Thursday 14 June 2012

Achtung!Cthulhu and TrollsZine5

Achtung! Cthulhu 1
(Savage Worlds/
Realms of Cthulhu)
$9.99
http://bit.ly/achtungcthSW
The only good zombie is a dead NAZI zombie.  I'm not really into the whole zombie thing, but I enjoy the shear audacity of writers who mix-up bad guys in order to create the "ultimate" adversaries.  I reckon that shooting sluggish undead neighbours with a farmyard shotgun doesn't quite have the same thrill as sten-gunning Doktor Kammerstein's experimental Ungeziefer Zombies.   And that's just a very small part of Achtung! Cthulhu -Zero Point - 1: Three Kings

I'm not ashamed to say that just reading the title makes me grin from ear to ear.  ACHTUNG!!  The setting is tense, cinematic and perhaps intentded to be played straight (almost), but I can imagine that role-playing the PCs (pre-gens included!) and NPCs could also be enjoyed as period-parody.  I'm reminded of Castle Wolfenstein, the Colditz boardgame, the beginning of Hellboy, and the occult-curious Nazis in Raiders of the Lost Ark -not to mention films and comic strips depicting derring-do raids on enemy bases in World War II. 

Achtung! Cthulu 1
(Call of Cthulhu)
$9.99
http://bit.ly/achtungcthCoC
It's the sort of PDF that I wouldn't mind owning a book (printed) copy of.  Even the "printer friendly" (white background) copy is lushly presented.

I've been reading the Savage Worlds ("Realm of Cthulhu") edition, and I was going to post that it probably wouldn't be too hard to adapt to Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu mechanics, but the nice people at Modiphius have already provided a separate edition with CoC stats and rules.  For the undecided amongst you there's a special bundle including both products at a reduced price: $15 for both PDFs on DTRPG  http://bit.ly/achtungcthbundle. 

It may be worth pointing out that this product tends towards the more pulp style of play where players may encounter fearsome horrors directly and have access to wartime hardware and weaponry, but there's still enough conspiracy, back-story and a special forbidden tome to place this scenario firmly in the spirit of Lovecraftian gaming.  Pockets of horror and terror overlap with, and are contextualised by, real historical events in central Europe, meaning that material is very accessible, whilst being broad enough to allow for flexibility in campaign planning by the Referee. 'Three Kings can be played as a standalone adventure or as the first part of what may become a really fabulous series. 
 

Mein Gott in Himmel ... Shoggoths fur das Furhrer!
... and so on. ;)



FREE! on DriveThruRPG
http://bit.ly/trollszine5
A very quick word of praise for the superb free offering from the folks at the Trollbridge (endorsed by Flying Buffalo).  This new edition of TrollsZine puts some of the more expensive professional products to shame, since this 92 page PDF is utterly packed with wholesome Tunnels & Trolls goodness created by a community of writers and artists -and given to the gaming world for free.  Although many of the articles are tailored for T&T7/7.5, players of 5th edition will find that they are still in very familiar territory.  There is a move to standardize the format of this magazine, and the editors encourage new submissions, with the intention that TrollsZine will be appearing at a more rapid rate than in the past.  To be honest, with content is of such a high standard, being entertaining and applicable to most T&T players/appreciators, I'd be happy to wait between issues - even it was out only once a year.  This stuff is that good - it's Christmas in June, any more than this and we'll be feeling spoilt!
 
Okay, there's a little bias from me here because I happen to know that the Trollbridgers are a lovely talented bunch and also I'm honoured to have my very own piece of troll art featured on the editorial page (in a magazine which is hosting some real quality line-art!)

TrollsZine #5 -An entertaining resource for a very popular fast-play-friendly system.  

Did I mention that it is FREE?



Sleep well, lucky dice and all that.

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