Help: Looking for Cooperative (Pulp) Rules without GM

[assi]

Hi,

I'm looking for some rules to some pulpy .. light RPG thingy .. something.

Background: I played RPG years ago with some guys and now we want to do something like that again, but with lighter rules and, if possible, without a DM. Kind of Zombiecide or Descent where everybody plays against a ruleset. We are a bit under the zombie fatigue, so everybody was excited when we came up with the Pulp idea.

I checked/hoped the .45 Adventure or Pulp Alley Rules could provide something like that, due to the fact that they provide more story driven mechanics as other systems. The Character building rules of both rule systems would suffice as "light rpg" for us, but I haven't found anything about that in the Pulp Alley Rule Book and the .45 Free Rules. Is there maybe an expansion I am not aware of?

I also stumbled over "Hour of Glory", but haven't read the rules so far.



So any tips or pointers if and how we could pull that of?

thx in advance

[Duke Donald]

I would also be very keen on a ruleset like the one you describe but haven't found it either. I seem to remember having read  that Dave and Mila were considering the development of an RPG supplement for Pulp Alley, but I have no idea about the planned release.

I had some success running Pulp Alley as an RPG light, with the following modification 1. no hard turn limit unless the end is imposed by the scenario (e.g. the place explodes or the Nazis swarm the place once the alarm is given). 2. Each player has a leader and can spend an additional two points to spend as they want, on abilities, kit or followers. The weakness is that there is no character progression system which has to be house-ruled, I feel this is not a major issue for a cooperative game as long as the GM exerts some common sense.

Rules which would allow playing without a GM would be amazing but after thinking about it for quite a while, I concluded this is near impossible. Even with super-tight rules,  it seems very difficult to have foes behaving in a more interesting way than zombies. The other problem is how to create an interesting story without some of the elements being left to discover by the players.

[assi]

Hour of Glory seems to have some AI Rules for Sentries, but that#s as far as it gets and you still need a GM.

[Duke Donald]

I didn't know about "Hour of Glory". It looks like an interesting concept but quite limited in terms of narrative. I'm not convinced it is a good basis for a Pulp RPG.

[Tom Reed]

You might look at "Larger Than Life" (I hope that's the right name.) by 2 Hour Wargames.

[assi]

http://www.twohourwargames.com/lathlidicut.html

That looks great! I'll have a look

thx!

[chrisw]

'larger than life - directors cut' has only just been released and you can still buy the original version so make sure you get the right one.  I have just bought the rules and am reading through them.  They seem very good - comprehensive and fun!  two hour wargames work very well for solo or group against the game.  well worth the money.

[d phipps]

We frequently use Pulp Alley for coop and solo games. Works great! 

To control the "other" forces we put together some very simple guidelines. Check this thread -- http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=62050.0


HAVE FUN

[assi]

will do! thx

[julesav]

You might want to take a look at 'Savage Worlds' - it's a fairly light RPG with a load supplements for various genres including Pulp. There's also an online downloadable library of one session adventures for the various settings. Technically it needs a GM but I'm pretty sure you could get around that 'convention' fairly easily.

[julesav]

PS I'm sure Pulp Alley would work just as well!

[grendal]

7TV stuff might work too.

http://www.crooked-dice.co.uk/wp/rules/7tv/