Heroe s o f t h e S e a

Zero Point - May 1940

By Sarah Newton
Art Dim Martin Layout Michal E. Cross
 CREDITS THANKS
Written by Sarah would like to thank: Chris Birch, for the
Sarah Newton chance to write this epic campaign; Dim and Michal, for
[Link] their beautiful art and layout work; and Ralf Schemmann
and Simon Rogers of Profantasy ([Link].
Artwork by com), for providing their wonderful Interactive Atlas
Dim Martin of World War Two. And, as ever, huge thanks to Chris
[Link] McWilliam, my husband, for his endless patience and
help playtesting the Zero Point campaign.
Design, Layout & Cartography by
Michal E. Cross
Chris would like to thank: Sarah, Michal and Dim for
[Link]
the stunning work on this Achtung! Cthulhu series,
Produced & Art Directed by and my new wife Rita who continues to inspire my
Chris Birch creativity and passion for exploring new worlds. 

Published by Michal would like to thank: Patrick Kapera for

MODIPHIUS showing me the ropes, Chris and Sarah for giving me
37A Chesson Road, London. W14 9QR a chance, Paul Evans for starting me on this crazy
info@[Link] journey, and Fransje for her patience and honesty.

Thank you!
Proofreading by
Chris Birch, Dave Blewer,
Michal Cross & Oliver Korpill a

LEGAL
Heroes of the Sea by Sarah Newton is used under licence.
are used under licence.
Artwork © Dim Martin, except the Chaosium and Call of Cthulhu logos which
permission.
Call of Cthulhu is a Registered Trademark of Chaosium Inc., and used with
[Link]

Achtung! Cthulhu & MODIPHIUS © 2012 Chris Birch.

Any unauthorised use of copyrighted material is illegal.

ment is intended.
Any trademarked names are used in a historical or fictional manner; no infringe
from works copyrighted by and
The names, descriptions, and depictions applied to this supplement are derived
without permission.
include trademarks owned by Chaosium Inc, and may not be used or reused
or present, is purely coincidental and
This is a work of fiction. Any similarity with actual people and events, past
.
unintentional except for those people and events described in historical context
other MODIPHIUS games at
Find out more about Achtung! Cthulhu at [Link] and
[Link]/modiphius

MODIPHIUS product number: MPS01012C

 Foreword 2
Introduction 3
Overview 3
The Dunkirk Environment 7
Encounters 10
Plot Episodes 15
Episode Plot Summary 15
Behind Enemy Lines 16

T THE WATER
The U-Boat Base 20
...COMING OU TER!
NG OUT THE WA
REPEAT, COMI Maglemosian 25
The Dive 31
Searise 36
Epilogue 39

Appendix One: Pre-generated Characters 40

Appendix Two: New Rules 43
Appendix Three: Vehicles 48
Appendix Four: Operational Briefing 52
Appendix Five: Handouts 56
 Foreword by Sarah Newton
age and des-
terrifying, exciting, tragic, filled with cour
World War Two is amazing. By turns it created the world
civilisation tearing itself apar t. And yet
peration, the appalling spectacle of a our families tell one
our nations, the memories and stories
we live in today—the borders between rectly, to the terrible
walls. We owe our lives, directly or indi
another, photographs and medals on
in the middle of the twentieth century.
sacrifice made by an entire generation
chickens peck
ngs when we turn over the garden. Our
Here in Normandy we dig up bullet casi rains. We go for
Army stencilling is only visible when it
at an old wooden shell crate, whose US fuel in the days after
re my grandfather desperately unloaded
days out in a pretty seaside town whe scratch the surface,
believe sometimes how close it still is—
D-Day, not an hour away. It’s hard to
look.
and the War is there, ever ywhere you
Two. How could
talking about roleplaying in World War
Three years ago Chris Birch and I got sacrifice, without
awesome tales of heroism, tragedy, and
we do it—how could we draw on its always loved con-
t? Those who know me will know I’ve
trivializing a profound and historical even I talked about how
is filled with them. Together Chris and
spiracy theories—and World War Two them to create
ents of these conspiracy tales, and use
we could draw out the sinister pulp elem adventure, and the rest
wor thy of the greatest war films. This
action-packed roleplaying adventures
! Cthulhu, are the result…
of the Zero Point campaign for Achtung
I knew the
evacuation at Dunkirk. Like many of us,
Heroes of the Sea takes place during the in May and June
y—but in researching those terrible days
broad brushstrokes of the Dunkirk stor ts are so terrible you
. Maybe it’s a feature of war that its even
1940, I’ve been amazed and humbled
en—until they do.
can never imagine they could ever happ
Dunkirk, under
thousand soldiers from the beaches of
The evacuation of over three hundred s” which
l vessels and ragtag flotillas of “little ship
constant attack from land and air, by nava the sea, the eyewit-
sank even as they fished soldiers from
themselves were often torpedoed and the devastation, are
on both sides—and the sheer scale of
ness accounts of those who fought— of Dunkirk’s events
I’ve been able to convey the magnitude
breathtaking. I hope in some small way
as the backdrop to this adventure.
inhuman pow-
tery, and the dread that unimaginable
Lovecraftian roleplaying thrives off mys insignificance. Zero
which mere human concerns pale into
ers hold sway over our cosmos, before tors unveil a ter-
World War Two, as our intrepid investiga
Point brings those themes directly into ng this series of
beneath its world-shattering events. Duri
rible conspiracy alongside, between, and re of the world itself.
t a secret war which threatens the futu
linked adventures, your players will figh e very dark and
eed—may lead your campaign down som
How they do so—and whether they succ itself apar t? What
dreadful menace, even as humanity tears
twisted avenues. Can they thwart this
on… this stor y only you can tell...
is the true history of that secret war? Play

Sarah Newton
Normandy, September 2012
 The Real Heroes of
Introduction – World War Two
What is Achtung! Achtung! Cthulhu presents a fictionalised version of
the Second World War, where the Lovecraftian Mythos is

Cthulhu? real and its agents work to bring humankind to its doom.
However, many of the figures behind the larger events of the
Heroes of the Sea is the second scenario in the Zero Point war which form the background to these adventures were
campaign, an epic series of adventures for the Achtung! real people, and in many cases national heroes.
Cthulhu setting—Lovecraftian roleplaying in World
In Heroes of the Sea, the historical figures of the
War Two. Achtung! Cthulhu allows you to play investi-
Dunkirk campaign are not intended to play major roles.
gators uncovering the terrible secrets of the Lovecraftian
They include: General Lord Gort, commander of the British
Mythos which threaten the world at a time when hu-
Expeditionary Force; General Blanchard, commander of the
mankind is already poised to tear itself apart.
French First Army; and many more.
This version of Heroes of the Sea is intended for use
with the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game, published by We dedicate this book to the many forgotten heroes
Chaosium, Inc. Additional rules specific to the World who fought and died across the world, and particularly to
War Two era can be found in the appendices, including the “Little Ships”, which saved so many lives at Dunkirk.
pre-generated characters, created using the 6th edition
Call of Cthulhu rules, to get you playing straight away.
You can also create your own investigator characters us-
ing the Call of Cthulhu rules. Agent WOTAN had been operating in northern
Germany and Belgium. While travelling to British

Overview Expeditionary Force territory, she was overtaken by the

sudden Blitzkrieg advance of German forces in May 1940.
This adventure contains material for several sessions of Contact has been lost, and the worst is feared. All that is
play. It incorporates historical and geographical back- known is that WOTAN had uncovered a secret German
ground; an extensive encounters section; and five com- operation named FALL NADEL (“Operation Needle”),
plete plot episodes with maps and non-player characters. and had information vital to the fate of the Allied forces.
Extensive appendices provide pre-generated characters, The investigators are members of Section D, an arm
new rules for Call of Cthulhu adventuring in World War of the British Secret Intelligence Service. Ferried to the
Two, new vehicles, an operational briefing for the play- besieged port of Dunkirk by H.M.S. Durant, their mis-
ers, and a handouts section. sion is to make their way into the warzone of what is be-
ing called the Battle of France, contact Agent WOTAN,
The Mission and take appropriate action based on the nature of FALL
Following the bizarre events of Three Kings, the first ad- NADEL.
venture in the Zero Point campaign, the British Secret
Intelligence Service has been operating undercover The Real Deal
in occupied Europe gathering information on unusual Agent WOTAN has happened upon a bizarre secret
activities in the Third Reich. In recent weeks, a fe- German operation in the Dunkirk region. Operation
Needle will require all of the investigators’ resourceful-
ness to defeat.
“WOTAN had uncovered a secret German
During the last glaciation, millennia ago, global sea
operation named FALL NADEL (‘Operation
levels were much lower than today. As late as 6000BC,
Needle’), and had information vital to large stretches of what is now the North Sea were dry
the fate of the Allied forces.” land, populated by Stone Age hunter-gatherers of the
Maglemosian culture.
male undercover agent, Agatha Marcham (codename The Maglemosians found their coastal lands dotted
WOTAN) has gone missing in northern Europe after at- with ancient, forbidding stones, which seemed to have
tempting to contact Section D with critical information. been shaped by no human hand—temples and carvings
The Intelligence Service her uncanny affinity with the deep. Her bulbous eyes,
in May 1940 clammy pallid skin, and foul stench force all but the har-
Since Three Kings, the British Secret Intelligence Service diest to recoil. The Fishwitch has seen the secrets be-
has improved its intelligence efforts in Occupied Europe, neath the waters off Dunkirk in her dreams...
and a shake-up is imminent. For now, however, the inves- Walpurgen and Wassermeister are united by their
tigators are still considered members of Section D, tasked researches into what they believe is “astral projection”.
with clandestine operations in enemy territory. They believe they have found a way to travel in time and
space, and send their “astral selves” back to the prehis-
United States intelligence efforts have picked up
tory of Earth—to the ancient Maglemosian period. The
since the British and French declarations of war on Nazi
duo met there, and witnessed dreadful rituals propitiating
Germany in 1939, but are still relatively small scale and
hideous “dwellers beneath the sea” at a temple which
unfocussed. Members of G-2, the US War Department’s
now lies beneath the waves.
Military Intelligence Division, may work with Section D on
Since then, Walpurgen and Wassermeister have be-
an informal basis.
gun to realise the lands they have named “Maglemosian”
are not in the deep past at all, but are in fact strange,
dream-like lands, with a mysterious and often tenuous
of terrifying age. The men and women who set them- connection to the “waking world”. They have estab-
selves as priests of these “temples” spoke of clammy, ante- lished a secret outpost there—the “Black House”—and
diluvian horrors which still dwelled in the deeps, waiting have constructed an occult “portal” to Maglemosian
for the day the sea would rise and claim their lost lands through which they can travel without using their “as-
again. tral bodies”. At the same time, they have found traces
Eight thousand years ago, a catastrophic inunda- of the prehistoric Maglemosian culture—including the
tion swamped the low-lying northern European coasts, forbidding inhuman temple—off the Dunkirk coast, and
sweeping away all traces of Maglemosian people. In the evidence that it is still frequented by “dwellers beneath
early twentieth century, fishing trawlers began to dredge the sea”.
up remains of these rich forests and hunting lands from Their plan is simple: to forge a deadly alliance with
the seabed, and people became aware of the great flood this inhuman power. Using a u-boat assigned to the
Sondergruppe, they aim to retrieve a hideous statue
“Himmler’s sorcerer is obsessed with to a ghastly marine deity from the sunken temple, and
transport it to a location south of Dunkirk, where they
the ‘lost lands’ beneath the sea,
will perform a ritual to once again cause the seas to rise.
believing they hold the key to a This time, the flood will claim the lives of hundreds of
great prehistoric power...” thousands of Allied troops on the beaches at Dunkirk as
a “sacrificial offering” to the dwellers beneath the sea,
which had sunk these lands. And yet, no one could guess sealing with blood an unholy alliance between these un-
at the awful truth of what had caused the ancient waters known “deep ones” and the nascent occult powerbase
to rise... or that it might happen again. within the Third Reich. They have dubbed this opera-
A member of Heinrich Himmler’s personal staff and tion FALL NADEL—“Operation NEEDLE”.
expert in the occult, Karl Friedrich Walpurgen (some- Only the accidental discovery of their plan by an
times known as “Himmler’s Sorcerer”), has become ob- undercover agent of British intelligence stands in their
sessed with the “lost lands” beneath the North Sea, be- way...
lieving they hold the secret to a great prehistoric power

Needle? Could this be poison gas?

which can be harnessed by the Third Reich. Walpurgen
has been assigned command of an SS “special group”—
SS Sondergruppe KFW2—which he has dispatched
Or some kind of disease?
Contact Wotan -
to the area with his trusted minion, Frau Edeltraud
Wassermeister.
In darker circles, Frau Wassermeister is known as top priority!
the “Fishwitch” (“die Fischenhexe”), infamous for
 Frau Edeltraud Wassermeister, Age ing, astral travel, and more. Dimly aware of the great
45, “the Fishwitch” inhuman forces in the universe, her affinity for the sea
STR 08 DEX 09 INT 15 CON 11 comforts her that she is part of something greater and
SIZ 15 APP 07 POW 18 EDU 13 more eternal than mere humanity. She believes it is
SAN 00 Hit Points: 13 her mission to establish worship of the true “gods” of
the cosmos in the Third Reich, and will do anything
Damage bonus: none for her cause—human life and suffering have no value
Skills: Anthropology 65%, Bargain 26%, Cthulhu when measured against such immense power. Naturally,
Mythos 11%, Dreaming 35%, Dream Lore 15%, Occult Walpurgen thinks she’s great...
75%, Other Language (English) 30%, Own Language *The spells “Bind Dreamer” and “Maglemosian Ritual” can
(German) 65%, Swim 92% be found on page 44.
Weapons: Luger P08 pistol 35%, damage 1D10, atts 2,
base range 20 yds Operation Dynamo
Heroes of the Sea takes place against the backdrop of
Spells: Bind Dreamer*, Breath of the Deep, Contact Operation Dynamo, one of the biggest (if not the big-
Deep One, Gate of Oneirology, Maglemosian Ritual*, gest) wartime troop evacuations in history. Following
Mesmerise, Nightmare, Raise Night Fog, Snare the German Blitzkrieg invasion of Belgium and France
Dreamer, Wandering Soul, Wave of Oblivion, Wrack in May 1940, the combined forces of the British
Appearance: Wassermeister is a big woman given to Expeditionary Force (the “BEF”) and the French First
massive leather greatcoats and startling hats; her round, Army found themselves surrounded on three sides and
pallid face houses bulging eyes and a loathsome sneer. in danger of being driven into the sea—a potential loss
Head of SS Sondergruppe KFW2 under Karl Friedrich of almost half a million men.
Walpurgen, far from being a scientist, she is a deranged After trying unsuccessfully to break the encirclement,
occult obsessive with a messianic streak, and a believer on the evening of Sunday, May the 26th, the British
in Atlantis, astrology, divination, demon summon- Admiralty gives the signal: “Operation DYNAMO is to
Image: Public Domain. From the 1943 US Army film ‘’Divide and Conquer’’
(‘’Why We Fight #3’’) directed by Frank Capra.

British troops escaping from Dunkirk (France, 1940)

 Timeline of Operation Dynamo
10 May – Battle of France begins; Winston Churchill the Kortekeer River, disrupting the Germans and buying
becomes Prime Minister of Great Britain. the evacuation time. This allows the investigators to push
forwards to the last known position of Agent WOTAN, the
14 May – Plan Yellow (“FALL GELB”): the German
village of Mesegen (page 17).
Wehrmacht begins its western offensive with an attack
through the Ardennes forest and a strategic drive for the A confused battle rages along the perimeter, with Allied
coast, cutting Allied supply lines—the infamous “Sickle forces being gradually forced back.
Cut”. 29 May – the Belgians surrender. General Gort sends
20 May – German advance reaches the coast, separat- British troops to plug the gap created in Dunkirk’s semi-
ing the BEF, the French 1st Army, and the Belgian army from circular perimeter defence, including the docks at Nieupor t.
the main body of French troops. 30 May – the perimeter holds. Bad weather hinders
24 May – the “Halt Order”: the Germans stop their airborne operations.
advance on Dunkirk for 3 days and attack Arras. This gives 31 May – the Germans nearly punch through at
Sondergruppe KFW2 a short window to carry out FALL Nieuport. Bad weather continues to hinder airborne
NADEL. German armour is kept south of Dunkirk to attack operations. General von Küchler assumes command of
BEF forces retreating before Army Group B. The British begin German forces at Dunkirk and plans an all-out assault for
organising the evacuation of British and Allied troops from the following day.
Dunkirk.
1st June – fine bright weather, perfect for airborne
26 May – the BEF and the French 1st Army are operations. The French hold the line while the British
confined in a shrinking corridor to the sea, about 60 miles evacuate, despite concentrated artillery, bombing, and
long and 15-25 miles wide. Most of the British are around strafing.
Lille, 40 miles from Dunkirk; the French are further south.
2 June – the last British evacuate, and French forces
German Army Group B is to the East; Army Group A to the
slowly fall back. The fortified town of Bergues falls to the
West. Anthony Eden, British Secretar y of State for war, tells
Germans.
General Lord Gort, commander of the British Expeditionary
Force, to prepare to “fight back to the west”, ie. to evacuate. 3 June – Germans are 2 miles from Dunkirk. This
night is the final night of evacuations, and the last possible
27 May – the Germans launch a full-scale attack with
night for Wassermeister’s “Searise” ritual (page 36). If
three divisions south of Ypres. In forested and urban terrain,
successful, tens of thousands of French and BEF troops
the Germans beat the British back, cutting telephone lines
on the beaches and ships offshore will be lost, and the
and taking advantage of poor British communications. The
British capacity to continue the war seriously—perhaps
Allies fight back to the Dunkirk perimeter, arriving by the
irrevocably—damaged.
30th of May.
4 June, 10.20am – the Germans hoist the swastika
28 May – British counterattack by 3rd Grenadier Guards
over Dunkirk docks.
battalion and 2nd North Staffordshires battalion reaches

commence”. Over the following week, under heavy at- hoped, the British army can be saved to fight another
tack, British naval vessels and a ragtag flotilla of small day, and prevent the British Isles from falling under the
private vessels aim to pluck hundreds of thousands of Nazi jackboot. The timeline above lists the main events
troops from the beaches near the French port of Dunkirk of this extraordinary operation, and the key episodes of
and ferry them to safety in England. In doing so, it is Heroes of the Sea.
The Dunkirk
Environment
The Dunkirk area is low-lying, criss-crossed with drain-
age ditches, almost impassible to tanks and other heavy
armour, which instead are forced to drive conspicuously
along high raised roads, flanked by ditches. Throughout
the adventure, the weather is poor, with torrential rain
and thunderstorms hindering airborne operations, until
the evening of the 1st of June, when the weather be-
comes fine and bright.
The area is occupied by the following groups:

The British Expeditionary Force

Commanded by General Lord Gort, over 200,000
British troops are making their way under difficult con-
ditions to the Dunkirk bridgehead for evacuation. Losses
are heavy, and at every step troops are destroying their
equipment to leave behind nothing for the German
forces.

The French
The French First Army under General Blanchard has
been cut off from the main French forces by the “sickle
cut”, and is defending the Dunkirk bridgehead. Much
of its action is around Lille to the south, holding back
the Germans in a furious battle, and in the western half
of the Dunkirk perimeter. Later in the evacuation, from

“The Dunkirk area is low-lying,

criss-crossed with drainage ditches,
almost impassible to tanks and other
heavy armour.”

the 1st of June, the French take positions behind the

Bergues-Furnes Canal as the remaining BEF troops em-
bark. While most troops the investigators encounter are
British or German, they may encounter French units
away from the main French force.

