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Modiphia - Q4 2020 - Final - Web - 2
Modiphia - Q4 2020 - Final - Web - 2
Modiphia - Q4 2020 - Final - Web - 2
IS S U E #1 Q 4 2 02 0 mo d i p hi us .co m
DUNE:
ACHTUNG! CTHULHU 2D20
Take a sneak peek at the axis and allied
factions for the upcoming A!C 2d20 RPG!
Q4 2020 1
FOREWORD
I
tIt’s nearly nine years since we arrived
on the tabletop scene with a mad mash-
up of Cthulhu and World War Two which
would become our flagship game Achtung!
Cthulhu. Since then our little family business
has grown from myself and Rita in a basement
flat to over 40 people working full time across
so many incredible games, and not to forget
another 100 plus freelancers doing the writing,
art, editing, layout and much more to support
the team. We wanted to show you what
we’ve been up to and what’s to come. These
incredible games exist thanks to the support of
all of you, both old and new friends from across
the world.
December sees us hosting our contribution to the online gaming calendar with MODcon kicking off
alongside the UK’s Dragonmeet online convention. There will be actual plays of the Dune and Fallout 2d20
RPGs, panels by the Modiphius team, and a big line up of special guests who’ll be teaching us all how to be
the best-GM-ever, no matter what RPGs you play. We know many of you can find it hard to find people to
play with online and so we’re partnering with some amazing organisations to connect you with awesome
GMs, RPG and wargame players. We hope you’ll join in the fun, and make some amazing new friendships
along the way. Find out more or sign up to play at modiphius.net/pages/modcon
Since we started Modiphius we’ve been helping smaller creators and publishers get their games out
there, and this year we’ve discovered a lot of great talent so we decided to make this a proper thing.
VIA Modiphius is a new label for us to release games by awesome creators and throw in some of our
own devious little experiments along the way. If you’re interested you can find out more about it at
modiphius.net/pages/via-modiphius.
Lastly, I want to set the scene for next year. Many of you will know that Modiphius has been a committed
supporter of the charity Vision Rescue who work to combat child slavery in places like the slums of Mumbai.
Next year we’ve got some exciting plans to dial this up to 11 in our fight against real-world evil. More on that
in the new year.
Until then a massive thank you and big love from all of us at Modiphius
2 MODIPHIA ISSUE #1
10% OFF
FOR MODIPHIA READERS
Check your email for an offer exclusive to
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s tA n DA r D e D i t i O n c O r e r u l e B O O k
A beautiful 336 page hardback full colour interior core rulebook, offering everything
you need to create your own character and noble House to adventure in the
Imperium. Learn to harness the spice and battle your way to power.
cOllectOr’s eDitiOn cOre ruleBOOks
Fly the banner and show your colours! House Atreides, House Harkonnen or the
Imperial House Corrino collector’s editions with beautiful house sigils and unique
limited edition designs. Who will you fight for?
gAMeMAster’s tOOlkit P l Ay e r ’ s J O u r n A l
A four panel decorated screen with 32 An elegantly designed 160 page
page booklet offering all manner of journal to record your character detail,
gamemaster support. The perfect way House and adventures everywhere
to build your story and perhaps even from Caladan to Arrakis. Contains lined,
your legacy on the dunes of Arrakis. square and blank paper beautifully
rendered in matching graphics with
character and House sheets.
WHERE
TO
BEGIN? WRITING: Andrew Peregrine
ith over twelve thousand years, a vast events of the film or novel they are drawn from. One
array of characters, and thousands of of my favorite moments in the first novel is when
planets over hundreds of galaxies, Paul confronts Emperor Shaddam on Arrakis and
Dune is a big setting. It’s easy to get reminds him the Great Houses have all sent envoys,
bewildered by the sheer scale of what which are all observing, and judging, from orbit. It
Frank Herbert, Brian Herbert, and Kevin Anderson made me wonder who those Great Houses might
have imagined across nearly twenty novels. So, be, and whose side were they really on? What
where do you even begin to turn all that plots were going on in space while the future of the
background into a role-playing game, without losing universe was being decided on Arrakis?
what makes it such a fascinating setting?
