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Chapter 1 - Introduction welcomes the reader to the "Roleplaying Game of Thrilling Pulp Action." It does of course go over the definition of "Pulp", mentioning the more lurid applications of the term (that were implied in Tarantino's Pulp Fiction), but the book mainly defines it in terms of the original stories' "boundless imagination, quick-paced narrative, and clear, unpretentious, idiomatic prose styles", rightly pointing out that those old Pulp magazines developed not only the science fiction genre but mysteries and many other styles: "For better or worse, contemporary popular culture is a direct descendant of pulp fiction." The Introduction goes into some detail on not only the history of pulp publications, but specific sub-genres including "hero pulps" with characters like the Shadow and Doc Savage, characters who presaged the superhero comics that would (along with paperback novels) soon be a major factor in driving the pulps out of business.
Then you get into the obligatory "what is a role-playing game" spiel, pointing out that even in computer games (which will probably be the major entry to RPGs for most people these days) you still don't get as many options to affect the action; in a tabletop RPG the GM describes the scene, the player reacts, the GM reacts to this reaction, and the game goes on "until the character dies, or achives his goals, or the player and the gamemaster decide to end the game." In this case, the book describes the rule system of Two-Fisted Tales as using D10 as variables, both for damage dice and percentile dice (but in this system, the 0 is always a 0, not a 10, so a roll of 0 is a dud and percentile only goes up to 99). It also uses a standard 52-deck of playing cards. The Introduction then gives a short glossary (including the description of a Combat Turn as "a roughly one-second period in which people try to kill or beat each other") and a fairly long list of prominent Pulp authors.
Chapter Two - Heroes & Heroines is the character creation chapter. In Two-Fisted Tales, characters have eight abilities: brains, luck, mind, muscle, reflexes, savvy, status and weird. Most of these are self-explanatory, with each having a secondary function. For instance, luck is the stat that enables a PC to draw cards as random elements similar to 'hero points,' where the play of a card allows the PC to modify a result by the value of the card (with face cards providing added bonus or even multipliers). Savvy is a character's charisma and provides a network of contacts. Status is the character's social standing, which creates the figured attributes of reputation and personal wealth. Weird not only provides for 'Weird Talents,' it is a measure of how "unusual and accomplished" a character is, which means that any other ability has a maximum score determined by the table for the weird score. This is all on a scale where 1-4 is deficient, 20 is maximum human ability and 21+ is beyond human range (but possible for some Pulp characters).
The 'skill system' is deliberately broad; it's assumed that a character with high brains is able to do most things that require 'brains' at his level of ability. Characters can take a 'specialty' in a particular area under a certain ability; for instance Medicine skill is a brains specialty written as 'brains (medicine)' which provides +4 to brains ability when used for medical purposes. One can also take 'masteries' that provide an additional +4 to use of a prerequisite specialty in more narrow conditions (where 'first aid' and 'surgery' are two different masteries of medicine, written as 'brains (medicine) [surgery]' or just 'brains [surgery]').
Characters may also take defects (Disadvantages); although the book mentions that pulp heroes are not known for their defects, there are several examples of such characters, like the sub-sub genre of the "defective detective" (the modern example of which would be Monk). These are still discouraged, however, and the book generally allows only 5 extra points to be gained for defects.
The number of points a player gets for character generation is determined by the campaign's power level, which ranges from "Gritty" (Miss Marple) to "Fantastic" (Doc Savage) to "Amazing" (superhero level). For convenience characters are usually generated from templates that go over a very wide range of pulp archetypes from "Amateur Detective" to "Wild Man." The stats for these are fixed, but players get a number of 'hero points' to customize the template depending on the campaign power level and how powerful the template already is relative to others (the Amateur Detective gets a lot more hero points than the Wild Man, who starts with no less than three stats at 17). You also get a default "Everyman" template that is designed for customization, with all stats at 10 and an extra store of hero points.
Chapter 3- Schticks, Gadgets, Magic & Other Powers goes over the optional abilities that once can get with those hero points. They're optional to the GM in that superpowers, martial arts stunts and the like may not be appropriate to a Gritty game or some sub-genres. Each is measured in terms of two requirements: number of hero points and a minimum combined rating in a certain ability plus specialty (and possibly mastery). In most cases having a combined rating in excess of the requirement can reduce the hero point requirement up to 2. (For example, the martial arts maneuver 'All-Around Sight' requires both Mind 18 and 3 hero points spent; this allows the character to see behind or to the side without having to turn around. Invisibility, the 'cloud men's minds' power, requires Brains [Hypnotism] 25 and costs 7 hero points.)