The Belgians
The beleaguered Belgian army is under full attack from
the Germans at the outset of the adventure, and morale
is plummeting as many soldiers feel abandoned by their
government. On the 28th of May, the Belgian army sur-
renders, leaving a 20-mile gap on the British eastern
flank which General Gort struggles to fill.
 Dunkirk Bridgehead Ostend
and the Retreat to the Coast
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 Key Locations on the Dunkirk Bridgehead Map
• Aire Canal: During the Halt Order the German forces • Lille: A French city and site of the Siege of Lille from the
stop here, advancing again when the order is lifted. 28-31st of May, as 40,000 men of the French First Army
keep seven German divisions from Dunkirk.
• Beaches: 17.5 miles of sand beaches extend from
Dunkirk to Nieuport. As the sea is too shallow for deep • Lys River: A river in northern France. The BEF and Allied
draught vessels, evacuating troops wade chest-height forces fall back to the Lys by the 28th of May.
into the water to be ferried to larger ships by small craft.
• Mesegen: A small Belgian village on the Kortekeer River
• Bergues: An old fortified town 6 miles southeast of southeast of Ypres. Unremarkable except for the fact that
Dunkirk. The Bergues Canal leads to Dunkirk, and is the Agent WOTAN lies unconscious here (page 18).
border between the BEF and French forces; the Bergues-
Furnes Canal leads 14.5 miles east to Furnes. From the • Nieuport: A Belgian port with boatyards and multi-
23rd of May, Colonel C.M. Usher’s “Usher Force” holds ple locks, forming the easternmost part of the Dunkirk
the town, together with French forces; on the 25th it bridgehead. The town falls to the Germans in fierce
comes under the command of General Thorne until the fighting on the 28th and 29th of May. The Sondergruppe
2nd of June, when it falls to the Germans. KFW2 u-boat U-3a is docked here (page 20).

• Bray-Dunes: France’s northernmost commune, right • Ostend: A major Belgian port and headquarters of the
on the Belgian border. The beaches here are embarkation Belgian admiralty. The Belgian government retreated here
points for the evacuation. in mid-May, and surrenders to the Germans on the 28th.

• Deule Canal: Location of a BEF and Allied rearguard on • Poperinghe: Site of an intact bridge over the Yser canal
the 28th of May as troops retreat to the Lys River. and a bottleneck for the withdrawal to Dunkirk from
fighting further south. Traffic here was bombed by the
• Dunkirk: A French port close to the Belgian border, and Luftwaffe for two hours on the 27th of May, destroying
suddenly the only viable port from which to conduct or immobilising vast numbers of vehicles, and again on
the evacuation. It has been heavily bombed (particularly the night of the 28-29th of May.
on the 24th of May), forcing evacuations to be made
from the mole (the harbour breakwater) and the beaches • Ypres: Belgian city and site of heavy fighting during the
between Dunkirk and Nieuport. Great War, Ypres was rebuilt using money from German
reparations. Fighting is intense here during the Allied
• Dunkirk Bridgehead: An area formed by the line of the retreat.
Mardick-Bergues-Furnes-Nieuport canals. A fairly strong
defensive position, although easily flooded. From the • Ypres Canal: Site of a furious battle lasting several days
26th of May, the bridgehead is under the command of from the 27th of May as BEF troops plug the gap left by
Lieutenant-General Sir Ronald Adam. withdrawing Belgians. General Franklyn’s augmented 5th
Division opposes three German divisions. The line from
• Furnes: A fortified town. The canal leads east 6.5 miles Comines to Ypres is attacked by artillery, mortars, and
to Nieuport, and west 14.5 miles to Bergues, and forms dive-bombers, and gradually pushed back.
the perimeter of the Dunkirk bridgehead.
• Yser River: A river which enters the sea at Nieuport,
• Kortekeer River: Furthest extent of the Allied coun- forming the Allied line on the 29th of May.
terattack of the 27-28th of May. The village of Mesegen
(page 17) lies on the other side.

• La Panne: A port in the Dunkirk bridgehead. BEF

This looks likeiona!
suicide miss
General Lord Gort’s headquarters are established here on
the 28th of May.
The Germans
German Army Groups A and B are attacking Dunkirk Encounters
from the west and east respectively; they have excellent The situation at Dunkirk is chaotic and rapidly chang-
morale, riding the crest of their Blitzkrieg until Hitler’s ing, and investigators have a wide choice of actions. The
“Halt Order” on the 24th. They have good tank and air following Encounter Table provides a way of determin-
support, and include the SS “Adolf Hitler” motorised ing the events they encounter.
infantry regiment and the SS Totenkopf Division. Roll 1D100 on the Encounter Table every 4 hours. If
it takes less than a full 4-hour encounter period to reach
Civilians a destination, roll for a single encounter anyway.
The German Blitzkrieg has left many French and
Belgian civilians stranded on both sides of the border. Movement
They’re doing all they can to avoid the fighting, and Movement in the Dunkirk area, even in a vehicle,
columns of refugees are everywhere, clogging the roads is slow—roads are narrow, and often circuitous and
and adding to the chaos. Even where civilians stay put, clogged with refugees, retreating troops, and wrecked
they are ambivalent about the troops, regardless of their vehicles and other materiel. Many roads are damaged
country; the investigators may be surprised when they and impassable.
don’t necessarily receive a heroes’ welcome. Assume a maximum speed of 3mph on foot, or 10mph
in a vehicle; these speeds may be modified by encounters.
Reduce walking speed to 2mph if accompanied by walk-
ing wounded; to 1mph if bearing stretchers.

Image: Bundesarchiv, Bild 121-0448 / CC-BY-SA. Used under Creative Commons Attribution-
ShareAlike 3.0 Germany. [Link]
Encounter Table abandoning and destroying of equipment, and huge
The table divides the Dunkirk area into five broad areas: columns of retreating troops.

• Allied Perimeter: Within the perimeter, two themes • The Beaches: The awe-inspiring sight of the Dun-
dominate: troops retreating to the beaches; and other kirk beaches—thousands of troops, under repeated
troops holding the perimeter to give them time to do aircraft attack, queueing and wading out to sea for
so. Initially this means mostly BEF troops retreating pickup by naval vessels and “little ships”.
while French and BEF troops hold the line, but gradu-
ally the two forces become mixed (particularly after the • At Sea: To be used for investigators on board ship
1st of June) as French troops also begin to evacuate. off Dunkirk, either pursuing the U-3a submarine in
Episode Four: The Dive, or returning to Britain in
• Behind Enemy Lines: Territory that until recently the Epilogue.
was occupied by Belgian, French, or BEF troops, but
has been overrun by the German “Blitzkrieg”. It’s Encounter Details
chaotic, but there isn’t any open fighting here.
Allied CP
• Counterattack: Attempts to push through to the A temporary command post of a handful to a couple
Kortekeer River on the 27th and 28th of May, and of hundred troops. A good place to gather informa-
to hold Nieuport and push back the Germans on the tion, treat wounds, replenish ammo, and possibly gain
28th and 29th. reinforcements.

• The Retreat: The sometimes disorderly retreat Booby Trap

of the Allies to the beaches, often harried by Ger- German and Allied troops leave booby traps for pur-
man troops, armour, and aircraft. There’s confusion, suers; usually tripwires and grenades, and occasionally

Dunkirk Encounter Table (D100)

Encounter Allied Behind
Perimeter Enemy Lines Counterattack The Retreat The Beaches At Sea
Allied CP 01-10 — — 01-05 01-20 —
Booby Traps — — 01-10 06-10 — 01-10
Civilians 11-20 01-15 11-20 11-20 — —
Criminal Activity 21-25 16-25 21-25 21-25 — —
German CP — 26-35 26-35 — — —
German Infantry Unit 26-30 36-65 36-60 26-35 — —
Half-Track 66-80 61-70 36-45 — —
Refugee Column 31-40 81-90 71-80 46-55 — —
Retreating Troops 41-70 — — 56-70 21-70 —
Shore Battery — — — — — 11-20
Submarine Attack — — — — — 21-50
Stuka Attack 71-80 — 81-90 71-80 71-90 51-75
Tanks — 91-00 91-00 81-85 — —
Traffic Jam 81-90 — — 86-90 — —
Troops in Water — — — — — 76-00
Vehicle Destruction 91-00 — — 91-00 91-00 —
 Image: Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-769-0229-12A / Borchert, Erich
(Eric) / CC-BY-SA. Used under Creative Commons Attribution-
ShareAlike 3.0 Germany. [Link]
sa/3.0/de/[Link]

or Charisma (APP x 5) roll; success means the inter-

action is positive; failure means negative; and fumble
means the civilian attacks.

Criminal Activity
The line between legal and illegal actions during war-
time is thin and easily crossed. The investigators en-
counter activities breaking the rules of war, and must
decide what to do. These include: summary executions
of suspected disloyal civilians, fifth columnists, and pris-
oners of war (carried out by the SS Adolf Hitler and
Totenkopf divisions, but also by Allied forces); attacks
on civilians; and “appropriation” of civilian property
(particularly, but not limited to, food) at gunpoint.

German CP
The investigators stumble upon a German command
post! Make Spot Hidden, Hide, or Sneak rolls (as ap-
propriate) to determine if either the investigators or the
Germans are surprised. If the investigators fail, they are
German General Heinz Guderian spotted by a guard and have 1 combat round before the
plans his next move alarm is raised. Roll for the size of the CP:

01-50: small CP of 1D10+10 troops.

51-00: large CP with 1D6+1 half-tracks and ten
mines. Allow an investigator a Spot Hidden roll to de-
times that many troops.
tect the booby trap before triggering it. For a tripwire, all
characters may roll; for a mine, only the triggering char- Roll for the type of troops present:
acter rolls. For a tripwire, success means the wire has
01-50: regular army (Heer).
been found, and investigators may disarm it or step over
51-80: Waffen SS command post.
it; for a mine, success means the character has stood on
81-00: tank command post (vehicles present are
the mine, but has not yet lifted his foot—the mine must
tanks instead of half-tracks).
be disarmed if the character is to avoid wounding. A
character who steps on a mine must also make a 0/1D3 German Infantry Unit
SAN roll. Roll to determine the type of unit:
Disarming a Booby-Trap: A Demolitions, Locksmith,
01-50: single squad (or Gruppe) of 13 men, compris-
Mechanical Repair, or even Jury Rig skill roll. On a suc-
ing one squad leader with an MP38; an
cess, the trap is disarmed; on a failure, it isn’t; and on a
assistant squad leader (MP38); 7 riflemen
fumble, it is triggered. A booby trap does 4D6 / 4y ex-
(GEW98s); a machine gunner (MG34 and
plosive damage; characters who make successful Jump or
P08); an assistant machine gunner (P08); and
Dodge rolls only take half damage.
2 machine gun ammo carriers (GEW98s).
51-90: platoon (or Zug) of 3 squads, led by a
Civilians
lieutenant.
The investigators find a dwelling occupied by civilians.
91-00: company (or Kompanie) of 3 platoons, led
They may have food and supplies. Civilians are wary of
by a captain (or Hauptmann).
intruders, and try to avoid them. To successfully interact
with a civilian, make a Fast Talk, Persuade, Psychology,
Typical Heer Soldier Retreating Troops
STR 13 DEX 14 INT 11 CON 15 Allied troops (probably BEF), retreating to the Dunkirk
SIZ 13 APP 12 POW 10 EDU 11 bridgehead. Roll for the type of group encountered.
SAN 40 Hit Points: 14
01-50: squad of 8 privates, 1 squad leader (a
Damage Bonus: +1D4 sergeant), and 1 assistant squad leader (a
corporal).
Skills: Artillery 30%, Climb 40%, Dodge 35%, Drive
51-90: platoon of 3-4 squads, commanded by a
Automobile 35%, First Aid 45%, Heavy Weapons
lieutenant.
30%, Listen 70%, Own Language (German) 55%,
91-00: company of 3-4 platoons, commanded by a
Throw 35%, Track 10%
captain.
Weapons: GEW 98 bolt-action Mauser rifle 50%,
There is a 50% chance the troops are retreating in good
damage 2D6, atts 1/2, base range 150 yds
order, with commanding officers with clear orders; other-
MP38 Maschinenpistole SMG 35%, damage 1D10, atts 2 wise they are in poor order, shambolic and disorganised.
/ burst, base range 30 yds In the latter case, investigators may use the Command
skill to take command of a unit whose CO they outrank.
MG34 machine gun 30%, damage 2D6+2, atts burst,
base range 180 yds
Typical BEF Soldier
Mauser C96 pistol 35%, damage 1D10, atts 2, base STR 12 DEX 14 INT 11 CON 14
range 25 yds SIZ 12 APP 12 POW 12 EDU 10
SAN 50 Hit Points: 13
Notes: These stats can be used for Heer or SS personnel,
whether infantry, guards, crews of half-tracks, field guns, Damage Bonus: none
tanks, etc.
Skills: Artillery 35%, Dodge 35%, Drive Automobile
35%, First Aid 40%, Heavy Weapons 30%, Jury Rig
Typical Heer Officer 50%, Listen 50%, Own Language (English) 50%,
STR 11 DEX 12 INT 15 CON 17 Scrounge 50%, Spot Hidden 45%, Throw 60%
SIZ 12 APP 12 POW 13 EDU 14
Weapons: Lee Enfield .303 bolt-action rifle 40%, damage
SAN 55 Hit Points: 15
2D6+4, atts 1/2, base range 110 yds
Damage Bonus: none
Bayonet 35%, damage 1D6+1, atts 1
Skills: Climb 30%, Command 40%, Dodge 54%, Drive
.45 Thompson Submachine gun 30%, damage 1D10+2,
Automobile 30%, First Aid 65%, Listen 40%, Own
atts 1 / burst, base range 20 yds
Language (German) 70%, Strategy 45%, Throw 55%
BREN .303 light machine gun 30%, damage 2D6+3, atts
Weapons: Luger PO8 pistol 60%, damage 1D10, atts 2,
burst, base range 150 yds
base range 20 yds
Webley .455 pistol 30%, damage 1D10+2, atts 1, base
range 25 yds
Half-track
The investigators encounter a single [Link].11 half-
track with full complement of 8 troops. See page 50. Shore Battery
The investigators’ vessel strays close to the coast and is
Refugee Column attacked by German shore batteries. Treat this as an at-
Endless lines of fleeing refugees clog the roads, shocked, tack by a heavy calibre gun; the first round, there is a
bewildered, and clinging to treasured possessions. 10% chance of it striking close by, doing 1-20D6 dam-
Investigators travelling by vehicle lose any movement age. Each combat round, make a Pilot skill roll: success
for this encounter period unless they get out and walk. halves the chance (round down); failure doubles it.
Remaining with the column for the rest of the encounter Once the chance reaches 1%, the investigators have es-
period runs a 50% chance of a Stuka attack (see below). caped the attack.
 Commandeering a Tank!
There’s a vast amount of materiel lying around Dunkirk.
Although most is sabotaged and non-functional, investiga-
tors may find themselves in possession (albeit temporary)
of a working tank. Driving a tank requires the Operate Heavy
Machine skill; Keepers may allow Difficult Drive rolls if the
manoeuvre isn’t too complex. Investigators may use a tank’s
machine guns with the Machine Gun skill; the Artillery skill
(page 43) is required to operate a tank’s cannon.

I and Mark IIs, augmented by several hundred Czech

light tanks. Statistics can be found in Appendix Three:
Vehicles (page 48).

Troops in Water
Embarking on a vessel isn’t the end of a soldier’s travails
at Dunkirk: a long sea voyage awaits, with attacks from
ships, submarines, shore batteries, and even dive bomb-
ers. Many soldiers find themselves back in the water rap-
idly as their rescue craft are sunk. Here, the investigators
encounter Allied troops, either already in the water, or
on a sinking vessel. Can their own vessel accommodate
any more passengers? Use the “Retreating Troops” sec-
tion to determine the number of troops encountered,
with the proviso that they’re in the water or on a rapidly
sinking ship!

Traffic Jam
Stuka Attack Destroyed bridges and the sheer number of retreating
Much of the weather during the Dunkirk evacuation troops and fleeing refugees mean traffic jams are every-
is unsuitable for flying, and mercifully the embarka- where, as roads become clogged and impassable. Assume
tions are spared the full brunt of Luftwaffe attacks. this encounter period is wasted for movement purposes,
Nevertheless, Stuka dive bombers make lethal surprise as the investigators search for a way round; additionally,
attacks—particularly on the beaches where dense con- roll for another encounter in the traffic jam—they’re a
centrations of troops make missions horribly easy. See favourite target for Stuka attacks!
page 50 for Stuka statistics.
Vehicle Destruction
Submarine Attack Retreating BEF troops are under orders to leave all
The investigators’ vessel is attacked by submarine—see equipment behind, and render anything that may be of
“Submarine Combat” on page 51. use to the pursuing Germans inoperable. Huge fields of
wrecked equipment are everywhere—burning cars, bro-
Tanks ken guns, sabotaged tanks. Jury Rig or Scrounge skill
An encounter with 1D3 German tanks. At this stage rolls (page 44) made here are Easy, particularly to sal-
in the war the German armies are not yet highly mech- vage vehicles. There’s also a 25% chance of booby traps,
anised; in fact, the Germans have less tanks than the and a further 25% chance each of encountering looting
Allies. Most German tanks are obsolescent light Mark civilians or German troops.
Plot Episodes Episode One: Behind Enemy Lines
The investigators set out to rescue British agent Agatha
The following episodes and scenes detail locations, Marcham, AKA WOTAN, lost behind enemy lines.
characters, and events the investigators may encounter They find her unconscious body, and a coded letter filled
as they pursue Agent WOTAN’s disappearance. Not all with tantalising clues of a submarine archaeological dig
episodes and scenes need to be played, and not necessar- and her mysterious fate.
ily in the order presented. As the players forge their own
path through the investigation, use this information as a Episode Two: The U-Boat
baseline to create a unique and exciting plot. Following clues in WOTAN’s letter, the investigators
Two threads contribute to the plot of Heroes of the find a Nazi u-boat in the besieged town of Nieuport.
Sea. First, the Dunkirk evacuation in late May and early There they discover a special SS “Sondergruppe”
June 1940 provides a dangerous and changing backdrop; group, and mention of a mysterious place named
second, the characters investigate the mystery of Agent
WOTAN’s disappearance and the nefarious conspiracy “They find WOTAN’s unconscious
behind it. The investigators’ actions are influenced by
body, and a coded letter filled with
the evacuation; and, in turn, their decisions may affect
the outcome of the evacuation itself.
tantalising clues of a submarine
archaeological dig...”
Episode Plot Summary
This section summarises the key goals and events of the Maglemosian—an embryonic Nazi Dreamlands outpost!
five episodes of Heroes of the Sea. Player decisions will From there, they may enter Maglemosian, or proceed to
likely change these episodes dramatically! the Sondergruppe’s attempt to retrieve a prehistoric arte-
fact called the “Sea Statue” from the seabed off Dunkirk.

