RPG – ‘Cohors Cthulhu’ Brings Eldritch Horror to the Days of Ancient Rome
Eldritch horror comes to the days of ancient Rome with Modiphius’ new Cohors Cthulhu. How do Roman legions fare against elder gods? Find out.
Modiphius unveiled an epic new historical fantasy RPG and accompanying wargamer earlier this week. Cohors Cthulhu brings the eldritch horror of H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos to the days of Ancient Rome. But there’s more. The new game builds off of Modiphius’ WWII Cthulhu game, Achtung! Cthulhu and has plans to use the setting for a new RPG as well as a wargame + miniatures line.
We get a first look at the clash of roman gladiators, valiant barbarians, and eldritch aberrations with a new narrative trailer:
A Cult of Mormo priest and Servitor Overlord ambush a Roman century to create foul Servitors of Nyarlathotep! For what purpose will these wretched souls march?
Join the adventure in this new epic historical fantasy RPG and miniatures gaming universe from Modiphius at http://www.cohorscthulhu.com/ – a new animation every month and free fiction launching soon!
Note: This animation contains horror elements (including gore, violence and threat).
Has that whet your appetite? Let’s take a look at the new game.
Cohors Cthulhu – 2d20 RPG
“COHORS CTHULHU is a setting for Lovecraftian horror set against the backdrop of epic heroism, intrigue and strife in the era of ancient Rome. [The new setting] 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.”
The new setting takes place in the same universe (albeit hundreds of years earlier) as Achtung! Cthulhu. And using a variant of Modiphius’ 2d20 system, which powers the Dune, Star Trek Adventures, Dishonored, and Fallout RPGs, Cohors Cthulhu brings to life a world of Roman legionnaires and nordic barbarians who must join forces to fight off monsters from the deep cosmos and the priests of ancient gods.
And yet, Modiphius looks to introduce a little magic as well:
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.
The connection goes even deeper. And one that builds on my favorite tradition. You see in real life Robert Howard and H.P. Lovecraft were friends. Lovecraft would dream up an abomination from beyond the stars. And Howard would have Conan dismember it in a desperate battle. And so too does Modiphius bring relics from an age undreamed of into the Cthulhu 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…
Learn more about Cohors Cthulhu here!
Ave atque vale!
