TEXT: The Modern Dispatch
  pulp Adventure Generator
  Page 1
  Content Manager: 
  Charles Rice, Chris Davis
  Layout: 
  Chris Davis
  Requires the use of the d20 Modern Roleplaying 
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  of this License can be found at www.wizards.
  com/d20.
  #42
  Introduction
  The pages that follow feature a series of tables which 
  can be used by a GM to randomly generate the 
  outline of an adventure, from plot, to locations, to 
  action scenes, and more.  It is based on a Master Plot 
  Formula that was used by Lester Dent, the creator of 
  Doc Savage.  The italicized sections are quotations 
  directly from Dentʼs formula.
  Dent advocated the division of a pulp story into 
  four sections, which weʼll call Acts.  He then broke 
  each Act down into the elements that he felt were 
  necessary to feature within that section.   Our random 
  adventure generator will work the same way.   For 
  each section, there will be a number of variables 
  which a GM can determine via the tables presented, 
  and when completed, the generator will create a full 
  outline of the adventure, ready to be ﬂeshed out with 
  statted NPCs, and waiting for victims....er...I mean 
  eager players.
   
  Pulp Adventure Generator
  By Gareth-Michael Skarka 
  About the Author
  Gareth-Michael Skarka has been working in the 
  adventure games industry since 1988.  He is the 
  designer of several role-playing games, including 
  Hong Kong Action Theatre!, UnderWorld and 
  Skull & Bones.  His design imprint, Adamant 
  Entertainment, produces the pulp d20 line 
  Thrilling Tales, and more.
   
   
  About
  Thrilling Tales is Adamant Entertainment’s 
  line of pulp-genre gaming products for using 
  with Modern D20.  The line currently features 
  Advanced Classes representing the major 
  pulp hero archetypes, a Gamemaster’s Guide 
  (including a random pulp adventure generator), 
  and adventures.
  This issue of the Modern Dispatch is an 
  exerpt from the Gamemasterʼs Guide to Pulp 
  Adventure, a supplement in the Thrilling Tales 
  line.
  ¢
  10
  
  The Modern Dispatch
  pulp Adventure Generator
  Page 2
  Hereʼs how it starts:
   1. A DIFFERENT MURDER METHOD FOR 
  VILLAIN TO USE
   2. A DIFFERENT THING FOR VILLAIN TO BE 
  SEEKING
   3. A DIFFERENT LOCALE
   4. A MENACE WHICH IS TO HANG LIKE A 
  CLOUD OVER HERO
   One of these DIFFERENT things would be nice, two 
  better, three swell.  
  Weʼll combine these suggestions into three elements, 
  which are determined before you start laying out the 
  adventure itself.  The three elements are:
  1) The Villain (who is it?)
  2) The Fiendish Plot (what is the Villain doing?)
  3) The main Location. (Where does this occur?)
  Each element is arrived at by rolling on the 
  appropriate tables.  Explanations for the results can 
  be found below.
  Gangster:  One of the many members of organized 
  crime gangs that plagued the period.
  Occultist:  A villain with an interest or skill in Occult 
  matters (whether magic is real or fake is up to the 
  GM).
  Murderer:  Someone who has killed another person-
  -this individual may not have been a “Villain” prior 
  to this event, and may not ﬁt the classical villain 
  modes--best used in murder mystery adventures.
  Supernatural Threat:  A ghost, a mummy, a vam-
  pire, etc.  (The GM will have to determine whether 
  sity!”   They were right.
  Wicked Foreigner:  Historically speaking, these 
  were almost always Oriental (q.v. Fu Manchu), but 
  any foreign culture will do.
  Thief:  A villain who specializes in burglary and 
  other forms of theft.
  Assassin:  An individual whose business is killing. 
  Not a simple murderer, but a professional.
  Femme Fatale:  You knew she was trouble when you 
  got a look at those gams....
  Crooked Cop:  A man who has turned his back on 
  his oath to uphold the law.
  Dictator: The power-hungry despotic ruler of a na-
  tion.
  Nazi:  Evil Fascist.  The classic pulp villain.  I hate 
  these guys.
  Business Magnate:  Capitalist gone wrong.
  Crime Lord:  The ruler of a vast criminal empire, 
  not neccesarily connected to “classical” organized 
  crime.
  Pirate:  One who steals from (and using) vehicles, 
  whether on sea, land, or in the air.
  Anarchist:  Madman dedicated to the overthrow of 
  civilization.
  Society Swell:   A member of the upper class, includ-
  ing the rich and famous.
  Crooked Politician:  Power-mad and sticking it to 
  the little guy.
  Alien Invader:   Either the actual invaders them-
  selves, or their earth-bound servant trying to bring 
  about the invasion.
  Mastermind:  The pinnacle of the criminal class.
  Nemesis:  If the main hero (or team if there is no 
  main hero) has a nemesis, they re-appear.  If none 
  exists, create one--a dark reﬂection of the the hero, 
  Moriarty to Holmes...The Joker to Batman.
  Roll Twice and Combine:  GMs can either combine 
  both rolls in a single villain, or feature more than one 
  villain.
  Table 1: The Villain
  D% Roll 
   
