Grenzlose Schrecken - eine Mephisto-Rezension

Dass cthulhoide Mächte oft in entlegenen Regionen wirken, ist allgemein bekannt. Entsprechend führt der gleichnamige Kampagnenband die Investigatoren ins Grenzland, in diesem Fall von der Metropole Berlin bis hin zu den entlegenen Gebieten von Ostpreußen. Die Grenzland-Kampagne beginnt mit einem sehr persönlichen Einstieg der Spielercharaktere, die entführt und Opfer medizinischer Experimente werden. Ihren Peinigern zu entkommen und sich von diesem Schrecken zu befreien, ist nur der erste Schritt, und so geht es in einer weiten Reise von Berlin über Breslau, Danzig und Königsberg bis in die ostpreußische Provinz. Auf dem Weg entwirren die Investigatoren eine Verschwörung, in die Drogenhändler, Umstürzler, Mutanten, Gangster und Mythos-Mächte verwickelt sind. Sechs Abenteuer führen Schritt für Schritt zum großen Finale, das am Ende apokalyptische Züge annimmt.

Ohne mehr über die Details der Kampagne verraten zu wollen, bietet Grenzland einen sehr umfassenden Handlungsbogen, bei dem die einzelnen Episoden an ihren jeweiligen Orten eine jeweils eigenständige Geschichte bieten, die jedoch durch die große Verschwörung im Hintergrund verbunden ist. Entsprechend gibt auch jedes Kapitel eine Übersicht darüber, welche Figuren möglichst diese Episode überleben sollten, weil sie in späteren Kapiteln noch benötigt werden. Die Abenteuer decken eine große Bandbreite ab. Zunächst beginnt es mit der Flucht, dann ermitteln die Investigatoren in der Unterwelt Breslaus und in der Gesellschaft Danzigs, um in Königsberg eines der zentralen Geheimnisse, das sie selbst betrifft, aufklären zu können. Danach geht es in die feindselige Provinz, wo die Investigatoren die Chance haben, einen großen persönlichen Erfolg zu erringen, nur um dann festzustellen, dass das buchstäblich apokalyptische Finale noch auf sie wartet. Tatsächlich könnte man die letzte Episode – wenn die Apokalypse mit ihrem extremen Hintergrund für die eigene Spielrunde zu viel ist – theoretisch sogar streichen und würde immer noch eine gelungene, in sich geschlossene Kampagne behalten.

Auch wenn Grenzland wieder mal ein Abenteuerband ist, den man mit neuen, unvorbelasteten Investigatoren spielen sollte (und bei denen nicht sicher ist, ob man sie am Ende noch weiterspielen möchte), bietet dieser Ausflug in cthuloide Welten aus meiner Sicht eine sehr gelungene Kampagne. Die sechs Abenteuer sind abwechslungsreich, stimmig aufgebaut und gut ausgearbeitet – und sie bieten zusammen einen herausfordernden Handlungsbogen. Meiner Meinung nach ist dies ein Vorteil gegenüber den typischen One-Shot-Abenteuern, denn hier bekommen Spielrunden eine komplette, knallharte Kampagne, die subtil beginnt, sich immer weiter steigert und im großen Finale endet. Aus meiner Sicht gehört damit Grenzland zu den klar empfehlenswerten Abenteuerbände der aktuellen Reihe.

(Björn Lippold)

More or less than human? - a Mephisto review

Fate worlds usually have one or two central ideas, and in the case of The Crisp Line, this is summed up in the subtitle DNA is not our destiny. In the near future, genetic engineering and, in particular, the CRISPR/CAS gene scissors have been advanced. In this brave new world exist genetically modified persons (GMPs), which come in two varieties. On the one hand, there are the perizygotic GMPs (Perries for short), who were optimized before they were born and, while they appear like normal humans, are not only improved, but theoretically pass these improvements on to their offspring. On the other hand, those who did not get this advantage at birth can have themselves optimized afterward - with risks and side effects. Of course, this development also has social consequences, with GMPs being viewed rather critically. Nevertheless, the first genetic modification is not the last for many, even if there is a risk of ending up as a mutant monster.

