HeroPulp in the 50

[carnifex]

Hi there!

I like very much the retro-futur style of the tv program like the Thunderbird or the Capitain Scarlet. I have beginning to adapt the Gernsbarck World from GURPS for the Hero System.

 

I like the pulpish feel of it and I am beginning to write my version of it.

One pinch of retro-futur (Thuderbird), one pinch of Alien invasion (Captain Scarlet, the world versus the flying saucer), A pinch of cold war but versus Fascist Italia and the Japanese Empire and a final pinch of mad scientist, secret organisation, oriental mastermind and superenatural creature.

 

Here my first page. if you have suggestion or critic write it for futur discussion.

 

Hei Lu

Oriental Mastermind

 

DESCRIPTION

 

Gernsback's scientific progress seems to differ from our earth in several important ways. Though Gernsback is only at local year 1969, in many ways it is more advanced than our world. A thriving lunar base is home to Governor Robert Kennedy.

 

The chief point of historical divergence occurred in the late 1890s, when Nikolai Tesla developed broadcast electrical power well in advance even of the things that needed this type of energy to function. This, combined with several other related scientific leaps forward created worldwide prosperity and prevented the harshest effect of the two world wars of the twenty century.

 

Russia has been almost completely rebuilt since the violent and unsuccessful communism uprising of 1951. Personal jetpacks have reached the market (though costly and dangerous), and air cars are common place (even more dangerous for your health and your wallet). Food pills have wiped out starvation in all but the most isolated areas of the world.

 

However, speaking socially, Gernsback suffers from parochialism and hypocrisy. Women remain in many ways unliberated, and treatment of minorities by America and Europe remains poor. If you are rich (millionaires) a government employee (president, minister of science or economy) or are a brilliants scientists, you have probably an air car, a visiophone and a robot servitor but if you are an ordinaries Joes you have only the technology of 1969. Gernsback is a shinning of everything optimist can achieve and everything it can miss in a blind spot.

 

Points of Interest

 

New-York city, nicknamed "Technopolis" is home of to the World Science Council and the greatest megapolis on the face of the earth. The Big Apple is without question the center of the world's scientific, financial and political power. New-York has recently instituted a large expansion of the monorail system to handle his monstrous problems with traffics jam. Aircars are restricted now to certain lanes and altitudes. The Empire State Building has become a major zeppelin terminal, although most commercial airship continues to land at Lakehurst or at Tesla International Airport.

 

BIG FOUR INFLUENCE

 

Because of Gernsback's wild speed of scientific progress and his numerous masterminds,

mad scientist and would be world conqueror, it is considered highly dangerous for its

inhabitants. Only the vigilance of the INTERPOL the beat cop of the League of Nations

maintains the Pax Sapienta (Wise Peace). It is completely unknown to the general public

how numerous dastardly plots have been foiled by this international agency to save

the world economic and political stability. Only the cooperation of the Big Four

(the United State, the German Republic, the British and Japanese Empire) inside the

League of Nations and his support of the World Scientific Council has permit to create

the first world police force. Quickly Gernsback could develop a World Government

if unfortunately the Japanese Empire has not the ambition to become it by himself.

All of these things make the life of the Gernsback citizen very difficult and easy at

the same times.

 

The Big Four have tried as much as they can to wipe out of Gernsback the last

remains of the USSR ideology. The Commintern (the international communist)

political group who has become the biggest terrorist group in the world(think of TRUSH

versus the UNCLE or the COBRA against the GiJoe). Molotov and Ceausescu cleverly

sow chaos and corruption in the European social tissues. Uncle Ho and Mao Tze-Dong

are the cause of many big headaches for the Japanese Empire has Che Guevara and

Fidel Castro for the Central and South America nations. The man at the head of the

Commintern, the mysterious first secretary is totally unknown. For the time ahead

the effort of the INTERPOL to identify him has been utterly futile.

 

THE ABISS

 

INTERPOL have numerous subdivision, each of them specialized for fighting a type of crime, drug trafficking, prostitution and gunrunning. The strangest of it is the ABISS (Administrative Bureau of Investigation for the Super-criminal and the supernatural). This bureau is a strange mix of the UNCLE and the X-files. At his beginning it was only an administrative bureau charged of debugging supernatural event(haunted home, UFO and yeti sighting) and devising new method to detect and fighting high-tech crime like air-pirating and industrial spying. When in the 50 the now famous archaeologist Daniel "Tombstone" Dalton discover the city of Troy the scientific community was forced to admit that the old legend and myth was not in totality a bunch of lies and total no-sense. The inquiry of the ABISS proved the veracity of the Yeti, UFO sighting and numerous

Supernatural events. The result was in totality published at the exception of the proof of the supernatural events; the World Scientific Council has to order INTERPOL to establish a cover-up of the occult word. A major fraction of the occidental population was now liberated of the old superstition. Only a minority of them believed in them and they were with minor exception a really instable and dangerous lot. Publish proof of their belief will only contribute to throw in the chaos an orderly society. At least the UFO contrarily

to phantoms and vampires are explicable scientifically and the help of witness will help to understand this phenomenon.

