Modiphius Announce COHORS CTHULHU--Cthulhu in Ancient Rome!

Last night Modiphius announced via a livestream their newest 2d20-powered game, Cohors Cthulhu. Cohors Cthulhu is Cthulhu in Ancient Rome--players take on the roles of heroes from across the Roman Empire (which includes Gaul, Britannia, Aegyptus, and so on) to fight dark horrors. You play gladiators, centurions, Germanic heroes, in hidden war on the fringes of the Empire. The game is set in the same universe as Modiphius' Achtung Cthulhu.

The 2d20 System is Modiphius' in-house system. It powers Dune, Star Trek, and a range of other tabletop RGPGs. The game will also be accompanied by a 28mm miniatures line and a fiction series.

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COHORS CTHULHU is a setting for Lovecraftian horror set against the backdrop of epic heroism, intrigue and strife in the era of ancient Rome. COHORS CTHULHU will allow players to discover hidden truths behind pivotal historical events as well as the myths and legends of the peoples in this time. Magic exists, available through belief and prayer in capricious gods. And behind the clash of mortals is a greater conflict between vast and malevolent powers competing to either subjugate humanity or shape its civilizations to suit their own sinister agendas.

Amid a war-torn and fractious world of Roman legionaries bent on conquest pitted against barbarian warriors protecting their tribes, players take on the roles of diverse heroes from across the Empire, places such as Germania, Gaul, Britannia, Aegyptus, Assyria, Hispania and even eternal Rome herself. Arising from a wide array of backgrounds, they battle the darker horrors facing all of humanity. Whether the fight was forced on them, or they chose this path, it requires putting aside allegiances and prejudices, and to make friends with former enemies. They confront peril to gather remnants of forgotten magic, most often preserved by priests of jealous and competing gods.

Fickle as humanity’s gods may be, they are sometimes the only recourse against those from beyond the stars. Nyarlathotep, the God of a Thousand Forms, has unleashed myriad schemes to corrupt once sacred cults across Rome, Germania, and beyond. In the shadows lurk powerful corrupted survivors of Atlantis, their minds having been twisted by Sarthothus, the Shattered God, whose alien intellect has infected the Atlantean relics upon which their power relies.

Other entities prowl the shadows. Ancient godlike beings slumber beneath the oceans and in lost ruins, sending dreams to their cults, Deep Ones demand sacrifices from coastal villages and raid along the waterways. Mi-Go, dangerous visitors from other stars, have sent expeditions into the mountains to plunder Earth’s resources and perform horrific experiments on its people. Horrific creatures and ancient beings of incalculable power stalk the periphery of civilization seeking living things upon which to feast… or worse.

There is a reason humanity is coveted by entities that can swallow entire stars—their limitless potential threatens even the gods. It falls to your heroes to achieve that potential, by plundering forgotten ruins, seeking strange allies, entering into dubious pacts, exploring untamed forests where deranged cultists prowl, all to empower themselves against the Mythos. They may find weapons such as Atlantean relics, be transformed by Hyperborean armories, or earn the blessings of more benevolent gods. Ordinary mortals can aspire to rise as demigods and make a stand against the darkness. It remains to be seen if they can surmount the heights, or if they will instead fall to the malevolent forces seeking to corrupt their aspirations. There are many epic tales yet to be told, including yours...
 

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Crusadius

Adventurer
Germania wasn't part of the Empire; the Rhine remained the border. Britain was only part of the Empire in the latter period. I wonder if they are going to bother with any historical basis at all.

I guess the Elder Beings didn't have a beef with the Republic.
Wiki tells me that there were also Roman provinces with the name Germania - Germania Superior and Germania Inferior - named so as to distinguish them from this Germania (one name given to it by the Romans being Magna Germania) that did not belong to the Empire.
CoC uses its own rules, currently 7th Edition, which is pure d100.
I stand corrected.
 

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beancounter

(I/Me/Mine)
I really like the 2d20 system. It's a refreshing change from 5E.

