TEXT: S T E V E N  S .  L O N G
  
  A Genre Book for the HERO System
  Author: Steven S. Long
  Additional Contribution:  S. John Ross
  Editing & Development:  Allen Th omas
  Layout & Graphic Design:  Andy Mathews, Allen Th omas
  Cover Illustration: John Grigni
  Cartography:  Keith Curtis
  Interior Illustration:  Brett Barkley, Storn Cook, Andrew 
  Cremeans, Keith Curtis, Louis Frank, John Grigni, Denis 
  Loubet, Cara Mitten, Greg Smith, the Dover Clipart 
  Library (see Bibliography), Eric Roman, Hugh Vogt
  SPECIAL THANKS
  First, thanks to Rob Hudson, for providing me access to his copious 
  collection of pulp stories and serials.
  Second, thanks to Jim Lowder for his help tracking down genuine 
  pulp art we could use, and to S. John Ross for various suggestions and 
  unﬂ agging enthusiasm and support.
  Last but certainly not least, we’d also like to thank the Digital Hero 
  playtesters and testreaders who reviewed the Pulp Hero manuscript 
  and provided some strong-jawed math-checking and two-ﬁ sted typo 
  eradication. You’re all heroes!
  DEDICATION
  Th ere are quite a few people who deserve some recognition for their con-
  tributions to helping Pulp Hero at long last see the light of day.
  First, to Steve Peterson, Aaron Allston, and Mike Stackpole, the authors 
  of the ﬁ rst HERO System Pulp gaming book, Justice Inc. It never hurts to 
  have some masters of the craft  blaze the trail.
  Second, to my friends John Losey and Tim Binford, two of the best Pulp 
  Hero GMs and players I know, who I hope will keep running Pulp games 
  for me for a long time to come.
  Th ird, and perhaps most importantly, to my father, Claude Long. Born in 
  1917 in rural Florida, he lived through the times discussed in this book, 
  fought in World War II, raised a family, and maybe even managed to teach 
  me a thing or two despite my persistent eﬀ orts not to learn. Th anks, Dad.
  Hero SystemTM ® is DOJ, Inc.’s trademark for its roleplaying system.
  Hero System © 1984, 1989, 2002 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.
  Champions © 1984, 1989, 2002 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.
  Fantasy Hero © 2003 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.
  Dark Champions © 2004 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.
  Pulp Hero © 2005 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.
  Star Hero, Justice Inc., Danger International, Danger International, Western Hero 
  © 2002 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.
  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, 
  electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or computerization, or by 
  any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the 
  Publisher:  DOJ, Inc., 1 Haight Street, Suite A, San Francisco, California 94102.
  Printed in the Canada. First printing August 2005
  Produced and distributed by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games.
  Stock Number:  DOJHERO800 • ISBN Number:  1-58366-0??-?
  http://www.herogames.com
  
  INTRODUCTION ................................5
  CHAPTER ONE:  
  THE PULP GENRE
  THE PULPS .......................................8
  THE PULP GENRE ...........................10
  OTHER PULP ELEMENTS ................10
  Action, Action, Action ...................10
  Shallow Characters ......................10
  Melodrama .................................11
  Black And White Morality .............11
  OTHER PULP ELEMENTS ................12
  Racism And Sexism In The Pulps ..18
  PULP SUBGENRES ..........................20
  AIR ADVENTURE ............................20
  CRIMEBUSTING .............................21
  DETECTIVE ....................................22
  GLOBETROTTING ADVENTURE ........24
  WEIRD MENACE ............................25
  OTHER TYPES OF PULP STORIES ....27
  MIXING GENRES .............................28
  META-GENRES ..............................28
  Comedy ......................................28
  Horror .........................................28
  Mystery ......................................30
  Romance ....................................30
  Tragedy ......................................30
  OTHER GENRES .............................30
  Champions .................................31
  Dark Champions ..........................31
  Fantasy Hero ...............................31
  Ninja Hero ...................................31
  Star Hero ....................................31
  Victorian Hero .............................32
  Western Hero ..............................32
  CHAPTER TWO:  A TIMELINE 
  OF THE PULP ERA
  A Timeline Of The Pulp Era ............34
  FAMOUS PEOPLE .........................122
  POLITICS AND WAR .....................122
  SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ........128
  CRIME AND PUNISHMENT ............128
  ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT .........131
  BUSINESS AND MEDIA .................136
  MISCELLANEOUS ........................137
  CHAPTER THREE:  THE 
  WORLD OF THE PULP ERA
  THE WORLD ..................................140
  THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS ............140
  THE DEPRESSION ........................142
  COLONIALISM .............................143
  TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION ...143
  Automobiles ..............................143
  Trains .......................................146
  Airplanes ..................................147
  Ships ........................................149
  Riding Animals ..........................149
  COMMUNICATIONS ......................149
  THE UNITED STATES .....................151
  HISTORY AND POLITICS ...............151
  SOCIETY AND CULTURE ...............155
  CITIES AND REGIONS ...................157
  New York City ............................157
  Chicago ....................................159
  Los Angeles ..............................159
  San Francisco ...........................160
  The South .................................161
  Washington, D.C.  ......................161
  THE AMERICAS .............................162
  CANADA .....................................162
  MEXICO ......................................162
  CENTRAL AMERICA .....................163
  SOUTH AMERICA .........................164
  THE CARIBBEAN ..........................168
  EUROPE ........................................170
  AFRICA .........................................186
  THE NEAR EAST ...........................195
  SOUTH ASIA .................................203
  THE FAR EAST ..............................210
  OCEANIA ......................................219
  CHAPTER FOUR:  PULP 
  CHARACTER CREATION
  THE PULP HERO ...........................224
  PULP PACKAGE DEALS .................225
  ATHLETE .....................................225
  AVIATOR .....................................226
  COP ............................................227
  COWBOY ....................................228
  DETECTIVE ..................................228
  DILETTANTE ................................232
  DIPLOMAT ...................................233
  EXPLORER ..................................234
  GADGETEER ................................235
  GANGSTER ..................................236
  GREASE MONKEY ........................237
  GREAT WHITE HUNTER .................238
  JAZZ MUSICIAN ...........................239
  MASKED CRIMEFIGHTER ..............240
  PROFESSOR ................................241
  REPORTER ..................................242
  SAILOR .......................................243
  SCIENTIST ...................................243
  SOLDIER .....................................244
  SPY ............................................245
  THRILLSEEKING CRIMINAL ...........246
  TWO-FISTED HERO ......................247
  WILD MAN ..................................249
  ADDITIONAL CHARACTER BACK-
  GROUNDS .................................250
  CHARACTERISTICS .......................252
  SKILLS .........................................255
  PERKS ..........................................258
  TALENTS ......................................261
  DISADVANTAGES ..........................261
  HEROIC TALENTS .........................264
  OFFENSIVE ABILITIES ...................265
  DEFENSIVE ABILITIES ...................271
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES ..................276
  SENSORY ABILITIES .....................277
  PSYCHIC POWERS .......................279
  MISCELLANEOUS ABILITIES ..........287
  CHAPTER FIVE:  
  PULP EQUIPMENT
  PULP TECHNOLOGY ......................298
  THE STANDARDS 
  OF TECHNOLOGY ......................298
  WEAPONS ....................................301
  DEFENSIVE TECHNOLOGY ............307
  VEHICLES .....................................308
  AUTOMOBILES ............................308
  AIRCRAFT ...................................313
  WEIRD SCIENCE ...........................315
  Types Of Weird Technology .........315
  Principles Of Weird Tech ............315
  Using Weird Science 
  In The Game ...........................317
  WEAPONS ...................................319
  Ray Weapons ............................319
  Other Weapons .........................321
  DEFENSIVE GADGETS ..................326
  MOVEMENT GADGETS .................327
  SENSORY AND COMMUNICATIONS 
  GADGETS .................................329
    TABLE OF CONTENTS
  
  MISCELLANEOUS GADGETS .........331
  PRICES .........................................334
  CHAPTER SIX:  
  GM’ING PULP HERO
  THE PULP FEEL ............................340
  PECULIARITIES OF PULPISHNESS .340
  CAPTURING THE FEEL 
  OF THE TIMES ...........................342
  CREATING A CAMPAIGN ................344
  CHARACTER GUIDELINES .............344
  Weird Abilities In Pulp Hero ........345
  CAMPAIGN TONE .........................346
  CAMPAIGN TYPES ........................347
  Subgenre ..................................347
  Campaign Framework ................350
  RUNNING THE GAME ....................351
  PRINCIPLES OF PULP ADVENTURE 
  DESIGN .....................................351
  ADVENTURE STRUCTURE .............354
  Plotting .....................................354
  Classic Pulp Hero Plots ..............356
  DEALING WITH DISCONNECTS ......357
  DISADVANTAGES AND HOW TO 
  USE THEM ................................359
  HEROIC ACTION POINTS ..............360
  The Basics ................................361
  Issues And Options ....................361
  ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS ..........365
  DISEASES ...................................365
  GROUND THREATS .......................366
  ROPE BRIDGES ............................366
  TRAPS ........................................368
  Secret And Concealed Doors ......371
  PULP VILLAINS .............................372
  WORTHY ADVERSARIES:  
  DESIGNING THE PULP VILLAIN ....372
  Villain Nature, Villain Motive .......372
  Roleplaying The Villainous 
  Persona ..................................374
  Recurring Villains .......................375
  VILLAIN ARCHETYPES ..................376
  NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS .........381
  NPC Archetypes ........................382
  CHAPTER SEVEN:  
  RANDALL’S RAIDERS
  RANDALL’S RAIDERS ....................384
  RANDALL IRONS ..........................385
  HAMILTON CROSS .......................387
  BILL FERGUSON ..........................389
  LILI WINCHESTER ........................391
  LIZ MURDOCK .............................393
  VILLAINS ......................................395
  SS-OBERFUHRER HERMANN 
  EICHENWALD ............................395
  DR. EMIL LOCKE ..........................397
  VINNIE “THE AXE” COLETTI ...........399
  DR. JENNINGS PETRIE .................401
  AKASH VARMANDALI ...................403
  GENERIC ADVERSARIES ...............405
  APPENDIX:  PULP SLANG ..............408
  BIBLIOGRAPHY .............................419
  PULP STORIES .............................419
  Notable Pulp Authors 
  And Characters .......................419
  Pulp Anthologies ........................420
  BOOKS ABOUT THE PULPS ...........420
  GENERAL REFERENCE .................420
  HISTORY .....................................421
  TECHNOLOGY .............................422
  ROLEPLAYING GAMES .................423
  FILMOGRAPHY ............................423
  WEBSITES ...................................424
  Pulp Books, Characters, 
  And Stories .............................424
  Pulp Gaming Resources .............424
    TABLE OF CONTENTS
  
  5 
  Pulp Hero
  D
  uring the early decades of the twentieth 
  century, particularly the Twenties and 
  Th irties, a new type of periodical literature 
  appeared on the American cultural scene:  
  the pulp magazine. Printed on cheap paper, illustrated 
  with lurid covers on the outside and simple black and 
  white drawings on the inside, and containing short 
  stories emphasizing action and adventure rather than 
  character development or emotional fulﬁ llment, “the 
  pulps” were enormously popular with many segments 
  of the reading public. Some of the modern world’s 
  best-known ﬁ ctional characters — Tarzan, Zorro, the 
  Shadow, Fu Manchu, Doc Savage, Sam Spade, Conan 
  — ﬁ rst appeared in the pulps (or Pulp-era novels)
  Although the pulps themselves faded away 
  during the Forties and Fift ies, the concept of “pulp 
  ﬁ ction” has come to embody the sort of action-ori-
  ented stories they told, which inﬂ uenced genera-
  tions of genre ﬁ ction, comic book, and movie writ-
  ers (just as the pulps themselves were inﬂ uenced 
  by the dime novels and adventure ﬁ ction of the late 
  nineteenth century). Roleplaying gamers have oft en 
  created characters and campaigns set during the 
  Pulp era and featuring characters inspired by the 
  pulps (or later creations that emulated them, such 
  as the movie Raiders Of Th e Lost Ark).
  Th e Pulp genre has been a particular favorite of 
  HERO System gamers for decades. Soon aft er Hero 
  Games published Champions it produced Justice, 
  Inc., one of the earliest pulp RPGs. Th e HERO 
  System’s emphasis on dramatic action, and its abil-
  ity to simulate any of the situations, settings, or 
  foes characters might encounter, make it ideal for 
  pulp gaming.
  Th e book you’re now holding, Pulp Hero, picks 
  up where Justice, Inc. left  oﬀ  over 20 years ago. In 
  addition to simply updating the subject from the 
  First to the Fift h Edition of the rules, it greatly 
  expands upon the information available in “JI” to 
  give Hero pulp gamers even more options, abilities, 
  suggestions, and ideas. If you’re in the mood for 
  some fast-paced, two-ﬁ sted action that pits your 
  character against gangsters, Nazis, and weird men-
  aces, you’ve come to the right place!
  Chapter One, Th e Pulp Genre, reviews the Pulp 
  genre as a whole. Aft er providing a brief history of 
  the pulps themselves, it discusses the essence of the 
  Pulp genre — what makes an adventure a “Pulp” 
  adventure, if you will — and some of the elements, 
  themes, and “bits” that permeate pulp writing 
  as a whole. It then goes on to review the various 
  “subgenres” of Pulp (such as Detective, Globetrot-
  OTHER 
  RESOURCES
  In addition to Pulp Hero, 
  Hero Games publishes 
  many other books Pulp 
  gamers may ﬁ nd useful. 
  Th ese include:
  Dark Champions, which 
  has plenty of Super-
  Skills you could adapt 
  as Heroic Talents, and 
  expanded rules for guns 
  and gunﬁ ghting if you 
  want to spice up the 
  combat action in your 
  Pulp games.
  Fantasy Hero, which has 
  information on many 
  types of weapons and 
  armor for those times 
  when your Pulp PCs 
  encounter spear-wield-
  ing tribesmen or visit a 
  Continued on next page
  
  6 
  Hero System 5th Edition
  ting Adventure, or Weird Menace) and how Pulp 
  interacts with other genres and meta-genres such as 
  Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction.
  Chapter Two, Twenty Years Of Adventure, reviews 
  the history of the Pulp era, primarily in the form of 
  a lengthy timeline divided into ﬁ ve categories:  War 
  and Politics; Science and Technology; Crime and 
  Punishment; Arts and Entertainment; and Life and 
  Times. Organized by year and month, the timeline 
  tells you exactly which day various important events, 
  discoveries, and premieres occurred.
  Chapter Th ree, Around Th e Globe, describes the 
  world of the Pulp era. Th ings back then were oft en 
  very diﬀ erent than they are today; for example, 
  many countries existed in the Th irties that don’t 
  now. Th is chapter is your guide to what your char-
  acters will ﬁ nd when they travel the world, and 
  what daily life was like back then.
  Chapter Four, Guys And Dolls:  Pulp Character 
  Creation, provides the information, advice, and 
  additional rules you need to create the perfect Pulp 
  character or NPC. It opens with a lengthy list of 
  Package Deals appropriate to Pulp Hero adventures. 
  From Athlete to Wild Man, whatever type of Pulp 
  character you want to play, you can ﬁ nd a Package 
  Deal for it here. Th e next section of the chapter 
  reviews the elements of the HERO System — Skills, 
  Talents, Powers, Disadvantages, and so on — with 
  suggestions about how they should function in a 
  Pulp Hero campaign and how they work in the 
  Pulp era. In some cases this involves new/expanded 
  rules; in others, it simply means adapting ele-
  ments such as the Money Perk to the realities of the 
  period. Last but not least, Chapter Four provides 
  a lengthy list of Heroic Talents — special abilities, 
  skills, and “trick powers” that Pulp characters oft en 
  possess, such as Nerve Touch, Pearldiver’s Lungs, or 
  Can Take A Punch.
  Chapter Five, Gats, Duesies, And Autogyros:  
  Pulp Equipment, describes all the gear characters 
  love to carry and use. It opens with a general dis-
  cussion of the technological standards of the time 
  (including lists of which technologies were avail-
  able, and which weren’t), then segues into lists of 
  weapons, vehicles, and other equipment characters 
  may need. Where appropriate, full HERO System 
  writeups are provided. Th en the chapter covers 
  “Weird Science” — the death-rays, ﬂ ying cars, and 
  other strange and wondrous technologies used by 
  so many Pulp characters. Last but not least, the 
  chapter concludes with a lengthy price list for Pulp 
  Hero campaigns.
  Chapter Six, A World Of Adventure, is for the 
  GM. It discusses how to run Pulp Hero games 
  — things the GM needs to know about, plan for, 
  and can use to best eﬀ ect to create the Pulp “feel” in 
  his campaigns. It covers how to create and structure 
  Pulp stories, villain and NPC archetypes, envi-
  ronmental threats and features common to Pulp 
  adventures, and much more.
  Th e ﬁ nal chapter in the book provides some 
  sample PCs and NPCs you can use, including a few 
  generic NPC writeups to save the GM time when  
  he needs stock characters like gangsters, cops, and 
  cultists. Th e book concludes with an extensive bib-
  liography and ﬁ lmography for readers who want to 
  learn more about the Pulp genre and era.
  ON REALISM AND RESEARCH
  One of the challenges of creating a “historical” 
  roleplaying game product (even one for a genre 
  such as Pulp, which isn’t purely historical) is the 
  research. In addition to the simple fact of having to 
  actually do the research — to slog through books, 
  magazine articles, and other sources in search of 
  the oft -elusive facts and information gamers need 
  — there’s the question of accuracy. Even for an era 
  as (relatively) well-documented as the 1920s and 
  ’30s, sources oft en diﬀ er on the exact date of an 
  event, or provide conﬂ icting information about 
  an occurrence. For example, in discussing when a 
  particular law “takes eﬀ ect,” one book might list the 
  day the law is passed, while another lists the day 
  the government actually begins to enforce it. When 
  attributing a date to an invention, some sources use 
  the day the inventor claims he made the discovery, 
  while others use the day he made the information 
  public, the day he patented the device, or the year 
  the device became widely available.
  Every reasonable eﬀ ort has been taken to make 
  the historical research in Pulp Hero as accurate as 
  possible, given the knowledge of the time. If you 
  decide to do some research of your own, you may 
  ﬁ nd sources that disagree with what’s written in this 
  book, or which present the facts a little diﬀ erently. 
  If you prefer some other version of history than 
  what Pulp Hero contains, you’re welcome to use that 
  instead — there’s no HERO System rule that says 
  you have to use the contents of the books exactly as 
  written. Th e important thing with Pulp Hero isn’t 
  strict historical accuracy, it’s having fun. Use (or 
  don’t use) the information in this book to whatever 
  extent it makes your game more enjoyable.
  Continued from last page
  “lost world” where the 
  Roman Empire never 
  fell.
  Th e HERO System Besti-
  ary, a collection of 180 
  monsters and animals 
  that oﬀ ers any GM 
  plenty of adversaries for 
  the PCs.
  Th e Ultimate Martial 
  Artist, which not only 
  contains dozens of mar-
  tial arts styles suitable 
  for Pulp games, but a 
  long list of Asian melee 
  weapons.
  Th e Ultimate Mystic, 
  which describes vari-
  ous real-world styles of 
  magic (such as Voodoo) 
  and provides general 
  advice on how to use 
  them in your games. 
  If you want to include 
  elements of the occult 
  or weird menace in your 
  Pulp Hero campaign, 
  you’ll ﬁ nd this book a 
  big help.
  Th e Ultimate Vehicle 
  (which has expanded 
  rules for creating and 
  using Vehicles in the 
  HERO System, including 
  50 sample vehicles) and 
  Th e HERO System Vehi-
  cle Sourcebook (which 
  has another 150 sample 
  vehicles). Together they 
  have dozens of cars, 
  planes, and other vehi-
  cles appropriate for Pulp 
  Hero games.
  
  THE PULP GENRE
  chapter one:
  chapter one:
  chapter one:
  STRONG-JAWED HEROES, BEAUTIFUL WOMEN, 
  AND FIENDISH MASTERMINDS
  
  8 ■ The Pulp Genre
  Hero System 5th Edition
  By bland definition, the pulps were rough-
  hewn all-fiction periodicals costing from 
  five cents to a quarter[.] Thriving on 
  unconstrained creativity, held account-
  able to few standards of logic, believabil-
  ity, or “good taste,” the pulps were literary 
  dream machines, offering regular entry to 
  intensive worlds of excitement, danger, 
  glory, romance. Each brittle page held the 
  promise of escape from mundane reality, a 
  promise gaudily fulfilled.
  —Lee Server, Danger Is My Business
  T
  he pulps began in 1896, when an American 
  publisher named Frank Munsey trans-
  formed his boy’s magazine Argosy (origi-
  nally Golden Argosy when it debuted in 
  1880) into an all-ﬁ ction magazine. Munsey decided 
  the quality and quantity of the stories he published 
  were more important than what they were printed 
  on, so he used cheap stock — pulp paper, roughly 
  the same as what newspapers are printed on — for 
  his magazines. (“Pulp” in this sense contrasts with 
  “the slicks,” magazines printed on higher-quality 
  “slick” paper, and which generally contained writ-
  ing and stories regarded as being of better quality.) 
  Th is kept his printing bills low, which meant he 
  could set the price of the magazine low enough that 
  his customers were willing to overlook the low-
  quality paper.
  Munsey’s plan worked — the new Argosy 
  became a major ﬁ nancial success. In subsequent 
  decades, other publishers began to imitate what 
  he did. Many literary critics looked down on the 
  lowbrow literature, but the reading public lapped 
  it up. Th e pulps became an inexpensive favorite 
  form of entertainment for many people. For prices 
  ranging from ﬁ ve to twenty-ﬁ ve cents they could 
  buy enough reading material to ﬁ ll hours of time. 
  Many of the magazines published novels or longer 
  stories in serial form, thus encouraging repeated 
  purchases by readers eager to learn the outcome of 
  the adventure.
  Prior to 1912, most pulp stories weren’t particu-
  larly noteworthy; many were reprints of fairly bland 
  English detective stories. Th ings changed when All-
  Story published the ﬁ rst two novels from a ﬂ edgling 
  writer named Edgar Rice Burroughs:  Under Th e 
  Moons Of Mars and Tarzan Of Th e Apes. Readers 
  took to these new stories, particularly the Tarzan 
  tales, with fanatic zeal, and publishers paid atten-
  tion. Other well-known pulps that began in this 
  period included Blue Book (1906), a general-inter-
  est ﬁ ction pulp, and Adventure (1910), noted for 
  the accuracy of the stories and articles it published 
  about adventures in far lands.
  Th e “golden age” of the pulps began in the early 
  Twenties, when their popularity really took oﬀ . 
  Th eir covers featured garish illustrations:  strong-
  jawed heroes, cowboys, half-dressed girls in ter-
  rible danger, gun-toting gangsters, brave detectives, 
  eerie menaces. Th e pages per magazine generally 
  shrank (from around 200 to, typically, 128), but the 
  number of titles expanded signiﬁ cantly during this 
  period, due in part to changes in the distribution 
  system. In 1925, the main publisher of pulps, Street 
  & Smith, ended its arrangement with the primary 
  distributor of magazines in the US, the American 
  News Company. Eager to ﬁ ll this sudden gap in 
  its catalog, American appealed to other publishers 
  and would-be publishers to start their own lines 
  of pulp magazines. Besides Munsey’s (Argosy, All-
  Story) and Street & Smith (Th e Shadow Magazine, 
  Doc Savage, and dozens of other titles), some of the 
  other major pulp publishers included Popular Pub-
  lications (publishers of the Spider, Operator 5, and 
  various “Dime” and weird menace titles), Dell, Ace 
  Magazines, Fiction House, Culture Publications 
  (creator of the “Spicy” line), Standard (home of the 
  “Th rilling” titles), and Clayton Magazines.
  As the number of publishers and titles prolifer-
  ated, so did the niche specialization of many of the 
  magazines. Th e ﬁ rst specialized pulps appeared in 
  the early 1900s, but by the Twenties titles focused 
  on very narrow subjects — railroads, western 
  romance, zeppelins, and so on — were common-
  place. If a genre or story type proved popular, every 
  publisher came out with new magazines to cater to 
  that taste. Th e master of the niche titles was pub-
  lisher Harold Hersey, whose oddly-themed pulps 
  (such as Strange Suicides, Lucky Stories, and Court-
  room Stories) oft en lasted only an issue or three. 
  Some of the major titles that got started during the 
  Twenties include:  Black Mask (1920), the premier 
  detective ﬁ ction magazine (which debuted, among 
  other stories, Dashiell Hammett’s Th e Maltese 
  Falcon); Weird Tales (1926), which introduced the 
  world to the likes of Robert E. Howard, H.P. Love-
  craft , Clark Ashton Smith, and others; and Amazing 
  Stories (1926), in which editor Hugo Gernsback 
  coined the term “science ﬁ ction.”
  To make good money at their craft , pulp writers 
  had to crank out a lot of material. Th e stories told 
  about their output and work habits are astonishing. 
  Frederick Faust, the “King of the Pulps,” used over 
  a dozen pen names (“Max Brand” being the most 
  famous), and sometimes ﬁ lled the entire contents of 
  a single magazine in which each story was attributed 
  
  9 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter One
  to a diﬀ erent pseudonym. From 1917 until his death 
  in World War II he wrote 30 million words’ worth 
  of published ﬁ ction. Arthur J. Burks, the “Speed 
  Merchant of the Pulps,” aimed to produce 18,000 
  words every day, and once received cover billing on 
  eleven diﬀ erent pulps in the same month. Walter 
  Gibson cranked out two Shadow novels every month 
  for years, oft en typing so fast and so hard that his 
  ﬁ ngertips bled. H. Bedford-Jones kept three stories 
  going simultaneously, moving from one typewriter 
  to another as his creative impulses took him. Th e 
  proliﬁ c Hugh Cave put in 18-hour days at his type-
  writer. Lester Dent, who as “Kenneth Robeson” wrote 
  the Doc Savage novels, is said to have written 24,000 
  words in one day... while dictating another 32,000. 
  Writers like these, whose work was in demand and 
  who could ﬁ ll that demand, could make $10,000 or 
  more (in modern terms, roughly $100,000) a year at 
  the height of the Great Depression just writing for 
  the pulps.
  Th e picture wasn’t so rosy for most pulp writers. 
  During the boom times of the mid- to late 1920s, 
  pulp magazines oft en paid rates as high as four to 
  ten cents a word, which meant that even a new-
  comer could make enough to survive on at the low 
  end of the scale. But then the Depression hit, and 
  suddenly pulp magazine publishers were struggling 
  to survive as their customer base eroded. Rates for 
  pulp writing plummeted, with some magazines 
  paying as little as a tenth of a cent per word, and 
  even well-established writers oft en unable to make 
  more than two to four cents per word.
  Despite the Depression, the Th irties were actu-
  ally the most successful time for the pulps in many 
  ways, since they saw the debut of what would 
  become the genre’s best-known titles:  the single-
  character pulps. In April 1931, Street and Smith 
  published the ﬁ rst issue of Th e Shadow Magazine, 
  with a story based on the character who announced 
  the company’s detective show on the radio. Th e 
  Shadow soon became enormously popular, and 
  within a year or two many other pulps devoted 
  almost entirely to a speciﬁ c character — Doc 
  Savage, the Spider, the Phantom Detective, G-8, and 
  on and on — debuted. Many of them failed, and 
  none of them ever eclipsed the Shadow (who was 
  so successful his magazine was published twice a 
  month for many years), but they gave us some of 
  the pulps’ best-known characters, the ones most 
  closely associated with the genre.
  Th e grand era of the pulps came to an end in 
  the Fift ies. Th ey were laid low by several factors. 
  First, the rise of other forms of cheap entertain-
  ment — paperback books, radio, movies, comic 
  books, and eventually television — began to lure 
  consumers away from the pulps. Th ey presented 
  something fresh and new, whereas many pulp tales 
  were essentially the same story told over and over 
  with a few variations. Paperback books and comics 
  were oft en sent to soldiers ﬁ ghting in World War II, 
  while pulps rarely were for some reason. Second, 
  paper shortages during the War forced many 
  publishers to cut down the number of titles they 
  published, or put them out of business altogether. A 
  few struggled on valiantly, but tastes had changed, 
  and by about 1957 the pulps became part of literary 
  history. In later years they would be periodically 
  revived through paperback short story collections, 
  reprints of the stories featuring the best-known 
  characters, the occasional homage movie... and of 
  course, roleplaying games.
  SOME PULPS
  Assembling a complete list of published pulps is beyond 
  the scope of this book, but here are a few examples, 
  including many of the most famous or inﬂ uential, to give 
  you a taste of the genre. Single-character pulps (such as 
  Th e Shadow Magazine and Doc Savage Magazine) aren’t 
  included, since their titles are usually obvious.
  Action Stories
  Adventure
  Air Trails
  All Star Adventure
  All-Story
  Amazing Stories
  Argosy
  Astounding Stories
  Black Book Detective
  Black Mask
  Blue Book
  Detective Fiction Weekly
  Detective Mysteries
  Detective Short Stories
  Detective Story Magazine
  Dime Detective
  Dime Mystery Magazine
  Flynn’s
  Horror Stories
  Jungle Stories
  Love Story Magazine
  New York Stories
  Oriental Stories
  Planet Stories
  Racketeer Stories
  Ranch Romances
  Short Stories
  Spicy Detective
  Spicy Mystery
  Sports Stories
  Strange Detective Mysteries
  Terror Tales
  Th rilling Adventure
  Th rilling Wonder Stories
  Top Notch
  Underworld Romance
  Unknown
  War Stories
  Weird Tales
  Zeppelin Stories
  
  10 ■ The Pulp Genre
  Hero System 5th Edition
  B
  efore you conceive and design Pulp char-
  acters and campaigns, you should consider 
  what Pulp is — what makes it a genre. 
  Technically speaking, “Pulp” isn’t a genre, 
  it’s the medium on which the stories were printed. 
  But this pedantic statement overlooks the broader 
  picture. As pulp editor Daisy Bacon wrote in Th e 
  Writer’s 1941 Year Book:
  When I first went to work for Street & Smith 
  ten years and more ago, the term “pulp” 
  was... used in the trade to describe the kind 
  of paper which was used in the magazines. 
  Now it has come to mean a definite type of 
  writing (generally inferior).
  In other words, Pulp was recognized as a type 
  of writing — in eﬀ ect, a genre — even back in the 
  Th irties, despite the vast diversity of the types of 
  stories that fell under that general rubric. Th erefore 
  referring to the “Pulp genre” in a gaming context 
  makes sense; it’s just a matter of identifying the 
  major elements, themes, and conventions that 
  deﬁ ne the genre.
  Th e primary elements of the Pulp genre are:
  Action, Action, Action
  [T]he ultimate crystallization of character 
  is likely to lie in physical rather than psy-
  chological action.
  —Arthur Sullivant Hoffman, Adventure, 
  November 1935
  First and foremost, Pulp stories are about 
  action. In most cases, this literally means what the 
  word implies:  fast-paced stories involving a lot 
  of danger, excitement, and adventure. Pulp “plots” 
  were oft en little more than a series of events, one 
  piled on another, each more intense than the last, 
  until the story abruptly reached its conclusion. To 
  put it another way, pacing oft en took the place of 
  true plot development. In some subgenres, such as 
  romance, more sedate events replace the violence 
  and suspense that ﬁ ll most Pulp stories, but the 
  emphasis on driving the plot forward remains.
  Part of keeping Pulp stories fast-paced is having 
  characters who are “proactive” — who boldly initi-
  ate action rather than just reacting to what hap-
  pens. Pulp characters may be shallow (see below), 
  but “patient,” “submissive,” and “hesitant” are not 
  terms that describe them.
  Th is element is one of the things that makes 
  Pulp such an enjoyable genre for gaming. Th e 
  nature of gaming is such that most game adven-
  tures are action-oriented and event-driven:  char-
  acters move from scene to scene, encounter to 
  encounter, and initiate dramatic, oft en violent 
  action as necessary. Th at’s just what happens in 
  most Pulp stories, so the two dovetail perfectly, 
  making the GM’s job easier than normal.
  Shallow Characters
  In most of this published work, there’s 
  no such thing as a developed character. 
  Instead, there are... individuals of curious 
  traits and odd personal characteristics. 
  They are bizarre and fascinating. Each 
  possesses one large peculiarity and at least 
  a couple of minor ones. This fixes them in 
  the reader’s eye and instantly identifies 
  them whenever they appear in the story. 
  Such tags are most useful to an author, 
  particularly one whose characters do not 
  so much generate the action, as ride upon 
  it, like kites in the wind.
  —Robert Sampson, Deadly Excitements
  Hand-in-hand with the “action” convention is 
  the fact that Pulp characters are shallow, clichéd, 
  and poorly developed. In an action-oriented story, 
  there’s little (if any) time for the hero to ruminate 
  about how he feels, or what the events in the tale 
  mean to him; he’s got things to do! Even the best-
  known Pulp heroes — characters like the Shadow 
  and Doc Savage about whom hundreds of stories 
  were written — aren’t much more than collections 
  of easily-identiﬁ able personality traits, quirks, man-
  nerisms, and habits, possibly coupled with one or 
  more distinctive elements of appearance that makes 
  them easy to write and read about.
  Th is is the other thing that makes Pulp so won-
  derfully gameable. Th e description of Pulp charac-
  ters given above could apply word-for-word to the 
  vast majority of gaming characters. Most roleplay-
  ing games, including the HERO System, require you 
  to create characters through various attributes and 
  traits deﬁ ned by the rules. It’s a more elaborate, and 
  sometimes “scientiﬁ c,” process, than how a writer 
  for the pulps worked, but the end result is the same:  
  a character who’s really not a character so much as 
  he is a characterization — a collection of traits that 
  identify him and let him take action, and not much 
  more. In short:  RPGs are ideally suited for creating 
  Pulp-style characters.
  ABANDONING 
  STEREOTYPES
  Th is chapter provides 
  a lot of descriptions of 
  what Pulp characters 
  are like:  Pulp heroes 
  are shallow; blacks and 
  Chinese are portrayed 
  in a certain way; and 
  so on. While this holds 
  true for Pulp literature, 
  you shouldn’t feel bound 
  by the stereotypes and 
  clichés if it’s more inter-
  esting to avoid them in 
  your games. You may 
  have a great idea for a 
  character who’s deep, 
  detailed, and thought-
  provoking, or want to 
  play an ethnic character 
  who’s far removed from 
  the negative stereotypes 
  Westerners have of his 
  people. If so, go for it! 
  Sometimes nothing’s 
  as fun, and conducive 
  to good roleplaying, as 
  going against the grain.
  
  11 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter One
  Melodrama
  Melodrama (n.):  a sensational dramatic 
  piece with crude appeals to the emotions 
  and usu. a happy ending
  —The Illustrated Oxford Dictionary (Re-
  vised and Updated)
  Since Pulp stories are ﬁ lled with action and involve 
  shallow characters, it’s not surprising that they tend 
  to be written in a melodramatic, purple prose sort of 
  style — as Robert Sampson puts it, “scenes and emo-
  tions overplayed, exaggerated, overblown, spuriously 
  heightened.” Th e adjective and the adverb become 
  the author’s friends, and he ladles them on good and 
  thick. If characters display signiﬁ cant emotion, they 
  tend to do so strongly, so no reader can miss it and the 
  writer doesn’t have to work too hard to get the subtle-
  ties across.
  Th is aspect of Pulp also helps both players and 
  GMs. Roleplaying in this melodramatic fashion is 
  usually easy, and doesn’t preclude more in-depth 
  roleplaying if desired.
  Black And White 
  Morality
  “I’m certain I’m all right, old man. Very 
  certain! Because we’re in the right. We’re 
  fighting a grim menace of dictatorship, 
  death, and ruin. With right on your side 
  you can’t lose, if you’ve the courage to back 
  up your convictions.”
  —Jeff “the Eagle” Shannon explaining the 
  way the world works in Storm Over The 
  Americas, by Capt. Kerry McRoberts, 
  Thrilling Spy Stories, Fall 1939
  Another way the pulps keep the action 
  going and don’t have to worry too much about 
  character development is that the moral tone 
  of the stories tends to be very black and white. 
  The heroes are clearly The Heroes, fighting for 
  that which is Right, Just, Pure, and True; the 
  villains are clearly the Villains, and there’s no 
  doubt they’re Evil and must be opposed with 
  every fiber of the hero’s being. There’s little, if 
  any, moral ambiguity... and any that exists gets 
  resolved by the end of the story.
  Th ere are, of course, exceptions. In detective 
  and mystery stories, particularly those of the 
  “hardboiled” school, the situation becomes much 
  greyer. Th e protagonist isn’t necessarily the nicest 
  or noblest guy in the world — even though he is, 
  ultimately, far better than the people he struggles 
  against, if for no other reason than he holds to 
  his personal code of honor. And there oft en isn’t 
  much he can rely on:  even people who seem 
  innocent and pure at ﬁ rst rarely are; everyone’s got 
  some skeletons in their respective closets. But in 
  most Pulp stories, the characters don’t have any 
  such worries.
  Hand in hand with the black and white 
  morality is the optimistic outlook of Pulp stories. 
  Pulp heroes know they can get things to turn 
  out right, and can make a real difference in the 
  world. They never get mired in despair or self-
  pity for very long.
  
  12 ■ The Pulp Genre
  Hero System 5th Edition
  OTHER PULP ELEMENTS
  Th e four major genre conventions listed above 
  aren’t the only ones that appear in Pulp stories, just 
  the most important. Some of the others include:
  THE ABDUCTED GIRL
  Countless pulp stories use as one of their moti-
  vating devices the abduction of a lovely young 
  woman. She may be the hero’s girlfriend, ﬁ ancee, or 
  even wife, but it’s just as likely she’s a hapless victim 
  chosen at random, or someone associated with an 
  NPC who’s involved in the plot. Th e beauty, inno-
  cence, and helplessness of the victim contrast dra-
  matically with the harsh appearance, evil conduct, 
  and power of the villain who kidnapped her. More 
  importantly, what red-blooded Pulp hero can fail 
  to respond to the needs of a damsel in distress? In a 
  Pulp game, even the smartest, most tactically clever 
  hero should be willing to drop everything and 
  charge into danger to rescue a woman in peril.
  BLOW TO THE HEAD
  “The blow that came from behind didn’t 
  hit me fairly, but I got enough of it to fold 
  up my legs as if the knees were hinged 
  with paper — and I slammed into a heap 
  on the floor....”
  —“One Hour,” by Dashiell Hammett, 
  Black Mask, March 1924
  One of the most common methods for inca-
  pacitating the hero in the Pulps is to have someone 
  smash him in the head, usually from behind in a 
  treacherous sneak attack. Miraculously, all these 
  blows to the head cause no permanent injury or 
  loss of intelligence — the hero awakens in the vil-
  lain’s lair, ready to be questioned, tortured, and/or 
  make a daring escape.
  Simulating the blow to the head in the game 
  may be diﬃ  cult, for a couple of reasons. First, Pulp 
  Hero characters tend to be pretty observant, which 
  makes it hard for the GM to have an enemy plau-
  sibly sneak up behind them (especially if they’re in 
  a group). Even worse, the HERO System rules don’t 
  guarantee that any given blow, even to the head, 
  will Knock Out a character (particularly without 
  causing any other harm). In the interest of the 
  dramatic realism of the Pulp genre, the GM may 
  simply have to declare that a character “feels a sick-
  ening blow that ﬁ lls your head with red-hot pain!... 
  and you slump to the ground unconscious.” Players, 
  in turn, should accept this as par for the course; 
  aft er all, the amazing coincidences of the genre 
  work in their favor most of the time.
  CAPTURE AND ESCAPE
  Pulp stories are ﬁ lled with scenes in which the 
  villain captures the hero... but always counterbal-
  anced by a scene where the hero escapes. While 
  imprisoned, the hero may learn what the enemy’s 
  plan is (either because he overhears it, or when the 
  villain gloatingly reveals all), meet someone impor-
  tant to the plot (whom he might have to take with 
  him when he escapes), or learn crucial facts while 
  making his break for freedom.
  Capture scenes present the same problem as 
  “blow to the head” — in a roleplaying game, where 
  the “author” (the GM) doesn’t completely control 
  the action, there’s no guarantee a capture will go oﬀ  
  
  13 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter One
  as planned. A touch of dramatic editing — just tell-
  ing the PCs they’ve been captured, without letting 
  the random factors of dice and rules get in the way 
  — solves the problem, provided the players under-
  stand that being captured serves a purpose and 
  they’ll have plenty of opportunities to escape.
  CHINATOWN
  [M]any adventures occur[] in a China-
  town setting — a sinister, pulp-style Chi-
  natown where tong wars were declared, 
  ghastly murders hatched, and where a 
  man’s life was worth the price of a little 
  opium... or even less.
  —Don Hutchison, The Great Pulp Heroes
  In some Pulp subgenres, particularly Crime-
  busting and Detective stories, the action oft en 
  takes the hero to Chinatown. Pulp depictions of 
  Chinatown draw as much on what those neighbor-
  hoods were like in the late nineteenth and early 
  twentieth centuries as on the Chinatowns of the 
  Twenties and Th irties, and season liberally with a 
  dose of Western paranoia. Gambling, white slavery, 
  and other forms of vice are commonplace; tong 
  wars rage in the shadows; beautiful Oriental femme 
  fatales ply their seductive wiles; and the yellow peril 
  lurks in every darkened alley. On the other hand, 
  Chinatown’s also home to old sages who can impart 
  their wisdom and learning to a hero who doesn’t 
  understand what he’s up against.
  CLIFFHANGERS
  One of the ways Pulp authors kept the action at 
  a fever pitch throughout their stories is with the use 
  of cliffh  angers. In some stories, it seems as if every 
  section or chapter ends with the hero in deadly 
  peril — who will save him now?
  Using cliffh  angers in a Pulp Hero game requires 
  only a little forethought on the GM’s part, at most. 
  He just needs to plan to end every game ses-
  sion during an adventure with the heroes in deep 
  trouble. Rather than wrapping up a ﬁ reﬁ ght, he 
  says, “Suddenly, another squad of Nazi soldiers 
  bursts into the room!”... and then ends the game. 
  He can achieve the same eﬀ ect during a game ses-
  sion by taking breaks at appropriate moments:  
  “OK, you start scaling the cliﬀ . I need everyone to 
  make Climbing rolls — but ﬁ rst, let’s take a break to 
  refresh our drinks.”
  COINCIDENCE AND COMPLICATIONS
  One of the most commonly-used conventions of 
  Pulp ﬁ ction, and the one perhaps the most frustrating 
  or annoying for modern readers, is the frequent use 
  of amazing coincidence as a device to move the story 
  along. Called by one commentator the “Burroughs 
  Coincidence” due to the prevalence of such events 
  in Tarzan and John Carter stories, examples of this 
  phenomenon are legion. A character “just happens” to 
  look exactly like an enemy spy. A hero “just happens” 
  to run across the person who has the information he 
  needs. Th e cavalry, or a rescue party, “just happens” 
  to show up right at the most opportune moment. An 
  eclipse “just happens” to occur at the very moment the 
  character needs it to take place. None of these things 
  necessarily make a bit of dramatic sense, but never-
  theless they become part of the story. Without them, 
  some heroes would have died long ago.
  Th e corollary to coincidence is “unexpected 
  complications.” Th ings can go incredibly right for a 
  hero with no rhyme or reason — but they can also 
  go wrong. Just as he thinks he’s caught the master 
  villain, the hero’s confronted by the arrival of last-
  second enemy reinforcements. He’s rescued the girl 
  and they’re making their escape... when the plane’s 
  engine suddenly sputters to a stop. Th ere’s no situ-
  ation that’s going so well that it can’t suddenly turn 
  bad, forcing the heroes to, well, be heroic again.
  Th e GM should be careful not to overuse coin-
  cidence (either for or against the PCs) too much; 
  it doesn’t ring true with modern audiences. An 
  occasional coincidence that isn’t too far-fetched is 
  ﬁ ne, especially if the characters are having trouble 
  ﬁ guring out what to do next or the dice have unex-
  pectedly turned against them. But used too oft en, 
  coincidence becomes a crutch, letting the heroes 
  get away with anything because they know the GM 
  will save them. One possible way to regulate this in 
  game terms is the use of Luck:  coincidences usu-
  ally don’t occur unless the hero succeeds with a 
  Luck roll... and the more levels of Luck he rolls, the 
  more outrageous the coincidence can be. Another 
  is Heroic Action Points (see page 360).
  COMPETENCE
  One of the marks of Pulp heroes — and Pulp 
  villains — is their incredible competence. Even the 
  least of them can shoot, drive, ride, climb, ad inﬁ ni-
  tum with supreme skill. Th e most powerful among 
  their ranks, such as the Shadow and Doc Savage, 
  seem to be able to do pretty much anything with 
  great competence.
  In game terms, representing competence is a 
  question of both breadth and depth. For breadth, 
  characters need a generous list of Skills and other 
  abilities. For depth, they need Skill Levels. Special-
  ized characters, or characters just starting their 
  heroic careers, may need to settle for 3- or 5-point 
  Skill Levels; more experienced or powerful heroes 
  can use Overall Skill Levels if they prefer.
  DEATHTRAPS
  “He looked at Anne Barnard. She had gone 
  corpse-pale; was swaying toward him. Her 
  breath was coming in sobbing gasps. “I — 
  I can’t breathe!” she whimpered. “Some-
  thing’s choking me!”
  And it was choking, strangling, Travis 
  Brant at the same time. An acrid, reek-
  ing agony was throttling the breath in his 
  lungs, his throat. He whirled, hurled him-
  self at the ante-room’s closed door.
  “God in Heaven!” he rasped. It’s locked! 
  We’re prisoners!”
  —Robert Leslie Bellem, “Labyrinth of 
  Monsters,” Spicy Mystery, January 
  1937
  
  14 ■ The Pulp Genre
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Why just kill a hero outright when you can put 
  him to death slowly in some ﬁ endish device and 
  watch his last, agonizing struggles for survival? 
  Whether it’s a room slowly ﬁ lling with water, a 
  tank full of sharks or piranha into which the hero’s 
  slowly being lowered by his hypnotized love inter-
  est, or a series of lethal puzzles a PC has to solve to 
  reach his goal, the deathtrap adds another dash of 
  excitement... and a chance for the hero to escape!... 
  to the Pulp mix. See page 368 for more information.
  DISGUISE
  [Many Pulp heroes] can routinely assume 
  another’s features and personality. Suit-
  ably disguised, aided by bluff, good luck, 
  and intelligence, the hero can stroll 
  unsuspected to the heart of any criminal 
  conspiracy. Once [he’s] there, his quick 
  pistol supplements art.
  —Robert Sampson, Yesterday’s Faces, 
  Vol. 3
  If there’s one Skill virtually every Pulp hero has, 
  it’s Disguise. From Nick Carter to the Shadow, and 
  beyond, Pulp adventurers know how to make them-
  selves look like someone else with just a few seconds’ 
  work and a few minor supplies. As a dramatic device, 
  disguise skill provided the author with a way to get 
  a hero into the thick of things; it can serve a similar 
  purpose in Pulp Hero games. See the Skills section in 
  Chapter Four for more information.
  ENEMY BECOMES FRIEND
  In the world of the pulps, an enemy isn’t neces-
  sarily your enemy forever. Some enemies — Nazis 
  and Fiendish Oriental Masterminds, for example 
  — are so thoroughly and unquestionably evil that 
  there’s no hope of redemption. But in other cases, 
  it’s possible that a character who initially fought 
  against the hero will turn out to have noble motiva-
  tions; he opposed the hero out of a misunderstand-
  ing or because he was forced to by the real villain. 
  One of the best examples in Pulp ﬁ ction is the 
  friendship that evolves between John Carter and 
  Tars Tarkas on Mars.
  In a Pulp Hero game, the GM has to plan for 
  this convention if he wants to use it, in that he has 
  to create a sympathetic “enemy” and introduce him 
  into the campaign setting in the proper way. It may 
  help if a PC takes a Contact, Follower, or DNPC 
  that he doesn’t deﬁ ne, leaving the GM the chance to 
  ﬁ ll that blank spot on the character’s sheet.
  EXOTIC LOCALES
  Many Pulp stories, particularly in the Globe-
  trotting Adventure and Weird Menace subgenres, 
  take place in fabulous, exotic locales, ranging from 
  the dark and mysterious swamps of Louisiana, to 
  the mountain fastnesses of Europe, to pretty much 
  any place in Asia. Due to the lack of modern mass 
  media, communications satellites, and the like, 
  people during the Pulp era were usually much less 
  familiar with their world than people of today, 
  making it easy to render any location exotic, enig-
  matic, and deadly.
  Aside from the strange planets and alternate 
  dimensions of Pulp Science Fiction, the most exotic 
  of exotic locales were the lost civilizations Pulp 
  heroes so oft en encountered. See page 25 for more 
  information about them.
  FLEXIBLE REALITY
  “...the proud tradition of the pulps, where 
  ignorance never interfered with the story.”
  —Robert Sampson, Deadly Excitements
  Partly because they just wanted to tell a good 
  story, and partly because they realized most of their 
  readers wouldn’t know the diﬀ erence, pulp writers 
  tended to change reality to suit their needs — at 
  least a little. While a few pulps, such as Adventure, 
  prided themselves on factual accuracy, in most 
  others the true nature of the world can bend a little 
  if the writer... or the GM... needs it to. Th us, you 
  might read in a Pulp story about tigers in Africa, 
  or characters crossing the mountains in the dead 
  of winter, or a revolver being silenced. Th e fact that 
  tigers exist only in Asia, crossing mountains in win-
  tertime is virtually impossible, and revolvers gener-
  ally can’t be silenced is irrelevant. What matters is 
  that a good story’s being told.
  Th is genre convention can cause problems in 
  Pulp Hero games, since if there’s one thing gamers 
  like (besides gaming) it’s pointing out when some-
  thing’s wrong. Th us, unless there’s a really good 
  dramatic reason for it, the GM should try to avoid 
  ﬂ exing reality. Substitute a lion for that African 
  tiger, and give the killer a silenced semi-automatic 
  instead of a wheelgun. But if you really need to 
  get the characters from Point A to Point B even if 
  it means crossing the mountain range in winter, 
  damn the facts and let them cross it.
  THE GOVERNMENT IS YOUR FRIEND
  In the stories and other popular entertainments 
  of the Pulp era, the modern world’s cynicism about 
  and distrust of government wasn’t a factor. While 
  it’s true that “realistically” many people had their 
  doubts about particular oﬃ  cials or policies, or 
  resented some government “intrusion” into their 
  lives, in ﬁ ction and ﬁ lm government oﬃ  cials are 
  generally portrayed as honest, helpful, competent, 
  and conﬁ dent. Even in Frank Capra’s classic ﬁ lm 
  Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, which depicts a 
  hapless ﬂ edgling Senator being manipulated by 
  his jaded colleagues, in the end the protagonist tri-
  umphs by clinging to his belief in good and proper 
  government and appealing to the American ideal.
  THE GREAT WAR
  It was almost a requirement for Pulp heroes 
  that they fought in the Great War (sometimes 
  referred to as “the World War”; today it’s called 
  World War I). Aft er all, a man who feels the 
  urge to go out, see the world, right wrongs, and 
  smash injustice surely would have gotten into 
  the trenches to stop the Hun, even if he had to 
  lie about his age, wouldn’t he? Th e battle of the 
  Argonne Forest in particular seems to factor into 
  the background of Pulp adventurers; it’s a wonder 
  
  15 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter One
  the Germans got anywhere, with so many capable 
  heroes-to-be opposing them there. And at least 
  one major Pulp subgenre, Air Adventure, takes 
  place primarily during the Great War.
  Th e post-War pulps reﬂ ected America’s experi-
  ence of the Great War. Th e Colt .45 semi-automatic 
  became a revered pistol. Germans were more oft en 
  portrayed as villainous, militaristic, or sadistic. 
  Airplanes and military technology began to factor 
  into stories. Most prominently, the violence in the 
  stories increased, reaching its crescendo in some of 
  the single-hero pulps of the Th irties.
  See page 251 for a Package Deal you can use to 
  represent a character’s military experience.
  THE HERO ALONE
  Th e single-character pulps of the 1930s, and to 
  a lesser extent earlier pulp tales, relied on a conven-
  tion familiar to fans of modern-day comics and 
  action movies:  the hero, and the hero alone, is the 
  one who gets things done. Even if he has the help 
  of assistants, agents, or comrades, ultimately he’s 
  the one who takes the risks, stands up to evil, and 
  defeats it through his personal ability and force of 
  will. It’s the age-old story of self-reliance, writ large 
  in purple prose on rough paper and bracketed with 
  a gaudy cover.
  In a Pulp Hero context, this theme doesn’t work 
  well. Gaming is a social activity, one involving 
  a group of heroes rather than a solo adventurer; 
  having one hero do all the meaningful tasks and get 
  all the glory ruins the fun for everyone else. Instead, 
  the GM has to rework this theme to the group 
  alone, so that only the PCs as a team can triumph.
  INCOMPETENT COPS
  In the vast panoply of Detective and Crimebust-
  ing pulp stories, there’s one nigh-universal constant: 
  the cops are incompetent buﬀ oons, if not actively 
  corrupt. Th ey can’t ﬁ nd the simplest clues, follow 
  through on the most logical deductions, or catch 
  the bumblingest criminals (much less the insidi-
  ously clever master villain or crimelord). Minor 
  exceptions such as Joe Cardona exist, but for the 
  most part the authorities aren’t up to the task of 
  crimeﬁ ghting. Th is allows the hero to shine — it 
  wouldn’t be much of a story if the cops did every-
  thing and the hero just stood around and watched.
  INTO THE UNKNOWN!
  Pulp stories are oft en ﬁ lled with the wonders 
  of exploring new places and experiencing as-
  yet unknown things. Th e world of the Twenties 
  and Th irties wasn’t nearly as well-known as the 
  world is today; there were large areas of Earth 
  in the wilds of Africa, Asia, South America, and 
  other places that were completely unmapped by 
  and unknown to Westerners (and in some cases, 
  to anyone). Th is makes “lost civilization” stories 
  (page 25) possible and opens up countless other 
  opportunities for adventure that don’t exist in the 
  twenty-ﬁ rst century, when anyone with Internet 
  access can obtain satellite photos of virtually any 
  square inch of the planet.
  THE JAZZ AGE
  Flappers, Prohibition, gangsters, speakeas-
  ies... all of these were important aspects of life in 
  America during the Twenties and early Th irties, so 
  they oft en appear in the pulps as well. Th e sordid 
  details of crime, combined with the social changes 
  represented by the liberated ﬂ apper and hot jazz, 
  created an oft en intense fascination in the reading 
  public for gin mills, bootleggers, and gun molls. 
  Some pulps, such as Racketeer Stories and Speakeasy 
  Stories, were entirely devoted to lurid and melodra-
  matic tales of the Jazz Age side of life.
  LASTSECOND INGENUITY
  In many Pulp stories, particularly the more 
  poorly-written ones, the action and mystery con-
  tinue throughout the story, their dilemmas seem-
  ingly unresolvable... and then suddenly, on the 
  last page or in the ﬁ nal paragraph, the hero has a 
  burst of inspiration and ﬁ gures everything out! 
  Alternately, he may have secretly had additional 
  information or insight, but has been keeping his 
  deductions secret to “see how things play out” or to 
  learn some additional facts.
  MONEY
  Every self-respecting lead in a single-
  character magazine owned quantities 
  of real estate and equipment... for the 
  simple reason that it speeded up the 
  story. If you needed an airplane to fly to 
  Tibet, or a jet-powered launch in which 
  to chase the Faceless Phantom, you went 
  down to your secret room and there they 
  were, all serviced, checked out, and ready 
  to go. Most characters who got a maga-
  zine named after them were millionaires 
  or, at least, had access to enormous bank 
  accounts. No wonder. Their operations 
  cost incredible amounts. It was no game 
  for a poor man.
  —Robert Sampson, Deadly Excitements
  Wealth is a major element in many Pulp sto-
  ries (aside from the fact that it’s the goal of many 
  crooks and explorers). As noted in the quote above, 
  giving a character a fortune makes things easy on 
  the author; it allows him to equip the hero with 
  whatever he needs to smooth the adventure along. 
  Th e Money Perk in the HERO System can have 
  much the same eﬀ ect (though the GM has to make 
  sure the character doesn’t abuse his wealth to the 
  detriment of the game, since unlike a Pulp author 
  he doesn’t directly control the protagonist).
  On a deeper level, the focus on money in Pulp 
  stories reﬂ ects the nature of the society in which 
  pulp authors lived. In the Twenties, many years of 
  which were economic boom times, the interest in 
  money (particularly the stock market) became so 
  intense that even household servants sometimes had 
  their own stock tickers. Aft er the Crash and the onset 
  of the Depression, the interest in money had more 
  to do with peoples’ desire to have enough to get by, 
  their ongoing fascination with the wealthy, and their 
  
  16 ■ The Pulp Genre
  Hero System 5th Edition
  disgust with the businessmen and ﬁ nanciers whose 
  actions caused or contributed to the economic col-
  lapse. It’s no mistake that many of the villains in 
  Th irties Pulp stories are evil industrialists.
  ROMANTIC AND SOCIAL DETACHMENT
  What has happened is that [Hopalong Cas-
  sidy’s wife and son] have died of the fever. 
  So it is stated. What actually killed them 
  is that doom which haunts the families of 
  series heroes.
  —Robert Sampson, Yesterday’s Faces, 
  Vol. 1
  Never had there been provision for femi-
  nine partnership in Doc’s perilous career. 
  Doc strictly abstained from anything 
  smacking of an affair of the heart.... He 
  could not allow a woman to share the 
  dangers which accrued from his career of 
  punishing evildoers in the far corners of 
  the earth. His enemies would not hesitate 
  to strike at him through a wife or sweet-
  heart. So Doc was careful to fall for none 
  of the feminine charmers.
  —Kenneth Robeson, The Meteor Menace, 
  in Doc Savage Magazine, March 1934
  Like many heroes throughout myth, legend, and 
  ﬁ ction, the typical Pulp hero is isolated from the 
  society around him. First and foremost, he doesn’t 
  get involved in romantic relationships with women 
  (or, for Pulp heroines, with men). If a romantic 
  interest chances across his path, it’s a good bet that 
  within a few pages she’ll be kidnapped or dead. 
  And woe betide the woman who actually becomes 
  engaged to or marries a Pulp hero; she’s not long 
  for this world. Some authors take this one step fur-
  ther and kill oﬀ  the hero’s family as well.
  To prevent this unpleasant fate from occurring, 
  many heroes, such as Doc Savage, simply don’t 
  permit themselves to be distracted by the fairer sex. 
  Th ere are exceptions (the Spider and his ﬁ ancee Nita 
  Van Sloan being the best known), but most Pulp 
  heroes prefer to dedicate themselves to their duty 
  or goals instead of to a loved one. In some cases, the 
  hero has a speciﬁ c reason for this, such as consider-
  ing himself unworthy of a wealthy woman until he’s 
  earned a fortune of his own without her help. In 
  extreme situations, a hero may not have any friends 
  at all — he’s as cut oﬀ  from the rest of humanity as 
  one can be without moving to the Arctic.
  Whatever justiﬁ cation or explanation a story 
  provides for this unfortunate state of aﬀ airs, the real 
  explanation is that the hero’s romantic and social 
  detachment prevents the author (or, in Pulp Hero, 
  the GM and player) from having to worry about 
  messy romantic scenes and similar dramatic com-
  plications. Pulp stories are about action and adven-
  ture, not exploring characters’ feelings, so removing 
  anything that might create feelings — like a wife, 
  family, or friends — keeps the story moving along 
  at the proper pace.
  In game terms, simulating this element is mainly 
  a matter of character background. A character who 
  wants isolation shouldn’t have a living family, a girl-
  friend, any DNPCs, or the like. He may even go so far 
  as to have a Psychological Limitation that he refuses to 
  get involved with women until he has done his duty 
  or accomplished his lifelong mission (see Pulp Hero’s 
  Burden, page 263). Alternately, a character might start 
  the game with a ﬁ ancee (or the like), knowing full well 
  that before long the GM will have the villains kidnap 
  or kill her, thus providing him with plenty of moti-
  vation to go aft er them. If you want to keep a hero’s 
  love interest alive so she can be kidnapped frequently, 
  make her the character’s DNPC.
  THE SLOW SIDEKICK
  In mystery and detective pulps, the main hero 
  oft en has the help of an assistant who’s considerably 
  slower-witted than he. It’s a tradition derived from 
  the tales of Sherlock Holmes, who inﬂ uenced so 
  many pulp detectives. Th e existence of the less clever 
  sidekick allows the hero to explain to him — and 
  thus the author to the reader — what’s going on.
  In a roleplaying game, this doesn’t work so well. 
  Since the main characters — the PCs — don’t have 
  the beneﬁ t of authorial omniscience backing them 
  up the way characters in a story do, it’s more likely 
  that they will need someone to explain things to 
  them, rather than vice versa... and in any event, 
  there’s no “reader” the heroes need to reveal the plot 
  to. But in a campaign focused on the proper simu-
  lation of the narrative and dramatic conventions of 
  the genre, a character could easily have a Follower 
  or DNPC to whom he frequently “explains” things. 
  No one actually needs to hear the explanation (and, 
  taken too far, this activity may become annoying 
  to other players) — it’s made purely for the fun of 
  doing what pulp heroes do.
  TRAVEL
  Now begins one of those splendid trips 
  across the face of the world that the pulps 
  did so well[.]
  —Robert Sampson, Yesterday’s Faces, 
  Vol. 2
  Pulp stories oft en feature travel; indeed, it’s 
  one of the deﬁ ning elements of the “globetrotting 
  adventure” subgenre. Even with the increase in the 
  number of automobiles driven and air miles ﬂ own 
  during the Twenties and Th irties, long-distance 
  travel remains an unusual (if not exotic) thing for 
  most people, which makes it an ideal element for 
  a story. Th e reader may not be able to visit Paris, 
  or Kenya, or Hong Kong himself, but the hero he 
  reads about can, allowing the reader to make the 
  trip vicariously.
  Shipwrecks And Plane Crashes
  Th ere’s a caveat, though. When a Pulp hero 
  gets on a ship or plane, there’s a good chance that 
  disaster will strike. Th e ship wrecks (is torpedoed, 
  swept far oﬀ  course, catches on ﬁ re, breaks apart 
  in a storm...) or the plane crashes — and the hero 
  ends up smack in the middle of an adventure. Not 
  
  17 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter One
  only does he have to deal with whatever caused 
  the disaster, he has to explore the strange land he 
  ﬁ nds himself in, encounter hostile natives or ani-
  mals, and eventually ﬁ nd a way to get home (or to 
  his destination).
  UNEXPLAINED ABSURDITIES
  Quick Trigger leaped to his feet. Two huge 
  cannonlike revolvers were in his hands. 
  He had not been searched when captured.
  —Clifford Goodrich, “The Band Of Fear,” 
  The Shadow Magazine, June 1939
  A corollary to Coincidence (see above), unex-
  plained absurdities are unusual actions or omis-
  sions that occur in Pulp stories for no good reason 
  other than that they’re necessary for the story to 
  progress. Th e most common of them is when the 
  bad guys don’t search a captured hero, or search 
  him so poorly that they overlook tools and weap-
  ons he can easily use to make his escape. Another 
  example is a character taking a seemingly point-
  less object when he goes on an adventure, such as 
  a book whose passages “just happen” to provide a 
  clue at a crucial moment even though the book has 
  no relation to the goal or nature of the adventure. 
  Th ere’s no explanation for any of this; it’s just some-
  thing that happens in the world of the pulps so 
  nothing interrupts the action and excitement.
  In game terms, you can deal with unexplained 
  absurdities in several ways. Th e simplest is to 
  ignore them. Many gamers ﬁ nd this sort of thing 
  ridiculous; it takes away from their enjoyment of 
  the story if things don’t make sense. But if you want 
  to include them in your game occasionally, you can 
  make them an aspect of Luck. If a character’s Luck 
  roll succeeds, his enemies do something absurd 
  that helps him, or he’s got something with him that 
  helps him even though common sense dictates 
  there’s no reason he’d have that thing. Th e more 
  levels of Luck the character achieves, the more 
  absurd the event that results. (Alternately, you can 
  require characters to spend Heroic Action Points 
  for this sort of thing; see page 360.)
  VILLAINOUS DOOM
  It was — or had been — a man[.] Its arms 
  and legs protruded at unnatural angles 
  from its trunk[,] and I went sick with dis-
  gust as I looked on what had once been 
  human features, but were now so battered, 
  flattened and blood-smeared that only 
  staring, bulging eyes and broken teeth 
  protruding through smashed lips told life 
  had once pulsed underneath the hideous, 
  shattered mask. Close beside one of the 
  open, flaccid hands a heavy whip-stock 
  lay, the sort of whip that animal trainers 
  use to cow their savage pupils. ...
  “God rest ’is sinful soul!” Costello groaned. 
  “Th’ gorilly musta turned on ’im an’ 
  smashed ’im to a pulp.”
  —Seabury Quinn, “Suicide Chapel,” 
  Weird Tales, June 1938
  One aspect of the black and white morality of 
  the pulps is that death comes for the evil by their 
  own actions so the hero’s hands remain clean. For 
  example, maybe the villain sets up a ﬁ endish trap, 
  
  18 ■ The Pulp Genre
  Hero System 5th Edition
  or launches a ﬁ endish plot to kill the hero... but the 
  way the story works out, the villain gets caught in 
  his own machinations and dies because of his own 
  cruelty. Alternately, the hero may warn the villain 
  not to do something — like try to escape in a dan-
  gerously unstable plane — but the villain refuses to 
  believe him (as an untrustworthy person himself, 
  he can’t trust others) and dies.
  VIOLENCE SOLVES EVERYTHING
  Despite the fact that villains sometimes do 
  themselves in (see above), Pulp heroes oft en have to 
  resolve things with violence. Pulp stories are about 
  action, and there’s little that’s more active than 
  violence, whether it comes in the form of ﬁ stﬁ ghts, 
  gunplay, a duel with swords, or a murderer skulk-
  ing in the night. Heroes become accustomed to 
  using violent means to resolve the dilemmas they 
  encounter, which themselves oft en result from the 
  violent actions of the villain.
  Death and murder, in particular, equate with 
  excitement in the pulps. Even in the early pulps 
  hapless victims oft en dropped like ﬂ ies before the 
  hero uncovered and stopped the villain. By the 
  late Twenties and throughout the Th irties, as the 
  specter of the Great War faded from people’s minds 
  and feelings of social unrest increased, many Pulp 
  tales were ﬁ lled with blood. Th is trend reached its 
  height in the slaughterfests depicted in the Spider 
  stories, where the villains oft en killed hundreds or 
  thousands of people as they tried to take over New 
  York (or America, or the world...), but it appears in 
  many pulps.
  WARPED BODY, WARPED MIND
  In the pulps, the attributes without oft en mirror 
  the qualities within. If a person is physically mal-
  formed — dwarﬁ sh, hunchbacked, crippled, or just 
  hideously ugly — then there’s a good chance that 
  his mind is equally twisted, depraved, and corrupt. 
  Th is is particularly common in the Weird Menace 
  subgenre, where malformed villains threaten attrac-
  tive female victims with “a fate worse than death.” 
  On the other hand, Pulp heroes tend to be hand-
  some, and the women who cross their paths singu-
  larly beautiful — their physical appearance corre-
  sponds to their moral superiority and other virtues.
  WEIRD SCIENCE
  Th e Pulp era was a time of technological revolu-
  tion and advancement, so it’s not surprising that 
  Pulp heroes oft en use advanced tech, and that Pulp 
  stories oft en feature gadgets as plot devices (no pun 
  intended). But Pulp heroes aren’t restricted to the 
  mundane technologies of the real world. Not only 
  do they have unusual forms of ordinary technology 
  (such as miniaturized radios and grenades), they 
  can create and use devices that could never exist in 
  the real world (either at that time, or ever) — Weird 
  Science devices, in other words. Death rays, disinte-
  grator beams, bulletproof clothing, mole machines, 
  fake ﬁ ngerprints, gargantuan dirigibles, all sorts of 
  instant-eﬀ ect knockout drugs and gases, engine-
  deadening rays, and countless other gadgets appear 
  in Pulp tales... and no doubt will make an appear-
  ance in your Pulp Hero games. See Chapter Five for 
  more information and examples.
  THE YELLOW PERIL 
  AND THE RED MENACE
  Probably Bolshevism is the most sinister 
  and far-reaching menace of all history.
  —Cody Marsh, “Glimpses of Siberia, The 
  Russian “Wild East,”” National Geo-
  graphic, December 1920
  Two foreign threats — the Red menace of Com-
  munism and the “yellow peril” of Asia — were 
  very much on the minds of many people during 
  the Pulp era. As a result, Russian and Asian villains 
  (such as the stereotypical Fiendish Oriental Mas-
  termind) predominate in many pulps. A few such 
  characters, such as Fu Manchu, Mr. Chang, Yen Sin, 
  and Wu Fang, were the “stars” of their own series 
  or magazines. See Racism And Sexism In Th e Pulps, 
  below, for more information.
  Racism And Sexism 
  In The Pulps
  Th e most dislikable element of Pulp ﬁ ction is 
  the sexism and racism that pervade so many Pulp 
  stories. Th e Pulp era was the time of the Ku Klux 
  Klan’s greatest prominence in America and the rise 
  of Nazism in Europe, so it’s not surprising that such 
  attitudes would be reﬂ ected in the stories, magazine 
  articles, and other writing of the time. References 
  to “heathen Orientals,” “darkies,” and the like are 
  not uncommon, and oft en oﬀ end the sensibilities 
  of modern readers. While many pulp authors were 
  actually ahead of their time in their opinions and 
  treatment of other races, the general societal atti-
  tude shows through in most stories.
  SEXISM
  Of the two problems, sexism, while common, is 
  far less prevalent. Most pulps depicted women as 
  helpless victims, simpering potential love interests, 
  demeaned and fallen seekers of vengeance, or gor-
  geous seductresses. Th e stories oft en stated outright 
  that there were certain activities suitable only for 
  men, and that women should conﬁ ne themselves to 
  “ladylike” pursuits such as homemaking; even when 
  they didn’t say such things outright, the implica-
  tion was oft en there. Similarly, women were oft en 
  portrayed as lacking common sense, if not intelli-
  gence; some “girl detective” characters, for example, 
  worked as much on “women’s intuition” as on the 
  solid deductive skills that were the province of men. 
  Th e entire “spicy” subgenre (see page 27) revolved 
  primarily around exploitation of female characters 
  in a sort of Pulp-era soft -core pornography way.
  But despite that, there are many examples of 
  strong, capable heroines in the Pulps. Th e likes of 
  Nita Van Sloan, Myra Reldon, Barbe Pivet, Patri-
  cia Savage, Nellie Gray, Susan O’Gilvie, Ida Jones, 
  Diane Elliot, and Betty Dale grace the pages of 
  many a Pulp story, showing that heroines could 
  
  19 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter One
  be just as tough, clever, and daring as their male 
  counterparts. In some cases, even a woman who 
  starts out as little more than decoration learns 
  over time, becoming a skilled and important 
  character in a series. For example, Jane transforms 
  into a competent, decisive ﬁ gure over the course 
  of the Tarzan stories. Some pulps, like Adventure 
  and Short Stories, made an eﬀ ort to portray female 
  characters as smart, strong, and sensible. With so 
  many examples to fall back on, it’s easy to include 
  as many heroines and capable female NPCs in 
  your campaign as you like.
  RACISM
  In contrast, there are almost no Pulp heroes 
  who aren’t white. Members of other races fre-
  quently appear as villains, and a few heroes (such 
  as the Shadow, the Spider, and the Avenger) had an 
  agent or two who were black or members of other 
  minorities, but the heroes of the pulps were all of 
  the same basic skin tone. Even characters who pos-
  sess abilities normally associated with a particular 
  race are still white — for example, the Green Lama 
  knows the lore and powers of Lamaism, but he’s a 
  white man who studied in Tibet, not an “Asiatic.” 
  Th us, racism presents a tougher problem for Pulp 
  Hero campaigns than sexism; there aren’t any “posi-
  tive role models” for players to use as inspiration, 
  nor any tradition of non-white heroes they can 
  point to as justiﬁ cation for creating minority PCs.
  By modern standards, many Pulp stories are 
  shockingly racist. Th ey don’t necessarily ooze racist 
  sentiments from every page, but such feelings 
  ﬁ gure into the stories consciously or unconsciously 
  because they tend to be the accepted outlook of 
  both the writers and the readers. (Th e same applies 
  to a lot of non-ﬁ ction from the period as well.) 
  While the great age of colonialism was slowly but 
  surely passing by the Twenties and Th irties, the 
  belief that the white races (i.e., the British and the 
  Americans, and in some cases other Western Euro-
  peans) were naturally superior to other races, and 
  that they had a “white man’s burden” to educate and 
  civilize them, still existed. Some of the common 
  stereotypes depicted include:
  ■ Asians (particularly the Chinese) are clever 
  and hard-working, but also deceptive, devious, 
  unscrupulous, treacherous, vicious, and inscru-
  table. Oriental characters appear as villains or 
  unsympathetic characters in more Pulp stories 
  than any other minority.
  ■ Blacks are lazy, ignorant, and oft en incapable of 
  learning. (Oddly, in comparison to other ethnic 
  minorities there are very few black villains in 
  the pulps, aside from some Voodoo priests and 
  evil tribal chieft ains.)
  ■ Irishmen are all brave and lucky, but also 
  drunks, liars, braggarts, and brawlers.
  ■ Germans and Russians are brutal and barbarous, 
  prone to violence and war.
  And all of them want white women!
  DEALING WITH SEXISM AND RACISM 
  IN THE GAME
  The racism and sexism of the pulps may pres-
  ent a dilemma for gamers. On the one hand, 
  most gamers want to make at least some effort to 
  be true to the source material that inspires their 
  games. But on the other hand, the attitudes of the 
  modern world are far different from those of the 
  Pulp era; most gamers rightly consider racism 
  and sexism repugnant.
  Th ere are several possible ways you can resolve 
  this problem. Th e simplest, and most preferable for 
  many gaming groups, is to ignore the racism and 
  sexism altogether. Either the GM arranges things so 
  the issue never comes up, or the group consciously 
  or unconsciously imposes modern-day views about 
  ethnic diversity on the campaign. Th e only draw-
  back to this is that it does signiﬁ cant violence to 
  the verisimilitude of the setting; the world of the 
  Twenties and Th irties just doesn’t “feel right” if you 
  subject it to the maxims of political correctness.
  Th e polar opposite approach is to embrace the 
  concept of “simulation” wholeheartedly for game 
  purposes. In this sort of campaign, all the PCs are 
  white, and virtually all of them are men; other races 
  generally live up to the stereotypes described above. 
  Few games adopt this approach — while simula-
  tion is a laudable goal in the abstract, the racist and 
  sexist overtones of a purely simulationist Pulp cam-
  paign are simply too objectionable.
  A method that works well for many campaigns 
  is to take a sort of “middle approach” that hews 
  more toward the ﬁ rst option, but with a few nods 
  of the head toward verisimilitude. In such a game, 
  non-white PCs can exist, but at most a group 
  should have only one. Prevailing Pulp attitudes are 
  “roleplayed” with a few simple changes in vocabu-
  lary:  for example, there’s no such thing as “Asians” 
  — there are Orientals, Hindus, and so forth (and 
  perhaps more broadly, “Asiatics”). Th e members of 
  the gaming group can work together to decide what 
  threshold of “political incorrectness” they can toler-
  ate in the interest of creating a “Pulp feel.”
  Regardless of which approach your campaign 
  takes, it’s important to approach this issue with 
  some sensitivity and forethought. Roleplaying 
  games are supposed to be fun, and it’s not any fun 
  if players are getting upset and oﬀ ended by the 
  portrayal of race and gender issues in the cam-
  paign. For some groups, making just one or two 
  simple changes — like dropping “Asian” in favor 
  of “Oriental” — is all that’s needed to tell everyone 
  that “this isn’t the twenty-ﬁ rst century.” For others, 
  even that one-word substitution goes too far. 
  Figure out what’s “too far” for your gaming group, 
  and don’t go there.
  
  20 ■ The Pulp Genre
  Hero System 5th Edition
  L
  ike Fantasy, Science Fiction, and other major 
  genres,  Pulp isn’t a single type of storytell-
  ing. It has many “subgenres,” each sharing 
  the common features of the overall genre 
  (see above), but focusing on a diﬀ erent type of 
  adventure. Compared to many genres, the diﬀ erent 
  subgenres for Pulp aren’t necessarily that distinct. 
  A character who’s normally a globetrotting explorer 
  may get involved in Crimebusting for a time, or a 
  detective could ﬁ nd himself mixed up in a Weird 
  Menace adventure. What really matters is that the 
  adventures have the Pulp “feel” and incorporate 
  appropriate elements, themes, and conventions 
  described in the previous section, not exactly what 
  the characters do.
  Each of the subgenres below includes sug-
  gestions about Character Point totals and other 
  guidelines for character creation. But the suggested 
  starting Character Point totals are just that — sug-
  gestions, nothing more. What matters for Pulp Hero 
  purposes is what characters spend their points on, 
  not how many they have to spend. If you want to, 
  you can easily create Pulp Hero characters built on 
  400, 600, or 1,000 Character Points — as long as 
  they only spend those points on abilities and equip-
  ment appropriate for Pulp Hero characters.
  AIR ADVENTURE
  Without warning he fastened to the tail of 
  a Fokker and glared across his sights. His 
  hand pressed the triggers.
  Tac-tac-tac!
  A wild burst rang in the air. Tracers fluffed 
  out like ribbons into the tail of that one 
  Fokker. He moved the stick back a little. 
  The holes crept up to the cockpit of the 
  enemy pursuit. ...
  Round and round and round those planes 
  whirled. The fight was being carried to the 
  south, and the Fokkers were going down 
  farther and farther. One or two of those 
  that remained tried to dive out. But they 
  were sent down by Vickers slugs.
  —Robert J. Hogan, “The Mad Dog Squad-
  ron,” G-8 And His Battle Aces, Novem-
  ber 1934
  Th e Pulp era was also one of the golden ages of 
  aviation. Th e airplane was only a couple of decades 
  
  21 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter One
  old, and the adventure of ﬂ ight captivated many 
  people. But for all the wonder it evoked, ﬂ ying was 
  also a dangerous occupation. Airplane technology 
  was still fairly new, and even experienced aviators 
  knew they were taking their lives in their hands 
  when they winged into the skies. Th us, ﬂ iers oft en 
  enjoyed a reputation as brave, romantic, sometimes 
  crazy daredevils.
  Charles Lindbergh’s solo ﬂ ight across the 
  Atlantic Ocean in 1927 boosted interest in avia-
  tion to new heights almost overnight. Recognizing 
  a sure thing when they saw one, pulp publishers 
  responded by introducing several “air adventure” 
  titles that year. From then until the end of the Pulp 
  era, Air Adventure remained a popular subgenre.
  Most Air Adventure stories take place before 
  the Pulp era, during the Great War. Th ey pit the 
  valiant aviators of the Allies against the cruel and 
  clever Boche (German) ﬂ iers in duels to the death. 
  Whatever else goes on during the story, an Air 
  Adventure escapade always features several dog-
  ﬁ ghts, aerial chases, and other action scenes that 
  can only take place behind the stick of a buzzing 
  biplane. When they weren’t in the air, the charac-
  ters snuck behind enemy lines to steal prototype 
  planes, fought against spies and saboteurs in their 
  own ranks, and spent weekends on leave sampling 
  the delights of Paris.
  Later on, some Air Adventure sagas added a 
  dash of Science Fiction or Weird Menace to the 
  mix, whether they were set during the War or later. 
  Now the heroes didn’t just have to contend with 
  ordinary enemy aviators and planes — they con-
  fronted bizarre ﬂ ying monsters, planes armed with 
  fantastic super-weapons, madmen helming ﬂ eets of 
  super-zeppelins, and similar foes.
  AIR ADVENTURE CAMPAIGNS
  In most cases, Air Adventure characters are 
  Standard Heroic characters, with 75 Base Points 
  plus up to 75 Character Points from Disadvantages. 
  Gamemasters who want more “realistic” characters 
  may prefer Competent Normal (50 + 50) or even 
  Skilled Normal (25 + 25) PCs.
  Regardless of the starting point total, Air 
  Adventure characters usually must follow Normal 
  Characteristic Guidelines as a campaign ground 
  rule (i.e., they don’t get any Disadvantage points 
  because of this). Th ey get their equipment (or at 
  least standard equipment) for “free,” without paying 
  Character Points for it; this may include at least 
  one stock plane from Chapter Five appropriate to 
  the time period, and sometimes more. If a charac-
  ter wants a unique piece of equipment, one that’s 
  particularly powerful, or one that’s not so easy to 
  take away from him, he may have to pay Character 
  Points for it.
  In an Air Adventure game, typically every PC 
  takes the Aviator Package Deal from Chapter 
  Four. Th at ensures all the characters can travel 
  and get involved in air combat together. However, 
  some players may prefer to take on the role of a 
  gunner who doesn’t know how to ﬂ y the plane, or a 
  mechanic who keeps his feet planted ﬁ rmly on the 
  ground (the Grease Monkey Package Deal).
  Air Adventure works well as a campaign frame-
  work, since even air pulps that focused on a par-
  ticular hero (like G-8 or Dusty Ayres) also included 
  the rest of his squadron as (D)NPCs. Th us, Air 
  Adventure stories feature a group of heroes, like 
  most roleplaying games — it’s just that in a Pulp 
  Hero context, the PCs all tend to be equals, rather 
  than some following a lead character.
  CRIMEBUSTING
  A voodoo madman who makes men slaves 
  to his fiendish desires is on the loose in 
  the heart of New York. Human will seems 
  too weak to overcome his power. Could The 
  Shadow trap him before he, too, became a 
  mindless victim?
  —introduction to The Voodoo Master, 
  by Maxwell Grant, The Shadow Maga-
  zine, March 1, 1936
  “Crimebusting” refers to the activities carried 
  on by most of the characters portrayed in the 
  single-hero pulps of the Th irties. Among the most 
  successful, famous, and enduring of the pulps, 
  these magazines featured a novel-length story 
  about a speciﬁ c, beloved character — the Shadow, 
  the Spider, the Phantom Detective, or one of their 
  countless comrades — with short stories about 
  other characters and perhaps a feature article or 
  two in support. Th e Crimebusting subgenre pits 
  a hero or heroes against some criminal or enemy 
  force of great power and cunning. Early Crimebust-
  ing stories oft en used more or less ordinary crimi-
  nals and gangs as the opponent, but they soon grew 
  beyond such mundane fare to create legions of col-
  orful criminal masterminds whose plots threatened 
  entire cities, or even Earth itself!
  A Crimebusting story typically starts out with 
  the hero either (a) stumbling upon some clue to the 
  existence of the criminal mastermind and his gang, or 
  (b) responding to the initial salvo in the mastermind’s 
  evil scheme. As the story progresses, the hero grapples 
  with the enemy, foiling various subplots and in turn 
  encountering greater diﬃ  culties as the criminal mas-
  termind stays one step ahead of him (if only barely). 
  Eventually, through skill, determination, and luck, the 
  hero confronts the criminal mastermind, stops his 
  plot, and destroys him. Some Crimebusting stories 
  were ﬁ lled with violence and bloodshed; others were 
  relatively sanitized, without much emphasis on gore.
  Th e hero of a Crimebusting story oft en wears 
  a mask or other outlandish garb; for this reason, 
  they’re oft en known as “mystery men,” “masked 
  crimeﬁ ghters,” or the like. In their activities and dress 
  they preﬁ gure the comic book superhero.
  CRIMEBUSTING CAMPAIGNS
  In most cases, Crimebusting characters are Pow-
  erful Heroic characters, with 100 Base Points plus 
  up to 100 Character Points from Disadvantages. 
  Gamemasters who want their PCs to be a little 
  more challenged may opt for Standard Heroic (75 
  + 75) characters instead; ones who want the PCs to 
  ESPIONAGE
  Many Pulp stories 
  focused on espionage 
  — the “Great Game” of 
  nations maneuvering for 
  advantage in the period 
  aft er the Great War and 
  before the next war that 
  people feared would 
  come. In Pulp Hero 
  terms, espionage adven-
  tures are sort of a cross 
  between Crimebust-
  ing and Globetrotting 
  Adventure — it’s just 
  that instead of opposing 
  criminals, the heroes 
  ﬁ ght against German or 
  Bolshevik spies. Th eir 
  missions usually take 
  place in Europe, or in 
  exotic locations such as 
  the Shanghai and India 
  (the latter was regarded 
  as a target of Russian 
  agents, who wanted to 
  take it away from Great 
  Britain). A touch of 
  Weird Science — oft en 
  in the form of a ray 
  that would shut down 
  engines at a distance, 
  or some other sort of 
  super-weapon or super-
  vehicle — oft en factored 
  in; the hero typically 
  had to steal the device, 
  destroy the prototype, 
  or otherwise prevent 
  the enemy from making 
  use of it.
  
  22 ■ The Pulp Genre
  Hero System 5th Edition
  tackle truly deadly foes may prefer Very Powerful 
  Heroic (125 + 125) or even Low-Powered Superhe-
  roic (150 + 100) characters instead.
  Regardless of the starting point total, Crime-
  busting characters usually must follow Normal 
  Characteristic Guidelines as a campaign ground 
  rule (i.e., they don’t get any Disadvantage points 
  because of this). Th ey get their equipment (or 
  at least standard equipment) for “free,” without 
  paying Character Points for it. If a character wants 
  a unique piece of equipment, one that’s particu-
  larly powerful, or one that’s not so easy to take 
  away from him, he may have to pay Character 
  Points for it.
  In a Crimebusting game, typically every PC 
  takes the Masked Crimeﬁ ghter Package Deal from 
  Chapter Four. Depending on the nature of the cam-
  paign, some may prefer a Detective Package Deal, 
  or some other appropriate Package Deal (such as 
  Jazz Musician or Athlete).
  On the surface, Crimebusting wouldn’t seem 
  to work well for a gaming campaign, since most 
  adventures in this subgenre focus on the activities of 
  one powerful crimeﬁ ghter (and, perhaps, his group 
  of signiﬁ cantly less competent agents, operatives, 
  or assistants). But even assuming the GM doesn’t 
  want to use an unusual campaign framework, such 
  as making all the PCs the agents of a powerful NPC 
  hero (see Chapter Six), for Pulp Hero purposes you 
  can work around this by drawing on the traditions of 
  comic books and unusual Pulp teams like the Secret 
  Six. While the concept of a group of masked heroes 
  working together has little precedent in the pulps 
  themselves, gamers are used to “hero teams” from 
  the comics, so carrying that concept over to a Pulp 
  setting rarely poses a problem.
  DETECTIVE
  I had business to attend to, or thought I 
  had, and the old mercury could slip right 
  out the bottom of the thermometer before 
  I’d duck out on a job. The name of Race 
  Williams stands for service.
  Less than an hour ago, a boy had brought 
  me an envelope full of money and there 
  was a note requesting that I show up at 
  a tough night-club as soon as possible. It 
  spoke of trouble, and that I was taking my 
  life in my hands, and had all the earmarks 
  of an obituary column — without the place 
  of my interment. It was just typewritten, 
  and no name signed to it. But money talks, 
  and here I was slipping along through the 
  night to the ‘Egyptian Lure’.
  Now, I’m not exactly a child in arms, and I 
  know there’s a few hundred loose-thinking 
  gunmen who’d be glad to try a pot shot at 
  me. So the idea of a trap was not entirely 
  from my mind. But I wouldn’t disappoint 
  the boys anyway. If they’re willing to pay 
  for a shot at me, why discourage the prac-
  tice? Besides, there isn’t any way to judge 
  beforehand what’s good business and 
  what’s bad. People that hunt me out aren’t 
  apt to be giving references. They’re in trou-
  ble when they think of Race Williams. I’m 
  a court of last appeal. Not exactly a private 
  detective, though my licence so labels me. 
  But the gilt letters on my office door spell 
  — CONFIDENTIAL AGENT.
  —Carroll John Daly, “The Egyptian 
  Lure,”Black Mask, March 1928
  
  23 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter One
  Other than western stories, the most popular 
  adventure subgenre in the pulps was the Detective 
  story. Uncounted legions of sleuths, private eyes, 
  amateur investigators, and “conﬁ dential agents” 
  peopled the pulps, poking their noses in where 
  they oft en didn’t belong, ﬁ guring out the whos, 
  whats, whens, wheres, whys, and hows of crime, 
  and bringing to justice murderers, con men, and 
  other crooks.
  In the early pulps, detective stories were oft en 
  reprints of, or inﬂ uenced by, British detective ﬁ c-
  tion of the time. In many, the shadow of Sherlock 
  Holmes — the emphasis on logical deduction, 
  the slower-witted companion to whom the detec-
  tive explained things (and thus explained them to 
  the reader as well), and oft en the use of scientiﬁ c 
  methods of investigation — lay over the characters 
  and events. But beginning in the late 1920s, novel-
  ists and Pulp writers like Carroll John Daly, Erle 
  Stanley Gardner, Dashiell Hammett, and Raymond 
  Chandler created what became known as the “hard-
  boiled” or “noir” school of detective ﬁ ction. Featur-
  ing grittier situations, harsher and more realistic 
  characters, and less of an emphasis on action, these 
  stories have continued to inﬂ uence detective and 
  crime stories to this day. Some of the characters 
  they created, like Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe, 
  are among the best-known Pulp-era characters.
  Literary critics and commentators oft en debate 
  whether hardboiled/noir ﬁ ction diﬀ ers from Pulp 
  ﬁ ction, and not without reason. Hardboiled/noir 
  ﬁ ction lacks the black-and-white worldview, exotic 
  locales, outlandish characters, and shallow char-
  acterizations of most Pulp literature. It takes place 
  in a world of shades of grey, where intriguing and 
  well-developed characters have to navigate murky 
  waters while trying to live up to their own codes 
  of honor. In many ways, the two types of literature 
  couldn’t be more dissimilar. However, it’s beyond 
  question that this type of ﬁ ction began in the pulps, 
  and is closely associated with them by many people 
  (including many gamers), so the Detective sub-
  genre in its many forms deﬁ nitely deserves some 
  consideration in your Pulp Hero games.
  Th e Detective subgenre was so popular that it 
  spawned what are, in eﬀ ect, sub-subgenres focus-
  ing on various types of investigators or mysteries 
  (“hardboiled” could be considered one of these 
  as well). Th ere were psychic detectives who used 
  strange mental and mystical powers to resolve 
  mysteries, and occult detectives who investigated 
  incidents involving magic, the occult, or monsters. 
  Scientiﬁ c and technical detectives brought their 
  expertise with the latest technologies, criminalistic 
  techniques, or medicine to bear against criminals, 
  while magician-detectives employed their legerde-
  main skills and knowledge of trickery and decep-
  tion to catch killers. Girl detectives oft en relied on 
  intuition and social skills as much as deduction, 
  while amateur detectives infuriated the authorities 
  by poking around crime scenes. Whatever type 
  of detective you want to play, there’s precedent in 
  Pulp literature (and a Package Deal in Chapter 
  Four) for him.
  DETECTIVE CAMPAIGNS
  In most cases, Detective characters are Standard 
  Heroic characters, with 75 Base Points plus up to 
  75 Character Points from Disadvantages. Game-
  masters who want more “realistic” characters may 
  prefer Competent Normal (50 + 50) or even Skilled 
  Normal (25 + 25) PCs.
  
  24 ■ The Pulp Genre
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Regardless of the starting point total, Detective 
  characters usually must follow Normal Character-
  istic Guidelines as a campaign ground rule (i.e., 
  they don’t get any Disadvantage points because of 
  this). Th ey get their equipment (or at least standard 
  equipment) for “free,” without paying Character 
  Points for it. If a character wants a unique piece of 
  equipment, one that’s particularly powerful, or one 
  that’s not so easy to take away from him, he may 
  have to pay Character Points for it.
  Th e Detective subgenre makes a poor basis for a 
  Pulp Hero campaign. Roleplaying games are group 
  activities, but except for a few husband-and-wife 
  detective teams, groups of amateur detectives like 
  the Justice Syndicate, or partnerships like the White 
  Rings, the heroes of Detective stories always work 
  alone. Th ey rarely even have secretaries, much less 
  friends or agents who help them with their work 
  — the Pulp detective is by deﬁ nition a loner. While it 
  doesn’t strain believability too much to have a detec-
  tive character amidst a group of other PCs, an entire 
  group of detectives may not make much sense.
  GLOBETROTTING 
  ADVENTURE
  [Their] purpose was to go here and there, 
  from one end of the world to the other, look-
  ing for excitement and adventure, striving 
  to help those who needed help, punishing 
  those who deserved it.
  —the creed of Doc Savage and his com-
  panions, as described in The Man Of 
  Bronze, by Kenneth Robeson, in Doc 
  Savage Magazine, March 1933
  Th e subgenre most commonly associated with 
  the pulps by many people is Globetrotting Adven-
  ture, sometimes known simply as “Adventure.” 
  In stories of this type, the heroes get involved in 
  fantastic escapades in exotic locations around the 
  world:  the South Seas, the darkest heart of Africa, 
  the deserts of the Near East, the waters of the 
  Amazon, the jungles of India. Th e strangeness of 
  the location, the people the hero meets there, and 
  those peoples’ customs come to the fore. Th e pro-
  tagonists are usually strong-jawed, two-ﬁ sted men 
  who rely as much on having the heart (and luck) of 
  a hero as on a powerful right cross and eagle-eyed 
  accuracy with ﬁ rearms. Many of the stories featur-
  ing Doc Savage and his companions epitomize this 
  subgenre; Indiana Jones, Peter “the Brazen” Moore, 
  Jimgrim, and various Foreign Legion characters all 
  belong to it as well.
  Th e adventures that deﬁ ne this subgenre are 
  many and varied. Th e heroes might ﬁ nd themselves 
  
  25 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter One
  involved in stopping a revolution in a distant coun-
  try, hunting for treasure or archaeological relics, 
  exploring previously unknown lands, caught up in 
  some espionage plot, or opposing the schemes of a 
  world-conquering madman. As long as it’s exciting 
  and takes place at least partly in some exotic location 
  (or involves travel), it’s a Globetrotting Adventure.
  LOST WORLDS
  Together we stepped out to stand in silent 
  contemplation of a landscape at once 
  weird and beautiful. Before us a low and 
  level shore stretched down to a silent sea. 
  As far as the eye could reach the surface of 
  the water was dotted with countless tiny 
  isles — some of towering, barren, granitic 
  rock — others resplendent in gorgeous 
  trappings of tropical vegetation, myriad 
  starred with the magnificent splendor of 
  vivid blooms.
  Behind us rose a dark and forbidding wood 
  of giant arborescent ferns intermingled 
  with the commoner types of a primeval 
  tropical forest. Huge creepers depended in 
  great loops from tree to tree, dense under_
  brush overgrew a tangled mass of fallen 
  trunks and branches. Upon the outer 
  verge we could see the same splendid col-
  oring of countless blossoms that glorified 
  the islands, but within the dense shadows 
  all seemed dark and gloomy as the grave.
  And upon all the noonday sun poured its 
  torrid rays out of a cloudless sky.
  “Where on earth can we be?” I asked, 
  turning to Perry.
  —Edgar Rice Burroughs, At The Earth’s 
  Core, in All-Story Magazine, April 1914
  One of the most common venues for Globetrot-
  ting Adventure is the lost world — a secret or hidden 
  location inhabited by the remnants of an ancient 
  civilization, a strange new civilization never before 
  encountered, prehistoric creatures, or the like. A lost 
  world might be an ancient Roman city isolated in the 
  heart of the African jungle, a deep Central American 
  valley where Mayan tribes still live unmolested by 
  the outside world, a hidden plateau where dinosaurs 
  and cavemen survive, an underground cavern vast 
  enough to hold an entire civilization (or civiliza-
  tions) of men, or even a colony of men somehow 
  transported to another planet.
  Lost worlds were a particular feature of the works 
  of Edgar Rice Burroughs — Tarzan alone seems to 
  have discovered dozens of them hidden away in the 
  trackless African jungle, and the entire Pellucidar 
  series takes place in a new world inside the hollow 
  Earth — but they appear in many other writers’ 
  works as well. Th ey’re ideal for gaming, since they 
  form a distinctive story arc within a campaign (or 
  comprise an entire short-term campaign).
  GLOBETROTTING ADVENTURE 
  CAMPAIGNS
  In most Pulp Hero campaigns, Globetrotting 
  Adventure characters are Standard Heroic char-
  acters, with 75 Base Points plus up to 75 Char-
  acter Points from Disadvantages. Gamemasters 
  who want PCs more in the mold of the ultra-
  competent Doc Savage may opt for Powerful 
  Heroic (100 + 100) or Very Powerful Heroic (125 
  + 125) characters instead.
  Regardless of the starting point total, Globe-
  trotting Adventure characters usually must follow 
  Normal Characteristic Guidelines as a campaign 
  ground rule (i.e., they don’t get any Disadvantage 
  points because of this). Th ey get their equipment 
  (or at least standard equipment) for “free,” without 
  paying Character Points for it (this may include 
  a plane or other vehicles, if the GM wants the 
  heroes to get around on their own rather than rely 
  on commercial transport). If a character wants a 
  unique piece of equipment, one that’s particularly 
  powerful, or one that’s not so easy to take away 
  from him, he may have to pay Character Points 
  for it.
  WEIRD MENACE
  Two dead bodies lay obscenely exposed 
  amid scattered heaps of fresh earth. 
  The water-saturated subsoil had made 
  deep digging impossible, and the graves 
  from which the corpses had been looted 
  were little more than shallow trenches. 
  Crouched gibbering over them was a crea-
  ture that was a blasphemous caricature of 
  a man. ... If the creature had not already 
  fed, however, there was little doubt that 
  it intended to feed now, and quickly. Its 
  claw-like right hand closed avidly upon 
  the moldering flesh of the legless body. 
  The pointed head dropped. A wordless 
  babble of anticipation whimpered from 
  the slavering lips.
  —Hal K. Wells, “Black Pool For Hell Maid-
  ens,” Mystery Tales, June 1938
  Horror is what a girl would feel if, from a 
  safe distance, she watched [a] ghoul prac-
  tice diabolical rites upon a victim. Terror 
  is what the girl would feel if, on a dark 
  night, she heard the steps of the ghoul 
  coming toward her and knew she was 
  marked for the next victim. Mystery is the 
  girl wondering who done it and why.
  —Popular Publications editor Rogers 
  Terrill defining horror, terror, and 
  mystery in Weird Menace stories
  Th e Weird Menace subgenre got its start in the 
  early Th irties in the pages of various pulps put out 
  by Popular Publications, such as Dime Mystery 
  Magazine, Horror Stories, and Terror Tales. Inspired 
  JUNGLE 
  ADVENTURE
  One particularly popu-
  lar form of Globetrot-
  ting Adventure was 
  the jungle story, made 
  famous by Burroughs’s 
  tales of Tarzan. In this 
  type of story, the action 
  remains focused on a 
  speciﬁ c type of exotic 
  location — a jungle, 
  usually in Africa but 
  possibly in India or 
  South America — with 
  a Wild Man as the hero. 
  Periodically the charac-
  ter may venture outside 
  his home turf to such 
  “exotic” locales as New 
  York City or London, 
  but for the most part the 
  readers wanted wilder-
  ness action and got it. 
  Villains included rebel-
  lious, evil tribesmen, 
  unscrupulous hunters, 
  greedy treasure-seek-
  ers, lost cities preparing 
  to begin campaigns of 
  conquest, businessmen 
  looking to exploit the 
  jungle or rob the hero of 
  his rightful inheritance 
  back in civilization, and 
  so forth.
  Jungle adventure makes 
  a poor framework for 
  a Pulp Hero campaign, 
  since there’s little prece-
  dent or place for groups 
  of equal heroes, and a 
  steady diet of relatively 
  similar scenarios soon 
  pales. But jungle stories 
  provide plenty of inspi-
  ration for GMs looking 
  for an intriguing NPC 
  or the next adventure 
  for a group of globetrot-
  ting PCs!
  
  26 ■ The Pulp Genre
  Hero System 5th Edition
  by the Gothic romances of the 1800s and the Grand 
  Guignol Th eater in Paris, in essence it combines the 
  mystery story with elements of weirdness, horror, 
  the occult, and the macabre.
  In a typical Weird Menace story, a villain 
  hatches a scheme that seems to involve supernatu-
  ral powers of some sort:  grotesque or mutilated 
  humans; demonic monsters; eerie cults; zombies; 
  conjured ghosts; Weird Science devices. Th e scheme 
  has a mundane purpose. For example, he may want 
  to (a) scare people away from a particular area so 
  he can buy the land cheaply, (b) enact a murderous 
  revenge scheme using the macabre events as cam-
  ouﬂ age, or (c) earn vast sums of money by running 
  a bordello that caters to sadistic millionaires. As the 
  story unfolds and the hero ﬁ gures out what’s going 
  on, it turns out there’s a “natural” (rational and/or 
  scientiﬁ c, if not necessarily realistic or logical) 
  explanation for the villain’s actions — his leprous 
  zombies turn out to be living people controlled 
  with chemicals and hypnosis, his ghostly appari-
  tions created with a special type of ﬁ lm projector, 
  his devil-worshipping cult just a gang of ordinary 
  crooks in costumes, his demonic monsters trained 
  apes tricked out with makeup and prosthetic fangs. 
  Later Weird Menace stories sometimes involved 
  actual occult horrors.
  Elements of Weird Menace stories include:
  ■ Gothic locations:  Weird Menace stories typically 
  take place (at least in part) in Gothic settings 
  such as dreary old mansions, decrepit grave-
  yards, somber castles, and dark forests.
  ■ Sadism:  Weird Menace stories oft en feature 
  scenes of sadism, such as hapless female victims 
  being tortured or pawed by hideous, drooling 
  madmen. Th e cover of a Weird Menace pulp 
  typically showed a beautiful woman wearing 
  very little clothing about to suﬀ er just such a fate.
  ■ Th e “Undead”:  Th e horror in Weird Menace 
  tales may derive from the dead being brought 
  back to “life.” It usually turns out the deceased 
  wasn’t dead at all, or that the “resurrected” 
  person isn’t really who the hero thinks he is.
  ■ Compulsion:  For many people, nothing’s as hor-
  rifying as being forced to do something against 
  one’s will, and Weird Menace stories draw on 
  this by depicting innocent victims subjected to 
  hypnosis, will-sapping rays, and brainwashing.
  ■ Aged = Evil:  In Weird Menace stories, old age 
  and lechery (in the case of male villains) or sup-
  posed witchcraft  (in the case of females) oft en 
  go hand-in-hand. In stories with aged villains, 
  the victim was usually a young woman whose 
  beauty and vitality contrasted with the villain’s 
  withered ﬂ esh and evil mind.
  ■ Curses And Spells:  Oft en a Weird Menace vil-
  lain takes advantage of a supposed curse or spell 
  placed on the victim, by using his resources to 
  make the victim think the curse is working.
  WEIRD MENACE CAMPAIGNS
  Weird Menace characters are usually, at best, 
  Competent Normal characters, with 50 Base Points 
  plus up to 50 Character Points from Disadvantages. 
  Th ey might even be Skilled Normals (25 + 25). Low 
  point totals work best, since characters who are too 
  capable and competent can unravel the mystery too 
  easily and won’t be frightened by the eerie menaces 
  they encounter.
  
  27 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter One
  Regardless of the starting point total, Weird 
  Menace characters usually must follow Normal 
  Characteristic Guidelines as a campaign ground rule 
  (i.e., they don’t get any Disadvantage points because 
  of this). Th ey get their equipment (or at least stan-
  dard equipment) for “free,” without paying Character 
  Points for it. If a character wants a unique piece of 
  equipment, one that’s particularly powerful, or one 
  that’s not so easy to take away from him, he may 
  have to pay Character Points for it.
  OTHER TYPES 
  OF PULP STORIES
  The subgenres described above weren’t the 
  only types of Pulp stories — far from it. They’re 
  simply the subgenres most likely to inspire, influ-
  ence, or affect Pulp Hero campaigns. Some of the 
  others include:
  THE HISTORICAL PULPS
  Many Pulp stories took place in historical 
  periods rather than the Pulp era itself. Th e west-
  ern, the most popular Pulp subgenre (see Western 
  Hero, below), falls into this category, as do Johnson 
  McCulley’s tales of the masked crusader Zorro, 
  Talbot Mundy’s chronicles of Tros of Samothrace, 
  and Harold Lamb’s stories of Khlit the Cossack. 
  Historical Pulp adventuring is beyond the scope of 
  this book, since it could take place literally at any 
  place or time during human history.
  THE LOVE AND ROMANCE PULPS
  Although they’re of little interest to most 
  gamers, the love and romance pulps were among 
  the most popular of the day, and the only pulps 
  to attract a substantial female readership. Ranch 
  Romances, devoted to the narrow topic of 
  romance stories set in the Old West, was one of 
  the best-selling pulps for many years. A typical 
  love or romance story featured a female charac-
  ter who fell in love and, after overcoming vari-
  ous obstacles, won her man. Unlike the spicies 
  (see below), sex wasn’t a feature of these stories; 
  the heroine was neither “easy” nor promiscuous, 
  and focused her wholesome romantic attentions 
  entirely on one deserving man.
  THE SPICY PULPS
  Her shapely body was a succession of 
  fluent, rippling curves that smiled through 
  a gown that left him wondering whether 
  its fragile fabric would endure even a 
  breath of evening breeze.
  —E. Hoffmann Price, “Satan’s Daugh-
  ter,” Spicy Mystery, January 1936
  His eyes drank in her beauty. The robe 
  had slipped down over her shoulders, 
  revealing more than a glimpse of the firm 
  contours of her bare and jutting breasts. 
  Her unclad legs and creamy thighs peered 
  forth boldly from the robe as she walked 
  toward him.
  —Robert Leslie Bellem, “The Shanghai 
  Jester,” Spicy Adventure Stories, July 
  1934
  Th e ﬂ ip side of the love and romance pulps were 
  pulp magazines that catered to the more prurient 
  interests of the male readers by explicitly describing 
  naked women and sexual situations. Known as the 
  “spicy” or “hot” pulps, many of them had the word 
  “Spicy” in the title (later changed to “Speed” in some 
  cases, to avoid censorship); others include Snappy 
  Stories, Gay Parisienne, Pep, and the like. Th eir covers 
  usually depicted women in lingerie, or a half-clothed 
  woman about to be attacked by some ﬁ end.
  Th e early spicies merely hinted coyly at nudity 
  and sexual activity. Th e later ones, while never 
  explicitly depicting sex acts, didn’t hesitate to lav-
  ishly describe the female form, oft en devising a 
  thesaurus’s worth of lyrical substitutes for the word 
  “breasts” in the process. Line drawings of the semi-
  nude women oft en accompanied these stories. In 
  many jurisdictions the authorities objected to the 
  spicy pulps as obscene, so magazine purveyors had 
  to hide them and sell them only on request, origi-
  nating the phrase “under the counter.”
  For the most part, spicy stories have no place 
  in Pulp Hero campaigns — they don’t ﬁ t well with 
  the usual action-adventure emphasis of most Pulp 
  scenarios, and may make gamers uncomfortable. 
  However, a clever GM could easily insert a mildly 
  spicy scene into a story as a brief prelude to or dis-
  traction from the main action. For example, a group 
  of heroes exploring the jungle may happen across 
  an evil native cult performing a sacriﬁ cial ritual in 
  which the victim is a beautiful, unclad princess from 
  a rival tribe. Before they leap to her rescue, the GM 
  brieﬂ y provides a spice-tinged description of the 
  scene that emphasizes the victim’s form and features 
  as much as the attitude and weapons of the cultists.
  THE SPECIALIZED PULPS
  In the try-anything-once world of pulp pub-
  lishing, many publishers released highly-special-
  ized pulps that focused on a speciﬁ c type of story. 
  Examples include railroad stories, sea stories, 
  sports pulps, zeppelin stories, and the like. Th ese 
  pulps have little, if any, eﬀ ect on most Pulp Hero 
  campaigns. Th ey’re too narrow, and in many cases 
  simply tell the same story again and again in 
  slightly diﬀ erent ways. However, a GM looking for 
  inspiration for an offb  eat adventure or NPC might 
  ﬁ nd much to inspire him in the specialized pulps.
  
  28 ■ The Pulp Genre
  Hero System 5th Edition
  P
  ulp Hero comes in many ﬂ avors, as 
  described above. But beyond “pure” expres-
  sions of the Pulp genre there are many 
  types of stories (and game campaigns) 
  involving the use of meta-genres, or which com-
  bine Pulp Hero and some other genre.
  META-GENRES
  A meta-genre is a style or theme of storytelling/
  game play/campaign conception that could apply 
  to any genre. Comedy, horror, romance, and tragedy 
  are all meta-genres, whereas Pulp, Fantasy, Science 
  Fiction, and Western are genres. Th us, you could 
  have a horror Western, or horror Pulp, or horror 
  Fantasy — horror isn’t a genre, it’s a meta-genre. A 
  meta-genre can apply to an entire campaign, or just 
  to speciﬁ c adventures or story arcs within an other-
  wise normal Pulp Hero game.
  In most cases, a campaign’s or scenario’s meta-
  genre evokes (or is intended to evoke) a particu-
  lar mood in the characters:  dread, compassion, 
  suspense, humor. Th e GM should do his best to 
  enhance the mood by encouraging players to have 
  their characters engage in dramatically appropri-
  ate actions — such as deliberately putting them 
  in situations where they’ll look ridiculous in a 
  Comedic Action campaign. In some cases, this 
  may involve granting Skill Roll bonuses (or the 
  like) for actions that suit or improve the mood; 
  in others it may mean giving the players advance 
  warning about what’s expected and letting them 
  concoct a proper response.
  Comedy
  Comedy and whimsy deﬁ nitely have their place 
  in the realm of Pulp Hero. While few Pulp stories 
  deliberately set out to be humorous, their black-
  and-white morality and “campy” or “cheesy” nature 
  oft en induces laughter in modern readers. By 
  exploiting that, a GM and players can create a Pulp 
  campaign that’s played mainly for laughs rather 
  than pure action.
  In a gaming context, the GM can oft en rely on 
  the help of the players to establish a comedic (or 
  at least whimsical) mood. Players rarely do quite 
  what the GM expects them to. If he places them in 
  a ridiculous or absurd situation, frequently they just 
  dig themselves in deeper, with hilarious results. Th e 
  trick to this is not to always use the PCs as fall guys, 
  patsies, or the butt of jokes; no one likes to be made 
  fun of all the time. Instead, put them in the driver’s 
  seat sometimes, letting them take advantage of the 
  other guy’s pratfalls.
  Just about any type of character works for 
  Comedic Pulp Hero, though such characters 
  should rarely, if ever, be powerful or competent. 
  Examples include a private eye who talks in 
  choppy “noir”-type dialogue all the time, a masked 
  mystery man who can’t shoot straight and barely 
  has any investigative skills, or a psychic detective 
  whose “powers” usually do nothing more than give 
  him a blinding headache.
  Horror
  We live on a placid island of ignorance in 
  the midst of black seas of infinity, and it 
  was not meant that we should voyage far. 
  The sciences, each straining in its own 
  direction, have hitherto harmed us little; 
  but some day the piecing together of dis-
  sociated knowledge will open up such ter-
  rifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful 
  position therein, that we shall either go 
  mad from the revelation or flee from the 
  deadly light into the peace and safety of a 
  new dark age.
  —H.P. Lovecraft, “The Call of Cthulhu,” 
  Weird Tales, February, 1928
  Horror and Pulp ﬁ t together well. H.P. Lovecraft , 
  considered by some scholars the greatest horror 
  writer in American literature, published his work 
  entirely in pulp magazines (mainly Weird Tales), 
  and the entire Weird Menace subgenre involves a 
  combination of horror and mystery.
  Horror stories take place in the “real world,” but 
  oft en involve dark secrets, hidden terrors, and lurk-
  ing evils the average person knows nothing of. In 
  most of them, ordinary, and usually sympathetic, 
  protagonists begin investigating some strange situa-
  tion, only to discover the true horror behind it. One 
  by one, the main characters die, go insane, become 
  corrupt, lose loved ones and possessions, and suﬀ er 
  other disasters and terrors as the story wends its 
  way to a conclusion (usually, but not always, a 
  happy or hopeful ending, as the heroes stop the 
  threat and restore normalcy). Alternately, in Weird 
  Menace stories, the characters are plunged into 
  horror early in the narrative, only to gradually work 
  their way through it and dispel the horror through 
  their own bravery, skills, and cleverness.
  Th e primary “disconnect” between Horror and 
  Pulp Hero is that Pulp Hero characters are tough, 
  skilled, and proactive. Th ey don’t sit meekly and 
  wait for their fate to come upon them; they go 
  out to confront it, ﬁ sts swinging and guns blazing. 
  OTHER 
  SOURCES OF 
  INSPIRATION
  Pages 35-43 of Cham-
  pions contain advice on 
  applying meta-genres to 
  superhero campaigns. 
  Much of that advice 
  is general, and could 
  certainly work in Pulp 
  Hero campaigns as well. 
  You might also want to 
  look at pages 17-19 of 
  Star Hero, pages 17-19 
  of Ninja Hero, and pages 
  19-22 of Fantasy Hero, 
  and pages 17-19 of Dark 
  Champions.
  
  29 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter One
  Th e GM has to arrange the situation so the play-
  ers think they’re making progress opposing the 
  “enemy” at ﬁ rst... only to discover that their eﬀ orts 
  have been in vain, and they’ve got to ﬁ nd the right 
  approach or they’re all doomed.
  Most Horror stories use one or more of sev-
  eral mechanisms to create suspense, fear, and 
  dread in the characters (and thus, in the read-
  ers/players as well). The first is isolation. If char-
  acters can radio for help, or escape, that lessens 
  their feelings of terror. A proper Horror story 
  traps them somewhere — a deserted island, an 
  isolated mansion during a driving thunderstorm, 
  a prison — and keeps them there until they 
  resolve the situation. The second is ignorance. 
  People tend to fear the unknown, so Horror sto-
  ries often place characters in situations where 
  they’re unaware of the true facts. As the story 
  unfolds, the characters slowly learn what’s going 
  on... often to their own detriment. The third is 
  powerlessness. Characters who have the ability 
  to cope with adversity often also have the confi-
  dence to confront that which scares them. It cre-
  ates a better Horror effect if they have to struggle 
  against the lurking terrors instead of just attack-
  ing them as if they were any other adversary.
  It’s difficult to achieve Horror effects in a 
  gaming context, with the lights on and plenty of 
  snacks at hand, but it is possible. Even the tough-
  est of Pulp Hero character becomes less cock-
  sure when stripped of his weapons and put in 
  a deadly situation he cannot control. Just about 
  any type of character is appropriate, though the 
  characters should never have the power to con-
  front the lurking horrors effectively (at least, not 
  at first).
  OCCULT ADVENTURES
  Closely related to Horror in the minds of many 
  gamers are adventures involving occult subjects 
  and adversaries, such as traditional monsters (vam-
  pires, mummies, werewolves) or an evil sorcerer. 
  Characters like Jules de Grandin and John Th un-
  stone built entire careers out of “monster hunting” 
  and occult detective work. Typically their adven-
  tures follow a pattern something like this:
  1.  The Horror Is Unleashed:  Something triggers 
  the horror, makes it active, unleashes it, or the like. 
  For example, ignorant explorers bring a curse down 
  upon themselves by violating a mummy’s tomb; 
  a vampire makes plans to move to the big city; a 
  naive person releases something horriﬁ c; or an old 
  hag puts a hex on someone the PC cares for.
  2.  The Horror Manifests:  Horrible things start hap-
  pening. Th e explorers fall victim to the mummy; the 
  vampire arrives and starts feeding oﬀ  innocent people; 
  the PC’s beloved starts to succumb to the hex.
  3.  Things Get Worse:  Aft er the PC’s initial eﬀ orts 
  to stop or slow the horror fail, the situation wors-
  ens. Th e mummy starts killing more people (such 
  as the loved ones and acquaintances of the explor-
  ers); the vampire’s minions start feeding; the PC’s 
  beloved lapses into a coma.
  4.  The Pieces Come Together:  During all of this, 
  the heroes have been researching what’s going on 
  and trying to stop it. At last they gather the crucial 
  piece of information, or ﬁ nd the weapon they need 
  to strike a telling blow against the horror.
  5.  The Horror Is Defeated... For Now:  Bringing 
  their newfound knowledge and abilities to bear, 
  
  30 ■ The Pulp Genre
  Hero System 5th Edition
  the heroes stop the horror. But can they be sure it’s 
  really gone, and cannot rise again?
  Th us, Occult Adventure isn’t true Horror so 
  much as it is a mix of Horror and the Crimebust-
  ing or Detective subgenres. Compared to “typical” 
  Horror stories, the heroes can react to the “enemy” 
  in a positive way, and in the end usually stop it or 
  destroy it.
  Mystery
  Mystery is one of the most suitable meta-genres 
  for Pulp Hero. Among other things, it’s the sine qua 
  non of the Detective subgenre; a GM who wants to 
  run an all-Detective campaign (perhaps because he 
  only has one or two players) could easily do so. In 
  this sort of game, the PCs are all private eyes,
  G-men, inspectors on the local police force, ama-
  teur investigators, or some other type of detective. 
  Each scenario they’re confronted with a new mys-
  tery — usually a murder, but possibly a robbery or 
  blackmail scheme.
  Th is sort of campaign tends to require a lot of 
  work on the part of the GM. First, he has to concoct 
  a new, plausible mystery for each game, and that 
  can be diﬃ  cult — despite the plethora of mystery 
  novels on bookstore shelves, good, solid mysteries 
  that work as gaming adventures aren’t easy to come 
  by. Among the things the GM needs to know (and 
  be prepared to reveal to the PCs at the appropriate 
  time) are:
  ■ the identity of the criminal, and his motives for 
  committing the crime
  ■ the identities of other suspects, and their pos-
  sible motives
  ■ the identity of the victim (and any other rel-
  evant details about him, such as his personal 
  history, job, family, and the like)
  ■ how and when the crime occurred
  ■ what happened when the criminal committed 
  the crime, and what (if anything) he did aft er-
  wards
  ■ other events that might aﬀ ect the characters’ 
  ability to gather and correctly analyze the clues
  Second, unlike a novelist, who can have a 
  character suddenly realize the signiﬁ cance of a 
  clue, the GM doesn’t control the protagonists in 
  his game (the PCs). Th is may lead to situations 
  where (a) all of the players overlook a clue, or the 
  signiﬁ cance of a clue, (b) the GM has to make a 
  clue so obvious that there’s no suspense, and/or (c) 
  the players end up using a lot of die rolls to gather 
  and analyze information, rather than solving the 
  mystery on their own (oft en with the entirely fair, 
  but game-wrecking, excuse that “my character is 
  better at these things than I would be”). Th e GM 
  has to deft ly manage the release of information, 
  dropping (sometimes blatant) hints to the players 
  (“What Bob just suggested really seems to make 
  sense to you”), the use of die rolls, and the pacing 
  of the story to keep the suspense alive and prevent 
  the players from reaching the right conclusion too 
  early or too late.
  Romance
  Romance as a meta-genre refers to campaigns or 
  storylines involving, or focusing on, the romantic 
  attachments, entanglements, and relationships of 
  the main characters. Most Pulp Hero campaigns 
  are “romantic” in the broad, dramatic sense of that 
  term — they’re ﬁ lled with adventure, excitement, 
  and appropriate but unlikely actions — but that’s 
  not quite the same thing.
  Romantic Pulp Hero campaigns generally 
  require two things. First, the characters have to 
  stay put in one location. If they’re in a Globetrot-
  ting Adventure campaign, creating good, long-
  lasting Romance subplots may prove diﬃ  cult, if 
  not impossible. If the GM wants to emphasize 
  Romance, he should base the campaign in a single 
  city (or other static location). Of course, the GM 
  can always introduce a minor romantic sub-plot 
  or two without making the whole campaign 
  revolve around Romance, and that even works in 
  campaigns featuring lots of travel. Aft er all, what 
  could be more romantic than meeting a beautiful, 
  mysterious woman in some exotic city halfway 
  across the world?
  Second, and more importantly, the characters 
  must have potential romantic partners to choose 
  from (and perhaps ﬁ ght over). A Romance cam-
  paign won’t go far without enough “ﬁ sh in the sea” 
  for the characters to take an interest in. Th e GM has 
  to design intriguing NPCs who attract one or more 
  PCs through some qualities, and yet have other 
  qualities the PC(s) ﬁ nd troublesome or oﬀ -putting. 
  Romance as a major campaign theme doesn’t work 
  well if the romances are smooth sailing all the way 
  — there must be obstacles to love for the characters 
  to overcome.
  Romance works well in conjunction with the 
  Comedy meta-genre. What makes people look 
  more foolish, or more likely to do things they ordi-
  narily wouldn’t, than love? 
  Tragedy
  Traditionally, a Tragedy tells the story of a hero 
  or heroes, doomed by some personal ﬂ aw or cir-
  cumstance to loss, diminishment, or death. Pulp 
  stories feature happy endings that aren’t compatible 
  with Tragedy — at most, they contain a minor note 
  of Tragedy related to the death of a beloved char-
  acter or the passing of a way of life. Beyond that, 
  Tragedy generally has no place in Pulp Hero.
  DUNITS
  Basically speaking, mys-
  teries can be organized 
  into three types:
  Howdunits, in which 
  all of the suspects had 
  a motive, but it appears 
  impossible that any 
  of them (or possibly 
  anyone else) could have 
  committed the crime 
  (this includes the classic 
  “locked room” mystery). 
  Solving the mystery 
  involves ﬁ guring out 
  how the crime was com-
  mitted; this in turn tells 
  the investigator who 
  did it.
  Whodunits, in which 
  all the suspects had a 
  motive, and the method 
  of committing the crime 
  is obvious. Solving the 
  mystery involves ﬁ gur-
  ing out who committed 
  the crime. Th is is the 
  most common type of 
  mystery.
  Whydunits, in which 
  none of the suspects 
  seems to have had a 
  motive, and the method 
  of committing the crime 
  is obvious. Solving the 
  mystery involves ﬁ gur-
  ing out why someone 
  would commit the 
  crime; once the inves-
  tigator knows that, he 
  knows who’s guilty.
  Of course, some myster-
  ies combine features of 
  two or all three types. 
  For example, a whydunit 
  might reveal that more 
  than one suspect had 
  motive; at that point the 
  mystery converts into a 
  whodunit.
  
  31 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter One
  OTHER GENRES
  Th e tropes, themes, and character types of Pulp 
  stories easily mingle with those of other genres. 
  Combining them can create fascinating campaigns 
  and stories.
  Champions
  While comic books came along late in the Pulp 
  era, and to some extent helped to contribute to the 
  demise of the pulps, the two genres have a great 
  deal in common. Many of the most important 
  conventions of comic book superheroes — masked 
  and costumed heroes, master villains with world-
  threatening plots, exotic locations, incredible 
  coincidences, fantastic technology — originated 
  or ﬂ owered in the pulps, and the creation of more 
  than one superhero was inspired or inﬂ uenced by 
  similar Pulp heroes. Th e main diﬀ erence between 
  the two is the level of “believability.” Th e events and 
  characters of even the most outlandish masked 
  mystery-man Pulp story pale before the deeds of 
  costumed supermen who can hurl tanks, teleport, 
  and project beams of energy.
  Th e easiest way to mingle the two genres is to 
  use the comics as inspiration for a Pulp Hero cam-
  paign — speciﬁ cally, a team of masked mystery 
  men. Such things didn’t exist in the pulps, but with 
  comics as an inspiration gamers can easily make up 
  for that lack. Alan Moore’s Th e League Of Extraor-
  dinary Gentlemen, though set in the Victorian era 
  rather than Pulp times, shows how much fun that 
  sort of campaign could be.
  Dark Champions
  On the surface, at least, Pulp adventures and 
  modern-day action adventures have a lot in 
  common. Th ey both feature fast-paced action, 
  gunﬁ ghts, car chases, travel to exotic locations, and 
  so on. Some subgenres of Dark Champions, such 
  as Espionage and Vigilante Crimeﬁ ghting, are alive 
  and well during the Pulp era in various forms.
  On the other hand, the two genres have some 
  signiﬁ cant diﬀ erences. At its heart Dark Champions 
  tends to be relatively grim, gritty, and “realistic.” 
  Pulp Hero is more lighthearted and fantastic. Where 
  Dark Champions characters tend to distrust the 
  government and authority ﬁ gures, Pulp characters 
  regard them much more favorably. Aside from 
  hardboiled Detective stories, even the darkest Pulp 
  campaign tends to seem bright and open compared 
  to most Dark Champions games. And while many 
  Pulp heroes ruthlessly gun down the evil foes they 
  face, others prefer merciful attacks or methods 
  to capture and reform criminals. Th us, while the 
  two genres can inﬂ uence and inform each other to 
  some degree, in the end their dissimilarities typi-
  cally prevent them from fully mixing together.
  It’s possible to have a sort of Pulp-style Dark 
  Champions campaign featuring the serialized 
  adventures and over-the-top heroic action common 
  to the pulps — just with a Dark Champions tinge. 
  For example, serial adventure novels such as those 
  about Mack Bolan the Executioner, Phoenix Force, 
  and their ilk are, essentially, “modern-day pulp 
  adventures.” But in this case, the heroes of those 
  adventures are Dark Champions vigilantes.
  Fantasy Hero
  Fantasy stories have always been a part of Pulp 
  ﬁ ction. Some of the best-known Fantasy authors, 
  such as Robert E. Howard and Clark Ashton Smith, 
  became famous because their stories were pub-
  lished in the pulps.
  Th ere isn’t a speciﬁ c “Pulp Fantasy” style of Fan-
  tasy Hero play. Most pulp Fantasy tales were Swords 
  And Sorcery or High Fantasy stories, so if you 
  want to run a Fantasy game in the “Pulp style” you 
  should pick one of those subgenres. Be lush in your 
  descriptions, and try to add a little bit of eeriness to 
  the mood you evoke, and you should simulate Pulp 
  Fantasy just ﬁ ne.
  Ninja Hero
  In the typical Pulp-era campaign, most charac-
  ters are thoroughly grounded in Western culture. 
  Th e “mysterious East” is the home of Oriental 
  master villains and many opportunities for adven-
  ture, but it’s not a place heroes come from. A Pulp 
  hero might know Boxing, Dirty Inﬁ ghting, Fencing, 
  or even Savate, but not Jujutsu, Kung Fu, or Karate. 
  Perhaps one character in a PC group is an “Ameri-
  can From Th e Orient” who learned martial arts 
  while traveling in Asia or knocking around China-
  town, but too much more than that and you start 
  to distort the “feel” of the genre. But as always, it’s 
  up to the GM to gauge what the players want and 
  respond accordingly; a campaign that mixes the 
  elements of Cinematic or Wuxia martial arts with 
  the strong-jawed heroism of the pulps could be a 
  lot of fun for the right group of gamers.
  Star Hero
  “By Scientifiction, I mean... a charming 
  romance intermingled with scientific fact 
  and prophetic vision.”
  —Hugo Gernsback explaining his intent 
  in the first issue of Amazing Stories
  Science Fiction tales ﬁ lled the pages of many 
  pulps, such as Amazing Stories and Astounding Sto-
  ries — indeed, the term “science ﬁ ction” was coined 
  in the pulps. Comic strips and ﬁ lm adventure seri-
  als featuring Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon were 
  also extremely popular. Th us, mixing Star Hero and 
  Pulp Hero is easy, and can be a lot of fun.
  Pulp Science Fiction stories, and the gaming cam-
  paigns inspired by them, are characterized by several 
  elements in addition to the general Pulp elements 
  described earlier in this chapter. Th ese include:
  
  32 ■ The Pulp Genre
  Hero System 5th Edition
  ■ Fantastic technology:  Th e technology of Pulp 
  SF isn’t just Weird, it’s downright fantastic. Any-
  thing you can think of, from matter transmitters 
  (teleporters), to ray guns, to mind transference 
  is fair game. As depicted in the Science Fic-
  tion pulps, this technology oft en has a sort of 
  stylish “Art Deco” appearance, with lots of ﬁ ns, 
  knobs, and extraneous decorations that make no 
  sense... but look great.
  ■ Bug-eyed monsters:  No Pulp SF tale would be 
  complete without a ﬁ ght against some bug-
  eyed monsters! Whether they’re invading 
  Earth, kidnapping the beautiful alien princess, 
  or attacking the PCs for no good reason, BEMS 
  are a menace that needs to be destroyed pronto.
  ■ No technological negative consequences:  
  Advanced technology is always a good thing, 
  with no negative connotations. It doesn’t pollute, 
  or there’s other technology to clean up all the 
  pollution instantly. Th ere’s always enough fuel 
  (whatever that fuel may be), unless the absence 
  of fuel is a particular plot point. Technology has 
  no dangerous side eﬀ ects for the user — in fact, 
  it rarely even requires much eﬀ ort to learn how 
  to use it.
  ■ Humanistic aliens:  In Pulp SF, the aliens that 
  heroes encounter oft en aren’t all that unusual 
  — they’re basically Humans, but with a diﬀ er-
  ent skin tone, or other distinctive features like 
  small antennae or pointed ears. And they all 
  seem to speak English (or at least have transla-
  tion technology!).
  ■ Earthmen are hunks:  Alien woman always fall 
  hard for Pulp SF adventurers, oft en to the point 
  of betraying their own societies to help them.
  ■ Th e old-fashioned Solar System:  Th e solar system 
  of Earth as portrayed in the pulps isn’t anything 
  like it is in “real life,” in large part because the 
  astronomers of the Pulp era had very limited 
  knowledge of the planets (Pluto wasn’t even 
  discovered until 1930). Th us, Mars is a dry, 
  canal-covered planet (see, for example, the “John 
  Carter” novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs); Venus 
  is swampy and/or jungle-covered; and so on. In 
  short, deﬁ ne each planet the PCs visit using your 
  dramatic sense, not scientiﬁ c knowledge.
  ■ Scientists are heroes:  Inventors don’t just create 
  gadgets for heroes to use — oft en they are the 
  heroes, with physical and social qualities to 
  match their genius intellects.
  ■ True science isn’t necessary:  While some pulps 
  stressed scientiﬁ c accuracy (at least to the extent 
  possible in a ﬁ ctional medium), most didn’t. If 
  the explanation for something sounded reason-
  ably scientiﬁ c, that was good enough for the 
  editors... and in a gaming context, for the GM.
  Victorian Hero
  Th ere really isn’t any need to “mix” Victorian 
  and Pulp adventures, since they’re virtually the 
  same thing — the only diﬀ erence is that one takes 
  place roughly thirty-plus years before the other. 
  Many Pulp characters and stories were inspired by 
  the likes of Sherlock Holmes, Allan Quatermain, 
  Captain Nemo, or the novels of H.G. Wells. Th e 
  Victorian world is even less settled, the technol-
  ogy even less advanced, travel even slower and less 
  comfortable... but the emphasis on adventure and 
  action remains.
  Western Hero
  Th e Western was the most popular type of 
  story told in the pulps, eclipsing even Detective 
  stories. Such renowned characters as Zorro and 
  Hopalong Cassidy were Pulp staples, and famous 
  Western authors such as Max Brand and Zane 
  Grey got their start in the pulps or during the 
  Pulp era. As such, it can’t really be said that there’s 
  a speciﬁ c “Pulp Western” style, because the classic 
  elements of the Western — the showdown in the 
  street at high noon, the saloon, the gunﬁ ght in the 
  rocky hills, noble-hearted cowboys and gunsling-
  ers facing down cruel cattle barons — all origi-
  nated in the pulps. In short, the typical Western is 
  already a Pulp story.
  
  chapter two:
  chapter two:
  chapter two:
  20 YEARS OF ADVENTURE
  PULP HISTORY
  
  34 ■ Pulp History
  Hero System 5th Edition
  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1920
  1920 Jan
  1:  Estonia signs a truce with Soviet Russia
  2:  Th e Palmer Raids:  acting on orders from Attorney General Palmer, Department of 
  Justice agents arrest over 4,000 alleged Communists in 33 cities during a series of raids
  3:  Th e last US troops leave France
  10:  Th e Treaty of Versailles takes eﬀ ect; the US denies ratiﬁ cation and informs Germany 
  they’re still at war
  14:  40,000 radicals rush the Reichstag in Berlin; 42 people dies and 105 are wounded in 
  riots that last through the 19th
  15:  Th e US loans Poland, Austria, and Armenia $150 million to ﬁ nance a war with Rus-
  sian Communists
  16:  Th e League of Nations holds its ﬁ rst meeting, in Paris
  16:  Th e Allies demand that the Netherlands extradite Kaiser Wilhelm II; the Dutch 
  refuse to do so
  17:  Th e French elect Paul Deschanel president over Georges Clemenceau, largely because 
  they feel Clemenceau made the Treaty of Versailles too lenient
  1920 Feb
  2:  Soviet Russia recognizes the independence of Estonia
  3:  Th e Allies demand that 890 German military leaders stand trial for war crimes
  7:  Russian Communists kill Admiral Aleksandr Kolchak, the former head of the White 
  Russian provisional government
  9:  Th e Council of the League of Nations grants Spitzbergen to Norway
  10:  N. Silesia votes to annex itself to Denmark
  11:  Th e Council of the League of Nations meets for the ﬁ rst time, in London
  13:  Secretary of State Lansing resigns due to diﬀ erences with President Wilson
  17:  Th e Allies internationalize the Dardanelles and the Bosporus
  24:  In Germany, Adolf Hitler, the propaganda chief of the German Workers’ Party, an-
  nounces an anti-Semitic, anti-capitalist policy
  26:  Th e Soviets pledge democratic reforms and payment of 60% of their debt in ex-
  change for peace; the US rejects the oﬀ er as propaganda
  28:  President Wilson returns US railroads, which were operated by the government dur-
  ing the Great War, to their owners
  29:  Czechoslovakia adopts a constitution to maintain its independence from both Ger-
  many and Soviet Russia
  29:  Miklos Horthy de Nagybanya becomes dictator of Hungary
  7:  Sadi-Joseph Lecointe sets a new air 
  speed record of 171.4 miles per hour
  18:  Vuilleman and Chalus complete the 
  ﬁ rst ﬂ ight over the Sahara Desert
  1920 Mar
  3:  Th e Cabinet of Turkey resigns following the Allied decree that Turkey will retain only 
  the Asiatic province of Anatolia, costing it 24 million people
  7:  Th e Soviets begin a major oﬀ ensive on the Polish front
  8:  A Congress at Damascus proclaims the independence of Syria; Emir Feisal becomes 
  king on the 11th
  10:  Parliament passes the Home Rule Bill, dividing Ireland into two parts
  13:  In Germany, Wolfgang von Kapp seizes power in a monarchist coup, but the coup 
  falls apart and he ﬂ ees Berlin on the 16th
  16:  Th e Allies occupy Constantinople and seize the ministries
  19:  Th e Soviets capture Essen
  20:  Th e Soviets attack Finland
  24:  Communists take control of half of Berlin against German President Ebert; Ameri-
  cans evacuate the city
  27:  German President Ebert orders the arrest of all Russians in Berlin
  30:  Mobs in Copenhagen demand the creation of a Danish republic; the palace is heavily 
  guarded
  20:  Bugatti sells its ﬁ rst automobile, a 
  luxury car featuring a 16-valve engine
  1920 Apr
  1:  Th e German Workers’ Party changes its name to the National Socialist German Work-
  ers’ Party
  5:  Japanese forces land in Vladivostok
  7:  In Chicago, 50,000 railroad workers strike, aﬀ ecting 25 railroads. Attorney General 
  Palmer accuses the IWW of fomenting the strike as part of an “international Communist 
  conspiracy”
  7:  Without warning to her allies, the French Empire occupies the Ruhr (including Frank-
  furt); French troops (mostly natives from various French colonies) ﬁ re on German mobs, 
  killing seven
  9:  Th e US rejects compulsory military service
  11:  American forces in Turkey are besieged in two towns; French troops rush to help 
  them
  12:  Carlos Herrera drives out the former president and becomes leader of Guatemala
  17:  Wolfgang von Kapp is arrested in Stockholm
  21:  Four IWW members are shot by police in Butte, Montana during a riot
  25:  Th e Supreme Council of the Allies, meeting in San Remo, Italy, oﬀ ers the mandate 
  of Palestine to Great Britain, and that of Armenia to the US. In Palestine, Arabs fearing 
  Jewish immigration attack British persons
  28:  Rebels against the Carranza government approach Mexico City
  
  35 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  CRIME & PUNISHMENT
  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  1920
  16:  In the United States, Prohibition takes 
  eﬀ ect, making it illegal to manufacture or 
  sell alcohol. Th e sale of soft  drinks, coﬀ ee, 
  and ice cream sodas soon booms... as does 
  organized crime.
  1:  Harvard defeats Oregon in the Rose 
  Bowl
  2:  Isaac Asimov is born
  3:  Th e ﬁ rst black baseball league, the Negro 
  National League, is formed
  5:  In a move that will haunt the team for 
  over 80 years, the Boston Red Sox trade 
  Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees for 
  $125,000 (the largest sum yet paid for a 
  baseball player) so the owner can ﬁ nance a 
  Broadway play
  20:  Federico Fellini is born
  24:  Artist Amadeo Modigliani dies
  5:  Th e Radio Corporation of America 
  (RCA) is formed
  6:  An earthquake in Couztlan, Mexico, kills 
  over 1,000
  1920 Jan
  9:  Five people are killed in Lexington, 
  Kentucky while trying to lynch a black man 
  accused of murder
  22:  In Berlin, 21 people are arrested for 
  anti-Semitic violence
  25:  Entertainer Fanny Brice and her 
  husband Nicky Arnstein are sought by the 
  authorities regarding allegations that Arn-
  stein was involved in a conspiracy to steal 
  $5 million worth of securities
  2:  Eugene O’Neill’s play Beyond Th e Hori-
  zon opens at the Morocco Th eater in New 
  York City
  19:  Th ousands of Poles, Czechs, and Yugo-
  slavs are reported to be returning to their 
  home countries
  20:  Explorer Robert Peary dies
  23:  Th e famous El Butini olive tree in 
  Jerusalem blows down; some see this as an 
  omen of the end of Turkey
  1920 Feb
  11:  In New York, a federal agent kills the 
  ﬁ rst violator of Prohibition since the law 
  went into eﬀ ect
  29:  Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford 
  get married
  1920 Mar
  15:  In South Braintree, Massachusetts, ﬁ ve 
  men kill two men and steal a factory payroll 
  of nearly $16,000. Sacco and Vanzetti are 
  later arrested, tried, convicted, and executed 
  for this crime (see other entries below).
  3:  Bill Tilden wins the ﬁ rst US indoor ten-
  nis championship
  Th e prices, hemlines, and sleeves for 
  women’s fashions rise. American women 
  are described as favoring a “lean” look, as 
  opposed to the more full-ﬁ gured French 
  ideal.
  1920 Apr
  
  36 ■ Pulp History
  Hero System 5th Edition
  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1920 May
  3:  Poland and Russia battle for control of Kiev
  9:  Rebels seize Mexico City. On the 21st, Gen. Herrera murders President Carranza in 
  Vera Cruz, then surrenders to Gens. Obregon and Gonzalez in Mexico City
  9:  Th e Socialists nominate Eugene V. Debs, who’s in prison, for president
  16:  Switzerland joins the League Of Nations
  17:  French and Belgian troops leave Frankfurt
  21:  An assassin working for the rebel generals Huerta, Obregon, and Calles assassinates 
  President Carranza of Mexico
  23:  Labor leader Samuel Gompers advocates the overthrow of Congress due to its legis-
  lative mistreatment of workers
  24:  Mustafa Kemal is rumored to have established a native Turkish government in 
  Angora
  27:  Th e Czechs elect Tomas Masaryk, leader of the 1918 independence movement, 
  president
  Ch’en Tu-hsiu and Li Ta-chao organize the Communist Party of China
  1920 June
  1:  Adolfo de la Huerta becomes president of Mexico
  4:  Congress passes the Army Reorganization Act, limiting the US Army to a peacetime 
  force of 300,000
  4:  Hungary signs the Treaty of Trianon, which reduces it to roughly one-fourth its for-
  mer size and one-third its former population
  10:  Th e Republican National Convention endorses women’s suﬀ rage. On the 12th, it 
  nominates Warren G. Harding for President and Calvin Coolidge for Vice President.
  15:  Germany cedes North Silesia to Denmark
  16:  Th e Permanent Court of Justice opens at the Hague, Netherlands
  20:  Race riots in Chicago result in the death of two
  24:  Irish and British troops quell riots in Londonderry
  25:  Th e Greeks capture 8,000 Turks near Smyrna
  26:  At Ismid, the British ﬂ eet kills 1,000 Turks
  1920 July
  1:  Great Britain appoints Sir Herbert Samuel to be High Commissioner of Palestine
  4:  Th e provisional government of Siberia cedes Sakhalin Island to Japan
  6:  Th e Democrats nominate James Cox for President and Franklin D. Roosevelt for Vice 
  President
  7:  Th e US ends its ban on trade with Soviet Russia
  11:  East and West Prussia both vote to remain part of Germany
  12:  Soviet Russia agrees to Lithuanian independence
  18:  Joachim, the youngest son of former Kaiser Wilhelm II, commits suicide
  19:  Th e Second International Communist Congress opens in Petrograd
  23:  Poland asks Soviet Russia for peace. On the 31st, the Soviets postpone talks, and 
  Trotsky tells the Red Army to move on Warsaw
  24:  French troops occupy Damascus to take control of the mandate of Syria granted 
  them by the League Of Nations; King Feisal ﬂ ees
  26:  Th e 19th Amendment to the US Constitution is ratiﬁ ed, giving women the right to 
  vote
  28:  In Mexico, famed bandit and revolutionary Pancho Villa surrenders to President 
  Huerta
  7:  A US Navy seaplane ﬂ ies 95 miles guided 
  only by radio signals
  1920 Aug
  1:  With the Red Army 75 miles from Warsaw, the Allies rush to Poland’s aid
  10:  Th e Ottoman sultan signs the Treaty of Sèvres with the Allies in which it (a) cedes 
  Smyrna, Adrianople, and Gallipoli to Greece, (b) agrees to international control of the 
  Dardanelles and the Bosporus, (c) renounces control of Iraq, Palestine, and the Transjor-
  dan (which become British mandates), and (d) renounces control of the Levant States, 
  which becomes a French mandate
  16:  Th e US sends warships to Danzig, Poland
  19:  Poland defeats the Red Army, destroying three divisions
  27:  Th e Irish in Ulster riot against British occupation
  31:  Alvaro Obregon is elected president of Mexico
  25:  Adrienne Bolland becomes the ﬁ rst 
  woman to ﬂ y a plane over the English 
  Channel
  1920 Sept
  11:  Strikes paralyze Italy
  15:  President Deschanel of France resigns for health reasons; Alexandre Millerand 
  becomes president
  20:  Th e League Of Nations authorizes Belgium to annex Eupen and Malmedy
  30:  France takes the mandate for Togo
  30:  President Eamon de Valera of Ireland rejects a plan for full Irish independence
  
  37 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  CRIME & PUNISHMENT
  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  5:  In Massachusetts, the authorities arrest 
  Sacco and Vanzetti for murder and payroll 
  robbery
  11:  In Chicago, a gunman kills Big Jim Co-
  losimo, whom Johnny Torrio wanted out of 
  the way so he could take over and expand 
  Colosimo’s rackets to take advantage of the 
  opportunities oﬀ ered by Prohibition
  12:  In Matewan, West Virginia, 12 people 
  are killed in a gunﬁ ght between the miners’ 
  union and detectives
  3:  Sugar Ray Robinson is born
  8:  Th e horse Paul Jones wins the Kentucky 
  Derby
  18:  Karol Wojtyla, later Pope John Paul II, is 
  born in Poland
  31:  Gaston Chevrolet wins the Indianapolis 
  500 at a speed of 88.6 miles per hour
  30:  Joan of Arc is canonized
  1920 May
  7:  Th e US Supreme Court unanimously 
  upholds the 18th Amendment and the 
  Volstead Act (i.e., Prohibition)
  15:  A mob of 5,000 in Duluth, Minnesota 
  lynches three black men
  1:  In Berlin, the ﬁ rst international exposi-
  tion of Dada art opens
  Bill Tilden becomes the ﬁ rst American to 
  win Wimbledon
  13:  Th e US Post Oﬃ  ce Department rules 
  that people may not send children by parcel 
  post
  14:  Sociologist and historian Max Weber 
  dies
  1920 June
  24:  At New York’s Bedford State Refor-
  matory, authorities club 150 women into 
  submission during a riot
  4:  Painter Max Klinger dies
  21:  Noël Coward’s play I’ll Leave It To You 
  opens in London
  27:  Th e Resolute wins the America’s Cup
  11:  Former Empress Eugenie of France dies
  12:  President Wilson presides over the 
  opening of the Panama Canal
  1920 July
  2:  Radical millionaire William Lloyd and 
  19 other people are convicted of conspiracy 
  to overthrow the US government
  14:  Th e VII Olympics begin in Antwerp
  22:  Ray Bradbury is born
  29:  Jazz musician Charlie “Bird” Parker is 
  born
  1:  Sir Robert Baden-Powell convenes the 
  second international meeting of the Boy 
  Scouts in London
  20:  In Detroit, Station 8MK begins the ﬁ rst 
  daily radio broadcast
  1920 Aug
  1:  Prohibition agents raid 50 saloons in 
  New York City
  5:  Comedian Fatty Arbuckle is accused of 
  raping and murdering Virginia Rappe at a 
  California party
  16:  A bomb detonated on Wall Street in 
  New York City kills 30 people and injures 
  300. Oﬃ  cials suspect Communists or anar-
  chists of setting oﬀ  the bomb.
  6:  Jack Dempsey knocks out Billy Miske to 
  retain the heavyweight championship
  6:  Bill Tilden wins the National Tennis 
  Championship
  28:  Eight members of the Chicago White 
  Sox are indicted for the “Black Sox” scandal, 
  in which they conspired with gamblers to 
  rig the 1919 World Series
  9:  An earthquake in Italy kills 500 and 
  leaves 20,000 without homes
  25:  Wealthy banker Joseph Schiﬀ  dies, leav-
  ing a $50 million estate
  30:  For the ﬁ rst time, the urban population 
  in the US surpasses the rural population
  1920 Sept
  
  38 ■ Pulp History
  Hero System 5th Edition
  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1920 Oct
  1:  Th e Chinese revoke Soviet concessions in China
  2:  In Haiti, US Marines ﬁ ght rebels, killing their leader. Later this month, evidence 
  surfaces implicating Marines in the unlawful killing of Haitians during the ﬁ ve-year oc-
  cupation of the country.
  3:  Poland defeats Russia, seizing 42,000 men and thousands of weapons
  6:  Poland and Russia sign a peace agreement that recognizes Poland’s independence and 
  draws a boundary between the two nations
  10:  Karntern votes to become part of Austria
  14:  Soviet Russia recognizes the independence of Finland
  16:  A million British miners go on strike for a two-shilling raise
  25:  King Alexander I of Greece dies aft er being bitten by a pet monkey
  1920 Nov
  1:  Th e Turks capture the town of Hadjin and massacre 10,000 Armenians
  1:  Th e Red Army confronts the forces of Baron Petr Nikolaevich, a White Russian who’s 
  taken over most of southern Russia, and push him back into the Crimea. On the 14th, he 
  loses Sevastopol and ﬂ ees to Constantinople.
  2:  Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge are elected President and Vice President; 
  Republicans sweep to major victories around the US
  15:  Th e League Of Nations, now counting 41 nations (but not Russia or the US) as mem-
  bers, opens its ﬁ rst regular session in Geneva
  16:  Th e last White revolutionaries against the Bolshevik government of Soviet Russia are 
  defeated
  18:  140,000 Armenian refugees overrun Constantinople
  2:  In the US’s ﬁ rst major news broadcast, 
  KDKA of Pittsburgh transmits the word of 
  Harding’s electoral victory
  16:  Th e Pitney-Bowes postage meter 
  invented
  QANTAS begins service in Australia
  International Telephone and Telegraphic 
  (IT&T) is founded
  1920 Dec
  1:  Gabriele Annunzio declares war on Italy from Fiume, which he took over in Septem-
  ber to prevent it from becoming a “free city”; he concedes defeat on the 31st
  9:  Turkey and Armenia sign a peace treaty that signiﬁ cantly reduces the size of Armenia
  15:  China wins a seat on the Council of the League Of Nations; Austria joins the League
  19:  King Constantine returns to Greece
  28:  Th e US resumes deporting Communists
  1920 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  Civil strife in Honduras; in August the US Navy sends ships to protect American interests 
  there
  Russia experiences a terrible drought
  Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and Romania form the Little Entente
  German East Africa becomes a British mandate under the new name of Tanganyika; Brit-
  ain also renames British East Africa as Kenya and makes it a crown colony
  South-West Africa (Namibia), formerly known as German Southwest Africa, becomes a 
  South African mandate
  Suzuki Motor Co. is founded in Hamana-
  gunin, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
  Rudolph Boysen of the US breeds the 
  boysenberry
  Remington Co. introduces bullets that 
  don’t use chlorate for primer, thus reducing 
  barrel fouling and the need for frequent 
  cleaning of guns
  John Th ompson patents the submachine 
  gun that will bear his name
  Dr. Harvey Cushing develops new brain 
  surgery techniques
  Max Wolf proves the true structure of the 
  Milky Way Galaxy
  Albert Michelson devises the ﬁ rst way to 
  measure the size of stars using an interfer-
  ometer
  Leon Th eremin invents the theremin
  Andrew Douglass develops dendochronol-
  ogy
  
  39 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  CRIME & PUNISHMENT
  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  12:  Th e Cleveland Indians defeat the 
  Brooklyn Dodgers to win the World Series. 
  Th is is the last Series that requires ﬁ ve 
  games, not four, to win.
  5:  In Hamburg, Germany, the liner Bis-
  marck, the world’s largest, is destroyed in 
  a ﬁ re
  15:  Eddie Hubbard, ﬂ ying a Boeing 
  B-1, wins the ﬁ rst international air mail 
  contract to carry mail between Seattle and 
  Vancouver
  1920 Oct
  9:  Pope Benedict bans the ﬁ lm “Th e Holy 
  Bible” for depicting Adam and Eve in the 
  nude
  25:  Gaston Chevrolet dies in a crash at the 
  Los Angeles Speedway
  2:  In Pittsburgh, radio station KDKA, the 
  nation’s ﬁ rst commercial radio station, 
  begins regular weekly broadcasts
  22:  Morgan and DuPont gain controlling 
  interest in General Motors
  1920 Nov
  14:  Jack Dempsey knocks out Brennen to 
  retain the heavyweight title
  31:  Man o’ War retires to stud with only one 
  loss in his racing career
  10:  Woodrow Wilson wins the Nobel Peace 
  Prize
  World sugar prices collapse to 8 cents per 
  pound (from 30 cents in August), inﬂ icting 
  heavy losses on M.S. Hershey, Pepsi-Cola, 
  and other major sugar consumers who 
  bought at the higher prices
  1920 Dec
  Doctors are reported to be writing 
  hundreds of thousands of unnecessary 
  prescriptions for liquor to get around the 
  restraints of Prohibition
  Charles Ponzi invents the “Ponzi scheme” 
  method of defrauding investors. By the 
  time he’s caught, his investors end up 
  receiving only 12 cents on the dollar, and he 
  ruins six banks.
  Notable literature of the year:  Th is Side Of 
  Paradise, by F. Scott Fitzgerald; Main Street, 
  by Sinclair Lewis; Outline Of History, by 
  H.G. Wells, Th e Age Of Innocence, by Edith 
  Wharton; Th e Emperor Jones and Beyond 
  Th e Horizon, both by Eugene O’Neill; 
  Th e Mysterious Aﬀ air At Styles, by Agatha 
  Christie
  Notable music of the year:  “Th e Planets,” by 
  Gustav Holtz
  Notable ﬁ lms of the year:  Th e Cabinet Of 
  Dr. Caligari; Th e Kid
  Mexican aerialist Alfredo Codona becomes 
  the ﬁ rst acrobat to perform a triple som-
  ersault
  Th e National Football League begins as the 
  American Professional Football Association
  Th e Good Humor bar is invented
  Th e Baby Ruth bar is invented
  According to the US Census, New York 
  has a population of 5.6 million, and Los 
  Angeles passes San Francisco with 575,480 
  persons. Th e overall US population is 105.7 
  million; the world population 1.86 billion.
  Th ere are 9 milllion automobiles in the 
  US. 54% of all cars sold this year are Ford 
  Model Ts.
  A group of social activists founds the 
  American Civil Liberties Union
  Th e economies of the world’s nations still 
  struggle to recover with the aft ereﬀ ects of 
  the Great War and the return of thousands 
  of soldiers eager for jobs
  Oil wells in the US supply nearly two-thirds 
  of the world’s oil
  Coco Chanel introduces the chemise dress
  1920 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  
  40 ■ Pulp History
  Hero System 5th Edition
  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1921
  1921 Jan
  3:  India convenes its ﬁ rst Parliament
  4:  Congress overrides President Wilson’s veto to reactivate the War Finance Corporation 
  to help farmers
  17:  Th e Netherlands threatens to deport the kaiser’s family because of a suspected plot to 
  invade Germany
  22:  US farmers give 15 million bushels of corn for European famine relief
  23:  In Ireland, eight people are killed in a Sinn Fein revolt
  24:  Th e Allies decide Germany must make war reparations payments totaling $56 billion 
  over 42 years
  6:  Th e US Navy orders the sale of 125 ﬂ y-
  ing boats in an eﬀ ort to encourage aviation.
  28:  Albert Einstein startles the scientiﬁ c 
  community with his suggestion that it 
  may be possible to measure the size of the 
  universe
  1921 Feb
  8:  Prince Kropotkin, noted Russian anarchist, dies
  9:  Poland and Russia end their conﬂ ict with the Treaty of Riga; Poland gives up its claim 
  to the Ukraine; Russia gives up most of Belarus
  12:  Great Britain appoints Winston Churchill as Colonial Secretary
  18:  Eamon de Valera leads an Irish revolt against the British
  20:  Gen. Reza Khan of Persia occupies Tehran and ousts the government in a bloodless 
  coup
  21:  In London, the Allies begin a conference on the Near East, with a focus on Greek-
  Turkish border disputes
  23:  Sailors start the anti-Bolshevik movement at Kronstadt
  24:  Herbert Hoover becomes the US Secretary of Commerce
  25:  Th e Mongolians crown the Living Buddha Hutuktu as their king; he claims indepen-
  dence from China
  26:  Costa Rica invades Panama
  26:  Fascists incite riots in Florence, Italy
  23:  An airmail plane sets a record of 33 
  hours, 20 minutes for a New York City to 
  San Francisco ﬂ ight
  1921 Mar
  1:  Th e Allies reject Germany’s attempt to negotiate her reparations debt down. On the 
  8th, the Allies occupy parts of Germany to ensure payment. On the 16th, the Reparations 
  Committee requests a payment of $1 billion in gold marks by the 23rd; Germany defaults 
  on this request.
  8:  Premier Eduardo Dato of Spain is assassinated
  14:  Th e US sends troops ashore to protect Americans during “disturbances” at Kiu-kiang, 
  China
  15:  An Armenian assassinates former Turkish Vizier Talat Pasha in Berlin
  18:  Th e Red Army under the command of Field Marshal Trotsky crushes the Kronstadt 
  revolt
  20:  Upper Silesia votes to join Germany
  31:  Th ousands of coal miners strike in Britain
  23:  Arthur G. Hamilton sets a parachuting 
  record of 24,400 feet
  1921 Apr
  7:  Th e South China Republic announces its independence from China, with Sun Yat-sen 
  as president
  9:  US troops intervene in the ﬁ ghting between Unionists and the government in Guate-
  mala to protect the US legation
  15:  Th e miners’ strike in Great Britain paralyzes the country
  20:  Gen. John “Black Jack” Pershing is chosen chief of staﬀ  of the US Army
  24:  Tyrol votes to annex itself to Germany
  27:  Germany is presented with a ﬁ nal war reparations bill of $33 billion
  2:  Albert Einstein arrives in New York City 
  to lecture on his theory of relativity
  12:  Th e Ford Motor Company is now 
  producing a million cars a year
  1921 May
  4:  Th e French send forces into Dusseldorf in preparation for a general occupation of the 
  Ruhr
  8:  Civil war breaking out in Silesia over the issue of annexation to Germany
  11:  Germany unconditionally accepts the Allies’ reparation demands
  14:  Th e Fascists gain 29 seats in the Italian Parliament
  19:  Th e US establishes strict new immigration quotas
  27:  Th e US signiﬁ cantly raises agricultural tariﬀ s
  27:  Anti-Bolshevik forces under Kappel capture Vladivostok
  31:  Th e Navy transfers the Teapot Dome naval oil reserve to the Department of the 
  interior
  10:  Th e Ford Motor Company builds 4,072 
  cars in a single day
  15:  Aviatrix Laura Bromwell sets a record 
  of 199 loop-the-loops
  21:  Andrei Sakharov is born
  1921 June
  1:  A race riot in Tulsa, Oklahoma claims the lives of 85 leaves thousands of blacks home-
  less
  1:  Th e French repel a German attack against an Upper Silesia garrison
  26:  Greece captures Ismid
  28:  Th e British miners’ strike is settled
  5:  Aviatrix Laura Bromwell dies in an 
  airplane crash
  25:  In Stuttgart, Friedrich Bergius creates 
  coal oil from coal
  
  41 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  CRIME & PUNISHMENT
  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  1921
  1:  California defeats Ohio State in the Rose 
  Bowl
  Th e Mark Of Zorro, starring Douglas Fair-
  banks, debuts
  Kenesaw Mountain Landis becomes the 
  ﬁ rst commissioner of professional baseball
  2:  Th e liner Santa Isabel sinks oﬀ  Villa 
  Garcia, Spain, killing 244
  15:  In the US, bread prices return to 5 cents 
  a loaf for the ﬁ rst time since the Great War
  25:  Unemployment in the US reaches 3.5 
  million
  1921 Jan
  13:  Ignace Paderewski announces his 
  retirement as a pianist
  2:  Airmail service begins between New 
  York City and San Francisco
  1921 Feb
  28:  William Howard Taft  is named Chief 
  Justice of the US Supreme Court, making 
  him the only man ever to hold both that 
  position and the Presidency.
  6:  Police in Sunbury, Pennsylvania issue an 
  edict that women’s skirts must be at least 
  four inches below the knee
  1921 Mar
  8:  Titian’s “Th e Man with the Falcon” is 
  sold to Duveen Bros. in New York City for 
  $300,000.
  11:  A boxing match in the US is covered in 
  the ﬁ rst radio sports broadcast
  26:  George Smiley of the Knoxville Pio-
  neers makes history’s ﬁ rst unassisted triple 
  play
  7:  Th e Massachusetts government moves 
  Plymouth Rock into a building to protect it
  1921 Apr
  8:  Sweden abolishes capital punishment
  2:  Th e New York Metropolitan launches a 
  major new exhibit of Impressionist painters
  7:  Behave Yourself wins the Kentucky 
  Derby
  30:  Tommy Wilson wins the Indianapolis 
  500 at 89.6 miles per hour
  5:  Coco Chanel introduces the famous 
  perfume Chanel No. 5
  Wild new styles of dress and dance intrigue 
  and excite American youth, but attract con-
  cern from moralists and the government
  1921 May
  25:  Jock Hutchinson becomes the ﬁ rst 
  American to win the British Open
  Bill Tilden wins again at Wimbledon
  1:  A race riot in Tulsa, Oklahoma results in 
  85 deaths and the destruction of a 30-block 
  area of a black neighborhood
  4:  500 die in Colorado ﬂ ooding
  10:  Philip of Greece, later Prince Philip of 
  Great Britain as the husband of Elizabeth 
  II, is born
  1921 June
  
  42 ■ Pulp History
  Hero System 5th Edition
  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1921 July
  10:  Outer Mongolia secedes from the rest of Mongolia
  16:  Greece takes Kutaia from Mustafa Kemal’s forces
  21:  Ireland and Great Britain begin talks regarding Irish home rule
  23:  Abd el Krim and his rebel forces defeat colonial troops in Spanish Morocco in the 
  Battle of Anual
  25:  Th e Turks halt the Greek advance at Altikeuk
  29:  Adolf Hitler becomes president of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party
  12:  Aviator Harry Hawker dies in an air-
  plane explosion in London
  18:  In France the ﬁ rst child is vaccinated 
  for tuberculosis
  21:  American aviators prove to the Navy 
  that aerial bombs can sink ships by sinking 
  a former German battleship with six 2,000-
  pound bombs
  27:  Canadian biochemists discover insulin
  1921 Aug
  5:  Th e Grand National Assembly of Turkey appoints Mustafa Kemal Supreme Com-
  mander-in-Chief
  14:  Ireland rejects dominion status; on the 16th, Eamon de Valera demands total indepen-
  dence for Ireland
  16:  King Peter I of Yugoslavia dies; Prince Alexander takes the throne
  23:  Feisal I becomes king of Iraq following an Iraqi plebescite
  24:  Th e Battle of the Sakarya River begins between Greece and Turkey; the Turks win 
  aft er three weeks
  25:  Germany signs a peace treaty with the US, oﬃ  cially ending the Great War
  29:  Germany declares a state of emergency over its ongoing economic crisis
  3:  In Troy, Ohio, John Macready performs 
  the world’s ﬁ rst aerial cropdusting
  5:  Th e ﬁ rst radio-controlled, driverless 
  automobile is successfully tested at Dayton, 
  Ohio
  24:  ZR II, a British dirigible, explodes dur-
  ing a trial ﬂ ight, killing 44 people
  24:  Four DeHaveland plans ﬂ y from New 
  York to Nome, Alaska 
  1921 Sept
  2:  Soviet Russia declares that a state of war exists in Bessarabia, on the Romanian border
  3:  400 striking West Virginia coal miners give up their guns to federal authorities
  9:  Guatemala, Honduras, and Salvador sign a constitution creating the Federation of 
  Central American Republics
  19:  Abd el Krim announces the formation of the Rif Republic in Morocco
  22:  Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania join the League Of Nations
  30:  Th e French leave the Ruhr and lift  their economic sanctions on Germany
  5:  Jimmy Doolittle ﬂ ies from San Francisco 
  to Jacksonville in 22.5 hours with just a 
  single stop
  1921 Oct
  4:  Th e League Of Nations refuses to send aid to Russia, blaming its current famine on the 
  Soviet government
  8:  Th e Prince of Wales arrives in Bombay for a visit to India; Indian nationalists call for a 
  general strike in protest
  11:  Prince Alexander abandons the crown of Yugoslavia
  18:  Soviet Russia grants the Crimea its independence
  20:  Premier Antonio Granjo of Portugal is assassinated during an attempted military coup
  20:  France signs an accord with Turkey that establishes the Turkish-Syrian border
  21:  Peace talks between Ireland and Great Britain begin in London
  21:  Former Emperor Charles I of Hungary attempts a second coup, fails, and is taken 
  prisoner
  26:  Poland and Germany accept the boundaries in Upper Silesia established by the League 
  Of Nations
  18:  Th e Germans perfect a three-barreled 
  electric gun that can ﬁ re 2,000 rounds per 
  minute
  1921 Nov
  3:  Striking milk workers dump thousands of gallons of milk in the streets of New York 
  City
  4:  A Korean assassin murders Premiere Takashi Hara of Japan; Takahashi succeeds him
  5:  Russia and Outer Mongolia sign an accord to protect the latter from invasion by China 
  or Japan
  6:  Hungarians vote to depose the Hapsburg royal family
  7:  Benito Mussolini renames the Fascist Party in Italy the Nationalist Fascist Party and 
  declares himself its duce, or “leader”
  9:  Railway workers ﬁ ght with Fascists in Rome, causing a general railroad strike
  10:  Hirohito becomes regent of Japan due to the illness of his father Yoshihito
  12:  A Disarmament Conference begins in Washington, D.C. Premier Briand of France 
  claims disarmament would lead to war.
  1921 Dec
  5:  Ireland and Great Britain reach an agreement that Southern Ireland will become a free 
  state within the British Empire
  6:  Mackenzie King becomes prime minister of Canada
  7:   In Chicago, police and 100,000 striking stockyard workers and sympathizers clash
  13:  Th e US, France, Great Britain, and Japan sign a treaty concerning Paciﬁ c Ocean ter-
  ritories
  23:  President Harding frees Eugene V. Debs
  2:  C-7, the world’s ﬁ rst helium dirigible, 
  is successfully test-ﬂ own in Portsmouth, 
  Virginia
  
  43 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  CRIME & PUNISHMENT
  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  14:  Anarchists Sacco and Vanzetti are con-
  victed of murder aft er a controversial trial 
  that lasts more than a month
  1.  Jack Dempsey knocks out French 
  challenger Georges Carpentier in the ﬁ rst 
  million-dollar prize ﬁ ght
  18:  John Glenn is born
  1921 July
  2:  Enrico Caruso dies
  3:  Collier and Harper announce a planned 
  merger, which will create one of the world’s 
  largest publishing houses
  10:  Franklin Delano Roosevelt contracts 
  polio at age 39, leaving him crippled for life
  22:  In Connecticut, women who want 
  to bob their hair are required to obtain a 
  barber’s license
  1921 Aug
  7:  Tarzan Of Th e Apes opens on Broadway, 
  complete with real African  animals
  7:  Washington, D.C.’s Margaret Gorman 
  wins the ﬁ rst Miss America Pageant
  21:  A dye plant explosion in Germany kills 
  500.
  1921 Sept
  13:  Th e New York Giants defeat the New 
  York Yankees in the World Series
  31:  Th e Sheik, starring Rudolph Valentino, 
  premieres
  18:  Ludwig III, former king of Bavaria, dies
  25:  Bat Masterson, famed Wild West gun-
  slinger turned sportswriter, dies
  1921 Oct
  7:  In France, Henri Desire Landru goes on 
  trial for allegedly murdering, cooking, and 
  eating eight women
  18:  New York City considers varying work-
  ing hours to decrease traﬃ  c jams
  23:  Th e Willis-Campbell Act prevents US 
  doctors from prescribing beer for medical 
  purposes
  1921 Nov
  1:  Henri Desire Landru is convicted and 
  sentenced to die
  10:  Anatole France wins the Nobel Prize 
  for Literature
  1921 Dec
  
  44 ■ Pulp History
  Hero System 5th Edition
  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1921 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  In Shanghai, the Communist Party of China holds its ﬁ rst Congress, electing Ch’en Tu-
  hsiu as president. Mao Tse-tung is a delegate.
  Th e U.S.S. Jupiter begins conversion into 
  the world’s ﬁ rst aircraft  carrier; it enters 
  Navy service as the U.S.S. Langley in Sep-
  tember, 1922
  Th e Avus Autobahn around Berlin, the 
  world’s ﬁ rst motorized traﬃ  c-only highway, 
  opens
  An editorial in the New York Times explains 
  that Robert Goddard’s rockets can’t work in 
  outer space, because in space there’s noth-
  ing for a rocket’s exhaust to push against
  Th e Rorschach inkblot test is introduced
  Electrolux begins selling vacuum cleaners
  Albert Hull invents the magnetron
  Nylen and Holmgren invent the operating 
  microscope, which makes microsurgery 
  possible
  Th omas Hunt Morgan postulates the chro-
  mosome theory of heredity
  Albert Einstein wins the Nobel Prize in 
  physics for the photoelectric eﬀ ect and vari-
  ous other discoveries, though his theory of 
  relativity is not mentioned
  On a trip near Hull, Great Britain, the 
  dirigible ZR-2 breaks in two; 62 people are 
  killed
  
  45 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  CRIME & PUNISHMENT
  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  Synthetic cocaine and heroin manufactured 
  in Germany are ﬂ ooding into the United 
  States
  Meyer Lanksy and Bugsy Siegel form the 
  Bug and Meyer Mob, a New York City gang; 
  Siegel is only 15 at the time
  Paul Poiret’s fashion designs become 
  popular
  Notable literature of the year: Chrome 
  Yellow, by Aldous Huxley, Six Characters 
  In Search Of An Author, by Luigi Piran-
  dello, Th ree Soldiers, by John Dos Passos; 
  Scaramouche, by Rafael Sabatini; Figures Of 
  Earth, by James Branch Cabell
  Karel Capek uses the term “robot” to de-
  scribe the mechanical men in his play RUR
  Notable art of the year:  Th ree Musicians, by 
  Pablo Picasso; Odalisque In Red Trousers, by 
  Henri Matisse
  Emmett Kelly creates the clown character 
  Weary Willy
  Simon Rodia erects the Watts Tower in Los 
  Angeles
  Brenton MacKaye proposes the creation of 
  the Appalachian Trail
  Th e Mounds bar is invented
  Wise Potato Chips are ﬁ rst marketed
  Sardi’s Restaurant opens in New York City
  Th e BBC is founded
  Eight million American women hold jobs. 
  50% are teachers and 37% secretaries. Child 
  labor has declined sharply; only 8.5% of 
  children ages 10-14 work.
  Unemployment becomes an increasing 
  concern in the US and Great Britain as the 
  post-war boom ends
  Th e US has 387,000 miles of paved roads
  Heart disease becomes the leading cause of 
  death in the US, surpassing tuberculosis
  Johnson & Johnson begins selling Band-
  Aid brand bandages
  Famine and disease beset Russia, killing 
  three million people. Many peasants eat 
  grass soup as a staple of their diet; during 
  the winter, corpses are stacked 20 feet high 
  awaiting burial when the ground thaws. 
  Th e US sends $20 million worth of food 
  and seeds.
  Cultured pearls are introduced
  Drano is ﬁ rst marketed
  Armistice Day (November 11) becomes a 
  US national holiday
  Knee-length skirts become fashionable
  George Washington Carver testiﬁ es to Con-
  gress on the value and uses of the peanut
  Th e Washburn, Crosby Co. creates the 
  character “Betty Crocker”
  C.K. Howard-Bury and his team of 
  mountaineers explore the north face of Mt. 
  Everest
  1921 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  
  46 ■ Pulp History
  Hero System 5th Edition
  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1922
  1922 Jan
  2:  Th e Portuguese cabinet resigns
  5:  Five naval powers agree to ban the use of submarines against merchant ships
  6:  Th e Allies defer Germany’s war reparations payments
  10:  Th e Dail approves the Irish Free State; Eamon de Valera resigns
  12:  In France, the Briand Cabinet resigns; Poincare forms a new cabinet
  26:  190 Egyptians die in riots in Cairo protesting the British mandate in Palestine
  11:  14 year-old Canadian Leonard Th omp-
  son becomes the ﬁ rst person to receive 
  experimental insulin injections to treat 
  diabetes
  1922 Feb
  4:  An accord between China and Japan returns the province of Shantung, which is being 
  fought over by rival warlords, to China
  6:  Soviet Russia dissolves its feared secret police, the Cheka, and replaces it with the GPU
  6:  Th e naval disarmament conference in Washington, D.C. ends with the signing of a 
  treaty restricting ship size and production among the major naval powers
  7:  Disturbed by the impact of Mohandas Gandhi’s civil disobedience campaign, Great 
  Britain threatens a crackdown on India
  15:  Th e World Court opens in the Hague, Netherlands
  16:  Great Britain ends its protectorate and declares Egypt a sovereign state, but reserves its 
  own discretion in matters such as defense against foreign aggression
  20:  Lithuania votes to annex itself to Poland
  26:  Great Britain and France agree to extend their alliance for another 20 years
  7:  Th e Academy of Sciences elects Marie 
  Curie to membership
  21:  In Virginia, the 410 foot dirigible Roma 
  explodes, killing 34 people
  1922 Mar
  1:  Yitzhak Rabin is born
  8:  Gen. Chang Tsao-lin, governor of Manchuria, forms an alliance to unite China in op-
  position to the current ruling government
  10:  Th e British arrest Gandhi in Bombay on charges of sedition. On the 18th they sen-
  tence him to a six-year prison term.
  15:  Sultan Fuad of Egypt appoints himself King Fuad
  20:  President Harding orders US troops to return from the Rhineland
  1922 Apr
  3:  Premiere Lenin appoints Joseph Stalin to the position of General Secretary of the Com-
  munist Party
  7:  Albert Fall, Secretary of the Interior, leases the Teapot Dome naval oil reserves to the 
  Mammoth Oil Co.
  16:  Strife wracks Damascus; the French impose martial law
  16:  Th e Allies meet at the Genoa Conference in Italy to discuss the ﬁ nancial reorganiza-
  tion of Europe. While they try to persuade Soviet Russia to repay the debts of the former 
  Czarist government, the Russians and Germans meet in nearby Rapallo and sign a treaty 
  in which Germany becomes the ﬁ rst country to recognize Soviet Russia in exchange for 
  mutual debt cancellation and some favorable trade terms.
  29:  Near Peking, Generals Chang Tsao-lin and Wu Pei-fu ﬁ ght a 100-mile-long battle
  7:  Sig Haugdahl establishes an unoﬃ  cial 
  land speed record of 180 miles per hour at 
  Daytona Beach, Florida
  21:  Lee DeForest invents a motion picture 
  device that includes the photoplay and 
  sound on the same ﬁ lm
  1922 May
  3:  Germany asks the US to leave its army of occupation in the Rhineland
  5:  In the Chinese civil war, Gen. Wu Pei-fu defeats Gen. Chang Tsao-lin
  7:  Egypt claims sovereignty over the Sudan, angering Great Britain
  15:  Germany cedes Upper Silesia to Poland
  17:  Riots occur in Chicago
  19:  Th e Genoa Conference ends without the Soviets agreeing to honor the Czarist debt.
  21:  A Communist revolution begins in Bulgaria; King Boris III ﬂ ees
  1922 June
  1:  Prefect Mori of Italy is forced out of oﬃ  ce aft er Benito Mussolini threatens to launch a 
  rebellion at a 50,000-strong Fascist gathering
  1:  Lenin suﬀ ers a stroke. On the 14th he declares a six-month leave, appointing a triumvi-
  rate to lead in his stead
  4:  Th e US War Department announces that it will leave 1,000 troops in the Rhineland 
  indeﬁ nitely
  8:  President Harding approves the lease of the Teapot Dome oilﬁ elds
  11:  Kato becomes premiere of Japan
  16:  Th e Irish vote to accept the Irish Free State
  21:  Th e House of Lords rejects the British mandate of Palestine
  24:  German Foreign Minister Walter Rathenau is assassinated in Berlin by nationalists
  30:  Th e Irish Republican Army assassinates Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson in London
  14:  President Harding becomes the ﬁ rst 
  president to be heard on the radio
  
  47 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  CRIME & PUNISHMENT
  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  1922
  1:  Th e Rose Bowl ends in a 0-0 tie between 
  the University of California and Washing-
  ton and Jeﬀ erson
  13:  Gene Tunney wins the light heavy-
  weight title by beating Levinsky
  2:  Th e German mark reaches 7,260 to the 
  US dollar as inﬂ ation continues to ravage 
  Germany
  5:  Arctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton 
  dies of a heart attack in South Georgia on 
  his fourth Antarctic expedition
  22:  Pope Benedict XV dies
  27:  Famed female reporter Nellie Bly dies
  28:  In Washington, D.C., the Knickerbocker 
  Th eater collapses under the weight of snow, 
  killing 100 people
  24:  Christian Nelson patents the Eskimo 
  Pie
  1922 Jan
  2:  Director William Desmond Taylor is 
  murdered in Los Angeles
  25:  France executes Henri Desire Landru
  5:  Reader’s Digest magazine debuts
  4:  Th e Ford Motor Co. buys the Lincoln 
  Motor Co. for $8 million
  12:  Pope Pius XI is elected
  27:  Th e US Supreme Court upholds the 
  19th Amendment, which gives women the 
  right to vote
  1922 Feb
  Th e IRA formally forms “to safeguard 
  the honor and independence of the Irish 
  Republic”
  5:  Th e soon-to-be classic horror ﬁ lm Nos-
  feratu premieres in Germany
  5:  Annie Oakley hits 98 out of 100 thrown 
  clay targets at a shooting competition in 
  Pinehurst, NC
  In Chico, California, rocks fall from the 
  sky onto a grain warehouse periodically for 
  several weeks. Some witnesses report that 
  the rocks fall “slowly,” and that they’re warm 
  to the touch aft er they hit the ground.
  1922 Mar
  12:  Fatty Arbuckle acquitted of the rape 
  and murder of Virginia Rappe
  2:  Th e Charlie Chaplin ﬁ lm Pay Day pre-
  mieres in New York City.
  12:  Soviet Russia allows private ownership 
  of automobiles
  1922 Apr
  10:  Th e US arrests 200 labor leaders for the 
  bombing of factories and the murder of two 
  policemen
  18:  A black boy in Georgia is tortured  and 
  burned at the stake for allegedly raping a 
  white woman
  5:  In New York City, a Shakespeare folio is 
  sold for $9,500
  13:  Morvich wins the Kentucky Derby
  23:  Abie’s Irish Rose opens in New York City
  30:  Jimmy Murphy wins the Indianapolis 
  500 at a speed of 94.5 miles per hour
  30:  President Harding and Chief Justice 
  Taft  dedicate the Lincoln Memorial
  1922 May
  6:  Actress Lillian Russell dies
  10:  Judy Garland is born
  27:  Th e ﬁ rst Newberry Medals for 
  children’s literature are awarded
  1922 June
  
  48 ■ Pulp History
  Hero System 5th Edition
  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1922 July
  3:  Irish Free State troops begin bombing rebel strongholds
  20:  Th e Council of the League Of Nations approves the French mandate of Togo and the 
  British mandate of Tanganyika; the two split the mandate of the Cameroons
  24:  Th e Council of the League Of Nations grants the mandates of Palestine and Egypt to 
  Great Britain
  29:  In China, the forces of Sun Yat-sen attack those of Gen. Shen at Shiuchow
  30:  Greece declares a protectorate over Smyrna
  1922 Aug
  1:  In Italy, the Fascists crush the Socialist strike and depose the Milan government
  13:  Th e unions reject President Harding’s plans to settle the general strike
  22:  Michael Collins, head of the Irish Free State provisional government, is killed while 
  repelling an IRA attack
  26:  Japanese troops evacuate Siberia
  30:  Southern Russia revolts against Soviet Russia
  2:  Alexander Graham Bell dies. On the 4th, 
  all telephones in the US and Canada are 
  shut down for one minute to honor him. 
  5:  Albert Einstein ﬂ ees Germany, fearing 
  for his life
  19:  A German sailplane makes the world’s 
  longest glider ﬂ ight:  2 hours, 10 seconds
  1922 Sept
  2:  Th e US coal miners’ strike ends
  9:  Nationalist Turks recapture Smyrna from Greece
  11:  Th e Allies agree to keep the Turks from controlling the Dardanelles
  11:  Th e British mandate of Palestine begins
  13:  Th e US railroad workers’ strike ends
  13:  Soviet Russia challenges the Allied occupation of Constantinople
  18:  Hungary joins the League Of Nations
  27:  Nationalist Turks expel Greece from Asia Minor. King Constantine of Greece abdi-
  cates
  Th e U.S.S. Langley, the world’s ﬁ rst aircraft  
  carrier, enters service with the US Navy
  1922 Oct
  1.  Mustafa Kemal halts the advance of his Turkish troops near the British lines
  6:  President Harding bans liquor from all ships entering US ports
  12:  Th e Turks invade the neutral zones at Ismid and Chanak
  15:  Ferdinand becomes king of Transylvania
  15:  Greece begins to evacuate Th race
  19:  David Lloyd George and the Liberals are forced from power in Great Britain
  24:  Th e Japanese evacuate Vladivostok, leaving it in the control of a Russian-created buﬀ er 
  state called the Far Eastern Republic
  25:  Mussolini threatens to seize power in Italy if it’s not handed over to him peacefully. 
  On October 30, King Victor Emmanuel III names the Fascist leader premier.
  3:  Th e ﬁ rst picture telegraphy (“fax”) 
  transmission of a photo takes place in 
  Washington, D.C.
  7:  Th e 1922 World Series becomes the ﬁ rst 
  program broadcast by a network of radio 
  stations
  8:  Lilian Gatlin becomes the ﬁ rst woman to 
  ﬂ y across the US
  1922 Nov
  2:  Th e Mexican government executes rebel Gen. Francisco Murguia
  4:  Th e republican assembly of Turkey ousts Sultan Mohammed VI, ending 600 years of 
  Ottoman rule
  12:  A naval disarmament conference begins in Washington, D.C.; the US astonishes the 
  attendees by oﬀ ering to scrap, or halt construction on, 30 ships
  19:  Th e US Marines end 34 months of guard duty at Vladivostok Bay
  25:  Th e Italian Parliament grants Mussolini full authority over ﬁ nances
  28:  Greece executes six military oﬃ  cials for treason pertaining to the loss against the 
  Turks
  30:  50,000 Germans come to a National Socialist demonstration to listen to Adolf Hitler
  1922 Dec
  1:  Joseph Pilsudski resigns as president of Poland. On the 16th, his successor, Narutowicz, 
  is assassinated aft er two days in oﬃ  ce
  1.  Ismet Pasha, leader of Turkey, banishes a million Greeks
  6:  Mussolini threatens to censor the Italian papers
  11:  US Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall leases the Elk Hills oil reserves without com-
  petitive bidding
  30:  Soviet Russia renames itself the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
  10:  Neils Bohr wins the Nobel Prize in 
  Physics
  
  49 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  CRIME & PUNISHMENT
  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  2:  Pierre Cardin is born
  22:  Germany is not allowed to participate 
  in the Olympics
  31:  Th e world’s ﬁ rst water skis are used
  1922 July
  7:  Th e IRA cuts the Waterville Station cable 
  link between Europe and the US
  9:  Rocco Valenti tries and fails to kill Joe 
  “Th e Boss” Masseria. Shortly thereaft er, he’s 
  shot and killed by Charles “Lucky” Luciano 
  in a gun battle.
  22:  A tong war sweeps through San 
  Francisco’s Chinatown
  3:  Radio station WGY in Schenectady, NY 
  creates the ﬁ rst sound eﬀ ect by clapping 
  together two blocks of wood to make the 
  sound of a slamming door
  20:  Th e ﬁ rst Women’s Olympic Games take 
  place in Paris
  28:  Th e famed Autodrome opens in Monza, 
  Italy
  30:  Th e New Orleans Jazz Kings record 
  Tiger Rag
  Th e German stock market collapses
  1922 Aug
  16:  Th e bodies of Rev. Edward Hall and 
  Eleanor Mills are found entwined, with 
  their love letters scattered around them. 
  Hall’s wife, Frances Hall, her two brothers, 
  and her cousin are arrested for the murder. 
  In 1926 they’re acquitted; no one is ever 
  convicted of the killings.
  13:  In Tripoli, the highest-ever known 
  shade temperature, 136.4 degrees Fahren-
  heit, is recorded
  1922 Sept
  Th e New York Giants beat the New York 
  Yankees in the World Series
  21:  Marjorie Howarth becomes the ﬁ rst 
  woman to cross the third range of the 
  Andes
  24:  George Cadbury, chocolate manufac-
  turer and philanthropist, dies
  1922 Oct
  18:  Marcel Proust dies
  26:  Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon 
  ﬁ nd the tomb of King Tutankhamen in the 
  Valley of the Kings near Luxor, Egypt
  28:  A pilot ﬂ ying over Times Square gives 
  the ﬁ rst public demonstration of skywriting
  1922 Nov
  Louis Armstrong joins King Oliver’s jazz 
  band in Chicago
  1922 Dec
  
  50 ■ Pulp History
  Hero System 5th Edition
  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1922 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  600,000 coal miners and 400,000 railroad workers are on strike throughout the US for 
  much of the year
  Over 500 radio stations have been licensed
  WEAF (later WNBC) in New York City airs 
  the ﬁ rst radio commercials
  Aircraft  designer A.H.G. Fokker emigrates 
  to the US
  Th e Maytag Gyrofoam washing machine is 
  introduced
  Philo T. Farnsworth, age 15, describes the 
  electronic television system
  Ship-to-shore radio-telephone communica-
  tion becomes possible
  Lt. Harold Harris becomes the ﬁ rst member 
  of the “Caterpillar Club,” a group of people 
  whose lives have been saved by parachutes, 
  by parachuting to safety from a defective 
  plane
  Vickers Co. of Great Britain develops the 
  ﬁ rst revolving-turret tank
  
  51 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  CRIME & PUNISHMENT
  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  Th e Federal Reserve Board establishes a 
  way to electronically wire securities from 
  one city to another, thus eliminating the 
  risks of theft  or loss in transit
  Sylvestro “Sam” Carolla becomes head of 
  the Maﬁ a in New Orleans
  Notable literature of the year:  Ulysses, by 
  James Joyce; Th e Waste Land, by T.S. Eliot; 
  Tales Of Th e Jazz Age, by F. Scott Fitzgerald; 
  Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse; Babbitt, 
  by Sinclair Lewis; One Of Ours, by Willa 
  Cather
  “Texas” Guinan starts her career as a 
  nightclub host in New York City, welcom-
  ing customers to her employers’ (and later 
  her own) speakeasies with the cry, “Hello, 
  sucker!”
  Th e 17,000-seat Hollywood Bowl opens
  Th e ﬁ rst Mozart Festival is held in Salzburg, 
  Austria
  Mah-jongg becomes a nationwide pastime; 
  soon game sets outsell radios
  According to the Census, 11% of inhabit-
  ants of the US do not speak English
  Th e US experiences the beginning of a 
  business and economic revival that will last 
  until 1929
  Emily Post publishes her book on etiquette
  Reports indicate that Henry Ford earns 
  $264,000 per day, making him a billionaire
  Leonard Woolley discovers the city of Ur 
  on the Euphrates River, the ﬁ rst solid evi-
  dence of the heretofore legendary Sumerian 
  civilization
  Australian fur trappers nearly render the 
  koala bear extinct by killing more than 8 
  million in the last four years; the govern-
  ment takes protective measures
  Th e Aniakchak volcano is discovered on the 
  coast of Alaska
  Near Blackston, Virginia, a 20-ton meteor 
  falls to Earth, creating a 500 square foot 
  opening in the ground and generating an 
  explosion and ﬂ ames that can be heard and 
  seen for miles
  1922 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  
  52 ■ Pulp History
  Hero System 5th Edition
  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1923
  1923 Jan
  10:  Th e US withdraws the last of its troops from Germany as the Allies quarrel over 
  reparations
  11:  France and Belgium move troops into the Ruhr region. Germany halts all reparations 
  payments to them, and the German people there respond to their government’s call for 
  “passive resistance.”
  13:  Hitler denounces the Weimar Republic as 5,000 stormtroopers demonstrate
  25:  France occupies industrialized areas of the Ruhr in reprisal for delayed war repara-
  tions payments and German passive resistance
  27:  Th e National Socialist (Nazi) Party holds its ﬁ rst congress in Munich. Adolf Hitler 
  calls for the repeal of the Versailles Treaty.
  29:  20 Germans die ﬁ ghting in the Ruhr
  1:  Frenchman Sadi Lecointe sets a new air 
  speed record of 208 miles per hour
  17:  At Getafe, Juan de la Cierva successfully 
  test-ﬂ ies his Autogyro
  19:  Th e French announce the invention of 
  new artillery piece with a 56-mile range
  1923 Feb
  1:  Th e French cordon the Ruhr, cutting the rest of Germany oﬀ  from her coal supply. On 
  the 4th, the French take Oﬀ enburg and two other Ruhr cities.
  2:  Italian and Turkish troops clash in Tripoli
  5:  Mussolini orders the arrest of several hundred Socialists
  8:  Th e Central American Conference in Washington, D.C. forms an agreement re-estab-
  lishing the US’s right to intervene in the region’s aﬀ airs
  10:  Wilhelm Roentgen, discoverer of x-
  rays, dies
  15:  Frenchman Sadi Lecointe sets a new air 
  speed record of 234 miles per hour
  1923 Mar
  9:  Lenin quits oﬃ  ce for health reasons
  12:  In the Ruhr, anti-French agitators murder two French soldiers
  21:  Th e US refuses to recognize the Soviet Union until it agrees to pay Czarist debts and 
  return property seized from foreigners
  30:  Th e Laconia becomes the ﬁ rst cruise 
  ship to circumnavigate the globe as it ends 
  its 123-day trip at New York City
  1923 Apr
  3:  Th e Soviet Union executes Msgr. Konstantin Buchkavich for counter-revolutionary 
  Catholic activities
  19:  France names Maxime Weygand the High Commissioner for Syria and Lebanon
  5:  Firestone begins selling tires with inﬂ at-
  able inner tubes (“balloon tires”), which 
  improve the handling of automobiles
  1923 May
  1. Claiming they’re attempting to counteract workers’ demonstrations on May Day, Nazi 
  paramilitary forces capture military barracks
  6:  Chinese bandits kidnap 150 passengers, including some Americans, from a train on the 
  Tientsin-Pukow railroad
  10:  Vorovsky, the Soviet delegate to the Lausanne Conference on the Near East, is assas-
  sinated
  20:  Andrew Law resigns the prime minstership of Great Britain due to illness; Stanley 
  Baldwin takes oﬃ  ce
  27:  Th e Ku Klux Klan openly deﬁ es a law requiring it to publish a list of its members’ 
  names
  27:  Henry Kissinger is born
  3:  Th e ﬁ rst non-stop ﬂ ight across the US is 
  completed in 27 hours
  1923 June
  9:  Th e Bulgarian Army stages a bloodless coup
  13:  Th e French establish a trade barrier between the Ruhr and the rest of Germany
  14:  Chinese President Li Yuan-hung ﬂ ees Peking to avoid rebel troops, but is captured
  15:  Premier Stambulisky of Bulgaria is murdered by peasants
  20:  France announces its intention to seize all Ruhr industrial facilities for war reparations
  20:  President Harding begins a tour of the Western US and Alaska. On the 24th, two 
  members of his party die when their auto plunges oﬀ  a cliﬀ  near Denver, Colorado
  30:  Ten Belgians are killed by the explosion of a German bomb on a train in the Rhine-
  land
  16:  Great Britain launches the X-1 sub-
  marine, the largest underwater ship up to 
  this time
  
  53 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  CRIME & PUNISHMENT
  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  1923
  1:  Southern California beats Penn State to 
  win the Rose Bowl
  9:  Novelist Katherine Mansﬁ eld dies
  19:  Jean Stapleton is born
  31:  Norman Mailer is born
  1:  Aimée Semple McPherson opens 
  her 5,000-seat Angelus Temple in Los 
  Angeles to help forward her Pentecostal 
  “four-square gospel” philosophy. Its large, 
  rotating, illuminated cross can be seen for 
  50 miles.
  4:  Frenchman Emile Coue brings his theo-
  ry of mastering the will through suggestion 
  and positive thinking to the US, leading 
  many Americans to chant, “Day by day, in 
  every way, I’m getting better and better”
  7:  Andre Citroen and his motoring expedi-
  tion reach Timbuktu 20 days aft er depart-
  ing from Algiers
  1923 Jan
  12:  Filmmaker Franco Zeﬁ relli is born
  2:  Anti-knock gasoline is sold for the ﬁ rst 
  time, in Dayton, Ohio
  8:  In New Mexico, a mine explosion traps 
  122 people
  1923 Feb
  3:  Time magazine begins publication
  12:  In Los Angeles, the ﬁ rst movie with 
  sound recorded on the ﬁ lm is shown; it 
  portrays two people dancing to music
  26:  Actress Sarah Bernhardt dies
  22:  Marcel Marceau is born
  31:  Alma Cummings wins the ﬁ rst dance 
  marathon in the US by dancing for 27 
  hours straight
  1923 Mar
  18:  Th e New York Yankees open their new 
  stadium
  28:  In London, 1,000 people are hurt in a 
  riot at a championship soccer match
  4:  Lord Carnarvon, sponsor of the dig that 
  discovered the tomb of Tutankhamen, dies 
  of blood poisoning resulting from an insect 
  bite received while working at the tomb, 
  leading many superstitious people to mut-
  ter about ancient Egyptian curses
  A plague in India kills over 1,000
  Dance marathons become a fad in US cities
  1923 Apr
  1:  Novelist Joseph Heller is born
  19:  Zev wins the Kentucky Derby
  30:  Tommy Milton wins the Indianapolis 
  500 with a speed of 90.9 miles per hour
  1923 May
  3:  Mussolini gives Italian women the right 
  to vote in municipal elections
  22:  Germany’s ﬁ nancial collapse continues, 
  with one US dollar now equal to 136,000 
  German marks
  15:  An earthquake in northwest Persia kills 
  thousands
  17:  Beach sensors ban one-piece bathing 
  suits in Atlantic City, NJ
  18:  Mt. Etna erupts, prompting 30,000 Ital-
  ians to ﬂ ee nearby villages
  Th e Siberian gold rush begins when 
  Mikhail Tarbukin, who’s made a rich strike 
  at Aldan, agrees to join forces with a gov-
  ernment prospecting party
  1923 June
  
  54 ■ Pulp History
  Hero System 5th Edition
  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1923 July
  6:  Turkish and Greek forces ﬁ ght on the Dardanelles
  10:  In Italy, Mussolini dissolves all political parties other than the Fascists
  16:  Mussolini makes gambling illegal in Italy
  20:  Pancho Villa is gunned down while out for a drive
  23:  Filipinos demand that the US recall Governor Wood
  24:  At Lausanne, Switzerland, months of negotiation conclude with the signing of a Near 
  East treaty by Great Britain, France, Italy, Japan, Romania, Greece, and Turkey. Th e Treaty 
  of Lausanne makes peace between Greece and Turkey, and divides the debt of the former 
  Ottoman Empire among countries that acquired territory from it. 
  15:  Aeroﬂ ot begins service in Russia
  26:  John Baird ﬁ les a patent for mechani-
  cal television, described as “a system of 
  transmitting views, portraits and scenes by 
  telegraphy or wireless telegraphy”
  29:  Albert Einstein participates in a peace 
  demonstration in Berlin
  1923 Aug
  2:  President Warren G. Harding dies unexpectedly of a stroke following his grueling trip 
  to the western US; Calvin Coolidge becomes president
  6:  Bread riots occur in Dresden, Germany
  12:  Chancellor Cuno of Germany loses a vote of conﬁ dence in the Reichstag and is 
  replaced by Gustav Stresemann
  13:  Germany halts war reparations payments
  22:  France refuses to reduce its reparations claim or let the World Court arbitrate the 
  Ruhr matter
  27:  Th e US formally recognizes Mexico
  31:  Ruanda-Urundi becomes a protectorate of Belgium
  31:  Italy invades the Greek island of Corfu to compel Greece to pay an indemnity for the 
  recent killing of an Italian border commissioner
  1923 Sept
  1:  Italy captures the Greek islands of Paxos and Antipaxos
  2:  Hitler strongly denounces the Weimar Republic
  8:  Greece and Italy agree to a peace plan proposed by Allied envoys
  9:  Seven US Navy destroyers wreck oﬀ  Santa Barbara, California, killing 23 sailors
  10:  Italy mobilizes troops on the Serb border in a dispute with Yugoslavia
  12:  Great Britain annexes Southern Rhodesia
  13:  Spain experiences a bloodless military coup that puts Miguel Primo de Rivera in 
  charge of the nation
  15:  Oklahoma institutes martial law to cope with the growing size and power of the Ku 
  Klux Klan
  23:  Bulgarian peasants revolt; 100,000 of them march on Soﬁ a
  27:  Italian troops withdraw from Corfu at the insistence of the League Of Nations
  27:  President Ebert of Germany declares a state of emergency aft er Gustav von Kahr is 
  appointed dictator of Bavaria
  28:  Abyssinia (Ethiopia) joins the League Of Nations
  30:  Separatist clashes in the Ruhr lead to the death of dozens of people
  10:  Lt. Sanderson of the US sets a ﬂ ight 
  speed record of 238 miles per hour
  1923 Oct
  8:  Th e Stresemann government in Germany survives a vote of conﬁ dence. On the 13th, 
  the Reichstag passes a dictatorship bill giving Stresemann full powers.
  20:  Bavaria breaks oﬀ  relations with Germany
  21:  Socialist-Communist separatists proclaim the Rhineland a republic
  24:  German troops quell a Communist uprising in Hamburg, killing 44
  24:  20,000 Ku Klux Klansmen gather in Texas
  25:  Th e US Senate begins to investigate Interior Secretary Albert Fall and what will be-
  come known as the Teapot Dome scandal
  29:  Turkey forms a new republic with Mustafa Kemal as president
  5:  Edwin Hubble identiﬁ es the ﬁ rst
  Cepheid variable star
  1923 Nov
  8:  Adolf Hitler begins the so-called “Beer Hall Putsch” in an eﬀ ort to take control of Ger-
  many, naming himself chancellor and Erich von Ludendorﬀ  as dictator. Aft er four days the 
  Putsch fails and Hitler is arrested.
  8:  Th e British Empire Conference ends in London with the Empire’s dominions having 
  won the right to establish their own foreign policy
  19:  Governor Walton of Oklahoma is removed from oﬃ  ce by the state senate because of 
  his anti-Klan eﬀ orts
  23:  Th e Stresemann government loses a no conﬁ dence vote in the Reichstag and resigns
  1:  Goodyear Tire & Rubber buys the right 
  to manufacture dirigibles
  2:  H.J. Brown of the US Navy sets a new air 
  speed record of 259 miles per hour
  20:  Garrett Morgan patents the automatic 
  traﬃ  c signal
  25:  Transatlantic broadcasting from the 
  US to Great Britain is established for the 
  ﬁ rst time
  1923 Dec
  18:  Th e Greek military sends King George II into exile.
  21:  Nepal declares its independence (it had previously been a de facto “protectorate” of 
  Great Britain)
  
  55 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  CRIME & PUNISHMENT
  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  27:  John Dillinger joins the US Navy to get 
  out of charges of auto theft 
  4:  Jack Dempsey defeats Tom Gibbons to 
  retain the heavyweight title
  1:  Edward Bok of Philadelphia announces 
  a $100,000 prize for anyone who can devise 
  a “practical plan” to maintain world peace
  2:  A Gutenberg Bible sells at Sotheby’s in 
  London for $43,350
  4:  Th e Ku Klux Klan holds a Konklave in 
  Kokomo, Indiana; estimated attendance is 
  200,000
  21:  Th e National Women’s Party draft s 
  an equal rights amendment for the US 
  Constitution
  1923 July
  Th e Bauhaus school of design in Germany 
  shows the work of many noted artists, 
  including Gropius, Kandinsky, and Klee
  6:  Henry Sullivan, an American, swims the 
  English Channel in 28 hours
  7:  Th e German mark reaches a new low of 
  3.3 million per $1 US
  13:  US Steel oﬀ ers an eight-hour workday 
  (instead of the standard 12-hour day)
  1923 Aug
  1:  A tremendous earthquake virtually 
  destroys Tokyo and Yokohama, killing as 
  many as 300,000, injuring 500,000, and 
  leaving 2.5 million Japanese homeless. Th e 
  ﬁ res caused by the quake were so bright 
  that people could read by their light 10 
  miles away. Rebuilding costs $2 billion, or 
  roughly 40% of Japan’s GNP, ruining the 
  country’s economy.
  12:  San Jose de Cabo on the southern coast 
  of California is destroyed by tidal waves
  18:  An earthquake hits Malta and Sicily
  1923 Sept
  31:  William “Wild Bill” Lovett, Boston labor 
  racketeer and leader of the White Hand 
  Gang (an Irish mob), is murdered by the 
  Maﬁ a, who prefer his weaker second-in-
  command, Pegleg Lonergan. One of the 
  assassins is the feared Dui Cuteddi (Two 
  Knives), who uses a cleaver to polish Lovett 
  oﬀ  aft er he’s shot three times. Th e Maﬁ a 
  then spreads a rumor that Lonergan had 
  Lovett killed.
  4:  Charlton Heston is born
  15:  Th e New York Yankees beat the New 
  York Giants in the World Series
  27:  Roy Lichtenstein is born
  22:  Th e German mark is now worth 44 
  billion per US dollar
  1923 Oct
  6:  In Germany, a loaf of bread now costs 
  140 billion marks as the mark hits an all-
  time low of 4 trillion per $1 US
  23:  Howard Carter uncovers more trea-
  sures in King Tut’s tomb
  1923 Nov
  5:  Emmanual Kessler, known as the “King 
  of the Bootleggers,” is sentenced to two 
  years and a $10,000 ﬁ ne for violating Pro-
  hibition laws
  10:  William Butler Yeats wins the Nobel 
  Prize for Literature
  28:  Gustav Eiﬀ el dies
  25:  Th e White House has its ﬁ rst Christmas 
  tree with all electric lights
  1923 Dec
  
  56 ■ Pulp History
  Hero System 5th Edition
  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1923 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  Th e Senussi people of Libya begin an eight-year war with Italy
  Zenith Radio is founded
  Col. Joseph Schick patents his electric razor
  Vladimir Zworykin ﬁ les a patent for the 
  iconoscope (the electric television camera)
  Th e bulldozer is invented
  Sigmund Freud publishes Th e Ego And 
  Th e Id
  
  57 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  CRIME & PUNISHMENT
  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  Interpol is organized
  Owney “the Killer” Madden is released 
  from prison. He soon forms a new gang and 
  becomes a major player in the New York 
  City underworld.
  Th e US ﬁ lm industry continues to grow; 
  investment in it now stands at $750 million
  Notable literature of the year:  New Hamp-
  shire, by Robert Frost; Whose Body?, by 
  Dorothy L. Sayers
  Notable music of the year:  Rhapsody in 
  Blue, by Gershwin; jazz recordings by Jelly 
  Roll Morton and King Oliver; Yes, We Have 
  No Bananas, by Silver and Cohn; Tea For 
  Two
  Th e Milky Way and Butterﬁ ngers candy 
  bars are invented
  Burlington Industries is founded by J. 
  Spencer Love
  Maidenform bras are ﬁ rst marketed
  A plague of locusts attacks Montana crops
  Simpliﬁ ed, easy to use staplers become 
  available
  Margaret Sanger founds the Birth Control 
  Clinical Research Bureau, the ﬁ rst clinic 
  staﬀ ed by doctors with the intention of 
  providing information about contraception
  1923 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  
  58 ■ Pulp History
  Hero System 5th Edition
  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1924
  1924 Jan
  7:  In Athens, a bomb intended to kill Mustafa Kemal wounds his wife
  19:  Th e US sends seven warships to Mexico to confront the rebels at Gulf ports
  20:  A railroad strike paralyzes Great Britain
  21:  Lenin dies. On the 26th, the Soviet Union renames Petrograd as Leningrad.
  23:  Ramsay MacDonald forms the ﬁ rst Labour government in British history
  24:  Mussolini abolishes all non-Fascist trade unions
  25:  France and Czechoslovakia sign an accord
  27:  Italy and Yugoslavia agree to the annexation of Fiume by Italy
  1924 Feb
  1:  Great Britain formally recognizes the USSR
  3:  Woodrow Wilson dies
  4:  Great Britain releases Mohandas Gandhi from prison
  6:  In Mexico, President Obregon’s forces occupy Vera Cruz
  18:  Navy Secretary Edwin Denby resigns over the Teapot Dome scandal
  26:  Hitler and Ludendorﬀ  go on trial for the Beer Hall Putsch
  28:  An election conﬂ ict in Honduras prompts the US to send troops there to protect 
  American interests
  5:  Th e BBC broadcasts the ﬁ rst Greenwich 
  time signal
  1924 Mar
  1:  China admits Communists to the Kuomintang government
  3:  Turkey exiles the Ottoman sultan, Abdulmecid, and ends the use of the title “caliph” 
  aft er nearly 1,300 years
  9:  Italy annexes all the Adriatic lands to Fiume
  13:  In Germany, the Reichstag is dissolved
  19:  Honduran rebels capture the capital, Tegucigalpa
  25:  Greece declares itself a republic
  28:  US Attorney General Harry Daughtry resigns over the Teapot Dome scandal
  7:  A radio broadcast reaches from New 
  York City to San Francisco and then on 
  to Manchester, England, a record of 7,000 
  miles
  1924 Apr
  1:  Hitler is sentenced to ﬁ ve years in prison for the Beer Hall Putsch
  7:  In Italy, the Fascists win control of Parliament
  23:  Th e San Remo Conference votes for independence for Armenia
  29:  In the Santa Clara province of Cuba, a revolt breaks out
  1924 May
  2:  President Coolidge forbids the sale of weapons to the Cuban rebels
  11:  Left ists win in the French elections
  19:  Congress overrides President Wilson’s veto of a soldiers’ bonus bill
  1924 June
  1:  A Socialist assassin tries, and fails, to kill Austrian Chancellor Siepel
  2:  Th e US grants full citizenship to American Indians
  10:  President Millerand of France resigns aft er losing to the left ist majority in Parliament
  10:  In Italy, the Fascists kidnap and murder Socialist leader Giacomo Matteotti
  12:  An explosion on the U.S.S. Mississippi kills 48 people
  13:  Gaston Doumergue wins the French presidency
  27:  France opens the Ruhr to 210,000 German exiles
  1924 July
  6:  In Brazil, rebels take São Paulo, killing 250 people. On the 14th, a battle between the 
  rebels and Brazilian troops results in 3,000 more deaths
  7:  Calvin Coolidge, Jr., the president’s son, dies of blood poisoning
  1924 Aug
  2:  Th e Allies agree on the Dawes Plan for German economic reform. On the 16th, the Al-
  lies and Germany sign an accord under which France will withdraw from the Ruhr within 
  a year. On the 29th, the Reichstag approves the Dawes Plan
  19:  In Egypt, disturbances at Port Said force the government to establish martial law there
  30:  Ku Klux Klan violence results in the deaths of six people at Herrin, Illinois
  1924 Sept
  1:  Germany makes its ﬁ rst payment under the Dawes Plan
  8:  In China, Gen. Chang Tsao-lin revolts; on the 9th, the US sends in 1,100 Marines to 
  guard Americans in Shanghai
  10:  Th e Red Army quashes an uprising in Tiﬂ is
  13:  Gen. Pershing retires from the US Army
  3:  An Army airman ﬂ ies from Boston 
  to New York City in a record time of 58 
  minutes.
  28:  Th ree Army airplanes ﬁ nish a round-
  the-world trip begun nearly six months ago 
  — the ﬁ rst successful aerial circumnaviga-
  tion of Earth
  1924 Oct
  1:  Jimmy Carter is born
  6:  Ibn Saud declares a holy war, prompting King Hussein of Hejaz to abdicate
  16:  In Canton, tradesmen revolt against Sun Yat-sen, resulting in the death of 1,000 people
  25:  President Tsao Kun of China resigns due to Gen. Chang Tsao-lin’s revolt
  28:  France formally recognizes the USSR
  15:  ZR-3, a German dirigible, ﬂ ies 5,000 
  miles from Germany to Lakehurst, NJ, and 
  is then turned over to the US Navy as part 
  of a war reparations payment
  
  59 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  CRIME & PUNISHMENT
  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  1924
  1:  Navy and Washington tie in the Rose 
  Bowl
  31:  Th e ﬁ rst Olympic Winter Games are 
  held at Chamonix, France
  4:  Howard Carter ﬁ nds King Tut’s stone 
  sarcophagus intact
  5:  Walter Chrysler markets his ﬁ rst auto-
  mobile
  1924 Jan
  12:  George Gershwin debuts Rhapsody 
  In Blue, improvising parts of it during the 
  premiere
  12:  Howard Carter opens King Tut’s 
  sarcophagus
  14:  Th omas Watson founds IBM
  1924 Feb
  Hijacker Joe Howard makes the mistake 
  of slapping around Jake “Greasy Th umb” 
  Guzik, a favorite of Al Capone’s. Capone 
  personally shoots Howard dead later the 
  same day.
  18:  Th e Th ief Of Baghdad, starring Douglas 
  Fairbanks, premieres
  3:  In Turkey, Mustafa Kemal moves to 
  abolish many of the older religious and 
  cultural customs and replace them with 
  more Western ones
  8:  A mine explosion in Utah traps 173 
  people
  1924 Mar
  1:  In Cicero, near Chicago, gangsters steal 
  ballots at gunpoint; Al Capone’s brother is 
  killed
  3:  Marlon Brando is born
  17:  MGM is founded by the merger of 
  Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures, and the 
  Louis B. Mayer Company
  1924 Apr
  10:  J. Edgar Hoover becomes director of 
  the Bureau Of Investigation (later the FBI), 
  a position he holds until 1972
  31:  Leopold and Loeb confess to murder-
  ing a 14 year-old boy
  13:  Marlene Dietrich marries Rudolf Sieber
  17:  Black Gold wins the Kentucky Derby
  27:  Jules Stein founds the Music Corpora-
  tion of America (MCA)
  26:  Th e US bars immigration by Japanese
  1924 May
  3:  Franz Kafk a dies
  30:  Th e new Ziegﬁ eld Follies features 
  entertainer Will Rogers
  20:  Irvine and Mallory die trying to climb 
  Mt. Everest
  1924 June
  24:  Gene Tunney TKOs Georges Carpen-
  tier
  30:  Paavo Nurmi of Finland wins four gold 
  medals in track and ﬁ eld at the Summer 
  Olympics in Paris. Th e US wins 12 gold 
  medals.
  1924 July
  3:  Joseph Conrad dies
  1924 Aug
  5:  Federal agents arrest Albert Marino, the 
  “coke king.” He has $50,000 worth of drugs 
  with him when arrested.
  2:  Bill Tilden wins the US national tennis 
  championship for the ﬁ ft h year in a row
  16:  Lauren Bacall is born
  30:  Truman Capote is born
  1924 Sept
  1:  Paavo Nurmi runs ﬁ ve miles in 24 min-
  utes, 6.1 seconds
  10:  Th e Washington Senators beat the New 
  York Giants in the World Series
  12:  Writer Anatole France dies
  1924 Oct
  
  60 ■ Pulp History
  Hero System 5th Edition
  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1924 Nov
  1:  Federal troops quell Ku Klux Klan riots in Niles, Ohio
  4:  Calvin Coolidge is re-elected president
  4:  “Ma” Ferguson is elected governor of Texas, making her the ﬁ rst woman governor of 
  any US state
  9:  Former Senator Henry Cabot Lodge dies
  19:  In Cairo, Governor-General of the Sudan Sir Lee Stack is murdered by Egyptians. On 
  the 23rd, Egypt oﬀ ers an indemnity for Stack, but denies any blame. On the 24th, Great 
  Britain seizes the customs house at Alexandria, forcing Premier Zaghlul Pasha to resign.
  30:  France withdraws its last troops from the Ruhr
  1924 Dec
  5:  Ibn Saud occupies Medina
  12:  Abd el Krim forces Spanish troops out of Morocco
  13:  AFL leader Samuel Gompers dies
  20:  Adolf Hitler is released from prison. While in a comfortable cell, he dictated his book 
  Mein Kampf (My Struggle) to his friend Rudolf Hess.
  19:  Th e last Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost 
  manufactured is sold
  30:  Edwin Hubble announces that he’s 
  found another galaxy, thus answering the 
  question of whether the Milky Way is 
  unique
  1924 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  Reza Khan Pahlevi establishes full control over Persia aft er defeating Shah Khazal of Mo-
  hammerah (who had British support) and the Bakhtiari tribes of the southwest
  Great Britain publishes the “Zinoviev letter,” in which the Comintern urges British Com-
  munists to start a revolution; this discredits Soviet Russia
  In the US, the Second Quota Law establishes even lower immigration totals than the pre-
  vious (1921) law, including the establishment of a “national origins” guideline and the total 
  exclusion of Asians (much to the resentment of Japan)
  Tangier, Morocco becomes an “international zone” jointly administered by France, Spain, 
  and Great Britain
  Th e US withdraws its soldiers from the Dominican Republic, ending an eight-year oc-
  cupation
  Ho Chi Minh becomes an agent of the Communist International in Southeast Asia and 
  China
  Soviet Russia creates the Mongolian People’s Republic, claiming it’s an independent nation 
  though it’s actually a Russian protectorate
  Leitz, a German ﬁ rm, introduces the Leica 
  35mm miniature camera
  Th e self-winding watch is patented
  Edward Appleton uses radio ranging, a pre-
  cursor of radar, to determine the distance to 
  the Heaviside layer of the ionosphere
  Astronomer Arthur Eddington discovers 
  the relationship between stellar mass and 
  luminosity
  Zenith produces the ﬁ rst portable radio; it 
  weighs 14.6 pounds, ﬁ ts into a suitcase, and 
  costs $230
  Harvard University publishes the Standard 
  Draper Catalogue, which lists 225,000 stars
  
  61 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  CRIME & PUNISHMENT
  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  10:  Dion O’Banion, a competitor of Al 
  Capone’s, is shot dead in his Chicago ﬂ ower 
  shop by Frankie Yale, Albert Anselmi, and 
  John Scalise
  27:  Macy’s holds its ﬁ rst Th anksgiving Day 
  Parade
  29:  Composer Giacomo Puccini dies
  President Coolidge’s election kicks oﬀ  a 
  Wall Street boom
  1924 Nov
  31:  Notre Dame has an undefeated football 
  season thanks to coach Knute Rockne and 
  the “Four Horsemen”
  8:  Tobacco magnate James B. Duke oﬀ ers 
  $40 million to found Duke University
  9:  5,000 year old art is discovered in the 
  Indus Valley of India
  1924 Dec
  Federal agents ﬁ nally catch the infamous 
  Ashley Gang of robbers, hijackers, and 
  bootleggers in Florida aft er 14 years
  Samuel “Nails” Morton, an enforcer for 
  Dion O’Banion’s gang in Chicago, is thrown 
  by a horse and killed. Four of his friends, 
  including Bugs Moran and Hymie Weiss, 
  kidnap and kill the horse.
  Germany sentences Fritz Haarmann, who’s 
  murdered 26 people, to death by decapita-
  tion
  At Nevada State Prison, the gas chamber is 
  ﬁ rst used as a method of execution
  Notable literature of the year:  A Passage To 
  India, by E.M. Forster; Th e Magic Mountain, 
  by Th omas Mann; Th e Inimitable Jeeves, by 
  P.G. Wodehouse; Desire Under Th e Elms, by 
  Eugene O’Neill
  American Mercury magazine founded by 
  H.L. Mencken and George Nathan
  Columbia Pictures is founded
  Th e World Chess League is founded
  In a game against previously undefeated 
  Michigan, University of Illinois football star 
  Red Grange scores ﬁ ve touchdowns to lead 
  his team to victory
  Pursuant to the Dawes Plan, Germany 
  issues the new Reichsmark to end the inﬂ a-
  tion crippling the country. Th e Plan also 
  calls for substantial loans to Germany by 
  the US and various economic changes.
  IBM is founded
  Saks Fift h Avenue opens in New York City
  Kleenex is ﬁ rst sold
  Th e spiral-bound notebook is introduced
  Th e “Hollywoodland” sign is constructed 
  on Mt. Lee overlooking Hollywood. It costs 
  $21,000, and its thirteen 50 foot-tall letters 
  are lit by 4,000 20-watt bulbs (which are 
  eventually all stolen). (Th e last four letters, 
  LAND, are removed when the city restores 
  the decrepit sign in 1949.)
  Th e Brookings Institution is founded
  Paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews 
  ﬁ nds the fossil bones of Mesozoic dinosaurs 
  in the Gobi Desert
  In Tibet, explorers Bailey, Ward, and 
  Morsehead discover the source of the Brah-
  maputra-Tsangpo River
  1924 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  
  62 ■ Pulp History
  Hero System 5th Edition
  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1925
  1925 Jan
  10:  Charles Evans Hughes resigns as US Secretary of State
  10:  Th e Allies, accusing Germany of violating the disarmament accord, delay their pullout 
  from the Rhineland
  15:  Th e US lands more forces in Shanghai to protect Americans there; they remain until 
  March 12
  16:  Leon Trotsky is dismissed from the Soviet War Council
  20:  Japan recognizes the USSR and returns to it the northern part of Sakhalin Island
  21:  Great Britain sinks the dreadnought Monarch to meet the quotas established by the 
  Washington disarmament treaty
  1925 Feb
  5:  Th e Luxembourg government dissolves following a railway dispute with Belgium
  14:  Germany ends the state of emergency in Bavaria and re-legalizes the Nazi Party
  24:  In Turkish Kurdistan, a revolt begins against the Turkish government; the Kurds are 
  upset that the Treaty of Lausanne has ended the existence of their post-Great War inde-
  pendent state
  1925 Mar
  7:  Th e Red Army occupies Outer Mongolia
  12:  Sun Yat-sen dies; Chiang Kai-shek succeeds him as leader of the Kuomintang. Ameri-
  can forces in Shanghai depart.
  1:  Th e American Telephone and Telegraph 
  Company sends a photograph by wire to 
  three diﬀ erent cities simultaneously
  16:  A direct cable line opens between 
  Rome and New York City
  21:  Wolfgang Pauli describes the “exclusion 
  principle”
  1925 Apr
  14:  Communists attempt to kill King Boris III of Bulgaria with a bomb, but succeed only 
  in killing 150 innocent people. On the 20th, Capt. Ninkoﬀ , who was supposedly behind 
  the plot, is killed.
  19:  Portugal suppresses a military revolt
  19:  Th e US sends troops to Honduras to protect foreigners during the La Ceiba revolt
  23:  Abd el Krim and his rebel troops enter French Morocco
  25:  Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg is elected president of Germany
  1925 May
  1:  Cyprus becomes a British colony
  10:  British soldiers ﬁ re on anti-foreign demonstrators in Shanghai
  17:  Spain lift s the state of siege in place since the 1923 coup
  19:  Malcolm X is born
  30:  British soldiers ﬁ re on Chinese demonstrating against “unequal treaties” in Shanghai, 
  killing 12
  6:  A picture telegraphy transmission (a 
  “fax”) is sent by radio and telephone from 
  Honolulu to New York City
  16:  Th e world’s ﬁ rst air-to-ground call is 
  made from the dirigible Los Angeles
  1925 June
  2:  Canada claims all land between Greenland and Alaska
  4:  Th e Allies tell Germany their terms for withdrawal from the Rhineland
  6:  Gen. Yang Hsi-min captures Canton and establishes a new Chinese government
  22:  France and Spain ally against Abd el Krim
  23:  50 students from China’s Whampoa Military Academy in Canton die in a clash with 
  British and French soldiers
  25:  General Panglos leads a revolt that ousts the current Greek government
  1925 July
  16:  King Feisal opens the ﬁ rst session of the Iraqi Parliament
  17:  French forces under Marshal Petain start their mission against Abd el Krim
  18:  Mein Kampf is published
  20:  Th e Druse sect in Syria revolts against the French
  26:  William Jennings Bryant dies
  23:  Sigmund Freud becomes chairman of 
  the International Psychoanalytical Founda-
  tion
  1925 Aug
  7:  Druse tribesmen ﬁ ght the French in Syria, killing 200 and wounding 600
  8:  40,000 members of the Ku Klux Klan march in Washington, D.C.
  13:  150,000 coal miners in the US begin a major strike
  8:  Landry and Drouhin, French aviators, set 
  a new non-stop ﬂ ight record of 2,732 miles
  
  63 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  CRIME & PUNISHMENT
  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  1925
  12:  Hymie Weiss (the new leader of the 
  O’Banion gang following Dion O’Banion’s 
  death), Vincent Drucci, and Bugs Moran 
  try, and fail, to kill Al Capone
  24:  Gunmen working for Hymie Weiss 
  repeatedly shoot mob boss Johnny Torrio. 
  Torrio survives aft er a long hospital stay 
  during which Al Capone and 30 other mob-
  sters guard him around the clock.
  1.  Notre Dame beats Stanford in the Rose 
  Bowl
  8:  Stravinsky makes his American debut at 
  the New York Philharmonic
  26:  Paul Newman is born
  27:  A diphtheria epidemic strikes Nome, 
  Alaska. Antitoxin is delivered by dog sled-
  ders who cover 655 miles in a record 5.5 
  days.
  Spelunker Floyd Collins becomes trapped 
  in a Kentucky cave in late January. Several 
  rescue parties try to reach him, but he’s 
  found dead on February 16.
  1925 Jan
  Johnny Torrio turns his Chicago rackets 
  over to his protege Al Capone and retires 
  to Brooklyn
  20:  Film director Robert Altman is born
  21:  New Yorker magazine is ﬁ rst published
  3:  In South Africa, anthropologist Ray-
  mond Dart announces that in 1924 he 
  found a fossilized skull of an early man he 
  believes to be the “missing link” between 
  men and apes
  11:  A Ruhr mine explosion kills 136
  12:  Sabena creates the ﬁ rst air route be-
  tween Belgium and the Belgian Congo
  26:  Th e New York Zoological Society  
  begins to explore the Sargasso Sea in the 
  ship Arcturus
  1925 Feb
  12:  A grippe epidemic strikes Chicago, 
  killing 279
  17:  Th e Great Tri-State Tornado kills 950 
  people and injures 13,000 in Illinois, Indi-
  ana, and Missouri
  23:  Tennessee outlaws the teaching of 
  evolution in public schools
  1925 Mar
  15:  Painter John Singer Sargent dies
  31:  A major “Art deco” decorative arts show 
  opens in Paris
  1925 Apr
  16:  Flying Ebony wins the Kentucky Derby
  30:  Peter DePaolo wins the Indianapolis 
  500 with a speed of 101.1 miles per hour
  20:  New York City’s homicide rate is 387 
  per year
  21:  Roald Amundsen sets out for the North 
  Pole
  25:  Tennessee indicts John Scopes for 
  teaching evolution
  1925 May
  11:  In Great Britain, a gem dealer is thrown 
  from a plane in the ﬁ rst recorded case of 
  murder in the air
  12:  Th e Metropolitan Museum of Art in 
  New York City buys the Cloisters to house 
  its medieval art collection for $600,000
  6:  Walter Chrysler founds his automobile 
  company
  27:  Th e Soviets discover a hoard of $3 
  million in the home of Prince Felix Yous-
  soupoﬀ 
  29:  An earthquake causes millions of dol-
  lars of damage in Santa Barbara, California
  1925 June
  10:  Th e USSR establishes TASS, its oﬃ  cial 
  “news agency”
  7:  South Africa makes Afrikaans its third 
  oﬃ  cial language
  18:  An American Automobile Association 
  report claims women seem to be as compe-
  tent drivers as men
  21:  John Scopes is convicted of teaching 
  evolution despite the impassioned defense 
  oﬀ ered by Clarence Darrow, and ﬁ ned $100
  1925 July
  16:  Charlie Chaplin’s ﬁ lm Th e Gold Rush 
  premieres
  19:  An American expedition in Mongolia, 
  led by anthropologist Roy Chapman An-
  drews in search of evidence of the origins 
  of humanity, is ordered to leave because it’s 
  suspected of espionage
  Snakeskin dresses become fashionable in 
  London
  1925 Aug
  
  64 ■ Pulp History
  Hero System 5th Edition
  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1925 Sept
  15:  Th e Romanians quell a Communist revolt inspired by the Soviet Union, killing 50
  18:  A rebellion breaks out in Bolivia
  3:  Th e US Navy’s dirigible Shenandoah is 
  torn apart by a thunderstorm near Cadwell, 
  Ohio, killing all 14 crewmen
  4:  An AAA car sets a record of 4 days, 21.5 
  hours for a trip across the US
  1925 Oct
  2:  Spanish forces capture the Riﬃ  an stronghold at Agadir, Morocco
  12:  Strikes and rent riots beset Panama and prevent the US from landing soldiers there to 
  protect foreign interests
  14:  Th e sight of numerous rebel corpses causes Damascus to revolt against France; the 
  French withdraw. On the 18th, the French bomb the city in an eﬀ ort to stem the Druse 
  uprising.
  16:  Germany and France sign a peace treaty
  19:  Per the terms of an 1889 protectorate, Italy completes the occupation of Italian 
  Somaliland
  22:  Greece invades Bulgaria
  26:  Submitting to a demand by the League Of Nations, Greece withdraws from Bulgaria.
  31:  Reza Khan deposes the Qadjar dynasty and becomes shah of Persia
  30:  John L. Baird of Scotland performs the 
  ﬁ rst television broadcast featuring moving 
  objects (speciﬁ cally, 15 year-old William 
  Taynton, the ﬁ rst person ever to appear on 
  TV). Baird cobbles together his transmit-
  ter from items including darning needles, 
  piano wire, and a tea chest.
  1925 Nov
  5:  In Italy, the Fascists ban left ist parties
  9:  In Germany, the Nazi Party forms protection squads — the SS
  1925 Dec
  1:  British troops evacuate Cologne
  1:  Seven nations sign the Locarno peace treaty, which guarantees the Belgian and French 
  borders with Germany
  18:  In the USSR, Kamenev and Zinoviev break with Stalin
  25:  Admiral Latimer of the US Navy disarms Nicaraguan rebels
  1925 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan become Soviet Socialist republics
  France begins construction of the Maginot Line
  Norway renames Christiania, its capital, as Oslo
  Cyprus becomes a crown colony of Great Britain
  In French West Africa, the city of Dakar becomes an “autonomous area”
  AT&T and General Electric establish Bell 
  Laboratories
  Incandescent lightbulbs with interior frost-
  ing are manufactured
  Vladimir Zworykin ﬁ les a patent on a color 
  television system, which is granted in 1928
  AT&T introduces a commercial wirephoto 
  service
  R.A. Millikan discovers the existence of 
  cosmic rays in Earth’s upper atmosphere, 
  and that the atmosphere absorbs (rather 
  than produces) them
  Walter and Ida Noddack discover rhenium
  A German expedition using sonar to map 
  the ocean ﬂ oor discovers the Mid-Atlantic 
  Ridge, which is seen as supporting the still-
  controversial theory of continental drift 
  
  65 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  CRIME & PUNISHMENT
  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  12:  In Buﬀ alo, NY, seven workers are 
  arrested for committing a $2 million mail 
  robbery
  1:  Bill Tilden leads the US to a sixth con-
  secutive David Cup victory
  16:  Th e musical No, No Nanette opens on 
  Broadway
  16:  B.B. King is born
  Th e Charleston becomes a dance craze
  11:  In Chillicothe, Ohio, the “royal tomb” of 
  the Indian Mound Builders is uncovered
  1925 Sept
  3:  Th e New York Metropolitan Opera raises 
  its ﬂ oor ticket prices to $8.25
  15:  Th e Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Wash-
  ington Senators in the World Series
  8:  A record $125,000 is paid for a seat on 
  the New York Stock Exchange
  27:  James B. Duke dies, leaving enough ad-
  ditional money to Duke University to make 
  it the world’s wealthiest university
  1925 Oct
  13:  Two members of the O’Banion gang 
  kill Samuzzo “Samoots” Amatuna in a Ci-
  cero, Illinois barbershop to stop him from 
  moving against the gang
  14:  An exhibition of Surrealist paintings is 
  held in Paris
  28:  Th e Grand Ole Opry begins broadcast-
  ing
  28:  Th e new Madison Square Garden, 
  built aft er the demolishment of the old one 
  earlier in the year, opens
  1925 Nov
  3:  Federal agents bust an international 
  liquor smuggling ring, arresting its head, 
  racetrack owner William Dwyer
  12:  Th e ﬁ rst motel, the Motel Inn, opens in 
  San Luis Obispo, California
  25:  20 million cars are registered in the US
  1925 Dec
  Soviet authorities catch and execute espio-
  nage agent Sidney Reilly
  George “Pretty Boy” Floyd begins his career 
  by stealing $350 in pennies from a post 
  oﬃ  ce in St. Louis
  Johnny Torrio retires; Al Capone takes over 
  his Chicago rackets
  Renowned Prohibition agents Isadore 
  “Izzy” Einstein and Moe Smith lose their 
  jobs when bosses angered by the atten-
  tion they’ve received for their unorthodox 
  methods of ﬁ ghting liquor smugglers ﬁ re 
  them
  Th e Florida land “bubble” breaks as inves-
  tors discover many of the plots they’ve 
  bought are worthless
  Josephine Baker becomes a big star in Paris 
  with her “Negro Review”
  Notable literature of the year:  An American 
  Tragedy, by Th eodore Dreiser; Th e Great 
  Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald; Th e Trial, by 
  Franz Kafk a; Th e Hollow Men, by T.S. Eliot; 
  In Our Time, by Ernest Hemingway
  Notable ﬁ lms of the year:  Th e Battleship 
  Potemkin, by Sergei Eisenstein; Th e Gold 
  Rush, starring Charlie Chaplin; Th e Phan-
  tom Of Th e Opera, starring Lon Chaney
  Harold Vanderbilt develops contract bridge
  In New York City, the Rivoli and the Rialto 
  are the world’s ﬁ rst air-conditioned theaters
  Th e Charleston becomes popular
  Crossword puzzles become popular
  Th e ﬂ apper dress is introduced and be-
  comes fashionable
  Drought grips the southern and western US
  Simon Guggenheim creates the Guggen-
  heim Foundation
  Th e Bronx River Parkway, the ﬁ rst modern 
  “highway” with on- and oﬀ -ramps and a 
  median separating the opposite lanes, opens 
  in New York City
  Th e length of the meter is standardized
  Standardized shapes, sizes, and colors for 
  signs designating US and state highways, 
  “Stop” and “RR Crossing,” and the like ﬁ rst 
  appear
  Th ere are now 17 million cars in the US
  For the ﬁ rst time in 300 years, a solar 
  eclipse is visible in New York
  Alexander Alekhine plays 28 simultaneous 
  games of chess while blindfolded
  Anthropologists discover arrowheads at 
  Folsom, New Mexico, which prove that 
  America was inhabited long before Colum-
  bus arrived
  1925 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  
  66 ■ Pulp History
  Hero System 5th Edition
  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1926
  1926 Jan
  3:  Panglos declares himself dictator of Greece
  8:  Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud becomes king of Hejaz and Nejd
  9:  25 killings are now attributed to the Black Reichswehr, a German secret army
  12:  Th e Pasteur Institute discovers antiteta-
  nus serum
  27:  John Baird demonstrates television to 
  the Royal Institution in London
  1926 Feb
  6:  Princess Obelensky of Russia is found murdered in a Moscow street
  11:  Th e Mexican government nationalizes all church property
  12:  Aft er nearly six months, the coal miners’ strike in the US is settled
  19:  Professor Lane of Princeton University 
  estimates that the Earth is 1 billion years 
  old
  1926 Mar
  4:  China requests a seat on the League Council
  9:  Premier Briand forms a new cabinet in France
  18:  Druse rebels ambush and kill 42 French soldiers
  7:  Th e ﬁ rst successful transatlantic wireless 
  telephone call is made from New York City 
  to London
  16:  Robert H. Goddard launches the ﬁ rst 
  liquid-fuel rocket at Auburn, Massachusetts
  1926 Apr
  3:  Religious riots in India lead to the destruction of temples, and the deaths of 12 people
  7:  An Irish assassin attempts to shoot Mussolini but only wounds his nose
  10:  President Tuan of China is deposed
  12:  Riot police use clubs to break up 5,000 strikers in Passaic, NJ
  21:  Princess Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth II of England, is born
  20:  Western Electric announces Vitaphone, 
  a process for adding sound to ﬁ lms
  1926 May
  3:  A general strike begins in Great Britain. It ends on the 12th.
  7:  Th e Chamorro coup and subsequent revolutionary activity cause the US to send troops 
  into Nicaragua
  8:  Th e French navy bombs Damascus
  19:  Mussolini announces that Fascism has replaced democracy in Italy
  19:  In Damascus, French artillery kills 600 people
  23:  Th e French capture the Rif capital in Morocco. On the 26th, Abd el Krim surrenders.
  28:  In Portugal, General da Costa seizes power
  2:  A drawing is sent by wirephoto (“faxed”) 
  across the Atlantic for the ﬁ rst time
  1926 June
  1.  In Poland, Pilsudski declines the presidency but retains dictatorial power
  10:  Poland breaks up a strike in Warsaw by having troops ﬁ re into the crowd
  12:  Brazil quits the League Of Nations in protest over plans to admit Germany. On the 
  17th, Spain threatens to quit.
  23:  In France, Briand forms a new cabinet
  1926 July
  2:  Congress creates the Army Air Corps
  17:  Th e Briand government of France is overthrown for the third time; Herriot forms a 
  new cabinet
  25:  Th e French quash the Druse uprising in Syria
  1926 Aug
  5:  Germany and France sign a trade agreement
  20:  In southeast Persia, a revolt begins against Shah Reza Pahlevi
  22:  A military coup overthrows the Panglos regime of Greece
  24:  Coal strike riots occur in Great Britain
  28:  US Marines enter Nicaragua to help ﬁ ght the Sandino rebels
  6:  Vitaphone shows a “talkie” with music by 
  Henry Hadley
  10:  In Michigan, Northwest Airways is 
  incorporated
  1926 Sept
  6:  In the Chinese civil war, the forces of Gen. Chiang Kai-shek reach Hankow
  8:  Germany joins the League Of Nations
  11:  An attempt to kill Mussolini injures eight bystanders
  11:  Spain quits the League Of Nations because it admitted Germany
  
  67 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  CRIME & PUNISHMENT
  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  1926
  11:  Mexican bandits kill 50 people on a 
  train, burning many of them alive
  1: Alabama beats Washington in the Rose 
  Bowl; a grandstand collapses during the 
  parade, injuring 235
  10:  Fritz Lang’s ﬁ lm Metropolis premieres 
  in Berlin
  6:  Th e German national airline, Luft hansa, 
  is organized
  21:  Th e Soviets open the Romanov tombs, 
  taking $1 million of jewelry for museums
  1926 Jan
  Greta Garbo takes Hollywood by storm
  4:  Bitter winds and snow lead to 12 deaths 
  in New York
  8:  Archaeologists ﬁ nd the buried Mayan 
  city of Muyil in the Yucatan jungle
  17:  An avalanche buries a small Utah town, 
  killing 28 and leaving 29 more people 
  missing
  1926 Feb
  6:  Admiral Richard Byrd leaves on his 
  Arctic exploration expedition
  10:  Th e Book-of-the-Month club begins
  1926 Mar
  25:  In Milan, Toscanini directs the ﬁ rst per-
  formance of Puccini’s opera Turandot
  25:  A report labels college football “im-
  moral” for promoting drinking, dishonesty, 
  and neglect of academics
  1926 Apr
  15:  Bubbling Over wins the Kentucky 
  Derby
  25:  Miles Davis is born
  9:  Byrd and Bennett overﬂ y the North Pole 
  in a Fokker tri-motor airplane (although 
  in 1966, evidence arises that suggests they 
  were 150 miles short of the Pole). Th ree 
  days later, Amundsen does the same in the 
  dirigible Norge.
  15:  Ice forming on Amundsen’s dirigible 
  Norge forces him to land in Alaska
  1926 May
  1. Th e World’s Fair opens in Philadelphia
  1. Marilyn Monroe is born
  3. Allan Ginsburg is born
  14:  Artist Mary Cassatt dies
  25:  Bobby Jones wins the British Open
  9:  New York Telephone oﬀ ers home phone 
  service for $4 per month
  19:  20,000 American Indians celebrate the 
  50th anniversary of the Battle of the Little 
  Big Horn
  1926 June
  2:  Witnesses testifying before Congress 
  claim that Prohibition has led to a rise in 
  crime and insanity in the US
  16:  Son Of Th e Sheik, starring Rudolph 
  Valentino, premieres
  1:  Colonial Air Transport becomes the ﬁ rst 
  private carrier of US air mail
  8:  Th e French franc collapses, reaching a 
  value of 49 per $1 US
  10:  A blast seen for over 30 miles destroys 
  the Navy munitions plant at Dover, New 
  Jersey
  1926 July
  10, 15:  Th e “battles of the Standard Oil 
  Building” in Chicago. On the 10th, some of 
  Al Capone’s men ambush O’Banion men 
  Hymie Weiss and Vincent “Schemer” Drucci 
  at the Standard Oil Building, where they 
  were going to pay a bribe to political boss 
  Morris Eller. A pedestrian is wounded in 
  the gunﬁ ght. Five days later, Capone’s men 
  try again at the exact same place, touching 
  oﬀ  another brief gun battle but again failing 
  to kill Drucci and Weiss.
  6:  Gertrude Ederle becomes the ﬁ rst 
  woman to swim the English Channel, tak-
  ing 14 hours, 31 minutes to do so
  23:  Rudolph Valentino dies from a rup-
  tured appendix. His funeral attracts 100,000 
  people, mostly women.
  6:  Harry Houdini uses breath control to 
  stay alive for 91 minutes in an underwater 
  compartment only thought to contain 
  enough air for 6 minutes
  12:  An explosion destroys the only muni-
  tions plant in Hungary, killing 24 and 
  injuring 300
  22:  In South Africa, the British announce 
  the discovery of a large diamond mine, 
  prompting 50,000 people to migrate there
  29:  Nepal abolishes slavery; 55,000 slaves 
  are freed
  1926 Aug
  20:  Gunmen in eight cars rake the 
  Hawthorne Hotel (or Inn), Al Capone’s 
  headquarters, with submachine gun ﬁ re in 
  revenge for the murder of Dion O’Banion, 
  ﬁ ring over 1,000 rounds into the building. 
  Capone escapes unharmed, and only one 
  member of his gang is even wounded. One 
  innocent bystander outside is wounded in 
  the forehead; Capone pays $5,000 for the 
  operation that saves her eyesight.
  23:  Gene Tunney beats Jack Dempsey to 
  take the world heavyweight title. Dempsey 
  explains the loss to his wife by saying, 
  “Honey, I forgot to duck.”
  19:  A hurricane hits Florida, killing 1,000 
  and bringing an end to the local real estate 
  boom market
  28:  A Dutch scientist in Java ﬁ nds a pre-
  historic skull that may have come from the 
  “missing link” between men and apes
  1926 Sept
  
  68 ■ Pulp History
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  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1926 Oct
  7:  Mussolini abolishes all parties but the Fascists
  7:  Chinese Communist forces besiege Hankow
  17:  Trotsky acknowledges that Stalin and his allies are the leaders of the USSR
  20:  Eugene V. Debs dies
  21:  Obregon is returned to the presidency of Mexico by deputies fearing revolution
  31:  A boy attempts to assassinate Mussolini, fails, and is killed by a mob
  1926 Nov
  1:  Joseph Goebbels is appointed gauleiter, or leader, of the Nazi Party of Berlin
  12:  Javanese nationalists revolt against the Dutch
  19:  Th e British miners’ strike ends
  19:  Th e Politburo expels Trotsky and Zinoviev
  30:  Th e US sends warships to Hankow, China in light of alleged Communist threats to 
  attack foreigners
  15:  NBC begins broadcasting on 24 sta-
  tions across the US
  26:  John Browning, inventor of the auto-
  matic riﬂ e, dies
  1926 Dec
  17:  A dictatorship takes over Lithuania
  25:  Emperor Yoshihito of Japan dies; his son Hirohito becomes emperor
  7:  Th e Electrolux Servel Corporation 
  patents the gas-operated household refrig-
  erator
  1926 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  B.F. Goodrich invents synthetic rubber
  John Garand patents his M-1 riﬂ e
  In France, Jean Grégoire builds the Tracta, 
  the ﬁ rst front-wheel-drive car
  Michelson measures the speed of light as 
  186,284 miles per second
  
  69 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  CRIME & PUNISHMENT
  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  11:  Capone gunmen shoot and kill Hymie 
  Weiss. Weiss’s widow is upset that there are 
  fewer ﬂ owers at his funeral than at Dion 
  O’Banion’s or Samuel Morton’s, but Bugs 
  Moran explains that the Capone gang has 
  killed so many O’Banion men that there are 
  fewer of them around now to send ﬂ owers.
  10:  Th e St. Louis Cardinals beat the New 
  York Yankees in the World Series
  17:  Father Charles Coughlin makes his ﬁ rst 
  radio broadcast on station WJR in Detroit
  18:  Chuck Berry is born
  31:  Harry Houdini dies from peritonitis
  20:  A hurricane kills 30 in Havana, Cuba
  1926 Oct
  3:  Annie Oakley dies
  11:  David Sarnoﬀ  founds NBC
  18:  George Bernard Shaw wins the Nobel 
  Prize for Literature
  14:  Queen Marie of Romania dazzles 
  Americans during a brief tour of the US
  1926 Nov
  8:  Chicago experiences 67 hold-ups in two 
  days
  5:  Mystery writer Agatha Christie vanishes; 
  the episode later proves to be a hoax
  5:  Claude Monet dies
  26:  Aft er 27 months on the road, Major C. 
  Court Treat completes the ﬁ rst north-south 
  overland crossing of Africa
  1926 Dec
  Estimates claim that since 1919, Prohibition 
  has spawned a $3.6 billion illegal liquor 
  traﬃ  c
  Italy begins a campaign to break the Maﬁ a’s 
  hold on Sicily
  Notable literature of the year:  Th e Sun Also 
  Rises, by Ernest Hemingway; Winnie-the-
  Pooh, by A.A. Milne; Th e Plumed Serpent, 
  by D.H. Lawrence
  Hugo Gernsback launches Amazing Stories 
  magazine
  Frieda Carter invents miniature golf, pat-
  enting it as “Tom Th umb Golf” in 1929
  One in six Americans now owns a car. Last 
  on the list of car ownership is Saudi Arabia, 
  with only four cars in the entire country.
  Th e slide fastener gets the name “zipper”
  Th e pop-up toaster is introduced in the US
  Sarah Lawrence College is founded
  Evangelist Aimée Semple McPherson disap-
  pears for a month. She turns up in Mexico, 
  claiming to have been kidnapped; the press 
  greets her story with skepticism.
  Th e Supreme Court upholds the concept 
  of municipal zoning in Euclid v. Ambler 
  Realty Co.
  1926 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  
  70 ■ Pulp History
  Hero System 5th Edition
  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1927
  1927 Jan
  1:  A Chinese Nationalist government is established at Hankow
  5:  Chinese riot in the streets of the British concession in Hankow and tear down the Brit-
  ish ﬂ ag
  12:  Th e US claims that Mexican politician Plutarco Calles is aiding a Communist plot in 
  Nicaragua
  13:  Th e US mobilizes troops on the Mexican border to protect its oil interests
  17:  A Mexican archbishop leads a Catholic revolt, causing the death of 100 Mexicans
  24:  Great Britain sends 12,000 soldiers to protects its concessions at Shanghai
  5:  National Geographic magazine publishes 
  the world’s ﬁ rst color underwater photo-
  graphs
  7:  Transatlantic commercial phone service 
  is inaugurated; a call costs $25 for three 
  minutes (some sources say $75)
  1927 Feb
  3:  Th e US sends warships to China to protect Americans there
  6:  In Nicaragua, rebels capture and burn Chinandega
  9:  Portugal ends a short uprising against the dictatorial Carmona regime
  18:  Th e US and Canada establish diplomatic relations directly, without going through 
  Great Britain
  18:  In Shanghai, workers strike in support of the approaching Nationalist army
  19:  Chinese Nationalists obtain a reduction of the British concessions in Hankow and 
  Kiukiang
  21:  President Diaz of Nicaragua asks the US to virtually take control of Nicaraguan aﬀ airs
  23:  Th e US creates a federal board to regu-
  late the radio industry
  26:  A record for long-distance telephon-
  ing is set by a call from San Francisco to 
  London
  1927 Mar
  10:  Prussia lift s a ban against the Nazi Party, allowing Hitler to speak in public
  10:  Albania mobilizes its army over a dispute regarding the border with Yugoslavia
  15:  An American warship ﬁ res on Chinese rebels near Shanghai
  18:  Mexico is said to be on the verge of revolution
  21:  Gen. Chiang Kai-shek captures Shanghai with little diﬃ  culty; the British guard their 
  concession
  24:  Th e Chinese Communists capture Nanking and split with the Nationalists
  31:  Cesar Chavez is born
  4:  A cable line links New York City and 
  Emden, Germany
  8:  Pan American Airlines is incorporated
  23:  Capt. Hawthorne Gray of the US 
  military sets a balloon altitude record of 
  28,510 feet
  29:  Major H.O.D. Seagrave of Great Britain 
  sets a land speed record of 203.79 miles per 
  hour at Daytona Beach, Florida
  1927 Apr
  6:  President Coolidge vetoes a plebescite calling for independence for the Philippines
  11:  Th e US and four other nations demand reparations from the Cantonese for abuses 
  committed in Nanking
  12:  Gen. Chiang Kai-shek establishes a government in Shanghai as the Communists con-
  tinue to split away from the Nationalist Party and strikers try to cripple the city. Victori-
  ous Nationalist forces in Shanghai kill as many as 6,000 of their enemies in the Shanghai 
  Massacre.
  15:  Th e new Chinese government in Nanking denounces the government in Hankow; 
  Gen. Chiang orders Communist leaders seized. On the 19th, the Communists in Hankow 
  declare war on Gen. Chiang’s forces.
  18:  Japan names Baron Tanaka its premier
  28:  Communists in Shanghai call a general strike in their latest move against Gen. Chiang. 
  Chiang responds with raids, and 16 people are killed.
  7:  Television broadcasts featuring both 
  image and sound are successfully tested in 
  New York City. Th e broadcast shows Com-
  merce Secretary Hoover reading a speech.
  14:  Volvo manufactures its ﬁ rst regular-
  production car
  20:  Bandits hold up a Mexican train, killing 
  or burning alive 100 people
  1927 May
  1:  Hitler holds the ﬁ rst Nazi Party meeting in Berlin
  4:  Th e US supervises Nicaraguan elections intended to halt the civil war there
  13:  Germany suﬀ ers the “Black Friday” economic collapse
  20:  In the Treaty of Jedda, Great Britain recognizes the independence of Hejaz and Nejd.
  24:  Great Britain ends diplomatic relations with the USSR, alleging the Soviets have tried 
  to foment a Communist revolution in England
  27:  At Shantung, the Japanese block the Chinese Nationalist army’s march on Peking
  10:  In Boston, the Hotel Statler becomes 
  the ﬁ rst hotel anywhere to allow patrons 
  to listen to radio broadcasts on in-room 
  headsets
  21:  Charles Lindbergh ﬂ ies solo over the 
  Atlantic Ocean from New York to Paris in 
  his plane Th e Spirit of St. Louis, igniting 
  a storm of adulation around the world. 
  Th e ﬂ ight takes about 33 hours and earns 
  Lindbergh a $25,000 prize.
  26:  Th e Ford Motor Company produces its 
  15 millionth Model T Ford
  1927 June
  4:  Akhmed Sukarno forms the Indonesian Nationalist Party
  4:  Yugoslavia ends diplomatic relations with Albania
  6:  Th e USSR and the Nanking government of Gen. Chiang Kai-shek sever relations
  14:  Nicaragua signs a treaty allowing US intervention in its territory
  17:  Gen. Chang Tsao-lin receives dictatorial powers and command of all of China’s 
  Northern armies
  27:  A conference to settle the Sino-Japanese dispute opens in Tokyo
  8:  Professor Oliver Lodge of Oxford states 
  that humans will one day be able to manu-
  facture “synthetic protoplasm” with which 
  to control their own evolution
  29:  Two US Army pilots ﬂ y from California 
  to Hawaii, the longest over-ocean ﬂ ight yet
  1927 July
  10:  Th e IRA assassinates Irish Vice President O’Higgins
  15:  A strike leads to a revolt in Vienna; ﬁ res burn much of the city, including the Palace of 
  Justice. Police ﬁ ght back, killing 89 strikers.
  20:  Michael I, age 5, takes the Romanian throne. On the 21st, ex-Crown Prince Carol, in 
  exile in Paris, proclaims himself king.
  25:  Th e forces of Nicaraguan rebel Augusto Sandino ambush the US Marines near Octal, 
  where on the 20th the Marines killed 300 of Sandino’s men
  10:  Th e US Army successfully tests a large 
  new bomber armed with six machine guns
  
  71 
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  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  1927
  Th e National Board of Review claims that 
  ﬁ lm technology has improved remark-
  ably in the past 30 years, but that the plots 
  of ﬁ lms are designed for the mentality of 
  children
  9:  77 children die in a Montreal theater ﬁ re
  13:  For the ﬁ rst time a woman takes a seat 
  on the New York Stock Exchange
  17:  Juliette Low, founder of the Girl Scouts, 
  dies in Savannah, Georgia
  1927 Jan
  6:  Violinist Yehudi Mehunin has his Paris 
  debut at age 7
  14:  Alfred Hitchcock premieres his ﬁ rst 
  suspense ﬁ lm, Th e Lodger
  14:  Earthquakes hit southern Yugoslavia, 
  killing 600 in Sarajevo
  16:  A severe storm kills 24 people in San 
  Francisco
  1927 Feb
  11:  In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the 
  Flatheads Gang stages the ﬁ rst armored car 
  robbery in US history. Th e gang blows up 
  the car with a landmine, badly injuring ﬁ ve 
  guards and destroying the $104,000 the car 
  carried.
  2:  Babe Ruth signs a three-year, $210,000 
  contract with the New York Yankees, mak-
  ing him the highest-paid baseball player in 
  history
  11:  Th e Roxy Th eater opens in New York 
  City
  11:  Th e ﬁ rst Golden Gloves boxing tourna-
  ment begins in New York City
  26:  Th e Viennese pay tribute to Beethoven 
  on the anniversary of his death with cel-
  ebrations and concerts
  27:  Mistislav Rostropovich is born
  5:  A hurricane hits Madagascar, killing 600
  8:  An earthquake hits Japan, killing 1,700
  1927 Mar
  9:  Th e court upholds the death sentences 
  for anarchists Sacco and Vanzetti
  19:  Mae West is found guilty of indecency 
  for her Broadway play Sex and sentenced to 
  10 days in jail and a $500 ﬁ ne.
  5:  Johnny Weismuller sets three swimming 
  records in one day
  22:  Floods ravage the midwest US, killing 
  150 in Tennessee and leaving 200,000 
  people homeless
  1927 Apr
  12:  In London, 150 British policemen raid 
  the Soviet Agency and seize documents that 
  describe attempts at espionage and subver-
  sion throughout the British Empire.
  18:  Graumann’s Chinese Th eater opens in 
  Hollywood
  30:  George Souders wins the Indianapolis 
  500 with an average speed of 97.5 miles 
  per hour
  Paris fashions emphasize a boyish look with 
  reduced busts and slimmed hips
  26:  Th e US Treasury says it will reduce the 
  physical size of American paper money by 
  one-third
  1927 May
  9:  Russia executes 20 alleged British spies
  4:  Th e US defeats Great Britain to win 
  golf’s ﬁ rst Ryder Cup championship
  23:  Lou Gehrig hits three home runs in a 
  single game, propelling the New York Yan-
  kees to victory over the Boston Red Sox
  26:  Th e Cyclone roller coaster opens at 
  Coney Island; a ride costs 25 cents
  2:  Lizzie Borden dies
  13:  A ticker-tape parade in New York City 
  honors returning hero Charles Lindbergh
  1927 June
  4:  Neil Simon is born
  4:  Gina Lollabrigida is born
  21:  Jack Dempsey defeats Jack Sharkey in 
  seven rounds
  9:  A hurricane strikes Saxony, killing 150 
  Germans
  12:  An earthquake in Palestine kills 1,000
  27:  Th e USSR suﬀ ers from an epidemic of 
  malaria, trachoma, and tuberculosis
  1927 July
  
  72 ■ Pulp History
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  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1927 Aug
  13:  Fidel Castro is born
  14:  Gen. Chiang Kai-shek resigns his Nanking command
  25:  Four Japanese warships crash during nighttime maneuvers, killing 129 sailors
  3:  Berlin and Buenos Aires establish a 
  wireless link
  1927 Sept
  16:  President Hindenburg repudiates Germany’s responsibility for the Great War
  19:  Sandino forces attack Las Flores, Nicaragua
  19:  Gen. Chiang Kai-shek quashes the “autumn harvest uprising” of Mao Tse-tung and the 
  Communists
  1927 Oct
  1:  Persia and the USSR sign a non-aggression pact
  4:  Mexico executes Gen. Francisco Serrano for his attempt to seize the presidency
  10:  Th e Mexican Army defeats Gen. Gomez’s rebel army, slaying 50. On the 22nd, Gomez 
  reportedly escapes into Guatemala.
  23:  Stalin expels Trotsky and Zinoviev from the Central Committee
  25:  Romania discovers a plot by ex-Crown Prince Carol to take the throne; it declares 
  martial law
  30:  France signs a defense treaty with Yugoslavia
  27:  Fox Movie-tone News is released in 
  New York City
  28:  Pan Am Airways begins the world’s ﬁ rst 
  scheduled international ﬂ ight (from Key 
  West, Florida to Havana, Cuba)
  1927 Nov
  12:  Gen. Tang Shen-tse burns Hankow as he retreats from Gen. Chiang Kai-shek
  15:  Canada joins the League Of Nations
  18:  Colombia nationalizes its oil industry
  29:  Aft er three months of ﬁ ghting and 5,000 deaths, the Soviet Union suppresses a revolt 
  in the Ukraine
  1927 Dec
  1:  Gen. Chiang Kai-shek marries Song Mei-ling
  12:  Th e Chinese Communists capture Canton, but on the 19th, Gen. Chiang Kai-shek 
  defeats the uprising there
  14:  Great Britain recognizes the independence of Iraq
  30:  Th e ﬁ rst Asian subway opens in Tokyo
  1927 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  George LeMaitre of Belgium publishes the 
  “big bang” theory of cosmology
  Heisenberg publishes his “uncertainty 
  principle”
  Vannevar Bush and several colleagues at 
  MIT invent the Diﬀ erential Analyzer, which 
  can solve diﬀ erential equations (in other 
  words, it’s the ﬁ rst electromechanical analog 
  computer) (some sources date this inven-
  tion to 1930)
  Carl Norden invents the Norden bomb-
  sight, which remains a carefully-guarded 
  US military secret until aft er World War II
  Utahan Philo T. Farnsworth invents 
  the television image dissector tube and 
  becomes the ﬁ rst person to broadcast an 
  image of 60 horizontal lines
  John Baird creates the ﬁ rst videodisk 
  system
  Th e Auto-typist, a typewriter that can pro-
  duce multiple copies of the same document 
  simultaneously, is introduced
  
  73 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
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  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  23:  Th e state of Massachusetts executes 
  anarchists Sacco and Vanzetti despite pro-
  tests at home and abroad claiming they’re 
  innocent
  10:  President Coolidge dedicates the as-yet 
  unﬁ nished Mt. Rushmore
  1927 Aug
  6:  Movie theaters across the US close to 
  acknowledge the death of movie mogul 
  Marcus Loew
  14:  Dancer Isadora Duncan strangles to 
  death when her long scarf gets caught in 
  the back wheel of her automobile
  22:  Tunney barely beats Dempsey to retain 
  heavyweight title aft er rallying during the 
  controversial “long count”
  30:  Babe Ruth hits his 60th home run of 
  the season
  13:  Tidal waves kill 700 in Japan
  21:  In New York City, ground is broken 
  for the erection of the George Washington 
  Bridge
  30:  A tornado hits St. Louis, killing 69 and 
  injuring 600
  1927 Sept
  6:  Al Jolson stars in Th e Jazz Singer, the ﬁ rst 
  talking ﬁ lm
  8:  Th e New York Yankees defeat the Pitts-
  burgh Pirates in the World Series
  15:  Iraq discovers oil at Kirkuk
  26:  An Italian liner sinks oﬀ  Brazil, killing 
  68 people
  29:  Russian archaeologists in the Gobi 
  Desert ﬁ nd the tomb of Genghis Khan
  1927 Oct
  10:  Men working for “Machine Gun” Jack 
  McGurn attack comedian Joe Lewis, who 
  went to work for a nightclub competing 
  with one of many McGurn owns. Lewis 
  survives.
  7:  Floods in New England kill 150
  10:  General Motors declares the largest 
  dividend in US history
  12:  New York City opens the Holland 
  Tunnel
  26:   Ford Motor Company introduces the 
  new Model A; back orders for the $460+ car 
  50,000 pile up almost immediately
  1927 Nov
  4:  Duke Ellington plays at the Cotton Club 
  in Harlem, New York City
  27:  Show Boat opens on Broadway
  1:  Th e average wages in the US are $1,280 
  per year, said to be the highest in the world
  1927 Dec
  According to estimates, Al Capone makes 
  $105 million in 1927 ($35 million more 
  than Henry Ford makes in his best year), 
  the largest gross income  reported for a 
  private US citizen to date
  Leading labor gangster Little Augie Orgen 
  is murdered by Jacob “Gurrah” Shapiro and 
  Louis “Lepke” Buchalter; the two killers take 
  over Orgen’s labor rackets, while Orgen’s 
  protege “Legs” Diamond takes his bootleg-
  ging and narcotics rackets.
  Stefano Magaddino becomes a leading 
  bootlegger in and around Buﬀ alo, NY (and, 
  eventually, crime boss of that area)
  Th e US government decides to investigate 
  Al Capone for income tax evasion and taps 
  Treasury agent Frank Wilson to take on 
  the task; Wilson soon becomes Capone’s 
  nemesis, far more dangerous to him than 
  Eliot Ness
  In New York, Ruth Snyder and Judd Gray 
  murder Albert Snyder, Ruth’s husband. 
  Th ey’re caught, convicted, and in 1928 
  executed.
  Notable literature for the year:  Th e Bridge 
  Of San Luis Rey, by Th ornton Wilder; Step-
  penwolf, by Herman Hesse; Elmer Gantry, 
  by Sinclair Lewis; Death Comes For Th e 
  Archbishop, by Willa Cather
  Notable music of the year:  Ol’ Man River 
  (from Show Boat); My Blue Heaven; Let A 
  Smile Be Your Umbrella
  Laurel and Hardy make 10 movies
  Th e Academy of Motion Picture Arts And 
  Sciences is founded
  Abe Saperstein organizes the Harlem 
  Globetrotters
  Martha Graham founds the School of 
  Contemporary Dance
  Th e US now has 9 million registered cars, 
  39% of the total in the world — that’s one 
  for every six Americans, as opposed to 1 
  for every 57 British or every 289 Germans. 
  Other estimates say the US has as many as 
  20 million cars.
  J.C. Penney opens his 500th store and goes 
  public
  The Continental Baking Corp. introduces 
  Hostess Cakes
  Borden introduces homogenized milk (oth-
  er types of milk still come with cream at the 
  top and require mixing before pouring)
  Rolex introduces the first waterproof watch
  A Peruvian aerial survey pilot discovers the 
  Nazca lines
  Marriott’s Hot Shoppe, the ﬁ rst in what 
  will eventually be the world-wide Marriott 
  chain of hotels, restaurants, and other busi-
  nesses, opens in Washington, D.C.
  1927 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  
  74 ■ Pulp History
  Hero System 5th Edition
  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1928
  1928 Jan
  1:  Nicaraguan rebels kill ﬁ ve US Marines and wound 23 in a battle. On the 3rd, the US 
  sends another 1,000 Marines to the Central American country.
  10:  Stalin exiles Trotsky to Alma-ata in Kazakstan
  16:  President Coolidge opens the Pan-American Conference in Havana
  13:  General Electric demonstrates a system 
  of television broadcasts to 1.5 square inch 
  home receivers installed in three homes in 
  Schenectady, NY
  1928 Feb
  20:  Great Britain grants nominal authority to the Transjordan as an independent state, but 
  retains control of its ﬁ nances, foreign aﬀ airs, and national defense
  8:  John Baird makes the ﬁ rst overseas 
  television broadcast from Great Britain to 
  New York City
  11:  Shoemaker and Knabusch design the 
  La-Z-Boy reclining chair
  1928 Mar
  5:  Th e Nazi Party wins a majority in Bavaria
  6:  Great Britain mobilizes its colonial troops to guard the borders of Iraq and the Trans-
  jordan against Arabia
  6:  Th e Chinese Communists attack Peking, killing 3,000; 50,000 more ﬂ ee to Swatow
  12:  Malta becomes a dominion of Great Britain
  16:  Th e US sends another 1,000 Marines to Nicaragua
  30:  Mario de Bernardi sets an air speed 
  record of 318.62 miles per hour
  1928 Apr
  1:  Gen. Chiang Kai-shek’s forces cross the Blue River to launch a military campaign in 
  North China. On the 19th, 5,000 Japanese troops occupy Shantung.
  9:  As part of Mustafa Kemal’s program of Westernization, Turkey does not name Islam 
  its state religion. On the 29th, it abandons Arabic script for the Latin alphabet to make it 
  easier to teach writing.
  23:  Sandinista forces in Nicaragua seize American mines, taking ﬁ ve Americans captive
  6:  James D. Watson is born
  14:  Two French pilots land at le Bourget, 
  completing a 45,000 mile around-the-
  world ﬂ ight that’s been going on for several 
  months
  1928 May
  6:  A 200,000-strong demonstration of Romanians at Alba Julia demands the removal of 
  the Bratianu government
  11:  Th e Japanese control Shantung aft er three days of ﬁ erce ﬁ ghting
  11:  WGY in Schenectady, NY begins 
  broadcasting the ﬁ rst regularly-scheduled 
  television programs
  15:  Movietone is licensed for sound ﬁ lms
  23:  Th e dirigible Italia crashes on the ice 
  aft er dropping ﬂ ags at the North Pole
  1928 June
  2:  Gen. Chiang Tsao-lin ﬂ ees from Peking to avoid the Nationalists’ advancing army
  8:  Gen. Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist forces capture Peking peacefully
  8:  Sir Charles Kingsford Smith of Australia 
  makes the ﬁ rst ﬂ ight over the Paciﬁ c Ocean
  18:  Amelia Earhart becomes the ﬁ rst 
  women to ﬂ y over the Atlantic
  1928 July
  1:  A Hindu attack on Moslems in Calcutta results in the death of 15
  1:  Mexicans elect Gen. Alvaro Obregon president. On the 17th, he is assassinated.
  10:  7,000 Japanese troops are recalled from Shantung
  19:  King Fuad dissolves the Egyptian Parliament
  3:  In London, John Baird demonstrates the 
  ﬁ rst color television transmission
  1928 Aug
  1:  In Yugoslavia, the Croats form a separatist parliament
  27:  Th e Kellogg-Briand Pact is signed by the US, Great Britain, France, Germany, and 11 
  other countries, all of whom agree to renounce war as an instrument of foreign policy. Th e 
  USSR signs on the 31st.
  21:  WRNY, a radio station owned by Hugo 
  Gernsback, begins broadcasting televi-
  sion shows aft er telling listeners to build 
  their own TV sets using Nipkow disks 
  (the same technology used by John Baird). 
  Aft er Gernsback goes broke in 1929, the 
  broadcasts end.
  
