{"id":19699,"date":"2016-12-09T01:00:52","date_gmt":"2016-12-08T14:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.campaignmastery.com\/blog\/?p=19699"},"modified":"2016-12-09T16:28:46","modified_gmt":"2016-12-09T05:28:46","slug":"essential-reference-for-pulp-9","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.campaignmastery.com\/blog\/essential-reference-for-pulp-9\/","title":{"rendered":"Essential Reference Library for Pulp GMs (and others): 9th Shelf"},"content":{"rendered":"
This entry is part 10 of 15 in the series The Essential Reference Library for Pulp GMs (and others)<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"author-1600a_sm\"<\/p>\n

The Ninth Shelf: Life In The Pulp Era II – Non-Civilian Life [Crime, Policing, and Militaria] – Introduction by Mike<\/h3>\n

It sometimes seems that the term “delicate balancing act’ is over-used, but when it comes to Pulp it is a true description of some aspect of reality for the GM in at least some respects.<\/p>\n

Fantasy is easy in comparison. So is Sci-Fi, especially more space-opera-ish sub-genres. Superheroes all four-color and sharp edges, blurring only when and where the GM chooses; no-one expects any ordinary people, no matter how well-equipped, to stand a chance against supervillains.<\/p>\n

In Call of Cthulhu, the balance is generally the other way, with characters facing evils that cannot be overcome directly, but that may be vulnerable by virtue of their dependence on lesser, human, agents. But there’s little ambiguity about it.<\/p>\n

In Pulp, that’s not true. The official forces that form part of ordinary need to be competent, but not so much so that they overshadow the PCs. At the same time, some of those forces will often be the source of the opposition that the PCs have to defeat. And right away, you’re into a delicate balancing act.<\/p>\n

The best solution is to have the military, police, etc, be as competent and formidable as they were in real life, or even more so in the case of selected<\/em> enemies; then making both problems and the PCs who will handle them that little bit more. More difficult, more capable, more than the official forces, just as those forces are more capable than any ordinary civilian.<\/p>\n

But there is a price to pay for that solution: it requires the GM to know his stuff, to have his research done. And that’s where this shelf comes in.<\/p>\n

Relevance to other genres<\/h5>\n

Of course, the same principles often apply, in somewhat looser fashion, to all those other genres. Even without the potential for cross-genre conversion – using pulp-era crime figures as inspiration for fantasy bandits that are a cut above the standard, for example – there is plenty of relevance to selected parts of the listings below, regardless of genre.<\/p>\n

One of the biggest, most noticeable, differences between American police procedurals and those of Europe (including England) is that due process only seems to occur in the American shows when that’s convenient for the writer – and, half the time, the plot is about getting an arrest or conviction despite the protections afforded the presumed-innocent. European shows tend to be far more respectful of the limitations and processes of police work; this often makes them slower-paced, more Poirot and Sherlock Holmes than Die Hard or Starsky and hutch.<\/p>\n

One of the reasons for the great success of the Law and Order and CSI franchises is that they combined a more European sensibility with something uniquely American-TV: gritty reality and American-show pacing, respectively. (Another is that they weren’t afraid to raise socially-controversial issues; early seasons of Law and Order were frequently food for thought. But I digress.)<\/p>\n

The Pulp Genre is unashamedly action-based. If you want relevance, you have to squeeze in between the cracks like spackfiller. And yet, many of the adventures have a mystery component that is more European in style. Understanding this dichotomy, and the differences, is essential to managing a good pulp campaign – but also contain lessons for other genres, too, where the differences might be less extreme, less profound – but where they exist, nevertheless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Image Credit: freeimages.com \/ m s<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

Shelf Introduction<\/h3>\n

There are only two sections to this shelf, but they are both bulging with good resources.<\/p>\n

Courts, Police & Detectives & Crime – <\/strong>The underworld and the forces of civilization that combat it are pretty much at the heart of the pulp genre. If you start from the basis of reality in these areas and then make your villains even more OTT, more Bond-villainesque, you won’t go far wrong. On top of that, the mechanics of manhunts, police investigations, etc, define what is possible to the ordinary – anything beyond this lies in the realm of the extraordinary (for the era), and that’s the province of PCs. Again, a very easy way to determine what their capabilities are is to look at the state of the art X years later, where X is a number that you define – it could be 5 years, 10 years, or even 20 years.<\/p>\n

That’s what at least one subgenre of Pulp is, really – characters with abilities ahead of their time, opposing opposing villains who are beyond the ordinary standard. But the heart of the genre is characters with pluck, resilience, and a boots-first attitude going head-to-head with villains who are ahead of the curve and beyond the abilities of ordinary law enforcement – and finding a way to win. Either way, the contents of this section are indispensable resources.<\/p>\n

This major section has been further divided into 9 subsections:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Mysterious Deaths<\/li>\n
  • Prohibition<\/li>\n
  • Hollywood & Crime<\/li>\n
  • Criminal Organizations<\/li>\n
  • Criminology and Investigation<\/li>\n
  • Forensics<\/li>\n
  • Specific Types Of Crime or Crime Scene<\/li>\n
  • Law<\/li>\n
  • Courts, Trials, & Justice<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Military Installations, Forces, and Campaigns – <\/strong>The usual response in the real world to a threat beyond the capacity of standard law-enforcement is to call out the military. It’s something that gets seen time and time again in the monster movies of the 1950s and 60s, but it goes all the way back to King Kong. Even in fairly matter-of-fact gangster movies, you will often hear the phrase “Call out the National Guard” or “The National Guard have been alerted”. Most readers won’t even know what that means<\/em>, let alone what they were capable of doing in the Pulp era. If the military can handle the threats, what need is there for the PCs? it follows that the viability of the Pulp Campaign rests on an inability<\/em> for the military to handle whatever the emergency is – or at least, to do so without the PCs leading the charge.<\/p>\n