Chapter 4- Money & Equipment gives rules for purchasing stuff. Again, 'wealth' rating is figured from the 'savvy' stat along with reputation (these can vary up and down as long as wealth and reputation equal 0- for instance rep can be +2 and wealth -2, so a 14 savvy character would get 16 reputation and 12 wealth). In most cases a character can have common items without having to make a wealth check, although for some reason the book feels compelled to state: "The following items are not appropriate for most characters: ham radios, sticks of dynamite, vials of morphine, and portable typewriters." Apparently there was a law against carrying typewriters. In some cases, restricted items also require a certain reputation level to legally procure ('a reputation of at least 17 is required to acquire a submarine'). This section also lists the purchase rating and damage level of weapons. How do weapons work? Glad you asked...
Chapter 5- Resolving the Action tells how to do stuff, like use weapons. Like most games these days, Two-Fisted Tales acts on the concept of rolling high against a difficulty check. With the action check, the character rolls 2d10 vs. the difficulty number. One should be separated or distinguished as the 'bonus die,' and the other is the 'penalty die.' Thus the difference between the two rolls is the modifier to the character's check (8 on bonus and 5 on penalty gives a +3). Remember, 0 is a zero result, but if you roll 9 on the bonus die it adds a roll again, and again if that gets a 9, and so on. Unfortunately the roll again also applies if the character rolls 9 on the penalty die. If the GM wishes to modify the chance of success he can require a PC to roll an extra bonus or penalty die, which in either case modifies the final total. As mentioned above, a PC can use the cards he gets from luck to modify his rolls by the card number, and the suit he has can also matter, in that hearts and clubs can alter damage inflicted by another character, diamonds can add to the roll of another character, and spades can be used to subtract from the action check of an NPC. Face cards can either add 10 by themselves or a multiplier to another card (Jacks x2, Queens x3, Kings x4 and Aces can add to another card before a face card multiplier is played- in the game example the best you can get is a Ten played with an Ace [10+10] with a King, x4 equals an 80 point modifier)! Barely making an action check by the number is a 'close call' and if the character's luck rating is under 10 and the close call is still greater than or equal to his luck rating, the result is a fumble. "Skilled characters with average or better luck ratings rarely fumble." Words to generate PCs by.
Combat uses opposed action checks based on the reflexes ability. If the attacker gets a close call this way he inflicts half damage. Exceeding the defender's roll generates damage based on a certain level (set damage for missile weapons, 2 for barehanded, 2 + weapon rating for melee), minus a target's resistance (which is based on muscle, and is usually not much). The result inflicts its wound rating on a character. This game can be deadly- taking 5 points of damage from a single attack will cause uncontrollable bleeding or (for 'bruising' damage) unconsciousness. Taking any amount of damage over mind rating will cause unconsciousness anyway. Taking 10 points in a single attack will kill, as will taking 20 points in total. Taking wounds over half of mind rating will cause an extra penalty die to be applied to rolls. Card play can reduce wounds by the level of the card (or eliminate the damage for a face card). Because the results depend on who scores better it doesn't matter who 'goes first' in a one-on-one fight- the guy who hits is assumed to have gone first.
Now, that's the basic system. The 'Advanced Fighting' course has more advanced stuff, like rolling for initiative (which uses mind stat). The turn is thus divided into three steps: Declare actions, make combat rolls, and resolve actions. The declare actions phase starts with lowest initiative roll first, going up, allowing a higher-initiative character to react to another character's action. It is assumed that a character is always defending himself in addition to attacking unless he declares multiple actions or performs a complex action (like 'Use Hypnotic Power'). In this system there are a few opportunities to gain a bonus die, such as performing only a single action (as opposed to attacking and defending) or performing a full-phase defense with a fencing weapon. Performing three actions as opposed to the standard two requires a penalty die. Multiple attacks generally require a weapon in each hand, or a tommy gun (which allows up to ten targets), but in any case a character cannot attack the same target more than once per turn.
