Players Guide

End of the
World
Powered by the Apocalypse

Gremlin Legions
December 31 2 0 1 2
 Who are you?
You are a disparate group, people from
all walks of life. Maybe you know the
others, maybe they are strangers...but
right now you need all the allies you can
get.

What is happening?
There is something wrong with the
world, but were not sure what. Tensions
are boiling over, markets are crashing,
buildings are on fire. Whether it was
caused by rebellion, terrorists, global
war, a zombie plague, or aliens, you
dont know. Will you find out?

Where are You?

Youve taken refuge, huddled together
for safety against the chaos outside.
Hopefully you can all hold out until...
until things get better. But supplies are
limited, and you dont know how long
theyll last...

What do you do?

Based on Apocalypse World by Vincent Baker, World of Dungeons hack by
John Harper, and inspiration from Chronica Feudalis by Jeremy Keller
 Your Citizens
Pick three backgrounds from those provided later,
and use them to define your past and personality.
They list certain Skills add +1 to a Skill if listed,
and subtract -1 if it is instead marked with an ,
giving you totals between -2 and +3. You can
select the same background more than once, but
you cannot have a combination that would lower
any Skill below -2.

Skills
Aware Staying alert to your surroundings.
Bypass Sabotaging or disarming security and devices.
Charm Sociability, style, and attractiveness.
Combat Martial training and marksmanship.
Deceit Lies, cheating, and manipulating people.
Expert Scientific understanding and analysis.
Fitness Physical prowess, mobility, and agility.
Menace Threats of force, violence, or defamation.
Renown Reputation and social influence.
Repair Designing, fixing, and modifying devices.
Search Uncovering clues and scavenging materials.
Sneak Concealing your activities and position.
Survive Enduring the elements and foraging for food.
Treat Diagnosis of ailments and providing aid.
Wisdom Common sense and general knowledge.
 What You Have
Your start with ten points worth of Trade things
you had before all hell broke loose or that you
picked up on the run, things which people still value
and would exchange for useful items. During setup,
you can freely spend Trade for Goods, Tools, and
Arms. Afterwards, getting what you need will be a
matter of bartering, hard work, and luck.
One Trade will buy one point of Goods. These
are spent as one-time bonuses to particular Skills,
such as Repair (machine parts, duct tape), Treat
(antibiotics, bandages), or Survive (rations, all-
weather matches). You dont need to define what
the Goods are, just which Skill they benefit.
Two Trade will buy one point worth of Tools.
Tools make certain Skill actions possible. If you
had Repair, you could figure out what was wrong
with an engine, but not actually fix it without the
right Tools. Tools can also be spent, but instead
of adding a bonus, they improve the result of the
Skill.
Two Trade can also buy one point worth of
Arms, either weapons or armor. Weapons cause
Harm, while armor Soaks the damage inflicted.
Remember that guns are going to be loud,
explosives will be dangerous, and armor will make
you a target.
Example Tools
Binoculars Aware Credentials Renown
Lockpicks Bypass Tool Kit Repair +Heavy
Gun Scope Combat Geiger Counter Search
Forged Papers Deceit Ghillie Suit Sneak
Climbing Gear Fitness First Aid Kit Treat
Example Armor Example Handguns
Vest 1 Soak Derringer 1 Harm
Jacket 2 Soak Pistol 2 Harm
Bomb Suit 3 Soak +Heavy SMG 2 Harm +Auto
Example Melee Heavy Pistol 3 Harm
Knife 1 Harm Stun Gun 1 Stun
Big Knife 2 Harm Example Rifles
Crowbar 2 Harm Hunting Rifle 2 Harm
Sword/Axe 3 Harm Sawed-Off 3 Harm +Blast
Chainsaw 4 Harm Shotgun 3 Harm
Example Explosives Assault Rifle 3 Harm +Auto
4 Harm +Blast Sniper Rifle 3 Harm +Silenced
Grenade
+Stock Machinegun 4 Harm +Auto
4 Harm +Blast Heavy 5 Harm +Auto
C-4
+Stock +Charge Machinegun +Heavy

