General Pulp/DieselPunk/Occult/Nazi thread.

[trappedslider]

I have a document with the stats for various items from history incliding the spear of destiny among others,if you want i can psot it here

[Tema69]

@ Johannixx: Although it seems really interesting, I'm not sure I understand the whole ordeal, having neither read "Who goes there" nor seen "The Thing". Would you mind explaining that to me?
Does it occupy/possess the PC?

I like the dilemma though.

@ Trappedslider: Please, do post it.

[trappedslider]

Spear of Destiny
Description: The Spear of Destiny is an ancient weapon. Forged near the beginning of time it has seen more battles and death than any other weapon in existence. Its most famous application was the piercing of Christ’s side by the centurion Longinus. From this singular event the Spear was cursed; anybody wielding the spear was destined to violent and bloody end, usually with its loss. The Spear was lost until found by the Roman Emperor Constantine. With this mighty artefact in hand he conquered great swaths of land for the empire, and converted to Christianity.
The Spear appears sporadically throughout history in the hands of Charlemagne, or being sought after by the likes of Napoleon. The Spear eventually fell into the hands of the Hapsburgs, rulers of Austria, and remained in the country until the beginning of the Second World War. When Hitler invaded Austria he took the spear with him to Nuremberg, feeling that it would give him the power needed to conquer the world. When General George S. Patton captured Nuremberg, and in turn the Spear, Hitler committed suicide. The Spear was returned to Austria and there it still resides, or so it is assumed.
Powers: The Spear of Destiny acts a +5 keen defending wounding shortspear. The spear also gives the character the Leadership feat, as well as a +4 enhancement bonus to Charisma while in the character’s possession. The Spear also has a powerful curse: should the current owner ever lose possession of it (this does not include intentionally setting the weapon aside), he suffers 4d6 points of Constitution drain (Fort DC 30 for half). PDC: - RES:-

The Bowie Knife of Quincey Morris
Quincey Morris was a Texan, an American tried and true. Not to mention he was a very wealthy man. His journeys eventually took him to england where he met the beautiful Lucy Westenra, and became one of her many suitors. Lucy was suddenly stricken with a strange ailment wich eventually turned her into one of the living dead. After a bit of detective work, and a long chase into the Carpathians Mountains into Transylvania, Quincey lost his life defeating the legendary vampire Dracula by stabbing him the heart. Quincey's final sacrifice imbued his knofe with magical, supernatural powers.

The knife appears as an antique Bowie Knife still sharp to the touch, but with a bit of dried blood that seems not to want to be washed off. The Knife functions as a regular knife with a +2 magical bonus attached to it, but its true power shines when used against a vampire.
When used against a vampire, the bonus increases to a +5 enchantment bonus. A vampire hit with the knife must make a fortitude save or be affected as if the vampire has been hit with direct sunlight. This power is in effect as long as the vampire is within 30 ft of the knife. However, if a vampire should be hit with the dagger, and moves 30ft away before anypermanent damage, i.e. death, occur, she is unaffected by this power for 1D6 hours.
The Bowie Knife may also be used to bless a place or a residence froma vampires intrusion. If the knife is used to draw a line in any doorway, window, or is used to draw a circle around a person or object, a vampire may not cross this line. If the controller, or a friendly charector attempts to make an attack through the barrier against a vampire, the line is considered broken, and its effects nullified. Attempts made to use the Bowie Knife to trun a vampire receive a +4 circumstance bonus.
Purchase D.C.: 36

"How I did It" - The Diary of Victor Frankenstein
This nondescript tome, contains the processes Victor Frankenstein used to create life from the parts of the dead.
There are 2 known versions of the book floating about, one owned by Desdinova Arkham (Billionaire industrialist & Owner of Northwind Tech) and a handwritten copy is owned by the Francesican Order, located in the swiss alps.
Purchase D.C. : 35 for original or 25 for incomplete copy
skill bonuses +2 to heal checks incomplete copy EDIT: +5 for complete copies

The Ethereal Radio:
This bizzare 1920's style radio was rumored to have once been owned by Allister Crowley.

Cryptic designs and pentagrams decorate it's black wood frame. Tuning it allows one to use the radio to "Speak with Dead" (6th level caster) once per day.
The radio must be placed within 2 feet of the deceased to gain the effect.