Pulp or not?
Heroes of the Sea can be played as a gritty, nail-biting
fight, and continue with the mission. Allow them to take
adventure. However, as befits Call of Cthulhu gaming
advantage of cover, dodging, and the noble art of running
in the theatre of World War Two, many scenes can
away.
easily lead to violent confrontations; the nature of the
Dunkirk environment means investigators will be in Having said that, it’s also possible to play the adventure
almost constant danger, and the risk of death through in a more gung-ho, pulpy style, where investigators are
military encounters is very real. Despite this, combat larger-than-life heroes with a far greater chance of surviving
is never a requirement, and players used to stealthy, combat-heavy scenes. Here are a couple of simple tweaks to
intrigue-heavy, investigative styles of play should be able the Call of Cthulhu rules to support a more cinematic style
to navigate a satisfying plot thread through the options of play.
which follow. The key encounter areas in this adventure • Enhanced Hit Points: instead of averaging CON
are not active battlefields, and in many cases can be + SIZ, calculate Hit Points as the total of these two
dealt with using persuasion, intimidation, or other forms characteristics.
of social interaction. Active battlefields themselves can
be circumvented, and retreats made before advancing • Mooks and Cannon Fodder: reduce Hit Points of
troops. When crossing combat zones is necessary, allow lesser NPCs such as cultists and henchmen to half the
investigators to use Hide, Sneak, and Strategy skills average of CON + SIZ. For an even pulpier feel, as-
to minimise their exposure; even where characters do sume that in mass encounters involving large numbers
come under fire, remember that the investigators’ goal is of enemy combatants, any cannon fodder fall dead or
not to kill the opposition, but to survive, get out of the unconscious as soon as they take a single wound.
Episode Three: Maglemosian Episode One:
The investigators enter a dark and mysterious realm Behind Enemy Lines
the Nazis have named “Maglemosian”, a shadow of the A Section D undercover agent, Agatha Marcham (code-
Dunkirk area; they may believe they have somehow name WOTAN) has gone missing behind enemy lines,
travelled to the distant past. There they may find Agent with vital information on enemy activities relating to
WOTAN, and discover the Fishwitch—the leader of Operation Dynamo. In this episode, the investigators
the Sondergruppe—and a nefarious deep one alliance. arrive at Dunkirk and attempt to track her to her last
known position.
Episode Four: The Dive
As the German u-boat dives to retrieve the Sea Statue Scene One: The Counterattack
from the seabed off Dunkirk, the investigators may be It is the 27th of May, 1940. In Belgium and northern
on land, at sea, or even on the u-boat. They discover France, Allied forces are falling back everywhere un-
the Sondergruppe’s ultimate, dreadful goal, and possibly der pressure from the overwhelming German advance.
disrupt the undersea expedition. South of the city of Ypres, a furious battle rages between
the heavily-reinforced British Expeditionary Force 5th
Episode Five: Searise Division and three German divisions. Caught by the
Following the raising of the Sea Statue, the sea begins speed of the Allied withdrawal, British intelligence
to behave strangely, and the Sondergruppe travels to the agent WOTAN is trapped behind enemy lines beyond
Les Sept Pecheurs stone circle near the Dunkirk bridge- the Ypres front, and the investigators must make contact.
head to perform an ancient ritual. If they succeed, the
sea rises to claim the Allied forces on the beaches as a The BEF Zone
sacrifice to the deep ones! The investigators land at a heavily-bombed and barely
functioning Dunkirk under constant Stuka attack, and
make their way through twenty miles of chaos to the
Ypres front. The chaos of war is everywhere; abandoned
vehicles, burnt-out and useless materiel; hollow-eyed
Alternate Beginning: civilians.
Agents of the Abwehr
The local station of the Abwehr, or German intelligence
service, has got wind of bizarre activities by the SS Alternate Beginning:
SonderGruppe KFW2. There is little love lost between the The Archaeological
Abwehr and the SS and, wary that the SS operations may
jeopardise FALL GELB, the Abwehr dispatches agents (the
Report
investigators) to the Dunkirk area to investigate rumours of The investigators are academics working inside Nazi
secret SS submarine activity off the coast. Germany, researching the archaeology and geology
of the
northern European coast. They have become aware
In this case, the investigators are the German coun- of SS
interest in the Maglemosian culture, and the disco
terparts of Section D, whose mission is to find out what very of a
mysterious archaeological site. However, a colleague
Sondergruppe KFW2 is up to, and ensure it doesn’t who
was digging into the SS activities has been found dead—
interfere with the success of the Wehrmacht’s western an apparent suicide—and the investigators suspect
campaign. Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, head of the Abwehr, they’re
next! Their only hope is to get to the bottom of what
was himself anti-Nazi, and indeed a member of the the
SS are doing off the Belgian coast. What have they
German Resistance, in contact on occasion with the British found?
Intelligence Services and helping convince Hitler not to In this case, the investigators are in a non-military
role,
invade Spain and Switzerland during the war. This danger- and may even find their way into Maglemosian (page
25)
fraught stance can be a fruitful source of confusion and first, only then realising they must travel into a war
zone
dramatic conflict for Abwehr characters. to rid themselves of the Fishwitch’s nefarious atten
tions!
 Keeping Track of Time 1 20 feet
The real-world histor y of Dunkirk follows a time frame
which is probably too restrictive for a roleplaying game
. 2
ture,
Although we reference specific dates in this adven
’s event s to be the
we recommend you allow your game
sary,
deciding factor in what happens when. Where neces 3
events
subordinate the timing of retreats, battles, and other
atic
of the background Dunkirk evacuation to the dram
requirements of tension and excite ment .
4 6
5
Use this scene to familiarise the investigators with
the environment, playing it out in as much detail as you

WEST
want. Roll up to 3 encounters on the “Allied Perimeter”
column of the Encounter Table on page 11.
Village of Mesegen
Crossing Enemy Lines
The investigators arrive at the scene of heavy fighting
on the Ypres front, and meet Captain Robert Jackson,
company commander of the 3rd Grenadier Guards. The Locations in Mesegen
players must decide how they’re going to cross the enemy
1. Materiel Fields: West of the Kortekeer River, across
lines; they may try to take command of one of Captain
the ruined bridge, lies a large field of wrecked Allied
Jackson’s units, or simply head off themselves and try to
equipment, vehicles, etc. See “Vehicle Destruction” on
get to the village of Mesegen unscathed. Crossing en-
page 14 for the items that may be found here.
emy lines requires passing through an active battlefield:
see “Skirmishes and Combat Encounters” in Appendix 2. Broken Bridge: The bridge has been blown, leaving a
Two: New Rules (page 43). Once across, it requires one 20-foot gap across the Kortekeer River. Swimming this
encounter period to reach Mesegen: roll on the “Behind requires a combined Swim + Sneak roll to avoid being
Enemy Lines” column (page 11). spotted, either by the townsfolk (including the German
informer) or any German patrols the Keeper determines
Scene Two: Mesegen are in the area.
Agent WOTAN last communicated from a secret radio
in the Belgian village of Mesegen—now Nazi territory. 3. Burnt-out Houses: These shells of houses pro-
The BEF counterattack was expected to reach her, but vide 1D10 points of cover and various degrees of
was pushed back. The village is behind the main battle concealment.
lines, which can be heard three miles to the west.
4. Church: Miraculously untouched, the church tower
While the village isn’t a combat zone, it certainly
allows Easy Spot Hidden and Strategy rolls to survey
isn’t safe. German soldiers are within half a mile, and
the village and surroundings.
patrols pass through the village regularly; there may also
be German sympathisers among the villagers. For every 4 5. Broken Tank: A battle-damaged British A11
hours, roll on the “Behind Enemy Lines” column of the “Matilda” tank (page 49), which is repairable with
Encounter Table (page 11). the right parts (perhaps scrounged from the Materiel
Fields, area 1).
Talking to the Locals
Agent WOTAN lies unconscious in the De Smet 6. The De Smet House: Agent WOTAN lies uncon-
family house (see Scene Three: The Sleeper below), scious here. See Scene Three: The Sleeper.
who want her presence to remain secret—none of the
 villagers know they’ve been sheltering a British agent, The Informer
and they fear informers and summary execution by the The informer pretends to be a normal villager, and
German army. claims to know nothing. A successful Psychology roll
Investigators talking to locals or conducting a house- detects he’s hiding something, but not what. If he es-
to-house search must make Sneak rolls, Easy if done un- capes the investigators’ attention, he attempts to alert
der cover of darkness. Failure means the village becomes the Germans.
aware of their presence; this has two consequences:
Scene Three: The Sleeper
1. A German sympathiser leaves to inform the Ger- Maarten and Ophelie De Smet, a Belgian family, have
mans. This requires a Spot Hidden roll to notice if been harbouring Agent WOTAN since she sought ref-
the investigators have posted guards; Difficult if they uge here. Wounded and fleeing, she hid in the attic,
haven’t. If spotted, the informer attempts to flee: he writing a letter and complaining of weird nightmares.
is unarmed. If he succeeds, a squad of German sol-
diers in a half-track (page 50) arrives in 30 minutes
“Agent WOTAN is in a mess — hidden in
and starts a house-to-house search.
the dank attic, filthy and starving
2. The De Smets attract the investigators’ attention. If to death.”
the informer has fled, they do this openly—there’s
no time to lose. Otherwise a Spot Hidden roll is Several days ago she lost consciousness, and has been
required. Once contact has been made, proceed to in a coma since. The family have forced a little water
Scene Three: The Sleeper. between her lips, but fear she hasn’t long to live.
Agent WOTAN is in a terrible mess—hidden in the
Success on the Sneak roll means the village is not aware dank attic, filthy and starving to death. Investigators see-
of the investigators’ presence. The first time they talk ing her must make a SAN roll or lose 1D3 Sanity points.
to the locals, roll 1D100: on a 01-10 they meet the De Investigators may attempt Medicine, Occult, or even
Smets straight away; on 11-20 they meet the informer; Cthulhu Mythos rolls to diagnose what is wrong with
otherwise they meet a frightened villager who can offer Agent WOTAN. From a medical perspective she is in
no help. Each subsequent occasion they talk to a local, a deep coma, although there is no obvious cause; she
the chances to meet the De Smets or the informer in- seems to be deeply asleep, but cannot be wakened. From
crease by +10% (so on the second roll, 01-20: the De an occult perspective, her condition resembles docu-
Smets, 21-40: the informer, and so on). mented accounts of “astral projection” or other out-of-
body experiences. From the point of view of the Cthulhu

Handout #2
Handout #1

My mind will stand these nightmares no

—my source tells me the Nazis have a new submarine longer—that hideous house, the loat hsome
super weap on, possibly invo lving detonations on the sea I must finish this document and pass
sea and sky!
f loor... A special SS group under the direct control of it to
WALP URGEN is transporting it to Nieuport for the good people who shelter me. I fear that if I go to sleep
something called FALL NADEL, or Operation NEEDLE. again I shall n ot waken, it draws me so
I have detected neit her Ahnener be nor Abwehr; yet IS DOWN THERE, and they are
WALP URGEN’s invo lvement means this is no normal much. B ut I T
going to bring it up. God! Help us!
science. What are they up to? What is Operation Needle?
G O IN G T O B R ING I T UP !
T H E Y AR E
 Dunkirk — Bridgehead Detail
Nieuport
5 miles
La Panne

Bray-Dunes
Dunkirk Furnes
al
k Can
kir
Fort Mardick Dun

Lo
o
Mardick

Ca
na
l
Loon Plage al
Furnes Can

Hondschoote
Bergues

Mythos, however, it’s clear her condition is deeply un- What Has Happened to
natural, possibly a result of her “dream self” being trapped
in some way.
Agent WOTAN?
The De Smets are terrified Agent WOTAN will be Agatha Marcham, codename WOTAN, has fallen victim
discovered by the Germans, and dearly wish her gone. to a powerful spell performed by Frau Wassermeister,
They have her suitcase radio hidden in the house—using the Fishwitch. Having narrowly avoided capture
this runs the risk of detection by the Germans. Before she by Wassermeister’s SS in an encounter which saw
lost consciousness, she left a letter with the De Smets, WOTAN’s source taken prisoner, Marcham was sub-
which they will give to the investigators. It appears sequently dragged into the strange Dreamlands realm
to be gibberish, but is written in a Section D cipher; a of Maglemosian (page 25) while she slept, a victim of
Cryptography roll deciphers it in 15 minutes; an Easy roll Wassermeister’s Snare Dreamer spell. Once there, the
in less than an hour. Either way, a Section D agent with Fishwitch bound her using the Bind Dreamer spell (page
the Cryptography skill can decipher it without a roll in 44). Now Marcham’s mind is imprisoned, her body
1D3+1 hours. gradually starving to death; losing 2 points of CON per
The letter is Agent WOTAN’s report to Section D. day, she will only last another 3 days. Once her Waking
The key points are given in handouts 1 and 2. World body is dead, the Fishwitch intends to sacrifice
WOTAN at the sea temple (page 29).
Next Steps Agent WOTAN’s stats can be found on page 28.
The investigators must decide what to do with Agent
WOTAN. She will not awaken under any circumstances
short of those detailed in Episode Three: Maglemosian
(page 25). If the German informer has escaped, it won’t

o u g h w e h a ve
h
Seems as tanother dreamer.
be safe for WOTAN or the De Smets to remain.
WOTAN’s letter gives the investigators a clue: an

found yet
SS group under the command of noted Nazi occultist
Karl Friedrich Walpurgen is due to arrive at the port of
Nieuport, on the edge of the Dunkirk bridgehead!
Episode Two:

Nieup
The U-Boat
Following the clues in Agent WOTAN’s letter, the in- U-Boat &

ort
vestigators head to the town of Nieuport on the hunt for Quayside
a Nazi u-boat! They may travel there directly, or report

Ch
an
to the nearest BEF command post first—Nieuport lies nel
on the eastern edge of the Dunkirk bridgehead, and may
be the target of a major German offensive!

Scene One: To Nieuport!

Nieuport lies 25 miles from Mesegen. The investiga-
tors may travel there behind enemy lines—the short-
est route, but all encounters are rolled on the “Behind
Enemy Lines” column. Or, they may cross the Ypres Higher
Blown Ground
front again (see page 17), and travel through Allied ter- Bridges
ritory—a longer distance (some 35 miles) but safer: roll
on the “Allied Perimeter” column instead.
Nieuport
1,000 feet
The investigators may commandeer transport, as
25-35 miles may take a couple of days on foot under
current conditions (bad weather, open fighting, blown
bridges, etc). Finding a vehicle behind enemy lines is dif-
ficult, although there’s a broken A11 Matilda (a British
tank...) in Mesegen and a materiel field just across the Recognising Maglemosian
river. Otherwise it’s a question of seizing one from the
There are several occasions in this episode when investiga-
Germans...
tors may encounter the mysterious term “Maglemosian”.
In the Allied perimeter, the investigators may make
A successful Archaeology or Anthropology roll recognises
Command rolls to commandeer a functioning vehicle—if
it as the name of a European mesolithic hunter-gatherer
they’re lucky, they may even acquire a driver to go with it!
culture which existed along the North Sea coast between
approximately 10000BC and 6000BC.
“The Germans have seized Nieuport,
and there is fighting on its
western edge.”
Scene Three: The U-Boat
The u-boat U-3a is docked at the quayside to the north
Scene Two: Nieuport of the town. Captained by Commander Rainer Hagen,
Nieuport lies a couple of miles from the sea, on the es- and crewed by a skeleton crew of 12 Kriegsmarine sailors,
tuary of the Yser River. A strategic Belgian port, it saw its forces are divided between the u-boat proper and the
heavy fighting in the Great War. Now it lies on the east- harbourmaster’s offices nearby (area 1 on the map).
ern edge of the Dunkirk bridgehead, a lethal frontier be- Hagen’s crew aren’t the only occupants of the U-3a;
tween Allied and German forces. the leader of Sondergruppe KFW2, Frau Edeltraud
By the end of May (approximately the 30th—but see Wassermeister (AKA the Fishwitch) is also present,
page 17), the Germans have seized Nieuport, and there together with three assistants. When the investiga-
is fighting on its western edge. Entering the town is haz- tors arrive, only one of the Sondergruppe assistants is
ardous, requiring Sneak rolls to reach the quays, where present—Wladislaw Eisenberg, the security specialist.
a 137-foot u-boat is docked. Roll once for encounters in The Fishwitch and the other two assistants are currently
the town. in Maglemosian (see page 25).
The Germans are constantly on alert (see page 45) Keepers should be flexible about NPC locations:
for BEF raiding parties, especially at canal and river this isn’t a static situation, and if enough time passes
crossing points near the blown bridges. Wassermeister and her assistants return to the U-3a.
 Handout #3 Handout #4

ntities of
“As Reid has postulated, the vast qua “The Maglemosian hunter-gatherer culture was
last glaciation widespread along the now-inundated coasts of north
water bound in the ice caps during the ern
ld. In northern Europe, including stretches of the ancestral fathe
led to lower sea levels all around the wor rland.
h furt her out to sea They were a pure and hardy people, noble and inven
Europe, habitable land extended muc tive;
alled ‘Dogger relics recovered by dredger and fishing boat from
than it does today, and included the so-c what is
now the North Sea bed show considerable sophisticat
Bank’ alluvial plain or land bridge...” ion,
and include beautiful examples of the leister or fish-s
pear.
, Prof. Heinz They appear to have worshipped a maritime panth
—Ancestors of the Germanic Peoples eon
, Chapter 1 of bizarre appearance. [...] The Maglemosian cultu
von Achtigen, ed. München Verlag 1938 re
disappeared suddenly approximately 6000BC...”

