Episode Details

Welcome to the RPGBOT.Podcast, where today's character creation lesson begins with basic geometry, escalates into psychic powers, and somehow ends with a pacifist circus bear being seriously considered as a build option.

In this episode, we take the gloves off and actually make characters for Pulp Cthulhu—choosing archetypes, rolling stats, hoarding skill points like goblins, and discovering that if you roll too well, you might accidentally invent the world's first telepathic himbo artist.

If you've ever wondered how Call of Cthulhu character creation becomes fast, fun, and dangerously powerful, this is where the pulp really starts to flow.

The D8 goes in the D8 hole.

This episode walks step-by-step through Pulp Cthulhu character creation, showing how investigators are built to be tougher, broader, and far more cinematic than their classic Call of Cthulhu counterparts.

Ash guides Tyler and Randall through the full process—then breaks it down into a Quick & Dirty method that can get players to the table in minutes.

Archetypes replace traditional "classes" and are rooted in classic pulp fiction roles:

• Mystic (psychic powers, occult insight, vibes)
• Egghead (engineers, scientists, gadgeteers)
• Two-Fisted, Swashbuckler, Femme Fatale, Bon Vivant, and more

Each archetype:

• Defines a core characteristic
• Grants bonus archetype skills
• Suggests traits, occupations, and story hooks

This approach encourages concept-first design, letting the character idea drive the mechanics instead of the other way around.

Attributes are rolled using the familiar D100 roll-under system, but with a key twist:

• Core characteristic = 1d6 + 13 × 5 (expect very high numbers)
• Other stats use 3d6×5 or 2d6+6×5
• High pulp means exceptional competence

The result? Characters who feel powerful immediately—sometimes too powerful, leading to delightful accidents like rolling:

• Incredible Power
• Solid looks
• Questionable intelligence

(Yes, the "himbo build" is real.)

Because this game is running High Pulp, characters receive four talents instead of two.

Talents are drawn from four categories:

• Physical
• Mental