Cohors Cthulhu tabletop RPG brings cosmic horror to the edge of the Roman Empire

polygon.com:

British publisher Modiphius Entertainment is expanding the world of its flagship tabletop role-playing game Achtung! Cthulhu by bringing the Lovecraftian mythos from the battlefields of World War II to the height of the Roman Empire. The publisher plans to launch Cohors Cthulhu in early 2023, providing rules for Roman legions and Germanic tribes to clash with each other — and with horrors from beyond the stars.

“I’ve loved movies about Roman times since I was a kid, from the classic Spartacus to the more recent Gladiator, Barbarians on Netflix, and Centurion,” said Modiphius founder and CEO Chris Birch. “I think Rome is in our blood if you grew up in Europe. You look around and really so much of our everyday life is based on ancient Rome, and there’s something that appeals about the final days of the empire.”

The first Cohors Cthulhu publication will be set in the Roman frontier town of Laurium, a walled fort in Northern Europe near dense woodlands. Vagabonds gather in its smoky taverns to share stories about haunted forests, terrifying creatures, and strange ruins. The game will be divided into a RPG using the same 2d20 system as Achtung! Cthulhu and a narrative wargame that can be played solo or cooperatively, with players going up against terrifying Lovecraftian forces.

“The wargame itself is set during a huge conflagration, as mythos-backed forces wreak havoc along the Roman border in a plot to destroy the empire,” Birch said. “The RPG is set several months before this, as dark clouds gather over the empire, and so you’ll be seeing a mix of action, adventure, subterfuge, and social encounters. We envisage some groups playing out the stories of brave Roman legions fighting on the frontiers, others pursuing devious