The Comics #7 - pt. 1

Dell seems to have shaken up the line-up of The Comics so that it's not so many comic strip reprints anymore.

So, for this April 1938 issue, we start with cowboy nobody remembers, Ted Strong -- and Ted would sure be a goner already if not for his horse!  But what's the game mechanic here? Did Ted simply fail his saving throw vs. science, but the horse made its save? Or should there be some mechanic that is Hit Dice-based that would allow one to ignore certain effects (like x number of pounds of force)? I sense there should be some elegant way of creating that mechanic, but I'm just not seeing it yet...

Speaking of something that there's currently no game mechanic for -- how much damage should a boulder rolled off a cliff do to someone underneath it? Maybe we can wing that, from what we do have. Let's see...a 180 lb. opponent does a base 1d6 damage. Hit Dice and damage progress incrementally together on this model. So, let's be charitable and say that boulder is 1,000 lbs. That would be 5d6 damage. But it's also falling, oh, let's say 50'. So let's add 5d6 of falling damage to that, making it 10d6.

Or, the Editor would be within his rights to simply say save vs. missiles or die (unless the Hero is a Superhero with one of the "raise" powers ready to activate!).

If I were ever to create a cowboy-themed supplement for Hideouts & Hoodlums (and don't think I haven't considered that), I would compile a lot of the educational material from the comic books, like this piece. Maybe not so much for the Indian lore, but I found the saddle primer interesting, and would be useful for a cowboy player to know.

Similarly, this page of nautical-themed info on ships' bells and knot-tying could be conceivably improve someone's campaign flavor text.

Whoa!  I have no idea how to stat them yet, but Alien, Mephistosian needs to become a thing for H&H!  What a way to side-step the whole demons and devils controversy!

Rod Rian was, according to comics.org, a British strip that was purchased for U.S. distribution, much like Sheena of the Jungle will be by 1939.

I don't know what Carno is supposed to be -- a giant mutant ape?

Called shots to the eye, by the way, is a no-no for H&H -- unless the long-neglected optional hit location charts from Supplement II: All-American are in use.

Mephistosians fight with scimitars, and seem to show a surprising lack of technology for a sci fi feature.

(Scans courtesy of Digital Comic Museum)