 

INTERPOL TEMPLATE 28 POINTS

 

SKILLS: 3 Acting 11-, 3 Bureaucratic 11-, 3 Criminology 11-, 3 Combat Driving 11-,

3 Computer Programming 11-, 3 Concealment 11-, 3 Deduction 11-, 3 Disguise 11-.

3 Forensic Medecine 11-, 2 Gambling 11-, 2 KS: International Criminal Law & Procedure 11-, 3 Paramedic 11-, 2 PS: INTERPOL 11-, 3 Shadowing 11-, 2 SS: Criminal

Psychology 11-, 3 Stealth 11-, 3 Streetwise 11-, Survival 11-, 3 System Operation 11-,

2 WF: Small Arms.

 

 

PERKS: 7 Fringe Benefit: Concealed Weapon Permit, International Police Power.

2 Contact: Underworld (Contact has been blackmailed by the character, Contact has

significant contact of his own, Contact has useful Skills or resources) 11-.

2 Reputation: Defender of the world peace and scourge of the underworld

( A large group; 11-) +1/+1D6

 

DISADVANTAGES: Hunted: INTERPOL: 11- (MO POW, Watching, Extensive

Non-Combat Influence) 15 PTS. Hunted: By other national government 11-

(MO POW, Watching) 10 PTS. Reputation: Lackey of the League of Nation 11-

( Extreme ( know only to a small group)) 10 PTS. Distinctive Features: INTERPOL

agent: (Easily concealed; noticed & recognizable, detectable by commonly-used sense) 5 PTS

 

 

INTERPOL AGENTS WEAPONS

 

NAGANT POLICE POSITIVE

It is a modern version of the old Nagant revolver. It is now in 45 ACP calibre and his break open configuration allow the use of speed-loader like the Weblay Mark 6 revolver. From the old model it retains the sealing mechanism between the barrel and the cylinder. The barrel is filleted for the use of a silencer who is habitually impossible for a revolver. This is one of the official handguns for the INTERPOL agency.

OCV: 0 RMOD: 0 DMG: 2D6-1 STUNX: +1 STR MIN: 8 SHOTS: 6

 

SAVAGE MODEL PUMA

These handguns are very well built with a new design making a new extensive use of machined Aluminium (frame) and steel investment casting (trigger group and internal part) as well as stamped metal sheet for the pistol slide. The three most innovatory feature were the large-capacity magazine, the use of a shaped came rather than a pinned

swinging link to lower the rear end of the barrel during recoil and finally the trigger mechanism was self-cocking, the object being to duplicate the trigger feel of a double-action revolver. This second official handgun for the INTERPOL agency to uses the same 45 ACP calibre. The barrel is filleted for the use of a silencer but this is impossible

for the firer to use the autofire attack and skills. It's because the firer have to rearm the slide manually.

OCV: +1 RMOD: 0 DMG: 2D6-1 STUNX: +1 STR MIN: 10 SHOTS: 10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SAVAGE MODEL LION

These guns are well build, both more accurate and reliable than is usual for SMG's, but they are also expensive and bulky, with fixed wooden stock and heavy barrel. Semi-automatic and automatic fire and double magazine were made standard for the Lion by the Savage Corporation. This was a permanent version of the trick of taping two magazines together; a modification required with the semi-automatic fire mode, by the agent in charge for buying a new SMG for the agency. It uses the same ammunition that the two others handguns use by INTERPOL agent in a fine example of economic and supply rationalisation.

OCV: +2 RMOD: 0 DMG: 2D6-1 STUNX:+1 STR MIN: 7/12* SHOTS: 20/20 NOTES: * AUTOFIRE

 

GARAND 30-06

Adopted by the League of Nation in 1936, the Garand is the most advanced combat weapons of its time. It fired a powerful and accurate cartridge, and its gas-operated action made control in rapid fire much easier than with manual actions. It uses 8-rounds, Manlicher type clip, but can be used as a single shot if no clips are available. After the last shot the clip is ejected automatically emitting a distinctive pinging song. The model of Garand use by INTERPOL agent was altered to use 20-shots box detachable BAR magazines (no Manlicher-style clips); this was a custom job required from the board of director entrusted with the buying of a new rifle for the agency.

