A few questions on PULPs and RPGs

Are you an avid fan of pen and paper role-playing games? Are you looking for a way to breathe new life into your campaigns? Then this blog post is the perfect thing for you! Pulp gaming has recently surged in popularity, making it one of the best ways to spice up any tabletop session. Whether it’s comparing pulps with other RPGs, storytelling tactics or setting ideas – we will be exploring how pulp can provide fans with an exciting take on role playing. Ready to find out how adventures can go from ordinary to extraordinary? Keep reading!

Pulp gaming is based on a genre of fiction that was popular in the early 20th century. It’s an action-packed, larger-than-life style of play where the characters are heroes and the stakes are high. There are no rules or boundaries – anything goes!

Pulp just doesn’t place players in the action, but at the very tippity-top of the action. Flash Gordon isn’t simply opposing the evil military of Mongo, but rather going head-to-head against Ming the Merciless himself. Wouldn’t it be exciting to spend a campaign foiling the enemy’s plans, and directly opposing the villain’s will, until a final predestined battle against the big villain with greatest possible stakes.

I will be analyzing and sharing storytelling tactics in my next blog. There really isn’t space to cover them in this one. There is a concern that Pulp stories can become cliche. That is a hollow worry; a concern without substance. The best suggestion that I can make, is to read a little pulp, and not just the two or three that everybody gravitates to, like The Shadow, Doc Savage, and the Insidious Doctor Fu Manchu. Instead, embrace the many other novels and that were popularized, not by academics in their studies, but rather millions of commuters with a paperback tucked into their pocket on the bus and subway. Read the Western Pulps like (author Zane Grey), Dark Fantasies (Solomon Kane), horror (author H.P. Lovecraft, or works by Mary Shelly, or Bram Stoker), and science fiction (Lensmen series by E.E. “Doc” Smith or Jules Verne). The truth is: there are endless titles from the pulp era (many more than I mentioned here). If you worry about a game becoming cliche because you are using pulp methods, fear not, the answer is to simply expand your pulp vocabulary. Gobble up as many pulp stories as you can.

On the matter of pulps, I have found that there are still plenty of players who are having difficulty understanding what pulp stories actually are. My opinion of pulp is high, because I find that creative storytelling in speculative fiction is at its absolute height in the these stories. I will push it and suggest that it was still alive in the 70s and 80s and is coming back strong right now with the advent of digital publishing and film-making. In fact, this may very well be the new hay-day of pulp fiction.

In conclusion, pulp offers a vibrant alternative to the blandness of typical role-playing games. It gives us the chance to connect with stories that are bigger, more important and more influential than otherwise conceivable. Pulp adventures provide a platform for creativity and excitement beyond our wildest imaginations. We’re living at a time where we can make this artistry available to an even wider audience, thanks to the unlimited reach of the internet; returning us to the Golden Age of pulp storytelling feeling giddy with anticipation. To be sure, pulp storytelling will continue providing the capacity to explore new ideas and stretch boundaries. If you have mastered this art form or you are about to take your first journey into Pulp Adventures, now is the time for inspiration! Share your advice on how to make these stories come alive by answering these questions in the comments below. Let’s discuss and write some amazing adventure stories together!

I wonder what advice you guys might give each other on matters of pulp gaming? Comment below!

• What strategies do you employ for keeping viewers engaged in pulpy stories?
• What tips can you give to new players for running pulp campaigns in their own pen and paper RPG games?
• How do you break traditional barriers between genres?
• What have been some of your most memorable pulp-style adventures in role-playing games?
• How do you think the inclusion of pulp elements enhances a role-playing game?
• What aspects of a pulp adventure do you think are essential to its success?
• How would you go about incorporating pulpy adventures into an already existing campaign?
• What tips can you give to new players for running pulp campaigns in their own pen and paper RPG games?