Genetic enhancements come as packages named after the animals from which the traits are taken: the gorilla package makes you stronger, the axolotl package more robust. Gameplay-wise, the packages improve stats, offer stunts, and change appearance through mutations. During the game, more packages can be acquired - with the risk of becoming less and less human. So naturally, such characters are suitable as agents who complete missions in this cyberpunk setting to get money for further improvements.

As usual, the book offers an adventure in which players witness an operation against the local GMP scene. They encounter a conspiracy between politicians, organized crime bosses, and free agents.

The Crisp Line has an exciting hook that is coherently implemented rules-wise, even if the number of enhancement packs is limited. However, the book focuses on the one aspect of the game, so the broader setting can (and must) be developed by the individual group. As the adventure provides a fitiin introduction to the setting, so The Crisp Line provides a solid starting point for Fate players interested in cyberpunk settings.

(Björn Lippold)

Familiars in an unfamiliar world - a Mephisto review

In a world where supernatural forces coexist with humanity, it is up to a cult to keep this threat at bay. This cult is organized into various cells that operate in secret. Its members not only know that alien entities exist, but as a sign of their power, each member binds such a being to himself as a familiar. The player characters belong to the scholars who have grown up within one of the cult's compounds and who have bonded with a familiar in order to gain the necessary power to face their opponents. The cult has been around since the days of John Dee, and its central tenet is that belief can shape reality - with dangerous consequences....

In Straw Boss, players create characters that are part of the cult. They know about supernatural influences in the world, and each of them is bound to a familiar. The familiar is a supernatural entity with whom the character makes a pact to gain power - but of course, this power comes at a price. Thus, the character creation with the usual aspects also revolves around this familiar in particular. Likewise, the common bond of the group is also in the foreground.

Rules for controlling the familiar are introduced, which is defined by its Vice and Virtue and uses the approaches of Fate Accelerated in terms of rules.

Thus equipped, the players arrive in a world altered by supernatural influences, and their task is to stop the worst dangers. There are people who stumble upon the secrets that the scholars also know about and thus become a danger with their magic. On the other hand, some entities act independently in the world or push to enter it.

A central rule concept is the corruption die, which can be added as a bonus die. In a roll, the four best dice are used for the player. However, the use of the bonus die causes corruption, and thus there is a risk that the familiar will take over the player character's body. This is solved by turning the character sheet upside down in the game, which brings the familiar's game statistics into play.

Of course, a ready-to-play adventure is included. Here the player characters must follow the trail of chaos left by a truck-driving preacher.

Straw Boss offers two interesting aspects defining this Fate world. On the one hand, the game world presents the fascinating conflict between the cult on one side and the supernatural forces on the other. In the adventure, it alludes to a twisted interpretation of Christian mythology (which is certainly not appropriate for players who dislike movies like Dogma). The idea of the familiars and the shifting control is well-implemented rules-wise. Even though this setting leaves room in many places for the gamemaster to fill in the details, as is usual for these Fate worlds, it offers a fascinating glimpse into a strange world. In my view, this makes Straw Boss one of the Fate worlds worth recommending.

(Björn Lippold)

A free trip into a new system - a Mephisto review

Achtung! Cthulhu is a roleplaying game that started with an unusual rulebook that supported two game systems at once - the classic Cthulhu game system and Savage World - and for which there are several rule versions for Fate or PDQ, for example. Now Modiphius, however, focuses, Achtung! Cthulhu on its own rule system 2d20, and in the run-up to the two essential rulebooks, publishes a quickstart for testing first.

This quickstart consists of two parts: on the one hand, the short rules and, on the other hand, a first introductory adventure. The rules and background give a brief insight into the world of Achtung! Cthulhu and the conflict between Section M on one side and the Black Sun and the Nachtwölfe on the other, transferring the Cthulhu setting to the backdrop of World War 2.

