Generic Pulp Adventure Jumpchain v.8

Generic Pulp Adventure Jumpchain

Pulp!  The word alone is enough to evoke heady idealism, exotic adventure, and heroism.  When the edges of the map were still blurred with mystery and the unknown.  Where daring men and women could seek out those edges and return changed, dripping with wealth or made weird by secrets unknown to man.  A time of soaring optimism and brilliant, electric energy!  Of dark mystery and lurid passions.

You're going to be spending the next ten years in a world where these pulp adventures were not myth, but fact.  Not fiction, but history.  Where dark alleyways of bright electric cities could still hide men of shadow striking out at evil.  Where bold adventurers charted the unknown, driven by a unquenchable thirst for knowledge.  When science held a mystery and limitless potential of it's own, unfettered by cynicism.  Pulp!  Let your tales be glorious, Jumper!



Time Period:

The tales of Pulp span decades;  you may choose which time period you like for free.

1920s;  The Roaring Twenties!  A time of energy and dynamism, the unchecked march of progress carrying men forward into a future made bright by genius and strong workers.  A time of mobsters and crime, of the bold and brave men whom would fight against them.  America is dry, and in the world are tales of men making great strides to challenge the unknown, gripping the world with adventure and passion they'd gladly die to fulfil.

1930s;  The Great Depression;  when shadows are cast long in the streets, and dynamic energy has long since turned to despair.  Things stir in this decade, long fingers of darkness reaching out to grasp the world.  Even now, there is still discovery to be made, though it has been turned inward; the familiar streets of yesteryear have become twisted and unknown.  What dark mysteries await?

1940s;  War!  Tragedy and despair rage across the world.  Yet heroism is still present, even now, as good men fight the good fight.  Will you stand against the unstoppable titans now raging across the globe in thier lust for power?  Will you be the knife in the dark, or a shining force for good?  The world awaits your choice!


Location:

While your travels may take you around the world, every story begins with a first step.  Roll a 1d8 to see where chance will place you and where you'll first make your mark.  In addition, your age and gender may be chosen at no cost.


1.  China - Tottering onto the world stage, China is a region wracked by dichotomy, steeped in ancient mystery and ruin, made grand by thousands of years of history, yet untried and untested in this bold new world that heralds tomorrow.  Caught amidst the steps of new empires, between democracy and warlords, between the ancient and the new, the mysteries and adventure the exotic orient contain could fill a lifetime - or several.

2.  North America - The United States of America!  Still riding high from the golden age, this brash youngster contains

3.  South America

4.  Europe

5.  Africa - The Dark Continent!  Dusky maidens and hidden, mysterious interiors draw adventurers seeking both knowledge and profit all.  Horrid whispers tell of ancient civilizations hidden within Africa's domain - and of the treasure to be found there.  Take care when braving it's myriad unknowns - who knows what could be lurking undisturbed by modern man...

6.  Middle East - The birthplace of civilization!  From the Arabic slave trade, to the Persian Empire, this is a place steeped in blood and riches.  What grand and terrible things can be found among the sands, lost to the ages?  What horrible secrets lay waiting for the bold and the brave to face them down?

7-8.Free Pick


Backgrounds;

  Drop-in (Free) Your years have brought you to this choice;  what is behind you is a known tale, but what lays before you is undiscovered and uncharted.  You are the unfettered man, striding across this bold new world - let your legend ring out to strike it's mark on history!

  The Family (Free) You have the blood of nobility within you, of kings, or the last of a long line that has been kept secret for centuries, made strange and strong by a plan that spans generations.  Something stirs within you, driving you forward to discover that which others fear.  Your strides are a challenge against the unknown.

  The Apex (Free) Yours is a grand mind.  So grand, that it could not be contained by the dusty halls of academic, or the machine shops where tomorrow is forged, or the hangers where the bold and the brave stand at the forefront of aeronautical daring.  Wether it is the skies above, mysteries unseen, or unearthed tombs below, you know you will be the first to witness.

