to oppose the authoritarian regime. He attempted three coups, all of which failed due to lack of support. An independent thinker and immensely charismatic man, he was eventually murdered in Spain by the Portuguese secret police. His death occurred near the border and was surrounded by mysterious circumstances.
De Valera, Eamon (1882-1975)§†‡: An Irish politician. Raised on a farm in County Limerick, he was a teacher in Dublin and captained the Irish Volunteers during the Easter Rising insurrection of 1916. He only narrowly escaped the firing squad after being arrested for his actions. He led the Irish political party Sinn Fein from 1917-1926, and was thoroughly involved in Irish politics thereafter.
Doihara Kenji (1883-1948)‡: A Japanese general. Serving in China from 1913-20 and Director of Military Intelligence in Manchuria in 1931, he was an architect in the Japanese plan to overrun Manchuria. He remained involved in the campaign to expand Japan's influence in northern China, and in the war with China that began in 1937. In 1948 he was executed as a war criminal for his atrocities.
Ehrenburg, Ilya Grigorevich (1801-1967)†: A Russian writer. Both a novelist and a journalist, he was born in Kiev and was in exile in Paris by 1917. He returned to fight the communists but was allowed back into the country in 1923 and wrote novels praising the communist system. These were widely accepted abroad. During the Khrushchev era he wrote favorably of improved East-West ties. In many cases his writings helped to educate the Soviet public about the West.
Eichmann, Karl Adolf (1906-62)‡: An SS officer of Austrian origin, he was a fanatical Nazi and a vicious anti-Semite. He became a member of the SS in 1932 and organized anti-Semitic activities, especially the deportation of Jews to concentration camps. He was captured by American troops in 1943 but escaped, having kept his identity a secret. He reached Argentina sometime in 1950. He was traced there by Israeli agents, and in 1960 was seized and returned to Israel, where he was tried, condemned of crimes against humanity, and executed.
Estigarribia, Jose Felix (1888-1940)†§‡: The Paraguayan general and war hero who won fame during the Chaco War of 1932-1935. A brilliant strategist and able leader, he became President in 1939 due the strength of his popularity. He was killed in a plane crash ncar Asuncion.
Franco, Francisco (1892-1975)§‡: Spanish general-dictator. He graduated from the military academy at Toledo in 1910 and rose swiftly through the ranks of the army in Spanish Morocco. In 1926 he was made a general, the youngest man to hold that rank in Europe. He led the repression of the Asturias miners' revolt in 1934. He led the Army of Africa during the Spanish Civil War and had close ties with the rebellion's German and Italian allies. In 1936 he became generallssimo of the rebel forces and leader of the Nationalist state. When the Nationalists were victorious he oversaw the construction of an authoritarian regime that lasted until his death, He would have entered Spain into the Axis as an ally of Germany and Italy, but Hitler was unwilling to yield to Spain any of France's north African possessions, which were his price. He did, however, send the Spanish Blue Division to fight in the USSR, and provided the Germans with intelligence and logistical assistance, He arranged the government so that it returned to the monarchy upon his death.
Glubb, John Bagot (1897-1986)†: Also known as Glubb Pasha, he was a British soldier. A graduate of the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, he served with distinction during WWI and went on to organize the native police forces of Iraq in 1920. In 1930 he was transferred to the Transjordan and organized the Arab Legion's Desert Patrol. In 1939 he became the Legion's commandant. He held immense prestige among the Bedouin tribes but was dismissed from his post in 1956. He was knighted the same year.
Grechko, Andrei Antonovich (1903-76)†: A Russian military officer. He fought as a cavalry officer during the Russian Civil War and held several cavalry commands during the first half of WWII. He went on to become commander in chiefofEast Germany and in 1953 helped to put down the Berlin rising. He was commander in chief of the Warsaw Pact when the Berlin Wall was erected in 1961.
