Pulp orgs/seeds

[Supreme Serpent]

It will probably be quite a while before I get serious about running a pulp game, so I thought I'd throw out a few ideas to assembled HERO-dom in hopes someone else can get some use out of them.

PHOENIX - post-WWI organization cobbled together from all the "losers" of recent years. German, Austrian, and Russian aristocrats predominate, but there are a variety from other sources as well. This collection of those fallen from power realized they have much more in common with each other, regardless of nationality, than they do with the various democrats, socialists, etc. that have come to dominate their former homes. Essentially a private "Foreign Legion" of evil, trying to regain their lost power through various nefarious means - to rise again from the ashes, like a Phoenix. Excellent organization to fund and recruit various mad scientists, Chinese Warlords, etc. May take some time for characters to realize the various "masterminds" they face are actually part of a larger whole.

In a campaign with gadgets and weird science, they would use various weird science weapons, rayguns, strange gasses, etc. In a more magical campaign, they could be used as "DEMON-lite", a cabal of various sorcerors bent on world domination.

The December Family - Initially a play on words, decided it was memorable enough to work. Wealthy, large, eccentric family able to be placed where needed, tweak to suit campaign and needed ends. Could be part of a conspiracy, could be occult experts, useful contacts, or just flavor.

-August December III - patriarch of the family, aging but still powerful and quick of mind.
-Jan, April, May, June, July (pronounced like "Julie") - the various December daughters, socialites, patrons of the arts, etc.
-March December - in the process of forming a ruthless criminal gang to take control of the local underworld - a cadre of expert hitmen/enforcers, to be known collectively as "The Ides of March".
-Jason December -(J uly A ugust S eptember O ctober N ovember) - first born and heir to August's fortunes. Assumes more and more day-to-day running of the December fortune/empire as August ages. Protective of his siblings, sometimes helps to cover up any indiscretions they may have - both to help protect the family name, and to increase his own sway over them.

[Supreme Serpent]

Stuff on the real-world "Black Legion" that operated in the US.

Link takes you to the actual FBI files, which includes lots of internal memos, news clippings and the like that could be used as excellent story ideas & props.

Black Legion FBI FOIA info

[Steve Long]

The December Family -- pretty cool name!

[Koshka]

PHOENIX - post-WWI organization cobbled together from all the "losers" of recent years. German, Austrian, and Russian aristocrats predominate, but there are a variety from other sources as well.

I always thought Raven (from Super-Agents) fit better as a pulp-era group than a silver age comics group. Maybe it was just the idea of all those former autocrats deciding to reclaim their rightful place ruling the earth starting their Master Plan by sitting around doing nothing for 25 years .... I know it's hard to find Super-Agents these days, but if you can it would be a good (if rules-outdated) reference for Phoenix.

[Supreme Serpent]

I always thought Raven (from Super-Agents) fit better as a pulp-era group than a silver age comics group. Maybe it was just the idea of all those former autocrats deciding to reclaim their rightful place ruling the earth starting their Master Plan by sitting around doing nothing for 25 years .... I know it's hard to find Super-Agents these days, but if you can it would be a good (if rules-outdated) reference for Phoenix.

Thanks Koshka. Yeah, I'm familiar with Raven, and agree it would work better as a pulp/interwar organization (as would Demon). I thought Phoenix fit better as a name, and I liked the idea of the perpetual-losers brigade - after WWII getting a fresh wave of formerly Axis recruits, after the collapse of the Soviet bloc getting a bunch of former communist types, etc. and the internal dynamics and clashes between each wave of old guard vs. new blood.

[Supreme Serpent]

The December Family -- pretty cool name!

Thanks! Started by looking at a calendar, seeing the J A S O N December progression of the months, and thinking it would make a cool name. Then thought about who would name their child something based on that, and the whole family angle came about, with the month names, etc. Once I got to March, I had an image of a "dying delivery" to the PC's, telling them to "Beware the Ides of March!", and I was sold.

[st barbara]

I wonder what "Senor Senior Senior" from "Kim Possible" (and his dad) might have been up to back in the Pulp era ?

[Moidalyza]

I love the December family gimic and am going to run with it.

Thoo I need some help.

With the "ides of March" this subgroup is used to put pressure on Mafia types. Basicly they act as Overseers to the mafia. so they need to keep their idenities Hidden. But I need a gimic for these guys. A centurian look is too overboard but i would like to keep som classical Roman theme.

ANy Ideas?

[Supreme Serpent]

I love the December family gimic and am going to run with it.

Thoo I need some help.

With the "ides of March" this subgroup is used to put pressure on Mafia types. Basicly they act as Overseers to the mafia. so they need to keep their idenities Hidden. But I need a gimic for these guys. A centurian look is too overboard but i would like to keep som classical Roman theme.

ANy Ideas?

If you want a visual tie-in, I'd keep it more subtle, like a Roman numeral 15 (XV) on a tie-tack, cufflinks, a ring, or something like that. Something similar could be used as a calling card at their hits, like a March page torn out of a calendar with the 15th circled, a big XV drawn on the wall in the victim's blood, etc. As far as keeping identities hidden, regular masks/skimasks could work when committing the crimes, or could go with more modern versions of the Greek/Roman theatrical masks, like those seen here: http://www.arlymasks.com/timeline.htm

Another bit would be to have the mob boss March December is gunning for have a Caesar-related nickname (Little Caesar, Big Caesar, Caesar of Pittsburgh, whatever), so it's pretty clear who the Ides are meant to bring down.

[JakSpade]

If the villains are going to dress up in Romanesque attire while pulling capers, you can add some nice flavor there. If they all wear masks, leader types should wear short capes (over their suits, etc) to acknowledge their status. Also, give them all a signature weapon, such as a dagger in the shape of a Roman gladius. And then you can add small touches, such as they all wear bullet resistant (not bulletproof) breastplates under their suit coats that are fashioned in the Roman style, and have Roman vambraces and shinguards in the style of Roman soldiers.

Hope that helps.
Jak

[austenandrews]

Stuff on the real-world "Black Legion" that operated in the US.

Link takes you to the actual FBI files, which includes lots of internal memos, news clippings and the like that could be used as excellent story ideas & props.

Black Legion FBI FOIA info

That's way cool... at least until you see a photo of their uniforms.

http://info.detnews.com/history/stor...ategory=events