The Skull of The Headless Horseman

The Headless Horseman was a Soldier that lost his head in the revolutionary war due to one reason or the other. It is not exactly known for sure how, or why it was removed. Rumours are abound of anything from a decapitation, or The horseman being in front of a cannon as it was fired. Given the state of the skull, decapitation seems more likely.
The skulls of The Headless Horseman appears as an average worn, discolered, fleshless skull with the lower jaw and several teeth missing. Once per night, and only at night, the owner of the skull can call upon The Horseman to attack the person of the users choice, not resting until he dismembers the persons head, at wich point he retrieves the head, flees any remaining combatants, and returns the head to the posessor of the skull. The Horseman cannot be called upon to take another victim as long as a victim he has been sent after still lives. If The headless Horseman should happen to "see" his skull, he attacks the person weilding it trying to sever their head, on a success he retrieves ghis own head, and returns to his unmarked hidden grave. Treat the Horseman as a level four strong hero with the corpse creature template from the Book of Vile Darkness except as follows: Although the Horseoman is headless, he can still see and hear normally, although he cannot speak. He understands English and one other European language. His allegience is only to the owner of his skull. His only posessions are a hand axe, and a vorpal longsword, and a set of black studded leather armour. His horse is treated as a heavy war horse with the corpse creature template on it. Niehter the Horseman, nor his mount may enter hallowed ground, be it a churchyard, magically blessed area, or otherwise.
If the skull is returned willingly or other wise to the Horseman, he immediately returns to his grave.
Purchase D.C. : 30

Wyatt Earp's Colt SAA (Single Action Army .45 revolver)

The famous Colt .45 used by Wyatt Earp (and other lawmen of the old west), this particular Colt is based on a Mastercraft frame, with classy sandalwood grips. The weapon has a bonus vs Chaos Aligned entities, and is deadly in the hands of even a novice shooter. The years of legend and the rise of Shadow have attributed magic properties to this weapon.

Type- Colt SAA +3
Damage- 2d6+3 (+2d6 vs Chaos Aligned Creatures)
Critical- 20 x2
Type: Ballistic
Range- 30 ft
Rate- S
Ammo- 6 cyl. (.45 caliber)
Size- Small
Weight- 2.5 lbs (actual 2.65 lbs)
Purchase DC- 35+
Restriction: Licensed, Rare (magic)
 

[Tema69]

@ Trappedslider: That's some really cool stuff! I especially like the radio. Thanks. Have some jarred :cc...

Inspired by you guys' ideas, I've decided not to stop their adventure there (by being extracted home). Magnus von Wedderkop has radio'ed for VTOL extraction, and the aircraft arrives, hovers, and drops a ladder to the PCs believing they are von Wedderkop and his bodyguards (poor visibility is a bitch). So, they get on board, probably wanting to hijack the aircraft to get home. The airplane has a small passenger compartment (only good for 4 persons; yes, that would have meant that von Wedderkop would have left some of his guards behind) and if they try to open the door to the cockpit, they find out it is locked. The pilot says on an 'intercom'/loudspeaker in Germna: "Please sit down, Mr. Von Wedderkop, the door has been locked for your own safety, you are in an armoured cabin. We will arrive shortly at the base.". The base being located somewhere in Germany
Now, depending on how the players prepare, the landing hangar will either be empty and the pilot will simply open the door to their cabin to tell Magnus & Co. to follow him to his quarters, but surprised to see the PCs he will draw his pistol (hopefully, the PCs will be waiting for him with knives or other silent weapons) and fire (this is if the PCs talk about sneaking around the base, start removing armour and grabbing their knives) or, the exit hatch will open to reveal a squad of SS bodyguards who should have escorted him to his quarters (if the PCs start gearing up and readying grenades, etc...). Firefight ensues.

From here on, I'd like the PCs to travel to Egypt, and destroy the PCD on top of the Pyramid (see Herbert West's idea, above). There, they learn that it was only a 'proof of concept' model, not as powerful as the original thing, and much easier to destroy. The real thing is being mounted on a High Altitude Zeppelin, which the PCs must infiltrate/climb aboard before it leaves for USA, mind-numbing people before bombing the sh*t out of them with gas-bombs. That way, the otherwise vulnerable zeppelin can hope not to be shot down, while raining death on the civilians below. I'd like the PCs to down the zeppelin, and once in USA, they'd be contacted by the russian mafia in chicago (so we get to play some pulp gangster stuff - half the PCs are ex-mobsters or owe money to the mafia).
I'm gonna look at some Zeppelin stuff, hoping to get some inspiration for the H.A.Zep. Adventure above.