Hammer, Armand (1898-1991)§: A U.S. financier and philanthropist. A wealthy businessman of Russian origins, he acted in many ways as a liaison between different Soviet general-secretaries and U.S. presidents, starting with Franklin Roosevelt and ending with Richard Nixon. He founded the Hammer Galleries in New York with several paintings he brought to the U.S. after Stalin took power, and retired to Los Angeles to build a new fortune. In 1961 he purchased the Occidental Petroleum company as it neared bankruptcy and built it into a company of great influence in the oil industry by 1965. He was convicted of making illegal contributions to Nixon's reelection fund.
Hull, Cordell (1871-1955)§: U.S. Secretary of State. An able politician, he became Secretary of State under Roosevelt in 1933, serving there for the longcst term ever in that office and retiring in 1944. He attended virtually all the war conferences of WWII and was a powerful supporter of help to the Allies. In 1945 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his heIp in organizing the United Nations.
Ilyushin, Sergei Vladimirovich (1894-1977)†: A Soviet engineer. Born ofpeasant stock in the Vologdaregion, he attended the military Aviation Academy in Moscow. By 1930 he was creating new airplane designs, many of them innovative, some fantastical. He also contributed to the exploration of helicopter design. His work helped to equip the post-WWII Soviet air force and provided aircraft for their civilian airline, Aeroflot, as well.
Ishiwara Kanji (1889-1973)‡: Japanese military officer. Graduating from the Army War College in 1918, he was influenced by doctrines of the Japanese medieval Buddhist monk Nichiren. These beliefs were apocalyptic, and helped to shape his belief that a final conflict between East and West, as represented by Japan and the U.S., was inevitable. He urged preparation for this great conflict, particularly the acquisition of East Asian resources. In 1929 he was an operations officer in the Japanese army in Manchuria and helped to plan the military campaign (which the civilian government had little contribution to) that reduced Manchuria to a puppet state. He returned to Japan in 1932, where his abrasive personality caused conflict with military superiors. He was eventually forced out of the army.
Kalashnikov, Mikhail Timofeevich (1919- )†: Soviet engineer. Of peasant origins, he was born in the Altai area and joined the army in 1938. He was badly wounded in 1941 and began experimenting with rifle designs, eventually producing the 7.62mm weapon that was universally adopted by all Soviet states and most allies in 1949. Other versions were later developed, including the AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifle, famous today as the most widely used rifle in history.
Lampiao [Virgulino Ferreira da Silva] (?-1938)†: A Brazilian bandit folk hero. He began his career in 1921, raiding large properties and even cities within the north-eastern provinces of Brazil. He was called the King ofthe Cangaceiros' , leading 40-50 man bands in outlawry. His activities helped to stimulate the federal governments influence within the interior of Brazil, as they attempted to control him and those who imitated him. Regarded as a folk hero by the country at large, his feats and adventures have been the subject of much literature.
Lawrence, Thomas Edward (1888-1935)†: British soldier. Before WWI he studied Crusader castles in the Middle East and assisted with archeological activities at Carchemish. He was assigned to military intelligence in 1914 and sent to Cairo. In 1916 he was made liaison officer to Faysal's Arab Revolt, taking an active part in the insurrection against the Turks. He was present when both Aqaba and Damascus were wrested from Turkish hands, and acted as an advisor to Faisal at the Paris Peace Conference. He wrote Revolt in the Desert, the abridged version ofhis chronicles of the Arab Revolt (the full book was Seven Pillars of Wisdom). This went on to become a classic of war literature. He achieved great fame and even folk hero status, and was known as Lawrence of Arabia. Later, to escape publicity, he attempted to join other military units under fictitious names (the RAF in J922 as J H Ross. the Royal Tank Corps in 1923 as T E Shaw, and the RAF again in J925). He retired from the military in 1935 and was killed in a motorcycle accident later that year.