  The Unbound (Free) Mystery lies at the edge of the world.  Wether you were born to it, stumbled across it, or were forced, you find yourself the herald of powers men have not witnessed in the waking world.  You are a myth arisen to stride forward into modern times.


[Perks and Abilities]


Bold and Beautiful (-100)  Your name and image are evocative.  When others hear it, your archetype is the first thing that springs to mind, even if it something short and innocuous.  This perk also grants you the choice of minor cosmetic alteration to your form, if you so choose; intensely piercing eyes, or bronze skin and brilliant red hair, or albinistic colouration.  No one will find these features odd, unnatural or off-putting.  At worst, they will find them distinctive, at best, alluring or exotic.

Gunplay (-100)  Projectile weapons are a well-used, familiar tool for you.  While your skills are far from supernatural, neither are they to be scoffed at - sometimes, it's simply enough to lay down a wall off bullets to fend off your foes.

Fisticuffs (-100)  Your fists are a well-honed weapon.  While others see fit to exhaust their time indulging in esoteric arts that hone the body to a weird and mysterious edge, you take a more straight forward approach.  You hit your opponent, and hit them well - a single strike from you is enough to stagger most men.  Why bother with arcane philosophies and hidden knowledge when a simple brawl is enough to deal with your opponent?

Exotic Weaponry (-100)  Whip, throwing knives, tonfa, staff, bow, blowgun - your taste of weapon runs toward the less common implements of war.  You know them, and know them well - you'll be able to use these exotic implements(and more) to keep up with your fellow gun-running adventurers.

Cartographer (-100)  Exploration and mapping are second nature to you.  Your maps are extremely accurate, and your topological measurements uncanny in their accuracy.  The only regret those that follow your maps will have is that they were not there with you when you made them.  You also gain the necessary skill to follow through with your mapping, such as survival and mountaineering; there is no environment you'll find yourself in that you cannot survive.  Further, your endurance for travelling such is supreme;  expect to find several hundred miles under your feet before your stamina begins to flag.

Well Travelled (-100)  You have travelled far and wide; exotic locales for others are well-loved and familiar for you.  New languages come to you almost effortlessly, and you're capable of fitting in to a new society with little to no trouble.  Even if your features are exotic to the local in question - say, a blonde haired, blue-eyed adventurer with Bedouin in the Arabic Peninsula, or travelling with monks in Tibet, your body language and skill at blending in with habit and clothing makes you simply another face in the crowd.



Beyond the Bounds (-200)(Discount Drop-in)  Even a foreigner in a strange land will find themselves chained by culture and precedence, restrained by habit and the crushing weight of time.  You are above this; a figure unconstrained by the normal rules of a society.  You may flaunt and break the taboo with impunity, or openly speak against long-held and cherished traditions without receiving scorn or ridicule.  You will never be censured or chastised for these attitudes or actions; something about your manner places you above the meagre and petty constraints of a culture.

Noble Blood (-200)(Discount Family)  Nobility tells.  You know it, as do others.  This perk grants you a near otherworldly charisma, an exotic, feral attraction that very few can deny.  More, people will be quick to defer to you if you take charge, seeing their rightful place in the world beneath your gracious and just command.

The Sharp Shooter (-200)(Discount Apex)  Your skill with the gun and rifle is beyond compare; nay, others regard it as supernatural.  You never miss a shot, and are more than capable of disarming a man with a careful sniping at 50 yards with a quickdraw.  More, trickshots come easy to you, allowing you to indulge in flourish and drama; say, should you feel the need to shoot a man's feet free off a concrete block, you can do as such without a single bullet touching him.

A Life Owed, a Life Taken (-200)(Discount Unbound)  When you save a man, you save more than his life.  You save all that could have been, all potential, all dreams, all hope.  People recognize this;  those that you save will be more willing to follow you or defer to your expertise.  More, betrayal will be unthinkable, even under extreme duress.  Treating them unfairly or abusing them, however, will find this effect broken - honour responds to honour.