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  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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  YEAR
  1928
  24:  21 inmates tunnel out of a Detroit 
  prison; 19 escape to Canada
  4:  Will Rogers broadcasts to millions of 
  radio listeners across the nation
  11:  Th omas Hardy dies
  6-8:  Th ames ﬂ ooding kills 15 in London 
  and ﬂ oods the vaults of the Houses of 
  Parliament
  1928 Jan
  4:  Austrian Nazis protest Josephine Baker’s 
  performances in Vienna
  11:  St. Moritz hosts the second Winter 
  Olympics
  15:  Aft er 70 years of work, British scholars 
  complete the monumental Oxford English 
  Dictionary
  6:  A woman named Anastasia Chaikovsky 
  claims to be the Grand Duchess Anastasia 
  Romanov of Russia
  18:  A record stock turnover of 1.8 million 
  shares in two hours shocks Wall Street
  Felix Robertson, the last surviving Confed-
  erate general, dies
  1928 Feb
  3:  General Motors stock rises 5.2 per share 
  in two hours, a record
  13:  400 Californians die when a dam 
  breaks
  21:  Charles Lindbergh receives the Con-
  gressional Medal of Honor
  28:  Th e biggest trading day in Wall Street 
  history, with 4.7 million shares changing 
  hands as prices ﬂ uctuate wildly
  1928 Mar
  In Chicago, the “Pineapple Primary” occurs, 
  as various gangs each use bombs (“pine-
  apples”) to try to ensure that their pet 
  candidate wins the vote. A voter backlash 
  against the violence favors the candidates 
  not supported by Al Capone.
  3:  Th e original manuscript for Alice In 
  Wonderland sells for $75,260
  23:  Shirley Temple is born
  1928 Apr
  19:  Reigh Count wins the Kentucky Derby
  19:  A frog wins the ﬁ rst frog-jumping 
  contest in Calaveras Co., California, with a 
  jump of 4’4”
  13:  A trans-Africa automobile expedition 
  departs Brussels, heading for Capetown
  16:  Stock market trading hits a record high 
  of 4.8 million shares
  28:  Dodge and Chrysler merge
  1928 May
  10:  Maurice Sendak is born
  28:  Louis Armstrong records West End 
  Blues
  20:  Roald Amundsen dies in a plane crash 
  while trying to rescue the victims of the 
  Italia dirigible crash
  1928 June
  1:  Gunmen working for Al Capone kill 
  Frankie Yale in Brooklyn. It’s the ﬁ rst killing 
  in New York City involving a Th ompson 
  submachine gun. Joe Adonis takes over 
  Yale’s rackets.
  6:  Th e ﬁ rst all-talking feature ﬁ lm, Th e 
  Lights Of New York, premieres in New York 
  City
  21:  Renowned theater actress Dame Ellen 
  Terry dies
  26:  Stanley Kubrick is born
  28:  Th e VIII Olympics open in Amsterdam
  31:  MGM ﬁ rst uses its lion logo
  3:  Th e Daven Corporation markets the 
  ﬁ rst television sold in the US with a price 
  of only $75
  11:  Th e stock market suﬀ ers its worst 
  plunge since the Great War
  1928 July
  2:  Cecil B. DeMille joins MGM
  21:  Joseph Schenk of United Artists claims 
  talkies are “just a fad”
  31:  Bertolt Brecht’s Th e Th ree-Penny Opera 
  debuts in Berlin
  9:  In the Dutch East Indies, a volcano 
  erupts, killing 1,000
  9:  Italian divers recover diamonds worth 
  £400,000 from a Belgian ship that sunk 
  during the Great War
  11:  Presidential candidate Herbert Hoover 
  claims the US is “nearing the end of pov-
  erty” and announces as his slogan, “Two 
  chickens in every pot, a car in every garage”
  17:  Anthropologists in the Gobi Desert 
  ﬁ nd primitive tools they believe are 150,000 
  years old
  18:  A storm hits Haiti, killing 200 people 
  and leaving 10,000 homeless
  1928 Aug
  
  76 ■ Pulp History
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  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1928 Sept
  1:  Ahmed Bey Zogu becomes King Zog of Albania
  12:  Germany cancels the French concessions in the Rhineland
  3:  Th e ﬁ rst ship-to-shore delivery of trans-
  Atlantic mail takes place via a seaplane 
  catapulted from the deck of the Ile de 
  France
  8:  Th e ﬁ rst cross-country airmail service, 
  from New York City to San Francisco, starts
  11:  General Electric broadcasts a play over 
  the radio and television simultaneously
  15:  Alexander Fleming discovers a mold 
  that leads to the development of penicillin
  18:  Juan de la Cierva ﬂ ies his new Autogyro 
  across the English Channel
  1928 Oct
  1:  Th e USSR begins its ﬁ rst Five-Year Plan
  6:  Chiang Kai-shek becomes Chairman (president) of the new Chinese Republic, with his 
  capital at Nanking. He remains at odds with the Communists, but has an alliance with the 
  northern warlords.
  7:  Ras Tafari, said to be a descendant of Solomon and Sheba, becomes king of Ethiopia
  29:  Honduras holds its ﬁ rst peaceful election in years
  12:  Th e ﬁ rst commercial iron lung is used
  15:  Th e dirigible Graf Zeppelin becomes the 
  ﬁ rst commercial aircraft  to cross the Atlan-
  tic. It ﬂ ies from Germany to Lakehurst, NJ 
  in a little over 4.5 days
  28:  Th e California Institute of Technology 
  completes a 200-inch telescope
  1928 Nov
  7:  Herbert Hoover is elected President
  7:  Franklin D. Roosevelt is elected governor of New York
  23:  Bulgaria sends soldiers into Macedonia to hunt down the rebel leader Ivan Michailoﬀ 
  30:  Emilio Gil becomes president of Mexico
  4:  Grieg achieves a record speed of 319.57 
  miles per hour in a seaplane
  6:  Th e ﬁ rst electric ﬂ ashing sign, built with 
  14,000 lamps and a million feet of wiring, 
  signals election results from all four sides of 
  the New York Times Building
  1928 Dec
  5:  Wilhelm Miklas becomes president of Austria
  6:  Bolivia and Paraguay begin ﬁ ghting over the Chaco Territory
  23:  NBC establishes the ﬁ rst permanent 
  coast-to-coast radio network
  1928 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  Spain receives more control over Tangier
  Margaret Mead publishes Coming Of Age 
  In Samoa
  Ziedes de Plantes invents the precursor of 
  the CT scan using a moving X-ray source
  CBS is founded
  Horton and Marrison invent the quartz-
  crystal clock
  Th e radio beacon, a vital navigational tool 
  for modern transportation, comes into use
  Vitamin C is isolated
  Doctors develop the ﬁ rst reliable test for 
  pregnancy, the “rabbit test”
  Geiger and Müller invent the Geiger coun-
  ter by working from Geiger’s initial designs
  
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  YEAR
  7:  Antonio “the Scourge” Lombardo,  Al 
  Capone’s consiglieri, is shot and killed by 
  the Joseph Aiello mob
  8-10:  Arnold “the Brain” Rothstein, an 
  inﬂ uential organized crime ﬁ gure, loses 
  $320,000 in a Broadway poker game, then 
  welshes on the bet
  4:  On the Detroit River, George Wood 
  sets the ﬁ rst oﬃ  cial water speed record of 
  92.838 miles per hour
  Walt Disney changes the name of his 
  mouse character from Mortimer to Mickey; 
  the newly-named Mickey Mouse stars in 
  the animated feature Plane Crazy
  17:  A hurricane hits Florida, killing 1,836 
  people, partly because Lake Okeechobee 
  overﬂ ows
  20:  Th e trans-Africa automobile expedition 
  returns to Belgium
  1928 Sept
  8:  Federal Prohibition agents raid 20 speak-
  easies in New York City
  9:  Th e New York Yankees beat the St. Louis 
  Cardinals in the World Series
  1:  Th e authorities arrest Mae West and the 
  other members of the cast of Pleasure Man 
  for indecency
  10:  Th anks to soaring stock prices on 
  Wall Street, a seat on the New York Stock 
  Exchange sells for a record $450,000
  23:  Dr. Mansﬁ eld Robinson, who sent a 
  wireless radio message to Mars, says he’s 
  received a reply but hasn’t yet had time to 
  decode it
  25:  A train wreck on the Paris-Bucharest 
  line kills 31 and injures 50
  1928 Oct
  4:  Arnold Rothstein is murdered, probably 
  by the gamblers to whom he lost $320,000 
  in September, but possibly by Dutch Schultz
  23:  In his ﬁ rst pro ﬁ ght, Max Schmelling 
  beats Joe Monte
  11:  A wave of lava 200 feet high from Mt. 
  Etna washes over Sicilian villages, causing 
  terrible damage
  12:  Th e liner Vestris sinks oﬀ  of Virginia, 
  killing 111
  23:  Stock trading hits a record 6.9 million 
  shares
  1928 Nov
  30:  Th e New York Police Department 
  arrests 454 suspects in a record round-up 
  of crooks
  8:  Th e stock market tumbles 72 points
  14:  Th e Danish training ship Kobenhoven 
  sails from Montevideo, Uruguay with 50 
  persons aboard. It disappears and is never 
  heard from again.
  26:  Following the invention of bubble gum 
  earlier in the year by Walter Diener (or Di-
  emer), his employer, the Frank H. Fleer Co., 
  introduces Double Bubble in Philadelphia
  28:  Th e NAACP claims only nine blacks 
  were lynched in the US in 1928, the lowest 
  number in 40 years
  1928 Dec
  Th e Castellammarese War between 
  Salvatore Maranzano and Joe “Th e Boss” 
  Masseria begins in New York. Maranzano 
  ultimately wins in 1930 aft er “dozens” of 
  mobsters are killed, but ﬁ ve months aft er 
  declaring himself “boss of bosses,” he’s 
  killed by Charles “Lucky” Luciano.
  Th e government assigns 26 year-old Eliot 
  Ness to ﬁ ght Al Capone’s gang in Chicago. 
  Ness assembles a special squad of skilled, 
  unbribeable men, the Untouchables, to help 
  him do the job.
  Notable literature of the year:  Decline  And 
  Fall, by Evelyn Waugh; Lady Chatterley’s 
  Lover, by D.H. Lawrence
  Notable music of the year:  An American 
  In Paris, by George Gershwin; Bolero, by 
  Ravel; Puttin’ On Th e Ritz, by Irving Berlin; 
  Makin’ Whoopee
  Lawrence Welk starts his ﬁ rst band, in 
  South Dakota
  Th e Mills Brothers record their ﬁ rst songs
  Chrysler Corp. introduces the Plymouth 
  and the DeSoto
  Welcome Wagon begins in Memphis, Ten-
  nessee
  Peter Pan Peanut Butter is introduced
  Kellogg’s begins selling Rice Krispies
  Plastics ﬁ rst begin to see commercial use
  1928 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  
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  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1929
  1929 Jan
  3:  Paraguay and Bolivia request that the Pan-American Union resolve their border dispute
  6:  King Alexander dissolves the Yugoslavian Parliament and becomes a dictator
  15:  Inayatullah succeeds to the throne of Afghanistan aft er King Amanhullah abdicates
  23:  Th e Soviets arrest 150 followers of Trotsky for allegedly plotting a civil war
  30:  Stalin banishes Trotsky from Russia
  7:  A US Army plane sets an endurance 
  record by remaining aloft  for 150 hours
  9:  Th e ﬁ rst clinical use of penicillin is a 
  success
  1929 Feb
  3:  Harry Stimson becomes US Secretary of State
  9:  Th e USSR, Estonia, Poland, and Romania sign the Litvinov Protocol renouncing war
  11:  Th e Lateran Treaty between Italy and the Vatican recognizes the latter’s sovereignty as 
  a state
  13:  Congress authorizes the construction of 16 cruisers and one aircraft  carrier
  23:  Chinese rebels capture Hunan province
  17:  Universal Airlines shows a movie dur-
  ing a ﬂ ight
  1929 Mar
  3:  Th e Mexican Army revolts in eight states, capturing Nogales and Vera Cruz. On the 8th, 
  the rebels kill two Americans in Juarez, and President Hoover agrees to sell weapons to the 
  government.
  11:  Major Seagrave sets another land speed 
  record, 223.2 miles per hour
  1929 Apr
  2:  Th e Mexican revolt begins to collapse as the government captures Jimenez
  26:  British aviators make a 4,130 mile non-
  stop trip from London to India
  1929 May
  1:  In Berlin, Communists and police clash; eight people are killed
  20:  Japan begins to evacuate Shantung
  1929 June
  3:  President Hoover helps end the 46-year border dispute between Bolivia and Peru
  5:  Ramsay MacDonald becomes Prime Minister of Great Britain
  27:  Bell Labs demonstrates color television 
  in New York
  1929 July
  10:  In Manchuria, China seizes the Eastern Railway from the USSR. On the 17th, the Sovi-
  ets break oﬀ  diplomatic relations.
  27:  Poincare resigns as premier of France; Briand forms a new government
  28:  48 nations sign the Geneva Convention, which governs the treatment of prisoners of 
  war
  7:  Transcontinental Air Transport begins 
  the ﬁ rst cross-country air service in the US; 
  the trip takes two days and two nights from 
  New York City to Los Angeles with several 
  stops along the way. Th e fare is $351.94.
  1929 Aug
  15:  Soviet warships raid Manchuria
  21:  Border ﬁ ghting occurs between the Chinese and Soviet armies
  24:  In Jerusalem, Jews clash with Arabs; 47 people are killed. Th e situation worsens 
  throughout the Arab world. On the 29th,  British soldiers capture a Transjordanian Arab 
  leader at the gates of Jerusalem. Th e cause of the unrest and revolt seems to be Arab anger 
  at Great Britain giving the Jews access to the Wailing Wall.
  29:  Th e Graf Zeppelin completes a 21 day, 7 
  hour, 26 minute trip around the world with 
  16 passengers and 37 crewmen, making 
  only three stops along the route
  1929 Sept
  2:  Arabs remain in revolt in the Near East as Great Britain moves troops to the Syrian 
  border
  9:  Heavy ﬁ ghting on the Sino-Soviet border
  15:  Under the terms of the disarmament treaty, Great Britain begins destroying naval 
  cruisers
  17:  Voldermaras, dictatorial ruler of Lithuania, is overthrown
  22:  In Berlin, Nazis and Communists ﬁ ght a gun battle
  4:  A Transcontinental Air crash during a 
  lightning storm in New Mexico kills eight 
  people
  24:  US Army pilot James Doolittle makes 
  the ﬁ rst instruments-only ﬂ ight
  30:  Th e ﬁ rst rocket plane has a successful 
  test ﬂ ight
  
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  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  1929
  10:  Th e cartoon character Tintin debuts in 
  a Belgian paper
  24:  150 unknown poems by Emily Dickin-
  son are discovered
  6:  Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia dies
  7:  Sheﬃ  eld Farms of New York begins de-
  livering milk in wax paper cartons instead 
  of glass bottles
  15:  Martin Luther King, Jr. is born
  16:  Cmdr. Richard Byrd explores 1,200 
  miles of Antarctica by plane
  20:  Wyatt Earp dies
  1929 Jan
  14:  Th e St. Valentine’s Day Massacre:  Al 
  Capone’s men gun down seven men (six 
  gangsters and Dr. Reinhardt Schwimmer, an 
  optometrist and gangster aﬃ  cionado) in an 
  attack on rival George “Bugs” Moran’s gang
  12:  Lily Langtree dies
  14:  German authorities ban Josephine 
  Baker from the Munich stage for “indecent” 
  behavior
  12:  Charles Lindbergh announces his 
  engagement to Anne Morrow. On the 27th, 
  they escape injury in a plane crash
  1929 Feb
  7:  Al Capone throws a dinner party to 
  honor Albert Anselmi, John Scalise, and 
  Joseph “Hop Toad” Giunta, all of whom 
  have conspired with his rival Joseph Aiello 
  to kill him. During the dinner, he beats all 
  three of them bloody with an Indian club, 
  then shoots them dead.
  22:  Will Rogers signs a four-picture, 
  $600,000 deal with Fox
  5:  Great Britain arrests World War I hero 
  Col. Victor Barker for bankruptcy. When 
  searched, “he” is discovered to be a woman, 
  Valerie Arkell-Smith.
  16:  Major ﬂ oods strike Alabama
  26:  Th e stock exchange dips, then rallies to 
  a record day of 8.2 million shares sold
  1929 Mar
  1:  Louis Marx invents the yo-yo (other 
  sources credit Pedro Flores)
  Greyhound Lines buys some double-decker 
  buses for use in the US. A bus trip from 
  New York City to San Francisco takes ﬁ ve 
  days, 14 hours.
  1929 Apr
  17:  Al Capone is sentenced to a year in jail 
  for carrying a concealed gun; he leaves An-
  thony Accardo, Frank Nitti, and Jake Guzik 
  in charge of his rackets
  4:  Audrey Hepburn is born
  16:  Th e ﬁ rst Academy Awards are given
  18:  Clyde Dusen wins the Kentucky Derby
  19:  Th e World’s Fair opens in Spain
  28:  On With Th e Show, the ﬁ rst movie with 
  sound and color, debuts in New York City
  2:  Tornadoes in the southern states kill 25 
  people
  6:  Alain Gerbault of France ﬁ nishes a one-
  man around-the-world sailboat trip
  15:  An explosion spreads ﬁ re and poison-
  ous fumes through Cleveland, killing 124 
  people
  27:  Charles Lindbergh weds Anne Morrow
  1929 May
  3:  Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. marries Joan 
  Crawford
  12:  Anne Frank is born
  1929 June
  11:  Soviet authorities arrest ten US citizens 
  in Moscow on a study trip on charges of 
  espionage
  18:  1,700 convicts in New York’s Auburn 
  Prison riot; four escape
  1:  In the US, the 1924 Immigration Act 
  takes eﬀ ect, with quotas based on the 1920 
  population
  25:  For the ﬁ rst time in 59 years, a pope 
  leaves the Vatican as Pius XI goes forth to 
  claim the territories granted him by the 
  Lateran Treaty
  1929 July
  11:  Babe Ruth hits his 500th home run
  19:  Th e Amos’ n’ Andy daily radio show 
  premieres on NBC; it ﬁ rst began broadcast 
  in Chicago in 1928
  1929 Aug
  10:  Arnold Palmer is born
  3:  Th e stock market reaches a record high 
  of 381.17, the highest it will reach in the late 
  Twenties bull market. Later in September a 
  dip occurs in a wave of liquidation, a har-
  binger of events to come in but a month.
  8:  A typhoon kills eight Filipinos in Manila
  1929 Sept
  
  80 ■ Pulp History
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  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1929 Oct
  14:  Revolts arise in China, threatening the Nationalist government. On the 18th, foreign-
  ers in Shanghai take refuge on British and Japanese gunboats.
  Tajikistan becomes a Soviet Socialist republic
  1929 Nov
  3:  Chinese rebels defeat the Nationalists at Hankow
  13:  Premier Sir Abdul Muhsin of Iraq commits suicide
  17:  Stalin expels Bukharin from the Russian Communist Party
  24:  Th e Chinese revolt ends so the Chinese can ﬁ ght the Soviets
  26:  A conﬂ ict between Flemish and French speakers in Belgium leads to the overthrow of 
  Prime Minister Henri Jaspar
  30:  Th e Allies evacuate the second occupation zone in the Rhineland
  18:  Vladimir Zworykin demonstrates the 
  “kinescope,” an early type of television
  1929 Dec
  6:  Th e British viceroy meets with native leaders in India to discuss granting India domin-
  ion status
  6:  President Hoover sends Marines to Haiti to help impose martial law to end the revolt 
  there
  21:  Th e Soviet Union celebrates Joseph Stalin’s 50th birthday
  22:  China and the USSR reach a truce ending the Manchurian ﬁ ghting
  1929 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  Th e luxury Model J Duesenberg is intro-
  duced
  Th e ﬁ rst model home trailer is introduced
  Grumman Aircraft  is founded
  Commercial airlines in the US ﬂ y 30 mil-
  lion miles this year
  Th e Blattnerphone, the world’s ﬁ rst tape 
  recorder, is invented
  Th e new electronic phonograph begins 
  making wind-up record players obsolete
  Hermann Oberth suggests that giant 
  orbiting mirrors could be used to light the 
  nighttime side of Earth
  Felix Wankel patents his rotary engine, but 
  it doesn’t become practical until the 1950s
  Boron carbide is discovered
  Hans Berger invents the electroencephalo-
  gram (EEG)
  Edwin Hubble discovers that the universe 
  is expanding
  
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  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  14  Th e Philadelphia Athletics beat the 
  Chicago Cubs in the World Series
  24:  Black Th ursday:  the stock market 
  begins to crash. Nearly 13 million shares are 
  traded as the market rallies to close slightly 
  up by day’s end.
  28:  On a passenger ﬂ ight in Florida, Mrs. 
  T.W. Evans becomes the ﬁ rst woman to give 
  birth in the air
  29:  Black Tuesday:  the stock mar-
  ket crashes, sending the US and world 
  economy into a tailspin and precipitating 
  the Great Depression. 16 million shares are 
  traded at a total value loss of approximately 
  $10 billion — twice the amount of US cur-
  rency in circulation at the time, and roughly 
  equivalent to what the US spent ﬁ ghting the 
  Great War. (Some estimates peg the loss at 
  $30 billion.)
  1929 Oct
  8:  In New York City, the Museum of Mod-
  ern Art opens
  12:  Grace Kelly is born
  20:  Andre Breton presents the ﬁ rst Salva-
  dor Dali exhibit in Paris
  5:  James Walker wins re-election as Mayor 
  of New York
  11:  A new selling rush causes stocks to 
  keep falling
  18-19:  Richard Byrd and Bernt Balchen 
  overﬂ y the South Pole
  29:  Richard Byrd ends his air survey of 
  Antarctica
  1929 Nov
  11:  A riot at New York’s Auburn Peniten-
  tiary results in the deaths of eight prisoners
  10:  Th omas Mann wins the Nobel Prize for 
  Literature
  31:  Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadi-
  ans play Auld Lang Syne for the ﬁ rst time
  15:  Archaeologists discover a cave in China 
  with human-like bones believed to be 
  400,000 years old
  1929 Dec
  Aft er Tom Brimer, a Good Humor fran-
  chiser, refused to pay protection money, 
  Chicago gangsters blow up eight of his 
  trucks. Th e resulting publicity leads to a 
  windfall for Brimer.
  Nucky Johnson, gang boss of Atlantic City, 
  hosts a major organized crime “confer-
  ence” there that is one of the ﬁ rst steps to 
  establishing a national crime syndicate. 
  Notables in attendance include Al Capone, 
  Jake Guzik, Abe Bernstein of the Purple 
  Gang, Moe Dalitz, Frank Costello, Lucky 
  Luciano, Meyer Lansky, Johnny Torrio, 
  Dutch Schultz, Joe Adonis, and Albert An-
  astasia. Old-time maﬁ osi like Joe Masseria 
  aren’t invited.
  “Legs” Diamond and Charles Entratta shoot 
  Red Cassidy in the Hotsy Totsy Club on 
  Broadway. Th ey go into hiding. Later they 
  kill several witnesses, which persuades the 
  rest of the witnesses to disappear. However, 
  in the interim Dutch Schultz took over 
  Diamond’s territory, precipitating a gang 
  war.
  Th e “Harlem Renaissance” is in full swing
  Notable literature of the year:  A Farewell 
  To Arms, by Ernest Hemingway; Th e Sound 
  And Th e Fury, by William Faulkner; Look 
  Homeward, Angel, by Th omas Wolfe; All 
  Quiet On Th e Western Front, by Erich Maria 
  Remarque
  Th e characters Popeye and Buck Rogers 
  ﬁ rst appear in the comic strips
  By this year, “talkies” have completely 
  replaced the silent ﬁ lm
  New York City says the average working girl 
  earns $33.50 for a 50-hour work week
  Coco Chanel dominates the fashion world
  71% of US families earn less than $2,500, 
  which experts generally consider the mini-
  mum necessary for a “decent standard of 
  living.” 513 Americans have incomes of $1 
  million or more; twelve have incomes of $5 
  million or more.
  Th e US has 20 million telephones, twice as 
  many as the rest of the world combined
  Nestle Colorinse, the world’s ﬁ rst at-home 
  hair coloring product, is introduced
  General Mills is created
  General Foods is created
  Seven-Up is introduced
  A&P now has nearly 16,000 grocery stores 
  across the US
  Th e term “apartheid” is ﬁ rst used in South 
  Africa
  Th e Milam Building, the ﬁ rst oﬃ  ce building 
  air conditioned throughout, opens in San 
  Francisco
  Th e British colonial government sets 
  aside a 900 square mile lion sanctuary, the 
  beginnings of Serengeti National Park, aft er 
  professional hunters complain that people 
  are driving Model T Fords into the bush to 
  hunt the great cats
  1929 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  
  82 ■ Pulp History
  Hero System 5th Edition
  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1930
  1930 Jan
  5:  Stalin collectivizes Russian farms, creating agricultural cooperatives
  17:  Th e USSR sends battleships through the Dardanelles in violation of the Lausanne 
  Convention
  23:  Wilhelm Frick, a Nazi, becomes the ﬁ rst member of his party to take political oﬃ  ce in 
  Germany when he becomes Minister of the Interior for Th uringia
  25:  Th e New York Police Department breaks up a Communist rally at Town Hall
  28:  Miguel Primo de Rivera resigns as dictator of Spain
  30:  Th e US, Great Britain, France, Japan, and Italy meet in London to discuss naval ﬂ eet 
  reduction
  15:  Amelia Earhart sets an air speed record 
  for women, 171 miles per hour
  20:  Charles Lindbergh sets a cross-the-US 
  ﬂ ight speed record of 14.75 hours
  20:  Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin is born
  31:  Th e US Navy releases a glider from a 
  dirigible, but never follows up on the idea 
  of an aerial aircraft  carrier
  1930 Feb
  6:  At the naval disarmament conference, US Secretary of State Stimson insists that the US 
  have parity with Great Britain — 15 battleships
  18:  Clyde Tombaugh discovers the planet 
  Pluto
  1930 Mar
  1:  Reports indicate that many Russians are ﬂ eeing to Poland to avoid farm collectivization
  8:  William Howard Taft  dies
  12:  Mohandas Gandhi begins his “salt march” to the sea to protest the salt monopoly law 
  in India
  16:  Miguel Primo de Rivera dies
  21:  France walks out of the naval disarmament conference
  24:  Th e US Senate increases tariﬀ s
  28:  Turkey re-names Constantinople as Istanbul, and Angora as Ankara
  1930 Apr
  5:  Gandhi reaches the sea and begins making salt in deﬁ ance of British law
  16:  Rioting wracks India; British police ﬁ re on a mob of 10,000 Indians. On the 23rd, riots 
  start in Peshawar; the British shoot 20 Indians aft er three Britons are killed
  16:  In north China, rebels under the command of Gen. Yen Hsi-chan begin a new of-
  fensive against the Nationalist government of Chiang Kai-shek. By the 23rd, the northern 
  forces have pushed Chiang’s army south of the Yellow River.
  21:  Th e US, Great Britain, France, Japan, and Italy sign the London Naval Treaty, which 
  imposes various limitations on navies
  9:  Bell Labs and AT&T demonstrate the 
  world’s ﬁ rst two-way videophone
  11:  Scientists predict mankind will reach 
  the Moon by 2050
  1930 May
  4:  In India, British authorities arrest Mohandas Gandhi. On the 8th, mobs swarm through 
  Bombay in protest. Riots continue throughout India for the rest of month.
  17:  Th e Young Plan for war reparations takes eﬀ ect
  22:  France gives Syria a constitution
  13:  France creates an air mail link with 
  Brazil
  American Airlines is founded
  Th e ﬁ rst airline stewardesses take to the 
  skies on United Airlines
  1930 June
  8:  Prince Carol becomes King Carol II of Romania
  17:  President Hoover signs the heavily protectionist Smoot-Hawley Tariﬀ , which has the 
  primary eﬀ ect of worsening America’s economic condition
  21:  500 Indians suﬀ er injuries as the British break up a mob in Bombay
  28:  A mob of 1,000 Communists attack a consulate in London, but are routed
  30:  France evacuates the Rhineland ﬁ ve years ahead of schedule
  1930 July
  10:  Chinese Communist armies unite to attack Hankow
  13:  Turkish soldiers combat an uprising in Kurdistan.
  16:  President Hindenburg overrules the Reichstag to pass a German budget
  7:  Th e US begins constructing Boulder 
  Dam
  1930 Aug
  1:  New York police clash with Communists in Union Square
  5:  Th e US Army names Douglas MacArthur as Chief Of Staﬀ 
  12:  Persian soldiers begin helping the Turks ﬁ ght the Kurds
  12:  Th e British drop bombs on several Indian villages as punishment for the Afrid rebels
  25:  Th e Peru military takes over in a coup, deposing President Leguia in favor of Col. Luis 
  Cerro
  5:  Neil Armstrong is born
  
  83 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  CRIME & PUNISHMENT
  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  1930
  1:  Southern California beats Pittsburgh in 
  the Rose Bowl
  14:  Albert Einstein and his wife have din-
  ner at Charlie Chaplin’s home
  10:  Plane tickets from New York City to the 
  West Coast now cost $159.92
  22:  Admiral Byrd maps an as-yet un-
  explored 15,000 square mile section of 
  Antarctica
  28:  At Prohibition’s tenth anniversary, the 
  Metropolitan Life Insurance Company 
  states that deaths from alcoholism among 
  its policyholders are six times their pre-
  Prohibition rate
  1930 Jan
  13:  Charles Evans Hughes becomes Chief 
  Justice of the US Supreme Court aft er Wil-
  liam Howard Taft  resigns
  10:  A Chicago grand jury indicts 186 
  people in an enormous liquor smuggling 
  scheme
  26:  Tom Reina, a partner of Joe “Th e Boss” 
  Masseria, is killed in the Castellammarese 
  War
  5:  Sonja Henie wins her fourth world ama-
  teur singles ice skating championship
  Greta Garbo’s ﬁ rst talkie, Anna Christie, is 
  released
  Fortune magazine begins publication
  3:  Th e number of US citizens with incomes 
  over $1 million is reported to have in-
  creased 40% in 1928
  3:  An earthquake hits New Zealand, killing 
  800 and leaving 66,000 homeless
  26:  New York City begins installing traﬃ  c 
  lights in Manhattan to protect pedestrians. 
  Th e lights have only red and green; amber 
  (“slow down”) lights are judged “ineﬀ ective.”
  1930 Feb
  17:  In Philadelphia, the authorities release 
  Al Capone from jail
  26:  Sandra Day O’Connor is born
  2:  D.H. Lawrence dies
  22:  Stephen Sondheim is born
  3:  Floods inundate southwest France, kill-
  ing at least 200
  5:  In Springﬁ eld, Massachusetts, individu-
  ally-packaged frozen foods go on sale for 
  the ﬁ rst time
  31:  Hollywood formally adopts the 
  Production Code, which strictly censors 
  violence, sex, and other subjects in ﬁ lms for 
  30 years
  1930 Mar
  21:  A ﬁ re in a badly overcrowded prison 
  in Ohio kills 355 inmates. On the 28th, the 
  prisoner revolt, and authorities bomb the 
  prison.
  1:  Th e Marlene Dietrich ﬁ lm Blue Angel 
  premieres in Germany
  6:  Th e Will Rogers Program makes its debut 
  on CBS radio
  4:  Congress votes $300 million for road 
  construction
  18:  A church ﬁ re in Romania kills 144
  19:  A plane crash in Los Angeles kills 16
  1930 Apr
  17:  Gallant Fox wins the Kentucky Derby
  30:  Billy Arnold wins the Indianapolis 500 
  with an average speed of 100.4 miles per 
  hour
  31:  Clint Eastwood is born
  6:  An earthquake hits Burma, killing 6,000 
  and destroying the village of Pegu
  1930 May
  1:  Th ree gangsters are machine gunned 
  to death at the Fox Lake Hotel 50 miles 
  outside Chicago.
  9:  In Chicago, reporter Jake Lingle, who’s 
  secretly associated with the Capone mob, 
  is murdered, probably by the Bugs Moran 
  gang
  13:  Authorities in Miami arrest Al Capone 
  on perjury charges
  20:  Bobby Jones wins the British Open
  7:  Th e New York Times begins capitalizing 
  the word “Negro”
  20:  Six mountaineers climb Jonsong in the 
  Himalayas, making it the largest mountain 
  scaled by man so far
  22:  Charles and Anne Lindbergh have a 
  son
  27:  Electrical storms hit New England, 
  killing 51
  1930 June
  7:  Arthur Conan Doyle dies
  Gallant Fox becomes only the second horse 
  ever to win the Triple Crown
  12:  Bobby Jones wins the US Open
  Uruguay defeats Argentina to win the ﬁ rst 
  World Cup soccer tournament
  1:  Northland Transportation Co. changes 
  its name to Greyhound Company and 
  extends bus service across the US
  3:  Congress creates the Veterans Admin-
  istration
  11:  A heat wave hits Chicago, killing 11 
  people
  23:  An earthquake kills 2,500 in Naples, 
  Italy
  1930 July
  Peter “the Clutching Hand” Morello, a 
  feared killer working for Joe “Th e Boss” 
  Masseria, is killed during the Castellam-
  marese War
  9:  Th e ﬁ rst Betty Boop cartoon, Dizzy 
  Dishes, premieres
  25:  Sean Connery is born
  26:  Lon Chaney dies
  Babe Ruth has a higher income than Presi-
  dent Hoover
  In early August, Judge Joseph Crater of New 
  York disappears. He’s never seen again, and 
  his vanishing act becomes one of the twen-
  tieth century’s enduring mysteries.
  1930 Aug
  
  84 ■ Pulp History
  Hero System 5th Edition
  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1930 Sept
  1:  Hungarian Communists march in Budapest, leading to a clash with police that kills two 
  and wounds 275
  2:  Th e Chinese rebels under Gen. Yen Hsi-chan form a government in Peking
  6:  General José Uriburu of Argentina seizes power in a military coup
  14:  Th e Nazi Party is now the second largest in Germany
  24:  Th e Soviet Union executes 48 people for plotting a revolt
  30:  President Hindenburg of Germany requests dictatorial powers
  1:  Th omas Edison tests the ﬁ rst electric 
  train in the US; it runs between Hoboken 
  and Montclair, NJ
  2:  French aviators ﬁ nish the ﬁ rst Paris to 
  New York ﬂ ight in 37 hours, 18 minutes
  1930 Oct
  8:  Pursuant to the naval disarmament treaty, the US Navy scraps 49 ships
  14:  A fascist coup in Finland fails
  22:  Chinese rebels in Shanghai kill 8,000 people
  26:  Gertulio Vargas becomes president of Brazil following a revolt
  28:  Saya San, a monk, is declared king of Burma. Th e British soon quash his revolt.
  5:  In France, the British dirigible R101, at 
  the time the largest in the world, crashes, 
  killing 54 people, including two prominent 
  British government oﬃ  cials
  10:  Th ree airlines merge to form TWA
  1930 Nov
  2:  Haile Selassie (formerly Ras Tafari) becomes Emperor of Ethiopia
  12:  In London, the British and Indians begin discussing dominion status for India
  14:  Rightist assassins try, and fail, to kill Premier Hamagushi of Japan, but he dies six 
  months later of his wounds
  15:  Strikes and riots beset Madrid
  30:  Th e Nazis win the Bremen municipal elections
  1930 Dec
  1:  Th e authorities use tear gas to break up a Communist protest at the Capitol
  8:  Indian nationalists assassinate Gen. Normal Simpson in India
  12:  Revolution begins in Spain. On the 16th, labor calls a general strike in support.
  12:  Th e last Allied troops evacuate the Saar
  22:  Th e Soviet Union takes direct control of its food supplies so that it can use access to 
  food as a way to motivate workers
  12:  Karl Landsteiner wins the Nobel Prize 
  for Medicine for his work identifying blood 
  groups
  19:  Amelia Earhart becomes the ﬁ rst pilot 
  to carry a passenger in an autogyro
  1930 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  A major drought aﬀ ects the US, causing President Hoover to urge credit businesses to 
  provide relief. Th e government allocates over $120 million for relief.
  Kurdish revolts in Persia and Iraq fail, in part because Great Britain aids the Iraqi govern-
  ment
  Th e Adler Planetarium, featuring a 
  projector designed by Carl Zeiss, opens in 
  Chicago
  Biologists view the human egg cell through 
  a microscope for the ﬁ rst time
  Frank Whittle of England patents the jet 
  engine, though no aircraft  ﬂ ies under jet 
  power until 1939
  Polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride are 
  introduced
  Otis Barton invents the bathysphere
  Th omas Midgley, Jr. discovers freon
  Th e ﬁ rst house trailer is exhibited at the 
  Detroit Automobile Show; by 1936, 160,000 
  of them will be on the roads
  
  85 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  CRIME & PUNISHMENT
  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  3:  A hurricane hits Santo Domingo, killing 
  1,200
  5:  Two Americans complete a 7,180-mile 
  trip driving a Model A from New York to 
  Los Angeles and back... all in reverse
  9:  Th e US restricts immigration
  21:  Archaeologists in Ecuador discover 
  Inca treasures worth an estimated $15 
  million
  1930 Sept
  In Chicago, gunmen working for Al Capone 
  kill Joseph Aiello, one of his main competi-
  tors for control over the underworld. Th e 
  police remove 59 bullets from Aiello’s body
  “Legs” Diamond kills two of Dutch 
  Schultz’s men, then survives a counter-at-
  tempt on his life a few days later
  14:  Th e musical Girl Crazy opens on 
  Broadway
  20:  Th e Sherlock Holmes radio shows star-
  ring William Gillette debut
  3:  Th e discovery of vast new oil ﬁ elds in 
  Rusk County, Texas causes world oil prices 
  to drop. Th is year world oil consumption 
  reaches 16 billion gallons.
  23:  President Hoover announces the Com-
  mittee for Unemployment Relief to help 
  combat the eﬀ ects of the Depression
  1930 Oct
  5:  In the Bronx, a feared hitman known 
  only as “Buster from Chicago” kills Alfred 
  Mineo and Steve Ferrigno, two of Joe “Th e 
  Boss” Masseria’s chief men
  20:  Th e US government creates a $5 mil-
  lion federal fund for combatting gangsters
  17:  Aft er winning the Grand Slam, Bobby 
  Jones retires from golf
  9:  An elephant stampede in London injures 
  50 people
  28:  A rain of mud, later determined to 
  have been caused by an African sandstorm, 
  strikes Paris
  30:  Labor leader Mother Jones dies
  1930 Nov
  12:  Sinclair Lewis wins the Nobel Prize for 
  Literature
  5:  A mysterious, poisonous fog in Belgium 
  kills dozens and sickens 300
  1930 Dec
  John Mirabella and two other hitmen kill 
  radio reporter John Buckley, whose reports 
  against the Maﬁ a in Detroit have angered 
  the mob
  Th e US government forms the Federal 
  Bureau of Narcotics
  Notable literature of the year:  As I Lay 
  Dying, by William Faulkner; Th e Maltese 
  Falcon, by Dashiell Hammett; Bring ’Em 
  Back Alive, by Frank Buck; Destry Rides 
  Again, by Max Brand; It Walks By Night, by 
  John Dickson Carr; Charlie Chan Carries 
  On, by Earl Derr Biggers
  Ansel Adams publishes his ﬁ rst photo col-
  lection, Taos Pueblo
  Grant Wood paints American Gothic
  Ludwig Mies van der Rohe becomes direc-
  tor of the inﬂ uential Bauhaus School in 
  Germany
  Th e Great Depression sets in around the 
  world. Production drops, trade drops, 
  unemployment rises. Th e US jobless total 
  reaches four million; more than 1,300 US 
  banks close during 1930.
  US population:  122.7 million
  100,000 Americans register for drivers’ 
  licenses. Th e US now has 694,000 miles of 
  paved road.
  Continental Baking Co. introduces the 
  Hostess Twinkie (cost:  two for ﬁ ve cents) 
  and sliced Wonder Bread
  Mars, Inc. develops the Snickers candy bar
  Th e ﬁ rst true supermarket opens in Ja-
  maica, Long Island
  Th e electric blanket is introduced
  Photoﬂ ash bulbs are introduced
  Th e Irish Sweepstakes begins; within ﬁ ve 
  years it’s the most popular lottery in the 
  world
  Congress creates Carlsbad Caverns Na-
  tional Park
  Dutch elm disease begins killing elm trees 
  in Cincinnati and Cleveland; in ensuing 
  years it begins to spread across the US, 
  oft en denuding entire cities of elm trees
  Poultry farmers in the Delmarva Peninsula 
  breed the broiler chicken, transforming 
  poultry from a seasonal food to a year-
  round one
  At Duke University in Durham, North 
  Carolina, Dr. Joseph Rhine becomes direc-
  tor of the Parapsychology Laboratory, 
  which scientiﬁ cally tests phenomena such 
  as ESP (a term Rhine coins)
  1930 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  
  86 ■ Pulp History
  Hero System 5th Edition
  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1931
  1931 Jan
  1:  Nicaraguan rebels ambush and kill eight US Marines
  1:  Jorge Ubico takes power in Guatemala
  2:  Th e Panamanian government is overthrown
  27:  Th e British release Mohandas Gandhi from jail
  13:  Th e George Washington Bridge linking 
  New York and New Jersey is completed
  27:  Francis Davis of the Pierce Arrow 
  Motor Car Company patents the power 
  steering system
  1931 Feb
  1:  Gandhi orders that the civil disobedience campaign in India continue. On the 16th, 
  Viceroy Lord Irwin meets with him for the ﬁ rst time.
  20:  Soldiers in Peru quash riots, killing 61 rebels
  2:  Austria becomes the ﬁ rst nation to 
  deliver mail by rocket
  5: Malcolm Campbell sets a land speed 
  record of 245 miles per hour
  1931 Mar
  1:  With the support of the Peruvian Navy, rebels in Peru overthrow the government
  3:  Indians win the right to make salt if they halt the civil disobedience campaign
  11:  Th e USSR outlaws the sale or importation of Bibles
  25:  Rioters in India kill 50 people and assault Mohandas Gandhi
  1931 Apr
  6:  Portugal declares a state of emergency in Madeira and the Azores aft er a failed military 
  coup
  14:  As the Sandino rebels advance on Puerto Cabezas, four Americans are killed
  14:  King Alfonso XIII ﬂ ees from Spain, which becomes a republic
  22:  Egypt and Iraq sign a treaty of friendship
  29:  Th e king and queen of Siam visit the White House
  30:  Rebels led by Gen. Chan Chai-tong revolt against the Nationalist government and 
  seize Canton and Kwantung province
  1931 May
  11:  Eleven cities in Spain come under martial law to stop revolutionary ﬁ ghting
  19:  Th e USSR announces its second Five-Year Plan
  31:  Pope Pius XI denounces the Fascists in Italy
  28:  Auguste Picard sets a ballooning alti-
  tude record of 52,462 feet
  1931 June
  8:  Spanish revolutionaries lynch the mayor of Madrid
  24:  Afghanistan and the USSR sign a neutrality treaty
  1931 July
  6:  Several nations sign a moratorium on war debt
  9:  President Hindenburg meets with Adolf Hitler in Berlin
  17:  Chinese rebels begin a move to capture Tientsin
  26:  Under pressure from rebels, President Carlos Ibanez of Chile resigns
  31:  Chiang Kai-shek defeats the Communists in northern China
  2:  Wiley Post and Harold Gatty complete 
  an around-the-world ﬂ ight in a record time 
  of 8 days, 15 hours, 51 minutes
  30:  Two aviators set an air distance record 
  of 5,011 miles in 49 hours by ﬂ ying from 
  New York to Istanbul
  Two British physicists smash the atom
  1931 Aug
  1:  Britain receives a £50 million loan from the US and France to cover its £100 million 
  deﬁ cit
  2:  Communists burn the Cathedral of Christ the Redeemer in Moscow
  24:  France and the USSR sign a non-aggression pact
  24:  A military coup ousts the Ecuadoran government
  28:  Franklin D. Roosevelt proposes a 50% increase in income tax rates
  29:  Gandhi comes to London for a second conference on the future of India
  8:  Th e U.S.S. Akron, the ﬁ rst of two 785-
  foot long rigid dirigibles being produced by 
  Goodyear for the US Navy, is christened
  27:  Th e Do-X, the world’s largest airliner 
  (able to carry 100 passengers), makes its 
  ﬁ rst transatlantic ﬂ ight, going from Ger-
  many to Amsterdam, Lisbon, Rio de Janeiro, 
  Miami, and New York
  
  87 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  CRIME & PUNISHMENT
  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  1931
  1:  Alabama beats Washington State in the 
  Rose Bowl
  20:  Unemployment in Europe reaches a 
  record high
  1931 Jan
  8:  James Dean is born
  27:  Joanne Woodward is born
  3:  An earthquake and typhoon hit New 
  Zealand, killing hundreds
  1931 Feb
  31:  Th e Scottsboro Boys, nine black youths, 
  are charged with rape in Alabama
  8:  In Spain, soon to be famed matador 
  Domingo Ortega makes his ﬁ rst appearance 
  in the corrida
  11:  Rupert Murdoch is born
  31:  Knute Rockne dies in a plane crash
  3:  Th e Star Spangled Banner becomes the 
  oﬃ  cial US national anthem
  19:  Th e Nevada State Legislature votes to 
  legalize gambling
  31:  An earthquake destroys Managua, 
  Nicaragua and kills 1,100
  1931 Mar
  1:  New York City police seize $1 million 
  worth of opium
  11:  Germany uncovers an alleged Com-
  munist spy network
  15:  Four gunmen working for Salvatore 
  Maranzano — Vito Genovese, Albert An-
  astasia, Bugsy Siegel, and Joe Adonis — kill 
  Joe “The Boss” Masseria at a restaurant 
  on Coney Island, to which Masseria was 
  lured by the clever and treacherous Lucky 
  Luciano
  26:  “Legs” Diamond is murdered; no one 
  knows exactly who did it, since he had 
  plenty of enemies and none of them claim 
  credit
  27:  Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt of 
  New York orders a crackdown on organized 
  crime
  1931 Apr
  30:  Gunmen working for Dutch Schultz kill 
  Peter Coll, brother of Schultz rival Vincent 
  “Mad Dog” Coll
  6:  Willie Mays is born
  6:  Th e French Colonial Exposition, show-
  casing the wonders of the French Empire, 
  opens in Paris
  16:  Twenty Grand wins the Kentucky 
  Derby
  1:  Th e Empire State Building, the tallest 
  building in the world until 1974, opens
  2:  Reports state that one divorce suit is ﬁ led 
  in Reno, Nevada every two minutes
  1931 May
  8:  In Long Beach, NY, the body of 25 year-
  old Starr Faithfull washes up on the beach 
  dressed only in a silk dress. Letters referring 
  to an intent to commit suicide are found 
  some weeks later, but the cause of her death 
  remains unresolved.
  12:  Th e government indicts Al Capone and 
  68 of his men for violating Prohibition laws. 
  Capone is arrested on the 23rd.
  23:  Federal authorities arrest Dutch Schultz 
  for tax evasion
  14:  An excursion boat on the Loire River 
  sinks, killing 350
  1931 June
  2:  Peter Kurten, the so-called Vampire of 
  Dusseldorf who committed over a dozen 
  murders in the 1925-30 period (and oth-
  ers before), is executed by guillotine in 
  Germany
  28:  Vincent “Mad Dog” Coll earns his nick-
  name when he tries to kill Joey Rao, one of 
  Dutch Schultz’s men. He misses Rao, but 
  kills one child and injures four more with 
  his erratic submachine gun ﬁ re. 
  1:  Th e ﬁ rst trans-Africa railway opens
  14:  Th e ﬁ nancial crisis causes one bank in 
  Germany to fail, and all the others to close 
  temporarily
  1931 July
  8:  Andy Warhol is born
  3:  A ﬂ ood along the Yangtze River kills 
  200,000 to a million in China, and leaves 
  millions more homeless
  5:  Aft er three weeks, German banks re-
  open
  30:  A statue of Hadrian is discovered in 
  Athens
  1931 Aug
  
  88 ■ Pulp History
  Hero System 5th Edition
  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1931 Sept
  2:  Th e King of Yugoslavia ends the dictatorship in that country
  7:  A Communist revolt in Chile ends
  10:  Street riots over Great Britain’s new austerity program begin in London and continue 
  throughout the month
  13:  A coup in Austria fails
  14:  Th e Invergordon Mutiny:  British sailors on several ships ignore orders to protest pay 
  reductions; it ends aft er two days when the government reduces the reductions
  18:  Aft er provoking the “Mukden Incident,” the Japanese seize a railroad in Manchuria, 
  the ﬁ rst step to occupying the entire region within ﬁ ve months
  21:  Great Britain abandons the gold standard to stem the withdrawal of millions of 
  pounds of gold from its banks
  3:  Chemists ﬁ nd the growth hormone in 
  the pituitary gland
  11:  Jimmy Doolittle sets a cross-country air 
  speed record by ﬂ ying from California to 
  Newark, NJ in 11 hours, 16 minutes
  20:  Th e submarine Nautilus makes a suc-
  cessful test dive beneath the Arctic ice
  1931 Oct
  11:  Protests over pay cuts occur in London
  18:  Th e Nazis and their enemies clash in Germany; Hitler promises to maintain order
  27:  US Secretary of State Stimson arranges a temporary truce in Manchuria
  Lauro de Bosis ﬂ ies solo over Rome to drop anti-fascist propaganda leaﬂ ets, but runs out 
  of fuel to return to Corsica and crashes into the Mediterranean; neither he nor his plane 
  are ever found
  5:  Pangborn and Herndon make the ﬁ rst 
  non-stop ﬂ ight over the Paciﬁ c, ﬂ ying from 
  Seattle to Tokyo in 41 hours
  18:  Th omas Edison dies
  1931 Nov
  7:  Fearing a confrontation with the USSR, the Japanese stop pursuing Chinese forces aft er 
  three days of ﬁ ghting. On the 20th, the two opponents reject the peace terms proposed by 
  the League Council. On the 28th, the Japanese halt their oﬀ ensive.
  15:  Th e Nazi Party wins regional elections in Hesse, Germany
  29:  Th e Spanish government seizes large estates for land redistribution
  2:  DuPont announces it will sell synthetic 
  rubber
  2:  Th e dirigible Akron ﬂ ies over New York 
  with a record 207 passengers and crew
  8:  Frederick Allison discovers halogen, the 
  85th element
  10:  Physicists discover the nature of the 
  nucleus of the atom
  1931 Dec
  7:  Th e authorities turn away hundreds of hunger marchers, led by Communists, from the 
  White House
  10:  Niceto Zamora becomes president of Spain
  11:  Parliament passes the Statute of Westminster, which grants virtual sovereignty to the 
  dominions of the British Empire and establishes the British Commonwealth
  12:  Chiang Kai-shek resigns as president of the Nanking government
  12:  Mohandas Gandhi is not allowed to meet with the Pope because he refuses to wear 
  western-style clothing
  28:  Th e British-Indian conference ends unsuccessfully
  8:  Espenschied and Aﬀ el patent the coaxial 
  cable
  1931 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  A bloody conﬂ ict occurs between miners and mine owners in Kentucky
  India’s planned capital, New Delhi, opens
  In Palestine, Avraham Tehomi founds the Irgun Zvai Leumi (National Military Organiza-
  tion), a group devoted to revolt against the British and ﬁ ghting the Arabs using any means 
  necessary, including terrorism
  Italy captures and kills Omar Mukhtar, ending the genocidal war against the Senussi of 
  Libya
  Harold Urey and his colleagues at Colum-
  bia University discover heavy hydrogen 
  (deuterium) and heavy water
  Rickenbacker and his colleagues invent the 
  electric acoustic guitar
  Truman Gray invents the photoelectric 
  integraph, a calculating machine that solves 
  math problems by converting them into 
  beams of light
  
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  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  10:  In the “Night of the Sicilian Vespers,” 
  Charles “Lucky” Luciano has Salvatore 
  Maranzano killed. Five months previously, 
  Maranzano had declared himself capo di 
  tutti capi (Boss of All Bosses) aft er killing 
  his rival Joe Masseria; Luciano objected 
  to this because it interfered with his plan 
  to create a national criminal syndicate. 
  Breathless reporters and commentators 
  later describe how “hundreds” of mobsters 
  were murdered across the country as part 
  of Luciano’s scheme, but experts believe the 
  number of murders actually totaled maybe 
  as many as three.
  2:  15 Minutes With Bing Crosby, the famed 
  crooner’s ﬁ rst radio show, premieres on 
  CBS
  1931 Sept
  24:  Al Capone is sentenced to prison for 11 
  years for tax evasion
  10:  Th e St. Louis Cardinals beat the Phila-
  delphia Athletics in the World Series
  26:  Mourning Becomes Electra, by Eugene 
  O’Neill, opens on Broadway
  24:  In New York City, the George Washing-
  ton Bridge opens
  New York City surpasses London in 
  population
  1931 Oct
  9:  An inquiry reveals that George Olvanys 
  had an income of over $2 million during 
  his 4.5 years as Tammany Hall boss.
  11:  Meyer Lansky brings together the most 
  powerful Jewish mobsters in the country, 
  including Moe Dalitz, Bugsy Siegel, Louis 
  “Lepke” Buchalter, and Jacob “Gurrah” Sha-
  piro, for a meeting at the Franconia Hotel in 
  New York City. At the meeting he convinces 
  them that Lucky Luciano’s organization of 
  the Italian mobs is the wave of the future, 
  and that the Jewish mobs should throw in 
  with them. As Siegel supposedly put it, “the 
  yids and dagos would no longer ﬁ ght each 
  other.”
  1:  Divers ﬁ nd $5 million in gold on a 
  sunken Egyptian liner
  8:  A landslide closes the Panama Canal
  1931 Nov
  18  “Legs” Diamond is shot and killed in 
  Albany, NY
  In Chicago, mobsters led by Murray 
  Llewellyn “the Camel” Humphreys, known 
  as “the only Welshman in the mob,” kidnap 
  Robert Fitchie, president of the Milk Wagon 
  Driver’s Union, and obtain a $50,000 ran-
  som for his safe return
  8:  President Hoover recognizes the US’s 
  need for a public works program
  1931 Dec
  Notable literature of the year:  Th e Good 
  Earth, by Pearl S. Buck
  Notable music of the year:  Minnie Th e 
  Moocher, by Cab Calloway; Mood Indigo, by 
  Duke Ellington
  Notable ﬁ lms of the year:  City Lights, star-
  ring Charlie Chaplin; Frankenstein, starring 
  Boris Karloﬀ ; Th e Public Enemy, starring 
  Jimmy Cagney; Little Caesar, starring 
  Edward G. Robinson; Dracula, starring Bela 
  Lugosi. Many US theaters begin showing 
  double features to improve business.
  Notable art of the year:  Salvador Dali 
  paints Th e Persistence Of Memory; Marc 
  Chagall paints Th e Trick-Riders; the Ab-
  straction-Creation art group forms
  Th e comic strip Dick Tracy debuts as “Plain-
  clothes Tracy” in the Chicago Tribune
  Th e Depression continues to aﬀ ect the US 
  and world economies. Automobile sales 
  in the US collapse, and 2,300 banks fail as 
  unemployment exceeds 8 million.
  Clairol hair coloring is introduced
  Miles Laboratories introduces Alka-Seltzer
  In New York City, the Chrysler Building 
  opens
  Th e Jehovah’s Witnesses adopt that name
  1931 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  
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  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1932
  1932 Jan
  2:  Japan establishes the puppet government of Manchukuo in Manchuria, with the last 
  Manchu emperor, Henry Pu Yi, as its puppet “Chief Executive”
  4:  Great Britain jails Mohandas Gandhi and outlaws his Congress Party
  7:  Chancellor Bruening says Germany won’t resume reparations payments
  22:  Spanish soldiers crush a Communist revolt in northern Spain
  25:  Th e USSR signs a non-aggression pact with Poland
  25:  As many as 30,000 Salvadorans die in an attempted Communist revolt
  28:  Th e Japanese attack Shanghai, occupying it by the 31st as ﬁ ghting continues in Man-
  churia. Th e attack features the ﬁ rst major bombing of a civilian population in history.
  26:  Th e British submarine M-2 sinks in the 
  English Channel, killing 50 sailors
  26:  Ernest Lawrence patents the cyclotron
  1932 Feb
  2:  Delegates from 60 countries attend arms talks in Geneva
  8:  Bulgaria announces that it won’t make its war reparations payments
  10:  20,000 additional Japanese troops land in China for the occupation of Shanghai
  11:  Mussolini meets with Pope Pius XI
  22:  Th e Nazi Party chooses Adolf Hitler as its candidate for president of Germany
  29:  Finnish soldiers guard Helsinki from a fascist attack
  27:  James Chadwick discovers the neutron
  28:  Ford Motor Co. ceases production of 
  the Model A
  1932 Mar
  7:  Police ﬁ re on a riot at the Ford plant in Detroit, killing four and wounding 100
  9:  Eamon de Valera becomes president of the Irish Free State
  21:  Th e Chinese and Japanese in Shanghai sign a peace agreement
  20:  Th e Graf Zeppelin begins regularly-
  scheduled ﬂ ights to South America
  3:  Automobile designer and racer Alﬁ eri 
  Maserati dies
  1932 Apr
  10:  Paul von Hindenburg wins the presidency of Germany, defeating Adolf Hitler in a 
  run-oﬀ  election
  13:  Germany bans the Nazi SA and SS units
  17:  Emperor Haile Selassie outlaws slavery in Ethiopia
  24:  Th e British arrest 450 Indians for defying the ban on the Indian National Congress
  27:  Th e Chinese maintain control of Shanghai despite a 13-hour-long Japanese air raid
  28:  Th e ﬁ rst vaccine for yellow fever is 
  announced
  1932 May
  7:  French President Paul Doumer is assassinated; Albert Lebrun replaces him
  8:  Peruvian Communists seize two navy cruisers
  15:  Military extremists assassinate Premier Ki Inukai of Japan
  19:  Th e Irish Dail (Parliament) bans the Oath of Loyalty to Great Britain
  20:  Moderate Engelbert Dollfuss becomes premier of Austria
  25:  A ﬁ ght between Nazis and Communists breaks out in the Prussian Diet hall, wrecking 
  it
  29:  Th e so-called “Bonus Expeditionary Force” of 11,000 veterans comes to Washington, 
  D.C. to demand bonus pay for serving in the Great War
  30:  Chancellor Bruening resigns in a dispute with President Hindenburg; the next day 
  Fritz von Papen forms a new cabinet that excludes the Nazi  Party
  1:  Two British scientists split the atom, 
  gaining 60% more energy than they used
  21:  Amelia Earhart becomes the ﬁ rst 
  woman to ﬂ y solo across the Atlantic
  1932 June
  4:  A revolt overthrows the Montero regime in Chile
  16:  A conference on war reparations opens in Lausanne, Switzerland
  16:  Th e Von Papen government lift s the ban on the Nazi SA and SS.
  17:  As 10,000 veterans surround the Capitol, the Senate fails to pass the bonus bill
  24:  Th e Siamese army overthrows the absolute monarchy and pledges a constitutional 
  government. On the 29th, the king signs a new constitution limiting the monarchy.
  1932 July
  5:  Antonio de Oliveira Salazar becomes dictator of Portugal
  9:  Th e Lausanne conference agrees to suspend Germany’s war reparation payments
  17:  Chiang Kai-shek begins a new campaign against the Chinese Communists; 10,000 
  people die in battle
  18:  Turkey joins the League Of Nations
  20:  Von Papen removes the premier of Austria and declares martial law
  25:  Th e USSR signs non-aggression pacts with Poland and Japan
  28:  US soldiers commanded by Gen. Douglas MacArthur and Major Dwight Eisenhower 
  forcibly evict the “Bonus Expeditionary Force” from Washington, D.C.
  31:  Th e Chaco War begins as Paraguay and Bolivia dispute their border
  31:  Th e Nazi Party doubles the number of seats it holds in the Reichstag
  1932 Aug
  4:  Fighting between the Communists and the Nazis besets Berlin
  10:  Th e Zamora government of Spain quells an uprising, but only aft er the rebels take 
  over Seville
  16:  Great Britain begins a new electoral scheme for India which grants limited voting 
  rights to the untouchables
  21:  São Paulo is placed under martial law
  30:  Hermann Goering of the Nazi Party is elected president of the Reichstag
  29:  Chancellor von Papen refuses to give Hitler a seat in his cabinet
  30:  Ecuadoran rebels are defeated; 500 die in battle
  13:  In Rome, Guglielmo Marconi success-
  fully tests the ﬁ rst short-wave radio
  13:  A German balloon reaches a record 
  altitude of 17 miles. On the 18th, Swiss 
  balloonist Auguste Piccard reaches a height 
  of 10 miles
  
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  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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  YEAR
  1932
  2:  Bombs explode in ﬁ ve US cities in a plot 
  the authorities attribute to “anti-fascists”
  2:  Missouri authorities besiege the farm-
  house of Harry Young and his brother; the 
  two gunmen kill six oﬃ  cers. On the 5th, 
  they shoot themselves to avoid capture.
  12:  Oliver Wendell Holmes, 90, resigns 
  from the Supreme Court
  1:  Southern California beats Tulane in the 
  Rose Bowl
  12:  Ophelia Caraway of Alaska becomes 
  the ﬁ rst woman elected to the US Senate
  14:  Th e AFL estimates that unemployment 
  aﬀ ects 8.2 million Americans
  22:  Th e Reconstruction Finance Cor-
  poration is created to support American 
  industry and create jobs
  1932 Jan
  1:  Gunmen looking for Vincent “Mad Dog” 
  Coll kill a woman and two Coll men in the 
  North Bronx
  9:  Gunmen catch Vincent “Mad Dog” Coll 
  in a drugstore telephone booth and subma-
  chine gun him to death
  15:  Benjamin Cardozo becomes an Associ-
  ate Justice of the US Supreme Court
  6:  Francois Truﬀ aut is born
  7:  Gay Talese is born
  15:  Sonja Henie wins her second gold 
  medal at the Winter Olympics at Lake 
  Placid, NY
  18:  Director Milos Forman is born
  27:  Elizabeth Taylor is born
  2:  An earthquake hits Cuba, killing 1,500
  18:  DeBeers announces that it’s closing 
  down its South African diamond mines
  1932 Feb
  2:  Th e Lindbergh baby is kidnapped, 
  touching oﬀ  the most intense manhunt in 
  US history
  5:  John Philip Sousa dies
  7:  Outside the Ford Motor Company’s 
  River Rouge plant in Detroit, private 
  security oﬃ  cers shoot and kill four labor 
  protesters
  19:  Australia opens the Sydney Harbour 
  Bridge
  1932 Mar
  13:  Th e US budget deﬁ cit exceeds a peace-
  time record $2 billion
  1932 Apr
  12:  Th e body of the Lindbergh baby is 
  found
  2:  Jack Benny’s show debuts on the NBC 
  Blue Network; his salary is a muniﬁ cent 
  $1,400 per week
  7:  Burgoo King wins the Kentucky Derby
  15:  Th e liner George Phillippe burns near 
  Marseilles, killing 50
  16:  Bombay Hindus and Moslems ﬁ ght; 
  hundreds die
  1932 May
  3:  Lou Gehrig hits four straight home runs
  21:  Jack Sharkey takes the heavyweight title 
  from Max Schmelling
  25:  Gene Sarazen wins the US Open
  4:  An earthquake hits Mexico, killing 400
  21:  In the US, a tax of 1 cent per gallon of 
  gasoline takes eﬀ ect
  1932 June
  22:  Florenz Ziegﬁ eld dies
  30:  Th e Summer Olympics begin in Los 
  Angeles
  21:  Congress passes the Emergency Relief 
  and Reconstruction Act
  22:  Congress passes the Federal Home 
  Loan Act
  In the US, the ﬁ rst-class postage rate rises 
  to 3 cents.
  1932 July
  28:  Bunol, Spain institutes an annual To-
  mato Th rowing Festival to replace bullﬁ ght-
  ing, which it recently banned
  22:  US joblessness reaches 11 million
  26:  Th e US government temporarily 
  halts the foreclosure of ﬁ rst-term home 
  mortgages
  1932 Aug
  
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  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1932 Sept
  12:  Chancellor von Papen dissolves the Reichstag aft er losing a vote of conﬁ dence
  14:  Germany leaves the Geneva disarmament conference
  20:  Gandhi begins a hunger strike to protest the new British separate electoral system for 
  untouchables
  22:  Ibn Saud renames Hejaz and Nejd as Saudi Arabia
  25:  Th e Zamora government of Spain grants Catalonia self-rule
  26:  Nicaraguan soldiers and rebels engage in heavy ﬁ ghting
  1:  Jimmy Doolittle sets an air speed record 
  of over 300 miles per hour
  1932 Oct
  3:  Iraq joins the League Of Nations as the British mandate there ends
  Rioting by the unemployed besets London
  16:  Einstein estimates the age of the Earth 
  as 10 billion years
  1932 Nov
  1:  Riots continue in London
  6:  Th e Nazis lose seats and the Communist gain several in the German election
  8:  Franklin Delano Roosevelt is elected President of the United States
  10:  Great Britain and France ask the US for debt relief as Greece and Hungary default on 
  their debt payments
  13:  Paraguay claims to have killed 500 Bolivian soldiers in one battle
  21:  President Hindenburg oﬀ ers Hitler a limited chancellorship; the Nazi leader refuses
  29:  Th e USSR signs a non-aggression pact with France
  1932 Dec
  2:  Kurt von Schleicher becomes Chancellor of Germany
  2:  Bolivia accepts Paraguay’s terms for truce, temporarily ending the Chaco War
  Carl Magee patents the parking meter
  1932 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  Joseph Stalin engineers a famine in the Ukraine and the Caucasus by seizing food from, 
  and denying supplies to, kulaks (wealthy peasants) who resist his collectivization plans; 
  millions die
  Th e US promulgates the Stimson Doctrine, under which it refuses to recognize territorial 
  gains obtained by force
  Scientists working for EMI patent an elec-
  tronic television camera
  Th e German ﬁ rm Blaupunkt installs its ﬁ rst 
  car radio, in a Studebaker
  Guglielmo Marconi discovers he can detect 
  microwaves (high-frequency radio waves)
  Th e Sperry Gyroscope Company introduces 
  an automatic pilot for civilian aircraft 
  C.D. Anderson discovers the positron
  Th e sonic locator, which can measure 
  the depth of water with sound waves, is 
  invented
  Quinacrine (synthetic quinine), an eﬀ ective 
  treatment for malaria, is developed
  
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  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
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  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  1:  Facing various scandals and legal inqui-
  ries, Jimmy Walker resigns as mayor of New 
  York City
  29:  Th e ﬁ lm A Bill Of Divorcement features 
  the debut of Katherine Hepburn
  9:  Th e excursion liner Observation sinks in 
  New York’s East River, killing 37
  14:  A train crash in Algeria kills 120
  1932 Sept
  2:  Th e New York Yankees beat the Chicago 
  Cubs in the World Series
  19:  Paleontologists ﬁ nd kangaroo bones in 
  South Africa, once again raising the ques-
  tion of a possible “lost continent”
  Th e Zippo lighter goes on sale
  1932 Oct
  7:  Buck Rogers airs on CBS radio
  29:  In New York City, Cole Porter’s Th e Gay 
  Divorce premieres, featuring the hit song 
  “Night And Day”
  10:  A hurricane hits Cuba, killing 1,000
  28:  Persia cancels the oil concession to the 
  Anglo-Persian Oil Co.
  1932 Nov
  10:  John Galsworthy wins the Nobel Prize 
  for Literature
  27:  Radio City Music Hall opens in New 
  York City
  23:  Telephone service begins between the 
  US and Hawaii
  26:  An earthquake hits China, killing 
  70,000
  Th e Technocracy theory, proposing a new 
  pricing system based on energy output, 
  enjoys a brief period of popularity
  1932 Dec
  Energy magnate Samuel Insull of Chi-
  cago is indicted on various fraud charges 
  pertaining to the failure of several of his 
  businesses. He evades arrest for two years 
  by ﬂ eeing the country, but is eventually 
  captured, tried, and ultimately acquitted in 
  1934 and 1935.
  Chicago policemen severely wound mob-
  ster and Capone associate Frank Nitti, but 
  he survives
  Congress begins passing a series of laws 
  that greatly expand the jurisdiction of the 
  Bureau of Investigation and that allow its 
  agents to carry guns
  Notable literature of the year:  Tobacco 
  Road, by Erskine Caldwell; Death In Th e 
  Aft ernoon, by Ernest Hemingway; Brave 
  New World, by Aldous Huxley; Th e Case Of 
  Th e Velvet Claws, by Erle Stanley Gardner; 
  Little House In Th e Big Woods, by Laura 
  Ingalls Wilder
  Notable music of the year:  Brother, Can 
  You Spare A Dime?; I’m Getting Sentimental 
  Over You
  Notable ﬁ lms of the year:  Tarzan, starring 
  Johnny Weismuller; Dr. Jekyll And Mr. 
  Hyde, starring Frederick March; A Farewell 
  To Arms, starring Gary Cooper; Grand 
  Hotel, starring Greta Garbo
  Mars, Inc. introduces the Th ree Musketeers 
  bar
  Bank Night (a lottery for money and/or 
  prizes) becomes a popular feature used to 
  attract patrons to movie theaters
  Pinball is introduced
  Th e Rockefeller Center is under construc-
  tion in New York City
  Th e average US weekly wage declines to 
  $17. Breadlines become common sights 
  in many cities as 20,000 businesses and 
  another 1,600 banks fail. US industrial pro-
  duction drops to one-third its 1929 total, 
  and the US GNP sinks to half of what it was 
  in 1929. Th e stock market reaches its lowest 
  point, and agricultural prices fall to about 
  40% of what they were in 1929. Wages are 
  about 60% what they were in 1929.
  Route 66 opens, linking Los Angeles and 
  Chicago. It soon becomes known as the 
  “Main Street of America,” and thousands 
  of people ruined by the Dust Bowl drought 
  take it to go to California.
  Revlon is founded
  Frito corn chips are introduced
  Skippy peanut butter is introduced
  Th e Oriental Express establishes a new 
  route, one closer to the original 1883 route
  Th e Netherlands ﬁ nishes the Zuider Zee 
  reclamation project
  1932 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  
  94 ■ Pulp History
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  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1933
  1933 Jan
  2:  Juan Sacasa becomes president of Nicaragua
  2:  Th e Irish Dail (Parliament) is dissolved. Eamon de Valera calls for new elections, and 
  on the 28th, his faction wins.
  3:  Th e Japanese capture Shuangyashan, killing 500
  5:  Calvin Coolidge dies
  10:  Th e revolt in Spain continues and spreads to the south as Communists and anarchists 
  join forces
  30:  Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany
  13:  Auguste Piccard predicts that cosmic 
  rays will one day power motors and light 
  cities
  1933 Feb
  1:  Hitler wins the dissolution of the Reichstag
  2:  Rebel leader Augusto Sandino meets with Nicaraguan President Sacasa
  2:  Hitler puts restrictions on German left ists
  5:  Javanese mutineers capture a Dutch battleship
  6:  Germany institutes press censorship
  15:  Giuseppe Zingara tries, and fails, to kill President-elect Roosevelt; Mayor of Chicago 
  Anton Cernak is killed by Zingara’s bullets
  27-28:  A mysterious ﬁ re destroys the Reichstag building in Berlin, though the library 
  and reading room are saved. Th e Hitler government blames the ﬁ re on a Communist 
  conspiracy.
  25:  Th e US launches the aircraft  carrier 
  Ranger from Newport News, Virginia
  26:  San Francisco begins building the 
  Golden Gate Bridge
  1933 Mar
  1:  Germany arrests hundreds of left ists
  3:  Japanese forces capture Cheng-teh
  4:  Premier Dollfuss of Austria dissolves the Parliament and bans public meetings
  5:  President Roosevelt orders a four-day “bank holiday” throughout the US to halt the 
  massive wave of withdrawals that began in mid-February. Most banks re-open on March 
  13.
  5:  In Germany, the Nazis and their Nationalist allies win a Reichstag majority. On the 
  12th, President Hindenburg orders the Nazi banner and German ﬂ ag ﬂ own side-by-side
  20:  To handle the massive number of recent arrests, Germany opens its ﬁ rst concentration 
  camp at Dachau
  23:  Th e Reichstag grants Hitler dictatorial power
  28:  Germany bans Jews in business, schools, and the professions
  24:  Two British scientists create polyeth-
  ylene
  1933 Apr
  1:  Germany enforces its ban on Jewish merchants
  5:  Th e International Court awards Greenland to Denmark instead of Norway
  14:  Japan stages an anti-Jewish drive
  19:  Great Britain bans Soviet imports following the conviction of three Britons for espio-
  nage
  19:  President Roosevelt takes the US dollar oﬀ  the gold standard
  29:  Cuban troops battle rebels at Santiago
  3:  Two British pilots ﬂ y over Mt. Everest
  4:  Th e dirigible Akron crashes oﬀ  the New 
  Jersey coast, killing 73
  21:  Th e U.S.S. Macon, sister dirigible to the 
  Akron, makes its ﬁ rst ﬂ ight
  1933 May
  2:  Germany breaks up its trade unions, with the Nazis saying they’ll be “reorganized” 
  under Nazi management
  8:  Gandhi begins a hunger strike to protest the British treatment of the untouchables
  18:  Cuba masses troops in Havana
  28:  Germany conﬁ scates the property of the Communist Party
  31:  Japan and China sign a truce that renders much of northern China neutral
  1933 June
  12:  President Roosevelt cancels the Smoot-Hawley Tariﬀ 
  18:  Hitler threatens to take away the children of parents who don’t follow “the Nazi 
  program”
  19:  Austrian Premier Dollfuss bans the Nazi Party
  22:  Th e Illinois Waterway opens; it links 
  the Gulf Of Mexico with the Great Lakes 
  via the Mississippi River
  
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  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  1933
  21:  Federal authorities want Dutch Schultz 
  for tax evasion
  13:  Famed, multi-talented female athlete 
  and Olympic champion Babe Zaharis 
  scores 9 points in her professional basket-
  ball debut with the Brooklyn Yankees
  30:  Th e Lone Ranger radio program debuts 
  on WXYZ in Michigan
  22:  Archaeologists discover the palaces of 
  Darius and Xerxes in Persepolis, ancient 
  capital of Persia
  Unemployment in the US reaches 15 mil-
  lion
  1933 Jan
  17:  Blondie Boopadoop marries Dagwood 
  Bumstead in the comic strip Blondie
  6:  Th e US adopts the 20th Amendment, 
  which reduces the presidential “lame duck” 
  period
  11:  President Hoover creates the Death 
  Valley National Monument park.
  1933 Feb
  3:  An earthquake and tidal wave hits Yoko-
  hama, killing 3,000
  4:  President Roosevelt states in his inaugu-
  ration speech that “the only thing we have 
  to fear is fear itself”
  7:  Charles Darrow invents and trademarks 
  the board game Monopoly
  10:  An earthquake hits California, killing 
  123
  12:  President Roosevelt holds his ﬁ rst 
  “ﬁ reside chat”
  22:  Th e US legalizes beer and wine
  31:  Congress creates the Civilian Conser-
  vation Corps (CCC) to relieve unemploy-
  ment
  1933 Mar
  9:  Th e Scottsboro Boys are convicted in a 
  retrial; on the 10th, blacks riot on Broadway 
  in protest
  28:  Th e Senate passes a farm relief bill
  Th e US experiences a beer shortage
  1933 Apr
  27:  Th e Federal Securities Act takes eﬀ ect
  6:  Broker’s Tip wins the Kentucky Derby
  27:  Walt Disney releases the cartoon Th e 
  Th ree Little Pigs
  4:  President Roosevelt asks employers to 
  raise wages, on the theory that doing so 
  will raise consumption and thus help the 
  economy
  10:  Th e Nazis burn “un-German” books in 
  front of Berlin University
  18:  Th e Tennessee Valley Authority is 
  created
  27:  Th e World’s Fair opens in Chicago
  Th e Agricultural Adjustment Administra-
  tion (AAA) is established to pay farmers 
  to reduce their production of staple crops, 
  thus increasing prices
  1933 May
  17:  A group of gangsters, possibly includ-
  ing Pretty Boy Floyd, machine gun crook 
  Frank Nash and four cops to death in front 
  of Union Station in Kansas City. Allegedly 
  the attack was an attempt to rescue Nash, 
  but may have been to prevent him from tes-
  tifying about political corruption in Kansas.
  1:  Charlie Chaplin secretly marries Paulette 
  Goddard
  6:  Th e world’s ﬁ rst drive-in movie theater 
  opens in Camden, NJ
  16:  Congress creates the Federal Deposit 
  Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
  23:  Th anks to the Roosevelt Administra-
  tion’s lavish spending, 1.6 million jobs have 
  been created in the US since March
  1933 June
  
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  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1933 July
  3:  Germany begins removing Jews from civil service jobs
  4:  Great Britain sentences Gandhi to one year in prison
  14:  Germany outlaws all political parties other than the Nazis
  20:  Nazis in Nuremburg round up 300 Jews
  26:  Germany announces a new sterilization law for Germans suﬀ ering from certain 
  mental or physical diseases
  27:  An international economics conference in London ends in failure
  20:  Th e Japanese demonstrate a machine 
  gun with a ﬁ ring rate of 1,000 rounds per 
  minute
  22:  Wiley Post sets a record for ﬂ ying 
  around the world at seven days, 19 hours
  24:  In Baltimore, Maryland, Dr. W. F. 
  Reinhoﬀ  performs the ﬁ rst successful lung 
  removal operation
  Italian aviator and ardent fascist Italo Balbo 
  leads 24 planes on a ﬂ ight across the North 
  Atlantic; they ﬁ nally land in Chicago to 
  great acclaim
  1933 Aug
  2:  Nicaragua declares martial law
  13:  Th e revolution in Cuba overthrows the Machado regime; President Roosevelt sends 
  warships to Cuba to protect American citizens
  18:  A border conﬂ ict between Syria and Iraq results in the death of 600
  25:  Italy and the USSR agree on a non-aggression pact
  23:  Th e British release Gandhi from jail to end his hunger strike
  29:  Reports conﬁ rm that the Nazis are sending thousands of Jews to concentration camps
  30:  Air France is founded
  1933 Sept
  5:  An army junta takes over Cuba
  6:  Austria deploys soldiers on the German border
  18:  Ghazi I becomes king of Iraq following the death of his father, Feisal I
  8:  Work begins on the Grand Coulee Dam, 
  which will become the largest concrete 
  structure ever built
  1933 Oct
  3:  Austrian Premier Dollfuss is shot by a Nazi, but survives
  12:  Unrest and military mutinies beset Siam
  14:  Germany gives two-year notice of withdrawal from the League Of Nations and de-
  mands equality of armament
  27:  Arab riots over Jewish immigration to Palestine result in over 20 deaths
  17:  Einstein moves to Princeton, NJ
  1933 Nov
  8:  King Nadir Shah of Afghanistan is assassinated; his son Mohammed Zahir Shah 
  becomes king
  10:  Austria imposes martial law
  17:  Th e US formally recognizes the USSR
  1933 Dec
  1:  Nazi storm troopers are made an oﬃ  cial body of the Th ird Reich
  9:  42 die as Spain quells an anarchist uprising
  20:  Germany plans to sterilize 400,000 Germans due to their “hereditary defects”
  1933 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  In Iraq, Assyrian Christians are massacred
  Frances Perkins becomes Secretary of Labor, making her the ﬁ rst woman ever to serve in 
  the US cabinet
  All-metal planes now being designed and 
  tested
  Th e US Army invents the ﬁ rst walkie-talk-
  ies
  Edwin Armstrong develops FM radio 
  broadcasting
  Ernst Ruska creates the ﬁ rst electron micro-
  scope more powerful than conventional mi-
  croscopes, with a magniﬁ cation of x12,000
  
  97 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
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  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  1:  Th e Department of Justice creates the 
  Division of Investigation, which includes 
  the Bureau of Prohibition for which Prohi-
  bition Agents work
  22:  In Oklahoma City, George “Machine 
  Gun” Kelly and his gang kidnap Charles 
  Urschel, for whom they receive a $200,000 
  ransom. Th ey’re later caught and convicted 
  for the crime.
  5:  Germany assigns Fritz Todt to build its 
  comprehensive autobahn highway system
  17:  Th e National Industrial Recovery Act 
  (NRA), which allocates $3 billion for US 
  economic recovery, takes eﬀ ect. Th e Act 
  also guarantees higher wages or shorter 
  hours for workers. Th e blue eagle symbol 
  of the NRA begins appearing on businesses 
  and publications throughout the nation.
  28:  Th e singing telegram is introduced
  1933 July
  1:  20,000 Boy Scouts gather at Budapest for 
  the fourth Jamboree
  3:  Th e ﬁ rst Mickey Mouse Watch goes on 
  sale
  1933 Aug
  3:  Aborigines in Arnhem Land, Australia 
  murder ﬁ ve Japanese people and a police-
  man
  10:  Th e Jimmy Durante Show premieres
  25:  Ring Lardner dies
  5:  A hurricane hits Texas, killing 32
  25:  A storm destroys the Mexican port of 
  Tampico, killing hundreds
  President Roosevelt unveils new programs 
  to feed and clothe the poor
  1933 Sept
  12:  Alcatraz becomes a federal maximum 
  security prison
  18:  A 2,000-man mob in Maryland lynches 
  a black man accused of raping a white 
  woman
  7:  Th e New York Giants beat the Washing-
  ton Senators in the World Series
  Esquire magazine begins publication
  1933 Oct
  14:  Th e federal government begins investi-
  gating Nazi propaganda in the US
  7:  Fiorello LaGuardia is elected mayor of 
  New York City
  8:  President Roosevelt creates the Civil 
  Works Administration (CWA) to create 
  jobs via federal spending
  1933 Nov
  Irving “Waxey Gordon” Wexler, a major 
  Maﬁ a bootlegger in the New Jersey-New 
  York area, is convicted of income tax eva-
  sion based on information secretly supplied 
  to the government by Lucky Luciano and 
  Meyer Lansky
  5:  Prohibition ends in the US with the 
  ratiﬁ cation of the 21st Amendment, which 
  repeals the 18th Amendment
  1933 Dec
  Notable literature of the year:  Lost Horizon, 
  by James Hilton; God’s Little Acre, by Ers-
  kine Caldwell; Anthony Adverse, by Hervey 
  Allen. Th e US lift s the ban on James Joyce’s 
  novel Ulysses.
  Notable ﬁ lms of the year:  She Done Him 
  Wrong, starring Mae West (featuring the 
  famous line, “Come up and see me some-
  time”); 42nd Street; Th e Invisible Man, star-
  ring Claude Rains; Th e Th ree Little Pigs, by 
  Walt Disney; King Kong, starring Fay Wray; 
  Little Women, starring Katherine Hepburn; 
  Duck Soup, starring the Marx Brothers; 
  Henry VIII, starring Charles Laughton
  Tens of thousands of artists begin emigrat-
  ing from Germany; the creativity drain will 
  continue throughout the 1930s
  Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey form their jazz 
  orchestra
  Germany orders books by Jewish and 
  non-Nazi authors burned; it also suppresses 
  Modern Art in favor of Realism
  Many people now regard air travel as safe 
  and practical, whereas just a few years ago 
  they regarded it as the province of thrill-
  seekers and the wealthy
  Th e CCC employs thousands of people in 
  jobs to restore and protect America’s natu-
  ral resources, build roads, and the like. US 
  unemployment has reached 15 million.
  Ritz Crackers are introduced
  Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup is intro-
  duced
  Th e discovery of the Steinheim skull leads 
  anthropologists to reject the theory that 
  Neanderthal Man is the precursor of mod-
  ern humanity
  1933 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  
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  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1934
  1934 Jan
  3:  In Chamonix, France, promoter Serge Stavisky commits suicide. Th is exposes a fraud 
  that implicates some members of the government, prompting accusations by both rightists 
  and left ists and sparking riots in Paris in February. Th e establishment of a new coalition 
  government eventually averts the possibility of civil war.
  6:  War between Paraguay and Bolivia resumes as League mediation fails
  26:  Germany signs a non-aggression pact with Poland
  1934 Feb
  6:  Riots in Paris leave 17 people dead
  9:  Turkey, Greece, Romania, and Yugoslavia sign the Balkan Pact
  12:  Premier Dollfuss suppresses a Socialist revolt (over 1,000 people die) and purges the 
  Austrian government, killing 129 Socialists
  16:  5,000 Communists and Socialists start a brawl at a rally at New York City’s Madison 
  Square Garden
  17:  A mountaineering accident claims the life of King Albert of Belgium; Leopold III 
  takes the throne
  17:  Austria imposes martial law
  22:  Nicaraguan soldiers lure rebel leader Augusto Sandino to a “meeting,” where they kill 
  him
  28:  Th e puppet ruler Pu Yi is crowned Emperor of Manchukuo by Japan
  1934 Mar
  12:  Prats becomes dictator of Estonia
  27:  In Kansas City, two people die in a local elections dispute as men stalk the street 
  armed with guns
  24:  Th e US promises the Philippines freedom by 1946
  28:  Chancellor Dollfuss of Austria orders people to stop joking about his height
  21:  Germany begins building a vast new 
  highway system
  1934 Apr
  8:  Nazi sympathizers rallying in support of Hitler in New York City clash with police
  15:  Bolivia reports killing 1,000 Paraguayan soldiers in a major battle
  20:  6,000 Parisians riot for jobs
  23:  Th e Berlin police ban astrology and fortunetelling
  25:  Spain declares martial law
  30:  Austria gives Dollfuss dictatorial powers
  3:  Jane Goodall is born
  24:  Laurens Hammond patents the ﬁ rst 
  organ that works without pipes or reeds
  1934 May
  3:  Saudi Arabia invades Yemen
  17:  A Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden attracts 20,000 supporters
  19:  A fascist coup takes over Bulgaria
  21:  A mob of 1,000 people attack a Nazi rally in New Jersey
  24:  Th e latest oﬀ ensive in the Chaco War involves 60,000 soldiers; a battle near Fort Bal-
  livian leaves 6,000 dead
  29:  President Roosevelt annuls the Platt Amendment, ending the US’s right to intervene 
  in Cuba
  1934 June
  11:  Th e Geneva disarmament conference concludes, having accomplished nothing
  14:  Germany announces that it will stop paying its foreign debts
  21:  Th e Chaco War continues with 80,000 soldiers now involved
  23:  Italy eﬀ ectively conquers Albania
  27:  Yemen signs a peace treaty ending the Desert War with Saudi Arabia
  30:  Th e Night of the Long Knives:  Hitler uses the Gestapo to purge Germany and the 
  Nazi Party of his political enemies he claimed were preparing a revolt, including former 
  comrade Ernst Rohm. Th e purge weakens the SA (storm troopers).
  
  99 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
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  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  1934
  28:  John Dillinger is captured in Arizona
  1:  Columbia defeats Stanford in the Rose 
  Bowl
  5:  Th e American and National Leagues 
  agree to use the same size baseballs
  26:  Th e Apollo Th eater in Harlem opens 
  under new management
  31:  President Roosevelt devalues the dollar 
  to 59.6 cents
  Francis E. Townsend announces his 
  Townsend Old Age Revolving Pensions 
  plan to stimulate the economy, which at-
  tracts considerable interest
  1934 Jan
  17:  Indiana sentences John Dillinger to 20 
  years in prison
  1:  In New York City, a Georgia O’Keefe 
  retrospective opens
  5:  Hank Aaron is born
  11:  Vladimir Horowitz solos with the New 
  York Philharmonic Orchestra
  3:  Th e Nazis rewrite the Psalms to modify 
  references to the Jews
  27:  Ralph Nader is born
  1934 Feb
  3:  John Dillinger escapes from jail using a 
  pistol. On the 31st, the police lay a trap for 
  him, but he uses a submachine gun to shoot 
  his way free.
  17:  In New York City, 5,000 blacks protest-
  ing the Scottsboro Boys verdict clash with 
  police
  22:  In Cicero, Illinois, “Shotgun” George 
  Ziegler is killed, either by Al Capone’s men 
  or Ma Barker’s gang
  14:  A train explosion in Salvador kills 250
  1934 Mar
  1:  In Grapevine, Texas, Bonnie and Clyde 
  murder two policemen
  23:  John Dillinger escapes two posses near 
  St. Paul, Minnesota, killing two policemen 
  and wounding ﬁ ve
  23:  In Wisconsin, George “Baby Face” 
  Nelson murders FBI agent H. Carter 
  Baum, saying, “I know you bastards wear 
  bulletproof vests so I’ll give it to you high 
  and low”
  6:  Th e Ford Motor Co. now oﬀ ers white-
  wall tires as an option; they cost $11.25 
  per set
  18:  Th e Washeteria, one of the ﬁ rst laun-
  dromats, opens in Fort Worth, TX
  21:  40,000 people attend the ﬁ rst Soviet 
  fashion show in Moscow
  29:  Th e exiled Panchen Lama announces 
  his plans to return to Tibet
  1934 Apr
  18:  President Roosevelt signs six anti-
  crime bills, including the death penalty for 
  kidnapping
  23:  Bonnie and Clyde are killed by a police 
  ambush near Shreveport, Louisiana
  5:  Cavalcade wins the Kentucky Derby
  11:  A vicious dust storm aﬀ ects the western 
  and southern US; the dust reaches New 
  York City, where it dims the lights for ﬁ ve 
  hours. Th e dust storms, drought, and related 
  conditions in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and 
  Colorado create the “Dust Bowl,” forcing 
  many “Okie” and “Arkie” farmers to emi-
  grate. Experts believe the dust storms derive 
  from improper plowing during the Great 
  War, when many farmers planted extra 
  acres to cash in on high wheat prices.
  28:  Th e Dionne Quintuplets are born in 
  Callendar, Ontario, Canada
  1934 May
  6:  Congress creates the Securities And 
  Exchange Commission
  A $10,000 reward is oﬀ ered for John 
  Dillinger
  10:  Congress creates the Federal Commu-
  nications Commission (FCC)
  13:  Max Baer defeats Primo Carnera to 
  take the world heavyweight title
  3:  Th e Vatican condemns the Nazis for 
  encouraging cremation
  4:  President Roosevelt asks Congress for 
  $525 million for drought relief
  8:  President Roosevelt outlines his goals for 
  his “New Deal” program:  jobs; a “ﬁ nancial 
  cushion” for the aged; and security for 
  home ownership
  15:  Th e US dedicates the Great Smoky 
  Mountain National Park
  19:  Th e US establishes the Federal Com-
  munications Commission
  28:  Congress creates the Federal Housing 
  Administration
  1934 June
  
  100 ■ Pulp History
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  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1934 July
  3:  Okada becomes premier of Japan
  9:  Germany puts Heinrich Himmler, Commander-in-Chief of the SS, in charge of its 
  concentration camps. Th e SS assumes duties formerly delegated to the SA.
  25:  Austrian Nazis assassinate Chancellor Dollfuss
  26:  Mussolini moves 48,000 soldiers to the Austrian border
  A dockyard strike turns into a general strike that paralyzes San Francisco.Th e strike ends 
  on the 19th.
  4:  Marie Curie dies
  9:  American Airlines now oﬀ ers sleeper 
  service on ﬂ ights between New York City 
  and Chicago.
  9:  Responding to charges of corruption 
  by airmail delivery companies, President 
  Roosevelt cancels all the airmail contracts 
  and orders the US Army to deliver airmail
  1934 Aug
  2:  President Hindenburg of Germany dies; the army swears allegiance to Hitler, who takes 
  the presidency
  9:  Gen. Chiang Kai-shek takes command of the Chinese army to crush a Communist 
  revolt
  15:  Th e US Marines ﬁ nally leave Haiti aft er nearly 20 years
  16:  William Beebe descends to a record 
  3,000 feet in a bathysphere
  1934 Sept
  18:  Th e USSR joins the League Of Nations
  24:  Th e Bolivian army kills 1,400 Paraguayans at Algodonal
  Th e Nazis stage an enormous rally at Nuremberg
  1:  Roscoe Turner ﬂ ies from Los Angeles 
  to New York in just over 10 hours, a new 
  record
  1934 Oct
  7:  Spanish forces bring an end to the Catalonian secession
  8:  52 soldiers are killed when a revolt hits Madrid
  9:  While visiting Marseilles, King Alexander of Yugoslavia is murdered by a Croatian 
  gunman
  12:  Johan Pommer, Archbishop of Riga, is murdered
  16:  Th e Chinese Communists under Mao Tse-tung abandon their base in Kiangsi and 
  begin the Long March to the north
  4:  Enrico Fermi measures the speed of a 
  neutron
  1934 Nov
  6:  Th e Democrats win big in midterm elections, indicating strong public support for 
  President Roosevelt’s “New Deal” program
  13:  Von Ribbentrop admits Germany is re-arming itself in violation of the Versailles 
  Treaty
  17:  Paraguay captures 10,000 Bolivian soldiers. On the 28th, President Salamanca of 
  Bolivia is overthrown.
  25:  President Mustafa Kemal of Turkey receives the title “Ataturk”
  1:  Th e new Union Paciﬁ c diesel train can 
  make it from Los Angeles to New York in 
  14.5 hours
  9:  Carl Sagan is born
  1934 Dec
  1:  Sergei Kirov, an aide to Stalin and head of the Communist Party of Leningrad, is 
  murdered in that city. Stalin uses the event as an excuse to purge more than 100 political 
  enemies and rivals immediately. Ultimately this leads to the Great Purge (see September, 
  1936).
  5:  Italian and Ethiopian troops clash on the border of Ethiopia and Italian Somaliland
  16:  Bulgaria arrests 540 alleged Communist conspirators
  2:  Th e US Army develops a new tank that 
  can go 60 miles per hour
  7:  Aviator Wiley Post discovers the jet 
  stream
  1934 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  Sir Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists (BUF) attains its highest membership 
  (50,000), but falls precipitously aft er the Night of the Long Knives disgusts the British 
  public
  Enrico Fermi produces transuranium 
  elements by bombarding uranium with 
  neutrons
  In Germany, Wernher von Braun invents 
  the ﬁ rst A2 series rocket, powered by liquid 
  oxygen and alcohol
  Scientists invent a refrigeration process for 
  meat that will allow it to be shipped long 
  distances
  
  101 
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  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  22:  Federal agents led by Melvin Purvis 
  shoot and kill John Dillinger as he leaves 
  the Biograph Th eater in Chicago
  2:  Fox Film Corporation renegotiates six 
  year-old Shirley Temple’s contract to pay 
  her $1,000 a week, plus a $35,000 bonus 
  per ﬁ lm
  19:  Maurice Wilson of Great Britain dies 
  trying to scale Mt. Everest
  21:  A heatwave in the Midwest kills 206 
  over three days
  1934 July
  3:  Leon Uris is born
  19:  In Dayton, Ohio, the ﬁ rst All-American 
  Soap Box Derby is held
  13:  15,000 tons of stone fall from the edge 
  of Niagara Falls
  Th e Louisiana legislature passes laws mak-
  ing Governor Huey Long the “dictator of 
  Louisiana”
  1934 Aug
  28:  Bruno Hauptmann is arrested for the 
  kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh 
  baby
  8:  Th e liner Morro Castle bursts into ﬂ ames 
  oﬀ  the coast of New Jersey. 130 people 
  die; ﬁ ve oﬃ  cers are later found guilty of 
  negligence
  22:  President Roosevelt ends the nearly 
  three week-old textile strike
  26:  200,000 Scots attending the launching 
  of the luxury liner Queen Mary
  1934 Sept
  13:  New York police dump 1,155 slot ma-
  chines into Long Island Sound
  22:  Federal agents shoot and kill notorious 
  bank robber George “Pretty Boy” Floyd as 
  he tries to ﬂ ee from them
  9:  Th e St. Louis Cardinals beat the Detroit 
  Tigers in the World Series
  19:  President Roosevelt stops the veterans’ 
  bonus, asserting that aid to the country’s 
  10.8 million unemployed must come ﬁ rst
  1934 Oct
  28:  George “Baby Face” Nelson’s body is 
  found in a roadside ditch near Chicago 
  following a gun battle with Bureau of Inves-
  tigation agents
  22:  Salvador Dali’s paintings are displayed 
  in New York City
  6:  Gov. Huey Long asks Louisiana to secede 
  from the Union
  1934 Nov
  10:  Luigi Pirandello wins the Nobel Prize 
  for Literature
  1934 Dec
  Notable literature of the year:  Tender Is Th e 
  Night, by F. Scott Fitzgerald; I, Claudius, by 
  Robert Graves; Tropic Of Cancer, by Henry 
  Miller; Lust For Life, by Irving Stone; Bur-
  mese Days, by George Orwell; Fer-de-Lance, 
  by Rex Stout
  Notable ﬁ lms of the year:  It Happened One 
  Night, starring Clark Gable and Claudette 
  Colbert; Th e Gay Divorcee, starring Fred 
  Astaire and Ginger Rogers; Th e Th in Man, 
  starring William Powell and Myrna Loy
  Cole Porter is America’s favorite composer, 
  with hits like Anything Goes, I Get A Kick 
  Out Of You, and Love For Sale
  Comic strips debuting this year include 
  Li’l Abner, Terry And Th e Pirates, and Flash 
  Gordon
  Jigsaw puzzles become cheap enough to 
  become popular
  Jazz and baseball become popular in the 
  USSR
  Average time for a cross-country commer-
  cial ﬂ ight in the US is now just 18 hours
  Over 1 million passenger airline tickets are 
  sold for the ﬁ rst time
  Switzerland enacts its Bank Secrecy Act to 
  protect the accounts of German Jews
  Explorers Eric Shipton and Bill Tilman be-
  come the ﬁ rst outsiders to enter the Nanda 
  Devi Sanctuary, a valley in India sealed oﬀ  
  by 21,000 foot-tall mountains
  In west India, an expedition fails to reach 
  the summit of Nanga Parbat
  1934 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  
  102 ■ Pulp History
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  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1935
  1935 Jan
  1:  Italy merges its three African colonies of Tripoli, Cyrenaica, and the Fezzan to form 
  Libya
  6:  Pierre Laval becomes prime minister of France
  7:  France and Italy sign a treaty to resolve their diﬀ erences regarding territories in Africa
  17:  Based on the overwhelming results of a plebiscite, the League Of Nations votes to 
  restore the Saar to Germany on March 1
  19:  Th e Chinese Communists take Zunyi
  24:  Mussolini dismisses the Italian cabinet
  30:  Th e USSR increases the size of its army to 940,000
  1935 Feb
  7: Argentina stops a rebellion in La Plata
  11:  Italy mobilizes 35,000 troops for duty in Africa
  23:  Paraguay leaves the League Of Nations
  26:  In ﬂ agrant violation of the Treaty of Versailles, Adolf Hitler signs a secret decree creat-
  ing the Luft waﬀ e, or German Air Force, and naming Hermann Goering as its leader
  12:  Th e US Navy’s last dirigible, the Macon, 
  crashes oﬀ  the coast of California, killing 
  two
  26:  Th e ﬁ rst working radar system is dem-
  onstrated in Great Britain
  1935 Mar
  1:  Th e Saar is returned to Germany
  3:  King Prajadhipok abdicates the throne of Siam
  10:  Cuba institutes military rule to quell spreading strikes
  11:  Greece stops a revolt
  16:  Germany renounces the Versailles Treaty, admits the existence of the Luft waﬀ e, and 
  institutes a military draft 
  22:  Persia renames itself Iran
  7:  Malcolm Campbell sets a land speed 
  record of 276.8 miles per hour in Florida
  22:  Germany begins the world’s ﬁ rst public 
  television broadcasting service, beating the 
  BBC by several months
  23:  In Moscow, an unmanned balloon sets 
  an altitude record of 24.6 miles
  1935 Apr
  3:  Ethiopia masses troops on the border with Italian Somaliland
  24:  An attempted army coup in Nicaragua fails
  2:  Sir Robert Alexander Watson-Watt 
  patents radar (some sources attribute this to 
  September 17, 1935)
  13:  Commercial air service begins between 
  Australia and London
  16:  Pan Am begins air service from San 
  Francisco to China
  25:  Th e ﬁ rst around-the-world telephone 
  call is made
  1935 May
  11:  In deﬁ ance of treaty, Germany fortiﬁ es Schleswig
  19:  Czech Nazis win signiﬁ cant election victories
  18:  Th e world’s largest plane, the Maxim 
  Gorky, crashes near Moscow, killing 49
  1935 June
  3:  Ethiopia attacks two Italian outposts
  7:  Stanley Baldwin becomes prime minister of Great Britain
  10:  Japan forces Nationalist China to remove one of its armies from northern China
  12:  Paraguay and Bolivia agree to a 12-day truce
  3:  Th e French liner Normandie establishes 
  a transatlantic speed record of 31.5 knots
  1935 July
  8:  Germany announces the construction of two battleships and 28 U-boats
  14:  In France, the left ist Popular Front holds massive demonstrations
  25:  Th e Communist Th ird International (Comintern) meets in Moscow
  26:  In New York, Communists raid the German liner Bremen; they tear the swastika oﬀ  its 
  ﬂ ag and throw it into the river
  19:  Oklahoma City becomes the ﬁ rst city to 
  install parking meters; the charge is a nickel
  21:  Th e Boulder Dam reservoir is now the 
  largest man-made lake on Earth
  
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  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  1935
  16:  FBI agents kill “Ma” Barker and her son 
  Fred in a shootout in Florida
  1:   Alabama beats Stanford in the Rose 
  Bowl
  8:  Elvis Presley is born
  10:  Mary Pickford divorces Douglas 
  Fairbanks
  4:  President Roosevelt promises the 
  government will provide jobs for the 3.5 
  million Americans on welfare
  6:  In New York City, the 35th annual auto-
  mobile show opens to record crowds
  1935 Jan
  13:  A court ﬁ nds Bruno Hauptmann guilty 
  of the Lindbergh baby kidnapping/murder
  17:  31 inmates in an Oklahoma prison  
  murder a guard and escape
  11:  An exhibit of Mary Cassatt paintings 
  opens in New York City
  1935 Feb
  15:  Federal agents arrest 2,000 racketeers in 
  a series of surprise raids
  13:  3,000 year-old archives said to conﬁ rm 
  Biblical history are found in Jerusalem
  1935 Mar
  2:  An exhibit of the art of Th omas Hart 
  Benton opens in New York City
  11:  Severe dust storms hit the western US
  21:  An earthquake near Formosa kills 
  2,000, leaves 13,000 homeless
  1935 Apr
  4:  Omaha wins the Kentucky Derby
  25:  In Ann Arbor, Michigan, Jesse Owens 
  sets a long jump record of  26.5 feet, sets 
  two sprint records, and ties a third record
  30:  Kelly Petillo wins the Indianapolis 500 
  with an average speed of 106.2 miles per 
  hour
  6:  Great Britain celebrates King George VI’s 
  Silver Jubilee
  11:  President Roosevelt creates the Rural 
  Electriﬁ cation Administration to provide 
  loans for installing electrical service in rural 
  communities
  19:  T.E. Lawrence, a.k.a. Lawrence of Ara-
  bia, dies of injuries received in a motorcy-
  cling accident
  27:  Th e US Supreme Court rules that the 
  NRA is unconstitutional, leading to rejoic-
  ing on Wall Street and among Republicans. 
  But as the NRA ends, the new Works 
  Progress Administration (WPA), created on 
  May 6, begins putting unemployed people 
  to work.
  30:  An earthquake hits Quetta in the Paki-
  stan region, killing 26,000
  1935 May
  1:  Nine year-old lumber heir George Wey-
  erhaeuser is freed by his captors upon pay-
  ment of a $200,000 ransom; police continue 
  to hunt the kidnappers
  2:  Babe Ruth retires with every Major 
  League batting record and 714 career home 
  runs
  8:  Omaha wins the Triple Crown
  1:  A tornado and ﬂ oods kill 250 Nebras-
  kans
  10:  Alcoholics Anonymous begins in New 
  York City
  19:  President Roosevelt asks for a major 
  inheritance tax
  1935 June
  29:  Th omas Dewey is sworn in as a special 
  prosecutor to investigate organized crime 
  in New York
  29:  T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) 
  publishes Seven Pillars Of Wisdom
  5:  President Roosevelt signs the National 
  Labor Relations Act (NLRA) which sup-
  ports unions and creates a federal agency to 
  investigate unfair employment practices
  9:  Th e Russians discover the torture cham-
  ber of Ivan the Terrible in Moscow
  26:  Floods on the Blue River in China kill 
  200,000 people
  1935 July
  
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  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1935 Aug
  6:  Italy mobilizes 300,000 soldiers
  18:  Italy rejects peace overtures and insists on control of all of Ethiopia
  1935 Sept
  8:  Dr. Carl Weiss assassinates Senator Huey Long in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  15:  Germany passes the Nuremburg Decrees, which ban Jews from politics on the 
  grounds they’re not German citizens, and forbid intermarriage or intercourse with Jews to 
  prevent “racial pollution”
  15:  Germany adopts the swastika banner as its national ﬂ ag
  17:  Quezon wins the ﬁ rst presidential election in the Philippines
  30:  Italy sends 30,000 soldiers to Africa
  3:  Malcolm Campbell sets a land speed 
  record of 301.337 miles per hour
  15:  Howard Hughes sets an air speed 
  record of 352.46 miles per hour
  1935 Oct
  2:  Italy invades Ethiopia. On the 3rd, it bombs several towns, killing 1,700 Ethiopians. By 
  the end of the month Italian forces have advanced deep into Italy. Th e League Of Nations 
  condemns the attack and places an arms embargo on Italy; the US does the same.
  10:  Th e Greek monarchy is restored
  20:  Th e Chinese Communists reach Yenan, ending the Long March
  31:  Premier Wang Ching-wei of China is assassinated
  1935 Nov
  9:  Japan invades Shanghai
  13:  Cairo experiences anti-British riots that result in two deaths
  25:  George II becomes king of Greece
  27:  Japanese troops move into Peking and Tientsin provinces
  30:  A pro-Japanese coup takes over northern China
  Italy continues its invasion of Ethiopia
  11:  American balloonists Stevens and 
  Anderson set a manned balloon altitude 
  record of nearly 14 miles
  22:  Pan Am begins the ﬁ rst regular trans-
  Paciﬁ c airmail service, San Francisco to the 
  Philippines, using the China Clipper
  1935 Dec
  1:  Chiang Kai-shek becomes president of China
  Italy continues its invasion of Ethiopia. An army of 60,000 Ethiopian soldiers forces 40,000 
  Italian troops to retreat in the south.
  6:  TWA begins featuring “air hostesses” on 
  its 14-passenger DC-2 ﬂ ights
  21:  Th e DC-3, with a 21-passenger capacity, 
  makes its ﬁ rst ﬂ ight
  Th e ﬁ rst color ﬁ lm for home use is mar-
  keted
  1935 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  Germany intensiﬁ es its repression of the Jews
  Boeing demonstrates the B-17 bomber, 
  the ﬁ rst all-metal, four-engine, low-wing 
  monoplane
  Imperial Chemical Industries of Great 
  Britain creates polyethylene, the ﬁ rst true 
  plastic
  Th e Richter Scale is developed to measure 
  earthquake intensity
  In Great Britain, the ﬁ rst commercial elec-
  tron microscope becomes available
  Gerhard Domagk of Germany creates 
  Prontosil, the ﬁ rst sulfa drug
  Th e world’s longest bridge, over the lower 
  Zambezi River, opens
  Dempster discovers uranium-235
  
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  YEAR
  16:  Famed aviator Wiley Post and famed 
  entertainer Will Rogers die in a plane crash 
  in Alaska
  31:  Eldridge Cleaver is born
  13:  1,000 Italians die in a ﬂ ood when a dam 
  near Turin breaks
  14:  President Roosevelt signs the Social 
  Security Act
  23:  President Roosevelt signs the Banking 
  Act, which revamps the Federal Reserve 
  System
  1935 Aug
  3:  A hurricane hits Florida, killing over 200 
  people
  1935 Sept
  23:  Dutch Schultz is gunned down at 
  the Palace Chop House in Newark, NJ by 
  mobsters determined to prevent him from 
  trying to kill prosecutor Th omas Dewey. He 
  lingers for two days before dying, uttering 
  a long, cryptic statement that’s fascinated 
  conspiracy theorists and devotees of the 
  weird ever since.
  At nearly the same time as the Schultz kill-
  ing, violent Jewish mobster Louis “Pretty” 
  Amberg is killed, either by Schultz’s or 
  Luciano’s men
  7:  Th e Detroit Tigers beat the Chicago 
  Cubs in the World Series
  10:  George Gershwin’s Porgy And Bess 
  opens in New York City
  23:  Painter Charles Demuth dies
  1935 Oct
  2:  Czechoslovakia arrests 28 alleged Ger-
  man spies
  12:  A 700-man strong Texas mob lynches 
  two blacks accused of murder
  9:  John L. Lewis becomes leader of the new 
  Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO)
  1935 Nov
  1:  Woody Allen is born
  11:  Th e Frick Gallery opens in New York 
  City
  31:  Sandy Koufax is born
  23:  Th e Lindbergh family moves to Great 
  Britain
  27:  27 Americans die due to severe cold 
  weather
  1935 Dec
  Louis “Two-Gun” Alterie, a vicious former 
  member of Dion O’Bannion’s gang, makes 
  the mistake of returning to Chicago, where 
  he’s killed
  Eliot Ness becomes Public Safety Director 
  of Cleveland and spends the next six years 
  cleaning up the notoriously corrupt city
  Th e government renames the Bureau of 
  Investigation as the Federal Bureau of 
  Investigation (FBI). At the same time it 
  merges the Department of Justice’s Division 
  of Investigation with the FBI.
  Notable literature of the year:  Tortilla Flat, 
  by John Steinbeck; Studs Lonigan, by James 
  Farrell; National Velvet, by Enid Bagnold; 
  Of Time And Th e River, by Th omas Wolfe
  Notable ﬁ lms of the year:  Mutiny On Th e 
  Bounty, starring Charles Laughton and 
  Clark Gable; Captain Blood, starring Errol 
  Flynn; A Night At Th e Opera, starring the 
  Marx Bros.; Top Hat, starring Fred Astaire 
  and Ginger Rogers; Th e Bride Of Franken-
  stein, starring Elsa Lanchester; Triumph Of 
  Th e Will, by Leni Riefenstahl
  Benny Goodman popularizes swing music
  Th e ﬁ rst Heisman Trophy is awarded
  Krueger Beer introduces the ﬁ rst canned 
  beer
  Th e rumba becomes popular
  Bingo ﬁ rst appears, and soon becomes 
  popular around the US despite the fact that 
  some critics decry it as “gambling”
  Max Factor opens a gigantic beauty salon in 
  Hollywood
  IBM introduces its electric typewriter
  Congress creates the Shenandoah National 
  Park
  Chain letter schemes ﬁ rst begin in the US
  Moscow opens its subway
  Heinrich Himmler, leader of the Nazi 
  SS, begins the Lebensborn (“life source”) 
  program to breed an “Aryan super race, en-
  couraging “pure bloode[d]” young women 
  to marry SS oﬃ  cers and produce lots of 
  blonde, blue-eyed, thin-lipped, narrow-
  nosed babies
  Th e US establishes Fort Knox in Kentucky 
  to hold its gold reserves (though the Fed-
  eral Reserve Bank in New York City, which 
  holds many foreign reserves, actually has 
  more gold)
  Secretary of Agriculture Henry Wallace 
  convinces the Treasury Department to put 
  the Great Pyramid on the new $1 bill
  Explorer Eric Shipton tries, and fails, to 
  climb Mt. Everest.
  1935 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  
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  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1936
  1936 Jan
  21:  Th e Chaco War ends with the signing of a peace treaty by Bolivia and Paraguay
  21:  King George V of England dies; Edward VIII succeeds to the throne
  Italy continues its invasion of Ethiopia. In a ﬁ erce battle from the 21st to the 24th, it kills 
  8,000 Ethiopian soldiers and captures 4,000 more.
  2:  In St. Louis, Vladimir Zworykin and 
  George Morton demonstrate an electron 
  tube that’s sensitive to both ultraviolet and 
  infrared light, a key step in the development 
  of television
  1936 Feb
  4:  A group of young Jews murder Swiss Nazi leader Wilhelm Gustloﬀ 
  8:  Th e Indian National Congress elects Jawaharlal Nehru as its president
  16:  Manuel Azana becomes premier of Spain
  18:  Army rebels capture Asunción, Paraguay; President Ayala resigns
  26:  In Japan, several young army oﬃ  cers attempt a coup by killing former Prime Minister 
  Saito and several members of his cabinet, but the Japanese army thwarts the coup by the 
  29th
  28:  Italy captures Alaji in Ethiopia
  23:  In Russia, an unmanned balloon sets an 
  altitude record of 25 miles
  26:  Th e Volkswagen (“people’s car”) is 
  demonstrated in Germany as a prototype. 
  Th e car is designed by Ferdinand Porsche 
  at the urging of Adolf Hitler, who wants the 
  German people to have access to a simple, 
  aﬀ ordable car. Although many Germans 
  submit prepaid orders for one over the next 
  few years, production does not begin before 
  World War II begins and the factory is 
  converted to military production.
  27:  Ivan Pavlov dies
  1936 Mar
  2:  Th e League Of Nations threatens Italy with oil sanctions if it doesn’t withdraw from 
  Ethiopia
  7:  Germany invades the demilitarized Rhineland in violation of the Locarno Pact
  9:  Germany announces that any Jews who vote will be arrested
  11:  A fascist regime takes control in Paraguay
  19:  Th e USSR and Mongolia sign a pact of assistance against Japan
  23:  Italy nationalizes its defense industry
  29:  A German plebiscite votes Hitler a 99% approval rating
  29:  Italy ﬁ rebombs Harar, Ethiopia, destroying the town
  5:  Great Britain test-ﬂ ies the Spitﬁ re 
  ﬁ ghter plane at the Eastleigh aerodrome in 
  Southampton
  1936 Apr
  1:  Austria reinstates the draft 
  21:  Clashes between Jews and Arabs in Palestine leave 11 dead
  28:  Farouk becomes king of Egypt on the death of his father, King Fuad
  30:  Italian forces approach Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia
  24:  In Camden, New Jersey, a group of 
  ﬁ reﬁ ghters responding to a blaze are shown 
  in an unplanned television broadcast — the 
  first live TV news coverage
  1936 May
  9:  Italy conquers and annexes Ethiopia; Mussolini names himself emperor
  18:  50,000 railroad workers go on strike in Mexico
  31:  A military coup in Nicaragua fails
  4:  Scientists in New Jersey use atomic 
  power to cure cancer in mice
  5:  Edward Ravenscroft  patents the screw-
  on bottle top with pour lip
  9:  Th e dirigible Hindenburg arrives at Lake-
  hurst, NJ on its ﬁ rst transatlantic ﬂ ight
  1936 June
  2:  Gen. Anastasio Somoza deposes President Sacasa of Nicaragua and takes his place
  6:  Haile Selassie, having ﬂ ed Ethiopia, arrives in Great Britain
  8:  Premier Leon Blum of France forms a left ist government
  17:  Germany appoints Heinrich Himmler as head of the Reich police
  26:  In Germany, Heinrich Focke success-
  fully ﬂ ies the Fa-16, the ﬁ rst practical heli-
  copter; it can ﬂ y forwards and backwards
  1936 July
  4:  Th e League Of Nations ends sanctions against Italy
  5:  Paris police clash with rightist rioters
  11:  Los Angeles police break up a mob of striking Mexican citrus workers with tear gas
  16:  An assassination attempt against King Edward VIII fails
  17:  Cantonese rebel leader Chen Chi Tang’s uprising collapses; he ﬂ ees China
  19:  An uprising of the Spanish army in Morocco spreads to Spain. Francisco Franco lands 
  at Cadiz. Anarchists in Barcelona burn churches and assault priests.
  19:  Gen. Chiang Kai-shek’s army captures Kwantung
  20:  Spain stops a revolt in Madrid, killing an estimated 25,000 people. On the 21st, the US 
  sends two warships to Spain to protect Americans there.
  28:  Spain conﬁ scates church property and takes control of industry
  31:  Full-blown civil war engulfs Spain, pitting Gen. Franco’s fascists against loyalist forces. 
  Th e war will last until 1939.
  29:  RCA shows the ﬁ rst real television 
  program, which includes readings from 
  Tobacco Road, a fashion show, dancing, and 
  a ﬁ lm on locomotives
  1936 Aug
  4:  Gen. John Metaxas becomes premier of Greece and begins transforming it into a fascist 
  state
  15:  Left ists in Madrid murder 733 priests
  18:  Italy oﬀ ers to help Franco if France keeps helping the Spanish government
  25:  Th e USSR executes 16 Trotskyites
  26:  Great Britain grants virtual independence to Egypt, but retains special rights over the 
  Suez Canal for 20 years
  29:  Franco’s forces capture Badajoz, aft er which they begin rounding up Loyalists and 
  executing them
  21:  Th e BBC makes its ﬁ rst television 
  broadcast. Later in the year it begins regular 
  electronic public TV broadcasting 
  
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  YEAR
  1936
  16:  New York executes murderer Albert 
  Fish, the so-called “Moon Maniac”
  1:  Stanford beats SMU in the Rose Bowl
  1:  Bucknell beats Miami in the ﬁ rst Orange 
  Bowl
  1:  Tulane beats Temple in the ﬁ rst Sugar 
  Bowl
  4:  Billboard Magazine publishes the ﬁ rst US 
  “hit parade”
  18:  Rudyard Kipling dies
  2:  A hailstorm featuring “giant” hailstones 
  kills 19 people in South Africa
  15:  Henry Ford establishes the Ford 
  Foundation
  1936 Jan
  13:  Notorious criminal “Machine Gun Jack” 
  McGurn is killed. Some people give credit 
  to the Bugs Moran gang (since it’s nearly 
  the anniversary of the St. Valentine’s Day 
  Massacre and a comic valentine is left  with 
  the body); others believe Capone’s mob 
  wanted McGurn disposed of.
  6:  Th e fourth Winter Olympics open in 
  Germany. Sonja Henie wins her third 
  straight gold medal for ﬁ gure skating.
  13:  Th e US mails the ﬁ rst Social Security 
  checks
  1936 Feb
  3:  Ursula Andress is born
  19:  Floods hit the US Midwest, killing 134 
  and leaving 200,000 homeless
  1936 Mar
  3:  New Jersey executes Bruno Hauptmann
  18:  Charles “Lucky” Luciano is arrested
  22:  Gangster Johnny Torrio is arrested
  6:  Tornadoes hit the southern US, killing 
  421
  1936 Apr
  13:  Th e FBI arrests wanted kidnappers 
  Alvin Karpis and Th omas Robinson, Jr.
  2:  Bold Venture wins the Kentucky Derby
  30:  Louis Meyer wins the Indianapolis 500 
  with an average speed of 109.1 miles per 
  hour
  27:  Th e Queen Mary begins its maiden voy-
  age from Great Britain
  1936 May
  18:  A court convicts Lucky Luciano on 62 
  counts of compulsory prostitution, ﬁ nding 
  that his monopoly on the New York City 
  sex trade involved 200 “houses” employing 
  1,000 women
  30:  In the US, federal law mandates the 
  40-hour work week
  1936 June
  27:  A court convicts Alvin Karpis and 
  sentences him to life imprisonment
  30:  David O. Selznick pays the unheard-of 
  sum of $50,000 for the ﬁ lm rights to Gone 
  With Th e Wind
  14:  A heat wave in the US claims 1,000 lives
  1936 July
  24:  Japan executes nine Soviet spies
  1:  Th e Olympics open in Berlin. Ameri-
  can Jesse Owens demonstrates the error 
  of Hitler’s racial superiority doctrine by 
  winning four gold medals. Th e US beats 
  Canada 19-8 in the ﬁ rst Olympic basketball 
  competition.
  21:  Wilt Chamberlain is born
  1.  Yves St. Laurent is born
  1936 Aug
  
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  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1936 Sept
  3:  Italy sends warships to Spain to protect Italians there
  7:  Germany conﬁ scates 25% of all Jewish “fortunes”
  10:  50,000 young people march in support of Hitler at Nuremburg
  12:  Franco’s forces capture San Sebastien. On the 21st, they capture Maqueda; on the 27th, 
  Toledo.
  30:  Franco’s forces lift  the Republican siege of the Alcázar near Toledo and make bloody 
  reprisal against the Republicans there
  Stalin makes Nikolai Yezhov the head of the NKVD. Th us begins the Yezhovschina, or 
  Great Purge, in the USSR; over the next two years Stalin and his ﬂ unkies kill 4-10 million 
  people in an eﬀ ort to eliminate his political enemies, both real and perceived
  1936 Oct
  1:  Spanish rebels name Franco dictator of Spain, referring to him as Caudillo (“leader”) or 
  Generalissimo
  10:  Schuschnigg becomes dictator of Austria
  16:  Religious riots in Bombay result in 35 deaths
  23:  Germany sends the Condor military unit to aid Franco in Spain
  25:  Th e Rome-Berlin “Axis” is formed
  26:  In an uncharacteristic show of humor, Stalin says that reports of his death are true
  9:  Boulder Dam begins transmitting 
  electricity
  19:  Reporter H.R. Ekins wins an around-
  the-world race by commercial airlines in 
  18.5 days
  Pan Am begins regularly-scheduled trans-
  Paciﬁ c passenger service
  1936 Nov
  3:  President Roosevelt is re-elected, defeating Alfred Landon
  6:  Franco’s forces approach Madrid; the government moves to Valencia. On the 23rd, the 
  US Embassy staﬀ  leaves Madrid.
  14:  In deﬁ ance of the Treaty of Versailles, Germany claims control over its rivers
  18:  Germany and Italy recognize the Franco regime
  22:  Japan ﬁ ghts Mongolia
  25:  Germany, Italy, and Japan form the Axis
  29:  Th e USSR claims it has the world’s largest air force, with 7,000 planes
  1936 Dec
  1:  President Roosevelt opens the Pan-American Conference in Buenos Aires
  8:  Nicaragua elects Anastasio Somoza president
  11:  King Edward VIII of Great Britain abdicates the throne to marry American divorcee 
  Wallis Simpson; his brother becomes King George VI
  12:  Gen. Chang Hsueh-liang captures Gen. Chiang Kai-shek when he comes to Sian to 
  urge stronger action against the Communists in Yenan.
  16:  Franco’s forces bomb Catalonia
  25:  Gen. Chang Hsueh-liang releases Gen. Chiang Kai-shek aft er he agrees to focus on 
  ﬁ ghting the Japanese instead of the Communists. Chang then submits to arrest
  30:  A strike shuts down seven GM plants in the US
  1936 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan become Soviet Socialist republics
  Germany’s re-armament programs and central control over the economy largely eliminate 
  unemployment by this year
  Massive strikes and other forms of labor unrest aﬀ ect France, but eventually workers gain 
  numerous concessions
  Heinrich Himmler takes control of the Gestapo, combines it with Germany’s regular 
  police force, and has it begin compiling dossiers on virtually everyone in Germany
  Germany begins building the Siegfried Line
  A. Edwin Stevens of Great Britain invents 
  the ﬁ rst wearable hearing aid; it weighs two 
  pounds
  Sir Robert Alexander Watson-Watt begins 
  setting up radar stations on the coast of 
  Great Britain
  Gatwick Airport opens near London
  In Germany, Konrad Zuse begins building a 
  primitive digital computer using parts from 
  what amounts to an Erector Set; in 1939 he 
  receives funding from the Reich for further 
  work
  Aft er ﬁ ve years of work, Boulder Dam is 
  completed (some sources date the comple-
  tion to May 1, 1935); this creates Lake 
  Mead, the world’s largest reservoir
  Volwiler and Tabern create sodium pento-
  thal (a.k.a. “truth serum”)
  Dr. Alexis Carrel and Charles Lindbergh 
  invent an artiﬁ cial heart
  Amy Mollison ﬂ ies from Great Britain to 
  Cape Town in 3 days, 6 hours, 25 minutes
  Jean Batten ﬂ ies solo from Great Britain to 
  New Zealand in slightly over 11 days
  
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  YEAR
  29:  A court convicts 12 members of the 
  secret organization known as the Black Le-
  gion, a KKK-like group based in Michigan, 
  of murder
  1936 Sept
  6:  Th e New York Yankees beat the New 
  York Giants in the World Series
  1936 Oct
  23:  Th e ﬁ rst issue of Life magazine is 
  published
  7:  Controversial priest Father Charles 
  Coughlin suspends his popular radio show 
  in light of President Roosevelt’s re-election. 
  Coughlin had sharply criticized Roosevelt 
  for not doing enough to aid the poor, 
  earning him a rebuke from the Vatican in 
  September.
  12:  Th e Oakland Bay Bridge opens in San 
  Francisco
  30:  A ﬁ re destroys the famed Crystal Palace 
  in Great Britain
  1936 Nov
  10:  Eugene O’Neill wins the Nobel Prize 
  for Literature
  17:  Edgar Bergen and his dummy, Charlie 
  McCarthy, debut on Rudy Vallee’s radio 
  show
  18:  Th e US’s ﬁ rst panda, Su-Lin, arrives in 
  San Francisco
  1936 Dec
  Stefano Magaddino’s sister is killed by a 
  bomb meant to kill him
  Frank Wilson, former Capone nemesis, 
  becomes head of the Secret Service
  Jacob “Gurrah” Shapiro is convicted of labor 
  racketeering and sentenced to life in prison
  Notable literature of the year:  Absalom! 
  Absalom!, by William Faulkner; Gone With 
  Th e Wind, by Margaret Mitchell; How To 
  Win Friends And Inﬂ uence People, by Dale 
  Carnegie; Drums Along Th e Mohawk, by 
  Walter Edmonds; Th e Joy Of Cooking
  Notable music of the year:  Peter and the 
  Wolf, by Prokoﬁ ev; Pennies From Heaven; 
  It’s De-Lovely
  Notable ﬁ lms of the year:  Modern Times, 
  starring Charlie Chaplin; Sylvia Scarlett, 
  starring Katherine Hepburn and Cary 
  Grant; Mr. Deeds Goes To Town, starring 
  Gary Cooper
  Swing dancing becomes popular
  Frank Lloyd Wright ﬁ nishes building Fall-
  ing Water at Bear Run, Pennsylvania
  Th e US population reaches 127.5 million
  Th e Tampax tampon is introduced
  Penguin introduces the ﬁ rst paperback 
  books
  Eleanor Roosevelt begins writing her syndi-
  cated newspaper column, “My Day”
  For a second time, explorer Eric Shipton 
  tries, and fails, to climb Mt. Everest.
  1936
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  
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  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1937
  1937 Jan
  13:  Th e US makes it illegal for Americans to ﬁ ght in the Spanish Civil War; nevertheless, 
  many volunteers go there to ﬁ ght Franco
  30:  Germany guarantees the neutrality of Belgium and the Netherlands
  19:  Howard Hughes sets a cross-country 
  speed record by ﬂ ying from Los Angeles to 
  New York in 7 hours, 22 minutes
  1937 Feb
  4:  A dock strike in San Francisco ends, sending 40,000 men back to work
  8:  Franco’s forces, aided by 15,000 Italian troops, capture Malaga. Th e fascists continue to 
  besiege Madrid.
  11:  Th e striking GM automobile workers win wage concessions and end their strike
  19:  Ethiopian rebels try, and fail, to assassinate the Italian viceroy, Gen. Rudolfo Graziani
  23:  Italian forces obliterate an army of 3,000 Ethiopian rebels that planned to attack Addis 
  Ababa
  16:  Wallace Carothers of DuPont patents 
  nylon (as well as the process for making it), 
  which he developed in 1936
  21:  A company in California test-ﬂ ies the 
  world’s ﬁ rst combination car-airplane, the 
  Arrowbile. It claims the vehicle has a top 
  speed of 70 miles per hour on land, 120 in 
  the air.
  1937 Mar
  16:  A riot in Paris between Communists and fascists leaves four dead and 310 injured
  16:  Th e Bolivian government seizes Standard Oil properties there
  15:  Th e ﬁ rst blood bank is opened at Cook 
  County Hospital in Chicago
  1937 Apr
  5:  Th e Spanish government is reportedly using 140 Russian planes
  20:  Franco’s forces make gains in the Bilbao region; Franco proclaims the Falange as the 
  nation’s only legal political party
  26:  German warplanes aiding Franco’s forces bomb and strafe the Basque capital of Guer-
  nica, killing hundreds
  21:  Great Britain inaugurates its ﬁ rst air-
  craft  carrier, the Ark Royal
  28:  Th e Pan Am Clipper arrives in Hong 
  Kong to complete the ﬁ rst commercial 
  ﬂ ight across the Paciﬁ c Ocean
  1937 May
  1:  President Roosevelt signs the third Neutrality Act
  5:  Th e Spanish government quashes an anarchist revolt in Catalonia
  28:  Neville Chamberlain becomes prime minister of Great Britain upon the retirement of 
  Stanley Baldwin
  29:  Spanish government bombs set a German battleship in the Mediterranean on ﬁ re
  6:  Th e hydrogen-ﬁ lled dirigible Hinden-
  burg bursts into ﬂ ame and crashes to the 
  ground as it approaches the landing spire 
  at Lakehurst, NJ, killing over 30 of its crew 
  and passenger complement of 97. Witnesses 
  report hearing a boom and seeing a ﬂ ash 
  from the dirigible’s rear gondola, aft er 
  which ﬂ ames engulfed the airship in mere 
  moments. Th e cause of the disaster is never 
  satsifactorily determined. Th e likeliest cul-
  prits are sparks from the engine, lightning, 
  or static electricity igniting the volatile 
  hydrogen used to ﬂ oat the craft  (instead 
  of safer helium, which Germany doesn’t 
  have), but sabotage cannot be ruled out. On 
  May 11, Germany suspends all hydrogen 
  dirigible ﬂ ights.
  1937 June
  9:  A royal commission oﬃ  cially considers partitioning Jerusalem between the Arabs and 
  the Jews
  12:  Stalin continues his purges by having eight generals executed
  19:  Franco’s forces capture Bilbao
  20:  Léon Blum resigns as premier of France as that nation’s economic woes, labor unrest, 
  and disputes between rightists and left ists continue
  27:  King George VI is cheered 150,000 German veterans on a visit to Berlin
  20:  Russian aviators complete the ﬁ rst 
  transarctic ﬂ ight to land in Vancouver
  1937 July
  7:  Following a confrontation at the Marco Polo Bridge near Peking, the Sino-Japanese War 
  begins as Japan invades China. On the 13th, Japanese forces battle the Chinese just outside 
  Peking. Beginning on the 28th, the Japanese rout the Chinese, taking over the region from 
  Peking to Tientsin.
  16:  Buchenwald becomes the fourth Nazi concentration camp
  28:  Th e IRA attempts to kill King George VI with a bomb during his visit to Belfast; the 
  king escapes unharmed
  2:  Amelia Earhart is lost in the Paciﬁ c on 
  her around-the-world ﬂ ight along with her 
  navigator, Fred Noonan. No trace of them 
  or the plane is ever found.
  20:  Guglielmo Marconi dies
  1937 Aug
  8:  Japan occupies Peking. On the 11th, 32 Japanese warships gather at Shanghai. Women 
  and children evacuate the city before the Japanese attack begins; by month’s end, Japanese 
  attacks have largely destroyed the city. By the 25th, the Japanese navy has largely block-
  aded the Chinese coast.
  21:  China signs a non-aggression treaty with the USSR
  26:  Franco’s forces capture Santander
  
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  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  1937
  1:  Pittsburgh beats Washington in the Rose 
  Bowl
  19:  Ballet dancer Margot Fonteyn debuts in 
  Giselle in London
  1:  Hormel comes up with a name for its 
  new food product, Spam
  2:  Andrew Mellon gives the $9 million 
  National Gallery and his $19 million art 
  collection to the US
  17:  In China, a train ﬁ re claims 17 lives
  22:  A freeze destroys half of the California 
  citrus crop
  27:  Flooding along the Mississippi and 
  Ohio rivers kills hundreds and leaves mil-
  lions homeless
  1937 Jan
  13:  Th e USSR executes 13 Trostskyites
  5:  A Georgia O’Keefe art exhibit opens in 
  New York City
  5:  President Roosevelt announces a plan 
  to add one Justice to the Supreme Court 
  for each Justice age 70 or older who doesn’t 
  retire. His plan is widely derided as “Court 
  packing,” an attempt to force the Supreme 
  Court to rule in his favor on the constitu-
  tionality of New Deal legislation.
  11:  General Motors signs the ﬁ rst union 
  contract in the history of the US automo-
  bile industry
  17:  10 men working on the Golden Gate 
  Bridge die when a scaﬀ olding collapses
  1937 Feb
  15:  H.P. Lovecraft  dies of intestinal cancer 
  and Bright’s disease
  18:  A school ﬁ re in New London, TX kills 
  500 people, most of them children
  1937 Mar
  1937 Apr
  18:  New York arrests 14 participants in a 
  major insurance fraud scheme
  20:  Th e USSR executes 44 alleged Japanese 
  spies
  3:  Margaret Mitchell wins the Pulitzer  
  Prize for Gone With Th e Wind
  8:  War Admiral wins the Kentucky Derby
  9:  Th e studios avert a strike by the Screen 
  Actors Guild by agreeing to most of the 
  union’s demands
  31:  Wilbur Shaw wins the Indianapolis 500 
  with an average speed of 113.6 miles per 
  hour
  23:  John D. Rockefeller dies
  24:  Th e US Supreme Court upholds the 
  Social Security Act
  25:  Th e International Exposition opens 
  in Paris (though most exhibits are not ﬁ n-
  ished, due to labor unrest); fashion designer 
  Elsa Schiaparelli’s pavilion is one of the 
  biggest attractions
  27:  Th e Golden Gate Bridge opens
  1937 May
  11:  Chicago police arrest 50 suspects in a 
  window-breaking vandalism ring; one of 
  the suspects heads a large glass company
  14:  Th e USSR executes 28 alleged spies in 
  Siberia
  5:  War Admiral wins the Triple Crown
  7:  Jean Harlow dies at age 26 of uremia 
  poisoning
  19:  Sir James Barrie dies
  22:  Joe Louis beats James Braddock to take 
  the heavyweight championship
  3:  Edward, Duke of Windsor, formerly 
  King Edward VIII, marries Wallis Simpson
  4:  Th e supermarket shopping cart is ﬁ rst 
  used, in Oklahoma City
  8:  Th e American Medical Association “of-
  ﬁ cially accepts” (i.e., endorses) birth control
  1937 June
  3:  Don Budge wins the singles, doubles, 
  and mixed doubles titles at Wimbledon, 
  becoming the ﬁ rst person to do so
  11: George Gershwin dies
  9:  A heat wave hits the US, killing 109
  23:  Great Britain passes a divorce reform 
  law
  1937 July
  2.  Th e Marijuana Traﬃ  c Act outlaws the 
  sale or possession of marijuana
  5:  Th e US wins the Americas Cup race 
  again
  8:  Dustin Hoﬀ man is born
  26:  Andrew Mellon dies
  1937 Aug
  
  112 ■ Pulp History
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  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1937 Sept
  5:  Th e Nazis hold their biggest rally ever at Nuremburg
  8:  A Pan-Arab conference in Syria rejects the Peel plan for partition of Palestine, insisting 
  that all of Palestine be given to the Arabs
  9:  Japan begins air raids on Chinese trains
  21:  Th e Japanese launch an air raid on Nanking
  29:  Chinese Nationalists and Communists agree to work together to oppose the Japanese
  1937 Oct
  1:  Great Britain deports several Arab leaders from Palestine
  2:  Th e Japanese enter Shantung as they march on Nanking
  20:  Great Britain restricts Jewish immigration to Palestine, now using national political 
  conditions instead of personal economic conditions as the touchstone for entry
  21:  Franco’s forces capture Gijon; he now controls all of northern Spain
  21:  Stalin’s purge continues as he executes 62 more rivals and opponents
  1937 Nov
  3:  US troops prevent Japanese forces from occupying the American sector of Shanghai. 
  On the 8th, the Chinese retreat from Shanghai, leaving the city in Japanese hands.
  4:  Mexico nationalizes oil lands leased to Standard Oil
  18:  Great Britain frees 1,100 Indian political prisoners aft er Gandhi appeals for it to do so
  28:  Franco’s forces blockade the coast of Spain
  29:  A German court takes the children away from parents who won’t teach them Nazi 
  ideology
  1937 Dec
  1:  Japan recognizes the Nationalists (Franco’s forces) as the government of Spain
  8:  Joseph Kennedy becomes US ambassador to Great Britain
  11:  Italy leaves the League Of Nations
  13:  Th e Japanese capture Nanking, where they murder 200,000 civilians
  22:  Th e Japanese sink a US gunboat and two Standard Oil ships, killing ﬁ ve Americans, 
  aft er mistaking them for Chinese ships
  24:  Th e Japanese capture Hankow
  29:  Th e Irish Free State releases a new constitution and refuses to acknowledge British 
  sovereignty
  1937 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  In the US, the “Roosevelt recession” begins:  the stock market, manufacturing, and agricul-
  tural prices all fall signiﬁ cantly, while unemployment rises, mainly because of President 
  Roosevelt’s eﬀ orts to cut federal spending and balance the US budget
  Fermi and Segre produce the ﬁ rst artiﬁ -
  cially-created element, technetium
  Grote Reber of the US builds the world’s 
  ﬁ rst radio telescope, with a reﬂ ector dish 
  approximately 31 feet in diameter, in his 
  backyard
  John Atanasoﬀ  begins work on the ﬁ rst 
  electronic computer, completing his proto-
  type in October, 1939 and an operational 
  version (the ABC) in 1942
  Georges Stibitz invents the ﬁ rst binary 
  circuit
  Th e Varian brothers invent the klystron, a 
  microwave-generating vacuum tube that 
  will see use in radar transmitters
  Doctors in Italy develop the ﬁ rst form of 
  shock therapy
  Germany begins testing rockets at Peen-
  emünde
  Anderson discovers the muon
  
  113 
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  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  10:  Nine nations meeting in Switzerland 
  agree to patrol the Mediterranean in zones 
  to combat the increasing problem of piracy
  3:  Orson Welles stars in, directs, and pro-
  duces the Mercury Th eater’s ﬁ rst radio play, 
  Les Misérables
  26:  Blues singer Bessie Smith dies
  3:  A typhoon hits Hong Kong, killing 300
  1937 Sept
  4:  Hugo Black becomes an Associate Justice 
  of the US Supreme Court despite having 
  recently admitted to once being a member 
  of the Ku Klux Klan
  12:  Federal agents kill Al Brady and his 
  gang in a shootout
  10:  Th e New York Yankees beat the New 
  York Giants to win the World Series
  1937 Oct
  2:  Fiorello LaGuardia is re-elected mayor 
  of New York City
  1937 Nov
  21:  In New York City, the Lincoln Tunnel 
  opens
  1937 Dec
  Facing a murder rap, mobster Vito Geno-
  vese ﬂ ees to Italy, where he becomes friends 
  with Benito Mussolini
  Notable literature of the year:  Th e Hobbit, 
  by J.R.R. Tolkien; Of Mice And Men, by 
  John Steinbeck; John Dos Passos ﬁ nishes 
  his trilogy U.S.A.
  Ernest Hemingway serves as a war cor-
  respondent in Spain
  Notable music of the year:  Th e Lady Is A 
  Tramp; Whistle While You Work
  Notable ﬁ lms of the year:  Snow White And 
  Th e Seven Dwarfs; Lost Horizon, starring 
  Ronald Colman; Captains Courageous, 
  starring Spencer Tracy; A Day At Th e Races, 
  starring the Marx Brothers
  Warner Bros. releases the ﬁ rst Bugs Bunny 
  cartoon, Porky’s Hare Hunt. It features the 
  voice stylings of Mel Blanc.
  Newsweek magazine is ﬁ rst published
  Picasso paints Guernica
  Th e drought in the US ends
  Th e US has two million home refrigerators; 
  Great Britain has 3,000
  Home freezers become more important 
  with the increasing popularity of frozen 
  foods, but most Americans still get ice 
  deliveries and make do with iceboxes
  Howard Johnson begins franchising his 
  restaurant
  Th e Waring Blendor is introduced, mainly 
  for commercial use
  Standard Oil drills the ﬁ rst oﬀ shore Louisi-
  ana oil wells
  1937 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  
  114 ■ Pulp History
  Hero System 5th Edition
  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1938
  1938 Jan
  10:  Th e Japanese capture Tsing-tao
  19:  Franco’s forces launch an air raid against Barcelona, killing 200 people
  19:  General Motors begins the mass pro-
  duction of diesel engines
  1938 Feb
  1:  Great Britain sends eight warships to the Mediterranean to ﬁ nd the “pirate submarine” 
  that sank the Endymion last month. On the 4th, the British freighter Alcira is torpedoed 
  and sunk.
  4:  Adolf Hitler names himself Supreme Commander of Germany’s military
  15:  Franco’s forces begin their drive to the Mediterranean
  20:  Adolf Hitler demands the right of self-determination for Germans in Czechoslovakia 
  and Austria
  22:  Hungary arrests the head of the Nazi party and 72 others for an alleged coup plot
  23:  A ﬂ ight of 12 Chinese ﬁ ghters drops bombs on Japan
  4:  John Baird demonstrates high-resolution 
  color television
  24:  Th e ﬁ rst nylon-based product, tooth-
  brushes with nylon bristles, goes on sale in 
  New Jersey
  26:  Th e US installs a radar system on the 
  passenger ship New York; by 1939, radar 
  can be found on battleships
  1938 Mar
  2:  Th e US claims several small islands in the Paciﬁ c Ocean
  11:  Germany masses troops on the Austrian border
  12-14:  Th e Anschluss:  Germany invades and takes over Austria
  15:  Stalin executes Nikolai Bukharin and 17 others as his purges continue
  17:  Franco’s forces launch air raids against Barcelona, killing 1,000
  18:  Mexico nationalizes all 17 British and American oil companies there, and creates 
  Pemex. In reprisal, the US stops buying Mexican silver.
  31:  6,000 Loyalist troops ﬂ ee Spain to seek haven in France
  1938 Apr
  2:  Great Britain recognizes Germany’s conquest of Austria; the US does the same on the 
  6th
  3:  Franco’s forces capture Lerida. On the 19th, aft er reaching the Mediterranean coast, 
  Franco announces that the war is eﬀ ectively over and urges Loyalists to surrender.
  10:  An Austrian referendum overwhelmingly approves the Anschluss, or “union,” with 
  Germany
  13:  Over 150,000 French auto workers go on strike
  14:  Chinese forces defeat the Japanese at Taierchwang, capturing 40,000 Japanese soldiers
  1938 May
  17:  Congress passes the Naval Expansion Act to fund the building of a two-ocean US 
  Navy
  21:  Czechoslovakia moves 400,000 troops to the German border
  25:  Franco’s forces launch an air raid on Alicante that kills 250 and sinks a British ship
  26:  At Akron, Ohio, years of labor unrest come to a head when the police break up a mob 
  of striking workers, injuring 100. On the 19th, the strike is resolved.
  1938 June
  19:  Alfredo Baldomir becomes president of Uruguay
  12:  In an eﬀ ort to slow and hinder the Japanese, Chiang Kai-shek’s forces destroy dikes on 
  the Yellow River; the resulting ﬂ oods kill 150,000 people
  28:  A battle south of Hankow kills 10,000 people
  4:  Sigmund Freud moves from Austria to 
  London
  23:  Th e US creates the Civil Aeronautics 
  Authority to control air traﬃ  c
  1938 July
  8:  Arab violence and strikes on the rise in Palestine
  11:  USSR and Japanese forces clash along the Manchukuo-Chosen (Korea) border
  21:  Paraguay and Bolivia sign a treaty deﬁ ning the boundaries of the Chaco region
  22:  Germany requires Jews to start carrying special identiﬁ cation cards
  3:  In Great Britain, the Mallard sets a steam 
  locomotive speed record of 126 miles per 
  hour
  15:  Howard Hughes sets a record by 
  completing an around-the-world ﬂ ight in 3 
  days, 19 hours, 17 minutes
  18:  Douglas “Wrong-Way” Corrigan, hav-
  ing been forbidden to make a transatlantic 
  solo ﬂ ight, makes one anyway, claiming his 
  compass misled him to ﬂ y to Ireland in-
  stead of Los Angeles aft er he left  New York
  1938 Aug
  4:  Mexico nationalizes more lands owned by Americans
  10:  Japan and the USSR sign a truce
  24:  Th e Japanese shoot down a US-Chinese airliner, then machine gun to death 19 survi-
  vors who ﬂ ee the wreckage
  26:  Bombs planted in an Arab market in Palestine kill 21 and wound 37
  15:  Th e Queen Mary sets a transatlantic 
  sailing record of 3 days, 21 hours
  27:  George Eyston sets a land speed record 
  of 345 miles per hour
  
  115 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  CRIME & PUNISHMENT
  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  1938
  1:  California beats Alabama in the Rose 
  Bowl
  14:  Th e FCC reprimands NBC for broad-
  casting a “lewd” show featuring Mae West
  17:  In Paris, the ﬁ rst international surrealist 
  exhibit opens
  31:  A torpedo sinks the British liner 
  Endymion in the Mediterranean, killing 11 
  people
  36 million Americans, or roughly one-third 
  of the population, now receive Social Secu-
  rity payments
  1938 Jan
  6:  Andres Segovia plays in the Town Hall in 
  New York City
  14:  Hedda Hopper, famous Hollywood gos-
  sip columnist, publishes her ﬁ rst column
  1938 Feb
  9:  Bob Hope begins his ﬁ lm career, singing 
  what will become his trademark song, 
  Th anks For Th e Memories, in the movie Th e 
  Big Broadcast Of 1938
  10:  For the ﬁ rst time since the Academy 
  of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences began 
  giving out the Academy Awards in 1927, 
  it keeps the winners’ names secret until 
  they’re announced at the awards ceremony
  17:  Rudolf Nureyev is born
  3:  Floods in California kill 144 and leave 
  20,000 homeless
  13:  Clarence Darrow dies
  15: Aramco makes the ﬁ rst major oil dis-
  coveries in Saudi Arabia
  1938 Mar
  8:  King Oliver dies
  15:  Th e St. Louis Cardinals trade Dizzy 
  Dean to the Chicago Cubs
  22:  Eddie Rickenbacher buys United Air-
  lines for $3.5 million
  1938 Apr
  2:  Th ornton Wilder’s play Our Town opens 
  in New York City
  7:  Lawrin wins the Kentucky Derby
  13:  Louis Armstrong records When Th e 
  Saints Go Marching In for Decca Records
  30:  Floyd Roberts wins the Indianapolis 
  500 with an average speed of 117.2 miles 
  per hour
  17:  Th e Marquess of Bute sells half of 
  Cardiﬀ , Wales for £20 million
  31:  Th e BBC broadcasts Spelling Bee, the 
  ﬁ rst TV game show
  1938 May
  20:  A grand jury in Washington, D.C. 
  indicts 18 alleged German spies
  3:  Germany votes to conﬁ scate “degenerate 
  art,” including works of the Fauvist school
  15:  Johnny Vandermeer of the Cincinnati 
  Reds pitches his second no-hitter in a row
  19:  Italy wins the second World Cup for 
  soccer
  23:  Th e ﬁ rst aquarium in the US, Marine-
  land, opens in Florida
  22:  Th e Chandler Act establishes US bank-
  ruptcy laws
  25:  Th e Fair Labor Standards Act becomes 
  law, establishing the US minimum wage at 
  40 cents an hour
  1938 June
  4:  Helen Moody wins her eighth Wimble-
  don title
  14:  David O. Selznick signs Alfred 
  Hitchcock to a contract to direct ﬁ lms in 
  Hollywood
  24:  Artie Shaw records Begin Th e Beguine
  29:  Jenny Kammersgaad becomes the ﬁ rst 
  person to swim the Baltic Sea, covering 37 
  miles in 40 hours
  1938 July
  7:  Actor trainer Constantin Stanislavsky 
  dies
  24:  Clark Gable reluctantly agrees to play 
  Rhett Butler in Gone With Th e Wind
  30:  Max Factor dies
  1938 Aug
  
  116 ■ Pulp History
  Hero System 5th Edition
  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1938 Sept
  1:  Italy expels all Jews who have entered the country since 1919
  8:  Germans in the Sudetenland demonstrate for union with Germany
  15:  Neville Chamberlain ﬂ ies to Berlin to meet with Adolf Hitler. On the 18th, France 
  and Great Britain ask Czechoslovakia to cede the Sudetenland to Germany. On the 30th, 
  Germany, Great Britain, Italy, and France sign a pact giving the Sudetenland to Germany. 
  Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain states that the agreement will ensure “peace in our 
  time.”
  8:  Chester Carlson patents the photocopier, 
  which he developed in 1937, but no practi-
  cal working model is built for 20 years. He 
  demonstrates his “xerography” process on 
  October 22.
  27:  Th e Queen Elizabeth takes her maiden 
  voyage
  1938 Oct
  1:  Poland annexes Teschen and Silesia from Czechoslovakia.
  3:  Th e German army occupies the Sudetenland
  10:  British troops occupy Bethlehem. On the 18th, martial law is imposed in Palestine due 
  to an ongoing siege of Jerusalem by Arabs.
  19:  Charles Lindbergh receives the Service Cross from Adolf Hitler
  21:  Japan conquers Canton, but ﬁ nds that the Chinese have destroyed most of the build-
  ings
  25:  Japan captures Hankow and Wuhan
  28:  Germany deports thousands of Jews to Poland
  9:  Th e altimeter is demonstrated in New 
  York City
  1938 Nov
  1:  Reports claim that Hitler’s approach to the Czechoslovakia matter was guided by an 
  astrologer
  2:  Axis arbiters award Slovakia and Ruthenia to Hungary
  9:  Th e Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass):  Aft er the November 7th assassination of 
  German diplomat Ernst vom Rath by a Jew in Paris, Nazis in Berlin go on a rampage, mur-
  dering Jews, destroying Jewish property, and burning a synagogue. More than 90 people 
  are killed, and as many as 30,000 Jews are sent to concentration camps.
  9:  Great Britain declares the planned partition of Palestine is now unfeasible
  10:  Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, father of modern Turkey, dies; Ismet Onu becomes president
  11:  Cuban leader Fulgencio Batista visits the White House
  12:  Mexico agrees to compensate the US for the recent land seizures
  1938 Dec
  1:  Great Britain plans a national register listing what each citizen can do in wartime
  18:  Otto Hahn of Germany produces ﬁ s-
  sion of uranium for the ﬁ rst time
  20:  Vladimir Zworykin patents the kin-
  escope (a.k.a. the cathode-ray receiver)
  31:  Indianapolis, Indiana, uses the ﬁ rst 
  device for testing blood-alcohol content, 
  the “drunkometer”
  1938 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  Th e Lincoln and Washington battalions of American volunteers ﬁ ghting on behalf of the 
  Loyalists in Spain are decimated in the ﬁ ghting
  In Manchuria, the performance of bacteriological experiments on captured Chinese by the 
  Japanese army’s Unit 731 become a “routine procedure.” Th e marutas (“wood logs”) are 
  infected with anthrax, typhoid, and other virulent diseases.
  Congress forms the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)
  Eastern Airlines is created
  Northrop Aircraft  is founded
  McDonnell Aircraft  is founded
  Owens-Illinois and Corning Glass Works 
  perfect ﬁ berglass
  George and Ladislao Biro of Hungary pat-
  ent the ﬁ rst ballpoint pen that becomes a 
  commercial success
  G.S. Callendar describes the greenhouse 
  eﬀ ect
  German military engineers design the ﬁ rst 
  Panzer tank
  
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  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  15:  Th omas Wolfe dies
  21:  A hurricane hits Long Island and New 
  England, killing 680 people, causing $400 
  million in property damage, and destroying 
  two billion trees. Th anks to the heroic ef-
  forts of 60 beaver colonies, ﬂ ooding in New 
  Jersey is minimal.
  1938 Sept
  9:  Th e New York Yankees beat the Chicago 
  Cubs in the World Series
  30:  Orson Welles, best known as the voice 
  of the radio character the Shadow, broad-
  casts a radio adaptation of H.G. Wells’s Th e 
  War Of Th e Worlds that describes the Mar-
  tians as landing at Grover’s Mill, NJ instead 
  of in England. Th e drama is so realistic that 
  despite frequent announcements that it’s 
  ﬁ ctitious, approximately one million of the 
  six million listeners believe it’s a real news 
  report and panic.  Police departments are 
  swamped with calls, and some people faint, 
  go into hysterics, or threaten suicide.
  1938 Oct
  12:  Kate Smith sings the new Irving Berlin 
  song, God Bless America, on her radio show
  8:  Th e Republican Party makes its ﬁ rst 
  gains in Congress in ten years
  11:  Typhoid Mary, blamed as the prime 
  carrier of the 1904 typhoid epidemic, dies 
  of a stroke in New York
  27:  Controversial right-wing priest Father 
  Coughlin claims the Jews ﬁ nanced the 1919 
  Russian Revolution
  1938 Nov
  10:  Pearl S. Buck wins the Nobel Prize for 
  Literature
  22:  Th e long-thought-extinct ﬁ sh the 
  coelacanth is discovered alive in the waters 
  oﬀ  South Africa
  1938 Dec
  Notable literature of the year:  Th e Yearling, 
  by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings; Nausea, by 
  Jean-Paul Sartre; Out Of Africa, by Isak 
  Dinesen
  Notable ﬁ lms of the year:  Robin Hood, star-
  ring Errol Flynn; Angels With Dirty Faces, 
  starring Jimmy Cagney and Humphrey 
  Bogart; Boys Town, starring Spencer Tracy 
  and Mickey Rooney; Jezebel, starring Bette 
  Davis
  Superman debuts in Action Comics
  Fiberglass begins to replace wood in skis, 
  boat hulls, and the like
  Frank Lloyd Wright completes Taliesin 
  West
  Nearly 8 million remain unemployed in 
  the US
  Nescafé is introduced in Switzerland
  Nestlé Corporation introduces instant 
  coffee
  GE and Westinghouse introduce the ﬂ uo-
  rescent lamp
  Th e March Of Dimes is founded
  Congress creates the Olympic National 
  Park
  1938 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  
  118 ■ Pulp History
  Hero System 5th Edition
  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1939
  1939 Jan
  4:  Baron Hiranuma, a fascist, becomes premier of Japan
  26:  Franco’s forces take Barcelona
  11:   Marguerite Perey discovers the ele-
  ment francium
  28:  Scientists split an atom to release 200 
  million volts of electricity
  Th e new Trans-Iranian Railway links the 
  Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf
  1939 Feb
  3:  Cuban leader Fulgencio Batista visits Mexico, urging “Latin solidarity”
  6:  130,000 Spanish refugees enter France
  9:  Franco’s forces reach the border of Catalonia. On the 27th, Great Britain recognizes 
  Franco’s regime.
  10:  Pope Pius XI dies
  10:  Th e Japanese occupy Hainan, an island in French Indo-China
  13:  Mexico nationalizes the assets of the United Sugar Company, a US ﬁ rm
  19:  An attempted coup in Peru fails
  14:  Germany launches the battleship 
  Bismarck
  1939 Mar
  2:  Pius XII becomes pope
  15:  Germany completes its conquest of Czechoslovakia as the Reich’s army enters Prague. 
  On the 16th, Slovakia, Moravia, and Bohemia become German protectorates, and Hungary 
  annexes the Carpatho-Ukraine.
  22:  Germany annexes the Lithuanian port of Memel
  28:  Francisco Franco captures Madrid, ending the Spanish Civil War. Within two days, the 
  Franco regime in Spain has already arrested 100,000 opponents.
  31:  Japan annexes the Spratly Islands even though they’re owned by France
  1939 Apr
  1:  Hitler repudiates the Anglo-German naval treaty
  1:  Th e US recognizes the Franco regime
  1:  Great Britain and Poland sign a mutual aid treaty
  4:  King Ghazi of Iraq dies in an automobile crash. Iraqis riot, stoning the British consul to 
  death on rumors that the British engineered the crash. Feisal II becomes king.
  5:  Th e French elect Albert Lebrun president
  5:  Germany draft s all German males ages 10-18
  7:  Italy invades Albania; King Zog ﬂ ees
  10:  Th e British ﬂ eet in the Mediterranean sails to Greece and Turkey to forestall possible 
  Italian aggression
  10:  Th e Netherlands mobilizes soldiers on its German border
  11:  Hungary withdraws from the League Of Nations
  28:  Hitler rejects a proposal from President Roosevelt to meet at sea
  1939 May
  3:  Vyacheslav Molotov replaces Maxim Litvinov as Foreign Minister of the USSR
  5:  President Somoza of Nicaragua visits Washington, D.C. and meets with President 
  Roosevelt
  22:  Germany and Italy sign the “Pact of Steel” to bind themselves together economically, 
  politically, and militarily
  Japan bombs Chungking, killing over 7,000
  20:  Pan Am begins regularly scheduled 
  transatlantic service from Port Washington, 
  NY to Europe
  25:  Th e US Navy submarine Squalus sinks, 
  killing 26 sailors
  1939 June
  2:  Unrest strikes Palestine as a bomb kills ﬁ ve Arabs in Jerusalem, and three Jews and four 
  Britons are killed while patrolling
  3:  Germany trades Bolivia arms for an airbase
  7:  Estonia and Latvia sign a non-aggression pact with Germany
  23:  France and Turkey sign a mutual aid pact
  1:  Th e Douglas DC-4 makes its ﬁ rst ﬂ ight 
  from Chicago to New York City with 40 
  passengers
  15:  Th e French submarine Pheonix sinks in 
  Indochina, killing 63
  1939 July
  18:  2,000 Nazi guards arrive in the free city of Danzig. Germany clearly wants to take over 
  the city, but France and Great Britain indicate doing so could cause a war.
  21:  President Cardenas oﬀ ers each Mexican peasant 50 acres of land
  23:  President Roosevelt asks Congress to revise the Neutrality Act to allow for arms sales
  25:  Japan closes the river access to Canton
  1:  Roy Plunkett of Kinetic Chemicals (a 
  DuPont subsidiary) patents Teﬂ on®
  15:  Aviatrix Clara Adams becomes the first 
  woman to fly around the world
  1939 Aug
  8:  Germany orders all citizens between 5 and 70 to register for possible wartime assign-
  ments
  16:  Germany demands that it be given both Danzig and Pomorze. Poland moves troops to 
  the German border, and France and Great Britain pledge to support it. On the 19th, Ger-
  many sends 14 U-boats into the North Atlantic. On the 23rd, France begins to mobilize for 
  war; Great Britain has also begun to mobilize, and on the 30th begins evacuating children 
  from the cities to the countryside. Americans fearing war ﬂ ee Europe.
  23:  Germany and the USSR sign the Molotov-Von Ribbentrop Pact, a non-aggression 
  treaty.
  2:  Albert Einstein writes President Roos-
  evelt to suggest that an atomic bomb is 
  feasible
  
  119 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  CRIME & PUNISHMENT
  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  1939
  2:  Southern California beats Duke in the 
  Rose Bowl
  28:  William Butler Yeats dies
  30:  James Naismith, inventor of basketball, 
  claims the game’s becoming too rough
  25:  An earthquake in Chile kills thousands
  1939 Jan
  25:  James J. Hines, a powerful New York 
  politician, is convicted of conspiracy and 
  various other charges pertaining to his cor-
  rupt conduct helping the Schultz, Luciano, 
  and Costello mobs 
  27:  Th e Daughters of the American 
  Revolution refuse to let black singer Mar-
  ian Anderson sing at Constitution Hall in 
  Washington, D.C. Eleanor Roosevelt resigns 
  from the DAR in protest.
  27:  Th e “most haunted house in England,” 
  Borley Rectory, burns down
  1939 Feb
  20:  President Roosevelt names William O. 
  Douglas to the Supreme Court
  29:  Clark Gable and Carol Lombard wed 
  in Arizona
  25:  In New York City, 20,000 demonstrators 
  march to protest the Nazis
  30:  In New York City, William Hitler states 
  that his Uncle Adolf is “a menace”
  Explorer Richard Halliburton’s junk, the Sea 
  Dragon, is lost in the Paciﬁ c with all hands 
  during an attempt to sail from China to San 
  Francisco
  Nylon stockings become available
  1939 Mar
  30:  Th e World’s Fair opens in New York. Its 
  Perisphere and Trylon structures become 
  easily-recognized symbols.
  2:  Th e American Civil Liberties Union 
  (ACLU) defends the rights of Nazis to 
  distribute literature in the US
  1939 Apr
  3:  Th e Andrews Sisters record Th e Beer 
  Barrel Polka
  6:  Johnstown wins the Kentucky Derby
  14:  Barbara Stanwyck marries Robert 
  Taylor
  30:  Wilbur Shaw wins the Indianapolis 500 
  with an average speed of 155 miles per hour
  10:  Th e US Methodist Church unites for 
  the ﬁ rst time in 108 years
  1939 May
  12:  Byron Nelson wins the US Open
  21:  Lou Gehrig quits baseball on account 
  of illness
  4:  Th e liner St. Louis, carrying 900 Jewish 
  refugees from Europe, is turned away at a 
  Florida port. Aft er later being turned away 
  from Cuba, it returns to Europe; many of its 
  passengers later die in Nazi concentration 
  camps.
  10:  King George VI and Queen Elizabeth 
  visit the World’s Fair in New York City, 
  becoming the ﬁ rst British monarchs to visit 
  the US (and, later, Canada)
  1939 June
  13:  Frank Sinatra makes his recording 
  debut with the Harry James Band
  5:  Flash ﬂ oods hit Kentucky, killing 5
  1939 July
  24:  Feared mobster Louis “Lepke” Buchal-
  ter, head of Murder, Inc., turns himself in 
  to Walter Winchell, a New York columnist; 
  Winchell turns him over to the FBI
  1:  Glenn Miller records In Th e Mood
  26:  W2XBS broadcasts the ﬁ rst televised 
  baseball game
  7:  Standard Oil receives an oil concession 
  for all of Saudi Arabia, thanks largely to the 
  fact that King Ibn Saud trusts the US but 
  not the other countries who have tried to 
  obtain the concession
  14:  President Roosevelt announces that he’s 
  moving Th anksgiving forward one week, 
  much to the annoyance of a lot of people 
  but the plaudits of retailers
  1939 Aug
  
  120 ■ Pulp History
  Hero System 5th Edition
  YEAR
  POLITICS & WAR
  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
  1939 Sept
  1:  Germany invades Poland and takes Danzig
  3:  Great Britain and France declare war on Germany. World War II begins. On the 5th, 
  President Roosevelt pledges to keep the US out of the war, if possible.
  3:  A U-boat sinks the British liner Athena
  7:  Germany sends troops west to confront France
  9:  German forces reach Warsaw. Th e USSR invades Poland on the 16th; by month’s end 
  the Reich and the Russians have split Poland up between themselves following Poland’s 
  surrender on the 27th
  10:  Th e British Expeditionary Force begins to land in France
  18:  A U-boat sinks the British aircraft  carrier Courageous, killing 500 sailors
  21:  In Romania, the fascist Iron Guard assassinates Premier Calineseu
  23:  Sigmund Freud dies
  1939 Oct
  World War II continues:  aft er France and Great Britain reject Hitler’s peace oﬀ er, Ger-
  many attacks the Western Front with 100,000 soldiers. Th e USSR invades Latvia. Germany 
  enslaves all Polish Jews ages 14-60.
  1939 Nov
  World War II continues:  the USSR invades Finland; the US ends its embargo on arms 
  sales; Hitler escapes an assassination plot involving a bomb in a Munich beer hall; Mus-
  solini reorganizes the Italian army; the British attack Wilhelmshaven
  1939 Dec
  World War II continues:  the German oﬀ ensive along the Rhine begins; the Germans 
  scuttle the battleship Graf Spee to keep it out of British hands aft er the Battle of the River 
  Plate near Montevideo, Uruguay
  13:  Th e ﬁ rst standard Lincoln Continental 
  is produced
  1939 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  Nonintervention sentiments grow in the US aft er World War II begins. Leading voices for 
  the cause include Herbert Hoover, Charles Lindbergh, Th eodore Roosevelt, Jr., Sen. Harry 
  Bird, Sen. William Borah, and Henry Ford.
  France transfers the sanjak (district) of Alexandretta to Turkey
  Igor Sikorsky ﬂ ies the ﬁ rst US-made 
  helicopter
  FM radio receivers are introduced
  DDT is introduced in Switzerland
  In Germany, the Heinkel He-178, an ex-
  perimental jet airplane, has a successful test 
  ﬂ ight in which it reaches 360 miles per hour
  
  121 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  CRIME & PUNISHMENT
  ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
  LIFE & TIMES
  YEAR
  29:  Fritz Kuhn, leader of the German-
  American Bund, is arrested in New York 
  City for larceny.
  9:  Newsday begins publication
  1939 Sept
  23:  Zane Grey dies
  Th e New York Yankees beat the Cincinnati 
  Reds in the World Series
  1:  Th e World’s Fair closes aft er having 
  received 26 million visitors
  15:  New York dedicates LaGuardia Airport
  1939 Oct
  29:  A court convicts Fritz Kuhn of larceny
  1:  Rockefeller Center opens
  18:  Th e Dutch liner Simon Bolivar hits a 
  mine and sinks, killing 140
  1939 Nov
  22:  Gloria Jacobs, age 17, establishes a new 
  world pistol record, 299 out of 300
  27:  Earthquakes hit Turkey, killing 11,000
  1939 Dec
  Th e US government releases Al Capone 
  from Alcatraz. His mind ravaged by syphi-
  lis, he moves to his Miami Beach estate, 
  where he dies in 1947.
  Paul “the Waiter” Ricca becomes the main 
  power in the Chicago mobs
  Federal judge Martin Manton is convicted 
  of numerous acts of judicial corruption on 
  behalf of various mobsters over the past 
  dozen-plus years
  In Los Angeles, Bugsy Siegel kills mobster 
  Harry Greenberg, who’s fallen out of favor 
  with New York crime bosses
  Notable literature of the year:  Finnegan’s 
  Wake, by James Joyce; Captain Horatio 
  Hornblower, by C.S. Forester; Th e Grapes Of 
  Wrath, by John Steinbeck; Th e Web And Th e 
  Rock, by Th omas Wolfe; Th e Big Sleep, by 
  Raymond Chandler
  Notable ﬁ lms of the year:  Stagecoach, 
  starring John Wayne; Th e Hound Of Th e 
  Baskervilles, starring Basil Rathbone; Th e 
  Wizard Of Oz, starring Judy Garland and 
  Ray Bolger; Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, 
  starring Jimmy Stewart; Gone With Th e 
  Wind, starring Clark Gable and Vivien 
  Leigh; Ninotchka, starring Greta Garbo
  Batman debuts in Detective Comics
  Lay’s Potato Chips are introduced
  503 million acres of US land remain 
  uncharted
  Leona Lax develops the concept of cup 
  sizing for bras
  John Borglum ﬁ nishes carving the fourth 
  head on Mt. Rushmore, Th eodore Roosevelt
  Th e US economy begins to boom thanks to 
  orders of wartime goods and materiel from 
  Europe
  At Sutton Hoo, Suﬀ olk, Great Britain, 
  archaeologists discover a remarkably pre-
  served Anglo-Saxon era burial ship
  1939 
  General and 
  Unspeciﬁ ed
  
  122 ■ The Pulp Timeline
  Hero System 5th Edition
  T
  he Pulp era isn’t just about events, discoveries, 
  and inventions — it’s about people, too. Some 
  of the most beloved and infamous ﬁ gures of 
  human history were active in the Twenties 
  and Th irties, and part of the fun of Pulp Hero is giving 
  your heroes a chance to meet these people.
  Th e paragraphs below provide brief descrip-
  tions of some of the most noteworthy people of the 
  Pulp era. Generally speaking, it doesn’t cover events 
  aft er 1939, and only major ones before 1920. If 
  you’d like to ﬁ nd out more about them, many his-
  tory texts and historical biography reference books 
  can tell you everything you need to know.
  POLITICS AND WAR
  Ataturk, Mustapha Kemal (1880-1938):  Turk-
  ish soldier, statesman, and founder of the modern 
  nation of Turkey. As a military oﬃ  cer he fought in 
  the Great War, earning recognition for his defense 
  of Gallipoli. In 1920, when Great Britain occupied 
  Turkey, Kemal formed a provisional government 
  in an eﬀ ort to prevent the great powers from parti-
  tioning his country. Aft er helping lead his country 
  to victory over the Greeks and to defuse the crisis 
  with Great Britain via what became the Treaty of 
  Lausanne, he was elected ﬁ rst president of Turkey 
  in 1923. Th ereaft er he instituted political and social 
  reforms that made Turkey the most Western-
  ized nation of the Near East. In 1933 the National 
  Assembly bestowed upon him the title Ataturk 
  (“father of the Turks”).
  Baldwin, Stanley (1867-1947):  British statesman 
  and Prime Minister 1923, 1924-29, 1935-37. A Con-
  servative, he is credited with adroitly handling the 
  strike crises of the mid-Twenties and the Edward 
  VIII abdication crisis, but is thought to have under-
  estimated the threat posed by Nazi Germany.
  Beria, Lavrenti (1899-1953):  Soviet oﬃ  cial and 
  one of the most feared and sadistic men in Stalin’s 
  Russia. He led the Georgian secret police from 
  1921-31, and as People’s Commissar for Internal 
  Aﬀ airs commanded the NKVD, the Soviet secret 
  police, from 1938-53.
  Blum, Leon (1872-1950):  Leader of the French 
  Socialist Party beginning in 1925 and premier of 
  France in 1936. His Popular Front government, 
  which included Communists and other left ist ele-
  ments in addition to Socialists, instituted such 
  reforms as the 40-hour work week and collective 
  bargaining for labor. Ousted in 1937, he returned to 
  oﬃ  ce in 1938 for just a few weeks.
  Briand, Aristide (1862-1932):  Eleven-time pre-
  mier of France from 1909-29 and winner of the 
  Nobel Peace Prize for his work on the Treaty of 
  Locarno. He also helped formulate the Kellogg-
  Briand Pact that purported to outlaw war as an 
  instrument of foreign policy.
  Bukharin, Nikolai (1888-1938):  Editor of 
  PRAVDA from 1917-29, member of the executive 
  of the Comintern beginning in 1919, and Politburo 
  member from 1924-29. Aft er being expelled from 
  the Politburo for disagreeing with Stalin’s collectiv-
  ization policy, he remained on the Central Com-
  mittee. In 1938, he was tried and executed as part of 
  the Great Purge.
  Chamberlain, Neville (1869-1940):  Conservative 
  Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1937-40. A 
  skilled administrator with a record of success on 
  the domestic front, he adopted a policy of “appease-
  ment” with regard to Nazi Germany. Aft er spear-
  heading the signing of the Munich Pact that parti-
  tioned Czechoslovakia, he returned to England and 
  announced that he’d secured “peace in our time.”
  Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975):  Kuomintang 
  (Nationalist) general and president of China. Fol-
  lowing the death of Sun Yat-sen, whom he’d helped 
  to create the Nationalist army, Chiang became the 
  most important ﬁ gure in Nationalist China, oft en 
  serving as president. Most of his time in power was 
  occupied with conﬂ icts against the northern war-
  lords, the Chinese Communists, and the invading 
  Japanese. He regarded the Communists as a greater 
  threat to Chinese freedom than the Japanese. In 
  1936, Gen. Chang Hsueh-liang kidnapped him, 
  releasing him only when he pledged to end the civil 
  war and join together with the Communists to ﬁ ght 
  the Japanese.
  Chou En-lai (1898-1976):  Leading Chinese Com-
  munist. Aft er studying in Europe, he brieﬂ y joined 
  the Kuomintang in the mid-Twenties, but was 
  imprisoned when the Nationalists and Commu-
  nists stopped cooperating. He became an important 
  military and political advisor to Mao Tse-tung. He 
  negotiated Gen. Chang Hsueh-liang’s release of the 
  kidnapped Chiang Kai-shek.
  Churchill, Winston (1874-
  1965):  British statesman oft en 
  considered Great Britain’s 
  most important political 
  ﬁ gure of the twentieth century. 
  Aft er a brief military career, 
  he became a reporter, earning 
  fame when he was captured 
  during the Boer War but made a daring escape. 
  
  123 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  Elected to Parliament in 1900, he served as First 
  Lord of the Admiralty during the Great War. From 
  1918-21 he was Secretary of War and Air; from 
  1921-22 he was Colonial Secretary. From 1924-29 
  he was Baldwin’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, 
  during which time he returned the pound to the 
  gold standard. Aft er the Conservative defeat in 
  1929 cost him his job, he wrote history and tried to 
  convince his countrymen of the dangers of Hitler 
  and Nazi Germany. He joined Chamberlain’s cabi-
  net as First Lord of the Admiralty when World War 
  II began. On May 10, 1940 he became Prime Minis-
  ter and led his nation through the War.
  During his day Churchill was a figure of 
  great controversy, contradiction, and comment 
  who was once said to have held “every position 
  on every question” due to his numerous changes 
  of party and viewpoint. He idolized the French, 
  considering their army one of Britain’s greatest 
  defenses. He considered striking workers the 
  equivalent of foreign enemies and advocated 
  strong responses to them. He was looked down 
  upon by some people for his half-American heri-
  tage and the often-questionable quality of his 
  relatives and friends. He denounced Hitler and 
  Nazi Germany loudly and at length, attempting 
  to warn his country of the threat they posed, but 
  at times supported Mussolini and Franco.
  Coolidge, Calvin (1872-
  1933):  Elected Harding’s Vice 
  President in 1920 (in part due 
  to the fame he won as Gover-
  nor of Massachusetts for his 
  deft  handling of the Boston 
  police strike of 1919), Calvin 
  Coolidge became the thirtieth 
  President of the United States in 1923 when Hard-
  ing died. Resoundingly re-elected in 1924, he pre-
  sided over the boom years of the Twenties largely 
  by being cautious and doing as little as possible (a 
  strategy supported by the two- to four-hour naps 
  he took each day). He declined renomination in 
  1928 to retire to his Massachusetts home. Known as 
  “Silent Cal” for his laconic public nature, he could 
  be quite garrulous in private.
  Coughlin, Father Charles (1891-1979):  Th e 
  “radio priest” of the Th irties. Aft er starting his own 
  radio program in 1926 on a Detroit station, he 
  began to rail against “injustice” as he perceived it. 
  By the Th irties his ﬁ ery and inspirational oratory 
  attracted an enormous audience nationwide (at 
  some points he received as many as 50,000 letters 
  per day), giving him and his National Union for 
  Social Justice great inﬂ uence. Initially supportive of 
  the New Deal, he soon turned against it, becoming 
  one of Roosevelt’s most strident critics (even at one 
  point directly calling the President a “liar”). As the 
  Th irties progressed, his broadcasts took on fascist 
  tones, with diatribes against Communism, the Jews, 
  Wall Street, and the like. By the end of the decade 
  his popularity had largely waned.
  Daladier, Edouard (1884-1970):  Premier of France, 
  1933, 1934, and 1938-40. A radical socialist, he helped 
  to form the Popular Front of Socialists, radicals, and 
  Communists, and favored a policy of appeasing Hitler 
  that led him to sign the Munich Pact.
  Dawes, Charles (1865-1961):  Vice President 
  of the United States in the Coolidge adminis-
  tration, and President Hoover’s ambassador to 
  Great Britain. Dawes was the primary creator 
  of the Dawes Plan intended to alleviate some of 
  Germany’s war reparations burden by restructur-
  ing the payments, providing for an international 
  loan, and stabilizing German currency through 
  a bank reorganization. The Plan earned him the 
  Nobel Peace Prize for 1925.
  de Rivera, Miguel Primo (1870-1930):  Ruler 
  of Spain during much of the 1920s. Following a 
  distinguished military career, he came to power 
  through a bloodless coup in 1923. His numerous 
  vices and eccentricities — drinking, carousing with 
  Gypsies, drunkenly walking around the late-night 
  Madrid streets wearing an opera cloak — were 
  carefully hidden from the public. In January 1930 
  he resigned as dictator of Spain (the inﬂ ation 
  caused by his policies had cost him the support of 
  the military), and died two months later.
  Dollfuss, Engelbert (1892-1934):  Murdered 
  Austrian politician. Aft er serving heroically during 
  the Great War, Dolfuss entered Austrian politics. 
  Appointed chancellor in 1932, he fought a losing 
  political battle against Nazi aggression while also 
  trying to suppress the Socialists. He instituted a 
  new, fascist, constitution in 1934, and was later 
  given dictatorial powers in an attempt to restore 
  order, but was assassinated later that year by Nazis 
  during an attempted coup. 
  Dubois, W.E.B. (1868-1963):  Black American 
  civil rights leader, author of Th e Souls Of Black Folk 
  (1903) and co-founder of the NAACP (1909).
  Edward VIII (1894-1972):  Th e eldest son of King 
  George V, Edward Windsor joined the Royal Navy 
  in the Great War. During the Twenties and early 
  Th irties, he oft en served as a goodwill ambassador 
  for Great Britain and in other minor political roles, 
  and his concern for the plight of the working class 
  during the Depression earned him much favor 
  among the British people. However, he mostly lived 
  the life of a playboy and society man. In 1931 he 
  met Wallis Warﬁ eld Simpson, a married American 
  woman; in 1934, the two of them began having an 
  aﬀ air. On the death of his father in 1936, he became 
  King Edward VIII. However, when informed that 
  the government would not allow him to marry the 
  now twice-divorced Mrs. Simpson, he abdicated 
  the throne in December 1936, stating, “I have 
  found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of 
  responsibility and to discharge my duties as King as 
  I should wish to do, without the help and support 
  of the woman I love[.]” Th ereaft er he married Mrs. 
  Simpson and took the title 
  Duke of Windsor.
  Eisenhower, Dwight (1890-
  1969):  Major twentieth 
  century American military 
  figure. After graduating 
  from West Point in 1915, he 
  
  124 ■ The Pulp Timeline
  Hero System 5th Edition
  served in the Great War. He attended the Army 
  War College and served as Assistant Secretary 
  of War from 1929-33. In the Pulp era, he’s most 
  noted by later historians as having been second 
  in command of the soldiers led by Gen. Douglas 
  MacArthur to drive the Bonus Expeditionary 
  Force from Washington, D.C. in 1932.
  Evans, Hiram Wesley (1881-1966):  Imperial 
  Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. An Atlanta 
  dentist, he took the leadership of the Klan from 
  its founder, “Colonel” Joseph Simmons, in 1923. 
  Building on the initial work of Simmons and his 
  employees, Evans expanded the Klan signiﬁ cantly, 
  helping it to reach its point of greatest popularity 
  and power in history. He described himself as “the 
  most average man in America.”
  Fall, Albert (1861-1944):  US Secretary of the 
  Interior in the early Twenties. While Secretary, he 
  sold the Teapot Dome and Elk Hills oil reserves to 
  companies controlled by friends of his in exchange 
  for substantial “loans” from them. Th e resulting 
  scandal, when discovered, signiﬁ cantly tarnished 
  the Harding administration.
  Franco, Francisco (1892-1975):  Ruler of Spain. 
  Aft er a successful military career (including attain-
  ing the rank of brigadier general at age 33), in 1936 
  Franco began the Spanish Civil War in an eﬀ ort to 
  oust the current Socialist government. By 1939, he 
  had won the war and achieved recognition of his 
  new regime, in which only his party, the Falange, 
  was allowed.
  Gandhi, Mohandas K. (1869-
  1948):  Indian civil rights 
  leader. Aft er an early career 
  practicing law in India and 
  South Africa, he became a 
  leading member of the Con-
  gress Party, whose chief goal 
  was Indian independence from 
  Great Britain. As part of his general campaign of 
  “civil disobedience,” he reverted to a simple, ascetic 
  way of life, organized boycotts of British goods, 
  and in 1930 led the famous “salt march” to the sea. 
  Imprisoned in 1922, 1930, and 1933 by British 
  authorities, he fought back with hunger strikes. His 
  followers and adherents called him Mahatma, or 
  “great soul.”
  Garner, John Nance (1868-1967):  Vice President 
  of the United States during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 
  ﬁ rst two terms as President. A Democrat from 
  Texas, he helped get much of FDR’s New Deal legis-
  lation passed by Congress.
  Garvey, Marcus (1887-1940):  Black civil rights 
  activist who promoted a “back to Africa” move-
  ment. He was convicted of mail fraud in 1925. Aft er 
  he served two years in prison, the US deported him 
  to his native Jamaica, and his political inﬂ uence in 
  the US declined.
  George V (1865-1936):  Widely-loved King of 
  Great Britain from 1910 to 1936. Th e celebration of 
  his Silver Jubilee in 1935 was a source of many fes-
  tivities and much patriotic feeling in England.
  George VI (1895-1952):  King of Great Britain 
  from 1936 to 1952. Aft er receiving naval training, 
  he fought in the Great War with the Royal Navy, 
  and saw action at the infamous Battle of Jutland. 
  When his brother Edward VIII abdicated the 
  throne to marry Wallis Simpson, he became king, 
  a role for which he was not fully prepared. In 1939 
  he became the ﬁ rst reigning King of Great Britain 
  to visit the United States. His daughters Elizabeth 
  (later Queen Elizabeth II) and Margaret Rose, the 
  “Little Princesses,” were popular international stars 
  and the subject of books, paper doll sets, and simi-
  lar toys.
  Goebbels, Joseph (1897-1945):  Leading Nazi. 
  Goebbels joined the National Socialist Party in 
  1922, and was so dedicated and skilled a worker 
  for the Party that Hitler appointed him gauleiter, or 
  leader, of the Berlin branch in 1926. Elected to the 
  Reichstag in 1928, he became Minister of Propa-
  ganda in 1933 when Hitler seized power, a position 
  he held until his death by suicide in 1945. A mas-
  terful propagandist, he orchestrated the enormous 
  Nazi rallies and made shrewd use of the new forms 
  of communication and mass media.
  Goering, Hermann (1893-1946):  Leading Nazi. 
  Born to a distinguished Bavarian family, Goer-
  ing was a famous Great War aviator. He joined the 
  Nazi Party in 1922, was wounded in the Beer Hall 
  Putsch, and escaped arrest by ﬂ eeing to Sweden. In 
  1928 he returned to Germany and was elected to 
  the Reichstag. Aft er Hitler seized power in 1933, he 
  made Goering his second in command; Goering’s 
  positions included Prime Minister of Prussia, 
  Minister of the Air, Minister of the Interior, and 
  most importantly leader of the dreaded Gestapo. 
  In 1936 Hitler put him in charge of the four-year 
  economic plan, and in 1939 he designated Goering 
  his successor and awarded him the special rank of 
  Reichsmarshal. Sentenced to death by the Nurem-
  burg tribunal, he committed suicide hours before 
  his execution.
  Haile Selassie (1892-1975):  Emperor of Ethiopia. 
  He became regent of his country in 1916, king 
  in 1928, and ﬁ nally emperor from 1930 until his 
  death. In 1936 he was in eﬀ ect deposed by the Ital-
  ian conquest of his country, against which his pleas 
  for aid to the League of Nations and several coun-
  tries went unheeded.
  Harding, Warren (1865-
  1923):  Twenty-ninth 
  President of the United 
  States. A Republican from 
  Ohio, his administration is 
  best remembered for such 
  unfortunate incidents as 
  the Teapot Dome scandal 
  (though he didn’t live long enough to suffer from 
  them). After becoming the first President to visit 
  Alaska, he died unexpectedly in San Francisco 
  while returning home.
  Hess, Rudolf (1894-1987):  Leading Nazi. He met 
  Hitler in 1920, becoming his political secretary 
  and closest friend. He took part in 1923’s Beer 
  
  125 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  Hall Putsch, and while they were in prison Hitler 
  dictated Mein Kampf to him. In 1934 Hitler named 
  him Deputy Leader of the Nazi Party, making him 
  third in command of Nazi Germany. Despite this 
  position, he was a naive man and a dreamer; Him-
  mler, Goebbels, and Goering soon surpassed him 
  in power. In 1941, under circumstances not entirely 
  clear, he ﬂ ew solo to Scotland in an eﬀ ort to nego-
  tiate peace with Great Britain. Th e British simply 
  imprisoned him. Convicted of war crimes by the 
  Nuremburg tribunal, he was sentence to life impris-
  onment in Spandau Prison. Aft er the rest of the 
  Nazi prisoners there died, he spent the last 21 years 
  of his life as the sole occupant of Spandau.
  Himmler, Heinrich (1900-1945):  Leading Nazi. 
  Himmler joined the Nazi Party in the early 1920s 
  and participated in the Beer Hall Putsch of 1923. 
  He spent most of the rest of the Twenties farm-
  ing chickens, but in 1929 Hitler appointed him 
  head of the SS (Schutzstaﬀ el) organization. In the 
  early 1930s he increased his own power by helping 
  with the elimination of the SA during the Night 
  of the Long Knives, and in 1936 was given the 
  title Reichsfuhrer of the SS and command of all 
  German police forces. Considered more respon-
  sible for implementing Hitler’s “Final Solution” than 
  any other leading Nazi, he committed suicide aft er 
  being captured in 1945 rather than face trial.
  Hindenburg, Paul von (1847-1934):  German mil-
  itary and political leader. A great hero of the World 
  War, he was elected president of Germany in 1925 
  despite his monarchist beliefs. He was re-elected in 
  1932, but aft er appointing Hitler chancellor in 1933, 
  became little more than a ﬁ gurehead.
  Hirohito (1901-1989):  Emperor of Japan. Th e ﬁ rst 
  Japanese royal to visit foreign countries, he was 
  appointed regent in 1921, and became emperor in 
  1926. Scholarly and quiet, he had little real power in 
  Japan and was basically a puppet of the military.
  Hitler, Adolf (1889-1945):  
  Leader of Nazi Germany and 
  one of the most reviled ﬁ g-
  ures in human history. Aft er 
  failing to gain admittance to 
  the Vienna Academy of Fine 
  Arts, he earned money paint-
  ing postcards and began to 
  develop his philosophies of Aryan superiority and 
  anti-Semitism. Aft er winning two Iron Crosses for 
  valor in the Great War, he returned to Germany 
  and in 1921 gained control of the German Workers’ 
  Party, which he’d been hired to inﬁ ltrate as a police 
  informer. He changed its name to the National 
  Socialist German Workers’ Party, or Nazis. In 1923 
  he attempted to launch a coup, but this eﬀ ort, the 
  so-called Beer Hall Putsch, failed aft er several days; 
  he was arrested and sentenced to prison, where he 
  dictated his book Mein Kampf to Rudolf Hess.
  Aft er his release, Hitler began rebuilding the 
  Nazi Party. Th e onset of the Depression made Ger-
  mans susceptible to his pro-Germany, anti-Semitic, 
  anti-Versailles Treaty messages, and by 1932 the 
  Nazis were a major party. In 1933 he convinced 
  President von Hindenburg to appoint him chan-
  cellor, and less than two months later received 
  dictatorial powers following the Reichstag ﬁ re inci-
  dent. Now free to do as he pleased, he eﬀ ectively 
  abrogated the Versailles Treaty by building up the 
  German military, seizing lands taken from Ger-
  many, and by the late Th irties agitating for annexa-
  tion of the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia. 
  Aft er succeeding at partitioning that country, in 
  1939 he ordered the invasion of Poland, an act that 
  started World War II. He committed suicide in 1945 
  as the Allies closed in on Berlin.
  Hoover, Herbert (1874-
  1964):  Thirty-first President 
  of the United States. After 
  spearheading US humani-
  tarian relief efforts in Bel-
  gium and northern France 
  after the Great War, Hoover 
  returned home and served 
  as Secretary of Commerce under Presidents 
  Harding and Coolidge. Elected in 1928, he did 
  nothing to stop the pernicious financial practices 
  that led to the Crash of 1929. When the Depres-
  sion set in, Hoover believed the economy would 
  right itself quickest if left alone, and that “direct 
  relief” (i.e., welfare) would harm the “self-reli-
  ant” character of the American people. Therefore 
  he made only limited direct efforts to alleviate 
  the effects of the economic collapse (though 
  Rexford Tugwell, a member of FDR’s brain 
  trust, later admitted that “practically the whole 
  New Deal was extrapolated from programs that 
  Hoover started”). Many of the efforts he did 
  make — agricultural subsidization, increased 
  public works projects, the Smoot-Hawley Tariff, 
  attempts to prop up wages, tax increases — were 
  disasters. Unsurprisingly, he lost his re-election 
  bid to Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932.
  LaGuardia, Fiorello (1882-1947):  Mayor of New 
  York from 1933-45. A ﬂ amboyant ﬁ gure, he was 
  well-liked and considered an energetic reformer. 
  He supported the New Deal.
  Landon, Alf (1887-1987):  Governor of Kansas 
  from 1933-37 and Republican candidate for Presi-
  dent in 1936. His symbol was the Kansas sunﬂ ower.
  Lenin, Vladimir Ilyich 
  (1870-1924): Russian Com-
  munist revolutionary. Aft er 
  being expelled from law 
  school for subversion, he 
  began organizing workers in 
  St. Petersburg, for which he 
  was sentenced to Siberia for 
  three years. Aft er his release he moved to London, 
  where he became leader of the Bolshevik faction 
  of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party. He 
  returned to Russia to take part in the Revolution 
  of 1905, but ﬂ ed to Switzerland in 1907, where he 
  continued to organize the Russian revolution. In 
  1917 the Germans smuggled him back into Russia, 
  and together with Leon Trotsky he organized the 
  October Revolution that overthrew the czar. Aft er 
  
  126 ■ The Pulp Timeline
  Hero System 5th Edition
  arranging for peace with Germany, he founded the 
  Communist International (Comintern). By 1921 
  he and the Red Army had defeated the Mensheviks 
  (White Russians), making him in eﬀ ect dictator 
  of Russia. Th ereaft er his health declined until his 
  death in 1924; sadly, his warnings against Stalin 
  were ignored.
  Lewis, John L. (1880-1969):  American labor 
  leader. As president of the United Mine Workers 
  from 1920-60, he broke away from the trade craft  
  union-oriented AFL in 1936 to form the indus-
  try union-oriented CIO. As head of the CIO he 
  obtained signiﬁ cant labor concessions in the auto, 
  mining, and steel industries in the late Th irties.
  Litvinov, Maxim (1876-1951):  Soviet politician. 
  He served in various posts under Lenin and Stalin, 
  including foreign commissar from 1930-39. During 
  that time he advocated disarmament before the 
  League of Nations, but was removed from oﬃ  ce 
  shortly before the signing of the Molotov-von Rib-
  bentrop Pact.
  Lloyd George, David (1863-1945):  Prime Min-
  ister of Great Britain, 1916-22. One of the prin-
  cipal architects of the Treaty of Versailles, he also 
  helped to create the Irish Free State. The Turkey 
  crisis in 1922 caused the Conservatives to with-
  draw from his coalition, costing him his job, but 
  he headed the Liberal party from 1926-31. In the 
  late Thirties he voiced strong opposition to the 
  policy of appeasement.
  Long, Huey (1893-1935):  Governor of Louisi-
  ana, 1928-32; US Senator from Louisiana, 1930-
  34. Known as the “Kingfish,” Long was a major 
  political power in the late Twenties and early 
  Thirties (he was often referred to as the “Dictator 
  of Louisiana” due to his nigh-absolute control of 
  the state). His popularity was due in part to mas-
  sive public spending; during his tenure as gover-
  nor Louisiana’s debt increased from $11 million 
  to $125 million. He advocated many sweeping, 
  radical reforms to solve the nation’s problems, 
  including a “Share Our Wealth” program in 
  which the government would give every family a 
  homestead allowance and various other freebies 
  by taking money from the rich. In 1935, a secret 
  Democratic poll revealed that Long could win 
  at least three to four million votes for President. 
  He was assassinated later that same year by Carl 
  Weiss, the son of one of his political victims.
  MacArthur, Douglas (1880-1964):  American 
  military hero. Aft er graduating at the head of the 
  1903 class at West Point, he fought with valor in the 
  Great War (during which he commanded the Rain-
  bow Division and the 84th Infantry), then became 
  superintendent of West Point from 1919-22. From 
  1922 to 1930 he held a variety of positions, and in 
  1930 was made a full general and Army Chief Of 
  Staﬀ . He commanded the military units that bru-
  tally drove the Bonus Expeditionary Force from 
  Washington, D.C. in 1932. He retired from the 
  Army in 1937 but was recalled to duty in 1941.
  MacDonald, Ramsay (1866-1937):  Prime Min-
  ister of Great Britain, 1924, 1929-35. Born to poor 
  Scottish parents, he rose to become wealthy and 
  one of the most powerful men in Britain. A diehard 
  left ist, he was Britain’s ﬁ rst Labour prime minis-
  ter, though the turmoil of the Depression years 
  required him to form a coalition with the Conser-
  vatives and Liberals from 1931-35. 
  Mao Tse-tung (1893-1976):  
  Chinese Communist leader and 
  founder of the People’s Republic 
  of China. A founding member 
  of the Chinese Communist 
  Party in 1921, he was appointed 
  its Hunan leader. During 
  the years of conﬂ ict with the 
  Kuomintang, he became a skilled military leader and 
  guerrilla warrior, and in 1934-35 led his Red Army on 
  the infamous Long March to escape the Nationalists. 
  Aft er the 1936 kidnapping of Chiang Kai-shek, Mao 
  and his Communists worked with the Kuomintang to 
  oppose the Japanese.
  Mitchell, Billy (1879-1936):  American military 
  leader. An advocate of air power, he was an outspo-
  ken critic of the US government’s failure to more 
  strongly fund and promote the Air Service. In 1925 
  the Army demoted and reassigned him in an eﬀ ort 
  to silence him, but aft er the Shenandoah disaster he 
  accused the government of “incompetence, crimi-
  nal negligence, and almost treasonable administra-
  tion of the national defense.” Aft er being court-
  martialed and sentenced to ﬁ ve years’ suspension of 
  pay and rank, he resigned from the Army in 1926.
  Molotov, Vyacheslav (1890-1986):  Leading Soviet 
  politician. An aide to Joseph Stalin, he served as 
  premier from 1931-41 and participated in the Great 
  Purge. He served as foreign minister from 1939-49, 
  and in 1939 negotiated the Molotov-Von Ribben-
  trop non-aggression pact with Germany.
  Mosley, Oswald (1896-1980):  British fascist. 
  In 1932 he formed the British Union of Fascists, 
  and beginning in 1936 he staged fascist speeches, 
  rallies, and marches. The British government 
  interned him in 1940.
  Mussolini, Benito (1883-1945):  Italian Fascist 
  leader and ruler of Italy from 1922-43. Originally 
  a socialist journalist, he helped persuade Italy to 
  enter the Great War, in which he fought. After the 
  war he embraced the cause of nationalism, orga-
  nizing the paramilitary Blackshirts to support his 
  movement. His Fascist Party gained in power and 
  popularity, and in 1922 he led the Blackshirts in 
  the “March on Rome” that persuaded King Victor 
  Emmanuel III to appoint him prime minister. In 
  1925 he proclaimed himself dictator of the Ital-
  ian Fascist state. Envisioning himself as a new 
  Caesar, he attempted to restore Italy’s “greatness” 
  through massive building projects, the conquest 
  of Ethiopia (1935-36), the invasion of Albania 
  (1939), and a wide variety of staged, expensive 
  propaganda events.
  Palmer, Mitchell (1872-1936):  US Attorney Gen-
  eral, 1919-21. As Attorney General, he ordered 
  the “Palmer raids” of 1920 in which thousands of 
  suspected Communists, anarchists, and radicals 
  
  127 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  were arrested, and several hundred foreigners sub-
  sequently deported.
  Pershing, John (1860-1948):  American military 
  leader. Nicknamed “Black Jack” by his devoted men, 
  he led the American Expeditionary Force in the 
  Great War, and the 1916-17 US raids into Mexico 
  in pursuit of Pancho Villa. In 1919 he was named 
  General of the Armies; he served as Army Chief Of 
  Staﬀ  from 1921-24.
  Ribbentrop, Joachim von (1893-1946):  Foreign 
  Minister of Nazi Germany from 1938-45. He nego-
  tiated the Molotov-Von Ribbentrop non-aggression 
  pact with the Soviet Union.
  Rohm, Ernst (1887-1934):  Leading Nazi. An early 
  member of the Nazi Party, in 1930 he became the 
  leader of the SA (Sturmabteilung, or “storm troopers”). 
  But over the next several years his calls for the forma-
  tion of a German military state caused him to fall out 
  of favor with Hitler, and in 1934 he was murdered by 
  the SS on the Night of the Long Knives.
  Roosevelt, Eleanor (1884-1962):  First Lady and 
  wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Taking 
  an active role in her husband’s administration, she 
  became one of the most admired and inﬂ uential 
  women in the US, and was famed for her support 
  of civil rights and various left -wing causes. Her “My 
  Day” newspaper column allowed her to convey her 
  thoughts and ideas to millions of Americans on a 
  regular basis.
  Roosevelt, Franklin D. 
  (1882-1945):  Th irty-second 
  President of the United 
  States. Aft er serving as 
  Assistant Secretary of the 
  Navy during the Great War, 
  in 1921 he contracted polio 
  and spent the rest of his 
  life in a wheelchair. Determined to overcome his 
  inﬁ rmity, he remained involved in Democratic 
  politics and was elected Governor of New York 
  in 1928. He was elected President in 1932 on the 
  strength of his “New Deal” proposals to alleviate 
  the eﬀ ects of the Depression. He immediately set 
  to work enacting legislation, in the process creat-
  ing many lasting public works but transforming 
  the US into a deﬁ cit-driven welfare state. Widely 
  regarded in some circles as a Socialist (or even 
  Communist), he recognized the USSR in 1933 
  and established the “Good Neighbor” policy 
  toward Latin America. Resoundingly re-elected in 
  1936, he suﬀ ered several setbacks in the late Th ir-
  ties, including the failure of his “court packing” 
  plan (intended to realign the Supreme Court so 
  it would stop ruling that his New Deal legislation 
  was unconstitutional) and the “Roosevelt reces-
  sion” of 1937. Despite these problems, he was re-
  elected for a third term in 1940 (and a fourth in 
  1944), and helped to lead the US through World 
  War II and forge the post-War world.
  Stalin, Joseph (1879-1953):  Leader of the Soviet 
  Union and murderer of millions. He was a close 
  ally of Lenin’s in the early Twenties, and became 
  secretary-general of the Central Committee 
  (though Lenin expressed 
  doubts about his ﬁ tness for 
  the job, and would have 
  removed him had he [Lenin] 
  not died). He allied with 
  Zinoviev and Kamenev to 
  oust Trotsky, and then with 
  Bukharin and Rykov to 
  remove Zinoviev and Kamenev as threats to his 
  power base. His collectivization and grain conﬁ sca-
  tion policies led to massive unrest and famine in 
  the Ukraine and other areas, causing millions of 
  deaths. From 1934-38 he instituted the Great Purge, 
  during which he arrested, exiled, and/or killed as 
  many as ten million people as a way of solidifying 
  his own power.
  Stephenson, D. C. (1891-1966):  Grand Dragon of 
  the Ku Klux Klan in Indiana in the early 1920s, and a 
  powerful ﬁ gure in the national KKK organization. In 
  1925 he was convicted of murder in a sordid incident 
  involving the possible rape of a woman; the backlash 
  within the organization due to his conduct crippled 
  the Klan as a power in American politics.
  Townsend, Francis (1867-1960):  Physician and 
  social reformer. He proposed to alleviate the 
  Depression through the “Townsend Plan.” Under 
  the Plan, the government would pay every citizen 
  age 60 or older a $200 monthly stipend, with the 
  proviso that the money had to be spent within 
  thirty days. A 2% sales tax would ﬁ nance the give-
  away. He attracted millions of supporters, including 
  some elected oﬃ  cials. Th e Social Security Act of 
  1935 largely took the wind out of his sails.
  Trotsky, Leon (1879-1940):  Leading Russian 
  Communist. Aft er the February Revolution he 
  became a Bolshevik and a major supporter of 
  Lenin; he helped organize the October Revolu-
  tion that overthrew the czar. He commanded the 
  Red Army during the Russian Civil War, and was a 
  Politburo member from 1919-27. He struggled with 
  Stalin for power, lost, and was expelled from the 
  Communist Party in 1927. In 1929 he was exiled 
  and spent the rest of his life abroad. In 1940 Soviet 
  agents assassinated him in Mexico City.
  Villa, Francisco “Pancho” (1878?-1923):  Mexican 
  bandit and revolutionary leader. He supported 
  Madero in the 1911 Mexican Civil War that over-
  threw Porﬁ rio Diaz, and was also a major ﬁ gure 
  in the 1914-15 Mexican Revolution. In 1916 he 
  and his men raided the town of Columbus, New 
  Mexico, prompting the US Army to pursue him 
  fruitlessly in Mexico for two years. He retired to 
  his ranch in 1920 and was assassinated in 1923; the 
  assassins were never identiﬁ ed or captured.
  Walker, Jimmy (1881-1946):  Th e ﬂ amboyant 
  Mayor of New York City from 1925-32. A former 
  Tin Pan Alley songwriter, he served 16 years in the 
  New York legislature as part of the Tammany Hall 
  machine before it gave him the mayoralty. Known 
  for his well-tailored clothes, active night life, and 
  quick wit, Walker was the darling of the tabloid 
  newspapers and a favorite of many New Yorkers. 
  But the stock market Crash of 1929 helped to reveal 
  
  128 ■ The Pulp Timeline
  Hero System 5th Edition
  the massive corruption of his administration, and 
  in 1932 he resigned and ﬂ ed to Europe.
  Wilson, Woodrow (1856-1924):  Twenty-eighth 
  President of the United States. He led America 
  into and through the Great War, and afterwards 
  was instrumental in negotiating the Treaty of 
  Versailles and forming the League of Nations 
  to support his high-minded principles about 
  government and the conduct of countries. Bit-
  terly disappointed by the US’s refusal to join the 
  League, he suffered a stroke in 1919, never fully 
  recovered, and died five years later.
  SCIENCE AND 
  TECHNOLOGY
  Andrews, Roy Chapman (1884-1960):  Explorer 
  and paleontologist. Originally a specialist in 
  cetology (the study of whales), in 1914 Roy 
  Chapman Andrews became the head of the 
  American Museum of Natural History’s Asian 
  exploration section. From 1914 to 1932 he led 
  expeditions to Chosen, Burma, Alaska, China, 
  Mongolia, and Tibet. He was the first person 
  to discover fossilized dinosaur eggs, the Bal-
  uchitherium, and other forms of prehistoric life. 
  Along the way he dealt with the rigors of travel, 
  sharks, corrupt or suspicious officials, pythons, 
  venomous serpents, bandits, and other perils. He 
  became the Museum’s director in 1935.
  Baird, John (1888-1946):  A pioneer of television 
  technology. Aft er several early experiments using 
  primitive equipment he built himself, he demon-
  strated TV to scientists in 1926. He continued to 
  attract attention and improve his technology, and 
  in 1929 gave the ﬁ rst, experimental, BBC television 
  broadcast. However, in 1927 his mechanical scan-
  ning system fell out of favor due to the develop-
  ment of the electronic scanning system.
  Edison, Th omas (1887-1931):  
  Leading American inventor 
  and businessman. Renowned 
  as the inventor of the light 
  bulb, the phonograph, the 
  kinetograph camera, and 
  dozens of other devices, he 
  worked at a furious pace, oft en 
  sleeping only three hours a night. He was a ruthless 
  businessman, and died wealthy thanks to his clever 
  marketing of his own creations and image.
  Einstein, Albert (1879-1955):  Leading physicist 
  and two-time winner of the Nobel Prize for Phys-
  ics. A German Jew, he was a lackluster student 
  whose creativity and capacity for independent 
  thought irked many of his 
  teachers. As an adult he got a 
  job in the Swiss Patent Oﬃ  ce, 
  and worked on his physics 
  theories at night. His special 
  theory of relativity, general 
  theory of relativity, photo-
  electric eﬀ ect work, and other 
  discoveries made him world-renowned; even today 
  his name is used as a synonym for genius.
  Farnsworth, Philo (1906-1971):  A pioneer of 
  television technology. Aft er building a washing 
  machine for his family when he was 12, at 15 the 
  clever Farnsworth conceived of and described the 
  basics of what would become television. In 1927, he 
  was the ﬁ rst person to transmit a television picture 
  of 60 horizontal lines, and later invented many 
  other TV technologies.
  Freud, Sigmund (1856-1939):  Father of psycho-
  analysis. Freud’s pioneering work on the eﬀ ects of 
  subliminal sexuality on the human psyche trans-
  formed the study of mental conditions, and in the 
  Pulp era his theories were well-known and oft en 
  applied to criminology and other ﬁ elds. In 1938 he 
  ﬂ ed to London to avoid the Nazis, and died there a 
  few weeks aft er the start of World War II.
  Goddard, Robert (1882-1945):  Pioneer of rock-
  etry. He experimented with rocket technology 
  before and during the Pulp era, successfully launch-
  ing his ﬁ rst liquid fuel rocket in 1926. From 1930 
  to 1935 he developed a series of rockets, reaching 
  speeds of up to 550 miles per hour. Despite his 
  successes, he was largely ignored by the US govern-
  ment, which had little interest in rocket technology.
  Tesla, Nikola (1856-1943):  Leading physicist. Born 
  in Croatia, he invented or developed alternating cur-
  rent, ﬂ uorescent lights, the induction motor, and many 
  other devices. He later experimented with the concept 
  of “broadcast power” (electrical power transmitted 
  through the air). Said to have powers of foresight, and 
  considered somewhat eccentric at times, he turned 
  down the 1912 Nobel Prize for Physics.
  Zworykin, Vladimir (1889-1982):  A pioneer of 
  television technology. Born in Russia, he moved to 
  the US in 1919. He invented the iconoscope, the 
  ﬁ rst electronic scanning TV camera. In 1929 he 
  transmitted a picture from a television camera to a 
  cathode ray tube.
  CRIME AND 
  PUNISHMENT
  Barker, Ma (1871-1935):  Mother and leader of a 
  violent criminal gang during the Pulp era. Raised in 
  grinding poverty in Kansas, her sons were trouble-
  makers from the beginning, but she oft en found 
  a way to talk them out of their diﬃ  culties. By the 
  late Teens or early Twenties, her sons were pulling 
  bank jobs that she’d planned. Aft er her son Herman 
  committed suicide aft er being injured in a shootout 
  with the police in 1927, she became truly danger-
  ous, planning even more robberies, kidnappings, 
  and other crimes. By the mid-Th irties the FBI was 
  closing in on Ma Barker and her gang, and on Janu-
  ary 16, 1935 she and her son Fred were killed in a 
  four-hour gunﬁ ght with the Feds.
  Barrow, Clyde, and Bonnie Parker:  Brutal young 
  criminals who committed a series of minor robber-
  ies and murders in the Th irties. Th ey met in 1920, 
  
  129 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  when Clyde was 21 and Bonnie 19. Th ey began 
  living together, and aft er he was arrested for rob-
  bery, she slipped him the pistol with which he made 
  his escape. Th ey then teamed up to commit crimes 
  in Texas and nearby states, in the process killing 13 
  people. In 1934 the police set a trap for them near 
  Shreveport, Louisiana. While some argument exists 
  about whether the cops gave the pair a chance to 
  surrender or just started shooting, the result — 25 
  bullets in Clyde’s corpse and 23 bullets in Bonnie’s 
  — put an end to the criminals’ murderous spree.
  Buchalter, Louis “Lepke” (1897-1944):  A leading 
  labor racketeer during the Th irties. Learning his trade 
  in the Twenties from the likes of Arnold Rothstein 
  and Little Augie Orgen, he and his partner Jacob 
  “Gurrah” Shapiro began taking over unions in the 
  New York City area. His success brought him money, 
  and his money brought him a luxurious lifestyle, and 
  his luxurious lifestyle eventually brought him the 
  unwanted attention of prosecutor Th omas Dewey. 
  To minimize the damage to the mob, Lucky Luciano 
  tricked Buchalter into thinking he’d get a deal if he 
  turned himself in. On August 24, 1939, Buchalter 
  surrendered to columnist Walter Winchell... only to 
  discover there was no deal. He spent the rest of his life 
  in state custody and was executed in 1944.
  Capone, Al “Scarface” (1899-1947):  Organized 
  crime leader and boss of Chicago during the Pulp 
  era. Aft er serving his criminal apprenticeship with 
  the violent Five Points gang of New York City, 
  Capone relocated to Chicago in 1919 and joined up 
  with his former mentor, Johnny Torrio. Th e two of 
  them were soon a major force in the underworld, 
  and when Torrio got out of the game following a 
  near-fatal shooting in 1925, Capone was top dog 
  in the Windy City. Capone took to the responsibil-
  ity surprisingly well, eliminating such rivals as the 
  Aiellos, the Gennas, and the O’Banion gang. By 
  the late Twenties he was earning far more than the 
  President, virtually ruled Chicago and its suburbs 
  (particularly Cicero), and was immensely popular. 
  But the public turned against him in reaction to the 
  1929 St. Valentine’s Day Massacre... and even worse, 
  the Feds, whom he didn’t control the way he did 
  the Chicago police, were closing in. In 1931 he was 
  convicted of income tax evasion and sentenced to 
  11 years in prison. In 1934 the government trans-
  ferred him to Alcatraz, from which he was released 
  in 1939 because of his rapid decline due to syphilis. 
  His family took him to his Florida mansion, where 
  he died in 1947.
  Dewey, Th omas (1902-1971):  Crusading New 
  York district attorney. Over the course of his 
  career he convicted Lucky Luciano, Jacob Shapiro, 
  Waxey Gordon, and Louis Buchalter. His attentions 
  so enraged Dutch Schultz that the Maﬁ a had to 
  murder Schultz to keep him from killing Dewey 
  (which would have brought down too much heat).
  Dillinger, John (1903-1934):  Feared Midwestern 
  bank robber and killer. His main criminal career 
  lasted only from September 1933 to July 1934, 
  during which he and his gang robbed close to 20 
  banks, stole weapons from three police arsenals, 
  escaped from jail three times (including one jail-
  break supposedly involving a wooden gun, actually 
  a real pistol), avoided other police traps, wounded 
  seven, and murdered ten. On July 22, 1934 he went 
  to the movies at the Biograph Th eater in Chicago 
  with two women, one of whom tipped oﬀ  the FBI. 
  When they left  the theater, the agents were waiting; 
  Dillinger pulled a gun and tried to make a break 
  for it but was shot and killed. Some people never 
  accepted his death, insisting the FBI killed the 
  wrong man.
  Hoover, J. Edgar (1865-1972):  Director of the FBI. 
  He joined the Department of Justice as an attorney 
  in 1917, and in 1924 was named to lead and clean 
  up the notoriously incompetent Bureau of Investi-
  gation. He did so, establishing standards of training 
  and conduct for his men that made the organiza-
  tion, renamed the Federal Bureau of Investigation 
  in 1935, the most highly-regarded in the land. 
  (Hoover’s masterful publicity campaigns, including 
  the institution of the “Ten Most Wanted” list, also 
  contributed to the FBI’s positive image.)
  Izzy and Moe:  Famed Prohibition agents. Neither 
  Isadore Einstein nor Moe Smith had any law enforce-
  ment experience, but they proved to be enormously 
  creative when it came to busting bootleggers and 
  speakeasy owners. Th eir repertoire included the use of 
  disguises, decoys, and other trickery, and even simple 
  honesty (“How about a good stiﬀ  drink for a thirsty 
  revenue agent?”). But their love of publicity and 
  “undigniﬁ ed” methods embarrassed their superiors, 
  who forced them to resign in 1925.
  Karpis, Alvin “Creepy” (1907-1979):  Feared Pulp-
  era crook. He initially worked with the Barker gang, 
  later claiming that Ma Barker had little, if anything, 
  to do with planning their crimes. Together he and 
  the Barkers robbed banks and kidnapped wealthy 
  people (including millionaire brewer William 
  Hamm, for whom they got a $100,000 ransom). 
  Aft er Ma Barker’s death, he formed his own gang 
  and kept on robbing. He was arrested in 1936 in 
  New Orleans by a group of FBI agents led by J. 
  Edgar Hoover himself, who’d been stung by Con-
  gressional criticism of his qualiﬁ cations and cour-
  age the previous month (Karpis later disputed the 
  oﬃ  cial FBI report of Hoover’s important role in the 
  apprehension). He was sentenced to life in prison.
  Kelly, George “Machine Gun” (1895-1954):  
  Depression-era gunman. His career and nick-
  name were largely the product of his ambitious 
  wife Kathryn, but there’s no question he actually 
  committed several robberies and kidnappings 
  — including the 1933 Urschel kidnapping, which 
  netted him and his gang a $200,000 ransom. Unfor-
  tunately, Urschel’s excellent memory provided the 
  FBI with enough information to track the gang 
  down; Kelly was arrested and spent the rest of his 
  life in prison.
  