Having figured out what time to begin with, place
The first thing we had to do was pick a time. The became the next issue, and there was only one
Dune saga is marked by several eras, but with a place we could possibly focus on: Arrakis, more
film on the way there was only really one choice: popularly known as “Dune”. There are several other
the Imperium. This is the part of Dune most people planets out there, but none of them have quite
are familiar with and more importantly it allows us the mystery, gravitas, or importance of the desert
to set the stage for what is to come. With any RPG planet. The books are called ‘Dune’ for a reason and
property, one of the most exciting possibilities is we couldn’t ignore that. But Arrakis is a place with
for your characters to take part in some way in the its own difficulties. The history or Arrakis is fixed
6 MODIPHIA ISSUE #1
very firmly in history, imposing limits on what sort
of adventures we can produce without changing
the canon too much. It’s also the most inhospitable
place in the universe. Player characters are going
to have a tough time there. But then, no player
character ever had an easy life!
Q4 2020 7
Achtung!Cthulhu2d20
FACTIONALSTRIFE
WRITING John Houlihan
G
reat storytelling is a bunch of new troops and tech Next I threw in another two
often built on conflict and developed their backstory fresh new Mythos factions,
and when it came to to add more detail into their the Deep Ones and the Mi-Go
the narrative design narrative. We’ve also increased to really put the cat amongst
of the new edition of Achtung! the tension and rivalry between the pigeons. The Deep Ones
Cthulhu 2d20, I decided that them and Black Sun, so that have always been one of my
we needed to inject even more these two Nazi occult faction favourite Lovecraftian creations,
clashes, rivalries, and intensity are constantly vying for power an Earth-native undersea race
than the first iteration of the and even more at each other’s who probably wouldn’t be sitting
game. throats than they ever were just idly by waiting for Great
before, resulting in all out civil Cthulhu’s awakening while all-
So, rather than a simple black war near the end of the timeline. out war erupted on the surface
and white Allied occult forces world. Surely they would move to
versus Axis occult forces Even between such great allies protect their own interests and
storyline, it would make for a as Section M and Majestic, there might even seek allies against
much more intriguing setting, if was bound to be some tension the machinations of some of their
we had six main factions in the occasionally. They certainly Mythos rivals?
mix, which were all to various wouldn’t agree on every single
degrees in opposition to each detail (just like the US and The Mi-Go, another Mythosrace
other. Britain didn’t during World War built for conflict and in Achtung!
II) and might even sometimes Cthulhu 2d20 they’re a strange
Black Sun were pretty well find themselves in operational symbiotic hybrid of fungus and
developed in the earlier versions opposition with conflicting insectoid from the far reaches of
of the game, but Nachtwölfe motives and needs, depending the solar system who have come
needed some work, so we added on the circumstances. to earth for some unfathomable
8 MODIPHIA ISSUE #1
but no doubt nefarious intention. M survives and eventually to create a flexible fighting force
Oh, and of course, they can thrives. Its success is due to which serves across many fronts
inhabit human host bodies and a combination of those great with distinction.
like to keep human brains in British virtues — indomitability
jars, which certainly make things and luck — while leaning on the Majestic’s foremost goal is to
interesting from a narrative point cosmopolitan diversity of its defend American interests and
of view, an enemy within, indeed. former Empire to fill in any gaps. it often finds itself as the tip of
By war’s end it has matured the spear, going toe-to-toe with
So with six factions to play into a formidable fighting Axis and Mythos foes and strong
with, I hope we’ve given GMs force. The strength of Section arming them into submission,
sufficient tools to keep things M lies in its unorthodoxy, its albeit at a high cost in lives
bubbling in the new Achtung! faintly amateur ethos, and its and material. Majestic runs a
Cthulhu 2d20 and that GMs adaptability, reacting directly to huge variety of missions and
will find plenty of delight in situations without the burden of operations, ranging from small
rewarding and tormenting their endless bureaucracy. Its chief, team reconnaissance teams to
players with them. Conflict will Alec Towton, is a brave and battalion-sized airborne combat
rage, temporary alliances will be indefatigable leader, adept at drops. Given the loose and
forged, re-made and betrayed, spotting an array of talent and distributed nature of Majestic’s
as these six factions’ competing harnessing it for Section M’s network, agents in the field often
goals and ambitions clash exacting needs. It’s most notable find themselves improvising to
throughout the course of the war operatives include Corporal address the unexpected. Its
and perhaps even on a day-by- Akhee “the Eye” Singh, Captain heroes include the formidable
day basis. “Badger” Harris, Natalya Petrova, Professor Richard Deadman and
and “Mad” Jack McMasters. Sergeant Brandon Carter.
