1925-A--Coming Soon!

[SKJAM!]

The local gaming group has decided to take a break from our Gamma Hero game, and I'm finally about to start running a Pulp game. Just to make this extra-interesting, this will also be our first try at 6th Edition.

 

Here's some campaign notes:

1925-A A Pulp campaign in design stage

 

The year is 1925. Life in the United States of America is much as the history books tell it; Calvin Coolidge is president, the economy is booming, Prohibition is in full swing, and Al Capone pretty much owns Chicago.

 

But there are a few differences, stemming from an odd event about five years ago. On March 18, 1920, at approximately 3:18 AM Greenwich Meridian Time, the sky all over Earth lit up with an aurora effect, described by those who saw it as "comprised of colors unknown to man." The display lasted about fourteen minutes, vanishing as abruptly as it ended. There are scattered reports of viewers going insane, but investigation indicates that most so afflicted were already of poor mental stability before the phenomenon.

 

More widely reported on is the art movement known as Auroraism, which attempts to recreate the colors and emotions sparked by the phenomenon. The best-known adherents of the school are the Frenchman Alexine Dian, the American Jay Andresson, and the Polish Wencelas Bucokoski. Critics, however, consider the absolute finest art done in the style to be that of an anonymous New Zealander (possibly a Maori, given some of the themes.) Sadly, this anonymous artist is only known to have completed three works.

 

The possible third effect (though scientists warn that "correlation does not mean causation"), is that certain people began to exhibit abilities beyond the human norm. This phenomenon is colloquially referred to as "Weird Talents." While many of those known to possess such abilities have explanations for their special abilities ("trained with Taoist monks in the Orient", "a scientifically-designed exercise program", "I took my degree in electrical engineering at MIT", etc.), they have generally admitted that they did not fully manifest weird talents before March of 1920.

 

And finally, Terran humans learned that they are not alone. At least three new kinds of humans have come to light in the last five years, "lost races" from "hidden lands." The small, short-lived Aleea, the horned Taurek, and the mysterious Kwai have all added new knowledge and challenges to the world.

 

Now is a time of adventure and the expansion of learning! America needs brave men and women to explore, discover, invent and fight crime and ignorance! Will you take up the challenge?

 

Character creation guidelines:

 

Player characters should be 100 base + up to 50 Complications.

Normal Characteristic Maxima apply.

 

Player characters may have one "Weird Talent", which may be broad or narrow in function, but should be explainable in one phrase. Keep in mind the pulp setting for the appropriate power level and types of talents. Taking a weird talent is entirely optional--not having one leaves more room for non-combat skills.

 

While the pulp setting means that almost any problem can be solved by punching the right person, most pulp heroes have a fistful of non-combat skills to help them find the right person to punch. I'd recommend you folks coordinate among yourselves to get a good spread of useful skills and knowledge sets.

 

Please do not take Psych Comps that would get in the way of team functioning, such as "Loner", "Does not work well with others", or "Obnoxious." Since the first scenario will probably center around an exploration mission, you should include at least one character hook as to why they'd be invited on such an expedition or choose to join it.

 

House Rule: Surprise blows to the back of a player character's head always knock out that character, regardless of headgear, weird talents or paranoia that would supposedly prevent this. However, surprise blows to the back of the head will never kill a player character. This is in line with the pulp tradition.

 

 

*Notes as they come up*

 

Mass spectroscopy was in its infancy in 1920 (only a couple of years old, and just named that year!) and the Mount Wilson Observatory had just that year installed the really big telescope with the spectroscope chamber. So I'm going to say that most scientists didn't get the chance to get their equipment out and set up in time for a full analysis. From the fragmentary observations they did get, the light seemed to contain transuranic elements not found on Earth, and a previously unknown isotope of copper. (No one has, as of campaign date, managed to create a stable form of this isotope.) None of the scientists studying the aurora effect are known to have gone insane, though there has been a notable rise in insanity among scientists and engineers worldwide. As for the artists--"If they went insane, who would notice?"

 

 

Any thoughts, questions, suggestions?

[kahuna's bro]

Re: 1925-A--Coming Soon!

 

looks good keep us posted

[SKJAM!]

Re: 1925-A--Coming Soon!

 

Hmm...I was hoping for a little more specific feedback, but okay...Here's a draft of the possible briefing for the first scenario.

 

"Gentlemen, Miss Arneson, thank you for coming this afternoon. I will come straight to the point. The Geological Society of North America is sponsoring an expedition to the Canadian Rockies, to leave on Tuesday.