  130 ■ The Pulp Timeline
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Kurten, Peter (1883-1931):  Th e “Vampire of Dus-
  seldorf,” one of the ﬁ rst known serial killers. He 
  murdered an unknown number of victims, but well 
  over a dozen; he claimed that his ﬁ rst killing was at 
  age 5, when he drowned two playmates. His mur-
  ders were oft en horribly violent and bloody, invok-
  ing memories of the Jack the Ripper killings in 
  some observers. Captured in 1930, he was executed 
  by guillotine in 1931.
  Lansky, Meyer (1902-1983):  Leading Jewish gang-
  ster and one of the primary “brains” behind the 
  mob. Together with Lucky Luciano, he organized 
  the national syndicate, in the process earning mil-
  lions. He enjoyed enormous prestige in the under-
  world not only because of his power but because 
  his advice and instructions usually paid oﬀ  hand-
  somely. He carefully and cleverly avoided publicity, 
  power grabs, or anything else that would bring 
  him unwanted attention; he had little in the way of 
  an arrest record until the government focused its 
  attention on him in the early 1970s.
  Leopold, Nathan and Richard Loeb:  Jazz Age 
  thrill-killers. In 1924 these young men, sons of two 
  of the richest and most distinguished families in 
  Chicago, kidnapped Loeb’s distant cousin Bobby 
  Franks and murdered him for the fun and chal-
  lenge of it. Th ey were quickly identiﬁ ed, captured, 
  and sentenced to life in prison (thanks to the 
  eﬀ orts of defense attorney Clarence Darrow, whose 
  inspired work spared them the death penalty).
  Luciano, Charles “Lucky” (1897-1962):  Lead-
  ing Italian gangster and founder, together with 
  Meyer Lansky, of the national crime syndicate. 
  Like Capone, he started in the Five Points Gang, 
  but by 1920 was a powerful bootlegger (together 
  with partners Lansky and Bugsy Siegel) and had 
  gotten to know many other Italian gangsters. By the 
  late Twenties he was the major player in the crime 
  family run by Joe “the Boss” Masseria, even though 
  he loathed Masseria’s old-fashioned ways and cus-
  toms. He fought for Masseria in the 1928-30 Castel-
  lammarese War with Salvatore Maranzano, but in 
  1931, with Maranzano winning, Luciano turned on 
  Masseria and had him killed. Th en, before Maran-
  zano could have him killed, he killed Maranzano. 
  Th ereaft er he and Lansky organized the national 
  syndicate, combining the various ethnic gangs into 
  one overall group. But in 1936 Th omas Dewey 
  got him on a 30-50 year sentence for prostitution 
  (though he was released in 1946 for helping the US 
  government keep the New York docks open during 
  World War II).
  Maranzano, Salvatore (1868-1931):  “Moustache 
  Pete” (old-style Maﬁ a boss) and ﬁ rst and only “boss 
  of bosses.” Maranzano came to the US from Sicily, 
  settling in American for good in 1927 allegedly on 
  the orders of powerful Sicilian dons to organize 
  and take control of the US crime families. In 1928 
  he provoked the Castellammarese War with rival 
  Joe “the Boss” Masseria, and in 1931, with Maran-
  zano winning, Lucky Luciano had Masseria killed 
  and declared peace with Maranzano. Maranzano 
  then called a meeting of 500 gangsters, at which he 
  outlined his plans for a national organization and 
  declared himself “boss of bosses.” Unable to tolerate 
  this interference with their own plans for a national 
  mob, Luciano and Meyer Lansky killed Maranzano 
  in late 1931.
  Masseria, Joseph “Joe the Boss” (1880-1931):  
  “Moustache Pete” (old-style Maﬁ a boss) and loser 
  of the Castellammarese War. Fleeing Sicily for New 
  York City in 1903 to avoid a murder rap, he soon 
  became a power in the underworld, and by the 
  mid-Twenties was largely the boss of the Maﬁ a in 
  New York. Th is eventually brought him into con-
  ﬂ ict with Salvatore Maranzano, who provoked the 
  Castellammarese War in 1928. In 1931, with Mas-
  seria gradually losing, his underling Lucky Luciano 
  arranged to have him killed.
  Moran, George “Bugs” (1893-1957):  Chicago 
  gangster and rival of Al Capone. He grew up in 
  street gangs and had a lengthy arrest record before 
  he was 20. He soon partnered with Dion O’Banion, 
  and aft er O’Banion was killed by Capone assumed 
  full control of the remnants of the gang. Capone 
  failed to get him in the 1929 St. Valentine’s Day 
  Massacre (Moran overslept and got to the garage 
  just in time to see the “policemen” enter). He later 
  allied himself with various Capone enemies, but 
  they failed to eliminate Scarface Al, and over the 
  course of the Th irties Moran’s power diminished 
  even though Capone was in prison.
  O’Banion, Dion “Deanie” (1892-1924):  Chicago 
  gangster and rival of Al Capone. A sadistic practi-
  cal joker and brutal killer, he and his partner Bugs 
  Moran controlled much of Chicago’s North Side. 
  Aft er he tricked Johnny Torrio into paying him 
  a half million dollars for a brewery just before 
  Prohibition agents seized it, all-out war resulted 
  between the Torrio-Capone and O’Banion mobs. 
  On November 10, 1924, three men hired by Capone 
  — Albert Anselmi, John Scalise, and Frankie Yale 
  — walked into O’Banion’s ﬂ ower shop, allegedly 
  to pick up an order. While Yale shook hands with 
  O’Banion, the other two men shot him dead. He 
  had one of the largest and most elaborate funerals 
  ever in Chicago; even Al Capone sent ﬂ owers.
  Remus, George (1874-1952):  So-called “king of 
  the bootleggers.” By training a Chicago lawyer, 
  Remus moved to Cincinnati to run the illegal 
  booze trade there. He soon had 3,000 employees to 
  steal the “medicinal” liquor he made in the dozen 
  legal distilleries he owned. Within ﬁ ve years he had 
  $5 million in the bank and owned an enormous, 
  opulent mansion. He didn’t escape the attention 
  of the Feds, who at various times arrested him. He 
  served several short jail terms. Aft er ﬁ nishing one 
  sentence in 1927, he got out of jail convinced that 
  his wife and a Fed had set him up so they could 
  have an aﬀ air. He murdered her, but was acquitted 
  of the killing on the grounds of temporary insanity.
  Rothstein, Arnold (1882-1928):  A criminal mas-
  termind variously known as “the Brain,” “the Man 
  Uptown,” and “Mr. Big,” Rothstein organized the 
  1919 “Black Sox” scheme to ﬁ x the World Series 
  and inspired the character of Jay Gatsby. He care-
  
  131 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  fully picked and chose his crimes, for example 
  deciding only to get involved in importing liquor 
  (the safest form of bootlegging). A notorious 
  gambler, in 1928 he lost $320,000 in a poker game, 
  then refused to pay on the grounds the game was 
  ﬁ xed. On November 4 he was murdered, allegedly 
  by the two men who beat him (though the case 
  was never solved).
  Sacco, Nicola and Bartolomeo Vanzetti:  Contro-
  versial Italian anarchists. Arrested for the robbery 
  of a factory in South Braintree, Massachusetts and 
  a related murder in April, 1920, they were tried, 
  convicted, sentenced to death, and executed in 
  1927 despite numerous instances of questionable 
  conduct during the case and massive worldwide 
  protests. Th e controversy over their case remains 
  to this day.
  Schultz, Dutch (Arthur Fleigenheimer) (1902-
  1935):  Powerful New York gang leader and rack-
  eteer. Schultz controlled most of the beer trade 
  in the Bronx in the Twenties, and soon expanded 
  into other criminal ﬁ elds. A skinﬂ int who earned 
  little respect in the underworld, he dealt ruthlessly 
  with those whom he felt stole from him (such as 
  Legs Diamond) or who challenged him (like Vin-
  cent “Mad Dog” Coll). Aft er he killed Coll in 1932, 
  no one else disputed his territory until crusading 
  district attorney Th omas Dewey began to put pres-
  sure on him in 1935. Schultz went to the national 
  syndicate to get permission to kill Dewey, but was 
  denied because they rightly feared the negative 
  publicity that would result. When Schultz stormed 
  out of the meeting insisting he’d kill Dewey anyway, 
  Lucky Luciano had Murder, Inc. send two hitmen 
  to deal with him. Th ey shot Schultz on October 23, 
  1935. He lingered for two days before dying, oft en 
  muttering cryptic statements that continue to inter-
  est conspiracy theorists and students of the weird 
  to this day.
  Siegel, Benjamin “Bugsy” (1905-1947):  Power-
  ful Pulp-era gangster. He began running his own 
  gang in New York City at age 14, and soon became 
  friends with other up-and-coming mobsters like 
  Luciano and Lansky. A “cowboy,” he was quick 
  to use violence and oft en did his own shooting; 
  among the many murders he was involved with 
  was the 1931 killing of Joe “the Boss” Masseria. In 
  the Th irties the syndicate sent him to California to 
  manage its West Coast operations. He soon began 
  mingling in Hollywood society, where it was said he 
  charmed the pants — and panties — oﬀ  the show 
  business elite. In the Forties he was responsible for 
  the creation of Las Vegas as a gambling mecca and 
  source of underworld revenue.
  ARTS AND 
  ENTERTAINMENT
  Armstrong, Louis (1900-1970):  Inﬂ uential and 
  extremely popular jazz musician. Aft er taking up 
  the cornet as a teen in New Orleans, he moved to 
  Chicago in 1922 to join King Oliver’s band. In 1925 
  he started his own band, the Hot Five. His ﬁ rst 
  European tour in 1932 earned him his nickname, 
  “Satchmo,” based on a London newspaper’s mis-
  spelling of “Satchelmouth.”
  Basie, William “Count” (1904-1984):  Inﬂ uential 
  jazz and big band musician who gained national 
  attention and fame due to a series of national radio 
  broadcasts from Kansas City in the Th irties. Known 
  for his swinging “riﬀ ” style of orchestration, he 
  inﬂ uenced generations of jazz musicians to come.
  Bergen, Edgar (1903-1978):  From the late Th ir-
  ties until the late Forties, a popular radio comedian. 
  His act involved ventriloquism with two dummies, 
  Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd. Bergen’s 
  daughter Candice was sometimes referred to as 
  “Charlie McCarthy’s Little Sister.”
  Berkely, Busby (1895-1976):  Movie choreogra-
  pher and director famed for his elaborate show-
  piece musicals, which included scenes featuring 
  dozens of similarly-clad dancing girls.
  Berlin, Irving (1888-1989):  Songwriter. Born in 
  Russia, he came to the US as a young child and 
  began writing songs in 1907 (though he never 
  learned to read or write music). His hits include 
  “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” “Puttin’ On Th e Ritz,” 
  “Th ere’s No Business Like Show Business,” “God 
  Bless America,” and “White Christmas.”
  Bogart, Humphrey (1899-1957):  American movie 
  actor known for his distinctive voice and ability 
  to play “tough guys.” While serving in the Navy in 
  the late Teens, he was smashed in the mouth by a 
  handcuﬀ ed prisoner, leaving him with a scar and 
  an unusual sort of lisp that became his trademark. 
  Aft er years of working on the stage, he got his break 
  in 1935’s Th e Petriﬁ ed Forest. Becoming one of the 
  most popular stars of the day, he went on to star in 
  such classics as High Sierra (1939), Th e Maltese Falcon 
  (1940), Casablanca (1942), and Th e Big Sleep (1946). 
  Aft er meeting 19 year-old actress Lauren Bacall while 
  ﬁ lming To Have And Have Not in 1944, he ended his 
  troubled marriage to actress Mayo Methot and mar-
  ried Bacall, a loving relationship that lasted until his 
  death from throat cancer in 1957.
  Bow, Clara (1905-1965):  American actress of the 
  Twenties, known as the “It Girl” because of her sex 
  appeal. Th e ultimate Hollywood personiﬁ cation of 
  the ﬂ apper, her hairstyle, clothes, and makeup were 
  copied by women all over America. A drugs, sex, 
  and bribery scandal in the early Th irties, coupled 
  with the fact that her thick Brooklyn accent didn’t 
  go over well in the talkies, ended her career.
  Burns, George (1896-1996) and Gracie Allen 
  (1902-1964):  George Burns, a veteran vaudevil-
  lian, was teamed with his future wife Gracie Allen 
  
  132 ■ The Pulp Timeline
  Hero System 5th Edition
  in 1923, but true success came when they became 
  national radio stars starting in 1932 with Th e Burns 
  And Allen Show. Typically George was the straight 
  man while Gracie portrayed a rather silly woman. 
  A typical exchange:
  George:  Gracie, what school did you go to?
  Gracie:  I’m not allowed to tell.
  George:  Why not?
  Gracie:  Th e school pays me $25 a month not 
  to tell.
  Burroughs, Edgar Rice (1875-1950):  Pulp ﬁ c-
  tion writer. Aft er a series of lackluster jobs, he tried 
  his hand at writing. He proved to have a gift  for it, 
  creating such renowned characters as Tarzan of 
  the Apes and John Carter of Mars, and became one 
  of the wealthiest and most popular authors of the 
  Pulp era.
  Cabell, James Branch (1879-1958):  American 
  fantasist and novelist. Author of a large body 
  of written work, he’s best known today for the 
  20 books he wrote chronicling the history and 
  events of the Fantasy realm of Poictesme and its 
  heroes, including Dom Manuel. In 1920 one of his 
  Poictesme novels, Jurgen, became the subject of 
  a controversial obscenity trial that lasted for two 
  years and attracted much attention for the author 
  and his works.
  Cather, Willa (1876-1947):  Noted American 
  author whose novels include O, Pioneers, My Anto-
  nia, and Death Comes For Th e Archbishop.
  Chandler, Raymond (1888-1959):  Detective ﬁ c-
  tion and screenplay writer. Born in America and 
  raised in England, he returned to the US to work. 
  When the Depression cost him his job, he turned 
  to writing for the pulps, eventually scoring a major 
  success with his hardboiled detective character 
  Philip Marlowe. He later wrote for Hollywood, 
  including the screenplays for Double Indemnity and 
  Th e Blue Dahlia.
  Chanel, Coco (1883-1971):  Pulp-era fashion 
  maven. Her dress designs tended to have a timeless 
  simplicity, while her jewelry was oft en large and 
  ﬂ amboyant. She’s best remembered today for her 
  perfume Chanel No. 5.
  Chaney, Lon (1883-1930):  Horror ﬁ lm actor 
  known as the “Man of a Th ousand Faces” for his 
  ability to play roles involving elaborate disguises. 
  His best-known role today remains his turn in Th e 
  Phantom Of Th e Opera.
  Chaplin, Charlie (1889-1977):  
  Inﬂ uential movie actor and 
  director. From the moment 
  his ﬁ rst ﬁ lm, Th e Little Tramp, 
  appeared in 1915, he was a 
  major star. Some of his other 
  pictures include Th e Kid, Th e 
  Gold Rush, City Lights, Easy 
  Street, and Modern Times.
  Christie, Agatha (1890-1976):  Noted British mystery 
  writer whose works include Th e Mysterious Aﬀ air At 
  Styles (which introduced the character of Hercule 
  Poirot), Murder At Th e Vicarage (which introduced 
  Miss Jane Marple), and Murder On Th e Orient 
  Express. In December 1926 Christie disappeared 
  aft er her husband announced he’d fallen in love with 
  another woman. Th e real-life mystery attracted con-
  siderable attention for a while, but it soon turned out 
  she’d checked into a hotel under an assumed name.
  Colbert, Claudette (1903-1996):  Popular ﬁ lm 
  actress whose works include It Happened One 
  Night (for which she won a Best Actress Oscar), Th e 
  Gilded Lily, and Drums Along Th e Mohawk.
  Dali, Salvador (1904-1989):  Surrealist painter best 
  known for his melted-clock painting Th e Persis-
  tence Of Memory. In 1934 the Surrealists expelled 
  him from their movement for what they considered 
  his interest in making money.
  Davis, Bette (1908-1989):  Legendary ﬁ lm actress 
  known for playing tough, independent women. Her 
  credits include All About Eve, Of Human Bondage, 
  and Whatever Happened To Baby Jane.
  DeMille, Cecil B. (1881-1959):  Film director and 
  producer so popular that he oft en got better billing 
  for his ﬁ lms than the actors who starred in them. 
  He was particularly known for his action-ﬁ lled 
  Biblical epics such as Th e Ten Commandments, Th e 
  King Of Kings, and Th e Sign Of Th e Cross.
  Dempsey, Jack (1895-1984):  Heavyweight boxing 
  champion of the world, 1919-26. Known as the 
  “Manassa Mauler,” he lost the title to Gene Tunney.
  Dietrich, Marlene (1901-1992):  German-born 
  actress famed for such roles as Th e Blue Angel, Shang-
  hai Express, Blonde Venus, and Destry Rides Again.
  Disney, Walt (1901-1966):  Producer and anima-
  tor famed as the creator of such beloved characters 
  and movies as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and 
  Snow White And Th e Seven Dwarfs. He moved to Los 
  Angeles in 1923 to market Alice In Cartoonland, a ﬁ lm 
  mixing live actors and animated backgrounds, but 
  his company faltered until the synchronized-sound 
  cartoon Steamboat Willie (1928) became a hit. His 
  release of Snow White in 1938 proved that full-length 
  animated features could enjoy commercial success.
  Ellington, Duke (1899-1974):  Inﬂ uential jazz 
  pianist and bandleader. Aft er developing his musi-
  cal skills in Washington, D.C. he moved to New 
  York City in 1923, where his career took oﬀ . From 
  1927-31 he played in Harlem’s Cotton Club. Th anks 
  to his ability to hire good musicians and keep his 
  orchestra intact for long periods of time, he com-
  posed proliﬁ cally, writing everything from popular 
  songs, to jazz, to swing.
  Fields, W. C. (1879-1946):  Irascible comic movie 
  actor. A renowned vaudevillian by his early 20s, he 
  became a major star in talkies in the Th irties thanks 
  to his biting wit and sharp timing. He appeared in 
  such ﬁ lms as It’s A Gift , You Can’t Cheat An Honest 
  Man, Th e Bank Dick, and My Little Chickadee.
  Fitzgerald, F. Scott (1896-1940):  Famed chroni-
  cler of the Jazz Age (a term he coined) in such 
  novels and short story collections as Th e Great 
  Gatsby, Th is Side Of Paradise, Tender Is Th e Night, 
  and Tales Of Th e Jazz Age. Th e antics of Fitzgerald 
  
  133 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  and his wife Zelda were oft en featured in Twenties 
  society pages.
  Gable, Clark (1901-1960):  Hollywood leading 
  man, star of such pictures as Mutiny On Th e Bounty 
  and Gone With Th e Wind. He was so popular that 
  when he was shown not wearing an undershirt in 
  It Happened One Night, sales of the men’s under-
  garments plummeted. His wife was actress Carole 
  Lombard.
  Garbo, Greta (1905-1990):  Noted Swedish actress. 
  Aft er getting her start in silent ﬁ lms like Flesh And 
  Th e Devil, she successfully transitioned to the talk-
  ies, making such ﬁ lms as Grand Hotel, Mata Hari, 
  Anna Christie, and Ninotchka. One of the highest-
  paid Th irties stars, she had legions of adoring fans 
  who were known as “Garbomaniacs.”
  Gardner, Erle Stanley (1889-1970):  Proliﬁ c 
  mystery writer responsible for the creation of the 
  character Perry Mason. He came to writing aft er 
  a long career as an attorney. His knowledge of the 
  law and the California Chinese community (whose 
  members he’d oft en represented; they called him 
  t’ai chong tze, “the big lawyer”), along with his early 
  experiences as a prizeﬁ ghter, oft en shown through 
  in his stories. By the 1930s he was turning out sto-
  ries at a prodigious rate by dictating them to several 
  gorgeous secretaries.
  Gernsback, Hugo (1884-1967):  Science ﬁ ction 
  magazine editor and publisher. Born in Luxemburg, 
  he immigrated to America in 1904. He received a 
  technical education, and eventually got jobs editing 
  electronics and radio magazines. He also sold radio 
  parts by mail and started his own radio station, 
  WRNY, in 1926. When the ﬁ ction he occasionally 
  published in his technical magazines proved popu-
  lar, he launched Amazing Stories in 1926, the ﬁ rst 
  of the Science Fiction pulps (he coined that term). 
  Early issues were mostly reprints of existing SF-
  style stories, but in time Gernsback published many 
  new authors who are now renowned names among 
  Science Fiction fans. He lost control of Amazing 
  Stories in 1929 due to ﬁ nancial diﬃ  culties, but in 
  the Th irties started several other Science Fiction 
  titles, all of which he sold oﬀ  in 1936.
  Gershwin, George (1898-
  1937):  American composer, 
  renowned for a body of work 
  that combined classical and 
  jazz themes to create an 
  enduring popular music. Oft en 
  working in collaboration with 
  his brother Ira, he wrote the 
  scores (and for talkies, songs) for such movies as 
  Funny Face, Of Th ee I Sing, and Shall We Dance?. 
  He also composed serious works, such as Rhapsody 
  In Blue and the folk opera Porgy And Bess.
  Goodman, Benny (1909-1986):  Clarinetist and 
  bandleader known as the “King of Swing.” He pop-
  ularized swing music, becoming enormously popu-
  lar himself in the process. He was the ﬁ rst major 
  white band leader to include black musicians (such 
  as Lionel Hampton and Teddy Wilson) in his band.
  Guinan, Texas (1884-1933):  Flamboyant night-
  club/speakeasy owner. Aft er a short and mediocre 
  career as an actress and singer, she moved to New 
  York City in 1922 and was hired by Larry Fay as 
  the mistress of ceremonies for his club El Fay. She 
  later struck out on her own, moving from one club 
  to another as Prohibition agents shut her down. 
  She didn’t object to the dry agents at all, noting 
  that she wouldn’t be anywhere without Prohibi-
  tion (which allowed her to charge $2 for a pitcher 
  of water and $25 for a ﬁ ft h of Scotch — all on top 
  of a $25 cover charge just to enter her place). She 
  occasionally faced obscenity charges as well due to 
  the rather scanty costumes worn by her dancers. 
  Once, when a police oﬃ  cer observed that the entire 
  costume worn by one dancer was a three-by-six 
  inch piece of cloth, she claimed the girl just had 
  to dance that close to the patrons because the club 
  was so crowded. Well-known for her witty, peppery 
  manner, her trademark cry was the “Hello, sucker!” 
  with which she greeted her patrons. She also intro-
  duced the phrase “butter and egg man” to refer to 
  an out-of-town big spender, and the phrase “Let’s 
  give the little lady a great big hand!” when her girls 
  ﬁ nished their dances. Despite her reputation as a 
  wild-living lawbreaker, she lived with her parents 
  and watched over her female performers very pro-
  tectively.
  Hammett, Dashiell (1894-1961):  Pulp writer 
  and novelist. Beginning with Red Harvest (1929) 
  and continuing with such novels as Th e Maltese 
  Falcon (1930) and Th e Th in Man (1934), Hammett 
  popularized and set many critical standards for the 
  “hardboiled detective” school of mystery ﬁ ction. 
  His work displayed an authenticity born of the fact 
  that he worked as a private detective himself as a 
  young man.
  Harlow, Jean (1911-1937):  American actress oft en 
  considered the greatest “sex symbol” of the Th ir-
  ties. Blonde and gorgeous, she ran away from home 
  at 16 to become an actress. Aft er she made several 
  silents, her big break came when Howard Hughes 
  noticed her and cast her in his talkie Hell’s Angels 
  (1930). Her star continued to rise with such ﬁ lms as 
  Public Enemy, Platinum Blonde, and Red Dust, but 
  she died tragically of uremic poisoning while ﬁ lm-
  ing Saratoga in 1937.
  Hemingway, Ernest (1898-1961):  American nov-
  elist and short story writer known for his sparse, 
  direct style of writing. Aft er graduating high school, 
  Hemingway worked as a reporter. He served as a 
  volunteer ambulance driver in the Great War, and 
  his experiences there would translate directly into 
  some of his “Nick Adams” stories and the novel A 
  Farewell To Arms. Some of his other works include 
  Th e Sun Also Rises, Th e Old Man And Th e Sea, For 
  Whom Th e Bell Tolls, and Death In Th e Aft ernoon. 
  He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954.
  Hepburn, Katherine (1907-2003):  Legendary 
  American actress and four-time Oscar winner. Th e 
  daughter of a distinguished New England family, 
  she was educated at Bryn Mawr before launching 
  her acting career. Some of her Pulp-era movies 
  
  134 ■ The Pulp Timeline
  Hero System 5th Edition
  include Morning Glory, A Woman Rebels, Stage 
  Door, and Sylvia Scarlett.
  Houdini, Harry (1874-1926):  Famed stage magician, 
  escape artist, and debunker of fraudulent mediums 
  and similar tricksters. Born Ehrich Weiss in Hun-
  gary, he became a professional magician in 1891 and 
  adopted a stage name in honor of the French magi-
  cian Robert-Houdin. Beginning in 1899, he focused 
  his acts on impossible escapes, becoming a sensation 
  in the 1900s and Teens. He died of peritonitis on Hal-
  loween (October 31), 1926 two days aft er a McGill 
  University boxing student without warning punched 
  him in the abdomen to test his ability to withstand 
  such blows. As a last insult to mystical tricksters, he 
  arranged with his wife that he would try once a year 
  for ten years to contact her from beyond the grave. 
  She dutifully held ten seances on the anniversaries of 
  his death, but he never sent the agreed-upon message 
  (or any other).
  Hughes, Langston (1902-1967):  Black American 
  novelist and poet. Aft er Vachel Lindsay discovered 
  his work in 1925, he became well-known and a sig-
  niﬁ cant member of the “Harlem Renaissance.” His 
  writings frequently dealt with race relations issues.
  Joyce, James (1882-1941):  Irish writer, the author 
  of such classics as Portrait Of Th e Artist As A Young 
  Man, Dubliners, Ulysses, and Finnegan’s Wake. 
  Although considered a quintessential Irish author 
  whose portraits of Dublin were extremely accurate, 
  from 1905 on he lived in self-imposed exile from 
  his homeland. His later works are noted for their 
  “stream of consciousness” style and elaborate sym-
  bolism and wordplay.
  Laurel, Stan and Oliver Hardy:  Popular comedy 
  duo ﬁ rst teamed together in 1926. In their ﬁ lms, the 
  thin, oft en sad-faced Laurel and rotund, blustery 
  Hardy found themselves in circumstances beyond 
  their control and with which their good intentions 
  could not cope, resulting in hilarious slapstick 
  antics. Th eir ﬁ lms include Th e Music Box (for which 
  they won an Oscar), Sons Of Th e Desert, Fra Dia-
  volo, and Babes In Toyland.
  Lawrence, D. H. (1885-1930):  British author 
  renowned for his versatility as a writer and the 
  psychological depth of his work. Born into a coal 
  mining family, he was frail and sickly, but earned 
  a college scholarship and became a teacher before 
  turning to writing. His works include Sons And 
  Lovers, Women In Love, and the controversial Lady 
  Chatterley’s Lover, which was banned in the US and 
  Great Britain for being “pornographic.”
  Lewis, Sinclair (1884-1951):  American author. 
  Aft er working as a reporter, he broke onto the lit-
  erary scene with Main Street (1920) and Babbitt 
  (1922), both of which took harsh looks at American 
  small-town and middle-class life. He won the Nobel 
  Prize in Literature for 1930.
  Louis, Joe (1914-1981):  Black American boxer, 
  considered by many the greatest heavyweight 
  champion of all time. Th e son of an Alabama share-
  cropper, he captured the title from Jim Braddock in 
  1937 and kept it until his ﬁ rst retirement in 1947. 
  Th e “Brown Bomber” was also famous for his ﬁ ghts 
  against German boxer Max Schmeling; his twelft h-
  round loss to Schmeling in 1936 was touted by 
  the Nazis as proof of Aryan racial superiority, but 
  Louis’s ﬁ rst-round knockout of Schmeling in 1938 
  gave the lie to that claim.
  Marx Brothers:  American comedy team. Groucho, 
  Harpo, Chico, and Zeppo Marx got their start in 
  vaudeville, then moved on to Broadway beginning 
  in 1924. When the talkies came along they moved 
  to Hollywood, making ﬁ lm versions of many of 
  their stage plays (Coconuts, Animal Crackers) as 
  well as new material (Monkey Business, Duck Soup, 
  A Night At Th e Opera). A blend of slapstick physi-
  cal comedy, farce, and just plain fun, their perfor-
  mances usually featured Groucho as a wisecracking 
  quasi-intellectual, Chico as an Italian con artist, and 
  Harpo as a mute clown.
  Mencken, H. L. (1880-1956):  Noted curmudgeon, 
  social commentator, and linguist. Founder of Th e 
  American Mercury with George Jean Nathan in 
  1924, he became famous for his biting, oft en acidic 
  observations about human nature and American 
  life and was known as “the man who hates every-
  thing.” He and Nathan also founded the famed 
  detective story pulp, Black Mask, as a way of ﬁ nanc-
  ing their magazine Th e Smart Set.
  O’Neill, Eugene (1888-1953):  Prominent 
  American playwright whose work merged real-
  ism, expressionism, and symbolism to create a 
  distinctive and influential body of work. The son 
  of a theatrical family, he worked as a prospector, 
  journalist, and sailor before becoming a writer. 
  His plays include Beyond The Horizon (1918), 
  Anna Christie (1921), The Emperor Jones (1920), 
  the Mourning Becomes Electra trilogy (1929-31), 
  The Iceman Cometh (1930), and Long Day’s Jour-
  ney Into Night (1939).
  Owens, Jesse (1913-1980):  Black American track 
  and ﬁ eld star. In 1935 he broke three world records 
  and tied a fourth, all within 70 minutes. He earned 
  world-wide fame for winning four gold medals 
  at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, where his perfor-
  mance embarrassed the Nazis, who’d mocked black 
  athletes as inferior.
  Picasso, Pablo (1881-1963):  
  Spanish Cubist painter and 
  artist. Aft er being trained in 
  art by his father, he moved to 
  Paris, where the works of his 
  Blue and Rose Periods in the 
  early 1900s made him famous. 
  His 1907 work Les Demoiselles 
  d’Avignon is regarded as the ﬁ rst Cubist painting. 
  His painting Guernica commemorated one of the 
  most infamous episodes of the Spanish Civil War.
  Rogers, Will (1879-1935):  Noted American folk 
  humorist. Born in Indian Territory (Oklahoma), he 
  worked as a cowboy before becoming a rodeo trick 
  rider and roper. He moved to New York City and 
  entered vaudeville, gradually shift ing to his folksy 
  banter and humor in place of rope tricks. He went 
  to Hollywood in 1918, and soon thereaft er began 
  
  135 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  publishing a syndicated newspaper humor column. 
  During the Twenties and Th irties he dispensed 
  homespun wisdom and humorous but incisive 
  observations through his column, radio shows, 
  movies, and books until dying in a 1935 plane crash 
  with famed aviator Wiley Post.
  Ruth, Babe (1895-1948):  
  Famed American baseball 
  player. He started with the Bal-
  timore Orioles and was later 
  sold to the Boston Red Sox. In 
  1920 the owner of the Red Sox 
  sold him to Boston’s arch-rival, 
  the New York Yankees, to earn 
  the money to ﬁ nance a Broadway play, precipitat-
  ing a World Series drought that didn’t end until 
  2004. His time with the Yankees earned him his 
  nickname, the “Sultan of Swat,” for his ability to hit 
  home runs. He broke the home run record for three 
  consecutive years (1919-21), hit 60 home runs in 
  1927, led the American League in home runs for 12 
  seasons, and established a career total of 714 home 
  runs. On the other hand, he also established records 
  for strikeouts and bases on balls. Ruth had a well-
  deserved reputation for enjoying the nightlife; the 
  Yankees ﬁ ned him for misconduct on several occa-
  sions. He retired in 1935.
  Sinclair, Upton (1878-1968):  American writer 
  noted for his Socialist views. After putting him-
  self through college writing dime novels and for 
  the pulp magazines, he became famous for The 
  Jungle (1906), a novel about conditions in the 
  meat-packing industry. His later works include 
  King Coal, Oil!, The Moneychangers, and Boston. 
  During the Depression, he promoted a program 
  he called End Poverty In California (EPIC), in 
  which he proposed that the unemployed start 
  producing for each other, creating a sort of sec-
  ondary economy. He ran for governor of Cali-
  fornia in 1934 and was defeated in part because 
  Hollywood executives who objected to his 
  Socialist views produced films showing legions 
  of bums arriving in California to take advantage 
  of his largesse if he were elected.
  Smith, Kate (1909-1986):  Popular American song-
  stress. Her radio show, introduced by her theme 
  song When Th e Moon Comes Over Th e Mountain, 
  brought her into millions of American homes every 
  week. Her rendition of Irving Berlin’s God Bless 
  America became a “second national anthem” during 
  World War II.
  Stewart, Jimmy (1908-1997):  Famed American 
  actor, one of the most popular in Hollywood’s his-
  tory. Aft er graduating from Princeton, he moved 
  to California and became a leading man in major 
  ﬁ lms such as You Can’t Take It With You (1938) and 
  the Frank Capra political drama Mr. Smith Goes To 
  Washington (1939). His career continued into the 
  Forties and Fift ies with dozens more hits, includ-
  ing the Western Winchester ’73 and the Hitchcock 
  thrillers Rear Window and Vertigo.
  Temple, Shirley (1928- ):  Child movie star. She 
  began ﬁ lming shorts in 1931, and was soon signed 
  to star in feature-length ﬁ lms. In 1935, 1936, 1937, 
  and 1938 she was the top movie star in the world, 
  and also had an enormous line of highly proﬁ table 
  toys, dolls, clothes, and other items bearing her 
  image. Her ﬁ lms include Stand Up And Cheer, Little 
  Miss Marker, Captain January, and Rebecca Of Sun-
  nybrook Farm.
  Tilden, Bill (1893-1953):  Tennis star. In 1920 he 
  became the ﬁ rst American to win Wimbledon, 
  which he later won twice more; he was ranked 
  number one in the world throughout the Twenties. 
  Flamboyant and humorous, he helped make tennis 
  more popular.
  Tunney, Gene (1898-1978):  American boxer and 
  heavyweight champion. He was best known for his 
  matches against Jack Dempsey, whom he defeated 
  in 1926 and again in 1927. Th e latter was the con-
  troversial “long count” decision, in which Dempsey 
  nearly knocked him out but the referee didn’t start 
  counting until Dempsey went to his corner, giving 
  Tunney several extra seconds in which to recover.
  Valentino, Rudolph (1895-1926):  Hollywood 
  heartthrob known as “the Great Lover.” Aft er 
  moving to Hollywood in 1918, the Italian-born 
  actor scored major successes with Th e Sheik, Blood 
  And Sand, and Son Of Th e Sheik. Widely derided 
  as eﬀ eminate by “real men,” he was nevertheless the 
  object of slavish adoration by women. His death in 
  1926 from a perforated ulcer caused a paroxysm 
  of grief among his female fans, who thronged the 
  funeral parlor to view his body in the tens of thou-
  sands.
  Welles, Orson (1915-1985):  Actor, director, and 
  radio star. He ﬁ rst played starring roles on Broad-
  way, but became known to millions as the voice of 
  Lamont Cranston in the radio mystery drama “Th e 
  Shadow.” In 1938 he earned notoriety by staging a 
  radio drama of H.G. Wells’s Th e War Of Th e Worlds 
  that was so realistic it caused widespread panic. His 
  ﬁ rst ﬁ lm, 1941’s Citizen Kane, is regarded by many 
  as the greatest movie ever made.
  West, Mae (1892-1980):  Actress and sex symbol. 
  Aft er performing in vaudeville and on Broadway 
  (including her controversial 1926 play Sex, for 
  which she was jailed on obscenity charges), she 
  made the transition to the movies. Her pictures 
  included Night Aft er Night, I’m No Angel, She Done 
  Him Wrong, and My Little Chickadee; her provoca-
  tive performances caused Hollywood to strengthen 
  its Hays Code of censorship. Her catch phrase, 
  “Why don’t you come up and see me sometime?,” 
  remains well-known.
  Wolfe, Th omas (1900-1938):  American novelist. 
  Born, raised, and educated in North Carolina, he 
  moved to New York in 1922. In 1929, his novel Look 
  Homeward, Angel was published to great acclaim 
  aft er substantial editing by Maxwell Perkins; he 
  followed it with such successes as Of Time And 
  Th e River, Th e Web And Th e Rock, and You Can’t 
  Go Home Again. His works, set in the South, oft en 
  focused on the relationships between persons of 
  diﬀ erent social classes.
  
  136 ■ The Pulp Timeline
  Hero System 5th Edition
  BUSINESS AND MEDIA
  Dix, Dorothy (1861-1951):  Th e pseudonym of 
  Elizabeth Gilmer, a journalist who wrote various 
  advice columns on love and marriage and related 
  subjects. Her ten “Dictates for a Happy Life” were 
  oft en reprinted to help people seeking to improve 
  their lives and themselves.
  Durant, William (1861-1947):  Automobile manu-
  facturer and tycoon. Initially a manufacturer of car-
  riages, he became president of the Buick Company. 
  In 1908 he founded General Motors, which bought 
  the Buick, Cadillac, and Oldsmobile companies, 
  and would have bought Ford had Durant’s bankers 
  not concluded Ford wasn’t worth a $2 million loan. 
  Aft er losing control of GM in 1910, he founded 
  other companies, including Durant Motors in 1921. 
  He became a heavy player in the stock market, and 
  used his ﬁ nancial inﬂ uence and friendship with 
  President Hoover to prevent the Federal Reserve 
  Board from taking actions he felt would inhibit the 
  bull market. At the beginning of 1929 his fortune 
  was conservatively estimated at $100 million, but 
  the 1929 Crash (and his various attempts to recover 
  from it) ruined him. Afraid of germs, he traveled 
  in his own special hermetically-sealed railroad car 
  and only ate food prepared by his personal chef.
  Ford, Henry (1863-1947):  
  Inventor and industrial-
  ist. Aft er inventing the Ford 
  automobile in 1896, he started 
  Ford Motor Company in 1903. 
  He launched his Model T in 
  1908, using a mass-manu-
  facturing assembly line pro-
  duction system to keep the cost so low that most 
  Americans could aﬀ ord one. It became the most 
  popular car in history, with 15 million manufac-
  tured before it ceased production in the late Twen-
  ties to be replaced by the Model A. He was known 
  for emphasizing safety in the workplace and paying 
  high wages in his factories; when his shareholders 
  objected to the proﬁ t-sharing plan he instituted, 
  he bought them out so he wouldn’t have to listen 
  to them — not a diﬃ  cult task for a man whose 
  income in 1928 was $136,000 per day. An eccentric 
  and oft en controversial ﬁ gure, Ford held strong 
  anti-Semitic views and was obsessed with cleanli-
  ness, hygiene, order, and diet.
  Giannini, A.P. (1870-1949):  Financier who rev-
  olutionized American banking. His Bank of Italy, 
  founded in San Francisco in 1904, concentrated 
  on small depositors and loans; it was the first to 
  open branch offices. Through the Twenties he 
  bought hundreds of banks, including the Bank 
  of America. After nearly being ruined in 1928 by 
  stock speculators (whom, in general, he loathed), 
  he reorganized his holdings and founded the 
  Transamerican Corporation. He was so busy that 
  he used his influence to have his limousine offi-
  cially declared a fire engine (complete with siren 
  and light) so he could race through the streets of 
  San Francisco without having to slow down. The 
  1929 Crash hurt him badly, but didn’t ruin him; 
  he fought off a challenge to his control, renamed 
  Transamerica as Bank Of America in 1930, and 
  went on to further financial success.
  Hughes, Howard (1905-1976):  Movie producer 
  and aviator. Aft er inheriting a family fortune, he 
  went to Hollywood to make movies, where he 
  became a success and mingled with glamorous 
  stars. In 1933 he founded Hughes Aircraft , and 
  personally set aviation speed records in 1935 (352 
  miles per hour) and 1938 (around the world in 
  four days). In later years he and his companies were 
  important components of the “military-industrial 
  complex,” but as he aged he became increasingly 
  eccentric, dying a recluse in 1976.
  Insull, Samuel (1859-1938):  Utilities magnate. 
  After immigrating from Great Britain to America 
  in 1881, he worked for Thomas Edison, and 
  eventually was given control of Chicago Edison, 
  which he transformed into Commonwealth-
  Edison. By applying technological innovations to 
  the electricity industry, he was able to lower the 
  price of power. He became wealthy and powerful, 
  and was held in awe by the financial community. 
  However, his career was tarnished by unproven 
  charges of quasi-legal corporate and securities 
  manipulations that were so complex the prosecu-
  tors couldn’t fully describe them.
  Kennedy, Joseph (1888-1969):  American tycoon 
  and patriarch of the inﬂ uential Kennedy family. 
  Th e son of Patrick Kennedy, a politician and liquor 
  importer, he attended Harvard. In 1914 he married 
  Rose Fitzgerald; they had nine children, includ-
  ing future President John F. Kennedy and future 
  Senators Robert and Ted Kennedy. In 1919 he was 
  chosen manager of Hayden, Stone and Company, 
  and during his time there became an expert on the 
  stock market. He built up an enormous personal 
  fortune through stock speculation and the purchase 
  of numerous companies, and also allegedly through 
  bootlegging and corruption. In the summer of 
  1929, aft er getting stock-purchasing advice from a 
  Wall Street shoeshine man, he largely got out of the 
  market, telling his wife that a market anyone could 
  play and predict was no market for Joe Kennedy. 
  As a result, his fortune survived the 1929 Crash 
  largely intact, and he increased it in the Th irties by 
  taking advantage of many “bargains” brought on by 
  the Depression. He served as Chairman of the new 
  Securities Exchange Commission (1934-35) and 
  as US Ambassador to Great Britain (1937-40). He 
  opposed US intervention in Europe and supported 
  Chamberlain’s policy of appeasing Hitler.
  Livermore, Jesse (1877-1940):  Famed investor. He 
  was considered the greatest “bear” of the Twenties bull 
  market (a bear being an investor who believes prices 
  will fall and attempts to position himself to proﬁ t 
  from that, typically by selling short). He survived the 
  1929 Crash, and even continued to make money as 
  an investor through 1930. But in 1931 he gambled 
  heavily on the stock market and lost big. His attempts 
  throughout the rest of the Th irties to regain his for-
  tune were fruitless, in part because new securities reg-
  
  137 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Two
  ulations made stock speculation a more tightly-regu-
  lated pursuit. In November, 1940, $365,000 in debt, he 
  went to the bar at the Sherry-Netherland Hotel, wrote 
  “My life has been a failure” over and over on a piece of 
  paper, and then shot himself in the head with a pistol.
  Raskob, John J. (1879-1950):  Industrialist and 
  ﬁ nancier best known for (a) his Ladies’ Home Jour-
  nal article “Everyone Ought To Be Rich” which 
  recommended that people ought to invest in the 
  stock market on margin and was published a mere 
  two months before the October 1929 Crash, and (b) 
  building the Empire State Building.
  Winchell, Walter (1897-1972):  Journalist and 
  radio commentator. During the Th irties his 
  column, the forerunner of modern gossip columns, 
  was the most popular in America.
  MISCELLANEOUS
  Adams, Evangeline (1868?-1933):  In the late 
  Twenties, Evangeline Adams was a renowned for-
  tuneteller, with advice provided directly to paying 
  clients or indirectly through her monthly news-
  letter. She concentrated on predicting the stock 
  market; her clients for this ﬁ nancial advice were 
  said to include actress Mary Pickford, industrialist 
  Charles Schwab, and tycoon J.P. Morgan. She pre-
  dicted the May, 1929 market breaks and the Octo-
  ber, 1929 Crash with surprising accuracy.
  Buck, Frank (1884-1950):  Hunter and explorer. 
  Beginning in 1911 he led expeditions to South 
  America, Africa, and Asia to capture animals for 
  zoos. He wrote several books about his exploits, 
  including Bring ’Em Back Alive (1930).
  Byrd, Richard (1888-1957):  Explorer and aviator. 
  A scion of the Byrds of Virginia, he graduated from 
  the US Naval Academy in 1912 and served with the 
  Navy in the Great War. Aft er the War he developed 
  an interest in polar aviation. On May 9, 1926 he and 
  Floyd Bennett made the ﬁ rst ﬂ ight over the North 
  Pole; in 1929, he overﬂ ew the South Pole. His 1928-
  29 and 1933-35 expeditions to Antarctica helped to 
  map and open up that continent.
  Collins, Floyd (?-1925):  Doomed spelunker. While 
  exploring Kentucky caves in the hope of ﬁ nding a 
  cave that could bypass Mammoth Cave and attract 
  tourists to his own property, he became stuck. When 
  reporter W. B. Miller wriggled down to interview the 
  trapped Collins, the story became a national spectacle. 
  Unfortunately, all rescue eﬀ orts failed, and Collins 
  died aft er being trapped for 18 days.
  Crowley, Aleister (1875-1947):  Occultist and 
  scholar, known as “the Great Beast” and “the 
  Wickedest Man in the World.” As a young adult he 
  became involved with the Hermetic Order of the 
  Golden Dawn. In time he alienated or made ene-
  mies of some of the Order’s most important mem-
  bers, including Samuel Mathers, Arthur Waite, and 
  William Butler Yeats. He went on to create his own 
  system of occult science and philosophy, which he 
  described in several books. His mystic practices, 
  drinking, drug use, sexual debauchery, and gener-
  ally hedonistic lifestyle earned him notoriety and 
  attention. In 1934 he was declared bankrupt aft er 
  losing a lawsuit against an artist who called him a 
  “black magician.”
  Darrow, Clarence (1857-1938):  Crusading attor-
  ney. He defended Leopold and Loeb, but is best 
  remembered for defending teacher John Scopes 
  in the so-called “Scopes Monkey Trial” in Tennes-
  see. While his client was convicted of the crime of 
  teaching evolution, Darrow’s withering cross-exam-
  ination of prosecutor William Jennings Bryan (who 
  was sworn in as an expert witness on the Bible) 
  made creationism a laughing-stock in many circles.
  Frazier, Brenda (1921-1982):  Café Society glam-
  our girl. Aft er debuting in 1938, the 17 year-old 
  heiress (she inherited $4 million at age 21) became 
  a national sensation because of her glamorous 
  nightlife. In addition to providing entertainment 
  for millions of newspaper readers, she popularized 
  the strapless evening gown. Walter Winchell called 
  her and other Café Society girls “celebutantes.”
  Lawrence, T. E. (1888-1935):  British soldier, 
  explorer, and adventurer. While attending Oxford 
  he went to the Near East with several archaeologi-
  cal expeditions. He lived in the Near East from 
  1911-14 and learned Arabic ﬂ uently. During the 
  Great War the British put his knowledge of the 
  region and its peoples to work by making him an 
  intelligence agent; he helped lead the Arab revolt 
  against Turkey. Aft er he failed to obtain Arab inde-
  pendence at the Paris Peace Conference, he became 
  an advisor to the Colonial Oﬃ  ce. For uncertain 
  reasons he left  this job in 1922 and enlisted as a 
  mechanic in the Royal Air Force under an assumed 
  name, leaving and re-enlisting under a diﬀ erent 
  false name when discovered. His memoir Seven Pil-
  lars Of Wisdom (1926) brought him international 
  attention. He was killed in a motorcycle accident 
  near his Dorset home in 1935; at the time, some 
  questioned whether it was really an accident or 
  someone had murdered him for reasons unknown.
  Lindbergh, Charles (1902-
  1974):  Aviator. Aft er an early 
  career as an airmail pilot, in 
  1927 he ﬂ ew solo from New 
  York to Paris in the Spirit Of 
  St. Louis in 33.5 hours to win 
  a $25,000 prize. Greeted with 
  worldwide acclaim, he became 
  an international star overnight. In 1929 he married 
  Anne Morrow and tried to settle down to a private 
  life. In 1932 their infant son was kidnapped and 
  murdered by Bruno Hauptmann, plunging them 
  into a maelstrom of tragic publicity. Th ey moved 
  to Great Britain in 1935. In 1938 he inspected the 
  Luft waﬀ e and commented favorably on the Nazi 
  military forces (though some have alleged he was 
  spying for the US). He returned to America in 
  1939 and began speaking in favor of isolationism, 
  though he supported US entry into World War II 
  following Pearl Harbor.
  Markham, Beryl (1902-1986):  British adventuress 
  and aviator. She learned to ﬂ y while growing up in 
  
  138 ■ The Pulp Timeline
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Africa, and aft er becoming a bush pilot started the 
  scouting of wild game from the air. In September, 
  1936 she became the ﬁ rst person to ﬂ y solo across 
  the Atlantic from Europe to North America.
  McPherson, Aimée Semple (1890-1944):  Flam-
  boyant American religious ﬁ gure. Advertising 
  herself as “the World’s Most Pulchritudinous Evan-
  gelist,” she founded the International Church of the 
  Four-Square Gospel, and in 1923 built the 5,000-
  seat Angelus Temple in Los Angeles. Her preaching 
  philosophy mainly stressed beneﬁ cent views of 
  Heaven instead of emphasizing the ﬁ re and brim-
  stone of Hell the way Billy Sunday did. In 1926 she 
  disappeared for a month. At ﬁ rst it seemed that she 
  might have been swept out to sea while swimming. 
  When she re-appeared in Mexico, she claimed to 
  have been kidnapped. But it was later revealed that 
  she engineered the disappearance to have an aﬀ air 
  with a married man.
  Mitchell-Hedges, F.A. (1882-1959):  Explorer, 
  author, and radio host. Considered by some a liar 
  on a par with Baron Munchhausen, F.A. Mitchell-
  Hedges hosted a weekly radio show during part of 
  the Th irties in which he told of his adventures in 
  Central America and the Caribbean. On his shows 
  and in his books he claimed to have discovered 
  various Indian tribes and lost civilizations (though 
  his discoveries had been documented long before 
  he reported them), and to have repeatedly escaped 
  from savage natives, wild animals, and other 
  threats. His best-known story is that he found a 
  crystal skull, which he alleged was of Atlantean 
  origin, at Lubaantun in British Honduras in 1927. 
  (He thought the Bay Islands of Honduras were 
  remnants of Atlantis.) But he never mentioned it 
  until the Forties, aft er a similar skull was sold at 
  Sotheby’s in London in 1943, leading many people 
  to speculate that he simply obtained the Sotheby’s 
  skull and passed it oﬀ  as his own ﬁ nd.
  Post, Wiley (1899-1935):  American aviator who 
  set many ﬂ ying records, including making the ﬁ rst 
  around-the-world ﬂ ight (June 23-July 1, 1931). He 
  died in a crash at Point Barrow, Alaska while on a 
  ﬂ ying tour with Will Rogers.
  Rhine, J.B. (1895-1980):  Parapsychology investi-
  gator. In 1927 Dr. Rhine went to North Carolina to 
  study psychic phenomena under William McDou-
  gall of Duke University, and soon became the lead-
  ing authority in the ﬁ eld. He coined the term “para-
  psychology,” and invented the special 25-card deck 
  used to test ESP. In 1930 he became director of the 
  Parapsychology Laboratory at Duke.
  Stefansson, Vilhjalmur (1879-1962):  Icelandic 
  explorer. Convinced that Arctic regions were dan-
  gerous only to those who didn’t learn the survival 
  techniques of the Eskimos and other native peoples 
  (as he had), he proved it by traveling with two com-
  panions 500 miles across the ice-covered Beaufort 
  Sea carrying little more than a light pack. He made 
  other Arctic expeditions and became a popular 
  author, lecturer, and expert on survival.
  Sunday, Billy (1862-1935):  American prohibi-
  tionist and evangelist, said to have preached to 
  more people than anyone else in history before 
  the advent of mass communications. He was a 
  professional baseball player before being saved and 
  becoming a preacher — in fact, he turned down a 
  monthly salary roughly equal to the average annual 
  income to serve God. His energetic, ﬁ re and brim-
  stone sermons, ﬁ lled with slang and anecdotes, 
  are considered a major factor in the rise of the 
  anti-saloon philosophy that led to Prohibition. He 
  remained popular, oft en preaching to audiences of 
  thousands, until his death in 1935.
  
  chapter three:
  chapter three:
  chapter three:
  THE WORLD OF THE PULP ERA
  
  140 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  [The pulps featured] concentrations of sto-
  ries about Africa, where European powers 
  contended for colonial empires, and lost 
  civilizations glimmered behind the hori-
  zon, a la H. Rider Haggard. Or about 
  the South Seas, temptingly strewn with 
  pearls and cannibals and volcanic islands 
  bright as emeralds. Or the Northwest of 
  the American continent, dark with forest, 
  where gold glowed in Klondike streams 
  and harsh men fought for wealth. Both 
  India and China were popular settings. 
  The descriptions were largely drawn from 
  The National Geographic and the adven-
  tures from the imaginations, but if events 
  were not as  they really were, they were as 
  they should be.
  —Robert Sampson, Yesterday’s Faces, 
  Vol. 5
  T
  he world of 1920-1939 is a place both com-
  fortingly familiar and disturbingly diﬀ erent 
  to a modern person. With a population of 
  just under two billion, it’s only one-third 
  as populous. Large areas of Africa, Asia, and South 
  America remain mostly or entirely unexplored by 
  Westerners, giving the GM and players alike a gigan-
  tic canvas on which to paint tales of discovery and 
  adventure untrammeled by what has gone before.
  Some of the issues and aspects of life in the Pulp 
  era that may aﬀ ect player characters include:
  THE LEAGUE 
  OF NATIONS
  Humanity’s ﬁ rst eﬀ ort to establish an organiza-
  tion to provide collective security, resolve interna-
  tional disputes, and undertake concerted activity 
  of international importance was the League of 
  Nations. Conceived by US President Woodrow 
  Wilson and founded in 1920 as part of the Treaty of 
  Versailles, in 1935 it had 59 member states includ-
  ing Great Britain (and her possessions), the USSR, 
  and France. Th e most notable non-member was 
  the United States, which despite President Wilson’s 
  eﬀ orts refused to ratify the League aspects of the 
  Treaty. In 1933, both Germany and Japan gave two 
  years’ notice of withdrawal from the League in pro-
  test over League actions pertaining to them.
  Th e League maintained its headquarters in 
  Geneva, Switzerland. It had three branches:  the 
  Council, a body of several permanent members 
  (France, Great Britain, Japan, Germany, Italy, and 
  later the USSR) and ten temporary members 
  charged with the primary peacekeeping duties; the 
  Assembly, to which all member nations belonged; 
  and the Secretariat, its administrative personnel.
  During its lifespan, the League accomplished 
  very little beyond resolving a few minor Latin 
  American disputes and assisting some refugees. It 
  had no armed forces or other means to enforce its 
  policies other than economic sanctions, which were 
  oft en toothless. It could not stop Japan from con-
  quering and annexing Manchuria. Its negotiators 
  were unable to halt the Chaco War between Para-
  guay and Bolivia. It did little to try to prevent the 
  Italian invasion and conquest of Ethiopia, though 
  Italy withdrew from the League in 1937 to pro-
  test the economic sanctions the League imposed. 
  It didn’t keep Germany and Italy from assisting 
  Franco during the Spanish Civil War. It barely 
  seemed involved in the matter of the partition of 
  Czechoslovakia. Although the League remained in 
  existence until 1946, by the late Th irties it was so 
  obviously ineﬀ ectual that most nations ignored it.
  THE LEAGUE IN YOUR CAMPAIGN
  While the League of Nations had no agents or 
  operatives in the real world, that isn’t necessarily 
  the case in a Pulp Hero game. A clever GM might 
  frame an entire Espionage-themed campaign 
  around the League, casting the PCs as agents work-
  ing for the League. Whenever a crisis arises to 
  threaten world peace and security, the League sends 
  the PCs in to reconnoiter the situation, gather 
  intelligence, and if necessary take action to defuse 
  the matter. And even when there’s nothing going 
  on to draw the PCs out into the ﬁ eld, there could 
  be all sorts of conspiracies afoot in Geneva, a city 
  described by British Prime Minister Ramsay Mac-
  Donald as “a perfect hot-bed of intrigue and forc-
  ing-house of rumour.”
  ECLIPSES 1935
  In ﬁ ction, characters 
  in strange lands oft en 
  get saved from hostile 
  natives when an eclipse 
  scares the attackers oﬀ  
  or convinces them the 
  “mysterious white man” 
  has magical powers. 
  Here are the eclipses 
  that occur in 1935, and 
  where they’re visible 
  from.
  January 5:  partial solar 
  eclipse (southern South 
  America, parts of Ant-
  arctica and Oceania)
  January 19:  total lunar 
  eclipse (Russia, Austra-
  lia, India and Asia east 
  of India)
  February 3:  partial solar 
  eclipse (North America, 
  Central America)
  June 30:  partial solar 
  eclipse (Greenland, 
  Scandinavia, parts of 
  north central Russia)
  July 16:  total lunar 
  eclipse (Central Amer-
  ica, South America, east-
  ern half of the US and 
  Canada)
  July 30:  partial solar 
  eclipse (Atlantic and 
  Indian Oceans south of 
  Africa)
  December 25:  annular 
  solar eclipse (Antarctica, 
  southern Argentina)
  
  141 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  
  142 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  THE DEPRESSION
  “We are the first nation in the history of 
  the world to go to the poor house in an 
  automobile.”
  —Will Rogers
  While the Twenties were prosperous economic 
  times in many places (including the United States), 
  beginning with the stock market crash of October 
  1929 bad economic times descended on the world. 
  Known as the Great Depression, the collapse had 
  far-reaching consequences on the policies and con-
  duct of nations, and on the psyches of their citizens.
  Th e Depression didn’t instantly aﬀ ect every 
  person and place in the world. Even in the United 
  States, the epicenter of the disaster, there were 
  parts of the country that didn’t feel the eﬀ ects until 
  about 1932, and for a while France seemed largely 
  immune to the collapse. But in time it engulfed 
  nearly all of the civilized world, bringing misery 
  and even chaos with it.
  Th e causes of the Crash, and thus of the Depres-
  sion, are many and oft en diﬃ  cult to grasp; histori-
  ans have debated just what went wrong, and how 
  it could have been ﬁ xed (or prevented), ever since. 
  Some of the chief causes usually cited include:  an 
  expansion of consumer buying on credit; poor 
  regulation of the buying of securities (also oft en 
  on credit); the concentration of too much wealth 
  in the hands of a small number of rich people; 
  abuses of the corporate structure laws to create vast 
  networks of underfunded holding companies and 
  investment trusts; the banking structure and laws 
  of the United States, which permitted too many 
  independent banks that could too easily fail; the 
  impact of war reparations and loans repayment 
  by the Great Powers of Europe; lack of “economic 
  intelligence” (i.e., poor economic information gath-
  ering practices, and poor understanding of what 
  information was gathered); and imbalance of trade.
  Whatever the causes, the consequences are rela-
  tively easy to catalogue (though scholars dispute 
  many points, and interpret information diﬀ erently). 
  Any book on the subject contains a heartbreaking 
  litany of statistics and vignettes:  US unemploy-
  ment soaring above 10 million, aﬀ ecting by some 
  estimates as many as one-fourth (or more) of the 
  work force; a third or more of Americans living in 
  poverty; steep reductions in working hours and 
  wages for those who did have jobs; families that 
  had never known anything but comfortable aﬄ  u-
  ence forced to sell their houses and live on charity; 
  enormous lines outside soup kitchens, banks, and 
  employment oﬃ  ces; tens of thousands living in 
  shantytowns; small business bankruptcies brought 
  on by lack of sales or the extension of too much 
  credit to help needy families; bank failures by the 
  score. In the US, these problems eventually led to 
  the “New Deal” slate of government policies and 
  proposed solutions (see Th e United States, below); 
  other nations oft en instituted similar solutions.
  Beyond prompting the creation of welfare pro-
  grams, the Depression had other impacts on the 
  political scene. It made possible the rise to power 
  of Adolf Hitler and the Japanese militarists, cre-
  ated intense civil strife in Great Britain and France, 
  and led many countries to adopt harsh tariﬀ s that 
  eﬀ ectively worsened the crisis. France and Great 
  Britain became reluctant to spend money on 
  national defense (and some nations, such as the 
  US, didn’t want to get involved in foreign aﬀ airs at 
  all). Th is eventually forced them to rely on policies 
  of appeasement against Hitler, who’d revived the 
  German economy (making himself a hero in the 
  process) by re-arming his nation. And it led peoples 
  to support radical solutions, such as Communism 
  and Nazism, that might otherwise have remained 
  fringe movements.
  Meanwhile, the Depression also aﬀ ected how 
  people viewed their world and themselves. Th e 
  events of the Great War had already done much 
  harm to the old order, resulting in the social revolu-
  tions of the Twenties. Th e Depression made this 
  problem worse. People who’d valued themselves as 
  hard workers and good earners were left  wondering 
  what they’d done wrong, or if their lives had been 
  a waste.
  With unemployment, reduced working hours, 
  and the rise of the “weekend” as a social institu-
  tion giving them more leisure time, people began 
  looking for ways to ﬁ ll it. Th ey started playing 
  sports and games, taking up pursuits like golf and 
  bridge that had once mostly been conﬁ ned to the 
  upper classes. Th ey bought pulp magazines by the 
  hundreds of thousands to escape to distant lands 
  vicariously. Th ey learned to play bingo, participated 
  in church lotteries and raﬄ  es, and went to all the 
  movies they could aﬀ ord.
  THE DEPRESSION IN YOUR GAME
  While it’s helpful to understand a little about the 
  nature and eﬀ ects of the Great Depression when 
  you’re running or playing Pulp Hero, fortunately 
  you don’t have to let it aﬀ ect your game much. 
  Aft er all, roleplaying poverty and unemployment 
  wouldn’t be much fun, or resemble anything seen in 
  the pulps themselves. Th e truth is that you can read 
  hundreds of 1930s pulps and have no idea that the 
  world is suﬀ ering through what many have called 
  the greatest economic crisis in human history. Th e 
  pulps provided escapism, not social analysis. Read-
  ers read them to forget about their troubles for a 
  while. Pulp heroes are handsome, rich, glamorous, 
  and successful because that’s what so many readers 
  wanted to be.
  Th erefore it’s perfectly appropriate to go through 
  an entire Pulp Hero campaign without worrying 
  one bit about the Depression. It makes for good 
  color — a background element that explains why a 
  PC ran away from home and became an adventurer, 
  or the GM throwing in an occasional description 
  of men in a breadline or families looking for work 
  — but it doesn’t need to go beyond that unless you 
  want it to.
  
  143 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  COLONIALISM
  One of the biggest diﬀ erences Pulp Hero players 
  will note between the world of the Twenties and 
  Th irties and the world of today is the existence of 
  numerous colonies and other territories controlled 
  by the Western powers. Place-names like the Bel-
  gian Congo, French Indo-China, and Dutch Guiana 
  dominate large swaths of the globe, and it remains 
  true that the sun never sets on the British Empire. 
  Th e accompanying tables list the primary territories 
  and lands controlled by the Western powers.
  Territories not held as colonies obtained 
  through conquest or treaty were oft en controlled as 
  mandates under the League of Nations. Mandates 
  were granted to the various victors in the Great War 
  over the colonies and territories stripped from Ger-
  many, the Ottoman Empire, and the other defeated 
  nations. In theory the purpose of a mandate was for 
  the mandatory (the nation to whom the mandate 
  was given) to prepare the natives for eventual self-
  rule. In practice it was largely like any other form 
  of colonization. Th e authority granted mandatories 
  was so broad that they could administrate each 
  mandate as they saw ﬁ t.
  Th e management of colonies diﬀ ered from 
  nation to nation and colony to colony. In theory 
  a colony’s purpose was to support the nation that 
  owned it with raw materials and a market for 
  manufactured goods (though in practice many 
  colonies cost more to administrate than they 
  made). Th e degree to which a colony satisﬁ ed that 
  goal oft en dictated how much attention its owner 
  paid to it. Similarly, colonies considered to have 
  strategic importance got a larger share of interest 
  from their owner than did other colonies. Colonies 
  of long standing (such as India), or which pos-
  sess resources of great value, oft en have extensive 
  European bureaucracies and a signiﬁ cant “upper 
  class” of Europeans who live among the natives but 
  usually don’t mingle with them. In these situations 
  a colonial oﬃ  cial might even bring his family with 
  him. In other cases, or if the colony’s considered 
  dangerous or uncomfortable, the European pres-
  ence might be sparse, and usually clustered around 
  one or two major cities or garrisons.
  As they adventure around the world, Pulp 
  heroes will encounter the colonial system in many 
  ways both obvious and subtle. When they visit a 
  colony, they may have to “check in” with the colo-
  nial authorities, particularly if the area is deemed 
  dangerous or prone to unrest. It’s possible that trav-
  eling Westerners can visit exotic colonies and never 
  encounter a non-European (other than servants 
  and the like). Th e language of the colonial power 
  may have become something of a lingua franca 
  for the area, especially if it contains a lot of native 
  peoples with diﬀ ering languages. In some rare cases 
  they may encounter colonists abusing or greedily 
  exploiting the natives; in others they may ﬁ nd the 
  natives rebelling against their colonial masters and 
  committing atrocities.
  COLONIALISM IN YOUR GAME
  Colonialism may pose the same problems for 
  some games that racism and sexism (page 118) do. 
  Some players will ﬁ nd any realistic portrayal of the 
  colonial situation disturbing, if not oﬀ ensive, so the 
  GM should handle the situation with some care. For 
  pure simulation purposes, the perspective to take is 
  that colonialism is generally a necessary, if not good, 
  thing — but that people who abuse, exploit, or mis-
  treat the natives are villains and should be dealt with 
  accordingly. True Pulp heroes may not consider native 
  peoples as their equals, but they respect them and 
  their customs in many ways and know it’s wrong to 
  oppress them. If even that’s too much for the players 
  to tolerate, the GM should either change the world to 
  make colonies self-ruling nations, or shift  the loca-
  tions of adventures to non-colonies as much as he can. 
  For example, many adventures that would take place 
  in the jungle in some African colony can be trans-
  planted to the Amazon without much diﬃ  culty.
  TRAVEL AND 
  TRANSPORTATION
  With the rise in availability of automobiles 
  and airplanes, the Pulp era was a ﬁ rst golden age 
  of travel — the ﬁ rst time when everyday people 
  had the chance to visit far-away places and see the 
  sights they’d only read about in books. Pulp stories 
  took advantage of this by sending heroes on adven-
  tures to strange and wondrous places around the 
  world. It’s likely your Pulp Hero characters will do 
  quite a bit of traveling, and here’s how they do it.
  Th e prices listed for various forms of travel are 
  usually given in an amount per mile, and travel 
  speeds in miles per hour. See the mileage tables at 
  the end of this section for land, sea, and air dis-
  tances between various cities within the United 
  States, and internationally.
  Automobiles
  “I’d rather go without food than give up 
  the car.”
  —a working-class housewife quoted in 
  the Twenties sociological study Mid-
  dletown, by Robert and Helen Lynd
  In America, and to a lesser extent the world, the 
  biggest revolution in transportation isn’t ﬂ ight, it’s 
  the increasing prevalence and importance of the car. 
  At the beginning of the Pulp era there were about 7 
  million automobiles in the United States, and about 
  90% of them were open-bodied. By 1929, that number 
  had grown by more than three times, but only 10% of 
  the cars were open-bodied (increased rates of speed, 
  and more frequent driving, meant it was better to 
  have an enclosed driver/passenger compartment). 
  Th e Depression slowed down the rate of automobile 
  manufacturing and purchasing, but didn’t stop it. 
  Many other nations experienced similar (though not 
  necessarily so extreme) trends.
  THE OLYMPICS
  Here’s where the Olym-
  pics were held in various 
  years of the Pulp era:
  1920:  Antwerp, Belgium
  1924:  Paris (Summer 
  Games); Chamonix, 
  France (Winter Games)
  1928:  Amsterdam 
  (Summer Games); St. 
  Moritz, Switzerland 
  (Winter Games)
  1932:  Los Angeles 
  (Summer Games); 
  Lake Placid, New York 
  (Winter Games)
  1936:  Berlin (Summer 
  Games); Garmish-
  Partenkirchen, Germany 
  (Winter Games)
  
  144 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  In the early Pulp period, the average speed 
  limits in the United States was around 15-25 miles 
  per hour (up to 30 in New York and California). 
  For example, in Illinois in 1919, the speed limit 
  was 15 mph in residential areas, 10 mph in more 
  heavily-developed areas (such as cities), and 6 mph 
  going around curves. Even if these low limits hadn’t 
  been in place, the relatively poor condition of the 
  roads — most of which weren’t paved or surfaced 
  in any way — made driving slowly a necessity. But 
  by the early Th irties, as increased motoring put 
  pressure on state and local governments to pave 
  roads, automobile travel became safer and easier, 
  and the average speed limit nationwide rose to 35-
  40 miles per hour.
  While some Pulp-era automobiles were capable 
  of reaching speeds of 90 or more miles per hour for 
  short periods, the average speed over a long dis-
  tance was only about 30 miles per hour (the con-
  dition of the roads could aﬀ ect this). Cars got an 
  average of 25-30 miles per gallon, and gas cost 18-
  20 cents per gallon in the early and mid-Th irties.
  Since there was no interstate highway system, 
  travel across the country, or even state to state, 
  could take a long time and be tiring. Even worse, 
  at ﬁ rst there was no uniform system of signage or 
  good source for maps. Motorists entering strange 
  areas oft en had diﬃ  culty ﬁ nding their way. Begin-
  ning in 1925 the US government established rules 
  and regulations for signs, but even aft er that drivers 
  oft en stopped to ask for directions at one of the 
  thousands of roadside stands and gasoline stations 
  that sprang up around the country. Smart service 
  stations owners gave away maps as promotional 
  items. (Chains such as Texaco and Mobil were 
  started to make money oﬀ  the increased need for 
  gasoline.) Other entrepreneurs also began taking 
  advantage of Americans’ increased mobility. Bill-
  boards and advertising signs (such as the famed 
  “Burma Shave” placards) soon occupied many a 
  roadside, tourism became big business in many 
  areas, and countless small travelers’ hotels, rooming 
  houses, and motor courts oﬀ ered accommoda-
  tions to weary drivers who didn’t want to camp out 
  (since “auto camps” oft en had a reputation for being 
  seedy, even dangerous, places).
  INTERNATIONAL 
  TRAVEL
  Many Pulp heroes 
  travel to foreign lands 
  in search of adventure. 
  Th at means they’re 
  going to need the proper 
  documentation and 
  have to pass through 
  customs.
  Just like today, interna-
  tional travel in the Pulp 
  era requires a passport 
  and a visa. Getting the 
  right paperwork to 
  enter a country may 
  take days or weeks 
  (though a Bureaucrat-
  ics roll can probably 
  shorten this delay, at 
  least a little). Once 
  inside a foreign country, 
  characters may need to 
  show their papers to the 
  authorities frequently 
  to explain their pres-
  ence and activities. If 
  the characters lose their 
  papers (either acciden-
  tally, or because they’re 
  stolen, destroyed, or 
  conﬁ scated), they may 
  likewise lose the ability 
  to move around freely, 
  to engage in certain 
  activities, or even to 
  leave. Getting replace-
  ment papers oft en takes 
  a long time... and a lot 
  of money.
  While it’s not uncom-
  mon for Pulp characters 
  to speak multiple lan-
  guages, inevitably they’re 
  going to ﬁ nd themselves 
  in some areas where 
  they don’t understand 
  the native speech. Th at 
  means they have to hire 
  a translator (who may 
  double as a guide and/or 
  bearer). Th ey usually 
  have two options:  a 
  native who knows a 
  European tongue they 
  speak; or a European 
  who knows the coun-
  try and the language 
  (such as a Great White 
  Hunter). A native is usu-
  ally cheaper ($0.10-.50 
  per day), but possibly 
  less trustworthy; a Great 
  White Hunter costs 
  more (about $1 per day), 
  Continued on next page
  MAJOR COLONIES, DEPENDENCIES, 
  AND MANDATES (ADEN — JAVA)
  Colony 
  Controlling Nation 
  Modern Equivalent(s)
  Aden 
  Great Britain 
  Yemen
  Alaska 
  USA 
  Alaska
  Algeria 
  France 
  Algeria
  American Samoa 
  USA 
  American Samoa
  Anglo-Egyptian Sudan 
  Great Britain 
  Sudan
  Angola 
  Portugal 
  Angola
  Basutoland 
  Great Britain 
  Lesotho
  Bechuanaland 
  Great Britain 
  Botswana
  Belgian Congo 
  Belgium 
  Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire)
  Borneo, British North 
  Great Britain 
  Malaysia
  Borneo, West and South 
  Netherlands 
  Indonesia
  British Guiana 
  Great Britain 
  Guyana
  British Honduras 
  Great Britain 
  Belize
  Cameroons* 
  France, Great Britain 
  Cameroon
  Celebes 
  Netherlands 
  Indonesia
  Ceylon 
  Great Britain 
  Sri Lanka
  Chosen 
  Japan 
  Korea (North and South)
  Cyprus 
  Great Britain 
  Cyprus
  Dutch East Indies 
  Netherlands 
  Indonesia, New Guinea
  Dutch Guiana 
  Netherlands 
  Surinam
  Dutch New Guinea 
  Netherlands 
  New Guinea
  Federated Malay States 
  Great Britain 
  Singapore, Malaysia
  Fiji 
  Great Britain 
  Fiji
  Formosa 
  Japan 
  Taiwan
  French Equatorial Africa 
  France 
  Congo, Gabon, Chad, Central African Republic
  French Guiana 
  France 
  French Guyana
  French Indo-China 
  France 
  Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam
  French West Africa 
  France 
  Mali, Mauritania, Niger, et al.
  Gambia 
  Great Britain 
  Gambia
  Gold Coast 
  Great Britain 
  Ghana
  Greenland 
  Denmark 
  Greenland
  Guam 
  USA 
  Guam
  Hawaii (Sandwich Islands) 
  USA 
  Hawaii
  Hong Kong 
  Great Britain 
  Hong Kong
  India 
  Great Britain 
  India, Pakistan, Burma, Bangladesh
  Jamaica 
  Great Britain 
  Jamaica
  Java 
  Netherlands 
  Indonesia
  
  145 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  BUSES
  For people who didn’t have a car, or who didn’t 
  want to undertake the rigors of a long journey 
  behind the wheel, the bus oﬀ ered a practical alterna-
  tive. Buses were slower than trains, more prone to 
  breakdowns and similar problems, and in the early 
  part of the Pulp era much less comfortable than rail 
  travel. But a bus could go places trains could not, 
  could easily stop in mid-trip if necessary, and could 
  provide more service alternatives than the rails. 
  By the late Twenties major bus companies, such as 
  Greyhound, had taken signiﬁ cant steps to improve 
  the comfort of their vehicles. By 1930 approximately 
  20% of intercity travel was by buses, which covered 
  25% more passenger miles than trains; by 1940 bus 
  miles exceeded train miles by 40%.
  Th e average speed for a bus was a little slower 
  than the average speed of automobiles at the same 
  period. Typically a city bus kept to a speed of about 
  20-25 miles per hour, with fares usually around ﬁ ve 
  cents in the Twenties, and ten cents in the Th irties. 
  Intercity buses could cover about 250-300 miles in 
  a day. Th eir fares were usually about 10% cheaper 
  than train fares for the same route — approxi-
  mately $0.04 per mile on the average.
  TAXIS
  A taxi was cocked in at the curb, driver 
  dreaming over the wheel. Four of the 
  six men piled into the machine. Doc and 
  Renny rode the running board.
  “Do a Barney Oldfield!” Doc directed the 
  cab driver.
  The hack jumped away from the curb as 
  if stung.
  —Kenneth Robeson, The Man Of Bronze, 
  in Doc Savage Magazine, March 1933
  Many city-dwellers didn’t own a car, and of 
  course visitors to a city who came by rail or air 
  wouldn’t have their cars with them at all. For these 
  people, taxis were a good way to get around quickly. 
  Even a small town oft en had at least one taxi, and 
  cities could have thousands of them — for example, 
  in New York City, there were almost 50% more 
  taxis in the Th irties (19,000) than there are today 
  (13,000). In part this was a result of the Depression, 
  which led a lot of people to try to make money as 
  cabbies. Beginning in 1937, New York City licensed 
  MAJOR COLONIES, DEPENDENCIES, 
  AND MANDATES (KENYA — ZANZIBAR)
  Colony 
  Controlling Nation 
  Modern Equivalent(s)
  Kenya 
  Great Britain 
  Kenya
  Libya 
  Italy 
  Libya
  Macao 
  Portugal 
  Macau
  Madagascar 
  France 
  Madagascar
  Manchuria (Manchukuo) 
  Japan 
  China
  Mauritius 
  Great Britain 
  Mauritius
  Morocco 
  France 
  Morocco
  Mozambique 
  Portugal 
  Mozambique
  Nigeria 
  Great Britain 
  Nigeria
  Nyasaland 
  Great Britain 
  Malawi
  Palestine* 
  Great Britain 
  Israel
  Panama Canal Zone 
  USA 
  Panama
  Philippines 
  USA 
  Philippines
  Rhodesia, Northern 
  Great Britain 
  Zambia
  Rhodesia, Southern 
  Great Britain 
  Zimbabwe
  Rio de Oro (Spanish Sahara) 
  Spain 
  Western Sahara
  Ruanda-Urundi* 
  Belgium 
  Rwanda, Burundi
  Seychelles 
  Great Britain 
  Seychelles
  Sierra Leone 
  Great Britain 
  Sierra Leone
  Somaliland, British 
  Great Britain 
  Somalia
  Somaliland, French 
  France 
  Somalia
  Somaliland, Italian 
  Italy 
  Somalia
  South West Africa* 
  Great Britain 
  Namibia
  Sumatra 
  Netherlands 
  Indonesia
  Swaziland 
  Great Britain 
  Swaziland
  Syria* 
  France 
  Syria, Lebanon
  Tanganyika Territory* 
  Great Britain 
  Tanzania
  Timor 
  Portugal 
  East Timor
  Togo* 
  France, Great Britain 
  Togo
  Transjordan, the 
  Great Britain 
  Jordan
  Tunisia 
  France 
  Tunisia
  Uganda 
  Great Britain 
  Uganda
  Zanzibar 
  Great Britain 
  Zanzibar
  *:  Indicates a League of Nations mandate
  Th is list does not include Canada, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, the Irish Free State, Newfoundland, or Aus-
  tralia, which were granted dominion status within the British Empire by the Statute of Westminster (1931). Nor does it list 
  countries that received their sovereignty (or most of it) during the Pulp era, such as Egypt and Iraq.
  Continued from last page
  but may have an easier 
  time working with the 
  PCs. 
  In addition to a trans-
  lator, characters may 
  need to hire guides and 
  bearers. It’s better to 
  fork over some money 
  ($0.10-.25 per day) 
  rather than get lost in 
  the wild and danger-
  ous places Pulp heroes 
  tend to visit. And of 
  course an adventurer 
  who’s got to be ready 
  to spring into action at 
  any moment shouldn’t 
  be burdened with his 
  own baggage and sup-
  plies when he can 
  hire a bearer cheaply 
  ($0.05-.25 per day, but 
  less than what the guide 
  and translator get). In 
  either case, the heroes 
  should take pains to 
  hire the most reliable 
  servants they can — it 
  wouldn’t do to have the 
  guide secretly work for 
  the Nazis, or the bearers 
  to take fright easily and 
  run away with all the 
  weapons and food.... 
  
  146 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  taxis by selling medallions for $10 each.
  A person who needs a taxi can call for one, or 
  ﬁ nd them waiting outside hotels, railway stations, 
  and the like. Th e fare for a taxi varies based on loca-
  tion and distance traveled. New York City set a rate 
  of $0.50 per mile beginning in 1913, but in other 
  places a rate of about $0.15 + $0.05 per mile was 
  more likely. If you ask a cabbie to wait for you, that 
  costs about $2 per hour.
  TROLLEYS
  Some major cities have electric trolley systems 
  to help people get around. Th e cost is about the 
  same as a city bus:  around ﬁ ve cents in the Twen-
  ties, and ten cents in the Th irties.
  RICKSHAW
  In many cities of the Orient, human power takes 
  the place of engines. Instead of hailing a taxicab, 
  heroes visiting Shanghai or Singapore will probably 
  hire a rickshaw. A rickshaw is a towed vehicle (see 
  Th e Ultimate Vehicle, page 36) drawn by a human 
  runner, and thus has a maximum speed of 6” per 
  runner’s Phase (though most move more slowly 
  than that due to traﬃ  c and to keep from exhausting 
  the runner). Most rickshaw rides cost only a few 
  cents at most; the rate may increase if characters 
  have a lot of luggage or want to go a long way.
  Trains
  Eleven o’clock in the morning. The Golden 
  Arrow was ready for departure. Stand-
  ing at the eastern side of Victoria Sta-
  tion, the famous train was waiting for the 
  final moment to begin its swift run from 
  London to the Channel port of Dover.... 
  From its brilliantly painted locomotive, 
  “Howard of Effingham,” back along the 
  line of cars, the Golden Arrow seemed 
  straining for the word to go.
  —Maxwell Grant, Zemba, in The Shadow 
  Magazine, December 1935
  Despite the increasing numbers of cars, trains 
  remain one of the most popular ways to travel. 
  While not necessarily as convenient as a car or bus, 
  they’re faster and much more comfortable. Given 
  open track and room to move fast, a train can aver-
  age speeds of 35-45 miles per hour (and can run 24 
  hours a day, making it possible to cross the US in 
  as little as three days). However, the need to make 
  frequent stops, and laws requiring trains to slow 
  down when passing through developed areas, usu-
  ally slows a train down to an average of 25-30 miles 
  per hour over the course of a long trip.
  For a typical short train ride, such as between 
  cities in the Northeast, train fare usually runs 
  about $0.04 per mile (though monthly or annual 
  commuter tickets are oft en available for cheaper 
  prices). For a long trip, such as cross-country or 
  Chicago to either coast, the fare may drop to as 
  THE ORIENT-
  EXPRESS
  Perhaps the most 
  famous train in popular 
  culture, the Orient-
  Express started in 1883 
  with a route from Paris 
  (Gare de Lyon or Gare 
  de l’Est) to Constanti-
  nople/Istanbul (Sirkeci 
  Station), a journey of 
  1,853 miles that took 
  67.5 hours. Aft er the 
  opening of the Simplon 
  Tunnel through the 
  Alps, it was re-launched 
  in 1919 as the Simplon 
  Orient-Express with 
  a starting point in 
  Calais and endpoints in 
  Athens, Istanbul, and 
  Bucharest. A 1930 link 
  with the Taurus Express 
  allowed passengers to 
  reach Cairo, though 
  this required a journey 
  through much of train 
  track-less Palestine on 
  a bus. By 1932, Orient-
  Express service also ran 
  from Vienna, Prague, 
  Berlin, Ostend, and 
  Amsterdam. World War 
  II brought the Express 
  to a halt, but it resumed 
  aft er the war with diesel-
  electric locomotives.
  Th e trip from Paris to 
  Istanbul (or vice-versa) 
  went through Munich, 
  Strasbourg, Vienna, 
  Belgrade, and other 
  cities, and took three 
  days. Passengers had 
  the option of riding 
  through to Calais, where 
  they were ferried over 
  to Dover and board a 
  British train for Victo-
  ria Station. In 1930, a 
  journey from London 
  to Cairo took ﬁ ve days. 
  At some stops certain 
  sleeper cars detached to 
  go on other routes, while 
  other cars may be added 
  to take their place.
  Th e Orient-Express was 
  the premiere luxury 
  train of its day. Many 
  famous and notable 
  people rode it, and its 
  38-seat dining cars 
  served gourmet food 
  Continued on next page
  
  147 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  little as $0.02 per mile. However, the accommoda-
  tions can increase the price, as indicated in the 
  accompanying table.
  Characters who can’t aﬀ ord any fare at all can do 
  what so many hoboes and other transients did:  sneak 
  aboard a train. Usually this was done at the station, 
  but that means dodging railroad police and inspec-
  tors (“bulls”) — and if characters are discovered, the 
  bulls aren’t shy about using force to eject them from 
  the train. Hardier travelers may try to avoid the law by 
  running alongside a train when it’s moving slowly and 
  hoisting themselves into an open car, but this poses 
  dangers of its own. A character usually has to make a 
  DEX Roll to do this safely; if he fails, he may fall and 
  hit the ground hard, be dragged along by the train, or 
  fall under the wheels and get run over.
  Airplanes
  Th e most romantic — and dangerous — form 
  of travel in the Pulp era is via aircraft . In the Twen-
  ties, characters who want to travel by air will ﬁ nd it 
  uncomfortable (noisy, cold, cramped) and may not 
  be able to ﬂ y on a regular commercial ﬂ ight at all. 
  Except for a few short local routes, commercial air-
  lines don’t really come into existence until the mid-
  Twenties; characters who need to get somewhere 
  fast that’s not on a regular route will have to own 
  their own plane, or charter one. Until the passage of 
  the Air Commerce Act (1926), there weren’t even 
  any uniform regulation of or licensing requirements 
  for pilots. Aft er Lindbergh’s ﬂ ight in 1927, public 
  interest in air travel increased dramatically. By the 
  Th irties, air travel was a much more regular thing, 
  and the introduction of the DC-3 plane in 1935 only 
  enhanced the frequency and safety of ﬂ ying.
  In 1935 there are 23 airline companies in the 
  United States, though four — United, Eastern, 
  TWA, and American — dominate the ﬁ eld (with 
  Continental becoming a ﬁ ft h major line by 1938). 
  Competition between the airlines can get ﬁ erce, 
  ranging from price wars to more devious (and 
  illegal) tactics. A cross-country ﬂ ight takes about 
  20 hours and involves ﬁ ve stops. By 1940, the trip 
  takes 18.5 hours, with only three stops. Planes can 
  average about 90-150 miles per hour, with ranges 
  of about 300-1,000 miles. By the mid-Th irties, the 
  average commercial plane can carry 30-40 passen-
  gers, as compared with 12-15 in the Twenties.
  Particularly in the Twenties, air passenger travel 
  generally didn’t take place at night. When darkness 
  fell, the plane landed; passengers were either fer-
  ried by rail to the airport where they’d take oﬀ  in 
  the morning, or spent the night at accommodations 
  near the ﬁ eld where they landed.
  From the late Twenties through the Th irties, the 
  cost of an airplane ticket for a ﬂ ight within the US 
  varies from about $0.11-0.15 per mile (twelve cents 
  a mile is a good average). International ﬂ ights from 
  the US are in the range of $0.11-0.21 cents per mile. 
  Chartering a plane for a private ﬂ ight usually costs 
  two to four times as much as the commercial rate. Th e 
  number of stops during a trip depends on the length of 
  the route; all but the shortest ﬂ ights tend to feature at 
  least one stop, and a long one may have as many as ten.
  Airplanes run on gasoline, which costs $0.18-
  0.20 per gallon. Other fees add to the cost of 
  owning and operating a plane. Most airports charge 
  a $2 “landing and take-oﬀ ” fee, and keeping a plane 
  in a hangar also incurs a charge.
  AIRSHIPS
  The dirigible Munchen was nearing the 
  last leg of its westward flight. Its huge bulk 
  gliding onward, the mammoth airship rode 
  with marvelous stability. Purring motors 
  kept up their constant rhythm. The pas-
  sengers in the forward salon smiled and 
  chatted as the Zeppelin whirred through 
  the night. Dawn would arrive within a few 
  hours. Gleaming rays of sunlight would 
  show the silver queen of the air entering 
  the fringe of the Middle West. The Atlantic 
  had been conquered; the rest of the voyage 
  offered no obstacles.
  —Maxwell Grant, Murder Trail, in The 
  Shadow Magazine, March 1933
  If anything’s more romantic in the eyes of the 
  public (and gamers!) than plane travel, it’s travel by 
  airship (zeppelin). Flown as commercial carriers 
  primarily by Germany, large zeppelins (such as the 
  ill-fated Hindenburg) can carry about ﬁ ve or six dozen 
  passengers in addition to a large crew. Th ey maintain 
  an average speed of 60-70 miles per hour, allowing 
  them to make the nearly 4,000 mile-long Germany-
  to-New York trip in 50-60 hours. When the Graf 
  Zeppelin made its ﬁ rst transatlantic ﬂ ight in 1928, the 
  ticket cost $3,000 (about $0.38 per mile for the round 
  trip); by the mid-Th irties, a round trip on an airship 
  cost more in the range of $720 (or about $0.09 per 
  mile, round trip). While airship travel isn’t nearly as 
  fast as ﬂ ying by airplane, it’s much more comfortable 
  — comparable, generally speaking, to train travel.
  Continued from last page
  and wines picked up 
  from four-star hotels 
  along the route. Th ere 
  was no lounge car or 
  salon car, though like 
  Agatha Christie the 
  GM can add one for 
  dramatic purposes if he 
  needs it.
  SHIP FARES
  Ship 
  Cost Per Day
  Ocean Liner
     First-class suite 
  $100+
     First-class berth 
  $50-90
     Second class 
  $20-35
     Th ird class 
  $10-15
     Steerage 
  $2-6
  Freighter, cargo carrier 
  $8-12
  Tramp steamer 
  $8-12
  TRAIN FARES
  Journey/Accommodations 
  Fare
  Basic fare, short route (2 hours or less) 
  $0.04 per mile
  Basic fare, long route (2-14 hours) 
  $0.02-0.04 per mile
  Overnight route (15+ hours)
   Standard Pullman car 
  $0.02-0.07 per mile
   Two-person car 
  $0.07-0.09 per mile
   Private ﬁ rst-class car 
  $0.10 or more per mile
   Leased private Pullman car 
  $1.50 per mile, $75 minimum
   Hauling of privately-owned car 
  $1 per mile
  Freight
  Per 100 miles (or fraction thereof) 
  $0.10 per hundred pounds (or fraction thereof)
  
  148 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  INTERNATIONAL AIR TRAVEL DISTANCES
  Here are the ﬂ ying distances between major international cities Pulp Hero characters might frequent. All distances are 
  listed in miles (for kilometers, multiply the miles by 1.609) and are “as the crow ﬂ ies.” Airline routes of the period oft en are 
  not direct due to the limited range of planes, and travelers on the ground oft en have to cope with many obstacles that can 
  lengthen a trip.
   
   
   
  Buenos 
  Hong 
   
   
  New York 
  San
   
  To... 
  Bombay 
  Aires 
  Kong 
  Istanbul 
  London 
  City 
  Francisco
  From...
  Athens 
   
  3,218 
  7,249 
  5,381  
  349 
  1,486 
  4,934 
  6,791
  Berlin 
   
  3,916 
  7,373 
  5,512 
  1,083 
  577 
  3,975 
  5,673
  Bombay 
   
  — 
  9,286 
  2,734 
  2,993 
  4,477 
  7,808 
  8,401
  Budapest 
   
  3,578 
  7,400 
  5,390 
  654 
  913 
  4,376 
  6,110
  Buenos Aires  
  9,286     
  — 
  11,480 
  7,596 
  6,886 
  5,253 
  6,444
  Cairo 
   
  2,709 
  7,333 
  5,131 
  771 
  2,187 
  5,621 
  7,471
  Canton 
   
  2,618 
  11,515 
  146 
  4,907 
  5,911 
  8,018 
  6,898
  Capetown 
   
  5,098 
  4,297 
  7,398 
  5,192 
  5,979 
  7,793 
  10,252
  Hong Kong 
   
  2,734 
  11,480 
  — 
  5,053 
  6,052 
  8,098 
  6,893
  Honolulu 
   
  8,035 
  7,546 
  5,522 
  8,119 
  7,239 
  4,968 
  2,387
  Istanbul 
   
  2,993 
  7,596 
  5,053 
  — 
  1,557 
  5,026 
  6,717
  London 
   
  4,477 
  6,886 
  6,052 
  1,557 
  — 
  3,470 
  5,371
  Los Angeles  
  8,706 
  6,101 
  7,233 
  6,861 
  5,456 
  2,462 
  344
  Madrid 
   
  4,689 
  6,217 
  6,623 
  1,707 
  783 
  3,591 
  5,807
  Manila 
   
  3,195 
  11,072 
  629 
  5,669 
  6,679 
  8,509 
  6,898
  Moscow 
   
  3,128 
  8,353 
  4,506 
  1,089 
  1,559 
  4,680 
  5,884
  Nairobi 
   
  2,815 
  6,476 
  5,498 
  2,953 
  4,228 
  7,360 
  9,600
  New Orleans  
  8,870 
  4,881 
  8,503 
  6,179 
  4,626 
  1,158 
  1,937
  New York City 
  7,808 
  5,253 
  8,098 
  5,026 
  3,470 
  — 
  2,582
  Paris 
   
  4,365 
  6,839 
  6,057 
  1,406 
  213 
  3,653 
  5,580
  Rome 
   
  3,837 
  6,912 
  5,836 
  851 
  897 
  4,298 
  6,266
  San Francisco  
  8,401 
  6,444 
  6,893 
  6,717 
  5,371 
  2,582 
  —
  Shanghai 
   
  3,136 
  12,216 
  765 
  4,970 
  5,727 
  7,387 
  6,146
  Singapore 
   
  2,419 
  9,892 
  1,593 
  5,365 
  6,739 
  9,534 
  8,442
  Sydney 
   
  6,310 
  7,356 
  4,512 
  9,289 
  10,562 
  9,935 
  7,408
  Tokyo 
   
  4,193 
  11,407 
  1,774 
  5,571 
  5,956 
  6,760 
  5,142
  Washington, D.C. 
  7,999 
  5,176 
  8,186 
  5,229 
  3,674 
  204 
  2,449
  UNITED STATES TRAVEL DISTANCES
  Here are the distances between major American cities Pulp Hero characters might frequent. All distances are listed in miles (for kilometers, multiply the 
  miles by 1.609). Air mileage is “as the crow ﬂ ies”; driving distance indicates the shortest direct route. Airline routes of the period oft en involve multiple stops 
  due to the limited range of planes, and travelers on the ground oft en have to cope with many obstacles that can lengthen a trip. You can also use the “Drive” 
  distances for travel by train.
  To...
  Chicago
  Denver
  Miami
  New York City
  San Francisco
  Washington, D.C.
  Air
  Drive
  Air
  Drive
  Air
  Drive
  Air
  Drive
  Air
  Drive
  Air
  Drive
  From...
  Chicago
  —
  —
  920
  1,034
  1,188
  1,447
  713
  909
  1,858
  2,271
  598
  787
  Denver
  920
  1,034
  —
  —
  1,726
  2,243
  1,613
  1,943
  949
  1,374
  1,487
  1,810
  Los Angeles
  1,745
  2,231
  831
  1,422
  2,339
  3,210
  2,462
  3,111
  344
  475
  2,308
  2,950
  Miami
  1,188
  1,447
  1,726
  2,243
  —
  —
  1,092
  1,590
  2,594
  3,522
  924
  1,363
  New Orleans
  833
  930
  1,082
  1,349
  669
  1,207
  1,158
  1,345
  1,937
  2,446
  955
  1,118
  New York City
  713
  909
  1,613
  1,943
  1,092
  1,590
  —
  —
  2,582
  3,180
  204
  227
  Philadelphia
  668
  817
  1,573
  1,851
  1,024
  1,498
  78
  92
  2,530
  3,088
  126
  135
  San Francisco
  1,858
  2,271
  949
  1,374
  2,594
  3,522
  2,582
  3,180
  —
  —
  2,449
  3,058
  Seattle
  1,737
  2,198
  1,021
  1,559
  2,734
  3,653
  2,408
  3,107
  678
  955
  2,329
  2,985
  Washington, D.C.
  598
  787
  1,487
  1,810
  924
  1,363
  204
  227
  2,449
  3,058
  —
  —
  
  149 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  Ships
  The cabins are not large, the dining 
  saloon is also the smoking-room, the bar, 
  the library, and the music-room. When it 
  rains there is no part of the deck on to 
  which water does not leak. There is no 
  promenade deck. If you want to take exer-
  cise, you have to take it between barrels 
  of kerosene and wine on an unawninged 
  deck. ... But of the thirty or so ships on 
  which I have travelled during the last four 
  years it is by a long way my favourite.
  —travel writer Alec Waugh describing 
  the cargo ship Louqsor
  Compared to the modern day, when commercial 
  passenger travel by ship is minimal, many people 
  take to the high seas during the Pulp era. Travel-
  ing on one of the great ocean liners is elegant and 
  comfortable (and oft en expensive), but just about 
  anyone can aﬀ ord to hop on a tramp freighter 
  heading for some exotic locale. Sailing is slow, and 
  may be uncomfortable, but ships can go places 
  planes, trains, and automobiles can’t.
  An ocean liner of the Pulp period can maintain 
  a speed of about 25-30 miles per hour over a long 
  journey. Freighters and cargo ships stay in the 15-
  18 miles per hour range, and tramp steamers (i.e., 
  old, worn out, or poorly-maintained cargo carriers 
  who go wherever there’s cargo, as opposed to liners 
  which stick to a “line” or schedule) usually can’t do 
  better than about 10-12 miles per hour. Ships with 
  sails (of which many still exist, and are still being 
  built) travel more slowly overall, though the wind 
  speed may make them swift er in short bursts.
  Th e cost of ship travel typically depends on 
  the type of accommodations a passenger has, as 
  indicated in the accompanying table. Liners oft en 
  feature elegant suites (private rooms) as well as 
  berths (shared cabins) in addition to cheaper and 
  less comfortable classes of travel. Th ey’ve also 
  got dining rooms, salons, and various types of 
  recreation available. But on a cargo ship or tramp 
  steamer, the accommodations may be catch as catch 
  can, with some people sleeping on the deck in ﬁ ne 
  weather. Some older freighters carry most of their 
  meat live, and the slaughtering of a cow or pig may 
  provide an entertaining break in the daily routine. 
  On a freighter or tramp steamer, a character may 
  be able to reduce his travel cost, or eliminate it 
  altogether, by working as part of the ship’s crew. (In 
  fact, many cargo ships don’t have passengers at all; 
  if you want to ride, you have to work.)
  Riding Animals
  In many parts of the world, particularly those 
  strange and distant places Pulp heroes so oft en like 
  to visit, there are no cars, railroads, or even places 
  where you can land a plane. If they want to travel 
  in these regions, they either have to walk or obtain 
  riding animals, such as horses, camels, mules, or 
  elephants. Th is isn’t a fast way to travel — most 
  riding animals can maintain a speed of 10-12 miles 
  an hour at best, and that only for a few hours a day. 
  Th at limits travel to 30-50 miles a day, assuming 
  relatively easy ground.
  COMMUNICATIONS
  Th ere may come times during your Pulp Hero 
  games when the heroes need to get a message to 
  (or from) someone a long way away. Th e Pulp era is 
  the ﬁ rst period in human history allowing for rapid 
  communication over enormous distances. But 
  despite the mastery of the new medium of radio 
  shown by politicians such as Franklin D. Roosevelt 
  and Adolf Hitler, social commentators like Father 
  Coughlin, and many entertainers, getting word 
  from one place to another can sometimes take an 
  aggravatingly long time.
  MAIL
  Within civilized countries, surface mail is usu-
  ally reliable and relatively quick. In the US, the sur-
  face rate is $0.02 per ounce from 1919 through July, 
  1932, and $0.03 per ounce thereaft er for the rest 
  of the Pulp era. Th e mail is delivered twice daily to 
  most homes, and more oft en to many businesses, 
  by postmen who walk their routes. Th e post oﬃ  ce 
  sometimes uses autogyros to move mail around in 
  large cities.
  In uncivilized countries, there may be little or 
  nothing in the way of mail service, and what there 
  is may not work so well. In these situations, a char-
  acter will do better to give his letter to a traveler he 
  INTERNATIONAL WATER 
  TRAVEL DISTANCES
  Here are the sailing distances between New York, San Francisco, New Orleans, the Panama 
  Canal, and various international cities Pulp Hero characters might frequent. All distances 
  are listed in statute miles (for kilometers, multiply the miles by 1.609) and indicate the 
  length of a direct route. An asterisk (*) marks a trip that involves travel through the Panama 
  Canal; a cross (†) one that involves travel through the Suez Canal.
   
   
  New 
  New York 
  Panama 
  San
   
  To... 
  Orleans 
  City 
  Canal 
  Francisco
  From...
  Bombay 
   
  10,982* 
  9,413† 
  14,921 
  11,262
  Buenos Aires 
   
  7,276 
  6,761 
  6,276 
  8,650*
  Capetown 
   
  8,492 
  7,814 
  7,571 
  11,398*
  Congo River 
   
  7,577 
  6,751 
  5,930 
  10,195*
  Hamburg 
   
  6,045 
  4,201 
  5,839 
  9,575*
  Hong Kong 
   
  12,472* 
  13,364† 
  10,588 
  7,262
  Honolulu 
   
  7,007* 
  7,718* 
  5,395 
  2,408
  Istanbul 
   
  7,619 
  5,788 
  7,101 
  10,838*
  London 
   
  5,190 
  3,847 
  5,485 
  9,257*
  Manila 
   
  12,659* 
  13,086* 
  10,764 
  7,164
  New Orleans 
   
  — 
  1,989 
  1,616 
  5,353*
  New York City 
   
  1,989 
  — 
  2,323 
  6,059*
  Panama Canal 
   
  1,616 
  2,323 
  —  
  3,737
  Port Said 
   
  7,496 
  5,922 
  7,218 
  11,012*
  San Francisco 
   
  5,353* 
  6,059* 
  3,737 
  —
  Shanghai 
   
  11,808* 
  12,284* 
  9,853 
  6,391
  Singapore 
   
  13,243* 
  11,693† 
  12,099 
  8,639
  Sydney 
   
  10,679* 
  11,160* 
  8,837 
  7,766
  Yokohama 
   
  8,939* 
  11,169* 
  9,316 
  5,223
  
  150 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  trusts and ask that person to deliver it when he gets 
  to his destination.
  International surface mail isn’t nearly as fast or 
  reliable. It goes by ship and typically takes weeks, or 
  even months, to arrive. Characters who are considered 
  trustworthy might be asked to carry letters to friends 
  of their friends when they travel to save money and 
  improve the chances of the letter getting through.
  Beginning in the early 1920s, air mail service is 
  also available within most civilized countries. It’s 
  much more expensive — in America, it costs $0.10 
  per half ounce, or nearly seven times the cost of 
  surface mail — but much quicker. International air 
  mail, when available, is even more expensive.
  RADIO
  Th e easiest way to communicate quickly over great 
  distances is with radio. However, that requires a set 
  capable of broadcasting (or access to one), and such 
  things aren’t common — especially on the dinosaur-
  inhabited long-lost plateaus or never-before-discov-
  ered islands that Pulp heroes seem to spend so much 
  time exploring! Hobbyists can build quality broad-
  casting sets for about $50 as of 1935. Amateur radio is 
  a popular hobby (it grows by almost 300% from 1929-
  36), and by 1927 hobbyists’ sets have enough range 
  that an international call sign system is developed. Of 
  course, carrying a set like that along on an adventure 
  may be more trouble than it’s worth....
  TELEGRAPH
  Telegrams remain a popular way to send messages 
  in the Pulp era. In the civilized world, most towns 
  have a telegraph oﬃ  ce, and telegrams are one of the 
  most common ways people communicate interna-
  tionally. Since the cost of a telegram is calculated 
  per word (typically around a nickel a word within a 
  country, and $0.25 per word internationally, but vary-
  ing based on origin, destination, and other factors), 
  businesses and people who send a lot of them oft en 
  developed codes that let them communicate the most 
  information in the fewest words possible. Typically a 
  telegram reaches the recipient within a day of when 
  it’s sent — a delivery boy brings it right to him.
  TELEPHONE
  By the Pulp era, the telephone is already 
  extremely common in the US, and is quickly 
  spreading to the rest of the world. By 1929 the US 
  has 20 million telephones — two times as many as 
  the rest of the world combined. Most phones are 
  in businesses, but by 1926 home phone service is 
  available in New York City for $4 per month. Out-
  side of urban areas, phones are much less common; 
  people oft en have to go to a local business and pay 
  to use the phone if they need to make a call. Simi-
  larly, poor people in cities rely on pay phones in 
  drugstores and other businesses instead of buying 
  home service. Phones in other countries, even 
  places like Great Britain and France, aren’t nearly as 
  common, and oft en not as reliable.
  Th e capability of phones is also expanding. In 
  1926 the ﬁ rst wireless transatlantic call is made, 
  followed in 1935 by the ﬁ rst around-the-world tele-
  phone call. Most phone systems aren’t automatic 
  — they require the assistance of an operator, who 
  just might decide to listen in on the call....
  Most calls are local; long distance calls are rare 
  and expensive. Typically the caller contacts the 
  operator, who calls him back several minutes later 
  aft er making the connection. International calls, if 
  possible at all, require even more time... and money.
  In the Twenties, there are few enough telephone 
  exchanges in the US that the ﬁ rst three numbers 
  were identiﬁ ed by words, with the last four num-
  bers appended:  EDIson 3231 or PENnsylvania 
  5000. In the Th irties, the larger exchanges replaced 
  the third letter with a number:  EDison 4-3231 or 
  PEnnsylvania 6-5000. Th e accompanying sidebar 
  has a list of just a few of the telephone exchange 
  names for GMs and players to use in their roleplay-
  ing to add a fun touch of authenticity.
  TELEPHONE 
  EXCHANGES
  ADams
  BUtterﬁ eld
  CEdar
  EDison
  EMpire
  EXport
  KLondike
  LAkeview
  LIberty
  MAdison
  PEnnsylvania
  REpublic
  SAratoga
  SYcamore
  TAlbot
  TRemont
  WAlnut
  
  151 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  S
  ince the pulps originated in the United 
  States, and most Pulp Hero characters 
  come from America, it’s only appropriate 
  to begin the review of the Pulp World in 
  the New World. Although oft en determined to do 
  its best to remain aloof from international aﬀ airs, 
  the United States is one of the wealthiest and most 
  powerful nations of the Pulp era.
  Government: 
  Democratic republic
  Ruler: 
  President Franklin D. Roosevelt
  Capital: 
  Washington, D.C.
  Population: 
  137,000,000
  Language(s): 
  English
  Currency: 
  Dollar
  Resources: 
  Manufacturing, agriculture
  Religion(s): 
  Christianity, Judaism
  Military: 
  135,000
  Th e United States of the Twenties and Th irties 
  is a democratic republic of 48 states. Alaska and 
  Hawaii remain territories; others it holds include 
  the Philippines, Guam, American Samoa, and 
  Puerto Rico. In the Twenties, the federal govern-
  ment remains comparatively small and uninvolved, 
  but the New Deal of the Th irties ushers in a period 
  of unprecedented governmental activity and the 
  beginning of the American welfare state.
  Internationally, the United States remains rela-
  tively isolated, preferring not to embroil itself in the 
  aﬀ airs of other major nations beyond participating 
  in a few naval disarmament conferences and the 
  like. It is, however, willing to intervene to protect its 
  interests in its own backyard:  the Caribbean and 
  Central America. American troops occupy Haiti 
  from 1915 until 1934 to help keep the peace, and 
  Nicaragua from 1926-1933 to ensure the stability of 
  the Nicaraguan government and help defeat rebels 
  led by Augusto Sandino.
  HISTORY AND POLITICS
  Broadly speaking, the history of the United 
  States during the Pulp era is one of prosperity, 
  growth, and cultural revolution during the Twen-
  ties, followed with a Th irties dominated by eco-
  nomic turmoil and the government’s eﬀ orts to help 
  the country recover from it.
  Th e Twenties began with the election of Warren 
  G. Harding, a genial former Senator from Ohio 
  who was in many ways the opposite of his prede-
  cessor, Woodrow Wilson:  approachable; old-fash-
  ioned; lacking any major agenda; preferring to let 
  business alone. Unfortunately, his amiability made 
  him too likely to trust people he never should have 
  trusted, and eventually rumblings of troubles and 
  scandals began to be heard. Harding wasn’t yet 
  aware of the full extent of the problem — including 
  the worst of the scandals, the Teapot Dome aﬀ air 
  in which Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall leased 
  naval oil reserves to his friends — but rumors of 
  them, and the other burdens of his oﬃ  ce, began to 
  tell on him. In the summer of 1923, he went on a 
  trip to Alaska and the western US; worn down by 
  the cares of his oﬃ  ce, he died of a stroke on August 
  2 while returning home.
  Harding’s Vice President, Calvin Coolidge, 
  became President. He continued Harding’s general 
  policy of having the government do relatively little, 
  leaving business and other social institutions to run 
  things as they thought best. Th is worked so well he 
  was easily re-elected in 1924, and wasn’t elected in 
  1928 simply because he chose not to run.
  Th e prosperity of the decade — America 
  produced more than Great Britain, France, Italy, 
  Germany, the USSR, and Japan combined, and 
  increased exports by 25% — showed the wisdom of 
  the laissez-faire economic approach taken by Hard-
  ing, Coolidge, and later Hoover. Th e stock market 
  crash of 1929 and the Depression that followed 
  showed the weaknesses.
  PROHIBITION
  “This law will be obeyed in cities large and 
  small, and in villages, and where it is not 
  obeyed it will be enforced. The law says 
  that liquor to be used as a beverage must 
  not be manufactured. We shall see that it 
  is not manufactured. Nor sold, not given 
  away, nor hauled in anything on the sur-
  face of the earth or under the earth or in 
  the air.”
  —John F. Kramer, first Prohibition Com-
  missioner
  Besides the societal changes taking place in 
  1920s America (see below), the most prominent 
  aspect of social life was Prohibition. Mandated 
  by the Eighteenth Amendment and enforced by 
  the Volstead Act, Prohibition attempted to outlaw 
  the selling of alcoholic beverages throughout the 
  United States.
  From the beginning the law was a dismal failure 
  — in fact, some statistics tend to show that Ameri-
  cans drank more, and got drunk more, during 
  Prohibition than they had previously. Th e Depart-
  ment of Justice had a mere 1,520 agents (2,836 in 
  1930) to patrol and stop smuggling along 18,700 
  miles of coasts and borders, inspect distilleries and 
  NATIONAL 
  PROFILES
  Th e descriptions of the 
  nations in this chapter 
  include a brief proﬁ le of 
  key information such as 
  government, languages, 
  and population. Th e 
  information in the pro-
  ﬁ les is as of 1935; thus, 
  Franklin Roosevelt is 
  listed as President of the 
  US instead of Harding, 
  Coolidge, or Hoover.
  For the most part the 
  entries in the proﬁ les 
  are self-explanatory. 
  “Resources” includes 
  major sources of rev-
  enue for that nation; 
  readers interested in 
  more detailed informa-
  tion can ﬁ nd it in period 
  almanacs and encyclo-
  pedias. “Military” lists 
  the number of active 
  duty military person-
  nel that nation has, if 
  known; “N/A” indicates 
  the information is not 
  available or not appli-
  cable.
  
  152 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  breweries still allowed to manufacture alcohol for 
  legitimate medical purposes (an enormous loop-
  hole in the law that led to doctors writing tens of 
  thousands of bogus prescriptions), and investigate 
  and shut down businesses serving liquor in viola-
  tion of the law. According to some estimates, New 
  York City alone had around 100,000 speakeasies, or 
  illegal bars; some of them unashamedly advertised 
  their services and wares, while others kept things as 
  secret as they could. According to one proprietor, 
  it cost over $1,300 a month to run a speakeasy, of 
  which a third went for bribes to local, state, and 
  federal oﬃ  cials.
  Th e social eﬀ ects of Prohibition were many. First, 
  it encouraged people to ﬂ out the law by buying ille-
  gal booze, making and selling their own “bathtub 
  gin,” and so forth. Th is did little but cause cynicism 
  about government and create health risks. Second, 
  it brought men and women together to drink and 
  socialize. Previously men had done their drinking in 
  bars where women didn’t go; now everyone went to 
  the same places to toss back a few glasses of whiskey. 
  Th ird, it allowed organized crime to ﬂ ourish. Smart 
  gangsters like Al Capone and Dutch Schultz saw the 
  potential for proﬁ t and moved in, earning millions 
  by supplying people with hooch.
  It took over a dozen years, but eventually even 
  the “drys” who supported Prohibition had to admit 
  that it wasn’t working. Th e Twenty-First Amendment 
  repealed the Eighteenth in December, 1933, and the 
  country became “wet” again. Ironically, this did little 
  to stop bootlegging, since the mechanisms established 
  by criminals for making, smuggling, and distributing 
  illegal booze were quickly adopted for the purposes of 
  avoiding the high federal tax on legal liquor.
  HOOVER AND THE DEPRESSION
  When Coolidge chose not to run in 1928, Amer-
  ica elected Herbert Hoover its thirty-ﬁ rst President. 
  Hoover had established a good reputation for his 
  humanitarian eﬀ orts in post-War Europe and as 
  Coolidge’s Secretary of Commerce, but had the 
  misfortune to come into oﬃ  ce at the end of nearly 
  a decade of federal lack of oversight of business 
  and economic matters. As a result of unrestrained 
  securities speculation on credit, a shaky banking 
  system, and other factors, the stock market crashed 
  in October 1929, precipitating the Great Depres-
  sion (see page 140).
  Hoover’s response to the economic collapse 
  and the 1929-32 “Years of the Locust” was a cau-
  tious and restrained one. He sincerely believed that 
  economic matters were largely beyond govern-
  ment regulation and had to heal themselves. He 
  saw in the cries for federal assistance and welfare 
  severe threats to the integrity of the federal budget 
  — and, worse, the American spirit of self-reliance 
  and “rugged individualism.” He did not, as was 
  oft en asserted at the time and later, have no plan 
  for dealing with the Depression. It was just that his 
  plans and programs oft en provided cold comfort 
  to desperate and hungry unemployed people and 
  their families who wanted something, anything, 
  done now to alleviate their suﬀ ering. As a result, his 
  name found its way into all sorts of insulting slang:  
  Hoovervilles (shantytowns); Hoover ﬂ ags (empty 
  pockets turned inside-out); Hoover hogs (jackrab-
  bits); Hoover blankets (old newspapers); Hoover 
  wagons (broken-down cars converted into mule-
  drawn carts).
  THE PALMER 
  RAIDS
  In the United States of 
  the early Twenties, fear 
  of Communists and 
  anarchists ran high. In 
  light of the Communist 
  overthrow of the czar 
  in Russia, recent well-
  publicized strikes by 
  the Boston police and 
  American steel workers, 
  and a possible strike by 
  American coal miners, 
  the fear of a Red threat 
  to the United States was 
  a very real one. Acting 
  to assuage that fear 
  and destroy the threat 
  before it could become 
  a real danger, on Janu-
  ary 1-2, 1920 Attorney 
  General Mitchell Palmer 
  organized raids against 
  Communist headquar-
  ters and meeting-places 
  in scores of cities across 
  the country. Th ousands 
  were arrested and sent 
  to jail, sometimes with-
  out warrants, and moun-
  tains of evidence were 
  seized. Th e heavy-hand-
  edness of the raids, and 
  the conditions in which 
  the arrestees were held, 
  were oft en deplorable. 
  In the end, only three 
  pistols and no explosives 
  were found, most of the 
  arrestees were released 
  aft er some days or weeks 
  of imprisonment, and a 
  few hundred aliens were 
  deported under the war-
  time Sedition Act.
  Th e early 1920s saw the Ku Klux Klan ascend to its 
  greatest position of national prominence in American 
  history. Revived in 1915 by “Colonel” William Simmons 
  of Atlanta, it had more than 50,000 members by 1920. 
  Besides the South, its areas of strength included Texas 
  (and the rest of the Southwest), Midwestern states such as 
  Ohio, Indiana, and Oklahoma, and some Western states 
  like California and Oregon. It stood for the white man 
  against the black, and the Protestant against the Jew and 
  the Catholic (especially the latter). To many people its 
  anti-Semitic, anti-Catholic doctrine was more important 
  than its anti-black stance.
  Klan members committed hundreds of vicious criminal 
  acts:  lynchings, bribery, murder, ﬂ oggings, brandings, 
  intimidation, vandalism. Its victims included both mem-
  bers of the groups it hated, and whites who spoke out 
  against it. But it also wielded real political power, helping 
  to elect governors, Representatives, and Senators in many 
  states. In 1925, when the total membership was about 
  ﬁ ve million, forty thousand robed Klansmen marched 
  through Washington, D.C. in support of their agenda.
  Each local chapter of the Klan was led by an Exalted 
  Cyclops (president), followed by a Klaliﬀ  (vice president), 
  Klokard (lecturer), Kludd (chaplain), Kligrapp (secretary), 
  Klabee (treasurer), Kladd (conductor), Klagaro (inner 
  guard), and Klokann (outer guard). Nationally, the organi-
  zation was ruled by an Imperial Grand Wizard (Simmons, 
  later Evans), who divided the US into eight “domains,” 
  each controlled by a Grand Goblin. Within a domain, 
  each state was a “realm” led by a Grand Dragon. Kleagles 
  (local recruiters) and King Kleagles (state sales managers) 
  answered to the Grand Dragon. When a Kleagle signed 
  up a new member, a portion of the $10 membership fee 
  went up the national chain, making many of KKK’s lead-
  ers quite rich.
  Klansmen used secret code-words, passwords, and ges-
  tures to identify themselves. Th ey held “klonvocations” 
  and “klonklaves,” read the Kloran (book of rules and 
  ceremonies) and various Klan papers and books, and 
  sang “klodes.” For some members, the Klan was an entire 
  lifestyle. In towns where the Klan was powerful, stores put 
  “TWK” (Trade With Klansmen) stickers on their win-
  dows to show support, and businesses owned by Catholics 
  or Jews had trouble staying open.
  In 1923, Hiram Wesley Evans ousted Simmons as KKK 
  leader. But in 1925, Klan powerbroker David Stephenson 
  of Indiana was convicted of murder aft er a woman he 
  raped died. Members of the Klan, shocked by this betrayal 
  of what they saw as the organization’s core morality and 
  values, began leaving in droves, signaling the beginning of 
  the end of the KKK as a signiﬁ cant political power in the 
  US. By 1930 the membership had plummeted to about 
  35,000, and it continued to decline over the rest of the 
  Pulp era.
  THE KU KLUX KLAN
  BILL MCCOY
  One of the most suc-
  cessful liquor smugglers 
  of the Prohibition era 
  was Bill McCoy, who 
  developed such a reputa-
  tion for not watering or 
  mis-labeling the quality 
  liquors he brought in that 
  the term “the real McCoy” 
  was coined. A ship cap-
  tain, he typically got his 
  liquor from Scotland, the 
  Caribbean, or Rum Row 
  (i.e., from ships waiting 
  just beyond the legal 
  limit, so the Coast Guard 
  couldn’t touch them).
  Continued on page 154
  
  153 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  
  154 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  ROOSEVELT AND THE NEW DEAL
  “It is almost impossible to come to grips 
  with him.”
  —Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes, 
  commenting on FDR
  In light of Hoover’s growing unpopularity and 
  the worsening of the Depression, it surprised no 
  one when his 1932 challenger, Franklin Delano 
  Roosevelt, won the election easily on the strength 
  of his promise to create a “New Deal” for the 
  American people. And he delivered on that prom-
  ise, launching his “Hundred Days” of new laws and 
  programs that sailed through the overwhelmingly 
  Democratic Congress. As almost his ﬁ rst act in 
  oﬃ  ce, he established a “bank holiday” to prevent a 
  total collapse of the banking industry. Th en he and 
  his “brain trust” of advisors went on to establish a 
  whole alphabet soup of federal laws and agencies to 
  provide relief, jobs, and anything else that seemed 
  helpful:  the National Recovery Administration 
  (NRA), which empowered industries to establish 
  regulations, wages, working hours, and pricing 
  structures for themselves; the Civilian Conserva-
  tion Corps (CCC), which employed thousands of 
  Americans in various environmental jobs; the Agri-
  cultural Adjustment Administration (AAA), which 
  paid farmers to reduce the production of certain 
  crops in an eﬀ ort to raise prices; the Public Works 
  Administration (PWA), to ﬁ nance numerous public 
  works and building projects; the Works Progress 
  Administration (WPA), to employ artists, musi-
  cians, and other creators in various tasks (painting 
  murals, collecting folk music, staging free perfor-
  mances); the Civil Works Administration (CWA), 
  to provide relief for the unemployed; the Rural 
  Electriﬁ cation Administration (REA), to provide 
  electricity to rural communities; the Social Secu-
  rity Act (SSA), to provide pensions for the aged 
  and unemployment relief; the Tennessee Valley 
  Authority (TVA), to dam the Tennessee River and 
  provide power and jobs for millions. According to 
  some estimates, by 1935 if one counts people on 
  relief and people working for relief projects, the US 
  government was directly supporting over 20% of its 
  citizens. Th e spending for these programs caused 
  the federal budget deﬁ cit to grow enormously.
  Roosevelt was immensely popular with the 
  working class and everyday folk — enough so that 
  he was overwhelmingly re-elected in 1936 even 
  though the Depression remained in eﬀ ect. His 
  eﬀ orts to help them, the “Fireside Chats” in which 
  he spoke directly and inspiringly to them, and his 
  willingness to do something to end the hard times 
  earned their undying admiration. But among many 
  businessmen and the upper class he was bitterly 
  loathed. He was seen as a Socialist, a Communist, 
  a nascent dictator. According to some scholars, 
  the press shared these feelings; as many as 85% of 
  papers were anti-Roosevelt.
  Th e Dust Bowl
  “Great bargains in real estate. Bring your 
  own container.”
  —Great Plains store window sign during 
  the Dust Bowl years
  As if the Depression by itself weren’t enough, 
  the US in the Th irties experienced a host of envi-
  ronmental catastrophes. Th e chief among these 
  was the “Dust Bowl.” Years of overgrazing and 
  overfarming, exacerbated by the increased crops 
  planted to take advantage of high prices during the 
  Great War, left  the agricultural Plains states ripe for 
  disaster. Aft er a dry summer and autumn, in late 
  1933 winds began to blow the topsoil oﬀ  tens of 
  thousands of acres of what was once prime farm-
  land. Th e enormous clouds of dust were so large 
  they blackened the skies over Chicago, then Albany. 
  Th e storms deﬁ ed all eﬀ orts to keep the dust out 
  of homes and cars — grit and dirtiness became 
  omnipresent facts of life, and water oft en a valu-
  able commodity. In places as much as a foot of soil 
  was blown away, and dust drift s buried houses and 
  killed livestock. Street lights burned at noon. Th e 
  dust storms (“black blizzards”) continued in some 
  areas through the late Th irties.
  Many farmers went on relief (in some areas, as 
  many as a third of them received federal or state 
  payments), while others left  their farms to search 
  for a better life elsewhere. Th is migration of “Okies” 
  westward, grimly chronicled in Steinbeck’s Th e 
  Grapes Of Wrath, created further problems. Other 
  states (particularly California, where most of them 
  headed) didn’t want them; they oft en faced dis-
  crimination and even vigilante groups who kept 
  them from crossing state lines or entering towns. 
  When they did ﬁ nd work, it was poor-paying 
  migratory farm labor.
  THE LATE THIRTIES
  Roosevelt’s nigh-unbroken string of successes 
  and achievements began to unravel in 1935, when 
  the Supreme Court ruled that the NRA was uncon-
  stitutional. Th e ruling, which by twenty-ﬁ rst cen-
  tury standards was based on a ludicrous interpreta-
  tion of the term “interstate commerce,” provoked 
  scorn in many circles at the time and angered 
  Roosevelt. In 1936 the Court invalidated the AAA 
  and various other Roosevelt laws and programs.
  Roosevelt responded in 1937 by proposing a plan 
  to increase the membership of the Supreme Court 
  — in other words, to add members to the Court 
  whom he knew would vote in favor of his programs. 
  Widely derided as “court packing,” it earned him a 
  great deal of negative opinion and publicity, even 
  from many of his allies, and went nowhere. But in 
  the end Roosevelt got what he wanted; soon aft er he 
  proposed his plan the Court became more tractable 
  to New Deal laws, and in the next few years legiti-
  mate retirements gave Roosevelt the chance to name 
  new Associate Justices.
  1937 brought another downturn:  the Roos-
  evelt recession. For all his deﬁ cit spending, FDR 
  believed in balanced budgets. When he tried to rein 
  THE BONUS 
  EXPEDITIONARY 
  FORCE
  In 1925, Congress 
  voted to give a bonus 
  to Americans who’d 
  fought in the Great War, 
  to be paid in 1945. In 
  the summer of 1932, 
  approximately 20,000 
  veterans who wanted to 
  get their bonus early to 
  help alleviate the eﬀ ects 
  of the Depression came 
  to Washington, D.C. to 
  demand a Congressional 
  vote on the matter. Th e 
  Senate voted no.
  Most of the veterans, 
  defeated but gracious, 
  went home. But about 
  8,600 who were so poor 
  they had nowhere to go 
  remained in the capital, 
  living in Hoovervilles. 
  Th is made the White 
  House nervous; the 
  government sensed a 
  potential radical threat 
  (though in fact the early 
  BEF had maintained 
  military discipline in its 
  “camps”). On July 28, 
  Pelham Glassford, the 
  chief of police who’d 
  assisted the BEF mem-
  bers early on, received 
  orders from the “highest 
  authority” to make the 
  squatters leave. At his 
  request, the remaining 
  “bonus marchers” and 
  their families began to 
  leave, mostly peacefully 
  though there were some 
  scuﬄ  es and stone-
  throwing that led to two 
  marchers being shot.
  Continued from page 152
  On November 14, 1923, 
  McCoy was aboard one 
  of his ships, the Tomika, 
  when it encountered a 
  Coast Guard cutter in US 
  territorial waters. McCoy 
  chased the Coast Guard 
  oﬀ  by ﬁ ring a machine 
  gun, but when he tried to 
  ﬂ ee the cutter put a shell 
  just oﬀ  his hull and he 
  wisely surrendered. Th at 
  was the end of his smug-
  gling career.
  Continued on next page
  
  155 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  in federal spending, trim back his relief programs, 
  and “reassure” business, the result was recession. 
  Unemployment increased; production dropped. By 
  April 1938 Roosevelt gave up and resumed deﬁ cit 
  spending, pumping new life into the economy. But 
  his popularity took another downturn later in 1938 
  when he wasted a lot of time and eﬀ ort trying to 
  replace Democratic Congressmen who hadn’t sup-
  ported his court-packing plan. Despite these defeats 
  he remained popular enough to win re-election for 
  an unprecedented third term in 1940... and to lead 
  America into war.
  SOCIETY AND CULTURE
  No modern culture is truly static, but during 
  the Twenties the US underwent a period of sig-
  niﬁ cant cultural upheaval (at least in and around 
  the cities — in rural areas, change was of a much 
  smaller scale, or nonexistent). Many factors — the 
  new freedom created by prosperity, disillusion-
  ment over human society brought on by the Great 
  War, the lawbreaking encouraged by Prohibition, 
  the increasing prevalence of the automobile, more 
  women entering the workforce, the writings of Sig-
  mund Freud — were breaking down the old order 
  and played havoc (in the eyes of moralists) with 
  traditional American virtues and conduct. In addi-
  tion to the shocking changes in fashion (see below), 
  young people were driving around unchaperoned 
  (cars being “houses of prostitution on wheels,” to 
  paraphrase one judge), attending “petting parties,” 
  dancing licentiously, drinking (and in each others’ 
  company!), using coarser language, having worse 
  manners, and smoking cigarettes.
  Th e Th irties didn’t reverse these changes neces-
  sarily, but they did at least slow them down — if 
  for no other reason than people in the midst of 
  a Depression don’t have the money or attitude to 
  lead an eat-drink-and-be-merry lifestyle. Th e end 
  of Prohibition helped, as did the simple fact that 
  people had become accustomed to many of the 
  once-radical changes of the Twenties (though as 
  those changes slowly spread outward from the 
  cities, they could still cause unrest). By making 
  marriage economically untenable for many people, 
  the Depression encouraged the move toward 
  greater sexual freedom; it also reduced the divorce 
  rate, since getting divorced cost money.
  FASHION
  Perhaps the most intriguing barometer of these 
  social changes was women’s fashions. Th e Twen-
  ties saw a “shocking” rise in women’s skirtlines, and 
  some daring women also rolled down their stock-
  ings to show the knee and top of the calf and shin. 
  At the same time necklines lowered. Th e “ﬂ apper” 
  style, which combined a sleeveless dress with those 
  short skirts, deliberately ﬂ attened and de-empha-
  sized the female ﬁ gure, giving women a boyish 
  or childish look appropriate to a Jazz Age of free-
  wheeling play and irresponsibility. It also involved 
  a great deal of makeup, which many of the older 
  generation found particularly disturbing.
  Fashionable women wore their hair bobbed 
  (hair cut markedly short and distinctively styled 
  close to the head) or marcelled (styled into thick, 
  stiﬀ  waves). When they went out, they protected it 
  with a bell-shaped cloche hat.
  In the Th irties, some of these trends reversed. 
  Necklines rose, and hemlines once again dropped 
  below the knee. Bras were now made to accentuate 
  and uplift , rather than to ﬂ atten. Hair lengthened, 
  Continued from last page
  But the evacuation didn’t 
  proceed fast enough for 
  the government. Late 
  that aft ernoon, a force of 
  soldiers (including tanks) 
  led by Army Chief of Staﬀ  
  Gen. Douglas MacArthur 
  and his second in com-
  mand, Major Dwight 
  Eisenhower, moved in to 
  rout the squatters. In the 
  confusion several civilians 
  were injured or killed, and 
  their shantytowns were 
  burned. Hoover claimed 
  that a threat to govern-
  ment authority had been 
  eliminated, but the blow 
  to his prestige caused by 
  the whole sordid incident 
  was just one more nail in 
  his political coﬃ  n.
  THE GERMAN-
  AMERICAN 
  BUND
  Some people in the 
  Th irties were attracted 
  to the foul philosophy of 
  Nazism as a solution to 
  America’s economic and 
  social problems. Various 
  political organizations, 
  such as the Silver Shirts, 
  the German Legion, and 
  the Hindenburg Youth 
  Association, sprang 
  up to represent these 
  people and voice their 
  views. Th e largest such 
  group was the German-
  American Bund, 
  founded in 1936 by Fritz 
  Kuhn. Its members wore 
  uniforms reminiscent of 
  Nazi garb, imitated the 
  Nazi salute, distributed 
  propaganda, established 
  training and education 
  camps, and held ral-
  lies in large cities like 
  New York (the German 
  neighborhood of York-
  ville in that city was a 
  Bund strongpoint). Th e 
  estimated membership 
  was about 25,000, eight 
  thousand of whom 
  were uniformed Sturm-
  abteilungen (SA), or 
  “Storm Troopers.”
  Th e Bund was anti-
  Semitic, anti-Commu-
  nist, and pro-neutral-
  Continued on next page
  Th e Pulp era is an age of adventurers and heroes — so 
  it’s no surprise that these bold men and women, though 
  they come from diverse backgrounds and places, some-
  times wish to congregate with others of like inclination 
  to share experiences, provide one another advice and 
  assistance, and enjoy the camaraderie of a very small 
  and special group of people.
  Th e place they’re most likely to do that is the Empire 
  Club, an exclusive organization for explorers, adventur-
  ers, and heroes of every stripe. Th ough it resembles 
  a typical “gentleman’s club” (and in fact most of the 
  members are men), it has no qualms about admitting 
  women as members, provided they meet the require-
  ments. It also has no policy barring members of the 
  non-white races from joining — its members know 
  that heroism, like villainy, is a universal quality of 
  humanity, not something limited to Westerners.
  To join the Empire Club, a person must have under-
  taken a journey of exploration, been involved in some 
  adventure, or otherwise attracted the attention of the 
  Club for his derring-do and amazing exploits. But 
  membership isn’t automatic even for people who meet 
  that criterion. A prospective member must be spon-
  sored by an existing member, and must pay dues of 
  $100 US per year. Members who commit some impro-
  priety or become involved in a scandal that might 
  taint the Club can have their membership revoked or 
  suspended.
  Members of the Empire Club enjoy several privileges. 
  First, they may enter the Club’s private facilities in New 
  York City, London, Hudson City, Cairo, Hong Kong, 
  Delhi, and San Francisco. Each facility features an 
  elegant restaurant, a bar, a smoking room, billiards and 
  similar forms of recreation, a library, and a few rooms 
  where adventurers can stay for short periods for a small 
  rent. Some of the clubs have other features, such as a 
  shooting gallery or a nearby golf course.
  Th e most important resource the Club provides is 
  access to other adventurers and explorers. A character 
  in search of information about the mysterious tribes of 
  the Tibetan interior, the headhunters of the South Seas, 
  the perils one might encounter while sailing up the 
  Amazon, or the ins and outs of New York’s Chinatown 
  can turn to his fellow “Empireans” for advice, informa-
  tion, and perhaps even a helping hand.
  Th e Empire Club was founded in 1908 by Darius 
  Stoner, son of the famed Victorian-era explorers Profes-
  sor Odysseus and Vivian Stoner. Stoner remains the 
  president of the organization to this day. A wealthy 
  man, he sometimes supports the expeditions of his 
  members, but certainly isn’t in the habit of bankrolling 
  every scheme an Empirean comes up with.
  THE EMPIRE CLUB
  
  156 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  corsages became popular, and the fashion in hats 
  ran to larger, more colorful ones worn with a 
  rakish tilt.
  ENTERTAINMENT
  Whether times are good or hard, all work and 
  no play make Jack and Jill very dull people. During 
  the Pulp era, they found lots of ways to keep them-
  selves amused during their free time (which, par-
  ticularly in the Th irties, was oft en more extensive 
  than they wished).
  Fads
  Th e improvement in communications, manufac-
  turing, and distribution made it possible for fads to 
  truly sweep the country for the ﬁ rst time. During the 
  Twenties and Th irties, diversions both standard and 
  strange enjoyed periods of great popularity. Some 
  of them include crossword puzzles, the Charleston 
  (and other dances), ﬂ agpole sitting, mah-jongg, 
  bingo, contract bridge (and other card games), jigsaw 
  puzzles, marathon dancing, yo-yos, roller skating, 
  photography, chain letters, and miniature golf.
  Movies
  Th e Pulp era was Hollywood’s ﬁ rst great golden 
  age. It began with silent ﬁ lms starring the likes of 
  Rudolph Valentino and Clara Bow, and progressed 
  into “talkies” featuring such stars as Clark Gable, 
  Jean Harlow, Shirley Temple, Fred Astaire and 
  Ginger Rogers, Jimmy Stewart, Mae West, Errol 
  Flynn, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, Katherine Hep-
  burn, Spencer Tracy, Gary Cooper, Jimmy Cagney, 
  Marlene Dietrich, and Greta Garbo (one of the few 
  to make the transition from the silents). Sound was 
  ﬁ rst introduced, crudely, in 1927; by about 1930 
  the silent picture had been eclipsed. Color movies 
  became possible in the early Th irties, though they 
  didn’t become common until late in the Th irties 
  (and even then, not universal).
  With people attending movies at the rate of 
  100 million a week during the Twenties, the ﬁ lm 
  industry went on a building spree, putting up the-
  aters in cities all over the US. Th ey were oft en fan-
  cifully designed to resemble Italian gardens, Egyp-
  tian temples, Oriental pagodas, or the like. Since 
  people kept attending movies in large numbers 
  even during the Depression (not only because 
  they were fun, but because theaters were oft en air-
  conditioned and sometimes had prize drawings), 
  only about a third of these movie palaces went out 
  of business in the Th irties.
  Music
  Several new types of music emerged during the 
  Twenties and Th irties. Chief among them was jazz, a 
  typically fast-paced instrumental music developed by 
  black musicians from New Orleans ragtime and the 
  musical traditions of the Mississippi delta. Popular-
  ized by such talents as King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, 
  and Duke Ellington, it lent its name to the age and was 
  oft en associated with all sorts of “loose” or immoral 
  behavior, if not crimes of inﬂ amed passion. With the 
  coming of the Depression, jazz temporarily died away, 
  mostly going underground as many of its musicians 
  sought tamer radio jobs.
  Swing music, a melodic big band dance music 
  introduced by Benny Goodman in 1935, also 
  enjoyed immense popularity. Described by the 
  New York Times as “cunningly devised to a faster 
  tempo than... the human pulse,” it was basically 
  jazz revived for white dance audiences. Other lead-
  ers of big band/swing music included Artie Shaw, 
  Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, and 
  Count Basie. Swing bands usually featured vocalists 
  as well; some who got their start this way include 
  Billie Holliday, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Bing 
  Crosby, and Ethel Merman.
  Radio
  MANY FLEE HOMES TO ESCAPE “GAS 
  RAIDS FROM MARS”
  —one of the sensational newspaper 
  headlines from October 31, 1938, con-
  cerning Orson Welles’s “War Of The 
  Worlds” radio drama broadcast from 
  the evening before
  Rivaling movies for popularity was radio. 
  Radio sets were sold in the tens of millions annu-
  ally during the Twenties, and even the Depression 
  didn’t slow the sales down too much. Radio allowed 
  rural folk to get news quickly, and politicians and 
  social reformers of every stripe to reach audiences 
  undreamt of only a few years before, but it was 
  mainly used for entertainment. By the mid- to late 
  Twenties, and all through the Th irties, a regular 
  daily and weekly schedule of entertainment pro-
  grams was available in addition to sports, news, 
  and special broadcasts. Some of America’s favorites 
  included Amos ’n’ Andy, Fibber McGee and Molly, 
  the Shadow, Buck Rogers, the Chase and Sanborn 
  Hour, Gangbusters, Tom Mix, Jack Armstrong the 
  All-American Boy, Th e Kate Smith Show, Fred 
  Allen, Your Hit Parade, the Lone Ranger, the come-
  dic observations of Will Rogers, Jack Benny, and 
  the commentary and sermons of the controversial 
  Father Charles Coughlin. Nothing better illustrates 
  Continued from last page
  ity; it was said to be 
  controlled by Berlin. In 
  the pulps it’s all of those 
  things, and something 
  more:  a terrorist group 
  and “ﬁ ft h column” sup-
  porting the Nazi cause 
  in America. It’s a great 
  source of adversaries for 
  PCs engaged in Crime-
  busting and Espionage 
  campaigns in the US.
  THE UNITED 
  STATES 
  MILITARY
  In many ways, the 
  United States is not a 
  military powerhouse 
  during the Pulp era. In 
  fact, many consider its 
  forces poorly equipped 
  and weak. With 135,000 
  soldiers and sailors total, 
  it’s smaller than the 
  militaries of the Nether-
  lands, Norway, Romania, 
  and Yugoslavia, not 
  to mention the other 
  Great Powers. On the 
  other hand, the US Navy 
  is larger than that of 
  any other Great Power 
  (including Britain), 
  mainly due to its many 
  destroyers. Th ere is no 
  Air Force; the Air Corps 
  is part of the Army.
  SWING SLANG
  Swing fans had a slang all 
  their own. Some of the 
  highlights:
  Alligator:  a swing fan
  Corn:  bland music for 
  sedate dancing
  Cuttin’ the rug:  dancing 
  to swing
  Hepcat:  an expert swing 
  fan
  Ickie:  a person who 
  doesn’t “get” swing
  Jitterbug:  someone who 
  likes swing music
  Licorice stick:  clarinet
  Liver-lips:  trumpeter
  Plumbing:  a trumpet
  Sent:  to get into swing 
  music (to be really into it 
  is to be “knocked out”)
  
  157 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  the impact of radio than the popularity of Edgar 
  Bergen and Charlie McCarthy — a ventriloquist act 
  broadcast over a media where the listeners couldn’t 
  even see the performer!
  Sports
  With radio broadcasts making it easier to follow 
  sporting events all over the country and the world, 
  interest in athletics rose to new heights in the Pulp 
  era. Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey, Bill Tilden, Jesse 
  Owens, and others became world-famous; some 
  even went on to careers in the movies aft er their 
  time on ﬁ eld, court, or ring was done. People also 
  began playing more sports and games, since an 
  investment in sports gear was fairly cheap and pro-
  vided countless hours of recreation.
  CITIES AND REGIONS
  Th anks to the increased availability of auto-
  mobiles, and the development of the engineering 
  technology needed to build skyscrapers, many 
  American urban areas experienced signiﬁ cant 
  growth during the Twenties and Th irties. Even 
  during the Depression, the PWA and other New 
  Deal projects helped maintain the pace of con-
  struction. Some of the most intriguing cities 
  and regions of the US in the Pulp era, or places 
  to which adventure and excitement might draw 
  intrepid Pulp heroes, include:
  New York City:  
  The Big Apple
  Th e second largest city on Earth with a popula-
  tion of approximately 6.9 million, New York is the 
  ﬁ nancial and cultural capital of the United States, 
  and in many ways of the world. Within its ﬁ ve bor-
  oughs (Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, 
  and Richmond) you can ﬁ nd just about any sort of 
  people, products, or urban experiences you desire. 
  To many people, the New York night and social life 
  is the epitome of high-class, sophisticated living. So 
  compelling is the Big Apple’s image that it inspired 
  countless Pulp stories, and even entire pulps such 
  as New York Stories. 
  In the 1930s, New York City has:
  ■ 18,000 policemen
  ■ over 60 daily newspapers
  ■ more Italians than Rome, more Irish than 
  Dublin, and 10% of the world’s Jews
  ■ more telephones than London, Paris, Berlin, 
  Rome, and Leningrad put together
  FIORELLO LAGUARDIA
  Overseeing this vast, sprawling city is Mayor 
  Fiorello LaGuardia, a popular Republican politi-
  cian oft en known as “the Little Flower.” Aft er sev-
  eral years in Congress, he ran against incumbent 
  Jimmy Walker for mayor and lost. But in 1933, 
  aft er a corruption scandal drove Walker from 
  oﬃ  ce, LaGuardia won the mayoralty and held 
  it for the rest of the Pulp era. Short, plump, and 
  oft en unkempt, his plainspoken ways and energy 
  brought him the love of the people and plenty 
  of support for his reformist agenda. During his 
  time in oﬃ  ce he modernized and streamlined the 
  chaotic New York City government, making city 
  services more eﬃ  cient and accessible.
  SKYSCRAPERS
  He, too, saw something moving along the 
  wall of this most giant of skyscrapers. His 
  scalp tingled and his heart beat faster. 
  It was unthinkable that any living thing 
  could creep along the building’s glass-
  smooth exterior. ... He swiveled his eyes in 
  all directions. Here and there on the sky-
  scraper’s gigantic face, lights still showed 
  in office windows where some busy execu-
  tive or clerk was working late. Far over-
  head, on the eightieth floor, the windows 
  of the Skyrocket Club, where hundreds of 
  pleasure seekers came nightly, emitted a 
  corona-like illumination.
  —Paul Chadwick, “Skyscraper Horror,” 
  Ten Detective Aces, March 1933
  Besides Wall Street (which so intensely occu-
  pied the minds of America in the late Twenties), if 
  there’s one thing people during the Pulp era think 
  about when they think of New York, it’s skyscrap-
  ers. Some of the city’s most famous towers, such 
  as the Flatiron Building (1902), Chrysler Building 
  (1913), and Woolworth Building (1913) were well-
  THE TOP TEN
  Here are the top ten 
  songs in the US on Sep-
  tember 21, 1935:
  1.  I’m In Th e Mood For 
  Love
  2.  You’re All I Need
  3.  Cheek To Cheek
  4.  East Of Th e Sun
  5.  Without A Word Of 
  Warning
  6.  Accent On Youth
  7.  I Couldn’t Believe My 
  Eyes
  8.  Page Miss Glory
  9.  Rhythm And 
  Romance
  10.  I’m On A Seesaw
  JUDGE JOSEPH 
  CRATER 
  (1889-?)
  On August 6, 1930, New 
  York Supreme Court 
  Justice Joseph Crater 
  disappeared and was 
  never seen again. Th e 
  mystery surrounding his 
  disappearance endures 
  to this day.
  In late July of that year, 
  the wealthy Crater 
  received a phone call 
  while vacationing with 
  his wife in Maine. Tell-
  ing his wife only that he 
  had to return to New 
  York City “to straighten 
  those fellows out,” he left  
  her in Maine. In New 
  York, he gathered up 
  some papers, cashed a 
  check for $5,150, had 
  dinner with friends, told 
  them he was going to 
  see the Broadway show 
  Dancing Partner, got 
  into a cab, and vanished. 
  He left  behind other 
  checks and easily-trans-
  ported ﬁ nancial assets.
  Crater’s vanishing act 
  made the news all over 
  America, but he was 
  never found (even an 
  extensive grand jury 
  investigation ended 
  with no conclusions). 
  Nor was any satisfac-
  Continued on next page
  
  158 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  known landmarks by the Twenties. Others, such 
  as the Rockefeller Center complex (1933), were 
  completed during the Pulp era; their construction 
  might become a feature or plot element in Pulp 
  Hero adventures that take place in Manhattan.
  Th e king of all the skyscrapers, and the tallest 
  building in the world, is the Empire State Building 
  at Fift h Avenue and 34th Street. Begun in 1929 and 
  opened a mere two years later in 1931, it was the 
  brainchild of ﬁ nancier John Jakob Raskob, who 
  intended it as a tribute to the spirit of American 
  capitalism and completed it in spite of the Crash 
  and the Depression. (Unfortunately, the economic 
  conditions of the time kept it from ever being fully 
  rented out during the Th irties.) 1,250 feet (192”) 
  and 86 stories tall, it’s topped with an airship moor-
  ing mast that was never used.
  THE MELTING POT
  New York City has been a magnet for immi-
  grants to the United States for decades. Th e sight of 
  the Statue of Liberty and processing at Ellis Island 
  are the ﬁ rst memories many immigrants have of 
  America. Immigrants oft en congregate in speciﬁ c 
  neighborhoods that become strongly identiﬁ ed 
  with their particular ethnicity. Th ese include Little 
  Italy (a lower Manhattan neighborhood dominated 
  by Italians) and Chinatown (an Oriental neighbor-
  hood on the Lower East Side, near Little Italy). New 
  Yorkers in search of new culinary experiences may 
  visit neighborhoods like these to try their restau-
  rants. Crimeﬁ ghters may brave their night-dark-
  ened streets to come to grips with wicked Oriental 
  crimelords, vicious tongs, or the gat-wielding gang-
  sters of the Maﬁ a.
  Harlem
  Perhaps the most famous of New York’s ethnic 
  neighborhoods is Harlem, one of the largest black 
  communities in the world. During the Pulp era it 
  was one of the greatest centers of jazz. Whites and 
  blacks alike came to such venues as the Cotton 
  Club, Connie’s Inn, the Saratoga Club, and the 
  Alhambra Ballroom (where the danger of possibly 
  getting caught in a battle between warring bootleg-
  gers only added to the thrill of hearing the music 
  and seeing the sexy dancing of the “high yaller 
  gals”). But jazz was only one aspect of the “Harlem 
  Renaissance,” a ﬂ owering of black art and culture 
  that took place in the 1920s. Authors and artists 
  such as Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, 
  Sterling Brown, and Countee Cullen did much of 
  their best work there, making the neighborhood a 
  destination for other creative blacks.
  THE UNDERWORLD
  While not as well known for its crime as Chi-
  cago (see below), New York City has an active and 
  dangerous underworld ﬁ t to challenge the toughest 
  Masked Crimeﬁ ghters. During the Twenties the 
  dominant ﬁ gure was Arnold Rothstein, “the Brain,” 
  who orchestrated the 1919 “Black Sox” scandal. But 
  by the time Rothstein was murdered in 1928, the 
  Italian gangs of the Maﬁ a were becoming the major 
  powers. Chief among the mobsters were Joe “the 
  Boss” Masseria and Salvatore Maranzano, who from 
  1928 to 1931 fought the “Castellammarese War.” In 
  1931, Rothstein protege and Masseria henchman 
  Charles “Lucky” Luciano, seeing which way the 
  wind was blowing, had Masseria killed. But when 
  Maranzano declared himself “boss of bosses,” thus 
  interfering in Luciano’s own plans, Lucky had him 
  killed as well.
  Th en Luciano, with the assistance of his friend, 
  the Jewish gangster and ﬁ nancial wizard Meyer 
  Lansky, organized a national crime syndicate featur-
  ing both Italian and non-Italian gangs. Th eir scheme 
  divided New York among ﬁ ve crime families:  the 
  old Masseria gang now under the control of Luciano, 
  Vito Genovese, and Frank Costello; the old Reina 
  gang led by Th omas Lucchese and Tom Gagliano; 
  the Joseph Profaci gang (part of the old Maran-
  zano mob); the Joseph Bonanno gang (also former 
  Maranzano); and a Brooklyn mob run by the Man-
  gano brothers and the vicious killer Albert Anastasia.
  In addition to the Maﬁ a, there were plenty of 
  similar mobsters and criminal gangs operating in 
  New York City. Th e best-known of these was Dutch 
  Schultz, a major power in the Bronx who was killed 
  by Murder, Inc. in 1935 aft er he refused to obey the 
  Commission’s orders to leave prosecutor Th omas 
  Dewey alone.
  Th e Fictional Underworld
  Th ere’s no need to use the actual New York 
  underworld in your games if you don’t want to. 
  Typically pulp writers preferred to make up their 
  own gangs and mob bosses so they could describe 
  them... and dispose of them... with impunity, and 
  they weren’t worried about the “realism” of their 
  portrayal. For example, the underworld created 
  by Walter Gibson in the Shadow stories bore little 
  resemblance to the Maﬁ a of the day. It drew more 
  on the New York underworld of the turn of the 
  century, when lots of small gangs ran riot through-
  out the ﬁ ve boroughs.
  Continued from last page
  tory explanation for his 
  disappearance ever put 
  forward. Some people 
  suspected it might 
  have had something to 
  do with either one of 
  his many aﬀ airs, or an 
  alleged investigation 
  into Tammany Hall 
  corruption that might 
  have implicated him in 
  wrongdoing.
  MURDER, INC.
  Luciano, Lansky, and 
  the other gangsters who 
  established the national 
  crime syndicate in the 
  Th irties needed a way 
  to enforce their instruc-
  tions — without muscle, 
  they knew they couldn’t 
  keep the group together. 
  To solve the problem, 
  they created a group of 
  elite triggermen who 
  worked only for the 
  Maﬁ a:  Murder, Inc.
  Based in Brooklyn with 
  its “headquarters” at 
  Midnight Rose’s candy 
  store, Murder Inc. was 
  supposedly led by Albert 
  Anastasia, a vicious 
  killer, but he actually 
  took his orders from 
  labor racketeer Louis 
  “Lepke” Buchalter or 
  Joey Adonis, and the 
  killings were approved 
  by a ruling circle of 
  Luciano and other 
  major mobsters. Below 
  Anastasia were lieuten-
  ants like Mendy Weiss 
  and Abe “Kid Twist” 
  Reles, who passed 
  orders on to the kill-
  ers. Some of the group’s 
  best hitmen were Frank 
  “the Dasher” Abban-
  dando, Vito “Chicken 
  Head” Gurino, Blue 
  Jew Magoon, Buggsy 
  Goldstein, and Happy 
  Maione.
  According to some 
  reports the group was 
  responsible for as many 
  as 400-500 murders, but 
  other experts dispute 
  this total. Th e rules 
  speciﬁ ed that the mob 
  couldn’t use the group 
  to hit politicians, report-
  Continued on next page
  THE 1939 
  WORLD’S FAIR
  From April 30, 1939 until October 27, 1940, New 
  York City was home to the World’s Fair, built at 
  Flushing Meadows, Queens. Marked by its trade-
  mark Trylon (a 700 foot-tall needle-like monolith) 
  and Perisphere (a 200-foot diameter sphere) struc-
  tures, it was an attraction for people not just from 
  New York, but the United States and the world.
  Getting into the Fair cost ﬁ ft y cents. Once a visi-
  tor was inside, there were plenty of free exhibits 
  and giveaways if he didn’t want to spend any more. 
  Th irty-three states, 58 foreign nations, and 1,300 
  businesses had pavilions or other attractions to 
  showcase their accomplishments, inventions, and 
  products. And of course there were carnival-like 
  rides (including a 250-foot parachute jump) and 
  lots of diﬀ erent foods to try (oft en for free).
  
  159 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  Chicago:  
  The Land Of Capone
  Located near the center of the United States, 
  Chicago has a population of over 3.3 million, 
  making it the second largest city in the US and 
  ﬁ ft h largest in the world. It’s a major transporta-
  tion center in the Pulp era. If characters are ﬂ ying 
  or taking the train across America, the odds are 
  they’re going to have to pass through Chicago to 
  get where they’re going. Th ey might also come to 
  the city of the big shoulders  to visit the 1933-34 
  World’s Fair, the Century Of Progress Exhibition. 
  Th e Fair featured Art Deco and Modernist designs 
  and architecture along with such fascinating 
  exhibits as the House Of Tomorrow (complete 
  with a hangar for the family plane), the Dymaxion 
  automobile built by R. Buckminster Fuller, and the 
  Burlington Zephyr train. Th e South Side, with its 
  jazz clubs like the Lincoln Gardens (where King 
  Oliver and Louis Armstrong played), is also a major 
  attraction for Pulp adventurers.
  GANGLAND WARS
  But to most Pulp Hero gamers, Chicago of the 
  Twenties and Th irties is best known for one thing:  
  crime. Prohibition made the gangsters of the Windy 
  City so wealthy and powerful that they virtually 
  controlled the city through bribery, corruption, 
  and intimidation (and did, in fact, run some nearby 
  towns, like Cicero). In the early Twenties it was 
  a battleﬁ eld where the Johnny Torrio/Al Capone 
  mob (successor to Big Jim Colosimo’s gang) fought 
  against Dion O’Banion’s gang, the Aiellos, the 
  Genna Brothers, and others for control of the city’s 
  lucrative markets and rackets. According to some 
  reports, in the 1925-29 period, over 500 gangsters 
  were killed in Chicago.
  Torrio and Capone soon moved into ﬁ rst 
  place by killing their chief North Side rival, Dion 
  O’Banion, in November, 1924. Hymie Weiss and 
  Bugs Moran, now the leaders of O’Banion’s gang, 
  retaliated in January, 1925 by ambushing and nearly 
  killing Johnny Torrio. Th is convinced Torrio to get 
  out of the mob and leave everything to Capone — a 
  role for which the brutal killer proved singularly 
  adept. He was soon running an organization with a 
  thousand employees and a $300,000 weekly payroll 
  with the skill of a trained executive. During 1925, 
  he and Weiss both fought the Gennas, killing a 
  couple of them and taking over their territories.
  Th e gang wars heated up in 1926, when Weiss 
  and his men shot up the Hawthorne Inn, Capone’s 
  headquarters in the controlled town of Cicero. 
  Capone retaliated by having Weiss murdered three 
  weeks later. Th at left  only Bugs Moran as his main 
  rival. On February 14, 1929, Capone tried to get him 
  in what became known as the St. Valentine’s Day 
  Massacre. Moran escaped, but he was essentially 
  through; his power declined throughout the Th irties.
  Capone didn’t have long himself. In 1931 the 
  government convicted him of tax evasion and sen-
  tenced to 11 years in federal prison. His lieuten-
  ants more or less held his mob together during the 
  Th irties, but the end of Prohibition diminished 
  their power somewhat. Still, organized crime, and 
  the corruption it fosters, remain major threats in 
  1930s Chicago.
  Despite his murderous nature, Al Capone him-
  self enjoyed immense popularity in Chicago. He 
  did this partly by limiting his activities to providing 
  things people wanted (liquor, prostitutes, gambling), 
  and partly through major acts of charity that he 
  made sure got press attention. When he went to 
  the ballpark, the fans in the stands stood up and 
  cheered. Compared to many mobsters, he was a 
  generous leader, repaying loyalty with trust and sup-
  port. But he reacted viciously to traitors. Th e worst 
  killing attributed directly to him was the beating 
  and shooting  of Joseph Giunta, Albert Anselmi, 
  and John Scalise at a 1929 banquet because he knew 
  they were secretly working with his enemies.
  Los Angeles:  
  Home Of The Stars
  In the period from 1920 it was Los Angeles 
  rather than New York or Chicago that pro-
  vided the essential model and spatial plan 
  of the typical twentieth-century American 
  city. This was the new metropolis domi-
  nated by the automobile.
  —Sean Cashman, America In The Twen-
  ties And Thirties
  Los Angeles, a city of 1.23 million people in the 
  Pulp era, occupies a unique place in the mind of 
  America, and indeed the world. As the heart of the 
  movie industry, it’s seen as a glamorous, exciting 
  place where someone with good looks, a little pluck, 
  and hopefully a spot of talent might just get discov-
  ered and become a movie star overnight. Th ousands 
  ﬂ ock to the City of Angels every year hoping to get 
  their big break, and while most end up disappointed, 
  the few success stories just keep inspiring more 
  people to give it a try. Beyond the movies, Los Ange-
  les is also a center for oil reﬁ ning, produce distribu-
  tion, and the burgeoning aviation industry.
  Th e Los Angeles of the pulps oft en has a dif-
  ferent focus. L.A. is a favorite haunt of many a 
  hardboiled detective, such as Dan Turner or Philip 
  Marlowe. As such, pulp stories set there oft en tend 
  to focus more on the grim, the gritty, and the sordid 
  — sort of the opposite side of the glamour coin. It 
  didn’t do much to improve the city’s image when 
  the East Coast mobs sent vicious gangster Ben-
  jamin “Bugsy” Siegel to handle their West Coast 
  operations in the Th irties.
  ATTRACTIONS
  Because so many stars live there and so many 
  movies are ﬁ lmed in the area, Los Angeles has 
  many locations of interest. Pulp Hero adventurers 
  visiting La-La-Land might enjoy stopping by:
  Angelus Temple:  Dedicated in November, 1923, 
  this house of worship is the home of Aimée Semple 
  McPherson’s “Foursquare Gospel” ministry. Topped 
  Continued from last page
  ers, cops, or any other 
  civilians, just crooks. 
  Murder, Inc.’s most 
  famous killing was 
  the murder of Dutch 
  Schultz in 1935, which 
  was ordered because he 
  wanted to violate that 
  rule and “hit” prosecutor 
  Th omas Dewey.
  THE 
  NORTHEAST
  Th e Northeast, par-
  ticularly New England, 
  is best known to Pulp 
  readers through the 
  horror stories of H. P. 
  Lovecraft . Th ough his 
  stories focus to some 
  degree on the region’s 
  many world-class 
  universities (perfect 
  headquarters for Pro-
  fessor and Scientist 
  characters), they also 
  make it out to resemble 
  the South in many ways:  
  ﬁ lled with isolated pock-
  ets of humanity living 
  in crumbling villages 
  — a people oft en inbred 
  and prone to derange-
  ments or the worship 
  of Elder Terrors. If the 
  GM adopts this view of 
  the Northeast, then the 
  heroes had best beware 
  whenever they stray 
  from the (relatively) safe 
  conﬁ nes of Boston, Phil-
  adelphia, or Providence. 
  Otherwise they might 
  stumble into some shad-
  owy hollow containing 
  things they’d rather not 
  know about and ﬁ nd the 
  hills rising wild against 
  them....
  
  160 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  by a rotating, illuminated cross so large it can be seen 
  for 50 miles, the ugly Temple has 5,000 seats and is 
  usually packed full through the late Twenties, when 
  McPherson’s sagging reputation reduced her appeal.
  The Brown Derby:  Th is famed restaurant, shaped 
  like its namesake, ﬁ rst opened on Wilshire Bou-
  levard in 1926. Studio owner Jack Warner was 
  rumored to be one of the ﬁ nanciers. A Hollywood 
  branch opened on Vine Street on Valentine’s Day, 
  1929; a third, at Wilshire and Rodeo Drive in 
  Beverly Hills, opened in 1931. Caricatures of stars 
  adorn the restaurants’ walls, and there are telephone 
  jacks at each booth so the staﬀ  can bring phones to 
  the patrons. Many famous people love to eat there.
  Graumann’s Chinese Theater:  Built in 1927 on Hol-
  lywood Boulevard, this palatial theater looks like a 
  Chinese pagoda with a huge dragon on the outside, 
  and features “Chinese Chippendale”-style decor 
  inside. Sid Graumann’s partners in the place were 
  Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford; the three 
  of them, along with Norma Talmadge, initiated the 
  tradition of stars leaving their foot- and handprints, 
  or other marks, in the forecourt’s cement. Th e audi-
  torium itself seats 2,200.
  Hollywood Hotel:  Built in the Mission Revival style 
  in 1905, this residential hotel was the home of 
  many a star in the Twenties and Th irties.
  THE MOVIE STUDIOS
  Th e big attraction for many Pulp Hero char-
  acters is likely to be the movie studios, whether 
  they’re in L.A. because they’re trying to solve a 
  mystery, have been asked to appear in a movie, are 
  dating a star, or just on vacation. Th e major studios 
  of the Pulp era include MGM, Selznick Pictures 
  International, Universal, United Artists, Republic, 
  and RKO.
  San Francisco:  
  City By The Bay
  Adventure might also take Pulp heroes to Los 
  Angeles’s northern neighbor, San Francisco. Per-
  haps best known for the Golden Gate Bridge (built, 
  with much fanfare and the loss of a dozen lives, 
  from 1933-37), it holds many other attractions for 
  Pulp Hero characters. For example, the government 
  might assign Soldiers or other PCs with military 
  connections to the Presidio (a 1,500 acre Army 
  base in the city), and Aviators or Sailors use it as 
  the launching point of trips to the Orient and the 
  South Seas.
  CHINATOWN
  San Francisco is home to the largest concen-
  tration of Chinese people in the United States:  
  Chinatown, a crowded neighborhood of narrow 
  streets and many shops. Whites oft en visit to eat at 
  the restaurants or shop at the “quaint” stores, but 
  the residents rarely speak much to them and always 
  keep an eye out for them.
  Chinatown has a reputation (in the pulps, a 
  well-deserved one) as a den of vice and sin. Inveter-
  ate gamblers, the Chinese are perfectly willing to 
  take money from a “round eyes,” and they can also 
  satisfy his lusts for opium and prostitutes. Groups 
  called tongs control the underworld, using vicious 
  “hatchetmen” and martial arts prowess to enforce 
  their will and war with each other. (Some tongs are 
  really just social or political clubs, which may cause 
  Pulp heroes confusion.)
  ALCATRAZ
  Player characters who run afoul of the law may 
  ﬁ nd themselves sentenced to the Rock:  Alcatraz 
  Prison, located in the middle of San Francisco Bay. 
  From 1909 until 1933 it’s a military prison; from 
  1934 on a federal penitentiary.
  Oﬃ  cials and crooks alike consider Alcatraz 
  “inescapable.” It’s not that far from the island to the 
  mainland, but the water is frigid and the currents 
  strong. Escape attempts in 1936, 1938, and 1939 all 
  resulted in the capture or death of the inmates. Two 
  inmates who tried to escape in December, 1937 
  were never seen again; it’s assumed they were swept 
  out to sea and drowned. (In game terms, characters 
  attempting to swim to or from Alcatraz should have 
  to make STR Rolls at least once every few minutes, 
  if not more frequently; every time they fail, the cur-
  rent moves them 1d6 x 10” out to sea.)
  HOLLYWOOD-
  LAND
  Standing on the hills 
  overlooking Hollywood 
  is the famous sign:  a 
  series of 50 foot (7.5”) 
  tall, 30 foot (4.5”) wide 
  letters spelling out 
  HOLLYWOODLAND. 
  It was illuminated by 
  four thousand 20-watt 
  bulbs, all of which were 
  eventually stolen. Th e 
  last four letters were 
  removed in 1949, but 
  more than one Pulp 
  movie has taken a little 
  artistic license and 
  included their destruc-
  tion as a plot element or 
  event. Pulp Hero GMs 
  should feel free to do the 
  same if they don’t mind 
  altering history a bit.
  
  161 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  The South
  “[The South is] the bunghole of the United 
  States, a cesspool of Baptists, a miasma of 
  Methodism, snake-charmers, phoney real-
  estate operators, and syphilitic evange-
  lists.”
  —H.L. Mencken expressing his general 
  opinion of the South
  During the Pulp era the South was one of 
  the least pleasant areas of the United States in 
  many ways. Since the air conditioner was not yet 
  common, most parts of the region were uncomfort-
  ably hot for much of the year, and oft en witheringly 
  humid to boot. Racism and segregation prevailed, 
  oft en enforced by the intimidation tactics and vio-
  lence of the Ku Klux Klan (page 152). Th e economy, 
  dominated by crops like tobacco and cotton, was 
  generally ﬂ at, and the labor system left  many people 
  poor and with no hope of anything better. Many 
  Southerners, particularly mountain folk, lived in a 
  profound isolation that even the radio and automo-
  bile didn’t do much to alleviate. Th e Florida land 
  bubble of the early Twenties attracted considerable 
  investment, nearly all of which was lost when the 
  bubble burst in 1925. All in all, the Mencken opin-
  ion quoted above was shared by more than a few 
  Northerners, and the Scopes “monkey trial” (see the 
  accompanying sidebar) only conﬁ rmed it.
  But the South remains a giant waiting to 
  awaken, and it oﬀ ers plenty of opportunities for 
  Pulp Hero adventure. Th e thousands of square 
  miles of swamp in the Louisiana bayous and 
  Florida Everglades are full of alligators, venom-
  ous serpents, and all sorts of other threats — an 
  almost-jungle that doesn’t require the heroes to 
  journey to the Amazon or Congo. Th e Appalachian 
  Mountains are home to people with many a strange 
  custom, bit of ancient lore, or terrifying monster, as 
  so ably illustrated by Manly Wade Wellman in his 
  “Silver John” stories. Families like the Hatﬁ elds and 
  McCoys may still ﬁ ght feuds that the characters can 
  get caught in the middle of... and they’re certainly 
  making moonshine in scornful contempt of Prohi-
  bition. In any of these isolated places, inbred fami-
  lies or degenerate cults might have given rise to any 
  number of horrors. Th ey also make perfect lairs 
  for deranged scientists seeking privacy in which to 
  conduct their “experiments” unmolested.
  NEW ORLEANS
  Aside from Atlanta, the capital of the South is 
  New Orleans, located near the mouth of the Mis-
  sissippi River on the shores of Lake Ponchartrain. 
  Of Spanish and French origin, it has many an odd 
  name and custom that only enhances its allure.
  In Pulp Hero games, the aspect of New Orleans 
  that’s most likely to attract heroes and inspire 
  scenarios is Voodoo, “a tangled mess of African-
  derived religion and sorcery[.]” In the pulps, 
  Voodoo houngans and bokors haunt the streets and 
  shops of New Orleans, using their powers to create 
  (or destroy) zombies and hexes. Just about any 
  beautiful young heroine or female DNPC would 
  make the perfect sacriﬁ ce for one of their Petro 
  spells! (See Th e Ultimate Mystic, pages 116-20, for 
  more information about Voodoo, both in general 
  and in HERO System terms.)
  Nor are the threats Louisiana holds purely mys-
  tical. Characters who draw too much attention to 
  themselves had best beware Huey “Kingﬁ sh” Long, 
  the governor/senator who rules the state with an 
  iron ﬁ st (see page 126). He’s mostly concerned with 
  drumming up public support for his policies and 
  destroying his political enemies, but he doesn’t take 
  kindly to people raising a ruckus in his backyard... 
  particularly if it interferes with some scheme of his.
  Washington, D.C.:  
  The Quiet Capital
  During the Pulp era, the American capital is 
  a small and quiet place compared to the leading 
  cities of the other great nations. With only 487,000 
  inhabitants, it’s roughly a tenth the size of Berlin or 
  Tokyo, and a twentieth the size of London. Its one 
  airport, Hoover Field, has a public road crossing 
  the runway, forcing pilots to wait for a pause in the 
  traﬃ  c to land or take oﬀ . Regardless of these short-
  comings, it’s still a major center of world power, 
  where decisions aﬀ ecting hundreds of millions of 
  people are made.
  Pulp heroes who visit Washington won’t neces-
  sarily see all the sights their modern-day players 
  might expect. Th e Washington Monument has 
  existed for decades; it underwent major cleaning 
  and repairs in 1934. President Harding dedicated 
  the Lincoln Memorial on May 30, 1922. Th e new 
  Supreme Court building opened in 1935, just in 
  time for the Court to begin striking down much of 
  Roosevelt’s New Deal legislation. Th e Folger Shake-
  speare Library opened in 1932; the Library of Con-
  gress opened its second facility, the John Adams 
  Building, in 1938. On the other hand, planning for 
  the Jeﬀ erson Memorial only began in 1934; aft er a 
  contentious approvals process, ground was broken 
  in late 1938, a cornerstone laid in late 1939, and the 
  completed Memorial dedicated on April 13, 1943.
  THE SCOPES 
  MONKEY TRIAL
  In 1925, the state of 
  Tennessee passed a law 
  outlawing the teach-
  ing of evolution in its 
  public schools. A teacher 
  named John Scopes 
  deliberately deﬁ ed the 
  law to test its validity. 
  At his trial the famed 
  orator William Jennings 
  Bryan served as pros-
  ecutor, and pugnacious 
  lawyer Clarence Darrow 
  as defense attorney. Th e 
  case attracted national 
  attention, becoming the 
  ﬁ rst trial ever broadcast. 
  It had religious funda-
  mentalists wondering if 
  the court would validate 
  their beliefs, and much 
  of the rest of the coun-
  try looking on in pity or 
  contempt. Th e highlight 
  of the trial was when 
  the court permitted 
  Bryan to take the stand 
  as an expert witness on 
  the Bible. Subjected to 
  a brutal cross-exami-
  nation by Darrow, he 
  ﬁ nally admitted that at 
  least some words in the 
  Bible were not literally 
  true.
  Despite the hammering 
  Bryan took and Dar-
  row’s impassioned First 
  Amendment arguments, 
  Scopes had unquestion-
  ably violated the law. 
  He was found guilty 
  and ﬁ ned $100 (this 
  punishment was later 
  overturned on a techni-
  cality). Although Funda-
  mentalists claimed vic-
  tory, many commenta-
  tors at the time saw the 
  overall result as nothing 
  less than a major blow 
  to their creed.
  Worn out by the stress 
  and strain of the case 
  and neglect of his diet, 
  Bryan died ﬁ ve days 
  later in his sleep.
  
  162 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  W
  hile the United States is the most 
  prominent nation in the Americas, 
  and the home of the vast majority of 
  Pulp heroes, it’s by no means the only 
  place of interest in the New World.
  CANADA
  Government: 
  Parliamentary republic; domin-
  ion of the British Empire
  Ruler: 
  Prime Minister Richard B. Ben-
  nett (replaced October 23 by 
  W.L. Mackenzie King)
  Capital: 
  Ottawa
  Population: 
  10,400,000
  Language(s): 
  English, French
  Currency: 
  Canadian dollar
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, timber, textiles, 
  mining, furs
  Religion(s): 
  Christianity
  Military: 
  4,709
  Physically the second largest country in the 
  world, Canada became a dominion of the British 
  Empire in 1931 under the Statute of Westminster. 
  Blessed with a varied topography, bountiful natural 
  resources, ﬁ ne ports, and proximity to the United 
  States, Canada is one of the most pleasant and civi-
  lized placed to live during the Pulp era.
  While Canada has a reputation for being bitterly 
  cold, the southern regions are quite comfortable 
  most of the year. On the other hand, Pulp heroes 
  who venture into the north, particularly at any 
  time of the year other than summer, had best dress 
  warmly; the northernmost parts of the country fall 
  within the Arctic Circle. Pulp-era explorer Vilhjal-
  mur Stefansson has proved that reliance on Eskimo 
  survival techniques is oft en enough to overcome 
  the rigors of northern Canadian weather.
  THE MOUNTIES
  Much of Canada remains wilderness; there’s 
  far more land available than there are people 
  to live in it. To enforce the law throughout the 
  sparsely-inhabited regions Canada has the Royal 
  Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), better known 
  as the “Mounties.” Th e RCMP was created in 1920 
  with the reorganization of the Royal Northwest 
  Mounted Police, and it has jurisdiction in all Cana-
  dian provinces and territories. It even has detach-
  ments in the Arctic, and in 1932 gained a Marine 
  Section. Advances in communications and crimi-
  nalistics technology during the Pulp era have made 
  the Mountie’s job easier. But the image of a lone 
  Mountie, patrolling the back country and resolving 
  any and all diﬃ  culties with his strong personality, 
  hard ﬁ sts, and shooting skill remains a popular one 
  — perhaps inspiration for a Pulp Hero adventurer.
  ESKIMOS
  Canada has a large population of Indians and 
  other native peoples. Th e best known of these are the 
  Eskimos, who dwell in wintry lands that daunt other 
  men. Th ey wear clothing made of animal skins, with 
  an outer layer of fur clothing for warmth. Many of 
  them live in igloos — low circular houses made of ice 
  blocks — during the winter, and tupeks (hide tents) 
  during the short Arctic summer. Th ey travel on foot, 
  by dogsled, or by kayak (boat). Th ey make what they 
  need to survive from animal skins and bones, since 
  they have little in the way of wood to work with (and 
  even less metal). Many still use primitive weapons 
  such as bows and harpoons, though more than a few 
  have modern riﬂ es and pistols.
  Th e Eskimos have a rich tradition of storytelling 
  and legend. Th eir tales are ﬁ lled with mysterious 
  beings and spirits, strange monsters, and wondrous 
  events. A clever GM could ﬁ nd much inspiration in 
  them for a few Arctic adventures.
  THE YUKON
  Th e northwestern region of Canada, including 
  the Northwest Territories and the Yukon, is mainly 
  inhabited by miners, hunters, and trappers. Th e Yukon 
  gold rush, though not what it was in the late 1890s 
  and ﬁ rst decade of the twentieth century, is still going 
  on during the Twenties and Th irties. A character who 
  wants to strike it rich can travel to the Yukon via the 
  dangerous Chilkoot Pass (the “golden staircase”) or 
  White Pass trails and stake a claim — but Dawson 
  City and the other mining towns are rough places, so 
  he’d better be prepared to protect himself.
  MEXICO
  Government: 
  Democratic republic
  Ruler: 
  President Lazaro Cardenas
  Capital: 
  Mexico City
  Population: 
  16,500,000
  Language(s): 
  Spanish
  Currency: 
  Peso
  Resources: 
  Oil, agriculture, mining
  Religion(s): 
  Christianity
  Military: 
  59,000
  While America’s neighbor to the north is a quiet 
  and peaceful land, south of the border it’s another 
  story. For the past twenty-plus years, it’s been a land 
  wracked by revolution and civil war, though it may 
  have at long last found a measure of peace.
  DOGSLEDDING
  Dogsleds are towed 
  vehicles with runners; 
  they only work on ice 
  and snow. Th ey’re pulled 
  by teams of dogs; use 
  the Large/Hunting Dog 
  or Guard/Combat Dog 
  from pages 160-61 of 
  Th e HERO System Besti-
  ary, meaning a sled can 
  travel at a maximum 
  speed of 6-7” per Phase 
  with its SPD 2-3. Char-
  acters who want to be 
  able to drive a dogsled 
  properly need TF: Dogs 
  and TF: Sleds.
  
  163 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  Th e troubles began in 1910-1911, when a revolu-
  tion led by Francisco Madero overthrew the dictator 
  Porﬁ rio Diaz. But in 1913 Gen. Victoriano Huerta 
  assassinated Madero and took power. Loyalists ral-
  lied behind Venustiano Carranza; other rebel leaders 
  including Emiliano Zapata, Francisco “Pancho” Villa, 
  and Alvaro Obregon also fought against Huerta on 
  their own. Th e would-be presidente found himself 
  conﬁ ned to the area around Mexico City; to make 
  his position worse, the United States seized Vera 
  Cruz in April, 1914 to support Carranza by prevent-
  ing Huerta from obtaining arms. When Huerta 
  resigned in 1915, Obregon and Villa rushed to see 
  who could occupy Mexico City ﬁ rst. Obregon won 
  and proclaimed Carranza “First Chief” of Mexico. 
  Th e US recognized the Carranza government, but 
  Zapata and Villa continued to ﬁ ght against him. Villa 
  even attacked Americans in Mexico and on March 
  19, 1916 raided Columbus, New Mexico, provoking a 
  “punitive expedition” led by Gen. John Pershing that 
  succeeded only in angering Mexicans and making 
  Villa a folk hero.
  In 1917 Mexico adopted a revolutionary con-
  stitution that curtailed the power of the Roman 
  Catholic Church, nationalized oil and mining, 
  and tried to initiate other social reforms. But this 
  did little to quell the turmoil. Zapata was killed in 
  1919, and in 1920 Obregon revolted, killing Car-
  ranza (aft er Carranza tried to ﬂ ee with gold taken 
  from the national treasury) and assuming power. 
  Aft er Plutarco Calles was elected president in 1924, 
  from 1926-29 a dispute with the Catholic Church 
  reached a state of near civil war as the government 
  seized Church property and pro-Church terrorists 
  called cristeros struck all across the land. On July 
  17, 1928 president-elect Obregon was assassinated; 
  in 1929 a minor two-month revolution led by 
  Gonzales Escobar and other discontented gener-
  als only added to the chaos. Even aft er leaving the 
  presidency, Calles retained great power and held 
  several oﬃ  ces, but his inﬂ uence eventually waned 
  and President Cardenas exiled him in 1936.
  As of 1935, Mexico remains an unstable place. 
  Its relations with the United States are strained 
  due to oil nationalization (and only get worse 
  when President Cardenas accelerates the process 
  in 1938). Th e new National Revolutionary Party 
  (PRI), founded in 1929, has done little to unify the 
  country even though it dominates politics. Th e 
  ﬁ rst Six-Year Plan, begun in 1934, has yet to show 
  signiﬁ cant results. In short — it’s a place that holds 
  many potential dangers, but where a bold adven-
  turer might be able to make a diﬀ erence.
  In addition to the capital of Mexico City, other 
  major Mexican cities include Vera Cruz (an impor-
  tant Gulf Coast port), Guadalajara, Puebla, Tam-
  pico, and Monterrey.
  A RICH PAST
  Centuries ago, Mexico was the center of several 
  major Mesoamerican civilizations. Th e most notable 
  of these are the Aztecs (in the region around Mexico 
  City, formerly Tenochtitlan) and Mayans (in the 
  Yucatan, Guatemala, and Honduras), but there are 
  many others, including the Toltecs, Zapotecs, and 
  Olmecs. Impressive ruins, including the vast Toltec 
  city of Teotihuacan in the north and numerous 
  Mayan cities in the south, are visible amidst the 
  Mexican deserts and jungles... and who knows what 
  other wonders and treasures remain hidden, just 
  waiting for intrepid explorers to discover?
  CENTRAL AMERICA
  South of Mexico is Central America, a narrow, 
  thousand mile-long isthmus connecting North and 
  South America. A mountainous and oft en jungle-
  covered land sparsely inhabited by a mix of the 
  descendants of Spanish colonists and various native 
  tribes, it’s a tropical region oft en beset by disease 
  and poverty. Th e most populous regions are along 
  the fertile Paciﬁ c coast, but even there railroads are 
  relatively few and roads, where they exist, are poor. 
  Travel is diﬃ  cult at best, especially during the May 
  to November rainy season.
  Nicaragua
  Government: 
  Republic
  Ruler: 
  President Juan Sacasa
  Capital: 
  Managua
  Population: 
  750,000
  Language(s): 
  Spanish, various native tongues
  Currency: 
  Cordoba
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, mining
  Religion(s): 
  Christianity
  Military: 
  2,891
  Nicaragua of the Pulp era is a chaotic, war-torn 
  land that oﬀ ers many opportunities for adventure 
  (particularly for Soldier characters). Following the 
  civil war of 1909-12, the US stationed a contingent 
  of 100 Marines in the country to help ensure sta-
  bility. Th ey remained until 1925, but the US soon 
  had to send troops back into the country in a failed 
  eﬀ ort to quell the Chamorro coup of May, 1926. 
  Later that year, a liberal revolt led by Gen. Augusto 
  Sandino broke out, and the US sent in the Marines 
  to help President Diaz ﬁ ght him. By early 1927, 
  Diaz had virtually turned control of Nicaragua over 
  to the US, formalizing this relationship with a June, 
  1927 treaty allowing US intervention.
  Fighting continued against the Sandino rebels 
  for years, with the US periodically augmenting its 
  forces there in an eﬀ ort to stop the wily revolution-
  ary. On several occasions the Sandino rebels struck 
  deadly blows against government and US forces, 
  and in 1928 they seized several American mines. 
  America withdrew her troops in 1933 aft er estab-
  lishing a Nicaraguan National Guard under Gen. 
  Anastazio Somoza.
  In January, 1933, Nicaragua elected Juan Sar-
  casa president. He made some early peace over-
  tures to Sandino, but they were fruitless, and he 
  soon declared martial law. On February 21, 1934, 
  Somoza forces lured Sandino to a meeting where 
  he was ambushed and killed. A little over two years 
  later, in June 1936, Somoza deposed Sarcasa and 
  ruled Nicaragua for the rest of the Pulp era.
  THE REST OF 
  CENTRAL 
  AMERICA
  Besides Nicaragua and 
  Panama, the nations of 
  Central America in 1935 
  are:
  British Honduras
  Costa Rica
  Guatemala
  Honduras
  Salvador
  
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  As if Nicaragua didn’t have enough to worry about, 
  in March 1931 an earthquake virtually destroyed the 
  capital, Managua (located on the shores of the lake 
  of the same name that connects by river to the even 
  larger Lake Nicaragua). Over 1,100 were killed, 45,000 
  left  homeless, and most of the buildings destroyed by 
  shock or ﬁ re. Rebuilding eﬀ orts continued throughout 
  the Th irties.
  Characters could ﬁ nd themselves embroiled in 
  adventure in Nicaragua in several ways. If they’re 
  Soldiers or have military connections, the US might 
  recruit them to help stop Sandino’s revolt, or per-
  haps even track down the rebel general himself. If 
  they’re Explorers, they might search for the hidden 
  tombs and treasures of the Indians who once lived 
  here. And perhaps if they get to Managua in time 
  they can prevent a mad scientist from causing the 
  1931 quake with his Seismic Dislocator....
  Panama
  Government: 
  Democratic republic
  Ruler: 
  President Harmodio Arias; in 
  the Canal Zone, Governor Lt. 
  Col. Julian Schley
  Capital: 
  Panama
  Population: 
  467,000
  Language(s): 
  Spanish
  Currency: 
  Balboa
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, the Panama Canal
  Religion(s): 
  Christianity
  Military: 
  N/A
  Th e nation of Panama is more closely tied to the 
  US than any other Central American country (all of 
  whom trade extensively with America). Th e United 
  States encouraged and supported the revolt that 
  gained Panama its independence from Colombia 
  in 1903, and ever since treaties have linked the two 
  militarily and economically. During the late Twen-
  ties and early Th irties the Panamanian government 
  several times tried to negotiate changes in some of 
  these arrangements, but without success.
  THE CANAL
  Panama is important primarily because of the 
  Panama Canal. One of the engineering wonders of 
  the modern world, the Canal was completed in 1914 
  and formally opened in 1920. Fift y miles long, it runs 
  partly through Gatun Lake and partly through lock-
  controlled channels cut right through the isthmus. 
  Its channels vary from 110-300 feet (17”-46”) wide; 
  depth ranges from 42-82 feet (6”-13”). It takes 10-12 
  hours to traverse.
  Th e Canal Zone, a strip of land ﬁ ve miles broad 
  on either side of the Canal but excluding the cities 
  of Panama and Colon, is a United States depen-
  dency. Fortiﬁ ed (including France Field, an airﬁ eld) 
  and garrisoned, it’s the safest, most civilized part 
  of the country. Administered by a governor, it has 
  a population of about 40,000. Private individuals 
  cannot own land there, and treaties restrict the 
  businesses that the US can establish.
  SOUTH AMERICA
  One of the most geographically diverse continents 
  on Earth, South America ranges from the heights of 
  the Andes Mountains to the low-lying, humid coastal 
  regions. In between it includes such features as the 
  massive Amazon Jungle, the pampas of the south, and 
  even a tiny strip of desert on the west coast. Except 
  for that desert and another small band of territory in 
  the west and south, most parts of it receive copious 
  rainfall — in some places up to 80 inches a year!
  Like Mexico and Central America, South 
  America usually receives a shallow, stereotypi-
  cal treatment in the pulps. It’s ﬁ lled with stock 
  characters — seductive señoritas, hardened revo-
  lutionaries and bandits, lazy paisanos, pompous 
  generals and dictators, dangerous natives. Many of 
  them subscribe to the tenets of so-called Spanish 
  Honor (page 263). Th ey visit stock locations like 
  the smoke-ﬁ lled cantina, the rebel/bandit camp, the 
  steamy port city, the native village, the jungle, the 
  mountains, and of course long-lost/hidden cities, 
  temples, and tombs. Into this shadowy, tropical 
  region come the Pulp heroes, brave, bold, and look-
  ing for adventure....
  Argentina
  Government: 
  Democratic republic
  Ruler: 
  President Gen. Augustin Justo
  Capital: 
  Buenos Aires
  Population: 
  12,000,000
  Language(s): 
  Spanish
  Currency: 
  Peso
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, cattle, mining, tex-
  tiles
  Religion(s): 
  Christianity
  Military: 
  34,798
  Also known as the Argentine Republic, Argen-
  tina dominates southern South America. It runs 
  from the Gran Chaco in the north, down through 
  temperate regions, the pampas, and the plains of 
  Patagonia to Cape Horn. To the west the Andes 
  dominate; to the east the coast. It enjoys the most 
  pleasant climate and some of the most fertile land 
  in the region. Aft er the relatively bloodless 1930 
  revolution, the election of 1931 put President Justo 
  in oﬃ  ce, making Argentina a peaceful place com-
  pared to some of its northern neighbors.
  Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires at the mouth 
  of the Rio de la Plata, is considered one of the most 
  picturesque and pleasant cities on the continent, as 
  well as one of the richest and busiest. Sixteen miles 
  long and twelve wide, it enjoys most modern ame-
  nities. Government buildings, including the Casa 
  Rosada (Pink House) where the president lives and 
  works, cluster around the great Plaza de Mayo in 
  the center of the city.
  Argentina’s main attraction for Pulp adventur-
  ers is the presence of Nazis. Like Chile, the country 
  has a large population of German immigrants and 
  persons of German descent, and as a result Nazi 
  organizations are strong. Nazi operatives might 
  THE REST 
  OF SOUTH 
  AMERICA
  Besides Argentina, 
  Brazil, and Ecuador, the 
  nations of South Amer-
  ica in 1935 are:
  Bolivia
  British Guiana
  Chile
  Colombia
  Dutch Guiana
  French Guiana
  Paraguay
  Peru
  Uruguay
  Venezuela
  
  165 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  
  166 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
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  go to Argentina to recruit help, build a new super-
  weapon in secrecy, or hatch a plot against the 
  United States... any of which mean the heroes have 
  to follow and defeat them.
  Brazil
  Government: 
  Democratic republic
  Ruler: 
  President Getúlio Vargas
  Capital: 
  Rio de Janeiro
  Population: 
  41,000,000
  Language(s): 
  Portuguese, various native 
  tongues
  Currency: 
  Milreis
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, timber, coffee, 
  rubber, textiles, mining, timber, 
  manufacturing
  Religion(s): 
  Christianity
  Military: 
  85,199
  Th e largest nation of South America (and larger 
  even than the continental United States), Brazil is 
  a sparsely-settled country possessing great natural 
  resources. Th e population clusters mostly along 
  the coast, since the interior is dominated by the 
  enormous Amazon River and Jungle (including the 
  densely-forested Matto Grosso). Because it’s been 
  so little explored, the interior remains home to vari-
  ous native Indian tribes, and could easily hold all 
  sorts of ruins, long-lost temples, and vast but still 
  unexploited sources of wealth. All the PCs have to 
  do is journey up the river, avoiding caimans, pira-
  nha, venomous serpents, spiders large enough to 
  prey on birds, hostile tribes, and disease along the 
  way, then hack their way through the jungle until 
  they ﬁ nd what they’re aft er. Don’t expect to use old 
  trails, since the jungle swallows a path up within a 
  year of when it’s made if no one maintains it.
  In 1926, a man named Washington Luis was 
  made president by Brazil’s powerful upper class; 
  there was no election. When it appeared likely this 
  would happen again in 1930, junior military oﬃ  -
  cers and peasants joined forces in a revolt. Aft er a 
  successful campaign, the rebels put Getúlio Vargas 
  in power. Aft er weathering a short-lived revolt in 
  São Paulo in 1932, Vargas remains in power as of 
  1935. In 1934, a new constitution took eﬀ ect and 
  instituted a number of reforms, including giving 
  the vote to both men and women age 18 or older.
  RIO DE JANEIRO
  Here granite peaks and turquoise sea, 
  tropic forest and rainbow-tinted town, 
  meet and harmonize.
  —Harriet Chalmers Adams, “Rio de 
  Janeiro:  Land of the Lure,” National 
  Geographic, September 1920
  Few names conjure the visions of delight that 
  “Rio” does. Brazil’s capital, located on its Atlantic 
  coast, is one of the most beautiful cities in the 
  world and a vacation destination for thousands 
  of people every year. Many of its sights, including 
  Sugar Loaf Mountain (which you can reach by air-
  trolley), are recognized around the world; another 
  that’s familiar to modern people, the giant statue of 
  Christ on Corcovado, is being built as of the early 
  Th irties. In addition to the normal attractions of 
  the city, adventurers may come to do research at 
  in the extensive collection of the Brazil National 
  Library, or to shop at the enormous street market 
  down near the waterfront.
  Rio is a city of color, where people oft en paint 
  their houses in bright hues and match them with 
  equally lush gardens (including its famed Botani-
  cal Gardens). It’s also known for its many pleasant 
  beaches — Copacabana, Formosa, Flamingo, Santa 
  Luzia, and more. But swimmers had best beware; 
  the currents can sometimes be treacherous.
  Visitor and native alike also need to be wary of 
  the traﬃ  c. Th ere’s no speed limit in Rio, and just 
  about anyone can rent a car for 10-20 milreis per 
  hour. Crossing or driving on even the best streets, 
  such as the Avenida Rio Branco, can prove danger-
  ous. Th e trolley may be a safer, if slower, way to get 
  around the city. Better yet, relax at the sidewalk 
  tables outside the coﬀ ee shops on the Avenida and 
  watch the passing parade.
  Th e Cariocas, or white aristocracy, rules over a 
  population that mingles native, African, and Euro-
  pean blood. Th e admixture has left  Brazil generally 
  free of racial prejudice according to many observers.
  RORAIMA
  In the north of Brazil, where its border intersects 
  those of Venezuela and British Guiana, the land rises 
  and becomes rougher. Th ere stands Roraima, a large 
  mesa about 25 square miles on top. First explored 
  in detail in 1884 by Everard im Th urn and Harry 
  Perkins, it was the basis for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s 
  novel Th e Lost World. It’s been visited by Westerners 
  a few times since then, but remains an isolated and 
  largely unknown location.
  Th e main approach to Roraima is from the 
  south and west, since the only way onto the 
  plateau is a large, sloping “ledge” on that side. 
  Th e southwest also features a large rift  that bites 
  northward about halfway into the plateau that 
  might oﬀ er access to intrepid mountaineers. Once 
  on top of Roraima, explorers will ﬁ nd a land that’s 
  partly stony (with lots of gullies and gorges carved 
  by erosion), and partly covered with plants, jungle, 
  and bogs. Cold, wet fog oft en covers part or all 
  of the plateau, which is home to many distinct 
  types of ﬂ ora and fauna. While the dinosaurs and 
  cavemen described in Doyle’s novel don’t exist, 
  Pulp Hero GMs looking to re-create that story can 
  easily add them.
  Living near Roraima are tribes of Arecuna 
  Indians, who consider the mesa the “source of all 
  waters.” Short but sturdily built, they’re known for 
  being excellent mimics, and for their accuracy with 
  their bows and eight foot long blowguns (which 
  ﬁ re foot-long palmwood missiles). Th e Arecuna 
  are very superstitious and see the woods and lands 
  around them as peopled by spirits and devils; each 
  of their villages has its pi-ai man (witchdoctor) to 
  protect it and provide mystical services. Th ey use 
  yards of cloth as currency.
  THE CHACO 
  WAR
  From 1932 to 1935, Para-
  guay and Bolivia fought 
  a major war over posses-
  sion of the Gran Chaco, a 
  valuable forested region 
  through which their oft -
  disputed border runs. 
  Minor ﬁ ghting actually 
  began in 1928, but grew 
  into a full-blown war in 
  1932. A 1934 attempt by 
  the League of Nations 
  to resolve the dispute 
  failed. By later that year, 
  80,000 soldiers were 
  involved in the ﬁ ghting, 
  and some battles, such as 
  the one near Fort Balliv-
  ian on May 24, 1934, left  
  thousands dead. By some 
  counts, infection and 
  disease killed even more 
  soldiers than bullets and 
  bombs. Following a brief 
  truce negotiated by the 
  US and ﬁ ve South Ameri-
  can countries in June 
  1935, the two nations 
  signed a peace treaty in 
  January 1936, ending the 
  war. Paraguay, which had 
  won most of the battles 
  and pushed deep into 
  claimed Bolivian terri-
  tory, “won” the war and 
  maintained control of 
  most of the region. Two 
  years later Bolivia and 
  Paraguay signed a second 
  treaty that gave most of 
  the land to Paraguay but 
  allowed Bolivia access to 
  the Atlantic.
  As one of the largest 
  and bloodiest con-
  ﬂ icts of the Th irties, 
  the Chaco War could 
  easily attract the atten-
  tions of Pulp heroes. 
  One side or the other 
  might hire Soldiers to 
  ﬁ ght on its behalf, and 
  other characters to spy 
  or perform “special 
  forces”-type missions. 
  Nazi agents might try to 
  manipulate the situation 
  for Germany’s beneﬁ t, 
  forcing the PCs to put a 
  stop to their dangerous 
  schemes. And there’s 
  always the possibility 
  that some great treasure 
  or relic exists at a hidden 
  shrine that’s threatened 
  by the ﬁ ghting....
  
  167 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  Ecuador
  Government: 
  Democratic republic
  Ruler: 
  President Jose Ibarra
  Capital: 
  Quito
  Population: 
  2,000,000
  Language(s): 
  Spanish, various native 
  tongues
  Currency: 
  Sucre
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, coffee, rubber, 
  hides, cacao, oil
  Religion(s): 
  Christianity
  Military: 
  5,252
  Th e land of Ecuador rises from a fertile tropical 
  Paciﬁ c Coast to the soaring heights of the Andes. 
  Its capital, Quito, is 9,375 feet above sea level, and 
  some people live at even higher elevations. Th e 
  other major city is Guayaquil, a Paciﬁ c port; a rail-
  road connects them, and the trip takes two days 
  with an overnight stop in Riobamba.
  Only about ten percent of the Ecuadoran popu-
  lation is of pure European blood. Th e rest are Indi-
  ans or mixed-bloods, primarily Quichua Indians 
  descended from the Inca. Th e Quichua do most 
  of the heavy labor in the country. Th e men wear 
  colorful ponchos over shirts and trousers; women 
  wear a cape-like garment, blouse, and large skirt. 
  Both go barefoot or wear rawhide sandals.
  Outside of the main settled areas, travel in Ecua-
  dor is diﬃ  cult. Many trails wind up and down the 
  mountains and through the jungles. Unlike in Peru, 
  where the llama holds sway, in Ecuador the people 
  prefer mules as beasts of burden. Th e arriero, or 
  mule train driver, is considered a valuable laborer.
  Ecuador has recently emerged from a period 
  of political unrest. President Ayora assumed oﬃ  ce 
  in 1929, but the Depression created turmoil that 
  eventually led to his resignation following a “bar-
  racks revolt” by the military. His replacement lasted 
  two months; the man elected aft er that was denied 
  oﬃ  ce on the grounds he was Peruvian; the next 
  president remained in oﬃ  ce for just half a year. In 
  1933, President Ibarro was elected for a six-year 
  term, and has been in oﬃ  ce ever since.
  For the past century Ecuador and Peru have dis-
  puted their boundary. At their request, beginning in 
  1934 President Roosevelt attempted to resolve the 
  disagreement, but failed. As of the end of the Pulp 
  era, the dispute continues.
  Under a 1927 law, foreign clergy are forbidden 
  to enter Ecuador. Player characters who are priests 
  had best conceal their vocation if they want Ecua-
  dor to let them in.
  THE JIVARO
  Th e most (in)famous tribe native to Ecuador is 
  the Jivaro, known for their ancient practice of head-
  hunting. Th ey live in scattered riverside villages 
  in the jungles below 3,500 feet, and each village is 
  constantly warring with other villages to capture 
  wives for polygamous marriages (though some 
  girls marry normally at age 12-14). When a war-
  rior slays someone in a raid or battle, he cuts the 
  victim’s head oﬀ  as a trophy. (Th e slain man’s wife 
  and children become a normal part of the family 
  of his killer, who must support them.) He care-
  fully removes the skull, leaving a pliant skin that 
  he treats with a liquid that dyes it blue-black and 
  preserves it. Th en he dries it with hot sand using a 
  procedure that makes it shrinks to ﬁ st size without 
  altering its features signiﬁ cantly. Jivaro shrunken 
  heads are a valuable commodity, but the Ecuadoran 
  government forbids the trade.
  Despite their fearsome reputation, the Jivaros 
  are good-natured and friendly most of the time. 
  Th e average Jivaro is below medium height and 
  heavy-chested. Th e men wear their hair long and 
  ornamented with toucan feathers; they also adorn 
  themselves with bamboo-tube earrings and a skirt-
  like garment. Th ey’re skilled hunters and woods-
  men, favoring bows (with poisoned arrows) and 
  blowguns (with hardened clay balls or poisoned 
  darts) as weapons. Th e Jivaro poison is a form of 
  curare that kills in just a few minutes, but putting 
  salt in the victim’s mouth acts as an antidote.
  Th e Jivaro have a god, though he’s more of a cul-
  ture hero than a true god. Th e European-descended 
  settlers refer to him simply as el diablo (the Devil). 
  Th e tribe has no priests.
  DEVIL’S ISLAND
  Located oﬀ  the coast of French Guiana is a small 
  island owned by the French. Known by a colorful 
  name — Devil’s Island — it was one of the most 
  feared places in the world. Established as a penal 
  colony in 1884, Devil’s Island is a prison for the most 
  dangerous and intransigent criminals in the French 
  Empire. Th e name actually referred not just to the 
  island, but also to the prisons on the mainland that 
  were part of the overall prison complex. 
  Prisoners at Devil’s Island usually had to work in 
  the nearby timber camps, where backbreaking labor 
  quotas, malaria, and too little food awaited them. At 
  one camp, Kourou, 4,000 prisoners died in just three 
  years.
  Escape from Devil’s Island was practically impossi-
  ble. Th e Maroni River bordering the complex, across 
  which most escapees attempted to swim, is infested 
  with piranha. Th ose who made it to the other side 
  without being eaten alive were in Dutch Guiana, 
  which by the Pulp era had a policy of returning 
  escapees to the French (except for Germans). Since 
  prisoners who tried to make it through the jungle 
  would almost certainly perish, escapees took the 
  Moengo Road to Paramaribo. Th e Dutch simply 
  stationed soldiers along the road and nabbed the 
  escapees when they came into sight.
  Despite these diﬃ  culties, and the harsh punishments 
  inﬂ icted on those who tried and failed, a few escap-
  ees made it through the jungles successfully, and a 
  few found ways to build boats and escape by water. 
  Pulp heroes who fall afoul of the French and ﬁ nd 
  themselves imprisoned in this tropical hell can get 
  away, but they have their work cut out for them.
  THE INCA
  Th e Andes Mountains 
  were once the domain of 
  a number of advanced 
  Indian tribes who left  
  behind ruins, tombs, 
  and other artifacts 
  that might attract Pulp 
  adventurers or unscru-
  pulous graverobbers. 
  Th e best-known of 
  these tribes is the Inca, 
  who controlled a 1,200 
  mile-long empire in 
  the ﬁ ft eenth and early 
  sixteenth centuries. 
  Th ey were particularly 
  well-known for their 
  weaving; they even used 
  colored, knotted cords 
  called quipu to keep 
  records.
  Th e Inca Empire was 
  destroyed beginning 
  in 1532 by the con-
  quistador Pizarro. Th e 
  Quichua of today are 
  their direct descendants, 
  but beyond that all 
  that seems to remain 
  of them are ruins in 
  the mountains... and 
  perhaps some hidden 
  treasures just waiting 
  for a bold Pulp hero 
  to ﬁ nd. According to 
  legend, when Pizarro 
  captured the last Inca 
  ruler, Atahualpa, the 
  emperor oﬀ ered to buy 
  his freedom by ﬁ lling 
  an entire chamber with 
  gold. Pizarro agreed, and 
  gold began to come in 
  from every corner of the 
  Empire. But Pizarro had 
  Atahualpa killed anyway. 
  Supposedly, when many 
  of the messengers car-
  rying gold heard this, 
  they dumped their trea-
  sures into lakes, rivers, 
  caves, and anywhere 
  else they thought they 
  could hide it. Th e legend 
  even describes one 
  such object, the Golden 
  Chain of Huayna Capac 
  — a chain of solid gold 
  hundreds of feet long 
  with links the size of a 
  man’s wrist.
  Th e best-known Inca 
  ruin is Machu Picchu, 
  located on an 8,000 
  Continued on next page
  
  168 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  THE CARIBBEAN
  Th e Caribbean of the Pulp era is like the 
  Caribbean of the modern day, in that it’s a region 
  mainly dependent on agricultural production, the 
  exploitation of various natural resources, and tour-
  ism. However, in the Pulp era, all but a few of the 
  islands were the property of one colonial master 
  or another. As such they mainly produced for, 
  and provided a market for, a speciﬁ c nation. Th e 
  Depression hit the Caribbean hard, since its people 
  were already at the bottom of the economic ladder.
  Cuba
  Government: 
  Democratic republic
  Ruler: 
  Provisional President Carlos 
  Mendieta
  Capital: 
  Havana
  Population: 
  3,800,000
  Language(s): 
  Spanish
  Currency: 
  Peso
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, sugar, tobacco, 
  rum
  Religion(s): 
  Christianity
  Military: 
  11,816
  Located a mere 95 miles from Key West, Florida, 
  the island of Cuba is long and narrow — if overlaid 
  on the United States, its length would reach from 
  the Atlantic coast of America to the eastern border 
  of Illinois, but at most it’s just 60 miles across. No 
  place on the island is more than 40 miles from the 
  ocean, so it has many superb bays and harbors. 
  Known as “the Pearl of the Antilles,” it’s a major 
  center of sugar and tobacco production (changes 
  in the sugar market since the mid-Twenties have 
  caused economic problems).
  Th e past several years have seen signiﬁ cant 
  political turmoil in this island nation. In 1933 
  dictatorial President Gerado Machado was ousted 
  aft er eight years of rule, during the last four of 
  which Cuba experienced a bloody revolt. In 1933, 
  when major strikes crippled the economy, the army 
  deposed its oﬃ  cers and made Sgt. Fulgencio Batista 
  its Chief of Staﬀ , and two diﬀ erent men held the 
  presidency for brief periods. Th e next president 
  held oﬃ  ce only two days in January 1934. On Janu-
  ary 18 of that year, Carlos Mendieta became presi-
  dent, and remains in oﬃ  ce as of 1935. By the late 
  Th irties, Batista himself will be Cuba’s leader.
  Other political changes were also forthcoming. 
  On May 31, 1934, the US ratiﬁ ed a new treaty with 
  Cuba abrogating the Platt Amendment of 1903, 
  which gave America the right to intervene in Cuban 
  aﬀ airs. Despite this, the US still basically controls 
  Cuba through economic and political domination.
  HAVANA
  Cuba in general, and its capital Havana in par-
  ticular, attract many wealthy American travelers 
  (including the Maﬁ a, which uses the island as a sort 
  of haven). Although prices in Havana can be high (as 
  much as $25 per day for a hotel, without meals), the 
  nightlife is glittering and exciting, particularly in the 
  Vedado neighborhood of casinos, hotels, and classy 
  brothels. In Havana Americans can live it up, drink 
  as much as they want without fear of Prohibition, 
  gamble to their heart’s content, and sample whatever 
  other pleasures they desire and can aﬀ ord. Th e Maﬁ a, 
  and the corrupt Cuban government that allows it to 
  ﬂ ourish, earns millions from this “industry.”
  Haiti
  Government: 
  Democratic republic
  Ruler: 
  President Stenio Vincent
  Capital: 
  Port au Prince
  Population: 
  2,600,000
  Language(s): 
  Haitian Creole (see text)
  Currency: 
  Gourde
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, sugar, tobacco, 
  cotton, timber
  Religion(s): 
  Voodoo, Christianity
  Military: 
  2,494
  Haiti is the mountainous western third of the 
  island of Hispaniola (which it shares with Santo 
  Domingo, or the Dominican Republic). Most of its 
  people are rural, living in towns and villages built 
  around public squares, each with its rostrum. Th e 
  most prominent city is the capital, Port au Prince, 
  though compared to many cities it’s sorely lacking 
  (it has just a few hotels, for example). Fortunately, 
  the US Marines who occupied the country from 
  1915-1934 improved its once-horrible roads. It also 
  has a ﬁ ne marketplace where nearly all the selling 
  and buying is done by women — for generations 
  Haitian men have feared to go into town lest the 
  government or a group of cacos (bandits) impress 
  them into military service.
  Th e US Marines occupied Haiti for nearly 
  twenty years, beginning in July 1915 when Presi-
  dent Vilbrun (or Guillaume) Sam was slain by 
  rebels and President Coolidge sent the troops in 
  to restore order. A treaty in November of that year 
  virtually made Haiti an American protectorate. 
  During their time there, US soldiers improved 
  sanitation, reduced disease, built or improved 
  roads, modernized harbors, provided medical 
  training and supplies, improved the prison system, 
  and established a police force called the Garde 
  d’Haiti. Most importantly, they fought against the 
  cacos, or bandits, that plagued the country, even 
  capturing the feared caco leader known as Dr. 
  Bobo. As of the mid-Th irties, the caco problem 
  has signiﬁ cantly diminished, and even come to an 
  end in some areas.
  Haiti is one of a very few nations in the Pulp 
  era that’s ruled by blacks. Th e native population is 
  either black or mulatto; there are only a few thou-
  sand whites in the country, almost all foreigners. 
  Some Haitians believe the American occupation 
  has introduced a greater level of race consciousness 
  into their society — replacing, so to speak, the Hai-
  tians’ pride in being a free people in a chaotic and 
  dangerous country with a more orderly and safe 
  society in which they feel something like second-
  class citizens.
  THE REST 
  OF THE 
  CARIBBEAN
  Besides Cuba and Haiti, 
  in 1935 the primary 
  islands and/or nations 
  of the Caribbean, with 
  their colonial rulers (if 
  any) in parentheses, are:
  Bahama Islands (British)
  Bermuda (British)
  Grand Cayman (British)
  Guadeloupe (French)
  Jamaica (British)
  Martinique (French)
  Puerto Rico (US)
  Santo Domingo (the 
  Dominican Republic)
  Trinidad (British)
  Virgin Islands (British 
  and US)
  And of course there 
  are numerous smaller 
  islands, no doubt includ-
  ing a few that aren’t on 
  the usual maps, where 
  pirates long ago buried 
  treasure....
  Continued from last page
  foot-tall peak over the 
  Urubamba River. Dis-
  covered in 1911 by Yale 
  professor Hiram Bing-
  ham, who was searching 
  for Vilcabamba (the 
  long-lost last stronghold 
  of the Inca), it’s become 
  world-famous.
  
  169 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  Th e oﬃ  cial language of Haiti is French, but the 
  real tongue is Haitian Creole, a mixture of French, 
  Spanish, English, and African tongues. Th ere’s no 
  accepted way to write it (which sometimes makes 
  education diﬃ  cult); French remains the written 
  language of the land. In HERO System terms, Hai-
  tian Creole and French have 3 points of similarity; 
  Haitian Creole has 1 point of similarity with Eng-
  lish, Spanish, and some African languages.
  VOODOO
  Haiti is the home of Voodoo, and thus more 
  strongly associated with it even than New Orleans. 
  It’s the dominant religion, surpassing in adherents 
  and inﬂ uence even the Catholic Church. Th e pulps 
  (and many scholars) tend to equate it with black 
  magic, and attribute to it dark practices up to and 
  including human sacriﬁ ce and cannibalism. On the 
  other hand, in Th e Magic Island, travel writer Wil-
  liam Seabrook distinguishes between Voodoo (a 
  religion with benign ends) and sorcery (including 
  ouangas, or charms), which is oft en used for mali-
  cious or selﬁ sh purposes.
  A full discussion of Voodoo practices, spells, 
  and beliefs (not to mention those of Haitian witch-
  craft  and sorcery) is beyond the scope of this book; 
  it’s a rich and detailed lore, full of character ideas, 
  plot hooks, and strange creatures. See Th e Ultimate 
  Mystic, pages 116-20, for more information.
  KING WIRKUS
  One of the most intriguing stories of Haiti in 
  the Pulp era concerns the white king of the island 
  of La Gonave, which is about 30 miles from Port 
  au Prince. In the Teens a Marine sergeant named 
  Faustin Wirkus asked to be sent to the island, and 
  was made a lieutenant of the gendarmerie with 
  jurisdiction there. Before long, word reached the 
  authorities that the ten thousand black residents of 
  the island had elected him their king!
  American oﬃ  cials at ﬁ rst laughed at this notion, 
  but they were told a strange tale. Back in 1848, 
  Faustin I became Emperor of Haiti aft er having 
  been told in a vision he would rule. He died in 
  war against Santo Domingo, but it was always said 
  someday he would return again. Th e residents of La 
  Gonave, who sometimes refer to Wirkus as “he who 
  was to come,” apparently believe him to be Faustin 
  I returned to them. Th e “queen” they had before he 
  came in eﬀ ect ceded authority to him shortly aft er 
  his arrival without even being asked to.
  Despite this odd background, Wirkus is an eﬃ  -
  cient, no-nonsense ruler of his little island, much of 
  which remains unexplored. His people regard him 
  with love and aﬀ ection, and don’t hesitate to obey 
  his orders.
  As if the white king weren’t enough to attract 
  Pulp adventurers to La Gonave, the Haitians tell 
  other strange stories about it:  tales of hidden trea-
  sures; of a bottomless pool that’s home to a sacred 
  crocodile; and so on. But if the tale of King Wirkus 
  is true, why not these as well?
  CHRISTOPHE’S 
  CASTLE
  Many strange places and colonial ruins in Haiti 
  might attract the attention of Pulp heroes. One of 
  the most intriguing is the citadel of Christophe on 
  Bonnet a L’Eveque (Bishop’s Hat Mountain) in the 
  north, not far from Cap Haitien.
  In the very late 1700s, when Haiti won its indepen-
  dence under the leadership of Toussaint L’Ouverture, 
  one of L’Ouverture’s lieutenants was a former waiter 
  named Christophe. Aft er the French captured 
  L’Ouverture, and his follower Dessalines was assas-
  sinated, the people elected Christophe president, 
  but he declined because he felt the oﬃ  ce was too 
  restricted. Determined to rule all of Haiti as he saw 
  ﬁ t, he attacked Pétion in the south, failed to defeat 
  him, and retreated to his stronghold in the north, 
  where he ruled with an iron ﬁ st. In 1811 he pro-
  claimed himself King Henri I.
  Christophe decided he wanted to build for himself a 
  grand citadel and fortress, one ﬁ t for someone of his 
  power and prestige. He chose to build it on the top of 
  2,600 foot tall Bonnet a L’Eveque. It was an isolated 
  location, one that could only be reached by crossing 
  eight mountainous miles, but he deemed it proper 
  for his great palace-fort, which would measure 500 
  by 300 feet. It even had its own spring.
  For years, thirty thousand workers toiled to build the 
  citadel, lugging every brick, every enormous cannon, 
  and every cannonball through the mountains and up 
  the side of Bonnet a L’Eveque. Some say that over the 
  years, as many as 20,000 of the workers died trying 
  to complete the task.
  By 1820 the castle was nearly completed. In fact, 
  Christophe sometimes dispatched captured enemies 
  by hurling them from the citadel’s highest point. But 
  then he suﬀ ered a stroke, and his oppressed people 
  rose against him. Rather than be torn apart by the 
  mob, he committed suicide. His great citadel was left  
  to rot and crumble; no one even bothered trying to 
  retrieve the cannons.
  As of the Pulp era, much of the castle remains intact, 
  since it was built for strength and durability. Legend 
  has it that Christophe hid an enormous treasure 
  somewhere on the grounds of the fortress. Although 
  many have looked, no one has yet found it. Perhaps 
  your heroes can locate the clues that will let them 
  succeed where others have failed!
  
  170 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  D
  espite America’s rising prominence, in 
  many ways Europe remains the most 
  important region on Earth. A center for 
  both commerce and culture, it’s the home 
  of most of the so-called “great powers”... and, in 
  years soon to come, the battleﬁ eld on which the 
  armed forces of the Axis and Allies alike will clash, 
  just as they did a few years past in the Great War.
  In broad strokes, Europe in the Twenties was 
  in some respects like the United States, with some 
  areas experiencing economic prosperity while others 
  (notably Weimar Germany) suﬀ ered from inﬂ ation 
  and other woes. A spirit of dissatisfaction and social 
  experimentation was abroad, lending power and 
  inﬂ uence to radical philosophies like Communism 
  and Nazism. As the Twenties turned into the Th irties 
  and the Depression took hold in the Old World, those 
  philosophies became even more popular.
  While the pulps oft en portrayed Europe, partic-
  ularly Paris and Berlin, as places of cultural sophis-
  tication and licentiousness, in many ways Europe is 
  a more rigid society than the young, freewheeling 
  United States. Th ere are more laws, more police, 
  and more chances of coups giving rise to dictators. 
  People are more likely to keep watch on outsid-
  ers; it’s not unknown for hotel clerks, railroad and 
  airline ticket agents, and similar persons to have 
  to report travelers’ movements to the authorities. 
  Characters who carry weapons may quickly get in 
  trouble there, for many types of ﬁ rearms are forbid-
  den, and others strictly regulated. Heroes accus-
  tomed to the freedom oﬀ ered by the US may ﬁ nd it 
  hard to acclimate to Europe. Th ey’ll also ﬁ nd it less 
  technologically advanced in everyday ways; Europe 
  has fewer cars, phones, and radios than the US.
  AUSTRIA
  Government: 
  Fascist state
  Ruler: 
  President Wilhelm Miklas; 
  Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg
  Capital: 
  Vienna
  Population: 
  6,700,000
  Language(s): 
  German
  Currency: 
  Schilling
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, manufacturing, 
  mining
  Religion(s): 
  Christianity
  Military:  
  30,000
  When the Austro-Hungarian Empire was split up 
  following its defeat in the Great War, its heart became 
  the nation of Austria. During the Twenties, Austria 
  was considered a progressive, almost Communist, 
  nation in many ways. Vienna had welfare and housing 
  programs ahead of their time. Among other things, 
  the city erected numerous working-class residences 
  (including the Karl Marx Hof, the largest apartment 
  building in Europe with nearly 1,400 apartments). Th e 
  enormous number of unemployed (about a third of 
  the workers) oft en developed anti-Semitism and other 
  extremist views. With the economic troubles of the 
  Twenties followed by the rise of Hitler in Germany, 
  Austria soon found itself poised on a precipice.
  In May 1932, Engelbert Dollfuss became chan-
  cellor. A devout Catholic and hero of the Great War, 
  he opposed the Socialists but did not favor uniﬁ ca-
  tion with Germany (as so many of his Germanic 
  countrymen did). Political tensions in Austria soon 
  increased. In March 1933, Dollfuss dissolved the 
  Austrian Parliament and banned public meetings; 
  in June he banned the Nazi Party, which was agi-
  tating for uniﬁ cation (sometimes to the point of 
  committing terrorist acts). In October of that year a 
  Nazi attempted to assassinate him, but he survived; 
  the next month, martial law was imposed.
  But Dollfuss was no friend of the left , either. On 
  February 12, 1934, he purged Socialists from the 
  government, killing 129 of them. In response, the 
  Socialists declared a general strike and distributed 
  arms to workers from secret caches. Th e massive 
  apartment buildings erected in the Twenties became 
  their fortresses. Th e result was four days of virtual 
  civil war, which the government put down at the cost 
  of as many as 2,000 lives. Th e Austrian government 
  was then dissolved and a new constitution creating a 
  “federal corporative state” (i.e., a fascist regime) was 
  instituted, with the Fatherland Front party in control. 
  In April the legislature granted Dollfuss dictatorial 
  powers — but he didn’t enjoy them long. On July 25, 
  1934, Austrian Nazis assassinated him as part of an 
  attempted coup, which failed in part because Mus-
  solini (who had his own designs on Austria) moved 
  48,000 troops to the border the next day, forcing 
  Hitler to disavow the rebels rather than risk war.
  Th e successor to the chancellorship was Kurt 
  Schuschnigg, a weak and diﬃ  dent man who 
  became dictator in October 1936. Pressure for 
  uniﬁ cation continued, with Hitler increasingly 
  stressing the issue of “the right of self-determina-
  tion” for Germans in Austria and Czechoslovakia. 
  Aft er Schuschnigg called for an Austrian plebiscite 
  and it appeared the vote would go in his favor and 
  against uniﬁ cation, Hitler acted. On March 12-14, 
  1938, German troops invaded and occupied Aus-
  tria, completing the Anschluss (“union”). In early 
  April, both Great Britain and the US recognized 
  the conquest, and an Austrian vote overwhelmingly 
  approved the uniﬁ cation. Austria eﬀ ectively ceased 
  to exist as a distinct nation until aft er World War II.
  THE REST OF 
  EUROPE
  Besides the countries 
  described in the text, the 
  major nations of Europe 
  in 1935 are:
  Belgium
  Czechoslovakia
  Finland
  Hungary
  Norway
  Poland
  Portugal
  Sweden
  Switzerland
  
  171 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  
  172 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  BULGARIA
  Government: 
  Kingdom/fascist state
  Ruler: 
  Boris III (see text)
  Capital: 
  Soﬁ a
  Population: 
  6,100,000
  Language(s): 
  Bulgarian
  Currency: 
  Lev
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, mining, tobacco
  Religion(s): 
  Orthodox Christianity
  Military: 
  33,000
  Th is small nation, wedged in between Yugoslavia, 
  Turkey, Greece, and Romania, spent most of the Pulp 
  era in a state of political turmoil. In the early Twen-
  ties, Communist revolutions and royal assassination 
  attempts plagued the country, which also had dis-
  putes with Greece and Turkey regarding its borders. 
  On May 19, 1934 a military coup led by Kimon 
  Gueorguiev overthrew the existing cabinet and 
  forced King (sometimes Czar) Boris III to recognize 
  the existence of a fascist state. Th e Sobranje (legis-
  lature) was dissolved and political parties declared 
  illegal. But between then and late 1935, when Boris 
  III staged a counter-coup and Gueorguiev went into 
  exile, Bulgaria had ﬁ ve governments. As of the end 
  of 1935, Boris III is king and George Klosseivanoﬀ  is 
  premier and foreign minister.
  Bulgaria is mostly agricultural. Th e people still 
  live a peasant-like existence, oft en using primitive 
  methods to farm their land.
  THE FREE CITY 
  OF DANZIG
  Government: 
  Democratic free city
  Ruler: 
  Senate President Dr. Herman 
  Rauschning; High Commis-
  sioner Sean Lester
  Capital: 
  N/A
  Population: 
  410,000
  Language(s): 
  German, Polish
  Currency: 
  Gulden
  Resources: 
  Manufacturing, trade
  Religion(s): 
  Christianity
  Military: 
  N/A
  Created by the Treaty of Versailles, the Free 
  City of Danzig is a sovereign entity consisting of 
  the city itself and a territory of approximately 750 
  square miles near the mouth of the Vistula River. 
  It’s hemmed in by part of Poland (the Pomorze, 
  or Polish Corridor to the Baltic) to the west and 
  south, and Germany (East Prussia) to the east. Its 
  population is mostly German, with a small per-
  centage of Poles.
  Danzig is governed by a 72-member Volkstag 
  elected by all men and women over age 20, plus a 
  Senate of members elected from the Volkstag; one 
  of the Senators is elected president. Since 1933 the 
  National Socialist (Nazi) Party has controlled slightly 
  over half the seats in the Volkstag. Danzig is also 
  under the “protection” of the League of Nations, which 
  appoints a High Commissioner to oversee it.
  Danzig’s territory beyond the city contains 
  several attractions. Th e city of Zoppot on the coast 
  has ﬁ ne beaches and a casino. On the border the 
  East Prussia stands Marienburg Castle, built by the 
  Order of the Teutonic Knights in the late thirteenth 
  century as part of their campaign to conquer Prus-
  sia and Christianize the Baltic lands. Pulp Hero 
  characters visiting the castle might discover secret 
  vaults built to hide the Order’s valuables from its 
  enemies in medieval times, or perhaps clues to a 
  treasure hidden somewhere in the Near East. Th e 
  Order also built the Marienkirche (Church of St. 
  Mary) in Danzig itself.
  FRANCE
  Government: 
  Democratic republic
  Ruler: 
  President Albert Lebrun; Pre-
  mier Gaston Doumergue
  Capital: 
  Paris
  Population: 
  42,000,000
  Language(s): 
  French
  Currency: 
  Franc
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, manufacturing, 
  mining
  Religion(s): 
  Christianity
  Military: 
  584,300
  France, the battleground of the Great War, has 
  largely recovered from that devastation to become 
  one of the proudest and most powerful nations on 
  Earth, and a center of arts, culture, and science. But 
  its pomp, splendor, and sophistication oft en mask 
  doubts and insecurity.
  In the pulps, France is portrayed as a place of 
  license and debauchery. More than a few of the 
  spicy pulps had “Paris” in the title, and the implica-
  tion in the stories is that anything goes, provided 
  one knows where to look and has enough money. 
  In campaigns where politics and military matters 
  have little impact, the PCs may think of France as 
  one big party.
  POLITICS AND ECONOMY
  France is governed by a legislature, the National 
  Assembly, that’s composed of the Chamber of Dep-
  uties (whose members are elected by the people) 
  and the Senate (whose members are chosen by 
  electoral bodies). Th e National Assembly elects a 
  President for a seven-year term, and the President 
  selects a Premier who commands a majority of the 
  Assembly in favor of his policies. Th e Assembly 
  can grant the Premier broad powers, if desired. 
  During the Pulp era politicians from a wide variety 
  of parties and positions, from strong Conservatives 
  to Communists, participated in the Assembly; by 
  American standards it’s a chaotic and oft en unsta-
  ble legislature. Th e plethora of parties and need to 
  maintain a coalition means premiers sometimes 
  come and go quickly, and it’s sometimes hard to get 
  things done — historians have used the term “stale-
  mate society” to describe the situation.
  France is a colonial power second only to Great 
  Britain, with over 80 million imperial subjects and 
  four million square miles of land under the tricolor. 
  REXISM
  While the Nazis of Ger-
  many, the Fascist of Italy, 
  and the Falangists of 
  Spain are remembered 
  today as examples of 
  far-right political phi-
  losophies of the Th irties, 
  many other nations in 
  Europe had their own 
  extremist parties and 
  groups.
  In Belgium, the far-right 
  position was expressed 
  by the Rexism move-
  ment, founded in 1930 
  by Léon DeGrelle, a 
  French-speaking Bel-
  gian. Th e name comes 
  from the group’s Latin 
  slogan, Christus Rex 
  (“Christ the King”). 
  Rexists called for the 
  abolition of democracy, 
  the establishment of a 
  corporatist government, 
  and a moral renewal of 
  Belgium through adher-
  ence to the teachings 
  of Roman Catholicism. 
  Th ey also expressed 
  anti-Semitic views. 
  Rexism’s popularity 
  was greatest among the 
  Walloons (the French-
  speaking portion of the 
  Belgian people); Flem-
  ish Belgians favored a 
  similar group, the VNV 
  (Vlaamsch-Nationaal 
  Verbond). Th e Rexists 
  received ﬁ nancial and 
  moral support from 
  Nazi Germany, and had 
  SS-like paramilitary 
  groups, the Legion Wal-
  lonie and Legion Flan-
  dern, to intimidate their 
  enemies.
  
  173 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  Its major holdings include French Indo-China and 
  large sections of Africa.
  France is also a ﬁ nancial powerhouse. It con-
  trols approximately one-fourth of the world’s gold 
  supply, possesses copious natural resources, and 
  has a well-developed industrial base. Th ough the 
  early Twenties saw signiﬁ cant inﬂ ation, so strong 
  was France’s economy in the late Twenties and early 
  Th irties that at ﬁ rst it seemed like the major eﬀ ects 
  of the Depression might pass it by.
  THE MILITARY
  Many people consider the French military the 
  strongest in the world. With over half a million 
  men as of 1935, it’s nearly ﬁ ve times the size of 
  Germany’s and 25% larger than Great Britain’s. But 
  much of its equipment and thinking is outmoded, 
  devoted almost entirely to the idea of defending 
  against Germany, France’s ancient enemy. Th e Great 
  War inﬂ icted such horriﬁ c casualties on France, 
  and destroyed so much of its countryside, that it 
  became determined to protect itself from war and 
  compensate for its loss of population.
  Th e Maginot Line
  Typical of this attitude is France’s reliance on 
  the Maginot Line, a 150 mile long, seven mile deep 
  series of fortresses along its northeastern border. 
  Approved in 1930, the Line was ﬁ nished in 1936 
  (and thus provided thousands of jobs during 
  the Depression). Aft er a series of initial defenses 
  designed to prevent surprise attacks and slow down 
  invasions the Line consists of a series of main forts 
  located at three-mile intervals. Only the armored 
  domes of the forts show above the ground; the rest 
  — motors and generators, quarters for 200-1,200 
  soldiers, a hospital, communications center, stor-
  age, an underground railroad stop — is located in 
  a seven-story deep structure whose top ﬂ oor is 60 
  feet (9”) below ground. Although the working con-
  ditions in the forts were poor, the soldiers stationed 
  there had the highest morale in the French army 
  and were treated as heroes.
  Th e French Foreign Legion
  Th e most famous military unit of France is the 
  French Foreign Legion (Legion Etrangere). As the 
  name indicates, the Legion contains few French-
  men; it recruits from all the other nations of the 
  world. It’s oft en a haven for outlaws and renegades 
  ﬂ eeing the authorities, men who want to leave their 
  old lives behind for some reason, adventurous 
  souls, and various other forms of societal refuse. 
  (During the lean years of the Depression, the 
  Legion was a refuge for many impoverished men 
  with nowhere else to turn.) France takes these raw 
  recruits (bleus), trains them for six months, hardens 
  them, and turns them into one of the world’s ﬁ nest 
  ﬁ ghting forces. In exchange for risking their lives 
  and performing backbreaking labor in some of the 
  most desolate places on Earth on behalf of France, 
  Legionnaires receive pay of about $2 per month.
  Th e Legion maintains its headquarters at Sidi-
  bel-Abbes, Algeria, because much of the ﬁ ghting 
  it does is in Africa — during the Pulp era Legion-
  naires saw action in Algeria, Dahomey, Madagas-
  car, Morocco, and Senegal. But units are stationed 
  throughout the French Empire (except in France, 
  where the Legion only goes to ﬁ ght a war), so Pulp 
  heroes could easily encounter Legionnaires just 
  about anywhere in the world that France controls.
  Typically recruits enlist in the Legion for a ﬁ ve-
  year hitch, and can rise as far as colonel (higher 
  ranks are reserved for Frenchmen). A Legionnaire 
  who serves twelve years becomes a French citizen. 
  Despite this, the Legion has a high rate of deser-
  tion; the intense labor and danger aren’t for every-
  one. Th e Legion actively hunts down deserters, and 
  if it captures them punishes them severely — oft en 
  by assigning them to the Battalion d’Afrique (Bat 
  d’Af), a harshly-disciplined penal unit that serves 
  in North Africa, for several years.
  Th e Legion’s insignia is a red grenade with 
  seven ﬂ ames.
  PARIS
  Pulp Pa-ree was an insouciant place popu-
  lated entirely by roués and their mistresses, 
  horny apache dancers, and hornier rich 
  nymphomaniacs, where the leading form 
  of employment was nude figure modeling.
  —Lee Server, Danger Is My Business
  The heart of France, and some would say 
  of human culture, is the glittering city of Paris. 
  Home to such famed attractions and monu-
  ments as the Champs Elysees, the Eiffel Tower, 
  the Cathedral of Notre Dame, and the Arc 
  de Triomphe, it has a romance and glamor 
  unequaled by any other 
  city. Pulp heroes visiting 
  Paris might find themselves 
  trying to prevent the theft 
  of the Mona Lisa from the 
  Louvre, in a car chase after 
  German spies, pursuing 
  the fiendish creations of 
  mad scientists through the 
  city’s catacombs, romanc-
  ing a mysterious and exotic 
  woman in some nightclub, 
  shopping for gourmet food 
  in the enormous Les Halles 
  market, or simply enjoying a 
  glass of fine French wine in 
  a sidewalk café.
  Th e Lost Generation
  Th e delights and dissipa-
  tions of Paris are particularly 
  attractive to many young 
  American authors and artists 
  searching for something more 
  than what they think America 
  can oﬀ er them. Characters 
  visiting the city in the early 
  Twenties might run into such 
  future literary luminaries as 
  Ernest Hemingway, John Dos 
  Passos, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and 
  Sherwood Anderson.
  