Stirring six ingredients into the
mix should make for a whole lot
of fun. Here’s a quick outline of MAJESTIC BLACK SUN
the human factions and how they “Yog-Sothoth is the gate, the
“The Nazis are meddling with
will work in Achtung! Cthulhu key and the guardian. When
forces they shouldn’t and that
2d20. the black sun is released and
means we have to get our
its solar rays wash over the
hands dirty too. The only way to
Earth, then all men will know his
survive is to fight fire with fire.”
SECTION M — Sally Armitage,
dominion, and despair.”
— Exarch Reinhardt Weissler
“We’ve not got much time. Or Commander of Majestic
much hope. But, we do have a
Through Hyperborean magic
stiff-upper lip. So that’ll just have Majestic, the United States’
and dark pacts with the ancient
to do.” special occult force in the
gods of the Mythos, the Nazi
— Viscount Alexander ‘Alec’ Secret War, shares Section M’s
Order of the Black Sun practices
Towton, Head of Section M mandate of opposing Black
foul sorcery and summons evil
Sun and Nachtwölfe and their
Section M’s mission is to creatures from other dimensions
Mythos allies. Although certain
oppose and foil Black Sun and to rule the battlefields of men.
agents actively assist their British
Nachtwölfe’s worst machinations Even though their warrior-
counterparts prior to the United
and serve as Britain’s front line sorcerers, trooper foot soldiers
States’ entry into the war, it is
occult force in the Secret War. and captive horrors become a
not until late 1942 that “the Office
It’s always playing catch up, as terror to the Allies, Black Sun’s
of Mumbo- Jumbo”, as J Edgar
it was not officially brought into practical work for Hitler’s brutal
Hoover disparagingly terms it,
being until 1939, but ‘better late regime is not its true aim.
comes into its own.
than never’, say Section M’s
operatives, that’s just the nature Although late to the party, In the strange, alien place
of war. Majestic is well funded and between wakefulness and sleep,
resourced and uses American one finds the Dreamlands,
Despite its initial over reliance on ingenuity to fuse together a realm beyond the veil of
a forgotten archive of Victoriana a powerful combination of consciousness. There, on the
and a talent for improvisation firepower and technology, mixed fabled Plateau of Leng under
and making do — Section with raw courage and tenacity, the inky, sombre gaze of its dark
Q4 2020 9
Nachtwölfe’s primary upon this dimension. There it will Germany. They scour the world
focuses are science, shine its unholy light on Earth for rare Atlantean technology,
and rain destruction and terror looking to learn its secrets while
technology, progress,
on mankind forever more. harvesting the rare Blauer Kristall
biological enhancements, which powers it.
and wonder weapons NACHTWÖLFE
(wunderwaffen) powered Nachtwölfe specialists stalk
“Science, technology, an
the battlefield and are instantly
by Blauer Kristall (Blue indomitable will to power, and
recognisable by the eerie
Crystal) to help win the the Blauer Kristall, these are
blue glow of their advanced
war for Nazi Germany the tools we will use to prevail
weaponry and technology,
against all our enemies, both
fabricated by the scientific
foreign and domestic.”
staff who pursue Mina Wolff’s
— Mina Wolff,
vision of an advanced Germany.
star, lies the valley of the black head of Nachtwölfe.
Nonetheless, their methods
sun. Knowledge, power, and
are still without conscience and
madness abound here, where Nachtwölfe, the Night Wolves,
ethical or moral considerations
the Hyperboreans imprisoned were originally part of Black
and Nachtwölfe creates many
an aspect of the Outer God Sun, until Mina Wolf’s great
horrors of its own. The Cerberus-
Yog-Sothoth in an unnatural betrayal when she split from
Gruppe actively encourage
solar orb aeons ago. Based at Exarch Reinhardt Weissler,
their staff to push the limits of
the sinister forbidden fortress at splintering off to form her own science using highly questionable
Wewelsburg castle and driven occult organisation with the methods. “The ends justify the
by its ruthless leader, Reinhardt tacit backing of the Fuhrer. means” is their warped thinking
Weissler and his four Priors, the Nachtwölfe’s primary focuses are in creating this new order for the
Order of the Black Sun works science, technology, progress, Third Reich. Senior staff include
inexorably toward its primary biological enhancements, Gerd Schmidt, commander of
goal, acquiring the magic and and wonder weapons the Nachtwölfe elite Wolf Guards
artefacts necessary to free Yog- (wunderwaffen) powered by and Krafft Heimburg, head of the
Sothoth from its solar prison in Blauer Kristall (Blue Crystal) scientific division. n
the Dreamlands, and unleash it to help win the war for Nazi
10 MODIPHIA ISSUE #1
Q4 2020 11
COMING SOON
12
From Modiphius Entertainment
MODIPHIA ISSUE #1
NEW & UPCOMING RELEASES
Adversary Deck
MUH050273
GM Plot Deck
MUH050276
Q4 2020 13
Core Rulebook
MUH051700
Story Cards
MUH050417
Sorcery Cards
MUH050414
Location Cards
MUH050416
Encounter Cards
MUH050415
14 MODIPHIA ISSUE #1
Hellfire Set
MUH052035
Frank Horrigan
MUH052003
Mirelurk Hunters
MUH052006
Mirelurks
MUH052010
Mirelurk Queen
MUH052005
Denizens of the
Fog Crawler Wasteland Card
MUH052008 Enclave Wave Card Expansion Pack
Expansion Pack MUH052004
MUH052001
Q4 2020 15
Imperial Legion
Reinforcements
(Resin Expansion)
MUH050257
Tomb Scatter
MUH052158
Civil War
Card Pack
MUH052077
16 MODIPHIA ISSUE #1
“ This is the per f e c t e x ample
o f how to bring a vide o
game to the table top.”
