This is a site for discussing roleplaying games. Have fun doing so, but there is one major rule: do not discuss political issues that aren't directly and uniquely related to the subject of the thread and about gaming. While this site is dedicated to free speech, the following will not be tolerated: devolving a thread into unrelated political discussion, sockpuppeting (using multiple and/or bogus accounts), disrupting topics without contributing to them, and posting images that could get someone fired in the workplace (an external link is OK, but clearly mark it as Not Safe For Work, or NSFW). If you receive a warning, please take it seriously and either move on to another topic or steer the discussion back to its original RPG-related theme.

Author Topic: Are there any true Pulp Bestiaries?  (Read 1339 times)

GeekyBugle

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7399
  • Now even more Toxic
Are there any true Pulp Bestiaries?
« on: April 20, 2021, 07:04:38 PM »
I mean ERB, REH and their peers, Venus, Moon, Mars, Pellucidar, etc.

Or at the very least a compiled list of the flora, fauna and sentients?

If anyone knows of either and has a link I would deeply appreciate it.
Quote from: Rhedyn

Here is why this forum tends to be so stupid. Many people here think Joe Biden is "The Left", when he is actually Far Right and every US republican is just an idiot.

“During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.”

― George Orwell

Slambo

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • S
  • Posts: 411
Re: Are there any true Pulp Bestiaries?
« Reply #1 on: April 20, 2021, 07:22:52 PM »
I domt know of one but now i wanna make one.

GeekyBugle

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7399
  • Now even more Toxic
Re: Are there any true Pulp Bestiaries?
« Reply #2 on: April 20, 2021, 07:30:13 PM »
I domt know of one but now i wanna make one.

I found one for mars, OSR too. https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/171363

Still searching for Venus, Moon, Pellucidar, Etc.
Quote from: Rhedyn

Here is why this forum tends to be so stupid. Many people here think Joe Biden is "The Left", when he is actually Far Right and every US republican is just an idiot.

“During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.”

― George Orwell

moonsweeper

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 944
Re: Are there any true Pulp Bestiaries?
« Reply #3 on: April 20, 2021, 09:29:55 PM »
The author of that book also has a couple of books called Beasties and Beasties II, but I think they are more fantasy oriented.
He goes by thomden on here so you could probably ask him if he knows of something like you are looking for.

https://www.therpgsite.com/profile/?u=4822
"I have a very hard time taking seriously someone who has the time and resources to protest capitalism, while walking around in Nike shoes and drinking Starbucks, while filming it on their iPhone."  --  Alderaan Crumbs

"Just, can you make it The Ramones at least? I only listen to Abba when I want to fuck a stripper." -- Jeff37923

"Government is the only entity that relies on its failures to justify the expansion of its powers." -- David Freiheit (Viva Frei)

GeekyBugle

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7399
  • Now even more Toxic
Re: Are there any true Pulp Bestiaries?
« Reply #4 on: April 20, 2021, 09:30:47 PM »
The author of that book also has a couple of books called Beasties and Beasties II, but I think they are more fantasy oriented.
He goes by thomden on here so you could probably ask him if he knows of something like you are looking for.

https://www.therpgsite.com/profile/?u=4822

Thanks!
Quote from: Rhedyn

Here is why this forum tends to be so stupid. Many people here think Joe Biden is "The Left", when he is actually Far Right and every US republican is just an idiot.

“During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.”

― George Orwell

GeekyBugle

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7399
  • Now even more Toxic
Re: Are there any true Pulp Bestiaries?
« Reply #5 on: April 20, 2021, 11:19:32 PM »
Well I found one, too much money, so the search continues....

https://www.amazon.com/Burroughs-Bestiary-Encyclopaedia-Monsters-Imaginary/dp/0450034429
Quote from: Rhedyn

Here is why this forum tends to be so stupid. Many people here think Joe Biden is "The Left", when he is actually Far Right and every US republican is just an idiot.

“During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.”

― George Orwell

Slambo

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • S
  • Posts: 411
Re: Are there any true Pulp Bestiaries?
« Reply #6 on: April 21, 2021, 01:27:02 AM »
I domt know of one but now i wanna make one.

I found one for mars, OSR too. https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/171363

Still searching for Venus, Moon, Pellucidar, Etc.

Thanks, another for my collection

Pat
BANNED

  • BANNED
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • ?
  • Posts: 5252
  • Rats do 0 damage
Re: Are there any true Pulp Bestiaries?
« Reply #7 on: April 21, 2021, 01:33:26 AM »
These are more tangential than direct, but:

The Wildlife of Star Wars: A Field Guide
The World of Kong: A Natural History of Skull Island

Star Wars and especially King Kong have pulp roots, and those two bestiaries are spectacular. Great art, imaginative creatures, lush detail, and much of that could be plopped into a pulp game. But to be clear, neither of these have anything to do with RPGs. They're just background material for the settings.

Edit: And if you're not aware of them, Grey Elf has a bunch of OD&D Supplement-style booklets. None are bestiaries, but there are three for Conan and one for Barsoom. May be vaguely related to what you're looking for.
https://www.grey-elf.com/ (you can tell it's old school because it has links to non-existent webrings)
« Last Edit: April 21, 2021, 01:49:31 AM by Pat »

GeekyBugle

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7399
  • Now even more Toxic
Re: Are there any true Pulp Bestiaries?
« Reply #8 on: April 21, 2021, 02:03:42 AM »
These are more tangential than direct, but:

The Wildlife of Star Wars: A Field Guide
The World of Kong: A Natural History of Skull Island

Star Wars and especially King Kong have pulp roots, and those two bestiaries are spectacular. Great art, imaginative creatures, lush detail, and much of that could be plopped into a pulp game. But to be clear, neither of these have anything to do with RPGs. They're just background material for the settings.