  Result
  01-04 
   
   
  Gangster
  05-09 
   
   
  Occultist
  10-13 
   
   
  Murderer
  14-17 
   
   
  Supernatural Threat
  18-21 
   
   
  Communist
  22-25 
   
   
  Cult Leader
  26-29 
   
   
  Ruler of Lost Civilization
  30-33 
   
   
  Mad Scientist
  34-37 
   
   
  Wicked Foreigner
  38-41 
   
   
  Thief
  42-45 
   
   
  Assassin
  46-49 
   
   
  Femme Fatale
  50-53 
   
   
  Crooked Cop
  54-57 
   
   
  Dictator
  58-61 
   
   
  Nazi
  62-65 
   
   
  Business Magnate
  66-69 
   
   
  Crime Lord
  70-73 
   
   
  Pirate
  74-77 
   
   
  Anarchist 
   
  78-81 
   
   
  Society Swell
  82-85 
   
   
  Crooked Politician
  86-88 
   
   
  Alien Invader
  89-93 
   
   
  Mastermind
  94-97 
   
   
  Nemesis
  98-00 
   
   
  Roll Twice and Combine
  or not the supernatural exists, or whether this is a 
  “scooby doo” mystery)
  Communist:  Used almost interchangeably with 
  Nazis in latter pulps.  An evil member of the Interna-
  tional Communist Conspiracy, looking to subvert and 
  conquer freedom-loving countries.
  Cult Leader:  The mad leader of a group of fanatics.
  Ruler of Lost Civilization:  Anything ranging from a 
  descendant of Genghis Khan trying to re-assert the Mongol 
  Horde, to a Witch Doctor who rules a hidden African Tribe.
  Mad Scientist:  “They called me Mad at the Univer-
  
  The Modern Dispatch
  pulp Adventure Generator
  Page 3
  Table 2: The Fiendish Plot, Part 1
  D% Roll 
   