The rule system is based on rolling d20 for tests, rolling below a difficulty. Therefore, a 1 is an excellent result, while a 20 is a bad roll, causing additional problems. The dice are rolled against the sum of an attribute and a skill. The number of successes is determined by how many d20 beat the target value. Additional successes allow players to gain Momentum, which is used to bring positive game effects into play. While two d20 are rolled by default (hence the name 2d20), Momentum points and other mechanisms can be used to gain up to three bonus dice.

Another option is giving the gamemaster Threat, a currency that the gamemaster can use to buy additional threats and complications later. Also, non-player characters can use Threat the way player characters use Momentum. Luck - in the form of Fortune - gives players additional options. Of course, the rules system of the starter focuses heavily on combat. In fights, the player characters first accumulate stress; only greater damage causes injuries. The topic of magic is only briefly touched upon in the quick starter. The possibility of casting counter-magic offers the player characters a way to ward off the dark magic of their opponents.

Another new concept in the 2d20 system is the so-called truths, which are similar to the aspects in Fate. They describe and define something in the game world, which then has rules implications. Similar to Fate, players have the ability to define truths through the use of Momentum.

A quick trip to France is a short adventure in which the player characters are sent out to France. Here, Black Sun activity has been reported and needs to be investigated. The adventure begins with the parachute drop over occupied France and with searching and contacting the resistance. Eventually, the player characters must penetrate the Black Sun's fortress, where, of course, a sinister ritual must be stopped at the last second. While the plot looks pretty archetypal, the adventure is primarily set up to introduce various rules, mechanics, and concepts, making this a good tutorial for new players. Of course, there is a small arsenal of pre-made characters (character creation rules are missing from the quick starter) that players can start with right away.

If you would like to get a first glimpse into the world of Achtung! Cthulhu and its implementation for the 2d20 system will get a great chance to get some insight here. Both the basic rules are well summarized, and the adventure offers an interesting introduction to the setting. And as this frist trip is for free, it is worth trying it out.

(Björn Lippold)

Out in the woods - a Mephisto review

Starter sets for role-playing games are almost standard nowadays. Still, for Symbaroum, the appearance of this starter set is relatively late since the rulebook was published several years ago and has already been expanded with a large-scale campaign in the meantime. Nevertheless, Treasure Hunts in Davokar offers an excellent introduction to the world of Symbaroum.

The set consists of two books and pre-made characters. The first book introduces the rules and the setting in a compact form. The central element in Symbaroum is the forest Davokar. Where the dark and mysterious forest stands today, there used to be a highly advanced empire that perished. Only a few barbarian tribes live on the edge of the forest. However, the forest itself is a kind of forbidden zone, where the elves do not want anyone to enter and where dangerous monsters dwell. However, when the dark rulers of Alberetor were defeated just over 20 years ago, the land was so devastated that the humans moved north and founded a new kingdom of Ambria on the edge of the forest. The kingdom conquered the plain south of the forest and defeated some of the barbarian tribes. However, it soon became clear that the forest held ancient ruins, treasures, valuable secrets, and resources. Thus, the Davokar became the destination of adventurers searching for riches and valuable secrets.

However, the forest is a dangerous place. On the one hand, the elves do not tolerate any intruders there; on the other hand, a menacing darkness lurks here, trying to corrupt everything. Some terrible creatures that have fallen to the darkness are an additional threat. At the edge of the forest, however, there is the small town of Thistle Hold, founded by a former treasure hunter, which serves as a base for adventurers who venture into the forest.

Symbaroum's rules system is a typical d20 derivative. Characters are defined by eight attributes, from which derived stats are calculated. In the starter set, character creation is kept simple in that eight predefined values must be distributed among these game values. More important than the game values themselves are the modifiers calculated from them, which are obtained by subtracting them by the average value of 10. Values higher than 10 mean positive modifiers, values lower than 10 mean negative modifiers. Several professions are available for the characters, covering the usual suspects and providing some variants. Thus, in the starter set there are warriors in the form of Knights, hunters in the variant of the Witch Hunter, mystics as the Theurg and Wizard and rogues in the form of the Treasure Hunter. What differentiates the characters are their abilities, which can be acquired at up to three ranks. They either confer bonuses or, for example, also enable ritual magic or similar abilities. The starter set thus offers an exemplary cross-section but does without the third level of abilities. Of course, there are also different races from the humans to the goblins to the ogres. Magic is also presented only in parts. The idea with magic in Symbaroum is that it causes corruption and thus (like other things) can ruin the character.

