Guest Vile Traveller Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Yes, back to prodding Jason to prod Dustin! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dredj Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 I wouldn't mind seeing a generic Planetary Romance sourcebook that happens to draw very heavily on the Barsoom setting. Burrough's created the genre (I think), but he wasn't the only one writing in it. There's already a supplement for Savage Worlds that does exactly that. Also, I wouldn't mind seeing REH's Almuric setting covered as well. Maybe present it as a alternate universe setting to further confound the copyrights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason D Posted March 4, 2012 Author Share Posted March 4, 2012 I wouldn't mind seeing a generic Planetary Romance sourcebook that happens to draw very heavily on the Barsoom setting. Burrough's created the genre (I think), but he wasn't the only one writing in it. There's already a supplement for Savage Worlds that does exactly that. Also, I wouldn't mind seeing REH's Almuric setting covered as well. Maybe present it as a alternate universe setting to further confound the copyrights. That's what Interplanetary is. Inspired by ERB, Kline, REH, Moorcock, et al. but with its own setting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seneschal Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 (edited) Oops! Double post. Darn slow internet connection! Edited March 7, 2012 by seneschal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seneschal Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 The John Carter of Mars movie opens in two days. Do you know where your zitidar is? Interplanetary is the BRP supplement that I most anticipate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason D Posted March 8, 2012 Author Share Posted March 8, 2012 The John Carter of Mars movie opens in two days. Do you know where your zitidar is? Interplanetary is the BRP supplement that I most anticipate. Thanks! It was my hope to have it out before the film, but time is not on my side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simlasa Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Thanks! It was my hope to have it out before the film, but time is not on my side. The movie looks like a big tub of crap to me so maybe the missed window is not so large after all. If it's a huge flop then it's best not to be associated with it at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
threedeesix Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 The movie looks like a big tub of crap to me so maybe the missed window is not so large after all. If it's a huge flop then it's best not to be associated with it at all. Ok, just to restore balance to the universe, it looks absolutly awesome to me and I cant wait to see it on Saturday. Balance restored. Rod Quote Join my Mythras/RuneQuest 6: Classic Fantasy Yahoo Group at https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/RQCF/info "D100 - Exactly 5 times better than D20" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RosenMcStern Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Do you know where your zitidar is? You usually want to ride a thoat, not a zitidar. I suspect this was the source of Jason's problem. He wrote at zitidar pace, while Disney was making the movie at thoat speed. Does anyone have an airship for JD to catch up with Disney? Quote Proud member of the Evil CompetitionTM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simlasa Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 (edited) Ok, just to restore balance to the universe...Wow! I didn't know I had the power to knock the universe off balance with my opinions... good thing I held back my thoughts on Avatar. Edited March 10, 2012 by Simlasa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romerac Elerion Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 Does this get some kind of award for the longest time for a supplement to get published? Quote Jewelled, the multiverse spread around him, awash with life, rich with pulsating energy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjbowser Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 Does this get some kind of award for the longest time for a supplement to get published? Not even close. We're still waiting for Pulp Cthulhu, which was announced in 2003 and The Black Box which was announced in 1998. There are many others as well. Quote Various RPGs I've worked on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simlasa Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 We're still waiting for Pulp CthulhuI'm not. CoC is 'pulpy' enough as is. 'Interplanetary' is probably my most anticipated release... except for maybe the new edition of 'The Whispering Vault' which was announced but never arrived (and by the looks of it never will). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mankcam Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 (edited) CoC is 'pulpy' enough as is. Kind of. It certainly doesn't take much house-ruling to make it a Pulp Adventure setting with horror elements. It's a logical cross-over genre for CoC, one that I wouldn't expect would require a large supplement, and it's weird how 'Pulp Cthuhlu' has taken so long to come out considering this. I think I read the author may have health concerns, so the publishing date has been put back. If I had to prioritise which publication sees the light of day I would certainly request for it to be 'Interplanetary' considering I can get a Pulp flavour to CoC with minimal house-rules. A Sci-Fi setting, whether Hard Tech or Pulp Adventure genres, would require alot more work on the part of a GM, so a published source book would certainly be welcome here. Edited March 10, 2012 by Mankcam Quote " Sure it's fun, but it is also well known that a D20 roll and an AC is no match against a hefty swing of a D100% and a D20 Hit Location Table!