Edit: So, I looked at Thrilling Tales : Zeppelin Adventures, and the second adventure seemed awesome for my campaign. It does not take place during WW2, so that needs to be reworked. Short resume: A German passenger zep is damaged in a storm and forced to land in South America, due to deflated gas chambers. Down in the jungle, they send out expeditions to find food and water, and stumble across an ancient temple. The temple is, of course, dedicated to ghouls/zombies/monsters, and inside the temple are some exhausts blowing Hydrogen infected with Necrotizing Faciitis (ghoul disease). The crew decide to use the gas to reinflate their zeppelin (which takes a long time). During that time, a lot of the crewmembers start contracting the disease and die, only to reappear, attacking the zeppelin's passengers and crew. After some time, nearly the whole crew and passengers have been infected, some running off into the jungle, but the captain and some crewmembers finish reinflating the zeppelin, and head for NY, wanting to crash the zeppelin and spread the ghoul-gas. The US knows nothing about this, except that the Zeppelin is heading for NY, and the PCs are tasked with intercepting it and bringing it to an airbase.

How do you think that could be incorporated in what I have so far?
My ideas so far for this one:
-Having two Zeppelins with PCDs and bombs (perhaps I should remove the gasbombs, since that may lead to unnecessary confusion), one of them downed in South America, the other continuing, so the PCs will need to stop that one by conventional methods, then deal with the GhoulZep later. This opens up for even more adventuring, as the PCs might want to check up on the temple (wearing full NBC suits, of course. "is that a hole in your suit, Walker?" - "What? No! Where?").
-Having one Zeppelin with PCD and bombs crashland in South America, with the PCs, actually having them on board, perhaps forcing them to cooperate with the Germans to survive (reminds of of that submarine movie). The PCs might barricade themselves when all hell breaks loose and try to survive the flight, only to find out what the Ghoul Captain is trying to do.
I prefer the first option. Ideas? Comments?

[trappedslider]

@ Trappedslider: That's some really cool stuff! I especially like the radio. Thanks. Have some jarred :cc...

I think i may up the heal check bonus to a 5 but i'm not toally sure

[Tema69]

That depends on how awesome you want the book to be. I guess that could be up to the GM.

[trappedslider]

That depends on how awesome you want the book to be. I guess that could be up to the GM.

I guess a complete copy could give a full 5,but an imcomplete copy you owuld only get the 2

[Tema69]

That makes sense. Good idea.

[BowenSilverclaw]

Agreed, it's not overpowered, I mean, it's not like it's a Golem Manual or anything

[Herbert West]

Glad you enjoyed the mateiral Tema. I'll keep my eyes open for Forbidden Kingdoms stuff for you.

Also as a random bits of trivia:

Did you know that most likely candidate for the Spear of Destiny (Lance of Longinus, Holy lance, Heiliage Lanze or whatever name you care to call it) is in a museum in Vienna. I hope to go and see it soon.

And that there was an Alchemist who lived in Castle Frankenstien who was accused of body snatching and attempting to bring the dead back to life (Though all he was really trying to do was discover the Philosphers Stone) which may have been one of the inspirations behind the book (Shelly passed by it once, in the night and may have heard local folktales about it).

And another idea I had just now:
It's common knowledge that the Lance peiced the side of Christ just as it is that it was stolen by the Nazi's in WWII. But what if they didn't just want it for its powers. Imagine that if say, one bloodcell on the Lance was still genetically viable. Now imagine what would happen if it was cloned. Its a good idea in theory, who would fight against the son of God come again? But what if what they cloned wasn't the Jesus of legend, but something infinately more evil....

Perhaps a demon has taken control of the Mesiahs body. Pehaps he wasn't the guy everyone thought he was. But one things for sure, theres a creature with miraculous powers wandering through Europe. And he's pissed.

[nemafow]

Excellent Tema excellent, keep us posted!

[Johannixx]

@ Johannixx: Although it seems really interesting, I'm not sure I understand the whole ordeal, having neither read "Who goes there" nor seen "The Thing". Would you mind explaining that to me?
Does it occupy/possess the PC?

I like the dilemma though.