Of course, the combat rules are briefly described, which work with the usual elements, and the rulebook introduces some other basic rules.

A unique feature of Symbaroum is that the dice system is completely player-centric, meaning that only the player characters roll dice in the game. This means that, on the one hand, they actively use their abilities rolling dice against their opponent's defenses when attacking. On the other hand, they must actively defend themselves against their opponents' fixed attacks with a dice roll. Equipment, artifacts, and the pre-made characters connected by a few common backgrounds round out the book.

Even though the basics of the setting are already explained in the first volume, the second volume focuses on playing adventures. Basically, it is the game master volume of this small set because the role of the game master is also explained. The book introduces the village of Thistle Hold in more detail and provides a brief overview, but unlike the basic rulebook, it does not introduce several other locations. An essential part of the book describes expeditions into the forest. Here, rules for orientation and events are provided, tables for treasure are presented, and of course, there are some selected enemies and monsters to confront players. Somewhat surprisingly, all of these monsters have basically the same stats, only distributed differently in each case. The distinction then comes from the derived stats and additional abilities. Two adventures provide straightforward game material. In the first adventure, the player characters find an old graveyard that promises treasure but offers danger. In the second adventure, the characters discover an old abandoned tower. This setting confronts them with several other parties at once. Thus, they may find allies or even opponents.

The rule system is a coherent variant of the d20 system, here with the peculiarity that only the players roll dice and all NPCs use passive stats. This puts the action entirely in the hands of the player characters. The setting of Symbaroum is exciting, and the basic idea of providing a huge exploration area with the forest is a similar approach to Forbidden Lands, except that the setting here seems to be a bit more compact and distinctly defined. What I liked most about the starter set is that the included chapters are relatively complete. Here, for example, many places are not introduced only very briefly, but the book focuses on a few aspects but takes over virtually the entire chapter from the basic rulebook. Therefore, the reader gets a good impression of the depth of the individual contents. From my point of view Treasure Hunts in Davokar chooses an excellent approach to get a taste of the system and actually run several adventures. For me, this starter set has incited interest for more, especially since there is a comprehensive campaign for Symbaroum that is supposed to encompass several volumes.

(Björn Lippold)

Wild West vampires - a Mephisto review

Vampires in the Wild West - that would be the short summary of the Fate world Blood on the trail. Two ideas collide in this game world: on the one hand, it's about the development of the American West, when wagon trains of settlers set out to claim land there and find a new home. The other idea is that vampires have also found their way to North America and lie in wait for their victims. For them, the wagon trains represent an ideal target.

Blood on the trail first introduces the setting and outlines the background, which is partly based on historical developments, but in addition, mixes in the vampire stories and also sprinkles in some bizarre rumors. The vampires, who are the opponents of the settlers here, are presented in different variations. Among others, there are feral vampires hunting as animal-like packs or the hungry ones that seek their victims among their own family. There is even some kind of swarm vampires that act as a single organism. While this gives the game master some options to adapt the primary enemies to his players, on the player side, it is first necessary to define the wagon train, in addition to creating the characters. The wagon train is described by several statistics such as size, speed, supplies, etc. Next, leaders - which can be player characters but do not have to - are selected for the various resources. Important non-player characters are also specified at this point.

The journey to the West proceeds over several stages, each consisting of legs of the journey and stop-overs. Depending on the setup, the game master can make the campaign longer or shorter. Thus, each leg of the journey has its own challenges, problems, or opportunities that confront the player characters on a daily basis. At a certain point, the main threat is added: the attacks by the vampires. With Seven Brides for seven vampires, the book also provides a short sample campaign that makes the setting a bit more accessible and immediately playable. As with most Fate worlds, Blood on the trail is a rather unusual setting that combines two different ideas. Thus, the inclined game master will find ideas for the wagon train scenario as well as approaches to include vampires in his game. However, the way the setting is described, this unusual mixture of ideas seems coherent. From my point of view, Blood on the trail is a fitting setting for a smaller horror campaign with a unique background.