 

"Yes, that's correct. In January. Yes, it seems quite mad, but I assure you there is reason for the urgency. Our seismological instruments recently detected vibrations consistent with a mild earthquake in approximately the area of Mount Kitkinakook, here on the map. There have been reports from Indians who trap fur in that vicinity that the ground shook, and a great mist arose. Two bush pilots have also reported that the entire area is covered in thick fog.

 

"Thus we have contacted Professor David Arneson, the famous vulcanologist, no need to act humble, Professor. He'll be in charge of the expedition; that part of the Rockies is not known to be a volcanic area, but that remains the most likely explanation. The less likely explanations are cause for concern, thus not putting off the expedition until the spring thaw, and some of your more...specialized talents."

 

(Introduction of the player characters)

 

(Introduction of important NPCs to fill other expedition needs.)

 

"The nearest railroad spur is over 200 miles away, so we'll arrange for you to have sleds and dogs from that point on. Any questions?"

[Lord Liaden]

Re: 1925-A--Coming Soon!

 

Hmm... your premise reminds me of White Wolf's Pulp-era game Adventure!, in which the PC heroes are among the "Inspired," gifted with exceptional abilities.

 

A few quick questions:

 

How did the Aleea, the Taurek, and the Kwai "come to light?" Were they discovered by explorers, and if so, where and how? Or are they some sort of mutation brought on by the aurora (hence the timing of their appearance)? I assume there's some connection between them and the aurora in any case, which may be revealed during the campaign.

 

You make special note of the "unknown isotope of copper" that isn't "stable," and imply that someone has made the effort to create a stable form of it. Is this going to be one of the plot-generating components of the setting? Does the isotope have special properties? (I'm reminded of E. E. "Doc" Smith's classic Skylark series of novels from around this era, in which copper treated with "Element X" could be totally converted to energy manifesting as pure force, for propulsion, power generation, weapons, and many other uses.)

[SKJAM!]

Re: 1925-A--Coming Soon!

 

A few quick questions:

 

How did the Aleea, the Taurek, and the Kwai "come to light?" Were they discovered by explorers, and if so, where and how? Or are they some sort of mutation brought on by the aurora (hence the timing of their appearance)? I assume there's some connection between them and the aurora in any case, which may be revealed during the campaign.

 

The Aleea and Taurek were discovered in previously unknown valleys in California's Shasta area and the Wisconsin Dells respectively. These valleys cannot be seen from the air, despite their obvious size, and it is peculiar that no one spotted the entrance caves before. The Kwai seem to have "just appeared" on the Russian/Manchurian border, and have claimed a hunk of land as their own--all communication attempts have failed, and even "Kwai" is a name given by the local humans.

 

You make special note of the "unknown isotope of copper" that isn't "stable," and imply that someone has made the effort to create a stable form of it. Is this going to be one of the plot-generating components of the setting? Does the isotope have special properties? (I'm reminded of E. E. "Doc" Smith's classic Skylark series of novels from around this era, in which copper treated with "Element X" could be totally converted to energy manifesting as pure force, for propulsion, power generation, weapons, and many other uses.)

 

Possibly...:-P (and aha! knew I was getting that bit from somewhere.)

[SKJAM!]

Re: 1925-A--Coming Soon!

 

We've had a couple of sessions now, and the usual motley assortment of player characters is present...two-fisted reporter, wealthy doctor, White Russian pilot, biochemist/masked adventurer, "fake" psychic, and professional wrestler/insane asylum escapee. (The last's background was painfully obviously written to maximize combat prowess and avoid having to take a lot of non-combat/background skills.)

 

So far the group is really beginning to regret that no one took wilderness survival skills.

[Ian Mackinder]

Re: 1925-A--Coming Soon!

 

So far the group is really beginning to regret that no one took wilderness survival skills.

 

Good. I'm sure they will try to fix that omission ASAP.

 

If you want to be nasty, offer the party a "short cut". Tutelage in survival skills will be provided during the course of play by an expert NPC (a local guide, perhaps, or maybe an explorer-type who joins the party?). All going well (ie. the expert lives long enough to pass on his knowledge, and the PCs go the distance with him), then the PCs will be able to buy survival skills at a discount.

 

Of course, what the PCs will soon discover is that their instructor uses the classic technique of "Teach 'em by making their lives hell ... ". Plus, he may have additional not-so-charming personal traits on top of all this. Just a thought.