+Auto: Can Harm up to three targets, but must reload afterward

+Blast: Does Harm to all within close proximity of the primary target,
but must reload afterward
+Charge: Each additional charge adds +1 Harm
+Heavy: While carried, suffer -1 to all rolls
+Silenced: Cannot be heard when fired from concealment
+Stun: Treat as Harm instead of Wounds, target is -3 to all rolls,
reduce by 1 each minute
+Stock: Half base cost for one item, +1 Trade per extra (e.g. a
grenade would cost 4 Trade, +1 per additional grenade)
 Doing Things
When you attempt something difficult or
dangerous, roll 2D6 and add a Skill appropriate to
your action. The result is based on your total. The
Overseer will tell you some of the possible risks
before you roll, and you must decide if you want to
take the chance.
6 or less is a Failure; things dont go
well, and the Overseer will describe a
consequence or Fallout.
7 to 9 is Passable; you do it, but there
is some cost, compromise, or other
Trouble.
10 to 11 is a Success; you do it without
any undue Trouble.
12+ is an Opportunity; you not only
do it, but you get some extra benefit or
advantage.
Before you roll, you can spend available Goods to
add up to +3 to your total. After you roll, you can
spend your Tools to increase the results by one
rank.

!Opposition
Often you will be facing other people, whether
bartering, fighting, or evading. The Overseer will
describe what you perceive their strengths and
motives are, instead of explicit risks...because
people sometimes defy expectations.
 Harm and Recovery
When you take Harm, reduce it by your armors
Soak and check the resulting Wound below.
Unarmed attacks to 0 Harm, and unarmored targets
have 0 Soak. Wounds are cumulative a second
Graze would become a Light Wound, for example.
Lesser Wounds heal first, and you can roll +Treat to
reduce a Wounds healing time by one rank.

You arent really hurt, just a bit winded or

0 Graze off balance: rest a turn to recover

Mere scratches: they wont matter after

1 Light an hour of rest.

Bruises and lacerations: youll feel better

2 Minor after a day of rest.

Bleeding, possibly some minor

3 Major fractures: heals after a week of rest.

Broken bones, blood dripping everywhere,

and you need to roll+Fitness to not slip
4 Severe into unconsciousness: takes a month of
rest to recover.

You are slipping away, and need

5 Dying someone to roll+Treat just to keep you
alive: takes a month of rest to recover.

6+ Dead Theres no saving you now.

 The Others
Sometimes youll be at cross-purposes with other
players. You should negotiate and come to a
compromise. If neither side budges, you can offer
up Trade or items, or give them one Favor with you
if they give in.

!Helping and Hindering

If you try to assist or interfere with someones action,
tell everyone what you are doing to get involved, and
then you can choose to either give them +1 to their
next roll (Helping) or -2 (Hindering), but you cant
do anything else until they are done with that action.
You can, instead, spend one Favor with someone to
Help or Hinder and still be able to do other things.

!Hurting Others
If it comes to blows, the aggressor will roll as with
any other combat. The defender can try to Hinder
their attack, or counter with their own attack.

Advancement
You can find more Trade through your explorations,
or perhaps as reward for your deeds. You can give
your Trade to others for Favors, one per total Favor
you will have with them (e.g. raising 2 Favor to 3 will
cost 3 Trade).
You can advance your Skills by trading in five Favors
per Skill bonus you will have, to a maximum of +4
(e.g. raising +2 to +3 will cost 15 Favors).
Activist
Aware
Bypass
Charm or
Menace
Renown
Survive

Bystander
3 of choice
Authority Operative
Charm Charm
Combat or Combat
Wisdom Bypass or
Deceit Menace
Expert Deceit
Renown Sneak
Artist
Aware
Charm
Menace
Renown or
Wisdom
Search

