"Aliens in other eras?" Topic

I have been pondering this idea for most of the day in various guises. First as a Wargame, then as a mental movie remake, and finally as a RPG

What if instead of the Aliens fighting the Marines in space like the movie what if they landed on earth during prohibition and they were fighting gangsters?

I'm not really much for cross over stuff in general but the idea has been tickling my fancy all day for a RPG campaign based on this concept. This is all theoretical as I don't have a RPG group or any way to actually play it.

But if there was such a RPG out there how would you play it what would your PC be.

I'm in no way a car buff but like the thought of being a bootlegger in a souped up car. Driving with Tommy gunners giving cover as the gang moves from Canada to Detroit avoiding the police and the growing threat from the "Death Beetles" that have been attacking small towns in-between.

Maxwell "Postman" Shutter

Maxwell was born and grew up in Chicago. As a young man he got a job working for the post office delivering mail. He was latter recruited by the Mayberry Boys to delivery booze on the side for some extra money. He was soon caught and spent 4 years in prison. Once getting out and finding work hard to come by he found his way into the employment of the Parkers Gang as a get-away driver. Shot in the leg in a heist gone wrong he slipped away to become a bootlegger in the Corallo Mob employ. So far he has only heard rumors of the things attacking men on the road and now keeps a number of pistols ready so he doesn't have to reload should the need arise for him to defend his haul.

"What if instead of the Aliens fighting the Marines in space like the movie what if they landed on earth during prohibition and they were fighting gangsters?"

What movie?
Where are the poilice and army?
Why do they want to attack bootleggers? Are they alcoholic?

Aliens of many guises can end up in any era. Look at the story "Who Goes There/The Thing From Another World." The alien ship crashes in Anarctica 20 million years ago and is discovered in the 1930s(or 1950s or 1980s in the film versions).

I intend to pit my Khurusan Space Demons against modern humans-cops, innocent bystanders, gang members-from Rebel Miniatures.
Another idea is having a flying saucer crash during the Creataceous for some Greys versus dinosaur action-maybe have modern abductees along for the safari.

He obviously refers to "Aliens".

Speaking of which, there is a Dark Horse Aliens comic that has a bunch of Aliens descending on a planet whose inhabitants live in a middle-age-like society, hence they only have primitive weapons to defend themselves.

Actually, prohibition would be one of the *worst* times for Xenomorphs to show up on Earth, at least in the US. Machine Guns were completely legal then, you could walk into a Sears and buy a 'Chicago Typewriter' over the counter for about $20 (darn near 2 month's pay, but still). Bonnie and Clyde's guns (even the Browning Automatic Rifle) were bought legally, over the counter.

Quite a few WW1 veterans around, and more civilians would be familiar with safe handling of firearms.

My character type? Mom's Dad was a WW1 vet, somewhere they have his old 'smokey bear' campaign hat.

In the 'Predator 2' movie it is casually stated that the Predator killed by the 'hero' was already hunting humans by the mid 18th C. (at least).

Don't know how it is currently, but by the late "50 – early "70, in relation with the blossoming UFO interest, there was a *lot* of 'studies' about E.T. in the Old Testament and other ancient (mythological) texts. You know the kind: 'Elohim' = true plural (not 'emphatic' singular) thus 'CreatorS' = E.T.; 'Sons of G*d' (angels) mated with 'daughters of Man' -> Nephilim (Elves?); educated Humankind -> Atlantis (& Mu); The Flood and the sinking of Atlantis caused by a war between E.T. colonies or hyper-advanced prehistoric 'half-breed' civilizations (the battle of Kurukshetra in the Mahabharata); knowledge partly saved (artefacts: the Ark, the Grail…) -> Pyramids builders ->masons of the Temple of Jerusalem -> Knights Templars &/or Cathars -> Agartha… Yet the 'Aliens' were still roaming later, Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed by A bombs, Ezechiel's wheel = flying saucer….
Plenty of gaming possibilities ('Barsoomians' vs 'Predators' on prehistoric / ancient Earth…).

So Elliot Ness starts axing kegs and Fungi From Yuggoth comes out instead of Booze.

"They Live"-Dillinger and all the rest of the gangsters are the only ones that know/see the aliens Watch 'Boardwalk Empire' also. Illegal booze cut with a special formula allows you to see them.

War of the Worlds and Crimson Skies?

Yes agreed, the aliens should be tied in with Lovecraftian horror/extra dimensional mythos.

The aliens can hold human form for short periods of time…they are stranded without the majority of their equipment…they are hiding here on Earth…the aliens are prey of something else…the aliens are refugees of a world destroyed by "insert" and Earth is next…

We use the "xenomorph" aliens from the movie series in our dystopian near future games. They're just one more scourge along with climate chaos, end of cheap oil, zombies, robot revolution, etc… They come to earth in a meteorite and infest the planet bug-style. Not an organized invasion, just a really nasty invasive species!

That last comment could provide a justification for why the Aliens are attacking Bootleggers (which I will admit to having a kind of "HUH?!" expression to when I read that aliens were attacking bootleggers. I was all like "Whywouldtheydothat?").

If the Bootleggers were making booze that allowed the Hidden aliens to be detected (Heck, it could be just plain BOOZE that allows the Aliens to be detected). Why do you think that Prohibition was promoted/established in the first place?!?! It is obviously an alien conspiracy to allow human appearing aliens to infiltrate the Earth prior to a full scale invasion.