Lettow-Vorbeck, Paul Emil von (1870-1964)§†: A Prussian military officer. Commanding the Gennan troops of East Africa in WWI. his units were almost entirely recruited from warlike tribes of Tanganyika. He led them in raids on the Uganda railway early in the war and was forced to fall back to the Tanganyika Central Railway after he failed to hold the Kilimanjaro area. He retreated further south in 1916 after that railway was taken. He entered the Rufiji and then invaded Portuguese East Africa and Northern Rhodesia. He surrendered after the Armistice of Abercorn in November of 1918.
Lindbergh, Charles Augustus (1902-74)†: An American pilot. He achieved instant fame by accomplishing the first solo transatlantic flight in 1927, piloting his aircraft The Spirit o/St. Louis from New York to Paris in 33 112 hours. In 1932 he gained national sympathy when his son was abducted and murdered. Unfortunately, this popularity received a critical blow in 1941 when he, by then a member of the isolationist America First Committee, suggested that the U.S. negotiate a settlement with Germany.
Long, Huey Pierce (1893-1935)§‡: A U.S. politician. An intensely charismatic man known for flamboyance and ambition, he was elected governor of Louisiana in 1928. He used the grievances of poor whites and his former record as Public Service Commissioner to cement his influence, and went on to build one of the strongest and most efficient political machines ever in U.S. politics. He eased the impact of the Depression upon Louisiana with various programs and initiated the efficient expansion of the state's public services. Known as a ruthless manipulator of state government, he never used race or color as a political issue. He created a program for income redistribution called the "Share Our Wealth" plan, aiming it at a national audience. A staunch and outspoken opponent of Roosevelt, he intended to run as a third-party candidate in the 1936 elections. He was widely feared by much of the public as a potential dictator and was assassinated in September of 1935.
Maclean, Donald (1913-83)‡: British traitor. He studied at Cambridge and was wooed by communism. He joined the diplomatic service in 1935 and served in Paris, Washington and Cairo. In 1944 he became a double agent. He was head of the Foreign Office's American Department and was suspected in 1954 of being a traitor. In May of that year he received a warning from another traitor, Harold Philby, and disappeared along with a third traitor, Guy Burgess. He later died in Moscow.
Malinovsky, Rodion Yakovlevich (1898-1967)†: Soviet soldier. A corporal in WWI, he escaped through Siberia and Singapore to France after the Russian coiiapse. There he fought in a Russian brigade. He joined the Red Army in 1919 after the Russian Revolution, acting as a military advisor and instructor. He was a major-general when the Nazis invaded, and commanded the forces that liberated Rostov and Kharkov. He led the Russian advance into Budapest and Austria and, during the war with Japan, played a leading role in the Manchurian campaign. He remained in important posts until his death.
Malroux, Andre (1901-76)†: A French novelist-politician. He studied oriental languages and spent much time in China. He was active in the 1927 revolution and fought in the Spanish Civil War. During WWII he escaped a POW camp to join the French Resistance, and went on to hold political posts in de Gaulle's government. He is known for several award-winning novels.
Ortega y Gasset, Jose (1883-1956)§†: Spanish journalist and philosopher. Born to a wealthy family of newspaper owners, he studied philosophy in Germany and became a professor at Madrid's Central University. He was a prolific writer and a great speech-maker, seeking always to promote the cultural development of Spain. He became, by the early 1920s, one of them most influential makers of public opinion. In 1931 he founded the Group at the Service of the Republic, holding a deputy position, but dissolved the group in 1932 and left politics in 1933, evidently embittered and disillusioned. He left the country and remained in France for the duration of the Spanish Civil War, going on to write and lecture in both Europe and America after the war. He returned to Spain the year before his death.
Peniakoff, Viadimir ['Popski'] (1897-1951)†: A Belgian military officer. Russian by parentage, he was educated in England and joined the British army. From 1940-1942 he served in Africa with the Long Range Desert Group and with Libya's Arab Force. In October of 1942 he received the approval of the army to form his own military unit. This unit, known as Popski's Private Army, raided deep behind German lines with great audacity and achieved spectacular successes. He eventually made lieutenant-colonel and was decorated for bravery by Britain, Belgium and France alike.