  174 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Th e 1937 Exposition
  Characters in Paris in 1937 can visit the Interna-
  tional Exposition celebrating the arts and sciences. 
  Th e 240 pavilions along the Seine provided, accord-
  ing to the organizers, “an inventory of the civiliza-
  tion of today and tomorrow.” Over forty nations 
  had their own pavilions, including the massive dis-
  plays of Italy, Germany, and the USSR intended to 
  exalt their respective cultures and political systems. 
  Scientists, Gadgeteers, Professors, and many other 
  types of PCs will ﬁ nd much to interest them here... 
  and perhaps a few opportunities for adventure.
  Apaches
  The Shadow glimpsed the challengers; he 
  knew them for Apaches, the sort who fre-
  quented this section. As the rogues opened 
  fire with revolvers, The Shadow stabbed 
  answering shots from his automatic.
  —Maxwell Grant, Zemba, in The Shadow 
  Magazine, December 1935
  Lest characters become too enraptured with 
  the City of Lights, they shouldn’t forget that it has 
  a particularly active underworld. Its many thieves, 
  thugs, toughs, and ruﬃ  ans are oft en known as 
  apaches (this is distinct from the apache dancers 
  of the Folies Bergere, mentioned above). Apaches 
  are brutal, violent, and cruel. Th ey oft en team up 
  to commit scams and robberies, and congregate in 
  hideouts known as caveau. Most of them carry at 
  least one concealed weapon (a knife, small pistol, or 
  set of brass knuckles), if not more.
  GERMANY
  Government: 
  Nazi state
  Ruler: 
  Chancellor Adolf Hitler, the 
  Führer
  Capital: 
  Berlin
  Population: 
  65,000,000
  Language(s): 
  German
  Currency: 
  Reichsmark
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, manufacturing, 
  mining
  Religion(s): 
  Christianity
  Military: 
  100,500
  Germany is one of the dominant forces in the 
  world of the 1930s. It seems vital and strong, and its 
  philosophy of Nazism is attractive to many people. 
  While some wisely regard it as a terrible threat 
  to world peace and security, others blindly praise 
  Hitler, looking past his bluntly-stated intentions in 
  the hopes of seeing a peaceful future that simply 
  doesn’t exist.
  In the pulps, Germany and Germans were usu-
  ally portrayed poorly. Animosity harking back to 
  the Great War led authors to portray Germans as 
  warlike, brutal, vicious, and oppressive (as Robert 
  Sampson puts it, “Germans customarily were ren-
  dered as bull-necked sadists wearing monocles”). 
  Her soldiers, though sometimes honorable, were as 
  ruthless as they were strong; her scientists, though 
  brilliant, were as cold and cruel as an Arctic bliz-
  zard, willing to inﬂ ict any sort of torture or horror 
  on their victims in the name of Science.
  
  175 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  HISTORY
  Th e history of Germany during the Pulp era 
  is a sad chronicle of the rise of the Nazis and the 
  build-up to the Second World War. Aft er Germany’s 
  defeat in the Great War, it was stripped of much 
  of its territory and re-constituted as the Weimar 
  Republic. Unfortunately, the Weimar government 
  was largely impotent due to the restrictions and 
  reparations imposed upon it by the victorious 
  Allies and the economic problems that crippled 
  Germany during the Twenties. Inﬂ ation was so bad 
  that in late 1923 it took four trillion marks to equal 
  a single US dollar; Germans needed wheelbarrows 
  full of cash to buy a loaf of bread, and oft en found 
  paper money most useful as fuel for hearthﬁ res.
  In such an environment, extremism can easily 
  raise its ugly head. Among the many groups 
  claiming it had the solution to Germany’s woes 
  was the German Workers’ Party, whose propa-
  ganda chief Adolf Hitler promulgated its anti-
  Semitic, anti-capitalist message. He soon became 
  president of the renamed National Socialist 
  German Workers’ Party, or Nazis. Th e popularity 
  of the party increased to the point where Hitler 
  attempted the Beer Hall Putsch in November, 
  1923. It failed, and he was imprisoned for a few 
  months. He continued his political activities, gain-
  ing increased power and inﬂ uence.
  In 1932, the Nazis made Hitler their candidate 
  for president. He lost to Hindenburg in a run-oﬀ  
  election, but in 1933 was named chancellor. A 
  few weeks later the Reichstag gave him dictato-
  rial powers. Now in a position to do as he wished, 
  Hitler and the Nazis cracked down on their 
  enemies (as well as perceived enemies within the 
  Party), oppressed the Jews, and abrogated the Ver-
  sailles Treaty by re-arming Germany. Germany 
  soon re-occupied the Rhineland and the Saar, but 
  Hitler’s territorial ambitions were far from sated.
  In March 1938, Germany invaded and con-
  quered Austria, completing the Anschluss (“union”). 
  Hitler then turned his attentions to Czechoslova-
  kia and its German peoples. In September 1938, 
  the great powers “appeased” him by partitioning 
  Czechoslovakia and giving Germany the Sudeten-
  land to ensure “peace in our time.” Convinced Great 
  Britain and France lacked the will to go to war with 
  him, a year later Hitler ordered the invasion of 
  Poland, precipitating World War II.
  POLITICS AND ECONOMY
  Germany in the Th irties is ﬁ rmly in the grip of 
  Adolf Hitler, the Führer. He’s both chancellor and 
  president, and the military has sworn allegiance to 
  him personally as its Supreme Commander. Serv-
  ing him is the entire Nazi Party, with its well-orga-
  nized legions of thugs, spies, informers, and propa-
  gandists. Intent on military adventure, he has begun 
  to rebuild the German military, equipping it with 
  some of the most advanced vehicles and equipment 
  in the world (some of which the Wehrmacht and 
  Luft waﬀ e get to test when Germany provides aid to 
  Franco during the Spanish Civil War). As of March 
  1936, a plebiscite gives him a 99% approval rating 
  among the German people. Th anks to military 
  spending, the German economy is in much better 
  shape in the Th irties than it was in the Twenties, 
  even allowing for the eﬀ ects of the Depression.
  Th e Gestapo
  Th e Gestapo (Geheime Staatspolizei, “secret state 
  police”) is the brutal state police of Nazi Germany. 
  Created on April 26, 1933 from the Prussian Secret 
  Police, it was ﬁ rst led by Rudolf Diels, then Her-
  mann Goering (though in 1934 Goering, under 
  pressure from Himmler, granted ultimate control 
  of the Gestapo to Himmler’s SS). Its purpose was to 
  investigate espionage, treason, sabotage, and similar 
  incidents against Germany (no doubt including 
  many of the activities that anti-Nazi Pulp Hero PCs 
  might engage in while visiting the Th ird Reich...). 
  Its actions were not subject to judicial review, and 
  thus most of the people it arrested were thrown 
  into concentration camps, brutalized, or killed. In 
  1936 it was made responsible for the operation of 
  the camps.
  Th e Gestapo maintained oﬃ  ces in cities and 
  towns throughout Germany. (See the accompany-
  ing sidebar for a brief breakdown of Gestapo orga-
  nization.) Its oﬃ  cers are usually depicted in ﬁ ction 
  and movies as wearing black trenchcoats and hats, 
  giving them a justiﬁ ably sinister appearance.
  BERLIN
  Th e capital of this dark empire is Berlin, a city 
  of over four million people. During the Twenties, 
  Berlin was oft en considered almost the equal of 
  Paris as a city of depravity and sin. Dancing while 
  their society crumbled under the crushing weight 
  of inﬂ ation, the Berliners visited exotic nightclubs 
  and partook of all sorts of strange pleasures. Char-
  acters who visit the city during this period may ﬁ nd 
  themselves caught up in this unusual demimonde.
  As the Nazis rose to prominence, Joseph Goeb-
  bels was made gauleiter (leader) of the Nazi Party 
  of Berlin, and used his gift  for propaganda to swell 
  the membership roster and get people talking about 
  the organization. Aft er Hitler took power, Berlin 
  became a center of political and military power 
  once more. Heroes who journey to Berlin during 
  the mid- to late Th irties will ﬁ nd policemen, spies, 
  and informers keeping a careful watch on them, 
  Jewish businesses prominently marked, and an 
  atmosphere combining the jubilation felt by Ger-
  mans with the fear of those they oppress.
  Th e 1936 Olympics
  In August 1936, the Olympics were held in 
  Berlin. Th e Nazis used it as a platform from which 
  to broadcast their agenda and showcase the glory of 
  German society and culture. To this end they made 
  grandiloquent preparations, including building the 
  new 100,000-seat Grunewald stadium and giving 
  Berlin a thorough cleaning and polishing. But all 
  the pageantry didn’t work out quite as planned. 
  Hitler believed the Games would prove the supe-
  riority of the Aryan race, and while Germany did 
  win more medals than any other nation (in part 
  because of state-funded training), he was furious 
  when Jesse Owens triumphed in several events.
  GESTAPO 
  ORGANIZATION
  Th e Gestapo was 
  divided into several 
  departments:
  Department A (Ene-
  mies)
  Department B (Sects 
  and Churches)
  Department C (Admin-
  istration and Party 
  Aﬀ airs)
  Department D (Occu-
  pied Territories)
  Department E (Coun-
  terintelligence)
  Department F (Frontier 
  and Border Police)
  THE
  SIEGFRIED LINE
  Germany’s answer to 
  the Maginot Line was 
  the Siegfried Line, which 
  the Germans called the 
  Westwall. Built from 
  1938 to 1940, it was 
  over 600 km (nearly 
  400 miles) long and 
  stretched from Kleve 
  to Weil am Rhein (i.e., 
  from the border with 
  the Netherlands to the 
  border with Switzer-
  land). It consisted of 
  18,000 tank traps, tun-
  nels, and bunkers. 
  
  176 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  FRIEDRICHSHAFEN
  Characters who travel by airship may become 
  familiar with the city of Friedrichshafen, located far 
  to the south on the north shore of Lake Constance. 
  Th e home of the Dornier aviation plant and the 
  Zeppelin airship industries, it’s where the German 
  dirigibles depart from and arrive in Germany. From 
  there travelers can take roads or rails north into the 
  heart of the Th ird Reich, head west into France, or 
  go south into Switzerland or Austria.
  THE AUTOBAHN
  Determined that the German people should 
  be able to move about freely, and that his armies 
  and oﬃ  cial vehicles should be able to cross the 
  nation quickly, Hitler ordained the building of 
  the ﬁ rst modern highway system:  the autobahn, 
  an expansion of an earlier, smaller, Weimar road 
  network. Led by Fritz Todt, a hundred thousand 
  workers labored to build the roads and supporting 
  infrastructure beginning in 1933. Th e ﬁ rst stretch, 
  Frankfurt to Darmstadt, opened in 1935.
  While not as extensive in the Th irties as it is 
  today, the autobahn still contains hundreds of miles 
  of top-class paved highways. Many people, includ-
  ing Dwight Eisenhower, were immensely impressed 
  by the autobahn, which inspired highway projects 
  in other nations. Pulp Hero characters may be, too, 
  when they get involved in high-speed car chases that 
  don’t involve the risk of cross traﬃ  c or stop signals.
  GREAT BRITAIN
  Government: 
  Constitutional monarchy/par-
  liamentary republic
  Ruler: 
  King George V (dies January 
  1936, succeeded by Edward 
  VIII); Prime Minister Stanley 
  Baldwin
  Capital: 
  London
  Population: 
  45,000,000
  Language(s): 
  English
  Currency: 
  Pound
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, manufacturing, 
  mining
  Religion(s): 
  Christianity
  Military: 
  200,000 (total throughout Brit-
  ish Empire:  396,000)
  Great Britain is the most prominent and impor-
  tant nation on Earth during the Pulp era. Ruler of 
  the largest empire in the world, one “on which the 
  sun never sets,” it’s a military and economic power-
  house as well as a source of great art and literature.
  British characters are common in the pulps. Not 
  only are many early Pulp stories reprinted myster-
  ies and other tales from Great Britain, but British 
  characters are as acceptable as heroes as Americans, 
  and the British Empire and people are typically 
  portrayed as benevolent and right-thinking. Great 
  Britain’s history of exploring and colonizing the 
  world means its people live and are well-known 
  around the world, so Pulp Hero adventurers could 
  easily encounter them just about anywhere. Similarly, 
  the archives and museums of London contain many 
  unique documents and treasures that characters may 
  need to study before embarking on an adventure.
  POLITICS AND ECONOMY
  “Don’t abdicate.”
  —Statement said to have been made by 
  Wallis Simpson to Edward VIII shortly 
  before his abdication
  “Don’t abdicate, you fool!”
  —Simpson’s actual statement, according 
  to some sources
  Although nominally ruled by a king, Great 
  Britain is a parliamentary democracy in which the 
  real power resides in the legislature, which has two 
  houses:  the House of Lords (with hereditary seats 
  held by members of the nobility) and the House 
  of Commons (to which members are elected). 
  Roughly speaking, the party (or coalition) that con-
  trols a majority of the votes in Commons is asked 
  to form a government; its leader becomes Prime 
  Minister. As of 1935, Labour politician Ramsay 
  MacDonald has been replaced as prime minister 
  by Stanley Baldwin, a Conservative (the two spent 
  most of the Twenties and Th irties trading the oﬃ  ce 
  back and forth). Baldwin will, in turn, lose the oﬃ  ce 
  to Neville Chamberlain in 1937.
  Temporary matters like the Edward VIII abdi-
  cation crisis in late 1936 aside, perhaps the most 
  important issues in Pulp-era Great Britain are the 
  economy and labor unrest. Th e poor state of many 
  sectors of the British economy even prior to the 
  Depression, particularly mining, led to numerous 
  strikes, many of them massive ones that bedeviled 
  the country for weeks or months. Some politicians, 
  most prominently Winston Churchill, regarded the 
  strikers as a dangerous threat to be dealt with much 
  like a wartime enemy; others were more sympa-
  thetic to or even supportive of them. Even the mas-
  sive Silver Jubilee celebration for King George V in 
  1935 did little to dispel the economic gloom.
  Th e British Empire
  Th e mighty British Empire includes signiﬁ cant 
  portions of Africa, the Americas, the Near East, and 
  Asia (see the table on pages 144 and 145, and later 
  sections of this chapter). However, under the Stat-
  ute of Westminster (1931), the major components 
  of the Empire, including India, Canada, the Irish 
  Free State, and Australia, were granted dominion 
  status. Th is makes them “autonomous communi-
  ties” within the Empire, subordinate to no one, and 
  able to maintain their own domestic and foreign 
  policy, although they remain “united by a common 
  allegiance to the Crown.” In short, the dominions 
  are more like allies of the Empire than its subjects 
  — albeit allies very strongly tied to, and oft en dom-
  inated by, Great Britain.
  GERMANY IN 
  YOUR GAME
  It’s easy to view Pulp-era 
  Germany as a dark land 
  run by evil men — as 
  nothing but a source of 
  sadistic Nazis for the 
  PCs to oppose and kill. 
  But you can do more 
  than that with Germany 
  if you want to.
  First, Germany is a 
  world leader in ther 
  ﬁ elds of science and 
  technology. While the 
  Nazis ultimately drove 
  away many prominent 
  scientists (such as 
  Freud), Germans remain 
  at the forefront of elec-
  tronics, medicine, phys-
  ics, engineering, avia-
  tion, and many other 
  ﬁ elds. Th ey excel in the 
  soft  sciences as well; 
  thousands of Germans 
  are involved in anthro-
  pological, archaeo-
  logical, and sociological 
  work all over the world, 
  and some of Germany’s 
  museums are among the 
  best in the world. Th us, 
  characters in search of 
  the latest technological 
  developments, or the 
  most accurate informa-
  tion about a particular 
  archaeological site, may 
  only be able to ﬁ nd what 
  they’re looking for in 
  Germany.
  Second, not every 
  German was an ardent 
  Nazi. While Hitler and 
  his regime enjoyed 
  massive public support, 
  it wasn’t universal. In 
  campaigns where the 
  GM’s willing to alter 
  history, having the PCs 
  help (and perhaps even 
  start) an underground 
  revolution to overthrow 
  the Nazi government 
  would make for a great 
  military/espionage-style 
  Pulp Hero campaign.
  
  177 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  MILITARY
  Although it remains strong compared to most, the 
  British military suﬀ ers from some severe problems 
  in the Th irties. Concerned about the Depression, the 
  government frequently withheld funds from the army 
  and navy, leaving them weak. Many Britons dreaded 
  the thought of war, stating openly that they preferred 
  fascism to ﬁ ghting. Concern about maintaining parity 
  with Germany ﬁ nally prompted some expansion of 
  the Royal Air Force (RAF), but that was all. Britain’s 
  ships mostly remained of Great War vintage, most of 
  her aircraft  were biplanes, and cavalry oﬃ  cers strug-
  gled to reduce spending for tanks and other motor-
  ized vehicles instead of horses and mules.
  Nor was Great Britain’s Secret Intelligence 
  Service much better. It had virtually no espionage 
  assets in, among other places, Germany. Even 
  worse, it had such a small budget that it could not 
  even aﬀ ord to buy wireless sets for its operatives!
  LONDON
  London, the capital of the British Empire, is also 
  the capital of the world. While its prestige may have 
  dimmed a little since Victorian days, it remains 
  the largest city on Earth, with a population of over 
  8,200,000. Its cultural attractions, including the famed 
  British Museum and Westminster Abbey, rank as high 
  as any in the world. Getting around the city is rela-
  tively easy, thanks to its subway (the oldest and most 
  extensive in the world) and ﬂ eet of omnibuses.
  Scotland Yard
  “Briefly,” [the senator] declared, “the 
  matter concerns war secrets. Various gov-
  ernments have been cooperating to prevent 
  the theft of important inventions. Mr. Wes-
  dren, as head of a large syndicate of manu-
  facturers, has custody of valuable models 
  and plans which pertain to devices useful 
  in case of war.”
  `“All these are protected in my vault at 
  Washington,” put in Wesdren. “But Sena-
  tor Releston has informed me that interna-
  tional spies may be after them.”
  “We received information from England,” 
  explained Releston, “that involved thefts 
  accomplished there. One of Scotland Yard’s 
  undercover men is coming to New York on 
  the Steamship Doranic.
  —Maxwell Grant, The Man From Scot-
  land Yard, in The Shadow Magazine, 
  August 1935
  Th e most famous police agency in the world 
  is Scotland Yard, for which more than one Pulp 
  character worked as an employee or “consultant.” 
  Technically the name refers to the headquarters of 
  the London Metropolitan Police, but people speak-
  ing of “Scotland Yard” usually mean the Criminal 
  Investigation Department (CID) branch of the 
  Police. During the Pulp era it’s headquartered 
  in New Scotland Yard, an 1890 building on the 
  Th ames Embankment. 
  Scotland Yard has for years enjoyed a well-
  deserved reputation for the dedication of its men 
  and the advanced state of its techniques. It pioneered 
  many criminalistic tools and procedures, giving it a 
  prestige no other police agency can match. One of 
  its most recent additions is the Flying Squad, a group 
  of elite operatives formed in 1919-20 as a “mobile 
  patrol experiment.” Using special vehicles — con-
  verted Crossley tenders equipped with experimental 
  radio antennae — the Squad’s members have juris-
  diction throughout all of London and can easily stay 
  in contact with headquarters.
  Characters who visit the London Metropolitan 
  Police headquarters should take time to see the 
  Black Museum, Scotland Yard’s collection of crimi-
  nal relics and memorabilia. It includes criminals’ 
  tools and weapons, the death masks of executed 
  criminals, and other items that might interest both 
  the PCs and their enemies.
  Typically Scotland Yard oﬃ  cers aren’t armed 
  with anything more than a truncheon. CID oﬃ  cers 
  sometimes carry .32 revolvers.
  Occult London
  London may be of most interest to many Pulp 
  Hero characters for its inﬂ uence in occult and psy-
  chic circles. Th e remnants of the Hermetic Order 
  of the Golden Dawn and the Th eosophical Society 
  still exist in the Pulp era, and characters who need 
  to research mystical matters can visit such institu-
  tions as the Psychic Museum, the College of Psychic 
  Studies, and the Society for Psychical Research. From 
  1929 on they might be able to wrangle an audience 
  with notorious occultist Aleister Crowley. And no 
  doubt more than a few of the relics in the unparal-
  leled British Museum have arcane properties....
  GREAT BRITAIN 
  IN YOUR GAME
  Besides simply serv-
  ing as a stand-in for 
  the United States — as 
  a homeland for player 
  characters, nation to 
  ﬁ ght for, and font of 
  ideals and morality, in 
  other words — Great 
  Britain has plenty to 
  oﬀ er a Pulp Hero cam-
  paign.
  For one thing, many 
  pulps published stories 
  from Britain, especially 
  in the early years of the 
  period (and the British 
  had plenty of home-
  grown pulp magazines). 
  Primarily these were 
  mystery stories — some-
  times it seems as if every 
  “peaceful” English town, 
  village, or parish is rife 
  with poisoners, murder-
  ous ﬁ ends, and passion-
  driven criminals. Pulp 
  heroes venturing into 
  the “green and pleasant 
  land” could easily ﬁ nd 
  themselves embroiled 
  in a murder plot... or 
  perhaps even framed for 
  the killing!
  Britain is also an island 
  of great mystic signiﬁ -
  cance. It has a long, deep 
  history of magical prac-
  tices and events ranging 
  all the way back to the 
  Celts and King Arthur. 
  Amid its stone circles, 
  sacred pools, and dark 
  forests the PCs might 
  encounter human-sac-
  riﬁ cing druidic cults, 
  faerie-folk who pos-
  sess terrifying magical 
  powers, or wicked sor-
  cerers.
  
  178 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  THE IRISH FREE STATE
  Th e Irish Free State, roughly that part of Ireland 
  south of Ulster, is a dominion of the British Empire. 
  It has a population of three million and its capital 
  at Dublin. Donal Buckley is Governor-General, and 
  Eamon de Valera is President.
  Th e Irish Free State was created by treaty in 
  December, 1921. Th e Irish Civil War (1922-23) 
  followed, pitting pro-treaty Irish against the Sinn 
  Fein party of Eamon de Valera (with the support of 
  the Irish Republican Army terrorist organization), 
  which opposed partition. When the pro-treaty 
  forces prevailed, de Valera and his allies took seats 
  in the legislature as leaders of the opposition party. 
  But in time de Valera and his forces gained inﬂ u-
  ence, and in 1932 he became president. In 1937 he 
  promulgated a new constitution that described his 
  nation’s territory as the entire island of Ireland, and 
  which embodied various Catholic social concepts. 
  Ireland remains a volatile place, with two govern-
  ments implacably opposed to one another.
  GREECE
  Government: 
  Democratic republic (but see 
  text)
  Ruler: 
  King George II; President Alex-
  ander Zaimis
  Capital: 
  Athens
  Population: 
  6,500,000
  Language(s): 
  Greek
  Currency: 
  Drachma
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, livestock, mining
  Religion(s): 
  Orthodox Christianity
  Military: 
  85,875
  Th e cradle of Western civilization and the 
  home of an advanced culture at a time when most 
  Europeans were barbarians, Greece is a chaotic 
  and uncertain land during the Pulp era. Th e early 
  Twenties saw it at war with Turkey, from whom it 
  won several territories (as acknowledged by the 
  August 1920 Treaty of Sèvres) only to eﬀ ectively 
  lose them via subsequent military defeats and the 
  July 1923 Treaty of Lausanne. Under the Lausanne 
  accord, the two countries resettled their respective 
  ethnic populations, resulting in Greece’s popula-
  tion rising by 1.1 million people. Greece also fought 
  with Italy and Bulgaria in minor disputes during 
  the early Twenties.
  Nor were times good for the Greek monarchy. 
  In October 1920, King Alexander I died aft er being 
  bitten by a pet monkey; two months later, Constan-
  tine returned to Greece and was crowned king. Fol-
  lowing the disastrous loss of Smyrna to the Turks 
  in September 1922, King Constantine abdicated in 
  favor of his son, King George II. But in December 
  1923 the military exiled him, and in March 1924 
  Greece declared itself a republic.
  Further upheavals marked Greek politics for the 
  next ten years, during which time the most impor-
  tant national ﬁ gure was Eleutherios Venizelos, 
  who became premier in 1928. In 1935, following a 
  period of disorder that began with a 1933 attempt 
  to assassinate him, Venizelos tried to spark a 
  republican revolt to quell rising royalist sentiment. 
  General George Kondylis stopped the revolt, restor-
  ing the monarchy. A plebiscite later that year put 
  George II back on the throne. On August 4, 1936, 
  General John Metaxas became premier; he soon 
  transformed Greece into a fascist state and signiﬁ -
  cantly increased military expenditures.
  MOUNT ATHOS
  Greece is a land ﬁ lled with ruins, archaeologi-
  cal treasures, vacation paradises, and many other 
  things of interest to Pulp adventurers (not to men-
  tion the plot possibilities resulting from the politi-
  cal situation). One of the most intriguing sites in 
  the country is Mt. Athos, a small peninsula oﬀ  of 
  Th essalonica. Located amid its rocks and crags are 
  twenty enormous Greek Orthodox monasteries, 
  ranging in age from 500 to 1,100 years. Each of 
  the monasteries is virtually a republic of its own 
  under the terms of agreements with the Greek gov-
  ernment. Nearly ﬁ ve thousand monks live on the 
  island, all men — women are not allowed to enter 
  the territory at all. Th e monks even ban female 
  animals! Th e monasteries also outlaw dancing, 
  the cutting of hair or beards, singing, ﬁ ghting, and 
  sometimes bathing. Many of the monks live lives of 
  rigid asceticism, but others are more easygoing.
  Th e icons, religious artifacts, and manuscripts 
  possessed by the monasteries are priceless. Sadly, 
  some of the best of them, the Byzantine collection 
  of the Megaspelaeon monastery, were destroyed in 
  a July 17, 1934 ﬁ re. Pulp Hero characters who need 
  to research ancient Greece, the Balkans, or the Near 
  East might ﬁ nd that only the libraries of Athos have 
  the books and scrolls they need to consult. To visit 
  Athos, they must ﬁ rst get permission from Athonian 
  oﬃ  cials in Athens or Istanbul, then journey to the 
  Athonian capital of Karyes to obtain travel papers.
  ITALY
  Government: 
  Technically a kingdom, but in 
  reality a fascist state
  Ruler: 
  King Victor Emmanuel III; Pre-
  mier Benito Mussolini
  Capital: 
  Rome
  Population: 
  42,000,000
  Language(s): 
  Italian
  Currency: 
  Lira
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, manufacturing
  Religion(s): 
  Christianity
  Military: 
  610,539
  In the Pulp era, Italy was respected as a powerful 
  and inﬂ uential nation. It had a large military, was at 
  the forefront of science and culture, and had a seat 
  at the table with other great nations. But this facade 
  masked a number of weaknesses.
  HISTORY
  Th e history of Italy in the Pulp era begins in 1922, 
  when the Fascists led by Benito Mussolini marched 
  on Rome. Th e blackshirted protesters seemed strong 
  and proud, and so the weak King Victor Emmanuel III 
  ITALY IN
  YOUR GAME
  Italy of the Pulp era 
  is a land with many 
  attractions for heroes 
  and adventurers. First 
  and foremost, Italy was 
  considered a major 
  military power — even 
  its poor showing against 
  the Ethiopians didn’t 
  entirely dispel this 
  notion. Its army is nearly 
  as large as France’s, and 
  its air force larger than 
  that of France, Great 
  Britain, Germany, or 
  America. As such it 
  might attract Spies who 
  want to learn its secrets, 
  Scientists and Gadge-
  teers who want to sell it 
  their latest inventions, 
  Aviators to test-ﬂ y new 
  planes, and the like.
  Hand in hand with 
  Italy’s military prowess 
  is its scientiﬁ c standing. 
  During the Pulp era, 
  a lot of cutting-edge 
  research and technologi-
  cal development went 
  on in Italy, attracting 
  many renowned scien-
  tists. Th at, too, might 
  draw the attention of 
  various PCs... or their 
  enemies.
  For Explorers and 
  archaeologists, Italy 
  is a treasure-trove of 
  relics, tombs, and monu-
  ments. It’s ﬁ lled with 
  Classical-era objects 
  and buildings (as is 
  Greece, of course), but 
  also contains thousands 
  of pieces of art from 
  medieval and Renais-
  sance times. Pulp heroes 
  might get involved in 
  an adventure to prevent 
  someone from steal-
  ing some of these art 
  treasures (or to recover 
  them aft er they’ve been 
  stolen), or have to go 
  hunting among the 
  museums and librar-
  ies to ﬁ nd the clues to 
  discover some long-lost 
  relic.
  
  179 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  made Mussolini his premier. Within a few years Mus-
  solini ruled Italy as a Fascist dictator. Seeing himself as 
  a latter-day Caesar, Mussolini set out to “restore Italy 
  to greatness” and make the Italian people into a race of 
  strong warriors.
  While Mussolini did have some triumphs 
  — notably the signing of the 1929 Lateran Accords 
  that recognized the Vatican as a sovereign entity, 
  thus ending decades of political stalemate between 
  the pontiﬀ  and Rome — he was more of a pomp-
  ous blowhard than a skilled leader. Given to gran-
  diose gestures and enormous building projects, he 
  distracted the Italian people from their economic 
  problems with pageantry and exhortations to 
  nationalistic pride. Still, the fact that he “made 
  the trains run on time” and dispelled some of the 
  usual chaos of Italian politics was admired in many 
  circles. Another popular innovation was the Dopo-
  lavoro, a group of centers and clubs that provided 
  libraries, sporting facilities, dances, bars, and other 
  sources of recreation for the Italian people.
  Th e Invasion Of Ethiopia
  “It is us today. It will be you tomorrow.”
  —Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, 
  speaking before the League of Nations 
  in 1936
  In October 1935, eager for adventure and con-
  quest, Mussolini invaded Ethiopia. Following vari-
  ous brutal successes against the poorly-equipped 
  Ethiopians, and some embarrassing losses and 
  setbacks, Mussolini declared the conquest complete 
  in May 1936. But Italy never truly paciﬁ ed the 
  country, and had to deal with rebels for the rest of 
  the Pulp era while Haile Selassie remained in exile 
  in Great Britain. And the rest of the world saw just 
  how disorganized and weak the vaunted Italian 
  military really was.
  THE MAFIA
  After coming to power, Mussolini struggled 
  to eradicate the Mafia in Sicily, and similar 
  organized crime groups in Naples and Calabria. 
  He gave the prefect of Sicily a free hand against 
  the mobsters, and used cruel and brutal tactics 
  in his crusade to destroy the Mafia (includ-
  ing restoration of the death penalty). But he 
  never succeeded; the power of the Mafia was 
  too entrenched, the corruption it created too 
  pervasive. It’s possible that Pulp Hero PCs visit-
  ing Italy could be hired, enticed, or tricked into 
  helping the government attack the Mafia.
  Naturally, Mussolini’s anti-Maﬁ a campaign 
  made mobsters his bitter enemies. Th is gave them 
  common cause with his other foes — Commu-
  nists, Socialists, capitalists, democrats, and just 
  about anyone else opposed to the Fascist philoso-
  phy. Pulp heroes might ﬁ nd themselves reluctantly 
  allied with organized crime in an eﬀ ort to oust 
  Italy’s brutal dictator.
  ROME
  Rome, the capital of Italy as it was of the Roman 
  Empire, has a population of just over a million. 
  Already ﬁ lled with many monuments from Roman 
  times, it now has even more thanks to Mussolini. 
  Its galleries and museums contain thousands of art 
  and archaeological treasures from ancient days, the 
  Renaissance, and other periods. Th ese objects and 
  books are most likely what attracts Pulp heroes to 
  Italy; who knows what clues to even greater trea-
  sures may be concealed among them?
  Vatican City
  Surrounded entirely by Rome is the smallest 
  country in the world — Vatican City, a mere 108.7 
  acres (roughly the size of an 18-hole golf course). 
  Under the terms of the 1929 Lateran Accord and 
  other treaties, it’s recognized as an independent 
  nation. Technically a sovereignty ruled by the Pope 
  (see accompanying sidebar), it’s administered on a 
  daily basis by his appointed Governor of Vatican 
  City and various other oﬃ  cials. It has a population 
  of slightly under a thousand, mostly resident cardi-
  nals and other Church oﬃ  cials and employees.
  While Vatican City is generally a quiet and peace-
  ful place, it has several security forces to ensure the 
  Pope’s safety. Th ese include the Pontiﬁ cal Gendar-
  merie, the Guardia Nobile, the Guardia d’Onore, and 
  the famed Swiss Guard. Th e latter is an elite force of 
  120 men established in 1303. Only native Swiss may 
  join the Guard; they live in their own barracks and 
  speak German among themselves.
  Vatican City is a curious blend of the ancient 
  and the modern. It has no electric signs, no shop-
  ping district, and no traﬃ  c problems. A phone 
  system was only installed in 1930. A powerful 
  broadcasting station was installed by Marconi him-
  self in 1930-31, and on February 12, 1931 Pius XI 
  became the ﬁ rst pope to speak via radio.
  Th e Vatican is a repository of art treasures and 
  relics. Th e Vatican Library has about 50,000 vol-
  umes, and the Vatican Archives another 60,000 
  volumes plus about 120,000 paper and parchment 
  documents. Th e Vatican also has a Secret Archive 
  containing books and documents the public isn’t 
  allowed access to. Most of these supposedly involve 
  reports on Church heresies, forbidden books, and 
  the like dating back to the fourth century A.D., but 
  conspiracy theorists and occultists are quick to 
  wonder what other valuable information may be 
  hidden away there. Pulp Hero characters on the trail 
  of evil cultists or occult horrors may ﬁ nd that only 
  the Secret Archives can provide the clues they need 
  to defeat their foes.
  FOR AND 
  AGAINST
  Not everyone in Italy 
  supported Fascism or 
  Mussolini. His political 
  opponents were collec-
  tively known as Forusciti 
  (“outlaws” or “exiles”). 
  Many of them had to 
  leave Italy to escape Fas-
  cist oppression.
  One of the instruments 
  of that oppression was 
  the Ceka, a group cre-
  ated by Mussolini. Com-
  posed mostly of crimi-
  nals and lower-class 
  thugs, it pressured voters 
  to vote for the Fascists, 
  intimidated Mussolini’s 
  political opponents, 
  and through its brutal-
  ity and terror tactics 
  forced many enemies 
  of the regime to ﬂ ee the 
  country.
  POPES OF 
  THE PULP ERA
  During the Pulp era, the 
  Roman Catholic Church 
  was led by three diﬀ er-
  ent popes:
  Benedict XV (1914-22)
  Pius XI (1922-39)
  Pius XII (1939-58) 
  
  180 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  MONACO
  Government: 
  Constitutional monarchy 
  Ruler: 
  Prince Louis II
  Capital: 
  Monaco-Ville
  Population: 
  22,000
  Language(s): 
  French, English, Italian, Mon-
  egasque
  Currency: 
  French franc
  Resources: 
  Tourism
  Religion(s): 
  Christianity
  Military: 
  N/A
  Located on the Mediterranean coast, the Prin-
  cipality of Monaco is surrounded by the French 
  department of Alpes Maritimes. At 0.58 square 
  miles in size, it’s the second-smallest nation in the 
  world (aft er only Vatican City) and one of the most 
  densely populated. A constitutional monarchy, it’s 
  ruled by Prince Louis II of the House of Grimaldi 
  and a National Council. Under the terms of a 1918 
  treaty, its economic, political, and military policies 
  mirror those of France.
  Monaco’s chief source of revenue is the casino at 
  Monte Carlo. One and a half million tourists come 
  to Monte Carlo each year to gamble at the casino, 
  visit Monte Carlo’s elegant clubs, sample its wines, 
  and see and be seen. Th e casino is not open to the 
  Monegasque people; only foreigners may gamble.
  Th e other major tourist attraction is the Grand 
  Prix of Monaco, an automobile race begun in 1929 
  and held annually through 1937 during the Pulp 
  era. It takes place over the streets of Monte Carlo 
  and La Condamine, shutting down the cities for 
  the day. Th e Monte Carlo Rally, begun in 1911, also 
  brings racing enthusiasts to Monaco.
  Other than wanting to visit the casino (and the 
  many opportunities for socializing, espionage, and 
  other adventures that it provides), Pulp Hero char-
  acters might go to Monaco for the Oceanographic 
  Museum and laboratory established by Prince 
  Albert, Louis II’s father. If they’ve come across an 
  unusual sea-beast in their travels or need to esti-
  mate the currents around some mysterious island, 
  the Oceanographic Museum may be the best place 
  for them to ﬁ nd the information they need.
  THE NETHERLANDS
  Government: 
  Constitutional monarchy
  Ruler: 
  Queen Wilhelmina; Premier 
  Hendrik Colijn
  Capital: 
  The Hague (seat of the royal 
  court); Amsterdam (legislative)
  Population: 
  8,100,000
  Language(s): 
  Dutch
  Currency: 
  Guilder
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, manufacturing, 
  shipping
  Religion(s): 
  Christianity
  Military: 
  29,500
  Th e Netherlands, also known as Holland, is a 
  constitutional monarchy with a king (or, through-
  out the Pulp era, a queen) as the executive, and a 
  bicameral legislature called the States-General. Th e 
  queen’s authority runs through a Council of Minis-
  ters, whose president serves as premier. Queen Wil-
  helmina maintains her court at the Hague, but the 
  States-General meets in Amsterdam, a city famed 
  for its museums, universities, and red-light district. 
  Amsterdam hosted the 1928 Olympics.
  Th e Netherlands was a major commercial power 
  for centuries, and even in the Pulp era Rotterdam 
  was one of the largest ports in the world. Holland 
  had the third largest colonial empire in Europe; its 
  holdings included the Dutch East Indies, Dutch 
  Guiana, and Curacao.
  Holland is a low-lying land where the extensive 
  canals are oft en as important for travel and commu-
  nication as the roads. Much land has been reclaimed 
  from the sea by the use of dikes. From 1918 to 1932 
  the Afsluitdijk was built across the mouth of the shal-
  low Zuider Zee (“Southern Sea”), transforming it into 
  the freshwater Ijsel Meer (“Lake Issel”) and allowing 
  the reclamation of even more land.
  ROMANIA
  Government: 
  Constitutional monarchy
  Ruler: 
  Carol II; Premier George Tafar-
  asco
  Capital: 
  Bucharest
  Population: 
  18,000,000
  Language(s): 
  Romanian
  Currency: 
  Leu
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, livestock, oil, 
  timber, manufacturing
  Religion(s): 
  Orthodox Christianity
  Military: 
  296,000
  Romania (also spelled Roumania and Rumania) 
  is a small Balkan country between Bulgaria, Hun-
  gary, Poland, and the USSR. It’s a mostly agricultural 
  nation (approximately 80% of populace is involved in 
  agriculture or raising livestock), but also produces the 
  fourth largest amount of oil in the world.
  In recent years Romanian politics have been a 
  little turbulent. In the early Twenties some Com-
  munist uprisings occurred; Soviet Russia even 
  described the Romanian province of Bessarabia 
  
  181 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  as being in a “state of war.” In 1925 Crown Prince 
  Carol renounced his right to the throne and 
  removed himself to Paris; in July 1927 his son 
  Michael became king. Carol protested this by 
  naming himself king in Paris, and later plotted to 
  regain the throne. In early June, 1930, he was wel-
  comed back into the country and crowned Carol II; 
  Michael became “Grand Voyvoda of Alba Julia.” In 
  1938 Carol II dissolved the constitutional govern-
  ment and re-established an absolute monarchy, but 
  on March 7, 1939 a new government was formed by 
  Armand Calinescu; in 1940 Carol II abdicated.
  THE IRON GUARD
  During the Th irties, fascism became increas-
  ingly popular in Romania. In 1927, Corneliu Zelea 
  Codreanu founded a fascist and anti-Semitic 
  political party called the Legion of the Archangel 
  Michael, but the group as a whole soon became 
  known as the Iron Guard aft er its paramilitary 
  branch. Charismatic and clever, Codreanu used 
  propaganda and promotion techniques similar to 
  those of Goebbels to advance his cause. By 1933 
  the Iron Guard had become popular enough for 
  Premier Ion Duca to ban it; in response the Guard 
  assassinated him on December 29 of that year. In 
  1936, the Iron Guard came in third in national elec-
  tions, but Carol II used his power and inﬂ uence to 
  keep the group out of the government.
  In April 1938, the Romanian government 
  arrested Codreanu. He and several other Legion-
  naires were killed on November 29-30 of that year 
  in an alleged escape attempt (later proven to be 
  false; they were executed in revenge for a Guard 
  killing of a relative of Calinescu’s). Calinescu him-
  self was assassinated by the Guard on September 
  21, 1939. During World War II, the Legion became 
  a part of the government.
  Characters adventuring in Romania during the 
  Th irties, particularly those known to be Jewish or 
  to have expressed anti-fascist sentiments, should 
  beware of the Iron Guard. As the record above 
  shows, it has no qualms about using violence 
  against its enemies.
  TRANSYLVANIA
  Pulp heroes are most likely to ﬁ nd Romania 
  of interest because the northwestern part of the 
  kingdom is the province of Transylvania. Legend 
  and ﬁ ction make it the home of Count Dracula 
  — a vampire- and werewolf-haunted land, a place 
  of ancient curses and ghosts that can challenge 
  even the toughest adventurer. Th e ﬁ ft eenth century 
  ruler Vlad III Dracula (also known as Vlad Tepes 
  [“Vlad the Impaler”], and the inspiration for Count 
  Dracula) is popularly associated with Transylvania, 
  where he was born, though he actually ruled Wal-
  lachia, a region in southern Romania.
  GYPSIES
  Also associated with Romania (as well as 
  Hungary, and Eastern Europe in general) are the 
  Gypsies (or Gipsies), a nomadic people thought 
  to come from Egypt (hence the name) but whose 
  origins probably lie in northern India around the 
  year 1000. Th ey call themselves Roma or Romany, 
  though the name has no connection to Romania 
  or Rome; they speak their own language, Romany. 
  Th ey’re said to be generous among themselves but 
  suspicious of strangers, hot-tempered, quick-witted, 
  boastful, passionate, and prone to thievery; many 
  people don’t trust them at all. Th ey favor brightly-
  colored clothing.
  Gypsies typically work as traveling smiths and 
  tinkers, horse-traders, and the like. Th ey’re also 
  renowned as musicians whose wild songs can set 
  even the soberest feet to dancing. Pulp heroes are 
  mostly likely to seek them out because of their repu-
  tation as fortunetellers, psychics, and mystics. Sup-
  posedly Gypsy women have the ability to foresee the 
  future using crystal balls or cards, and perhaps pos-
  sess even stranger psychic powers. Who knows what 
  witchcraft  an old Gypsy crone may command?
  SPAIN
  Government: 
  Democratic republic
  Ruler: 
  President Niceto Alcala Zamora
  Capital: 
  Madrid
  Population: 
  29,000,000
  Language(s): 
  Spanish
  Currency: 
  Peseta
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, manufacturing
  Religion(s): 
  Christianity
  Military: 
  203,000
  Spain of the Pulp era is alternately a peaceful, 
  and in some ways backward, nation and a land 
  wracked by a bloody civil war used as a military 
  testing ground by more powerful countries. From 
  1923, when he came to power in a bloodless coup, 
  Miguel Primo de Rivera ruled Spain even though it 
  was nominally still a kingdom. His regime accom-
  plished little but causing inﬂ ation, and he resigned 
  in 1930 when he lost the support of the military. 
  In 1931 King Alfonso XIII left  the country, and 
  Spain was proclaimed a republic with Niceto Alcala 
  Zamora as its president.
  Th e Zamora regime did not enjoy any peace. 
  Various Communist and anarchist revolts sprang 
  up throughout the country, disputes with the 
  Catholic Church over new laws banning the Jesuit 
  Order and conﬁ scating Church property festered, 
  and the grant of self-rule to the fractious province 
  of Catalonia only led to further diﬃ  culties. In April 
  1934 the government declared martial law.
  In July 1936, a revolt broke out among the Span-
  ish army in Morocco, and soon spread to Spain. 
  Th e leader of the revolt, Francisco Franco, returned 
  to Spain. By month’s end the civil war was in full 
  bloom, with Franco’s Nationalists pitted against the 
  Spanish loyalists (also called Republicans). Franco 
  soon declared himself Generalissimo.
  Th e war lasted for nearly three years. It was 
  marked by a slow but steady series of victories by 
  Franco’s forces beginning in the north and gradu-
  ally spreading south. Th e Germans and Italians 
  sent men and vehicles to aid him, less because 
  they wanted to support his fascist movement than 
  because they wanted to test new equipment and 
  
  182 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  methods under actual battleﬁ eld conditions. Many 
  atrocities, in particular the savage bombing of the 
  Basque capital of Guernica, were committed.
  On March 28, 1939, Franco’s forces captured 
  Madrid, ending the war. He had previously pro-
  claimed his party, the Falange, as the only legal 
  party, and within two days his new regime arrested 
  over 100,000 political opponents.
  THE CONDOR LEGION
  Th e most important assistance Germany pro-
  vided Franco was the Condor Legion, a Luft waﬀ e 
  detachment of 150 planes and 5,600 men com-
  manded by Gen. Hugo Sperrle. Although they wore 
  Spanish insignia, the men of Condor were there 
  to test new German planes, such as the Junker 52, 
  the Messerschmitt BF 109 ﬁ ghter, and the Stuka 
  bomber. It was with these that they obliterated 
  Guernica.
  THE INTERNATIONAL BRIGADES
  Seeking to stem the tide of fascism in Spain, the 
  Soviet Union and the Comintern (page 184) orga-
  nized the International Brigades, groups of volunteers 
  who went to Spain to ﬁ ght on behalf of the Repub-
  licans. Nearly 60,000 volunteers from 55 countries 
  responded to the call to arms. Th ese included 3,000 
  Americans, mostly Communists and Socialists defy-
  ing President Roosevelt’s orders that Americans were 
  not to ﬁ ght in Spain. Th ey were organized into the 
  Lincoln Battalion and Washington Battalion, and suf-
  fered heavy casualties. France and Poland also sent 
  large contingents, and there were even some anti-fas-
  cist Italian and German volunteers. One of the volun-
  teers from Britain was author George Orwell; perhaps 
  Pulp Hero characters who join the Brigades or some-
  how get sucked into the war will meet him.
  THE UNION OF SOVIET 
  SOCIALIST REPUBLICS
  Government: 
  Communist state
  Ruler: 
  Joseph Stalin, General Secre-
  tary of the Communist Party
  Capital: 
  Moscow
  Population: 
  168,000,000
  Language(s): 
  Russian, various other local 
  languages
  Currency: 
  Ruble
  Resources: 
  Manufacturing, mining, timber
  Religion(s): 
  Technically none, since religion 
  is illegal under Communism, 
  but Orthodox Christianity and 
  Islam both ﬂ ourish covertly
  Military: 
  830,000
  Th e largest nation on Earth, overlapping both 
  Europe and Asia, the Soviet Union (known as Soviet 
  Russia from 1917-1922, and simply Russia before 
  that) is a nation wracked by turmoil and fear. Possess-
  ing a large population and copious natural resources, 
  it should be wealthy and even more powerful than it 
  is, but the policies and practices of the Communists, 
  particularly Joseph Stalin, have prevented that.
  HISTORY
  Th e early history of the Soviet Union involves 
  struggles for power among the Communist Party 
  elite. Aft er Lenin’s death in January, 1924, Joseph 
  Stalin, Leon Trotsky, Grigory Zinoviev, Nikolai 
  Bukharin, and Lev Kamenev all led factions of the 
  Party. Zinoviev and Kamenev eventually allied 
  with Stalin to keep Trotsky from succeeding Lenin 
  and convince the Central Committee not to follow 
  Lenin’s dying advice to oust Stalin as General Sec-
  retary. But in 1925, fear of Stalin convinced them 
  both to switch allegiance to Trotsky. Stalin joined 
  forces with Bukharin and gained enough authority 
  and inﬂ uence to have Trotsky, Zinoviev, Kamenev 
  expelled from the Party in 1927. In 1929 Stalin 
  turned on his allies and had Bukharin and others 
  removed from the Politburo. He now wielded 
  unquestioned power.
  Collectivization And Starvation
  “EATING 
  DEAD 
  CHILDREN 
  IS 
  BARBARISM.”
  —from a poster issued in the Ukraine 
  in an effort to stem rampant canni-
  balism during the famine of the early 
  Thirties
  In December 1929, Stalin began a program 
  to accelerate the pace of farm collectivization by 
  destroying the kulak (rich peasant) class. Using 
  the kulaks (cynically described as “any peasant 
  with enough to eat”) as a scapegoat, he robbed and 
  deported ﬁ ve million of them over the next three 
  years. Most of them died in the process, either at the 
  hands of the murderous cadres sent to round them 
  up, or of starvation and disease later. Th e uprisings 
  this caused were brutally put down; other peasants 
  fought back by smashing farm tools and slaughtering 
  livestock rather than let it be collectivized.
  Th e result of the collectivization program, 
  combined with the government’s annual seizure 
  of much (if not most) of the harvest, was massive 
  starvation. In Kazakhstan, for example, nearly two 
  million died when Stalin tried to make them farm-
  ers instead of herders. But the worst-hit region was 
  the Ukraine, once the breadbasket of Russia. From 
  1930-33 an estimated ﬁ ve million Ukrainians died 
  from starvation, disease, or in mass shootings.
  Yezhovschina:  Th e Great Purge
  “Full conformity of views can be achieved 
  only at a cemetery.”
  —Joseph Stalin
  But Stalin wasn’t done yet. He soon began seeing 
  enemies in the Communist Party and Red Army. 
  In December 1934, when he had his aide Sergei 
  Kirov murdered in Leningrad, he used the incident 
  as an excuse to eliminate over 100 of his political 
  enemies. Having seen how eﬀ ective this could be, 
  in September 1936 he appointed Nikolai Yezhov 
  to head the NKVD (see below), with instructions 
  to seek out and destroy enemies of the state. Th e 
  resulting Yezhovschina, or Great Purge, lasted 
  RASPUTIN
  In 1911, a degenerate 
  Siberian starets (holy 
  man) and mystic named 
  Grigory Yeﬁ movich 
  Rasputin arrived in St. 
  Petersburg. An adherent 
  of the obscure Skoptsy 
  (or Khlysty) sect, 
  which held that only 
  through sin could one 
  be redeemed, he was an 
  inveterate womanizer 
  and drinker.
  As a holy man, he 
  gained access to the 
  upper crust of czarist 
  society. Said even by 
  his enemies to have an 
  oddly hypnotic and 
  compelling personal-
  ity, he soon exerted 
  great inﬂ uence over 
  the Czarina Alexandra 
  herself, who believed 
  he had healing powers 
  that kept the young 
  czarevich’s haemophilia 
  in check. Denounced by 
  the Church, he was sent 
  back to Siberia in 1912 
  but returned in 1914. 
  By the next year, he had 
  even more inﬂ uence, 
  and at his behest min-
  isters were dismissed 
  and other signiﬁ cant 
  decisions made as he 
  directed.
  According to witnesses, 
  Rasputin possessed 
  strange powers. For 
  example, he supposedly 
  brought back to life the 
  Czarina’s friend Anya 
  Vyrubova as she lay 
  near-dead aft er a train 
  accident. Th e Czarina 
  unquestionably believed 
  in his abilities, consider-
  ing him divinely sent to 
  save the realm.
  In December 1916, 
  fearing Rasputin’s grow-
  ing authority, a group 
  of noblemen led by 
  Prince Yusupov (or 
  Yusupovsky) and Grand 
  Duke Dmitri Romanov 
  decided he had to be 
  removed. Th ey lured 
  him to Yusupov’s palace, 
  where he was fed cya-
  nide-laced cakes and 
  Continued on page 184
  
  183 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  
  184 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  through 1938 and resulted in the deaths of four to 
  ten million of Stalin’s “enemies.” Th is left  the Red 
  Army and many other institutions devastated and 
  without experienced leadership, which came back 
  to haunt Stalin when Nazi Germany attacked the 
  USSR in World War II.
  MOSCOW
  For the capital of one of the great powers, 
  Moscow is a bland and unremarkable city in the 
  Pulp era. Described by historian Piers Brendon as 
  “an Asiatic sprawl of zigzag streets, squat wooden 
  houses, and multicoloured cupolas,” and possess-
  ing an awful smell compounded of various fetid 
  odors, it makes a poor impression even on Rus-
  sians. Th anks to the Communists, most of the color 
  and colorful people have gone, replaced with a sad 
  drabness. And there’s little in the way of entertain-
  ment to relieve that drabness — no nightclubs, 
  dance halls, clubs, or the like, and just a few restau-
  rants and theaters.
  Worse than the smell is the overcrowding, since 
  it had a population of three million crammed into 
  a city built for only one. Th e Soviet government 
  began tearing up streets and building new apart-
  ment buildings almost as soon as it came to power, 
  but the population grew faster than the number of 
  apartments — and the clouds of dust and piles of 
  rubble from all the construction work gave some 
  visitors the impression the city’d been bombed. Th e 
  unemployed and homeless infested the city streets 
  in countless numbers.
  By the mid-Th irties the city improved some-
  what. It had a new subway. Th e never-ending con-
  struction projects replaced the slums and narrow, 
  twisting streets with new buildings and paved 
  roads. Th e Party destroyed churches and erected 
  industrial facilities or cinemas in their place. Th e 
  Moscow Hotel and other new structures replaced 
  the dirty, tavern-ﬁ lled city market. Accessways to 
  Red Square were improved for better parading. 
  While it’s still no paradise, the Moscow of 1935 is 
  much better than it was in years previous.
  SIBERIA
  Sometimes referred to as Russia’s “Wild East,” 
  Siberia is the Soviet Union’s least developed, most 
  desolate region. It’s said to have two seasons, July 
  and winter; temperatures of seventy degrees below 
  zero occur in some areas. Th ese conditions pre-
  vented the Soviet Union from exploiting Siberia’s 
  vast mineral wealth (though in June 1923, a rich 
  strike near Aldan touched oﬀ  a gold rush).
  Since it lies ﬁ rmly within Asia, Siberia is a 
  land where many peoples, not just Russians, live. 
  Mongols, Chinese, and others come there from the 
  south, mingling with both Russians and the various 
  native peoples. Siberian residents tend to be tough, 
  hardy, and adaptable. Since modern amenities are 
  rare, they oft en rely on old methods and technolo-
  gies (such as camels and sampans) as much as new 
  ones like cars.
  Th e most important city in Siberia is Vladivo-
  stok, a port on the Sea of Japan (and thus within 
  easy reach of Japan, China, and Chosen). A city of 
  60,000 whose ranks have swollen to nearly 500,000 
  thanks to inﬂ uxes of refugees, it’s a tough, well-
  defended city. Crime and violence are rampant. 
  Amidst the Russian, Chinese, Japanese, and other 
  ethnic sections of the city’s large marketplace, 
  there’s a “Th ieves’ Market” where one can be sure 
  any goods for sale are stolen.
  Th e Far Eastern Republic
  On April 6, 1920 Soviet Russia created the Far 
  Eastern Republic in southern Siberia in the region 
  east of Lake Baikal, with a capital at Chita. Aft er 
  the Japanese evacuated Vladivostok on October 
  24, 1922, it became part of the FER, which was a 
  “buﬀ er state” between Russia and Japan. Although 
  supposedly independent, the FER was controlled by 
  Russia, and not long aft er the Japanese withdrawal 
  it was absorbed into the USSR.
  THE SECRET POLICE
  Long before the KGB existed, the Soviets had 
  cruel and eﬃ  cient espionage organizations. Th e ﬁ rst 
  of these was the Cheka, the Extraordinary Com-
  mission for Combating Counterrevolution and 
  Sabotage, which existed from 1917 to 1922 under 
  Continued from page 182
  wine. When he com-
  plained only of a pain 
  in his stomach, Yusupov 
  shot him point-blank 
  in the chest. Aft er leav-
  ing the corpse for a 
  time, Yusupov returned 
  — only to have Rasputin 
  sit up and try to strangle 
  him! Yusupov stabbed 
  him and ﬂ ed. Rasputin, 
  still not dead, tried to 
  escape the palace. Th e 
  conspirators caught him, 
  then shot him, beat him, 
  tied him up, and threw 
  him into a freezing cold 
  river.
  And so Rasputin died... 
  or did he? Rumors and 
  legends told throughout 
  the Pulp era claimed he 
  survived, and some Pulp 
  stories use that idea as 
  the basis for their plots. 
  If he did survive, it’s 
  possible that your Pulp 
  Hero characters might 
  encounter him in Russia 
  (or elsewhere). Even if 
  he did not survive, he 
  may have left  the secret 
  of his powers with 
  Skoptsy monks, a sur-
  viving Grand Duchess 
  Anastasia (see below), or 
  in some other mysteri-
  ous place.
  ANASTASIA
  According to the Com-
  munists, the Grand 
  Duchess Anastasia, 
  youngest daughter of 
  Czar Nicholas II, was 
  slain along with the rest 
  of her family at Yekater-
  inburg on July 16, 1918. 
  But is it true... or are 
  they just trying to cover 
  up the fact that an heir 
  to the Romanov throne 
  survives?
  Rumors persisted 
  throughout the Twen-
  ties that Anastasia had 
  somehow survived. In 
  1929, a German woman 
  named Anna Anderson 
  claimed that she was, in 
  fact, Anastasia. Many 
  people, including some 
  distant members of the 
  Russian royal family, 
  Continued on next page
  THE COMINTERN
  Th e Comintern, or Th ird Communist International, 
  was founded in 1919 by Vladimir Lenin and the Rus-
  sian Communist Party. Its goals were to promote the 
  Communist revolution in other lands by any means 
  necessary, and to ensure that the Russian Communists 
  controlled the various Communist movements and 
  parties throughout the world.
  Th e Comintern’s rules were contained within the 
  “Twenty-One Conditions” its founders set forth. Th e 
  Conditions dictated that to become a member, a Com-
  munist organization must participate in truly Commu-
  nist (as opposed to just Socialist) activities and uphold 
  Communist ideals, remove reformers and centrists 
  from positions of responsibility, and establish an illegal 
  organization to conduct subversive work in support 
  of the Communist revolution. In 1935, having failed 
  to accomplish much, the Comintern abandoned the 
  Twenty-One Conditions so it could form alliances with 
  non-Communist groups.
  While Western and capitalist nations reacted to the 
  Comintern with loathing and fear, it had little actual 
  impact. Its activities were thought to range from propa-
  gandizing to murder, terrorism, and sabotage, but reli-
  able evidence of its work was scant. According to some 
  reports, in the late Twenties and Th irties the Comintern 
  attempted to foment Communist revolution among the 
  Indians of the Andes, and perhaps among blacks in the 
  United States.
  Regardless of the historical record, you can make the 
  Comintern a major force for evil and turmoil in your 
  campaign. In games focused on espionage, the Comin-
  tern may be one of the heroes’ chief foes; in Globetrot-
  ting Adventure campaigns, the PCs may encounter the 
  Comintern’s insidious agents all over the world.
  
  185 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  the command of Felix Dzerzhinsky. Its main tasks 
  were to prevent and investigate incidents of sabo-
  tage, counterrevolutionary activity, and the like. 
  Brutal and eﬃ  cient, its over a quarter of a million 
  employees rooted out many supposed state ene-
  mies; its activities led to hundreds of executions.
  In 1922 the organization was renamed the 
  GPU (General Political Administration), and in 
  1923 renamed again to the OGPU (Uniﬁ ed State 
  Political Administration). Dzerzhinsky headed 
  the OGPU until his death in 1926; by that time it 
  is thought to have caused the execution of over 
  250,000 enemies of the Bolsheviks, and kept over 
  1.3 million prisoners in a system of over 6,000 
  jails. Stalin made heavy use of the OGPU, which in 
  1930 formally established its Gulag prison network. 
  During the late Twenties the organization perfected 
  many tricks, including the use of “Lubyanka Ladies” 
  at Moscow’s Metropole Hotel to seduce foreigners.
  In 1934, the OGPU was absorbed into the new 
  NKVD (Narodnyy Komisariat Vnutrennikh Del, or 
  People’s Commissariat for Internal Aﬀ airs), Stalin’s 
  internal security and foreign intelligence agency. 
  Under the leadership of Genrikh Yagoda (1934-
  36), Nikolai Yezhov (1936-38), and Lavrenti Beria, 
  the NKVD reached heights of terror, power, and 
  cruelty far beyond those of the OGPU. Its agents, 
  known as “bluecaps” for their distinctive hats and 
  collar tabs, were among the Soviet Union’s most 
  privileged and powerful citizens, and were Stalin’s 
  main functionaries in conducting the Great Purge. 
  As his foreign intelligence apparatus, the NKVD 
  was also responsible for inﬁ ltrating Great Britain, 
  the United States, and other intelligence targets. 
  Pulp Hero characters who come up against it will 
  have their work cut out for them if they want to 
  defeat its clever, ruthless agents.
  YUGOSLAVIA
  Government: 
  Constitutional monarchy
  Ruler: 
  King Peter II (regency); Premier 
  Nikola Uzunovic
  Capital: 
  Belgrade
  Population: 
  14,000,000
  Language(s): 
  Serbo-Croatian, Slovenian, 
  other Slavic languages, 
  German, Romanian, Hungarian
  Currency: 
  Dinar
  Resources: 
  Ariculture, livestock, mining, 
  timber
  Religion(s): 
  Christianity, Islam, Orthodox 
  Christianity
  Military: 
  136,990
  Yugoslavia (also spelled Yugo-slavia and Jugosla-
  via) arose in the aft ermath of the Great War when 
  Croatia and Slovenia proclaimed their independence 
  from Hungary. Th ey soon admitted other Slav states, 
  such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, and formed a 
  union with Serbia. In 1918 the new nation named 
  itself the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes.
  Despite this, the various peoples of the kingdom, 
  separated by religion, language, culture, and tradi-
  tion, oft en quarrelled and fought, creating great 
  unrest. Following the October 1928 assassination of 
  Croatian leader Stefan Raditch, on January 6, 1929 
  King Alexander dissolved the legislature, abolished 
  political parties, and proclaimed himself the sole 
  source of power and authority. On October 3, 1929 
  he changed the kingdom’s name to Yugoslavia. On 
  September 3, 1931 he promulgated a new constitu-
  tion, but in eﬀ ect continued to rule autocratically.
  While visiting Marseilles on October 9, 1934, 
  King Alexander was assassinated by Macedonian 
  nationalistic terrorists belonging to an organization 
  called the IMRO. His 11 year-old son Peter became 
  king, with a regency council of three dominated by 
  Alexander’s cousin, Prince Paul.
  Continued from last page
  believed her; others 
  did not, labeling her a 
  skilled actress. Th e claim 
  remained controversial 
  throughout the Pulp era 
  and for decades there-
  aft er. In the 1990s, DNA 
  evidence ﬁ nally proved 
  that Anderson was not 
  Anastasia, and that the 
  Grand Duchess had in 
  fact been murdered at 
  Yekaterinburg.
  But don’t let that inter-
  fere with your Pulp Hero 
  campaign! Th e idea that 
  Anastasia might have 
  survived is a compel-
  ling one that you could 
  construct all sorts of 
  plots and character 
  backgrounds around. 
  Even if Anderson isn’t 
  Anastasia, that doesn’t 
  mean the last daughter 
  of the Romanovs might 
  not still be alive some-
  where....
  
  186 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  The usual [African] story tells how a 
  member of our culture faced Africa, that 
  dark and deadly place, and opened such 
  secrets as he was able, and acquitted him-
  self finely or not in the face of the ancient, 
  the primitive, and the terrible. This form 
  of the African story, then, is an adventure 
  moving along two levels.
  On the first level, an individual travels 
  across physical Africa, marveling at its 
  contours and evading its frequent dan-
  gers. On the second level, the individual 
  confronting Africa also confronts himself. 
  He finds his soul floating among the thorn 
  trees; it is his face that glowers beneath 
  the savage’s paint.
  —Robert Sampson, Yesterday’s Faces, 
  Vol. 5
  A
  frica of the Twenties and Th irties is a 
  land still very much a mystery to West-
  ern civilization. Despite the ongoing 
  tide of commerce, railroad building, and 
  improved communications, a lot of the Dark Conti-
  nent remains just that — dark, unknown to the civ-
  ilized world. Vast stretches of jungle and savannah 
  are largely unexplored by Europeans. Who knows 
  what wonders they may hold?
  In the pulps Africa is home to countless lost civi-
  lizations, Wild Men, hostile tribes, witch doctors, and 
  ﬁ erce animals. It’s tailor-made for adventuring, with 
  danger around every corner and countless wondrous 
  mysteries just waiting for explorers, archaeologists, 
  and mystics to uncover. If your Pulp Hero campaign 
  involves any amount of world travel, it’s a sure bet the 
  heroes will visit Africa at least once, if not frequently.
  THE COLONIAL SYSTEM
  Except for Ethiopia and a semi-independent 
  South Africa and Egypt, Africa is a continent of 
  colonies. Th e French and British control the lion’s 
  share, but Spain, Belgium, Portugal, and Italy have a 
  few colonies as well.
  Th e colonizers take diﬀ erent approaches to their 
  possessions. Th e British policy is one of “self-devel-
  opment,” meaning allowing each colony to develop 
  in its own way rather than according to some over-
  all British plan (though British inﬂ uence inevitably 
  aﬀ ects such development). Th e other four nations 
  all follow, to one extent or another, a policy of 
  “assimilation.” Th is means they want to make the 
  natives conduct themselves like Frenchmen, Ital-
  ians, and so forth, and to think of themselves as 
  citizens of a greater France or greater Italy.
  By the early Th irties, the white population of 
  Africa south of the Sahara and north of the Lim-
  popo River is a mere 60,000 — and most whites 
  who migrate to Africa go to Algeria or South Africa. 
  Th roughout the rest of the Dark Continent, Europe-
  ans are few and far between (in part because the heat 
  and disease make the region “unsuitable” for them), 
  and tend to cluster around cities or trading posts. 
  Enormous swaths of country remain eﬀ ectively 
  under the control of the native population.
  Trade
  In theory, colonies (in Africa or elsewhere) were 
  self-supporting through what they produced and 
  the fact that they oﬀ ered their possessor a cap-
  tive market. In practice, most of them cost money 
  to maintain. Th e result was that they were oft en 
  poorly developed — they were already expen-
  sive, so the nations that controlled them tried not 
  to pour more money into them. Africa has vast 
  natural resources, but during the Pulp era they 
  remained largely untapped.
  By the mid-Th irties, South Africa alone was 
  responsible for half of Africa’s trade. Th e rest of the 
  Western-settled continent was mainly given over 
  to plantation agriculture, but few plantation crops 
  succeeded. Examples of some that did include 
  tobacco in Southern Rhodesia, sisal in Tanganyika, 
  and tea in Nyasaland. In general, there was little 
  African natives could produce on their own that 
  Europeans wanted; the main exception was mining 
  for diamonds and gold.
  Travel
  Despite a relative lack of investment by the 
  European powers, by the early Pulp era Africa 
  had a fairly well-developed network of railroads. 
  However, few rail systems penetrated deep into 
  the interior. Overland travel usually involved cars 
  (where there were roads) or riding and walking. 
  Large areas of the continent, including the Sahara 
  Desert, are mostly impassable on foot; the only way 
  to cross them is by plane. Even then, the limited 
  range of Pulp-era planes required frequent stops 
  for refueling, which in turn usually meant staying 
  close to the coasts and cities.
  NATIVES
  Millions of native peoples inhabit Africa, 
  outnumbering their colonial masters by tremen-
  dous amounts. Th e ﬁ ercest and most warlike of 
  them have long since been paciﬁ ed by the defeats 
  inﬂ icted upon them by colonial armies and the 
  civilizing inﬂ uence of European missionaries and 
  settlers. Despite this, Pulp stories oft en depicted 
  African tribesmen more as they were in the nine-
  teenth century than the twentieth, arming them 
  
  187 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  
  188 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  with spears and shields and sending them forth to 
  attack white settlements, threaten explorers, and 
  provide just the right touch of danger and excite-
  ment for an African adventure.
  Some of the major African tribes that Pulp Hero 
  adventurers might encounter include:
  Bushmen
  Th e Bushmen, or San people, have lived in the 
  Kalahari Desert of southern Africa for approxi-
  mately 20,000 years. A hunter-gatherer people, they 
  make temporary homes from wood they gather, but 
  keep moving as necessary to follow game and ﬁ nd 
  new sources of food. Th ey’re experts at scrub/desert 
  survival, and are known for their cave paintings.
  Fang
  A West African people who live in the Gabon 
  region of French Equatorial Africa, the Fang are an 
  aggressive tribe feared by other peoples for their 
  warriors’ skill. At one time they practiced cannibal-
  ism, but that supposedly stopped centuries ago. 
  Today they live through slash-and-burn agricul-
  ture and ivory hunting. Th ey’re known for placing 
  the bones of their ancestors in specially-made 
  wooden boxes that have guardian ﬁ gures attached; 
  the bones supposedly have the same power the 
  deceased had when alive.
  Fulani
  Th is nomadic West African tribe, also known as 
  the Fulah, lives primarily by herding cattle; it’s said 
  to be the largest wandering tribe on the continent. 
  Th ey oft en spread news from market to market 
  along their ancient trade routes. Originally of 
  North African origin, they’re Moslems with lighter 
  skin, straighter hair, and thinner lips than most 
  sub-Saharan tribes. Fulani of both genders oft en 
  have extensive tattooing.
  Kikuyu
  Th e Kikuyu are an agricultural tribe found in 
  Kenya and other parts of East Africa. With the 
  coming of white men to Africa, many have gone 
  into business or other non-traditional pursuits. 
  Th ey’re considered hard workers and skilled man-
  agers of money.
  Masai
  Th e Masai (or Maasai) are a nomadic East 
  African tribe of herders and warriors. According 
  to their folklore, their god gave them all the cattle 
  in the world, and therefore other people who have 
  cattle must have stolen them from the Masai — a 
  belief that oft en leads to bad blood between the 
  aggressive Masai and other tribes.
  Yoruba
  Residents of the British colony of Nigeria and 
  the Dahomey region of French West Africa, the 
  Yoruba are an advanced agricultural tribe known for 
  the quality of their art and craft works. Unlike most 
  tribes, they have a tendency to form large towns or 
  cities, rather than just villages. Th eir religion includes 
  a rich body of mythology, with tales about gods such 
  as Shango and Ogun; much Yoruba lore found its 
  way into Voodoo in one form or another. Th ey’ve 
  long been enemies of the Fulani.
  Zulu
  Th e largest tribe of southern Africa, the Zulu 
  have long had a reputation as ﬁ erce warriors, 
  thanks in part to the conquests and military culture 
  instituted by the great chief Shaka in the early nine-
  teenth century, and to their political organization 
  (which gave chiefs absolute power). In 1879 they 
  revolted against the British, and at ﬁ rst defeated 
  them at battles such as Isandhlwana, but within six 
  months the British crushed the rebellion. So ﬁ ercely 
  and bravely did the Zulu ﬁ ght that the British 
  erected a monument to them at Ulundi alongside 
  the monument to the British dead. Th e Zulu rose 
  again in 1906, and were again defeated.
  About half of the Zulus are engaged in agricul-
  ture, while the other half live in cities. Th eir religion 
  and beliefs emphasize spirits and divination. Acci-
  dents, bad luck, and other misfortunes are caused 
  by evil (or unplacated) spirits or sorcery; nothing 
  happens by chance.
  THE SAHARA
  While most people (and pulp authors) tend to 
  thinks of jungles and savannahs when they think of 
  Africa, the vast Sahara Desert in the north domi-
  nates more of the continent than any single other 
  geographic feature. Its 3.5 million square miles fea-
  ture trackless ﬁ elds of immense sand dunes, craggy 
  areas, rocky peaks, and barren plateaus. Besides 
  starvation and dehydration, its threats include 
  temperature (which can range from 71o Celsius 
  [160o F] in the day to freezing at night) and sand-
  storms. Particularly during the spring, when the 
  hot winds (called khamsin in Arabic, and sirocco in 
  Italian) can reach nearly 100 miles per hour, sand-
  storms pose a special danger. In short, characters 
  who travel in the Sahara can expect their Survival 
  (Desert) Skill to be tested to the utmost!
  Merchants and tribesmen can cross the desert 
  using camel caravans and well-honed survival 
  skills. Th ere are ﬁ ve primary trans-Sahara routes. 
  Caravans typically run from the north coast 
  down to the southern edge of the desert, where 
  they exchange Mediterranean trade-goods for 
  the ivory, gold, and other resources of the Congo 
  region. Caravans start early in the day, stop (pref-
  erably at an oasis) between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM 
  to avoid the worst of the heat, then continue on 
  until early evening.
  Native Saharans
  A few tribes have found ways to survive in the 
  desert. To the east are Bedouins (page 195) and 
  Tibbu; to the west Berbers; and in the central desert 
  the Tuareg.
  Perhaps the most feared of these peoples are the 
  Tuareg. Although many of them have settled down 
  in towns since the French conquest of 1905, even 
  in the Pulp era some of them prey on caravans and 
  travelers. Woe to the caraveneer who encounters 
  the Tuareg — if he does not pay a toll (carefully 
  negotiated at the time) to pass through their lands, 
  they may kill him and all his laborers and take 
  everything he owns. Even worse, it’s not unknown 
  for the Tuareg to mutilate or cripple a captive, and 
  BRITISH
  COLONIES
  Th e main British colo-
  nies in Africa are:
  Th e Anglo-Egyptian 
  Sudan
  Basutoland
  Bechuanaland
  British Somaliland
  Gambia
  Gold Coast
  Kenya
  Nigeria
  Northern Rhodesia
  Nyasaland
  Sierra Leone
  South West Africa 
  (mandate)
  Southern Rhodesia
  Swaziland
  Th e Tanganyika Terri-
  tory (mandate)
  Uganda
  Zanzibar
  FRENCH
  COLONIES
  Th e main French colo-
  nies in Africa are:
  Algeria
  Cameroons (mandate 
  shared with Great Brit-
  ain)
  French Equatorial Africa
  French Somaliland
  French West Africa
  Madagascar
  Morocco
  Togo (mandate)
  Tunisia
  
  189 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  possibly cut oﬀ  his eyelids as well, and leave him to 
  die in the desert sun. And despite the fact that the 
  French have outlawed the slave trade, some Tuareg 
  still traﬃ  c in human ﬂ esh.
  Tall, ﬁ ne-featured, comparatively light-skinned, 
  and arrogantly proud, the Tuareg (Arabic for “aban-
  doned of God”) are said by some to be the descen-
  dants of a lost Roman legion (though they’re more 
  likely of Berber stock). Th ey wear loose-ﬁ tting 
  shirt- and pant-like garments, or robes. Th e men, 
  who control trade and war, wear blue veils (even 
  when among family); the women, who control the 
  home and social life, go unveiled. Th ey dominate 
  many of the desert villages and towns, such as Tim-
  buktu. Th eir society tends to be closed and hostile; 
  they speak their own language, rarely deal with or 
  help outsiders, and may respond to violations of 
  their customs violently. Th ey are ruled by a high 
  chief, or Amenokal, who’s elected by the chiefs of 
  the various tribes to oversee all Tuaregs.
  Th e Tuareg are nominally Moslems of the 
  Maliki sect. However, they ignore or scant most 
  religious observances, and believe in djinn and 
  other spirits (against whom they wear amulets con-
  taining verses from the Koran).
  Th e Balbia
  Italy controls the part of the Sahara known as 
  Libya, consisting of the regions of Tripolitania, Cyre-
  naica, and the Fezzan. In the mid-Th irties it built the 
  Balbia, a 1,132 mile-long road all the way from its 
  western border to its eastern, to improve commerce 
  and the ability to move military units across Libya 
  quickly. It was dedicated in March 1937 in an elabo-
  rate ceremony attended by Mussolini himself.
  BELGIAN CONGO
  Government: 
  Belgian colony
  Ruler: 
  Governor-General Pierre Ryck-
  mans
  Capital: 
  Leopoldville (Kinshasa)
  Population: 
  9,500,000
  Language(s): 
  Flemish, French, various native 
  tongues
  Currency: 
  Belga
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, mining (especially 
  copper), rubber
  Religion(s): 
  Various native faiths, 
  Christianity
  Military: 
  N/A
  Established as the Congo Free State in the late 
  nineteenth century by King Leopold II of Belgium, 
  who hoped to exploit the economic resources of the 
  region, the Belgian Congo is Belgium’s only colony 
  (aside from tiny Ruanda-Urundi, a League of 
  Nations mandate). Of the nearly 10 million people 
  in the Belgian Congo, only about 25,000 of them 
  are white, and most of them cluster around the 
  cities and towns. In addition to the main capital at 
  Leopoldville, there are provincial capitals at Eliza-
  bethville (Katanga), Coquilhatville, and Stanleyville.
  Th e Belgian Congo (technically) controls most 
  of the mighty Congo River, one of the chief high-
  ways into central Africa. It’s navigable for over 
  3,800 miles, though travelers must use a railroad 
  to portage from Matadi (95 miles upriver from the 
  coast) to Leopoldville to avoid rapids.
  Much of the Belgian Congo is covered by dense 
  jungle — over 25,000 square miles of it. Travel 
  through the jungle is diﬃ  cult and dangerous at 
  best, but no doubt Pulp adventurers will make the 
  eﬀ ort and brave the dangers in hope of ﬁ nding 
  long-lost jungle cities, capturing rare wild animals, 
  or exploring ancient ruins. Travel elsewhere in the 
  Belgian Congo isn’t much easier, though there’s 
  a motor road from Stanleyville to Khartum (the 
  terminus of the navigable Nile; the trip by car takes 
  ﬁ ve days), and in 1931 a railroad was completed 
  from Benguela on the Atlantic coast of Angola to 
  the south Belgian Congo town of Tenke (a line 
  from Elizabethville connects to this railway). Other 
  railroads run between important towns, or connect 
  to main lines in other colonies.
  In addition to copper mining and palm nut/oil 
  agriculture, rubber is one of the Belgian Congo’s 
  main industries, but it has something of a notori-
  ous reputation. Reports from early in the twenti-
  eth century documented shocking abuses at the 
  King’s slave-worked rubber plantations:  exploi-
  tation, forced labor via hostage-taking, torture, 
  mutilation, and the murder of slaves. Supposedly 
  the slavery and abuses have ended by the main 
  Pulp era, but more than one pulp story used the 
  scandal as a plot element.
  EGYPT
  Government: 
  Kingdom
  Ruler: 
  King Fuad I (d. April 1936, suc-
  ceeded by Farouk); Premier 
  Abdul Fattah Pasha
  Capital: 
  Cairo
  Population: 
  15,000,000
  Language(s): 
  Arabic, English
  Currency: 
  Pound
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, cotton, textiles, 
  tourism
  Religion(s): 
  Islam, Coptic Christianity
  Military: 
  13,600
  Th e home of one of the earliest and great-
  est human civilizations, Egypt has only recently 
  become an independent country aft er centuries 
  of being controlled by various other powers. On 
  March 16, 1922 the British ended their protector-
  ate, though it retained discretion in certain matters 
  (such as national defense and foreign policy). In 
  1936 Britain abandoned even that privilege, though 
  it retained special rights over the Suez Canal for 
  twenty years. Despite this, ties between Egypt and 
  Britain remain strong. Th roughout the Pulp era, 
  it’s likely that British authorities will investigate or 
  become involved with any unusual or noteworthy 
  activities or occurrences.
  Th ree diﬀ erent races inhabit Egypt. Th e 
  numerically largest are the Hamito-Semitic Egyp-
  tians, sometimes known as fellahin. Second are 
  the Bedouins, the Arabic nomads who roam the 
  EGYPT IN
  YOUR GAME
  Th e obvious use for 
  Egypt is, of course, as 
  a place where archaeo-
  logical ruins and relics 
  abound. Th e discovery 
  of King Tut’s tomb 
  amply demonstrates that 
  many treasures still lie 
  hidden beneath Egypt’s 
  shift ing sands, just wait-
  ing for intelligent, clever, 
  and daring explorers to 
  ﬁ nd them. Any number 
  of Globetrotting Adven-
  ture, Occult Investiga-
  tion, or Weird Menace 
  plots could begin or 
  end in Egypt, or require 
  travel there at some 
  point.
  But there’s more to 
  Egypt than pyramids, 
  temples, and tombs. It’s 
  also a land of intrigue. 
  Since it’s located right 
  next to the Suez Canal, it 
  possesses great strategic 
  importance. It’s a place 
  where spies may come 
  to learn about (or sabo-
  tage) shipping, regional 
  air travel, or the like. For 
  a truly Pulp sort of story, 
  perhaps some descen-
  dant of the pharaohs 
  tries to expel all for-
  eigners, establish a new 
  dynasty, and revive the 
  worship of the ancient 
  Egyptian gods!
  
  190 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  desert regions, sometimes coming to towns and 
  cities to trade. Last are the dark-skinned Nubians 
  of the southern Nile Valley, who mix black and 
  Arab blood.
  GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE
  Life in Egypt largely depends on the Nile, along 
  which human habitations and ﬁ elds cluster. During 
  the spring the river reaches its lowest point, then 
  increases through the summer to ﬂ ood in Septem-
  ber or October. Th is dictates when farmers plant 
  and harvest, the extent of traﬃ  c along the river, and 
  many other aspects of existence.
  Away from the Nile, Egypt is desert. See Th e 
  Sahara Desert, above, for information. To cope with 
  the desert heat, natives and visitors alike wear loose, 
  light-colored clothing and head covering (for West-
  erners, hats or helmets; for natives, a fez [tarboosh] 
  or cloth turban). Th e typical Egyptian garment is a 
  sort of robe called a djellaba.
  PYRAMIDS AND TOMBS
  Egypt is of great interest to Pulp adventurers 
  thanks to its plethora of ruins and artifacts from 
  the ancient Egyptian civilization (including such 
  prominent ones as the Great Pyramids, the Sphinx, 
  and the temples at Karnak). Since the discovery 
  of King Tutankhamen’s tomb in the Valley of the 
  Kings in 1922, Egyptian themes and motifs have 
  been popular in fashion and decor, and Egyptology 
  a subject of interest for many Westerners.
  Explorers, Archaeologists, and Two-Fisted 
  Heroes may easily ﬁ nd themselves drawn to Egypt 
  as part of an expedition that hopes to uncover a 
  tomb as rich or intriguing as those of Tutankhamen 
  or Sneferu (discovered in May, 1925). Th e potential 
  for riches and fame is strong, but they’ll need a lot 
  of rigorous scholarship and diﬃ  cult labor, not to 
  mention a little luck, to ﬁ nd what they seek. Even if 
  they do make a major ﬁ nd, their troubles may not 
  be over. Legend has it that Egyptian pharaohs and 
  priests protected their tombs with curses; allegedly, 
  Lord Carnarvon and others associated with the 
  Tutankhamen ﬁ nd died of one such curse. And in 
  the world of the Pulps, a curse might take second 
  place to the dangers of a mummy coming to life 
  and implacably pursuing those who violated its 
  eternal sleep....
  Egypt’s well-documented history and culture 
  make it a wellspring of arcane lore. Mystics may 
  journey there to study the “grimoires” secretly etched 
  into temple walls, search for occult artifacts buried 
  for thousands of years, or conduct rituals that can 
  only be performed in the land where they originated.
  Th e Great Pyramids And Th e Sphinx
  Th e Great Pyramids is a group of three pyra-
  mids at Giza, near Cairo. Th e ﬁ rst is the Great Pyra-
  mid of Cheops, built about 2690 B.C. with 2.5 mil-
  lion tons of stone. Its original height was 481 feet, 
  and its base covered 13 acres; today it’s somewhat 
  smaller than that. However, it remains the largest 
  and most massive stone structure in the world. 
  According to some sources, the base of the Great 
  Pyramid is large enough to hold St. Paul’s Cathe-
  dral, Westminster Abbey, St. Peter’s Cathedral, and 
  the cathedrals of Florence and Milan all at once. 
  Napoleon calculated that there was enough stone 
  in it to build a wall ten feet high and a foot thick 
  around France. Yet to this day the stones ﬁ t together 
  so tightly that a razor blade cannot be slid between 
  them. Th e interior of the pyramid has several corri-
  dors and funerary chambers. Th e second pyramid, 
  that of Cheops’s son Kheophren, is slightly smaller 
  and was built about 2650 B.C. Th e third pyramid 
  was built about 2600 B.C. by Menkaru.
  Th e Sphinx is 500 feet southeast of the Great 
  Pyramid. Carved from natural rock in situ by 
  Kheophren, it’s 190 feet long and 66 feet tall. It faces 
  east to greet the rising sun each morning.
  CAIRO
  Located on the East Bank of the Nile not far from 
  the great river’s mouth, this city of approximately 
  1.3 million people is Egypt’s political, economic, and 
  cultural capital. It has a history stretching back over 
  5,000 years; it began as On, a city so ancient archae-
  ologists don’t know exactly when it was built, or by 
  whom. Th e Greeks called On “Heliopolis,” for it was 
  a center of worship of the sun god, Ra.
  Th e older, eastern, section of Cairo grew without 
  central planning over the centuries, and as a result 
  is chaotic, crowded, and diﬃ  cult to ﬁ nd one’s way 
  around in; its many mosques serve as important 
  landmarks. Th e western section, built in the mid-
  1800s by Ismail the Magniﬁ cent, was patterned on 
  Paris and has wide, straight boulevards, many gov-
  ernment buildings and other structures built with 
  modern architecture, and open public areas.
  Near Cairo is the “suburb” of Heliopolis (some-
  times called New Heliopolis), which was estab-
  lished in 1905 by the Heliopolis Oasis Company on 
  land bought cheaply from the colonial government. 
  Connected to Cairo by a commuter rail line, it’s 
  mostly a city of residences for foreigners (and some 
  Egyptian Christians). Its features include broad 
  streets, luxurious private homes, a large hotel, and 
  an airport.
  Th e Casino Opera
  Cairo has a thriving nightlife that may prove 
  attractive to many Pulp Hero adventurers (or their 
  adversaries...). Th e queen of Cairo’s nights is dancer 
  Badia Masabni, who owns the Casino Opera. 
  Opened in 1926, the Casino is modeled on Euro-
  pean and Middle Eastern clubs to attract foreign 
  patrons; it oﬀ ers such diversions as dancing, sing-
  ing, and comedy acts. Based on innovations pio-
  neered by Badia herself, the Casino’s dancers wear 
  special costumes and gossamer veils, rather than 
  dancing in everyday clothes the way traditional 
  dancers do. Its shows include a women-only mati-
  nee that’s extremely popular.
  Although the Casino and other nightclubs are 
  successful (Badia even moved to a new club, the 
  Casino Badia in Giza, in the late Th irties), Egyptian 
  authorities tried to clean them up during the Th ir-
  ties by enforcing laws against belly-dancing and 
  other “scandalous acts in public.” Th e owners of 
  salas (clubs) have to ﬁ nd clever ways to avoid the 
  police, much like speakeasy owners during Pro-
  GURNAH
  On the west bank of 
  the River Nile, near 
  the pharaonic city of 
  Th ebes, lies the village of 
  Gurnah. Built on (and 
  even in!) parts of the 
  ancient Th eban necrop-
  olis, Gurnah is a city of 
  tomb-robbers. Its people 
  have long made a living 
  breaking into tombs, 
  stealing valuable objects, 
  and selling them to 
  tourists (or anyone else 
  willing to buy them). 
  It’s a profession passed 
  down from father to 
  son. Adventurers who 
  need to break into 
  some pharaoh’s long-
  lost tomb, or a similar 
  structure elsewhere in 
  the world, might want to 
  hire some help from the 
  experts at Gurnah.
  
  191 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  hibition in the United States. Heroes looking for 
  more sedate entertainment might try the theaters 
  or musicians of Mohammed Ali Street, the local 
  equivalent of Broadway.
  Th e City Of Th e Dead
  Located along the southern and eastern edges 
  of Cairo is an enormous cemetery known as the 
  City of the Dead. Full of the tombs, mausoleums, 
  shrines, and graves of caliphs, rulers, oﬃ  cials, holy 
  men, and common folk, it dates from the earliest 
  days of the city. Th e most beautiful and elaborate of 
  its graves is the Mausoleum of Qait Bey, a Mamluk 
  sultan, built in 1474. But not only the dead dwell 
  there — tens of thousands of living Cairenes do, 
  too. Th ey have shops, mosques, and stores, but little 
  in the way of utilities or city services.
  Th e Egyptian Museum
  Also known as the Egyptian Antiquities 
  Museum, the Egyptian Museum (housed in a new 
  building built in 1900) boasts one of the largest and 
  most spectacular collection of Egyptian artifacts in 
  the world. Th ere’s enough to see here to occupy a 
  character for days. On the ground ﬂ oor, the collec-
  tions include the jewelry of Queen Ah-hotep; the 
  mummies of Tuthmosis I-III, Seti I, and Ramses 
  II and III; funerary equipment from the tomb of 
  a noble, Sennedjem; mummies and coﬃ  ns of the 
  priests of Amen; and objects from various Middle 
  Kingdom tombs.
  Th e second ﬂ oor holds even more treasures:  
  objects from the tomb of Prince Maherperi of the 
  Eighteenth Dynasty; artifacts from the tomb of 
  Amenophis II, including 14 royal mummies; ﬁ nds 
  from the tomb of Hetep-here; funerary items from the 
  tomb of Akhenaten, the pharaoh who tried to convert 
  Egypt to monotheism; and monuments and artifacts 
  from several other tombs. Any of them would be a 
  rich prize for an evil collector or clever thief....
  THE SUEZ CANAL
  Egypt controls the Suez Canal, a 104.5-mile long 
  waterway running from Port Said on the Mediter-
  ranean to Suez on the Red Sea (via Ismailia and the 
  Great Bitter Lake). Unlike the Panama Canal, it has 
  no locks. Steamers travel it at a rate of 6.21 miles 
  per hour (unless the wind makes them exceed that 
  limit), so the average trip through the Canal takes 
  about 17 hours. Two pilots accompany each ship, 
  one for each half of the journey. It’s one of the most 
  important maritime routes in the world; an average 
  of 25-30 million tons of shipping pass through it 
  every year during the Pulp era.
  Port Said, at the Mediterranean end of the 
  Canal, is a city where goods from all over the world 
  are bought and sold. Before the Great War it was an 
  open city, a rough and potentially dangerous place. 
  Aft erwards it was cleaned up; now it’s a nicer, safer 
  place where one may take women and children.
  ETHIOPIA 
  (ABYSSINIA)
  Government: 
  Empire
  Ruler: 
  Emperor Haile Selassie
  Capital: 
  Addis Ababa
  Population: 
  10,000,000
  Language(s): 
  Amharic
  Currency: 
  Maria Theresa dollars imported 
  from Austria
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, tobacco, cattle, 
  hides 
  Religion(s): 
  Coptic Christianity
  Military: 
  N/A
  Ethiopia — sometimes still known by its older 
  name, Abyssinia — is the only truly independent 
  nation in Africa, beholden to no colonial power. 
  Unfortunately, its independence came to an end 
  beginning in October 1935, when Italy launched an 
  invasion. Th e brave Ethiopians attempted to fend oﬀ  
  the much better armed and equipped Italian mili-
  tary, but by May 1936 the conquest was complete.
  EMPEROR HAILE SELASSIE
  Th e ruler of Ethiopia until the Italian victory is 
  Emperor Haile Selassie, the “Lion of Judah,” who 
  claims descent from Menelek, son of King Solomon 
  and Queen Sheba. (He’s also known by his pre-
  coronation name, Ras [Chief] Tafari Makonnen.) 
  Formerly regent to Empress Zauditu, he’s a short 
  (5’4”), handsome man who conducts himself with 
  a dignity, pride, and tranquility that impresses all 
  who meet him. He received some Western educa-
  tion from his tutor (including learning French), 
  impressed Europe with a well-publicized 1924 tour, 
  and attracted many Western representatives to 
  his 1930 coronation. He rules with unquestioned 
  power, keeping control of even minor decisions. 
  When the fall of his government became inevitable, 
  he ﬂ ed the country, eventually taking up residence 
  in exile in Great Britain.
  ADDIS ABABA
  Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, is a small city of 
  about 70,000 people. Located in the uplands near 
  Mount Entoto, it’s a ramshackle shantytown that 
  mixes corrugated iron-roofed buildings with brown, 
  conical tukuls (thatched huts). Th e streets are mostly 
  unpaved, and all of them are crowded with camels, 
  debtors chained to their creditors, mule trains, packs 
  of dogs, beggars, mule caravans, herds of sheep, and 
  loungers. Th e traﬃ  c police (distinctive in pith helmets, 
  blue tunics, white knee breeches, and khaki puttees) 
  can’t even keep things moving in an orderly fashion 
  despite liberal use of their hippopotamus-hide whips. 
  Few buildings (not even the Imperial Hotel), have 
  running water, and electricity’s only slightly more 
  common (and erratic). Th e lack of a sewer system 
  means people simply throw garbage and waste into 
  the street, where wild animals and beggars pick over 
  it. Th e Great Gebbi, the traditional palace, sits mostly 
  empty, since the Emperor moved out and built his 
  own, the Little Gebbi.
  
  192 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
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  BEYOND THE CAPITAL
  Th e rest of Ethiopia is far more primitive; it’s 
  mostly a land of tribes ruled by chieft ains and over-
  lords (many of whom claim to be of Semitic rather 
  than black descent). Many of the natives are ﬁ erce 
  and dangerous. For example, the ﬁ erce (and not 
  entirely paciﬁ ed) Danakil tribesmen have a custom 
  of killing unwary visitors, castrating the corpses, 
  and wearing the testicles as wrist decorations. Slav-
  ery and the slave trade remain common, despite 
  allegedly being forbidden in the early Twenties so 
  Ethiopia could join the League of Nations.
  Ethiopia has only one railroad:  the “Rhinoceros 
  Express,” so called because people oft en transport 
  all kinds of animals on it. It runs from Addis Ababa 
  to Jibuti on the Red Sea coast of French Somaliland. 
  Th e full trip of 487 miles typically takes three days. 
  However, Galla and Danakil tribesmen are prone 
  to tearing up the rails to make spears and telegraph 
  wires to make jewelry, so the train’s oft en several 
  days late. As if that weren’t enough, the crewmem-
  bers oft en stop the train to go hunting when they 
  spot some of Ethiopia’s abundant game.
  KENYA
  Government: 
  British crown colony and 
  protectorate
  Ruler: 
  Brigadier-General Sir Joseph A. 
  Byrne
  Capital: 
  Nairobi
  Population: 
  3,024,911
  Language(s): 
  English, Swahili
  Currency: 
  British pound, native curren-
  cies
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, ranching, rubber, 
  cotton, big game hunting
  Religion(s): 
  Various native faiths, 
  Christianity
  Military: 
  N/A
  Th e most important colony in British East 
  Africa is Kenya. Th e capital is Nairobi, a city known 
  as a center of the big game hunting trade. Baron 
  Blixen once compared the somewhat ramshackle 
  capital to “a can of anchovies” because of its many 
  corrugated tin roofs. Th e main port is Mombasa. A 
  railroad connects the two, then runs on past Nai-
  robi to Lake Victoria Nyanza and Uganda.
  Th e northeastern part of Kenya is a large 
  elevated plateau with a climate sometimes said to 
  resemble California’s. Not only does this make it 
  healthier than most places in Africa for Europeans, 
  it also makes possible the cultivation of rubber and 
  cotton. By law, only whites can settle there; settlers 
  from India, the Near East, and Asia must remain in 
  the lowlands.
  THE MUTHAIGA CLUB
  Th e center of social life in Nairobi, and thus 
  Kenya, is the Muthaiga Club, founded in 1913 by 
  Barkley Cole. Painted a distinctive shade of pink, it 
  includes a hotel, a garden, a racetrack, a ballroom, 
  a lavish bar, and many other amenities. Sometimes 
  called “the Moulin Rouge of Africa,” it’s got a reputa-
  tion that anything goes within its walls. Rumors say 
  all sorts of behavior is committed and tolerated there 
  by the club’s jaded, dissolute members, and scandal 
  oft en seems to dog one member or another. Mem-
  bers sometimes use duels to resolve their diﬀ erences 
  and settle aﬀ airs of honor. Many of the Club’s mem-
  bers are well-known not just in Africa but the world; 
  aviatrix Beryl Markham held both her weddings 
  there, and it was at the Muthaiga that Karen Blixen 
  (Isek Dinesen) met Sir Denys Finch Hatton.
  MOROCCO
  Government: 
  French and Spanish 
  protectorate
  Ruler: 
  Sultan Sidi Mohammed; Resi-
  dent General Auguste Henri 
  Ponsot; Gen. Augustin Gomez 
  Morato
  Capital: 
  Fez; seat of government of 
  the French Zone, Rabat; seat 
  of government of the Spanish 
  Zone, Tetuan
  Population:  
  22,000
  Language(s): 
  Arabic
  Currency: 
  French franc; Spanish peseta
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, textiles, mining
  Religion(s): 
  Islam
  Military: 
  N/A
  Located on the northwest coast of Africa, west of 
  Algeria and across the Straits of Gibraltar from Spain, 
  Morocco is a colony controlled mostly by France but 
  partly by Spain. Th e Spanish portion is the er Rif, a 
  hilly region along the Mediterranean coast.
  In the early Twenties, Morocco was the scene 
  of a bitter colonial war. Rif tribesmen led by Abd 
  el Krim began ﬁ ghting against their Spanish over-
  lords, defeating them at the Battle of Anual in July 
  1921. In September of that year el Krim announced 
  the formation of the Rif Republic, and by late 1924 
  he forced the Spanish out of Morocco. Not con-
  tent to let the matter rest there, he made the fatal 
  mistake of entering French Morocco in April 1925. 
  Within little more than a year, French and Spanish 
  forces captured his strongholds, leading to his sur-
  render on May 26, 1926. Since then Morocco has 
  been at peace.
  TANGIER
  Th e city of Tangier, a Gibraltar port of 60,000 
  people, is an “international zone” jointly admin-
  istered by France, Spain, and Great Britain. In 
  1926 Spain requested total authority over the city, 
  but was denied. A newly-negotiated accord gives 
  Spain control of the police, and establishes as the 
  city’s government a “committee of control” (whose 
  members are eight consular oﬃ  cials) and a 26-
  person legislature.
  Th anks to its neutrality and strategic location, 
  Tangier is a prime location for all sorts of espionage 
  activities (to a lesser extent, so is the Moroccan 
  coastal city of Casablanca, and the interior city 
  of Marrakesh). Pulp Hero characters with some 
  connection to the three governing powers, major 
  THE KING’S 
  AFRICAN 
  RIFLES
  Characters in British 
  east Africa who need 
  some help from the 
  colonial government to 
  quell native revolts or 
  explore long-lost ruins 
  may get assistance from 
  the King’s African Riﬂ es.
  Formed in 1902 by the 
  merging of several other 
  colonial regiments, the 
  King’s African Riﬂ es 
  (KAR) consists of sev-
  eral battalions of native 
  soldiers (askaris) com-
  manded by British oﬃ  -
  cers. KAR soldiers saw 
  action against Moham-
  med Abdullah (the “Mad 
  Mullah”) in Somaliland 
  in the early 1900s, and 
  fought against General 
  Paul Erich von Lettow-
  Vorbeck’s native troops 
  during the Great War.
  Th e most prominent 
  sections of the KAR 
  during the Pulp era are 
  the 5th (Kenya) Battalion 
  and 6th (Tanganyika Ter-
  ritory) Battalion. Other 
  battalions were based in 
  Uganda and Nyasaland. 
  Th ey patrol various 
  parts of the British east 
  African possessions to 
  keep the peace, enforce 
  the law, and protect the 
  citizenry.
  
  193 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  Mediterranean nations such as Italy, or any group, 
  people, or organization interested in North Africa 
  might easily get involved in all sorts of adventures 
  and intrigue on Tangier’s dusty streets.
  FEZ
  Fez, the capital of the sultans of Morocco for 
  centuries, is a city built in three distinct sections 
  on a slope. Lowest is Fez El Bali (Fez the Old), 
  where most of the people live. Its oft en-narrow 
  and crowded streets generally don’t have room for 
  vehicle traﬃ  c, but there’s a carriage road leading 
  from Bab Hadid (the Iron Gate) around the edge of 
  the city to Bou Jeloud, where Fez El Bali abuts Fez 
  Djedid (see below). Many of the streets are devoted 
  to speciﬁ c trades — perfumers, silk merchants, cop-
  persmiths, tailors, and so on — and are oft en roofed 
  by vine-covered trellises to create shade. Its drab 
  outer buildings oft en mask luxurious interiors and 
  gardens. It also boasts the Karouline Mosque, said 
  to be the largest in Africa, which is also the seat of 
  Fez Mohammaden University.
  A little higher up the slope is Fez Djedid (Fez 
  the New), which mostly consists of the Mellah, or 
  Jewish district of the city. It has one main street 
  that ends in an open area, the Place da Commerce; 
  things there are more European, with some cafés 
  and hotels. Th e Dar El Makhzen, a large palace 
  where the Sultan stays on his yearly visits, is in this 
  part of the city. Slightly further up the hill is La 
  Ville Nouvelle, a French-style community created 
  since the occupation. About 9,600 Westerners live 
  in Fez, most of them here.
  Running through the city as a whole is the River 
  Fez, a small but tumultuous watercourse. Some of 
  the bridges over it are so covered with shops and 
  merchants that a person on the street might not 
  even know he’s walking on a bridge!
  Th anks to the many roads and railroads the 
  French have built in Morocco, getting to Fez is 
  relatively easy. Railroad lines connect it to Tangier, 
  Algiers, and Tunis.
  THE INTERIOR
  Th e interior of Morocco is a dangerous place, 
  where rebels still lurk in their strongholds in the 
  Atlas Mountains, bandits still attack travelers, and 
  Berber chieft ains rule without acknowledging 
  French control very oft en (if at all). Old French and 
  Spanish forts, many still in use, dot the landscape, 
  and visitors who travel beyond their walls usu-
  ally must go in caravans or with a military escort 
  — otherwise, tribesmen may rob or kill them.
  Th e most common route into the countryside 
  is the Route Imperiale, which runs from Meknes (a 
  town west of Fez) through the Middle Atlas via the 
  valleys of the Muluya and Sis rivers to the Oasis of 
  Taﬁ lelt. Along the way it passes through many vil-
  lages and fortresses where travelers can stop to rest.
  RHODESIA
  Government: 
  British crown colony
  Ruler: 
  Governor Sir Cecil H. Rodwell; 
  Premier G.M. Huggins
  Capital: 
  Salisbury
  Population: 
  2,500,000
  Language(s): 
  English, various native lan-
  guages
  Currency: 
  British pound
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, mining
  Religion(s): 
  Christianity, various native 
  faiths
  Military: 
  N/A
  Th e crown colony of Rhodesia, in southern 
  Africa, consists of two parts:  Southern Rhode-
  sia, the area between the Zambezi and Limpopo 
  Rivers traditionally known as Matabeleland for 
  its native inhabitants; and Northern Rhodesia, 
  the area north of the Zambezi which is wedged in 
  between Angola, the Belgian Congo, and Mozam-
  bique. Together the two are nearly as large as the 
  United States east of the Mississippi River and 
  south of Pennsylvania.
  Th e two Rhodesias were ﬁ rst settled by Euro-
  peans in 1890, when Cecil Rhodes and his Brit-
  ish South Africa Company led an “Occupation 
  Column” of settlers into Matabeleland. In 1923-24 
  the BSAC’s ownership of the area ended and it 
  became a crown colony. Th e colonial government 
  rules through a modiﬁ ed system of adherence 
  to the traditional control of the tribal chieft ains, 
  though it has divided the land into areas for settlers 
  and natives. Of the total population, only about 
  61,000 are Europeans.
  Rhodesia is a rich colony. Th e climate is more 
  temperate and healthful for Westerners than many 
  places in Africa. Th e soil is rich, allowing farmers 
  to grow corn, wheat, fruit, tobacco, and many other 
  crops. It also possesses vast mineral wealth, including 
  deposits of gold, copper, lead, zinc, coal, asbestos, and 
  chrome; mining is one of the chief industries.
  GREAT ZIMBABWE
  In Southern Rhodesia, not far from the town of 
  Morgenster, is a spectacular ruin known as Great 
  Zimbabwe. As of the Pulp era, its precise origin and 
  history remains mostly a mystery. Many authori-
  ties have speculated that it must have been built 
  by Arabs or Hebrews; some even believe it to have 
  been the Sheba or Ophir of the Bible. However, 
  excavations conducted by Gertrude Caton-Th omp-
  son in the 1928-32 period established that the site 
  is of African origin and less than a millennia old.
  Th e Portuguese explorers who discovered Great 
  Zimbabwe found gold jewelry and objects there. Per-
  haps other treasures lie in secret vaults, just waiting 
  for your Pulp Hero characters to uncover them!
  For Pulp adventurers not interested in Great 
  Zimbabwe, there are other intriguing sites in the 
  Rhodesias. For example, the Khami ruins cover 
  almost two square miles near the town of Bula-
  wayo; no one knows who built them, or why.
  
  194 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
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  VICTORIA FALLS
  On the Zambezi River near the western border 
  of Rhodesia stands one of the world’s most spec-
  tacular natural sites:  Victoria Falls. Roughly a 
  mile wide and 420 feet (65”) high (two and a half 
  times as tall as Niagara Falls), they’re known to the 
  natives as Mosi-oa-Tunya, “the Smoke that Th un-
  ders.” Th e roar of the falling water can be heard 10 
  miles away, and the mists created by the Falls rise a 
  mile into the air and can be seen 40 miles away.
  THE UNION OF 
  SOUTH AFRICA
  Government: 
  Parliamentary democracy; 
  dominion of the British Empire
  Ruler: 
  Governor-General the Earl of 
  Clarendon; Premier Gen. J.B.M. 
  Hertzog; High Commissioner 
  for South Africa Sir Herbert 
  Stanley
  Capitals: 
  Cape Town (legislative); Preto-
  ria (administrative)
  Population: 
  8,250,000
  Language(s): 
  Afrikaans, English, Dutch
  Currency: 
  Pound
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, livestock, mining
  Religion(s): 
  Christianity; various native 
  faiths
  Military: 
  1,510
  Th e Union of South Africa is a confederation 
  of several provinces:  Cape Province (or Cape of 
  Good Hope); Natal; the Orange Free State; and the 
  Transvaal. (South West Africa, a former German 
  colony that’s now a British mandate, is also admin-
  istered together with South Africa.) It has a system 
  of government modeled aft er Great Britain’s, with a 
  Parliament (the House of Assembly and the Senate) 
  that chooses a prime minister (Premier).
  South Africa was originally settled largely by the 
  Dutch, who founded Cape Colony but ceded it to 
  Britain in 1814. Later, Dutch Boers founded settle-
  ments in Natal (formerly part of the great Zulu 
  kingdom of the chieft ain Shaka), and emigrated 
  northward from British territories to establish 
  colonies in the Orange Free State and the Transvaal 
  (which they had to wrest from the natives by force). 
  When gold was discovered in the new territories, 
  tensions arose between the Dutch Boers and the 
  British government, leading to the Boer War (1899-
  1902). Initial Boer successes evaporated with the 
  arrival of British reinforcements in 1900, and aft er 
  two more years of bitter ﬁ ghting a peace treaty was 
  signed recognizing British sovereignty.
  While South Africans raise crops and breed 
  livestock, the industry for which the nation is best 
  known is diamond and gold mining. Mines out-
  putting millions of carats’ worth of diamonds are 
  being worked in the Th irties... and no doubt oﬀ er 
  plenty of temptation to villains and crooks that 
  Pulp Hero adventurers must defeat! While no dia-
  mond has yet been discovered to equal the Cul-
  linan of 1905 (3,204.75 carats), large stones still 
  await discovery. In 1934, a man named J.J. Jonker 
  found a 726-carat diamond (the size of a hen’s 
  egg), which he sold for ^61,000.
  Besides its two capitals, Cape Town and Pretoria, 
  the Union has many other notable cities, includ-
  ing Johannesburg, Durban, Port Elizabeth, East 
  London, and Bloemfontein. Compared to the rest 
  of sub-Saharan Africa, it’s a well-settled, European-
  ized place. Nearly two million people, or almost 
  one-fourth of the population, are white.
  SOUTH 
  AFRICAN 
  ADVENTURE
  Besides the story poten-
  tial in gold and diamond 
  mining, South Africa 
  has much to oﬀ er Pulp 
  Hero adventurers.
  Th e city of Port Eliza-
  beth is famed for its 
  Snake Park, which has 
  2,000 or more reptilian 
  residents at any given 
  time. Included among 
  its population are some 
  of the world’s deadliest 
  serpents, such as cobras 
  and the black mamba. 
  Th e keepers of the park 
  oft en milk the snakes 
  for venom that’s used in 
  various antivenins and 
  medicines.
  Legends say that 
  decades ago, a Hotten-
  tot guide named “Eva” 
  tricked the Boers with 
  stories of a trans-Drak-
  enstein civilization of 
  light-skinned people 
  who possessed vast 
  hoards of gold, gems, 
  and pearls. Th e eager 
  Dutchmen never found 
  it, of course... but who’s 
  to say your Pulp heroes 
  might not track it down 
  in some forgotten part 
  of the country?
  In the Zwartbergen 
  (Black Mountain) range, 
  characters can explore 
  the Cango caves — long 
  series of stalactite-ﬁ lled 
  caverns renowned for 
  their beauty. Perhaps 
  they lead to a long-lost 
  underground city, or 
  even a hollow earth!
  
  195 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  T
  he Near East, the cradle of civilization, is 
  a region of mostly deserts and wastelands. 
  Despite this, it’s heavily populated in 
  many places. Tensions between tribes and 
  peoples, and between adherents of Islam, Judaism, 
  and Christianity, oft en leads to strife and turmoil. 
  Between the countless ruins of great civilizations, 
  the exotic peoples, and the warring tribes, there’s 
  plenty to keep a Pulp Hero adventurer occupied.
  THE BEDOUIN
  Many of the inhabitants of the Near East are 
  Bedouins, members of a nomadic (sometimes semi-
  nomadic) race that most people mean when they 
  refer to “Arabs.” Th ey have a well-deserved reputa-
  tion for violence and ruthlessness. One of their 
  favorite “games” is ghrazzu, the raiding of other 
  tribes to steal livestock and women, and acts of 
  banditry against caravans and travelers are common 
  in some places. However, they ’re not fools; they 
  understand their limits. For example, they might rob 
  farengi (Europeans, foreigners), but most of them 
  would never kill one, particularly when they’re close 
  to outposts or cities — they realize that would bring 
  down on them the wrath of the great powers, which 
  they cannot withstand. A traveler who knows the 
  proper route to take, or who has the assistance of a 
  Bedouin friend, is usually safe.
  Th e typical Bedouin male garb is the abba, a 
  cloak of black or white, worn over the gumbaz 
  (under-robe). On his head he wears the kaﬁ eh, or 
  headcloth, wrapped with an agal (head coil); the 
  agal is sometimes made of ﬁ ne materials to denote 
  wealth or status. Bedouin women wear black robes 
  that cover them from head to toe, though they do 
  not go veiled.
  Desert Hospitality
  While Bedouins may be dangerous opponents 
  out in the desert, they can also be among the most 
  friendly people an adventurer could encounter. 
  Among them, the laws of hospitality are sacrosanct. 
  One who is dhaif (a guest protected by the laws of 
  Arab sanctuary) is dackhile (safe from attack) from 
  all Bedouins (or at least those who acknowledge 
  the power of the person with whom the potential 
  victim claims friendship). If a Bedouin harms a 
  protected person, counterattacks by or a blood feud 
  with the victim’s protector will result. Furthermore, 
  one who is dackhile enjoys the respect and courtesy 
  of the tribe. Th ey do not inquire aft er his personal 
  aﬀ airs or circumstances, nor ask questions that 
  might embarrass him.
  Even if a person hasn’t been accepted as dhaif, 
  Arabian hospitality dictates that anyone who comes 
  in peace may demand shelter at any tent.
  Arabian Honor
  Th e Bedouin subscribe to a code of honor 
  (which Bedouin characters, or those who “go 
  native” among them, can take as a Psychological 
  Limitation, Arabian Honor). Th ey revere generosity, 
  and expect it of their leaders. Th ey respect honesty 
  and wisdom, and while prone to exaggeration in 
  storytelling oft en tell the truth even if it’s to their 
  harm. In battle they give quarter freely if asked, 
  treat prisoners with dignity until they are returned 
  to their tribes for ransom, and do not attack war-
  riors who have fallen from their mounts (unless 
  those warriors attack ﬁ rst). If a feud occurs, the 
  participants cannot attack from surprise; only 
  “clean” ﬁ ghting is allowed. If a man comes to them 
  in pursuit of another person, and asks about that 
  person, they may not lie or refuse to tell what they 
  know. And they have a deep and abiding hatred of 
  the Jews, and kill any of them they can.
  Dervishes
  Bedouins are Moslems, though the level and 
  nature of their devotion varies. Some, like the 
  Wahabi of Saudi Arabia, are harsh fundamentalists; 
  others, like the northern Bedouin, are more easygo-
  ing, though just as pious in their own way.
  One group of Moslems that may attract the 
  special attention of Pulp adventurers is the Der-
  vishes, a term applied to over 30 mystic sects (in 
  
  196 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  much the same way as Christians use the term 
  “monk” for the members of many diﬀ erent reli-
  gious orders). Th ese sects vary. Some include 
  ascetics who deny and even torture their own 
  bodies; others do not. Th e Melewi (“whirling der-
  vishes”) dance and whirl. Th e Bektashi swear vows 
  of poverty and live as beggars. Th e Rufai (“howl-
  ing dervishes”) burn themselves with red-hot 
  irons and cut themselves with knives. Th e Sadee 
  consume red-hot coals and bite the heads oﬀ  ven-
  omous snakes. Others are much less unpleasant. 
  But through their practices and rituals they all 
  seek understanding of, and oneness with, Allah.
  While occult powers aren’t necessarily attributed 
  to all Dervishes, a period of study with a Dervish 
  sect might explain how a Pulp Hero character 
  gained psychic powers (or the like). Rather than 
  go all the way to the Far East to spend time in a 
  Tibetan or Chinese temple, he can stop in the Near 
  East and learn the mystic ways of the desert!
  AFGHANISTAN
  Government: 
  Kingdom
  Ruler: 
  King Mohammed Zahir Shah
  Capital: 
  Kabul
  Population: 
  6,300,000
  Language(s): 
  Pashto, Farsi
  Currency: 
  N/A
  Resources: 
  Horses, wool, timber, dried 
  fruit, hides
  Religion(s):  
  Islam
  Military: 
  70,000
  Afghanistan is a rugged, mountainous, sparsely-
  settled country west of Iran and north of India. A 
  king (sometimes referred to as an amir) rules, but 
  the laws are the laws of Islam; the mullahs hold 
  great authority and resist change. It’s divided into 
  ﬁ ve major provinces — Kabul, Afghan Turkestan, 
  Kandahar, Herat, and Badakshan — and sev-
  eral minor ones. Th e mountainous northeastern 
  region includes the great Hindu Kush range; trade 
  between India and Turkestan ﬂ ows through here 
  along winding mountain trails.
  Th e Afghans are a private people who dislike 
  visitors. Afghanistan has no ambassadors, and rail-
  roads heading toward it stop at the border. (In fact, 
  there are no railroads or telegraph lines within the 
  country.) Th ey group themselves into tribes made 
  up of clans, or khels, and live mostly by herding and 
  a little farming. Th e tribes constantly quarrel and 
  ﬁ ght; intermarriage is rare.
  Th ough the primary race in the country are 
  the Afghanis (Pathans), and the primary lan-
  guages Pashto and Farsi, Afghanistan is actually a 
  crazy-quilt of peoples and tongues. Over half the 
  people aren’t Pathan; they include Tadjiks, Uzbegs, 
  Turkomans, and Hazarahs.
  Afghanistan in eﬀ ect serves as a buﬀ er between 
  the Soviet Union and Great Britain in west Asia. 
  Th e “great game” of espionage between the two of 
  them may play itself out among the mountains and 
  hills of this wild country... perhaps with your PCs 
  taking a part!
  THE KHYBER PASS
  Th e great Khyber Pass, which the British control 
  and have fortiﬁ ed, leads from the Northwest Frontier 
  of India into Afghanistan — but still doesn’t breach 
  Afghan isolation. Th e Afghans only allow caravans 
  and travelers to come through on Tuesdays and 
  Fridays (or just Fridays in bad weather). During the 
  morning, caravans only enter; in the aft ernoon they 
  only leave; aft er dark the pass is closed. Once a cara-
  van enters the pass, Afghanis take over, sending the 
  original drivers home to India.
  IRAN 
  (PERSIA)
  Government: 
  Kingdom
  Ruler: 
  Shah Mirza Reza Pahlevi
  Capital: 
  Tehran (Teheran)
  Population: 
  9,000,000
  Language(s): 
  Farsi (Persian)
  Currency: 
  Rial
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, oil
  Religion(s): 
  Islam
  Military: 
  N/A
  Iran (oft en known by the name Persia, which 
  it changed on March 22, 1935) is a large kingdom 
  bordering several other nations, including Turkey, 
  the USSR, and India. It’s mostly a desert plateau, 
  with some tropical regions in Azerbaijan province 
  and between the Elburz Mountains and Caspian 
  Sea. More than half of it remains uninhabited; 
  some parts have never been explored.
  In 1921, rebel General Reza Khan occupied 
  Tehran, the capital of the ruling Qadjar dynasty, 
  and ousted the largely absentee government as the 
  ﬁ rst step in his attempt to take over Persia. It took 
  years of ﬁ ghting, but by 1924 he established his 
  control over the kingdom, having defeated Shah 
  Khazal of Mohammerah (whom Great Britain sup-
  ported) and the ﬁ erce Bakhtiari tribes of the south-
  west. In October 1925, he deposed the Qadjar, pro-
  claiming himself shah under the name Mirza Reza 
  Pahlevi. Having weathered a revolt in the southeast, 
  ﬁ ghting with the Ghashgais and Bakhtiaris, and 
  other diﬃ  culties since then, he appears secure on 
  his throne... especially with wealth from Iran’s vast 
  oil reserves pouring in.
  Even with the oil money, much of Iran remains 
  backward and impoverished. Th ere are few roads 
  or railroads (though by the end of the Th irties 
  that situation has improved somewhat). Th e Shah 
  and his nobles rule most of the country in a quasi-
  feudal fashion, but some tribes, such as the Kurds, 
  live semi-independently, and banditry remains 
  a problem (though again, by the late Th irties the 
  Shah has made some progress at quelling the more 
  rebellious tribes and modernizing the government). 
  Th e vast majority of Iranians are Shi’ite Moslems, 
  giving the clerics great power and inﬂ uence.
  In the mid-Th irties, Iran passed a law requiring 
  that only Farsi be used in signs, food labels, and 
  the like. Th is may cause characters visiting the land 
  some diﬃ  culty.
  THE YEZIDEES
  Still stranger peoples 
  and sects than the 
  Dervishes exist in the 
  Near East. One such is 
  the Yezidees, a group 
  feared by Moslems and 
  Christians alike, for they 
  worship the Devil (Shai-
  tan). Many eerie and 
  disturbing tales are told 
  of their customs and 
  rituals, and their priests 
  supposedly possess great 
  magical power. Th eir 
  holy city, Sheik-Adi in 
  North Arabia, can only 
  be reached by a deter-
  mined traveler, for no 
  roads go to it.
  In truth, the Yezidees are 
  as hospitable and trust-
  worthy as other Arabs, 
  provided one does not 
  violate their taboos. 
  First, one must not wear 
  blue clothing or carry 
  blue objects, since under 
  Moslem belief blue 
  helps to protect against 
  Shaitan. Second, one 
  must not name Shai-
  tan, nor use words that 
  sound like his name. To 
  make sure they obey this 
  stricture of the Khitab al 
  Aswad (the Black Book, 
  their holy writ), they 
  worship him under the 
  name Melek Taos in the 
  form of a brass peacock. 
  Th ird, ﬁ re is sacred 
  and must be respected 
  (for example, they do 
  not step on matches to 
  extinguish them).
  
  197 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  
  198 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  TEHRAN
  Th e capital of Iran is Tehran, a city of 320,000 
  known as “the Foot of the Th rone.” Most travelers 
  reach it via the Caspian port of Baku, a mish-mash 
  of many Caucasian peoples. Tehran itself is a city 
  of wide, shaded avenues bordered by high earthen 
  walls that protect gardens, compounds, houses, and 
  apartment buildings from the noise and bustle of 
  the street. Most buildings have one or two stories, 
  ﬂ at roofs, and sometimes projecting balconies. 
  Many are left  their natural earthen color, but some 
  are plastered in white or another hue. A few of the 
  better buildings are made of brick. 
  Th e northern, newer, part of the city is the most 
  Westernized; it has electricity and some European-
  style facilities. Foreign visitors and legations usually 
  stay there. Th e southern part of the city is older, and 
  more reﬂ ective of old Persia with its narrow, twist-
  ing streets. Its most prominent feature is the bazaar. 
  Th is shoppers’ paradise occupies a “building” of 
  low, vaulted brick and mud roofs (with regularly-
  spaced holes to admit some light) that covers many 
  acres. It has more than 25 miles of passageways, 
  thousands of shops, and even some manufacturing 
  areas. Merchants selling diﬀ erent types of com-
  modities group themselves together, and each of 
  them has his own space.
  Most people in Tehran live in apartment build-
  ings, but the wealthy have large, airy dwellings. 
  Th eir mansions and palaces oft en consist of a berun 
  (the abode of the males, which dominates the com-
  pound) and anderun (the womens’ building, or, 
  more crudely, the harem). Women rarely appear in 
  public; if they do, they wear black robes that cover 
  their entire bodies.
  IRAQ
  Government: 
  Kingdom
  Ruler: 
  King Ghazi ibn Feisal
  Capital: 
  Baghdad
  Population: 
  3,000,000
  Language(s): 
  Arabic
  Currency:  
  Dinar
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, oil, livestock
  Religion(s): 
  Islam
  Military: 
  20,000
  Iraq (also spelled Irak, and sometimes known 
  by its old name of Mesopotamia) was a British 
  mandatory state through 1927. Aft er King Feisal 
  came to the throne in 1921, the British gradually 
  reduced their presence in the country as he showed 
  he could rule properly. Upon his death in 1933, his 
  son Ghazi became king. He held the throne for only 
  six years. He died in an auto accident in 1939, and 
  was succeeded by his son Feisal II; the Iraqi people, 
  believing the British engineered the crash, rioted 
  and stoned the British consul to death.
  Th e climate in Iraq can best be described as 
  uncomfortable, with high temperatures of 49o C 
  (120o F) in the warm seasons but severe frosts in 
  winter, and an average annual rainfall of only about 
  seven inches. Diseases such as malaria, dysentery, 
  bubonic plague, cholera, and typhus are common.
  BAGHDAD
  Th e city that was the setting for the tales of the 
  Arabian Nights has a romantic image in the minds 
  of Westerners, and in many ways it lives up to it. 
  Th e native part of the city, on the west bank of the 
  Tigris, is picturesque. Th e main thoroughfare is 
  a broad, palm tree-lined road. Along most of the 
  streets are coﬀ ee houses with divans in front where 
  Arabs sit, sipping coﬀ ee and eating. Th e domes and 
  minarets of mosques can be seen everywhere. But 
  on the other side of the river, the British and Iraqis 
  have built a more modern city, with simple frame 
  buildings (oft en with false fronts), billboards, and 
  signs in English and French. 
  PALESTINE
  Government: 
  British mandate
  Ruler: 
  High Commissioner Lt. Gen. 
  A.G. Wauchope
  Capital: 
  Jerusalem
  Population: 
  1,100,000
  Language(s): 
  Arabic, Hebrew
  Currency: 
  Pound
  Resources: 
  Agriculture
  Religion(s): 
  Islam, Judaism
  Military: 
  N/A
  One of the world’s holiest lands, Palestine is 
  also one of its most torn, conﬂ icted, and violence-
  prone. A British mandate since September 11, 1922, 
  it’s been wracked by ﬁ ghting between Palestinian 
  Arabs (the majority) and Jews (a minority), both of 
  whom claim the land as theirs. In addition to ﬁ ght-
  ing each other, both ﬁ ght the British — the Arabs 
  
  199 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  because Great Britain lets Jews immigrate and gives 
  them access to the Wailing Wall; the Jews because 
  the British won’t expel the Arabs and give the Holy 
  Land to them.
  Palestine’s history during the Pulp era is mostly 
  a series of revolts, bombings, and other ﬁ ghting 
  between Jew and Arab, as detailed in the timeline 
  in Chapter Two. By 1937 the situation worsened 
  to the point where Great Britain considered the 
  Peel plan for partitioning Palestine between the 
  two races. Both the Arabs and the Jews reacted vio-
  lently to this suggestion, and by 1938 Great Britain 
  declared that partitioning was unfeasible. Fighting, 
  ambushes, sniping, terrorism, and other forms of 
  unrest between the two people continued unabated.
  JERUSALEM
  A holy city for three of the world’s great religions, 
  Jerusalem is the scene of some of the worst ﬁ ghting 
  in Palestine (including a virtual siege of the city by 
  Arabs in October 1938), as well as many of the bomb-
  ings and other terrorist attacks. But it’s also home to 
  countless sites of deep religious signiﬁ cance for many 
  religions, such as the Dome of the Rock and the Wail-
  ing Wall. Th us, despite the uncertain state of aﬀ airs 
  and possible danger, many people visit Jerusalem each 
  year. Pulp Hero characters might go there for reasons 
  other than religious pilgrimage, though — such as 
  ﬁ nding out if the rumor that Solomon’s treasures and 
  the Ark of the Covenant are hidden below the Dome 
  of the Rock are true....
  TEL AVIV
  Th e Holy Land’s newest city is also its only wholly 
  Jewish city. Founded in 1909 by David Ben Gurion 
  and other prominent Jews as a “suburb” of Jaﬀ a, it 
  gained its own central business district in the early 
  Twenties aft er unrest between Jews and Arabs in 
  Jaﬀ a caused many Jews to ﬂ ee that city for Tel Aviv. It 
  soon attracted thousands of Jewish immigrants, and 
  by the mid-Th irties has a population approaching 
  100,000. It features many modern amenities:  cin-
  emas; nightclubs; factories; art galleries.
  THE TRANSJORDAN
  Separated from Palestine by the Jordan River 
  and Wadi el-Araba, the Transjordan is an Arab 
  state administered by Great Britain as part of the 
  Palestine Mandate, even though it’s separate from 
  Palestine itself. Its population of approximately 
  300,000 are mostly nomadic Arabs. Th eir leader, 
  Amir Abdullah, rules from the busy capital of 
  Amman, which features a palace and many other 
  new buildings constructed by the British (including 
  an aerodrome).
  Th e Arab Legion
  Formed in 1921, the Arab Legion is the police 
  force/army of the Transjordan. Its primary pur-
  poses are to maintain the peace among the various 
  tribes of the region, pursue and capture renegades 
  and lawbreakers, and keep the Jerusalem-Amman 
  road safe for travelers. In 1939 John Bagot Glubb, 
  later known as Glubb Pasha, became the com-
  mander of the Legion and developed it into a 
  highly disciplined, well-trained army.
  TEGART’S WALL
  In an eﬀ ort to stem gunrunning, raiding, and 
  banditry from Syria and the Transjordan into Pal-
  estine, in 1938 the British built Tegart’s Wall, a 50-
  mile long barricade named for the oﬃ  cer who con-
  ceived it. Consisting of two (or sometimes three) 
  parallel barbed-wire fences, with more barbed wire 
  in the space between them, it was patrolled from 
  police posts along the frontier road, and monitored 
  from pillboxes placed in strategic locations. Gener-
  ally speaking it was a dismal failure; Arab raiders 
  simply cut through it (or even steamrollered over 
  it), and sometimes stole wire from it.
  SAUDI ARABIA
  Government: 
  Kingdom
  Ruler: 
  King Abdul-Aziz Ibn Saud
  Capitals: 
  Mecca and Riyadh
  Population: 
  13,000,000
  Language(s): 
  Arabic
  Currency: 
  Piatre miri
  Resources: 
  Oil (see text), hides, coffee
  Religion(s): 
  Islam
  Military: 
  45,000
  Oft en referred to simply as Arabia, the kingdom 
  of Saudi Arabia was formed over the course of the 
  Twenties by Abdul-Aziz Ibn Saud, a leader and 
  warlord of the fundamentalist Wahabi sect of Islam. 
  In October 1924 he began a holy war against Hejaz 
  (a kingdom on the Red Sea coast) when its king, 
  Hussein, proclaimed himself Caliph of Islam. His 
  attacks forced Hussein to abdicate, and by Decem-
  ber Ibn Saud had occupied Medina. Within about 
  a year he’d also gained control of the Nejd (the 
  northern part of the Arabian Peninsula).
  Ibn Saud’s wars were not done. In 1926, the 
  principality of Asir (a realm south of the Hejaz) 
  accepted Ibn Saud’s rule. In March 1928 his threats 
  to the Transjordan and Iraq caused Great Britain 
  to mobilize its colonial troops. Aft er renaming 
  his kingdom Saudi Arabia in 1932, he put down a 
  brief uprising in the Asir, formally conquering it. 
  Th is did not sit well with the Imamate of Yemen 
  (the southernmost Red Sea realm in Arabia), 
  which invaded Asir in 1933. In May 1934 Ibn Saud 
  attacked Yemen using modern weapons. A month 
  later a peace treaty was signed that nominally 
  maintained Yemen’s independence, but in real-
  ity gave control of it to Ibn Saud’s son Feisal, thus 
  making it part of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia also 
  exerts great inﬂ uence over the Sultanate of Kuwait, 
  the Sultanate of Oman, the Bahrain islands, the 
  Hadhramaut (a region in southern Arabia con-
  trolled by various sultans and tribes, and oft en 
  plagued by ﬁ ghting and banditry), and the Trucial 
  States (six minor principalities along the “Pirate 
  Coast” of the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, so 
  called because they have signed truces with Great 
  Britain designed to curb piracy and slavery).
  Most of Saudi Arabia is desert, though there 
  are oases here and there and some of the coastal 
  regions are quite fertile. Th e worst part of the land 
  PETRA
  In the southwestern 
  Transjordan, not far 
  from the Wadi el-Araba, 
  there’s an area of deep 
  gorges and towering 
  rocks. In this place the 
  ancient Nabataeans 
  built their capital city, 
  Petra. Well-defended 
  and with its own water 
  supply, it was a major 
  trading center in Bibli-
  cal times. But what most 
  impresses visitors today 
  are the buildings, some 
  of which — including 
  the magniﬁ cent “Trea-
  sury” and the “Mon-
  astery” — are carved 
  out of the solid rock of 
  the gorge face. Th ere 
  are also many rock-cut 
  tombs in the shape of 
  towers.
  Th e ruins of Petra were 
  largely unknown in 
  modern times until the 
  archaeologists Brün-
  now and Domaszewski 
  published Die Pro-
  vincia Arabia in 1904. 
  Th eir book provided 
  a detailed survey and 
  description of the area. 
  Pulp Hero adventurers 
  seeking adventure in the 
  Near East might want to 
  follow up on their work 
  in the hopes of ﬁ nding 
  long-lost artifacts or 
  treasures.
  
  200 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  is the Rub’ al Khali (the Great Southern Desert or 
  “Empty Quarter”), a totally barren region. It was 
  ﬁ rst crossed by a Westerner (Bertram Th omas) in 
  1930-31, but Westerners and non-Moslems aren’t 
  welcome in many parts of the country. Th e holy 
  city of Mecca is barred to them entirely, and the 
  political capital of Riyadh tolerates only a few of 
  them. Even landing at the port of Jedda requires 
  special permission, and those who do land suﬀ er 
  restrictions on where they can go and what they 
  can do (the city’s entire “foreign quarter” consists of 
  only a couple dozen people).
  Oil is Saudi Arabia’s most important resource 
  in the late Th irties. However, major petroleum 
  discoveries aren’t made until March 1938, so for 
  most of the Pulp era Arabia enjoys little in the way 
  of oil revenue.
  IBN SAUD
  Th e conqueror and ruler of Saudi Arabia, 
  Abdul-Aziz Ibn Saud, is a powerful and imposing 
  man. Standing 6’6” tall and weighing 220 pounds 
  of muscle and ﬂ esh hardened by desert living, 
  he intimidates even most Westerners. A devout 
  Moslem, he’s been married 160 times (always 
  taking care to have no more than three wives, so 
  if necessary he can marry again, then divorce one 
  of his existing wives to free himself for a future 
  marriage). As of 1935 he has nearly thirty surviv-
  ing sons (some of whom serve him as emirs of 
  the provinces of Saudi Arabia). He sleeps only ﬁ ve 
  hours a day, and spends most of his waking time 
  overseeing the details of his kingdom.
  ADEN
  An’ ’umped above the sea appears
  Old Aden, like a barrick-stove
  That no one’s lit for years an’ years!
  —Rudyard Kipling, “For To Admire”
  At the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula 
  sits the city of Aden, the most important port of 
  Arabia. Built on the rocky promontory formed by an 
  extinct volcano called Jebel Shamshan, it’s sometimes 
  known as the “Gibraltar of the East.” It, the lands sur-
  rounding it, and a strip of land running hundreds of 
  miles up the Arabian Sea coast are protectorates of 
  Great Britain. Since it’s a free port, and a major com-
  mercial shipping center and coaling station, it’s likely 
  the route by which Pulp Hero characters looking to 
  enter Arabia begin their journey.
  Life in Aden is hot, dusty, and dry, getting only 
  about three inches of rainfall a year. Th e only 
  sources of water are the Aden Tanks (a chain of 
  reservoirs dating to about 600 AD, partly restored 
  in 1856 by the British) and water boiled down from 
  seawater (delivered to houses and businesses each 
  day by vendors driving special camel carts).
  A British-Indian garrison protects the 51,000 
  inhabitants of the city. Beyond its inﬂ uence, the 
  traveler must fend for himself; Bedouin raiders 
  oft en ambush people, killing them and taking 
  whatever they possess. Th e local Arab chieft ains 
  sometimes grant protection, but one needs a letter 
  of introduction to approach them to ask for it.
  SYRIA
  Government: 
  French mandate
  Ruler: 
  High Commissioner Damien, 
  Count de Martel
  Capital: 
  Beyrouth (Beirut)
  Population: 
  2,700,000
  Language(s): 
  Arabic, French
  Currency: 
  Syrian pound
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, cotton, tobacco
  Religion(s): 
  Islam, Druse Christianity
  Military: 
  N/A
  Syria (sometimes known as the Levant States) 
  encompasses the modern nations of Syria and 
  Lebanon, as well as the regions of Latakia and the 
  Jebel Druse, and the Sanjak of Alexandretta which 
  is ﬁ nancially autonomous (and which, in 1939, is 
  transferred to Turkey). A French mandate, it’s a 
  mostly desert region whose inhabitants are Arabs 
  and Druse Christians (see below).
  Political conditions in Syria during the Twenties 
  were tumultuous. In March 1920 the Syrians pro-
  claimed their independence. But since the League 
  of Nations had granted France the mandate over 
  the region, French troops took over Damascus a 
  few months later, forcing King Feisal to ﬂ ee. A few 
  years later, in 1925, the Druse Christians of the south 
  revolted against the French. Th e ﬁ ghting lasted for 
  year, during which the Druse scored some victories 
  and the French used artillery on Damascus, before the 
  rebellion was stopped. Since the Twenties, Syria has 
  remained at an uneasy peace with itself.
  BEYROUTH
  Also spelled Beyrout and Beirut, this city on the 
  Mediterranean coast is the administrative capital of 
  the Syrian mandate and the capital of the Republic 
  of Lebanon. It has a population of 135,000 and is a 
  bustling seaport where ships from all over the Med-
  iterranean and the world dock. It’s a cosmopolitan 
  city where Moslem and Christian, European and 
  Arab, mingle freely. It’s also known for its places of 
  learning, including the American University.
  DAMASCUS
  Th e capital of Syria proper is the ancient city of 
  Damascus (Esh Sham), said to be the oldest con-
  tinuously-inhabited city in the world with a history 
  stretching back four millennia. It occupies a fertile 
  plain along the Barada River at the edge of the 
  Syrian desert, and is considered by Arabs one of the 
  most beautiful cities in the world. Up close it seems 
  grimy and dingy, with crooked, narrow streets, but 
  many of its drab buildings conceal lavishly-deco-
  rated courtyards and interiors.
  Damascus is a major trading center. Business 
  goes on day and night in the khans (walled caravan 
  compounds) and bazaars, where nearly anything 
  one might wish to buy can be found if one looks 
  long enough. Th e largest and busiest of the bazaars 
  is the “Street Called Straight,” a roofed “roadway” 
  a mile and a half long. Damascene merchants and 
  craft smen are particularly known for their metal-
  working, silk, spices, and cotton goods.
  NAIRN 
  TRANSPORT
  Characters who need 
  to cross the northern 
  Arabian desert but don’t 
  want to resort to camels 
  may ﬁ nd themselves 
  riding on the renowned 
  Nairn Transport Com-
  pany bus route.
  Begun by the Nairn 
  brothers in 1919 as a 
  taxi service between 
  Beyrouth and Haifa, 
  Nairn Transport over-
  came various logistical 
  challenges and soon 
  expanded, adding a 
  route to Damascus. In 
  1923, with the permis-
  sion of French and 
  British authorities and 
  the encouragement of 
  a Bedouin sheik who 
  wanted to transport 
  goods more quickly 
  and safely, it opened a 
  Damascus to Baghdad 
  route. Th is helped to cut 
  the time to transport 
  mail from India to Great 
  Britain from six weeks 
  to about ten days.
  Nairn Transport became 
  so popular it replaced its 
  touring cars with 16-
  passenger Safeway buses 
  (and later upgraded 
  to even larger, more 
  comfortable models). 
  Despite occasional 
  trouble from camel-
  mounted bandits and 
  rebellious desert tribes, 
  Nairn Transport pros-
  pered. By the mid-Th ir-
  ties, with oil attracting 
  more Westerners than 
  ever to the region, the 
  company had a large 
  ﬂ eet of vehicles running 
  on many routes.
  Th e price of a Nairn ride 
  depends on the route 
  taken and the quality of 
  the coach, but usually 
  isn’t cheap. William Sea-
  brook reports prices as 
  high as $125 in the late 
  Twenties.
  
  201 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  THE DRUSE
  Th e Druses of southern Syria are a sect of Chris-
  tians. A proud, ﬁ erce people, they hold themselves 
  aloof and do not truly accept the French rule. Th ey 
  even sentence to death any Druse woman who 
  marries outside her people. Th eir “capital” is Sou-
  ieda (Es Suweida) in the Jebel Druse region.
  Th e Druse divide their men into two classes, 
  akils (elders) and jahils (warriors). Th e two groups 
  have diﬀ erent customs and rarely spend much 
  time together outside family. Th e warriors ﬁ ght 
  the Druse’s many battles, while the elders lead the 
  people. Any man may become an akil at age 26 or 
  older, if he passes the series of tests set to any can-
  didate and can abide by the vows and restrictions 
  that bind elders.
  Stories told about the Druse claim they worship 
  a golden calf, practice black magic, and have other 
  abominable customs. While some of the men are 
  considered sorcerers (for many Druse are supersti-
  tious), for the most part these rumors are lies or 
  gross exaggerations of innocent traditions.
  TURKEY
  Government: 
  Democratic republic
  Ruler: 
  President Mustafa Kemal
  Capital: 
  Ankara
  Population: 
  14,000,000
  Language(s): 
  Turkish
  Currency: 
  Piaster
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, cotton, tobacco, 
  textiles
  Religion(s): 
  Islam
  Military: 
  133,000
  Turkey is a land in the midst of transition 
  during the Pulp era. A country of devout Moslems, 
  it was the heart of the Ottoman Empire just a few 
  years ago. Today it’s a secular democratic republic 
  under the leadership of its inspiring transformer, 
  Mustafa Kemal.
  In the early Twenties, Turkey was a war-torn 
  land. Fighting with the Greeks, the Armenians, and 
  the British led to thousands of deaths. In July, 1923, 
  the Turks, Greeks, and several European nations 
  signed the Treaty of Lausanne. It made peace 
  between Turkey and Greece and settled border 
  disputes between the various countries that had 
  received parts of the territory of the dismantled 
  Ottoman Empire.
  In October 1923, Turkey formed a new repub-
  lic, naming Mustafa Kemal, a brilliant soldier and 
  gift ed politician, as president. A man of vision and 
  wisdom, Kemal recognized that the old religious, 
  social, and political customs were holding Turkey 
  back, so he began programs to replace them with 
  more Western ones. Under his rule, Turkey adopted 
  the Gregorian calendar, civil marriage and divorce 
  (along with other civil legal codes, mostly borrowed 
  from various European nations almost verbatim), 
  the 24-hour clock, suﬀ rage based on a literacy test, 
  women’s right to vote and hold oﬃ  ce, the metric 
  system, Western modes of dress (including no 
  longer requiring women to wear veils in public), 
  and Latin script with a slightly altered alphabet 
  (to make it easier to teach writing). In April 1928 
  Turkey changed its constitution to remove Islam 
  as its oﬃ  cial state religion. But not all Western 
  ways were deemed appropriate; in March 1930 the 
  Turkish names of Istanbul and Ankara were substi-
  tuted for Constantinople and Angora, respectively; 
  many other city names were also changed. Kemal 
  remained president until his death in 1938. In 
  honor of his accomplishments, in 1934 his country-
  men bestowed upon him the title Ataturk (“Father 
  of the Turks”).
  ISTANBUL
  Although Ankara is Turkey’s capital, its most 
  important city is Istanbul, which bridges Europe 
  and Asia and is sometimes known by its older 
  names of Constantinople or Stamboul. Th e latter 
  name also applies to the oldest section of the city, 
  its Moslem quarter south of the Golden Horn on 
  the European side. Across the Golden Horn are 
  Pera and Galata, the two foreign quarters (and, in 
  the case of Galata, the business district) — some 
  people claim the American “colony” here is the larg-
  est between Rome and Manila. Th e famed Galata 
  Bridge crosses the famous Golden Horn harbor to 
  connect Galata and Stamboul; it has the reputation 
  that someone from every nationality cross it every 
  hour. Th e third section of the city, Scutari, lies on 
  the Asian side of the Bosporus; ferries cross the 
  water between it and the European parts of the city 
  all day long.
  Whatever one desires, from a cup of strong 
  Turkish coﬀ ee to stolen artifacts, can be found for 
  sale among Istanbul’s markets and shops. Pera’s 
  bazaar occupies the middle of Step Street (which 
  
  202 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  leads up from Galata). Th e Manchester Market 
  in Stamboul is even larger (it sells many cotton 
  goods from England) — some estimates say it does 
  $5,000,000 in business every day. However, the 
  bazaar between Stamboul’s second and third hills 
  is the biggest and most famous in the city. Its enor-
  mous arched-roof stone building has a hundred 
  entrances and houses 4,000 shops amid the col-
  umns, squares, and fountains. If your Pulp adven-
  turers don’t care to shop for rugs or silks, other 
  Istanbul attractions include the Hagia Sophia (a 
  famed church, now a museum), many other ornate 
  mosques, and the Topkapi Palace (once the seat of 
  sultans, now also a museum).
  During the Th irties, Istanbul is a bustling city 
  ﬁ lled with the sounds of carpenters and masons 
  at work. Under the republican government, a con-
  struction program focused primarily on creating 
  houses for families (Istanbul has suﬀ ered a shortage 
  of housing for decades, in part because ﬁ res oft en 
  devastate parts of the city) keeps builders busy.
  KURDISTAN
  “Kurdistan” is the name given to a large swath 
  of Near Eastern land inhabited by an Indo-Iranian 
  people known as Kurds who are believed to have 
  descended from the Medes. It includes large sec-
  tions of eastern Turkey, northern Iraq, and western 
  Iran, in addition to small portions of Syria and 
  the USSR. For many years the Kurds have sought 
  independence, to no avail. Aft er the Great War 
  the Kurds of eastern Turkey declared the nation 
  of Kurdistan there, and the 1920 Treaty of Sèvres 
  acknowledged it, but the Treaty of Lausanne didn’t 
  recognize their claims. In February 1925, the Kurds 
  revolted against Turkey, but the Turkish govern-
  ment quashed the rebellion. Th ey rose up again in 
  the summer of 1930, but with the help of Persia 
  Turkey again put an end to their dreams. Th e 
  region remains a volatile one; the Kurds still hope 
  to ﬁ nd a way to create a land for their people.
  THE HASHISHIM
  From the eleventh to the fourteenth century, the Arab 
  lands were terrorized by a group of trained killers 
  known as the Hashishim (or Hashshashin, meaning 
  “hashish-eaters”; they called themselves fedayeen, or 
  “one who is ready to sacriﬁ ce his life for the cause”). Th e 
  Hashishim were a mystic secret sect of assassins founded 
  in 1090 by Hasan-i-Sabbah, the “Old Man of the Moun-
  tain,” who established the group’s stronghold at Alamut. 
  (In fact, some people believe the word “assassin” derives 
  from “Hashishim.”)
  Organized into a strict hierarchy based on their degree 
  of initiation into the cult, the Hashishim were fanat-
  ics who followed orders without question and planned 
  their killings meticulously. While they strove not to kill 
  anyone other than their intended target, they were so 
  eﬃ  cient at murder that they inspired terror throughout 
  the Moslem world. (Th ey rarely attacked non-Moslems.) 
  Th ey oft en approached their target in disguise with 
  hidden weapons, then aft er attacking and killing him 
  allowed themselves to be slain by their enemies. Tales 
  told of them claim they possessed amazing powers of 
  stealth and a host of killing skills.
  Although the Mongol warlord Hulagu Khan supposedly 
  destroyed the Hashishim, legends and conspiracy theo-
  ries have claimed ever since that the sect still exists... and 
  still commits assassinations. Pulp Hero characters adven-
  turing in the Near East just might have the opportunity 
  to ﬁ nd out if that’s true!
  
  203 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  T
  he southern part of Asia is, like Africa, 
  almost entirely colonized by the European 
  powers. A region of hundreds of millions 
  of people, dozens of languages, several 
  major religions, and a dizzying array of cultures 
  and customs, it’s got something of interest for any 
  Pulp Hero adventurer.
  BRITISH MALAYA
  Government: 
  British colony/protectorate
  Ruler: 
  Sir Cecil Clementi (Governor of 
  Singapore, High Commissioner 
  of the Federated Malay States, 
  Unfederated Malay States, and 
  Brunei, and British Agent for 
  North Borneo and Sarawak)
  Capital: 
  Singapore
  Population: 
  5,200,000
  Language(s): 
  Malay, Indonesian, English, 
  Dutch, various others
  Currency: 
  Straits dollars
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, rubber, oil, tin, 
  spices
  Religion(s): 
  Islam, Buddhism
  Military: 
  N/A
  “British Malaya” is a collective name for several 
  Malay Peninsula and Archipelago territories con-
  trolled by Great Britain:  the Straits Settlements 
  (a crown colony chieﬂ y consisting of Singapore, 
  Malacca, and Penang); the Federated Malay States 
  (a protectorate of four peninsular states, including 
  Pahang); the Unfederated Malay States (a protec-
  torate of ﬁ ve peninsular states, each nominally 
  ruled by a sultan with a British advisor); and three 
  entities on the island of Borneo (Brunei, North 
  Borneo, and Sarawak). In addition to the natives 
  and a small number of British, many immigrants 
  from India and China live in Malaya.
  Th e Malay Peninsula itself is a long, narrow, 
  swamp- and jungle-covered strip of land jutting 
  into the Indian Ocean. Th e climate is always hot 
  and humid; rain falls there more than 180 days a 
  year. In most places travel is next to impossible; the 
  only “roads” are the countless streams and rivers. 
  Leeches, venomous snakes and insects, Indochi-
  nese tigers, and various diseases lie in wait for the 
  unwary traveler.
  Th e Malay people are a short, dark-skinned race 
  with straight black hair and thick noses and lips. 
  Most are Moslems, and both men and women wear 
  the sarong, a brightly-colored skirt-like garment. 
  Europeans oft en describe Malays as clever, lazy, 
  proud, brave, suspicious, cleanly in person, loving 
  of honors and prestige, and extremely superstitious. 
  Malay folklore and legend is rich and varied, full of 
  tales of bizarre monsters and spirits.
  SINGAPORE
  Singapore is an island 27 miles long by 14 wide. 
  When Sir Stamford Raﬄ  es bought it from the 
  Sultan of Johore in 1819, it was nearly uninhabited. 
  Today it’s the site of a city of nearly 600,000 people 
  (only 10,000 of whom are Westerners). A free port, 
  it’s one of the most active commercial centers in the 
  world, since it dominates the main shipping route 
  between China and India and also has rail access to 
  Bangkok. Th e British have invested heavily in it and 
  fortiﬁ ed it extensively.
  In Singapore the populations of Asia, the South 
  Seas, Africa, and Europe mingle in a bewildering 
  diversity. While about half the residents are Chinese 
  and forty percent are Malayan, it’s possible to ﬁ nd 
  people from just about anywhere on Earth walking 
  Singapore’s streets. Th e goods and services available 
  in its bustling marketplaces and shops show just 
  as much variation. What self-respecting Pulp Hero 
  character could stay away from such a place?
  SARAWAK
  A large, little developed kingdom on the north 
  shore of the island of Borneo, Sarawak is known as 
  the “Land of the White Rajah” because it’s ruled by 
  a European. In 1842, adventurer James Brooke got 
  the Sultan of Brunei to give it to him (some say he 
  essentially took it by force, some that he received it 
  largely as a gift ). Today his great-nephew Charles 
  Vyner Brooke rules from his capital at Kuching. His 
  subjects, mostly Dyak headhunters, call him the 
  Great White Tuan.
  Th ough much less warlike than in days past, the 
  oft en elaborately tattooed Dyaks remain ﬁ erce and 
  potentially dangerous. In the old days Dyaks of one 
  tribe or longhouse would attack enemy longhouses 
  at dawn, setting ﬁ re to them and chopping oﬀ  the 
  heads of ﬂ eeing residents for trophies. (For more 
  prosaic purposes, like hunting, they use blowguns.) 
  But the rajah has put a stop to such activities as of 
  the Pulp era... mostly. Despite their fearsome repu-
  tation, the Dyaks can be friendly and welcoming, 
  and adore children.
  The Malay Archipelago
  Also referred to as the East Indies, the Malay 
  Archipelago is the largest group of islands in the 
  world. Th e largest islands include Borneo, Sumatra, 
  Bali, Java, Celebes, and New Guinea. Major island 
  groups include the Philippines, Moluccas, and the 
  RUNNING 
  AMOK
  Amok is a Malay word 
  meaning to run out of 
  control. Sometimes, 
  seemingly for no reason, 
  a Malay grabs a weapon, 
  runs into the street, and 
  begins attacking anyone 
  he can see until he’s 
  subdued or killed. Th is 
  is typically regarded as 
  a form of insanity, or by 
  the superstitious as the 
  work of malign spirits; a 
  modern psychoanalyst 
  might look to causes 
  such as depression, 
  jealousy, or anxiety that 
  make the person prone 
  to suicide. Whatever 
  the cause, a Malay run-
  ning amok can be a real 
  danger to other people 
  — which means it may 
  be time for a Pulp hero 
  to enter the fray, stop 
  him, and save the day!
  
  204 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Sunda Islands. Some northern parts of Borneo, and 
  the eastern half of New Guinea, are British colonies 
  or possessions; the United States controls the Phil-
  ippines; the rest constitutes the Dutch East Indies 
  (also called the Netherlands Indies) and Dutch 
  New Guinea.
  Many of the islands in the Archipelago are 
  volcanic. While many of the volcanoes are extinct, 
  some are “live.” Pulp heroes adventuring among the 
  islands may ﬁ nd themselves ﬁ ghting against ﬁ erce 
  natives in the midst of an eruption, or have to stop 
  a mad scientist who’s built a device to trigger one.
  Th e Archipelago’s resources include spices, 
  rubber, sugar, tobacco, coﬀ ee, tea, tin, oil, copra, and 
  various gums. Most of the larger islands are inhab-
  ited by a veritable zoo of animals, including tigers, 
  rhinoceroses, elephants, crocodiles, enormous 
  “ﬂ ying fox” bats, cobras (and many other serpents), 
  monkeys, and orangutans.
  Typhoons
  It’s practically a Pulp genre convention that ships 
  carrying characters into or through the South Seas 
  — particularly the South China Sea that connects 
  China with the Malay Archipelago and British 
  Malaya — will get hit by a typhoon. A typhoon is 
  the same thing as what Americans and inhabitants 
  of the Caribbean islands call a tropical storm or a 
  hurricane (depending on strength); it just occurs 
  in the Paciﬁ c instead of the Atlantic. In Pulp terms, 
  typhoons essentially serve as a plot device to get the 
  characters wherever the GM wants them to go — it 
  forces their ship oﬀ  course to some uncharted island 
  inhabited by cannibal tribesmen, a mad scientist, a 
  monster, or dinosaurs and cavemen.
  BORNEO
  Borneo, the third largest island in the world, 
  has a population of just slightly over 2,000,000 due 
  to its rough terrain — dense (and generally unex-
  plored) jungles broken up by four mountain chains. 
  Th e inhabitants are mostly native tribes such as the 
  Dyaks (see above), Lauts, Bajaus, and Punans. Th ey 
  travel by river using small boats called “prahus” or 
  “proas,” and live in longhouses that are 600-700 feet 
  (92”-108”) long.
  Th e Dutch rule those parts of Borneo not con-
  trolled by the British, dividing the territory into 
  west, south, and east divisions. Th e territory pos-
  sesses much mineral wealth, but the climate and 
  terrain make mining diﬃ  cult; spices, camphor, 
  rubber, sugar cane, cotton, tobacco, and rice are 
  other major exports.
  JAVA
  Java, “the Pearl of the East Indies,” is a long, 
  narrow island south and east of Sumatra and across 
  the Java Sea from Borneo. Th e 42 million natives, 
  mostly Javanese and Sundanese peoples, are about 
  the same size as Malays, but have a lighter, yellow-
  ish-brown skin. Th ey dress in cotton shorts and 
  brightly-colored jacket-like tops.
  Th e island’s main city is Batavia, the capital 
  of the Dutch East Indies, on the western end. It’s 
  a city of over 400,000 inhabitants and has some 
  paved roads and other modern amenities. Its 
  resources include timber (especially teak), coﬀ ee 
  (as in “Gimme a cuppa java”), tea, rice, sugar, spices, 
  copra, oil, and cotton. 
  Located in the center of the island is the famed 
  Borobudur Temple, the largest religious shrine of 
  Mahayana Buddhism in the world. It’s not a temple 
  in the typical sense of the word, but more a ter-
  raced stone hill carved with thousands of reliefs. 
  Despite the presence of this fabulous temple, a deﬁ -
  nite attraction for explorers and adventurers, most 
  of the people are Moslems.
  THE PHILIPPINES
  A sub-archipelago of 7,000 islands stretching 
  over more than a thousand miles, the Philippines 
  is a dependency of the United States (eﬀ orts by the 
  US government in the early Th irties to grant the 
  islands their independence were rejected by the 
  Philippines Legislature). Most of the population 
  is Filipinos, who are predominantly Catholic and 
  speak Tagalog, but there are many other peoples, 
  cultures, customs, and tongues.
  Th e capital of the Philippines is Manila. From 
  there Governor-General Frank Murphy adminis-
  trates the dependency. Since it’s the Asian terminus 
  of the Pan Am Clipper ﬂ ights from the United 
  States (see accompanying sidebar), it could easily 
  be the ﬁ rst South Seas city a group of Pulp Hero 
  characters sees.
  SUMATRA
  Sumatra is a large island northwest of Java and 
  south of the Malay Peninsula across the of Malacca 
  Strait. It has a population of over eight million. 
  Th e people wear sarongs like those of the Malays; 
  women add jewelry of coral, jade, silver or gold, 
  while the men also wear brown head-kerchiefs and 
  short jacket-like garments.
  Much of Sumatra’s interior remains isolated 
  and largely unexplored. Th e Dutch have (mostly) 
  subdued the many tribes that live there, but tribal 
  warfare remains common, particularly in the 
  north. Th e Achinese are particularly ﬁ erce, and 
  remain a thorn in the side of the Dutch. But per-
  haps the best-known tribe is the Bataks, who like 
  the Dyaks of Borneo are headhunters. Th ey also 
  used to be cannibals (with cannibalism typically 
  involving younger warriors eating older ones so 
  the elder passes on his wisdom and achieves a sort 
  of immortality). Th e Bataks claim to have given 
  up cannibalism, though not all Europeans are 
  convinced. Th ey also say they’re now Moslems or 
  Christians, but in truth those are just more super-
  stitions among their greater lore; many of them are 
  essentially animistic pagans. Th ey dress similarly to 
  other Sumatrans, and both genders ﬁ le their teeth.
  PIRATES
  Due to the volume of shipping moving through 
  the South China Sea, Java Sea, Bay of Bengal, and 
  other bodies of water in and around the Malay 
  Archipelago, piracy is a major problem. Th e Malay 
  pirates of the Pulp era perhaps aren’t quite as feared 
  as their ﬁ erce, vicious ancestors of centuries ago, 
  but they’re more than enough to cause trouble for 
  THE KRIS
  Th e stereotypical Malay 
  weapon, seen in many 
  a Pulp illustration, is 
  the kris, a wavy-bladed, 
  double-edged, dagger 
  (or sometimes sword). 
  Mainly a thrusting 
  weapon, it creates pain-
  ful wounds that oft en 
  bleed profusely.
  Every part of a kris has 
  its own designation 
  and lore; the weapon’s 
  as important to Malay 
  culture as the katana is 
  to the Japanese. Among 
  its magical abilities, or 
  tasawwaf, are the power 
  to warn its wearer of 
  danger, tuju (the ability 
  to kill someone just by 
  pointing it at him), and 
  the power to turn away 
  wild beasts.
  Every Malay male 
  should possess a kris; a 
  father must see to it that 
  his son gets one. Kris 
  from diﬀ erent areas of 
  the Indonesian archi-
  pelago can be told by 
  their distinctive styles or 
  forms.
  In HERO System terms, 
  a kris does ½d6 to 
  1d6+1 Killing Damage, 
  depending on its size. 
  See Th e Ultimate Mar-
  tial Artist for more 
  information.
  
  205 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  
  206 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  the average cargo ship or liner. It’s a sure bet that 
  Pulp Hero adventurers who spend a lot of time 
  in the region will run into pirates sooner or later 
  — maybe even a band led by a beautiful but deadly 
  pirate queen!
  FRENCH INDO-CHINA
  Government: 
  French protectorate
  Ruler: 
  Governor-General René Robin
  Capital: 
  Hanoi
  Population: 
  21,600,000
  Language(s): 
  Cambodian, Laotian, Annamese 
  (Vietnamese), French
  Currency: 
  French franc
  Resources: 
  Agriculture
  Religion(s): 
  Buddhism
  Military: 
  N/A
  Occupying the eastern part of the southern 
  Asia peninsula, with Siam to the west and China to 
  the northeast, French Indo-China consists of ﬁ ve 
  regions:  Annam; Cambodia; Cochin-China; Laos; 
  and Tong-King (Tonkin). Both Annam and Cam-
  bodia have native kings (Bao Dal and Monivong, 
  respectively). Of its over 21 million inhabitants, 
  only about 42,000 are Europeans. Its chief port, the 
  southern city of Saigon (population 125,000), is a 
  stop for many ships traveling from China to British 
  Malaya or India.
  During the late Twenties and Th irties, French 
  Indo-China is a land in turmoil. Native rebels 
  seeking independence from France have been 
  committing terrorist acts in an eﬀ ort to drive out 
  the Europeans. Th e most active rebels are the Viet 
  Nam Quoc Dan Dang (VNQDD), a group similar 
  to the Kuomintang in structure, and the Indochina 
  Communist Party (ICP, founded 1930). Th e latter is 
  led by a Moscow-trained Comintern agent named 
  Mguyn Sinh Cung, alias Nguyen Th at Th anh, alias 
  Nguyen Ai Quoc, and later known by another alias 
  — Ho Chi Minh. In February 1930, the VNQDD 
  launched a rebellion, the Yen Bay Revolt, by stirring 
  up unrest among Annamite soldiers in the French 
  army. Th e French responded angrily, easily sup-
  pressing the revolt and eﬀ ectively eliminating the 
  VNQDD. Th e more cautious ICP remained active 
  throughout the Th irties, in part by fomenting vari-
  ous Nghe Tinh Soviets peasant uprisings; its mem-
  bers oft en trained in China. French eﬀ orts to curtail 
  the ICP only increased its popularity, so in 1936 the 
  French released imprisoned ICP members and gave 
  the group more freedom to act.
  THE MANDARIN ROAD
  Travel across French Indo-China is oft en dif-
  ﬁ cult; the rough countryside doesn’t make for easy 
  going, and the rainy season only worsens things 
  for the traveler. But in addition to various rail-
  roads, the French have maintained and updated 
  the old Mandarin Road that has channeled the 
  region’s trade to and from China for countless 
  years. Now called the Route Coloniale No. 1, the 
  road runs from Aranya Prades on the Siamese 
  border, east and south to Saigon, then north 
  and east along the coast up to Tourane and Hué. 
  Beyond Hué it goes north to Hanoi, then up to 
  China at Porte de Chine, a stone archway and wall 
  that marks the border. Along the way one can see 
  ruins of the Cham and Khmer peoples.
  ANGKOR WAT
  While Soldiers and Two-Fisted Heroes may 
  want to go to French Indo-China to help quell the 
  Communist revolts, Explorers and treasure-seekers 
  may ﬁ nd Angkor Wat, one of the most wondrous 
  archaeological sites in the world, more enticing. 
  Located deep in the Cambodian interior, a little 
  north and west of Tonle Sap (“Great Lake”), Angkor 
  Wat is a temple complex built by the Khymer 
  (Khmer) people nearly a thousand years ago. It’s 
  located near a city of about 600 buildings (Angkor 
  Th om), but many of the city’s buildings are far 
  older than the temple, and thus in far worse shape.
  Getting to Angkor is almost an adventure in itself. 
  First the traveler journeys to Pnompenh, capital of 
  Cambodia, either overland or via the Mekong River. 
  From there he takes another river up to Tonle Sap, 
  then crosses the vast lake. Th is can only be done 
  during the rainy season (roughly August to January), 
  because in the dry season the lake’s not deep enough 
  for large boats (at the driest point it’s little more than 
  a mud ﬂ at). Aft er one lands on the northern shore of 
  the lake, Angkor is another 20 miles or so overland. 
  Th e French are working on a road south to it from 
  the Route Coloniale No. 1, but it’s still “in progress” 
  during the Th irties.
  Th e temple consists of a large building with a 
  tall central tower (250 feet [38”] high) and four 
  lesser towers (one at each corner of the building). 
  To reach it, one must ascend a series of steps and 
  terraces. A square outer gallery over a half mile in 
  “circumference” surrounds the temple itself. Fantas-
  tic carvings of gods, kings, dancers, seven-headed 
  cobras, battling warriors, and much more cover 
  nearly every vertical surface. 
  In the Pulp era, little is known of Angkor Wat. 
  Th e French have cleared away the jungle growths 
  obscuring it, though most of Angkor Th om remains 
  covered. Animals — monkeys, serpents, birds, but-
  terﬂ ies, millions of bats — live in and around it. 
  Getting to it and staying there are not for the faint 
  of heart, but who knows what treasures the verdant 
  Cambodian jungle may conceal?
  THE CHINA 
  CLIPPER
  In November, 1935, Pan 
  Am launched regularly 
  scheduled airmail ser-
  vice to the Far East via 
  the China Clipper, a 
  Martin 130 ﬂ ying boat 
  that can ﬂ y from San 
  Francisco to Manila 
  (2,500 miles) without 
  having to refuel. Pan 
  Am soon added the 
  Philippine Clipper and 
  Hawaii Clipper to its 
  ﬂ eet, though the Hawaii 
  Clipper was lost at sea in 
  1938. Regular passenger 
  service began in Octo-
  ber, 1936. In April, 1937, 
  the Sikorsky S-42B Hong 
  Kong Clipper lets Pan 
  Am extend the ﬂ ight to 
  Hong Kong (and, later 
  that year, to Auckland, 
  New Zealand).
  Th e Clippers’ ﬂ ight route 
  begins in San Francisco 
  (with the plane some-
  times going under the 
  Bay Bridge because its 
  takeoﬀ  point doesn’t 
  always allow enough 
  altitude to go over). It 
  makes stops in Hono-
  lulu, Midway Island, 
  Wake Island, and Guam 
  before touching down 
  in Manila; the overnight 
  accommodations for 
  pilots and passengers are 
  minimal. Th e trip takes 
  just under 60 hours. 
  Tickets cost $799 one 
  way, $1,438.20 round 
  trip; most ﬂ ights are at 
  best half full.
  A Clipper is approxi-
  mately 90 feet long. It 
  can take oﬀ  with a maxi-
  mum weight of 23,700 
  kg. It can sustain a max-
  imum speed of about 
  160 miles per hour, and 
  cruises at about 150 
  miles per hour at opti-
  mum altitude; its maxi-
  mum altitude is 17,000 
  feet. It has a range of 
  3,200 miles on a single 
  load of fuel. It has a crew 
  of four to six, and can 
  carry 32-48 passengers 
  (though some of the 
  planes have as few as 14 
  seats installed).
  
  207 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  INDIA
  Government: 
  British colony
  Ruler: 
  Viceroy and Governor-General 
  the Earl of Willingdon
  Capital: 
  New Delhi (opened 1931; prior 
  to then Delhi)
  Population: 
  350,000,000
  Language(s): 
  Hindustani, English, and 
  dozens of other native tongues
  Currency: 
  Rupee, British pound
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, timber, textiles, 
  mining
  Religion(s): 
  Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, 
  Sikhism, Jainism
  Military: 
  170,000
  Th e largest and probably wealthiest colony in 
  the world, India is a British possession that includes 
  the modern-day countries of India, Pakistan, 
  Bangladesh, and Burma. A patchwork of areas 
  directly controlled by the British and “Native States” 
  nominally led by native rulers (such as Hyderabad, 
  Baluchistan, Rajputana, Kashmir, and Mysore), it’s 
  a cultural, political, and religious hodgepodge oft en 
  bewildering to Westerners... even those who’ve 
  lived there for decades.
  India is mostly a tropical country, with extremes 
  of heat and humidity that Europeans ﬁ nd extremely 
  uncomfortable and which contribute to disease. 
  During the monsoon season (late May to Octo-
  ber) torrential rains are common, oﬀ ering some 
  relief from the heat and boosting the economy. 
  Some parts of India receive an annual average of 
  more than an inch of rain per day! As one goes 
  inland and north, toward the Himalayas, the rise 
  in elevation helps to reduce the heat; Europeans 
  oft en move to “hill stations” (summer houses, so to 
  speak) during the hottest times of the year.
  POLITICS
  India was the scene of political unrest through-
  out the Pulp era, as Indians eager for indepen-
  dence struggled violently and nonviolently against 
  Great Britain. Th e most prominent of the rebels 
  is Mohandas K. Gandhi, known as Mahatma 
  (“Great Soul”) to his millions of followers. His 
  campaigns of “civil disobedience,” including the 
  famed 1930 “Salt March” to protest the British salt 
  monopoly, inspired numerous British crackdowns 
  and attracted worldwide attention to his cause. But 
  not all Indians followed his peaceful example; riots 
  occurred on several occasions in major cities, and 
  extremist groups sometimes committed assassina-
  tions or kidnappings. Th e independence movement 
  didn’t succeed during the Pulp era, though the 
  Indians did win some concessions.
  To make the situation worse, India was also 
  the scene of international political intrigue. For 
  decades the Russians have coveted India, and their 
  “great game” of espionage against the British led 
  to some interesting... and dangerous... episodes. 
  India had a large corps of spies and informers that 
  included both British and Indian agents famed for 
  their skill at disguise and undercover work. Pulp 
  Hero characters with connections to the Espionage 
  World might get drawn into this high-stakes game 
  of cat and mouse.
  THE PEOPLE
  Although it’s as large as the United States east 
  of the Rocky Mountains, India is inhabited by 
  350,000,000 people (nearly three times the US 
  population). Overcrowding thus is almost endemic, 
  especially in and around major cities like Bombay, 
  Calcutta, and Delhi. Nearly 250 million of them are 
  Hindus; the rest are Moslems, Buddhists, or follow-
  ers of some other faith. As the home of two of the 
  world’s great religions, India is ﬁ lled with temples, 
  shrines, and holy places. Unfortunately, it’s also ﬁ lled 
  with religious strife; Hindus and Moslems rarely get 
  along, and neither do Hindus and Sikhs, so violence 
  oft en breaks out between the diﬀ erent groups.
  Caste
  Hindus have an elaborate system of social orga-
  nization known as the caste system. Each Hindu is 
  born into a caste, and in that caste he remains for 
  life. His caste dictates his general profession, his 
  position within society, and many customs gov-
  erning marriage, consumption of food, and other 
  aspects of daily life. Th ere are hundreds of castes 
  and sub-castes, but the four main ones are Brah-
  mins (priests and teachers), Kshatriyas (warriors 
  and nobles), Vaishyas (merchants and craft smen), 
  and Sudras (farmers and laborers).
  Below and outside the caste system are the 
  untouchables, or outcastes. Th e untouchables are 
  societal rejects who perform only the most menial, 
  debasing, or disgusting jobs. Th ey’re considered so 
  unclean that in some places they must sweep the 
  ground behind them as they walk to remove the 
  contamination caused by their feet touching the 
  ground, and not even an untouchable’s shadow can 
  fall upon a Brahmin lest it render him impure.
  Outsiders such as Europeans and Americans, 
  while not part of the caste system, are not exactly 
  outcastes. Conservative Hindus may consider them 
  as such, but in most respects they’ve eﬀ ectively 
  made themselves into another social group outside 
  the caste system. Typically Westerners in India 
  remain aloof from Indians. More than one colonial 
  oﬃ  cial has lived and worked decades in India with-
  out seeing any Indian who wasn’t a servant. Accom-
  modations and transportation are segregated into 
  European and Indian sections. Colonial society 
  cares little for those who pay attention to the Indi-
  ans or promote their causes, and may snub any PC 
  who speaks in their favor.
  CITIES
  Indian cities are studies in contrast. First, there’s 
  a mix of Indian architecture and street design 
  with British, since Europeans have been a part of 
  Indian life for well over a century and have had 
  plenty of time to construct buildings and redesign 
  the “foreign quarters” where they live. Second, rich 
  and poor mingle together more than they do in 
  Western cities; from a district of the rich with large 
  houses and clean, straight, broad roads it’s oft en just 
  a short walk to a centuries-old neighborhood with 
  SIKH 
  POLICEMEN
  Th roughout India and 
  the rest of the British 
  Empire, it’s not uncom-
  mon to see turbaned 
  Sikhs serving as police-
  men, traﬃ  c controllers, 
  and the like. Th e hardy, 
  ﬁ erce, aggressive Sikhs 
  make excellent law 
  enforcement agents 
  (typically aft er they 
  spend time in the British 
  army), though their oﬃ  -
  cers are almost always 
  Europeans. Characters 
  visiting Hong Kong, 
  Shanghai, Singapore, 
  or other British posses-
  sions in Asia are likely to 
  encounter badge-wear-
  ing Sikh police if they 
  get into trouble with 
  the law.
  
  208 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  cramped, twisting streets and tiny, dirty, decrepit 
  houses and shops. Th e streets tend to be crowded 
  with cars, trucks, wagons, carts, rickshaws, herds of 
  livestock, beggars, bicycles, and cattle (whom the 
  Hindus hold sacred and will not kill or inconve-
  nience... even if one cow holds up an entire street 
  of traﬃ  c).
  Bombay
  Bombay is an urbanized island on the central 
  west coast of India. It’s India’s major western port, 
  and the most common arrival point for persons 
  sailing to India from Europe. From there a traveler 
  can take India’s extensive railway system all over 
  the subcontinent.
  Bombay features a large bazaar that’s as diverse 
  as any in the world, well-regarded universities, ﬁ ne 
  hotels, and many other features that make it attrac-
  tive to Westerners. Most Europeans live in a neigh-
  borhood known as “the Fort.” On nearby Malabar 
  Hill stand the Towers of Silence. Th ere the Parsees, 
  a sect of Zoroastrians who are rich and have great 
  inﬂ uence in the city, expose their dead to the vul-
  tures according to the customs of their religion.
  Calcutta
  With a population of nearly 1.5 million, Cal-
  cutta is almost half again as large as Bombay, 
  making it India’s largest city. Located in the far east 
  at the mouth of the Hooghly River, it’s the capital of 
  Bengal Province and a major center of commerce 
  — ships from parts east, natives transporting goods 
  down the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, and 
  passengers on three major railways all go there to 
  trade. Known as the “City of Palaces” for its beauti-
  ful architecture, it’s as much inﬂ uenced by Western 
  styles as Indian — some streets look, architectur-
  ally, no diﬀ erent from streets in Europe. It’s also 
  known for its ﬁ ne parks. Its many museums and the 
  National Library of India may attract Pulp explor-
  ers and archaeologists in search of clues to ﬁ nd 
  long-lost relics.
  Delhi And New Delhi
  Since 1911 the administrative capital of India 
  has been Delhi, a city in the United Provinces in the 
  north-central region of the country. (Formerly it 
  was Calcutta.) In 1912, the British began construct-
  ing an entirely new city just south of Delhi on “the 
  Ridge,” the British base when the rebels captured 
  Delhi during the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny. Completed 
  in 1931, this “garden city” is technically known as 
  New Delhi, and is intended for a population of no 
  more than 65,000. However, many people continue 
  to refer simply to “Delhi.” Due to the heat in Delhi, 
  for about seven months out of the year much of 
  the government actually lives and works at Simla, a 
  Himalayan mountain town with a cooler climate.
  Pulp characters visiting Delhi should stop by 
  Chandni Chauck (“silver street”), Delhi’s market-
  place. Open-faced shops line both sides of the road, 
  and a sort of bazaar runs down the middle. Goods 
  from all over India, as well as regions to the north 
  and west, ﬁ nd their way here, looking for an eager 
  buyer. For a character with a good enough Trading 
  Skill, all sorts of bargains might be available.
  Beyond Th e Cities
  Most Indians don’t reside in cities — they live 
  in the countless small towns or villages scattered 
  throughout the subcontinent. Most are extremely 
  primitive, with buildings made of mud and thatch 
  and no running water, electricity, telegraph lines, 
  telephones, or sewers. Larger towns along railroads or 
  well-traveled roads may have some of these amenities, 
  police stations, military garrisons, and the like.
  BURMA
  Th e easternmost part of the Indian Empire is 
  Burma, which occupies the same subcontinent 
  as Siam and French Indo-China rather than the 
  Indian subcontinent. Racially and linguistically it’s 
  separate from India:  its people are Burmese, Shans, 
  Karens, Kachins, and members of various other 
  mountain and hill tribes; and they speak Burmese, 
  Shan, Karen, and so on. For many years the Bur-
  mese have sought independence from India and 
  from Great Britain, but recent elections have put 
  the Anti-Separatists ﬁ rmly in power, postponing 
  any further discussions with the British.
  Th e main cities of Burma are Rangoon (the seat 
  of government, at the mouth of the Irrawaddy River 
  on the Gulf of Martaban) and Mandalay (in the inte-
  rior). Peoples from all over Asia mingle in the streets 
  of both cities, particularly Mandalay where the hill 
  tribes go to trade. Th e Irrawaddy is the main “road” 
  through the country, since much of it is hilly, moun-
  tainous, and/or jungle-covered. Large “bazaar-boats” 
  — ﬂ oating marketplaces, essentially — travel up and 
  down the river stopping at towns and villages to trade. 
  Timber, gemstone and jade mining, rubber, and rice 
  are the region’s main commodities; its jungles are also 
  known as the home of many rare varieties of orchid.
  NEPAL
  Government: 
  Kingdom
  Ruler: 
  Maharajah Tribhubana Bir 
  Bikram, Prime Minister Gen. 
  Joodha Shum Sheere Jung 
  Bahadur Rana
  Capital: 
  Kathmandu
  Population: 
  5,600,000
  Language(s): 
  Nepali
  Currency: 
  Rupee
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, livestock, timber
  Religion(s): 
  Hinduism, Buddhism
  Military: 
  44,500
  Wedged in between India and Tibet, Nepal is a 
  harsh and diﬃ  cult land. Except for the Terai (the 
  ﬂ at lands of the south before the foothills) and 
  the Valley of Kathmandu (which holds that city, 
  and the older capitals of Patan and Bhatgaon), it’s 
  ﬁ lled with mountains and hills that make travel 
  hard and tiring at best. Th ere are few roads (most 
  of which are poor) and almost no railroads (the 
  main one runs from Kathmandu to the city of 
  Raxaul in India).
  Nepal, a de facto British “protectorate” until 
  1923, is a closed society. While not openly hostile, it 
  discourages visitors and only allows them to enter 
  THE THUGGEE
  Among the many 
  unusual religious and 
  mystic groups that India 
  has spawned, the most 
  infamous is the Th uggee, 
  or Th ugs, from whom 
  the English word “thug” 
  comes. Supposedly the 
  British wiped out this 
  cult of assassins in the 
  early nineteenth century, 
  but who’s to say what 
  remnants might have 
  survived to plague your 
  Pulp Hero characters?
  Th e Th ugs, also known 
  as Phansigars (“noose-
  operators”) or Dacoits 
  (though the latter term 
  may simply mean 
  “bandit”), were a sect 
  devoted to the worship of 
  Kali, the Hindu goddess 
  of destruction and the 
  night. In groups of about 
  10-200 men they traveled 
  throughout India as dic-
  tated by certain omens, 
  joining other traveling 
  groups and trying to 
  become acquainted with 
  wealthy people. At an 
  opportune moment, a 
  group of Th ugs would 
  attack a target — one 
  of them held his hands 
  while the other strangled 
  him with a noose or 
  twisted handkerchief 
  (known as a roomal). 
  When he was dead, they 
  robbed and buried him. 
  Every aspect of the job 
  was performed according 
  to speciﬁ c customs and 
  rules; for example, the 
  pick for digging the grave 
  must be specially conse-
  crated. In short, they con-
  sidered murder for gain a 
  religious ritual. According 
  to some sources, the cult 
  may have been respon-
  sible for over two million 
  killings, with one man 
  alone, the leader Behram, 
  personally committing 
  931 murders.
  When a Th ug became 
  too inﬁ rm to participate 
  in these rituals, he left  
  the traveling groups to 
  become a watcher, spy, 
  or other assistant to the 
  Continued on next page
  
  209 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  with special permission. Persons admitted must 
  travel along a speciﬁ c route, cannot go further than 
  the Valley of Kathmandu, and are usually accompa-
  nied by Gurkha “escorts.”
  Th e capital of Nepal is Kathmandu (or Khat-
  mandu), a city of 80,000 people. From its many-
  buildinged Durbar Palace the Maharajah rules with 
  (supposed) absolute power; for example, in 1926 
  he issued a decree abolishing slavery. (Some say the 
  true power rests with the prime minister, whose 
  position is also hereditary.) An equally impressive 
  structure is the Royal Temple to Taleja, patron god-
  dess of the royal family, whose members are the 
  only ones allowed to worship there.
  Th e Nepalese are considered a warlike and 
  aggressive people; their history is a chronicle of 
  bloodshed, treachery, and rulers dying young. Th e 
  ﬁ ercest and most dangerous Nepalese are the Gur-
  khas, who invaded in 1767 and are now the chief 
  caste in the Nepalese social system. Many young 
  Gurkha men leave their mountainous home to join 
  the British army, which groups them into the 1st 
  through 11th Gurkha Riﬂ es regiments that have a 
  reputation for being able to accomplish the most 
  diﬃ  cult of military tasks. Th ey wield large, distinc-
  tive, inward-curving kukri knives in addition to 
  modern weapons.
  MOUNT EVEREST
  Th e tallest mountain in the world, Everest, is 
  mostly in Nepal. It remains unclimbed as of the 
  Pulp era. During the Twenties and Th irties, several 
  mountaineers die trying to attain the summit; no 
  one even ﬂ ies over it until 1933. Th e goal of climb-
  ing to the top intrigues many adventurers... perhaps 
  your Pulp Hero characters among them.
  SIAM
  Government: 
  Constitutional monarchy
  Ruler: 
  King Ananda Mahidol (see 
  text); President Col. Phya 
  Phahol Pholphayuha Sena
  Capital: 
  Bangkok
  Population: 
  11,500,000
  Language(s): 
  Siamese
  Currency: 
  Baht (known as the tical until 
  1928)
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, timber, rubber, 
  mining
  Religion(s): 
  Buddhism
  Military: 
  5,000
  Siam enjoys the distinction of being the only 
  country or territory in southern Asia never con-
  quered or colonized by the Western powers. 
  Located between Burma and French Indo-China, 
  it acts as a “buﬀ er state” between Great Britain and 
  France in the region.
  Geographically, Siam has four divisions. In the 
  east, bordering French Indo-China, is a moun-
  tain-encircled plateau 300-500 feet above sea level 
  that drains into the Mekong; it’s arid in the dry 
  season and oft en ﬂ ooded in the rainy, making it 
  the poorest region in the country. Recently-built 
  railroads allow the residents to get crops to market 
  and exploit the redwood forests of the mountains. 
  Th is area also has lots of Khymer ruins. Second 
  is South Siam, which includes roughly half of the 
  Malay Peninsula; it’s an area rich in minerals, tin, 
  and rubber. Th ird are the vast alluvial plains east, 
  west, and north from Bangkok — the heart of the 
  kingdom and the rice basket of Siam. Th e mighty 
  Me Nam Chao Bhraya River, the lifeblood of the 
  country, ﬂ ows through this region and Bangkok to 
  the sea. Lastly there’s North Siam, a land of moun-
  tain ridges and valleys inhabited by hill-tribes and 
  possessing many a valuable teak forest. Chiengmai 
  is the north’s chief city.
  Formerly an absolute monarchy, Siam has 
  recently come through a time of turmoil. In June 
  1932, the conservative army overthrew the liberal 
  king, Prajadhipok, in a bloodless coup. Five days 
  later the king signed a new constitution limiting the 
  monarchy and allowing for some popular elections. 
  In March 1935, when asked to sign additional laws 
  restricting his power over the life and death of his 
  people, he abdicated, and his 11 year-old nephew 
  Ananda Mahidol assumed the throne. King Ananda 
  rules with the help of three regents and the Presi-
  dent of the State Council.
  BANGKOK
  Th e capital of Siam is a busy, cosmopolitan 
  port city of one million, located near the mouth of 
  the Me Nam River on the Gulf of Siam. It’s some-
  times referred to as “the Venice of Asia” because 
  so many of its people work on the water (and 
  even live in houseboats, though that’s rarer in the 
  Pulp era than in decades past). Modernization 
  has brought more (and wider) roads, additional 
  bridges, some brick buildings, and even electric 
  streetlamps and streetcars. Twenty miles away, at 
  Don Muang, there’s an aerodrome.
  Bangkok is famed as a city where one can buy 
  nearly anything. Amidst its dark waterways and 
  dusty streets are countless markets, shops, and 
  curbside merchants eager to sell... no matter what 
  one may desire. Pulp Hero characters in search of 
  strange and exotic objects may have to head to 
  Bangkok to ﬁ nd them.
  Although it’s best known as a city of commerce, 
  Bangkok is also a city of temples — it has around 
  500 Buddhist shrines, which occupy as much as 
  twenty percent of the city’s land area. Some of the 
  most notable include Wat Phra Keo, the Royal 
  Temple, which has the sacred Emerald Buddha 
  sitting on a golden throne; Wat Arun (Temple of 
  the Dawn), which towers over the surrounding 
  buildings with its 242-foot (37”) tall spire; and Wat 
  Benjamabopitr, resplendent with a golden roof atop 
  marble walls.
  MADURA
  Far in the south of India 
  stands Madura, a Hindu 
  holy city second only to 
  Benares on the Ganges. 
  Hundreds of years ago 
  a Hindu ruler named 
  Tirumala Nayak built 
  there a vast temple, 
  over a thousand feet 
  (154”) long on each side 
  and with ten gopuras 
  — stucco pyramid-
  towers 200 feet (31”) 
  tall. Carved in plaster on 
  the walls and the towers 
  are an estimated thirty 
  million ﬁ gures of gods, 
  demons, monsters, ani-
  mals, and men. Painted 
  in red, blue, green, and 
  other colors, they make 
  a garish sight... but who 
  knows what secrets they 
  may hold for a Pulp 
  Hero character with the 
  right knowledge and 
  clues to unravel? And 
  if that’s not enough to 
  tempt your heroes, at the 
  center of the temple is 
  a treasure-room where 
  pilgrims have brought 
  gold, jewels, silver, and 
  other valuables for hun-
  dreds of years....
  Continued from last page
  cult. All Th ugs spoke a 
  special jargon (Ramasi) 
  and knew secret signs, 
  both of which served to 
  identify them to their 
  fellows and hinder out-
  siders’ ability to inﬁ ltrate 
  the cult.
  
  210 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  T
  he Orient is a place of mystery and wonder 
  in the pulps. Th e cultures, customs, and 
  languages of the East were strange, even 
  incomprehensible, to Westerners of the 
  Pulp era (particularly since improved communica-
  tions were just beginning to make many of them 
  known, in any form, in places like the US and 
  Europe). Pulp writers took advantage of that air 
  of the exotic. China, Japan, and Tibet were perfect 
  places to set stories in which the heroes encoun-
  tered enigmatic adversaries with weird abilities and 
  devilish plans. And with the “Yellow Peril” on the 
  minds of many people, the Fiendish Oriental Mas-
  termind, from Dr. Fu Manchu on down to his palest 
  imitator, made the ideal villain.
  CHINA
  Government: 
  Nominally a democratic 
  republic (see text)
  Ruler: 
  Nominally President Lin Sen 
  (see text)
  Capital: 
  Nominally Nanking (see text)
  Population: 
  475,000,000 (includes Man-
  churia)
  Language(s): 
  Mandarin, Cantonese, 
  Fukienese, Hakka, Wu, Min, 
  and more
  Currency: 
  Yuan
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, livestock, porce-
  lain, mining (esp. coal and iron)
  Religion(s): 
  Buddhism, Taoism, 
  Confucianism
  Military: 
  2,000,000 (Nationalist 
  government)
  Th e largest nation in the world by population, 
  and one of the largest in physical size, China in the 
  Pulp era is a land beset by political and military 
  chaos, leavened with the occasional natural disas-
  ter. Th e people are largely poor and ignorant, their 
  leaders squabble among themselves as much as 
  they try to ﬁ ght oﬀ  her enemies, and the Japanese 
  have plans to conquer her.
  CLIMATE AND TERRAIN
  Th anks to its size, China is a land of great geo-
  graphical diversity. Basically, it starts as lowlands in 
  the coastal regions, gradually rising in elevation as 
  one heads west (toward the Himalayas) or north 
  (toward the mountains in Mongolia). Th e southeast-
  ern part of the country, the heart of old China, is a 
  fertile land that supports a population density aver-
  aging 174 per square mile. Some areas in the south 
  are heavily forested or swampy. Th e northern and 
  western parts of the country are harsher and more 
  barren, but even there, in valleys between the hills 
  and mountains, rich, verdant areas can be found.
  Th e Rivers
  China has several major rivers that provide irri-
  gation and transportation throughout the land. Th e 
  most important of them are the Yangtse, the Yellow, 
  and Sikiang.
  Th e Yangtse, one of the longest waterways in 
  the world, starts in Tibet and runs over 3,000 miles 
  past Hankow to pour into the East China Sea near 
  Shanghai. From Hankow to its mouth it can sup-
  port steamers; further west it’s navigable only by 
  smaller boats.
  Th e Yellow River (the Huang Ho, known as 
  “China’s Sorrow” because of its frequent, devastat-
  ing ﬂ oods) is only a little shorter (2,700 miles). 
  It runs back and forth through the northern half 
  of the country. It takes its name from the loess, or 
  yellow-brown soil of the region, which colors it. As 
  the loess builds up, it causes the river to change its 
  course — the Yellow River shift s its bed more oft en 
  than any other major river in the world.
  Th e 1,250 mile-long Sikiang waters southern 
  China. It enters the South China Sea at Canton 
  and Hong Kong. Steamers can travel upriver for 
  200 miles; beyond that travelers must switch to 
  smaller vessels.
  To safeguard commerce and travel along these 
  rivers, guards patrol them in p’ao Ch’uan, or gun-
  boats. Th ey also collect taxes, making them a some-
  times unwelcome sight.
  In some places, canals connect signiﬁ cant natu-
  ral waterways. Th e largest is the Grand Canal, a 
  thousand mile-long canal linking Hangchow and 
  Tientsin that took over 2,500 years to complete and 
  can carry even large vessels.
  Travel
  Travel through or across China is diﬃ  cult. As 
  mentioned above, the rivers are the main “high-
  ways” for much of the country. Where there’s no 
  water route, land travel must suﬃ  ce. Railroads 
  link the major cities, particularly in the east. Th ere 
  are plenty of roads, but few are in good condition 
  and outside major cities almost none are paved. 
  Motorized vehicles are rare (and so is fuel); camels, 
  horses, mules, oxen, and human feet provide the 
  main means of getting from one place to another. 
  Th ere are few airﬁ elds, though away from the 
  mountains it’s usually possible to ﬁ nd a ﬂ at stretch 
  of land to put down on; fuel, again, is scarce.
  THE SOUTH 
  CHINA AND 
  YANGTZE 
  PATROLS
  During the Pulp era, 
  American gunboats 
  from the naval base in 
  the Philippines patrol 
  the South China Sea 
  and the Yangtze River 
  to ensure stability and 
  protect US interests in 
  China. (Other nations 
  oft en maintained similar 
  ﬂ eets.) Th ese ships, and 
  the sailors who manned 
  them, fought bandits 
  and pirates, escorted 
  American merchant 
  ships, and sometimes 
  even provided rides to 
  intrepid American trav-
  elers daring the interior 
  of the Middle Kingdom. 
  Many American sailors 
  enjoyed “China duty” 
  — the pay was high for 
  the region, and so was 
  the level of action and 
  excitement compared to 
  most Navy assignments.
  
  211 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  
  212 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  THE PEOPLE
  Ethnologists of the Pulp era generally group the 
  inhabitants of coastal and midlands China — the 
  ones PCs are most likely to meet, in other words 
  — into four groups:
  ■ Manchus, who tend to live north of the Yellow 
  River. Th ey’re tall and large, with faces Western-
  ers consider inexpressive.
  ■ in the southern Yellow River basin, a people that 
  mix the features of Manchu and southern Chi-
  nese. Th ey’re not as tall or strong-bodied, but 
  have more expressive faces.
  ■ in the Yangtze Valley, another “mingled” people, 
  but one that favors the southern Chinese more 
  than the Manchu
  ■ south of the Yangtze Valley are “true Chinese,” 
  who in comparison to the Manchu are short, 
  slender, graceful, and expressive
  As one gets away from the coasts and middle 
  regions, many other racial groups emerge. Only about 
  110,000 of the population of 475 million are white/
  European; most of those are Russian or British.
  In general, Chinese people are considered shy 
  and superstitious by outsiders. Th ey place great 
  store in luck and omens, and oft en consult sooth-
  sayers, experts in feng shui geomancy, and other 
  mystics. Th e “mysterious powers of the Far East” 
  are almost a cliché in the pulps; many a Masked 
  Crimeﬁ ghter or Two-Fisted Hero spent time in 
  China learning arcane abilities.
  Corruption
  “One who is familiar with Chinese politi-
  cal and social conditions expects to find 
  Peking corrupt and contented; nor is he 
  disappointed.”
  —James Arthur Muller, “Peking:  City Of 
  The Unexpected,” National Geographic, 
  November 1920
  Corruption is a fact of life in Chinese society. In 
  fact, the Chinese don’t even consider bribing oﬃ  cials 
  for favorable treatment corrupt; to them, paying 
  “cumshaw” or “tea money” for special favors is just 
  the way things are done. Characters who visit China 
  and try to get oﬃ  cials to take action will suﬀ er a -3 
  (or greater) penalty to their Bureaucracy rolls unless 
  they oﬀ er an appropriate emolument. (To some 
  extent this applies throughout continental Asia.)
  ECONOMY
  China is almost entirely an agricultural nation, 
  though it’s a large producer of coal and iron and is 
  noted for its porcelain and ceramics. Rice, wheat, 
  barley, corn, millet, peas, and beans are the main 
  crops; in the south sugar is also grown.
  Th e other main resource China has is human 
  labor. Building and development projects that other 
  nations perform with earthmoving machinery 
  or modern engineering techniques the Chinese 
  undertake with muscle, sweat, and blood.
  POLITICS
  China overthrew the Manchu Dynasty in 1911 
  and established a republic, but ever since internal 
  warfare has wracked the land. During the Pulp era, 
  an external aggressor — the Japanese — only makes 
  the situation worse. Four groups contend for power:
  The Nationalists:  Th e Kuomintang, or Nationalist 
  Party, nominally leads China. Since the death of its 
  founder, Sun Yat-sen, in 1925, the most powerful 
  man in the party has been Gen. Chiang Kai-shek, 
  commander of the Nationalist army and president 
  of the republic from 1928-31 and from December 
  1935 on. Typically the Nationalists maintain their 
  capital at Nanking.
  For most of the Twenties and Th irties, the main 
  adversary of the Nationalists is the Communists. So 
  ﬁ erce is Chiang Kai-shek’s hatred for the Reds that 
  in December 1936, Gen. Chang Hsueh-liang has to 
  kidnap Chiang to force him to agree to ally with the 
  Communists to ﬁ ght the Japanese — Chiang saw 
  the Communists as the greater threat, and preferred 
  to destroy the “bandits” among his own people than 
  repel an invader.
  The Communists:  Led in part by Mao Tse-tung, the 
  Communists want to establish a Marxist regime 
  in China. Early in the Twenties they enjoyed some 
  success, but beginning in 1927 Chiang Kai-shek 
  was in position to focus his eﬀ orts against them 
  more strongly. A series of defeats from 1927-1934 
  (including the quelling of the 1927 “autumn harvest 
  uprising”) forced the Red Army to undertake the 
  3,700-mile “Long March” west and then north from 
  its base in Kiangsi to Yenan. Th ereaft er ﬁ ghting with 
  the Kuomintang continued until the two forces allied 
  in late 1936 to ﬁ ght against the Japanese.
  The Tuchuns:  During the Pulp era many parts of 
  China, particularly in the north, were ruled by pro-
  vincial military governors — tuchuns, in Chinese. 
  Despite the formality of the term, these men were 
  warlords, pure and simple; they held power with 
  their wealth, inﬂ uence, and private armies. Th ey 
  oft en fought with each other, the Nationalists, or 
  the Communists for power or territory — and if 
  the opportunity presented itself had no qualms 
  about rebelling against the existing government 
  and attempting to take control of China themselves. 
  Some also engaged in banditry.
  The Japanese:  Even prior to the beginning of the 
  second Sino-Japanese War (see below), Japan was 
  frequently involved in China as part of her eﬀ orts 
  to establish an empire in Asia. Th e Japanese were 
  typically active in Manchuria, Shantung province, 
  and around Shanghai. In September 1931 the 
  Imperial army provoked the so-called “Mukden 
  Incident,” giving it an excuse to seize ﬁ rst a Man-
  churian railroad, then within ﬁ ve months the whole 
  of Manchuria (which it renamed Manchukuo; see 
  page 217). Beginning in January 1932, the Japanese 
  attacked Shanghai, using a major bombing raid 
  against a civilian population for the ﬁ rst time in 
  history. Th e city was returned to Chinese control 
  brieﬂ y, but in November 1935 Japan again invaded.
  UNIT 731
  As early as the occupa-
  tion of Manchuria in 
  1931, the Imperial Japa-
  nese Army began using 
  the Chinese, whom they 
  despised as sub-human, 
  for experiments to test 
  physical and biological 
  weapons. Th e medical 
  unit in charge of this 
  project was known 
  primarily by the desig-
  nation 731, and main-
  tained its headquarters 
  in prisons near Harbin.
  Th e experiments con-
  ducted upon unwilling 
  Chinese subjects (oft en 
  known as maruta, or 
  “logs”) ran the gamut of 
  horror and cruelty. In 
  addition to injecting vic-
  tims with diseases (the 
  plague, cholera, small-
  pox, and more) and then 
  vivisecting them alive to 
  check the results, Unit 
  731 used living subjects 
  for grenade, bomb, and 
  ﬂ amethrower tests, 
  starvation experiments, 
  simulated stroke experi-
  ments, and more. Other 
  gruesome tests included:
  —cutting oﬀ  limbs to 
  determine blood loss (in 
  some cases, limbs were 
  amputated and attached 
  to the opposite stump to 
  see what would happen)
  —injecting animal 
  blood into humans to 
  see the result
  —frostbite experiments 
  unto death
  —putting victims into 
  centrifuges or pressure 
  chambers until they 
  died
  —lethal x-ray 
  bombardment
  —surgical removal of 
  the stomach and attach-
  ment of the esophagus 
  directly to the intestines
  As a result of Unit 731’s 
  work, the army was 
  able to conduct large-
  scale biological warfare 
  against the Chinese. Th e 
  poisoning of ﬁ elds and 
  wells, and the dropping 
  Continued on next page
  
  213 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  In addition to these groups, other minor rebel-
  lions and uprisings occur here and there. In short, 
  most of the eastern half of China is a dangerous 
  and war-torn place that may expose travelers to all 
  sorts of peril. Keeping track of who owes allegiance 
  to whom and which army occupies what region 
  may confuse even the smartest Pulp hero!
  THE SINOJAPANESE WAR
  In July 1937, a confrontation between National-
  ist and Japanese forces at the Marco Polo Bridge 
  in Peking touched oﬀ  the second Sino-Japanese 
  War. Th e poorly-equipped Chinese forces were no 
  match for the eﬃ  cient Japanese military. Within 
  a month the Japanese controlled Peking and all 
  territory northward, had begun bombing Shang-
  hai, and virtually blockaded the Chinese coast. 
  Although United States forces kept the Japanese 
  from entering the American sector of Shanghai, 
  they took only  few months more to sweep over 
  that city, Shantung Province, and Nanking. During 
  the infamous “rape of Nanking” in December 1937, 
  Japanese soldiers murdered an estimated 200,000 
  Chinese civilians. Numerous atrocities, including 
  the use of living victims for bayonet practice, were 
  committed but didn’t become widely known for 
  decades.
  Aside from a few setbacks — such as the capture 
  of 40,000 troops at Taierchwang in April 1938 and 
  Chiang Kai-shek’s destruction of the Yellow River 
  dikes in June of that year — the Japanese continued 
  their string of victories through the end of the Pulp 
  era. Th ey captured Hankow and Canton, and even 
  bombed cities as far into the interior as Chungking. 
  In short:  characters adventuring in China in the 
  late Th irties will deﬁ nitely have to contend with the 
  Japanese occupation, one way or another.
  Air Adventure In Th e Middle Kingdom
  Pulp Hero GMs searching for a venue for Air 
  Adventure campaigns and scenarios that doesn’t 
  involve going all the way back to the Great War 
  need look no further than China. During the Sino-
  Japanese War, and in fact as early as 1930, some 
  brave American aviators were in China training 
  the pilots of the Chinese Air Force and helping the 
  Nationalist government try to ﬁ ght warlords and 
  the Japanese. Flyers from other nations, such as 
  Great Britain, Italy, and the USSR also took part. 
  One of the American aviators who served there was 
  Claire Chennault, who later organized the “Flying 
  Tigers” during World War II. He created the 14th 
  Volunteer Bombardment Squadron (also called 
  the International Air Squadron), a predominantly 
  American group of no more than a dozen pilots 
  stationed in Hankow that saw heavy action in 1938.
  The Cities
  China’s major cities tend to be large and densely 
  populated. Although many have suﬀ ered severe 
  damage from ﬁ re or attack during their long history 
  (sometimes more than once!), they still tend to have 
  narrow, cramped, twisting streets and little in the 
  way of modern amenities such as electricity and tele-
  phones. Foreigners visiting them may need an appro-
  priate City Knowledge Skill (or a guide) to have any 
  hope of ﬁ nding their way around without getting lost.
  CHUNGKING
  Located in central southwestern portion of 
  China proper on the Yangtze River, Chungking in 
  Szechwan Province is the most likely starting point 
  for characters trying to reach Tibet, Sinkiang, or 
  other regions further west. A city of 600,000, it’s 
  deﬁ ned as an open “sea” port by treaty, so much 
  trade goes on here via the river.
  In addition to traders and other outsiders, 
  Chungking is a frequent destination for the many 
  tribesmen who live in the nearby mountains and 
  isolated areas. Th e Chinese call them “the Eighteen 
  Nations,” though there are actually many more than 
  that. All this contact with non-Chinese inﬂ uences 
  makes Chungking one of the least “Chinese” of 
  China’s major cities.
  Most of the people in Szechwan are poor farm-
  ers growing rice, though peasants cultivate many 
  other crops throughout the province. Many of 
  them possess nothing more than a wheelbarrow 
  for moving loads. Carts are relatively rare, and 
  motorized vehicles rarer still; human porters do 
  most of the lift ing and carrying. However, in the 
  late Th irties, aft er the Japanese captured Shanghai, 
  Chinese ﬂ eeing that city carried over 100,000 tons 
  of machinery to Chungking, creating a new sector 
  of the economy. Accompanying them were doctors 
  bringing hospital equipment and supplies, oﬃ  -
  cials with government records, and thousands of 
  other refugees. Unfortunately this made the city an 
  attractive target for the Japanese; in May 1939, their 
  bombing raids killed over 7,000 Chinese.
  HONG KONG
  Located near the mouth of the Sikiang River 
  about 60 miles from Canton, Hong Kong is an 
  island that doesn’t belong to China — it’s a British 
  crown colony acquired in 1841. Th e “new territory” 
  of Kowloon, on the mainland, is also part of the 
  colony. It’s a major commercial and strategic port 
  for Great Britain. Th e population of the colony 
  approaches a million in the Pulp era, though less 
  than 20,000 of them are European. As of 1935, the 
  Governor-General is Sir William Peel.
  NANKING
  In the Twenties, Nanking was a poorly-devel-
  oped city. Within its approximately twenty miles 
  of walls were many areas given over to ﬁ elds and 
  pastures, rather than buildings or city services. 
  When the Nationalists made it the capital in 1928, 
  it still didn’t have reliable electricity, a water works, 
  or a sewer system. Th e government immediately 
  Continued from last page
  of infected supplies of 
  food and clothing, were 
  common tactics.
  OTHER SIGHTS 
  OF SZECHWAN
  Characters visiting 
  Chungking may also 
  want to see:
  —the large necropolis 
  located right outside 
  the city
  —Cheng-tu, a city 
  to the west that’s the 
  capital of the province 
  (and, in Chinese minds, 
  the capital of Tibet as 
  well). Over 2,300 years 
  old with a population 
  exceeding one million, 
  it’s surrounded by a 
  35 foot-tall wall and is 
  sometimes known as the 
  “Embroidered City” for 
  the hibiscus trees that 
  once graced it.
  —further west still, in 
  Chwanben (the east-
  ernmost part of Tibet 
  or a far western part of 
  China, depending on 
  whom you ask), stands 
  Litang Monastery. Trav-
  elers have dropped tan-
  talizing mentions of its 
  “corrupt” monks.
  
  214 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  began a modernization program, and by the time 
  of the Japanese occupation of the city it had been 
  transformed. All those services were now in place. 
  Hundreds of new buildings had been created, and 
  a new main thoroughfare, Chung Shan Road, was 
  literally cut through the city — it starts at the Yang-
  tse waterfront and runs to Banking Circle in the 
  heart of Nanking.
  Th e city’s social life was also enhanced. Although 
  dancing in public is generally forbidden (as are many 
  other practices under the “New Life Movement” of 
  austerity and embargoes), the International Club, 
  completed in 1935, has dancing until midnight most 
  nights and 1:00 AM on Saturdays. Dozens of new 
  restaurants, many built in the area around the Temple 
  of Confucius, provide food and drink; a pool hall and 
  cinema nearby oﬀ er additional entertainment.
  PEKING
  Oﬃ  cially known as Peiping, and until 1928 the 
  capital of China, Peking is diﬀ erent from most Chi-
  nese cities. Laid out on a gridwork of broad avenues 
  three miles long, it’s easy to navigate compared to 
  the likes of Shanghai and Canton. Cars, rickshaws, 
  camels, bikes, horses, carts, donkeys, and people clog 
  the streets, which are mostly lined with ordinary one-
  story buildings and fences. Th e main architectural 
  marvel is the Forbidden City, a vast palace compound 
  of magniﬁ cent buildings and monuments in the 
  very heart of the city. Th e former seat of the Chinese 
  emperors, the Forbidden City was once denied to 
  ordinary Chinese, but is now open to visitors. At tem-
  ples there and throughout the city, Taoist and Bud-
  dhist priests keep the ancient Chinese superstitions, 
  gods, legends, and festivals alive.
  Th e Great Wall Of China
  North of Peking adventurers may come across 
  one of the most amazing structures ever built by 
  man:  the Great Wall of China, which is more than 
  4,000 miles long counting all its various segments. 
  Wending over the hills like an undulating Chinese 
  dragon, the Wall was constructed in four stages 
  beginning in the early centuries B.C. to bar north-
  ern tribes from China. Built entirely with human 
  labor, it cost the lives of uncounted thousands of 
  unlucky workers during the construction. Th eir 
  bodies were thrown into the trench between the 
  two sides of the structure, making the Wall a gigan-
  tic cemetery as well as a defensive barrier.
  Twelve feet wide on top, with crenellated para-
  pets on either side, the Wall sometimes crosses 
  terrain so steep that travelers along it must climb 
  the stones like stairs or ladders. Guard towers 
  are spaced periodically along its length. No laws 
  protect the wall; many parts are in disrepair, and 
  people living near it oft en use it as a source of 
  building stones.
  SHANGHAI
  Perhaps the Chinese city best-known to West-
  erners (and certainly one used in many a Pulp 
  story), Shanghai — the “Paris of the East” — is on 
  the eastern coast near the mouth of the Yangtze. 
  Th e Whangpoo (or Huangpu) River runs through 
  it. Its population of 1.5 million gives it (and 
  Kiangsu Province) 874 persons per square mile, 
  making it one of the most densely populated places 
  in the world. Its harbor sees hundreds of ships a 
  year, and characters can also reach it by planes that 
  land at Hungjao Aerodrome (which has a monu-
  ment to Robert Short, an American aviator killed in 
  air combat with the Japanese on February 22, 1932).
  Foreigners
  Shanghai is also one of the most cosmopolitan, 
  if not the most cosmopolitan, cities in the world. 
  Its International Settlement and French Conces-
  sion have an estimated population of as many as 
  90,000 Westerners, and trade brings peoples from 
  all over the globe (particularly since passports and 
  visas aren’t required to enter, leave, or live there). 
  German Jews, White Russians, and others ﬂ eeing 
  oppression at home come here in great numbers. 
  It’s said that even the peoples of nations at war can 
  mingle freely and amicably on the streets of Shang-
  hai. Western control of some parts of the city is so 
  strong that Chinese are barred; for example, native 
  Chinese couldn’t enter Huangpu Park unaccompa-
  nied by a European until 1928.
  Th e International Settlement, a broad strip 
  of land north of the Huangpu, is administered 
  by a 14-member Municipal Council elected by 
  the non-French, permanent, tax-paying foreign 
  residents. Th e French Concession, south of the 
  western end of the International Settlement and 
  west of the Old City district, has a Consul-General 
  appointed by the French government. In eﬀ ect, 
  both areas are self-ruled entities over which the 
  Chinese exert no authority.
  CHINA IN
  YOUR GAME
  China makes a superb 
  setting for Pulp Hero 
  adventures because it’s 
  got something to oﬀ er 
  just about any character 
  or campaign. If you’re 
  interested in exploration 
  and archaeology, China’s 
  a vast land that’s been 
  inhabited for millennia; 
  it’s full of ruins, unex-
  plored nooks and cran-
  nies, fossils, and other 
  amazing things just 
  waiting to be discovered. 
  If mysticism and psychic 
  powers are what you’re 
  aft er, the Chinese have 
  a long tradition of sor-
  cery and superstition... 
  and Tibet’s right next 
  door. For Crimebusting 
  characters, the Green 
  Gang of Shanghai and 
  the Triads of Hong 
  Kong provide worthy 
  adversaries. If you need 
  a venue for military 
  action or Air Adventure, 
  eastern China’s wracked 
  with war for much of 
  the Pulp era. And of 
  course, war also brings 
  opportunities for espio-
  nage.
  In fact, China has so 
  much to oﬀ er that it 
  may become distracting! 
  A group of PCs who 
  goes to China can easily 
  become sidetracked by 
  everything that’s going 
  on. If the GM plans an 
  adventure in the Middle 
  Kingdom, he may want 
  to structure it so that 
  it’s reasonably straight-
  forward and contains 
  elements to keep the 
  characters focused on 
  the storyline (or bring 
  them back to it if they 
  stray).
  
  215 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  Night Life
  All this means entertainment opportunities 
  galore, and Shanghai is known as a city of lights and 
  festivities. Cinemas, nightclubs, dance halls, amuse-
  ment parks, restaurants, and stores exist in countless 
  numbers. For those interested in sampling the darker 
  side of Shanghai’s nightlife, gambling parlors, opium 
  dens, brothels, and just about anything else one can 
  imagine exists... if one has the price of admission. 
  Modern scholars estimate that Th irties Shanghai had 
  one prostitute per 150 people, a ratio far higher than 
  any other city in the world.
  Of all the many fabulous entertainment venues 
  in Th irties Shanghai, perhaps the most spectacular 
  was the Great World, on Yangjingbang West Street in 
  the French Concession. It was a gigantic place ﬁ lled 
  with things to delight and amuse:  the Public Hall, 
  where high-class prostitutes plied their trade; the 
  thousand-seat Grand Th eater, showing movies by day 
  and Peking Opera by night; roof gardens; pavilions; 
  restaurants; dancing ﬂ oors. Characters looking for an 
  upscale place to meet a contact might ﬁ nd it the ideal 
  location, since its four stories (plus four-story clock 
  tower) oﬀ er plenty of hiding places, as well as a crowd 
  to lose one’s self among — almost twenty thousand 
  people come to the Great World every day.
  Crime
  Shanghai isn’t necessarily the safest place in the 
  world for travelers. In addition to a plague of pick-
  pockets and thieves, there are eﬃ  cient organized 
  crime networks controlled by the powerful, centu-
  ries-old Triads. Th e murder rate is about 30,000 per 
  year (in contrast, the murder rate in New York City 
  in 1988 was 1,896). Th e black market is active and 
  thriving; anything someone wants, he can buy... for 
  the right price.
  Th e most prominent criminal group in the city 
  is the Green Gang, which controls prostitution, 
  gambling, and the opium trade. In the late Twen-
  ties and Th irties the Gang allied itself with Chiang 
  Kai-shek, attacking Communists, labor unions, and 
  wealthy businessmen, either to destroy them or to 
  force them to support Chiang.
  Attempting to keep all this crime under control 
  are various police forces. Th e Chinese have their own 
  police. Th e International Settlement has the Shanghai 
  Municipal Police, a force of as many as 6,000 oﬃ  cers 
  that includes many Sikh policemen brought in by 
  the British. In 1927, command of the SMP passed 
  to William Fairbairn, who along with Eric Sykes 
  would soon become known for the close-quarters 
  ﬁ ghting techniques developed in part through their 
  experiences policing the rough streets of Shanghai. 
  Th e International Settlement also has the Shanghai 
  Volunteer Corps, a 1,600-man strong volunteer police 
  force organized by the British and Americans. Many 
  wealthy people hire bodyguards (oft en Russians) to 
  protect them wherever they go.
  Espionage is another common phenomena. 
  Agents and operatives of Russia, practically every 
  country in Europe, Japan, the US, and more come 
  here as part of the “great game.” Pulp Hero characters 
  who aren’t careful may ﬁ nd themselves swept up in a 
  plot that has international implications!
  Learning
  Th anks to the free speech and press guaranteed 
  for all citizens by the foreign population, Shanghai 
  is a center of Chinese learning and scholarship. Chi-
  nese intellectuals gravitate there in large numbers, 
  and both Western and Chinese students attend its 
  many private schools and universities. Pulp adven-
  turers may have to go to Shanghai to ﬁ nd a white-
  bearded old Chinese scholar who knows how to 
  translate their treasure map, or in whose mind lies 
  the lore to help them unravel a riddle.
  Finance
  Shanghai is also an important center of world 
  ﬁ nance, with numerous banks and brokerages located 
  in the Bund area along the Whangpoo. It’s said that 
  engineers routinely check the Hong Kong & Shanghai 
  Bank’s foundations to make sure it’s not sinking into 
  the silty ground due to the weight of the silver in its 
  vaults! Th ere are two stock exchanges and four other 
  commodities markets to keep speculators and traders 
  busy. Until the late Th irties Shanghai was also China’s 
  leading industrial center; ironically, the ﬁ rst factories 
  were built by the Japanese aft er the Sino-Japanese 
  War of 1894-95 gave them greater power in the city. 
  With so much money and foreign investment ﬂ oat-
  ing around, it’s a boom town where real estate prices 
  are high and buildings, both in Chinese and Art Deco 
  styles, are going up everywhere.
  Mongolia
  Mongolia, a region north of China and south 
  of Siberia, consists of two areas. Inner Mongolia, 
  the southern part, includes the Gobi and Ordo 
  deserts, as well as some non-desertiﬁ ed areas. 
  Outer Mongolia (also called Northwest Mongolia) 
  is a plateau with many lakes and rivers. In both 
  regions herding is the main occupation; farming is 
  uncommon. Th ere are a few cities here and there, 
  such as Urga and Kobdo, which are mostly stops 
  along caravan routes.
  In 1915 Mongolia declared its independence 
  from China. It was recognized as an “Autonomous 
  Republic,” though a treaty between the USSR and 
  China acknowledged China’s control over the area, 
  and in 1919 Chinese Nationalist forces occupied 
  much of the country. In the early Twenties, the 
  northwestern part of Outer Mongolia declared 
  itself the independent republic of Tannu Tuva. A 
  treaty between the USSR and Mongolia recognizes 
  this nation, which models itself along Soviet lines 
  and is essentially a Soviet protectorate.
  THE MAD BARON OF MONGOLIA
  One of the most intriguing ﬁ gures of the Pulp 
  era rose to prominence in Mongolia in 1920. Roman 
  Nicolaus Fyodorovich von Ungern-Sternberg was a 
  Menshevik (White Russian) sent to the Russian Far 
  East by the Provisional Government with Grigory 
  Semenov to establish a White military presence there 
  aft er the February Revolution. Aft er the Bolsheviks 
  triumphed in November 1917, Semenov and von 
  Ungern-Sternberg declared themselves against both 
  the new Bolshevik government and Aleksandr Kol-
  SINKIANG
  Also known as Chinese 
  Turkestan or Chinese 
  Tartary, Sinkiang is 
  the far northwestern 
  region of China. It’s a 
  desolate area bordering 
  Tibet, Mongolia, and 
  Kazakhstan, and has a 
  population of about 2.5 
  million. In addition to 
  agriculture and herding, 
  its main resource is jade.
  In 1933, the people 
  of Sinkiang declared 
  the region around 
  the city of Kashgar 
  independent of China, 
  naming their country 
  Eastern Turkestan (or 
  sometimes Uiguristan). 
  Unfortunately for them, 
  the Kuomintang govern-
  ment responded nega-
  tively. Allied with Hui 
  forces, it sacked Kashgar 
  in 1934, crushing East-
  ern Turkestan’s hopes 
  for freedom. But in your 
  Pulp Hero game, perhaps 
  a group of intrepid PCs 
  could tip the conﬂ ict the 
  other way....
  
  216 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  chak, leader of the Mensheviks. Th ey received the sup-
  port of the Japanese, who wanted Semenov to head a 
  puppet state for them in the Far East.
  Von Ungern-Sternberg soon earned the 
  nicknames “the Mad Baron” and “the Bloody 
  Baron” — the former for his eccentric behavior, 
  the latter for the cruelty with which he treated 
  both his subordinates and the local populace. 
  Leading an army composed of Cossacks, Rus-
  sian troops, and Buryat tribesmen, he plundered 
  trains, destroyed villages, tortured people, and 
  committed other depredations. In 1920 he broke 
  from Semenov, becoming an independent war-
  lord with an avowed desire to restore the Ching 
  Dynasty and use it to rule East Asia himself, 
  restore the Romanovs to the Russian throne, and 
  destroy the Jews. His men butchered any Jews 
  they found (many had fled east to avoid troubles 
  in West Asia), often using torturous methods 
  such as flaying or burning them alive. As a Bud-
  dhist, he felt that killing people wasn’t wrong, 
  since if they were too weak to defend themselves 
  they’d be reincarnated as something better in 
  their next lives.
  A student of mysticism and the occult, von 
  Ungern-Sternberg was fascinated by Buddhism 
  and other Eastern philosophies. He also suppos-
  edly studied alchemy and astrology, and knew 
  how to enter the Hollow Earth. A skilled duelist, 
  he killed several officers in personal combat or 
  when he went on one of his frequent drunken 
  rampages (during which he kept track of the 
  percentage of people he shot at that he hit, main-
  taining a consistent 50% record).
  In late 1920 and early 1921, von Ungern-
  Sternberg entered Mongolia (according to some 
  authorities, at the invitation of Mongolian civil 
  and religious officials; according to others, on 
  his own). After he several tries (at least some of 
  which were dictated by astrological forecasts), 
  he drove the Chinese Nationalists from Urga 
  (after which his men looted, raped, and pillaged 
  throughout the city according to some accounts). 
  On March 13, 1921 he became ruler of Mongolia. 
  This only confirmed his belief that he was a rein-
  carnation of Genghis Khan. But in the summer 
  of 1921, the Red Army moved against him, his 
  own soldiers turned on him, and he was cap-
  tured while wearing numerous mystic talismans. 
  In September 21, 1921, the Soviets tried and 
  executed him...
  ...but that doesn’t have to be the end of the 
  story in your Pulp Hero campaign. It might be 
  more fun to keep such a fascinating character 
  alive until the Thirties as the “white khan of 
  Mongolia” so your PCs can encounter him.
  JAPAN
  Government: 
  Empire
  Ruler: 
  Emperor Hirohito; Premier 
  Adm. Keisuki Okada
  Capital: 
  Tokyo
  Population: 
  65,000,000
  Language(s): 
  Japanese
  Currency: 
  Yen
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, manufacturing, 
  cotton, silk, textiles
  Religion(s): 
  Shinto, Buddhism
  Military: 
  280,000
  Japan, the leading power in Asia, is a land of 
  strength and ﬁ erce national pride. Its leaders have 
  designs on the whole of the Orient... and many 
  people in the West fear they’ll succeed.
  Japan is an archipelago of four main islands 
  — Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu — as 
  well as a host of smaller islands and island groups. 
  As a group they stretch from the subtropical to the 
  subarctic zone, creating a wide variety of climates 
  and ecologies across the nation. It’s an oft en moun-
  tainous and heavily-forested land, but lacks many 
  resources (including oil), thus making it dependent 
  on foreign trade. One of the motivations for empire 
  — to “bring the eight corners of the world under 
  one roof” — is a desire to eliminate this problem.
  ECONOMY
  Japan’s economy is in poor shape for most of 
  the Pulp era. On September 1, 1923, a devastating 
  earthquake struck Yokohama, one of the empire’s 
  chief ports, destroying both that city and the capi-
  tal of Tokyo. Th e devastation killed as many as 
  300,000, injured another half a million, and left  
  over two million people homeless. Th e ﬁ res caused 
  by the aft ermath were so enormous that people ten 
  miles away could read by the light they gave oﬀ . 
  Rebuilding the shattered city cost two billion dol-
  lars (nearly half of Japan’s gross national product), 
  sending the economy into a tailspin. (Other major 
  quakes and disasters, including at Kyoto on March 
  9, 1927 and Honshu on March 3, 1933, only made 
  matters worse.) As it was starting to recover, the 
  Depression hit. Th anks to a combination of Japan’s 
  lack of raw materials, increased foreign tariﬀ s 
  around the world, the slump in agricultural prices, 
  and a population explosion of a million births a 
  year, the Depression had a particularly severe eﬀ ect 
  on the land of the rising sun. Increased military 
  spending in the mid- to late Th irties helped to 
  improve the situation — by 1936, half of Japan’s 
  budget was devoted to military matters — but 
  many Japanese lived in grinding poverty and near-
  starvation, particularly in rural areas.
  POLITICS
  Technically, Japan is an empire, with supreme 
  authority invested in Emperor Hirohito, who 
  ascended to the throne following the death of his 
  father Yoshihito in December 1926. In fact, Hiro-
  hito is weak, lacking in conﬁ dence, tightly restricted 
  by oﬃ  cial protocol and customs, and ineﬀ ectual. 
  JAPAN IN
  YOUR GAME
  For campaigns taking 
  place in the Paciﬁ c or east-
  ern Asia, Japan can ﬁ ll the 
  role that Nazi Germany 
  plays elsewhere. As the 
  existence of Unit 731 and 
  actions such as the attack 
  on Nanking show, the Jap-
  anese military was capable 
  of just as much cruelty as 
  Nazi Germany is usually 
  associated with. Similarly, 
  Japan has the same sort of 
  military/imperial ambi-
  tions as Germany. When 
  you combine this with the 
  “yellow peril” theme of 
  the Pulps, you can easily 
  set up Japanese soldiers 
  and Kempeitai agents as 
  the same sort of cannon 
  fodder opponents as Nazi 
  soldiers. But of course, not 
  all of them are so dispos-
  able — just like important 
  Nazi villains, some Japa-
  nese adversaries are clever, 
  wily, and ruthless, a match 
  for any Pulp hero.
  If the campaign features 
  a Fiendish Oriental Mas-
  termind as a major vil-
  lain, you should consider 
  how he interacts with 
  the Japanese and their 
  plans of conquest for East 
  Asia. Most FOMs are 
  Chinese, and the Chinese 
  and Japanese loathe one 
  another. Pulp PCs who 
  ﬁ ght against Japan might 
  ﬁ nd themselves subtly 
  (or not so subtly) aided 
  by the GM’s version of Fu 
  Manchu. Or perhaps the 
  FOM is secretly manipu-
  lating Japan in a long-
  term eﬀ ort to weaken the 
  Land of the Rising Sun.
  On the other hand, what 
  if the Fiendish Oriental 
  Mastermind is Japanese? 
  He could be manipulat-
  ing the Empire, but to 
  strengthen it. Maybe he, 
  not the military, is the real 
  power behind the throne. 
  On the other hand, maybe 
  he’s an ardent follower of 
  ancient Japanese ways, 
  despises the current mili-
  tary and culture, and just 
  wants to return Japan to 
  its isolation and samurai 
  swords.
  
  217 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  Th e 1889 constitution severely limits his power, 
  and even if it didn’t, in the Pulp era the military 
  wields most of the authority in Japan — though the 
  bureaucracy, the Diet (legislature), various nation-
  alist societies (see below), and the zaibatsu business 
  conglomerates all jockey for power as well.
  Resentment in Japan over what the Japanese saw 
  as the West cutting Japan out of the Versailles set-
  tlement, hobbling it with naval restriction treaties, 
  discriminating against it with high tariﬀ s, and in 
  the case of the US unjustly prohibiting immigration 
  fueled the ﬁ res of Japanese nationalism and milita-
  rism during the Th irties. Right-wing secret societies 
  and blood brotherhoods such as the Black Dragon 
  Society and Cherry Blossom Society sprung up 
  all around Japan to support the cause of Japanese 
  superiority, military power, and empire.
  By the early Th irties, right-wing military leaders 
  and politicians controlled Japanese politics. It was 
  their policies that sent Japan into Manchuria (see 
  below) and that led to the Sino-Japanese War — a 
  war that imposed signiﬁ cant austerities and sacri-
  ﬁ ces on the people. Many military leaders soon rec-
  ognized that the war was futile due to the size, popu-
  lation, and chaotic nature of China, but they dared 
  not seek peace lest Japan lose face before the world.
  Th anks to these prevailing attitudes, characters 
  visiting Japan may encounter many diﬃ  culties. 
  Customs oﬃ  cials will scrutinize them, their docu-
  mentation, and their luggage closely; policemen 
  will keep a close eye on them and even harass them. 
  Th e conﬁ scation or banning of items and practices 
  deemed “dangerous” is common.
  TOKYO
  Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is a city of approxi-
  mately 2.5 million people. It’s a curious mix of the 
  modern and the primitive. Destroyed by the 1923 
  earthquake, Tokyo was rebuilt in the Twenties. 
  During that time it was mostly a miserable, dirty, 
  ramshackle place ﬁ lled with wooden shacks and 
  construction equipment. Th e area most quickly 
  rebuilt was the Yoshiwara red light district, whose 
  brothel-keepers could pay the highest construction 
  wages (in part because the tragedy forced many 
  Japanese to sell their daughters into prostitution 
  rather than see them starve).
  On March 24, 1930, Tokyo formally celebrated 
  the end of its rebuilding. By that time the city 
  had been transformed. Gone was the old capital, 
  replaced by a new city of straight, wide, paved 
  streets. Wooden bridges had become sturdy con-
  crete spans, new canals were in place, and new 
  parks laid out. A hundred thousand cars sped 
  through the new streets, up from 12,000 at the time 
  of the quake — and people without their own cars 
  could ride on the subway (opened December 1927), 
  the ﬁ rst in Asia. But despite the drive for modern-
  ization and improvement, poverty and backward-
  ness still existed. Th ere was no modern sewer 
  system. Many of the new schools and housing 
  buildings were cheaply-made, and there were fewer 
  than a hundred thousand phones in the entire city. 
  Away from the major roads, the shacks and hovels 
  of the rebuilding oft en remained.
  Business in Tokyo is brisk, for it’s one of the 
  ﬁ nancial capitals of the Orient. In the Marunouchi 
  district, its equivalent of Wall Street, stock brokers 
  and ﬁ nanciers do millions of dollars’ worth of busi-
  ness every day. In the Ginza, the shopping district, 
  stores use glitzy displays to attract buyers, and male 
  customers are oft en accompanied by “stick girls” 
  (pretty girls who accompany them as they walk 
  around and shop).
  Th e heart of Tokyo is the Imperial Palace, 
  located in the center of the city. Th e emperor and 
  his servants live there behind high, sturdy walls. 
  Th e public is not allowed to enter.
  MANCHURIA MANCHUKUO
  Manchuria is the northeasternmost region of 
  China; it borders Chosen, the USSR, and Outer 
  Mongolia. Aft er planting explosives on the Mukden 
  railroad line in September 1931, the Imperial 
  Japanese Army used the “incident” as an excuse to 
  invade the region. Within ﬁ ve months, it was under 
  Japanese control. Tokyo renamed it “Manchukuo” 
  and established a puppet government led by the last 
  Manchu emperor, Henry Pu Yi, who was crowned 
  “emperor” in February 1934. Despite some clashes 
  with Nationalist China, Chinese warlords, and the 
  USSR, Japan retained control of the area until its 
  defeat in World War II.
  FORMOSA
  Th e island of Formosa (also known as Taiwan) 
  has been a Japanese possession since 1895. It has 
  a few urban areas — such as the port of Keelung 
  (where most visitors enter) and the capital of Tai-
  hoku — but is mostly rural. Of the population of 
  roughly 4.5 million, there are only about 300,000 
  Japanese and foreigners. Th e rest are people Chi-
  nese descent, or aboriginal tribes.
  Th e native tribal peoples are probably of 
  Malayan and/or Polynesian origin. Th ey number 
  about 150,000, divided into eight distinctive cul-
  tural groups. Th e Japanese split them into “ripe” 
  and “raw” categories. Th e ripe natives live on the 
  borderlands and have mostly adopted Chinese 
  ways. Th e “raw” natives are a diﬀ erent story. Driven 
  inland by camphor timbering, they’re savage head-
  hunters. Th eir villages have open-air displays of the 
  skulls of enemies they’ve slain, and chiefs main-
  tain their own private collections of skulls. Th e 
  Chinese sold these tribes riﬂ es before abandoning 
  the islands; unable to get ammunition, they carve 
  bullets from hard wood and make percussion caps 
  from match heads. Th e Japanese have set up an 
  electriﬁ ed fence-like barrier to keep the raw natives 
  away from their parts of the island. Fortunately for 
  Pulp Hero characters, these tribes tend to consider 
  anyone who’s not Chinese or Japanese as their 
  brothers — in their world-view, there are only three 
  peoples, and someone who’s not from China or 
  Japan must be one of their own. 
  Th e main industry in Formosa is camphor pro-
  duction; it’s one of the world’s leading sources of 
  the substance. A single camphor laurel 12 feet in 
  diameter can yield $5,000 of camphor.
  THE KEMPEITAI
  Th e Kempeitai, Japan’s 
  eﬃ  cient and ruthless 
  military police (and 
  secret police), may cause 
  problems for Pulp Hero 
  characters adventur-
  ing in Japan or Japan’s 
  sphere of inﬂ uence. Th e 
  organization’s responsi-
  bilities included censor-
  ship, intelligence gather-
  ing, counter-intelligence, 
  granting (or denying) 
  travel permits, propa-
  ganda, internal security, 
  operating prisoner of 
  war and forced-labor 
  camps, and providing 
  “comfort women” for 
  oﬃ  cial brothels main-
  tained for Japanese sol-
  diers. Th e Kempeitai has 
  a headquarters in each 
  army area. A headquar-
  ters is divided into ﬁ eld 
  oﬃ  ces, and then into 
  various sections, subsec-
  tions, and squads.
  Kempeitai oﬃ  cers have 
  the power to arrest 
  any civilian (except 
  for very high-ranking 
  government oﬃ  cials), 
  and any military per-
  sonnel below them in 
  rank or no more than 
  three ranks above them. 
  Arrestees are presumed 
  guilty, and the oﬃ  cer 
  may impose a punish-
  ment without taking the 
  victim to court. Dressed 
  in an oﬃ  cial uniform 
  with an insignia of the 
  characters for “law” and 
  “soldier,” or in civilian 
  garb if authorized, they 
  carried pistols (plus a 
  saber for oﬃ  cers and 
  a bayonet for enlisted 
  personnel, who oft en 
  also carried a shinai, or 
  bamboo sword).
  Related to, but distinct 
  from, the Kempeitai is 
  the thought police, more 
  formally known as the 
  Th ought Section of the 
  Criminal Aﬀ airs Bureau. 
  Founded in 1927, the 
  thought police were 
  assigned to root out 
  subversive thinking and 
  activities, particularly 
  members of the out-
  lawed Communist Party.
  
  218 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  CHOSEN
  Chosen, also known as Korea, was annexed by 
  Japan in 1910. Governor-General Gen. Gazushiga 
  Ugaki administrates it from the capital at Seoul. 
  Despite extensive agricultural, timber, and mining 
  resources, Chosen requires infusions of millions of 
  yen annually from Tokyo to maintain its budget. 
  During the Pulp era, nationalist sentiments and dis-
  turbances are on the rise throughout the country, 
  forcing Japan to keep soldiers there to quell unrest.
  During their tenure as rulers of Chosen, the 
  Japanese have built almost 5,000 miles of railroads 
  and begun an extensive reforestation program. To 
  free up arable land, they instituted a “grave tax” for 
  all Koreans who wouldn’t move the graves on their 
  land to designated government cemeteries. During 
  the moving process, many grave-goods, including 
  celadon (sea-green porcelain) of the Korai period 
  (900-1392 AD), which no one knows how to make 
  anymore, found their way onto the market.
  TIBET
  Government: 
  Theocracy
  Ruler: 
  The Dalai Lama
  Capital: 
  Lhasa
  Population: 
  2,000,000
  Language(s): 
  Tibetan
  Currency: 
  N/A
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, livestock, musk, 
  mining
  Religion(s): 
  Lamaism (Tibetan Buddhism)
  Military: 
  N/A
  Tibet (also spelled Th ibet) is an isolated moun-
  tain plateau in the Himalayas. Th e average elevation 
  of the region is 15,600 feet above sea level, creat-
  ing a climate that’s usually dry and cool. But Tibet 
  can become slouchingly hot due to the thinness of 
  the air, or feature torrential rains in some places at 
  certain times of the year — due to its size, and its 
  many elevations, it’s diﬃ  cult to characterize.
  Tibet is claimed by China, though the Tibetans 
  expelled Chinese soldiers garrisoned there aft er 
  the Chinese Revolution of 1911, and no eﬀ ort has 
  been made to retake the area. Like Nepal, Tibet is 
  a closed society. Outsiders are only allowed in with 
  permission, and it’s said that any foreigners caught 
  in Tibet without permission will be killed.
  Th e Tibetan people are of unknown origin; they 
  don’t precisely resemble Chinese, Malays, or Indi-
  ans. Th ey’re usually farmers or herders, and some-
  times live in polygamous or polyandrous families. 
  Women control home life, and according to custom 
  must approve all family business transactions. Th e 
  typical food is samba (barley meal) and butter 
  tea, with meat added as opportunity and ﬁ nances 
  permit; the clothing consists of sturdy woolen and 
  sheepskin garments.
  Some parts of Tibet are dangerous, with brig-
  ands and bandits preying on innocent people. 
  Haled, or blood feuds, between families sometimes 
  add to the strife. But Tibetans also make good 
  friends and allies; they even have a custom of two 
  people swearing “contracts” of friendship.
  Travel in Tibet is diﬃ  cult. Th ere are no cars, and 
  planes are forbidden. Th e only way to go is on foot 
  over the oft en-mountainous landscape, or by water 
  — and even at the height of summer snow oft en 
  clogs the passes. Th e Tibetans use porters or yaks to 
  carry heavy loads.
  TIBETAN BUDDHISM
  Tibet is a very religious country that follows 
  its own form of Buddhism, known as Lamaism. 
  It’s been described as a “veneer” of Buddhism over 
  Bon, the Tibetans’ ancient form of “devil-worship,” 
  though it’s much more complex than that. Tibetans 
  are very superstitious, believing in all sorts of spir-
  its, devils, and omens.
  An estimated one-seventh to one-third of the 
  Tibetan male population are lamas, or monks. Th ey 
  live in large lamaseries, or monasteries, throughout 
  the land; many are built on mountaintops as much 
  as 18,000 feet above sea level. Th e lamaseries hold 
  most of the art and valuable objects in the country, 
  and are oft en quite wealthy in other ways. Some 
  lamas group themselves into various sects, such 
  as the Gelugspa (Yellow Hats) and Karmapas (Red 
  Hats), based on customs and beliefs.
  GOVERNMENT
  Tibet is a theocracy governed by the Dalai 
  Lama, the greatest religious ﬁ gure in the country. 
  From the enormous and beautiful Potala Palace 
  in the capital of Lhasa (a city no white man ever 
  visited until 1904), he rules his people with the help 
  of a vast religious bureaucracy. However, as of 1935 
  the head of the Reting Lamasery actually rules the 
  country. Th e former Dalai Lama died in 1933, and 
  according to Lamaist doctrine was reincarnated as 
  an infant born at the moment of his death. Until 
  the new Dalai Lama reaches age 18, the Reting 
  leader serves as regent.
  Ranked immediately below the Dalai Lama in 
  the sociopolitical hierarchy are the three Galon 
  Lamas. Below them are other lamas, followed by lay 
  government oﬃ  cials, then village headmen (usually 
  the wealthiest local man), then ordinary people, 
  then servants and slaves. Standing as a rival to the 
  Dalai Lama is the Tashi Lama, who also reincar-
  nates (the current one dies in 1937); he favors the 
  Chinese instead of the British.
  THE 
  REDOUBTABLE 
  YAK
  Th e primary domesti-
  cated animal in Tibet, the 
  Himalayas, and nearby 
  regions is the yak, which 
  is a humpbacked bovine 
  about 1 meter (.5”) tall at 
  the shoulder that weighs 
  around 500 kg (wild 
  yaks can be up to twice 
  that height and weight). 
  Most are brown or black 
  in color; some domesti-
  cated ones are white; they 
  have long, shaggy hair to 
  protect them from cold 
  weather (they can survive 
  temperatures as low as 
  -40o C [-40o F]). Th ey 
  make a grunting sound 
  rather than a moo.
  Th e Tibetans keep yaks 
  primarily for their 
  meat, and for their 
  milk (which is pink), 
  but also use them as 
  plow animals, beasts of 
  burden, and sources of 
  wool, hides, and horns. 
  In HERO System terms, 
  you can use the Buﬀ alo/
  Cattle character sheet on 
  page 141 of Th e HERO 
  System Bestiary to rep-
  resent the yak, but give 
  them Life Support (Safe 
  Environment:  Intense 
  Cold) to represent their 
  resistance to Himalayan 
  temperatures.
  Technically, the word 
  yak refers only to the 
  male animal; the female 
  is a dri or nak. Some 
  Tibetans crossbreed 
  yaks and cattle to create 
  a dzo; dzos make good 
  pack animals.
  
