ACHTUNG! CTHULHU 06 060 a Writers’ Guide

CONTENTS FOREWORD 05

A welcome from editor Paul Cockburn. HOW TO WRITE FOR ACHTUNG! CTHULHU 06 060 A writers’ guide. OUT OF THE ETHER 10

The background to Space 1889. Including Port Progress, a campaign setting. D-DAY COUNTER-ATTACK 17

New cards and scenarios for Airfix Battles. A VULTURE AMONG THE STARS 24

A Star Trek Adventures scenario. By Modiphia reader Fred Love. BEFORE THE FLOOD 28

Achtung! Cthulhu fiction from John Houlihan. WEAPONS AS TOOLS 40 40

Getting the most from your gear in the Conan RPG. DESIGNER ON DECK 44

ModiphiaSample chats with Rick Sternbach, file Star Trek production illustrator and designer 17 28 MODIPHIA © Modiphius Entertainment Ltd 2017. CONAN © 2015 Conan Properties International LLC (“CPI”). CONAN, CONAN THE BARBARIAN, HYBORIA and related logos, characters, names, and distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks or registered trademarks of CPI). All rights reserved. AIRFIX © Hornby Hobbies Ltd. ACHTUNG! CTHULHU TM and © 2012-2017 Modiphius Entertainment Limited. Star TrekTM & © 2017 CBS Studios Inc. STAR TREK and related marks and logos are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved. Fallout © 2017 Bethesda Softworks, a ZeniMax Media company. All Rights Reserved. ASSASSINS OF INFINITY 48

More details on the Hassassins of the Infinity RPG. ‘MAD' JACK McMASTERS 58

A hero of the Secret Wars. INTO THE WASTELAND 62

New sculpts and an overview for the Fallout: 66 Wasteland Warfare miniatures game. THE REMOTE GAUNTLET 64

A serious way to cause trouble in Tales From The Loop. MUTANT CHRONICLES 66

We made it! All the latest news, and what’s next, plus the Metropolitan Prophets. SO, LET'S HEAR FROM YOU... 71 48 62 An invitation to be a part of Modiphia #3.

CREDITS

Publisher Chris Birch

Editor Paul Cockburn

Lead Graphic Design Michal E Cross

Additional Graphic Design Richard L Gale

Publishing Assistant Salwa Azar Sample file Some magazine background elements by: 64 Kjpargeter – Freepik.com MUTANT CHRONICLES and related logos, characters, names, and distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks or registered trademarks of Mutant Chronicles International Inc. All rights reserved. INFINITY is © Corvus Belli S.L.L.2014. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information retrieval system without written permission of the publisher, save where indicated for use in play. Any trademarked names are used in a historical or fictional manner; no infringement is intended. BOOKS COMING SOON Conan the Thief Conan the Mercenary Conan the Pirate Conan the Brigand The Book of Skelos ACCESSORIES Conan the Wanderer Gamemaster Screen Conan the Adventurer Geomorphic Tile Sets Conan the Scout Doom & Fortune Tokens Conan the King Q-Workshop Dice Nameless Cults Card Decks Ancient Ruins & Cursed Cities Stygian Doom Pit Conan Monolith Boardgame Sourcebook Fabric & Poster Maps Conan and the Shadow of the Sorcerer Character Sheet Pad LegendarySample Beasts & Otherworldly Horrors Conqueror’s Bag modiphius.com/conan file

© 2017 Conan Properties International LLC (“CPI”). CONAN, CONAN THE BARBARIAN, HYBORIA and related logos, characters, names, and distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks or registered trademarks of CPI. All rights reserved. ROBERT E. HOWARD and related logos, characters, names, and distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks or registered trademarks of Robert E. Howard Properties Inc. All rights reserved. The 2d20 system and Modiphius Logos are copyright Modiphius Entertainment Ltd. 2015–2017. All 2D20 SYSTEM text is copyright Modiphius Entertainment Ltd. 4 MODIPHIA ISSUE #2 FOREWORD