(-400)(Discount Drop-in)

The Super Human (-400)(Discount Family)  Your willpower is beyond any peer.  More, it has grown to the point where flesh follows the mind;  through sheer force of will, you no longer age, nor require sustenance or sleep, and what wounds you gain you can close, accelerating your healing capabilities and sealing off bleeding.

The Captain (-400)(Discount Apex)  You are master of the sea and sky.  Where others dream of, you dare.  If it flies, sails, or rides, you can pilot it with supernatural, near-miraculous skill.  Airships, ships, submarines, single-seater aeroplanes, race cars - none are beyond your capability.  Others are superfluous under your guidance;  you could guide an ocean liner across the Atlantic single-handedly.  Even better, is the endurance to accomplish this feat; while you are at the helm of your choosen craft, you will not falter in endurance, nor need of food, drink, or sleep, and when you finish from your task, at worst, you will simply need a light nap and a snack.  Moreover, you are well-capable of repairing these marvellous machines; patching them back together is mere child's play for you.

(-400)(Discount Unbound)




[The Edge]


Heros and Legends are not something easily constrained.  They are not tame things.  You must forge your own myth and icon, Jumper.  There is no single capstone to choose from;  instead, there are multiple.  While Drop-ins lack a selection of Capstones, they may instead pick one of the perks below at a discount, and only one.


The Wolfe (-600)  (Discount Apex)  Your powers of observation and deduction are supernatural; your mental retention, superb.  You can recall an idle conversation you had a month ago without a problem, and are well able to know the exact date and time it occurred.  As such, you are a brilliant detective and investigator, piecing together the web of interaction that is human society;  how others think, how they would react, and why.  Morever, your tongue is smooth to match your deductive skills; you can pry secrets from a priest, and he'll thank you afterwards.

The Challenger (-600)  (Discount Apex)  Genius and Polymath only begin to describe your capabilities.  While other lesser men find themselves limited in their areas of knowledge, you rise well above them.  Physics, engineering, medicine, aeronautics, chemistry, archaeology, mathematics; you are master of them all, and more besides.  This breadth and depth of knowledge means that you are always at the cutting edge of creation.  The things you fashion with your hands are always decades before their time; binary computation, robotics, turbine propulsion, airships, submarines, rockets - you can single handedly craft the future.  As a side effect of this perk, you may also choose to gain an additional foot of height, likely placing you as a giant among men, your physical physique matching your mental fortitude well.

The Hunter (-600)  (Discount Family)  Humans are just another animal.  You know that better than most.  But you also know that they are the most noble of beasts, and you are a further cut above.  If there is a crown to be worn, you wear it proudly, and all other animals know it.  You have a near supernatural relationship with them, able to communicate and control, coax and convince with a look, body language, and simple force of personality.  When you command, they answer.  Your hunting skills are also without peer, able to track an target for tens of miles with naught but a brief scent on the wind.  Your endurance and strength also match this skill, and the acrobatics you can accomplish are downright uncanny.  Snapping the neck of an enraged lion would be a gentle warm up for what feats you can do.

The Body (-600)  (Discount Family)(Chen Zhen)


The Mind (-600)  (Discount Unbound)  Your mind has burgeoned and grown beyond the capabilities of normal men.  Perhaps your skills are driven by evil, and you were taught to harness this away in hidden monasteries to pay for the weight of your sin.  Or perhaps you were self taught, having stumbled across arcane tomes in forbidden libraries.  Whatever the cause, you possess the capability to overwhelm those of lesser mental strength, hiding away everything of your presence... except for your shadow.  Further, you have the powerful capability of suggestion, beguiling others into a course of action via a method similar to hypnotism; though for you, it is simply through your powerful force of will.  Further study and meditation will serve to unlock a meagre amount of psychokinesis, granting you the ability to lift simple objects with your mind.

