1930's Episodic Pulp Adventure
Hi everyone, I'm fairly new to the site, but an experienced player and GM. I am working on a 1930's Pulp adventure game.
System: Semi-Free Form (Fists & 45's Framework)
Theme: 30s Pulp Type hero adventure, think Indiana Jones, the Mummy, the Untouchables, Secret Agent
Jumpoff Point: 1932 Winter Olympics, Lake Placid, NY
Narrative
This game would be an episodic serial. Where each adventure is a episode. The characters will travel around the world taking on different adventures.
There will be pre-determined character arch-types, that players could customize some to their own taste, and perhaps original characters submitted by players. The Episodes will explore the international events and characters that led to WWII.
The characters will start at the 1932 Winter Olympics, Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt is in attendance and just cranking up his 1st Presidential Election run. Prohibition is still the law of the land and Speak Easies abound. The main transcontinental travel is still by ships and private flight is just coming on. The National Socialist German Workers' Party(NAZIs) are posed to make take their first steps to power in the July 1932 German Elections. Imperial Japan has invaded Manchuria and is on the verge of getting the Republic of China to turnover Manchuria to Japan. Mussolini is advancing Italy's Colonial Empire in Africa. The El Mirador Pyramid is discovered in Guatemala in 1930. The bulk of the world still travels by foot, horseback or by train.
This is an Alternate Timeline Earth. Adolph Hitler may be a benevolent savior of Europe and Winston Churchill a despotic mass murderer. The characters will have to decide for themselves.
This is the world the characters will enter and adventure through.
I'm looking for any feedback or interest in the game.
Pre-Determined Characters
1. Old Timer – German immigrant to America. Born 1898, was in Great War from 1915-1918, wounded twice, Sapper and Engineer. Favored gear; Trench Shotgun, grenades and entrenching shovel.
2. Flyboy – Canadian Bush Pilot. Born 1912, spent most of life as trapper and guide, canoeing, barnstorming and later flying in Northern Canada. Knows Driver. Favored gear; 45-70 Springfield and ski plane or float plane
3. Driver/mechanic - Chicago American Bootlegger. Born 1912. Spent youth working for gangs in Chicago running booze around the Great Lakes by boat and roads to and from Canada. Knows flyboy whom he’s met from runs on Minnesota Lakes. Favored Gear; Tommy Gun with 100 rnd drum, straight razor and anything with a engine.
4. Indirect Fire – French Surveyor former Naval Gunner. Born 1913. Mathematical prodigy, helped survey and layout Maginot Line after a short stint in the French navy as a Gunner off the shores of Africa. Recently flown into Canadian Northwest Territories by flyboy, to do survey work. Favored Gear; Sten Gun and a 50mm mortar. Knows the Spaniard.
5. The Spaniard (Weapons) – Actually a Basque separatist. Born 1910. Spent youth in Basque resistance movement in the Pyrennes. Later exiled and became a Mercenary in North Africa and the Middle East. Knows Spanish, Berber, Arabic, English and French. Favored Gear; Trench Knife, M1911 Colt, MP40, walking stick. A friend of Smuggler.
6. Sniper – Blackfoot Half-Native American. Born 1912. North American hunting guide, hunter, trapper. Has been hunting since he can remember, taught by his grandfather in Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest of America. Spent sporadic periods traveling US in Wild West show. Knows Flyboy. Favored Gear; throwing tomahawk, elkhorn hunting knife, scoped M1903 Rifle.
7. Doc (medic) - Kicked out of Chicago Medical in last semester for dalliance with Deans daughter(found, drunk and in bed with Doc), practicing medicine without a license(treating wounded gang members) and gambling. Born 1903. Though quite talented, has weak willpower when it comes to having fun. Knows Driver. Favored Gear; surgeons bag, Walther PPK.
8. Sparks (communications) – British Lady of the lower gentry, knows the ways of court and likes the finer things. Born 1912. Has been fascinated by radios since very young and well schooled in communication and signal through her work with British Weather Services. Spent time in Northern Canada with her parents relaying polar weather anomalies. Knows flyboy. Favored Gear; Flare projector, Sten gun, derringer.
9. Swede(machine gunner) – Bear of a man, 6’ 5 250 lbs. Born 1909. Raised in Swedish Military, took a liking to machine guns of all types, traveled as a gunner with the Swedish Navy. Knows Swedish, English, German and Russian. Favored gear; Lewis Machine Gun, Browning M2 50 cal.
10. Cowboy (shooter) - Grew up on a Wyoming cattle ranch living the life of a cowboy. Born in 1901 in Ten Sleep Wyoming. At the age of 14 he was in New Mexico with his father selling horses to the Cavalry when Poncho Villa attacked the 13th US Cav. He helped fend off the Mexican raid when 18 Americans were killed. The Mexicans escaped with 100 horses, and the Wyoming boy took chase, stealing back 20 that night. Later he joined a Wild West Show and became fast friends with Sniper. Favored Gear; matched Colt 45 peacmakers, Model 94 Winchester rifle.
11. Farmboy (Jack of All Trades )
Born in Slovakia and raised in PA and Kansas. Parents were Slovak emigrants to Western Pennsylvania. His father worked his way up from a coal miner to a Millwrights assistant. Very versatile and tough, he can fix anything, and seemingly do anything, great stamina and clever.
12. Smuggler – Born and raised in Liberia, very charismatic, currently making a living smuggling armaments and coffee to Germany that are in violation of the Versailles Treaty. …………………knows Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, English, German and several local languages to include Manding, Gola and Kru.
This message was last edited by the user at 03:32, Sun 22 July 2018.