Celebrity
Aware or
Fitness
Charm
Deceit
Renown
Sneak
Drifter
Aware
Deceit or
Repair
Renown
Sneak
Survive
Fugitive
Bypass or
Fitness
Combat
Menace
Renown
Survive
Enforcer
Bypass or
Expert
Combat
Deceit
Menace
Search

Responder
Fitness or
Search
Menace
Repair
Survive
Treat
Criminal
Aware
Bypass or
Menace
Combat
Deceit
Fitness

Miscreant
Bypass
Combat or
Sneak
Deceit
Search
Wisdom
Researcher
Combat
Deceit
Expert
Repair or
Treat
Wisdom

Technician
Aware or
Search
Bypass
Expert
Renown
Repair
Specialist
Bypass
Charm
Combat
Deceit
Repair or
Treat

Veteran
Aware
Charm
Combat
Fitness
Sneak or
Survive
Overseers Guide

End of the
World
Powered by the Apocalypse

Gremlin Legions
December 31 2 0 1 2
 Playing with the Apocalypse
The Overseer manages the flow of play in End of
the World. You control the non-player characters,
describe scenes and environments, introduce events,
and otherwise present challenges for the players
to confront or circumvent. You arent necessarily
opposing the players and their actions instead, you
are using their actions and the conflicts that arise to
build an interesting story.
It can be very tempting when you first start playing
End of the World to immediately plot out ideas for
what happened and why things are the way they
are. You may want to steer the story in a particular
direction, or introduce complex plot twists, or emulate
your favorite disaster or horror movie.
Dont do that.
End of the World is about surviving the downfall
of society, and seeing what comes afterward. If the
players or you, the Overseer, want to discover how
the world ended, then it will be important to introduce
people or motivations that make that important to the
story. If the reasons why arent driving at least one of
the players forward towards action, then dont worry
about it. Otherwise, play to find out what happened.
There are very few rules to this game, but here are
some suggestions that you, as the Overseer, should
follow.
DonT Bother Rolling
The Overseer, will very rarely ever have to pick up
the dice. The action of End of the World is all player-
driven, so everything should be decided in terms
of player rolls. Are the players trying to accomplish
something that is difficult or dangerous? Have them
roll. Are the players reacting to something difficult or
dangerous? Have them roll.
If you need the players to react to something, frame
your NPC actions as either as Trouble or Fallout,
depending on the situation. Have the players been
snooping around somewhere they shouldnt? Have
a thug come up to them to push them around,
threatening to hurt them, and ask them what they do
about it. Keep them on their toes.
Anything beyond a players control will either be
decided by the Overseers whim, or by a single
D6 roll. Odd numbers will be bad, even numbers
are good. Exactly what good and bad means will
depend on the situation. This kind of roll can also be
used when someone take an action for which sheer
chance is the only deciding factor.

Its all gone to shit

Nothing the players do will be able to stop the end of
the world, whatever form it takes. It HAS happened,
and right now theyre dealing with the results. They
need to make the best of it that they can.
Together at the End
The players should all start somewhere that
is, at the moment, secure...but not completely
defensible. Wherever they are holed up, it will
likely be cramped, overcrowded, vulnerable,
uncomfortable, or otherwise lack sufficient supplies
for the long-term. Eventually they will need to
venture forth.

Keep Things Dangerous

The players are normal people; while they are
central to the story, they are not action-movie
heroes. If they make bad choices, bad things
should happen. Feel free to throw obstacles and
opponents in their way, and see how they react.
This doesnt mean you should murder or torture
them without some good reason...thats what
NPCs are for, after all. NPCs should be dying in
terrible, painful, tragic ways, usually as a result of
the players choices...particularly because of the
players choices.