But either my PC actually gets to fight Cthulhu, or I'm just not interested. ;)

OT: Modiphius recently release a rules update/clarification to it's 2d20 Fallout game!
 

I really like the 2d20 system. It's a refreshing change from 5E.

But either my PC actually gets to fight Cthulhu, or I'm just not interested. ;)

OT: Modiphius recently release a rules update/clarification to it's 2d20 Fallout game!

I'm not interested in this new setting at all (I like my Mythos threats scary and cosmic-horrific, not just monsters to slay) but I'm excited to see what sorts of rules changes they might incorporate. 2d20 is great, and the way they adjust it for a given setting and tone is interesting. Will this be as streamlined as Achtung Cthulhu, or crunchier, back towards the direction of Conan? Hard to say, but I hope the RPG isn't just there to jumpstart and support the mini game.
 

Wiki tells me that there were also Roman provinces with the name Germania - Germania Superior and Germania Inferior - named so as to distinguish them from this Germania (one name given to it by the Romans being Magna Germania) that did not belong to the Empire.
Depends on the period. Since we already have Cthulhu Dark Ages, the only point of a Roman period Cthulhu expansion would be in an accurate, historical depiction of the time so that the endless politics and scheming could come to bear.
 

Crusadius

Adventurer
I'm not interested in this new setting at all (I like my Mythos threats scary and cosmic-horrific, not just monsters to slay) but I'm excited to see what sorts of rules changes they might incorporate. 2d20 is great, and the way they adjust it for a given setting and tone is interesting. Will this be as streamlined as Achtung Cthulhu, or crunchier, back towards the direction of Conan? Hard to say, but I hope the RPG isn't just there to jumpstart and support the mini game.
From Modiphius own page (linked in the OP):

  • A cinematic RPG driven by the 2d20 system also seen in Modiphius’ Dune, Star Trek Adventures, Dishonored, and Fallout roleplaying games. This is based on the Achtung! Cthulhu edition of 2d20 and will feature systems to help you get playing the moment you open the book.
 

From Modiphius own page (linked in the OP):

Thanks! I totally missed that in Modiphius's announcement. I first heard about this on Dicebreaker, whose article says:

"The Cohors system will be an evolution of the ruleset used in Achtung! Cthulhu and will introduce elements to make it easier for newcomers to get started, the publisher said."

That made it sound like there'd be notable modifications from A!C. But it's definitely possible that Dicebreaker misinterpreted things.
 

Crusadius

Adventurer
Thanks! I totally missed that in Modiphius's announcement. I first heard about this on Dicebreaker, whose article says:

"The Cohors system will be an evolution of the ruleset used in Achtung! Cthulhu and will introduce elements to make it easier for newcomers to get started, the publisher said."

That made it sound like there'd be notable modifications from A!C. But it's definitely possible that Dicebreaker misinterpreted things.
An evolution might mean many things. My own quote says "based on" so implies there are changes. I'd think that it's going to still be recognizable as the version of 2D20 used in A!C.
 

Blue Orange

Gone to Texas
So why this sudden rush of Cthulhu content over the past few years? I love my tentacles but even this is getting a bit much. Did Arkham House lose a copyright challenge or something?
 

eyeheartawk

#1 Enworld Jerk™
So why this sudden rush of Cthulhu content over the past few years? I love my tentacles but even this is getting a bit much. Did Arkham House lose a copyright challenge or something?
A fair amount (though not close to all) of the Mythos is in the public domain, so that's one reason.

Because of that it's a popular theme for RPGs and boardgames and its ubiquity then, in turn, leads to more Mythos games being made. That's pretty much it, really.

This game seems to pose itself in the ideaspace between Cthulhu Invictus and Lex Arcana.
Indeed, one wonders how big that gap really is.

Looks like Modiphius and Green Ronin are in a personal duel right now to release new Mythos games with the narrowest possible niche.
 

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