# Gauging Interest - It's a 30s Sci-Fi pulp Ripping Yarns jokey sort of thing...



## Dr Simon (Jun 4, 2009)

What Ho!

Looking to see if anyone is interested in a light-hearted Boy's Own Adventure* kind of pulp sci-fi game, with simple mechanics and general daftness all round, where the good guys win because Johnny Martian doesn't understand the rules of cricket.

*Inspirations*:
Boys Own Tales, (as spoofed by Palin and Jones in) Ripping Yarns, war comics (e.g. Commando, Victor), Saturday serials (e.g. Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon. King of the Rocketmen, Undersea Kingdom, anything with Larry “Buster” Crabbe or Ray "Crash" Corrigan), Johnny Weismuller’s Tarzan, Basil Rathbone’s Sherlock Holmes, any film starring Doug McClure, Bulldog Drummond, Dick Barton Special Agent, The 39 Steps, Jules Verne, HG Wells, Dan Dare, Willans and Searles’ Molesworth, Girl Genius, Daily Mirror’s Jane, Rudyard Kipling, Enid Blyton, Arthur Ransome, Biggles, etc...

If you have some life to waste at TV Tropes, look up Raygun Gothic, George Lucas Throwback and the film Bullshot, with pretty much every reference therein, for more genre tropes to play with.

*Setting*:
1930s SF.  Thirties era aesthetic in politics, clothing and projected technology, set in far future (2011!) but with backward looking ideals (Empire, Pluck, Public Schools and lashings of ginger beer). King Zagrox of Mars, green-skinned, dome-headed Martian ruler of a pseudo-fascist dictatorship with plans to conquer the whole solar system with his fleet of saucer ships. Blue-skinned, four armed warrior women ride dinosaurs through the jungles of Venus. Mysterious races beyond, perhaps intelligent blue gasses from Pluto who speak only in bad poetry. Earth is protected by the brave men and women of the Space Ranger Corps, culled from the finest that each nation has to offer (but led, naturally, by the valiant British**).

*Potential story arcs*:
Warrior Queen of Venus,  Deathray of Doom, Warlords of Saturn, The Scurrilous Scheme of Doctor Awful.

Post your interest, and I'll transform this thread by the power of SCIENCE! into a character creation thread.

*Girls are allowed too, as long as they promise not to talk about dresses and kissing and stuff.

**Well, they _think_ they're in charge and everybody respects them.


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## Walking Dad (Jun 4, 2009)

Sounds great! Will it be rules-system free, or do you have something specific in mind?


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## Maidhc O Casain (Jun 4, 2009)

Intriguing, and I second WDs rules question.


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## Dr Simon (Jun 4, 2009)

The rules are like a super-light version of GURPS or FUDGE. Here's what I had in mind:

All characters start with two “Good” skills, one “Great” skill and one “Poor” skill. Optionally, you can add another Good Skill by taking a Rubbish skill. Skills are loosely defined, although you are honour bound to make Poor and Rubbish skills something that might actually be a handicap (so no Rubbish: Knitting) for example.

Examples Characters:

*Algernon “Squiffy” Atkinson*
*Archetype*: Absent-Minded Boffin
*Hooks*: Unruly blond hair, glasses, unfeasably long scarf.
*Skills*:
Great: _Fixing Things_
Good: _Alien Flora and Fauna_
Good: _Accidentally Avoiding Trouble_
Poor: _Noticing Non-Trivial Thing_s

*Andrei Alexeivitch Obromov* (Andrushka to his mother)
*Archetype*: Robust Boffin
*Hooks*: Huge bear of a man, big beard, effusive, Russian
*Skills*:
Great: _Making Things_
Good: _Wrestling_
Good: _Making Friends_
Good: _Resisting Poisons (includes homemade vodka_)
Poor: _Firing Guns_
Rubbish: _Being Quiet_

The Basic Mechanic: Roll 2d6, add modifier. Beat difficulty or opposing roll

Typical Difficulties
20 Nigh Impossible
16 Very Hard
13 Hard
10 Difficult
7 Average
5 Easy
3 Very Easy
1 Trivial

Skill Modifiers
Legendary +8
Excellent +6
Great +4
Good +2
Average +0
Poor -2
Rubbish -4
Dreaful -6
Hopeless -8

Added refinements:  Degree of success may be a factor. If you only need an Average success, for example, but your total is high enough for Hard success, then you may achieve more than you hoped for.

