Roter Baron Posted May 14, 2006 Report Share Posted May 14, 2006 I think it was time for that thread a long time ago. So finally, here ist is: TOPIC - Lost Worlds A,B,C: a) Nobody really missed them. You are the sucker for the lost map, paying hundreds of $ for it to the half-mad Spaniard. c) When you get there you are LOST in no time! d) The Nazis are already there. e) The vulcano is getting active as soon as you get there (was okay for the last couple of 1000 years). f) Everywhere else evolution took care of the REALLY BIG TOOTHY CRITTERS - but not here ... g) All are flesh-eaters. h)Your flesh is the sweetest. j) Where is Doc Savage, The Shadow, The Spider or Indiana Jones when you need them to save your day - in his Fortress of Solitude, on a date with Margot Lane, dressing up for crime-fighting and on that long planned vacation with his absent-minded old man of course. k) Progress took care of old slave-holder societies who kicked every blond barbarians but - but not here! "ALL HAIL, NOVA ROMA! BOW TO THE POWER OF HER LEGIONS, BLONDIE!" And you just thought them Nazis had an attitude ... l) Nazis bad, New Romans bad, BUT man-eating Amazonian tribes are really bad! Only complete with poisened arrows. m) But wait - ENTER: African Headhunters Inc.! Oh what fun! n) At least the rivers are not piranhas or crocodile infested. Sure. You don't have them with all the SHARKS around ... o) Finally good news: The Queen of the Jungle! Long-legged blonde in skimpy dress! p) Of course bad news follows: She already has a boyfriend: Silverback a 800 lbs gorilla. Oh, I'm afraid he doesn't like you, ... q) Up to this point you should have run out of all bearers. Good news: You save wages. r)Bad news: Each and every one of them took vital parts of your equipment with him in his untimely grave. s) As always: The damsel that you didn't want to take along for the trip is in distress. Was from the first moment. t) Natives are always subjugated and looking to you as their liberator from exploitation by a) the Nazis, the New Romans, c) the Amazonian Maneaters, d) the African Headhunters, e) all four of them. u) Of course, the won't lift a finger to help you to help them. v) By now your shirt if ripped to shreds - show-off your bulking muscles and hairy chest before the Amazonian Roman Nazis from New Africa hunt your head and eat the rest because the natives are just sitting idly around waiting for you to save their day. w) Your usually useless comic relief scientist companion has now his first and only idea: Use the Force! [of the Vulcano!] x) You get the Vulcano covering your enemies in hot lava, killing them all and the toothy critters, triumphing finally! y) The natives that were to be liberated die in process. But you can't have it all, can you? [Pulp story loophole] z) On a platform of frozen magma you, the scientist and the damsel ride out of the vulcano on a column of hot lava. You escape torn but alive - and only want a beer. Be sure to tell the next Spaniard who wants to sell some maps that you don't have enough change. Or shoot him on sight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midas Posted May 15, 2006 Report Share Posted May 15, 2006 Re: Things I have learned playing a pulp hero ... AA: If it is a continuing series, no matter what you do, something will keep you from escaping the Lost World. AB: Someone always has to be the Gilligan/ Dr Smith. If you would shoot (usualy) her, you would be out of there in no time. AB: Especially if she has "greedy" or "self centered" as psy crocks. (Yes I enjoyed the Tribune version of Lost World: I am Midas after all *_*) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cold Steel Posted May 15, 2006 Report Share Posted May 15, 2006 Re: Things I have learned playing a pulp hero ... There comes at one point in a Pulp Hero's life when he asks these two questions: "WHY ME?!!!" and "WHY DOESN'T ANYBODY ELSE DO THIS FOR A CHANGE?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
"V" Posted May 17, 2006 Report Share Posted May 17, 2006 Re: Things I have learned playing a pulp hero ... When you reach the treasure room in the temple and notice how elaborately it is decorated in comparison with the grotty generic corridors that led up to it... unfold the ten foot pole and the crash test dummies and DO NOT APPROACH THE ALTAR DIRECTLY. If there are Romans of any type up to and including traffic wardens, then there will be an arena which will involve fights to the death. This even applies if there is a very very limited availability of potential combatants. This may explain the very very limited availability of potential combatants. When you're captured by the Nazis/Romans/Other Imperialists with Eagle Banners and just before you're bundled off into the arena dungeons look around. If any of the captors is a good looking young woman, smile at her. This will halve the amount of time you spend incarcerated and possibly get you a deleted scene near the end of the adventure. That roguish and slightly mercenary character you brought with you on the expedition - cast a quick I-CHING hexagram for him. If it comes up as Hexagram 9 (Player Character) then you can count on him to come through in the end, possibly as a result of the affections of the young woman mentioned above. If it