  219 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  [F]rom the days of the early discoverers 
  the lands and peoples of the Polynesian 
  archipelagoes have periodically claimed 
  the attention and excited the imagination 
  of civilized mankind.
  —Robert Cushman Murphy, “The Ro-
  mance of Science in Polynesia,” Na-
  tional Geographic, October 1925
  T
  he islands of the South Seas hold a strong 
  attraction for pulp authors and readers. 
  Many a Pulp adventure takes place amid 
  the beaches, jungles, and volcanoes of 
  the thousands of islands scattered across the vast 
  reaches of the Paciﬁ c. And who knows what other 
  mysterious islands, never before discovered by man 
  and perhaps inhabited by monsters or creatures 
  long extinct elsewhere, might exist, just waiting for 
  your heroes to stumble across them?
  OCEANIA
  Government: 
  Colonial possessions of various 
  powers, primarily Great Britain, 
  France, Japan, and the United 
  States
  Ruler: 
  Various colonial administrators
  Capital: 
  Varies
  Population: 
  Varies
  Language(s): 
  Hundreds of different tongues
  Currency: 
  Varies
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, copra, timber, 
  phosphate mining
  Religion(s): 
  Christianity, various native 
  faiths
  Military: 
  N/A
  Th e peoples of Oceania are of Polynesian or 
  Melanesian stock. Th e main Polynesian races are the 
  Maoris, Fijians, Samoans, and Tongans. Travelers 
  describe them as round-headed and narrow-nosed, 
  with light brown skin, round eyes, and lanky black 
  hair. Melanesian races have long head, tall noses, 
  darker skin, black frizzy hair, and low orbits of the 
  eyes; compared to the Polynesians they’re short, and 
  not as ﬁ nely-featured. Some commentators describe 
  the Melanesians as savage, even treacherous; the 
  more advanced Polynesians are keen traders.
  In the pulps, it’s not uncommon for native 
  Oceanic peoples to have all sorts of strange cus-
  toms, including cannibalism, headhunting, and 
  sorcery practiced by foul witch-doctors. While in 
  real life the more extreme practices were probably 
  rare (at best) by the Pulp era, the GM shouldn’t 
  let reality dissuade him if he’s got an idea for an 
  exciting South Seas adventure that requires can-
  nibalistic tribesmen!
  Most Oceanic peoples live in longhouses or huts 
  made from native woods. Common foods include 
  the coconut, breadfruit, yam, taro, and sweet potato. 
  Most of the islands have relatively little fauna 
  besides birds, though there are exceptions (such as 
  the crocodiles of the Solomon Islands). Th e volca-
  nic soil is fertile; other than agriculture, the main 
  industry is oft en phosphate mining. A few of the 
  islands, such as the Carolines and Easter Islands, 
  have mysterious ruins whose origin and purpose 
  remain unknown.
  Describing all of Oceania would take a book far 
  larger than this one! Some of the principal islands 
  of the region include:
  EASTER ISLAND
  Perhaps the most famous and mysterious of the 
  South Seas islands is Easter Island, located far to the 
  east and south (it’s a possession of Chile) and inhab-
  ited by a single village of about 250 natives. Scattered 
  around the island are more than 600 carved statues 
  and images called moai; they’re oft en placed in groups 
  of six to twelve. Quarried from the compressed ash 
  stone of Rano Raraku peak using ﬂ aked stone tools, 
  the statues are typically half-length (torso and head) 
  human ﬁ gures of distinctive appearance/shape. Most 
  ﬁ gures’ hands nearly meet at the bottom of the statue, 
  their noses are long and straight, and their ears have 
  lobes elongated to a sort of ﬂ eshy rope. Th ey typically 
  range from six to thirty feet (1”-5”) tall. Many used 
  to stand on ahu, burial-places formed of stones that 
  are common throughout most of the island, but have 
  long since fallen over or sunk into the ground. No one 
  knows who made the statues, or why. No doubt some 
  Pulp Hero characters will ﬁ nd the mystery intriguing 
  enough to launch investigations of their own....
  Also present on the island are stone tablets dis-
  playing an undeciphered script known as
  rongorongo. In 1932, Wilhelm de Hevesy noted a 
  similarity between some of the Easter Island char-
  acters and those found on seals at Mohenjo-daro in 
  the Indus Valley of India, but even in the twenty-
  ﬁ rst century rongorongo remains unreadable.
  THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
  Th e archipelago of Hawaii is a US possession with 
  a population of 370,000 and its capital at Honolulu. 
  It’s sometimes referred to as “the crossroads of the 
  Paciﬁ c,” because most trans-Paciﬁ c traﬃ  c stops there 
  to refuel, resupply, or rest. At 2,400 miles from San 
  Francisco, they’re about a ﬁ ve-day trip by ship, but just 
  a few hours’ journey in a plane.
  
  220 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Hawaii is particularly volcanic. Th e largest active 
  volcano in the world, Kilauea, is on the island of 
  Hawaii proper; so are Mauna Kea (quiescent) and 
  Mauna Loa (active). Pulp heroes visiting Hawaii may 
  ﬁ nd themselves ﬁ ghting evil cults devoted to dark 
  versions of the volcano-goddess Pele (the native 
  Hawaiians have a rich culture and mythology).
  MICRONESIA
  Micronesia is a large group of islands east of the 
  Philippines and north of New Guinea that includes 
  the Carolina Islands and the Marshall Islands. For-
  merly German possessions, they’re now controlled 
  by Japan.
  Ponape, in the eastern Carolines, is an island with 
  much to intrigue Pulp adventurers. Its people are 
  generally easy-going, but temperamental enough to 
  revolt if made to work too hard or at tasks they don’t 
  like. Th ey belong to ﬁ ve tribes, and the tribes don’t 
  always get along. Th eir island features several ruined 
  cities whose nature and history aren’t known. On 
  the east coast is Nanmatal (“in many openings”), a 
  city whose thirty foot tall (5”) stone walls still stand 
  proud, but whose network of canals is now ﬁ lled 
  with sand. Part of the city may have sunk into sand 
  or sea; no one has excavated to ﬁ nd out. Th e only 
  artifacts gathered from the city — a metal spearhead, 
  and a stone with two Chinese ideograms found 
  around 1880 — have both been lost. Nanmatal’s 
  creators and purpose were already forgotten when 
  Europeans arrived in 1595. Th ere are other ruins 
  near the port of Ronkiti, and more on the nearby 
  island of Kusaie. Th e natives believe the gods punish 
  anyone who intrudes in any of the ruins.
  Yap, on the far western end of Micronesia, is 
  famed for its ancient currency — large yellowish 
  disks of limestone 4-11 feet (.75-1.75”) in diameter 
  with a hole in the center. Th e Yapese no longer use 
  this form of money, but examples of it remain and 
  might make an interesting relic for Pulp Hero char-
  acters to transport to a museum.
  NAURU
  Nauru, the Pleasant Island, lies just south of 
  Micronesia and west of the Gilbert Islands. Origi-
  nally claimed by the Germans, it’s now a British 
  mandate administered by Australia. Its 2,500 
  natives have a reputation as ﬁ erce (but not can-
  nibalistic) warriors; feuds, oft en involving the use 
  of riﬂ es obtained in trades with Europeans, are 
  common. Th ey measure wealth by ownership of 
  coconut trees. Intriguingly, the Nauruans have no 
  signiﬁ cant religion, body of myth, or priesthood.
  Nauru possesses commercial importance 
  because it’s a major source of phosphates. Mining 
  has brought a number of Europeans to the island, 
  which now has electricity, a bakery, a refrigeration 
  plant, and even some indoor plumbing. Th e only 
  other export is copra. It has no harbor, so ships 
  must land at constructed moorings.
  TAHITI
  A French possession that’s part of the Society 
  Islands of Polynesia, Tahiti consists of two land 
  masses linked by an isthmus; it has a population 
  of forty thousand (which includes almost 6,000 
  Frenchmen and other Westerners). It has a well-
  deserved reputation as a tropical paradise — life 
  is easy (especially for Europeans), the people are 
  friendly, the climate superb. Familiar to Europeans 
  from the paintings of Gauguin, it attracts many 
  visitors to its black sand beaches, blue lagoons, and 
  green lawns. From the capital of Papeete, a French 
  governor rules over all the French possessions in 
  the area, including the Marquesas and the Tubuai 
  Islands. Th e mail-boat arrives monthly for people 
  who must have contact with the outside world.
  AUSTRALIA
  Government:  
  Federal commonwealth; 
  dominion of the British Empire
  Ruler: 
  Governor-General Sir Isaac 
  Alfred Isaacs; Prime Minister 
  Joseph Aloysius Lyons
  Capital: 
  Canberra
  Population: 
  6,740,000
  Language(s): 
  English, various Aborigine 
  tongues
  Currency: 
  Australian pound
  Resources: 
  Agriculture, livestock, manu-
  facturing, mining
  Religion(s): 
  Christianity
  Military: 
  14,668
  Australia, the only continent lying wholly within 
  the Southern Hemisphere, is about the same size as 
  the continental United States. In the south it’s tem-
  perate, in the north more subtropical or tropical. Th e 
  east and west coast are elevated, while the interior is 
  plains and the semi-arid desert known as the Out-
  back; it’s oft en diﬃ  cult to cross. Settlements mostly 
  cluster along the coasts. Th e capital, Canberra, is 
  small (about 7,300 people); major cities include 
  Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. 
  Sydney, on the southeastern coast, is the largest; 
  while it as yet lacks its now-famous Opera House, 
  the Sydney Harbor Bridge is built from 1924-32.
  Due to its isolation, Australia is home to many 
  unusual animals found nowhere else. Th ese include 
  the kangaroo, koala bear, wallaby, wombat, and 
  platypus. Great White Hunters and characters 
  working for zoos may travel Down Under to 
  bag some of these intriguing beasts. But beware! 
  — while Australia has few predators (such as 
  crocodiles and sharks), it’s home to more venomous 
  animals than any other place in the world. Th e bites 
  of creatures such as the funnel spider and taipan 
  serpent can kill even healthy adult humans quickly 
  and painfully.
  THE PEOPLE
  Australia was ﬁ rst settled by Europeans about 
  150 years ago. Th e present population of 6,740,000 
  includes an estimated 60,000 Aborigines, who are 
  victims of intense discrimination by white residents.
  
  221 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Three
  
  222 ■ The World Of The Pulp Era
  Hero System 5th Edition
  According to some estimates, there are as many 
  as 500 Aborigine tribes speaking around 200 diﬀ er-
  ent languages altogether. Many retain the hunter-
  gatherer lifestyle of their ancestors, with oft en com-
  plex social systems, customs, and taboos. Others 
  work on ranches or live in cities, sometimes as 
  virtual slaves to whites. White men tend to regard 
  Aborigines as masters of survival skills, and rightly 
  so; they can thrive in places white men won’t even 
  try to live. Some Aborigines use their abilities to 
  serve as guides for white hunters and explorers.
  Th e Aborigines have a rich and fascinat-
  ing culture, religion, and mythology, with many 
  sacred places (such as Ayers Rock in the midst 
  of the outback). Th eir beliefs are animistic, with 
  totem spirits for plants, animals, and other natural 
  phenomena. Th e symbolism behind their beliefs 
  and the meaning and purpose of their rituals will 
  probably be lost on Western characters unless they 
  have appropriate Skills. Central to their beliefs is 
  the Dreamtime, a spirit-world whose inhabitants 
  created the Earth and its features through their 
  actions. Campaigns with mystic PCs or themes 
  might involve a trip to Australia to learn about 
  Aborigine beliefs or magic.
  Ayers Rock
  In the southeast corner of the Northern Ter-
  ritory of Australia sits Ayers Rock, or Uluru as 
  it’s known to the native Anangu aborigines. Th e 
  second-largest natural monolith in the world (aft er 
  Mount Augustus, also in Australia), Uluru is a mas-
  sive stone prominence more than eight kilometers 
  around that rises up from the desert ﬂ oor to a max-
  imum height of 318 meters (159”). Th e rock itself 
  is riddled with caves, and along its sides are stria-
  tions that look like massive claw marks; Aborigine 
  legends say they were carved by Tjati, the red lizard, 
  when he lost his throwing stick somewhere within 
  the rock and was searching for it. At sunrise and 
  sunset the layers of sandstone and feldspar catch 
  the light and reﬂ ect it in a wave of glorious reds 
  and purples almost too vibrant to believe.
  Uluru extends more than two kilometers below 
  the surface. Caves within the rock have dozens of 
  enormous, primitive paintings on the walls, some as 
  much as ﬁ ft y thousand years old. Th e paintings are 
  mostly of animals, usually the totems for various 
  Anangu clans. Some of the animals portrayed are 
  extinct, while others have apparently never actu-
  ally existed (for example, the bunyip, a bellowing, 
  disease-bearing monster who lives at the bottom 
  of rivers and water holes). Several of the caves with 
  interesting paintings inside are easily accessible, 
  though local legend has it that deeper inside are 
  caves no non-Anangu has ever seen.
  Th e nearest major city to Ayers Rock (and the 
  nearby Olgas [Kata Tjuta] formations) is Alice 
  Springs, about 450 kilometers (280 miles) to the 
  northwest. Beyond Alice Springs the region is 
  scrubby desert that features massive outcroppings 
  of red and orange sandstone, the howls of dingoes, 
  and ever-present ﬂ ies.
  LASSETER’S 
  REEF
  In 1897, prospector 
  Harold Lasseter was 
  found near death south 
  of Alice Springs. Aft er 
  being brought back to 
  health, he claimed to 
  have found the richest 
  seam (or “reef”) of gold 
  ever discovered. He 
  produced samples that 
  seemed to verify that 
  he’d made an important 
  discovery, but refused to 
  reveal the reef’s location.
  Aft er spending a decade 
  drumming up inter-
  est, he led an expedi-
  tion into the interior 
  to re-locate the reef, 
  but couldn’t ﬁ nd it. By 
  the Th irties, with the 
  Depression raging and 
  other gold mines play-
  ing out, Lasseter got 
  the funding to launch 
  a major expedition 
  complete with trained 
  personnel and motor 
  vehicles. Aft er great 
  diﬃ  culty, the group 
  reached a place that was 
  150 miles away from its 
  intended destination. 
  At that point most of 
  the expedition decided 
  to return home, but 
  Lasseter continued on, 
  accompanied by another 
  man, Paul Johns.
  Th e two headed toward 
  the Olgas, a rock forma-
  tion not far from Ayers 
  Rock. One day Lasseter 
  returned to camp and 
  said he’d found the reef 
  again, but refused to 
  tell Johns where it was. 
  Johns, now doubting 
  Lasseter’s sanity, accused 
  him of being a liar and 
  left . Lasseter vanished; 
  shortly thereaft er, a 
  bushman found his 
  body at Winter’s Glen.
  To this day, Lasseter’s 
  Reef remains undiscov-
  ered. Perhaps your Pulp 
  heroes, intrigued by 
  the story and Lasseter’s 
  untimely end, will want 
  to hunt for it them-
  selves....
  Explorers and globetrotting adventurers may sometimes 
  ﬁ nd themselves going to the Poles — the Arctic and 
  Antarctica — in search of new challenges or in pursuit of 
  master villains who really like to get away from it all. As of 
  the Pulp era, it’s only been a few years since Robert Peary 
  and Matthew Henson became the ﬁ rst men to reach the 
  North Pole (1909) and Roald Amundsen the ﬁ rst to reach 
  the South Pole (1911).
  THE ARCTIC
  Th e Arctic, the region surrounding the North Pole, is a 
  surprisingly geographically diverse place. In addition to 
  the eternally-frozen Arctic Ocean (i.e., a “land” composed 
  of solid ice), it includes the taiga (a belt of boggy conifer-
  ous forest), the tundra (arctic plains, oft en covered by 
  swamps and bodies of water), and mountainous barren-
  lands. It’s inhabited in many places by peoples such as the 
  Lapps, Eskimos, and Yakuts.
  Many expeditions explore the Arctic during the Pulp era. 
  In 1925 Roald Amundsen set out for the North Pole, but 
  never reached it. On May 9, 1926, Adm. Richard Byrd 
  and Floyd Bennett became the ﬁ rst men to overﬂ y the 
  North Pole in a plane; on May 12, Amundsen did the 
  same thing in the airship Norge (though on May 15, ice 
  forming on the dirigible forced him to land in Alaska). 
  Captain Umberto Nobile took the airship Italia to the 
  North Pole and dropped ﬂ ags there on May 22, 1928. Th e 
  next day the Italia crashed. An international rescue eﬀ ort 
  was mounted from the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen; 
  Amundsen died in a plane crash trying to get there and 
  oﬀ er his help. Nobile was airlift ed out aft er a month to 
  direct the rest of the rescue, but aft er the rescue pilot 
  crashed returning to get more of Nobile’s men, the mis-
  sion was abandoned.
  ANTARCTICA
  Th e Antarctic is not as well-known as the Arctic during 
  the Pulp era. Th e coldest and driest place on Earth, with 
  the highest average elevation, it has no permanent resi-
  dents aside from penguins, seals, and a few other animals 
  (but not polar bears, who live only in the Arctic). Th e 
  land ranges from ice- and snow-covered plains to stark 
  mountains.
  In January 1929, Richard Byrd launched an extensive 
  aerial survey of Antarctica. By the end of the survey in 
  November of that year, he’d mapped 1,200 square miles 
  of the icy continent and overﬂ own the South Pole. In 
  January 1930, he began mapping an as-yet unexplored 
  15,000 square mile area of Antarctica. From 1933-35 he 
  led another expedition to explore the south polar regions, 
  which included his spending ﬁ ve months alone at an 
  Antarctic weather station. No doubt he’d appreciate a visit 
  from some intrepid Pulp explorers, should any happen to 
  venture nearby.
  In pulp stories, such as H.P. Lovecraft ’s At Th e Mountains 
  Of Madness, Antarctica is oft en a repository of long-
  hidden secrets and horrors Man Was Not Meant To Know 
  — and which, of course, explorers inevitably stumble 
  across and awaken. In Globetrotting Adventure pulps, 
  Antarctica may instead be the location of the secret bases 
  of would-be world conquerors, deranged scientists, and 
  other such madmen.
  THE ENDS OF THE EARTH
  
  chapter four:
  chapter four:
  chapter four:
  GUYS AND DOLLS
  CHARACTER CREATION
  
  224 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  I do not believe that I am made of the 
  stuff which constitutes heroes, because, 
  in all of the hundreds of instances that 
  my voluntary acts have placed me face to 
  face with death, I cannot recall a single 
  one where any alternative step to that I 
  took occurred to me until many hours 
  later. My mind is evidently so constituted 
  that I am subconsciously forced into the 
  path of duty without recourse to tiresome 
  mental processes. However that may be, I 
  have never regretted that cowardice is not 
  optional with me.
  —John Carter of Mars in A Princess Of 
  Mars, by Edgar Rice Burroughs, All-
  Story, February 1912 
  R
  egardless of subgenre, setting, or story, a 
  Pulp hero tends to possess certain attri-
  butes — qualities of person and character 
  that set him above the common crowd and 
  make him a hero. Th ese are:
  ■ He’s physically and mentally superior — he’s 
  stronger, tougher, quicker, and cleverer than 
  most people. (In game terms, he begins with 
  Primary Characteristics of 10, instead of the 8 or 
  less most people have, and usually buys at least 
  some of them up.)
  ■ He’s also morally superior:  he knows without 
  having to think about it the diﬀ erence between 
  Right and Wrong, Good and Bad... and, more 
  importantly, that he has to act to preserve the 
  Good. He doesn’t suﬀ er from evils such as greed 
  or lust; he knows that people who have such feel-
  ings or beliefs inevitably come to a bad end (in 
  fact, he oft en goes out of his way to control his 
  vices, denying himself access to women, strong 
  drink, and other temptations, and has few, if any, 
  female companions). He’s a hero not because he 
  gains anything by being one, but simply because 
  it’s the Right Th ing To Do. Furthermore, he’s a 
  man of honor and always keeps his word, even 
  if doing so hinders him. (In game terms, he has 
  Psychological Limitations like Pulp Hero’s Burden, 
  Pulp Hero’s Code, or the like.)
  ■ He’s brave enough to face down any danger that 
  might confront him, and clear-headed enough 
  not to panic or do something stupid when it 
  does arise. (In game terms, he has a high PRE.)
  ■ He’s competent and resourceful, able to do 
  many things well. In addition to general physi-
  cal, athletic, and combat abilities, he’s oft en a 
  master of disguise; many Pulp heroes are also 
  talented scientists and tinkerers as well. (In 
  game terms, he has a lot of Skills, and perhaps 
  [Combat] Skill Levels.)
  ■ He has a sense of optimism born of self-conﬁ -
  dence. Th e Pulp hero knows he has the ability 
  to make the world a better place (even if it’s 
  only in minor ways, like recovering an archaeo-
  logical relic for a museum so everyone can 
  enjoy and learn from it) — and that if he tries 
  his best, he will.
  ■ He’s wealthy. His money frees him to go adven-
  turing or ﬁ ght crime instead of having to earn 
  a living, and gives him the means to buy all the 
  secret bases, vehicles, weapons, and gadgets he 
  needs. He’s generous, giving unstintingly of his 
  fortune in a good cause. (In game terms, he has 
  the Money Perk.)
  ■ He’s loved by women, admired by people in 
  general, and hated by all who are corrupt, evil, 
  depraved, or wicked.
  ■ He’s lucky. Call it karma or the fate of heroes if 
  you will, but things usually go his way when he 
  needs them to. (In game terms, he has Luck, or 
  uses rules like Heroic Action Points to simulate 
  being lucky.)
  ■ He doesn’t kill unarmed or defenseless enemies; 
  he kills only in self-defense. He doesn’t kill 
  women, no matter how much a particular woman 
  may deserve it. (Fortunately, the dramatic rules of 
  the Pulps dictate that the bad guys come to a bad 
  end through their own evil even if the hero isn’t 
  allowed to simply shoot them.)
  ■ He’s equipped with the latest technology, and 
  sometimes even technology far more advanced 
  than what ordinary people, or even ordinary 
  governments, possess.
  ■ He serves society, but is bound by the dictates 
  of his duty and his conscience rather than 
  society’s laws.
  
  225 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  T
  he following Package Deals represent 
  common professions, occupations, back-
  grounds, or careers for Pulp Hero characters. 
  In addition to the listed Skills and abilities, 
  each Package Deal includes suggestions on sev-
  eral related subjects:  the goals and motivations of 
  characters who belong to that profession; improved 
  Characteristics and other abilities members of that 
  profession might have; Disadvantages appropri-
  ate to the profession; and how the character might 
  advance and progress during the campaign. But 
  these are only suggestions — ignore them and 
  choose something else if that suits the character 
  you have in mind.
  Professional Package Deals are just organiza-
  tional tools. Th ey group together Characteristics, 
  Skills, and abilities commonly associated with a 
  given organization or type of training to make the 
  creation process quicker, easier, and more realistic. 
  Unless the GM requires them, you don’t have to use 
  one. You can instead buy all of a character’s abili-
  ties separately, or “customize” the Package Deal by 
  taking only the parts of it you want and discarding 
  the rest. Package Deals should enhance your cre-
  ativity, not stiﬂ e it.
  ATHLETE
  In the Pulp era, sometimes all it takes to be a 
  hero is the heart of a top-notch athlete!... plus the 
  physical abilities to go along with it, of course. 
  Whether he competes at football on the gridiron 
  of Princeton or Yale, rugby on the playing-ﬁ elds of 
  Eton, or baseball in the Major Leagues, the Athlete 
  has the drive, determination, and skill to become a 
  winner... or to save the day.
  Example Athletes from the pulps include Frank 
  Merriwell (before he goes on to become a Two-
  Fisted Hero and general adventurer), Slash Trie-
  bault, and Eddie Wing.
  Typical Goals And Motivations:  To a man (or woman 
  — the Pulp era had its share of well-known female 
  Athletes, like Gertrude Ederle and Helen Wills), 
  Athletes are competitors. Th ey don’t go out there 
  just to have a good time, they want to win — to 
  beat the other guy, the opposing team, or the world 
  record, as the case may be. If they’re team athletes, 
  Pulp morality dictates that they’re loyal members of 
  the team, willing to do anything to help “the side.” 
  A few, who oft en end up as the villains in athlet-
  ics stories, become so obsessed with winning that 
  they’ll cheat if they have to.
  Typical Abilities:  Athletes are all-around superb 
  physical specimens, with greater strength, reﬂ exes, 
  and stamina than the average man. In an era before 
  the advent of modern calisthenics and bodybuilding 
  techniques, they rarely show bulked-out muscula-
  ture, but they’re still plenty strong. And of course 
  they’re skilled at their chosen sport — or even more 
  than one, for the well-rounded sportsman.
  Suggested Disadvantages:  An Athlete who’s never 
  done anything but practice and play might have 
  Psychological Limitations like Naive or Gull-
  ible to reﬂ ect his lack of worldly experience. In a 
  game where the characters oft en go “undercover,” 
  an enthusiastic athlete with Distinctive Features:  
  Always Talks About Sports And Uses Sports Anal-
  ogy could become a real problem. A character who 
  had to retire from sports due to a debilitating injury 
  might reﬂ ect his condition with a Physical Limita-
  tion, a Vulnerability, or some sold-back Character-
  istics or abilities.
  CHARACTERISTICS 
  AND PACKAGE 
  DEALS
  Some of these Package 
  Deals include additions 
  to Characteristics. Th is 
  reﬂ ects common levels 
  of STR or other Char-
  acteristics found among 
  members of those pro-
  fessions. However, with 
  the GM’s permission, 
  a player may change 
  or eliminate that part 
  of the Package Deal 
  if he has an idea for a 
  character who deﬁ es or 
  transcends the general 
  stereotype.
  If the campaign uses the 
  Normal Characteristic 
  Maxima rules, those 
  rules apply to Charac-
  teristics gained from 
  Package Deals. Th is 
  may in some instances 
  require a character to 
  spend additional points 
  to buy a Characteristic 
  aﬀ ected by the Pack-
  age Deal up to a proper 
  level. For example, 
  imagine a Package 
  Deal that provides +15 
  CON, for 30 points. Th e 
  ﬁ rst 20 points of eﬀ ect 
  increase the character’s 
  CON to 20. Aft er that 
  the Normal Character-
  istic Maxima doubling 
  applies, so the next 10 
  points only add 2.5 
  points’ worth of CON. 
  Since a character can’t 
  have a 22.5 CON, the 
  character has to spend 2 
  more Character Points 
  to increase his CON 
  to 23. Alternately, with 
  the GM’s permission a 
  character can reduce the 
  points a Package Deal 
  adds to a Characteristic 
  to avoid this problem.
  ATHLETE PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  3 
  +3 STR
  9 
  +3 DEX
  6 
  +3 CON
  2 
  Running +1” (7” total)
  5 
  PS: play sport of choice (Characteristic Roll +2)
  2 
  PS: play another sport 11-
  2 
  PS: play another sport 11-
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  29
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Strong Competitor; 
  Will Do Anything Fair To Win A Competition 
  (Common, Strong)
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  15
  Options
  Value Ability
  20 
  Boxer:  20 points’ worth of Martial Arts:  Boxing 
  and related Skills and abilities
  4 
  Great Hitter:  +2 OCV with Baseball Bat
  6 
  Great Pitching/Passing Arm:  +2 OCV with 
  Th rown Objects
  3 
  A Sound Mind In A Sound Body:  +3 INT
  4 
  Strong Runner:  Running +2” (9” total)
  2 
  Strong Leaper:  Leaping +2”
  2 
  Strong Swimmer:  Swimming +2” (4” total)
  0 
  Cheater:  Change Psychological Limitation to:  
  Cheater; Will Do Anything To Win A Competition 
  (Common, Strong)
  -15 
  Team Loyalty:  Psychological Limitation:  Com-
  pletely Loyal To Th e Team; Will Do Anything Fair 
  To Ensure A Team Victory (Common, Strong)
  
  226 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Progression:  Much like Frank Merriwell, Ath-
  letes who become the stars of Pulp series — who 
  become PCs, in other words — have to move on 
  to other things unless it’s an all-Athlete campaign. 
  Typically they become Two-Fisted Heroes, since 
  they have most of the attributes to qualify for that 
  “career”; others turn to aviation or exploration, or 
  get their college degrees in some scientiﬁ c subject 
  and become Scientists or Gadgeteers.
  AVIATOR
  “I could fly a shoebox if it had wings, 
  Peevy.”
  —Cliff Secord, The Rocketeer
  In the Pulp era, when ﬂ ight is still a new and 
  dangerous activity, the Aviator is a romantic, daring, 
  dashing ﬁ gure whose very life sometimes seems to 
  be an adventure. Examples of Aviators include real-
  world ﬂ yers and daredevils such as Charles Lind-
  bergh and Amelia Earhart, World War I air aces like 
  Baron von Richthofen (the Red Baron) and Eddie 
  Rickenbacker, and ﬁ ctional characters like G-8 (not 
  to mention his Battle Aces), Dusty Ayres (and his 
  Battle Birds, of course!), the Griﬀ on, Tam MacTav-
  ish, Bill Barnes, Philip Strange (who also possessed 
  psychic powers and weird skills), Smoke Wade, the 
  Lone Eagle, Waldo Pepper, and Terence X. O’Leary 
  (in some stories). A few female pilot characters — 
  Aviatrices such as Barbe Pivet — graced the pages 
  of the pulps as well.
  Typical Goals And Motivations:  Most Aviators live 
  to ﬂ y. Th ey feel more at home in the air than on 
  the ground, and they’ll do whatever it takes to get 
  up there. Even if some responsible authority ﬁ gure 
  tries to ground an Aviator because he’s too sick or 
  injured to ﬂ y, he’ll sneak out and get into a plane at 
  the ﬁ rst opportunity.
  Because ﬂ ying during the Pulp era is inherently 
  dangerous due to the relatively primitive state of 
  aviation technology, most Aviators are daredevil 
  thrillseekers. Th ey got into ﬂ ying in part because 
  of the danger, and that means they’re not always as 
  careful as they should be — they take crazy risks and 
  pull fancy aerobatic stunts just to show they can.
  Typical Abilities:  Th e Aviator hero is by deﬁ nition 
  a skilled pilot, able to ﬂ y in combat or under all 
  sorts of adverse conditions. He also knows how 
  to maneuver his plane aerobatically and perform 
  aerial stunts. He’s also got enough know-how to 
  maintain his plane and maybe even tinker with the 
  engine a bit, though he leaves the major modiﬁ ca-
  tions to the Grease Monkey, Gadgeteer, or Scientist.
  Suggested Disadvantages:  In addition to a Psy-
  chological Limitation reﬂ ecting his daredevil side, 
  an Aviator might suﬀ er from an old war wound (a 
  Physical Limitation or sold back Characteristics), 
  or from some other condition he’s concealing 
  because it might get him grounded (i.e., diminish-
  ing eyesight, arthritis). He might be Poor because 
  he devotes almost every dime to fuel and keeping 
  his plane ﬂ ightworthy.
  Progression:  In most Pulp Hero campaigns, the 
  Aviator starts the game as a skilled ﬂ yer, so he oft en 
  doesn’t need to devote any more points to such 
  abilities. Instead he has to focus on what he does 
  when he’s not behind the stick. Is he a lesser ver-
  sion of the Two-Fisted Hero, ready to charge into 
  danger at the drop of a hat to save the helpless and 
  punish the evil? Or maybe an Explorer, eager to see 
  new places and learn new things? If you’d rather 
  not take him too far aﬁ eld, he might become a full-
  ﬂ edged Grease Monkey or Gadgeteer, designing 
  and building his own cutting-edge aircraft .
  AVIATOR 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  3 
  Aerobatics
  7 
  Combat Piloting +2 (free TF is Small Planes)
  2 
  Navigation (Air)
  1 
  Mechanics 8-
  1 
  WF: Biplane Weapons
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  14
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  None
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  0
  Options
  Value Ability
  2 
  Ace Pilot:  Add +1 to Combat Piloting
  var 
  Aviation Mogul:  Money (10 points’ worth, or 
  more)
  2 
  Aviatrix:  +4 COM
  4 
  Barnstormer:  +2 to Aerobatics
  1 
  Helicopter Pilot:  Add TF: Helicopters
  14 
  Hotshot Pilot:  Add the Hotshot Pilot Talent
  +2 
  Mechanically Inclined:  Increase Mechanics to an 
  INT Roll
  var 
  My Very Own Plane:  Add Vehicle (a plane, auto-
  gyro, or other ﬂ ying vehicle)
  16 
  Zeppelineer:  Add TF: Balloons & Zeppelins and 
  Vehicle (an Airship; see page 313)
  -15 
  Daredevil:  Add Psychological Limitation:  Aerial 
  Th rillseeker (Common, Strong)
  -5 
  I’ll Show Th em I’m Th e Best:  Rivalry (Professional, 
  with other Aviators)
  WINGWALKING
  Barnstormers — stunt 
  ﬂ iers who traveled 
  around the country 
  making money by par-
  ticipating in air shows 
  and providing $5 or 
  $10 rides to the locals 
  — oft en went to great 
  lengths to ﬁ nd new ways 
  to impress the crowd 
  and outdo their rivals. 
  One of their favorite 
  stunts was wingwalk-
  ing:  getting a co-pilot 
  or volunteer acrobat to 
  walk on the wings of 
  the plane while it was in 
  ﬂ ight!
  A skilled wingwalker 
  could do more than 
  just stand or walk on 
  the wings. Some could 
  perform handstands or 
  other stunts, hang from 
  the wings as if about to 
  fall oﬀ , and in the most 
  impressive stunt of all, 
  step from the wings of 
  one plane to another in 
  mid-air.
  To give a character the 
  ability to wingwalk, buy 
  Breakfall. If all he can 
  do is wingwalk, take 
  the Limitation Only To 
  Walk On And Maintain 
  Balance On Flying Craft  
  (-2). Without that Limi-
  tation, he can use the 
  other functions of the 
  Skill... which might even 
  be enough to save him if 
  he falls.
  When wingwalking, a 
  character must make a 
  Breakfall roll each Phase 
  to maintain his balance 
  and footing; this is a 
  Half Phase Action. If 
  there’s a wire or strut 
  he can safely hold onto 
  within reach, the roll 
  gets a +1-2 bonus. If 
  the pilot performs any 
  maneuvers that require 
  a Combat Piloting roll, 
  the wingwalker must 
  make his roll that Phase 
  by -1 plus whatever pen-
  alty was imposed on the 
  Combat Piloting roll.
  
  227 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  COP
  “Every man in my department has nerve, 
  and most of them have got a brain or 
  two. But you have something else. You 
  showed it when you was a rookie cop 
  and helped clean out that gang on Acola 
  Street; and you showed it when you ran 
  down those Kentucky gorillas that had us 
  all stumped, in the fall. That’s the reason 
  you’re wearing plainclothes. You have 
  that strange and fortunate thing which 
  you have through no fault of your own:  
  instinct, my boy. A nose for it.”
  —Inspector Bourse compliments Detec-
  tive Nick Glennan in Mackinlay Kan-
  tor’s “The Hunting Of Hemingway,” 
  Detective Fiction Weekly, April 1934
  Unlike the bumbling, incompetent, even buf-
  foonish cops featured in so many Pulp stories as 
  a way of making the hero look skilled and tough, 
  this Package Deal represents a policeman who’s 
  good at his job and takes law enforcement seriously. 
  Examples from the pulps include Nick and David 
  Glennan, Captain MacBride, Police Detective Peter 
  Noggins, Satan Hall, and Captain John Murdoch.
  Typical Goals And Motivations:  Th e hero Cop’s job is 
  to uphold the law and catch criminals, and that’s just 
  what he does. He doesn’t just go through the motions; 
  he really wants to see justice done, no matter who he 
  might expose or inconvenience in the process. Like the 
  Renegade Cop of later ﬁ ction, he’s frequently an aggra-
  vation to his superiors because of his refusal to follow 
  procedure... but in the Pulp era, that’s neither uncom-
  mon nor entirely unexpected in some jurisdictions.
  Typical Abilities:  Th e Cop has the typical policeman’s 
  training and resources. He knows the street and those 
  who live on it, and what the local criminal law says. 
  He’s got a gun and a nightstick, and he knows how to 
  use both. His badge and law enforcement powers can 
  get him into places... and into trouble... that ordinary 
  folks avoid. Because he’s a hero, he’s oft en smarter, 
  stronger, and tougher than the average cop (i.e., he 
  spends Character Points to increase Primary Charac-
  teristics like STR and INT).
  Suggested Disadvantages:  Th e Cop has to answer 
  to his “superiors,” and he’s readily identiﬁ able as a 
  cop most of the time due to his badge and uniform. 
  Beyond that, he might be on the take (a Social Limita-
  tion), or have a Psychological Limitation that explains 
  why he became a cop:  a desire for revenge against the 
  gang that killed his father or brother (who was also a 
  Cop); wanting to earn enough to ask his girl to marry 
  him; an itch to enter politics.
  Progression:  It’s not uncommon for a Cop to rile his 
  superiors so much that he gets booted oﬀ  the force 
  (possibly under a cloud that would justify taking a 
  Social Limitation). He then becomes a Detective and 
  continues making trouble for the corrupt Powers Th at 
  Be. Alternately, he could turn to even less orthodox 
  methods of crimeﬁ ghting and become a masked mys-
  tery-man (or an agent for one). And if it turns out the 
  big city doesn’t hold anything for him anymore, far 
  horizons beckon for the Soldier or Explorer....
  COP PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  2 
  Observant:  +1 PER with Sight Group
  1 
  Combat Driving 8-
  3 
  Criminology
  2 
  AK or CK appropriate to job or jurisdiction, 11-
  2 
  KS: Criminal Law And Procedure 11-
  2 
  KS: Th e Law Enforcement World 11-
  2 
  PS: Police Oﬃ  cer (or the like), 11-
  3 
  Streetwise
  2 
  WF: Small Arms
  4 
  Contacts (4 points’ worth)
  2 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t:  Local Police Powers
  1 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t:  Law Enforcement Rank
  1 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t:  Weapon Permit
  6 
  6 points’ worth of abilities from the following list:
   
  Acting, Animal Handler (Canines or Equines), 
  Bribery, Bugging, Bureaucratics, Climbing, 
  Combat Driving, Combat Skill Levels, Conceal-
  ment, Conversation, Deduction, Demolitions, 
  Disguise, Electronics, Fast Draw, Forensic Medi-
  cine, Gambling, Interrogation, Lockpicking, Mar-
  tial Arts, Paramedics, Persuasion, Security Systems, 
  Shadowing, Skill Levels, Stealth, Tactics, Weapon 
  Familiarity, Weaponsmith, any Background Skill, 
  Contacts, Deep Cover
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  33
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  5 
  Distinctive Features:  Uniform and/or Badge 
  (Easily Concealed)
  10 
  Hunted:  department he works for 8- (Mo Pow, 
  NCI, Watching)
  20 
  Social Limitation:  Subject To Orders (Very Fre-
  quently, Major)
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  35
  Options
  Value Ability
  +1 
  Detective:  Choose Deduction and Shadowing, 
  increase Law Enforcement Rank by 1 
  0 
  Undercover Cop:  Choose Acting and Disguise
  15 
  Something’s Wrong Here...:  Danger Sense (self 
  only, out of combat, intuitional) (INT Roll)
  2 
  Walking Th e Beat:  AK: speciﬁ c neighborhood in 
  the city 11-
  -15 
  Dedicated Cop:  Devotion To Duty (Common, 
  Strong)
  -5 
  On Th e Take:  Add Social Limitation:  Harmful 
  Secret (Occasionally, Minor)
  
  228 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  THE GMAN
  “In these troubled days, when you strength-
  en the hand of law enforcement, you add 
  power to the muscles of liberty.”
  —J. Edgar Hoover in Time Magazine, 
  1939
  Th e G-Man is the federal version of the Cop. Like 
  the famed Eliot Ness, he works for a US government 
  law enforcement agency, such as the Prohibition 
  Bureau, the Secret Service, or the Bureau Of Inves-
  tigation/FBI. Examples from the pulps include Dick 
  Graham, Lemmy Caution, and Dan Fowler.
  To create a G-Man, convert the Local Police 
  Powers Fringe Beneﬁ t to Federal/National Police 
  Powers and increase the Law Enforcement Rank 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t by +2 points (+3 points total).
  COWBOY
  While the Cowboy doesn’t have much place in 
  a typical pulp story set in the Twenties or Th ir-
  ties — he’s the mainstay of Western stories set in 
  earlier decades — you never know when some 
  hard-riding, hard-drinking, fast-shooting cowpoke 
  might ride in oﬀ  the range and into your campaign. 
  Aft er all, if singing cowboy Gene Autry can ﬁ ght oﬀ  
  the evil underground empire of the Muranians in 
  Th e Phantom Empire, you never know where other 
  cowboys might turn up!
  Examples of Cowboys from the pulps include 
  Hopalong Cassidy, Jim “the White Wolf” Allen, 
  Chip Bennett and the other cowboys of the Flying 
  U Ranch, Whistling Dan Barry and the many other 
  creations of pulp writer Max Brand, Hashknife 
  Hartley the cowboy-detective, highly romanticized 
  versions of real-world Western ﬁ gures (Frank and 
  Jesse James, Buﬀ alo Bill, Wild Bill Hickok, and so 
  on), and countless others.
  Typical Goals And Motivations:  Th e typical Cowboy 
  just wants to do a good day’s work, eat a good meal 
  at the end of the day, go into town every now and 
  then, and court pretty girls. Th e heroic Cowboy is 
  a little diﬀ erent. Th ere burns within him a ﬁ re that 
  rises up hot when he sees the strong oppress the 
  weak, or the evil abuse the innocent. Even if it means 
  he has to stand alone against an entire gang of des-
  peradoes, he will, because that’s what a man does.
  Typical Abilities:  Th e Cowboy has a wide variety 
  of Skills necessary to life on the range. He can ride 
  fast, shoot straight, herd cattle, and rope a ﬂ eeing 
  calf. Depending on where he’s been and what he’s 
  done, he might be good at playing cards, ﬁ ghting, 
  living oﬀ  the land, or patching up hurt folks.
  Suggested Disadvantages:  A Cowboy who’s left  
  the ranch to become a Pulp hero could have the 
  Psychological Limitation Pulp Hero’s Burden (page 
  263). He might be in love with the rancher’s pretty 
  daughter, but unable to ask for her hand until he’s 
  established himself as a man of means and reputa-
  tion. If he’s not used to being around large bodies 
  of water he might sell back his Swimming.
  Progression:  Th e Cowboy can progress in just 
  about any direction once he leaves his usual West-
  ern haunts behind. If he’s aﬄ  icted with wanderlust, 
  a career as an Explorer may beckon, or he may 
  decide he can get to new places quicker as an Avia-
  tor. If he takes to life in the big city, he may in time 
  learn enough to become a Detective, or even a 
  Masked Crimeﬁ ghter.
  DETECTIVE
  “Ninety-nine percent of detective work is 
  a patient collecting of details — and your 
  details must be got as nearly first-hand 
  as possible, regardless of who else has 
  worked the territory before you.”
  —the Continental Op describing his job, 
  in “One Hour,” by Dashiell Hammett, 
  Black Mask, March 1924
  Th is character, the focus of the mystery pulps 
  (and later the entire hardboiled/noir genre), is a 
  “private eye” — an investigator for hire who takes 
  cases from people who, for whatever reason, can’t 
  or won’t go to the cops. (For a police detective, use 
  the Cop Package Deal, above.)
  Examples of “gumshoes” from the pulps (or from 
  novels published during the Pulp era) are numer-
  ous, including Race Williams, Nick Carter (who got 
  his start in the dime novels and just kept going), 
  Max Latin, Dan Turner, the Continental Op, Sam 
  Spade, Nick Ransom, Philip Marlowe, Oliver Quade 
  (the Human Encyclopedia), and many others.
  COWBOY PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  4 
  +2 OCV with ﬁ rearm of choice
  2 
  Animal Handler (Bovines)
  3 
  Fast Draw (Small Arms)
  5 
  Riding +1
  4 
  WF: Small Arms, Knife, Lariat
  6 
  6 points’ worth of abilities from the following list:
   
  Animal Handler (Canines, or Equines), Breakfall, 
  Climbing, Gambling, Interrogation, Martial Arts 
  (Dirty Inﬁ ghting), Navigation (Land), Paramed-
  ics, Persuasion, Shadowing, Skill Levels, Stealth, 
  Survival, Weapon Familiarity, Weaponsmith, any 
  Background Skill, Contacts
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  24
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  None
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  0
  Options
  Value Ability
  4 
  At Home In Th e Saddle:  +2 with Riding
  7 
  Bar-Room Brawler:  HA +2d6
  var 
  My Very Own Spread:  Th e character owns a ranch 
  or like piece of land (a Base)
  -10 
  Don’t Talk Much, Do He?:  Psychological Limita-
  tion:  Laconic (Common, Moderate)
  
  229 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  Typical Goals And Motivations:  Th e obvious motive 
  for any Detective is a desire to solve cases and see 
  Justice done. Together with this, many a Detective 
  seems to follow his own personal code of honor 
  which usually dictates loyalty to and keeping quiet 
  about his employer (at least until he turns on the 
  Detective or otherwise shows himself unworthy of 
  such support), incorruptibility, and standing ﬁ rm in 
  the face of opposition. Th e quote on page 22 from 
  Race Williams, one of the earliest hardboiled detec-
  tives, encapsulates his own code of honor pretty 
  well, and it inspired many later Detectives.
  Typical Abilities:  Due to the popularity of mystery 
  and detective stories in the Pulps and the result-
  ing plethora of characters, it’s diﬃ  cult to generalize 
  about private eyes. Th e “hardboiled” Detective so 
  closely associated with the period in the minds of the 
  modern reading public was a tough guy with plenty 
  of smarts (both regular and street). He could take all 
  sorts of punishment and come back for more, got by 
  on just a few hours of sleep a night when a case was 
  hot, and could put away more whiskey than the aver-
  age football team. His stomping grounds were oft en in 
  Los Angeles, but Pulp detectives could be found popu-
  lating just about any major city. In many cases he was 
  a former cop who got ﬁ red from the force for some 
  reason (such as his incorruptibility or unwillingness to 
  play nice with incompetent superiors). But there were 
  plenty of Detectives who didn’t ﬁ t this overall descrip-
  tion; see the options below for examples.
  Suggested Disadvantages:  Leaving aside the quirky 
  “defective detectives” (see below) and the fact that 
  virtually all Detectives are Hunted (Watched) by 
  the cops (who don’t entirely trust them, or dislike 
  them because Detectives constantly show them up 
  and make wisecracks about them), the Disadvan-
  tages most closely associated with the Detective are:  
  Rivalry with other private eyes; a ﬂ oating Hunted 
  by someone who wants him to lay oﬀ  his current 
  case; being in love with “the dame” (either the femme 
  fatale who hired him but intends to betray him, or 
  a beautiful young girl who’s somehow gotten mixed 
  up in the case and is depending on him to save her); 
  and being alcoholic (a Dependence).
  Progression:  Most Detectives are content to remain 
  private eyes; it’s a profession for which many Skills, 
  abilities, and Contacts are helpful, so there’s almost 
  no end of ways to spend Experience Points. But 
  if the Detective is part of a group of PCs who do 
  DETECTIVE PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  3 
  INT +3
  3 
  Concealment
  5 
  Deduction +1
  2 
  CK: city of character’s choice 11-
  2 
  KS: Th e Law Enforcement World 11-
  5 
  Shadowing +1
  3 
  Stealth
  3 
  Streetwise
  2 
  WF: Small Arms
  6 
  Contacts (6 points’ worth)
  2 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t:  Private Investigator License
  1 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t:  Weapon Permit
  9 
  9 points’ worth of abilities from the following list:
   
  Acting, Bribery, Bugging, Bureaucratics, Combat 
  Driving, Combat Skill Levels, Conversation, 
  Criminology, Disguise, Fast Draw, Gambling, High 
  Society, Interrogation, Lockpicking, Mimicry, 
  Paramedics, Persuasion, Security Systems, Seduc-
  tion, Skill Levels, Weapon Familiarity, Weapon-
  smith, any Background Skill, Contacts
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  46
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  10 
  Hunted:  the police 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Watching)
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  10
  Options
  Value Ability
  22 
  Hardboiled:  Add +3 CON, +2 BODY, +5 PRE, and 
  HA +2d6
  var 
  Slow Sidekick:  Th e character has a sidekick or 
  assistant who follows him around and asks ques-
  tions so the Detective can explain things to him 
  (and thus to the reader). Buy him as a Follower.
  0 
  Trained Investigator:  Choose Criminology as one 
  of the character’s optional Skills
  12 
  Two-Fisted:  Martial Arts (12 points’ worth of 
  maneuvers from Fisticuﬀ s or Cinematic Brawling)
  0 
  Undercover Detective:  Choose Acting, Disguise, 
  and Mimicry
  -15 
  Alcoholic:  Dependence:  must drink liquor at 
  least once per Day or suﬀ er Incompetence (Very 
  Common, Addiction)
  -5 
  Always On Th e Lookout For Some Dough:  Poor
  var 
  Defective Detective:  Take an appropriate Physical 
  Limitation, such as No Legs, Blind, Haemophilia, 
  or some similar Disadvantage
  AMATEUR DETECTIVE 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  3 
  INT +3
  3 
  Concealment
  3 
  Conversation
  7 
  Deduction +2
  6 
  6 points’ worth of abilities from the following list:
   
  Acting, Bureaucratics, Criminology, Disguise, 
  Gambling, High Society, Mimicry, Paramed-
  ics, Persuasion, Seduction, Skill Levels, Weapon 
  Familiarity, Weaponsmith, any Background Skill, 
  Contacts
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  22
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  None
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  0
  Options
  Value Ability
  var 
  Loyal Friend:  Th e character has a loyal friend and 
  companion who follows him around and asks 
  questions so the Amateur Detective can explain 
  things to him (and thus to the reader). Buy him as 
  a Follower.
  var 
  Greyhaired Detective:  Character takes Disadvan-
  tage:  Age
  
  230 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  more than just investigate crimes, he may ﬁ nd him-
  self needing other Skills to survive his adventures. 
  Becoming a Two-Fisted Hero, a Masked Crime-
  ﬁ ghter, or even an Aviator all ﬁ t him pretty well.
  THE AMATEUR DETECTIVE
  Not everyone who investigates murders does 
  so to make a living. Some Pulp characters enjoy 
  solving crimes because of the intellectual challenge 
  they represent, the joy of matching wits with the 
  criminal, or simply to be helpful. Despite being 
  “amateurs,” they’re oft en as good at deducting and 
  investigating as the pros... if not better.
  On the downside, the Amateur Detective creates 
  two dramatic diﬃ  culties. First, because he’s not a 
  police oﬃ  cial, he’s oft en less concerned with ﬁ nd-
  ing evidence that can stand up in court — his goal 
  is to solve the mystery, not obtain a conviction. But 
  the way the story works out, there’s usually enough 
  grounds for an arrest and a successful trial.
  Second, over the course of a series it oft en 
  strains credibility that any amateur would encoun-
  ter so many crimes that need solving. Some 
  authors get around this by making the character a 
  police consultant like Sherlock Holmes or Hercule 
  Poirot, though this makes it hard to call him a true 
  “amateur.” Others had interesting professions that 
  brought them into contact with the seemy side of 
  life, such as doctor. But as oft en as not, the writer 
  simply ignored the problem in the interest of a 
  fun read. Undoubtedly an Amateur Detective who 
  spends time with other Pulp Hero PCs will run into 
  plenty of situations where he can use his abilities 
  without the need for convoluted explanations.
  Example amateur detectives from the pulps (or 
  novels of the Pulp era) include Felix Boyd, Cuth-
  bert Clay, Miss Marple, Father Brown, Jimmie Lav-
  ender, and Terry Trimble.
  THE DEFECTIVE DETECTIVE
  A small but intriguing subset of Pulp detec-
  tives managed to solve mysteries despite suﬀ ering 
  from some signiﬁ cant handicap or condition. For 
  example, Peter Quest had glaucoma that blinded 
  him in every story, Nat Perry was a haemophiliac 
  who might die from the least scratch or wound, 
  Dan Holden was deaf, Nicholas Street had amnesia 
  and frequently searched for information as to his 
  personal history while investigating crimes, and 
  Calvin Kane had a malformed body and withered 
  right leg.
  To create a “defective detective” character, take 
  the Detective Package Deal and give the character 
  an appropriate Disadvantage of some sort — typi-
  cally a Physical Limitation, but possibly some sort 
  of Vulnerability or Susceptibility.
  THE GIRL DETECTIVE
  Quite a few female investigators (or investiga-
  trices), such as Grace Culver, Dr. Nancy Dayland, 
  Carrie Cashin, Constance Dunlap (also a Technical 
  Detective), and Madam Rosika Storey, found their 
  way into the pages of the pulps. In general, they’re 
  much like their male counterparts, with certain 
  exceptions imposed by editorial policy and/or the 
  attitudes of the age:  they rarely encounter signiﬁ -
  cant danger or violence; they rarely display strong 
  emotions or have strong social connections to 
  other people; they’re modest and “act like ladies”; 
  they oft en work as much by intuition, hunch, and 
  social skills as by deduction and investigation; and 
  they usually don’t have to visit the sorts of sordid, 
  dangerous places male detectives oft en did.
  Girl Detectives are as likely to be Amateur 
  Detectives as regular Detectives, if not moreso (a 
  few even work for the police; use the Cop Pack-
  age Deal for them). If they detect professionally, 
  usually they either (a) work for an agency headed 
  by a man, or (b) hire a male partner to “front” the 
  business — since everyone knows no one’s likely to 
  think a woman can solve crimes, aft er all.
  To create a Girl Detective, add +4 COM (+2 
  Character Points) to the appropriate Detective 
  Package Deal, and if appropriate take the Woman 
  Social Limitation.
  THE MAGICIANDETECTIVE
  Magicians appearing in the pulps are almost 
  always portrayed as amateur investigators. Th ey may 
  use their skill at sleight of hand, illusions, and decep-
  tion to trick the criminals into revealing themselves, 
  or adopt an eerie costumed identity and employ 
  their skills to frighten their foes. A few, such as Dr. 
  Satan and Dr. Death, seem to possess actual mystic 
  powers. Other examples from the pulps include Bal-
  bane, Norgil, Don Diavolo, and the Ghost.
  To create a Magician-Detective,  buy the accom-
  panying Package Deal instead of the standard 
  Detective Package Deal.
  
  231 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  THE MEDICAL DETECTIVE
  Th e Medical Detective, also known as the Sci-
  ence Detective, is similar to the Amateur Detective, 
  except that he oft en uses his skill with medicine and 
  psychology as well as deduction to determine who 
  committed the murder or stole the jewels. Medicine 
  has oft en seemed vaguely magical or miraculous to 
  the layman, making it excellent fodder for mystery 
  stories. Particularly in the era of the early pulps, 
  the discipline of psychology was new, mysterious, 
  and full of promise, giving it a lot of crimeﬁ ghting 
  muscle that foreshadows the criminal proﬁ lers of the 
  modern day. Example Medical Detectives from the 
  pulps (and related forms of ﬁ ction) include Dr. John 
  Th orndyke, John Hudson, Reginald Fortune, Dr. 
  Eustace Hailey, and Dr. Bentiron.
  To create a Medical Detective,  buy the accom-
  panying Package Deal instead of the standard 
  Detective Package Deal.
  THE OCCULT DETECTIVE
  Almost a separate archetype, the Occult Detec-
  tive is an investigator who looks into arcane or 
  weird events — hauntings, murder by black magic, 
  the presence and activities of monsters, invasions 
  of the Earth by Elder Horrors From Beyond, and so 
  on — with the intent of uncovering and eliminating 
  the occult threat. He’s oft en similar to the Dilettante 
  or the Professor. Examples from the pulps include 
  Jules de Grandin and John Th unstone.
  To create an Occult Detective, buy the accompa-
  nying Package Deal instead of the standard Detec-
  tive Package Deal.
  THE PSYCHIC DETECTIVE
  Th e Psychic Detective is similar to the Occult 
  Detective in many ways. He uses his psychic powers 
  and/or knowledge of “weird” and arcane subjects 
  to solve mysteries. Along the way he oft en provides 
  scientiﬁ c, rational, or naturalistic explanations 
  for psychic phenomena, connects weird occur-
  rences with the psychological condition of people 
  involved in the case, and uses mystical chants (live 
  or recorded) to negate the eﬀ ects of evil inﬂ uences. 
  Examples from the pulps and related ﬁ ction include 
  John Silence, Carnacki, Semi Dual, Moris Klaw, 
  Godfrey Usher, and Dr. Xavier Wycherly.
  To create an Psychic Detective, buy the accom-
  panying Package Deal instead of the standard 
  Detective Package Deal. Some Psychic Detectives 
  are also Technical Detectives, at least in part, so 
  you may want to buy some Skills from that Package 
  Deal as well.
  THE SLEUTHING 
  GROUP
  In the Twenties, sto-
  ries about groups of 
  Amateur Detectives 
  became popular. Miss 
  Marple belonged to 
  such a group; other 
  examples include the 
  Justice Syndicate, the 
  Shadowers, and the 
  Adjusters (some of 
  whom verged on being 
  Masked Crimeﬁ ghters). 
  Th is might make an 
  interesting framework 
  for an all-mystery Pulp 
  Hero campaign. Since 
  each of the characters 
  will have certain basic 
  investigative Skills 
  (such as Deduction), 
  diﬀ erentiating them 
  requires careful atten-
  tion to each character’s 
  background, personality, 
  and personal quirks, and 
  roleplaying them to the 
  hilt. Th e players might 
  also want to apportion 
  certain Skills so that 
  the group only has one 
  expert at criminalistics 
  (Criminology), one at 
  wiretapping (Bugging), 
  and so forth.
  Similarly, some stories 
  featured husband-and-
  wife Amateur Detective 
  teams (sometimes more 
  accurately described as 
  wife-and-husband, since 
  the woman was the 
  more popular character, 
  or at least the one who 
  kept things going by 
  constantly getting into 
  trouble and requiring 
  rescue). Nick and Nora 
  Charles of the “Th in 
  Man” movies and Rich-
  ard and Grace Duvall 
  are two examples. Such a 
  team might make for an 
  interesting two-player 
  campaign, or as charac-
  ters for two players in a 
  larger mystery game.
  MAGICIAN-DETECTIVE 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  3 
  +3 INT
  3 
  Acting
  3 
  Contortionist
  3 
  KS: Magic Tricks (INT Roll)
  3 
  Lockpicking
  3 
  Persuasion
  7 
  Sleight Of Hand +2
  6 
  6 points’ worth of abilities from the following list:
   
  Conversation, Deduction, Disguise, Gambling, 
  Mimicry, Oratory, Seduction, Skill Levels, Ventrilo-
  quism, Weapon Familiarity, any Background Skill, 
  Contacts
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  31
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  None
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  0
  Options
  Value Ability
  30 
  True Magician:  30 points’ worth of magic spells 
  and mystical abilities
  MEDICAL DETECTIVE 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  3 
  Concealment
  3 
  Criminology
  3 
  Deduction
  3 
  Forensic Medicine
  3 
  Paramedics
  3 
  SS: Medicine (INT Roll)
  4 
  Contacts (4 points’ worth)
  1 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t:  License To Practice Medicine
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  23
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Hippocratic Oath 
  (Common, Total)
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  20
  Options
  Value Ability
  var 
  Assistant And Chronicler:  Th e character has a 
  sidekick or assistant who follows him around, 
  chronicles his adventures, and asks questions so 
  the Medical Detective can explain things to him 
  (and thus to the reader). Buy him as a Follower.
  3 
  Psychiatrist/Psychologist:  Add SS: Psychology 
  (INT Roll)
  
  232 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  THE TECHNICAL DETECTIVE
  In the true scientific detective story, the 
  science must be real. It must achieve some-
  thing, resolve something. Its function is to 
  shed light, not merely to be decorative[.]
  —Robert Sampson, Yesterday’s Faces, 
  Vol. 2
  Th e Technical Detective, also known as the Sci-
  ence (or Scientiﬁ c) Detective, is like a standard 
  Detective (professional or Amateur), except that he 
  oft en uses his skill with criminalistics, crimeﬁ ght-
  ing apparati, and even gadgets of his own invention 
  to uncover the perpetrators of crime. Sometimes he 
  solves crimes through his expertise in a particular 
  type of technology — such as radio, television, or 
  telephone systems — while other Technical Detec-
  tives are outright scientiﬁ c geniuses in every ﬁ eld. 
  Usually scientiﬁ c detection stories made at least a 
  ﬁ ctional nod toward “real” science and “real” inves-
  tigation devices, but in more than a few cases the 
  devices a Technical Detective uses to solve crime 
  verge into the realm of Weird Science. Examples 
  from the pulps include Craig Kennedy, Luther 
  Trant, Miller Rand, and Calvin “Scientiﬁ c” Sprague.
  To create a Technical Detective, add Bugging, 
  Criminology, Electronics, Inventor, and Systems 
  Operation to the Detective Package Deal (+15 points). 
  For a Technical Detective who specializes in just a 
  single area of expertise (such as Charlie Fenwick, the 
  telephone detective), replace Inventor with an appro-
  priate KS or SS and remove any inappropriate Skills.
  DILETTANTE
  Inspired, perhaps, by Brenda Frazier, Alfred 
  Vanderbilt, and other glamour girls and men about 
  town of the “Café Society” of the Th irties, the Dil-
  ettante (also known as the Socialite) is a wealthy 
  young person with money to spend, time to kill, 
  and boredom to alleviate. In some cases this drives 
  him into a life of adventure for the thrills and 
  excitement; in others he becomes intensely inter-
  ested in some subject (Precolumbian civilizations, 
  English literature, archaeology) that his friends, the 
  other PCs, oft en need to know about.
  Typical Goals And Motivations:  Typically the Dilet-
  tante’s just looking for something fun to do. Since 
  his money lets him do nearly anything he wants, he’s 
  already tried all the usual things, and now he’s out for 
  the really unusual thrills that come from adventuring. 
  Th e more sedate or scholarly type of Dilettante may 
  simply want to learn more about his favorite subject, 
  gather ever more rare research materials, or the like.
  OCCULT DETECTIVE 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  3 
  Concealment
  5 
  Deduction +1
  2 
  CK: city of character’s choice 11-
  5 
  KS: Arcane And Occult Lore (INT Roll +2)
  2 
  KS: Th e Mystic World 11-
  6 
  Other KSs pertaining to occult subjects
  5 
  Languages (5 points’ worth)
  3 
  Stealth
  2 
  WF: Small Arms
  10 
  Contacts (10 points’ worth)
  6 
  6 points’ worth of abilities from the following list:
   
  Acting, Bureaucratics, Conversation, Criminology, 
  Disguise, Gambling, High Society, Paramedics, 
  Persuasion, Skill Levels, Weapon Familiarity, any 
  Background Skill, Contacts
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  49
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  None
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  0
  Options
  Value Ability
  30 
  Practitioner Of Th e Occult:  30 points’ worth of 
  mystic abilities, spells, and the like (see page 345)
  10 
  Two-Fisted:  Martial Arts (10 points’ worth of 
  maneuvers from Fisticuﬀ s or Cinematic Brawling)
  4 
  Well-Known In Occult Circles:  Reputation:  famed 
  occult detective (throughout the Mystic World) 
  14-, +2/+2d6
  -10 
  Occult Enemy:  Hunted:  by a single occult enemy, 
  monster, or the like (As Pow, Capture/Kill)
  PSYCHIC DETECTIVE 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  30 
  Psychic:  30 points’ worth of psychic abilities, and 
  the like (see page 280)
  3 
  Deduction
  2 
  CK: city of character’s choice 11-
  1 
  KS: Arcane And Occult Knowledge 8-
  2 
  KS: Th e Psychic World 11-
  4 
  Other KSs and SSs pertaining to psychic or weird 
  subjects
  3 
  Languages (3 points’ worth)
  3 
  Stealth
  6 
  Contacts (6 points’ worth)
  6 
  6 points’ worth of abilities from the following list:
   
  Acting, Bureaucratics, Conversation, Criminology, 
  Disguise, Gambling, High Society, Paramedics, 
  Persuasion, Skill Levels, Weapon Familiarity, any 
  Background Skill, Contacts
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  60
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  None
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  0
  Options
  Value Ability
  4 
  Well-Known In Psychic Circles:  Reputation:  famed 
  psychic detective (throughout the Psychic World) 
  14-, +2/+2d6
  -10 
  Psychic Enemy:  Hunted:  by a single enemy, mon-
  ster, or other being with psychic or weird powers 
  (As Pow, Capture/Kill)
  
  233 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  Typical Abilities:  Besides being socially adept and well-
  connected, the Dilettante has a wide variety of Skills 
  learned through his exposure to the ﬁ ner things in life 
  (such as how to speak French, play polo, or taste wine) 
  or as part of his quest to relieve ennui (for example, 
  many sports or “daring” hobbies like ﬂ ying). He looks 
  like a lazy playboy to most of the world — and he very 
  well may be one — but when push comes to shove 
  there are all sorts of things he can do.
  Suggested Disadvantages:  A Dilettante who’s part 
  of Café Society may be Famous or have Hunteds in 
  the form of deranged fans, golddiggers, and so on. 
  Within his intense social scene, he may have devel-
  oped many Rivalries, and it’s possible his Rivals are 
  very powerful and inﬂ uential people. Psychological 
  Limitation:  Th rillseeker is oft en quite appropriate.
  Progression:  In many cases, being a Dilettante is just 
  one element of a character’s background. For example, 
  many Amateur Detectives and Masked Crimeﬁ ghters 
  were wealthy society layabouts in their secret identi-
  ties; it would be appropriate for them to buy this Pack-
  age Deal (or at least a few selections from it) in addi-
  tion to their main Package Deal. Even if that’s not the 
  case, the Dilettante can easily grow into just about any 
  other career as age and experience make him more 
  serious about what he’s doing with his life. Similarly, 
  business reversals or loss of the family fortune may 
  force him to become a Professor, an entertainer, or the 
  like to earn a living.
  DIPLOMAT
  Th e Diplomat is a political oﬃ  cial appointed 
  to another nation by his country. He could be an 
  ambassador, a colonial administrator, or some sort 
  of embassy oﬃ  cial or functionary. He may also 
  have espionage-related duties (if he has enough of 
  them, you may want to create him using the Spy 
  Package Deal instead). In a more domestically-ori-
  ented campaign, the Diplomat may simply become 
  the Politician. Examples of Diplomats from the 
  pulps include Sanders of the River.
  Typical Goals And Motivations:  Th e Diplomat oft en 
  has to walk a ﬁ ne line. On the one hand, he’s a rep-
  resentative of his government in a foreign land, and 
  that means he has to conduct himself with dignity, 
  put a face on his nation’s policies, and above all 
  else serve his country’s interests in the area. But as 
  someone who has to live with foreigners, he needs 
  to make friends with them as well. Evil or villainous 
  Diplomats oft en scorn the latter responsibility and 
  look down on the locals, but kind-hearted Dip-
  lomats (including nearly all Diplomat PCs) want 
  to establish good relations with their neighbors. 
  Sometimes these two motivations conﬂ ict.
  DILETTANTE 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  3 
  +3 PRE
  2 
  +4 COM
  3 
  Conversation
  3 
  High Society
  8 
  Knowledge Skills (8 points’ worth, representing 
  hobbies, interests, and the like)
  8 
  Professional Skills (8 points’ worth, representing 
  jobs, hobbies, pastimes, and the like)
  6 
  Contacts (6 points’ worth)
  15 
  Money:  Filthy Rich
  6 
  6 points’ worth of abilities from the following list:
   
  Acting, Bureaucratics, Deduction, Disguise, Gam-
  bling, Paramedics, Persuasion, Riding, Seduction, 
  Skill Levels, Stealth, Systems Operation, Weapon 
  Familiarity, any Background Skill, Contacts, Fol-
  lower (manservant, chauﬀ eur, or the like)
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  54
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  None
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  0
  Options
  Value Ability
  var 
  Nobleman:  Add a Fringe Beneﬁ t reﬂ ecting the 
  character’s prestige, political power, inﬂ uence, and 
  so forth in his homeland (and to a lesser extent 
  elsewhere)
  12 
  Trained With Th e Blade:  Add Martial Arts 
  (Fencing)
  DIPLOMAT PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  3 
  Bureaucratics
  3 
  Conversation
  3 
  Deduction
  3 
  High Society
  2 
  AK or CK of posting 11-
  2 
  KS: Politics 11-
  4 
  Languages (4 points’ worth)
  3 
  Persuasion
  6 
  Contacts (6 points’ worth)
  5 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t:  Diplomatic Immunity
  6 
  6 points’ worth of abilities from the following list:
   
  Acting, Disguise, Gambling, Oratory, Seduction, 
  Skill Levels, Streetwise, Survival, Tracking, Weapon 
  Familiarity, any Background Skill, Contacts
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  40
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  10 
  Hunted:  by own government 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, 
  Watching)
  10 
  Hunted:  by local government 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, 
  Watching)
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  20
  Options
  Value Ability
  0 
  Colonial Administrator:  choose an additional 
  KS relevant to posting, and perhaps Streetwise if 
  appropriate
  0 
  Colonial Bush Posting:  choose Survival, Tracking, 
  and a 1-point WF
  
  234 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Typical Abilities:  Diplomats are skilled politicians, 
  able to present themselves well in a variety of situ-
  ations. Colonial Diplomats oft en ﬁ nd that they 
  need to display skill at more physical activities, like 
  riding and hunting, either to impress the natives or 
  participate in the local social scene.
  Suggested Disadvantages:  A Diplomat has many 
  masters to answer to. His own government and the 
  local government both keep an eye on him; if he 
  plays a role in the Espionage World, many other 
  nations may Watch him as well. If he becomes 
  too entangled in local society (or has brought his 
  family along to his posting) he may have DNPCs or 
  various Harmful Secrets to contend with.
  Progression:  Becoming a Spy is a natural progres-
  sion for more action-oriented Diplomats. Others, 
  driven more by curiosity, scientiﬁ c interest, or love 
  of sport, could become Explorers or Great White 
  Hunters, drawing on their knowledge of the locale 
  and its people to make advances and achieve goals 
  others could not.
  EXPLORER
  Th is broad archetype represents a character who 
  travels the world, seeing its most unusual sights and 
  exploring areas where Westerners have rarely (if 
  ever) gone before. Depending on how you choose 
  to explain his background, he could be an archae-
  ologist or anthropologist (see below), an ex-soldier 
  who’s taken up adventuring or treasure-seeking, a 
  professional guide/hunter, a peripatetic traveler like 
  Richard Halliburton, or just an ordinary person 
  drawn into a life of romance and adventure.
  Typical Goals And Motivations:  Explorers are usually 
  driven by (a) wanderlust, and (b) curiosity about 
  what’s over the next hill. Th ey want to know what’s 
  out there, and sometimes to be the ﬁ rst person to 
  see it. Less scrupulous Explorers are motivated 
  entirely by a desire for the fame, glory, and riches 
  that come from discovering new archaeological 
  ﬁ nds or natural resources.
  Typical Abilities:  Since they spend so much time 
  in the outdoors, Explorers know how to survive 
  in it. Th ey can live oﬀ  the land, ride horses and 
  camels, use weapons, and climb cliﬀ s. Depending 
  on their experiences, they may be skilled hunters 
  and trackers, have military skills, or speak a dozen 
  languages ﬂ uently.
  Suggested Disadvantages:  Psychological Limita-
  tions reﬂ ecting their desire to travel and see new 
  things are usually appropriate (though they may 
  have a low point value if they don’t really inconve-
  nience the character much in the game). A Rivalry 
  with another Explorer provides good drama, and 
  a ﬂ oating Hunted (local angry natives) or DNPC 
  (girl of the adventure) always liven things up. 
  Progression:  An Explorer with some hunting Skills 
  may eventually become a full-blown Great White 
  Hunter. One who’s smart enough, and has friends 
  in the right places, may earn himself a posting as a 
  Diplomat in the region he knows best. And there’s 
  never anything wrong with becoming a general 
  Two-Fisted Hero.
  EXPLORER 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  3 
  +3 STR
  6 
  +3 CON
  3 
  Climbing
  6 
  6 points’ worth of KSs
  4 
  Languages (4 points’ worth)
  3 
  Riding
  4 
  Survival (4 points’ worth)
  15 
  Traveler and 12 points’ worth of AKs, CKs, and 
  CuKs
  6 
  TF: Common Motorized Ground Vehicles, 4 more 
  points’ worth
  3 
  WF: Small Arms, Blades
  6 
  Contacts (6 points’ worth)
  6 
  6 points’ worth of abilities from the following list:
   
  Bureaucratics, Combat Driving, Combat Pilot-
  ing, Combat Skill Levels, Deduction, Disguise, 
  Gambling, Lockpicking, Martial Arts, Mechanics, 
  Paramedics, Persuasion, Security Systems, Seduc-
  tion, Skill Levels, Sleight Of Hand, Stealth, more 
  Survival, Systems Operation, Tactics, Weapon 
  Familiarity, any Background Skill, Contacts, Fol-
  lower (a native sidekick or manservant of some 
  sort)
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  65
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  None
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  0
  Options
  Value Ability
  10 
  Handy To Have Around:  Jack Of All Trades and 7 
  points’ worth of PSs
  +11 Linguistically Inclined:  Increase Languages to Lin-
  guist and 12 points’ worth of Languages
  +0 
  Mountain Climber:  Choose Mountains as one 
  Survival category, and choose +1 with Climbing 
  and KS: Mountains Of Th e World 11- as two Skills 
  from the list
  -10 
  Running From His Past:  Hunted:  an old enemy 
  8- (As Pow, Capture/Kill)
  -5 
  Wanderlust:  Psychological Limitation:  Wander-
  lust; Hates To Stay In Any One Place For Very 
  Long (Uncommon, Moderate)
  
  235 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  THE ARCHAEOLOGIST
  INDY:  Oh, the Ark of the Covenant.
  BRODY:  Nothing else has come close.
  INDY:  That thing represents everything we 
  got into archaeology for in the first place.
  —Raiders Of The Lost Ark
  Th e Archaeologist (and his close relation, the 
  Anthropologist) is a special type of Explorer. 
  Rather than traveling the world just to see and 
  experience other places and cultures, he goes in 
  search of the relics and buildings of long-dead 
  civilizations:  the Egyptians, the Aztecs, the ancient 
  Chinese, the early peoples of India and Africa, you 
  name it. In addition to his bush survival skills, he 
  brings a wealth of knowledge about history and 
  related subjects. Th e classic example of this arche-
  type is, of course, Indiana Jones, but it’s suitable to 
  many other trained seekers of artifacts, treasure, 
  and knowledge of ancient civilizations.
  To create an Archaeologist, add the Skills listed 
  in the accompanying box to the Explorer Package 
  Deal (for an Anthropologist, just switch SS: Archae-
  ology and SS: Anthropology). Th is represents a 
  sort of “strong-jawed” ﬁ eld scientist; if you want a 
  weaker character of more academic bent, use the 
  Professor Package Deal instead.
  GADGETEER
  Th e Gadgeteer is a technical wizard of the ﬁ rst 
  order. Adept in a variety of scientiﬁ c ﬁ elds (either 
  through study, natural ability, or both), he builds 
  all sorts of Weird and regular Science devices that 
  either (a) help him with his adventuring career, or 
  (b) draw him into adventures whether he wants 
  them or not.
  Th e Gadgeteer is not prominent in the actual 
  pulps; he’s more common in Pulp games than Pulp 
  stories. Inventors and gadget-wielding characters 
  in the pulps tended to be Technical Detectives (see 
  above) or NPC Scientists (see below); Clickell Rush, 
  the Gadget Man, is an example of a Gadgeteer-
  Detective from the pulps. Some characters from 
  the Science Fiction pulps, such as Captain Future, 
  might use this Package Deal easily enough.
  Typical Goals And Motivations:  Th e stereotypical 
  Gadgeteer focuses more on his gadgets than any-
  thing else. He wants to build new gadgets, test them 
  out however he needs to, improve them, and on and 
  on ad inﬁ nitum. Perhaps he wants to sell his inven-
  tions and make lots of money, or he may simply 
  do it for the joy of creating things. In a Pulp Hero 
  game, the Gadgeteer may want to use his talents 
  to ﬁ ght crime or go on adventures, instead of just 
  inventing things as an end in itself.
  Typical Abilities:  In addition to carrying lots of 
  gadgets (and being able to build or acquire others, 
  given time), the Gadgeteer comes with a slew of 
  technology-related abilities, like Electronics, Inven-
  tor, Systems Operation, and SSs. To make him less 
  narrowly focused, use his optional Skill picks to 
  choose some Background Skills or other abilities 
  that reﬂ ect hobbies, schooling, and experiences that 
  don’t have anything to do with science.
  ARCHAEOLOGIST 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  All listed abilities are in addition to the Explorer Package 
  Deal.
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  2 
  KS: World History 11-
  2 
  Languages (+2 points’ worth, usually ancient or 
  forgotten languages related to the character’s area 
  of specialty)
  7 
  Scientist and 4 points’ worth of relevant SSs (such 
  as Geology) in addition to those listed below
  2 
  SS: Anthropology 11-
  5 
  SS: Archaeology (INT Roll +2)
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  +18
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  None
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  0
  Options
  Value Ability
  -15 
  It Belongs In A Museum!:  Psychological Limita-
  tion:  Must Recover Artifacts For Th e Betterment 
  Of Mankind (Common, Strong)
  
  236 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Alternately, you can use this Package Deal to rep-
  resent a character who has a single powerful gadget, 
  one that largely deﬁ nes what he can do as a hero (such 
  as the Rocketeer, from the comic book and movie of 
  the same name). In that case, you may need to down-
  play or eliminate the character’s technology Skills if 
  he didn’t build the gadget himself — he might be an 
  ordinary farmboy, soldier, pilot, or what have you who 
  just happened to ﬁ nd this amazing device.
  Suggested Disadvantages:  Characters who are 
  skilled with technology are oft en represented as 
  being much less skilled at interacting with other 
  people — they’re shy and introverted. 
  Progression:  Many Gadgeteers are content to spend 
  their points to improve their Skills, buy more gad-
  gets, and so forth. Th ey may gradually metamorph 
  into Gadgeteer-Two Fisted Heroes, Gadgeteer-
  Detectives, Gadgeteer-Explorers, or Gadgeteer-
  Masked Crimeﬁ ghters if the campaign warrants.
  GANGSTER
  Th e Gangster is a crook. As the name implies, 
  typically he belongs to or leads a gang, which 
  means he’s most oft en mixed up in bootlegging, 
  protection rackets, labor rackets, extortion, kidnap-
  ping, blackmail, and other such activities. But he 
  could also be a lone criminal who robs banks, com-
  mits assassinations, or the like; the important ele-
  ment is that he knowingly and intentionally violates 
  the law for personal gain. Examples of Gangsters 
  from real life include the likes of Al Capone, Dutch 
  Schultz, Bonnie and Clyde, Hymie Weiss, Machine 
  Gun Kelly, and John Dillinger. Fictional examples 
  plenty of characters from the movie Little Caesar, 
  Tom Powers (from Th e Public Enemy), and Rocky 
  Sullivan (from Angels With Dirty Faces).
  Th is Package Deal is appropriate primarily for 
  NPCs... but there’s no reason a PC couldn’t be a 
  reformed hood.
  Typical Goals And Motivations:  Most criminals want 
  money and respect, and are willing to take them 
  with their ﬁ sts or at gunpoint. Some enjoy violence 
  for its own sake. A few harbor the ambition to 
  become major crimelords who run the underworld 
  of entire cities or regions.
  Typical Abilities:  Most criminals aren’t necessar-
  ily that highly skilled — they know the street and 
  they know how to use weapons, and that’s about 
  all they need. But the sort of crook represented by 
  this Package Deal is a tougher, smarter guy than 
  that who’s learned a lot more from the School of 
  Hard Knocks. If he’s a bootlegger and smuggler, 
  he’ll know about Concealment and driving; if he’s a 
  brawler or killer, he’ll probably have Dirty Inﬁ ght-
  ing and more WFs; a con man needs a range of 
  Interaction Skills; and so on.
  Suggested Disadvantages:  Besides being Hunted by 
  the cops (you can substitute the FBI, if preferable), 
  most Gangsters have at least one or two other Dis-
  advantages that represent their criminal nature and 
  status. A Psychological Limitation such as Greedy or 
  Casual Killer goes a long way to explaining criminal 
  behavior; a crook who’s been arrested before has a 
  Criminal Record.
  Progression:  Gangster PCs are usually former 
  Gangsters trying to get away from their pasts. If 
  they can trick the state into giving them a PI’s 
  license, becoming a Detective is a good way to use 
  their Skills and contacts, or a hood might join the 
  French Foreign Legion to avoid prison. A Gangster 
  who falls in with a group of adventurers might end 
  up becoming a Two-Fisted Hero, or even a Masked 
  Crimeﬁ ghter.
  GADGETEER 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  40 
  Gadgets:  40 points’ worth, or use these points to 
  help buy the Gadgets ability (page 289)
  5 
  +5 INT
  5 
  Electronics +1
  3 
  Inventor
  3 
  Mechanics
  5 
  Science Skills (5 points’ worth)
  3 
  Systems Operation
  6 
  6 points’ worth of abilities from the following list:
   
  Bugging, Combat Driving, Combat Piloting, 
  Combat Skill Levels, Deduction, Lockpicking, 
  Paramedics, Persuasion, Security Systems, Seduc-
  tion, Skill Levels, Stealth, Weapon Familiarity, any 
  Background Skill, Contacts
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  70
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  None
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  0
  Options
  Value Ability
  var 
  Just A Guy With A Gadget:  Reduce Gadgets to a 
  single gadget the character has, such as a rocket-
  pack or a ray gun, and possibly remove some Skills
  15 
  Adventuring Gadgeteer:  +2 STR, +2 DEX, +2 
  CON, +3 PRE
  -15 
  Awkward Around Other People:  Social Limitation:  
  gets along better with machinery than people; suf-
  fers a -2 to Interaction Skill Rolls (possibly even -3 
  with women) (Frequently, Major)
  -5 
  Rivalry:  Professional (with other gadgeteers and 
  inventors)
  
  237 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  GREASE MONKEY
  “Peevy, you can fix anything.”
  —Cliff Secord, The Rocketeer
  If you’ve got a lot of planes, cars, and zeppelins 
  around, you need someone to keep them in good con-
  dition. Th at’s the job of the Grease Monkey. He’s not 
  the technological genius that the Gadgeteer and the 
  Scientist are, but he’s a crack engineer and mechanic 
  — and sometimes that counts for a lot more.
  Typical Goals And Motivations:  Th e Grease Monkey 
  wants to keep the team’s cars and/or planes in good 
  working order, and in one piece. He’s constantly 
  pleading with the rest of the team (particularly the 
  Aviator) not to damage his precious vehicles. But 
  get damaged they do, so the Grease Monkey rolls 
  up his sleeves, opens his toolbox, and gets them 
  ﬁ xed as quickly as possible... oft en in mid-air before 
  they crash, while bullets are zinging all around him, 
  or in similarly stressful situations that prove just 
  what stern stuﬀ  he’s made of.
  Typical Abilities:  Th e Grease Monkey is heavy on 
  Skills needed to work on vehicles, such as Mechan-
  ics, Inventor, and various SSs. He’s also got some 
  general engineering-type Skills, such as Demoli-
  tions. Some Grease Monkeys are also good at oper-
  ating the vehicles they work on.
  GANGSTER 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  2 
  CK: city where he lives 11-
  3 
  Streetwise
  2 
  WF: Small Arms
  1 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t:  Criminal rank (member in gang, 
  organized crime group, or the like)
  12 
  12 points’ worth of abilities from the following list:
   
  Bribery, Combat Driving, Combat Skill Levels, 
  Concealment, Demolitions, Disguise, Fast Draw, 
  Forgery, Gambling, High Society, Martial Arts 
  (Dirty Inﬁ ghting or the like), Lockpicking, 
  Mechanics, Persuasion, Seduction, Shadowing, 
  Skill Levels, Sleight Of Hand, Stealth, Weapon 
  Familiarity, any Background Skill, Contacts
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  20
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  20 
  Hunted:  the cops 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Capture)
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  20
  Options
  Value Ability
  var 
  Gang Leader:  Th e character has a whole gang of 
  loyal crooks at his beck and call, whom he buys as 
  Followers
  -15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Greedy (Common, 
  Strong)
  -10 
  Social Limitation:  Criminal Record (Frequently, 
  Minor)
  GREASE MONKEY 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  3 
  +3 STR
  6 
  +3 CON
  3 
  Demolitions
  1 
  Electronics 8-
  3 
  Inventor
  2 
  KS: Vehicles 11-
  7 
  Mechanics +2
  3 
  SS: Mechanical Engineering (INT Roll)
  4 
  Science Skills (4 more points’ worth of appropriate 
  SSs)
  2 
  WF: Small Arms
  6 
  6 points’ worth of abilities from the following list:
   
  Combat Driving, Combat Piloting, Combat Skill 
  Levels, Deduction, Lockpicking, Navigation, Para-
  medics, Persuasion, Security Systems, Skill Levels, 
  Stealth, Systems Operation, Weapon Familiarity, 
  any Background Skill, Contacts
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  40
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  None
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  0
  Options
  Value Ability
  -15 
  Awkward Around Other People:  Social Limitation:  
  gets along better with machinery than people; suf-
  fers a -2 to Interaction Skill Rolls (possibly even -3 
  with women) (Frequently, Major)
  
  238 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Suggested Disadvantages:  A Grease Monkey’s 
  desire for “his” vehicles not to get damaged is usu-
  ally just an aﬀ ectation or personality quirk, not a 
  Psychological Limitation, since he either (a) always 
  gives in and lets the other characters use the vehi-
  cles, and/or (b) belongs to a team or crew of some 
  sort and has no real authority to stop people from 
  using them. But in some cases, that might make for 
  a valid Disadvantage. Th e Grease Monkey may have 
  a Rivalry with other mechanics, or a DNPC in the 
  form of a helpful but trouble-prone assistant.
  Progression:  Th e Grease Monkey could easily 
  become an Aviator if he decides to stop ﬁ ddling 
  around in the engine compartment and get behind 
  the stick. Developing Explorer abilities makes sense 
  if he oft en accompanies the vehicle and his friends 
  on globetrotting adventures.
  GREAT WHITE HUNTER
  Th e Great White Hunter is, well, a white man 
  who’s a renowned hunter. Th e title comes from the 
  fact that even though he’s a white man, he’s lived in-
  country so long, and paid enough respectful atten-
  tion to the natives and their ways, that he’s learned 
  a lot of tricks the “average” Westerner who goes on 
  the occasional safari doesn’t know.
  Th e inspiration for the Great White Hunter usu-
  ally comes from H. Rider Haggard’s character Allan 
  Quatermain, whose adventures ﬁ rst appeared in 
  Victorian times. Th e best-known real-life example 
  is Frank Buck, who began capturing wild animals 
  for circuses and zoos in 1911 and published a book 
  about his exploits, Bring ’Em Back Alive, in 1930.
  Typical Goals And Motivations:  Th e Great White 
  Hunter pits himself against the most dangerous, 
  ferocious beasts out there — lions, tigers, rhinos, 
  and in a Pulp game perhaps things stranger and 
  more monstrous still. It’s a duel to the death in 
  which he brings his intelligence and skills to bear 
  against the creature’s instincts, cunning, and natural 
  weaponry... and only the best of them will survive. 
  He lives for the thrill of the hunt.
  Typical Abilities:  Th e Great White Hunter excels in 
  outdoorsman Skills:  Climbing, Stealth, Tracking, 
  weapons, and so on. Drop him in the middle of the 
  Serengeti unarmed and he can not only ﬁ nd his 
  way out, but can probably make some crude weap-
  ons and bring down an animal or three to keep 
  himself fed along the way. He may even have “gone 
  native,” adopting the language, customs, and reli-
  gion of the native peoples with whom he lives and 
  has come to respect and admire.
  Suggested Disadvantages:  If the Great White 
  Hunter works as a guide for rich vacationers on 
  safari, he could deﬁ ne them as ﬂ oating DNPCs 
  — aft er all, it’s his duty to keep them safe in the 
  bush. If he has a wife and children (be they native 
  or white) in-country with him, they could also be 
  DNPCs. If he’s “gone native,” colonial white society 
  probably scorns him (even if it also calls on him for 
  help when necessary). If he’s devoted to the “thrill 
  of the hunt” strongly enough, it could be a Psycho-
  logical Limitation.
  Progression:  Becoming an Explorer or a Two-
  Fisted Hero is natural for the Great White Hunter; 
  in some ways, he’s just a limited version of either 
  of those professions. If he’s on good terms with his 
  government, he might become a Diplomat or Spy. 
  If he gets around a lot by plane, some Aviator skills 
  would come in handy.
  GREAT WHITE HUNTER 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  3 
  +3 STR
  6 
  +3 CON
  4 
  +2 BODY
  3 
  +3 INT
  3 
  +3 PRE
  3 
  Climbing
  8 
  AKs, CKs, and CuKs (8 points’ worth)
  2 
  KS: Big Game Animals 11-
  2 
  Navigation (Land)
  3 
  Stealth
  4 
  Survival (4 points’ worth)
  3 
  Tracking
  4 
  WF: Small Arms plus 2 more points’ worth
  6 
  6 points’ worth of abilities from the following list:
   
  Animal Handler, Combat Driving, Combat Pilot-
  ing, Combat Skill Levels, Deduction, Gambling, 
  Martial Arts, Paramedics, Persuasion, Riding, 
  Security Systems, Seduction, Shadowing, Skill 
  Levels, Survival (more environments), Systems 
  Operation, Weapon Familiarity, Weaponsmith, 
  any Background Skill, Jack Of All Trades, Linguist, 
  Traveler, Contacts, Follower (a native helper or 
  guide, a companion animal, or the like)
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  54
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  None
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  0
  Options
  Value Ability
  var 
  Floating DNPC:  safari hunter (or the like) for 
  whom he’s serving as guide
  -10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Th rill Of Th e Hunt (will 
  go out of his way for an entertaining hunt, may 
  even take steps to make the hunt more diﬃ  cult for 
  himself, won’t “cheat” or use unfair tactics, and so 
  on) (Common, Moderate)
  -5 
  Social Limitation:  Gone Native (which causes him 
  to be looked down upon and even discriminated 
  against by white colonial society) (Occasionally, 
  Minor)
  
  239 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  JAZZ MUSICIAN
  Th e Pulp era is also the Jazz Age — the heyday 
  of the likes of King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, and 
  Louis Armstrong, the days of ﬂ appers and bathtub 
  gin. Th e Jazz Musician lives in the heart of this 
  world. He makes his living playing jazz in dark, 
  smoky speakeasies and clubs, or if he’s lucky in 
  more upper-class joints where the pay’s a little 
  better. But really it’s the music that matters, not 
  where he plays it or how much money he makes.
  Typical Goals And Motivations:  Th e Jazz Musician 
  wants to play. If the only gig he can get is at some 
  broken-down, backroads honky-tonk, he’ll take it; if 
  he needs to spruce up so he can play at a fancy dance 
  club, he’ll do that. If he’s broke and desperate he may 
  hock his instrument, in which case he’s always on 
  the lookout for a way to get it back before someone 
  buys it. A Jazz Musician PC has probably developed 
  other goals, like helping his friends ﬁ ght crime and 
  corruption in the big city, since few campaigns focus 
  exclusively on musicians and music clubs.
  Typical Abilities:  First and foremost, the Jazz Musi-
  cian is a consummate player (and perhaps writer) 
  of music. He can usually play several instruments, 
  though he oft en has one he favors (typically sax, 
  trumpet, or clarinet). Beyond that, he usually 
  knows the street well (since many jazz clubs and 
  speakeasies aren’t exactly in what you’d call “nice” 
  neighborhoods), and may have learned other enter-
  tainment-oriented Skills.
  Suggested Disadvantages:  Being a musician 
  — particularly a black musician, like virtually all 
  real-world Jazz Musicians of the Pulp era — didn’t 
  necessarily pay very well, so the Jazz Musician 
  may be Poor. If he’s got a roving eye and a “loving” 
  nature, his desire for the fairer sex may distract him 
  from his art (or even set jealous husbands and boy-
  friends on his trail). In a more folkloric or mystic 
  campaign, he might even have sold his soul to the 
  Devil for musical talent.
  Progression:  In Pulp Hero campaigns, most Jazz 
  Musicians don’t stay narrowly-focused on music 
  for long; it doesn’t oﬀ er that many opportunities 
  for adventure. Once they fall in with the other PCs, 
  they might end up ﬁ ghting crime, working as a 
  Spy, or just bumming around the world as a sort of 
  troubadour-Explorer.
  JAZZ MUSICIAN 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  2 
  CK: the campaign city 11-
  3 
  KS: Jazz (INT Roll)
  6 
  Professional Skills involving music or playing 
  instruments (e.g., PS: Play Saxophone)
  3 
  Streetwise
  6 
  6 points’ worth of abilities from the following list:
   
  Acting, Combat Driving, Conversation, Deduc-
  tion, Disguise, Gambling, High Society, Mimicry, 
  Oratory, Persuasion, Seduction, Shadowing, Skill 
  Levels, Sleight Of Hand, Ventriloquism, Weapon 
  Familiarity, any Background Skill, Contacts
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  20
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  None
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  0
  Options
  Value Ability
  2 
  Man, Can Th at Guy Play!:  Reputation:  skilled 
  musician (throughout the US) 11-, +1/+1d6
  Spec Met Th e Devil Down T’ Th ’ Crossroads:  Th e char-
  acter went to a lonely country crossroads one 
  night, where he met the Devil and sold his soul for 
  musical talent. He gains +3 with all musical PSs (9 
  points) and Luck 3d6 (15 points), but also the Dis-
  advantages Distinctive Features:  Has No Soul (Not 
  Concealable; Causes Extreme Reaction; Detectable 
  Only By Unusual Senses; -15 points) and Hunted:  
  the Devil 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Watching; -10 points)
  3 
  Perfect Pitch
  3 
  Stage Presence:  +3 PRE
  -5 
  Always Needs Money:  Poor
  -15 
  Alcoholic:  Dependence:  must drink liquor at 
  least once per Day or suﬀ er Incompetence (Very 
  Common, Addiction)
  -15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Skirtchaser (Common, 
  Strong) (character may also have a Hunted:  jeal-
  ous husbands he’s cuckolded)
  -10 
  Social Limitation:  Minority (Frequently, Minor)
  
  240 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  MASKED CRIMEFIGHTER
  “Who knows... what evil... lurks in the 
  hearts of men? The Shadow knows....”
  —introduction to The Shadow radio 
  program
  One of the most common and popular arche-
  types in the pulps, the Masked Crimeﬁ ghter (also 
  known as the Mystery Man, the Crimebuster, the 
  Vigilante, and various other names) ﬁ ghts crime 
  while concealing his identity with a costume of some 
  sort. Th e typical costume involves some combination 
  of a mask (such as a domino mask), a fedora, and a 
  cape, but more garish garb (such as a costume that 
  makes the character look like a ghost, a terrifying 
  clown, or a skull-faced man) is certainly possible. 
  Some are nearly as powerful and skilled as any latter-
  day comic book superhero; others are little more 
  than mask-wearing Detectives of some type.
  Examples of Masked Crimeﬁ ghters from the 
  pulps include the Shadow, the Spider, the Whis-
  perer, the Phantom Detective, the Black Bat, the 
  Crimson Mask, and countless others.
  Typical Goals And Motivations:  Th e Masked Crime-
  ﬁ ghter has taken up the vigilante mantle because 
  he wants to protect innocent people, and society 
  itself, from the scourge of crime and injustice. He 
  oft en realizes that only he, with his superior abili-
  ties, training, and resources, can combat the ﬁ endish 
  crimelords who so oft en threaten the city — crimi-
  nals so powerful the police alone cannot stop them. 
  It’s a dangerous, lonely life... but such is the burden 
  the Masked Crimeﬁ ghter accepts to keep others safe.
  Typical Abilities:  Th e average Masked Crimeﬁ ghter is 
  a multi-talented wunderkind who’s superbly skilled 
  at a wide variety of abilities. He’s a master of weapons 
  and an ace shot. He can disguise himself so well that 
  even people who know the person he’s imitating can’t 
  tell the diﬀ erence. He knows the underworld, and the 
  habits of its denizens, intimately and is an expert at 
  unraveling their schemes. And there’s no telling what 
  other Skills, Heroic Talents, or other abilities he may 
  reveal at just the right moment.
  Suggested Disadvantages:  Th e Masked Crimeﬁ ghter 
  maintains a Secret Identity, and needs a Psychological 
  Limitation reﬂ ecting his devotion to combating crime. 
  He’s Hunted by at least one major criminal; this may 
  be a ﬂ oating Hunted representing his latest enemy 
  (since most Masked Crimeﬁ ghters shoot to kill, 
  making it diﬃ  cult to keep a single Hunted alive over 
  the course of the campaign). In many cases, he’s also 
  Hunted by the police, even if they grudgingly admire 
  his work and admit he can stop criminals they’re pow-
  erless against. A few Masked Crimeﬁ ghters even have 
  DNPCs (such as girlfriends or ﬁ ancees), though most 
  eschew romantic attachments and buy their helpers, if 
  any, as Followers.
  Progression:  Masked Crimeﬁ ghters can use so many 
  Skills and Heroic Talents in their war on gangdom 
  that there’s not much need for them to “branch out” 
  into other careers — they can go on improving their 
  existing abilities, and buying related ones, for an entire 
  campaign. But if they belong to a group of heroes that 
  goes on adventures that don’t involve ﬁ ghting crime in 
  the big city, they may want to broaden their Skill selec-
  tion a little (to include some Area Knowledges and 
  Languages, if nothing else).
  
  241 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  PROFESSOR
  I supposed he had the true spirit of the 
  [Professor]. If he’d been told there was 
  an undeciphered inscription on a red hot 
  stone in Hell he’d have clamped on his 
  goggles and absurd helmet and gone down 
  after it.
  —Alexander Wallace, “Blood For The 
  Juju,” Jungle Stories, Summer 1950
  Th e many mysteries of the world — the oppor-
  tunity to discover new things, to conduct important 
  research, and to ﬁ nd artifacts time has left  behind 
  — oft en lure academics into the ﬁ eld. Th ough not 
  necessarily well-suited to the adventuring life, the 
  Professor is driven to it by a desire to learn, a once-
  in-a-lifetime chance to make a career-boosting 
  discovery, or perhaps to “accompany those young 
  hot-heads” and make sure they don’t get into too 
  much trouble.
  Typical Goals And Motivations:  Typically, the Profes-
  sor wants to learn. He’s got important research to 
  conduct, discoveries to make, and/or theories to 
  prove. He may want this for the sheer joy of know-
  ing, or he may intend to make a lot of money with 
  what he learns, but the basic desire is the same. 
  He’ll go just about anywhere and risk just about 
  anything to uncover the information he seeks.
  Typical Abilities:  Professors typically aren’t that 
  strong, swift , or tough; they may not even be all 
  that quick-witted. But they’re highly educated, with 
  MASKED CRIMEFIGHTER 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  3 
  +3 STR
  12 
  +4 DEX
  3 
  +3 INT
  5 
  +5 PRE
  10 
  +1 Overall
  10 
  10 points’ worth of Combat Skill Levels
  3 
  Acting
  3 
  Criminology
  3 
  Deduction
  5 
  Disguise +1
  3 
  KS: campaign city underworld (INT Roll)
  3 
  Lockpicking
  3 
  Mimicry
  3 
  Security Systems
  3 
  Shadowing
  3 
  Stealth
  3 
  Streetwise
  2 
  TF: Common Motorized Ground Vehicles
  2 
  WF: Small Arms
  6 
  Contacts (6 points’ worth)
  12 
  12 points’ worth of abilities from the following list:
   
  Acrobatics, Analyze, Animal Handler, Breakfall, 
  Bribery, Bugging, Climbing, Combat Driving, 
  Combat Piloting, Combat Skill Levels, Conceal-
  ment, Contortionist, Conversation, Cramming, 
  Demolitions, Electronics, Fast Draw, Forensic 
  Medicine, Gambling, High Society, Interrogation, 
  Lipreading, Martial Arts, Mechanics, Paramedics, 
  Persuasion, Rapid Attack, Skill Levels, Sleight Of 
  Hand, Systems Operation, Two-Weapon Fighting, 
  Weapon Familiarity, Weaponsmith, any Back-
  ground Skill, Contacts
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  100
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  20 
  Hunted:  crimelord or gang of the character’s 
  choice (Mo Pow, NCI, Capture/Kill)
  15 
  Appropriate Psychological Limitation (such as 
  Must Protect Innocents From Crime, Devoted To 
  Justice, or Vigilante Mentality)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Frequently, 
  Major)
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  50
  Options
  Value Ability
  10 
  Th e Chinatown Connection:  3 points’ worth of 
  Chinese languages, AK: Chinatown 11-, and 5 
  points’ worth of Contacts in Chinatown
  var 
  Minions:  Followers (one or more assistants who 
  help him wage his war on crime)
  var 
  Somewhat Less Helpful Minions:  DNPCs (minions 
  who get into trouble a lot more than they actually 
  help)
  var 
  Sanctum:  the character has a secret headquarters 
  (a Base)
  var 
  Sidekick:  Follower (a partner who assists the char-
  acter, oft en adopting a costume similar to his own)
  30 
  Weird Powers:  30 points’ worth of Heroic Talents, 
  weird powers, and similar abilities
  PROFESSOR 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  5 
  Cramming
  3 
  Deduction
  3 
  Scholar or Scientist
  5 
  Knowledge Skill or Science Skill representing 
  favored subject of study (INT Roll +2)
  12 
  Additional KSs, PSs, and SSs (12 points’ worth)
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  28
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  None
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  0
  Options
  Value Ability
  5 
  Memory Like A Steel Trap:  Eidetic Memory
  -10 
  Absent-Minded:  Psychological Limitation: Absent-
  Minded (must make an INT Roll to remember 
  anything important that’s not directly related to 
  his area of expertise) (Common, Moderate)
  -10 
  Frail:  -2 STR, -2 CON, and -2 BODY
  -15 
  Obsessed:  Psychological Limitation:  Must 
  Study [Favorite Subject] At Every Opportunity 
  (Common, Strong)
  3 
  Observant And Clever:  +3 INT
  var 
  Old Man:  Add the Age Disadvantage
  
  242 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  a plethora of Knowledge Skills (and/or Science 
  Skills), the ability to learn things quickly if neces-
  sary, and plenty of scholarly insight. For a change 
  of pace, a player might build a professor who is a 
  tough, hard-bitten adventurer, or who has some 
  unusual Skills that most academics lack.
  Suggested Disadvantages:  Many Professors are old 
  and frail, with sold back Characteristics and the Age 
  Disadvantage to prove it. Some are so obsessed with 
  their area of expertise that they’re easily distracted 
  by it, or forgetful of other things. 
  Progression:  Th e Professor is a fairly narrowly-
  deﬁ ned archetype, so there are plenty of ways for 
  him to grow. Assuming he’s not too old to learn 
  new tricks, it’s entirely possible that spending time 
  in the company of adventurers will prompt him to 
  pick up lots of new Skills. If he wants to remain rel-
  atively true to type, he might become more like the 
  Scientist or Gadgeteer and buy technical Skills like 
  Inventor and Electronics. If the player wants to go 
  in a more unusual direction, perhaps the Professor 
  could become something of an Aviator, an Explorer, 
  a Great White Hunter, or a Two-Fisted Hero.
  REPORTER
  Also known as the Muckraker or (more color-
  fully) the Crusading Journalist, the Reporter is a 
  newshound who’s willing to risk his own neck to 
  get the big story. Although he’s most appropriate 
  for Crimebusting campaigns and other games that 
  use a single city as the setting, there’s no reason a 
  Reporter couldn’t take his cue from Victorian-era 
  journalist Nellie Bly and travel around the world 
  reporting on the events of the day.
  Examples of Reporters from the pulps include 
  Wade Hammond (also a Detective, essentially), Joe 
  “Daﬀ y” Dill, Jerry Tracy, Jerry “the Candid Camera 
  Kid” Wade, Frank Hawley, Flashgun Casey, Rambler 
  Murphy, and Robert Ruddy. Nick Condon, the Jimmy 
  Cagney character in the movie Blood On Th e Sun, is 
  another good model of an action-oriented Pulp-era 
  reporter. For a Reporter-Masked Crimeﬁ ghter cross-
  over, look at Britt Reid, the Green Hornet.
  Typical Goals And Motivations:  Reporters are, by 
  profession if not nature, intensely curious. Th ey 
  want to know what’s going on and the secrets that 
  important people have in their closets. Th ey’ll do 
  whatever they have to — even risk their own necks, 
  sometimes — to get the big story.
  Typical Abilities:  Reporters’ Skills are partly investiga-
  tory, partly social. Th ey need to get along with a wide 
  variety of people — everyone from the top politicians 
  in the city to the dregs of the underworld — and 
  get those people to speak frankly with them (or at 
  least trust them to some degree). But they also dig 
  into county records, the library, and the newspaper’s 
  “morgue” to uncover information that people won’t 
  willingly reveal. Beyond that, they possess a broad 
  knowledge of what’s going on in the city (and related 
  facts). A few are tough guys who can stand up to 
  crooks and even take a beating in pursuit of a scoop.
  Suggested Disadvantages:  Other than Psychologi-
  cal Limitations reﬂ ecting their curiosity and drive 
  for news, Reporters oft en have Hunteds (hoods or 
  crooked politicians they’ve annoyed one too many 
  times), DNPCs (girlfriends), Rivals (other report-
  ers), and Watcheds (editors who don’t like or trust 
  them). Many of them drink like ﬁ sh, and a few are 
  outright alcoholics.
  Progression:  In many ways, the Reporter functions 
  as a sub-type of the Detective. As he hunts for “the 
  big story,” the Reporter has to associate with low-
  lifes and dig into mysteries the cops haven’t solved 
  yet. In the end he ﬁ gures out what’s going on and 
  lets the police know so they can wrap things up... 
  and he gets his story. Some Reporter characters 
  might want to verge even further into that profes-
  sion, or perhaps even follow their outrage at injus-
  tice into a career as a Masked Crimeﬁ ghter. If the 
  Reporter’s assigned to a foreign beat or accompa-
  nies a group of adventurers to report on their activ-
  ities, he might become something of an Explorer or 
  Two-Fisted Hero himself!
  REPORTER 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  3 
  +3 INT
  3 
  +3 PRE
  3 
  Conversation
  2 
  KS: What’s Going On In Th e City 11-
  2 
  KS: Who’s Who In Th e City 11-
  6 
  Additional KSs (6 points’ worth) pertaining to his 
  job
  3 
  PS: Reporter (INT Roll) (may be changed to PS: 
  Photography, if appropriate)
  2 
  PS: Research 11-
  3 
  Streetwise
  6 
  Contacts (6 points’ worth)
  1 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t:  Press Pass
  9 
  9 points’ worth of abilities from the following list:
   
  Bribery, Bureaucratics, Combat Driving, Conceal-
  ment, Cramming, Deduction, Gambling, High 
  Society, Lockpicking, Persuasion, PS: Photogra-
  phy, Seduction, Skill Levels, Systems Operation, 
  Weapon Familiarity, Weaponsmith, any Back-
  ground Skill, Contacts
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  43
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Annoyingly Curious; 
  Oft en Sticks His Nose In Where It Doesn’t Belong 
  (Common, Strong)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Has To Get Th e Story 
  (Common, Strong)
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  30
  Options
  Value Ability
  -15 
  Alcoholic:  Dependence:  must drink liquor at 
  least once per Day or suﬀ er Incompetence (Very 
  Common, Addiction)
  
  243 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  SAILOR
  Despite the fact that airplanes exist, in the 
  Pulp era the vast majority of cargo travels by ship 
  — which means there are lots of Sailors traveling 
  around the world at any given time. Many pulp 
  stories focused on hard-living, hard-drinking, 
  two-ﬁ sted sailing men who found adventure in 
  the South Seas or other parts of the oceans. Th e 
  Skipper’s various crewmen are good examples of 
  Sailors; so is Robert E. Howard’s character “Sailor” 
  Steve Costigan (though he’s more focused on 
  boxing than the mariner’s life).
  In the pulps, most examples of this archetype 
  are actually Captains — men who own and operate 
  their own ships. (In some cases the Captain doesn’t 
  actually own the boat; he answers to a company 
  that does.) It’s not usually a big ship, and in many 
  cases it’s perpetually in need of repairs or supplies 
  (a great hook to get the Captain into an adventure), 
  but it’s still the Captain’s own beloved boat. Exam-
  ples of Captains from the pulps include the Skipper, 
  Hurricane Williams, Typhoon Bradley, Captain 
  McConaughy, Shark Gotch, and Cap Fury.
  Typical Goals And Motivations:  All most Sailors 
  want is good weather, as little work as possible, 
  and some time ashore with money to spend. 
  Sailor PCs, especially Captains, usually have 
  deeper motivations. Perhaps they’re trying to 
  earn money for a particular purpose (such 
  as getting the boat repaired, retiring early, or 
  buying a bigger boat), or maybe they’re seeking 
  vengeance against someone who wronged them 
  who’s out there somewhere among the islands.
  Typical Abilities:  Sailors have a fairly restricted set 
  of abilities pertaining to life aboard ship. Th ey can 
  navigate over the ocean, keep their footing on toss-
  ing decks, and know how to keep a ship running. 
  And of course they’ve been lots of places.
  Suggested Disadvantages:  In the case of either 
  Sailors or Captains, it’s common for a Pulp seaman 
  to have gone to sea to escape some great wrong. He 
  might have committed a crime (or been framed for 
  one) back in the States and ﬂ ed to avoid the author-
  ities, or a woman betrayed him and he took to the 
  ocean to escape her memory. Th is suggests all sorts 
  of possible Disadvantages, such as Hunteds and 
  Social Limitations (though neither may be worth 
  much if the character’s done a good job of ﬂ eeing 
  and hiding). A Captain may have to answer to who-
  ever owns his ship (a Watched), have a Rivalry with 
  other captains, be ﬁ lled with a deep and abiding 
  hatred of pirates, or the like.
  Progression:  Many Sailor characters don’t prog-
  ress at all — the life of a seaman is exciting and 
  adventurous enough! Others, including many 
  who fall in with adventuring groups, gradually 
  become as much Explorers or Two-Fisted Heroes 
  as men of the sea.
  SCIENTIST
  Oft en found in more of an NPC role than as a 
  main character, the Scientist is something like the 
  Professor, but more narrowly focused on scientiﬁ c 
  and technical subjects. He’s not quite the on-the-ﬂ y 
  tinkerer the Gadgeteer is, nor as skilled a practical 
  engineer as the Grease Monkey, but the breadth and 
  depth of his scientiﬁ c training oft en come in handy 
  during adventures. Examples of Scientists from the 
  pulps (or related media) include Flash Gordon’s 
  friend Dr. Zarkov, the Spider’s assistant Professor 
  Brownlee, and Buck Rogers’s companion Dr. Huer.
  Typical Goals And Motivations:  Th e Scientist is usu-
  ally interested in ﬁ nding parts for his latest inven-
  tion or project, testing it, or perhaps obtaining 
  funding for it. If he stumbles on strange or unusual 
  technologies during the course of the adventure, he 
  may become intensely interested in them, willing to 
  risk his own safety to study them or obtain samples.
  Typical Abilities:  Scientists are skilled in a wide 
  variety of technical and scientiﬁ c ﬁ elds. Th ey can 
  analyze or repair existing devices, invent new ones, 
  and conduct all sorts of strange experiments. Some 
  Scientists are on the cutting edge of Pulp-era tech-
  nological development in such ﬁ elds as the creation 
  of primitive computers.
  Suggested Disadvantages:  Much like his compa-
  triot the Professor, the Scientist is oft en prone to 
  absent-mindedness or obsession with his favorite 
  subject. In fact, he may become too obsessed with 
  his work and turn into the proverbial Mad Scientist.
  SAILOR PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  3 
  Breakfall
  2 
  Navigation (Marine)
  2 
  PS: Sailor 11-
  18 
  Traveler and AKs, CKs, and CuKs reﬂ ecting his 
  travels (15 points’ worth)
  6 
  6 points’ worth of abilities from the following list:
   
  Acrobatics, Animal Handler, Bribery, Climbing, 
  Combat Sailing, Combat Skill Levels, Conceal-
  ment, Conversation, Gambling, Interrogation, 
  Lipreading, Martial Arts, Mechanics, Paramedics, 
  Persuasion, Skill Levels, Sleight Of Hand, Systems 
  Operation, Weapon Familiarity, any Background 
  Skill, Contacts
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  31
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  None
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  0
  Options
  Value Ability
  26 
  Captain:  Add a Vehicle (the captain’s ship) and a 
  1-point Fringe Beneﬁ t
  -5 
  Always Needs Money:  Poor
  -15 
  Alcoholic:  Dependence:  must drink liquor at 
  least once per Day or suﬀ er Incompetence (Very 
  Common, Addiction)
  var 
  Th e Boat’s Owner:  Hunted (Watched by whoever 
  owns the boat the character captains)
  
  244 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Progression:  As a narrow archetype, the Scientist has 
  lots of room for expansion. If he’s not old and frail, 
  he could easily become a sort of Two-Fisted Adven-
  turer or Masked Crimeﬁ ghter who specializes in 
  using scientiﬁ c methods and devices to combat his 
  foes. If he likes to build planes and zeppelins, maybe 
  he’ll test-ﬂ y them himself as an Aviator.
  SOLDIER
  Th e Soldier is a professional ﬁ ghting man. He 
  may have seen action on the bloody ﬁ elds of the 
  Great War (see page 14), or he could have joined 
  the military during the Pulp era itself. He might 
  even be a mercenary, ﬁ ghting anywhere someone 
  can pay him... and probably having an adventure or 
  two along the way.
  A variant on the standard Soldier is the Foreign 
  Legionnaire, who is (or once was) a member of 
  the famed French Foreign Legion. Th e novel Beau 
  Geste, published in 1925, created an interest in sto-
  ries about these brave warriors ﬁ ghting in the worst 
  conditions for the glory and honor of France. See 
  page 173 for more information.
  Examples of Soldiers from the pulps include the 
  Lost Legion, Jimmie Chordie, the Foreign Legion-
  naires Th ibaut Corday and Grellon, and Terence X. 
  O’Leary (in some stories).
  Typical Goals And Motivations:  Soldiers’ motivations 
  vary. Some are ardent patriots, willing to give their 
  lives in service to their country; others are self-
  ish mercenaries who only care about getting paid. 
  Some revel in battle; others fear it. Some joined the 
  military voluntarily, others were draft ed or enrolled 
   SOLDIER PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  2 
  Running +1”
  2 
  KS: Th e Military/Mercenary/Terrorist World 11-
  2 
  KS: [Military Force] History And Customs 11-
  2 
  PS: [member of military; e.g., “Sailor”] 11-
  3 
  Tactics
  3 
  WF: Small Arms, Knives
  4 
  Contacts (4 points’ worth)
  0 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t:  Military Rank
  9 
  9 points’ worth of abilities from the following list:
   
  Autoﬁ re Skills, Bureaucratics, Climbing, Combat 
  Driving, Combat Piloting, Combat Skill Levels, 
  Concealment, Demolitions, Electronics, Fast Draw, 
  Interrogation, Language, Martial Arts, Mechan-
  ics, Navigation, Paramedics, Persuasion, Security 
  Systems, Skill Levels, Stealth, Survival, Systems 
  Operation, Weapon Familiarity, Weaponsmith, any 
  Background Skill, Contacts
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  27
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  5 
  Distinctive Features:  Uniform (Easily Concealed)
  10 
  Hunted:  military force character belongs to 8- 
  (Mo Pow, NCI, Watching)
  20 
  Social Limitation:  Subject To Orders (Very Fre-
  quently, Major)
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  35
  Options
  Value Ability
  0 
  Combat Engineer:  Choose SS: Civil Engineering 
  and at least one other engineering-oriented Skill
  0 
  Foreign Legionnaire:  Choose Language:  French 
  (ﬂ uent conversation) and AKs related to posting
  0 
  Pilot:  Choose Combat Piloting
  0 
  Tank Driver:  Choose TF: Tracked Military Vehicles
  SCIENTIST 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  40 
  Scientiﬁ c Apparati And Inventions:  40 points’ 
  worth of gadgets or the Gadgets ability (page 289) 
  or a Base (laboratory)
  3 
  Electronics
  3 
  Inventor
  3 
  Mechanics
  8 
  Scientist and one favored Science Skill (INT Roll 
  +3)
  8 
  Additional SSs (8 points’ worth)
  3 
  Systems Operation
  6 
  6 points’ worth of abilities from the following list:
   
  Bugging, Computer Programming, Criminol-
  ogy, Deduction, Forensic Medicine, Paramedics, 
  Persuasion, Security Systems, Skill Levels, Stealth, 
  Weapon Familiarity, any Background Skill, Con-
  tacts
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  74
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  None
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  0
  Options
  Value Ability
  23 
  Adventuring Scientist:  +3 STR, +4 DEX, +4 CON
  3 
  Observant And Clever:  +3 INT
  var 
  Old Man:  Add the Age Disadvantage
  -15 
  Awkward Around Other People:  Social Limitation:  
  gets along better with machinery than people; suf-
  fers a -2 to Interaction Skill Rolls (possibly even -3 
  with women) (Frequently, Major)
  -10 
  Frail:  -2 STR, -2 CON, and -2 BODY
  -10 
  Psychological Limitation: Absent-Minded (must 
  make an INT Roll to remember anything impor-
  tant that’s not directly related to his area of exper-
  tise) (Common, Moderate)
  -5 
  Rivalry:  Professional (with other scientists and 
  inventors)
  -15 
  Th ey Called Me Mad At Th e University:  Psycho-
  logical Limitation:  Devoted To Favorite Subject 
  And Projects (will risk his own safety and the 
  safety of others for scientiﬁ c advancement) 
  (Common, Strong)
  
  245 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  to escape prison or some other unpleasant fate. 
  Some are noble, others base and cruel.
  Typical Abilities:  Soldiers possess extensive mili-
  tary skills. Th ey know how to use many diﬀ erent 
  weapons, understand small-unit tactics, and tend 
  to be in good physical shape. Depending on their 
  military experiences and training, they may know 
  how to do just about anything — ﬂ y or ﬁ x planes, 
  survive in the desert or jungle, blow things up, or 
  treat battleﬁ eld injuries, among other things.
  Suggested Disadvantages:  Th e Disadvantages in 
  the Package Deal assume a Soldier’s on active duty, 
  which means he has to wear a uniform and follow 
  orders. If he’s been discharged or gone AWOL, 
  those Disadvantages may not apply (though in the 
  latter case, his Watched typically becomes a full-
  blown Hunted). If he’s been posted to a distant 
  land where the natives are unfriendly, he may have 
  other Hunteds or a Social Limitation; if he joined 
  up to escape his past, a Harmful Secret may lurk 
  in his background.
  Progression:  Soldiers who become adventurers 
  usually leave the full-blown military life behind 
  and become more like Aviators, Explorers, or Two-
  Fisted Heroes. All of those careers play oﬀ  their 
  military training nicely and provide plenty of room 
  for character growth.
  SPY
  Many Pulp stories dealt with the machinations 
  of governments, and the Spy was his country’s man 
  on the spot. Oft en more of a “troubleshooter” for his 
  country than a gatherer of intelligence or handler of 
  secret agents, the Spy did whatever was necessary to 
  prevent the enemy from triumphing. Examples of 
  Spies from the pulps include Operator 5, Secret Agent 
  X, Norroy, Jeﬀ  “the Eagle” Shannon, Kara Vania, Aure-
  lius Smith, and Sir George Llangolen Trevor of the 
  “Free Lances In Diplomacy” series (said by some to be 
  the longest-running series in pulp history).
  Typical Goals And Motivations:  Compared to the 
  cynical, world-weary spies of modern espionage 
  ﬁ ction, the Spy in the pulps is usually a noble-
  hearted patriot who serves his country out of patri-
  otism and idealism. He knows that the enemies of 
  truth, freedom, and the American (or British) Way 
  will triumph if someone doesn’t stop them — and 
  thanks to his natural talents, intensive training, and 
  ﬁ eld experience he’s the person to do just that.
  Typical Abilities:  Th e Spy’s abilities are broad and 
  varied. Like most Pulp heroes he’s usually a ﬁ ne 
  specimen of humanity — strong, smart, clear-eyed, 
  and level-headed. He can draw fast, shoot straight, 
  and react to danger without panicking. In addition 
  to general tradecraft  and the ability to mingle with 
  high society, the Spy’s training could cover just about 
  anything:  piloting, code-breaking, shadowing, lock-
  picking, hand-to-hand combat, you name it.
  Suggested Disadvantages:  A Spy never lacks for 
  enemies — in addition to being Hunted by at least 
  one enemy intelligence service (if not more, or indi-
  vidual enemy spies who have a particular hatred for 
  
  246 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  him), he has to tolerate the attentions of his own 
  government, which keeps an eye on him. Spies may 
  have weaknesses for the beautiful women they so 
  oft en seem to encounter, or let their desire for excite-
  ment and adventure get the best of them.
  Progression:  So many Skills and abilities are useful 
  to a Spy that he rarely needs to look to other profes-
  sions for ways to spend his Experience Points. Even 
  better, a Spy’s training is suitable for a wide variety 
  of adventures that don’t involve espionage, so he 
  may never need to add more than a Skill or two 
  when he “switches careers.”
  THRILLSEEKING 
  CRIMINAL
  This character, a common one in many of the 
  early pulps, is a rich, gifted man who becomes 
  involved with crime as a way of alleviating the 
  crushing boredom of wealth and privilege, or to 
  right some wrong. Despite being a supremely-
  skilled thief, he doesn’t care anything about the 
  money he could earn through crime. Instead, he 
  commits crimes only against those who deserve 
  to be victims of them (other criminals, exploit-
  ers of the people, and similar vile persons), uses 
  his criminal abilities to help people in need, or 
  donates the proceeds of his illicit activities to 
  charity (thus making him something of a Robin 
  SPY 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  2 
  Gambling (choose one category)
  3 
  High Society
  3 
  KS: Th e Espionage World (INT Roll)
  2 
  KS: Th e Military/Mercenary/Terrorist World 11-
  3 
  PS: Tradecraft  (INT Roll)
  3 
  Stealth
  2 
  WF: Small Arms
  3 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t:  Espionage Rank
  3 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t:  Security Clearance
  15 
  15 points’ worth of abilities from the following list:
   
  Acting, Bribery, Bureaucratics, Climbing, Combat 
  Driving, Combat Piloting, Combat Skill Levels, 
  Concealment, Conversation, Cramming, Cryptog-
  raphy, Deduction, Disguise, Forgery, Lipreading, 
  Lockpicking, Martial Arts, Mimicry, Navigation, 
  Persuasion, Security Systems, Seduction, Shad-
  owing, Skill Levels, Sleight Of Hand, Streetwise, 
  Tracking, Weapon Familiarity, any Background 
  Skill, Contacts, Deep Cover
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  39
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  20 
  Hunted:  enemy nation or espionage agency 8- 
  (Mo Pow, NCI, Capture/Kill)
  10 
  Hunted:  his own nation or espionage agency 8- 
  (Mo Pow, NCI, Watching)
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  30
  Options
  Value Ability
  0 
  Undercover Spy:  Choose as optional abilities 
  Acting, Disguise, Deep Cover(s), and a selection 
  of appropriate Background Skills for his Deep 
  Cover(s)
  -15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Patriot (Common, 
  Strong)
  -15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Womanizer; Can’t 
  Resist A Pretty Face (Common, Strong)
  -15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Th rillseeker (Common, 
  Strong)
  -5 
  Rivalry:  Professional (with another spy in his 
  agency)
  THRILLSEEKING CRIMINAL 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  12 
  +4 DEX
  3 
  +3 INT
  3 
  +3 PRE
  3 
  Acting
  3 
  Concealment
  3 
  Disguise
  3 
  Lockpicking
  3 
  Security Systems
  3 
  Stealth
  3 
  Streetwise
  15 
  Money:  Filthy Rich
  9 
  9 points’ worth of abilities from the following list:
   
  Acrobatics, Breakfall, Bribery, Climbing, Con-
  tortionist, Demolitions, Electronics, Fast Draw, 
  Forgery, Gambling, High Society, Martial Arts, 
  Mechanics, Mimicry, Persuasion, Skill Levels, 
  Sleight Of Hand, Trading, Weapon Familiarity, any 
  Background Skill
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  63
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  20 
  Hunted:  Police 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Capture)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Commits Crimes For 
  Th e Th rill, Not Th e Money (Common, Strong)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  Secret Identity (Frequently, 
  Major)
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  50
  Options
  Value Ability
  15+ Clever Foresight:  Danger Sense
  var 
  Reputation (as a famous criminal; extent of Repu-
  tation and its roll vary)
  var 
  Signature Weapon:  character has a special or dis-
  tinctive weapon, such as a Gas-Gun
  var 
  Hunted (by a crimeﬁ ghter, enemy gangster, or the 
  like)
  var 
  Hunted (by a cruel or corrupt cop, the dramatic 
  opposite of the good-natured “criminal”)
  -10 
  You Stole From Me, So I Steal From You:  Psy-
  chological Limitation:  Must Recover His Stolen 
  Inheritance (Common, Moderate)
  -5 
  Rivalry:  Professional (with a cat burglar or other 
  criminal)
  TRUE CRIMINAL 
  PROTAGONISTS
  Some Pulp stories 
  focused on less admi-
  rable crooks than the 
  Th rillseeking Crimi-
  nal. Sax Rohmer’s “Fu 
  Manchu” novels were as 
  much about the Devil 
  Doctor as about Sir 
  Dennis Nayland Smith’s 
  eﬀ orts to catch him; 
  similarly, the arch-crim-
  inal Fantomas is more 
  the focus of the series of 
  French stories that fea-
  ture him than his adver-
  sary Detective Juve.
  Th ese stories don’t 
  provide much inspira-
  tion for the Pulp Hero 
  player, since playing a 
  true criminal — one 
  who commits crimes 
  for gain, out of selﬁ sh 
  or cruel motives — is 
  at odds with the heroic 
  impulses that dominate 
  most Pulp PCs and cam-
  paigns. But the GM may 
  ﬁ nd that characters like 
  Fu Manchu or Fantomas 
  give him plenty of ideas 
  for villains of his own.
  
  247 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  Hood). A few seem to be outright criminals, but 
  somehow in the end the story works out so they 
  do the right thing or save the day, instead of just 
  profiting from crime. Many Thrillseeking Crimi-
  nals use a costume, disguise, or alternate identity 
  of some sort to conceal themselves; others simply 
  rely on their matchless skill to keep anyone from 
  finding out who they are.
  Examples of Th rillseeking Criminals from the 
  pulps (and related forms of ﬁ ction) include Th e 
  Saint, Raﬄ  es, Hamilton Cleek, Black Star, Colonel 
  Clay, Arsene Lupin, Richard Ravenswood, Michael 
  Lanyard (the Lone Wolf), Maxwell Sanderson, 
  the Crimson Clown, the Gray Phantom, Raﬀ erty, 
  Lester Leith, the Th underbolt, and Jimmie Dale 
  (the Gray Seal).
  Typical Goals And Motivations:  See above.
  Typical Abilities:  In addition to appropriate thiev-
  ing Skills (such as Lockpicking and Disguise), the 
  Thrillseeking Criminal often conforms to a fairly 
  rigid stereotype. He’s usually fabulously wealthy 
  already, freeing him to commit crimes for chal-
  lenge rather than profit (thus he can return 
  whatever he steals, making him more sympa-
  thetic than a true thief). His wealth gives him 
  plenty of resources (cars, houses, servants, access 
  to all levels of society). He’s skilled with weapons 
  and usually carries at least one. He usually has 
  a secret headquarters and a group of minions 
  (often including at least one crook, possibly 
  reformed, who serves as his Watson). And he’s 
  clever, often so much so that he has an uncanny 
  ability to predict what his opponents will do (and 
  thus avoid their traps and lures).
  Suggested Disadvantages:  Th e Th rillseeking Crimi-
  nal has a legion of enemies (Hunteds), for he oft en 
  stands opposed to the entire underworld — either 
  because he preys on other criminals, they resent 
  his success, or both. Since he’s a criminal, he’s also 
  wanted by the police. He must maintain a Secret 
  Identity, which is oft en a great strain. He may 
  ﬁ nd himself in love with a beautiful woman who 
  opposes him, or whom he cannot truly pursue until 
  he gives up his life of “crime.”
  Progression:  Th e Th rillseeking Criminal’s abilities 
  are so wide-ranging that he can easily spend an 
  entire career’s worth of Experience Points improv-
  ing the Skills he knows, buying new ones, and 
  buying appropriate Heroic Talents. Depending on 
  the events of the campaign, he may reform for good 
  and become a Masked Crimeﬁ ghter or Detective.
  TWO-FISTED HERO
  Suddenly Doc was among them! Not satis-
  fied with overpowering the four, he pitched 
  into the whole crew. Terrific blows came 
  from his flashing fists. Red-fingered men 
  began to drop in the milling, fighting mob. 
  Piercing yells of pain arose.
  —Kenneth Robeson, The Man Of Bronze, 
  in Doc Savage Magazine, March 1933
  Also known as the Strong-Jawed Hero, this is 
  one of the classic Pulp archetypes:  the man who 
  stands up to wrongdoing with just the strength of 
  his muscles, the keenness of his eyes, the cleverness 
  of his wits, and the purity in his heart. He doesn’t 
  
  248 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  necessarily have any special abilities or gadgets 
  (though he might); the only thing he really needs in 
  a ﬁ ght is his good right hook. Aft er all, this is Pulp 
  Hero, where just being a right-minded guy who 
  doesn’t back down in the face of evil is enough to 
  make you an adventurer!
  Examples of Two-Fisted Heroes in the pulps 
  are numerous. Th e greatest of them is Doc Savage 
  (though he’s also a Gadgeteer, an Explorer, and 
  about a dozen other things, seemingly). Others who 
  follow in his wake include Bulldog Drummond, 
  Frank Merriwell, Peter “the Brazen” Moore (an 
  Expatriate; see below), Billy June, and Jimgrim.
  Typical Goals And Motivations:  Th e Two-Fisted Hero 
  is the epitome of the Pulp heroic ideal. He ﬁ ghts 
  to preserve that which is proper and just, protect 
  the helpless and innocent, and in general to Right 
  Wrongs. He doesn’t need any fancy philosophical 
  explanations — Good is Good and Evil is Evil, and 
  he’s here to see that Evil goes down for the count.
  Typical Abilities:  What can’t he do? Sometimes it 
  seems as if the Two-Fisted Hero can use any Skill 
  or perform any stunt necessary to keep the story 
  moving forward. Obviously he’s strong, handsome, 
  quick-witted, and good in a ﬁ ght. Beyond that, he 
  may have military experience, training as a spy, 
  or just have taught himself plenty of Skills. It’s not 
  uncommon for him to have two or more Overall 
  Skill Levels to boot.
  Suggested Disadvantages:  During the course of 
  his adventures, a Two-Fisted Hero usually acquires 
  plenty of enemies (Hunteds), though you may need 
  to make it a Floating Hunted if he has a tendency 
  to use his gun instead of his ﬁ sts. A Floating DNPC 
  (the latest love interest) would also be appropri-
  ate, since women can’t resist his chiseled good 
  looks and heroic attitude (though he oft en refuses 
  romantic attachments because he doesn’t want to 
  put a beloved at risk). A few Two-Fisted Heroes 
  love using their ﬁ sts a little too much; they’re prone 
  to solving problems with a good, stout punch 
  (Enraged) or are hard to drag out of a ﬁ ght once it 
  starts (a Psychological Limitation).
  Progression:  Two-Fisted Heroes usually spend 
  their careers (and Experience Points) acquiring 
  yet more Skills (even if they’re just new AKs, CKs, 
  and Languages) and Heroic Talents. Depending 
  on their inclination, they could become more 
  Aviator-, Gadgeteer-, or Explorer-oriented, or they 
  could dabble in whatever seems most interesting 
  or useful at the moment.
  THE EXPATRIATE
  While many Two-Fisted Heroes live in the 
  United States or travel the world, others make their 
  homes in strange places far from American shores. 
  Known as Expatriates, these adventurers have 
  learned the way of things among exotic peoples in 
  unusual climes, and like it just ﬁ ne; they rarely have 
  any desire to return to their native lands.
  Typically the Expatriate chooses a Th ird World 
  location as his new home. Th e South Seas and the 
  Orient are both popular locations, but India, Africa, 
  and similar locales aren’t unheard of.
  To create an Expatriate Two-Fisted Hero, buy 
  the Expatriate option for the Two-Fisted Hero 
  Package Deal.
  TWO-FISTED HERO 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  5 
  +5 STR
  15 
  +5 DEX
  12 
  +6 CON
  8 
  +4 BODY
  2 
  +2 PD
  10 
  Martial Arts (Boxing, Fisticuﬀ s, or another appro-
  priate style) or HA +3d6
  3 
  Persuasion
  4 
  WF: Common Melee Weapons, Small Arms
  18 
  18 points’ worth of abilities from the following list:
   
  Acrobatics, Analyze, Animal Handler, Break-
  fall, Bureaucratics, Climbing, Combat Driving, 
  Combat Piloting, Combat Skill Levels, Conceal-
  ment, Contortionist, Conversation, Cramming, 
  Criminology, Deduction, Demolitions, Electronics, 
  Fast Draw, Gambling, High Society, Interrogation, 
  Lipreading, Lockpicking, Martial Arts, Mechanics, 
  Paramedics, Rapid Attack, Security Systems, Skill 
  Levels, Sleight Of Hand, Systems Operation, Tac-
  tics, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Familiarity, 
  Weaponsmith, any Background Skill, Contacts
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  77
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Pulp Hero’s Code 
  (Common, Total)
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  20
  Options
  Value Ability
  10 
  Expatriate:  An AK or CK of his home-in-exile 
  (INT Roll) plus an additional 7 points’ worth of 
  Background Skills and other Skills appropriate to 
  the setting 
  20 
  Good At Everything:  +2 Overall
  var 
  Headquarters:  the character has a home base, 
  secret citadel, or similar headquarters (a Base)
  var 
  Hey! It’s Him!:  Reputation (as renowned adven-
  turer and righter of wrongs; extent of Reputation 
  and its roll vary)
  var 
  Minions:  Followers (one or more assistants who 
  help him wage his war on crime)
  +3 
  Really Strong:  +3 STR
  +5 
  Really Really Strong:  +5 STR
  var 
  Somewhat Less Helpful Minions:  DNPCs (minions 
  who get into trouble a lot more than they actually 
  help)
  var 
  Sidekick:  Follower (a partner who assists the char-
  acter)
  20 
  Special Abilities:  20 points’ worth of Heroic Tal-
  ents, weird powers, and similar abilities
  -15 
  Devoted Hero:  Psychological Limitation:  Pulp 
  Hero’s Burden (Common, Strong)
  
  249 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  WILD MAN
  As the body rolled to the ground Tarzan of 
  the Apes placed his foot upon the neck of 
  his lifelong enemy and, raising his eyes to 
  the full moon, threw back his fierce young 
  head and voiced the wild and terrible cry 
  of his people.
  —Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan Of The 
  Apes, in All-Story, October 1912
  Not everyone grows up with the beneﬁ ts of civi-
  lization. Th e Wild Man was raised in some distant, 
  forbidding clime — the jungles of Africa, the Arctic 
  wastes, the Himalayas — and has learned how to 
  live there and even rule the place.
  Typically, a Wild Man’s saga begins with his par-
  ents, who due to an airplane crash, shipwreck, or 
  similar event ﬁ nd themselves isolated in the wilder-
  ness. Th e mother dies giving birth to the Wild Man. 
  Th e father, if not already dead or soon to die, raises 
  the Wild Man alone, but eventually succumbs to 
  injury or illness. Th ereaft er, the Wild Man may com-
  plete his education himself (perhaps with the help 
  of books left  behind by his parents), or come under 
  the tutelage of wild animals such as wolves, apes, or 
  bears. In some cases, the Wild Man never has human 
  parents to teach him the niceties of human behavior 
  — he’s raised solely by beasts, in the process develop-
  ing many helpful beast-like abilities but retaining his 
  human morality and dignity.
  Th anks to his innate superiority, the Wild Man 
  grows up strong, smart, and skilled. Eventually he 
  comes to rule the jungle/veldt/arctic/mountains, 
  using his abilities to quell uprisings led by evil natives, 
  prevent the corrupting touch of Civilization from 
  sullying his pure Natural world, and so forth. Along 
  the way he oft en meets a beautiful, sensitive civilized 
  woman who recognizes his innate goodness and 
  becomes his wife (and oft en shares his adventures, 
  helping him to ﬁ ght evil and injustice in a positive 
  way unusual for female “sidekicks” in the pulps).
  Th e classic example of the Wild Man is, of 
  course, Tarzan of the Apes, but he inspired numer-
  ous imitators:  Ki-Gor, Ka-Zar, Polaris Janess, Dikar, 
  Kwa, Tam, Kioga, and Sheena, Queen of the Jungle... 
  among others.
  Typical Goals And Motivations:  Th e Wild Man’s raison 
  d’etre is to protect the jungle (or wherever he happens 
  to live) from harmful inﬂ uences. Typically this means 
  “Civilization” and the unscrupulous men it breeds, but 
  the Wild Man also pits himself against evil witchdoc-
  tors who rule tribes of vicious natives, the vainglori-
  ous rulers of lost civilizations determined to reveal 
  themselves and conquer the world, and just about 
  any other villain whose schemes might, through any 
  tortured logic, take him to the jungle. Beyond this, the 
  Wild Man usually has a deep love for his “mate,” and 
  will do anything to protect her.
  Typical Abilities:  Th e Wild Man is an outdoorsman 
  of phenomenal skill, having been raised in the 
  wilderness his entire life. He can survive and thrive 
  
  250 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  where lesser men would perish of hunger or thirst, 
  track nearly as well as a bloodhound, climb trees, 
  scale cliﬀ s. He even gets along well with animals, 
  who regard him more as one of them than as a 
  man. Additionally, growing up in the wild has made 
  him strong, swift , and tough, and given him senses 
  nearly as acute as a beast’s.
  Suggested Disadvantages:  In addition to his goal 
  of protecting the jungle, the Wild Man suﬀ ers from 
  the fact that he doesn’t get along well with “civi-
  lized” people. He’s too blunt, ethical, and uncouth 
  for them; he constantly oﬀ ends with his unsparing 
  observations and lack of manners. Since a Wild 
  Man PC usually has to leave the jungle behind to 
  adventure with his friends, this can become a sig-
  niﬁ cant problem.
  Many Wild Men have DNPCs — their mates, 
  and sometimes various companion animals. In 
  many Wild Man stories, the main function of Jane 
  (whatever her name might be) is to get kidnapped, 
  thus motivating the hero to rescue her and slay her 
  captors. No matter how competent she might be 
  (or become), she oft en gets in trouble that only the 
  Wild Man can handle.
  Progression:  Since there’s only so much to do in 
  the jungle, it oft en happens that the Wild Man ends 
  up returning to civilization, at least brieﬂ y. He then 
  oft en discovers that his parents possessed titles, 
  lands, or riches that now belong to him (though 
  his ownership’s undoubtedly being threatened by a 
  wicked relative who wants it all for himself). While 
  he’s home he learns the ways of men, oft en picking 
  up Languages and other Skills with surprising facil-
  ity. But eventually, his position in society secured 
  thanks to his swift  and decisive action in the face 
  of civilized dithering, he abandons New York or 
  London to return to his beloved wilderness... and a 
  whole new cycle of adventures begins.
  ADDITIONAL CHARACTER 
  BACKGROUNDS
  Pulp heroes sometimes come from unusual back-
  grounds that don’t necessarily have anything to do 
  with the profession they chose to pursue. Th e fol-
  lowing Package Deals (none of which have any Dis-
  advantages) represent some backgrounds characters 
  might have. A character purchases one these Package 
  Deals (or more, if appropriate) in addition to any 
  Professional Package Deals he might purchase.
  CIRCUS FOLK
  Th e character was either born and raised in a 
  circus, or ran away to join one. Being inquisitive, 
  clever, and talented, he learned a variety of circus 
  abilities from the entertainers in the troupe.
  WILD MAN 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  5 
  +5 STR
  15 
  +5 DEX
  10 
  +5 CON
  6 
  +3 BODY
  6 
  Senses As Keen As An Animal’s:  +2 to PER Rolls 
  with all Sense Groups
  6 
  Swift -Footed:  Running +3” (9” total)
  2 
  Animal Handler (choose one category)
  3 
  Climbing
  3 
  Stealth
  6 
  Survival (choose one environment category) +2
  3 
  Tracking
  2 
  TF: Riding Animals
  1 
  WF: Knife
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  68
  Disadvantages
  Value Disadvantage
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Must Protect Th e Jungle 
  [or other home environment] From Encroach-
  ment By “Civilized” Men (Common, Strong)
  10 
  Social Limitation:  Child Of Th e Wilds (doesn’t 
  understand “civilized” human interaction well; 
  usually suﬀ ers a -2 or greater penalty on Interac-
  tion Skill Rolls with civilized persons) (Frequently, 
  Minor)
  Total Value Of Package Disadvantages:  25
  Options
  Value Ability
  +18 Animal Friendship:  Substitute the Animal Friend-
  ship Talent for Animal Handler
  var 
  Animal Companion(s):  Followers (one or more 
  animal companions)
  var 
  Faithful Mate:  DNPC (his girlfriend, wife, or the 
  like; may be a Follower instead if she’s more a help 
  than a hindrance)
  13 
  Has Returned To Civilization:  Add Money 
  (Wealthy) and High Society
  5 
  Jungle Travel:  Swinging 8”; OIF (vines of opportu-
  nity; -½)
  +5 
  Really Strong:  Change to +10 STR
  var 
  Tribal Leader:  one or more local tribes considers 
  the character a leader of some sort. Buy an appro-
  priate Fringe Beneﬁ t to represent his status.
  CIRCUS FOLK 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  4 
  +2 OCV with Th rown Knives
  3 
  Acrobatics
  3 
  Breakfall
  3 
  Contortionist
  2 
  KS: Circus Customs And Lore 11-
  3 
  Sleight Of Hand
  3 
  Ventriloquism
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  21
  
  251 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  DAD WAS A SCIENTIST
  Th e character’s father was a Scientist of some 
  sort (or perhaps a Gadgeteer or Professor), and the 
  character learned a lot helping him with his work.
  I FOUGHT IN THE GREAT WAR
  It’s common for heroes in the Pulp era to 
  have fought on the battleﬁ elds of the Great War 
  (see page 14). Th is provides an excuse to give the 
  character all the military Skills, Contacts, and 
  background details you want. Th e accompanying 
  Package Deal represents their military experience. 
  It doesn’t include a Military Rank Fringe Beneﬁ t or 
  military Disadvantages because the War’s long over. 
  If the character’s still on active duty, he may also 
  want to take the Soldier Package Deal (or at least 
  some parts of it).
  LAP OF LUXURY
  Th e character’s family was rich, allowing him to 
  grow up with all the ﬁ ner things.
  MISSIONARY’S CHILD
  Th e character’s parents were missionaries, so he 
  grew up in a distant land while helping them bring 
  the Gospel to strange heathen folk.
  NEWSBOY
  When he was a kid, the character sold papers. 
  Th anks to his sharp memory and observant nature, 
  he learned a thing or two that may come in handy 
  now that he’s an adult.
  TRAVELIN’ CHILD
  Th e character’s parents were diplomats, archae-
  ologists, or in some other profession that required 
  them to travel all around the world. As they 
  dragged him from one place to another, he kept his 
  eyes and ears open and learned a lot.
  GREAT WAR VETERAN 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  4 
  +2 CON
  2 
  KS: Th e Great War 11-
  2 
  PS: Soldier (or other, as appropriate) 11-
  3 
  Tactics
  2 
  WF: Small Arms
  3 
  3 points’ worth of abilities from the following list:
   
  Combat Piloting, Language (German or French), 
  Systems Operation, Weapon Familiarity, Weapon-
  smith, any relevant Background Skill, Contacts
  WEALTHY UPBRINGING 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  3 
  High Society
  6 
  6 points’ worth of Background Skills (or, at the 
  GM’s option, other Skills) representing the char-
  acter’s hobbies, interesting things he learned in 
  school, or the like
  11 
  Contacts:  11 points’ worth, representing famous 
  or inﬂ uential people the character knows through 
  his family and exposure to Society
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  20
  MISSIONARY’S CHILD 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  2 
  AK or CK of country or region character’s parents 
  worked in 11-
  2 
  One KS at 11- representing the character’s knowl-
  edge of the history and customs of the country or 
  region his parents worked in
  2 
  KS: Christian Th eology And Lore 11-
  2 
  Language:  2 points’ worth of Languages spoken in 
  the country or region character’s parents worked 
  in
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  6
  Options
  Value Ability
  -2 
  Diplomat’s Child:  Th e character’s parent weren’t 
  missionaries, but diplomats with a long-term post-
  ing. Remove KS: Christian Th eology And Lore.
  12 
  Raised In Th e Orient:  Th e character grew up in 
  an exotic Oriental culture and learned its unusual 
  ﬁ ghting style. Character deﬁ nes his basic Package 
  Deal abilities appropriately (e.g., AK: China) and 
  buys 12 points’ worth of Martial Arts.
  NEWSBOY PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  2 
  KS: Recent History And Events 11-
  1 
  Streetwise 8-
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  3
  TRAVELIN’ CHILD 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  4 
  AKs or CKs of places the character’s lived in or 
  visited
  2 
  2 points’ worth of KSs pertaining to his parents’ 
  profession
  3 
  3 points’ worth of Languages the character learned 
  in his travels
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  9
  SCIENTIFIC PARENT 
  PACKAGE DEAL
  Abilities
  Cost Ability
  2 
  One SS or KS 11-
  1 
  Another SS or KS 8-
  Total Cost Of Package Abilities:  3
  
  252 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  M
  ost HERO System gamers start designing 
  their characters by purchasing Character-
  istics. Several Characteristics, and related 
  issues, have important implications for 
  Pulp Hero games.
  Normal Characteristic Maxima
  Pulp Hero campaigns typically impose Normal 
  Characteristic Maxima as a default for the cam-
  paign; characters must abide by the NCM restric-
  tions without getting any Disadvantage points for 
  doing so. But in some cases the GM may want to 
  reconsider that decision. For games that verge more 
  toward the Superheroic — such as some Masked 
  Crimeﬁ ghter campaigns — the Normal Character-
  istic Maxima rules may not make much sense, and 
  may even inhibit the “feel” the GM wants to create.
  Characteristic Ranges
  Pulp Hero is a Heroic genre, and therefore most 
  characters have most of their Primary Character-
  istics in the 10-20 range. Th is can cause problems 
  of uniformity. In some campaigns, it’s rare to see a 
  combat-oriented character with STR and/or DEX of 
  less than 20, a character who specializes in technol-
  ogy with an INT less than 20, or any character with a 
  low PRE. Furthermore, because some Characteristics 
  cost relatively few points to increase, it’s not uncom-
  mon to see characters with unusually high ratings 
  in Characteristics not associated with that character 
  type — such as crotchety old Professors  with STR 
  15-20.
  Th is potential uniformity is an important fea-
  ture of the HERO System, one that allows players 
  to build whatever characters they want. But it may 
  cause problems in some campaigns, particularly 
  those where GMs and players want to emphasize 
  the diﬀ erences between the various major arche-
  typical characters. If “Characteristic uniformity” 
  causes a problem in your game, here are some 
  possible solutions:
  ■ Lower the Normal Characteristic Maxima 
  breakpoint. If characters have to start paying 
  double at 15 instead of 20, Characteristics in the 
  18-20 range become rarer. However, PCs may 
  end up with fewer points to spend on Skills and 
  abilities, which causes problems of its own.
  ■ Lower the Normal Characteristic Maxima 
  breakpoint selectively by character type. Choose 
  one Characteristic that’s important for each 
  character archetype (for example, STR for Two-
  Fisted Heroes, DEX for Aviators and sneaky or 
  agile characters, INT for Gadgeteers and Scien-
  tists). Th at archetype can buy that Character-
  istic up to 20 for the normal cost, but must pay 
  double at a lower breakpoint (such as 15) for all 
  other Characteristics. For example, maybe the 
  GM lets each character pick one Primary Char-
  acteristic he can buy up to 20 for the normal 
  cost, but the character has to pay double for 
  each point of any other Primary Characteristic 
  above 15. Th is heightens each archetype’s natu-
  ral strengths, but may cause diﬃ  culties when 
  you try to build some character concepts.
  ■ Sever the relationship between a Primary Char-
  acteristic and one or more of the Figured Char-
  acteristics it aﬀ ects. If characters only get ED 
  and REC from CON, and not END or STUN, 
  they may be more likely to keep CON at a lower 
  level than they otherwise would so they can put 
  points into END and STUN. Again, this may 
  lead to characters spending too many of their 
  points on Characteristics.
  ■ Assign a useful bonus to a Characteristic that 
  makes characters want to buy it in unusual 
  amounts, instead of amounts ending in 0, 3, 5, 
  and 8. For example, suppose you establish a house 
  rule saying that if two characters have the same 
  DEX (a not uncommon occurrence in a Pulp 
  Hero campaign), the character with the highest 
  INT gets to act ﬁ rst in a Phase. Th is prompts at 
  least some characters to spend a little more on 
  INT, since INT 16 is better than INT 15 even 
  though they both generate the same INT Roll 
  and PER Roll. Proceed with caution, however; 
  most such changes indirectly beneﬁ t some char-
  acter type more, and you may accidentally create 
  a game balance problem. Similarly, you could rule 
  that in Skill Versus Skill Contests involving Skills 
  based on the same Characteristic, ties go to the 
  character with the highest Characteristic.
  ■ Forbid some archetypes to buy Characteristics 
  beyond a deﬁ ned maximum (or at least, not with-
  out special permission). For example, maybe the 
  GM decides Scientists cannot buy STR above 15, 
  and characters who specialize in physical combat 
  can’t buy INT above 15. Th is may signiﬁ cantly 
  inhibit the creative freedom that is a hallmark of 
  the HERO System, but it can really distinguish the 
  archetypes from each other.
  
  253 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  Primary Characteristics
  STRENGTH
  Doc’s ritual was similar to ordinary set-
  ting-up movements, but infinitely harder, 
  more violent. He took them without the 
  usual exercising apparatus. For instance, 
  he would make certain muscles attempt to 
  lift his arm, while other muscles strove to 
  hold it down. That way he furthered not 
  only muscular tissue, but control over 
  individual muscles as well. Every ligament 
  in his great, bronzed body he exercised in 
  this fashion.
  —Kenneth Robeson, The Polar Treasure, 
  in Doc Savage Magazine, June 1933.
  Strength is one of the most prominent Char-
  acteristics in Pulp ﬁ ction. Among certain types of 
  characters, such as Two-Fisted Heroes, Wild Men, 
  and some Masked Crimeﬁ ghters, having a STR that 
  borders on the superhuman is practically a require-
  ment. It isn’t uncommon to see multiple PCs in an 
  adventuring group that have high STRs.
  Strength suﬀ ers from the potential problems of 
  Characteristic uniformity and balance described 
  above to a greater degree than any other Primary 
  Characteristic. Given STR’s relatively inexpensive 
  cost, a character can easily spend a few points to 
  increase it, which nets him extra points for several 
  Figured Characteristics, improved carrying capac-
  ity, and an enhanced ability to inﬂ ict damage with 
  ﬁ sts or weapons. As noted above, this isn’t out of 
  place for Pulp Hero — lots of Pulp adventurers 
  are strong — but it may cause game balance prob-
  lems that outweigh the dramatic appropriateness. 
  Gamemasters may want to examine characters’ STR 
  scores closely and require them to scale back if they 
  seem to have high STR for no good reason other 
  than “rules beneﬁ ts.”
  DEXTERITY
  DEX is a popular Characteristic for any type 
  of character, since it dictates the character’s base 
  CV and rolls with several important Skills. It’s not 
  uncommon to see a group of Pulp Hero characters 
  who all have DEXs clustered in the 15-20 range, 
  making it diﬃ  cult for characters who should be 
  noteworthy for their agility and adroitness to truly 
  stand out from the crowd.
  Given this concern, DEX is a prime candi-
  date for the “Characteristic uniformity” solutions 
  described above, because characters can com-
  pensate for the lack of pure DEX in other ways. 
  Combat Skill Levels and Martial Arts can improve a 
  character’s CV without inﬂ ating his DEX, Lightning 
  Reﬂ exes keeps his initiative rating high, and Skill 
  Levels with several (or all) Agility Skills can raise 
  his Skill Rolls.
  CONSTITUTION AND BODY
  In a genre where Killing Attacks are the norm, 
  and combat occurs frequently, most heroes can 
  justify at least a few extra points of CON and 
  BODY to keep themselves from dying like ﬂ ies 
  — which, aft er all, wouldn’t be much like the pulps, 
  whose heroes oft en withstand prodigious beatings 
  and grievous wounds and still go on to save the 
  day. Since high CON and BODY tend to encour-
  
  254 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  age “heroic” actions by characters, Characteristic 
  uniformity causes far fewer (if any) problems com-
  pared to STR or DEX.
  INTELLIGENCE
  A high INT is perhaps most associated with 
  characters who work with technology, like Gadge-
  teers and Scientists. But since it represents the abil-
  ity to process and react to information, a high INT 
  is appropriate for virtually any type of Pulp adven-
  turer — Doc Savage and Indiana Jones are nothing 
  if not quick-witted and clever.
  Characters who hit the Normal Characteristic 
  Maxima for INT, or who shouldn’t have an overall 
  high INT, should consider Enhanced Perception, or 
  5-point Skill Levels with Intellect Skills. Th e latter, 
  which also apply to PER Rolls, substitute for INT 
  eﬀ ectively for characters with lots of Intellect Skills.
  EGO
  At least a few points of EGO are appropriate for 
  almost any Pulp Hero character. Heroes should have 
  great willpower, and EGO reﬂ ects that. To encourage 
  characters to buy it, the GM could even reduce its 
  cost to 1 Character Point per point. Since most Pulp 
  Hero games don’t routinely involve powers targeted 
  with ECV, decreasing the cost of EGO won’t make 
  psychic characters unbalancingly eﬀ ective.
  PRESENCE
  Force of personality, courage, and general 
  impressiveness are a key element in many Pulp 
  Hero character conceptions — they’re deﬁ n-
  ing elements of Pulp heroes in general. It’s not 
  uncommon to ﬁ nd that every character in a Pulp 
  Hero campaign has a PRE of 15 or higher, but this 
  just contributes to the fun of the game rather than 
  causing problems. Characters who don’t necessar-
  ily want to be impressive themselves, but who are 
  fearless, jaded, or blasé, can buy some extra PRE 
  with the -1 Limitation, Only To Protect Against 
  Presence Attacks. Conversely, characters who want 
  to be particularly impressive in some speciﬁ c way 
  can buy the Reputation Perk, or extra PRE with 
  Limitations like Only For Fear-/Intimidation-Based 
  Presence Attacks (-1).
  Figured Characteristics
  PHYSICAL DEFENSE AND ENERGY DEFENSE
  Pulp heroes can withstand a lot of punishment, 
  but buying their natural defenses up too high 
  may not seem “realistic” — and can get expensive. 
  Instead of straight PD and ED, characters who want 
  a little more protection can buy Talents like Combat 
  Luck (or abilities like Can Take A Punch or the 
  other defensive Heroic Talents on pages 264-96). Of 
  course, GMs should carefully evaluate a character’s 
  defenses to make sure he’s not too well protected. 
  Th e Pulp Hero genre features a lot of gunﬁ ghts and 
  combat, and if characters aren’t at least a little con-
  cerned about the possibility of getting injured, the 
  game may suﬀ er.
  SPEED
  Characteristic uniformity occurs frequently 
  with SPD. Most Pulp Hero characters have SPD 3 
  or 4; a few pay the extra cost for SPD 5 to be really 
  fast. Because SPDs tend to cluster at the low end 
  of the scale, even a single extra point of SPD can 
  oﬀ er a character a signiﬁ cant advantage. It not only 
  allows him to take more actions in combat, but it 
  increases his overall movement speed and ability to 
  Recover from injuries and END use. Gamemasters 
  should examine any character with an unusually 
  high SPD (above 4) to make sure he won’t unbal-
  ance the campaign.
  ENDURANCE
  As a Heroic genre, Pulp Hero uses the rule 
  that STR costs 1 END per 5 points (not 10), while 
  Powers and the like still cost 1 END per 10 Active 
  Points. Even allowing for that, and for the END 
  cost of Encumbrance (HERO System 5th Edition, 
  Revised, page 379) and movement, many characters 
  have far more END than they generally need. Th is 
  makes it easy for them to Push (when appropri-
  ate), which may cause problems during the game. If 
  necessary, the GM should consider using the Long-
  Term Endurance rules (HERO System 5th Edition, 
  Revised, page 425) as a balancing factor.
  PULP NAMES
  Most Pulp-era heroes 
  will be in their 20s or 
  30s, meaning they were 
  probably born in the 
  ﬁ rst decade of the twen-
  tieth century. Accord-
  ing to Social Security 
  card application data, 
  here’s a list of the ten 
  most popular names for 
  American boys and girls 
  during that time:
  MALE NAMES
  1.  John
  2.  William
  3.  James
  4.  George
  5.  Joseph
  6.  Charles
  7.  Robert
  8.  Frank
  9.  Edward
  10.  Henry
  FEMALE
  1.  Mary
  2.  Helen
  3.  Margaret
  4.  Anna
  5.  Ruth
  6.  Elizabeth
  7.  Dorothy
  8.  Mildred
  9.  Alice
  10.  Florence
  
  255 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  S
  kills is one of the most important HERO 
  System elements for Pulp Hero games. One 
  of the things that deﬁ nes the Pulp hero is 
  his competence, and in HERO System terms 
  you usually represent that by giving a character a 
  generous helping of Skills. Th is section oﬀ ers some 
  additional details about and rules for Skills in the 
  Pulp adventures.
  It’s not uncommon for a Pulp hero, particularly 
  a Detective, to have one or two unusual Skills that 
  help deﬁ ne him and set him apart. Lipreading is 
  a popular choice for this; so are obscure Science 
  Skills (like SS: Graphology) or Systems Operation.
  TECHNOLOGICAL SKILLS
  Several of the technology-oriented Skills have 
  descriptions below; these discuss the sorts of tech-
  nology in use during the Pulp era. But don’t forget 
  Weird Science — if a game world includes Weird 
  tech, the devices characters encounter may be 
  much more advanced, or diﬀ erent from, the “realis-
  tic” technology of the period. See Chapter Five for 
  more information on Pulp technology.
  ACROBATICS
  In campaigns that emphasize Air Adventure, 
  the GM may want to create an alternate version 
  of this Skill called Aerobatics — the ability to per-
  form barrels rolls and other aerial “stunts.” In that 
  case, Combat Piloting should be restricted to aerial 
  maneuvers that impose no more than a -3 penalty 
  on the Skill roll; more diﬃ  cult maneuvers require 
  Aerobatics. (Characters using Aerobatics still suﬀ er 
  the penalty, though possibly at a reduced level; it’s 
  just that having the Skill is necessary even to attempt 
  them.) Alternately, Aerobatics can simply serve as a 
  Complementary Skill for Combat Piloting.
  BUGGING
  Audio and visual bugs are available in the Pulp 
  era; wiretapping is also possible. However, these 
  devices aren’t nearly as small and concealable as 
  they are in the modern day. Th e GM may want to 
  impose penalties of -2 (or more) on Bugging (and 
  related Concealment) rolls to reﬂ ect the poorer, 
  more obvious technology.
  BUREAUCRATICS
  When adjudicating the eﬀ ects of Bureaucrat-
  ics (and related Skills like PS: Research), the GM 
  should remember that the Pulp era is a slower age 
  with slower communications, one that’s much less 
  technologically oriented. Characters can’t run a 
  quick search of the county records on a computer 
  — they’ve got to thumb laboriously through them, 
  using whatever indices or other organizational 
  tools are available. Getting information to or from 
  a distant colonial oﬃ  ce or outpost may take days, 
  weeks, or months. In these situations, knowing 
  the right person (Contacts) or ﬂ attering the right 
  bureaucrat the right way (which may require other 
  Interaction Skills) can really speed things up... but 
  only so much.
  COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
  Generally, this Skill is inapplicable to Pulp Hero 
  games; computers as we know them don’t exist. Th e 
  only characters that might buy it are scientists like 
  Vannevar Bush who are trying to create “diﬀ erential 
  analyzers” and similar calculating devices.
  CRIMINOLOGY
  There were no traces of fingerprints upon 
  the dials of the safe. ... The revolver gave no 
  clew. It had belonged to the millionaire, and 
  he kept it within the safe. ... The two bullets 
  — the one that had pierced Laidlow’s brain 
  and the one extracted from the secretary’s 
  arm — were found to have been fired from 
  the same pistol. There were no fingerprints 
  upon the firearm.
  —Maxwell Grant, The Living Shadow, in 
  The Shadow Magazine, April 1931
  In the pulps, a “criminologist” could be just 
  about anyone who was particularly adept at solving 
  crimes; Pulp writers didn’t use the term with preci-
  sion. In many ways this Skill, which incorporates 
  both the ability to analyze forensic trace evidence 
  and various other investigation techniques, ﬁ ts the 
  loose Pulp usage quite well. It’s perfectly appropri-
  ate for Pulp detectives and cops, but it isn’t quite as 
  advanced as in the modern day. Criminalists of the 
  era have a lot of scientiﬁ c tools at their disposal, but 
  still lack many of the ones most commonly used by 
  their twenty-ﬁ rst century descendants. (Th is applies 
  to Forensic Medicine as well.) For example:
  Ballistics
  New York had and used a large collection of 
  forensic ballistic data by the early Twenties, and 
  other agencies and governments can likewise ana-
  lyze bullets, ﬁ ring pin marks, and other ballistic 
  evidence during the Pulp era.
  Blood Analysis
  Karl Landsteiner discovered the four basic blood 
  types in 1901, but blood typing isn’t a common 
  criminalistic tool in the Pulp era. A few investiga-
  tors and agencies, mostly in Europe, used it as early 
  as the mid-Twenties. American law enforcement 
  
  256 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  didn’t start establishing signiﬁ cant crime labora-
  tories that can perform blood typing work until 
  the mid-to-late Th irties. However, just about any 
  police department in the Pulp era can perform the 
  precipitin test to distinguish animal blood from 
  human, and early studies of blood splatter evidence 
  are available for investigators trying to puzzle out 
  the events of a crime.
  DNA
  DNA “ﬁ ngerprinting” doesn’t exist in the Pulp 
  era. DNA hasn’t even been discovered yet.
  Fingerprinting
  Fingerprinting was developed as a criminal 
  investigation technique in the late 1800s, and by 
  the Pulp era was commonly used all over the world. 
  Characters had best beware leaving their prints all 
  over crime scenes; it’s likely that if the cops arrest 
  them for anything, they’ll get printed.
  But even when cops or characters have ﬁ nger-
  print evidence, using it isn’t easy. Matching a spe-
  ciﬁ c ﬁ ngerprint to a speciﬁ c suspect poses no dif-
  ﬁ culties, but searching through ﬁ ngerprint records 
  to ﬁ nd a match to an unknown print is a laborious, 
  time-consuming chore. Not all police agencies even 
  maintain collections of ﬁ ngerprints yet. Th e FBI 
  and most large metropolitan departments do, but 
  they don’t share information and there’s no way to 
  access their collections remotely.
  Forging ﬁ ngerprints is a favorite Pulp ﬁ ction plot 
  device. Villains and clever crooks use skin taken 
  from the hands of a dead man, specially-molded 
  plastic prostheses worn on the ﬁ ngers, and similar 
  devices to make it look like someone else did the 
  dastardly deed, forcing the hero to fall back on meth-
  ods other than ﬁ ngerprinting to solve the crime.
  Other Techniques
  Most other forensic techniques are available to 
  Pulp-era characters, even if they’re not widely used 
  or as well-understood as they are today; indeed, 
  many are referred to, in simple fashion, in the Sher-
  lock Holmes stories of the Victorian era. Characters 
  can analyze soil samples, cigar or cigarette ashes, 
  hair, dental records, handwriting, laundry marks, 
  and the like to make comparisons and thus connect 
  the suspect to the scene of the crime. 
  Criminalistic Tools
  Investigators have a whole slew of tools avail-
  able for forensics work. Microscopes and cameras 
  work much better than in previous times, enhanc-
  ing characters’ ability to provide valid evidence. Th e 
  spectroscope, used for identifying chemicals and 
  other substances, has been invented. Criminalists 
  know how to use X-rays and ultraviolet light to ﬁ nd 
  evidence invisible to the naked eye.
  At the GM’s option, characters suﬀ er penalties 
  of -1 (or worse) to Criminology rolls involving 
  technology because Pulp-era devices tend to work 
  poorly and less eﬃ  ciently than modern ones.
  Weird Tech
  Of course, the Weird tech of the pulps can 
  change anything said above. Technical Detectives 
  and other characters sometimes used far-out gad-
  gets that even modern forensic scientists would 
  envy to gather evidence, unravel mysteries, and 
  unmask killers.
  CRYPTOGRAPHY
  In the Pulp era, codes and ciphers weren’t nigh-
  unbreakable things created by computers, they 
  were still primarily the product of human minds 
  
  257 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  and (relatively) simple devices. Th is makes Cryp-
  tography a useful Skill for characters involved in 
  espionage and military matters:  by sitting down 
  with some paper and pencils and working hard, 
  there’s a chance they can actually crack a cipher. 
  Breaking a code probably means an adventure to 
  steal the enemy’s codebook, but what’s life without 
  a little adventure?
  Despite the above, the most famous encoding 
  device in history, the Enigma machine used by 
  Germany in World War II, was available (it was 
  patented in 1918). According to Simon Singh’s Th e 
  Code Book, it was marketed in diﬀ erently-wired 
  versions to the military and to business; a single 
  unit cost about $3,000. It never sold well to busi-
  ness, but beginning in 1925 Germany bought a 
  total of 30,000 of them for military and state uses.
  Th e “translation only” version of Cryptography 
  is perfect for archaeologists, treasure-seekers, and 
  other characters who like to read ancient languages 
  or decipher treasure maps.
  DISGUISE
  A little plastic material transformed his 
  face from the lean hard features of Rich-
  ard Wentworth to the somewhat puffy face 
  of Joe Moulton. A touch of shadow-dye 
  under the eyes gave the effect of deep hol-
  lows, indicative of dissipation. Paper-thin 
  aluminum plates inserted in the nostrils 
  broadened the nose; and false tooth-bridges 
  changed Wentworth’s own perfectly white 
  and even teeth into a mouthful of crooked 
  bicuspids and molars liberally furnished 
  with gold caps. A wig of dun-colored hair 
  completed the change, and Richard Went-
  worth gazed with satisfaction into the 
  mirror which revealed the personality of 
  Joe Moulton, gambler.
  —Grant Stockbridge, “The Spider And 
  The Pain Master,” The Spider Maga-
  zine, January 1940
  Disguise is probably the most ubiquitous non-
  combat skill used by Pulp heroes. Most of them, 
  including pretty much every hero of a single-charac-
  ter pulp, were experts at changing their appearance 
  and impersonating others. (Obviously Acting and 
  Mimicry were also oft en involved.) Typically a Pulp 
  character could create a foolproof disguise with 
  only a few basic supplies and a few minutes (or sec-
  onds) of work, so it’s perfectly appropriate for GMs 
  to dispense with most modiﬁ ers and let characters 
  disguise themselves quickly and easily. Gamemasters 
  desiring greater “realism” should consult the accom-
  panying table for appropriate modiﬁ ers.
  LOCKPICKING
  Most of the locks of the Pulp era are relatively 
  simple pin tumbler locks (+1 to -1 modiﬁ er to pick), 
  but some types of more advanced locks are avail-
  able (though no form of electronic lock is). Pulp-era 
  safecrackers will run into disk tumbler locks (-1 to -3 
  penalty to pick) and other relatively secure locks.
  On the other hand, lockpicking tools are also 
  becoming better. Th e pick gun is invented in 1922, 
  for example.
  MARTIAL ARTS
  He began to bob and weave and duck, stab-
  bing outward with his left hand, holding 
  the right cocked for an uppercut if the 
  opening came.
  —Robert Leslie Bellem, “Last Round,” 
  Spicy Mystery Stories, October 1942
  Martial arts in the common perception of the 
  word — advanced, oft en mysterious, ﬁ ghting styles 
  from the Orient — are not common in the Pulp 
  era. Outside of a few schools in Chinatowns in 
  major cities, there’s nothing resembling martial arts 
  instruction in the US or other civilized nations; 
  most people have never heard of karate or kung 
  fu, much less more esoteric arts. While it’s possible 
  for characters to buy Martial Arts that represent 
  well-known Western ﬁ ghting styles — Boxing, 
  Dirty Inﬁ ghting, Fencing, even Savate — the GM 
  should forbid them to buy more unusual arts unless 
  they have a really good explanation. Usually that 
  exception applies to the one character in the group 
  who was raised in China (or an Oriental ethnic 
  sidekick). For such a character, his shtick is that 
  he knows exotic Martial Arts. Th e Gadgeteer has 
  his Weird Science, the Aviator has his plane, the 
  Masked Crimeﬁ ghter has his eerie laugh; the Char-
  acter Raised In Th e Orient has Martial Arts.
  RIDING
  Riding is a much more common Skill among 
  Pulp characters than modern-day characters. 
  Cars certainly exist in the Pulp era (their numbers 
  increase enormously most years, particularly in 
  the Twenties), but they’re concentrated in civilized 
  countries and around cities. Many, many people 
  grow up in the countryside riding horses and 
  mules; in other countries the camel still rules the 
  roadways. Adding even a Familiarity with Riding 
  DISGUISE MODIFIERS TABLE
  Circumstance 
  Modiﬁ er
  Character disguises self as diﬀ erent gender 
  -2 or worse
  Disguise identity is...
   Smaller than character 
  -2
   Larger than character 
  -1
   Signiﬁ cantly heavier than character 
  -2
   Signiﬁ cantly lighter weight than character 
  -4
  Disguise identity is...
   1-2 decades older/younger than character 
  -2
   3-4 decades older/younger than character 
  -5
   5 or more decades older/younger than character -9
  Character must maintain disguise for...
   Several days 
  -1
   1 Week to 1 Month 
  -2
   Over 1 Month 
  -3 (or worse)
   Character disguises self as speciﬁ c other person -1 to -3 (or worse) when encountering 
  people who know the person charac-
  ter is impersonating
  
  258 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  is a good way to give a character a touch of back-
  ground that doesn’t necessarily have anything to do 
  with his current career... and which may come in 
  handy on his adventures.
  SECURITY SYSTEMS
  The glimmer of The Shadow’s flashlight 
  showed an electrical connection in the 
  form of an antiquated burglar alarm. This 
  device was no trouble to The Shadow. He 
  skillfully detached the connections; then 
  worked on the door itself.
  —Maxwell Grant, The Chinese Disks, in 
  The Shadow Magazine, November 1934
  Th e security devices of the Pulp era are sur-
  prisingly sophisticated. Advances in electronics, 
  including the invention of the vacuum tube for 
  radio, made it possible to build better devices than 
  mechanically-triggered alarms. Pressure mats and 
  plates, vibration detectors, and simple electric eyes 
  were all available in addition to taut-wire alarms 
  and similar mechanical devices.
  SLEIGHT OF HAND
  While it’s not as common as Disguise, this Skill 
  crops up frequently in the pulps. Many characters 
  (not to mention pulp authors) have experience as 
  stage magicians and put their skill with prestidigita-
  tion to work ﬁ ghting crime or thwarting Nazi ﬁ ends. 
  Other heroes just seem adept at palming objects and 
  picking pockets, with no particular explanation for 
  where they learned this useful ability.
  SURVIVAL
  Few Skills are as useful to globetrotting adven-
  turers as this one. In campaigns based primarily 
  around exploration, treasure-hunting, and the like, 
  the GM might even want to consider making Sur-
  vival a sort of “Everyadventurer Skill” so all the PCs 
  have at least an 8- in one environment.
  SYSTEMS OPERATION
  Calling Barranca... calling Barranca....
  —several characters in Only Angels Have 
  Wings
  In the Pulp era, this Skill primarily applies to 
  radio (and, for Gadgeteers and their ilk, primitive 
  television systems) — radar’s only just under devel-
  opment, and is a top-level military secret, so most 
  PCs will never encounter it. Radios are common, 
  but not nearly as sophisticated or easy to use as 
  modern-day versions; characters may have to make 
  frequent rolls to maintain the strength of a trans-
  mission, overcome interference, and the like.
  TRADING
  Modern-day characters rarely buy Trading; these 
  days, prices tend to be ﬁ xed. But in the Pulp era it’s a 
  diﬀ erent story. Characters are likely to venture into 
  strange lands where bargaining with a merchant isn’t 
  only common, it’s expected; and during the Depres-
  sion, small-scale barter economies oft en sprang up 
  even in parts of the US. So a character who knows 
  how to dicker may save himself a piaster or two.
  TRANSPORT FAMILIARITY
  Many of the TF categories listed on page 74 
  of the HERO System 5th Edition, Revised rulebook 
  don’t apply, or apply a little diﬀ erently, in the Pulp 
  era. Th ere are no spacecraft  (aside from ones the 
  heroes encounter in Science Fiction adventures, of 
  course!), for example.
  Air Vehicles:  Most Pulp planes are Small Planes 
  (some of the larger Th irties passenger and cargo 
  craft  may qualify as Large Planes). Th ere’s no need 
  for a separate Combat Aircraft  subcategory; mili-
  tary ﬁ ghter planes fall under Small Planes. Autogy-
  ros also belong to the Small Planes subcategory.
  Riding Animals:  As with the Riding Skill, this cat-
  egory is a much more common Skill than in the 
  present day. With the GM’s permission, characters 
  may substitute one of the following TFs for the TF: 
  Small Motorized Ground Vehicles they receive as an 
  Everyman Skill:   Camels, Equines, or Huge Animals.
  Recreational Vehicles:  SCUBA exists only in a 
  primitive form beginning in 1933. Characters can 
  also take Diving Suit, the Skill of using diving suits 
  that receive air via a tube from a generator on ship 
  or shore. Parachuting is just one TF; advanced 
  military parachuting doesn’t really exist in the 
  sense implied by the two standard parachuting TFs. 
  Hanggliding, Jetskis, Snowboarding, and Windsurf-
  ing don’t exist.
  WEAPON FAMILIARITY
  Pilots can buy one WF: Vehicle Weapons, known 
  as Biplane Weapons, to use the weapons on any type 
  of biplane, triplane, or the like used during the Pulp 
  era — they don’t have to buy them separately for 
  each model of plane because the weaponry is simi-
  lar enough from plane to plane that one WF covers 
  all. However, using the weapons on late-period 
  monoplanes may require a separate WF.
  PERKS
  Most Perks are perfectly appropriate for Pulp 
  Hero characters. A few work a little diﬀ erently in 
  the Pulp era than the modern day.
  ANONYMITY
  Th is Perk isn’t nearly as useful to Pulp char-
  acters as modern-day or Star Hero PCs, since the 
  authorities don’t have databases, computerized 
  tracking, and rapid global communications to keep 
  track of people and hunt them down. Th us, if char-
  acters want it at all, it’s probably not worth more 
  than 1-2 Character Points.
  COMPUTER LINK
  Pulp Hero characters may not buy this Perk in 
  its normal form. However, the GM might want 
  to re-characterize it not as granting access to a 
  computer database and more as Right To Access 
  Restricted Information Resource. Deﬁ ned as “Infor-
  
  259 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  mation Resource,” a Pulp character could buy it 
  to gain access to the “special” rare book room at 
  Harvard, the Vatican’s secret library, or any other 
  research collection or information resource that’s 
  not available to the public at large.
  FOLLOWER
  Followers are extremely common in Pulp 
  adventures. Th e Shadow had Harry Vincent, Cliﬀ  
  Marsland, and the rest of his corps of agents; the 
  Spider had Ram Singh; Tarzan had an entire menag-
  erie of animal companions; detectives have their 
  respective Watsons; and countless other Pulp heroes 
  had various assistants, friends, and conﬁ dantes who 
  helped them. Some of the most common types of 
  Followers seen in the pulps include:
  Animal Companion:  A standard Follower for Wild 
  Men, this is a great cat, wise bird, well-trained horse, 
  or some other type of animal who accompanies the 
  character and helps him as best it can. Usually the 
  animal is preternaturally intelligent (for a beast) and 
  can understand even complex spoken commands 
  without trouble. Examples include Tarzan’s friends 
  Bolgani the gorilla, Horta the boar, Histah the snake, 
  Numa the lion, and Tantor the elephant.
  Ethnic Sidekick:  Hailing from a distant land, this 
  faithful companion isn’t a white man — he’s Ori-
  ental, Hindu, African, or comes from a strange race 
  or tribe few people have ever heard of. In many 
  cases he’s of royal or noble blood, and perhaps left  
  his people to avoid a revolution, being arrested for 
  a crime he didn’t commit, or other unpleasantness. 
  He may be a more or less ordinary servant, but it’s 
  not uncommon for him to be a ﬁ erce warrior, wise 
  sage, or other paragon of virtue and skill. He and 
  the hero may have met during wartime, or while 
  the character was on an adventure that brought 
  him to the Ethnic Sidekick’s land. He serves the 
  hero either because he recognizes his greatness 
  of heart and spirit, they befriended one another 
  during an adventure, or the hero saved his life and 
  he’s now the hero’s to command. Examples from 
  the pulps include the Spider’s Hindustani manser-
  vant, the mighty warrior Ram Singh, and the Green 
  Lama’s Tibetan servant Tsarong. Ethnic Sidekicks 
  have the Social Limitation Minority (see page 263).
  Kid Sidekick:  Th is plucky youth tags along on the 
  hero’s adventures, helping out whenever and how-
  ever he can (and occasionally getting into trouble, 
  which forces the hero to come to his rescue). Since 
  he’s “just a kid,” he can oft en go places and do 
  things that an adult could not, but he suﬀ ers from 
  the restrictions of the Social Limitation Minor. 
  Examples from the pulps include Operator 5’s pal 
  Tim Donovan and Short Round from Indiana Jones 
  And Th e Temple Of Doom.
  Followers As PCs
  In many cases, a main hero’s “Followers” are so 
  powerful and so well-developed that they’re virtu-
  ally player characters instead of NPCs. Doc Savage’s 
  ﬁ ve friends fall into this category, for example, and 
  in some Spider stories Ram Singh and Nita Van 
  Sloan are so skilled, tough, competent, and inde-
  
  260 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  pendent that they transcend the “Follower” concept.
  In game terms, you can simulate this by having a 
  “Follower” actually be a PC. A player who’s interested 
  in a roleplaying challenge can voluntarily take on the 
  role of obedient servant or  faithful agent and play 
  a character who’s subordinate to another PC. Th e 
  “master” character doesn’t have to pay any Character 
  Points for this, since he doesn’t have a true Follower 
  in game terms, but the “Follower PC” essentially acts 
  as if he had. For a real roleplaying challenge, try play-
  ing an animal companion as a PC!
  FRINGE BENEFIT
  Almost all of the universal and modern-day 
  Fringe Beneﬁ ts apply to Pulp Hero games. Th ere’s 
  no such thing as International Police Powers 
  (unless the GM creates a “world police” for the 
  game) or International Driver’s License, though.
  Characters can use the Membership Fringe Ben-
  eﬁ t to indicate rank in business, crime, government, 
  or the military. For more detailed breakdowns of 
  the cost of various positions, see the Perk section of 
  Dark Champions and adapt the information there 
  to a Pulp setting.
  MONEY
  Th e Money Perk works the same in Pulp Hero 
  as in other HERO System games, but the amounts 
  characters receive have to be adjusted for the econ-
  omy of the time. Th e accompanying table lists how 
  much wealth heroes get for their Character Points. 
  It includes listings for 1920 (when $1 was worth 
  $10 in 2005 terms — a convenient benchmark for 
  Pulp gaming in general) and 1935 (the default time 
  period used in Chapter Th ree, when $1 equals $14 
  in 2005).
  REPUTATION
  Reputation works the same in Pulp Hero as it 
  generally does in other genres. However, since most 
  forms of mass communication are restricted or 
  unavailable in this period, having a Reputation with 
  a Large group (particularly world-wide) is much 
  less common. Th e GM may want to increase the 
  cost of a Large group to 3 points per +1/+1d6 to 
  reﬂ ect this.
  VEHICLES AND BASES
  He... did not mention his “Fortress of 
  Solitude,” his rendezvous built on a rocky 
  island deep in the arctic regions. He had 
  been there. It was to this spot that Doc 
  retired periodically to brush up on the 
  newest developments in science, psychol-
  ogy, medicine, engineering. This was the 
  secret of his universal knowledge, for his 
  periods of concentration there were long 
  and intense.
  The Fortress of Solitude had been his 
  father’s recommendation. And no one on 
  earth knew the location of the retreat. 
  Once there, nothing could interrupt Doc’s 
  studies and experiments.
  —Kenneth Robeson, The Man Of Bronze, 
  in Doc Savage Magazine, March 1933
  Vehicles are a very common Perk in Pulp Hero 
  games. Whether they’re standard cars and motor-
  cycles that are a little bit “souped up” for better street 
  performance, a zeppelineer’s dirigible, or a Gadge-
  teer’s specially-designed automobile-submarine, they 
  add a lot to the game — aft er all, what’s a Pulp cam-
  paign without a car chase every now and then? See 
  Chapter Five of this book; additionally, Th e Ultimate 
  Vehicle and Th e HERO System Vehicle Sourcebook 
  have writeups for approximately 200 sample vehicles, 
  many of which are appropriate for Pulp games.
  Pulp characters buy ordinary Vehicles with 
  money in the game, but the GM may require them 
  to spend Character Points for unusual Vehicles. 
  In that case, he may ﬁ nd that the cost of Vehicles 
  becomes prohibitive in a Pulp Hero campaign, since 
  Vehicles can quickly become expensive compared 
  to the Heroic characters played in the genre. In that 
  case, the GM may want to reduce the cost of the 
  Vehicle Perk to 1 Character Point per 10 points in the 
  Vehicle (or 20 points, or some other divisor). Alter-
  nately, he might waive the rule that increases the cost 
  of a Vehicle once it’s built on more points than the 
  character who buys it.
  Th e same considerations apply to Bases. Charac-
  ters can buy them with money or Character Points, 
  and the GM may want to consider reducing the cost 
  by changing the divisor.
  PULP-ERA MONEY
  Character Points 
  1920 
  1935
   
  ($1 = $10) 
  ($1 = $14)
  -10 (Destitute) 
  $300 or less 
  $200 or less
  -5 (Poor) 
  $1,000 or less 
  $700 or less
  0 (“Middle” Class) 
  $7,500 or less 
  $5,000 or less
  1 
  $10,000 or less 
  $7,000 or less
  2 
  $20,000 or less 
  $14,000 or less
  3 
  $30,000 or less 
  $21,000 or less
  4 
  $40,000 or less 
  $28,000 or less
  5 (Well Oﬀ ) 
  $50,000 or less 
  $35,000 or less
  6 
  $100,000 or less 
  $70,000 or less
  7 
  $200,000 or less 
  $140,000 or less
  8 
  $300,000 or less 
  $210,000 or less
  9 
  $400,000 or less 
  $280,000 or less
  10 (Wealthy) 
  $500,000 or less 
  $350,000 or less
  15 (Filthy Rich) 
  Unlimited 
  Unlimited
  
  261 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  TALENTS
  Talents are practically tailor-made for Pulp 
  Hero — in fact, as many long-time HERO System 
  fans know, the very concept was adopted into the 
  rules as a whole from Justice, Inc., the 1984 prede-
  cessor to this book. Giving a character Absolute 
  Time Sense, Bump Of Direction, Double-Jointed, 
  or just about any other Talent is a good way to set 
  him apart from other PCs and provide him with a 
  distinctive mannerism or story hook. Th e GM may 
  want to consider restricting most Talents to only 
  one PC; that way the heroes don’t start stepping on 
  one another’s shticks.
  Listed below are some new Talents for use in 
  Pulp Hero campaigns. Additionally, the GM could 
  designate any (or all) of the Heroic Talents on 
  pages 264-96 as “Talents” for campaign purposes.
  ANIMAL FRIENDSHIP
  Th e character has an innate bond with animals, 
  or a mystical ability to make animals like and respect 
  him. Whenever he encounters an animal, he can make 
  a PRE Roll at +3; if he succeeds, he gains that animal’s 
  friendship (though not necessarily obedience or 
  acquiescence). He can make a similar roll to teach an 
  animal tricks or get it to perform some task. Th e GM 
  may impose penalties for ﬁ erce or angry animals, such 
  as trained guard dogs, hunger-maddened tigers, or 
  temple guardian apes. Th is Talent does not allow the 
  character to speak with animals.
  ■ Animal Friendship Cost:  20 Character Points 
  (bought as Animal Handler [all categories], 
  PRE +3)
  HOTSHOT PILOT
  Th is Talent represents a character who’s a naturally 
  gift ed or highly-trained pilot. Th is has two eﬀ ects. 
  First, he receives a +2 bonus for all Combat Piloting 
  rolls (this bonus applies to Aerobatics as well, if the 
  campaign uses that optional Skill). Second, when 
  piloting an aircraft  no larger than 8,000 kg (enough to 
  encompass the weights of most planes of the period, 
  including all Great War-era biplanes and triplanes) 
  in aerial combat, his piloting skills make the vehicle 
  harder to hit (granting it +2 DCV).
  ■ Hotshot Pilot Cost:  14 Character Points (+2 to 
  Combat Piloting plus +2 DCV, Usable By Other 
  [any aircraft  of up to 8,000 kg; +2]; Only For An 
  Aircraft  Character Is Piloting [-2])
  INSPIRE
  Th e character’s voice inspires courage and conﬁ -
  dence in his allies and those he protects, giving them 
  the ability to withstand fear. He must spend a Full 
  Phase to use this Talent, and when doing so must 
  focus on it so thoroughly that his DCV is halved.
  In game terms, when the character uses this 
  power, he adds 1d6 points to the PRE of all persons 
  friendly to him, or whom he chooses to inspire, for 
  a brief period. Treat this as equivalent to an Aid; 
  the gained points fade accordingly. Th e eﬀ ect only 
  works on allies who can hear the character speak, 
  sing, or otherwise communicate verbally.
  ■ Inspire Cost:  11 Character Points (bought as 
  Aid PRE 1d6, Area Of Eﬀ ect (voice Radius; +1), 
  Selective (+¼); Concentration (½ DCV; -¼), 
  Extra Time (Full Phase; -½), Incantations (voice 
  range; -¼)).
  DISADVANTAGES
  Most Disadvantages work the same in Pulp Hero 
  as in other genres and settings. Listed below are 
  some genre-speciﬁ c notes, options, and suggestions.
  DEPENDENT NONPLAYER CHARACTER
  DNPCs abound in the pulps. Many a hero has 
  a ﬁ ancee or love interest who’s constantly getting 
  kidnapped or into other forms of trouble, forcing 
  him to go to the rescue. Heroes who appear to 
  have Followers in the form of agents, operatives, 
  or minions may actually have a Group DNPC if 
  the “Followers” tend to be a lot more trouble than 
  they’re worth. Ethnic servants and kid sidekicks 
  who aren’t powerful enough to help the character 
  also make good DNPCs. Other common DNPCs 
  in the pulps include:
  The Father Figure:  Male Pulp heroes oft en have 
  an older male in their lives who instructs, guides, 
  advises, and helps them. Oft en this “father ﬁ gure” is 
  a retired adventurer who wants to pass on his skills 
  and experience to the next generation so the heroic 
  mission can continue, but he might be the ghost of 
  one of the character’s ancestors, an embodied god 
  or spirit of some sort, or just an old man with good 
  insight on the hero’s activities.
  The Slow Sidekick:  Inspired by Sherlock Holmes 
  and Watson, pulp authors oft en give Detective char-
  acters a “slow sidekick” to whom the character can 
  explain the mystery as he unravels it (and thus, in 
  eﬀ ect, reveal it to the reader as well). Th is character 
  oft en acts as the hero’s chronicler, but ﬁ rst and fore-
  most he’s a friend, conﬁ dante, helper... and potential 
  victim of the unpleasant attentions of the villain.
  DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
  The Spider bent over one of the dead 
  and scrawled in crimson upon his fore-
  head his warning symbol — the seal of 
  the Spider!
  —Grant Stockbridge, “Secret City Of 
  Crime,” The Spider Magazine, Feb-
  ruary 1943
  Besides the usual uses of this Disadvantage 
  (scars, distinguishing voices or odors, uniforms...), 
  Pulp stories feature two special types of Distinctive 
  Features. Th e ﬁ rst is the group-identifying token. 
  Members of group working for a particular hero 
  carry or display a special object — oft en a ring, 
  other piece of jewelry, or tattoo — as a token of 
  their membership and allegiance. Examples include 
  the red rings worn by the Shadow’s agents in the 
  movie Th e Shadow (1994) and the tattoos displayed 
  by the members of the Knights of the Cruciform 
  Sword from Indiana Jones And Th e Last Crusade.
  THE VALUE OF A 
  DOLLAR
  Here’s a list of what $1 is 
  worth in modern terms 
  in various years of the 
  Pulp era (rounded to 
  the nearest dollar). For 
  quick-and-dirty calcula-
  tions, assume $1 in Pulp 
  times can buy what costs 
  $10 today. See page 335 
  for the prices of various 
  goods and services.
  Year 
  What $1 Is 
  Worth In 2005
  1920 
  $10
  1921 
  $11
  1922 
  $11
  1923 
  $11
  1924 
  $11
  1925 
  $11
  1926 
  $11
  1927 
  $11
  1928 
  $11
  1929 
  $11
  1930 
  $11
  1931 
  $13
  1932 
  $14
  1933 
  $15
  1934 
  $14
  1935 
  $14
  1936 
  $14
  1937 
  $13
  1938 
  $14
  1939 
  $14
  
  262 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Th e second is the ego signature — a special mark 
  or symbol with which the character indicates his 
  presence or activities. Th e most famous of these are 
  the red spider mark the Spider leaves on his victims 
  and the Z that Zorro slashes on buildings and foes; 
  others include the gray stickers left  by the Gray 
  Seal, the tiny black stars used by Black Star, and the 
  bat-shaped seals left  by the Black Bat. Besides serv-
  ing to identify the hero if he’s caught carrying it (or 
  the tools to make it), the ego signature poses the 
  additional problem of giving villains a way to frame 
  a hero for crimes he didn’t commit.
  HUNTED
  “Doctor Jones — again we see there is 
  nothing you can possess which I cannot 
  take away. And you thought I’d given up.”
  —Belloq once again foils Indy in Raiders 
  Of The Lost Ark
  What’s a hero without enemies? It’s a rare Pulp 
  adventurer who doesn’t have an adversary or two 
  chasing him down, making Hunted one of the most 
  common Disadvantages in many Pulp Hero games. 
  For some campaigns, it may make more sense 
  to take this as a Floating Hunted (“enemy of the 
  week”) so that the character doesn’t ruin the fun by 
  leaving his enemy behind or shooting him dead.
  PHYSICAL LIMITATION
  Since Pulp heroes tend to be physical paragons, 
  this Disadvantage is relatively rare in Pulp Hero 
  campaigns. However, there are occasional char-
  acters (such as “defective detectives”) who have to 
  overcome various handicaps while battling bad 
  guys, and even the handsomest hero sometimes 
  looks even better with a slight scar or an eyepatch. 
  Characters who grew up in lost civilizations and are 
  now trying to become part of the modern world 
  might take the Knows Nothing Of Earth Culture 
  version of this Disadvantage.
  PSYCHOLOGICAL LIMITATION
  [S]ome day, the Spider would falter — as 
  he so nearly had fallen this night. Some 
  day his enemies or the police would trap 
  the Spider, and on that day he wanted no 
  one save himself to suffer.
  No, he could never marry Nita. He had 
  fought violently against love of her, but 
  the emotion had been greater than their 
  combined strength. So they had bowed to 
  the inevitable, snatching what moments 
  of happiness might be theirs; working 
  together when the needs of humanity 
  called the Spider forth once more to battle 
  for its rights.
  —Grant Stockbridge, “Death’s Crimson 
  Juggernaut,” The Spider Magazine, 
  November 1934
  “Yes, blow it up. Blow it back to God. All 
  your life has been spent in pursuit of 
  archaeological relics. Inside the Ark are 
  treasures beyond your wildest aspira-
  tions. You want to see it open as well as I. 
  ... Do as you will.”
  —the wily Belloq exploits Indy’s Psy-
  chological Limitation Must Recover 
  Artifacts For The Betterment Of Man-
  kind in Raiders Of The Lost Ark
  
  263 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  With their codes of honor and quirky out-
  looks, Pulp heroes often have Psychological Lim-
  itations. Some of the most common ones seen in 
  the genre include:
  Pulp Hero’s Burden (Common, Strong; 15 points):  
  Th e character has taken it upon himself to protect 
  society from the evils that beset it. He willingly 
  puts himself in danger to save others from master 
  villains, evil cults, super-weapons, invasions from 
  beyond, and similar threats. To gird himself for 
  this battle and prevent unnecessary distraction, he 
  cuts himself oﬀ  from society, denying himself the 
  pleasures of romance and companionship so that 
  no one he loves suﬀ ers harm because of his work. 
  In other words, he puts his duty before all, even his 
  own health and happiness.
  Pulp Hero’s Code (Common, Total; 20 points):  Most 
  Pulp heroes subscribe to a particular code of con-
  duct. He’s a man of honor, always keeping his word 
  even if doing so causes him problems (for example, 
  when a villain tricks him into making a promise 
  and then turns it against him). He only kills in self-
  defense, does not attack unarmed or defenseless foes, 
  and never kills women. In short, he’s a true-blue hero 
  who’s a role model for young people everywhere.
  Spanish Honor (Common, Total; 20 points):  In Pulp 
  stories set in Mexico, Central America, and South 
  America, the locals are oft en depicted as following 
  a particularly Latin code of conduct. Like the Pulp 
  Hero’s Code, Spanish Honor mandates that a man’s 
  word is his bond, no matter how inconvenient that 
  word may become. Beyond that, a man’s honor 
  must remain unsullied; if anyone questions it, he 
  must ﬁ nd a way to restore it and exact vengeance... 
  even if that means killing the man who insulted 
  him. To a man with Spanish Honor, maintaining his 
  principles and his honor is more important than 
  life itself.
  REPUTATION
  One common Reputation in modern-day games, 
  Racist, doesn’t really apply in Pulp Hero games. 
  While not everyone in the Pulp era (or Pulp sto-
  ries) was a racist even by modern standards, for the 
  most part the idea that some races or peoples were 
  better than others, and that some races possessed 
  stereotypical negative qualities, was an accepted (or 
  at least unchallenged) belief.
  SOCIAL LIMITATION
  “Please — every second is precious. Just 
  to make sure you are the right man, will 
  you tell me your real name?”
  “Richard Benson.”
  “The Avenger!”
  “Yes.”
  “You must help me, Mr. Benson!”
  —the Avenger’s Social Limitation Famous 
  attracts the attention of a woman in 
  need in “Cargo Of Doom,” by Kenneth 
  Robeson, Clues Detective Stories, May 
  1943
  Many Social Limitations crop up frequently in 
  Pulp stories. Masked Crimeﬁ ghters almost always 
  have a Secret Identity, for example, and many a 
  character who’s known for his heroic deeds or 
  wealth has Public Identity or Famous. In some 
  uncivilized lands, the heroes may encounter NPCs 
  who are Slaves.
  Several other Social Limitations that pervade 
  the pulps are less enjoyable. Characters who aren’t 
  white (American or European) almost always have 
  to take Minority (Frequently, Minor; 15 points) to 
  represent their second-class status in “civilized” 
  society. In games that oft en take the character to 
  uncivilized lands, the Disadvantage may be worth 
  less — but First World peoples don’t have a monop-
  oly on racial bigotry.
  Female characters usually take Woman (Occa-
  sionally, Minor; 5 points). Th is Disadvantage 
  reﬂ ects the fact that women have second-class 
  status in Pulp-era society (particularly in uncivi-
  lized lands, where they may be regarded as the 
  property of their husbands or fathers). A woman 
  who doesn’t conform to what society expects of 
  her — and few female PCs do, since by deﬁ ni-
  tion women don’t go on adventures! — will likely 
  ﬁ nd herself snubbed and the subject of scurrilous 
  rumors, and encounter other diﬃ  culties when min-
  gling with “respectable” people.
  POWERS, POWER 
  MODIFIERS, 
  AND POWER 
  FRAMEWORKS
  Generally speaking, 
  Powers (and Power 
  Modiﬁ ers and Frame-
  works) work the same 
  in Pulp Hero as in other 
  genres and settings. 
  Th ey’re not necessarily 
  used much, since Pulp 
  heroes tend to focus on 
  Skills, Perks, and Tal-
  ents, but they do crop 
  up. More than one Pulp 
  adventurer has bought 
  some extra Running or 
  Hand-To-Hand Attack, 
  created a special abil-
  ity using Powers like 
  Damage Reduction or 
  Enhanced Senses, or 
  built a special poison 
  using Drain. And of 
  course Powers are part 
  and parcel of Weird Sci-
  ence devices (see Chap-
  ter Five).
  See page 360 regarding 
  special rules for using 
  Luck as Heroic Action 
  Points, which give the 
  PCs a greater degree 
  of control over the 
  events of an adventure 
  to simulate the incred-
  ible coincidences and 
  heroic luck so common 
  to the pulps.
  
  264 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  A
  lso known as Super-Skills, Action Stunts, 
  or the like, Heroic Talents (not to be 
  confused with regular Talents) represent 
  various abilities Pulp Hero characters 
  might have to reﬂ ect their superior level of skill, 
  ﬁ ghting ability, or cleverness. Th ey range from abili-
  ties that are in eﬀ ect advanced or unusual forms of 
  Skills, to weird and psychic powers that may defy 
  rational explanation. But they’re all part of thrilling 
  Pulp adventure!
  Some Heroic Talents are built as naked Advan-
  tages to apply to various weapons, or the like. At 
  the GM’s option, characters can place these powers 
  in a Multipower or other Power Framework, even 
  though that’s normally not allowed.
  See the text elsewhere in this chapter, and Th e 
  Ultimate Martial Artist and Dark Champions, for 
  other abilities appropriate for Pulp Hero characters.
  THE ABILITY TEMPLATE
  Th is section describes each ability with a standard 
  template. Th e information provided applies only to 
  the standard ability; the options may have diﬀ erent 
  areas of eﬀ ect, ranges, END costs, and so forth.
  ■ Name indicates the name of the ability. Of 
  course, you can rename it to suit your own char-
  acter if you prefer.
  ■ Eﬀ ect lists the basic game eﬀ ect of the ability in 
  simple terms:  Energy Blast 3d6, NND; Life Sup-
  port:  Extended Breathing. Th is tells you quickly 
  what an ability can do so you don’t have to delve 
  into the full game write-up.
  ■ Target/Area Aﬀ ected describes who or what the 
  ability aﬀ ects. An Attack Power usually indicates 
  “One character” or the area covered due to the 
  Area Of Eﬀ ect or Explosion Advantages. (Of 
  course, sometimes even a “one character” abil-
  ity can be Spread, or used with Rapid Fire or 
  Sweep to aﬀ ect more than one target; an ability’s 
  shorthand description doesn’t override the 
  rules.)  “Self” indicates the ability only works on 
  the character using it (though it may still “aﬀ ect” 
  other characters; for example, other characters 
  can perceive the eﬀ ects of Shape Shift , even 
  though it’s a “Self” ability.)
  ■ Duration lists the ability’s duration, typically 
  Instant, Constant, or Persistent (see the HERO 
  System 5th Edition, Revised, page 98).
  ■ Range lists the range for the ability. Ranged 
  abilities usually have a range in inches (Active 
  Points x 5” in most cases), but may have “LOS” 
  (Line Of Sight) range. “No Range” indicates that 
  the ability has No Range; “Self” that the ability 
  only aﬀ ects the character using it; “Touch” that 
  the ability involves having to touch another 
  character (which usually requires an Attack 
  Roll). (See the HERO System 5th Edition, Revised, 
  page 101, for more information.)
  ■ END Cost lists the ability’s Endurance cost.
  ■ Skill Roll Penalty indicates the penalty for using 
  a Skill Roll to use the ability, either because the 
  ability has the Requires A Skill Roll Limitation 
  or for times when the GM permits the character 
  to use the ability as an impromptu “action hero 
  trick” based on a Skill Roll. It’s calculated by 
  dividing the Active Point cost of the ability by 
  10 (the options list other possibilities). As usual, 
  a character shouldn’t use a Skill to perform one 
  of these abilities repeatedly; if he wants to use a 
  Heroic Talent frequently, he should pay Charac-
  ter Points for it. “N/A” indicates that characters 
  can’t activate that ability with a Skill Roll — it’s 
  not a “trick” so much as it is an innate ability a 
  hero might possess.
  ■ Description provides a (usually brief) textual 
  description of the ability. Th is section notes 
  any special rules or rules applications relevant 
  to the ability.
  ■ Game Information is a full write-up of the 
  ability in game terms, including Active Point 
  and Real Point costs. (If only one point total 
  is listed, that means the Active and Real Point 
  costs are the same.)
  ■ Lastly, many abilities have Options listed 
  below the game information. These describe 
  various ways to alter the ability to create a 
  slightly different ability.
  
  265 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  OFFENSIVE ABILITIES
  ACCURATE
  Effect:  
  Targeting Skill Levels:  +4 
  OCV versus Hit Location 
  Modiﬁ ers with Firearms
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character is an extremely accurate 
  shot, able to hit speciﬁ c parts of targets (such as 
  the parts not protected by Concealment or body 
  armor) with relative ease.
  Game Information:  Targeting Skill Levels:  +4 
  OCV versus Hit Location Modiﬁ ers with Fire-
  arms. Total cost:  8 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Accuracy:  Increase to +8 OCV. Total cost:  
  16 points.
  2)  Can Shoot The Wings Off A Fly:  Increase to +12 
  OCV. Total cost:  24 points.
  3)  Weak Accuracy:  Decrease to +2 OCV. Total cost:  
  4 points.
  4)  Universally Accurate:  Increase to with All 
  Attacks. Total cost:  12 points.
  AWEINSPIRING
  Effect: 
  +20 PRE, Only To Make Pres-
  ence Attacks
  Target/Area Affected: Special
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character has such presence 
  — such self-conﬁ dence, force of personality, and 
  bravura — that he can easily impress others and 
  persuade them to do what he wants.
  Game Information:  +20 PRE (20 Active Points); 
  Only To Make Presence Attacks (-½). Total 
  cost:  13 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Heroic Talent:  Increase to +30 PRE. Total 
  cost:  20 points.
  2)  Weak Heroic Talent:  Decrease to +10 PRE. Total 
  cost:  7 points.
  3)  Tough Heroic Talent:  Add Requires A Presence 
  Roll (assumes a PRE Roll of 12- or 13-; -¾). Total 
  cost:  9 points.
  4)  Fear-Inspiring:  Th e only emotion the character 
  can inspire is fear. Change to Only To Make Fear-/
  Intimidation-Based Presence Attacks (-1). Total cost:
  Standard: 10 points.
  Strong: 
  15 points.
  Weak: 
  5 points.
  BITE THROUGH NAILS
  Effect: 
  HKA ½d6, Penetrating, Con-
  centration (½ DCV), Extra Time 
  (Full Phase), Limited Use
  Target/Area Affected: One nail or the like
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  Touch
  END Cost: 
  1
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  -1
  Description:  Th e character’s undergone training to 
  increase the strength of his jaw muscles and the 
  sturdiness of his teeth so that if necessary, he can 
  literally bite through a tenpenny nail. Th is isn’t 
  much use as an attack, but it really improves a char-
  acter’s chance to free himself from ropes, escape 
  locked rooms, and the like.
  Game Information:  HKA 1 point, Penetrating 
  (+½) (7 Active Points); Concentration (½ DCV; 
  -¼), Extra Time (Full Phase; -½), Limited Use 
  (only works on things the character can get his 
  mouth around; -½). Total cost:  3 points.
  CHOKING GRASP
  Effect: 
  Energy Blast 3d6, NND
  Target/Area Affected: One character
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  Touch
  END Cost: 
  4
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  -4
  Description:  Th e character knows a special way of 
  grabbing someone around the neck that causes no 
  permanent harm, but induces unconsciousness if 
  maintained for a few Phases.
  Characters can of course buy the Choke Hold 
  Martial Maneuver to choke their enemies into sub-
  mission. Choke Hold incapacitates the head and 
  prevents the target from speaking, but suﬀ ers an 
  OCV penalty and isn’t Constant. Th is version suﬀ ers 
  no penalty and keeps doing damage as long as it’s 
  maintained, doesn’t require the character to buy 10 
  Character Points’ worth of Martial Arts, and avoids 
  the need to use the Grab rules, but it costs END and 
  doesn’t have the other beneﬁ ts of a Choke Hold.
  Game Information:  Energy Blast 3d6, NND 
  (defense is having rigid armor on the neck, a 
  PD Force Field, or Life Support: Self-Contained 
  Breathing; +1), Continuous (+1) (45 Active 
  Points); No Range (-½). Total cost:  30 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Choking Grasp:  Increase to Energy Blast 
  4d6. 60 Active Points; total cost 40 points.
  
  266 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  2)  Weak Choking Grasp:  Decrease to Energy Blast 
  2d6. 30 Active Points; total cost 20 points.
  3)  Tough Choking Grasp:  Add Requires A DEX Roll 
  (assumes a DEX Roll of 12- or 13-, no Active Point 
  penalty; -¼). Total cost:  26 points.
  COMPULSION
  Effect: 
  Mind Control 8d6
  Target/Area Affected: One character
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  5”
  END Cost: 
  4
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  -4
  Description:  Th e character has such an impressive 
  manner and commanding voice that people leap to 
  obey him when he gives them a direct order.
  Game Information:  Mind Control 8d6 (40 
  Active Points); Incantations (orders must be 
  loud and obvious; -¼), Limited Normal Range 
  (5”; -½), Requires A PRE Roll (assumes a PRE 
  Roll of 12- or 13-, no Active Point penalty; -¼). 
  Total cost:  20 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Compulsion:  Increase to Mind Control 
  10d6. 50 Active Points; total cost 25 points.
  2)  Weak Compulsion:  Decrease to Mind Control 
  6d6. 30 Active Points; total cost 15 points.
  3)  Tougher Compulsion:  Remove “no Active Point 
  penalty” (RSR changes to -¾). Total cost:  16 points.
  4)  Master’s Compulsion:  Remove Requires A PRE 
  Roll (-¼). Total cost:  23 points.
  5)  Challengeable Compulsion:  Add “is subject to 
  Skill Versus Skill Contests” to Requires A PRE Roll 
  (-¼). Total cost:  18 points.
  6)  Group Command:  Th e character can compel a 
  group of people to obey. Add Area Of Eﬀ ect (voice 
  range [see Fantasy Hero, pages 133-34]; +1) and 
  change Limited Normal Range (-½) to No Range 
  (-½). 80 Active Points; total cost 40 points.
  DISQUIETING AURA
  Effect: 
  Change Environment, -4 PRE
  Target/Area Affected: 8” Radius
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  No Range
  END Cost: 
  3
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  When the character wants, he can be 
  pretty eerie and frightening — just being near him 
  is enough to disturb and unnerve people.
  Game Information:  Change Environment 8” 
  radius, -4 PRE for purposes of resisting char-
  acter’s Presence Attacks (35 Active Points); No 
  Range (-½), Requires A PRE Roll (assumes a 
  PRE Roll of 12- or 13-, no Active Point penalty; 
  -¼). Total cost:  20 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Stronger Aura I:  Increase to -6 PRE. 45 Active 
  Points; total cost 26 points.
  2)  Stronger Aura II:  Add Reduced Endurance (0 
  END; +½). 52 Active Points; total cost 30 points.
  3)  Weak Aura:  Decrease to -3 PRE. 30 Active 
  Points; total cost 17 points.
  4)  Tougher Aura:  Remove “no Active Point penalty” 
  (RSR changes to -¾). Total cost:  15 points.
  5)  Master’s Aura:  Remove Requires A PRE Roll 
  (-¼). Total cost:  23 points.
  6)  Other Disquieting Effects:  The fear a charac-
  ter inspires could have plenty of other effects 
  besides just making his enemies more susceptible 
  to his Presence Attacks. Here are some other pos-
  sibilities, which a character could buy separately, 
  or as one Change Environment power with the 
  Multiple Combat Effects and/or Variable Combat 
  Effects Adders:
  ■ -4 EGO for purposes of resisting the character’s 
  Interrogation rolls
  ■ -4 OCV because his enemies are too afraid to 
  attack him eﬀ ectively
  ■ -4 DCV because his enemies are paralyzed 
  with fear
  ■ -4 STR as his enemies become weak with fear
  Here’s an example of how you might create 
  such a power:  Change Environment 8” radius 
  (inspire fear in the character’s enemies), -4 PRE for 
  purposes of resisting character’s Presence Attacks, 
  Multiple Combat Eﬀ ects, Variable Combat Eﬀ ects 
  (50 Active Points); No Range (-½), Requires A PRE 
  Roll (assumes a PRE Roll of 12- or 13-, no Active 
  Point penalty; -¼). Total cost:  29 points.
  
  267 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  DOORSMASHING FISTS
  Effect: 
  HA +4d6
  Target/Area Affected: One character
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  Touch
  END Cost: 
  4
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character’s enormous ﬁ sts are 
  strong and tough enough to smash down the stur-
  diest doors... and men!
  Game Information:  HA +4d6 (20 Active Points); 
  Hand-To-Hand Attack (-½), Increased Endur-
  ance Cost (x2 END; -½). Total cost:  10 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Fists:  Increase to HA +6d6. 30 Active 
  Points; total cost:  15 points.
  2)  Weak Fists:  Decrease to HA +2d6. 10 Active 
  Points; total cost:  5 points.
  3)  Skilled Fists I:  Th e character’s also a more skilled 
  ﬁ ghter than the average person. Character also buys 
  +2 OCV with HA. Total cost 4 points; total cost of 
  ability 14 points.
  4)  Skilled Fists II:  Th e character’s so good at using 
  his ﬁ sts that he’s also tougher to hit in a ﬁ ght. 
  Character also buys +2 with HA (can be applied 
  to OCV or DCV). Total cost 6 points; total cost of 
  ability 16 points.
  5)  Untiring Fists:  Th e character’s so good at smashing 
  things he doesn’t tire himself out. Remove Increased 
  Endurance Cost (-½). Total cost:  13 points.
  EERIE LAUGH
  Effect: 
  +15 PRE, Only To Make Fear-
  /Intimidation-Based Presence 
  Attacks 
  Target/Area Affected:  Special
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  -1
  Description:  Th e character can emit a chilling, 
  mocking laugh that makes even tough criminals 
  and ﬁ erce natives shiver with fear. However, this 
  only works when the character surprises the target, 
  or the target is already on edge or in a disadvanta-
  geous position — the character can’t just walk up to 
  someone in the street and laugh them into a state 
  of anxiety, he has to make use of the environment 
  and his own unnerving appearance to put the fear 
  into someone.
  Game Information:  +15 PRE (15 Active 
  Points); Only To Make Fear-/Intimidation-Based 
  Presence Attacks (-1), Only Works In Limited Cir-
  cumstances (see text; -¼). Total cost:  7 points.
  
  268 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Eerier Laugh:  Increase to +20 PRE. 20 Active 
  Points; total cost 9 points.
  2)  Less Eerie Laugh:  Decrease to +10 PRE. 10 
  Active Points; total cost 4 points.
  HEROIC INTIMIDATION
  Effect: 
  +4 with Interaction Skills, 
  Extra Time (Full Phase), Only To 
  Intimidate
  Target/Area Affected: One character
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  So steely is the character’s gaze, so 
  intense his demeanor, that his stare can unnerve 
  even the most hardened criminal or ﬁ endish 
  master villain.
  Game Information:  +4 with Interaction Skills 
  (20 Active Points); Extra Time (Full Phase; -½), 
  Only To Intimidate (-1). Total cost:  8 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Intimidation:  Increase to +6 with Interac-
  tion Skills. 30 Active Points; total cost 12 points.
  2)  Weak Intimidation:  Decrease to +2 with Interac-
  tion Skills. 10 Active Points; total cost 4 points.
  HIPSHOOTER
  Effect: 
  +1 OCV with Hipshot
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character’s exceptionally skilled at 
  hipshooting. He can ﬁ re quickly (usually from the hip 
  aft er he’s just drawn his gun) without taking time to 
  properly aim but still have just as good a chance to hit 
  as he normally would. In eﬀ ect, this allows him to use 
  the Hipshot Optional Combat Maneuver every Phase 
  he’s not using some other Combat Maneuver and thus 
  gain +1 DEX to act ﬁ rst without losing -1 OCV.
  Game Information:  +1 OCV with Hipshot. Total 
  cost:  2 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Hipshooter:  Th is form of Hipshooter 
  works with the Optional Combat Maneuver Hurry 
  instead. In eﬀ ect, it lets the character use Hurry 
  every Phase he’s not using some other Combat 
  Maneuver and thus gain +1d6 DEX to act ﬁ rst 
  without losing -2 CV. He still suﬀ ers Skill and 
  Characteristic Roll penalties, however. Change 
  to:  +2 OCV with Hurry (total cost:  4 Character 
  Points) plus +2 DCV (10 Active Points); Only To 
  Counteract Hurry DCV Penalty (-2) (total cost:  3 
  points). Total cost:  7 points.
  HYPNOSIS
  Effect: 
  Mind Control 7d6, OIF, Hypnosis 
  Only
  Target/Area Affected: One character
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  No Range (eye contact)
  END Cost: 
  3
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  -3
  Description:  Th e character has mastered the art of 
  mesmerism. In proper conditions — calm, relax-
  ing ones — he can use any small, shiny object to 
  focus the subject’s thoughts and hypnotize him. 
  Although built with Mind Control, this ability 
  does not allow the full range of Mind Control 
  eﬀ ects — generally the best result he can obtain is 
  EGO +20, and the GM may impose other restric-
  tions in the interest of “realism.”
  Game Information:  Mind Control 7d6 (35 
  Active Points); OIF (any watch, pen, or other 
  object for the subject to focus on; -½), Hypno-
  sis Only (cannot achieve full range of Mind 
  Control eﬀ ects, see text; -½), Concentration 
  (0 DCV throughout activation; -1), Extra 
  Time (1 Minute; -1½), Eye Contact Required 
  (-½), Gestures (must wave focusing object in 
  front of subject’s eyes throughout activation; 
  -½), Incantations (“You are getting sleepy...”, 
  throughout activation; -½), No Range (-½), 
  Requires A PS: Hypnotist Roll (-¼). Total cost:  
  5 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Hypnosis:  Increase to Mind Control 
  10d6. 50 Active Points; total cost 7 points.
  2)  Weak Hypnosis:  Decrease to Mind Control 5d6. 
  25 Active Points; total cost 4 points.
  3)  Easier Hypnosis:  Change to Requires A PS: Hyp-
  notist Roll (-1 per 20 Active Points; -0). Total cost:  
  5 points.
  4)  Tougher Hypnosis:  Change to Requires A PS: 
  Hypnotist Roll (-1 per 5 Active Points; -¾). Total 
  cost:  5 points.
  5)  Master’s Hypnosis:  Remove Requires A PS: Hyp-
  notist Roll (-¼). Total cost:  5 points.
  6)  Cinematic Hypnosis:  Th is for of Hypnosis is 
  much easier and quicker to use. Mind Control 8d6 
  (40 Active Points); Hypnosis Only (cannot achieve 
  full range of Mind Control eﬀ ects; -½), Concentrate 
  (0 DCV throughout activation; -1), Extra Time (1 
  Turn; -1¼), No Range (-½). Total cost:  9 points.
  
  269 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  NERVE TOUCH
  Effect: 
  Energy Blast 4d6, NND
  Target/Area Affected: One character
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  Touch
  END Cost:  
  4
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  -4
  Description:  Th e character knows a special tech-
  nique for striking vulnerable points on a target’s 
  body so that he renders him unconscious without 
  inﬂ icting any physical harm.
  Characters can of course buy the Nerve Strike 
  Martial Maneuver to inﬂ ict this sort of NND 
  damage. Th is version suﬀ ers no penalty and doesn’t 
  require the character to buy 10 Character Points’ 
  worth of Martial Arts, but costs END.
  Game Information:  Energy Blast 4d6, NND 
  (defense is rigid armor protecting his vulner-
  able spots, a PD Force Field, or any type of Lack 
  Of Weakness; +1) (40 Active Points); No Range
  (-½). Total cost:  27 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Nerve Touch:  Increase to Energy Blast 
  6d6. 60 Active Points; total cost 40 points.
  2)  Weak Nerve Touch:  Decrease to Energy Blast 
  3d6. 30 Active Points; total cost 20 points.
  4)  Tough Nerve Touch:  Add Requires A DEX Roll 
  (assumes a DEX Roll of 12- or 13-, no Active Point 
  penalty; -¼). Total cost:  23 points.
  PARALYZING TOUCH
  Effect: 
  Entangle 4d6, 4 DEF, Takes No 
  Damage From Attacks, Activa-
  tion Roll 14-
  Target/Area Affected: One character
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  Touch
  END Cost: 
  6
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  -6
  Description:  Th e character knows a special tech-
  nique for striking vulnerable points on a target’s 
  body so that he paralyzes his foe without inﬂ icting 
  any physical harm.
  Game Information:  Entangle 4d6, 4 DEF, Takes 
  No Damage From Attacks (+½) (60 Active 
  Points); No Range (-½), Activation Roll 14-
  (-½), Only Works On Humans (-½). Total cost:  
  24 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Paralyzing Touch:  Increase to Entangle 
  5d6, 5 DEF. 75 Active Points; total cost 30 points.
  2)  Weak Paralyzing Touch:  Decrease to Entangle 
  3d6, 3 DEF. 45 Active Points; total cost 18 points.
  3)  Tougher Paralyzing Touch I:  Change to Activation 
  Roll 11- (-1). Total cost:  20 points.
  4)  Tougher Paralyzing Touch II:  Change to Requires 
  A DEX Roll (assumes a DEX Roll of 12- or 13-, no 
  Active Point penalty; -¼). Total cost:  27 points.
  5)  Master’s Paralyzing Touch:  Remove Activation 
  Roll 14- (-½). Total cost:  30 points.
  
  270 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  PILEDRIVER
  Effect: 
  Does Knockback for up to STR 
  20
  Target/Area Affected: One character
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  Touch
  END Cost: 
  1
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character’s punches are so power-
  ful that they usually send his target ﬂ ying or stag-
  gering back across the room.
  Game Information:  Does Knockback (+¼) for 
  up to STR 20. Total cost:  5 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Piledriver:  Increase to STR 30. Total cost:  
  7 points.
  2)  Weak Piledriver:  Decrease to STR 15. Total cost:  
  4 points.
  3)  Tougher Piledriver:  Add Requires A STR Roll 
  (assumes a STR Roll of 12- or 13-; -¾). Total cost:  
  3 points.
  PISTOLERO
  Effect: 
  Range Skill Levels:  +4 versus 
  the Range Modiﬁ er with Hand-
  guns
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range:  
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character is so skilled a pistol shot 
  that he can hit distant targets as easily as he can 
  close ones. When shooting at targets up to 35 yards 
  (16”) away, he suﬀ ers no Range Modiﬁ er penalty.
  Game Information:  Range Skill Levels:  +4 versus 
  the Range Modiﬁ er with Handguns. Total cost:  
  8 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Pistolero:  Th e character can make shots 
  out to nearly 70 yards (32”) without diﬃ  culty. 
  Increase to +6 versus the Range Modiﬁ er. Total 
  cost:  12 points.
  2)  Weak Pistolero:  Decrease to +2 versus the Range 
  Modiﬁ er. Total cost:  4 points.
  QUICK FIRE I
  Effect: 
  Autoﬁ re (up to 5 shots; +½) for 
  any non-Autoﬁ re ﬁ rearm built 
  on up to 60 Active Points
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  -3
  Description:  Th e character can attack in a manner 
  like the Rapid Fire Optional Combat Maneuver, but 
  he’s so nimble he suﬀ ers no DCV penalties when 
  doing so. On the other hand, he suﬀ ers the usual 
  penalties associated with Autoﬁ re if he does not 
  buy Skills such as Accurate Sprayﬁ re and Concen-
  trated Sprayﬁ re.
  Even though the cost of this Heroic Talent 
  depends on the Active Points in the attack, the GM 
  should consider letting the character apply it even 
  to ﬁ rearms that exceed the Active Point total. Some 
  types of bullets signiﬁ cantly increase the Active 
  Point cost of a gun, though they don’t alter it in any 
  way, so it may make common sense and dramatic 
  sense to let the character use this ability with them.
  Game Information:  Autoﬁ re (up to 5 shots; +½) 
  for any non-Autoﬁ re ﬁ rearm built on up to 60 
  Active Points (30 Active Points); OIF (any non-
  Autoﬁ re ﬁ rearm of opportunity; -½), Requires 
  A Shooting Tricks Roll (-½), Not While Target-
  ing (-½). Total cost:  12 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Improved Quick Firing:  Increase to any non-
  Autoﬁ re ﬁ rearm built on up to 90 Active Points. 45 
  Active Points; total cost 18 points.
  2)  Weak Quick Firing:  Decrease to any non-Autoﬁ re 
  ﬁ rearm built on up to 45 Active Points. 22 Active 
  Points; total cost 9 points.
  3)  Easier Quick Firing:  Change to Requires A 
  Shooting Tricks Roll (-1 per 20 Active Points; -¼). 
  Total cost:  13 points.
  4)  Tougher Quick Firing:  Change to Requires A 
  Shooting Tricks Roll (-1 per 5 Active Points; -1). 
  Total cost:  10 points.
  5)  Master’s Quick Firing:  Remove Requires A 
  Shooting Tricks Roll (-½). Total cost:  15 points.
  6)  Quicker Firing:  Increase to Autoﬁ re (up to 10 
  shots; +1). 60 Active Points; total cost 24 points.
  
  271 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  TOMMY GUNNER FROM HELL
  Effect: 
  +4 OCV with Autoﬁ re Firearms 
  against a single target
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character is extremely accurate 
  when using Autoﬁ re attacks against a single foe.
  Game Information:  +4 OCV with Autoﬁ re 
  Firearms (20 Active Points); Only Apply When 
  Character Uses Autoﬁ re Against A Single 
  Target (-¼), Must Use Maximum Number 
  Of Autoﬁ re Shots (-¼), Not While Targeting
  (-½). Total cost:  10 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Machine Gunnery:  Increase to +6 OCV. 
  30 Active Points; total cost 15 points.
  2)  Weak Machine Gunnery:  Decrease to +2 OCV. 10 
  Active Points; total cost 5 points.
  DEFENSIVE ABILITIES
  CAN TAKE A PUNCH
  Effect: 
  Physical Damage Reduction, 
  Resistant, 50%, Requires A 
  CON Roll, Character Must Be 
  Aware Of Attack
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range:  
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  -3
  Description:  Also known by such names as Tough, 
  Shrug It Oﬀ , or Chin Block, this power represents a 
  character’s general resilience and toughness. If he’s 
  aware of a punch (or any other physical attack) and 
  can prepare himself for it, he usually takes much 
  less damage from it. Th is ability explains how a 
  hero can get bruised up in so many ﬁ ghts during a 
  scenario but always keep struggling and stay on his 
  feet until he wins.
  Game Information:  Physical Damage Reduction, 
  Resistant, 50% (30 Active Points); Requires A 
  CON Roll (assumes CON Roll of 12- or 13-, no 
  Active Point penalty; -¼), Character Must Be 
  Aware Of Attack (-¼). Total cost:  20 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Toughness:  Remove Requires A CON 
  Roll (-¼). Total cost:  24 points.
  2)  Weak Toughness:  Decrease to Physical Damage 
  Reduction, Resistant, 25%. 15 Active Points; total 
  cost 10 points.
  3)  Restricted Toughness:  Th e character can’t reduce 
  the BODY damage he takes, only the STUN. Add 
  STUN Damage Deﬁ ned As Pain/Shock Only (-½). 
  Total cost:  15 points.
  CINEMATIC SAFETY
  Effect: 
  Physical and Energy Damage 
  Reduction, Resistant, 50%, 
  Only Applies To Damage From 
  Taking Cinematic Risks
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  In campaigns where the GM wants 
  a “cinematic” feeling to the games, characters can 
  buy this ability. It allows a character to jump onto 
  speeding cars, get in a ﬁ stﬁ ght with someone three 
  times his size, or take any other dangerous and 
  unusual risk without fear of being quickly Knocked 
  Out or killed. “Normal” risks, like ﬁ reﬁ ghts with 
  an evenly-matched enemy force, wouldn’t be “cin-
  ematic” enough for the Damage Reduction to apply. 
  Th e GM decides whether the defense applies to any 
  given attack.
  Game Information:  Physical and Energy Damage 
  Reduction, Resistant, 50% (60 Active Points), 
  Only Applies To Damage From Taking Cin-
  ematic Risks (-½). Total cost:  40 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Safety:  Increase to Physical and Energy 
  Damage Reduction, Resistant, 75%. 120 Active 
  Points; total cost 80 points.
  2)  Weak Safety:  Decrease to Physical and Energy 
  Damage Reduction, Resistant, 25%. 30 Active 
  Points; total cost 20 points.
  3)  Tough Safety:  Add Requires A Luck Roll (1 level 
  of Luck required; -1). Total cost:  24 points.
  4)  Tougher Safety:  Add Requires A Luck Roll (2 
  levels of Luck required; -1½). Total cost:  20 points.
  5)  Toughest Safety:  Add Requires A Luck Roll (3 
  levels of Luck required; -2). Total cost:  18 points.
  
  272 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  GOOD THING THAT WAS THERE!
  Effect: 
  +20 PD, Only To Protect Against 
  Falling Damage
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th ere’s luck, and then there’s luck. 
  Somehow, whenever the character takes a long 
  fall — from a tall building, a helicopter, when his 
  parachute fails to open — there’s always something 
  soft  where he lands. It might be a truck full of mat-
  tresses, a big pile of leaves, or something else, but 
  whatever it is, it really helps to break his fall.
  Game Information:  +20 PD (20 Active Points); 
  Only To Protect Against Falling Damage (-2). 
  Total cost:  7 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Fall-Breaking:  Increase to +30 PD. 30 
  Active Points; total cost 10 points.
  2)  Weak Fall-Breaking:  Decrease to +10 PD. 10 
  Active Points; total cost 3 points.
  3)  Tough Fall-Breaking:  Add Requires A Luck 
  Roll (two levels of Luck required; -1½). Total 
  cost:  4 points.
  GOT A LUNGFUL OF AIR
  Effect: 
  Life Support:  Self-Contained 
  Breathing
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Uncontrolled
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character has an uncanny knack 
  for taking in a lungful of air right before he gets 
  hit with a gas attack, someone attempts to strangle 
  him, or the like.
  Th is power requires the GM’s permission, 
  since it uses Uncontrolled in an unusual way. Th e 
  value of the Advantage is reduced to -0 because it’s 
  applied to deﬁ ne a maximum duration for an abil-
  ity built with a Power that’s normally Persistent.
  Game Information:  Life Support:  Self-Con-
  tained Breathing, Uncontrolled (lasts for 1 
  Minute maximum; +0) (10 Active Points); 
  Activation Roll 14- (-½). Total cost:  7 points.
  HANG ON!
  Effect: 
  +5 to DEX Rolls, Only For Grab-
  bing Ledges
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  -1
  Description:  Pulp adventurers spend a lot of time 
  teetering on the edges of cliﬀ s, speeding trains, 
  pits in the ground, tall buildings, and the like. A 
  character with this ability has a particular knack 
  for grabbing and holding onto ledges, edges, roots, 
  cornices, or anything else that might keep him from 
  falling oﬀ  such places when he loses his balance... 
  or is pushed!
  Game Information:  +5 to DEX Rolls (15 Active 
  Points); Only For Grabbing Ledges (and similar 
  things; -2). Total cost:  5 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Hanging On:  Increase to +6 to DEX Rolls. 
  18 Active Points; total cost 6 points.
  2)  Weak Hanging On:  Decrease to +3 to DEX Rolls. 
  9 Active Points; total cost 3 points.
  3)  Tougher Hanging On:  Add Requires A DEX Roll 
  (assumes a DEX Roll of 12- or 13-, no Active Point 
  penalty; -¼). Total cost:  5 points.
  HERO’S GRACE
  Effect: 
  Armor (10 PD/10 ED), Only 
  Versus Gunﬁ re, Lets First BODY 
  Through, Applies Last
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Pulp heroes almost never get shot. 
  Grazed, sure. Nicked, all the time. Flesh wound? 
  — well, maybe. But seriously injured by gunﬁ re? 
  Th at never happens!
  Th is power simulates the heroic grace that 
  seems to help the character avoid death by bullet. 
  When someone hits him with gunﬁ re, apply all his 
  other defenses ﬁ rst. If he still takes BODY damage, 
  then apply this extra defense. However, in that case, 
  at least 1 point of BODY damage (and thus some 
  STUN) always gets through, representing the “nick” 
  or “ﬂ esh wound.” Since the Armor doesn’t work 
  against other types of attacks or prevent penetra-
  tion by foreign objects, it’s no more diﬃ  cult to drug 
  the character with a blowgun dart or poisoned 
  arrow than anyone else.
  Game Information:  Armor (10 PD/10 ED) (30 
  Active Points); Only Versus Gunﬁ re (-½), Always 
  Lets First BODY Th rough (-½), Applies Last Of 
  All Of Th e Character’s Defenses (see text; -0). 
  Total cost:  15 points.
  
  273 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Grace:  Increase to Armor (12 PD/12 ED). 
  36 Active Points; total cost 18 points.
  2)  Weak Grace:  Decrease to Armor (8 PD/8 ED). 
  24 Active Points; total cost 12 points.
  3)  Tough Grace:  Add Requires A Luck Roll (1 level 
  of Luck required; -1). Total cost:  10 points.
  4)  Tougher Grace:  Add Requires A Luck Roll (2 
  levels of Luck required; -1½). Total cost:  9 points.
  5)  Toughest Grace:  Add Requires A Luck Roll (3 
  levels of Luck required; -2). Total cost:  7 points.
  6)  You Didn’t Even Nick Me:  Th e character’s so 
  protected by Heroic Grace that he doesn’t even get 
  nicked much of the time. Remove Always Lets First 
  BODY Th rough (-½). Total cost:  20 points.
  7)  I’m Not Afraid Of Your Spears, Either:  Th e charac-
  ter’s good fortune protects him against any type of 
  weapon (though since it still lets 1 BODY through, 
  drugging the character remains easy). Remove 
  Only Versus Gunﬁ re (-½). Total cost:  20 points.
  8)  True Heroic Grace:  Th e character’s just plain hard 
  to seriously hurt by any means (including drugs 
  that have to penetrate his skin). Remove Only 
  Versus Gunﬁ re (-½) and Always Lets First BODY 
  Th rough (-½). Total cost:  30 points.
  IT DOESN’T HURT THAT MUCH
  Effect: 
  +4 to EGO Rolls, Only For 
  Wounding Rolls
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character’s got a real tolerance for 
  pain. When he has to make EGO Rolls to resist the 
  eﬀ ects of Wounding, he’s much more likely to suc-
  ceed than other characters.
  Game Information:  +4 to EGO Rolls (12 Active 
  Points), Only For Wounding Rolls (-2). Total 
  cost:  4 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Tolerance:  Increase to +6 to EGO Rolls. 
  18 Active Points; total cost 6 points.
  2)  Weak Tolerance:  Decrease to +2 to EGO Rolls. 6 
  Active Points; total cost 2 points.
  