Each one of these guys…an alien…a stinken mook…in reality all sticky and squirmy with ribbon-like tentacles.

Why not just push back the timeline set in the 60's from MiB, Men in Black?

Set the first contact in 1925.

Well, I can see one scenario. The aliens make first contact with a town full of gangsters with few citizens like the one in "The Last Man Standing". If I remember correctly the town of Jericho, Texas wasnt near another town, so the battle would take place without anyone else knowing about it. There are plenty of good characters to create factions. The Doyle gang with Hicky as a standout character, The Strozzi gang, John Smith and Joe Monday, Sherrif Ed Galt and Deputy Bob, and Texas Ranger Captain Tom Pickett who could be joined by a group of Rangers. I think that the situation would make a good miniatures game or an RPG.

a twist on the bootlegger scheme might be a criminal enterprise or foreign power military/scientific project is a front for a downed alien pilot (a la the sontarann in the Time warrior)

it gets raided by commandos or the FBI initially wanting to destroy the "front" operation

In the Republic serial "The Purple Monster Strikes" an alien enlists gangsters to help steal the plans for a rocketship so that he can return to Mars to begin an invasion of Earth. You can probably get this chapter play on Netflix. I think that the plot would work better as an RPG than a miniatures game though.

I like a lot of the twist people are suggesting.

My minds eye was close to The Shadows post of a couple of lone town and latter a spreading out of the Aliens as it gets worse. Those early lone towns are mostly in the business of smuggling so they would be the first line to meet and deal with the Aliens – They going to call the cops/army when half the people are on the take/ doing illegal work?

Later it would spread and then you get the army and police/fbi and the sort added in.

I do like many of the other suggestions above – keep them coming!

>>>My minds eye was close to The Shadows post of a couple of lone town and latter a spreading out of the Aliens as it gets worse. Those early lone towns are mostly in the business of smuggling so they would be the first line to meet and deal with the Aliens – They going to call the cops/army when half the people are on the take/ doing illegal work?<<<

Right. "The Last Man Standing" characters and factions seems perfect for what you want to do. If you haven't already seen it you should get a copy. You'll understand the factions better if you do. It's very inexpensive in the US, but if you can't locate one I can give you a summary of the plot and characters.

This is a very interesting topic; Aliens in other eras.

My brain cells are now perculating with images of Melnibonéan Elves in control of World Religion. They appear human because they use magic, but have held key positions throughout the world's religions for centuries.

Big question: Do the Aliens have a master plan?

Cheers,

There was a Pohl Anderson (I think) short story about a spaceship powered by beer – perhaps they were just after fuel?

(Before the inevitable….yes, long ago read the story and know the 'special circumstances')

The syndicate in Boston decides to buy apple jack distilled by farmers in the Massachusetts backwoods. In order to avoid the law, they go through some back country that doesn't see a lot of outsiders. There are rumors of unwholesome things in those hills.

"Where are we going?"
"Planet Ten!"
"When?"
"Real Soon!"

"Are they alcoholic?"

That WOULD explain a great deal… talk about MEAN DRUNKS!

Leland R. Erickson

Word gets to the gangsters of a heavily-protected convoy passing though town in a few days. Convinced that this is an enormous bullion delivery to Fort Knox, the gang bosses temporarily settle their differences and band together to ambush the convoy and pull America's biggest gold heist.

Unfortunately the convoy is coming from Roswell, so when they blow the doors off the armoured van…….

If the Bootleggers were making booze that allowed the Hidden aliens to be detected (Heck, it could be just plain BOOZE that allows the Aliens to be detected). Why do you think that Prohibition was promoted/established in the first place?!?! It is obviously an alien conspiracy to allow human appearing aliens to infiltrate the Earth prior to a full scale invasion.

Reminding of 'Sinister Barrier' link – and of more recent works (a movie where special goggles allow to see 'ET' as they really are). *bad* booze -partly from potato- not only contains highly toxic methanol but allow to see the 'visitors' as reptilian ('V').

.

They appear human <> but have held key positions throughout the world's religions for centuries.

A secret Brotherhood of Masters of the World descending -culturally at least- from the ET or their half-breeds (HQ hiding in Agartha?) was also a 'popular' theme of para-historical literature 50 years ago.

As for Melnibonean Elves, they would not have to use a lot of magic to look purely 'human': mostly conceal a part of their more than human beauty? TMP link

abdul666lw wrote: As for Melnibonean Elves, they would not have to use a lot of magic to look purely 'human': mostly conceal a part of their more than human beauty?

The Spanish Inquisition was pure Melnibonéan mayhem.
LOL

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!

link

Heyyyyyyyyy…..is that guy in the center giving us the finger?

No: he's protruding his forefinger, sententious preacher / teacher fashion, NOT his middle finger!

With some conversion of the 'Bleriot 1909' helmet the one on the right (Hawkwood?) to a kind a Schomberg helmet link they could be thrown in Carnevale TMP link
TMP link

A comical relief to ease the stress of a Lovecraftian game?

What do you mean "What IF aliens landed in the past" it happened, where do you think Politicians come from?

>>No: he's protruding his forefinger, sententious preacher / teacher fashion, NOT his middle finger!<<

OHHHH…WOW!…I didn't notice that! Thanks for pointing that out. :-)