(Björn Lippold)

It's worth to go beyond - a Mephisto review

The title of the anthology Truth beyond Paradox is a direct allusion to the first short story volume published for Mage: Truth until Paradox. In this new volume, the authors again set out to illuminate the highly diverse world of Mage with their short stories. Accordingly, as diverse as the role-playing world is, the short stories also turn out to be very different in terms of plot, characters, and backgrounds. However, a common denominator is that they all generally focus on individual characters and disregard the larger metaplot of the game world. Here, it's not about the large groups of mages that clash in the Ascension War, but rather the individual paths to a mage's enlightenment.

For example, Wildfire Sky describes a mage for whom magic literally means playing with fire. Here, her personal interpretation of magic is much more important than the actual plot of the story. In Theogenesis Gimmick, the reader experiences the spontaneous and somewhat bizarre awakening of a mage. Famished Road, in turn, is about the confrontation of a mage and his friends with a dangerous threat from the spirit world. Each other story finds its particular topic. From my point of view, however, the highlight of this anthology is the last story. A Firm Place to Stand describes the rise of a young mage. Here, the larger organizations and their far-reaching goals in the world of Mage play a role. What is remarkable here is that the focus is not on the Traditions, but on the Technocracy - and that the portrayal of this organization is quite different from what one might expect.

As with most World of Darkness short story volumes, the focus is not on the system's metaplot or the larger game world. Instead, the stories present individual mages and thus a multi-faceted spectrum of backgrounds, ideas, moods, and characters. Therefore, even if no great metaplot secrets are revealed here, Truth beyond Paradox does an excellent job providing inspiration for Mage players. Alternatively, you can simply enjoy this collection of entertaining and well-written stories.

(Björn Lippold)

Monsters for monsters - a Mephisto review

The Strix Chronicle is an anthology set against the backdrop of Vampire Requiem, focusing on the new enemies of the role-playing game's 2nd edition, the Strix. 13 stories tell the clash of the vampires with these ghostly creatures, which are described as shadowy owl-like creatures with a burning hatred for the vampires. At the same time, the stories are quite diverse. While the early stories focus on vampires being confronted with a threat they do not understand - and here the reader probably knows more than the characters in the story - the vampires in the later stories are in many cases much better prepared (which doesn't always mean things end up better). Most of the stories are entertaining and well-written — offering a varied range. There are fascinating ideas to be found, such as Lullay, Lullay, which is told from the point of view of a ghoul who is like a father to a powerful child vampire. In Noblesse Oblige, the vampire calling himself Count Dracula makes a rather over-the-top funny appearance. Some stories offer well-done twists, like There Are No Owls in Seattle or even Second Chance, which put their own spin on the theme.

From my point of view, The Strix Chronicle is a great collection that offers a broad range of stories despite the narrow common theme of confronting the Strix. Unfortunately, the anthology does not — as some might expect — really clear up the mystery of the Strix. However, from my point of view, this keeping the mystery fits the very entertaining collection of stories.

(Björn Lippold)

Vampiric intrigues in Boston - a Mephisto review

Because she was able to prevent a betrayal in the right place at the right time, the young vampire Ariadne has been appointed sheriff in the city of Boston. For her Prince, Liliane, she is the precise tool that, sword in hand, stops the traitors to the high ideals of the domain. Despite her young age, the vampire is a cold and efficient killing machine. However, when she meets a person from her past and remembers the person she once was, the problems begin. Not only proves the fight against the traitors to be more difficult than planned, but other vampires are also causing trouble. In the prince's court, some vampires envy Ariadne her position, and members of Invictus from outside the city sense the domain's perceived weakness.

