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ISBN (Softcover): 978-0-9905318-2-1ISBN (Hardcover): 978-0-9905318-3-8

Written By: Eloy Lasanta, Marc Huete, Bill Keyes, Ryan Schoon, Andrew McCollEdited: Carol DarnellLayout and Typesetting: Eloy LasantaCover Art: Daniel WongInterior Art: Mike Mumah, Daniel Wong, Herbert Kwan

Playtesters: Brandon Aten, Coty Beck, Josh Blake, Tom Burpee, Reyaht Grail, Justin Howard, Maximillian How-ard, Donna Huckabay, Gunnar Huckabay, Rob Huckabay, Mike Lawson, Ozzy Leigh, Martin Long, Patrick Martell, Matthew Orr, Ryden Shartle

Copyright © 2015 Third Eye GamesAll rights reserved under the Universal Copyright Conven-tion. No part of this book may be reproduced in part or whole, in any form or by any means, without permission from the publisher, except for brief quotes for use in re-views or copies of the character sheet.

www.thirdeyegames.net

API, Tampa HQJune, 2015

Memorandum

TO: New AgentCC: Authorizing Elite Operative

Welcome to Apocalypse Prevention, Inc. as the newest agent. We are delighted to have you join our company in our cause to protect all of humanity from the perils of dimensional attacks and random catastrophes. Your contribution to our global family is important to ensure our sustained success and growing vigilance in all corners of the world. We hope your career here will be a gratifying one.

Please read the attached New Agent Handbook thoroughly, as it explains all of your expectations and requirements, as well as information on your possible non-human coworkers and threats we face daily. It is good to know the differ-ence, as not all demons are the enemy.

FYI: Your Employee Code is ______ and you can pick up your specially designed Agent ID from your squad leader after taking a tasteful photo and providing your geneic code for company records. Please contact Hazel in HR if you have questions about your benefits. We have excellent dental coverage and can offer assistance with setting up your 401K.

We would also request that you complete all pending paperwork (Forms found at the end of the New Agent Handbook).

I welcome you on behalf of myself and Apocalypse Prevention, Inc.

Sincerely,

Annabelle Priscilla IlsleyCEO, API-US

Attachment: New Agent Handbook(Please complete and return Agent Information Forms)

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What is Apocalypse Prevention, Inc?Humanity has only ever glimpsed a fraction of what

the world really is. Just beneath the surface are hideous horrors, fantastical wonders and creatures beyond belief. Every myth, from vampires to werewolves to shapeshift-ers, exists simultaneously, but often differently than pop culture has led the public to think of them. This fascination with the hidden could lead to the world’s destruction; as a matter of fact, it almost has twenty-three times in the last 600 years. Of course, in each of these instances, Apoca-lypse Prevention, Inc. was there to put an end to the das-tardly plot and set things right. This means, however, they must constantly work to police the supernatural on Earth and keep regular people in the dark. It is a duty taken on by the best and brightest, and those just crazy enough to think all this danger is fun.

The company began as a ragtag group of adventur-ers slicing their way through waves of demons and even-tually led to the formation of the Circle of Ten. The founda-tions of what would become Apocalypse Prevention, Inc. began with the destruction of the Black Plague. Through a number of other trials and pitfalls, the company grew to become a worldwide power with the ability to circumvent any corporate takeover or government agency just as easily as an insidious plot to take over a city (or even the entire world) from the various demons and magic-users that exist on Earth.

Apocalypse Prevention, Inc. 2nd Edition is the lat-est update to this epic setting of agents fighting to protect Earth from unknown perils. It gives players the tools to create their own agents and craft amazing and dramatic tales of their missions. One may require infiltrating a local gang of vampires, while another may set them to battle against an elephant-sized Tark in the parking lot of a day-care. Some adventures even send the agents around the

Introduction

world to fight against international threats when neces-sary. API agents don’t ask for thanks. Saving the world on a daily basis is just the way they roll.

Action Horror with a twist of Humor

This is an RPG of Action Horror with a twist of Humor. The setting is designed to deliver on high-intensity situa-tions and engaging conflict, both political and immersive battles. The things agents of API face are not just gang-sters and criminals, but also a variety of demonic races, such as the high-flying Harpies, the deep-lurking Lochs, the seductive Inciters or even the fiery Burners. Each en-emy the company faces has some plot, some scheme to disrupt the status quo and endanger humanity, and Apoc-alypse Prevention, Inc. can’t let that stand, regardless of how scary it may be.

That said, no story or game should ever be com-plete dreariness and depression. Injecting subtle humor is just the right balancer to the fast-paced Action and the mind-blowing Horror, showing Apocalypse Prevention, Inc. 2nd Edition in a real, three-dimensional experience. There is humor is every situation… one must only unlock it and chuckle.