OCV: +1 RMOD: +2 DMG: 2D6+1 STUNX: +1 STR MIN: 14 SHOTS: 20

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

M14

The experience gained by the League of Nation troops during the Spanish civil-war against Franco showed that the M1 Garand rifle has a lot to be improved. The first was the feeding system with the 8-rounds en-bloc clips that does not allowed the refilling of the partially full magazine. Others were excessive length and weight of the rifle. The first problem was resolve by the INTERPOL agency but the second was inescapable. Also the cartridge used by the M1 was too long and heavy, effectively limiting the load of ammunition carried by each soldier. The T20 (T means test) was a prototype, basically a new version of the M1. It was fitted with a 20 rounds box and has the selective fire capability. The T20 evolved to the T37 who was chambered to the new prototype cartridge T65. It was no more than a 30-06 shortened by 1/2 inch (12mm), but retaining the original ballistic properties due to a more modern propellant used. It was slightly lighter and cheaper to make than the 30-06, and has long range and good potential for accuracy, both desired by the League of Nation army. The idea of truly intermediate round was not acceptable by the League military army at that period. Further development and test lead to the modified T44E4 prototype adopted by the League as M14 in the 1949. In general the M14 was an outdated design at the moment of its adoption. It had the accuracy and range of an old time military rifles, but was too long and heavy and lacked efficient automatic firepower (recoil was too big) of a true assault rifle. Nevertheless it was a reliable and powerful weapon (in semi-auto), often favored by users for high lethality, long range and good penetration. The INTERPOL agency use-it to replace their aging Garand M1, they are not ideal weapon but the agent prefer-it to the more heavy Garand.

OCV: +1 RMOD: +2 DMG: 2D6+1 STUNX: +1 STR MIN: 14/19* SHOTS: 20 NOTES: *AUTOFIRE

 

SKODA

After the failure of the M14 project, the LPF(Leagues Peace Forces) backed by the WSC(World Science Council) and their immense research laboratories, begin a new weapon program. It was a response to the tactical theory, advanced by the German, that full-power military rifles was more powerful than necessary. Since most targets more than 300 yards away were engaged with heavy weapons, it would be adequate if the personal weapon was effective to about that range. Lighter bullets could reduce the recoil, which allowed a lighter weapon, but one still controllable in automatic fire. Using modern production methods, the Skoda Corporation developed a six-pound automatic rifle with ammunition that weighed only about 2/3 as much as that for the M14. INTERPOL hope to replace their old M1 and M14 by this new assault rifle before

the year 70 but monetary constraint prevent-it.

OCV: +2 RMOD: +1 DMG: 2D6 STUNX: +1 STR MIN: 9/14* SHOTS: 30 NOTES: *AUTOFIRE

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTERPOL CRIME COMPUTER

INT: 25 ROLL: 14- PER ROLL: 14-

DEX: 10 SPEED: 4 PHASES: 3,6,9,12

 

POWER: DETECT EVIDENCE OF FOUL PLAY

FOR CRIMINAL INQUIRIES: ANALYSE

SENSE (PUNCHED-CARD)

 

SKILLS: CRIMINOLGY 14-, CRYPTOGRAPHY 15-,

FORENSIC MEDCINE 15-, KS: IDENTIFY

CRIMINALS FIGERPRINTS 14-, KS: IDENTIFY

CRIMINALS MODUS OPERENTI 14-.

 

DISADVANTAGES: PSYCHOLOGICAL

LIMITATION: MUST OBEY HUMAN ORDER

(COMMON TOTAL)

PHYSICAL LIMITATION: IMMOBILE

(FREQUENTLY, FULLY IMPAIRING)

COLD CHAMBER (FREQUENTLY,

FULLY IMPAIRING)

 

This new atomic age computer is capable to analyze a crime report and with a 70% of probability determine the guilty party. Unfortunately his bulk and cost limit is use only in great city. To function properly it has to be stored in a cold chamber to maximize the use of its hyper-conductor circuitry. The crime computer large framework, holding hundred of interconnected relays, is designed for criminology analysis. It uses punched-cards for instructions and crime-scene description and evidences (computer programming).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTERPOL MOST WANTED

 

HEI LU

 

The oriental mastermind, the yellow peril personified and the absolute ruler of the world ludite movement, this man violently oppose to this occidental technophile and godless society of this age. He wants a return to a more natural way of life for the humanity under his benevolent rule of course.

