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| Achtung! Cthulhu core rules |
I've got a conflicted relationship with Cthulhu based roleplaying games, despite Call of Cthulhu 2nd edition having been the first roleplaying game I bought. I read all of Lovecraft and most of the associated authors and still dip my toes in every now and again. However, from a gaming perspective, I'm very selective. I overplayed Call of Cthulhu until I lost the joy for it; the mystery went once everyone had read the books and had their own copy of the roleplaying game. I had some great experiences, but put it to one-side for a long time. I returned when Delta Green came out, and loved the completely different feel that it had. I bounced off Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition (oh, I tried), but I really like the Trail of Cthulhu Gumshoe take (probably because I like the engine and the writing standard seems to be at a different level) and am loving playing the Eternal Lies campaign. My mythos based game of choice would be the new Delta Green (and possibly the Gumshoe take), and I'm slowly selling off my old Call of Cthulhu back catalogue.
I'd looked at the previous two takes of Achtung! Cthulhu (Savage Worlds and FATE) and really couldn't see the point. However, there was always something about the idea of a pulp World War 2 game where the players could be action heroes against the mythos. Hence I decided to try.
The core rules for the 2d20 edition are split across two gorgeously laid out and illustrated hard backs, both of which have a ribbon for reference. The covers are done in the style of a pulp comic. The Player's Guide is 188 pages long and contains the rules and character generation. The Gamesmaster's Guide is 268 pages long and has background and guidance on running the game.
The Player's Guide kicks off with a taster introduction to the organisations involved in the Secret War against the Nazi Occult and quickly moves into explaining the core mechanics of 2d20. This is followed by a section on action; environment, combat, injury and momentum are all explained. Characters have a single stress track but resist damage differently dependent upon whether it is physical (armour) or mental (courage). If you suffer an injury, there's a chance that it could leave a permanent physical or mental scar on the character. The rules in this book are probably the clearest expression of the 2d20 engine that I've seen, at least as good as the Tricorder edition of Star Trek Adventures.
Characters start with the selection of an archetype from the following list; Boffin, Commander, Con Artist, Grease Monkey, Infiltrator, Investigation, Occultist or Soldier. They'll be working either for Section M (the British Intelligence organisation tasked with opposing the Nazi Occult) or Majestic (the US organisation with similar aims). Section M and Majestic have slightly different focuses, very much like the Nazi organisations, Black Sun and Nachtwölfe. You tailor your archetype with your nationality and your background. Finally, you pick a unique characteristic that makes you stand out (for example, you could be a conscientious objector, be raised in the colonies or even own an occult artefact). Throughout this process you gain talents, which are unique abilities.
There's a chapter on weapons and equipment, and another on vehicles. This is bolstered with a chapter on the history and more conventional aspects of the Second World War. There's also a short chapter with some statistics for allied forces and the kind of non-player characters that the players will encounter.
Magic is also covered in depth. There are two disciplines; battlefield magic and ritualistic magic. Section M tends to draw on the occult, especially from Celtic and Norse sources. Majestic draws on Native American sources, aspects of the occult as studied by the Miskatonic University and increasingly on paranormal and psychic powers. Casting spells cost the sorcerer mental stress, setting a natural limit to how many spells can be cast without taking harm. Momentum can be used to temporarily boost courage to resist this effect. Ritual magic is cast in a similar way, but uses a variation on the extended task rules. They could require sacrifices, perhaps even human ones.
So, overall the Player's Guide is an excellent resource, with a clear expression of the 2d20 engine and the details to produce interesting and very playable characters.
The Gamesmaster's Guide provides the lore for the setting. It opens by describing the organisations involved in more detail. The Section M part gives an overview of the various campaigns that it is involved in during the war (which are presently being converted and re-released from the previous editions). Organisation, structure, bases and history are touched upon.
The two Nazi Occult organisations are detailed. Black Sun is the more traditional occult organisation, with pacts established with Nyarlathotep to Yog-Sothoth, and a link to the Lovecraftian Dreamlands. Nachtwölfe is a splinter organisation, reporting directly to Adolf Hitler, focussed upon developing and applying wonder-weapons based upon ancient Atlantean technologies. Both organisations regularly come into conflict, albeit somewhat clandestinely. Arguably, Black Sun is evil, and Nachtwölfe is amoral, interested in power and technology (giving me a feeling echoing of the Shield operations in the MCU). The machinations of the Mi-Go and the threat of the Deep Ones are also discussed.
Another chapter covers the secret weapons and technologies used by the various organisations along with their game statistics. A chaper on magic dives deeper, with details of Allied and Axis Battlefield magic traditions and details of spells that are available. There are details of known tomes and how to study them, and as expected, they aren't good for your mental health.
There's a large chapter for the Gamesmaster, going over the rules and providing more detail and guidance. This is generally very useful and I'll be reflecting on what was said here when I play other 2d20 games. There's a lot of guidance on building NPCs.
This is followed by a chapter detailing heroes and villains of the Secret War. This starts with the more general forces than moves into the various organisations, providing key non-player characters and significant figures on both sides. The following chapter is a bestiary of mundane and mythos creatures to delight and threaten your player characters with.
Both books round out with useful (but not extensive) indexes. There is no introductory scenario but I believe the free QuickStart has one.
I also picked up the Gamesmaster's Toolkit. This includes a four-panel GM Screen (my initial thoughts being that half the panels would see most of the use), and a booklet which acts a prompt to build your own adventures. There's an outline structure with a bunch of random tables for inspirations. Let's try it out.
Rolling some d20s...
16 - The adventure takes place between Jan 1945 and May 1945 (so the closing part of the European War).
18 - It takes place in Greece
I could have rolled for a specific Battle or Operation but I'm cool with the details above.
20 - An alignment of the stars is needed to fulfil the plot
12 - In a lost city
A supporting NPC
1 - British
4 - Pilot
15 - Lieutenant Level NPC
23 - extremely stiff and formal
The opening scene...
13 - A town, in a rocky area (7).
NPC in the area
Indifferent (12), Doctor or Nurse (3)
Specific scene
Empty (13) Hospital (11) located in a Scorched (4) Military Base (2)
Obstacles and Reversals
12 - a superior despises you
5 - a former foe returns from the dead
Anyway, hopefully you get the idea. It's a booklet full of inspiration, whether you roll randomly or pick a choice. The toolkit isn't essential, but it is useful.
So what do I think?
Overall, I love the way that 2d20 has been expressed here; it feels like it will grab the pulp feel really well and give you plenty of opportunities to blaze away at evil occult-using Nazi forces with your Sten sub-machine gun. I like the ideas in this and the different flavour to the harder edged takes I usually go for with the Cthulhu mythos. You could use these rules to run a pulp World War Two game and drop all the mythos, but I really fancy exploring Lovecraft with a hint of Indiana Jones and the wartime comic strips that were around when I was growing up. Bravo, Modiphius.
17 June 2023
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