API AgentsPlayers take on the role of agents who work for Apoca-

lypse Prevention, Inc. While the vast majority of agents are human, the demons who reside on Earth often join as well. Hell, it’s their home too, right? Demon races are separated into Legal (API-friendly) and Illegal (on the wanted list).

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Legal Races à Humans: Creative and stubborn rulers of Earth à Burners: Fire demons, refugees from another world à Changelings: Shapeshifting demons à Draconi: Emotion-feeding dragon-people à Harpies: Children of the gods with wings to soar à Hunchbacks: Deformed, but powerful demons

who hate Tark à Inciters: World-faring race of beautiful demons à Lochs: Giant fish-demons, dethroned from their

kingdom à Mucks: Puddles of sentient ooze… kinda gross à Patterns: Clones of humanity, born to serve à Spectrals: Ghosts who did not enter the afterlife à Taylari: Living vampires, able to walk in the sun à Vermen: Humanoid rats and expert tinkerers à Wolf People: Werewolves of unknown origins à Wraps: Mummies returned to the plane of the living

Illegal Races à Alata: Hive-minded insect demons à Carriers: Disease-eating demons who can cre-

ate catastrophic pandemics à Oracles: Demons who can tell the future, but

bring bad luck in their wake à Synchrons: A machine race, heralding an immi-

nent attack from the Chromatics à Tark: Unstoppable juggernauts who steal human

babies for feasting and horrible experiments

What You Need to PlayHere's what you need to start using the of Apoca-

lypse Prevention, Inc. 2nd Edition QuickStart: à A group of two or more friends ready to have fun à The rules in this QuickStart, which guide you

playing the game à Character sheets in the back of this book à A pencil and scratch paper, to take notes or to

pass messages back and forth à At least one twenty-sided die (1d20), but multi-

ples are better for when one runs out of luck à A deep imagination à The willingness to get into character

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Rolling the DiceThis is where the dice come into play. Using the Dy-

namic Gaming System 2.0, players roll 1d20 against a Difficulty set by the GM. A success (meeting or beating the Difficulty) means they accomplish their task, while a failure (rolling below the Difficulty) means the have made a misstep in their planning and it didn't work.

Most checks are made with Attribute + Skill + 1d20 + Modifer. This means they add an Attribute with a Skill and adding up their values, then adding that combined value to the result on their 1d20. There are a few exceptions to this check, like Attribute + Attribute checks, but the standard sys-tem applies across the board for the most part.

InspirationsThe ideas behind Apocalypse Prevention, Inc. 2nd

Edition come from a variety of sources. Pop culture is the main contributor, so we have included some of the main ones below for players to check out and get inspired for their game.

Men In BlackProbably the biggest contributor to the feel and over-

all idea behind API2E was Men In Black. In this series of movies, humans come to work for a secret government agency to monitor and police activity on Earth. It follows the story of a new recruit and how strange it is to realize what the world has been hiding. The series has a great combination of action and humor. It was so amazing that it spawned three movies.

Buffy the Vampire SlayerOne of Joss Whedon’s first major works, BtVS took

TV by storm and mixed action, humor, drama and legiti-mate scares all together into one. It follows the story of a

chosen one who has to fight vampires, and then she ends up fighting all manner of other demons as well. Her cast of friends easily exhibits what if can be like in an API squad: the slayer (lots of Fighting Styles), the witch (adept), the werewolf (Wolf Person) and the vampire (Taylari). The TV series had seven seasons and several comics.

HellboyWhile MiB and BtVS are both from a human’s POV,

Hellboy tells you what it’s like to be a fire demon teamed up with an aquatic demon, taking on other demons to de-fend the Earth and keep it safe. It is a great depiction of the emotional conflicts that arise for demons working so hard to protect a world that will never accept them. Watch the movies or pick up the comics; you can’t really go wrong.

TorchwoodDepending on how dark one wants to go with their

game, Torchwood is a great resource for inspiration for a game of API2E. It takes a group of humans working to fight against an imminent alien threat, using alien tech against their opponents. It’s a great exercise in what can happen when there is no accountability and the dark turns that happen when one makes the wrong decision. It had two full seasons, as well as two wonderfully dark mini-se-ries as well. Watch them all. You’ll thank us.

EquilibriumEquilibrium is a story of a man breaking out from un-

der the controlling hand of his government and fighting for freedom. While not directly related to the story, Equilibri-um has terrific action choreography, which can get any GM ready to run a game of API2E. The gun kata and martial arts used were huge influences in the way combat flows in the DGS2.0 as well.

