This weekend, filmgoers will get a chance to see director Guy Ritchie’s take on the classic World War II adventure film. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare features a true story that’s been stylized to include the director’s signature visual flair, cocky characters and irreverent plot twists. The film, starring Henry Cavill and Alan Ritchson as part of an all-star commando team, harkens back to a genre that includes classics like Where Eagles Dare and The Dirty Dozen.
Achtung! Cthulhu from publisher Modiphius takes inspiration from those same films set in the epic battlefields of the war. It raises the stakes by adding a Secret War going on at the same time featuring factions representing the creatures of the Cthulhu Mythos. Stopping the Axis war machine was hard enough; now players have to keep eldritch artifacts out of the bad guys’ hands too.
Achtung! Cthulhu turns the world war into a weird war. The earlier editions had more of a grounded feel that indulged in the occasional Indiana Jones setpiece. The 2d20 version leans into pulpier stories like Captain America: The First Avenger and the most recent Wolfenstein video game series.
Achtung! Cthulhu Starter Set
Fans who want to sample this alternate history should check out the Achtung! Cthulhu Starter Set. It contains pre-generated characters, a short rulebook and a three-act adventure that can be played over a few sessions. The story takes players from the besieged city of Dunkirk to an alien hive city hidden deep within the earth.
It also ofers resources that can be used in a full campaign of the game. The specialized dice speed gameplay and box itself acts as a combination dice tray and rules reference. Modiphius puts out some excellent Starter Sets for its gamelines and Achtung! Cthulhu Starter Set is no different.
Achtung! Cthulhu Core Rulebooks
Gaming groups looking to sign up for the full campaign should check out the Achtung! Cthulhu 2d20 Player’s Guide. This book details the Allied groups trying to save the world and how they come from all walks of life. There’s also expanded rules for using the foul sorcery and impossible technology captured in raids against the bad guys.
For Gamemasters looking for the truths of the Secret War the Achtung! Cthulhu 2d20 Gamemaster Guide holds such cursed information. There’s more detail on the differet factions of human evil and Mythos power and how they strike alliances, stoke rivalries and jockey for power. It’s within these cracks that the players can hope to find vulnerabilities to exploit.
This edition of the game turns up the volume on everything. The battles are bigger, the bad guys are more memoable and the heroes larger than life. I’ve enjoyed running this game the most with my friends who know the Mythos inside and out because it still contains a few surprises that keep them on their toes (and at the table).
Achtung! Cthulhu Adventures
Groups looking for a full story can choose from a few of campaign books. Forest of Fear puts the players in the Battle of the Bulge with an even bigger mission to accomplish. Shadows of Atlantis adapts the classic world spanning campaign of the earlier editions with an eye for more action and darker shadows.
There are also several adventures available in an electronic PDF format. Many of these can work with either the Starter Set or be slipped into a longer campaign. There are also print collections available for those groups who prefer hard copies.
Achtung! Cthulhu lives up to its cheeky punchline of “Punch evil in the tentacles” thanks to a good system and a setting that blends action, horror and history together. Just because it seems ungentlemanly doesn’t mean it can’t be fun.