    Another way of viewing the pulp era is the last great period of the individual as supreme over the collective. Although historians may dispute the point, it can be argued that the death-knell for that perspective came with the massive aerial bombardments of World War II, though we tend to think that it was the public response to the entrepreneurs and speculators who they blamed for the Stock Market crash and the Great Depression that started the rot, and the alliance needed to uproot the Axis powers that completed it. Throughout the pulp period, then, the primacy of the individual is being eroded – and the genre itself was a reaction to that, a statement that the world still needed Heroes. Completely aside from the direct referential value, these books provide invaluable context.
    \n.<\/p>\n

    \n
    A Recurring Note On Images:<\/h5>\n

    Wherever possible, we have provided an illustration showing the cover of the book or DVD under discussion scaled to the same vertical size (320 pixels for Recommended Books, 280 for DVDs, 240 for items in the ‘For Dummies’ Sections). Where there was none available, we have used a generic icon.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Prices and Availability were correct at the time of compilation.\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Books About Courts, Police & Detectives & Crime<\/h3>\n

This is a vast and sprawling subject that is at the heart of the majority of pulp campaigns. Accordingly, we’ve focused quite a lot of attention on the contents. While those contents have been divided into smaller subsections, there can be quite a bit of overlap.
\n\"bar-gray\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\"Spacer\"<\/td>\n\n
Books about Mysterious Deaths<\/h5>\n

\"bar-gray\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"londons-curse\"<\/p>\n
839. London’s Curse: Murder, Black Magic and Tutankhamun in the 1920s West End \u2013 Mark Beynon<\/h6>\n

\u201cThroughout the 1920 and 1930s, London was gripped by the supposed curse of Tutankhamen, the Egyptian boy-king of antiquity, whose tomb was uncovered in 1923. Over the next few years more than 20 of those involved in the tomb’s\u00a0exhumation perished in strange, often terrifying circumstances, prompting the\u00a0myth of the curse.\u201d Meticulously researched, this book shows that not only is the truth stranger than fiction, it can be more interesting. 224 pages, Kindle ($9.57), Hardcover (12 used from $9.96, 24 new from $12.20)
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/2godFPm<\/a>
\n\"bar-green\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n\n
Books about Prohibition<\/h5>\n

\"bar-gray\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"prohibition\"<\/p>\n
840. Prohibition: Thirteen Years That Changed America \u2013 Edward Behr<\/h6>\n

Although the bulk of the prohibition era belongs in the 1920s, much of the social architecture translates into the pulp vernacular such as gangsters and corrupt officials even if your pulp campaign is set outside that particular decade. This book appears to be the best \u201cread\u201d amongst several on the subject, though others may suit individual tastes better. You only need this or the following choice to be equipped on this topic for a Pulp campaign, though “The War On Alcohol” (842, below) would be a useful supplement to either.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/1Pkk3Cv<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"bootleg\"<\/p>\n
841. Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless years of Prohibition \u2013 Karen Blumenthal<\/h6>\n

Written for a young-adult\/ high school student, this has been nominated for or won a number of awards for quality. Filled with period art, photographs, anecdotes, and literary character portraits.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/1nXavEa<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"the-war-on-alcohol\"<\/p>\n
842. The War On Alcohol: Prohibition and the rise of the American State – Lisa McGirr<\/h6>\n

This was almost listed as an alternative to the previous two, but at the last moment we decided that its perspective was sufficiently different to recommend it as a compliment to either volume on Prohibition. Deals with racial bias in the enforcement of Prohibition, for example, something that no other volume highlights. Without this book, you only think you have the whole story.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/1RovBHz<\/a>
\n\"bar-green\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n\n
Books about Hollywood & Crime<\/h5>\n

\"bar-gray\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"hollywood-and-the-mob\"<\/p>\n
843. Hollywood and the Mob \u2013 Tim Adler<\/h6>\n

This book examines the relationship between Hollywood and the Mafia. Only available as an import or on Kindle, but quite affordable \u2013 and, since the paperback is print-on-demand (and almost a quarter of the Kindle price), they aren’t likely to run out of cheap copies anytime soon. There are a very limited number of hardcovers available for even less than the paperback, so that’s what we’ve linked to \u2013 if they are all gone, click the \u201cshow all formats and editions\u201d link on the Amazon page to find the $2.12 paperback. http:\/\/amzn.to\/1NOE1kF<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"gangster-films\"<\/p>\n
844. Gangster Films: A comprehensive, Illustrated Reference to People, Films, and Terms \u2013 Michael L. Stephens<\/h6>\n

No modern-day GM can avoid having his Pulp campaign colored by the cinematic treatment of gangsters even though much of it will date from long after the pulp era and be extensively romanticized, one way or the other. That makes this volume an essential. Prices exceed our normal limits, but it looks so useful we wanted to include it anyway.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/1RYiD4c<\/a>
\n\"bar-green\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n\n
Books about Criminal Organizations<\/h5>\n

