Campaign set ups for Amazing Adventures ...

Discussion of the pulp roleplaying system, including hard-boiled detectives, fedora-wearing action heroes, and steampunk gadgeteers rocketing to battle.
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anglefish
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Campaign set ups for Amazing Adventures ...

Post by anglefish »

Notice I didn't say campaign settings ... These are idea of what throws your heroes together every week, but still fairly open ended as to the mood and adventures you can play.
  • At Base Camp: The crew is committed to exploring a location with no real maps. A lost valley, an ancient city or the Hollow Earth (check out Hollow Earth Expedition for a great way to do this.)
    The Sibiryakov : If you're traveling the world in style, you have to something to travel in. A boat, train or even a flying boat. The PCs are the officers for their means of transportation.
    Sponsors: The PC are committed to an organization that feeds them the adventure. They could be military personnel on a mission or working as troubleshooters extraordinaire for a colonial trading company.
    Self Employed: The group is connected to a group or cause that keeps them going. They could all be part of a large family, members of a secret race, or just gentlemen adventurers who pay a finder's fee for those who present them with a solid lead.
Any other examples I'm coming up with are closer to an actual campaign, but I'm sure there's an idea or two I missed.

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Peter
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Re: Campaign set ups for Amazing Adventures ...

Post by Peter »

If you are looking for some more ideas Expeditious Retreat Press's Pulp Seeds #1-5 are pretty good.

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Kathulos
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Re: Campaign set ups for Amazing Adventures ...

Post by Kathulos »

IMO, an excellent resource for any gamemaster running a plup game is Lester Dent's Master Fiction Plot
For those not in the know, Lester Dent was the creator and primary writer for the Doc Savage series of pulp novels.

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Jason Vey
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Re: Campaign set ups for Amazing Adventures ...

Post by Jason Vey »

Kathulos wrote:IMO, an excellent resource for any gamemaster running a plup game is Lester Dent's Master Fiction Plot
For those not in the know, Lester Dent was the creator and primary writer for the Doc Savage series of pulp novels.
Amazing Adventures specifically references Dent's Master Fiction Plot in the GM section, and includes fairly detailed guidelines for how to use it to construct pulp adventures for your game.

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Kathulos
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Re: Campaign set ups for Amazing Adventures ...

Post by Kathulos »

Sorry about that.
I've been taking my time reading, and rereading, through the character creation and Paranormal sections.

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anglefish
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Re: Campaign set ups for Amazing Adventures ...

Post by anglefish »

Read faster, man!

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Kathulos
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Re: Campaign set ups for Amazing Adventures ...

Post by Kathulos »

I'm working on it!
There is only so much I can read on screen before these old eyes need a rest. :lol:

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Ronin77
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Re: Campaign set ups for Amazing Adventures ...

Post by Ronin77 »

I downloaded a few episodes of the old time radio show The Shadow. One of the shows Island of the living dead gave me a great idea.

A group of investigators hired to find a young man who went to work on an island plantation. No one has heard from him since he took the boat to the island.
Voodoo? Mythos? Both?
Joey Mullins AkA GamingRonin
My Gaming Blog http://gamingronin.blogspot.com/

Gritty6 (epic6)

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Kathulos
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Re: Campaign set ups for Amazing Adventures ...

Post by Kathulos »

Here's a good location for getting some ideas for your AA campaigns.
It reviews all 182 books in the Doc Savage series.

Dr. Hermes Reviews Doc Savage

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Kathulos
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Re: Campaign set ups for Amazing Adventures ...

Post by Kathulos »

A little something I found online......
The Pulpomatic Adventure Generator

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Jason Vey
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Re: Campaign set ups for Amazing Adventures ...

Post by Jason Vey »

Kathulos wrote:A little something I found online......
The Pulpomatic Adventure Generator
That's a great idea generator.

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Kathulos
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Re: Campaign set ups for Amazing Adventures ...

Post by Kathulos »

Another site I found which contains great images for mix and mash pulp based game.

Doc Savage Fantasy Covers

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Grey
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Re: Campaign set ups for Amazing Adventures ...

Post by Grey »

Not sure if this is the right place for this question, but it is a sort of campaign set up question:
For those of you who have the PDF, how well does the game work without PC magic use (no Arcanist/ Mentalist)? Both as a totally non magic pulp game, or a game with obscure rare/ dangerous magic (perhaps PC's can get access to magic, but more via ancient scrolls/ tomes similar to standard Call of Cthulhu style games).
Cheers...

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Ronin77
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Re: Campaign set ups for Amazing Adventures ...