  Result
  01-04 
   
   
  Manipulate
  05-09 
   
   
  Sell
  10-13 
   
   
  Acquire
  14-17 
   
   
  Kill
  18-21 
   
   
  Control
  22-25 
   
   
  Steal
  26-29 
   
   
  Create
  30-33 
   
   
  Hunt
  34-37 
   
   
  Terrorize
  38-41 
   
   
  Inﬁltrate
  42-45 
   
   
  Overthrow
  46-49 
   
   
  Obliterate
  50-53 
   
   
  Ransom
  54-57 
   
   
  Blackmail
  58-61 
   
   
  Hijack
  62-65 
   
   
  Bomb
  66-69 
   
   
  Smuggle
  70-73 
   
   
  Murder
  74-77 
   
   
  Rob
  78-81 
   
   
  Attack
  82-85 
   
   
  Rule
  86-88 
   
   
  Take
  89-93 
   
   
  Destroy
  94-97 
   
   
  Extort
  98-00 
   
   
  Roll Twice and Combine
  To determine the Fiendish Plot, roll once on Table 
  2 and once on Table 3, and combine the results.  A 
  result of 98-00 on either table can be interpreted as 
  either a second roll on both tables, or just one, as 
  the GM sees ﬁt.
  For example:  A roll of 16 and 44 would yield the 
  result: “Kill The Hero.”  The villain has decided 
  that his plans would work much better without the 
  hero in the way.   A roll of 48 and 67 would gener-
  ate: “Obliterate A Lost World.”  The villain has de-
  cided to destroy a hidden island or secret city.  Why?
  On occasion, the rolls may not make sense. (“Bomb 
  Jewels,” for example)  The GM is encouraged to 
  think the result through anyway.  The pulps, after all, 
  were known for bizarre stories.  Perhaps the villain 
  plans to build a bomb using diamonds, the hardest 
  substance known to man?  What for?
  The assumption made on the Main Location table is 
  that the GM is playing a generic Hero Pulp campaign, 
  Table 3: The Fiendish Plot, Part 2
  D% Roll 
   
  Result
  01-04 
   
   
  Monster
  05-09 
   
   
  Building
  10-13 
   
   
  People
  14-17 
   
   
  A Country
  18-21 
   
   
  Treasure
  22-25 
   
   
  An Enemy
  26-29 
   
   
  An Object
  30-33 
   
   
  An Invention
  34-37 
   
   
  A Woman
  38-41 
   
   
  A Man
  42-45 
   
   
  The Hero (or team)
  46-49 
   
   
  Money
  50-53 
   
   
  A City
  54-57 
   
   
  The World
  58-61 
   
   
  A Vehicle
  62-65 
   
   
  A Business
  66-69 
   
   
  A Lost World
  70-73 
   
   
  Jewels
  74-77 
   
   
  A Ruler
  78-81 
   
   
  Someone famous
  82-85 
   
   
  A rival
  86-88 
   
   
  The Law
  89-93 
   
   
  Innocent Victims
  94-97 
   
   
  Heroʼs Friends or Family
  98-00 
   
   
  Roll Twice and Combine
  Table 4: Main Location
  D% Roll 
   
  Result
  01-04 
   
   
  City: The Docks
  05-09 
   
   
  Far-off Jungle
  10-13 
   
   
  Asian Country
  14-17 
   
   
  European Country
  18-21 
   
   
  Third-World Country
  22-25 
   
   
  City: slums
  26-29 
   
   
  City: Chinatown
  30-33 
   
   
  Desert
  34-37 
   
   
  At Sea
  38-41 
   
   
  Lost City
  42-45 
   
   
  Secret Base
  46-49 
   
   
  City: Entertainment District
  50-53 
   
   
  City: Warehouses
  54-57 
   
   
  In the Air
  58-61 
   
   
  City: Tenderloin District
  62-65 
   
   
  Farmland
  66-69 
   
   
  Forest
  70-73 
   
   
  Another City
  74-77 
   
   
  Cross-country (train, etc)
  78-81 
   
   
  City: University
  82-85 
   
   
  City: Government
  86-88 
   
   
  City: Museums
  89-93 
   
   
  City: Skyscrapers
  94-97 
   
   
  Arctic/Antarctic
  98-00 
   
   
  Roll Twice and Combine
  where the PCs are based in a big city (usually New 
  York).  Pulp campaigns set elsewhere (Lost Worlds, 
  etc.) should have locations determined by the GM.
  EXAMPLE OF ADVENTURE SET-UP:
  Rolling for all three elements, I get:
  63:  Business Magnate
  87, 16: Take A Country
  38:  Lost City.
  