hen I was a have an idea for any of our games that you’d kid, a time now like us to showcase, then send a synopsis uncomfortably (or even the whole thing) through to me closer to the era via [email protected], with the word of R E Howard SUPPORT as part of the subject line. than the current day, I was obsessed with Conan. I bought all Modiphia is here to shine a light on these and W many other titles, and to provide more and the books, even the obvious cash-ins by later writers; I adored Barry Windsor-Smith’s Marvel more cool new stuff for each of them. I’m more comic books; there was even a time when I than a little old-school in my custodianship thought Conan The Destroyer was an OK film. of a games magazine — as much as possible, alongside authoritative new content from the Our Cimmerian friend isn’t quite the A-lister authors of individual games, I want to hear today that he was back then, which has been from people playing the games, and how they a pity during the era of role-playing games, are using those titles out in the wild. We’d love both tabletop and computer. Sub-consciously, to hear from people writing gaming blogs, I think any number of characters I played in publishing fanzines or vblogs, or just with AD&D or similar titles would have been quite enough time to write us an email with their happy to crush their enemies and see them observations, and their new ideas. driven before them, but there would always have been some paladin tut-tutting, or a Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this second issue ranger saying we could sneak around the of Modiphia, and find a few ideas in here to back of the fortress. Still, I always found that enhance your favourite games. We’ll see you kicking the door in and yelling “I’m coming to all again in the autumn. get you!” tended to get everyone on the same page as far as tactical planning goes. Paul Cockburn Editor Another favourite of my youth was, of course Star Trek, and it’s awesome watching Modiphius bring new energy to the universe of Starfleet through Star Trek Adventures. I’m delighted that we can publish here some reader contributions — the first of many such Samplefor all our different titles, I’m sure. If you file

SUMMER 2017 5 Achtung! Cthulhu ADVENTURES HOW TO WRITE FOR THE SECRET WAR

Want to contribute to Modiphius’ oldest and best loved RPG? John Houlihan is here to show you how...

ART: Dim Martin

chtung! Cthulhu is both But with both a recently-launched Living Modiphius’ oldest and Campaign which began with A Light on one of its best loved the Mountain, and work on the brand new roleplaying games. Since Forest of Fear campaign book also now 2013, players and GMs well underway, the High Command behind have been wading through Achtung! Cthulhu is seeking to recruit a new itsA exciting and unsettling World War Two set of writers and contributors to power its Samplesetting, battling fiendish Black Sun villains, continuing adventures. file Do you fancy your exploring ancient ruins and dark secrets, and chances? Have you ever wondered what it recoiling in terror from unspeakable horrors takes to write a compelling Achtung! Cthulhu summoned from the outer dark. scenario? Well, wonder no more.

6 MODIPHIA ISSUE #2 WHAT IS ACHTUNG! Any new adventures will need to exist CTHULHU? within this canon and not directly contradict this established lore. It’s top secret at the Understanding the universe and getting the moment, but we’ll issue you with a copy tone right is critical. Achtung! Cthulhu is a after you’ve pitched your idea. pulpy but intelligent, terrifyingly two-fisted journey through World War Two, and you nn This year’s main campaign is the Forest need to be aware of its background and of Fear and its background storyline and existing adventures to be able to write overriding story arc are documented in the successfully for it. free booklet Secret War Operations.

nn You can also use books like the Shadows In Achtung! Cthulhu’s Secret War, which takes of Atlantis and Assault on the Mountains place inside the main conflict, the Nazi Cult of of Madness campaigns, the North Africa the Black Sun are exploring the supernatural, Guide, Eastern Front and Pacific Front attempting to awaken ancient gods and forge Guidebooks, Terrors of the Secret War and alliances with unspeakable horrors, while the fiction like Dark Tales from the Secret War Nazi super scientists of Nachtwolfe develop for extra tone and flavour. potent new weapons and technology to support the Third Reich on the battlefield. nn Take a look at the adventure A Light on the Mountain to see an example of the Living Opposing these eldritch organisations, are Campaign. the dauntless members of Section M, Britain’s newest and most secret intelligence agency, UNDERSTAND THE who stand shoulder to shoulder with their OPPORTUNITY US counterparts, Majestic, in the fight against Having absorbed a wealth of arcane Achtung! the Nazis and their mythos allies. A host of Cthulhu knowledge, your actual adventure heroes, investigators, civilians and soldiers pitch comes next, but it’s important to know are holding back the tide of terror, equipped both exactly what you’re pitching for and with just raw courage, unusual artefacts and understanding the opportunities available. mystical books of forbidden knowledge. This is the Secret War. nn This year, 2017, Modiphius’ priorities are the DO YOUR RESEARCH Living Campaign and then the overall Forest of Fear storyline. Research and preparation is critical for telling nn The plan is to release a series of standalone the story you want within the overall universe, episodes for the Achtung! Cthulhu Living even if it’s a relatively standalone adventure. Campaign which contain hints and clues So, before you begin, familiarise yourself which ultimately point towards the murky with the back-ground materials — at least goings on in the Forest of Fear. we can promise you some interesting background reading! nn These episodes will be collected in a compendium and selected writers will be nn The Achtung! Cthulhu Keeper’s and invited to contribute to the Forest of Fear Investigator’s guides are invaluable as your Campaign book. primary resources. nn You can of course also pitch one-off nn We’veSample recently developed an official standalone adventures, and if that’s the file Achtung! Cthulhu timeline and a canon case we are currently favouring scenarios storyline which outlines the major events of that tie into and develop the untold story of the Secret War and especially its conclusion. the Secret War.

SUMMER 2017 7