Philby, Kim (1912-1988)‡: A British traitor and spy. Educated at Cambridge along with Burgess and Maclean, he became a communist. He was head of British Secret Service's anti-Communist counter espionage unit from 1944-1946, and was already a Soviet agent. He worked alongside the CIA from 1949-1951, and from 1956 onwards worked in Beirut as a journalist. In 1963 he disappeared, and later reappeared as a citizen of the USSR.
Primo de Rivera, Jose Antonio (1903·36)†: The son of General Miguel Primo de Rivera. An aristocrat, dilettante, and playboy, he became a charismatic political leader. In 1933 he founded the Falange Espanola, a nationalistic and fascist movement. A leading figure in socialist politics, he supported the insurrection of 1936 against the Republic. That year he was shot and killed in Alicante jail.
Here is a small glossary of popular phrases and terms from the pulp era. Sprinkle them throughout your game to add more spice!
Ameche—Telephone
Ace—$1
Ambulance Chaser—Lawyer
And how!—Profuse argument
Applesauce—Nonsense, rubbish, baloney
Artillery—Weaponry, a gun; also Artillery Man — drug addict
Babe—Woman
Baby—A person
Bacon—Money, loot
Bangtails—Racehorses
Barbering—Talking
Be on the nut, to—To be broke
Bean-shooter—Gun
Beezer—Nose
Belt—A quick drink, usually of liquor
Bent cars—Stolen cars
Berries—Dollars
Big house—Jail
Big one, the—Death
Big sleep, the—Death
Bim—Woman
Bindle— Little folded-up piece of paper (like a drug might come in); The bundle in which a hobo carries all his worldly possessions
Bindle punk—A hobo or derelict hired to do rough or unpleasant work
Bindle stiff—One who steals a hobo's bindle
Bing—Crazy
Bird—Guy
Birdcage—A jailcell
Blaster—A heavy hitter, gunman
Blip off—To kill
Blow—Leave
Blow one down—Kill someone
Blower—Telephone
Bo—Pal, buster, fellow (as in "Hey, bo")
Boiler—Car
Boob—Dumb guy
Boozehound—Drunkard
Bob—To kill
Box job—A safecracking
Boxman—A safecracker
Brace—Grab, shake up
Bracelets—Handcuffs
Bread—Money, dough
Break it up—Stop that, quit the nonsense
Breeze—To leave, go, also get lost
Broad—Woman
Bucket—Car
Bulge—The adventage (as in "The kid had the bulge there")
Bulls—Cops
Bump—Kill
Bump off—Kill; a killing
Buncoing some—Defraiding some people
Bunk—False, untrue; to sleep
Bunny—Stupid (as in "Don't be a bunny")
Burn powder—Fire a gun
Bus—Big car
Butter and egg man—The money man, the man with the bankroll, a yokel who comes to town to blow a big wad in nightclubs
Button—Face (as in "a poke in the button")
Buttons—Police
Butts—Cigarettes
Buy a drink—To pour a drink
Buzz—To look one up; at the door
Buzzer—Policeman's badge
C—$100
Cabbage—Money
Caboose—Jail
Call copper—Inform the police
Can—Jail
Can-opener—Safecracker who forces open cheap safes; safecracking tools
Case dough—Nest egg; the theoretically untouchable cass reserve for "emergencies"
Cash in—To die
Cat—Guy
Cement Shoes—Drowning with feet encased in cement
Century—$100
Chair, the—The electrical chair;capital punishment
Chatter box—Machine gun, a Tommy-gun
Chew—Eat
Chicago Overcoat—A coffin
Chicago Pineapple—A grenade
Chick—Woman
Chilled off—Killed
Chin—A conversation; talk
Chin music—A punch on the jaw
Chinese angle—a strange twist (as in "You're not trying to find a Chinese angle on it, are you?")