  The Modern Dispatch
  pulp Adventure Generator
  Page 4
  Weʼll call this the hook--what gets the PCs involved.  
  Weʼll have a table for that.
  Introduce ALL the other characters as soon as 
  possible. Bring them on in action.
  For this, weʼll move to another table which will give 
  us the supporting characters that will feature in the 
  adventure.
  Heroʼs endevours land him in an actual physical 
  conﬂict
  Now we get to the good stuff.  Weʼll create the ﬁrst 
  action sequence, using a table designed speciﬁcally 
  for that.
  Near the end of ﬁrst 1500 words, there is a complete 
  surprise twist in the plot development.
  And to mark the end of the act, we add a twist in the 
  plot which spins us into the second act.  You guessed 
  it, weʼve got a plot twist table.
  Thinking about it for a moment, I come up with an 
  idea for a William Randolph Hearst-style tycoon, 
  who is trying to take over a small, oil-rich desert 
  nation, looking for an artifact in a Lost City in the 
  desert sands to do it!  Heʼs looking for the fabled 
  Scimitar of Al-Azif, and if he ﬁnds it, he will have a 
  legitimate claim to the throne of Qurania! If he gains 
  control over the country, its people are doomed to a 
  life of slavery...can the heroes stop him?
  ANOTHER EXAMPLE:
  Rolling for all three elements, I get:
  00:  Roll Twice and Combine.  I get a 85, 22, which 
  gives me Crooked Politician and Cult Leader, which I 
  decide to combine into a single villain.
  63, 81: Bomb Someone Famous
  47:  City: Entertainment District
  Wow--this is a juicy one!   This one unfolds in my 
  mind, giving me the idea of a District Attorney who 
  is secretly the head of a Cult called the Red Hand.  
  The Red Hand has decided that Americaʼs troubles 
  are due to their worship of false idols, and so have 
  decided to plant a bomb at the gala premiere of a 
  movie--which will wipe out most of the screen stars 
  of the time, who will be in attendance. 
  The First Act:
  Now that youʼve got the set-up, we move to the ﬁrst 
  act of the adventure.   Letʼs see what Lester Dent has 
  to say about the ﬁrst act:
  First line, or as near thereto as possible, 
  introduce the hero and swat him with a ﬁstful of 
  trouble. 
  Table 5: The Hook
  D% Roll 
   
  Result
  01-11 
   
   
  Solicitation
  12-20 
   
   
  Dead Body
  21-30 
   
   
  Disaster
  31-42 
   
   
  Attack
  43-56 
   
   
  Bizarre Occurance
  57-65 
   
   
  News
  66-77 
   
   
  Friend in Need
  78-90 
   
   
  Up To Our Necks
  91-96 
   
   
  Roll Twice
  97-00 
   
   
  Other
  Solicitation:  The simplest of plot hooks--an NPC 
  (unknown to the characters) comes to the characters 
  and asks for their help.
  Dead Body:  The characters encounter a corpse, 
  which has some clue on it regarding the Fiendish 
  Plot.
  Disaster:  A horrible disaster occurs, somehow 
  related to the Fiendish Plot, and draws the characterʼs 
  attention.
  Attack:  An attack occurs (on someone other than the 
  characters), somehow related to the Fiendish Plot.
  Bizarre Occurance: A strange, inexplicable event 
  happens, somehow related to the Fiendish Plot.  In 
  the tradition of the pulps, the more outlandish and 
  bizarre, the better---an early test of the Villainʼs new 
  ray cannon, for example, turns the sky over the city a 
  brilliant green for 10 minutes at Noon.
  News:  The characters read a story in the paper, or 
  hear a story on the radio, that is related to the Fiend-
  ish Plot.
  Friend in Need:  Similar to the Solicitation hook, except 
  that the NPC is a friend of the characters.  The NPC comes 
  to the characters for help.
  Up To Our Necks:  In media res:  The characters are 
  involved in the plot from the starting gun.  They are 
  attacked, or implicated in a crime, or the victim of a 
  theft, or somehow made to suffer in a manner that is 
  directly related to the Fiendish Plot.
  Roll Twice: Roll twice on the Hook Table, and com-
  bine the results.
  Other: A Hook not represented on this table, created 
  by the GM.
  