In the story (which I highly recommend reading) and later the movie (which I highly recommend watching), the 'thing' is an alien entity discovered by antarctic researchers.  It is highly intelligent, but also very hostile.  It infects living creatures, converting their cells to its own physiology, but retains the shape and mannerisms of the creature until it feels the need to breach its disguise.  While the creature is deadly in its own right, able to sprout all manner of nasty appendages and fanged jaws at will, it's ability to hide inside people and animals is what makes it truly terrifying.  In the book (and later, the movie adaptation), the creature's stealth renders the remaining researchers paranoid.  They don't know who is still human, and who's a disguised alien.  The creature's ability to survive freezing temperatures (it merely goes into stasis until thawed out again) and all manner of physical wounds (cut the head off, and it sprouts legs and scuttles away while the body grows a new one) make it very hard to kill, but the paranoia is the real danger to the scientists.

The 'star creature' from the d20 Modern Menace Manual.

[Tema69]

@ BowenSilverClaw: Ahh, Golems. That could be cool to include in an occult WW2 campaign.

@ Herbert West: Thank you. Is it still in Vienna? My guess is that it's just a replica, and the real thing is either hidden away from the public (but still in the museum) or in some government's hands.
CastleFrankenstein: "From mai reezoeurch, Ai have zezucted zat ze philosopher's zt'ohn is in hiz gutz zom'wai'r! Zus, Ai must zissect him."
Uhhh, cloning Jesus. See, that's kinda blaspheme. Cloning Jesus and having his body taken over by a Demon is also kinda cool. I was thinking of something similar, having the Thule society perform a ritual which physically transform the angels into demons and vice versa. Then you can summon demons and have them walk around without your own population getting freaked (it's an angel after all) and if you can get God's angels to fight for you, that should be a serious boost to pretty much any/everything. And the PCs trying to summon angels (somehow), would be approached by ugly, wretched demon-looking angels, frustrated by their new bodies. And who wants the world to know that you've allied yourself with ugly-ass demons?

@ Nemafow: Thank you.

@ Johannixx: Alright, that was pretty much what I figured. What happens to the people the alien takes over?

@Y'all: Any ideas for the Zeppelin thing?

[BowenSilverclaw]

@Y'all: Any ideas for the Zeppelin thing?

You're talking about a high altitude zepp, right? In that case I'd give it a pressurized cabin, like an (early) airliner. Should provide a whole new level of danger as well, seeing as what could happen if the hull got breached/depressurized (say, by gunfire or something).
It will need defense-turrets to fend off potential attackers and maybe a hangar for a few fighters (they'll have to have special docking systems and a way of flying at low speed to be able to dock though).
Maybe a small-scale (experimental) Tesla-weapon as a defense system as well?

EDIT: About the golems, aren't they originally a Jewish myth? Except for a Flesh Golem (Frankenstein's monster style) you might want to think twice about which side has Golems at their disposal if you decide to include them

~Bowen

[Tema69]

Yes, the H.A.Zep, but also the Ghoul Infested Zep and how to include it in the adventure.
Pressurized Cabin, Defense Turrets, Hangar Bay (uuhh, the special docking system sounds like fun), Tesla Defense System (perhaps an anti-lightning device - seeing how Tesla worked with electricity). Good stuff.
Edit: Had some picture lying around on my harddrive:



Yes, clay golems are jewish. So a jewish resistance fighter/rabbi could have created one, but maybe he didn't mention which soldiers to kill, and thus bringing the PCs and their allies in danger.
O.T.O.H., some nazi might force Jews in a concentration camp to create Golems for them. The Jews might sabotage the golems somehow.

[Herbert West]

Ah the Jewish clay golem, I love that story. I can see how that could be used in a WW2 pulp campaign.

What about:

A Jewish preist has rediscovered the method of creating a Clay Golem. Unfortunately it is written that no golem may be perfect. He is using it to defend the Warshaw Ghettos from the Nazis but it is slowly becoming more and more violent and less contolable. Perhaps one day soon it will turn on its creator and those who it was built to protect, or perhaps it being bathed in so much human blood has caused it to gain sentience. Now all it wants is to end the killing and live out its life in quiet contemplation so it attempts to flee Nazi Germany in favour of remote South America.

And for another idea, taken from biblical myth and my own understanding of various Occult materials:

The Nazis have discovered the legendary "King Solomens Mine" in Africa (It is rumoured that king solomon's mine was the source of his vast wealth hidden within darkest Africa) and have been mining it to give them an economic boost in the war. But that is not all they have found. In one of the deepest and darkest cavern they have discovered a great sealed brass door inlaid with the seal of Solomon. Perhaps this is where Solomon rebound the evil spirits after they were released from the brass vessel in the lake in Bablyon (Legend has it that King Solomon bound the evil spirits in a brass vessel and dropped it into a lake in Bablyon but the people of Bablyon, thinking there to be treasure inside it dregged it up and, apon opening it, released the evil spirits back into the world).