Chippy—Woman of easy virtue
Chisel—To swindle or cheat
Chiv, chive—Knife; a stabbing or cutting weapon
Chopper squad—Guys with machine guns
Clammed—Close-mouthed; Clam-up
Clean sneak—A escape with no clues left behind
Clip joint—A night-club where the prices are high and the patrons are fleeced; also a casino where the tables are fixed
Clipped—Shot
Close your head—Shut up
Clubhouse—Police station
Coffee-and-doughnut—Something cheap or of little value (as in "These coffee-and-doughnut—guns are ...")
Conk—Head
Cook, to—To die in the electrical chair
Cool—To chill out, cool off (as in "He cooled me")
Cooler, the—Jail
Cop—Detective, even a private one; also to win, as in a bet
Copped—Grabbed by the cops
Copper—Policeman
Corn—Bourbon
Crab—Figure
Crate—Car
Creep joint—a brotherl where the patrons are robbed, or otherwise treated badly
Croak—To kill
Croaked—Doctor
Crushed out—Escaped
Cush—Money
Cut down—Killed
Daisy—None-too-masculine
Dame—Woman
Dangle—Leave, get lost
Darb—Something remarkable or superior
Dark meat—Black person
Dead Presidents—U.S. currency, money
Daipers—Clothes, get dressed (as in "Pin your daipers on")
Dib—Share
Dick—Detective
Dinge—Black person
Dingus—Thing
Dip—Pickpocket
Dip the bill—Have a drink
Dish—A cute girl
Dive—A low-down, cheap sort of place
Dizzy with a dame, to be—To be deeply in love with a woman
Do him in—Kill him
Do the dance—To be hanged
Dogs—Feet
Dope—Drugs, narcotics; information; to have figured for (as in "I had him doped as the fall guy")
Dope fiend—Drug addict
Dope peddler—Drug dealer
Dormy—Dormant, quiet (as in "Why didn't you lie dormy in the place you climbed to?")
Dough—Money
Drift—Go, leave
Drill—Shoot
Drink out of the same bottle—close friends, coming from same background (as in "We used to drink out of the same bottle")
Droppers—Hired killers
Drum—Speakeasy
Dry-gluch—to knock out, hit on head, to kill, after ambushing
Ducat—Ticket
Duck soup—Easy, a piece of cake
Duke, Dukes—Fist (as in "Put up your dukes!")
Dummerer—Somebody who pretends to be dumb in order to appear more deserving beggar
Dump—Roadhouse, club; or more generally, any place (as in "We did the dumps")
Dust—Nothing (as in "Tinhorns are dust to me"); to leave or depart (as in "Let's dust"); a look, the once-over (as in "Let's give it the dust")
Dust out—Leave, depart
Dutch act—A cowardly act (as in "A girl pulled the Dutch act"); to commit suicide
Egg—Smart fellow
Eggs in the coffee—Easy, a piece of cake, okay, all right
Elbows—Police (as in "And there's no elbows tagging along")
Electric cure—Electrocution
Erase—To kill
Fade—Get lost
Fakeloo artist—Con man
Fence—dealer in contraband and stolen goods
Filly—A girl
Fin—$5 bill
Finder—Finger man
Finger—To identify (as in "put the finger on")
Fink—A detective; to betray and inform on
Flat—Broke, penniless; to agree with certainty (as in "That's flat")
Flattie—Flatfoot, cop
Flim-flam—Swindle, a con
Flippers—Hands; also wanton young women, prostitytes
Flivver—A Ford automobile
Flogger—Overcoat
Floozie—Girl, girlfriend
Flop—Go to bed; also fallen through, not worked out (as in "The racket's flopped")
Flophouse—A cheap transient hotel where many men sleep in large rooms