  The Modern Dispatch
  pulp Adventure Generator
  Page 5
  Table 6: Supporting Characters
  D% Roll 
   
  Descriptor 
   
  Descriptor 
   
  Type
  01-04 
   
   
  Big 
   
   
  Neat 
   
   
  Entertainer 
  05-09 
   
   
  Ugly 
   
   
  Unlucky  
   
  Pilot 
  10-13 
   
   
  Shifty 
   
   
  Menacing 
   
  Soldier
  14-17 
   
   
  Secretive 
   
  Weak-willed 
   
  Politician
  18-21 
   
   
  Strong  
   
  Foreign  
   
  Contact
  22-25 
   
   
  Small 
   
   
  Rich 
   
   
  Business Owner
  26-29 
   
   
  Trustworthy 
   
  Small-time 
   
  Guide
  30-33 
   
   
  Helpless  
   
  Ambitious 
   
  Servant
  34-37 
   
   
  Quirky  
   
  Skilled  
   
  Socialite
  38-41 
   
   
  Troublesome 
   
  Helpful  
   
  Scientist
  42-45 
   
   
  Smart 
   
   
  Feisty 
   
   
  Doctor
  46-49 
   
   
  Charming 
   
  Wild 
   
   
  Criminal
  50-53 
   
   
  Strong-willed 
   
  All-American 
   
  Investigator
  54-57 
   
   
  Famous  
   
  Hard-boiled 
   
  Spouse
  58-61 
   
   
  Sloppy  
   
  Distinctive 
   
  Expert
  62-65 
   
   
  Dense 
   
   
  Professional 
   
  Informant
  66-69 
   
   
  Cold 
   
   
  Young  
   
  Vehicle Operator
  70-73 
   
   
  Impulsive 
   
  Violent  
   
  Thug
  74-77 
   
   
  Clumsy  
   
  Urban 
   
   
  Fanatic
  78-81 
   
   
  Lucky  
   
  Amateur  
   
  Academician
  82-85 
   
   
  Dangerous 
   
  Old 
   
   
  Assistant
  86-88 
   
   
  Agile 
   
   
  Native  
   
  Worker
  89-93 
   
   
  Beautiful 
   
  Evil 
   
   
  Henchman
  94-97 
   
   
  Weak 
   
   
  Odd 
   
   
  Occultist
  98-00 
   
   
  Talented  
   
  Ordinary 
   
  Kid
  The above table gives you the featured supporting 
  characters for the adventure.  Note that unless other-
  wise speciﬁed, featured characters are always Heroic 
  characters, rather than Ordinary.
  First roll 2d4 for the number of featured supporting 
  characters that will appear in the adventure.  Then, 
  for each character, roll three times on Table 6.  This 
  will give you two descriptors and a type, which will 
  give you a concept for the NPC.  Then, using the 
  standard modern D20 rules, generate the NPCʼs stats.
  EXAMPLES:
  I need the featured supporting characters for an ad-
  venture.  I roll for the number of supporting charac-
  ters and get a 3.
  For the ﬁrst Supporting Character, I roll three per-
  centile rolls, and get: 58, 94, 61, which gives me a 
  “Sloppy, Odd Expert.”   I envision an unkempt inven-
  tor of strange devices...someone who can help the 
  characters, if they can get past his strangeness.
  For the second Supporting Character, I roll a 00, 72, 
  and 06, which gives me a “Talented, Violent Pilot.”  
  Even though this does not specify that this character 
  is the villainʼs henchman, I decide that the idea of a 
  bloodthirsty air ace is just too perfect a henchman to 
  ignore.
  For the last Supporting Character, I roll a 18, 52, and 
  66, which results in a “Strong, All-American Vehicle 
  Operator,” who I decide will be a pilot and owner of 
  a small cargo airline, who is being victimized by the 
  villain and his henchman.
  