—Ancestors of the Germanic Peoples, Prof. Hein

z
von Achtigen, ed. München Verlag 1938, Chapter
6

Handout #5

Nieuport

e!
Transfer her
La Panne

Bray-Dunes
Dunkirk Furnes

Handout #5

t o n e C i r c l e
S
Bergues Ox

This research is pointing to

something very sinister...
 U-Boat and Quayside

10 7 6 5 8 9

1a 1c
3 3
3 1d 1b
20 feet

U-Boat and Quayside Locations

1. Harbourmaster’s Offices: A pretty but functional 19th 1b. Meeting Room: Used by Wassermeister’s
century wooden building. The front door is locked at night. Sondergruppe, it’s usually empty while she’s in
Maglemosian. Wladislaw Eisenberg, the Sondergruppe
1a. Reception: A desk and chairs, and various chandlery security specialist may be here by day (otherwise he’s in
and office supplies. The harbourmaster is elsewhere while area 10).
there is fighting in the city. Captain Hagen is sometimes
There are two documents on the large meeting table:
here during the day; otherwise he’s aboard the U-3a.
U-Boat Commander Kapitänleutnant »» An Archaeology Report: typewritten in German,
Rainer Hagen this binder report summarises current (c. 1940)
thinking on the lower sea levels at the end of the Ice
STR 12 DEX 10 INT 13 CON 16
Age and the Maglemosian culture. The key sections
SIZ 12 APP 13 POW 08 EDU 11
are in handouts 3 and 4.
SAN 40 Hit Points: 14
»» A Research Document: handwritten in German,
Damage bonus: none
including archaeological schematics and charts of
Skills: Command 60%, Dodge 35%, Mechanical Repair the sea bed off Dunkirk, including a marker showing
40%, Navigate 60%, Operate Heavy Machine 25%, Pilot a “stone circle” near the town of Bergues (south of
Boat 70%, Strategy 45%, Swim 45% Dunkirk). This has been circled in red ink several
Weapons: Mauser C96 55%, damage 1D10, atts 2, times, with the annotation “TRANSFER HERE!” —see
base range 25 yds handout 5.
Appearance: Captain Hagen is the archetypal u-boat 1c. Bedroom: Usually occupied by Wassermeister, and prob-
commander, and an honourable man. He dislikes ably empty at the moment.
Wassermeister, perhaps detecting her aquatic affinity. If
1d. Stores: There’s a lockup here storing valuable gear, includ-
he captures the investigators, he’s unlikely to harm them,
ing several Italian-manufacture diving suits and rebreathers.
even as the Fishwitch gloats and completes her ritual.
Once he understands what the ritual entails, Hagen may
even cooperate with the investigators to stop it!
 2. The Quay: Two groups of two infantry guards patrol the and sigils painted on the metal, in an unsettling pattern.
quay day and night (page 13). In addition to the U-3a, sev- This is a “Gate of Oneirology”, which physically trans-
eral other boats are moored here—and could be “appropri- ports anyone who stands on it to the clearing (area 1) in
ated” at a pinch. Episode Three: Maglemosian.
3. Dockside Buildings: These include chandleries, supply The chamber is usually occupied by Wladislaw Eisenberg,
warehouses, and shipyards and repair shops. The guards security specialist of Sondergruppe KFW2.
check on the buildings as part of their patrol.
Sondergruppe KFW2 Member Wladislaw
4. The U-3a Submarine: This 137-foot German u-boat Eisenberg, Security Specialist
is moored at the Nieuport quayside. There are usually at STR 15 DEX 12 INT 13 CON 13
least one or two crew below decks, accessed by a hatch SIZ 13 APP 12 POW 11 EDU 12
mid-deck; the deck is also fitted with a C30 cannon. A suc- SAN 36 Hit Points: 13
cessful Electrical Repair, Mechanical Repair, Pilot Boat, or
Damage bonus: +1D4
Difficult Know roll spots that the u-boat has been modified
(rolls are Easy if the character is familiar with submarines) Skills: Cthulhu Mythos 03%, Demolitions 30%, Dodge
to incorporate two cylinders on deck containing Italian 40%, Dreaming 22%, Dream Lore 05%, Fast Talk 40%,
Maiale manned torpedoes (page 50). Locksmith 40%, Persuade 55%
Weapons: Luger PO8 pistol 70%, damage 1D10, atts 2,
5. Command Centre: The u-boat bridge, containing the per-
base range 20 yds
iscope and piloting stations. When the u-boat is underway,
the captain and several crew work here; in dock, it’s empty, MP38 Maschinenpistole SMG 60%, damage 1D10, atts 2
except at night when there’s a single guard. Investigators / burst, base range 30 yds
descending the ladder from the deck access hatch must Fist 60%, damage 1D3+1D4, atts 1
make Sneak rolls to avoid being heard by crew or guard. A
Appearance: A strong, robust man in his mid-thirties,
weapons’ locker here holds small arms for the crew:
bald with a black goatee. He “dresses down” when he
»» 2 x GEW 98 rifles and 768 rounds can, and often looks like a wrestler or boxer. Skilled with
explosions and break-ins, he’s been disappointed his
»» 6 x C96 Mauser pistols and 360 rounds
skills haven’t been easily applicable in Maglemosian.
»» 5 bayonets
The chamber also contains personal effects of
»» 2 x MP38 submachine guns and 2000 rounds
Sondergruppe members, who sleep here on occasion.
»» 1 x MG34 machine gun and 6000 rounds These include:
6. Galley: The food storage and preparation station. »» A Report: typewritten in German, this 5-page folder
is a specially commissioned “Hypothesis on the
7. Engines: With a successful Mechanical Repair roll or a
Maglemosian Flood Event”. The key section is shown
couple of grenades, the u-boat can be disabled from here.
in Handout 6.
During the day, 1 or 2 crewmen work or carry out mainte-
nance here. »» A Telegram from Heinrich Himmler: Typewritten
in German, to Frau Wassermeister. The key section is
8. Troop Bunks: At night, all 12 Kriegsmarine crew (includ- shown in Handout 7.
ing the captain, excluding the guard in area 5) sleep here.
»» A Handwritten Journal Entry by Frau
By day, 1-4 crew relax here, though most are ashore.
Wassermeister: Handwritten in German. The key
9. Torpedo Tubes: There are 3 tubes, and the u-boat carries section is shown in Handout 8.
5 torpedoes. With time, explosives, and Electrical Repair »» Two sets of diving suits and rebreathers.
rolls, an explosion here could tear the boat apart.
»» A Medicine Tin: containing a syringe and vial of
10. The Gate: Formerly the engineers’ bunks, this strange liquid labelled “Maglemosian”. The vial contains 10
chamber still holds 4 bunk beds. On the floor against the doses of Dream Drug, which leads a dreamer to the
aft bulkhead, however, is a strange arrangement of lines Clearing (page 26) in Maglemosian.
 Handout #6
RFSS* - The ‘Book of Aciel’ refers
to a ‘great swallowing of (or by)
“Preliminary evidence suggests that the final
disappearance of the ‘Dogger Bank’ and associated
alluvial plains in the North Sea occurred with the deep’, the destroyer of the
catastrophic rapidity, far more swiftly than any precious knowledge the Book
geological phenomenon. Indeed, it seems possible
to speak of a ‘flood event’. This does not seem
claims to be preserving. Was this
consistent with the gradual rise in sea levels a global event? Or did the Book’s
associated with the end of the last glaciation. author have a connection with
Instead, one must look towards more violent causes: Maglemosian? WALPURGEN
at this stage, we hypothesise an earthquake, or a
major undersea landslide and devastating tidal wave.
*RFSS—abbreviation for
Until we penetrate the sea depths, the truth is
Reichsführer SS, a title
impossible to confirm.”
of Heinrich Himmler

Handout #7

Deutsche Reichspost
Telegramm
Wassermeister,

Walpurgen informs me of plans. Cessation of activities to take place.

If forces you believe behind Dogger Bank event are real, do everything
possible to ensure cooperation, for glorious future of our Thousand Year
Reich. Do not fail. I will not be lenient again.

Heil Hitler
R.F.H.H.

HANDOUT #8

There are records in De Vroot, Kleining

en, Fraser, etc, that a ‘drowning
ritual’ continued at least until the Mi
ddle Ages along the North Sea
coast, dating from no later than the Bro
nze Age. This may lie behind the
‘ducking chair’ torture used against stu
dents of the esoteric sciences. Is this
the key to the function of the Seven
Fishermen? We must seize Bergues
from Allied hands!
Episode Three: several Nazi guards—the embryonic “Traumstaffel” or
Maglemosian “Dream Guard”. Together, Wassermeister and Walpurgen
This episode deals with events if the investigators enter are creating a Nazi foothold in Maglemosian—possibly
the strange environment of Maglemosian, a Nazi out- the beginnings of a Nazi Dreamlands enclave. They
post in the Dreamlands. Keepers who do not wish to are also communicating with its hideous denizens—the
incorporate Dreamlands elements into their game may dwellers beneath the sea—to enlist their power in sup-
ignore this episode; alternatively, Maglemosian may be port of the Third Reich in the Waking World.
portrayed as a mysterious “other place”, unconnected
with the Dreamlands proper. Indeed, investigators may
believe they are time travelling, “astral projecting”, or
have stumbled onto a portal to another world or “paral- Encounters in
lel universe” when visiting this realm. Maglemosian
In some uncanny way, Maglemosian seems to be a Investigators travelling in Maglemosian should roll on the
shadow of the Dunkirk area. When the investigators en- following table every 4 hours:
ter, their weapons “wriggle” and “twist” in their hands,
D100 Encounter
transforming into weirdly primitive, mediaeval forms
such as bows, spears, and slings. 01-40 Maglemosian Tribesfolk
Stretching before them is an ominous coastal land- 41-70 Maglemosian Hunters
scape, devoid of all signs of civilisation. In an atmosphere 71-90 Traumstaffel
of pervasive unreality, colours are dark and muted— 91-00 Dreamlands Creatures

• Maglemosian Tribesfolk: If encountered before

“The sky is perpetually overcast, Scene Two: The Black House has been played,
the air heavy with moisture these 2D6 tribe members are heading for the Hunting
and the smell of ozone and the Camp. Otherwise they are heading towards the
exposed seabed.” Temple for the Ceremony of Binding (see Scene
Three: The Sea Shaman). If approached by the
investigators, they lead them to the Black House or
bruised purples, deep greens, midnight blues, blackish
Temple, as appropriate.
browns—and the sky is perpetually overcast, the air
heavy with moisture and the smell of ozone and the ex- • Maglemosian Hunters: This is a group of
posed seabed. There is the feeling of the calm before the 1D3+1 hunters, armed with Fish-Spears. Use the
storm, of an impending doom. Maglemosian Warrior statistics on page 26. If the
Although the investigators may not initially real- investigators haven’t been identified as adversaries,
ise it, Agent WOTAN is mysteriously “imprisoned” in they offer to lead them to the Black House or the
Maglemosian, and it is possible to rescue her, causing her Temple, as above. Otherwise, they attempt to take the
emaciated body to regain consciousness in the Waking investigators prisoner.
World. Additionally, the Fishwitch, Frau Wassermeister,
is visiting Maglemosian with two of her assistants and • Traumstaffel: There are fewer than 10 Traumstaffel
troopers in Maglemosian; this is a 2-man patrol, pos-
sibly with 1D3+1 hunters in tow. They apprehend the
investigators and take them to the Fishwitch or the
Where in the Black House, as appropriate.
Dreamlands? • Dreamlands Creature: Keepers who wish to empha-
be placed in a
If the Keeper wishes, Maglemosian can sise Dreamlands elements may have the investigators
er’s campaign,
specific Dreamlands location. In the writ encounter Dreamlands creatures, including: Buopoths,
and lonely stretch
Maglemosian was situated on a bleak Cats (usually bearing messages), Nightriders,
d, in the straits
of coast north of the Enchanted Woo Sluggocs, Vooniths, Witch Trees, and Zoogs.
Seas.
between the Cerenarian and Southern Statistics can be found in the Dreamlands supplement
for Call of Cthulhu by Chaosium, Inc.
Scene One: The Clearing Appearance: The Traumstaffel wear the SS
Investigators entering Maglemosian find themselves uniform, but with an “Eh” rune on the left
in this clearing in the Dark Forest. Almost immedi- cuff. Membership requires skill with bladed
ately, they become aware of three other people: one in weapons and possibly bows, and a willingness The “eh”
Waffen-SS uniform (a Traumstaffel trooper), and two in to do anything to support the Third Reich! rune
crude leather hides and skins (Maglemosian tribesmen).
*Traumstaffel SAN is not zero; unlike the Fishwitch, they
Make opposed DEX rolls between the investigators’
are not insane. They believe they are participating in an
highest DEX score and that of the guards; the winning
Ahnenerbe-related science mission possibly linked to time or
side surprises the loser, who can only act at half DEX.
dimensional travel. Investigators who confront the Traum-
The Traumstaffel trooper perceives who the investiga-
staffel with the reality of their situation may force them to
tors are, and attacks unless they surrender immediately.
make a 1 / 1D10 Sanity roll.
Remember the investigators are suddenly armed with ar-
chaic weapons!
Maglemosian Warrior
Traumstaffel Trooper STR 15 DEX 13 INT 11 CON 16
STR 13 DEX 14 INT 12 CON 13 SIZ 11 APP 09 POW 08 EDU 06
SIZ 13 APP 10 POW 13 EDU 11 SAN 40 Hit Points: 14
SAN 45* Hit Points: 13
Damage bonus: +1D4
Damage bonus: +1D4
Skills: Climb 60%, Craft (Flint) 70%, Cthulhu Mythos
Skills: Dream Lore 10%, Dreaming 18% 7%, Dodge 40%, Dream Lore 40%, First Aid 45%,
Hide 50%, Jump 35%, Listen 50%, Navigate 30%,
Weapons: Composite Bow 30%, damage 1D8+1, atts 2,
Sneak 60%, Spot Hidden 40%, Swim 30%, Throw
base range 40 yds, hp 10
45%, Track 50%
Rapier 50%, damage 1D6+1+1D4, atts 1, hp 12
Weapons: Fish-spear 60%, damage 1D8+1+1D4, atts 1,
Armour: The Traumstaffel uniform gives the trooper 1 base range (Throw rules), hp 15
point of armour.
Armour: hides and skins providing 2 points of armour

Appearance: These are classic Stone Age tribesmen,

with flint-tipped weapons and simple hand-made gear.
They have a northern European appearance, but are
wiry and weatherbeaten, used to surviving in a harsh
environment.

Interacting with the

Maglemosians
The Maglemosians are oppressed and
benighted by their
worship of the dwellers beneath the sea.
Led by evil sha-
mans, they practise propitiatory human
sacrifice; their
world view is harsh and bleak. Investiga
tors are assumed
to be members of Wassermeister’s Son
dergruppe or
the Traumstaffel, and are escorted to the
nearest group
of Nazis. While individual Maglemosian
s may prove
friendly and even sympathetic, the Mag
lemosians as a
whole have little interest in the unfathom
able dealings of
the Waking World.
 Maglemosian Locations
• Ancient Sea: A cold and windswept shore of low-lying Maglemosian Area
and bleak marshlands. An investigator may make an
T he
Idea or Dream Lore roll to intuitively grasp that the shore A ncient
somehow corresponds to the sunken sea bed off the S ea
Dunkirk coast.
Maglemosian
• Black House: This ponderous block of forbidding black Hunting Camp
Temple
stone has a flat roof. Red banners emblazoned with
swastikas and flaming braziers flank its double doors. See Waking World Coastline
Scene Two: The Black House for details.
B leak
• Bleak Marshland: Maglemosian consists mostly of Seven Menhirs marshland
stretches of bleak marshland, eerily reminiscent of the
terrain around Dunkirk. Everything is terribly still, as The Black House
though waiting. Clearing
5 miles
• Clearing: Investigators who have been to the De Smet
house in Episode One may make an Idea or Dream Lore D ark F orest
roll to grasp that this clearing in the dense forests some-
how corresponds to the attic where Agent WOTAN lies
unconscious. See Scene One: The Clearing, below.

• Dark Forest: Maglemosian is dreary and overcast at

the best of times; here, so little light penetrates that it’s Language in Maglemosian
Difficult to see. Instead, strange phosphorescent fungi If the Keeper is treating Maglemosian as part of the
speak
shed an eerie glow. The Dark Forest may be part of the Dreamlands, remember that all characters seem to
nisable
Enchanted Wood in the Dreamlands at the Keeper’s dis- the same language. Feel free to give everyone recog
cretion. If so, the area is close to the Waking World, and and suitably outrageous accents!
the seven hundred steps of the Gate of Deeper Slumber
lie somewhere within.

• Maglemosian Hunting Camp: Maglemosian is menhirs correspond to the stone circle known as Les
sparsely populated by Stone Age humans, a forest and Sept Pecheurs (page 36), although these stones appear
wetland culture indigenous to the northern European to be a new construction. If Agent WOTAN is with the
coasts between 10000-6000BC. This is one of their sea- investigators, she can identify the menhirs; otherwise
sonal hunting camps, an assortment of tents and crude this is a Difficult Archaeology roll. Characters familiar
stone huts of menacing aspect—just why do none of with the Dunkirk area may make a Know roll instead.
them have windows?
• Temple: This ancient stone structure feels uncanny
The Maglemosians use fishing and hunting tools of flint, and inhuman; investigators may recognise it from the
wood, and bone, and carry three-pronged “leister” fish- Research Document on page 21. See Scene Three: The
spears. They have a wolf-like domesticated dog which Sea Shaman for more.
growls at any newcomers threateningly.
• Waking World Coastline: Investigators crossing this
• Seven Menhirs: Seven crude menhirs stand in a circle; line may make an Idea or Dream Lore roll to grasp that
investigators making Idea or Dream Lore rolls may feel they have somehow entered lands that are “underwater”
they are somehow connected to the Waking World. The in the Waking World.
 The Black House Locations
1. Reception: This room looks uncannily like the ence; she doesn’t know her plans, but does know she’s
Harbourmaster’s Office (page 22). There are 1D4-1 involved with a ceremony at a temple by the sea, and
Traumstaffel troops here. that in the waking world the Sondergruppe is planning
to raise a dreadful prehistoric statue which she has seen
2. Meeting Room: A copy of the room in the in her dreams—and which seems to be related to this
Harbourmaster’s Office. If the investigators haven’t bizarre Maglemosian realm.
removed the originals, the table holds versions of the
Archaeology Report and Research Document shown on Even if Agent WOTAN is freed from the Black House,
page 22. she is still trapped in Maglemosian, unable to waken.
There are two ways to rescue her:
3. Unused Bedroom: The walls of this chamber are
draped with occult runes of Nazi significance, oc- »» Kill Agent WOTAN! Although the investigators
cult paraphernalia, and images of a single man—a probably won’t know this (a Dream Lore roll is
corpulent SS officer with a menacing expression. A required), if Agent WOTAN “dies” in Maglemosian,
successful Occult roll reveals the items relate to the she will wake up in the Waking World. This does not
German Ahnenerbe, and the images depict Karl Friedrich apply to characters who have entered Maglemosian
Walpurgen. Walpurgen often uses this room when he via the U-3a gate (page 23).
travels to Maglemosian; the décor is his own dream »» Agent WOTAN finds her way through the
creation. Dreamlands back to the Waking World. If she
passes through the Gate of Deeper Slumber or even
4. Prison: The solid steel bars require a Locksmith roll to
the Clearing in the Dark Forest, she wakes up in her
open; they have 20 hp and 10 points of armour. Behind
own body—wherever it is.
them sits Agatha Marcham—Agent WOTAN! Unlike her
emaciated body in the De Smet house (page 18), she Agatha Marcham, AKA Agent WOTAN
looks the picture of health—if bewildered and terrified.
STR 06 DEX 12 INT 15 CON 6 (14)
Marcham is overjoyed to see the investigators. She tells SIZ 08 APP 14 POW 13 EDU 14
them about the Sondergruppe and Wassermeister’s pres- SAN 58 Hit Points: 7 (11)
Damage bonus: -1D4
Skills: Cthulhu Mythos 05%, Cryptography 38%,

The Black House

Dream Lore 7%, Dreaming 13%, First Aid 40%,
Hide 40%, Library Use 45%, Navigate 38%, Other
Language (Flemish) 30%, Other Language (French)
20%, Other Language (German) 40%, Photography
35%, Pistol 45%, Sneak 35%, Spot Hidden 60%
Weapons: Fists 30%, damage 1D3-1D4, atts 1

1 3 Appearance: A petite and pretty woman in her

mid-twenties, Marcham has dark hair, blue eyes,
and dresses in the inconspicuous skirt and blouse
4 2 common to her Belgian contemporaries. She has
recently suffered several major traumas, including her
entrapment by the Fishwitch, and the strain clearly
shows on her face. She has developed clinophobia
(fear of beds) as a souvenir of a recent bout of
10 feet temporary insanity.
Scene Two: The Black House Scene Three: The Temple
The Black House is the destination to which the If the investigators enter Maglemosian prior to the
Traumstaffel or other Maglemosian tribesfolk escort the events of Episodes Four and Five (the raising of the Sea
investigators, either freely or as captives. Otherwise the Statue and the Searise ritual), Wassermeister is attend-
investigators may find it by exploration or by tracking ing a “Ceremony of Binding” at the antediluvian temple
natives. It is an incongruous structure; a rigidly sym- on the Maglemosian shore. There, in the presence of
metrical building of forbidding black stone, with a flat a Maglemosian “Sea Shaman” cultist, she encounters a
roof. Its windows are tall slits, and it has black double hideous representative of the dwellers beneath the sea,
doors in the middle of its northern wall. To the inves- and begins to forge an alliance which will be sealed by
tigators’ surprise, the doors are flanked by red hangings the Searise ritual in the Waking World (see Episode
emblazoned with swastikas, flanked by flaming braziers. Five: Searise).
The Nazis are here! When the investigators arrive at the temple, the ritual
The Black House is the first Nazi outpost in is already underway. Over a hundred Maglemosian tribes-
Maglemosian. Created by the Dreaming skills of folk have gathered at the base of the headland, and be-
Walpurgen and Wassermeister, it is a place for them to fore them two Traumstaffel troopers, Frau Wassermeister,
meet and research the strange forces of the shadow-realm.
The Black House is being used to keep Agent
“In the presence of the Maglemosian
WOTAN captive, and as the base for the Traumstaffel
Sea Shaman, Wassermeister encounters
“Dream Guard”. Those entering may make Idea or Dream
Lore rolls to realise it has the same appearance and lay- a hideous representative of the
out as the Harbourmaster’s Office in Nieuport (page 22). dwellers beneath the sea.”
From within, each window looks out on uncanny views:
her two Sondergruppe assistants, and the Maglemosian
01-20: the view is the exterior of the house in
“Sea Shaman” are performing the ritual amidst the tem-
Maglemosian.
ple stones.
21-50: the view is the townscape of Nieuport, from
In the ritual, the Traumstaffel and assistants take
the Harbourmaster’s Office.
positions at the standing stones indicated, and the Sea
51-75: the view is another place in the Dream-
Shaman stands before the low stone altar, looking out
lands, or possibly its moon. Any creatures
to sea. The Fishwitch advances further still, to a menhir
viewed may cause SAN loss.
which has been carved in the shape of a crude humanoid
76-00: The view is an impossible vista on deep
figure with sinister fishlike features—here known as the
space, where vast and terrifying beings cavort
“Drowning Stone”, but identical to the Sea Statue in the
and play. Make a 1D3 / 1D20 Sanity roll.
Waking World. Sacrifices to the dwellers beneath the sea
 Investigator Actions
The investigators may want to interfere with the ritual,
The Temple or its aftermath. Let them try. Interrupting the ritual it-
self is hardest; the tribesfolk stop them, probably some
T he two dozen trained warriors (see page 26 for stats), as well
The Drowning Stone A ncient as the two Traumstaffel troopers (stats on page 26) and
(the Fishwitch) S ea the two Sondergruppe assistants (page 34).
If the investigators manage to break through, they
face the Sea Shaman and the Fishwitch, who are both
formidable opponents, and possibly the three deep ones
Deep One Deep One if they have already arrived. To be honest, attempting to
Altar
interrupt the ritual this way is probably suicidal.
(Sea Shaman)
Assistant Assistant See page 5 for the Fishwitch’s stats. The Sea Shaman
and the deep ones are as follows.