Fluff—Young girl
Fog—To shoot
Forty five—A gun, particularly (but not necessarily) a .45 automatic
Frail—Woman
Frau—Wife
From nothing—No knowledge of (as in "I know from nothing")
Fry, to—To die in the electric chair
Fuzz—Police, cops
G, G's—$1.000
Gams—Legs
Gal—A gun
Gashouse—To get rough (as in "getting gashouse")
Gasper—Cigarette
Gat—Gun
Gate—The door, as in to leave (as in "GIve her the gate")
Gaycat—Young tramp, kept for homosexual purposes (as in "A young punk who runs with an older tramp and there is always a — connotaion of homosexuality")
Gee—Guy
Geetus—Money
Giggle juice—Liquor
Gin mill—Bar
Girlie—Woman
Give a third—Interrogate
Glad rags—Fancy clothes
Glaum—Steal
Glomming—Stealing
Go climb up your thumb—an insult, a directive to waste one's time elsewhere (as in "go fly a kite")
Go over the edge with the rams—To get far to drunk
Go to read and write—Rhyming slang for "take flight"
Gonif—Thief
Goofy—Crazy
Goon—Thug, hood
Goose—Guy
Gooseberry lay—Stealing clothes from a clothline
Gowed-up—On dope, high
Grab air—Put your hands up
Graft, the—Con jobs, cut of the take
Grand—$1000
Greasegun—A machine gun, prticularly an M-3 sub-machine gun
Greasers—Mexicans or Italians; a hoodlum, thief or punk
Grift—A con (as in "What's the grift? What are you trying to pull?")
Grifter—Con man
Grilled—Questioned
Gum—To interfere, to screw up (as in "Don't ... gum every play I make")
Gum-shoe—Detective; detective work
Gun for—Look for, be after
Gun moll—Female gangster
Guns—Hoodlums
Gunsel—Gunman, or an unscrupulous person; also a boy homosexual
Hack—A taxi-cab
Half, a—50 cents
Hammer and saws—Police
Hard—Tough
Hardware—Weapons, guns
Harlem sunset—A fatal injury caused by a knife
Hash house—A cheap restaurant
Hatchetmen—Killers, gunmen
Have the bees—To be rich
Have the curse on someone—Death warrant
Head doctors—Psychiatrists
Heap—Car
Heat—A gun;trouble;cops
Heavy—Thug, goon, enforcer
High pillow—Person at the top, in charge
Highbinders—Corrupt politician or functionary
Hittin' the pipe—Smoking opium
Hitting on all eight—In good shape, going well; refers to number of cylinders in an automobile
Hock shop—Pawnshop
Hogs—Engines
Hombre—Man, fellow
Hooch—Liquor
Hood—Hood
Hooker—A drink of strong liquor (as in "It took a stiff hooker of whiskey")
Hoosegow—Jail
Hop—Drugs, mostly morphine or derivatives like heroin
Hop-head—Drig addict
Horn—Telephone
Hot—Stolen
House dick—House detective
House peeper—House detective
Ice—Diamonds; also to kill
Icebox—Jail
In stir—In Jail
Ing-bing—To throw a fit
Irish Confetti—Thrown bricks
Iron—A car; also a gun
Jack—Money
Jake—Okay
Jakeloo—Okay
Jam—To be in trouble
Jasper—A man
Java—Coffee
Jaw—Talk
Jerking a nod—Nodding
Jingle-brained—Addled
Jitters, the—Nervousness
Jobbie—Guy
Joe—Coffee (as in "a cup of joe")
Johns—Police
Joint—Place of residence or fondness (as in "You're in my joint, now")
Jorum of skee—Shot of liquor
Joss house—Temple or house of worship for a Chinese religion
Juice—Interest on a loanshark's loan
Jujus—Marijuana cigarettes
Jump, the—A hanging; to attack or rob
Kale—Money
Keister—Suitcase or posterior; also spelled keyster
Keptie—Kept woman