Damage and combat is fairly abstracted. Using the above examples, if a Martian footsoldier fired his ray gun at Squiffy, Squiffy could use his Accidentally Avoid Trouble skill to oppose the roll. He just happens to notice a rare example of a Martian Poisonous Daffodil and ducks to examine it at the moment the footsoldier fires.  Andrei, on the other hand, has no defensive skills to speak of. The footsoldier would have to make a straight attack roll based on range. If he missed, though, Andrei could then employ his wrestling skill to crush the little martian.

Wounds etc. are abstracted. The heroes can't get killed outright, but a good shot might incapacitate them, and a really good one might give them a wound that could be fatal if not treated. Goons tend to go down on a single hit, henchmen and named bad guys tend to be a bit more durable. If you want a really tough hero then give them a Shrug Off Damage skill or similar.

*Example Archetypes*:
Square-Jawed Hero
Brash American Pilot*
Loyal Batman
Spivvy Corporal
Plucky Heroine
Bluff Old Colonel
Fierce German Officer*
Louche French Agent*

Venusian Temptress
Venusian Amazon
Noble Martian Partisan
Oily Martian Double Agent
Nervous Robot Butler
Single-Minded Robot Bodyguard.

Notes: There are two types of Martian. High Martians are the Mars Attacks kind of green, bulbous headed sadistic types. Low Martians have golden skin and little antennae on their heads. They are ruled by the High Martians.

Robots have the aesthetic of the clanks from Girl Genius, or Forbidden Planet and Lost in Space.

*Crass racial stereotypes are part of the genre, and can be overturned if you like!


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## Shayuri (Jun 4, 2009)

Hee hee!

I can't decide if I'm into this or not. On the one hand it sounds like a real hoot...on the other, I'm not sure I can pull off that era and genre...

But I have this goofy idea for a Square Jaw type. Flint Steele - Man of Action!

If it goes anywhere, I may submit it. If not, I will definitely be following this thread.


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## Maidhc O Casain (Jun 4, 2009)

I'm definitely interested, but have no experience with either of the mentioned rule sets.

I've read some of the genre and seen several of the movies (I was a HUGE Buck Rogers and Tarzan fan growing up) but I'm also not sure I can pull off the role play. Definitely willing to give it a try, though . . .


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## Dr Simon (Jun 4, 2009)

Mowgli said:


> I'm definitely interested, but have no experience with either of the mentioned rule sets.




Well, Fudge is sort of a meta-rules set, and its free so you can check it out for yourself.  Mainly I was thinking that both systems involve rolling some d6's, adding a modifier to the total and comparing the result to a target number. Pretty much like d20 system but with a bell curve of probabilities rather than linear, so your character tends to accomplish things within his capability most often, with extremes being more rare.

Fudge is quite free-form, with player-defined abilities like the ones I've given here. GURPS is a lot more point-buy based, infamous for extreme min-maxing of flaws and traits. 

Bottom line, though, is that the system is not too important.

Edit:

@Shayuri:  Yeah, Flint Steele, Man of Action sounds appropriate!

Edit #2:
Just to make it clear, you invent the skills for your character, there isn't a preset list.


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## Andor (Jun 4, 2009)

Sounds like a blast! Put me down for the Brash American Pilot. Half Tom Sawyer/ half Buck Rodgers!

Lesse:


David "Crash" Jones
Archetype: Brash American Pilot
Hooks: Unruly brown hair, Charming grin, Worn Leather Jacket
Skills:
Great: Flying Things
Good: Mixing it up
Good: Shooting Things
Good: Conning Suckers
Poor: Holding his Liquor
Rubbish: Keeping his mouth shut


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## Maidhc O Casain (Jun 5, 2009)

How 'bout this:

William "Will" Larson
Archetype: Competent Texas Cowboy
Hooks: Unfailingly Polite, Texas Drawl, Classic Cowboy Outfit
Skills:
Great: Riding Anything
Good: Roping Stuff
Good: Brawling
Good: Shooting Stuff
Poor: Gambling
Rubbish: Resisting Gambling

Stocky black cowboy dressed in classic tan duster and low crowned, broad brimmed hat. Matched six-shooters, lever action Spencer Carbine rifle.