Keep Asking Questions

The End has happened, but what exactly was it?
Ask the players leading questions about what they
saw or experienced, why they chose to hide where
they did, who or what they may have left behind.
You need to take notes of the answers, and use
those to build the story.
Keep things Real
Dont overload the players with lots of extraneous
details and flowery speech. Dont describe things like
they were scenes from a movie describe them as if
you experienced them yourself. Lots of noise, pain,
and stench, but dulled colors, blurred details, and
somewhat uncertain facts.
Everyone they speak to is an individual give them
a name if you can, or some spark of personality that
makes them feel like people. A bum on the street would
be easily forgotten or sacrificed, but Stocking-Cap Hank
who drags his pit bull puppy everywhere is someone the
players may come to rely on or care about.

Keep things Weird?

Try to maintain some internal logic to the story, and
dont allow yourself or the players to stray too far from
reality without first establishing that something weird
is happening. Yes, the world is ending, but whether
that was caused by global warming, sunspots, social
unrest, or alien invasion needs to be established by
questions asked of the players.
If you are trying to push things in a weird direction
(like I usually do), ask things like What is it that
seems odd about the guy in the green coat? or How
did that sound make your pets react? or Why were
those people jumping off the bridge? If youre getting
mundane answers, thats a sign you shouldnt move
in a weird direction.
 Making NPCs
Unlike players, who only need to keep track of
their own character and their important details, the
Overseer not only has to take notes and sketch
out ideas and sometimes rough maps, but must
handle all the various other characters the players
will interact with.
Most NPCs will be extras, and can be described
in fairly broad strokes. However, once the players
interact with them, you need to start giving them
some life of their own. Here are some ideas to
add depth or personality to your NPCs, whether
other citizens, conspirators, enemy combatants,
prisoners, or monsters.
What is their name? Do they even have one?
What are they like? Use two or three senses to
describe them.
What motivates them? Are they hungry,
savage, scared, controlling, greedy?
Who do they know or work with?
Who have they run afoul with?
Do they have an obvious strength?
Do they have a secret strength?
Do they have a perceived weakness?
What is something the players dont know
about them that they should know?
What is something that even you dont know
about the NPC?
 Scavenging and Bartering
Eventually the players are going to run out of Trade,
and theyll need to find more in order to replenish
their supplies. But when society has collapsed, this
isnt such an easy task.
Finding fresh Trade usually requires either a
roll+Search in urban areas, roll+Survive in rural
areas. This involves activities such as scavenging
parts and trinkets, collecting recyclable materials,
hunting for game, gathering berries or herbs, etc. A
Passable result means they find their lowest rolled
die worth in Trade, the highest die if a Success, and
the sum of the dice if an Opportunity. For example,
if you rolled a 2 and 6, a Passable result would net
you 2 Trade, a Success would get you 6, and an
Opportunity would provide 8.
The Overseer should mark how many times the
players have gathered supplies from a particular
area in a month. After three marks, any Failure will
mean that it has been picked clean for the near
future.
Exchanging Trade for Goods, Tools, and Arms is
also not so easy. After character creation, Trade
costs are doubled, though players can try to barter
to drop the prices down a quarter, maybe more with
an Opportunity. Bartering is typically a roll +Charm,
+Deceit, +Menace, or +Renown, though
alternatives can be suggested by crafty players.
 Trouble and Fallout
Trouble is typically the result of a Passable
result, but can also be caused by inaction or
recklessness. Trouble can also be used to describe
the intent of enemies. What do the players do in
response?
Fallout is the result of a Failure, but can also be
caused by terrible choices and rash decisions.
What follows are some possible examples.

Trouble
Delay them Offer a compromise
Distract them Provoke a response
Escalate a danger React to their action
Exaggerate perceptions Return Harm for Harm
Impair perceptions Reveal new dangers
Impede movement Take something away

Fallout
Capture them Prevent their action
Destroy something Reinforce a danger
Force a choice Screw with them
Inflict Harm Separate them
Kill an ally Surprise them