Kick—Nothing to complain about (as in "I got no ckick")
Kick off—Die
Kingpin—Leader of a mob
Kisser—Mouth
Knock off—Kill
Knock over—To rob
Knockover—Heist, theft
Knucks—Brass knuckles
Lammed off—Ran away, escaped, on the run
Large—$1.000 (as in "twenty large")
Law, the—The Police
Lay—Job, situation (as in "The hotel-sneak used to be my lay" or "I gave him the lay"); a robbery
Lead Poisoning—To be shot
"Let 'em have it!"—Shoot them, kill them
Lettuce—Folding money
Listen stick—A billy club, or night-stick
Lit, to be—To be drunk
Lolapalooza—Fantastic, terrific
Loogan—A dummy, or a hired gun
Looker—Beautiful woman
Look-out—Outside man
Lousy with—To have lots of
Lug—Bullet, car, a fighter
Lummox—Dummy
Lunkhead—Dummy
Madam—Female manager of a brothel
Made—Recognized
Map—Face
Marbles—Pearls
Mazuma—Money
Meat—Target, objective (as in "He's your meat")
Meat hooks—Hands, fists
Meat wagon—Ambulance
Mesca—Marijuana
Mickey Finn—Take off, leave; a drink drugged with knock-out drops
Mill—Typewriter
Mitt—Hand
Mob—Gang
Moll—Girlfriend
Monnicker—Name
Moola—Money, cash
Mouthpiece—Lawyer
Moxie—Courage, guts
Mud-pipe—Opium pipe
Mug—Face
Mugs—Guys
Muscle—Thugs, ruffians, guards
Mush—Face
Nailed—Caught by the police
Nance—An effeminate man
Nark—An informer, a stool pigeon
Nevada gas—Cyanide
Newshawk—Reporter
Newsie—Newspaper vendor
Nibble one—To have a drink
Nicked—Stole
Nippers—Handcuffs
Nix on—No to
Noggin—Head
Noodle—Head
Nose-candy—Heroin in some cases
Number—An attractive girl (as in "She was a hot little number")
Off the track—Insane (as in "He was too far off the track. Strictly section eight")
One-two—Combination punchs in boxing
Op—Detective, from "operative"
Open up—Start shooting
Orphan paper—Bad cheques
Out on the roof, to be—To drink a lot
Oyster fruit—Pearls
Pack—To carry, especially a gun
Palooka—Guy, a dummy
Pan—Face
Paste—Punch
Paw—Hand
Peaching—Informing
Peeper—Detective
Peeved—Angry
Pen—Jail, penitentiary
Peterman—Safecracker who uses nitroglycerin
Pigeon—Stool-pigeon
Pill—Bullet or cigarette
Pinch—An arrest, capture, steal
Pipe—See or note (as in "Pipe that guy over there")
Pipe that—Get that, listen to that
Pipes—Throat, voice
Pitching woo—Making love
Plant—Someone on the scene byt in hiding: undercover
Plugs—People
Poke—Bankroll, stake; a punch
Pooped—Killed
Pop—Kill
Pro skirt—Prostitute
Puffing—Mugging
Pug—Boxer
Pump—Heart
Pump metal—Shoot bullets
Punk—Hood, thug
Puss—Face
Put down—Drink
Put the screws on—Question, get tough with
Queer—Counterfeit; Sexually abnormal
Rags—Clothes
Ranked—Observed, watched, given the once-over
Rap—Criminal charge; Information (as in "He gave us the rap")
Rappers—Fakes, set ups (as in "There were a couple solved for the record, but they were just rappers")
Rat—Inform
Rate—To be good, to count for something
Rats and mice—Dice, craps
Rattler—Train
Redhot—Criminal
Reefers—Marijuana cigarettes
Rhino—Money
Right—Adjective indicating quality
Right gee—A good fellow
Right guy—A good fellow
Ringers—Fakes
Rod—Gun
Roscoe—Gun
Rub-out—A death
Rube—Bumpkin, easy mark
Rumble, the—The news
Run-out—Leave, escape
Sap—A dummy; a blackjack
Sap poison—Getting hit with a sap
Savvy?—Get me? understand?