Luckily it can only be opened with Solomons Ring (A ring formed of twelve jewels presented by the four animals, the four angles and the four spiritual creatures who payed hommage to him when he became king of the world) which has been splint into its component parts and scattered across the world (Each bears a secret mark or character) which when recombined will give the wearer the power to command animals, angles and spiritual creatures to do his bidding. One stone is set into the copy of "The Greater Key of Solomon" owned by the British Musuem which will have clues inside it to where the others lie.

Yeah I know to much about occult stuff, lots of the above is true to the legends.
I would upload a picture of the "Secret Seal of Solomon" but I can't figure out how too.

Love that picture by the way!

[BowenSilverclaw]

Just remembered another cartoon, thanks too that picture you posted, Tema69, it was called Xyber 9.
I loved it back when it aired, especially the steampunk elements. If nothing else, it could at least give you some ideas for some interesting fighter and other vehicle designs, don't remember that much about the plot anymore though, even though it definitely had one

I'll see if I can dig up some more stuff

~Bowen

[Tema69]

Great stuff there, how do you see the PCs come in to either of those stories? I remember reading a book about Solomon's Mines when I was younger. IIRC, it didn't end too well for the main characters.

As for uploading pictures, just create an account on photobucket.com and upload them from there.

@Bowen: I'll look at it.

[BowenSilverclaw]

A basic synopsis from Wikipedia, note, it's not complete since it (among other things) leaves out the war between 2 human nations IIRC. Maybe a google search will turn up more

Synopsis
Jack, a precocious, blonde fifteen-year old, was given the title of the Chosen One. The people of Terrana, a futuristic realm, relied upon him as the last hope to save their civilization. If Jack could achieve the Herculean task of destroying Machestro, the evil ruler of the underworld, he would be named king.

Jack's greatest weapon against Machestro was the sophisticated computer Xyber 9. With Xyber 9's power, Jack journeyed through Machestro's underworld and to other futuristic lands, fighting intergalactic evil. In order to enfeeble the Chosen One, Machestro tried desperately to snare Xyber 9, for without the powerful computer, Jack would be defenseless. And with it, Machestro could spread his disease of evil throughout Terrana and beyond.

At the end of the original run, Jack finds the protected valley, a location left by Terrana's advanced ancestors and a protected valley with genetically altered crops that could grow in two days time, and need very little water and nutrients, which Jack shows to the people to help return Terrana back into its previous state.

In the new run, it is reveled that Machestro rules over the Machina by giving them hope that they will be able to reclaim the surface by turning it dark. This is because the Machina have an infection that causes them to be in great pain when traveling into the sunlight believing it will kill them. Ikira, a former Machina learned that even though the sunlight causes great pain, it is the cure to the infection after which they would be able to walk on the surface. Machestro knows this, but does not let the Machina know out of fear of them removing him as leader.

Maybe you can get some ideas from the evil Machestro and his Machina if you decide to run a hollow earth scenario?

The opening (too bad it's an Croatian (I think, judging from the tags?) dub):
http://youtube.com/watch?v=n1rSbSNcd-s

Note the awesome steampunk like vehicles and the skyfortress/carrier 

EDIT: A nice fansite I found
http://www.angelfire.com/tv2/xyber9/index.html

Including the following synopsis:

Once, a proud civilization lived in a technotopia, but it was all but totally destroyed. All that is left are remnants and the technology of war. Conquering monarch King Renard pushes his troops over more and more areas, destroying and controlling more settlements, while Queen Tatania struggles valiantly to preserve her people and lands. Renard, however, has a secret ally in Machestro, leader of the Machina--an underground culture thought only to exist in myth. Machestro seeks the last of the Xybers, which has the potential to power the greatest cog in his war machine and give him rule over the world. However, when an orphaned young man claims this last Xyber, the plans change. Now, the young man and his cohorts must follow the Xyber--the only one of its kind with free will--in the hope of restoring their lost civilization before Machestro reaches them or Renard gains full control.

Some action figures 
http://www.angelfire.com/tv2/xyber9/fkf99ad.jpg

~Bowen

[Tema69]

Looks oldschool and interesting. I'll see what I can find about this.

I must say, you guys are great, you keep finding cool stuff and coming up with interesting ideas. Jarred :cc for everyone!