  274 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  IT LOOKS WORSE THAN IT IS
  Effect: 
  Armor (8 PD/8 ED)
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character has an uncanny knack 
  for emerging from combat, car crashes, and other 
  potentially deadly situations virtually unscathed. 
  Oh, sure, he might look like he’s been badly injured, 
  but once you examine him closely and wipe away 
  the blood, you discover it’s just a ﬂ esh wound... or 
  maybe someone else’s blood.
  Game Information:  Armor (8 PD/8 ED). Total 
  cost:  24 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Toughness:  Increase to Armor (10 PD/10 
  ED). Total cost:  30 points.
  2)  Weak Toughness:  Decrease to Armor (6 PD/6 
  ED). Total cost:  18 points.
  3)  Tough Toughness:  Add Requires A CON Roll 
  (assumes a CON Roll of 12- or 13-, -1 per 20 Active 
  Points; -½). 24 Active Points; total cost 16 points.
  4)  Tougher Toughness:  Add Requires A CON Roll 
  (assumes a CON Roll of 12- or 13-, -1 per 10 Active 
  Points; -¾). 24 Active Points; total cost 14 points.
  5)  Toughest Toughness:  Add Requires A CON Roll 
  (assumes a CON Roll of 12- or 13-, -1 per 5 Active 
  Points; -1¼). 24 Active Points; total cost 11 points.
  6)  Lucky Toughness I:  Add Requires A Luck Roll (1 
  level of Luck required; -1). 24 Active Points; total 
  cost 12 points.
  7)  Lucky Toughness II:  Add Requires A Luck Roll (2 
  levels of Luck required; -1½). 24 Active Points; total 
  cost 10 points.
  8)  Lucky Toughness III:  Add Requires A Luck Roll 
  (3 levels of Luck required; -2). 24 Active Points; 
  total cost 8 points.
  NOBODY COULD SURVIVE THAT!
  Effect: 
  Luck 12d6, Only To Avoid 
  “Certain Death”, Extra Time (at 
  least 1 Hour)
  Target/Area Affected:  Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character has an uncanny knack 
  for surviving what seems like certain death:  plane 
  crashes, a hail of arrows, falling oﬀ  a mountainside, 
  or the like. (For best dramatic eﬀ ect, other char-
  acters should witness his “death” and report it.) 
  However, it takes him some time — a minimum 
  of 1 Hour, and oft en days, weeks, or months — to 
  reveal that he’s still alive. Th is may be because he 
  has to crawl out of the wreckage, walk to town aft er 
  his weeping friends leave his “dead” body out in the 
  wilderness, escape from the cruel natives who cap-
  tured him, heal and recuperate in a ﬁ eld hospital, 
  or the like.
  Th is ability uses the Luck rules. Th e GM deter-
  mines how many levels of Luck a character has to 
  roll to survive any particular would-be fatal event.
  Game Information:  Luck 12d6 (60 Active Points); 
  Only To Avoid “Certain Death” (-1), Extra Time 
  (at least 1 Hour, and oft en longer; -3). Total cost:  
  12 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Survival:  Increase to Luck 16d6. 80 Active 
  Points; total cost 16 points.
  2)  Weak Survival:  Decrease to Luck 8d6. 40 Active 
  Points; total cost 8 points.
  
  275 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  PAIN TOLERANCE
  Effect: 
  Physical and Energy Damage 
  Reduction, Resistant, 50%, 
  Requires A CON Roll, STUN 
  Only, Character Must Be Aware 
  Of Attack
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  -6
  Description:  Th e character’s so tough he can 
  shrug oﬀ  the pain caused by attacks. Th e Damage 
  Reduction only applies to STUN that represents 
  pain or shock; it wouldn’t aﬀ ect, for example, a 
  drug that makes the character sleepy (a special 
  eﬀ ect of Drain STUN).
  Game Information:  Physical and Energy Damage 
  Reduction, Resistant, 50% (60 Active Points); 
  Requires A CON Roll (assumes CON Roll of 12- 
  or 13-, no Active Point penalty; -¼), Only Works 
  Against STUN Damage Deﬁ ned As Pain/Shock 
  (-½), Character Must Be Aware Of Attack (-¼). 
  Total cost:  30 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Tolerance:  Increase to Physical and 
  Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 75%. 120 
  Active Points; total cost 60 points.
  2)  Weak Tolerance:  Decrease to Physical and 
  Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 25%. 30 
  Active Points; total cost 15 points.
  3)  Enhanced Tolerance:  Th e character is so tough 
  he doesn’t have to be aware of an attack to resist the 
  pain. Remove Character Must Be Aware Of Attack 
  (-¼). Total cost:  34 points.
  4)  Will To Toughness:  Change Requires A CON Roll 
  to Requires An EGO Roll. Total cost:  30 points.
  POISON EXPOSURE
  Effect: 
  Life Support:  Immunity to one 
  type of poison
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  By repeatedly exposing himself to small 
  doses of a particular poison or venom, the character 
  has rendered himself immune to its eﬀ ects.
  Game Information:  Life Support:  Immunity to 
  one type of poison (chosen by character when 
  he buys the power). Total cost:  1-3 points 
  (depending on commonality of poison).
  TIGHTENED MUSCLES
  Effect: 
  +10 PD
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  1
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character has a special technique 
  for tightening his rock-hard muscles so he can 
  better resist punches, impacts, and similar blows.
  Game Information:  +10 PD (10 Active Points); 
  Costs Endurance (-½). Total cost:  7 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Even Tighter Muscles:  Increase to +12 PD. 12 
  Active Points; total cost 8 points.
  2)  Less Tight Muscles:  Decrease to +8 PD. 8 Active 
  Points; total cost 5 points.
  UNBREAKABLE WILL
  Effect: 
  Mental Defense (10 points 
  + EGO/5), Only Versus Mind-
  Affecting Drugs
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range:  
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character has such a strong will 
  that drugs designed to aﬀ ect his mind — truth 
  serums, mind control drugs, and so forth — are 
  much less eﬀ ective against him (if they’re eﬀ ective 
  at all).
  In game terms, this power provides Mental 
  Defense that works against drugs deﬁ ned as Mental 
  Powers with the Based On CON Limitation. Even 
  though such powers are normally resisted with the 
  appropriate physical or energy defenses, in this case 
  the GM should also apply the Mental Defense from 
  this power.
  Game Information:  Mental Defense (10 points + 
  EGO/5) (10 Active Points); Only Versus Mind-
  Aﬀ ecting Drugs (-1). Total cost:  5 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Willpower:  Increase to Mental Defense 
  (15 points + EGO/5). 15 Active Points; total cost 
  7 points.
  2)  Weak Willpower:  Decrease to Mental Defense (5 
  points + EGO/5). 5 Active Points; total cost 2 points.
  3)  Tough Willpower:  Add Requires An EGO Roll 
  (assumes a EGO Roll of 12- or 13-, -1 per 10 Active 
  Points; -¾). 10 Active Points; total cost 4 points.
  4)  Tougher Willpower:  Add Requires An EGO Roll 
  (assumes a EGO Roll of 12- or 13-, -1 per 5 Active 
  Points; -1¼). 10 Active Points; total cost 3 points.
  
  276 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  UNIMPRESSED
  Effect: 
  +20 PRE, Only To Protect 
  Against Presence Attacks
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character’s so strong-willed, jaded, 
  or blasé that it’s diﬃ  cult to frighten, impress, or 
  overawe him.
  Game Information:  +20 PRE (20 Active 
  Points); Only To Protect Against Presence 
  Attacks (-1). Total cost:  10 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Unimpressed:  Increase to +30 PRE. 30 
  Active Points; total cost 15 points.
  2)  Weak Unimpressed:  Decrease to +10 PRE. 10 
  Active Points; total cost 5 points.
  MOVEMENT ABILITIES
  SKYHIGH
  Effect: 
  Leaping +3”
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  1
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character can leap great distances. 
  (For reference purposes, as of 1940 the world 
  records for leaping are 2.09 meters (1.04”) for the 
  high jump, and 8.13 meters (4.06”) for the running 
  long jump. Characters who can leap signiﬁ cantly 
  greater distances than that may begin to strain the 
  verisimilitude of the campaign.)
  Game Information:  Leaping +3”. Total cost:  3 
  points. (In campaigns using the Normal Char-
  acter Maxima rules, this cost may change 
  depending on how far the character can already 
  Leap.)
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Leaping:  Increase to Leaping +4”. Total 
  cost:  4 points.
  2)  Weak Leaping:  Decrease to Leaping +2”. Total 
  cost:  2 points.
  3)  Acrobatic Leaping:  Th e character’s acrobatic 
  prowess enables him to leap much further than 
  untrained people can. Change to Leaping +5” (5 
  Active Points); Requires An Acrobatics Roll (-½). 
  Total cost:  3 points.
  SPRINTER
  Effect: 
  Running +3”
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  1
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character can run much faster 
  than most people.
  Game Information:  Running +3” (9” total). 
  Total cost:  6 points. (In campaigns using the 
  Normal Character Maxima rules, this cost may 
  change depending on how far the character can 
  already Run.)
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Running:  Increase to Running +4” (10” 
  total). Total cost:  8 points.
  2)  Weak Running:  Decrease to Running +1” (7” 
  total). Total cost:  2 points.
  STRONG SWIMMER
  Effect: 
  Swimming +1”
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  1
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character can swim much faster 
  than most people.
  Game Information:  Swimming +1”. Total 
  cost:  1 point. (In campaigns using the Normal 
  Character Maxima rules, this cost may 
  change depending on how far the character 
  can already Swim.)
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Swimming:  Increase to Swimming +2”. 
  Total cost:  2 points.
  ULTIMATE CLIMBING
  Effect: 
  Clinging (normal STR), 
  Requires A Climbing Roll
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  -1
  Description:  Th e character is a superbly skilled 
  climber. Even if he has no equipment, he can scale 
  the sheerest, slipperiest surfaces with ease.
  Game Information:  Clinging (normal STR) (10 
  Active Points); Requires A Climbing Roll (-½), 
  Cannot Cling To Ceilings Or Surfaces Of More 
  Th an 120o Angle (-¼), Cannot Resist Knock-
  back (-¼). Total cost:  5 points.
  
  277 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Heroic Talent:  Increase to Clinging 
  (normal STR +9 STR). 13 Active Points; total cost 
  6 points.
  2)  Tougher Heroic Talent:  Change to Requires A 
  Climbing Roll (-1 per 5 Active Points; -1). Total 
  cost:  4 points.
  3)  Master’s Heroic Talent:  Remove Requires A 
  Climbing Roll (-½). Total cost:  7 points.
  4)  Perching:  Th e character can stand on tiny 
  ledges, balance on doorframes, wedge himself into 
  ceiling corners, and the like without fear of falling. 
  While doing this, he cannot move; the Clinging 
  only allows him to hold himself in place once he 
  gets to his chosen position. Change to Cling-
  ing (normal STR) (10 Active Points); Requires A 
  Climbing Roll (-½), Only To “Perch” (-½), Cannot 
  Resist Knockback (-¼). Total cost:  4 points.
  SENSORY ABILITIES
  ACUTE FORESIGHT
  Effect: 
  Precognition, Time Modiﬁ ers
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  No Range
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character is so gift ed with fore-
  sight, so wise, or so logically analytical that he 
  can evaluate the most likely course of actions for 
  people, phenomena, and events around him and 
  predict what will happen. Th e further forward in 
  time the time period the character analyzes, the less 
  accurate his predictions tend to be.
  Game Information:  Clairsentience (Sight and 
  Hearing Groups), Precognition, Reduced Endur-
  ance (0 END; +½) (75 Active Points); No Range 
  (-½), Precognition Only (-1), Requires An INT 
  Roll (assumes an INT Roll of 14-; -½), Time 
  Modiﬁ ers (-½). Total cost:  21 points.
  EAGLEEYED
  Effect: 
  +6 PER versus Range Modiﬁ er 
  for Sight Group
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range:  
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character has eyes like an eagle 
  — he can see at a distance details most people can 
  only make out close up.
  Game Information:  +6 PER versus Range Mod-
  iﬁ er for Sight Group. Total cost:  9 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Stronger Eyes:  Increase to +8 PER versus Range 
  Modiﬁ er for Sight Group. Total cost:  12 points.
  2)  Weak Heroic Talent:  Decrease to +4 PER versus 
  Range Modiﬁ er for Sight Group. Total cost:  6 points.
  FACE READING
  Effect: 
  Telepathy 8d6, Requires Obser-
  vation Of Subject
  Target/Area Affected: One character
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  5”
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Some Pulp adventurers have an 
  uncanny knack for being able to tell what others are 
  thinking. By observing someone for a little while 
  and knowing a little basic psychology, a charac-
  ter with this Heroic Talent can make astounding 
  deductions as to what that person is thinking. If the 
  Skill Roll, Attack Roll, or Eﬀ ect Roll fails, he gets 
  an incorrect idea of what the subject is thinking. 
  Th e GM may rule that there are situations in which 
  there’s no possibility of “reading” someone’s mind 
  this way.
  Game Information:  Telepathy 8d6, Reduced 
  Endurance (0 END; +½) (60 Active Points); 
  Concentration (0 DCV throughout; -1), 
  Does Not Provide Mental Awareness (-¼), 
  Extra Time (5 Minutes; -2), Character Must 
  Closely Observe Subject, Including Facial 
  Expressions, 
  During 
  Activation 
  Period
  (-½), Can Only Read Surface Thoughts (-½), 
  Instant (character cannot continue to read 
  thoughts based on a single ECV Attack Roll;
  -½), Limited Normal Range (5”; -½), Requires 
  A Deduction Roll (no Active Point penalty; 
  -0) (total cost:  10 points) plus Telepathy 
  +6d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) (45 
  Active Points); same Limitations as above, 
  plus Only To Achieve +20 “Target Cannot 
  Detect Telepathy” Modifier (-½) (total cost:  
  7 points). Total cost:  17 points.
  
  278 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Face Reading:  Increase to Telepathy 
  10d6. 75 + 45 = 120 Active Points; total cost 12 + 7 
  = 19 points.
  2)  Weak Observation:  Decrease to Telepathy 6d6. 45 
  + 45 = 90 Active Points; total cost 7 + 7 = 14 points.
  OBSERVANT
  Effect: 
  +2 PER with Sight Group
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character has trained himself to 
  be much more observant of his surroundings than 
  most people are.
  Game Information:  +2 PER with Sight Group. 
  Total cost:  4 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Heroic Talent:  Increase to +3 PER with 
  Sight Group. Total cost:  6 points.
  2)  Weak Heroic Talent:  Decrease to +1 PER with 
  Sight Group. Total cost:  2 points.
  ODOR IDENTIFICATION
  Effect: 
  +3 PER with Smell/Taste Group 
  and KS: Scents And Odors (INT 
  Roll)
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character has trained himself to 
  develop his olfactory senses. Not only does he have 
  a keen sense of smell, he’s practiced sampling and 
  identifying a myriad of odors so he knows them 
  on scent. When a Fiendish Oriental Mastermind 
  tries to kill him by exposing him to the fumes of 
  the black lotus, he can instantly tell what they are 
  and avoid the trap; when he meets a princess who 
  favors a rare perfume, he knows what it is right 
  away and can impress her with his sophistication.
  Game Information:
  Cost Power
  6 
  Keen Nose:  +3 PER with Smell/Taste Group
  3 
  Th e Nose Knows:  KS: Scents And Odors 
  (INT Roll)
  Total cost:  9 points
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Nose:  Increase to +4 PER and INT Roll 
  +1. Total cost:  12 points.
  2)  Weak Nose:  Decrease to +2 PER and an 11- roll. 
  Total cost:  6 points.
  PRETERNATURAL HEARING
  Effect: 
  +2 PER with Hearing Group
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th rough a combination of natural 
  ability and intense training, the character has devel-
  oped his sense of hearing to an incredible degree. 
  He can even hear sounds that are above the normal 
  human range, such as dog whistles. (See You’re 
  Bluﬃ  ng, below, for a related ability.)
  Game Information:
  Cost Power
  4 
  +2 PER with Hearing Group
  3 
  Ultrasonic Perception (Hearing Group)
  Total cost:  7 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Hearing:  Increase to +3 PER with Hear-
  ing Group. Total cost:  9 points.
  2)  Weak Hearing:  Decrease to +1 PER with Hear-
  ing Group. Total cost:  5 points.
  PRETERNATURAL SMELL
  Effect: 
  +2 PER with Smell/Taste 
  Group, Tracking for Smell/Taste 
  Group
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Whether he was raised by wild animals 
  or has simply worked hard to develop his olfactory 
  senses, the character has an unusually acute sense 
  of smell. He can even track people and animals by 
  scent alone in the right conditions.
  Game Information:
  Cost Power
  4 
  +2 PER with Smell/Taste Group
  10 
  Tracking for Smell/Taste Group
  Total cost:  14 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Nose:  Increase to +3 PER with Smell/
  Taste Group. Total cost:  16 points.
  2)  Weak Nose:  Decrease to +1 PER with Smell/
  Taste Group. Total cost:  12 points.
  
  279 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  RATCHET READING
  Effect: 
  Detect Phone Number
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  By listening to the ratchets on a rotary-
  dial phone, the character can perceive the number 
  being called. He has to be close by to do this (since 
  the noise only carries so far), and his ability won’t 
  avail him for other types of phones, but at times 
  this skill provides valuable information.
  Game Information:  Detect Phone Number (INT 
  Roll +2) (Hearing Group) (5 Active Points); 
  Only Works With Rotary-Dial Phones (-½). 
  Total cost:  3 points.
  YOU’RE BLUFFING
  Effect: 
  Detect Spoken Falsehood
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost:  
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character’s hearing is so keen, his 
  insight into human conduct so accurate, and his eye 
  for the details of human behavior so precise that 
  it’s virtually impossible to lie to him. By hearing the 
  quavers in a liar’s voice and analyzing the way he 
  speaks, the character can discern when he’s telling a 
  falsehood and when he speaks truthfully. Th e char-
  acter can’t perceive what the truth is, only that the 
  subject is lying.
  Game Information:  Detect Spoken Falsehood 
  (INT Roll +2) (Hearing Group [character may 
  change this to Sight Group if he depends more 
  on visual cues]). Total cost:  5 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Detection:  Increase to INT Roll +4. Total 
  cost:  7 points.
  2)  Weak Detection:  Decrease to INT Roll. Total 
  cost:  3 points.
  PSYCHIC POWERS
  Psychic Powers are the strange and eerie mental 
  abilities possessed by some Pulp heroes (particu-
  larly Psychic Detectives and their ilk). Th ey’re 
  not appropriate for all campaigns; in particular, 
  campaigns featuring a lot of standard mysteries 
  will suﬀ er if characters can use Psychic Powers 
  to telepathically interrogate suspects and psycho-
  metrically view the scene of the crime. Th e GM has 
  the ﬁ nal say on whether characters can buy Psychic 
  Powers; he can even allow characters to buy some 
  powers but forbid others.
  Many Psychic Powers require a Psychic Powers 
  Skill Roll. Th is is a form of the Power Skill that’s 
  based on an EGO Roll, and represents the some-
  what-unreliable nature of mental abilities.
  ASTRAL PROJECTION
  Effect: 
  Duplication (create one 275-
  point Duplicate), Altered Dupli-
  cate (100%)
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  11 to activate
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  -5
  Description:  Th e character can create an “astral 
  form,” a second self composed of pure psychic 
  energy that leaves his body and can act on its own. 
  While the astral form exists, the character’s physical 
  body remains helpless, incapacitated, and unable to 
  act, with 0 DCV (comatose, essentially). However, 
  because the two are both just aspects of the same 
  being, any damage inﬂ icted upon one aﬀ ects the 
  other as well (thus, killing either form kills both). 
  Additionally, the two can only remain separate for 
  up to 24 hours; if they do not recombine within 
  that time, they both die.
  Th e astral form possesses all the character’s 
  Psychic Powers, all of his Intellect and Interaction 
  Skills, and all of his memories (similarly, the char-
  acter retains the astral form’s memories aft er the 
  two rejoin). It may or may not possess his physical 
  abilities, but typically does not. Even if it does, it 
  can only use them on other astral forms and like 
  characters, for it is intangible (it must buy Desolidi-
  ﬁ cation, Reduced Endurance (0 END), Persistent, 
  Inherent, Always On, and thus must apply the 
  Aﬀ ects Physical World Advantage to any powers, 
  psionic or otherwise, it wishes to use to aﬀ ect the 
  solid world). Most astral forms are Invisible and 
  can ﬂ y (they buy Invisibility and Flight); many can 
  cross the world in the blink of an eye (MegaScaled 
  Flight or Teleportation). See page 54 of Th e Ulti-
  mate Mystic for further discussion of, and options 
  for, astral forms.
  Th e write-up below assumes the character is built 
  on at least 150 Character Points and that he builds 
  his astral form on that many points plus enough to 
  buy the additional abilities such forms possess.
  Game Information:  Duplication (creates 275-
  point astral form), Altered Duplicate (100%; 
  
  280 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  +1) (110 Active Points); Costs Endurance (to 
  activate; -¼), Original Character Is Incapaci-
  tated And Helpless While Duplicate Exists (-1), 
  Extra Time (must enter trance and meditate 
  to allow astral self to leave its ﬂ eshy prison, 1 
  Hour; -1½), Feedback (-1), Both Characters Die 
  If Th ey Do Not Recombine Within 24 Hours
  (-½), Requires A Psychic Powers Roll (-1 per 20 
  Active Points; -¼). Total cost:  20 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Rejoining Mastery:  Th e astral form can recom-
  bine with the character easily and from a distance. 
  Add Easy Recombination (Half Phase Action at 
  half DCV), Ranged Recombination (+½). 150 
  Active Points; total cost 27 points.
  2)  Rapid Astral Projection:  Th e character can 
  quickly and easily unleash his astral form. Remove 
  Extra Time (-1½). Total cost:  27 points.
  3)  Astral Projection Variant:  Th e character can only 
  use his astral form for reconnaissance and spying; it 
  cannot attack others, move things, or perform any 
  other actions but observation. Change to:
  Cost Power
  30 
  Astral Projection (Variant):  Multipower, 
  67-point reserve, all Character Is Incapaci-
  tated And Helpless While Using Power (-1), 
  Requires A Psychic Powers Roll (-1 per 20 
  Active Points; -¼)
  2u 
   1)  Local Astral Projection:  Clairsentience 
  (Sight and Hearing Groups), 16x Range 
  (2,400”); Character Is Incapacitated And 
  Helpless While Using Power (-1), Requires 
  A Psychic Powers Roll (-1 per 20 Active 
  Points; -¼)
  3u 
   2)  Distant Astral Projection:  Clairsentience 
  (Sight and Hearing Groups), MegaScale (1” = 
  1,000 km, can scale back to 1” = 1 km; +1¼); 
  Character Is Incapacitated And Helpless 
  While Using Power (-1), Requires A Psychic 
  Powers Roll (-1 per 20 Active Points; -¼)
  Total cost:  35 points.
  
  281 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  AURA VISION
  Effect: 
  Detect Aura (see text)
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character has the ability to see 
  auras around objects and living beings. An aura 
  is a brightly colored radiance that extends for 
  several inches about a person or object. Th e color 
  of a person’s or object’s aura has meaning to those 
  experienced in perceiving auras. (See the Aura 
  Table for details.)
  All objects have a basic blue-white aura (magi-
  cal or unusual objects are an exception); living 
  things have more variation in their aura colors. 
  Creatures and monsters also have auras. No one 
  can “disguise” his aura (at least, not without really 
  special and bizarre powers); that’s why auras are 
  so useful for ﬁ guring out who’s really a werewolf 
  or which person in the room in a roomful of sus-
  pects is the murderer. Auras lack individuality and 
  speciﬁ city — they’re not unique to individuals like 
  ﬁ ngerprints are — but the character should suspect 
  something if a supposedly meek, mild-mannered 
  person has a blazing red aura. A person’s aura rarely 
  consists of one color; it’s normally a mixture of 
  several hues, and the mix changes with the subject’s 
  current emotional state.
  Aura Vision normally depends on the charac-
  ter’s Sight; anything that blocks or interferes with 
  Sight (such as a Sight Group Flash or Darkness 
  versus the Sight Group) prevents him from seeing 
  auras. However, the eﬀ ective range of Aura Vision 
  is only about 3” in dim light, or 1” or less in bright 
  sunlight. Th e GM should apply modiﬁ ers to the 
  Aura Vision roll for ambient conditions, such 
  as bright lights (-1 to -3), many people crowded 
  together (-2), distractions (-1 to -3), and so on. Rare 
  instances exist of characters whose Aura “Vision” 
  relates to some other sense (see Options).
  Th e GM should handle Aura Vision carefully 
  in a game. Since it’s so diﬃ  cult to hide or disguise 
  an aura, Aura Vision may prove unbalancingly 
  helpful to PCs, especially ones engaged in solving 
  mysteries, so the GM may not always want to allow 
  characters to buy it. However, if the GM creatively 
  describes the various patterns and colors a hero 
  sees in an aura, Aura Vision can really contribute 
  to a game. Th e GM should feel free to add more 
  colors to the table, and also the meanings of diﬀ er-
  ent colors in combinations or patterns. It’s more fun 
  when the meanings of colors remain at least slightly 
  ambiguous, so the players must interpret the results 
  for themselves.
  Game Information:  Detect Aura (INT Roll) (Sight 
  Group), Discriminatory. Total cost:  10 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Enhanced Aura Vision:  Th e character’s Aura 
  Vision is especially acute. Increase to INT Roll +4. 
  Total cost:  14 points.
  2)  Psionic Aura Vision:  Th e character’s ability to 
  “see” auras depends on his mental senses, not his 
  visual ones. Change to Mental Group and add 
  Sense. Total cost:  12 points.
  3)  True Aura Vision:  Th e character’s ability to “see” 
  auras depends on no other senses; he can perceive 
  them even when blind and deaf. Change to no 
  Sense Group and add Range and Sense. Total cost:  
  17 points.
  AURA TABLE
  Color 
  Meaning
  Blue-white 
  Th e basic aura color; the color of all 
  inanimate objects
  Pink 
  Compassionate, warm, sociable
  Pale Pink 
  Psychotic; indicates weakness or confu-
  sion
  Rose 
  Generous, unassuming, motherly
  Red 
  Energetic, a leader, extroverted; anger, 
  moodiness
  Dark Red 
  Emotion, desire, sensuality
  Orange 
  Sincere, open-hearted, a sense of justice, 
  fair play
  Yellow-orange 
  Friendly, witty, humorous
  Dark Yellow 
  Cowardice, fear, inferiority
  Yellow 
  Intellectual, a teacher, deep thinker
  Pale Yellow 
  Idealistic, humanitarian
  Yellow-green 
  Greedy, stubborn; also jealous, deceit-
  ful, distrusting
  Green 
  Practical, composed; also indicates a 
  love for nature
  Light Green 
  Brooding, lonely; oft en a loner
  Dark Green 
  Envy, hate, maliciousness
  Blue-green 
  Psychic or spiritual powers, a seeker 
  aft er knowledge
  Blue 
  Peaceful, calm, a strong character
  Light Blue 
  Creative, spiritual
  Dark Blue 
  Blind faith, superstitious, fearful
  Lavender 
  Conservative, sensitive, civilized
  Violet 
  Excitable, easily swayed by arguments, 
  loves variety
  Purple 
  Royalty, majesty, calm; a true leader
  White 
  Purity, innocence, honesty; oft en found 
  in children
  Gray 
  Sickness, anxiety, a negative attitude
  Black 
  Rage, anger, savagery, black magic, 
  extreme illness
  Gold 
  Th e color of saints; the highest, most 
  spiritual color
  
  282 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  CLAIRVOYANCE
  Effect: 
  Clairsentience (Sight Group)
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  1,600”
  END Cost: 
  4
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  -4
  Description:  Th e character can perceive distant 
  areas without having to look at them directly — a 
  handy ability for spying on the enemy or surveying 
  an area for ambushes and traps before entering it.
  Game Information:  Clairsentience (Sight Group), 
  16x Range (1,600”) (40 Active Points); Concen-
  tration (½ DCV throughout; -½), Extra Time 
  (a minimum of 1 Turn, and sometimes longer; 
  -1¼), Requires A Psychic Powers Roll (-½). Total 
  cost:  12 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Long-Range Clairvoyance:  Th e character can 
  remotely view areas many kilometers away. 
  Change to:
  Cost Power
  14 
  Clairvoyance:  Multipower, 45-point reserve; 
  all Concentration (½ DCV throughout; -
  ½), Extra Time (a minimum of 1 Turn, and 
  sometimes longer; -1¼), Requires A Psychic 
  Powers Roll (-½)
  1u 
   1)  Local Clairvoyance:  Clairsentience (Sight 
  Group), 16x Range (1,600”); Concentration 
  (½ DCV throughout; -½), Extra Time (a 
  minimum of 1 Turn, and sometimes longer; 
  -1¼), Requires A Psychic Powers Roll (-½)
  1u 
   2)  Distant Clairvoyance:  Clairsentience 
  (Sight Group), MegaScale (1” = 1,000 km, can 
  scale back to 1” = 1 km; +1¼); Concentra-
  tion (½ DCV throughout; -½), Extra Time (a 
  minimum of 1 Turn, and sometimes longer; 
  -1¼), Requires A Psychic Powers Roll (-½)
  Total cost:  16 points.
  2)  Clairvoyance And Clairaudience:  Th e character 
  can both see and hear distant places. Add Hearing 
  Group (makes range 2,400”). 50 Active Points; total 
  cost 15 points.
  3)  Enhanced Clairvoyance:  Th e character’s control 
  over his long-distance “visions” allows him to move 
  the perception point. Add Mobile Perception Point. 
  45 Active Points; total cost 14 points.
  4)  Blind Clairvoyance:  While using Remote View-
  ing, the character cannot use any of his normal 
  senses. Add Blackout (-½). Total cost:  11 points.
  5)  Clairvoyance Puppet:  Th e character’s Clairsen-
  tience works by accessing the minds of others so he 
  can see and hear what they perceive. If there’s no 
  one in the area the character wants view, he can’t 
  view it. Add Hearing Group, Mobile Perception 
  Point, and Only Th rough Th e Senses Of Others 
  (-½). 55 Active Points; total cost 15 points.
  CLOUD MEN’S MINDS
  Effect: 
  Invisibility to Sight Group
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  2
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  -2
  Description:  Th e character has learned the mysteri-
  ous ability to “cloud men’s minds” so they cannot 
  see him. At the GM’s option, every full 5 points 
  of Mental Defense a character has provides a +1 
  bonus to PER Rolls to perceive the character while 
  he’s Invisible (or, if the GM prefers, a -1 to the char-
  acter’s Psychic Power roll).
  Game Information:  Invisibility to Sight Group 
  (20 Active Points); Requires A Psychic Powers 
  Roll (-½). Total cost:  13 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Clouding:  Add No Fringe. 30 Active 
  Points; total cost 20 points.
  2)  Weak Clouding I:  Add Bright Fringe (-¼). Total 
  cost:  11 points.
  3)  Weak Clouding II:  Th e character’s power only 
  works if he stands still. Add Chameleon (-½). Total 
  cost:  10 points.
  4)  Easier Clouding:  Change to Requires A Psychic 
  Powers Roll (-1 per 20 Active Points; -¼). Total 
  cost:  16 points.
  5)  Tougher Clouding:  Change to Requires A Psychic 
  Powers Roll (-1 per 5 Active Points; -1). Total cost:  
  10 points.
  6)  Master Clouding:  Remove Requires A Psychic 
  Powers Roll (-½). Total cost:  20 points.
  
  283 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  DOWSING
  Effect: 
  Detect Water, Metal, Minerals, 
  And Caverns (EGO Roll)
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  2
  Skill Roll Penalty:  
  -2
  Description:  Th e character has the ability to detect 
  water (and other liquids, like oil), metal, minerals, 
  and even caverns that are beneath the surface of the 
  Earth. To do this he must walk around the surface 
  of the area he’s searching beneath, concentrating on 
  what he’s seeking. Some dowsers used a forked stick 
  or other “dowsing rod” to help them; they hold the 
  stick parallel to the ground, and when it dips down, 
  they know that what they’re looking for is directly 
  below them.
  Game Information:  Detect Water, Metal, Min-
  erals, And Caverns (EGO Roll) (Mental Sense 
  Group) (20 Active Points); Concentration (½ 
  DCV; -¼), Costs Endurance (-½), Extra Time 
  (a minimum of 1 Turn, and oft en longer; -1¼), 
  Requires A Psychic Powers Roll (-½). Total cost:  
  6 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Dowsing I:  Increase to EGO Roll +3. 23 
  Active Points; total cost 7 points.
  2)  Strong Dowsing II:  Th e character can usually tell 
  how much of whatever he’s looking for he’s found, 
  and its quality. Add Discriminatory. 25 Active 
  Points; total cost 7 points.
  3)  Dowsing Rod:  As Strong Dowsing I, but the abil-
  ity also has OIF (dowsing rod or stick of opportu-
  nity; -½). 23 Active Points; total cost 6 points.
  FORESIGHT
  Effect: 
  Clairsentience (Sight and Hear-
  ing Groups), Precognition Only
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  5
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  -5
  Description:  Th e character can foresee the future 
  — though his powers don’t always work, and even 
  when they do, the further into the future he looks 
  the harder it becomes to see clearly. However, even 
  visions of the near future oft en prove vague and 
  unreliable; the visions the character receives are 
  typically unclear, and he can oft en interpret them in 
  multiple ways.
  As noted on page 141 of the HERO System 5th 
  Edition, Revised, the GM must determine whether 
  the events the character views are immutable (they 
  will happen, regardless of what the character does) 
  or ﬂ exible (the character can change the future 
  through his present conduct). Th e GM must also 
  decide what the character’s vision really means, and 
  should keep in mind that Clairsentience in general, 
  and Precognitive Clairsentience in particular, is a 
  “stop sign” power that can easily wreak havoc with 
  game balance if not handled properly.
  Game Information:  Clairsentience (Sight and 
  Hearing Groups), Precognition (50 Active 
  Points); Precognition Only (-1), Requires A 
  Psychic Powers Roll (-½), Time Modiﬁ ers (-½), 
  Vague And Unclear (-½). Total cost:  14 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Flashes Of Foresight:  Th e character cannot 
  invoke his precognitive powers at will; visions come 
  upon him unbidden and unexpectedly. Add No 
  Conscious Control (-2). Total cost:  9 points.
  
  284 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  MEDIUM
  Effect: 
  Summon Ghost
  Target/Area Affected: N/A
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  No Range
  END Cost: 
  10 to Summon; 1 END per 
  Phase thereafter to maintain 
  ghost’s existence
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  -0
  Description:  Th e character is a medium — a person 
  who has the power to contact the spirit world and 
  call forth a ghost. Usually he does this so he or 
  one of the ghost’s loved ones can ask the ghost an 
  important question.
  To raise a ghost, the medium must ﬁ rst go into 
  a trance. Th is takes an hour of concentration and 
  eﬀ ort, and works best in dim, quiet, tranquil sur-
  roundings (typically the home of the medium or 
  deceased). At the end of the hour, the medium 
  makes his Psychic Powers roll. Th e GM may grant 
  the medium a bonus if he has an object that was 
  beloved by or important to the deceased (or if 
  the medium performs the Summoning at the 
  deceased’s grave or some other location of particu-
  lar signiﬁ cance). Th e GM may impose a penalty 
  if the circumstances aren’t conducive to entering 
  and maintaining a trance. If the roll succeeds, the 
  medium calls forth the ghost he wants. If it fails, 
  that can mean one of three things (usually the 
  more he fails by, the worse the results). Th e sim-
  plest is that no ghost appears; that’s the best the 
  medium can hope for. If things don’t go well, then 
  the medium may summon a diﬀ erent spirit (usu-
  ally one that’s not very friendly...) — or he may 
  summon the right spirit, but have left  himself vul-
  nerable so the spirit automatically takes control of 
  him (typically with dire results).
  If the summoning succeeds, the medium must 
  defeat the ghost in an EGO Roll Versus EGO Roll 
  Contest, as usual for Summon (this may prove dif-
  ﬁ cult due to the Active Point penalty to the EGO 
  Roll; a smart medium buys Skill Levels with EGO 
  Rolls in addition to this power). If he wins, the 
  ghost performs tasks as ordered. Th e character can 
  only make the ghost do two types of tasks:  minor 
  physical eﬀ ects that prove it exists and is present 
  (ring a bell, lift  a small object, rustle the curtains, 
  create a ghostly image of itself with ectoplasm); and 
  answering questions. In the latter case, the ghost 
  may speak through the medium’s mouth, or may 
  manifest and speak for itself.
  Technically speaking, the medium usually tries to 
  Summon the ghost of a speciﬁ c person, which would 
  normally call for the Speciﬁ c Being (+1) Advantage. 
  However, in this case, since the creatures he Sum-
  mons tend to be very similar in most respects and 
  are powerless to do more than answer questions, the 
  Expanded Class Advantage covers the special eﬀ ect 
  suﬃ  ciently for most campaigns. At the GM’s option, 
  Summoning a speciﬁ c ghost involves a penalty to the 
  Psychic Powers roll (-3 or more), whereas Summon-
  ing a “generic” spirit entails no penalty.
  Mediums oft en use their powers at seances — 
  special gatherings of people who want to question 
  the summoned spirit. Seance participants usually 
  sit with the medium around a table in a dimly-lit 
  room, holding hands in a circle and focusing their 
  thoughts and energies to help the medium. At the 
  GM’s option, a medium gets a +1 bonus to his 
  Psychic Powers roll for having one person help via 
  a seance, +2 for 3-4 people, +3 for 5-8 people, and 
  so forth. Th e GM may also apply this bonus to the 
  EGO Roll Contest if desired.
  Game Information:  Summon 1 Ghost built on 
  up to 405 Character Points, Expanded Class 
  (any ghost or related spirit, see text; +¼) (101 
  Active Points); Concentration (0 DCV through-
  out Summoning and as long as the ghost is in 
  existence; -1), Extra Time (a minimum of 1 
  Hour, and oft en more; -3), Costs 1 END Per 
  Phase To Maintain Ghost’s Existence In Th is 
  World (-¼), Requires A Psychic Powers Roll 
  (no Active Point penalty; -0), Limited Tasks 
  (see text; -¼). Total cost:  18 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Summoning:  Th e character can enter a 
  trance much more quickly than other mediums. 
  Change to Extra Time (minimum of 20 Minutes; 
  -2½). Total cost:  20 points.
  2)  Tiring Summoning:  Maintaining the conjuration 
  tires the medium out quickly. Change to Costs 3 
  END Per Phase To Maintain Ghost’s Existence In 
  Th is World (-½). Total cost:  18 points.
  3)  Tougher Summoning:  Change to Requires A Psy-
  chic Powers Roll (-½). Total cost:  17 points.
  4)  Master’s Summoning:  Remove Requires A Psy-
  chic Powers Roll (-0). Total cost:  18 points.
  
  285 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  PERCEIVE THE PAST
  Effect: 
  Clairsentience (Sight and Hear-
  ing Groups), Retrocognition 
  Only
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range:  
  Self
  END Cost: 
  5
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  -5
  Description:  Th e character can perceive the past 
  — he can see and hear what once happened in a 
  particular place, making it easy for him to solve 
  mysteries and ﬁ ll in the gaps in his information. 
  However, even visions of the recent past oft en 
  prove vague and unreliable; the visions the charac-
  ter receives are typically unclear, and can oft en be 
  interpreted in multiple ways. Th e further back in 
  time the character looks, the harder it becomes to 
  obtain a clear picture.
  As discussed on page 141 of the HERO System 
  5th Edition, Revised, the GM should handle retro-
  cognitive powers carefully. Used properly, they add 
  a lot of ﬂ avor and fun to adventures; used improp-
  erly, they can completely spoil mystery- and inves-
  tigation-oriented scenarios.
  Game Information:  Clairsentience (Sight and 
  Hearing Groups), Retrocognition (50 Active 
  Points); Concentration (½ DCV throughout; 
  -½), Extra Time (a minimum of 1 Turn, and 
  sometimes longer; -1¼), Requires A Psychic 
  Powers Roll (-½), Retrocognition Only (-1), 
  Time Modiﬁ ers (-½), Vague And Unclear (-½). 
  Total cost:  9 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Eyes Of The Past:  Th e character can only per-
  ceive the past through the eyes and ears of its 
  inhabitants. Add Only Th rough Th e Senses Of 
  Others (-½). Total cost:  9 points.
  2)  Psychometry:  Some psychics can only read the 
  mental or emotional traces, signatures, or residues 
  that cling to objects or places — an ability known 
  as psychometry. Sometimes psychometric readings 
  are only feelings or impressions; at other times they 
  are full-blown visions of some past event.
  Objects may have diﬀ ering “psychometric 
  values.” For example, a mirror broken during a 
  murder may hold traces of some of the fear or 
  hatred associated with the killing, but simply reg-
  isters “fear” or “hatred” — the character cannot 
  perceive what caused that fear or hatred, since the 
  object was only indirectly involved in the act in 
  question. On the other hand, the murder weapon 
  contains strong traces of the emotions involved, 
  and can probably grant the character a vision of 
  exactly what happened during the murder — as 
  the instrumentality of the killing, the weapon is so 
  central to the event and its emotions that it carries 
  traces of everything that happened.
  In some cases psychometric Retrocognition 
  also allow a character to gain information about a 
  person by examining an object that person consid-
  ers important, or which he has handled or used 
  frequently (for example, a favorite piece of jewelry, 
  a car, a favored weapon).
  To represent these restrictions, replace Vague 
  And Unclear (-½) with Psychometry (-½). Total 
  cost:  9 points.
  PSYCHIC TRACKING
  Effect: 
  Mind Scan 10d6
  Target/Area Affected: One character
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  Special
  END Cost: 
  5
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  -5
  Description:  Th e character has the power to locate 
  other people with his mind. It’s easier for him to 
  locate a mind he’s familiar with or has previously 
  contacted; tracking the mind of a complete stranger 
  is very diﬃ  cult (at best). In game terms, standard 
  Mind Scan modiﬁ ers apply, with emphasis on the 
  penalties for unfamiliar minds; in fact, the GM may 
  not even let the character attempt Psychic Tracking 
  if he doesn’t have at least some pre-existing connec-
  tion with the target.
  Game Information:  Mind Scan 10d6 (50 Active 
  Points); Concentration (½ DCV throughout 
  use; -½), Extra Time (a minimum of 1 Turn, 
  and oft en longer; -1¼), Requires A Psychic 
  Powers Roll (-½). Total cost:  15 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Tracking:  Increase to Mind Scan 12d6. 60 
  Active Points; total cost 18 points.
  2)  Weak Tracking:  Decrease to Mind Scan 8d6. 40 
  Active Points; total cost 12 points
  3)  Easier Tracking:  Change to Requires A Psychic 
  Powers Roll (-1 per 20 Active Points; -¼). Total 
  cost:  17 points.
  4)  Tougher Tracking:  Change to Requires A Psychic 
  Powers Roll (-1 per 5 Active Points; -1). Total cost:  
  13 points.
  5)  Master’s Tracking:  Remove Requires A Psychic 
  Powers Roll (-½). Total cost:  18 points.
  
  286 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  REVEALING CONVERSATION
  Effect: 
  +5 to Conversation
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character’s psychic powers make 
  him superbly skilled at gathering information 
  surreptitiously. While speaking with someone he 
  subtly uses mind-reading to steer the conversation 
  where he wants it to go and lull the victim into 
  revealing things he might otherwise keep secret.
  Game Information:  +5 to Conversation. Total 
  cost:  10 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Conversation:  Increase to +7 with Con-
  versation. Total cost:  14 points.
  2)  Weak Conversation:  Decrease to +3 with Con-
  versation. Total cost:  6 points.
  SENSITIVE
  Effect: 
  Mental Awareness
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character is a sensitive — someone 
  with the ability to perceive psychic “vibrations”and 
  emanations. When someone uses psychic powers 
  near him, or he encounters similar phenomena, he 
  can sense them. Th e GM typically grants a bonus 
  of +1 to the PER Roll for every full 10 Active Points 
  in the Psychic Power being used, but he may also 
  impose the standard Range Modiﬁ er (which doesn’t 
  normally apply to Mental Awareness). At the GM’s 
  option, Sensitive characters can perceive not just 
  abilities built with Mental Powers, but any ability 
  deﬁ ned as a “Psychic Power.”
  Game Information:  Mental Awareness. Total 
  cost:  5 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Greater Sensitivity:  Th e character can also per-
  ceive the type of Psychic Power being used and 
  how strong it is. Add Discriminatory. Total cost:  10 
  points.
  2)  Lesser Sensitivity:  Th e character’s ability to sense 
  Psychic Powers doesn’t always work. Add Requires A 
  Psychic Powers Roll (-½). Total cost:  3 points.
  THOUGHT TRANSFERENCE
  Effect: 
  Telepathy 8d6
  Target/Area Affected: One character
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  LOS
  END Cost: 
  4
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  -4
  Description:  Th e character has the ability to read 
  the thoughts in another person’s mind, or to proj-
  ect his own thoughts into that person’s mind. Th e 
  deeper the character wants to delve into another 
  person’s mind, the more likely it is that his attempt 
  to ﬁ nd information will fail.
  Game Information:  Telepathy 8d6 (40 Active 
  Points); Concentration (½ DCV throughout 
  use; -½), Extra Time (at least a Full Phase, 
  and sometimes more; -½), Requires A Psychic 
  Powers Roll (-½). Total cost:  16 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Deep Thought Transference:  Increase to Telepa-
  thy 12d6. 60 Active Points; total cost 24 points.
  2)  Weak Thought Transference:  Decrease to Telepa-
  thy 6d6. 30 Active Points; total cost 12 points.
  3)  Rapid Thought Transference:  Th e character can 
  search the victim’s mind quickly, gathering a lot of 
  information in a short period of time. Add Autoﬁ re (5 
  shots; +1½). 100 Active Points; total cost 40 points.
  4)  Communicative Thought Transference:  Th e 
  character can only communicate telepathically; he 
  cannot search through another person’s mind for 
  information. Add Communication Only (-¼). Total 
  cost:  14 points.
  5)  Telepathically Deaf:  Th e character can broadcast 
  his thoughts to other people, but cannot “hear” 
  their thoughts in return. Add Broadcast Only (-½). 
  Total cost:  13 points.
  6)  Telepathically Mute:  Th e character can hear the 
  thoughts of other people, but cannot “speak” his 
  thoughts to them in return. Add Receive Only (-½). 
  Total cost:  13 points.
  7)  Hidden Thought Transference:  Th e character’s 
  Telepathy is so precise, and his skill with using it 
  so great, that he can oft en conceal from the victim 
  the fact that he (the character) has read the victim’s 
  mind. Add Telepathy +6d6 (30 Active Points); Limi-
  tations as above plus Only To Make Telepathy Unde-
  tectable By Victim (-1) (total cost:  9 points). 40 + 30 
  = 70 Active Points; total cost 16 + 9 = 25 points.
  8)  Empathy:  Th e character cannot perceive and 
  transmit thoughts — he can only perceive emotions 
  and feelings (he can’t transmit them). Add Empathy 
  (-½). Total cost:  13 points.
  
  287 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  MISCELLANEOUS 
  ABILITIES
  CAN FIND FOOD ANYWHERE
  Effect: 
  Life Support (Diminished 
  Eating:  need only eat once per 
  week), Requires A Survival Roll
  Target/Area Affected: Special
  Duration: 
  Special
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  1 Continuing Fuel Charge last-
  ing 1 Week
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  -1
  Description:  Th e character is a born survivalist with 
  a real knack for ﬁ nding food in the wild. Even in the 
  most barren places he can usually turn up enough 
  food to survive for a week at least. If necessary, he can 
  apportion this seven man-days of food among multi-
  ple people (thus allowing him to feed seven people for 
  a day, fourteen for half a day, and so on). Th e GM may 
  rule that some areas are so barren that the character’s 
  roll suﬀ ers standard Survival penalties despite the fact 
  that Required Skill Rolls normally don’t.
  Game Information:  Life Support (Diminished 
  Eating:  need only eat once per week) (1 Active 
  Point); Requires A Survival Roll (-½), 1 Con-
  tinuing Fuel Charge lasting 1 Week (-0). Total 
  cost:  1 point.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Master’s Heroic Talent:  Remove Requires A Sur-
  vival Roll (-½). Total cost:  1 point.
  CAN HANDLE HIS BOOZE
  Effect: 
  +10 CON; Only For Resisting 
  The Effects Of Intoxication
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character’s so big and burly, so 
  hardy, or such an experienced boozehound that it’s 
  mighty diﬃ  cult to get him drunk.
  Th is Heroic Talent diﬀ ers from I Can Drunk Just 
  As Good Fight!, a form of Environmental Move-
  ment. Th at Talent doesn’t stop a character from get-
  ting drunk, it merely counteracts the penalties he’d 
  otherwise suﬀ er for being intoxicated. Th is Heroic 
  Talent increases the character’s CON for purposes 
  of determining whether he ever gets drunk in the 
  ﬁ rst place (or suﬀ ers from any other form of intoxi-
  cation).
  Game Information:  +10 CON (20 Active Points); 
  Only For Resisting Th e Eﬀ ects Of Intoxication (-
  2). Total cost:  7 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Drinker:  Increase to +15 CON. 30 Active 
  Points; total cost 10 points.
  2)  Weak Drinker:  Decrease to +5 CON. 10 Active 
  Points; total cost 3 points.
  
  288 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  CONTORTIONIST’S FEET
  Effect: 
  Extra Limbs (feet usable as 
  hands)
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Inherent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character is so skilled a contor-
  tionist that he can use his feet just as well as if they 
  were hands.
  Game Information:  Extra Limbs (feet usable as 
  hands), Inherent (+¼). Total cost:  6 points.
  FACIAL MANIPULATION
  Effect: 
  Shape Shift (Sight, Touch, and 
  Hearing Groups), Imitation, 
  Facial Features And Voice Only
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character has such ﬁ ne control 
  over his facial muscles that he can use them to alter 
  the shape of his face, making him look just like 
  someone else.
  Game Information:  Shape Shift  (Sight, Touch, 
  and Hearing Groups), Imitation, Reduced 
  Endurance (0 END; +½) (39 Active Points); 
  Facial Features And Voice Only (-1), Extra Time 
  (1 Minute to activate; -¾). Total cost:  14 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Moldable Face:  Th e character doesn’t have ﬁ ne 
  control over his facial muscles. Instead, something’s 
  happened to the character’s face to make it mal-
  leable, allowing him to mold it so that he resembles 
  other people. It stays in the alternate shape until 
  he changes it (or, at the GM’s option, until his 
  face experiences a strong impact, such as a punch, 
  which deforms it). Add Persistent (+½). 52 Active 
  Points; total cost 19 points.
  FADE INTO SHADOW
  Effect: 
  Invisibility to Sight Group, 
  Only In Darkness/Shadows, 
  Requires A Stealth Roll
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  -3
  Description:  Th e character is so stealthy and skilled 
  at hiding himself that he seems to practically merge 
  with the shadows. As long as there’s a patch of 
  shadow or darkness large enough to cover his form, 
  he can stand in it and eﬀ ectively become invisible.
  Game Information:  Invisibility to Sight Group, 
  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) (30 Active 
  Points); Chameleon (-½), Only When In Dark-
  ness/Shadows (-½), Requires A Stealth Roll
  (-½). Total cost:  12 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Fading:  Add No Fringe. 45 Active Points; 
  total cost 18 points.
  2)  Weak Fading:  Add Bright Fringe (-¼). Total cost:  
  11 points.
  3)  Easier Fading:  Change to Requires A Stealth Roll 
  (-1 per 20 Active Points; -¼). Total cost:  13 points.
  4)  Tougher Fading:  Change to Requires A Stealth 
  Roll (-1 per 5 Active Points; -1). Total cost:  10 points.
  5)  Master’s Fading:  Remove Requires A Stealth 
  Roll (-½). Total cost:  15 points.
  6)  Challengeable Fading:  Add “is subject to Skill 
  Versus Skill Contests” to Requires A Stealth Roll 
  (-¾). Total cost:  11 points.
  
  289 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  FINANCIAL GENIUS
  Effect: 
  +4 with all Financial Skills
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character is a wizard of Wall 
  Street, a ﬁ nancial genius and maker of money par 
  excellence. He’s so skilled at analyzing the stock 
  market, making investments, and running corpora-
  tions that even other captains of industry turn to 
  him for advice.
  In game terms, this ability provides a +4 bonus 
  to Skill Rolls pertaining to ﬁ nancial matters. Typi-
  cally this means Professional Skills like Stockbroker, 
  Businessman, Industrialist, Banker, Financier, and 
  the like, but other Skills may sometimes fall under 
  the rubric of “Financial Skills.” For example, the 
  Skill Levels might apply to a Deduction roll made 
  to determine what a business rival is up to, or to 
  a Conversation roll made in an eﬀ ort to wheedle 
  insider trading data out of someone. Th e GM deter-
  mines what Skills the bonus can apply to.
  Game Information:  +4 with all Financial Skills. 
  Total cost:  20 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  True Financial Genius:  Increase to +6 with all 
  Financial Skills. Total cost:  30 points.
  2)  Not Quite So Much A Genius:  Decrease to +2 with 
  all Financial Skills. Total cost:  10 points.
  3)  The Midas Touch:  Th e character is so skilled that 
  people who work with him and listen to his ﬁ nan-
  cial advice oft en beneﬁ t from his abilities. Charac-
  ter also buys Luck 6d6 (30 Active Points); Only For 
  Finance/Moneymaking (-1). Total cost:  15 points 
  (total cost of overall ability:  35 points).
  GADGETS
  Effect: 
  Gadget Pool (40 points) plus 
  Gadgeteering (INT Roll +5)
  Target/Area Affected: Varies
  Duration: 
  Varies
  Range: 
  Varies
  END Cost: 
  Varies
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  Varies
  Description:  Th e character is a technological and 
  engineering genius, able to build all sorts of devices 
  (including, if appropriate, Weird Science gadgets) in 
  his laboratory or workshop. At the GM’s option, a 
  character can make minor changes or adjustments 
  to his gadgets in the ﬁ eld (assuming he has the 
  tools, spare parts, and time he needs to do so), but 
  any major alterations must take place in the lab.
  Game Information:
  Cost Power
  50 
  Gadgets:  Variable Power Pool (Gadget Pool), 
  40 base + 20 control cost; Focus (all slots 
  must have at least -½ worth of this Limita-
  tion; -½), Powers Can Only Be Changed In A 
  Laboratory (-½)
  13 
  Power:  Gadgeteering (INT Roll +5)
  Total cost:  63 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  More Gadgets!:  Increase to 60 base + 30 control 
  cost. Cost of VPP 75 points; total cost of ability 88 
  points.
  2)  Fewer Gadgets:  Decrease to 30 base + 15 control 
  cost. Cost of VPP 37 points; total cost of ability 50 
  points.
  3)  Talented Inventor/Tinkerer:  Increase to INT Roll 
  +8. Total cost of Gadgeteering 19 points; total cost 
  of ability 69 points.
  4)  Not So Talented Inventor/Tinkerer:  Decrease to 
  INT Roll +3. Total cost of Gadgeteering 9 points; 
  total cost of ability 59 points.
  
  290 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  GENIUS INSIGHT
  Effect: 
  +5 with All Noncombat Skills; 
  Activation Roll 14-, Only 
  Applies To Knowledge/Wisdom-
  Related Rolls
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  Charges: 
  1
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character has a certain gift  of insight 
  he can apply to the problems that confront him. It’s 
  not universally reliable, but it usually seems to come 
  in handy at crucial points during an adventure.
  Game Information:  +5 with All Noncombat 
  Skills (40 Active Points); Activation Roll 14-
  (-½), 1 Charge (-2), Only Applies To Know-
  ledge/Wisdom-Related Rolls, Not To Physical 
  Actions (-1). Total cost:  9 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Insight I:  Increase to +7 with All Non-
  combat Skills. 56 Active Points; total cost 12 points.
  2)  Weak Insight I:  Decrease to +3 with All Non-
  combat Skills. 24 Active Points; total cost 5 points.
  3)  Weak Insight II:  Change to Activation Roll 11-
  (-1). Total cost:  8 points.
  GETTA LOAD’A HER!
  Effect: 
  +3 INT, +3 PRE, +4 COM, and 
  +2 with Interaction Skills
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration:  
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Intended for female characters, this 
  ability signiﬁ es a woman who has It. Gorgeous, 
  conﬁ dent, clever, and alluring, she’s as sweet as 
  honey-covered chocolate when she wants to be, and 
  as bitter as three-day-old black coﬀ ee when she’s 
  mad. (Male characters can also buy this ability; it 
  works well for handsome, charming, but potentially 
  sleazy movie stars and the like.)
  Game Information:
  Cost Power
  3 
  +3 INT
  3 
  +3 PRE
  2 
  +4 COM
  10 
  +2 with Interaction Skills
  Total cost:  18 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  All That, And More:  Increase to +5 INT, +5 PRE, 
  +6 COM, and +3 with Interaction Skills. Total cost:  
  28 points.
  2)  Still Got Some Moxie On The Ball:  Decrease to 
  +2 INT, +2 PRE, +2 COM, and +1 with Interaction 
  Skills. Total cost:  10 points.
  GIFTED LINGUIST
  Effect: 
  Universal Translator (INT Roll 
  +5)
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character has a real talent for 
  ﬁ guring out speech and writing, eﬀ ectively allow-
  ing him to speak, read, and write any language 
  on Earth. However, this only applies to human 
  languages the character might conceivably have 
  learned. If a language has been dead for millennia 
  and no one today can translate its writing, the char-
  acter probably can’t either (unless he makes his roll 
  at a signiﬁ cant penalty or the GM allows a major 
  Pulp “coincidence”). Th e languages of alien invad-
  ers, Mole People, and other nonhuman entities he 
  cannot understand at all unless he pays Character 
  Points to learn them, or the GM rules that through 
  suﬃ  cient exposure over the course of the campaign 
  he’s picked them up.
  Game Information:  Universal Translator (INT 
  Roll +5) (25 Active Points); Learnable Earth 
  Languages Only (see text; -¼). Total cost:  20 
  points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  More Gifted:  Increase to INT Roll +7. 27 Active 
  Points; total cost 22 points.
  2)  Less Gifted:  Decrease to INT Roll +3. 23 Active 
  Points; total cost 18 points.
  GREAT ESCAPES
  Effect: 
  Luck 8d6, Only For Escapes
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty:  
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character has a knack for escaping 
  from dangerous situations. If he’s losing a ﬁ ght and 
  needs to get away, perhaps a train or other vehicle 
  happens by at just the right time for him to jump 
  on it and ride to safety, leaving his opponent far 
  behind. If he’s in a car chase, maybe he drives right 
  by an alley just as a bus backs out and blocks his 
  pursuers. Somehow, when it’s all on the line and 
  the character really needs to escape, circumstances 
  work out in his favor.
  Game Information:  Luck 8d6 (40 Active Points); 
  Only For Escapes (see text; -1½). Total cost:  16 
  points.
  
  291 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Luck:  Increase to Luck 10d6. 50 Active 
  Points; total cost 20 points.
  2)  Weak Luck:  Decrease to Luck 6d6. 30 Active 
  Points; total cost 12 points.
  HEIGHT MANIPULATION
  Effect: 
  +3 to Disguise; Only For Height 
  Changes
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  By carefully manipulating his muscles 
  and skeletal structure, the character can increase or 
  decrease his height by up to three inches. Th is does 
  a lot to enhance a disguise, though it doesn’t help 
  if the person the character’s disguising himself as 
  is the same height as he, or if the people who’ll see 
  him don’t know the subject’s height.
  Game Information:  +3 to Disguise (6 Active 
  Points); Only For Height Changes (see text;
  -¼). Total cost:  5 points.
  HEROIC COMPETENCE
  Effect: 
  +3 Overall
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost:  
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character is blessed with the uni-
  versal competence, conﬁ dence, and dash that mark 
  the true Pulp hero. No matter what he puts his 
  hand to, somehow he seems to do it well.
  Game Information:  +3 Overall Skill Levels. Total 
  cost:  30 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  More Competent:  Increase to +4 Overall Skill 
  Levels. Total cost:  40 points.
  2)  Less Competent:  Decrease to +2 Overall Skill 
  Levels. Total cost:  20 points.
  HERO’S LUCK
  Effect: 
  Luck 6d6
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Some action heroes are preternatu-
  rally lucky. No matter what sort of scrapes they get 
  in, somehow things always seem to work out in 
  their favor.
  Game Information:  Luck 6d6. Total cost:  30 
  points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Luck:  Increase to Luck 8d6. Total cost:  
  40 points.
  2)  Weak Luck:  Decrease to Luck 4d6. Total cost:  20 
  points.
  HEY! IT’S HIM!
  Effect: 
  Reputation:  famed adven-
  turer and righter of wrongs 
  (throughout the US and the 
  world) 14-, +3/+3d6
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Despite the lack of twenty-ﬁ rst century 
  mass communications, the word of the character’s 
  heroism, bravery, and cleverness have spread far 
  and wide — even tribesmen in the desolate Arabian 
  wastes, cloistered Tibetan monks, and South Seas 
  islanders have heard of and admire him!
  Game Information:  Reputation:  famed adven-
  turer and righter of wrongs (throughout the 
  US and the world) 14-, +3/+3d6. Total cost:  9 
  points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Stronger Reputation:  Increase to +5/+5d6. Total 
  cost:  15 points.
  2)  Weaker Reputation:  Decrease to +2/+2d6. Total 
  cost:  6 points.
  
  292 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  I CAN HANDLE ANY PLANE YOU GOT
  Effect: 
  +10 DEX and +2 SPD, Only For 
  Flying
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character’s such a skilled aviator 
  that he can handle even the most advanced aircraft  
  (whose controls are too sensitive for most ﬂ yers).
  Game Information:
  Cost Power
  15 
  I Can Handle Any Plane You Got:  +10 DEX; 
  Only For Flying (-1)
  10 
  I Can Handle Any Plane You Got:  +2 SPD; 
  Only For Flying (-1)
  Total cost:  25 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Even Better Flyer:  Increase to +15 DEX and +3 
  SPD. Total cost:  37 points.
  2)  Not Quite As Good A Flyer:  Decrease to +5 DEX 
  and +1 SPD. Total cost:  12 points.
  I KNOW HOW TO DO THAT
  Effect: 
  Familiarity with all Character-
  istic-Based Skills that aren’t 
  already Everyman Skills
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range:  
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  For some reason, the character knows 
  how to do a lot of things. Maybe he spent his entire 
  lifetime studying to be an adventurer, has the psy-
  chic power to analyze and respond properly to vari-
  ous situations, or perhaps he’s immortal (or really 
  long-lived) and has learned a lot during his lifetime.
  In game terms, the character has a Familiarity 
  (an 8- roll) with all Characteristic-Based Skills that 
  aren’t already Everyman Skills. Th is Heroic Talent 
  does not provide any ability with Skills that don’t 
  involve rolls (Combat Skill Levels, Defense Maneu-
  ver, Languages, Weapon Familiarity, and the like), 
  for which characters cannot buy Familiarities, or 
  for Background Skills that characters have to deﬁ ne 
  at the time of purchase (such as KSs, PSs, and SSs). 
  In the case of Skills that require the character to 
  select a category (such as Fast Draw, Forgery, Gam-
  bling, Navigation, and Survival), the character must 
  deﬁ ne which category his Familiarity is with.
  Game Information:  Familiarity with all Char-
  acteristic-Based Skills that aren’t already Every-
  man Skills (see above). Total cost:  44 points.
  LATTERDAY SHERLOCK HOLMES
  Effect: 
  +5 to Deduction, Criminology, 
  and Interrogation
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character is the greatest detective 
  since the days of the gentleman at 221-B Baker 
  Street. By dint of his observational and deductive 
  powers, he can determine all manner of important 
  facts that remain hidden from others... and then 
  use those facts when confronting the suspect to 
  wring out a confession!
  Game Information:  +5 to Deduction, Criminol-
  ogy, and Interrogation. Total cost:  15 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Heroic Talent:  Increase to +7. Total cost:  
  21 points.
  2)  Weak Heroic Talent:  Decrease to +3. Total cost:  
  9 points.
  MASTER OF DISGUISE
  Effect: 
  Shape Shift (Sight Group, any 
  human form, Imitation), Extra 
  Time (1 Hour)
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  -6
  Description:  A character with this ability is a master 
  of disguise. Give him an hour and the right sup-
  plies, and he can make himself look like anyone of 
  roughly the same height and weight. Th e disguise 
  remains in eﬀ ect even if he’s Knocked Out or goes 
  to sleep (i.e., it’s Persistent), but can be damaged by 
  punches to the face (or similar impacts), and will 
  start to fall apart aft er a few days (at the latest) if 
  the character can’t “touch it up” periodically.
  Game Information:  Shape Shift  (Sight Group, 
  any human form), Imitation, Reduced Endur-
  ance (0 END; +½), Persistent (+½) (60 Active 
  Points); OIF (disguise supplies of opportunity; 
  -½), Extra Time (1 Hour; -3), Requires A Dis-
  guise Roll (-½). Total cost:  12 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Disguise:  Change to Extra Time (20 Min-
  utes; -2½). Total cost:  13 points.
  2)  Weak Disguise:  Change to Extra Time (6 Hours; 
  -3½). Total cost:  11 points.
  3)  Easier Disguise:  Change to Requires A Dis-
  guise Roll (-1 per 20 Active Points; -¼). Total 
  cost:  13 points.
  4)  Tougher Disguise:  Change to Requires A Disguise 
  Roll (-1 per 5 Active Points; -1). Total cost:  11 points.
  
  293 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  5)  Master’s Disguise:  Remove Requires A Disguise 
  Roll (-½). Total cost:  13 points.
  6)  Challengeable Disguise:  Add “is subject to Skill 
  Versus Skill Contests” to Requires A Disguise Roll 
  (-¾). Total cost:  11 points.
  7)  Rapid Disguise:  So skilled is the character, and/
  or so high-quality his equipment, that he can pre-
  pare a disguise much faster than even other experts. 
  Change to Extra Time (5 Minutes; -2). Total cost:  
  15 points.
  MASTER OF MIMICRY
  Effect: 
  Shape Shift (Hearing Group, 
  any human voice, Imitation)
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  -6
  Description:  A character with this ability has an 
  amazingly — sometimes frighteningly — accurate 
  ability to imitate the voices of others. To any human 
  ear his voice is an exact duplicate of the one he imi-
  tates. Th e character must have heard a voice before 
  (either in person or on tape) to imitate it, but he 
  can change his voice so it’s not recognizable as his 
  any time.
  Game Information:  Shape Shift  (Hearing Group, 
  any human voice), Imitation, Reduced Endur-
  ance (0 END; +½) (37 Active Points); Requires 
  A Mimicry Roll (-½). Total cost:  25 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Mimicry:  Th e character can not only imi-
  tate human voices, he can mimic other sounds — 
  bird calls, sirens, and so forth — as long as they’re 
  within the decibel and octave range of the human 
  voice. Change to any sound. 52 Active Points; total 
  cost 35 points.
  2)  Weak Mimicry:  Th e character can disguise his 
  own voice, but lacks the skill to imitate other voices. 
  Remove Imitation. 22 Active Points; total cost 15 
  points.
  3)  Easier Mimicry:  Change to Requires A Mimicry 
  Roll (-1 per 20 Active Points; -¼). Total cost:  30 
  points.
  4)  Tougher Mimicry:  Change to Requires A Mim-
  icry Roll (-1 per 5 Active Points; -1). Total cost:  18 
  points.
  5)  Master’s Mimicry:  Remove Requires A Mimicry 
  Roll (-½). Total cost:  37 points.
  6)  Challengeable Mimicry:  Add “is subject to Skill 
  Versus Skill Contests” to Requires A Mimicry Roll 
  (-¾). Total cost:  21 points.
  NEVER LOOK MUSSED
  Effect: 
  Cosmetic Transform 2d6 (worn 
  dirty/mussed clothing into 
  clean/unmussed)
  Target/Area Affected: One set of clothing currently 
  being worn
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  No Range
  END Cost: 
  1
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character has such style and 
  panache that he always seems to look good no 
  matter what he’s been through. Aft er an eight-hour 
  trek through the jungle, his clothes are as clean and 
  free of sweat-stains as when he began walking. If he 
  falls in the mud, somehow his clothes remain clean, 
  or he can almost instantly get them that way.
  Game Information:  Cosmetic Transform 2d6 
  (any dirty/mussed clothing the character’s cur-
  rently wearing into its clean/unmussed form; 
  heals back by getting dirty/mussed again) (10 
  Active Points); Limited Target (clothing cur-
  rently being worn; -½). Total cost:  7 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Tougher Heroic Talent:  Add Requires A Luck Roll 
  (1 level; -1). Total cost:  4 points.
  
  294 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  PEARLDIVER’S LUNGS 
  Effect: 
  Life Support (Extended Breath-
  ing:  1 END per 30 Seconds)
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th anks to that time he spent diving for 
  pearls in the South Seas, or maybe just a regimen 
  of special training, a character with this ability can 
  hold his breath much longer than most people.
  Game Information:  Life Support (Extended 
  Breathing:  1 END per 30 Seconds). Total cost:  
  2 points.
  QUICKCHANGE ARTIST
  Effect: 
  Cosmetic Transform 2d6 (one 
  set of clothing into another), 
  Requires A Sleight Of Hand Roll
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range:  
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  -1
  Description:  Th e character has the ability to quickly 
  change one set of clothing he’s wearing for another 
  — a highly useful skill for impersonating people, 
  disguising his eﬀ orts to tail someone, and so forth. 
  Typically he can only change from the set of cloth-
  ing he’s wearing into another set that he has pre-
  pared (this is deﬁ ned with 1 Recoverable Charge 
  — recovering the Charge requires him to prepare 
  another set of clothing). In some situations, the GM 
  might allow the character to change into any one of 
  several sets of clothing that are available.
  Game Information:  Cosmetic Transform 2d6 
  (one set of clothing into another) (10 Active 
  Points); Extra Time (Full Phase; -½), No Range 
  (-½), Requires A Sleight Of Hand Roll (-½), 
  Self Only (-½), 1 Recoverable Charge (see text; 
  -1¼). Total cost:  2 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Change:  Increase to Cosmetic Transform 
  3d6. 15 Active Points; total cost 3 points.
  2)  Weak Change:  Decrease to Cosmetic Transform 
  1d6. 5 Active Points; total cost 1 point.
  3)  Tougher Change:  Change to Requires A Sleight 
  Of Hand Roll (-1 per 5 Active Points; -1). Total 
  cost:  2 points.
  4)  Master’s Change:  Remove Requires A Sleight Of 
  Hand Roll (-½). Total cost:  3 points.
  5)  Challengeable Change:  Add “is subject to Skill 
  Versus Skill Contests” to Requires A Sleight Of 
  Hand Roll (-¾). Total cost:  2 points.
  
  295 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Four
  SCIENTIFIC GENIUS
  Effect: 
  +5 with all Science Skills
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th ere are scientists, and then there 
  are scientists. Th e character’s one of the latter — a 
  genius almost without parallel in scientiﬁ c ﬁ elds. 
  Whether it has to do with biology, chemistry, phys-
  ics, or Weird Sciences not yet fully understood by 
  man, he has an intuitive grasp of the subject.
  Game Information:  +5 with all Science Skills. 
  Total cost:  25 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  True Genius:  Increase to +7 with all Science 
  Skills. Total cost:  35 points.
  2)  Not Quite Such A Genius:  Decrease to +3 with all 
  Science Skills. Total cost:  15 points.
  SEXY DISTRACTION
  Effect: 
  Mind Control 10d6, Set Effect 
  (pay attention only to me)
  Target/Area Affected: One character
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  No Range
  END Cost: 
  5
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  -5
  Description:  Intended primarily for sneaky “femme 
  fatale” characters, this ability represents the way such 
  a character distracts other persons (primarily men). 
  By dressing in an attractive or provocative manner 
  and ﬂ irting with the target, she can either (a) get 
  close enough to plant a bug on him or take some-
  thing from him with Sleight Of Hand, or (b) hold 
  his attention while her confederates do something 
  the target would ordinarily object to (like slipping 
  past security devices). If anyone attacks or directly 
  threatens the target in a way he can perceive — such 
  as pointing a gun at him — the Mind Control imme-
  diately ends.
  In most cases, the character only needs to 
  achieve an EGO +10 result with this power — most 
  men don’t mind having a pretty woman ﬂ irt with 
  them. But depending on the circumstances, a 
  higher Eﬀ ect Roll may be necessary to distract the 
  victim suﬃ  ciently.
  Game Information:  Mind Control 10d6 (50 
  Active Points); Eﬀ ect Ends Immediately If 
  Anyone Directly Th reatens Target (-½), No 
  Range (-½), Only Works On Persons Of Appro-
  priate Sexual Orientation (-¼), Set Eﬀ ect (pay 
  attention only to me, ignore other non-threaten-
  ing activity going on around you; -1), Requires 
  A Seduction Roll (-½). Total cost:  13 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Distraction:  Increase to Mind Control 
  12d6. 60 Active Points; total cost 16 points.
  2)  Weak Distraction:  Decrease to Mind Control 
  8d6. 40 Active Points; total cost 11 points.
  3)  Easier Distraction:  Change to Requires A Seduc-
  tion Roll (-1 per 20 Active Points; -¼). Total cost:  
  14 points.
  4)  Tougher Distraction:  Change to Requires A 
  Seduction Roll (-1 per 5 Active Points; -1). Total 
  cost:  12 points.
  5)  Master’s Distraction:  Remove Requires A Seduc-
  tion Roll (-½). Total cost:  15 points.
  6)  Challengeable Distraction:  Add “is subject to 
  Skill Versus Skill Contests” to Requires A Seduction 
  Roll (-¾). Total cost:  12 points.
  
  296 ■ Pulp Character Creation
  Hero System 5th Edition
  TONGUE UNTIED
  Effect: 
  Extra Limb (tongue), Only For 
  Untying Knots
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Inherent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  -1
  Description:  To gain an edge against anyone who 
  might capture him, the character’s taught himself to 
  untie knots with his tongue.
  Game Information:  Extra Limb (tongue), Inher-
  ent (+¼) (6 Active Points); Only To Untie Knots 
  (-2). Total cost:  2 points.
  WAKEFULNESS
  Effect: 
  Life Support (Diminished Sleep:  
  only needs to sleep 8 hours per 
  Week)
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th e character has trained himself to 
  get by on as little as one hour of sleep a night (or 
  one uninterrupted night per week). Th is frees up 
  an enormous amount of time in which he can ﬁ ght 
  his war on crime, go adventuring, or perform Weird 
  Science experiments.
  Game Information:  Life Support (Diminished 
  Sleep:  only needs to sleep 8 hours per Week). 
  Total cost:  1 point.
  WORKING THE PEDALS
  Effect: 
  Aid Running 2d6, Only Works 
  On Ground Vehicles
  Target/Area Affected: One ground vehicle
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  Touch
  END Cost: 
  2 (4 Charges)
  Skill Roll Penalty: 
  -2
  Description:  Th e character’s extremely good at 
  driving in high-speed, high-pressure situations. He 
  knows just how to work the accelerator, brake, and 
  clutch to get bursts of extra speed at the right time.
  Game Information:  Aid Running 2d6, Trig-
  ger (+¼) (25 Active Points); Only Works On 
  Ground Vehicle Th e Character Is Currently 
  Driving (-1), Requires A Combat Driving Roll 
  (-½), 4 Charges (-1), Costs Endurance (-½). 
  Total cost:  6 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Driving:  Increase to Aid Running 3d6. 37 
  Active Points; total cost 9 points.
  2)  Weak Driving:  Decrease to Aid Running 1d6. 12 
  Active Points; total cost 3 points.
  3)  Easier Driving:  Change to Requires A Combat 
  Driving Roll (-1 per 20 Active Points; -¼). Total 
  cost:  7 points.
  4)  Tougher Driving:  Change to Requires A Combat 
  Driving Roll (-1 per 5 Active Points; -1). Total cost:  
  5 points.
  5)  Master’s Driving:  Remove Requires A Combat 
  Driving Roll (-½). Total cost:  7 points.
  6)  Challengeable Driving:  Add “is subject to Skill 
  Versus Skill Contests” to Requires A Combat Driv-
  ing Roll (-¾). Total cost:  5 points.
  
  chapter ﬁ ve:
  chapter ﬁ ve:
  chapter ﬁ ve:
  GATS, DUESIES, AND AUTOGYROS
  PULP EQUIPMENT
  
  298 ■ Pulp Equipment
  Hero System 5th Edition
  O
  ne of the most fascinating things about 
  the Pulp era, both in ﬁ ction and real life, 
  is the technological development that’s 
  going on. Th e Twenties and Th irties are 
  perhaps the last great era of the tinkerer — a time 
  when a man with some scientiﬁ c knowledge and 
  plenty of creativity and drive could make major 
  technological innovations all by himself. For exam-
  ple, when John Baird invented mechanical televi-
  sion in 1923, he created his working model using 
  a cardboard disk, a tea chest, a biscuit tin, bicycle 
  lamp lenses, knitting needles, and string. Th e Cam-
  bridge scientists who discovered the neutron and 
  ﬁ rst split the atom used instruments they cobbled 
  together mostly from spare telephone hardware.
  THE STANDARDS 
  OF TECHNOLOGY
  To provide some idea of the current state of tech-
  nology during the Pulp period, the accompanying 
  table lists various devices, objects, technologies, and 
  inventions. Th ey’re organized into four categories:
  ■ Common devices and technologies have been 
  around for a long time — typically a decade, if 
  not signiﬁ cantly longer, by the start of the Pulp 
  era. Th e technological principles behind them 
  are well understood, and the devices themselves 
  are readily available commercially.
  ■ Recent devices and technologies are those 
  invented just before the Pulp era or in the early 
  years of the Pulp era (roughly 1915-1930), or 
  which even if discovered earlier didn’t become 
  common or commercially available until the 
  Pulp era. As the Pulp era progresses, they become 
  more commonplace (and oft en cheaper).
  ■ Rare devices and technologies are those 
  invented late in the Pulp era (roughly 1931 or 
  later), or which even if invented earlier remain 
  rare or unusual in the Th irties. Th ey’re oft en 
  still considered cutting-edge developments, 
  and if they’re available commercially, will prob-
  ably be expensive.
  ■ Unavailable devices and technologies are not yet 
  invented or discovered as of the end of 1939.
  Devices and technologies are listed alphabeti-
  cally within the four categories. Listed with each 
  one is the date of its invention; if two dates are 
  listed in the parentheses, the ﬁ rst is an early or 
  “primitive” version, the second for the device more 
  like the modern devices currently associated with 
  that term. Since reference sources oft en diﬀ er about 
  the date of an invention (due to disputes between 
  inventors, confusion over dates of creation versus 
  dates of patenting, conﬂ icting information, and 
  other factors), the date considered the most reliable 
  is usually listed. If reliability seems equivalent, the 
  earliest date is listed.
  Of course, many technologies were preceded 
  by more primitive versions incorporating some of 
  their features and innovations, so clever Gadgeteers 
  and Scientists might be able to cobble together a 
  device a few years before the date listed. On the 
  other hand, just because a device was invented on 
  a particular date doesn’t mean it’s widely known 
  about. It may take years for word to reach a PC 
  about some technological development (or for it 
  to become commonly used — for example, both 
  the dishwasher and the washing machine were 
  invented decades before they became common 
  household appliances).
  MATERIALS
  Compared to the modern day, when many 
  objects are made out of synthetic, processed, or 
  manufactured materials, Pulp-era objects are more 
  likely to be made of natural materials:  wood, 
  leather, metal, glass. Various types of plastics and 
  other synthetics exist, but are oft en relatively new 
  or rare, and haven’t necessarily penetrated to the 
  obscure corners of the world where Pulp adventur-
  ers so oft en go.
  
  299 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Five
  Common Devices/Technologies
  Adding machine (1872)
  Air conditioner (1902)
  Airplane (1903)
  Airship (zeppelin) (1900)
  Aspirin (1899)
  Automobile (1885)
  Battery, dry cell (1866)
  Bicycle (1839)
  Blue jeans (1850)
  Blueprints (1840)
  Burglar alarm, electric (1858)
  Cash register (1884)
  Coca-Cola (1886)
  Contact lens (1887)
  Corn ﬂ akes (1906)
  Crayons (1903)
  Diesel engine (1892)
  Dynamite (1866)
  Electric chair (1890)
  Electric starter (1911)
  Electromagnet (1825)
  Elevator, safety (1861)
  Escalator, modern (1900)
  Ether anaesthesia (1842)
  Film, roll (1881)
  Flamethrower (1912)
  Flashlight (1898)
  Internal combustion engine (1876)
  Light bulb (1878)
  Lock, cylinder/Yale (1861)
  Machine gun, Gatling (1862)
  Machine gun, Maxim (1885)
  Matchbook (1889)
  Matches, safety (1844)
  Metal detector (1881)
  Mimeograph (1875)
  Morse code (1838)
  Motion pictures (1895)
  Motorcycle (1885)
  Movie camera (1904)
  Neon light (1902)
  Panama Canal (1914)
  Paper clip (1899)
  Pasteurization (1856)
  Pen, fountain (1884)
  Phonograph (1877)
  Photoelectric cell (1873)
  Photography (1811)
  Plastic (primitive) (1862)
  Postage stamp (1837)
  Potato chips (1853)
  Radio receiver (1901)
  Rayon (1855)
  Razor, safety (1901)
  Refrigerator (1834)
  Relativity, theory of (1905)
  Revolver (1836)
  Roller coaster (1898)
  Roller skates (1863)
  Safety pin (1849)
  Seismograph (1880)
  Sewing machine, Howe (1846)
  Sonar (1906, 1915)
  Stapler (1841)
  Steam turbine (1884)
  Stethoscope (1816)
  Submarine (1898)
  Suez Canal (1869)
  Swiss Army knife (1891)
  Telegraph (1837)
  Telephone (1876)
  Telephone, pay (1889)
  Th ermometer (1867)
  Toilet paper (1880)
  Toothpaste tube (1892)
  Torpedo (1866)
  Traﬃ  c light (1868, 1923)
  Traveler’s checks (1891)
  Trolley car (1911)
  Typewriter (1867)
  Vacuum cleaner (1899)
  Vulcanization (1839)
  X-rays (1895)
  Zipper (1893, 1913)
  Recent Devices/Technologies
  Aircraft  carrier (1921)
  Autogyro (1923)
  Automatic pilot (1914)
  Band-Aid (1920)
  Bra (1913)
  Bubble gum (1928)
  Car radio (1927)
  Cellophane (1912)
  Coal oil (1921)
  Dry ice (1925)
  Electrical ignition (1911)
  Film, color (1912)
  Freon (1928)
  Gas chamber (1924)
  Gas mask (1914)
  Geiger counter (1913, 1928)
  Jukebox (1906)
  Kleenex (1924)
  Loudspeaker, dynamic (1924)
  Penicillin (1928)
  Polygraph (lie detector) (1921)
  Radio tuner (1916)
  Razor, electric (1923)
  Retractable landing gear (1911)
  Rubber, synthetic (1926)
  Scotch tape (1930)
  Silencer (1909)
  Skiing, water (1927)
  Stainless steel (1916)
  Tank (1912)
  Tank, rotating turret (1922)
  Telephone, rotary-dial (1923)
  Telephotography (1924)
  Tetanus shot (1927)
  Watch, self-winding (1923)
  Rare Devices/Technologies
  Aerosol spray can (1926)
  Computer, analog (1930)
  Deﬁ brillator (1932)
  Dishwasher (1886)
  Electron microscope (1931)
  Engine, jet (1937)
  Engine, turboprop (1938)
  Helicopter, early (1907)
  Helicopter, modern (1924, 1939)
  Jet engine (1930)
  Nylon (1936)
  Pen, ballpoint (1935, 1938)
  Photocopier (1937)
  Polaroid photography (1932)
  Radar (1887, 1935)
  Radio, FM (1933)
  Rocket, liquid-fueled (1926)
  SCUBA (primitive) (1933)
  Stereo records (1933)
  Sulfa drugs (1935)
  Television, color (1925)
  Television, electronic (1927)
  Television, mechanical (1923)
  Television camera (iconoscope) (1923)
  Tires, steel-belted (1937)
  Trampoline (1930)
  Walkie-talkie (1933)
  Washing machine (1858)
  Unavailable Devices/Technologies
  Automatic teller machine
  Bar code
  Bikini
  Birth control pill
  Calculator, portable
  Cassettes, audio and video
  CDs
  Computer, personal (and all related technol-
  ogy)
  Credit cards
  DNA
  DVDs
  Flight recorder (“black box”)
  Internet
  Kevlar
  Laser
  McDonald’s
  Microchip
  Microwave oven
  Mini-skirt
  Nuclear and atomic weapons
  Power steering
  Radiocarbon dating
  Seat belt
  Solar cell
  Telephone, cellular
  Telephone, touch-tone
  Transistor
  VCR
  Velcro
  Video games
  World Wide Web
  TECHNOLOGY AVAILABILITY
  
  300 ■ Pulp Equipment
  Hero System 5th Edition
  
  301 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Five
  [A] gun isn’t a thing of miracles. It’s a 
  mechanical contraption that is capable of 
  just so much and no more.
  —“One Hour,” by Dashiell Hammett, 
  Black Mask, March 1924
  T
  he primary weapon of the Pulp era is the 
  gun. Automatics, semi-automatics, and 
  revolvers have been around for decades, and 
  while they’re not as reliable, powerful, or 
  accurate as their twenty-ﬁ rst century counterparts, 
  they’re plenty good enough to get the job done. But 
  of course, as characters travel around the world 
  they could easily encounter natives and other ene-
  mies armed with much more primitive, but just as 
  deadly, weaponry:  bows and arrows; spears; swords 
  and knives; blowguns. (For these you can ﬁ nd writ-
  eups in the HERO System 5th Edition, Revised rule-
  book, with more advanced information available in 
  Fantasy Hero.)
  Th e accompanying tables list many guns and 
  other weapons that Pulp Hero characters might use. 
  Th e weapons are listed alphabetically by category, 
  in these categories:
  ■ Revolvers
  ■ Semi-Automatic Pistols
  ■ Submachine Guns
  ■ Riﬂ es
  ■ Assault Riﬂ es
  ■ Machine Guns
  ■ Shotguns
  ■ Grenades
  Several categories of information are given 
  for these weapons. Some information (caliber, 
  number of shots, weight) derives from real-world 
  data, while some (OCV, damage) depends on the 
  application of the HERO System rules and can be 
  changed to suit individual campaigns and tastes. 
  Th e weapons listed were chosen for a variety of rea-
  sons:  commonality (either in real life or in action-
  adventure movies and stories); interesting technol-
  ogy; intriguing appearance; and the like. (See Dark 
  Champions for detailed discussion of how to create 
  guns and ammunition in the HERO System, if 
  you’re interested in more information.)
  Name:  Th e name of the weapon. Th is may include 
  a manufacturer and/or model number.
  Cal:  Th e weapon’s caliber (for shotguns, this 
  becomes “Ga,” for Gauge). Th is is given in fractions 
  of an inch or in millimeters (mm). Many guns are 
  available in other calibers than the one listed, or 
  can be rechambered for another caliber of ammu-
  nition by a gunsmith.
  Compared to later time periods, the types of 
  ammunition used for Pulp-era ﬁ rearms aren’t nearly 
  as standardized. Th is may make it more diﬃ  cult for 
  characters to replenish their supply of ammo during 
  a long adventure away from civilization.
  OCV:  Th e weapon’s OCV modiﬁ er. An OCV bonus 
  for a ﬁ rearm is bought as a 5-point Combat Skill 
  Level with the Focus, Required Hands, and Real 
  Weapon Limitations. An OCV and/or RMod pen-
  alty for a ﬁ rearm is bought as a minor Side Eﬀ ect 
  (automatically occurs; -½) for the weapon.
  RMod:  Th e weapon’s Range Modiﬁ er. A Range 
  Modiﬁ er (RMod) bonus for a ﬁ rearm is bought 
  as a 3-point Penalty Skill Level versus the Range 
  Modiﬁ er with the Focus, Required Hands, and Real 
  Weapon Limitations. An RMod bonus never raises 
  a character’s base OCV, it can only negate Range 
  Modiﬁ er penalties. An OCV and/or RMod penalty 
  for a ﬁ rearm is bought as a minor Side Eﬀ ect (auto-
  matically occurs; -½) for the weapon.
  Dam:  Th e damage the weapon does. All ﬁ gures are 
  Killing Damage unless contained within parenthe-
  ses (which indicates Normal Damage).
  STUNx:  Th e STUN Modiﬁ er for the weapon. 1d6-
  1 is a normal STUN Modiﬁ er roll; 1d6 means the 
  weapon has a +1 Increased STUN Modiﬁ er, 1d6+1 
  a +2 Modiﬁ er, and so forth.
  Shots:  Th e number of shots in the gun’s cylinder 
  or magazine (in game terms, how many Charges 
  the gun has). Each gun comes with one “clip” of 
  ammunition unless noted otherwise. If a gun can 
  use more than one size clip, the largest or most 
  common clip is listed. Guns with a “clip” of 1 shot 
  are single-shot guns (oft en for target shooting) that 
  the user must reload aft er each shot.
  Th e listed number of Charges for semi-auto-
  matic ﬁ rearms does not include having one round 
  “in the pipe” (i.e., chambering one round, then 
  removing the magazine and replacing that round, 
  so that the gun carries +1 round).
  STR Min:  Th e STR Min necessary to use the 
  weapon eﬀ ectively. See pages 478-79 of the HERO 
  System 5th Edition, Revised rulebook for more infor-
  mation. Guns have the STR Min Does Not Add/Sub-
  tract Damage modiﬁ er, so a character without suf-
  ﬁ cient STR to ﬁ re a gun doesn’t do any less damage, 
  but does suﬀ er the speciﬁ ed OCV penalty.
  
  302 ■ Pulp Equipment
  Hero System 5th Edition
  PER Mod:  Th e PER Roll modiﬁ er to perceive the 
  gun when it’s concealed. See pages 450-51 of the 
  HERO System 5th Edition, Revised rulebook for 
  more information.
  A/R Cost:  Th e Active Point/Real Point Cost of the 
  weapon, in Character Points. For greater variation, 
  these costs use the expanded Killing Attack costs 
  on Dark Champions, page 95.
  Mass:  Th e weight of the gun, in kilograms. Typi-
  cally this is the unloaded weight; inserting a clip of 
  ammunition adds a few grams.
  Origin:  Th e country where the device was created/is 
  manufactured. Some gun manufacturers may have 
  factories in multiple nations.
  Year:  Th e year the weapon was ﬁ rst available. A 
  dash indicates the weapon was invented, in some 
  form, long before the Pulp era.
  Notes:  Any notes about the weapon. All notes and 
  abbreviations are explained at the end of the tables.
  REVOLVERS
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  STR 
  PER 
  A/R
  Name 
  Cal 
  OCV 
  RMod 
  Dam 
  STUNx 
  Shots Min 
  Mod 
  Cost 
  Mass Origin 
  Year 
  Notes
  Colt Detective 
  .38 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  6 
  9 
  +1 
  15/3 
  0.59 
  USA 
  1926
  Colt New Service 
  .455 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6-1 
  1d6 
  6 
  10 
  +2 
  34/8 
  1.10 
  USA 
  1909
  Colt Peacemaker 
  .45 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6-1 
  1d6 
  6 
  9 
  +2 
  34/8 
  1.05 
  USA 
  1873
  Colt Police Positive 
  .32 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  6 
  9 
  +2 
  15/3 
  0.70 
  USA 
  1907
  Enﬁ eld No. 2 Mk I 
  .38 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  6 
  9 
  +2 
  15/3 
  0.80 Britain 
  1927
  H&R Model 6 
  .22 LR 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  7 
  8 
  +2 
  15/3 
  0.70 
  USA 
  1906
  Lebel Mle 1892 
  8mm Rev 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  6 
  9 
  +2 
  15/3 
  0.84 
  France 
  1892
  Nagant M1895 
  7.62mm Rev 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  7 
  9 
  +2 
  20/5 
  0.75 
  USSR 
  1895
  Nambu Type 26 
  9mm J 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  6 
  9 
  +2 
  15/3 
  0.93 
  Japan 
  1893
  S&W Model 10 
  .38 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  6 
  7 
  +2 
  15/3 
  0.86 
  USA 
  1902
  S&W Model 27 
  .357 M 
  +0 
  +0 
  1½d6 
  1d6-1 
  6 
  8 
  +2 
  25/6 
  0.80 
  USA 
  1927
  S&W Model 1917 
  .45 ACP 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6-1 
  1d6 
  6 
  8 
  +2 
  34/8 
  1.00 
  USA 
  1917
  Trocaola British Army 
  .455 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6-1 
  1d6 
  6 
  9 
  +2 
  34/8 
  1.10 Britain 
  1915
  Webley Mk III 
  .38 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  6 
  8 
  +2 
  15/3 
  1.10 Britain 
  1897
  Webley Mk IV 
  .455 
  +0 
  -1 
  2d6-1 
  1d6 
  6 
  8 
  +2 
  34/7 
  1.10 Britain 
  1899
  Webley No. 1 Mk VI 
  .455 
  +1 
  +0 
  2d6-1 
  1d6 
  6 
  10 
  +3 
  37/10 
  1.10 Britain 
  1915
  Webley-Fosbery 
  .455 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6-1 
  1d6 
  6 
  8 
  +2 
  12/3 
  1.10 Britain 
  1901
  Webley-Fosbery 
  .38 ACP 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  8 
  8 
  +2 
  15/3 
  1.10 Britain 
  1901
  
  303 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Five
  SEMI-AUTOMATIC PISTOLS
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  STR 
  PER 
  A/R
  Name 
  Cal 
  OCV 
  RMod 
  Dam 
  STUNx 
  Shots Min 
  Mod 
  Cost 
  Mass Origin 
  Year 
  Notes
  Astra Model 400 
  9mm Largo 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  8 
  8 
  +2 
  20/5 
  1.10 
  Spain 
  1921
  Astra Model 900 
  .32 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  10 
  9 
  +2 
  15/4 
  1.20 
  Spain 
  1927
  Bayard 1923 
  .380 Auto 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  6 
  8 
  +2 
  15/3 
  0.50 
  Belg 
  1923
  Beretta 1915 
  9mm Glisenti 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  7 
  8 
  +2 
  20/5 
  0.78 
  Italy 
  1915
  Beretta 1934 
  .380 Auto 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  7 
  8 
  +2 
  15/4 
  0.73 
  Italy 
  1934
  Beretta 1935 
  7.65mm Auto 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  7 
  8 
  +2 
  15/4 
  0.70 
  Italy 
  1935
  Bergmann Simplex 
  9mm 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  15 
  9 
  +2 
  20/6 
  1.00 
  Ger 
  1901 
  1
  Browning 1910 
  .38 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  7 
  8 
  +2 
  15/4 
  0.60 
  USA 
  1910
  Browning 1922 
  .32 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  9 
  8 
  +2 
  15/4 
  0.70 
  USA 
  1922
  Browning Baby 
  .25 ACP 
  +0 
  -1 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  6 
  6 
  +1 
  15/3 
  0.35 
  USA 
  1922
  Browning HP M-1935 
  9x19mm 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  13 
  9 
  +2 
  20/6 
  1.00 
  USA 
  1935
  Colt M1911/M1911A1 
  .45 ACP 
  +1 
  +0 
  2d6-1 
  1d6 
  7 
  9 
  +2 
  39/10 
  1.10 
  USA 
  1911
  Colt Service 
  .380 Auto 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  9 
  9 
  +2 
  15/4 
  1.20 
  USA 
  1929
  Colt Woodsman 
  .22 LR 
  +1 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  10 
  9 
  +2 
  20/6 
  0.70 
  USA 
  1915
  Czech Model 22 
  9mm Short 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  8 
  7 
  +2 
  15/4 
  0.70 
  Czech 
  1922
  Czech Model 24 
  .380 Auto 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  8 
  7 
  +2 
  15/4 
  0.67 
  Czech 
  1925
  Czech Model 27 
  .32 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  9 
  7 
  +2 
  15/4 
  0.67 
  Czech 
  1927
  Frommer Baby 
  6.35mm 
  +0 
  -1 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  6 
  7 
  +1 
  15/3 
  0.40 
  Hung 
  1912
  Frommer M29 
  9x19mm 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  7 
  8 
  +2 
  20/5 
  0.72 
  Hung 
  1929
  Frommer M37 
  7.65mm Luger 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  7 
  8 
  +2 
  20/5 
  0.80 
  Hung 
  1937
  Frommer Stop 
  .32 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  7 
  8 
  +2 
  15/4 
  0.60 
  Hung 
  1919
  Glisenti Model 1910 
  9mm Glisenti 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  7 
  8 
  +2 
  20/5 
  0.80 
  Italy 
  1910
  Kolibri Auto 
  2.7mm 
  -1 
  -2 
  1 point 1d6-2 
  7 
  5 
  +0 
  5/1 
  .007 Austria 
  1914
  Llama Model 11 
  9x19mm 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  8 
  8 
  +2 
  20/5 
  0.90 
  Spain 
  1936
  Luger P-08 
  .30 Luger 
  +1 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  8 
  8 
  +2 
  20/5 
  0.87 
  Ger 
  1902
  MAB Model A 
  .25 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  6 
  8 
  +2 
  15/3 
  0.80 
  France 
  1921
  MAB Model D 
  7.65mm Auto 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  9 
  9 
  +2 
  15/4 
  0.70 
  France 
  1933
  Mannlicher 1901 
  7.65mm Mann 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  8 
  10 
  +3 
  20/5 
  0.90 
  Ger 
  1901
  MAS Model 1935 
  7.65mm Long 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  8 
  9 
  +2 
  20/5 
  0.70 
  France 
  1935
  Mauser C96 “Broomhandle” 7.63mm Maus 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  10 
  10 
  +3 
  20/5 
  1.18 
  Ger 
  1896
  Mauser Model 1910/14 
  7.65mm Auto 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  8 
  8 
  +2 
  20/5 
  0.65 
  Ger 
  1910
  Mauser Model 1934 
  6.35mm 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  9 
  8 
  +2 
  15/4 
  0.45 
  Ger 
  1934
  Nambu Baby 
  7mm J 
  +0 
  -1 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  7 
  8 
  +2 
  15/3 
  0.60 
  Japan 
  1920
  Nambu Model 94 
  8mm J 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  6 
  8 
  +2 
  15/3 
  0.80 
  Japan 
  1934
  Nambu Type 14 
  8mm J 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  8 
  8 
  +2 
  15/4 
  0.90 
  Japan 
  1925
  Radom Vis Wz-35 
  9x19mm 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  8 
  8 
  +2 
  20/5 
  1.10 Poland 
  1935
  Remington Derringer 
  .41 
  -1 
  -2 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  2 
  5 
  +0 
  20/5 
  0.45 
  USA   
  1866
  Sauer Behorden Model 
  7.65mm Auto 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  7 
  8 
  +2 
  15/4 
  0.60 
  Ger  
  1930
  Sauer Model 38H 
  .32 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  8 
  8 
  +2 
  15/4 
  0.70 
  Ger 
  1938
  Savage 1907 
  .32 
  +0 
  -1 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  10 
  8 
  +2 
  20/4 
  0.60 
  USA 
  1907
  Star Model B 
  9x19mm 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  8 
  9 
  +2 
  20/5 
  1.00 
  Spain 
  1928
  Steyr-Hahn 
  9mm Steyr 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  8 
  8 
  +2 
  20/5 
  1.00 Austria 
  1911
  Tokarev TT-33 
  7.62x26mm R 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  8 
  9 
  +2 
  20/5 
  0.80 
  USSR 
  1933
  Type 80 
  7.62x26mm R 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  20 
  10 
  +3 
  25/7 
  1.10 
  USSR 
  1936
  Walther Model 8 
  6.35mm 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  8 
  7 
  +2 
  15/4 
  0.36 
  Ger  
  1921
  Walther P38 
  9x19mm 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  8 
  8 
  +2 
  20/5 
  1.00 
  Ger 
  1937
  Walther PP 
  .32 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  8 
  7 
  +2 
  15/4 
  0.70 
  Ger 
  1929
  Walther PPK 
  .32 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  7 
  7 
  +2 
  15/4 
  0.60 
  Ger 
  1930
  Webley & Scott M1904 
  .455 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6-1 
  1d6 
  7 
  9 
  +2 
  34/11 
  1.40 Britain 
  1904
  Webley & Scott Police 
  .32 ACP 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  8 
  8 
  +2 
  15/4 
  0.60 Britain 
  1906
  
  304 ■ Pulp Equipment
  Hero System 5th Edition
  RIFLES
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  STR 
  PER 
  A/R
  Name 
  Cal 
  OCV 
  RMod 
  Dam 
  STUNx 
  Shots Min 
  Mod 
  Cost 
  Mass Origin 
  Year 
  Notes
  Hunting
  H&H African 
  .450 M 
  +0 
  +2 
  2½d6 
  1d6 
  2 
  16 
  +6 
  56/12 
  4.60 Britain 
  1927 
  2H
  H&H Royal 
  .300 M 
  +0 
  +2 
  2d6+1 
  1d6 
  2 
  16 
  +6 
  50/11 
  3.40 Britain 
  1925 
  2H
  H&H #2 Hammerless 
  .600 NE 
  +0 
  +2 
  3d6 
  1d6 
  2 
  17 
  +6 
  62/13 
  3.40 Britain 
  1903 
  2H
  Krieghoﬀ  
  11.2mm 
  +0 
  +2 
  2d6 
  1d6 
  2 
  15 
  +6 
  43/9 
  4.00 
  Ger 
  1922 
  2H
  Mauser Special 
  9.3mm 
  +0 
  +1 
  1½d6 
  1d6-1 
  5 
  14 
  +6 
  28/6 
  3.90 
  Ger 
  1918 
  2H
  Remington Model 30 
  .25 
  +0 
  +1 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  5 
  14 
  +6 
  18/4 
  2.50 
  USA 
  1921 
  2H
  Remington Model 34 
  .22 LR 
  +0 
  +1 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  15 
  15 
  +6 
  18/5 
  2.70 
  USA 
  1932 
  2H
  Winchester Model 70 
  .375 M 
  +1 
  +2 
  2½d6 
  1d6  
  3 
  12  
  +6 
  61/13 
  3.90 
  USA 
  1936 
  2H
  Military
  Arisaka Type 44 
  6.5mm Arisaka 
  +1 
  +1 
  2d6 
  1d6-1 
  5 
  14 
  +6 
  38/9 
  4.00 
  Japan 
  1912 
  2H
  Arisaka Type 99 
  7.7mm Arisaka 
  +1 
  +1 
  2½d6 
  1d6 
  5 
  14 
  +6 
  58/13 
  4.19 
  Japan 
  1939 
  2H
  Czech ZH29 
  7.92mm Maus 
  +1 
  +1 
  2½d6 
  1d6 
  25 
  15 
  +6 
  68/18 
  4.54 
  Czech 
  1922 
  2H
  Enﬁ eld M1917 
  .30-06 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6+1 
  1d6 
  5 
  14 
  +6 
  44/9 
  4.36 Britain 
  1917 
  2H
  FN Model 1889 
  7.65x53mm 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6+1 
  1d6 
  5 
  14 
  +7 
  44/9 
  4.01 
  Belg 
  1889 
  2H
  Frommer M35 
  8mm 
  +0 
  +1 
  2½d6 
  1d6 
  5 
  14 
  +6 
  53/11 
  4.04 
  Hung 
  1935 
  2H
  Fusil MAS 1936 
  7.5mm French 
  +1 
  +1 
  2d6+1 
  1d6 
  5 
  13 
  +6 
  52/12 
  3.80 
  France 
  1936 
  2H
  Lebel Model 1886 
  8mm Lebel 
  +0 
  +1 
  2½d6 
  1d6 
  8 
  14 
  +6 
  53/12 
  4.28 
  France 
  1886 
  2H
  Lebel Model 1916 
  8mm Lebel 
  +0 
  +1 
  2½d6 
  1d6 
  5 
  14 
  +7 
  53/11 
  4.15 
  France 
  1916 
  2H
  Lee-Enﬁ eld SMLE Mk III .303 British 
  +1 
  +1 
  2½d6 
  1d6 
  10 
  13 
  +6 
  58/15 
  3.70 Britain 
  1907 
  2H
  M-1 Garand 
  .30-06 
  +0 
  +1 
  2d6+1 
  1d6 
  8 
  15 
  +7 
  47/10 
  4.40 
  USA 
  1938 
  2H
  Mannlicher Carcano 
   M1891 
  6.5mm 
  +0 
  +1 
  2d6 
  1d6 
  6 
  13 
  +6 
  33/7 
  3.00 
  Italy 
  1891 
  2H, 4
  Mauser Gewehr 98 
  7.92mm Maus 
  +0 
  +1 
  2½d6 
  1d6 
  5 
  14 
  +7 
  53/11 
  4.10 
  Ger 
  1898 
  2H
  Mosin-Nagant M10 
   Carbine 
  7.62x54mm R 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6+1 
  1d6 
  5 
  13 
  +6 
  44/9 
  3.40 
  USSR 
  1910 
  2H
  Mosin-Nagant M1938 
   Carbine 
  7.62x54mm R 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6 
  1d6 
  5 
  13 
  +5 
  37/8 
  3.50 
  USSR 
  1938 
  2H
  Schmidt-Rubin 1931 
  7.5x53mm 
  +0 
  +1 
  2d6+1 
  1d6 
  6 
  14 
  +5 
  47/10 
  4.00 
  Switz 
  1931 
  2H
  Simonov Model 36 
  7.62x54mm R 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6+1 
  1d6 
  15 
  15 
  +6 
  47/12 
  4.40 
  USSR 
  1936 
  2H, RC1
  Spanish Model 1893 
  7x57mm Maus 
  +0 
  +1 
  2d6 
  1d6-1 
  5 
  14 
  +6 
  33/7 
  3.95 
  Spain 
  1893 
  2H
  Springﬁ eld M1903 
  .30-06 
  +1 
  +1 
  2d6+1 
  1d6 
  5 
  13 
  +5 
  52/12 
  3.94 
  USA 
  1903 
  2H
  Tokarev SVT-38 
  7.62x54mm R 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6+1 
  1d6 
  10 
  14 
  +6 
  44/10 
  3.95 
  USSR 
  1938 
  2H
  
  305 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Five
  SUBMACHINE GUNS
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  STR 
  PER 
  A/R
  Name 
  Cal 
  OCV 
  RMod 
  Dam 
  STUNx 
  Shots Min 
  Mod 
  Cost 
  Mass Origin 
  Year 
  Notes
  Astra Model 902 
  7.63mm Maus 
  -1 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  20 
  9 
  +2 
  30/7 
  1.20 
  Spain 
  1928 
  AF3, 2
  Beretta Model 1918 
  9mm Glisenti 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  25 
  13 
  +6 
  35/10 
  3.26 
  Italy 
  1918 
  AF5
  Beretta Model 1938A 
  9x19mm 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  40 
  14 
  +6 
  40/11 
  5.00 
  Italy 
  1938 
  AF5
  Bergman MP18.I 
  9x19mm 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  32 
  14 
  +5 
  35/10 
  4.90 
  Ger 
  1918 
  AF4
  Bergman MP28.II 
  9x19mm 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  50 
  13 
  +5 
  40/11 
  4.00 
  Ger 
  1928 
  AF5
  Bergman MP35/1 
  9x19mm 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  30 
  13 
  +5 
  40/11 
  4.30 
  Ger 
  1934 
  AF5
  Czech ZK 383 
  9x19mm 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  30 
  13 
  +6 
  35/10 
  4.25 
  Czech 
  1938 
  AF5
  Erma MPE or MP38 
  9x19mm 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  32 
  13 
  +5 
  35/10 
  4.14 
  Ger 
  1932/37 AF5
  Fusil MAS M38 
  7.65mm French 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  32 
  12 
  +6 
  26/7 
  2.83 
  France 
  1938 
  AF5
  Mauser M30/M32 
   “Broomhandle” 
  7.63mm Maus 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  20 
  14 
  +4 
  35/10 
  2.50 
  Ger 
  1930 
  AF5
  Moschetto OVP 
  9mm Glisenti 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  25 
  13 
  +6 
  35/10 
  3.67 
  Italy 
  1916 
  AF5
  PPD M-1934 
  7.62mm R 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  71 
  13 
  +5 
  45/13 
  3.70 
  USSR 
  1934 
  AF5
  Star Si35 
  9mm Largo 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  40 
  13 
  +6 
  40/11 
  3.80 
  Spain 
  1936 
  AF5
  Steyr-Slothurn S100 
  9x19mm 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  32 
  13 
  +5 
  35/10 
  3.90 Austria 
  1934 
  AF5
  Suomi M31 
  9x19mm 
  +0 
  +1 
  1d6+1 
  1d6-1 
  71 
  14 
  +5 
  47/14 
  4.70 Finland 
  1930 
  AF5
  Th ompson M1-A1 
  .45 ACP 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6-1 
  1d6 
  50 
  13 
  +6 
  61/17 
  4.70 
  USA 
  1921 
  AF5
  Th ompson M-1928 
  .45 ACP 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6-1 
  1d6 
  50 
  14 
  +6 
  61/17 
  4.90 
  USA 
  1928 
  AF5, 3
  MACHINE GUNS
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  STR 
  PER 
  A/R
  Name 
  Cal 
  OCV 
  RMod 
  Dam 
  STUNx 
  Shots Min 
  Mod 
  Cost 
  Mass Origin 
  Year 
  Notes
  Automatic Riﬂ es 
  And Light Machine Guns 
  5
  BAR M1918A2 
  .30-06 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6+1 
  1d6 
  20 
  15 
  +7 
  70/16 
  8.90 
  USA 
  1918 
  AF5, Bulky, FS,  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  AF Only
  Breda M30 
  6.5mm 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6 
  1d6-1 
  20 
  16 
  +7 
  52/12 
  10.30 
  Italy 
  1930 
  AF5, Bulky
  Bren Mk I 
  .303 British 
  +0 
  +0 
  2½d6 
  1d6 
  30 
  16 
  +8 
  80/19 
  10.20 Britain 
  1937 
  AF5, Bulky
  Chatellerault 1924/29 
  7.5mm French 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6+1 
  1d6 
  25 
  15 
  +7 
  70/16 
  9.10 
  France 
  1924 
  AF5, Bulky
  Czech ZB26 
  7.92mm Maus 
  +0 
  +0 
  2½d6 
  1d6 
  30 
  16 
  +7 
  80/19 
  10.20 Czech 
  1924 
  AF5, Bulky
  Degtyarev DP 
  7.62x54mm R 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6+1 
  1d6 
  47 
  15 
  +7 
  79/19 
  9.30 
  USSR 
  1928 
  AF5, Bulky
  Hotchkiss Mk 1 
  .303 British 
  +0 
  +0 
  2½d6 
  1d6 
  30 
  17 
  +8 
  80/19 
  12.20 France 
  1916 
  AF5, Bulky
  Hotchkiss 1922 
  6.5mm M-S 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6 
  1d6 
  25 
  15 
  +7 
  60/14 
  9.50 
  France 
  1922 
  AF5, Bulky
  Lahti Saloranta M26 
  7.62x54mm R 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6+1 
  1d6 
  75 
  16 
  +7 
  87/20 
  8.60 Finland 
  1926 
  AF5, Bulky
  Lewis Mk I 
  .303 British 
  +0 
  +0 
  2½d6 
  1d6 
  47 
  17 
  +7 
  90/21 
  12.30 Britain 
  1914 
  AF5, Bulky
  MG08/15 Light Maxim 
  7.92mm Maus 
  +0 
  +0 
  2½d6 
  1d6 
  250 
  18 
  +7 
  147/40 17.70 Britain 
  1915 
  AF5, Bulky, FS
  Nambu Type 11 
  6.5mm Arisaka 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6 
  1d6-1 
  30 
  17 
  +7 
  52/12 
  10.20 
  Japan 
  1922 
  AF5, Bulky
  Nambu Type 92 
  7.7mm Arisaka 
  +0 
  +0 
  2½d6 
  1d6 
  30 
  17 
  +8 
  80/19 
  55.30 
  Japan 
  1932 
  AF5, Bulky
  Heavy Machine Guns 
  5
  Breda M37 
  8mm 
  +0 
  +0 
  2½d6 
  1d6 
  20 
  19 
  +8 
  60/13 
  19.90 
  Italy 
  1937 
  AF5, Bulky
  Browning M2 
  .50 
  +0 
  +0 
  3d6 
  1d6 
  250 
  20 
  +9 
  146/32 38.10 
  USA 
  1933 
  AF8, Bulky
  Browning M1917 
  .30-06 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6+1 
  1d6 
  250 
  18 
  +8 
  114/25 15.00 
  USA 
  1917 
  AF8, Bulky
  Maxim MG08 
  7.92mm Maus 
  +0 
  +0 
  2½d6 
  1d6 
  500 
  23 
  +9 
  130/29 26.50 
  Ger 
  1908 
  AF8, Bulky
  MG34 
  7.92mm Maus  
  +0 
  +0 
  2½d6 
  1d6 
  500 
  20 
  +8 
  130/29 12.10 
  Ger 
  1933 
  AF8, Bulky
  Vickers Mk I 
  .303 British 
  +0 
  +0 
  2½d6 
  1d6 
  500 
  18 
  +8 
  130/29 15.00 Britain 
  1912 
  AF8, Bulky
  
  306 ■ Pulp Equipment
  Hero System 5th Edition
  SHOTGUNS
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  STR 
  PER 
  A/R
  Name 
  Gauge 
  OCV RMod 
  Dam 
  STUNx 
  Shots 
  Min 
  Mod 
  Cost 
  Mass 
  Year 
  Notes
  .410 Shot 
  .410 
  +0 
  +0 
  1½d6 
  1d6 
  5 
  8 
  +5 
  44/8 
  3.00 
  — 
  2H, AE1, LR(20”), RR, RP
  .410 Shot, DB 
  .410 
  +0 
  +0 
  1½d6 
  1d6 
  2 
  8 
  +5 
  75/12 
  3.00 
  — 
  2H, AE1, AF2, LR(20”), RR, RP
  .410 Shot, Sawed-Oﬀ  
  .410 
  +0 
  +0 
  1½d6 
  1d6 
  2 
  8 
  +3 
  94/15 
  2.25 
  — 
  2H, AEC, AF2, NR, RR, RP
  .410 Slug 
  .410 
  +0 
  +0 
  1½d6 
  1d6 
  5 
  8 
  +5 
  31/6 
  3.00 
  — 
  2H, LR(50”)
  28, 24 Shot 
  28, 24 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6 
  1d6 
  5 
  10 
  +5 
  52/10 
  3.00 
  — 
  2H, AE1, LR(20”), RR, RP
  28, 24 Shot, DB 
  28, 24 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6 
  1d6 
  2 
  10 
  +5 
  90/15 
  3.00 
  — 
  2H, AE1, AF2, LR(20”), RR, RP
  28, 24 Shot, Sawed-Oﬀ  
  28, 24 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6 
  1d6 
  2 
  10 
  +3 
  105/17 
  2.25 
  — 
  2H, AEC, AF2, NR, RR, RP
  28, 24 Slug 
  28, 24 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6 
  1d6 
  5 
  10 
  +5 
  37/6 
  3.00 
  — 
  2H, LR(50”)
  20, 16 Shot 
  20, 16 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6+1 
  1d6 
  5 
  11 
  +5 
  61/12 
  3.00 
  — 
  2H, AE1, LR(20”), RR, RP
  20, 16 Shot, DB 
  20, 16 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6+1 
  1d6 
  2 
  11 
  +5 
  105/17 
  3.00 
  — 
  2H, AE1, AF2, LR(20”), RR, RP
  20, 16 Shot, Sawed-Oﬀ  
  20, 16 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6+1 
  1d6 
  2 
  11 
  +3 
  122/19 
  2.25 
  — 
  2H, AEC, AF2, NR, RR, RP
  20, 16 Slug 
  20, 16 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6+1 
  1d6 
  5 
  11 
  +5 
  44/9 
  3.00 
  — 
  2H, LR(50”)
  12 Shot 
  12 
  +0 
  +0 
  2½d6 
  1d6 
  5 
  12 
  +5 
  70/13 
  3.00 
  — 
  2H, AE1, LR(20”), RR, RP
  12 Shot, DB 
  12 
  +0 
  +0 
  2½d6 
  1d6 
  2 
  12 
  +5 
  120/20 
  3.00 
  — 
  2H, AE1, AF2, LR(20”), RR, RP
  12 Shot, Sawed-Oﬀ  
  12 
  +0 
  +0 
  2½d6 
  1d6 
  2 
  12 
  +3 
  140/22 
  2.25 
  — 
  2H, AEC, AF2, NR, RR, RP
  12 Slug 
  12 
  +0 
  +0 
  2½d6 
  1d6 
  5 
  12 
  +5 
  50/10 
  3.00 
  — 
  2H, LR(50”)
  10 Shot 
  10 
  +0 
  +0 
  3d6 
  1d6 
  5 
  12 
  +5 
  79/15 
  3.00 
  — 
  2H, AE1, LR(20”), RR, RP
  10 Shot, DB 
  10 
  +0 
  +0 
  3d6 
  1d6 
  2 
  12 
  +5 
  135/22 
  3.00 
  — 
  2H, AE1, AF2, LR(20”), RR, RP
  10 Shot, Sawed-Oﬀ  
  10 
  +0 
  +0 
  3d6 
  1d6 
  2 
  12 
  +3 
  157/25 
  2.25 
  — 
  2H, AEC, AF2, NR, RR, RP
  10 Slug 
  10 
  +0 
  +0 
  3d6 
  1d6 
  5 
  12 
  +5 
  56/11 
  3.00 
  — 
  2H, LR(50”)
  GRENADES
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  STR 
  PER 
  A/R
  Name 
  Cal 
  OCV RMod 
  Dam 
  STUNx 
  Shots 
  Min 
  Mod 
  Cost 
  Mass 
  Year 
  Notes
  Grenade Rounds
  Riﬂ e-Fired 
  —  
  — 
  — 
  2½d6X 
  1d6 
  1 
  — 
  +2 
  70/15 
  0.60 c. 1936 
  Activation Roll 14-
  Hand-Thrown 
  6
  Fragmentation 
  — 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6X 
  1d6-1 
  1 
  RBS 
  +2 
  45/10 
  0.60 c. 1936 
  Activation Roll 14-
  Smoke 
  — 
  +0 
  +0 
  CE 4” 
  — 
  1 
  RBS 
  +2 
  21/5 
  0.35 -3 Sight PER for 3 Turns, 7 
  Tear Gas 
  — 
  +0 
  +0 
  Tear gas 
  — 
  1 
  RBS 
  +2 
  100/23 
  0.35 
  8
  
  307 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Five
  Key
  AE1:  Area Of Eﬀ ect (One Hex)
  AEC:  Area Of Eﬀ ect (Cone)
  AF:  Autoﬁ re; the number aft er the letters indicates 
  the maximum number of shots
  ACP:  Automatic Colt Pistol
  AP:  Armor Piercing
  Auto:  Automatic
  Cz:  Czech
  DB:  Double-barrelled
  FS:  Flash suppressor
  J:  Japanese
  LR:  Long Riﬂ e
  LR(X”):  Limited Range (number indicates range)
  M:  Magnum
  Mann:  Mannlicher
  Maus:  Mauser
  mm:  millimeter
  NE:  Nitro Express
  NR:  No Range
  Only:  Autoﬁ re only, no single shots (a -0 Limitation; 
  see Dark Champions, page 100)
  R:  Russian
  RBS:  Range Based On STR
  RC1:  Recoil Compensator type 1 (see Dark Cham-
  pions, page 234)
  Rev:  Revolver
  RL:  Russian Long
  RP:  Reduced Penetration
  RR:  Reduced By Range
  S&W:  Smith & Wesson (an American gun manu-
  facturer)
  X:  Explosion
  NOTES
  1)  Th e Bergmann Simplex ﬁ res a special type of 
  9mm bullet. Th ese bullets don’t work in other 9mm 
  ﬁ rearms, and standard sizes of 9mm ammunition 
  don’t work in the Simplex.
  2)  Compared to modern submachine guns, Pulp-
  era submachine guns tend to be heavier and more 
  riﬂ e-like. Th ey’re usually ﬁ red using two hands, 
  but since movies and ﬁ ction oft en show characters 
  ﬁ ring them one-handed, they don’t have the Two-
  Handed (-½) Limitation. Gamemasters interested 
  in “realism” should add that Limitation.
  3)  Th e Th ompson M1928 is heavy, can jam easily 
  when it gets dirty, and can be noisy when carried. 
  In game terms, reduce all Activation Rolls for Mal-
  function by 1.
  4)  Th e Mannlicher-Carcano, developed by the 
  Italians following German designs, has an integral 
  bayonet that folds under the front of the barrel.
  5)  Machine guns fall into two categories, Light and 
  Heavy. Light machine guns (LMGs) realistically 
  usually have a two-man ﬁ ring team, but they don’t 
  necessarily have to, so they don’t get the Crew-
  Served Limitation (nor do they take Two-Handed as 
  a Limitation, since they’re almost always ﬁ red from 
  a bipod or other mount). Th ey do, however, qualify 
  as Bulky Foci. Heavy machine guns (HMGs) take 
  the Crew-Served (3 men; -½) Limitation in addi-
  tion to Bulky; they have to be mounted on a tripod 
  or vehicle. Most machine guns are belt-fed, though 
  some LMGs can mount small boxes of about 30 
  rounds if necessary. 
  6)  All Pulp-era grenades have Activation Roll 14- 
  (-½) — there’s a chance they won’t explode when 
  they’re supposed to (or, if the GM is ﬁ endish, will 
  explode too soon, injuring the wielder). Earlier 
  types of grenades, such as the Mills Bomb and 
  others from the Great War period, typically have 
  Activation Roll 11- (-1).
  7)  Th e smoke grenade is built as follows:
  Change Environment 4” radius, -3 to Sight 
  Group PER Rolls (21 Active Points); OAF (-1), 
  Activation Roll 14- (-½), Range Based On STR 
  (-¼), Real Weapon (-¼), 1 Continuing Charge 
  lasting 3 Turns (-1). Total cost:  5 points.
  8)  Here’s the eﬀ ect of the tear gas hand grenade:
  Sight Group Flash 4d6, Area Of Eﬀ ect (6”; 
  +1), Continuous (+1), Delayed Recovery (each 
  BODY indicates 1 Turn of eﬀ ect; +2) (100 
  Active Points); OAF (-1), Activation Roll 14-
  (-½), Range Based On STR (-¼), Real Weapon 
  (-¼), 1 Continuing Charge lasting 1 Turn
  (-1¼). Total cost:  23 points.
  DEFENSIVE TECHNOLOGY
  Compared to later periods, the Pulp era oﬀ ers 
  relatively little in the way of personal protection 
  for characters — but early forms of body armor 
  are available. Typically they consist of small, over-
  lapping steel plates sewn into a leather or canvas 
  vest. Perhaps the most successful was the Wisbrod 
  vest, invented by Eliot Wisbrod, which encased the 
  steel plates in rubberized plastic. Wisbrod claimed 
  it could withstand a bullet from a .45 Th ompson 
  submachine gun. He promoted the vest heavily, 
  including with frequent live demonstrations using 
  himself as a target!
  Pulp-Era Bulletproof Vest:  Armor (8 PD) (12 
  Active Points); OIF (-½), Normal Mass (-1), 
  Real Armor (-¼), Activation Roll 11- (covers Hit 
  Locations 9-13; -1). Total cost:  3 points.
  Of course, Weird Science opens up all sorts of 
  additional possibilities; see later in this chapter for 
  details.
  
  308 ■ Pulp Equipment
  Hero System 5th Edition
  P
  ulp characters do a lot of traveling. Th is is 
  partly because their adventures oft en take 
  them to distant lands, and partly because 
  in the Twenties and Th irties, with cars and 
  airplanes still relatively new, travel itself was some-
  thing of an adventure! Th is section covers the auto-
  mobiles, planes, and other vehicles characters use to 
  get around and chase down their enemies.
  Th e accompanying vehicle tables list the follow-
  ing information:
  Size:  Th e length and width of the vehicle. Th is does 
  not include the wings on airplanes, the rotors of 
  helicopters, or the like.
  DCV:  Th e DCV Mod of the vehicle for its size.
  Mass (KB):  Th e mass of the vehicle when empty 
  and its Knockback modiﬁ er.
  STR: Th e maximum lift ing Strength of the vehicle. 
  Use the rules for Encumbrance to determine if a 
  vehicle is too overloaded to move at full speed.
  DEF: Th e DEF of the vehicle.
  BODY: Th e amount of BODY the vehicle can take 
  before it stops running.
  DEX: Th e maximum eﬀ ective DEX which can be 
  used when operating the vehicle.
  SPD: Th e maximum eﬀ ective SPD which can be 
  used when operating the vehicle.
  MOVE:  Th is is listed as #x#; the ﬁ rst number is the 
  vehicle’s maximum Combat Movement, and the 
  second number is the vehicle’s Noncombat multiple.
  MAX: Th e maximum amount of inches the vehicle 
  can travel in one full Turn at Noncombat Move-
  ment velocities.
  A/R:  Th e cost of the vehicle, expressed as total 
  cost/(cost divided by 5, i.e., the cost the character 
  pays to buy the Vehicle as a Perk).
  Year:  Th e year the vehicle was ﬁ rst available.
  Price:  Th e price of the vehicle the year it was ﬁ rst 
  available. In later years, the price may fall; adding 
  options and features can increase the price. Where 
  precise data was not available, price has been esti-
  mated. “N/A” indicates a vehicle for which price is 
  inapplicable because only governments and large 
  corporations can aﬀ ord to build them; any PC who 
  built or bought one would have to have so much 
  Money that the price doesn’t matter.
  For more information about vehicles in the 
  HERO System, including full character sheets for 
  many of the vehicles listed in the accompanying 
  table, please refer to Th e Ultimate Vehicle and Th e 
  HERO System Vehicle Sourcebook.
  AUTOMOBILES
  Th e Twenties and Th irties were the ﬁ rst golden 
  age of the automobile. Cars ﬁ nally became cheap 
  enough that many people could aﬀ ord them. By 
  1935, half of American families owned a car, and 
  there were 22 million automobiles on US roads. 
  Th is transportation revolution in turn aﬀ ected 
  peoples’ social lives, where they lived, and the 
  economy. For example, travel and tourism became 
  popular (and proﬁ table), not something limited to 
  the upper class.
  By the mid-Twenties, cars come with self-
  starters standard on most models — but they 
  also come with hand cranks, just in case. A kit 
  of tire tools is also standard motoring gear, 
  since tires are less tough and roads more rough 
  than in the modern day.
  Th e automobiles of the Pulp era came in a vari-
  ety of styles with names derived from the convey-
  ances of horse-and-buggy days, or from the region 
  where the style was developed. Th e American 
  Society of Automotive Engineers deﬁ ned the styles 
  as follows:
  A coupe (sometimes spelled “coupé,” pro-
  nounced “koo-pay”) is an enclosed, ﬁ xed-roof, two-
  door car with two movable glass windows per side. 
  It typically has a single ﬁ xed cross seat and thus can 
  accommodate two people (driver and passenger); 
  sometimes the seat is staggered so the car can carry 
  three persons. Th ere’s usually a luggage compart-
  ment in the back.
  A phaeton (or “touring car”) is a long, open-
  bodied, four-door car with two cross seats so that it 
  can carry as many as ﬁ ve passengers plus the driver 
  (some versions have a folding seat in the tonneau 
  that can carry two more persons). It comes with a 
  removable top and side curtains.
  A roadster (or “runabout”) is typically an open-
  bodied, two-doored vehicle with one cross seat (for 
  the driver and one passenger); some have a two-
  person folding seat (“rumble seat”) instead of a rear 
  luggage compartment. It comes with a removable 
  top and side curtains.
  A sedan is typically an enclosed, ﬁ xed-roof, 
  four-door car with two cross seats (so it can carry 
  four or ﬁ ve passengers in addition to the driver) 
  and three movable glass windows per side. A few 
  
  309 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Five
  versions have a rumble seat, or only two doors (a 
  “touring sedan” has a luggage trunk). A berline is 
  a sedan with an enclosed two-seat area behind the 
  driver’s compartment and a movable glass window 
  in the partition.
  A limousine is a long, ﬁ xed-roof, four-door car 
  that encloses the two ﬁ xed cross seats in the com-
  partment behind the driver, but leaves the driver’s 
  compartment unenclosed (but still roofed). It typi-
  cally has a two-person rumble seat, and has two 
  movable windows per side.
  A brougham, or town car, is similar to a lim-
  ousine but leaves the driver’s compartment both 
  open and unroofed. A landau or landaulet resem-
  bles a brougham, but has only one ﬁ xed cross seat 
  in the passenger compartment and no collapsible 
  seats. Th e passenger compartment’s roof is usually 
  fabric or leather supported by outside metal joints 
  called landau bars. It may come in combinations 
  such as berline landaulet or sedan landaulet. A 
  cabriolet is like a landau, but has a rumble seat, a 
  collapsible roof that can go over the driver’s com-
  partment, and a collapsible roof over the passen-
  ger compartment. (Th e term “cabriolet” was also 
  used for a convertible coupe.)
  RUNNING BOARDS
  Many automobiles of the Pulp era had run-
  ning boards:  long, ﬂ at footboards on both sides of 
  the car that passengers used to step inside. Rather 
  than wasting time getting into a car, Pulp heroes 
  oft en “ride the running board” by standing on it 
  and holding onto the car. Th is looks dashing and 
  saves time, but poses certain risks. Every Phase a 
  character rides the running board, he has to make 
  a STR Roll (Characteristic Roll) as a Zero-Phase 
  Action. If he holds on with both hands, the roll 
  suﬀ ers no penalty; if he only holds on with one 
  (if, for example, he wants to shoot a gun, or has 
  an arm wound), the STR Roll is at -1. If the driver 
  makes any maneuvers with the vehicle that impose 
  a penalty on his Combat Driving roll (or DEX Roll) 
  to control the vehicle, those penalties also apply to 
  the STR Roll. If the driver makes a Combat Driv-
  ing roll in a Segment when the character doesn’t 
  have a Phase, the character must make a STR Roll 
  that Segment to hold on, with all the modiﬁ ers 
  described above.
  If a character succeeds with his STR Roll to ride 
  the running board, he stays on the car and travels 
  with it. He’s considered a passenger for purposes of 
  vehicular combat, attacks he makes, and so forth... 
  but of course he doesn’t get the protective beneﬁ ts 
  of being inside the car! If he fails the roll he falls oﬀ  
  the car, taking the car’s velocity/3 in d6 of Normal 
  Damage (the GM may convert this to the equiva-
  lent DCs of STUN damage, or eliminate it entirely, 
  if he lands on something soft , or DCs of Killing 
  Damage if he hits something sharp).
  MOTORCYCLES
  Compared to the modern day, motorcycles 
  are more common (and perhaps more socially 
  acceptable) in the Pulp era. During the Great War 
  there were about 200 American ﬁ rms manufactur-
  ing them, and while that number drops some by 
  the Twenties and Th irties, there are still plenty of 
  motorcycles on the road.
  A typical Pulp-era motorcycle has a saddle that 
  seats only one person. To carry someone else along, 
  the rider has to attach a sidecar. In game terms, the 
  sidecar adds +3 BODY to the motorcycle (however, 
  the connection between cycle and car only has 1 
  BODY, and can be targeted at -8 OCV). It eﬀ ec-
  tively negates a motorcycle’s Two-Wheeled Physical 
  Limitation, but also negates any Skill Levels with 
  Ground Movement the motorcycle has.
  
  310 ■ Pulp Equipment
  Hero System 5th Edition
  PULP HERO VEHICLES TABLE
  Name 
  Size 
  DCV 
  Mass (KB) STR DEF BDY DEX SPD 
  Move 
  MAX 
  A/R 
  Year 
  Price 
  Notes
  Cars, General
  Auburn 125 Phaeton Sedan 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  35 
  3 
  15 
  14 
  3 
  16”x4 
  192” 
  52/10 1930 
  $2,095
  Auburn Speedster 851 
  2.5”x1.25” 
  -2 
  1.6t (-4) 
  30 
  3 
  14 
  16 
  3 
  23”x4 
  276” 
  56/11 1935 
  $1,225
  Blackhawk Chantilly 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  35 
  3 
  15 
  14 
  3 
  17”x4 
  204” 
  53/11 1930 
  $2,655
  BMW 328 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  35 
  3 
  15 
  16 
  3 
  22”x4 
  264” 
  60/12 1937 
  $1,500
  Chevrolet Coupe 
  2.5”x1.25” 
  -2 
  1.6t (-4) 
  30 
  3 
  16 
  14 
  3 
  25”x4 
  300” 
  56/11 1938 
  $714
  Chrysler 8 Airﬂ ow 
  2.5”x1.25” 
  -2 
  1.6t (-4) 
  30 
  3 
  14 
  15 
  3 
  20”x4 
  240” 
  52/10 1934 
  $1,345
  Cord 812 Coupe 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  35 
  3 
  15 
  17 
  3 
  25”x4 
  300” 
  65/13 1937 
  $1,995
  Ford Coupe 
  2”x1” 
  -2 
  800kg (-3) 
  25 
  3 
  13 
  15 
  3 
  28”x4 
  336” 
  53/11 1934 
  $555
  Ford Model A 
  2”x1” 
  -2 
  800kg (-3) 
  25 
  3 
  13 
  12 
  3 
  14”x4 
  168” 
  37/7 1927 
  $385
  Ford Model T 
  2”x1” 
  -2 
  800kg (-3) 
  25 
  3 
  10 
  10 
  3 
  9”x4 
  108” 
  25/5 1908 
  $850 
  1
  Ford V8 
  2”x1” 
  -2 
  800kg (-3) 
  25 
  3 
  13 
  15 
  3 
  17”x4 
  204” 
  45/9 1932 
  $535
  Hudson 8 Coupe 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  35 
  3 
  15 
  16 
  3 
  22”x4 
  264” 
  60/12 1936 
  $960
  LeSalle Sedan 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  35 
  3 
  15 
  15 
  3 
  17”x4 
  204” 
  55/11 1930 
  $2,590
  Lincoln Zephyr 
  2.5”x1.25” 
  -2 
  1.6t (-4) 
  30 
  3 
  14 
  15 
  3 
  21”x4 
  252” 
  53/11 1937 
  $1,265
  Oldsmobile Touring Sedan 
  2.5”x1.25” 
  -2 
  1.6t (-4) 
  30 
  3 
  14 
  15 
  3 
  19”x4 
  228” 
  51/10 1937 
  $945
  Packard Twin Six 
  2”x1” 
  -2 
  800kg (-3) 
  25 
  3 
  13 
  14 
  3 
  15”x4 
  180” 
  41/8 1920 
  $1,500
  Pierce-Arrow Straight-Eight 2.5”x1.25” 
  -2 
  1.6t (-4) 
  30 
  3 
  14 
  16 
  3 
  17”x4 
  204” 
  52/10 1930 
  $2,975
  Pontiac Silver Streak 
  2.5”x1.25” 
  -2 
  1.6t (-4) 
  30 
  3 
  14 
  16 
  3 
  18”x4 
  216” 
  52/10 1935 
  $815
  Studebaker President 8 
  2.5”x1.25” 
  -2 
  1.6t (-4) 
  30 
  3 
  14 
  16 
  3 
  20”x4 
  240” 
  54/11 1937 
  $1,045
  Stutz Bearcat 
  2.5”x1.25” 
  -2 
  1.6t (-4) 
  30 
  3 
  15 
  12 
  3 
  18”x4 
  216” 
  45/9 1914 
  $2,000
  Willys 65-Knight 
  2”x1” 
  -2 
  800kg (-3) 
  25 
  3 
  13 
  14 
  3 
  13”x4 
  156” 
  40/8 1925 
  $600
  Cars, Sports And Luxury
  Cord L-29 Cabriolet 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  35 
  3 
  17 
  15 
  3 
  17”x4 
  204” 
  57/11 1930 
  $3,295
  Duesenberg J 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  35 
  3 
  17 
  15 
  3 
  26”x4 
  312” 
  63/13 1928 
  $17,950
  Duesenberg SJ 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  35 
  3 
  17 
  15 
  3 
  29”x4 
  348” 
  65/13 1932 
  $20,000
  Lincoln KB V12 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  35 
  3 
  15 
  15 
  3 
  18”x4 
  216” 
  55/11 1932 
  $4,700
  Packard Model 471 Phaeton 3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  35 
  3 
  15 
  16 
  3 
  22”x4 
  264” 
  60/12 1931 
  $3,490
  Pierce-Arrow Silver Arrow 
  2.5”x1.25” 
  -2 
  1.6t (-4) 
  30 
  3 
  14 
  17 
  3 
  26”x4 
  312” 
  60/12 1933 
  $10,000
  BMW 315 
  2.5”x1.25” 
  -2 
  1.6t (-4) 
  30 
  3 
  14 
  15 
  3 
  15”x4 
  180” 
  48/10 1934 
  $6,500
  Bugatti 57 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  35 
  3 
  15 
  17 
  3 
  25”x4 
  300” 
  65/13 1933 
  $6,500
  Cadillac V-16 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  35 
  3 
  15 
  16 
  3 
  22”x4 
  264” 
  60/12 1930 
  $6,525
  Hispano-Suiza H6 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  35 
  3 
  15 
  15 
  3 
  19”x4 
  228” 
  56/11 1920 
  $4,000
  Jaguar SS100 
  2.5”x1.25” 
  -2 
  1.6t (-4) 
  30 
  3 
  14 
  17 
  3 
  23”x4 
  276” 
  58/12 1937 
  $9,500
  Mercedes-Benz “Grosser” 770 3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  35 
  8 
  15 
  16 
  3 
  15”x4 
  180” 
  69/14 1938 
  $20,000 2
  Mercedes-Benz SS 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  35 
  3 
  15 
  16 
  3 
  25”x4 
  300” 
  63/12 1929 
  $12,000
  Rolls-Royce Phantom I/II 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  35 
  3 
  15 
  16 
  3 
  17”x4 
  204” 
  57/11 1925 
  $25,000
  Rolls Royce Phantom III 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  35 
  3 
  15 
  17 
  3 
  20”x4 
  240” 
  61/12 1935 
  $50,000
  Trucks And Vans
  Ford Model A Pickup 
  2”x1” 
  -2 
  800kg (-3) 
  28 
  3 
  13 
  15 
  3 
  29”x4 
  348” 
  56/11 1929 
  $400
  Ford Model 830 Pickup 
  2”x1” 
  -2 
  800kg (-3) 
  30 
  3 
  13 
  16 
  3 
  25”x4 
  300” 
  58/12 1935 
  $425
  Ford Model T Utility Truck 2.5”x1.25” 
  -2 
  1.6t (-4) 
  35 
  3 
  14 
  13 
  3 
  13”x4 
  156” 
  48/10 1917 
  $550
  Motorcycles 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  3
  Excelsior 20R 
  1.25”x.64” 
  -0 
  200kg (-1) 
  15 
  4 
  13 
  16 
  3 
  22”x4 
  264” 
  43/6 1920 
  $200
  H-D 61E “Knucklehead” 
  1.25”x.64” 
  -0 
  200kg (-1) 
  15 
  4 
  13 
  18 
  3 
  22”x4 
  264” 
  50/7 1936 
  $300 
  +1 w/GM
  H-D BA “Peashooter” 
  1.25”x.64” 
  -0 
  200kg (-1) 
  15 
  4 
  13 
  17 
  3 
  13”x4 
  126” 
  25/5 1926 
  $250
  Henderson KJ “Streamline” 
  1.25”x.64” 
  -0 
  200kg (-1) 
  15 
  4 
  13 
  17 
  3 
  22”x4 
  264” 
  48/7 1929 
  $325 
  +1 w/GM
  Indian 101 Scout 
  1.25”x.64” 
  -0 
  200kg (-1) 
  15 
  4 
  13 
  16 
  3 
  17”x4 
  204” 
  46/6 1928 
  $175 
  +2 w/GM
  Megola 
  1.25”x.64” 
  -0 
  200kg (-1) 
  15 
  4 
  13 
  22 
  3 
  15”x4 
  180” 
  50/10 1922 
  $600 
  +2 w/GM
  
  311 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Five
  Airplanes
  Boeing 314 Clipper 
  16”x8” 
  -8 
  400t (-12) 
  50 
  3 
  22 
  14 
  3 
  22”x8 
  528” 
  77/15 1939 
  $60K 
  SV11”
  Consol M16-1 Commodore 
  10”x5” 
  -6 
  100t (-10) 
  35 
  3 
  20 
  15 
  3 
  29”x4 
  348” 
  65/13 1929 
  $50K 
  SV14”
  Curtiss JN-4D “Jenny” 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  16 
  2 
  15 
  14 
  3 
  17”x4 
  216” 
  24/5 1917 
  $300 
  SV8”, 4
  Curtiss P-6E Hawk 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  18 
  3 
  15 
  17 
  3 
  22”x8 
  528” 
  87/13 1931 
  $12,211 SV11”, 5
  deHavilland DH.84 Dragon 
  5”x2.5” 
  -4 
  12.5t (-7) 
  26 
  4 
  17 
  17 
  3 
  29”x4 
  348” 
  58/12 1932 
  $60K 
  SV14”
  Douglas DC-2 
  10”x5” 
  -6 
  100t (-10) 
  36 
  3 
  20 
  15 
  3 
  23”x8 
  552” 
  61/12 1934 
  $45K 
  SV12”
  Douglas DC-3 
  10”x5” 
  -6 
  100t (-10) 
  36 
  3 
  20 
  15 
  3 
  26”x8 
  624” 
  64/13 1935 
  $47K 
  SV13”
  Fokker D VII 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  15 
  2 
  15 
  15 
  3 
  28”x4 
  336” 
  71/9 1918 
  $9,000 
  SV14”, 6
  Fokker Dr-1 Dreidecker 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  15 
  2 
  15 
  15 
  3 
  26”x4 
  312” 
  72/9 1917 
  $9,000 
  SV14”, 7
  Fokker E I 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  15 
  2 
  15 
  14 
  3 
  19”x4 
  228” 
  57/6 1915 
  $9,000 
  SV9”, 8
  Fokker E II/III Eindecker 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  15 
  2 
  15 
  14 
  3 
  19”x4 
  228” 
  60/7 1915 
  $9,000 
  SV9”, 9
  Ford Trimoter 4-AT 
  6.4”x3.2” 
  -5 
  25t (-8) 
  33 
  3 
  18 
  14 
  3 
  33”x4 
  396” 
  58/12 1926 
  $46K 
  SV16”
  Grumman F2F-1 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  22 
  3 
  15 
  18 
  3 
  27”x8 
  648” 
  94/14 1935 
  $50K 
  SV13”, 10
  Martin 130 China Clipper 
  12.5”x6.4” 
  -7 
  200t (-11) 
  45 
  3 
  21 
  15 
  3 
  36”x4 
  432” 
  81/16 1934 
  $55K 
  SV18”
  Short S.23 Flying Boat 
  12.5”x6.4” 
  -7 
  200t (-11) 
  41 
  3 
  21 
  15 
  3 
  23”x8 
  528” 
  68/14 1936 
  $22K 
  SV11”
  Sikorsky S-42 
  12.5”x6.4” 
  -7 
  200t (-11) 
  45 
  3 
  21 
  15 
  3 
  36”x4 
  432” 
  81/16 1934 
  $50K 
  SV18”
  Sopwith F.1 Camel 
  2.5”x1.25” 
  -2 
  1.6t (-4) 
  30 
  2 
  14 
  15 
  3 
  19”x4 
  228” 
  70/9 1917 
  $8,000 
  SV10”, 11
  Sopwith Pup 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  15 
  2 
  15 
  16 
  3 
  25”x4 
  300” 
  71/9 1916 
  $8,000 
  SV12”, 12
  Sopwith Triplane 
  2.5”x1.25” 
  -2 
  1.6t (-4) 
  15 
  2 
  14 
  16 
  3 
  26”x4 
  312” 
  67/8 1917 
  $8,000 
  SV13”, 13
  SPAD S.VII 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  16 
  2 
  15 
  14 
  3 
  26”x4 
  312” 
  60/7 1916 
  $8,500 
  SV13”, 14
  SPAD S.XII 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  16 
  2 
  15 
  14 
  3 
  26”x4 
  312” 
  79/11 1917 
  $8,500 
  SV13”, 15
  SPAD S.XIII 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  16 
  2 
  16 
  15 
  3 
  31”x4 
  372” 
  71/9 1917 
  $8,500 
  SV15”, 16
  SPAD S.XVII 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  16 
  2 
  16 
  15 
  3 
  33”x4 
  396” 
  70/9 1918 
  $8,500 
  SV15”, 17
  Other Aircraft
  Airship (Zeppelin) 
  64”x32” 
  -12 
  3.2kt (-18) 85 
  4 
  29 
  10 
  2 
  14”x8 
  224” 
  88/15 1925 
  N/A 
  LM
  Autogyro 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  25 
  2 
  15 
  14 
  3 
  25”x4 
  100” 
  61/12 1923 
  $20K 
  SV6”
  Watercraft
  Speedboat 
  3.2”x1.6” 
  -3 
  3.2t (-5) 
  30 
  3 
  15 
  14 
  3 
  13”x2 
  66” 
  54/11 
  Var 
  $2,000
  Ocean Liner 
  160”x80” 
  -14 
  400kt (-22) 120 
  6 
  32 
  8 
  2 
  18”x2 
  72” 
  164/66 Var 
  N/A 
  LM
  Tramp Steamer 
  50”x25” 
  -11 
  12.5kt (-17) 100 
  6 
  27 
  8 
  2 
  8”x2 
  32” 
  146/54 Var 
  N/A 
  LM
  VEHICLES TABLE (cont.)
  Name 
  Size 
  DCV 
  Mass (KB) STR DEF BDY DEX SPD 
  Move 
  MAX 
  A/R 
  Year 
  Price 
  Notes
  
  312 ■ Pulp Equipment
  Hero System 5th Edition
  KEY
  GM:  Ground Movement
  LM:  Limited Maneuverability
  SV:  Stall Velocity
  NOTES
  For complete information on many of these and 
  dozens of other vehicles, see Th e Ultimate Vehicle 
  and Th e HERO System Vehicle Sourcebook.
  1)  To start the Model T, the driver had to put the 
  ignition switch in the right position, then get out 
  and hand-crank the engine using a starting handle 
  ﬁ tted into a hole in the front of the car under the 
  engine. If the ignition switch wasn’t in the right 
  position, the starting handle would spring back 
  when the engine started, possibly breaking the 
  cranker’s hand or arms.
  Th e price listed for the Model T is as of 1908, 
  the year of its introduction. By the Twenties, even 
  newly-produced Model Ts could be bought for as 
  little as $260.
  2)  Th e Mercedes-Benz “Grosser” was produced for 
  the Nazi high command — Adolf Hitler and his 
  associates. Most of them were armor-plated and 
  had bulletproof glass, making them well-protected 
  but also heavy (and thus slow).
  3) A Motorcycle’s DEF is bought with the Limita-
  tion Does Not Protect Occupant (-½).
  4)  See the main text for information on the Curtiss 
  JN-4D “Jenny.”
  5)  Th e Curtiss P-6E Hawk comes with twin 12.7mm 
  machine guns mounted forward (RKA 3d6+1, AF5), 
  and carries 200 rounds of ammunition.
  6)  Th e Fokker D VII comes with twin 7.92mm 
  machine guns mounted forward (RKA 2½d6, AF5), 
  and carries 500 rounds of ammunition.
  7)  Th e Fokker Dr-1 Dreidecker comes with twin 
  7.92mm machine guns mounted forward (RKA 
  2½d6, AF5), and carries 500 rounds of ammunition.
  8)  Th e Fokker E I comes with one 7.92mm 
  machine gun mounted forward (RKA 2½d6, AF3), 
  and carries 500 rounds of ammunition.
  9)  Th e Fokker E II/III Eindecker comes with twin 
  7.92mm machine guns mounted forward (RKA 
  2½d6, AF5), and carries 500 rounds of ammunition.
  10)  Th e Grumman F2F-1 comes with twin 12.7mm 
  machine guns mounted forward (RKA 3d6+1, 
  AF5), and carries 200 rounds of ammunition.
  11)  Th e Sopwith F.1 Camel comes with twin Vick-
  ers machine guns mounted forward (RKA 1d6+1, 
  AF5), and carries 250 rounds of ammunition.
  12)  Th e Sopwith Pup comes with twin Vickers 
  7.7mm machine guns mounted forward (RKA 
  2d6+1, AF5), and carries 400 rounds of ammunition.
  13)  Th e Sopwith Triplane comes with twin Vick-
  ers machine guns mounted forward (RKA 
  2d6+1, AF5), and carries 400 rounds of 
  ammunition.
  14)  Th e SPAD S.VII comes with twin 
  Vickers machine guns mounted forward 
  (RKA 2d6+1, AF5), and carries 400 rounds 
  of ammunition.
  15)  Th e SPAD S.XII comes with twin 
  Vickers machine guns mounted forward 
  (RKA 2d6+1, AF5) for which it carries 
  400 rounds of ammunition, and a 37mm 
  Puteaux cannon (RKA 5d6, 4 clips of 1 
  Charge each).
  16)  Th e SPAD S.XIII comes with twin 
  Vickers machine guns mounted forward 
  (RKA 2d6+1, AF5), and carries 800 rounds 
  of ammunition.
  17)  Th e SPAD S.XVII comes with one 
  Vickers machine gun mounted forward 
  (RKA 2d6+1, AF3), and carries 400 rounds 
  of ammunition.
  
  313 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Five
  AIRCRAFT
  To the people of the Pulp era, ﬂ ight was still a 
  new and wondrous thing. It became more common 
  as the period wore on, but even at the end of the 
  Th irties was still regarded by many people as a dan-
  gerous, daredevil thing. For many people in America, 
  their ﬁ rst ﬂ ight was a ﬁ ve- or ten-minute joyride in 
  a barnstormer’s biplane, the ticket purchased for as 
  little as $5-10 at a fair, air show, or when a travel-
  ing barnstormer came to town. But the increasing 
  development of airmail and the founding of passen-
  ger airlines helped to ensure that the plane’s social 
  impact would go beyond cheap entertainment.
  Most barnstormers and aviators of the period 
  used surplus World War I planes bought cheaply. 
  Sometimes unused planes were shipped to the 
  buyer in the crates from which they had never 
  been unpacked! (Supposedly this is where the slang 
  term “crate” for an airplane originated.) Th e JN-4D 
  “Jenny,” a training plane produced in large numbers, 
  was particularly popular, not least of all because it 
  could be bought for as little as around $300. By the 
  mid- to late Th irties these sorts of planes became 
  rarer due to age, attrition, and increasingly stringent 
  government regulation of air travel.
  AIRSHIPS ZEPPELINS
  Heinrich von Werndorff, captain of the 
  Munchen, was seated at the tiny desk in 
  his cabin aboard the mammoth dirigible. 
  The big airship was resting in its hangar 
  at Friedrichshafen. ... This was the night 
  before the air liner’s scheduled voyage.
  [Elsewhere in the ship], Baron Hugo 
  von Tollsburg breathed a sigh of relief. 
  He could feel the draft of cool air coming 
  through the ventilator that connected 
  with the opened closet. 
  He was a stowaway aboard the Munchen. 
  To-morrow, the great airship would be 
  crowded with passengers for the trans-
  atlantic flight — and with them, hidden 
  beyond all chance of discovery, would 
  be a mysterious stowaway, hiding in a 
  secret chamber cunningly contrived for 
  his reception.
  —Maxwell Grant, Murder Trail, in The 
  Shadow Magazine, March 1933
  One of the most distinctive, and to the minds 
  of gamers most “pulpish,” air vehicles is the airship, 
  better known as a “zeppelin” or “blimp.” An airship 
  consists of a large rigid, semi-rigid, or non-rigid 
  helium- or hydrogen-ﬁ lled balloon with a small 
  carriage mounted beneath. Th e helium balloon 
  lift s the carriage, and propellers on the back of the 
  carriage provide forward thrust. Solid tailﬁ ns and 
  rudders on the aft  end allow for steering. While 
  not very maneuverable, an airship can hover, and it 
  travels at about 80 miles per hour.
  Th e airship listed in the Vehicles Table is an 
  example of a large, rigid zeppelin of the 1930s, such 
  as the ill-fated Hindenburg. It weighs about 400,000 
  pounds, contains about 200,000 cubic meters of 
  highly-ﬂ ammable hydrogen, and is approximately 
  120 meters long (the Hindenburg itself, at 245 meters 
  long, was the largest object ever to ﬂ y). American 
  zeppelins, which were ﬁ lled with helium, weren’t 
  exposed to the same risk of catching on ﬁ re; the 
  United States was the only nation at the time with 
  enough helium to ﬂ y such craft . Th e carriage of 
  the listed zeppelin is about 30-35 meters long and 
  can carry up to 72 passengers. Th e ship can make a 
  trans-Atlantic voyage in as little as 50-60 hours.
  AUTOGYROS
  High above the trees, they spotted the 
  winged craft. It was topped by spinning 
  blades that gave it the appearance of a 
  windmill. The ship was traveling over Lake 
  Chalice, heading toward the setting sun.
  “An autogyro!” exclaimed Rex. ...
  For Harry was thinking of the ship that 
  had gone from view. He was confident that 
  the autogyro had come prepared for a land-
  
  314 ■ Pulp Equipment
  Hero System 5th Edition
  ing within a few miles of Lake Chalice.
  For The Shadow, when he traveled on spe-
  cial missions, chose an autogyro for his 
  journeys. ... With his ship, The Shadow 
  was equipped to land in one of the clear-
  ings that Laspar had mentioned. From 
  there he could come secretly to Lake Chal-
  ice, to keep an eye on whatever might 
  transpire. ... That throbbing ship above 
  the darkening waters of Lake Chalice had 
  been a deliberate signal for Harry Vin-
  cent’s benefit. To the agent, it meant that 
  The Shadow was at hand.
  —Maxwell Grant, The Golden Quest, in 
  The Shadow Magazine, May 1935
  Also known as the gyroplane, autogiro, and 
  gyrocopter, the autogyro is the ﬁ rst rotary-wing air-
  craft  to ﬂ y (making it the ancestor of modern heli-
  copters). It has a fuselage like a normal one-seater 
  plane of the time, but with short, stubby wings and 
  a helicopter-like set of rotors mounted on top. It 
  has a propeller in front to provide propulsion, and 
  the rotors (which are not powered) provide the 
  lift  — the forward motion of the plane pushes air 
  against the rotors, which turns them, creating the 
  lift . In early models, the rotors have to be spun up 
  to a minimum speed for takeoﬀ  (either by hand 
  or horses); later models used a “scorpion tail” tail 
  that deﬂ ected the propeller’s slipstream up into the 
  rotors during a short takeoﬀ  run, or had a clutch 
  that connected the rotor’s drive shaft  to the propel-
  ler engine. A few models even had tiny rockets on 
  the tips of the rotors to impart spin.
  Autogyros have two advantages compared to 
  ordinary ﬁ xed-wing aircraft . First, an autogyro 
  needs much less space to land and take oﬀ  than an 
  ordinary plane. It can take oﬀ  with no more than 
  50 feet of runway and land in 20 feet! In the 1930s, 
  autogyros were used in some large cities to carry 
  mail from post oﬃ  ce rooft ops to other cities.
  Second, an autogyro can ﬂ y at much lower 
  speeds than a standard airplane without stalling. 
  In fact, they can ﬂ y at speeds as low as 15 miles per 
  hour, slower than a man can run! Furthermore, if 
  an autogyro slows down too much or the engine 
  stops working, the rotors keep spinning, allow-
  ing it to descend gently rather than plummet. On 
  the downside, the rotors create more drag than a 
  normal airplane’s wings, making autogyros unsuit-
  able for high-speed ﬂ ight or long-distance ﬂ ying.
  Th e autogyro was ﬁ rst ﬂ own by a Spaniard, Juan 
  de la Cierva, in 1923 aft er several failed attempts 
  to get earlier models oﬀ  the ground in the 1920-22 
  period. His success with his C.4 model brought 
  subsidies from the Spanish government and com-
  mercial interest throughout the world, leading to a 
  series of other models built by Cierva or his licens-
  ees. Th e information in the Vehicles Table is based 
  primarily on the popular C.30 model, of which 
  more than 180 were manufactured in several coun-
  tries beginning in 1933. Among other improve-
  ments, it gave the pilot the ability to tilt the rudders, 
  allowing for greater control of the vehicle. It was 
  also the ﬁ rst autogyro to successfully use “jump 
  takeoﬀ ” — in other words, to create enough lift  to 
  get the vehicle oﬀ  the ground just by spinning the 
  rotors at a high enough speed.
  Unfortunately, Cierva was killed in an air crash 
  (not involving an autogyro) in 1936. Th e loss of 
  him as a “driving force” behind autogyro develop-
  ment, coupled with the successful tests of early 
  helicopters in 1935, meant the death of the auto-
  gyro concept. Th e production of autogyros ceased 
  in 1938.
  
  315 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Five
  The prestige of science was colossal. The 
  man in the street and the woman in the 
  kitchen, confronted on every hand with 
  new machines and devices which they owed 
  to the laboratory, were ready to believe that 
  science could accomplish anything[.]
  —Frederick Allen, Only Yesterday:  An 
  Informal History Of The 1920s
  While science in general enjoyed great esteem 
  among the populace in the Pulp era, it enjoyed 
  even greater favor in the pages of the pulps them-
  selves. More than one Pulp hero relied on advanced 
  technology to help him solve mysteries or thwart 
  evildoers. While some characters just cleverly 
  employed or manipulated the important technolo-
  gies of the day (such as radio, telephone, television, 
  and aircraft ), others made discoveries or used 
  devices that deﬁ ed rational scientiﬁ c explanation in 
  “real world” terms. Th e general term for this con-
  cept is Weird Science, and devices created by Weird 
  Science are “Weird tech.”
  Types Of Weird Technology
  Weird tech devices tend to fall into two categories:
  IMPROVED TECHNOLOGY
  Th e ﬁ rst category is improved technology of the 
  Pulp era. In essence, the creator takes something 
  ordinary (like a radio or a zeppelin) and changes 
  it in ways that make it more fantastical. Th e sim-
  plest way to do this is make it more reliable. Th e 
  technology of the day is oft en diﬃ  cult to use and 
  prone to various problems; eliminating these oﬀ ers 
  a character a signiﬁ cant edge during an adventure. 
  Similarly, improving the performance — making 
  the gadget work or move faster, have no unpleasant 
  side eﬀ ects, or increasing its power — falls squarely 
  into the province of Weird Science.
  Weird Science can also miniaturize gadgets. 
  By twenty-ﬁ rst century standards, most Pulp-era 
  devices were big and heavy — for example, some 
  radios occupied entire cabinets and weighed over 
  a hundred pounds! Even early portable radios 
  were large, bulky, and diﬃ  cult to use. But thanks 
  to the wonders of Weird Science, more than one 
  Pulp hero had a seemingly foolproof radio that ﬁ t 
  into his ear (much like a modern hearing aid). Not 
  only are such devices easier to carry (and thus use), 
  miniaturizing them makes it easier to conceal them 
  (see below).
  On the other hand, sometimes going Weird 
  means enlarging a gadget. Ordinary zeppelins are 
  already pretty big, but one built using the principles 
  of Weird Science is enormous, dwarﬁ ng anything 
  that ever appeared in the “real world.” Devices are 
  particularly likely to get bigger when the creator 
  wants to improve the performance of an ordinary 
  piece of technology, as described above:  greater 
  size symbolically (and in many ways “realistically”) 
  equates to greater power.
  INCREDIBLE DEVICES
  Tom led him to an intricate apparatus 
  which bore some resemblance to a televi-
  sion radio. There were countless vacuum 
  tubes and their controls, tiny motors belted 
  to slotted disks that would spin when 
  power was applied, and a double eyepiece.
  “Before I let you look,” Tom was saying, 
  “I’ll give you an idea of it, to prepare you. 
  This is a mechanism I’ve developed for a 
  study of the less-understood dimensions.”
  —Harl Vincent, “Wanderer of Infinity,” 
  Astounding Stories, March 1933.
  Second, Weird tech includes completely incred-
  ible devices that couldn’t possibly exist in the “real 
  world.” Th ese are devices that at least seem to verge 
  into the realm of Science Fiction, if not occupy that 
  territory altogether. Examples include force ﬁ elds, 
  faster-than-light travel (particularly in an era when 
  rockets remain experimental devices!), matter 
  transmitters, various types of ray guns, anti-gravity 
  vehicles, time machines, and the like.
  While such devices sometimes crop up in 
  “mainstream” Pulp stories (such as those featur-
  ing the scientist-adventurer Doc Savage), they’re 
  suﬃ  ciently outside the pale of most Pulp Hero 
  campaigns that there aren’t many of them included 
  in the examples below. Star Hero already covers the 
  subject of Science Fiction technology in the HERO 
  System. All you have to do to “Pulp-ify” them is to 
  add a few ﬁ ns and other decorative touches, supply 
  a Pulp-style name, and perhaps add some Pulpish 
  technobabble to explain them (“By pushing against 
  the Aether, the Impeller allows us to defy gravity! 
  You can control the rate of ﬂ ight with this knob.”)
  Principles Of Weird Tech
  The next few days were spent by Kantos 
  Kan in teaching me the intricacies of 
  flying and of repairing the dainty little 
  
  316 ■ Pulp Equipment
  Hero System 5th Edition
  contrivances which the Martians use for 
  this purpose. ... The body of the one-man 
  air craft is about sixteen feet long, two feet 
  wide and three inches thick, tapering to a 
  point at each end. The driver sits on top 
  of this plane upon a seat constructed over 
  the small, noiseless radium engine which 
  propels it. The medium of buoyancy is con-
  tained within the thin metal walls of the 
  body and consists of the eighth Barsoom-
  ian ray, or ray of propulsion, as it may be 
  termed in view of its properties.
  This ray, like the ninth ray, is unknown 
  on Earth, but the Martians have discov-
  ered that it is an inherent property of all 
  light no matter from what source it ema-
  nates. They have learned that it is the 
  solar eighth ray which propels the light of 
  the sun to the various planets, and that it 
  is the individual eighth ray of each planet 
  which “reflects,” or propels the light thus 
  obtained out into space once more. The 
  solar eighth ray would be absorbed by the 
  surface of Barsoom, but the Barsoomian 
  eighth ray, which tends to propel light from 
  Mars into space, is constantly streaming 
  out from the planet constituting a force of 
  repulsion of gravity which when confined 
  is able to lift enormous weights from the 
  surface of the ground.
  It is this ray which has enabled them to 
  so perfect aviation that battle ships far 
  outweighing anything known upon Earth 
  sail as gracefully and lightly through the 
  thin air of Barsoom as a toy balloon in the 
  heavy atmosphere of Earth.
  —Edgar Rice Burroughs, A Princess Of 
  Mars
  Like any other form of science, Weird Science 
  is governed by its own particular rules. But they’re 
  dramatic rules, not scientiﬁ c ones. Th e most impor-
  tant thing about Weird tech is to have it contribute 
  to the story you’re trying to tell, not making it sci-
  entiﬁ cally accurate.
  LITTLE OR NO EXPLANATION NECESSARY
  First and foremost, Weird Science doesn’t have 
  to be plausible, rational, realistic, or logical — or 
  even explained in any signiﬁ cant detail. Many a 
  Pulp author gave his character a gadget and simply 
  said that it “ﬁ res a beam of deadly energy” or 
  “allows him to ﬂ y unhindered through the air.” He 
  makes no attempt to justify how the device works 
  by citing scientiﬁ c theories or explaining the con-
  struction of the gadget’s engine. Th e gadget is just 
  a literary plot device designed to help the character 
  accomplish things and move the action of the story 
  forward at its usual brisk pace.
  Even when an author provides an explanation 
  for how Weird tech works, it’s a very simple one 
  with no grounding in real-world science. Th e Bur-
  roughs quote above shows just about the maximum 
  extent of such explanations:  the sun propels light 
  with a special ray, planets reﬂ ect that light with 
  their own rays, Martian aircraft  use those rays for 
  lift  and propulsion. It has no justiﬁ cation in “reality,” 
  but it lets the author add a little verisimilitude to 
  his tale, and perhaps inspires other gadgets or plot 
  twists as he thinks about its ramiﬁ cations.
  IT’S OFTEN FALLIBLE
  Weird tech is subject to a simple law of dramatic 
  necessity:  when the author needs it to work so the 
  plot keeps moving forward, it works without any 
  diﬃ  culty... but when the author wants to heap dif-
  ﬁ culties on the character, his wondrous device mal-
  functions (or fails to work at all) until he repairs it, 
  obtains more fuel, or the like. Th e more “advanced” 
  or Weird the device, the more likely it was to expe-
  rience this problem. Simple weapons like mini-gre-
  nades almost never failed to work; complex devices 
  like rocket packs and death rays are much less likely 
  to function properly on demand.
  Simulating this can be diﬃ  cult in game terms. 
  It’s easy enough to construct an unreliable device 
  using Limitations like Activation Roll and Requires 
  A Skill Roll, but getting those devices to malfunc-
  tion only at dramatically appropriate moments is 
  nigh-impossible if you rely on the standard dice 
  roll. Th e GM has two options. First, he can have 
  characters build their Weird tech devices with-
  out any “reliability” Limitations, but then impose 
  malfunctions on them whenever he thinks doing 
  so will add to the story. Th is requires a deft  touch 
  and proper exercise of the GM’s discretion, since 
  the players will (rightly) become leery of buying 
  gadgets if they malfunction frequently or unfairly. 
  Second, the GM can require characters to apply 
  reliability Limitations to most Weird tech devices, 
  but instead of invoking those Limitations whenever 
  the rules say he should, he only calls for a roll when 
  a malfunction would add to the drama of the story. 
  Gamemasters who choose this option may want 
  to reduce the value of the Limitation if they don’t 
  believe it will be as restrictive as normal.
  TOOLS OF VILLAINY
  Weird tech tends to be the province of vil-
  lains and NPCs more than heroes. Pulp heroes 
  are skilled, self-reliant folk who don’t need to load 
  themselves down with gadgetry. In fact, unless a 
  character is a Gadgeteer or Scientist, or having a 
  major gadget is his shtick (like the character the 
  Rocketeer, in the comic book and movie of the 
  same name), it’s entirely possible he has no Weird 
  tech at all... or at most, just a few simple, useful 
  devices that help move the story along.
  Th is is particularly true of powerful weapons and 
  other devices, such as all of the energy rays listed 
  below. Pulp heroes don’t carry around wonder-weap-
  ons and use them every Phase of combat — they 
  ﬁ ght with their ﬁ sts, their guns, and their unshake-
  able courage. Th ey’re usually out to stop the villain 
  from using his ﬁ endish death ray or giant zeppelin, 
  not to steal it and use it for themselves.
  In game terms, the GM may want to consider 
  imposing point or eﬀ ectiveness ceilings on the 
  
  317 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Five
  types of Weird Science devices player characters 
  can have (see page 344). Use these with caution 
  — many of the simple, and perfectly allowable, gad-
  gets described below take a lot of Active Points to 
  create — but consider them as a way to keep Weird 
  tech from unbalancing your campaign.
  Using Weird Science In The Game
  For many gamers, Weird Science is one of the 
  most enjoyable aspects of Pulp gaming. It can add 
  a lot to the game in terms of character creation, 
  plot development, and action enhancement. On 
  the other hand, if the GM isn’t careful, it can nega-
  tively aﬀ ect the game by giving the PCs too much 
  power. One of the best things about Pulp Hero is 
  that it focuses so strongly on the heroes — who 
  they are and what they can 
  do. In most Pulp stories and 
  campaigns, the heroes can’t fall 
  back on powerful magic spells 
  or planet-busting starships to 
  achieve their goals; they have to 
  get things done with their own 
  personal Skills and abilities. 
  Properly used, Weird Science 
  can enhance this quality... but if 
  the GM doesn’t watch out, it can 
  take over the game, leaving the 
  characters looking weak when 
  compared to the latest Weird 
  tech weapon or vehicle.
  Th e point and eﬀ ectiveness 
  ceilings discussed above are one 
  way to try to keep Weird Science 
  under control. Here are some 
  other suggestions.
  WHO CAN BUILD IT?
  Weird tech tends to become more of a problem 
  if you have a player character who can create it. 
  As long as the heroes have to depend on NPCs 
  for their gadgetry, the GM controls their access to 
  it and prevent them from getting their hands on 
  something they shouldn’t have (like a disintegra-
  tion ray or an infallible invisibility suit). But if one 
  of the PCs is a Gadgeteer, Scientist, or the like, he 
  has the Skills (and Character Points) to invent his 
  own devices. Th at makes it a lot more likely that 
  gadgets will aﬀ ect the course of the action on a 
  regular basis (in fact, it’s almost a given), and that 
  other types of characters will also have a few Weird 
  tech devices of their own (since they can buy them 
  with Character Points using the explanation of “my 
  friend the Gadgeteer built this for me”).
  To prevent this from becoming a problem 
  in a Pulp Hero game, the GM should monitor 
  Gadgeteer PCs carefully. Just because a character 
  has some Character Points to spend, or a VPP 
  with which to build Weird tech, doesn’t mean 
  he can build anything he wants — the GM still 
  has to approve all gadgets. If some weapon or 
  gizmo seems likely to unbalance the game or 
  cause other difficulties, the GM should just say 
  no. And before he lets someone play a Gadgeteer 
  character, the GM should make sure the player 
  understands the problem and promises not to 
  abuse his abilities.
  Furthermore, the GM should be wary of 
  letting characters who aren’t Gadgeteers or 
  Scientists buy technology-oriented Skills like 
  Electronics, Inventor, and Systems Operation 
  (not to mention Computer 
  Programming!). The ability 
  to create, modify, and repair 
  advanced technologies isn’t 
  commonplace during the Pulp 
  era; most people who know 
  about such things tend to have 
  specialized in them. In a Pulp 
  Hero game, those Skills should 
  generally remain the province 
  of the Gadgeteer, the Scientist, 
  and their ilk. There’s nothing 
  wrong with breaking out of ste-
  reotypes and giving characters 
  depth by adding an unusual 
  Skill or two, but if the GM sees 
  characters start to buy Weird 
  tech skills so they can load 
  themselves up with gadgets, he 
  should put a stop to it.
  WHO CAN USE IT?
  Just because characters have access to Weird 
  tech doesn’t mean they know how to use it. Simple 
  gadgets — such as skeleton keys and concealed 
  melee weapons — can be used by any character; 
  aft er all, countless heroes in the pulps carried such 
  things. But the strange, cutting-edge devices that 
  Weird Science gives birth to aren’t necessarily user-
  friendly. Just ﬁ guring out how to turn one on may 
  require an Electronics or Systems Operation roll; 
  using it may require a unique Skill (such as a form 
  of the Power Skill, or a Weapon Familiarity). Th is is 
  a good way for the GM to keep the player charac-
  ters from using powerful Weird tech weapons they 
  seize from the villains they ﬁ ght — investing in sev-
  eral Skills just to learn how to use a device properly 
  is more than most characters are willing to do.
  
  318 ■ Pulp Equipment
  Hero System 5th Edition
  CONCEALED WEAPONS AND GADGETS
  Stripped of his vest, Doc was still a walking 
  arsenal. The hollow heels in his shoes con-
  tained everything from tiny radio transmit-
  ters to explosives and miniature drills. His 
  belt housed a silken cord with a collapsible 
  grapnel hook at one end. The buttons of 
  his suit were a thermite compound. The 
  suit itself was impregnated with chemical 
  weapons, his undershirt loaded with tear 
  gas. ... Even denuded he still had his metal 
  skull cap that simulated his bronze hair. A 
  false scar on this back contained still more 
  explosives, as did a pair of hollow capped 
  teeth. Another hollow tooth contained a 
  tiny coiled saw!
  —Don Hutchison in The Great Pulp 
  Heroes, commenting on Doc Savage’s 
  arsenal of concealed gadgetry
  For Pulp Hero purposes, the concept of Weird 
  technology encompasses not just advanced gadgets, 
  but various cleverly-designed and -used normal 
  gadgets (such as guns or knives) that were oft en 
  kept hidden until the character needed them.
  Th e Concealment rules from pages 450-51 of 
  the HERO System 5th Edition, Revised rulebook pre-
  sume a character’s concealing Obvious, Accessible 
  Foci. Examples include a stilleto worn in an arm 
  sheath under a character’s sleeve, a small handgun 
  tucked into the back of his pants underneath his 
  jacket, or a straight razor hidden in a boot.
  But many of the Weird Science weapons and 
  devices built for Pulp Hero characters aren’t 
  just hidden, they’re disguised — in other words, 
  designed speciﬁ cally to look like something else. 
  Th is is particularly true of guns and other weapons. 
  For example, in real life people have built concealed 
  guns into canes, knives, books, briefcases, hats, and 
  many other items — and Pulp Hero characters can 
  certainly do the same.
  Similarly, some devices are deliberately designed 
  to be hidden. For example, a character might have 
  a miniaturized tool of some sort that’s built into 
  a false tooth. In some cases the GM will consider 
  those sorts of gadgets as OAFs that are just particu-
  larly well-hidden, but in others it makes sense to 
  think of such a device as being “disguised” since it’s 
  always hidden in an especially clever way.
  In HERO System terms, a disguised object is an 
  Inobvious Accessible Focus. Th e Inobvious part of 
  the Focus Limitation corresponds to a Concealment 
  “Skill” of 13- (11- base roll, +2 for the fact that the 
  device is built into something else); extremely well 
  made concealed devices may merit higher Conceal-
  ment “Skills.” (If a character’s building a disguised 
  gadget with Character Points, he has to pay for this 
  using the Skill Power; otherwise the GM can simply 
  assign the appropriate modiﬁ ers.) When a charac-
  ter tries to spot a disguised object, he makes a PER 
  Roll against the object’s Concealment roll in a Skill 
  Versus Skill Contest. A successful roll only reveals 
  that there’s something unusual in the construction 
  of the item; the perceiving character has to perform 
  a hands-on search in another PER Roll Versus Con-
  cealment Roll Contest to open the device or deter-
  mine what it does.
  Naturally, once someone actually uses a dis-
  guised gadget, it’s no longer Inobvious. When a 
  character starts ﬁ ring bullets from his cigarette 
  case, its true function becomes apparent.
  Unless the GM rules otherwise, all disguised 
  guns should have a minimum -1 OCV penalty 
  (and no Range Skill Levels) to reﬂ ect the relative 
  diﬃ  culty of aiming them. Th is may apply to other 
  weapons as well.
  
  319 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Five
  WEAPONS
  Most Weird tech devices are weapons of some 
  sort — everything from strange energy beams with 
  eerie eﬀ ects to guns and grenades disguised as 
  everyday objects. Th e ones described below provide 
  just a few examples; the ﬁ endish minds of players 
  and GMs can easily come up with many more.
  Ray Weapons
  One of the most popular Weird tech weap-
  ons in the pulps is the energy ray. Ever-eager for 
  a story hook or an intriguing plot twist, Pulp 
  authors created energy beam weapons with all 
  sorts of strange eﬀ ects.
  DEATH RAY
  Effect: 
  RKA 10d6
  Target/Area Affected: One character
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  750”
  Charges: 
  4 Charges
  Breakability: 
  30 DEF
  Description:  Th is ray has a simple eﬀ ect:  it kills any 
  living thing it strikes. It’s the perfect weapon for a 
  villain who wants to impress people with his bru-
  tality and ruthlessness.
  Game Information:  RKA 10d6 (150 Active Points); 
  OAF Bulky (-1½), Only Works Against Living 
  Beings (-½), 4 Charges (-1). Total cost:  37 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Death Ray:  Increase to RKA 12d6. 180 
  Active Points; total cost 45 points.
  2)  Weak Death Ray:  Decrease to RKA 8d6. 120 
  Active Points; total cost 30 points.
  3)  Experimental Death Ray:  Th e ray gun is a proto-
  type that doesn’t always work. Add Activation Roll 
  11- (-1). Total cost:  30 points.
  4)  Long-Distance Ray:  Th e ray can aﬀ ect targets 
  over four miles away! Add Increased Maximum 
  Range (3,750”, or about 4.7 miles; +¼) and No 
  Range Modiﬁ er (+½). 262 Active Points; total cost 
  65 points.
  5)  Invisible Ray:  Th e ray can’t be seen with the 
  naked eye (though the gun itself can be). Add Invis-
  ible to Sight Group (+½). 225 Active Points; total 
  cost 56 points.
  6)  Wide-Beam Ray:  Th e ray can aﬀ ect many living 
  beings at once. Decrease to RKA 8d6 and add Area 
  Of Eﬀ ect (25” Cone; +1) and No Range (-½). 240 
  Active Points; total cost 53 points.
  7)  Delayed Ray:  Th e ray needs time to warm up to 
  ﬁ re each shot. Add Extra Time (Extra Phase; -¾). 
  Total cost:  32 points.
  8)  Hard To Use:  Th e ray is so advanced not every-
  one can ﬁ gure out how to use it. Add Requires An 
  Electronics Roll (no Active Point penalty; -0). Total 
  cost:  37 points.
  9)  Variant Ray:  Only a force ﬁ eld or specially-made 
  clothing (see Defensive Gadgets, below) can protect 
  someone from this form of the Death Ray. Decrease 
  to RKA 8d6 and add NND (defense is ED Force 
  Field, ED Force Wall, or Death Ray-Resistant Suit; 
  +1) and Does BODY (+1). 360 Active Points; total 
  cost 90 points.
  10)  Sonic Destructor:  Th is form of Death Ray kills 
  without leaving any traces — the victim just drops 
  dead, and unless someone sees the gun as it’s being 
  ﬁ red, no one knows why. Add Invisible to Sight and 
  Hearing Groups (eﬀ ects of the ray are also invisible; 
  +1½). 375 Active Points; total cost 94 points.
  DETONATION RAY
  Effect: 
  RKA 1 point-6d6, Requires 
  Gunpowder
  Target/Area Affected: Varies
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  450”
  Charges: 
  4 Charges
  Breakability: 
  36 DEF
  Description:  Th is ray has the devastating eﬀ ect 
  of making gunpowder explode! Armed with this 
  weapon, a villain can make his foes’ guns explode 
  in their hands or cause an enemy nation’s military 
  stockpiles to go oﬀ  like Fourth of July ﬁ recrackers.
  Game Information:
  Cost Power
  33 
  Detonation Ray:  Multipower, 180-point 
  reserve; all OAF Bulky (-1½), Requires Gun-
  powder (-1), No Conscious Control (charac-
  ter can activate ray when desired, but the slot 
  used depends on the amount of gunpowder 
  present, not his choice; -1), 4 Charges (-1) for 
  entire Multipower
  1u 
  1)  Minuscule Amount Of Gunpowder (1-2 
  Bullets):  RKA 1 point, Area Of Eﬀ ect (One 
  Hex; +½), Increased Maximum Range 
  (450”; +½); OAF Bulky (-1½), Requires 
  Gunpowder (-1)
  1u 
  2)  Tiny Amount Of Gunpowder (3-6 Bullets):  
  RKA ½d6, Area Of Eﬀ ect (One Hex; +½), 
  Increased Maximum Range (450”; +½); OAF 
  Bulky (-1½), Requires Gunpowder (-1)
  1u 
  3)  Small Amount Of Gunpowder (7-20 Bul-
  lets):  RKA 2d6, Explosion (+½), Increased 
  Maximum Range (450”; +¼); OAF Bulky 
  (-1½), Requires Gunpowder (-1)
  2u 
  4)  Decent Amount Of Gunpowder (21-100 
  Bullets):  RKA 2d6, Explosion (-1 DC/3”; +1), 
  Increased Maximum Range (450”; +¼); OAF 
  Bulky (-1½), Requires Gunpowder (-1)
  3u 
  5)  Large Amount Of Gunpowder (101+ Bul-
  lets, Small Barrel):  RKA 3d6, Explosion (-1 
  DC/3”; +1); OAF Bulky (-1½), Requires 
  Gunpowder (-1)
  3u 
  6)  Really Large Amount Of Gunpowder 
  (Barrel):  RKA 4d6, Explosion (-1 DC/3”; 
  +1); OAF Bulky (-1½), Requires Gunpowder 
  (-1), Limited Range (450”; -¼)
  
  320 ■ Pulp Equipment
  Hero System 5th Edition
  4u 
  7)  Enormous Amount Of Gunpowder (Multi-
  ple Barrels):  RKA 5d6, Explosion (-1 DC/3”; 
  +1); OAF Bulky (-1½), Requires Gunpowder 
  (-1), Limited Range (450”; -¼)
  5u 
  8)  Humongous Amount Of Gunpowder (Lots 
  And Lots Of Barrels):  RKA 6d6, Explosion 
  (-1 DC/3”; +1); OAF Bulky (-1½), Requires 
  Gunpowder (-1), Limited Range (450”; -¼)
  Total cost:  53 points.
  DISINTEGRATION RAY
  Effect: 
  RKA 8d6, NND, Does BODY
  Target/Area Affected: One character
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  1800”
  Charges: 
  4 Charges
  Breakability: 
  72 DEF
  Description:  Th is ray disintegrates anything it 
  touches, leaving nothing but dust in its wake.
  Game Information:  RKA 8d6, NND (defense 
  is ED Force Field or ED Force Wall; +1), Does 
  BODY (+1) (360 Active Points); OAF Bulky (-
  1½), 4 Charges (-1). Total cost:  103 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Disintegration Ray:  Increase to RKA 
  10d6. 450 Active Points; total cost 129 points.
  2)  Weak Disintegration Ray:  Decrease to RKA 6d6. 
  270 Active Points; total cost 77 points.
  3)  Experimental Disintegration Ray:  Th e ray gun is a 
  prototype that doesn’t always work. Add Activation 
  Roll 11- (-1). Total cost:  80 points.
  4)  Invisible Ray:  Th e ray can’t be seen with the 
  naked eye (though the gun itself can be). Add Invis-
  ible to Sight Group (+½). 420 Active Points; total 
  cost 120 points.
  5)  Wide-Beam Ray:  Th e ray can aﬀ ect many living 
  beings at once. Decrease to RKA 6d6 and add Area 
  Of Eﬀ ect (54” Cone; +1) and No Range (-½). 360 
  Active Points; total cost 90 points.
  6)  Delayed Ray:  Th e ray needs time to warm up to 
  ﬁ re each shot. Add Extra Time (Extra Phase; -¾). 
  Total cost:  85 points.
  7)  Hard To Use:  Th e ray is so advanced not every-
  one can ﬁ gure out how to use it. Add Requires An 
  Electronics Roll (no Active Point penalty; -0). Total 
  cost:  103 points.
  ENGINESTOPPING RAY
  Effect: 
  Dispel Movement Powers 
  20d6, Engine-Based Movement 
  Only
  Target/Area Affected: One engine
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  375”
  Charges:  
  4 Charges
  Breakability: 
  15 DEF
  Description:  A favorite of spies and military men 
  everywhere, this ray, when projected against any 
  kind of vehicle motor, causes that motor to cease 
  functioning. Getting it working again requires signif-
  icant repair work, or replacing the engine altogether.
  Game Information:  Dispel Movement Powers 
  20d6, any one Movement Power at a time (+¼) 
  (75 Active Points); OAF Bulky (-1½), Only 
  Works Against Engine-/Motor-Based Move-
  ment Powers (-1), 4 Charges (-1). Total cost:  
  17 points 
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Ray:  Increase to Dispel Movement 
  Powers 24d6. 90 Active Points; total cost 20 points.
  2)  Weak Ray:  Decrease to Dispel Movement 
  Powers 16d6. 60 Active Points; total cost 13 points.
  3)  Experimental Ray:  Th e Engine-Stopping Ray 
  is a fairly new weapon; all the bugs haven’t been 
  worked out yet. Add Activation Roll 11- (-1). Total 
  cost:  14 points.
  4)  Long-Distance Ray:  Th e ray can aﬀ ect targets 
  over two miles away! Add Increased Maximum 
  Range (1,875”, or about 2.3 miles; +¼) and No 
  Range Modiﬁ er (+½). 120 Active Points; total cost 
  27 points.
  5)  Invisible Ray:  Th e ray can’t be seen with the 
  naked eye (though the gun itself can be). Add Invis-
  ible to Sight Group (+½). 105 Active Points; total 
  cost 23 points.
  6)  Delayed Ray:  Th e ray needs time to warm up to 
  ﬁ re each shot. Add Extra Time (Extra Phase; -¾). 
  Total cost:  14 points.
  7)  Hard To Use:  Th e ray is so advanced not every-
  one can ﬁ gure out how to use it. Add Requires An 
  Electronics Roll (no Active Point penalty; -0). Total 
  cost:  17 points.
  
  321 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Five
  PARALYSIS RAY
  Effect: 
  Entangle 6d6, 6 DEF, Takes No 
  Damage From Physical Attacks
  Target/Area Affected: One character
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  450”
  Charges: 
  4 Charges
  Breakability: 
  18 DEF
  Description:  Instead of killing or destroying the 
  target, this ray leaves him unable to move.
  Game Information:  Entangle 6d6, 6 DEF, Takes 
  No Damage From Physical Attacks (+½) (90 
  Active Points); OAF Bulky (-1½), 4 Charges
  (-1). Total cost:  26 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Paralysis Ray:  Increase to Entangle 8d6, 8 
  DEF. 120 Active Points; total cost 34 points.
  2)  Weak Paralysis Ray:  Decrease to Entangle 4d6, 4 
  DEF. 60 Active Points; total cost 17 points.
  3)  Experimental Paralysis Ray:  Even Weird Science 
  isn’t infallible. Some kink in the Ray’s wiring makes 
  it misﬁ re on occasion. Add Activation Roll 14- (-½). 
  Total cost:  22 points.
  4)  Invisible Ray:  Th e ray can’t be seen with the 
  naked eye (though the gun itself can be). Add Invis-
  ible to Sight Group (+½). 120 Active Points; total 
  cost 34 points.
  5)  Hard To Use:  Th e ray is so advanced not every-
  one can ﬁ gure out how to use it. Add Requires An 
  Electronics Roll (no Active Point penalty; -0). Total 
  cost:  26 points.
  Other Weapons
  BUTTON GRENADES
  Effect: 
  RKA 2d6
  Target/Area Affected: Explosion
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  RBS
  Charges: 
  6 Charges
  Breakability: 
  9 DEF
  Description:  Th e character wears clothing with but-
  tons, and some of those buttons aren’t what they 
  appear to be — they’re actually cleverly-disguised 
  grenades that pack the punch of a standard grenade 
  into a tiny package.
  Game Information:  RKA 2d6, Explosion (+½) 
  (45 Active Points); IAF (-½), Range Based On 
  STR (-¼), 6 Charges (-¾). Total cost:  18 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Button Grenades:  Increase to Explosion
  (-1 DC/2”; +¾). 52 Active Points; total cost 21 
  points.
  2)  Weak Button Grenades:  Decrease to RKA 1d6. 22 
  Active Points; total cost 9 points.
  3)  Experimental Button Grenades:  It’s hard to build 
  these things just right. Sometimes the character 
  gets a dud. Add Activation Roll 14- (-½). Total cost:  
  15 points.
  4)  Exploding Matches:  Instead of deadly buttons, 
  the character carries matches that are actually tiny 
  grenades. Decrease to RKA 1d6 and change to 24 
  Charges (+¼). 26 Active Points; total cost 15 points.
  5)  Cigarette Case Bomb:  What looks like a fancy 
  silver cigarette case is actually a powerful bomb 
  that the character can set to detonate at any time up 
  to one hour. Increase to RKA 3d6, add Time Delay 
  (any time within the next hour; +¼), and change to 
  1 Charge (-2). 79 Active Points; total cost 21 points.
  
  322 ■ Pulp Equipment
  Hero System 5th Edition
  ELECTRIC WAND
  Effect: 
  Energy Blast 6d6, NND
  Target/Area Affected: One character
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  Touch
  Charges: 
  8 Charges
  Breakability: 
  12 DEF
  Description:  Th is wand-like, metal-tipped stick 
  contains a battery capable of emitting a powerful 
  electrical charge. When the character touches it 
  to a target and activates it, the zap stuns the target 
  unless he’s totally insulated.
  Game Information:  Energy Blast 6d6, NND 
  (defense is insulated rED covering entire body; 
  +1) (60 Active Points); OAF (-1), No Range
  (-½), 8 Charges (-½). Total cost:  20 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Wand:  Increase to Energy Blast 8d6. 80 
  Active Points; total cost 27 points.
  2)  Weak Wand:  Decrease to Energy Blast 4d6. 40 
  Active Points; total cost 13 points.
  3)  Experimental Wand:  Th e Wand doesn’t always 
  work as desired. Add Activation Roll 14- (-½). Total 
  cost:  17 points.
  4)  Hard To Use:  Not everyone can ﬁ gure out how 
  to use the Electric Wand properly — hitting the 
  target and trigger simultaneously is diﬃ  cult. 
  Character must also buy WF: Electric Wand (1 
  Character Point).
  ELECTROPISTOL
  Effect:   
  Energy Blast 8d6
  Target/Area Affected:  One character
  Duration:   
  Instant
  Range:   
  200”
  Charges:   
  12 Charges
  Breakability:   
  8 DEF
  Description:  Th is amazing weapon is a pistol that 
  ﬁ res a beam of energy rather than a bullet! Depend-
  ing on the inventor’s whims, the beam may look like 
  a crackling bolt of lightning, a straight beam in just 
  about any color, a row of circles of energy, or just 
  about any other appearance you can imagine.
  Game Information:  Energy Blast 8d6 (40 Active 
  Points); OAF (-1), Beam (-¼), STR Minimum 
  (8, STR Does Not Add/Subtract Damage; -1), 
  12 Charges (-¼). Total cost:  11 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Electropistol:  Increase to Energy Blast 
  10d6. 50 Active Points, total cost 14 points.
  2)  Weak Electropistol:  Decrease to Energy Blast 
  6d6. 30 Active Points; total cost 9 points.
  3)  Experimental Electropistol:  Th e Electropistol is 
  a very advanced device, and as such doesn’t always 
  work properly. Add Activation Roll 13- (-¾). Total 
  cost:  9 points.
  4)  Larger Battery:  Some Electropistols have larger 
  batteries, so they can ﬁ re more shots. Change to 24 
  Charges (+¼). 50 Active Points; total cost 15 points.
  5)  Smaller Battery:  On the other hand, some Elec-
  tropistols don’t have very much power. Change to 6 
  Charges (-¾). Total cost:  10 points.
  6)  Expandable Electropistol:  Th e shooter can vary 
  the width of the Electropistol’s beam. Remove 
  Beam (-¼). Total cost:  12 points.
  7)  Automatic Electropistol:  Th is type of Electropis-
  tol can ﬁ re multiple beams at once. Add Autoﬁ re 
  (3 shots; +¼) and change to 30 Charges (+¼). 60 
  Active Points; total cost 18 points.
  8)  Short-Range Electropistol:  Th e Electropistol’s 
  beam can’t maintain coherence over long distances. 
  Add Reduced By Range (-¼). Total cost:  11 points.
  FINGERTIP FLASH POWDER
  Effect: 
  Sight Group Flash 6d6
  Target/Area Affected: One character
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  No Range
  Charges: 
  4 Charges
  Breakability: 
  6 DEF
  Description:  Th e character dusts his ﬁ ngertips with 
  a special type of ﬂ ash powder. By snapping his ﬁ n-
  gers, he can cause a ﬂ are of light bright enough to 
  blind one of his foes for a few seconds. If he gets his 
  hands wet, or wipes them on anything, he brushes 
  oﬀ  some or all of the powder.
  Game Information:  Sight Group Flash 6d6 (30 
  Active Points); IAF Fragile (-¾), No Range
  (-½), 4 Charges (-1). Total cost:  9 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Flash Powder:  Increase to Sight Group 
  Flash 8d6. 40 Active Points; total cost 12 points.
  2)  Weak Flash Powder:  Decrease to Sight Group 
  Flash 4d6. 20 Active Points; total cost 6 points.
  
  323 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Five
  GAS GUN
  Effect: 
  Energy Blast 8d6, NND
  Target/Area Affected: One character
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  3”
  Charges: 
  30 Charges
  Breakability: 
  18 DEF
  Description:  A favorite of both Th rillseeking 
  Criminals (who, aft er all, don’t really want to hurt 
  anyone...) and Masked Crimeﬁ ghters, this weapon 
  projects a harmless knockout gas over a range of a 
  few meters. Th e gas usually takes eﬀ ect instantly; 
  some hardy individuals may require two doses.
  Game Information:  Energy Blast 8d6, NND 
  (defense is Life Support [Self-Contained Breath-
  ing or appropriate Immunity]; +1), 30 Charges 
  (+¼) (90 Active Points); OAF (-1), Limited 
  Range (3”; -¼), Does Not Work In High Winds 
  Or Rain (-¼). Total cost:  36 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Gas Gun:  Increase to Energy Blast 10d6. 
  112 Active Points; total cost 45 points.
  2)  Weak Gas Gun:  Decrease to Energy Blast 6d6. 67 
  Active Points; total cost 27 points.
  3)  Long-Lasting Gas Gun:  Th e standard version of 
  this weapon assumes the character doesn’t want 
  to knock his victims out for very long — just long 
  enough to capture them or get away. Th is version 
  of the Gas Gun leaves the victim unconscious for 
  hours. Change to Drain STUN 8d6, Delayed Return 
  Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per 20 Minutes; 
  +¾), Limited Range (3”; +¼) (160 Active Points); 
  OAF (-1), Does Not Work In High Winds Or Rain 
  (-¼), 16 Charges (-0). Total cost:  71 points.
  4)  Lethal Gas Gun:  Criminals of the less kind-
  hearted variety oft en prefer this version of the Gas 
  Gun, which ﬁ res a lethal gas. Some wielders tailor 
  the gas so that it has a distinctive eﬀ ect on the 
  victim (makes his face look skull-like, leaves him 
  with a rictus grin on his face, turns his skin green, 
  or the like). Change to RKA 4d6 and add Does 
  BODY (+1). 195 Active Points; total cost 78 points.
  HYPODERMIC FINGERCAPS
  Effect: 
  Energy Blast 8d6, NND
  Target/Area Affected: One character
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  Touch
  Charges: 
  8 Charges
  Breakability: 
  16 DEF
  Description:  Th is weapon consist of eight small 
  caps the character wears on his ﬁ ngers (excluding 
  his thumbs). Each cap has a small needle coated 
  with a potent knockout drug. All he has to do is 
  touch the victim to render him unconscious.
  Game Information:  Energy Blast 8d6, NND 
  (defense is Life Support [appropriate Immu-
  nity] or suﬃ  ciently-thick clothing or body 
  armor all over his body; +1) (80 Active Points); 
  OAF (-1), No Range (-½), 8 Charges (-½). Total 
  cost:  27 points.
  
  324 ■ Pulp Equipment
  Hero System 5th Edition
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Drug:  Increase to Energy Blast 10d6. 100 
  Active Points; total cost 33 points.
  2)  Weak Drug:  Decrease to Energy Blast 6d6. 60 
  Active Points; total cost 20 points.
  3)  Concealable Finger-Caps:  Th is version of the 
  weapon isn’t obvious. Th e caps may be concealed in 
  a pair of gloves, or perhaps the needles ﬁ t under the 
  ﬁ ngernails in such a way that they can only be seen 
  on close inspection. Change OAF (-1) to IAF (-½). 
  Total cost:  32 points.
  MERCY GUN
  Effect: 
  Energy Blast 6d6, STUN Only
  Target/Area Affected:  One character
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  150”
  Charges: 
  12 Charges
  Breakability: 
  6 DEF
  Description:  Th is gun is a less-than-lethal alterna-
  tive for crimeﬁ ghters and adventurers who want 
  to take their foes alive. Some versions use “bullets” 
  that are actually anaesthetic darts or gas capsules; 
  others simply strike with a non-harmful impact.
  Game Information:  Energy Blast 6d6 (30 
  Active Points); OAF (-1), STUN Only (-0), 
  Beam (-¼), STR Minimum (8, STR Does Not 
  Add/Subtract Damage; -1), 12 Charges (-¼). 
  Total cost:  9 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Mercy Gun:  Increase to Energy Blast 8d6. 
  40 Active Points; total cost 11 points.
  2)  Weak Mercy Gun:  Decrease to Energy Blast 4d6. 
  20 Active Points; total cost 6 points.
  3)  Mercy Autopistol I:  Th is form of the pistol can 
  ﬁ re on full automatic mode, and has a larger clip of 
  bullets to compensate. Add Autoﬁ re (5 shots; +½) 
  and change to 32 Charges (+¼). 52 Active Points; 
  total cost 16 points.
  4)  Mercy Autopistol II:  As Mercy Autopistol I, but 
  with a larger clip of ammunition. Increase to 60 
  Charges (+½). 60 Active Points; total cost 18 points.
  5)  Mercy Pistol Variant:  Th e bullets from this Mercy 
  Pistol are much harder to resist. Change to Drain 
  Stun 4d6, Ranged (+½) (60 Active Points); OAF 
  (-1), Beam (-¼), STR Minimum (8, STR Does Not 
  Add/Subtract Damage; -1), 12 Charges (-¼). Total 
  cost:  17 points.
  6)  Mercy Autopistol Variant:  As Mercy Pistol Vari-
  ant, but add Autoﬁ re (5 shots; +1½) and change to 
  32 Charges (+¼). 130 Active Points; total cost 40 
  points.
  MIND ALTERATION MACHINE
  Effect: 
  Mind Control 16d6
  Target/Area Affected: One character
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  No Range
  END Cost: 
  8
  Breakability: 
  16 DEF
  Description:  Th is large device, typically built into 
  part of a master villain’s or mad scientist’s lair, 
  allows the user to take control of the mind of 
  another person. It consists of a seat (complete with 
  straps so the villain’s henchmen can tie the victim 
  down) next to a large console. Th e controls on the 
  console allow the user to lower a special helmet 
  onto the victim’s head, and then to activate the 
  device. Aft er a minute of exposure to its brain-
  warping rays, the victim falls completely under the 
  villain’s sway.
  Game Information:  Mind Control 16d6 (80 
  Active Points); OAF Immobile (-2), Extra Time 
  (1 Minute; -1½). Total cost:  18 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Mind Alteration:  Increase to Mind Con-
  trol 20d6. 100 Active Points; total cost 22 points.
  2)  Weak Mind Alteration:  Decrease to Mind Control 
  12d6. 60 Active Points; total cost 13 points.
  3)  Experimental Mind Alteration:  So complex is the 
  Mind Alteration Machine that it doesn’t always work. 
  Add Activation Roll 14- (-½). Total cost:  16 points.
  4)  Hard To Use:  Th e Machine’s complexity also 
  makes it diﬃ  cult to use. Add Requires A Systems 
  Operation Roll (-½). Total cost:  16 points.
  
  325 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Five
  MINIGRENADES
  Effect: 
  Various Attack Powers
  Target/Area Affected: Varies
  Duration: 
  Varies
  Range: 
  RBS
  Charges: 
  Varying Charges
  Breakability:  
  Varies
  Description:  Many Pulp adventurers carry minia-
  turized grenades. Useful as both weapons and tools, 
  these devices have the impact of full-sized grenades 
  but are much smaller and lighter, making it easy 
  for a character to carry a lot of them in pockets or 
  pouches.
  For throwing purposes, mini-grenades weigh .4 kg.
  Game Information:
  Cost Power
  15 
  Concussive Mini-Grenade:  Energy Blast 6d6, 
  Explosion (+½) (45 Active Points); OAF (-1), 
  Range Based On STR (-¼), 6 Charges (-¾)
  15 
  Flare Mini-Grenade:  Sight Group Flash 6d6, 
  Explosion (+½) (45 Active Points); OAF (-1), 
  Range Based On STR (-¼), 6 Charges (-¾)
  15 
  Frag Mini-Grenade:  RKA 2d6, Explosion 
  (+½) (45 Active Points); OAF (-1), Range 
  Based On STR (-¼), 6 Charges (-¾)
  17 
  Incendiary Mini-Grenade:  RKA 1½d6, 
  Armor Piercing (+½), Explosion (+½) (50 
  Active Points); OAF (-1), Range Based On 
  STR (-¼), 6 Charges (-¾)
  15 
  Knockout Gas Mini-Grenade:  Energy Blast 
  3d6, NND (defense is Life Support [Self-
  Contained Breathing or appropriate Immu-
  nity]; +1), Area Of Eﬀ ect (3” Radius; +1) (45 
  Active Points); OAF (-1), Range Based On 
  STR (-¼), 6 Charges (-¾)
  30 
  Paralysis Gas Mini-Grenade:  Entangle 4d6, 
  4 DEF, Takes No Damage From Physical 
  Attacks (+½), Area Of Eﬀ ect (One Hex 
  Doubled; +¾) (90 Active Points); OAF (-1), 
  Range Based On STR (-¼), 6 Charges (-¾)
  8 
  Smoke Mini-Grenade:  Change Environ-
  ment 4” radius, -3 to Sight Group PER 
  Rolls (21 Active Points); OAF (-1), Range 
  Based On STR (-¼), 6 Continuing Charges 
  lasting 1 Turn each (removed by high 
  winds or rain; -¼)
  27 
  Tear Gas Mini-Grenade:  Sight Group Flash 
  4d6, Area Of Eﬀ ect (3”; +1), Delayed Recov-
  ery (each BODY indicates 1 Turn of eﬀ ect; 
  +2) (80 Active Points); OAF (-1), Range 
  Based On STR (-¼), 6 Charges (-¾)
  RAPIER BELT
  Effect: 
  HKA 1d6
  Target/Area Affected: One character
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  Touch
  END Cost: 
  0
  Breakability: 
  4 DEF
  Description:  Many Pulp heroes are expert fenc-
  ers... but it’s not polite to carry a sword around on 
  the streets. At the very least, it gets the character 
  noticed. But this gadget avoids this problem. It 
  consists of a Weird tech rapier whose blade can 
  wrap all the way around a character’s waist without 
  losing temper, then return to true when drawn. Th e 
  scabbard is the character’s belt. Unless someone 
  examines his clothing with great care, they’ll never 
  ﬁ nd the concealed weapon. 
  Game Information:  HKA 1d6 (up to 2d6 with 
  STR), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) (22 
  Active Points); IAF (-½), STR Minimum (10; 
  -½). Total cost:  11 points.
  ROCKET PISTOL
  Effect: 
  RKA 1½d6, Increased Maxi-
  mum Range, Invisible Power 
  Effects (leaves no shell cas-
  ings)
  Target/Area Affected: One character
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  775”
  Charges: 
  12 Charges
  Breakability: 
  7 DEF
  Description:  Th is Weird tech pistol uses special 
  bullets that are, in eﬀ ect, self-propelled miniature 
  rockets. Th e shots travel much further than typical 
  bullets (almost a mile!), and don’t leave any shell 
  casings behind as evidence.
  Game Information:  RKA 1½d6, Increased Maxi-
  mum Range (775”; +¼), Invisible Power Eﬀ ects 
  (leaves no shell casings; +¼) (37 Active Points); 
  OAF (-1), STR Minimum (10, STR Minimum 
  Doesn’t Add/Subtract Damage; -1), Beam (-¼), 
  12 Charges (-¼). Total cost:  11 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Rocket Pistol:  Increase to RKA 2d6. 45 
  Active Points; total cost 13 points.
  2)  Weak Rocket Pistol:  Decrease to RKA 1d6+1. 30 
  Active Points; total cost 9 points.
  3)  Experimental Rocket Pistol:  Rocket bullets are a 
  new form of technology and thus don’t always work 
  right. Add Activation Roll 14- (-½). Total cost:  9 
  points.
  4)  Hard To Use:  Not everyone can ﬁ gure out how 
  to use the Rocket Pistol properly — it’s not quite 
  the same as ﬁ ring a standard pistol. Character must 
  also buy WF: Rocket Pistol (1 Character Point).
  
  326 ■ Pulp Equipment
  Hero System 5th Edition
  SWORDCANE
  Effect: 
  HKA 1d6 + knockout drug
  Target/Area Affected: One character
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  Touch
  END Cost/Charges: 
  0 for sword, 8 Charges for 
  knockout drug
  Breakability: 
  4 DEF
  Description:  A walking stick always adds a touch 
  of elegance to a gentleman’s ensemble. Th is type of 
  sword-cane also adds an element of self-defense. It 
  conceals a long, slender, strong sword-blade. Inside 
  the blade is a reservoir of knockout drug the char-
  acter can use to render opponents unconscious by 
  stabbing or pricking them.
  Game Information:
  Cost Power
  11 
  Sword-Cane Blade:  HKA 1d6 (up to 2d6 
  with STR), Reduced Endurance (0 END; 
  +½). 22 Active Points); IAF (-½), STR Mini-
  mum (8; -½)
  27 
  Sword-Cane Drug:  Energy Blast 8d6, NND 
  (defense is Life Support [appropriate Immu-
  nity]; +1) (80 Active Points); IAF Fragile (-¾), 
  No Range (-½), Linked (-¼), 8 Charges (-½)
  Total cost:  38 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Knockout Drug:  Increase to Energy Blast 
  10d6. 100 Active Points; total cost 33 points.
  2)  Weak Knockout Drug:  Decrease to Energy Blast 
  6d6. 60 Active Points; total cost 20 points.
  TEAR GAS FOUNTAIN PEN
  Effect: 
  Sight Group Flash 4d6, Delayed 
  Recovery
  Target/Area Affected: One character
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  No Range
  Charges: 
  4 Charges
  Breakability: 
  12 DEF
  Description:  Th is fountain pen is more than just an 
  elegant writing implement. It also contains a res-
  ervoir of tear gas. When the character gets close to 
  someone and triggers the weapon, it squirts a puﬀ  
  of tear gas right in the victim’s face. (Some Pulp 
  heroes disguise their tear gas squirters as cigarettes 
  instead of fountain pens.)
  Game Information:  Sight Group Flash 4d6, 
  Delayed Recovery (each BODY indicates 1 
  Turn of eﬀ ect; +2) (60 Active Points); IAF
  (-½), No Range (-½), 4 Charges (-1). Total 
  cost:  20 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Tear Gas:  Increase to Sight Group Flash 
  6d6. 90 Active Points; total cost 30 points.
  2)  Weak Tear Gas:  Decrease to Sight Group Flash 
  2d6. 30 Active Points; total cost 10 points.
  DEFENSIVE GADGETS
  BULLETPROOF UNDERSHIRT
  Effect: 
  Armor (6 PD), Activation Roll 
  11-
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Breakability: 
  6 DEF
  Description:  Characters who can’t, or won’t, wear a 
  true bulletproof vest are sometimes able to get their 
  hands on this marvelous Weird tech defense:  an 
  undershirt (or similar garment) that’s been chemi-
  cally treated and/or made of special substances so it 
  can stop bullets!
  Game Information:  Armor (6 PD) (9 Active 
  Points); OIF (-½), Activation Roll 11- (covers 
  Hit Locations 9-13; -1). Total cost:  4 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Bulletproof Undershirt:  Increase to Armor 
  (8 PD). 12 Active Points; total cost 5 points.
  2)  Weak Bulletproof Undershirt:  Decrease to Armor 
  (4 PD). 6 Active Points; total cost 2 points.
  3)  Bulletproof Clothing:  Most of the character’s 
  clothing is bulletproof, giving him a greater range 
  of protection. Change to Activation Roll 14- (-½). 
  DEATH RAYRESISTANT SUIT
  Effect: 
  Armor (2 ED), Only Works 
  Against Variant Death Ray
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost:  
  0
  Breakability: 
  2 DEF
  Description:  Th is special protective suit is woven 
  with platinum ﬁ bers and treated with special chem-
  icals so that it allows the wearer to resist the eﬀ ects 
  of the awesome Variant Death Ray (see above).
  Game Information:  Armor (2 ED) (3 Active 
  Points); OIF (-½), Only Works Against Variant 
  Death Ray (see above; -2). Total cost:  1 point.
  
  327 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Five
  MOVEMENT GADGETS
  CLIMBING SUCTION CUPS
  Effect: 
  Clinging (normal STR), Maxi-
  mum Movement Is 1”/Phase
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  1
  Breakability: 
  2 DEF
  Description:  Th is Weird gadget consists of two to 
  four extremely strong suction cups. By holding 
  them in his hands (and wearing them on his feet), 
  the character can scale sheer walls like a spider... 
  though he can’t move quickly while he’s doing it.
  Game Information:  Clinging (normal STR) (10 
  Active Points); OIF (-½), Costs Endurance (-½), 
  Maximum Movement Speed While Clinging Is 
  1” Per Phase (-½), Cannot Resist Knockback
  (-0). total cost:  4 points.
  COLLAPSIBLE GRAPNEL AND LINE
  Effect: 
  Swinging 8”, Extra Time (Extra 
  Phase)
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  1
  Breakability: 
  2 DEF
  Description:  Th is device is a thin, but extremely 
  strong, length of cord and a small, collapsible grap-
  nel. Designed for concealment and easy carrying, it 
  takes a couple of seconds to prepare and use when 
  the character ﬁ rst pulls it out.
  Game Information:  Swinging 8” (8 Active Points); 
  IAF (-½), Extra Time (Extra Phase [one Phase 
  to prepare to use and then one to use it the ﬁ rst 
  time it’s activated, but later uses don’t take addi-
  tional time]; -½). Total cost:  4 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Longer Line:  Increase to Swinging 12”. 12 Active 
  Points; total cost 6 points.
  2)  Shorter Line:  Decrease to Swinging 5”. 5 Active 
  Points; total cost 2 points.
  
  328 ■ Pulp Equipment
  Hero System 5th Edition
  CONCEALABLE PARACHUTE
  Effect: 
  Gliding 6”; Limited Movement
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  Self
  Charges: 
  1 Recoverable Continuing 
  Charge
  Breakability: 
  1 DEF
  Description:  Unlike the typical Pulp-era parachute, 
  this one isn’t big, awkward to wear, and obvious 
  — in fact, it’s so small and lightweight it ﬁ ts under a 
  jacket or coat without being noticeable!
  Game Information:  Gliding 6” (6 Active Points); 
  IAF (-½), Limited Movement (character cannot 
  gain altitude, and must move at least 12” down-
  ward for every 1” forward; -½), 1 Recoverable 
  Continuing Charge (lasts until character hits 
  the ground or ’chute is fouled; -¾). Total cost:  
  2 points.
  ROCKET PACK
  Effect: 
  Flight 10”
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  Self
  Charges: 
  1 Continuing Fuel Charge
  Breakability: 
  4 DEF
  Description:  Th is amazing gadget, not much larger 
  than a typical backpack, allows the wearer to ﬂ y! 
  And it uses ordinary gasoline for fuel, making it 
  easy to refuel in mid-adventure if necessary.
  Game Information:  Flight 10” (20 Active Points); 
  OIF (-½), 1 Continuing Fuel Charge lasting 2 
  Hours (gasoline, Easy to obtain; -0). Total cost:  
  13 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Rocket Pack:  Increase to Flight 15”. 30 
  Active Points; total cost 20 points.
  2)  Weak Rocket Pack:  Decrease to Flight 6”. 12 
  Active Points; total cost 8 points.
  3)  Clumsy Rocket Pack:  Steering with a rocket 
  strapped to your back isn’t exactly easy. Add 
  Increased Turn Mode (Flight with the Rocket 
  Pack always has a +2” Turn Mode; -¼). Total cost:  
  11 points.
  4)  Dangerous Rocket Pack:  Wearing a rocket and 
  a tank of gas on your back isn’t exactly safe. If the 
  Rocket Pack takes even a single point of BODY 
  damage past its defenses from an energy attack (or 
  any other attack that could ignite the fuel), it bursts 
  into ﬂ ame, causing the user to take 2d6 damage 
  every Phase (no defense) until the ﬂ ames are 
  extinguished. You can represent this with a -¼ Side 
  Eﬀ ect. Total cost:  11 points.
  5)  One Hand On The Controls At All Times:  Th e way 
  the Rocket Pack works, the character has to keep 
  at least one hand on a control rod, hand control, or 
  chest control panel to maintain his ability to ﬂ y. Add 
  Gestures (throughout; -½). Total cost:  10 points.
  6)  We Have Takeoff:  Th e character has to spend 
  a Full Phase turning the Rocket Pack on, then 
  another Full Phase launching himself into the sky. 
  Add (Extra Phase to activate [see text]; -½). Total 
  cost:  10 points.
  7)  Winged Rocket Pack:  Th e character’s Rocket 
  Pack has large wings on it to give him lift . If he goes 
  too slowly, he may stall and crash. Add Stall Veloc-
  ity (5”; -¼). Total cost:  11 points.
  8)  Experimental Rocket Pack:  Miniaturizing a 
  rocket to ﬁ t into a backpack and not become hot 
  enough to burn the wearer is diﬃ  cult; as a result, 
  sometimes the rocket stops working. Add Activa-
  tion Roll 14- (-½). Total cost:  10 points.
  RUBBERSOLED SHOES
  Effect: 
  +2 to Stealth, Only For Stealthy 
  Movement
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Breakability: 
  1 DEF
  Description:  Th e character’s shoes or boots have 
  special rubber soles that allow him to move much 
  more quietly than someone with leather-soled 
  shoes can.
  Game Information:  +2 to Stealth (4 Active 
  Points); OIF (-½), Only For Stealthy Movement 
  (-½). Total cost:  2 points.
  
  329 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Five
  SENSORY AND 
  COMMUNICATIONS 
  GADGETS
  BLACKLIGHT GOGGLES
  Effect: 
  Ultraviolet Perception (Sight 
  Group)
  Target/Area Affected: One character
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Breakability: 
  1 DEF
  Description:  Th ese goggles — which look some-
  thing like an aviator’s goggles, but are larger and 
  have purplish lenses — allow the character to see 
  clearly by starlight or moonlight. If he has a black 
  light projector (built as a form of Images), he can 
  see just ﬁ ne in even the darkest rooms.
  Game Information:  Ultraviolet Perception (Sight 
  Group) (5 Active Points); OIF (-½). Total cost:  
  3 points.
  ELECTRONIC EAR
  Effect: 
  Telescopic (+8 versus Range 
  Modiﬁ er) for Hearing Group
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Breakability: 
  2 DEF
  Description:  Th is Weird gadget augments the user’s 
  hearing, allowing him to hear distant sounds that 
  are too faint for ordinary perception.
  Game Information:  Telescopic (+8 versus 
  Range Modiﬁ er) for Hearing Group (12 Active 
  Points); OAF (-1), Nonpersistent (-¼). Total 
  cost:  5 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Ear:  Increase to +10 versus Range Modi-
  ﬁ er. 15 Active Points; total cost 7 points.
  2)  Weak Ear:  Decrease to +6 versus Range Modi-
  ﬁ er. 9 Active Points; total cost 4 points.
  3)  Experimental Ear:  Th e scientiﬁ c principles 
  behind the Electronic Ear aren’t clearly understood 
  yet, so sometimes the device doesn’t work. Add 
  Activation Roll 14- (-½). Total cost:  4 points.
  MINDREADING MACHINE
  Effect: 
  Telepathy 16d6
  Target/Area Affected: One character
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  No Range
  END Cost: 
  8
  Breakability: 
  16 DEF
  Description:  A companion to the Mind Alteration 
  Machine (see above), this very similar device allows 
  the user to read the thoughts in another person’s 
  mind. In addition to the equipment described for 
  the Mind Alteration Machine, it has a large view-
  screen with speakers. When the user asks a ques-
  tion, the answer appears on the screen as a scene 
  taken from the victim’s memory, and/or issues from 
  the speakers in a ghostly voice somewhat similar to 
  the victim’s own. Since the user has to ask the ques-
  tions, anything that prevents him from speaking 
  or the victim from hearing eﬀ ectively renders the 
  Machine useless.
  Game Information:  Telepathy 16d6 (80 Active 
  Points); OAF Immobile (-2), Extra Time (1 
  Minute; -1½), Aﬀ ected As Hearing Group As Well 
  As Mental Group (-¼). Total cost:  17 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Mindreading:  Increase to Telepathy 20d6. 
  100 Active Points; total cost 21 points.
  2)  Weak Mindreading:  Decrease to Telepathy 12d6. 
  60 Active Points; total cost 13 points.
  3)  Experimental Mindreading:  So complex is the 
  Mindreading Machine that it doesn’t always work. 
  Add Activation Roll 14- (-½). Total cost:  15 points.
  4)  Hard To Use:  Th e Machine’s complexity also 
  makes it diﬃ  cult to use. Add Requires A Systems 
  Operation Roll (-½). Total cost:  15 points.
  PHONE RECORDER
  Effect: 
  Eidetic Memory, Only To Record 
  Phone Calls
  Target/Area Affected:  Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost:  
  0
  Breakability: 
  1 DEF
  Description:  Th is amazing and wondrous device 
  actually allows a hero to record phone calls when 
  he’s not home to get them!
  Game Information:  Eidetic Memory (5 Active 
  Points); OAF (-1), Only To Record Phone Calls 
  (-2). Total cost:  1 point.
  
  330 ■ Pulp Equipment
  Hero System 5th Edition
  RADIO, ADVANCED
  Effect: 
  Radio Perception/Transmission
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Breakability: 
  2 DEF
  Description:  Unlike most Pulp-era radios (which 
  impose a -1 or greater penalty on PER Rolls to 
  receive or transmit due to their relatively primitive 
  technology), this one has crystal-clear reception 
  and is easy to use.
  Game Information:  Radio Perception/Trans-
  mission (10 Active Points); OAF (-1), Aﬀ ected 
  As Hearing Group As Well As Radio Group
  (-¼). Total cost:  4 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Concealed Radio:  Th is form of the radio is easily 
  hidden, or is built into some other gadget. Change 
  OAF (-1) to IAF (-½). Total cost:  6 points.
  RADIO, MINIATURE
  Effect: 
  Radio Perception
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Breakability: 
  2 DEF
  Description:  Th is high-quality radio is so small the 
  character can ﬁ t it in his ear like a hearing aid, or 
  otherwise conceal it on his person. It only allows 
  him to receive transmissions, but that’s enough to 
  learn what his friends are doing or get orders from 
  his boss.
  Game Information:  Radio Perception (8 Active 
  Points); IAF (-½), Aﬀ ected As Hearing Group 
  As Well As Radio Group (-¼). Total cost:  5 
  points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Receive And Transmit:  Some Miniature Radios 
  let the character transmit as well. Change to Radio 
  Perception/Transmission. 10 Active Points; total 
  cost 6 points.
  STETHOSCOPIC DISC
  Effect: 
  Clairsentience (Hearing Group)
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  No Range
  END Cost: 
  0
  Breakability: 
  6 DEF
  Description:  Th is device is a disc-shaped object. 
  When the character places it on a wall or door, and 
  then puts his ear against it, he can hear the speech 
  and sounds on the other side of the barrier is if he 
  were there.
  Game Information:  Clairsentience (Hearing 
  Group), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) (30 
  Active Points); OAF (-1), No Range (-½), Only 
  Works Th rough Walls/Doors (-½). Total cost:  
  10 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Weak Disc:  Th e character has to focus intensely 
  on what he’s doing to hear the sounds clearly. Add 
  Concentration (½ DCV throughout; -½). Total 
  cost:  9 points.
  TRACKING SPRAY
  Effect: 
  Images To Ultraviolet Percep-
  tion, Usable As Attack
  Target/Area Affected: One character
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  No Range
  Charges: 
  1 Continuing Charge lasting 1 
  Week
  Breakability: 
  11 DEF
  Description:  Characters who have Blacklight Gog-
  gles (see above) sometimes make use of this gadget. 
  It’s an aerosol can of spray (or some other form of 
  spritzer or applicator) containing a long-lasting 
  paint that only shows up when viewed with Ultra-
  violet Perception. Th is makes it easy for the charac-
  ter to track the target through crowds, and the like.
  Game Information:  Images to Ultraviolet Per-
  ception 1” radius,  +4 to PER Rolls, Usable As 
  Attack (allows character to “stick” the Image to 
  a target; +1), 1 Continuing Charge lasting 1 
  Week (stops functioning if target washes him-
  self and his clothes thoroughly; +½) (55 Active 
  Points); OAF (-1), Set Eﬀ ect (distinctive mark-
  ing; -1), No Range (-½). Total cost:  16 points.
  
  331 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Five
  TELEVISION WRISTWATCH
  Effect: 
  HRRP (Radio Group)
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Breakability: 
  2 DEF
  Description:  Th is useful piece of Weird tech looks 
  like an oversized sort of wristwatch. It’s actually a 
  wrist television that allows the character to both 
  receive and transmit images and voices. It’s the per-
  fect way for a team of heroes to stay in touch!
  Game Information:  HRRP (Radio Group) (12 
  Active Points); OIF (-½), Aﬀ ected As Sight And 
  Hearing Group As Well As Radio Group (-½). 
  Total cost:  6 points.
  WIRELESS BUG
  Effect: 
  Clairsentience (Hearing Group)
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  No Range
  Charges: 
  1 Continuing Fuel Charge last-
  ing 1 Week
  Breakability: 
  12 DEF
  Description:  Th is amazing listening device works by 
  wireless radio broadcast. Once placed, it transmits all 
  nearby sounds to a listener who can be over a mile 
  away. Th e user can turn the bug on and oﬀ  via a spe-
  cial radio transmission to conserve battery power.
  Game Information:  Clairsentience (Hear-
  ing Group), 8x Range (1,400”, or 1.75 miles), 
  1 Continuing Fuel Charge (battery, Easy to 
  obtain; 1 Week; +¾) (61 Active Points); OAF 
  (-1), No Range (character must place bug at 
  perception point before he can use the power; 
  -½), Aﬀ ected As Radio Group As Well As Hear-
  ing Group (-¼). Total cost:  22 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  High-Powered Bug:  Increase to 16x Range 
  (2,800”). 70 Active Points; total cost 25 points.
  2)  Low-Powered Bug:  Decrease to 2x Range (350”). 
  44 Active Points; total cost 16 points.
  3)  Experimental Bug:  Th e technology used in this 
  bug doesn’t always work right, with the reception 
  and/or transmission oft en fading in and out brieﬂ y. 
  Add Activation Roll 14- (-½). Total cost:  19 points.
  MISCELLANEOUS 
  GADGETS
  ACIDSENSITIVE CLOTHING
  Effect: 
  Cosmetic Transform 2d6 (one 
  set of clothes into another pre-
  prepared set)
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  No Range
  Charges: 
  1 Charges
  Breakability: 
  2 DEF
  Description:  To assist with his disguises and ability 
  to maintain his secret identity, the character oft en 
  wears special chemically-treated clothing. Th is 
  clothing dissolves instantly and completely when 
  exposed to a mild acid (of which the character typi-
  cally carries a vial), or to any strong acid. Th e char-
  acter wears a set of normal underneath.
  Game Information:  Cosmetic Transform 2d6 
  (one set of worn clothing into another set 
  of clothing worn underneath; heals back by 
  obtaining a new suit from the character’s head-
  quarters or supplier), Improved Results Group 
  (+¼) (12 Active Points); IIF (-¼), Limited 
  Target (clothes; -½), 1 Charge (-2). Total cost:  
  3 points.
  DISGUISE KIT
  Effect: 
  +2 to Disguise
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Breakability: 
  1 DEF
  Description:  Th e character carries a concealable, 
  compact kit of various disguise supplies and aids to 
  make it even easier for him to conceal his identity 
  and impersonate others.
  Game Information:  +2 to Disguise (4 Active 
  Points); IAF (-½). Total cost:  3 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Better Kit:  Increase to +3 to Disguise. 6 Active 
  Points; total cost 4 points.
  2)  Worse Kit:  Decrease to +1 to Disguise. 2 Active 
  Points; total cost 1 point.
  
  332 ■ Pulp Equipment
  Hero System 5th Edition
  FALSE FINGERPRINTS
  Effect: 
  Shape Shift (Touch Group), Fin-
  gerprints Only
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Constant
  Range: 
  Self
  Charges: 
  1 Continuing Charge lasting 1 
  Day
  Breakability: 
  4 DEF
  Description:  By preparing and applying specially-
  molded plastics to his ﬁ ngertips, the character can 
  cover up his own ﬁ ngerprints and substitute diﬀ er-
  ent ones. He can’t imitate another person’s prints, 
  but disguising his own is a big help when it comes 
  to evading the authorities. Th e fake prints wear oﬀ  
  his ﬁ ngers aft er one day.
  Game Information:  Shape Shift  (Touch Group, 
  any sort of human ﬁ ngerprint), 1 Continuing 
  Charge lasting 1 Day (+¼) (19 Active Points); 
  IIF (-¼), Extra Time (takes 5 Minutes to pre-
  pare and apply, but can be used normally 
  thereaft er; -1), Fingerprints Only (-1). Total 
  cost:  6 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Imitative Prints:  Th e character’s equipment 
  allows him to imitate the ﬁ ngerprints of other 
  people. He has to have a sample of the other per-
  son’s prints to make a mold that duplicates them. 
  Add Imitation and Requires Sample To Duplicate 
  (-¼). 31 Active Points; total cost 9 points.
  MINIATURE TOOLKIT
  Effect: 
  +2 to Technological Skills
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Breakability: 
  1 DEF
  Description:  Th e character carries a concealable, 
  compact kit that contains a variety of useful minia-
  turized tools. Th ese tools make it easier for him to 
  perform any task that relates to repairing, altering, 
  or modifying equipment or technological objects. 
  Th ey don’t help him use equipment, just work on 
  it. Th us, the Skill Levels would apply to most Lock-
  picking rolls, to Electronics rolls to rewire a radio, 
  or the like, but not to a Systems Operation roll to 
  tune or use a radio properly.
  Game Information:  +2 to Technological Skills 
  (see text) (10 Active Points); IAF (-½). Total cost:  
  7 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Better Kit:  Increase to +3 to Technological Skills. 
  15 Active Points; total cost 10 points.
  2)  Worse Kit:  Decrease to +1 to Technological 
  Skills. 5 Active Points; total cost 3 points.
  OXYGENATION PILLS
  Effect: 
  Life Support (Self-Contained 
  Breathing)
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  Charges: 
  4 Continuing Charges lasting 1 
  Day each
  Breakability: 
  2 DEF
  Description:  Th ese large blue-white pills contain 
  enough concentrated oxygen to keep a person alive 
  for up to 1 Day without the need to breathe. Th is 
  allows a hero to adventure underwater, withstand 
  some types of gas attacks, and the like.
  Game Information:  Life Support (Self-Con-
  tained Breathing), Usable Simultaneously (up 
  to four persons at once, must be given sepa-
  rately to each person and uses 1 Charge per 
  person; +½), 4 Continuing Charges lasting 1 
  Day each (+0) (15 Active Points); OAF (-1). 
  Total cost:  7 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Pills:  Increase to 4 Continuing Charges 
  lasting 1 Week each (+0). 15 Active Points; total 
  cost 7 points.
  2)  Weak Pills:  Decrease to 4 Continuing Charges 
  lasting 1 Hour each (+0). 15 Active Points; total 
  cost 7 points.
  SAFE CRACKER
  Effect: 
  RKA 4d6, Penetrating (x2), Only 
  Works On Safe/Vault Doors
  Target/Area Affected: One safe/vault door
  Duration:  
  Instant
  Range:  
  No Range
  Charges: 
  8 Charges
  Breakability: 
  24 DEF
  Description:  A thief who gets his hand on one of 
  these Weird tech wonders will soon ﬁ nd himself on 
  easy street if he plays his cards right. It uses Weird 
  Science principles to destroy or peel open the doors 
  of safes and vaults, allowing the user ready access to 
  all the loot inside.
  Game Information:  RKA 4d6, Penetrating (x2; 
  +1) (120 Active Points); OAF Bulky (-1½), 
  Extra Time (1 Minute; -1½), No Range (-½), 
  Only Works On Safe/Vault Doors (-2), 8 Charges
  (-½). Total cost:  17 points
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong  Safe Cracker:  Increase to RKA 6d6. 180 
  Active Points; total cost 26 points.
  2)  Weak Safe Cracker:  Decrease to RKA 3d6. 90 
  Active Points; total cost 13 points.
  3)  Experimental Safe Cracker:  Weird Science isn’t 
  always reliable. Add Activation Roll 11- (-1). Total 
  cost:  15 points.
  
  333 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Five
  SKELETON KEY
  Effect: 
  Lockpicking 18-
  Target/Area Affected:  Self
  Duration:  
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  END Cost: 
  0
  Breakability: 
  4 DEF
  Description:  A favorite of Detectives and Masked 
  Crimeﬁ ghters everywhere, the Skeleton Key can 
  open virtually any lock.
  Game Information:  Lockpicking 18- (21 Active 
  Points); OAF (-1). Total cost:  10 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Skeleton Key:  Increase to Lockpicking 
  21-. 27 Active Points; total cost 13 points.
  2)  Weak Skeleton Key:  Decrease to Lockpicking 
  15-. 15 Active Points; total cost 7 points.
  3)  Disguised Skeleton Key:  Th e Skeleton Key actu-
  ally looks like a necklace (or part of one) or some 
  other bit of jewelry, or is hidden inside a cane, 
  pocketknife, or other mundane object. Change 
  OAF (-1) to IAF (-½). Total cost:  14 points.
  SURVIVAL OVERSKIN
  Effect: 
  Life Support (Safe Environ-
  ments:  Intense Cold, Intense 
  Heat)
  Target/Area Affected: Self
  Duration: 
  Persistent
  Range: 
  Self
  Charges: 
  4 Continuing Charges lasting 1 
  Day each
  Breakability: 
  2 DEF
  Description:  Th is gadget is an aerosol can ﬁ lled 
  with a special chemical spray (it could also be a 
  tube of ointment, or anything else that could safely 
  be applied to the skin). A person it’s sprayed on 
  feels no harmful eﬀ ects from extreme cold or heat 
  for one day.
  Game Information:  Life Support (Safe Envi-
  ronments:  Intense Cold, Intense Heat), Usable 
  Simultaneously (up to four persons at once, 
  must be applied separately to each person and 
  uses 1 Charge per person; +½), 4 Continu-
  ing Charges lasting 1 Day each (+0) (9 Active 
  Points); OAF (-1). Total cost:  4 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Overskin:  Increase to 4 Continuing 
  Charges lasting 1 Week each (+0). 9 Active Points; 
  total cost 4 points.
  2)  Weak Overskin:  Decrease to 4 Continuing 
  Charges lasting 1 Hour each (+0). 9 Active Points; 
  total cost 4 points.
  