Post by Ronin77 »

Grey wrote:Not sure if this is the right place for this question, but it is a sort of campaign set up question:
For those of you who have the PDF, how well does the game work without PC magic use (no Arcanist/ Mentalist)? Both as a totally non magic pulp game, or a game with obscure rare/ dangerous magic (perhaps PC's can get access to magic, but more via ancient scrolls/ tomes similar to standard Call of Cthulhu style games).
Cheers...
It would work just fine. I really think that it more depends on the adventure you run. But I would have no problem and totally plan on running some Pulp-thulhu with Amazing Adventures.
Joey Mullins AkA GamingRonin
My Gaming Blog http://gamingronin.blogspot.com/

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Jason Vey
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Re: Campaign set ups for Amazing Adventures ...

Post by Jason Vey »

Yeah, magic, psionics, and gadgets are not assumed to be part of the game. AA is a toolkit--use what you like and dump the rest.

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Re: Campaign set ups for Amazing Adventures ...

Post by jeff »

For some reason, I'd like to set a campaign towards the end of WWI. That way the party can act against the agents of the Kaiser.

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Re: Campaign set ups for Amazing Adventures ...

Post by dachda »

jeff wrote:For some reason, I'd like to set a campaign towards the end of WWI. That way the party can act against the agents of the Kaiser.
Interesting. Apparently in his exile after the War he developed an interest in archaeology and spent time on investigating ruins on vacations on the the island of Corfu. He bought the former Greek residence (on Corfu) of Empress Elisabeth (of Austria-Hungarian Empire) after her murder in 1898 If you go with supernatural elements, perhaps, he finds some artifact on Corfu that he hopes will lead to Germany taking him back as Kaiser. Or perhaps it bends Hitler to his will so the Nazis restore the monarchy. That last would need a powerful artifact given that Hitler blamed him in part for Germany's loss in WWI.

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Jason Vey
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Re: Campaign set ups for Amazing Adventures ...

Post by Jason Vey »

There is actually a bit of a campaign set-up in the game (the sample adventure at the end of the core book), and with the associated first adventure module, Day of the Worm, which picks up where the book's adventure leaves off. I'm not continuing that specifically for future adventures (I may someday, but it's not the plan), but the PCs do end up as agents of the SOE working against the Thule cult, and have an archenemy set up by the end of that two-adventure arc. It also introduces aliens and Cthulhu horrors. My group had fun playtesting both adventures back to back, but if your group doesn't like a bit of "Attack of the Flying Saucers!" style serial pulp, the Day of the Worm module might need to be changed up a bit.

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Kathulos
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Re: Campaign set ups for Amazing Adventures ...

Post by Kathulos »

Found another plot generator.
This one more focused on adventures of a supernatural/Lovecraftian nature.

Consult Mr. Lovecraft, Plot Generator

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Jason Vey
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Re: Campaign set ups for Amazing Adventures ...

Post by Jason Vey »

My name is the Grey Elf, and I approve this Plot Generator.

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Re: Campaign set ups for Amazing Adventures ...

Post by tylermo »

I believe the pdf of Pulp Hero (Hero System 5th edition) is still available. A very nice pulp resource, although there is some Hero statted material. The book won a silver Ennie at Gencon in 2005.

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Kathulos
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Re: Campaign set ups for Amazing Adventures ...

Post by Kathulos »

Doing a little searching I managed to find this adventure starter.
It was written for Terra Incognita game. but other then making adjustments for the year in which your running your AA game, everything should work fine.
Warning! This is a link to a pdf.

Terra Incognita Adventure Starter

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Kathulos
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Re: Campaign set ups for Amazing Adventures ...

Post by Kathulos »

Discovered a good write up for Conan Doyle's Maple White Land.
Anyone thinking about taking their players to this classic lost world, or thinking about including a lost word as part of your over all setting, might want to take the time to read through it and see how you can adapt it to your own needs.

Maple White Land

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Jason Vey
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Re: Campaign set ups for Amazing Adventures ...

Post by Jason Vey »

Awesome writeup, and I've actually worked with Salvatore (Majin Gojira) on a Unisystem netbook for the Cthulhu Mythos. He's a great guy!

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Kathulos
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Re: Campaign set ups for Amazing Adventures ...

Post by Kathulos »

Do your character's like to read about their own adventures?
Or would you like to give your players a little hint about what they are about to go through?

Then maybe they would like to see their adventures show up on the cover of their very own pulp mag!

Pulp Cover Creator

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Jason Vey
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Re: Campaign set ups for Amazing Adventures ...

Post by Jason Vey »

Yeah, someone just brought this to my attention the other day. If I ever get an opening in my group to run an AA campaign (as opposed to playtesting new stuff here and there) I may have to use that generator to make a cover for every adventure, and hang it outside the GM screen.

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