Edit: And if you're not aware of them, Grey Elf has a bunch of OD&D Supplement-style booklets. None are bestiaries, but there are three for Conan and one for Barsoom. May be vaguely related to what you're looking for.
https://www.grey-elf.com/ (you can tell it's old school because it has links to non-existent webrings)

Thanks, will look for those for sure.

Going to that link ASAP.
Quote from: Rhedyn

Here is why this forum tends to be so stupid. Many people here think Joe Biden is "The Left", when he is actually Far Right and every US republican is just an idiot.

“During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.”

― George Orwell

Omega

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • O
  • Posts: 17093
Re: Are there any true Pulp Bestiaries?
« Reply #9 on: April 22, 2021, 11:41:47 AM »
OD&D had a small few. I recall a White Ape and a Green Man. Probably more that do not remember.

Probably the best without being directly referencing outside their setting is Call of Cthulhu. Using the creatures from that you can pretty much re-create anything else. Conan in particular as they share quite a bit of data.Especially if you adapt the old Shades of Grey rules for playing CoC as a Pulp Hero setting rather than a weird horror one. Though some did merge the two. Shades of Grey is the LARP expansion, but its still very applicable to the RPG.

A weird one to use, but is immensely adaptable to this is TSR's Marvel Superheroes RPG. The system is so totally flexible that you can build up about any pulp hero and beastiary with the tools provided.

Same for the Polyhedron conversions. d20 and then d20 Modern Pulp Heroes and/or d20 Modern Iron Lords of Jupiter. Converting monsters to their pulp equivalents.

Past that theres been some occasional entries in RPG magazines way back for things like this. Early White Dwarf had a few.


GeekyBugle

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7399
  • Now even more Toxic
Re: Are there any true Pulp Bestiaries?
« Reply #10 on: April 22, 2021, 12:21:17 PM »
OD&D had a small few. I recall a White Ape and a Green Man. Probably more that do not remember.

Probably the best without being directly referencing outside their setting is Call of Cthulhu. Using the creatures from that you can pretty much re-create anything else. Conan in particular as they share quite a bit of data.Especially if you adapt the old Shades of Grey rules for playing CoC as a Pulp Hero setting rather than a weird horror one. Though some did merge the two. Shades of Grey is the LARP expansion, but its still very applicable to the RPG.

A weird one to use, but is immensely adaptable to this is TSR's Marvel Superheroes RPG. The system is so totally flexible that you can build up about any pulp hero and beastiary with the tools provided.

Same for the Polyhedron conversions. d20 and then d20 Modern Pulp Heroes and/or d20 Modern Iron Lords of Jupiter. Converting monsters to their pulp equivalents.

Past that theres been some occasional entries in RPG magazines way back for things like this. Early White Dwarf had a few.

Thanks for the tips, Pulp Heroes/Iron Lords of Jupiter have tools for converting monsters?
Quote from: Rhedyn

Here is why this forum tends to be so stupid. Many people here think Joe Biden is "The Left", when he is actually Far Right and every US republican is just an idiot.

“During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.”

― George Orwell

Omega

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • O
  • Posts: 17093
Re: Are there any true Pulp Bestiaries?
« Reply #11 on: April 22, 2021, 01:37:43 PM »
I'd have to look it up but odds are its just advice on eyeballing it. I know very little of d20m's beastiarys, if any. the d20 version of Pulp Heroes seems to have been meant to work with 3e's monsters where could fit. Dinos, anything can be a weird experiment for example.

A glance through both Iron Lords articles and both Pulp Hero entries shows no real notes on how so its just eyeballing and using something existing as a framework.

Pulp Heroes is fairly straightforward for playing everything from the Shadow to Spy Smasher to the Rocketeer and even just various pulp explorers of fantastic lands. Pretty much the same for WW's Aberrant pulp hero version. Adventure!

Iron Lords of Jupiter is for playing planet romance type settings. John Carter and Flash Gordon-esque adventures on an alien world.

Hero system might have a version that covers some of this. But its a system I know very little of.
But looks like they had a whole line called... Pulp Hero.
« Last Edit: April 22, 2021, 01:53:18 PM by Omega »

Omega

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • O
  • Posts: 17093
Re: Are there any true Pulp Bestiaries?
« Reply #12 on: April 22, 2021, 02:46:36 PM »
Checking the Hero System's Pulp Hero PDFs looks like Inner Earth has some dinosaurs and Solar Smith & the Sky Pirates of Arcturus covers Flash Gordon style tales. But no mention of monsters or creatures. Could be in one of the other booklets but seems standard Hero approach to build it to fit.

GeekyBugle

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7399
  • Now even more Toxic
Re: Are there any true Pulp Bestiaries?
« Reply #13 on: April 22, 2021, 04:34:31 PM »
Checking the Hero System's Pulp Hero PDFs looks like Inner Earth has some dinosaurs and Solar Smith & the Sky Pirates of Arcturus covers Flash Gordon style tales. But no mention of monsters or creatures. Could be in one of the other booklets but seems standard Hero approach to build it to fit.

Thanks dude, I keep searching too.
Quote from: Rhedyn

Here is why this forum tends to be so stupid. Many people here think Joe Biden is "The Left", when he is actually Far Right and every US republican is just an idiot.

“During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.”

― George Orwell

Omega

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • O
  • Posts: 17093
Re: Are there any true Pulp Bestiaries?
« Reply #14 on: April 22, 2021, 04:47:34 PM »
I's say unless it is a IP specific book then most will be along the lines of either "convert existing stuff to fit." or "build what you need with the system."
Hero and MSH are both pretty much made of this. Though MSH has more examples by way of modules.