API -Apocalypse Prevention Inc- the Roleplaying Game, which bills itself as an Action Horror RPG … with a twist of Humor written by Eloy Lasanta and published by Third Eye Games. API uses the Dynamic Game System (DGS) for its base rules. It is a 184-page product (182 after covers) with a clean layout and a fair amount of thematic black and white art.
The game setting is a mix of late season Angel and Men in Black (with a dash of Hellboy’s BPRD) in concept, with the shadow corporation of API protecting the world from threats from the multitude of alternate demon dimensions that can invade the Earth at anytime along with other homegrown supernatural threats. API has access to allied demons and supernatural beings, magic and high technology to complete its mandate. You are playing API’s newest employees.
Character creation is point based and quite flexible. You can play a human or several types of paranormal creatures (ghosts, living vampires, fish demon, fire starters and more) each with its own selection of special abilities. A nice roleplaying hook is that each character has a passion that drive her or him (or it), when you play to your passion in such a way that it makes the game more interesting, you get bonuses (usually bonus experience). The system seems flexible and easy enough to use especially with the provided two page reference guide that neatly breaks the steps down.
The DGS uses a simple roll 1d20 plus statistic and skill against a target number or opposed roll (except for combat), nice and clean with the uses for skills well defined. Combat is a bit more complex however. A character’s statistics and skills are not used directly, instead they give bonuses to strike, dodge, damage, parry and other combat actions. Combat is tracked in counts within each round and each combat action (and reaction if you are defending) costs a certain amount of counts and expends a certain amount of Stamina (used to measure the character’s endurance). Most combat rolls will be contested in some fashion as the defender attempts to dodge, parry or otherwise avoid the attack or minimize damage from it. The system allows a good amount of tactical finesse and options in a fight and tries to encourage description (even allowing the GM to give bonuses to well-described combat maneuvers). But it also lacks rules for simplifying combat if only a quick resolution is needed.
Magic is divided into various paths (eighteen in all) each with several spells available. One of the nice aspects of the magic system is that each spell can be improved and customized by and to its caster making the short spell lists more flexible. A handful of Magical Orders, each of whom specialize in one of the paths, are provided for use as examples or rivals. The magic paths are interesting and varied but the total number of spells is quite limited. Oddly, no examples or guidelines for magical artefacts are provided.
A selection of “monsters” is provided which gives more details on the player character races as well as providing the statistics for animals and a few opponents including the traditional zombie. A short “random demon generator” is also provided that is fun but could have been made much more interesting. While each of the major ‘races’ comes with an NPC and suggestions for his or her use, in general, these sections could have been improved by incorporating adventure seeds and by providing a wider range of opposition types.
The world background, mostly seen through the lens of API, is intriguing if very odd. The section on how agents are recruited and what is expected of them should have been with character creation however, as agents of API have to cut all ties with their former life, such information might be important in considering a character’s background. Some clues to the world and the sort of scenarios that API might be involved in are included but most of the background is just an overview.
The advice on game mastering API is also rather thin. As API aims to combine elements of horror and humor, two of the hardest styles of game to run, you would expect more than five paragraphs (and less than half a page). Some suggestions on how to gather teams, ideas for non-API-based campaigns in the API setting and six adventure seeds (two for each new, experienced and elite agents) consisting of but a single paragraph each. However, no introductory adventure is provided nor are suggestions on how to structure API adventures. It also lacks a bibliography/filmography of sources of inspiration.
Concluding the book is an index (always a plus), a character sheet and a count tracking sheet for combat.
API has potential, the system is solid and the setting is full of possibilities, but nether seems quite finished. Right now API is a fun game but the GM will need to put in a lot of work to make the setting work. It is also a great source of ideas, especially the various races, for modern horror/supernatural games.