The Element (-600)  (Discount Unbound)  You're unsure exactly how this came about.  Perhaps you were born on an auspicious date - January 1, 1900, perhaps?  Or you were exposed to a mysterious artefact, or blessed by a shaman.  Or perhaps, you are simply a freak of nature.  Whatever the cause, you find yourself a master of one of four elements - Cold, Electricity, Fire, or Darkness.  These blatantly supernatural abilities mark you as an archetype of these elements.  Your capabilities will start off meagre, but even this gives you a blatant edge among normal men.  While during your jump these abilities will never rise above, say, street-level in potency, you skill is not exempt; well-honed practice may open up new capabilities or application thereof on the microlevel.  Post jump, however, you will find the limits on your power weaning;  who knows how high you can climb?

[Items]

[Drop-ins get to pick two items to discount, discounts do not stack]

Companion Import (Free)

1911s (-50)(Free Drop-in)

Marvellous Turbo-pistols (-100)

Slouch Hat (-50)  This wide-brimmed, felt hat is the perfect finish for any outfit.  Further, it has an odd capability; if you so choose, no one will connect the activity you perform whilst this hat is donned with your public persona, instead attributing these actions to a mysterious figure no one knows the identity of.

Whip (-50)

Sword-Cane (-50)

Motorbike (-100)(Free Drop-In)  Stark, bare-bones, robust - all this and more describe this motorbike, who's frame speaks of endurance and stamina fit to withstand the hardest of challenges.  Far from the fastest, this bike is instead the toughest, fit to ride well into the rough outback or clogged jungle, to take a beating and come out smiling.  Off-road or asphalt, travelling on this bike will not be a chore, instead allowing your intrepid jumper to simply astride this conveyance and enjoy the ride.


The Office (-100)(Free Drop-in)  An almost absent gesture has you reach into your breast pocket; therein lies a professional business card, with your title and services offers embossed in florid script.  The address, however, is blank - it's but a trifle with a fountain pen to fill in where you hang your hat.

Once this is done, you'll know unerringly the path to a quiet alleyway nearest to the address you scripted in.  Down this alleyway is a door, leading to a long hallway; at the end of the hallway is a door with a frosted window, your name and title embossed large across it.  Past the door is a simple two-room office; spartan, equipped with a robust wooden desk and a coat hanger to place your hat and coat upon, and a couch to sleep upon.  At best, it offers you a quiet place to meet with clients, friends, and confidants, but it does have one other benefit;  if you place an ad for your services in a local paper, those who find need of them will also be able to unerringly find their way to your office - even if you decline to publish directions or address.

When you have need of such, this Office can easily be moved - you'll find that business card laying in your breast pocket, now blank.  It will not relocate until vacated and out of sight, though - attempting to travel this way is verboten.


Rocketpack (-200)(Discount Apex)  This deceptively simple, art-deco styled backpack is in truth a sophisticated result of dark aeronautics and black science, decades beyond it's time.  Despite this, it is rather simple to operate, relying in a mix of throttle control and body movements to allow for a myriad of three-dimensional manoeuvring through the skies.  It carries enough fuel for 8 hours of continuous flight - refuting it is but a simple procedure of filling it with aviation-quality gasoline.

Rolls Royce Silver Ghost (-200)

Cargo Sea Plane (-200 CP) This twin-engine cargo seaplane is the perfect conveyance for any adventurer, it's boat-like hull and pontoons allowing for landing and take off on any river or lake of appropriate size, in addition to it's lower-able wheels.  It's endurance is eternal; there is no need to refuel this air and sea-going conveyance, but it's cargo is limited - at best, there is enough for you, a co-pilot, and enough cargo space to outfit a well-appointed mission for you and 8 of your group.  Despite this, this sea-plane is miraculously built, robust in manufacture and very-well manoeuvred indeed - if anything, air-going acrobatics cause it to thrive under your touch.  Plus, it's nautical-landing capabilities make it well-equipped for awkward landings where other planes would be stymied, perhaps allowing for use as an impromptu base-camp.  It's default colouration is an off-shade gold and red, but it can easily be repainted.