While Silent Knife initially lays it on a bit thick with the stereotypical image of the young, attractive female vampire in a bodysuit elegantly slashing her way through enemies with her swords, the story does develop well, even if some twists are predictable. The battle against Prince Liliane's enemies, the looming dark threat that also draws the city's mages into the story, the intrigues of the other vampires, and, last but not least, the protagonist's confrontation with her former humanity combine to create an entertaining story. However, the references to Vampire Requiem are vague as neither clans are mentioned, nor do covenants beyond the Invictus appear. Whether this is a real disadvantage depends on the viewpoint, but I think a bit more reference to the role-playing game would have been fitting - but Silent Knife is certainly an entertaining read.

(Björn Lippold)

Auf zu unbekanntem Grauen - eine Mephisto Rezension

Expeditionen ist ein kombinierter Quellen- und Abenteuerband, der sich des Themas Expeditionen in der Welt von Cthulhu widmet. So drehen sich die ersten knapp 30 Seiten um das Thema Expeditionen im historischen Kontext des ausgehenden 19. und beginnenden 20. Jahrhunderts. Hier werden Motivationen und Hintergründe für Expeditionen beschrieben und einige Informationen zu bekannten realen (und fiktiven) Expeditionen in dieser Zeit geliefert. Auch Aspekte wie Frauen auf Expeditionen wird Raum gewidmet. Eine der wichtigen Fragen lautet, wer die Expedition bezahlen soll und wie die nötigen finanziellen Mittel zusammenkommen. Dieses Thema wird auch regeltechnisch abgedeckt. Das einfache Regelsystem dafür geht davon aus, mittels Spielwerten zu prüfen, ob die nötigen Ressourcen für die Expedition zur Verfügung stehen, und berücksichtigt diese im Verlauf der Expedition, um zu bestimmen, wie komfortabel (oder auch nicht) die Expedition abläuft. Einige allgemeine Ansatzpunkte, wie man Expeditionen sowohl in der Vorbereitung als auch im Ablauf gestalten kann, werden hier vorgestellt, wobei der kleine Regelteil eher im Hintergrund bleibt.

Den Hauptteil des Buchs machen fünf Expeditionen aus, die konkret zum Spielen einladen. In Ewiges Eis geht es an den Nordpol auf der Suche nach einem verschollenen Zeppelin – und damit in eine gefährliche Welt, die nicht nur durch die lebensfeindlichen Elemente zu einer tödlichen Bedrohung werden kann. Herz der Finsternis führt die Investigatoren in die Tiefen Afrikas und in menschliche Abgründe – angelehnt auch an den Hintergrund von Apocalypse Now. Bei Die letzte Ruhe der Minna B müssen die Spielercharaktere in die Südsee reisen, um ein bizarres Rätsel zu lösen: nämlich wie ein Matrose, dessen Schiff in Norwegen verschollen ist, kurze Zeit später an diesem entfernten Ort auftauchen konnte. Der Fluch des goldenen Armbands ist eine Schatzjagd: Die Spielercharaktere sollen den zweiten Teil eines Armbands finden, um so hinter das Geheimnis eines Piratenschatzes zu kommen. Natürlich sind auch hier wieder finstere Mächte im Spiel. In Polaris wandern die Investigatoren auf den Spuren des Polarforschers Roald Amundsen, der in der eisigen Wildnis verschollen ist, und suchen eine vergessene Stadt im ewigen Eis.

Das Expeditionsthema ist prinzipiell sehr passend für Cthulhu und auch ein guter Kontrast zu Stadtabenteuern, da hier die Herausforderungen ganz andere sind. Auch die Beschreibung der Aspekte einer Expedition ergeben Sinn, wobei für mich der Regelteil eher aufgesetzt und unnötig wirkt und gerade bei der Finanzierung in den Bereich der Buchführung abgleitet. Die Abenteuer sind thematisch abwechslungsreich und konfrontieren die Spielercharaktere an sehr unterschiedlichen Orten mit sehr unterschiedlichen Gefahren (sowohl weltlichen als auch übernatürlichen). Besonders Die letzte Ruhe der Minna B hat einen spannenden und bizarren Hintergrund, während Herz der Finsternis eine sehr düstere Geschichte erzählt – die mit den richtigen Spielern sicher sehr intensiv sein kann. Was mir persönlich allerdings nicht gefallen hat, ist der Ansatz, wie Polaris mit historischen Persönlichkeiten umgeht und sie wahrscheinlich in einer Art und Weise darstellt, die ihnen nicht gerecht werden.