\"bar-gray\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"mobsters-unions-and-feds\"<\/p>\n
845. Mobsters, Unions, and Feds: The Mafia and the American Labor Movement \u2013 James B Jacobs<\/h6>\n

We’re always wary of political bias whenever the subject gets even close to mentioning a Labor movement. We’re also very wary of the contamination of history by J. Edgar Hoover’s …shenanigans… during the first half of the 20th century. Jacob’s reputation seems impeccable, and on that basis we are recommending this book despite none of us having read it – yet. (We suspect that Amazon describing it as the 49753 rd edition is a mistake, BTW).
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/1PwW18O<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"five-families\"<\/p>\n
846. Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America’s Most Powerful Mafia Empires \u2013 Selwyn Raab<\/h6>\n

The \u201cFive Families\u201d are the ‘families’ based in New York City, arguably amongst the most powerful in the country for most of the early 20 th century. Chicago may have been more notorious, other places more violent from time to time, but New York is where the people \u2013 and therefore the money \u2013 really were.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/1VHln48<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"philadelphia-organized-crime-in-the-1920s-and-1930s\"<\/p>\n
847. Philadelphia Organized Crime in the 1920s and 1930s \u2013 Anne Margaret Anderson and John J. Binder<\/h6>\n

Chicago’s mobs might have been more famous, New York’s families may have been more powerful \u2013 but Philadelphia had more than its share of ‘colorful’ characters, and this book will introduce you to them all, from “Mr. Big” to “The King Of The Bootleggers”.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/2cI3CT6<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"paddy-whacked\"<\/p>\n
848. Paddy Whacked \u2013 T J English<\/h6>\n

Refer to the TV & Documentaries section entry under the same name (Entry 044, 2nd Shelf<\/a>).
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/1WcPmDr<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"tong-wars\"<\/p>\n
849. Tong Wars: The Untold Story of Vice, Money, and Murder in New York’s Chinatown \u2013 Scott D Seligman<\/h6>\n

\u201cNothing had worked. Not threats or negotiations, not shutting down the betting parlors or opium dens, not house-to-house searches or throwing Chinese offenders into prison. Not even executing them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe New York DA was running out of ideas and more people were dying every day as the weapons of choice evolved from hatchets and meat cleavers to pistols, automatic weapons, and even bombs. Welcome to New York City\u2019s Chinatown in 1925.\u201d<\/p>\n

It may read like fiction, but this is true crime set against the backdrop of Tammany Hall -era NYC.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe city government was already corrupt from top to bottom, so once one tong began taxing the gambling dens and paying off the authorities, a rival, jealously eying its lucrative franchise, co-opted a local reformist group to help eliminate it. Pretty soon Chinese were slaughtering one another in the streets, inaugurating a succession of wars that raged for the next thirty years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Available in Kindle and Hardcover. http:\/\/amzn.to\/2deMmnq<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"yakuza-japans-criminal-underworld\"<\/p>\n
850. Yakuza: Japan’s Criminal Underworld (25th Anniversary Edition) \u2013 David E Kaplan and Alec Dubro<\/h6>\n

The infamous gangsters of Japan comprise a criminal class with eighty thousand members, more than four times the size of the American Mafia. And, like the Families, they are a lot more than simple criminals; they maintain power by being a social lubricant, a way to get things done that advantage those under their protection in return for favors received or to be demanded in the future. This bureaucratic by-pass system has led to a degree of acceptance by the culture that is almost impossible for non-Japanese to fully grasp. This is a reprinting of the first book to reveal the full scope of the Yakuza beyond the Hollywood clich\u00e9s, so controversial that it could not be released in Japan for five years after it first saw print, and which has become the Western \u201cbible\u201d for understanding the group and their society.<\/p>\n

Kindle, Paperback and Hardcover \u2013 but most are beyond acceptable limits in price for this list.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/2deNwiM<\/a>
\n\"bar-green\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n\n
Books about Criminology & Investigation<\/h5>\n

\"bar-gray\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"criminology-for-dummies\"<\/p>\n
851. Criminology For Dummies – Steven Briggs<\/h6>\n

Criminology is the science of what used to be known as \u201cDetective Work\u201d. Sure, you might be able to get away with \u201cMeans, Motive, and Opportunity\u201d – but the technicalities are things you can build an entire adventure around.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/2h89IkH<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"police-procedure-investigation\"<\/p>\n
852. Police Procedure & Investigation: A Guide for Writers (Howdunit) – Lee Lofland<\/h6>\n

Lofland is a recognized expert on police procedures and crime scene investigations. This book contains over 80 photographs, illustrations, and charts showing everything from defensive moves used by officers to prison cells and autopsies; Detailed information on officer training, tools of the trade, drug busts, con air procedures, crime scene investigation techniques, etc; and first-person anecdotes from the author concerning his experiences as a detective, including accounts of arrests, death penalty executions, and criminal encounters.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/1pgfP76<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"police-procedural\"<\/p>\n
853. Police Procedural: A Writer’s Guide to the Police and How They Work (Howdunit) – Russell Bintliff<\/h6>\n

This book takes you inside the day-to-day world of police work – how police officers work, when they work, what they wear, who they report to, how they investigate crime, how they get promoted, and generally how they go about the business.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/1Szytlx<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"scene-of-the-crime\"<\/p>\n
854. Scene of the Crime: A Writer’s Guide to Crime Scene Investigation (Howdunit) – Anne Wingate<\/h6>\n