Wealth (-300)(Discount Family)  You'll never have want or need of anything.  Perhaps your family was of old money, or secured their gold via ill-gotten methods that tarnish your reputation with a hint of black mystery to this day.  Or perhaps you're a self-made man; a ruthless business mogul that grew tired of such an easy challenge and now lets your investment linger out of boredom.  Or perhaps you secured your wealth via adventure, seeking out forgotten mines to grasp uncut jewels with your very hands.  However it was acquired, you're effectively a millionaire in whatever setting you find yourself in.  What's more, questions about your wealth and how it was obtained will always have a hint of exotic and evocative mystery about it.


The Train (-300)(Discount Family)  You reach within your pocket; therein, is a train schedule with the nearest train stop labelled clearly, but the time is blank.  The nub of a well-whittled pencil you carry with you is enough to fill in the time that must be, at a minimum, five minutes ahead of the time you're at now.  Arriving at the labelled train stop(which may be, at the least, a spot on the rails in the woods), you'll find the sharp whistle of announcement heralding the arrival of a steam train, a voluminous stack of smoke churning forth from a smoke-stack as it comes into sight, right on the pencilled-in time.

This opulent steam locomotive is well-appointed, with a private dining car(complete with stocked bar), a sleeper carriage(with private rooms for 9, complete with shower and toilet), baggage car, and parlour car to enjoy the long journey.  The train itself is well-staffed, though they seem to require neither sustenance, sleep, disappearing and appearing as needed; each individual, from the conductor to the porter to the barman, however, is supernaturally aware of the train's condition.

While the train itself has unlimited endurance, requiring neither upkeep nor fuel, it must still travel on rails to get to it's location.  However!  This does not mean that the Train itself is limited to one continent.  If need be, it can travel to another railway, even those located across the Pacific or Atlantic.  This journey always takes place at night; for the passengers, 8 hours pass, though for everyone else, the requisite amount of time required for the locomotive to make that journey would have transpired.  This makes for a pleasant and indulgent mode of travel for any gentle-Jumper, faster modes of travel may be required if they're in a race against time...




Airship (-300 CP)(Discount Apex)  This gilded and majestic creation of aeronautics is easily the queen of the skies - graceful, slow, and majestic.  While far from nimble, this airship is a zepplin fit to capture the imagination and evoke heady imagery of a possible past - where other lighter-than-air craft filled the skies without end.  Cabins, dining rooms, dancing hall, machine shops, aircraft bay - this Airship has all of the above, and more besides.  While slow, certainly, this creation also allows for nimble landings that other aeronautical designs would be unable to emulate, and sophisticated engineering means this airship does not need fear down-drafts or the like - when landed, it is a stable platform well appointed to serve as the headquarters of any convoy into the unknown.

In addition to the above, it's endurance is unending - it requires no refuelling.  Though the wise adventurer would be well to note that it is far from the fleetest of craft - if one wishes to thwart their enemies, faster conveyances might be advised.

Submersible (-300)

The Lair (-300)(Discount Unbound)  While others are fit to stand astride the peaks, obvious in their glory and indulging in the view that hides tomorrow, you are a less ostentatious sort.  More, your business is dangerous and secretive - your enemies numerous, their methods horrid and brutal.  For you, safety is paramount when it comes to relax from your many adventures, to lick your wounds and plan what evil you see fit to lance from the dark hearts of men.


[Hidden Lair - This Shadow Lair in the movies, or secluded Chinese Temple/Study]

The Mansion (-300)(Discount Family)  You glance down at your pinkie finger(or nearest equivalent), and find that a crest ring denoting you and you alone has been placed there.  It doesn't take much to find a piece of wax to seal a letter to send in the mail, and you don't think much of stamping your seal when you do.







The Tower (-300)(Discount Apex)  You reach into your back pocket; there you find a postcard you must have tucked there in an off moment, it's face showing an idyllic, beach-side shot with the words 'Greetings from Shell Beach' emblazoned across it.  It only takes a second to write an address on the other side and slip the postcard into a nearby mailbox.