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Rules Reference

Attributes

Agility (AGY) AGY denotes a character’s speed, bal-ance and accuracy.

Charm (CHM) CHM represents one’s presence and how they use it to their advantage.

Insight (INS) INS determines their natural intuition, awareness and resistance to mental trau-ma.

Intellect (IQ) IQ represents mental power and the char-acter’s overall intelligence.

Power (POW) POW represents a character’s physical strength.

Vigor (VIG) VIG determines a character’s physical toughness.

Difficulties

Simple (10) Basic application of the Skill with little to no fuss.

Moderate (20) Advanced applications of the Skill that often require intimate knowledge of the subject.

Tough (30) Complex Skill applications that re-quire more work than usual and usu-ally involve unique challenges.

Legendary (40) Nearly impossible feats of Skill that only a master could accomplish.

Rolling DiceMost checks are made with Attribute + Skill + 1d20 + Modifer. This means the player adds the appropriate Attribute with the corresponding Skill for the task and then adds that combined value to the result on their 1d20. The goal is to meet or beat the Difficulty set by the Game Master. Derived Stats have al-ready been calculated and are only added to their 1d20.

BoostsFor every margin of 5 a check exceeds its Difficulty by, the agent gains an extra benefit, called a Boost.

à Additional Targets: A Skill targeting a single person may affect extra targets with a slightly lesser effect.

à Bonus Damage: Usually used in a Battle, and worth +1 damage to an attack.

à Bonus Info: The agent finds or overhears unexpected information that may prove useful.

à Heightened Effect: Whatever the agent was trying to do, they do better. If they were attempting to scare someone, they not only scare them, but also make them cry.

à Streak Bonus: Creates an advantage and gives a +2 bonus for their next check.

à Style: The agent completes the task with a flourish that peo-ple notice. If performing for a crowd, this may gain their favor.

à Time Crunch: Cuts time off the require task, about 1/3 per Boost.

ReasonsEvery agent has a Reason for Joining API and a Reason for Staying with API. Each Reasion provides certain bonuses and Gifts to the character, which are added during character creation. Any time one of the agent’s Reasons is brought into the story in an interesting way, they can receive +1 XP at the end of the Session. Incorporating an agent’s family into a hostage situation that forces them to provide Protection would defi-nitely provide bonus XP. Another agent with Obligation might receive bonus XP whenever their debt is due.

Skills

Athletics For physical activities (jumping, climbing, etc.)Beast Handling When a task interacts with an animalCrafts To create art, take things apart or put

things togetherDeception When there is an element of lyingDiscipline For mental defense or concentrationEmpathy To sense emotions, tell if someone is lying

or control your own emotionsFists Used for close combat fighting, unarmed

or with a weaponFortitude For physical resistance (vs. poison, sleep, etc.)Intimidation When trying to get what you want through

fear/forceKnowledge When it’s all about what you know (sci-

ence, law, etc.)Marksmanship Used for ranged fighting, either throwing

or shootingMedicine When it involves medical knowledgePerception To use one’s senses to find or search for

somethingPerformance When one is putting on a show for an au-

diencePersuasion When trying to get what you want through

negotiationStealth To hide oneself, sneak around or camouflageSurvival For surviving in environments, including

navigation and trackingTechnology When a task involves computers or techTravel Used for vehicle operation (car, plane, etc.)Weapons Used when using weapons in close com-

bat (i.e.sword, bat, etc.)

SpecialtiesSometimes a character gets very good at a specific use of a skill, like wielding a sword better than other Weapons or delving into a particular topic under Knowledges. Specialties reflect this, providing a +2 bonus to checks under these cir-cumstances.

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Full Actions à Unarmed Strike (Speed 5) - Check: POW + Fists, Dam-age: 2 + Base: The character lashes out at their opponent with a punch, a jab, an elbow, knee or kick.

à Weapon Strike (Speed 5 + Type) - Check: POW + Weap-ons, Damage: 2 + Base + Weapon: The character attacks with a close combat weapon in hand, such as a sword, knife or staff. Weapon Type is added to the Speed of the Action as well (Light +1, Average +2 or Heavy +3).

à Use Ranged Weapon (Speed 4 + Type) - Check: AGY + Marksmanship, Damage: 2 + Weapon: Attack with a ranged weapon. Firearm Type is added to Speed when pulling a trigger (Light +1, Average +2 or Heavy +3).

à Throw Weapon (Speed: 4 + Type) - Check: POW + Ath-letics, Damage: Base + Weapon: Weapon Type is added to the Speed and because it uses the character’s Strength, it does enjoy their Base damage as well. If the weapon is not designed to be thrown, (Size)x2 is added to Speed instead.