How evidence is measured, collected, identified, and analyzed, the timetable of activity at a crime scene, and technical terms and professional techniques used – this is what NCIS refers to as “processing a scene”. Doing so was far more primitive in the pulp era – sometimes you were lucky if photographs were taken, never mind anything else being documented – but this describes best-case practices; all you have to do is determine how that standard has to be compromised to keep your mysteries a secret.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/1TLsdZz<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"just-the-facts-maam\"<\/p>\n
855. Just the Facts, Ma’am: A Writer’s Guide to Investigators and Investigation Techniques (Howdunit) – Greg Fallis<\/h6>\n

Former PI Greg Fallis uses real-life scenarios to show writers how investigative professionals gather evidence, interview witnesses, determine motives, and find answers.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/1LRjcee<\/a>
\n\"bar-green\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n\n
Books about Forensics<\/h5>\n

\"bar-gray\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"forensics-for-dummies\"<\/p>\n
856. Forensics For Dummies \u2013 Douglas P Lyle, MD<\/h6>\n

Forensic science originated all the way back in Europe’s 16th century with a Frenchman and two Italians. Not much came of their groundbreaking studies until they were published in the 18th century. The science’s roots go back even further, all the way to Aristotle. Believe it or not, the person most directly responsible for popularizing the science in the mid-20th century is the fictional lawyer, Perry Mason, and the real-world author of his stories (almost all of which were adapted into episodes of the long-running TV series), Erle Stanley Gardner. In the introductions to many of his stories, he would ‘introduce’ a forensic scientist (long before there was such a term) and describe their real-world breakthroughs and successes. After Mason came Quincy, about a Medical Examiner, and then the CSI franchise, and Abby Schuto in NCIS. Our big fear is that this book will be more about the techniques that would be familiar to viewers of those last few series and not applicable to the state of the \u201cart\u201d in the Pulp Era. However, the contents allay those concerns somewhat; while sections of one of the Parts on the Forensics Lab would not be relevant, most of it looks just fine.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/2h5igFQ<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"cause-of-death\"<\/p>\n
857. Cause of Death: A Writer’s Guide to Death, Murder and Forensic Medicine (Howdunit) – Keith D. Wilson<\/h6>\n

Detailed descriptions of what happens to a body from trauma to burial, how autopsies are conducted, the paperwork involved in a death, and the (US) laws that govern how bodies must be handled and buried.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/1XcKWux<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"forensics\"<\/p>\n
858. Forensics: A Guide for Writers (Howdunit) – D P Lyle<\/h6>\n

Award-winning author and TV show consultant D.P. Lyle, M.D., takes each area of forensics \u2014 from fingerprint analysis to crime scene reconstruction \u2014 and discusses its development, how the science works, how it helps in crime solving, and how you as a writer might use this technique in crafting your plot. Includes real-life case files and the role forensic evidence played in solving the crimes; a breakdown of the forensics system from its history and organization to standard evidence classification and collection methods; detailed information on what a dead body can reveal, including the cause, mechanism, and manner of death; and the actual steps taken to preserve a crime scene and the evidence that can be gathered there, such as bloodstains, documents, fingerprints, tire impressions, and more. While Forensics was still in its infancy during the pulp era, it can be a vital element of many adventures – as is making sure that Forensics doesn’t offer an adventure-wrecking shortcut to the players!
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/1nwx2qZ<\/a>
\n\"bar-green\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n\n
Books about Specific Types of Crime and Crime Scenes<\/h5>\n

See also “The Poisoner’s Handbook” and the other books on poisons (entries 617-619 on the 6th shelf<\/a>).
\n\"bar-gray\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"the-crime-writers-reference-guide\"<\/p>\n
859. The Crime Writer’s Reference Guide: 1001 Tips for Writing the Perfect Murder \u2013 Martin Roth<\/h6>\n

A book no writer of murder mysteries, thrillers, action\/adventure, true-crime, police procedurals, romantic suspense, and psychological mysteries, whether scripts or novels, or adventures, should be without; Pages and pages of lists, from the so-broad-they-are-almost useless (“Weapons Used by Criminals” which begins “Acid, Air gun, Ax, Bayonet, Bazooka, Billy Club…”) to material that’s too contemporary for pulp (6 pages of LAPD police radio codes) to the irreplaceable (3 pages of FBI case classifications, 16 pages of organization charts for the LA County Sherrif’s Department), much of it very hard to find anywhere else. In short, this book may not be period but we think a lot of the subject is universal in application.<\/p>\n

Our first link is to the most recent edition (pictured), and there are quite a few reasonably-priced copies of it available http:\/\/amzn.to\/1OYqkAn<\/a>; but if they run out, there is an older edition with reportedly identical content:<\/em> http:\/\/amzn.to\/1W5GDRr<\/a>.
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"murder-one\"<\/p>\n
860. Murder One: A Writer’s Guide to Homicide (Howdunit) – Mauro V. Corvasce and Joseph R. Paglino<\/h6>\n

Prosecuting investigators Mauro Corvasce and Joseph Paglino take you step by step through the nuts and bolts necessary to build your fictional murder scenario, from motives, plans, commission and disposal of the bodies.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/1R6YEdL<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"malicious-intent\"<\/p>\n
861. Malicious Intent: A Writer’s Guide to How Murderers, Robbers, Rapists and Other Criminals Think (Howdunit) – Sean P. Mactire<\/h6>\n