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## CaBaNa (Jun 5, 2009)

Zig'Knock "OVERLORD" Lil'Britches
Archetype: Alien Mind Controller
Hooks: Superior Arrogance, Mind-enhancing Helmet (HUGE shiny dome), Short Alien/Long Cape.
Skills:
Great: Mass Mind-Control
Good: Mind Over Matter
Good: Telekinesis
Good: Mental Force Shield 
Poor: Dealing Damage
Rubbish: Anything Athletic

Life at three foot is lived under the rule of larger animals, unless you control the larger animals brain! Mwa HA HA HA!!!

Zig'Knock is your typical Martian would-be overlord. Green with a huge head, only made to look larger by his comically oversized "Mind-enhancing Helmet". 

Zig'Knock can stun large numbers of foes using his Mass Mind-Control abilities.
Using Telekinesis he reaches items... On The Top Shelf!
Bolstering his allies to knew feats of supreme epic-ness using Mind Over Matter!
And when things go truly south, Zig'Knock protects himself with a Mental Force Shield.

However being three foot tall doesn't lend to hurting anyone, so Zig'Knock has others do that for him! Even while invading someone's mind, Zig'Knock has trouble causing lasting mental problems.

Telekinesis has made Zig'Knock even less athletic than he was born, be it running, jumping, or simply walking up stairs, it's all difficult to Zig'Knock...

How does Zig'Knock control others minds, if you ask him it's because, I'M BETTER THAN YOU!!! MWA HA HA HA!!!


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## CaBaNa (Jun 5, 2009)

Lax "Slingback" Lackadaisical 
Archetype: Reefer Madness
Hooks: Violent Moodswings, Crazy Eyes, Smoke Cloud.
Skills:
Great: Having That Thing
Good: Reefer Madness
Good: Homeopathic Healing
Good: Fog of War
Poor: Motivation
Rubbish: Memory

Lax was a good boy, brought up in a [insert appropriately fundamental religion here] school, living in a fine suburban neighborhood.

That was until the Devil's Lettuce Affected the poor boys mind. Now he wanders with his slingback backpack, with who knows what's in it! 

His violent mood swings are the obvious symptoms of the criminal seed planted deep within the poor boy... Fits of jazz music and wild rgies! 

Getting "Slingback" to do anything is a feat in itself, but worse than that, in the middle of whatever he is doing, he may forget! Lax can't even remember the last sentence, of his own paragraph...

Luckily for the seedy individuals he hangs around with, his trademark slingback backpack contains everything he may need, if he can just remember where he put it... Accessible even while running, the pack is the only reason Lax is still functioning in society at all.

If you see Lax "Slingback" Lackadaisical do not attempt to apprehend him on your own. Contact with the perpetual cloud surrounding Lax will cause a brief fit of Reefer Madness to overcome even stout individuals. Symptoms include: Dancing, Laughing uncontrollably, Crying uncontrollably, "Zoning out", and any number of other debilitating conditions.

Lax keeps the criminals he is with in good health, knowing some way to cure most anything, using plants. He keeps the most useful of which in his pack.

It may be difficult to identify Lax "Slingback" Lackadaisical do to the fog that surounds him. Even veteran sharpshooters have had trouble targeting "Slingback" through the haze. 

Keep a watchful eye for Lax and his ilk, and remember, TELL YOUR CHILDREN!


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## Walking Dad (Jun 5, 2009)

*Tork*
*Archetype*: Throwback from a Lost World
*Hooks*: Sniffs at everyone, terrible grammar, ignorant to etiquette, hairy.
*Skills*:
Great: _Breaking Things
_Good: _Getting medieval_
Good: _Handle Animals_
Poor: _Use modern equipment (that do not breaking things or people )

_'Found' in the last adventure of another group member.


