Algernon Files 2.0

[Lysando]

How useful would The Algernon Files 2.0 be if someone was running a "traditional" Pulp Hero campaign?

[ghost-angel]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0

 

The Fires Of War would be much more useful.

 

Algernon Files is Superheroic and not intended for Pulp.

[OddHat]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0

 

I'd agree. There's plenty of meat in the Algernon Files: Fires of War for a high powered Pulp campaign. but AF 2.0 is set in the present and contains characters generally too over the top for any but the wildest Pulp games, and even then you'd need to do a lot of work to convert them.

 

I'm using Fires of War and the Pulp Hero supplements to support my WWII Supers campaign.

[Enforcer84]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0

 

I'd agree. There's plenty of meat in the Algernon Files: Fires of War for a high powered Pulp campaign. but AF 2.0 is set in the present and contains characters generally too over the top for any but the wildest Pulp games, and even then you'd need to do a lot of work to convert them.

 

I'm using Fires of War and the Pulp Hero supplements to support my WWII Supers campaign.

Is that legal?

 

[OddHat]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0

 

Is that legal?

 

 

Pulp is all about the risks.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0

 

I'm with the pack on this. The original Algernon Files is far too high-powered and modern in its sensibility for any game using the familiar pulp genre conventions. But its sequel book, The Fires of War, is set in the Pulp-Golden Age era, and contains quite a few characters both villainous and heroic designed to fit heroic-level pulp games, especially if you allow more exotic elements like magic and "weird science."

[mattingly]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0

 

As a co-author of both books, I agree that The Fires Of War would fit better for a pulp game. Probably at least 1/3rd of the book should be useful to a pulp hero game with very little change.

 

The timeline, military of the era, superspies, trick pilots, intrepid explorers, precocious kids, museums, islands, dinosaurs, mad scientists, rockets, hypnotists, masterminds, femmes fatale, crimelords, sky pirates, and other elements should be able to spice up a pulp game easily enough.

 

We'd certainly love for you to buy The Algernon Files, too, but it's intended more for a modern superhero game.

[Peregrine]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0

 

 

Algernon Files is Superheroic and not intended for Pulp.

 

This is something that I've wanted to comment on recently - the perceived separation between the Pulps and Superheroes. Looking at the original sources for the pulps, you get a full range of character power levels, up to and including super powers (The New Accelerator, Odd John, Gladiator). You don't have a lot of the tropes (circus acrobat-inspired costumes, for example) of the comics, but most or all of the major types of powers can be found in pulp literature.

 

This, of course, does not negate the concept of the preferences of local gaming groups or even individual pulp fans - many do prefer a lower power level. But the pulps as a whole included super-powered characters, and that power level is as valid for pulp gaming as lower levels - it all depends on local preferences.

 

So, you can adapt from any supers supplements for a pulps game if you want to run at that power level, just be aware of the "four-color" tropes that weren't part of the pulps and adjust to taste.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0

 

This is something that I've wanted to comment on recently - the perceived separation between the Pulps and Superheroes. Looking at the original sources for the pulps' date=' you get a full range of character power levels, up to and including super powers ([i']The New Accelerator, Odd John, Gladiator[/i]). You don't have a lot of the tropes (circus acrobat-inspired costumes, for example) of the comics, but most or all of the major types of powers can be found in pulp literature.

 

This, of course, does not negate the concept of the preferences of local gaming groups or even individual pulp fans - many do prefer a lower power level. But the pulps as a whole included super-powered characters, and that power level is as valid for pulp gaming as lower levels - it all depends on local preferences.

 

So, you can adapt from any supers supplements for a pulps game if you want to run at that power level, just be aware of the "four-color" tropes that weren't part of the pulps and adjust to taste.

 

While I won't disagree with the premise ...

 

The Algernon Files is very much a product of Modern Feel and Tropes. Where Fires Of War is very much a product of Golden Age and Pulp Tropes.

 

Fires Of War certainly contains some higher powered, and superpowered, characters - and they are fully in the Pulp Vein of things. Which is why it would be a better resource.

 

Fires Of War could easily be called Pulp Superheroes. Algernon Files could not, in fact some of it dips into Bronze and Iron Age in Feel.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Algernon Files 2.0

 

I would also contend that even the most powerful characters in pulp-era literature did not wield the spectacular effects that high-end four-color supers do: blazing energy, thunderous impacts, and so on. Their powers manifested more subtly. The Algernon Files has many characters with four-color flash, while those in The Fires of War tend to be more low-key.

 

Also, there are more than a few beings in TAF who could rip Hugo Danner (The Gladiator) to shreds. The power level in that book scales up just about as high as comics get. Although some of the cast from FOW are pretty formidable they're not as mighty overall, and quite a few are in the "highly-skilled exceptional human" range.