Alternatively, if the Game Master already has the full rules for the roleplaying game for the quick-start is for, then what it provides is a sample scenario that she still run as an introduction or even as part of her campaign for the roleplaying game. The ideal quick-start should entice and intrigue a playing group, but above all effectively introduce and teach the roleplaying game, as well as showcase both rules and setting.
It includes a basic explanation of the setting, its factions, rules for actions and combat, magic in the setting, weapon qualities, the mission, ‘Rude Awakening’, six ready-to-play, Player Characters, and a Quick Reference Sheet for Tests.
It is an eighty-three page, full colour 48.20 MB PDF.
It needs a slight edit in places.
The quick-start is illustrated with some excellent, full colour, painted artwork. The rules do need to be carefully read through as they are moderately complex, especially when it comes to both magic and mêlée combat. The Cohors Cthulhu Quickstart Guide and thus Cohors Cthulhu place an emphasis on mêlée combat over ranged combat.
The scenario, ‘Rude Awakening’, and of course, Cohors Cthulhu, do involve horror. They are suited for a mature audience. There is some safety advice included to take account of this.
It should be noted that Cohors Cthulhu is not the first roleplaying game or supplement to explore Ancient Rome through the lens of Lovecraftian investigative roleplaying. The 7th Edition Guide to Cthulhu Invictus: Cosmic Horror Roleplaying in Ancient Rome does that for Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition, but the tone of Cohors Cthulhu is Pulpier and more action orientated.
How long will it take to play?
The Cohors Cthulhu Quick Start and its adventure, ‘Rude Awakening’, is designed to be played through in one or two sessions.
What else do you need to play?
The Cohors Cthulhu Quick Start requires five twenty-sided dice per player, several six-sided dice, and twelve tokens, divided into two colours. The tokens will be used to represent Momentum and Threat throughout the scenario.
Who do you play?
The four Player Characters include a Germanic priest of Tiwaz (or Tyr)—he is the only Player Character who can cast magic, an Aegyptus scholar and occultist, a North African legionary, a Germanic archer and scout, a Greek courier, and a Gaulish smuggler and bandit. The priest is capable of casting traditional magic.
How is a Player Character defined?
A Player Character has seven stats—Agility, Brawn, Coordination, Gravitas, Insight, Reason, and Will. Stats are rated between seven and twelve, whilst the twelve skills in the roleplaying game are rated between zero and five. He has one or more Foci, each Focus being attached to a skill and representing greater specialisation, and one or more Truths. These are facts which when applied to a situation, can make a task easier or harder, or even possible, depending on the Truth and situation. Each Player Character also has a Fortune point. This is used to let a Player Character perform a heroic action or gain an advantage in a life or death situation.
How do the mechanics work?
Mechanically, the Cohors Cthulhu Quick Start uses the 2d20 System seen in many of the roleplaying games published by Modiphius Entertainment, such as Achtung! Cthulhu 2d20 or Dune – Adventures in the Imperium. To undertake an action in the 2d20 System in Cohors Cthulhu, a character’s player rolls two twenty-sided dice, aiming to have both roll under the total of an Attribute and a Skill. Each roll under this total counts as a success, an average task requiring two successes. Rolls of one count as two successes and if a character has an appropriate Focus, rolls under the value of the Skill also count as two successes. In the main, because a typical difficulty will only be a Target Number of one, players will find themselves rolling excess Successes which becomes Momentum. This is a resource shared between all of the players which can be spent to create an Opportunity and so add more dice to a roll—typically needed because more than two successes are required to succeed, to create an advantage in a situation or remove a complication, create a problem for the opposition, and to obtain information. It is a finite ever-decreasing resource, so the players need to roll well and keep generating it, especially if they want to save some for the big scene or climatic battle in an adventure.