Das Thema Expeditionen bietet einen spannenden Aspekt für Cthulhu, der auch ein wenig abseits bekannter Pfade liegt, und besonders die Einführung, aber auch die Abenteuer transportieren durchaus das Potential des Themas. Für den Spielleiter gibt es neben Inspiration einiges konkretes Spielmaterial, aber hier ist das klassische Problem mancher Cthulhu-Quellenbände präsent, nämlich dass es vermutlich schwierig ist, innerhalb einer Spielrunde gleich mehrere Expeditionen zu spielen, auch weil dies ein eher untypisches Thema für Cthulhu ist, bei dem die klassische Ermittlungsarbeit stark zurückgeschnitten wird. Die Abenteuer sind spannend, fallen aber für mich hinter einige andere Abenteuer der letzten Veröffentlichungen zurück. Insbesondere sollte man wissen (auch wenn in der Einleitung davor gewarnt wird), dass sich das Buch bewusst der Sprache und Ausdrücke und damit Sichtweise der entsprechenden Zeitepoche bedient, sodass die Investigatoren auch mit definitiv politisch nicht korrekten „Wilden“ konfrontiert werden.

(Björn Lippold)

Eine Stadt gegen die Investigatoren - eine Mephisto Rezension

Rostocks Sieben ist ein Abenteuerband, der die Investigatoren 1927 in der Hansestadt auf cthulhoide Schrecken treffen lässt. Die Investigatoren, die sich zunächst nicht kennen, werden von einem gemeinsamen Freund eingeladen, doch das persönliche Treffen wird bald von düsteren Ereignissen überschattet. Es gibt nicht nur Tote, sondern schon bald baut sich eine unheimliche Bedrohung in der Stadt auf, die besonders die Spielercharaktere ins Visier nimmt.

Rostocks Sieben ist ein deutsches Abenteuer, das zwar cthulhoide Mächte im Hintergrund verwendet, mit Mythos-Kreaturen allerdings spart. Und wie die meisten aktuellen Abenteuer ist es ein One-Shot, der sich schlecht in eine Kampagne einbauen lässt. Die Hintergrundgeschichte ist ein wenig mit der Historie der Stadt verbunden und konfrontiert die Spielercharaktere mit einem gefährlichen Gegner, der dafür sorgt, dass sich bald die ganze Stadt gegen sie wendet. Die Investigatoren müssen herausfinden, worauf es ihr Gegner abgesehen hat, um ihn stoppen zu können.

An sich ist die Grundidee des Abenteuers interessant gewählt – wenngleich klassische Elemente die Grundsteine bilden, da sich hier alles um ein in mehrere Teile zerschlagenes, gefährliches Artefakt dreht. Auch wenn der Bezug zur Stadtgeschichte stimmig ist, hat mir der Ansatz, real existierende historische Personen direkt an den Mythos zu binden, in dieser Form nicht gefallen. Leider ist der Spannungsbogen des Abenteuers sowohl für den Spielleiter als auch für die Glaubwürdigkeit des Abenteuers aus meiner Sicht schwierig, denn die Geschwindigkeit, mit der sich die Stadt in ein tödliches, von Wahnsinn verzehrtes Horror-Szenario verwandelt, ist nicht recht nachvollziehbar – und passt auch nicht zu dem ansonsten eher subtil gewählten Horror des Spielsystems. Außerdem gibt es für Spielleiter und Spieler keinen definierten Handlungsbogen, um die Bedrohung aufzuhalten, sodass das Risiko besteht, dass die Spieler, ohne genau zu wissen, was sie tun können, von den Ereignissen einfach überrollt werden. In dieser Hinsicht zählt Rostocks Sieben aus meiner Sicht zu den eher schwachen Abenteuern der aktuellen Cthulhu-Reihe.

