"Pulp Bad Guys" Topic

Just wanted to know what are the preferred 'Pulp Bad Guys' for you good people out there when gaming…

Gangsters? Nazis? Cultists? Nazi Cultists?

Yes to all of the above.

Yep, that about covers it.

Chinese warlords.

Tom

Oriental villains and their henchmen. African tribesmen. Supernatural weird menace. Chinese warlords. Dinosaurs. 1930's pirates. Extraterrestrial Aliens. Chinese Tongs. Evil scientists. Saboteurs and other agents of foreign espionage.

Don't forget lost races. Nothing like a pulp game to bring Roman Legionaires, Mayans or ancient Assyrians to the table.

I think the trick is that in classic pulp the cast of heroes is relatively stable, but the villains rotate out with every campaign/novel. Hmm. I see a business opportunity. Someone could rent out a cadre of maybe 50-100 villains with one or two distinctive terrain pieces? And then you turn them in and get your deposit back at the end of the campaign?

I like the "Rent a Villain" concept.

The Fez wearing Egyptians from Indiana Jones really sparked my imagination. Also, cults hidden within other "cults" (OK organizations). A cult inside the police force, or rotary club, or a church group. This gives to evil ones two routes to powers. This is what makes the small town counsel controlled by a cult/aliens so much fun.

"This is what makes the small town counsel controlled by a cult/aliens so much fun."

Does anyone else remember "Eerie, Indiana?" The Loyal Order of Corn? And who got to choose the Harvest King, who was sacrificed for good crop yields and low taxes? (As a card-carrying Hoosier, I can see that.)

Dr Zin of course or Ming the Merciless

Sky Pirates. Planes, Zeppelins, ect.

And I second the vote for Dr Zin or Ming the Merciless.

When I was running pulp, I had Sky Pirates with super technology they were getting from Ming the Merciless.