Need a few suggestions for new girl on the block

[xerryss]

Hi all, I'm new to the board and generally new to this posting thing. but I found this thread and thought: "hey! exactly what I need!" You see, I am also rather new at being the GM. My regular HERO group's regular referee needed a break,so dumb me, I said, "I've been kicking around a pulp kind of idea set in the 30s" Well they all wanted in. So I threw together (with the help of my husband) a few adventures that went over moderately well. Then "my turn" was supposed to be over for awhile (regular GM ready to roll again, ha ha). but life kicked that game's *** and now I am in the spotlight with far less time to "mull through" my various plot lines. So, I am asking for suggestions: My timeline is vaguely historical, so I am looking for a late 1933 or any 1934 event with occult and pulpy overtones. Any occult history buffs out there that can help?

~Xerryss

[Steve Long]

Re: Need a few suggestions for new girl on the block

 

The timeline in PH has a few suggestions along these lines. You might also dig into Nazi occult stuff (Ahnenerbe, Sonderkommando H, Thule Society, etc.) and tweak to suit your setting.

 

The concept of "ley lines" was first described in print in 1921; that might lead to some (no pun intended!) plotlines.

 

Good luck with the game!

[Captain Obvious]

Re: Need a few suggestions for new girl on the block

 

Pick an exotic society, do a search for that society and "occult". Something is bound to jump out, some item or place. Add Nazis and/or cultists, and set the PCs loose to save the world.

[Trebuchet]

Re: Need a few suggestions for new girl on the block

 

Nazis are always good villains. IRL the Nazi hierarchy sent several expeditions all over central and south Asia looking for the mystical "Aryan homelands" and artifacts. The most famous one was to Tibet, although I think that was in 1937 or '38. Himmler was the Nazi leader most obscessed with this. A Google search of "Himmler" and "Expeditions" or "Occult" should give you some plot ideas.

 

"Nazis. I hate these guys." Dr. Henry Jones, Jr., American archaeologist

[Barton]

Re: Need a few suggestions for new girl on the block

 

Rich Industrialist with a yen for art, stolen or not. Great plot idea. The "bad guy" is just a collector, one with no morals about it. He will have great financial resources and manpower. In my games (yes, I run two pulp groups) it allows social interaction with him at parties and dinners and great role playing. Also some noncombat skills are suddenly very important: "Now, who has high society so they can get an invitation to Mr. Richguys new art exhibit???"

[Ian Mackinder]

Re: Need a few suggestions for new girl on the block

 

Thumbing through my copy of 'GURPS Timeline':

 

1933: Hitler takes over Germany; Chicago World's Fair opened; US Prohibition repealed; first release of 'King Kong'; appariition of the Virgin Mary seen in Banneaux, Belgium.

 

1934: Mao Tse-Tung leads 100,000 Chinese on the famed 'Long March' (less than half survive); FBI shoots Dillinger (some question whether it "really" was him); interest in, and sightings of, the Loch Ness monster hit their peak.

 

OK, mostly pulpy events. A couple that are arguably occultish. A number of possibilities, absolutely.

[Steve Long]

Re: Need a few suggestions for new girl on the block

 

The most famous one was to Tibet, although I think that was in 1937 or '38. Himmler was the Nazi leader most obscessed with this.

 

1938-39 -- they barely made it home before the outbreak of war, IIRC. Check out Christopher Hale's excellent book Himmler's Crusade for the full details.

[Basil]

Re: Need a few suggestions for new girl on the block

 

You might find useful stuff in this thread:

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42867

 

Oh, and welcome to the HeroGames Boards.

[input.jack]

Re: Need a few suggestions for new girl on the block

 

And this is why I love this place. People here are genuinely helpful!

 

The Pulp Heroes book has alot of good stuff in it, too, by the way.

 

Welcome to the neighborhood!

[st barbara]

Re: Need a few suggestions for new girl on the block

 

Another historical character/scenario that you might like to use is Otto Rahn and his search for the Cathars (and perhaps the Holy Grail) in France in the 1930's. Rahn was a member of the SS which of course gives you a first class "Indiana Jones"type scenario with the heros trying to beat Rahn to the prize (Holy Grail or something else). If you can get hold of a copy of "Emerald Cup-Ark Of Gold" by Col Howard Buechner (Thunderbird Press, 1991) it should be able to supply you with all the ideas you need !

[st barbara]

Re: Need a few suggestions for new girl on the block

 

Oh yes and welcome "Xerryss". I hope that your campaign goes well, pleae keep us posted.

[xerryss]

Re: Need a few suggestions for new girl on the block

 

Thank you everyone! I have a ton of stuff to consider now. Some new, some reinforcement of old ideas and things I'd forgotten (like: well duh, there's a timeline in that new pulp hero book I bought - silly me). So far, I do have some plans for the "collector-high-society guy" - someone who just managed to screw the team over in Africa actually (in a new guise perhaps). Also have a working plot set up for some stuff in Central America (anyone have suggestions for that end of the world?). We just met some Nazi's (and stole some books from them and witnessed (helped?) the burning of the Reichstag. I'll throw out details if anyone really wants them, but don't want to bore ya. Was hoping to hit the far east too at some point, so the Tibet idea really helps! Again, thanks all around (and don't stop!)