  The Modern Dispatch
  pulp Adventure Generator
  Page 6
  Table 7: Action Sequence Type
  D20 Roll 
   
  Result
  1-4 
   
   
  Chase, foot or mount
  5-10 
   
   
  Chase, vehicle
  11-14 
   
   
  Fight, unarmed
  15-20 
   
   
  Fight, Armed
  Table 8: Action Sequence Participants
  D20 Roll 
   
  Result
  1-6 
   
   
  Few (1-2 per PC)
  7-15 
   
   
  Some (3-4 per PC)
  16-20 
   
   
  Lots (5+ per PC)
  Table 9: Action Sequence Setting
  D20 Roll 
  Result
  1 
   
  Nautical setting (ship, docks, etc.)
  2 
   
  Natural Setting (park , jungle, etc.) 
  3 
   
  Rooftops
  4 
   
  City Street 
  5 
   
  Residential Setting
  6 
   
  Entertainment Setting (theatre,  
   
   
  stadium, nightclub, etc.)
  7 
   
  Church/temple/other religious
  8 
   
  Business Setting (ofﬁce, factory,  
   
   
  warehouse, street market, etc.)
  9 
   
  Transportational Setting (airport, 
   
   
  train station, or even on trains or  
   
   
  planes) 
  10 
   
  Educational (museum, college, etc.)
  11 
   
  Civic setting (post ofﬁce, city hall)
  12 
   
  Slum or Rough neighborhood
  13 
   
  “Middle of Nowhere”
  14 
   
  Secret/hidden location 
  15 
   
  Headquarters (PCs or others)
  16 
   
  Military setting (base, etc.)
  17 
   
  Restaurant
  18 
   
  Laboratory
  19 
   
  Landmark
  20 
   
  Unusual setting (underwater, in 
   
   
  space, underground, etc.)
  Table 10: Action Sequence Complications
  D20 Roll 
   
  Result
  1-5 
   
   
  Bystanders
  6-10 
   
   
  Environment
  11-15 
   
   
  Props
  16-20 
   
   
  New Sequence
  Every action sequence is comprised of four elements: 
  Type, Participants, Setting, and Complications.   Us-
  ing the provided tables, roll a d20, check the result, 
  and assemble your action sequence!
  The results are fairly self-explanatory, with the ex-
  ception of the Complications:
  Bystanders:  The action sequence will feature non-
  participants who will get in the way.
  Environment:  The environment in which the se-
  quence occurs causes difﬁculties (examples include 
  rain, dangerous surroundings, hazardous conditions). 
  All combatants should be taking penalties on their 
  actions due to this.
  Props:  The sequence features elements of the set-
  ting which can be used by the participants during the 
  EXAMPLES:
  Rolling on the Action Sequence Tables, I get: 9, 15, 
  13, 13.   This gives me “Chase, vehicle”, “Some 
  Particpants,” “Middle of Nowhere” and “Props.”   
  Mulling it over, I decide that the characters are going 
  to be chased by three carloads of the villainʼs minions 
  along deserted back-country roads.  There are numer-
  ous obstacles which will appear during the chase, 
  which can be used to try to force the other drivers 
  into crashing (fallen trees, slow-moving wagons, 
  etc.).
  Giving it another try, I roll 17, 6, 18, 10: “Fight, 
  armed,” “Few Participants,” “Laboratory” and “En-
  vironment.”   I decide that the PCs are going to be 
  attacked by the Henchman and a handful of minions, 
  while in an inventorʼs lab.  The place is ﬁlled with 
  sparking electrical machinery, which will cause elec-
  trical damage to anyone falling into it!
  For our last example, I roll 15, 17, 15, 20:  “Fight, 
  armed,” “Lots of Participants,” “Headquarters” and 
  “New Sequence.”  Rolling for the new sequence, I 
  get 3, 7, 3, 6: “Chase, foot or mounted,” “Some par-
  ticipants,” “Rooftops” and “Environment.”   This one 
  looks like a corker!   How about this:  A horde of the 
  villainʼs minions attach the PCʼs own headquarters, 
  eventually leading to a  rain-slicked rooftop chase 
  as either the minions or the PCs are trying to beat a 
  hasty retreat!
  sequence (examples would include metal rods at a 
  foundry, or trash cans in a street chase, etc.).
  New Sequence:  The original action sequence will 
  lead immediately into another sequence--re-roll this 
  new sequence from the beginning.  It is possible to 
  have a linked chain of multiple sequences!
  
