Note: this was originally posted on the Calenmir's RPGs blog on March 14, 2025. Some links have been removed until they can be repaired.

Hi everyone! As promised, “Sweet Dreams,” an original Apocalypse Keys Mystery from Calenmir’s RPGs, is now available in the shop, on Itch, and on DriveThruRPG! This Pie Day, round up your friends to play as an elite team of monsters investigating the world-ending threat that is a landscape made of candy.

Apocalypse What?

For those who have yet to enjoy this system, Apocalypse Keys is a Powered by the Apocalypse (PbtA) horror-superhero game where you play as Omen-class monsters, or Omens for short. Because of their intimate connection to the darkness, Omens have the potential to become Harbingers of the Apocalypse, and wield immense power as a result. However, with the backing of the shadowy organization known as DIVISION, you and your team fight to protect the world instead, facing down would-be Harbingers. But in a world that despised monsters like you, all too often, the true battle is to resist the temptation to succumb to the darkness within your own heart—and the most powerful weapons are your attachments to your fellow Omens.

Several gameplay mechanics reinforce the game’s themes. First is a character creation that gives players as much freedom as their Omens have, which I wrote in-depth about over the course of a seven-part series, beginning with Batman. In addition, like most PbtA games, many moves require players to roll a pair of six-sided dice to determine success or failure. However, true success occurs with a moderate roll, while getting too high of a result is a disastrous success that heralds complications and consequences. In other words, Omens can all too easily go overboard when they unleash their powers, with horrific results. Meanwhile, Omens also gain Ruin when they give into the darkness’ demands, and as the Ruin track fills, Omens gain corruptive new abilities as they come closer and closer to transforming into Harbingers.

So What’s a Mystery?

Apocalypse Keys storylines revolve around investigating threats such as the machinations of Harbingers of the Apocalypse. These investigations, which can span multiple sessions, are referred to as Mysteries. To complete a Mystery, the Omens must gather Keys, a resource roughly corresponding to clues that they can use to piece together the bigger picture. The more Keys they find, the more likely they are to succeed. That said, Omens don’t have an unlimited amount of time to investigate. The Doomsday Clock is ticking down, and if it hits zero before they solve the Mystery, the Harbinger kickstarts the apocalypse. Omens will have a limited window to contain the situation, nor will they be likely to save the day without making some hard choices. Once the Omens have decided they have enough clues, they declare what they think that bigger picture is based on the Keys they’ve found, then roll to see whether or not their theories were correct.

Yes, really: the solution to the Mystery is often created by the players. Keepers have to be willing to improvise as they collaborate with their players to construct a fitting story together. Therefore, premade Mysteries are open-ended by design. This has the additional benefit of providing more opportunities for groups to recontextualize the Mystery within their Omens’ narrative arcs.

Tell Me More About Sweet Dreams

Sweet Dreams, which was made possible by Evil Hat’s Omen Project, is a horror comedy Mystery intended to be run as a one-shot. It also includes optional rules for expanding it to 2-3 sessions, along with:

• Awesome art by Sebastian “DubiousArtiste” McKinnon

• Cozy candy communities unless you count the body horror

• Gummy bears who definitely just want to give you a hug

• Fairy tale allusions

• Fifteen thematically appropriate Keys

• Free housing*

• Nonplayer characters with their own roles to play

• Pie

• Rules for what happens when the Omens eat the candy

• Threat playbooks for potential enemies

*For the Omens, not you. Nice try.

To investigate the secret schemes of a sickeningly saccharine Harbinger, grab the PDF from the shop, on Itch, or DriveThruRPG. If you like it, remember to leave a rating and review so other groups can find it!

Hello dears, and welcome to the neighborhood! Would you like some cookies?