– B enjamin A bbot ,
G ames R adar Jul y 2 02 0
“ D ishonore d R oleplaying
G ame is a new f avori te .”
– A ntal B okor,
Thir d C o ast R ev iew May 2 02 0
CORE CATALOGUE
18 MODIPHIA ISSUE #1
RPG GM Screen and Booklet
RPG Expansion Special Edition MUH052063
MUH051800
Crashed Vertibird
MUH051781
Additional Products SKU
Survivors Core Box MUH051243
Brotherhood of Steel Core Box MUH051905
The Institute Core Box MUH051807
Raiders Core Box MUH051721
Super Mutants: Overlord and Fist MUH051814
Brotherhood of Steel: Liberty Prime MUH051980
Raiders Wave Expansion Card Pack MUH051779
Institute Wave Expansion Card Pack MUH051817
Automatron Expansion Card Pack MUH051921
Nuka Cola Caps Set
MUH051904 Wave 1 Fundamentals Card Pack MUH052093
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Dragon Born
Triumphant
(Resin)
(32mm scale)
MUH051772
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Puzzle Door Terrain Set
MUH052053
Stormcloak Faction
Starter (Resin)
MUH051930
Adventurer Allies
(Resin)
MUH051936
Q4 2020 21
Starter Set
MUH051564
22 MODIPHIA ISSUE #1
Iconic Villains
MUH051254
Q4 2020 23
Thark Dice Set Heroes of Barsoom
MUH051670 MUH051399
Jeddak of Jeddaks
Era Supplemental
Rulebook
MUH051468 Dotar Sojat Era Supplemental Rulebook
MUH051466
24 MODIPHIA ISSUE #1
3rd Edition Core Rulebook
MUH050001
Q4 2020 25
The Monolith Sourcebook
MUH050405
Core Rulebook
MUH050374
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Ancient Ruins and Cursed Cities Conan the Pirate Conan the Barbarian
MUH050396 MUH050385 MUH050379
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Core Rulebook
MUH050206
28 MODIPHIA ISSUE #1
Adventures in the Human Sphere
MUH050212
Aleph Supplement
MUH050225
Panocenia Supplement
MUH050224
Additional Products SKU
Quantronic Heat MUH050208
Ariadna Supplement MUH050223
Nomads Supplement MUH050222
Cost of Greed MUH050230
Yu Jing MUH050226
Paradiso Geomorphic Tile Set MUH050268
Haqqislam Supplement
MUH050253 Combined Army Geomorphic Tile Set MUH050269
Q4 2020 29
5th Edition Core Book
MUH051571
The Anarch
Sourcebook
MUH051576
30 MODIPHIA ISSUE #1
BOARD & CARD GAMES
Kung Fu Panda
MUH050369
Q4 2020 31
4th-6th DECEMBER
Join us for a weekend of amazing GM advice, panels and gaming with your favourite
Modiphius RPGs and wargames. The panels will cover the latest news on Modiphius
games and we have a series of special guests giving gamemasters the ultimate advice
on how to be the best GM, hosted by Guy Sclanders.
We’re going to help you connect with gamers across the world to play -
whether you’re a GM, role-player or wargamer we’ll have games for you
(or you can sign up to host a game). Featuring:
SIGN UP NOW
at www.modiphius.net/pages/modcon