~xerryss

[Trebuchet]

Re: Need a few suggestions for new girl on the block

 

Go ahead and post recaps of your adventures; I'm sure we'd all enjoy reading them! At least five Pulp Hero groups post character writeups and/or recaps of their campaign's adventures here in the Pulp Hero forum. For some reason Pulp Hero aficionados seem particularly eager to do this. I like to think it's because we're an elite amongs Hero gamers.

 

BTW, our own pulp campaign is called "1905: The New Century Campaign" and character writeups and some short stories can be found in the thread of that title. We haven't actually started playing yet; that'll probably happen in May or June. As you've probably guessed from the title, we're not adventuring in the "normal" pulp era but about 30 years earlier.

[bigdamnhero]

Re: Need a few suggestions for new girl on the block

 

Hey, check out the New Girl! [Translation: welcome to the boards xerryss.]

 

Also have a working plot set up for some stuff in Central America (anyone have suggestions for that end of the world?).

Mayans, Aztecs, Incas, etc. Lost cities, mysterious ruins, hidden treasure, apocalyptic cults, you name it.

 

Also there's the Panama Canal, which was far more important to global commerce than it is today.

 

And you've got the Chaco War (1932-35) between Bolivia and Paraguay. Not exactly world-shaking, except to those involved, but war always makes for good dramatic background.

 

 

"War! What is it good for? Dramaaaatic background, Say it again!!"

Just doesn't have the right ring, does it?

[Steve Long]

Re: Need a few suggestions for new girl on the block

 

Also have a working plot set up for some stuff in Central America (anyone have suggestions for that end of the world?).

 

Give us a month or two to get Thrilling Places out, and we'll have a lost civilization of giant bat-riding, blowgun-wielding Central American pygmies for ya.

 

And you might check out Hero Plus Adventure #8, The Golden Idol Of Sikral, which is set in Central America and features a lost civilization of its own.

[Basil]

Re: Need a few suggestions for new girl on the block

 

{snip}

Also have a working plot set up for some stuff in Central America (anyone have suggestions for that end of the world?).

{snip}

Boy do I!

 

Crystal Skulls. Very interesting, and according to some, very occult.

 

Re. the occult side of things---

For the believers' POV, see http://www.crystalinks.com/crystalskulls.html

For a somewhat doubting write-up, see http://www.dreamscape.com/morgana/nereid2.htm

For an out-and-out "this is baloney" POV, see http://skepdic.com/crystalskull.html

 

 

Another possibility is Mayans or Aztecs living as did their ancestors, in some hidden valley/island in a swamp. Perhaps including human sacrifice.

 

 

Another is gun-runners supplying rebels in one country or another; the PCs are either the gun-runners, or are trying to stop the gun-runners.

[Basil]

Re: Need a few suggestions for new girl on the block

 

Give us a month or two to get Thrilling Places out' date=' and we'll have a lost civilization of giant bat-riding, blowgun-wielding Central American pygmies for ya. [/quote']

:jawdrop: :jawdrop:

 

I'm not sure I want to read that.

[Steve Long]

Re: Need a few suggestions for new girl on the block

 

Sure ya do! Who can resist giant bats? And everything's more fun with pygmies!

[st barbara]

Re: Need a few suggestions for new girl on the block

 

Sure ya do! Who can resist giant bats? And everything's more fun with pygmies!

But are they from the Matto Grooso and does "G8" know about this ?

[AveryKess]

Re: Need a few suggestions for new girl on the block

 

You should give your players tons of points and neat stuff for free.

 

Ok, maybe only the player that lives with you.

 

See you when I get home

[Derek Hiemforth]

Re: Need a few suggestions for new girl on the block

 

Sure ya do! Who can resist giant bats? And everything's more fun with pygmies!

Okay, that answers my initial question. From the earlier description, I wasn't sure if it was pygmies riding giant bats, or giant pygmies riding bats.

[bobrunnicles]

Re: Need a few suggestions for new girl on the block

 

Not sure about the Central American connection but I seem to recall atleast two of the most recent three Hero Plus adventures published involved Nazis.....Tablets Of Destiny and Nazi Death-Zombies Of The Congo. You could probably relocate the Congo one fairly easily to South America and then you have both the bases covered.

 

On the other hand just use the 'Indiana Jones Red Line On A Map' approach to travelling to new places and you should be just fine

[bigdamnhero]

Re: Need a few suggestions for new girl on the block

 

On the other hand just use the 'Indiana Jones Red Line On A Map' approach to travelling to new places and you should be just fine

In my Pulp campaign anytime the PCs travel anywhere it is customary (if not actually required) to trace map lines in the air while humming the Indy theme.

[Steve Long]

Re: Need a few suggestions for new girl on the block

 

In my Pulp campaign anytime the PCs travel anywhere it is customary (if not actually required) to trace map lines in the air while humming the Indy theme.

 

LOL -- I think that's de rigeuer for all globetrotting Pulp Hero campaigns, mine included.

 

In mine, the characters also get a little red dot sticker on the Big Laminated Map of the World of 1935 whenever they complete an adventure.

[Steve Long]

Re: Need a few suggestions for new girl on the block

 

Not sure about the Central American connection but I seem to recall atleast two of the most recent three Hero Plus adventures published involved Nazis.....Tablets Of Destiny and Nazi Death-Zombies Of The Congo. You could probably relocate the Congo one fairly easily to South America and then you have both the bases covered.

 

Yeah, I tend to use Nazis as villains a lot; they're easy to hate and plenty of 'em. The orcs of Pulp.

 

However, just to give my players a break, the just-about-to-start Big Story Arc will feature no Nazis at all.