  The Modern Dispatch
  pulp Adventure Generator
  Page 7
  Table 4: Plot Twist
  D20 Roll 
   
  Result
  1-2 
   
   
  Betrayal!
  3-9 
   
   
  New Location
  10 
   
   
  Greater Villain
  11-13 
   
   
  Hidden Plot
  14-15 
   
   
  Reversal!
  16-18 
   
   
  Bizarre Occurance
  19 
   
   
  Deus Ex Machina
  20 
   
   
  Other
  Betrayal!:  An NPC changes his or her allegiance in 
  a dramatic fashion.
  New Location:  Roll again on the Location Table 
  (Table 4).  The plot will move to that location at the 
  beginning of the next act.
  Greater Villain:  The villain of the adventure is actu-
  ally a henchman of an even greater villain.  Re-roll 
  on Table 1 to reveal the new threat.
  Hidden Plot:  The supposed plot is actually a smoke-
  screen for the villainʼs true purpose.  Re-roll the 
  Fiendish Plot on tables 2 and 3.
  Reversal!:  Events shift, leading to a direct reversal 
  of the PCʼs fortunes.  If they are working with the po-
  lice, they suddenly become implicated in the crime.  
  If they are following clues, the trail goes cold.  This 
  works both ways, however.  If they are losing, they 
  suddenly start to win.
  Bizarre Occurance:  Similar to the Hook of the 
  same name.  Something weird happens, without ap-
  parent explanation.
  Deus Ex Machina:  Help comes from some improb-
  able source, not hinted at all previously.  This can 
  apply to the villain as well--he just happens to have a 
  underwater breathing invention when heʼs apparently 
  drowned, etc.
  Other: Any twist that the GMʼs evil little mind can 
  come up with.
  The Second Act:
  Once youʼve generated the First Act, itʼs time to 
  move on to the second.  Hereʼs what Lester Dent says 
  about it:
  Hero, being heroic, struggles, and his struggles 
  lead up to another physical conﬂict, and a 
  surprising plot twist.
   
  Using the previously provided tables, generate 
  another action sequence and another plot twist.
  The Third Act:
  Same as the above.  As Lester Dent says:
  Hero makes some headway, and corners the 
  villain or somebody in physical conﬂict.
  A surprising plot twist, in which the hero 
  preferably gets it in the neck bad, to end the act.
  The difference here is that the action sequence 
  should directly involve the Villain, and the plot twist 
  generated at the end of the Act should negatively 
  affect the PCs.
  The Fourth Act:
  Now youʼre ready for the climax.   Thereʼs really 
  nothing left to do at this point that can be generated 
  by random rolls.  Everything at this point is up to the 
  actions of the PCs.
  In Dentʼs words:
  The hero extricates himself using HIS OWN 
  SKILL, training or brawn.
  The mysteries remaining--one big one held over 
  to this point will help grip interest--are cleared 
  up in course of ﬁnal conﬂict as hero takes the 
  situation in hand.
  Thatʼs it you should have a rough outline now for a 
  pulp adventure.  Just generate the NPCs, and off you 
  go!
  Turn the page for an example adventure outline 
  created with this system.
  