A matter-of-fact book about the criminal mind, beginning with ancient history (from 1500 B.C.) and moving to the present-day serial and “nonserial” killers, showing how the creation of a police force changed criminal activity from open assault to cunning and secret operations, examining the psychology of criminals and the development of profiling (psychological mug shots), all supported by examples from the careers of actual criminals.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/1UeEd3V<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"rip-off\"<\/p>\n
862. Rip-Off: A Writer’s Guide to Crimes of Deception (Howdunit) – Fay Faron<\/h6>\n

From street level shell games to high stakes real estate swindles, professional PI Fay Faron profiles con artists, cons and the victims, providing the lowdown on scams for authors who need the facts.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/222VPm2<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"modus-operandi\"<\/p>\n
863. Modus Operandi: A Writer’s Guide to How Criminals Work (Howdunit) – Mauro V. Corvasce and Joseph R. Paglino<\/h6>\n

How criminals carry out murder, arson, smuggling, armed robbery, safe-cracking, and more. Copies of this book are starting to get hard to find and the price is going up.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/1QH7EKP<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"old-car-wrecks\"<\/p>\n
864. Old Car Wrecks: And the Vehicles at Accident Scenes, 1920s to 1960s – Ron Kawalke<\/h6>\n

“Motoring mayhem unravels in this photographic history of tow trucks, police cars, ambulances and other vehicles in the aftermath of accidents. This … volume includes hundreds of photos and motoring misadventures from the 1920s through the 1960s.” Also contains a section on early crash testing and the evolution of safety equipment, but that’s not especially valuable to the Pulp GM, unlike the photos – it’s VERY hard to find anything both similar and period online. We know, we’ve looked – hard – and even had to rewrite part of one adventure because we couldn’t find what we needed. This book would have solved that need.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/2fuIWQE<\/a>
\n\"bar-green\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n\n
Books about Law<\/h5>\n

\"bar-gray\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"law-for-dummies\"<\/p>\n
865. Law For Dummies – JD John Ventura<\/h6>\n

This is all about how the law applies to ordinary people in everyday, ordinary situations. While the law has evolved since the 1930s, it tends to progress with glacial slowness punctuated by periods of radical shakeup \u2013 so large parts of this will (we hope) be directly relevant to the Pulp Era. It’s almost certainly America-centric so inhabitants of the US will get some value from the book even if it’s not useful for Pulp purposes \u2013 inhabitants of other countries should NOT rely on this for legal advice and should aim for cheap copies.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/2gd4a3E<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"law-101\"<\/p>\n
866. Law 101: Everything You Need to Know About American Law, Fourth Edition – Jay M Feinman<\/h6>\n

A last-minute discovery by Mike, this is regarded as the quintessential introduction to Law for the layman. Since most GMs are not going to be qualified US Attorneys, that means us. As is usual with any book that has an “nth edition”, this is extremely up-to-date – but that actually diminishes its value to the Pulp GM. It’s entirely possible that the “For Dummies” book above is better value-for-money from that perspective – which is why this book has been listed lower in the list. But there is an upside: Any book that sells well enough to go into a fourth edition will probably have a fifth and then a sixth (and so on) in due course, so availability should not be a major issue for some time to come, or – if it is – it will probably only be temporary.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/2h5tQB8<\/a>
\n\"bar-green\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n\n
Books about Courts, Trials and Justice<\/h5>\n

\"bar-gray\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"a-history-of-modern-american-criminal-justice\"<\/p>\n
867. A History of Modern American Criminal Justice – Joseph F. Spillane & David B. Wolcott<\/h6>\n

Discovered in the course of researching this article. Many of the books listed in this section are subject-specific and we have concerns about how \u201ccontemporary\u201d they are in terms of the Pulp Era; we hope that this provides an overview and context for working out what is relevant to the Pulp GM and what is not. Recommended without having read it. Cheap copies are limited in number.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/2bi5Uv2<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"the-trial-a-history-from-socrates-to-o-j-simpson\"<\/p>\n
868. The Trial: A History, from Socrates to O. J. Simpson – Sadakat Kadri<\/h6>\n

For similar reasons, we are also including this book, again with the caveat that we haven’t read it. Cheap copies appear plentiful.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/2bNz9lT<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"the-great-trials-of-the-twenties\"<\/p>\n
869. The Great Trials of the Twenties: The Watershed Decade om America’s Courtrooms \u2013 Robert Grant and Joseph Katz<\/h6>\n

The roaring twenties played witness to a number of sensational encounters in the courtroom whose impact is still being felt \u2013 and, in some cases, challenged \u2013 today. Baseball’s Black Sox, Al Capone, John T. Scopes, Sacco and Vanzetti, Leopold and Loeb, and the court martial of Billy Mitchell. This book describes ten of those momentous clashes in depth.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe authors dwell on the factual background of the cases and the social forces that swirled around them, glossing over the actual courtroom proceedings. (Predictably, the only attorney whose performance is noted at length is Clarence Darrow, in both the Leopold-Loeb trial and in the Scopes trial).\u201d – Publisher’s Weekly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe authors spent a great deal of time each chapter delving into the background information (what was going on in the country prior to the trial). They “set up” the scandal at length before the reader learns about it. I think this is beneficial if the reader is looking to understand more about the 1920s, but I think it is also a little unnecessary at times.\u201d – An amazon reader’s review.<\/p>\n

