RPG Review: Pulp Cthulhu

Horror is a very intriguing genre. Observing or playing characters that need to find non-violent solutions to an issue is a really fun way to play. I love a good horror rpg like Call of Cthulhu or Mothership and playing a squishy vulnerable character. But have you felt like that you just want to fight back, and have a decent chance against the horrors?

Pulp Adventures can range from epic pieces to investigations on a small-scale

Pulp Cthulhu is a horror action rpg where you can do that. But be warned, often the horrors pack more of a psychological punch too! If you’re new to this game, there are a few touchpoint pieces of media you could watch to get an idea of the genre. For pulp set in the 1920s/30s movies such as The Maltese Falcon (1941), The Mummy (1999) and Public Enemies (2009) may be excellent choices. And for what “modern pulp” looks like, watch Evil Dead 2 (1987), They Live (1988) and Big Trouble in Little China (1986). Pulp is a wide genre that combines an action thriller, with weird horror elements.

Public Enemies and Evil Dead 2: Pulp is a versatile genre, that can be played across different eras

The system itself is quite simple. Pulp Cthulhu uses a percentile type system; anything that rolls under a skill or characteristic is a success. And yes, this system does have a lot in common with CoC but varies in unique ways. Luck is a versatile resource, and while can be spent to succeed at rolls, it can also halve sanity damage or even avoid certain death – which leans into the pulp style. Even enemies in this system may have luck points, to increase the challenge for the players. Sanity is also very important here; after losing 5 or more and failing a SAN roll, heroes (characters) will have a bout of madness.

The Mummy (1999) – Bout of Madness are different in Pulp Cthulhu

Like any good pulp movie, the gameplay of Pulp Cthulhu has a similar feel. Unlike a standard CoC investigation that starts with a mystery, often pulp adventures begin in the middle of danger – in media res. That’s not saying that tradition investigations don’t happen in this system – look at any kind of noir, crime action or globetrotting adventure that start with a mystery, where the tale begins from a crime scene, the location of a robbery or a museum. A typical adventures in pulp Cthulhu typically involves some combat, a level of investigation and a deadly adversary (e.g cult, mythos entity etc) which is very sanity draining. Note the Pulp Cthulhu Rulebook contains 4 ready to play scenarios, which are great for new or veteran GMs.

The Maltese Falcon – Some adventures start as your usual mystery

To ensure that your character can challenge these threats, Pulp Cthulhu takes a unique approach to character creation. Before focusing on an occupation, a player is asked to choose a pulp archetype. While yes it increases their skills, it also helps to provide inspiration for a character that is ready for the threats out there. Pulp talents are also important here; players have choices of a range of talents that influence the game. These vary from physical talents (like Keen Hearing and Smooth Talker) to Mental (Hardened, Psychic Power) and misc talents (Scary, Weird Science, Resourceful etc) which change up gameplay.

The Maltese Falcon and Evil Dead 2 – Pulp Talents can change how you play

An often unexplored set of pulp talents explored by players and GMs are Psychic Powers. It covers a lot of ground from psychometry to clairvoyance and even Psychic attacks allow heroes to harness special abilities that give them advantages in situations – and more opportunities to lose more Sanity. Weird Science will also change how heroes approach an investigation/adventure, and give them unique ways to resolve it.

A pulp adventure can take your game to the next level

And yes, while this is a massive post Pulp Cthulhu is a system you need to check out for yourself. It uses the simplicity of the Call of Cthulhu ruleset and add skills to ensure the characters can survive tougher adversaries and psychological challenges. So if you’re looking for a system that gives your players a fighting chance check this out!