Traumstaffel The Sea Shaman, Cultist of the

Dwellers Beneath the Sea
Maglemosian Congregation STR 07 DEX 11 INT 13 CON 13
50 feet SIZ 11 APP 12 POW 24 EDU 07
SAN 00 Hit Points: 12

Damage bonus: none

Skills: Cthulhu Mythos 21%, Dance-Chant 75%,

Dream Lore 80%
are usually bound here; the Fishwitch stands in front of
Weapons: Fish Spear 40%, damage 1D8+1+db, atts 1,
the stone.
base range (Throw rules), hp 15
The ritual takes 15 minutes, during which time the
Sea Shaman chants and gesticulates wildly, and the Spells: Breath of the Deep, Contact Deep One,
Maglemosian tribesfolk sway and chant in reply. At its Deflection, Mindblast, Raise Night Fog, The Ravening
climax, a wave surges over the headland from the sea, Madness, Wither Limb, Wrack
reaching the feet of the congregation. With it, three
Appearance: A hideous old man with straggling hair
hideous humanoid shapes emerge from the water—deep
filled with kelp and seaweed, dressed in mottled soaking
ones, the dwellers beneath the sea!
rags. Fetishes made from shells and fishbones decorate
At this point, if the investigators are watching, have
his body, which exudes a foul fishy stench.
them make Sanity rolls or lose 1D4+2 SAN.
Two deep ones stand by the standing stones as
marked, facing the Sondergruppe assistants. The third,
significantly larger, approaches the Fishwitch, and the Eavesdropping on the
two converse. The Fishwitch is in a state of great ex-
Fishwitch
citement; she cries out chants, and gesticulates grandly.
itch
Finally, with an almost hysterical cry, she raises her arm If the investigators somehow eavesdrop on the Fishw
they
in a Nazi salute; and, in a hideous mockery, the deep one and her assistants after the Ceremony of Binding,
a “Sea
does likewise! Then it turns and vanishes beneath the learn that the Sondergruppe are about to retrieve
d
waves with its brethren. Statue” from the seabed off Dunkirk, which they inten
The Fishwitch returns to the Sea Shaman, and a to use in a ritual near something called “The Seven
from
wild orgy of celebration begins, lasting several hours. Fishermen”, near the town of Bergues—a few miles
inves ti-
At the end of this, the Fishwitch leaves for the Clearing Dunkirk and currently defended by the Allies. The
!
(page 26) and the Waking World, accompanied by the gators know where the German forces will next attack
Traumstaffel and her assistants.
The Greater Deep One An alternative may be to infiltrate the orgiastic celebra-
STR 21 DEX 14 INT 16 CON 15 tion. Successful Sneak rolls get the investigators into
SIZ 20 APP 12 POW 15 EDU n/a the Fishwitch’s vicinity; any subsequent attack is met by
SAN n/a Hit Points: 18 the Fishwitch, the Sea Shaman, the two assistants, the
two Traumstaffel, and possibly 1D6 Maglomosian war-
Damage bonus: +2D6
riors. It’s still pretty foolhardy.
Skills: Dreaming 80% Lastly, the investigators may intercept the Fishwitch
on her way to the Clearing. This may involve a Track
Weapons: Claw 65%, damage 1D6+2D6
roll, and Sneak rolls if the investigators wish to approach
Armour: 1-point skin and scales unseen; otherwise the situation resolves as a chase as both
groups race to the gate. If the investigators force a con-
Spells: Breath of the Deep, Contact Cthulhu, Siren’s
frontation, they face the Fishwitch, the two assistants,
Song, Wave of Oblivion
the two Traumstaffel, and 1D3+1 Maglemosian warriors.
Sanity Loss: 0/1D6 Ultimately, the investigators may simply decide to
observe the ceremony, and then track the Fishwitch
Appearance: A huge and powerful-looking deep one,
back to and through the gate, reasoning they have a bet-
with the authority to negotiate with the Fishwitch. Its
ter chance of summoning reinforcements in the Waking
emotionless face has a shark-like coldness, and its evil
World.
calculations may take years to come to fruition.

See page 38 for statistics for the two deep one servitors. Episode Four:
The Dive
This episode deals with the Sondergruppe attempt to re-
trieve an ancient Stone Age artefact from a prehistoric
temple sunk off the Dunkirk coast. The scenes here are
What If They Win? very variable, as the investigators have a wide range of
This episode assumes Wassermeister survives to Episode actions open to them, and may begin the episode in a
Four—the odds heavily favour this outcome. However, variety of locations.
there is a slim chance the investigators defeat her in If the Sondergruppe successfully retrieves the “Sea
Maglemosian. What happens then? Statue” (the most likely outcome), they proceed to
Defeating the Fishwitch in Maglemosian should not the besieged town of Bergues on the edge of the Allied
be easy. Their primitive weapons, lack of magical sup- bridgehead, where they perform a ritual which will doom
port, and the fact that they’re horribly outnumbered in a the Allies on the beaches of Dunkirk. See Episode Five:
hostile environment, should conspire to make things dif- Searise for details.
ficult for investigators who try to take out the Fishwitch The Sondergruppe plan to retrieve the Sea Statue is
in a head-on confrontation. However, if the investigators as follows:
do succeed, then they will have thwarted the Searise
ritual and Walpurgen’s plot to forge a deep one alliance! • Set out from Nieuport in the U-3a u-boat under
cover of darkness.
If this happens, don’t play it down; it’s an enormous
victory, and should be feted as such—a clear and ac-
• Head for a location some 2 miles northwest of the
ceptable conclusion to the adventure. Of course, there
Nieuport estuary, north of the beaches—the location
are loose ends to tie up: the future of Maglemosian, and
of the sunken temple.
the fate of the Sea Statue. But otherwise proceed to the
Epilogue on page 39 and prepare to hand out Sanity
• Surface the u-boat, and deploy the two Sonder-
point rewards!
gruppe divers, Renee Duchamps and Torsten von
Far more likely, however, the investigators return to Leichhardt, on a Maiale manned torpedo.
the Waking World in hot pursuit of the Fishwitch, deter-
mined to thwart her nefarious plan! • Dive again as the diving team heads down to the
temple, and remain in the vicinity.
 Taken Prisoner! Onshore: The investigators may observe the U-3a or
the Sondergruppe from the shore (possibly at Nieuport).
In Scene One, the investigators may be taken prisoner
See Scene Two: Tracking the Sondergruppe.
by the u-boat crew. Don’t worry about this—it’s the
Awakening from the Drug: If the investigators en-
kind of trouble grand adventure is made of! First, u-boat
tered Maglemosian using the “Maglemosian Drug” (page
captain Rainer Hagen (page 22) orders the investigators
23), they awaken exactly where they started. This could
to be tied up under armed guard in the engine room.
be ashore or even on board the u-boat, as above.
Second, Frau Wassermeister gloats, sneering that she
Straight to the Temple: It’s possible the investigators
has a “very special death” in store for the “Allied spy
may somehow head to the temple on the seabed, possibly
Schweinehunde”.
using diving gear, a captured manned torpedo, or another
At this point, if the investigators don’t know already, creative solution. Proceed directly to Scene Three: The
Wassermeister rants about the stone circle of Les Sept Sea Statue.
Pecheurs near the town of Bergues. She doesn’t divulge
the ritual’s exact nature. Scene One: On Board the U-Boat
Next, unless the investigators free themselves, If the Fishwitch knows she is being followed when she
describe the retrieval of the Sea Statue and the return to leaves Maglemosian via the Gate of Oneirology, the
Nieuport. Thereafter, several hours pass, until the Searise investigators are taken prisoner when they re-enter
ritual begins, whereupon the investigators hear cries of the u-boat, already en-route to its destination! See the
terror and alarm from the u-boat crew (as they fail their adjacent box for details: the investigators step through
SAN rolls). Ashen-faced, Captain Hagen comes down the gate one at a time, with their firearms permanently
to the investigators and asks them if they know what’s transformed into bows, etc, to a welcome by a heavily-
going on. Assuming they make a good case, he frees armed submarine crew with MP38s!
them—the sea is rising, and something is very wrong!
Can the investigators set it right? “The investigators step through the
In this case, proceed directly to Episode Five, gate to a welcome by a heavily-armed
Scene Two: The First Flood. submarine crew with MP38s!”

Otherwise, the investigators find themselves sneaking

• Once the Sea Statue has been retrieved, surface to around a cramped u-boat at sea, armed only with bows
take the divers on board. and arrows! Use the deckplans on page 32; depending
upon events in Episode Two: The U-Boat, there may be
• Return to Nieuport. up to 18 opponents on the boat: Captain Hagen, the 12
Kriegsmarine crew, the Fishwitch, her 2 assistants, and 2
The mission is hazardous; the Dunkirk evacuation is Traumstaffel troopers. An open firefight is likely suicidal!
ongoing, and attacks by dive bombers are possible, as
well as shelling and attacks by Allied ships. However, A Window of Opportunity
weather conditions are poor, not clearing up until the The one thing working in the investigators’ favour
dawn of the 1st of June, and the Sondergruppe hopes to is time: the crew are busy preparing to surface over
take advantage of this cover. the sunken temple and embark Duchamps and von
Leichhardt on the Maiale manned torpedo. The inves-
Investigator Actions tigators may take advantage of this to jump ship as soon
The investigators may begin the episode in the follow- as the u-boat surfaces. Let any reasonable plan by the
ing locations. players succeed: the crew are not bristling with weapons,
On Board the U-3a: If the investigators have stowed and indeed probably only the Traumstaffel are armed,
away on the u-boat, or are returning from Maglemosian standing on deck keeping a lookout. The investigators
via the Gate of Oneirology, they find themselves on may have the element of surprise, rushing on deck and
board the U-3a as it powers towards the diving point! possibly arming themselves from the weapons’ locker.
See Scene One: On Board the U-boat. There’s even a second manned torpedo on deck...
 If the investigators don’t make it off the u-boat, seabed: see Scene Three: The Sea Statue. If the inves-
their only options are to wait for the boat to return to tigators have their own Maiale, use the chase rules (Call
Nieuport, or to be taken prisoner. of Cthulhu pages 284-5).
Firearms cannot be used underwater. Characters must
Scene Two: Tracking the make Difficult melee attacks if at hand-to-hand distance,
Sondergruppe or may use spearguns (base chance 25%, damage 2D4+2,
In this scene, the investigators are not on board the atts 1/2, base range 5 yds, shots 1, hp 12, malf 98-00).
U-3a, but are aware of its movements. They may follow
in a commandeered boat, and interrupt the Maiale dive;
attack the u-boat directly; or mount a separate dive and
interfere with the raising of the Sea Statue.

Interrupting the Maiale Dive

This may be a pitched battle at sea, with the investiga-
tors on a commandeered boat attacking the crew of the
U-3a with small arms fire as they surface.
Use the U-3a weapons’ locker (page 23) to determine
how heavily-armed the crew are. Their objective is clear;
to fend off the investigators long enough to get Duchamp
and von Leichhardt onto one of the Maiale manned tor-
pedoes and successfully dive. If this proves impossible,
the submarine may even launch one of its torpedoes;
figure this happens if the small arms fight continues for
longer than 5 combat rounds.
The investigators may also use stealth to interrupt the
dive; sabotaging the diving gear or the Maiales forces the
U-3a to return to Nieuport to regroup.

Attack the U-Boat

This requires heavy gear; perhaps the investigators have
somehow obtained an armed German Schnellboot. It is
difficult to call in Allied reinforcements—all Allied na-
val vessels are taken up with the evacuation—but en-
terprising investigators may call in a single naval Motor
Torpedo Boat to help. Make sure it’s the players who
are calling the shots and rolling the dice, even if their
investigators are not wholly involved. See pages 51 and
50 for statistics for the U-3a and Motor Torpedo Boat
respectively; rules for resolving ship-to-ship actions are
on page 45.

Interfere with the Sea Statue

Retrieval
This assumes the investigators are in diving gear, possi-
bly mounted on a Maiale manned torpedo. If the investi-
gators are swimming freely, the Sondergruppe divers on
their Maiale easily outpace them, and the investigators
have only a single action before being left behind. They
must then make their way to the ruined temple on the
 Decompression hysteria and mania. She is a mythology specialist, and is
finding it difficult to distinguish between reality and the
ue is sufficient
The depth of the temple of the Sea Stat legends she loves to read.
infamous
to cause decompression sickness—the
ace too quickly. A
“Bends”—if divers return to the surf Torsten von Leichhardt,
mpressing about
diver must spend a minute or two deco Sondergruppe Member and
ds; those who
halfway to the surface to avoid the Ben Underwater Frogman
damage 1D20
return immediately suffer 3D6 points of STR 16 DEX 14 INT 11 CON 15
a Swim or EDU x
hours after surfacing. Allow characters SIZ 15 APP 13 POW 12 EDU 11
players aren’t.
3 Know roll to be aware of this if their SAN 26 Hit Points: 15

Damage bonus: +1D4

Renee Duchamps, Skills: Climb 60%, Cthulhu Mythos 09%, Dream Lore
Sondergruppe Member and 15%, Occult 35%, Persuade 75%, Swim 70%
Underwater Frogwoman
Weapons: Speargun 55%, damage 2D4+2, atts 1/2, base
STR 09 DEX 15 INT 16 CON 11
range 5 yds
SIZ 09 APP 11 POW 12 EDU 18
SAN 22 Hit Points: 10 Spells: Dominate

Damage bonus: none Appearance: Torsten is a devout Nazi and a believer in

Aryan supremacy, the theory of the Übermensch, the
Skills: Anthropology 60%, Archaeology 45%, Cthulhu
right of might to rule, and generally anything that lets
Mythos 13%, Dream Lore 16%, Library Use 60%,
him preen himself while putting the boot in on anyone
Occult 45%, Swim 50%
weaker or more principled than himself. He loves to
Weapons: Speargun 40%, damage 2D4+2, atts 1/2, base refine his “interrogation techniques”, and is looking to
range 5 yds Maglemosian for the power it might give him. He’s a
bronze-skinned Nordic type with a perpetual sneer.
Appearance: Duchamps is a short, stocky woman with
russet hair and green eyes, and a smooth, watery skin. The investigators may follow the Sondergruppe to the
She is feeling the strain of working with the Fishwitch temple; this is a combined Swim and Sneak roll if the in-
in Maglemosian, and is regularly afflicted by periods of vestigators can keep up; otherwise a combined Swim and
 Track roll as the investigators follow the Maiale’s faint Instead, the investigators may decide to dispose of the
trail of bubbles. Investigators unable to follow must make statue themselves; if they decide to take it further out to
a combined Swim and Spot Hidden roll. Failing every- sea and abandon it, see below; if they decide to take it
thing, the investigators must wait for the Sondergruppe onto dry land, see Episode Five: Searise.
to return to the U-3a or even Nieuport.
Eyes in the Deep
Scene Three: The Sea Statue All the time the investigators and the Sondergruppe
The seabed off the shores of this whole stretch of north- are in the sunken temple, they are being observed.
ern Europe is very shallow, rarely exceeding 50 feet. A All around, just out of sight, there are deep ones—the
couple of miles north of Nieuport and La Panne, in 40
feet of water, stand the ancient ruins of a prehistoric
temple, used by the Maglemosian peoples when the sea
level was much lower. Temple of the Sea Statue
Those who have visited the temple in Maglemosian Locations
(page 27) can make an Idea roll to recognise it; although
partly toppled and encrusted with barnacles, it is the 1. The Sea Bed: Perpetual gloom covers the sea bed, and
same. Another Idea roll might wonder what strange sea with the weed and sediment visibility is perhaps ten
currents have kept it from being buried by sand these feet at best with a light, less than half that without.
thousands of years... Characters must make successful Swim + Spot Hidden
Renee Duchamps and Torsten von Leichhardt are rolls or POW x 3 Luck rolls to locate areas on the map;
working with diving lights to tie tow ropes around the these rolls are Difficult unless the investigator has visited
statue. Their aim is to dislodge the statue and lash it to the Maglemosian temple or seen the layout schematic
the Maiale, then accompany it back to the submarine on in the Research Report (page 21). Investigators within
the surface. the radius of the Sondergruppe diving lights (marked on
Investigators may thwart this effort, but even if they the map) may make an Easy Swim + Spot Hidden roll to
do, this isn’t a long-term solution: Wassermeister even- discern the light. Roll 1D6 to determine which location
tually sends down 4 divers from the u-boat crew with the investigators initially reach.
the second Maiale to find out what’s become of the first.
2. Standing Stones: Crusted with barnacles and draped
with weed, these menhirs stand on the sea floor.

Temple of the Sea Statue

3. Toppled Menhirs: One of these huge stone blocks is
broken; the other is simply toppled.

4. Broken Altar: Half of the altar has been swept away; an

Idea roll reveals it was probably shattered deliberately,
millennia ago.
Seabed
7
50’ 5. Shipwreck: Soaked and ancient timbers, the spine
6 of this ship lies broken on the sea floor shelf. An
Archaeology roll dates it to the 17th century.
3 2
5 4 6. The Maiale: When the Sondergruppe arrives, they leave
1 the manned torpedo about 20 feet south of the Sea
Statue. Their diving lamps are visible to the north.
Seabed
40’ 2 2 7. The Sea Statue: A large stone statue facing north, it
is encrusted with barnacles but noticeably humanoid,
50 feet 2 about 6 feet tall. An Easy Cthulhu Mythos roll identifies
3
it as a deep one, as does an Idea roll if the investigator
has already encountered the race.
dwellers beneath the sea. Not in great numbers—per- Scene One: The Beach
haps five or six in total—but they are watching to see This scene is a headlong dash to the stone circle known
what the humans will do. as Les Sept Pecheurs (“the seven fishermen”) to thwart
Investigators straying outside of the immediate tem- the Fishwitch’s “Searise” ritual. The investigators have
ple vicinity, perhaps planning to abandon the statue fur- two routes open to them: to follow the Fishwitch di-
ther out to sea, should make a Spot Hidden roll. Failure rectly in German-occupied territory, or to head through
means they see nothing in the murk; success indicates the chaos of the Dunkirk bridgehead, and approach the
they suddenly see a hideous, ichythoid face looming stone circle from Allied lines. The latter route is less
enormous-eyed out of the gloom! Unless the investiga- dangerous (well, a little...), but requires the investiga-
tors are carrying the sea statue, the deep ones won’t nec- tors to have found the clues that Les Sept Pecheurs is the
essarily attack, but a SAN roll is required nonetheless. If Fishwitch’s destination (the Keeper can be quite obvi-
they are carrying the statue, the deep ones attack, until ous about this).
the investigators replace the statue back in place or lift Stress the vivid chaos of the “Dunkirk experience”:
it to the surface. the investigators are travelling through one of history’s
great and incredible events. All through the bridgehead,
Episode Five: tens of thousands of Allied troops are streaming down to
Searise the beaches and into the water, trying to embark upon
This episode is the climax of Heroes of the Sea. If the whatever ship or boat they can. If the Sea Statue has
investigators have not managed to thwart the plans of been raised, the weather does not improve after the 1st of
Wassermeister and the Sondergruppe, events now take June; all the same, Stuka dive bombers harry the massed
a catastrophic turn. The Sea Statue has been removed ranks of hapless troops.
from its resting place, and the dwellers beneath the sea The investigators must cover 10-20 miles to Bergues.
react. The sea becomes troubled and, as the Fishwitch They may find or commandeer a vehicle which hasn’t
speeds to a stone circle outside the town of Bergues close yet been wrecked, in which case the journey takes 1 en-
to besieged Dunkirk, only the investigators can save the counter period instead of two. The investigators may also
evacuating Allies from a hideous fate! try to take control of a unit of troops (see page 43), al-
though this slows them down.