(Björn Lippold)

Baseball instead of battles - a Mephisto review

In the series of new adventures for Achtung! Cthulhu, in Operation Falling Crystal the player characters must travel to Scotland to investigate the discoveries of a university team. Apparently, they have managed to find a large amount of Blauer Kristall - the very substance on which the Nachtwölfe's technology is based. While players investigate the caves and find traces of the mythos, of course, their enemies appear to take possession of the find. Once again, a mythos-race also enters the scene, so players must not only survive in the underground tunnels but stand their ground between Black Sun and mythos creatures.

Again, Operation Falling Crystal is structured in a relatively typical way: At the beginning, it's all about exploration, after which the adventure plunges into action, which also leads to several battles accordingly. The interaction with the Mythos creatures is presented in an interesting way, so Operation Falling Crystal offers another exciting adventure in the current series.

(Björn Lippold)

Baseball instead of battles - a Mephisto review

Far away from the action of war in Europe, Seventh-Inning Slaughter takes the player characters to a seemingly peaceful place. The scenario is based on a baseball game of the American women's league, which the president himself attends as a spectator on the occasion of Independence Day. But of course, this scenario quickly becomes a deadly danger because stranger and stranger incidents happen during the rounds of the baseball game. In the end, the goal is to stop a deadly threat that will otherwise endanger the president and the safety of America.

Seventh-Inning Slaughter offers some pre-made characters that can be used if the game master wants to involve the players more in the baseball scenario to participate in the game itself. Round by round, the game is described as it unfolds with or without the players' intervention. Also, which each round, more mysterious and later threatening things happen. In the end, the player characters must stop a dangerous ritual if the whole thing is not to end in disaster.

While Seventh-Inning Slaughter offers some good ideas, the overall adventure did not quite convince me - perhaps because I lack any connection to baseball. While the challenges in the individual rounds are interesting, they do not make much sense to me in the context of the entire adventure. On the other hand, the finale seems a bit extreme when a member of the Black Sun tries to underline his importance with a terrorist-motivated ritual.

(Björn Lippold)

Fighting the Nachtwölfe - a Mephisto review

Even before the 2d20 rulebook for Achtung! Cthulhu has been published, Modiphius already provides a series of adventures that can be played with the starter set A quick trip to Paris. In Operation Vanguard, player characters are sent out to explore a secret Nachtwölfe base in the occupied Netherlands. It is up to the player characters to contact the local resistance, scout out the location, and infiltrate the base. Due to the location and security measures, this operation is challenging. While the Black Sun cultists were the agents' antagonists in the first quick-starter adventure, this follow-up mission focuses on the activities of the Nachtwölfe. Thus, the mythos faction that plays around with alien technology is introduced.

Operation Vanguard is an adventure that emphasizes exploration and preparation, as well as combat and action. Of course, the goal here is to uncover sinister experiments being conducted by the Nachtwölfe (although, in reality, DNA that was only discovered in the 1950s, which probably will not matter for most players). Operation Vanguard is thus another introductory adventure to learn the basics of the game and introduce the player characters to another group of antagonists.

(Björn Lippold)

Mythos secrets in Dover - a Mephisto review

The adventure Under the gun has already been published as a starter adventure for the version of Achtung! Cthulhu based on the rules of the 7th edition of Cthulhu. There is now a new edition as part of the 2d20 version of Achtung! Cthulhu. The story remains the same: the players' agents are called to Dover because mysterious caves have been found in the chalk cliffs during the building of defenses against an invasion by the Germans. The player characters first have to deal with the traumatized individuals who have been exploring these caves. After that, they travel to the scene of the mysterious find itself. Here, a battle quickly ensues with several parties having their own interests in the mythos background of this place.

Under the gun is a fitting introductory adventure that highlights two central aspects of the game: on the one hand, gathering clues and questioning people - that is, classic investigative work - and on the other hand, what is even more prominent in Achtung! Cthulhu: the fight against the powers of mythos. As an introduction to the world of Achtung! Cthulhu for the 2d20 system Under the gun is well suited. Even layout and presentation have been enhanced compared to the previous edition.

(Björn Lippold)