Which rules?

[StoneMtnMinis]

Looking at a multi-player pulp adventure for the local club.  Which rules and locals would you recomend for this type of game.  Prefer something simple to intro the members to this period/area.

Thanks in Advance.

[FramFramson]

On this forum, you'll get a near-unanimous suggestion of Pulp Alley.

There's a reason for that level of consensus - it's one of, if not the best miniature Adventure-Skirmish rules ever published.

[NickNascati]

A second recommendation for Pulp Alley.  Just a terrific set of rules.

[warrenpeace]

Fram is right. A decade ago the answer might have been .45 Adventure from Rattrap. But for the last decade Pulp Alley has been dominating this genre of gaming. There are some other options that will sometimes be mentioned. But Pulp Alley is at least 75% of what we discuss these days, if not more. Here's why:

1. Was developed to play with kids --- this means that it's simple enough to teach to a kid, is fast playing enough to hold a kid's interest, and is not too graphic in the details of how wounds happen (you're not looking up how a .45 slug nearly took off the character's arm so that the character will bleed out and die in X turns).

2. Being kid friendly also means that it may be palatable for wives, girlfriends, and friends who might not like too graphic a description of wounds and death, or too slow and detailed a system, allowing more people to share the fun experience with you.

3. System allows for solo play, two player, or multiplayer (up to about 5), with or without a game master. This means you can enjoy it in a variety of ways.

4. Card system is fun.

5. Doesn't require big space or a lot of miniatures.

I would say more, but I need to go drink a beer. I'll leave you with one image from a Pulp Alley game:

[lethallee61]

Another vote for Pulp Alley - accept no substitutes.

A miniatures game that also allows you to add as many RPG elements as you wish to your gameplay, especially if you run it with a dedicated Umpire.

[Sinewgrab]

Again with the Pulp Alley.  I love it for its simple versatility.

And I do not disagree with any of the above comments.  Not even Warren's.

[warrenpeace]

And I do not disagree with any of the above comments.  Not even Warren's.

 

I once went back and read every thread in this Pulp section of LAF in order to trace the development of Pulp Alley and how it gradually supplanted .45 Adventure as the "go to" set of rules for this genre. Pulp Alley was extensively playtested over a number of years. It was not released in a "half-baked" condition. What was there was what actually worked as a game.

Pulp Alley doesn't come from a "wargame" heritage. It's not a simulation. The closest thing I can compare it to is Savage Worlds, the light role-playing game. Pulp Alley is entirely about having fun.

[Codsticker]

One of the amazing things about Pulp Alley is both how incredibly versatile yet straight forward the rule set is. A big part of that is the Plot Point/Peril/Challenge system which, although vague with regards to details (those are left up to the players), it allows a quick resolution to every risky situation, feat of daring or item/NPC  a character can encounter. Quite "tight" actually.

I also like In Her Majesty's Name but it is really geasred toward a specific period.

[blacksoilbill]

Yes, another Pulp Alley vote. I agree with the above comments.The rules really are excellent for multiplayer games.

[ragsthetiger]

Pulp Alley, for all the above reasons, and because it is just inherently so much fun to play.  In 30 years of miniature gaming, I've never seen a game system that can do so many things so effortlessly and so well.  If you can think it up, you can game it out in Pulp Alley.  In recent Pulp Alley games I have:

• Fought with undead pirates to recover a lost treasure.
• Solved the mystery of a missing gang lord.
• Staged a dogfight between a flock of harpies and a flying light delivery van.

To conclude, here is a shot of some cowboys taking on an invasion of Cthulhu monsters, in Pulp Alley:

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

No need to say any more, it's all been said!

[Panama]

Depending on how many players you have you might need to think how to go about setting things up, Pulp Alley depending on the scenario been played works for between 2-4 players, above 4 Dave thinks your better off splitting the game into to different tables, so if 6 players go 3 &3.

If you've a lot of players & wanted more of a RPG feel with everyone on the same table then astonishing tales would work & its very rules light, or 45 adventure would also work, tbh I don't think you go wrong with any of the 3, its more just down to what you want

[Ghost]

Pulp Alley fits perfectly but I think we can also mention "Fistful of Lead: Galactic Heroes" which can very well adapt to pulp, even if it is originally intended for sci-fi.

[Treebeard]

I think that, surprisingly, nobody mentions Pulp Alley yet !?

[Andrew_McGuire]

If Pulp's up your alley, it really has to be...sorry, the name escapes me. I'm sure someone will mention it, though.