Apocalypse Keys: In Rae Nedjadi’s RPG, you can crush the world or cure your heart

Even the most terrible beasts and powerful monsters have hearts. Well, that’s the pitch for Evil Hat and Rae Nedjadi’s Apocalypse Keys RPG on Kickstarter.

You’re an omen class monster fighting to save the world in a Powered by the Apocalypse engine RPG, but there’s a darkness growing inside you. You can find out more below or on the pitch page.

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Your character in the game has teamed up with a group called DIVISION to stop the Harbingers from unlocking the Doors of Powers. If you fail, then it means the apocalypse.

Joining the DIVISION means you get some contact with people and other beings a bit like you, even though they might be afraid of you. This touch of light helps keep the growing shadow inside you at bay.

Influences include Hellboy, Men in Black and Doom Patrol. The system is Powered by the Apocalypse but does away with character archetypes in favour of emotional themes and arcs for your PC. Thsese are;

• The Last – The lone survivor of an apocalypse on your own alien world, you walk this one carrying hope, trauma, and rage. Will you let wisdom, grief, or anger forge your path?
• The Shade – Death whispers to you. It shares the cold, cerebral truth of this doomed world. Logic is your weapon and your shield. What happens when you put it down?
• The Summoned – A creature from another world, you are direct and aggressive. Violence can come easy to you. A cruel prophecy hangs over your head while your heart yearns to be loved.
• The Found – You walk between the waking world and the realm of dreams. Your powerful psychic abilities allow you to read hearts and minds, but they come at a dear cost: you cannot recall your own past.
• The Fallen – Whether a fallen angel or an exiled devil, you use your unearthly charm and deceit to navigate the mortal realm. The clutch of devoted followers you’ve cultivated may grant you great power – if you can keep your pride from destroying you.
• The Hungry – An insatiable hunger burns inside you. It transforms you into a powerful predator and leaves you a weak, pitiable thrall. How can you cultivate friends, confidants, and lovers while possessed by a need you cannot control?
• The Surge – Explosive, uncontrollable power wells up within you. A power you alone cannot contain. Will you share it? Or unleash it?

You can support the indie RPG by sharing the Kickstarter on social media or offering some cash. If you can spare $25 or more, you’ll get the PDF copy of the game, with the prototype immediately available, and you’ll get the print-on-demand codes too. The latter means printing and shipping cost.

Restricted to certain countries only, a pledge of $50 will get you the standard hardcover and PDF, with access to Roll20 quick start modules as well.

Alternatively, you can swap the hardcover out for full Roll20.

There’s a special edition hardcover at $75, with community copies of the game added to the pile. There’s even a $175 Omen Class bundle with a USB key, the special edition and a host of supporting materials.

The estimated delivery for the prototype is right now, the PDF in April and the physical books in July.