Again, wounds are applied as a base damage rating for a successful attack. Resistance based on raw muscle rating is only 1 to 3 for characters with muscle from 11 to 20 rating. The wounds section also lists damage to limbs, which is normally done only with a targeted attack. Such an attack does two less wounds, but a result of two wounds will cause a penalty die for actions with that limb, four wounds will incapacitate it, and six will destroy or sever it. Every ten minutes of rest recovers one wound of 'bruising' damage and every day of rest recovers one wound of non-bruising damage. There is also a 'mook' rule called "The Quick Kill" allowing a PC to dispatch a non-important NPC by doing at least three levels of bruising damage.
The book states: "Analytical readers may note that it is very easy to get killed in this system, which is true... few pulp heroes were confident in their ability to dodge bullets." The goal, basically, is to encourage roleplay and tactics more than brute force. This is, after all, a pre-superhero genre, and characters are not going to be bulletproof.
This chapter also goes over "Hazards" like natural fire, electricity, and the like. The hazards section includes damage from falling, and the skill results for climbing, tightrope walking, and swinging on a line. Disease is treated as a plot device, whereas poisons and intoxicants are given more rules to reflect their use in the pulp stories. Exposure in the wilderness can cause automatic wound damage, which is relevant when trying to survive in exotic locales. There is also a "Fright" rule for threatening situations, which is most appropriate in Lovecraftian scenarios; given that a fright check could be triggered just from having a gun pointed at you, the rule can be potentially crippling in normal situations.
Because mysteries and investigations are a major part of the pulp genre, this chapter goes over GMing these scenarios, pointing out that not every player is going to be a master of criminology or conversation. For instance the player is allowed to roll his savvy stat against difficulty 10 if his PC does something that would be inappropriate, because: "Unfortunately, not all players speak eloquently or understand tact." Most info-gathering skills use a brains or mind roll, depending on each case.
Chapter 6- Developing Characters briefly goes over the rules for character advancement with experience. The book points out that most fiction characters do not change much over stories and in a few cases pulp characters actually became weaker as a more "realistic" story style became more popular. Thus, the chapter goes from the interesting premise that characters rarely learn anything new in the way of skills; rather any abilities gained with experience represent aspects that the character always had but hadn't needed to reveal up to that point. Because of this assumption, it is actually easier to buy a new ability than to improve one the character already has. Players earn 'hero points' for character improvement by roleplaying within the genre and in character, according to the following guidelines: Cool Ideas, Experience, Roleplaying and Virtue. At the start of a campaign, each stat is listed at 0, but a player can 'challenge a bonus' and if the d10 roll exceeds the current bonus for the category, that stat goes up by one, earning one hero point but also increasing the difficulty of future challenges. "Cool Ideas" means doing something extra to enhance the game, like developing a poetic-justice scheme against a villain. "Experience" is simply accomplishing the mission or experiencing a new thing. "Roleplaying" should be assessed for in-character play where upholding the character's personal code puts him at risk. Likewise, "Virtue" means doing the right thing even when that puts the character at risk or forces him to challenge his own vices.
Because "new" abilities are actually revealed abilities that the character already had, the player should only take a new specialty or schtick in the middle of play if it is something that he could have had and had not already been able to use before. (For example, if the character fights ineptly with a sword, he should not later take the fencing specialty.) Learning actual new abilities assumes roleplaying of the appropriate events; e.g. the scholar who is forced to take up a sword in the Lost World can challenge his Experience rating and gain the fencing specialty. In either case the PC spends one hero point. Gaining a special schtick is more complicated in that these require some kind of "radiation accident" or, in the case of gadgets and spells, special research. Schticks also cost their full hero point rating to purchase.
Chapter 7- Driving the Stories is the GM's advice chapter, providing "training wheels" for the novice GM and ideas for more experienced GMs. It starts by telling the GM to define the parameters of his game, in terms of how tough the characters are supposed to be and how realistic the setting is (which determines what schticks are available). For example it's pointed out that "real" magic in Pulp literature was rare or usually in the hands of villains, and there was often a rationalist explanation for what seemed to be an occult event ('while this trope is often identified with the Scooby Doo cartoon of the 1970s, it was actually inspired by I Love a Mystery, a great radio series of the Forties'). As an aid, there is a list of campaign ideas with a list of Chapter 2 templates that are most appropriate for each (e.g. a jungle exploration scenario is good for the Wild Man, Professor or even Feisty Heroine but not the Cowboy or G-Man).