 

THE FIRST SECRETARY

 

His goal is the creation of the first world communist government (read previous description).

 

DOCTOR DEAMON

 

This threat was for a long time believed eliminated by the masked vigilante the Scarlet Snake in the thirty. Unfortunately the good doctor has resurfaced with a vengeance. This expert in electronic, mechanic & robotic has recreated his criminal empire. The expert criminologist of INTERPOL believe that its present crime wave his only a means to finance his latest plan for world domination.

 

THE GREEN GHOST

 

This mastermind has specialised himself in the thievery of Scientifics and industrials secrets. His principal client his believe to be the Japanese Empire. For the time no proof of this and of his real identity is know from the INTERPOL.

 

HEINRICH HEINKEL

Where money goes, evil follows. Squadrons of pirates prey on the behemoths of the air from their zeppelin headquarters, stealing cargoes and sometimes even the huge ships themselves. The infamous Skies Sharks—and their enigmatic leader Heinrich Heinkel have made a name for themselves in the criminal fraternity, specializing in daring, high-risk raids that maximize profits...and minimize civilian casualties. Since returning to the USA, these airs pirates typically prey only on soft but valuable targets: luxury passenger airships, bullion convoys, and so on. Now, Heinkel has sources of sensitive information across North America. Carefully shifting the data he acquires through his web of shady contacts, Heinrich Heinkel plans one daring, successful raid after another. It is only a matter of time before he becomes one of the most feared and respected criminal mastermind of the Gernsback world! INTERPOL has no air force to hunt down these pirates and the Leagues of Nations Forces and their numerous fighting air squadrons have more important fish to fries. INTERPOL has begun a crash course program to dispose of his police air force to be capable of fighting aerial crimes across the world. For now only private security force, like the Pinkerton, opposes a vigorous resistance to the aerial depredation of these fiendish criminals in battling them at their own games.

 

 

 

 

THE MUTE MULLAH AND HIS THOUSAND TURBANS

 

A direct descendant of the old man of the mountains, the mute mullah and his thousands turbans (his political movement) fought to chase the infidels out of the middle-east. They hope to create a unified Arab nation submitted to the Muslim law. He his surnamed the mute mullah because he has sworn to never talk again before the realisation of his dream of pan-Arabism. In the middle-east, he is a dolorous thorn in the feet of the British Lion.

 

SUPERNATURAL THREAT

 

THE VAMPIRE RACE

 

For the scientists and occultists of the agency the vampire are very strange and frustrating lots. Example for killing a vampire of the type A, a wood stake in the hearth will do the trick. For a type B, hanging him by the neck will kill him but a wooden stake in the hearth has no effect. Also their feeding habits vary from a vampire to another, one suck blood for nourishment the other steal youth from his victim. The politic of the agency is the elimination or the capture of these supernatural entities for scientific study. The first duty of the investigator is to cover-up the supernatural occurrence and made a cover story that satisfied the public and the local authority.

 

THE ZOMBIE

 

The zombies are dead bodies animated by unknown energies, chemical contaminant or Voudun sorcerers. One or two are not a problem, habitually a ball in the head does the trick, but forty zombies who walk in the center of a town is another story. In this later case this is not a police operation but a military one. The sector is quarantined and the witness bullied and menaced to take their mouth shut. A cover-up is cooked for the press, an epidemic, a natural catastrophe or an accidental release of experimental military gaz. Fortunately the press has a tendency to believe report communicated by the INTERPOL agency.

 

STATE OF THE WORLD

 

RESTORED IMPERIAL RUSSIA

 

The World War 2 was fought against the ex-USSR by the League of Nation to prevent Stalin to acquire the secret of the atomic bomb. In the first month of this conflict the communist Russian fight with great courage, cruelty and fanaticism but the League of Nation troops win the heart and soul of Russian citizen by dealing with them humanly. They were finally welcome in liberator the peoples really happy to be free of the institutionalised terror lead by Stalin. Now the ex-USSR is divided by the diplomat of the league by nationality, religion and ethnicity and the repair of the damage cause by the

war is in good way. The only real problem face now by the league in the region is the resistance and act of terrorism financed by the Comintern and the exaction of the Russian mafia. If you want for a scenario with an imaginary country, the division of the ex-USSR explain their existence. Now! Russia is a democratic constitutional monarchy under the rule of the tsar Ivan V.