Allied-German Front La Panne

2 miles

Bray-Dunes
Dunkirk
l
ana
kirk C Furnes
Dun

Allied-German
Front
Fr ct
Se
e
n or
c
h

l
Furnes Cana

Bergues
.Stone
Les Sept Pecheurs
Circle Hondschoote
 Roll for 1 or 2 encounters on “The Beaches” column
of the Encounter Table (page 11). Let the investigators The Little Ships
know they are on the clock: time is running out! In addition to the 220 warships participating in the
Dunkirk
Investigators travelling along the beaches notice the evacuation, 700 or so shallow draft private vessels
were
strange behaviour of the sea; it has become very choppy, also used. These are the famous “little ships”, some
piloted
and a high tide seems to be coming in. Ships may get by naval pilots, others by their owners and original
crews.
closer to shore, but equally the Allied soldiers are forced As the warships had difficulty approaching the beach
es at
to retreat from deeper water to avoid being submerged. Dunkirk, many of the little ships did “ferry duty”, transp
ort-
There is consternation among the troops. ing small numbers of soldiers from the beaches and
back to
After 1 encounter period, proceed to Scene Two: the larger warships waiting offshore. Between the
27 May
The First Flood. and 4 June, together they rescued over 330,000 troop
s–
over 192,000 British and 139,000 French.
Scene Two: The First Flood In game terms, this means it’s possible the investigato
After the first encounter period, the investigators may rs
may return to England effectively in “their own” boat.
be approaching Bergues (if travelling by vehicle), or See
the “At Sea” column of the Encounters Table on page
may only be half-way there (if on foot). The weather has 11 for
possible events while trying to return from Dunkirk,
taken a turn for the worse; a drenching storm is blow- which
takes 1D3+1 encounter periods.
ing in from the sea, with high winds and torrential rain.
This has cleared the sky of Stukas, but in the bridgehead
things are only getting more chaotic.
The tide is unbelievably high. The sea is advancing Characters in vehicles affected by the waters make
across the beaches and swamping the dunes; beyond, the Drive rolls instead of Swim rolls, and their STR vs STR
drainage channels and canals are filling with storm surge roll indicates whether they are swept from their vehicles.
and breaking their banks, flooding the low-lying terrain. Once the investigators are through the first flood,
they reach the Les Sept Pecheurs stone circle.
“The sea is advancing across the
Scene Three: The Ritual
beaches, swamping the dunes,
If the investigators reach Les Sept Pecheurs in 1 encoun-
flooding the low-lying terrain.” ter period, the Fishwitch has just arrived and the Searise
ritual has not yet begun; otherwise, it is approaching its
At some point, the investigators are at the mercy of climax.
the rising floodwaters. Perhaps this happens as they are The stone circle lies less than a mile outside Bergues.
crossing the front at Bergues, disrupting the fighting long The town itself falls to the Germans on the 1st of June, so
enough for them to break through. the surrounding area may be in Allied hands (prior to the
The investigators face being overcome by the wa- 30th of May), the scene of heavy fighting (31st of May to
ters, and must make Swim rolls to haul themselves to the 2nd of June), or completely in German hands (after
safety. Characters who fail may make a STR resistance the 2nd, when the Allies leave the area). The Fishwitch
roll against a STR of 4D6; on a success they are im- and the Sondergruppe may be in hostile territory!
mobilised, whereas on a failure they take 1D6 dam- The Fishwitch arrives from Nieuport in two [Link].11
age or are knocked down and begin to drown (player’s half-tracks (page 50), carrying the Sea Statue. Her force
choice). Characters who are immobilised in a firefight comprises:
risk being shot.
Each subsequent combat round, the character may • Half-track 1:
remain immobilised (no roll required), or may make »» The Fishwitch (page 5)
another STR roll; this time, a success means they haul »» The surviving members of the Sondergruppe:
themselves to safety. Characters who initially swam free Wladislaw Eisenberg (page 23), Renee Duchamps
may contribute their STR to aid a character’s roll by us- (page 34), Torsten von Leichhardt (page 34).
ing rope, etc, or by wading in; failure means both charac- »» 1 driver, and from 3-6 Traumstaffel (to a total 8
ters are overcome by the waters. occupants).
 roaring is heard from the direction of the sea, like a great
What if the
wave. The flood waters suddenly surge, and from them
Investigators Seize the emerge hideous, malformed creatures, monstrous paro-
Sea Statue? dies of the human form—deep ones!
It should be obvious that this isn’t a good idea. However, This happens all across the Dunkirk bridgehead.
players being players... Visibility is poor in the driving storm, but wherever they
First, the investigators become the focus of the deep appear they seize the hapless soldiers waiting for rescue
ones’ efforts to retrieve the statue (and probably exact a and drag them beneath the waves. The Allies, disunited
hideous revenge). This happens anywhere, even if the and confused by an attack from the sea, mount a chaotic
investigators somehow take the statue back to Section D resistance, but to little avail.
(deep ones in the Thames...?). Such events are beyond the At Les Sept Pecheurs, the investigators see deep ones
scope of this adventure... swarm out of the water. They do not attack the Fishwitch
or her troops; but everyone else, including the investiga-
Another option is for the investigators to return the
tors and their allies, are fair game. Figure on 4 deep ones
Sea Statue to its resting place. This succeeds—although it
as a base, plus up to 6 more depending on the power of
doesn’t stop the deep ones pursuing the investigators all the
the investigators. The Sanity rolls alone should have a
way. However, it may provide a satisfying conclusion to the
significant effect.
scenario.

Typical Deep One

STR 14 DEX 10 INT 13 CON 11
• Half-track 2: SIZ 09 APP 11 POW 12 EDU n/a
»» 1 driver and 7 German infantry. SAN n/a Hit Points: 14

Damage bonus: +1D4

This scene aims to provide a challenge without being
impossible. If the investigators have brought reinforce- Weapons: Claw 25%, damage 1D6+1D4
ments (a commandeered squad of BEF troops, or maybe
Armour: 1-point skin and scales
even Captain Hagen and his men!), then feel free to
beef up the opposition: the presence of a Panzer should Sanity Loss: 0/1D6
focus the investigators’ minds! Allow the investigators
to command any reinforcements to do any “real” fight- Finale
ing, while they deal with the business at hand—stop- “Thus began the great deluge, which fell not from the sky as
ping the Fishwitch! is the wont of the world of light, but rose from the bowels of
the lightless abyss, a great swallowing of the deep, as though
How to Stop the Fishwitch contagion itself licked its lips and feasted on the sins of men.
A sniper bullet removes the Fishwitch from the story And so the city of Egador and its courts of silk and sapphire
and mitigates the denouement (see below). Don’t make were swept away, and the palm-fronded gardens scoured
this easy, though: if the investigators arrive before the clean, so that naught remained. Nay, not even a blade of
ritual, the Fishwitch defends herself (see page 5 for the grass or tangle of vine remained to feast the locusts which the
nasty things she can do); if she’s already conducting the curse of Aciel next brought to the lands of Ur and Azhan...”
ritual, then she has other defenders (see below...).
Investigators may try to seize or destroy the Sea —The Book of Aciel, Canto LXII,
Statue. Destroying it is difficult: it has 20 points of ar- Persepolis Recension
mour and 30 hit points. However, a shell from a tank or a
large quantity of explosives may do the trick. If the Fishwitch is allowed to complete the Searise rit-
ual, the investigators are probably doomed, as the en-
The Crescendo tire Allied force on the Dunkirk beaches is swept away
Once the Searise ritual approaches its conclusion (if the by the rising waters. Perhaps they may escape, but the
investigators arrive after it begins, or allow it to take its knowledge of the catastrophe they have failed to prevent
course), appalling events begin to occur. First, a terrible costs each of them 1D20 SAN. See the Epilogue, below.
 If the Fishwitch is stopped before the ritual is com- There are many possible endings to Heroes of the Sea. If
pleted, the deep ones change their objective. No more the investigators have been successful, FALL NADEL
emerge from the water, and those that have converge (“Operation Needle”) will have been thwarted, and the
on the Sea Statue, dragging it away beneath the waves. Nazi-deep one alliance dreamed of by the Fishwitch and
Several hours later the storm abates, and the sun shines Himmler’s Sorcerer crushed before it could ever begin. If
on a confused and chaotic bridgehead. The evacuation the investigators have failed, the evacuation of Dunkirk
picks up with renewed vigour—there’s no time to lose! could have become a disaster, far fewer troops returning
If the Sea Statue is destroyed, the deep one attack to Britain, and the future for the Allies looking increas-
ceases immediately. Those around Les Sept Pecheurs turn ingly bleak. Likewise, there could be whispers of a for-
on the Fishwitch and seize her, carrying her away scream- bidding new force on the rise in the Third Reich.
ing to a watery fate.
And the storm abates... “If the investigators have failed,
the future for the Allies looks
Ending the Episode
increasingly bleak.”
Above all, aim for a dramatic and satisfying conclusion
to this episode (and the adventure). The investigators
have many options, some combat-heavy, others less so. Sanity Awards
Give any reasonable and exciting strategy a good chance Sanity penalties have been dealt with as appropriate in
of success: while the events of Heroes of the Sea have the the episodes above. Investigator successes are rewarded
potential to cause an outcome very different from the as follows.
“official” history, the investigators should stand a good Choose one of the following:
chance of keeping the Secret War just that—secret!
• The investigators completely thwart FALL
Epilogue NADEL, and the Searise ritual never happens:
“We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we +2D6 SAN.
shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing
confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend • The investigators halt the Searise ritual by destroy-
our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the ing the Sea Statue: +1D6+1 SAN.
beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight
in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we • The investigators stop the Searise ritual: +1D6 SAN.
shall never surrender...”
Then, apply any of the following:
—Prime Minister Winston Churchill, addressing the
House of Commons after the evacuation at Dunkirk, • The Fishwitch is killed, captured, or otherwise
4th of June, 1940. neutralised: +1D3 SAN.
 • Agent WOTAN is freed from the Black House:
+1 SAN. Appendix One:
• Agent WOTAN is released from Maglemosian: Pre-generated
+1 SAN.
Characters
• Agent WOTAN is returned to Section D: +1 SAN. The following pre-generated characters include three
of the original operations group from Three Kings, the
• The investigators enlist the help of Captain Hagen: first adventure in the Zero Point campaign, adjusted for
+1D3 SAN. the intervening months. In addition, a local agent of
Section D from the Dunkirk area has been added.
• The investigators uncover details of FALL NADEL
and Walpurgen’s Sondergruppe, and report them to
Section D: 1-3 SAN.
Gear
A Kind of MAJIC
Back at Section D, the investigators are debriefed and For the Operation: WOTAN mission, each investigator
discuss the implications of FALL NADEL. Unlike is issued with the following items of basic gear in
Operation: Three Kings (adventure 1 of the Zero Point addition to weapons and ammunition:
campaign, also published by Modiphius), which ap- • 2 hand grenades
peared to demonstrate a new strain of weird scientific
• 1 gas tank charge (shaped grenade)
research pursued by the Third Reich, events surround-
ing the Fishwitch are far less easy to explain. For the first • 1 garrotte
time, Section D may have evidence of other, inhuman • 1 dagger
forces, existing in the world’s hidden places, and evil • 1 water bottle
powers without rational explanation. That elements in • 1 gas mask
the Third Reich appear to be trying to contact and har-
• 1 entrenching tool
ness these forces sends shivers of fear through the cor-
• 1 potassium cyanide “L-pill”
ridors of the Allied intelligence services.
At the Keeper’s discretion, the events of Heroes of the • 1 haversack containing:
Sea may precipitate the formation of a secret operational »» 2 packs of 24-hour rations (including tea)
group within the Allied intelligence services, tasked with »» 1 ground sheet
uncovering the hidden forces at work and neutralising
»» 1 enamelled mug
the Nazi efforts. This isn’t some slick, faceless organisa-
tion with vast manpower and unlimited resources: it’s »» 1 mess tin
a formalisation of the efforts of the investigators into a »» 1 collapsible stove
small, thinly-stretched yet passionate team dedicated »» 1 tin of fuel blocks
to saving the world from the nightmarish terrors which »» 1 tin of water purification tablets
seem to threaten it—including keeping its sanity-shatter- The operations group as a whole also carries the
ing truth from public knowledge. Organised and staffed following equipment. Let the investigators decide
by the investigators and their allies, it is to report to the which of them should carry these items.
head of Section D—at least for now. The intelligence
services need re-organising... • 2 compasses
And the name of this group? We suggest the • 1 map set, showing the Dunkirk area (see
“Mysterious Activities Joint Intelligence Committee”. Appendix Four)
MAJIC. • 1 pair binoculars
• Wire cutters
 Special Agent Nathan Chance, “the Professor”
By 1940, the Military Intelligence Division of the US Army Skills: Anthropology 60%, Archaeology 45%, Command
is beginning to realise that it needs a radical shakeup 33%, Credit Rating 25%, Cryptography 53%, Cthulhu
if it’s to meet the challenges of the developing war in Mythos 12%, Dodge 49%, Fast Talk 36%, Geology 15%, Hide
Europe. Since Operation: Three Kings, Nathan Chance has 17%, History 41%, Library Use 75%, Natural History 30%,
continued to work closely with his counterparts in British Occult 55%, Other Language (French) 20%, Other Language
intelligence, and is widely seen as a candidate for heading (German) 30%, Own Language (English) 90%, Persuade
up intelligence efforts should the USA enter the war. 41%, Psychoanalysis 25%, Psychology 60%, Sneak 20%,
Spot Hidden 54%, Strategy 22%
Chance has been shaken by the events of Three Kings,
and has been immersed in occult research since, in a Weapons: Browning M1911 .45 Automatic Pistol 40%,
desperate attempt to provide some kind of defence against damage 1D10+2, atts 1, base range 15 yds, shots 7, hp 8,
the terrifying Nazi efforts. Officially still a lecturer in malf 00
archaeology and anthropology at the Miskatonic University Thompson M1928A1 Submachine gun 32%, damage
in Arkham, he has been on secondment to Section D of 1D10+2, atts 1/b, base range 20 yds, shots 20, hp 8, malf 96
the British Secret Intelligence Service in London—also
Spells: Grey Binding
known as MI6—for over a year, a “hands-on” liaison
between the British and US intelligence efforts. Once Appearance: Chance is a preppy type in his mid-twenties,
again, as Operation WOTAN begins, Chance finds himself slightly unkempt and with a distracted air. Sometimes his
as “group leader” of the Section D operations group. This eyes assume a haunted look. He’s a good listener—even
time, he hopes, the Brits will know that he’s up to the job. when you don’t think he is—and a great reader of people,
although he has a tendency to drift off sometimes, seemingly
STR 08 DEX 13 INT 16 CON 09
at random. He becomes terribly earnest when talking about
SIZ 11 APP 12 POW 15 EDU 18
the dreadful things the Nazis might be up to, but falls silent
SAN 66 Hit Points: 10
when asked how to defeat them.
Damage Bonus: none

Annette de Vries, “the Fi

eld Agent”
Annette de Vries is in her mid-twentie
s, but feels older, Skills: Cryptography 38%, Fast Talk 45%
with a serious and penetrating stare. She , First Aid 70%,
is a Section D Hide 35%, Listen 56%, Locksmith 41%
field agent operating in northern France , Other Language
in the Dunkirk (English) 40%, Other Language (Flem
area, and was one of the contacts for ish) 35%, Other
the missing Agent Language (German) 37%, Own Language
WOTAN, for whom she feels a certain (French) 75%,
responsibility. She Persuade 49%, Sneak 60%
dresses in a trenchcoat and beret, and
is affable but not
startlingly noticeable. She speaks seve Weapons: Browning Mk 1 9mm Auto
ral languages, and matic Pistol 52%,
has gained quite a lot of weapons expe damage 1D10, atts 2, base range 15 yds,
rience in the field; shots 13, hp 8, malf
a serious wound six months ago has left 99
her somewhat
debilitated. She occasionally gets exas Thompson M1928A1 Submachine gun
perated when less 50%, damage
experienced soldiers call her “miss” and 1D10+2, atts 1/b, base range 20 yds, shot
assume her injury s 20, hp 8, malf 96
means she’s less than capable.
Appearance: Dresses in a trenchcoat
STR 08 and beret, affable
DEX 08 INT 13 CON 12 but not startlingly noticeable. She occa
SIZ 10 sionally has painful
APP 13 POW 10 EDU 15 twinges in her hip and right leg which
SAN 50 slow her down—a
Hit Points: 11 souvenir of a recent wound. She tend
s to drink too much
Damage Bonus: none when the pain gets too bad.
 Sgt. Jack “Killer” Killarney
“Killer” Killarney is a 33-year old British Army sergeant P14 Sniper Rifle 70%, damage 2D6+4, atts ½, base range 110
assigned to Special Operations with Section D, and one yds*, shots 5, hp 12, malf 00
half of the soldierly contingent to the mission. Born in Thompson M1928A1 Submachine gun 31%, damage
Londonderry, his enthusiasm for violence stems from his 1D10+2, atts 1/b, base range 20 yds, shots 20, hp 8, malf 96
early life in the 1920s and the Irish civil war; his hand-to-
Fist 75%, damage 1D3**+1D4, atts 1
hand combat skills are second to none. He now uses his
undoubted abilities in what he regards as a greater cause— Grapple 35%, special, atts 1
a cause which he is tight-lipped about since Operation: Head 20%, damage 1D4**+1D4, atts 1
Three Kings last year. He has a newfound respect for Kick 40%, damage 1D6**+1D4, atts 1
Chance’s command of the operations group, but never
hesitates to speak up when he thinks he knows best. He Knife 25%, damage 1D4**+2+1D4, atts 1
and Ferret Farnsworth still think of themselves as the only Appearance: Jack is a big lad—over six feet tall and power-
“proper” soldiers in the group, and are as thick as thieves. fully built—although he can move surprisingly quickly when
STR 17 DEX 12 INT 09 CON 16 he needs to. He has a shock of blond hair with a streak of
SIZ 13 APP 13 POW 10 EDU 07 grey visible in certain light, and is usually clean-shaven. Some
SAN 50 Hit Points: 15 people have compared him to a leopard or a panther—he
always seems about to pounce.
Damage Bonus: +1D4
*3X Sight doubles base range to 220 yds, quadrupled to 440
Skills: Dodge 50%, Hide 17%, Listen 31%, Martial Arts yds if using precision aim
59%, Sneak 27%, Spot Hidden 33%, Throw 26%
**Martial Arts 59% doubles base damage
Weapons: Browning Mk 1 9mm Automatic Pistol 65%,
damage 1D10, atts 2, base range 15 yds, shots 13, hp 8,
malf 99

Corporal Ron “Ferret” Farnsworth

Every army unit needs someone who can whistle up
(English) 40%, Scrounge 40%, Sneak 29%, Spot Hidden 61%,
essential supplies out of thin air—and Ferret Farnsworth
Scrounge 40%
is that someone. He’s a wiry-looking cockney who’s much
tougher than he looks, very light-fingered, and with a Weapons: .455 Webley Mk VI Service Revolver 33%,
joking cockiness that sometimes lapses into a brooding damage 1D10+2, atts 1, base range 15 yds, shots 6, hp 10,
grimace. He’s never happier than when “appropriating” malf 00
enemy equipment, and although he’s no hero, he can Thompson M1928A1 Submachine gun 56%, damage
take outrageous risks when violence threatens. He can fix 1D10+2, atts 1/b, base range 20 yds, shots 20, hp 8, malf 96
almost anything—and if he can’t, he can usually steal (or Knife 25%, damage 1D4+2, atts 1
even make!) a replacement.
Appearance: Ferret is as ferret does—Ron is always check-
STR 12 DEX 12 INT 13 CON 17 ing out his surroundings, picking things up, “accidentally”
SIZ 09 APP 13 POW 16 EDU 08 pocketing things he thinks might come in useful later. If he
SAN 72 Hit Points: 13 has a shortcoming, it’s an alarming propensity to “clank”
Damage Bonus: none at inappropriate moments—his pockets invariably fill up
Skills: Climb 49%, Cthulhu Mythos 5%, Dodge 31%, with all manner of bric-a-brac and components. He’s quite
Drive Automobile 60%, Electrical Repair 50%, First Aid handsome, in a weasely kind of way, although he tends to
35%, Hide 24%, Jury Rig 56%, Listen 32%, Mechanical clam up when put on the spot or embarrassed—he definitely
Repair 70%, Operate Heavy Machine 20%, Own Language does not have the gift of the gab, although that doesn’t stop
him trying.
Appendix Two: The skill may also be used to take command of unat-
tached units encountered in the field, or those whose

New Rules commanding officer is outranked by the character.