It's also pointed out that the freedom of players in a game can throw a wrench in a GM's plan, especially when the PCs have access to high speed travel; if the GM did all his research in expectation that the group would fly to Cairo, and they decide to go to the East Indies instead, all that work gets nowhere. So it's suggested to provide hooks for each PC to want to go to Egypt- the Professor is given a map to the tombs, the Reporter is assigned to cover the coronation of the new King in Cairo, and so on. The chapter defines "hooks" in terms of simple formulae developed by veteran Pulp writers, and they usually come in four types: Solicitation (someone asks or assigns the character to do something), Disaster (characters are caught in the midst of a disaster event), Rumor (report of useful info) and Attack (someone decides to attack or kidnap a main character or his loved ones). The book assigns random dice values to each of these on a table where the GM can look up a certain hook for an adventure.
After this the book goes into proper NPC design, pointing out that it isn't necessary to come up with all the stats and resources of every given character, even major characters, unless they're supposed to be involved in combat. Appropriately this section lists a tab of brief opponent templates ranging from "Bug Eyed Monster" to "Sleazy Investigator." There is also a random table of quirks to make major villains "ridiculously eccentric." The NPC section also includes writeups for beasts, including rules for swarm attacks (insects). There are also writeups for undead monsters, which of course became popular with the Universal horror movies.
This chapter also has rules for random "Pulp Locations" with a random table for adventure location that is more likely to go farther afield the less "Gritty" and more "Fantastic" the campaign setting is. There are also random tables for site locations, including different ones for 'modern', 'frontier', 'exotic' and wilderness locations. There is also a table for "MacGuffins," or "something for which all the characters want badly enough to kill, but as far as the story is concerned, it does not matter what the object is."
As in Spirit of the Century, this book emphasizes the passage of time, as a means of creating ticking-clock tension in the scene, or as a means of establishing a timetable for the clues in a mystery. The sense of time is also needed for creating cliffhangers, of course. Speaking of mysteries, this chapter reviews the mystery genre not only in terms of "whodunit" but why, and how the event creates clues that the detective character can solve, with an emphasis on tweaking the standard clue pattern of the genre, especially given how many real authors had to do the same as the genre got familiar. One especially useful section goes over samples of codes and how they can be solved. With regard to the cliffhanger, the book reviews examples of typical pulp deathtraps, emphasizing that these should be distinguished from fantasy-dungeon traps that are simply designed to main people who don't check everything. The pulp deathtrap is a plot device to build tension in the story, and it should be both deadly and something that a clever hero can escape. For one thing, if the game session does end with a deathtrap-cliffhanger, that gives the PCs more time to think of a way out.
Finally the text has a very useful Appendix with GM-screen type info on the values of cards, modifiers for target size and range in combat, the skill categories, and so on. After this of course there is an Index, plus a sampler of "Disposable Heroes" paper foldup miniatures.
SUMMARY
Two-Fisted Tales is in the solid middle of two extremes when it comes to game design in general and Pulp gaming in particular. With Hero System and its Pulp HERO supplement, you have a game that tries to cover all the bases and a sourcebook with loads of detail for those who aren't already Pulp experts. Then you've got Spirit of the Century, which is deliberately designed on the 'pickup game' concept to make things as simple as possible to get into. Thus Two Fisted Tales is easier to get into than a HERO game but not as easy to learn as SotC, which is important given that it is its own game system and not based on a familiar system like White Wolf's Adventure! It is at least an effective system, and attractive because of its use of the card deck as a random element, so while it doesn't have the advantages of the other Pulp games, it has its own merits and is still worth picking up.
Style: 4
This book gets a high style rating because the sidebar art and cutaways include a lot of authentic, or authentic-looking, Pulp lit illustrations, and even the stuff that's drawn for the book, while not the greatest art, conveys the genre very well.
Substance: 3
Two-Fisted Tales again, doesn't have the advantages of the other Pulp games but has a lot of good features to start a pulp campaign (many of which, like the random tables, can always be used in other genres and game systems).
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