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## ghostcat (Jun 5, 2009)

Percy Ambleton-Smythe
Archetype: British Upper-Class Investigator
Hooks: Well Connected, Well Dressed, Wealthy, Accent, Gentleman
Skills:
Great: Observation
Good: Shot
Good: Sports
Poor: Being inconspicuous

Percy is the youngest son of Peter Ambleton-Smythe, 35th Earl of Cookridge. Followed in the family tradition, Percy went to Eton school where he was captain of both the Cricket and Rugby teams as well as been head boy. Percy them moved on to Cambridge university where he got a 1st Class honors degree in Philosophy. Again been captain of the cricket and rugby teams.

Following graduation, Percy was at a bit of a loose end. He was independently wealthy, so did not need to work. Although he was an excellent sportsman, he really did not fancy doing it full time. His salvation came when his 3rd cousin, twice removed (an obnoxious clod, who Percy hated) was murdered. The police were clueless, so Percy's family asked him if he would mind looking into it for them. Percy agreed and after a short investigation, solved the case (the butler did it). Although a simple enough case, it opened up a whole new world to Percy and he decided to become a gentleman investigator.


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## Dr Simon (Jun 5, 2009)

Y'Know, there's a lot of mileage to be had just from coming up with character concepts, these are all fun in a small amount of space, folks.

Ghostcat - reckon we can fit you in.

WD - Tork good, me like Tork.

Mowgli - yeah, love the genre cross-over, perfect for the movie serial style. 

Andor - Always good to have a two-fisted type in the gang. Shades of Jake Cutter from Tales of the Golden Monkey, can't go wrong!

CaBaNa - very funny concepts, slightly on the Toon side. I'm not sure either would quite fit into a heroic party, but I might use Zig'Knock as an NPC. Slingback's a little too 1960s but I like the idea of a bag that always seems to have a useful item.


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## ghostcat (Jun 5, 2009)

Thanks DS. I have added a background.


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## CaBaNa (Jun 5, 2009)

klklklkk "Clicks" Chklkiklkk
Archetype: Alien Sidekick
Hooks: Quiet and off to the side, Unclothed, Pet-Like
Skills:
Great: Carapace
Good: Tentacle Bind
Good: Digestion
Poor:  Communicating

"Clicks" resembles a small pony, or a large dog, covered in chitinous plates. instead of four legs, "Clicks" has eight tentacles, the longest being the two front at 12', the rest coming in just under 8'6".  His language consists of clicking noises, very few people understand him. "Clicks" can eat almost anything.


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## Dr Simon (Jun 5, 2009)

CaBaNa:  "Clicks" is good, lots of fun potential. 

Ghostcat: yeah, spot on!


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## ethandrew (Jun 5, 2009)

*Doctor Alowishus Ecks*
Archetype: Wanna-be Villain/Accidental Hero
Hooks: Mysterious Black Bag, Lab Jacket, Short Tempered
Skills:
_Great_: Scheming
_Good_: Ray Guns
_Good_: MacGyvering Things
_Good_: Can Sleep Through Anything
_Poor_: Easily Angered
_Rubbish_: Narcoleptic


Visions of grandeur have become tainted by missed opportunities. Doctor Ecks has the uncanny ability to become frustrated at anything, and when his frustration is triggered, so is his narcolepsy. Actually, when any emotion is elevated above normal, his narcolepsy kicks in.

He can have the perfect plan, execution a matter of time, excitement courses through his veins and immediately Doctor Ecks falls victim to a nice, refreshing sleep. Having his nefarious goals foiled time and time again, he decided that instead of planning-evil-doing-good he would try to plan-good-do-evil by extension. It was beautiful schemes like this that pleased Doctor Alowishus Ecks so much that he'd fall asleep.


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## Maidhc O Casain (Jun 5, 2009)

Dr Simon said:


> Shades of Jake Cutter from Tales of the Golden Monkey, can't go wrong!




Ye gods, someone actually remembers Tales of the Gold Monkey! I haven't thought about that show in _years_! I wonder if it's really as good as I remember it being . . .


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## Maidhc O Casain (Jun 5, 2009)

Dr Simon said:


> Mowgli - yeah, love the genre cross-over, perfect for the movie serial style.