  The Modern Dispatch
  pulp Adventure Generator
  Page 8
   
   
  EXAMPLE ADVENTURE OUTLINE
  Villain: (59) Nazi
  Fiendish Plot: (13, 18) Acquire Treasure
  Location:(07) Far-off Jungle
  Act 1:    
  The Hook: (90) Up To Our Necks
  Supporting Characters: Three of them:  (00,04,33) 
  Talented Neat Servant, (42,38,03) Smart Helpful 
  Entertainer, (23,92, 40) Small Evil Scientist, (62, 
  85,67) Dense Old Vehicle Operator.
  Action Sequence (18,15,6,4) Fight, armed, Some 
  particpants, Nightclub, Bystanders
  Plot Twist:  (7) New Location (given the nightclub 
  ﬁght, I decide to have the adventure start in the PCʼs 
  home city, and then shift to the previously-rolled 
  jungle location here).
  Act 2:
  Action Sequence (15,13,1,11)Fight, armed, Some 
  partipants, Nautical Setting, Props.
  Plot Twist: (7) New Location (European Country)
  Act 3:
  Action Sequence (19,20, 18,10) Fight, armed, Lots 
  of particpants, Laboratory, Environment.
  Plot Twist: (2) Betrayal!
  Act 4:  Climax.
  So, looking at the results, hereʼs what I come up 
  with:   The Naziʼs are looking for a legendary 
  artifact.  No, not the headpiece to the Staff of Ra.  
  The Jewel of Zinj, which is said to be a phenominal 
  source of power.  However, it is said to be located 
  in the temple at the center of the Lost City of Zinj.
  The PCs are at a nightclub, watching 
  the beautiful singer, Elaine Nighten-
  gale, perform.  Suddenly shots ring out 
  as a group of Nazi secret agents attack, 
  led by a hideous dwarf!  The PCs ﬁght 
  them off, with the help of Carstairs, 
  Elaineʼs fastidious ex-army servant, but 
  not before they snatch a necklace from 
  around Elaineʼs neck!   Elaine says 
  that the necklace was a gift from her 
  dead father, who was an archeologist.  
  The medallion was supposedly a map 
  to the Lost City of Zinj!    Elaine is 
  able to recreate the map from memory, 
  and the PCs (with Elaine and Carstairs 
  in tow) head off to the jungle nation 
  of Mubullah.
  In Mubullah, the PCs are taken 
  upriver by a senile old river boat 
  captain.   Along the way, they come 
  under attack by hostile natives, trying 
  to prevent them from reaching Zinj.   They 
  ﬁnally reach the lost city, only to discover the 
  jewel missing (Iʼll probably throw another action se-
  quence in here, too...lots of Indiana Jones-style traps 
  and such).  They ﬁnd a dead Nazi (killed by the na-
  tives), who has a telegram on him, revealing that the 
  dwarf is a scientist working for the Nazis, and will be 
  experimenting on the jewel at his lab in Berlin!
  The PCs then travel to the heart of the Third Reich, 
  and assault the laboratory of Herr Doktor Liebeno-
  hne...a deformed dwarf spared by the Nazis purely 
  because of his brilliance, which is as twisted as his 
  body.   The ﬁght takes place in Liebenohneʼs labo-
  ratory, ﬁlled with experimental weapons and other 
  inventions.  Suddenly, just as things are reaching a 
  climax, Carstairs betrays the PCs!  He was a Nazi 
  agent all along!
  Can the PCʼs defeat Carstairs and Liebenohne, get 
  the Jewel of Zinj, and get out of Berlin with Elaine 
  before the Gestapo closes in?   
  Gosh, I sure hope so....
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/The Modern Dispatch/The Modern Dispatch 042 - Pulp Adventure Generator.pdf