à Initiative Grapple (Speed 6) - Check: POW + Fists: The fighter enters into a grapple with their target. Target suffers a -3 penalty to physical checks for each opponent restraining them in this manner. While in a Grapple, Actions and Reac-tions use Strength and enjoy a -2 Speed modifier (to a mini-mum of 2), though only Size 1 close weapons can be used. Unlisted Actions are simply Speed 4.

à Break Grapple (Speed 5) - Check: Strength: Forces an Opposed Strength to stop Grapple. If the other participant wants to let go, it uses Speed, but does not use up an Action.

à Knock Back (Speed 4) - Check: POW + Fists, Damage: 0 + Base: The character shoves the target. If successful, the target takes damage and is shoved back (POW + IQ) ft.

à Move - Sprint (Speed 7): The character runs full speed in one direction for the Turn, moving (Movement)x2. While Sprinting, ranged attacks against the character suffer a -3 penalty. If the fighter’s follow-up Action is an Unarmed Strike or Weapon Strike, they receive a +3 bonus to hit and +2 damage.

à Non-Combat Skill (Speed 8) - Check: Varies: Anything outside of attacking or defending in an active Battle. GM can adjust the Speed based on individual circumstances, but in general, Non-Combat Skills are Speed 8.

à Pain Strike (Speed 6) - Check: AGY + Fists: The fight-er decides to inflict pain instead of harm. They suffer a -3 penalty to this maneuver, but if the attack hits, their victim suffers a cumulative -2 penalty to checks, plus another -1 penalty per Boost (to a maximum -10 penalty).

à Retreat (Speed 8): Similar to a Move Action, but the char-acter uses their Turn to leave close combat with an oppo-nent. When this occurs, opponents with AGY 3 or more higher than the character can make a free attack against the retreater for half damage.

à Sweep (Speed 4) - Check: AGY + Fists, Damage: -1 + Base: The character attempts to drop the target to the floor. If successful, the target must make a Prepare Action to stand and get back into the fight.

Turn Sequence

Step One: Initiative Determines which character gets to act first, second, etc.

Step Two: Choose Action

The character chooses what they want to do for their Turn

Step Three: Choose Reaction

If the Action is targeting another character, they choose how to react

Step Four: Damage/Effects

If intended to inflict harm, calculate how much damage is done

Staggered InitiativeTo determine Initaitive for the Round, the players roll 1d20 and add their Initiative bonus (AGY + INS). When a character acts, their Action Speed is subtracted from their Initiative result to determine when they will act next. For instance, an agent with Initiative 24 may choose an Unarmed Strike (Speed 5) as their Action. This subtracts 5 from their Initiative, making their next Action fall to Initiative 19. Every Action (and Reaction), from issuing a command to using mag-ic to firing a gun has an associated Speed.Characters have a limited number of Actions they can take during a Round, but they can take an unlimited number of Reactions. When they have run out of Actions, they can only React for the rest of the Round. Unused Actions can be con-verted to a +2 Initiative bonus each.

Action Types à Quick Actions: Actions that may or may not use an Action to perform. If performed alone, a Quick Action simply takes the character’s Action and subtracts Speed normally. The player may also choose to use a Quick Action at the same time as another Action Type, but this second Action suffers a -3 penalty.

à Full Actions: These Actions use up at least 1 Action to per-form and are considered Standard Actions.

à Grapple Maneuvers: Like Full Actions, but can only be performed if the character has initiated a Grapple with their opponent.

à Support Actions: Takes up 1 Action and creates an effect that alters a later Action for either the fighter or their opponent.

à Free Actions: When a Full, Grapple or Support Action is Free, it does not cost an Action to use, but the character’s Initiative Result still reduces by the Speed of said Action. When a Quick Action is free, it means its Speed drops to 0, but any follow-up Actions still suffer the normal -3 penalty.

Quick Actions à Feint (Speed 4) - Check: CHM + Deception: A Feint catch-es the target off their feet, adding a +2 bonus and +1 dam-age to character’s next attack. Target resists Mental Resist.

à Hold Action (Speed Varies): The character holds their Ac-tion, giving up their Initiative and immediately dropping to the same Initiative as the next character to take their Turn. During this second character’s Turn, the holding fighter can attempt to Interrupt in order to act first. This forces another Initiative check between the two characters with the winner acting before the other.

à Move - Normal (Speed 4): The character travels (Move-ment) ft. on the battlefield.

à Prepare (Speed 3): Includes drawing a weapon, reloading most guns or standing if they have fallen.

à Touch (Speed 3) - Check: AGY + Fighting: The character reaches out to touch their target, but deals no damage.

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