Totally unintentional - I just now ran across the recruiting thread and saw the game title. But if it's good for you, I think it's got some possibilities.


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## Andor (Jun 5, 2009)

Mowgli said:


> Ye gods, someone actually remembers Tales of the Gold Monkey! I haven't thought about that show in _years_! I wonder if it's really as good as I remember it being . . .




Sadly I must confess ignorance. Perhaps a websearch is in order...


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## Maidhc O Casain (Jun 6, 2009)

If memory serves it was in production around 1982 or '83, meaning I was still in high school - so it's probably _not_ as good as I remember. I may have to see if it's to be had on DVD . . . just to check the quality, of course!


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## Kobold Stew (Jun 6, 2009)

Making characters is fun!

*G.A.R.Y. (Geared Artificial Robotic Youth)* 
*Archetype*: Boy Robot
*Hooks*: Orphan, pet dog, just wants to fish, can rust
*Skills*:
Great: _Electro-Mechanicals_
Good: _Chuckin' rocks_
Good: _Building his hand into useful stuff_
Poor: _Doin' what he's told_

*Tempest Wildfire*
*Archetype*: Nightclub Singer in Distress
*Hooks*: brash, needs a light, oooh! that hair!
*Skills*:
Great: _Screaming_
Good: _Happening on important stuff_
Good: _Reminding you of your first love_
Poor: _Judgement_


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## CaBaNa (Jun 6, 2009)

For the sake of having the character...

Penelope Perilous
Archetype: Damsel in Distress
Hooks: Daddy's trust fund, super-mini mini-skirt, giggly
Skills:
Great: Inspire Bravery
Good: Cunning Linguist 
Good: Preemptive Feint
Poor: Staying conscious


And another, because yes, making character IS fun!

Abercrombie "Suicide" Bernard
Archetype: Cameraman obsessed with "getting the shot"
Hooks: Knows no fear, Camera gear for all weather, goggles
Skills:
Great: Taking a beating to the face
Good: Operating Camera/Camcorder
Good: Nothing gets between him and the shot (even allies)
Good: Staying conscious
Poor: Social Skills
Rubbish: Danger? Where?


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## ghostcat (Jun 6, 2009)

Andor said:


> Sadly I must confess ignorance. Perhaps a websearch is in order...






Mowgli said:


> If memory serves it was in production around 1982 or '83, meaning I was still in high school - so it's probably _not_ as good as I remember. I may have to see if it's to be had on DVD . . . just to check the quality, of course!




Internet Movie DataBase 

However, I don't remember it being aired in the UK.


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## Dr Simon (Jun 7, 2009)

Golden Monkey definitely aired in the UK (although they probably showed only half the episodes, out of order) in a wave of post-Indiana Jones rip-offs (see also Bring 'Em Back Alive with Bruce Boxleitner).

It probably *wasn't* as good as memory suggests, being a product of Donald P Bellisarius (later Magnum and Airwolf), but it starred Roddy McDowell which is always good for a touch of class.

It also inspired Disney's TaleSpin, which was pretty much a direct rip-off (King Louie as a bar owner in TaleSpin, McDowell as Bon Chance Louie in Golden Monkey). They didn't have a one-eyed dog, though...

I will probably start ther IC posts on Monday.


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## Andor (Jun 22, 2009)

Anyone still here?


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## Dr Simon (Jun 22, 2009)

Yeah, sorry, I let this slide.  I'm still up for it, though. If anyone is still interested, post here by Wednesday (with character if you haven't already done so) and I'll get going.


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## Kobold Stew (Jun 23, 2009)

Still here.

EDIT: Sorry, though;  I will not be playing.


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## Walking Dad (Jun 23, 2009)

I'm here, with Tork.



Walking Dad said:


> *Tork*
> *Archetype*: Throwback from a Lost World
> *Hooks*: Sniffs at everyone, terrible grammar, ignorant to etiquette, hairy.
> *Skills*:
> ...




Still need another PC to 'adopt' him.


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## ghostcat (Jun 23, 2009)

Still Here


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## ethandrew (Jun 23, 2009)

I'm still here with Dr. Ecks.