Sawbuck—$10
Saloon or speakeasy—A hideout, a room or lodging
Schnozzle—Nose
Scram out—Leave
Scratch—Money
Scratcher—Forger
Screw—To leave (as in "Let's screw before anybody pops in"); also a prison guard
Send over—Send to jail
Shamus—Detective
Sharper—A swindler or sneaky person
Shatting on your uppers—To be broke
Shells—Bullets
Shine—A derogatory name for a black person; also bootleg whiskey
Shine box—Bar for blacks
Shiv—Knife
Shylock—Loanshark
Shyster—Lawyer
Silk—Fine, all right, okay (as in "all silk so far")
Sister—Woman
Skate around—To be of easy virtue (as in "She skates around plenty")
Skipout—To leave without paying a bill, or a person who does so
Skirt—Woman
Slant, get a—Take a look
Sleuth—Detective
Slug—A bullet, to knock unconscious
Smell from the barrel—Have a drink
Smoke—A derogatory name for a black person
Smoked—Drunk
Snap a cap—Shout
Snatch—Kidnap
Sneak—Leave, get lost (as in "If you're not a waiter, sneak"); also a type of job or situation (as in "The hotel-sneak used to be may lay")
Sneeze—Take
Snooper—Detective
Snort—A drink
Snow-bird—Addict
Snowed—To be on drugs; snowed up
Soak—To pawn
Sock—Sock
Soup job—To crack a safe using nitroglycerine
Spill—Talk, inform
Spinach—Money
Spitting—Talking
Square—Honest, tell the truth (as in "on the square")
Squirt metal—Shoot bullets
Step off—To be hanged
Sticks of tea—Marijuana cigarettes
Stiff—A corpse
Stool-pigeon—Informer
Stoolie—Stool-pigeon
Stringin'—To lure (as in "Stringin' along")
Sucker—Someone ripe for a grifter's scam
Sugar—Money
Swift—To have plenty of, to be fast
Swing—Hang
Tail—Shadow, follow
Take a powder—Leave
Take it on the heel and toe—Leave
Take on—Eat
Take the air—Leave
Take the bounce—To get kicked out
Take the fall for—Accept punisment for
Tea—Marijuana
That's the crop—That's all of it
Three-spot—Three-year term in jail
Throw a joe—Pass out
Throw lead—Shoot bullets
Ticket—P.I. license
Tiger milk—Some sort of liquor
Tighten the screws—Put pressure on somebody
Tin Star—A P.I.
Tip a few—To have a few drinks
Tip your mitt—Show your hand, reveal something
Tommygun—A .45 Thompson sub-machinegun
Tooting the wrong ringer—Asking the wrong person
Torcher—Torch singer
Torpedoes—Gunment
Trap—Mouth
Trigger man—Guy who does the shooting on a job
Trip for biscuits—A trip for no purpose, achieving no results (as in "You get there fast and you get there alone or you get a trip for biscuits")
Trouble boys—Gangster
Turn up—To turn in
Twist—Woman
Two bits—$25, or 25 cents
Up-and-down—A studious look (as in "to give something the up-and-down")
Uppers—Unemployed, broke (as in "I've been shatting on my uppers for a couple of months now")
Vag—Vagrancy (as in "vag charge, vag law")
Vig, Vigorish—Interest on a loanshark's loan
Weak sister—A push-over
Wear iron—Carry a gu
Wheats—Pancakes (as in "a stack of wheats")
White—Gin
Wikiup—Home
Wire—News, information (as in "What's the wire on them?")
Wise head—A smart person
Worker—A woman who takes a guy for his money, a golddigger (as in "She sizes up as a worker")
Wrong gee—Not a good fellow
Wrong number—Not a good fellow
XX—Double-cross
Yank—Waste of time
Yap—Mouth
Yard—$100
Yegg—Safecracker who can only open rather cheap and vulnerable safe
Zotzed—Killed
Portions of this Glossary originally compiled by William Denton, buff@io.org © 1993, 1994, 1995. This list as well as any updates may be found on the World Wide Web at: http://www.vex.net/~buff/slang.html