This section contains additions to the Call of Cthulhu Cryptography (01%)

rules suitable for investigative adventures in the theatre Deals with the creating, deciphering, and cracking of
of World War Two. codes. A successful roll allows the character to encode
or decode a message whose cipher is already known. It
New Skills doesn’t allow you to crack military codes—efforts of that
The following new skills are provided for military ac- magnitude require teams of specialists working hundreds
tions in Achtung! Cthulhu. Several are derived from and thousands of hours—but the Keeper may allow you
skills in the Basic Roleplaying RPG by Chaosium, Inc. to get some idea of the content of poor quality codes or
At the Keeper’s discretion, existing military characters simple ciphers. A failed roll results in an unintelligible
may be permitted to already have scores in these skills. result; a fumble results in a misleading and possibly dan-
gerously garbled message being created.
Artillery (01%)
Allows the character to use field guns, anti-tank guns, Demolitions (01%)
tank cannon, howitzers, shore batteries, etc. Many such Under normal circumstances explosives should continue
weapons require a crew to operate; attempting to do so to use the Electrical Repair skill, as indicated in the Call
single-handed is a Difficult action (halved skill score), of Cthulhu rules. This skill refers specifically to military
and may be impossible at the Keeper’s discretion. or professional training in the storage, transport, and use
of explosives such as dynamite, TNT, Bangalore torpe-
Command (05%) does, etc, in the field to achieve specific tasks (destroy-
Allows a character to lead troops in complex tasks, in- ing bridges, fortifications, immobilising tanks, etc).
cluding combat. A number of troops equal to the char- Most regular uses of this skill should succeed auto-
acter’s POW are affected, with a -5% penalty for each matically if the character has a skill of 60% or higher.
additional group of the same size. Demolishing massive structures (bridges, dams, build-
For example: a character with POW 10 and Command ings, etc) are Difficult unless the character has access to
50% can command up to 10 troops at a skill level of 50%; plans or blueprints.
11-20 troops at 45%; 21-30 troops at 40%; and so on.
A successful skill use allows the unit affected to use Fumble: The explosive goes off while the character
is setting it, or too early in the case of a timed
artillery, heavy weapons, explosives, rifles, strategy, hand-
explosion.
to-hand combat, and so on, as directed by the character.
Special successes may provide bonuses, as follows: Failure: The charge fails to detonate, or does far too
little (or too much) damage.
Fumble: unit tasks become Difficult until the
character makes a subsequent Command roll, or for Success: The charge does normal damage; on a
1D6+1 combat rounds. Luck roll, any desired feasible special effect (blow-
ing a bridge, etc) is also achieved.
Failure: units tasks incur a -5% penalty per unit
member for 1D4 combat rounds. Special: The charge does special damage, and any
desired feasible special effect is achieved.
Success: the unit acts coherently as directed by the
character. Critical: The charge causes the desired effect, and
ignores any target armour.
Special: unit tasks receive a bonus equal to the
character’s POW for 1D4 combat rounds.
Heavy Weapons (01%)
Critical: unit tasks become Easy (double the skill Allows a character to use bazookas, flame throwers, gre-
score) for 1D4 combat rounds. nade launchers, heavy machine guns, mortars, and so on.
Jury Rig (25%) Special: The character gains valuable strategic
Things break down during war, and you can never find insight, providing a +10% bonus to target unit
the piece of gear you want. The ability to cobble some- combat tasks for 1D4 combat rounds.
thing together to do the job out of bits and pieces is
therefore priceless. A successful Jury Rig roll allows you Critical: The character makes brilliant strategic and
to create a relatively uncomplicated item out of avail- tactical decisions, providing a +25% bonus to target
able materials, or use such materials to repair another unit combat tasks for 1D4 rounds.
item: this could be a rickety bridge, a rudimentary for- This skill is also used when resolving unit combat at the
tification, or even a booby-trap or decoy. Together with skirmish level—see page 46.
Electrical Repair and Mechanical Repair, and the pres-
ence of appropriate components, tools, and maybe a New Spells
workshop, sometimes quite sophisticated items of equip-
ment can be jury-rigged. Want to retrofit that captured Bind Dreamer
Volkswagen with armour plates and a machine gun? This spell prevents a dreamer from waking up in the
This is how! Waking World. The cost to cast the spell is 10 magic
points and 3 Sanity points. The caster must locate the
Scrounge (10%) dreamer first, either by dreaming himself or by using
Useful in inhabited areas, a successful roll allows the the Snare Dreamer or Send Dreaming spells. The caster
user to “rustle up” food, perhaps some fuel, maybe even must defeat the target in a POW vs POW resistance roll.
some useful tools, by stealing, bartering, or otherwise
“appropriating” items found. This isn’t a skill for “living
“If the target is imprisoned in the
off the land” in the great outdoors—it relies on having
Dreamlands, his body will eventually
at least some degree of civilisation to scrounge off. Only
items which might conceivably be available in the im- die, trapping him forever in the
mediate area can be scrounged. You’re just not going to lands of dream.”
find a wedding dress on the Normandy beaches, no mat-
ter how much you need it (but Stalingrad – now there’s While the target is affected by the spell, his body
a possibility!). loses 2 CON per day in the Waking World. The dreamer
can leave by finding one of the physical exits from the
Strategy (01%) Dreamlands, but otherwise cannot wake up. If they are
Allows a character to understand the flow of battle and imprisoned in the Dreamlands, their bodies will eventu-
guide and deploy forces accordingly. When used at small ally die, trapping them forever in the lands of dream.
unit level (up to a number of troops equal to the charac-
ter’s POW x 2), the skill requires 5 minutes to use, and Maglemosian Ritual
provides the following bonuses or penalties to combat- This ancient spell is a variation on the Contact Deep
related abilities. Bonuses and penalties stack with those One spell. It requires an enchanted statue of Dagon to
provided by use of the Command skill. work, and must be cast within a few miles of a large body
Fumble: The character’s abysmal strategic appraisal of salt water. When cast, the spell causes the sea to in-
gives target unit combat tasks a -25% penalty for vade the land, submerging the ancient statue of Dagon.
1D4 combat rounds. At the same time, great numbers of deep ones arrive with
the waters, taking any land-dwelling beings submerged
Failure: The character’s poor understanding gives as sacrifices to their deity; the caster of the spell must
target unit combat tasks a -10% penalty for 1D4 make a POW x 5 Willpower roll, or be carried away “in
combat rounds. glory” to dwell with the deep ones beneath the sea. If he
succeeds, he is “marked” by the deep ones in some way
Success: The character’s strategic assessment is
(bulging eyes, clammy skin, webbed fingers and toes,
adequate, and unit combat tasks are performed
etc), and may call upon them in the future for a single,
coherently in accordance with his strategic goals.
specific task, including the slaying of beings no greater in
number than the sacrifices dedicated by this spell. The
waters subside in 2D6 hours; when they do so, all traces Sneak, Hide, or rolls to bluff or disguise made by the in-
of the sacrifices and the statue of Dagon are gone. The vestigators are treated as Difficult (ie halved).
spell requires a 1-hour ritual, 1D10 Sanity points, and all Fortunately for the investigators, it’s impossible to be
but 1 of the caster’s total magic points to cast. on alert forever; after the period is over, forces return
to their normal state of alertness—until the investigators
Shellshock and again take an action to cause another alert.
Battle Fatigue
Being in a modern-day battle is an experience like no Vehicles
other; the terrifying explosions, the mind-shattering The Call of Cthulhu rules provide simple rules for deal-
noise of screams, gunfire, the whistle of shells, the clank ing with combat between vehicles, or between vehicles
and roar of tanks, all punctuated by the shriek of Stukas; and humans. In Achtung! Cthulhu there are frequent
the sight of people, friend and foe alike, being blown opportunities to lob a grenade at a half-track, or leap in-
apart; the need to kill or be killed; and the ever-present side a Matilda tank and fire a bunch of shells at a Panzer.
knowledge that, despite your best efforts, random death Here are some additional ideas for running combat in-
can seek you out in an instant, all have a terrible effect volving vehicles in your game.
on a soldier’s state of mind. One can become inured to
battle by sufficient exposure (use the “Getting Used to Point-Blank Range
Awfulness” rules on Call of Cthulhu page 78), if your For combat between vehicles, consider point-blank
mind doesn’t crack first, but before that happens the ex- range to be 1/10th of effective range. At point-blank
perience of battle is a constant assault on a soldier’s sanity. range, chances to hit are doubled.
The following battle events require SAN rolls:
Attacking People in Vehicles
Event SAN Loss The Call of Cthulhu rules provide guidelines for attack-
Being shot at 0/1 ing people inside vehicles (see Call of Cthulhu page
Seeing a friend wounded 0/1 284-5). Additionally, characters inside vehicles are
Being wounded 0/1D2 considered to be protected by that vehicle’s personnel
Surprised to find corpse 0/1D3 armour (note that this is sometimes different from the
vehicle’s own armour); Keepers may allow Spot Hidden
Surprised to find body part 0/1D3
rolls to target occupants if there’s a chance of doing so.
Being involved in a firefight 0/1D3
In some cases, this may make a vehicle’s occupants vir-
Being involved in a battle 0/1D4 tually immune to small weapons’ attacks—in which case
Witnessing horrible deaths 0/1D4 it’s time to break open the explosives!
Being attacked by a tank 0/1D4
Finding a mangled human corpse 0/1D4+1 U-Boat Actions
Being attacked by a Stuka 0/1D6 There are three scenarios for combat involving u-
Going through an artillery or mortar barrage 0/1D6 boats. First, a u-boat attacking a surface vessel while
surfaced; second, two u-boats attacking one another;
Witnessing a friend’s violent death 0/1D6
and third, a u-boat attacking a surface vessel while
submerged.
Guards and Alertness The first and second cases are straightforward exam-
Creeping up on guards and sneaking past patrols are key ples of vehicle combat. Surface vessels such as Motor
elements of wartime adventures. Investigators who are Torpedo Boats (page 50) are equipped with torpedoes in
careful or stealthy enough may achieve their objectives addition to deck guns, which can be used against u-boats
without alerting guards to their presence; those who on the surface.
take too many risks, or who open fire, may find the en- U-boats attacking at night usually surface before at-
emy rising up in arms against them. tacking, denying Allied ships the chance to detect them
In the latter case, all forces opposing the investigators using ASDIC (the predecessor of sonar). Against small
will be on alert for the next 2D6 hours, during which vessels, a u-boat might launch a single torpedo; larger
time all encounters will be at full complement, and all ships will merit progressively more intense attacks.
 The magnetic detectors in the G7a torpedoes used by at night, using camouflage, etc), and by Command and
German u-boats and Schnellbooten in 1940 have a design Strategy skill rolls (see page 43). Only one Command
flaw which means they have a 30% chance of detonating and one Strategy skill roll may be made, but not neces-
before they reach the target. Otherwise, the torpedo has sarily by the same person. Success on the Luck or Sneak
its usual attack chance. British Mark VIII torpedoes do roll means the investigator managed to make it through
not suffer from this flaw. the battle to their goal; failure means the character was
All torpedoes leave a long wake of bubbles which can injured, taking 1D6 damage, and must roll again. On a
be spotted during the day on a Spot Hidden roll. If spot- fumble, the investigator becomes involved in an active
ted, the pilot of the target vessel may make a Pilot roll to firefight: see below.
avoid the attack.
Surviving a Firefight
Submerged U-Boats It’s possible the opposition in the firefight has already
A surface vessel attacked by a submerged u-boat can been determined by a fixed encounter or by a roll on
only attack back if it is equipped with depth charges. the Dunkirk Encounter Table (page 11). If not, roll as
This has a standard attack chance, and the u-boat may follows:
make a Pilot roll to avoid the attack. If the depth charge
01-20: Half-track (page 13)
attack was targeted by ASDIC or detection of the tor-
21-30: German CP (page 12)
pedo wake, the Pilot roll is Difficult.
31-80: German Infantry Unit (page 12)
81-00: Tanks (page 14)
Damage to Personnel
On small vessels, assume that damage to vessels also An investigator caught in a firefight must survive one
affects crew; Keepers may allow investigators to make or more rounds of combat; other investigators may stay
Dodge rolls to avoid injury. On larger vessels, characters behind to help him. Each round, an investigator may
may also make Luck rolls to avoid the area struck. take cover, or attempt to flee.
A character taking cover must make a Hide roll,
Skirmishes and modified by a CO’s Command or Strategy roll (or both);
Combat Encounters if successful, the investigator is presumed to have 20
In many Call of Cthulhu games, investigators take steps points of armour as long as he doesn’t move; failure re-
to actively avoid violent encounters with Mythos enti- duces this to 1D10.
ties because of their lethal nature. In Achtung! Cthulhu, A fleeing character must make a DEX x 3 roll to suc-
the same may also be said of military combat encounters; cessfully leave the battlefield, and may Dodge the first
the battlefields of World War Two are lethal environ- of any attacks; or a DEX x 5 roll if he forfeits his Dodge.
ments, and pose additional hazards to investigations. If the opposition is sufficiently weak (in numbers,
firepower, etc), the investigators may remain in combat
until the opposition is destroyed; otherwise, they must
“The battlefields of World War successfully leave the battlefield to continue.
Two are lethal environments,
and pose additional hazards to Running Skirmishes at Unit Level
investigators.” Sometimes, players and Keepers may want to deter-
mine the outcome of a unit-level engagement randomly.
Perhaps the investigators have used their Command
Avoiding Combat skill to take command of a significantly sized unit
It’s assumed that investigators are not actively seeking (squad, platoon, or even company); or perhaps their
combat; their mission objectives are not principally mil- next actions depend on knowing precisely how a given
itary, and avoiding firefights is desirable. engagement works out.
Investigators trying to get through an active battle- Achtung! Cthulhu is not intended as a military mass
field may make POW x 5 Luck rolls or Sneak rolls, which- combat simulation game, but the following abstract rules
ever is higher. These rolls may be modified by circum- mechanic can be used to resolve such conflicts.
stantial modifiers at the Keeper’s discretion (travelling
• Each unit is treated as a high-level “character”, and • Each unit combat round, each unit may attack once.
has a Troop Quality skill. Example Troop Quality
skill levels are as follows: • Results of the Troop Quality attack roll are:

Fumble: The unit has made a catastrophic tactical

D100 Roll: Troop Troop
D100 Roll: blunder. No damage is sustained, but the opposing
German Quality Quality Skill
BEF Troops unit has been allowed to achieve its strategic goal
Troops Title Score
(pushing through a defensive line, etc).
01-30 01-25 Green 20%
31-80 26-70 Regular 40% Failure: The unit fails in its attack. There are no
81-95 71-90 Veteran 60% other consequences.

96-00 91-00 Elite 80% Success: The unit inflicts substantial damage on
the target unit. Reduce the target’s Troop Quality
• Each unit has a size, as follows: and numbers by 20%.
»» Squad (Gruppe): 10-12 soldiers, or 1-2 tanks.
Critical: The unit inflicts devastating damage on
»» Platoon (Zug): 30-40 soldiers, or 5 tanks.
the opposition: reduce the target’s Troop Quality
»» Company (Kompanie): 100-140 soldiers, or 12-15
and numbers by 40%. Additionally, the attacking
tanks.
unit achieves its strategic goal (pushing through a
defensive line, etc).
• A unit can fight another unit of the same size by roll-
ing its Troop Quality. The highest Troop Quality acts Units with reduced Troop Qualities are common on the
first, and Strategy and Command bonuses from the side of the Allies; characters with sufficient rank to com-
unit leaders can be applied. Each exchange represents mand the resulting unit may make Command rolls to
a unit combat round of approximately 15 minutes. join units together. This increases the unit size and aver-
ages the Troop Quality.
• If a unit is outnumbered (ie facing a larger unit or For example: a character of rank Captain (capable of
multiple units of the same size), the roll is Difficult; if commanding a company) makes a Command roll to join
the unit outnumbers the opposition, the roll is Easy. two damaged platoons together. The first platoon has been
reduced to 24 men at a Troop Quality of 20%; the second
to 18 men at 40%. The result is a platoon of 42 men with a
Troop Quality of 30%. Appendix Three:
Army Intelligence Vehicles
Occupations Vehicles are a key feature of Achtung! Cthulhu adven-
In 1940 the British Secret Intelligence Service (also tures. This section provides statistics for the principle
known as MI6) is still considerably more advanced vehicles which may be encountered in the Battle of
than the US Army’s Military Intelligence Division. Dunkirk.
Nevertheless, both use military specialists from the
armed services as well as qualified civilians for their German Tanks
work. In Achtung! Cthulhu we’ve defined two intel- The German armies fielded some 2574 tanks in the in-
ligence service occupations: one for research-oriented vasion of France. Although only a part of these partici-
agents, usually based “back at headquarters” and rarely pate in the Dunkirk campaign, they are nevertheless a
seeing action; and another for field agents, used to op- significant part of the action.
erating in highly dangerous conditions behind enemy All German tanks are equipped with radios during
lines. Their occupation skills are as follows: the Western campaign, unlike Allied tanks, which were
INTELLIGENCE OFFICER (RESEARCH)— only equipped later. This fact goes a long way to explain-
Anthropology, Cryptography, History, Library Use, ing the German success against superior numbers and of-
Psychology, Spot Hidden, plus one personal specialisa- fensive power of the opposition.
tion such as Art, Archaeology, Law, Occult, Photography, To randomly determine which type of tank is encoun-
Psychoanalysis, Strategy, etc. tered, roll on the following table:
INTELLIGENCE OFFICER (FIELD AGENT)—
Cryptography, Fast Talk, Listen, Locksmith, Navigate, D100 Tank Encountered
Persuade, Spot Hidden, plus one personal specialisa- 01-20 Panzer Mark I
tion such as Command, Conceal, Demolitions, Disguise, 21-60 Panzer Mark II
Hide, Library Use, Martial Arts, Photography, Sneak, 61-85 Panzer Mark III
Strategy, Track 86-00 Other (Panzer Mark IV, Czech Panzer
35(t), Czech Panzer 38(t)), or roll again

Image: Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-382-0248-33A / Böcker / CC-BY-SA.