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## jkason (Jun 23, 2009)

Ah, what the heck. I'll throw a hat in. A safari hat, even:

*Sy Bergeron*
*Archetype*: Globe-trotting Collector
*Hooks*: Surprisingly durable safari hat, unfortunate sherpas, winning smile
*Skills*
Great: _I swear, it's true!_
Good: _Picked one up on my last trip_
Good: _Now it's a fair fight_
Good: _This fellow says he knows_
Poor: _What does this button do?_
Rubbish: _Ooh! Shiny!_

Born with three or four silver spoons in his mouth, Sy set off quite young to search the globe for exciting cultures and artifacts, returning with examples of the latter and tales of the former to enthrall the folks at home. He has a penchant for wandering into trouble, usually when looking for an Amazing Artifact. Thankfully, he also has a skill for talking himself out of said trouble (though his native guides have a rather regrettable rate of turnover).


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## CaBaNa (Jun 23, 2009)

Cheers, interested still, with Clicks or Suicide.


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## Dr Simon (Jun 24, 2009)

First Post is up.  If you find any pictures better suited to your characters, let me know. That's quite an impressive cast we've managed to hire.


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## Andor (Jun 24, 2009)

Actually except for missing the leather jacket that looks pretty much perfect. Awesome pictures.


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## CaBaNa (Jun 25, 2009)

That picture pretty much sums up the end of the day, everyday, for Mr. Bernard.


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## Dr Simon (Jun 25, 2009)

Thanks, had a bit of fun with Google finding those. That's the two Buster's - Larry "Buster" Crabbe as Buck Rogers standing in for Crash Jones, and Buster Keaton as Suicide.  Okay, so some of them are an bit anachronistic (Ursula Andress as Queen Zamora) but it *is* The Future.  I tried to find a suitable pic of Kate Hepburn for Lady Jane, but none were quite "plucky" enough (surprisingly) so I ended up with Amelia Earhart.  Also surprisingly tricky to find somebody in a safari hat for Sy.


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## Walking Dad (Jun 25, 2009)

I pictured Tork a bit less hairy. But it is great!!!


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## jkason (Jun 25, 2009)

I think I may have been vague with my skills. "I swear it's true" is meant to be a bluff-ish skill rather than a Knowledge-y one? No big deal, really, especially since I didn't catch that Crash has a similar skill with a different name. 

I think I got excited about the turns of phrase and didn't make them as descriptive as they should be. 

Ah, and while I'm cool with the Sy pic in the thread, if you're looking for safari hatted folk, I found these:


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## Andor (Jun 25, 2009)

"Ganymedian Hentai Squid"? That is sooo wrong.


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## ghostcat (Jun 25, 2009)

Percy's picture is spot on.


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## CaBaNa (Jun 25, 2009)

I laughed for a good five minutes at the Hentai Squid...


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## Walking Dad (Jun 26, 2009)

There is a hentai source book for d20. I think it's name is 'Dark Tokio' or something.


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## Andor (Jun 29, 2009)

And frighteningly _on_ topic I give you "I was kidnapped by lesbian pirates from outer space."


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## Walking Dad (Jun 29, 2009)

On topic: Has anyone seen the 'Lesbian Vampire Killers' movie?


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## Andor (Jul 1, 2009)

I think it's obvious what we need to do to win this. We need to arrange for the animator to have a sudden heart attack.


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## Dr Simon (Jul 1, 2009)

Now you've done it


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## CaBaNa (Sep 8, 2009)

Andor, if you give the animator a heart attack then nothing gets done!

I almost forgot about this, until I started combing my bookmarks in hopes of cleaning them. 

So this is pretty dead as far as I can see? just making sure I can move it to the dead folder.


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## Walking Dad (Sep 9, 2009)

Looks like


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## jager0727 (Sep 11, 2009)

what a shame, I just found this and would have loved to see where it was going, Oh well.

and so ended the long dark tea time of the soul


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## Walking Dad (Sep 29, 2009)

I have deleted my subscription. PM me if you restart.


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## Dr Simon (Sep 29, 2009)

Yeah, I'm afraid, folks, that it proved to be just one game too many for my schedule. Shame, but I hope to ressurrect it one day.


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