  334 ■ Pulp Equipment
  Hero System 5th Edition
  E
  quipment doesn’t do a character much good 
  if he lacks the money to buy it! Th e accompa-
  nying tables list the typical Pulp-era wages for 
  various jobs, and the prices for a wide variety 
  of goods. Th e listed ﬁ gures are circa 1935, so they 
  may vary slightly for earlier or later years. Similarly, 
  the condition of the object, where the character tries 
  to buy it, and other factors can also aﬀ ect the price. 
  It’s easy and relatively cheap to buy a car near a big 
  city in the United States or Great Britain; it’s a lot 
  more expensive when you need to buy an auto in 
  Baluchistan or Bechuanaland.
  Th e price list concentrates on items that are 
  likely to be of interest to adventurers in one way or 
  another. If you’re interested in knowing the prices 
  for other items, a little research with mail-order cata-
  logues and similar sources from the period can turn 
  up all sorts of information. Prices are listed in United 
  States dollars (even for items not normally pur-
  chased in America, like camels); if necessary the GM 
  may have to make some rough conversions to other 
  currencies (see the Converting Currency table).
  BODY and DEF indicate the BODY and 
  Defense of the objects. MASS is the object’s mass in 
  kilograms. A “0” under BODY means any “attack” 
  can destroy the object; a 0 under DEF that any 
  “attack” can damage it. “Neg” means the item has 
  negligible mass unless carried in bulk. “N/A” indi-
  cates that the category is not applicable to the list-
  ing in question because it’s not an object.
  BUYING LIQUOR 
  DURING 
  PROHIBITION
  Prohibition had a major 
  eﬀ ect on the price of 
  alcohol. A mug of beer 
  rose to a quarter, and the 
  price of a bottle of beer 
  to as much as $0.75. A 
  shot of good liquor cost 
  $0.75 to a dollar; “gallon 
  goods” (raw alcohol 
  with coloring to make it 
  look like the real thing) 
  for two-thirds as much. 
  A barrel of beer went for 
  around $55, and a case 
  of hard liquor for about 
  $50-90. Home-distilled 
  liquor usually cost $6-15 
  per gallon.
  PULP HERO WAGES LIST
  Occupation 
  Annual Wage
  Bus driver 
  $1,373
  Cabbie 
  $300-750
  Chauﬀ eur 
  $624
  Civil service, general 
  $1,284
  Clerk, retail 
  $360-480
  Conductor 
  $2,729
  Congressman 
  $8,663
  Construction worker 
  $907
  Dentist 
  $2,391
  Doctor 
  $3,382
  Editor, newspaper 
  $3,900
  Electrical worker 
  $1,559
  Engineer 
  $2,520
  Factory worker, Ford 
  $1,250 ($5 per day)
  Factory worker, foreman 
  $2,000
  Factory worker, general 
  $1,000
  Farmer, Mississippi delta 
  $50-100
  Farm hand 
  $216
  Laborer, general 
  $300-1,200
  Lawyer 
  $4,218
  Maid, live-in 
  $120-260
  Miner, coal 
  $723
  Musician 
  $400-1,200
  Nurse, registered 
  $936
  Pilot 
  $8,000
  Policeman 
  $900
  Priest 
  $831
  Private investigator 
  $500-750
  Professor 
  $3,111
  Reporter 
  $1,000-1,400
  Salesman, insurance 
  $1,300
  Secretary 
  $800-1,040
  Sharecropper 
  $30-50
  Steelworker 
  $422
  Stewardess 
  $1,500
  Teacher 
  $1,227
  Waitress 
  $520
  
  335 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Five
  PULP HERO PRICE LIST
  Item 
  Price 
  BODY 
  DEF 
  Mass 
  Notes
  CLOTHING AND PERSONAL EFFECTS
  Belt, cartridge (50 rounds) 
  $1 
  2 
  2 
  0.2
  Belt, leather 
  $0.09-0.59 
  1 
  2 
  0.2
  Belt, money 
  $0.90 
  1 
  2 
  0.2
  Blouse, average 
  $0.49-2.00 
  1 
  1 
  0.2
  Blouse, ﬁ ne 
  $3+ 
  1 
  1 
  0.5
  Boots, leather 
  $2.98-8.50 
  2 
  2 
  2.0
  Boots, wading 
  $5-17 
  2 
  2 
  1.5
  Bulletproof vest 
  $20 
  5 
  8 
  5.0
  Cigarette case 
  $1-3 
  2 
  4 
  0.2
  Coat, cloth 
  $6-13 
  1 
  1 
  0.7
  Coat, fur 
  $90-600 
  1 
  1 
  1.0
  Coat, raincoat 
  $1.95-4.00 
  1 
  1 
  0.7
  Coat, trenchcoat 
  $11.00 
  1 
  1 
  0.7
  Dress, average 
  $1.95-10.00 
  1 
  1 
  0.5
  Dress, ﬁ ne/elegant 
  $10+ 
  1 
  1 
  0.5
  Goggles 
  $2.59 
  2 
  2 
  0.1
  Hat, cap 
  $0.25-0.59 
  1 
  1 
  0.1
  Hat, fedora 
  $0.87-3.69 
  1 
  1 
  0.1
  Hat, lady’s 
  $0.50-2.00 
  1 
  1 
  0.1
  Holster, regular 
  $1 
  2 
  2 
  0.2
  Holster, shoulder 
  $1 
  2 
  2 
  0.2
  Holster, fast-draw (either) 
  $2 
  2 
  2 
  0.2
  Men’s suit, average 
  $10-20 
  1 
  1 
  1.0
  Men’s suit, ﬁ ne/elegant 
  $21+ 
  1 
  1 
  1.0
  Necktie 
  $0.39-0.69 
  1 
  1 
  0.02
  Pants, dress 
  $0.94-2.25 
  1 
  1 
  0.3
  Pants, ﬁ eld/safari/work 
  $1.33-2.00 
  1 
  1 
  0.3
  Pith helmet 
  $2 
  2 
  2 
  0.5
  Purse 
  $0.95-6.95 
  2 
  2 
  0.4
  Shirt, dress 
  $1.27-2.00 
  1 
  1 
  0.2
  Shirt, ﬁ eld/safari/work 
  $0.37-2.94 
  1 
  1 
  0.3
  Shoes, high heels/pumps 
  $1.50-2.50 
  1 
  2 
  0.5
  Shoes, leather 
  $1.69-3.85 
  2 
  2 
  1.0+
  Skirt, average 
  $0.89-2.00 
  1 
  1 
  0.5
  Skirt, ﬁ ne 
  $2+ 
  1 
  1 
  0.4
  Stockings, silk 
  $0.23-0.69 
  1 
  0 
  0.01
  Sweater 
  $1.69-1.95 
  1 
  1 
  0.5
  Tuxedo 
  $25    
  1 
  1 
  1.0
  Umbrella 
  $0.95-2.00 
  2 
  1 
  0.5
  Wallet 
  $0.50-2.50 
  1 
  2 
  0.1
  Watch, pocket, average 
  $2-20 
  2 
  4 
  0.1
  Watch, pocket, ﬁ ne 
  $21+ 
  2 
  4 
  0.1
  Watch, wrist, average 
  $2.39-20.00 
  2 
  4 
  0.05
  Watch, wrist, ﬁ ne 
  $21+ 
  2 
  4 
  0.05
  ENTERTAINMENT
  Broadway show ticket 
  $0.50-1.00 
  0 
  0 
  Neg
  Camera, Kodak Box Brownie 
  $2.50 
  2 
  2 
  0.5
  Camera, movie 
  $29.50-50.00 
  3 
  2 
  1.5
  Camera, standard 
  $7.45-36.95 
  2 
  2 
  1.0
  Cigar 
  $1.75 per box 
  0 
  0 
  0.8
  Cigarettes 
  $0.15 per pack 
  0 
  0 
  0.01
  Film, B&W, roll of 8 
  $0.10-.20 
  1 
  1 
  0.01
  Film, color, roll of 8 
  $0.21-0.49 
  1 
  1 
  0.01
  Film, B&W, 8 minutes 
  $3.50-5.00 
  1 
  1 
  0.5
  Film, color, 8 minutes 
  $5.45-6.50 
  1 
  1 
  0.5
  Harmonica 
  $0.79-3.55 
  1 
  2 
  0.1
  Home still 
  $6-7 
  3 
  3 
  10.0
  Movie ticket 
  $0.10-0.40 
  0 
  0 
  Neg
  Newspaper 
  $0.05 
  1 
  0 
  0.1
  Novel 
  $0.60-0.75 
  1 
  0 
  0.5
  Phonograph, portable 
  $6.25-13.00 
  3 
  2 
  7.0-12.0
  Playing cards 
  $0.25-0.42 
  1 
  0 
  0.01
  Pulp magazine 
  $0.05-0.25 
  1 
  0 
  0.03
  Radio 
  $17.95-90.00 
  3-5 
  3 
  4.5-40.0
  Record, phonograph 
  $0.20 
  1 
  0 
  0.1
  
  336 ■ Pulp Equipment
  Hero System 5th Edition
  FOOD AND DRINK
  Bacon 
  $0.22 per pound 
  1 
  0 
  1.0
  Beer, 1 bottle 
  $0.25-0.35 
  1 
  1 
  0.5
  Beer, 1 mug/glass 
  $0.10-0.15 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A
  Butter 
  $0.28 per pound 
  1 
  0 
  1.0
  Candy bar 
  $0.05 
  0 
  0 
  0.01
  Chewing gum, 1 pack 
  $0.05 
  0 
  0 
  0.01
  Chicken 
  $0.22 per pound 
  1 
  0 
  1.0
  Corn ﬂ akes (8 oz. box) 
  $0.08 
  1 
  0 
  0.2
  Eggs 
  $0.29 per dozen 
  1 
  0 
  0.8
  Liquor, cheap, 1 bottle 
  $0.80-1.20 
  1 
  1 
  2.0
  Liquor, cheap, 1 shot 
  $0.25 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A
  Liquor, cheap, bottle 
  $3.50-6.00 
  1 
  1 
  2.0
  Liquor, good, 1 shot 
  $0.35-0.50 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A
  Meal, restaurant, poor 
  $0.05-0.50 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A
  Meal, restaurant, average 
  $0.10-1.00 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A
  Meal, restaurant, gourmet 
  $1+ 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A
  Meal, train or liner 
  $0.50-2.00 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A
  Soda pop, 1 bottle 
  $0.05 
  1 
  1 
  0.1
  Steak 
  $0.29 per pound 
  1 
  0 
  1.0
  Sugar 
  $0.05 per pound 
  1 
  0 
  1.0
  Tobacco, chewing, 1 plug 
  $0.88 
  1 
  0 
  0.01
  LODGING
  Apartment, poor/slum 
  $20-30 per month 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A
  Apartment, average 
  $30-50 per month 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A
  Apartment, ﬁ ne 
  $50+ per month 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A
  Hotel room, ﬂ eabag 
  $0.25-0.50 per day 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A
  Hotel room, average 
  $1-2 per day 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A
  Hotel room, ﬁ ne 
  $3+ per day 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A
  House, one bedroom 
  $1,000 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A
  House, three bedroom 
  $2,800 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A
  House, mansion 
  $17,000 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A
  House, large mansion 
  $18,000+ 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A
  Oﬃ  ce, good 
  $25-40 per month 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A
  Oﬃ  ce, poor 
  $8-15 per month 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A
  MEDICAL SUPPLIES
  First aid kit 
  $6+ 
  2 
  2 
  1.0
  Quinine (30 pills) 
  $5 
  1 
  1 
  0.05
  Sulfa powder (5 uses) 
  $1 
  0 
  0 
  0.01
  Sulfa pills (30 pills) 
  $1 
  0 
  0 
  0.05
  TOOLS AND GEAR
  Axe 
  $0.75-1.65 
  6 
  4 
  1.6
  Backpack 
  $2-6 
  3 
  2 
  1.8
  Battery, ﬂ ashlight 
  $0.04-0.07 
  1 
  3 
  0.01
  Binoculars (8-power) 
  $25-30 
  2 
  3 
  1.2
  Canteen 
  $1 
  2 
  3 
  0.3
  Cigarette lighter 
  $0.39-4.67 
  1 
  3 
  0.01 
  Compass 
  $0.69-1.39 
  1 
  1 
  0.03
  Cooking kit (4 persons) 
  $5.65 
  4 
  5 
  4.8
  Crowbar 
  $1 
  3 
  5 
  2.3
  Diving suit 
  $1,000+ 
  6 
  2 
  30.0
  Fishing gear (rod, reel, tackle) 
  $2-8 
  2 
  2 
  1.5
  Flare 
  $0.70-1.00 
  1 
  3 
  0.1
  Flare gun 
  $20-30 
  3 
  4 
  0.6
  Flashlight 
  $0.25-1.49 
  1 
  2 
  0.5-1.3
  Folding cot 
  $1.89-5.35 
  3 
  3 
  8.0-19.0
  Gas mask 
  $5-7 
  1 
  2 
  1.1 
  Geiger counter 
  $10 
  2 
  4 
  3.0
  Generator, portable 
  $120-300 
  10 
  5 
  80.0-165.0
  Hammer, carpenter’s 
  $0.39-0.75 
  3 
  3 
  1.0
  Hammock 
  $2.25-4.30 
  1 
  1 
  1.4
  Handcuﬀ s 
  $1 
  3 
  5 
  0.5
  Hatchet 
  $0.79-1.15 
  3 
  4 
  1.0
  Ladder, wooden, 3” long 
  $5.65 
  5 
  3 
  10.0
  Lantern, electric 
  $6-10 
  3 
  4 
  4.0
  Lantern, gas 
  $4-6 
  3 
  4 
  4.0
  PRICE LIST (cont.)
  Item 
  Price 
  BODY 
  DEF 
  Mass 
  Notes
  
  337 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Five
  Machete 
  $1 
  3 
  5 
  0.7
  Parachute 
  $20 
  2 
  2 
  8.0
  Pencil 
  $0.15 for six 
  0 
  1 
  0.01
  Pick 
  $0.75-0.90 
  3 
  3 
  2.5-3.5
  Rope (100’ coil) 
  $0.73-2.10 
  2 
  2 
  7.2
  Shovel 
  $0.89-1.45 
  3 
  3 
  2.2
  Sleeping bag 
  $9.85-14.85 
  1 
  1 
  3.0
  Stove, camp 
  $3.79-6.95 
  3 
  4 
  8.0-11.0
  Telescope, hand-held (15-power) 
  $8 
  2 
  3 
  1.8
  Telescope, hand-held (45-power) 
  $40 
  2 
  3 
  1.8
  Tent, small 
  $5-10 
  1 
  1 
  10.0-12.0
  Tent, medium 
  $11-30 
  1 
  1 
  13.0-25.0
  Tent, large 
  $31-65 
  2 
  1 
  26.0-60.0
  Typewriter, standard 
  $19.75-44.95 
  4 
  4 
  21.0
  Typewriter, portable 
  $49.50-67.50 
  3 
  4 
  10.0
  TRANSPORTATION AND CARRIAGE
  Airplane ticket 
  Varies 
  0 
  0 
  Neg 
  See page 144 re: travel costs
  Airplanes, various 
  See Vehicles Table 
  Var 
  Var 
  N/A
  Automobiles, various 
  See Vehicles Table 
  Var 
  Var 
  N/A
  Barnstormer plane ride 
  $5-10 for 5-10 minute ride N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A
  Bicycle 
  $23.95-42.95 
  4 
  4 
  30.0
  Briefcase/valise 
  $1 
  2 
  2 
  1.6
  Cab fare 
  Varies 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  See page 144 re: travel costs
  Camel, riding 
  $50 
  13 
  1 
  N/A
  Donkey or mule 
  $30 
  13 
  1 
  N/A
  Ferry fare 
  $0.15 + 0.05 per mile 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A
  Gasoline 
  $0.18-0.20 per gallon 
  0 
  0 
  2.7
  Horse, riding 
  $50 
  15 
  1 
  N/A
  Ocean liner, ﬁ rst class suite 
  Varies 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  See page 144 re: travel costs
  Ocean liner, ﬁ rst class berth 
  Varies 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  See page 144 re: travel costs
  Ocean liner, second class 
  Varies 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  See page 144 re: travel costs
  Ocean liner, third class 
  Varies 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  See page 144 re: travel costs
  Ocean liner, steerage 
  Varies 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  See page 144 re: travel costs
  Parking 
  $0.02 per hour 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A
  Steamer trunk 
  $5-10 
  4 
  3 
  24.0-32.0
  Subway fare 
  $0.05 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A
  Suitcase 
  $5- 9 
  3 
  2 
  6.0
  Tire, automobile 
  $0.75-9.95 
  3 
  2 
  6.5-14.0
  Train car, personal 
  $30,000+ 
  21 
  5 
  50 tons
  Train ticket 
  Varies 
  0 
  0 
  Neg 
  See page 144 re: travel costs
  Tramp steamer passage 
  Varies 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  See page 144 re: travel costs
  Zeppelin ticket 
  Varies 
  0 
  0 
  Neg 
  See page 144 re: travel costs
  WEAPONS
  Ammunition, .22 
  $0.25 per 50 
  2 
  3 
  0.4
  Ammunition, .38 
  $0.25 per 50 
  2 
  3 
  0.4
  Ammunition, .357 
  $0.30 per 50 
  2 
  3 
  0.4
  Ammunition, 9mm 
  $0.25 per 50 
  2 
  3 
  0.4
  Ammunition, .45 
  $0.30 per 50 
  2 
  3 
  0.4
  Ammunition, shotgun 
  $0.70 per 25 
  2 
  3 
  0.5
  Blackjack (sap) 
  $1 
  2 
  2 
  0.3
  Bullwhip 
  $2 
  2 
  2 
  0.3
  Dynamite, 1 stick 
  $5 
  2 
  2 
  0.3
  Grenade 
  $20 
  3 
  5 
  0.60
  Knife 
  $1 
  2 
  5 
  0.4
  Pistol 
  $5-75 
  3 
  5 
  0.6-1.40
  Pocketknife 
  $0.23-1.46 
  1 
  5 
  0.08
  Riﬂ e, hunting 
  $6-50 
  4 
  5 
  2.5-4.6
  Riﬂ e, military 
  $50-130 
  5 
  5 
  3.0-4.4
  Shotgun 
  $6-50 
  4 
  5 
  2.25-3.0
  Submachine Gun 
  $100-200 
  4 
  5 
  1.2-4.9
  MISCELLANEOUS
  Alarm clock 
  $1-4.50 
  2 
  3 
  0.4
  Bible  
  $0.95-5.95 
  1 
  0 
  0.5
  Butler 
  $1 per day 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A
  Fountain pen 
  $0.69-4.95 
  1 
  1 
  0.03
  Haircut (and shave) 
  $0.20 ($0.30) 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A
  PRICE LIST (cont.)
  Item 
  Price 
  BODY 
  DEF 
  Mass 
  Notes
  
  338 ■ Pulp Equipment
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Native bearer 
  $0.05-.25 per day 
  N/A 
  N/A 
  N/A
  Postage stamp, airmail 
  $0.10 per half ounce 
  0 
  0 
  Neg
  Postage stamp, standard 
  $0.03 per ounce 
  0 
  0 
  Neg
  Slide rule 
  $1.19-4.19 
  1 
  2 
  0.1
  Telegram, national 
  $0.05 per word 
  0 
  0 
  Neg
  Telegram, international 
  $0.25 per word 
  0 
  0 
  Neg
  PRICE LIST (cont.)
  Item 
  Price 
  BODY 
  DEF 
  Mass 
  Notes
  CONVERTING CURRENCY
  Characters aren’t always going to ﬁ nd themselves in the US, spending American dollars. Here’s what one unit of various 
  currencies is worth in American dollars as of 1935. Unless a colony is listed separately, or additional information is given in 
  Chapter Th ree, assume for game purposes that it uses the same currency as its possessor.
  Nation 
  Currency 
  1 Unit Is Worth...
  Argentina 
  Peso 
  $1.63
  Australia 
  Pound 
  $8.24
  Austria 
  Schilling 
  $0.24
  Belgium 
  Belga 
  $0.23
  Brazil 
  Milreis 
  $0.20
  British Malaya 
  Straits dollar 
  $0.58
  Bulgaria 
  Lev 
  $0.012
  Canada 
  Dollar 
  $1.69
  China 
  Yuan 
  $0.37
  Costa Rica 
  Colon 
  $0.79
  Cuba 
  Peso 
  $1.00
  Czechoslovakia 
  Krone 
  $0.04
  Danzig 
  Gulden 
  $0.33
  Ecuador 
  Sucre 
  $0.34
  Egypt 
  Pound (100 piasters) 
  $8.37
  France 
  Franc 
  $0.07
  Germany 
  Reichsmark 
  $0.40
  Great Britain 
  Pound 
  $8.24
  Greece 
  Drachma 
  $0.02
  Haiti 
  Gourde 
  $0.20
  India 
  Rupee 
  $0.61
  Indo-China 
  Piaster 
  $0.66
  Iran (Persia) 
  Rial 
  $0.08
  Iraq 
  Dinar 
  $8.24
  Italy 
  Lira 
  $0.08
  Japan 
  Yen 
  $0.84
  Liberia 
  Dollar 
  $1.69
  Mexico 
  Peso 
  $0.84
  Netherlands 
  Guilder 
  $0.68
  Panama 
  Balboa 
  $1.69
  Poland 
  Zloty 
  $0.19
  Portugal 
  Escudo 
  $0.07
  Romania 
  Leu 
  $0.01
  Siam 
  Baht 
  $0.75
  Spain 
  Peseta 
  $0.33
  South Africa 
  Pound 
  $4.92
  Sweden 
  Krona 
  $0.45
  Switzerland 
  Franc 
  $0.33
  Syria 
  Pound 
  $0.78
  Turkey 
  Piaster 
  $0.07
  USSR 
  Ruble 
  $8.71
  Yugoslavia 
  Dinar 
  $0.03
  
  chapter six:
  chapter six:
  chapter six:
  A WORLD OF ADVENTURE
  GAMEMASTERING THE PULPS
  
  340 ■ Gamemastering Pulp Hero
  Hero System 5th Edition
  INDY:  Meet me at Omar’s. Be ready for 
  me. I’m going after that truck.
  SALLAH:  How?
  INDY:  I don’t know, I’m making this up 
  as I go.
  —Raiders Of The Lost Ark
  P
  ulp gaming is a roleplaying genre that 
  both includes and transcends its source 
  material. Aft er more than two decades of 
  Pulp roleplaying, it’s gelled to a concoc-
  tion that’s ten parts hero pulp, ﬁ ve parts adven-
  ture pulp, and a part each of all the rest:  the 
  western pulps, crime pulps, weird menace tales, 
  fantasy pulps, air stories, spy tales, romances, and 
  more. Th e pulps themselves are only part of the 
  equation, though — add in the B-movies, radio 
  dramas, and adventure serials of the same era, 
  along with comic books from then to now, TV, 
  and modern action cinema. Th e resulting goulash 
  is a colorful dish indeed, but it has real consis-
  tency. Th ere are key themes, truths, and motifs 
  that ring throughout, deﬁ ning the character of 
  Pulp adventure for gaming.
  PECULIARITIES OF 
  PULPISHNESS
  Here’s what “Pulp” means, in gaming terms:
  PULP MEANS BOLD
  It isn’t yet time for the meek to inherit the Earth. 
  Never punish boldness or decisive action unless 
  it’s backed by unprecedented poor judgment. And 
  even when it is, it’s usually easy and appropriate to 
  punish foolhardiness with compounded dangers 
  — fresh opportunities to be bold some more! 
  Th is is a game; choices matter. Th e heroes can 
  fail utterly, succeed incompletely, or be killed in 
  action. Th at said, Pulp gaming is romantic gaming, 
  and reality must bend to allow a soft er landing than 
  the real world might oﬀ er. Rewarding boldness isn’t 
  the same as issuing the PCs a “stupidity license,” but 
  it does require a ﬂ exible approach to the concept 
  of failure. In a situation where a real mercenary’s 
  mistake would get him shot in the head and left  to 
  decay, a Pulp mercenary is sapped in the head and 
  tossed in a maze of deathtraps. In a scene where a 
  real pilot would perish in a sudden ﬁ reball, a Pulp 
  
  341 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Six
  airman has time to ditch safely and ﬁ nd himself in 
  an unexplored wilderness surrounded by ape-men.
  Th e bottom line is that questionable tactics are 
  vastly preferable to thumb-twiddling — inaction is 
  the only unpardonable sin of the Pulp hero. Don’t 
  be soft  on your players; that would be contrary to 
  the genre. Instead, enjoy providing consequences 
  of failure that are every bit as entertaining for the 
  players as the rewards of success.
  PULP MEANS PERILOUS
  Th e Pulp atmosphere is soaked through with 
  terror and suﬀ ering. Sometimes it’s easy to be so 
  distracted by the joy of the pulps that you overlook 
  the constant note of peril that makes them great. 
  Moments where everyone feels safe should be few 
  and precious, and if the PCs feel cozy it probably 
  means there’s an innocent victim somewhere that 
  isn’t, and that someone needs them to act now.
  Th is point dances cheek to cheek with the prior 
  one, because there are few better ways to encour-
  age bold, decisive action than to provide constant 
  threat:  the approach of enemy soldiers, the distant 
  scream of a captured girl, the hidden device that 
  will activate in a matter of hours, the irreplaceable 
  ancient manuscript surrounded by rising ﬂ ames. 
  And again, threats shouldn’t just loom, they should 
  be given ample opportunity to strike. Th e life of 
  a Pulp protagonist is a life that hurts; you know 
  you’re doing it right if the PCs feel battered and 
  exhausted much of the time. Th is will vary a bit 
  with your chosen subgenre and style (some Pulp 
  heroes really are bulletproof, either by nature or 
  by grant of authorial timidity), but as a concept it 
  scales in some way to every edge of the graph. 
  PULP MEANS SINISTER
  In the Th irties, there are large portions of the 
  globe left  unexplored or poorly explored — shad-
  owy areas of possibility. Th ere are also, regrettably, 
  looming threats to liberty and decency, accom-
  panied by atrocity. It’s the “Machine Age,” and 
  technology is transforming the world... but it’s also 
  dangerous, and there are constant concerns that the 
  enemy has learned secrets the good guys haven’t. 
  Th e Great Crash of 1929 damaged trust and — for 
  a time — made heroes of bootleggers and bank 
  robbers. Orientals are painted as scary in large part 
  because they’re seen as “inscrutable” — secretive, 
  unreadable, and therefore sinister by default. Th e 
  Ku Klux Klan is becoming weaker... but there are 
  still night-time rallies in many West Coast cities. 
  Th e Pulp era is a world of questions, masks, and 
  hiding places.
  Th e pulps reﬂ ect all these things, dealing con-
  stantly in the mysterious and the hidden, from volca-
  nic islands sheltering leagues of world-class villains, 
  to fascist plots to steal research from a kindly pro-
  fessor, to ancient occult knowledge that chips away 
  at your sanity. Not only must there be peril, there 
  must be shadowy peril. Pulp heroes ﬁ nd their way to 
  forgotten valleys of prehistoric beasts, great civiliza-
  tions nested in the hollow earth, and the semi-reality 
  of the criminal underworld. Th e heroes keep their 
  secrets, too, frequently going masked, or operat-
  ing from a secret headquarters (such as Dr. Death’s 
  underground lair, the Phantom’s jungle skull-cave, 
  and the oceanic Titanic Tower of Captain Justice).
  How you choose to play this particular angle 
  can strongly ﬂ avor the campaign. A Pulp adventure 
  with no elements of the sinister is barely a Pulp 
  adventure at all, and shadowy threats are a boon to 
  the GM because details can be established gradu-
  ally and make the course of events more ﬂ exible. 
  On the other hand, too much reliance on sinister 
  elements can create a sense of almost total detach-
  ment from human experience, with heroes ﬂ ying 
  out of their secret hangar to do battle with secret 
  troops from the villain’s hidden lair where a global 
  plot to secretly replace the world’s leaders with 
  identical replacements is underway. Some of the 
  pulps (particularly toward the World War II years) 
  feel that way, and it can be a fun way to game — but 
  it can also make some of the brighter tones of the 
  pulps fade to black, so stay conscious of it.
  PULP MEANS LURID
  Th e pulps were, on the whole, as lurid, gory, 
  vice-ridden, and raw as standards of the time 
  would permit (or just a little moreso). A hero in 
  an ordinary horror adventure might ﬁ nd a woman 
  mauled by an unknown creature... a hero in a Pulp 
  horror adventure ﬁ nds a woman clearly ravaged 
  by a beast in a “demoniac rage,” her naked breasts 
  smeared with gore and her throat torn. In a spicy 
  pulp, he’ll have seen more of those naked breasts 
  the previous night.
  Th e lurid nature of the pulps goes beyond the 
  eye-catching cover paintings. While some maga-
  zines kept things squeaky-clean on the inside and 
  stood against the pulps’ reputation as “trash” lit-
  erature, far more of them fulﬁ lled the promise of 
  that reputation, providing titillating word-portraits 
  of nubile maidens chained to sacriﬁ cial altars, or 
  descriptions of maiming and torture that would 
  be just as “under the counter” today as they were 
  then. A few of the pulps that looked clean on the 
  outside were more lurid within:  some aviator and 
  hero pulps linger gruesomely on death and dis-
  memberment, especially when it’s a hated foreign 
  goon taking the hit (another trend that magniﬁ es 
  toward the end of the Th irties and into the Forties). 
  Readers quickly learned the diﬀ erence between the 
  magazines that “delivered” the shocks and thrills 
  and those that just teased.
  As the GM, you take on the decision formerly 
  made by editors and publishers. Lurid elements 
  are universal in the pulps but they vary dramati-
  cally by type and degree. On the other hand, they’re 
  almost entirely sanitized from the movie serials 
  and radio dramas of the same period, even those in 
  the same genre or starring the same characters. If 
  you’re gaming with youngsters at the table, it’s not 
  a diﬃ  cult decision. Barring that, however, a touch 
  of spice or gore can deliver thrills and shudders 
  aplenty; they’re power tools in the hand of a mas-
  terful referee. Th e art of it lies in suggestion and 
  implication; the trick of it lies in knowing your own 
  boundaries, and those of your players.
  ADVICE FROM 
  THE MASTERS: 
   WALTER GIBSON
  Walter Gibson, creator 
  of the Shadow and 
  one of the pulps’ most 
  proliﬁ c writers, oﬀ ered 
  the following advice on 
  creating Pulp stories in 
  the March 1941 issue of 
  Writer’s Digest:
  “[B]uild a lead character, 
  and a story will build 
  itself around him. In a 
  sense, the lead character 
  becomes the plot, or at 
  least the main portion 
  of it. ...
  “You must treat the 
  character as discovery, 
  rather than your own 
  creation. Treat him, not 
  just seriously, but pro-
  foundly. Picture him as 
  real, and beyond you, in 
  mind as well as prowess. 
  Feel that however much 
  you have learned about 
  him, you can never 
  uncover all. Th is mental 
  attitude gives you 
  deeper knowledge of the 
  character than the story 
  itself discloses.
  “Th e plot induced by this 
  process will normally 
  require a lesser character 
  who may be termed the 
  “proxy hero.” He is the 
  person, along with others 
  like him, who is matched 
  against the villains of the 
  piece, in a theme which 
  is really the personal saga 
  of that all-important lead 
  character, who is devel-
  oped through his inﬂ u-
  ence and action toward 
  the lesser ﬁ gures.”
  
  342 ■ Gamemastering Pulp Hero
  Hero System 5th Edition
  PULP MEANS IDEALISTIC
  Th e pulps extol the ideals of Twenties and 
  Th irties America, and reﬂ ect the struggle between 
  lingering Victorian mores and a more libertine 
  modern world. Descending from the high-handed 
  morality of writers like Burt Standish and Horatio 
  Alger, and of the basic moral lessons of the dime 
  novel westerns, Pulp adventures deal frequently 
  with moral and ethical matters, and with the 
  defense of the innocent from corrupting inﬂ uences.
  In the hero pulps, the heroes themselves oft en 
  embody the ideals of hard work and personal 
  development, standing as well-rounded Renais-
  sance men, and as role models for younger readers. 
  Doc Savage fans could study the Doc’s “Plan of 
  Living,” and learn to develop their minds, bodies, 
  and morals to a higher standard, while fans of 
  many a Pulp hero’s radio adventures could (alleg-
  edly) achieve similar perfection by consuming the 
  food or drink produced by the show’s sponsors. 
  Th e pulps are largely untouched by the cliché that 
  physical and intellectual development are oppo-
  sites:  Pulp scientists and scholars are frequently 
  muscular, two-ﬁ sted men of action; only the elderly 
  ones are certain to be bespectacled and weak.
  Like many elements in the pulps, all of this takes 
  on a childlike simplicity and naïveté. A corollary to 
  the idealism embodied in the heroes is that imper-
  fection (especially ugliness) becomes associated 
  with evil in notable ways. Ugly bad guys are as old 
  as drama, but in the pulps becoming ugly can cause 
  evil:  a man of science, scarred by a lab accident, 
  can be driven instantly mad and bile-spittingly evil 
  (Luciphor, a Mandrake villain, is one example). 
  British Pulp hero Sexton Blake did battle with an 
  organized group of such foes:  World War I soldiers 
  who formed a murderous anti-war conspiracy 
  because their facial injuries made them too ugly to 
  rejoin decent society. Even serious criminologists of 
  the time oft en insist that the shape of the face and 
  body strongly indicate tendencies toward criminal-
  ity (hence the “beady little eyes” cliché, and the “sci-
  entiﬁ c” basis for much of the ubiquitous Pulp-era 
  racism).
  PULP MEANS HOPEFUL
  Of all the virtues the pulps extol, there are few 
  it does so as reverently as hope for the future, and 
  particularly a future borne on the shoulders of the 
  moral application of scientiﬁ c knowledge. In happy 
  blurbs accompanying Pulp stories, editors remind 
  us of the potential of discovering new rays, and 
  of the certainty that the latest security technology 
  has ﬁ nally made safecracking stories obsolete. Sci-
  ence may run amok now and then, sure, but only 
  when dishonest men use it carelessly or selﬁ shly. 
  Knowledge is king, and the use of that knowledge 
  assures a bright future. To those living in the wake 
  of the Great War and amid the tragedy of the 
  Great Depression, the pulps provided more than 
  a window to exotic lands — they’re an image of a 
  better tomorrow.
  Pulp gaming is nostalgic gaming, but it’s good 
  to keep the tone of the adventures forward-looking 
  (forward, that is, from the Pulp era’s own perspec-
  tive). On the other hand, this particular facet of 
  pulpishness appears proportionately to the general 
  tone of heroism... less heroic Pulp fare, such as 
  Lovecraft ’s horror tales, take place in a world where 
  the sciences “have hitherto harmed us little,” but are 
  ultimately poking where Man Ought Not.
  PULP MEANS ENERGETIC
  On the surface, this means “lots of action,” 
  and that’s true. At every opportunity, give the PCs 
  the thrill of brawls, chase scenes, rescues, and 
  escapes. But beyond the action scenes, even quieter 
  moments should be charged with as much energy 
  as you can muster in context. A large part of this 
  will come from maintaining a sense of peril (see 
  above), but there are more tricks in the bag to make 
  it really feel right. Dialogues, for example, should be 
  more emphatic. When it’s time to oﬀ er exposition, 
  pull out all the stops and let yourself be theatrical 
  and intense. Emotions should rise to the surface, 
  opinions should be strong, meaning should be clear.
  Simplicity and constant opportunity aid momen-
  tum. Pulp gaming is an exercise in stark contrasts 
  and broad strokes. Mystery is essential, but remem-
  ber too that a maze is a lot more perplexing from 
  the inside than from above. Don’t overcomplicate 
  your plots, and always provide something the PCs 
  can act on:  something to respond to, something 
  to spur action, something that will pique their 
  curiosity or play on their passions. Trails of clues 
  should duplicate themselves on several levels when 
  possible, to allow the broadest range of play styles. 
  For example, characters can ﬁ nd the location of the 
  mad scientist’s lair by (a) interrogating the goons he 
  sends out for supplies, (b) examining the physical 
  evidence he left  at a scene of a crime, or (c) by get-
  ting on his beautiful daughter’s good side and con-
  vincing her that her father is evil. When in doubt, 
  introduce an NPC to the adventure who wasn’t 
  there before — whether it’s the hoary old bursting-
  into-the-room-with-guns routine or the equally 
  useful bursting-into-the-room-begging-for-help 
  one, people are always the best way to inject energy 
  when you need some.
  CAPTURING THE FEEL 
  OF THE TIMES
  Genre conventions aside, a foundation for 
  evoking the feel of the pulps is evoking their era. 
  America in the 1930s is modern, but only just. 
  Light switches click loudly, hotels have dumbwait-
  ers, oﬃ  ce doors have transoms and both telephones 
  and elevators have live operators. Living perma-
  nently in a hotel is as common and (nearly) as 
  accepted as living in an apartment; traveling by 
  auto is very ﬁ ne — but there are many rural areas 
  without paved roads. In most places, the milkman 
  still brings the milk; in many places, the iceman still 
  brings the ice. Many police car radios receive but 
  don’t broadcast, chicken costs more than beefsteak 
  and most world travel still happens by steamer (in 
  fact, nearly a third of American merchant ships are 
  still powered by sail). In 2005, the inhabitants of the 
  ADVICE FROM THE 
  MASTERS:  
  LESTER DENT
  Lester Dent, creator of 
  Doc Savage and writer 
  of hundreds of Pulp 
  tales, once set forth his 
  formula for writing 
  6,000-word Pulp stories, 
  claiming that he had 
  never failed to sell any 
  story written according 
  to his formula.
  Th e entire text of his 
  article on the subject 
  is available on the 
  World Wide Web and 
  various other resources. 
  Reduced to its basics 
  and translated into 
  gaming rather than liter-
  ary terms, it goes like 
  this:
  1. A diﬀ erent murder 
  method for the villain 
  to use  
  2. A diﬀ erent thing for 
  the villain to seek 
  3. A diﬀ erent locale  
  4. A menace that should 
  hang like a cloud over 
  hero  
  With those elements in 
  mind, divide the plot 
  into four sections.
  Part 1:  Introduce the 
  hero and “swat him with 
  a ﬁ stful of trouble. Hint 
  at a mystery, a menace 
  or a problem to be 
  solved — something the 
  hero has to cope with.” 
  Th e hero tries to solve 
  the problem, and in the 
  process as many of the 
  other characters are 
  introduced as possible. 
  Near the end of this 
  section, he gets into a 
  physical conﬂ ict. At the 
  end of the section, “there 
  is a complete surprise 
  twist[.]”
  Part 2:  “Shovel more 
  grief onto the hero.” He 
  copes with that, which 
  leads to another physical 
  struggle near the end 
  of this part. At the very 
  end introduce another 
  surprise plot twist.
  Continued on next page
  
  343 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Six
  remote Seychelles Islands (oﬀ  the coast of Africa) 
  produce and use more electricity than the whole of 
  the United States did in 1935. Beyond the Machine 
  Age world of America and civilized Europe, much 
  of the world is still very primitive, and there are 
  large portions of it unexplored (and larger portions 
  explored only by non-Westerners).
  While the Pulp era really is the birth of modern 
  times, there are millions of subtle diﬀ erences to 
  keep track of — or to judiciously ignore. One of the 
  most important skills you can cultivate as a Pulp 
  Hero GM is knowing how much attention to spend 
  on matters like these. Period detail lends ﬂ avor 
  to your game; you can’t do without it. But beware 
  letting concern about minute period accuracy dis-
  tract you from the drama and action. If you catch 
  yourself chatting for a half hour trying to decide if 
  the private eye’s desk fan can oscillate, have a laugh 
  over it and get back to the adventure!
  Th ere is an art to including just enough period 
  detail, and it boils down to including only those 
  things that directly involve themselves with the 
  game’s action. If the PCs are driving north of the 
  city to meet with a wealthy antiquarian, don’t clut-
  ter the segue with discussions of what the other 
  cars look like, or the advertising along the road. 
  But if the PCs are in a chase scene and run a car 
  full of Chinese hatchetmen oﬀ  the road, that’s a 
  perfect time to have an angry Chinaman doubled 
  over a Burma-Shave sign in defeat (“But A Man’s 
  No Peach”). If another PC decides to photograph 
  some natives holding up the body of a slain Hima-
  layan Ape-Man, you can safely discuss the native’s 
  startled reaction to the burst of the oversized 
  ﬂ ashbulb (ﬂ ash powder, mercifully, went out with 
  the Twenties).
  Tiny details, sprinkled occasionally into descrip-
  tion, propagate dramatically in each player’s imagi-
  nation. Have faith in that eﬀ ect, and you’ll ﬁ nd the 
  right measure with little trouble.
  SOUNDING THE PART
  A more constant period detail is mode of 
  speech. While the fedoras and jodhpurs paint 
  themselves into every player’s imagination without 
  much maintenance, sounding the part is a vital fea-
  ture of Pulp-era roleplaying.
  Use the slang glossary (in the Appendix) occa-
  sionally and carefully, lest the game descend rapidly 
  toward camp comedy. A character who uses slang 
  in every sentence is screwy, and how! Th at’s a char-
  acter a Pulp writer would use to demonstrate low 
  intelligence, or membership in the “vagrant classes” 
  (same thing, to some). Fit the density of slang to 
  the brains and standing of the speaker:  small-time 
  street informants use a lot, beat cops and sailors 
  use a little, businessmen try it on for size when they 
  let their hair down (it rarely ﬁ ts), and bespectacled 
  professors and serious globetrotting hunters try 
  never to touch the stuﬀ .
  Beyond slang, there are distinct rhythms to 
  speech in the Th irties, and there are some ordinary 
  words that are more common. Th e language is less 
  ironic, for starters, and less watered-down by gener-
  ations of shopworn emphatics. When someone says 
  something is “fantastic” or “incredible” they really 
  do mean that it deﬁ es belief or rational understand-
  ing. When someone says something is “ﬁ ne” they 
  mean it’s excellent; the term doesn’t yet serve as a 
  stand-in for “acceptable.” Th e lack of irony extends 
  to humor (jokes are more innocent, even the bla-
  tantly racist ones), and plotlines (dramatic ironies 
  utterly fail to pile atop one another).
  Th e homework for this particular GMing skill 
  is fun:  watch old movies and matinee serials, and 
  (best of all) listen to old-time radio programs. Don’t 
  limit yourself to heroic adventure stories; rent some 
  George Cukor ﬁ lms and listen to variety and music 
  programming, especially shows that bring on guests 
  to chat — a cinema star speaking casually with a 
  variety-show hostess speaks more naturally than in 
  the movies. With a just a few hours of ﬁ lm and radio, 
  most GMs can develop a pretty good ear for the dif-
  ferent modes of dialogue (and usually walk away 
  with an armload of adventure ideas as a bonus).
  HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE VERSUS FUN
  If you get six literate people sitting around a 
  gaming table, you’ll get six diﬀ erent sets of knowl-
  edge about history. Pulp Hero gamers must cultivate 
  a healthy (that is to say, casual) attitude toward 
  historicity. For sanity’s sake, forgive your players if 
  they don’t know something you know... if they go 
  to stuﬀ  a dead body in the trunk of their 1933 Ford 
  Sedan, gently (gently!) remind them that sedans 
  didn’t normally have trunks just yet (coupes did) 
  and that someone will need to sit with the corpse in 
  the back seat. Th e characters already know this, so 
  there’s no cause for any players to be embarrassed 
  about it; just re-wind a bit. Keep things casual, and 
  they’ll extend you the same courtesy if you have 
  them ﬂ ying out of an airport that won’t be built 
  until the Sixties.
  In short:  knowledge of the period is useful, but 
  not absolutely vital; emphasis on knowledge to the 
  point where it interferes with the fun is wrong. If 
  it helps, bear in mind that many prosperous Pulp 
  writers had a pretty weak grasp of their own time 
  (especially when the action moved overseas). Seen 
  that way, getting a detail wrong is just another way 
  of getting it right....
  Continued from last page
  Part 3:  More problems 
  beset the hero, but he 
  starts to make some 
  progress and corners 
  the villain or an impor-
  tant NPC in a physical 
  struggle. End this sec-
  tion with yet another 
  plot twist “in which the 
  hero preferably gets it in 
  the neck bad[.]”
  Part 4:  “Shovel the dif-
  ﬁ culties more thickly 
  upon the hero[]” until 
  he’s practically buried 
  in them. Th en, using his 
  own skills, abilities, or 
  prowess, he frees him-
  self from his diﬃ  culties. 
  Any mysteries remain-
  ing get cleared up in a 
  ﬁ nal confrontation with 
  the villain, and there’s 
  a ﬁ nal plot twist for 
  ﬂ avor (such as the vil-
  lain turning out to be an 
  old friend). Th en close 
  on a snappy ending or 
  punchline.
  Some other useful tid-
  bits of advice from the 
  “Dent metaplot”:
  “Build your plots so that 
  action can be continu-
  ous.”
  “Action:  Vivid, swift , no 
  words wasted. Create 
  suspense, make the 
  reader see and feel the 
  action.”  “Atmosphere:  
  Hear, smell, see, feel, 
  and taste.”  “Description:  
  Trees, wind, scenery, and 
  water.”
  
  344 ■ Gamemastering Pulp Hero
  Hero System 5th Edition
  For adventure is an unexpected thing 
  with golden teeth and opal eyes. It can 
  appear this instant, offering opportunity 
  and terror. You need not wait. It scratches 
  at the door.
  —Robert Sampson, Yesterday’s Faces, 
  Vol. 5
  C
  hapter One reviewed the major Pulp 
  Hero subgenres and elements, with brief 
  discussion of how to emulate them (and 
  the general Pulp “feel”) and use them in 
  your game. Th is chapter provides even more details 
  about GMing Pulp Hero — everything from how to 
  set up and manage a campaign to creating enjoy-
  able and memorable adversaries and NPCs. Game-
  masters interested in further advice about GMing 
  in general can also consult the GMing sections of 
  the HERO System 5th Edition, Revised, Champions, 
  and other HERO System genre books, as well as 
  plenty of generic references on the art and science 
  of GMing roleplaying games. Even though those 
  sources aren’t speciﬁ c to Pulp Hero, many of the 
  suggestions and ideas they contain apply to any 
  HERO System campaign.
  CHARACTER GUIDELINES
  Th e ﬁ rst thing to consider, usually even before 
  you set pen to paper to create your Pulp Hero 
  world, is the nature and power of the PCs. As the 
  protagonists of the campaign, the characters who 
  occupy center stage all the time, the PCs have a 
  greater eﬀ ect on the game than any other factor.
  Th e player characters’ level of power, and thus 
  the type of characters you can expect players to 
  create, depends largely on how many Character 
  Points the players build them on. A game where 
  you allow players to build 200- or 250-point char-
  acters provides you with a wider range of PC types 
  and abilities than one with 100- or 150-point char-
  acters — but it’s also likely to increase any problems 
  you may have challenging the PCs and maintaining 
  game balance. When deciding how many points 
  PCs can start with, you should consider the follow-
  ing issues:
  SUBGENRE
  First, what subgenre(s) does your campaign 
  emulate? Some of them (such as the more “realis-
  tic” Detective and Air Adventure tales) work best 
  with low-powered characters, while others (many 
  Globetrotting Adventure and Crimebusting games) 
  need higher-powered PCs to get the right “feel” for 
  the campaign. Th ese are just guidelines, though 
  — there’s no reason you can’t have high-powered 
  PCs in an otherwise “realistic” campaign.
  HEROES VERSUS THE WORLD
  How do you want the PCs to compare to the 
  world around them? Low-powered heroes may 
  have trouble dealing with hoodlums, Nazi soldiers, 
  and similar opponents. On the opposite end of the 
  spectrum, heroes as powerful as Doc Savage or the 
  Shadow may be able to aﬀ ect the course of entire 
  nations or regions. If the PCs can easily dispense 
  with everyday opposition, that colors their percep-
  tion of the world and inﬂ uences their role within it.
  Th ink about the types of adventures you want 
  to run and what you expect the PCs to do over the 
  course of the campaign. Th at tells you a lot about 
  the type of PCs that best ﬁ t your game. For example; 
  if you plan for a mostly urban-based Crimebusting 
  campaign that focuses on the mob, unscrupulous 
  businessmen, and the occasional Oriental master-
  mind, you want your PCs to regard the average street 
  criminal as a threat — if the heroes are signiﬁ cantly 
  more powerful than that, your scenarios won’t pose 
  much of a challenge to them. While any one PC 
  should be more powerful and skilled than any one 
  typical thug (they are the heroes of the story, aft er 
  all!), two or three thugs should probably be a match 
  for a PC. On the other hand, in a campaign where 
  the Crimebusting PCs routinely face powerful and 
  resourceful crimelords and their criminal empires, or 
  in Globetrotting Adventure campaigns of epic scope, 
  you’ll probably want the PCs to be more competent 
  and have more abilities.
  POWER LEVELS AND EFFECTIVENESS 
  CEILINGS
  You should decide whether you want to impose 
  restrictions on the amount of power, CVs, Skills, 
  and the like that characters can have. Characters 
  built on large numbers of points may not be nearly 
  as powerful as those points imply if you limit 
  what they can spend points on. What matters for 
  a Pulp Hero campaign is not the amount of points 
  involved, but what characters can buy with them.
  In a Pulp Hero context, point ceilings — restric-
  tions on how many Active Points a power or ability 
  can have — usually aren’t appropriate. While it’s 
  possible to restrict the Active Points in weapons 
  or characters’ Heroic Talents, in most cases that’s 
  neither necessary nor “realistic.” Powerful weap-
  ons are readily available to most Pulp Hero PCs 
  because they existed in the real world and gamers 
  know they existed, so imposing artiﬁ cial restric-
  tions on the “power” of weapons usually harms the 
  
  345 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Six
  campaign’s “feel.” A better solution is to ﬁ nd plau-
  sible in-game reasons to restrict characters’ access 
  to equipment, such as cost, availability, or legality. 
  Similarly, many Heroic Talents and like abilities, 
  while powerful, tend to be heavily Limited, making 
  them less problematic than their Active Points 
  might otherwise indicate.
  Eﬀ ectiveness ceilings — restrictions on char-
  acters’ CVs, DEXs, Skill rolls, Combat Skill Levels, 
  DCs, or the like — are more common in Pulp Hero 
  games than point ceilings. An eﬀ ectiveness ceiling 
  helps you control the PCs’ overall power, making it 
  easy for you to know what can challenge them and 
  what can’t. It also encourages characters to broaden 
  and diversify their abilities, since the ceiling stops 
  them from spending all their Experience Points on 
  the same things game aft er game. But eﬀ ectiveness 
  ceilings can lead to problems of their own. First, 
  they may restrict the types of weapons and Weird 
  Science gadgets characters can use (since simulat-
  ing some weapons properly requires a lot of DCs), 
  and that may not make sense, “realistically.” Second, 
  over the course of a long campaign, you may wind 
  up with a lot of characters who look identical to 
  each other, or who try to ﬁ nd ways around the 
  eﬀ ectiveness ceiling even when those ways make no 
  sense given their character concepts. You may need 
  to increase the ceiling slowly over the course of 
  the campaign, at least in one or two areas for each 
  character type (for example, maybe you allow mar-
  tial artists and aviators to buy more DEX and SPD 
  than other characters can, and gun experts more 
  Range Skill Levels).
  Normal Characteristic Maxima
  Intertwined with the concept of eﬀ ectiveness 
  ceilings are the Normal Characteristic Maxima 
  rules, which impose a sort of ceiling on how many 
  points characters can spend on Characteristics. 
  See page 252 for further discussion of the eﬀ ect of 
  Normal Characteristic Maxima and how you can 
  vary it to achieve the appropriate level of power for 
  PCs in your campaign.
  EXPERIENCE POINTS AND CHARACTER 
  GROWTH
  You should also consider how, and how fast, you 
  want the characters to grow in competence and 
  power. If you’re planning a long-term campaign 
  with frequent game sessions and generous Experi-
  ence Point awards, building PCs with a relatively 
  small amount of Character Points doesn’t cause as 
  many problems, since the players know their char-
  acters will become more powerful at a fairly steady 
  pace. On the other hand, if you can’t run game 
  sessions on a regular basis, or you prefer to control 
  character growth by minimizing the number of 
  Experience Points you award, it may work better if 
  the PCs start out fairly powerful. Otherwise they’re 
  likely to become aggravated when they constantly 
  run up against situations their characters should 
  be able to cope with, but can’t because they don’t 
  yet have the points to buy all the Knowledge Skills, 
  Talents, and abilities they should have based on 
  character conception.
  Generally speaking, a Pulp Hero character built 
  on, say, 150 Character Points plus 150 Experience 
  Points tends to be better developed than a starting 
  character built on 300 Character Points. Th e latter 
  character probably has a larger attack, or more 
  attacks, but the experienced character is more well-
  rounded as a person. Th e gradual acquisition of 
  Experience Points leads to diﬀ erent spending pat-
  terns than giving a player a large lump of Character 
  Points to spend all at once. Starting at relatively 
  lower power levels, but building over the course of 
  the campaign, may be the best approach for many 
  Pulp Hero games.
  Weird Abilities In Pulp Hero
  While Pulp Hero games are technically 
  grounded in a setting that’s very similar to the “real 
  world,” the “Pulp World” is a far cry from real life. 
  Pulp characters don’t normally possess superpow-
  ers like Champions characters do, but they some-
  times have fairly potent mystic or psychic powers... 
  not to mention access to all sorts of Weird Science 
  gadgetry. You need to decide what sort of “weird” or 
  paranormal abilities are appropriate for your cam-
  paign. Some — self-powered Flight or Desolidi-
  ﬁ cation, for example — are clearly out of bounds. 
  Others — slightly enhanced senses, a few extra 
  inches of Leaping — may not cause problems.
  Th e Evil Th at Men do
   Weird powers are generally more appropriate 
  for villains and NPCs than for player characters. 
  Th e PCs are the central ﬁ gures in any campaign 
  — all of the action revolves around them. If you 
  let them have powers that are too far beyond the 
  pale, those powers become a central part of the 
  campaign, and aﬀ ect many aspects of it that would 
  ordinarily remain untouched.
  Villains and NPCs, on the other hand, are tran-
  sient aspects of a campaign. Th ey appear brieﬂ y, 
  then get killed, go to prison, or simply fade into the 
  background until they have another plot ready to 
  spring on the unsuspecting city. Giving an adversary 
  a weird ability or two doesn’t have nearly as great an 
  aﬀ ect on the campaign setting as the same power 
  would in the hands of a PC. And a person with a 
  Weird ability makes an interesting change of pace 
  and a tough opponent for non-superpowered PCs.
  MYSTIC ABILITIES
  Magic and mystical powers of the sort depicted 
  in most comic books and Fantasy novels and games 
  — ﬂ ashy, powerful, quickly-cast spells — are inap-
  propriate for most Pulp Hero campaigns. But not all 
  magic works like that. Some magic is dark, brood-
  ing, mysterious, and deadly — perfect for Pulp 
  Hero, especially if you’re running a Weird Menace 
  or Horror campaign.
  Here’s how magic should work in Pulp Hero:
  ■ It should be complex and diﬃ  cult to use:  Rather 
  than just shouting out a few words, the Pulp 
  Hero mystic has to spend hours meditating, or 
  must engage in elaborate preparations — in 
  other words, bringing his abilities to bear takes 
  
  346 ■ Gamemastering Pulp Hero
  Hero System 5th Edition
  eﬀ ort. Oft en it also requires a lot of time, and 
  the assistance of others (i.e., it’s “ritual magic”). 
  For example, performing a human sacriﬁ ce is a 
  classic type of preparation required for spells of 
  black magic.
  ■ It should be unreliable and dangerous:  Pulp Hero 
  magic is not foolproof; it oft en fails to work. 
  In HERO System terms, you can represent this 
  with Limitations like Activation Roll, Concen-
  tration, and Requires A Skill Roll. Furthermore, 
  Pulp Hero magic is oft en as dangerous to the 
  user as to his target — magical backlashes may 
  occur, summoned demons may turn on their 
  summoners, and so forth. Limitations such as 
  Side Eﬀ ects represent this. Be creative with Side 
  Eﬀ ects and other problems associated with 
  magic; a tricky, long-lasting curse of some sort is 
  a lot more fun than a simple Drain STUN.
  ■ It should be mysterious:  Very few people can 
  successfully practice magic; for every true 
  wizard there are dozens of charlatans or people 
  who think they’re wizards, but actually have very 
  little idea what they’re doing (or about the con-
  sequences of their actions!).
  ■ It should be dark and evil:  Th e “good guys” 
  rarely use magic. It’s a tool of evil men, those 
  who scheme and plot in the shadows instead 
  of facing their opponents in a “fair” ﬁ ght. Even 
  PCs who study magic and mysticism should 
  recognize that using it puts one’s soul in peril, 
  and that it’s a tool they should turn to with the 
  greatest reluctance.
  You should impose similar standards on 
  innately magical creatures, such as werewolves and 
  vampire characters (if you allow them to exist at 
  all). Th ese types of characters ﬁ t into many Pulp 
  Hero games very well — they’re dark, moody, mys-
  terious creatures of the shadows, and usually quite 
  dangerous. Th ey’re especially eﬀ ective if experts 
  have developed quasi-scientiﬁ c, pseudo-realistic 
  rationales for their abilities.
  PSYCHIC POWERS
  Comic book-style mental powers have no place 
  in Pulp Hero; they ruin the feel of the campaign. 
  But just like magic, in small doses and with “dark” 
  eﬀ ects and feel, psychic abilities may be appropriate 
  for some Pulp games. Here are some guidelines:
  ■ Th ey should be low-powered and/or of limited 
  use:  Except in rare instances, psychic abilities 
  should be low-powered (usually no more than 
  30-40 Active Points) and heavily Limited; Acti-
  vation Roll, Concentration, Extra Time, Gradual 
  Eﬀ ect, Increased Endurance Cost, Requires A 
  Skill Roll, and Side Eﬀ ects are all good restric-
  tions. You might grant exceptions for high-pow-
  ered abilities that are even more Limited (such 
  as mind transference).
  ■ Th ey should rarely, if ever, be usable in combat:  
  Pulp Hero mental powers are not the sort of 
  “battle psionics” common to comics and Science 
  Fiction. Rather, they should remain in the “back-
  ground,” ready for out of combat uses (such 
  as interrogating  a suspect), or should be so 
  slow-acting and subtle that they’re of no use in 
  combat. Th ey may have minor combat uses, but 
  by and large, they’re not intended for ﬁ ghting.
  Th e Psychic Powers on pages 280-87 provide 
  plenty of examples of typical Pulp mental abilities.
  WEIRD SCIENCE
  You also need to consider just how Weird you 
  want the Weird Science in your campaign to be. If 
  you troll through lots of Pulp stories, particularly 
  ones from the Science Fiction pulps, you can ﬁ nd 
  devices that do just about anything:  instant death 
  rays, machines for crossing dimensions and travel-
  ing through time, matter transporters, mind-read-
  ing helmets, you name it. For some campaigns, the 
  entire gamut of Weird Science is fair game — you 
  can let PCs build just about anything that they can 
  justify with Character Points or by spending money 
  and time in the game.
  But in other campaigns, too much Weird Science 
  may be a bad thing. Even in a game where char-
  acters have a lot of personal gadgets and weapons, 
  letting them have teleporters or telepathy helmets 
  may ruin the “feel” of your Pulp Hero game, turning 
  it from a game of heroic action and adventure into 
  one that resembles a comic books superheroes game 
  or cheesy Earth-bound Science Fiction. Weird Sci-
  ence should add to the feel of your Pulp campaign, 
  making it seem more pulpish and fun, not detract 
  from it or change it into something else.
  CAMPAIGN TONE
  A campaign’s tone refers to its morality, real-
  ism, and outlook, and the importance of the player 
  characters.
  MORALITY
  As discussed in Chapter One, Pulp stories usu-
  ally feature a straightforward, black and white 
  morality. Th e good guys are the good guys, and the 
  bad guys are the bad guys, and never the twain shall 
  meet. Even when the good guys take actions that 
  seem extreme and violent by modern standards (as 
  in many of the Bulldog Drummond stories), they 
  do so out of an unshakeable — and correct — belief 
  that they’re doing the right thing.
  Th is last point bears emphasis. Th e moral rela-
  tivism and desultory ethics that aﬄ  ict the modern 
  day are nowhere to be found in the pulps. A Pulp 
  hero knows he’s in the right. He may sometimes 
  worry about whether he can save the day in time, 
  but he never, ever ﬁ nds himself plagued by doubts 
  about whether he’s doing the right thing. He’s a 
  hero, and there are bad people out there, and that 
  means it’s his duty to stop them.
  Of course, you can shift  to a more “shades of grey” 
  morality if you want to. Th at would be appropriate for 
  some types of games (such as campaigns emphasizing 
  detective work, espionage, or war), and even the most 
  pulpish of Pulp Hero games could feature a traitor or 
  NPC of dubious morality from time to time.
  
  347 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Six
  REALISM
  On the scale of “realistic” to “romantic” (with the 
  latter term used in its dramatic sense, meaning unre-
  alistic, given to the outrageous and improbable in 
  the name of storytelling, excitement, and fun), most 
  Pulp Hero games fall ﬁ rmly in the “romantic” camp. 
  Detective stories and a few similar subgenres go in 
  for realism, but otherwise it’s romance all the way. 
  Pulp stories and games deﬁ nitely give a passing nod 
  to realism, since they’re usually set in the “real world” 
  of the time, but that’s as far as it goes. Th e incred-
  ible coincidences, heroic luck, and dramatically 
  appropriate actions that dominate the genre veer a 
  good bit away from the realistic; Weird Science oft en 
  goes even further. So don’t worry too much about 
  just how contagious smallpox might be, or what 
  eﬀ ects the Depression has on some aspect of your 
  campaign; those are matters for everyday life, not the 
  chronicles of Pulp adventurers!
  OUTLOOK
  “Outlook” refers to the overall perspective of a 
  campaign — optimistic or pessimistic. Pulp Hero is 
  most deﬁ nitely optimistic — the PCs know they’re 
  in the right, expect things to turn for the best in the 
  end (provided they try their hardest to make that 
  happen, of course!), and they know there’s always 
  some hope for victory or success even when things 
  seem darkest. Don’t diverge from this too much 
  (unless you’re running a Detective campaign, or the 
  like); it’s one of the core elements of the Pulp “feel.”
  IMPORTANCE OF THE HEROES
  Last, but perhaps most crucially, how important 
  are the PCs? Obviously in any campaign the char-
  acters are the focus of the story, but how important 
  are they within the campaign world? Can they aﬀ ect 
  the outcome of major events, such as wars? Typi-
  cally Pulp heroes are pretty important (some, such 
  as Doc Savage, are world-famous and universally 
  respected by everyone... except for evildoers). Th e 
  answer may depend on your campaign’s subgenre; 
  a private eye in a Detective campaign may, at best, 
  be able to keep himself out of jail — he can’t even 
  inﬂ uence the city, much less country or world.
  CAMPAIGN TYPES
  Aft er considering the basics described above, 
  you need to decide on the type of campaign you 
  want to run. Oft en one decision leads to another; 
  an Espionage game probably focuses on themes of 
  Patriotism, Power, and/or Preserving Th e Good, not 
  on Justice or Money.
  Subgenre
  Chapter One describes the various Pulp Hero 
  subgenres. Each subgenre has beneﬁ ts and draw-
  backs from a gaming perspective; keeping these 
  in mind as you create a campaign should let you 
  maximize the former, and minimize the latter.
  AIR ADVENTURE
  Th e main issue you have to decide when planning 
  an Air Adventure campaign is whether it takes place 
  during the Great War (like most Air Adventure sto-
  ries do) or in some other period (such as the Th ir-
  ties). Making the campaign a “Great War game” deﬁ -
  nitely gives the heroes something to do (win the war) 
  and a foe to ﬁ ght (the Germans, or as Air Adventure 
  
  348 ■ Gamemastering Pulp Hero
  Hero System 5th Edition
  stories usually prefer to call them, “the Boche”). On 
  the other hand, setting the campaign several years 
  before the beginning of the main Pulp era renders 
  a lot of the information in this book irrelevant and 
  may restrict the scope of the campaign. For many 
  GMs, a better approach is to use a conﬂ ict in the 
  Th irties (such as the situation in China) as a theater 
  for the PCs, to create a ﬁ ctional 1930s war for them 
  to ﬁ ght in, or to make them some sort of special unit 
  that ﬂ ies around the world confronting various men-
  aces in a campaign that mingles the Air and Globe-
  trotting forms of Adventure.
  CRIMEBUSTING
  Crimebusting is one of the two most popular 
  Pulp subgenres for Pulp Hero campaigns (the other 
  being Globetrotting Adventure). Since it in a sense 
  combines Pulp with a touch of Champions or Dark 
  Champions, it resonates on many levels. However, 
  you have to make sure that you structure the cam-
  paign properly for a group of heroes, rather than 
  just one. Th e Crimebusting pulps mainly featured 
  a single powerful hero, like the Shadow, the Spider, 
  or the Phantom Detective. You have to plan for a 
  group of PCs, either by making them suﬃ  ciently 
  low-powered that they can’t easily overwhelm your 
  villains (as with the Secret Six), or by using a cam-
  paign framework such as Operatives (see below).
  Th e typical outline and elements of a Crime-
  busting story go like this:
  1.  A criminal mastermind of great power, and per-
  haps in command of legions of lesser crooks or an 
  entire underground empire, plans a scheme of great 
  cruelty and evil. Oft en this involves taking control 
  of the city’s underworld and making it even more 
  dangerous, taking over the city itself, or killing huge 
  numbers of people for some reason.
  2.  In less over-the-top Crimebusting stories, the 
  plot usually begins with a series of murders of men 
  that share some common, but not immediately 
  obvious, bond. For example, they might once have 
  belonged to the same unit in the Great War, or were 
  all partners in a secret business arrangement. Th eir 
  activities as part of this group are what attract the 
  attention of the criminal mastermind — either 
  they have something he wants (knowledge or a 
  resource), or he’s seeking revenge for some wrong 
  he thinks they once did. Th is type of plot is oft en 
  seen in Shadow stories.
  3.  In over-the-top Crimebusting stories, the plot 
  usually starts with a bang — literally. Th e criminal 
  mastermind launches his grand scheme with a 
  major crime, such as several bombings that take 
  place simultaneously across the city, a series of 
  carefully-timed bank and jewelry robberies, or 
  causing some catastrophe (e.g., deliberately wreck-
  ing a passenger plane). Th is type of plot is oft en 
  seen in Spider stories.
  4.  Aft er the initial crime or series of crimes, which 
  draw the hero’s attention, investigation commences. 
  Th e hero looks into the situation, attempting to 
  discover the common link between the victims or 
  the broad outline of the villain’s plan so he can ﬁ nd 
  his adversary and/or thwart his next move. In some 
  cases, the hero has help with his investigation:  a 
  group of agents who’ve sworn loyalty to him; one 
  or two favored followers; and almost always a sym-
  pathetic policeman (or police commissioner) who 
  realizes only the hero can stand against the crimi-
  nal mastermind.
  5.  Along the way the hero and/or his assistants 
  suﬀ er setbacks, are taken prisoner and escape, and 
  so forth. Th ese scenes help to lengthen the story, 
  giving the criminal mastermind the time to com-
  plete most of his plot, leading up to...
  6.  Th e Big Climax, in which the hero confronts the 
  criminal mastermind (sometimes for the ﬁ rst time), 
  defeats him, and smashes his scheme.
  DETECTIVE
  As mentioned in Chapter One, the Detec-
  tive subgenre oft en doesn’t adapt well to gaming 
  — Detective characters work alone, and gaming is a 
  group activity involving a team of heroes. To make 
  it work, you need to structure the mysteries to allow 
  for a group of PCs. For example, you can’t rely on 
  distracting the hero with an event on one side of 
  town while part of the mystery unfolds on the other 
  side of town, since a team of detectives can split up 
  and cover all the bases. If you’re going to create a 
  distraction, it has to be something that aﬀ ects all the 
  PCs (such as having the cops call them in for a stern 
  warning, or even arresting them).
  A lone murderer may not cut it if you’ve got a 
  group of detectives as PCs. One killer is an accept-
  able adversary for one gumshoe, but a group of PCs 
  will probably overwhelm a single foe easily during 
  the big shootout at the climax of the scenario. Th e 
  opponent either has to be a group itself (such as an 
  evil cult), or you need to veer more into Crimebust-
  ing by creating a criminal mastermind-style villain.
  In a Detective campaign you also need to have 
  a good reason for a group of private eyes to work 
  together. Perhaps they’re partners in a detective 
  agency — or, if they’re cops rather than “conﬁ -
  dential agents,” maybe their superiors put them 
  together (as with the Suicide Squad).
  GLOBETROTTING ADVENTURE
  “Well,” said Doc Savage, ill at ease, “I guess 
  you would call our profession righting 
  wrongs and punishing evildoers, going to 
  the far corners of the earth if necessary.”
  “That sounds silly,” said Fiesta.
  The bronze man made no reply to that.
  —Kenneth Robeson, The Flaming Fal-
  cons, in Doc Savage Magazine, June 
  1939
  In a Globetrotting Adventure story, the charac-
  ters typically spend a lot of time traveling through 
  the wilderness, encountering and evading its vari-
  ous dangers (hostile natives, the environment itself, 
  wild animals, cultists that seek to prevent them 
  from discovering a long-lost sacred site, and so on), 
  and perhaps coming to grips with a master villain 
  or two. On another level, one deeper than many 
  ADVICE FROM 
  THE MASTERS:  
  FRANK GRUBER
  Here’s what pulpster 
  Frank Gruber has to say 
  about creating mystery 
  stories:
  “Over a period of time 
  I evolved a formula for 
  mystery short stories. It 
  consisted of eleven ele-
  ments. With these eleven 
  elements in a mystery 
  plot I could not miss. ... 
  [B]y putting them down 
  one at a time I became 
  conscious of them. Once 
  I had worked out these 
  eleven elements, the 
  job of coming up with 
  plots for mystery stories 
  was greatly simpliﬁ ed. 
  ... [G]et them all into a 
  story and you cannot 
  miss.
  “Here are the eleven 
  elements:
  1.  Colorful hero
  2.  Th eme
  3.  Villain
  4.  Background
  5.  Murder method
  6.  Motive
  7.  Clue
  8.  Trick
  9.  Action
  10.  Climax
  11.  Emotion”
  
  349 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Six
  Pulp stories attained, the characters also engage in 
  a spiritual journey, discovering things about them-
  selves as they uncover the secrets of the unexplored 
  land around them.
  Th e typical outline and elements of a Globetrot-
  ting Adventure story follow this pattern:
  1.  Th e heroes receive word of some wondrous 
  thing, intriguing location, wrong to be righted, or 
  valuable item in a distant and diﬃ  cult to reach 
  location. Th is may come in the form of ﬁ nding 
  a crumbling old map in a library book, getting a 
  report of an amazing discovery from an archaeolo-
  gist friend, hearing that an old comrade has gone 
  missing in a certain area, or the like. Most oft en 
  their destination is Africa, but South America, the 
  Australian outback, the South Seas, and the interior 
  of nearly any part of Asia work just as well. 
  2.  Determined to obtain the wondrous thing or see 
  the wondrous sights, the heroes begin their expedi-
  tion. First they carefully prepare by obtaining the 
  necessary supplies, hiring guides and translators, 
  and so forth. Aft er they set out, the early stages of 
  the trip are marked by various diﬃ  culties:  foul 
  weather; dangerous animals; hostile natives; or all 
  of the above and more. Th ese dangers whittle down 
  the party, killing oﬀ  some supporting NPCs and 
  driving others away.
  3.  A transition occurs:  something happens that 
  leads the PCs to the rest of the adventure (which 
  oft en takes place in a lost land or long-forgotten 
  city). Possible transitions include natural disasters 
  that send the PCs into a lost land they otherwise 
  would never ﬁ nd (e.g., a landslide or typhoon), 
  being taken prisoner by hostile natives and carried 
  back to their secret kingdom, rescuing someone 
  who leads them to the lost land, or using the pre-
  liminary clues they already have to track down a 
  major clue that leads them to their ultimate goal.
  During the second or third stages of a Globe-
  trotting Adventure, the heroes may encounter a 
  helpful native and win him to their side by treating 
  him favorably. “Favorable treatment” ranges from 
  dealing with him with respect and courtesy, to 
  saving him from starvation, a wild beast, pursuing 
  enemies, or other life-threatening perils. Th e grate-
  ful NPC oﬀ ers his assistance and helps the PCs 
  navigate the dramatic rapids soon to come. He may 
  even be what draws them into the main part of the 
  adventure. For example, if a PC saves a native prin-
  cess, that may mean by her peoples’ customs that 
  they’re now engaged, which angers other potential 
  suitors and puts the PCs smack in the middle of a 
  local political conﬂ ict.
  4.  Once the PCs are in the lost land or wherever 
  they were going, events rapidly move toward con-
  clusion. Th eir arrival changes things, prompting a 
  social or political upheaval that pits two sides or 
  factions against each other. Th e PCs, with a Pulp 
  hero’s unerring sense for right and wrong, pick the 
  Good Guys and weigh in on their side, tipping the 
  balance in their favor. In the end, peace and jus-
  tice are restored. Th e heroes head home knowing 
  they’ve done well, and typically weighed down with 
  gift s from the people they saved.
  
  350 ■ Gamemastering Pulp Hero
  Hero System 5th Edition
  WEIRD MENACE
  As with Detective stories, Weird Menace tales 
  don’t always make good inspiration for Pulp Hero 
  gaming. Th e protagonist of a Weird Menace story is 
  usually an ordinary person, not a strong hero with 
  many abilities — the menace frightens and easily 
  confounds him (at ﬁ rst) because he’s so powerless. 
  Most gamers don’t want to play such mundane 
  characters, and the typical Pulp hero can easily 
  smash through standard Weird Menace plots. To 
  make them work in a gaming context, you oft en 
  need to ratchet up the “weirdness factor,” giving 
  the villain lots of gadgets or eerie powers so he and 
  his followers can put up a good ﬁ ght. Or you can 
  simply include Weird Menace elements and motifs 
  in other types of adventures.
  Campaign Framework
  Th e “framework” of a campaign refers to the 
  overall organizing principle of the campaign — to 
  put it in simpler terms, who the PCs work for and 
  why they work together. Teams of heroes don’t just 
  coalesce for no reason. In fact, in the pulps, they 
  rarely coalesce at all:  most Pulp heroes work alone, 
  which means you may need to explain why your 
  PCs aren’t following their lead. Some of the pos-
  sibilities include:
  FREELANCE HEROES
  As a sort of default, the heroes come together 
  because as a team they can oppose enemies and 
  investigate mysteries that none of them could 
  handle together. In essence, the whole is greater 
  than the sum of the parts. Th e Four Just Men and 
  the Secret Six both ﬁ t this mold.
  Ideally, you and the players should have at least 
  a vague idea of what brought the heroes together 
  in the ﬁ rst place — an early adventure they col-
  laborated on, a common background element, or 
  the like. (You could make the ﬁ rst adventure of the 
  campaign the one that unites them, if you prefer.) 
  As the campaign goes on, you can embroider on 
  the basic background, introducing other elements 
  and details much in the same way the pulps devel-
  oped long-running series characters. For example, 
  maybe you and a player can devise a subplot where 
  it turns out the name the other PCs call him is an 
  alias, and the personal history they know is a fabri-
  cation. Now the hero’s past is coming back to haunt 
  him and he has to reveal the truth to his friends.
  GOVERNMENT AGENTS
  Like the Suicide Squad, a squadron of aviators, 
  or a squad of Foreign Legionnaires, the PCs may 
  all work for the same government agency. Th is is 
  a quick and easy way to tie the team together, and 
  also gives you the leverage to make them go where 
  you want them to go and do what you want them 
  to do. On the other hand, working for an army or 
  the FBI may restrict the PCs, preventing them from 
  being as truly freewheeling as Pulp heroes tend to 
  be. Unless the PCs are all of equal rank and author-
  ity, you may also have to deal with the potential 
  problem of having one PC be in a position to give 
  other PCs orders.
  MERCENARIES
  Th e heroes are a team of adventurers who work 
  for money (even if, in best Pulp tradition, they 
  oft en forego their fee or donate it to charity). In a 
  military-oriented campaign they might be merce-
  naries in the traditional sense; in other games they 
  might resemble a special detective agency, a Mission 
  Impossible-like team of spies, or the like.
  OPERATIVES
  Th e most common “team” arrangement seen 
  in the single-hero pulps is the group of operatives, 
  agents, assistants, or companions that accompany 
  the main hero. Th e Shadow has his corps of agents 
  (Harry Vincent, Cliﬀ  Marsland, Moe Schrevnitz, 
  et al.); Doc Savage has his ﬁ ve boon companions 
  (Monk, Ham, Renny, Long Tom, and Johnny); the 
  Spider has the help of his ﬁ ancee Nita Van Sloan, 
  his manservant Ram Singh, his chauﬀ eur Jackson, 
  the inventor Professor Brownlee, and others.
  In a campaign using this framework, the PCs 
  aren’t the “main hero” at all. Th ey’re the hero’s 
  operatives and assistants, doing the dirty work he 
  can’t tackle because he’s only one man. For the most 
  part they work independently, following the orders 
  he gives them, getting into and out of scrapes, and 
  ﬁ ghting the minions of the main villain. Th ey may 
  not see their “boss” frequently (this is particularly 
  true in a gaming context), since he’s got bigger 
  ﬁ sh to fry and needs them to fend for themselves 
  instead of relying on him all the time.
  As a campaign framework, Operatives has some 
  real advantages. It gives the PCs a solid reason to 
  work together, distinct and easily-deﬁ ned mis-
  sions to perform and goals to achieve, and access 
  to an important resource (the “main hero”) who 
  can provide them with information and that most 
  pulpish form of assistance, the last-second rescue. 
  Like Government Agents, it also gives you a way to 
  keep them on track — if they’re not doing the right 
  thing, their boss gives them the orders needed to 
  make the story ﬂ ow properly.
  But Operatives also has some major drawbacks. 
  No matter how much you de-emphasize the “main 
  hero,” the PCs are still second bananas to him, and 
  few players enjoy playing characters that are con-
  stantly overshadowed by an NPC. If you structure 
  the adventures so the PCs don’t need the “main 
  hero’s” help, or get to confront the villain themselves, 
  they may soon start to wonder why they’re working 
  for him. In short:  unless the players are all comfort-
  able with playing characters in the role of agent, you 
  should think carefully about using this framework.
  
  351 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Six
  Y
  our job as GM doesn’t end when you 
  create the campaign and develop the set-
  ting. Quite the reverse:  now you have to 
  actually run the games while your players 
  enjoy what you’ve created... and help you ﬂ esh out 
  your quasi-ﬁ ctional universe.
  PRINCIPLES OF PULP 
  ADVENTURE DESIGN
  “We see you are a man of great curiosity. 
  You are more interested in the causes of 
  this — shall we call it adventure — than 
  you are in your personal danger. That is 
  good. We are pleased.”
  —Archie Oboler, “The Murder Game,” 
  Nickel Detective, August 1933
  To explore the cogs and gears of a well-oiled 
  Pulp Hero adventure, this section picks apart one of 
  the most useful Pulp formulae:  the “trouble spot” 
  scenario. In a clearly-deﬁ ned (sometimes isolated) 
  locale, something’s going wrong, with a villain at the 
  heart of it. Th e PCs learn of the problem, and (as 
  outsiders to the troubled area) must learn their way 
  around to make friends, unearth secrets, and cut a 
  path to the villain’s door for the ﬁ nal showdown.
  Th e “trouble spot” adventure is a decorated vet-
  eran of every Pulp subgenre, because it’s an almost 
  foolproof construct, with several concrete advan-
  tages for the overworked Pulp wordsmith (or har-
  ried GM). Th ose most relevant to gaming include:
  The Finite Arena Of Action:  Since the problem’s con-
  tained in a ﬁ nite locale, you can focus on designing 
  and populating it to maximum eﬀ ect. Th is, in turn, 
  grants the players a lot more freedom of action 
  within the locale by making it easier for you to 
  adjudicate creative and unusual tactics.
  The PCs’ Status As Outsiders:  Tensions can begin 
  high; the PCs are on their own and must be 
  resourceful. Th is lays a beautiful foundation for 
  both exploring and roleplaying, since the PCs must 
  learn the environment and/or culture before they 
  can tackle the trouble’s root. Making the locals 
  “foreground” instead of backdrop adds to the 
  formula’s re-usability and makes it child’s play to 
  introduce any ratio of roleplaying to investigation 
  to action that the group enjoys without having to 
  rewrite the adventure on the ﬂ y. It also sets up the 
  potential for a really triumphant climax, as the PCs 
  bring to bear the things they’ve learned and the 
  allies they’ve made to defeat the bad guy.
  Reliable Scalability:  Th e pieces of this particular 
  structure interlock so cleanly, and with so many 
  “ﬂ ex points” where the GM can inject diﬀ erent ele-
  ments or styles, that it’s virtually unbreakable. It can 
  be anything from a straightforward action slugfest 
  to a convoluted and morally challenging mystery 
  while retaining a clear, recognizable shape. Th is 
  makes it easy to manage.
  It Fits Your Available Prep-Time:  It’ll suck up what-
  ever you’ve got, but it doesn’t need much at all. 
  Provided you’ve got some generic NPCs (like those 
  on pages 405-07) handy for the opposition, you can 
  have a ready-to-run adventure with ﬁ ft een minutes 
  of prep and still have time to make a soda run. If 
  you’ve got more time to invest, it’ll reward the eﬀ ort 
  without requiring it.
  Finally, building an adventure of this type dem-
  onstrates nearly every technique necessary to ﬂ esh 
  out other forms of Pulp adventures!
  SCOUTING THE LOCATION, CASTING 
  THE VICTIMS
  You can evoke the atmosphere of the better 
  pulps by beginning with those who suﬀ er the most 
  if the heroes fail. It isn’t even necessary, at this 
  point, to know who the villain might be. Decide, 
  instead, who the PCs might enjoy getting to know 
  this week:  a hoodwinked and heartsick British 
  heiress? Th e men of an underfunded city police 
  department? A group of cheated Irish laborers? A 
  temple full of magic-wielding Tibetan lamas? A 
  good girl who fell in with some bad company? Th e 
  family of an honest scientist who let himself make 
  one terrible, greedy mistake? A tribe of friendly 
  natives helpless before Nazi Weird Science? Th e 
  heart of a Pulp Hero adventure is the people who 
  need the help of the heroes.
  Th e victims automatically suggest a locale, in 
  most cases:  British heiresses oft en lurk somewhere 
  in England, for example. If the PCs haven’t been 
  to Blighty lately, go with that. If England isn’t quite 
  exotic enough for you, there’s no need to discard 
  your choice of victims; just move them somewhere 
  more interesting — maybe that heiress owns a 
  plantation in, say, Kenya. Good girls who fall into 
  bad company sometimes fall into bad company 
  who can aﬀ ord steamship tickets, or who summer 
  in a distant volcanic island lair.
  If you do already have a villain in mind, it can 
  be fun to roleplay the choice of victims from the 
  villain’s own perspective. Steeple your ﬁ ngers, 
  narrow your eyes, and ponder those standing in the 
  way of your plans (or who stands close enough to 
  the way of your plans to be rocked by the wake as 
  
  352 ■ Gamemastering Pulp Hero
  Hero System 5th Edition
  you pass). It’s a useful technique, because the second 
  richest source of drama oft en comes not from the 
  relationship between the heroes and the victims, 
  but between the victims and the villain. Some-
  times, the victims are already suﬀ ering and know 
  it. Sometimes, though, they think the villain is their 
  benefactor, or their defender, or even their charge. 
  Sometimes they’re unaware of the danger, and resist 
  any suggestion that there is some.
  BUBBLE, BUBBLE, TOIL AND TROUBLE
  Villains are central enough to get their very own 
  section (page 372). Once you know who the victims 
  are, it’s time to conjure some evil into the world. 
  You can (once more) rely on your prior decisions 
  to help make this one for you, or at least to oﬀ er a 
  starting point. You can always choose to play the 
  most obvious card (that’s well within the Pulp tra-
  dition!), or decide to mix in something unexpected. 
  Beyond the villain’s identity, the most crucial choice 
  at this stage is how much mystery you intend to 
  place between the villain and the PCs. When the 
  PCs ﬁ rst arrive, will the nature of the problem 
  instantly suggest the villain’s identity and motive?
  In the classic Pulp western version of this plot, the 
  villain’s oft en a scheming landowner or a crooked 
  sheriﬀ  who’s openly abusing, killing, and/or robbing 
  the innocent homesteaders or miners. Th e mystery 
  is minimal or nonexistent — something the PCs can 
  peel away in a single scene so they can skip ahead 
  to the barroom brawls and desperate shootouts. In a 
  Weird Menace or Horror tale, the mystery might take 
  center stage:  the PCs arrive and know something’s 
  wrong (the locals are all mute; all the men over age 
  14 seem to be missing; there are corpses strewn in 
  the streets...), but the trouble doesn’t bear the obvious 
  ﬁ ngerprint of a speciﬁ c villain just yet. If this is the 
  work of a recurring campaign villain in a Crimebust-
  ing campaign, there may be a layer of “dummy” subor-
  dinate villains that seem like the central threat at ﬁ rst.
  THE FINAL INGREDIENT:  INTRODUCING 
  THE HEROES
  Th is sort of adventure doesn’t require much 
  in the way of forced dramatic structure — self-
  contained trouble lets the PCs steer the action in 
  their own way once they’re in the thick of it. Th at 
  means the only “scripted” part of your adventure is 
  the opening scene. Given that, you can spend a few 
  moments punching it up to make it a doozie.
  Suppose, for example, that there’s trouble in the 
  mountains somewhere near the borders of China, 
  Tibet, and Mongolia. Th ere’s a wicked warlord who’s 
  taken over a town and stolen ancient treasures from 
  the temples there. Rumor has it he’s gathering them 
  for an ancient evil that he serves... but maybe he 
  just wants money to fund his army. Th is aft ernoon 
  he’s rounding up a group of locals for punishment:  
  when the poor peasants couldn’t aﬀ ord monetary 
  tribute, the soldiers made crude advances to their 
  daughters, and the girls refused them. Th is reached 
  the ears of the warlord, and he is displeased. He 
  plans to make a public example of the girls.
  Th is isn’t just the adventure’s premise; it’s the 
  ﬁ rst 120 seconds of your gaming session. Th e PCs 
  are there, right now, standing in the town square. 
  Th ere are distant bugles and gongs — the warlord is 
  coming. Th ere are sounds of whips, too, and crying, 
  as the soldiers herd the girls toward the place where 
  the PCs are standing.
  No matter that — just last week — Our Heroes 
  were tussling with an Egyptian madman in Cairo, 
  and (aft er tossing his head-dressed goons in a pile) 
  had been chatting about how nice it would be to 
  return to New York and relax. Th at was then, and 
  this is now. You can establish what has transpired 
  since then — and even their reason for being in 
  the Orient — as the action progresses. All the char-
  acters need to know at ﬁ rst is where they are and 
  what trouble faces them, so they can decide what 
  they’re doing about it. Standing boldly with ﬁ sts 
  at the ready? Disguised as natives and shuﬄ  ing 
  quietly through the crowd? Now’s the time to ask 
  them. Because you’ve presented the situation as 
  immediate, what could have been a bogged-down 
  pre-action planning sequence moves much more 
  briskly, with palpable urgency.
  As the soldiers come into view (and as the scene 
  develops from there), you can establish background 
  details in passing. Th e urgent but cryptic summons 
  of an elderly associate of the British Museum. Th e 
  disarray of his house this morning. His beautiful 
  daughter, crying that they’d not only taken the old 
  man, but also the curious jade seal he’d recently 
  unearthed.... But that was then. Th is is now.
  Th e warlord is now clearly visible. He’s huge, 
  swaggering, with a massive blade at his side. On his 
  neck is a jade pendant of some kind... oddly shaped. 
  Th e seal? Th ere are a dozen soldiers, and as many 
  crying girls, between the PCs and the warlord. One 
  of the soldiers shoves a girl to the ground and kicks 
  her hard in the ribs. What do you do?
  Th is sort of in-the-thick-of-things opener isn’t 
  necessary, but it can be very eﬀ ective. It locks every-
  one’s attention into the game and on each other, 
  inspires immediate cooperation, and sets the tone 
  for action.
  FLESHING IT OUT
  You have, by this point, a gameable adventure 
  skeleton, enough to go on. Simply drop the PCs in 
  and let them tackle things from there. If you’ve got 
  more prep-time to spend, though, there are some 
  good places to spend it:
  Vox Populi:  Develop a handful of colorful NPCs to 
  populate your troubled environment. Th ey needn’t 
  be important people (though they can become so 
  at need), just ﬂ avorful and evocative of the setting. 
  Paint them in broad strokes to make them memo-
  rable and clearly placed in their roles:  the noble 
  savage with an uncanny sense for honesty or evil 
  in strangers; the eﬀ ervescent society girl who says 
  everything is positively this and honestly that; the 
  brusque man with red hair.
  Degrees Of Separation:  Having the PCs “learn their 
  way around” can mean re-assembling an ancient 
  translation device so they can learn Atlantean, con-
  tacting the rebel resistance, discovering the hidden 
  catacombs beneath Chinatown, romancing the 
  villain’s beautiful daughter, convincing the ape-men to 
  
  353 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Six
  trust them, or all of the above. If gaining trust is to be 
  an important part of the adventure, it’s traditional to 
  provide an opportunity for the PCs to rescue someone 
  related to the person whose trust they need.
  Add More Yaks:  If the locale is already exotic, make 
  it moreso. A tussle in an open square in China is 
  excellent, but as long as you’re in the Orient, make 
  it a broad pavilion in front of an aging temple — 
  green tiles, red lacquer with gold trim on the wood 
  appointments, the works. Just a few such details go 
  a long way, of course; select ones the PCs would be 
  most likely to notice or take interest in. If some-
  one in the group is a hunter, mention the fauna. If 
  someone’s a historian, describe the inscriptions. If 
  someone’s a Lothario, make note of how pretty the 
  maidens look in their half-torn dresses.
  Variety Of Action:  Consider the questions the PCs 
  may ask, the speciﬁ c people they’re likely to seek 
  out, and the scenery they’ll expect to see. Now, 
  think of a way to make each one the springboard 
  for either violence, a chase scene, or a rescue.
  Deeper PC Motives:  If you have long-term cam-
  paign goals, a recurring conspiracy, or some other 
  overarching plot, consider ways to weave those 
  things in... or at least to cruelly hint at connections 
  to whet the players’ appetites.
  Themes And Motifs:  Examine your choices in the 
  light of the Peculiarities Of Pulpishness (page 340), 
  and use those as tools to “plus out” the adventure’s 
  details. Everything can be bolder, more perilous, or 
  more lurid, with a moment’s consideration and a 
  willingness to give the nod to anything that makes 
  you chuckle darkly.
  A Moment Of Encouragement:  Th ere’s a venerable 
  Pulp tradition you should observe:  somewhere 
  past the adventure’s middle, if the PCs have done 
  well at making friends and earning regard, the 
  imperiled locals should let them know somehow 
  — they should make the PCs an honorary part of 
  the tribe (literally or otherwise). Th is acknowledg-
  ment of status can take many forms:  a speech 
  from an elder, a party at the pub, the revelation of a 
  secret tunnel the villain doesn’t know about, a feast 
  (where the PCs must pretend not to ﬁ nd the food 
  too strange), or just a really welcoming smooch.
  Aces High:  Another Pulp tradition worth exploring:  
  the PCs should gain edges over the villain as the 
  adventure progresses, both in the form of know-
  ledge (the aforementioned hidden tunnel, an old 
  cache of explosives left  over from the Great War, 
  that the villain is partially blind to his left  side...) 
  and useful allies. One of the best kinds of ally to 
  gain is the ace:  a member of the villain’s own team. 
  To introduce an ace, give the PCs a chance to show 
  mercy to a bad guy, or to demonstrate real heroism 
  when one is watching. Th ey might not know it at 
  the moment, but later, when the chips are down, 
  that “bad guy” will come to their aid, possibly even 
  sacriﬁ cing himself for their cause (or if not, becom-
  ing a recurring contact or even a sidekick). Th e ace 
  can also be created when the villain goes a touch 
  too far and demonstrates how little he cares about 
  his own servants.
  
  354 ■ Gamemastering Pulp Hero
  Hero System 5th Edition
  ADVENTURE STRUCTURE
  Th ere are two main approaches to adventure 
  design:  plotted and unplotted. In a plotted adven-
  ture, you have a speciﬁ c story in mind, which the 
  PCs follow to the climax. In an unplotted adven-
  ture, there is no plot, merely a situation; what hap-
  pens depends entirely on the PCs’ actions. Each 
  method has its advantages and disadvantages.
  PLOTTED ADVENTURES
  Plotted adventures have the great advantage of 
  a satisfying story structure. Th e action builds from 
  the hook to the climax, encounters exist to provide 
  tension or move the story along, and the heroes are 
  at the center of events. You can use all the tricks 
  developed by writers over the past three millen-
  nia:  foreshadowing, suspense, conﬂ ict, jump cut-
  ting, catharsis. You can borrow plots and plot ideas 
  from a vast array of sources, from Shakespeare to 
  a myriad of Pulp stories. You can tailor the opposi-
  tion to the characters’ power level and personalities.
  On the downside, plotted adventures can 
  become too rigid in structure — you know where 
  you want the story to go, so you force the heroes to 
  go there. Players may feel you’re railroading them, 
  or that their actions don’t really have an eﬀ ect. If 
  they suspect you’ll let them succeed regardless of 
  what they do (because story progression requires 
  it), the story loses all suspense and drama — the 
  players start to use “metagame thinking” to deduce 
  the plot and ﬁ gure out what their characters should 
  do, rather than acting as their characters would 
  behave in that situation.
  To avoid the problem of “railroading,” plan 
  out several possible resolutions for the adventure 
  (and for each major scene within the adventure) 
  depending on what the characters do. If the story 
  involves discovering a plot to assassinate the Presi-
  dent, the climax might consist of a battle with the 
  killers or impersonating the President. But no 
  matter how many options you prepare, be ready 
  to abandon all of them when the players think up 
  something you didn’t. Th e most profound truth in 
  gaming is “the players never do what you expect.”
  UNPLOTTED ADVENTURES
  Unplotted adventures, by contrast, have no set 
  storyline. You merely establish a situation and let 
  the players determine the action. Th e situation 
  can be dynamic or passive. In a dynamic situation, 
  things happen and it’s up to the players to cope 
  with them — the enemy is attacking, counterintel-
  ligence agents are closing in on the PCs, or the like. 
  A passive situation is one in which things are stable 
  (at least until the PCs show up) — the Bolsheviks 
  are up to something in India, a gang is robbing 
  banks on the south side of town. In either case, if 
  there are villains, they follow whatever motives 
  you wish to give them, rather than ﬁ lling the role 
  of Antagonist in a story. Th e World exists, running 
  along on its own, and the PCs must make their own 
  decisions about what to do and how to do it.
  Unplotted adventures have the advantage of 
  feeling realistic — aft er all, the real world doesn’t 
  neatly follow classical dramatic structure, and every 
  person is an NPC to other people. Th ey give the 
  players a great deal of inﬂ uence over the course 
  of the adventure, and let them choose to do what 
  they enjoy. If you’ve prepared your campaign well, 
  unplotted adventures are a good way to show oﬀ  
  the scope and depth of your Pulp Hero setting.
  But unplotted adventures have their own 
  disadvantages. Often the action becomes just a 
  series of combats or short-term missions. In a 
  dynamic situation, the players may find it frus-
  trating to be at the mercy of events. The need 
  to either create new encounters on the fly or 
  prepare a vast amount of background and NPCs 
  which you may never use might overwhelm you. 
  Finally, the structure of unplotted adventures 
  can be unsatisfying — the heroes may overcome 
  the main opposition early and spend the rest of 
  their time mopping up underlings, or they fail to 
  acquire crucial information or gear and end up 
  outclassed at the climax.
  Plotted and unplotted adventures aren’t com-
  pletely incompatible. Characters may start out in a 
  seemingly unplotted situation, but encounter vari-
  ous hooks for stories. Depending on which ones 
  they follow up, they can get involved in plotted 
  stories. In the course of going through those story 
  plots, they exist in an unplotted environment, so if 
  they diverge from the story they don’t wander oﬀ  
  into “blank hexes.”
  Plotting
  Th e most dependable basis for an adventure plot 
  is the tried and true three-act structure, familiar 
  from classic plays, comic books, ﬁ lms, and almost 
  every other type of story. Th e ﬁ rst act is the adven-
  ture hook, in which the heroes become involved 
  in the story and encounter initial obstacles. Th e 
  second act presents more obstacles for the heroes 
  to overcome (oft en with an intriguing twist or turn 
  of events), and the third act is the climax and reso-
  lution of the story.
  THE FIRST ACT:  ADVENTURE HOOK
  Adventure hooks come in various forms. Th e 
  simplest is to have an NPC hire or order the heroes 
  to do something — “Aft er you’re seated, the Presi-
  dent/your Masked Crimeﬁ ghter boss/a valued 
  contact arrives and explains what he needs you 
  to do.” Th at’s a standard hook for all sorts of Pulp 
  Hero stories; it’s quick and gets the story moving. 
  Alternately, someone can beg the heroes for help 
  — true Pulp heroes cannot resist such a plea! And 
  of course, the actions of an enemy can draw the 
  heroes into an adventure. Many Shadow and Spider 
  stories begin this way — a criminal mastermind 
  launches the ﬁ rst part of a cruel scheme, and away 
  the story goes.
  Some adventure hooks are situational; almost 
  any circumstance the PCs ﬁ nd themselves in can 
  draw them into an adventure. Being out of money 
  means the heroes need to ﬁ nd a way to earn some 
  cash, so they respond to a mysterious rumor of 
  
  355 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Six
  “help wanted.” Th e heroes are caught in the cross-
  ﬁ re when two rival mobs battle for control over the 
  local labor rackets. Ready, set, go!
  Finally, objects oft en serve as adventure hooks. 
  A cryptic clue or message can draw the heroes into 
  danger; Alfred Hitchcock loved that method in 
  his ﬁ lms. Another useful Hitchcock hook is “Th e 
  MacGuﬃ  n.” A MacGuﬃ  n is an object of value or 
  importance to someone. If the heroes have the 
  MacGuﬃ  n (or if someone thinks they have it), then 
  all sorts of trouble results from other people trying 
  to buy, steal, or destroy it. Th e classic MacGuﬃ  n is, 
  of course, the Maltese falcon from the Pulp novel of 
  the same name.
  Sometimes the adventure hook is not the same 
  as the ultimate goal of the adventure itself. Many 
  times the heroes get involved because they think 
  they understand what’s going on, and then learn 
  better and must change their goals as a result of 
  events in the story. As an example, suppose the 
  PCs’ friend, aged Professor Hogan, asks them to go 
  to Africa to purchase a particular artifact for him. 
  Th ey get there and get the artifact... only to dis-
  cover it has signiﬁ cance that the Professor wasn’t 
  aware of, and that other people want it for this 
  reason. Now their goal is no longer just “retrieve 
  the artifact,” it’s keep the artifact and ﬁ nd out why 
  it’s so important.
  RANDOM PLOT GENERATOR
  Sometimes you need a plot in a hurry, or maybe just some way to generate ideas to kickstart your imagination. For those 
  times, here’s a Pulp Hero Random Plot Generator. Start by rolling a Hook, then determine the Goal and the Obstacles 
  standing in the way. For more complex plots, roll for multiple Goals:  the ﬁ rst is what the PCs think they’re doing, and 
  then they discover their real goal later.
  Hook (roll 1d6):  
  1. Client (NPC who asks or begs the party to do something)
  2. Clue (message or information which inspires the party to act)
  3. Enemy (NPC or other threat which menaces the party)
  4. MacGuﬃ  n (PCs acquire an object of great importance to someone)
  5. Patron (NPC who hires or orders the party to do something)
  6. Situation (Some event happens which requires the party to react)
  Goal (roll 2d6)
  First 
  Second
  Die 
  Die 
  Result 
  Suggestions
  1-3 
  1 
  Acquire Something 
  Valuable relic, military prototype
  1-3 
  2 
  Capture Someone 
  Enemy commander, enemy spy
  1-3 
  3 
  Defeat an Enemy 
  A criminal mastermind, an enemy army, an assassin
  1-3 
  4 
  Destroy Something 
  A gang, a criminal mastermind, an evil relic
  1-3 
  5 
  Escape from a Place 
  Prison, behind enemy lines
  1-3 
  6 
  Learn a Secret 
  Discover a long-lost treasure or city
  4-6 
  1 
  Prevent a Disaster 
  A vehicle crash, a mastermind’s plague
  4-6 
  2 
  Rescue a Captive 
  Hostage, unjustly-imprisoned man
  4-6 
  3 
  Solve a Mystery 
  Murder, theft , conspiracy
  4-6 
  4 
  Survive the Environment 
  Desert, jungle, mountains
  4-6 
  5 
  Travel to a Place 
  A hidden city, an exotic port
  4-6 
  6 
  Win a Battle 
  Versus an enemy army, a legal battle, a turf war
  Obstacles (roll 1d6 for the number of obstacles, then 1d6 to determine the nature of each):
  1 
  Adversary (someone whose goals bring him into conﬂ ict with the PCs)
  2 
  Friend (a DNPC or someone normally friendly, opposed to the party for some reason)
  3 
  Nature (hostile features of the setting, creatures, and so forth)
  4 
  Rival (an existing rival or someone who wants to achieve the same goal ahead of the party)
  5 
  Society (the authorities, the culture, laws, infrastructure, and so forth)
  6 
  Villain (someone who speciﬁ cally opposes the PCs)
  Example:  Matt needs a plot idea for a Pulp Hero adventure. He starts by rolling the Hook, and gets a 5:  a Patron. For the 
  Goal he decides to roll twice, and gets 6, 6:  Win a Battle and 1, 2:  Capture Something. He rolls for the number of Obstacles 
  and gets 3; the speciﬁ c ones are 1:  Adversary, 2:  Friend, and 3:  Nature. 
  Now Matt has to put these pieces together. Looking them over, he decides they form the basis of a classic exploration adven-
  ture. First, there’s the Patron — a museum curator who’s a friend of the PCs and asks them to follow some clues he’s recently 
  uncovered in an ancient manuscript to ﬁ nd a great treasure (for the museum to display, of course!). Th e treasure is the Some-
  thing the PCs must Capture. Rather than go the usual route of an archaeological relic or the like, Matt decides to use one of 
  his favorite exotic locales — the South Seas — and make the treasure a literal treasure:  the gold in a Dutch ship that sunk in 
  the Malay Archipelago centuries ago.
  Once he decides to put the adventure in the South Seas, Matt realizes the Adversary has to be pirates, and the Battle to be 
  Won a ﬁ ght at sea. Now he’s got a basic plot:  at the behest of their friend, the PCs equip an expedition and ﬂ y to the South 
  Seas. In Manila they obtain a ship and head out to the supposed wreck site... but before leaving Manila they rescue a young 
  man from attackers down on the waterfront. He just happens to come from a family of traders, knows these waters better 
  than anyone, and will gladly help his rescuers reach their goal (in short, he’s the Friend). Li-Ming Jade, Pirate Queen of the 
  South China Sea, has gotten wind of the PCs’ expedition and wants the gold for herself. Once they ﬁ nd it, she and her pirates 
  attack. Th e PCs have to defeat them (as well as avoid other obstacles and diﬃ  culties) before they have a chance to recover the 
  treasure for posterity.
  
  356 ■ Gamemastering Pulp Hero
  Hero System 5th Edition
  THE SECOND ACT:  OBSTACLES
  Th e second act of an adventure focuses on obsta-
  cles the heroes must overcome. Obstacles are many 
  and various, but fall into three main categories.
  Foes
  Th e ﬁ rst are actual foes — people or things 
  speciﬁ cally trying to make the heroes fail, or do 
  them harm. If the foe wants to kill the heroes or 
  stop them from accomplishing their goal, he’s a 
  villain. If he just wants to beat them to the goal, or 
  surpass their accomplishments, he’s a rival. Finally, 
  there are adversaries — people whose goals are 
  opposed to the PCs’ plans even if they aren’t aware 
  of them. (In this context, HERO System Hunteds 
  can qualify as either adversaries or villains, but 
  Rivals are usually rivals.) For example, suppose 
  the heroes in a Globetrotting Adventure campaign 
  are trying to ﬁ nd a long-lost shipwreck. Villains 
  include people who want to stop the PCs from 
  succeeding (a mystic cult that believes the ship 
  was cursed and must not be disturbed), rivals 
  include people who want to recover the ship’s 
  treasure ﬁ rst, and adversaries include old enemies 
  who don’t know about the current scheme but 
  want to harass the PCs on principle.
  At times friends can be foes, if they don’t agree 
  with the goal the heroes are pursuing, or have been 
  duped into believing the heroes are a danger. A 
  friend may even betray the PCs. Sometimes friends 
  are correct, and it’s the heroes who’ve been duped.
  Features Of Th e Setting
  Th e second type of obstacles the heroes must 
  face are features of the setting which would exist 
  regardless of the heroes’ actions, such as natural 
  obstacles and mysteries.
  Natural obstacles include hostile weather, sheer 
  distance, dangerous terrain, hungry animals, deadly 
  security devices, and the like. Society’s impedi-
  ments — laws, regulations, restrictions, social 
  customs, prejudices, and the like — also qualify as 
  natural obstacles. Obviously, natural obstacles arise 
  primarily in uncivilized areas, while social barriers 
  come into play in populated settings.
  A mystery is either something the heroes must 
  solve to continue toward the goal, or the key to the 
  goal itself. Sometimes mysteries (or puzzles) are 
  features of the setting, and sometimes they’re the 
  work of the party’s opponents, but they all have a 
  common feature:  the characters must solve them 
  by thinking rather than force (although sometimes 
  the solution involves a particular use of force). In 
  situations with changing goals, solving a mystery 
  may ﬁ nally point the heroes at their ultimate objec-
  tive. Regardless of the type of puzzle, you should 
  make it fair and logical, since the players have to 
  solve it. An unfair puzzle just makes them angry.
  Internal Obstacles
  A ﬁ nal kind of obstacle lies within the heroes 
  themselves — internal obstacles. Overcoming per-
  sonal ﬂ aws, sacriﬁ cing something for the greater 
  good, or learning a lesson are all obstacles, oft en 
  more diﬃ  cult to surmount than any street gang or 
  enemy platoon. In game terms, Disadvantages such 
  as Dependence, DNPC, Enraged/Berserk, Psycho-
  logical Limitation, and perhaps Rivalry oft en rep-
  resent internal obstacles. An honorable man who 
  must break his word to achieve his goal faces an 
  internal obstacle; so does a devious one who has to 
  trust others to succeed. You should tailor the inter-
  nal obstacles to the players:  some players routinely 
  sidestep their characters’ Psychological Limitations 
  if they can manage an EGO Roll, while others want 
  to remain true to the characters they create.
  THE THIRD ACT:  CLIMAX AND 
  CONCLUSION
  Once the characters have surpassed or neu-
  tralized all the obstacles, the story proceeds to its 
  climax, in which the heroes confront the main vil-
  lain or surmount the ultimate barrier to reach their 
  goal and win the reward. Th e goal may not be the 
  one they originally signed up to accomplish, but it’s 
  the one that concludes this particular adventure.
  Climaxes should be, well, climactic. Th is is the 
  time for you to “blow the budget” and strive to 
  make everything as tense and impressive as pos-
  sible. If the heroes must foil the villain’s plans, put a 
  time limit on them and create all kinds of distrac-
  tions. If they ﬁ ght the villain directly, set the battle 
  in an exotic or impressive location — a skyscraper 
  rooft op, a Fiendish Oriental Mastermind’s lair, or 
  the like. Since this is a roleplaying game, an exciting 
  setting is no more expensive or diﬃ  cult to arrange 
  than a boring one.
  Even if it isn’t full of physical action, try to make 
  the climax tense and dramatic. If the heroes have to 
  prevent a war or persuade someone, set the scene 
  right on the edge of disaster — the native army is 
  only minutes away from attacking the heroes’ camp, 
  and they have to convince the chief right now 
  that they aren’t the ones who’ve been trapping and 
  slaughtering his people. If a judge is sentencing the 
  PCs, crucial evidence should arrive aft er the oppo-
  sition has presented seemingly iron-clad arguments 
  against the heroes... and just in time to save them 
  from prison.
  Classic Pulp Hero Plots
  Here are capsule descriptions of several diﬀ erent 
  types of plots which occur frequently in Pulp stories:
  FIND THE MCGUFFIN
  Th e heroes have to ﬁ nd something, whether that 
  “something” is the solution to a mystery, an ancient 
  relic, a kidnapped girl, or the long-lost city of 
  Tisangani. Th e early stages of the adventure involve 
  gathering the clues that lead them to the object of 
  their quest (or investigating the ones they already 
  have). Once they ﬁ nd it, or get close to ﬁ nding it, 
  there’s oft en an unexpected twist (if not several) 
  that changes the situation and makes their job 
  more diﬃ  cult.
  A THREAT TO THE NATION
  A dire danger threatens the United States (or 
  perhaps Great Britain), and only the PCs have 
  the skills and moxie to stop it. Th e typical enemy 
  
  357 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Six
  is either (a) a master villain with his own private 
  army and an arsenal of Weird Science technology, 
  or (b) a rival nation (usually ﬁ ctional) that’s invad-
  ing or about to invade. Depending on how the 
  campaign goes, it may change to a “rebels against 
  the empire” game aft er the PCs and their nation 
  suﬀ er an initial defeat and have to come back and 
  triumph over their attackers. Alternately, this type 
  of plot may change to “a threat to the colony,” if 
  the game takes place in Africa or some other non-
  Western locale.
  THE TROUBLE SPOT
  Someone or some place is in trouble, and the 
  PCs have to solve the problem, right the wrongs, 
  and preserve that which is good. See page 351.
  WEIRD SCIENCE GONE AWRY
  Weird Science being used for bad ends — either 
  out of madness, or deliberately — drives many a 
  Pulp plot. Sometimes it’s the inventor of the device 
  who’s in back of it, but it’s just as likely that some-
  one else (a Fiendish Oriental Mastermind, a pow-
  erful mobster, an Unscrupulous Industrialist) has 
  stolen the device for his own purposes.
  DEALING WITH 
  DISCONNECTS
  Many ideas that work perfectly well in ﬁ ction 
  are less successful in roleplaying games. A game is 
  not a movie or a book, so diﬀ erent dramatic rules 
  apply. Pulp Hero stories and settings come with a 
  complete set of booby-traps and pitfalls waiting to 
  snare unsuspecting GMs.
  CAUTIOUS COMBATANTS
  In Pulp stories, heroes are daring — they take 
  chances, they risk death to end a ﬁ ght quickly so 
  they can get to their ultimate goal. Th ey don’t take 
  foolish gambles, but they’re not cautious by “realistic” 
  standards. In a Pulp Hero campaign, characters oft en 
  act in the opposite way:  they proceed with great 
  caution, looking for every possible piece of cover or 
  other advantage, and they don’t use Combat Maneu-
  vers that impose too many penalties.
  If that’s not to your taste — if you want faster-
  paced combats and daring action — you need to 
  convince the players you won’t severely penalize 
  their characters for taking “dramatically appropri-
  ate” actions. Th e Heroic Action Point rules (page 
  360) are a good start, since they let the players over-
  ride the eﬀ ect of poor rolls and make the seemingly 
  impossible possible.
  DEDUCTION
  In mystery stories and suspense thrillers, the 
  characters always ﬁ gure out the mystery eventually. 
  Some characters, such as the legion of Pulp inves-
  tigators inspired by Sherlock Holmes, are known 
  primarily for their deductive abilities. In game 
  
  358 ■ Gamemastering Pulp Hero
  Hero System 5th Edition
  terms, the Deduction Skill simulates this — but 
  since it’s not much fun to have a character roll dice 
  and then tell him the answer if he succeeds, many 
  GMs prefer that the players deduce the solutions 
  to mysteries themselves. However, unlike ﬁ ctional 
  detectives, players aren’t necessarily skilled at solv-
  ing mysteries — they buy Deduction for their char-
  acters speciﬁ cally because they want to play a char-
  acter who’s better at solving mysteries than they are.
  Fortunately, there are ways around this dilemma:
  ■ instead of interpreting “successful Deduction 
  roll” as “character immediately ﬁ gures out all 
  the answers,” think of it as “character gains a 
  little bit of insight toward the ultimate goal of 
  solving the mystery.” In other words, when a 
  PC succeeds with a Deduction roll, give him an 
  extra tidbit of information or a little help toward 
  ﬁ guring out the answer, not the whole solution 
  on a silver platter. Th e more he makes the roll 
  by, the more information you give him (or the 
  more important a hint you oﬀ er). For example, 
  suppose the PCs are trying to ﬁ gure out a riddle 
  left  behind by a Fiendish Oriental Mastermind. 
  Th e answer is “the Great Wall of China.” If a PC 
  makes his Deduction roll exactly, maybe the hint 
  you provide is “long graveyard.” If he makes it by 
  1-3, maybe the additional hint is “the Emperors’ 
  safeguard.” If he makes it by 4 or more, maybe 
  you also tell him “enormous Chinese barrier” or 
  the like. In short — Deduction should help the 
  players ﬁ gure out the answer, not provide the 
  answer for them directly.
  ■ look at each PC’s Knowledge Skills. If a PC has 
  a Knowledge Skill that’s related to the clue, let 
  him use the KS as a Complementary Skill. If the 
  Deduction roll succeeds, provide more informa-
  tion than you otherwise would — the PC knows 
  more about the subject, so it stands to reason he 
  ought to have more insight on the problem.
  ■ prepare for the use of Deduction in advance. 
  If you expect the PCs to investigate a clue, pre-
  pare a list of potential answers. For each PC 
  who makes a Deduction roll, give the players 
  one randomly-chosen item from the list (if a 
  character makes his roll by 4 or more, maybe he 
  gets two items). Th en let the players analyze the 
  items they’ve got and ﬁ gure out the right one 
  (even if they have to check out every location 
  on the list in person, or ﬁ nd every object listed). 
  It’s a lot easier to work from a list of possibilities 
  than it is to try to pull one right answer out of 
  the ether.
  ■ in Pulp stories and movies, it oft en seems that 
  once a character hits on the right answer to a 
  mystery, he instinctively knows he’s right. A 
  group of players, on the other hand, can spend 
  hours debating the possible meaning of a clue, 
  even if one of the ideas they had ﬁ ve minutes 
  into the discussion was the right answer. To 
  keep this from happening, hint at which answer 
  is correct... or you could even go so far as to say, 
  “John’s suggestion sounds like a pretty good one 
  — it seems right to you.”
  KILLING THE HERO
  Given the amount of lethal force used in 
  most games, and the lack of any “instant healing” 
  resources in the modern-day action-adventure 
  genre, sometimes Pulp Hero PCs ﬁ nd themselves on 
  the wrong end of a gun and end up dead.
  Th e threat of dying has to be a part of the cam-
  paign — without it, the heroes will think they’re 
  invincible, and the verisimilitude suﬀ ers. Instead, 
  you have to manage your combats properly so 
  death is a possible consequence, but not a likely one. 
  Know how much Resistant Defense your PCs have, 
  and be prepared to change die rolls or take other 
  steps to keep the game from becoming too lethal. If 
  necessary, let the PCs use Heroic Action Points to 
  save themselves.
  SOLO HEROES
  Many Pulp stories feature a single hero. Gaming, 
  on the other hand, is a social activity that usually 
  involves a group of heroes. Unless you want to run 
  the campaign as a series of solo missions, you need 
  to ﬁ nd a way to integrate teams of heroes into the 
  framework of the Pulp Hero stories you want to 
  tell. Fortunately, this is easy — while many action 
  heroes are solos, there’s plenty of ways to get a 
  group of Pulp Hero PCs to work together, as dis-
  cussed above under Campaign Frameworks.
  SPLITTING THE PARTY
  A situation common in all roleplaying cam-
  paigns is when the PC group has two things to 
  do and the players decide to split up. In ﬁ lms and 
  ﬁ ction it’s easy to cut back and forth between two 
  groups of characters, because ﬁ ctional characters 
  don’t get bored waiting for their turn to do some-
  thing. In roleplaying, the characters have players 
  who get ﬁ dgety when they’re “oﬀ  camera.” Th is is 
  especially problematic when you have to keep one 
  group’s actions secret from the rest of the party, so 
  you and some players go oﬀ  to another room or 
  pass notes.
  Th e best way to deal with a split party situation 
  is not to let it happen. If that’s not possible, keep the 
  separation as brief as you can. If one group’s activi-
  ties don’t involve any conﬂ ict or roleplaying, sum-
  marize it brieﬂ y and keep the focus on the more 
  interesting events encountered by the others. You 
  can put aside secret exchanges that only involve 
  a few players for later — unless the events would 
  have an immediate eﬀ ect, you and the players 
  involved can resolve it aft er the others go home, or 
  by e-mail. If you can’t avoid a prolonged separation, 
  let the players of “oﬀ  stage” characters control NPCs 
  or villains.
  RUNNING SOLO 
  ADVENTURES
  Solo games have a lot 
  to recommend them-
  selves as an adjunct to 
  an ordinary Pulp Hero 
  campaign. Th ey have 
  enormous potential 
  for in-depth character 
  development. Th e PC 
  has your undivided 
  attention, so he can do 
  things that he could 
  never do with a group 
  (such as tackle an old 
  nemesis or go under-
  cover for a long time). 
  Th is also gives you the 
  opportunity to design 
  an adventure tailored 
  to that one character’s 
  strengths and weak-
  nesses, rather than 
  having to account for all 
  the members of a group. 
  For example, running a 
  group scenario where 
  an assassin tries to kill 
  one PC is diﬃ  cult, since 
  a lone assassin rarely 
  poses a problem for sev-
  eral trained heroes. But 
  that would make a great 
  solo adventure.
  On the other hand, since 
  there’s only one player 
  involved, you have to 
  create an adventure that 
  appeals to him. If he 
  likes combat-oriented 
  missions, give him one; 
  don’t try to force him to 
  think his way through 
  an investigation-based 
  scenario. Moreover, 
  remember that you and 
  the player will focus 
  entirely on each other. If 
  the player’s uncertain of 
  what to do, he can’t turn 
  to the other players for 
  advice or assistance; if 
  you’re not prepared to 
  deal with detailed ques-
  tions, the game breaks 
  down immediately.
  You’ve also got to pre-
  pare yourself to deal 
  with unexpected turns 
  of events. What if the 
  hero gets Stunned 
  or Knocked Out? He 
  doesn’t have any friends 
  to get him to safety, but 
  Continued on next page
  
  359 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Six
  DISADVANTAGES AND 
  HOW TO USE THEM
  Stories are about characters, and roleplaying 
  game adventures are no exception. Characters, of 
  course, have personalities — ﬂ aws and quirks and 
  personal goals. In the HERO System, you represent 
  these with characters’ Disadvantages, particularly 
  Psychological Limitations, Rivalries, and Hunteds. 
  You can use the Disadvantages of your PCs to 
  enrich the game in a number of ways. Th ey provide 
  plot hooks, distractions, sources of conﬂ ict, and 
  ways to link the party together. And of course, all 
  the motivations below may apply to villains just as 
  well as heroes.
  DEPENDENCE
  If even one PC in the campaign has a Depen-
  dence (in the Pulp context, probably an Addic-
  tion to alcohol — in other words, the PC is an 
  alcoholic), that gives you an ideal hook to drag 
  him (and thus his friends) into adventures — no 
  character wants to suﬀ er through the pain, humili-
  ation, and loss of abilities that withdrawal entails. 
  Th e character’s struggle against his Addiction could 
  become a tense and dramatic subplot, as he slowly 
  but surely, an Experience Point or three at a time, 
  buys the Disadvantage oﬀ . However, this sort of 
  plot might be a little too “realistic” and grim for 
  many Pulp Hero games; if so, you might want to 
  forbid characters to take Dependences.
  DEPENDENT NPC
  DNPCs are always reliable plot hooks, either 
  because they get into trouble or danger, or because 
  someone asks them for help in a diﬃ  cult situa-
  tion. But the lethal nature of Pulp Hero adventures 
  can result in a higher-than-normal rate of DNPC 
  deaths, which may make keep players from want-
  ing to take this Disadvantage. Since it’s so useful, 
  fun, and appropriate for the genre, you may want 
  to consider some sort of “gentleman’s agreement” 
  with the players, in which you promise not to kill 
  or seriously injure DNPCs (or at least, unless the 
  injury is somehow directly the PC’s fault). Th at still 
  leaves plenty of room for you to kidnap or other-
  wise menace them....
  Of course, for some campaigns, DNPC may not 
  be an appropriate Disadvantage at all. If the PCs 
  are globetrotting adventurers, a DNPC may not 
  hinder them enough to qualify as a Disadvantage. 
  Alternately, you might require them to apply the 
  -5 “limited to a certain geographical area” modiﬁ er 
  from Hunted to the value of the DNPC. You could 
  even increase the value of the modiﬁ er to -10 (or 
  more), if necessary.
  HUNTED
  Th e saga of a man on the run has a long his-
  tory in ﬁ ction and makes a natural plot hook. It 
  also works in the other direction:  the heroes can 
  track a wily foe who continually evades them. Th e 
  best Pulp Hero Hunter-Hunted situation allows for 
  frequent ﬂ ight and escape, which requires proper 
  design of both the PC and the Hunter. Both par-
  ties need the ability to travel without restriction; if 
  the campaign takes place entirely in one city, the 
  PCs can’t just uproot their lives to pursue their old 
  enemy Dr. Fang Shen. On the other hand, if the 
  campaign involves a lot of traveling, don’t let the 
  PCs choose Hunters tied to a particular location, 
  unless the events of the story bring the heroes back 
  to that place frequently. (Alternately, the “Floating 
  Hunted” rules may let you overcome this problem.)
  Even when the Hunters are not close on the 
  heroes’ trail, the simple fact of having to keep 
  moving and keep hidden provides a continuing 
  distraction and source of conﬂ ict. Non-Hunted PCs 
  may resent having to live the life of fugitives to help 
  a friend, and may even have genuine conﬂ icts of 
  loyalty between the desire to obey the law and the 
  desire to help a comrade unjustly accused.
  As the old adage has it, “the enemy of my enemy 
  is my friend,” and being chased by the same people 
  is a good way to link the characters in a campaign. 
  Th ey may not like each other, and they may dis-
  agree frequently... but they know they have to work 
  together to stay ahead of their common foe.
  PHYSICAL LIMITATION
  Physical Limitations aren’t common in Pulp 
  Hero, where most characters tend to be strong, 
  handsome, tough, and physically powerful, but they 
  occur occasionally (as with the “defective detec-
  tives” or a character who’s lost an eye and has to 
  wear a stylish eyepatch). Physical Limitation works 
  best as a story hook if the character’s motivated to 
  seek out a cure (assuming a cure is possible) or to 
  get revenge against whoever caused the injury (see 
  Moby Dick for a non-Pulp Hero example).
  Within an adventure, the heroes’ Physical Limi-
  tations can cause interesting problems to overcome. 
  On the other hand, while in ﬁ ction a character’s 
  Physical Limitations provide a fertile source of dra-
  matic conﬂ ict, this doesn’t hold true in roleplaying 
  games. Since the player who designed the character 
  wants him to have that Physical Limitation, the 
  character lacks resentment or anger over his handi-
  cap (unless the player is very good at roleplaying).
  PSYCHOLOGICAL LIMITATION
  “Psychological Limitation” really just means 
  “motivation.” To turn a Psychological Limitation 
  into a plot hook, simply put the character into a 
  situation in which achieving his goal comes into 
  conﬂ ict with his personality traits. Th is is, by the 
  way, the quick and easy formula for most ﬁ ction of 
  the past thousand years. Hamlet’s goal is revenge. 
  His Psychological Limitation is Needs To Be Sure 
  He’s Doing Th e Right Th ing. Th e result is a pile of 
  bodies on the stage at the end of the play.
  Th ings become even more interesting when one 
  character has two Psychological Limitations that 
  conﬂ ict. For example, suppose a soldier is a Patriot, 
  but is also Devoted To His Friends. What happens 
  when his friends need help, but helping them is 
  contrary to the interests of his country? He has to 
  decide what’s most important to him... or perhaps 
  ﬁ nd a clever way out of the dilemma.
  Continued from last page
  you don’t want to just 
  kill him, either. As you 
  design your scenario, try 
  to anticipate as many of 
  these problems as pos-
  sible and have a solu-
  tion ready (such as the 
  enemy wanting to take 
  the character hostage 
  instead of killing him).
  
  360 ■ Gamemastering Pulp Hero
  Hero System 5th Edition
  If an enemy knows the heroes well enough, he 
  can turn their Psychological Limitations against 
  them. If greed grips their hearts, he may simply 
  bribe them to look the other way while he contin-
  ues his criminal enterprises. If one of the PCs fears 
  rats, his captors can torture him by locking him in a 
  rat-infested cell.
  Even if overcoming the heroes’ Psychological 
  Limitations isn’t the main plot engine of the adven-
  ture, character traits can still distract PCs and create 
  subplots. Again, simply create situations which set 
  oﬀ  the heroes’ Psychological Limitations and enjoy 
  the fun. Will the skirtchasing good guy interrupt the 
  adventure to go on a date? Can a character with Pulp 
  Hero’s Burden work with a female NPC who’s fallen 
  for him without alienating her?
  Heroes with conﬂ icting Psychological Limita-
  tions can create lots of juicy roleplaying opportu-
  nities, although at times this may go over the line 
  into “constant intra-party bickering.” A scenario 
  that challenges the heroes to ﬁ nd a solution all of 
  them can accept is entertaining; a scenario in which 
  someone’s character has to violate his beliefs leaves 
  at least one player unhappy.
  Naturally, people with similar desires or beliefs 
  work together well. Cultists share the same fanati-
  cal belief; a group of adventurers might come 
  together out of love of country or devotion to a 
  common patron.
  REPUTATION
  Reputations are a natural source of distractions 
  during adventures. Just as the heroes are closing in 
  on their quarry undercover, someone recognizes 
  one of the PCs and the whole mission is blown... 
  or at least suﬀ ers a signiﬁ cant setback. Reputa-
  tion serves as a source of character conﬂ ict when 
  an individual’s Reputation doesn’t match his real 
  personality or abilities. What if a character who’s 
  known as a “hotshot barnstormer” doesn’t know 
  that much about ﬂ ying, and can’t save his friends 
  when they’re counting on him to ﬂ y them to safety?
  RIVALRY
  Rivalries serve as a perennial source of distrac-
  tion during adventures as characters compete with 
  each other to have the most romantic conquests, 
  pass tests by the widest margins, or score the ﬁ rst 
  kill on a mission. Th is kind of distraction becomes 
  a plot element if the heroes spend so much time 
  sabotaging or one-upping each other that their 
  enemy gets away.
  Building an adventure on a Rivalry usually means 
  coming up with a plan the Rival has to embarrass or 
  harm the heroes, and then letting them either coun-
  ter it or get themselves out of trouble. More subtly, 
  a Rival’s plot could involve the heroes in something 
  bigger, something the Rival didn’t know about, so the 
  two sides have to suspend their feud for a while until 
  they defeat the greater menace. For an interesting 
  change of pace, maybe two NPCs’ Rivalry creates a 
  situation the PCs have to deal with — or get them-
  selves out of the middle of.
  HEROIC ACTION POINTS
  One of the tricky things to simulate in a Pulp 
  Hero game is the incredible coincidences that so 
  oft en aid (or bedevil) Pulp adventurers, and the 
  amazing luck they oft en seem to have. Th ese things 
  come easily in a written story, when the author con-
  trols both the ﬂ ow of the action and the conduct of 
  the hero — but not so easily in a gaming session, 
  when the main author (the GM) has no direct con-
  trol over the protagonists (the PCs) or the random-
  izing factor of the dice.
  To compensate for this diﬃ  culty, many GMs 
  ﬁ nd that it helps to give greater control over the 
  events of the game to the players. Providing them 
  with the means to simulate “coincidence” and “luck” 
  by altering die rolls gives the game more of the feel 
  of a Pulp story or movie. In Pulp Hero, the rule for 
  this sort of “artistic license” or “dramatic editing” 
  is called Heroic Action Points, since it involves the 
  allocation of points with which players can alter 
  the roll of the dice or aﬀ ect various in-game events. 
  Heroic Action Points are optional; the GM must 
  decide whether he wants to use Heroic Action 
  Points in his campaign, and if so, how they work. 
  Th e guidelines below oﬀ er some information and 
  advice to help him make this decision.
  When you use these rules, don’t forget that 
  they’re meta-rules that allow the players to alter 
  the course of the game. In the game world, the 
  
  361 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Six
  characters themselves aren’t aware that anything 
  unusual has happened — it’s not as if Heroic Action 
  Points give them the power to alter reality at will. 
  Heroic Action Points are just a convenient rule that 
  helps GMs and players simulate the “feel” of Pulp 
  adventure and action, not some strange superpower 
  characters possess.
  The Basics
  Heroic Action Points (HAPs) use some of the 
  optional rules for Luck described on page 199 of 
  the HERO System 5th Edition, Revised — speciﬁ cally, 
  the second and third options, which read as follows:
  Besides the standard “count the 6s” method 
  described above, other ways exist to simulate the 
  eﬀ ects of Luck in the game. Th ey include: ...
  ■ At the beginning of a game session, the player 
  rolls his Luck dice and counts the total. Th at 
  total represents a number of points the player 
  may add to or subtract from rolls throughout 
  that game to get better results.
  ■ At the beginning of a game session, the player 
  rolls his Luck dice and counts the total. Th at 
  total represents the number of individual dice 
  the player may re-roll during that game to get a 
  better result.
  In most games, the second option (points that 
  can add to or subtract from dice rolls) is the one 
  the GM uses. For the sake of brevity, the rules and 
  guidelines below assume this is how the GM uses 
  Heroic Action Points in your campaign, but most of 
  the suggestions apply just as well to other methods.
  DETERMINING HOW MANY HEROIC 
  ACTION POINTS A CHARACTER HAS
  As noted above, typically characters roll their 
  “Luck” dice for Heroic Action Points at the begin-
  ning of each game session. Th at introduces a small 
  element of randomness and keeps them from 
  counting too heavily on their Heroic Action Points 
  every game. If he prefers, the GM may simply 
  assign every character a deﬁ ned amount of Heroic 
  Action Points each game session (or adventure, or 
  story arc...), or may determine how many a charac-
  ter has in any other way he sees ﬁ t.
  Characters roll their Heroic Action Points anew 
  at the beginning of each game session. Unused 
  Heroic Action Points from a previous game ses-
  sion don’t “carry over” or remain available for use 
  in later games.  Again, the GM can change this if 
  he prefers. Allowing characters to “bank” Heroic 
  Action Points provides an incentive not to spend 
  them for no good reason (but also runs the risk of 
  their getting unbalancingly high amounts of HAPs 
  for use in important scenarios).
  When a character spends Heroic Action Points, 
  they’re gone — they don’t come back for use later 
  in the game session. For example, if a character has 
  12 Heroic Action Points, and spends 3 HAPs in the 
  ﬁ rst scene of the adventure to save himself from 
  harm, he only has 9 HAPs left  for the rest of that 
  game session. He’s got to wait until the next game 
  session to roll his Heroic Action Points again (and 
  as noted above, that new roll doesn’t add to what 
  he’s got left ; it replaces that amount). However, the 
  GM may choose to “refresh” characters’ pools of 
  Heroic Action Points in mid-game to give them 
  more opportunities to aﬀ ect events, or to prepare 
  them for a major confrontation of some sort.
  Issues And Options
  Before allowing Heroic Action Points in the 
  campaign, the GM has to decide exactly how they 
  work. Some of the issues he needs to consider are:
  UNIVERSAL OR PURCHASED?
  Do the Heroic Action Points rules apply univer-
  sally, or only to characters who purchase Luck? Th e 
  ﬁ rst option means all characters start the game with 
  some deﬁ ned amount of Luck only for purposes of 
  using the Heroic Action Points rules. Th e number 
  of dice they receive for free determines how “fan-
  tastic” and “swashbuckling” the campaign tends 
  to be, with more dice meaning more amazing and 
  unbelievable things happen.
  If characters get Heroic Action Points for free, 
  the GM must decide whether any other dice of 
  Luck a character purchases (a) add to his free 
  Heroic Action Points dice, or (b) do not add, 
  instead functioning like standard Luck dice.
  Who Gets Th em?
  If characters get Heroic Action Points for free, 
  obviously all PCs have them — but which NPCs 
  do? Most GMs prefer to give Heroic Action Points 
  only to important or powerful NPCs:  master vil-
  lains, the master villain’s chief lieutenant(s), charac-
  ters’ archenemies, and so forth. Routine or standard 
  adversaries (the average gangster, cultist, soldier, 
  and so on) usually do not get Heroic Action Points; 
  nor do most DNPCs or ordinary people.
  WHAT CAN THEY BE USED FOR?
  Once PCs have determined how many Heroic 
  Action Points they have access to for a particular 
  game session, what can they do with them? Th e 
  rule quoted above refers to altering dice rolls, which 
  is discussed in further detail below. Is that all char-
  acters can do? If a PC wants to accomplish some-
  thing that doesn’t necessarily involve rolling dice, 
  can he inﬂ uence the action by spending Heroic 
  Action Points? Here are two examples:
  ■ Bruce Forsythe throws our hero Randall Irons 
  out of an airplane. Randall doesn’t have Break-
  fall, and even if he did it’s a loooooonnngg way 
  to the ground and he probably wouldn’t make 
  the roll anyway. He asks the GM if he can spend 
  some Heroic Action Points to land on some-
  thing soft , have someone catch him, or the like.
  BLIND HEROIC 
  ACTION POINTS
  One potential problem 
  with Heroic Action 
  Points is that each player 
  knows exactly how 
  many his character has, 
  allowing him to “hoard 
  his luck” until he really 
  needs it or otherwise 
  manipulate the HAP 
  rules. Th is isn’t necessar-
  ily contrary to the Pulp 
  spirit, but it may cause 
  trouble in some games.
  To counteract this diﬃ  -
  culty, the GM may want 
  to consider rolling the 
  Heroic Action Points for 
  each character himself 
  and keeping the total 
  secret. When a character 
  chooses to spend some 
  HAPs, the GM crosses 
  the amount used oﬀ  the 
  character’s total. When 
  a character reaches zero 
  HAPs, the GM tells 
  him he’s “out of luck.” 
  Th is adds an element of 
  dramatic tension to the 
  Heroic Action Points 
  rules — each player 
  has to constantly ask 
  himself whether spend-
  ing an HAP is worth it, 
  because it just might be 
  his last HAP this game 
  session....
  
  362 ■ Gamemastering Pulp Hero
  Hero System 5th Edition
  ■ An axe-wielding guard attacks Carolina 
  Caldwell as he’s exploring a hidden shrine. He 
  happens to be standing next to a column. Th e 
  GM says, “Th e guard’s swinging the axe down-
  ward at you.” Carolina asks if he can spend 
  Heroic Action Points to change that so the 
  guard swings the axe sideways, in a slash instead 
  of a chop — that way he can duck behind the 
  column and have a lot better chance of being 
  protected from the blow.
  Th e GM can choose to allow characters to spend 
  Heroic Action Points on anything he wishes, but 
  of course must set a point cost for uses that don’t 
  involve altering dice rolls. As a rule of thumb, the 
  GM should refer to the standard Luck rules and 
  determine how many levels of rolled Luck he would 
  require a character to obtain to achieve that same 
  result. Th e Heroic Action Point cost equals 1 HAP 
  per level of Luck required. (Th e GM can change the 
  multiple, if preferred.) For example:
  ■ Th e GM decides that to walk away from a fall 
  from that height would require 3 levels of Luck. 
  So, if Randall pays 3 Heroic Action Points, 
  something will happen to save him (depending 
  on the situation, the player might describe what 
  happens, or the GM might reserve the right to 
  do so; see below). Th e GM says that if Randall 
  wants to, he can only spend 1 HAP; that means 
  he survives, but is so badly hurt he’ll be out of 
  the action for a while. Randall, being no fool, 
  ponies up 3 HAPs.
  ■ Th e GM decides that changing the way the 
  guard is swinging his axe isn’t much of a change 
  at all — it’s mostly just cosmetic. Th erefore, he’d 
  only require 1 level of Luck on a Luck roll to 
  get that result. So, if Carolina spends 1 HAP, the 
  guard slashes instead of chops, and Carolina will 
  get a better DCV against the attack by using the 
  column as cover.
  ALTERING DICE ROLLS
  Th e most common use for Heroic Action Points 
  is altering dice rolls — making them better to 
  ensure that a character hits his target, succeeds 
  with his Skill Roll, or does some extra damage. Th is 
  raises several issues for your consideration.
  What Rolls?
  First and foremost, what rolls can a character 
  alter with Heroic Action Points? Th e default rule 
  is usually that he can alter any roll, unless the GM 
  rules otherwise. Th is includes (but isn’t limited to) 
  Skill Rolls, Attack Rolls, PER Rolls, Characteristic 
  Rolls, Find Weakness rolls, Required Skill Rolls, 
  and damage rolls. (However, if the standard Luck 
  rules are in eﬀ ect, the GM should forbid char-
  acters to improve Luck rolls by spending Heroic 
  Action Points.)
  What’s Th e Eﬀ ect?
  Here’s a suggested list of ways characters can 
  alter dice rolls with Heroic Action Points. Th e GM 
  can, of course, alter this list, add to it, or remove 
  options as he prefers.
  ■ For Skill Rolls, Attack Rolls, Characteristic Rolls, 
  PER Rolls, and the like, every Heroic Action 
  Point spent reduces the roll by 1. For example, if 
  a character rolls a 13, spending 4 HAPs reduces 
  that roll to a 9.
  ■ For Normal Damage rolls, each 1 Heroic Action 
  Point spent increases the STUN damage of the 
  total roll by 1. For example, if a character rolls 
  23 STUN and 6 BODY, and spends 3 HAPs to 
  increase STUN damage, he does 26 STUN, 6 
  BODY damage.
  ■ For Normal Damage rolls, or Powers that 
  involve “counting the Normal Damage BODY” 
  (such as Flash), every 1 HAP increases the 
  BODY damage of the total roll by 1. For exam-
  ple, if a character rolls 23 STUN and 6 BODY, 
  and spends 3 HAPs to increase the BODY, he 
  does 23 STUN, 9 BODY damage.
  ■ For Killing Damage rolls, each 1 Heroic Action 
  Point spent increases the STUN damage of 
  the total roll by 1. (Th is increase applies to the 
  STUN damage itself; characters cannot spend 
  Heroic Action Points to increase the STUN 
  Multiplier unless the GM rules otherwise and 
  sets the cost for doing so.) For example, if a 
  character rolls 8 BODY and 32 STUN, and 
  spends 4 HAPs to increase STUN damage, he 
  does 8 BODY, 36 STUN damage.
  ■ For Killing Damage rolls, each 1 Heroic Action 
  Point spent increases the BODY damage of the 
  total roll by 1; this increase applies aft er the 
  STUN Multiplier is rolled (or the eﬀ ects of the 
  Hit Location Table are applied), and thus does 
  not increase the amount of STUN damage the 
  attack does. For example, suppose a character 
  rolls 7 BODY and 21 STUN, and spends 3 HAPs 
  to increase BODY damage, he does 10 BODY, 21 
  STUN damage.
  ■ For unusual attacks like Drains, NNDs, and 
  Transforms, every 1 HAP spent increases the 
  damage or eﬀ ect of the total roll by 1. (See the 
  accompanying sidebar regarding Presence 
  Attacks.)
  ■ Th e eﬀ ect of altering any other roll is deter-
  mined by the GM, who can change anything in 
  these rules as he sees ﬁ t.
  What’s Th e Cost?
  Th e rules above list a speciﬁ c Heroic Action 
  Point cost for altering diﬀ erent types of die rolls, 
  but some GMs like to alter these rules. Some want 
  to charge 2 HAPs instead of the 1 mentioned above, 
  or establish a sliding scale (1 HAP to reduce a roll 
  by 1, 3 HAPs to reduce it by 2, 6 HAPs to reduce it 
  by 3, and so forth). Some may alter the cost based 
  on how important the situation is, or how close the 
  scene is to the climactic conclusion of the game. 
  Some alter the cost based on what’s being altered:  
  for example, Skill Rolls cost 1 HAP per -1, but 
  maybe increasing Normal Damage BODY costs 3 
  HAPs per +1; or maybe increasing any aspect of 
  Killing Damage costs triple the cost listed above.
  HEROIC ACTION 
  POINTS AND
  PRESENCE 
  ATTACKS
  One of the least heroic, 
  most unenjoyable things 
  that can happen in a 
  Pulp Hero game is for a 
  character to roll badly 
  when making a Presence 
  Attack. Heroes are sup-
  posed to be impressive, 
  aft er all, and it really 
  saps some of the ﬂ avor 
  from the game when 
  a player makes a great 
  soliloquy but then gets a 
  low roll on the Presence 
  Attack dice.
  To prevent this, the GM 
  can allow characters to 
  spend Heroic Action 
  Points to improve the 
  results of Presence 
  Attacks. Th e easiest 
  way to do this is to 
  have every HAP spent 
  increase the Presence 
  Attack roll by 1 point, 
  but that may not be 
  enough to accomplish 
  anything meaningful. 
  If the GM prefers, he 
  can establish a multiple 
  (every HAP equals +2, 
  or +3, or more to the 
  Presence Attack) so that 
  characters who are will-
  ing to spend a few HAPs 
  become really impres-
  sive.
  
  363 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Six
  Restrictions On Spending 
  Heroic Action Points
  You must also decide whether certain restric-
  tions on the spending of Heroic Action Points 
  exist. Speciﬁ cally:
  ■ Is there any limit to how many Heroic Action 
  Points a character can spend to alter a roll? As 
  a default, the only restriction is the number of 
  HAPs the character has available to spend — if 
  he has 15, he could spend them all on a single 
  roll to reduce an 18 to a 3 if he felt like it. How-
  ever, many GMs like to establish a limit such 
  as 3, 4, or 6 to prevent HAPs from altering the 
  game too radically.
  ■ Can a character spend Heroic Action Points to 
  alter more than one aspect of a damage roll? For 
  example, if a character rolls 27 STUN, 6 BODY, 
  can he spend 3 HAPs on STUN and 2 HAPs 
  on BODY for a total of 30 STUN, 8 BODY? As 
  a default, a character can spend Heroic Action 
  Points on as many aspects of a roll as he wants.
  IMPROVING DCV
  At the GM’s option, a character can spend 
  Heroic Action Points to improve his DCV (this is 
  particularly appropriate for campaigns where char-
  acters can’t spend HAPs to aﬀ ect other characters’ 
  rolls; see below). Each 1 HAP spent increases the 
  character’s DCV by 1 versus a single attack during 
  the Segment in which the HAP was spent. (If the 
  character is Dodging or Aborting to a Maneuver 
  that increases his DCV, the GM might allow the 
  increase in DCV to apply to all attacks for the dura-
  tion of the Maneuver’s eﬀ ect.)
  WHEN HEROIC ACTION POINTS ARE 
  SPENT
  Characters do not have to declare in advance 
  that they want to spend Heroic Action Points. Th ey 
  roll the dice, look at the result, and can then decide 
  whether to spend Heroic Action Points, and if so 
  how many. Unless the GM rules otherwise, a char-
  acter can spend Heroic Action Points more than 
  once to keep decreasing a roll until he achieves the 
  result he wants. For example:
  Carolina Caldwell:  OK, I rolled a 13 — did 
  I hit?
  GM:  No, that’s a miss.
  Caldwell:  OK, I spend two Heroic Action 
  Points to reduce it to an 11 — do I hit?
  GM:  No, that’s still a miss.
  Caldwell:  I spend another Point — does that 
  do it?
  GM:  Nope, still a miss.
  Caldwell:  Look, just tell me how many Heroic 
  Action Points I need to spend to hit this guy, 
  or I’ll wallop you with my 5th Edition, Revised 
  rulebook — and I’m warning you, I can do 
  4d6 Normal Damage with it.
  GM:  OK, OK, spend two more Heroic Action 
  Points and you got him.
  If a character spends Heroic Action Points on a 
  roll but the roll still fails, and the character chooses 
  not to spend more to keep decreasing it until he 
  achieves success, the HAPs he spent are lost — he 
  doesn’t get them back just because they didn’t help 
  him succeed. Sometimes even lucky heroes catch 
  a bad break. (Th e GM may want to tell a player in 
  
  364 ■ Gamemastering Pulp Hero
  Hero System 5th Edition
  advance exactly how many Heroic Action Points he 
  has to spend to succeed to avoid an unpleasant fate, 
  to save time and trouble.)
  Situations may arise in which more than one 
  character wants to spend Heroic Action Points to 
  aﬀ ect a roll (assuming the GM allows characters 
  to aﬀ ect other characters this way; see below). For 
  example, a PC wants to spend Heroic Action Points 
  to decrease his Attack Roll to hit a master villain, 
  while the master villain wants to spend Heroic 
  Action Points to increase the roll so he doesn’t get 
  hit. In this situation, the character who made the 
  roll spends Heroic Action Points ﬁ rst. Th en the 
  other character spends his Points. Th en the ﬁ rst 
  character can spend Heroic Action Points again, if 
  he so chooses, followed by the other character. Th ey 
  keep going in turn this way until they both decide 
  to spend no more Heroic Action Points.
  WHO CAN CHARACTERS AFFECT?
  Another important issue for you to resolve is 
  whether characters can spend Heroic Action Points 
  to aﬀ ect just their own rolls, or both their own rolls 
  and the rolls of other characters.
  In the former case (which is the default), a char-
  acter can only improve his own rolls — reduce his 
  Skill Rolls, increase the damage he does, improve 
  his own DCV, and so forth. He cannot aﬀ ect on 
  another character’s rolls. For example, he cannot 
  spend Heroic Action Points to increase another 
  character’s Attack Roll until his attacker misses, 
  decrease the damage an attacker rolls, or increase 
  another character’s Skill Roll so he fails at a task.
  If you allow the second option, then a character 
  can spend Heroic Action Points to alter other char-
  acters’ rolls. He has to be in reasonable proximity 
  to the target to do this; a character can’t aﬀ ect the 
  roll made by a master villain who’s miles away, or 
  an enemy 300 feet away across a busy battleﬁ eld, 
  unless they’re directly interacting in some way 
  (such as ﬁ ghting a duel with psychic powers). Th e 
  character spends his Heroic Action Points to have 
  the opposite eﬀ ect than he has when he spends 
  them on himself:  he increases Attack and Skill 
  Rolls, decreases damage rolls, and so forth. Typi-
  cally the Heroic Action Point cost is the same as for 
  aﬀ ecting his own rolls, but the GM may choose to 
  increase the cost (to double it, for example) to rep-
  resent the diﬃ  culty of a character aﬀ ecting some-
  one other than himself.
  DESCRIBING THE EFFECTS
  Th e GM has the ﬁ nal say over what a character 
  can do with Heroic Action Points. He can rule that 
  a character cannot spend them in a particular way 
  (or at all), increase or decrease the cost to change 
  a roll in given circumstances, change a character’s 
  description of their eﬀ ects (see below), or change 
  them in any other way he sees ﬁ t.
  In particular, the GM decides just how much 
  a character gets to deﬁ ne the eﬀ ects of spend-
  ing Heroic Action Points — how he can describe 
  what happens, in other words. In the Randall Irons 
  example above, Randall spends HAPs to save him-
  self from a fall. He could describe that in several 
  ways:  the attempt to throw him out of the plane 
  fails because he grabs hold of the door, a wing, or 
  a strut at the last second; he lands on something 
  so soft  he doesn’t get hurt at all; someone or some-
  thing catches him in mid-air. Th e GM could choose 
  to allow or disallow any of those “special eﬀ ects” for 
  the expenditure of Heroic Action Points.
  In many cases it won’t matter what explanation a 
  character chooses — just about any of them will do, 
  and many of them will create interesting twists on 
  the action that the GM can work with to spin the 
  story out in new and exciting ways. However, some 
  explanations may aﬀ ect the plot so severely that 
  the GM forbids them so they don’t ruin what he 
  has planned. Allowing the players greater power to 
  control the action is generally a good thing in Pulp 
  Hero, but sometimes it hurts more than it helps. 
  If the GM’s spent hours mapping out the interior 
  of a zeppelin for a big, climactic ﬁ ght, but halfway 
  through the game a player wants to spend Heroic 
  Action Points with an explanation that will prevent 
  the PCs from ever getting close to the zeppelin, the 
  GM should forbid the explanation — it changes the 
  course of the scenario too much.
  In particular, the GM should be wary of, and 
  usually forbid, any explanation for the eﬀ ects of 
  Heroic Action Points that allows a character to sig-
  niﬁ cantly alter the actions of another character. If a 
  character wants to make a master villain’s gunshot 
  miss him, the explanation that “I dodge aside at 
  the last second, avoiding the shot!” works just ﬁ ne. 
  An explanation that “the master villain’s henchmen 
  turns on him, attacking him so that he misses me” 
  gives the player too much control over the actions 
  of an NPC (the henchmen), and so should be for-
  bidden... unless the GM likes it for some reason.
  
  365 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Six
  S
  ome of the environmental threats Pulp 
  characters might encounter during their 
  adventures include:
  DISEASES
  In the twenty-ﬁ rst century, many diseases have 
  largely been eradicated, or at least are understood 
  and controlled. Th at wasn’t the case in the Pulp era, 
  when a lot of basic health information remained 
  unknown, or was just being discovered. Some of 
  the diseases that were major health problems at the 
  time include:
  CHOLERA
  Cholera is an acute diarrheal illness that can 
  kill within hours by dehydration and shock if not 
  properly treated. People catch it by drinking water 
  or eating food that’s been contaminated with the 
  cholera bacterium (thus, poor sewage practices are 
  oft en a factor in the outbreak and spread of the 
  disease). It’s common in the undeveloped world 
  during the Pulp era, but by no means eradicated 
  from civilized countries like the US.
  LEPROSY
  Leprosy (Hansen’s disease) is an infectious 
  bacterial disease that attacks the skin, peripheral 
  nerves, mucous membranes, and various other 
  parts of the body. A horrifying disease, it can 
  render the victim unable to feel, and oft en leaves 
  him badly deformed and covered with skin lesions. 
  Although relatively rare in the civilized world of 
  the Pulp era, it’s still common in some parts of 
  Africa, Asia, and Latin America (it thrives in the 
  warm, wet conditions of the tropics). It has no 
  known treatment in the Pulp era.
  MALARIA
  Malaria, a major health threat in many parts of 
  the world even today, is a serious (possibly fatal) 
  disease transmitted by a parasite injected into the 
  human body by the Anopheles mosquito of the 
  tropics (including Africa, Central America, South 
  America, Hispaniola, the Near East, India, South-
  east Asia, and Oceania). It’s particularly common, 
  and devastating, in Africa. Its symptoms, which 
  usually appear ten to 28 days aft er the victim is 
  bitten but may occur up to a year later, include 
  fever- and ﬂ u-like conditions (muscle aches, chills, 
  headaches, fatigue), nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. 
  Anemia and jaundice may also occur, and some 
  varieties of the disease may lead to seizures, kidney 
  failure, mental confusion, and death.
  A person who contracts and survives malaria 
  isn’t actually rid of the disease — it remains in 
  his body and periodically ﬂ ares up. Some victims 
  can go years without a recurrence; in others the 
  symptoms re-appear frequently. An attack typically 
  lasts for 2d6 hours, during which the victim suﬀ ers 
  the fever, chills, aches, weakness, and even delu-
  sions described above. In game terms, reduce his 
  STR and CON by 1d6 each (and reduce his related 
  Figured Characteristics appropriately as well), and 
  the character can only move or ﬁ ght if he succeeds 
  with an EGO Roll each Phase. Aft er the symptoms 
  clear up, within 48-72 hours the victim suﬀ ers 
  another attack, and between the two he remains at 
  lowered STR and CON.
  Th ere’s no way for Pulp characters to immunize 
  themselves against malaria (short of Weird Sci-
  ence), but there’s a treatment available:  quinine. If a 
  victim receives daily doses of quinine while suﬀ er-
  ing a malaria attack, he can make a CON Roll with 
  his regular (non-reduced) CON. If he succeeds, the 
  symptoms clear up in 1-3 hours and do not return... 
  for the present.
  Due to its recurring nature, malaria makes 
  a good Physical Limitation for characters who 
  spent time in the tropics before becoming adven-
  turers. It’s worth 10 Character Points (Infre-
  quently, Greatly Impairing).
  PELLAGRA
  Pellagra occurs when a person doesn’t get 
  enough niacin (a B-complex vitamin), a common 
  deﬁ ciency among people whose diet features corn 
  as the main staple. It causes diarrhea, scaly skin, 
  inﬂ amed mucous membranes, and mental delu-
  sions and confusion. It was epidemic throughout 
  the American South during the Pulp era, though 
  discoveries in the late Th irties led to its eradication 
  in the post-War period.
  POLIO
  Polio (poliomyelitis) is a viral illness that is usu-
  ally harmless, but which in a small percentage of 
  cases can cause paralysis and even death. It’s typi-
  cally caught by eating food infected with the virus. 
  President Franklin D. Roosevelt had polio, which 
  normally kept him conﬁ ned to a wheelchair, but 
  he took some pains to hide his condition from the 
  public during the Pulp era.
  SMALLPOX
  Smallpox is an infectious disease caused by the 
  variola virus; it has no known treatment, and some 
  varieties have a 30% fatality rate. It’s usually trans-
  mitted through prolonged face-to-face contact. 
  
  366 ■ Gamemastering Pulp Hero
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Although rare in the civilized world of the Pulp era, 
  it remains a major health scourge in less-developed 
  areas. Infected people have small raised bumps on 
  the face and body (hence the disease’s name); even 
  if a victim survives, the bumps leave scars.
  GROUND THREATS
  Pulp adventurers oft en spend a lot of time tra-
  versing hostile ground — everything from swamps, 
  to jungles, to desolate mountain heights. Here are 
  some of the dangers such areas contain.
  LAVA
  Lava — molten, liquid stone forced up from 
  the depths of the earth by geologic pressure 
  — appears in many Pulp stories. More than one 
  master villain has chosen a (supposedly dormant) 
  volcano as his lair, and volcanic islands litter the 
  scenic South Seas.
  A character immersed in lava takes 4d6 Killing 
  Damage (energy), Armor Piercing, every Phase he 
  remains in it. If only part of a character’s body suﬀ ers 
  exposure — such as a hand or a foot — use the Hit 
  Location table to adjust the damage accordingly.
  QUICKSAND
  “Quicksand!” screeched the victim. “Can’t 
  you see? I’m going down. Look, it’s almost 
  up to my waist. Do something!”
  —Mackinlay Kantor, “The Torture Pool,” 
  Detective Fiction Weekly, November 
  1932
  Quicksand is a mixture of sand (or grainy soil) 
  and water that may appear solid on the surface, but 
  is actually incapable of supporting any signiﬁ cant 
  weight. It can occur anywhere with the proper soil 
  conditions, though in adventure ﬁ ction it’s most 
  common in tropical and jungle areas, swamps, 
  and above or next to bodies of water. Realistically, 
  quicksand is rarely deeper than a few feet (at most), 
  and escaping from it usually isn’t too diﬃ  cult. But 
  Pulp Hero depicts dramatic reality, where quick-
  sand tends to be the potentially lethal natural trap 
  depicted in movies and ﬁ ction. Th ese rules simulate 
  that sort of quicksand.
  When characters ﬁ rst fall into quicksand, they 
  usually sink in 1/3”. Because quicksand is denser 
  than water, characters can ﬂ oat on it if they’re 
  (a) not too heavy, and (b) don’t panic and start 
  thrashing around.
  To determine if a character panics, he must 
  make an EGO Roll. If he succeeds, he remains calm 
  and can act normally. If he fails, he cannot make a 
  STR Roll to escape and sinks 1/3” per Phase into 
  the quicksand. He may attempt a new EGO Roll 
  every Phase, at -1 for each previous missed roll, to 
  collect himself. Once he succeeds with a roll, no 
  further rolls are necessary.
  To determine if a character can ﬂ oat, he must 
  make a STR Roll. Apply the Encumbrance penalty 
  to DEX Rolls to this roll, and a -2 penalty for every 
  1/3” the character has sunk into the quicksand. 
  Additionally, for every doubling of the character’s 
  own weight above 100 kilograms (200 kg, 400 kg, 
  800 kg, and so forth), the STR Roll suﬀ ers a -2 pen-
  alty. If the roll succeeds, the character counteracts 
  1/3” worth of sinking; if that brings him to 0”, he’s 
  ﬂ oating on top of the quicksand. If the roll fails, the 
  character sinks 1/3” into the quicksand. Th e char-
  acter must make a STR Roll each Phase to remain 
  aﬂ oat; for every 1/3” he has sunk, he suﬀ ers a -2 to 
  the roll.
  If the character has a long, narrow object (such 
  as a polearm, wooden pole, or quarterstaﬀ ), he 
  gets a +2 to his STR Rolls to ﬂ oat. Of course, if he 
  can grab hold of a branch, vine, or rope tossed to 
  him by his comrades, he can pull himself out fairly 
  easily (he only has to make a DEX Roll to grab the 
  object, and a STR Roll with no penalties at all to 
  pull himself out). 
  A character ﬂ oating in quicksand, or trapped in 
  quicksand as deep as his knees or deeper, can move 
  a maximum of ¼” per Phase (even if pulling him-
  self out); if other people are pulling him, they can 
  pull him at 2” per Phase.
  If a character sinks deeper than 1” into quick-
  sand, he starts to drown, per the rules on page 424 
  of the HERO System 5th Edition, Revised. He may 
  continue to make STR Rolls every Phase to try to 
  counteract sinking and ﬂ oat.
  If appropriate, you can alter the sinking rate of 
  quicksand to simulate thicker or thinner types.
  UNDERGROWTH
  When adventuring in wilderness regions, char-
  acters may ﬁ nd themselves in areas with thick 
  brambles, thickets, brush, and other undergrowth. 
  Th is makes it hard to move or ﬁ ght. Characters 
  in thick undergrowth suﬀ er -2 DCV and -1 OCV, 
  and usually cannot move more than 2” per Phase 
  (at most) on the ground. Th e Th icketmaster form 
  of Environmental Movement (cost:  3 Character 
  Points) negates all these penalties, allowing the 
  character to move and ﬁ ght without hindrance.
  ROPE BRIDGES
  In Globetrotting Adventure stories, sooner or 
  later the characters come to a river, gorge, or chasm 
  that’s crossed only by a single, ﬂ imsy-looking rope 
  bridge. Some have a planking of boards as a “ﬂ oor,” 
  while others are nothing more than several ropes 
  woven or tied in a pattern that allows the character 
  to inch across them. Rope bridges like this present 
  both an opportunity and an obstacle for the PCs. 
  Here’s how they work in the game.
  CONDITION
  As a default, assume a rope bridge is in good 
  condition — typically it wouldn’t be there if some 
  person or group didn’t need it, and that person or 
  group makes sure it remains as safe and sturdy as 
  reasonably possible. But sometimes the weather, 
  neglect, or other factors worsen a bridge’s condi-
  tion and weaken it. In game terms, you reduce the 
  bridge’s STR, DEF, and/or BODY to represent this 
  (see below).
  
  367 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Six
  If they have time, characters can inspect a bridge 
  before stepping onto it to see if it’s safe. (Of course, 
  it’s may be your job as GM to make sure they don’t 
  have that time because natives, cultists, or some 
  other enemy is hot on their trail.) Inspecting the 
  bridge requires a Sight PER Roll; standard penal-
  ties (including the Range Modiﬁ er, if appropriate) 
  apply. If a character has a relevant Skill, such as 
  SS: Civil Engineering, you can let him substitute 
  it for the PER Roll. If the character makes his roll, 
  he notices any defects that could be seen with 
  the naked eye:  frayed ropes, badly weathered or 
  cracked boards, that sort of thing. However, not all 
  problems with the bridge may be visible. For exam-
  ple, a board that looks perfectly good from the out-
  side could be infested with termites on the inside, 
  and just waiting for a careless hero to step on it....
  STURDINESS
  “Sturdiness” refers to a bridge’s ability to hold 
  things up and withstand damage. In game terms, it 
  refers to the bridge’s STR, DEF, and BODY.
  Rope Bridge STR
  First, you should give the bridge a STR rating. 
  Th is indicates how much weight it can hold without 
  breaking. For example, a rope bridge with STR 30 
  can hold 1,600 kg. If the amount of weight on the 
  bridge exceeds the amount indicated by its STR, the 
  bridge breaks. At the GM’s option, this may happen 
  instantly, but usually it takes ½d6 or 1d6 Segments 
  (thus giving characters a chance to dash to safety 
  as the bridge starts to snap...). Th e bridge typically 
  breaks at either the point where it’s weakest, or the 
  point where the most weight is concentrated, but 
  the GM can have it break wherever he prefers. Th e 
  typical STR of a rope bridge is 20-35.
  Th e GM may, if desired, vary the STR of diﬀ er-
  ent parts of a rope bridge to indicate speciﬁ c “weak” 
  spots. For example, if a rope bridge overall has STR 
  25, but there’s a section where all the boards are par-
  ticularly weak, that section might only have STR 10.
  Rope Bridge DEF And BODY
  A rope bridge’s STR tells you its risk of breaking 
  from the weight placed on it. Its DEF and BODY 
  tell you how hard it is to damage it deliberately 
  — for example, when the characters are all out on 
  the bridge and one of their enemies tries to cut the 
  ropes holding it to the edge of the gorge!
  A standard length of rope about 1” long has 2 
  DEF, 2 BODY. Th e thick ropes used as the main 
  “rails” and “footings” of a rope bridge could easily 
  have up to 4 BODY per hex, but the DEF remains 2.
  A standard 2 x 4 board has 3 DEF, 4 BODY. You 
  should raise or lower (usually lower) the BODY of 
  the boards that make up the ﬂ ooring of some rope 
  bridges based on their size in comparison to a 2 x 4.
  Th e HERO System rules specify that doing BODY 
  damage to most large objects, such as walls, cre-
  ates a hex-sized hole in them. In the case of a rope 
  bridge, the hex-sized “hole” eﬀ ectively destroys the 
  object by causing the bridge to separate and collapse. 
  However, the rest of the bridge remains intact, which 
  may make repairs easier, give characters a chance 
  to hold on to a section and climb to safety, and so 
  on. For particularly wide rope bridges, a hex-sized 
  hole in the “ﬂ oor” may not cause the entire bridge 
  to break, just one character to fall through. Th e GM 
  can always reduce the “size” of damage to a bridge to 
  keep it intact for dramatic purposes.
  
  368 ■ Gamemastering Pulp Hero
  Hero System 5th Edition
  USING ROPE BRIDGES
  In a typical situation, characters can walk across 
  rope bridges without diﬃ  culty. However, Pulp 
  heroes rarely ﬁ nd themselves in typical situations....
  Speed Of Use
  A rope bridge isn’t a street, so characters generally 
  shouldn’t try to move across it as quickly as they would 
  a road. Th e GM should establish a speed rating for the 
  bridge that indicates how quickly characters can move 
  across it safely. If a character restricts his movement to 
  this rate or less, he can move across the bridge without 
  any diﬃ  culty. If he exceeds this speed, he must make a 
  DEX Roll at a -1 penalty for every 1” of movement he 
  uses beyond the speed rating. If the roll succeeds, he 
  keeps moving forward with no problem; if it fails, he 
  slips and falls, or suﬀ ers some other mishap. (In this 
  case, the GM may allow the character to make a DEX 
  Roll to grab onto some part of the bridge and hold on 
  for dear life; this is particularly appropriate if the char-
  acter has the Hang On! Heroic Talent.)
  For a rope bridge with plank ﬂ ooring, the typi-
  cal speed rating is 3”. For a rope bridge that’s noth-
  ing but ropes, it’s 1”.
  Sway
  Strong winds, characters ﬁ ghting or moving 
  around too much, and other conditions may cause a 
  rope bridge to sway. In this case, the GM can require 
  every character on the bridge to make a DEX Roll, 
  possibly at a penalty if the sway is severe. Th ose who 
  succeed stay on the bridge; those who fail fall oﬀ .
  Cutting Th e Bridge
  You know it’s going to happen:  the characters 
  start across a rope bridge, and just as they get about 
  half way across, their enemies appear on the far side. 
  Th ey turn around to go back... and there are more 
  enemies waiting for them on the other edge. Th ey’re 
  trapped! With ominous glares, enemies from both 
  sides move forward to dispose of the heroes....
  In this situation, a common tactic is to cut the 
  bridge. Th e heroes, knowing what they’re about to 
  do, can prepare in advance and hold on tight. Th eir 
  enemies, smugly certain their foes would never do 
  such a suicidal thing, will be caught oﬀ  guard, caus-
  ing most of them to plummet to their deaths.
  When a rope bridge is cut or breaks for any 
  reason, every character on the bridge has to make a 
  DEX Roll to hold on to some solid part of it (unless 
  the GM rules that’s not even possible, based on the 
  way the bridge breaks). Characters who prepare in 
  advance for a break usually get a +2 or better bonus 
  to the roll; characters taken by surprise may suﬀ er a 
  -1 or greater penalty. Failure means falling oﬀ ; suc-
  cess means the character clings to something solid.
  Now all the characters have to do is climb to 
  safety. Th e collapse of the bridge may cause them 
  injury, as they slam against the sides of the chasm 
  or what have you; the GM determines how much 
  damage they take, if any. Assuming they remain 
  able to hold onto the bridge, they can start climbing 
  (oft en the remaining ﬂ ooring of the bridge func-
  tions as an impromptu ladder). Standard climbing 
  rules, including DCV and DC penalties, apply.
  TRAPS
  Pulp characters, particularly those who like to 
  go exploring in ruins, tombs, or long-lost shrines, 
  may encounter all sorts of traps. Tomb designers 
  include traps to protect the corpse and grave-goods 
  of the deceased. Hunters dig concealed pits or set 
  up nets to snare game (or unwary forest intruders). 
  And a clever GM can certainly come up with traps 
  far more ﬁ endish than those....
  DEFINING TRAPS
  Traps have three deﬁ ning characteristics:  how 
  they’re triggered; how they hit the person who trig-
  gered them (i.e., their OCV); and their eﬀ ect.
  Triggering A Trap
  Pulp traps have many diﬀ erent types of trigger-
  ing mechanisms. Th e simplest, such as concealed 
  pits or scything blades, are usually triggered by 
  pressure (the weight of the victim walking on 
  them) or a trip-wire. More elaborate ones may only 
  activate if the character moves an object, such as 
  opening a chest or a door. If a character wants to 
  pay Character Points for a trap, these are all forms 
  of the Trigger Advantage.
  Trap Attacks
  To determine if a trap hits its target, make an 
  Attack Roll for it, pitting its OCV against the DCV 
  of the person who triggered it (or against DCV 3, 
  if it aﬀ ects an area). Th e OCV of a trap depends on 
  how well and cunningly it’s made, as indicated in 
  the accompanying Trap Table. Note that some traps 
  have an OCV of “Automatic,” meaning they auto-
  matically hit the person who triggers them regard-
  less of his DCV. Th is would include most pit traps, 
  and some traps in areas so conﬁ ned the person 
  who triggers them has no chance to avoid it.
  Unless characters are in combat when they 
  trigger a trap, they cannot Abort to dodge the trap 
  unless you permit them to. Since you don’t track 
  Phases out of combat, Aborting costs characters 
  nothing and they’d do it every time if allowed. 
  However, characters can assign any applicable 
  Combat Skill Levels to DCV before taking an 
  action they think may trigger a trap; this signiﬁ es 
  being alert, aware, and prepared.
  Damage Or Eﬀ ect
  All traps have some pernicious eﬀ ect; that’s why 
  they exist. Some have relatively mild eﬀ ects, such as 
  conﬁ ning the victim (either until someone comes 
  TRAP OCV TABLE
  Quality Of Trap 
  OCV 
  Modiﬁ er To Create
  Poor 
  3 
  +2
  Average 
  5 
  +0
  High 
  7 
  -2
  Very High 
  9 
  -4
  Extremely High 
  11 
  -8
  Superb 
  13 
  -16
  Unbeatable 
  Automatic 
  -20
  
  369 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Six
  to get him out or he starves to death) or knock-
  ing him unconscious. But most are deadly. Th ey 
  use poison, spikes, blades, long falls, or crushing 
  weights to inﬂ ict lethal damage.
  A conﬁ nement trap is usually deﬁ ned as having 
  BODY and DEF, though a few (such as nets) may 
  qualify as straightforward Entangles. If the charac-
  ter can’t break out, climb out, or otherwise escape, 
  he remains trapped until released.
  A knockout trap does STUN damage only, usu-
  ally via a Drain STUN. If built as a poison, this may 
  be an NND Drain STUN (the defense is the appro-
  priate Life Support (Immunity)).
  Lethal traps do Normal or Killing Damage — 
  usually Killing Damage. Th ey may or may not target 
  a speciﬁ c part of the body; if so, they do not suﬀ er 
  any OCV penalty for the Hit Location, but inﬂ ict no 
  extra damage because of it either (but you should 
  reduce the damage for Locations that halve it). Poi-
  soned traps do NND Killing Damage (the defense is 
  the appropriate Life Support (Immunity)).
  CREATING AND SETTING TRAPS
  Characters build traps using the Skill Security 
  Systems. Related Skills, such as PS: Blacksmith, act 
  as Complementary Skills in the GM’s discretion; it 
  all depends on the type of trap and what it’s made 
  with. Th e roll to create the trap usually suﬀ ers a 
  modiﬁ er, as indicated on the Trap Table. Building 
  a trap usually takes hours or days; the GM decides 
  how long based on the work involved.
  Setting a trap requires a Security Systems roll. If 
  the character wants to hide the trap, his Conceal-
  ment roll acts as a Complementary Skill. If the roll 
  succeeds, the trap is set (and concealed, if desired). 
  If it fails by 1-3, the installer may try again. If it fails 
  by 4 or more, the installer thinks he’s set it properly, 
  but it won’t function when triggered (or, it triggers 
  and aﬀ ects him!).
  When someone sets a trap, you should make note 
  of how much the installer made his roll by (both 
  with and without the bonus from a Complementary 
  Concealment roll). You need that information when 
  another character tries to ﬁ nd or disarm it.
  FINDING AND DISARMING TRAPS
  To ﬁ nd a concealed trap, a character must look 
  in the right place and make a Security Systems roll 
  in a Skill Versus Skill Contest against the roll of the 
  person who installed and concealed it. His Con-
  cealment roll acts as a Complementary Skill roll. 
  He must make his roll by equal to or more than the 
  installer made his roll, or else he cannot ﬁ nd it — in 
  eﬀ ect, you can treat the amount the installer made 
  his roll by as a penalty to the searcher’s roll.
  Disarming a trap requires another Security Sys-
  tems Versus Security Systems Contest, but without 
  any Concealment bonuses. If the disarmer wins 
  the contest, he disarms the trap, neutralizing it in 
  an appropriate fashion. If he misses by 1, he fails, 
  but does not set the trap oﬀ ; he may try again aft er 
  doing something to obtain a Skill Roll bonus (such 
  as taking more time). If he fails the roll by 2 or 
  more, he triggers the trap and suﬀ ers its eﬀ ects.
  SAMPLE TRAPS
  Here are several sample traps you can use in 
  your Pulp Hero scenarios. “Trigger” describes how 
  the victim triggers the trap. “OCV” and “Damage/
  Eﬀ ect” list the trap’s OCV and eﬀ ect, respectively. 
  “Find” describes how diﬃ  cult it is to ﬁ nd the trap; 
  the character must make his roll by this much or 
  more (or you can just use the modiﬁ er as a penalty 
  to his roll). “Disarm” describes how diﬃ  cult it is to 
  disarm the trap; the character must make his roll by 
  this much or more (or you can just use the modiﬁ er 
  as a penalty to his roll).
  ARROW PROJECTOR
  Trigger: 
  Stepping on trigger plate (see 
  text)
  OCV: 
  7
  Damage/Effect: 
  1½d6 Killing Damage (plus 
  possibly poison)
  Find: 
  -4
  Disarm: 
  -4
  Description:  Trap designers usually install this trap 
  behind a wall or the like, leaving concealed open-
  ings through with the arrows (or darts) project. 
  When the victim triggers the trap, the arrows ﬁ re 
  at him. Typically the triggering mechanism is a 
  concealed plate or panel in the ﬂ oor, but it could 
  also be a tripwire, failure to open or pick a lock, or 
  the like.
  CONFINEMENT TRAP
  Trigger: 
  Stepping on trigger plate (see 
  text)
  OCV: 
  N/A (see text)
  Damage/Effect: 
  Conﬁ nes character inside DEF 
  5, BODY 12 walls
  Find: 
  -5
  Disarm: 
  -2
  Description:  When a victim triggers this trap (usu-
  ally by stepping on a concealed plate or panel in 
  the ﬂ oor, but occasionally by touching or pulling 
  on something), it causes stone walls to slam down 
  around him, conﬁ ning him. It’s typically placed in 
  corridors, so that the corridor walls form two sides, 
  and the conﬁ ning panels drop down from the ceil-
  ing to cut oﬀ  a section of the hallway. Th e Damage/
  Eﬀ ect above assumes stone walls; sometimes the 
  trap uses metal portculli (DEF 7, BODY 6) instead.
  Characters can escape the trap by hacking 
  through the walls or lift ing the conﬁ ning walls. Th e 
  walls typically have STR equal to ﬁ ve times their 
  BODY, but the GM may vary this as he sees ﬁ t.
  A person trapped under a falling conﬁ ne-
  ment trap wall takes a number of dice of Normal 
  Damage equal to the wall’s BODY and is then 
  pinned to the ﬂ oor by the wall’s STR (see above).
  TRAP 
  DEGRADATION  
  Th e standard rules for 
  traps don’t factor in the 
  passage of time, poten-
  tial damage to the trap 
  from environmental 
  factors (rust, mold, 
  rot, and the like), and 
  similar factors. If that 
  seems “unrealistic” to 
  you, apply the following 
  rules:
  A trap has a default 
  lifespan of 1 Year, plus 
  one step down the Time 
  Chart for every 2 points 
  by which the trap’s cre-
  ator or installer made 
  his Security Systems 
  roll (aft er taking into 
  account all penalties, of 
  course). For every year 
  (or larger time unit, for 
  better traps) beyond 
  the lifespan, reduce 
  one of the following by 
  one point:  the trap’s 
  OCV; the trap’s DCs 
  of damage; the trap’s 
  penalty to Find; the 
  trap’s penalty to Disarm. 
  (Reductions to Find 
  and Disarm can lead 
  to bonuses to Find or 
  Disarm, aft er the reduc-
  tion cancels out the 
  penalty.) Alternately, in 
  the place of one of the 
  -1 penalties, the GM can 
  impose an Activation 
  Roll 15- on the Trigger, 
  then reduce the Activa-
  tion Roll by 1 as a -1 
  eﬀ ect.
  When a trap’s OCV 
  reaches 0, or it fails an 
  Activation Roll, it no 
  longer functions. When 
  a trap loses all of its 
  DCs, it may function, 
  but it can’t hurt victims 
  (though it may still 
  inconvenience them 
  somehow).
  Example:  Th e designers 
  of the tomb of King Hap-
  shar-Tef want to protect 
  his remains and grave 
  goods from robbers. Th ey 
  install a deadfall trap, 
  using the best materi-
  als and most precise 
  Continued on page 370
  
  370 ■ Gamemastering Pulp Hero
  Hero System 5th Edition
  DEADFALL
  Trigger: 
  Tripwire
  OCV: 
  11
  Damage/Effect: 
  Normal Damage equal to STR 
  needed to lift weight, equiva-
  lent Killing Damage, or NND 
  Killing Damage
  Find: 
  -3
  Disarm: 
  -3
  Description:  A deadfall is a trap that drops one or 
  more large, heavy objects onto the person trig-
  gering it. Th e typical example is a large block of 
  stone or a tree trunk. If the object hits the victim, 
  he takes a number of dice of Normal Damage 
  equal to the STR needed to lift  the object and is 
  crushed beneath the object. (Th e GM decides how 
  heavy the object is based on its size, composition, 
  and so forth.) He takes the same number of dice 
  of damage every Segment 12 thereaft er until he 
  wins free or dies. If the weight hits with a sharp or 
  pointed end, convert the initial damage to the same 
  number of DCs of Killing Damage. In the case of 
  some extremely heavy weights, the GM may have a 
  deadfall do large amounts of NND Killing Damage 
  — blunt or not, a 50-ton boulder should crush just 
  about anyone it falls on.
  Some deadfalls drop objects so large they cover 
  an entire area. Th ese attack against DCV 3, and can 
  hit, hurt, and crush multiple persons.
  LOCKED ROOM AND MOVING WALLS
  Trigger: 
  Trip object (see text)
  OCV: 
  N/A (see text)
  Damage/Effect: 
  Conﬁ nes character inside DEF 
  4, BODY 8 walls, then crushes 
  him for 6d6+ Normal Damage 
  per Segment.
  Find: 
  -3
  Disarm: 
  -4
  Description:  Th is trap conﬁ nes the victims, then 
  kills them. It requires an enclosed space — a room 
  or corridor, typically. Th e victims usually trigger it 
  by touching, pushing, or pulling some object they 
  shouldn’t. Th is causes walls to fall from the ceiling or 
  slide out from the walls (as with a Conﬁ nement Trap, 
  above). Th e walls span the corridor or each side of 
  the room. Two Segments aft er the walls are in place, 
  they begin to slide toward each other at the rate of 
  about 1/3” per Segment. Since they ﬁ ll the corridor 
  or room from side to side, there’s no way around 
  them — the victim has to stop them from moving, or 
  deactivate the trap, if he wants to live.
  Th e sliding walls have STR 40 or more, so stop-
  ping them is diﬃ  cult. If they encounter resistance 
  (including characters trapped between them when 
  they get close), they do 6d6 Normal Damage to the 
  resisting objects or characters that Segment. Th e 
  next Segment, they do 7d6; the next, 8d6; and so 
  forth (adding +1d6 per Segment) until everyone 
  between them is crushed into a bloody paste.
  PIT TRAP
  Trigger: 
  Victim’s weight on pit’s cover, 
  or accidentally falling in
  OCV: 
  Automatic
  Damage/Effect: 
  Falling damage (see text)
  Find: 
  -1
  Disarm: 
  N/A
  Description:  Th is trap consists of a simple pit in the 
  ground, usually covered by a trapdoor or the like. 
  If the victim steps on the cover, or doesn’t watch 
  where he’s going, he falls in. At the GM’s option, 
  the victim can make a DEX Roll at -2 (plus any 
  Encumbrance penalties or other appropriate modi-
  ﬁ ers) to catch the edge of the pit and hang on for 
  dear life.
  A character who falls into a pit suﬀ ers falling 
  damage, usually for a short fall (see page 434 of the 
  HERO System 5th Edition, Revised). Some pits have 
  spikes at the bottom, in which case the damage 
  becomes an equivalent number of DCs of Killing 
  Damage. Other pits have water, acid, or monsters 
  in them.
  SCYTHING BLADE
  Trigger: 
  Tripwire (see text)
  OCV: 
  9
  Damage/Effect: 
  3d6 Killing Damage; may also 
  be poisoned
  Find: 
  -3
  Disarm: 
  -3
  Description:  Th is trap consists of a large blade that 
  swings, slices, jabs, or projects out of a concealed 
  notch in a wall, ceiling, or ﬂ oor to hit the victim. 
  Usually a tripwire triggers it, though some activate 
  via a pressure plate in the ﬂ oor or failure to open a 
  door properly. Th e blade may be poisoned.
  You can also use this trap to represent spiked 
  springing logs in forest scenarios.
  SLIDING STAIRCASE
  Trigger: 
  Victim’s weight on concealed 
  pressure plate in stairs
  OCV: 
  N/A
  Damage/Effect: 
  Victim slides into pit or ﬂ oor
  Find: 
  -2
  Disarm: 
  -3
  Description:  Th is trap, installed in a staircase and 
  triggered by weight on the stairs, causes the stairs 
  to fold down into a slippery ramp. Anyone on the 
  stairs slides down the ramp, usually into a pit that 
  opens up at the foot of the stairs, but sometimes 
  into a concealed tunnel or just back down to the 
  ﬂ oor. Impact with the ﬂ oor, or having other charac-
  ters land on him, may cause a character to suﬀ er a 
  few dice of Normal Damage.
  Characters trapped on a sliding staircase typi-
  cally slide one ﬂ oor’s worth of distance per Seg-
  ment (some sliding stairs are steeper). If the charac-
  ter has a Phase in a Segment, he can attempt a STR 
  Roll to keep from sliding. If he succeeds, he’s found 
  a way to halt his slide; otherwise he keeps going.
  Continued from page 369
  workmanship they can. 
  Th ey make their Security 
  Systems roll by 6, so the 
  trap has a lifespan of 
  1 Century (three steps 
  below 1 Year on the Time 
  Chart). Th us, for each 
  century beyond one, the 
  trap suﬀ ers one level of 
  degradation.
  For example, aft er 500 
  years, the trap suf-
  fers four reductions in 
  eﬀ ectiveness. Th e trap 
  uses the standard Dead-
  fall writeup (OCV 11, 
  damage 15d6 Normal, 
  Find -3, Disarm -3). 
  Th e GM decides it 
  doesn’t make sense for 
  the damage to change. 
  So, he reduces the OCV 
  and Find by 1 each, and 
  its Disarm by 2 (to 10, 
  -2, and -1, respectively). 
  Th e trap’s now easier 
  to avoid, locate, and 
  disarm.
  
  371 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Six
  SNARENET
  Trigger: 
  Trigger released by captor, or 
  pressure on the net
  OCV: 
  11
  Damage/Effect: 
  Entangle 4d6, 4 DEF; net 
  covers a 2” radius area
  Find: 
  -2
  Disarm: 
  -1
  Description:  Usually found in woodland areas, this 
  trap consists of a net placed on the ground and con-
  cealed beneath a layer of leaves and brush. Th e net 
  connects to bent-over springy saplings, or a deadfall 
  weight, via concealed ropes. When a victim steps into 
  the net, the captor (who stays nearby and watches 
  the trap if it’s not set up for automatic eﬀ ect) hits 
  the trigger, causing the saplings or deadfall weight 
  to pull the net up and around the victim, trapping 
  him in midair. Th e net covers a 2” radius area on the 
  ground, so it may catch more than one person.
  Secret And Concealed Doors
  In addition to traps, many Pulp settings, such 
  as castles and hidden temples, have secret or con-
  cealed doors and compartments. To ﬁ nd a secret 
  or concealed door, a character must locate it by 
  making a Concealment roll at a penalty deﬁ ned by 
  the skill with which the door was constructed and 
  hidden (see accompanying sidebar).
  If a character ﬁ nds a secret or concealed door, 
  he knows where it is, but that doesn’t necessar-
  ily mean he knows how to open it. Many secret 
  or concealed doors have special levers or other 
  mechanisms governing how they work. Th e GM 
  may allow a character to make a Security Systems 
  roll at the same penalty for ﬁ nding the door to ﬁ nd 
  and activate the opening mechanism (the charac-
  ter would have to make further rolls to ﬁ nd and 
  disarm any traps in the mechanism). If a secret or 
  concealed door or compartment has a trap located 
  within or behind it, a character must ﬁ rst locate the 
  door or compartment before he can try to detect 
  and disarm the trap.
  SECRET AND 
  CONCEALED DOORS
  Type Of Secrecy 
  Concealment Modiﬁ er
  Poor quality 
  +1
  Average quality 
  -0
  Above Average quality 
  -3
  High quality 
  -6
  Very high quality 
  -9
  Superb quality 
  -12
  Alternately, if the GM prefers, he can require a Skill 
  Versus Skill Contest to determine the outcome of an 
  attempt to ﬁ nd a secret or concealed door. A Poor door 
  has an 8- roll, and an Average one an 11- roll; every step 
  down the table below Average adds +3 to the roll.
  
  372 ■ Gamemastering Pulp Hero
  Hero System 5th Edition
  J
  ust like any other adventure genre, Pulp 
  depends strongly on its villains for dra-
  matic eﬀ ect — and, in a gaming context, to 
  capture and hold the interest of the players. 
  A good villain makes just about any scenario enter-
  taining; an uninteresting villain can ruin even the 
  best-planned game.
  WORTHY ADVERSARIES:  
  DESIGNING THE 
  PULP VILLAIN
  Now the Golden Girl was being bound to 
  the rack with leather thongs. “Your white 
  breasts will not be so beautiful when 
  they have tasted the fire of my brand-
  ing-irons!” the half-caste torture-woman 
  chuckled evilly.
  —Robert Leslie Bellem, “Adventure’s 
  End,” Spicy Adventure, April 1935
  Villainy is the joy of the Pulp Hero GM. When 
  you don the Pulp villain’s mantle, you’re uncon-
  strained by anything resembling common sense, 
  respectability, or sympathy. Pulp villains are free to 
  be madly glittering gems of selﬁ sh malice, endlessly 
  fascinating and cunningly faceted. Th ey’re just as 
  free to be recognizably human (if extreme) charac-
  ters with comprehensible motives, if you prefer. But 
  even when a Pulp villain is recognizable, he’s always 
  larger than life and best friends with death.
  Villain Nature, Villain Motive
  Th e simplest villains of the Pulp tradition are 
  Evil for Evil’s sake:  they steal because they’re bad; 
  they kill because they’re bad; they scare people 
  because they’re bad. Th ey go aft er the heroes 
  because the heroes are good and bad people take 
  serious issue with that. While this all sounds too 
  simple-minded to be bearable, the trick to the “just 
  plain evil” villain is less about motive and more 
  about nature. Some of these villains are simply 
  motivated because they’re genuinely monstrous:  
  ancient mummies and vampires, antediluvian sor-
  cerers, dangerous robots, and more. Th e humans 
  among them are oft en just mad (including some of 
  the more overtly evil scientists, and several villains 
  created by wartime trauma). To create a pure evil 
  villain, pick a motif and give it form.
  Th e most enduring villains, however, have a 
  little more meat on their bones than the mummies, 
  and that ﬂ esh amounts to clear (if frequently out-
  rageous) motives matched to their natures. With 
  only a little reﬂ ection, it’s easy to list dozens or even 
  hundreds of “villainous” motivations, because vil-
  lainous motives are just regular motives stripped 
  of moral and ethical limits (in many cases, rational 
  and physical limits as well). A villain can be moti-
  vated by anything:  a desire for peace, a longing to 
  hear the perfect strain of music, or a need to just 
  ﬁ nally know what it feels like to have killed a hun-
  dred thousand innocents by feeding them to radio-
  controlled snakes. By all means, explore the unusual 
  and eccentric in your villains, as the pulpsters did 
  before you. But there are some recurring types of 
  villains and/or villainous motives that occur so fre-
  quently they deserve your special consideration.
  BAD PATRIOTISM:  THE FOREIGN THREATS
  Mistrust of foreign ways is common in the Pulp 
  era, and isn’t limited to any particular corner of the 
  world. Foreign threats are all similarly motivated:  
  they want to advance the cause of their totalitar-
  ian government, wipe out or enslave the other 
  races, and otherwise re-author the world order to 
  place their kind on top. Sometimes, these villains 
  are simple, hostile, racist caricatures:  slobbering 
  heathens with little more to oﬀ er an adventure than 
  swaggering, bile, and violence. Th e foreign threats 
  that still earn respect from modern readers, how-
  ever, are something more. In America, the pulps 
  cast their lurid light on some frequent favorites, 
  such as the Fiendish Oriental Mastermind and the 
  Nazi (see Villain Archetypes, below).
  While foreign threats are all motivated by ser-
  vice to their cause, many combine that with other 
  villainous motives and techniques. Th ese range 
  from evil science, to lust, to simple revenge (some 
  of them hate white people because of some past 
  perceived injustice).
  BAD KNOWLEDGE:  OCCULT AND SCIENCE 
  THREATS
  Th e pulps fairly glow with a reverence of 
  knowledge and science, but a corollary to the 
  power of knowledge is the danger it poses. Many 
  villains, such as evil scientists and evil occultists, 
  embody that danger. Both science and the occult 
  are common fascinations of the day, creating all 
  manner of source material for the Pulp writers 
  to weave into each new tale. “Authenticity” isn’t a 
  priority of this sort of pulp; voodoo mixes with 
  Egyptian lore and Gypsy curses to cripple helpless 
  victims; magnetism combines with the unusual 
  properties of newly-discovered minerals to bend 
  radio waves to freeze the ﬂ esh of the innocent. 
  
  373 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Six
  Many evil scientists specialize in some trendy sci-
  ence of the day — there are a handful who are 
  masters of cosmetic surgery, for example, with the 
  power to reshape faces for good or ill (guess which 
  one they choose).
  Th e far east — particularly Tibet (page 218) — 
  is the source of much of the magic in the pulps, and 
  lamas (Tibetan Buddhist monks) are the among the 
  genre’s favorite wizards. A real lama might argue 
  that Tibetan Buddhism doesn’t teach the secrets 
  of immortality, precognitive visions, mesmerism, 
  or projecting one’s face and voice through space, 
  but the stories, comics, and radio adventures of the 
  Pulp era respectfully disagree. While heroes like 
  the Green Lama, Mandrake the Magician, and Mr. 
  Mystic all use Tibetan magic secrets for the good of 
  mankind, lama villains are out there, too:  wicked 
  monks who’ve turned their backs on the gentler 
  side of their faith to wield dark sorceries and 
  unearth secrets for malicious ends. Indeed, Man-
  drake’s arch-foe, the Cobra, is the very lama who 
  taught secrets to Mandrake before turning to evil.
  BAD BOREDOM:  THRILLSEEKERS AND 
  JADED GENIUSES
  An alarming number of Pulp villains take up 
  crime because they’re bored, jaded, or restless. 
  Th ey see villainy as the last refuse of the roman-
  tic thrillseeker and their only chance to really be 
  challenged by a world they’re otherwise just waltz-
  ing through. In some pulps these Th rillseeking 
  Criminals are really heroes (see page 246), but 
  others are true crooks. Some other types of villains 
  compound their primary motives with boredom, 
  such as the outré menace of Dr. Satan, a combina-
  tion evil occultist/evil scientist from the pages of 
  Weird Tales. Many of the Air Adventure villains 
  seem motivated (or at least pleased) by the notion 
  of ﬁ nally facing a worthy foe aft er downing dozens 
  of lesser pilots with too much ease. It’s fair to note, 
  though, that for every villain motivated by bore-
  dom, there are a half-dozen socialite and playboy 
  crimeﬁ ghters who took up the trade to escape the 
  tedium of “society” and luxury.
  BAD AMBITION:  SEEKERS OF WEALTH 
  AND POWER
  While the foreign-threat villains seek to broaden 
  the power of their leaders and their race, quite a few 
  villains are more selﬁ sh than that. Th ere are many 
  degrees of villainous ambition, ranging from crooks 
  chasing aft er a precious jewel, to mobsters who 
  want to own all the rackets and City Hall besides, 
  to masked would-be dictators of the globe. Th ese 
  villains tend to display wealth and power as well as 
  seeking to amass it; powerhungry villains are the 
  most likely to have elaborate secret lairs, armies 
  of goons, and global networks that team them up 
  with other villains (for as long as its convenient). 
  Quite a few of these villains are dictators of their 
  own little kingdoms, of a kind — sometimes hidden 
  underground cities, sometimes real-world ethnic 
  neighborhoods. But they have in common a kind of 
  absolute greed:  nothing is ever enough.
  OTHER MOTIVES, OTHER NATURES
  Some earlier, joking suggestions aside, there 
  really aren’t any limits to how eccentric or unspeak-
  able a Pulp villain’s motives can be. Th ere are 
  sadists who delight mainly in torture, foreign-
  menace soldiers who care little about ideology but 
  very much about the glory of battle, even villains 
  
  374 ■ Gamemastering Pulp Hero
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  who murder and scheme to prevent war. Th ere are 
  a handful of Pulp villains motivated not only by 
  vengeance, but speciﬁ cally by vengeance for being 
  spurned or dumped by a woman (vengeance for 
  things like violent acts is more common as a heroic 
  motive). Some villains delight in seducing and/or 
  corrupting the pure, some revel in creating conﬂ ict, 
  some are driven by ancient occult quests.
  Roleplaying The 
  Villainous Persona
  Th e following is a list of personal qualities 
  common to many memorable Pulp villains. Only 
  very psychotic villains display all of them... but 
  psychotic villains aren’t unheard of. Brush up on 
  presenting these traits theatrically, and you’re on 
  your way to mastery of Pulp Hero GMing. As with 
  the motives, quite a number of these traits echo (or 
  darkly mirror) the personality traits of heroes.
  ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY
  A common villainous trait is the villain’s 
  unshakable conﬁ dence in both the rightness and 
  ultimate success of his endeavors. Some villains 
  seem arrogant for arrogance’s sake, but many claim 
  a speciﬁ c foundation on which they rest their 
  hubris, ranging from the quality of their blood 
  (simple racism or old-fashioned class elitism) to 
  the superiority of their scientiﬁ c conclusions. To 
  such villains, their “arrogance” is nothing less than 
  loyalty to a higher cause (one which just happens 
  to beneﬁ t them). A close relative of this trait is 
  implacability. Pulp villains aren’t easily deterred, 
  sometimes to the point where they seem almost 
  immortal (see Recurring Villains, below).
  ACTIVE INTELLECT
  Many Pulp villains are very bright, though not all 
  are as bright as they think they are. Th e rule seems to 
  be that hubris and intellect grow together and cancel 
  each other out to some extent, so that criminal mas-
  terminds create plans riddled with weak points for 
  the corn-fed hero to punch through.
  SPORTSMANSHIP
  An occasional subset of the intellectual villain 
  is the sportsman, the honorable foe who enjoys the 
  thrust and riposte of conﬂ ict with the heroes (these 
  oft en come from the “bored villain” category). Such 
  villains aren’t necessarily less arrogant, they’re just 
  willing to acknowledge that the heroes, both by dint 
  of skill and simply by being heroes, have earned a 
  measure of respect. Most sportsmen villains work 
  alone; those with henchmen oft en treat them with 
  contempt, clearly holding the heroes in higher 
  regard than their own servants. Th ese villains oft en 
  step down from a conﬂ ict they’re losing, slipping 
  away with a salute to ﬁ ght another day. In some 
  cases, they’ll even volunteer to aid the hero against 
  greater (and less respectable) evils.
  FEROCITY
  Some villains — particularly in the Crimebust-
  ing and Globetrotting Adventure pulps — are brut-
  ish men (and women) of savage rage and vicious 
  malice. Such villains make no pretense to intellect 
  or social standing, though some are witty enough 
  to express contempt for such things. Ferocious vil-
  lains aren’t much for conquering the world; they’re 
  usually killers who’ve clawed their way to the top 
  of their particular heap. Some otherwise genteel 
  villains have a ferocious side that emerges when 
  
  375 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Six
  they’re thwarted or feeling vindictive. During those 
  moments, gentility vanishes and the beast reigns.
  PASSION
  Villains, for better or worse, live their lives fully, 
  and they’re frequently men and women of burning 
  passion and intensity. What they want, they want 
  badly; who they hate, they hate to the core of their 
  being; and when a villain decides to love, that love 
  (whether to family or a potential romantic partner) 
  takes on soul-searing depth. For example, sometimes 
  a Femme Fatale decides she loves one of the heroes 
  — and if that doesn’t work out, hell hath no fury.
  By contrast, many of the Yellow Peril type vil-
  lains exhibit a kind of anti-passion — they’re cold 
  and “inscrutable.” Th e implication is seldom that 
  these villains lack passion, rather that they contain 
  it absolutely, maintaining complete control over 
  what they reveal to others about their thoughts 
  and feelings.
  DETACHMENT
  Pulp villains exist entirely outside real-world 
  societies, even when (in the case of villains who 
  embody foreign threats) they’re meant to represent 
  one. Th is isn’t just an observation of their status; 
  it’s something that can be roleplayed to good eﬀ ect, 
  informing the villain’s other personality traits and 
  how he relates to his henchmen, his partners in 
  crime, his superiors (if he acknowledges any), and 
  the PCs. At the extreme, it becomes outright narcis-
  sism, with a total lack of perspective for what he’s 
  trampling on. A reliable GM trick is to represent this 
  with understated (or not understated) childishness, 
  modeling a villain’s behavior on a youngster who 
  wants his way. Th e overstated emotions, the single-
  ness of purpose, the sudden swing from graciousness 
  to tantrum if things go wrong... it’s all there.
  You can play any of these qualities to the hilt 
  for camp value; it’s fun, sometimes, to just treat the 
  encounter as an all-you-can-eat scenery buﬀ et. But 
  any of these qualities (even those normally ren-
  dered camp) can be played straight as well, oft en 
  to excellent eﬀ ect. For example, one of the most 
  universal qualities of Pulp villainy is certainty, as 
  discussed above. Played camp, this can be a feast 
  of gloating laughter, indulgent soliloquy, and dis-
  missive smack-talk — a colorful petard on which 
  to hoist the villain in the ﬁ nal showdown. Played 
  straight, villainous certainty can be a tour de force 
  of chilling roleplaying. Arrogant villains needn’t 
  brag, swagger, or gloat; some are quiet and steady 
  in their absolute conﬁ dence... or even gently regret-
  ful at how necessary and correct their actions are, 
  sad (but convinced) that the weak must perish so 
  the strong may claim their rightful place. Th is is an 
  especially eﬀ ective technique when playing villains 
  rooted in real-world evils like Nazism, remnants of 
  the Ku Klux Klan, or even mundane mobsters. Tip-
  ping the hat to the reality of such dangerous men 
  gives the villains serious presence. Of course, if the 
  resulting atmosphere becomes too heavy or grim, 
  the chilling villain can make a digniﬁ ed exit and 
  leave a more entertaining, wax-mustached hench-
  men to deliver the necessary gloating.
  Whether you play these qualities with quiet 
  resolve or swagger, play them distinctly and boldly. 
  Pulp villains can be serious or comedic, but should 
  never be ambiguous.
  Recurring Villains
  Th e grandest of Pulp supervillains are more 
  than implacable:  they’re recurring. Engulf a villain’s 
  zeppelin in a ﬁ reball, and he somehow survives 
  to build another one. Bury him beneath tons of 
  granite, and he digs his way out and comes aft er 
  the heroes. Personally remove his internal organs, 
  lock each in a separate iron box, ship them to dif-
  ferent incinerators... and he re-assembles them and 
  launches another scheme. Th ese villains may be 
  defeated. With great eﬀ ort and luck they may be 
  slain. But what you can’t do to them is write them 
  out of the campaign. Th ey will recur.
  Of course, just because a villain comes back 
  doesn’t mean he comes back unscathed — heroes 
  can leave permanent marks that force their foes to 
  change their tactics (or at least their costume). It’s 
  part of the deal when you’re a Pulp villain:  some 
  hero can burn you in acid or decapitate you with 
  a propeller blade, forcing you to plot your next 
  master scheme from behind a black steel mask, 
  or with your head in a jar while your body walks 
  controlled by cables jammed into its neck. It’s an 
  excellent opportunity to capture the gruesome joy 
  of the guilty-pleasure pulps, though there are plenty 
  of examples in more “respectable” magazines to 
  draw on for inspiration. For example, there’s G-8’s 
  foe Baron Von Todschmecker, who took a knife in 
  the brain but survived by leaving it lodged in place. 
  From vanity-wounding facial scrapes to complete 
  robot-body replacements, the “development” of an 
  arch-foe can become a litany of mounting battle-
  scars. Th is is an excellent way to give the heroes a 
  real sense of having beaten the foe, while keeping 
  him around to use again. In some ways, it lets the 
  triumph of victory linger more pleasingly than a 
  permanent demise ever could.
  Another device employed now and then in 
  the pulps, but later honed to a ﬁ ne edge in comic 
  books, is recurrence by proxy. Th e villain really is 
  destroyed, but there’s a new villain taking on the 
  name:  a former henchman; a son or daughter; 
  even a diﬀ erent villain entirely, disguising himself. 
  Sometimes, the serpent of the villain’s organization 
  is so robust that killing the head doesn’t destroy the 
  body... and the PCs eventually uncover the plot to 
  replace or resurrect their old foe.
  
  376 ■ Gamemastering Pulp Hero
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  VILLAIN ARCHETYPES
  Just like villains in Fantasy, Science Fiction, comic 
  books, or modern action-adventure, Pulp villains 
  oft en fall into a few broad archetypes. Th ese include:
  THE CRIMELORD
  The Fly though for a moment of the Spider. 
  He had another little enterprise that 
  would tie that worthy’s hands.... Later 
  they would meet again with sabres. The 
  Fly tapped his neatly-shod foot with his 
  cane. He was well pleased with himself.
  —Grant Stockbridge, Prince Of The 
  Red Looters, in The Spider Magazine, 
  August 1934
  Crimebusting characters frequently confront 
  this villain type. He’s the Masked Crimeﬁ ghter’s 
  opposite number:  a ﬂ amboyant criminal with 
  an unusual name (whether it’s his real name and 
  just sounds odd, like “Crix” or “Charg,” or a nom 
  du crime like the Fly or the Gray Fist), and oft en 
  a mask or unusual garb as well. His schemes are 
  grandiose plots that threaten elite groups of people, 
  or even entire cities. To make matters worse, he 
  usually has a large gang of hardened crooks at his 
  beck and call. His goal is usually wealth and power 
  (though he’s oft en rich to begin with), but some 
  Crimelords care only about gaining revenge against 
  a speciﬁ c person or group.
  Useful Features:  Given his vast resources, the 
  Crimelord can threaten just about any group of 
  Pulp Hero characters — between his own abilities, 
  his legion of followers, and his other assets, you 
  can make him as personally powerful and com-
  petent as you need him to be to oppose your PCs. 
  Since he puts so much eﬀ ort and money into his 
  schemes, the PCs can get a sense of satisfaction out 
  of stopping them even if they don’t catch or kill the 
  Crimelord personally.
  Potential Problems:  Crimelords can become repeti-
  tious and dull if you use them too oft en. Writers like 
  William Gibson (Maxwell Grant) and Norvell Page 
  (Grant Stockbridge) had a gift  for coming up with 
  new ones month aft er month aft er month, but your 
  players may not be as forgiving as their readers. You 
  may ﬁ nd it necessary to include other villains in the 
  mix rather than relying on Crimelords alone.
  Variations:  Most Crimelords are men, but there’s no 
  reason you couldn’t combine this archetype with 
  the Femme Fatale to create a Crimelady. Unlike a 
  Femme Fatale, a Crimelady would be able, and even 
  willing if necessary, to ﬁ ght against the heroes as an 
  equal using her personal skills and weapons.
  
  377 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Six
  THE CULT LEADER
  “It began when I met Dr. Mocquino.” Rath-
  court spoke mechanically. The Shadow’s 
  burning gaze, no longer tempered, was 
  drawing forth the man’s true story. “Dr. 
  Rodil Mocquino — the Voodoo Master. He 
  took me to the meetings of his cult. I came 
  beneath his sway. My thoughts — my ambi-
  tions — all seemed to tune with the rhythm 
  of the chants I heard. The glow of the fire 
  — the beat of the tom-toms — they made 
  me obey. I gloried in evil! I rejoiced when 
  I saw Dr. Mocquino thrust the pin point 
  through the heart of my uncle’s image!”
  —Maxwell Grant, The Voodoo Master, in 
  The Shadow Magazine, March 1936
  Th e Cult Leader controls, through means mun-
  dane or arcane, a sect of followers devoted to some 
  foul religion or evil god. Th e worshippers in his 
  congregation are fanatics, willing to do anything he 
  commands in the name of the god. Th e Cult Leader 
  himself may possess mystic or psychic powers, or 
  he may simply be a skilled orator, stage magician, 
  or con man who’s lucked into a good racket. Either 
  way, his followers bring him wealth and power 
  and make him a threat to all good people — so the 
  heroes must stop him!
  Useful Features:  You can tailor the Cult Leader 
  to suit your needs, the abilities and power level of 
  your PCs, and the likes of your players, since his 
  personality and abilities depend in part on the sort 
  of god(s) he worships. A Cult Leader who obeys the 
  dictates of a Lovecraft ian “elder god” that doesn’t 
  care much about humanity diﬀ ers from one who 
  worships a demon with an active interest in cor-
  rupting men and creating a literal Hell on Earth.
  Potential Problems:  As with Crimelords, if you 
  use cults and Cult Leaders too oft en, they become 
  passé. Cults are supposed to be rare, so they seem 
  mysterious and strange; if they lose this glamour, 
  they lose a lot of their impact. See Th e Ultimate 
  Mystic, pages 165-70, for more information about 
  cults in general, how to create them, and how to 
  keep them interesting.
  Variations:  If you think of a cult simply as a group 
  of people who fanatically believe in something, 
  you can expand the concept of Cult Leader into 
  non-religious/non-mystic areas. Th e commander 
  of a small but inﬂ uential fringe political party 
  might function just like a Cult Leader; so would the 
  wealthy industrialist who leads a group of lesser 
  capitalists, all devoted to enhancing their fortunes 
  at the expense of others.
  THE FEMME FATALE
  Her eyes wandered over and caught my 
  grin. She took me in from hair to second 
  button on my dinner coat, and then went 
  on eating without a change of expres-
  sion. But my neck hairs stiffened. She 
  was like a beautiful leopard, lazily lap-
  ping cream. Claws were sheathed behind 
  that fragile daintiness.
  —T. T. Flynn, “The Deadly Orchid,” 
  Detective Fiction Weekly, April 1933
  A Femme Fatale is a wicked woman who relies 
  on her feminine wiles and personal charms to 
  accomplish what other criminals do through vio-
  lence, intimidation, and fear. Oft en a lesser villain, 
  or a secondary threat compared to the main villain 
  of a story, the Femme Fatale attempts to get close 
  to the hero through seduction and charisma, then 
  twists him around her little ﬁ nger until he’ll do 
  whatever she wants. But if he shakes oﬀ  her inﬂ u-
  ence, beware — the saying “Hell hath no fury like 
  a woman scorned” is doubly true in the case of 
  Femme Fatales, and more than a few of them carry 
  a pistol or Weird Science gadget in their purses for 
  just such emergencies....
  Useful Features:  Th e Femme Fatale tends to expand 
  the dimensions of your campaign. Since the heroes 
  can’t just hit or shoot her (remember, Pulp heroes 
  don’t attack women), they have to ﬁ nd other ways 
  to defeat her. Since she oft en plies her wiles on 
  hapless NPCs and DNPCs instead of directly on 
  the strong-willed heroes (at least, she does aft er 
  they initially reject her), the way to beat her oft en 
  involves opening the victim’s eyes by exposing her 
  true motives or personality.
  Potential Problems:  Th e Femme Fatale works in 
  literature, where the author controls the events and 
  the main characters. She may not function so well 
  in a game, where you can’t control what the PCs do 
  and the players, not equipped with the dramatic 
  blinders that literary characters have, will instantly 
  recognize her for what she is. Working her into the 
  game for maximum impact requires a subtle touch.
  Variations:  If you have enough female PCs (or 
  important DNPCs) in your campaign, you could 
  easily create an “Homme Fatale” instead — a 
  wealthy playboy who cruelly plays on the emotions 
  of women for his own insidious purposes.
  
  378 ■ Gamemastering Pulp Hero
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  THE FIENDISH ORIENTAL MASTERMIND
  “Like my ancestors, I am destined to become 
  the Great Ruler. All the world shall call me 
  Kha Khan! I shall have power, Twindell, 
  supreme power!”
  —the words of Shiwan Khan in The 
  Golden Master, in The Shadow Maga-
  zine, September 1939
  One of the most popular villains throughout the 
  history of the pulps, the Fiendish Oriental Master-
  mind is the Yellow Peril incarnate — a (typically) 
  Chinese master criminal and political manipulator 
  who uses his intelligence, resources, and cruel will 
  to gain wealth and power. Th e greatest of the Ori-
  ental villains is the implacably evil Dr. Fu Manchu, 
  but many imitators followed:  the Shadow’s arch-foe 
  Shiwan Khan; Dr. Yen Sin; Wu Fang; Mr. Chang; Li 
  Shoon; and countless others.
  Th e Fiendish Oriental Mastermind possesses all 
  the attributes needed to oppose the PCs. He’s devil-
  ishly clever, with backup plans for his backup plans 
  and so many strategies and counter-strategies that his 
  plans resemble a Chinese puzzle box. In some cases 
  he’s also the heroes’ physical equal, with the martial 
  arts prowess to take them on in personal combat. 
  Even if that’s the case, he oft en carries an arsenal of 
  clever, concealed weaponry (poisoned darts are a 
  favorite), or has a group of special bodyguards or 
  trained animals that protect him if the heroes get 
  too close (which they rarely do... unless he allows 
  them to as part of a greater scheme). He’s a scientiﬁ c 
  genius, oft en a master of Weird Science in addition 
  to more mundane disciplines; he uses his abilities to 
  concoct all sorts of poisons, gases, and other devices. 
  He’s usually incredibly rich, and perhaps a major 
  political power in his homeland. Worst of all, he oft en 
  commands a legion of devoted followers who do his 
  bidding. Fu Manchu has the Si Fan, for example, and 
  many of his imitators had organizations of their own.
  Useful Features:  Because he’s so competent, and 
  has such a large group of followers, the Fiendish 
  Oriental Mastermind can go anywhere and be 
  behind almost any sort of plot. He’s inﬁ nitely ﬂ ex-
  ible and dangerous.
  Potential Problems:  As an embodiment of the 
  Yellow Peril, the Fiendish Oriental Mastermind 
  brings to the forefront the problem of racism in the 
  pulps. You may need to soft -pedal his description 
  or presentation to keep from oﬀ ending sensitive 
  modern gamers.
  Variations:  While most Fiendish Oriental Mas-
  terminds are Chinese, they don’t all have to be 
  — Shiwan Khan, for example, was a Mongol. In 
  fact, they don’t even have to be Oriental. A power-
  ful villain from India, Africa, or Siberia could be 
  just as interesting a mastermind.
  THE MAD SCIENTIST
  Carlin had claimed that he had definitely 
  located the hidden gland producing the 
  hormones that gave crayfish and other 
  crustaceans their unique power of grow-
  ing new limbs to replace those lost in 
  battle or accident. Furthermore, Carlin 
  claimed he had succeeded in adapting the 
  extract from this crustacean gland so that 
  the hormones would have a similar effect 
  in the blood of human beings[.]
  
  379 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Six
  A storm of criticism and censure had 
  broken around the head of the biologist. 
  It was charged that Carlin was caught in 
  the act of using human beings in blas-
  phemously revolutionary experiments[.] 
  Carlin was dismissed from the university in 
  disgrace. After a brief investigation, scien-
  tists branded his serum a cruel hoax, and 
  Carlin’s name faded swiftly into oblivion.
  Shocked conjectures ran riotously through 
  Kent’s startled thoughts. Was Carlin using 
  this hidden swamp retreat to carry on 
  human experiments even more radical 
  and revolting than those that had sent 
  him hurtling into professional oblivion?
  —Hal K. Wells, “Black Pool For Hell 
  Maidens,” Mystery Tales, June 1938
  A staple of the Weird Menace subgenre, as well 
  as many Globetrotting Adventure and Crimebust-
  ing stories, the Mad Scientist is a man devoted to 
  Science to the point of insanity. He doesn’t care 
  whether he hurts others in his quest for greater sci-
  entiﬁ c understanding; it’s more important that he 
  gather data, test his inventions, and prove his theo-
  ries than that some dullard gets to live.
  Mad Scientists tend to be motivated by a desire 
  for more of what they already have:  dangerous 
  knowledge, or the chance to apply it. Some engage 
  in the time-honored tradition of staging elaborate 
  robberies to bankroll their research (rather than 
  to provide creature comforts or raw ﬁ scal power). 
  Some seek immortality, dominion over mind and 
  matter, or to ﬁ nally prove some outlandish theory 
  about the origins of life, the nature of the spirit, or 
  some ray or another.
  Mad Scientists tend to be masters of Weird 
  Science, so they oft en have a lot of Weird tech gad-
  getry at their command. Plots involving them may 
  feature the testing of a new prototype, the need to 
  get the parts to build the Scientist’s latest invention, 
  or a journey to other planets or dimensions cour-
  tesy of a malfunctioning engine.
  Useful Features:  Weird Science is enormously ﬂ ex-
  ible (particularly in campaigns hewing toward Sci-
  ence Fiction or comic book superheroing), which 
  means Mad Scientists are, too. Depending on the 
  needs of your story, you can make a Mad Scientist 
  a raving, grey-haired lunatic who can’t stand up to 
  the PCs once they ﬁ nd him, or a cleft -chinned man 
  of action armed with an arsenal of gadgetry who 
  seems perfectly normal or even heroic... until he 
  starts talking.
  Potential Problems:  In campaigns that don’t involve 
  a lot of Weird Science, the Mad Scientist may seem 
  out of place. Even worse, he may unbalance the 
  campaign with his devices — and the problem only 
  becomes worse if the PCs get their hands on some 
  of them (as they inevitably will). You may want to 
  build the devices so they’re inherently unreliable 
  (or dangerous), or have limited “lifespans.”
  Variations:  Evil mystics are essentially the same as 
  Mad Scientists — they just rely on magic, psychic 
  powers, and/or and arcane artifacts instead of 
  Weird Science.
  THE NAZI
  “Nazis. I hate these guys.”
  —Indiana Jones, in Indiana Jones And 
  The Last Crusade
  Nazi opponents are ubiquitous in the wartime 
  pulps of the Forties, and common in the building-
  to-war years at the end of the Th irties, but they’re 
  almost entirely limited to military pulps (including 
  the ever-popular aviation stories), spy pulps, and 
  Crimebusting pulps (which, in the Forties, become 
  spy pulps to some extent, with the heroes of maga-
  zines like Ace G-Men spending nearly as much 
  time chasing foreign spies as domestic crooks). 
  Nazi major villains are mostly a later invention of 
  period enthusiasts and Pulp-style movies such as 
  Th e Rocketeer and the Indiana Jones series, in part 
  because modern minds oft en ﬁ xate on the Nazis 
  when thinking of the Pulp era. But perhaps pulp 
  writers didn’t create many Nazi villains because the 
  Nazis had a real master villain (or something near 
  enough to one) in Adolf Hitler.
  Pulp Nazi villains (like the Japanese villains of 
  the same period) tend to be gimmicky, superior 
  soldiers, spies, or pilots — but they’re soldiers, 
  spies and pilots still. To populate an Air Adventure 
  campaign with villainous foreigners, the basic 
  method is to treat them as if they were modern-day 
  professional wrestlers:  give them signature combat 
  moves, colorful costumes, and similar shticks, then 
  line them up in ascending order of peril, and you’re 
  ready to play. Th e same formula works for other 
  types of Pulp Hero campaigns as well.
  Useful Features:  Nazis make great villains because 
  they’re easy to hate — they stand for something 
  repugnant and vile, and have no redeeming fea-
  tures. Like orcs in Fantasy games or combat robots 
  in Science Fiction, the heroes can mow them down 
  in droves and feel good about it. And since there 
  are seemingly endless numbers of them, you don’t 
  have to worry about not being able to bring the 
  Nazis back again and again.
  Potential Problems:  Nazis may become so stereo-
  typical that they’re not much fun. You can get around 
  this by introducing diﬀ erent types of Nazis periodi-
  cally, particularly the Clever Aryan and the Honor-
  able Nazi (see below); both of them have a lot more 
  depth than the standard Nazi soldier or thug.
  Variations
  One of the things that makes Nazis such great 
  villains is that there are many types of them, which 
  keeps encounters with them from all seeming the 
  same. Th e major types of Nazis include:
  The Bully:  Bully Nazis got involved with the Party 
  because they want the power to push people 
  around — to make themselves feel “big” and impor-
  tant — and being part of the National Socialist 
  
  380 ■ Gamemastering Pulp Hero
  Hero System 5th Edition
  machine gives them that authority. If a Bully takes 
  the PCs prisoner, they can count on him to inﬂ ict 
  all sorts of petty indignities (such as slapping them 
  when they’re helpless or making all sort of not-so-
  veiled innuendoes about the women) and to mock 
  them with their inferiority.
  The Clever Aryan:  Th is Nazi is intelligent, quick-
  witted, and a very dangerous foe. He can be just 
  as brutal as the Bully or the Th ug if necessary, but 
  usually prefers to solve his problems and defeat his 
  foes in more clever ways. Most of the leading Nazi 
  villains the heroes will encounter (such as Hermann 
  Eichenwald in Chapter Seven) are of this variety.
  The Fiendish Scientist:  Nazi researchers, doc-
  tors, and scientists oft en tend toward the ﬁ endish. 
  Devoted to the idea of using science to prove Nazi 
  doctrine or support the German regime, they don’t 
  care what sort of pain they inﬂ ict on PCs and “sub-
  human” prisoners as long as they get the data they 
  need to build their latest super-weapon.
  The Honorable Nazi:  Th e most diﬃ  cult Nazi foe of 
  all is the Honorable Nazi... but in fact, he’s not really a 
  Nazi. Scion of an old German family, and a German 
  patriot to the core, he feels he must do his duty and 
  ﬁ ght on behalf of the Fatherland — even though he 
  loathes National Socialism and its foul beliefs. In 
  other circumstances, the Honorable Nazi and the 
  PCs could probably become good friends, but sadly, 
  political realities have made them bitter foes.
  The Sadist:  Similar to the Bully (see above), this 
  type of Nazi joined the Party because it gives him 
  the chance to inﬂ ict pain on others and use his 
  skills as an interrogator. He’s oft en associated with 
  the Gestapo or the SS.
  The Thug:  Th is is your typical or “default” Nazi — a 
  brutal, almost mindless thug who does what he’s told. 
  Typically he’s the cannon fodder for the more intelli-
  gent Nazis’ schemes, making him the one most likely 
  to be shooting at the PCs in many encounters.
  THE UNSCRUPULOUS INDUSTRIALIST
  Th e Great Crash and the Depression that fol-
  lowed exposed many Americans to a poverty they’d 
  never known, creating lots of bitter feelings. In many 
  quarters, businessmen were no longer respected as 
  they’d once been; now they were seen as the source 
  of the country’s woes. Tapping into this attitude, pulp 
  authors oft en created villains who were Unscrupu-
  lous Industrialists — manufacturers, or sometimes 
  bankers or ﬁ nanciers, who manipulated people and 
  things purely for their own gain.
  Greed is the motivation for the Unscrupulous 
  Industrialist. He’s not interested in political power or 
  inﬂ uence, except insofar as it’s necessary to ensure 
  that his proﬁ ts remain high. His schemes involve 
  ruining competitors, establishing monopolies, or 
  stealing vast sums of money and other valuables.
  Useful Features:  Unscrupulous Industrialists are by 
  deﬁ nition rich, and money buys a lot of things with 
  which to oppose the PCs:  an army of gun-toting 
  thugs; scientists developing Weird Science weap-
  ons; the unfavorable attentions of the local district 
  attorney. Th eir social prominence and connections 
  may also make it hard to move against them openly 
  — before the heroes can ﬁ ght the Unscrupulous 
  Industrialist, they have to expose him.
  Potential Problems:  Th e Unscrupulous Industrialist 
  may be too much of a pushover when the heroes 
  ﬁ nally get to him. Since he’s usually a middle-aged 
  (or older) man, he rarely has any ﬁ ghting abilities 
  to speak of, making for a potentially anti-climactic 
  ﬁ nal scene of the adventure. To counteract this, give 
  him a lieutenant or underling who’s very combat 
  capable and in eﬀ ect becomes the Unscrupulous 
  Industrialist’s proxy in battle.
  Variations:  Evil businessmen in other lines of work 
  than manufacturing can also pose threats to the 
  heroes. An Unscrupulous Filmmaker might use his 
  inﬂ uence with the public to tarnish the PCs’ reputa-
  tion, for example, while an Unscrupulous Financier 
  
  381 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Six
  bankrolls their enemies. By combining the Unscru-
  pulous Industrialist with the Mad Scientist, you 
  could create a master villain who’s sort of an evil 
  Howard Hughes.
  NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS
  Th e world isn’t divided evenly into heroes and 
  villains. Most people in a campaign setting are 
  simply non-player characters — NPCs.
  In most cases what you need for a good, enjoy-
  able NPC is a realistic, well-developed character. 
  But that isn’t always true. Realistic, well-developed 
  NPCs tend to take over the story, leaving the heroes 
  as spectators. It’s actually more eﬀ ective to keep 
  many of your NPCs one-dimensional, but make 
  them into memorable one-dimensional characters 
  — aft er all, Pulp heroes tend to be shallow charac-
  ters, so it stands to reason that secondary or back-
  ground characters are even less developed. Give an 
  NPC a distinctive habit or a manner of speaking 
  for the heroes to remember. Players oft en forget 
  NPC names, but they recall “the guy with the Irish 
  accent” or “the reporter with the hat.”
  Non-player characters have the same motiva-
  tions as villains — desires, fears, and beliefs — and 
  these motives provide a good way to give them a 
  little personality. Th e PCs can bribe a greedy secu-
  rity guard, but one who’s scrupulously honest reacts 
  poorly (to say the least) to bribe oﬀ ers. Obviously, 
  not every NPC needs to be this well-developed, but 
  it’s worth coming up with one or two motivations 
  for any NPC the heroes directly interact with.
  Important NPCs need as much care and feed-
  ing as villains — a hero’s DNPC, Rival, or Hunter 
  should have some independent goals and a rec-
  ognizable identity. Dependent NPCs usually are 
  nice people (though one can have a good deal of 
  fun with a hero who feels protective of a cranky or 
  irritating NPC). Rivals should have a mix of good 
  and bad traits, and above all should be competent 
  enough for the Rivalry to mean something — if the 
  hero always wins, it’s scarcely a Rivalry.
  If a hero is Hunted, the GM should give some 
  thought to the motives of the Hunters. Th is is 
  true even if it’s a large organization. Why is the 
  FBI watching the character? Does it suspect he’s a 
  crook? Even when the Hunter is a group, it’s useful 
  to give that group a face in the form of a “case oﬃ  -
  cer” or some other member of the group who is the 
  one the heroes have the most dealings with. For 
  example, every time the FBI confronts the heroes, 
  the agents are led by a tough-talking man named 
  Brooks. Other agents may shadow the PCs or get 
  into gunﬁ ghts with them, but it’s Brooks who leads 
  the attacks, tries to capture the PCs and interrogate 
  them, and so on.
  
  382 ■ Gamemastering Pulp Hero
  Hero System 5th Edition
  NPC Archetypes
  Here are some standard character types who 
  turn up again and again in Pulp Hero stories. You 
  can use them as-is, or play against the stereotype by 
  creating NPCs very diﬀ erent from these.
  THE IMPERILLED GIRL
  Seen on thousands of pulp covers in her half-
  torn-oﬀ  clothes, the Imperilled Girl is probably the 
  most common NPC encountered in Pulp stories. 
  No matter where the heroes go or what type of 
  campaign they’re a part of, there’s always a beautiful 
  young woman who’s in trouble and needs rescuing. 
  She ranges from the farmgirl newly come to the city 
  who’s naively gotten herself involved in something 
  dark and dangerous, to the native princess whose 
  father’s rule is threatened, to the scientist’s beautiful 
  daughter worried about her kidnapped father, to the 
  victims of lustful Crimelords and Mad Scientists.
  Variations:  For a touch of gender equality, consider 
  using Imperilled Guys on occasion — clubmen 
  trapped in deals with partners who turn out to be 
  crooks, a man whose friends have been eerily mur-
  dered and who fears he’s next, and so on.
  THE SHIFTY THUG
  Th e underworld of the pulps is populated 
  by plenty of leg-breakers, two-ﬁ sted thugs, and 
  gunmen. Th is hood is a little diﬀ erent. Not quite so 
  big and strong, he gets by on his wits, cleverness, 
  and knowledge more than his brawn. He’s the crook 
  who can follow anyone or watch any place with-
  out being seen, who specializes in planning jobs, 
  who can forge documents, and who serves as the 
  Crimelord’s eyes and ears.
  Variations:  Maybe the Shift y Th ug, whom stronger, 
  tougher thugs dismiss, is actually the Crimelord in 
  disguise....
  THE STODGY CAPITALIST
  A lower-powered and not necessarily threaten-
  ing version of the Unscrupulous Industrialist, the 
  Stodgy Capitalist is wealthy, conservative, and not 
  particularly interested in adventures... or anything 
  else that causes trouble. He’s background color in 
  the exclusive clubs and society spots that heroes 
  sometimes frequent, and can oft en be heard to 
  complain about Roosevelt, the New Deal, Commu-
  nists, and the poor quality of the servants.
  Variations:  Changing the Stodgy Capitalist’s atti-
  tude can make him distinctive. Maybe he’s a former 
  aviator whose company produces experimental 
  aircraft  test-ﬂ own by him personally. Maybe he’s 
  a liberal (even a Socialist) who supports FDR. Or 
  maybe, like Henry Ford, he has a wide variety of 
  well-known eccentricities and opinions.
  
  chapter seven:
  chapter seven:
  chapter seven:
  RANDALL’S RAIDERS
  
  384 ■ Randall’s Raiders
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Membership:  Randall Irons, Hamilton Cross, Bill 
  Ferguson, Lili Winchester, Liz Murdock
  Background/History:  Randall Irons never set out 
  to become a hero and leader of a group of heroes 
  — he was just looking for excitement and adven-
  ture. But then he met Hamilton Cross in a poker 
  game in Paris, where he lost all his money to the 
  former piano player but gained a friend for life. 
  Th ey headed to the Near East in search of a fabu-
  lous treasure Randall’d heard about, almost found 
  it, and eventually wound up in India. Th ere they 
  encountered Liz Murdock, whose attentions they 
  competed for when they ﬁ rst met her in a Bombay 
  nightclub. Th e three friends set sail for Shanghai to 
  see what it had to oﬀ er, and acquired a new ally in 
  little Lili Winchester when Li-Ming Jade attacked 
  the ship they were on; Lili, eager to escape from 
  the Pirate Queen, helped them defeat her. When 
  the four of them went to the circus for a day oﬀ , 
  only to get wrapped up in a murder mystery that 
  Bill Ferguson helped them solve; eager for a life of 
  adventure, he joined them. 
  Group Relations:  All ﬁ ve of the “Raiders” (none of 
  them like the name, but it seems to have stuck...) 
  get along well. Sure, Hamilton can be kind of bitter 
  and morose from time to time, and the men have 
  their rivalries (which to the girls oft en seem inter-
  minable and foolish, though the men would say 
  the same about Lili and Liz’s shopping trips). But 
  they’ve all been through too much and saved one 
  another’s lives too many times not to have a strong 
  bond of aﬀ ection and admiration. 
  Tactics:  Th e Raiders don’t usually display much 
  in the way of coordinated group tactics, though 
  Irons is a skilled commander when need be. When 
  they ﬁ ght together each usually takes his own lead, 
  but keeps an eye out for the others in case they 
  need help. Many’s the time that Randall’s quick 
  hand and eagle eye have let him get oﬀ  a shot that 
  killed a spear-wielding native just before he ran 
  Bill through from behind, or that Lili has used her 
  Oriental ﬁ ghting techniques to protect Hamilton 
  from attackers while he desperately searched for a 
  concealed door. In battle, Bill and Lili usually prefer 
  to close to HTH Combat range and duke it out with 
  their foes, while the other three favor guns. 
  Campaign Use:  Randall’s Raiders provides an exam-
  ple of a typical group of Pulp Hero PCs that you 
  can use as characters for players who don’t wish 
  to create their own, examples to show new players 
  what a typical character looks like, or even (with 
  a few twists to make them darker) as rivals for 
  your own PCs. Th e campaign they play in features 
  Heroic Action Points; each character rolls 3d6 for 
  HAPs at the beginning of each gaming session.
  
  385 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Seven
  RANDALL IRONS
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   15 STR 
  5 
  12- 
  Lift  200 kg; 3d6 [3]
   15 DEX 
  15 
  12- 
  OCV:  5/DCV:  5
   18 CON 
  16 
  13-
   15 BODY 10 
  12-
   13 INT 
  3 
  12- 
  PER Roll 12-
   13 EGO 
  6 
  12- 
  ECV:  4
   20 PRE 
  10 
  13- 
  PRE Attack:  4d6
   14 COM 
  2 
  12-
   6 PD 
  3 
   
  Total:  6 PD (0 rPD)
   6 ED 
  2 
   
  Total:  6 ED (0 rED)
   4 SPD 
  15 
   
  Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
   9 REC 
  4
   36 END 
  0
   32 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  91
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
   
  Martial Arts:  Boxing
   
  Maneuver 
  OCV DCV 
  Damage/Effect
  4 
   Block 
   
  +2 
  +2 Block, Abort
  3 
   Clinch 
  -1 
  -1 
  Grab Two 
  Limbs, 25 STR 
  for holding on
  4 
   Cross 
  +0 
  +2 
  5d6 Strike
  5 
   Hook 
  -2 
  +1 
  7d6 Strike
   
  Skills
  6 
  +2 with Firearms
  7 
  Animal Handler (Canines, Elephants, 
  Equines, Felines, Raptors, Ursines) 13-
  3 
  Climbing 12-
  3 
  Combat Driving 12-
  3 
  Fast Draw (Small Arms) 12-
  2 
  Gambling (Card Games) 12-
  2 
  Area Knowledge:  Africa 11-
  2 
  Area Knowledge:  Europe 11-
  2 
  Knowledge Skill:  Legends And Lore 11-
  1 
  Language:  French (basic conversation; Eng-
  lish is Native)
  1 
  Language:  German (basic conversation)
  2 
  Navigation (Land) 12-
  3 
  Stealth 12-
  3 
  Tactics 12-
  3 
  WF:  Small Arms, Blades
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  59
  Total Cost:  150
  75+ Disadvantages
  15 
  Hunted:  “Col.” Bruce Forsythe 8- (Mo Pow, 
  Capture/Kill)
  10 
  Hunted:  Drisana 8- (As Pow, Capture [see 
  text])
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Pulp Hero’s Code 
  (Common, Total)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Overconﬁ dence 
  (Very Common, Moderate)
  15 
  Rivalry:  Professional and Romantic (with 
  Hamilton Cross, another PC)
  Total Disadvantage Points:  150
  Background/History:  Eager for adventure and 
  excitement, young Randall Irons ran away from 
  his home in New York City, lied about his age, and 
  joined the Army to ﬁ ght in the Great War. What 
  he got was dull and deadly trench warfare, and the 
  horrors of the Argonne Forest... but he learned, and 
  survived. When the War was over and he got out of 
  the military, he was still eager for adventure. It was 
  a big world out there, and somewhere he was bound 
  to ﬁ nd what he was looking for.
  He hopped a tramp freighter and made his way 
  over to Africa. Th ere was a place ﬁ t for a man to 
  challenge himself, he thought — and he wasn’t dis-
  appointed. He spent several years there, ﬁ rst learn-
  ing the lay of the land, then working as a guide, 
  explorer, and seeker of the strange, mysterious, and 
  occasionally proﬁ table.
  As much as he enjoyed Africa, eventually his 
  desire to see and experience new things drove him 
  onward. He hunted tigers in India (and ruined some 
  of the feared rajah Akash Varmandali’s schemes), 
  toured Europe, explored the Orient, and sailed 
  around the South Seas a little. Along the way he met 
  other daring men and women of like mind, and in 
  time they began to adventure together, with Randall 
  as their informal (and much-ribbed) leader. Th ese 
  days they’re known as Randall’s Raiders, and Irons is 
  having the time of his life.
  Personality/Motivation:  Randall Irons is a pretty 
  simple man, when it comes right down to it.  All he 
  wants is something exciting to do, and the freedom 
  to do it; other things — wealth, respect, creature 
  comforts — aren’t that high on his list.
  While he pretends to be a treasure-hunter who’s 
  looking for a big score, the truth is Randall enjoys 
  adventuring for its own sake. He gets real satis-
  SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT
  Weapon 
  OCV 
  RMod 
  Dam 
  STUN 
  Shots 
  STR Min 
  Notes
  Webley Mk IV 
  +0 
  -1 
  2d6-1 
  1d6 
  6 
  8
  Springﬁ eld M-1903 +1 
  +1 
  2d6+1 
  1d6 
  5 
  13
  Machete 
  +0 
  — 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  — 
  8
  Knife 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6-1 1d6-1 
  — 
  6 
  Can Be Th rown
  Armor
  None
  Gear:  Tent, bedroll, matches, rope. If possible he’ll oft en hire a bearer or mule to carry lots of other gear 
  (cooking utensils, for example) — he believes in being prepared, but not in weighing himself down.
  Clothing:  When in the ﬁ eld, traveling shirt and pants, boots, and a pith helmet or other appropriate head-
  gear. When he’s in the city or needs to look nice, he favors dark blue suits, well-shined shoes, and a fedora.
  
  386 ■ Randall’s Raiders
  Hero System 5th Edition
  faction out of doing what’s right and protecting 
  helpless people from the likes of Varmandali, the 
  inscrutable Lord Fang, and their criminal ilk. In 
  short, he’s got the classic Pulp hero mentality.
  Quote:  “You’ll never get away with this, Forsythe 
  — you can count on that!”
  Powers/Tactics:  Irons has a lot of experience in 
  combat, ranging from the trenches of the Great 
  War to gunﬁ ghts in jungle-shrouded temples deep 
  in Malaya, and it shows. He ﬁ ghts cleverly, but 
  with a dash of daring and risk-taking that shows 
  the thrillseeking side of his personality. He favors 
  the Webley revolver, but is a natural shot with just 
  about any gun.
  Irons has a gift  for getting along with animals. 
  Somehow, even the ﬁ ercest beasts like him. He can 
  make friends with the most vicious guard dog, 
  stop a tiger from leaping at him, or calm down a 
  rampaging bull elephant. In game terms, this is the 
  special eﬀ ect of his Animal Handler Skill — it’s not 
  that he’s taught himself how to wrangle horses and 
  tigers so much as that he’s got a sort of “empathic 
  bond” with most wild creatures.
  During his military and adventuring careers, 
  Irons has made a few enemies. Th e ﬁ rst is “Colonel” 
  Bruce Forsythe, a wealthy former British military 
  oﬃ  cer. Irons disobeyed Forsythe’s badly-conceived 
  orders several times during the War, and eventu-
  ally exposed Forsythe as a traitor. Forsythe escaped 
  justice and became an adventurer himself; he’s 
  eager to get revenge on Irons. He has an enemy of 
  a decidedly diﬀ erent sort in Drisana, the daughter 
  of Akash Varmandali (page 403). Th e beautiful 
  Drisana has romantic feelings for Irons (which in 
  some ways he reciprocates) and wants to make him 
  her husband — but in her own way she’s as deadly 
  and dangerous as her father, so he will have nothing 
  to do with her... unless he can, somehow, win her to 
  the hero’s path.
  Campaign Use:  As the group’s name indicates, Ran-
  dall Irons is the heart and soul of Randall’s Raiders 
  — the man all the others look up to, even when 
  they’re competing with him to see who can do 
  something better. As a classic Two-Fisted Hero, he’s 
  also a great model for PCs — change a few Skills 
  and his background details, and you can transform 
  him into all sorts of typical Pulp heroes.
  To make Irons tougher, increase his STR and 
  DEX to 18, and/or give him an Extra Damage Class 
  or two with his Boxing. To weaken him, get rid of 
  his Combat Skill Levels and Animal Handler.
  Irons doesn’t usually Hunt anyone outside of 
  the context of a given adventure — stopping evil 
  and injustice is one thing, obsessive pursuit of ven-
  geance is another. But if deeply enough angered, he 
  might make it his business to track down an evil-
  doer and make him pay for his crimes.
  Appearance:  Randall Irons is about 30 years old. He 
  stands 5’11” and weighs 200 pounds; he’s got a ﬁ rm, 
  broad-shouldered, muscular build. He keeps his 
  black hair cut short, and has a black moustache. He 
  usually wears sturdy pants and a shirt, plus leather 
  shoes or boots appropriate to his current adventure; 
  he oft en carries a Webley .455 revolver in a holster 
  on his right hip.
  
  387 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Seven
  HAMILTON CROSS
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   10 STR 
  0 
  11- 
  Lift  100 kg; 2d6 [2]
   14 DEX 
  12 
  12- 
  OCV:  5/DCV:  5
   13 CON 
  6 
  12-
   12 BODY 4 
  11-
   18 INT 
  8 
  13- 
  PER Roll 13-
   12 EGO 
  4 
  11- 
  ECV:  4
   15 PRE 
  5 
  12- 
  PRE Attack:  3d6
   12 COM 
  1 
  11-
   4 PD 
  2 
   
  Total:  7 PD (3 rPD)
   4 ED 
  1 
   
  Total:  7 ED (3 rED)
   4 SPD 
  16 
   
  Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
   5 REC 
  0
   26 END 
  0
   24 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  59
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  5 
  I’ve Seen It All... And Th en Some:  +10
  PRE; Only To Resist Presence Attacks (-1) 0
  15 
  Lucky Devil:  Luck 3d6 
  0
   
  Talents
  6 
  Combat Luck (3 PD/3 ED)
   
  Skills
  10 
  +2 DCV
  10 
  +2 with Interaction Skills
  3 
  Concealment 13-
  3 
  Conversation 12-
  4 
  Gambling (Card Games, Dice Games) 13-
  3 
  High Society 12-
  1 
  AK: Africa 8-
  1 
  AK: Europe 8-
  2 
  CK: New York City 11-
  3 
  KS: Jazz 13-
  2 
  KS: Th e New York Underworld 11-
  1 
  Language:  French (basic conversation; Eng-
  lish is Native)
  1 
  Language:  German (basic conversation)
  1 
  Language:  Portuguese (basic conversation)
  3 
  Persuasion 12-
  4 
  PS: Play Piano 13-
  2 
  PS: Play Clarinet 11-
  3 
  Seduction 12-
  3 
  Stealth 12-
  3 
  Streetwise 12-
  2 
  WF: Small Arms
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  91
  Total Cost:  150
  75+ Disadvantages
  5 
  Distinctive Feature:  scarred right hand 
  (Easily Concealed; Noticed And Recogniz-
  able)
  15 
  Hunted:  Th e Coletti Mob 8- (Mo Pow, Lim-
  ited Geographical Area, NCI, Kill)
  5 
  Physical Limitation:  badly healed right hand 
  (-2 to relevant DEX Rolls and Agility Skill 
  rolls) (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Desperately Wants 
  To Be Able To Play Music Again (Common, 
  Total)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Skirtchaser 
  (Common, Moderate)
  15 
  Rivalry:  Professional and Romantic (with 
  Randall Irons, another PC)
  5 
  Unluck 1d6
  Total Disadvantage Points:  150
  Background/History:  Th ere was a time when all 
  Hamilton Cross cared about was music. He loved 
  jazz and the jazz lifestyle; despite the fact that he 
  was white, he was such a skilled piano player that 
  he got work in jazz bands. He also played solo in 
  nicer clubs and speakeasies, and was building quite 
  a reputation as a musician. Fame and fortune were 
  just around the corner.
  Unfortunately, he also liked gambling... and he 
  wasn’t as good at that. A string of heavy losses left  
  him deeply in debt to the Colettis, and they wanted 
  their money. Eventually Vinnie Coletti got tired of 
  Cross’s excuses and sent some of the boys around 
  to make an example of him. Th ey caught up to 
  Cross aft er hours at a speak. First they slammed the 
  piano lid down on his hands, breaking all his ﬁ n-
  gers. Th en they shot him in the right hand for good 
  measure. Th ey were just about to put him out of his 
  misery when the cops, attracted by the noise of the 
  gunshot, busted into the place. While the torpedoes 
  and the cops shot it out, Cross stumbled out the 
  back door and into a cab.
  He made it to the hospital okay, but that was all 
  the luck he got that night. Th e docs set his broken 
  bones and tried to repair the damage to his right 
  hand, but there was only so much they could do. 
  Aft er it healed, there was too much scarring and 
  loss of feeling for him to play music well anymore. 
  He could plink out a song if he tried, but it just 
  didn’t sound the same.
  His true love lost to him, Hamilton became 
  bitter and withdrawn. He quickly drank up what 
  SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT
  Weapon 
  OCV 
  RMod 
  Dam 
  STUN 
  Shots 
  STR Min 
  Notes
  S&W M1917 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6-1 
  1d6 
  6 
  8
  Armor
  None
  Gear:  Cross carries as little gear as possible, since he doesn’t like to make the eﬀ ort to carry it. If he 
  has a bearer, mule, or the like, he’ll load up with all the creature comforts and good food he can aﬀ ord 
  to take into the ﬁ eld; otherwise he sticks to basics such as a bedroll and a bottle of whiskey.
  Clothing:  Cross likes nice clothes, and prefers to dress in a well-tailored men’s suit, shirt, and tie when-
  ever he can. On adventures he switches to more practical clothing, but carries along his better cloth-
  ing if he can.
  