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baron Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 Alright, I see this all the time and I finally have to ask. What is it that people think needs to be changed to make Call of Cthulhu into "pulp?" I, too, don't see a difference. Unless you want to argue that pulp protagonists don't ever seem to die... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seneschal Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 At least, John Carter doesn't. He just wakes up on a different planet. Saw the Disney movie tonight, IMAX 3-D. As all adaptations do, it took liberties with the book's events but was faithful to the spirit of the Buroughs novels. If "suffered" is the right word, it suffered from the same problem as Voyage of the Dawn Treader; Disney script writers felt compelled to produce a master villain to unify all elements of the story rather than let the hero's episodic adventures just happen. In this case, they imported the Therns from God's of Mars as orchestrators of all Barsom's problems -- with Carter's advent messing up their well-laid schemes. Despite pre-premiere concerns about the actors, Carter was sufficiently manly, Dejah Thoris was gorgeous (even if she did possess more brains, martial prowess and clothing than in the books), and the Tharks were beautifully realized. Woola the calot, Carter's Martian watch dog, was both ferocious and adorable. So it was faithful enough not to annoy the purist in me, was well and lovingly done, and leaves things open for a sequel should the film be a winner at the box office. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mankcam Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 (edited) Alright, I see this all the time and I finally have to ask. What is it that people think needs to be changed to make Call of Cthulhu into "pulp?" In hindsight I think Simlasa may have been referring to 'Pulp Horror', which Call of Cthuhlu certainly is. Lovecraft himself was obviously a Pulp writer, and Chaosium have done a brilliant job translating his setting to a rpg, that's for sure. I think I misread the term 'pulpy' as referring to Pulp Adventure, which Call of Cthuhlu as written, doesn't really hit on the head, not in the way rule sets like White Wolf's 'Adventure!" or Savage Worlds 'Thrilling Tales' does. The Call of Cthuhlu campaign and setting books are great, but the game could benefit from a few tweaks to the character mechanics, namely the use of a 'Pulp Points' concept, in which case which the optional Fate rules from the BRP core book could be easily used to emulate cinematic actions performed by pulpy adventure characters. Having some version of Feats/Edges would go along way for flavour, but certainly isn't essential. That's why I thought it was odd to have to wait so long for the Pulp Cthuhlu rules, considering that only minor tweaks to the mechanics could turn Call of Cthuhlu from the Pulp Horror genre to a Pulp Adventure genre. I really don't think I ought to railroad the discussion too much further about this, considering the topic in question originally was about the pending 'Interplanetary' publication. I suppose if it's a hot topic to debate then perhaps it's a worthy subject for it's own thread, but best not to bog this thread down on semantics about what the term 'pulp' actually portrays. I'm looking forward to seeing how BRP portrays the Planetary Pulp genre, and this upcoming publication sounds like it'll do it justice. Edited March 11, 2012 by Mankcam grammar Quote " Sure it's fun, but it is also well known that a D20 roll and an AC is no match against a hefty swing of a D100% and a D20 Hit Location Table!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baron Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 I'm happy to respect the opinion of the majority, but since Interplanetary would be considered a pulp genre book, I don't think it's off topic to ask what makes something pulp or not. To me, it's a matter of playing style and description. I don't see the need for fate points or pulp points or any other mechanic, whether to make CoC pulp, or Interplanetary, or any other setting book. So, that's it? A mechanic that allows players to flip a die result? That's what makes pulp, and what CoC lacks? Does Interplanetary have such a mechanic? Does BRP require such to play a Barsoom campaign? Or not. If a moderator is so compelled, feel free to delete my post then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
filbanto Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 To me, it's a matter of playing style and description. This. I see pulp heroes as larger than life. Fate points put more control in the hands of the player to replicate this idea, but you can easily run a "pulp" game without them. "Pulp Cthulhu" needs tweaks to the SAN mechanism to replicate the genre. Instead of "Oh my god - a horrible creature from the depths, I'd better visit my therapist." It would be "Oh my god - a horrible creature from the depths, I'd better get my dynamite." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simlasa Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 (edited) IMO people have appropriated the word 'pulp' to be a synonym for 'gonzo action'... as in the sort of no-consequence action we seen in a lot of 'action movies'... James Bond is that sort of 'pulp' to me... and Brian Lumley's 'Guns Against Cthulhu' stuff. It's not to my taste (and I think the real Pulps had a much wider range of style) but I can see why people enjoy it. I just don't think CoC needs an entire book devoted to it. Maybe just a pamphlet of guidelines regarding fate points and mooks... and the San mechanics Filbanto mentioned. I'm also curious to see how Interplanetary will deal with the balance between the game and the literary style where the heroes seldom/never take the fall. I've got no interest in playing PCs who cannot die (and seldom fail). Our group used to play Deadlands and that is pretty much how our GM ran it... and I blame it on the ability to 'chip away' most incoming damage. It seemed to me to short circuit the need to make plans (Our group would just charge in the front door, guns blazing). I'm sure that someone will feel that if their PC dies during a game emulating the 'Planetary Romance' genre it would be a fail... Edited March 11, 2012 by Simlasa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baron Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 Definitely don't want unkillable characters in any rpg. At least IMO. It's not a game if chance isn't an element, because you can't have a GM vs Players adversarial relationship. SAN rules are a problem? Not if you tone it down a bit. Don't make SAN too incapacitating, that's all. You see a gibbering horror, you begin to gibber. While getting the dynamite. OK, so that's a little flippant, perhaps. But if you want to put Cthulhu monsters into a pulp movie serial or magazine, there should be some narrative incidence of insanity as a result of the encounter. Likewise in an rpg designed to emulate a pulp movie serial or magazine. Now, go for broke and put the Cthulhu monsters on Barsoom. Unless you just want a punching bag made of hit points with a Lovecraftian label attached, there should be some insanity as a result. No? Otherwise what's the point? Stick with big white apes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
filbanto Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 OK, so that's a little flippant, perhaps. But if you want to put Cthulhu monsters into a pulp movie serial or magazine, there should be some narrative incidence of insanity as a result of the encounter. Likewise in an rpg designed to emulate a pulp movie serial or magazine. Now, go for broke and put the Cthulhu monsters on Barsoom. Unless you just want a punching bag made of hit points with a Lovecraftian label attached, there should be some insanity as a result. No? Otherwise what's the point? Stick with big white apes. I respectfully disagree with this. Cthulhu monsters need not cause insanity to be interesting opponents. This is an interpretation of a certain game style and it is already covered by CoC as written. To my mind heroes are made of "stronger stuff" in the "pulp" genre. NPC's might cower and lose their minds when faced by alien horrors. But while the creature may bring bile to the throat of your stalwart adventurer he's able to suck it up and get the job done instead of collapsing into a mewling mess. Both styles of game are fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simlasa Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 (edited) To my mind heroes are made of "stronger stuff" in the "pulp" genre.To be a bit picky... I'm not sure 'Pulp' qualifies as a genre. The term is originally just descriptive of the magazines the stories appeared in. 'Planetary Romance' is more of genre IMO. To my mind Lovecraftian monsters weren't just scary because they were so ooky to look at, it's also because they are WRONG... the mere presence of the bigger nastier ones actually creates an aura that conflicts with the human brain. Sure you could get used to hanging with ghouls or a Deep Ones... but probably not a flying polyp... and certainly not Yog Sothoth. I certainly don't see John Carter and his ilk fleeing from the sight of a giant white ape or a plant man, but when some ultimate sorcerous abomination shows up it's always helps set the mood to have some big muscle-bound guy go all Mantan Moreland on you and run away screaming. Maybe that's a better use of fate points than cheating death... use them to cheat the sanity rolls. That way you can laugh in the thing's face (if it has one) while it gnaws on you. Edited March 11, 2012 by Simlasa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baron Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 Good point that bore repeating. Pulp certainly refers to the original magazines, which Lovecraft's work appeared in. Which means that by that definition, Cthulhu = pulp. Doesn't invalidate anyone's choice to play games in whatever style they enjoy most. Personally I think Indiana Jones or Buck Rogers or Barsoom when I think of pulp. But if I put Shub Niggurath into the town square, I'd expect there to be a sanity reaction from the protagonists. Not from seeing a mi-go, unless you were Indiana Jones. Because Buck would have seen aliens, and Barsoom already contains various types of monsters. But Indy should, IMO, have a sanity issue from the mi-go appearance. And again, I would have him gibber, and then grab the dynamite. The story must go on, after all... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simlasa Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 (edited) Yeah, when first coming upon some vast otherwordly abomination (VOA) I want my (Indy, Buck, John Carter-flavored) hero to do the sensible thing and run... but then (hopefully) rally himself and grab the dynamite. That nonsense where the steroid-guy just stands his ground and bellows at the thing (or worse, give it that cocky 'come hither' gesture) is really not my style. Edited March 11, 2012 by Simlasa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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