comes up Hexagram 23 (Non Player Character) then he will have been planning to betray you all along and will do so a) shortly after you find the treasure and, shortly before the death trap triggers. If this is a one-off adventure the NPC traitor will be killed in the death trap, if it is a continuing campaign he won't. Somehow his running shoes can tell the difference. The Fountain of Youth will work, but there will be so many terms and conditions in the user manual that you'd have to bathe in the Fountain of Dumb before trying it. The Jungle Queen really doesn't know what kissing is. Her culture really is that unusual. So don't waste time kissing her - if she's that willing to try new things with complete strangers see what else her culture hasn't yet formed taboos about and go straight for the deleted scene. If at any point you encounter an ancient jewel whose name includes the word "EYE" particularly if it is being sought by Nazis (etc etc) then keep it handy. Forget the market value, the energy blasts that it will almost certainly produce at some point will be invaluable. Try to look surprised and impressed though - GMs like that sort of thing. If at any point you encounter an ancient jewel whose name includes the word "EGG" particularly if it is being sought by Nazis (etc etc) then be cautious. When at some point it hatches into a powerful and destructive spirit being composed of pure energy from beyond the dawn of time (etc) it will not be a good idea to have it in your pocket. If you can figure out exactly when this is going to happen however it will make an effective grenade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebuchet Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 Re: Things I have learned playing a pulp hero ... All female characters, PC and NPC alike, will lose at least 50% of their clothing during the course of the adventure. "Campy" is not only not frowned upon, it's Standard Operating Procedure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
"V" Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 Re: Things I have learned playing a pulp hero ... All female characters' date=' PC and NPC alike, will lose [i']at least [/i]50% of their clothing during the course of the adventure. I did run a home grown pulp rpg system for a while and one of the concepts was that each character had a certain number of Plot Points that they could use to boost their chances of success at critical moments - and each character could define a method by which they could recoup Plot Points by acting "in genre/in character" - so for instance the Esteemed Detective could recoup Plot Points by making patronising speeches explaining his deductive processes; the brawler recouped his by being unduly pugnacious even when the player knew this wasn't necessarily the most expedient moment to do so - and so on. My wife was running a classic Pulp Heroine - naive, beautiful, curious etc and defined her Plot Point recovery method as being exactly what you described - the way she saw it was that Pulp Heroines must have had some reason for running round in a state of skimpy undress since it happened so often, and that reason was probably because it got them skill boosts. Stalwart Detective: You know Miss Dashwood, this must be a first, we've spent more than three hours together and you still appear to be fully dressed. Anthea: Well the night is still young. Fun days... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKJAM! Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 Re: Things I have learned playing a pulp hero ... All female characters' date=' PC and NPC alike, will lose [i']at least [/i]50% of their clothing during the course of the adventure. [/i] This is because women's clothing in the pulps is made from the flimsiest materials known to science. Especially the underwear, which is made of gossamer and lace--at its sturdiest. No wires or whalebone stays here, boy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
"V" Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 Re: Things I have learned playing a pulp hero ... And you'd be amazed what it can get snagged on... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 Re: Things I have learned playing a pulp hero ... A great mind and smashing fists beats a great mind by a lot, all the time; they beat smashing fists by a little, and not always. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKJAM! Posted May 25, 2006 Report Share Posted May 25, 2006 Re: Things I have learned playing a pulp hero ... Marijuana is a very versatile drug. It's a hallucinogenic, aphrodisiac, soporific, will-deadening, frenzy-inducing, etc. About the only thing it never does is give you the munchies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
input.jack Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 Re: Things I have learned playing a pulp hero ... Gangsters become Patriotic Americans when they find out theyve been working for Nazis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Serpent Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 Re: Things I have learned playing a pulp hero ... A kind word and a pistol gets you more than a kind word. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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