  388 ■ Randall’s Raiders
  Hero System 5th Edition
  little savings he had. Deciding there was noth-
  ing left  for him in New York, he took a job on a 
  freighter heading for Europe. But that didn’t help; 
  all he ended up doing was drinking in places where 
  he didn’t understand the conversations.
  He started gambling again, though this time 
  his luck was better. One night he found himself in 
  a game against a handsome American who didn’t 
  seem to have a care in the world. Cross vowed to 
  teach him a lesson, and when the dust had cleared 
  he had himself a big pile of cash. Th e other guy 
  laughed it all oﬀ  and invited Cross out for a drink. 
  Never one to turn down a drink, Cross went along. 
  Despite everything, Cross found himself liking 
  this Randall Irons... and when Irons invited him 
  to come along on a trip to the Near East, Cross 
  accepted. Th e rest, as they say, is history.
  Personality/Motivation:  Hamilton Cross oft en 
  comes across as bitter, cynical, and sullen, and with 
  good reason — he is. Th e one thing he really loved 
  in life, making music, has largely been taken away 
  from him, turning him from an up-and-coming 
  entertainer to a peripatetic adventurer, and he’s 
  not happy about it. He drinks too much, smokes 
  too much, and is prone to making snide little jibes 
  about whoever or whatever he’s talking about.
  A lot of Cross’s resentment seems focused on 
  Randall Irons (and, to a lesser extent, Bill Fergu-
  son). Despite their long friendship, the ease with 
  which Randall moves through life, and the fact that 
  he seems to have it all (particularly the attention 
  of so many women!), oft en annoys Cross. At those 
  times he sets out to show Irons who’s the better 
  man... and oft en ends up with the short end of the 
  stick, which only makes him more bitter.
  But the truth is, when it comes down to it Cross 
  isn’t all that upset about how his life’s turned out. 
  Despite all his ragging on his friends, he genuinely 
  likes the rest of the Raiders and enjoys the adven-
  turing life. He’d give it all up for the ability to play 
  music like he used to, but though he’d never admit 
  it there’s something to be said for helping people 
  and visiting exotic places.
  Quote:  “Yeah, sure. She just wants to talk to you. We 
  get it.”
  Powers/Tactics:  Cross’s abilities lie more in the 
  social than the physical, though he knows how to 
  use a gun and is a pretty good shot. When he wants 
  to be, he’s charming and sophisticated, able to make 
  friends easily and insert himself into groups seem-
  ingly without eﬀ ort. He’s also got more experience 
  with the seamy side of life than most of his friends. 
  Whenever the Raiders’ missions call for a “con 
  game” or a little subtle investigation, Cross is the 
  man for the job.
  Campaign Use:  Hamilton Cross is the player char-
  acter for players who can’t entirely accept the con-
  ﬁ dent optimism and heroic attitude of the typical 
  Pulp adventurer. He is a hero, no question about it, 
  but he doesn’t quite act like one. Roleplaying him 
  is a good opportunity for the player who can’t stop 
  making snide comments about genre conventions 
  to make them and remain in character.
  To make Hamilton Cross a tougher customer, 
  give him some combat-oriented abilities:  a couple 
  dice of HA, some Combat Skill Levels with ﬁ re-
  arms, that sort of thing. Alternately, you could 
  emphasize his social side, making him an expert 
  at Acting, Disguise, and the like. To weaken him, 
  remove his DCV Levels.
  Appearance:  Hamilton Cross is a handsome white 
  man, though his looks have gone from movie-star-
  handsome to slightly-rugged-man-of-the-world 
  handsome over the course of his adventuring 
  career. (To some people’s eyes, this makes him look 
  a little like a gangster when he’s wearing a suit.) He’s 
  5’9” tall, weighs 170 pounds, and has black hair and 
  brown eyes. Unless he’s in the ﬁ eld, he wears dark-
  colored men’s suits, white shirts, ties, and dress 
  shoes (all as nice as he can aﬀ ord), and he usually 
  has a cigarette in his hand or mouth.
  
  389 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Seven
  BILL FERGUSON
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   20 STR 
  10 
  13- 
  Lift  400 kg; 4d6 [4]
   15 DEX 
  15 
  12- 
  OCV:  5/DCV:  5
   20 CON 
  20 
  13-
   16 BODY 12 
  12-
   13 INT 
  3 
  12- 
  PER Roll 12-
   10 EGO 
  0 
  11- 
  ECV:  3
   18 PRE 
  8 
  13- 
  PRE Attack:  3½d6
   12 COM 
  1 
  11-
   8 PD 
  4 
   
  Total:  8 PD (0 rPD)
   6 ED 
  2 
   
  Total:  6 ED (0 rED)
   3 SPD 
  5 
   
  Phases:  4, 8, 12
   8 REC 
  0
   40 END 
  0
   36 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  80
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  7 
   Agile Haymaker:  HA +3d6; Hand-To-
  Hand Attack (-½), Extra Time (Extra Seg-
  ment; -½) 
  1
  15 
  Can Take A Punch:  Physical Damage Re-
  duction, Resistant, 50%; Requires A CON 
  Roll (-¾), Character Must Be Aware Of 
  Attack (-¼) 
  0
   
  Perks
  10 
  Contacts:  10 points’ worth from various 
  adventures he’s been on
   
  Talents
  3 
  I Can Drunk Just As Good Fight!:  Envi-
  ronmental Movement (no penalties when 
  drunk)
   
  Skills
  12 
  +4 with Block, Grab, and Punch
  3 
  Climbing 12-
  1 
  Gambling (Card Games) 8-
  1 
  High Society 8-
  1 
  AK: Africa 8-
  1 
  AK: Europe 8-
  1 
  AK: India 8-
  2 
  KS: Circuses And Circus Life 11-
  1 
  Language:  French (basic conversation; Eng-
  lish is Native)
  1 
  Language:  Hindi (basic conversation)
  1 
  Language:  Swahili (basic conversation)
  2 
  PS: Strongman 11-
  1 
  SS: Anthropology 8-
  1 
  SS: Archaeology 8-
  3 
  Stealth 12-
  1 
  TF: Equines
  2 
  WF: Small Arms
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  70
  Total Cost:  150
  75+ Disadvantages
  20 
  Hunted:  Hermann Eichenwald 8- (Mo Pow, 
  NCI, Capture/Kill)
  10 
  Hunted:  Dr. Emil Locke 11- (As Pow, Humil-
  iate and Steal Possessions)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Heroic (Common, 
  Strong)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Sucker For 
  A Pretty Face Or A Hard-Luck Story 
  (Common, Strong)
  15 
  Rivalry:  Professional and Romantic (with 
  Randall Irons, to see who gets things done 
  most heroically and eﬃ  ciently and has the 
  best luck with women; Rival is a Player 
  Character)
  Total Disadvantage Points:  150
  Background/History:  Growing up on a corn farm in 
  Iowa left  Bill Ferguson with the desire to see more 
  of the world. He left  home at 18 and worked for 
  several years during the late 1920s and early ’30s 
  as a circus strongman. One day, Randall Irons and 
  his friends got involved with solving a mysterious 
  murder that took place at the circus, and Bill helped 
  them out (and even saved Hamilton Cross from 
  being shot by the killer). Th ey asked him to accom-
  pany them when they left , and he jumped at the 
  chance. Since then he’s put his enormous strength 
  to good use around the world, ﬁ ghting Nazis 
  (including the insidious Hermann Eichenwald, who 
  has developed a particular hatred for the “brutish 
  Amerikaner”), exploring long-lost ruins, and saving 
  hidden lands of wonder from evil villains. He oft en 
  competes with his good friend Randall to see who 
  can get something done quicker and better... or 
  who can win the heart of a lovely young lady.
  Personality/Motivation:  Bill Ferguson is a true-blue 
  Pulp hero in the grand tradition. He’s strong and 
  tough, and never backs down from a ﬁ ght, but he’s 
  polite and kind to women, children, and the elderly. 
  At ﬁ rst he was sometimes awed by the rariﬁ ed circles 
  SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT
  Weapon 
  OCV 
  RMod Damage STUN STR Min 
  Shots
  Colt M1911A 
  +1 
  0 
  2d6-1 
  +1 
  9 
  7
  Springﬁ eld M-1903 +1 
  +1 
  2d6+1 
  1d6 
  5 
  13
  Machete 
  +0 
  — 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  — 
  8
  Knife 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6-1 1d6-1 
  — 
  6 
  Can Be Th rown
  Armor
  None
  Gear:  As appropriate for the mission. For example, on a trek into the jungle to search for a long-lost 
  ruin, he’d have camping gear, rations, a machete, a pith helmet, and so forth.
  Clothing:  Sturdy explorer’s/outdoor clothing, such as denim pants and a broadcloth shirt
  
  390 ■ Randall’s Raiders
  Hero System 5th Edition
  in which some of his friends move, but he’s learned 
  to take it all in stride and can now get along with 
  kings and generals as well as he can with farm folk.
  Bill has two blind sides, and they both get him 
  into trouble from time to time. Th e ﬁ rst is that he 
  can’t resist a sob story. He’s got a heart as big as all 
  outdoors, and if someone tells him a tale of hard luck 
  and woe, he immediately wants to help that person 
  out. He rarely has much money in his pockets for 
  this reason — he’s constantly giving it away to bums 
  and poor people. Th e second is that he’s a sucker for 
  a pretty face. Beautiful women can easily dazzle him 
  (give them a +2 on Conversation, Persuasion, and 
  Seduction rolls against him), and he tends to think 
  the best of any pretty woman until he’s absolutely hit 
  over the head with the cold, hard facts.
  Quote:  “Don’t worry, ma’am, we won’t let him hurt 
  you.”
  Powers/Tactics:  Bill isn’t exactly the stereotypical 
  Two-Fisted Hero — he doesn’t have quite the right 
  level of dash and panache — but he’s pretty close. 
  He’s bigger, tougher, and stronger than most people 
  he ﬁ ghts, and he uses that to his advantage. He’s 
  spent a lot of time and eﬀ ort practicing to develop 
  the “Agile Haymaker” that lets him hit hard and 
  fast (it’s good for smashing down doors, too!). He 
  doesn’t have any particular ﬁ ghting style; he just 
  puts his skills and experience to good use. In game 
  terms, his Combat Skill Levels function as an infor-
  mal “martial art”; he allocates them as necessary to 
  give him the best chance of success in a ﬁ ght.
  Campaign Use:  Bill is a hero like Randall Irons, but 
  of a diﬀ erent mold — he emphasizes strength and 
  brawn more than overall competence and a broad 
  set of Skills. He’s a good character for a player who’s 
  new to the HERO System or wants an uncompli-
  cated PC to play.
  To make Bill tougher, consider giving him Cin-
  ematic Brawling Martial Arts, beef up his Character-
  istics (particularly SPD) a bit, or expand the range 
  of his non-combat Skills. To weaken him, reduce his 
  STR a bit and get rid of one of his Multipower slots.
  Bill doesn’t Hunt people. He’ll remember some-
  one who did him wrong, and do his best to correct 
  that wrong if they meet again, but vengeance isn’t 
  in his heart.
  Appearance:  Bill Ferguson is a dark-haired white 
  male in his late 20s with a dark muttonchop mous-
  tache. He has a muscular build that would stand 
  out in the modern day, much less during the Pulp 
  era. He wears typical sturdy explorer’s clothing 
  most of the time, though his shirt has a tendency to 
  get torn, revealing his muscular upper body.
  
  391 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Seven
  LILI WINCHESTER
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   15 STR 
  5 
  12- 
  Lift  200 kg; 3d6 [3]
   18 DEX 
  24 
  13- 
  OCV:  6/DCV:  6
   15 CON 
  10 
  12-
   10 BODY 0 
  11-
   10 INT 
  0 
  11- 
  PER Roll 11-
   10 EGO 
  0 
  11- 
  ECV:  3
   15 PRE 
  5 
  12- 
  PRE Attack:  3d6
   14 COM 
  2 
  12-
   8 PD 
  5 
   
  Total:  8 PD (0 rPD)
   5 ED 
  2 
   
  Total:  5 ED (0 rED)
   4 SPD 
  12 
   
  Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
   6 REC 
  0
   30 END 
  0
   30 STUN 
  4 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  69
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  7”/14”
   
  Leaping: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
   
  Martial Arts: Kung Fu
   
  Maneuver 
  OCV DCV 
  Notes
  4 
  Block 
  +2 
  +2 
  Block, Abort
  4 
  Disarm 
  -1 
  +1 
  Disarm, 25 STR
  4 
  Dodge 
  +0 
  +5 
  Dodge all 
  attacks, Abort
  4 
  Escape 
  +0 
  +0 
  30 STR vs. 
  Grabs
  3 
  Joint Lock/Grab -1 
  -1 
  Grab, 25 STR
  5 
  Kick 
  -2 
  +1 
  7d6 Strike
  4 
  Knife Hand 
  -2 
  +0 
  HKA ½d6 
  (1d6+1 with 
  STR)
  4 
  Punch 
  +0 
  +2 
  5d6 Strike
  3 
  Th row 
  +0 
  +1 
  3d6 +v/5, Target 
  Falls
  4 
  Tien-hsueh Strike -1 
  +1 
  2d6 NND (1)
  2 
  Swift :  Running +1” (7” total) 
  1
  3 
  Cricket Leap:  Leaping +3” (6” forward, 3” 
  upward) 
  1
   
  Skills
  6 
  +2 with Kung Fu
  3 
  Acrobatics 13-
  3 
  Breakfall 13-
  3 
  Climbing 13-
  2 
  AK: China 11-
  2 
  AK: Th e South China Sea 11-
  2 
  KS: Kung Fu 11-
  2 
  Language:  Mandarin Chinese (ﬂ uent con-
  versation; English is Native)
  1 
  Language:  Cantonese Chinese (basic conver-
  sation)
  1 
  Language:  Malay (basic conversation)
  3 
  Seduction 12-
  3 
  Stealth 13-
  6 
  WF: Common Melee Weapons, Common 
  Missile Weapons, Small Arms
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  81
  Total Cost:  150
  75+ Disadvantages
  10 
  Distinctive Features:  Style (Not Concealable, 
  Noticed And Recognizable, Detectable By 
  Large Group)
  20 
  Hunted:  Hermann Eichenwald 8- (Mo Pow, 
  NCI, Capture/Kill)
  15 
  Hunted:  Li-Ming Jade, Pirate Queen of the 
  South China Sea 11- (Mo Pow, Limited Geo-
  graphical Area, Kill)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Must Protect 
  Innocents And Th e Helpless (Common, 
  Strong)
  10 
  Social Limitation:  Minority (half-American, 
  half-Chinese) (Frequently, Minor)
  5 
  Social Limitation:  Woman (Occasionally, 
  Minor)
  Total Disadvantage Points:  150
  Background/History:  Allen Winchester went to 
  China on behalf of his employer, the Sino-Ameri-
  can Oil Company, to scout out new business and 
  oil exploration opportunities. While there, he fell 
  in love with, and to the shock of his family and 
  friends, married a young Chinese woman. Th ey had 
  a daughter, whom they named Lili.
  When Lili was ﬁ ve, her father was killed in an 
  automobile crash. Her mother raised Lili with 
  the help of Lili’s Chinese uncle. Uncle, in his day 
  a champion ﬁ ghter, taught Lili the art of Kung Fu 
  and helped develop her budding athletic abilities, 
  much to her mother’s chagrin. But when Lili was 
  13, both her mother and her uncle died during a 
  ﬂ u epidemic. With no other connections to China 
  — her mother’s other relatives had pointedly 
  refused to have anything to do with the “half-breed 
  round-eyes” — Lili decided it was time to meet her 
  American relatives.
  SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT
  Weapon 
  OCV 
  RMod 
  Dam 
  STUN 
  Shots 
  STR Min 
  Notes
  W&S Police 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  8 
  8 
  Usually carries at least two extra 
  clips, one of which is concealed
  Jien 
  +0 
  — 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  — 
  10
  Kusari 
  +0 
  — 
  4d6 N 
  — 
  — 
  9
  Armor
  None
  Gear:  Tent, bedroll, lantern, whetstone
  Clothing:  Except for formal occasions, for which she oft en “dolls up” in elegant dresses, Lili prefers to 
  dress more like the men in the Raiders:  shirt, pants, boots.
  
  392 ■ Randall’s Raiders
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Scraping together her tiny inheritance, she 
  bought passage on a ship bound for San Francisco. 
  But one day into the trip, the ship was captured by 
  Li-Ming Jade, the feared “Pirate Queen of the South 
  China Sea,” and her band of cutthroats. Lili tried 
  to ﬁ ght back against them, but they knocked her 
  out. Impressed by the young girl’s spirit, Li-Ming 
  decided to “adopt” her.
  Lili spent the next several years on the Pirate 
  Queen’s ship, unwillingly taking part in her raids 
  and attacks. She hated it, but was powerless to ﬁ ght 
  back or escape... until the day when Li-Ming made 
  the mistake of attacking a ship that Randall Irons 
  and his friends were on. When the adventurers 
  fought back against the pirates, Lili saw her chance. 
  She turned on her “mother,” helped Irons and his 
  friends defeat her, and ﬁ nally got out from under 
  Li-Ming’s thumb. Ever since, the Pirate Queen has 
  been obsessed with getting revenge on her treach-
  erous “daughter,” making it diﬃ  cult for Lili to visit 
  the land of her birth.
  As impressed with Lili as Li-Ming had been, 
  Randall and the rest of the Raiders oﬀ ered to escort 
  her to America. But when she got there, Lili found 
  that her American relatives were no more inter-
  ested in her than her Chinese ones. Deciding that if 
  they didn’t want her, she didn’t want them, she left  
  with Randall’s Raiders for an adventure in South 
  America, and has been with the group ever since.
  Personality/Motivation:  Despite (or perhaps because 
  of) all the misfortune she’s experienced in her short 
  life, Lili is a brave, heroic, and kindhearted soul. She 
  hates to see helpless or innocent people oppressed 
  or exploited by the strong and evil, and gladly helps 
  the Raiders give such ﬁ ends their just desserts. She 
  doesn’t usually have much money, because she oft en 
  gives what she has to less fortunate souls who need it 
  more (though she has a weakness for sweets and, in 
  the right circumstances, beautiful clothes and jewelry).
  Even though she’s a tough, skilled ﬁ ghter, Lili is 
  usually quiet and remains in the background unless 
  something gets her angry or really attracts her 
  attention. Although she’d hate to admit it, more than 
  a few of her mother’s instructions on “how ladies 
  should act” have worn oﬀ  on her.
  Lili used to have a little bit of a crush on Ran-
  dall, but she soon realized it wasn’t worth pursu-
  ing. Th ey’re just good friends, even though Cross’s 
  friendly jibes sometimes imply otherwise.
  Quote:  “Let her go unharmed, or you’ll ﬁ nd out that 
  not all the women you meet are helpless.”
  Powers/Tactics:  Since she was a young girl, Lili has 
  trained in the mysterious Chinese ﬁ ghting art of 
  Kung Fu. Most people, particularly big, burly men, 
  underestimate her because of her small size and 
  slender build, but the truth is she hits harder, dodges 
  faster, and ﬁ ghts better than almost everyone. She 
  prefers to start out with Grabs, Th rows, and Tien-
  hsueh strikes to try to incapacitate her opponents 
  without hurting them, but she’s quick to move on 
  to punches and kicks if that doesn’t work. She won’t 
  use her jien (sword) unless her opponent draws a 
  weapon ﬁ rst, but oft en performs Grabs with her 
  chain (“kusari”).
  Campaign Use:  Lili is an example of how to break 
  the usual Pulp stereotypes without completely ruin-
  ing the feel of the campaign. She’s a woman who 
  ﬁ ghts, and she knows Martial Arts, neither of which 
  are common in the pulps, but her exotic back-
  ground and experiences ﬁ t the genre perfectly. Since 
  she’s not aggressive, she won’t aﬀ ect the verisimili-
  tude of the game by acting in “non-ladylike” ways all 
  of the time.
  To make Lili tougher, give her 1-2 Extra Damage 
  Classes for her Kung Fu, and/or more Combat Skill 
  Levels with her Martial Arts. To weaken her, reduce 
  her DEX to 15 and get rid of her CSLs.
  Lili’s not likely to Hunt anyone; she’s not a venge-
  ful or driven person. However, she cares deeply for 
  her friends, and people in general, and might get 
  angry enough at someone who hurts them (or a lot 
  of people) to track him down and make him pay.
  Appearance:  Lili Winchester is a young woman 
  in her early 20s, 5’3” tall with a slender build that 
  belies her strength and toughness. Half-Chinese 
  and half-American, she has an exotic beauty that 
  oft en attracts attention... but that also makes plain 
  her racial heritage, which oﬀ ends many people. She 
  usually dresses simply, but enjoys wearing fancy 
  clothes in appropriate social situations.
  
  393 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Seven
  LIZ MURDOCK
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   10 STR 
  0 
  11- 
  Lift  100 kg; 2d6 [2]
   16 DEX 
  18 
  12- 
  OCV:  5/DCV:  5
   14 CON 
  8 
  12-
   11 BODY 2 
  11-
   13 INT 
  3 
  12- 
  PER Roll 12-
   10 EGO 
  0 
  11- 
  ECV:  3
   15 PRE 
  5 
  12- 
  PRE Attack:  3d6
   15 COM 
  3 
  12-
   4 PD 
  2 
   
  Total:  4 PD (0 rPD)
   4 ED 
  1 
   
  Total:  4 ED (0 rED)
   4 SPD 
  14 
   
  Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12 
   5 REC 
  0
   28 END 
  0
   23 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  56
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Perks
  9 
  Vehicle:  SPAD S.XIII biplane
  5 
  Money:  Well Oﬀ 
   
  Talents
  14 
  Hotshot Pilot
   
  Skills
  3 
  Aerobatics 12-
  3 
  Climbing 12-
  5 
  Combat Piloting 13-
  3 
  Conversation 12-
  3 
  Deduction 12-
  3 
  Electronics 12-
  3 
  High Society 12-
  2 
  AK: Africa 11-
  2 
  AK: Europe 11-
  2 
  AK: India 11-
  2 
  CK: Paris 11-
  2 
  CK: Bombay 11-
  2 
  CK: London 11-
  1 
  Language:  French (basic conversation; Eng-
  lish is Native)
  1 
  Language:  Hindi (basic conversation)
  2 
  Navigation (Air) 12-
  3 
  Mechanics 12-
  3 
  Paramedics 12-
  3 
  Riding 12-
  3 
  Stealth 12-
  6 
  Survival (Desert, Temperate/Subtropical, 
  Tropical) 12-
  5 
  TF: Common Motorized Ground Vehicles, 
  Riding Animals, Small Planes, Two-Wheeled 
  Motorized Ground Vehicles
  4 
  WF: Vehicle Weapons (SPAD S.XIII and Sop-
  with Triplane), Small Arms
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  94
  Total Cost:  150
  75+ Disadvantages
  20 
  Hunted:  Hermann Eichenwald 8- (Mo Pow, 
  NCI, Capture/Kill)
  10 
  Hunted:  Drisana 8- (As Pow, Kill)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Pulp Hero’s Code 
  (Common, Total)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Pulp Hero’s 
  Burden (Common, Strong)
  5 
  Psychological Limitation:  Wanderlust; Hates 
  To Stay In Any One Place For Very Long 
  (Uncommon, Moderate)
  5 
  Social Limitation:  Woman (Occasionally, 
  Minor)
  Total Disadvantage Points:  150
  Background/History:  Th e only daughter in a family 
  of eight children, Liz Murdock grew up a tomboy, 
  climbing trees, riding horses, and playing games 
  with her brothers. Her wealthy parents dreamed of 
  an elegant debut, the Café Society, and an advanta-
  geous marriage for her, but she wanted nothing 
  to do with it. Her dreams involved going to exotic 
  places and doing exciting things. When she turned 
  18, she used her trust fund to buy herself a plane, 
  and announced that she was going to take ﬂ ying 
  lessons and travel the world. Her shocked parents 
  threatened to disown her if she didn’t settle down 
  and act like a lady, but that didn’t stop her. A few 
  months later she ﬂ ew to Paris and had the time of 
  her life; from there she went on to Africa and Asia, 
  wherever her mood took her. Her parents have 
  refused to have anything to do with her ever since 
  (and were particularly incensed when some of her 
  exploits made the papers), but several of her broth-
  ers, who admire her, secretly stay in touch.
  Liz ﬁ rst met Randall Irons and Hamilton Cross 
  in India when they both saw her in a club and com-
  peted to see who could get the most dances with 
  her. It was fast friendship at ﬁ rst sight — a friend-
  ship cemented when she helped Randall escape 
  from and defeat Akash Varmandali. Th e rajah’s 
  daughter Drisana, who has romantic intentions 
  toward Randall, thinks that he’s in love with Liz and 
  is determined to eliminate her “rival”... permanently.
  Personality/Motivation:  Liz Murdock loves adven-
  ture, travel, and excitement. She wants to go to 
  new places, see new things, meet new people, eat 
  SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT
  Weapon 
  OCV 
  RMod 
  Dam 
  STUN 
  Shots 
  STR Min 
  Notes
  Beretta 1935 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  7 
  8
  Armor
  None
  Gear:  Tent, bedroll, toolkit
  Clothing:  Most of the time, she wears ﬂ ying or riding clothes:  jodhpurs, a shirt, and leather boots, plus 
  a leather jacket, white scarf, goggles, and leather helmet when appropriate. But she’s got a large ward-
  robe and always dresses appropriately for the occasion if she has the chance.
  
  394 ■ Randall’s Raiders
  Hero System 5th Edition
  strange new foods, and learn foreign customs and 
  beliefs. She’s particularly interested in feats of avia-
  tion, helping improve aviation and travel technol-
  ogy, and so forth. But while she’s enjoying herself, 
  she feels as strong an obligation as Randall and 
  her other friends do to right wrongs and make the 
  world a safer, better place. 
  Quote:  “First person to make it over the mountains 
  and land at Trieste buys the drinks!”
  Powers/Tactics:  Although she learned a wide range 
  of Skills during her adolescence and adventuring 
  career, Liz Murdock is ﬁ rst and foremost an avia-
  trix, as skilled behind the stick of a plane as any 
  Great War ace. Th e plane she currently ﬂ ies is a 
  war-surplus SPAD S.XIII modiﬁ ed to carry a single 
  passenger (or two, if they’re willing to squeeze 
  together); it still has its guns. During the Raiders’ 
  adventures, she oft en provides part of the transpor-
  tation, goes for help, or makes emergency deliveries 
  while the others hold oﬀ  the rampaging hordes. But 
  she’s no coward — she’s a good shot and more than 
  willing to stand her ground and ﬁ ght if there’s no 
  need for her to take to the air.
  Campaign Use:  Liz allows you to include elements 
  of “air adventure” in scenarios involving the Raid-
  ers. You should handle this carefully, since it’s no 
  fun for the other players if one character gets all the 
  attention in a situation where they can’t participate, 
  but if you do it right it adds another dimension to 
  the game.
  To make Liz tougher, make her more of a per-
  sonal combatant:  increase her STR or DEX a little, 
  give her some Combat Skill Levels or Lightning 
  Reﬂ exes, that sort of thing. If you want to weaken 
  her, get rid of Hotshot Pilot and perhaps a few of 
  her Skills.
  Appearance:  Liz Murdock is a beautiful white 
  woman in her mid-20s with long blonde hair, blue 
  eyes, and a trim, attractive ﬁ gure. She usually pre-
  fers to wear typical aviator’s clothes — jodhpurs, 
  boots, a white shirt, and a leather jacket when ﬂ ying 
  or in cold weather — but can dress up or down for 
  nearly any situation.
  
  395 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Seven
  SSOBERFUHRER HERMANN EICHENWALD
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   18 STR 
  8 
  13- 
  Lift  300 kg; 3½d6 [4]
   18 DEX 
  24 
  13- 
  OCV:  6/DCV:  6
   20 CON 
  20 
  13-
   15 BODY 10 
  12-
   20 INT 
  10 
  13- 
  PER Roll 13-
   14 EGO 
  8 
  13- 
  ECV:  5
   20 PRE 
  10 
  13- 
  PRE Attack:  4d6
   12 COM 
  1 
  11-
   7 PD 
  3 
   
  Total:  10 PD (3 rPD)
   6 ED 
  2 
   
  Total:  9 ED (3 rED)
   4 SPD 
  12 
   
  Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
   8 REC 
  0
   40 END 
  0
   40 STUN 
  6 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  114
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  8”/16”
   
  Swimming: 
  3”/6”
  Cost Powers 
  END
   
  Martial Arts:  Boxing
   
  Maneuver 
  OCV DCV 
  Damage/Effect
  4 
  Block 
   
  +2 
  +2 Block, Abort
  3 
  Clinch 
  -1 
  -1 
  Grab Two 
  Limbs, 28 to 
  STR for holding 
  on
  4 
  Cross 
  +0 
  +2 
  STR 5½d6 
  Strike
  5 
  Hook 
  -2 
  +1 
  STR 7½d6 
  Strike
  3 
  Jab 
  +2 
  +1 
  STR Strike
   
  Martial Arts:  Fencing
   
  Maneuver 
  OCV DCV 
  Damage/Effect
  5 
  Ballestra 
  +2 
  -2 
  Weapon +4 
  DC; Half Move 
  Required
  4 
  Ceduto  
  +0 
  +0 
  33 STR to 
  escape Bind
  4 
  Froissement 
  -1 
  +1 
  Disarm, 28 STR 
  to Disarm roll
  5 
  Lunge 
  +1 
  -2 
  Weapon +4 DC
  4 
  Parry 
  +2 
  +2 
  Block, Abort
  4 
  Prise de Fer 
  +1 
  +0 
  Bind, 28 STR
  4 
  Riposte 
  +2 
  +2 
  Weapon +2 DC, 
  Must Follow 
  Block
  5 
  Slash 
  -2 
  +1 
  Weapon +4 DC
  5 
  Th rust 
  +1 
  +3 
  Weapon
  4 
  Void 
  — 
  +5 
  Dodge, Aﬀ ects 
  All Attacks, 
  Abort
  4 
  Fast:  Running +2” (8” total) 
  1
  1 
  Strong Swimmer:  Swimming +1” (3” total)
   
  Perks
  24 
  Contact:  Nazi High Command 11- 
  (extremely useful resources, access to major 
  institutions, signiﬁ cant Contacts of its own, 
  good relationship, Organization)
  8 
  Military Rank:  SS-Oberfuhrer
   
  Talents
  6 
  Combat Luck (3 PD/3 ED)
  3 
  Lightsleep
   
  Skills
  20 
  +2 Overall
  3 
  Combat Driving 13-
  3 
  Combat Piloting 13-
  3 
  Conversation 13-
  3 
  AK: Europe 13-
  3 
  CK: Berlin 13-
  2 
  KS: Th e Espionage World 11-
  3 
  KS: Th e Nazi Military 13-
  2 
  Language:  English (ﬂ uent conversation; 
  German is Native)
  
  396 ■ Randall’s Raiders
  Hero System 5th Edition
  2 
  Language:  French (ﬂ uent conversation)
  1 
  Language:  Russian (basic conversation)
  2 
  Navigation (Air) 13-
  3 
  Persuasion 13-
  3 
  Stealth 13-
  3 
  Tactics 13-
  6 
  TF:  Common Motorized Ground Vehicles, 
  Parachuting, Small Planes, Snow Skiing, Two-
  Wheeled Motorized Ground Vehicles
  6 
  WF:  Common Melee Weapons, Common 
  Missile Weapons, Small Arms
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  177
  Total Cost:  291
  75+ Disadvantages
  5 
  Distinctive Features:  Nazi SS Uniform 
  (Easily Concealed; Noticed And Recogniz-
  able)
  10 
  Distinctive Features:  Style (Not Concealable, 
  Noticed And Recognizable, Detectable By 
  Large Group)
  10 
  Hunted:  Nazi Germany 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, 
  Watching)
  25 
  Psychological Limitation:  Ardent Nazi (Very 
  Common, Total)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Hatred Of Ran-
  dall’s Raiders (Uncommon, Strong)
  20 
  Social Limitation:  Subject To Orders (Very 
  Frequently, Major)
  136 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  291
  Background/History:  Hermann Eichenwald, the son 
  of a well-to-do Bavarian family, joined the Nazi 
  Party just a few weeks before the Beer Hall Putsch, 
  when he was still a junior oﬃ  cer. He helped with 
  the Putsch but cleverly avoided being captured 
  when it fell apart. His competence did not go unno-
  ticed by the leading Nazis, including Adolf Hitler, 
  who began grooming him for better things when 
  they rebuilt the party. As Eichenwald advanced 
  through the military ranks, he rose in the Nazi 
  hierarchy as well, becoming a valued member of 
  the Party.
  Since Hitler became Chancellor, Eichenwald has 
  served as one of his military advisors... and, more 
  importantly, as one of the Führer’s chief “trouble-
  shooters” around the world. If there’s something 
  special Hitler wants — a valuable archaeologi-
  cal relic, the plans for the newest British military 
  technology, the head of some supposed traitor or 
  potential enemy — he sends Eichenwald to get it. 
  And Eichenwald never failed...
  ...until the day he ﬁ rst encountered Randall’s 
  Raiders. Randall Irons and his friends were looking 
  for a rare manuscript about astrology that Hitler 
  wanted, and though Eichenwald got to it ﬁ rst, the 
  verdammt adventurers found a way to trick him out 
  of it. Th ey’ve clashed several times since, with the 
  Raiders usually getting the better of him, and he’s 
  eager for the chance to defeat them and at long last 
  remove this one blot upon his record.
  Personality/Motivation:  Eichenwald is an ardent 
  member of the Nazi Party, a ﬁ rm believer in 
  National Socialist doctrine and wholly devoted 
  to the Führer. Although he sometimes wishes the 
  Führer were more inclined to follow his (Eichen-
  wald’s) advice than his own counsel, if need be he 
  would unhesitatingly lay down his life for Hitler or 
  to advance the cause of Nazi Germany.
  Quote:  “All your heroic antics are a pathetic waste 
  of eﬀ ort in the face of Aryan superiority.”
  Powers/Tactics:  While he sometimes comes across 
  as a hate-ﬁ lled ideologue, Eichenwald is not a fool. 
  He evaluates situations with insight, responding to 
  the actions of his enemies with a devilish clever-
  ness that a simple fanatic could never muster. Th ose 
  who underestimate him just because he’s a Nazi will 
  soon learn to their sorrow that espousing a corrupt 
  and evil cause does not mean Eichenwald’s stupid 
  or predictable.
  Eichenwald has been trained to do many things, 
  and he does them all well. He’s a brilliant tactician, 
  a crack shot, a skilled pilot, and a canny spy. While 
  he’ll use any method he must to get the job done 
  to his satisfaction, he prefers the direct approach 
  when possible. He considers deceit and manipula-
  tion “dishonorable,” the sort of activities that true 
  Aryan warriors such as himself shouldn’t stoop to... 
  unless they must.
  Campaign Use:  Eichenwald is one of the classic 
  types of Nazi villains:  the clever Aryan, whose skill, 
  competence, and intelligence matches the depths 
  of his evil. As such he should present a major prob-
  lem for any group of heroes he comes up against. 
  Don’t make him look the fool or act stupidly; the 
  PCs should respect his abilities and ruthlessness as 
  much as they loathe his ideals.
  SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT
  Weapon 
  OCV 
  RMod 
  Dam 
  STUN 
  Shots 
  STR Min 
  Notes
  Luger P-08 
  +1 
  +0 
  1d6+1 1d6-1 
  8 
  8 
  Carries 1 extra clip
  Knife 
  +0 
  +0 
  1d6-1 1d6-1 
  — 
  6 
  Can Be Th rown
  Fencing Sabre 
  +0 
  — 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  — 
  10
  Armor
  None
  Gear:  Usually very little, since he prefers to let underlings or servants carry his equipment, but he’s no 
  shrinking violet and obtains anything he thinks he needs before setting out into the ﬁ eld. On more espio-
  nage-oriented missions, he may have concealed weaponry or gadgets (fountain pen tear gas guns and the 
  like).
  Clothing:  Usually his uniform, but he’ll wear whatever’s appropriate for the mission.
  SS-OBERFUHRER 
  HERMANN EICHEN-
  WALD PLOT SEEDS
  Determined to rid 
  himself of the PCs, 
  Eichenwald frames 
  them for murder (pref-
  erably while they’re in 
  Germany, Italy, or some 
  other place where he has 
  a high degree of con-
  trol over what happens 
  to them). Th ey must 
  escape, ﬁ gure out what’s 
  going on, and expose 
  him before they end up 
  in the electric chair.
  Word reaches the PCs 
  that Eichenwald has 
  found a fabulous trove 
  of artifacts in French 
  Indo-China, including a 
  jeweled scepter that sup-
  posedly possesses magi-
  cal powers. Th ey have 
  to intercept him and get 
  the goods before he can 
  take them to Berlin. And 
  just how accurate are 
  those legends about the 
  scepter anyway?
  Th e US government 
  believes Eichenwald 
  has secretly entered 
  America on a mission 
  of espionage. It asks his 
  old enemies, the PCs, to 
  ﬁ nd him and stop him... 
  or, better yet, make him 
  think he’s got whatever 
  it is he’s aft er while 
  secretly giving him mis-
  leading information.
  
  397 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Seven
  To make Eichenwald tougher, increase his STR, 
  DEX, and/or CON to 20. You might also give him 
  an Extra DC or two with both his Martial Arts. To 
  weaken him, reduce them to 15 and get rid of some 
  of his Martial Maneuvers.
  As a Hunter, Eichenwald is tenacious and dan-
  gerous. He studies his target carefully, using the 
  resources of the Reich to gather as much informa-
  tion as he can. Th en he plans the best attack for the 
  situation; if possible, he gets SS underlings or Weh-
  rmacht soldiers to assist him. When he strikes, he 
  strikes hard, going straight for the jugular. Unless 
  ordered to capture the target, he has no interest in 
  taking prisoners.
  Appearance:  Hermann Eichenwald looks like he 
  stepped oﬀ  a Nazi recruiting poster. Now in his 
  mid-30s, he has blonde hair, blue eyes, and good 
  looks that his time in the ﬁ eld have done nothing 
  to diminish. He’s 6’0” tall, broad-shouldered, and 
  obviously strong and ﬁ t. He typically wears his SS 
  uniform (unless that would be inappropriate or 
  foolish), and oft en glances about him like a hawk, 
  ever-wary for an opportunity or an opponent.
  DR. EMIL LOCKE
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   8 STR 
  -2 
  11- 
  Lift  75 kg; 1½d6 [2]
   12 DEX 
  6 
  11- 
  OCV:  4/DCV:  4
   13 CON 
  6 
  12-
   10 BODY 0 
  11-
   15 INT 
  5 
  12- 
  PER Roll 12-
   12 EGO 
  4 
  11- 
  ECV:  4
   15 PRE 
  5 
  12- 
  PRE Attack:  3d6
   10 COM 
  0 
  11-
   3 PD 
  1 
   
  Total:  3 PD (0 rPD)
   3 ED 
  0 
   
  Total:  3 ED (0 rED)
   3 SPD 
  8 
   
  Phases:  4, 8, 12
   5 REC 
  0
   26 END 
  0
   21 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  33
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  5”/10”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  -2 
  A Little Slow:  Running -1” (5” total)
   
  Perks
  5 
  Money:  Well Oﬀ 
   
  Talents
  25 
  Universal Translator 17-
   
  Skills
  3 
  Deduction 12-
  2 
  Forgery (Art Objects) 12-
  3 
  High Society 12-
  3 
  KS: Th e Academic World 12-
  3 
  KS: Art History 12-
  3 
  KS: World History 12-
  3 
  Persuasion 12-
  3 
  SS: Anthropology 12-
  3 
  SS: Archaeology 12-
  3 
  Stealth 11-
  3 
  Trading 12-
  3 
  Traveler
  1 
  1)  AK: Africa 11-
  1 
  2)  AK: China 11-
  1 
  3)  AK: Europe 11-
  1 
  4)  AK: India 11-
  1 
  5)  AK: Mexico 11-
  1 
  6)  AK: South America 11-
  1 
  7)  AK: South Seas 11-
  1 
  8)  CK: Berlin 11-
  1 
  9)  CK: Canton 11-
  1 
  10)  CK: Delhi 11-
  1 
  11)  CK: London 11-
  1 
  12)  CK: Nairobi 11-
  1 
  13)  CK: New York City 11-
  1 
  14)  CK: Rio de Janeiro 11-
  1 
  15)  CuK:  African Tribes Culture 11-
  1 
  16)  CuK:  Chinese Culture 11-
  1 
  17)  CuK:  Hindu Culture 11-
  1 
  18)  CuK:  South/Central American Indians 
  Culture 11-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  81
  Total Cost:  114
  75+ Disadvantages
  20 
  Hunted:  various law enforcement agencies 
  around the world 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Capture)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Intellectual 
  Vanity; Loves To Show Oﬀ  What He Knows 
  (Common, Total)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Greedy (Common, 
  Strong)
  5 
  Reputation:  antiquities thief and forger, 11- 
  (limited group:  art historians, archaeologists, 
  and the like)
  5 
  Social Limitation:  Criminal Record (Occa-
  sionally, Minor)
  Total Disadvantage Points:  140
  Background/History:  Emil Locke developed a fasci-
  nation for history and ancient cultures at an early 
  age by listening to his father’s retellings of myths 
  and legends from around the world. As he got older, 
  he decided he wanted to be an archaeologist — a 
  career made all the more attractive by his natural 
  SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT
  Weapon 
  OCV 
  RMod 
  Dam 
  STUN 
  Shots 
  STR Min 
  Notes
  None
  Armor
  None
  Gear:  As appropriate for his current scheme. For example, if he’s trekking overland to beat the PCs to a 
  fabled tomb, he’d have camping gear, a lantern, maybe even a pistol.
  Clothing:  As appropriate for his current scheme. He prefers standard men’s clothes, but switches to ﬁ eld 
  clothing for many of his activities.
  EMIL LOCKE 
  PLOT SEEDS
  Th e PCs have gotten 
  their hands on an 
  ancient document that 
  they desperately need 
  to translate. However, 
  none of them, or anyone 
  they consult, can make 
  heads or tails of it. Th e 
  only one who has the 
  insight to read it is Dr. 
  Locke. Do the PCs dare 
  let him look at it... and if 
  so, how can they ensure 
  he’s not lying about what 
  it says?
  A friend of the PCs 
  who’s an art collec-
  tor believes one of his 
  prized relics is a fake. He 
  thinks it was made by 
  Dr. Locke, and wants the 
  PCs to track the peripa-
  tetic scholar down and 
  ﬁ nd out the truth. Th e 
  trouble is, Locke was last 
  seen heading into the 
  Amazon in search of a 
  legendary lost city....
  Aft er suﬀ ering a debili-
  tating injury, Dr. Locke 
  oﬀ ers to sell the PCs a 
  map to a fabulous trea-
  sure. He claims the Rus-
  sians are looking for it, 
  and that he doesn’t want 
  “those Reds” to get their 
  hands on the goods. 
  What’s he really aft er?
  
  398 ■ Randall’s Raiders
  Hero System 5th Edition
  talent for languages both living and dead.
  Th e problem was, Emil didn’t like taking tests. 
  He knew that he knew the material forward and 
  back; why should he have to prove it to some 
  grey-haired professor? He’d rather spend his time 
  studying whatever interested him, not preparing 
  for meaningless tests. Despite his intelligence, he 
  limped through college, barely passing many a 
  course. His family and friends were shocked by his 
  announcement that he was going to attend gradu-
  ate school and become a professor.
  What they didn’t know was that he’d found a 
  way to cheat. He’d discovered a few... embarrass-
  ing... things about one of the most prominent 
  anthropology professors at the school, and he used 
  that knowledge to blackmail the man into approv-
  ing his course of study and easing his way through 
  the graduate program. He got the Ph.D. he knew he 
  deserved, but with only a fraction of the work that 
  his fellow students put in.
  From there it didn’t take much for cheating to 
  become a way of life. He lost the professorship he 
  got when it was discovered he’d been plagiarizing 
  others’ work to “write” articles for publication. But 
  by then he didn’t care. He’d made enough contacts 
  in the art and antiquities black market that he 
  could support himself much better by “obtaining” 
  artifacts for unscrupulous collectors, and provid-
  ing phony “authentications” of dubious objects 
  they already owned. Within just a few years he was 
  a black sheep in the archaeological world, a man 
  known more for his ability to cut corners and proﬁ t 
  at the expense of others than for his scholarship.
  Personality/Motivation:  Despite his obvious greed 
  and protestations that he’s really only interested in 
  how much money he can make from an artifact or 
  an act of forgery, Emil Locke considers himself an 
  immensely knowledgeable and gift ed scholar of 
  art and ancient civilizations, and he’s always on the 
  lookout for the chance to prove how good he is. It’s 
  hard for him to resist showing oﬀ  his intelligence 
  and knowledge. He corrects other people when they 
  make errors (even trivial grammatical mis-steps), 
  arrogantly denounces any theory or opinion that 
  doesn’t agree with his own, and argues incessantly 
  with anyone who dares to question him. While it’s 
  true that he knows a lot about his favorite subjects, 
  he’s not infallible, and if caught out in a mistake or 
  an error in judgment he may ﬂ y into a rage.
  For some reason, Dr. Locke has developed an 
  intense dislike of Bill Ferguson over the course 
  of his clashes with Bill and the rest of Randall’s 
  Raiders. Maybe it’s because he thinks Ferguson’s 
  a musclebound dolt, or maybe because the big 
  man’s picked him up and eﬀ ortlessly held him 
  oﬀ  the ground a time or two, but whatever the 
  reason his loathing of Ferguson is obvious. He’s 
  convinced Ferguson has a cache of relics and trea-
  sure obtained during his many adventures, and is 
  determined to get his hands on it — if for no other 
  reason than to embarrass Bill.
  Quote:  “Obviously this vase is from the ﬁ ft h cen-
  tury BC, not the fourth, you ignoramus.”
  Powers/Tactics:  Emil Locke is no combatant — in 
  fact, he’s something of a coward. When danger and 
  conﬂ ict rear their ugly heads, he tries to talk his way 
  out of trouble or runs for cover. Only his greed (and 
  desire to prove his own theories correct) can over-
  come his intense interest in keeping his skin whole.
  In addition to being a well-read anthropologist, 
  archaeologist, art historian, and forger, Locke has 
  a natural gift  for languages. He’s never studied any 
  of them formally, but somehow his brain is wired 
  to understand what’s being said or written. Aft er 
  listening to someone speak for just a few seconds, 
  or brieﬂ y studying some writing, he instinctively 
  knows what’s being said and how to respond. 
  Among other things, this gift  makes it easy for 
  him to decipher treasure maps and read wall 
  inscriptions and start following their instructions 
  while his rivals are still scratching their heads 
  trying to puzzle out a word or two.
  Campaign Use:  Doctor Locke is a weaselly little 
  rogue who’s half a foe the PCs need to reckon with, 
  half comic relief. He knows enough that he can easily 
  ﬁ gure out what PC archaeologists and explorers are 
  up to and try to beat them to it... but his arrogance 
  and greed oft en put him in a position where he 
  appears at least a little laughable. Don’t treat him as 
  a buﬀ oon or a blunderer — he’s neither — but don’t 
  worry if the PCs chuckle at him occasionally.
  To make Locke tougher, increase his INT to 18-
  20 and give him a plethora of Contacts and Favors 
  he can call on. Don’t make him a ﬁ ghter; he’s not 
  supposed to be a combatant (he’ll hire or persuade 
  any muscle he needs to stand up to the PCs).
  
  399 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Seven
  Appearance:  Emil Locke is a white man in his early 
  40s. He’s 5’6” tall, weighs 155 pounds, wears wire-
  rim glasses, is cleanshaven, and has prematurely 
  greying black hair. He usually wears ordinary men’s 
  suits and clothes, though he dresses for the ﬁ eld 
  when he’s on an expedition.
  VINNIE “THE AXE” COLETTI
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   15 STR 
  5 
  12- 
  Lift  200 kg; 3d6 [3]
   15 DEX 
  15 
  12- 
  OCV:  5/DCV:  5
   16 CON 
  12 
  12-
   14 BODY 8 
  12-
   13 INT 
  3 
  12- 
  PER Roll 12-
   12 EGO 
  4 
  11- 
  ECV:  4
   17 PRE 
  7 
  12- 
  PRE Attack:  3d6
   10 COM 
  0 
  11-
   6 PD 
  3 
   
  Total:  6 PD (0 rPD)
   4 ED 
  1 
   
  Total:  4 ED (0 rED)
   3 SPD 
  5 
   
  Phases:  4, 8, 12
   6 REC 
  0
   32 END 
  0
   30 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  63
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
   
  Martial Arts:  Dirty Inﬁ ghting
   
  Maneuver 
  OCV DCV 
  Damage/Effect
  4 
  Block 
  +2 
  +2 
  Block, Abort
  4 
  Disarm 
  -1 
  +1 
  Disarm, 25 STR 
  to Disarm roll
  4 
  Eye Gouge 
  -1 
  -1 
  Sight Group 
  Flash 4d6
  4 
  Kidney Blow 
  -2 
  +0 
  HKA ½d6 
  (1d6+1 with 
  STR)
  4 
  Low Blow 
  -1 
  +1 
  2d6 NND(3)
  4 
  Punch/Backhand +0 
  +2 
  5d6 Strike
  5 
  Roundhouse 
  -2 
  +1 
  7d6 Strike
  3 
  Tackle 
  +0 
  -1 
  3d6 +v/5 Strike; 
  You Fall, Target 
  Falls
   
  Perks
  5 
  Criminal Rank:  Leader of the Coletti mob
  10 
  Money:  Wealthy
   
  Talents
  5 
  Eidetic Memory
   
  Skills
  6 
  +2 with Firearms
  3 
  Bribery 12-
  3 
  Combat Driving 12-
  3 
  Concealment 12-
  3 
  Fast Draw (Small Arms) 12-
  2 
  CK: New York City 11-
  2 
  KS: Th e Maﬁ a 11-
  2 
  KS: Th e New York Underworld 11-
  2 
  Language:  Italian (ﬂ uent conversation; Eng-
  lish is Native)
  2 
  PS: Bootlegger 11-
  2 
  PS: Labor Racketeering 11-
  3 
  Stealth 12-
  7 
  Streetwise 14-
  3 
  WF: Small Arms, Knives
  2 
  TF: Common Motorized Ground Vehicles
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  97
  Total Cost:  160
  75+ Disadvantages
  20 
  Hunted:  the cops 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Capture)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Expects Respect 
  (Common, Strong)
  15 
  Psychological Limitation:  Greedy (Common, 
  Strong)
  10 
  Reputation:  gang boss, 11-
  10 
  Social Limitation:  Criminal Record (Fre-
  quently, Minor)
  15 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  160
  Background/History:  Th ere wasn’t any ques-
  tion what Vinnie was gonna grow up to be. His 
  grandfather’d been a forger and con man, and his 
  father part of the early New York mobs. Vinnie got 
  involved in crime early, helping his dad pull a few 
  jobs by playing the “innocent little kid.” In 1922, 
  when he was 18, he already had a long rap sheet. 
  Since then, he’s slowly but surely worked his way up 
  the rackets, trying his hand at just about anything 
  he thought he could make money at:  booze, gam-
  bling, prostitutes, labor racketeering, smuggling, 
  and murder. Today he runs his own gang — the 
  Coletti mob — and is one of the most powerful and 
  toughest criminals in New York.
  Vinnie earned his nickname — “the Axe” 
  — early in his career when the guy he was work-
  ing for sent him to collect on a long-overdue debt. 
  Th e welsher still didn’t have the cash and pulled 
  a gun on Vinnie. Furious, Vinnie snatched up a 
  nearby axe and hacked the man to death before he 
  could even get oﬀ  a shot. Th ese days Vinnie keeps a 
  hatchet on his desk, just to remind everyone of the 
  penalty of not playing straight.
  Personality/Motivation:  To look at Vinnie Coletti, 
  you’d think he was one of his torpedoes. But behind 
  his crude countenance and manner is a surprisingly 
  adept mind. Vinnie’s got an eye for the angles and 
  the smarts to make just the right play nearly every 
  time. And he never forgets anything. Ask him how 
  SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT
  Weapon 
  OCV 
  RMod 
  Dam 
  STUN 
  Shots 
  STR Min 
  Notes
  S&W 1917 
  +0 
  +0 
  2d6-1 
  1d6 
  6 
  8
  Armor
  None
  Gear:  Cigars, cigar clipper, lighter
  Clothing:  Expensive men’s suits
  VINNIE COLETTI 
  PLOT SEEDS
  Th e PCs bust up one of 
  Vinnie’s distilleries (or 
  tip the cops oﬀ  to do it). 
  Enraged, and eager to 
  show that he’s still tough 
  enough to deal with 
  problems like this (so 
  his enemies don’t think 
  he’s gone soft  and come 
  aft er him), he declares 
  war on the heroes. He 
  even calls in some out 
  of town help — a feared 
  hitman known only as 
  “Chicago Harry.” Can 
  the PCs survive this 
  onslaught?
  Vinnie may be a crook, 
  but he’s all-American. 
  When one of his gangs 
  stumbles onto a plot by 
  a Bund organization, he 
  lets the PCs in on what’s 
  going on. He even oﬀ ers 
  to send a few of “the 
  boys” along to help them 
  get rid of the Nazi scum.
  Vinnie wants to make 
  a move against one 
  of his main rivals, a 
  Jewish gangster named 
  Herman “Two-Time” 
  Tannenbaum — but he 
  doesn’t want to be up-
  front about it, because 
  that would provoke a 
  war. He ﬁ gures the PCs 
  for perfect fall guys to 
  take on Two-Time and 
  put a hurting on his 
  organization without 
  anyone connecting it to 
  him, so he starts secretly 
  providing them with 
  information about Tan-
  nenbaum’s rackets.
  
  400 ■ Randall’s Raiders
  Hero System 5th Edition
  much mazuma his gang over in the Bronx made 
  running hooch in 1932, and he can tell you — week 
  by week.
  Vinnie’s no Moustache Pete, but he does have a 
  touch of appreciation for the old ways. He expects 
  respect and deference not only from his men, but 
  from other people he meets — aft er all, he’s not 
  only tough and powerful enough to have just about 
  anyone hit, he’s loaded. If someone treats him 
  brusquely, insultingly, or the like, he has to make an 
  EGO Roll; if he fails, he reacts badly to that person. 
  Th at could mean anything from giving that person 
  a beating right then and there, to biding his time 
  and planning a suitable revenge later.
  Quote:  “Louie, I want you t’take three’a the boys 
  and teach this guy Wilson a lesson. He’s gotta learn 
  that if you’re gonna play, you gotta pay.”
  Powers/Tactics:  Vinnie didn’t get where he is today 
  by backing down from confrontation. Whether it’s 
  a ﬁ stﬁ ght or a gun battle, he’s ready to charge to the 
  attack and show the other guy who’s boss. But he 
  ain’t stupid. He won’t ﬁ ght an obvious losing battle, 
  and he gets to cover quickly when guns start blaz-
  ing. If possible, he’ll use his “boys” to take care of 
  unpleasant tasks like ﬁ ghting and murder for him; 
  that way the cops can’t connect him directly to any-
  thing that might result in jail time.
  Campaign Use:  Vinnie is a typical mob boss in most 
  respects, though his Eidetic Memory and relatively 
  high INT put him a cut above his compatriots in 
  the smarts department. Heroes who underestimate 
  him will probably ﬁ nd themselves outsmarted.
  Vinnie works best as an adversary in Crimebust-
  ing and Detective games, but he’s not limited to 
  those venues. If the PCs are globetrotting adventur-
  ers and explorers, they might come into contact with 
  Vinnie through one of his smuggling operations. If 
  it’s a Weird Menace campaign, maybe he’s helping 
  some mad scientist kidnap beautiful young women 
  to serve as guinea pigs, or is providing “the professa” 
  with the parts he needs to build his latest invention.
  To make Vinnie tougher, increase his DEX to 
  18-20 and his SPD to 4. You could also give him 
  some Extra DCs with his Dirty Inﬁ ghting, and 
  maybe increase his Combat Skill Levels to All 
  Combat. To weaken him, drop his INT to 10 and 
  get rid of the Eidetic Memory.
  Vinnie’s main tactic as a Hunter is to send some 
  of “the boys” to teach his enemy a lesson — prob-
  ably a fatal one. He’ll only take a hand directly if he 
  thinks that’s the only way to get the job done, or he 
  becomes so enraged he has to kill the guy himself.
  Appearance:  Vinnie is a white male of Italian 
  extraction. He’s in his early 30s, stands 5’10” tall, 
  and weighs about 180 (he’s just a little pudgy in 
  places). He’s got black hair and dark eyes and is 
  cleanshaven. He usually wears a ﬁ ne suit, some-
  times adding a ﬂ ower to his lapel if he’s in a good 
  mood, and frequently smokes large Cuban cigars.
  
  401 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Seven
  DR. JENNINGS PETRIE
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   10 STR 
  0 
  11- 
  Lift  100 kg; 2d6 [2]
   13 DEX 
  9 
  12- 
  OCV:  4/DCV:  4
   13 CON 
  6 
  12-
   11 BODY 2 
  11-
   20 INT 
  10 
  13- 
  PER Roll 13-
   15 EGO 
  10 
  12- 
  ECV:  5
   15 PRE 
  5 
  12- 
  PRE Attack:  3d6
   10 COM 
  0 
  11-
   4 PD 
  2 
   
  Total:  4 PD (0 rPD)
   5 ED 
  2 
   
  Total:  5 ED (0 rED)
   3 SPD 
  7 
   
  Phases:  4, 8, 12
   5 REC 
  0
   26 END 
  0
   25 STUN 
  2 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  55
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  50 
  Gadgets:  Variable Power Pool (Gadget 
  Pool), 40 base + 20 control cost; Focus 
  (all slots must have at least -½ worth of 
  this Limitation; -½), Powers Can Only 
  Be Changed In A Laboratory (-½) 
  var
  11 
  Rocket Pistol:  RKA 1½d6, Increased 
  Maximum Range (775”; +¼), Invisible 
  Power Eﬀ ects (leaves no shell casings; +¼); 
  OAF (-1), STR Minimum (10, STR Mini-
  mum Doesn’t Add/Subtract Damage; -1), 
  Beam (-¼), 12 Charges (-¼) 
  [12]
   
  Perks
  5 
  Money:  Well Oﬀ 
   
  Skills
  3 
  Demolitions 13-
  3 
  Electronics 13-
  3 
  Inventor 13-
  3 
  Mechanics 13-
  13 
  Power:  Gadgeteering 18-
  3 
  Stealth 12-
  3 
  Systems Operation 13-
  1 
  TF: Small Planes
  1 
  WF: Rocket Pistol
  3 
  Scientist
  2 
  1)  SS: Aeronautics 13-
  2 
  2)  SS: Astronomy 13-
  2 
  3)  SS:  Biology 13-
  2 
  4)  SS:  Botany 13-
  2 
  5)  SS:  Chemistry 13-
  2 
  6)  SS:  Electronic Engineering 13-
  2 
  7)  SS:  Mechanical Engineering 13-
  2 
  8)  SS:  Physics 13-
  2 
  9)  SS:  Robotics 13-
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  120
  Total Cost:  175
  75+ Disadvantages
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Devoted To 
  Scientiﬁ c Research, Experimentation, And 
  “Progress” — No Matter What Th e Cost 
  (Common, Total)
  15 
  Social Limitation:  gets along better with 
  machinery than people (see text) (Frequently, 
  Major)
  5 
  Rivalry:  Professional (with other scientists 
  and inventors)
  60 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  175
  SAMPLE SLOTS FOR GADGETS POWER 
  POOL
  Bulletproof Clothing:  If he knows he’s going to be 
  facing some gun-toting, musclebrained dolts who 
  want to stop his work, Dr. Petrie may treat his 
  clothing with a special chemical compound that 
  renders it protective (even against bullets!) without 
  aﬀ ecting its ﬂ exibility or comfort.
  Armor (6 PD) (9 Active Points); OIF (-½), Acti-
  vation Roll 14- (-½), 1 Continuing Charge last-
  ing 1 Day (-0). Total cost:  4 points.
  Dynogoggles:  Th ese oversized goggles may look 
  strange, with their purplish lenses and the tiny 
  Jacob’s ladder over the bridge of the nose, but they 
  let Dr. Petrie see all sorts of things that remain 
  invisible to ordinary people.
  Cost Power
  3 
  Infrared Perception (Sight Group); OIF (-½)
  3 
  Ultraviolet Perception (Sight Group); OIF (-½)
  7 
  Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees) 
  for Sight Group; OIF (-½)
  3 
  Sight Group Flash Defense (5 points); OIF (-½)
  Total cost:  16 points
  Lightning Gun:  Th is amazing pistol can project a 
  bolt of electric energy!
  Energy Blast 8d6 (40 Active Points); OAF (-1), 
  STR Minimum (10, STR Minimum Doesn’t Add/
  Subtract Damage; -1), 8 Charges (-½). Total cost:  
  11 points.
  Background/History:  Everyone at prestigious South-
  eastern University thought Jennings Petrie was a bit 
  strange — his scientiﬁ c theories were “eccentric” (to 
  put it mildly), and his manner rather oﬀ -putting. 
  But no one could deny that he was a genius. Th ey all 
  SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT
  Weapon 
  OCV 
  RMod 
  Dam 
  STUN 
  Shots 
  STR Min 
  Notes
  Rocket Pistol 
  +1 
  NRM 1½d6 1d6-1 
  12 
  10 
  Range 775”, No Range Mod
  Armor
  None (though in some cases he wears Bulletproof Clothing; see below)
  Gear:  Various tools and spare parts
  Clothing:  Somewhat shabby men’s clothes; a labcoat
  JENNINGS PETRIE 
  PLOT SEEDS
  Th e PCs hear reports of 
  strange “man-monsters” 
  haunting the swamps 
  near New Orleans. Upon 
  investigating, they dis-
  cover Dr. Petrie’s been 
  experimenting with 
  surgically fusing animal 
  parts to human bodies....
  A madman is threaten-
  ing to destroy North 
  America with an enor-
  mous Weird Science 
  bomb. It’s beyond the 
  abilities of the PCs or 
  government men to 
  defuse or dismantle the 
  thing — the only person 
  who can ﬁ gure it out 
  is Dr. Petrie. Now the 
  PCs just have to ﬁ nd 
  him and persuade him 
  to help.
  Doctor Petrie infects 
  the PCs with a new, 
  potentially fatal dis-
  ease he’s developed. He 
  promises to give them 
  the antidote if they’ll 
  just do him one little 
  (incredibly danger-
  ous) favor. “And by the 
  way, I’d suggest you not 
  go to anyone for help 
  with this — the virus is 
  extremely contagious, 
  and I only have enough 
  antidote for the ﬁ ve of 
  you.”
  
  402 ■ Randall’s Raiders
  Hero System 5th Edition
  hoped he’d discover something someday that would 
  make Southeastern even more famous and wealthy.
  When his Dynotronic Converter blew up, killing 
  four people and destroying the McMurtrey Science 
  Building, the University found out he’d been skimp-
  ing on safety procedures and taking “unnecessary 
  risks.” During the investigation, the authorities 
  discovered Dr. Petrie had been using live human 
  subjects — kidnapping victims, mostly — for some 
  of his monstrous biological experiments.
  But Dr. Petrie was nowhere to be found. Every-
  one assumes he was atomized in the explosion. 
  Little do they know that he escaped and, realizing 
  which way the wind was blowing, ﬂ ed into the 
  Louisiana swamps. Th ere he rebuilt his lab as best 
  he could and continues to work for the “advance-
  ment” of Science.
  Personality/Motivation:  When Hollywood devel-
  oped the stereotype of the “mad scientist,” it must 
  have had Dr. Petrie in mind. He ﬁ ts the archetype 
  perfectly. He’ll risk his own safety — or, more likely, 
  the safety of others — in  the name of “scientiﬁ c 
  advancement” or to see one of his experiments 
  through to completion. Deep in his heart he has 
  a genuine desire to help people with Science, but 
  in the end he seems to care nothing about how he 
  reaches the ultimate goal of scientiﬁ c discovery. If 
  he has to hurt or exploit people to make the break-
  throughs he’s looking for, so be it. Aft er all, he’d 
  sacriﬁ ce himself for Science if he had to; shouldn’t 
  other, lesser, people do the same?
  Because of his all-consuming interest in Science, 
  Dr. Petrie doesn’t get along well with other people. 
  He’s not used to any company but his own, and 
  oft en seems awkward or ill at ease in most social 
  situations (impose a -2 on his Interaction Skill rolls, 
  if appropriate). When he is around other people, he 
  tends to be self-centered, arrogant, insensitive, dis-
  missive, callous, and calculating.
  Quote:  “Don’t worry — the pain is only a slight, 
  temporary thing. Th e results your suﬀ ering allow 
  me to achieve will become eternal lights in the sci-
  entiﬁ c ﬁ rmament!”
  Powers/Tactics:  Doctor Petrie isn’t a combatant or 
  tactician; he didn’t even get in ﬁ ghts as a kid. Th e 
  only thing that makes him dangerous is his arsenal 
  of gadgetry (and any followers he may have built, 
  grown, brainwashed, or otherwise “recruited”). 
  Equipped with his latest inventions, he might give 
  the PCs a run for their money on the basis of sheer 
  power alone.
  Campaign Use:  Doctor Petrie is suitable for all sorts 
  of Weird Menace, Horror, and Crimebusting plots 
  involving scientiﬁ c matters. For an added twist, 
  introduce him to the PCs before the explosion, so 
  he can help them as a “consultant” or advisor before 
  his vile nature is revealed.
  To make Dr. Petrie tougher, increase the size of 
  his Gadget Pool, and/or give him some permanent 
  Followers (lab assistants, Frankenstein’s monster-
  like golems, and the like). To weaken him, reduce 
  the size of his Gadget Pool.
  Doctor Petrie generally won’t Hunt characters 
  (unless he needs them for a speciﬁ c experiment). 
  He has work to do!
  Appearance:  To all outward appearances, Dr. Petrie 
  looks like a fairly ordinary fellow:  5’8”, 155 pounds, 
  unruly brown hair, and an average-looking build 
  for a man in his mid-thirties who gets little exercise. 
  Only when one gazes closely into his green eyes or 
  listens to him talk for a few minutes can one begin 
  to glimpse the depths of his madness. He typically 
  wears rumpled men’s clothes covered by a labcoat.
  
  403 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Seven
  AKASH VARMANDALI
  Rajah of Rashmunistan
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   15 STR 
  5 
  12- 
  Lift  200 kg; 3d6 [3]
   18 DEX 
  24 
  13- 
  OCV:  6/DCV:  6
   16 CON 
  12 
  12-
   14 BODY 8 
  12-
   20 INT 
  10 
  13- 
  PER Roll 13-
   15 EGO 
  10 
  12- 
  ECV:  5
   25 PRE 
  20 
  14- 
  PRE Attack:  5d6
   14 COM 
  2 
  12-
   7 PD 
  4 
   
  Total:  10 PD (3 rPD)
   6 ED 
  3 
   
  Total:  9 ED (3 rED)
   4 SPD 
  12 
   
  Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
   6 REC 
  0
   32 END 
  0
   40 STUN 10 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  120
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
   
  Martial Arts:  Kalaripayit
   
  Maneuver 
  OCV DCV 
  Damage/Effect
  5 
  Block 
  +1 
  +3 
  Block, Abort
  4 
  Dodge 
  +0 
  +5 
  Dodge All 
  Attacks, Abort
  3 
  Kattaram 
  +0 
  -1 
  Grab One Limb, 
  35 STR for hold-
  ing on
  4 
  Knifehand Strike -2 
  +0 
  HKA 1d6 (2d6 
  with STR)
  4 
  Marman Strike -1 
  +1 
  3d6 NND(1)
  4 
  Punch/Elbow Strike
   
   
  +0 
  +2 
  7d6 Strike
  5 
  Straight Kick/Roundhouse Kick
   
   
  -2 
  +1 
  9d6 Strike
  3 
  Th row 
  +0 
  +1 
  5d6 +v/5; Target 
  Falls
  8 
  +2 Extra DCs (already added in)
  3 
  Use Art with Clubs, Blades, Urumi
   
  Perks
  10 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t:  Head Of State (rajah of Rash-
  munistan)
  15 
  Money:  Filthy Rich
   
  Talents
  6 
  Combat Luck (3 PD/3 ED)
  4 
  Double-Jointed
  3 
  Simulate Death
   
  Skills
  20 
  +2 Overall
  7 
  Animal Handler (Canines, Elephants, 
  Equines, Felines, Raptors, Venomous Ani-
  mals) 13-
  3 
  Breakfall 13-
  3 
  Contortionist 13-
  3 
  Conversation 14-
  3 
  Electronics 13-
  3 
  High Society 14-
  2 
  KS: Hindu Th eology 11-
  2 
  KS: Indian Healing 11-
  2 
  KS: Indian Lore And Literature 11-
  2 
  KS: Kalaripayit 11-
  3 
  Language:  English (completely ﬂ uent; Hin-
  dustani is Native)
  2 
  Language:  Sanskrit (ﬂ uent conversation)
  3 
  Mechanics 13-
  3 
  Persuasion 14-
  2 
  PS: Yoga 11-
  3 
  Riding 13-
  2 
  SS: Biology 11-
  2 
  SS: Chemistry 11-
  2 
  SS: Physics 11-
  3 
  Stealth 13-
  3 
  Systems Operation 13-
  3 
  Tactics 13-
  5 
  TF: Common Motorized Ground Vehicles, 
  Riding Animals, Small Planes
  7 
  WF:  Common Melee Weapons, Common 
  Missile Weapons, Small Arms, Urumi
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  174    
  Total Cost:  294
  75+ Disadvantages
  10 
  Distinctive Features:  Style (Not Concealable, 
  Noticed And Recognizable, Detectable By 
  Large Group)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Powerhungry; 
  Believes He Is Destined To Conquer Th e 
  World (Common, Total)
  10 
  Psychological Limitation:  Hatred Of Th e 
  British (Common, Moderate)
  10 
  Social Limitation:  Rajah (is well-known 
  and his actions noted by many people) (Fre-
  quently, Minor)
  169 
  Experience Points
  Total Disadvantage Points:  294
  Background/History:  Akash Varmandali is the 
  rajah of Rashmunistan, a small central Indian state 
  that he inherited from his father (as his father did 
  from his father, and so on for centuries). Although 
  nominally ruled by Great Britain, Rashmunistan 
  retains greater freedom than most of India thanks 
  to careful political maneuvering by the Varmandali 
  rajahs... and the occasional heft y bribe.
  Shortly aft er he inherited the throne in 1914, 
  Akash had a vision so vivid, so profound, that he 
  SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT
  Weapon 
  OCV 
  RMod 
  Dam 
  STUN 
  Shots 
  STR Min 
  Notes
  Colt M1911 
  +1 
  +0 
  2d6-1 
  1d6 
  7 
  9
  Bundi 
  +0 
  — 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  — 
  10 
  +1 OCV with Block
  Armor
  None
  Gear:  Whatever he needs, within reason, due to his wealth and position
  Clothing:  Fancy, well-tailored clothing appropriate to his station and current duties
  AKASH 
  VARMANDALI 
  PLOT SEEDS
  Determined to end 
  his daughter’s foolish 
  pre-occupation with 
  Randall Irons, Akash 
  Varmandali decides 
  to get rid of the two-
  ﬁ sted hero. And what 
  more ironic way to 
  do so than to use his 
  fellow heroes, the 
  PCs, as cat’s-paws? He 
  secretly kidnaps and 
  hypnotizes a PC to 
  attack Irons when he 
  hears a speciﬁ c code-
  word.
  Akash Varmandali 
  sends a group of 
  highly-trained stran-
  glers and assassins to 
  London to attack the 
  British royal family. 
  Th e PCs, having heard 
  vague rumors of the 
  plot, must rush to 
  England and stop it!
  Believing they have 
  found a valuable ruin 
  in Rashmunistan, 
  the PCs seek Akash 
  Varmandali’s permis-
  sion to excavate. He 
  gives it... but only 
  because he believes 
  they’ve found the rest-
  ing-place of a legend-
  ary magical artifact 
  that once belonged 
  to his ancestors, and 
  intends to take it from 
  them aft er they’ve 
  done all the work.
  
  404 ■ Randall’s Raiders
  Hero System 5th Edition
  knows it to be true. In this vision the god Shiva 
  appeared to him and gave him a crown, telling him 
  he was destined to drive the British out of India and 
  rule over all men. He saw himself wielding a ﬂ am-
  ing sword, leading armies of conquest across Asia, 
  Europe, and America, and ultimately seating himself 
  on a throne the size of a mountain. From that day 
  forward, he believed it was his destiny to conquer 
  the Earth and rule all men, and he has worked for 
  that goal with unﬂ agging zeal. Although the world at 
  large doesn’t know it, for he uses his political power 
  and great wealth to hide his schemes, he poses a ter-
  rible threat that only true heroes can prevent.
  Akash is married and has twelve children. He 
  considers most of them weaklings and disappoint-
  ments, but a few show promise. One in particular, 
  his daughter Drisana, is his favorite; she shows an 
  intelligence, ruthlessness, and guile similar to his 
  own. If only she weren’t so strangely infatuated with 
  his enemy Randall Irons....
  Personality/Motivation:  Akash believes he is des-
  tined to conquer the world, and he devotes all his 
  energies to schemes devoted to that end. Knowing 
  that as yet he lacks the raw military strength to 
  defeat the much-hated British (or any other great 
  power) on the battleﬁ eld, he launches grandiose 
  schemes designed to take the world by surprise. 
  Assassination, blackmail, brainwashing, corruption, 
  and the power of Science are the tools he uses... and 
  one day, if the heroes aren’t careful and clever, he 
  might just succeed.
  Quote:  “Th e day is coming when I will be able to 
  crush you beneath my heel like a beetle. But that 
  would be a waste! Abandon your foolish heroics 
  and join me! As my lieutenant a role in the des-
  tiny of mankind shall be yours, and you will know 
  power beyond your wildest imaginings!”
  Powers/Tactics:  Akash Varmandali is a man of 
  great competence and accomplishments. In addi-
  tion to being a wily and wealthy ruler, adept at 
  maneuvering in diplomatic situations, he’s a skilled 
  scientist, trained pilot, master of the Indian martial 
  art of Kalaripayit (and various related disciplines), 
  gift ed tactician, and fearless warrior. Although 
  heroes have thwarted his schemes many times 
  in the past, none of his enemies has ever left  an 
  encounter with him thinking of him as a fool, a 
  braggart, or a weakling — to the contrary, they usu-
  ally consider themselves extremely lucky to be alive 
  and triumphant.
  Akash prefers not to ﬁ ght his enemies directly, 
  at least not at ﬁ rst. He commands a legion of war-
  riors, assassins, dacoits, and other servants who can 
  do any sort of dirty work he needs done. Only if a 
  plan requires his personal skills or matchless touch 
  does he leave Rashmunistan to take a hand.
  Campaign Use:  Instead of being a Fiendish Orien-
  tal Mastermind, Akash Varmandali is a Fiendish 
  Hindu Mastermind. He can play whatever role you 
  need him for, from behind-the-scenes schemer to 
  the leader of armies of conquest. With his resources 
  and abilities, there’s little he can’t learn or do if he 
  needs to.
  To make Akash Varmandali tougher, give him 
  some gadgets (not necessarily true Weird Science 
  ones, but things like concealed poisoned blades) or 
  add another couple Extra DCs to his Martial Arts. 
  To make him less powerful, get rid of his Martial 
  Arts and reduce his Characteristics to make him 
  aged and physically weaker — but mentally every 
  bit as powerful.
  Akash Varmandali is a dangerous Hunter. He 
  commands great resources and willingly unleashes 
  them on anyone who gets in his way or poses a 
  threat to his schemes. Th e only thing that will hold 
  him back is the desire to keep his plans and inten-
  tions secret; he won’t “blow his cover” by making 
  an all-out attack on a character that can easily be 
  traced back to him.
  Appearance:  Tall, handsome, conﬁ dent, digniﬁ ed, 
  powerful — Akash Varmandali looks every inch the 
  man born to rule that he is. Although in his early 
  ﬁ ft ies, he looks about 20 years younger thanks to 
  his general good health and vigorous program of 
  exercise. He wears Indian-style garb appropriate to 
  his wealth, position, and current activities.
  
  405 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Seven
  COP
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   10 STR 
  0 
  11- 
  Lift  100 kg; 2d6 [2]
   12 DEX 
  6 
  11- 
  OCV:  4/DCV:  4
   12 CON 
  4 
  11-
   10 BODY 0 
  11-
   10 INT 
  0 
  11- 
  PER Roll 11-
   10 EGO 
  0 
  11- 
  ECV:  3
   13 PRE 
  3 
  12- 
  PRE Attack:  2½d6
   8 COM 
  -1 
  11-
   4 PD 
  2 
   
  Total:  4 PD (0 rPD)
   3 ED 
  1 
   
  Total:  3 ED (0 rED)
   3 SPD 
  8 
   
  Phases:  4, 8, 12
   4 REC 
  0
   24 END 
  0
   21 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  23
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  2 
  Observant:  +1 PER with Sight Group
   
  Perks
  4 
  Contacts (4 points’ worth)
  2 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t:  Local Police Powers
  1 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t:  Law Enforcement Rank
  1 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t:  Weapon Permit
   
  Skills
  1 
  Combat Driving 8-
  3 
  Criminology
  2 
  AK or CK appropriate to job or jurisdiction, 11-
  2 
  KS: Criminal Law And Procedure 11-
  2 
  KS: Th e Law Enforcement World 11-
  2 
  PS: Police Oﬃ  cer 11-
  3 
  Shadowing 11-
  3 
  Stealth 11-
  3 
  Streetwise 12-
  2 
  WF: Small Arms
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  33
  Total Cost:  56
  50+ Disadvantages
  5 
  Distinctive Features:  Uniform and/or Badge 
  (Easily Concealed)
  10 
  Hunted:  department he works for 8- (Mo 
  Pow, NCI, Watching)
  20 
  Social Limitation:  Subject To Orders (Very 
  Frequently, Major)
  Total Disadvantage Points:  85
  SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT
  Weapon 
  OCV 
  RMod 
  Dam 
  STUN 
  Shots 
  STR Min 
  Notes
  Colt Police Positive +0 
  +0 
  1d6 
  1d6-1 
  6 
  9
  Nightstick 
  +0 
  —  
  3d6 N 
  —  
  —  
  8
  Armor
  None
  Gear:  Police whistle, handcuﬀ s
  Clothing:  Policeman’s uniform
  OPTIONS:  To convert the Cop into a G-Man, change his Local Police Powers Fringe Beneﬁ t to Federal/
  National Police Powers (+1 point).
  
  406 ■ Randall’s Raiders
  Hero System 5th Edition
  CULTIST
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   10 STR 
  0 
  11- 
  Lift  100 kg; 2d6 [2]
   11 DEX 
  3 
  11- 
  OCV:  4/DCV:  4
   11 CON 
  2 
  11-
   12 BODY 4 
  11-
   10 INT 
  0 
  11- 
  PER Roll 11-
   10 EGO 
  0 
  11- 
  ECV:  3
   10 PRE 
  0 
  11- 
  PRE Attack:  2d6
   8 COM 
  -1 
  11-
   4 PD 
  2 
   
  Total:  4 PD (0 rPD)
   3 ED 
  1 
   
  Total:  3 ED (0 rED)
   3 SPD 
  9 
   
  Phases:  4, 8, 12
   4 REC 
  0
   22 END 
  0
   23 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  20
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Perks
  1 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t:  Membership (in cult)
   
  Skills
  2 
  KS: Cult Doctrine 11-
  3 
  Stealth 11-
  1 
  Streetwise 8-
  3 
  WF: Small Arms, Knife
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  10
  Total Cost:  30
  50+ Disadvantages
  5 
  Distinctive Features:  Cult garb (Easily Con-
  cealed)
  5 
  Hunted:  Cult Leader 8- (Mo Pow, Watching)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Fanatic Believer In 
  Cult Religion (Common, Total)
  20 
  Social Limitation:  Subject To Orders (Very 
  Frequently, Major)
  Total Disadvantage Points:  100
  DACOIT
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   14 STR 
  4 
  12- 
  Lift  175 kg; 2½d6 [3]
   14 DEX 
  12 
  12- 
  OCV:  5/DCV:  5
   13 CON 
  6 
  12-
   12 BODY 4 
  11-
   10 INT 
  0 
  11- 
  PER Roll 11-
   10 EGO 
  0 
  11- 
  ECV:  3
   13 PRE 
  3 
  12- 
  PRE Attack:  2½d6
   8 COM 
  -1 
  11-
   4 PD 
  1 
   
  Total:  4 PD (0 rPD)
   3 ED 
  0 
   
  Total:  3 ED (0 rED)
   3 SPD 
  6 
   
  Phases:  4, 8, 12
   6 REC 
  0
   26 END 
  0
   26 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  35
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Perks
  1 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t:  Membership (in cult, legion 
  of assassins, or like group)
   
  Skills
  4 
  +2 OCV with Garrote
  3 
  Climbing 12-
  5 
  Stealth 13-
  1 
  Streetwise 8-
  2 
  WF: Common Melee Weapons, Garrote
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  9
  Total Cost:  29
  50+ Disadvantages
  5 
  Hunted:  whatever leader he serves 8- (Mo 
  Pow, Watching)
  20 
  Psychological Limitation:  Fanatic Follower 
  Of Leader (Common, Total)
  20 
  Social Limitation:  Subject To Orders (Very 
  Frequently, Major)
  Total Disadvantage Points:  95
  SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT
  Weapon 
  OCV - RMod - Dam - STUN - Shots -STR Min
  Revolver 
  +0 - +0 - 1d6 - 1d6-1 - 6 - 9
  Shutgun 
  +0 - +0 - 2½d6 - 1d6 - 5 - 12
  Knife 
  +0 - +0 - 1d6-1 - 1d6-1 - — - 6 - Th row
  Armor:  None
  Gear:  Cult paraphernalia or literature
  Clothing:  Cultist robes
  SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT
  Weapon 
  OCV - RMod - Dam - STUN - Shots -STR Min
  Garrote 
  +0 - +0 - 3d6N - — - — - 4
  Knife 
  +0 - +0 - 1d6-1 - 1d6-1 - — - 6 - Th row
  Armor:  None
  Gear:  None
  Clothing:  As typical for his racial or cultural group
  
  407 
  Pulp Hero ■ Chapter Seven
  GANGSTER
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   11 STR 
  1 
  11- 
  Lift  117 kg; 2d6 [2]
   12 DEX 
  6 
  11- 
  OCV:  4/DCV:  4
   13 CON 
  6 
  12-
   11 BODY 2 
  11-
   10 INT 
  0 
  11- 
  PER Roll 11-
   10 EGO 
  0 
  11- 
  ECV:  3
   13 PRE 
  3 
  12- 
  PRE Attack:  2½d6
   8 COM 
  -1 
  11-
   4 PD 
  2 
   
  Total:  4 PD (0 rPD)
   3 ED 
  0 
   
  Total:  3 ED (0 rED)
   3 SPD 
  8 
   
  Phases:  4, 8, 12
   5 REC 
  0
   26 END 
  0
   24 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  27
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  6”/12”
  Cost Perks
  1 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t:  Criminal rank (member in 
  gang, organized crime group, or the like)
   
  Skills
  3 
  +1 with Pistols
  3 
  Combat Driving 11-
  2 
  Gambling (Card Games) 11-
  2 
  CK: city where he lives
  1 
  KS: Local Underworld 8-
  3 
  Stealth 11-
  3 
  Streetwise 12-
  2 
  WF: Small Arms
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  20
  Total Cost:  47
  50+ Disadvantages
  20 
  Hunted:  the cops 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Capture)
  Total Disadvantage Points:  70
  SOLDIER
   Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes
   13 STR 
  3 
  12- 
  Lift  150 kg; 2½d6 [3]
   12 DEX 
  6 
  11- 
  OCV:  4/DCV:  4
   13 CON 
  6 
  12-
   11 BODY 2 
  11-
   10 INT 
  0 
  11- 
  PER Roll 11-
   10 EGO 
  0 
  11- 
  ECV:  3
   12 PRE 
  2 
  11- 
  PRE Attack:  2d6
   8 COM 
  -1 
  11-
   4 PD 
  1 
   
  Total:  4 PD (0 rPD)
   4 ED 
  1 
   
  Total:  4 ED (0 rED)
   3 SPD 
  8 
   
  Phases:  4, 8, 12
   6 REC 
  0
   26 END 
  0
   25 STUN 
  0 
  Total Characteristics Cost:  28
  Movement: 
  Running: 
  7”/14”
  Cost Powers 
  END
  2 
  Fast:  Running +1” (7” total) 
  1
   
  Perks
  4 
  Contacts:  4 points’ worth in the appropriate 
  military
  0 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t:  Military Rank
   
  Skills
  3 
  Climbing 11-
  2 
  KS: Th e Military/Mercenary/Terrorist World 11-
  2 
  KS: [Military Force] History And Customs 11-
  2 
  PS: [member of military; e.g., “Sailor”] 11-
  3 
  Stealth 11-
  3 
  Tactics 11-
  3 
  WF: Small Arms, Knives
  3 
  Background Skills representing hobbies, 
  other outside interests, or other abilities
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  27
  Total Cost:  55
  50+ Disadvantages
  5 
  Distinctive Features:  Uniform (Easily Con-
  cealed)
  10 
  Hunted:  military force character belongs to 
  8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Watching)
  20 
  Social Limitation:  Subject To Orders (Very 
  Frequently, Major)
  Total Disadvantage Points:  85
  SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT
  Weapon 
  OCV - RMod - Dam - STUN - Shots -STR Min
  Revolver 
  +0 - +0 - 1d6+1 - 1d6-1 - 7 - 8
  Knife 
  +0 - +0 - 1d6-1 - 1d6-1 - — - 6 - Th row
  Armor:  None
  Gear:  Usually nothing noteworthy, but if he’s on a job he 
  may have equipment speciﬁ c to that caper
  Clothing:  For typical gangsters, everyday clothes, some-
  times kind of shabby; for gangsters high up in organized 
  crime, nice men’s suits
  SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT
  Weapon 
  OCV - RMod - Dam - STUN - Shots -STR Min
  Springﬁ eld 
  +1 - +1 - 2d6+1 - 1d6 - 5 - 13 - American
  Enﬁ eld 
  +0 - +0 - 2d6+1 - 1d6 - 5 - 14 - British
  Gewehr 98 
  +0 - +1 - 2½d6 - 1d6 - 5 - 14 - German
  Combat Knife +0 - +0 - 1d6-1 - 1d6-1 - — - 8
  Armor:  None
  Gear:  As appropriate for mission (e.g., canteen when on 
  extended ﬁ eld duty)
  Clothing:  Uniform
  
  408
  Hero System 5th Edition
  P
  eople during the Pulp era oft en spoke with 
  a distinctive lingo. Some people — college 
  students, crooks, people on the lower end of 
  the social ladder — were more likely to use 
  slang than others, but even a well-educated person 
  might use a slang term scornfully, sarcastically, or 
  ironically. Here’s a list of some of the terms hep cats 
  and angels were throwing around during the Twen-
  ties and Th irties:
  Abe’s Cabe:  a $5 bill
  Ace:  a $1 bill
  All wet:  mistaken, incorrect
  Ambulance chaser:  a lawyer
  Ameche:  a telephone
  Ammonia:  soda water
  And how!:  an aﬃ  rmative expression
  Angel:  a pretty or popular woman
  Applesauce:  nonsense
  Artillery:  a gun; a hypodermic needle
  Attaboy:  well done
  B-girl:  a prostitute
  Babe:  a good-looking woman
  Babe Ruth:  a home run
  Baby:  a girl (especially the speaker’s girlfriend or 
  sweetheart)
  Baby vamp:  a pretty or popular girl
  Back room parole:  a natural death in prison
  Bacon:  money
  Badge:  a cop
  Badger game, the:  A swindle where a woman 
  entices a man and then her husband catches them 
  en ﬂ agrante delicto. For a fee,. all is forgotten
  Balled up:  confused, messed up
  Baloney:  nonsense
  Banana oil:  nonsense
  Bangtail:  a racehorse
  Barﬂ y:  a drunkard who hangs around bars
  Barney:  a ﬁ xed competition or contest
  Barrel house:  an illegal distillery
  Bat your gums:  to talk
  Battle:  an ugly woman
  Be on the nut:  to be broke
  Bean:  a $1 bill
  Bean shooter:  a small gun (such as the 2.7mm 
  Kolibri)
  Bearcat:  a woman’s who’s pretty and feisty
  Beat it:  leave, get out of here
  Beat the rap:  to escape conviction
  Beat your gums, beat up the chops:  to talk
  Bee’s knees:  top-notch, excellent, superb
  Beef:  a complaint
  Beeswax:  business (as in, “None of your beeswax”)
  Beezer:  a Phi Beta Kappa key (or similar) on watch
  Belly brass:  a chain
  Belly gun:  a small gun for close shots
  Belt:  a slug of liquor; a thrill
  Bent:  a drunk
  Bent car:  a stolen car
  Berries, the:  a great thing or person (as in, “he’s the 
  berries”); dollars
  Betsy:  a gun
  Big cheese:  an important person
  Big house:  a prison, a penitentiary
  Big sleep, big one:  death
  Big touch:  a crime so big the criminal can live oﬀ  it 
  for a long time, perhaps for life
  Bill:  a $100 bill
  Bim:  a girl
  Bimbo:  a woman who’s promiscuous, loose, or 
  easy; a thug
  Bing:  crazy
  Bird:  a popular woman; an odd person; a guy
  Bird dog:  a chaperone
  Birdcage:  a jail cell
  Biscuit hooks:  hands
  Bit:  a term in prison (as in, “How long’s your bit?”)
  Bitch kitty:  a woman who’s irritable, diﬃ  cult to get 
  along with, or complains a lot
  Bitch:  to complain; a complaint
  Bite:  to borrow something
  Black Betsy:  a baseball bat
  Bladder:  an underground newspaper
  Blaster:  a gun; a hitman
  Bleed:  to blackmail
  Blind:  a drunk
  Blind pig:  a speakeasy located behind a deceptive 
  front or facade
  Blip oﬀ :  to kill
  Blocker:  a moonshiner
  Bloomer:  a nearly empty safe
  Blot out:  to kill
  Blotter:  a police rap sheet
  Blotto:  drunk
  Blow:  to leave
  Blowen:  a girl; a B-girl (underworld use)
  Blower:  a telephone
  Boche, the:  the Germans (especially as an enemy in 
  the Great War)
  Boﬀ :  to strike; to hit
  Boﬀ o:  a $1 bill
  Bogie:  a cop
  
  409 
  Pulp Hero ■ Appendices
  Bohunk:  an immigrant from central Europe
  Boiler:  a car
  Bolus:  an underworld doctor
  Bombshell:  a good-looking woman
  Bone:  a $1 bill
  Boogie-woogie:  any fast music, such as swing, jazz, 
  or some blues
  Boonstick:  a gun
  Boost:  to steal
  Bootleg:  to illegally manufacture, transport, and/or 
  sell liquor
  Bootlegger:  a person who illegally manufactures, 
  transports, and/or sells liquor
  Bop:  to hit; to kill
  Both hands:  an underworld term for a ten year 
  prison sentence
  Box job:  a safecracking job
  Box:  to be killed
  Boxman:  a safecracker
  Bozo:  a man
  Brace:  to grab someone and shake him up
  Bracelets:  handcuﬀ s
  Brass pounder:  telegraph operator
  Bread:  money
  Breeze:  to leave
  Breezer:  an open-top car
  Broad:  a woman, particularly one who’s promiscu-
  ous or a prostitute
  Bronx cheer:  a “raspberry”
  Brown plaid:  Scotch
  Brown:  whiskey
  Browned oﬀ :  dissatisﬁ ed, fed up
  Brush oﬀ :  to reject someone
  Bubs:  breasts
  Buck:  one dollar
  Bucket:  a big car, especially an old or worn-out one
  Buﬀ alo head:  5 cents
  Bug-eyed Betty:  an ugly or unpopular woman
  Bugle:  a nose
  Bulge, the:  an advantage, a superior quality
  Bull:  any law enforcement oﬃ  cer
  Bullet:  a $1 bill
  Bullpen:  prison
  Bum’s rush:  to be “given the bum’s rush” is to be 
  forcibly ejected from someplace
  Bump oﬀ :  to kill
  Bumpman:  a killer
  Bunk:  untrue; false; to sleep
  Bunny:  a person who’s hurt, confused, lost, or the 
  like, usually with “poor little” or “poor lost”
  Burn powder:  to ﬁ re a gun
  Burrole:  stool pigeon
  Bus:  a big car, especially an old or worn-out one
  Bush parole:  escape from prison
  Bushwa:  nonsense
  Busthead:  homemade or bootleg liquor
  Butter and egg man:  someone with money, espe-
  cially a big spender from out of town
  Butterﬂ y’s boots, the:  top-notch, excellent, superb
  Button:  a face
  Butts:  cigarettes
  Buzz:  a thrill; to look someone up
  Buzzer:  a policeman’s badge
  C or C note:  a $100 bill
  C-note:  a $100 bill
  Cabbage:  money
  Caboose:  jail
  Cake-eater:  a ladies’ man
  Can house:  a brothel
  Can:  jail
  Can opener:  safe cracking tools
  Canary:  a female singer; to sing
  Canned, canned up:  drunk
  Caper:  a robbery or similar crime
  Carry the diﬀ erence:  to carry a gun
  Case note:  a $1 bill
  Cash in (his chips):  to die
  Casper Milquetoast:  a mild or timid person, a 
  wimp
  Cast a kitten:  to get upset or have a ﬁ t
  Cat’s meow, the:  top-notch, excellent, superb (also 
  “cat’s pajamas” and “cat’s whiskers”)
  Celestial:  a Chinese person
  Century:  one hundred dollars
  Chair, the:  the electric chair
  Chase yourself:  get out of here, beat it
  Chassis:  the body (especially a woman’s body)
  Chatterbox:  a submachine gun
  Cheaters:  eyeglasses
  Chewing gum:  confusing speech, double talk
  Chib:  a knife
  Chicago look:  to have the “Chicago look” is to look 
  tough or dangerous
  Chicago overcoat:  a coﬃ  n
  Chicago pineapple:  a grenade
  Chill, chill oﬀ :  to kill
  Chin music:  a punch in the jaw
  Chin:  to talk
  Chinese angle:  a strange or unusual approach to a 
  situation
  Chippy:  a woman, especially an “easy” one
  Chisel:  to cheat, to swindle
  Choice bit of calico:  a pretty or popular woman
  Chromo:  an ugly person/thing
  Chunk of lead:  an ugly or unpopular woman
  Clam:  a $1 bill; to be quiet (as in “to clam up”)
  Claw:  a cop
  Clean sneak:  a good escape with no evidence left  
  behind
  Clean:  unarmed; not carrying any illegal items
  Clip joint:  a speakeasy that overcharges, or even 
  robs, patrons; a rigged gambling house
  Clip:  to shoot
  Clubhouse:  a police station
  Coconut:  one dollar
  Coﬀ ee-and-doughnut:  cheap, of little value
  Coﬃ  n varnish:  homemade or bootleg liquor
  Come clean:  to confess, to tell the truth
  Come on like gangbusters:  to come on strong, to 
  be blatant
  
  410
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Coney Island:  an interrogation room
  Conk:  a head
  Convincer:  a gun
  Cook:  to die in the electric chair
  Cooler, the:  jail
  Cop a heel or cop a mope:  to escape from prison
  Corn:  bourbon
  Crate:  a car; a plane
  Creeper:  a sneak thief
  Croak:  to kill
  Croaker:  a doctor
  Crumb:  an unpopular or unattractive girl
  Crush out:  to escape prison
  Cush:  money
  Cut down:  to kill
  Cutterized:  to be followed by a Coast Guard cutter
  Cutting:  to manufacture counterfeit liquor
  Cuzzy:  sexual intercourse
  Daddy:  a lover or boyfriend, especially a wealthy 
  one
  Dame:  a girl or woman
  Dangle:  to leave; to “get lost”
  Daniel Boone:  to “pull a Daniel Boone” is to vomit
  Darb:  something that’s great or exceptional
  Dark meat:  a black person (derogatory)
  Dead presidents:  a general reference to American 
  money
  Dead soldier:  an empty liquor or beer bottle
  Dick:  a private detective
  Dillinger:  a bold, exceptional, or outrageous crime
  Dime note:  a $10 bill
  Dinge:  a black person (derogatory)
  Dip:  a pickpocket
  Dish:  a girl, especially a good-looking one
  Dive:  a cheap, dirty, or low-down place
  Do in:  to kill
  Do the dance:  to hang
  Dock rat:  a wharf bum
  Dogs:  feet
  Doll:  an attractive woman or girl
  Doll up:  to get dressed up, to make one’s self look 
  one’s best
  Don’t know from nothing:  doesn’t know anything
  Don’t take any wooden nickels:  don’t do anything 
  stupid
  Dope:  drugs, particularly opium or cocaine
  Dormy:  quiet, not attracting attention
  Double sawbuck:  a $20 bill
  Dough:  money
  Drag:  a college dance
  Drift :  to leave
  Drill:  to shoot; to kill
  Drink out of the same bottle:  to be close friends or 
  have a similar background
  Drip:  someone who’s unappealing or no fun 
  (mainly used of men)
  Dropper:  a killer
  Drugstore cowboy:  a well-dressed guy who hangs 
  around public places hoping to meet women
  Drum:  a speakeasy
  Dry:  a place that doesn’t have or sell liquor; a 
  person in favor of Prohibition
  Dry gulch:  to ambush; to kill
  Dry up:  go away, leave me alone, stop talking
  Ducat:  a ticket
  Duck soup:  easy
  Duke:  a ﬁ st (as in, “Put up your dukes!”)
  Dumb Dora:  a stupid person (especially a woman)
  Dump:  a club, a roadhouse
  Dust:  nothing (as in, “You’re dust to me”); to leave; 
  to give a place the once-over
  Dutch act:  to act cowardly
  Eagle eye:  a detective
  Eating you:  “what’s eating you?” means “what’s 
  bothering you?”
  Edge:  to “have an edge on” is to be intoxicated
  Eel:  a slippery criminal
  Eel’s hips, the:  top-notch, excellent, superb
  Egghead, egg:  a smart person
  Eggs in the coﬀ ee:  easy; all right
  Elbows:  the police
  Electric cure, the:  electrocution
  Elephant’s eyebrows, the:  top-notch, excellent, 
  superb
  Erase:  to kill
  Ethel:  a male who’s eﬀ eminate
  Eye:  a private detective
  Fade:  to leave, to disappear
  Fem, Femme:  a woman
  Fence:  a dealer in stolen goods
  File:  a pickpocket
  Filly:  a girl
  Fin, Finnif:  a $5 bill
  Finger:  to put the blame on, to accuse
  Fink:  a detective; to accuse or inform on someone
  Fish:  a $1 bill, a convict, a dummy, a college fresh-
  man
  Fishbowl:  jail
  Fishtail:  5 cents
  Fist:  a ﬁ ve-year sentence
  Five:  a $5 bill
  Five case note:  a $5 bill
  Five Fingers:  a thief; a ﬁ ve-year sentence
  Five spot:  a $5 bill
  Flat:  broke; an expression of certainty (“Th at’s ﬂ at”)
  Flat tire:  an ugly or unpopular woman; a boring 
  person
  Flatfoot:  a policeman
  Flim ﬂ am:  to trick someone; to rob by deception
  Flippers:  hands; prostitutes
  Flivver:  until 1928, a Model T Ford; aft er 1928, any 
  old or broken-down car
  Flogger:  an overcoat
  Floozie:  a girl
  Flop:  to go to sleep; to fall through or fail
  Flophouse:  a cheap hotel
  Fluﬀ :  a girl (as in “a bit of ﬂ uﬀ ”)
  Fly dick:  an undercover or plainclothes detective
  Flyboy:  an aviator
  Fog:  to kill; to move quickly
  
  411 
  Pulp Hero ■ Appendices
  Folding money/folding green:  paper money
  Foolish powder:  heroin
  Forty ﬁ ve (.45):  a gun
  Four bit:  50 cents
  Four-ﬂ usher:  a moocher (especially one who pre-
  tends to have money)
  Frail:  a woman
  Frau:  a wife
  Fried:  drunk
  Frogskin:  a $1 bill
  Fry:  to die in the electric chair
  Fuzz:  a cop
  G:  a $1,000 bill
  Gams:  legs
  Gasper:  a cigarette
  Gat:  a handgun
  Gee:  a guy
  Geetus:  money
  Gelt:  cash
  Get a slant:  take a look
  Get-up:  a uniform, outﬁ t, or unusual set of clothes
  Giggle water:  liquor
  Gin mill:  a speakeasy, a place to get a drink
  Gink:  a guy
  Glad rags:  fancy clothes
  Glaum:  to steal
  Glim:  to see, to get a look at
  Gnat’s eyebrows, the:  top-notch, excellent, superb 
  (also “gnat’s whistle”)
  Go blooey:  to explode
  Go over the wall:  to escape prison
  Go south with:  to steal
  Goldbrick:  a loafer, one who tries to avoid work or 
  responsibilities
  Golddigger:  a woman who pursues a man just for 
  his money
  Goniﬀ :  a crook
  Goods, the:  the important qualities, the “right 
  stuﬀ ”; evidence against an accused
  Goods, the:  the loot; evidence against someone
  Goon:  a crook; a thug; a strikebreaker
  Gooseberry lay:  to steal clothes from a clothesline
  Gopher:  a young crook
  Gordon water:  Gordon’s gin
  Gorill, Gorilla:  a crook
  Got to see someone about a dog:  “I’m going out to 
  buy illegal liquor”
  Got your boots on:  someone who’s this is aware, he 
  knows what’s going on
  Grab air:  put your hands up
  Grand:  a thousand dollars
  Grease:  bribe money
  Greaser:  a Mexican, an Italian (derogatory)
  Grill:  to question, to interrogate
  Gripes my soul:  something that does this causes 
  pain, frustration, or aggravation
  Groove, in the:  to be “in the groove” is to think or 
  act properly
  Groovy:  something that’s in the groove is this
  Guinea football:  a small bomb (especially a time 
  bomb)
  Gumfoot:  a plainclothes cop
  Gumshoe, gumheel:  a detective; to walk quietly
  Gun-moll:  a female gangster
  Gun:  to shoot
  Gunny, gunpoke, gunsel, gunslinger:  a shooter
  Guzzle shop:  a saloon
  Hack:  a cab
  Hair of the dog:  alcohol, especially when drunk to 
  alleviate the eﬀ ects of a hangover
  Half, a:  50 cents
  Half seas over, half under:  drunk
  Handful:  a ﬁ ve-year sentence
  Hard John:  an FBI ﬁ eld agent
  Hardware:  weapons
  Harlem sunset:  a fatal stab wound
  Harp:  an Irishman
  Hatchet man:  a killer
  Have a snootful:  to be drunk
  Have kittens:  to get upset or have a ﬁ t
  Have the bees:  to be wealthy
  Hayburner:  a car that costs a lot to run; a losing 
  racehorse
  Head doctor:  a psychiatrist
  Headlights:  breasts, especially large ones
  Heap:  a car
  Heat:  a gun; gunﬁ re; trouble, the cops
  Heat packer:  a gunsel
  Heater:  a gun
  Heavy:  a thug, a goon, an enforcer
  Heavy sugar:  a lot of cash
  Heebie-jeebies:  nervousness, the creeps
  Heel:  a petty crook; a scoundrel
  Heistman:  thief
  Hep:  aware (especially of fashion and popular 
  trends), savvy, knowledgeable
  Hep cat:  a person who’s hep
  High hat:  a snob; to act snobbishly; to snub some-
  one
  High pillow:  the boss, the person in charge
  Highbinder:  a corrupt oﬃ  cial
  Hit on all six (or on all eight):  to perform at peak 
  capacity (from six-cylinder cars)
  Hoary-eyed:  drunk
  Hock:  to pawn
  Hog:  an engine
  Hoist:  to rob, to steal
  Hokey-pokey:  cheap candy, sweets, or ice cream; a 
  person who sells same
  Hole, the:  solitary conﬁ nement
  Hombre:  a man
  Hooch:  alcohol
  Hood:  a crook, thug, or the like (short for “hood-
  lum”)
  Hooey:  foolishness, nonsense
  Hoofer:  a dancer on the stage
  Hooker:  a stiﬀ  drink of liquor; a prostitute
  Hooligan:  a crook, thug, or the like
  Hoop:  ﬁ nger ring
  Hoosegow:  jail
  Hoosier:  new prisoner
  Hooverville:  a shantytown (see page 152 for other 
  
  412
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Hoover-isms)
  Hop ﬁ end:  druggie
  Hop:  illegal drugs
  Hop joint:  opium den
  Hopped up:  high, on drugs
  Horn:  the telephone
  Horse liniment:    homemade or bootleg liquor
  Horsefeathers:  nonsense
  Hot dog:  common exclamation
  Hot little number:  an attractive woman
  Hot patootie:  an attractive girl
  Hot seat:  electric chair
  Hot shot:  tough guy
  Hot sketch:  someone who’s a real character
  Hot spot, Hot squat:  electric chair
  Hotsie-totsie:  if everything’s “hotsie-totsie,” it’s all 
  right or acceptable
  House dick, house peeper:  a hotel detective
  Ice:  diamonds; bribe money; to kill
  Icebox:  jail
  Iceman:  jewel thief
  In stir:  in jail, in prison
  In the barrel:  broke
  Index:  face
  Indian hop/hemp:  marijuana
  Ing-bing:  to throw a ﬁ t
  Irish confetti:  thrown bricks
  Iron:  a motorcycle; a car; a gun
  Iron house:  jail
  Iron man:  a $1 coin
  Iron pony:  motorcycle
  Ish kabibble:  I don’t care; I’m not concerned
  Iso:  solitary cell
  It (capitalized):  sex appeal and personal magnetism
  Ivory Dome:  egghead
  Jack:  money
  Jack out:  pull a gun
  Jackass brandy:  Virginia moonshine made from 
  peaches
  Jake:  if “everything’s jake,” it’s cool, all right, okay, or 
  acceptable
  Jalopy:  an old or broken-down car
  Jam, in a:  to be in trouble
  Jane:  a woman; a man’s girlfriend
  Jasper:  a man
  Java:  coﬀ ee
  Jaw:  to talk
  Jerk soda:  to work at a soda fountain; what a soda 
  jerk does
  Jig:  a black person (derogatory)
  Jiggerman:  lookout
  Jimmy:  a prybar; to use a jimmy to break open a 
  door or window
  Jingle-brained:  confused, addled
  Jitney:  an automobile used as a private bus (typical 
  charge ﬁ ve cents); a nickel
  Jitters, the:  nerves
  Joe Brooks:  a person who’s dressed in style
  Joe:  coﬀ ee
  John Law:  the police
  John Roscoe:  a gun
  Joint:  a place, a bar, a nightclub, a home
  Jolly-o:  hell
  Jorum of skee:  a drink of liquor
  Jug:  jail; a bank or safe
  Jugman:  a bank robber
  Juice chair:  an electric chair
  Juice joint:  a speakeasy
  Jump:  to attack, to rob
  Junk:  drugs
  Kajody:  thingamajig
  Kale:  money
  Kayducer:  train conductor who allows illegal 
  actions or cargo
  Keen:  fond of, to like (as in, “He’s keen on Mary”); 
  attractive or appealing
  Keep company:  to date (particularly exclusively)
  Keister:  a person’s behind; a suitcase
  Keptie:  a kept woman
  Kicher:  revolver
  Kick oﬀ :  die
  Kick over:  rob
  Kick:  to complain
  Kiddo:  a familiar form of address
  Kike:  a Jew (derogatory)
  Killer-diller:  something that’s “killer-diller” is really 
  great or special
  Kingpin:  leader
  Kisser:  the mouth
  Kite:  a letter smuggled out of prison
  Knock oﬀ :  to kill
  Knock over:  to rob
  Knock up:  to get a woman pregnant
  Knockout:  a good-looking woman
  Know one’s onions:  to be an expert about some-
  thing
  Knuck:  a pickpocket; a thief
  Knucks:  brass knuckles
  Ladylegger:  a female bootlegger
  Lag:  convict
  Lam, on the:  on the run
  Lamb:  a mark to be ﬂ eeced
  Lammed oﬀ :  has run away
  Large:  one thousand dollars
  Larrikin:  a crook
  Lather:  to “get in a lather” is to get upset
  Law, the:  the police
  Lay:  a robbery, a job, a situation
  Lay oﬀ :  to stop doing something
  Lay one on:  to hit someone
  Lead poisoning:  to “give someone lead poisoning” 
  is to shoot him
  Leather:  wallet
  Leery:  wary
  Legger:  bootlegger
  Let (him) have it:  kill
  Let go with:  shoot
  Let someone have it:  to beat someone up, or to 
  shoot him
  Lettuce:  paper money
  
  413 
  Pulp Hero ■ Appendices
  Level:  to be “on the level” is to be honest or legiti-
  mate; to “level with” someone is to tell him the truth
  Lid:  a hat
  Lifeboat:  to “get a lifeboat” is to receive a pardon 
  from a death sentence
  Lifer:  an inmate serving a life sentence
  Light piece:  a silver coin
  Lights out:  dead; death
  Limey:  a British person (especially a sailor)
  Line:  insincere ﬂ attery
  Lit:  drunk
  Little school:  a women’s detention center
  Live wire:  a rambunctious or wild person
  Lizard:  a $1 bill
  Lob:  a dullard
  Lobo:  a thug
  Lobster:  a dupe
  Locust:  a nightstick
  Lolapalooza:  a real knock out (great)
  Lollapalooza:  spectactular, out of the ordinary, a 
  “beaut”
  Long green:  paper money
  Long rod:  a riﬂ e
  Loogan:  a dummy; a hired gun or thug
  Looker:  a beautiful girl
  Lousy with:  to have a lot of
  Lug:  a ﬁ ghter; a stupid man
  Lummox:  a big dummy
  Lunkhead:  a big dummy
  M:  morphine
  Madam:  a female brothel manager
  Made:  recognized, identiﬁ ed, spotted while trying 
  to hide or be inconspicuous
  Magazine:  a six-month jail sentence
  Maggie:  an automatic pistol
  Main line:  high society, rich folks
  Maison joie:  a brothel
  Make little ones out of big ones:  to perform hard 
  labor
  Man:  a $1 bill
  Man, the:  the cops
  Map:  a face
  Maracas:  breasts
  Marbles:  pearls
  Mark:  a victim
  Massage:  beat up
  Mazuma:  money
  Meat:  one’s target or goal
  Meat wagon:  an ambulance
  Meathooks:  hands
  Mechanic:  a card sharper; a person skilled at 
  manipulating cards
  Mess:  an ugly or unpopular woman
  Michigan roll:  a wad of fake cash with a real bill on 
  the outside
  Mick:  an Irishman (derogatory)
  Mickey Finn:  knockout drop
  Mill:  a prizeﬁ ght; prison; a typewriter
  Milquetoast:  a mild or timid person, a wimp
  Milwaukee goiter:  a beer belly
  Mind your own potatoes:  mind your own business
  Mitt:  a hand
  Mix it up:  a prizeﬁ ght
  Mix up:  a ﬁ ght
  Mob:  a gang
  Mockie:  Jew (derogatory)
  Moll:  a sweetheart (especially a gangster’s); a pros-
  titute
  Moll buzzer:  a thief who preys on women
  Moniker:  a name
  Monkey:  a man
  Monkey rum:  moonshine made from molasses
  Moola:  money
  Moonshine:    homemade or bootleg liquor
  Mort:  underworld term for woman
  Mother Macree:  sob story/alibi
  Mouse:  a bruise near the eye; a girlfriend; an 
  informer
  Mouthpiece:  a lawyer
  Moxie:  courage, guts, daring, panache
  Mucker:  a thug
  Mug:  a face, a police picture; a crook or thug
  Mulligan:  Irishman or cop
  Murder:  great or diﬃ  cult
  Muscle:  a thug, a guard
  Muscle in:  take over an operation with force
  Mush:  a face
  Muttonhead:  a dummy
  Muzzler:  a minor crook
  Nab:  to arrest
  Nail:  to arrest; to kill
  Nance:  a sissy
  Nark:  a stool pigeon
  Natural:  a 7 or 11 in craps; a 7 year prison term
  Necktie:  a hangman’s noose
  Nerts:  an expression of disgust or disdain (“nuts”)
  Nevada gas:  cyanide
  Newsie:  a newspaper boy
  Nibble one:  to have a drink
  Nick:  to rob, to steal
  Nightingale:  a squealer
  Nix:  no, not, a statement of denial (as in “Nix on 
  that!” or “Nix, lady; get outta here!”)
  Nod-guy:  a yes man
  Noggin:  a head
  Noise:  explosives; a gun
  Noise tool:  a gun
  Noodle:  a head
  Nose:  a paid police informant
  Nut:  a madman (to be “oﬀ  one’s nut” is to be 
  insane); a tough guy
  Nuthouse:  asylum
  Oakie:  a refugee from the dust bowl
  Oakus, Oakum:  a wallet (underworld term)
  Ofay:  a white person (used by blacks)
  Oﬀ  the track:  insane
  Oil merchant:  a smooth-talking con man
  Oil:  to beat or bribe someone
  On a toot:  on a drinking spree
  On the make:  aggressively seeking success (espe-
  
  414
  Hero System 5th Edition
  cially with women)
  On the roof:  to drink a lot
  One-two:  a potent set of punches
  Op:  a detective
  Open up:  to start punching or shooting
  Operator:  a conman, thief, or pickpocket
  Orphan paper:  a bad check
  Oscar:  cash; a gun
  Ossiﬁ ed:  drunk
  Owl wagon:  a diner or restaurant truck that stays 
  open late (or all night)
  Oyster berry, oyster fruit:  a pearl
  Pack heat:  to carry a gun
  Paddy wagon:  a police van
  Paint cards:  face cards
  Palooka:  an inferior ﬁ ghter; a tough or dumb guy
  Pan:  a face
  Pancake:  a hardboiled woman (a tough dame)
  Pancake turner:  a disc jockey
  Panic:  a pretty or popular woman; to get a big reac-
  tion
  Panther sweat, panther piss:    homemade or boot-
  leg liquor, especially if of poor quality
  Pants:  a man
  Pantywaist:  a sissy
  Pap:  cash
  Papa:  a male lover
  Paper:  a $1 bill
  Paperhanger:  a check forger or counterfeiter
  Parlor house:  a brothel
  Parlor snake:  a ladies’ man
  Paste (verb):  to hit someone
  Patsy:  a person blamed for a crime; a fall guy; a 
  gun
  Paw:  a hand
  Pay oﬀ :  a bribe
  Payola:  graft 
  Peach:  a pretty or popular woman; to inform on
  Peanut:  a small-time person
  Peashooter:  a riﬂ e
  Peddle paper:  to pass counterfeit money
  Peddle papers:  go away (as in, “go peddle your 
  papers somewhere else”)
  Peeper:  a detective
  Peepers:  eyes
  Peeties:  loaded dice
  Peeved oﬀ :  angry
  Peg out:  to die
  Peg:  to identify someone or something
  Pelican:  a whore
  Pen:  a prison
  Pen yen:  opium
  Pencil:  a revolver
  Penny:  a policeman
  Pennyweight:  jewelry
  Pennyweighter:  a jewel thief
  Percolate, Perk:  to become angry; to work 
  smoothly
  Percy boy:  a sissy
  Persuader:  a weapon
  Peso:  a $1 bill
  Pet:  to kiss; to make out; to fondle
  Pete:  a safe
  Peteman:  a safecracker
  Phedinkus:  nonsense
  Phonus bolonus:  phoney baloney; nonsense
  Pick up:  to arrest
  Pickle:  to kill
  Picture gallery:  a mugshot book
  Pie wagon:  a paddy wagon
  Piece:  a gun
  Piece up:  to split the loot
  Piﬄ  e:  nonsense; foolishness
  Pig:  a police oﬃ  cer
  Pig’s coattail:  an ugly or unpopular woman
  Piker:  an overly thrift y person; a coward
  Pill:  a bullet; a cigarette; a bomb
  Pill peddler:  a doctor
  Pillow:  a boxing glove
  Pimple:  a human head (prizeﬁ ghter term)
  Pin ears back:  to “pin someone’s ears back” is to 
  defeat him
  Pinch:  to steal; to arrest
  Pineapple:  a grenade
  Pinko:  a Communist; a liberal
  Pins:  human legs
  Pinto:  a coﬃ  n
  Pip:  an extraordinary person or thing
  Pipe that:  listen to that; see that
  Plant:  to bury; a hiding place; a person who’s 
  undercover
  Plaster:  cash
  Pluck:  to rob or cheat
  Plug:  a silver dollar; a prizeﬁ ghter; to shoot; a 
  person
  Plunk:  to shoot
  Point:  a jaw
  Point-head:  a thug
  Poke:  a wallet; a bankroll; a stake; a punch
  Pokey:  a rural jail
  Polish oﬀ :  to kill
  Pony up:  to pay
  Pop oﬀ :  to kill; to die
  Portsider:  a left y
  Pot:  an unattractive woman
  Potato:  a person’s head
  Potsy:  a cop’s badge
  Powder puﬀ :  a cautious boxer
  Pretty ear:  a cauliﬂ ower ear on a boxer
  Prig:  to steal; a thief
  Print:  a ﬁ ngerprint
  Pro skirt:  a prostitute
  Promote:  to steal or obtain money through a con 
  game
  Protection:  bribe money
  Prowl:  to frisk
  Psycho:  an insane person
  Puﬀ :  to mug
  Pug:  a boxer
  Punch-out:  a ﬁ stﬁ ght
  
  415 
  Pulp Hero ■ Appendices
  Punk:  a boxer; a hoodlum; a lousy ﬁ ghter
  Puppy dog feet:  Clubs, as in suit of cards
  Push across:  to kill
  Puss:  a face
  Put down:  to drink
  Put on ice:  to kill
  Put on the spot:  to kill
  Put the bite on:  to blackmail
  Put the screws on:  to interrogate
  Put the sleeve on:  to identify someone to the police
  Quail:  a woman
  Queer:  counterfeit money
  Quetor:  25 cents
  Quiﬀ :  a prostitute; an easy woman
  Rabbitfoot:  to escape prison on the run
  Race music:  jazz; blues
  Raft :  many, as in “a whole raft  of men”
  Raggle:  a pretty girl
  Rags:  clothes
  Railroad:  to send to jail without a proper trial
  Rain pitchforks:  to rain hard
  Ranked:  gone wrong (said of a crime); watched, 
  observed
  Rap:  a jail sentence
  Rapper:  a set-up, a fake, a decoy
  Raspberry:  a derogatory cheer
  Rat:  a police informer
  Rate:  a person who “rates” counts for something, he 
  stands up, he’s good
  Ratface:  sly, untrustworthy
  Rats and mice:  dice; the game of craps
  Rattler:  a train
  Raw:  in the nude
  Razz:  to give someone a raspberry (q.v.)
  Real McCoy:  genuine (not homemade or watered-
  down) liquor
  Red-light:  to kill someone by throwing him from 
  a train
  Redeye:  bad booze
  Redhot:  a criminal
  Remington:  a machine gun
  Repeaters:  loaded dice
  Reuben:  a hick; a country person
  Rhino:  money
  Rhubarb:  a quarrel
  Rib:  a woman
  Rib joint:  a brothel
  Ribbed up:  arranged, set up
  Richard:  a private detective; a deformed man
  Right:  okay, all right (underworld term)
  Ringer:  a lookalike
  Rip:  a disreputable person
  Rivets:  money
  Roach:  a cop
  Rock:  a $1 bill
  Rock candy:  diamonds
  Rock, the:  Alcatraz
  Rod:  a pistol
  Rodman:  a gunman
  Roll:  to rob a sleeping person
  Roller:  a prison guard
  Rook:  to cheat
  Roscoe:  a gun
  Rotgut:    homemade or bootleg liquor
  Rough stuﬀ :  violence
  Rough up:  beat up
  Roughneck:  hoodlum
  Roundheel:  poor ﬁ ghter
  Roust:  to arrest
  Rub out:  to kill; a death
  Rub:  to kill
  Rubber:  a professional killer
  Rug:  a toupee
  Rum Row:  US oﬀ shore waters, where the Coast 
  Guard has no jurisdiction
  Rumble:  danger; to inform
  Rummy:  a drunkard
  Rumrunner:  a bootlegger, a liquor smuggler
  Run a sandy on:  to trick
  Run in:  a meeting or arrest
  Run:  to smuggle liquor
  Rutabaga:  an ugly woman; a $1 bill
  Rye sap:  Rye whiskey
  Salted down:  dead
  Sap:  a blackjack; to hit someone with a blackjack; 
  a fool
  Sap poison:  to be given sap poison or drink sap 
  poison is to be hit with a blackjack
  Sauce:  liquor
  Sausage:  an inferior boxer
  Savvy?:  do you understand?
  Saw, sawbuck:  a $10 bill
  Sawyer:  a sawed-oﬀ  shotgun
  Scalp doily:  a toupee
  Scatter:  a speakeasy
  Scatter gun:  a shotgun or (sub)machine gun
  Schnozz, schnozzle:  a nose
  Scissorbill:  a mark, a fool
  Score:  a mark; the act of making money; a share of 
  the loot
  Scrag:  to kill
  Scram:  to depart hastily
  Scratch:  money; a minor wound; a forged signature
  Scratcher:  a forger
  Scream, a:  something that’s really funny
  Screaming Meemies, the:  the DTs
  Screw:  a prison guard
  Screwball:  a worthless person; a crazy person
  Screwy:  crazy; mixed up
  Scrip:  a $1 bill
  Scumster:  a vile person
  Sea food:  whiskey
  Seat-man:  a professional gambler
  Sell out:  to inform on someone
  Sent up:  gone to prison
  Settle hash:  to kill
  Settle:  to imprison
  Seventeener:  a corpse
  Shade:  a fence
  Shadow:  a detective
  
  416
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Shake, shakedown:  to blackmail
  Sham:  a cop
  Shamrock:  an Irishman
  Shamus:  a detective; a policeman; a security guard
  Shark:  a cheater
  Sharp, sharper:  a cheater, a swindler, a con man
  Shatting on your uppers:  broke
  Sheba:  an attractive woman
  Sheba:  girlfriend
  Sheet:  a criminal’s record
  Sheik:  a male heartthrob
  Sheik:  boyfriend
  Shell:  a safe; a bullet
  Shellacking:  a beating
  Shiever:  a doublecrosser
  Shill:  a decoy for a con game
  Shine:  a black person (derogatory); homemade or 
  bootleg liquor
  Shine box:  a bar for black people
  Shiv:  a knife
  Short:  a con close to release date, or a taxi
  Shoulder-hitter:  a thug
  Shove in your clutch:  go away; leave
  Shove:  to kill
  Shylock:  a loanshark
  Shyster:  a lawyer
  Sidewinder:  a bodyguard
  Silk:  all right, okay, ﬁ ne (as in, “Everything’s silk”)
  Simoleon:  one dollar
  Simple simon:  a diamond
  Sin hound:  a chaplain
  Single:  a $1 bill
  Sinker:  a silver dollar; a doughnut
  Sissy rod:  a gun ﬁ tted with a silencer
  Sister:  a woman
  Sizzle:  to die in the electric chair
  Skag:  an unattractive woman
  Skate around:  to be easy (promiscuous women 
  “skate around”)
  Skee:  whiskey
  Skiboo:  a hitman
  Skids, the:  on the way down (as in “I’m on the 
  skids”)
  Skiﬄ  e:  a rent party
  Skin:  a $1 bill
  Skipout:  to leave without paying the bill
  Skirt:  a woman
  Slam oﬀ :  to die
  Slammer:  a door; jail
  Slap happy:  punch-drunk
  Slapman:  a plainclothes cop
  Sleep:  a one-year jail term; a night
  Sleeper:  a night watchman
  Slewfoot:  a detective
  Slim:  a police informer
  Slipper:  to reform as a crook
  Slough:  to kill
  Slough up:  to arrest
  Slug:  a bullet; to knock someone out
  Smear:  to kill
  Smell from the barrel:  have a drink of liquor
  Smeller:  a nose
  Smoke:  a black person (derogatory)
  Smoke-eater:  a ﬁ reman
  Smoke wagon:  a pistol
  Smoked:  drunk
  Snack:  an easy victim
  Snap a cap:  to yell, to shout
  Sneak:  to leave
  Sneaker:  a Prohibition motorboat
  Sneeze:  to kidnap; to take
  Sniper:  a pickpocket
  Snitch:  to steal; to inform on someone
  Snooker:  to swindle
  Snoop, snooper:  a detective
  Snort:  a drink of liquor
  Snowbird:  a drug addict
  Snowdrop:  the military police
  Snowed, snowed up:  to be high on drugs
  Snowshoe:  a cop
  Snug:  a small revolver
  Soak:  to pawn
  Soda pop moon:    homemade liquor from Phila-
  delphia, with a lot of isopropyl alcohol in it
  Soft , the:  money
  Soft  touch:  an easy target
  Sol:  solitary conﬁ nement
  Solitaire:  suicide
  Solo:  confessing a crime
  Song:  a confession
  Songbird:  a confessor
  Sore:  angry
  Soup job:  to blow open a safe with nitro
  Soup:  nitroglycerin or TNT
  Sourdough:  counterfeit money
  Sparrow cop:  a disfavored cop
  Speak:  a speakeasy (q.v.)
  Speakeasy:  an underground/illegal tavern; a 
  silencer on a gun
  Spiﬄ  icated:  drunk
  Spike:  poison
  Spill:  to talk, to inform
  Spinach:  money
  Spit:  to talk
  Spoon:  to kiss, to neck
  Spot:  to kill
  Spring:  to release someone from jail
  Spruce:  a sucker
  Squadron:  a group of cops
  Square:  honest, on the level, truthful
  Square John:  an easily victimized man; a law-abid-
  ing citizen
  Squat hot:  to die in the electric chair
  Squeal:  to inform
  Squealer’s mark:  a mark given to squealers
  Squib oﬀ :  to kill
  Squirrel fever:  lust
  Squirt metal:  to shoot
  Stall:  a pickpocket’s assistant
  Steal:  a theft 
  
  417 
  Pulp Hero ■ Appendices
  Step oﬀ :  to die; to be hanged
  Stick:  a cop
  Sticker:  a knife
  Stiﬀ :  a corpse
  Sting:  the money from a crime
  Stir, the:  jail
  Stool:  a plainclothes cop
  Stool pigeon, stoolie:  an informer
  Stop:  a fence
  Stretch:  time in jail
  Strike bedrock:  to die
  Strike me dead:    homemade or bootleg liquor
  String:  to lure (as in, “stringing him along”)
  Strong-arm man:  a crook
  Stuck on:  in love with; infatuated with
  Stuﬀ :    homemade or bootleg liquor
  Stumble:  to get arrested
  Sugar daddy:  a rich older man who obtains sex 
  from young women with money and gift s
  Sugar:  money
  Sugar moon:    homemade beet-sugar whiskey
  Sunday punch:  a strong blow
  Sweet patootie:  a pretty or popular woman
  Swing:  to hang
  Swipe:  to steal
  Switch:  to inform on someone
  Tail:  to follow or shadow someone
  Take a powder, take the air, take it on the heel and 
  tow:  to leave
  Take a powder:  to leave; to ﬂ ee
  Take for a ride:  to kill
  Take for a sleigh ride:  to rob, to swindle
  Take it on “Arthur Duﬀ y”:  ﬂ eeing; on the lam
  Take the bounce:  to get kicked out
  Tarantula juice:    homemade or bootleg liquor
  Tea:  marijuana
  Telephone number:  a prison sentence longer than 
  20 years but less than life
  Tell it to Sweeney:  tell someone who’ll believe you, 
  because I don’t
  Ten-spot:  a $10 bill
  Tenner:  a $10 bill
  Th at’s the crop:  that’s everything
  Th ink box/thinker:  the brain
  Th ou:  one thousand dollars
  Th ree-letter man:  a homosexual (derogatory)
  Th ree-spot:  a three-year prison term
  Th rill:  a pretty or popular woman
  Th row a joe:  to fall unconscious, to pass out
  Th row lead:  to shoot
  Ticket:  a private investigator’s license
  Tiger milk:  liquor
  Tighten the screws:  to put pressure on someone
  Tin can:  a car
  Tin Lizzy:  a Model T Ford (through the late Twen-
  ties; later, any old or broken-down car)
  Tin star:  a private investigator
  Tip a few:  to drink liquor
  Tip-over:  a raid on a speakeasy
  Tip over:  to rob
  Tip your mitt:  to reveal something
  Tomato:  a woman (especially an attractive or “easy” 
  one)
  Tommy gun:  Th ompson submachine gun
  Tommy man:  a submachine gunner
  Tool:  a pickpocket
  Toot the wrong ringer:  to ask for the wrong person
  Toots:  a woman (essentially, the female equivalent 
  of “pal”)
  Top:  to hang; to kill
  Torch:  a pistol
  Torcher:  a torch singer
  Torpedo:  a thug, a gunman
  Trap:  a mouth
  Trigger, triggerman:  a hitman
  Trip for biscuits:  a journey for no purpose, a failed 
  trip
  Troops:  a mob or gang
  Trouble boys:  gangsters, thugs
  Troupe:  a gang of pickpockets
  Turn oﬀ :  to rob
  Twist:  a woman
  Twister:  a raid by the cops
  Two bits:  25 cents; $25
  Two spot:  a $2 bill
  Typewriter:  a submachine gun
  Uncle Sam:  a federal agent
  Unslough:  for a pickpocket to steal a watch
  Up and down:  to examine something closely
  Up the river:  in prison
  Uppers:  unemployed; broke
  Vacation:  a prison term
  Vag:  vagrancy
  Vamp:  a ﬂ irtatious or sexually aggressive woman; a 
  seducer; to ﬂ irt; to seduce
  Vic:  a convict
  Violin:  a submachine gun
  Wagon:  a pistol
  Wagon wheel:  a silver dollar
  Washout:  an ugly or unpopular woman
  Weak sister:  someone who’s easy to push around or 
  intimidate
  Wear iron:  to carry a gun
  Weasel:  an informer
  Weed:  to take cash from a wallet, then get rid of 
  the wallet
  Wet:  foolish, stupid, idiotic, lacking a sense of 
  humor or good breeding; opposed to Prohibition
  Wet smack:  a killjoy, someone who’s no fun
  Whang:  to shoot
  Wheats:  pancakes
  Wheelman:  the driver of a getaway car
  Whiﬀ :  to kill
  Whisper sister:  the female proprietor of a speak-
  easy
  Whistle bait:  a woman
  Whistler:  a cop car; an informer
  White:  gin
  White hot:  very wanted by the cops
  White lightning:  moonshine, especially the danger-
  
  418
  Hero System 5th Edition
  ous form made in Virginia
  White mule:    homemade or bootleg liquor
  Wikiup:  home
  Willies, the:  nervousness
  Winchester:  a riﬂ e
  Wing:  to wound
  Wipe oﬀ  or out:  to kill
  Wiper:  a killer
  Wire:  a trick; a pickpocket; communication 
  between a prisoner and the outside; news
  Wise:  to know about something (as in, “He’s wise 
  to the scam”)
  Wisehead:  a smart person
  Wolf:  a ladykiller, a sexually aggressive man
  Wop:  an Italian (derogatory)
  Worker:  a woman who pursues a man just for his 
  money
  Workout:  a beating
  World beater:  a champion
  Wrong:  contrary to the criminal law
  Wrong gee, wrong number:  someone who’s not a 
  good fellow, not a stand-up guy
  XX:  to double cross
  Yack yack bourbon:    homemade liquor made in 
  Chicago with iodine and burnt sugar
  Yak:  a pal
  Yank:  a waste of time
  Yap:  a mouth
  Yard:  $100
  Yard bird:  a convict
  Yard bull:  a prison guard
  Year:  a $1 bill
  Yegg:  a safecracker
  Yellow back:  a $1 bill
  Yodeler:  an informer
  You said it!:  an aﬃ  rmative expression
  Zap:  to kill
  Zotzed:  killed
  Zuch:  an informer
  For those of you interested in learning more 
  about the pulps and the Pulp era, here are some 
  
  419 
  Pulp Hero ■ Appendices
  brief descriptions of books used in the creation of 
  Pulp Hero.
  PULP STORIES
  First and foremost, one of the best (and most 
  fun!) ways to learn what the pulps were like is to 
  read pulp stories! While ﬁ nding actual pulp maga-
  zines for reasonable prices isn’t always easy, it’s also 
  not always necessary — there are plenty of pulp 
  stories available as free PDFs at various websites 
  (see below), in reprints from the Vintage Library or 
  Adventure House, and in anthologies.
  Notable Pulp Authors 
  And Characters
  Trying to assemble a thorough list of pulp writ-
  ers and characters would require a book in and of 
  itself. Th e Adventure House Guide To Th e Pulps lists 
  over 1,000 pulp titles — the authors whose works 
  ﬁ lled those magazines number in the thousands, 
  and the characters they wrote about in the tens 
  or hundreds of thousands. Th e accompanying list 
  includes the most notable, important, or enjoy-
  able, plus a few that are favorites of the author’s. 
  For simplicity’s sake, no attempt has been made to 
  list real authors’ names alongside pen names and 
  publishing house names (such as Walter Gibson 
  for “Maxwell Grant,” or Lester Dent for “Kenneth 
  Robeson”).
  Author 
  Character(s)/Stories
  A. E. Apple 
  Mr. Chang
  H. Bedford-Jones 
  Various
  Robert Leslie Bellem 
  Dan Turner, Nick Ransom, 
  various others
  Robert Bloch 
  Various
  Max Brand 
  Whistling Dan Barry, vari-
  ous others
  George Bruce 
  Various
  Arthur J. Burk 
  Various
  Edgar Rice Burroughs Tarzan, John Carter of 
  Mars, the Pellucidar stories, 
  others
  Hugh B. Cave 
  Various
  Raymond Chandler 
  Philip Marlowe
  Leslie Charteris 
  Th e Saint
  Agatha Christie 
  Hercule Poirot, Miss 
  Marple, various others
  Walt Coburn 
  Various
  Carroll John Daly 
  Race Williams, Satan Hall, 
  various others
  Paul Ernst 
  Doctor Satan, various 
  others
  Erle Stanley Gardner 
  Perry Mason, Lester Leith, 
  the White Rings, various 
  others
  Maxwell Grant 
  Th e Shadow
  Frank Gruber 
  Oliver Quade, various 
  others
  Edmond Hamilton 
  Captain Future
  Dashiell Hammett 
  Sam Spade, the Continental 
  Op
  Robert J. Hogan 
  G-8 and his Battle Aces, the 
  Secret Six
  Brant House 
  Secret Agent X
  Robert E. Howard 
  Conan, Kull, Solomon Kane, 
  Cormac mac Art, Bran mak 
  Morn
  Carl Jacobi 
  Various
  MacKinlay Kantor 
  Nick and David Glennan, 
  various others
  Henry Kuttner 
  Various
  Harold Lamb 
  Khlit the Cossack, various 
  others
  H.P. Lovecraft  
  Th e “Cthulhu Mythos” sto-
  ries
  John D. MacDonald 
  Various
  Johnston McCulley 
  Zorro, Black Star, Th ubway 
  Th am, Terry Trimble, vari-
  ous others
  Andrew Merritt 
  Various
  C.L. Moore 
  Jirel of Joiry, Northwest 
  Smith
  Clarence E. Mulford 
  Hopalong Cassidy
  Talbot Mundy 
  Jimgrim, Tros of Samo-
  thrace, various others
  Frank Packard 
  Jimmie Dale (the Gray Seal)
  E. Hoﬀ man Price 
  Gilbert Flint, various others
  Seabury Quinn 
  Jules de Grandin, Professor 
  Forrester
  Arthur B. Reeve 
  Craig Kennedy
  Kenneth Robeson 
  Doc Savage, the Avenger
  Sax Rohmer 
  Dr. Fu Manchu, Moris Klaw
  Rafael Sabatini 
  Captain Blood
  Richard Sale 
  Joe “Daﬀ y” Dill, various 
  others
  Clark Ashton Smith 
  Various
  Curtis Steele 
  Operator 5
  Grant Stockbridge 
  Th e Spider
  Th eodore Tinsley 
  Jerry Tracy
  Edgar Wallace 
  Th e Four Just Men, the 
  Ringer, various others
  Robert Wallace 
  Various
  Manly Wade Wellman John Th unstone, Silver 
  John, Judge Pursuivant
  Cornell Woolrich 
  Various
  Arthur Leo Zagat 
  Doc Turner, Red Finger, 
  various others
  
  420
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Pulp Anthologies
  Th e following collections focus on the pulps, or 
  contain a large number of pulp stories.
  Goodstone, Tony, ed. Th e Pulps. An anthology of 22 
  stories covering the pulp gamut, from Westerns, 
  to horror, to adventure, and featuring some of the 
  pulp authors best known to modern-day audiences 
  (such as Lovecraft , Howard, Burroughs, and Brand).
  Haining, Peter, ed. Th e Fantastic Pulps. An anthology 
  of 21 stories that, like Goodstone’s book, covers a 
  wide variety of pulp stories, oft en by well-known 
  authors.
  —Pulp Fictions. An anthology of detective stories 
  from the pulp and noir genres, with a few modern 
  stories as well.
  BOOKS ABOUT 
  THE PULPS
  If you don’t the have time or resources to read 
  hundreds or thousands of pulp stories, you can 
  gather a lot of useful information on the pulps by 
  reading books about them.
  Ellis, Doug, John Locke, and John Gunnison. Th e 
  Adventure House Guide To Th e Pulps. A collection 
  checklist book covering over 1,000 pulp titles. An 
  essential for pulp collectors, its copious black and 
  white magazine cover illustrations also make it 
  useful for Pulp Hero gamers.
  Gruber, Frank. Th e Pulp Jungle. Th e memoirs and 
  recollections of a proliﬁ c pulp author.
  Haining, Peter. Th e Classic Era Of American Pulp 
  Magazines. A review of the pulps organized by 
  subgenre (though it omits some, such as the single-
  hero or adventure pulps, and focuses on the “spicy” 
  and “hot” pulps more than most gamers will ﬁ nd 
  useful). It has plenty of illustrations in the form of 
  cover and interior art reproductions, and focuses as 
  much on the history of the cover art as on the writ-
  ing and characters. One chapter covers the British 
  pulps, and there’s an appendix with biographical 
  paragraphs on the major pulp writers.
  Hersey, Harold. Pulpwood Editor. Behind-the-scenes 
  information about the pulps and how they were 
  published as told by a noted pulp editor, well-illus-
  trated with black and white covers and advertise-
  ments from the magazines. Th e original was writ-
  ten in 1937; a new edition is now available from 
  Adventure House.
  Hutchison, Don. Th e Great Pulp Heroes. A great 
  “companion” to Robert Sampson’s work covering 
  the less well-known pulp heroes (see below), this 
  book provides useful summaries and information 
  about some of the most popular pulp characters 
  — the Shadow, Doc Savage, the Spider, G-8, Captain 
  Future, and more — and their creators.
  Jones, Robert Kenneth. Th e Shudder Pulps:  A His-
  tory Of Th e Weird Menace Magazines Of Th e 1930s. 
  Just what the title says
  Lesser, Robert. Pulp Art. A profusely-illustrated 
  book about pulp cover art, with articles about the 
  pulps themselves. A great source of inspiration for 
  GMs, and for scenes to show during games.
  Locke, John, ed. Pulp Fictioneers. A collection of 
  period articles from writers’ magazines such as 
  Writer’s Digest and Author & Journalist. An intrigu-
  ing, though sometimes depressing, look at what 
  it was like to actually write for the pulps and the 
  nature of the pulp publishing business.
  Murray, Will. Th e Duende History of Th e Shadow 
  Magazine. A thorough history of the most popular 
  pulp magazine and hero, with articles about its cre-
  ators, editors, and characters.
  Robinson, Frank and Lawrence Davidson. Pulp 
  Culture:  Th e Art Of Fiction Magazines. A coﬀ ee-
  table book showcasing hundreds of pulp magazine 
  covers.
  Server, Lee. Danger Is My Business. A well-illus-
  trated history of the pulps, with chapters organized 
  by subgenre.
  Sampson, Robert. Yesterday’s Faces, Vols. 1-6. Sub-
  titled A Study of Series Characters in the Early Pulp 
  Magazines, this series of six books lives up to its 
  billing. In loving detail, Sampson describes hun-
  dreds of characters from the early (and oft en more 
  obscure pulps), providing quick summaries of 
  characters and stories in a casual tone with plenty 
  of asides that will make you laugh. As a reference 
  on the less well-known pulp serial characters, these 
  books are invaluable. Unfortunately, Sampson’s 
  books about the Shadow and other popular char-
  acters are no longer in print, rare, and usually quite 
  expensive.
  —Deadly Excitements:  Shadows And Phantoms. 
  Essentially a seventh volume in the Yesterday’s Faces 
  series, ﬁ lled with various essays and observations 
  about the pulps, and more descriptions of obscure 
  but fun pulp characters.
  
  421 
  Pulp Hero ■ Appendices
  GENERAL 
  REFERENCE
  Encyclopedias, almanacs, atlases, travel 
  guides, catalogs, and maps from the 1920s 
  and ’30s:  Short of talking to someone who 
  actually lived in the time and place you 
  need to know about for your adventure or 
  character, perhaps the best way to learn 
  about the pulp era is from the general ref-
  erence books of the period. Encyclopedias, 
  almanacs, Sear’s catalogs, the American 
  Guide series of guidebooks to the US states 
  produced by the Federal Writers’ Project 
  beginning in 1935, and similar books from 
  the Twenties and Th irties are available, 
  oft en for very reasonable prices, from used 
  book stores, online services such as eBay 
  and Alibris, and the like.
  Fort, Charles. Various, including Th e Book 
  Of Th e Damned and Lo!. Reports and dis-
  cussions of weird and unusual events. Th is 
  is where the term “Forteana” comes from, 
  and these books are chock-full of adven-
  ture seeds for Pulp Hero games (even if 
  you have to alter the dates a bit).
  Halliburton, Richard. Th e Royal Road To 
  Romance, Seven League Boots, Th e Flying 
  Carpet, Th e Glorious Adventure, and 
  other titles. During the pulp era, Rich-
  ard Halliburton ventured all around the 
  world, seeing amazing sites, meeting local 
  peoples, and writing about them. His 
  travelogues are full of fascinating period 
  details that GMs and players alike may 
  ﬁ nd useful.
  National Geographic Magazine:  Published 
  since 1888, National Geographic was alive 
  and thriving during the pulp era. Articles 
  from that time contain plot seeds, pictures, 
  and information galore. You can buy the 
  entire run of the magazine on CD-ROM 
  (and also all the maps, a separate CD-ROM 
  product), or you can buy the actual issues 
  and maps themselves from secondhand magazine 
  dealers. (Caveat:  the magazines CD-ROM product is 
  frustratingly diﬃ  cult to read or print — the magazine 
  pages are JPEGs, not PDFs or some other easily-used 
  format. Th e maps are a little easier to read and use.)
  Similarly, other magazines from the Twenties 
  and Th irties, such as Time, LIFE, and Newsweek, are 
  oft en chock-full of useful material.
  Ryan, Donald. Th e Complete Idiot’s Guide To Lost 
  Civilizations. Although perhaps not as useful or 
  fun as the title makes it sound, this book is a good 
  general reference to many of mankind’s actual lost 
  civilizations — a great resource for those times 
  when the GM doesn’t feel like creating his own lost 
  civilization from scratch.
  
  422
  Hero System 5th Edition
  HISTORY
  Th ousands of books have been written about 
  the history of the Twenties and Th irties — in many 
  cases the problem isn’t ﬁ nding information, it’s 
  ﬁ nding the best books and most relevant informa-
  tion for what you’re researching. Here’s a list of 
  books the author has found helpful, informative, or 
  just plain fun to read.
  Allen, Frederick Lewis. Only Yesterday:  An Informal 
  History Of Th e 1920’s. A history of the Twenties 
  written in the early 1930s.
  —Since Yesterday:  1929-1939. A history of the 
  Th irties written in the early 1940s.
  American Heritage. Th e American Heritage History 
  Of Th e 1920s & 1930s. A general history of the 
  Twenties and Th irties written in 1970,  with plenty 
  of photos and other illustrations.
  Anglo, Michael. Nostalgia:  Spotlight On Th e Twen-
  ties. A 144-page British book which reviews the 
  events and culture of the 1920s, illustrated mainly 
  with photographs. Its articles oft en focus in part on 
  personal reminiscences.
  —Nostalgia:  Spotlight On Th e Th irties. Th e same as 
  the above, but focused on the 1930s.
  Brendon, Piers. Th e Dark Valley:  A Panorama Of 
  Th e 1930s. A thorough, engagingly written history 
  of the world in the Th irties, with emphasis on the 
  United States, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, 
  the USSR, and Japan.
  Brownstone, David and Irene Franck. Timelines Of 
  Th e 20th Century. A history of the twentieth century 
  organized in tabular form by subject.
  —Th e Timelines Of War. A history of warfare orga-
  nized in tabular form by region.
  Cashman, Sean. America In Th e Twenties And Th ir-
  ties. A general review of the history, events, and 
  popular culture of pulp-era America, with a few 
  illustrations.
  The Cultural History Of The United States Through 
  The Decades Series. Both the 1920s volume (by 
  Erica Hanson) and the 1930s volume (credited to 
  Petra Press) are well-illustrated 128-page books 
  providing basic information about the US during 
  decades in question with a small amount of 
  analysis, making them good introductory materi-
  als for gamers.
  Daniel, Clifton, chief ed. Th e 20th Century Day By 
  Day. A massive tome chronicling the twentieth 
  century. Each page covers one or two months, with 
  a calendar, a list of important events, and news 
  stories and photos excerpted from newspapers and 
  magazines. Also available under the title Chronicle 
  Of Th e 20th Century.
  Drexel, John, gen. ed. Th e Facts On File Encyclo-
  pedia Of Th e 20th Century.  Just what the title says 
  — an easy-to-use reference on the people, places, 
  and things of the twentieth century.
  Feinstein, Stephen. Decades Of Th e 20th Century:  
  Th e 1930s:  From Th e Great Depression To Th e 
  Wizard Of Oz. A simpliﬁ ed, well-illustrated, 64-
  page history of the Th irties. It would make a good 
  reference for gamers who want to learn a little 
  about the more important issues and trends of the 
  decade without extensive analysis. Th e series also 
  includes a similar book about the Twenties.
  Grun, Bernard. Th e Timetables Of History, New 
  Revised Th ird Edition. A history of mankind orga-
  nized in tabular form by subject. Extremely useful 
  for any sort of historical game.
  Heide, Robert and John Gilman. Dime-Store Dream 
  Parade:  Popular Culture 1925-1955. A review of 
  popular culture trends during the Pulp era and 
  aft erward, with plenty of pictures of Pulp era art, 
  furnishings, and toys.
  Horsham, Michael. ’20s and ’30s Style. A well-illustrated 
  guide to the fashions and aesthetics of the pulp era.
  Kennedy, David. Freedom From Fear:  Th e American 
  People In Depression And War, 1929-1945. A general 
  history of the United States during the pulp era and 
  Second World War.
  Klingaman, William. 1929:  Th e Year Of Th e Great 
  Crash. A chronicle of one of the most tumultuous 
  years of the twentieth century.
  Leighton, Isabel, ed. Th e Aspirin Age:  1919-1941. 
  A collection of essays and articles on “[t]he essen-
  tial events of American Life in the chaotic years 
  between the two World Wars[,]” including Prohibi-
  tion enforcement by Izzy and Moe, the death of 
  President Harding, the ﬁ rst hundred days of the 
  New Deal, the Morro Castle disaster, Edward VIII 
  and Wallis Simpson, and the “War of the World” 
  radio broadcast.
  McCutcheon, Marc. Th e Writer’s Guide To Everyday 
  Life From Prohibition Th rough World War II. Th is 
  book, one of Writer’s Digest’s “Everyday Life” series, 
  provides reference material for writers about what 
  it was like to live during the pulp era. As such, it 
  contains some useful information for Pulp Hero 
  GMs and players as well, particularly with regard 
  to slang terms and popular culture. On the other 
  hand, the book almost totally ignores politics, war, 
  and the international situation.
  The New York Times Company. Page One (Revised 
  and Updated Edition). Reproductions of page one 
  from issues of the New York Times from 1920 to 
  1994 that covered major events.
  Phillips, Cabell. From Th e Crash To Th e Blitz:  1929-
  1939. A thorough chronicle of the events and 
  cultural phenomena of the Th irties, with plenty of 
  photographs and illustrations.
  Sergeant, Harriet.  Shanghai: Collision Point of Cul-
  tures, 1918-1939. An intriguing and detailed look at 
  “the Paris of the East.”
  Sifakis, Carl. Th e Maﬁ a Encyclopedia, 2nd Ed. A thor-
  ough source of information about the gangsters of 
  the pulp era.
  
  423 
  Pulp Hero ■ Appendices
  Schmidt, Anja, ed. Today In History. A day-by-day 
  review of historical events, with each day listed on 
  a single page spread with paragraphs organized by 
  year.
  Seabrook, William. Aventures In Arabia. Th e chron-
  icle of a Westerner’s sojourn in Arabia in the 1920s 
  as he lives among tribesmen and learns their ways.
  —Th e Magic Island. Seabrook’s writings about 
  his time in Haiti in the Twenties, with particular 
  emphasis on Voodoo and related subjects.
  Stolley, Richard, ed. LIFE:  Our Century In Pictures. 
  A history of the twentieth century as told through 
  pictures from LIFE Magazine.
  Strager, James. Th e People’s Chronology. A history 
  of human events organized year-by-year, with 
  events in each given year presented by subject 
  matter (politics, science, travel, crime, and so on). A 
  little diﬃ  cult to follow at times due to poor header 
  organization and the use of icons to indicate sub-
  ject, but still quite helpful because it emphasizes 
  cultural and colorful details of daily life as much as 
  major historical events.
  Thomas, Gordon and Max Morgan-Witts. Th e Day Th e 
  Bubble Burst. An engaging and enjoyable social his-
  tory of the stock market crash of 1929, with easy-
  to-understand explanations of the events, laws, and 
  policies that led to the Crash.
  The Timechart Company. Th e Timechart Of Military 
  History. A book of timecharts covering military 
  history.
  Time-Life Books. Th is Fabulous Century, Vol. III 
  1920-1930 and Vol. IV 1930-1940. Th e editors at 
  Time-Life Books review the cultural history of the 
  twentieth century, decade by decade. Full of lots of 
  “daily life” details and photographs that bring the 
  period home to modern readers.
  Urdang, Laurence, ed. Th e Timetables Of American 
  History, Updated Edition. A history of America 
  organized in tabular form by subject (it also 
  includes brief information about what’s going on 
  elsewhere in the world in each year).
  Wallechinsky, David. Th e 20th Century. A lengthy 
  collection of articles and interesting tidbits of infor-
  mation about various twentieth century subjects.
  Waugh, Alec. Hot Countries. A chronicle of the 
  author’s travels in the Paciﬁ c, Asia, and Africa 
  during the Pulp era.
  TECHNOLOGY
  Bunch, Bryan and Alexander Hellemans, eds. Th e 
  Timetables Of Technology. A history of technology 
  organized in tabular form by subject. Invaluable for 
  ﬁ nding out who invented what when.
  de La Rive Box, Rob. Th e Complete Encyclopedia Of 
  Antique Cars:  Sport And Passenger Cars 1886-1940. 
  Th is book encompasses the cars of the entire pulp 
  era, as well as before and aft er, and contains many 
  beautiful color photographs of the cars. However, it 
  almost completely lacks useful technical data, and 
  only occasionally lists automobile prices.
  Diagram Group. Weapons. Th e ultimate one-stop 
  reference book on the many ways men have found 
  to maim and kill their fellow men.
  Dwiggins, Don. Th e Barnstormers. A history of dare-
  devil ﬂ yers during the Twenties.
  Eden, Paul and Soph Moeng, eds. Th e Complete 
  Encyclopedia Of World Aircraft .  If humans built 
  it to ﬂ y, you’ll almost certainly ﬁ nd it in this thick 
  tome. Unfortunately, the entries are listed alpha-
  betically by manufacturer, which sometimes makes 
  it diﬃ  cult to ﬁ nd a speciﬁ c plane or helicopter.
  Ezell, Edward. Handguns Of Th e World. A guide to 
  world handguns through 1945.
  Grange Books. Encyclopedia Of Th e Car. Filled with 
  both black and white and color illustrations, this book 
  complements Moloney’s (see below). It covers cars 
  from all over the world (and from before and aft er the 
  Pulp period), and has useful data blocks for each car 
  that include maximum speed but not price.
  Hogg, Ian and John Weeks. Military Small Arms Of Th e 
  20th Century, 7th Ed. An excellent general reference to 
  twentieth century military personal weaponry.
  Jackson, Robert.  Liners, Tankers, And Merchant 
  Ships.  Describes commercial vessels from all peri-
  ods of history.
  Melton, H. Keith. Th e Ultimate Spy. Has a couple of 
  useful pages about spy gadgetry in World War I and 
  revolutionary Russia.
  Miller, David. Th e Illustrated Directory Of 20th Cen-
  tury Guns. Just what the title says.
  Moloney, James H. Th e Encyclopedia Of American Cars, 
  1930-1942. While it only covers part of the pulp era, 
  and only American vehicles, this book provides plenty 
  of information about Th irties cars. While a lot of the 
  data is more technical than necessary for gaming pur-
  poses (for example, the entries talk about horsepower 
  and torque rather than just giving a maximum speed 
  in miles per hour), the price listings and copious pho-
  tographs make it a great gaming reference.
  Robson, Graham. Th e Illustrated Directory Of Classic 
  Cars.  Pretty much just what the title says.
  Sharpe, Michael. Biplanes, Triplanes, And Seaplanes.  
  A guide to the aircraft  of the era, well-illustrated 
  
  424
  Hero System 5th Edition
  and with useful data blocks for each craft .
  Wilson, Hugo. Th e Ultimate Motorcycle Book.  A guide 
  to motorcycles, including many from the pulp era, 
  illustrated with photographs and other images.
  Zhuk, A. B. Th e Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Hand-
  guns:  Pistols And Revolvers Of Th e World, 1870 To 
  Th e Present. Although diﬃ  cult to extract informa-
  tion from due to its format, this book makes up for 
  that problem with precise line drawings of every 
  single one of the thousands of guns it describes.
  ROLEPLAYING GAMES
  Besides this book’s direct predecessor — Justice 
  Inc. — and its various supplements (including 
  the superb lost civilizations sourcebook Lands Of 
  Mystery), there have been many other roleplaying 
  games set in or focused on the pulp era. Some of 
  them include:
  Adventure!, White Wolf Game Studios
  Th e Adventures Of Indiana Jones, TSR, Inc.
  Call Of Cthulhu, Chaosium. While technically a 
  horror RPG rather than a pulp RPG, CoC is set in 
  the pulp era (at least in some incarnations) and 
  is far and away the most successful pulp-related 
  RPG. Its quality supplements, many of them full of 
  details Pulp Hero GMs could use in creating their 
  own adventures, are too numerous to list here in 
  full; some of them include A Sourcebook For Th e 
  1920s, Investigator’s Companion (For the 1920s, Vols. 
  1-2), Th e New Orleans Guidebook, Th e Cairo Guide-
  book, and Th e London Guidebook.
  Crimeﬁ ghters (by David Cook, in Dragon Magazine 
  #47)
  Daredevils, Fantasy Games Unlimited. Supplements 
  include a line of scenarios called Daredevil Adven-
  tures that adapt easily to Pulp Hero.
  Forbidden Kingdoms, Otherworld Creations
  Gangbusters, TSR, Inc.
  GURPS Cliffh  angers, 2nd Edition, Steve Jackson 
  Games
  Indiana Jones Adventures, West End Games. In 
  addition to the core rulebook, WEG published sev-
  eral scenarios and supplements detailing regions of 
  the world, such as Indiana Jones And Th e Lands Of 
  Adventure, Indiana Jones And Th e Rising Sun, and 
  Magic & Mysticism:  Th e Dark Continent.
  Pulp Adventures, Iron Crown Enterprises
  Pulp Zombies (a supplement for the All Flesh Must 
  Be Eaten RPG), Eden Studios. Just the thing if the 
  lost civilization you have in mind is plagued by 
  rampaging zombie tyrannosaurs!
  Terra Incognita, Grey Ghost Games
  Th rilling Tales, Adamant Entertainment
  Two Fisted Tales, Politically Incorrect Games
  FILMOGRAPHY
  Th e movie industry was in one of its heydays 
  in the pulp era, giving GMs and players plenty of 
  period ﬁ lms they can watch to get a feel for things 
  (though many of those old movies aren’t available 
  on VHS or DVD, or are rare). Rather than try to 
  list all of them, this Filmography lists a few clas-
  sics, concentrating instead on modern ﬁ lms and 
  television shows depicting pulp adventures that the 
  author particularly enjoys or thinks would be help-
  ful for gamers to watch. A few were ﬁ lmed or take 
  place a little before or aft er the pulp era, but are too 
  good to pass up.
  Th e Big Sleep
  Casablanca
  Chicago
  Citizen Kane
  Doc Savage (ridiculously cheesy, but lots of fun!)
  Th e Great Waldo Pepper
  Hindenburg
  Th e Indiana Jones movies
  It Happened One Night
  King Kong
  Th e Maltese Falcon
  Murder On Th e Orient Express
  Oh Brother, Where Art Th ou?
  Only Angels Have Wings
  Th e Phantom
  Th e Rocketeer
  Th e Shadow
  Th e Th in Man movie series
  Th e Untouchables
  Various movie serials, such as Flash Gordon’s and 
  Buck Rogers’s screen adventures, the “Chandu” sto-
  ries starring Bela Lugosi, and so on
  Pulp-era radio shows on tape or CD (some are even 
  available for free online at sites like http://www.
  radiolovers.com)
  Additionally, there have been a few enjoyable 
  television shows set during the Pulp era:
  Carnivale
  Heat Of Th e Sun
  Th e Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
  
  425 
  Pulp Hero ■ Appendices
  WEBSITES
  Pulp Books, Characters, 
  And Stories
  Here are a few websites where you can ﬁ nd 
  information about, or copies of, the pulps and their 
  stories. A quick search using any search engine will 
  turn up dozens of additional fan sites covering spe-
  ciﬁ c characters and other pulp-related topics.
  Adventure House (www.adventurehouse.com):  Bills 
  itself as “Everything Pulp!”, and does a pretty good 
  job of living up to that claim. AH has an extensive 
  catalog of pulp reprints, books about the pulps, and 
  similar treasures. It also publishes High Adventure, 
  a magazine of pulp reprints.
  Black Mask Online (www.blackmask.com):  An 
  excellent source for PDFs of pulp stories — some 
  for free, some for sale.
  Cinemarquee Pulp Heroes (http://www.cinemarquee.
  com/cine/pulp.htm):  A site of links to various web-
  sites devoted to speciﬁ c heroes of the pulps, or 
  related topics like serial ﬁ lms.
  Girasol Collectables (www.girasolcollectables.com):  
  A site featuring pulps, pulp reprints, and various 
  other pulp-related items.
  Hard Case Crime (http://www.hardcasecrime.com):  
  Although focused more on later hard-boiled detec-
  tive and noir material than true pulp stories, Hard 
  Case does have some pulp stuﬀ .
  IndyGear (www.indygear.com):  If you saw an object, 
  article of clothing, weapon, or vehicle in one of the 
  Indiana Jones movies and want to know what it is, 
  this site will probably tell you.
  Pulp And Adventure Heroes Of The Pre-War Years 
  (http://www.geocities.com/jjnevins/pulpsintro.html):  
  Jess Nevin’s excellent collection of information 
  about hundreds of Pulp heroes.
  Pulp Gallery (www.pulpgallery.com):  A fantastic col-
  lection of images of pulp magazine covers.
  Pulp Heroes Index Site (http://home.sprynet.
  com/~beb01/pulphero.htm):  A compilation of two 
  excellent lists providing information about the 
  characters of the pulps.
  ThePulp.Net (http://thepulp.net/):  A guide to online 
  resources about pulp magazines — in short, a great 
  clearinghouse of information about the pulps and 
  links to other pulp websites.
  Pulpworld.Com (www.pulpworld.com):  A site spe-
  cializing in selling actual pulps, pulp art in various 
  formats, and the like; also has historical informa-
  tion about the pulps.
  The Vintage Library (www.vintagelibrary.com):  
  Another fantastic website for pulp reprints, books 
  about the pulps, vintage serials, and the like; also 
  sells some actual pulps.
  Pulp Gaming Resources
  Inﬂ ation Calculator (http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpi-
  calc.pl):  A quick and easy way to determine the 
  buying power of a given amount of money in one 
  year as compared to another.
  Time And Date (www.timeanddate.com):  Lets you 
  generate a calendar for any year or month.
  Project Gutenberg (http://promo.net/pg/):  An online 
  collection of free books in PDF format. It includes 
  a number of Pulp-era novels and other works from 
  the period.
  Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org):  An encyclope-
  dia assembled by posters on the World Wide Web. 
  It has entries on a wide variety of subjects that 
  might come up in a Pulp Hero campaign. Among 
  other things, it features pages devoted to signiﬁ cant 
  events of every year in the Pulp era.
  DOVER CLIP ART 
  SERIES
  Clip art from the fol-
  lowing Dover Publica-
  tions books was used 
  in Pulp Hero:
  Advertising Cuts Of 
  Th e Twenties And 
  Th irties
  Airplanes Of World 
  War I Coloring Book
  Antique Airplanes
  Coloring Book
  Classic Motorcars
  Coloring Book
  Illustrations Of World-
  Famous Places
  Sports Cars
  Spot Illustrations Of 
  Th e Twenties And 
  Th irties
  Travel and Vacation 
  Advertising Cuts From 
  Th e Twenties And 
  Th irties
  
  426 ■ Index
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Note:  this Index does not cover the 
  Timeline in Chapter Two.
  1939 World’s Fair ..................... 158
  Abbandando, Frank 
  “the Dasher” ........................... 158
  Abd el Krim .............................. 192
  Abducted girl (genre element) ....12
  Aborigines, Australian .... 220, 222
  Absurdities, unexplained 
  (genre element) .........................17
  Abyssinia ................................... 191
  Accurate (Heroic Talent) ........ 265
  Ace Magazines ..............................8
  Achinese .................................... 204
  Acid-Sensitive Clothes 
  (Weird Science gadget) ......... 331
  Acrobatics (Skill) ..................... 255
  Action (genre element) ..............10
  Acute Foresight 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 277
  Adams, Evangeline .................. 137
  Add more yaks ......................... 353
  Addis Ababa ............................. 191
  Adelaide .................................... 220
  Aden .......................................... 200
  Admirability of Pulp heroes ... 224
  Adonis, Joey .............................. 158
  Advantages ............................... 263
  Adventure design ..................... 351
  Adventure structure ................ 354
  Aerobatics (Skill) ..................... 255
  Afghan Turkestan .................... 196
  Afghanistan .............................. 196
  Africa ......................................... 186
  Afsluitdijk ................................. 180
  Agricultural Adjustment 
  Administration (AAA) ......... 154
  Aiello gang ................................ 159
  Air Adventure (subgenre) .....20, 347
  Air travel distances .................. 148
  Aircraft  ...................................... 313
  Airplanes ................................... 147
  Airships ............................. 147, 313
  Akils .......................................... 201
  Alcatraz ..................................... 160
  Aldan ......................................... 184
  Alexander ................................. 185
  Alexander I ............................... 178
  Alexandretta ............................. 200
  Alfonso XIII ............................. 181
  Algeria ....................................... 188
  Alice Springs ............................ 222
  Allen, Fred ................................ 156
  Allen, Gracie ............................. 131
  Alpes Maritimes ....................... 180
  Amateur Detective 
  Package Deal .....................229-30
  Amazon Jungle ......................... 164
  Amenokal ................................. 189
  Americas, the ............................ 162
  Amok, running ........................ 203
  Amos ’n’ Andy .......................... 156
  Amsterdam ............................... 180
  Amundsen, Roald .................... 222
  Ananda Mahidol ...................... 209
  Anastasia ................................... 184
  Anastasia, Albert ...................... 158
  Andes ........................................ 164
  Andrews, Roy Chapman ......... 128
  Angelus Temple ....................... 159
  Angkor Wat .............................. 206
  Anglo-Egyptian Sudan ........... 188
  Angola ....................................... 189
  Animal Companion 
  (type of Follower) .................. 259
  Animal Friendship (Talent) ... 261
  Ankara ...................................... 201
  Annam ...................................... 206
  Anonymity (Perk) .................... 258
  Anschluss .......................... 170, 175
  Anselmi, Albert ........................ 159
  Antarctic ................................... 222
  Anual, Battle of ........................ 192
  Apaches (Parisian gangsters) .....174
  Appalachian Mountains ......... 161
  Appendix:  Pulp Slang ............. 408
  Arab Legion, the ...................... 199
  Arabian honor .......................... 195
  Aranya Prades .......................... 206
  Arc de Triomphe ...................... 173
  Archaeologist Package Deal ... 235
  Arctic ......................................... 222
  Arecuna Indians ...................... 166
  Argentina .................................. 164
  Arias, Harmodio ...................... 164
  Armstrong, Louis ............. 131, 156
  Arrow Projector (trap) ............ 369
  Art Deco ................................... 159
  Asians, as portrayed in 
  the pulps ....................................19
  Astaire, Fred ............................. 156
  Astral Projection (Heroic 
  Talent, Psychic Power) .......... 279
  Atahualpa.................................. 167
  Athlete Package Deal ............... 225
  Atlanta ....................................... 161
  Atlas Mountains ....................... 193
  Aura Vision (Heroic Talent, 
  Psychic Power) ....................... 281
  Australia .................................... 220
  Austria ....................................... 170
  Autobahn .................................. 176
  Autogyros ................................. 313
  Automobiles
   Generally ........................ 143, 308
   Social eﬀ ects of .............. 144, 155
  Autumn Harvest Uprising ...... 212
  Aviator Package Deal .............. 226
  Awe-Inspiring (Heroic Talent) ..265
  Ayers Rock ................................ 222
  Aztecs ........................................ 163
  Backgrounds, character .......... 250
  Badakshan ................................ 196
  Baghdad .................................... 198
  Bahama Islands ........................ 168
  Bahrain islands ........................ 199
  Baird, John ................................ 128
  Bajaus ........................................ 204
  Bakhtiari tribes ........................ 196
  Baku........................................... 198
  Balbia ......................................... 189
  Baldwin, Stanley............... 122, 176
  Ballistics .................................... 255
  Bangkok .................................... 209
  Bao Dal ..................................... 206
  Barker, Ma ................................. 128
  Barrow, Clyde ........................... 129
  Base (Perk) ............................... 260
  Basie, William “Count” .... 131, 156
  Basutoland ................................ 188
  Bataks ........................................ 204
  Batavia ....................................... 204
  Batista, Fulgencio ..................... 168
  Battalion d’Afrique .................. 173
  Battle of Anual ......................... 192
  Bechuanaland ........................... 188
  Bedouins ........................... 188, 195
  Beer Hall Putsch ...................... 175
  Bektashi dervishes ................... 196
  Belgian Congo .......................... 189
  Belgium ..................................... 170
  Benedict XV ............................. 179
  Benguela ................................... 189
  Bennett, Floyd .......................... 222
  Bennett, Richard ...................... 162
  Benny, Jack ................................ 156
  Berbers ...................................... 188
  Bergen, Edgar ................... 131, 157
  Beria, Lavrenti .......................... 122
  Berkely, Busby .......................... 131
  Berlin ......................................... 175
  Berlin, Irving ............................ 131
  Bermuda ................................... 168
  Bessarabia ................................. 180
  Beyrouth ................................... 200
  Bibliography ............................. 419
  Bingo (fad) ................................ 156
  Bite Th rough Nails 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 265
  Black blizzards ......................... 154
  Black Museum ......................... 177
  Black Sox scandal .................... 158
  Blacklight Goggles (Weird 
  Science gadget) ...................... 329
  Blacks, as portrayed in the 
  pulps ...........................................19
  Blixen, Baron and Karen ......... 192
  Bloemfontein ............................ 194
  Blood analysis .......................... 255
  Blow to the head 
  (genre element) .........................12
  Blum, Leon ............................... 122
  Bobbed hair .............................. 155
  Body (Characteristic) .............. 253
  Bogart, Humphrey ................... 131
  Bolivia ............................... 164, 166
  Bolshevism (genre element) ......18
  Bombay ..................................... 208
  Bon (Tibetan religion) ............ 218
  Bonanno, Joseph ...................... 158
  Bonnet a L’Eveque ................... 169
  Bonus Expeditionary Force .... 154
  Boris III ..................................... 172
  Borneo .................................203-04
  Borobudur ................................ 204
  Bow, Clara ................................. 131
  Brahmaputra River .................. 208
  Bravery of Pulp heroes ............ 224
  Brazil ......................................... 166
  Briand, Aristide ........................ 122
  Brisbane .................................... 220
  British Empire .......................... 176
  British Guiana .......................... 164
  British Honduras ..................... 163
  British Malaya .......................... 203
  British North Borneo .............. 203
  British Somaliland ................... 188
  Brooke, James and Charles 
  Vyner ....................................... 203
  Brougham 
  (type of automobile) ............. 309
  Brown Derby ............................ 160
  Brunei ........................................ 203
  Bryan, William Jennings ......... 161
  Buchalter, L ............................... 158
  Buchalter, Louis “Lepke” ......... 129
  Buck, Frank ............................... 137
  Buck Rogers .............................. 156
  Buenos Aires ............................ 164
  Bugging (Skill) ......................... 255
  Bukharin, Nikolai ............ 122, 182
  Bulawayo ................................... 193
  Bulgaria ..................................... 172
  Bulletproof Undershirt 
  (Weird Science gadget) ......... 326
  Bulletproof vest ........................ 307
  Bund (Shanghai district) ........ 215
  Bund, German-American ....... 155
  Bureaucratics (Skill) ................ 255
  Burlington Zephyr train ......... 159
  Burma ....................................... 208
  Burns, George ........................... 131
  Burroughs, Edgar Rice .........8, 132
  Buses .......................................... 145
  Bushmen ................................... 188
  Button Grenades 
  (Weird Science gadget) ......... 321
  Byrd, Richard ................... 137, 222
  Byrne, Sir Joseph A. ................. 192
  Cabell, James Branch ............... 132
  Cabriolet (type of automobile) 309
  Cacos ......................................... 168
  Café Society .............................. 137
  Cagney, Jimmy ......................... 156
  Cairo .......................................... 190
  Calcutta ..................................... 208
  Calinescu, Armand .................. 181
  Calles, Plutarco ........................ 163
  Cambodia ................................. 206
  Cameroons ............................... 188
  Campaigns
   Creation .................................. 344
   Framework ............................. 350
   Tone ......................................... 346
   Types ....................................... 347
  Can Find Food Anywhere 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 287
  Can Handle His Booze 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 287
  Can Take A Punch 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 271
  Canada ...................................... 162
  Canal Zone ............................... 164
  Cango caves .............................. 194
  Canton ...................................... 213
  Cape Horn ................................ 164
  Cape Province .......................... 194
  Cape Town ................................ 194
  Capone, Al “Scarface” ...... 129, 159
  Captain Package Deal ............. 243
  Capture (genre element) ............12
  Capturing the Feel of 
  the Times ................................ 342
  Cardenas, Lazaro ..................... 162
  Caribbean ................................. 168
  Cariocas .................................... 166
  Carol II ...................................... 180
  Caroline Islands ....................... 220
  Carranza, Venustiano .............. 163
  Cars .................. See “Automobiles”
  INDEX
  
  427 
  Pulp Hero
  Carter, John ...................................8
  Casa Rosada ............................. 164
  Casablanca ................................ 192
  Casino Badia ............................ 190
  Casino Opera ........................... 190
  Caste, Hindu ............................. 207
  Castellammarese War ...... 130, 158
  Cather, Willa ............................. 132
  Caton-Th ompson, Gertrude .. 193
  Ceka ........................................... 179
  Celadon ..................................... 218
  Celebutantes ............................. 137
  Central America ...................... 163
  Century of Progress 
  Exhibition ............................... 159
  Chaco War ................................ 166
  Chain letters (fad) .................... 156
  Chamber of Deputies .............. 172
  Chamberlain, Neville .............. 122
  Chamorro coup ........................ 163
  Champions ..................................31
  Champs Elysees ....................... 173
  Chandler, Raymond ................ 132
  Chandni Chauck ...................... 208
  Chanel, Coco ............................ 132
  Chaney, Lon .............................. 132
  Chang Hsueh-liang ................. 212
  Chaplin, Charlie ....................... 132
  Character creation ................... 223
  Character guidelines ............... 344
  Characteristics
   Generally ................................ 252
   Package Deals and ................. 225
  Charleston, the (fad) ............... 156
  Chase and Sanborn Hour ....... 156
  Cheka ........................................ 184
  Cheng-tu ................................... 213
  Chiang Kai-shek .............. 122, 212
  Chicago ..................................... 159
  Chile .......................................... 164
  Chilkoot Pass ........................... 162
  China ......................................... 210
  China Clipper ......................204-06
  Chinatown
   Genre element ...........................13
   New York’s .............................. 158
   San Francisco’s ....................... 160
  Chinese, as portrayed in 
  the pulps ....................................19
  Chinese Turkestan ................... 215
  Choking Grasp 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 265
  Cholera ...................................... 365
  Chosen ...................................... 218
  Chou En-lai .............................. 122
  Christie, Agatha ....................... 132
  Christophe’s Castle .................. 169
  Chrysler Building .................... 157
  Chungking ................................ 213
  Churchill, Winston .......... 122, 176
  Chwanben ................................. 213
  Cicero, Illinois .......................... 159
  Cigarette Case Bomb 
  (Weird Science gadget) ......... 321
  Cinematic Safety 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 271
  Circus Folk Package Deal ....... 250
  City of the Dead ....................... 191
  Civil Works Administration 
  (CWA) ..................................... 154
  Civilian Conservation Corps 
  (CCC) ..................................... 154
  Civilizations, lost 
  (genre element) ...................15, 25
  Clairvoyance (Heroic Talent, 
  Psychic Power) ....................... 282
  Classic Pulp Hero Plots ........... 356
  Clayton Magazines .......................8
  Clementi, Sir Cecil ................... 203
  Cliffh  angers (genre element) .....13
  Climbing Suction Cups 
  (Weird Science gadget) ......... 327
  Clipper, Pan Am/China .. 204, 206
  Cloche hats ............................... 155
  Cloud Men’s Minds (Heroic 
  Talent, Psychic Power) .......... 282
  Cochin-China .......................... 206
  Codreanu, Cornelius ............... 181
  Coincidence and Complications 
  (genre element) .........................13
  Colbert, Claudette ................... 132
  Coletti, Vinnie “Th e Axe” ........ 399
  Colijn, Hendrik ........................ 180
  Collapsible Grapnel And Line 
  (Weird Science gadget) ......... 327
  Collapsible Parachute 
  (Weird Science gadget) ......... 328
  Collectivization ........................ 182
  College of Psychic Studies ...... 177
  Collins, Floyd ........................... 137
  Colombia .................................. 164
  Colonialism ...................... 143, 186
  Colonies .......................143-45, 186
  Colosimo, Big Jim .................... 159
  Comedy ........................................28
  Comintern ........................ 184, 206
  Commission, the ...................... 158
  Communications ..................... 149
  Communists, Chinese ............. 212
  Competence 
  (genre element) ................ 13, 224
  Compulsion (Heroic Talent) ......266
  Computer Link (Perk) ............ 258
  Computer Programming 
  (Skill) ....................................... 255
  Concealed doors ...................... 371
  Condor Legion ......................... 182
  Conﬁ nement Trap (trap) ........ 369
  Congo River ............................. 189
  Constantine .............................. 178
  Constantinople ........................ 201
  Constitution (Characteristic) . 253
  Contortionist’s Feet 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 288
  Contract bridge (fad) .............. 156
  Converting currency ............... 338
  Coolidge, Calvin .............. 123, 151
  Cooper, Gary ............................ 156
  Cop (generic NPC) .................. 405
  Cop Package Deal .................... 227
  Coquilhatville ........................... 189
  Corruption in China ............... 212
  Cost of equipment and 
  services ...............................334-38
  Costa Rica ................................. 163
  Costello, Frank ......................... 158
  Coughlin, Father Charles ........ 123
  Count de Martel ....................... 200
  Coupe (type of automobile) ... 308
  Court packing .......................... 154
  Cowboy Package Deal ............. 228
  Crashes, vehicular 
  (genre element) .........................16
  Crater, Judge Joseph ................ 157
  Crawford, Joan ......................... 156
  Creating a Campaign .............. 344
  Crimebusters ............................ 240
  Crimebusting (subgenre) .....21, 348
  Crimelord (villain archetype) ....376
  Criminal protagonists ............. 246
  Criminalistics ......................255-56
  Criminology (Skill) ................. 255
  Cristeros .................................... 163
  Crosby, Bing ............................. 156
  Cross, Hamilton ....................... 387
  Crossword puzzles (fad) ......... 156
  Crowley, Aleister .............. 137, 177
  Cryptography (Skill) ............... 256
  Cuba .......................................... 168
  Cullinan diamond ................... 194
  Cult Leader (villain archetype) ..377
  Cultist (generic NPC) ............. 406
  Culture Publications .....................8
  Currency conversions ............. 338
  Cyrenaica .................................. 189
  Czechoslovakia ........................ 170
  Czechoslovakian partition ..... 175
  Dacoit (generic NPC) ............. 406
  Daladier, Edouard .................... 123
  Dalai Lama ............................... 218
  Dali, Salvador ........................... 132
  Damage rolls, Heroic Action 
  Points and ............................... 362
  Damascus ................................. 200
  Danakil ...................................... 192
  Dances, fad (fad) ...................... 156
  Danzig, free city of ................... 172
  Dark Champions ........................31
  Darrow, Clarence ..... 130, 137, 161
  Davis, Bette ............................... 132
  Dawes, Charles ......................... 123
  Dawson City ............................. 162
  DCV, Heroic Action 
  Points and ............................... 363
  de Rivera, Miguel Primo ......... 123
  de Valera, Eamon ..................... 178
  Deadfall (trap) ......................... 370
  Dealing with Disconnects ...... 357
  Death Ray 
  (Weird Science gadget) ......... 319
  Death Ray-Resistant Suit 
  (Weird Science gadget) ......... 326
  Deathtraps (genre element) ...13-14
  Deduction (Skill), using ........357-58
  Defective Detective 
  Package Deal .......................... 230
  Defensive gadgets .................... 326
  DeGrelle, Léon ......................... 172
  Delhi .......................................... 208
  Dell .................................................8
  DeMille, Cecil B. ...................... 132
  Dempsey, Jack .................. 132, 157
  Dependence (Disadvantage) ......359
  Dependent NPC 
  (Disadvantage) ............... 261, 359
  Depression, the ........................ 142
  Dervishes .................................. 195
  Desert hospitality and customs .195
  Designing Pulp adventures .... 351
  Designing Pulp villains ........... 372
  Detective (subgenre) ......... 22, 348
  Detective Package Deal ........... 228
  Detonation Ray (Weird 
  Science gadget) ...................... 319
  Devil’s Island ............................ 167
  Dewey, Th omas ...........129, 158-59
  Dexterity (Characteristic) ...... 253
  Diamond mining ..................... 194
  Diaz, Porﬁ rio ............................ 163
  Dice rolls, Heroic Action 
  Points and ............................... 362
  Dietrich, Marlene ..................... 132
  Dilettante Package Deal .......... 232
  Dillinger, John .......................... 129
  Dinesin, Isak ............................. 192
  Diplomat Package Deal ........... 233
  Diplomat’s Child Package Deal .251
  Dirigibles .................See “Airships”
  Disadvantages .................. 261, 359
  Disconnects, dealing with ....... 357
  Diseases ..................................... 365
  Disguise (genre element) ...........14
  Disguise (Skill) ......................... 257
  Disguise Kit (Weird Science 
  gadget) .................................... 331
  Disintegration Ray (Weird 
  Science gadget) ...................... 320
  Disney, Walt .............................. 132
  Disquieting Aura 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 266
  Distances, travel ..................148-49
  Distinctive Features 
  (Disadvantage) ....................... 261
  Dix, Dorothy ............................ 136
  DNA .......................................... 256
  Dogsledding ............................. 162
  Dollar, value of ......................... 261
  Dollfuss, Engelbert .......... 123, 170
  Dome of the Rock ................... 199
  Dominican Republic ............... 168
  Don Muang .............................. 209
  Door-Smashing Fists (Heroic 
  Talent) ..................................... 267
  Dopolavoro ............................... 179
  Dornier Aviation ...................... 176
  Dorsey, Tommy and Jimmy .... 156
  Doumergue, Gaston ................ 172
  Dowsing (Heroic Talent, 
  Psychic Power) ....................... 283
  Dr. Bobo .................................... 168
  Dreamtime, the ........................ 222
  Druse Christians ...................... 201
  Dubois, W.E.B. .......................... 123
  Duca, Ion .................................. 181
  Dunits ..........................................30
  Durant, William ....................... 136
  Durban ...................................... 194
  Durbar Palace .......................... 209
  Dust Bowl ................................. 154
  Dutch East Indies .................... 204
  Dutch empire ........................... 180
  Dutch Guiana ........................... 164
  Dyaks ...................................203-04
  Dymaxion car .......................... 159
  Dzerzhinsky, Felix .................... 184
  Eagle-Eyed (Heroic Talent) .... 277
  Earl of Clarendon .................... 194
  Earl of Willingdon ................... 207
  East London ............................. 194
  Easter Island ............................. 219
  Eastern Turkestan .................... 215
  Eclipses ...................................... 140
  Ecuador ..................................... 167
  Edison, Th omas ........................ 128
  Edward VIII ...................... 123, 176
  Eerie Laugh (Heroic Talent) ... 267
  Eﬀ ectiveness ceilings ............... 344
  Ego (Characteristic) ................ 254
  Egypt ......................................... 189
  Egyptian Museum ................... 191
  Eichenwald, SS-Oberfuhrer Her-
  mann ....................................... 395
  
  428 ■ Index
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Eiﬀ el Tower ............................... 173
  Eighteenth Amendment ......... 151
  Einstein, Albert ........................ 128
  Eisenhower, Dwight ................ 123
  Electric Wand (Weird Science 
  gadget) .................................... 322
  Electronic Ear (Weird Science 
  gadget) .................................... 329
  Electropistol (Weird Science 
  gadget) .................................... 322
  Elizabethville ............................ 189
  Ellington, Duke ................ 132, 156
  Empire Club ............................. 155
  Empire State Building ............. 158
  Endurance (Characteristic) .... 254
  Enemy Becomes Friend 
  (genre element) .........................14
  Energy Defense 
  (Characteristic) ...................... 254
  Engine-Stopping Ray (Weird 
  Science gadget) ...................... 320
  Environmental Th reats ........... 365
  Equipment .........................297-338
  er Rif .......................................... 192
  Escape (genre element) ..............12
  Escobar, Gonzales .................... 163
  Eskimos ..................................... 162
  Espionage (subgenre) .................21
  Ethical superiority of 
  Pulp heroes ............................. 224
  Ethiopia ............................. 179, 191
  Ethnic Sidekick 
  (type of Follower) .................. 259
  Ethnic stereotypes of the pulps ....19
  Europe ....................................... 170
  Evans, Hiram Wesley ....... 124, 152
  Everglades ................................. 161
  Exchange rates ......................... 338
  Exchanges, telephone .............. 150
  Exotic Locales (genre element) ...14
  Expatriate Package Deal ......... 248
  Explorer Package Deal ............ 234
  Face Reading (Heroic Talent) ....277
  Facial Manipulation 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 288
  Fade Into Shadow 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 288
  Fads ........................................... 156
  Fairbairn, William ................... 215
  Fall, Albert ........................ 124, 151
  False Fingerprints 
  (Weird Science gadget) ......... 332
  Famous People ......................... 122
  Fang ........................................... 188
  Fantasy Hero ...............................31
  Far East, the .............................. 210
  Far Eastern Republic ............... 184
  Fares, train and ship ................ 147
  Farnsworth, Philo .................... 128
  Farouk ....................................... 189
  Fascists, Italian ......................... 179
  Fashion ...................................... 155
  Father Figure (type of DNPC) ...261
  Federated Malay States ........... 203
  Feel of the pulps ..................340-43
  Femme Fatale 
  (villain archetype) ................. 377
  Ferguson, Bill ........................... 389
  Feuds, family ............................ 161
  Fez .............................................. 193
  Fezzan, the ................................ 189
  Fibber McGee and Molly ........ 156
  Fiction House ................................8
  Fields, W. C. ............................... 132
  Fiendish Oriental Mastermind 
  (villain archetype) ................. 378
  Fijians ........................................ 219
  Financial Genius 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 289
  Find Th e McGuﬃ  n 
  (classic Pulp plot) .................. 356
  Fingerprints .............................. 256
  Fingertip Flash Powder 
  (Weird Science gadget) ......... 322
  Finland ...................................... 170
  Firearms .................................... 301
  Fireside Chats ........................... 154
  Fitzgerald, Ella .......................... 156
  Fitzgerald, F. Scott .................... 132
  Flagpole sitting (fad) ............... 156
  Flappers ..................................... 155
  Flatiron Building ..................... 157
  Flexible Reality 
  (genre element) .........................14
  Flying Squad ............................. 177
  Flynn, Errol .............................. 156
  Folger Shakespeare Library .... 161
  Follower (Perk) ........................ 259
  Ford, Henry .............................. 136
  Foreign Legionnaire 
  Package Deal .......................... 244
  Forensic science ..................255-56
  Foresight (Heroic Talent, 
  Psychic Power) ....................... 283
  Formosa .................................... 217
  Fort Ballivian ............................ 166
  Forusciti .................................... 179
  Framework, campaign ............ 350
  Frameworks, Power ................. 263
  France ........................................ 172
  France Field .............................. 164
  Franco, Francisco ............. 124, 181
  Frazier, Brenda ......................... 137
  Freelance Heroes (campaign 
  framework) ............................. 350
  French Concession .................. 214
  French Empire ......................... 173
  French Equatorial Africa ........ 188
  French Foreign Legion ............ 173
  French Guiana ......................... 164
  French Indo-China .................. 206
  French Somaliland .................. 188
  French West Africa .................. 188
  Freud, Sigmund ................ 128, 155
  Friedrichshafen ........................ 176
  Fringe Beneﬁ t (Perk) ............... 260
  Fuad I ........................................ 189
  Fulani ........................................ 188
  G-Man Package Deal .............. 228
  Gable, Clark .............................. 132
  Gadgeteer Package Deal ......... 235
  Gadgets (Heroic Talent) .......... 289
  Gagliano, Tom .......................... 158
  Galata ........................................ 201
  Galata Bridge ............................ 201
  Galla .......................................... 192
  Galon Lamas ............................ 218
  Gambia ...................................... 188
  Gamemastering Pulp Hero ..... 339
  Gandhi, Mohandas K. ..... 124, 207
  Gangbusters .............................. 156
  Ganges River ............................ 208
  Gangster (generic NPC) ......... 407
  Gangster Package Deal ........... 236
  Garbo, Greta ............................. 133
  Garde d’Haiti ............................ 168
  Gardner, Erle Stanley .............. 133
  Garner, John Nance ................. 124
  Garvey, Marcus ........................ 124
  Gas Gun 
  (Weird Science gadget) ......... 323
  Gauguin .................................... 220
  Gear  ...................................297-338
  Generic Adversaries ................ 405
  Genius Insight 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 290
  Genna Brothers ........................ 159
  Genovese, Vito ......................... 158
  Genres, Pulp and other ..........7-32
  George II ................................... 178
  George V ................................... 124
  George VI ................................. 124
  German Legion ........................ 155
  German-American Bund ....... 155
  Germans, as portrayed in 
  the pulps ....................................19
  Germany ................................... 174
  Gernsback, Hugo ..................... 133
  Gershwin, George .................... 133
  Gestapo ..................................... 175
  Getta Load’a Her! 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 290
  Giannini, A.P. ............................ 136
  Gift ed Linguist (Heroic Talent) .290
  Gilbert Islands .......................... 220
  Ginza, the .................................. 217
  Girl Detective Package Deal ... 230
  Giunta, Joseph “Hop Toad” ..... 159
  Giza ........................................... 190
  Globetrotting Adventure 
  (subgenre) ........................ 24, 348
  Goddard, Robert ...................... 128
  Goebbels, Joseph .............. 124, 175
  Goering, H ................................ 175
  Goering, Hermann .................. 124
  Gold Coast ................................ 188
  Golden Chain of 
  Huayna Capac ........................ 167
  Golden Dawn, Hermetic 
  Order of .................................. 177
  Golden Horn ............................ 201
  Goldstein, Buggsy .................... 158
  Good Th ing Th at Was Th ere! 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 272
  Goodman, Benny ............. 133, 156
  Got A Lungful Of Air 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 272
  Government Agents (campaign 
  framework) ............................. 350
  Government Is Your Friend 
  (genre element) .........................14
  GPU ........................................... 184
  Gran Chaco .............................. 164
  Grand Cayman ........................ 168
  Graumann’s Chinese Th eater .....160
  Grease Monkey Package Deal ...237
  Great Britain ............................. 176
  Great Escapes (Heroic Talent) ...290
  Great Gebbi .............................. 191
  Great Purge............................... 182
  Great Pyramids ........................ 190
  Great Wall of China ................. 214
  Great War, the (genre element) ....14
  Great War Veteran 
  Package Deal .......................... 251
  Great White Hunter 
  Package Deal .......................... 238
  Great World .............................. 215
  Great Zimbabwe ...................... 193
  Greece ....................................... 178
  Green Gang .............................. 215
  Grimaldi, House of .................. 180
  Ground Th reats ........................ 366
  Grunewald Stadium ................ 175
  Guadalajara .............................. 163
  Guadeloupe .............................. 168
  Guardia d’Onore ...................... 179
  Guardia Nobile ......................... 179
  Guatemala ................................. 163
  Guayaquil ................................. 167
  Gueorguiev, Kimon ................. 172
  Guernica ................................... 182
  Guidelines for characters ........ 344
  Guinan, Texas ........................... 133
  Gulag network ......................... 185
  Guns .......................................... 301
  Gurino, Vito “Chicken Head” .....158
  Gurkhas .................................... 209
  Gurnah ...................................... 190
  Gypsies ...................................... 181
  Hadhramaut ............................. 199
  Hagia Sophia ............................ 202
  Hague, the ................................. 180
  Haile Selassie .................... 124, 191
  Haiti ........................................... 168
  Haled ......................................... 218
  Hammett, Dashiell ................... 133
  Hang On! (Heroic Talent) ...... 272
  Harding, Warren .............. 124, 151
  Hardy, Oliver ............................ 134
  Harlem ...................................... 158
  Harlow, Jean .............................. 133
  Hashishim ................................. 202
  Hatchetmen .............................. 160
  Hatton, Sir Denys Finch .......... 192
  Havana ...................................... 168
  Hawaiian Islands .................219-20
  Hawthorne Inn ........................ 159
  Height Manipulation 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 291
  Hejaz ......................................... 199
  Heliopolis .................................. 190
  Hemingway, Ernest .................. 133
  Henson, Matthew .................... 222
  Hepburn, Katherine ................ 133
  Herat .......................................... 196
  Hermetic Order of the 
  Golden Dawn ......................... 177
  Hero Alone, the 
  (genre element) .........................15
  Hero’s Grace (Heroic Talent) .....272
  Hero’s Luck (Heroic Talent) .......291
  Heroic Action Points ............... 360
  Heroic Competence 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 291
  Heroic Intimidation 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 268
  Heroic Talents .......................... 264
  Hertzog, J.B.M. ......................... 194
  Hess, Rudolf ............................. 124
  Hey! It’s Him! (Heroic Talent) ...291
  Himmler, Heinrich .......... 125, 175
  Hindenburg, Paul von ..... 125, 175
  Hindenburg Youth Assocation ..155
  Hindu Kush .............................. 196
  Hipshooter (Heroic Talent) .... 268
  Hirohito .................................... 125
  Hirohito .................................... 216
  Historical pulps ...........................27
  Historical research ................6, 343
  History of the Pulp era ......34-138
  Hitler, A ..................................... 174
  
  429 
  Pulp Hero
  Hitler, Adolf .............................. 125
  Ho Chih Minh ......................... 206
  Holland ..................................... 180
  Holliday, Billie .......................... 156
  Hollywood Hotel ..................... 160
  Hollywoodland sign ................ 160
  Honduras .................................. 163
  Hong Kong ............................... 213
  Honolulu ................................... 219
  Hooghly River .......................... 208
  Hoover Field ............................. 161
  Hoover, Herbert ............... 125, 152
  Hoover, J. Edgar ....................... 129
  Horror (meta-genre) ..................28
  Hotshot Pilot (Talent) ............. 261
  Houdini, Harry ........................ 133
  House of Commons ................ 176
  House of Lords ......................... 176
  House Of Tomorrow ............... 159
  Huangpu River ......................... 214
  Hué ............................................ 206
  Huerta, Victoriano ................... 163
  Hughes, Howard ...................... 136
  Hughes, Langston .................... 134
  Hungary .................................... 170
  Hunted (Disadvantage) ... 262, 359
  Hypnosis (Heroic Talent) ....... 268
  Hypodermic Finger-Caps 
  (Weird Science gadget) ......... 323
  I Can Handle Any Plane 
  You Got (Heroic Talent) ....... 292
  I Know How To Do Th at 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 292
  Ibarra, Jose ................................ 167
  ibn Feisal, King Ghazi ............. 198
  ibn Saud, King 
  Abdul-Aziz ......................199-200
  ICP ............................................. 206
  Ijsel Meer .................................. 180
  Imperilled Girl 
  (NPC archetype) .................... 382
  Importance of the PCs ............ 347
  IMRO ........................................ 185
  Inca ............................................ 167
  Incompetent Cops 
  (genre element) .........................15
  India .......................................... 207
  Indochina Communist Party .....206
  Inner Mongolia ........................ 215
  Inspire (Talent) ........................ 261
  Insull, Samuel ........................... 136
  Intelligence (Characteristic) ... 254
  International Exposition 
  of 1937 .................................... 174
  International Settlement ......... 214
  Into the Unknown 
  (genre element) .........................15
  Introduction ..................................5
  Iran ............................................ 196
  Iraq ............................................ 198
  Irish, as portrayed in the pulps ....19
  Irish Free State ......................... 178
  Irish Republican Army ............ 178
  Iron Guard ................................ 181
  Irons, Randall ........................... 385
  Irrawaddy River ....................... 208
  Isaacs, Sir Alfred ...................... 220
  Isandhlwana ............................. 188
  Istanbul ..................................... 201
  It Doesn’t Hurt Th at Much 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 273
  It Looks Worse Th an It Is 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 274
  Italia .......................................... 222
  Italy ............................ 170, 178, 191
  Izzy and Moe ............................ 129
  Jack Armstrong the 
  All-American Boy ................. 156
  Jahils .......................................... 201
  Jamaica ...................................... 168
  Japan .................................. 212, 216
  Java ............................................ 204
  Jazz ............................................. 156
  Jazz Age (genre element) ...........15
  Jazz Musician Package Deal ... 239
  Jebel Druse ............................... 200
  Jebel Shamshan ........................ 200
  Jedda .......................................... 200
  Jeﬀ erson Memorial .................. 161
  Jerusalem .................................. 199
  Jigsaw puzzles (fad) ................. 156
  Jivaro ......................................... 167
  Jobs and wages ......................... 334
  Johannesburg ........................... 194
  Joodha Shum Sheere Jung 
  Bahadur Rana ........................ 208
  Joyce, James .............................. 134
  Jugoslavia .................................. 185
  Jungle Adventure (type of 
  Globetrotting Adventure) ........25
  Justo, Augustin ......................... 164
  Kabul ......................................... 196
  Kamenev, Lev ........................... 182
  Kandahar .................................. 196
  Karl Marx Hof .......................... 170
  Karpis, Alvin “Creepy” ............. 129
  Karyes ........................................ 178
  Kate Smith Show ...................... 156
  Kathmandu ............................... 208
  Keelung ..................................... 217
  Keisuki Okada .......................... 216
  Kelly, George “Machine Gun” .....129
  Kemal, Mustapha ............. 122, 201
  Kempeitai .................................. 217
  Kennedy, Joseph ....................... 136
  Kenya ................................. 188, 192
  Khami ........................................ 193
  Khamsin .................................... 188
  Khartum ................................... 189
  Khyber Pass .............................. 196
  Khymer (Khmer) ..................... 206
  Kid Sidekick 
  (type of Follower) .................. 259
  Kikuyu ....................................... 188
  King’s African Riﬂ es, the ......... 192
  Kirov, Sergei .............................. 182
  Klosseivanoﬀ , George .............. 172
  Kolchak, Aleksandr ................. 215
  Kondylis, George ..................... 178
  Korea ......................................... 218
  Krim, Abd el ............................. 192
  Kris ............................................ 204
  Ku Klux Klan ............................ 152
  Kuhn, Fritz ................................ 155
  Kulaks ........................................ 182
  Kuomintang ............................. 212
  Kurdistan .................................. 202
  Kurten, Peter ............................ 130
  Kuwait ....................................... 199
  La Condamine ......................... 180
  La Gonave ................................. 169
  Laguardia, F .............................. 157
  LaGuardia, Fiorello .................. 125
  Lake Constance ........................ 176
  Lake Victoria Nyanza .............. 192
  Lamaism, lamas ....................... 218
  Land of the White Rajah ......... 203
  Landau/landaulet 
  (type of automobile) ............. 309
  Landon, Alf ............................... 125
  Lansky, Meyer .................. 130, 158
  Laos ........................................... 206
  Lasseter’s Reef .......................... 222
  Last-Second Ingenuity 
  (genre element) .........................15
  Latakia ....................................... 200
  Lateran Accords ....................... 179
  Latter-Day Sherlock Holmes 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 292
  Laurel, Stan ............................... 134
  Lauts .......................................... 204
  Lava ........................................... 366
  Lawrence, D. H. ........................ 134
  Lawrence, T. E. .......................... 137
  League of Nations .................... 140
  Lebanon .................................... 200
  Lebrun, Albert .......................... 172
  Legion Flandern ...................... 172
  Legion of the Archangel 
  Michael ................................... 181
  Legion Wallonie ....................... 172
  Lenin, Vladimir Ilyich ..... 125, 182
  Leopold II ................................. 189
  Leopold, Nathan ...................... 130
  Leopoldville .............................. 189
  Leprosy ...................................... 365
  Les Halles Market .................... 173
  Lester, Sean ............................... 172
  Lewis, John L. ........................... 126
  Lewis, Sinclair .......................... 134
  Lhasa ......................................... 218
  Library of Congress ................. 161
  Libya .......................................... 189
  Limitations ............................... 263
  Limousine 
  (type of automobile) ............. 309
  Lin Sen ...................................... 210
  Lincoln Memorial .................... 161
  Lindbergh, Charles .................. 137
  Liquor, buying during 
  Prohibition ............................. 334
  Litang Monastery ..................... 213
  Little Gebbi ............................... 191
  Little Italy .................................. 158
  Litvinov, Maxim ....................... 126
  Livermore, Jesse ....................... 136
  Lloyd George, David ............... 126
  Locke, Emil ............................... 397
  Locked Room And Moving 
  Walls (trap) ............................. 370
  Lockpicking (Skill) .................. 257
  Loeb, Richard ........................... 130
  London ...................................... 177
  London Metropolitan Police ......177
  Lone Ranger, the ...................... 156
  Long, Huey ....................... 126, 161
  Long March .............................. 212
  Los Angeles ............................... 159
  Lost Civilizations/Worlds 
  (genre element) ...................15, 25
  Lost Generation, the ................ 174
  Louis II ...................................... 180
  Louis, Joe ................................... 134
  Louisiana .................................. 161
  Louvre ....................................... 173
  Love pulps ....................................27
  Lubyanka Ladies ...................... 185
  Lucchese, Th omas .................... 158
  Luciano, Charles “Lucky” ...130, 158
  Luck (Power) ............................ 263
  Luckiness of Pulp heroes ........ 224
  Luis, Washington ..................... 166
  Lyons, Joseph ............................ 220
  MacArthur, Douglas ................ 126
  MacDonald, Ramsay ............... 126
  Machado, Gerado .................... 168
  Mad Scientist 
  (villain archetype) ................. 378
  Madagascar ............................... 188
  Madero, Francisco ................... 163
  Madura ...................................... 209
  Maﬁ a, Italian ............................. 179
  Magician-Detective 
  Package Deal .......................... 230
  Maginot Line ............................ 173
  Magoon, Blue Jew .................... 158
  Mah-jongg (fad) ...................... 156
  Mail ........................................... 149
  Maione, Happy ......................... 158
  Malabar Hill ............................. 208
  Malacca ..................................... 203
  Malaria ...................................... 365
  Malay Archipelago ..............203-04
  Malay Peninsula ....................... 203
  Malays ....................................... 203
  Maliki Moslems ....................... 189
  Managua ................................... 164
  Manchukuo ...................... 212, 217
  Manchuria ........................ 212, 217
  Mandalay .................................. 208
  Mandarin Road ........................ 206
  Mandates .................................. 143
  Mangano Brothers ................... 158
  Manila ....................................... 204
  Mao Tse-tung ................... 126, 212
  Maoris ....................................... 219
  Maranzano, Salvatore ...... 130, 158
  Marathon dancing (fad) ......... 156
  Marcelled hair .......................... 155
  Marienburg Castle ................... 172
  Marienkirche ............................ 172
  Markham, Beryl ............... 137, 192
  Marquesas ................................. 220
  Marrakesh ................................. 192
  Marshall Islands ....................... 220
  Martial Arts (Skill) .................. 257
  Martinique ................................ 168
  Marunouchi district ................ 217
  Marx Brothers .......................... 134
  Masabni, Badia ......................... 190
  Masai ......................................... 188
  Masked Crimeﬁ ghter 
  Package Deal .......................... 240
  Masked Men ............................. 240
  Masseria, Joseph 
  “Joe the Boss” ................. 130, 158
  Master Of Disguise 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 292
  Master Of Mimicry 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 293
  Matabeleland ............................ 193
  Matadi ....................................... 189
  Matto Grosso ............................ 166
  Mayans ...................................... 163
  McCoy, Bill ............................... 152
  McPherson, Aimée 
  Semple ............................. 137, 159
  Me Nam Chao Bhraya ............. 209
  Medical Detective 
  Package Deal .......................... 231
  Medina ...................................... 199
  Medium (Heroic Talent, 
  
  430 ■ Index
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Psychic Power) ....................... 284
  Megaspelaeon ........................... 178
  Melanesia .................................. 219
  Melbourne ................................ 220
  Melek Taos ................................ 196
  Melewi dervishes ..................... 196
  Mellah ....................................... 193
  Melodrama (genre element) ......11
  Mencken, H. L. ......................... 134
  Mendieta, Carlos ...................... 168
  Mental superiority of 
  Pulp heroes ............................. 224
  Mercenaries 
  (campaign framework) ......... 350
  Mercy Gun 
  (Weird Science gadget) ......... 324
  Merman, Ethel .......................... 156
  Mesoamerican civilizations .... 163
  Mesopotamia ............................ 198
  Meta-genres .................................28
  Metaxas, John ........................... 178
  Metropole Hotel ....................... 185
  Mexico ....................................... 162
  MGM ......................................... 160
  Michael ..................................... 181
  Micronesia ...........................219-20
  Midnight Rose’s........................ 158
  Miklas, Wilhelm ....................... 170
  Military, US .............................. 156
  Miller, Glenn ............................ 156
  Mind Alteration Machine 
  (Weird Science gadget) ......... 324
  Mindreading Machine 
  (Weird Science gadget) ......... 329
  Mini-Grenades 
  (Weird Science gadget) ......... 325
  Miniature golf (fad) ................. 156
  Miniature Toolkit 
  (Weird Science gadget) ......... 332
  Minority (Social Limitation) .. 263
  Miscellaneous Gadgets ........... 331
  Missionary’s Child 
  Package Deal .......................... 251
  Mitchell, Billy ........................... 126
  Mitchell-Hedges, F.A. .............. 138
  Mixing Genres ............................28
  Modernist ................................. 159
  Mohammed, Sultan Sidi ......... 192
  Molotov, Vyacheslav ................ 126
  Mombasa .................................. 192
  Monaco ..................................... 180
  Money
   Genre element ...........................15
   Perk ......................................... 260
  Mongolia ................................... 215
  Monivong ................................. 206
  Monte Carlo ............................. 180
  Monte Carlo Rally ................... 180
  Monterrey ................................. 163
  Morality, black and white 
  (genre element) .........................11
  Morality of the campaign ....... 346
  Moran, Bugs ............................. 159
  Moran, George “Bugs” ............. 130
  Morato, Augustin Gomez ....... 192
  Morocco ............................ 188, 192
  Moscow ..................................... 184
  Mosley, Oswald ........................ 126
  Motives of Pulp villains .........372-74
  Motorcycles .............................. 309
  Mounties ................................... 162
  Movement Gadgets ................. 327
  Movies ....................................... 156
  Mt. Athos .................................. 178
  Mt. Augustus ............................ 222
  Mt. Everest ................................ 209
  Mukden Incident ..................... 212
  Munsey, Frank ...............................8
  Murder, Inc. .............................. 158
  Murdock, Liz ............................ 393
  Murphy, Frank ......................... 204
  Music ......................................... 156
  Mussolini, Benito ............. 126, 178
  Muthaiga Club ......................... 192
  Mystery (meta-genre) ................30
  Mystery Man ............................ 240
  Mystic abilities ......................... 345
  Mysticism, Chinese ................. 212
  Nairn Transport ....................... 200
  Nairobi ...................................... 192
  Names for Pulp characters ..... 254
  Nanking .................................... 213
  Nanmatal .................................. 220
  Natal .......................................... 194
  National Assembly ................... 172
  National crime syndicate ........ 158
  National Library of India ........ 208
  National proﬁ les ...................... 151
  National Recovery 
  Administration (NRA) ......... 154
  National Revolutionary Party ....163
  Nationalists, Chinese ............... 212
  Nauru ........................................ 220
  Nazi, Th e (villain archetype) .. 379
  Nazis
   Austrian .................................. 170
   Danzig ..................................... 172
   German ..............................174-76
   South American ..................... 164
  Near East, the ........................... 195
  Nejd ........................................... 199
  Nepal ......................................... 208
  Nerve Touch (Heroic Talent) .....269
  Netherlands, the ....................... 180
  Never Look Mussed 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 293
  New Deal .................................. 154
  New Delhi ................................. 208
  New Guinea .............................. 220
  New Orleans ............................. 161
  New York City .......................... 157
  Newsboy Package Deal ........... 251
  Nicaragua   ................................ 163
  Nigeria ....................................... 188
  Ninja Hero ...................................31
  NKVD ............................... 182, 185
  Nobile, Umberto ...................... 222
  Nobody Could Survive Th at! 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 274
  Non-Player characters .......381-82
  Normal Characteristic 
  Maxima ........................... 252, 345
  Northeast US ............................ 159
  Northern Rhodesia .................. 188
  Norway ...................................... 170
  Notre Dame, Cathedral of ...... 173
  NPCs ....................................381-82
  Nyasaland ................................. 188
  O’Banion, Dion “Deanie” ...130, 159
  O’Neill, Eugene ........................ 134
  Obergon, Alvaro ...................... 163
  Observant (Heroic Talent) ..... 278
  Occult Adventures (subtype of 
  Horror) ......................................29
  Occult Detective Package Deal ..231
  Oceania ..................................... 219
  Oceanographic Museum ........ 180
  Odor Identiﬁ cation 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 278
  OGPU ....................................... 184
  Okies ......................................... 154
  Olgas .......................................... 222
  Oliver, King ............................... 156
  Olmecs ...................................... 163
  Olympics ................................... 143
  Oman ........................................ 199
  Operatives 
  (campaign framework) ......... 350
  Optimism of Pulp heroes ....... 224
  Orange Free State .................... 194
  Orient-Express, the .................. 146
  Other Pulp Elements ..................10
  Other Pulp Elements ..................12
  Other Weapons ........................ 321
  Outer Mongolia ....................... 215
  Outlook of the campaign ........ 347
  Owens, Jesse ............. 134, 157, 176
  Oxygenation Pills 
  (Weird Science gadget) ......... 332
  Paciﬁ c, the ................................. 219
  Package Deals ........................... 225
  Pahang ....................................... 203
  Pahlevi, Shah Mirza Reza ....... 196
  Pain Tolerance (Heroic Talent) ..275
  Palestine .................................... 198
  Palmer, Mitchell ....................... 127
  Palmer Raids ............................ 152
  Pan Am Clipper ............... 204, 206
  Panama ..................................... 164
  Panama Canal .......................... 164
  Papeete ...................................... 220
  Paraguay ........................... 164, 166
  Paralysis Ray (Weird Science 
  gadget) .................................... 321
  Paralyzing Touch 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 269
  Paris ........................................... 173
  Parker, Bonnie .......................... 129
  Pasha, Abdul Fattah ................. 189
  Patagonia .................................. 164
  Pearldiver’s Lungs 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 294
  Peary, Robert ............................ 222
  Peculiarities of Pulpishness .... 340
  Peel plan .................................... 199
  Peking ........................................ 214
  Peking Opera ............................ 215
  Pellagra ...................................... 365
  Penang ....................................... 203
  People of the Pulp era, famous 122
  Pera ............................................ 201
  Perceive Th e Past (Heroic 
  Talent, Psychic Power) .......... 285
  Perisphere, the .......................... 158
  Perks .......................................... 258
  Pershing, John .................. 127, 163
  Persia ......................................... 196
  Perth .......................................... 220
  Peru ................................... 164, 167
  Peter II ....................................... 185
  Petra .......................................... 199
  Petrie, Dr. Jennings .................. 401
  Phaeton (type of automobile) ....308
  Philippines ................................ 204
  Phone Recorder (Weird 
  Science gadget) ...................... 329
  Photography (fad) ................... 156
  Physical Defense 
  (Characteristic) ...................... 254
  Physical Limitation 
  (Disadvantage) ............... 262, 359
  Physical superiority of 
  Pulp heroes ............................. 224
  Picasso, Pablo ........................... 134
  Piledriver (Heroic Talent) ....... 270
  Pirate Coast .............................. 199
  Pirates, Malayan ....................... 204
  Pistolero (Heroic Talent) ........ 270
  Pit Trap (trap) .......................... 370
  Pius XI ....................................... 179
  Pius XII ..................................... 179
  Pizarro ....................................... 167
  Plane crashes (genre element) ..16
  Platt Amendment .................... 168
  Plaza de Mayo .......................... 164
  Plotted adventures ................... 354
  Plotting ...................................... 354
  Pnompenh ................................ 206
  Poison Exposure 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 275
  Poland ............................... 170, 172
  Polio .......................................... 365
  Polynesia ................................... 219
  Pomorze .................................... 172
  Ponape ....................................... 220
  Ponsot, Auguste Henri ............ 192
  Pontiﬁ cal Gendarmerie ........... 179
  Popes of the Pulp era .............. 179
  Popular Publications ....................8
  Port au Prince .......................... 168
  Port de Chine ........................... 206
  Port Elizabeth ........................... 194
  Portugal ..................................... 170
  Post, Wiley ................................ 138
  Potala Palace ............................. 218
  Power Advantages .................... 263
  Power ceilings .......................... 344
  Power Frameworks .................. 263
  Power Limitations ................... 263
  Power Modiﬁ ers ....................... 263
  Powers ....................................... 263
  Prajadhipok .............................. 209
  Precolumbian civilizations ..... 163
  Presence (Characteristic) ....... 254
  Presence Attacks, Heroic 
  Action Points and .................. 362
  Preternatural Hearing 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 278
  Preternatural Smell 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 278
  Pretoria ..................................... 194
  PRI ............................................. 163
  Prices of equipment and 
  services ...............................334-38
  Principles of Pulp Adventure 
  Design ..................................... 351
  Principles of Weird Tech ......... 315
  Profaci, Joseph .......................... 158
  Professor Package Deal ........... 241
  Prohibition ....................... 151, 334
  Psychic Detective 
  Package Deal .......................... 231
  Psychic Museum ...................... 177
  Psychic Powers ................. 279, 346
  Psychic Tracking (Heroic 
  Talent, Psychic Power) .......... 285
  Psychological Limitation 
  (Disadvantage) ..........262-63, 359
  Pu Yi, Henry ............................. 217
  Public Works Administration 
  (PWA) ..................................... 154
  
  431 
  Pulp Hero
  Puebla ........................................ 163
  Puerto Rico ............................... 168
  Pulp genre ................................7-32
  Pulp heroes, qualities of .......... 224
  Pulp Hero’s Burden 
  (Psychological Limitation) ... 263
  Pulp Hero’s Code (Psychological 
  Limitation) ............................. 263
  Pulp Subgenres ...........................20
  Pulps, the .......................................8
  Punans ...................................... 204
  Pyramids, Egyptian ................. 190
  Qadjar dynasty ......................... 196
  Quichua Indians ...................... 167
  Quick Fire (Heroic Talent) ..... 270
  Quick-Change Artist 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 294
  Quicksand ................................ 366
  Quito ......................................... 167
  Racism in the pulps ....................18
  Radio ......................................... 150
  Radio, Advanced and Miniature 
  (Weird Science gadgets) ....... 330
  Raditch, Stefan ......................... 185
  Raﬄ  es, Sir Stamford ................ 203
  Randall’s Raiders ...................... 384
  Random Plot Generator ......... 355
  Ranges of Characteristics ....... 252
  Rangoon .................................... 208
  Rapier Belt (Weird Science 
  gadget) .................................... 325
  Ras Tafari Makonnen .............. 191
  Raskob, John J. .......................... 137
  Rasputin .................................... 182
  Ratchet Reading 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 279
  Rauschning, Herman .............. 172
  Ray Weapons ............................ 319
  RCMP ........................................ 162
  Realism ......................... 6, 343, 347
  Recurring villains .................... 375
  Red Menace (genre element) ....18
  Red Square ................................ 184
  Reichstag ................................... 175
  Reina gang ................................ 158
  Reles, Abe “Kid Twist” ............. 158
  Remus, George ......................... 130
  Reporter Package Deal ............ 242
  Republic .................................... 160
  Reputation 
  (Disadvantage) ............... 263, 360
  Reputation (Perk) .................... 260
  Research, historical ...............6, 343
  Resourcefulness of 
  Pulp heroes ............................. 224
  Restraint of Pulp heroes ......... 224
  Reting Lamasery ...................... 218
  Revealing Conversation (Heroic 
  Talent, Psychic Power) .......... 286
  Rexism ...................................... 172
  Rhine, J.B. .................................. 138
  Rhineland, the .......................... 175
  Rhinoceros Express ................. 192
  Rhodes, Cecil ............................ 193
  Rhodesia ................................... 193
  Ribbentrop, Joachim von ........ 127
  Rickshaws ................................. 146
  Riding (Skill) ............................ 257
  Riding Animals ........................ 149
  Riﬃ  an War ................................ 192
  Rio de Janeiro ........................... 166
  Rio de la Plata .......................... 164
  Rivalry (Disadvantage) ........... 360
  Riyadh ....................................... 200
  RKO ........................................... 160
  Roadster (type of automobile) ...308
  Robin, René .............................. 206
  Rocket Pack (Weird 
  Science gadget) ...................... 328
  Rocket Pistol (Weird Science 
  gadget) .................................... 325
  Rodwell, Sir Cecil ..................... 193
  Rogers, Ginger .......................... 156
  Rogers, Will ...................... 134, 156
  Rohm, Ernst ............................. 127
  Roleplaying villains ................. 374
  Roller skating (fad) .................. 156
  Romance ......................................30
  Romance pulps ...........................27
  Romania .................................... 180
  Romantic Detachment 
  (genre element) .........................16
  Rome ......................................... 179
  Rongorongo .............................. 219
  Ronkiti ...................................... 220
  Roosevelt, Eleanor ................... 127
  Roosevelt, Franklin D. ..... 127, 154
  Roosevelt Recession ................ 154
  Rope Bridges ............................ 366
  Roraima plateau ....................... 166
  Rothstein, Arnold ............ 130, 158
  Rotterdam ................................. 180
  Route Coloniale No. 1 ............. 206
  Route Imperiale ....................... 193
  Royal Air Force ........................ 177
  Royal Canadian Mounted 
  Police ....................................... 162
  Royal Temple ............................ 209
  Rubber-Soled Shoes 
  (Weird Science gadget) ......... 328
  Rufai dervishes ......................... 196
  Rum Row .................................. 152
  Runabout 
  (type of automobile) ............. 308
  Running boards ....................... 309
  Running the game ................... 351
  Rural Electriﬁ cation 
  Administration (REA) .......... 154
  Russia ........................................ 182
  Russians, as portrayed in 
  the pulps ....................................19
  Ruth, Babe ......................... 134, 157
  Ryckmans, Pierre ..................... 189
  Saar, the ..................................... 175
  Sacasa, Juan .............................. 163
  Sacco, Nicola ............................ 131
  Sadee dervishes ........................ 196
  Safe Cracker (Weird Science 
  gadget) .................................... 332
  Sahara ........................................ 188
  Saigon ........................................ 206
  Sailor Package Deal ................. 243
  Salaries ...................................... 334
  Salvador .................................... 163
  Samoans .................................... 219
  San Francisco ........................... 160
  Sandino, Augusto ..................... 163
  Santo Domingo ........................ 168
  Sarawak ..................................... 203
  Saudi Arabia ............................. 199
  Scalise, John .............................. 159
  Schley, Julian ............................ 164
  Schultz, Dutch .............131, 158-59
  Schuschnigg, Kurt .................... 170
  Scientiﬁ c Genius 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 295
  Scientiﬁ c Parent Package Deal 251
  Scientist Package Deal ............ 243
  Scopes Monkey Trial ............... 161
  Scotland Yard ........................... 177
  Scutari ....................................... 201
  Scything Blade (trap) .............. 370
  Secret Archive of the Vatican .....179
  Secret Doors ............................. 371
  Security Systems (Skill) .......... 258
  Sedan (type of automobile) .... 308
  Self-conﬁ dence of Pulp heroes ..224
  Selznick Pictures International ..160
  Semonov, Grigory .................... 215
  Sensitive (Heroic Talent, 
  Psychic Power) ....................... 286
  Sensory and Communications 
  Gadgets ................................... 329
  Sepoy Mutiny ........................... 208
  Serbia ......................................... 185
  Sexism in the pulps ....................18
  Sexy Distraction 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 295
  Shadow, the (radio show) ....... 156
  Shah, King Mohammed Zahir ...196
  Shaka ................................. 188, 194
  Shallowness of characters 
  (genre element) .........................10
  Shanghai ................................... 214
  Shanghai Municipal Police ..... 215
  Shanghai Volunteer Corps ...... 215
  Shaw, Artie ................................ 156
  Sheik-Adi .................................. 196
  Shift y Th ug (NPC archetype) ....382
  Ship fares .................................. 147
  Ships .......................................... 149
  Shipwrecks (genre element) ......16
  Short, Robert ............................ 214
  Siam ........................................... 209
  Siberia ....................................... 184
  Sicily .......................................... 179
  Sidekicks (type of Follower) ... 259
  Sidi-bel-Abbes .......................... 173
  Siegel, Benjamin “Bugsy” ....131, 159
  Siegfried Line ........................... 175
  Sierra Leone .............................. 188
  Sikh policemen ........................ 207
  Sikiang River ............................ 210
  Silver Shirts ............................... 155
  Simmons, “Col.” William ......... 152
  Sinatra, Frank ........................... 156
  Sinclair, Upton .......................... 135
  Singapore .................................. 203
  Sinkiang .................................... 215
  Sino-Japanese War ................... 213
  Sirocco ...................................... 188
  Skeleton Key (Weird 
  Science gadget) ...................... 333
  Skills .......................................... 255
  Sky-High (Heroic Talent) ....... 276
  Skyscrapers ............................... 157
  Slang .................................. 156, 408
  Sleight Of Hand (Skill) ........... 258
  Sleuthing Groups ..................... 231
  Sliding Staircase (trap) ............ 370
  Slow Sidekick
   Genre element ...........................16
   Type of DNPC ....................... 261
  Smallpox ................................... 365
  Smith, Kate ............................... 135
  Smyrna ...................................... 178
  Snake Park ................................ 194
  Snare-Net (trap) ....................... 371
  Sobranje .................................... 172
  Social Detachment 
  (genre element) .........................16
  Social Limitation 
  (Disadvantage) ....................... 263
  Social Security Act (SSA) ....... 154
  Society for Psychical Research ...177
  Society Islands .......................... 220
  Soldier (generic NPC) ............. 407
  Soldier Package Deal ............... 244
  Solo heroes and adventures .... 358
  Somoza, Anastazio ................... 163
  Souieda ...................................... 201
  South Africa, Union of ............ 194
  South America ......................... 164
  South Asia ................................. 203
  South China Patrols ................ 210
  South Seas ................................. 219
  South US ................................... 161
  South West Africa .................... 188
  Southern Rhodesia .................. 188
  Spain .......................................... 181
  Spanish Civil War ...............181-82
  Spanish Honor (Psychological 
  Limitation) ..................... 164, 263
  Specialized pulps ........................27
  Speed (Characteristic) ............ 254
  Sphinx, the ................................ 190
  Spicy pulps ...................................27
  Splitting the party .................... 358
  Sports ........................................ 157
  Sprinter (Heroic Talent) .......... 276
  Spy Package Deal ..................... 245
  St. Valentine’s Day Massacre ... 159
  Stalin, Joseph .................... 127, 182
  Stamboul ................................... 201
  Standard Publications ..................8
  Stanley, Sir Herbert .................. 194
  Stanleyville ............................... 189
  Star Hero ......................................31
  Statute of Westminster
   ................................144-45, 162, 176
  Stefansson, V ............................ 162
  Stefansson, Vilhjalmur ............ 138
  Step Street ................................. 202
  Stephenson D. C. .............. 127, 152
  Stereotypes, abandoning ............10
  Stethoscopic Disc (Weird 
  Science gadget) ...................... 330
  Stewart, Jimmy ......................... 135
  Stodgy Capitalist 
  (NPC archetype) .................... 382
  Stoner, Darius ........................... 155
  Straits Settlements ................... 203
  Street & Smith ...............................8
  Street Called Straight .............. 201
  Strength (Characteristic) ........ 253
  Strong Swimmer 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 276
  Structure of the adventure ...... 354
  Subgenres ...............................20-27
  Subgenres, GMing ................... 347
  Suez Canal ................................ 191
  Sugar Loaf Mountain .............. 166
  Sumatra ..................................... 204
  Sunday, Billy ............................. 138
  Superiority of Pulp heroes ...... 224
  Supreme Court ................. 154, 161
  Survival (Skill) ......................... 258
  Survival Overskin 
  (Weird Science gadget) ......... 333
  Swaziland .................................. 188
  Sweden ...................................... 170
  Swing ......................................... 156
  
  432 ■ Index
  Hero System 5th Edition
  Swiss Guard .............................. 179
  Switzerland ............................... 170
  Sword-Cane 
  (Weird Science gadget) ......... 326
  Sydney ....................................... 220
  Sykes, Eric ................................. 215
  Syndicate, national ................... 158
  Syria ........................................... 200
  Systems Operation (Skill) ....... 258
  Szechwan .................................. 213
  Tafarasco, George .................... 180
  Tahiti ......................................... 220
  Taiga .......................................... 222
  Taiwan ....................................... 217
  Talents ....................................... 261
  Tampico .................................... 163
  Tanganyika Territory ............... 188
  Tangier ...................................... 192
  Tannu Tuva ............................... 215
  Tarzan .............................................8
  Tashi Lama ............................... 218
  Taxis .......................................... 145
  Teapot Dome ............................ 151
  Tear Gas Fountain Pen (Weird 
  Science gadget) ...................... 326
  Technical Detective 
  Package Deal .......................... 232
  Technological Skills ................. 255
  Technology ............... 224, 298-338
  Tegart’s Wall .............................. 199
  Tehran ....................................... 198
  Tel Aviv ..................................... 199
  Telegrams .................................. 150
  Telephone ................................. 150
  Television Wristwatch 
  (Weird Science gadget) ......... 331
  Temple, Shirley ......................... 135
  Tenke ......................................... 189
  Tennessee Valley Authority 
  (TVA) ...................................... 154
  Teotihuacan .............................. 163
  Tesla, Nikola ............................. 128
  Teutonic Knights ..................... 172
  Th eaters ..................................... 156
  Th eosophical Society ............... 177
  Th ieves’ Market ........................ 184
  Th ird Communist 
  International .......................... 184
  Th omas, Bertram ..................... 200
  Th ought Transference (Heroic 
  Talent, Psychic Power) .......... 286
  Th reat To Th e Nation, A 
  (classic Pulp plot) .................. 356
  Th rillseeking Criminal Package 
  Deal ......................................... 246
  Th ugee ....................................... 208
  Tibet .......................................... 218
  Tibetan Buddhism ................... 218
  Tightened Muscles 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 275
  Tilden, Bill ........................ 135, 157
  Timeline .......................................34
  Tjati ........................................... 222
  Todt, Fritz ................................. 176
  Togo ........................................... 188
  Tokyo ....................................216-17
  Toltecs ....................................... 163
  Tom Mix ................................... 156
  Tommy Gunner From Hell 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 271
  Tone of the campaign .............. 346
  Tongans ..................................... 219
  Tongking ................................... 206
  Tongs ......................................... 160
  Tongue Untied (Heroic Talent) .296
  Tonle Sap .................................. 206
  Top Ten songs of 
  September 1935 ..................... 157
  Topkapi Palace ......................... 202
  Torrio, Johnny .......................... 159
  Tourane ..................................... 206
  Touring car 
  (type of automobile) ............. 308
  Touring sedan 
  (type of automobile) ............. 309
  Townsend, Francis ................... 127
  Tracking Spray (Weird 
  Science gadget) ...................... 330
  Tracy, Spencer .......................... 156
  Trading (Skill) .......................... 258
  Tragedy ........................................30
  Train fares ................................. 147
  Trains ........................................ 146
  Transjordan, the ....................... 199
  Transport Familiarity (Skill) ......258
  Transportation ......................... 143
  Transvaal ................................... 194
  Transylvania ............................. 181
  Traps .......................................... 368
  Travel
   Generally ................................ 143
   Distances ...........................148-49
   Genre element ...........................16
  Travelin’ Child Package Deal .. 251
  Treaty of Lausanne .......... 178, 201
  Treaty of SPvres ....................... 178
  Triads, Chinese ......................... 215
  Tribhubana Bir Bikram ........... 208
  Trinidad .................................... 168
  Trolleys ...................................... 146
  Trotsky, Leon .................... 127, 182
  Trouble Spot, Th e (classic 
  Pulp plot) ................................ 357
  Trpolitania ................................ 189
  Trucial States ............................ 199
  True criminal protagonists ..... 246
  Trylon, the ................................ 158
  Tuareg........................................ 188
  Tubai Islands ............................ 220
  Tuchun (warlords) ................... 212
  Tugwell, Rexford ...................... 125
  Tundra ....................................... 222
  Tunisia ....................................... 188
  Tunney, Gene ........................... 135
  Turkey ....................................... 201
  Twenty-First Amendment ...... 152
  TWK ......................................... 152
  Two-ﬁ sted Hero 
  Package Deal .......................... 247
  Types of campaigns ................. 347
  Typhoons .................................. 204
  Uganda .............................. 188, 192
  Uiguristan ................................. 215
  Ultimate Climbing 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 276
  Uluru ......................................... 222
  Unbreakable Will 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 275
  Undergrowth ............................ 366
  Underworld, New York’s ......... 158
  Unexplained Absurdities 
  (genre element) .........................17
  Unfederated Malay States ....... 203
  Unimpressed (Heroic Talent) ....276
  Union of South Africa ............. 194
  Union of Soviet Socialist 
  Republics ................................ 182
  Unit 731 .................................... 212
  United Artists ........................... 160
  United States ............................ 151
  Universal Studios ..................... 160
  Unknown, the (genre element) ...15
  Unplotted adventures .............. 354
  Unscrupulous Businessman 
  (villain archetype) ................. 380
  Uruguay .................................... 164
  Using Weird Science in the 
  Game ....................................... 317
  Uzunovic, Nikola ..................... 185
  Valentino, Rudolph .................. 135
  Value of a dollar ....................... 261
  Vanzetti, Bartolomeo ............... 131
  Vargas, Getúlio ......................... 166
  Varmandali, Akash .................. 403
  Vatican Archives ...................... 179
  Vatican City .............................. 179
  Vatican Library ........................ 179
  Vehicle (Perk) ........................... 260
  Vehicles ..................................... 308
  Venezuela .................................. 164
  Venizelos, Eleutherios ............. 178
  Vera Cruz .................................. 163
  Victor Emmanuel III ............... 178
  Victoria Falls ............................ 194
  Victorian Hero ............................32
  Vienna ....................................... 170
  Viet Nam Quoc Dan Dang ..... 206
  Vigilantes .................................. 240
  Villa, Francisco “Pancho” 127, 163
  Villain archetypes .................... 376
  Villainous Doom 
  (genre element) .........................17
  Villains ...................................... 372
  Vincent, Stenio ......................... 168
  Violence Solves Everything 
  (genre element) .........................18
  Virgin Islands ........................... 168
  Vistula River ............................. 172
  Vlaamsch-Nationaal Verbond ...172
  Vlad III Dracula ....................... 181
  Vladivostok .............................. 184
  VNQDD .................................... 206
  VNV .......................................... 172
  Volkstag .................................... 172
  Volstead Act .............................. 151
  von Ungern-Sternberg, Baron 
  Roman Nicolaus .................... 215
  Voodoo ..................... 161, 169, 188
  Wages ........................................ 334
  Wailing Wall ............................. 199
  Wakefulness (Heroic Talent) ......296
  Walker, Jimmy .......................... 127
  Wall Street ................................ 157
  Warlords, Chinese ................... 212
  Warner, Jack .............................. 160
  Warped Body, Warped Mind 
  (genre element) .........................18
  Washington, D.C.:  
  Th e Quiet Capital .................. 161
  Washington Monument .......... 161
  Wat Arun .................................. 209
  Wat Benjamabopitr ................. 209
  Wat Phra Keo ........................... 209
  Water travel distances ............. 149
  Wauchope, A.G. ....................... 198
  Wealth (genre element) .............15
  Wealth of Pulp heroes ............. 224
  Wealthy Upbringing 
  Package Deal .......................... 251
  Weapon Familiarity (Skill) ..... 258
  Weapons ........................... 301, 319
  Weimar Republic ..................... 175
  Weird abilities .......................... 345
  Weird Abilities in Pulp Hero ......345
  Weird Menace (subgenre) ....25, 350
  Weird Science/Technology
   ........................... 18, 256, 315, 346
  Weird Science Gone Awry 
  (classic Pulp plot) .................. 357
  Weiss, Hymie ............................ 159
  Weiss, Mendy ........................... 158
  Welles, Orson ........................... 135
  West, Mae ................................. 135
  Western Hero ..............................32
  Whangpoo River ..................... 214
  White Pass ................................ 162
  Wild Man Package Deal ......... 249
  Wilhelmina ............................... 180
  Wilson, Woodrow .................... 128
  Winchell, Walter ...................... 137
  Winchester, Lili ........................ 391
  Wingwalking ............................ 226
  Wireless Bug (Weird 
  Science gadget) ...................... 331
  Wirkus, King Faustin .............. 169
  Wisbrod vest ............................. 307
  Wolfe, Th omas .......................... 135
  Woman (Social Limitation) ... 263
  Women, Pulp heroes 
  and killing ............................... 224
  Woolworth Building ................ 157
  Working Th e Pedals 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 296
  Works Progress Administration 
  (WPA) ..................................... 154
  World of 1935, the ............140-222
  World’s Fair 1939 ..................... 158
  Worlds, lost (genre element) ..15, 25
  Yagoda, Genrikh ...................... 185
  Yaks .................................... 218, 353
  Yangtze Patrols ......................... 210
  Yangtze River ............................ 210
  Yap ............................................. 220
  Yellow Peril (genre element) .....18
  Yellow River .............................. 210
  Yen Bay Revolt ......................... 206
  Yezhov, Nikolai ......................... 182
  Yezhovschina ............................ 182
  Yezidees ..................................... 196
  Yo-yos (fad) .............................. 156
  Yokohama ................................. 216
  Yoruba ....................................... 188
  You’re Bluﬃ  ng 
  (Heroic Talent) ....................... 279
  Your Hit Parade ....................... 156
  Yugoslavia ................................. 185
  Yukon, the ................................. 162
  Zaimis, Alexander .................... 178
  Zamora, Niceto Alcala ............ 181
  Zanzibar .................................... 188
  Zapata, Emiliano ...................... 163
  Zapotecs .................................... 163
  Zeppelin companies ................ 176
  Zeppelins .................See “Airships”
  Zimbabwe, Great ..................... 193
  Zinoviev, Gregory .................... 182
  Zoppot ...................................... 172
  Zuider Zee ................................ 180
  Zulu ........................................... 188
  Zworykin, Vladimir ................. 128
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Hero System/Hero System - Pulp.Hero.pdf