Most usefully, having placed each of the cases in the context of the period, each discussion concludes with an examination of the consequences to society in general or to the defendant after the trial concluded, which also places them in context with respect to the modern world. Unfortunately, we could find no equivalent book detailing the 1930s.<\/p>\n

Hardcover, 308 pages, 33 used from $0.01, 20 new from $18.99, 4 collectible from $9.85, Amazon price $30.00
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/2gk2HvQ<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"laws-of-men-and-laws-of-nature\"<\/p>\n
870. Laws of Men and Laws of Nature: The History of Scientific Expert Testimony in England and America – Tal Golan<\/h6>\n

Discovering this book, which has a most promising write-up at Amazon, was one of the inspirations behind Mike’s article at Campaign Mastery earlier this year, Consequential Expertise: A Neglected Plot Opportunity<\/a>. He was enthused about the book from the very first sentence of the write up, which asked whether or not expert witnesses are partisan supporters of the side of the legal argument which hires them to appear in a court case, or are they spokesmen and women for the higher principle of objective science? This is a question that has plagued the scientific expert’s role ever since they were first called to testify \u2013 and it’s not always easy to tell where any given witness falls. Justice can easily be derailed by judges and juries assuming that a witness has a particular bias \u2013 or has no bias. More time can often be spent exploring bonafides and potential biases on the part of expert witnesses, and rebutting their testimony on that basis, than is actually spent listening to what they have to say. As Mike’s article points out, PCs in a Pulp campaign can easily be parachuted into an adventure by serving as ‘expert witnesses’ in a controversial court case. That alone seems to justify including this book on the list, but that’s just the start of what it seems to offer.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/2bi8NMa<\/a>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\"flourish-divider1\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n\n
For-Dummies Books relating to Courts, Police & Detectives & Crime<\/h5>\n

In most cases, we haven’t read any of these, and are recommending them for consideration based purely upon the publisher’s descriptions and on general principles except where otherwise noted. This also shifts the content of each review from one of \u201cthis book is recommended and here’s why\u201d to \u201cthis book might be useful and here’s why\u201d. We have made the assumption that availability and price would fall within our parameters, or close enough to them; we have rarely found this not to be the case.<\/p>\n

Selected works were so promising and so relevant, that they have been promoted to the main list of recommendations, excluding them from the above caveats.<\/p>\n

A note about Complete Idiot’s Guides<\/h6>\n

While the “For Dummies” series has a website that lists all the books currently available in the series, there is no equivalent for the \u201cComplete Idiot’s Guides\u201d. <\/p>\n

Our blanket advice is that if Amazon lists a \u201cComplete Idiot’s Guide\u201d that matches the subject of one of our \u201cFor Dummies\u201d recommendations, you should buy both.<\/em><\/strong>
\n\"bar-gray\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"forensic-psychology-for-dummies\"<\/p>\n
871. Forensic Psychology For Dummies – David Canter<\/h6>\n

This book we’re not so sure about. Understanding the real reasons why people commit various types of crime might be useful, or it might simply stifle creativity and be too confining for the over-the-top Pulp Genre. We suggest you limit your costs on this one in case it’s not as useful as it might be.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/2gEl649<\/a>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\n\"homebrewing-for-dummies\"<\/p>\n
872. Homebrewing For Dummies – Marty Nachel<\/h6>\n

The Pulp era blankets prohibition, when home brewing and illegal stills were at their height. Even post-prohibition, there were undoubtedly a few of these still lingering around. Slowly, home brewing seemed to go out of fashion until experiencing a resurgence in the late 20th and early 21st centuries \u2013 hence this volume’s existence. It would have limited utility, but if you can pick up a cheap copy, it might help verisimilitude enormously.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/2h5tOJp<\/a>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n\n\"flourish-divider2\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n

Books About Military Installations, Forces, and Campaigns<\/h3>\n

In some ways, this is easier to subdivide – but when we looked at doing so, the plan fell apart very quickly. Why? Well, book “A” covers a specific campaign that involved military forces from countries X, Y, and Z; book “B” might be a different campaign involving V, W, and X, which would suggest a break-up by campaign. But then you get book C which is about multiple campaigns by one military force – into which category should it be put? Or should it be out on its own in yet another category? The conclusion was that there was only one fully-inclusive taxonomy – and that was to lump everything together in the one broad topic.<\/p>\n

While it started out as large as the “crime” section (above), however, right from the first, content began to leak out into other sections, notably the weapons & technology sections, and the vehicles sections, where they formed subsections in their own right (Shelves 6 and 7, respectively).<\/p>\n

Additional information will also be found in the sections dealing with specific countries and regions (shelf 3<\/a>, shelf 4<\/a>, and shelf 5<\/a>) and in the history section of Shelf 8<\/a>.<\/p>\n

These factors have combined to make this section a lot smaller than it appears from the very broad title.
\n\"bar-gray\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n\n\"fortress-america\"<\/p>\n
873. Fortress America, The Forts That Defended America: 1600 \u2013 The Present \u2013 J.E. Kaufmann & H.W.Kaufmann<\/h6>\n

Two chapters of period relevance and several chapters of historical reference. There are several at low prices (plus a kindle alternative) here http:\/\/amzn.to\/1PCqhei<\/a>, and some more expensive ones here http:\/\/amzn.to\/1NhugeI<\/a>.
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n\n\"book-117596_960_720\"<\/p>\n
874. U.S. Forces Travel Guide to U.S. Military installations\/Military Travel Guide U.S.A. \u2013 Crawford, L Ann\/Crawford, Ann Caddell<\/h6>\n