Where the players and their characters have access to Momentum, the Game Master has Threat. This can be used for similar functions as Momentum, but also to trigger NPC special abilities. She begins each session with a pool of Threat, but can gain more through various circumstances. These include a player purchasing extra dice to roll on a test, a player rolling a natural twenty and so adding two Threat (instead of the usual Complication), the situation itself being threatening, or NPCs rolling well and generating Momentum and so adding that to Threat pool. In return, the Game Master can spend it on minor inconveniences, complications, and serious complications to inflict upon the player characters, as well as triggering NPC special abilities, having NPCs seize the initiative, and bringing the environment dramatically into play.
Each Agent has a point of Fortune. It can be spent to perform cinematic feats such as ‘Critical Success’, ‘Re-Roll’, ‘Additional Major Action’, ‘Avoid Defeat’, and ‘Make It Happen’.
How does combat work?
Combat in Cohors Cthulhu uses the same mechanics, but offers more options in terms of what Momentum can be spent on. This includes doing extra damage, disarming an opponent, keeping the initiative—initiative works by alternating between the player characters and the NPCs and keeping it allows two player characters to act before an NPC does, avoid an injury, and so on. Damage in combat is rolled on the Challenge dice, the number of Achtung! Cthulhu symbols rolled determining how much damage is inflicted. A similar roll is made to resist the damage, and any leftover is deducted from a Player Character’s Stress. If a character’s Stress is reduced to zero or five or more damage is inflicted, then a Player Character is injured. Any Cohors Cthulhu symbols rolled indicate an effect as well as the damage. Damage can be deadly, but can be offset by the use of armour and shields.
How does magic work?
Magic in Cohors Cthulhu is divided into two disciplines—battlefield magic and ritualistic magic. The former consists of spells, curses, hexes, charms, and blessings, which are primarily used in combat. The latter is more complex and takes longer to cast, and is used to contact or summon the entities of the Mythos, travel to other planes of existence, and make lasting changes. Magic is also split into traditions, such as Runic and Oracular, or can be learned via Research. Spells are first bound into a spellcaster’s ‘mantle’, such as a staff or wand, and then can be cast from the mantle. Casting a spell has a cost in terms of mental damage to the spellcaster, whether successful or not, and if a damage spell, inflicts stress damage on the target. Momentum can be spent on ‘Cost Resistance’ for the spellcaster, ‘Bonus Damage’, and ‘Duration Increase’.
What do you play?
The setting for Cohors Cthulhu is the Second Century CE. A Hidden War is taking place behind Rome’s politicking and border expansion. The acolytes of the malign gods of the Mythos—Nyarlathotep, the God of a Thousand Forms, Sarthothus, the Shattered God, who infected the relics of lost Atlantis, and Mormo, Lord of the Woods—work in secret to subvert the temples and cults of the empire and beyond. Athena herself lends her wisdom in directing the activities of ‘The Temperari’, whilst an inner cabal within the temple to the Aurora, the Goddess of Dawn, called the ‘Fingers of Dawn’ dedicate themselves to defeating the forces of Mythos.
The scenario, ‘Rude Awakening’ begins en media res. The Player Characters are travelling with a caravan on the border with Germania which has just been attacked by bandits. The caravan master suggests travelling to a nearby village where help might be acquired. However, not all is well in the village, including a number of strange deaths. Investigation reveals the source might be a local farm on the outskirts of the village, and when the Player Characters go to look, they discover dark, horrific secrets. Overall, the scenario has the feel of a traditional fantasy adventure, but infused with the Mythos.
Is there anything missing?
The Cohors Cthulhu Quick Start is complete.
The core rules presented in the Cohors Cthulhu Quick Start are relatively straightforward, but the Game Master will need to pay close attention to how both combat and magic works in the roleplaying game as they are more complex. The scenario, ‘Rude Awakening’, also requires a similar degree of attention and preparation.
Yes. The Cohors Cthulhu Quick Start introduces the Cohors Cthulhu roleplaying game and setting, which combines pulp with Lovecraftian investigative roleplaying. The result is more action orientated and more muscular in its approach to investigating the Mythos.
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