Pulp Fiction Comics & Games

The special-ness of these posts is starting to be replaced by regularity.  But, hey, that just means we’ve been getting in a bunch’a new, impressive games.

A new game that is both special and impressive (and anticipated) is Smallworld:  Underground.  A stand-alone/expansion to the original Smallworld game, Underground uses the same play style of land domination by way of races with special abilities while adding some new hotness to the mix.  That new hotness comes in the way of monster battles.  Yes, unlike the original game, certain spaces on the game board (actually, there’s 2 double-sided gameboards) are now occupied by devious creatures that the player must defeat before taking command of the area.  As is to be expected, there are also fifteen new races and special abilities as well as the option of combining this game with any of the bits and pieces from the previous game and its expansions.  Dig it.  Get it, underground…yup…

Oh, also, while supplies last, when you purchase a copy of Smallworld:  Underground you receive a special promo Drow sticker so you can show off your “Haughty but Naughty” side.

Since cool people buy expansions, the new Arkham Horror:  Miskatonic Horror expansion should catch the ears of any and all cool folks out there.  Yes, this hefty compilation of expansion goodies can be played with only the base version of Arkham Horror, but the real excitement comes when you combine it with a number of the Arkham Horror expansions.  The reason being that the 450 new cards included here add or flesh out various elements found in those previous releases.  For instance, The King in Yellow expansion gains a handful of new Blight and Act cards while the Lurker at the Threshold expansion gains new Relationship and Reckoning cards.  And, above all else, Miskatonic introduces a completely new add-on called Institutions, which assist investigators in their sleuthing.

Word to the wise:  the MERCS are not someone you want to have on your tail.  Put they are someone you want to put in your corner.  Luckily, Pulp just received an order of every miniature that has been released thus far for the MERCS game.  These carefully crafted lead-free pewter minis represent the various futuristic factions of the game, including the Yellow Jackets, KemVar, FCC, and USCR.  We’ve also received more copies of the core rulebook for the game.  So, basically, everything you need to start in on the game, including the faction decks, is ready and available for perusal.

Roleplaying gets a boost this week from a heavy restock on materials for various gaming systems.  Might as well start with the basics, like, Basic Roleplaying from Chaosium.  The new hardcover edition of this rules system touches up the previous softcover volume as it also adds elements from a collection of the previous Basic books.  If you’ve played any of the Call of Cthulhu games and enjoyed them, this is the system that they stem from, so you might consider giving it a try.  Speaking of CoC and Chaosium, the very, very, very, very, very **broken record**, limited edition of Masks of Nyarlathotep is now in stock.  Limited to 1000 copies, this is a hardcover binding of the original book ready to slide onto the bookshelves of any CoC or H.P. Lovecraft collector.  Also, a sizable portion of Monograms (fan written adventures that Chaosium publishes; also, as these are printed on a limited basis we’re one of the only stores that carries them) and Lovecraftian fiction (including Arkham Tales and Encyclopedia Cthulhian) are back in stock.

Finally, the popular Pathfinder system adds three books to our shelves.  Evocative City Sites details nine new playable areas and all their glorious details.  Coliseum Morpheuon contains all the information to run an adventure for 16-20th level characters where players compete in a universally-sized Enter the Dragon style tournament.  Peril in Freeport finishes the three out with pirate shenanery as it is an 6th to 8th level adventure set in Green Ronin’s Freeport.