When you travel to the address you scribbled down, you'll find a massive edifice of a skyscraper, a gorgeous and opulent display of art deco design.  A true marvel, a triumph of human engineering rising toward the heavens.  While you'll find it riddled with working offices, somehow, the true treasure to be found taking a private elevator up to the upper floors; five stories dedicated to your private offices, lair, penthouse suite, laboratories, and training rooms, all done up in exquisite architecture glorifying human achievement.  This tower is the perfect location to plan your next adventure, celebrate your victories, recover from your injuries, and watch the beautiful sights of the city below, a dazzling array of lights and humanity performing a neverending, energetic dance.  At the very top of your skyscraper, you'll find a docking level for the airship - or any other floating contrivance that may wish to stop there.  There is a mailbox directly outside your private elevator; there you'll find that postcard, unmarked and pristine.

There is a drawback, however; the Tower is limited in it's location.  The address must be somewhere amid the downtown area of a city, near it's beating heart and center, another skyscraper amid other skyscrapers.  Others won't remark upon this new addition, however, finding it was always there in their memories.  The post-card can be re-used in-jump; however, the tower will not transit to it's new location until vacated and out of sight by you and your companions.

Post-jump, the postcard can be utilized, with the same limitations; however, when the tower has not situated itself, it may still be accessed by an art deco edged door in your warehouse, it's grand windows looking down upon a bustling, eternally nocturnal cityscape.









[Drawbacks]

Wold-Newton Family (+0)  The dusty halls of pulp are seen by many as fantasy - but for you, they are fact hidden away from the world.  The personas so often thought of when the term 'pulp' is spoken are out there, and it's assured that your adventure here will likely cross theirs.

A Travel Through History (+0)  Before there were legends, there was history - the men and women that cast long shadows, who's mark on the world are still felt to this day.  You'll find your travels in this Jump criss-crossing with these men and women in excess - your daily life will quickly become a who's who of the time period.  Adventurers, politicians, forerunners, inventors, writers, singers, philanthropists, and more - expect to find your Jumper greeting them all.

His Apocalyptic Life!  (+0)  A single decade is not enough to travel through the world of Pulp - you'll start your jump on January 1, 1920, and have it end on December 31, 1949.

Hayseed (+100)  You sound like you were born in a barn.  Regardless of your background, you possess an aw-shucks country twang that makes others think of you as an un-educated, know-nothing country bumpkin.  Expect to be proving yourself, alot.

Ugly (+200)

Pirates!  (+200)

Libertine (+200)  You have your vices, be they food, alcohol, or tobacco.  While you keep your daily consumption classy, if people become cognizant of your constant intake, they would, more than likely, be disapproving.  Going without for even a day is enough to render you irritable and of short temper, likely making you vulnerable in other areas, as well.

The Shadow of Dark Gods (+300)  The long reach of forgotten gods and hidden cults will be a constant thorn in your side for the majority of this jump.  Horrid temples to unspeakable entities, unforgivable rites and sacrifices, the cold touch of evil forces conspiring to see you slain - all this and more will face you in your years here.

The Fourth Man (+300)  You awaken in a dilapidated cafe, a cup of cooling coffee in front of you, your clothes worn and dishevelled.  You have no memories of your prior jumps, nor access to the abilities and perks you gained from them.  While your companions are not so limited, they will be unable to bring up your past adventures beyond subtle nudging and hoping for the best.


[Notes]

References:  While it may seem odd that a Jumpchain would have references, 'Pulp' is a surprisingly broad genre with a myriad of influences.  While it's easy enough to think of, say, 'Indiana Jones' or 'The Shadow' and declare them as Pulp Adventure, if you need inspiration as to the kind of things that you'll encounter in this Jumpchain, here's a list of charachters and stories this Jumpchain was influenced by;

  Professor Challenger, G-8 and His Battle Aces, The Shadow, The Spider, The Shade(Comic), Planetary by Warren Ellis, Nero Wolfe,  Mr. Moto, The Avenger, Philip Marlowe, The Rocketeer, Tarzan, The Phantom, Lord Peter Whimsey,