Written by the Military for the Military, this is nevertheless a useful reference. Updated periodically, we have linked to only two editions of this rather specific travel guide (one http:\/\/amzn.to\/1lpfsEo<\/a> and two http:\/\/amzn.to\/1WpjlGG<\/a>) – which Amazon attributes to different variations of the author’s name – because there are cheap copies available second-hand – there are more out there if these are gone. While the contents may refer to modern installations, many of these have histories stretching back to the 1930s and beyond \u2013 and that’s without the GM reinventing history just a little! But you may need the Schading book listed below to translate it into meaningful content if you aren’t a military person.
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n\n\"guide-to-military-installations\"<\/p>\n
875. Guide to Military Installations, 6 th Edition \u2013 Dan Cragg<\/h6>\n

\u201cReflects latest base realignments and closings with data on 300 military installations in the U.S. and overseas. Includes maps, climate, housing, phone numbers, and local area information.\u201d Useful information for GMs on the places that are still operating (as of the date of publication). Again, written for military personnel who are being based in the installations described; you may need the Schading book for translation.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/1JW0t0f<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n\n\"us-forces-travel-guide-to-overseas-us-military-installations\"<\/p>\n
876. US Forces Travel Guide to Overseas US Military Installations \u2013 William Roy Crawford & L. Ann Crawford, edited by Donna L. Russell<\/h6>\n

Most of these will be modern, but it can be hard to find information on the few that pre-date World War II. Included on spec, and should be purchased with the same attitude. Obviously, this is another book written for military personnel being deployed, and, for a third time, the Schading may be indispensable.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/1ZxImzJ<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n\n\"a-civilians-guide-to-the-us-military\"<\/p>\n
877. A Civilian’s Guide to the U.S. Military: A comprehensive reference to the customs, language and structure of the Armed Forces \u2013 Barbara Schading & Richard Schading<\/h6>\n

If your campaign is going to have anything to do with the US Military, you need this book (even though it is written regarding the modern-day military). Background information, ranks, insignia, organization, slang, etiquette, military law, academies, decorations & medals, and more \u2013 plus a list of resources for more information.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/1n728Wr<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n\n\"hitlers-nemesis\"<\/p>\n
878. Hitler’s Nemesis: The Red Army 1930-1945 \u2013 Walter S. Dunn Jr.<\/h6>\n

Part of a series, this volume \u201c…traces the development of the Russian army in reaction to the rise of Hitler, Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, and the progression of World War II over the following four years\u201d with \u201cDetails on the Soviet infantry, armor, artillery, and cavalry formations that waged World War II on the Eastern Front.\u201d
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/1T0gBzL<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n\n\"the-battle-for-spain\"<\/p>\n
879. The Battle For Spain \u2013 Antony Beevor<\/h6>\n

The Spanish civil war (1936-1939) is the largest conflict underway during the Pulp Era. This book focuses not only on the events but on the ideals, goals, and politics that shaped the two sides, giving the GM the ammunition he needs to portray them accurately in any encounter.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/1ZIM0ff<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n\n\"french-foreign-legion-1914-45\"<\/p>\n
880. French Foreign Legion 1914-45 \u2013 Martin Windrow, illustrated by Mike Chappell<\/h6>\n

The history and uniforms of the French Foreign Legion including a comprehensive battle history of the Legion on the Western Front in World War I, the colonial campaigns in Morocco, Syria, and Indochina, and more. Illustrated throughout by photographs and with eight color plates. Only 50 pages, but this is content that is hard to find anywhere else. Paperback; new, from Amazon $17.95, from third parties 21 copies at $7.96+; used, 20 copies from $7.96.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/2dPtYUS<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n\n\"civilian-in-peace-soldier-in-war\"<\/p>\n
881. Civilian in Peace, Soldier in War: The Army National Guard, 1636-2000 (Modern War Studies) \u2013 Michael D Doubler<\/h6>\n

The first of two books we have selected on the National Guard, this is a history of the \u201cCitizen Soldiers\u201d over almost 400 years of history. Unfortunately, it’s unclear how much of direct relevance to the Pulp Era is contained within; Part II covers the period 1898-to-1945 and consists of Chapters 4 and 5; Chapter 4 is \u201cThe Birth of the Modern National Guard\u201d and Chapter 5 is \u201cThe National Guard in the World Wars\u201d. Either or both might contain information of relevance, or might \u2013 like a great many other books on Militaria \u2013 ignore the inter-war period completely. The only good news is that the book is extensively book-noted and contains a comprehensive bibliography, so even a hint of relevance can be hunted down into something more substantial at need.<\/p>\n

Paperback, 482 pages, 13 used from $4.96, 10 new from $5.35, 1 collectible at $5.95.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/2hgBJXK<\/a>
\n\"bar-blue\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n\n\"national-guard-101\"<\/p>\n
882. National Guard 101: A Handbook for Spouses \u2013 Mary Corbett<\/h6>\n

\u201cSpouse\u201d in this context means someone with no knowledge of the military or its protocols, let alone how those relate to the National Guard but who has become part of that world. This book \u201ccovers a broad range of topics, from practical knowledge about the history of the National Guard and understanding rank to softer subjects like social life in the Guard and family programs.\u201d It’s written to be relevant to the modern-day, and that’s it’s biggest drawback from a Pulp GM’s point of view, as it again raises questions of relevance to the inter-war period. Nevertheless, it is the only book that assumes no prior knowledge of the subject and serves as a general introduction to everything you might want to know in order to properly represent the National Guard in your campaign that we could find.<\/p>\n