UNITED STATES

 

Normally this country will be a major obstacle to the creation of an efficient and powerful Leagues of Nations. They have a tradition to be isolationist and to do what please them without consulting other nation if their national interest is menaced. Two factors explain the full support of the United State for the objective of the leagues, first in the Gernsback world religion are considered mere superstition unworthy of civilised peoples. The famous Bible belt and the moral majority, who support isolationist, have no influence in government affair and numerous IRS audit have depleted theirs founds and send theirs leader in jail. Two the industrialists and the biggest American corporations are supporter of the technocracy, a concept who plans to organize society scientifically using large capital floats based on energy to develop technological progress and create prosperity for all. Oh! They like capitalist but you have to limit your greed with rules to prevent economical crisis that create unrest, bankruptcy and chaos for all, if not controlled carefully. And only a powerful League of nation with a control in international market exchange and power of military intervention will assure a stable political world.

With theirs billions and influences the corporations curb with ruthless efficiencies all modicum of isolationist in the American government and help all initiative who augments the control of the United State in the affair of the Leagues. The majority of citizen is satisfied of this state of thing but a strong minority (militias, religious extremist and the Ku Klux Klan) are abhorrent and don’t recognize in this new America the dream of the founders fathers of this country.

 

FACIST ITALY

 

After an eclipse of 4 years, due to an undisclosed illness, Mussolini “Il Duche†has retaken the reign of power from the fascist hierarchies. Now in 1969, the Italian army is the second most powerful military force after Germany in Europe. It produces racing car, air cars, shoes and atomic motor but sagely submit to League of Nation inspection for the respect of the treaty of New-York who forbade for all countries the possession of atomic weapon. Fancying himself has the leader of an international Fascist movement, Mussolini propaganda look impressive in the televised newsreels. Italian aviators

flights new speed records, Italian inventor create fantastic new invention and the orderly and prosper fascist society seem a model for numerous less developed countries. In this Gernsback pulp world Italy play the role of the menacing foreign dictatorship without the horror of the nazie racial politic. For not have the military might of the Japanese empire the fascist are forced to use supernatural or super science to realize their world domination project. Notes: Mussolini was killed and replaced by an android copy of him. This explains his sudden efficiency in domestic and foreign affair. The cull print is perhaps the Doctor Daemon or aliens from another planet that plan an earth invasion.

 

THE GERMAN REPUPLIC

 

The republic of Weimar was saved by the help of the USA and the Morgan Company the richest corporation of the know world. Now Germany is the world leader in scientific research, the second in economic power and the third in industrial capacity. Germany want to create the nucleus of a new European state formed with France, Austria, Hungary, Czech and themselves. Only the vehement opposition of the Poland, Italy and the British Empire have blocked the realisation of this project.

 

IMPERIAL JAPAN

 

The Japanese Empire took advantage of the Soviet War to invade communist held northern China, conquering the country as far south as the Yangtze River. It continues to rule northern China trough a League mandate obtained in the postwar exhaustion. Japan also retained its conquests of Mongolia and the Soviet Far East, annexing them both to Manchukuo.

 

Now, the Japanese Empire is an interlocking system of military hierarchies, economic conglomerates and the parliamentary bureaucracy. Japanese industrial production is second to only the USA. It’s very important to not confound the imperial army with the one of ours worlds in the WWII. This army is more the like in aptitude and morality with the one who fight at Port Arthur again the Russian. They are courageous and respect the Geneva Convention and they do not slaughter innocent civilian or no better reason because they are in their path like in the massacre of Nankin. But like in our world they are bend in a course for world domination they are only too bright to make a stupid stunt

like the Pearl Harbour surprise attack. Oh! They are ruthless and without mercy but they have logical reason for it and not for the sake of a blind fanaticism like in our world.

 

THE BRITISH EMPIRE

 

Great Britain, which still rules its colonial Empire, is the stabilizer of the leagues. Canada, South Africa. Australia and New Zealand generally coordinate national policies with London as a means of maintaining their independence from American financial and economic control. They have free trade with Britain and each other, creating a market of almost 500 millions peoples for British corporation and bank.

 

Unfortunately its international policies tend also more or less to aid the empire of Japan and the fascist Italy against the United States and Germany to strike a balance in the affair of the Leagues of Nations. The British fear, not without good reason, that the political power of the Washington-Berlin axis will relegate them to the rank of second rate power like the French or Italian. This short sighted politic has for effect to reinforce the British influence but also less unchecked the growing of the military power of the Japan Empire and the Fascist Italy. If the politicians of the British Empire maintain the world peace they will assure a stable growing of theirs countries for the 20th century but if they fail it will be the ruin of the Great Britain.