Best OR Cheapest (free?) Pulp rules

[Bellboy]

My eldest son and his best friend are getting into tabletop / RPG (both aged 11) through our local gaming club.  They currently play D&D but I'm thinking of turning them over to Pulp (more fun, more action, less hobbits).

I've got the figures, the scenery...but no rules.  I don't want to blow a load of moolah so can anyone recommend either a set of rules that will stand the test of time (i.e. adaptable, flexible) or which are cheap / free so I can try them out on the boys to see if the genre is something they'd like?

It seems that .45 adventures is a popular choice but it appears a bit Games Workshop-ish (i.e. you don't just buy one book, you have to buy one after another after another to play different scenario types).  Am I wrong?

Thanks.

[Onebigriver]

Rugged Adventures is probably your best bet.

http://www.pulpfigures.com/mebob.php?custID=202

[argsilverson]

one set of rules at the cheapest side i.e. FREE is Pulp Figures own rules:
the link is:

http://www.pulpfigures.com/download.php?custID=79166781051234262257

it is obvious because Pulp figures have a very nice of .... err.... pulp figures!!!!

I am not an authority in rules and I cannot recommend any set.
In fact I liked the .45 adventures and Dragon bones.
There is also another site with free rules of every kind.

here is also a link on TMP about pulp rules:
http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=145254

and another site with free rules and a good story for pulp (gangsters):
http://www.tabletoptitans.com/rules/0001.php

[dodge]

Rugged Adventures is probably your best bet.

http://www.pulpfigures.com/mebob.php?custID=202

I have that one and its pretty good, I also have Howard Whitehouses one which I also liked and I can't remember the name , I have .45 and that's good too. You can buy supps if you want or not or you can make up your own stuff.

dodge

[gamer Mac]

I like Rattrap .45.
Even with the basic book you can come up with just about any subject or setting.
You don't have to buy the other books. But well worth it if you do.
I believe that there is a free trial set at Rattraps site.
Richard "Operator No 5" who wrote .45 is a regular visitor to this Forum so expect a reply from him.
 

[revford]

What kind of adventures are you looking for?  Detectives?  Gangsters?  Horror?  Back of Beyond?

How many models?  Massed Armies?  Squad on Squad Skirmish?  Individual Heroes?

There are set of free intro rules on the Rattrap website so you can give .45 Adventures a go for free.  The extra books generally add new settings rather than being needed for most Pulp stories.  The Rattrap system is great for Individual Heroes, it covers thinking as well as shooting which is great.

For Skirmishes, Legends of the Old West from Warhammer Historical is a great system, as is the Reaction System from Two Hour Wargames.  2HW have just released a Pulp variant called "Larger Than Life" I've not seen yet but could be worth a look, we've enjoyed using Nuts! the WWII version and 5150 the Sci-Fi one.

For bigger battles, I've not tried as I don't play games that big, but everyone here seems to love Triumph & Tragedy, there is a whole section of this forum dedicated to it.  

[Operator5]

As stated, you don't need to buy any of the supplements for .45 Adventure. The main rulebook covers all the basic rules you need and as revford has done, you can tweak things from there easily.

The supplements add new things, but unlike GW, it's not a power spiral supplement model. Think of the supplements more as modules like D&D offers. There might be some new rules added, but it's mostly about the scenarios.

Take a look at all our free downloads and you and your son take a look at them.

http://rattrapproductions.com/speakeasy/viewforum.php?f=8

[Burgundavia]

I would go with .45 Adventures. You don't need to buy every single book just to play a game and for the most part, the expansions are well worth it. I am originally a miniatures gamer converted into a D&Der and still play both. I find Pulp to be a good mix of both roleplaying and wargaming, as it has the visually interesting aspects of wargaming with the figures and scenery as well as the individual-scale of a roleplaying game.

[Bellboy]

Thanks for all the replies - your help is much appreciated.

Bellboy