Used under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Germany.
[Link]

German Panzer II and Panzer I Tanks on the move

Panzer Mark I Light Tank ish Matilda IIs and more advanced French tanks, who
Originally designed for training purposes, the Panzer dub it the “door knocker”, but easily effective enough
Mark I light tank is limited in combat by its lack of anti- against the majority, older Allied light tanks in the field
tank weaponry and relatively thin armour. Nevertheless, at Dunkirk. It has a top speed of 25mph on road and
in 1940 it comprises a large part of the German army’s 12mph off-road.
tanks and is widely used in all its campaigns. It’s capable
of speeds of up to 30mph on roads, and about 23 mph [Link]. 3 (Panzerkampfwagen 3)
off-road. Panzer Mark III
Max Speed: 2 Hit Points: 140
[Link]. 1 (Panzerkampfwagen 1) Accel / Decel: 2X Handling: -10
Panzer Mark I Vehicle (Personnel) Armour: 25 (25)
Max Speed: 3 Hit Points: 40 SIZ: 86 (+35% to hit)
Accel / Decel: 2X Handling: -10 Range: 96 miles Power: 296hp
Vehicle (Personnel) Armour: 10 (10) Driver & Passengers: 1+4 (commander, gunner,
SIZ: 60 (+15% to hit) driver, loader, radio/bow machine gunner)
Range: 109-120 miles Power: 59hp
Armaments: 3.7cm KwK36 cannon 50%, damage 5D6 /
Driver & Passengers: 1+1 (commander, driver)
2y, atts 1/burst of 3, base range 300 yds, shots 99, hp 45,
Armaments: 2 x 7.92mm MG13 Machine guns 50%, malf 99
damage 2D6+4, atts burst, base range 200 yds, shots
3 x 7.92mm MG34 Machine gun 50% damage 2D6+4,
1000, hp 18, malf 00
atts burst, base range 200 yds, shots 1000, hp 18, malf
00*
Panzer Mark II Light Tank
* 2 of the MG34s are slaved together alongside the KwK36
Designed as a stopgap successor to the Mark I while
cannon—use the same dice roll for both weapons; the 3rd
more advanced tanks were being designed, the Panzer
machine gun sits in the bows and fires separately.
Mark II light tank nevertheless saw a great deal of ac-
tion in the early part of the war. It has a top speed of 25
mph—slower than the Mark I, but more than made up British Tanks
for by its heavier weaponry and increased armour. The British Expeditionary Force had relatively few
tanks in the Western campaign, but as most of them are
[Link]. 2 (Panzerkampfwagen 2) concentrated in the Dunkirk area, there is a relatively
Panzer Mark II high chance of encountering them.
Max Speed: 2 Hit Points: 60 Out of the 160 or so BEF tanks, some 140 are A11
Accel / Decel: 2X Handling: -10 Matildas; there are also a small number of A12 Matilda IIs.
Vehicle (Personnel) Armour: 15 (15)
SIZ: 76 (+25% to hit) A11 “Matilda” Infantry Tank
Range: 120 miles Power: 138hp The Matilda A11 infantry tank is limited by its lack
Driver & Passengers: 1+2 (commander/gunner, driver, of anti-tank weaponry. However, it is very effectively
loader) armoured, and performs well in infantry support. Very
slow, the Matilda has a maximum speed of 8mph on the
Armaments: 2cm KwK30 autocannon 35%, damage
road, and only 6mph off-road.
3D6+6, atts burst, base range 500 yds, shots 300, hp 40,
malf 99
British A11 “Matilda” Infantry Tank
7.92mm MG34 Machine gun 50% damage 2D6+4, atts Max Speed: 2 Hit Points: 70
burst, base range 200 yds, shots 1000, hp 18, malf 00 Accel / Decel: 2X Handling: -15
Vehicle (Personnel) Armour: 25; running gear 6
Panzer Mark III Medium Tank points only
The first of the German medium tanks, the Mark III’s SIZ: 78 (+25% to hit)
gun is nevertheless ineffective against the newer Brit- Range: 80 miles Power: 70hp
 Driver & Passengers: 1+1 (commander/gunner + driver) among the closely packed Allied troops on the ground.
See “Shellshock and Battle Fatigue” on page 45 for the
Armaments: .303 Vickers Machine gun 50% damage
psychological effects of Stuka attacks (and the famous
2D6+3, atts burst, base range 150 yds, shots 1000, hp
“Jericho Trumpet” siren).
12, malf 98

Junkers Ju87 Sturzkampfflugzeug

“The Stuka is the archetypal German “Stuka” Dive Bomber
dive bomber, spreading terror among the Max Speed: 17 Hit Points: 55
closely packed Allied ground troops.” Accel / Decel: 1X Handling: -20
Vehicle (Personnel) Armour: 4 (2)
SIZ: 58 (+15% to hit)
French Tanks Range: 311 miles Power: 1184hp
Driver & Passengers: 1+1 (pilot, rear gunner)
While the French fielded some 4000 tanks in the in-
vasion of France, few were directly in the field in the Armaments: 2 x 7.92mm MG17 Forward machine gun
area of the Dunkirk evacuation featuring in this sce- 35%, damage 4D6+4, atts burst, base range 200, shots
nario. The most frequently encountered types were, in 1000, hp18, malf 00
descending order: the World War 1 relic FT17; the Char 1 x 7.92mm MG15 Rear machine gun 50%, damage
B1; and the Somua S-35. 2D6, atts burst, shots 1000, hp18, malf 00

Half-tracks 1 x 250kg bomb 75%, damage 40D6 / 2y

German half-tracks have been improving since the start 2 x 50kg bomb 75%, damage 20D6 / 2y
of the war, but properly armoured personnel carriers are
still uncommon. The [Link].11 half-track is an open-
topped troop carrier and gun tractor capable of towing Watercraft
an anti-aircraft gun or field howitzer as well as carrying
eight troops. “Maiale” Manned Torpedo
The [Link].11 is unarmed, although it tows a field Formally known as the “Siluro a Lenta Corsa” or SLC
howitzer which can be brought to bear in 1D3+3 combat (Low Speed Torpedo), Italian divers have nicknamed
rounds. A crew of 5 is required to operate the howitzer at this the “pig”. It’s exactly what it sounds like—its long
full efficiency (see the Artillery skill on page 43). chassis can seat 2 people in diving gear (although it’s
possible for other divers to hold on and be towed). It
[Link].11 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 11) doesn’t have any weapons.
Half-track Currently the Italians are the only force to field “frog-
Max Speed: 3 Hit Points: 55 men” divers and manned torpedoes. The gear used by the
Accel / Decel: 2X Handling: 0 Sondergruppe has been obtained from them.
Vehicle (Personnel) Armour: 5 (1D10)
SIZ: 60 (+15% to hit) “Maiale” Manned Torpedo
Range: 87-150 miles Power: 100hp Max Speed: 2 Hit Points: 20
Driver & Passengers: 2+6 Accel / Decel: 1X Handling: -20
Vehicle (Personnel) Armour: 10 (0)
Armaments: 10.5cm leFH18 Field howitzer 50%, damage SIZ: 30
12D6 / 2y, atts 1/2, base range 500 yds, minimum range Range: 15 miles Power: 2hp electric
n/a, shots 18, hp 40, malf 99 Driver & Passengers: 1+1 (pilot, rear gunner)

Armaments: none
Aircraft
Motor Torpedo Boat
“Stuka” Dive Bomber This is a generic vessel, called MTB (“Motor Torpedo
The archetypal German dive bomber sees a great deal Boat”) by the British and Schnellboot (lit. “fast boat”) by
of action in the Dunkirk campaign, spreading terror the Germans (the British call the German version an
 “e-boat”). It has a wooden hull for avoiding magnetic U-boat Type IIa Submarine
mines, and is armed with 4 torpedoes, fired from a single “Einbaum”
bow hatch tube. The type II u-boat, nicknamed the “Einbaum” or “dug-
out canoe” for its cramped size, is designed principally as
Motor Torpedo Boat a coastal submarine, with limited range and armament
(MTB / Schnellboot) and a relatively small tonnage. The U-3a has been mod-
Max Speed: 10 Hit Points: 120 ified for use by the Sondergruppe KFW2, with twin deck
Accel / Decel: 3X Handling: +20 cylinders housing two Maiale manned torpedoes. The
Vehicle (Personnel) Armour: 10 (0) boat itself has 3 torpedo tubes, and carries 5 torpedoes.
SIZ: 110 (+40 to hit)
Range: 700 miles Power: 1100hp Unterseeboot (U-boat) Type IIa
Driver & Passengers: 1+16 “Einbaum”
Max Speed: 8 Hit Points: 260
Armaments: 2 x torpedoes* 40%, damage 20D6 / 2y,
Accel / Decel: 2X Handling: n/a
base range 5000, atts 1/2, hp36, malf 99-00
Vehicle (Personnel) Armour: 16 (16)
1 x C30 20mm cannon 50%, damage 4D6 / 2y, atts 1/ SIZ: 186
burst of 3, base range 250 yds, shots 20, hp 35, malf 99 Range: 1300 miles surfaced; 30 miles submerged
Power: 700hp surfaced; 360hp submerged
*Schnellboots use the G7a torpedo—see page 46 for its
Driver & Passengers: 22-24
flaw.
Armaments: 3 x G7a (T1) torpedoes* 40%, damage
20D6 / 2y, base range 5000, atts 1/2, hp36, malf 99-00

e' v e go t t o ge t so me defence 1 x C30 20mm cannon 50%, damage 4D6 / 2y, atts 1/
W u-boats!
burst of 3, base range 250 yds, shots 20, hp 35, malf 99

aga in st t h es e da m n *See page 46 for the G7a torpedo’s flaw.

 AY
R W R .) N
I C

N
L A N T E
DE ESTONIA Europe in

(G O
( U SS R )

E
A T C E A N
O May 1940

SE
NORTH LATVIA

SW
SEA
(USSR)

C
UNITED

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T
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KINGDOM DENMARK A U
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Dunkirk ( LG A N Y ERAL
GE IU M GEN V.
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(GER.)A VA K I A
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BAY O (G
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Appendix Four: Operational Briefing

O (I CANES
E CY
NO

.A T .)
CC ) N BA
FR.)

(FR.
MO R O MALTA (U.K.) E A LE
E

.) R. N
N

F S E A
(FR (
)
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PALESTIN
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TUNISIA
TR A N

L I B
AL Y A ( I T . E P T
G Y
 HEADQUARTERS SECTION D
OPERATION “WOTAN”

Commanding Officer’s Briefing

0915 Hours, 26 May 1940

/1940/BEF16.D

Section-7 Report:

Since the 10th of May the overwhel

ming attack by German armed forces
placed the B.E.F. (“British Expediti has
onary Force”) and our French and
allies in a dangerously precarious Belg ian
situation. Faced with the possibil
of total loss of B.E.F. forces, the ity
Admiralty has today announced OPER
DYNAMO, the complete evacuation of ATION
the B.E.F. and whatever Allied forc
accommodated by sea to south-east es can be
England.

Furious fighting is raging in Nort

hern France and Belgium, and the
and Allied forces are retreating B.E.F.
to the French port of DUNKIRK (“DU
The aim is to evacuate more than 300, NKER QUE”).
000 armed forces personnel before
entire region falls to the Germans, the
a result which we believe is now only
matter of time. a

DUNKIRK itself has been heavily bomb

ed. Evacuations are to be made by
ship from the 17 1/2 mile stretch
of beaches between DUNKIRK and the
NIEUPORT. A bridgehead has been esta town of
blished, some 5 miles deep, between
two towns, for the regrouping of the
B.E.F. and Allied forces. A shrinkin
exists to the south of the bridgehe g pocket
ad, funnelling retreating B.E.F.
forces. Beset on all sides by over and Allied
whelming German forces, British and
forces are suffering heavy losses Allied
in order to make time for our troo
withdraw. ps to

The DUNKIRK area comprises low-lyin

g coastal plains, comprising sand
dunes giving way to agricultural
lands criss-crossed by drainage cana
terrain is not considered favourab ls. The
le to armour, and roads are raised
surrounding plains and flanked by above the
drainage ditches, making traffic
easily visible. usin g them

Section VIII Report:

Belgian forces are crumbling and

the surrender of King Leopold is
imminently. Communications on the expected
ground are difficult, and it is uncl
ear

- 1 -
if the French command under General BLANCHARD appreciate the full nature of
OPERATION DYNAMO.

Due to the speed of the German advance, there are limited Resistance or
intelligence assets on the ground. The presence of tens of thousands of B.E.F.
troops with inadequate communication and a rapidly changing situation is
expected to provide a chaotic environment.

Section D Analysis:

Section D agent Agatha MARCHAM (codename: WOTAN) has made a recent

transmission from what is now German territory in the combat zone. She has
reported the existence of a secret operation named FALL NADEL (“Operation
Needle”) by a German S.S. SONDERGRUPPE (“Special Group of the S.S.”) under the
aegis of Heinrich HIMMLER, designed to thwart OPERATION DYNAMO. WOTAN is tasked
with gathering information relating to activities pursuant to OPERATION THREE
KINGS in the area of Castle Karlstein last year: it is unknown precisely what
FALL NADEL refers to or what other information WOTAN has received. WOTAN was
attempting to return to the B.E.F. occupation zone but has been stranded behind
enemy lines by the speed of the German advance. Her last known position (radio
transmission) was the village of MESEGEN. Recent attempts to retake MESEGEN
have failed.

London station considers WOTAN’s information to be highly sensitive and

critical to the success of OPERATION DYNAMO. Authorisation is given to take
command of an appropriate unit of 3rd Grenadier Guards and penetrate enemy
lines to make contact with WOTAN and discover the goals and nature of OPERATION
NEEDLE.

no w th e SS ar e di re ct ly involved?
So
up to!
Find out what Himmler is

C.
- 2 -
 Dunkirk Bridgehead Ostend

5 miles
H ES
AC Nieuport
BE
La Panne R.
GHQ

Ys
S

er
Dunkirk C HE Bray-Dunes Furnes
B EA
DUNKIRK
BRIDGEHEAD
Fr cto
Se

Dixmude
en

h
c

Bergues
Rexpoede Noordschote
Soex R. Yser
Quaedypre West Cappel
Wylder Lizerne
Bambecque
Wormhoudt

Ledringhem r
Poperinghe Ypres ee
Ypre

ek
rt
R. Ko
s
Ca

na
Cassel l Mesegen

Caestre Comines

Warneton
Strazeele
Hazebrouck Deu
le
Ca
na
l
` s
Armentiere
Merville
Aire
Ca
na R. Lys
l Lille
 Handout #1
Handout #3

“As Reid has postulated, the vast quantities of —my source tells me the Nazis have a new submarine
water bound in the ice caps during the last glaciation super weapon, possibly involving detonations on the sea
led to lower sea levels all around the world. In northern f loor... A special SS group under the direct control of
Europe, habitable land extended much further out to sea
than it does today, and included the so-called ‘Dogger
WALP URGEN is transporting it to Nieuport for
Bank’ alluvial plain or land bridge...” something called FALL NADEL, or Operation NEEDLE.
I have detected neither Ahnenerbe nor Abwehr; yet
—Ancestors of the Germanic Peoples, Prof. Heinz
WALP URGEN’s involvement means this is no normal
von Achtigen, ed. München Verlag 1938, Chapter 1
science. What are they up to? What is Operation Needle?

Handout #4 Handout #2
Appendix Five: Handouts

“The Maglemosian hunter-gatherer culture was htmares no

My mi nd wil l stand these nig
widespread along the now-inundated coasts of northern
Europe, including stretches of the ancestral fatherland.
longer—that hideous house, the loat hsome sea and
sky!
They were a pure and hardy people, noble and inventive; I must finish this document and pass it to
relics recovered by dredger and fishing boat from what is
now the North Sea bed show considerable sophistication,
the good people who shelter me. I fear that if I go to sleep
and include beautiful examples of the leister or fish-spear.
They appear to have worshipped a maritime pantheon
agai n I shal l n ot waken, it draws me so
of bizarre appearance. [...] The Maglemosian culture T IS DOWN THERE, and they are
disappeared suddenly approximately 6000BC...”
much. B ut I
going to bring it up. God! Help us!
—Ancestors of the Germanic Peoples, Prof. Heinz O IN G T O B R ING I T UP !
von Achtigen, ed. München Verlag 1938, Chapter 6 T H E Y AR E G
 Handout #5

Nieuport

Transfer here!
La Panne

Bray-Dunes
Dunkirk Furnes

Stone Circle
Bergues Ox

Handout #5
 Handout #6
RFSS* - The ‘Book of Aciel’ refers
)
“Preliminary evidence suggests that the final to a ‘great swallowing of (or by
disappearance of the ‘Dogger Bank’ and associated
the deep’, the destroyer of the
precious knowledge the Book
alluvial plains in the North Sea occurred with
catastrophic rapidity, far more swiftly than any
s
geological phenomenon. Indeed, it seems possible claims to be preserving. Was thi
’s
to speak of a ‘flood event’. This does not seem
a global event? Or did the Book
author have a connection with
consistent with the gradual rise in sea levels
associated with the end of the last glaciation.
Instead, one must look towards more violent causes: Maglemosian? WALPURGEN
at this stage, we hypothesise an earthquake, or a
major undersea landslide and devastating tidal wave. *RFSS—abbreviation for
Until we penetrate the sea depths, the truth is Reichsführer SS, a title
impossible to confirm.” of Heinrich Himmler

Handout #7

Deutsche Reichspost
Telegramm
Wassermeister,

Walpurgen informs me of plans. Cessation of activities to take place.

If forces you believe behind Dogger Bank event are real, do everything
possible to ensure cooperation, for glorious future of our Thousand Year
Reich. Do not fail. I will not be lenient again.

Heil Hitler
R.F.H.H.

HANDOUT #8

There are records in De Vroot, Kleiningen, Fraser, etc, that a ‘drowning

ritual’ continued at least until the Middle Ages along the North Sea
coast, dating from no later than the Bronze Age. This may lie behind the
‘ducking chair’ torture used against students of the esoteric sciences. Is this
the key to the function of the Seven Fishermen? We must seize Bergues
from Allied hands!
Wartime roleplaying...
...with tentacles!
Achtung! Cthulhu brings you a two-fisted
wartime roleplaying game setting packed full
of fiendish Nazis, terrifying ancient mysteries,
legendary war machines, and enough writhing
tentacles to fill ten Reichstags!

Heroes of the Sea is the second standalone

adventure supplement in the globe-spanning
Zero Point campaign. Play soldiers, agents, and
resistance fighters in the chaos and carnage of
the Battle of Dunkirk, as a sinister conspiracy
threatens the lives of the retreating Allied
forces!

Inside you will find everything you need:

• A standalone multi-episode adventure
for several sessions of play!
• New rules for Call of Cthulhu wartime
investigations, including tanks and
Stukas!
• Maps of Europe and the evacuation at
Dunkirk
• An “Operational Briefing” and many
other beautiful handouts!
• Four pregenerated characters to get you
playing immediately!

Requires the Call of Cthulhu 6th edition

rulebook to play.