Kindle $10.02 Paperback 35 used from $0.01, 31 New from $5.92, 3 Collectible from $9.85.
\nhttp:\/\/amzn.to\/2gC5rlM<\/a>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n\"flourish-divider1\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n

Documentaries About Military Installations, Forces, and Campaigns<\/h3>\n

There’s only one Documentary on this shelf, but it’s a doozy!
\n\"bar-gray\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n\n\"secrets-of-war\"<\/p>\n
883. Secrets Of War<\/h6>\n

While we’re recommending this entire 65-episode collection, and they were all of interest, there are only three episodes of specific<\/em> pulp reference value: \u201cSuper Guns\u201d, \u201cThe French Resistance\u201d, and \u201cStalin’s Secret Air War\u201d. Normally, we wouldn’t recommend a 13-disc set for so little reward, but the prices were sufficiently reasonable that anything<\/em> more you get from the series (and there’s enough additional material that you probably will<\/em> get something) is totally a bonus.<\/p>\n

Amazon US $17.41 http:\/\/amzn.to\/23JnAnU<\/a>, Amazon UK [NTSC Region-1 US Import] \u00a314.14 http:\/\/amzn.to\/1U6BWJ7<\/a>, Amazon Canada CDN$30 http:\/\/amzn.to\/1ViPNNI<\/a>, with a few cheaper second-hand copies available in all three markets.<\/p>\n

In addition, the Second Season (which includes two of the recommended episodes) is available online through Amazon US’s streaming service (US$20.99 for the entire season, or $1.99 for a specific episode): http:\/\/amzn.to\/1rQLWv7<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/td>\n\n\"flourish-divider2\"\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\"bullet-holes-v11\"<\/p>\n

Afterword by Mike:<\/h3>\n

In the Victorian era, lurid headlines and melodramatic descriptions of crimes and events were used by newspapers to excite the readers; the term for this practice became sensationalism, and, at the time, it was not held in the same sort of contempt that it ‘enjoys’ in more modern times. In a pulp setting, those lurid headlines and melodramatic sensationalism are an accurate depiction of the high drama of reality.<\/em> Perry Mason’s courtroom theatrics are more genre correct stylistically than the gritty realities of Law and Order or the slickly scientific approach of a CSI.<\/p>\n

There is an undeniable absolutism to outcomes. In any conflict, there is a clear winner, and a clear loser, whether that be in an attempted bank robbery or a military engagement or a courtroom. If an event does not have an absolute outcome, the story has not yet run its course, no matter how conclusive it appears.<\/p>\n

That’s not to say there is no room for ambiguity. In the first adventure on which Blair and I collaborated, we went to great lengths to build up a mysterious ghost ship with seemingly-supernatural powers; we then permitted the PCs to uncover proof that the whole thing was a hoax, perpetrated to distract the American Navy while a coup was mounted in Haiti. But along the way, the PCs met a Houngan with strange powers, and – as a postscript to the adventure, after smashing the equipment and facilities used to mount the deception and capturing the ghost ship, they had a passing encounter with another ghost ship – one that could not be explained away by anything that the PCs knew other than the supernatural.<\/p>\n

Ambiguity is fine. Complex characters with shades of gray are fine. But outcomes are absolute.<\/p>\n

\nNext in this series: The 10th shelf – Religion & Mysticism!\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"swirlpralinchen-1\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This entry is part 10 of 15 in the series The Essential Reference Library for Pulp GMs (and others)<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>

The Ninth Shelf: Life In The Pulp Era II – Non-Civilian Life [Crime, Policing, and Militaria] – Introduction by Mike It sometimes seems that the term “delicate balancing act’ is over-used, but when it comes to Pulp it is a true description of some aspect of reality for the GM in at least some respects. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[180,83,70,294,84,74,188,89,12,297,85,166,87,298,299,86,78,94,88,97,96],"tags":[237,100,106,107,108,163,116,127,172,282,137,279,250,223,232],"series":[312],"class_list":["post-19699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cyberpunk","category-fantasy-games","category-gm-ing","category-guest-post","category-horror-games","category-mike","category-mystery-detective-games","category-npcs-etc","category-pcs","category-pirateswashbuckling-games","category-pulp-games","category-reviews","category-sf-games","category-spy-secret-agent-games","category-steampunk","category-superhero-games","category-adventurers-club","category-ideas-and-inspiration","category-cowboy-games","category-world-design","category-write","tag-adventure-creation","tag-adventure-prep","tag-campaign-background","tag-campaign-setting","tag-campaigns","tag-cultures-societies","tag-game-mastery","tag-inspiration","tag-npcs","tag-pcs","tag-plausibility","tag-pulp","tag-resources","tag-sci-fi","tag-writing","series-the-essential-reference-library-for-pulp-gms-and-others"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1toiD-57J","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.campaignmastery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19699"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.campaignmastery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.campaignmastery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.campaignmastery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.campaignmastery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19699"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.campaignmastery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19699\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19712,"href":"https:\/\/www.campaignmastery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19699\/revisions\/19712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.campaignmastery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.campaignmastery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.campaignmastery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19699"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.campaignmastery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=19699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}